OTHERS: Five elements

CHAPTER 1.7: NEW MISSION

22 March 2033, 6:30am

The Other was hiding in a warehouse outside the city. Daniel and I set off early at dawn. Since this was a secret mission, only a few of us were involved. Besides Daniel, Giovanni accompanied us—a man in his thirties, Italian, with long black hair tied in a ponytail, a wide forehead, and a beard. He's quite tall and looks skinny, though he's not. Giovanni was our driver. His task was to transport us in the van we would use to capture the Other. He wasn’t part of the operation itself, merely waiting for us to finish. That morning, he picked up Daniel first, then me, and we headed toward the warehouse, arriving around 6:30am.

We didn’t park too close to avoid detection. We found an excellent spot where we could see everything without being spotted. Daniel and I kept a close watch while Giovanni stepped aside to smoke a cigarette.

- "So, boss, did you manage to get some rest?" Daniel asked.

- "I slept alright. Could’ve used a bit more, though. Didn’t even realize when I drifted off last night. And there’s no need to call me boss."

- "I am just teasing you, boss", said Daniel.

- " I see. And I hope you aren't mad at me because of yesterday. I didn’t mean to do what I did."

- "No worries, boss. It’s no problem. I’ve already forgotten about it."

As soon as he said that, I felt relieved, like a weight had been lifted off my chest. That’s how it is when you’re an overthinker—you analyze and think too much. Whenever I talk to someone, I always try not to offend them, carefully considering what I want to say. I constantly reflect on how people react and interpret the information I give them, analyzing their behavior and facial expressions. Too much thinking, I know.

As we waited for the Other to appear, Daniel and I kept the conversation flowing. We must have talked for about 20 minutes until the sound from the warehouse interrupted us. A man, seemingly in his 30s, appeared. He was bald, had a beard and a moustache. He was skinny and about my height, around 183 cm. That day, he was wearing black jeans and a gray hoodie with the hood up, trying to stay unnoticed.

The moment we spotted him, we prepared to move in. But before we could act, another figure emerged from the warehouse. This time, it was a young girl, no more than 8 years old, with brown hair tied into a ponytail. She, too, was dressed simply, like the Other. She ran towards him, threw her arms around him, and called him “Dad.” The moment I heard her address him, I froze. The Other has a child? No one told me this.

I stood there, momentarily paralyzed. Is the girl an Other too? Do I have to capture her as well? Will I have to kill her? I’ve never killed a child. On the other hand, I was overwhelmed with thoughts about the father. What if she isn’t an Other, and he’s just taking care of her? But how could he not have killed her by now? Others were known to lack humanity. I had heard stories of those rare cases where an Other had managed to suppress their violent instincts, choosing not to kill. But I had never believed them. And now, what if this was one of those cases? What if this Other has mastered his impulses and was looking after his daughter? What kind of person would I be if I kill her father and left her orphaned?

My mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. Eventually, I steadied myself, assessed the situation, and decided to continue the mission. I am a Black Crow; we are sent to save humanity. Instead of killing the Other, I decided to try to capture him—subdue him. I hope I will succeed.

We entered the yard, drew our guns and moved toward the Other to capture him. As soon as we entered, he noticed us. I thought he would attack us immediately, but he didn’t. He turned to his daughter and told her to run inside. Tears welled up in her eyes as she fled into the warehouse. Only once she was safe the Other showed his true power.