Chapter 6
Changes for you and me
….
….
….
Maybe he'll use his positioning to make a cover story, like he was kidnapped and his parents wanted to keep it quiet. He went to school in-
'Aw man, just when I can remember my dreams.'
?, authoritatively: 12 AM CDT, 2 PM LOCAL. Welcome to your 7 Days In Hell. You will learn everything there is to be a PATAOU Agent and a SMOTe Operative. For the next 7 days, you will complete all required training under all conditions. Put these on, lovebirds.
Someone tossed the half-asleep Subaru and Emilia massive bundles of folded up clothes.
A near skintight black tactical long sleeve shirts. They looked like they were ripped from a cyberpunk or futuristic setting, with angled lines connecting with each other and circuit-like shapes. He's heard bits and pieces that clothes like these were popular in America.
It felt breathable, probably moisture wicking, and also probably a mix of nylon and rip-stop cotton. It was surprisingly lightweight, possibly durable. And knowing about magics and technologies, even protective.
Inside the folded-up shirts were the "tactical pants" he'd also heard are popular in America. Lightweight, polyester, rip-stop cotton, and maybe protective.
The pants wrapped around ATAC boots and black ankle length socks. What kept the massive bundles together was a strange belt.
A quarter inch (0.6 cm) thick black nylon belt with a tactical snap release buckle wrapped around the clothes, keeping them together in an elongated spheroid.
Kanku: Boy, step out.
Subaru grabbed the clothes thrown onto his stomach and left his room. Kanku followed behind him, giving Emilia the privacy she needed to change.
Subaru walked to the restroom opposite his door and stepped in to change. He removed his Knight uniform, neatly folding up the dress shirts and pants, setting them aside on the sink.
He put on the clothes provided, quickly figuring out how to do the buckle and boots after a concentrated look. When he picked up the boots, he heard a small clattering of metal on tile.
He looked down to see a small digital watch next to a paper booklet. He picked them up, the watch reading 00:5, and turned the watch upside down, reading the katakana and English characters to figure out what this thing was.
He switched to the paper and saw it was instructions to use the watch. He flipped to the Japanese section and read it.
He didn't want to fiddle with the watch at the moment, so he stepped out with his still messy hair.
Kanku: Lookin' like a G-Man already.
Subaru: And you look inconspicuous.
Kanku: That's the idea. You look like you're about to go wack some less than essentials.
Subaru: Killing? Not the best at it. Actually, I've only done it once.
Kanku: Says the guy with death-powered immortality.
Subaru: Hey, it's not like I'm used to dying and having to redo things over and over. Sure, I've broken a bit out of my shell, but I'm still a teen physically and mentally. I'm never going to live down all those times, but it seems like I'll have to practice putting down the bad things of life.
Kanku, turning to Subaru's room: Hey Emilia. You done yet?
Emilia, muffled: I'm okie.
Kanku: I can go get Ela if you need help.
Emilia: I'm fine. I guess I need to learn the life here on Earth.
Kanku: Alright. In a few minutes, I'm gonna port the 3 of us to your boot camp whether you're naked or halfway dressed. I'm sure Subaru would be fine either way.
Subaru: WHAT THE HELL?!
Kanku gave a quiet belly-laugh, a cheap shot at boosting morale for the hardship to come.
Emilia: What was that?
Subaru: Kaz is just being a weirdo.
Kanku: 2 minutes.
Subaru began to do quick calisthenics to prevent his body from aching as much.
Kanku: Make sure that you guys don't leave your clothes lying around. It would suck if your mom accidentally threw them in the wash with detergent.
Subaru went back to grab his clothes and grabbed 2 plastic bags. He went to the kitchen, grabbed a sticky-note, and wrote "Do not throw in the wash. We will clean them when we get back." in plain Kanji.
Kanku: Emilia, make sure that you don't leave your clothes in there, Subaru got you a bag.
Emilia: Okie. I finished putting on the clothes, but I'm having trouble with the boots and the strange belt.
