By the time Yusaku was thirteen he'd told himself a million times to stop keeping track. That It wouldn't matter in the least if he got another year older. That nothing was ever going to change and he would never escape this place at the rate things had been going. Besides, even if he did, Yusaku figured that he wouldn't really have any clue how to speak to people that had once given him things without asking him to duel in exchange.

He hadn't had nightmares in long time- and while he liked to joke to himself that it was only because he was living in one instead- it only made living slightly more bearable. He generally went about his days with as little reminiscing as possible, it only left him depressed. In fact the only big positive in his life, and only bonus to Ghost abandoning him, was that his food trays sometimes included books after the incident. Yusaku hated to admit it, but after only having small cards of text to read for as long as he could remember, a book had given him some trouble. It didn't take him long to adjust, he was clever - could probably hack an entire system in less than a hour if given the chance.

He began to make sure to use his voice enough too, so that it didn't deteriorate like it had before he turned nine. He read to Sprout in his free time - the plant, because really what else would he call the thing? It was actually during one of those moments that he got an unexpected announcement and he would continue to deny it to his last breath, but he had almost stumbled onto his knees trying to stand up so quickly.

"Yusaku Fujiki, congratulations! As of this morning phase two has initiated!" The tone, even warped, conveyed sarcastic excitement at the joke made at Yusaku's expense. A small manila package dropped down from the hole the food usually came from. "For the next part of the project, well, we think you will like it! Meet your new friend! But in return, a third mandatory duel once a day will begin tomorrow. We'll let you know when you need to log in." There was a tone of laugher that cut away as the voice disappeared. This did nothing to reassure the frightened teen. Yusaku even imagined that the chills from the awful laugh would stick with him for a while.

But what concerned him the most was the intruding file that lay innocently at his feet. His heart pounded in his chest, and there was blood rushing through his ears. The small file seemed to turn infinitely more foreboding as he stared at it. Yusaku thought maybe he was going to die now after all. What with the overwhelming feeling crashing over him. Was he going to have to deal with this faintness every time something new came into his life? For his own sake he really hoped not because now his breath was getting short and distant pain and forgotten anger were resurfacing. He couldn't - wouldn't be able to deal with another Ghost again. Probably wouldn't even be able to breath in a few moments if his chest wouldn't stop moving so quickly.

'But maybe it won't be another Ghost', this was the only thought that kept him from turning around to throw up. 'Maybe it wasn't someone who was going to waltz into his life and spin him around until he lost track of himself.' He couldn't resist the need to wrap his arms around himself and bent down and curled up. Maybe it would be like all those people he couldn't forget about and had cause him so much grief, but he had to take the chance.

Glaring at the horrible thing that threatened him, he straightened his fingers and red nails that would now slot into his wounds like a puzzle. He had not even realized that he had been digging them into his upper arms. Ignoring his pain and locked up fingers Yusaku refocused on his problem. He really didn't want to touch the file from fear and wanted all the more to rip it open in a need to understand everything that happened to him. He couldn't recall why, but the desire to list three reasons was strong. Three reasons why he loved and hated the package at his feet.

One. The file was probably something that would majorly impact his life in the very near future.

Two. While it could be from Ghost or someone like her, the voice had said it was a friend. The world triggered so much hope and desolation in himself, so why did he want one of those so badly? It was such a foreign concept to someone who couldn't remember having one.

Three. If he refused to look at the offending item he would be going in blind into the next day's duel. He couldn't really afford to be scrambling with a likely very important duel on the line.

Yusaku ran his right hand along the flat surface before he slowly lifted it to be inspected for an opening. He unwound some yarn on the bottom side which made the content descend to the ground. Looking at the floor Yusaku was surprised, there was only one white sheet sitting upside down. He closed his eyes and breathed. No matter what he felt like, Yusaku knew that he didn't really have a choice. He had already reasoned out why he needed to see the paper, so there was no use waiting any longer. Pinching the end of the paper he turned it over and opened his eyes once more.

The first words looked upon by a set of bright green eyes were emboldened letters proclaiming 'HANOI PROJECT'. This title was the whole reason he suffered in misery. The whole reason Yusaku had been taken from gentle touches and freedom. An ache of longing pulsed through his body. He would never get the chance to love those whom had given him everything. Instead he had given it away to the women who wouldn't return it with anything but burnt anguish as she disappeared. Yusaku felt phantom tears well up and refused to think about her. Now wasn't the time to dwell on his heart aches, he needed to deal with one problem at a time. Nodding to himself, Yusaku finally peeled his eyes away from the title that it struck him and gazed at the paper itself. To his surprise he recognized it to be an informational sheet.

