Three days later found them being summoned from their lunch break to the administrative building. Theo packed his half-eaten sandwich away while Marcy had to throw most of her soup out, much to her annoyance.
There was no doubt in either of their minds that it was Dr. Kiggins summoning them to continue with her attempt at recruiting him. The pair had spent the last two days analyzing the issue from every angle and they had come up with what was in Theo's opinion some solid counter-arguments. He was more determined than ever not to get roped in.
Up until now, Theo had always had a distant, cold kind of respect for the Civilian Security. He could understand the need for their existence and he even agreed with some of their policies. His life had been turned upside down when he had been declared a Quartz but other than the times he'd been tested and the band added to his wrist, he'd had no direct contact with them.
It had gotten to a point where he'd spent the last few years pretending not to be an AW, managing to ignore most events related to them. So when they had come knocking on his door again, it had felt like a punch to the gut.
Getting a color was bad enough in itself and now they wanted him to actively participate in hunting down his own kind? He more or less knew who else had powers on campus, but he wasn't acquainted with them – Marcy was the only person he regularly hung out with. He never got into any kind of trouble with them, nor did he ever require their aid, which made for a non-existent relationship. That didn't mean he was willing to turn on them – because that's what enlisting into the CS meant: becoming a traitor.
Theo wasn't going to make enemies out of people who could cause an earthquake with a snap of their fingers or make things explode just by blinking. No, he was going to refuse Dr. Kiggins' offer and continue living an uneventful life alongside his best friend.
Where the infirmary was situated on the edge of campus with a barely recognizable and dull building, the administrative building was close to its center. It was a three-floor construction made of red bricks with a large clock tower that served as an entrance.
The first floor was covered in thick glass panes instead of walls, allowing passersby a clear view of the long corridor with a staircase on each end and an elevator in the middle. A foyer with a few simple sofas stood inside, a water distributor set against one white pillar and a vending machine next to a second one.
The pair passed by the sofas currently occupied by a group of other students and made their way towards the elevator. A dark-skinned, wavy-haired girl shot Theo a tight-lipped smile when their eyes met. He noticed the orange band around her wrist and addressed her with what he hoped was a cordial nod.
He stepped inside the elevator with Marcy, who pressed the "close doors" button – this particular one only went as far as the first floor where the reception was situated. The doors closed with a ding and he felt the lump in his throat grow larger.
Marcy's fingers wrapped around his own and she squeezed his hand in a show of support. She released him by the time the doors opened but it was enough to infuse him with the courage he lacked.
The woman seated behind the reception desk was young with braided hair and bright red lipstick. Her eyes snapped over to them as soon as they stepped out of the elevator and she watched their approach the way a hawk would an unsuspecting mouse. She spoke before Theo could open his mouth.
"Mr. Moore, your appointment is in office A06," she pointed to the brightly lit hallway to her right. "It will be the third door to your left."
She then looked at Marcy and raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow.
"Miss Abbatucci, I do not recall calling you," she said with as much warmth as an iceberg.
"I called myself," Marcy retorted just as coldly. "Dr. Kiggins is expecting me as well."
Which wasn't necessarily true, but Marcy could be exceptionally convincing. She crossed her arms and stared the secretary down until the woman relented and let them both pass.
Theo stopped in front of the office and took three steadying breaths. He reached for the handle but before he could grab it, the door flew open to reveal a teenager. He blinked in confusion, staring at the short girl curiously eyeing him.
She seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, skinny with olive skin, a shaved head, and piercing blue eyes. Her cheeks were puffy and her nose flat. Theo took a startled step back as he realized that not only was she wearing a red wristband like his but that she was also clad in the black uniform of the Intervention Squad. She smiled at his surprise, a sharp incisor peeking out between her lips.
"Finally. I thought you'd never come," she said, her voice surprisingly deep.
She stepped aside to let them in, revealing another person in the process. It was a man of average height in his mid-twenties with dark skin, brittle hair and a goatee. He was seated in a chair at the farthest end of the room and was intently staring at them. The girl closed the door behind them, rounding on them with a smile.
"What's this?" Marcy demanded, casting a suspicious glance between the strangers. "Who are you and where's Dr. Kiggins?"
"I'm Sarai and this is Jummal, we work for the CS," the girl said as she showed them a teapot. "Tea?"
"Where's Dr. Kiggins?" Marcy repeated, ignoring her offer.
The girl named Sarai shrugged and poured herself some tea in a cup without a handle. She wrapped her fingers around the recipient and blew on it before taking a careful sip. Jummal stood and slipped a black device to the middle of the table.
It was small and built like a dome, a tiny hole on its tip. Theo recognized it a split second before Sarai turned it on: a holo-comm. He had heard rumors of their development – mainly from Marcy –but hadn't known that they were already being distributed. He wondered why the CS would have a need for them.
Sarai leaned forward and pressed something on the side facing away from them, bringing the device to life. A hologram of Dr. Kiggins appeared. The technology was clearly in its early stages, for the image was grainy.