Subaru: Thread one side of the belt through the loops around the waist, then combine the ends.
The sound of clothes rustling came from within as Emilia tried to put on the tactical belt.
She stepped out of his room with her folded clothes in hand.
Subaru: You rock the suit better than I do.
Emilia, slightly embarrassed: Um, in my honest opinion, it feels a little tight, and the boots feel super heavy. I'm not sure what this thing is. (holds the watch) I feel a little dizzy wearing this strange shirt. I think it's prevent me from absorbing mana.
Kanku: Just wear the shirt and it'll fit you better. The boots are made to protect your feet and leave the watch off if you want. I'll explain when we get over there.
Emilia: Watch?
Subaru: Mana-less time-crystal with more functions like date and temperature monitoring.
Emilia: Oooo. Where do I put my clothes exactly?
Subaru grabbed Emilia's clothes and put them in the empty bag. He squeezed past Emilia and placed both bags of exotic clothes on his bed, making sure that the sticky-notes were visible so his parents wouldn't accidentally mistake them for common clothes.
Emilia: Subaru, you have such strange belongings. The glass panel, the hollow boxes, and the small bookshelf are all remarkable.
Subaru: When we come back, I'll spend as much time as you need to teach you everything you need to know about Japan and Earth as a whole.
Emilia: I wonder how the political state of Juh-pan is compared to Lugunica? I wonder if there's something similar to the Dragon Tablet or a Royal Family.
Subaru: All in good time my adorable student.
Emilia: Don't say such strange things like that. I'm simply implying that I need the proper knowledge to efficiently function in an unfamiliar environment.
Kanku, raising his left hand: Alright, let's go.
Subaru: Waitwaitwait. Let me to say bye really quick.
He ran to his parents' room and quietly opened the door. They were still asleep, but he wrote a note on his mother's notepad on her nightstand.
We'll be back in a few days.
I love both of you. Thank you for never giving up on me. I promise I'll come back.
Your little baby boy in black, Subaru
PS: Please don't throw the bags on my bed into the wash. I'm not sure if otherworldly silk is washer/dryer safe.
Subaru carefully walked out, closed the door, and ran back to his means of transportation.
He exhaled, then Kanku snapped his fingers. From his house, they instantly relocated to a bland white marble room with 2 doors on opposite sides.
Door to door distance: 25 feet
Wall to wall distance: 10 feet
Behind them was a black metal door that presumably led to a GYM.
In front of them was a similar metal door, but was protected with something akin to a fingerprint scanner.
Above the door, in plain characters, read SPECIAL TRAINING FACILITY.
Kanku brought his right hand up to the strange scanner and pointed his index finger at it.
A small red circle of intricate shapes and patters glowed from the fingertip. The scanner glowed a green indicator and sounded off with an artificial feminine voice.
"Welcome, SMOTe Commander PATAUO Agent K. Please enjoy your visit."
The door opened, revealing another room,
Kanku: Magi-Touch ID sensor. Reads the frequency and composition of any magic it detects, then runs it against our personnel records.
Subaru: Once again, I'm completely surprised about how you all mix magics and tech.
Emilia: It's so strange that magic is possible without mana. Are these clothes metias?
Kanku: None of your simple elemental mana magic or metias. Mix some Para-Tech, arcane knowledge, bullshit, and viola. Those shirts you're wearing are fitted with Negation Field Generators, or Neg Fields. They prevent the absorption and use of magic and their "fuel". Works especially well on mana based magics.
Subaru: Any chance that they can help my situation?
Kanku: Your si- ooooh, right, your collapsed gate, or whatever it was called?
Subaru: If I don't lose my mana, I'll die of mana poisoning.
Kanku: I'll put a word in with the labbies.
Kanku stepped into the Training Room to let Subaru and Emilia inside.
To Subaru, the room looked like the commentary room of a stadium. They were an easy 200 feet (61 m) off the floor. They could see down into the field through thick glass pane walls.
