The City of Ionia

I stepped out of the elevator with my hands stuffed in my grey sweatpants. The material was ridiculously soft, which was something I was still getting used to. I looked straight on and noticed Ruben standing taller than ever in a tuxedo. I haven't seen him wearing anything informal. Beside him were two people I've never seen. One wore a weird red shirt with a formal vest, and the other had a hat covering his eyes.

"Greetings, Jill. How do you do?" Ruben asked as he walked over with his hand extended.

"Fine," I replied. I shook his hand firmly, and he gave a smile that I didn't return.

With his shoulder back and chin high, he opened his palm and formally introduced the others.

"The one in the hat is Fernando. A marvelous man. In fact, he's the only man I cannot outdrink."

Fernando clicked his finger at me. "Howdy."

I returned a lazy wave.

"The other one in the fancy attire is Alice. One of the best individual fighters in this city."

Alice stayed quiet, rolling her eyes. Could it be that she didn't like that statement? Humble, perhaps?

"Ahem. Alice, Fernando, this one standing before me is Jill. She's a very special guest who will be accompanying us on this mission. I hope you all get along."

I stayed silent after my introduction and glanced back and forth between the two unfamiliar people. Their style of clothing was distinct, as was their height. Alice was remarkably tall for a woman, almost the same height as Ruben.

"Alright," Ruben continued. "Shall we get down to business? There's new technology we have to teach Jill, but that shouldn't take too long, I hope."

"Why don't we teach her now?" Fernando said as he walked towards me. He stood with a hunched back, almost like he didn't have a single ounce of confidence in his body. It was either that or laziness. Regardless, he was the same height as me, and his hat still covered his eyes. "Tell me," he said, "What type of fighter are you?"

"I'm good with a blade."

"Heh, a blade?" He sounded surprised."Is that all?"

I didn't want to make myself look foolish and weak. I didn't know as much as they did, and I had a lot to learn. If I showed any signs of weakness, they could use that to their advantage in the future.

I had to sound as confident as ever.

"That's all I need," I said, keeping my head high.

He adjusted his hat, revealing his hazel eyes, which matched the color of his facial hair. Fernando looked back at Ruben and scoffed. I wasn't sure why.

He turned back to me and slightly nodded.

"I like this one." He stepped away and sat on the leather couch.

Ruben clapped with a wide grin. "Bravo! A head nod of approval from Fernando is quite the honor."

I nearly jumped when he placed his hand on my shoulder. I wasn't expecting it.

He continued. "Alice won't do the same. She's the shy type when meeting a new friend. Not to worry, though, she'll open up soon. Think of her like a pickle jar. Tough nut to crack, but when you do, then everything starts to pour."

I had no idea what he meant. His words tend to lose me in a storm of confusing metaphors.

I looked over at Alice, who leaned against the back of the couch with her arms crossed. She didn't say anything to Ruben's comment, but instead glared daggers into my heart. It was as if she were analyzing my soul and collecting data on my past actions.

"Alright, technology. Jill, we are going to teach you SCAR grade gadgets. These will come in very useful on the battlefield. I know you're new to this, so we'll start slow. Alice, would you be so kind as to demonstrate how to use a full–body shield?"

She sighed like someone who didn't want to do the work, and stood right in front of me. It felt like looking at a towering skyscraper. I wasn't used to seeing another woman this tall.

She reached for the back of her head and pulled a small, metal circle with a blue light in the middle.

"I'm going to stick this above your nape. Stand still."

Alice reached around my head and did just that. Wouldn't it be easier to stand behind and do whatever she was doing? I didn't want to openly question her.

She brought her hands down and gave Ruben a weak 'thumbs–up.' I didn't notice a difference in weight. Without touching that spot, it felt like nothing was there. I wanted to experiment with it, but I kept my hands still, waiting for further instructions.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Well, are you going to tell her how to use it?" Ruben asked with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Alice sighed again. "Jill, think about… danger. And protection."

"What…"Ruben glanced around. "What a sorry explanation. I apologize, Jill. Apparently, Alice forgot how to teach someone properly. Very well. Jill, imagine a blue body shield wrapping around you. In short, imagine a layer of protection."

That didn't help either. Judging by Ruben's enthusiastic expression, my confusion wasn't written on my face. At heart, I had no idea what he meant.

A layer of protection?

What could that mean? How could no one explain this clearly? I didn't want to sound ignorant and ask, so I decided to wing it.

I closed my eyes and thought about a blue layer wrapping my body like sunlight. I imagined myself in danger and needing protection.

I imagined myself in different scenarios.

What if I didn't get injured during my second time against that SCAR agent?

"Jill," Ruben said.

I opened my eyes, and Ruben stood in front of me, holding a mirror. Where and how did he get that mirror?

I would've asked that question if my body weren't shining in blue. Small, blue hex designs shone on the outer layer of myself. It was as if my very being had transformed into a shield, the light bending around me with each movement.

