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damned_lounge2009-11-01 06:39 am
itstaichoutoyou.livejournal.com) wrote in damned_lounge2009-11-01 06:39 am
Entry tags:
Oktoberfest: Freedom at Last?
Title: Freedom at Last?
Author: Azure Blaze
Beta: Not enough time
Word Count: 3,013
Rating: PG-13
Character(s): Hitsugaya Toshirou-centric; cameos by Matsumoto Rangiku, Ichimaru Gin, Lockon Stratos, and Hinamori Momo
Pairing(s): None
Summary: A few weeks ago, Shirosaki Soujirou was released from Landel's Institute. Now that he has come to terms with his delusions, life is finally start to return to normal, but is he truly free?
Notes: This is small part of a much larger, ambitious piece that I thought of but wasn't able to accomplish due to real life time constrictions.
He’s having the same dream again. There’s a blizzard surging around him like the eye of the storm. Barefoot, he can feel the uneven ground beneath him. The ice is slick and jagged. One wrong step, and his feet will be shredded. He’s always liked the cold, but this weather is chilling him to the bone. It’s too much for the human body to handle. However, while standing alone in that frozen plateau, he feels something calling him. There’s no logic or reason to his gut feeling; it’s something primal and instinctive piercing straight to his heart. He doesn’t like to rely on fleeting emotions, but he knows the invitation is real.
He tries to call out, but the raging blizzard smothers his voice. Through the veil of snow, he slowly makes out a shadowy figure that resembles a gigantic beast with wings. It approaches him, and over the wind’s howling, he can hear the flap of wings and ice crunching. Trepidation and anxiety get caught in his throat as the beast reveals its true self to him. It is a blue serpentine dragon with large bat-like wings staring down at him with crimson eyes. The creature’s majesty takes his breath away and fear paralyzes his body. Its wings spread, and the creature roars. Nature responds, acting as the dragon’s fangs and claws. The last thing he sees is an avalanche crashing down on him.
* * *
“Ah!” Soujirou screamed as he jumped up in his bed. His bed sheet was involuntarily flung away as if it were some offensive piece of trash. His body is covered with sweat, causing his thin t-shirt to stick to his skin. The only sounds in his room were his labored breathing and the beeping from his alarm clock.
“Another stupid nightmare…”
After calming down, Soujirou made his way to bathroom, so he could freshen up. His meds sat on the sink’s edge – a constant reminder of his time at Landel’s Institute for the mentally insane. Although he couldn’t recall his time spent in the Institute, the doctors told Soujirou that he had assumed the identity of Hitsugaya Toshirou – some otherworldly being that fought with ghosts. If they weren’t so serious, he would have laughed at the idea. He could hardly believe that he had such an extravagant delusion, but it was the truth.
As the pills sat in his hand, he was overcome with a sense of wrongness. He shouldn’t take them. He needs to take them. These two conflicting emotions were at war within his gut causing him to feel nauseous. In the end, it was actually an easy decision. He just needed to way pros and cons. If he didn’t keep taking his meds, there was a chance he could wind up back in the Institute again, and he really didn’t want to go back there. It was more than just being cooped up in there with the other freaks. He was genuinely afraid of that place, but he couldn’t put his finger on why.
* * *
I.R.I.S.:
Subject #7046
Status – Active
Camera Status: #612 – 674 are operational. #675 – 678 require maintenance.
Observation Note – Subject #7046 seems to be having recurring dreams of his past. After a mental dive, Agent Smith has determined that the subject’s supernatural powers are interfering with the brainwashing.
Recommendation – Subject needs to be reconditioned. A recall order has been issued.
* * *
Entering the kitchen, Soujirou could hear his grandmother cooking breakfast. The sizzling scent of bacon and eggs wafted over to him as he pulled up a wooden stool to sit at the kitchen counter. He was really thankful for his grandmother taking him in. His “loving” parents couldn’t be bothered to pick him up from the Institute and had arranged for his grandmother to take care of him. That was perfectly fine with Soujirou. For as long as he could remember, his most vivid image of his parents had been their backs. His father and mother were always away on business, and his mental breakdown seemed just like the excuse they needed to hand him off to a relative.
