The world has been divided by war. Peace and prosperity have been sacrificed for power and supremacy. The balance of power between powerful countries was broken due to the sudden discovery of Extra Sensory Perception or ESP. A strange ability that any normal human can't possibly have.
"Left, right. . . left. . . left. . . left, right, left."
Synchronized heavy footsteps of marching soldiers could be heard, echoing all over the place. They're marching under the hot scorching sun, equipped with their thick dark brown baggy uniform and heavy military boots. They're all sweaty and their throats were starting to get dried up, but they have to endure it until their commander says that they can rest. All soldiers of the army were continuously on high-alert while the world is in the state of war and chaos.
"Squad . . . halt!" All soldiers halted from marching when they heard the command. They stood-up straight until their commander commands, "Left Face!"
The soldiers turned to their left and then proceeds to the position of attention. They always make sure that they are properly aligned before their commanding officer checks their formation.
"Present, Arms!"
Upon hearing the order of their commander, all soldiers salute to their commander with their fingers extended and joined with their thumbs, raised their arms, and placed their middle finger to the corner of their eyebrows. They stayed in that position until their commander ordered, "Order, Arms!"
The soldiers then quickly lowered their arm, the way how it was raised. All of them were ready to listen for their commander's next command when suddenly a high ranking officer arrived. His rank is indicated on the shoulder mark and on his uniform's collar. It has an eagle-shaped symbol indicating that he is a Colonel. His uniform is slightly different than the esper soldiers. He is wearing a brown overcoat and a garrison cap.
"Listen, everyone! I have a very special message of encouragement from our President," he spoke in his low and deep monotonous voice. It has some raspiness on it. "We have to win this war! Always bear in mind that we are fighting for peace, for the sake of our country, and for the lives of our family."
"Sir, yes, sir!" the soldiers answered in unison. Despite what they have answered, in their mind, they know that those were not the real reason why they are mixed up fighting on a meaningless war. The war they were fighting is full of nonsense struggle for supremacy over other countries.
"Colonel Hutchinson," A young soldier with spiky short blonde hair and bright golden yellow eyes, arrived. He has eyebrows that are shaped like a lightning bolt. He's also wearing a dark brown colored buggy army uniform like the other low ranking esper officers of the army. He saluted to the Colonel standing in front of him. His initials, "A. Armstrong" were indicated on his uniform.
The Colonel faced the commander of the squad and ordered him to dismiss the esper soldiers.
"Dismissed!" the commander said as ordered by the Colonel.
After the soldiers were properly dismissed, Colonel Hutchinson then talked to the young soldier that has just arrived earlier. "Proceed, Staff Sergeant Armstrong."
"Sir, the police force requested us to send some spare espers to help them with esper related crimes they're dealing with lately."
The sudden phenomenon of having random people develop such powers was not beneficial at all. There were espers who can't control their powers that caused accidents and there were espers that deliberately use their powers to commit crimes. Such things make normal people be afraid of them. Because of all that ruckus, all espers were treated and branded as monsters by the society. Thus this lead to most of the people wishing that they wouldn't gain such powers for it will only lead to their own despair.
One of those people that wished for a normal life was Arthur Armstrong. He is a former Captain but got demoted to being a Staff Sergeant when he became an esper.
"Before I forget, always be on alert, Arthur. We might need your team again sooner than expected. United States' relationship with the Soviet Union was beyond saving. They might be the biggest threat we will be facing."
"Isn't Russia one of our ally?"
"They were, not until Germany was defeated," the Colonel said.
Colonel Hutchinson gave Arthur a tap on his shoulder before leaving. Arthur gave him a salute even though he is not looking anymore, to show his respect for the man who's worthy of it. Arthur then goes back into the headquarters to report what the Colonel ordered him to say.
A woman with a light pink hair was suddenly standing in front of the main entrance of the building, wearing the same uniform with a white-colored armband that has a red cross on it. She flashed a sweet smile to Arthur, that did the same smile to her.
"Diana, what are you doing here?" Arthur said looking straight into the lady's beautiful sapphire colored eyes.
"It's obvious, I'm waiting for my dear husband. So. . . what is his response?"
