Chapter 5. The Bureau (Part 1)

A few minutes after the call was made an armored vehicle skidded to a stop near Brian and Jordan. Two Bureau guards stepped out of the vehicle to get Brian into the backseat, their expressions nonplussed. They wore the classic Bureau outfit for grunts, a black suit, tie, dress pants, and a white dress shirt. Their faces were adorned with black shades, an earpiece for communication, and a uniform sleek haircut. Bureau guards were also equipped with a taser, firearm, and other miscellaneous tools. This combination made them appear intimidating but gave way to an uncanny feeling.

Jordan was also helped into the armored car, he had multiple broken ribs, along with other fractures and his right lung was punctured. His condition was only getting worse, he sat coughing and having trouble breathing in the backseat next to Brian. They began moving but didn't get far before having to slow down due to other armored vehicles, most much bigger and equipped with heavy artillery, clearing up the road and picking up any fleeing civilians. If any threats came too close the artillery would fire dissuading them from approaching further. The Bureau was attempting to deal with the chaos but it was like trying to douse a wildfire with a glass of water. Making their way to a discreet location the vehicle pulled off to the side of the road, heading down a forested path out to an open field.

The two guards urgently started putting on gas masks before pushing a button releasing gas throughout the vehicle. Jordan at first curious about what was going on quickly became concerned with the gas masks and then finally terrified by the gas. He yelled expletives and tried to open the door, his attempt futile. He passed out but not before pounding on the glass in defiance. The windows lowered as if to mock Jordan's last fleeting attempt at escape, releasing the excess gas to dissipate into the air. Shortly after, a helicopter touched down near the unconscious duo. While the guards in the vehicle got out two more from the helicopter stepped out and assisted in carrying Brian and Jordan to it. From the view of the helicopter as it flew up into the sky the chaos of the city was evident. The overall destruction had slowed but many intense battles were still being held, carnage in their wake.

Waking up suddenly I tried to get my bearings but something was obscuring my vision. Not only this but I was restrained to a chair, my arms and legs clamped down. As I was still stirring awake confusion and slight exhaustion still prevalent I heard a voice to the right of me.

"Ugh, what's going on?" Jordan asked, concern laced in his tone.

"Jordan, is that you?" I responded.

As soon as we had this short dialogue the cloth bags covering our heads were removed. A man was sitting across a table from us, his feet up on said table. He was conventionally handsome, seemed to be in his early 20s, and was of Western European descent. Looking around the room it was very blank, with white walls a black concrete floor, and a single door into the room. The ceiling of course had the standard LED lights and four guards were stationed in each of the corners. I also had a suspicion that one of the walls was actually a one-way mirror, however cliche it seemed.

"Now, now, I'm sure you are both very confused but you needn't worry! We just needed to have a little meeting is all!" The man explained a forced smile embroidered on his face. I was about to speak but I was quickly interrupted.

"Please, please, keep your questions to yourself for now! My name is Casey and we're just going to have a quick chat, I'm sure you don't mind! First order of business, I have here the report of your most recent case, reported by our very own Agents Jordan Daniels! So, from the report here, it would be safe to assume you are the cause of...pretty much the end of the world, right?" Casey asked, his smile fading into an intimidating scowl as he slammed the document onto the table.

"Well...I guess so, but there was no way I would have known my actions could have such drastic effects." I hurriedly said trying to defend myself.

"Calm down, calm down, you aren't in any trouble...for now at least," Casey said his face returning to a smile then quickly into a frown again.

"I find it hard to believe I'm not in a little bit of trouble at least, considering I'm restrained to a chair."

"Well, that was just for our safety, we are all well aware of how competent you are in combat. Wouldn't want to have an incident, now would we?" Casey said, his arms held behind his back and his smile returning.

Casey started up another unserious speech but my focus was on something else, there was a faint presence slowly approaching. I felt it right outside the door and it suddenly opened revealing the individual I felt the presence from. They turned around to close the door and then came to stand next to Casey.

"O-oh, Commander sir! What-What's going on?" Casey asked, stumbling over his words in concern and confusion.

"At ease Special Agent Casey, It's only natural that I also want to speak with this man, yes?" The man asked calmly, attempting to de-escalate Casey's nerves. He stepped up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder gripping it tightly.

Casey wasn't short by any stretch of the imagination but this man easily towered over him. Whether I was still experiencing the effects of exhaustion or just ignoring and suppressing reality, I don't know, but I finally noticed the key features of this man. At first, I was intimidated by this Casey character as he seemed unhinged and dangerous but compared to this man, he was nothing. Right off the bat, you could just feel an intense and dangerous pressure pressing down on you, let alone his intimidating frame and stance.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

At a cursory glance, this was very apparent but what truly emulated his dangerous presence was his smile. That dreaded smile, for all intents and purposes, it was glued onto his face. As if It was the only expression that could grace it, not only this but his eyes were practically shut. He was of East Asian descent, so this combined with his smile and infallible confidence made for a terrifying expression.

Something deep inside of me told me to run, to hide, it was a tad bit overwhelming but my subconscious shut it down before the man saw. The last time I had seen this man was when I slashed his throat, presuming the memories I uncovered weren't also tampered with somehow. There was a gnarly scar on his neck, something that didn't seem like one could survive. I remembered the way it felt slicing right through his jugular all the way to his carotid artery with my knife. I remember all the blood, how could he possibly be alive? Gripping my nerves I steeled myself for the incoming battle, a battle of composure.