His grandmother’s house may have been old, but it had a warm feeling to it. He could recall the he naps he had taken on the worn out, green sofa as a kid. The shows on television didn’t really interest him, but he always made time when his grandmother invited him to take a break and sit down with her. This was his home, not the four-story house that his parents hardly lived in.
“Good morning, Soujirou,” his grandmother said. The wrinkles on her face furrowed as she mustered up a kind smile for her grandson.
Because he felt close to her, Soujirou normally let down his guard in private, so even though smiling wasn’t really his thing, he returned the gesture. “Morning Grandmother.”
Breakfast was a quiet affair. Both Soujirou and his grandmother liked the silence. When they were done, his grandmother inquired what he planned to do.
“It’s a beautiful Saturday morning. What are you going to do, Soujirou?”
If it were anyone besides his grandmother, Soujirou probably would’ve brushed them off with some half-assed excuse.
“I don’t know. I didn’t really make any plans,” he replied and then took a sip of his green tea. Soujirou was fully content to stay at home and catch up on some more studying. He didn’t really have a social life, not that he really cared.
“What about Jehna?”
“Jehana?” Soujirou rolled the name over in his mind. His bed-wetting childhood friend was probably still pining for her upper classman. What was his name again? Aizen? “I haven’t seen much of her since she entered high school.”
“Oh that’s a shame…”
Yeah, it was, but Soujirou wasn’t going to go out of his way to see her. If their friendship meant so little to her that she would ignore him just to chase after some crush then maybe it wasn’t worth it. Admittedly, he could have called her up or visited her house, which he had done twice, but each time he called, she was out or unavailable. Any returned calls were made with promises that were eventually left unfulfilled, and Soujirou learned not to hope for much from her. Jehna was a social butterfly, deeply involved with her classmates and school activities, and she probably had more interesting stuff to do than hang out with her childhood friend.
Seeing the disappointment on his grandmother’s face, Soujirou decided a little white lie wouldn’t hurt. “I guess I could swing by Jehna’s house.”
His grandmother’s face lit up at his words. She always had a soft spot for Jehna. She’d watched over the two of them when they were both just little grubs. “That sounds like a good idea. Oh, I know. Why don’t you take some food over?”
“It’s okay. I can pick up some candy on the way,” Soujirou said on his way out.
* * *
I.R.I.S.:
Subject #7046 is leaving his assigned residence. A break from normal operating procedures requires scrutiny. Initiating a status change from green to yellow alert. Dispatch agents immediately.
* * *
While walking through the streets of Doyleton, Soujirou was reminded of what a small town the place was. If he had to estimate, he’d say there were less than a thousand people living there, or at least that’s what it felt like, since he could name over half the people there.
There was Tam Scotch over by a car, writing some poor sap a parking ticket. Dumbass should’ve known better than to forget to pay the meter on the Sheriff’s watch. Soujirou rather liked the bearded man. He’d come to Soujirou’s aid once when some older kids were bothering him, and Soujirou definitely wouldn’t forget it. Being the town genius with an IQ off the charts had earned him his fair of adolescent enemies. His early acceptance to several Ivy League colleges only furthered his reputation. Whether his peers were jealous or just freaked out by the silver haired prodigy, he had no clue, nor did he really care to know what went on in the minds of bullies and bigots.
Giving a friendly wave to the kind Sheriff, Soujirou made his way down Bohr Street and turned right on Main. Since he had told his grandmother he would visit Jehna, he would eventually get around to doing it. Picking up candy was just an excuse to delay the inevitable encounter. He should have called her before he left the house because cell phone reception was almost non-existent in Doyleton.
As he made his way to the grocer’s, a familiar face exited the front.
