No Longer Prey

When We Strike...

People have a tendency to repeat things subconsciously. They repeat names and places, repeat the same sentence over and over again, and for what? To remember? Well, usually, yes. But, if that is the case, why does history repeat itself? It does so, despite the fact that sometimes nobody wishes to remember it. The foulest of events, the most gruesome genocides, the wars fought for a cause no longer worth fighting for....
It's all repetition. Something the human race does subconsciously, and to no end. But no more. Humanity is determined to break the cycle it has made for itself, like a dog that chases its tail. Quite unfortunately, it will involve force. Brute force and strategy. Some may refer to it as a means of intelligent redemption. Others, such as Kyoni, may refer to it as war.

She was dragged into this conflict by accident, and she somewhat resented it. Was she capable if killing threats with unmeasurable supernatural power? Was she capable of becoming a soldier for the good of her kind? Absolutely not. Why was it her, of all people? What could she bring to the table?
She continued asking herself these questions as she waited for her exam results; the results that would determine her future in the Armed Regiment of Counterattacks for Humanity, or A.R.C.H.
Kyoni remembered when she first walked into the underground headquarters of A.R.C.H. like it was yesterday; even though it had technically been a month. Her mind reeled like the inner workings of a rusty clock at the time of her arrival. Slow at first, chugging along and refusing to be useful. She gawked at the open space hundreds of feet underground, filled with the controlled chaos of bustling people, either wearing some type of sharp uniform or a white lab coat.
"Military headquarters," her escort had said. He was a tall and muscular young man, sporting a buzz cut and razor sharp facial features. Along with the uniform of a field squad, he was very intimidating. Kyoni had tried not to make eye contact when he spoke, but to no avail. He was surprisingly chatty.
"You'll be training in this facility for the next month or two. Since you come from a... uh....", He paused. He thought for a moment, looking at her with his brow furrowed, trying to name her position.
"Since you're in a special condition," he settled on saying. "You'll take less time to educate on our opposers."
And here she was, almost exactly one month later, waiting to be sorted into a division. She sat alone on a cold metal bench, the tapping of her foot making a rhythmic melody of anxiety in the echoing corridor. All of her training peers had been called up by now. Why hasn't she been called yet? Had they decided that she was, in fact, insufficient for the job? Kyoni wiped her sweaty hands on her cargo pants and looked to either end of the darkly lit corridor. No, she thought. There are five field divisions, and three inner ones. Not everyone is capable of experiencing first-hand combat, like in FD-Metadrive, where soldiers who are fast and small use the Metadrive gear to zoom past and maneuver around powered opponents at much faster speeds than any other division. Kyoni could be sorted into an inner division, or ID. She looked down at herself and studied her physique. Was she physically capable of being in an FD? Well, she was of average height, but still much shorter than most of her training peers. Her limbs were pretty well toned; they weren't thin, but she had a small amount of muscle that was visible. During the physical part of her training, however, she realized that she had horrible stamina. She could run a fair distance, but tire so easily that she fell behind everyone else on the first third of the run. Not exactly field material, if that's what A.R.C.H. was looking for.
All of a sudden, the door across from Kyoni's bench opens, and a woman in a white lab coat walks out. Despite her attempt at using makeup to hide a scar on her cheek, it was as visible as a bruise. Her raven hair was tied back into an interesting braid that wrapped around her head and ended in a bun by her ear. She looked tired, with huge dark circles under her eyes and a frown that said, "I just want to go back to bed".
"Trainee number 456?" She asked in a monotone voice.
"Well," said Kyoni. "I'm kind of the only one here, so..."
The woman scoffed, obviously exasperated. "Look, I don't need anymore sass today." Her tone was like a needle; sharp and cold, pricking into the skin. "Now, do you want to know if you'll be useful to mankind by following me and being quiet, or do you want to wait another half hour?"
"Sorry. Whatever you say, Your Highness."