"… So… I-Inactivator you say?"

No more words came from Dekapan nor the brothers as the doctor dragged his maid to search in one of his big and all chemical crammed shelves, that until he found out what he was looking for. Everyone was given red tinted glasses, the same ones that Dekapan and Maid Dayoon used, to everyone in the main room. Karamatsu was the exception though, who Choromatsu had to manhandle and sit on the center chair before they got the glasses as he was drugged up with something and unable to do anything but let himself fell to the table with a 'plop' and snooze up.

That was the only answer Osomatsu needed to see, just a sight of all the overwhelming red and green coloured smoke – no, clouds filling the room and he understood what Dekapan was going to say.

"… Ah, I see now…"

"Osomatsu-niisan! He still hasn't answered anything a-about what's happening!" Of course Choromatsu looked at the ominous smoke with fear, he never had a problem with anyone outside Iyami and Chibita and now this menaced to change his fucking life. He was two hairs short to eating his own hand in anxiety.

"Oh, you see Choromatsu…" Osomatsu took him by a shoulder, showing him a twirl of red and green in the labs roof with his other hand – "That's us."

"WHAT"

"Yes yes Choromatsu-niisan!" – Jyushimatsu rushed to him and gave him a hug that could have be reassuring if it weren't by his giant boner rubbing against his leg, it was impossible to not notice it - "I can't see the colours myself but those strong smells are clearly yours!"

"Hoeee, this very special Glasses are the ones who color pheromones by intensity and complexity; they are very special-dasu!"

"No surprise with Osomatsu-nii being the stinkiest of us, right Jyushimatsu?" – Ichimatsu commented with a malicious laugh on his words.

"No one can win against you in stink Ichimatsu-nii!" – the mentioned sunny bro retrieved with a shiny smile of his own, now embracing both of his oldest brothers. Osomatsu gave a tiny laugh too, watching his dearest little brothers trying to make the air less tense.

...

"Now, let me explain-dasu!"

Dekapan got a chalkboard from his Doraemon-pocket-alike pants, and wrote as fast as his little hand let him some formulas, explanations and a tiny viral capsidae with a happy face.

"This virus, the Inactivator has been highly investigated you see, not because of his first symptoms who are alike to Influenza ones, only a tad weaker but more extended in time, or because its adaptability and abilities to infect through air, but because of its possible affections to what we call our second genders, which are different in every person as also are the age average of showing them-dasu. Thing is, we are unable to see what's the damage extent to those genders as they show at least nine or ten years later than the average of children getting infected."

"Its 2016 and there's still no way to find the damage? Sounds a bit like bullshit." – Choromatsu sneered.

"All medicines created for investigation woke up the dormant genders faster than expected, and ethic laws shot them down, sadly-dasu. " – after drawing an angry face on the virus, Dekapan cleaned the chalkboard to then get it back to where it belonged.

"Now, continuing with this… where this affects you? Osomatsu first!"

Osomatsu stood up by inertia at being called, still low-tone shocked as he was after that dreaded day. He still remembered the hungry faces of the people still on his pursuit (most probably). Dayoon dragged him to the front so Dekapan could explain what was happening with him.

He could feel his younger – worried - brothers eyes on him.

"You are the typical patient with this kind of infection. The one who doesn't show its problems until it's too late. You saw the red thick smoke with this glasses right? Those are your pheromones, created by a certain overexerted brain glandule of yours who tries to do its work, even if your body doesn't follow its orders."

"You see Dekapan-hakase, that's the part I don't understand. Why something like that could come from me?" – Osomatsu questioned, still kind of confused. "This smoke is what's making people become all horny or crazy! But it's not like I'm an omega, I don't have the body type nor the needs, a-and not even omegas have so many range over people!"

"His pheromones make him more alike to a zombie holocaust than a omega" – Ichimatsu snickered, cat face right on the joke.

"Hooe hooe, that's a fair point! But there's a reason of why this virus is called Inactivator. When I talked about your body not following your brain orders I was referring that the problem was there.

You probably presented your sickness with global inflammation symptoms and extended fevers, and the cause was the virus rapidly growing and destroying precious cells, in your case, cells that help with the second body growth and gender presentation, and that's why your figure is more like a Beta than the most common feminine Omega Figures. But the virus is incapable to enter the brain, and that's why your hippocampus is still working fine, trying to cover your problems with enormous quantities of pheromones, as it doesn't get a negative feedback from your body to stop them-dasu.

