A silky warmth flowed over my body as I stirred from sleep sighing and stretching slightly against the scratchy linens, my thoughts slowly becoming clearer... 'I don't remember going to bed.'

Sitting up, I was greeted by a generic hospital room.

'A…..Hospital room? What? How?' I thought as I continued looking around.

Moving to rub my eyes in hopes that this was a dream or a hallucination... I found I couldn't as my arms were being restricted, looking down I noticed that my wrists had some sort of white thread tying them to the armrests of the medical bed I was in.

"Damn spider must have put me here," I mumbled to myself as I began to feel myself getting angrier at the thought of that monster.

Or monsters?

Monsters...

Why would I?...think... they..were monsters?.

*FLASHBACK*

Sigh...

Moving the covers off myself the best I could with just my legs and the edges of my fingertips I inspected my chest and lower body... moving my leg I noticed my ankle didn't hurt, not one bit. what remained of my cargo pants were still on me, so I couldn't see if I had any injuries but moving I could feel that there was nothing major.

Looking at my shirtless chest and forearms I noticed that I seemed to have no marks, cuts, bruises or sore spots... Breathing heavily for a moment I felt that my ribs didn't hurt, and my lungs felt like I had just run a marathon, tired but still feeling good.

Quick heal or lucky break? I've always been a fast healer but this is, absurd... OR have I been asleep for much longer than I thought?

Spying my bag on the far side of the room, I saw my phone in one of the mesh bottle pockets along with a few other possessions I normally keep in my pockets messily stuffed into whichever pocket would fit it.

Pulling on my binds to see if they would break from force alone, just ended up hurting my wrists... next, I tried sitting in a tuck position in an attempt to grab the small knife I had in the pocket beside my thigh. Just as I was able to grab the handle and was about to start sawing through my binds, the door opened….Most likely a nurse.

To my surprise two middle-aged women walked through the door, both wearing form-fitting business suits and cheap rectangular sunglasses…. Indoors….alright then, I would have gone for a pair of radarlocks personally.

"Your awake, good." the one with the long black hair spoke as she walked over to the side of the bed. Then without hesitation, grabbed the knife in my hand and started cutting binds for me.

"Sorry about the restraints. But after the chase that went down, yesterday we thought it would best if we kept you here and explained what happened yesterday, and why it happened to you…. Also, I know you might have a few grudges against the liminals that attacked you, but you will be meeting them soon, and I am asking you to have the heart to hopefully forgive them. They did not attack you out of hatred, they were actually against the whole thing, but had no choice….. You actually should have seen them, bringing your unconscious body back here, they were ALL fawning over how cute you look." The Dark haired woman told me.

"But where are my manners, My name is Kuroko Smith, And this is my assistant Ms. Jones. But you may call me Smith. We are coordinators for the interspecies cultural exchange program" The lady named Smith said to me.

"Ugh, how long was I out? And where am I?" I asked While lifting up my arms up causing the cut up silk binds to fall to the floor.

"Not long, only 12 hours you healed up nicely. And you are in a medical room in the HQ of the government-funded cultural exchange and research program." The one called told me.

"Interesting, am I free to leave?" I asked wondering If I was a prisoner here. Standing up put on my shoes and headed to the chair my backpack was on but stopped when I felt something slimy lightly touching the top of my head.

With my mind racing on what could possibly be touching me, as I saw nothing else I the room when I stood up. While I was thinking more 'tentacles' started slowly wrapping around my arms and exposed chest.

I turned around in an instant and saw the slime monster from last night standing in front of me with her tentacle pigtails extending and dividing into multiple smaller ones which were in turn wrapped around me, She had on a stereotypical nurse outfit and had on a warm smile. She looked kinda cute, but at that point I knew looks could be deceiving.

The slime woman, with the chest area of her uniform being strained against her rather large chest. Started slowly walking? Sliding? Moving?... she started moving slowly towards me while her tentacles started to gradually tighten around me.

"I'm glad you're ok, it took me quite a while to fix you up, we certainly did a number on you and I truly am sorry for that." The slime said in a surprisingly mature voice.

Shaking her apology off, I turned back to the two coordinators and saw that both of them had smug smirks plastered on their sunglasses covered faces.

Smith spoke up "Meet Seras, when we brought you back here, she spent 4 hours treating your wounds and tending to you… She is what you call a medicinal slime, Her body is made up of compounds that in a sense speeds up the healing process of cells for all organic life forms." I glanced at Jones' face, trying to see if what Smith just told me was complete and utter BS, or the truth.