“Hey Souji!” called Aaron Callahan, a jovial man who had a soft spot for the kids. The problem was that even though he was only thirteen years old Soujirou didn’t like being thought of as a kid, nor did he appreciate the nickname the older man had given him.
“Hey Mr. Callahan,” he replied in a less than cheerful mood.
“Here boy, have some candy,” the older man said, pulling some cheap candy out from his jacket pocket. It was like the man thought every teenager’s problem could be solved with a Hershey.
Soujirou shook his head. If he was visiting a friend’s house, he should at least have the decency to buy some better and more expensive candy. “That’s okay Mr. Callahan. I was gonna go buy some stuff from the store.”
“Oh, what’s the occasion?”
He didn’t really want to say, because it was none of Aaron’s business, but Soujirou was old fashioned. Respecting his elders was one of his philosophies.
“I’m going over to a friend’s house,” he grudgingly admitted.
“Your girlfriend?”
“What? NO!” Soujirou’s face turned several shades of scarlet as he imagined being in a romantic relationship with Jehna. He didn’t even think of her that way.
“Haha! I’m just pullin’ your tail bud.” Aaron gave a hearty laugh and moved out of Soujirou’s way.
* * *
I.R.I.S.:
Redirecting resources to Sector 11.
* * *
Soujirou finished his business at Callahan’s Grocer as quick as he could lest Aaron make another joke at his expense. Aaron usually watched his mouth around the kids, but once in awhile, he’d let his more colorful language that was usually reserved for the adults slip.
While carrying his bag of groceries, his breast pocket suddenly started to vibrate. Taking his cell phone out, Soujirou flipped it open and looked at the screen. He didn’t recognize the number, but he decided to take the call anyways, just in case.
“Toshirou…” said the unknown but feminine voice.
He stopped in the middle of the street. The only people who knew of his delusions were his parents, grandmother, doctor, and him. Out of those five, only his doctor and he knew the specific details. His doctor was male, so who the hell was on the other end of his phone.
“Sorry, you’ve got the wrong number,” Soujirou said, fully intending to hang up his phone until he heard the desperation in her voice.
“No! Toshirou, look you have to listen to me. Agents are on their way to your location. You have to get out of there!”
“What are you babbling about…” asked Soujirou, but the question died on his lips as he saw a pair dressed in black business suits and matching sunglasses exit a non-descript van. This was like a scene from a bad spy movie, but the fact that it was taking place in real life made it more like a horror story.
“Toshirou? Toshirou?” the voice on the other end of his cell called out to him, but it felt like miles away.
Soujirou numbly stared as the suits walked towards him, and his apprehension grew with each step. The woman had orange hair and large bust, while her partner had white hair with a fox-like face, and somehow they both seemed familiar to him. The image of the woman in a black kimono with a katana filtered through his mind like fleeting grains of sand, but he couldn’t hold onto it. When he finally got the bright idea to run, they were already four meters away.
“Shirosaki Soujirou…” spoke the woman. He couldn’t tell if she was asking a question or making a statement, but then she continued on. “It’s time for your treatment. Doctor Landel has a special place for you.”
A shudder ran down his spine. Wasn’t Martin Landel dead in an accident two weeks ago? This woman wasn’t making any sense. He didn’t know who he should listen too, but his gut was telling him that he needed to get somewhere safe. Suddenly, the voice on the other end of the phone ripped him from his musings.
“Toshirou, go to the back of the auto shop! Hurry!”
The time for thinking was over; now was the time for action. Feeling like an escaped convict, he bolted down the corner, heading towards the Monkey Wrench Auto Repair shop. The duo chased after him. Down the alley, Soujirou knocked a trash can over, hoping to impede their progress by a little bit, even a fraction of a second would be welcome. Unfortunately, the woman leapt over it with feline reflexes, and the man kicked the trashcan like it was a soccer ball. This was bad. Soujirou was reasonably athletic, but his physique left much to be desired, and his pursuers were full grown adults. The difference was obvious as they quickly began to gain on him.
