Title: I Don't Regret Saving You
Summary: After saving a girl in his hometown and getting framed for being the one harassing her and her aggressor when he was innocent, Touma loses everything he knows, is sent to Juvenile Hall, and then sent to Academy City for the length of his three-year Probation. Being a hero is what got him into this mess, so he vows to not be a hero anymore. This story is first person, and starts one year, give or take a few months, before canon. I aim to reach canon eventually, though.
A/N: Just a heads up, I only just watched the anime and am reading the novels from the beginning. No spoilers, please, but if you have any advice I'd be glad to listen :)
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Chapter 1: Moving In – Pilot Episode
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"We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it."
― Tennessee Williams, The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore
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April 3rd - Academy City Limits
It can all fit into a box. Everything you are, everything you've ever done, would do, everything you wish you could be, all the love and desires and drive and dreams you carry in your heart, all the things that connect you to others, all of it. For all of it, it can all fit in a box.
For me, moving to Academy City was like going from one box to another.
It's almost funny, how your entire world, dreams, desires, hopes and all, can fit in a suitcase and a backpack. My entire world laid under my seat in the form of a suit case full of clothes and on my back in the form of a backpack full of personal things. At least they let me bring my skateboard to this stupid city…
I'm getting ahead of myself here, aren't I?
"I hope I'm at least a level three." A girl said a few seats away from me.
The subway car I was on rattled along, heading to the slightly more futuristic box where I'd live at for the unforeseeable future.
"Oh, it's your first time going to Academy City?" Another girl assumed. Must've been her friend or… something. I could be wrong.
The first girl nodded excitedly, "Yeah. I was offered a scholarship after I finished middle school. Me and three other of my friends in my graduating class! So, here I am, up and at 'em."
"You're a transfer student…?" The slightly older girl realized with a small frown, "Are your friends coming along with you?"
"No, they're parents didn't let them - it's just me."
"Oh, that sucks. This place can be pretty hard to get used to on your own. I spent the summer with my family, but I'm going back to school since it starts back up in a week. I've been living in Academy City for two years now."
"Two years?" The first girl gawked, "You must be, like, a real life Esper, right?"
"Heheh. I guess you could say that, my ability is nothing special though. I'm only a level-"
I sighed, and tuned the rest of the conversation out as my mind drifted away. To be completely honest, I didn't really care about all that Esper bullshit. I guess it would be pretty cool if I ended up getting superpowers or something - maybe having heat vision or super strength would be pretty neat - but I wasn't counting on it. You'd literally have to be doped up on all kinds of meds and shit to get those kind of powers, or just be so detached from reality it was perfectly normal for you. Personal reality and all that bull…
I didn't want to be here, not really, but the Judge said I had to for my rehabilitation, or whatever the hell he said. It was either rehabilitation in Academy City or jail. My choice was kind of laid out for me.
Looking around, the subway car I was in was pretty empty, save for myself, a few other quiet loners, some people in school uniforms clumped together I assumed were friends, and those girls from earlier (still) having a pretty loud conversation.
Only students were allowed on this train, so no tourists or anything like it were permitted. That was why it was so empty, and I was actually able to find a seat with my terrible luck. Oh, and plus it was still Spring Break.
I let my head lull onto the window behind me, and I didn't mind the rocking feeling that enveloped me as I did so. Something was coming up in my vision. It was a big, big wall.
Just another box, like I thought it would be.
There was absolutely no way I'd be able to scale the wall of this one, and even if I did, judging by all those guards patrolling the wall, I wouldn't be able to get very far.
It was inevitable. Once I got in there, there would be no escape. Even if I tried to leave they wouldn't let me, at least not a free man. For the next three years of my high school life, until I was eighteen, I was stuck here. Every day I had to write what happened to me in an online journal, and then every week I had to send that diary – err – journal to whatever Probation office they assigned me, and every month I had to sit down with said officer for an assessment, or… whatever.
This was just my price to pay for trying to be a damn hero.
Not long after I saw the place, I heard an older guy say on the intercom, "Academy City's coming up, everyone. Prepare to get off. Our stop's a minute away."
The girl from earlier that I guessed was around my age squealed happily, "Oh my gosh! This is so exciting~!"
The other teen said something about how she was excited too, her first time she was here, but I shook my head and ignored them. I put the novel on my lap back in my backpack – it was The Republic of Thieves – but never even read past the second paragraph. I stood up and grabbed a handrail. The other students in the train did similar things, if all their shifting indicated anything.
I waited, and just like the conductor said, Academy City was coming up. We entered a tunnel or something, because the train went completely black for a few moments save a few ceiling lights, but then we reemerged into…
…damn…
…this place was way more high-tech then I thought it would be….
Ignoring the stupid Wind Turbines, which weren't very high tech compared to everything else in my opinion, though they probably were, Academy City must've been a modern-day technological gold mine. Actually, I heard the researchers here made this city one hundred years ahead of the world, or something along those lines.
In truth, I didn't know what I was expecting from this place, but I could see all kinds of things I never saw back in my small hometown as the train whipped around the city; a huge electronic billboard to name one, little unassuming trash robots on the street, huge blimps in the sky, and… a big windowless building?
Ignoring that creepy looking place, a few dozen seconds later we arrived at the train station. Thanks to whoever made high tech bullet trains that were super-fast, I didn't get to see much of the city other than the most obvious things like some western looking buildings, huge greenhouses, pools, and you guessed it, schools. Lots and lots of schools.
"Alright, we're here." The conductor said on the intercom, and I was still surprised there even was a real-life conductor when I heard there was A.I. and stuff being built here in this city. "Like always, make sure not to leave any belongings behind, get your trash and personal belongings on your way out. If it's your first time here in Academy City, check out the terminal to find your dorms. It'll give you the address and other things you may need, or want to know. The terminal is right next to the ticket station, on the left. Curfew is dusk for grade schoolers, midnight for middle schoolers, 2 for high schoolers, and there's no curfew for college students. Any students out after curfew will be given a warning, three warnings are given before measures are taken. And, welp, that's it for the pleasantries, folks, have a good one..."
People started walking past me with their typical people noise as I reached into my pocket for the instructions the rehabilitation officer gave me. The paper dropped on the floor when I tried to retrieve it, and everyone started unintentionally stepping on it on their way to the exit. I sighed at my misfortune, waited for everyone to pass, and picked it back up.
I straightened it out a little and gave it a reread.
Kamijou, Touma. 15 Years Old. High schooler. Born January … Blah blah blah.
It was just my student I.D. info and my passcodes, some other useless information about what I should do to get more familiar with Academy City and stuff. Oh, there was also a little note my old rec officer wrote on it.
'It's gonna be pretty late when you get there, so I'd spend the time tidying the place up.'
I sighed, pocketed the information, and started sauntering my way out of the train car.