With troubled eyes, Arthur shakes his head.
Diana's cheerful smile vanished and her expression suddenly became solemn. Orders are orders, they cannot question it and they cannot disobey it. Especially not in their position as low ranking esper soldiers, and they are fully aware of it.
Esper soldiers were only given a low ranking position so that they cannot object to what the country wants them to do. In the eyes of the government, they are only pawns that serve as weapons to win the war. A puppet that they can control to do their bidding.
Arthur started filling the report of the Colonel's reply, the army will not send its espers to aid in police operations. While doing so, Diana can't stay still standing beside her husband.
"Uhmmm, Arthur. . ."
"What?"
"You know- maybe you shouldn't send that report."
"Why?"
"You know- maybe earlier, someone already went to the police operation."
Arthur's eyebrows arched and make an eye to eye contact with his wife. "Spill it."
"Lea, along with Roger and Sky already went," Diana confessed as fast as she could, barely having a pause between each word to breathe.
. . .
A whiplash of flame glide into the middle of the road as a warning shot for the fleeing fugitive. It was from a man with dark black hair and eyes, wearing a soldier uniform.
"Roger, be careful with your attacks!" said by the guy beside him with a platinum gray hair and ocean blue eyes. He's also wearing a soldier uniform. "You might damage the properties nearby."
"Yeah, I know so shut up now, Sky."
The fugitive suddenly vanished from their sight. They tried looking for the fugitive but they can't find him.
"Tsk. So his ability was teleportation," Sky said.
The man teleported to a random abandoned playground and smiled. He sat in one of the benches in the playground and looked happily on his loots. His smile was that of a menacing criminal that found bliss at his successful robbery. His wide smile vanished when suddenly, a woman with long braided blonde hair and sharp deep blue eyes suddenly appeared in front of the fugitive.
The fugitive was surprised at the woman's sudden appearance, so he immediately tried to teleport again but the woman caught his hand. The man seems confused about why he can't teleport again.
"You can't because while you're trying to teleport elsewhere, I'm trying to teleport us back here." The woman smirked at the fugitive.
"Nice one, Lea!" Roger arrived at the park with Sky and a kid.
"Wow you're all amazing!" said by a boy with the same hair color as Arthur and has the same beautiful sapphire blue eyes of Diana.
"Vincent, just stay there. We will be finished with this soon," Lea said.
The fugitive forcefully pushed Lea to the ground. He has managed to free his arm from Lea's grip. He ran as fast as he can but Roger has managed to block his way with a wall of fire. The fugitive took a step back and tried to teleport again but Roger set the man's clothes on fire. Sky, then successfully hit the man's head from behind with a piece of rusty iron pipe, knocking him unconscious and then fell to the ground.
"Alright!" Vincent said.
. . .
"What did you say?" Arthur shouted instinctively that he almost forgot he is talking to his wife.
"You- what did you say-" Diana's eyebrows arched and repeated Arthur's words with a strong stress on the first and last word.
"I-I mean, w-what. . ." Arthur mumbled as if he's trying hard to think of the right words to say. "Sorry."
"Just joking. I'm not mad," Diana said.
"Really?"
"Just don't do it again, okay. . . ." Diana replied. For Arthur perhaps it's a warning.
A sudden noise of laughing and chatting butted in their argument.
"Did you saw his face when I ignited the flame in his clothes," Roger said. His full name is Roger Ashford, a Private First Class rank soldier. He is part of the Special Esper Squad under the command of Arthur.
"Yeah, it's priceless!" said Sky. He is Sky Collins, he belongs to the same team under Arthur's command. His rank is also Private First Class.
Being beside each other, their height difference was so large. Sky and Roger only have a one-year gap but Sky's height makes him look much older than Roger.
"But I'm the one who caught him when he tried to flee," Lea said. Her full name is Eléanor Scarlet, a female soldier with a rank higher than the first two men mentioned. Her current rank is Corporal and functions as the assistant squad leader. All of Eléanor's friends called her Lea as her nickname.
Being unaware that Arthur could hear them, the three of them continued chatting about what happened while they are walking. They all became close friends of Arthur since they have been put up in the same squad. Including Arthur and his wife, they comprise the Special Esper Squad.