In fact, that's the reason we had to anesthetize your brother over there" – he signaled the sleeping log Karamatsu had become – "He, upon entering your house got overwhelmed by your smell and almost became crazy-dasu! Dear Jyushimatsu has more self control than him, that's for sure"

That was almost impossible to believe, of course.

"I almost ate you today Osomatsu-nii!" – Jyushimatsu screamed

Exactly for that.

...

"Hum…"

"… You seem calmer than what I thought you'd be at this kinda notice, Osomatsu-niisan" – Choromatsu commented. He certainly didn't feel so calm himself, now that he knew how important that explanation was, as it had a big weight on getting jobs and in society in general.

...

Things were certainly better as they were 100 years before, in a world in which child-breeding was as important as getting territories and obtaining various merchandising from the outside. Omegas were treated as dolls, well treated but unable to do anything than being pregnant. Betas were known for their usefulness, ingenious and not affected by pheromones, which lead them to manual jobs which required no leadership, which was Alpha-only. But one thing is say things were better, and other, completely different, is to say that things have changed. Omegas still got few jobs as medication left them sleepy, completely unable to work with heavy machines or even drive, and Beta work was still in the same lines, only with few openings depending on the personality or if the job needed them.

...

"Its… mostly because I donno if by now this could mean something. My certificates still mark me as beta, and with all of this… I'm still basically a Beta with Omega pheromones" – he grinned, obviously excited. He clearly had a plan, and Dekapan could feel it because that smile was directed at him. "I'm suuure our doctor here has something that could help only regulate the smoke and still let me be myself, isn't that riiiight?"

"U-ueh… I can search for something…" – Dekapan said, so alarmed that his maid had to hug his stress out, something that left the red hooded boy with a bigger grin.

Jyushimatsu suddenly jumped up from the floor, looking kind of surprised, nothing that would've be easy to know if he hadn't his eternal smile on his face.

"Ooooh niisan, I thought you'd be more affected with you being an Omega!"

"… Yeah, I should be, but…"

He didn't answer anymore than that, but his smell changed, something only Jyushimatsu's sensitive nose could perceive. Understanding, was that it?

I wasn't one to work hard, anyways.

Osomatsu was pretty satisfied with the answer, snickering to himself and relaxed enough to sit down next to Choromatsu. And even with his unchangeable smile, his brothers could see he was happy, too. He sat again, this time taking in Ichimatsu's hands with his own, so maybe that way he could give him a little bit more of the happiness of his own.

...

"Now now, about you Choromatsu-kun… yours is certainly a peculiar case" – the doctor said, a bit away from the brothers as he was getting a set of little set of marked bottles from one of his shelves.

"W-what in me makes it peculiar? I'm not like Osomatsu who make people crazy, I'm as normal as I can get!"

"Jyushi-boy here told me that you could smell some things you shouldn't, with you being as beta as you could. Can you tell me what you smell from those bottles please?" – the doctor in big pants gave them carelessly, and Choromatsu, who was known by his two left feet and hands, had to struggle a bit to get them all in his two hands.

They were three bottles, marked with kanji that Choromatsu couldn't understand (something that made him feel really mediocre), and that seemed eerily empty. He grabbed them as best as he could, still unsure of what they could convey into his future, left two in the floor and smelt one at random.

...

"This is… body cream? I'm not sure—"

And then another.

"Shitty cologne—phew!"

And the last one.

"Probably… soy sauce, I don't get it…"

...

"Ohoooeee, this proves my point. A blood exam could prove it more easily but you seem to also have been infected by this virus too, only that it left you with other kind of problems!"

"W-what! I didn't present any kind of symptom or whatever—I cannot be like him!" – he pointed to his eldest brother, who, all relaxed and completely sprawled in the lab floor, promptly raised his middle finger at Choromatsu .

"The fact that you are able to smell what's on those bottles, and still not getting it right makes this case clear enough. You are clearly not a Beta-dasu, it's just that you got infected in the early stages of gender presentation. Those were pheromones, nothing else than that."

"O-oh…"

"My dear Maid will get you to one of our rooms to get blood samples, if you want to be out of doubts, of course."

To everyone who saw the poor Choromatsu, who was still white as a paper, it was sure he preferred to have doubts, it was too much information, and it looked so simple, so painfully simple! But everyone didn't count Dayoon for sure, or maybe he didn't even care of anything as most of the times, as he was already dragging the worried guy by the arm. He followed his pace without much questioning though, as the questions would reveal themselves if he wanted it or not.