The conductor turned out to be a humble old man with greying hair poking out of his cap. I wasn't too surprised at this, actually, because that's what he sounded like on the speaker. He smiled at me and gave me a big wave on my way out. "Good luck, kid." He said as I stepped off.
I couldn't help but smile back as the train kicked up and left afterwards, I was the last one to get off.
But that smile soon disappeared when I looked around, and realized I was all alone, swallowed up in the crowd of people on this platform.
All… alone….
…by myself…
…In this huge box…
I gulped and bit down on my bottom lip. I kept my head down and navigated the crowd in the station to the terminals the Conductor was talking about. There was at least two dozen computers lining up the wall, those had to be it.
It was nearing the tail end of spring break and school wouldn't be out for a week, so I didn't have to wait long until one cleared up. I booted the terminal up, put in the information on the note, got the address to my dorms and registered it as mine, got a legitimate Academy City issue Student I.D. card, a few more Yen notes to put in my wallet since they were just giving it to me for free, and then I was on my way.
I did not know if I was going the right way or not though, I just wanted to get away from all these people so I could focus. It wasn't that I was antisocial or anything, I just didn't like being in the middle of big crowds, especially by myself. I didn't come from the city, so this was an uncomfortable, foreign aspect to me.
I went through a bunch of sensor-thingies that all turned green and cleared me.
Upon exiting the train station, I was greeted by Academy City, in all its glory. The same odd Wind Turbines stood out from everything else, they looked so out of place when compared to the more advanced technology, almost purposefully I might add. Even the little things like traffic lights, cars, and parking meters were much more cutting-edge than their counterparts, though not so much as to be unrecognizable to newcomers.
Although, strangely enough, I didn't feel like how I'd thought 10-year-old me would feel like if I ever came to the great Academy City. The slight awe I had earlier didn't even last until I got off the train, and my thoughts returned to the dark ones I felt on my way here. My lungs felt like they were being squished, I was out of breath from all the travel, so I sat down on a nearby empty bench.
For the next three years, I was going to be stuck here, trapped, and forced to do whatever they wanted me to do, take whatever drugs they wanted me to take, do whatever they wanted me to do. I was a glorified lab rat and that was that. People could try to sugar coat it all they liked, but it didn't take a smart ass to know that Academy City was just one big science experiment. An experiment I had no say in. Not anymore, at least.
Not only that, I wouldn't be able to do anything without my Probation Officer's permission or I'd be forced to go into an even worst box then this one, and before school started next week I had to have my E.S.P. potential 'evaluated', whatever the hell that meant.
Damn it all. I just want to lay down.
Sighing, I stood back up, feeling a little bit better now that I could breath. I adjusted my backpack, the strap my skateboard was on, and gripped my blocky suitcase. The tall buildings nearly went to the sky, and automated stalls lined the street along with a few food stands/vendors manned by human attendees. It was starting to make me think this was some kind of shopping district or something.
I spied some food stalls with barely anyone eating or ordering there, probably around several dozen or so.
Thankfully, there wasn't as many people as I'd thought there'd be.
When I heard a bell noise and my phone rumbled in my pocket, I flinched, did what anyone else would do, and checked it. It turned out to just be a confirmation email that my identification and stuff went through without a hitch (though I half expected it to be another one of those amber alerts). Kind of late to send a confirmation email after I was already out of there, but okay… I guess.
I pulled out the note my last officer gave me and flipped it over to see my own handwriting, typed the address into my phone, inhaled and exhaled audibly, and then I unstrapped my skateboard and kicked off in the direction GPS Girl told me to go.
Hopefully, my dorm wasn't some kind of frat house or something.
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I ended up stopping at a park to get a Coca-Cola from a vending machine I saw there, but when the vending machine just had a bunch of stupid juice in it, I cursed my luck and decided I'd just get bottle of water instead. I'd take anything other than disgustingly healthy juice.
Of course, there wasn't any water either.
And so, with a can of (disgusting) white cranberry juice in hand – I tried to get pineapple, but the dang machine malfunctioned, I ended up kicking it in frustration, and it just spat that out instead - I arrived at my dorm building. Or… an apartment building?
It looked like a damn apartment building to me. There was barely anything separating it from the other buildings too, just a dozen or so feet of empty space, like that was the bare minimum distance for an alleyway. It resulted in making very narrow tunnels with barely any light going through them. Creepy…
The building that was mine, supposedly, was smaller than the others, about ten floors in total if I had to guess, which was downright small when it was sitting next to huge dorm buildings that were at least thirty to forty floors next to it. If there was a hole in Academy City, this building had to be it. It was so inconspicuous, it was conspicuous.
I repressed another drained sigh and recited my room number in my head. E-23.
Fifth floor, 23rd room down, I think that means.
I went to the elevator, pressed a button with an upward pointing arrow, and then waited for a few minutes like a goddamn idiot. I wanted to scream when I finally noticed the big red maintenance sign on the elevator doors, I cursed my luck and went up the stairs like a normal person.
"So much for being the city of the future." I said, rather dejectedly while taking a swig of my cranberry juice and then visibly cringing at the bitter taste. "Why did I even buy this?" I asked the idiot that was myself. It was so disgusting I'd rather die from dehydration then be forced to drink this again.
After five floors of climbing, I realized I was actually pretty lucky to only live on the fifth floor. I feel bad for the people who has to walk down ten flights of stairs just to do their laundry or get food. Hey, I have to take my wins where I can get 'em.
Small victories, am I right?
Anyway, I fiddled with my card and then swiped it by E-23's card reader. It lit up green and clicked.
"Please don't be a dump." I begged some nonexistent entity out there. I took a deep breath, opened the door, and threw it open.
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"It's furnished?"
To catalogue the expression on my face in one word, I'd have to go with disbelief.
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It was just like a hotel room, but with a kitchen and a balcony… sort of. The – err - my bed was visible from the front door, and so was the kitchen. I walked in, set my stuff down, and then nearly sneezed from the dust. I shook it away and then tried to look for the bathroom. It had to be around here somewhere.
Oh, there it was.
It turned out to be on the left, just after the short hallway ended. I tested the locks, and they worked. I don't know why I tested the locks, so don't bother asking.
The oven worked fine, although I only turned it on for a few moments. I had also been given utensils, plates, cups, etcetera, in the dishwasher, which I was going to wash again anyways out of distrust.
The fridge and freezer were obviously empty, save for an ice maker and a bucket full of ice cubes under it. I took the ice bucket and chucked its contents in the sink before putting it back in its original spot.
I looked around for a sponge and then realized there was none. I'd have to get one the next time I went out.
Continuing with my inspection, the balcony had a chair outside, a green rug on the ground that looked like fake grass or something, and a half dead potted plant. Gonna have to get rid of that or something later. It looked ugly.
I went back inside and yawned, stretching out my arms. There was a bookshelf by the bed filled with varying books. My backpack and suitcase were by the door and I was too lazy to get them. I just collapsed on the bed face down, ignoring the dust I kicked up. I turned and looked at the ceiling.
