Black Badger

[Mobilization Order. All Headquarters Badgers requested to deploy to Portal Zone.]

[Mobilization Order. All Headquarters Badgers requested to deploy to Portal Zone.]

Portal?

I lifted my head and widened my eyes.

Several mobilization orders had come before, but this was the first time we had been called to the Portal Zone.

"Let's go."

Yoon walked out calmly.

"You know where the lockers are now, right?"

"Yes."

Headquarters provided personal lockers for the Badgers.

They held combat uniforms and personal weapons. Yoon and the other cohorts who had not yet taken the promotion exam, like me, had not received personal weapons.

We had to grab communal ones from the locker room.

When I hurried to the locker area, several seniors were already there.

After greeting them, we changed.

Unlike usual, we even donned helmets that resembled gas masks. The black combat uniforms were thicker and sturdier than normal. They appeared covered in unknown features, but since Yoon had stuffed me into the outfit in an instant, I could not ask what was what.

I flailed my limbs, dazed by his rough handling.

"Ugh!"

My hair got caught!

"My hair!"

Yoon yanked out the hair caught in the helmet or zipper.

A few people nearby watched us with amusement.

"Why can't you dress properly?"

"It's a new recruit."

When Yoon muttered puzzledly, a senior watching from the side chuckled.

"Aren't you dressing them too roughly?"

After changing, I followed Yoon.

Everyone wore the same outfit, but spotting my mentor was easy. Among those gathered in the locker room, he moved the most quietly and efficiently.

We were the last to leave the locker room.

"Do you remember where the Portal Zone is?"

"No."

I had been too out of it back then.

I could not even recall what it looked like.

Yoon just nodded without surprise.

"Basement."

Basement?

It was in the basement?

I followed silently behind my mentor, surprised but quiet.

Badgers in helmets moved in perfect unison ahead of my mentor. Heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor. I raised my visor to secure my view and stuck close behind my senior.

People parted from the walls like the Red Sea.

As I focused only on my mentor's back while running, the people ahead suddenly stopped.

I halted along with them and looked up.

A gray door filled my vision. Click, clack. The loud sound of massive locks disengaging assaulted my ears.

The locks released slowly.

The huge door swung open heavily inward.

The smell changed.

Air sucked inward.

As my view opened up, I took a deep breath.

Portal Zone.

The familiar sight caught my breath for a moment.

Cold light enveloped my eyes. It was still vast enough to fit several cargo vehicles. And shockingly pale. Just seeing the colors gave me chills.

In that expansive space stood two unidentified devices.

People who looked like scientists peered at pads next to the machines.

The HR Director waited at the entrance.

"You're here."

The HR Director, who had been looking at his pad, turned his head.

"Check the roster?"

He pointed to a display in the air as he watched the incoming Badgers.

"Badgers heading to B-5 Zone, go to the inner device. Badgers heading to B-14 Zone, line up in front of the device near the entrance!"

The majority of Badgers assigned to Zone 5 moved in a group. The few seniors assigned to Zone 14 headed silently to the device.

They crossed the vast space, weapons in hand.

Only Yoon did not move.

The HR Director and I turned to Yoon with puzzlement.

Yoon stood still and raised his visor.

"Why are the members like this?"

"Pardon?"

Choi Yoon tilted his head.

He met my mentor's gaze and widened his eyes.

His kind eyes curved into a perfect smile, the kind that could melt people's hearts.

It did not work on Choi Yoon, though.

If anything, it backfired. My mentor furrowed his brow and brushed off the HR Director's smile. Even with just his eyes visible through the helmet, I could guess his expression.

It was like he regretted seeing it. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Irritation seeped into his voice.

"Do I have to spell it out?"

As electricity began flowing into the portal device leading to B-5 Zone, Yoon growled.

"Why are you dumping all the dog-like ones into Zone 14?"

"Because of Silvia and Leonard?"

Choi Yoon casually brushed off Yoon's murderous glare.

The HR Director smiled brightly.

"I know you have kin prejudice, but bear with it a little. They're both highly skilled, aren't they?"

"You know it's not just about those two. Jerry Jones, Lucia Kwon, Gale Dawson, Isaac Lane... Should I list more to cool your temper?"

"I'll take your words to heart."

The HR Director dropped the pretense and spoke.

The daisy flowers that always hovered like hallucinations behind him vanished in an instant.

I swallowed hard at the HR Director's changed smile.

"Most of the key personnel have to be concentrated in B-5 Zone."

"Then just send everyone to Zone 5."

"We need bait."

Choi Yoon's voice was low enough for only us to hear.

"They say we need something in Zone 14 to divert attention from the Badgers surrounded in Zone 5."

Ah.

That was about me.

Suddenly, it all made sense. The Badgers in B Zone were apparently surrounded by creatures. To rescue them, we were going through the portal to B Zone, but they needed a unit to scatter the creatures gathered in Zone 5.

That was why Yoon and I were assigned to Zone 14.

My kin would sense me and swarm to my location.

It was a sensible assignment. I nodded, making a face that showed I understood.

