CHAPTER ONE
3 years ago, the world was suddenly plagued by a strange static which people then named “Freakquency’; for its ability to transform the people who can hear it into a monster or a hero. Despite the strange phenomenon, the world continued to live normally.
Gadgets and appliances have been upgraded to such that the Freakquency could not affect them. The government had released special earphones that could block the effects of Freaquency against humans. Those who are strong enough are hired by the government to fight against those that turned to monsters.
The downfall was—no matter how strong someone is, they cannot use their abilities for long or they suffer the consequences. And so, scientists have developed the Alpha pills only available to the government for those chosen ones.
Jet spun his chair around for the umpteen times as he waited for his partner, Alec, to finish typing their job report so that they could go home. His chair suddenly stopped spinning and he looked back to see Alec’s hand on the back of his chair. He sighed and leaned his nape over the chair to stare at the ceiling. He blew on his gum, making it bigger and bigger until it blew on his face.
“Bored?” Clinton asked as he watched Jet handpicked the gum that was glued on his face.
Jet rolled his eyes. “Who wouldn’t be?”
The sound of typing ceased and Alec stood up from his chair. “I told you that you can go home first, didn’t I?”
Jet finally managed to remove all the gum and he wrapped a tissue over it before he threw it at the trashcan and sat down properly to look at his partner. “I can’t. I don’t have any taxi money. So, I’m gonna be camping here again,”
Alec shook his head as he took the papers he printed and put it in a folder. “If you started walking 10 minutes ago, you would have been home by now,” then, he walked towards Clinton and gave him the folder.
Clinton took it and nodded at him. He turned to go back to his office before something stopped him on his track. He turned back towards his two best agents; despite Jet’s rebellious way of doing things. He guessed, it wouldn’t hurt to assign them what he had just received.
“Come to my office,” he told them and the two stared at him in shock.
After their initial shock, the two of them followed after him. Jet quickly jumped towards the couch and took one pillow, hugging it to his chest. “Are you saying I can sleep here?”
Clinton put the folder down his table before he walked towards him and took the pillow out of Jet’s hands. The younger man stared at him with mouth agape and sat up sulking. He put his pillow back properly and walked back to his desk. He leaned down on it and crossed his arms over his chest.
“The higher up added a new one to the wanted list,” he started. “This is all they sent everyone,”
He played a small clip in the projector in front of him. The two stared at the screen. And without Clinton pointing it out, they both noticed the one dressed strangely in the crowd. Clinton pause the video and zoomed it in. But the camera hadn’t captured her properly. Aside from the fact that the camera caught her in side view, she had half of her face covered by her scarf.
“This is the only known video of this girl,” he explained. “This was taken just before disaster struck in that market,”
He played another CCTV video of a man turning into a monster. Everyone started running away. All of them but the girl did. She simply removed her black headphones and there was a sudden bright light that surrounded the place; blinding even the cameras.
When the light vanished, the girl was gone. And so was the monster. All that was left of it was the pile of dust on the ground.
“What the—” Jet and Alec said simultaneously.
“You’re telling me the one responsible for that was that girl?” Jet asked with a laugh, unable to believe that such a small girl would be capable of what he had seen.
Alec slapped him in the back of his head. “With the abilities we gain from the Freakquency, I don’t see how it’s impossible she received a stronger one,”
“That’s right,” Clinton turned the projector off. “We searched the database and results came out negative. We have no one working for us with that kind of ability. And the worst thing is, there is no civilian registered with a power like that as well,”
Alec put his chin between his fingers, a habit he has whenever he was deep in thought. “I’d thought so. Judging by what we had watched, the girl had not even taken a pill before exposing herself to the Freakquency,”
“Never mind that that’s impossible,” Jet answered as he slumped back down on the couch. “It’s also suicidal. Those side effects are enough to drive anyone crazy. Sooner or later, she’ll just turn to be one of them,”
Alec sat down as well. What their boss, Clinton, had shared was far greater than he had thought to hear. “When was this?” he asked.
Clinton pushed himself off the table to sit in his chair. “6 months ago,” he raised his hands to stop them from reacting. “The First Division was assigned to finding her since the incident had happened at A City. But—there are multiple reports of sighting her; in different cities but at the same time. Investigations found that monsters were killed in the same manner at the same time where she was reportedly seen,”
“That . . . That’s unbelievable,” Alec said in awe as Clinton continued to explain. “How?”
Jet rested his foot on top of the center table as he leaned back on the sofa. “But whoever did it only appeared what? Five times during the course of three years? If they were this powerful how come they don’t help each time?”
Alec crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe—they can’t? I mean with a power that strong? There must be uncountable limits to it; especially if she doesn’t have access to Alpha pills. What if she needed, to say, uh, recharge before they can do it again? To appear in different places at the same time—that only is impeccable,”
Clinton nodded. “That’s also what we think. But anyway, they want her found as soon as possible. To allow someone like her roaming freely, if she turns monster; even I can’t stop her. So, I need the two of you to keep an eye out for her as well,”
“Yes, sir,” Jet and Alec answered simultaneously. Though, Jet’s answer was more of a groan than an affirmation.
~oOo~
“Hello?” a soft, female voice whispered. “Hello? Can anyone hear me? Please, hear me,”
Jet woke up from his nap. Flashing lights blurred his surroundings so he rubbed his eyes awake. With a yawn, his eyes slowly adjusted to the suddenly brightness and he found himself looking up at the bright, blue sky.
He sat up and looked around. He was alone. So, whose voice was it that he had heard?
“A dream?” he asked himself. “Such realistic one, though,”
He shook his head as he sat up. Without bothering to dust himself, he walked towards the rooftop door to get back inside the office. And just thinking of work, he couldn’t help but sigh.
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