A line of black SUVs entered through a secure compound designated as the headquarters of the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service. Jason didn’t bat an eye over the heavily guarded security of this place. No matter where he looked there would always be an armed soldier.

 

The SUV entered the underground tunnel leading to the basement of the headquarters. The moment the vehicle stopped, the soldier beside Jason spoke out.

 

“We have arrived, sir,” said the soldier.

 

Jason got out of the vehicle and standing a not far from where he was, a man with blonde hair dressed in an impeccable looking suit. Besides him were soldiers in their service uniform standing tall and straight full of discipline.

 

“This way sir,” said the soldier besides Jason.

 

While he walked towards the blonde man, the latter also walked towards him showing a hint of courtesy.

 

“Sir!” said the soldier beside Jason.

 

“At ease, you may go,” said the blonde man.

 

The soldier left leaving only Jason and the blonde man with his bodyguards. While at the back, agents from Canada intelligence agencies were line up one by one with their hands cuffed.

 

“Pleasure to meet you in person, Mr.Park, I’m the one from the phone, Neil Stinson,” the blonde man reached out his hand for a handshake.

 

“Jason Park,” said Jason as he shook Neil’s hand.

 

“So what about these agents? You want to do the honors or you want me to do it?” Neil asked.

 

“Is this a favor?” Jason asked him back as he had something else in mind. This kind of conflict between government agencies might not be that simple. There was definitely a catch.

 

“Something else in mind?” asked Neil with a smile.

 

“Rather than chopping their hands off, I want you to sign a contract that you will put my parents in protective custody whenever the UC invades Toronto,” said Jason.

 

“I heard about Asians having filial piety but never thought of it being practice here in Canada,” said Neil. A remark that wasn’t a yes or a no.

 

“I just need an answer,” said Jason.

 

“Sure, we can do that but before talking about signing papers, you have no more business with those agents?” asked Neil.

 

Jason glanced at the line of agents, a few of their faces were ingrained in his mind since those few did hurt his parents. But right now, there was a more pressing matter in hand. He could do it himself on a later date thus he decided.

 

“No,” said Jason.

 

“Well, come this way, please. I’ll give you a tour of the place,” said Neil with his jolly tone.

 

For a man with a bright persona, Jason didn’t think such a man would be the director of the military intelligence division.

 

He went around the place led by Neil and his four bodyguards. From what he was told this place was the new headquarters of the CFNIS since the previous in Ottawa had already been occupied by the UC. Neil didn’t talk much about the UC invasion that happened in Ottawa but he did repeat the same thing over and over again. The matter about his fascination towards the Awakened as well as the UC.

 

“This phenomenon of normal people having the ability to become strong, have you ever wonder why and how it appears?” Neil asked. Jason shook his head side to side not knowing how to answer.

 

The term touring was no longer there since Neil had been rambling on about his amazement towards the Awakened and the UC. Right now, it was a one-sided conversation between Jason and Neil. Jason himself was at the point of tuning deaf from the conversation while looking around the proximity.

 

Then they reached an elevator. Both Neil and Jason went inside while the bodyguards were left to their own discretion. They were having some reservation seeing they were letting boss be alone with an Awakened stranger but to the behest of Neil, they went off without talking back.

 

Jason and Neil stood next to each other in silence. The elevator stopped on the fifth floor. Neil came out and Jason followed from behind. He looked around and saw it was an office quarter with people working around the clock. Then they arrived in front of a door. He read the sign as it told him it was the meeting room.

 

Yet the moment Neil opened the door, Jason’s eyes went wide. He turned to Neil, as the director himself raised up both of his arms up to chest level.

 

“Jason!” two people shouted in unison. As these two just realized the new entrance of the Jason. Both stood up on both of their seats.

 

“Don’t glare at me like that, Mr.Park. FYI, I came to them first before CSIS can get to them,” Neil justified himself as he then greeted his two officers in the room with a salute.

 

Jason got to handed to Neil, this man knew what he was doing. He was quicker in action than then CSIS. Neil took a seat in the middle between his two officers. His hand gestured towards the empty seat between Esther and Hakeem.

 

“Please have a seat, Mr.Park,” said Neil.

 

Jason took the seat while both Hakeem and Esther couldn’t stop clamoring over their sudden abduction. From the way Jason saw it, it seemed the government had kept their eyes on him as well as these two. They were quite quick in finding them out but considering how these three didn’t have any intention of hiding from plain sight, it made the job easier for these agencies to find them.

 

“How long did you guys know about us?” asked Jason.

