Mission 05: "Trial Zero"

"Err... Explain yourselves right now~! Or I'm calling the police!" Allesky demanded shoving Neon's hand away with annoyance.

She was even prompted to attack Neon with punches and kicks to which the agent easily dodged and deflected with his arms.

Soon, Allesky got exhausted upon exerting too much strength and movements and she stood before Neon with clenched fists. Meanwhile, Yttria and the other agent guy with the skateboard were silently watching the two not until...

"STOOPP!!" Came this thunderous voice from the screen that created an echo and screeching static sound that caused the four to cover their ears.

And when everything finally calmed down, the voice yet spoke again for another time.

"Ah~ Why is it such a pain to discipline young brats these days? Such a headache." Said the voice upon clearing his throat.

"Okay. You, a freshie agent of Apoptosis, be guided accordingly." Says the voice facing Allesky with the blurred figure of the screen. "As of now, you are part of this agency and I welcome you in Apoptosis. May your recruitment be for the advantage of the missions of this agency and not a burden so as to add up with our problems and headaches. Most especially not a headache to the Councilors."

The blurred figure now faced Yttria and Neon and spoke yet again.

"Yttria and Neon, bring her to the first Councilor. And Xenon, I want to hear your report so stay."

There was a succeeding 'tsk' that escaped Yttria's lips glancing once with scorn to Allesky after hearing the instruction of the figure from the screen. She rolled her eyes from Allesky before exiting the room with Neon and Allesky following after her.

"Can you tell me where exactly you are bringing me now? And what exactly is this Apoptosis? The sound of it creeps me out right now. Hey, stay away from me!" Allesky retreated away when Neon tried to draw closer to her and they halted their pace.

"Tsk~ Just now, your way of speaking sounded Elcielian when back in that room earlier, you were plainly speaking Armonian. Are you making fun of us?" Yttria spoke that she and Allesky narrowed one's gaze from the other.

"So what? It's not like you need to care! What I speak of should not concern you!" Allesky replied that Yttria was overfilled with annoyance.

"Neon, I'm leaving this half breed to you. I don't care what you have to do with her. I'm sick of this!" Yttria exclaimed and walked away while looking back to Allesky and Neon.

Neon only watched the girl agent leave with bitter annoyance and he maintained his calm and collected gaze with his hands kept in his pockets and simply walked onwards again as if nothing happened.

"Hey, you!" Allesky called out to Neon after Yttria left but he didn't mind her at all and continued on his way.

"Hey! I'm calling you, redhead!"

Allesky already blurted it out at the top of her lungs but received no attention from the guy she addressed as a redhead. Having been annoyed enough, Allesky only kept silent to herself but not averting her narrowed glare at the guy who escorted her diligently until they reached this mysterious-looking door.

Upon their arrival before that door, it immediately opened for them on its own leaving Allesky impressed witnessing it happened.

The two entered in being greeted by an extraordinary view at which a pathway whose walls on both sides are graced by waters streaming down with the pleasant sounds of its flow.

Allesky immersed herself in wonderment being enticed by the sight displayed by the waterfall walls at both sides as she threaded the path walking right behind Neon who never showed interest in the magnificent showcase of the place.

When they reached the end of the pathway of waterfall walls, Allesky was then ushered to behold the inner structure of this mysterious room and the sight was even more appealing than that of the pathway by the entrance.

The inner structure gave off the feels of a tropical forest and a golden tea table rested in the midst of it all. There, a feature of a certain lady was found seated on one of its chairs.

The lady seemingly enjoying her tea time was interrupted by the presence of the two that she laid down her cup of tea back on its saucer and turned her head to greet the two with her gaze.

The lady seemingly in her late twenties was undoubtedly beautiful wearing the similar agent style clothing as Neon but with a rather more detailed look and design that appeared to be an upgraded version of what Neon was wearing.

Her long, blonde hair was braided extending to her feet and a single earring crafted like wings adorned her right ear.

"First Councilor, the chief asked me to bring her to you. I leave her in your care." Neon spoke with a bow of respect and he exited the room after which the lady gestured a nod.

"Oh, Neon. Don't leave just yet but wait outside, would you please."

Neon acknowledged the instruction with yet another bow and finally removed himself from the presence of the two who were left by the tea table.

The lady now faced Allesky and traced a smile upon noticing the young maiden being self-conscious at that moment.

"Those eyes are symbols of hope." We're words spoken that surprised Allesky along with the placing of the lady's right palm on Allesky's left cheek making their eyes locking onto the other.

"Do you have a name, Trial Zero Positive?"

"Huh? My name? It's -"

Allesky was silently startled attempting to mention her name because for that very moment she dared to utter out the name that resounds her true identity, did she not hear anything but muteness upon the opening of her mouth.

She covered her mouth with her palms in a state of shock and confusion and instinctively stepped aback away from the woman who now stood before her.

"Wait... My voice is back??" Allesky spoke in utter surprise and confusion now.

Just then did the lady chuckled finding Allesky's reaction as somehow humorous on its own.

"Shocked? But this proves you have a name already. As an agent, of course." Said the lady taking a sip from her cup of tea before eyeing Allesky yet again. "You can't reveal your real identity when you're in Apoptosis that's why your voice will not sound off your real name even though you dare to say it. You are now an agent and therefore being careful is a must. Alright then, what's your given agent name, dear?"

