Chapter 10 | Jason Allen

  Bruises don’t last in the Agency. I guess it’s because time isn’t a thing here.

  I’ve been hit so many times by the various training dummies and other Agents that I don’t even think it phases me anymore. I’ve grown numb to pain… well, all pain except the electric bullets. Those still hurt.

  I’ve grown attached to my weapons, and I’ve named them, too. My first pistol, holstered against my left thigh, is Overdose. My second, secured to my right, is Backlash. Overdose is loaded with Spike bullets; small, spiked pellets of blue electricity that kill aliens with ease but only shock humans. Backlash, on the other hand, fires Cut bullets; sharp, X-shaped projectiles that pierce humans but sting aliens.

  Then, there are my swords. They rest at my lower back, sheathed in a crisscross pattern for quick access. The blade on my left is Ruin, and the one on my right is Reverie. When I told Holden their names, he looked impressed. It’s like he hadn’t expected much creativity from me. Guess I proved him wrong.

  “Well, Jason,” Holden’s voice interrupts my target practice, snapping me out of focus. “You’ve been training hard. I think you’re ready for your first mission.”

  On the outside, I nod, keeping my expression neutral. Professional. But inside? My heart is racing. Finally. I can actually do something with these weapons.

  “But first,” Holden continues, and my excitement falters, “you need to learn about Snaps.”

  “Snaps… like snapping your fingers?” I ask, making a faint clicking sound with my hand. “Like that?”

  “You’re closer than you might think, but no.”

  Holden raises his right hand and moves it fluidly, snapping each time he changes direction. After a few clicks, a flash of deep purple spreads across the room. The air shifts, and suddenly, everything is tinted—except for the two of us.

  “This Snap is called Realm.”

  I open my mouth to ask a question, but nothing comes out. My brain is still processing what just happened.

  Holden smirks at my confusion. “Realm lets you pull yourself and up to five targets into a separate plane. A plane where you,” he steps toward a nearby pillar, now drenched in that eerie purple glow, “can’t interact with the normal world.”

  He reaches out and presses his hand into the pillar. It passes straight through, like it’s not even there.

  Physics-defying. Reality-bending. Or something. It’s not like I paid much attention in school.

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  * * *

  A few lessons on Snaps later, and I’ve almost mastered a few of the basics. Realm was by far the easiest.

  Snaps require specific hand movements, each snap marking a shift in energy; what Holden calls the ‘magic’ of it all. Executing a pattern quickly and precisely results in an ability exclusive to Agents.

  Some Snaps, however, don’t work for certain Agents. For example, Deadeye, a basic but effective Snap that forms a single shot from a constructed bow, is completely unusable for Holden. He learned the pattern from its original creator, spent years practicing it, but no matter what, he can’t activate it.

  At least he’s a good enough teacher to have taught it to me.

  At long last, Holden leads me to a massive board covered in sheets of paper, each one marked with names, locations, and a set of stars—indicating difficulty.

  “The Bounty Board,” Holden explains, “is where you’ll start every mission. You simply rip off a paper, and you’ll be sent somewhere close to the target. Once you’ve killed the target- or the target’s killed you- you’ll find your way back to the Agency.”

  Adrenaline surges in my blood, slowing my ability to process what he just said. “Wait… I come back if I’m killed?”

  Holden laughs. “You think the rings are just for decoration? They break when you die and send you back here. It’s the only way we’ve found to get them off so far... well,” he pauses, expression darkening for the first time, “except for the old leader.”

  Something in his face shifts... regret, maybe. But just as quickly, it’s gone, replaced with his usual nonchalant grin. “But that’s in the past now.”

  “So, I just rip a sheet off and fight the guy?” I ask, still trying to wrap my head around everything.

  Holden nods.

  I start reaching for the first paper I see when he grabs my wrist. “Woah, buddy.”

  “I thought you said I was ready?”

  “You are,” Holden assures me, “but does anyone know where you were before you came here?”

  I blink, confused. “My sister, maybe. I’m not sure if she was home.”

  “Then I recommend you head somewhere else before you return here. That way, when you’re gone again, no one will find your disappearance suspicious.”

  I nod, barely understanding but trusting him enough to go with it.

  I press my finger to the ring, slide the middle section down, and let go.

  Instantly, I’m back in my room. I’m exactly where, when, and how I was before. Nothing’s changed. Nothing’s moved. Nothing’s out of the ordinary.

  For a split second, doubt creeps in. What if it was a dream? What if my mind fabricated that entire scene as an escape from my life? What if none of it was real?

  But there’s a simple way to check.

  I take a deep breath, put my finger back on the ring, and this time, I click upward to summon my weapons.

  I release with a short gulp.

  Sure enough, the pistols form at my sides, the swords behind my back.

  This is real. Very real.

  I knock on Jenny’s door, I’m only met with an echo of my fist. I guess she’s not home yet. I walk downstairs and grab a cup of water. A few gulps in and I hear the door open. I turn the corner into the hall to see Jenny walking in, carrying a couple of cords and a bag full of clothes. The darkness outside creeps in with her until the door is slammed shut with her foot.

  I try to think, Where would nobody know where I was?

  Places skim through my mind. The garage? No, someone might walk in. Same with my room. Everywhere is going to be taken. Then it hits me, the bathroom.

  I walk back upstairs and hear Jenny’s tv from outside of her room, she seems to be watching the news.

  Looks like a building in the Center blew up tonight, the ceiling fell as well. I hope nobody’s hurt.

  I walk into the bathroom at the end of the hall with our rooms in it, shut the door and stand for a moment. It’s time. I press my finger onto the core and slide down.

  Let’s kill an alien.