 

“To be frank, just two days ago,” said Neil showing no intention of bragging. Jason was rather impressed by it, it was either him being complacent not noticing these people or he wasn’t aware of how they did it.

 

“Honestly speaking, after putting our whole manpower in searching you three, at least we got a head start from CSIS. If they really did get to you first, things would have been messy,” said Neil staring straight at Jason’s eyes.

 

Both he and Jason knew of what messy meant. Unlike those who sat at the top, Neil had a different perspective about this whole monster invasion thing.

 

“Can we go now? Being detain like makes me uncomfortable,” said Hakeem as his eyes couldn’t stop looking around the meeting room.

 

Even Esther was fidgeting around as being in military compound meant they did something big.

 

“That Mr.Jabbar depends on your friend here,” Neil said while pointing at Jason.

 

Hakeem looked at Jason and touched him by the shoulder. That look on his face was like indirectly asking Jason what the hell was going on.

 

“So what do you have to offer?” asked Jason out of the blue.

 

“Wait, what’s this about an offer? I ain’t hearing anything about an offer,” said Hakeem.

 

Neil smiled as the officer beside him handed out a file to Neil. He opened the file up and passed three similar documents to the three in front of him.

 

“Work under us for two years and help Canada take back the country,” said Neil.

 

Jason ignored his words and read through the document. Esther who was beside him also focused on reading the document. Jason read from top to bottom and the frown on his forehead only deepened.

 

“Jason,” Esther called Jason as she too had a frown.

 

“Is there something wrong?” asked Neil.

 

“Dude! Did you read this? We’re getting twenty grand per month if we sign this contract. I’m definitely going to sign this…” while Hakeem was exhilarated by the offer, Jason cut him off.

 

“Change it,” said Jason.

 

“Change what?” Hakeem didn’t understand. But he was totally ignored at the moment.

 

The officer besides Neil gave Neil another file. Again three documents were passed to the trio. This time, Hakeem was in his concentrated state. His eyes were like a hawk reading every word to word and then he found it.

 

“Forty grand, you’ve got to be kidding me,” said Hakeem with his jaw dropped.

 

“Satisfy?” asked Neil.

 

“Change it,” Jason said once more.

 

Hakeem who heard his friend’s words turned flabbergasted. He didn’t want to lose such an offer but before he could say a word, Neil passed another set of documents.

 

Hakeem read it thoroughly and he was praying deep inside hoping for the money not to be cut off. Then his eyes turned out wide.

 

“A hundred grand?” Hakeem was in disbelief. He looked to Jason and Esther but both of them weren’t excited as him. He wanted to shout at them of why delaying the agreement but after noticing how meticulous both Jason and his sister were, Hakeem read it more thoroughly trying to find a fault.

 

Yet before he could even read the second time, Jason spoke.

 

“I won't’ agree to this,” said Jason.

 

“What?!” said Hakeem as he stood up on his seat. His outside activities that involved grinding his skills led to him losing his job at the airport. He came up with a few excuses while also using his sick leave but his boss found him playing basketball during his sick leave and thus leave him unemployed. He had been racking his brain on how to earn the money for everything and now his prayer had almost been answered but a roadblock came. The roadblock was known as his friend.

 

Neil who had offered a lucrative contract didn’t understand the rejection. Although the monthly income wasn’t high like an NBA athlete yet it was enough to attract their attention.

 

“Is the money not enough?” asked Neil. “You don’t have to worry about your parents, their protection is under our care the moment you sign it.”

 

Neil emphasized the clause about their parents. Although the description of their parents wasn’t thorough, yet he did make sure it was within the contract.

 

“You disappoint me Mr.Stinson, does money really matters at this point in time,” Jason gave him a hint.

 

Neil Stinson realized it a bit late, he had been playing this political game for a long time and usually men would succumb to the temptation of money, thus the reason he didn’t put a limit on their incomes.

 

“Apologies Mr.Park for my short-sightedness. Tell me, what do you have in mind,” asked Neil. This time, the blonde man was more relax in having this private deal.

 

“First, we will not work under you. We will work you side by side but with no one in command of our actions,” said Jason.

 

His words were enough to enrage the two officers besides Neil. One of them smacked the meeting table showing his displeasure. While the other mocked Jason blatantly.

 

“Don’t forget you are still a civilian. We still…” but Neil cut him off.

 

“Silence!” said Neil shutting both of his officers.

 

“Yes sir!” both officers replied in unison.

 

Then suddenly Jason raised up his fist alarming Neil as well as the two officers. He slammed his fist on the meeting table and within an instant, it broke into two. Both Esther and Hakeem backed away while standing up and the three military personnel were already aiming their guns at Jason.

