Recruitment system in DC

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***

I quietly walked down the corridor of the military base, moving along a certain route in a rather frustrated feeling. All I felt at the moment was anxiety, though I wouldn't say it was particularly strong.

When I reached the place I wanted to go, I quietly walked out of the building, looking at the small patio, after which I just sat down tiredly on the porch and pulled out a packet of cigarettes.

Taking one out, I brought my finger close to the cigarette, and a second later a small flame lit up on its tip, igniting the cigarette.

- Fuck! - spoke up rather weightily, looking out at the setting sun.

I never would have thought that learning new skills could introduce me to such melancholy. But really, I've just realised how complicated it all is.

Aang's skills were actually quite simple to master, there were rather as many as four styles of martial arts, each of which invoked a specific element. That was still quite easy to understand.

But Kiritsugu's abilities, and especially the magic of his world... It was simply too complicated and incomprehensible, especially when digging deeper. Even the very essence of sublunar world magic was too strange and complicated, but the Emiya family's time magic was just too strange.

It wasn't a full-blown time magic or something like it like in some fantasy novels. This magic itself was basically a cluster of various barriers that could very subtly and not directly affect time.

Kiritsugu himself was truly a genius since he was able to transform his family's magic into combat-ready magic. Instead of creating huge barriers that take months to build, he decided to create barriers only in his body without affecting the outside world. In this way, he only accelerated himself, which was quite useful in battle.

He could only accelerate his body by a maximum of four times, and that was with the help of Avalon, a powerful artefact that healed its owner. But the main problem that made him unable to accelerate more was his stamina.

Every use of his magic wore out his body as much as he accelerated it. That is, by speeding up his body four times, he was also speeding up four times the load on himself.

However, I differ from him, first of all, precisely because I have a much stronger body, which can withstand even acceleration of six times. Why six times. It's simple.

I studied my body a little after the change and I also had magic chains, an important part of the body of a magician, with the help of which the ability to create magic appears. My chains are the same as Kiritsugu's, but they're half as much, because I only get half the power of all the characters I absorb.

They're the ones that limit me to only six times that amount. But along with that comes the problem that's causing me to be in such a depressed mood right now. I got Kiritsugu's memory and all of his skills, but... I just can't create a barrier in my body that speeds me up six times. Kiritsugu himself never created such a barrier.

On some level, I even realise that I can't create something like that in such a short time, but I still feel a sense of ineptitude because I can't feel any progress at all.

I was finishing my second cigarette, still sitting on the porch, when I heard footsteps coming from the direction from which I had come. Turning around, I saw a somewhat nervous guy about my age. Examining his uniform, I realised that he was a junior lieutenant.

Seeing me, the guy even relaxed a bit and was happy, judging by his microscopic facial movements, but then made a serious expression and saluted me as a superior officer.

- Captain Kent! General Lane has arrived at the base, and he has ordered you to report to his office," he reported seriously, looking at me. And he got even more nervous when I didn't even show any signs of rushing to comply with the general's orders, still smoking on the porch.

- Ehhhhh, okay. Well, then take me to the general, because I have not yet mastered this base, - I said, having put out my cigarette on the stairs and deftly threw it into the urn.

- That's right! - he said, still officially.

- All right, enough of this seriousness, we're not in public. Be a little calmer, junior lieutenant. I'm a simple guy, and we're about the same age," I told him as we walked towards the General's office. We can at least have some fun talking while we get to where we need to go.

In fact, I can see why the General came here in the first place. Firstly, in two days already there will be an award ceremony, which will be held by the President himself. So I should be told exactly how I should behave in his presence, so that I would not dishonour the honour of the US Army in any way.

But that's only the first reason, the second reason is exactly the details that I disclosed in the report. After I handed it in, Agnes said it was classified because she couldn't read it, so she tortured me about what happened on the mission.

That's why I believe that this general is clearly connected to the Argus, and he may have even come here to recruit me. Well, I wanted something like that when I wrote my report, so now I just have to hope that he turns out to be a reasonable person and not a fanatic who considers all superhumans a threat and wants to destroy them.

If the latter is true, I'll just have to hope that Kiritsugu's hypnosis is enough to keep me from being turned in for testing.

- All right, Captain Kent. My name's Steve," he said, actually relaxing a little. Apparently, he's a simple guy who doesn't like a lot of officialism.

- I wish you'd say that right off the bat. I'm Edmont, but my friends just call me Ed," I told him, smiling. Simple conversation is a good way to relax.

