July 25, 4021 22:00 [Levante-Yuèliàng Border: Matriarch 03 B Side]

Dim yellow light peeked through the cracks of the worn-down cargo truck as it passed through the tunnel. Flickers of light danced across the eyelids of a sleeping soldier, his wispy white hair gently spilling over his face. His eyes fluttered, awakened by the soft light. He groaned, shielding his eyes from the light with one hand as he gathered his bearings. The man stretched his limbs, yawning widely, flashing a set of serrated teeth as pale as ivory. The soldier rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his gaze panning to both sides of his seat. Two other soldiers rested their heads on his shoulders, chests rising and falling slowly and rhythmically. He smiled wistfully at the two.

The soldier sat for a few moments, contemplating the events of the past few days, listening to the low thrum of the truck’s engine and the occasional sputter as the vehicle passed over loose gravel and potholes on the road. It was quiet; the rest of the soldiers in the truck remained asleep in their seats, dressed in plain clothes. They had been traveling from checkpoint to checkpoint for almost a week. Psychological evaluations, physical analysis, and general health assessments were performed throughout the duration of their travels. The soldier sighed, exhausted, basking in the tranquility of the moment after such a hectic few days.

The man peered out of the window as the vehicle exited the tunnel, entering into an arid expanse of desert that stretched for miles, passing rolling plateaus and towering massifs in the distance. A waning gibbous gently illuminated the night sky. As they continued to drive down the road, the top of a structure peeked over the horizon, gradually getting larger until they arrived at the doorsteps of a monolithic wall separating the desert and the facility just beyond it. The trucks stopped, the low thrum of the engines coming to an abrupt end as they were terminated. Officers stepped outside of the vehicles, opening the back doors of the trucks to collect the new recruits. The pale soldier gently shook the two sleeping on his shoulders, rousing them from their slumber.

“Wha–? Are we here already?” the one with jet-black hair asked, vigorously rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Yep, we’re here; Matriarch 03,” the pale soldier answered. “Aisha, you awake yet? We have to get out of the truck, c’mon,” he stated, gently patting the curly-haired soldier’s head.

The girl nodded, yawning deeply before mumbling a soft, “I’m up,” although her eyes remained half closed.

The trio filed out of the vehicle alongside the other soldiers, bringing their belongings with them. The soft sand gave way to their shoes as they made their way to security, a freezing wind blowing through the air. The two men shivered, rubbing their arms to keep warm. Aisha placed a hand on her shirt, slowly reforming the cloth into a thick jacket. The other two looked at her hopefully. She rolled her eyes placing one hand on each of their chests, mirroring the technique she just used to form jackets of their own.

The three reached security, nice and warm, smiling at the bewildered guard as he searched their belongings and scanned their retinas. The guard gave each of them a purple wristband, the cool steel fitting snugly upon their wrists. The pale soldier winced as he felt a small prick from the wristband.

“Don’t worry about the needle. The Nerve Cord is taking a blood sample to analyze your base vitals. It’ll provide you with information about your physiology and psychological state of mind. It also acts like a HoloPad so you can receive emails and notifications from the Director and your instructors. You’ll be getting your room designations momentarily,” the guard explained.

The man nodded, checking his Nerve Cord. A notification popped up: IDENTITY CONFIRMED. BASE-LEVEL VITALS APPEAR TO BE IN THE MEDIAN RANGE. KEY CARD ACTIVATION SUCCESSFUL FOR [Akula Krov], SUBJECT NUMBER [027], TRAIT [Blood Sense], ROOM NUMBER [503]. Akula looked at the others, showing the display on his Nerve Cord.

“Mirai, Aisha, what do your displays say?” Akula asked.

“I’m in the same room,” Mirai answered.

The two turned to Aisha for an answer. She shook her head.

“I’m in 418,” she said quietly.

Akula could see her expression drop. Mirai moved to comfort her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s alright, we’re only a floor above you. We’ll make sure to stay close by, okay?” he reassured her.