 

Jason who was still sitting on the chair stared at the sight of these three men.

 

“This is the reason you will not be in command over us,” said Jason as he glared at the one who slammed his fist at the table beforehand.

 

“Stand down,” said Neil. The two officers felt reluctant but did after a few seconds.

 

Neil composed himself and tidied up his suit before taking his seat once more. Again, his heart was beating wild as this Awakened in front of him showed what it meant by the evolution of mankind.

 

“I’ll accept the first condition,” said Neil. “is there anything else you want to add or change?”

 

“Second, any kind of artifacts that is due to the result of our killings will be a hundred percent our ownership,” said Jason.

 

Neil started to frown as the smile started to fade away. One of his biggest idea of roping Jason in was due to the artifacts. Owning them would open their research division to a whole new level and it might fasten the process of finding out how to use modern weaponry against them.

 

“Mr.Park about the second one can’t we negotiate on distribution percentage,” said Neil.

 

“I’m sorry but there’s no negotiation about this matter. I’ll say it directly, you guys won’t be any of help during the fight, even if one or two of you guys manage to put a few blows in, it isn’t going to be significant,” said Jason.

 

Neil didn’t like how the direction of this negotiation was going.

 

“But, you can buy it from us at a reasonable price,” said Jason.

 

This time Neil’s eyes twinkled in response. But the matter regarding money was a delicate one.

 

“Is it going to be over a million?” asked Neil.

 

“Depends on the quality,” said Jason.

 

“Quality? What do you mean by quality?” Neil suddenly turned a bit aggressive. He stood up and walked over to Jason.

 

“Do these artifacts have different qualities?” asked Neil.

 

Jason was weird about this, he didn’t think even these little details were missed by Neil Stinson.

 

“Don’t you have a woman with a ‘Scan’ ability?” asked Jason.

 

“You mean Ellen Portman, indeed she has that skill,” said Neil.

 

“I think you need to ask her further regarding the qualities about artifacts, ‘Scan’ is more useful than you think,” said Jason as he pointed at his eyes.

 

Neil got the gist of what Jason meant. It seemed one of their own held up a few crucial information.

 

“Third, there’s no need for monthly income since we are helping the country while doing some side business, right?” said Jason as he smirked at Neil.

 

The blonde man replied with his own grin.

 

“That’s a hundred percent agreeable,” said Neil.

 

On the other hand, Hakeem who heard he won’t have a paycheck was devastated, he couldn’t say a thing between these two as if they were within their own world.

 

“Forth, if you want us to train your people, there’s certainly needs a price,” said Jason.

 

“But what about when during the battle, people are known to be Awakened even with the slightest assist,” said Neil as he wanted to get a clear definition of it.

 

“That doesn’t matter, what I meant by training is full protection. In battle, I won’t have the time to take care of anyone else other than my own but training is a different thing,” said Jason clarifying things. He glanced at Hakeem and gave him a wink. A sign that he gave Hakeem a bit of a job opportunity there.

 

“I understand, is that all?” asked Neil.

 

“Enough for now,” said Jason as he reached out his hand to Neil for a handshake.

 

“Then I’ll agree to the contract,” said Neil.

 

“A pleasure to be working with you,” said Jason as his eyes glanced the two officers who were still a bit distant from them.

 

“Ah, yes. Since you have agreed, there’s a task at hand this evening, I hope you’re ready,” said Neil.

 

Jason smiled as Neil was no easy slouch. A second after agreeing, they were about to be thrown to the battlefield.

 

“Sure, but you wouldn’t mind if we went back home for a while,” said Jason.

 

“Of course, your parents must be worried,” said Neil.

 

The three were escorted down to the basement as a vehicle was ready for their departure. While they were walking to the SUV, Jason met those agents from CSIS, they were still cuffed and kneeling on the floor. Jason walked over to Howard as he looked at him.

 

“Hey,” said Jason.

 

Howard looked up as he shivered in fear.

 

“Tell your boss, if any of you lots is seen around my house or with my friends and family, I’m gonna put a bullet in that dumb head of yours,” said Jason as his threat was enough to make Howard shook his head up and down.

 

The three departed back to their home as Hakeem was still sullen.

 

“What’s wrong with you?” asked Esther at Hakeem.

 

“Hmph, leave me alone,” said Hakeem as he gazed out of the window with a melancholic pair of eyes. He mumbled with a saddened tone.

 

“Goodbye, my hundred grand paychecks."