- I know. Few regular soldiers haven't heard of you, Ed. Rumour has it that you somehow managed to carry three wounded soldiers off the battlefield, and lately it's been said that you were the reason our army was able to capture one of the terrorist leaders alive," the guy started talking enthusiastically, and I felt like I was talking to a fan. I could just feel the joy he had in talking to me, as if I were some kind of star. It's even nice to know that some people admire you. Apparently in the army I'm actually quite famous. It's not really that strange, though. After all, I really did a lot of pretty extraordinary things in this war and even the various awards I have are almost more than any of the regular soldiers. And the fact that I've risen in record time as much as two ranks, it's already something out of a row. In fact, if I understand the importance of the terrorist we captured, I may soon be a major instead of a captain.

- No need for praise, I only did it because I could. Anyone would have done that if they were me," I said, as a normal soldier in my position should have said. I couldn't tell him that I was doing all this because I was depressed and didn't care about my life, could I?

- Actually, no. I don't know anyone else who would do what you did. Nowadays, most people only care about their own lives. Even I was really like that myself not so long ago, but your example inspired me to be a better person," he said, looking at me. It made me feel uncomfortable. This conversation distracted me from my thoughts about my failures during magic training, but now I felt too awkward.

Apparently my awkwardness was noticed even by my interlocutor, which made him a little less enthusiastic and turn away embarrassed. But after a few seconds we turned and stopped in front of the door.

- Here we are, Captain Kent! - said the bloke, switching to formal style again.

- Thanks, Steve. With any luck, we'll meet again," I told him, walking towards the door. As I looked at it, I calmed down and got more serious and knocked. After a couple of seconds, I heard permission to enter from inside and opened the door.

- General Lane! Captain Kent, on your orders, has arrived," I said, saluting.

- Captain Kent, I see you've recovered from your wounds? - he asked after examining me.

- I am! - I answered seriously.

- Then sit down, we have much to discuss. And yes, you can just call me Sam. Seeing your eagerness to serve the United States and your excellent skills, it won't be long before you become a General yourself. After all, you're already a full-fledged major," he said cordially, confirming my hunch about the promotion.

- All right, Sam. You can call me Ed, too, since we're going informal," I said, sitting down in the chair across from him.

- Fine. We actually have a lot to talk about, but we're going to be talking about some very important topics, so first you have to sign a non-disclosure document. You should understand why," the general said, becoming a little more pleased with my attitude.

I looked at the document he held out to me and was immediately convinced of all my suspicions. The seal of the Argus, standing right on it, spoke volumes. Although the arrival of a whole general just because of one report seems too strange to me, but maybe I just don't understand all the details. I quickly read the document and put my signature there, not noticing nothing but the most common non-disclosure clauses.

- That's fine. Then we can get straight to the point, because I don't really like all this pointless talk. I've read your mission report, and my superiors and I have a few questions for you," he said calmly, looking at me.

- I am ready to answer any of your questions, I have nothing to hide. Although, to be honest, I have one question myself. I certainly wrote not the most usual report, but still, was it worth sending a whole general here? - I asked, not the most polite question, really.

- Ahahahahaha, I understand your concerns. And of course I'll answer you, after all, I have no more reason to hide it. Our... organisation has been watching you for a long time. Even in the academy you were noticed not the most ordinary abilities, and in our country such people are noticed immediately, that's why I came myself. And you shouldn't underestimate your own achievements. In fact, you've done a lot for our country in this war. It can be said that the successful completion of your last mission has already secured our victory. Is that enough for you, as an answer? - he said, looking me straight in the eye.

- Quite," I answered briefly, also looking into his eyes. It was handy, because if anything went wrong, I could use magic to affect his mind a little, albeit in a very limited way.

- I'll ask you the first question then, and I hope you'll be just as frank. Our organisation had some suspicions about you, which were almost confirmed after your report, so tell me honestly. Are you a metahuman? - he asked me. Metahuman? Oh yes, that's what they call all people with supernatural powers.

- Yes, although I don't really understand how I got those powers," I told him calmly.

- Fine, then what about..." the general continued to ask clarifying questions.

He was actually quite a simple and honest man, though that was only my first impression of him. He and I talked for about two hours, where he quizzed me about my abilities, and I revealed most of them. More specifically, I revealed my superhuman physique, the ability to replicate any fighting style, and control over the four elements. Although about the control of the elements, I said that I couldn't use them to their full potential yet and had poor control over them.

After that, the conversation turned to simple topics, and we could just talk about life. That's when I decided to tell the general about my initiative with creating my own squad. He even told me about the Task Force X, or the Suicide Squad, apparently considering me already a member of their organisation.

It seemed odd that they would reveal such information to me, but most likely they had studied my full biography and completely ruled out the possibility that I was a spy, I guess. Or perhaps members of secret government organisations are just a little more irresponsible than I thought.

In any case, the general liked my initiative and said he would report it to his superiors. And a little hypnosis just made it a little better in the general's mind, no big deal.

Now I just have to wait for the award, after which my fate will be decided. I'll definitely be an Argus agent now, but the question of my squad is still open.

And now back to trying to improve Kiritsugu's magic a bit. I hate it already!

*** 

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