August 01, 4021 02:27 [Matriarch 04- Room 222]

Indra stared at the ceiling listlessly; all was quiet, save for the soft snores coming from across the room. The low hum of the air conditioning unit created a blanket of white noise as he lay in bed lost in thought. Usha had been silent since the operation. Every time Indra tried to reach him, he was presented with a mental block; a wall of rage preventing him from delving deeper into his Domain. What was more concerning, however, were the faint traces of other emotions that escaped the wall. Fear, sadness, and…guilt? What could be so dreadful as to put those concepts into the heart of a Siren?

Indra didn’t have the capacity to unpack the mortifying answer to that question. He had his own problems to deal with. Every night, the same recurring events played out in his dreams: scalpels and needles gutted him open like a fish. Faceless beings in scrubs leaned over him, speaking in tongues as they sewed him back together. The sickly smell of antiseptic lingered all around him, following him everywhere he went. But it wasn’t the operating theater in Aegypius Lab that he found himself reliving.

It was always the same place. He remembered saying his goodbyes, following after the Director as he led him to the operating room. Jìguāng placed a stool for Indra’s younger self to step on, helping him up onto the sterile table. The surgical team had been prepped and ready to go since early morning. He had been briefed beforehand, introduced to the team, and given a rundown of what the procedure would entail. But the success rate… it worried him. He had said his goodbyes with a smile so that at least he would be remembered fondly when he passed. The risk was too high for him to expect his survival. He could only pray for his sister’s safety…

A cough from Emil, still fast asleep, snapped Indra back to the present. The details of his dreams, while fuzzy at points, puzzled him. He frowned. The logistics didn’t make any sense. How had all of them survived? Given what the surgeons had told him, at least a few of them should have died that day. It was too much of a coincidence to purport the outcome to chance. Why would they lie?

He shook his head. Did it matter? Why was he questioning all of this now? Wasn’t it a good thing that they had all survived? Maybe he was thinking about it too hard, to distract from his current predicament. Regardless, he wished to avoid dreaming, wary of returning to the operating room. Additionally, Indra was uninterested in finding himself submerged within an endless ink sea again, relayed cryptic messages and warnings by an enigmatic being that held little meaning to him. Maybe it was better for the both of them that the wall stayed up for now. He sighed, checking his Nerve Cord for the time. Only a few more hours. Indra would forgo sleep again for the fourth night in a row.

***

“Your hands are shaking.”

“Huh? Oh, it’s a little chilly in here,” Indra said, lifting his head from his plate. They were in the Grand Hall, eating breakfast. He managed a weak smile.

Prasanna’s eyes narrowed. “Have you been sleeping okay? I know recovery takes time and all, but it doesn’t look like you got a wink last night, or any of the past few nights for that matter.”

“It’s the painkillers, they’re messing with my sleep schedule. I’ll be fine once I’m off of them.”

She nodded, turning back to her plate, still eyeing him suspiciously. Emil observed them from across the table, raising an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?” he signed.

Indra shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I’d appreciate it if you two dropped it.” An alert on his Nerve Cord saved him from further scrutiny.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Chait.”

“The tailor?”

“Yeah, he says my DIVE Suit’s complete and he wants me to check it out.”

“That’s right! I forgot we start weapons training today! I think our suits are arriving soon as well,” Prasanna beamed. Emil’s ears pricked up at the mention of new suits. The realization seemed to have diverted their attention for the time being.

“I guess I’ll go check in with him then. See how the suit looks.”

“Ask him about the thread that comes out of his hands.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“Yes, I want to know,” she answered with a serious expression.

Indra rolled his eyes, taking his leave. He made his way towards the exit of the Grand Hall just as another Homunculus entered. The two bumped shoulders, to which the other Homunculus responded by reflexively shoving Indra backward.

“Watch it,” he sneered. His eyes were cold and sharp. The tangle of blonde hair on his head rippled with energy as the gauges in his ears began to glow, daring Indra to retaliate.

Indra knew better than to pick a fight, especially with this particular individual. He seemed unhinged, as if waiting for an opportunity to let loose. Brushing off the slight against him, he muttered an apology before excusing himself. The abrasive Homunculus looked disappointed, scoffing before walking away. Indra made for the tailors’ quarters as quickly as he could, the interaction leaving a bad taste in his mouth. He seemed familiar. Where have I seen him before? He repeated the steps he had executed the first time he had arrived at this location. Once the sequence had been accepted, he entered the elevator, reaching the entrance of Stanley’s office. 

He stood in front of the black jade slab, waiting for it to open. As he stared at the Chait crest inlaid on its smooth surface, minutes passed by without any change. He had contemplated knocking on the door, though he figured Stanley wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. It seemed like a better idea to inform the tailor of his presence first. Opening up his inbox, he began to type up a message to let Stanley know he had arrived.