Aisha nodded, fighting back tears. Akula couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She had been taking Indra’s disappearance particularly difficult. Now that they had been whisked away to the Western Border, there was no telling how long it would be before they were able to see each other again. The uncertainty left a palpable tension lingering in the air. Akula just shook his head. For now, things seemed a little chaotic, but they would have to adjust, or risk being left behind. The trio made their way into the Matriarch.

An air of urgency permeated throughout the facility as throngs of military personnel ran from one direction to another, moving weapons, rations, and other equipment within the compound. Incoming soldiers shuffled in through other security checkpoints, making their way towards the barracks.

Akula and the others attempted to follow suit until a notification popped up on their Nerve Cords.

“It says we’re supposed to meet with our designated strike team in Deployment Bay 06,” Mirai said, looking down at his wrist.

Aisha’s eyes lit up. “I’m on the same team! At least we’ll be able to work together,” she stated giddily.

Akula smiled. He thanked the gods that she was a mechanic. They still had no clue what happened to Indra or where Cecil and Vivian were, but he would make sure that he kept Aisha and Mirai safe in their absence. Since she would stay within the Matriarch doing maintenance repairs for the team, he wouldn’t have to worry about her safety too much when they were eventually deployed. Indra would rupture an artery if they sent her out for deployment.

They traversed through a set of winding corridors, an array of marble archways lining each hall. The Matriarch was surprisingly more regal than Akula had anticipated. He assumed the facility would have been made to be more practical.

Mirai caught him staring at the architecture. “This was initially built to facilitate peaceful negotiations between Levante and Yuèliàng, but those plans fell through due to the constant fighting over Virya deposits,” he explained.

Akula clicked his tongue. “That sucks; it looks really nice in here. Maybe once the war is over, they’ll use it to make amends. We can’t fight forever, right?” he said, turning to Mirai.

Mirai shrugged. “I doubt we’ll even see the day. I don’t think it’s happening in our lifetime.”

Akula rolled his eyes. “You’re such a pessimist. Think positively! We’ll be outta here in no time,” he grinned.

Mirai shook his head. “I’m a realist. I don’t see this ending well for us.”

Akula gave up trying to reason with him, resigning himself to silence until they reached their destination. The trio followed the maps on their wrists. After what seemed like ages, they finally escaped the labyrinthian layout of the Matriarch, reaching a heavyset door, the label “Deployment Bay 06” printed above it.

They each placed their Nerve Cords on a nearby terminal which emitted a pleasant ding! once it had finished verifying their authorization. The door slid open smoothly, allowing them to enter what seemed to be a living room. A flame burned strong in the hearth of the fireplace. A soft rug had been set underneath a crème-colored sofa, its cushions presenting noticeable depressions. A stack of books laid haphazardly on the dark cherry wood coffee table; four empty mugs sat beside them.

“Hello? Akula called out, moving into the kitchen, followed by the other two.

A kettle had been left on the stove; the gas had been turned off. Barring a few crumbs on the countertop, the kitchen was spotless.

“Ow!”

Akula and Mirai turned quickly to see what the commotion was about. Aisha flailed her hand wildly, proceeding to nurse her finger.

“Kettle’s still hot,” she mumbled, her ears turning red.

“The other recruits were probably just here,” Mirai noted.

“There are more rooms in this area. We should look around so we can introduce ourselves,” Akula stated.

The other two nodded. They tried the closest door, left slightly ajar. It led to a small hallway that opened up into a large room painted entirely black. A luminescent grid appeared on all sides, and in the center, an ethereal neon glow cast the area in a ghostly light.

Mirai whistled. “Whoa, this place is amazing.”

“What do you think this tech is for?” Aisha asked him, pointing at the array of lights.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure if we find one of our teammates, they’ll tell us what it does,” he answered.

Akula wasn’t paying attention to the conversation, fixated on the central light. He squinted his eyes at the center of the room, trying to discern the source of the peculiar movement he saw within it. As he moved closer, he realized that there was a woman in the center, wearing athletic gear and a rusted green helmet that masked her features. Her hands were wrapped in sports tape. She moved deftly around the floor, throwing alternating flurries of jabs, punches, and kicks, beads of sweat flying off her arms and legs. Akula, engrossed by the cadence of her training, stepped even closer to get a better look. Vmmm! The walls began to blink rapidly. His foot had crossed the threshold of the grid projected onto the floor.

