Virginia was, at that moment, the most fortified place on the planet. The sky over the United States was not blue, but steel gray, saturated by the constant roar of thousands of fighter jets and surveillance drones tracing geometric patterns over the Pentagon. On every corner, holographic advertisements flickered with messages of unity and condolences for the victims of the attacks, while fueling a visceral hatred toward the figure of Neura. The world wanted his head, and the Pentagon was the axe being sharpened.
Auren walked in silence, his gaze lost in the sheer magnitude of the military infrastructure. The rage was still there, but now it was wrapped in a layer of professional coldness.
— By the way, Axel —Auren said, breaking the silence—, I've heard you've been here many times. I assume you know this place well.
— Don't doubt it —Axel replied, adjusting his gear—. We have the latest technology here. There's a guy, Conrad Davis; he's the best gunsmith and probably the smartest person in the country. He designed the most advanced firearms in the world. Not to brag, but I'm usually the first to test his toys because of my marksmanship. He's a cold guy, but he rejoices when he creates something innovative. Though he's a bit strange… once I saw him wandering the halls with a vacant face and he suddenly collapsed. Turned out it was lack of sleep. It looked like all five of his senses had just shut off.
— That was because, precisely, I turned off my five senses —said a dry voice behind them.
Axel jumped. Before them appeared a man with unkempt brown hair, strands scattered over his forehead, and intense green eyes that seemed to analyze everything in milliseconds. He was clean-shaven and wore a technical coat that looked like it had seen better days.
— You must be Conrad —Auren said, measuring the man with his gaze.
— Indeed. And by the look of it, you're the leader of Axel's squad —Conrad replied with almost cutting frankness—. A pleasure. You seem professionally superior to him, which is a relief. I assume you're here for the assembly. Shortly, you'll be presented with a find we made in South America. You're famous around here for defeating Rover Stone; he was a star in these halls, so there's a lot of curiosity about you. But there's no time for nonsense. Get inside; the discovery will be shown to you.
The interior of the Pentagon was a labyrinth of touchscreens and military personnel moving in haste. The team gathered with representatives from other nations—over a hundred elite specialists congregated in a reinforced conference room. Conrad took the podium, and the atmosphere turned frigid.
— First of all, gratitude —Conrad began—. International collaborations like this aren't always achieved. But what we have here is worth the global effort. You already know the architect of chaos: that being called Neura. A silhouette over three meters tall, made of solid black materials, with a spiked visor shaped like a crown and a red light behind the slits.
Conrad changed the image on the screen. A photograph of a waterfall in South America appeared, where a recent earthquake had revealed a hidden structure. In the center of the image glowed a fragment of pure white.
— This thing transmits extremely low-frequency sound waves. Upon touching it, the nervous system collapses and the subject faints —Conrad explained—. When people regain consciousness, they describe experiencing "death in the flesh." But it's not just that. It is a memory. A vivid memory that hurts physically.
The room murmured with unease.
— In that memory —the gunsmith continued—, a city is seen that exists in no current record. A civilization that appears to be from a past much more remote than imaginable. In it, a smaller version of Neura appears, about 1.9 meters tall. Those who see him in the memory suffer hallucinogenic attacks and unbearable headaches. If you try to stay longer to observe, the memory ends in a gigantic explosion that ejects you from the vision. Our plan is to search for someone matching the characteristics of this "young Neura" worldwide. In the meantime, if you have enough courage, you may proceed to the next room to test the fragment. It isn't lethal, but the pain is traumatic.
Most of the renowned soldiers looked at each other with doubt, but others, driven by duty, immediately headed to the testing room.
Axel looked at Auren. The young man with black eyes hadn't blinked.
— Well, Auren, let's go —Axel said—. We have nothing to lose. Maybe we can see something that helps us find that bastard.
— Obviously we're going —Auren replied, his voice devoid of emotion but heavy with determination—. Any information, no matter how painful, is a weapon. And I need every weapon possible to kill him.