“I was born in a strange town,” Malcom began.
“I do not know when exactly I was born, nor do I know where I was born, all I know was that my circumstances for being there were strange.”
A faint smile came upon his face before he continued with a stoic expression.
“I faintly remember growing up in an orphanage in Atlas. From there, a selected number of kids –including myself– were, well, for lack of a better word, adopted by some people in lab coats.”
He walked across the room, but continued narrating, “From there we were taken off the mainland and dropped off on a secluded island. We were just left there… No supervision, just alone together…”
“At first, there was a general happiness: no adults, no rules –we were in paradise for a month, I believe. During that time, there were other kids, some much older than I was. I became friends with some of them, one being a boy the same age as me, by the name of Martin… We could’ve been long lost brothers in my opinion…” Malcom paused and sighed at the nostalgic times.
“This may seem like fantasy to you all, but please, bear with me. This is where things became… difficult.”
“One evening, while mostly everyone had turned in for the night, I was walking the coastline with Martin. That was when we heard strange noises coming from the camp… As we ran closer, we realized our small civilization was set on fire, there were many that were sent scrambling, dazed and confused by the chaos, and that’s when we saw them:”
“People in heavy body suits surrounded the vulnerable, while others were taken down with darts filled with some anesthesia… We were hunted like animals at that night…”
“Martin and I tried to escape but I was stuck and fell first. Martin tried to carry me to safety, but ultimately he was taken down despite his willpower…”
“When I woke up, I was in a dark cell on my own the only light coming from the moonlight above, but even that was minuscule. I could hear the sobbing of children all around me, I could only deduce that were were all prisoners to the ones who truly owned the island.”
“How could I have known what would happen next? The bars keeping us in opened and slowly, but surely, we crawled out of our cells. We found some of our friends, and huddled together for comfort, I found Martin and a few of my other close friends… but that happiness was short-lived.”
“All of a sudden a voice began speak to us; we were the galdiators, and our opponents? Each other. We were given spears, swords, and knives to defend ourselves. We were given ten minutes, and if twenty of us didn’t die, then we would all die by Beowolf.”
“… And we succeeded. I’ll spare you the details, but this process was repeated until there were only four of us left: Martin, an older teen named Kuuler, a girl named Maxine, and myself.”
“When we were done, we were sent back to our cells –alone… It was silent that night, one of the most silent nights in a week.
“Except, Martin called out to me –to all of us– with a promise: that we would stick together, no matter what lay ahead of us. All of us promised, and from that coliseum, we were taken deeper into the hidden chambers of the island.”
“Needless to say, we were bunched together with another group of people, strange people who had… different personalities, but similar powers. We were separated, and subjected to different tests for…”
“Well, hold on–” Malcom pulled off his white gloves and removed his black military coat, revealing a white tank –and a well-sculpted body if anyone was paying attention– then he removed his boots and white socks to stand on his bare feet. His arms and feet bore straight lines darker than his brown skin tone.
Malcom turned around to let his back face the crowd when suddenly, his back began to glow red in circuit-like, symmetrical lines that raced from the center of his shoulder blades all the way to his toes, the tips of his fingers, up the back of his neck along his temples and to his eyes: making his irises glow the same intensity of red.
He turned around to reveal a similar pattern along his entire torso then snapped his fingers lighting flames into his palms, he cycled through other elements afterwards: ice, and lightning, each element corresponding to the color of Dust associated before finally disappearing.
“We were all infused with a Dust Channeling System, and the process was nothing less than excruciating. Out of the select group of kids, only three of them were strong combatants, one of the best being Martin able to control five elements. Kuuler was the first controlling Haste Dust, Martin was able to control four elements, and I was able to control three.”
“Throughout those six years, Kuuler, Maxine, Martin and I were trained and tested upon almost every day, and while they were horrible to us, the researchers had enough decency to leave us alone during periods of free time and rest. Despite everything, I felt like I had a family –a place where I belonged.”
“Then, one day, I was taken out of my room to somewhere more… private. Little did I know what was going to happen to me… I was pricked with a needle, drugged and, well, the next thing I knew, I was in a different room –a white room– where a young woman who looked like a military officer from Atlas told me that I was taken from the island facility and put into safety.”
