Chapter Three: The Capital

The plane was waiting for them. Those not Chosen were unallowed to board, so during the goodbyes, Exodus knelt before his sister, who was sobbing again. "It's going to be alright, little sister," he whispered, and Lilly stared at him with large, wet eyes. "You listen to mother and father. Be a good girl. When we get back, you will be so happy." Lilly giggled a little and nodded, drying her eyes and smiling. Exodus smiled back and hugged Lilly tightly before letting go and stepping onto the plane with Nathaniel, both of them staring down at their family. Then, the doors shut. Both of them chuckled and grinned each other, then turned around. It turned out; this flight was for all the Chosen. There were others already. Ten, to be exact. In one corner stood a duo, one wearing bright white armor and the other wearing green uniform, like an old military uniform. Both had helmets with visors over their heads.

In another corner stood another two, one man and one woman. One wearing a skin-tight suit of pure black and another wearing what looked like a suit of simple stretchy yellow fabric. Neither had helmets, and they kept to themselves, engaged in discussion. Another duo stood a little closer, one wearing a bright purple jacket with lime-coloured pants, shirt and another wearing complete black, although it was more of a cloak with a large helmet over his head. Another two were the furthest away, both seeming to wear mechanical suits, one bright red with a dome protecting their head and the other's suit having been covered in what looked like dark brown fur. Then, the final two. One wore a suit of complete grey, except for the gloves, boots and headpiece, which were bright blue. The other wore armor of complete black, the plates of metal covering their torso, legs and arms, their head covered by a mask of black which only revealed their mouth.

Exodus and Nathaniel looked around at the others, only the two closest, the ones in black and grey, noticing them. They both seemed to snarl when Nathaniel and Exodus stared back, but only at Nathaniel. "The Hope…here in all his glory," whispered the one in black, taking a step forward as though sizing up the Hero. Nathaniel could only look confused, until something else happened. What looked like red electricity ran along their bodies, and Nathaniel's expression darkened. "You're both Rage," he murmured, and the other two nodded. "Fancy the one who contains the Hope being in the same Hunt as those who hold the Rage," said the one in grey, sniggering in delight as Exodus clenched his fists out of anger. Nathaniel placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, and he instantly relaxed. They both noticed, and the one in black grinned widely. "This must be your scrawny little brother!"

Exodus felt the anger surge inside of him once more, and Nathaniel tightened his grip, staring at the two from Rage with an expression of dislike upon his face. "If you think you even have chance of winning, think again. Hope wins nothing. Only true power, such as Rage, can win!" Exodus was trying to think of where he could possibly recognize the two from, and then the answer came to him. "You're Catastrophe," Exodus stated at the one in black, who leered at Exodus when he turned to the one in grey, "Which means you're Destruction." The two bowed their heads, as though they recognized someone who worshipped them. Exodus, however, was no such person. "You're both villains!" The two now looked angry, as though the statement enraged them. "For a little boy, you know a lot," Destruction hissed, his eyes glaring at Exodus, and Exodus returned the glare.

Nathaniel watched, amused as Catastrophe also turned to Exodus, both setting their sights upon him. "You will be our first target," whispered Catastrophe, and now Nathaniel stepped forward to be in front of Catastrophe, their chests almost touching. "You wait until the Hunt to make any kind of threats. If you try to sabotage him, or anyone else before it starts, I will see to it that you are the first to be destroyed!" Catastrophe glared, and then the plain suddenly rocked, a loud whining sound filling the storage hold where they waited. "Landing gear is being extended. Prepare for impact," came the automatic voice through the speakers, and Nathaniel turned, gripping onto the wall with his fist whilst holding Exodus' arm. The two villains snickered, and then the place bounced strongly. Exodus stumbled, knowing that if his brother had not been so strong in his grip he would be flying across the plane.

It buckled and shook violently, sending vibrations down to Exodus' very core, and then it stopped. Literally. The sudden brace forced Exodus away from Nathaniel and sliding across the floor of the plane, right up to the slidable door through which they had gotten onto the plane. He lay, dazed, as the others stared down upon him. The doors slid open, and a woman appeared within his sights, staring down with an expression of disapproval upon her face. Exodus scrambled to his feet, realizing that darkness had ensued outside. "Chosen," she stated, her voice reminding Exodus of a calm summer's day on the beach, watching the birds fly over the sparkling water as it gently met the sandy shore. Those had been the days that Exodus loved the most, watching as the waves gently crashed upon the golden grains of sand. He had spent hours watching as the grains of sand turned dark and clingy as the water met it.

