Isn't that an odd philosophy for a vampire?
CHAPTER SIX: EVERYONE'S WORRIED ABOUT STOPPING TERRORISM. WELL, THERE'S REALLY AN EASY WAY: STOP PARTICIPATING IN IT. (Chomsky)
The next day, I went to school, alone. The morning was excessively silent. As I stepped into the classroom, I still tempted to lift my eyes to see if by any chance my friends were back. I knew my thoughts were hopeless and the seats were expected to be empty, but surprisingly, between the window and my seat, sitting at his usual desk, I saw him – Mikage.
There was the silence again.
I could run to him, I thought, but my legs were shaking. I just stood there, in front of the doorway. People were passing around me, looking at me as if I forgot to do my assignment. I couldn't care much about them. Not at this time. There might be thirty in my class, but I only saw Mikage, his face on his palm, his elbow on the table, his eyes turned, staring at the window. What was he looking at? Was he waiting to see me on my way to school? Was he waiting for me? I could feel my tears falling when his eyes turned to me and met mines. His gaze, so familiar, and then his smile.
"Teito..."
I went forward. My arm stretched to reach his.
"Mikage?"
"Teito! Wake up!"
Dime light, trembling seat, railway sound. Teacher Frau was shaking me. I looked around and found myself in the subway. The endless movement of the train's wheels rolling on the rails must had set me asleep while heading to the AYA Federal Laboratory.
"Asshole!" That was probably Castor's voice. "You bastard!" he screamed and pushed Teacher Frau aside. "Where were you going? to the clubs? Don't even think about it, you aren't getting any drinks at this age, stupid!"
He grabbed my ear and pulled me out of the train at the next stop. Teacher Frau laughed. Even Dr. Labrador was there.
"I wasn't heading to the clubs." I tried to explain. "I was going to AYA Federal Laboratory."
Castor freed my ear and forced me to sit on an empty bench. "Haven't you got enough trouble in AYA F.L.? If you're going there to invite the guards for a drink for me, why do you have to do it at this damn time? It's almost 2 AM!"
"That's not what I was going for."
"I don't care! You go home with me or I kick you out of the house."
"Uh, fine."
I couldn't believe that my plan failed. It took me all day to construct it. How did they find me so fast?
We went home by taxi. Castor said that Teacher Frau and Dr. Labrador were sleeping in. I knew they were his best friends, but it was the first time that they would sleep in.
After we entered our apartment, without a word, they pulled down all the blinds and settled a fire to a candle on the middle of the dining table. The three of them sat around, leaving one empty seat for me, waiting me to self-invite to their some kind of ceremony or whatnot.
"Come on, sit. Don't be shy," said Dr. Labrador with a smile.
I looked at Teacher Frau who was lighting his cigarette with the fire from the candle. Then I looked at Castor who nodded at me. I sat down, confused.
"Now," started Castor after a long pause, "let's begin!"
Dr. Labrador took out a thirty-inched iTablet from I didn't know where and carefully laid it on the table. After starting it up, a world map appeared in 3D. Castor passed me a 3D glasses while the others put theirs on. Dr. Labrador zoomed in the area that seemed to be Barsburg. There were many small red dots concentrated at that region. Several blue dots spread over the same surface. Most of them were gathered at the capital.
"Teito," said Castor with an unusual tone, "we have already saved Hakuren and Mikage."
Did I really hear their name? Mikage was not dead? This must be fate that whenever I tried to be heroic, somebody else would do the job before me. Should I be thankful that I didn't have to work too much?
"We have brought them to the destroyed ghetto of Verloren's laboratory while you were in the subway," he continued pointing at one of the blue dots on the map. "That's Mikage's position. Not long ago, I've put a nano-GPS in Mikage's drink when he came over to play DDR with you."
"What? Why?" I asked.
"It was for your protection. I had to keep tracks of him on the iMap for your sake. Although I know that he's one of us now, isn't this convenient that I can use it to keep tracks of you once we separate? That is we'll bring you there for you and your friends' safety. Make sure to always stay with Mikage so we know your position."
"Keep us safe from what?"
"To evacuate you from the civil war, Teito," Teacher Frau answered. "The A.B.C. against the authorities. Didn't Hakuren tell you that?"