A colorless concrete field, akin to a basketball court, spanned potentially miles afar. See-through walls of protected viewing rooms, armories, staircases, and elevators dotted the walls every 30 feet or so. 100s of lights and fans worked endlessly to supply or hinder anyone or thing that might be unlucky enough to practice down there.
To Emilia, it reminded her of what the Luginican Council of Elders might perceive as the goings-on of the Capitol Building Stadium. The same stadium where Subaru made a fool of himself in front of The Council, all the other Candidates, Royal and Regular Knights. All because he claimed he did it for her, to prove that he was loyal to an abominable being, such as a Half-Elf like her.
Tables and chairs were scattered across the room; vending machines along the walls; and large drink dispensers next to the vending machines. Numerous TVs were mounted angled downwards towards the tables; wired and wireless phones connected to the tables and walls; printers and computers were fixed into the walls.
The most out of place thing was that there were 5 waist-high tables along the left side; 20 feet (~6.1 m) between each.
Kanku: Before we start, we need to know if you guys want Augs or not. In the few minutes you've worn those Limiter shirts, we've gotten your biometrics, and determined that you are eligible for Augmentations.
Subaru: That's why we wore them? So you could non-consensually scan our bodies?
Kanku: Hey, when it comes to Intel Agencies, privacy is just a layered pipe dream. But when you hit a certain level, you create your own privacy.
Emilia: Excuse me again, but what exactly are Augs?
Subaru: Artificial Enhancers in the body. Basically, a metia that becomes part of your body.
Kanku: There's just 2 things you should know right now. 1: Subaru, since we don't fully understand your Authorities and because inter-universal travel is a poorly understood bitch, we guestimate that your tachyons are still trying to recover from the jumps between our separate worlds. The coats say that because of your current conditions, you can only get up to 2 of 7 total Augs. Anymore and you'll feel like all of your cells are black holes containing all of the universe's hate for our little marble.
Subaru: Excuse me, what?
Kanku: And numero dos: Emilia, because of your otherworldly biologically and Half-Elvish genetics, the labbies say that you can support up to 5 Augs.
Emilia: Nu-me-ru?
Kanku: If you agree, we can start your Aug Implementation Surgery today. If not, you'll have to train in the meantime.
Subaru: Guess I'll take the Augs. No point in passing up the opportunity to make myself a little stronger. This is my time to prove that I'm not totally incompetent and useless.
Emilia: Subaru, Kan, I still don't understand what "Augs" and "Tech" are. But I don't want people to cut open my body to insert potentially volatile metias. I suppose I'll have to wait for Subaru to undergo his bodily changes.
Kanku: Alright.
Subaru: Just like that? No "its recommended" or "you really should rethink that"? And "changes"? You make it sound like I'm barely going through puberty!
Kanku: No fuss about it. You want to get Auged and she doesn't. It's not a big deal. Some don't want them, some do.
Kanku walked to a wall mounted wired phone to his right. He picked it up and clicked a button on the panel.
Kanku, in English into the phone: The Boy wants them, Girl doesn't. Get the regiment ready so they can go under…. That's all he can take?... Alright. Tell Garenzo she still owes me from 3 days ago.
He put the phone back in its original spot, hanging up on whoever was on the other side.
Kanku: From what the whites tell me, you only have a few Augs to choose from. They'll send up a list any minute now.
One of the printers on the left wall began humming alive; whirring as the laser-jet printer fused the ink to the singular conceived paper sheet.
Kanku walked towards the printer to grab the list as Subaru and Emilia took a seat at the table in front of them.
He returned to the seated pseudo-couple, Augmentation list in-hand.
He placed down the potential list in front of Subaru. The Knight's eyes glew like the stars dotting the night skies in recognition of his potential newfound strengths.
(In Japanese)
A COMPLETE LIST OF PARANORMAL AND/OR TECHNOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENTS AND AUGMENTATIONS FOR [PATAUO AGENT NATSUKI Subaru, AGED 18].