"So this is it for the next three years, huh, god?" I asked.
No response.
"This is what I get, huh?"
No response.
"What kind of shitty luck is this…?" I scoffed, "Tch. That's the last time I try to play hero."
I felt something dark stir in my chest, and then I felt pain. I dug my phone out of my pocket and looked at the time. It was seven post meridiam. Then I checked for notification… nothing there…
I could probably go do something if I wanted, probably skate around the block, and check out the area just to clear my head, it wasn't like I had school tomorrow. I just didn't feel like doing anything though. Is this what depression feels like?
My voice was almost a sob as I closed my teary eyes and whispered, "What a fucking joke…"
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A pain in my stomach woke me up on my first night. I hadn't turned on any lights, so everything was pitch black.
When I was younger, I used to be scared of the dark. I'd always tell Mom and Dad that there was a monster under my bed trying to 'eat my arm'. I wish I could go back to just being a kid.
Well… I guess I still was a kid, technically. It sure didn't feel like it though. I yawned and sat up. "I'm hungry… and thirsty too." I told myself, noticing it was still dark out. When I was alone, hearing my own voice calmed me down for some reason. I didn't like the quiet very much. Wasn't isolation how villains were created? Will I become one if I just decided to stay here? Do I want to?
Nah, I'd probably die of hunger before I broke bad.
I spied the cranberry juice on the counter. How long was that sitting there?
I walked up to it, and nearly chugged it before something inside of me cringed at the thought, and my hand jerked back halfway like it was burnt, "Actually… no, I'm not that thirsty… yet."
I grabbed my wallet and phone, thought about taking a shower and freshening up before heading out, but decided that It was too late, and I was too hungry to do so.
"Eh, your good enough." I said after giving myself a once over in the mirror.
I turned off the light, grabbed my board, then headed out.
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Academy City at night was a different creature all on its own.
The only people out were college students who were staying up, some random adults in white lab coats, and your odd high schooler or two. Most if not all people didn't go anywhere for spring break or were coming back from vacation. I severely doubt the fact many people would live here unless they were a scientist or a teacher or… whatever other high IQ jobs they had at this place.
To be perfectly honest, I think I like night time better. I've always have, now that I thought about it. There was less people out, which meant less trouble. I know that's a cruel outlook on life, but I do try to look at the cup half full most of the time, if that makes up for it.
I made sure to backtrack to that one shopping district from earlier, and I ignored that stupid broken vending machine on the way there too, not making that mistake twice.
When I got to the shopping district I noticed there were less food stalls present then earlier. Which made sense because it was probably the middle of the night. A quick glance at my phone confirmed my assumption – it was 11:38. It was late.
I pocketed my phone and checked out my options as I cruised past some college students. There was a crepe stand with some middle schooler ordering something, a Ramen vendor with 3 people waiting in line, and, is that cabbage? Why is there a guy selling cabbage? There was small cabbages and large cabbages, medium cabbages and even… candy cabbages?
After debating it in my head for a while, and it was a hard choice between cabbages and Ramen, I decided to go with the practical approach. Ramen. I was hungry, and before I got on the bus they didn't let me bring my pocket knife with me, so I'd have to go all the way back to my dorm and use unwashed utensils just to eat the cabbage if I got one.
Crepes were more like candy to me, really. I didn't have a big appetite or anything like that, but I didn't eat lightly either. Wouldn't be very filling at all. Even if I got two of them.
I kicked my board up and tied it back to the shoulder strap, then walked up to the Ramen vendor and waited in line. It was a short line, only two people were ahead of me now.
I had a very short attention span, so I almost immediately reached for my phone in boredom. I checked my notifications and saw nothing. The last person to text me was my old rec officer from back at my home town. I bit my lip and forced the tears away. Hell would literally freeze over before I cried in public, or in front of anyone else either.
I switched to something more proactive. The internet.
Unfortunately I only got to surf for a minute before my phone screen went black. "Fuck…" Of course it died. The last time I charged it was probably a little more than half a day ago, and charging it now wasn't an option either because I left my charger in my backpack, which I didn't bring with me.
I sighed and looked around for a different kind of entertainment, luckily, I didn't need to. It was my turn to order now.
"Hello there, how may I help you?" The Ramen guy greeted when he waved the last person away and I walked up. He looked pretty young, probably somewhere in his thirties. He was dressed in the typical chef clothing, but his apron had some stains on it.
"I'll get a…" I paused, looked at the menu on the table in front of me, couldn't decide, yet nodded anyways, "Ramen, please."
The Ramen guy gave a hearty chuckle before saying, "My specialty." He was about to get to it before he looked back and asked, "What kind?"
"Doesn't really matter." I answered, "I'll take whatever you recommend."
The Ramen Guy smiled. "Got it, coming right up. It'll only take ten minutes."
I don't know if it was a good thing or not that this wasn't fast food because of how hungry I was, but nodded anyway, "Alright, thanks, I'll be back in a few." I stepped away so the guy behind me could get his turn.
The Ramen Guy stepped into the back and disappeared into the small stall, and a teenager that must've a little older than me took his place. "Hello, how may help you?" He said to the next person, before I stopped listening and headed away.
The crepe stand was right next to the Ramen vendor, probably a dozen feet or so if I had to guess, and I'm calling it a stand because it wasn't as big as the Ramen Vendor. It was only a little bit bigger than a Hot Dog stand.
I sat on a nearby bench, on the opposite end of some guy who was sitting there too, and kicked out my legs.
After a few minutes, A middle schooler or something jogged up to the crepe stand in front of me and asked the guy for a crepe. It was the same middle schooler from earlier, so she must've been getting seconds or something. She must've been around 12 or 13 years old, and I'm guessing twelve, because she had a squeaky voice and was pretty short.
The thought of 'why the hell middle schooler was out so late' poked me, but then I just shook my head and accepted it for what it was. This was Academy City, things weren't supposed to make sense here, and for all I knew that kid was strong enough to crush coal into diamond, or she could even fly away with angel wings if something bad happened.
The Crepe Guy, this one looked a lot younger then the Ramen Guy, nodded at her with a smile and got the girl her crepe. The girl smiled and ran off, her expensive looking loafers tip tapping the whole time.
This all took about a minute.
She got that crepe in just a few seconds, while I had to wait for my food. My mouth watered… that was fast food, and my stomach was starting to hurt. Crepes were literally a snack to me, so I knew I would just tear it up in a second and then still be able to eat my ramen when it was ready. And plus I got extra money from that terminal at the station earlier when I wasn't even expecting to get handouts, so this wouldn't hurt my budget at all.
Mind made up, I walked up and ordered a crepe. I didn't have to wait in line this time, thankfully, so when I handed over the notes and got a wrapped-up crepe delight in return I gave what was most definitely my warmest smile of the day.
"Thank you so much." I said in gratitude, I almost bowed my head on accident.
The Crepe Guy's lips raised at the corner "No problem. Just make sure not to drop it or anything. And don't eat and walk at the same time!"