Name: Jin Kusanagi

Age: 12

Subject No.11/21

Subject number? Wasn't an eleven of twenty-one a...? What had Ghost called it again? A fraction? The realization was bittersweet like a candy that left too much sugar on his teeth. Twenty-one people were considered 'Subjects' in the project. He briefly wondered what his own number was before destroying the thought. He was no subject, just a teen captured as a child because somebody had chosen him. Yusaku really didn't want to have to face such matters right now. Trembling hands shifted the paper as colour caught the corner of his eye. When had he started to shake again? He turned to look at the dully coloured, small square on the floor. Yusaku was confused for a few seconds before he recognized it.

Yusaku gasped as his pale hand released the paper and scrambled to pick up the picture, mouth tasting of copper as he bit into his tongue in his haste. It was a boy that looked distinctly different than himself. Yusaku's chest twinged, he wanted so badly to cherish this photo of an extremely despondent, presumably 12-year-old Jin Kusanagi. Yusaku traced the face on the photo, his grey eyes and short purple hair that didn't seem to want to lay flat. He was drawn back to the frown; had this boy ever smiled before? He looked so sad, much worse off than Yusaku had when he looked at himself in the mirror. Did he too have the blurry faces that made up shreds of his memories? Did he like dueling like Ghost or could he care less like himself? So many thoughts were spilling over that Yusaku felt exhausted. He packed everything up gently and set them on the table. With one last slide of his thumb over the first photo he owned, Yusaku settled for bed. Sleep was the last thing on his mind as he rested that evening.

The next day when Yusaku was told to log in he was nervous and doing his best to pretend he wasn't excited. As he held the VR goggles in his hands, he once more dreaded the fact that he wasn't the only person suffering from this crazy project. But he knew as he pulled them on all he could think of was winning until they come off.

Yusaku was tried and stressed when he finally pulled off the gazer only ten minutes later. He was worried about Kusanagi, and how quickly he had beaten him. The kid wasn't bad, he just wasn't as good as himself, and that didn't bode well for him. Thinking back to the dullness that seemed to wash off his dueling in waves frightened Yusaku. That somebody could feel so dim just like he had one point. Yusaku set down the gazer in exchange for the photo of Jin when it occurred to him. The first person Yusaku could clearly say he could picture in his head and he was likely being hurt for losing because of Yusaku.

He hadn't wanted to duel him, to make him hurt after finally having someone who could possibly understand him. Unfortunately he didn't have a choice, and next week he knew it was going to happen all over again.

Yusaku wouldn't lie, but he wouldn't answer either if one asked why he was crying in the shower that night. After all, Yusaku had realized just how not alone he was to his experience anymore, even confined in his isolated world he considered hell.

The four weeks that followed were spent testing and learning and winning almost every time. He began to love the duels against Jin Kusanagi. Yusaku hadn't even gotten shocked the one time he lost. He couldn't stop smiling for the rest of that day. It made him relieved that Jin likely hadn't been hurt as well. Yusaku wished that he could speak to him, ask him anything and everything that popped into his mind. The euphoria was short lived.

On week four it was Ghost all over again, but without the dramatics of somebody saying he would never duel him again. At first Yusaku was devastated, before it became clear that neither Jin nor himself really had a choice in the matter. Yusaku had been moody for a few hours when he got another package. He was especially surprised when another package arrived again in another few weeks. This was how Yusaku came to the conclusion that everyone was dueling against each other in rotations.

Name: Naegi Kiyumi

Age: 13

Subject No. 4/21

Name: Takeru Homura

Age: 13

Subject No. 5/21

Name: Kuno Eisuke

Age: 12

Subject No. 18/21

Name: Wakisaka Koei

Age: 15

Subject No. 2/21

And one day when Yusaku had expected another envelope to come through and it hadn't; he wasn't sure what would happen. Instead he was left to stew all night with his questions ignored. The evening was spent wallowing in the shower until it was too cold to stand anymore. Yusaku only decided to leave the room when the fan had kicked up in an effort to run him out. He just couldn't stand the chill after being subjected to such low temperatures growing up. Instead he quickly dressed and decided to curl up in his chair. Gazing at his green plant, Yusaku became lost in thoughts of a fantasy future with friends that he had made through dueling these last few months. Only finally did he drift to sleep a few hours later.

xxx

About a month after Yusaku's fourteenth birthday he awoke to a loud beeping noise. A chill of cold air swept through his small room. Yusaku threw off his covers and surveyed the area. Blood began to pump quickly through his veins when he saw a new opening in his wall. Suddenly Yusaku was freaking out, because that had never happened before and he wasn't sure what to do. Before he could work up the bravery to investigate the entrance, people were walking through it. Yusaku watched with shallow breaths as five different adults lineup before him.

