Once Ridley was far enough away, Avery walked in the opposite direction, towards the crosswalk. He checked his watch. 2:47 pm. That explained why there weren't too many people walking the streets. Most people worked on Mondays. Those who didn't were either unemployed or had an incredibly well–off job.

The crosswalk turned green. The lone car stopped for Avery as he jogged across the street and into the SCAR Agency building.

The Agency building was different from the headquarters. The Agency building consisted of science experiments and security, while the headquarters dealt with political tactics and paperwork.

The automatic door opened for Avery. Inside, Many SCAR agents patrolled or stood at their posts.

Most of them were C–tier SCAR agents. Avery knew this by the way they carried themselves.

There are 6 SCAR agent tiers, ranging from C–tier to Galactic tier.

C–tier agents are typically newer agents who enforce traffic laws and patrol the streets, responding to dispatchers on minor crimes.

B–tier agents are experienced agents who took on bigger roles—security on government-affiliated property. SCAR owned numerous properties, each with its distinct purpose. They, too, respond to dispatcher calls, though they take on the more violent crimes, which were rare to begin with.

A–tier agents are robotic agents, for the most part. Avery had the only wearable A–tier suit, gifted to him by Ridley. They also take on similar tasks as B–tier agents, although their tasks are more demanding. Since they aren't human, it wasn't a problem. A–tier agents are primarily used as weapons in the event of a military threat. Avery never understood that reason since the only military they were competing against was the outsiders, and they didn't even have bullets.

Then, the Galactic tier. Only five galactic SCAR agents have been produced. Those agents are considered "Ionia's last hope". Only Archon and Ridley knew their whereabouts—not even Kajo, Avery's father. No one knows too much about them. Sometimes, Avery forgot that they were a thing.

Not knowing much about something that can destroy the city was scary. Lucky for the Ionians, Galactic SCAR agents were on their side.

At the front were high-tech security checkpoints with glowing scanners and weapon detectors. Avery was quickly checked and allowed to proceed. The lobby bustled with activity: people in formal attire conversing with one another while SCAR agents kept a lookout for any suspicious activities.

The space was expansive, with high ceilings and clean surfaces. Blue and white LED lights accentuated the walls and floors. The center consisted of a holographic information desk, but it was unoccupied. The walls displayed digital screens with dynamic data and graphs, mainly for propaganda purposes.

"2A, identification, now."

2A popped a blue holographic image of Avery's identification, which contained the basic information.

He used his identification to scan into the Security Operations section. The light turned green, and the door slowly slid open.

He took a few steps in, only to be interrupted by someone he didn't like.

"Avery? Is that you?" Asked a chunky man in a blue suit. His pink tie didn't match his attire, and his dress pants had a small hole by the knee.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Yes, hello, Lucando."

"You are not supposed to be back here. Do you want me to inform Ertz about this matter?"

Avery sighed. Ertz was the Head of Security of SCAR. He managed this entire section—a tiresome job.

"Lucando, you have no authority whatsoever. You're just an IT guy who takes his job seriously. Now, if you excuse me, I have something to do."

Lucando stepped in Avery's way with a smirk. "You are not part of the Security Department, hence, not allowed to be back here without special permission from either Ertz or Ridley. Now, please exit the premises."

"Wow, an old guy like you stressed out about the Chancellor's son being here… no wonder why you're bald at 30."

Avery turned around, heading to the exit. Wasting energy on Lucando was pointless. Lucando did everything by the book. He wouldn't let Avery enter without special permission. That wasn't even his job. A simple IT guy playing bouncer. Avery shook his head, internally enraged by this.

There was a purpose as to why he was here.

He wanted to find Tim's files and see his information to find him. Avery couldn't turn away from this. He had to go in and snoop around, no matter the cause.

Lucando responded to Avery's insult. "Rules are rules. I will not allow you to proceed further."

"Acting like it's your turf…"

Avery looked past Lucando and noticed a circle of people. He recognized someone by their terrible, purple mohawk, which spiked towards the ceiling.

Avery waved his hand, jumping. "Peter! Peter!"

Peter raised his head and turned around. A smile grew on his face when he noticed his old friend.

"Avery! Is that you? Ah, ha, come on here, my friend."

"I can't. Lucando won't let me."

Lucando turned, or attempted to turn his neck around. "He is not allowed here."

"Heh, really? Says who?" Peter walked over and grabbed Avery's wrist. "He's allowed wherever the fuck he wants. Perks of being the Chancellor's son. Now step your fatass aside and hit the treadmill. Don't break it while you're at it."

"Excuse me, but we do not have to use inappropriate language."

"You're giving the kid a hard time. Now go back doing whatever the fuck you were. Let's go, Avery."

Peter dragged Avery away from Lucando. He made a trip to his mini–circle, where he told everyone he would be back. Everyone in the circle greeted and shook Avery's hand, even though they didn't know him personally.

Avery returned everyone's smile and ventured deeper into the halls with Peter. The halls shone with bright white lights, with blue walls reflecting that light.

"Howya been, Avery? It's been a while."

"Been… busy. What about you?"

Peter stopped and leaned against the wall. "Let's chill here for some time. I've got 5 minutes till my break ends."

Peter had an odd appearance. He wore baggy clothes accompanied by a leather jacket. His ears had many piercings that reflected the hallway's light. Two nose piercings and a septum piercing, along with black mascara. Despite his weird appearance, Peter was a friendly guy who showed nothing but respect to Avery.

"How's work been?" Avery asked.

"Eh, boring. Actually, no, I went to SCAR's secret laboratory recently. That was pretty cool. Saw alotta crazy stuff."

"Oh, ya? Did you see the special serums?"

He shook his head and exhaled dramatically. "Damn right I did. The QT-19, RT-19, and VT-19. Crazy shit. This shit those things are capable of are insane. Especially without the PAIR antidote… or partner–dote? Eh, I forgot. But man, that laboratory has some crazy stuff."

The 19 series serums. It's said to be so strong that its power could annihilate half the city if used a certain way. An incident occurred in Roxfield, a semi–medium suburbia. Someone with the QT-19 serum unlocked its true capabilities, nearly destroying the entire city. That person is currently under the SCAR's "Most Wanted" list. Since then, an antidote was created, and those serums were banned for good.

"Ya… that place has some cool stuff. Haven't been there in a while, though."

"Dude, it's in some weird wooden area. Shit is surrounded by guards and other shit. Tons and tons of security."

"I can imagine." Avery checked his watch. "Well, I have to head to my destination. It was nice talking to you, Peter."

"You too, dude. Take it easy."

Avery continued walking while Peter stayed where he was. He took a few turns before entering the City's Surveillance room.

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