I paled and pretended I didn't just take big bite out of it on my way back to the bench. I turned back and bowed apologetically before I-
"Actually, wait," The guy said, the pitch of his tone rising up a little. I heard some shuffling as he reached his hand down and checked something, "I just realized, you're my thousandth."
"Hmm…?" Confused, I looked at the man awkwardly, all I wanted was to eat my crepe, so what was this about? Thousandth? Thousandth what? Costumer? Consumer? Was there a cash prize or something? Free crepes for life?
Crepe Guy must've read my mind, and he sighed, leaned forward over the stand, and pointed at the banner on top of it.
I narrowed my eyes and read it.
"Every hundredth costumer gets a limited edition… Gekota Keychain?" I slowly read out loud, and when it clicked in my head, I looked at the little frog monster thing with eyes where its ears were supposed to be smiling under the bombastic lettering, and then at the similar looking metallic creature being held aloft in the man's hand. Was that thing supposed to be… cute? "So… I get a keychain for friggin' free?" I wondered, walking up to the stand again. Monster or not, a free keychain was still free. "Sweet." I grinned. When was the last time I was this lucky? I mean, it was just a keychain I'd forget about in a day or two, but still. What were the chances?
"About that…" Crepe Guy said slowly, almost sad as he looked down.
I hummed for him to continue.
"I was wondering if you could let me hold onto it." He looked hopeful when he looked back up into my eyes, "There was this girl that was trying to get it for a while now. The past couple of days, actually. She kept on asking if 'she was the thousandth', and I told her no every time… And I can't just give it to her cause that wouldn't make it special, this is limited addition after all, there's only 99 more of these out there, and…" The man trailed off, "Well, kid, what I'm tryna ask you is… and you can say no, of course… is it… alright if I let her-"
"Sure." I interrupted, taking a bite out of my crepe.
"Wait, what? Really?" The man looked taken aback by how easy that was, yet also grateful.
"Yeah, really." I continued after swallowing my bite, "It's just a keychain, right?"
"Oh, y-yeah. I guess you're right." Crepe Guy stammered, and then bowed deeply, almost hitting his head on the stand, "Th-thank you!"
Of course, I was excited that I had won something there was only 100 of through sheer luck, but at the same time, it was just a keychain. Other than putting it on my phone or backpack or something stupid like that just to flex my awesomeness on people I didn't know, why not let some kid have it that wanted it way more than I did?
"Welp," I mentioned, my cheeks flushing a little because he was still bowing to me, "Next time I come around tell me how it all went, yeah?"
"Sure thing!" The man rose, "I'll tell you all about it."
"Neato." I said, looking behind me and noticing there was a young women waiting in line, "See you then, I gotta go."
"Alright, you have a good one, kid."
"You too."
And then I was off. I brought the crepe to my face as I went along, then cringed at the thought. No eating and walking, almost forgot. It wasn't like it was illegal or anything, but it was disrespectful in big cities like this.
I headed back to the Ramen Stand just in time for the Ramen Guy from earlier to holler out at me and tell me my order was ready. I got a to-go, so I just scooped it up before I began cruising back home on my board, thinking about my day and what I'd write in my diary when I got back to the dorms.
Surprisingly enough, the people in Academy City weren't all that bad. Of course, I didn't think there'd be a shopping district here, just schools and more schools on top of the first schools. To find out this place was actually kind of like a… well… a city, was a shocker. Nobody knew who I was here, so nobody judged me. Everybody treated me like… a normal person. I wasn't a plague of death or anything. Just Touma. Kamijou Touma.
I still didn't want to be here, I'd literally rather be anywhere else but here, but so far… Academy City wasn't all that bad.
And not only that, I haven't even seen one person use their superpowers yet, and this was literally a city full of superpowered, drugged up-
"You fucking SNITCH!"
I heard the harsh shout followed by a scream of pain before I heard the boom that almost made me fall off my board and faceplant.
Crash!
Rat-tat-tat-tat! Pop! Pop! Pop!
A small explosion went off as the street lights flickered. It sounded louder than a firecracker, but alike to it in the sense that it kept on making continuous smaller explosions.
I only got a little more than halfway to my dorm before I heard it, and because of the location - this was basically the sticks as far as I know - there was no one out at the time.
I gulped while putting my skateboard back on its shoulder strap, and I walked forward to the alleyway I heard the explosions from. I didn't dare peek.
I heard agonized yelps behind the corner, a shrill scream, and labored breaths.
"Give me some bullshit excuse again, and I'll do a lot more then wreck your shoulder!"
"No… c-c'mon, man…" The weak voice said. "I-I just-"
"SHUT UP!"
"B-but bro… I-I thought we were-"
"I ain't your bro!"
The two voices were arguing about something, I guessed they were both around my age. Out of curiosity, I looked around the corner and saw the guy who just shouted at the top of his lungs without fear of getting arrested or caught for assault… or anything.
Cautiously, I peered out at them. It was dark, so unless they were looking directly at me they wouldn't see me.
I saw two teenagers – one was towering over the other's crumpled body - and the alleyway wall looked like it was scorched by something, if those melted holes in it meant anything.
The standing one had blood red hair going a little past his shoulders in jagged lines with neon blue streaks running through some of them, pulsing like a heartbeat. He looked sort of American and wore a school uniform from a school I didn't recognize.
The blue haired Japanese kid he was beating on wore the same exact uniform. A white blazer and black pants.
"A-Alec, c'mon, we're f-friends." The blue haired teen gasped out between pained filled breaths, clutching his left shoulder with a bloody red hand. He was shot? But from what? A gun? Were guns even allowed here?! He sat on the ground, his back leaning on the alley's wall, and streaks of red were coming out of several small holes in his injured shoulder.
"Friends don't snitch, Pierce." The red-haired teen growled spitefully, and the tone of his voice lacked any other emotions, which couldn't have been good. "If you wanted out, you shoulda' just told me or Boss-Ken. But instead you went and snitched. And we both know what happens to snitches." Pierce's face paled, and when he tried to stand up Alec's streaks of blue hair pulsed a brighter neon blue, "Don't." Was all Alec said, and Pierce froze and stopped shifting like someone pressed the pause button, "You'll only make it more painful."
Just walk away.
The voice in my head said that. Alec nor Pierce noticed when I kicked off my board and cruised past the alleyway towards my dorms, still burning hot Ramen clutched in my left arm - I had no reason to be here.
You know what the rep said to you, if you fuck up one more time, it's all over for you. You'll be sent to rot in jail for the rest of your childhood. Academy City may not be ideal, but at least it's better than getting tried as an adult, right? I can't go back to another box. I don't wanna.
"I didn't snitch, bro!" I heard Pierce's scared voice cry out, "I'd never do that, I'm loyal. I swear to god I am! It had to be someone else! Just go back and tell Amatski-san that-"
"Leave Ken outta this, and stop calling me, 'bro', Pierce."