"He did, but brother said that it was all false."
"No, it was true. Castor must have made that up."
"Yes," Castor admitted, "I made up a lot of things. Including the fact that the previous chairman of the school was my father. He wasn't; he was my grandfather."
"Does that make a difference?" I asked.
"No. But the truth that you are the son of Weldeschtein Krom Raggs might make a difference."
"I am what?"
"You're the president of Ragg's son, Tiashe. A long time ago, your father won the first place in International Penspinning Olympic and gained a blood-colored optical pen mode, called the Eye of Mikhail. It is the ideal piece targeted by pirates and treasure hunters, mainly the president of Antwort, who used her daughter to trick your father, which has resulted the death of your mother. After the sad episode, your father decided to lock the Eye of Mikhail in the forbidden dungeon of Seele and gave you the spinning combo that serves as the key to pass the great fyulong forever guarding the castle. Later, when the Barsburg army came to kill off all the A.B.C., Weldeschtein called his brother to take you to the Department of Penspinning in Havard so you could be the next best penspinner in the world and use the Eye of Mikhail to revenge for your father and his country. But your uncle didn't make it because he had to cross the Pacific Ocean by feet. He was chased by the Antwort army until he arrived to the seventh state, in Barsburg National Academy and died. So, my grandfather accepted to help you and adopted you because you were cute and you liked to eat his homemade eyefish."
"Where is... my father now?"
"He put his hand on my shoulder. "He's in a pit, Teito. I'm sorry."
"How come I didn't know this?" So, my past were a lie. Everything that I had done, the knowledge that I acquired at school - everything that Mikage and I did together - they were not? I did not know anymore. It happened too quickly. At first he died. Then Hakuren told me weird things. Then Castor said Mikage was still alive. Then he also said that my father was killed and vengeance was now my responsibility. What was this world made of? That God-author that wrote my life must be sick like the programmer of Cat Mario!
(Author:*evil laugh*)
"I know it must be hard for you." Teacher Frau said. "You got brainwashed. Before the Antwort army finds you here, Verloren relaunched the brainwash process. We still know this because we wrote down everything in a journal."
No, Mikage's friendship was not fake. I could tell from my heart, which was not brainwashable. "Then how can I remember the key spinning combo?"
There was a pause, then Castor said "that's a good question."
"We don't have time to discuss about this issue now," said Dr. Labrador. "They're approaching."
"Who?" I asked.
There were a bunch of red dots heading to an arrow labeled with the words "you are here".
"Quick, to the car!" Teacher Frau shouted and blew out the candle, while Dr. Labrador packed up his iTablet and the 3D glasses.
My eyes did not had the time to get use of the darkness before I knew we were already on the parking area, into Castor's car. Teacher Frau took the driver's seat.
"You're not coming?" I asked after realizing that Castor and Dr. Labrador are still standing on the street.
"No, the army is coming for us. We'll stay and fight them," said Castor. "I'll see you later, brother!"
It was the first time he called me "brother". All this time, he had hidden his real personality and identity by calling me with nicknames. "But-"
"Don't worry about it. They'll be fine," said Teacher Frau. "Now, put on your seat belt."
The car began to move. I turned to get a good view from the back window. Some solders in black suit had already arrived, surrounding Castor and Dr. Labrador, who each took out a long metallic glowing stick and started to spin between their fingers. I could hear faintly some solder shouting "Stop the terrorists!" The fight got on, and whoever gets touched by the sticks would fall and be eliminated from the battle. The sticks span through the solders as if they were one with their controller. With a few aerial techniques, Castor and Dr. Labrador knocked out their opponents like razors.
"What are you guys?" I asked amazed. "Are you really terrorists?"
"That's what they call us," Teacher Frau said. "But really, we are just penspinning champions."
A/N: Hello! Sorry for not updating for so long. Happy new year by the way!
Introducing a new power: penspinning! Hope you liked it. (No, I'm not a penspinner. I can only do the thumbaround but that's about it.)
Until next time, hopefully not too long~
A/N (Updated): Cat Mario is one of the most annoying game online. Of course, I don't have the talent to be its programmer. But it's definitely a game that worth to try. XD
