It was dark on the roads. Nothing was visible to normal human eyes. Richard was running in that dark, unaware of his surroundings. Suddenly he stops and looks around. He stood in front of an open ground. There were lanterns with fire flickering. The light was dim and far but was still visible to Richard. He started running towards that light. He saw it as a light of hope in that dark. As soon as he reaches the light. He recognised the person as a lady.
"Oh! Excuse me miss!"
Richard shouts.
The lady turns back and it was his mother. Richard was shocked to see her there. She came towards Richard while he stood there shocked.
His mother sits down on knees, touching his face and with tears in her eyes his mother emotionally says,
"Where have you been sweetheart? I have been finding you for so long! Come with me, your father is waiting at home."
Richard gets emotional and agrees to go with her. He grabs her hand and they start walking towards the house with that lantern in her hand.
"Promise me you will never run from house ever again."
His mom speaks while they were walking in dark.
He looks up and his mother was looking towards him with big eyes. Richard was scared. He didn't say anything.
His mom speaks up again,
"Why? Why were you late?"
Richard hears it and suddenly the air was dense and cold. The warmth of that flickering lantern was lost in those words. Richards starts to breathe heavily.
His mom speaks up again,
"You could have saved us but you just left you to die!"
Richard let go of his mother's hand and looks up just to witness that his mother's head was blown up and the lantern fells of her hands. While Richard was still breaking, his mother caught on fire. He starts running and screaming from there. as he was running the fire suddenly starts diming and in no time, there was no light at all. He stops to catch his breath and turns back to take look when he hears Marton speaking in his same old creepy voice,
"Told you, you are going to be late boy!"
Richard suddenly gets aware and as he turns again to run away. He finds himself looking straight in Krustines shallow eye holes with his hands and legs pierced with heavy metal nails. He was standing hardly 6 inches away from him. Richard could feel Krustine breathing. Richard paralysed stood there watching it, sweating hard, taking long breathes. He gathers the courage and he turns back and starts walking like a dead man. His eyes looked like that of a dead man. His body was fully lifeless when he suddenly falls down. The floor was slimy and watery. Suddenly there was light. Everything was visible. He looks in front and witnesses his father's corpse all teared up and then he looks down on his hands and his hands were full of blood. They were glowing red. He looks at them and breaths heavily and he screams hard.
He suddenly wakes up at a room which was small, well lit and was clean. He was sitting on bed with clean cloths on his body. He looks down on his hands, they were clean. He takes a long breath of relief.
Suddenly the door opens and Robin enters the room.
"Hi kid!"
Robin greets Richard.
"Hi"
Richard replies.
"Now that you are awake why don't you come with me for a round across the headquarters?"
Robin asks Richard.
"Headquarters?"
Richard asks confused.
"Yes! The headquarters. Now get up and come with me."
Robin explains.
Richard nods and gets off his bed and goes to the sink just in front of him and washes his face. He takes the towel to dry his face. And as he turns back, he sees the fresh flowers beside his bed that he missed when he woke up. He wears the set of clothes Robin brought for him.
"Perfect fit!"
Robin exclaims.
They both walk out room. They were walking in the corridor when Richard asks,
"So, for how many hours have I been asleep?"
Robin stops, looks at Richard and speaks
"Hours? Kid you have been asleep for 5 days!"
Richard exclaims,
"What?"
Robin nods and Richard look down in shock. Suddenly they enter a room. The room was full of people doing different activities. Few were drinking. Few were eating. Few were talking around and the rest were playing cards. Richard had never seen anything like this ever before. His eyes were sparkling. He was excited to see the room. Robin guides him to the centre of the room and shouts,
"Everybody, hear me out!"
Everybody stops their activity and turns towards him. Robin speaks up,
"This kid right here is my brother-"
Richard looks at Robin with a special kind of calmness and peace in his eyes.
"No one present here, should mess with him or else- I don't think I need to complete the sentence. And now drinks are on me today, enjoy!"
Robin adds up.
Everyone starts shouting in excitement and starts shaking hands and greeting Richard. Suddenly a guy with black messy hairs, black goggles, pale skin and skinny figure comes to shake hands with Richard. Robin suddenly stops him by pointing his sword towards him.
"I- said- no- messing- around!"
Robin tells him while giving him the cold look.
The guy smiles at Richard and walks back without saying anything. Robin leans towards Richard and explains,
"That guy had a poisoned sting in his hand; you need to stay away from this guy. His name Marwick."
Richard nods.
"Now, let's go to boss's room."
Robin says and holds Richard's hand. They both left the room to go for boss's room.
At the door of the room Robin explains to Richard,
"Hear it out kid, inside the room, I need you to be serious. Don't speak anything until you are asked to. Our boss is very serious person, he losses cool quick. So, watch your tongue, got it?"
Richard nods and when Robin opens the door, Fedrick was sitting on a big yellow rubber duck, wearing pyjamas, laughing out loud and in his hand, he was waving a towel. Robin closes the door. He was angry.
"Stand here kid!"
He orders Richard.
Richard nods and Robin enter the room. The only audible sound was of Robin screaming in anger and Fedrick screaming in panic. After some time, the door opens. Richard enters the room and sees Robin standing beside Fedrick who was sitting on a chair, dressed well looking towards right.
"Welcome to the sweepers kid; we are a group of people who are responsible for sweeping away the bad from this world."
Fedrick says looking right.
"Th- thanks!"
Richard replies all so confused.
"And now, I know you just woke up from a long sleep and might be tired. But; my friend over here has requested me to assign you as his partner for his next task."
Fedrick asks pointing towards Robin.
"So, do you accept the proposal or not?"
Fedrick adds.
Richard looks towards Robin and smiles.
"Yes, yes will accept it."
Richard replies.
Robin was happy about it but Fedrick was a little too excited. He jumps up and faced straight now. Richard suddenly starts giggling when he saw the handprint on right cheek of Fedrick. It was glowing red and he knew already who did it.
Both of them leaves the room and Richard was following Robin when he asks,
"Where are we going now, brother?"
Robin stops and looks at Richard. Suddenly he smiles and pats his head saying,
"Reception, we are going to collect task file and then leave for Cogmere."
They start walking again.
"Cogmere?"
Richard asks out of curiosity.
"Yes, the village of machines."
Robin replies.
Richard gets excited for his totally new experience.
They reached the reception and the lady at reception was a beautiful lady with red hairs. Robin stood there talking to her while Richard stood far away. Suddenly Robin turns towards Richard and calls him closer. Richard follows the same.
"This is my brother, Richard."
Robin explains.
"And this beautiful lady right here is our sweet receptionist, Merry."
Robin adds up.
Richard greets her with a bow and merry replies with a smile.
"Now, for the business, I want the file of 86D, Cogmere."
Robins explains to Merry.
She nods and opens a drawer from under her desk and grabs a yellow file. She hands the file to Robin and says,
"Might be the easiest task so far but still, best of luck."
Merry wishes luck to both.
Robin nods and turns back.
"Ok boy, let's get ourselves moving."
Robin speaks leaning towards Richard.
Richard nods and both of them leaves the headquarters. As they exit Richard notices that the entry of headquarters goes through a door in a shop named 'Moody restores'. They both grab a cart and goes on there way towards Cogmere.