Synthetic Heart [ENGLISH]

Episode 02 ♥ Self Hatred

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     After a long mind-numbing helicopter ride, we had finally made it safely to the Wolf Legion's headquarters on the other side of Avalon. I was descending in the elevator with Kıraç and Riley, down to the lower floors, beneath sea level.

     "So..." I broke the silence. "What exactly should I call you? Captain, Commander, Sir, Kıraç?"

     His eyes flickered toward me for a moment, indifferent and cold. "Anything but my name."

     I muttered softly, "Would 'jerk' work?"

     He gave me a blank stare.

     "Got it, 'jerk' is off the table."

     "Just call me 'Sir.'" His voice was tense.

     "Not something I'm used to. I'd rather call you Kıraç."

     Riley's grumbling echoed in the cramped elevator: "I question Mr. Hidayet's decisions, Sir."

     Kıraç stood still, hands clasped behind his back, staring at the elevator door like a concrete wall. "Let's just follow orders, Riley."

     My sensitive nose barely caught the fading scent of coconut lotion in the air. As soon as the doors slid open, the captain was the first to step out, with Riley and I following. I noticed Riley's side glance at me but chose not to respond; this woman didn't like me, and I still hadn't figured out why.

     We walked through corridors lined with black walls. I read the red letters spelling "Wolf Legion PMC" as Kıraç's voice pulled my focus. "This is Marvin."

     In the hall, next to an automatic door, stood a tall Black man in a white military uniform. As soon as he heard Kıraç's voice, he jumped to his feet. But before he could even salute, Kıraç said, "This is the temporary personnel. Show her around. She's your responsibility," and walked away without a second glance.

     The man called out after him, "But-" though the captain had already vanished. Riley threw me another quick glance, muttering curses under her breath as she stormed off, leaving me alone with Marvin. He was tall -apparently the whole team was made up of giraffes- and athletic. His hair was shaved close, his eyes dark brown, and I noticed the strange flow of text in one of his irises, marking it as bionic.

     Grinning with bright white teeth, he extended a hand. "Marvin Morris. Tech and Explosives Specialist."

     I shook his hand eagerly. "Aurora. At least you have the decency to shake hands, unlike some others."

     Marvin's smile faded. "Whoa, those are some sharp fangs you've got there... You alright?"

     "What? Oh, yeah, I-"

     A lightbulb seemed to go off above his head. "Oh, you're that artificial freak they were talking about!"

     I squinted. "That's kinda rude..."

     "No, no," he laughed, awkwardly putting his hands on his hips. "That's just what the team's been calling you ever since they heard you were coming... Wait, you don't look anything like what they described."

     My interest piqued. "What did they tell you?"

     "You know... claws, heightened senses, a bunch of weird stuff. Honestly, I expected more of a man whose werewolf... or woman, I'm not sexist, i swear."