Bonds were meant to strengthen one another. It was like a chain that binds with another chain like a knot with a secured lock that would tighten them together. But slowly but surely, one chain will soon turn rust and their binding breaks apart. For this story is not only a story, but a history of bonds...
It was dark; so dark that he only see nothing but the void. At first, he was somewhat floating, or maybe laid on the floor of this hollowed place when his back touched a solid surface.
He felt a tremble afterwards. It wasn't the void; it was him trembling.
While he trembled, there was a boom along with voices on toe. There was not a flick of an explosion and no one else was there except himself.
A moment later, something weighed on his shoulders and his body shook back and forth. Then he realized someone was shaking him.
"Hiro! Hiro!"
The voice sounded masculine but there was a hint of familiarity along with two negative emotions; panic and concern. He searched for it but there was no one there. He still felt the person shaking his body and kept calling his name until more voices followed in pursuit.
"Hiro!"
Then he realized; he was conscious.
He wasn't looking at this total blackness, his eyes were actually closed. No wonder they kept calling him; they were trying to wake him up.
Without hesitating, he tried to lift up the lids that covered his eyes. When he barely did, he saw three people looking at him. His sight was blurry but he clearly make out of their appearances as he recognized his callers; Ban, Jin, and Arata.
Ban sighed, relieved that his friend was alright and said, "Thank god."
"You're alive!" Arata exclaimed with a grin.
Jin smiled. "Took you awhile to get unconscious."
Hiro groaned as he sat up, his hand rubbing the side of his temple and later found himself placing his back against a metal wall.
"What happen?" He asked.
"You were brainwashed until Arata saved you." Ban asnwered.
Brainwash? Then it snapped him.
The early scenes that he had gone through returned, flooding his mind like a tsunami in a disastrous storm. He was brainwashed; true but that happened to be the worst part. He remembered hurting innocent people, especially his friends and his mother. And before that he was at A-City; yes, he remembered that scene. The scene with him battling D-Legendiaz, alone. Afterwards, he was captured. He couldn't remember who were his captives, but they had done terrible things to him.
The thought of it only made him quiver silently. The two young adults and the teen saw this as they began to worry of the blunette's behavoir.
"What's wrong?" Ban asked in concern.
He wanted to tell them, though he didn't have the will to do so. Just then, he smelled something burning.
"Was there a fire?"
They looked up when a loud buzz was heard and glares of red lights darken the atmosphere of the room they were in.
"WARNING: THE TOWER IS CLOSE TO DETONATE IN AT LEAST 15 MINUTES." A monotonic voice announced. "EVERYONE MUST EVACUATE."
Jin glanced at them. "We should hurry. I saw the units left awhile ago."
Ban nodded, and took Hiro's arm and put it around his shoulder. Then he stood as Hiro did the same. Although, Hiro gritted his teeth at the stinging pain coursing through his abdomen once he stood. There was no sign of bleeding, he guessed the impact during his battle with Arata must have nearly crushing his sides.
"Let's get out of here before this place explodes!" Arata exclaimed in panic, seeing the countdown clock before them with the digits decreasing too fast.
Jin leaded the way as Arata followed with Ban and Hiro keeping up with them from behind.
They don't know what little time they have left but that was the point. Time was never a friend; it runs out without you knowing and the next thing you knew you're dead.
Dead. Hiro thought.
"So this was the tower?"
This was before he faced his friends at the tower and witnessing its destruction. He was in a lab where no one else can locate or pin point, except them.
His recently red eyes gazed at the holographic figure. The tower stood on a small island and there was initials reading thag it was located somewhere at the Atlantic Ocean.
An unknown man stood beside the slave player teen, his lips smiling as he nodded.
"Yes, it is." Another man came in view. His fingers pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose, smirking. "This tower is Mellontikos!"
"What does it do?" He asked.
The man chuckled, his hands gripping firmly on his lab coat. "Like what man ever dreamed of creating."
Hiro arched a brow, he didn't buy what he said until the other man; the first person put his hand on his shoulder.
He glanced up and saw his face. There were wrinkles visible on both of his cheeks and forehead while he smiled. He looked rather old.
"When you see its trick," He said. "You'll understand what he mean."
Then his brows furrowed. "But you must get rid of those pests first."
Hiro just stared at him, though a little surprise of his sudden change.
"The Seekers?"
"Don't forget the NICS." The scientist scoffed. "They were nothing but nuisances to our plans. And if they ever dare to try infiltrating the tower while it's progressing-"
"What happens if they infiltrate it?"
He flinched at his question.
"Hiro," he turned back to him after he called, his face looked grimace by the time he took a glance of it. "To make this tower work," he began, "we added an improved nuclear system that would effectively make better processes. A core of Mellontikos has it, and if it were to be severely damaged..."
"It'll turn into a giant nuclear bomb that would end this world."
Hiro's eyes widen. End this world?
A vision flew right into his mind as he saw the core. It was glowing crimson red and sparks of electricity came through the wires, dancing dangerously as of a flame. He recognized the area where it was located once he saw slash marks and huge black tint marks all over the place. It was where he and Arata fought with Achilles D and D-Legendiaz.
As the core glowed brighter, the vision changed as Hiro saw Earth. To his nightmares, there was a bright dome right where the sun would often rise as it swallowed the whole planet and exploded.
His vision faded as he blinked back to reality when he heard Jin calling.
"Yagami!"
He looked up and saw the former Prime Minister's Personal Intelligence standing by an active helicopter.
They ran towards him, Ban still carrying Hiro with his arm around his shoulder, they were relieved except Hiro.
"Hurry," Yagami shouted. "We have only about 10 minutes!"
Arata was escalated. "We're saved!"
No. Hiro thought.
"No we're not saved." He whispered.
Just as they ran, Ban thought something was wrong. And he hated when he was right when he felt the weight of his friend faded. He frantically turned and to his horror, he saw Hiro stood in the elevator from where they came out.
"Hiro!?"
They all turned back to the Yamano and saw Hiro.
He stood there silently, his expression was hard to describe while his head tilted down as his bangs covered his eyes. He pressed the button and the door slowly and manually closes the entrance.
Yagami and Jin's skin went pale while Arata just stood there in shock.
"Hiro!" Ban cried. "What are you doing!?"
To save you. He would say but they weren't exactly the right words.
"Tell them," His head held up, his brown eyes glowing solemnly.
He watched the door closing the gap, nearly covering the sight of his friends as a tear slid down to his chin.
He smiled. "Arigatou, sayonara."