Arthur was already pissed but he can still manage to remain calm. Until he heard the next voice.
"You're all awesome! Let's do it again!" Vincent, excitedly jumped up and down while following Roger, Sky, and Lea.
Arthur glanced at Diana after seeing their son Vincent together with the trio. "How could you let our son go with them on a mission that isn't even permitted by the Colonel?"
Diana just smiled at Arthur while patting his head. "Calm down, let's say I trusted Roger, Sky, and Lea would protect Vincent at all cost."
When they are already near Arthur and Diana, Lea noticed them at last. She turns back and immediately covers Roger's and Sky's mouth. The two men then realized that standing not too far from them is Arthur with his grumpy look.
"Father!" Vincent said when he also saw Arthur.
Arthur forced a smile out as a reply to his son's greeting. But it didn't last long enough before his son could hug him. Vincent and the others saw how Arthur's smile disappeared, they already knew what will happen next. So before Arthur could say his piece of mind, Lea, Roger, and Sky positioned themselves aligned to each other and then performed push-ups.
"Don't expect that it's enough punishment for going there without permission. You even bring Vincent there!" Arthur said.
"Father, forgive them. I'm the one who insisted to go. Besides, we have mother's permission."
Arthur glanced again to Diana and let out a deep sigh. Diana just smiled at him.
"We'll talk later," Arthur said to Diana and then commands Lea, Roger, and Sky to stop what they're doing.
As the others proceed into the barracks, Arthur and Diana chose to stay and talk. The wind strongly brushes into the leaves of the trees surrounding them. The sky is starting to turn black and the moon is the only one left above, with the stars that should have shine but was covered by thick clouds.
"Why did you let them go there?" Arthur said.
"Of course it's because the police needed our help."
"It's against the rules, they proceeded without permission!"
"Why are you so obsessed with following orders? Is it because you still believe that if you follow the higher-ups' orders, you have the chance to become a General like your deceased father?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"Arthur, they don't want us to be in that position. Espers like us don't have the chance." Diana took Arthur's hands and held it tight.
"I want to accept that fact, ever since the day that I got demoted. But I just can't give up my dream. It's not because of that reason, why I'm mad. I really wanted to help the police but did you ever thought the possibility of an emergency where the army badly needed us. What if that happens while the team is there dealing just with burglars?"
"They are not ordinary burglars, they are espers. And besides-"
Arthur let go of Diana's hands. "That's not even my main point here. How could you let your son go there?"
"Are you questioning me as a mother?" Diana said in a disappointed tone. "How could you?"
Arthur left to calm himself leaving Diana alone in the woods. Diana's eyes started to get tearful. She wiped the tears off her eyes using the sleeves of her uniform. She went back into the barracks alone.
It is already morning when Arthur went back into the barracks. Diana and the rest of the squad were already awake and currently eating their breakfast.
Diana didn't say anything when she saw Arthur. Arthur also didn't say anything to Diana, but deep inside he wants to say sorry for what he said to her last night. But Arthur did say something for all of them.
"I received the order for our next dispatch."
The dispatch Arthur was referring to was the order that he received from the Colonel last night.
"We will be dispatched to a camp near the border. We are tasked to train the esper children that's on that camp." Arthur's face cannot hide his disgust to their mission, his friends' and his wife's face shows the same expression.
"We don't have a choice, aren't we?" Roger said to Arthur.
"Yes."
"I'll start packing our things now," Diana said while avoiding to look at Arthur and then left while holding Vincent's hand.
"We'll start packing our things too," Roger said then he left with Sky.
Lea stayed to ask Arthur a question. She looks very concerned. "Did you two have a quarrel last night?"
Arthur didn't answer but Lea knows that it means Arthur's answer would be, yes.
"Can you manage to teleport us there?" Arthur asked her. "It's a little far from here."
"Of course, I'm confident that I can," Lea smirked at Arthur. "I'll get ready too."
After packing up, Lea one by one touched them and then teleported them at the camp near the border of their country. Arthur is the last one to be teleported. Lea touched Arthur's shoulder and then looked at him.
"Are you ready?" Lea asked.
"Always."
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