5 minutes prior to the call…

New Year’s Eve at the Sanctuary…

The holiday lights were still blinking on the night streets.

On the snowy roads, children and teenagers prepared their arsenal of fireworks.

In warm homes, families and friends gathered up awaiting the midnight countdown.

Young fellas gathered up in bars and pubs, some with their dates, some trying to find a new year’s date.

Outside, the smell of hot bakery mixed with the fresh cold air. Even though Christmas had passed for days now, the festive atmosphere was still there.

Inside a house that’s blocks away from the Sanctuary…

This place was brightened up by camping lanterns. The electricity covered area was expanding. In a few months, the residents here would get electricity as well.

In the living room, a group of teenagers were playing some sort of card game.

“Yeah… My parents have been dragging me out on out-of-town trips. You guys know that the roads out there are open now right?” It’s a teenage girl speaking.

“Coooool~”

“So are you guys doing merchant work?”

“Well… Yeah. Basically.”

“How much do you guys make?” Someone asked.

The room fell quiet.

A little insensitive, but the group all seemed curious.

“Ah. Only about 200 sanctuary credits per round trip.”

“Wooow!”

“Big bucks!”

“Yep. Drinks on me next time we go out.” The teenage girl sat a little taller.

“So Sam. What have you been up to?” The teenage girl asked.

“Me? Look at this.” A teenager showed his phone around, allowing everyone in that group to see his screen.

“I’ve been accepted as a Sanctuary Security Combatant. Once New Years is over, my training will begin.”

“Oh…”

“Nice. Nice.”

“Good luck man.”

The teenager: …

“So Alex…”

Alex, Jeff’s fan boy faintly smiled. It’s as if he’d been waiting for this moment. “Guys. Check this out.”

The boy showed around his phone.

“Who’s that?”

“The Mission Machine.”

“Reaaally now.” The teenagers threw questioning gazes at Alex.

“Yep. He even showed me his lightbulb mode.” Alex flipped to the next photo.

“Woooaaah!”

“He said he saw great potential in me. After some training, I’ll become his sidekick!”

The group stirred up.

Some girls looked at Alex with glistening eyes.

Alex also caught some envious and jealous gazes from his friends.

“Can you get his signature for me?”

“Alex! We are best friends right?”

“Calm down. Everybody calm down” Alex raised his hands. “One at a time.”

“Sam. Do you want anything?”

…

…

A blaring siren sound suddenly pierced the peaceful night. It sounded like an air attack warning in second world war.

Hearing this, Alex and his friends looked at each other, uncertain of what to do.

On the outside, people on the streets froze in place as well. The happy chattering quickly died down.

“What’s going on?”

“Is this a joke?” Someone nervously chuckled in fear.

Some people stood still in confusion. Some headed towards the sanctuary already. Some hurriedly grabbed their emergency backpack. Others hurriedly packed a backpack.

“Don’t tell me this is a drill.”

“Yeah. A drill on New Year’s Eve is not cool.”

“I sure hope it’s a drill. Better than-“

“This is not a drill! I repeat. This is not a drill!” A loud voice blared out from the sanctuary.

The speakers on street lamps. The family radios. Megaphones from the jeeps running down the streets.

They all played the same message.

In the vicinity of the sanctuary, this message could be heard everywhere.

“This is not a drill! I repeat. This is not a drill!”

“Residents of the sanctuary. Evacuate to the city hall immediately!”

“I repeat. Residents of the sanctuary…”

Soldiers in grey armors started to appear on the streets. People started to stream out of the their residences. The nearly empty streets quickly became congested.

Being pushed around in the crowd, a child lost grasp of her mother’s hand.

“Mama…”

“Mama!” The girl started weeping. But the crowd did not stop moving. Being pushed forward, the girl had to move along with the crowd.

“Alright.” A soldier picked up this girl and put the girl onto his shoulder plate. “We’ll find yoh mama.”

Moving out of the stream of people, the soldier stood his post. “Stay calm, and carry on!”

Taking a look from the above, the crowd was quickly gathering up outside the sanctuary walls. Streams of people passed through the sanctuary gates, heading towards the city hall.

At the same time, inside that five-stories city hall building…

Clunk!

Waiting outside an elevator, three knights put on their helmets.

Zlap…

They strapped their equipment belts tighter. Their armors were painted blue, red, and orange. These were the internal security squadron leaders.

“Looks like we’ve got visitors boys.”

“Can’t rest even on New Year’s Eve. Give me a break.”

“Hey. Save your frustration to the monsters. There’s plenty for you to slay tonight.”

Ding~

The elevator door opened. Looking inside, the squadron leaders awkwardly stood still, uncertain of whether to enter or not.

Everly was in her underwear. In the corner of the elevator, there was a pile of clothing.

“What. You are all fucking virgins?” Everly slid herself into an one-piece leather jumpsuit. “Never seen a girl change before? Come on. Chop chop.”

“Look at you bastards and your fancy showoff real metal helmets. While I get this.” Wearing a disgusted face, Everly flipped her hand at her suit. “And a fishbowl.”

Everly put on her helmet. Her helmet looked like an astronaut’s helmet, with a large glass visor at the front.

“Erhm.” The squadron leaders stepped inside. Everly was right, they were running low on time as well.

Tssccchh… The elevator doors closed.

The elevator fell silent.

Ding~

The elevator doors opened. A stream of people passed through the front hall, entering underground bunkers.

The three knights headed out.

Chewing on bubble gum, Everly tapped her clearance card at the card reader.

Putting on an impatient face, the girl repetitively tapped an elevator button. [ -2 ]

At the same time, outside the city hall, knight squads moved into their positions. These guys were organized. They moved precisely like a machine.

Everyone knew what they were doing. It’s like they had done this many times before.

Looking beyond the squads, further into the front lines…