“Akula! Watch out!” Mirai yelled.

A clear wall came up from behind Akula, locking him inside the grid space. The woman’s head suddenly snapped in his direction, steam venting from her helmet. She lunged at him without hesitation, throwing a punch. Akula quickly sidestepped the woman’s attack. However, she didn’t stop her momentum, bending low as she picked up her back leg and extended it, connecting a roundhouse kick to his temple.

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“Ooh! That didn’t look good!” Mirai exclaimed as he and Aisha flinched.

The kick rattled Akula’s brain, the force of it slamming him into the floor. His vision became blurry, causing him to see multiple copies of the woman. Despite his disorientation, his instincts kicked in. Akula executed a sweep kick, catching the woman off guard momentarily as she lost her balance. He took this opportunity to land a devastating blow to her orbital, cracking her visor. The woman’s head hit the floor, shards of verdigris dispersing from the helmet.

“Let’s go, Akula!” Aisha cheered.

This didn’t faze the woman in the slightest, however. Placing both palms behind her, flush with the floor, she brought her knees up to her face and shot her legs upwards, driving her heels into Akula’s lower jaw. He could feel his teeth shatter as he was launched into the air. The woman leapt above him onto the ceiling in a single bound. She compressed her legs like springs, muscles taught, releasing the stored energy at the peak of his flight.

“She’s going to kill him!” Mirai yelled, clutching his head.

Aisha covered her eyes.

The woman soared through the air, striking Akula with a vicious lariat, sending him crashing into the ground. The floor shattered underneath them, causing the grid projection to distort. The clear wall came down, allowing Mirai and Aisha to rush to Akula’s aid. The woman suddenly stopped, staring at the trio, then at her bloody hands. She frantically scrambled to remove her helmet, hands shaking profusely. She placed her fingers in a row of inconspicuous indents near her temple. A loud fshhh! came from the helmet as more steam vented out of it. The helmet split horizontally, the mandible lowering itself from the cranium. The woman threw it aside and ran towards Akula.

“I’m so sorry! Is he okay? I thought he was a part of the simulation! I didn’t mean to hurt him, I swear!” the woman exclaimed.

“Of course, he’s not okay! And stay back!” Aisha yelled. In unison, she and Mirai shifted into fighting stances.

“Urgh… Stop, you two,” Akula groaned, tugging at their pant legs.

“Why? She just beat the shit out of you!” Mirai exclaimed.

“Because—” Akula picked himself up, leaning on Mirai’s shoulder. “I know who this bitch is,” he coughed, blood profusely dripping out of his mouth.

The woman brushed her long locks of brunette hair behind her shoulders with a deft swipe of her hand. Her stern eyes pierced holes through Akula’s skull as they dissected him, unabashedly. The scar was unmistakable, running along the bridge of her nose, joining with another scar that ran down from her left eye to her lips.

“Skadi Sól,” Akula managed weakly, grimacing.

She gave him a knowing look, sighing. “Yeah, I understand. I’m not exactly the first person anyone wants to see here. Unfortunately, it looks like we’re stuck together. So, you’ll just have to bear with me until one of us kicks the bucket.” She paused for a moment. “Or until we kill each other. Whatever comes first,” she chuckled. “C’mon, I’ll bring you to Ghost. She’ll be able to patch you up in no time.” Skadi smiled, extending a hand to him.

Akula raised an eyebrow, clasping her hand for support. He was surprised by her strength. She was a little shorter than Mirai, toned muscle visible underneath her athletic wear, carved around her frame like marble. She was built lean like Indra, but her physical strength seemed to surpass even his own.

Skadi took notice of Akula’s confusion, smirking. She put his arm over her shoulder and the three of them assisted Akula out of the room to see this “Ghost” that Skadi had mentioned.

***

“You should really pay more attention to your surroundings, Skadi.”

“I know, I’m sorry, can you fix him?”

“I don’t fix people, I heal them. They’re not one of your machines to put back together after you’ve broken them. Living creatures are delicate. Recovery takes time and care.”