"W-well of course sir, but this is most assuredly beneath you, I'm positive you have much more important things that could use your attention," Casey said a bit calmer but still tense from the sudden invasion of Rubeus.

"Nonsense, I knew the man's father, he worked for the Bureau, and reading his last few case files he deserves a break," Rubeus said, his eyes staring daggers into mine.

Although what he said and the tone of his voice indicated a playcating persona, his body language and presence said otherwise. Rubeus gently picked up the report document for my most recent case and skimmed through it. His face unreadable he put the report down and sighed, he whispered something to Casey and took a seat across from me.

"So, Agent Brian, is there anything else you'd like to report on about this incident? If you do happen to have any additional information that you either left out or didn't remember to add to the report please let me know now and I'll share some info I know about the incident." Rubeus stated, his hands clasped around each other, supporting his chin as he stared intently at me.

I fidgeted for a moment and then decided to tell him as much as I could without revealing too much about my abilities. I felt that if I spoke honestly and shared as much as I could he would share more with me.

"Well, after the supercomputer exploded and shot a beam of energy into the sky a wave of energy washed over the globe, that part I'm sure you are aware of. After this, I experienced intense pressure in my head, it didn't subside for many hours. When the pressure subsided I looked round at the wreckage of the warehouse, where the supercomputer once stood was now a floating red orb." I said until I was interrupted by Jordan.

"If I may interject sir, I believe we had a brief conversation right when you came back to, this is when you relayed the incident and I wrote up the report. That is all, I apologize for interrupting sir, you may continue." Jordan said.

"Ah right, thank you Jordan, yes like Jordan said as I came to from the agonizing pain he brought me back to reality and conversed. I then came upon the orb, which now that I think about it you guys probably confiscated right? Anyway, I felt a pull to it, like it was reaching out to me and beckoning me to consume it. Before I was able to Jordan honked the horn of his car and pulled me out of it. I slept a bit In the car but when we got to the headquarters, which is where I assume we are now, I passed out. I was in a coma for a few days until waking up in a hospital bed, shortly after all the chaos ensued." I said, finishing the explanation I started, attempting to be as concise as possible throughout it.

Rubeus sat through the explanation, listening attentively as I went on shifting his gaze to Jordan when he spoke then back to me. Casey was stood behind Rubeus to his right, a nonplussed exasperated look on his face. Even though this was a simple conversation the tension in the room was palpable, it felt like being trapped in a den of starving lions. Rubeus thought for a moment more before starting to speak, his smile not faltering for a second during the dialogue.

"Interesting, you're one of them as well then? Well, you don't seem like a mindless killing machine, but your case sounds unique. All the calls we got for those unconscious and in comas were right after the incident. I believe the pressure and pain got to them rather quickly and knocked them out, but, you were able to stay conscious for a longer period of time it seems. Did that somehow impact your mental state I wonder...sorry, just pondering out loud." Rubeus finished, laughing.

"Ah right, I was still feeling the effects of my emotions being overtaken but it was slow and subtle until I got into a fight with another individual in the hospital. He rushed into the room and we fought, during the fight my emotions got out of wack and I lost it for a bit. Jordan here brought me out of it, I did notice that my reactions were faster, and my strength and durability were also improved. Do you have any insights as to why this is happening? Does it have anything to do with whatever was fueling Clark's device?" I asked hesitantly, reaching for information.

"hmm...maybe it does, but either way these 'powers' are unprecedented, listen I'll be truthful with you Brian, we have been doing tests to enhance individuals but all our efforts so far had been in vain. We may have methods of dealing with the new big threats out there but with you, we could have a bit more assurance. How does that sound, it will be risky but seeing how you were directly involved with how this issue came to be, it would be only poetic if you were one of the reasons it was resolved." Rubeus said empathetically, most of the tension in his being gone.

I could tell what game he was playing if I was still a subservient dog to the Bureau I would have jumped at the chance. But my eyes had been opened to some of the hard truths, the disgusting practices that take place within the Bureau. I knew what I was about to do was risky but I needed to take advantage of this interaction. Up until this I specifically acted as I normally would, nervous, anxious but still confident. It was what he would expect from me and part of it wasn't an act, but flipping the rhythm of the conversation would hopefully shift the power dynamic or at least Rubeus's mental state.

"Rubeus, I remember, I remember the dark room where I screamed until my lungs gave out, the white room where I became a murder machine mercilessly killing. I remember the machine that took away my memories and the years of training underneath you with the other kids. And I remember Project Soul and killing you." I said, starting with my head down showing submission but slowly raising my head to stare daggers into his eyes.

Rubeus's calming dismissive attitude shifted immediately after I uttered his name, his expression changing the more I spoke. He was at first taken aback not knowing exactly what to say but when I mentioned "Project Soul" his everpresent smile cracked. His eyes opened up slightly and his smile faltered, but just as quick as this happened he moved his hand to his holster. Casey who had been getting angrier and angrier throughout the course of the conversation quickly became confused, when he heard Project Soul his face lit up with recognition. Memories repressed and tampered with flooded forward, but before Casey could act upon them in any way Rubeus acted.

He pulled out his gun and placed a shot straight through his head without even turning around, flinging his arm forward he aimed at Jordan. The situation had flipped and I was momentarily stunned, but seeing the gun pointed at Jordan I broke through the restraints and jumped into action. As fast as I could humanly, or inhumanly move I bolted across the distance between me and Jordan, the gun ringing out.