Fractured Worlds (Worlds Away #1)

Brela Chapter 10: Three Months

"Does everyone understand the plan?" Edoline asked, looking around at our group. Nods travelled around, along with grunts or words of agreement.

"I'll distribute my men immediately," Captain Max Hayward said, moving to leave. Captain Hayward was a member of the local police force from this world, and knew of MEPA, the eternals, and our war. He was the one who had called MEPA here after spotting a group of eternals hiding out in his town.

Eternals, they were the whole reason MEPA existed in the first place. They were a twisted race who constantly invaded worlds. They expressed themselves as gods to worlds, and if they were rejected, the world was wiped clean and taken over by the eternals. On top of fixing fractures, MEPA also opposed them, fighting a war that had been raging before I had been born. We protected those who could not fight against the eternals, standing in the way of oppression and death. We protected the people and their freedom, and I couldn't be prouder to support that cause.

"Take this," Dr. Cheryl Ursett said, stepping in front of the captain. "It'll report your location to me along with your vitals." She handed Hayward a wrist band of sorts before moving to hand one to the rest of her team, Edoline, Justin, and me.

Team 64, as they like to be collectively called, was a highly trained team, one that Edoline had joined for this specific mission. It consisted of Donovan and Socorro Ursett, two brothers from a world that was allied with MEPA; Cheryl Ursett, Socorro's wife and the doctor who had checked out my shoulder wound three months ago; Zyair, Edoline's long time fiancé; and Haruto, the leader of the field agent unit who had incredible combat skills despite being blind.

This was the first mission I joined where MEPA could do their job in broad daylight. We didn't have to worry about whether the populace saw us or the eternals or witnessed something that wasn't normal. This world understood that we were at war with the eternals, and that we were their defence. Not many worlds offered this sort of mission, which was why Justin had committed us to it.

Since the day I had first joined MEPA, it had been a wild ride. My days had been filled with intense training of both my physical and mental skills along with learning about the worlds and their laws. Despite many days of fatigue, I didn't regret joining MEPA. I wouldn't change my choice, not for anything.

"Thanks," Hayward said as he put on the metal band, nodding his head before he left the room, his officers right behind him. Only us MEPA agents remained. We all snapped the bracelets onto our wrists, and I watched as mine quickly lit up green before returning to its plain resting state. Our attention turned to Edoline. She was the highest-ranking agent here, therefore in command of the operation.

Seeing that everyone was ready, she spoke. "Let us move out," Edoline said. "Dr. Ursett, go get set up."

The doctor nodded her head. She paused at the door, turning back to her husband. "Be safe, Socorro."

Socorro smiled at her, "I always am," he assured Cheryl. There was a moment of silence, and with a nod passed between them, the doctor left the room. Donovan laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, and together they went outside. The rest of us gathered our supplies and followed the brothers. We crammed into the back of the last van. With a firm slam of the door and a pat to the metal, we rolled down the road, heading towards our target.

Inside the van, no one spoke. The whine of sharpening blades and rumbling of traffic were the only sounds. Everyone was tense as we approached the eternal's location. These were formidable foes that we were about to engage, not a random fracturer.

"How many allied worlds are out there?" I asked as we drove, feeling like I needed to try and dampen the tension in the air.

"Not many, five, six if you count the hub," Justin said. My trainer looked up from his hands.