~Sorren Sylvester~

Sorren was more than happy to flee the moment it became apparent that the Counselor's little meeting was over. He moved as quickly as he could, becoming nothing more than a blur of black and grey as he flashed past the guards and out the door.

Xavier's angry shouts hounded his retreat, even though the man had remained in the lounge to chew Lucas Volkov out. Sorren had toyed with the idea of staying behind to watch the drama unfold, but had decided it would be pushing his already tenuous luck. He'd have to congratulate Lucas later when Xavier was no longer around to get either one of them in any more trouble. The man certainly deserved an eyeful of paralyzing fear, and he was glad that someone had thought to give it to him. Sorren wasn't blind - he'd seen the way Xavier had looked at them, heard the disdain dripping from his fancy words. And dropping the news about the monsters like it was no big deal? That had been the final straw.

Hallways flashed past, tapestries and decorations blurring together as Sorren darted left and right at speeds unattainable by most humans. Only his training prevented any unintentional collisions. Even though he didn't appreciate the Council and its decisions, he couldn't deny that the instruction they'd provided was pretty useful.

Of course it was useful. Sorren mentally berated himself. The Council wants a show, and having all of us die at the claws of monsters right away would be boring. It's almost heartwarming, how much they care.

He slowed as the door to his suite popped into view, the walls around him coming back into focus as his speed decreased. It took Sorren a moment to realize that a figure wearing the simple clothes of a servant stood between him and his rooms, their head bowed deferentially.

"Er, hello?" Sorren wasn't entirely sure what to say. All the newness he was experiencing made him feel bizarrely off-balance, especially when it came to all the unfamiliar faces. He was terrible at having a conversation in any situation, but a constant stream of strangers was pretty much the worst of the worst for him.

"Councillor Xavier predicted you would bypass his messengers. He sent me to ensure you did not miss your chance to select equipment from the Council's vast stores." The servant glanced up at him before hurriedly lowering their gaze again, but not before Sorren caught a flash of bright blue eyes.

"Oh. Thank you? I'll just go then...." He turned, readying himself to run again. "Uh - where exactly am I supposed to be headed?"

"Follow me, lord Hunter."

The title put him off the moment he heard it. It was just so formal, so unlike him. Sorren followed the servant's brisk pace down the hall, for once not itching to go faster. "You really don't have to call me that. My name's Sorren - though I suppose I could get used to 'your speedy magnificence' if you feel like it." A wry smile flickered across his face, but quickly vanished when the servant spoke again.

"I have my instructions, lord Hunter." He wasn't all that skilled at reading tones, but the discomfort in those words was easily palpable. Sorren didn't press further, instead electing to spend the remainder of the short walk in contemplative silence.

When they arrived at a pair of glass doors a few halls down from Sorren's rooms, the servant bowed and hurried away. He watched them go with a mixture of anxiety and concern, but was soon distracted as he passed the threshold and entered an oblong room bustling with activity. A multitude of servants rushed back and forth, ferrying electronic tablets and piles of sharp objects through the many ajar doors that encircled the chamber.

The moment they noticed Sorren, he found himself being ushered into a smaller room and sat down on a plush sofa that seemed oddly out of place amidst the otherwise spartan furniture. A woman followed him in and took a seat on a wood-backed chair across from him. She wore a simple dark grey tunic with an unfamiliar insignia embroidered on the sleeve and had her black hair pulled back into a strict bun.

"Welcome to the database hub, Hunter Sorren. I am Officer Mendela. I'll be helping you select your clothing ensembles and giving you some extra preliminary instruction."

He accepted the large square tablet she handed him, glancing down to study the outfits modeled on its screen. They were all colored in even shades of beige and grey, and ranged from tunics to literal suits of armor. Sorren tried to match her 'here is some information' tone when he replied, but some of the confusion he felt still leaked into his words. "It's very...neutral."

A flicker of suppressed irritation crossed Mendela's face and she reached over to tap the screen. Immediately the display shifted to a new set of hues, though the outfits still looked more or less the same. "Find a color scheme you approve of. Select it. Then we can move on to other topics."

"Why do I need new clothes? And what's up with the whole 'color scheme' shtick?" Sorren didn't know what possessed him to try her patience even further, but he was tired of going along with orders and being sated by only the barest scraps of information. It was time he did some digging of his own.

"I have my orders. I suggest you follow yours."

So much for that plan. His eyes dropped to the tablet and he clicked through a few more screens of outfits in silence, trying to ignore the sensation of Mendela's cold gaze boring into the top of his head. Finally he came across a selection of black and silver clothing, colors more familiar to him than all the garish options he'd gone through previously.

"I choose this one." Sorren didn't even bother to examine his choice any further, thrusting the electronic square into the Officer's hands like it had burned him. "Now what?"

Several moments passed in awkward silence - or at least, silence that was awkward for Sorren. Mendela tapped away at the tablet with calm efficiency, the screen tipped away from him so he couldn't see what she was doing. Finally she set it down on her lap, the previously glowing surface now black.

"You know the basics - you and others will be sent to hunt the mutated creatures on the Earth's surface. The Council has deemed your training sufficient and your chances of survival for an extensive stretch of time as probable." Officer Mendela did not bother with much preamble, her gaze flinty and cold as she listed the facts Sorren already knew. "Your efforts will be filmed, as will much of your day-to-day lives. Moderators will be on hand to decide what the public sees, and what they don't. Essentially, you will become a beloved celebrity of this city."

Normally Sorren would be happy with the fame, but the way she said it in such an empty tone made it sound like a curse, not a gift. A witty response rose on his lips, but he bit it back down. Now was neither the time nor place for such things.

"To encourage a competitive and entertaining atmosphere, the Council has also decided to add an element of conflict. All Hunters will be ranked according to how popular they are with the public, and given rewards appropriate to their standings." Sorren got the feeling that Mendela was simply recounting a memorized speech and he was tempted to see how she'd react if he interrupted. But he had wanted answers, and now he was getting them.

"The Council is leaving the decision of how you conduct yourself while on a hunt up to you. Allying with other Hunters is permitted, though they would have you know that this remains a competition and allies will be at odds in the rankings. It also cannot be stressed enough that harming other Hunters is strictly forbidden. Doing so will result in dire punishments." Officer Mendela paused to give him a hard look, like she expected he had been considering it. Which was totally unfair since he'd never hurt anyone before. Well, not on purpose, which was practically the same thing. "Your first official foray onto the Earth's surface will be held tomorrow. Understood?"

"Yeah, sure." Sorren flashed her a grin that was met with a stony glare before standing up abruptly. "We all done here?"

Mendela nodded sharply, but he didn't miss her shocked gasp as he darted from the room as a blur of color. It was nice to know the ice queen was capable of feeling emotions other than irritation and impassivity. The Council must have told her about their abilities, but Sorren knew from experience that it was one thing to hear about such things, and another entirely to see them in action. He wondered how the public would react, seeing their powers put to use fighting the monsters that surely populated the Earth's surface.

Only one way to find out, Sorren thought with a wry grin as he sped down the halls in the vague direction of his suite. Tomorrow is sure to be interesting.