NN, the masochist II

The overseer’s office was huge, unlike anything NN had ever dreamed of seeing. A long, matte-black table stretched across the room, chairs of equal blackness seated around it. A fake fruit basket rested at the center, a remote placed before the chair at the very end, which sat beside a wide window.

The overseer stood with his hands behind his back, staring down at the vast ocean surrounding them. He turned around to face NN once he’d heard his first few footsteps, doing a once-over of his cleaned-up appearance.

“Much better.” He remarked, taking note of his black button-up, khakis, belt, and slacks.

“You already look the part. Now come here.” He pulled out the chair at the forefront, gesturing for him to sit down.

NN obliged, looking up at the man with those same dead eyes.

“Do you know what makes someone strong? It isn’t dreams or desires, nor is it having goals like wanting to protect people. It’s much simpler than that. Humans are animals, and when you threaten an animal with death, they’ll do whatever it takes to survive. Pure, raw instinct, that’s what makes someone strong, and that’s what you possess.” He paused, spinning the boy's chair so that he could see out of the window. “I took a look at your file. You were found eating the corpse of a monster for survival.”

NN nodded.

“The youth program is no place for a true warrior such as yourself. You should work alongside me. Do that, and I can ensure more than just your survival.”

In the following months, NN was fed meals he’d only dreamt of, catered to like a prince, his king, the overseer.

There was a day when he was assigned a high-priority mission; however, the nature of said mission was strange. No monsters were involved; in fact, the target was a male human.

He was a genius from Italy, his name, Vittorio. He had blonde hair that swayed to his upper back, hazel eyes, pale skin, and nails that were always polished red.

NN knew nothing of who the man was beyond those small factors; after all, it wasn’t his job to know the target, or why the target was to be slain in the first place. All that mattered to him was ensuring he never returned to that place, that individualistic environment that almost broke him. He enjoyed the good food, the favoritism, and the nights of good rest. Questioning anything he was told was simply out of the question.

NN invaded his home, masquerading as a fellow researcher.

The place in which Vittorio resided was nothing short of humongous. Chandeliers decked the halls, velvet carpets longer than any he’d ever seen were laid out practically everywhere, and antiques and expensive-looking artifacts were put on display seemingly at random.

“Excuse the boujee decor, my father was a very materialistic man, and between my research and work with the Cornwell group, I’ve had no time to redecorate.” His white lab coat swayed behind him as he stepped onward with purpose, leading NN down the vast corridor.

“I’m actually quite surprised someone has taken an interest in my research. Most people aware of my work actively avoid it like the plague; some have even gone as far as to say I’ve tainted my family name by refusing to let up on the subject matter. Truth be told, I was on the verge of giving up, but you’ve restored my hope!” They slid into a large bedroom.

The bed was huge, as expected, with the faintly tinted windows at the far side turning the sun into gentle golden light.

Vittorio stopped before a bookshelf, pulling one of them out, the sound of clicking and churning growing louder.

“It’s a bit cliché, I know; my father was largely into spy flicks when he was alive.” He turned back to NN and flashed him a smile.

The bookshelf slid open, revealing a much bigger research room. It was somehow exponentially colder inside this room; silver tables sat scattered about, hundreds upon hundreds of papers littered atop them. Cabinets of the same silver material hung along the walls, and a single, bright light hung from the ceiling.

“I cannot tell you how excited I am to get back into this subject. This is something that I believe could truly change the world.” He quickly approached a cabinet and swung it open, pulling out a large folder with papers crammed inside. It was loosely held closed with several rubber bands.

“The discovery of an entirely new life-form, a creature with the mind of a human and the body of a monster. I must truly thank you…” His voice trailed for a second as he set the file down onto the table, “Norman, was it?”

NN nodded silently, “That file… It has all of your research in it?”
Vittorio shook his head frantically, “I could show you what I’ve found so far.” He reached for the rubber band, only for his body to jolt to the side.

NN planted a bullet into his brain, watching as he collapsed in slow motion. His body hit the floor with a loud thud.

NN took the file and stuffed it beneath his arm.

By the time he’d left the mansion, everything and everyone inside had been burned, all except for that file. He was left with a mixture of contradicting feelings, feelings that he could not describe.