Agent Prologue

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Faradiso-Paradise

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There was a town in the East, named safest yet the most mysterious. Barriers of thick concrete aligning and separating the edges of ARIA and the safe zone. Hollows who knew of what’s inside the safe zone were shot, punished for not keeping their curiosity on the low. Who wouldn’t anyway? Having trained all life unwillingly and to follow the orders of those with jurisdiction. Who wouldn’t wanna know what lies in that area known to give security and comfort?

"Line up and at attention!” shouts resonate through the long hallway, the dorms of ARIA nothing short of jail in a maze. The booming voice belonging to a short man clad in layers of green uniform and a bulletproof vest complete the ominous look. He waits for everyone to get out of their rooms, recruits rush outside typically frightened, fiddling with their clothes while others didn’t even bother wearing any. The commander shoots them with a glare and notes that he’ll have disciplinary action for the aforementioned. But don’t get him wrong. Officer Hong was one of the kindest in all the blocks of ARIA. Hollows thrown out of other areas came to him and he gladly wrote them down.

Too bad he was in line for death row.

“Start!” He orders at the long line of students, taking sharp glances at every one of them as a reminder of their current position. Everyone seemed to have followed the routine correctly and in unison but a girl at the end of the line had not even opened her mouth.

The commander stomped towards her in a way to notify her of his presence. "What’s with you?" He grits his teeth as he questioned, seeming to get no response as the hollow in front of him was floating elsewhere. No other noise was heard as all of them became tense as always, a common feeling as to not anger the superior. The girl he approached was completely out of it yet she still did her best to speak even after being cut off with a harsh blow to her face.

"Halt! All of you repeat. Define!" Officer Hong was in no place to give sympathy for a trainee as the whole of them were preparing all day with no leniency given. That’s right, no mercy. ‘Mercy is the definition of weakness’

At least that’s what they all say, brainwashing every single one of them to their breaking point just to have them suck up to each of their commands. "What is your motto?!"

"We, ARIA authority are loyal agents. To commit our lives in protecting all living beings and to apprehend those who violate our judgment." Officer Hong looks back at Trainee 031 and decides to finally let her relax, visibly more exhausted than the others, a bad start painted on her fatigued features. He then proceeded to eliminate those that had not passed the previous tests and let the high-ranking trainees remain, that included the student to who he had put his attention to. "031, You have been in this institution for more than three years and yet you still show weakness. I am only letting you off as you are holding the top title. Take my words as a warning as your next trial will be the final test.” Officer Hong pauses in his scolding, a flash of grief in his cold gaze

“If you fail, you know what will happen." the trainee does not move and remains staring at the ground. She was extremely tired for some reason, hair sticking out in all directions and her heart rate faster than usual. She was only hoping to fall asleep as soon as her bed is within reach, eager to sail away to dreamland. "Get back to your dorms and prepare for the second periodical" The superior addressed, taking less than a second to head back to his own office but an agent from the main department barges in, state no different from trainee 031. She heaves and passes the document to Officer Hong, whispering to him in between breaths.

"Stop right there" He points at trainee 031 who was just about to leave as well, head turning languidly. "You are given your first official case, I expect good results." Trainee 031 wasn't able to protest, she didn't know that the final trial would be given this early, heck, she was trembling and covered in her nasty body liquid. Her heart rate spiked, pounding in anticipation and fear.

The said agent didn't even give her time to catch her breath and walked ahead way too fast, leaving her to limp. Trainee 031 soon found herself entering the designated room and all eyes were set on her, making it look as if she had grown two heads before thankfully motioned to settle down. The previous agent who had gone to fetch her gave the same documents to a man at the edge of the room, standing beside a hologram that imaged a realistic map.

The man clears his throat, a disapproving glance thrown trainee 031’s way as he observed her fidgety movements.

"As I was saying, Officer Lee of division 3 has reported a potentially dangerous aurum coming any time soon and we want to be prepared. Thus the reason why we need this special trainee" The man gestures to her and proceeds to ask

"You are the highest in ranks of block-F correct?"

Trainee 031 tilts her head, trying not to make it obvious that she almost dozed off.

