Calm before the storm
- 2120, one would imagine that the world became a better place, an epitome of technological and scientific advancement, yet not much progress for more than a hundred years, truly disappointing.
On a couch floating in the Pacific Ocean, a hooded woman was leisurely lying down looking at the sky, sipping from the huge glass of red wine in her right hand while her left was pointing upwards, slowly and carefully moving as if she was drawing a beautiful picture while paying attention to the smallest detail on an invisible canvas that only she could see in the sky, her crystal like eyes reflected a playful charm and her crimson lips curled into a mischievous smile.
- In the past they pursued many fields but to think the first sentient robot they made turned the world upside down nearly wiping out all of them.
The woman sounded dejected as she suddenly stopped moving her hand, and tightened her fist pointing it towards the sky.
- But then they somehow escaped such ordeal, a third world war and the consequences were the monsters and ban of many technological fields and researches… which caused their current slow progress, but then again, their numbers that decreased greatly aside, the land suffered the most.
The woman looked into the distance with a pained expression as if the whole world was in front of her.
- Collapsed cities, barren soils, destroyed buildings and scraps of machines, ruins of their past yet they abandoned most of their lands, they forgot about their past differences and like flocks of terrified animals gave up their homes and countries, like cockroaches that no matter how one tries they always survive.
She felt a sudden fit of rage; the woman crashed the glass in her hand and the wine poured on her hand that seemed fairer than a piece of white jade
- They don't deserve this planet nor to be saved.
The woman looked at her reflection on what remained of the glass of wine in her hand then her expression turned to that of wonder
- Yet whether now or in the future you insist on protecting them, why? Just why?
Her eyes suddenly teared as she turned her head left and right as if looking for something or someone in the far horizon.
- Past can't be changed but future can, and for that reason I am back
She stepped down from the couch as she stood on the ocean's surface, she threw what remained of the glass in her hand then licked the wine between her fingers and with her other hand pointing towards the couch, strings of faint blue light extended from her fingers wrapping the couch within, then just in seconds the latter disappeared between the strings of light as they returned back to the woman's hand.
- I lost you then, but not now
The woman stepped forward then disappeared raising torrents of waves in her track as she moved even faster than sound.
Meanwhile in 'Neo land megalopolis', within the branch building of the HGO, Ms. Smith walked into her office towards her chair, she looked tired from running around the city shooting commercials, behind her was her secretary that looked quite happy following her around, his name is 'Jason Rush'.
He was a normal man from a normal family pursuing normal goals, or at least that was the case before he met a certain someone in his college years, knowing that person his life changed as a knew goal replaced all his previous ones.
Jason fell head over heels for the girl that he met during those times, the younger 'Ms. Smith'.
She however had but one desire back then and even now therefore she didn't pay him much attention despite his constant attempts which made him follow her even in the same job.
With her efforts she became manager of the local HGO branch and he obtained the closest post that allowed him to be by her side, her assistant or secretary.
But what made him currently happy was the fact that he got the chance to literally kick his rival's ass.
This so-called rival is a playboy and a super hero for fame, and he didn't hesitate twice to make a move on any woman that caught his eye including Ms. Smith, that's why Jason didn't like him and was more than happy to accept his role beating him up.
Being an HGO agent, he wasn't allowed to punish anyone unless within regulations and especially when it concerns super heroes, that's why even if it was a commercial act, he was glad to relieve some pent-up stress against that 'Castor'.
The tired Ms. Smith rubbing her temples thinking about the inexplicable cases of disappearances asked for a cup of lemonade as she stared at the ceiling troubled about the next course of action.
Without delay Jason rushed to bring her a cold cup of lemonade then while maintaining his business-like expression he asked.
Jason: something wrong?
Ms. Smith furrowed her eye brows
Ms. Smith: you are seriously asking?
Jason: is it about that case?
Ms. Smith: we are losing credibility, Jason. People disappearing and sightings of ghosts like figures, that's why such case can't be handed to police, but then we don't know where to start, aside from the identities of the people we have no clues about how they disappeared.
Whatever topic, Jason loved talking to Ms. Smith that's why he awaited what little moments like this to chat because having a crush on someone as stoic and workaholic as Ms. Smith wasn't easy.
Jason: should we ask for help?
Ms. Smith: whose? Heroes? Many of them are already looking.
Answered Ms. Smith as she tapped the desk displaying a holographic projection of the planet with red light dots scattered on its surface.
Pointing at the red-light marks, Ms. Smith said
Ms. Smith: More than a hundred disappeared in the past ten hours and we are here doing nothing but verifying the number of the disappearances and make amends to fazed citizens.
Ms. Smith: We are supposed to be protectors yet we are unable to do anything.
Seeing her troubled was something that Jason didn't like, if anything he preferred her usual self that was concentrating on finishing some task than her current self that was dejected.
Jason: I shall go and recheck all the reports perhaps there was something we missed, I shall excuse myself.
Thus, Jason left the office…