Terror filled his veins as he turned another corner and burst onto North Street. He needed something, anything to slow his pursuers down. His eyes desperately search for something he could use for a distraction, but then there was a tug on his collar, and the next thing he knew, he was lying with his back on the ground and gasping for breath.
The fox-like man stood over him. “That wasn’t very smart Soujirou-kun. You’re supposed to be a genius aren’t you? You must have known how this would end.”
Sweat poured down the teen’s forehead as the older man tapped a cool piece of metal against Soujirou’s temple. If he had to guess, he’d say it was some sort of knife, probably a switchblade.
“Gin,” called the woman. “He wants the boy intact.”
The fox lazily looked up from his prey to his partner. “Now why do you have to go and spoil my fun like that Ran-chan?”
Suddenly, violent thoughts and fighting techniques that didn’t belong to Soujirou filtered through his mind. On seemingly pure reflex his body sprung into action. Using the momentary distraction, Soujirou drove his foot into the man’s groin. An uncharacteristically painful expression crossed the man’s face as his face contorted, veins stretched his skin like rivers on a map, and his eyes burst until they looked like they were about to explode. Soujirou didn’t take the time to savor his victory. He grabbed the man’s knife and threw it at the woman, gouging her knee. She fell down and tended to her knee, wrenching the blade out. Scrambling to his feet, the teen ran towards his objective.
He didn’t know what was what anymore. He just knew he had to get to the auto shop. As soon as he saw the owner, Soujirou breathed a sigh of relief.
“What’s wrong Soujirou?”
“Mr. Wilder, you’ve gotta call the Sheriff! There are these people after me, and I…”
“Whoa, hold on there kiddo. Why don’t you calm down and tell me what happened,” said Joseph Wilder as he put a comforting hand on the kid. He knew Soujirou was a good kid, and that he wouldn’t make shit like this up, so he listened to him carefully.
Taking deep breaths, Soujirou calmed himself and looked back just to make sure the suits weren’t following him.
“Okay, I…”
Suddenly, Mr. Wilder’s comforting grip became a painful vice, and when Soujirou looked at him, he was horrified. Joseph Wilder’s face was contorted in a painful scream, and his image was blurred. However, the true horror came when Joseph fell silent, and his image stopped shaking. In his place was the fox-like man from earlier. That was impossible. Where had Mr. Wilder gone?
“Hello again, Soujirou-kun,” said Gin. “When are you going to learn? You’ve been a really naughty boy.”
As Gin’s switchblade drew blood from Soujirou’s face, the boy began to lose hope until a loud sound rang out.
* * *
From a rooftop across the street, Lockon Stratos laid with a clear view of North Street. He ejected a bullet from his illegally obtained sniper rifle, the barrel still smoking. “He’s all yours Vice-Captain.”
* * *
I.R.I.S.:
Agent G requesting a respawn... Priority request... Processing...
* * *
Soujirou stood in stunned silence as Gin fell over. Blood spewing out of the side of the man’s skull like a fountain. The sound of screeching tires drew his eyes towards the back street, and a sedan skidded to a halt. The back door popped open, and a young woman emerged.
“Jehna?”
“No, it’s Hinamori,” she said with sad eyes. “They really messed with your mind Shirou-chan. It’s my fault I didn’t rescue you that night.”
She took a step forward, and Soujirou took a step back. Hinamori paused.
“Shirou-chan, you need to come with me.”
“Jehna… What’s going on? Who are those people in suits?”
“I’ll answer all your questions, but we need to go now.”
Another shot rang out, pointedly reminding them of the urgency.
“What about my grandmother?” Soujirou couldn’t leave her behind. What if the suits came after her?
“She’s not your grandmother Toshirou,” Hinamori replied with steel in her mannerisms. How dare the Institute violate their memory of a kind old woman? There were plenty of things the Institute had done that was unforgiveable, and this was just the tip of the iceberg.
Soujirou’s mouth ran dry. He didn’t understand anything. Why was Jehna calling him Toshirou? How did she know about his delusions? But were they really delusions? He watched his childhood friend stretch her hand out towards him. What should he do?