Akula laid on a soft mattress, shirtless, watching the two women discuss what to do. He wondered if he would die of blood loss before they thought to address his wounds.

A woman draped in an ashen cloak scolded Skadi. She was soft-spoken, but her anger was apparent. She wore a thin veil that rested gently upon her face. Her grey eyes reminded Akula of storm clouds. He felt nervous in her presence, flitting his eyes away from her gaze every time she looked at him, his heartbeat becoming faster.

They were in a dimly lit room; the windows were draped, a sliver of moonlight shining through. A collection of lit candles, near a small shrine housing a statue of a deity, provided the only source of light in the room. A stick of incense had been lit, the soft glow releasing an ashy, yet sweet smell. Hints of rosemary and sage lingered in the air as well. Various items of spirituality were strewn about the room. Dream catchers hung from the wall. A mala dangled from the bedpost. Some undiscernible face masks lay stuffed in a corner. A small ritual bell was situated next to the burning incense. Crystals of various shapes and sizes spilled out of a small pouch resting on a yew desk, while tea leaves filled a bowl on the nightstand. This place is a mess. I’m really going to die here.

The woman sent Skadi and the others out of the room, stating that she needed absolute quiet so she could concentrate properly. She leaned over Akula, gently placing a hand on his chest. Her icy fingers sent shivers up his body, goosebumps running along his arms. She began to mutter an incantation under her breath. A glowing grey runic circle appeared underneath her palm, slowly spreading along Akula’s body. When it reached his wounds, the runes in the circle began to glow even brighter. His eyes widened. As the woman continued her spell, Akula could feel his wounds mending themselves. He could sense bone and sinew regrowing and fusing. His shattered teeth fell out, replaced by an even sharper set. In mere moments, the Homunculus felt even better than before, sitting up without any lingering pain.

“How did you do that?” he asked the woman with fervent curiosity.

She smiled, causing Akula’s heart to skip a beat again. “My Trait is Organic Generation. I can freely regenerate or degenerate organic matter at will. Although, the more complex an organism is, the more concentration I’ll need to manipulate it,” she answered.

The woman opened the door to let the others inside.

“Thanks, Ghost,” Skadi said as she entered.

Ghost sighed wistfully. “If you really want to thank me, make sure the door is shut before you enter the Simulation Room. I don’t want to have to worry about any more unnecessary accidents,” she said.

Skadi nodded, looking apologetic.

“Akula! You’re all better!” Aisha exclaimed, running up to him and wrapping him in a tight hug.

“Are you trying to get me injured again?” Akula laughed as Aisha squeezed harder.

Mirai smiled. “Glad to see you doing okay. I guess you need to brush up on your combat training, huh?”

Akula waved him off. “Bah! I was just caught off guard. If Skadi and I were to ever rematch, I would definitely win,” he grinned, flashing his shiny new set of teeth.

“Oh? Care to back up your claim?” Skadi said, raising an eyebrow.

Akula gulped. “M-maybe another time. I’m feeling kind of tired from the whole trip here.”

“But I just healed you. You should be feeling rejuvenated right now,” Ghost explained. “Oh no, did I mess up the incantation? I’m so sorry, I should have done a better job,” she said, looking downcast.

“N-no! You did an amazing job. I’m just mentally exhausted,” Akula reassured her.

Ghost’s expression became cheerful once more. “Oh, then that’s alright! You three should probably get some rest soon. We have your rooms set up here in the Deployment Bay. Unfortunately, we only had one other room available so, Mirai and Akula, you’ll be sharing a room together.”

The Matriarch 07 trio exchanged looks.

“Wait, so we’ll all be staying here?” Aisha asked.

“Yep, the guys all stay on the upper floor. You’ll be sharing a room with me,” Skadi informed her.

Aisha beamed, turning to Mirai and Akula. “Looks like we won’t be separated after all!”

“Heh, looks that way,” Akula chuckled.

Mirai smiled, simply nodding.

Just then, a loud eruption shook the room.

“What was that?!” Akula exclaimed.

Skadi shook her head putting a palm on her face.

Ghost just sighed in exasperation. “We should probably go check on those two,” she said, beckoning the others to follow. “Come, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team.”