"B-but, please. Please don't kill me. It wasn't me, I swear. If you kill me now the real mole will just get off easy. It had to have been Kain, or Yuuto, or even that bastard Kagomo who's always fooling around with the prototypes! You have to believe me! I want those high-level douchebags to suffer just as much as you do! Those BLAZE fuckfaces always team up on us low levels just so they can-!"
"No, you don't hate the high-levels, not like how I do. We all see how you hesitate whenever you have a gun in your hands. Here's what we all think happened; you chickened out and told Anti-Skill that-"
"I didn't tell anyone anything! Believe me, Alec!"
I should just walk away…
"That's exactly what a snitch would say."
"I'm not a snitch!" Pierce reaffirmed desperately.
"Fine, then. If you're not, then this will be my message to the real one."
Pop… pop… POP!
I heard those same crackling noises, like metal pounding or clanking on metal.
Unfortunately, I found my myself back at the alley where this was taking place after I set my Ramen down across the street - I ended up not being able to go to my dorms. I couldn't just let what I was going to think happen, happen. I tried to call the police, but my phone was dead. Unlucky me.
I tried to see what was going on.
This time, I saw with my own two eyes what was making that popping noise. Nearby bits of technology flickered, flashed blue, and pulsed as the tech built themselves into something, like some invisible force was manipulating them. The nearby streetlights went on and off, like they were being siphoned or something, and in the darkness the neon blue strands of Alec's hair lit the alleyway like a soft blue glowstick.
"It's time, Pierce."
Alec clenched his hands into fists, and his eyes glowed blue too now.
Immediately, I felt my phone moving in my pocket, but it wasn't a notification - it was hot.
I almost gasped from the burning sensation before I pulled it out and threw it away from me.
I could see the glowing blue circuitry in the phone even through the metal casing, and when I looked around I saw bits of metal and other electronics like phones, laptops, and condensed metal coming out of the opening on Alec's blazer, as if he hid electronics on his body for this explicit purpose.
The technology all focused into a ball of glowing blue metal, and then that ball of tech started shaping into a small minigun with glowing blue veins running through it, like it was alive. And all the blue arteries ran to where the barrel was, like a heart, and pumped life into the floating machine.
Then, the minigun started whirring.
Alec was so focused on the squirming Pierce that he didn't notice me clenching my fists just a dozen feet away. But Pierce noticed me while on the verge of speech, because he went dead silent when I shook my head at him, silently refusing his plea for me to run away.
"Sorry, Pierce… but for what's it worth, I… think I… do believe you. It's just that this is what the boss wants, and the boss hasn't ever been wrong, you know? What's our word against everyone else's?" Alec sounded downtrodden. He looked sorry, and yet he was about to kill someone.
"Fuck the boss!" Pierce looked away from me and screamed in defiance, his tone begging for Alec to reconsider. He tried to get up, but a glare from Alec stopped that, "We're friends. Don't do this! Please, man!"
Alec scoffed, then got angry. He bit down on his jaws, ragefully, "Psh… We're not friends. We really aren't."
I took a step forward.
The last time you tried to be good, that girl you saved testified against you along with that disgusting bastard and took away everything from you. That's how you ended up here. This shit is even worse because it's obviously gang related. It's not your business, Touma, so don't butt in. What happened to never making the same mistake twice?
The dark part of myself, no… the logical part of myself said this simply wasn't worth the trouble it would, no doubt, ensue.
You're an idiot,
My brain said.
The idiot that was my heart agreed. How could I walk away from someone suffering, not even able to cry out for help? Refusing it, even?
"Bye, Pierce."
Alec pointed his hand at Pierce, and like pulling a trigger, he partially fisted his index and middle fingers-
I crashed into him before he could fist his hand completely closed, my head was indented inward to my chest, so that it hit him with around 120 pounds of force behind it.
He went flying, or to better describe it, he fell, sprawled on the ground and pathetically clutching his temple where he was hit.
"Oh, so sorry!" I shouted nervously and apologetically, "I was just taking my usual shortcut to my place, and didn't see you there. My bad for crashing into you, and all that."
"Ugh…" Alec moaned in a mix of surprise and pain on the ground, it started shifting into anger as he realized what was going on.
Earlier, I had clenched my fists – I was gonna punch the shit out of him - then decided against it. A punch was great and all with enough force backing it, but I wasn't confidant I could deliver the knock down power I needed with just my fist. A one-hundred-and-twenty-pound meat bag more than sufficed, and despite this guy's superpowers, there was no way his human body could handle a tackle.
I looked around, assessing, I saw a confused Pierce. "Don't know what's going on here, really," I muttered, puzzled, "But if it's what I think it is, then I simply can't let it happen. I don't care what reasons you have to kill someone, it doesn't justify it at all." I commented, rather calmly. "Wasn't he your friend?"
"F-friend? What the… who the… what the fuck." Alec gasped out on the ground, trying to breath in the air that I took from him. "Who the-" He finally noticed me, "Who the fuck are you?! This ain't your business, so get outta here!" It wasn't a shout of fear he gave me, like I hoped, it was a shout of defiance. "Tch… Didn't I pay that damn bastard to get everyone in this area to get gone… Grrrr… That stupid motherfucker will regret this." He growled, before looking up at me from where he sat on the ground, "You know what, whoever you are? it doesn't really matter. I can't have you mouthing off to Anti-Skill, so time to die."
Apparently, Alec was tougher than I thought, because a full-body slam only fazed him for a few moments.
Shit…
When he could focus again - the first thing Alec did was bring his right hand into the air, he didn't even give me the chance to reply or anything so could learn more about the situation, and from his brief display of power earlier I more than knew what this meant.
I charged again and soccer ball kicked him this time, my foot crashed into his chest, knocking all the air out of him once more and throwing him a few feet away.
He gasped in pain, pushed through that pain, and then clenched his fist. "Die!"
I heard the minigun from earlier start whirring, and I didn't even need to glance behind me to know that it rose from wherever it fell on the ground when Alec had lost his focus.
The popping sounds came once again, and blue veins of energy churned inside of it like it was alive. I did the best thing I thought I could do in that moment.
I ran forward with my right hand in a fist, lifted Alec by the collar of his black undershirt and punched him in the face.
His head snapped back, recoiling from the force, the minigun fell down with a clank as soon as my fist connected.
Alec breathed in anger.
"I thought that was weird, at first…" He muttered, before smirking, "So that's your power, huh? You know you're gonna need a lot more than that, right?"
"What power? I don't have any powers." I said, confused, before I just readied myself to just punch him again because I knew he was just trying to distract me. I faltered, though.
Alec smiled… he smiled back at me through his bloody teeth?
"What the heck is wrong with you? You crazy or something!?" I shouted. Why was he smiling like that?
"Crazy?" He wondered, "You're the one who attacked me out of nowhere for no fucking reason, you cunt! So don't go thinking you can beat me that easy! I've dealt with tons of jackasses like you that think they can take me, and their all dead or clinically insane now! You wannabe Espers disgust me."