To be continued…
Author: Azure Blaze
Beta: Not enough time
Word Count: 3,013
Rating: PG-13
Character(s): Hitsugaya Toshirou-centric; cameos by Matsumoto Rangiku, Ichimaru Gin, Lockon Stratos, and Hinamori Momo
Pairing(s): None
Summary: A few weeks ago, Shirosaki Soujirou was released from Landel's Institute. Now that he has come to terms with his delusions, life is finally start to return to normal, but is he truly free?
Notes: This is small part of a much larger, ambitious piece that I thought of but wasn't able to accomplish due to real life time constrictions.
He’s having the same dream again. There’s a blizzard surging around him like the eye of the storm. Barefoot, he can feel the uneven ground beneath him. The ice is slick and jagged. One wrong step, and his feet will be shredded. He’s always liked the cold, but this weather is chilling him to the bone. It’s too much for the human body to handle. However, while standing alone in that frozen plateau, he feels something calling him. There’s no logic or reason to his gut feeling; it’s something primal and instinctive piercing straight to his heart. He doesn’t like to rely on fleeting emotions, but he knows the invitation is real.
He tries to call out, but the raging blizzard smothers his voice. Through the veil of snow, he slowly makes out a shadowy figure that resembles a gigantic beast with wings. It approaches him, and over the wind’s howling, he can hear the flap of wings and ice crunching. Trepidation and anxiety get caught in his throat as the beast reveals its true self to him. It is a blue serpentine dragon with large bat-like wings staring down at him with crimson eyes. The creature’s majesty takes his breath away and fear paralyzes his body. Its wings spread, and the creature roars. Nature responds, acting as the dragon’s fangs and claws. The last thing he sees is an avalanche crashing down on him.
* * *
“Ah!” Soujirou screamed as he jumped up in his bed. His bed sheet was involuntarily flung away as if it were some offensive piece of trash. His body is covered with sweat, causing his thin t-shirt to stick to his skin. The only sounds in his room were his labored breathing and the beeping from his alarm clock.
“Another stupid nightmare…”
After calming down, Soujirou made his way to bathroom, so he could freshen up. His meds sat on the sink’s edge – a constant reminder of his time at Landel’s Institute for the mentally insane. Although he couldn’t recall his time spent in the Institute, the doctors told Soujirou that he had assumed the identity of Hitsugaya Toshirou – some otherworldly being that fought with ghosts. If they weren’t so serious, he would have laughed at the idea. He could hardly believe that he had such an extravagant delusion, but it was the truth.
As the pills sat in his hand, he was overcome with a sense of wrongness. He shouldn’t take them. He needs to take them. These two conflicting emotions were at war within his gut causing him to feel nauseous. In the end, it was actually an easy decision. He just needed to way pros and cons. If he didn’t keep taking his meds, there was a chance he could wind up back in the Institute again, and he really didn’t want to go back there. It was more than just being cooped up in there with the other freaks. He was genuinely afraid of that place, but he couldn’t put his finger on why.
* * *
I.R.I.S.:
Subject #7046
Status – Active
Camera Status: #612 – 674 are operational. #675 – 678 require maintenance.
Observation Note – Subject #7046 seems to be having recurring dreams of his past. After a mental dive, Agent Smith has determined that the subject’s supernatural powers are interfering with the brainwashing.
Recommendation – Subject needs to be reconditioned. A recall order has been issued.
* * *
Entering the kitchen, Soujirou could hear his grandmother cooking breakfast. The sizzling scent of bacon and eggs wafted over to him as he pulled up a wooden stool to sit at the kitchen counter. He was really thankful for his grandmother taking him in. His “loving” parents couldn’t be bothered to pick him up from the Institute and had arranged for his grandmother to take care of him. That was perfectly fine with Soujirou. For as long as he could remember, his most vivid image of his parents had been their backs. His father and mother were always away on business, and his mental breakdown seemed just like the excuse they needed to hand him off to a relative.
