Gakuen Alice is completely disclaimed, rights go to the marvellous Higuchi Tachibana :D
A Matter of Time
by Koalas
CHAPTER 2
It was a cold evening, the clouds meshed together to create a dark blue-ish grey blanket, concealing the equally grey sky. A wind seeps through a window pane, producing an eerie creaking and a chilled breeze.
Wrapped in an overcoat, a teacher walks silently through a non-descript corridor of Gakuen Alice. At the other end of the corridor, one of his pupils rounds a corner, and, spotting him, they walk towards each other. As the teacher passes by his pupil, he hands him an envelope, previously concealed in the inner pocket of his coat. The only instructions he gives is, in a low voice, "When the time comes, get this to her. Make sure no-one finds it."
The teacher proceeds with his walk, without looking back at the pupil. The pupil shivers, then looks at the words scribbled on the envelope.
For Mikan…
O-O-O
Two days after the commotion in the Special Ability classroom, Mikan called on Misaki, and together they hunted down Tsubasa. They found him lazing under a tree, behind some azalea bushes. His floppy hat was pulled down over his eyes, and there was a slight rise and fall to his chest.
"There you are, Tsubasa! I was looking all over for you!" Mikan squealed.
Tsubasa lifted his hat opened his eyes to see the two young women staring down at him.
"Yeah, how come whenever I don't want you around, you're constantly there, and in the rare occasion of me actually requesting your presence, you're out sleeping somewhere?" Misaki asked, slightly teasing and slightly annoyed.
Tsubasa smirked at this, and said "So you finally admit that you want me?" He opened his mouth to gloat more, but closed it quickly when he saw Misaki's vein pop and her fist clench.
"Hey, Tsubasa! Can you come with us to the infirmary? I want to visit sensei," Mikan asked/pleaded, hands clasped together.
"Of course," Tsubasa replied happily. He got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Let's go,"
As they were about to walk off Mikan saw Hotaru step out from behind the tree.
"Hotaru! Were you there the whole time?"
"If you want to believe that." Hotaru answered cryptically, then announced her participation in the infirmary visit.
Tsubasa and Misaki shared a 'Mikan-moment' of confusion, but it was Mikan (who looked the most confused of all) that voiced their puzzlement. "But how comes, Hotaru?"
Hotaru gave a look as if it were obvious. "I don't trust this monkey, to look after you." she stated, shooting a glance at Tsubasa. Tsubasa looked hurt whilst Misaki snickered.
"Tsubasa the chimpanzee, hehehe!" Misaki mocked. Mikan joined in the laughter, and Tsubasa just stood there, unimpressed. "Yeah, yeah…" he mumbled. It took the three of them a while to realize that Hotaru had left, and they probably wouldn't have realized if she had not called back over her shoulder whilst walking up the path to the infirmary "What are you zoo animals waiting for? I don't have all day,"
O-O-O
The Colonel sighed and rapped smartly on the door. She heard someone call 'Enter!' from within and slowly opened the door and marched in. She marched up to the large, oak desk and halted, feet shoulder width apart and hands clasped behind her back.
"You ordered for me, Lieutenant. General," she said simply, without looking at the figure stood behind the desk.
The Lt. General looked at her cooly. "Colonel, how is your division coming along? Training hard, I hope." They were questions but they sounded like statements.
"Yes, Lt. General. Air Training Unit was finished early due to the untimely EOU test, Lt. General. Weaponry Unit Course begins in less than a week, Lt General." she answered plainly and seemingly undisturbed, though inside her head she was slightly puzzled. This is what my boss wanted? she thought. She found it hard to believe that the Lt. General would call her in just to deliver the current status of her division.
The Lt. General gave a curt yet satisfied nod, and said "Well, I just wanted to inform you that I'll need all divisions to speed up and intensify the difficulty of the units. But since yours are already ahead of schedule, I guess there is no need. Well done, Colonel, I'll be sure to mention your merit to the General."
The Colonel grinned inside her head and made note to do a little happy dance after this meeting was finished. But then something the Lt. General had said dawned on her.
"If I may be permitted to ask, Lt. General, what is the reason for the increase of difficulty you request of the training units?"