"Woah…"

"Handy, isn't it? The best part is that this is a full–body shield. To prove that it works, Fernando, would you like to do the honors?"

Without a word, Fernando drew a weapon from his hip and aimed it at my body. Instantly, I used my arm and twisted my body to shield my ribs and cover my head.

He fired four shots.

I didn't feel anything.

I looked down and noticed four squished bullets on the ground. The shining blue dimmed and disappeared around my body.

"Huh?"

"Ah, poor timing. The body shield doesn't last forever. Roughly a minute. Then, it's on recharge time, during which you can't use it for another 7–10 minutes. Regardless, this body shield is invincible against blades, bullets, and explosions, even." Ruben reached around the back of my head and grabbed the small metal piece. "Ready to try another gadget?"

"Uh—I—"

Ruben turned around, ignoring my stutter. "Alice, grab me the translocator."

I reached my hand out, but couldn't say anything. We moved too fast. I could hardly wrap my mind around what I just used. Regardless, I didn't think Ruben would answer my questions in detail. He moved with haste and importance, as though he were in a time crunch.

Alice handed Ruben a small, white cube, a little under an inch tall, with a grey circular center. Ruben held it towards my eyes with his thumb and index finger.

"This marvelous device is called a translocator." He went on to explain what it was.

It's a handheld device that allows the user to teleport to wherever the cube was thrown to. Well, Ruben was adamant about calling it "teleportation." Instead, he described it as an instant movement technology. He explained that teleportation implies that the user's body is dematerialized from one location and materialized at another. I had no idea what that meant, but I nodded my head as though I did. Anyway, this device moves the user's body from one location to another very quickly, but the body isn't being dematerialized or materialized again, unlike traditional teleportation. Ruben described it as a "superfast warp rather than teleportation." Again, I didn't know what that meant.

The device is programmed to allow the user to travel to any desired spot with the press of a button. The user would press the small, grey button on the cube and throw it anywhere. Once that cube hits a surface, preferably the ground, the user would be teleported there.

I wasn't sure how this worked or how the cube knew who to teleport. Luckily for me, Ruben had Alice give a quick demonstration.

Alice slumped her shoulders and grabbed the cube without glancing at it. She held the cube, pressed on the miniature button, and threw it across the room. In the blink of an eye, she stood next to the elevator.

I couldn't begin to fathom how unreal this was. In truth, I didn't want to go near that thing. It was beyond futuristic and something I'd never seen. I didn't know what to make of it, except that it was a SCAR-grade technology.

Alice clasped his hands. "That's basically all you need to know as of now. Don't want to overload you with… foreign concepts."

"Foreign? You're making it sound like she's not from around here," Fernando said with his hat still covering his eyes.

"Ah—am I, now? Forgive me for my improper wording. I'll be more mindful next time." The sarcasm was written all over his lips.

I remained quiet, unsure of what to do or say. I wandered around the room with my hands behind my back. It was spacious with not a lot of furniture.

I might've dazed too hard since it took Fernando to flick my forehead to get my attention.

"Ruben's going over the plan. You might wanna listen."

I gently rubbed my forehead and listened carefully to what Ruben had to say.

There was an underground nightclub where McNiel operated. Ruben had already gathered the necessary intel for the operation. There was only one door to exit and enter. Fernando had someone go undercover as a guest and get a feel of the layout, including the restricted VIP lounges and hidden rooms. McNeil showed up every day, so his being there at the time of the operation was a guarantee. He also surrounded himself with extensive security. In the end, it'll be a numbers game. Fernando had plenty of men by his side, but would it be enough? Sometimes they overprotect just cause. By its shape, it'll be a game of chance.

Ruben went on to say more, but I spaced off into a different realm. It reminded me of the times in the Bariac Cult. The precious times of scouting and planning for a raid. The constant jokes between Jeremy and Harley. Nadia's seriousness and devoted attention to Ruby, who always had to make sure Alexious and Lex, the other squad leaders, were paying attention. Those meetings were always lively.

This situation was similar, though it harnessed a completely different feeling.

I didn't end up listening to most of the plan, so when Ruben asked if I had any questions, I shook my head.

He clasped his hands. "Wonderful. Well, if you do not have anything of value to add, then this meeting is dismissed. Unless you, of course, want to stay for a drink."

Fernando raised his hand halfway. "I'll take your generous offer."

"Lovely. Jill, Alice, drinks?"

I refused and slowly made my way towards the elevator. Alice did the same, though she declined with hostility instead of silence.

She twisted her lips and gave a disgusted look. I wasn't sure why, and I wasn't going to ask.

"Very well. I'll contact you when needed. Take care, ladies." Ruben raised a bottle as the elevator closed.

Inside the elevator, there was silence. I stood in the corner with my eyes fixed on the metal floor. Alice loomed beside me. Her height made her presence uncomfortable. I'd never been around a woman as tall as her. In fact, I wasn't sure if I'd even seen a woman as tall as her, outside world or within the city.