"Ok…. cool thanks?" I said trying to comprehend what was just said to me as I walked towards the chair my bag was on, pulling the tentacles off me in the process, throwing on a shirt on I did a quick inspection of the bags contents making sure everything was there, and if anything was damaged, oddly enough the same med pack was back in the bottom of the bag, they must have found it and brought it back for me...About 30 seconds in, I felt those same cold, moist tentacles starting to wrap themselves slowly around me for the second time.

I turned to see my doctor standing right behind me again having that same small smile. I had to end this quick before I got injured by this monster a second time. "Ummm….. Thank you for having me, and for….. patching me up but I gotta go…. somewhere else, not here." I stated a little unsure of how I was going to get out of this room with these three here, I turned and walked for the door ready to get away from this room and its occupants, but just as I was about to grab the handle I heard voices in the other side.

"Ugh, what's taking SO long? what are they doing in there? That's it I'm going in."

"No, not yet you have to wait for the go ahead."

"No, I'm going in... I want to see how the kids doing."

"You mustn't."

"WATCH ME!" I heard just as the door handle started to jiggle, then it flew open knocking me back.

The door was slammed open with more force than was required causing me to go flying from the force of the door, mid-air I braced myself for impact into the floor, wall or window. But instead of that, I felt myself hit something soft and moist. Followed by me getting picked up to the point that I was now standing on my own two feet, but was still leaning somewhat on whatever it was that I initially crashed into. I opened my eyes and saw that I crashed, or was caught by the slime nurse.

"YOU NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL, YOU ALMOST KILLED HIM…..again," Seras yelled as she began wrapping her arms around my chest.

"Whoops, sorry kid didn't know you were making out with the door." I heard a rather brash voice say, as I looked up from Seras embrace, I was met by face covered in stitches and which had miss matched eyes the same from last night….. Wait this is Zombina, the one from the MON team, either zombies all look very similar or she's the same one... Why would she attack me? And I thought they only had four members an ogre, a zombie, a shapeshifter and Cyclops, I've seen them briefly on tv...why were the liminals peacekeepers attacking me?

"The names Zombina, sorry about the other night, however, orders are orders, glad you're alright though, our doc is one of the best... but that last bit made our job A LOT harder, you can run like waaaaay faster then I thought any human could ever run." She proclaimed with a smile that would have been more fitting on a shark.

As I shifted my weight back on to my own two legs and off of the slime behind me, I noticed she wasn't letting go…. Great.

As I slowly walked over to get my backpack I began pulling Seras along for a ride, because it was clear she was not letting go.

Smith then thought it would be a good time to fill me in "This is the MON team, I'm sure you've seen them on the news with Tionishia, Zombina, Manako, and Doppel. But due to recent expansions of the program more have been added to the team but have been kept primarily out of the public eye, for reasons. Now Seras, Widowna *Arachne, Balboa *Constrictor Lamia, Vesp *Hornet, Corva *Harpy, and Vera *Wyvern* are part of the MON team as of last year, each useful for their natural talents and abilities." Smith concluded as she pointed to each of the additional MON members as she said there names and species, Well at least I'm acquainted with them now….Pointless because I've decided I'm moving back to Canada now.

With the MON team all piling in to see me, the small room up quickly became full and it became clear that if I wanted to make a break for it I wouldn't get far, not with all the liminals in front of me as well as the one holding me from behind.

More started coming up, not saying anything just simply looking at me.

Then the Giant at the back, which I could only see the top of her head and a horn, came forward. Took one look at me, and squealed

"SERAS….. I WANT TO HUG HIM, HE'S JUST SOOOOO CUTE." Tionishia yelled, arms outstretched and a cute pout on her face as if reaching for me like her life depended on it.

"Well too bad, he's my patient and it's my responsibility to make sure he gets better. he's also in a weakened state and I know that if I give him to you you'll probably hug him to death, so that's a NO…. he's mine." Seras ended by squeezing me just a little tighter.

"Now Seras, he's not yours…. If anything he's mine." The spider girl said as she walked up to me, towering over me at around 9ft.

"I'M DON'T BELONG ANYBODY…. Especially not you guys, not after what you did to me last night," I exclaimed coldly making all around me including Seras, either hang their head or look rather guilty off into space.

The shorter agent with one eye, Manako stepped forward just a bit and opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by the sound multiple cell phones ringing. As everyone checked their phones, they all breathed a collective sigh of disappointment.

"Lets…*sigh*... just get this over with," Smith said with clear annoyance in her voice, "Head out" was the last thing she said before she and Jones turned and walked out the door. Confused on whether this included me? Or was it a team only thing.

But when Seras started pushing me towards the door I figured this had something to do with me, or at least I was permitted to attend.

