PROLOGUE · 3 · "Finally!"

I just came out of a long narrow corridor, and suddenly I find myself in a huge room that looks like a school gymnasium. I have never seen it before either, but there is at least something that reassures me…
People!
“Finally!” Finally I am not alone. All around the gymnasium I see young strangers, each coming out of a black door, just like me. All looking confused and lost, just like me. I already know that they will not be of great help, but at least there is a chance we will be able to support each other… and maybe one of us will be smart enough to figure out a way to get out of here. What am I saying? I am sure everyone can help in their own way. Plus, unlike me, they might remember how they got here to begin with.
With that in mind, I start to walk towards the center of the room, hoping the others would do the same thing – but I am interrupted by a strange voice, seemingly coming from the speakers scattered around the room.
“Hey, huh… give me a second… I’m coming… in a few… minutes…” it says, and stays silent for a few seconds before adding:
“Yeah, huh… Trust me… You’re here for a reason… Yeah… Just get to know each other or some shit while you’re waiting…”
The voice stops and we find ourselves once again standing in utter silence, unsure of what to do. “Did the voice just tell us to… wait?”
After having walked for so long trying to find an exit, I’m not sure I can believe that now all I have to do is wait. I’m perfectly fine with talking to those people, but if it wants us to get to know each other… Does it mean it is planning for us to stay here? That does not sound fine at all!
“Oh and also you’re all Ultimates.”
“Like it’s gonna change anything, dipshit!”
I try to look in the direction of the voice who said that, but I don’t manage to recognize who it came from. I am so surprised I actually laugh a little – not that it was hilarious. I am just really nervous.
“Ah… Today’s youth…” the voice through the speakers says.
“I guess it’s fine… Still… All the doors are locked and I’m not letting you out… So… You should get to know each other, really… I swear I’ll come to the rescue soon…”
Listening to this unenthusiastic voice is torture, but I am too confused about this whole situation to not listen to it. “What does he mean, rescue?” I ask myself, “is it his way of saying he’ll come eventually or is he actually going to rescue us, as bummed as he sounds about it?”
We all stay silent once again for a few minutes and I start to get lost in my thoughts, thinking about everything that what this strange voice said implies, and when I look up again people have started going towards each other and talking.
“Great, now I look like the asocial one.”
And that’s my main problem. “Christ, I am stupid.” I think but I still try to go towards someone in hope of starting a conversation.
After all, what else is there to do? All we can do is wait, and when we have met the strange man we have only heard so far, we will at least have enough information to decide on what to do, or so I hope. Most importantly, I cannot stay behind while the others are getting to know each other… Who knows, maybe we might need to work together. We need to be at least a little friendly towards each other.