“Who’re you texting?”

Indra jumped, swiveling around to see the well-dressed man standing behind him, chuckling indulgently. He was pushing a hand truck holding a large black box.

“Jeez, kid, you look like Hell.”

“So I’ve been told. I’ve been having trouble sleeping.”

“I can tell,” Stanley said with a concerned look. “I’ve got just the thing for you. Plus, you’re right on time. I’ve got your suit in here. You won’t be needing the ceremonial garb yet, so I didn’t bring it with me.”

Indra stepped back to let him pass. The tailor placed a palm on the Chait crest, allowing them to enter the office as the slab of jade slid soundlessly into the side wall. Once they were inside, Stanley attempted to lift the box off of the hand truck, grunting with effort.

“Help me out here, would ya kid?”

“Didn’t you just push it all the way here?”

“The dolly’s engineered to lighten the load of any cargo. This box weighs a ton. You should be able to use your strength to lift this, now that your Trait’s manifested.”

Indra complied, relieving Stanley of his burden. The box was much lighter than he had expected.

“How much does this weigh?”

“About ninety kilos, give or take.”

“Wow.”

“Surreal isn’t it? One minute you’re as strong as a regular human soldier, and the next, you’re picking up armor that weighs almost twice your weight with ease. Really puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?” he chuckled.

“It does.” Aren’t I borrowing power from Usha? How am I able to lift this? Did my Trait really manifest then? I wonder what it could be.

“Alright, let’s see here. R&D gave me the input sequence. Just bear with me for a second. So this goes here…” he muttered to himself as he worked his fingers around obfuscated panels along the exterior of the box, typing in codes, flipping switches, and tracing intricate runes among other things.

“Aha! Got it!” the tailor exclaimed.

A light fissure of air escaped the box as it unfolded, revealing the contents inside. Indra stared in awe at the pristine combat suit on display. It was sleek, armored with jet-black plating running the course of its frame, fitted in a series to offer a full range of articulation for the user. Crimson panels lined each joint of the suit, glowing softly. He ran his fingers over the wristguards, brushing over each notch and groove meticulously crafted for the suit as he encircled it.

“Well, what’s the verdict?” Stanley grinned.

“It’s amazing.” Indra paused, staring at the back plates of the DIVE Suit. “What are these for?” He pointed to four crimson rings, one placed on the back of each shoulder and two flanking the small of the suit’s back.

“Oh, the Rubrum Vents. They’ll prove useful to you. I had them installed after receiving data from the Vultures in R&D. You know, the samples they collected from you.”

Indra grimaced. “Lovely. What do they do?”

“They open up from the inside to accommodate for your, let’s just say ‘explosive’, transformations.”

“Nice, that’s a better alternative to ripping my clothes apart.”

“Well, what’re you waitin’ for, kid? Try it on! Let me see my work in action.”

“Really?”

“Yes! Get on with it. You’ll need it for training today, from what I gather.”

Indra eagerly obliged, slipping into the suit. His excitement turned to confusion as the clothing didn’t quite fit his form.

“It’s a little loose, don’t you think?”

“Press the button on your wrist,” Stanley replied, unconcerned.

Indra followed his instruction, eyes lighting up as the suit started to compress and adhere to his skin tightly. “Woah,” he said, checking himself out.

His enthusiasm faltered when he caught a glimpse of his face in a mirror on the far wall. It was unsightly, to say the least. His good eye was sunken, a dark circle forming underneath it. And the eyepatch was just another painful reminder of his gratingly slow recovery.

“Looks good on you, kid,” Stanley said, interrupting his thoughts. “Here, take this.” He handed him a small wrapped box. “They cut you up with Amrita, right? Those pills should counteract any lingering effects. It’ll help you heal faster. You won’t be needing any painkillers tonight. So get some rest after training today, okay?”

“Thanks,” Indra smiled, pocketing the parcel. “How did you—”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’ve been doing this for a long time. I figured you would need it so I spent a little time workshopping it.”

“Couldn’t R&D make it?”

“If they could, they wouldn’t have given you painkillers.”

“Right. By the way, how is it that you spun thread out of your hand the last time I was here?”

Stanley raised an eyebrow. “Trade secret, kid. I can’t tell you how it works, but if you must know” —he pointed to his palm— “I’m wearing a glove, that’s all I can say.”

Indra was intrigued.

“Interested in becoming a tailor?”

“Hell no.”

“Ouch, you didn’t have to say it like that,” Stanley chuckled. He checked his watch. “Alright, I won’t take up any more of your time. You should get going. Don’t want to be late for training, right?”

Indra nodded, thanking the tailor once again as he left the quarters wearing the DIVE Suit. As he was returning to the Grand Hall, he received another notification. He checked his Nerve Cord, the display beaming through his wristguard: [Weapons training today. All Homunculi meet at the shooting range in 30 minutes-Tengri]. Just my luck.

