Vlad

The monotonous sound of the keys jumping on the keyboard was both calming and unsettling. You glanced at the small sign by the entrance. It read: Checkpoint. The woman paused, adjusted her glasses, and looked at you again, checking the photo on your ID. You had to get up so early to come here! A real challenge even for a lark, let alone a night owl. The woman cautiously peered out from behind the large monitor. Her keen gaze carefully examined every detail. "Miss, please clarify the reason for your visit." You barely held back a heavy sigh. How many times has she asked this already? If Mina hadn't asked you to cover for her this time, I never would have come here! Seriously, what kind of war journalist are you? "I'm here to interview you." The worker frowned and glanced again at the documents you'd spent weeks gathering. I've never filled out so much in my life! "Tell me your name, please." You say your name, to which the woman responds "We received a request with a different name." "Yes, I understand. But the situation changed, and I had to come on as a substitute." "Excuse me, miss, but this is a classified facility. You can't just walk in here unless you've made a request in advance." "But I..." The woman interrupted, looking at you menacingly. "This is the rule. To proceed further, please fill out this form and wait for a response." You sighed quietly at yet another form with an endless list of questions. "And how long will it take?" "About a month, maybe more if we're very busy." No, really, did you really come all this way for...nothing? Mina's going to be in trouble. The woman started typing again, forgetting about you. You reluctantly took the form and cleared your throat to get her attention. "So...I won't be able to get to the general now?" A friend gave you an interesting assignment: to explore this base and interview some decrepit general. You spent several days together searching for any information about this mysterious person, but found absolutely nothing. Everything was classified. And this... aroused curiosity. An important person. You have nothing better to do than run after him! "No, unfortunately, I can't let you through right now, miss. You must submit a request and wait for a response. Otherwise, your presence here will be illegal." "Okay, I understand you. Thank you..." "All the best." The secretary's head disappeared behind the huge monitor again. You could have sworn you saw a relieved smile on the woman's face. You turned on your heel and walked away unsteadily, carefully clutching the blank form to your chest. A man passed by and approached the counter. You heard the secretary's friendly voice behind you. With a slight start, you pulled out your phone and checked your messages. Your friend wouldn't be happy about this news. First, her boss would screw her, and then she'd screw you. And she did it with a special flair, even if it wasn't on purpose. You approached the door and reached for the handle, but someone's hand stopped you. A quiet voice sounded over your shoulder. "Please come in. Such a beautiful girl shouldn't be opening doors herself." Confused, you stared blankly at the young man. His informal appearance stood out among the office workers. You walked on silently. He said nothing. But you felt his gaze literally burning into your back until the door slammed shut. The long corridor was filled with the hum of voices and the echo of employees' retreating footsteps. Surprisingly, the database was almost empty. Perhaps those very important people were simply hiding from mere mortals. You dialed your friend's number. A long, annoying beep was heard. Mina had a terrible habit of keeping her phone on silent. Absolutely always. Surprisingly, this time she answered quickly. While you started the conversation, and Mina peppered you with questions, you were suddenly interrupted by the wail of a siren. Everything inside you collapsed from surprise. You immediately forgot about your friend and, lowering the phone, looked around in confusion. Anxious people were emerging from their offices. The office workers walked the other way, not glancing at you. You couldn't resist following them, purposely lagging a few steps behind. You wondered what had happened? It seemed events like this weren't uncommon here. There was a commotion all around. A girl with a stack of papers rushed past you, nearly tripping several times. Following her, a short guy with bright red checks and a stylish briefcase emerged from behind you. He quickly moved his short legs, moving like a cartoon character. You couldn't help but grin and peeked around the corner. At the end of the hallway stood a man in a strange uniform. "What a strange outfit. Even for a military man." You whispered under your breath, watching from the corner of your eye. Suddenly, the man's head turned in your direction. "Miss? Do you work here? Outsiders are not allowed here!" "Sorry." You quickly turned and hurried to the exit. That was all you needed. A cool wind blew in your face, and you closed your eyes for a moment, inhaling it. It smelled of wet asphalt, fallen leaves, and paint. After the stuffy hallway, it felt especially fresh and pleasant here. Free. Your fingers instinctively reached for your bag. You carefully folded the form, which had already become wrinkled, and put it in the farthest pocket. Rare, heavy drops fell from the sky, leaving dark stains on the gray concrete sidewalk. You stopped under the awning and sighed heavily. Even the weather wasn't kind to you today. Not the best start to the day. And all because of some general. "If I saw this general, I would..." You stared at the dark cloud hanging over you with displeasure. "Sorry?" A man's voice behind you caught you off guard. Every muscle tensed before you slowly turned around, overcoming the sudden weakness in your legs. Piercing, cold blue eyes stared straight at you, unblinking. A distinguished-looking man in a perfectly tailored dress uniform stood two steps away. In his lowered hand, he held a stylish black umbrella with a wooden handle. Your gaze involuntarily slid over the numerous medals and epaulettes on his shoulders, and for a few seconds, you seemed to forget how to breathe, how to think, how to speak. A deafening silence rang in your ears, the only sound being your own rapid pulse. "Miss?" His voice sounded again, this time with a faint, barely perceptible hint of amusement in the depths of his icy eyes. He stepped forward, and you were overcome with an uneasy feeling, as if you were trapped by a beast. "Miss, could you please come with me?" His gaze briefly turned to the grey, rainy sky. "I believe we have something to discuss." There was no question in his tone. It was a gently worded command.

Are you here to meet someone... special? Well then, feel free to click on the next step! Just remember, you're entering a world where none of the events described in "Outlaw Heroes" occurred.