The story continues in part 3: The Hapless Hero!

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It's been over a year, and I still can't believe I've been selected by the Protectorate. Even if you're really fit or really skilled at something, it's pretty hard to get the top dogs here at the PT to notice you. And if you're me, the odds of getting your application looked at, let alone accepted, are astronomical. 

Sometimes, I wonder if Commander Allery picked me because she has a crush on me. 

But that's just wishful thinking. 

"What are you doing? Giving the punching bag a nice, gentle massage? Those are the weakest punches I've ever seen!" A gloved hand clamps down on my sweaty shoulder. 

"Oh," I roll my eyes. "Well then, Mae, I'm really sorry that I'm not as insanely strong as Mr. Hulk over there," I point to a fellow Protector working out across from me. 

"First of all, you know how much I hate that nickname," Maegan Allery sighs. "Second of all, I'm not asking you to be 'insanely strong.' I'm just kindly requesting you to put some effort into your physical training. You can't just be the geek who fixes everyone's phone for the rest of your life." 

"Someday, I'm gonna kill a Blackie. Then, you guys are gonna start showing me some respect," I glare at my Commander and the rest of the Protectors whose smirking faces are all turned towards me. 

"You couldn't kill a Blackie's pet cat," Allery snickers. 

"Assign me an assassination mission, and let me prove you wrong," I cross my arms. 

"With your clumsiness, you'd be seen by a civilian," she spits. "You'd expose the entire organization, wasting decades of work." 

"So what if I exposed us?" I shrug. "I'd just explain myself. 'Hey world, the Protectors and the Black Sky are rival societies, and we've been battling in secret since, like, the 50's. The leader of the Blackies, Ixilda Aelden, wants to take over the world, so if you don't want that to happen, I strongly suggest that you help us.' There. They'd put me in a car and take me to safety!" 

"No," Allery purses her lips. "They'd put you in a mental hospital, that's where they'd put you! They way you say that makes it sound like the plot of an old action movie." 

"Give him a chance, Maegan." 

"President Stoner!?" Allery gasps, whipping around to face the man behind her. "Um...I'm not sure what you mean, sir." 

"The guy asked for an assassination mission, so give him an assassination mission!" 

"B-but he's Reed Cassidy!" The Commander protests. "He's hardly the one I'd send. If you'd like, I have some recommendations for the-" 

"He's the one," the President of the Protectorate smiles. "I'm sure of it. Let's go talk somewhere more...private," he gestures to the crowded gym around us before pointing to the elevator in the corner. 

"Whoa," my jaw drops as the elevator's doors open, leaving Allery, Stoner, and me on the topmost floor of the base. I've spent so much of my career in the gym, my apartment, and the Protector offices that I've almost forgotten about the existence of the beautifully decorated administrative section. 

"You've actually requested a mission at quite an opportune time," Stoner chuckles as we enter a spacious hall the center of which is occupied by a long, rectangular table lined with leather armchairs. It appears to be a boardroom of sorts. 

"Please, sit down," he gestures to the chairs on either side of him as he takes his seat at the head of the table. 

"An opportune time? If there was a mission in need of assignment, shouldn't the Commanders have been notified?" Allery raises an eyebrow.

"This mission is top secret- possibly the most crucial Protectorate mission of all time. And I've been saving it just for you, Mr. Cassidy." 

"Me?" I gulp. 

"Yes, you," Stoner smiles. 

"What exactly is this mission?" Allery leans in, curious. 

"The assassination of Ixilda Aelden, Chancellor of the Black Sky." 

"And you want him to do that?" Her face turns pale. "You're going to give that walking chicken nugget the mission every Protector has dreamed of since 1998?" 

"He has talent, Maegan," Stoner sighs. "You just don't see it, because it isn't the kind of talent you're looking for. Cassidy, do you accept the mission?" 

"Yes, sir!" 

What have I just gotten myself into? 

"Good," the President claps his hands together. "Before you can complete your mission, you'll need to find this girl," he points to the picture of a student on a large screen in front of us. Her caramel hair falls past her shoulders and she's smiling, standing in front of what looks like a college campus. "Her name is Carolina Stark, she's Aelden's niece. She's the only non-Blackie who knows the location of Black Sky headquarters." 

"But if she's allowed in the outside world, wouldn't the Blackies have erased her memory?" I frown. "I mean, they can't risk being discovered any more than we can." 

"Memories cannot be erased," Stoner shakes his head. "They can only be buried. The location is somewhere deep in her subconscious, and can be retrieved if she is brought to headquarters." 

"She's a civilian," I say. "How am I supposed to get her here?" 

"Tell her whatever you want- even the truth, if it works best," Stoner chuckles. "We can mess with her memories later. I want Stark here in a week or less, we don't have much time." 

"Wait, why?" 

"We're picking up signals from the Darkener again," Stoner's gaze hardens. 

"What?" Allery gives him an incredulous look. "I thought the Blackies gave up on that old piece of junk years ago!" 

"Apparently they didn't," Stoner shrugs. "And, get this: the signals are changing. That means they're modifying the device, preparing it for something." 

"For what?" I whisper. 

"No one knows," Stoner sits up straighter, his face a jumble of expressions. "Back in the 90's, when Aelden came to power, the Darkener was a huge deal. Practically every Protector was trying to find and destroy it. Some even thought it could cause the end of the world! And then, at the turn of the century, it just disappeared. The frenzy died down, and we all assumed that the Blackies had shut the infernal thing down forever. However, it seems that is not the case...That's why Aelden needs to be eliminated. I have a feeling she's planning something huge." 

And that's when the lights go off. 

It seems as if every lightbulb in the room- including the ones in the chandelier- decided to die out at exactly the same moment. Looking up, I see that Stoner's screen has also gone black. 

"It's just...a power outage," I say weakly. 

"Look outside," Allery rolls her eyes, pointing at a window. "It's a perfect, sunny day. There's not a trace of a storm." 

Suddenly, I began to hear weird, spooky piano music coming from my pocket. 

That's definitely not my ringtone. 

Allery, Stoner, and I place our phones on the table, only to find that they are all simultaneously playing the same strange music. 

"Aelden..." Stoner trails off, hatred in his eyes. 

"Good afternoon or morning or evening- depending on your time zone- fellow citizens of this lovely planet!" Our smartphones proclaim in eerie synchrony. "I am Ixilda Aelden, inventor and scientist. As you can see, your technology is no longer functional. It will remain that way. This is my world now, my lawless world. Now, we play by a different set of rules," Aelden chuckles. 

"It has always been my dream to bring civilization to its knees before me...and now, that dream is finally realized! Perhaps, in a few months, a man who once opened doors for women will kill a young girl for the granola bar in her pocket. It is also probable that two billionaires will fight over a can of sardines. With no functional stores or banks, money will be equivalent to paper. Or maybe even less than that...paper too has value. I will be watching each and every one of you, and carefully studying the changes you will undergo. I will watch as primal instincts reawaken from deep inside you. I will show you what you really are...animals!" 

At this, the phones sputter, emit a few puffs of smoke, and are silent. 

"Well...that's, er, a change of circumstances," I bite my lip, squinting to see in the darkened room. "Is the mission still on?" 

"It's on now, more than ever," Stoner said gruffly. "I was wrong about Aelden. She isn't just a greedy power-monger. She's a lunatic! If we don't take care of her now, all hope will be lost..." 

"But if all tech's down, that means my gear won't work!" I protest. 

"We can give you some emergency batteries." 

"When do I leave?" 

"Now."