"and I assume you are not yet well informed. Your files state that you were picked up wandering in the mountains" 

Trainee 031 didn't know why the meeting was suddenly about her, seeming to forget the breakdown she had on the way here.

"Let me explain the basics, you are here to have your first mission, expected to fight and professionally handle what may come your way." A short pause was shared inside the room as the foretold trainee simply listened.

The man clicks his tongue and interrogates further, "Do you know what you are?"

Trainee 031 perks her head up at the one thing she can actually relate to and curtly replies "a fox"

"Precisely, a hollow fox modified to be an aurum. Aurums are people with very strong power and not every single one of them is nice." The man continued talking and Trainee 031 wasn't sure if she should scold herself for not being interested in what they were telling her.

"another classification we call are swans. Swans do not have aurum abilities as they live normal lives, also known as natural people. It's a bit hard to tell an 'aurum' from a 'swan' as their physical features are absolutely indistinguishable but do know that swans cannot see 2nd generation hollows which," he pauses, "You were a few weeks ago."

Trainee 031 twists her head at the statement, confusion spreading out as she tries to puzzle together the things they were telling her.

What were they talking about? For the past three years, all that they made her do was fight, eat, fight and at some point get injected by some fluid, the same fluid that made her forgetful. 2nd generation hollow? she thinks but she must’ve said it out loud as some of them in the room rolled their eyes at her cluelessness.

Another informant chimes in before the prior man could reply, distressed at the situation. "Your partner for this trial will be Agent Jayson, somewhat similar to your kind."

The man named Jayson, who trainee 031 assumes is the dog hybrid beside her, grins at her and wags his tail. He was the only one in this room that trainee 031 felt at ease looking at, a gentle aura grazing his figure. The grumpy man from earlier clears his throat for what felt like the 5th time and asks "Do you understand the weight of this mission Trainee 031?"

"Yes," Trainee 031 mumbles, her lack of enthusiasm didn't bother the others as they even sighed with relief. "If you ever have questions, you will always have Agent Jayson by your side. We hope for the best"

After that was said, everything else went by in a flash and before she knew it, The dog-tail agent was taking her out to eat. "So, as you've heard I’m Jayson. I'm sure you want a name for yourself other than 031?"

Trainee 031 eats the strange but tasty piece of baked flour with twinkly eyes, munching on it slowly before she blurts out "Happy" Jayson looks at her questionably and chuckles "Okay then fox, I'll think about that happy thing later."

Trainee 031 lets out another squeak-sounding noise before muttering "I'm confused. they keep saying I'm a 3rd Gen."

"That's because you're like me. Let’s just say we’re branded." Another moment of silence followed before Jayson initiates the conversation once again "Did you know you can change your body?" The girl in front of him looks at him in curiosity, swallowing whatever she had in her mouth in an instant. "How?"

"I don't really know since that's not my specialty, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it" trainee 031 frowns, the thought of having done the so-called 'change' clouded in her brain, all her sleep gone and it's all because of that stupid meeting the aurum people held.

They finish their meal and Jayson helps his partner claim her things out from the dorms and move it to her assigned apartment in Faradiso, bumping into a few other trainees of Block-F and waving her a goodbye of either jealousy or rejoice, a red flag, Jayson notes. He’s been observing her since the beginning and he only felt pity for her, freedom stripped when she was kidnapped in the mountains then having spent more than three years down that cage along with other harsh animals. Even with all that treatment, trainee 031 was like an infant. ]

She was in awe of the littlest things, seeing the colorful billboards, and the cars, and the tall buildings like she never knew of the existence of it until now. Jayson holds her hand as she keeps getting distracted by the dandelions on the side of the street, he needs to be constantly pulling her in the direction of her home. "You need to get out of that training suit. After we finish fixing your things, you go wash up, yes?"

Trainee 031 beams and agrees in delight after finally snatching the now-bald flower on the sidewalk, the movement of her tails causing nearby onlookers to glare at her in disgust.

They arrive and Jayson opens the door to the house, inhaling the fresh scents of pastel paint. He glances at the trainee's name tag, flipping the 031 over to reveal an indication of a fake name.

But Jayson remembers that she wanted to be called 'happy', so he directs a gleam at the woman in front of him, throwing open the doors of the cozy living space provided and says "Welcome to your new home, Agent Joy"