1 The Dump

~As a result of the Otherworldly energy that radiated from the 'Rip', individuals suddenly began to awaken special abilities. This was so sudden and while it brought a revolution to the walk of mankind, it also brought with it unforeseen dangers to come....~

YEAR:2161

LOCATION: Lagos, Nigeria

It was a surprisingly chilly night, the temperature was less than expected from the season. The late February sky was dim as well, as the moon was clearly on one of its days of vacation.

Echoes filled the air and sounds of crickets could be heard plainly. Tenny, already getting anxious at this point partly began to consider returning home

After Michael told him about his past, or rather, his future, he then decided to show Tenny 'something' in accordance with his story.

However, Tenny still didn't know what was he going to meet, or even what to expect as Michael evaded his questions. The brother he followed made two things clear... that the choice to come along was Tenny's responsibility and his alone.

"I was intending on leaving for that place anyway, so whether you choose to come or not is solely your choice. It won't stop me in any way." Michael had said.

'Is this really Mikey?' Tenny asked himself.

The second reason, however, was what made Tenny more nervous.

Earlier in the day when Michael had revealed the expedition he mentioned something that Tenny couldn't get off his mind since that moment;

"Did you forget what I said? Everyone has an ability, and now it's time we awakened yours."

He tried asking Michael how he would go about it and how it was related to their expedition, but his brother refused to answer

"You'll know soon enough," Was all Michael responded with.

Tenny still felt uncomfortable with the newly changed Michael, a returner from the future who was entirely different from the brother he knew just yesterday.

After his confrontation with him in the morning, he had spent all day trying to wrap his head around all that had occurred, and what would eventually come to be.

He looked ahead and noticed Michael had already started moving and was already a bit farther ahead than he was.

"Hey, wait up!" Tenny yelled as he also followed Michael's lead, unsure of their destination.

"I wanna go home" kept ringing in his head, and he couldn't deny the fact that he honestly felt that way.

However, that was only a part of him.

Tenny had to see for himself all that would transpire this night, and come to his conclusion as to what to make of all he had heard and what he would do about it all.

He looked ahead and saw Michael's shadowy figure. He looked more menacing in the dark, like a dangerous silhouette who could turn around at any moment and flash a deadly glare.

Tenny quickly shook off the scary thoughts he was having, reasoning that it was just a result of the new perception he had of his brother.

He believed what Michael had said, at least for the most part, but that didn't mean he trusted him, not yet.

As Tenny was still deep in thought while being mostly unaware of his surroundings, a voice suddenly startled him

"We're here!"

He yelped and then flushed with embarrassment once again kept mute. He had been so engrossed in the world of his thoughts that he did not notice Michael had stopped, and that they had gotten to their destination.

There they were, at the front of the most deserted place on their street, The Dump!

"We're here?" he managed to say, looking perplexed by the sight.

They had left the loft at a bit after 11 PM in the night and had walked for not even up to five minutes. They lived at Adele street, a place at the edge of Lagos island, adjacent to the 3rd Mainland Bridge.

It was a good place as they had their rooms, and the house belonged to them, unlike the case of most who lived in the area, generally regarded as the slums.

Since most people around weren't as privileged as they were, Tenny had no problems with their home. Except one...the smell!

Adele street generated a strange smell that came and went as it pleased.

Nobody knew the source, and it was said that the smell only got stronger and stronger as time went by. When they had moved the house 9 years ago, the horrible stench was hardly noticeable, but over the years it began to get worse and worse.

Like rotting tomatoes, spoilt eggs, and sour milk, with a tinge of locust beans, the sickening odor would often make everyone gasp with irritation until it went away.

The two siblings had wanted to relocate several times and had even begged their mom for it, but she insisted they stayed, for no other reason except;

"Because I said so!"

And so they had long given up on that venture.

The Dump, where they currently stood, was where everyone's refuse, waste products, and used stationeries were kept.

While some suspected the strange smell emanated from there, even after the Waste Disposal Corps arrived in their massive vehicle to take the junk away, it didn't stall the horrible stench from paying its usual visit.

The Waste Group usually arrived very early in the morning every day, or sometimes in a few cases with an interval of a day or more.

As the confused boy stared at the pile of refuse, regulated by automated machinery to halt the propagation of pests in the underdeveloped area, he couldn't help but ask himself several times in confusion;

'This is our destination...?!'

Michael's chuckle snapped Tenny out of his dumfounded state.

"Did you expect some grand adventure or something? It's too soon for that. This should suffice" Michael retorted.

The Waste Disposal men had not come in two days, and so The Dump reeked and was even more repulsive than normal.

"Why here of all places?" Tenny thought to himself.

Suddenly, Michael passed the fence separating the streets from the Dump and started looking around the area, pulling away garbage cans and polythene bags filled with trash.

The smell didn't seem to bother him as he swiftly handled the waste in a particular area in search of something.

It was disgusting, to say the least. Tenny just stood in confusion wondering what their purpose in such a place was.

'What the hell is he doing?!'

After an unbearable few seconds of curiosity, he finally spoke up.

"What are you looking for? How are we supposed to find answers here that would possibly satiate my questions?" Tenny asked, asperated.

Michael stopped and looked to his oblivious brother, smiled, and said;

"You'll see."