"What's disgusting is you trying to kill your own friend."
"He's not my friend! Never has been!"
"Wh-what do you mean…?" A hurt sounding voice suddenly resounded, I turned my head to the source to see Pierce barely standing, leaning against the wall as he was with red soaking his left arm and the wall red. "What do you mean by that?!" He shouted this time, afraid.
"I mean…" Alec started, before chuckling. I still held his collar, and I could feel the deep rumble in his chest as he laughed, blood going down his lips, "You're nothing to me, Pierce! You were just an in for me, but now? Now your just a loose end. And you?" Alec looked to me. He stopped laughing. "Your one too."
Before I could react, the strands of blue in Alec's hair pulsed brightly. The pulsing blue wires ripped out of his locks by some sort of unknown force, and then they all formed into a ball that started sparkling so brightly it was nearly white.
That ball blew up just a few inches from my face.
I don't know what it was, because my vision was filled with white, but I did feel my legs leave the ground-
-only to feel my back smash into a wall, or at least that's what I think hit me.
The sound that came out of me after that was not one that could be described easily, just know that it was pitiful.
I fell on the ground, trying to bear any kind of bearings. All I could hear was a ringing noise, I could barely see two inches in front of me, and my equilibrium was thrown for a one-eighty. I opened my eyes to see, but everything was white, like I'd looked at the sun for way too long. It was the middle of the night though, and there was no sun, so how?
I reached out with my hands to find something to pull myself up with, because I didn't trust my legs to hold me on their own, but by the time I realized I was in the middle of the street and not the alleyway anymore, and I had actually collided with a light pole, not a wall, it was already too late.
A foot plowed right into my cheek bone when I grabbed the metal light pole, but the pain that followed paled in comparison to what my back was going through. How hard did he kick me?
All of my senses were going haywire from the blow, and there was simply nothing I could do about it except try to get up somehow. That wasn't a very wise decision, because as soon I tried to get up I felt agony make its home in my stomach in the form of another kick.
"Even with that weird power, your nothing to me." I heard through all the ringing.
Again, what weird power is he talking about?
"As long as me or none of my tech touches you directly, I'm fine. but punching and kicking? I can still do that in confidence." The poised voice continued. "You see? I will admit to relying on my Cyberkinesis quite a bit when I fight." He revealed, "But when I'm in the sticks like this, where even cheap ass trash bots are in short supply, I realized that I won't get very far if I'm not resourceful. So," He paused, "I learned how to fight. How to play dirty, too, as you just witnessed firsthand. Taste the power of a level 4."
I tried to dodge, but not being able to see netted me with another fist to the face. This one, though, hurt a lot more because it hit my nose, and I nearly teared up on reflex as my head flew back, me nearly falling down with it. I stumbled backward instead, clutching my bleeding nose, and blinking over and over again as the pain assaulted me, and I realized that the white was finally going away.
I could only see bits and pieces, but it was mostly guess work. My head was the embodiment of a splitting headache.
Then suddenly, there was a firm hand on my shoulder, and on instinct I threw my right hand just for it to get acquainted with thin air. I wasn't thinking clearly, and I knew I messed up, badly, flashbacks of many situations like this one filled my mind. He was right in front of me, I knew that much, at least.
But knowing where he was didn't help me very much, because a knee smashed straight into my solar plexus, keeling me over just so he could uppercut me. His hits weren't calculated like how mine were, they were sloppy and made with the intention to hurt and debilitate its recipients.
I couldn't stop the wheezing that followed. Or get the laughing out of my head. His laughing.
The haughty, self-assured superiority. The chuckling. The condescending tone of his voice as he pummeled me. It didn't feel very good. Emotionally and physically.
It irritated me. And made a low growl escape my throat. If my vision wasn't so white it would've went red from anger.
Then I heard a weak voice after a fist hit my stomach and made fall forward on the ground, barely catching myself with my hands - the pain stopped completely. I looked over to the voice.
"L-let him go, A-Alec." It said, hurt. Was that the guy Alec was going to kill, Pierce? I could barely see him in my murky vision, but it had to be. I nearly fell down completely, but steeled myself and breathed out of my mouth, my fists closing even harder on the concrete below me.
Alec looked over to my Pierce, figuring he could avert his attention without worry. It vexed me that he wasn't wrong, because I was already having enough trouble breathing as it was.
"You don't seriously think I'll listen to you, do you, Pierce?" Alec wondered, still chuckling as he rubbed the knuckles of his fists that were bright red.
A muffled cry escaped Pierce as he tried to move, but only agitated his busted shoulder even more. He looked over to me, from where he leaned on the wall, a line of red painted the walls behind him, indicating he must've dragged himself to the street with sheer willpower. "Whoever you are," He said heartfully. To me.
My chest suddenly felt more pain then the rest of my body was feeling as it tried to recover.
"Run." Pierce whispered silently, but I could hear him from across the street. Even if we were in the vacuum of space, my heart would've still heard his plea for my wellbeing. "Get out of here." A thin trickle of red bubbled from the corner of his mouth. His eyes pleaded for me to just leave him to his fate. "Thanks, for trying to save me… really. You gave me hope, which I didn't think I'd ever have again. But… a lot of people died because of me over the years. I don't need another on my conscience. So… run…. Get outta here. I'll distract him…" Pierce stopped leaning on the wall and walked into the street, nearly falling over in his difficulty.
Alec just laughed at him, so loud it almost sounded like he was choking.
I felt something snap inside of me.
Run?
Get out of here?
He wanted me to run away just so I could save myself?
When I was the one pathetic enough to butt into this in the first place?
He was trying to save me?
Was I… that pathetic?
Would I really… let someone die in my place… all over again?
"Hahaha!" Alec laughed at the whole situation, sounding like he was very amused at what he was hearing. "You wanna die first, then?" He asked, stepping away from me, "That can be arranged, friend." He finished, mockingly.
Pierce paled at the F-word, braced himself, but it didn't matter at all, because all Alec did was simply snap his fingers, and my phone that I dropped on the ground earlier started glowing blue, mended itself into three small light blue knives, and shot into Pierce's back.
Pierce gave a howl of pain and fell forward straight into a haymaker from Alec that knocked him to the ground pitifully, KO-ing him with one punch. His blood started staining the ground red, and Alec complained, "Its gonna cost me a lot to get that damn blondie to fix this place up afterwards with his stupid magic bullshit."
The fact that what annoyed him was making a 'mess' of another, living, breathing person, irritated me even more.
I rose to my knees and shook my head, I couldn't let Pierce's entire world end like this. No, not like this. Not after he said he'd die just so I could live. There was no way I'd listen to his wishes. I was nothing if not selfish.
So I shot to my feet, and shoved the pain and exhaustion away. This wasn't the time to feel sorry for myself, to complain or to self-reflect. Pierce needed me. He was going to die if I didn't do something, because no one else would.