His grandmother’s house may have been old, but it had a warm feeling to it. He could recall the he naps he had taken on the worn out, green sofa as a kid. The shows on television didn’t really interest him, but he always made time when his grandmother invited him to take a break and sit down with her. This was his home, not the four-story house that his parents hardly lived in.
“Good morning, Soujirou,” his grandmother said. The wrinkles on her face furrowed as she mustered up a kind smile for her grandson.
Because he felt close to her, Soujirou normally let down his guard in private, so even though smiling wasn’t really his thing, he returned the gesture. “Morning Grandmother.”
Breakfast was a quiet affair. Both Soujirou and his grandmother liked the silence. When they were done, his grandmother inquired what he planned to do.
“It’s a beautiful Saturday morning. What are you going to do, Soujirou?”
If it were anyone besides his grandmother, Soujirou probably would’ve brushed them off with some half-assed excuse.
“I don’t know. I didn’t really make any plans,” he replied and then took a sip of his green tea. Soujirou was fully content to stay at home and catch up on some more studying. He didn’t really have a social life, not that he really cared.
“What about Jehna?”
“Jehana?” Soujirou rolled the name over in his mind. His bed-wetting childhood friend was probably still pining for her upper classman. What was his name again? Aizen? “I haven’t seen much of her since she entered high school.”
“Oh that’s a shame…”
Yeah, it was, but Soujirou wasn’t going to go out of his way to see her. If their friendship meant so little to her that she would ignore him just to chase after some crush then maybe it wasn’t worth it. Admittedly, he could have called her up or visited her house, which he had done twice, but each time he called, she was out or unavailable. Any returned calls were made with promises that were eventually left unfulfilled, and Soujirou learned not to hope for much from her. Jehna was a social butterfly, deeply involved with her classmates and school activities, and she probably had more interesting stuff to do than hang out with her childhood friend.
Seeing the disappointment on his grandmother’s face, Soujirou decided a little white lie wouldn’t hurt. “I guess I could swing by Jehna’s house.”
His grandmother’s face lit up at his words. She always had a soft spot for Jehna. She’d watched over the two of them when they were both just little grubs. “That sounds like a good idea. Oh, I know. Why don’t you take some food over?”
“It’s okay. I can pick up some candy on the way,” Soujirou said on his way out.
* * *
I.R.I.S.:
Subject #7046 is leaving his assigned residence. A break from normal operating procedures requires scrutiny. Initiating a status change from green to yellow alert. Dispatch agents immediately.
* * *
While walking through the streets of Doyleton, Soujirou was reminded of what a small town the place was. If he had to estimate, he’d say there were less than a thousand people living there, or at least that’s what it felt like, since he could name over half the people there.
There was Tam Scotch over by a car, writing some poor sap a parking ticket. Dumbass should’ve known better than to forget to pay the meter on the Sheriff’s watch. Soujirou rather liked the bearded man. He’d come to Soujirou’s aid once when some older kids were bothering him, and Soujirou definitely wouldn’t forget it. Being the town genius with an IQ off the charts had earned him his fair of adolescent enemies. His early acceptance to several Ivy League colleges only furthered his reputation. Whether his peers were jealous or just freaked out by the silver haired prodigy, he had no clue, nor did he really care to know what went on in the minds of bullies and bigots.
Giving a friendly wave to the kind Sheriff, Soujirou made his way down Bohr Street and turned right on Main. Since he had told his grandmother he would visit Jehna, he would eventually get around to doing it. Picking up candy was just an excuse to delay the inevitable encounter. He should have called her before he left the house because cell phone reception was almost non-existent in Doyleton.
As he made his way to the grocer’s, a familiar face exited the front.
“Hey Souji!” called Aaron Callahan, a jovial man who had a soft spot for the kids. The problem was that even though he was only thirteen years old Soujirou didn’t like being thought of as a kid, nor did he appreciate the nickname the older man had given him.