“They told me that they were there to help. They had me and I was living proof that illegal human experimentation had taken place. So the Atlas government took action, infiltrated the island and took me.”
“I agreed to guide the Atlesian forces into the base, –being a part of something for six years has its perks afterall, I knew the in’s and out’s all that was left was a force to infiltrate– and I would do this all on one condition: I fight and infiltrate with them.”
“Planning was quick. The facility would realize that I was gone and prepare to leave, but they were surrounded: the Atlesian Navy was stationed around the island. They were trapped. In my mind, this was what I needed to rescue everyone. I was promised protection by Atlas…”
“But things didn’t go as I had planned.”
Malcom sighed rubbing his scarred temples a bit to calm his headache.
“… Life has a way of forcing you to grow and move on… I can’t say that I’ve moved on from what happened next…”
“In three days time, we were ready. We infiltrated the facility, but the researchers were not going down without a fight. Many lives were saved, but not everyone…”
“In the middle of the fray, we were attacked by an armored individuals –masked and machine-like– who fired Dust to oppose us. Many of those units fell by our hands, my hands as well, but it wasn’t until one of the units crashed me into another room did I realize what exactly those armored units were.”
“… It was the kids I had toiled with. Without knowing, I had singed a hole right through one of them with my own powers… With my own hand. I removed the mask fearing the worst, but even my worst case scenario was nothing compared to who was under that mask…”
The young man turned away for a moment, clenching his own fists to suppress his emotions.
“Excuse me… I need a moment…”
“Hey, you don’t have to continue with it if you can’t sir.”
“… Now that would be very insulting to you all, wouldn’t it? You sat through my story: the beginning and middle, so you deserve an ending…” Malcom stated, a more relaxed smile than before, “You will find that our lives are much like a story. Beginning, middle, and end. However, just because one ended doesn’t mean another should…”
“It was Martin. Martin was the one under under the armor. That was the researchers’ end game: control over the weapons they had created. I learned later that the day after I was taken from the facility, that was what happened with all the kids with Integrated Dust Systems.”
“Martin… He almost died instantly… When I removed the mask, that’s when I saw him smile before his eyes closed. I had all feeling that he knew, that’s why he pulled me aside –so I can learn the truth.”
“I worked fast: alerting the Atlesian forces to stand down as I took care of the armored soldiers with my power; driven by the heat, adrenaline, and despair, I rendered the remaining armors useless… I pushed my limits limits and ended up overheating my system and passing out.”
“—and I have the scars on my body to prove it.” The leader said as he pointed to the lines on his temples, “My eyesight has also suffered, but it was a small price to pay.”
“What happened after you woke up then?” Manos raised his voice above the crowd. Everyone glanced at him, then back at Malcolm, waiting an answer.
“Did you ever meet back up with your friends.” Another student called out of nowhere.
“I… never reunited with Maxine or Kuuler. They were never found. Anyone who was experimented on… I never saw them either. I only wish they are doing their best.”
“The facility was destroyed and all research pertaining to it and, in the end. I was invited to join the Atlesian military. I was alone and had no home, so they gladly took me in as a cadet. Needless to say, I couldn’t complain either.”
“At first, I was content with my training, being with other people like me, but at the same time, they weren’t the same. -I- wasn’t the same as them. I had different plans. After two years of studying in the military, I decided to go as a Hunter because…”
Malcom paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to put his reason in the best way possible.
“I became a Hunter not only to help people, but also to feel at home again. Martin was kind and very democratic. He preferred words and freedom over arms and orders… I want to work towards that kind of idea where we –as individuals– are the definers of our own destiny and not regimented into a game for others to play.”
He turned to the students, facing them head on with no sense of underestimation in his maroon eyes.
“I made a solemn promise to Martin that I’d carry put his ideas, because I had grown to love a pursuit of happiness that he saw and beyond, that is why I’m here. It is as Professor Ozpin says, we come here seeking knowledge or a purpose, but that can only take us so far here… It is up to you –to all of us– to take the first step.”