But Yoon did not stop staring at the HR Director with a sullen look.

My mentor glared at his boss, who smiled like daisies might bloom again, and muttered.

"You mean handle it naturally."

"Love your juniors!"

Choi Yoon cut off Yoon abruptly.

"The kid can hear you!"

What?

I blinked, not catching the conversation right away. I could not understand why the HR Director responded to Yoon's mutter with "love your juniors," or what Yoon meant by handling it naturally.

But then I caught the truth from the HR Director's words: "Ye-hyeon will really chew you out big time."

I looked at Yoon in shock.

"You're not talking about killing, right?"

"You catch on quick, just like the rumors."

Choi Yoon laughed as if it were amusing, observing me.

"Almost no one picks up on what Yoon means right away."

But this was not the time for such an innocent smile...

It was natural that people did not catch the meaning. It was an unimaginable story in common sense. If I had not spent months under this man, I would not have figured it out either.

He was fundamentally broken.

Yoon neatly ignored me as I shook my head.

Then he lowered his visor and turned away.

The sociopath mentor walked into the Portal Zone.

"If it's urgent, send those guys first."

He was referring to the Badgers lined up in front of the Zone 14 portal.

"The rookie's portal compatibility hasn't been checked yet, so we'll confirm and then enter the portal."

"Ah, sure."

I still did not fully understand Yoon's words this time.

But seeing the HR Director nod readily, it seemed like common sense this time.

The HR Director lowered his pad and smiled.

"That makes sense in order. Confirm and then move."

Yoon headed toward the scientists without responding.

The HR Director smiled refreshingly.

I bowed my head in greeting to him and followed my mentor.

*

My mentor left me standing in front of the Zone 14 portal.

He said he would get the device to test portal compatibility and stepped away.

I was left alone among the seniors who had finished preparing to move through the portal in an instant.

I quietly stood at the edge of the group, keeping my mouth shut.

Gazes poured in.

Even though most had lowered their visors, the stares stung. The seniors assigned to Zone 5 had already vanished into the portal. The vast Portal Zone now held only the Badgers waiting for the Zone 14 portal to generate.

They observed me while waiting for the portal to form.

It was too burdensome.

As I lowered my head under the gazes, someone tapped me.

"Newbie."

I turned toward the voice.

"Yes."

"What were you dawdling about next to the HR Director earlier?"

I could not see the speaker's face through the helmet.

But from the voice and build, it seemed like a man.

He held a long rifle.

He leaned in, his face covered by the helmet.

"Don't you know it's an emergency?"

"I'm sorry."

It seemed faster to just apologize than argue.

I was grateful for the helmet hiding my expression.

I replied in a neutral tone.

"My mentor said it's because I haven't gone through the portal compatibility test yet."

"Portal compatibility test."

The other snorted as if those words were the funniest thing.

"That test even idiots pass. You're holding things up because of that?"

"Yes. I don't know exactly what kind of test it is, but my mentor said he's bringing the testing device."

"You're being picky."

The other crossed his arms and sneered.

It was condescending.

"Causing all this fuss over something like that."

"I'm sorry."

"If your compatibility doesn't match, you should just quit being a Badger, right?"

"Those qualified will move in 30 seconds."

A scientist by the device shouted.

I blinked as a bluish ripple formed in the center of the device. The portal to Zone 14 was ready before I knew it. The circular ripple in the middle of the device grew larger, opening an alien space.

"Please prepare to move. Countdown starting from 10 seconds."

"You need to come too."

The Badger with crossed arms jerked his head at me.

"It's an emergency."

"I was told to stay behind."

"Who's higher up?"

Crackle, crackle.

The portal grew larger. Seniors detached their gazes from us one by one and approached the portal.

No one intervened.

The countdown began. I furrowed my brow slightly at the senior grabbing my arm.

"10."

"Hey, not coming? Don't you know this is a direct order from the Supreme Commander?"

"I'll go as soon as my mentor returns."

"9."

"It's an emergency!"

The senior yelled.

"Your great mentor isn't as important as the mobilization order you got!"

It was not about disobeying the mobilization order.

It was just delaying it a bit, under my mentor's judgment.

I tried to say that, but it was too late.

The senior picking a fight yanked me hard, the countdown-started portal's pull was strong, and while I had anticipated the senior's strength, I had not expected the portal's force.

Another who had been watching pushed my back toward the portal.

The numbers kept decreasing.

At 3 seconds left, my body lurched toward the portal.

"3."

"Huh? Really drag the kid along?"

"2."

Someone outside panicked and reached to grab me.

But my body had already lost balance, and bright light swallowed my vision.

"1."

The sensation of being sucked in.

A familiar feeling.

I felt the sensation I never got used to no matter how many times as I was pulled into the portal.

*

Thud!

Before I could regain my senses, a heavy impact hit my ears.

Thump! The opponent collapsed at my feet with a loud noise.

Confirming it was the senior who had grabbed me, I dropped my jaw.

"Dawson."

Yoon's voice followed, making me tremble.

"Is this insubordination?"