Aston Lynx looked at the flat screen, perplexed. His brows were knotted in confusion. Innumerable screens were flooding with feeds from different parts of the world, mostly with data about criminal activities waiting to explode any moment or pandemics about to break loose. He had no interest in the likes of them. If anything, the world might split open and destroy the whole civilization and he wouldn't care. At the moment, his whole being was focused on this particular petite lady.

A royal guest in our humble abode are you?

Lynx scratched his beard and checked the panel again. The COD ( Chamber of Dawn ) was perfectly set for its prey. But to his utter surprise, all her scans were normal. And it was too abnormal to be true. She had nothing out of the ordinary. No chips. No metals. No tracings. No nothing. Her vitals were pretty average too. Other than her blood pressure of course. It was oscillating up and down the meter. But that's the least phenomenal thing to ever happen in that chamber.

He glanced at two other monitors. Derek Daveson and Xen Widder were being interrogated separately. But nothing useful was turning up from them as well. He was beginning to doubt if they chose the wrong target. Derek had a metal knee cap on his left leg which automatically removed him as an option for the room and Xen moved too much to get any proper imaging from the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine. Lynx clicked his tongue. If he were to choose anyone, he'd have chosen Derek. He would've sung like a parrot by now if the magnet was activated once.

What did Rayo see in her?

But Lynx sensed it too. Something wasn't right about this girl. Other than walking to and fro between the bed and the window, she wasn't doing much. With the amount of frequency cast throughout the room, her brainwaves should be jumbled. Her motor functions should all be involuntary by now leaving only her brain to herself till it beat itself up to believe any makeshift stuff to explain all this and feel the gap. Till she would slip completely into subconsciousness.

To Lynx, there were two types of people in the world. Those who feared and those who bent fear. And the only way of bending fear was instilling fear in the heart of others. That's exactly why Phoenix branded that article throughout the world. Either you know all about the treacherous future the room held for its occupants and fear. Or you don't know about it and stand over there, starting to gradually lose hold of yourself and terrorize your brain like a parasite till you are nothing but your shell.

But somehow, Lynx was more disappointed than surprised. It seemed for her, it was none of the above.

He heard the glass door swing open as two pairs of heavy boots approached him from behind.

"What's with the long face? Didn't even know you could do that," Liam chirped in a perky tone.

Rayo handed him a styrofoam cup. The smell of freshly brewed coffee finally unknotted his brows.

"What're the stats?"

Lynx swiveled his chair facing them and stretched his sleeping legs, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Liam grabbed the file in front. It was true. There was nothing new at all in the file. The only new piece of information from them was that they're from Annexa and they were orphans.

"Yeah, really helpful bro. You've been working really hard, "Liam scoffed.

"Oh please! What's with Oracle being all holy all of a sudden! They wipe away thousands of people overnight every single day and all of a sudden they're being chicken now?" Lynx riled up," how is anyone suppose to get any info out of anyone without scratching them a little?"

"Criminals. We swipe away criminals and only those who fly way above the mundane laws. Not the only clue linking us to a Lord knows what who has access to anywhere in the world and plotting to strike somewhere by now as we sit over here whining."

"O Holy Motherf***ing piece of turd! How about we bow to them, dance around a pyre and conjure a holy spirit to reveal to us what the hell happened because OH MY GOD DON'T WE HATE VIOLENCE?"

"Sure princess, whatever sails your ship. Remind me to take some popcorn in the next meet when Kawasaki throws you in that pyre."

"YOU SPINY PIECE OF ASS....."

Rayo sipped her coffee as the boys kept bickering like cats and dogs. She was at the last page of the report, unimpressed. It contained mostly what she had primarily guessed. But the girl turned out better than she expected which was something worth accolades. Then again definitely it would be underestimating her opponents to think someone ordinary could do the feat they did.

She walked to the panel and turned off the unnecessary frequencies. Whatever they were, she needed them intact for the next thing she had in mind. No need to cause unnecessary damages lest they should twitch the only clue they had to solve it.

"Hey! Stay away from my baby," Lynx retorted.

"Well ask your baby to stay away from ours," Rayo said with cold eyes, slowly slurping her coffee.

" None of this would have happened if you put Derek in the chamber. By now they would have written their autobiography, signed them for me and kissed my hand if it wasn't for your stupid choice," Lynx replied stomping like a five-year-old.

Rayo was just about to give a cutthroat reply when the door opened again. A santry walked in. He saluted and handed them two royal blue velvet folders. Rayo and Liam looked at each other. They both knew what it meant.

Time for another one

"Go wipe their bureaucratic ass with your bloody hands," Lynx said slumping back on his chair.

They didn't have time to waste. They hurriedly headed for the door. Liam was just about to head out when he turned around and shouted, "Hey Lynx!"

Lynx looked up. "Aww my middle fingers like you," Liam said flashing his two longest digits proudly.