Nemesis, Vol. 1

An Obscure Nomination

Lynden's cold gaze hardly gave off the impression of empathy.

"I—I have to go home—I—I can just do this myself..."

Lynden's cold stare subtly changed into disappointment as Yuki's void suddenly spit out a road of destruction, a familiar road to many men.

"It would be unwise for you to return home, this organization who's responsible for the murder of your father now knows where you live, you're better off staying here, or going under a protection program—"

"What can I possibly do here?! What will I get done sitting on my ass?!"

The abandoned vehicle began to run for the first time in quite a long time. Lynden was surprised at how swiftly Yuki's persona changed, how blindly driven he became with just a small fracture within his chalice. Lynden feared this vehicle would revitalize with the horrid news, but nonetheless, he couldn't possibly stand in front of a freight train.

"If you truly want to find the person who killed your father, you can become an agent of the IJA, and possibly by then, you could have the skills to assist in our investigation."

"Sir, I don't think that is the best course of action, maybe we should give him time before offering him an opportunity like that." Maria interrupted.

"I'll do it... I'll do whatever it takes..." Yuki said as Maria's interruption was nothing more than that.

"Very well." Lynden softly replied while he stood up from his sympathetic stature.

Lynden exhales deeply as he gazes down at Yuki's back, shielding the pride that exited his soul and poured onto the ground beneath him. Lynden pulls out a plastic golden card from his right pocket and stretches his hand out above Yuki. Maria is taken back by Lynden's gesture.

"Take this."

Lynden's monotone demeanor remained as still as a beautiful lake in July.

"Sir! That's your nomination card, are you sure you want to give that to him?!"

Maria's shocked expression became vocal, which somehow matched the visual. Yuki slowly lifts himself, recognizing the gesture from Lynden, and still recovering from the broken jar of moonshine that poured beneath his feet.

"It's the least I can do for him, he'll still have a long way to go."

Yuki slowly grasps the plastic card plastered in front of him, still picking up his lost change from the floor through the process. He firmly grasped the card and began to analyze the enigma that felt like a cheap gift card.

"What is it?"

"It's a nomination card. Only a select few Agents and well-respected individuals of the IJA receive that card. Its purpose is for an individual to be enrolled in a youth program here at the IJA. The Youth program is the stepping stone in teaching the essentials of becoming an agent here, almost every agent here has gone through this program." Maria said.

"Awesome." Yuki's simple reply was barely enough to represent the backflip in emotions that occurred in less than a few minutes.

"There are only two youth classes per year and only two ways of getting in. One way is through receiving a nomination card, and the other is through a rigorous trial called the recommendation process. Only .01% of the participants successfully pass the recommendation process."

"A teacher is randomly selected from all the agents here, this year's teachers are Ivan Bogdon and Jerome Murasaki. Maria, you can take Yuki to—to class B." Lynden interrupted.

"Yes sir. Follow me, Yuki."

"Oh–Ok."

Yuki, a bit startled as he didn't intake all the information spewed to him as fast as a territorial spitting cobra, recognizes Maria walking out of the lobby and back towards where they came from and follows.

"You'll be a fine agent, Yuki!" Lynden shouted at Yuki and Maria, giving a thumbs-up through the surprisingly loud support.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"To the youth building, were you not listening back there?"

The Youth Building was the farthest building to the left of the Main Quarters, it stood two stories tall and was just as professional in appearance as every other glass-covered cubicle within the garden of Eden. 

The interior of the building was similar to the Main Quarters as well but with a touch of yellow compared to the bland business-like shades of the former. In the lobby sat a somewhat heavy-set gentleman, in average business attire, behind a desk working through a dead zone. He recognizes Maria and follows suit with simple pleasantries

"How's it going, Maria? Who's that?"

"I'm fine, Bob. This is a new member of youth class B, which way is class B again?"

"Oh–Class just started, you two'll be late."

"Where is it?"

Bob points strongly to his right as he replies "You'll have to go down this hall and take a right and it'll be the second room on the right."

"Thanks!"

Maria swiftly grabs Yuki's arm and wastes no time getting him to youth class B.

"Bob? Who the hell is Bob?" the man behind the desk said under his breath as Maria darted out of the lobby with Yuki.

The two of them stood outside a plain door, still within a hall of space that read "Classroom B".

"Well, this is it. I will be seeing you later, good luck."

Maria didn't hesitate to begin walking away from the classroom as if she'd rather be anywhere else but here.

"Wait, that's it?" Yuki asked.

"Would you get in the classroom already!" Maria shouted, obviously growing tired of the lifelike trivia game.

The door to Classroom B then suddenly swings open, startling both Yuki and Maria's pointless bickering. 

The teacher, Jerome Murasaki, stood tall within the doorway, demonstrating a haunting glare as if he were about to interrogate a captured terrorist. His alluring brown curly hair gave him more dominance over the two cornered cubs, along with his business casual look of slacks, a wrinkled dress shirt, and a bland indigo tie. His dress shoes were the only thing capable of making the attire seem professional.

"What's going on out here?!" Jerome shouted.