Allesky could not answer right away and dared to still speak her real name but to no avail and it only made her get anxiety from it so she ended up introducing herself as Thallia despite the fact and the heavy heart that she despised it since that scarlet head guy, Neon, gave her that name.

"Oh, Thallia, I see. From Neon, right?"

Allesky nodded with curses at the back of her mind along with the train of thought of that annoying guy and the sound of his voice uttering out her name, Thallia.

The lady invited Allesky to have a seat with her and the gaze of the lady was enough for Allesky to obediently take her seat because she had the impression that she might be in trouble if she had not seated at all.

"So what's the catch about this Apoptosis? Why am I really here?"

Allesky did not have any more second thoughts and asked that right away.

Meanwhile, the lady retreated her back and leaned on the backrest with her speculating gaze focused at Allesky who displayed such aura of just how serious she is to find out the very reason she was brought in this place.

"It's normal to get curious. After all, things haven't been normal for you since you met one of our agents, right?"

Allesky gritted her teeth.

She didn't like it because the lady was trying to talk things longer than just spilling the beans and not beating around the bush anymore. At the same time, the lady was also very calm provoking Allesky's inner temper because of her slow enunciation of answers that Allesky seeks for at the moment.

"This agency is an organization where we train and send agents for missions without the knowledge of anyone from the public." We're the words finally spoken moving Allesky's eyebrows to rise above their normal level.

"Wait. So I was right. There was something strange after all. But why? Why am I here?"

The woman crossed her legs and brought her arms together with the question of Allesky.

"Nickel must have already told you about you ingesting a portion of the Zero Tonic." Said the woman and took another sip from her cup of tea.

Allesky fixed her gaze at the woman when she began to speak regarding her accumulating inquiries and she grasped her clothes underneath the table.

"That thing... Zero tonic? What is that anyway? What did it do to me??"

"It's a special Tonic made by Apoptosis and it is intended to enhance the human abilities, senses, and skills to limitless possibilities. You see, we have conducted a random test for all our agents to ingest a portion of it for a Trial Test but it did not work. After all the failed attempts, we have sent portions of the tonic to the outside world and to let the common people ingest it without their knowledge. And after all these months, we have finally found one who is compatible with the effects of the tonic."

The lady brought down her cup of tea on the saucer and she intertwined her fingers in front of her eyes displaying that mystic look at Allesky.

"Of course, you could guess who that is... It's none other than you..."

Allesky was prompted to stand up from her seat hearing the lady with an expression that displayed her doubt and confusion.

"Wait. Are you telling me that you have illegally made the public to ingest that stuff for the sake of your agency or whatever? What if someone died because of it? And why did you do that? Wait. Why am I asking these questions? I don't even know about that stuff a lot yet. Zero tonic?"

The lady simply just sat there quietly and watched Allesky unfold her consciousness of the current matter. All that had happened so far was still unbelievable and hearing the lady's words made it all the more complicated for Allesky that she furrowed her brows trying to further understand the gist of the topic.

"We did so to prove the value of that tonic, Thallia. Don't worry. If it's not compatible with the individual, it has no side effect. It's as if they did not ingest it in the first place. Besides that, the more important reason is to acquire a legendary agent that has never existed before. The agency had long been determined to find that kind of agent but the operation of the Zero Tonic was long restricted not until some months ago."

The load of information exhausted the thought process of Allesky being left clueless of whether she must believe all this or doubt it. Her hands dropped loosely on her sides being utterly mute for the remaining seconds that swiftly passed by.

The lady, on the other hand, allowed Allesky to take time to think and assess the situation being rather calm and collected as she takes another sip from her cup of tea.

"This whole agency thing..." Were the words softly spoken by Allesky slowly dropping to her seat as if her knees had weakened for that short instance and her eyes moved not anywhere but locked its gaze on the surface of the table.

"So, I am now the legendary agent??" Came the blunt voice of the still confused Allesky not faltering with how she asked it that way.

Allesky's question somehow made the lady expose her intriguing smile tilting her head with a narrowing gaze at the young maiden herself.

"To be, Thallia. Legendary agent to be. But that is, if you could be. We still have a lot to learn about the Zero Tonic. We can only mass produce it but we can't still understand how it takes effect on the individual to enhance their abilities and skills beyond a normal human can. But we have certainty it can. Now, we can study it further with your participation. And of course, your day as an agent will begin with training. You'll be starting tomorrow."

The lady stood up after speaking her words and she walked to a certain tree whose vines were hanging lowly and the lady pulled one vine among them.

Right then, the vines retracted on their own creating a free space in the inner circle of vines and the sight of it left Allesky in awe.

The lady walked into the free space and did something there before she came out of it and went back to the tea table where Allesky stood up as she drew closer bringing something in her hands.

This badge made of vines molded with resin and crafted as bird's wings was carried by the lady when she went back to where Allesky stood extending her arms and gave it to the young agent.

Allesky had no words to say as the wings badge fell on her palms and she meticulously looked at it having noticed that it resembled the earrings the lady was wearing.

"This is the symbol of the Aviors. One of the five units of Apoptosis agents. This is your assigned insignia. Agent Thallia, an Avior of Apoptosis. Give this to whoever will prepare your agent suit so they can attach it to that."

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▶AerixielDaiminse◀

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