Interns

[NOTE from the Author: Don't forget to read the Prelude! There are some details real important for the story there. So yeah, if you haven't read the prelude, go read it and come back for the better experience! Also, the name is not pronounced as Meme. Its Meh-meh.]

KANSAS City, Nova. 

Date: 12th of September, 2023. 

Time: 17:55

"Repeating the warning for the fourth time, citizens of Kansas. Do remember to avoid exiting any building for the next couple of hours. If you can, please take measures to escape into underground floors for your own safety. Another Monster Emergence is to be expected in a few minutes. This is your last warning." 

When the sirens of the city boomed this announcement for the fourth time, the streets were empty. Cars were abandoned and every single human in sight had rushed into the buildings for safety. 

A few moments later, metal walls sprang up and sealed the buildings tightly. Before they knew it, every building in the city seemed like simple metal pillars. 

Air crafts and copters were surveying the skies above the capital as if they were a swarm of bugs spread in an empty field after a rain. 

The Monster Emergence was only moments away. 

However, the three students seated atop the tallest building in the capital weren't like the rest of the humans down in the city. They weren't rushing inside buildings or taking shelter in bunkers. 

Two young men and a girl remained seated atop the building in the formation of a small triangle with a small space in between them to place their coins and their dollar bills. 

All three of them were wearing the long-sleeved blue uniform of their Monster Hunter Academy. They were all third-year students waiting to join the Monster Hunter Society at the end of the year. 

Their internships were to begin the very next day. 

One of the young men was Hideyaki Meme, the ultra-slim, silver-haired, blue-eyed student who had a hard time finding the right girl for him. 

His eyes were running from one side to the other side of the city as he sat there with his legs crossed. His fingers tap danced on his knees as an anxious feeling hung over his soul. 

Jogu, the tall young man with a messy head of brown hair with glasses, stared at his friend. He smirked, seeing Meme sweating with fear. 

"Heh? You're already terrified? You can't win no matter what happens." 

Giving his bright smirk, Jogu pushed the glasses up his nose with the tip of his fingers. 

Meme shook his head in disappointment for his best friend.

"As always, Jogu. You are wrong about everything. I'm just worried that a gigantic dragon will appear out of thin air and burn everything to the ground. We can't escape that fate. We've never done this game so close to a Monster Emergence before." 

"Tch tch tch," Jogu clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "You're afraid for no reason, Meme, my friend. We are at the tallest tower in the capital of Kansas. This tower will be the last to burn in this city, no matter what. Because we're sitting right on top of the roof where the Mayor of Kansas is right now." 

Meme sighed. 'If I die the day before my internship, it's all your fault, idiot Jogu,' he cursed inwardly. 

Meme slid a hand into his pocket and searched for the dollar bills and coins. These were the pocket money he had been saving for the past week. He pulled out the bills and gazed at them. 

'If I lose, I won't be able to get that extra creamy milkshake with that three-layer limited edition burger tomorrow,' he gulped. 

Jogu's smirk only widened when he saw his friend's gulp of fear. 

"Give up, Meme. After all, Elise is on my side. There's a two over three probability for us to win. Only one for you, man." 

Elise was the beautiful brunette who was seated before the two boys. Her eyes were uneven, as usual. For whatever reason, Meme was not able to comprehend, she had fallen head over heels for a guy like Jogu. 

"Even if I win, husband. I won't be letting you do anything with the money. I'm going to buy some blueberry cake for myself and my friends, hmph. To make up for that huge pizza you shared with him, alone, this weekend." 

Elise eyed Jogu angrily.

"Eh? How did you even hear about that?" Jogu scratched his head, giving off a confused grin. "But – Bu –"

"Not buts, husband. It's time to play the game, or the Monster will emerge and the money will be divided amongst none." 

'Why do they always call each other husband and wife when they are not even married yet?' Meme pondered for the nth time. 

Jogu cleared his throat, fixing his glasses once more. "OK, everyone. Put the money on the table." 

Everyone placed the money on the rooftop and placed a heavy book on top of the money so they could ensure that the money wouldn't just blow away to the wind. 

The winds always disappeared before a Monster Emergence. Hence why the money had not already blown away.

The three students eyed each other, pondering who would go first. Jogu knew no one would come out and say it first, so he did it himself. 

"I'll bet on the Butterfly." He smirked. 

Meme furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 'The Butterfly? A new Monster that had only appeared 2 times before, all near Kansas City too. Why didn't he go with a more popular monster like he usually does? Hm… What's this bastard playing at now?' 

After contemplating Jogu's answer for 10 seconds, Meme came up with his. 

"I'll go with the Dark Lizard. Hehe." Meme smirked at Jogu. 

The Dark Lizard had never before attacked the capital of Nova. Yet, that was the very reason for a high possibility for the Dark Lizard to emerge in the capital at this attack. No one knew which Monster was emerging after all. 

The Monster Hunters only knew a paranormal force energy was activated in the middle of the capital and a citizen who was inside this city was the Monster Link. 

"What will you go with, wife?" Jogu shifted his head to his girlfriend. 

Elise closed her eyes for a brief moment. "The Crab," she smiled. 

A safe choice, like she always does. The Crab was a Monster appearing quite constantly near areas connected to the sea. The massive Kansas Bridge ran over the sea that divides Kansas from Hurl. Which meant there was a good possibility for the Crab to arrive in Kansas at any moment. 

Meme calmly stood up from his position and walked across the rooftop to the edge of the building. The couple did the same and followed their friend to the edge. 

Meme smiled. "If our teachers or even a single guy at the Monster Hunting Society knew we were betting on Monsters who'd emerge in the city to destroy this place – we would be kicked out from the academy the very next day." 

Elise chuckled. "Who's going to tell them? Only we know that we just came here to bet on the monsters." 

The three students stared at the empty city crawling with Monster Hunters dressed in full suits of armor with their guns in hand. Viewing it from the top of the building, the world seemed so small. 

All the machines seemed like tiny bugs at that height. 

'This is probably what the Monsters are seeing when they one tap everything in sight,' Meme thought as he imagined the Monster's feet coming down on his head. 

A great wind gushed past them as the city suddenly fell silent. 

From every corner of the city, small blue butterflies began to flutter into the air. Jogu's grin widened as Meme slapped his palm against his face. 

"Ugh, God." 

Jogu patted his best friend on the back. Pouting, Elise shifted her head to Jogu. The words "married couples always share" were written in her eyes. 

"The Butterfly has emerged." The announcement echoed through the capital. 

Jogu calmly strolled toward the money kept safely under the heavy book and pocketed every dollar bill and coin lying there. Meme was lying on his back at the edge of the rooftop, processing the thought of losing his planned meal. Elise tugged at Jogu's shirt in hope of convincing her boyfriend to share some of his quota with her. 

Seconds later, a blue gas emerged from the city. The three students were out cold on the rooftop the very next moment they breathed in this gas. 

They forgot to bring gas masks to the rooftop.