~Ebony Unknown~

The lounge was a large and extravagantly decorated room, no surprise there. Ebony was a bit worried about how quickly all the luxury was becoming commonplace, and what it would mean for the group of Hunters being thrown head first into it. She knew there would be some, like Stryke Russell, who'd assume their sudden change of fortune was nothing short of what they deserved in life. Then there'd be those like Faye, who probably wouldn't notice much of a difference either way. Ebony had already caught Denae practically salivating over the opulence, not to mention Lucas and William gallivanting back and forth like rampaging beasts without a care for the peace of others.

As if they were summoned by her thoughts, Denae, Lucas, and William burst into the lounge. Whatever conversation they'd had cut short the moment they registered the silent atmosphere, and the trio quickly scattered and took seats on the variety of sofas and chairs that littered the room. Ebony shied back when Denae threw himself onto a settee not far from where she was perched on a nest of pillows, her black-feathered wings instinctively drawing tighter around her slender form.

A moment passed and her brilliant green eyes were drawn back to the man standing in the center of the room with his arms folded over his chest. Just like yesterday he was wearing a scarlet and gold tunic, though Ebony couldn't help but notice that the filigree was slightly different than before. He'd brought them all here for a reason, but so far not a single word had passed his lips. Eventually the quiet had rubbed off on everyone else as well, especially once they'd noticed the collection of guards that ringed the edge of the circular chamber.

"Is everyone here?"

Ebony almost startled when the man spoke. He'd been quiet for so long that she almost didn't recognize his voice. After sharing a few vague hints about their fates back in the facility, he'd left and hadn't returned. The task of bringing all the Hunters to their new residence had been one left to the servants and a fleet of boxy black vehicles that had offered them no view of the outside world. Now he was back, hopefully with more answers than last time.

"Yes." One of the guards answered when none of the Hunters spoke up, a burly man standing near the exit with a deep frown engraved onto his face.

"Perfect!" The man clapped his hands together, his grave demeanor melting away so suddenly it left Ebony reeling. "Welcome, Hunters! My name is Xavier Thorne. Given your isolated upbringing, you won't know me, but I am the Councillor in charge of everything related to the media. Thus, I'll be the one you'll be dealing with the most for the foreseeable future. I'll also be overseeing your assimilation into an environment better suited to normal people."

There it was. A slight, practically imperceptible curl of the lip and a flicker of distaste in the Councillor's eyes spoke volumes about his thoughts. Ebony didn't need to be a mind reader like Dawson to know what the man was thinking. 

She dipped her head, allowing a curtain of jet-black hair to hide her face, which was rapidly turning crimson under the heat of her anger. Normal people. What did that make them, then? Something to be feared, looked down upon, marginalized for something they couldn't control? Didn't people understand that they were still human, despite their abnormalities?

Ebony inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself before anyone noticed and wondered. Getting on the wrong side of a Councillor would be a spectacularly bad way to start the day, which meant she had to plaster on a fake smile and pretend she was fine. Pretend that she didn't notice the way Xavier looked down his nose at them all like they were nothing more than bothersome irritations.

"The change will be difficult for many of you, I'm sure, but I'll do my best to help you adjust to your new lives. I'll make stars of you in no time!" Xavier seemed incredibly excited by the prospect, but Ebony couldn't help the sensation of dread that washed over her.

Back in the facility, their mentors and guardians had never straight-up told them what their future held, but she had pieced together a vague idea over the years through a multitude of overhead conversations, hints, and inferences. The training they'd received to hone their abilities and physical prowess was normally focused on fighting, on using their skills to gain the upper hand and defeat foes in combat. Not to mention all the lessons the Hunters had had to sit through, memorizing the geography of the world below their floating city from the most recent maps they could get their hands on. Unfortunately for that particular endeavor, the "most recent" was dated to before the Calamity all those centuries ago.

Either way, Ebony had a pretty good idea of what was in store for them, and all this talk of celebrities and stardom, not to mention Xavier's role with the media, were the missing pieces she'd needed. She listened as the man continued to speak, her breath held in anticipation. Was her assumption right? Or was she simply reading too much into nothing?

"You never knew it, but your whole lives have been structured around this goal. The Council saw your potential when you were young, saw an opportunity to make something great out of each and every one of you. Now is your chance to make our vision a reality. Accept the great things we are offering you and become the stars of Vivifica." Xavier's face split into a wide smile, but this time it actually reached his eyes. Ebony realized that his new expression only made her even more wary of him. "There will be risk involved, of course, but it's nothing your years of training haven't equipped you to handle."

The assembled Hunters were silent for a moment, many of them exchanging loaded glances with each other. Ebony kept her head down, not wanting to betray her volatile emotions. Finally Azylia Wyrmblood spoke up from the back of the room. "So...what exactly are we going to be doing?"

The Councillor offered a nod of acknowledgement in her direction. "I'm glad you asked. For many, many years, no one has set foot on the Earth." Ebony could hear several people gasp as they realized what Xavier was getting at. In comparison, she let out a gust of breath as he confirmed her guess. "Soon, that will change. You have been taught everything we know about the world below, alongside the necessary survival tactics needed to survive in the wilderness for any given time and the combat lessons to fight off anything that might cause you harm-"

"Aren't there monsters down there now?" Ebony regretted the words the moment they left her mouth and Xavier turned his hard gaze on her. 

"Yes. Our studies have indicated that there are, in fact, monsters on the Earth's surface. Your willingness to fight them will protect Vivifica for years to come." 

Several Hunters made sounds of protest at Xavier's assumption of their willingness, but Ebony met his eyes with what she hoped was an unreadable expression. She knew there was no getting out of this. The Councillors had made an investment, training and raising their precious "Hunters". Suddenly the nickname that the facility staff had given them when they were younger took on a whole new meaning. It wasn't a nickname at all, it was a title and a hint. One that she hadn't thought twice about before.

The monsters below were supposed to be their prey. But Ebony couldn't shake the feeling that the Councillor's wouldn't bat an eye if it turned out that the Hunters became the hunted. It would be one less abnormality for them to deal with in the end.