Beyond the haven

Gatekeeper

Fort, sector 4

Westward exit.

409 AF

The stone walls of the Fort stretched out as far as the eyes could see. They were as tall as ever, at heights that couldn't be seen from the ground. The gates were just as tall as the walls. Massive steel gates- which aren't entirely steel, actually some kind of alloy- more than 4cm thick and tightly shut. There was a man, dressed in a black jumpsuit, standing in front of the gates. He was reading a book when they walked towards him. The book was titled "Grimoire of transmogrification".

The duo exchanged glances.

"Maybe he loves fantasy?" Ivan piped.

"Weird fantasy."

The gatekeeper coughed twice.

Ivan turned towards him, and Tara did the same.

"We're sorry." Ivan apologized.

"Identification?" He went straight to the point. His voice was very... serious for someone reading a fantasy story.

Tara produced the card again.

"Fake. As expected. Leave." His words were stern and strict, stiff to the point of sounding harsh.

The girl turned to look at Ivan.

"Oh. So now you need me?"

"Quit being lazy and do something."

Ivan sighed, then puffed up his chest and walked up to the security officer.

"Let us pass, please." He clasped his hands together, begging.

"I told you to leave."

"I'll cry if you don't."

"Stalwarts don't cry. Stop acting like a weakling."

"You must be mistaken, sir. I'm not a Stalwart."

"If you're not a member of the Stalwart, how can you explain the technology?"

Tara nodded twice saying, "mm-hmm" each time. "I told you so."

The golden armoured man was standing upright, with his unarmoured head held high. Suddenly he smiled like a mentally disturbed person. He almost grinned from ear to ear- but it wasn't physically possible so he ended up doing something that could be considered the closest thing to it that was humanly possible.

"I am Sir Ivan Theodore Damocles. Heir of the House Damocles and foremost scientist in the Haven. The Fort has benefited from my family's research and.."

"Yes. The spoiled brat. I've heard enough. What about the girl?"

Ivan's grin evaporated.

"My newest girlfriend." "A complete stranger" Ivan and Tara replied at the exact same time, then glanced at each other. Tara stepped on his foot, but retracted her leg when she realised she was stepping on his golden armour.

"Girlfriend? I know you like younger girls, but... Isn't she 13?"

"14." Tara piped up.

The gatekeeper had a strange expression on his face. He looked both annoyed and disgusted.

"It's none of my business." He said to himself. Then he took a deep breath and his voice became stiff again.

"She's not passing through."

"What? You don't believe me?"

"No. I do. I am well informed on the level of debauchery you indulge in regularly. Your reputation precedes you. The bitter truth is; there is just no way I'm letting a minor leave the Fort. The stretch of wilderness is too harsh for a child. The terrors are too.. frightening."

"I'm not afraid of anything." Tara stated.

"Good to know." He said in a condescending tone. He went back to his book.

Tara tilted her head slightly. Then she turned to Ivan.

"Do I have to kill him?" She said it, just as calmly as she said anything else.

"K-k-k kill? Of course not. Not that you can. Don't say things like that." He replied, his voice quiet.

"You could try. Tell you what, girl. If you manage to make me move from this spot, I'll let you pass."

Tara nodded with her usual blank expression. The girl walked backwards until she was about three meters away from the gatekeeper. Then she stretched her hips and arms and got into a stance for athletic running.

Ivan stared at her with a confused expression.

"What are you doing, Tara?"

The girl smiled all of a sudden. Then she disappeared.

Tara moved so fast that Ivan couldn't follow her with his naked eyes. It was as though she had somehow teleported; However, the wind she left behind in her wake was an indication that it wasn't teleportation. It was speed. Instant acceleration, defying friction.

"An esper?" The man frowned. Tara was standing right in front of him, with one of her legs planted on the gate. The guard had tilted his head at about 12° away from his original position, towards the right, while Tara's foot was positioned where his head once was. Her bare foot was touching the side of his face, gripping onto a bit of his skin.

"Why did you move?" Tara taunted, before throwing a back flip and landing a feet away from him. She faced him with a smirk.

That smirk turned into a smile. Her smile was terrible to look at. There was something about it that was unsettling. Off-putting.

Blood dripped from the side of his face where the skin was torn. His flesh was partially showing on the right side of his face, ant tears gushed out of his eyes. His book fell from his hands.

Ivan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He couldn't believe his eyes, and Tara looked like she was enjoying every minute of it. However, the more surprising fact was that a foot-shaped dent was left behind on the steel- titanium alloy gate.

"Damn." He cursed, raising a gun from his holster and pointed it at the girl.

"What's the matter? You're pointing a gun at a kid all of a sudden."

"I'm just wondering. Since you're so fast, maybe you might be fast enough to dodge a bullet."

"Please, people. I think we should just calm down and take a deep breath." Ivan said, quietly.

The gatekeeper shook his head.

"The cameras installed around the vicinity must've caught what you tried to do, miss. You're not going anywhere."

"Here I thought you were a man. I guess might have to kill you after all."

"Hey! hey! Please don't resort to violence; It's unhealthy, dangerous and inappropriate in more ways than one." Ivan stood between the two of them, facing Tara.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked him.

"Trying not to get us killed. You pulled quite the stunt just now, and soon we might suffer for it."

"I didn't pull anything..." She paused, glancing at her left foot that had some blood on it.

"Well, I guess I pulled off part of his face."

Maybe her condescending grin had become too much for him, because a second later, the gatekeeper hastily pulled the trigger. The sound of a gunshot wasn't heard. The UC-78's greatest improvement from the UC-77 was it's silent shell after all. With just a flick of his finger, the weapon activated, sending a small projectile across the air.

The quiet whistle of the bullet flying through the air was only heard in a second. Ivan's heavy armour couldn't block it, as the bullet curved around him somehow. Another of the newest models features.

Though the bullet's speed wasn't a match for her own, Tara didn't move an inch.

To her, it was as though the world was moving in slow motion. Ivan yelled something, but she wasn't listening. Tara's lip's curled into a smirk.

The bullet landed on her forehead, and flew right through it, leaving a small hole in it's place.

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