***

The shooting range was located in an unused portion of the Matriarch’s industrial complex. Indra had taken his time getting there, following the longest route possible to reach the facility. Craning his neck back, he watched as smoke billowed out of flare stacks that dwarfed the surrounding buildings. What would it be like to just float away from all your problems? He sighed, sucking in shaky breaths, steeling his nerves as cold sweat trickled down his spine. 

A sea of black suits greeted him as he stepped inside looking around for Prasanna and Emil, although the homogenous crowd made it difficult to pick them out. Racks of Virya rifles lined the back of the facility, opposing rows of hanging canvas targets. The firearms were guarded by multiple Crows, their imposing presence deterrent enough for Homunculi thinking to step out of line.

Indra scanned the range once more, hoping for a sign of the two. A flash of blue caught his attention; he spotted a figure floating above the crowd waving at him. Breathing a sigh of relief, he weaved through the mob of Homunculi, reaching Emil first. As Prasanna floated down gently, Indra took note of their suits. Their designs mirrored the uniforms they wore, the spatters of blue and the verdant greens present on their respective person. Why didn’t Stanley keep my design? Did he forget about the tattoo?

“Nice suit!” Prasanna complimented him, cheerily.

Emil nodded in agreement.

“Thanks, both of your suits look good too,” he grinned sheepishly.

“Did you ask Chait about the thread materialization?”

“It’s just a translucent glove. Some sort of spool releasing technology.”

“That’s it?” She looked disappointed.

Indra shrugged. “I’m afraid so.”

“What’s that on your arm?”

Indra looked at what Emil was referring to. Rows of small black rings lined his right arm, inconspicuous to the average observer unless they were to take a closer look. I take it back. The man thought of everything.

“I think they’re openings for my Trait to flow through. I need release points after all.”

“Interesting. So the rings on the back, they serve the same purpose?”

“Yeah, although judging by their size, they might be for more powerful releases of energy.”

A wave of silence suddenly swept over the crowd, the sound of footsteps growing louder. Goosebumps crawled up Indra’s arms, causing the hairs to stand on end. The anticipation left him with frayed nerves. To his surprise, it was the woman from Aegypius Lab, not Tengri, that crossed the catwalk above the facility floor. She leaned over the railing overlooking the shooting range, smiling at the onlookers below.

“Welcome, trainees. I see you’ve all been fitted with your respective DIVE Suits. You’re starting to look like real soldiers now. Wonderful! Today’s agenda will be simple. As it stands, we will be deploying in roughly ten weeks to carry out a mission adjacent to the war effort. Should this mission prove successful, it could very well give us an uncontestable edge over our enemies. The specifics of this mission will be relayed in-depth as we get closer to the date of deployment. For that purpose, we will be training all of you in the handling of Virya weapons, something that has been heavily restricted in the past for most Homunculi, barring the Hyenas.

Don’t be mistaken, however. This isn’t a license for you to have free reign over these weapons. You will be carefully monitored by the Crows. Should you try anything unsafe, endangering the lives of your comrades, or make an attempt at insubordination, you will be relieved of your weapon and quickly dispatched. This is not a game. I hope I’ve made myself clear,” she finished.

The woman scanned the crowd slowly as if searching for something in particular. The question of what or whom she was looking for was answered when she spotted Indra amongst the flock. Her lips curled into a smile as she waved to him with a flutter of her fingers. He returned her greeting with a scowl. Her pleasant demeanor wasn’t fooling him. The Hyena’s lips curled even further. Are all of these people sadists? An abrupt shove caught him by surprise, as he felt the side of a rifle roughly pressed against his back. He turned to face his assailant only to come face-to-face with a Crow, whose large frame towered over the smaller Homunculus. Him again?

“Take it.”

Indra took the rifle with shaky hands, the realization dawning upon him. They were monitoring him. He clenched his jaw, forbidding himself from showing any signs of weakness, at least not where they could see him. Head swimming, full of thoughts and questions, he managed to maintain his composure. The Crow wordlessly handed rifles to the other two. He directed them on how to hold their guns, showing them where their hands should be positioned and how to brace themselves for the recoil.

“Load the weapon, and switch off the safety.”

They did as they were told, following his instructions carefully. The Crow directed their attention to the targets in front of them, explaining where they would need to focus their lines of sight for an accurate shot.

“Ready! Aim!” the woman called out from above.

They stood behind the line of fire, taking aim at their respective targets. Indra glanced up, meeting the woman’s gaze once more. She maintained an amused smile. He shook his head, clearing his mind of all reservations. The Homunculus steadied himself, clutching the firearm tightly. He hovered a finger lightly over the depressed lever, aiming down the iron sights, patiently waiting for her command with bated breath.

“Fire!” the Hyena finally ordered.

Indra pulled the trigger.