EXT. D.V. HEADQUARTERS
The convoy rolled to a halt before the towering gates of the D.V. Force headquarters. Its black glass walls caught the sun, a fortress of steel and shadow carved into the hillside.
Engines died. Dust settled.
Hunters lined the courtyard in rows, their uniforms crisp, their eyes sharp with quiet curiosity. The weight of silence pressed against the air as the rear door of the armored vehicle creaked open. Blake stepped down. His wrists were still cuffed, his head lowered.
At the front of the gathering, an older man broke away from the line. He wore no helmet, only a tailored dark uniform and a smile that seemed disarming amid the tension.
Chairman : "Uncuff him."
The Hunters hesitated.
Chairman's smile widened, his tone still light, "That's no way to greet a guest. He's not a monster, after all." The cuffs clicked open. Blake rubbed his wrists but said nothing.
Chairman (warmly, extending a hand): "Chairman Samora. Head of the Tanzania Hunter Division. Welcome, Blake Balthasar."
Inside the D.V. Headquarters strategy chamber, the air was heavy with tension. Holographic projectors bathed the room in shifting blue light, maps and tactical displays glowing faintly across the walls. Officers and division heads filled the seats around the long central table, their faces set in grim focus as they studied the projections.
Blake sat at the center table, posture stiff. Their eyes pressed on him.
Officer 1: "What exactly happened at the mine?"
Officer 2: "Reports say you overwhelmed a Tier Two without training. Is that true?"
Blake shifted in his seat, staring at the table. His words came quiet.
Blake: "Does it matter if it's true?."
Murmurs passed between officers. Samora stood, breaking the tension with a clap of his hands.
Samora: "Enough. Come, Blake. Walk with me."
They moved through the heart of the facility. Hunters sparred in a training hall, their strikes echoing against reinforced walls. Scientists in white coats tested gleaming Datium-forged weapons, sparks hissing as blades split steel with ease.
Blake's eyes lingered on everything, wide with curiosity. Finally, they stopped before a chamber lined with glowing rings of light. Engineers worked feverishly around them, calibrating streams of energy.
Blake (hesitant): "What… is that?"
Samora: "The CCP. Cross Continental Portal. Our scientists are developing it to move hunters between places instantly. With it, when outbreaks strike, we'll respond before the death toll rises."
Blake stared at the swirling portal. For the first time since he arrived, something like awe touched his face. Samora led him to a quieter chamber, overlooking the courtyard.
Samora (gently): "Blake, would you allow yourself to be evaluated? To understand what happened to you?"
Blake paused. The thought of being evaluated twisted in his chest, but the Chairman's voice was calm, almost fatherly.
Blake (after a beat): "….Sure."
Samora nodded.
The moment broke as the door slammed open. An operative rushed in, chest heaving, eyes wide with urgency.
Operative (urgent): "Chairman, Kisasa. The strike team is overwhelmed. The Mindless aren't Tier Threes alone, there is..."
The air shifted. Samora's smile faded. His jaw tightened.
Samora (grim): "Damn these Mindless… they keep multiplying when we least expect it."
Blake felt his chest tighten. The weight of the moment pressed down on him. He had never seen war rooms, never seen panic ripple through seasoned Hunters. But now he understood.