Chapter 47 - The Santos Twins
Millicent came forward with her hand stretched out.
"Mr. Jason. I've heard quite a lot about you from my colleagues. It's a pleasure to finally meet the man of the hour."
Jason immediately knew there was something shady about this woman.
Jason didn't know what it was about Millicent, but for some reason, he just didn't feel right when she smiled at him. It was almost plastic in a way. Like she was forcing herself to put on an act, and she had perfected the act so well that it was now impossible for anyone to notice that she was only acting. But he could tell.
Jason had always been good at reading people from their words and minute actions, and now that he was a superhuman, his ability to pick out the small actions that people made had been dialed up even higher by his enhanced senses!
The way Millicent's eyes seemed to roam his body like she was trying to appraise him and her plastic demeanor made Jason's senses go haywire. Even the Legion seemed to be weary around her for some reason, and Jason could hear his subordinates growling in a low tone at Millicent.
Jason shook Millicent's hand with as much calmness as possible and he nodded silently to her greeting.
Milicent was an emitter-type superhuman and an A-Rank as well, and while she was shaking Jason's hand, she discreetly used a little more force than normal to test just how powerful Jason was. But Jason was able to withstand her strength and apply an equal amount of pressure.
Milicent frowned internally. She knew that everyone said Jason was an A-Rank, but she just had to confirm for herself before she completely believed it. Since Milicent had been an A-Rank for far longer, she thought she would have far more strength than Jason, but from what she felt, she could tell that Jason wasn't just a low-level A-Rank. He was close to mid-level A-Rank at least!
'We have to get rid of him before he becomes any stronger. At this rate, he might reach the same level as the Five Rulers before long.'
This thought passed through Milicent's mind and she smiled to make sure no one could sense her thoughts. Milicent spoke while walking back to her table and gesturing to the chairs.
"Please, won't you have a seat?"
Jason shook his head.
"I'm in a hurry, so I won't be staying long."
Milicent nodded in understanding before she leaned against her table and spoke up.
"I heard from Liam here that you turned down an invitation to join the SMD. I know our position isn't the most exciting thing that you've ever seen, but I can assure you that joining us will be a great benefit to you and your family. We pay our members very well and there are other bonuses in place. Won't you reconsider?"
Milicent spoke with a kind voice that has never failed to reach the heart of any man before. Jason was still a teenager, even if he looked like he was older, so Milicent knew that he was more likely to be swayed by the words of a woman than that of a man. Milicent was counting on her own allure to make Jason agree to her words.
But she was surprised when she looked into Jason's eyes and saw the complete lack of reaction there. It was almost like Jason wasn't even interested in listening to what she had to say!
Milicent was a proud woman, and she had fought her way to the top of the SMD using her connections and her wit. So Jason acting so nonchalantly irritated her far more than it should have. But she remained calm and avoided reacting to him.
Jason spoke up.
"I already told Liam that I wasn't interested. I'm not a fan of following protocol."
Milicent's eyes narrowed.
"Are you expecting to break the law anytime in the future?"
Jason shrugged calmly.
"No, I'm not. But if I ever need to, I wouldn't want the SMD stopping me from doing what I need to do."
Keith's eyes narrowed from behind Jason as he heard those words, and Liam coughed into his hand to try and break the tension in the room. Liam already knew that Jason's personality would be difficult to deal with, so he wasn't bothered by what Jason said. Liam brought Jason here because he thought Milicent would be able to make him change his mind, but it seemed Jason was going to be impossible to convince.
Liam quickly spoke up.
"Miss Milicent, I believe there was something else you wanted to discuss with him. About the test that would be coming up?"
Liam quickly tried to change the topic so they would move on from Jason joining the SMD. Things were already bad enough between Jason and them; if they kept trying to make him join, then he might end up resenting them. And with how strong Jason was likely to become, it was a good idea to keep a civil relationship between him and the government.
Milicent sighed when she heard Liam changing the topic and she took his olive branch and moved on to the topic of the test. If Jason had agreed to join them, then maybe things could have been different. But with the way things were now, she was certain that they had to get rid of Jason.
"There will be a Superhuman Assessment exam next week. I'm sure you've received the text regarding the date, but it will happen inside a Red Gate. You're mandated to attend since it will help us determine what your actual Rank is. I took the liberty of arranging the examiners that will handle your test."
Liam suddenly frowned at this new piece of information and he stepped forward in surprise.
"I am only hearing about this now—"
"That's because I don't need to report anything to you. Or are you saying you have a right to know everything I decide to do in my department, Liam?"
Milicent glared at Liam and Liam closed his eyes with a sigh before stepping back. He was still frowning, but he knew that he didn't have the right to question Milicent's decisions in the SMD since she was his superior.
Milicent pressed a button on her office phone and told her secretary to send some people in.
A few seconds passed before the door opened to reveal a man and a woman. They both looked to be somewhere in their early twenties. The man had black hair and he was wearing a black shirt and trousers. He wore sunglasses even though he was indoors and there was a confident smile on his face as he strutted into the office.
The woman beside him didn't look nearly as confident. She was also wearing a black shirt and trousers, but they were loose and they looked like something you would put on to lay around and be lazy in your home. She had black hair cut into a short bob and her face was set into an impassive look that would make anyone call her an ice queen.
The woman was moving a few steps behind the man and when they entered, the man took off his sunglasses to reveal dark green eyes and smiled broadly.
"Bratza! It's a pleasure to meet you all! I am Ricardo and this is my sister, Rosa."
Now that he was no longer wearing his glasses, Jason could finally see the resemblance between the both of them. They looked almost identical, and if not for the fact that the man had sharper features compared to the woman's delicate face, Jason would have thought they were the same person.
Milicent folded her hands as she started the introductions.
"These are the Santos twins. They will serve as the examiners for your assessment, so you should get familiar with them. Ricardo, Rosa, this is Jason Marc. He is a recently awakened superhuman and the one you will watch over in the coming test."