Those minutes felt longer than the walk, and somehow they felt as smothering as the heat outside.

ooo

Choromatsu was taking his sweet time on that certain little room, and evening had gone leaving only a whiff of the overwhelming heat it brought. It was pretty late.

When he reappeared, there were no words from him, only a resigned face and some kind of cologne which he gave to Osomatsu. It read "For Inmediate Use". He made Karamatsu stand up, had clear second thoughts in the form of moving his head a bit and grasping his hair, and decided that Ichimatsu was the better option to carry him, going for him and taking him to his dearest painful and sleeping brother.

"Dayoon said he will wake up in two or three hours, and that we should explain the… situation, to him later. I can't carry him, I just got three blood samples taken and I'm feeling a bit dizzy…"

"Nii-san, he could get a bad reaction again from all this pheromone-problem, I don't know if I'm able to retain him again…" – Jyushimatsu tried to coax him to do his new job, as Ichi became green with nausea as he had to even touch his big brother.

His three older brothers looked at the yellow matsu, and then the oldest of them at Ichi, who only shrugged. It was better if they didn't know the situation they've brought on Karamatsu hours ago, without even being there on their house, who, according to Dekapan, was overwhelmed by a mix of those two strong scents and acted merely by his instincts, as he was unable to determine from where they came.

He was right.

"Only this once…"

The road home was silent after that.

ooo

Todomatsu was already on the house when they all came back, looking still disgruntled about the scene Karamatsu made – which was undeniable, both Choromatsu and Osomatsu noted, to say the least. Furniture on the floor, the little table and TV scratched. So of course Karamatsu was given to him, the only one completely safe, at least for that night, on the house. He didn't like it (not that he actually likes anything his brothers do), but it was for the best and he knew it. After a somewhat well earned "damn troublesome brothers" Todomatsu difficultly carried his big bro to sleep both together on the guest room, which left the others alone to sleep away their worries.

But Osomatsu wasn't able to.

The night was sweet and chill, just the best time for a night smoke Osomatsu thought, when sneaking off the futon. Everyone was asleep – who wouldn't, it was almost 3 AM, but after all the day scares and new revelations, there was no space for drowsiness on his body. In the roof he found his usual space and sat down, lighting a cigar. The delicious aroma of it was better than the cologne the doctor gave to him he thought, he couldn't smell it but he felt wrong after spraying himself with it. It felt… sticky, like he had a mucky substance over his skin, like it was another skin over his, not his own.

It was the first time he had felt like that, and it disgusted him for some reason.

"Maybe I do feel something…?"

"Can't sleep?" – A known voice, along with a strong tea smell, asked him. Choromatsu, also in his pajamas sat beside him.

"Who would've guessed, Cherrymatsu!"

"Please don't begin with that!"

"Hehehehe" – he rubbed his nose, a bit of normalcy in between them was always good received.

"Want some tea?"

"Nah, not thirsty" – Osomatsu said, blowing some smoke

"Ok"

"Did the doc tell you something important today that you got so scared after the lab test? Was it erectile dysfunction?"

"Always so blunt, you fucker"

"Hey, someone has to get you to slack off a bit and get that stick outta your ass! Unless you prefer to b-"

"I'm gonna cut it here, thanks" – his face was livid, but that was expectable of him. "Dekapan-hakase determined t-that I'm supposedly… an… alpha"

Oh.

Nothing what he expected.

"Whoa! ... But I don't see where's the problem with being an alpha, at least for a person like you" – Osomatsu looked at him, unexpressive – "With the right treatments you surely can get the highest positions and the best jobs, exactly what you are supposedly looking for. What has you like that?" – This sounded all logical in his mind and spoken out loud, but he knew his brother, at least he knew him still better than other people, so he could imagine what kind of thoughts troubled the boy.

Choromatsu slurped some tea forcefully, the hand with the cup trembling, Osomatsu could see even with the dark on the streets. He coughed up a bit, clearing his throat.

"… Yes, I-I know they have almost all the benefits and all the social status and such b-but I d-don't feel worthy of being an alpha." – he almost dropped his tea on his pajama pants at this - J-just look at me, I'm just someone who can't control his feelings, who gets angered enough to punch whatever angers me a bit, who is a bit less anxious for getting medications but enough for not being able to get a job for myself! I'm a fucking joke, who just happens to be diagnosed too late as an al- no, wait, a damaged alpha also!"

"… Hum. So you don't wanna be an alpha, right?"

