Meeting The Team

Thirty minutes after Dorian's shots, the room had mostly gone quiet. Rose sat on the bench, gently stroking his hair while Dorian lay with his head in her lap, eyes closed, still breathing a little heavier than normal.

Benson leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, glancing between the two every few seconds like he was unsure whether to speak or look for Aurora.

Then door opened with a soft hiss.

Aurora walked in with a folded two-piece outfit in one hand and a sleek black box in the other. Her eyes scanned the room, narrowed slightly at Dorian still curled up on Rose's lap, then landed on Benson, who had wisely stepped back.

She raised her voice as though addressing the entire ward.

"The others are waiting."

Dorian looked up at Aurora with an unimpressed look, "Give me a few minutes to gather my strength," he said with a strained voice. He was trying so hard not to fall asleep, as a result of the drugs.

Normally, he would've passed out during the third or fourth shot, but he was still awake, fighting back sleep, the same sleep he could barely get on a normal day.

Aurora didn't seem impressed, considering how impatient she was and how eager she looked for everyone to see him.

She handed the box to Benson with a little more force, showing her annoyance, and dropped the clothes beside Dorian.

"Get him dressed. He's not walking in front of the others like this."

Dorian glanced down at himself and frowned. "…What's wrong with how I look?"

"You shouldn't be asking me that after what happened," Aurora replied flatly, then looked at Rose. "Please get him ready."

Rose nodded, already helping him sit upright, brushing hair away from his forehead. "Come on. Let's get you up."

Dorian sighed, still half-draped over her. "I just said give me a minute."

Aurora had already turned away, her voice trailing behind her as she left the room.

"You have thirty seconds. Then I'm sending in the guards to drag you by the ankle."

Benson glanced at the box in his hands. "You think she's bluffing?"

"No," Rose and Dorian said at the same time.

Benson nodded. "Good, now let's get this over with."

---

By the time they were done, Dorian was standing by a mirror near the door, his arms crossed as he stared at his reflection.

White trousers, white long-sleeved top, with a silver collar that shimmered, and white slippers.

It didn't hug his body, since it was large enough to even fit Benson. What he didn't like was how white it was.

He knew he was going to stain it, there was no stopping that, and he was sure Aurora knew that.

So why was he wearing white?

He rolled his shoulders, feeling the dull ache from the injection. Yet for some reason, he knew he wasn't done with everything.

Rose walked over to him, wearing a white coat over her clothes as well, for safety measures. She handed him a cup and the pills, which he took from her without hesitation.

He downed the contents, finishing off with the sweet-and-sour powder meant to help balance everything, so it wouldn't cause him any issues.

One of them being fever and uncontrollable sleeping.

It was like they thought of everything beforehand, which was quite impressive.

Benson led them out of the room and down the corridor, busy with a pad in his arms. Rose walked behind Dorian, her arms slightly crossed, with anxiety crawling up and down her skin.

They took an elevator to the last floor at the top. It was then Dorian noticed that the higher they got, the colder it became.

Not that it was an issue. He was quite comfortable with the cold.

The elevator beeped open, revealing a massive hall… if it could be called that.

A massive field, lit by overhead panels, casting a cool white light over polished gray floors. The walls stretched high, built with hard concrete, designed to endure anything.

Platforms lined the sides, some elevated for better views, others flat on the ground with reinforced glass barriers for observation and protection.

A row of people, about his age and some older, in matching clothing, were at his left side. Five of them were seated, unreadable expressions plastered on their faces, while the other four stood, murmuring and busy with phones.

Behind them were the officers, faces from the mega cities, dressed in their own dark command styles. Some had visors, others wore the traditional mantle cloaks.

To the far right, seated slightly above the rest, was the viewing deck.

Aurora sat there, legs crossed, arms resting on the sleek armrests. She didn't smile when Dorian entered, but she didn't frown either.

Beside her, two older men, the doctor that had sent the letter, and a stranger. Just below that seat was the entire board, whispering among themselves, stealing glances at Dorian and Rose.

As the doors closed shut behind them with a slight bang, every eye shifted to him. He could feel a chill run up his spine. He was anxious, but mostly annoyed.

'Wow, and here I was thinking it would just be her and the cadets.'

He thought with a bored look in his eyes. He didn't even bother to look at the faces; he was only focused on Aurora and the men beside her.

"Step forward," someone called from the board members.

Rose gave his shoulder a small nudge, and he reluctantly moved.

He slipped his hands out of his pockets and walked cautiously to the center of the field, his slippers clicking the floor with a soft slapping sound.

When he reached the center ring, a slightly sunken circle, he stopped. He looked up and met Aurora's gaze, then shifted slightly to the others.

They still weren't saying anything, just the silence of people waiting to either be impressed or disappointed.

He let the silence drag on for a second before he finally exhaled.

"I was told to come here and meet everyone. So why the silence?" he scoffed, not waiting for a reply, and looked straight at Aurora. "Or are you all scared?"

"I thought you'd at least show a little respect, Dorian," Aurora replied, with a small smile playing on her lips.

"I am showing it. I just don't like the unusual silence."

"It's alright," Aurora replied and gestured at the cadets and then the officers from the mega cities. "Can the eight of you step forward?"

Dorian followed her eyes, his gaze narrowed when the youngest of everyone there stepped forward and walked, their boots hitting the floor, filling the silence.

He stepped back a bit as they lined up in front of him, each one having different looks on their faces.

Frowns, disappointment, keen interest, excitement and one that he couldn't tell what they were doing.

Aurora then rose to her feet and began the introductions.

"These are our facility's soldiers, just the Awakened ones. The non-Awakened are on break, so you'll meet them later."

She gestured toward the lineup before continuing.

"Kyle, our strongest. Lucas and Julian, our brains and strategists. Lia, the sniper. Vallen and Illena, high-flyer and defense."

"Static....you can call her Mae, if she lets you. She's our versatile one. And finally, Noctis. He doesn't have a role yet, since he's new. So he just fights," she paused, then added, "Like you."

Dorian raised a brow and shifted his gaze to the eight figures lined up in front of him.

Three were shorter than him, two of them so small they looked like kids, with identical faces. The third looked normal, just… short.

Of the five, one was a giant, towering and built like a wall. Two were his height, one slightly taller, and the last, just under his eye level, was fully covered head to toe.

Dorian sighed and gave a small bow. "Pleasure to meet you all. I'm Dorian Mordaine... Zero."

The taller two exchanged glances, surprised, then nodded and bowed. "An honor."

The rest followed, saying the same thing, till Aurora exhaled. "Alright, that's a wrap. Benson, show Rose around. Kyle, stay. We need your help registering Dorian."