The Five Evolution

Chapter 8: Let’s Get Acquainted.

『"Peer pressure sucks sometimes."』

Amara clapped her hand over her mouth and listened for footsteps through the wall, or for her mother’s ghost to appear and scold her.

After a brief moment of silence, she laughed once, surprised with herself then the realization of the still ringing alarm reminded her of her irritation.

"Ugh."

She groaned, slamming her hand against the ridiculously soft bed in protest before pushing herself upright.

The alarm was still buzzing. A persistent, mechanical sound that grated against her skull like sandpaper. Then its cheerful female voice looped again: "Zero-six-hundred hours. All new inductees: Report to Transport Zone Alpha. Departure in thirty minutes. Destination: The Machine."

She snatched a pillow and hurled it. And with a soft thump, it struck the panel, muffling the voice but not silencing it. She groaned louder, dragged herself out of bed, and shuffled to the bathroom.

There, she caught her reflection in the mirror, and it showed her exactly what she expected: bags under her eyes and locs that were a tangled mess in need of serious attention.

"It’s just lectures," she told her reflection firmly. "You’re great at lectures."

She gently slapped the sides of her face, trying to wake herself up, then lifted her tank top to examine the mark still visible on her right ribs. A single bar, glowing faintly.

Yeah. This was really happening. She hadn’t dreamed it.

Amara freshened up with the experience of someone who’d mastered the art of looking presentable on minimal sleep and maximum stress.

Then she stepped into the closet, easily the best part of any of this, and made her way to a section she’d noticed last night.

Hanging in protective garment bags labeled "THE MACHINE" were uniforms.

"This must be it," she murmured, pulling one out.

It was a form-fitting black jumpsuit designed for mobility and combat. The material felt strange on her fingers, and reinforced padding sat at strategic points: shoulders, elbows, knees.

On the upper left chest, a stylized sun logo marked her as part of the Sun Branch.

She changed quickly, appreciating how the uniform fit like it had been tailored specifically for her body. Which, knowing the Institute, it probably had been.

She examined herself in the mirror one last time. There wasn’t enough time for makeup, but she looked... capable. The bags under her eyes would have to stay.

Amara was about to step out and it struck her. She should call her parents. They’d be worried. The Director said he’d contacted them, but still...

Her hand reached for the black phone on the nightstand, then stopped.

What would she even say?

Hi Mom, Dad. Yeah, I’m fine. Just found out I’m part of an ancient group of cosmic warriors destined to fight extinction-level threats. How was your day?

She pulled her hand back. Tomorrow. She’d call tomorrow when she had her thoughts together.

With that settled, she stepped out of her room and found Ethan already waiting in the hallway, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

***

His door, the one in front of hers, was already closed. How long had he been up?

He wore a similar uniform, except he’d layered two jackets, one over the other in a way that should’ve looked ridiculous but somehow worked. No surprise there. Ethan could make a garbage bag look like haute couture.

He looked up as her door opened and a grin spread across his face. "You look... nice."

She returned the grin, but hers was laced with exhaustion and sarcasm. "Ha. Ha." The fake laugh came out perfectly dry.

Soon, the rest of them emerged from their respective rooms.

Amara had thought she looked tired? Hiro looked like death warmed over and then left out in the cold. His hair stuck up at odd angles, his eyes were red, and he moved like a zombie.

She tilted her head a bit, concern softening her voice. "Couldn’t sleep either?"

Before Hiro could answer, Raj emerged and immediately placed his arms around both Amara’s and Hiro’s shoulders, pulling them close easily.

Raj looked down at his arms, turning them over. The burns from last night had faded to faint pink lines. "Huh. Cool."

"Regeneration," Ethan said without looking back. "One of the Breastplate’s ability."

"Can it heal my ears? Because I hate that stupid alarm!" he announced.

"Well, you break it, you buy it," Ethan said from up ahead, already walking toward the elevator.

And Raj’s expression immediately shifted to confused worry. "Seriously?"

Ethan turned back to face him with a lazy grin that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. "Nah. Just fucking with you."

Raj let out a long sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. Because I was already deciding which kidney to sell. "

Amara noticed something then. Ethan had no bags under his eyes. His skin was clear, his posture relaxed, his movements unhurried. He looked like he’d gotten twelve hours of restful sleep followed by a spa day.

Unfair didn’t even begin to cover it.

Her eyes scanned the group, doing a quick headcount. "Where’s Sophia?"

As if summoned by the question, Sophia came dashing from behind them.

She carried a family-sized bag of chips in one hand, a massive sub sandwich clamped in her mouth, and what looked like an expensive carton of blood-orange juice, the kind with the minimalist design and organic farm imagery that cost three times what it should.

The fact that she was managing to run without dropping anything was actually impressive.