From across the street, I grabbed the first thing I saw as Alec pulled a switchblade out of his pocket, aimed it down at Pierce's neck, and popped the knife out – that was when I threw it straight at him.
The to-go Ramen bowl I got earlier opened up as it collided with Alec's head dead on. Alec screamed in pain from the burning sensation as it enveloped him. "AHHHHHHH! What the- FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL KILL YOU!"
The hot water must've hurt like a bitch, but I didn't stop there. I ran forward, ignoring the clunk of technology resembling a light machine gun that rose into the air between us per Alec's command. The six barrels started spinning, and from where I was I could see the blue in its barrels. It wasn't real bullets.
I kept on running forward as fast as I could for Alec even as he shouted, "DIE!"
Blue beams of lights shot at me, one after the other as loud pops resounded through the air with each one.
In response, I took off the strap that held my skateboard and threw it forward with the skateboard still inside of it.
My skateboard absorbed most of the beams, hard wood and wheels flying everywhere. I side stepped the rest of the blue beams shot haphazardly, before what was left of my board smashed into the pulsing blue minigun and partially knocked it out of the air.
Alec held his hand out and caught the hunk of metal Cyberkinetically, but diverting his focus from me was the worst mistake he could've made.
I jumped and grabbed the floating minigun with both of my hands. It was heavy, but I managed to feint in one direction, then started to bolt around the other side of Alec.
That was when I hurled the heavy chunk of metal at the red head, who was clenching and unclenching his right fist toward the minigun in terror as it suddenly stopped glowing blue after I grabbed it and it soared through the air at him. It took him too long to realize whatever he was trying to realize, and by the time he gave up trying to control his technology it was already past the time for him to dodge the weapon he himself created from various tech.
The minigun rebounded off of his head with a loud thunk, and both he and the living tech both fell to the ground with a thud.
He started shifting on the ground, trying to get up, but I closed the distance fast and kicked him as hard as I could.
Alec stopped moving after that, and his widened eyes closed before his head fell to the ground.
That was all it took to bring him down, but I felt like I was going to die from the pain in my nose and my chest, though the pain in my chest was subsiding with every breath I took. My blood was pounding was pounding in my neck like a jackhammer so hard I could feel it.
I fell to my knees ridiculously and breathed deeply through my mouth before I reached my hand up to my nose to check if it was bent, which would be very bad. I gave a sigh of relief when I noticed it wasn't, or at least I didn't think it was. Then, I realized something important. Very important.
"Pierce!" I shouted worriedly, getting up and running over to the blue haired idiot (I didn't even know), "You alive, man?!" I said, giving him a quick body check and shaking him rapidly.
There was no response, but his chest was heaving up and down, and when I checked for a pulse it was going strong.
His shoulder looked broken or something though, because there was several holes in it. I didn't know if those blue beams went all the way through it and impaled him, but Pierce didn't look so good. He was unconscious, and I needed to get him to a hospital.
"Don't worry, I got this," I said to myself, throwing him over my shoulder. Looking around, I wondered where I should go.
I had no idea where the hospital was, but I did know where people were.
I looked in the direction of the shopping district, ignored the blood soaking into my shirt, and headed in that direction.
I spared one last glance at Alec's unconscious body as I went, and felt something dark churn inside of me as I remembered something horrible. I shook my head and left.
My code applied to myself as well.
No matter what reasons I had, it didn't justify murder.
.
.
Apparently, a teenaged boy half covered in blood carrying another teenaged boy half covered in blood wasn't a very normal occurrence in this city. I was thankful for the screams that burst into the air from a few young ladies as I walked into the shopping district. Some older guys walked up to me, a serious expression in their gazes as they asked me to explain 'just what the fuck' was going on.
I told them the situation as best as I could, one teen in particular with blond hair looked very disbelieving of what I claimed before he pointed in the direction of the nearest hospital without further delay and told me to head there. A more buff looking dude wearing a coat and looked like a football player or something said he'd escort me there and he helped carry Pierce. I just did my best to keep it together from there. I had to stop myself from thinking, just like how I had to in my trial. I hadn't wanted to acknowledge the situation I was in, then. Not one bit.
However, now that I was in the emergency room by myself while Pierce got looked at by a doctor - waiting in the waiting room, by the way - I held a cloth to my nose, thinking about how easy everything could've gone wrong.
Alec was just playing with me that whole time. He had a knife and never used it. I don't know exactly how his ability worked, but if he hadn't used that minigun and decided to use flying knives like he did on Pierce I would've been stumped with how to proceed, because a minigun was what I prepared for.
I was stupid. I may have beaten him, but if Pierce had never stepped in I would've lost for sure. If I hadn't thought to throw my skateboard, I would've lost. If I had ordered anything other than Ramen, I would've lost. If Alec hadn't underestimated me, I would've lost.
I would've lost…
I would've died…
I just rushed in without thinking, and it was only sheer luck that allowed to me to live…
I made the same mistake I made that day. I told myself. I told myself. I told myself that I wouldn't repeat my same mistakes ever again, and yet that is exactly what I did. I panicked when I couldn't see and hear, and I threw such a stupid right hook that left me wide open.
I closed my eyes.
"Will I ever learn?" I wondered, but it was the middle of the night and I was the only one who heard me in that empty room. "Why can't I do anything right?"
.
.
A young nurse had told me that my nose could have been permanently damaged if it was hit any harder – yet another saving grace - but it looked good enough for her to let me wait and see Pierce's condition.
She had said he'd be just fine too, and that the doctor examining him could save anyone as long as they were brought to him alive. That was obviously an exaggeration, but it left me feeling a lot less worried for Pierce.
I waited for a while, thoughtless, before the same red-haired nurse that reminded me of Alec came in and waved me over.
She led me through the hospital to one of the rooms and told me that Pierce was in there before she left with a smile, despite it being the middle of the night. I didn't go in right away because I didn't feel ready. I needed to get my head together first. I smacked my cheeks as hard as I could and examined my situation.
I was in a black t-shirt that kind of fit me and jeans that were a too big for me and kept falling down every few moments, which I had to pull back up each time. I wasn't complaining though. These clothes were given to me by that nice nurse, although I hadn't bothered to ask how they got it. At least they looked clean enough to wear.
I slapped my cheeks hard and felt blood rush to them as pain enveloped them. "Ouch…" I was still sore there, and I guessed my marvelous face wasn't looking very swell from all the bruises. Did I even care? Gosh, damn me and my nonexistent ego.
I steeled myself, looked at the white hospital door, then opened it and stepped in.
"-won't ask you again. How did this happen to you? I have the resources available to help you, and Anti-Skill instructed to me inform them the next time something like this happened. If its gang related, your secret is safe with me." The doctor who said that bore an uncanny resemblance to that one frog monster on the keychain, and I smiled for a moment in amusement before I purged the thought.
