Behind the Mask (Part 1)

Chapter 2: Two Lives, One Purpose (Part 2)

Ocean blue eyes stared at a mirror. A nineteen-year-old girl with short copper-colored hair dressed completely in black attire met her eyes. Without glancing away from the mirror, she rested her hands on the sides of the helmet, which was on a table in front of her, and lifted it, placing it over her head. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, breathing in deeply. Then her eyes opened. Everything had a slight shade of light brown since the visor of her helmet tinted the colors around her. Blink. Blink.

Something hit the window, creating a sharp ping noise. She glanced over to see a small rock lightly bounce off the window, followed by two more. Quickly lifting the helmet off her head and setting it on the desk, she then moved over to the window and opened it. A young man of twenty years old smiled up at her. “Morning, Silvie!” he called with a small wave. She smiled slightly and returned the wave.

“Be down in a minute,” she returned, closing the window shut and moving away from it. She surveyed her room thoughtfully then slipped into a work uniform. Afterwards, she went over to a picture frame and, lifting it off, noted the buttons and small screen underneath. Pressing a few buttons, she placed the picture frame back onto the wall and left the room. She grabbed a bag near the exit of the door then exited the house, approaching the young man who was waiting at the front door.

“What’s the plans for today?” he asked.

“Same as always,” Silvie said.

He smiled. “You never change, do you?”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” He leaned closer and said near her ear, “By the way, you might want to wear a bandana today.”

Silvie reached a hand upwards to her forehead. She brought it down to her eyes and noted fresh blood on the tips of her index and middle fingers. “Well then,” she muttered. “From work, most likely.” He reached in his backpack, pulled out a black and white bandana, and handed it to her. “Thanks,” she said with a sigh. 

When she reached over to take it from her, he snatched it out of her reach. She opened her mouth to protest, but he quickly said as an explanation, “Here, I’ll help you with it.” He dropped his bag on the concrete sidewalk and turned her around, gently pushing one of her shoulders so her back was facing him. After speedily tying the bandana around her head, he then swung his bag around his shoulder. “On to work!”

“Thanks, Gabe,” she said appreciatively, smiling from where she stood several inches below him.

“No problem. We should hurry, though.” He glancing at the high-tech watch on his left hand and tapped on the watch a couple of times. It flashed a sequence of numbers accordingly. Silvie glanced over, but he had already dropped his arm to his waist. “Work will be starting soon,” he said. “At the rate we’re walking, we’ll be late by two minutes.”

“Then we should hurry,” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“Indeed. It will be a busy day today.”

“Right,” Silvie agreed. The two quick-walked to their destination, staying on the sidewalk to avoid vehicles driving to and fro.

The two arrived at their work place right as the obnoxious bell rang. “Hurry inside,” Gabe instructed, gently pushing her up the many white stairs and into the large white building. They entered the complex and strode down the hallway. White pillars stood on each side of them, stretching up to the dome’s ceiling. The marble ground and walls were adorned with detailed designs, mostly sapphire-blue and a grayish-black colored. When they had gone through a door on the other side of the long hallway, they stopped, for a man stood in their way.