CREDENCE ∆ Brayden

0.1

-Hayden's POV-

The red leather mask rested around my face, the rough material surely to leave an imprint around my cheekbones. I could feel sweat forming on my forehead. It was threatening to stream down my face and through the mask. Oh, the mask. The suffocatingly hot mask.

I took a deep breath, only inhaling the foul smell of sulfur and smoke. I coughed, desperate to rid of the scent. The workplace wasn't the most hygienic.

I turned my head to Taddie, who was slowly pulling the door shut. His mask was white, a symbol of lesser power. I heard the door snap shut, and Taddie ran to my side. "Are we ready?" I asked. The mask muffled my words slightly. Taddie only nodded his head.

As soon as he responded, my gloved hand moved to the lock of the container resting on the floor. I dug into my pocket, grabbed the tiny brass key, and gently placed it in the lock. It popped open, the top of the container shooting upwards. Taddie jumped back. I shot him a look of disapproval.

"This is it?" Taddie mumbled. I rolled my eyes, not allowing him to see. "Yes," I growled. "This is the key to our victory."

My eyes fell down to the box, and I glared at the contents in joy. Inside was a magnificent stone. It had craters, rocks embedded in it, and a bright yellow coating. "Beautiful, isn't it?" I remarked. Taddie only shrugged his shoulders. "I guess."

Our conversation ceased. It was so quiet, the only sound I could hear was Taddie breathing over my shoulder. The sound bothered me, and I quickly slammed the box shut. Taddie jumped back yet again, causing me to roll my eyes. "Help me move this," I order.

Without a word, Taddie ran back to my side and grabbed one corner of the box. I took hold of the other and began to lift it. I saw Taddie struggle a little with it, and it reminded me of my superiority. A small laugh escaped my lips. I had no idea how he managed to be so high in the ranks, as he continued to be utterly useless.

Taddie and I moved to the doors where our counterparts waited. The door was pushed open by Gunn, a girl just a year younger than me. She was surprisingly high in the ranks for someone of her size. "You've got the quartz?" She asked from behind her brown mask. It signified she was lesser than I in rank, but greater than Taddie. "Of course," I responded.

My counterparts and I began to move out of the building to its front. There, Charnas, a man of equal rank to me, was waiting in our vehicle. I promptly pushed the box into the backseat and made my way to the the passenger's seat.

"Is it as beautiful as they say?" Charnas questioned, his eyes slowly moving to the back. Before I could answer, Taddie did. "Truly," he said. Gunn and Taddie got into the back, and Charnas began to drive.

At this time of day the roads were almost always clear. It was midday, meaning adults were working and children were off at school. There was but one car, a white SUV a little behind us. I looked back to see another group of Scarecrows driving. They all wore plastic green masks, signifying they were new initiates.

"What time did we have to be back by?" Gunn asked. My eyes moved to the clock in the car. Four minutes until six. "By six," Taddie answered, his voice cracking. I swallowed hard. The Raven would be furious if we were late. "We're ten minutes away," Charnas added. Not even a few seconds had passed when Taddie spoke again. "Then drive faster," he said.

Charnas didn't respond. Instead, he pressed the gas pedal to the floor and tensed his arms. The acceleration caused my heart to skip a beat. "I was being sarcastic!" Taddie then shouted. Charnas chuckled to himself as Taddie balled up.

Three minutes.

Very faintly in the distance, I saw the top of Raven Tower, the tallest building in the city. It was also our place of work and where The Raven lived. "Slow down!" Taddie screamed, interrupting my thoughts. "It was your idea!" Charnas shot back. The car never slowed down.

"Calm it, Taddie," Gunn said, her soothing voice filling the car. "If we aren't there by six, the boss will probably demand we scrub the bathrooms." She was right. The Raven couldn't stand us being even a minute late. When someone was, he'd set them back a few places in the ranks or force them to complete some disgusting task.

Two minutes.

We were approaching Raven Tower quickly, and I actually thought we would make it. With no cars on the road, it was an easier task than not. Charnas sped up. The car must have been going at the maximum speed, because that was the fastest I've ever gone. The tower was now so close that I could see Scarecrows in front of it. We were almost there.

Charnas lifted his foot from the gas pedal and pressed it on the brake. If anyone saw us now, they'd assume we weren't in a rush at all. Within seconds Charnas had pulled into a parking spot on the side. I was in disbelief that we'd made it.

One minute.

"Let's get the box!" I ordered. While Gunn and Taddie scrambled from the car, Charnas was rather calm. I exited the car and walked with him to the trunk. As soon as I got there, Gunn and Taddie were already lifting the container and carrying it towards the door. I was perplexed at how fast we were all moving. I then slammed the trunk shut, Charnas locked it, and we both followed our counterparts. My eyes wandered to my watch, where I noticed it was already six.

A younger Scarecrow ran to hold the door for the four of us. I mumbled a "thank you" to the initiate, but I was sure he didn't hear me. "Where do we go?" Taddie asked, his voice shaky. "Common room," I grunted. We turned a corner, which immediately allowed us to enter the huge room. Just yards away was The Raven.

"You're right on time!" He cheered. The Raven stood up, to which he towered over the four of us. He was about 6"5, with intimidatingly muscular arms that were almost always covered by robes. "I'll have some initiates take the box to the lab," he told us. He then turned to Gunn and Taddie, who had set the container down. "You two may leave," he said. The two didn't hesitate to immediately exit the room.

I wondered what The Raven could want Charnas and I to do. My question was soon answered, as he looked down on us and glared. "I have another task for the two of you," he said. I took me a lot of will power to hold in a sigh. My heart was still racing from getting here, yet I was supposed to do something else already? Great.

Just another day in the mindless life of a Scarecrow.