Both Pierce and the good doctor stared at me in surprise after I barged in. My cheeks went red if they weren't already. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I forgot to knock. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! That's a really bad habit to have! Horrifying flashbacks went through my head. I need to STOP doing this!
The good doctor had a stony expression that softened when he saw me, apparently recognizing me even though he never saw me before. I guessed he must've been the one to tell the nurse to get me.
Pierce, though? He downright grinned, he gave a glowing smile that infected me and made me smile too.
"Hey, buddy!" He shouted happily in his hospital bed, not caring how late it was as he looked me over to make sure I wasn't hurt, "I see your doing fine. Thanks for looking after me after I ran into that wall like that."
"Y-yeah?" I said, confused. A wall? Is he fucking high or someth- Then it clicked in my head like a light switch, "Yeah! That was one hard wall, wasn't it?"
"Damn right it was." Pierce agreed with several hearty nods.
The good doctor frowned, "Not you too," He rasped disappointedly at me while massaging the bridge of his nose tiredly as he looked down for a moment. He sighed and locked eyes with me, "I take it that you're the 'best friend' of Aogami-san, here, hmm? The one that helped him here after his collision with a door?"
"Wall, actually, but yes." I said, nodding at his attempt. It almost got me for a second there. "I'm Touma. Kamijou Touma. Thanks a lot for helping my friend, Pierce. He's clumsy like that."
Pierce's eyes went wide as he frowned, then he slapped himself in the face and grinned widely, "Yeah, Touma, thanks for helping me out, Touma!" He hollered, before looking back to the Doctor who was confused at what just happened.
"Sorry, Heaven Canceller, but I really did just run into a wall." Pierce explained. "Nothing more, nothing less. So whatever you think, its wrong. And…" Pierce paused for a moment, sullen, looked down his hands, then looked over to me. From the angle, I saw that his entire left shoulder was wrapped in bandages, yet he was somehow still using his left arm perfectly. "Can my friend-?" He started, looking at me nervously. I nodded seriously, "Can my friend take me home?"
The good doctor – err – Heaven Canceller, looked thoughtful for a moment, conflicted. He sighed once more, a very frustrated and tired sigh it was, before he nodded in a similar way to how I did at Pierce's nervous gaze, "Fine…" Both me and Pierce knew that if something like this happened again the good doctor wouldn't be so relenting.
Pierce gave another huge smile as Heaven Canceller jotted something down on his notepad, but he visibly flinched at the death stare Heaven Canceller shot him, "I'll always help you without question if you come to this hospital and you are injured for whatever reason. But," He stated sternly, even I gulped, and I was not the patient, "I will NOT stand by and do nothing as you get yourself killed. I will NOT be so inclined as to just let this go next time, understood?" A heavy silence hung in the air for a moment.
Pierce nodded in horror… very… slowly…
Heaven Canceller finally smiled for the first time now as he stood up and jotted something else in his notepad, "I'll have that door you ran into demolished the next time this happens, mark my words." And with that, the old man walked past me, and he was gone.
"It was a wall!" Pierce shouted as loud as he could, all he got in response was an old man's chuckles.
…
…
A couple moments passed.
…
…
There was silence as I stood there, before my hands clenched into fists, "What are you involved in?" I asked, deadly serious. "I heard something about a group called BLAZE. What's up with that, and what group are you in? Was Alec in that same group too?"
Pierce's face darkened at my onslaught of questions, before I saw tears go down his cheeks and fall on the bed, his jaws shut tight, but I still heard the held back sobbing sound. I immediately felt terrible for being so oblivious. What was he going through right now? Betrayal? Sadness? Or was it emptiness? Was… his life over? Was that how gangs worked when someone tried to leave? No, it couldn't have been like that. I wouldn't let his story end like that. There was no way in hell I'd just let him die. Sure, I may have only known him for an hour, and sure, this may have been my first time actually meeting him, but there was no way I'd let him out of my sight anytime soon if I thought I wouldn't see him again.
I remembered him telling me to run. There was no way I'd do that. But that didn't mean I was stupid either. I knew this wasn't something he could brush off as a misunderstanding, he was in deep shit, and he knew it-
Pierce suddenly gave a raw breath before he wiped his cheeks dry with his sleeve, and then he shook his head, and stated, "Kamijou Touma."
That was all he said, but I visibly cringed when he repeated my name a lot louder with a huge smile.
"Kamijou Touma!"
"That's my name," I said tiredly, sitting down on the same chair Heaven Canceller sat in, "Don't wear it out, alright, Aogami Pierce?"
Pierce laughed at that, his chuckles were genuine and felt… good to hear. They calmed me down, no homo. "I can't believe I never even knew your name this whole time, Touma! That's just crazy!"
I noticed that we were already on first name basis, and also that Pierce was doing everything he could to avoid the topics I wanted to talk about. Knowing more about the red-haired psychopath – err - technopath and whatever gang they were in was pretty high on my priority list, but I decided to ignore that priority to focus on what was more important.
"And wow!" Pierce continued, happily. Almost too happy. "I can't believe Heaven Canceller actually bought that lie! He fell for it, hook, line, and sinker! And he's supposed to be a super smart doctor, too! Man, that's even more crazy!"
I couldn't help but sigh, "Dude," I deadpanned, "You do know he didn't buy that lie, right?"
"Wh-what?!" Pierce shouted, worried for a few moments before that worry vanished, "Are you stupid or what, because he totally did buy it. Hook, line, and sinker if I do say so myself!"
I facepalmed, "Such misfortune," Then a second later, my stomach churned painfully, "Fuck me…" I whispered in mock pain as I remembered my Ramen. I still didn't eat yet, and my stomach was starting to hurt… my Ramen… That was good Ramen, wasted!
"Huh…?" Pierce wondered, breaking me out of my hunger induced trance. I watched a look of disgust etch itself onto his face, "Gross, dude, I don't swing that way, you know. Just… Ugh! Just the thought of it," Pierce nearly vomited, "Urgh!" He made a very grotesque sound that I had no hope of deciphering.
It made me facepalm again and moan in annoyance, but I couldn't help but smile. This guy was so annoying, and yet I found myself smiling. What was up with that?
Thrown for a loop, I stood up, and then said as I headed for the door and opened it, "Let's get outta here." I fully intended on getting answers out of him, but that could wait. I was tired and hungry.
"Huh?" Pierce muttered in confusion and shifted in his bed. He pointed at himself questioningly, I nodded, and he lit up like a Christmas tree, "Yeah! Lets!"
.
.
.
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A/N: And there we go. That's the pilot episode (chapter). I feel like I could've done a lot better, but hopefully I can improve as I write/type. If you hadn't realized it yet, this is a first-person story. There's a lot of things I want to go into, but I won't be able to unless Touma discovers it himself.
As for Touma with a skateboard, I thought it would be a good idea since I skate in real life. I hope he is not too out of character its discouraging.
Anyway, see you all later!
- Hazel -