With Smith and Jones in the lead and the rest of us following not far behind we were moving with a purpose, we all walked through rather cavernous hallways about 15 ft across. And yes we all walked, I was now walking under my own willpower….. Sort of, she still had one or two slime tentacles attached to me.

Before I was rushed out of the medical room I reached out to grab my bag sitting close to the door. But Vesp was having none of that, as she grabbed it before I could.

After a few very awkward minutes of walking in silence with most of the MON team either trying not to make eye contact with me or hanging their heads down at the floor. We made it to an industrial looking door that slid up and to reveal a large shipping container repurposed to be an extra large elevator.

After another awkward session of no one talking, but this time I at least had one earbud in and was listening to a song with a calming low bpm. I was standing near the front listening to music, Smith and Jones standing close by, seemingly shutoff as they were not moving…. Or breathing for what I could see.

Play Weightless, by Macroni Union

The larger species Balboa, Widowna and Tionishia were at the back along with the rest of the agents trying to stay as still as possible. Well except for Vesp the hornet of the team, She had four arms, and large eyes that on close inspection had a hexagonal design to them. Clear thin wings and a wasp-like abdomen. She was standing the closest to me out of all the agents, Hugging my bag with all her arms…. Weird.

After a minute that felt like an eternity, that iconic elevator 'bing' sounded and the doors opened. We all walked out and were presented with a long hallway covered completely by windows on one side. At the end of the large hallway were a set of large double doors.

Upon reaching the end of the hallway, the double doors were opened by two tough looking security guards, but one of them had had horns sticking slightly out of his head as well as a green lizard-like tail curled up inconspicuously around the door handle holding it open.

We entered the surprisingly large room and Smith gestured for me to sit down at the large round business table. There were many other people and liminals in suits and formal clothing in the room. All standing, even the MON team was standing behind me, albeit closer than the rest in the room. It confused me because there was least 50 or so standing throughout the room, and only three sitting at this table aside from me, which could have easily fit an extra 15 more.

Two of the three sitting at the other end of the long table were two secretary looking females, both in black tight-fitting suits that left nothing to the imagination. One was definitely human, while the other had sheep like horns protruding from her head.

Both were sitting facing me but were both reading something in front of them, or they just had their head pointed down. If not for the obvious physical differences you could mistake them for being mirror copies of each other, pose wise.

The one in the middle was a middle-aged man with grey, crew cut hair and a rather expensive looking suit with gold detailing, like everywhere, impressive but not my taste.

He was staring at me whilst drinking a cup of coffee, a blank expression on his face at what was before him. But he seemed to look nervous or anxious as his eyes kept twitching, and he was sweating a little.

Damn, I hate board meetings and suits… both of them. Don't get me wrong I look damn good in a suit, I just don't like business people who feel all high and mighty... because of there suit.

The tension was so thick I could have cut it with my knife.

My backpack! I should have an ace of sorts in there… If it wasn't crushed up against the chest of the MONs resident hornet.

I guess I will have to attend the meeting…. Ugh I usually have an out, fake a heart attack, jump out a window, shoot someone with a paintball gun, shoot myself with said paintball gun. And don't act like you think that's the nothing, you've never been shot in the face with a 45psi bio-ammo Paintball gun, shit hurts.

now that I think of it, I don't think I've ever actually sat through an entire meeting before in my life, normally people just tell me what to do after the fact.

"Now I know most of you know why your here, today." the middle-aged man spoke.

"FUCK…. I'm on the 45th floor, no way I'm jumping out of that…. And making it down alive." I thought glancing out the window. "But for those who don't know, I am Isaac Boardman, the CEO of the Cultural Exchange Program." He spoke again standing up.

"I am speaking of course to our guest, Mr. Zackary Axel."

"Guest? The fuck?" I thought as all the eyes in the room directed themselves at the only life form in the room under 20 years of age.

"I apologize for the rather sudden meeting but it was imperative that we get all this straightened out as soon as possible." He spoke setting his mug down.

I arched an eyebrow at him, clearly confused and he seemed to pick up on this as he kept filling me in. "First off you are now under our….. Or my jurisdiction to assist in the Cultural Exchange Program, from the Canadian government. As of this moment, you are considered an asset to the Japanese government as well as the Program, and you are no longer part of the CSIS. You will follow the orders given as no doubt were expected when you were sanctioned in Canada, we are well aware of all your accomplishments when you were in your home country. As you most likely know the liminal initiative program has been running for 4 years, it has received tremendous support ranging from tons of potential hosts to top of the line financial support from the government, as the program is reaching its final stages development we need someone new to help with making the required changes to the laws and the program as a whole to make it better for all humans and liminals in japan, if the program is a success liminals around the world would be able to take part in a global exchange program, not bound by international borders." He concluded his 50k word speech with a smile projected at me.