"Well, Colonel, I don't think now is the right time nor place to be relaying vital information to you." The Colonel still didn't look at the Lt. General, though by his tone of voice she could tell that her boss was slightly annoyed at her question. She said nothing and hoped this wouldn't affect her merit.
The Lieutenant General sat at the desk and said rudely, "Dismissed, Colonel." signifying the end of the meeting. Yep, definitely annoyed, thought the Colonel. She pivoted on her left foot to face the door, then stamped her right foot down next to it, starting her march. She knew she should soon forget about the small meeting, she had more important matters to bother about.
O-O-O
Rumours of the commotion in the Special Ability class had gotten around the Academy, and eventually, the news had reached the higher ups, the school principles. The news troubled them slightly, so they got together and decided to let Nodacchi have a few days rest. One of the principles took more of an interest in the case, however, and proposed that it would be best to keep Nodacchi in the infirmary. The other principles felt something odd, but saw nothing wrong about the suggestion, so the decision was made.
This was how Nodacchi found himself in one of the private rooms, loaded with drugs and unconscious on the steely bed. When Mikan came in and saw him like this, she immediately cried out in horror.
"Noda-sensei? Noda-sensei! Hotaru! Why isn't he responding?" Mikan rushed to his side and began to shake him. Her eyes watered as Nodacchi's head rolled backwards and forwards. "Is he…?" she gulped. Tsubasa looked a bit panicked as he responded.
"No, he's not… Mikan, he's just unconscious, see?" He tried to smile and reassure her.
Mikan looked blank. Hotaru rolled her eyes and said to her "Unconscious means sleepy-time." Mikan widened her eyes, and nodded her head. "Idiot," Hotaru added, under her breath.
Just then Misaki started, and pointed to their teacher. "Look! I think he's waking up!" They all looked at Nodacchi expectantly, and sure enough, they saw his eyelids flicker, and body stir. His eyes opened, and began searching around franticly, trying to get his bearings. Finally Nodacchi's sight rested on Mikan, crouched next to his bed, and his eyes widened. His mouth pursed and his throat bobbed, small grunting sounds coming out.
"He's… trying to speak," Hotaru said, in a softer tone than her usual one.
Mikan peered down at Nodacchi. "Sensei?" she pressed.
"Mikan…" Nodacchi winced at obvious pain of talking. "Mikan… you have to, hide…" His voice was low and raspy, like he was using his last breaths to say this.
"Hide? Hide from what, sensei?" Mikan urged.
"They've… drugged me." he drew in a shaky breath. "Can't speak f… long… Get, the env-"
Nodacchi's words were cut off by the rushing in of two large men, in hospital scrub tops. Only Hotaru noted that they weren't wearing scrub bottoms, but instead pressed, black suit trousers, with shiny black shoes. They looked at Nodacchi in alarm and then at the visitors.
"I'm sorry, kids, I'm afraid you're going to have to leave," the taller one said. "Your… sensei is sick, and needs his medication."
"And you shouldn't take notice of the things he may have said, should they be… upsetting," added the second one quickly.
Tsubasa narrowed his eyes at this. "Why shouldn't we? What's going on with him? He wasn't this ill when he was taken in,"
The two men coughed and stared steadily at Tsubasa. "He's delirious. You have to leave. Now." Tsubasa stared right back at them, his face riddled with suspicion.
Hotaru took this as a chance to study Nodacchi, who was gripping Mikan's arm tightly. Hotaru noted his desperate expression. He found her gaze and held it for a few seconds, before mouthing the word please…
Misaki gently took Tsubasa by the shoulders and steered him towards the door. "Come on, Mikan! We need to give Noda-sensei his rest," she called to the girl, who still looked shaken by Nodacchi's words.
The children slowly and reluctantly filed out of the room, Hotaru the last to leave. When she reached the doorway, she threw a final glance back at Noda, whose eyes were beginning to become glazed, and the two men, staring down at her with cold eyes and plastic smiles.
Something is undoubtedly wrong here, she thought, but I don't think I'm going to like finding out what…
O-O-O
Thanks for reading folks, and big thank you to Winterberrytrillium, for leaving a lovely review! [Side Note: Go check her out! She's amazing :D] I love Go Fish too, hehe :)
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