Yusaku's lungs began to hurt at this point, so he forced himself to take a deep gulp of air as best he could to prevent passing out. He shuffled back as best he could to the headboard and clutched his pajama top like it was going to protect him from five people standing in what had been a non-existent opening his whole life. The people in front of the teen were blurring and it took a minute for Yusaku to realize tears were prickling in his eyes. He had thought he had done enough to harden his heart after Ghost and Jin, but apparently being confronted by real people for the first time he could remember voided any effort on his part.

His thoughts briefly flickered over the value of just giving up the fight for oxygen and allowing himself to pass out, but he couldn't bring himself to allow himself to be drugged again. Certainly wasn't going to give these people an opportunity to get away with doing anything to him of he could help it. Through it really wasn't helping Yusaku that the people seemed to be staring at him while he was having a panic attack. Yusaku viewed them with narrowed eyes and consolidated his willpower. He couldn't control that his arms were shaking, but he was determined to at least not be caught on the back foot. He pulled himself to the edge of the bed and pointedly stared them down. His voice cracked so badly that he had to swallow before trying again, and even then it weak and raspy at best.

"W-who ar-e you?" His breath had slipped in the middle of his word. Yusaku's hand hurt to uncurl from his shirt but he forced it before steadying both palms against the mattress. He urged himself to slide off the bed and allowed his weight lean against it.

"Yusaku Fujiki, please step forward. You are being processed for phase two, part two of the Hanoi Project today. Everything will be provided where you are going, nothing is to come with you. Please get changed now, we are moving forward regardless of your state in three minutes." The women who had spoken was a darker blond with a clipboard shielding her face from his view. However, even if he wanted to move his body wasn't working, so Yusaku was still staring at them when the women lowered the obstacle to frown. To Yusaku these people were just so different; older, taller, gray hair or other colours, a firm liveliness wafting of each and every one. Yusaku wished he could take a few minutes just to trace their figures with his eyes just to make sure he would remember every detail.

He didn't have the time. He aborted a movement to turn around as his motor functions finally decided to come online. Having his back to these people when he couldn't see them just made his stomach lurch. He didn't understand the instinct, but refused to ignore good advice. Yusaku watched them carefully as he walked backwards. He knew his space well enough that he wouldn't encounter any issues with backing into things.

Pulling out the second drawer, he watched the figures just as they watched his every move back. He was infinitely pleased that the top shirt was a clean white button up shirt, and unbuttoned his own pajamas quickly with ease. As he slid out of the cotton sleepwear, two of the scientists in the back began to converse. Yusaku wished he had a glare potent enough in his repertoire to shut them up; alas that was not the case, to his misfortune. With no time to spare, Yusuka bared with it by biting his cheek. He quickly exchanged his matching pants for a pair of black trousers. Complete with his only jacket thrown over, he went to step up to the strange people when old, matted fur caught his eye.

His old jacket was tucked under everything, only the rim of fur smashed against the side of the drawer. He remembered so clearly how, one day he had went to put it on after they dropped the temperature. It had barely fit at that point and he had felt so lost when it hit him how long it had been since he was free. He tried to recall its condition on the day he had gotten taken. One last memory that he wouldn't forget to the blank space in his mind conquered with white walls.

A small area of crust on the elbow from leaning on something sticky. A rubbed spot in the pocket from constantly having something there. Weakly smelling of lavender, from when someone had helped him put it on. He had worn that jacket almost everyday since he had arrived until he no longer could. Yusaku reached out to touch the last piece of his childhood that had come with him.

"Time's up. We are leaving now." A gruff voice that spoke of cigarette usage startled Yusaku. He had momentarily forgot they were watching him closely. He knew he should follow them, if only to avoid whatever they would come up with to hurt him now that they were here in person.

He almost didn't want to leave. Yusaku knew he should be running as far as he could from the place that only ever served to hurt him, but he no longer knew what was out there, anything beyond his room and dueling was foreign. His hesitation must have been expected, for within a minute two people stepped forward with sticks that sparked in warning.