"So…. if I heard right, basically the entire future of the liminal initiative rests on me. A 16-year-old kid?" I asked him.

"Not at all. There are still high ranking government officials and many other works that are all aiming for the same goal, so no you are not doing this alone. Your job is to point out any problems in the laws and systems because you have not been present when the program was founded so you should be able to make changes that the rest of us have grown accustomed to but are still very much issues." He finished by taking another sip from his and then peaked down at the paper one of his secretaries was writing on.

"You will basically be just another participant in the program so don't stress it, just when matters arise for changes your opinions will be considered."

"That's a massive relief" I sighed, I really didn't want to have the fate of this whole program riding on my unpredictable youth shoulders.

"That is all I have to tell you if you have any questions? Ask away." He finished with a smile that dare I say almost looked fatherly.

"Why did the MON team attack me?" I asked coldly.

"Ah yes, I assumed you were going to ask this. Before you arrived your previous boss contacted me, he knew about our cognitive liminals related tests, which tests to see how the person reacts to high-stress situations when extra species are involved. He requested that we test your physical abilities as well as your mental ones." He answered regaining his composure.

"That is definitely something he would say, but why kidnap me, wouldn't a boxing match or something like that, or a manhunt wouldn't that have worked just as fine?"

"It was improvised, we had never done anything like this before... And no the laws forbade any form of violence between humans and liminals for sport."

"YOU FUCKING ATTACKED ME, DONT GIVE ME SHIT ABOUT VIOLENCE LAWS," I yelled standing up and slamming my fist into the table, Startling every one In the room.

"There are loopholes like you would not believe, this counts as a government-sponsored recruitment process... But yes, I am totally against the method and I apologize for putting you through it." He responded a little startled.

Clearly, he was done with me as finished our conversation with a "Thank you for your time, please resume your schedules." Then he walked to a door behind with his two secretaries who following close behind.

In retrospect I was glad that this all got sorted out, I now know why the MON team did what they did and now know that I shouldn't blame them. But in the heat of the moment, I was pissed.

After Isaac left the boardroom, the meeting was officially over.

I stood up and turned around, I saw the room was still full, minus a few people who must have dashed after the meeting was over. The crowd was a mix of humans and liminals of all shapes, sizes and colours. However the majority were female, there were a few males scattered in the crowd. I'm not complaining most of them were pleasing to look at, but still, I must ask later what's with the large gender gap... Oh, wait I won't be able to, cause I'm going back to Canada.

No one moved as I was glancing throughout the crowd in front of me. It was a little unnerving as they were all staring at me. Some with a blank expression, a handful with a concerned expression, and the rest with a nervous expression as they kept glancing up then back at the floor.

It was awkward for a few seconds before the stare off was interrupted by someone who coughed, following that a large section of the group suddenly left leaving Smith, Jones, the MON team, and a small group of others mixed inconspicuously behind the MON team.

They were all looked at me like they were expecting me to talk or make the first move.

"Well, that was very insightful, and enlightening," I said with a slow exhale.

"Are you mad? I'm really sorry. " Vesp asked as she inched a little closer, my bag still glued to her chest.

"Well… I now know why you guys did what you did….And yes, yes I'm still mad but no longer towards you and the MON team…. A little more towards the CEO over there… But I forgive you, you seem sincere. I guess?" With that, I turned and walked towards the door.

The two security guards that were posted at the doors when we walked in were now standing on the inside of the room right in front of the doors. Man those guys can be stealthy.

They saw me coming and opened the doors without any hesitation. So I guess I was free to leave if I chose to.

Knowing I wasn't a prisoner in this boardroom, And I could leave when I wanted without using the option of jumping through the window.

I turned back to the group noticing that they were a closer than when I last looked. I walked back towards them and approached Vesp, she lowered her head and loosened her grip on my bag, whilst she held it out a little bit.

I nodded and unzipped the main pocket grabbing my phone, wallet, headphones, and other few things. Then I zipped the bag back up and handed it back to Vesp.

She seemed confused but went back to hugging it tightly. "It suits you better," I said with a small smile, before turning and walking out the doors.

The MON team and others that were still in the room watched in silence as I walked off without another word said.

I apologize for the lack of updates, Life has been terrible.

Crashed my bike, got sent to the hospital... and I have been pretty suicidal recently, so much so that I was on the bridge edge about to jump, but luckily a stranger took me down and saved my life, from my self... Anyway.

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