Chapter 06: Chains Part 1
Wash the pain from yesterday
"Beep – Beep – Beep" my phone went.
I was trembling from what the person on the phone said to me. My right arm is shaking from the shock of just the words that man said alone. I broke a sweat from just thinking about getting esper powers. The power that I've oh so ever yearned for, ever since coming to Academy City.
"I'll await your answer 24 hours from now. Think hard, if you want to climb the ladder"
Those words went through my head repeatedly...again and again. I won't have to go through those harsh times I had for being Level Zero. These two years I had to go through. I clenched my left fist and swallowed my saliva. All that can change with just one word!
"Taisuke?" Sable said with concern.
I looked at her and put my phone in my pocket. Her eyes filled with concern with her arms near her chest.
"It's nothing" I said anxiously with a hesitant laugh. I looked at the ground and put my right arm over me left and held my wristband. "Power" I muttered
"Taisuke?" she said with her slightly tilted to the right
I raised my head
"Sorry Sable, what were we talking about again?" I asked
She immediately looked away from me and played with her skirt nervously
"Um...was the...cookies delicious?" she said with conviction as she looked me in the eye.
"Huh?", oh thats what she was going to say. For a moment there I thought she was going to say something serious like the man on the phone. I opened the small container and got one cookie and put it in my mouth.
"munch munch"
I looked back at her and faked the best smile I could make.
"Yeah, its delicious" I said
"Thank goodness" Sable said as she stood up
"Well, I'll be going now, take care of yourself Taisuke"
She waved her hand to me as she left as she got farther and farther from my sight. Then I felt a pain in my chest. I gripped my chest with my right arm, hoping that would make a difference, but it didn't. It hurt so bad that I could barely breathe. I tried to inhale but every time I did it seemed like I was inhaling less air every time. The pain didn't go away and it was only becoming worse.
I reached for my phone in my pocket and pressed the speed dial button. Now it seemed like I was barely inhaling any air anymore.
"Shit" I thought to myself
"Was this Sable's doing?"
"No, it can't be!"
I started to feel light headed and my eyes started close on me slowly. I tried to resist but due to the lack of air, I was powerless and my eyes closed. I couldn't feel anything anymore. All I could see is pure darkness around me. Then a small light far from my sight started to flicker. And it got brighter and brighter until it enveloped me.
"Onii-Chan" my little sister said
"Yeah what is it?" I asked her
"What did you bring today?"
I lifted the plastic bag in my left hand
"You mean this?"
She smiled radiantly "Yes!" as she nodded her head quickly
Thats right my sister is being hospitalized because of an unknown sickness and there is no cure for presently. I come here every day no matter what. I usually come here as soon as classes are over at Peripheral Academy, the school my little sister should also being going to.
Everyday I bring something new to my sister's hospital room, that way she won't be sad all the time. I just want her to smile. Every time I bring something over she is always excited to find out what I brought for her.
"Onii-Chan" my little sister said as I closed the door behind me
"Yeah what is it?" I asked her
"What did you bring today?"
I lifted the plastic bag in my left hand
"You mean this?"
She smiled radiantly "Yes!" as she nodded her head quickly
"Come on what is it" she demanded
I brought out a wristband making kit. "Here you go" I said as I gave it to her, she took it from my hands and hugged the box. "Thank You Onii-Chan" she said while hugging the box. I smiled from just seeing her smile.
"Ding - Dong - Ding - Dong" the school bell sounded the end of classes. I packed my stuff into my bag and walked towards the shoe lockers. I opened my locker and wore my shoes and placed the indoor shoes inside the locker. I closed my locker and started heading for the school gate.
Then I was suddenly pushed to the ground from my left.
"Take that Level Zero!" the guy said as he ran off.
I already know I'm level zero, I get it! I know I have no esper powers! But to me powers don't matter anymore, for as long I can help my sister to me that enough. I got up from the ground and wiped some of the dirt of my shirt and continued walking. To me your level isn't a representation of your strength. It just a number people came up with to make organizing easier. The number has no real representation at all.
I walked the streets and waited on pedestrian lane on the roads until I made it to the hospital. I did the usual paper work at the visitors lobby and proceeded and punched in the fourth floor.
"Alright be a good brother" I thought to myself as I exited the elevator and walked to the patient room of my sister "Taisuke Yukinaga". I knocked on the door and opened the door afterwards.
"Yo" I said casually as I closed the door behind me. I didn't get any response, I looked at my sister and saw her working on some wristbands. I sat down on the chair near her bedside and placed my bag on the floor. I looked at the wristband she was making and surprisingly it looked really good, like a legit wristband. Wait, I did give her a wristband making kit after all so its no surprise that it looks legit.
"Done!" she announced as she held the wristband in the air.
I marveled at her creation because it seemed more than just a creation.
"Here you go Onii-Chan" she said with both her arms extended towards me with the wristband at her fingers.
"Thanks" I said happily as I received the wristband from her.
She smiled at me. But then my vision began to become a bit blurry "Huh?" then my eyes closed.
"Taisuke!" a voice shouted at me
"Taisuke!" the voice continued to shout me
"Taisuke!" the voiced continued
"Taisuke!" the voice refused to give up
My eyes opened slowly and I could see Harvey, I moved my foot slowly and noticed I was lying down on the bench. I looked at the red sky and realized all that was just a dream. My sister ain't here anymore.
"Thank god your alive" Harvey said as he exhaled a sigh of relief.
I tilted my head to the right that way I could see Harvey clearer. I inhaled and exhaled and noticed that my chest pain dissipated.
"Why are you here?" I asked quietly
"Oi, you called me remember!" He said
Oh yeah, I remember that...I reached for my phone when I was having a hard time breathing and pressed on the speed dial button and my speed dial is Hamasaki Harvey. Now that I think about it, I feel relieved that Harvey came over, but I have no idea how he found me.
"Right." I said as I sat up slowly
"I called you" as I laughed anxiously
"Taisuke, what happened?" Harvey asked with a serious face. A face I have not seen before. A face that do absolutely anything and nothing would get in his way. I wondered if I should tell him what exactly happened, I want to believe that Sable is innocent but if she isn't things will get quite messy. Not just for their family but probably to the entire Academy City. Their Dad is a man of power after all.
I stood up in front of Harvey and looked in the eye with the exact amount of seriousness.
"Nothing happened, I just lost consciousness thats all" I said
"Don't give me that shit Taisuke" Harvey replied
"I'm not lying Harvey, I just lost myself for a while."
"Yeah right. Harvey said sarcastically
knowing you theres no way that could happen" he said convincingly
I walked through him and we bumped each other but I continued walking none the less. I powered my way through Harvey and walked away from the park.
"Tsk!" Harvey muttered as he kicked the ground
I continued walking aimlessly from street to street, walkway to walkway, pedestrian lane to pedestrian lane. Then I stopped at a bridge with a river underneath it. I walked towards the railing of the bridge and placed my arms on top. Looking at the starless night sky, it would seem like I was out of options.
Esper powers, Sable, and my sister there was so much on my mind. I couldn't process anything because they all came in a blaze. I didn't know what to do anymore. I don't even know what I live for. Whats the purpose now? Do my recent actions even have meaning? Why did I bother to even stay in Academy City? I closed my eyes for a moment and inhaled and exhaled.
"You done resting?" a voice said playfully
I opened my eyes and looked around the bridge. Nobody was here except me, so whose voice was that? I turned around and walked to the center of the bridge and pressed the button on the soles of my shoes.
"You ready then, I assume...Zero?" a shadowy figure said
Author's Note: Review Please! :) Even placing a character would do!