Yusaku was moving before he allowed his feet to seize up. His body felt cold and his hands twitched from the close proximity to electricity. After years of being shocked, he was beyond familiar with the way his skin felt right before he was punished for losing. If he hadn't forced himself, Yusaku was sure he would have frozen up and and incurred their wrath. Not even in his thoughts did Yusaku desire to tangle with pain so exposed to these people. These adults had probably watched him cry in agony for years without any remorse. When the two men dressed fully in black had turned around behind him, he couldn't help but flinch. Thoughts like, 'too exposed and those would likely leave burns behind' flooded his brain. His breath felt to shallow and light as the blonde women stepped past the group. He could only beg in his head that they wouldn't shove it into his back.

And walk they did, because for six minutes Yusaku observed dim, gray, and grated walls interspersed with large, white numbers as he followed the older women. He dearly wished he could voice his concerns, ask them why they were so cruel, had taken him from people who loved him. His voice seemed locked behind a vault, even as he felt the desire to dig for more information. The trek through the bare hallways was tense. Nobody spoke a word and Yusaku couldn't get his back to stop its relentless twitching. Nonetheless, at the end of the fourth turn the group finally stopped at a door.

The women with the clipboard finally turned around and allowed Yusaku to see her face. She wore thick, bright, red glasses that blocked her eyes and looked gaudy against almost purple lipstick. Yusaku didn't know much about colours, but he didn't understand why she would chose such an awful pair to adorn herself with. Before she started speaking Yusaku wished he could ask his questions. Everything that had played like a record on repeat in his head since the day he woke up in the small room alone. Not a single sound spilled from his lips.

Instead it was the doorway beyond the woman that opened. The woman with red glasses looked back before speaking to another in the doorway, "He's all yours." She immediately walked past the woman standing in the threshold as if finally being rid of a particularly bad cold. The new woman had finely highlighted orange hair, that served to lighten up her grey eyes.

"Reduced to this. Hurry along then, number 16." Her voice started softly, before picking up a tone of authority. As she began to walk away Yusaku was forced to follow her at threat of the electric devices. It seemed the two men were acting as a deterrent from Yusaku running away. Just as Yusaku could hear the rest of the group dispersing behind, one of the men in a white coat spoke to the new women.

" -, I mean DrBaira, you have been assigned to take the subject to the room at the end of the testing as well." The man then walked off, not waiting for any response. The woman looked annoyed as she turned away and spoke.

"Well, great. Anyway, let's go already."

Yusaku was upset, these people threatened him and treated him like a tool to be used. Clenching his fist to delay his angry, he finally could hold his words no longer. "Wh-"

There was a resounding smack of her hand hitting his skin and pain blossomed along his check. There was a stunned moment in which he hadn't even realized that had turned around to hit him. Tenderness blossomed out as he brought his hand out to his face. He had been tormented for years in all manner of ways, but not once had anyone been around to raise a hand to him. Momentarily not able to comprehend the situation, Yusaku only stared at the women as she spoke to him.

"I was instructed to not let you speak unless spoken too. That was a warning and if you try it again, well, that's why these men are here."

As much as it pained Yusaku to hold himself back from snarling at her, he resisted with some willpower. It was becoming only more prevalent that those electrified batons were a means to control his temperament. This was the first time he could remember being around people, and Yusaku could clearly determine that he hated it. Before he had felt a keen loss when he remembered nothing in his drugged up haze, but maybe it had been better that way after all. Yusaku gritted his teeth and nodded towards the woman whom held all the cards. Who was he kidding? These people had always held his life in their hands without regard or remorse. After glancing back Yusaku stepped forward and followed his attacker over to another man whom seem occupied with an elaborate console.

" , I understand that you're to help me take vitals before he goes to Dr. Genome."

The man had blue hair that boarded into purple hues with facial hair to match. As he turned to look at , he sighed.

"Such a pity, I was just getting to the good part." The man glanced around and waved over another person, "Take over, I have to deal with the next subject." The new man nodded and took over the controls as the doctor stepped away. The man's eyes were cold as they followed along to look at Yusaku. "Step right this way then."

Once more the group was moving forward. As they walked through a door that had been to their left originally, the male doctor gestured to a chair that sat in the middle of the room. The guards had come to stand on the inside parallel to the door on either side. Wary and stressed, Yusaku saw no choice but sit down and try to zone out. He cringed as the man tried to take his pulse. He could even say that he was proud of himself for handling things so beyond his typical measure when they pulled out the needle.

He couldn't recall what it was, let alone remember seeing one, but his body twitched and locked up. He had the feeling that his body was more familiar with the utensil than his conscious mind. The man, , smirked as he watched Yusaku flinch away from the tool he was using.