"Hello Mr. Moore, Miss Abbatucci. If you're watching this then you have met agents Gerwitz and Latifi. As you may have noticed, they are both ability-wielders who are part of the Civilian Security's Intervention Squad." the hologram explained in a recorded voice.
"After giving our last meeting some thought, I have come to realize that my words as a scientist and a person without abilities wouldn't carry much weight. As such, I decided to hand the responsibility over to these two very capable agents. The next few days will be spent introducing you to the lifestyle of ability-wielders inside the Civilian Security and it would be much appreciated if you would comply. If afterward, you choose not to join our ranks, your wish will be respected and we will stop pursuing you. Until then, please give us a chance."
The recording reached its end and the image of Dr. Kiggins disappeared. Silence settled over the small office as Theo stared at the device. Even after everything he heard the first thing to cross his mind was how he still didn't understand what use the CS had for holo-comms. Luckily for him, Marcy was both more concentrated and driven than he was.
"So we're basically forced to follow you around?" she asked as soon as the feed was cut off.
"Well, the CS is only interested in Theodore here, so you're welcome to leave," Sarai said in a light-hearted manner. "And if you choose to stay, well, it's not that bad. It's basically just a quick tour of HQ with some explanations. And lotsa free food."
Jummal heaved a sigh from the other side of the room and straightened as he was about to speak.
"It is an introduction of the duties of ability-wielders inside the Civilian Security," he said in a soft voice. "The general wielder population has an abysmal image of the agency because of a few underground organizations and dangerous fugitives. It is not an accurate depiction of our cause."
Marcy's eyebrows shot up to her hairline at his words and even Theo looked startled. It was the first time either of them heard an AW think highly of the CS.
"You completely adhere to the CS's policies, then?" Marcy asked.
Jummal nodded, deep-set brown eyes locking onto lively caramel-colored ones that were currently narrowed.
"Even to the inhuman treatment of certain AWs?"
"The Civilian Security's methods might have been rougher back when they did not collaborate with negation-type wielders, however, they were by no means inhuman," Jummal continued before Marcy could interrupt him. "Casualties were suffered in the very beginning when dealing with wielders was still the job of the unprepared and untrained police force, firefighting units or the military."
"So you're fine with all those collared, muzzled and cuffed children getting carted off?" Marcy asked in disbelief.
"Obsidians – and to an extent Magentas – are a danger to themselves and society. They need to be taken into custody before they completely lose control of their abilities and cause mayhem," Jummal explained in a monotonous voice that had Theo wondering if he actually believed his own words. "They aren't "carted off but taken to specialized facilities that can help them learn how to control their own abilities."
"After which they are released? You've seen this with your own eyes?"
"We need special permission to enter rehabilitation facilities," he answered, earning himself a mocking snort.
"Just how long do you have to work for the CS to get this brainwashed?" Marcy asked.
Jummal's face had been an impassive mask for the duration of the conversation but at the mention of brainwashing, he furrowed his eyebrows.
"If our powers are interesting enough, we're recruited as soon as we manifest," Sarai broke in as soon as she noted the displeasure etched across her comrade's face. "I've been with them for three years, while Jummal's been there since he was sixteen, I think. How long does that make it?"
"Nine years."
Marcy pursed her lips tauntingly and was about to comment on his answer when Sarai hastily interrupted.
"How about we leave the chat for later and just get this show on the road, huh?" she asked, shooting Theo a pleading look.
The Vermilion shrugged, not bothering to answer. In all honesty, he was quite entertained by Marcy's grilling of Jummal. It wasn't that he disliked the other man or held some kind of grudge against his belief in the goodness of the CS. It was more that he secretly hoped Marcy would prove too much to handle and they'd just let the two of them go.
It wasn't very chivalrous of him to let the only person in the room without an ability do the dirty work – especially when it was his dirty work –, but then again he never claimed to be gentlemanly. Or brave. Or good at getting himself out of sticky situations.
Theo tiredly scratched at his forehead as he realized how unreliable he was being and how overly-dependent of Marcy he'd become since he discovered he had abilities.
He placed a hand on her shoulder to catch her attention. She questioningly looked up at him but his eyes were trained on the teen.
"We go along with your tourist visit of the CS's HQ and then we're done? No more meetings?" he asked Sarai and she nodded. "Fine then, let's go."
Sarai smiled at his answer while Jummal stood and informed them a car was waiting off campus. He left the room first, leaving the teen to clean up behind them. Marcy turned to fully face Theo, raising her hands in a"what the hell" gesture.
"The sooner we're done with this, the sooner we can get back to our lives," Theo explained in a whisper. "That's the point, right?"
"Whatever you say," Marcy said as she turned to leave, sounding unconvinced.
Theo hesitated for a second before deciding to stay behind and help Sarai.
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So, if anyone's interested, I added a little guide at the end of the story with the characters' names, ages and the ability category they belong to (including the color codes for the wristbands).
Be aware, however, that there might be some spoilers!