Now he was reminded strongly, her voice sounding like the fond whispers of trees as they swayed in the trees. "You are all required to follow me to the Capital, where you will spend the next three days preparing yourselves for the Hunt." She looked around at everyone, letting the message sink in so that they all understand they could not mess around the next few days. Then, her expression, or what Exodus could make of it in the darkness, darkened. "Injuring one another outside of training will result in, as we here like to call it, Permanent Disqualification. Therefore, I suggest you don't kill each other." Once again, Exodus and Nathaniel glanced at one another, their eyes wide in surprise. They had not known there was such care, such as three days of training, when it came to the Hunt. "Now, follow," the woman commanded, and she turned, quickly disappearing into the night.

Hesitantly, Nathaniel was the first to step off the plane and follow, Exodus behind him, and the others followed. They marched after the woman's outline, which seemed barely distinguishable against the black that surrounded them. There were no lights to illuminate the way, only pure, blind trust that this woman would lead them to the Capital. "How do you think they'll train us?" Exodus whispered as he walked alongside his brother, watching as Nathaniel shrugged. "Beats me. There could be many possibilities, such as fighting other opponents or perfecting your own skills alone." Exodus nodded, although he felt like he barely understood. "Look," Nathaniel breathed, pointing up ahead. Exodus looked at where Nathaniel was pointing, and noticed a small pinprick of light, just visible as they approached a small hill. Rushing ahead of the woman, the two brothers scrambled up the hill, digging their boots into the dirt as they arrived at the top. What they saw was incredible.

The tallest skyscrapers seemed to be made of pure, glowing glass. The roofs below looked slated and sparkly, catching the eye immediately, and even the roads looked amazing, cobblestone but somehow glowing. They watched as the tiny specs below, people, moved busily, headed from place to place or climbing into cars. The flashes of white below that were moving vehicles dazzled Exodus' eyes as he watched, and then several gasps sounded behind the two brothers, snapping Exodus out of his trance and then turning. They all wore the same expressions of wonder and amazement, all except for Catastrophe and Destruction, whose faces betrayed looks of loath and disgust. Nathaniel noticed Exodus watching the two, and he gently gripped onto Exodus' shoulder. "Ignore them. We will both ignore them until we cannot anymore. In the Hunt, we have to be careful," he whispered. Exodus nodded sharply, and then started when the woman headed down the hill, expecting the others to follow in her wake. They did.

***

The Six Houses reached the Capital following the woman, all of them tired as they walked through the narrow streets. Surprisingly, the woman chose to lead them through quiet and deserted streets, where the only sound was their continuous footfalls. Especially from the Tech House, for their mechanical feet clanged and smashed into the cobblestone, the sound numbing the inside of Exodus' skull. "This way, if you please," the woman said flatly, quickly diving down another street and then stopping when they reached a set of double, golden doors. Exodus risked a glance at Catastrophe again and saw the latter's eyes glint with what looked like love. He loved what he was looking at, the surrounding City and the streets and the people. Exodus knew what he was thinking. Mine. "Remember, when we enter, there is no time for partying if you want to live," the woman said, and when they all nodded, she flung the door open.

The blinding golden light from inside made Exodus wince, waiting for his eyeballs to adjust to the bright before taking a step forward. It was all quiet, and then the woman disappeared up a flight of stone steps. Exodus followed, Nathaniel and the other Competitors right behind him. They ascended into the Capital Building, their footsteps the only thing to listen to. Exodus felt his body grow from cold to hot as one of the Flame's ignited their hands to see where they were going. As much as Exodus was weary of the other Houses, he was thankful for the sudden heat as it soothed his frozen body. "This…is the Training Room," the woman declared as they reached a wooden door, the Competitors crowded into the narrow passageway, await with anticipation. She opened the door, which creaked and whistled against the silence as though desperate to escape its imprisonment against the wall.

They all filed inside, and what Exodus saw was surprising to say the least. It was a large room, almost three times the size of his house. A large glass panel separated half the room, which Exodus guessed was the 1 V 1 Arena, for practice against other Houses. Then there were concrete slabs on the closest half of the room, along with punching bags, Strength Testers, Power Testers and, something that astounded Exodus, an ice cream machine. "You can all take the time to train, either in a group or on your own." The woman turned to walk away, but then one of the Competitors, from the Speed House, stepped forward. It was the girl, her brown hair falling neatly down her back as she stared at the woman. "Are there any rules against alliances?" she asked. Everyone stared, and then slowly their attention turned towards the woman, who looked equally as shocked.

"Considering only one House can win…there has never been an alliance before. Thus, there are no rules against it," the woman answered, and then she turned and left the room, leaving the Competitors inside.