Ren

Only the Beginning

SMASH

I jolted upright following the crashing of something metal on the steel table.

Standing across from me was the tallest figure from the surface.

Commander Ren.

With adrenaline flowing through me again, I stiffened my back, unwilling to allow him a chance to intimidate me.

It doesn't matter who he is, I thought to myself, there is nothing to be afraid of. Just breath.

He moved, with all the grace of a predator stalking its prey, towards the chair sitting opposite me.

I glanced to the object he had slammed on the table and it was a small metal box.

"Wyn Sinwah." My name coming out through the modulator caused goosebumps to form along my arms. I wasn't sure if it was because he said my full name or because his voice seemed darker and more mechanical than before.

I stared into the black visor of his helmet and wondered what his powers were; to be the leader of The Knights.

I wonder what your voice really sounds like, I thought idly; surprising myself with the random thought. I should've been focused on how he knew my full name, but if he was the leader of whatever was left of this world, it seemed trite to wonder how he knew it.

"I know a great deal more than that," he said flatly.  

Had I said that out loud?

He reached for the metal box and slid it over to me. I felt no real reason to open it, so I kept my hands clasped tightly in my lap and lifted my gaze back to him.

He tilted his head in response, possibly intrigued by my reaction, or lack thereof.

"You're not curious."

It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"Commander, I am unconcerned with what you think you've discovered about me." I remained impassive.

What does it matter, anyways?

"How long have you been alone."

"Awhile," I quickly replied

"How did he die?" His question threw me off guard, but I recovered quickly. 'He' could've only been in reference to Nan.

Had that been in the box...?

"Same as everyone else, I suppose," I paused, "radiation poisoning." I remained indifferent. I assumed my cool demeanor was bothering him, because his fists clenched and unclenched at his side.

I focused my attention to his helmet and considered the bright red streaks along the ridges and cracks. It had clearly been destroyed and remade; and it was frighteningly beautiful. I felt an urge to run my hands over them.

Are they smooth? Why hadn't he just made a new helmet? I wondered.

"How are you doing, that?" The tone of his voice was raised slightly, but still controlled through the helmet.

"Doing what?"

He began walking slowly around the table towards me. The closer he moved, the more uneasy I felt.

I noticed how broad his shoulders were and how thick his arms seemed. The black layers of his uniform enhanced his massive size, and I fought the urge to cringe away from him, the closer he moved.

I repositioned my back and refused to look away. He leaned down towards me; close enough for me to see my reflection in his visor.

"You're not afraid." His voice was quieter now, but it was a statement again, not a question.

"Well, you haven't given me a reason to be, have you?" I replied.

He jerked back slightly as I felt warmth filling my cheeks. I hadn't meant to say that, but he was too close.

I suddenly became very away of the fact that he and I were alone in this dark, room. The only sound was the quiet hiss of his breath through the modulator. It should have had a menacing effect, but I still was not afraid.

He remained a breath away from my face and I was overcome with a strange desire to see his face. My mouth watered involuntarily.

"You're just a human," he said quietly.

I assumed he was saying it more to his self, than to me, but it was still belittling. Why was my evolutionary status important? Where did he think we all came from? I glared at him.

Fucking asshole.

As soon as the thought left my mind, he slammed his fist into the metal box resting on the table. The top crunched beneath the force of his hand.

I jumped slightly at his reaction and we both turned our attention to the box, then back to each other.

"I can hear you," he finally spoke, the breath hissing through his modulator returning to normal.

My eye widened and I felt exposed again as he watched me.

This whole time...? He's been able to hear everything...?

"Yes," he responded, straightening his back.

I knew there were meta-humans who possessed that power, but it was rare. It probably meant he had other abilities as well.

I tried to limit any further thoughts. I didn't need him in my mind, any further than he'd already been.

I felt annoyed. I had always imagined what it would be like to meet someone, anyone. To finally know I wasn't alone anymore. I never thought it'd happen with a natural voyeur.

He let out a grunt and I looked up to him. He heard that...?

"I am not a voyeur," he said evenly.

"Well what would you call someone who roots around in your mind, trying to hear things you don't want them to hear?"

"That's not what I do," he paused. "You're very loud. It's very distracting." I didn't understand.

How can my thoughts be loud?

"I've never encountered someone who was able to pierce my mind with their thoughts. It's normally the other way around."

Oh! Like psychological rape! That makes it ok then... I sighed, defeated. How was one supposed to control their thoughts?

He reached out a hand, and I felt the familiar, unseen force lift me from the chair. I was unable to move at all, but I didn't want to let him see how legitimately afraid I was, even if he could already sense it.

"You're beginning to annoy me..." he growled, as he moved me closer to his line of sight. My hands were pinned to my sides and I struggled, unsuccessfully against the invisible bonds he had me in.

"Why don't you just let me go, then?" My voice wavered as I was inches from his face, fear spiking through my body.

He stared at me another moment, then lowered me to the ground, still inches from him. The power still had me confined and I couldn't step away.

My eye line was at his chest, and I had to tilt my head entirely up to look at the face of his human-less mask. I felt the mental grip begin to loosen from around me, slowly.

He leaned down slightly, sending chills over my body.

His voice was dark and contorted through the helmet, but still managed to illicit a warm sensation to envelope the pit of my stomach.

"Because we've only just begun."