Abnormal {Book 1: Completed, Book 2: Ongoing}

Chapter 14

"Just...try to focus, okay? Your first mission is coming up tonight, and it's a chance for you to prove yourself," Adrius says. He checks his watch. "The meeting should be starting in a few minutes. Let's go."

It's been three weeks since I lost my memory. Three weeks since we fought, I remind myself. During the first week, Adrius ignored me entirely and only spoke to me when necessary. The training sessions were torture. However, he has been surprisingly nice to me for the past two days, trying to ease my fear of being out in the open during the mission.

Once we enter the battle room - a circular chamber that consists of a large screen, a round wooden table, and high tech chairs equipped with built in remote controls - I can see that the meeting has already started. The commander glares at us disapprovingly as we sit down hurriedly in the two remaining empty seats. "You're late."

"Apologies, Father." Adrius says stiffly. 

Commander Wilson sighs and continues his speech. "And as I was saying, this-," he points to a red spot on the screen behind him, "-will be where the troops arrive. Even though we might seem outnumbered, we have the element of surprise." There will be roughly 30 people on the mission tonight. Most are from the first (beginners) level, some are from the second, and only two generals - Adrius, and unfortunately, Heather, will be accompanying us on this mission. Thankfully, I'm assigned to Adrius's group, and so are Aveline and Adam, the only two soldiers I recognize. 

The commander drones on for another hour or so, and I try to ignore the glares Heather sends my way. Her hatred for me obviously hasn't diminished over time. The fact that Adrius spends time with me every single day during the practice sessions doesn't help either. 

At the end of the meeting, Commander Wilson forces us to recite all the details for the mission. "Always strive for precision. And perfection," he reminds us as he sends us to the equipment room to get our gear. Aveline and Adam meet me at the exit, and we walk together, trailing behind the others. 

Adam grins at me. "It's your first mission! Aren't you excited! You'll finally be able to use your powers for good!"

I sigh. "I'm still super nervous though. I mean, I can't control my powers that well."

Aveline speaks up. "At least your powers are cool. My power is air manipulation, which doesn't really do anything since it really throws off my balance when the air moves. Adam's power is super human endurance." She wrinkles her nose and Adam chuckles. "He just doesn't get tired during battle. It's essentially useless." 

"Hey!" Adam punches Aveline playfully. I smile at them, glad that at least someone isn't being miserable. 

As we arrive at the equipment room, we are each ushered into our individual fitting rooms. Laid out in front of me is a black, skin tight suit with an elastic belt. I run my hand over the fabric. I've never seen or touched anything that has such a smooth texture. I quickly undress and step into the suit, zipping it up the side. I turn to look at myself in the mirror as I secure my belt. 

I gasp. The suit fits me perfectly, as if it was built for me. The fabric fits snugly against my curves, and the belt accentuates my waistline. I can't stop staring at my reflection. It's as if I've transformed into a different person. I look away only when I hear Aveline calling my name from the other side of the door. 

I hurry outside, and see my fellow soldiers all geared up in identical black battle suits. They are picking out their weapons from the metal wall opposite from me. There's a variety of guns and knives, much like the weapons wall in the training room. Adrius is examining a sleek silver gun in the corner of the room, and Heather is running her finger along one of the knives' hilt. Aveline and Adam wave me over to the side. "What type of weapon do you prefer?" Aveline asks.

"Ummm..." I think back to Adrius's lessons about weapons. "I think I need a lighter gun and a slim knife? Adrius says I'm not strong enough to use heavier weapons."

Adam nods. "Then I know the perfect fit for you." He hands me a small, jet black handgun with a silver trigger. It's very light-even lighter than the practice guns-but as I hold it with my right hand, it fits my grip perfectly. He hands me another weapon. It's a slim, light gray blade with a wooden grip. The hilt is a dark wooden color, with nothing engraved on it. I love it instantly for its simplicity.

My friends show me how to secure my weapons on the belt, and Adam hands me a small pouch to attach to it. The pouch has bandages dipped in some kind of chemical to avoid infections, and syringes filled with painkillers. It also contains an emergency button sewn into the folds of the pocket in case I lose my microphone or watch and I'm unable to call for help. Once I press the button, it will immediately send my location to HQ, and a rescue team will come pick me up. 

At least, that's what the Commander says will happen. I have no idea if it's true. According to Adrius, only one person has used the emergency button before, but she died before the rescue team could get to her. He refused to get into the details.

After I secure my weapons, someone hands me two tiny earbuds and a microphone. Aveline teaches me how to push the earbuds deep into my ears, because they don't seem to work the same way as regular ones. "All our earbuds are connected wirelessly," she says. "There's an Abnormal in the HQ control center that's in charge of our communications during the mission." She then instructs me to attach the mini microphone to my inner cheek. It doesn't look like a regular microphone either. It's a small, disc-like device that lies flat against the inside of my mouth. 

"Mics and earbuds will be activated in 10 seconds!" Adrius yells over the noise. 

I check my weapons one last time while the people around me start counting down.

"Three! Two! One---"

A voice crackles over the earbuds. It's Adrius. "Group 1. Sound check. Can everyone hear me?"

"Yes, sir." We respond over our mics. 

He breathes in, then exhales over the speakers. "Okay then. Let's go."