I was prepared for a fight, I was prepared for a struggle, and I was prepared for scheming. What I was not prepared for was this silence. My daily routine was so monotonous that my days started blending into each other. Every morning I woke up, trained, studied, practiced my powers, and was left to loiter around in the evening until it was bedtime.
Honestly? I had even become accustomed to the silent Omen. His dramatic speech had now lost its threatening quality.
I glanced at the brooding shadow and shuddered.
Mostly lost.
Other than that? I was cut off. No missions. No tasks. Just the routine. It was bleak, so much so that I began looking forward to Clove's chaotic visits.
I do not know if Brimstone had ordered it or not, but the other agents were more or less ghosting me. Any conversation I had with them died beyond the absolutely necessary bare minimum.
The extent of interaction I had with other agents was now limited to a nod and that silent game of chess that Cypher and I played without speaking.
'tap!'
I bounced the ball off the wall beside him before catching it again.
"You know, Omen. You would look a lot cooler if you had a red clown nose on your ensemble."
It had become a favorite pastime of mine. Trying to get under his skin. Him being such a scary man just enhanced my excitement in a weird way.
I was pretty sure he was instructed not to harm me.
Not that a single death could stop me now that Not Dead Yet was charged again.
I paused at that thought.
I need to stop hanging out with Clove.
"Better yet, a colorful, curly-haired wig poking out of that hood."
Omen, being the stick in the mud that he is, didn't even react.
Tch.
I clicked my tongue and decided to saunter to the training room instead. I might see some VPs training. I hope Yoru is there. His sessions are always awesome.
And educational.
The door hissed open to reveal Killjoy, Raze, and Cypher. KJ was playing around with some instrument while Cypher was concentrating on the board. Raze was cleaning her Grenades.
After that customary awkward nod, I sat down against Cypher.
"It appears I have no way out."
"It appears so, Cypher."
Then the words stopped flowing like they always did.
He offered his hand, and I shook it before both of us started resetting the pieces. I was now actually getting good. Although I still employed Jarvis towards the end to keep my streak going. It felt kind of bad, but Jarvis was technically me, so it wasn't cheating, right?
"You and your brother must have played a lot of chess."
That was odd. Cypher was initiating conversation beyond gestures.
"Yeah. We did play quite a bit. Especially after school."
I smiled at the memories that rushed back unbidden. I wonder what he's doing now?
Cypher chuckled.
"Seems like it's a happy memory. Did your school have a chess club too?"
I smiled. "It did, although I never really joined."
"If you had, I believe you would have won quite a few competitions."
Not without Jarvis, I wouldn't.
"I don't know. I'm not sure if I would have even qualified for District."
"Just how competitive was your school district if you think you wouldn't have qualified for the district tournament? I've not heard of any place particularly famous for raising chess prodigies."
I was about to answer with my hometown, but then I noticed the silence that had descended in the room.
I glanced around to find everyone staring, although they went back to nonchalantly doing their work as soon as I caught them.
I frowned.
Cypher was sitting with both his hands folded under his chin in his signature strategic pose.
"Cypher?"
"Yes?"
"What's happening?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Bullshit. Isn't knowing shit your entire thing?"
Silence.
"Alright, C'mon dude, you're obviously fishing for intel."
I realized just now in the silence.
Huh. Silence does help you think.
Cypher broke his posture first.
"Alright, fine. I was curious, alright. You are an anomaly I cannot classify."
What?
"Oh, thank god! I thought I was the only one curious about him."
KJ exclaimed as if a huge weight had lifted from her shoulders.
I frowned harder.
"What do you mean?"
I paused.
"And didn't Brimstone tell you not to talk to me?"
A poor choice to remind them of that, but I was feeling kind of cornered here.
"I mean, he didn't exactly forbid us."
Raze's grin turned mischievous.
Then she did a strong and serious impression of Brimstone.
"The Protocol agents are not to share any classified intel with the concerned asset that might compromise his trust in the Protocol."
And that ambiguous command actually survived this many days in this hen house?
These guys really do respect Brimstone.
"I see. That explains the talking, but that still doesn't explain why you're all looking at me like some kind of exotic animal."
"Because the commander is hiding something about you, and you are an anomaly."
"What do you mean?"
"Officially, the commander says he needs you as a combat asset and as a research subject due to your unique power."
A chill ran down my spine at the term 'Research Subject,' and I invariably glanced back at Omen.
Thankfully, Killjoy piped up.
"But coercing his team is not his style."
Cypher nodded.
"And there is no Data in the protocol records about any research done on you except standard basic blood work."
Huh. I never noticed that.
"Plus, he never lets you out of his sight and has a VP guard on you 24*7. If you were being trained as an agent, he would let you accompany us like before."
Valid point.
I rubbed my chin.
Cypher continued.
"Most importantly, I can't find anything on you. College, school, family, social media. Nobody seems to know anything about you."
Huh. That is a problem. Although that tracks, given my history.
"And don't say that your records were scrubbed. Even scrubbed records leave traces. I can't find any traces of you at all. Even VP-08 left traces, even though nobody remembers who he was or why he left. And he had the power to manipulate minds!"
Wait, what!