*POSSESSION REPELLING FIELD; CORTEX IMPLANT; RITUALISTIC PROCESS KAPPA-J39
*PORTABLE POCKET DIMENSION GENERATOR; RITUALISTIC PROCESS KETZO-55-RED
*THOUGHT AND PERCEPTIVE REACTION ACCELERATOR; COMPLETE NERVOUS SYSTEM RESTRUCTURING, RITUALISTIC PROCESS PSI-22
*SUB-DERMAL MAGIC WICKING PLATELETS; CIRCULATORY RESTRUCTURING, RITUALISTIC PROCESS ÆÎX-30
*UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION; CORTEX ENHANCEMENT
*[EXPERIMENTAL] COMPLETE ORGAN CONTROL; RITUALISTIC PROCESS ÞÎŘ-RHODES
*ESP UTILIZATION AND DETECTION; RITUALISTIC PROCESS SIGMANDAI-08, NERVOUS SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT
*[EXPERIMENTAL] PERSONAL SOUL/SPIRITAL DOMINATION; RITUALISTIC PROCESS ÆĞÅIß-77
*MAGIC POTENTIAL ENHANCER; CARDIOVASCULAR/CORTEXRESTRUCTURING, RITUALISTIC PROCESS YAZUX-P8
*ORGANIC MOLDING; INTEGUMENTARY/ MUSCULOSKELETAL/NERVOUS SYSTEM(S) RESTRUCTURING, RITUALISTIC PROCESSES ROQA-55 AND SARCA-0X2
*SIMPLE ANGELIC/DEMONIC UTILIZATION; RITUALISTIC PROCESS OMICRON 67-ELO
*COMPLEX ANGELIC/DEMONIC UTILIZATION; RITUALISTIC PROCESS AO 0-KRATEN
*SPECIFIC MAGIC SPECIALIZATION (3); RITUALISTIC PROCESS EXPONREN-2
*PSYCHOMETRIC ANALYSIS; RITUALISTIC PROCESS THETA-22
*AMBIDEXTROUS ANDDEXTERITY ENHANMENT; MUSCULOSKELETAL ENHANCEMENT
*SEDUCTIVE/SEDATIVE EMBRACE; RITUALISTIC PROCESS RAKAZIR-DX4AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT
*[EXPERIMENTAL] TOTAL RECALL; RITUALISTIC PROCESS PHO-RI-30
*[EXPERIMENTAL] LOCALIZED TEMPORAL DISPLACEMENT and MANIPULATlON; LAMBDA-09
*ASTRONOMI TEMPORAL PROTECTIVE ZONE; BRAINSTEM RESTRUCTURING, RITUALISTIC PROCESS PLEIADES-7
*[EXPERIMENTAL] SPATIAL MANIPULATION/MANIFESTATION; RITUALISTIC PROCESSES 005-GARDENERS-D2 AND WINDRYU-89, COMPLETE SYSTEMIC
RESTRUCTURING
Subaru was absolutely and utterly dumbfounded at the compiled list of enhancements he could have. He had absolutely no idea what all these "processes" and organ system mentions mean, but he could feel his brain switch from "Survivalist Mode", developed in light of Return By Death; to "Otaku Mode," his default and uncommonly touched upon side.
Emilia: Subaru, is this what your native script looks like?
Subaru: Yes, but it's only a third of Written Japanese proper.
Kanku: Without my Augs, I don't think I would've picked up Japanese at all. Why did Kanji have to be so intricate? One wrong stroke and you go from "onion" to "violently dying" or something like that.
Subaru: Meh, born and raised in the middle of Japan. And look how I turned out.
Emilia: So Kaz, when exactly will I have to undergo training? I must return to my studies so I may become The Queen.
Kanku, ignoring Emilia: So what do you guys think about guns?
Subaru: Well, as a newly hired professional Operative, I feel like it's within my nature to be well versed in the Art of Lead-Slinging.
Emilia: Guns? Are those the things that you kept behind your back and what the guards pointed at us?
Kanku: Subaru, guess what? Emilia, what do you think? We can even make custom order magi-tech guns.