“Hey Mr. Callahan,” he replied in a less than cheerful mood.
“Here boy, have some candy,” the older man said, pulling some cheap candy out from his jacket pocket. It was like the man thought every teenager’s problem could be solved with a Hershey.
Soujirou shook his head. If he was visiting a friend’s house, he should at least have the decency to buy some better and more expensive candy. “That’s okay Mr. Callahan. I was gonna go buy some stuff from the store.”
“Oh, what’s the occasion?”
He didn’t really want to say, because it was none of Aaron’s business, but Soujirou was old fashioned. Respecting his elders was one of his philosophies.
“I’m going over to a friend’s house,” he grudgingly admitted.
“Your girlfriend?”
“What? NO!” Soujirou’s face turned several shades of scarlet as he imagined being in a romantic relationship with Jehna. He didn’t even think of her that way.
“Haha! I’m just pullin’ your tail bud.” Aaron gave a hearty laugh and moved out of Soujirou’s way.
* * *
I.R.I.S.:
Redirecting resources to Sector 11.
* * *
Soujirou finished his business at Callahan’s Grocer as quick as he could lest Aaron make another joke at his expense. Aaron usually watched his mouth around the kids, but once in awhile, he’d let his more colorful language that was usually reserved for the adults slip.
While carrying his bag of groceries, his breast pocket suddenly started to vibrate. Taking his cell phone out, Soujirou flipped it open and looked at the screen. He didn’t recognize the number, but he decided to take the call anyways, just in case.
“Toshirou…” said the unknown but feminine voice.
He stopped in the middle of the street. The only people who knew of his delusions were his parents, grandmother, doctor, and him. Out of those five, only his doctor and he knew the specific details. His doctor was male, so who the hell was on the other end of his phone.
“Sorry, you’ve got the wrong number,” Soujirou said, fully intending to hang up his phone until he heard the desperation in her voice.
“No! Toshirou, look you have to listen to me. Agents are on their way to your location. You have to get out of there!”
“What are you babbling about…” asked Soujirou, but the question died on his lips as he saw a pair dressed in black business suits and matching sunglasses exit a non-descript van. This was like a scene from a bad spy movie, but the fact that it was taking place in real life made it more like a horror story.
“Toshirou? Toshirou?” the voice on the other end of his cell called out to him, but it felt like miles away.
Soujirou numbly stared as the suits walked towards him, and his apprehension grew with each step. The woman had orange hair and large bust, while her partner had white hair with a fox-like face, and somehow they both seemed familiar to him. The image of the woman in a black kimono with a katana filtered through his mind like fleeting grains of sand, but he couldn’t hold onto it. When he finally got the bright idea to run, they were already four meters away.
“Shirosaki Soujirou…” spoke the woman. He couldn’t tell if she was asking a question or making a statement, but then she continued on. “It’s time for your treatment. Doctor Landel has a special place for you.”
A shudder ran down his spine. Wasn’t Martin Landel dead in an accident two weeks ago? This woman wasn’t making any sense. He didn’t know who he should listen too, but his gut was telling him that he needed to get somewhere safe. Suddenly, the voice on the other end of the phone ripped him from his musings.
“Toshirou, go to the back of the auto shop! Hurry!”
The time for thinking was over; now was the time for action. Feeling like an escaped convict, he bolted down the corner, heading towards the Monkey Wrench Auto Repair shop. The duo chased after him. Down the alley, Soujirou knocked a trash can over, hoping to impede their progress by a little bit, even a fraction of a second would be welcome. Unfortunately, the woman leapt over it with feline reflexes, and the man kicked the trashcan like it was a soccer ball. This was bad. Soujirou was reasonably athletic, but his physique left much to be desired, and his pursuers were full grown adults. The difference was obvious as they quickly began to gain on him.
Terror filled his veins as he turned another corner and burst onto North Street. He needed something, anything to slow his pursuers down. His eyes desperately search for something he could use for a distraction, but then there was a tug on his collar, and the next thing he knew, he was lying with his back on the ground and gasping for breath.