"Seems you might know what this is?" Yusaku shook his head as he closely watched the way the man tapped the outer casing. "Figured you might with your previous track record with needles."

Yusaku paused but could not relax. The only other time… When they had drugged him! He was moving to get out of the chair before he had any second thoughts about facing the guards. What he did not expect were two arms shoving him back down and holding him still.

After much yelling and struggling the act was finally done. The male doctor walked away with the drawn blood and left him to slump in his chair in a cold sweat. He had gone through a lot of bad experiences in his life, but this one was sure to be stuck in his head for a while. Glancing over at and the guards, it did not seem like they were in any rush to move him along this time. Yusaku watched as the women fiddled over on a screen for a while before he gave up on learning anything of use. He would not close his eyes, but he would take the moment they'd given him to rest. After a few minutes the women finally stood up and brushed down her coat as she turned around to face the teen.

"Let's go now, is ready to see you."

Yusaku struggled to his feet and used the arm of the chair as a prop to not fall. He felt deceived on his own behalf. He had wrongly assumed that such a kind-looking women wouldn't be as cruel. If he had any energy left, he might have chastised himself for the blunder, but he didn't. The women stared at Yusaku with an annoyed look on her face. Unfortunately for the youth, as soon as he stepped up behind her she once more moved on to the next location. He was surprised to find that the room that had once been mostly empty was now spotted with groups of older people working. He allowed himself to watch them as the group passed the area and walked into a door on the opposite end of the large space. A man, who seemed intent on, paced restlessly in front of a doorway. .

" ," She inclined her head. " This is subject sixteen, he is here for you now. I'll pick him up when you're done with your testing."

The man didn't bother to acknowledge her words but instead stared at Yusaku with disdain. "Well, suppose I should not have expected much." Yusaku bit his tongue to prevent himself saying what he wanted to. In his weakened state he would not last long with the guards that stood ready right behind him. "Anyway, this will be a test of endurance, try not to disappoint me." The man then burst out laughing and waved to the two men dressed in black and walked off. Yusaku was confused about almost being left alone until the door in front of him opened.

"Move in, subject." It was one of the guards. The men had been quiet the whole time they had accompanied him, so Yusaku was startled to hear one of them speak. He risked one more glance backwards, practically snarling at them before immediately moving into the opening. Yusaku sighed and finally sagged his shoulders once the door closed behind him. He took a deep breath before surveying the room he had been locked into. The walls were completely blank except for a string of vertical numbers along the four corners. The floor instead revealed another pair of seemingly innocent virtual reality duel goggles.

"Great," Yusaku groaned; he had been dragged from one area to another just to duel again? As he walked over and bent down to pick up the augmented glasses, Yusaku froze. Were they just going to leave him alone in a room again for years after all that had just happened? His breath seized in his throat forcing Yusaku to cough. Bringing his hand to his mouth, Yusaku tried to stave off the feeling of sickness bubbling in his stomach. Would they really drag him away only to lock him back up in a new room all over again? The disdain and anger were content to boil inside him as he picked up the goggles to throw.

"Wonderful, I almost wondered if you would need to be put down for being useless." Yusaku froze, curling his fingers for a better grip on the machine in his hand. That was the voice of the man who had just spoken to him outside of the room. "Put on the goggles already. You going to go through a series of endurance tests now." Yusaku wondered if he should disobey, but he hadn't in all of his years here, so what would be the point now? Convinced it was better to get the duels over with, Yusaku slowly lifted and placed the goggles on his head. When his vision shifted to a duel field, his chest finally relaxed from something familiar happening.

By the fifth duel in a row Yusaku was breathing heavy and wondering why they had changed their tactics in bringing him here.

On the ninth duel in a row Yusaku was in pain from the aftermath of being shocked and forced to continue on. Only thoughts of strategy and wondering when the test would finally end filled his mind.