Subaru, excitedly: I'm gonna shoot!?
Emilia: Will I adopt a new skill or technique?
Kanku: Subaru, you can only choose up to Augs. Emilia, you could also use a staff, your magic, or something.
Subaru looks back to his sheet, thinking intensely about his future and future condition.
After a few uncomfortably silent minutes of Kanku and Emilia looking between themselves, Subaru spoke with a newfound tone of sureness.
Subaru: 2? Hmmm… thinking from a practical and useful perspective, I think I'd wanna get…
He shows Kanku the paper and points out the items he was confused about.
Kanku: Thought and Perceptive Reaction Accelerator, TAP for short, lets you think and move considerably faster depending on how much you activate it. Portable Pocket Dimension Generator is exactly that, it lets you create a sub-space pocket dimension that you can store and grab from.
Subaru, surprised: Nice. But why are some labeled [EXPERIMENTAL]?
Kanku: Every Aug has some form of drawback, and EXPERIMENTAL Augs are still in Beta. So, TAP has a chance of giving you a headache based on how long and hard you use it. A bunch of people forget what they've thrown in their Pockets.
Subaru: Guess this is the point of no return? I'm good with my selections.
Kanku: Give the word and I'll tell the Surges.
Emilia: Will I be able to watch as he undergoes his changes?
Kanku: As a rule of thumb, we highly recommend you don't stay in the same room as someone getting a new Aug. It can get really messy, and the Rituals always have a chance of blowing to shit.
Subaru, darkly reassuringly: Ah well, can't know it'll kill you till you try it.
Kanku: That's rich, coming from you.
Emilia, increasingly worried: Subaru, please stop taking your life so whimsically. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you.
Subaru and Kanku: Who says whimsically anymore?
They look at each other in surprise, humored at their synchronized question.
Kanku: Subaru, when you're ready, lay down on a table.
He points to one of the numerous elevated blocks in the room, identifying them as operating tables or something akin.
Kanku: Emilia, last chance to decide. Do you wanna stay and watch or go do something else? There is a third option, but it is a little time-consuming.
Emilia directed her gaze downwards and pursed her lips, pondering the offer.
Emilia: May you please explain this Third Option?
Kanku: We could implant some knowledge into you. Language, writing, skills, and etcetera.
Emilia: Hmmmm…. It would make life here on Earth easier for Subaru, myself, and everyone else if they manage to find a way… Buuuuuut I'm not very open to the idea of letting strangers do something weird with my body. Puck told me that the body I was born with is the only one I'll have, so I'd better take care of it.
Subaru, quietly: Say that to Roswall.
Kanku: What about Rosenbaum?
Subaru: What? Nothing. Just hoping her sponsor doesn't cross over and do something crazy like the clown he is.
Kanku, looking at Emilia: We'll just use some basic hypnosis. Basically, well put both of ya' to sleep and put you in a training dream for a few days. If any of the Doctors do anything funny, I'll see to it that they regret ever existing.
Emilia, confidently: If I have your word, then I'll accept your offer. I have faith that you'll keep us safe.
Kanku walked back to the wall phone and put it to his ear.
Kanku: Slight change of plans. Girl wants the BHTI… Yes, I'll make sure that I stop by and get your Palmer. Come on up already, they'll probably be asleep by then.
He put the phone back to the wall and sighed slightly.
Kanku: One of the labbies wanted me to get them a Half-N-Half. And FYI, BHTI means Basic Hypnotic Training Implementation, which is what you, Emilia, will be getting. And let me make another call really quick.
He put his right hand to his waist and grabbed his phone; thumb zooming around the screen before putting it to his ear.
Subaru caught a glimpse of the screen and saw that he was calling someone: MOM.
The receiver picked up instantly, as he began talking.
Kanku: Holá mamá…. I'm doing good too…. Yes, I'll take care of the dogs…. Oh, you heard about that already?... Good to hear they're good…. Ok, I'll swing by the house and grab my lunch box... If the next job goes well, we'll officially have 2 new SMOTe Operators… Love you too.