***

Acrid smoke billowed out of Zelle Lab. Akula and others waved away the fumes, coughing as they drew nearer to the source of the explosion.

The group reached the entrance of the lab, just as two figures emerged from the wreckage.

“What the fuck were you thinking, Slump!? Your stupid experiments melted the server room! Now I have to go down to Deployment Bay 03 and do maintenance on the Lancers manually! Do you know how fucking tedious that is!?” the smaller individual exclaimed, viciously scolding the taller one.

The tall individual slouched his shoulders in shame, uttering a string of apologies.

Skadi greeted them as they reached the entrance of the lab. “Yo, you two. What happened here?”

The shorter one spoke first. “Slump was testing out his ‘Flashfire’ on different ash samples. Unfortunately for us, he decided to keep all the samples in close proximity to one another which caused a chain reaction. Oh, and the servers are fried, so no internet until we get new ones.”

He pointed behind him at the scorched lab equipment and expensive-looking computers, bubbling in a molten pile of debris.

Skadi groaned. “That means no Simulation Room for a while,” she said, shaking her head in disappointment. “Slump, do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Slump resumed his stream of apologies.

Ghost put a hand to her forehead in frustration, pointing to the taller Homunculus who continued to apologize profusely behind an expressionless gas mask.

“This is Slump,” Ghost said. “He’s the head of our research department… and a raging pyromaniac,” she sighed.

Slump wore a peaked cap, the rest of his ensemble consisting of dark leather, including his gloves, boots, jacket, and pants, completing his all-black aesthetic. A strong sense of intrigue overrode Akula’s common sense. His curiosity got the best of him. He desperately wanted to ask the man what the reason behind the getup was.

Before Akula could say anything, however, Slump raised his hand to greet them. “I burnt my skin,” he said bluntly through the mask, in a labored baritone.

“Oh,” Akula replied, his curiosity only growing.

Ghost directed their attention to the shorter individual standing next to Slump. “This is Dot. He's our Lancer technician.”

Dot smiled at them, winking at Mirai. Akula imagined that Aisha was returning a murderous gaze at their new teammate, but dared not turn to look, lest he get caught in the crossfire. He looked to be slightly younger than her, wearing a vibrant pink bomber jacket over a mint t-shirt, and a brimmed pink beret that sat snugly on his head. Understandably, his legs were caked in ash, his shorts and sandals doing a poor job of protecting his skin.

“Are you sure you’re not a girl?” Akula asked, staring at Dot’s outfit.

Dot stepped forward towards Akula with a pleasant smile, delivering a harsh slap to his face.

“Ow! Alright! I’m sorry! My mistake!” Akula exclaimed, rubbing his cheek.

“There, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?” Dot said, maintaining a pleasant smile.

Slump shook his head. “Don’t listen to him. He’s very cruel,” he said turning his face away from the group, trembling.

Skadi placed a hand on his shoulder, consoling the pyromaniac.

Dot rolled his eyes. Ghost stifled her laughter. Even Akula couldn’t help but chuckle. He knew he didn’t have the luxury to judge his new teammates, considering his previous social circle, but these people were just as weird, if not weirder. He looked at Aisha and Mirai, their expressions mirroring his own. What have I gotten myself into? He smiled.

The Matriarch 07 trio introduced themselves to the rest of the team, now a little more at ease in their new environment.

“Okay, now that we’ve gotten all of the pleasantries out of the way, I should probably go to Deployment Bay 03 to finish working on the Lancers,” Dot said, walking past the group.

“You mentioned that before. What are Lancers?” Akula asked him.

Dot froze in his tracks, slowly turning his head, flashing a mischievous smile. “Why don’t you guys come with me and find out?”

Skadi shrugged. “We should all go. The clean-up crew will be up here to clear out all the debris, so it’s best if we stay out of their way for a little while.”

The others nodded in agreement, deciding to go to Deployment Bay 03.

As they made their way over, Akula found himself walking next to Skadi, taking the opportunity to mention, “By the way, we were never told our team name.”

Skadi grinned slyly, pulling out a dog tag with her ID engraved on it. “We’re the Bloodhounds.”