Yusaku lost his fifthteenth duel and tried to scream as he crashed into the ground. The words 'You Lose' blaring across his screen hurt almost as much as his muscles seizing from the pain. His voice was raw from all the yelling and tears were leaking out of his eyes against his own will. His body hurt and shook as he cradled a sore wrist that he had fallen on wrong, and his breath was raspy as his lungs tried to fill with some air. He was never one to whine, but if bursts of air escaped his lips now he could do nothing to stop them. There was no way he would be able to stand up and continue dueling, he couldn't help but dread what punishment would come for not finishing the test, but he didn't think he would be able to win like this anyway. He waited, trying to stop himself from shaking on the ground. Yusaku dragged the goggles off and dumped them in front of himself. At this point he was willing to take any other pain to stop from being electrified again. Just when Yusaku thought he might have been forced to retake the mantle to continue his vision went hazy and he passed out.

xxx

Waking up in the same room was a relief and a sadness all at once. He hadn't been dragged anywhere else, but he had once more been abandoned in a solitary room all over again. He tried to take stock of his injuries, but his whole body felt like it had turned into something mushy. Trying to move his wrist made him wince and his legs felt numb. He had been testing each limb as best he could when he finally got his arms to respond enough to push himself up. Feeling around his wrist showed some swelling. Yusaku had to laugh to himself; at least it hadn't been broken.

When the door swished open, he groaned as his body reflexively tried to move back from the danger. Standing in the threshold was the women with orange hair. He could see several other unfamiliar faces behind her too. Just how many people did this project employ? How could so many people not care about the pain the children had felt over all these years? Yusaku forced himself to focus on when she began to speak.

"Time to get up, you're going to your final destination now. Phase three will begin when you arrive."

Yusaku wanted to yell, could these people not leave him alone to his piece now that they had bothered him once? Pulling himself to his feet was no pretty affair, legs barely taking his weight. He fought to keep his balance with each step he was forced to take. As he crossed over slowly, he cursed his luck. Two men that looked like those he had sneered at earlier were waiting with batons behind the others. He would have to count his lucky stars if they were not the same people, not just with a weapon this time, but with a grudge too.

Walking seemed to loosen up Yusaku's body as he followed the group along again. He would have to remember not to act out against any of the staff again. While the men seemed to be different, he couldn't take the chance again. The walk was as Yusaku had come to expect at this point. Totally silent, and with a fear of being randomly hurt for no reason. When they finally reached a door at the end of an unfamiliar hallway, Yusaku was thankful. He ached and wanted a moment of reprieve from the hellish day he had been forced to endure.

"Subject 16, you are to enter this door and proceed forward until you reach another one. The door will open and you to enter if you wish to escape punishment. You will go through the door one way or another so don't bother sticking around." The woman's voice was cold, nothing like the bright and warm orange her hair was. Looking at her seemed to have reminded her of something important as her face lit up. She motioned to an unfamiliar man and women whom had been waiting at the back of the line next to the guys that had electric batons.

The two stepped forward and the less interesting tan-haired women reached for his hand. Yusaku flinched and stepped back. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, give her your arm." He didn't want to, but given that there are still two men in black holding weapons there were not a lot of options. He gave up keeping his silence and struggled to find his voice again; finally, it worked.

"What are you going to do?" The brown-haired women looked concerned for a minute at the raspy quality to his voice and seemed to be about to say something before the orange one interjected.

"No questions, either you do it hassle free, or they," she pointed to the men that Yusaku had been unquestionably aware of for the last few minutes, "Help you."

Not capable of dealing with any more electrical shocks today, Yusaku slowly raised his arm to the woman. She held onto it with light fingers and nodded her head to the man next to her. A black-haired man dusted with freckles reached into his bag and pulled out a watch of sorts, only the watch part had been replaced by a thick device with the number sixteen written in contrasting white letters. He slotted it onto Yusaku's wrist and tugged it tight. Yusaku was only slightly grateful to the other women for holding his left hand still, otherwise he was pretty sure it would have been shaking like his right was doing. The woman sort of smiled for him before connecting a device that seemed to lock the bracelet in place.

"All set now, miss." The loss of contact as they both stepped back was a feeling of sadness and relief all at once.

Yusaku held the contraption up to his chest and pulled his elbow close. He rubbed as close to the new device as he could to alleviate the strange sensation. He turned to look at the orange woman again as she spoke up.

"Good, now don't bother trying to take it off. You can't and you will only hurt yourself in the process. You are going in now."

He was about to take the moment he could to finally ask the big question in his head that he had thought about for years. Regrettably, at the look she gave him, and feeling of static coming close, he gave up any hope of forming the words he wished with all his heart would burst forth.

As she stepped to the side and opened the door, Yusaku gave no fight, muscles too sore and a feeling of static crawling along his back. His only action was to take one last look at her face as he crossed into the slim, empty hallway. The next door was already in sight about twenty paces away.

Upon reaching the smooth door he waited with bated breath for it to open. The woman's face hadn't held even a spark of regret in the last moments. Yusaku glanced down at the big sixteen blaring up at him, and felt reduced to less than human.