"Thorry, I’m ear!" The words came out garbled around the sandwich.

"Huh?" Amara adjusted her position to give Sophia space to slip through their group.

Sophia transferred the sandwich from her mouth to her hand, chewed quickly, swallowed, then repeated. "I said, sorry, I’m here."

"Right." Amara offered her a soft smile.

Raj’s eyes immediately locked onto the chip bag, and he reached out to swipe it, but Sophia managed to slap his hand away while simultaneously holding her sandwich with her mouth again.

"Not cool," Raj said, wounded.

"Get your own," Sophia retorted around the sandwich, her words muffled but her meaning crystal clear.

Amara was beginning to realize the dynamic between Raj and Sophia clearly needed work. Maybe some proper introductions would help smooth things over.

She stopped walking and turned to face Sophia directly, offering her hand. "We didn’t really get a chance to do this properly last night. I’m Amara Murray. Ethiopian on my mother’s side, Harlem born and raised on my father’s." She kept her voice warm. "It’s good to meet you under slightly less apocalyptic circumstances."

Sophia shifted her sandwich to shake Amara’s hand, her grip surprisingly firm. "Appreciate it."

Hiro immediately perked up, picking up the thread. "Hiroshi Josuke, but everyone calls me Hiro. Dad’s from Tokyo, Mom’s from right here in Pacific Creek." His voice dropped slightly and his jaw tightened. "Moved here after my grandad passed and left us the house in his will. He, uh... he would’ve loved all this weird supernatural stuff, actually."

"He sounds cool," Sophia said.

Hiro’s smile was small. "Yeah. He was."

Raj shifted his weight, looking somewhat uncomfortable with the formality but going along with it. "Oh, I guess it’s my turn." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Raj Patel. My parents moved here for work when I was little. And, uh..." He gestured vaguely. "My mom makes incredible food, I guess."

"Guess?" Amara raised an eyebrow, teasing gently. "You’ve only mentioned it six times since we met."

"Because it’s incredible," Raj insisted with complete seriousness.

It was Ethan’s turn now. Everyone turned to him expectantly.

"Ethan Bass," he said simply, offering nothing else.

The silence cooked for a beat too long. Then Hiro sighed. "That’s too much information, man," he mocked. "Maybe you wanna take it down a notch? We don’t need to hear your whole life story."

Ethan didn’t rise to the bait, just kept walking with that same infuriating smile.

Sophia had finished her sandwich during the introductions. She opened the chip bag, pulled out a single chip, and shoved it into her mouth with a satisfying crunch.

"Sophia Delgado... Colombian I guess. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The last part came out in a tone that perfectly balanced friendliness with the kind of sarcasm.

Then she paused, looked between Raj and the chips, and shrugged. "Here."

Raj took a chip from the bag as his entire face lighted up like she’d given him a priceless gift, and said to her, "You’re okay."

Before anyone could say anything else, they arrived at the transport zone.

"We’re here," Ethan announced.

The room was identical to the one they’d seen yesterday, multiple platforms were arranged in a grid, and workers in Institute uniforms monitored holographic displays.

Ethan stepped onto a platform and gestured for them to do the same. Then he turned to Sophia specifically. "You’re gonna have to set that aside. No food on the Alpha Beam."

"Whatever." Sophia tilted the bag back and poured the remaining chips directly into her mouth, crunching loudly. Then she grabbed the orange juice carton, cracked it open, and downed the entire thing in one continuous gulp.

Juice dribbled down her chin and splashed onto the floor, but she didn’t seem to care. She tossed the empty carton toward a recycling bin afterwards. She missed.

"Nice shot," Hiro muttered.

"Shut up." Sophia stepped onto her platform without looking back. "Alright, let’s do this."

Amara was still skeptical about the whole teleportation situation. She remembered her experience in Ethan’s stupid van, the sensation of being turned inside out.

The idea that her body was being disassembled into particles and reassembled somewhere else made her stomach turn.

"I don’t know about this," she finally voiced her concern, standing at the edge of her platform.

What if they got it wrong? What if she rematerialized with her organs on the outside, or her brain scrambled, or—

"Come on," Hiro urged. "We’re all doing it."

"Think of the carbon footprint you’d be avoiding," Ethan added, knowing exactly which button to push.

She closed her eyes. Peer pressure, environmental guilt, and the ticking clock won out over existential terror.

"Fine." She stepped fully onto the platform. "But if I come out with my face on backwards, I’m blaming you."

"Noted." Ethan’s grin widened. "Though I think you’d pull off the look."

"You’re not helping."

He simply looked at her with a smug expression and called out: "Alpha Beam. The Machine."

"Still don’t know what that is," Hiro muttered as the light began to build. "The Machine?"

"You’ll see," Ethan said, and then the world dissolved as a blue cylindrical light swallowed them whole.