"Ugh... my head,"
Cole slowly opened his eyes, but they instantly blew wide. He was staring at a bright, unfamiliar ceiling. He sat bolt upright in the bed. "huh," he looked around. He was in a room that looked like a swanky, modern hotel room he hadn't seen since waking up in that derelict house three years ago.
"Oh... you awake, big brother?" Cyrus asked.
Cole instantly turned to the dining table. He saw Cyrus eating casually and absolutely ravenously. Cyrus looked back at Cole, taking a massive bite of a chicken leg.
"This is seriously good, man. I haven't had a proper meal in five years," Cyrus replied.
"Hey... why are you pigging out like that? Where the hell are we? (He looked around.) Where's Celes?" Cole demanded, panic rising in his voice.
"I don't know where we are, but the person who brought this food told me big sister Celes is in the room next door," Cyrus answered.
Cole immediately hopped off the bed and walked toward the door, reaching for the handle to open it.
"Don't, big brother!"
"Bzzzzzzzz,"
Suddenly, "blugh," Cole was electrocuted and dropped to the floor. He gripped his hand, which was still trembling and numb from the shock. He then looked at Cyrus, who was standing and staring at him.
"W-what was that? Electricity? Why didn't you warn me?" Cole demanded, annoyed.
"I did say 'Don't'! I already tried it myself when I freaked out seeing you still sleeping next to me and Celes gone," Cyrus replied.
"Cklek," the door suddenly opened. A soldier in a black uniform, carrying his helmet and sporting a buzz cut and sunglasses, walked in. The soldier took off his sunglasses and crouched down in front of Cole, smiling.
"You're up? Is the food good? I'm Lieutenant Bradley. I brought you here. We met already, didn't we?" Bradley asked.
"Y-you! Why did you bring us here? Where is this? What do you want? Where's Celes?" Cole yelled, his fury mounting.
"Relax, your lady friend is safe. She's in the next room, eating right now. Have you eaten yet?" Bradley asked.
"Stop joking around!" Cole shouted.
He raised his hand, but it didn't transform into a Frost Giant arm. He felt his face and body.
"Huh... w-why?" Cole asked, bewildered.
"You guys can't transform (He pointed to his own neck) as long as you're wearing that necklace," Bradley replied, smiling.
Cole immediately touched his neck. There was indeed an iron choker fastened around it. He then turned to see Cyrus standing behind him; the same black iron choker was around Cyrus's neck too. After that, he looked back at Bradley.
"What do you want?" Cole demanded.
"Please, just calm down. We don't want anything from you. You're currently in the city of New Leviathan, the advanced, shifting floating city over the ocean, the city of one of humanity's factions. We're in the G.D.A. headquarters building right now," Bradley explained, his tone suddenly serious.
"G.D.A? You mean G.D.A.B.?" Cole asked.
"Oh, yeah, our name used to be G.D.A.B. It changed to G.D.A. sixty years ago," Bradley answered.
Cyrus helped Cole stand up. Bradley also stood and removed his gloves, then extended his hand toward Cole.
"So, once more, my name is Bradley. Pleasure to finally meet you," Bradley said.
"Cole," Cole replied, shaking Bradley's hand.
"Cole? Cyrus?"
Cole and Cyrus immediately looked past Bradley. They saw Celes standing in the doorway. Celes rushed into the room and "blugh," wrapped both Cole and Cyrus in a simultaneous hug. Both men, of course, returned the embrace.
"Okay, you've all reunited, haven't you? Can you come with me now?" Bradley asked.
"Where to?" Cole asked.
"We're meeting with the G.D.A. Commander," Bradley replied.
"Alright," Cole conceded.
"Great. Glad to be working with you," Bradley replied.
They walked out of the room and headed down the corridor toward the elevator. Celes leaned in and whispered to Cole:
"Can we trust them? We can't use our powers here," Celes whispered, worried.
"For now, we just play along," Cole whispered back.
"But they gave us delicious food, big brother," Cyrus whispered.
"You! Just be more careful next time," Cole whispered.
"My bad. I was starving, though. You know I haven't eaten in five years stuck in that robot," Cyrus replied.
"Fine, are you full now?" Cole asked.
"Ready for action," Cyrus answered.
They stood in front of the elevator. "ting," the lift opened, and they all stepped inside. It turned out to be a glass capsule elevator, allowing them to see the city as they ascended. Cole, Celes, and Cyrus were astonished, looking at the countless skyscrapers lit up like a concrete jungle, the roads busy with vehicles, the giant robot standing tall in the city center, the bright neon lights from massive billboards everywhere, and the enormous dome covering the entire city, displaying a clear daytime condition with the sun shining.
"This is our city, New Leviathan," Bradley said, introducing the view.
"Something like this actually exists? Bright sky and everything?" Cyrus asked, looking amazed.
"Yeah, it felt like the capital wasn't nearly this nice, even though it had plenty of tall buildings in some areas," Celes commented.
"Oh, so you guys are new to a human city, then. Well, perfect! Feel free to look around all you want. This city is our pride," Bradley said, pleased.
Cole was silent, continuously scrutinizing the sky that looked like midday thanks to the dome's display.
"Isn't this the same as my city before Celes gave me the Draugr flesh? That dome looks exactly the same as the one covering my city... something feels really off here," Cole thought to himself.
"Ting," after a moment, the elevator opened, and they all stepped out. Cole, Celes, and Cyrus were stunned by the sight of so many people bustling back and forth in a space that looked like a giant office floor. There were workers in black suits and ties, some dressed like doctors, and others in military attire, just like Bradley.
"Alright, let's head straight to the Commander's office," Bradley said.
They walked in. Several people they passed turned to look at them; some just glanced, and a few offered a "Good afternoon." Cole felt a distinct sense of unease. He was catching an aroma that shouldn't exist in a human facility, and it was far more pungent than before. It was so strong he was forced to cover his nose and edge closer to Celes and Cyrus.
"You guys smell that? I've been catching this nasty scent since we were back in the room," Cole whispered.
"Yeah, I smell something foul... seriously nasty... makes me want to puke up that food I just ate. But in the room, I didn't smell anything... or maybe I was just too hungry, I don't know," Cyrus whispered back.
"There's a Draugr here... I'm sure of it. I was getting this smell back in the room, too," Celes whispered.
Finally, they reached a set of double doors. Bradley knocked, then opened them. Stepping inside, they were greeted by a white-haired, middle-aged man wearing a formal military uniform covered in medals.
"My name is Heindrich Ladener, and I am the Commander of this facility. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Heindrich said, extending his hand toward Cole, Celes, and Cyrus.