RB Chapter 131 Another Gathering

Time passed, it was now 9:31. Eric had made back home and was lounging on the sofa watching the latest news on the wallpaper like screen. The screen was like a cloth, foldable, and durable.

He hadn't taken any detours or took any time to longer outside. Though the city was lively, nothing attracted his attention.

An interesting talk show was on. It was about the coming war.

"Mr. Drecks, I heard that the entire continent is gearing up for war, but there is something that most of our viewers are concerned about. Would you like to enlighten us?" The host asked the guest. She was a woman who appeared to be in her mid twenties and judging by her face, she must have been chosen because of her beautiful appearance.

Opposite to her, sat a man who was dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans and a black jacket. He was around 30 years of age. His black hair was reflecting the light as if it had been oiled. It was short, not even an inch long. His entire being exuded confidence even though he was just sitting there casually with one leg crossed over the other.

Though, with the solemn expression he had on, it appeared that he was taking the program seriously.

"You may ask away, miss Anna. I will try to address the concern." He answered smoothly. His voice was magnetic and had a unique charm to it.

'He's definitely a ladies man.' Eric thought, catching the faint blush on miss Anna's face.

"The beasts have been increasingly showing signs of intelligence, with some, not inferior to humans. Now that the preparations for war are bring shown blatantly..some might have some means of getting the information. What if they form armies and also decide to retaliate, won't that make the war more difficult, as opposed to taking them down when they are scattered?" She asked in one breath.

"Mmmm...that is something that we took into consideration. This is one of those few things that I can assure those of you, the general public, that we have taken it into consideration.

First off, we publicised the beginning of the war specifically targeting at the concern you have brought to the table. Hunting down scattered beasts is far harder that dealing with a group of them."

"Really? I thought that we can just send squads composed of energy channellers to take on the task of hunting the beasts." Anna wondered.

"That would spread our experts really thin. What if something stronger than an energy channeller appears? It would claim many lives before we even have the chance to kill it. By spreading the information, we want the beasts to gather together, so that we can simply wipe them out as a group." Mr. Drecks answered.

"So...you mean to say that it will be easier if they gather in groups instead of being scattered." The woman simplified it for the viewers.

"Yes." The man took a sip of water.

"I have another question. It spins out from your previous answer. Are there really beasts stronger than energy channellers?" She asked.

Even though Eric already knew that to be true, he still paid attention. He wanted to see if they were going to reveal that information to the public.

"Unfortunately, yes. But there is no need to panic, even we humans have warriors stronger than energy channelers on our side. They are called legends." The man answered.

'Oh! He didn't say spectrum warriors. Why is that?' Eric wondered.

"Legends? Why are they called that?" She asked.

"Because they are going to usher in a new era. Once the war begins, you will constantly be listening to stories of their deeds." The man had gotten heated up, his eyes containing traces of excitement.

'He probably hasn't been given all the information, just a spokesperson working with limited information, to reassure the public.' Eric shook his head and changed the channel into a more entertaining one.

He had managed to get into contact with Dr. Marcus upon returning and told him of Leah's request. The man had accepted without even asking about Leah's background, shocking Eric.

He had broken the good news to her right away and she had agreed to move in tomorrow. Her excitement had been through the roof and even Eric had felt it through her voice.

'Leah will be coming over tomorrow, so I won't train. I will spend the day accompanying her, then train the next day.' Eric made plans as he sat there.

While deep in thought, the square silver patch at the back of his right hand lit up. After regrowing it, he had moved it to the back of his right hand from the left. The pack was so thin that it was like a layer of skin. It didn't hinder the use of genetic transformations at the place of contact.

It sent a jolt through his nerves, causing him to subconsciously move his gaze towards it.

The light from the patch was projected into the air and formed a holographic image. The image was of text.

(Black Diamond Branch Headquarters tomorrow 9:30am) 

That was all that the text said.

"It looks like tomorrow is going to be a troublesome day." Eric mumbled while staring at the floating text.

-----

November 3rd, 2199.

Today was just like any other day in city 72. The city was underground, so no sunlight, moonlight or starlight ever made its way down. This morning was still the same, the lights in the city though, never went dark. If you wanted to see the rays of the morning sun, you would have to make your way out of the city.

Eric, was seated in a car, which had been sent by the Black Diamond Branch. He was currently looking out the window lamenting how he missed the warm rays of the morning sun.

If it wasn't because today he had a prior engagement, he would have stayed in bed until Leah knocked on the door. Right now he was still sleepy. All he wanted was to go back to the warm covers of his bed.

He yawned for the fifth time since this morning and leaned back into the seat.

'Anyway, I just hope that this meeting ends faster.'

-----

The Black Diamond Branch building, it was a skyscraper, which had been built in the form of a diamond. Its lower tip was to the ground, supporting the rest of the building.

A single supporting pillar no less that five meters in diameter ran from the tip in the ground to the one at the top. If a person from the twentieth-twenty first century was here, they would be marvelling at the physics defying construction. The entire structure was covered in glass giving it that diamond texture. It was like a giant diamond standing on the ground.

Inside that diamond, at the highest, and also the largest floor, in one of the rooms, a bunch of people were gathered.

They were seated around an oval silver table in silence simply staring at each other, or focussing on their patches.

But still, an atmosphere of hostility had been created.

"So, you are the two replacements?" Monki was the first person to break the silence. His question was directed at the two who had taken over the Ngabi and Njukyi clan spots.

They were both men, middle aged, dressed to the nines in black suits. Compared to the gallery of outfits the youth were decked in, they were more...dressed for the occasion.

They didn't answer Monki. They found it beneath themselves to jump at the clear provocation of the younger man.

"Monki! People should be treated with respect." Mugumivu admonished harshly.

"Yeah yeah. So, you three. We have been wanting to have a chat with you." Monki changed targets.

Eric had placed his head on the table, trying, to once again enter dreamland. He didn't raise his head at Monki's words.

"Now's not the time." Leah denied politely.

Elena, on the other hand was leaning back into her seat with closed eyes.

"Heh! That's not up to you." Monki pressed on. The others didn't stop him as they also wanted to gauge the trio's attitude.

"Shut the fuck up! I am trying to get some sleep here!" Eric snapped upon seeing that the guy was going to continue. His outburst caused all the people in the room who knew him to be surprised. He was someone, who...most of the times was harmless with his words.

"Hey! hey! hey!"

Bam!

Monki smashed his palm in the table, a vein throbbing on his forehead. He had been enraged.

"Brat. I-DON'T-FEAR-YOU!" He emphasized each word.

"I don't care." Monki almost choked on his saliva.

"Hahahahaha..." A giggle came from his left side.

"What is funny, Dora, mmmm!" He asked. His words were threatening.

"I-DON'T-FEAR-YOU!" She threw the words back at him, stifling another giggle.

"This is one of the few times that you have eaten a loss from someone other than my boyfriend." Miss Njibwa, who had been silent, spoke, amusement in her voice.

"Tch!" Dora clicked her tongue, her face becoming expressionless once again. She didn't like miss Njibwa, it was something natural and unexplainable.