The call ended and he put his phone back.
Kanku: Well, the Docs are heading up already. Best of luck to you guys, I'll be back when you wake up in a few days. Later.
He walks to the original entry door and heads to the elevator, disappearing behind quickly closing doors.
Subaru: Well, Emilia, looks like it's the 2 of us again. Sounds like we should get on those tables over there. Judging by the difference between our choices, I'll probably wake up after you. Hope you don't get too lonely.
Emilia hugged Subaru, squeezing him as he held her in return. He felt his blood rush to his face, completely flabbergasted by the circumstances.
Subaru, suffocating: Owie, ek.. my… spine.
She let him out of her death hug, letting him take a big gulp of air to refill his wrung-out lungs.
He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, unsure of how long he'd be under the magical knives and technological life support systems.
He stood upright again and walked over to the closest table. He lifted his legs so he could lie down and wait for the Medical Personnel to arrive, closing his eyes and slowing his breathing
Emilia started to blush slightly, as she was just kissed unexpectedly.
She grabbed a nearby chair, placed it next to his makeshift bed, and held his hand.
'I can see why Rem watches him fall asleep. He's like a baby. He's so adorable that I might just squish his cheek like he does to me!'
She watched him fall asleep and felt the contagious drowsiness spread. She didn't bother fighting it, so she put her head on her hand.
She noticed that she started to doze off, and a few moments later, a few moments later, a strange soft ding-dong came from the other side of the room.
Men and women in all white full-body uniforms entered in droves; 25 in a single-file-line in total.
20 of them focused on Subaru, pulling carts full of strange machines and tools.
She felt that some of them began to draw mana from the air and make contracts with spirits.
Some began to clasp their hands and make strange gestures, similar to the ones Subaru occasionally made while bored, while some carried assorted sheets with a large variety of strange sigils, glyphs, and markings.
The remaining 5 focused on her with a calculating gaze; their intelligence and planning showing in their eyes.
She looked at them in curiosity, wondering what would happen now that all these new people were here.
Of the five that approached her: the 1st got closest to her; the 2nd carried a strange thin black box; the 3rd held a disk attached to a chain; the 4th held long black wires with clear pieces of plastic and pointed metal at the ends; and the 5th's hands and eyes began to glow light blue.
1st Doctor, female: Ms. Emilia, are you ready? This shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 days for you. It'll be about a week for him. (Points at Subaru)
Emilia: I'm 100% ready for this. I'm absolutely sure that we'll be okie.
The doctor chuckled slightly, taking a liking to the elf child's optimism.
1st Doctor: Sanavi, you done?
5th Doctor: Yeah.
1st Doctor: Ms. Emilia, we need to put you in a semi-sleep state for the procedure. We must take him to a separate room, but we'll let you into an observatory when you're done.
The horde of doctors around Subaru suddenly disappeared; Emilia barely caught herself from falling off her chair.
'Just wait Subaru...
'Just wait Emilia…
'I'll be there at your side when I'm back.'
The 5th Doctor gently placed his hands on Emilia's head, causing her to be overwhelmed with a wave of welcoming drowsiness, then instantly fell asleep.
The 3rd Doctor opened the disc at the end of the chain, revealing an intricate clock with a multitude of magic inscriptions and transcriptions.
The 4th Doctor attached the electrodes to her head and plugged them into the computer held by the 2nd.
1st Doctor: Alright people, let's be extra careful with this one. The Higher Ups put the 2 of 'em on Top Priority, so no fuck ups. Understood?
The rest: Yes Ma'am!
1st Doctor: Then let's get coding.
Hello, Its Me, and looks like the hiatus is over, but I was still working on other projects
Thank you to those that stuck around, it makes writing even more rewarding :)
Other Fics in the works:
In the Service of The Dark and the Service of The Light; OC DXD (not a self-insert Fic)
The Purge Princess; Wrath-IF Alt Timeline
7 Brothers; inspired by [Split]