The fox-like man stood over him. “That wasn’t very smart Soujirou-kun. You’re supposed to be a genius aren’t you? You must have known how this would end.”
Sweat poured down the teen’s forehead as the older man tapped a cool piece of metal against Soujirou’s temple. If he had to guess, he’d say it was some sort of knife, probably a switchblade.
“Gin,” called the woman. “He wants the boy intact.”
The fox lazily looked up from his prey to his partner. “Now why do you have to go and spoil my fun like that Ran-chan?”
Suddenly, violent thoughts and fighting techniques that didn’t belong to Soujirou filtered through his mind. On seemingly pure reflex his body sprung into action. Using the momentary distraction, Soujirou drove his foot into the man’s groin. An uncharacteristically painful expression crossed the man’s face as his face contorted, veins stretched his skin like rivers on a map, and his eyes burst until they looked like they were about to explode. Soujirou didn’t take the time to savor his victory. He grabbed the man’s knife and threw it at the woman, gouging her knee. She fell down and tended to her knee, wrenching the blade out. Scrambling to his feet, the teen ran towards his objective.
He didn’t know what was what anymore. He just knew he had to get to the auto shop. As soon as he saw the owner, Soujirou breathed a sigh of relief.
“What’s wrong Soujirou?”
“Mr. Wilder, you’ve gotta call the Sheriff! There are these people after me, and I…”
“Whoa, hold on there kiddo. Why don’t you calm down and tell me what happened,” said Joseph Wilder as he put a comforting hand on the kid. He knew Soujirou was a good kid, and that he wouldn’t make shit like this up, so he listened to him carefully.
Taking deep breaths, Soujirou calmed himself and looked back just to make sure the suits weren’t following him.
“Okay, I…”
Suddenly, Mr. Wilder’s comforting grip became a painful vice, and when Soujirou looked at him, he was horrified. Joseph Wilder’s face was contorted in a painful scream, and his image was blurred. However, the true horror came when Joseph fell silent, and his image stopped shaking. In his place was the fox-like man from earlier. That was impossible. Where had Mr. Wilder gone?
“Hello again, Soujirou-kun,” said Gin. “When are you going to learn? You’ve been a really naughty boy.”
As Gin’s switchblade drew blood from Soujirou’s face, the boy began to lose hope until a loud sound rang out.
* * *
From a rooftop across the street, Lockon Stratos laid with a clear view of North Street. He ejected a bullet from his illegally obtained sniper rifle, the barrel still smoking. “He’s all yours Vice-Captain.”
* * *
I.R.I.S.:
Agent G requesting a respawn... Priority request... Processing...
* * *
Soujirou stood in stunned silence as Gin fell over. Blood spewing out of the side of the man’s skull like a fountain. The sound of screeching tires drew his eyes towards the back street, and a sedan skidded to a halt. The back door popped open, and a young woman emerged.
“Jehna?”
“No, it’s Hinamori,” she said with sad eyes. “They really messed with your mind Shirou-chan. It’s my fault I didn’t rescue you that night.”
She took a step forward, and Soujirou took a step back. Hinamori paused.
“Shirou-chan, you need to come with me.”
“Jehna… What’s going on? Who are those people in suits?”
“I’ll answer all your questions, but we need to go now.”
Another shot rang out, pointedly reminding them of the urgency.
“What about my grandmother?” Soujirou couldn’t leave her behind. What if the suits came after her?
“She’s not your grandmother Toshirou,” Hinamori replied with steel in her mannerisms. How dare the Institute violate their memory of a kind old woman? There were plenty of things the Institute had done that was unforgiveable, and this was just the tip of the iceberg.
Soujirou’s mouth ran dry. He didn’t understand anything. Why was Jehna calling him Toshirou? How did she know about his delusions? But were they really delusions? He watched his childhood friend stretch her hand out towards him. What should he do?
To be continued…
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Thanks, I'm really glad you enjoyed it.