"No, its not that! Its just…"

"Yeah, I know." – Osomatsu took his tea and drank it himself. It was cold. Then, looking at Choromatsu's annoyed face, he left the cup on the floor and hugged him by the shoulder – "Too much info in too little time, right? I can't say it's the same for me, but, you know… we are here for whatever it happens. If you don't wanna change its alright, and if you do just do it. Thinking too much makes you even more anxious than what you normally are."

And the words sounded pretty and comforting, but Osomatsu's hand over his shoulder curled with a bit more strength than required.

"We will always be with you."

Please don't leave me too, not being like this.

"Hey, Osomatsu… let's take our medicines together. We both got into this, let's try to get better both together" – he gave him a rare smile, and Osomatsu only was able to put his head over his brother's legs. He didn't want to show his weaknesses to anybody, and no one knew about what he was thinking usually, people always seemed to think of him as a simple guy with little desires. And it was true, until their brothers were related to the problem.

He smiled, and did not show it to anybody that time. But Choromatsu knew.

He was always with him, after all.

...

Little did they know about the third person listening to their chat a bit more afar than them, and no one saw him get back to his futon bed.

ooo

The next day, Dayoon himself went to their house to give his patients their medicines, and also to had a chat with Matsuyo and Matsuzo about yesterday's happenings. They were very surprised, but no one could find them at fault in forgetting about the sickness that affected both of their children, as the sextuplets where the bane of their life, counting their adventures and warped games. Karamatsu also was there, as he had been given a very simple (lazy even, as it was told by Osomatsu who told him to "not worry too much") explanation, but he wanted to know more. Later, he looked at both his brothers in silence, as he has taken a decision over it. But he didn't say anything, and the others paid any attention.

Days passed, as normally as they could.

Osomatsu did take his medication, one by each day. But, disregarding the suggestions he gave to Dekapan about no secondary effects, the medicine made his body feel itchy, and even if the second skin feeling was a bit more subdued and tolerable, it was still there. He also started going out less, at least at noon, little by little, as there was stoll some people who looked at him as if he was a prime steak. Choromatsu in change, with his alpha enhancers he was more prone to mood swings, some of them he couldn't control as well as he would've liked. He once had destroyed Todomatsu's phone screen protector once by tapping at it, too strongly, as the screen didn't obey his commands. The fight later was somewhat brutal, but Choromatsu agreed to pay for the glass protector.

Those were complicated days, and so…

Osomatsu sometimes, a bit dizzy and tired, forgot to take his pills some days, and Choromatsu tried to do his best but he also forgot of them too.

And as slowly as the days passed, some apparent changes appeared in their brother, Karamatsu. He has stopped going out of his house to pick up girls, to follow his big bro wherever he was. By giving some excuses as "more time together" and "wanting to try those new Pachinko machines", on the first days he was not as notorious as some time later, where he had lost his senses of personal space with Osomatsu, touching him slightly and being always next to him. He had also started to look strangely at Choromatsu, but that was generally followed by feigning headaches. It was true that he seemed dizzy sometimes, but the looks given to the green matsu were nothing but insolent. And that obviously reeled up the already sensible boy, who was a ticking bomb.

When he exploded, it was terrible.

...

Karamatsu had the gall to bat his brother's hand when it grazed Osomatsu's forearm, trying to get one book when he was near the bookcase. That mixed with that disgusting face he somehow put on his face everytime he saw him, was enough for Choromatsu to take the book and throw it on his face, effectively breaking his sunglasses.

"What the fuck…?"

"You motherfucker…"

Punches didn't wait to appear, followed by serious roughhousing with scratches and even bites. Both brothers were red of anger, eyes feral and bloodshot. Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu broke out between them, Ichimatsu effectively knocking out Karamatsu for a few seconds, while Jyushimatsu had Choromatsu in his known Octopus Holds.

Osomatsu was stunned, and, when shaking Karamatsu to wake up, he saw that he was also too.

"Damn, Karamatsu" – a not-so-light slap was delivered in his fair face – "What's the matter? He didn't do anything for you to start attacking like that!"

"He..."

"He what"

"He-e shouldn't be touching you so lightly… another alpha… not so near you…" – he was clearly dizzy, and his words came out tumbling and heavy, but still understandable.

"Gk—" – Choromatsu bit his lip, listening that words.

"This got all wrong…" – Jyushimatsu couldn't stop himself from saying

And Osomatsu… just left him in the floor, and got out the room.

No one saw him the rest of the day, not that they wanted to search for him.