Important announcement: This is a translation from my story: Los chicos del Ayer, my Spanish fanfic. I apologize for any mistake in the story, but please keep in mind English is not my first language. Please this is the only official translation, if you encounter other one, let me know.
Disclaimer: This story contains graphic depictions of violence, death, and torture. If you are under of 18 PLEASE DO NOT READ.
Hello beautiful people!
I bring you a new Haikyuu multichapter fic! I hope you like it.
It is based on the comic by Gerard Way, the vocalist of My Chemical Romance it goes by the name of "The true lives of the fabulous killjoys", it's very entertaining, but you don't have to read it to enjoy the story. :)
The fic is mainly Kagehina and Bokuaka
I hope you enjoy it, at first you might find it a bit complicated, but if you like AUs a bit fantastic then you will like it.
Haikyuu does not belong to me but to Haruichi Furudate
The true lives of the fabulous killjoys belong to Gerard Way
Thank you very much to Renzo S. Kuznetsov for being my beta.
And thank you so so so very much to Nelly Zambrano for proofreading the English translation.
Cover was made by ONKIllustration thank you so much, you are an amazing artist.
Look alive, Sunshine
Good morning, Battery City, it looks like we have a great day outside. But when do we not?!
Now an advertisement from our unique sponsor: "Better Living the only top industry, where dreams can be achieved, if your monetary income is deemed acceptable. "We, the organization, strongly believe in the sanctity of monochromatism."
Here at BL/ind we promise to clean up those bulky false needs that don't offer you happiness. Such as love, sex, money, and individualism. These are frivolous idiosyncrasies which leave you feeling tired, empty, and weak. But now you can be satisfied! Flood your heart with synthetic happiness, erasing the pain and digitalizing your memories.
Don't let the world bring you down, bring the world down with you!
Tired from a long day in The Zones? Do you need to laugh? Dine and drink with an old friend? Don't be silly! Old emotions are useless in the long run and can never complete you! Can you resell a friendship? Can you trade a mother's love for an update? No, You cannot. Don't ever waste precious time building falsehoods.
Better Living Industries is the only friend you will need, with no emotional connections, with our medicinal pack as your companion, you will never need true love or affection again. Let BL/ind be your God, subscribe now and secure your position on the right side of the future."
In other news, our trusty and protective retinue of Exterminators trapped a group of desert rebels; self-proclaimed "Killjoys" at exactly 300 hours. Trying to smuggle the precious assets of Battery City.
But rest easy, these beasts will be punished for their crimes, and we assure you, they will never do it again. The anarchists will be brought to trial, where they will be given a choice whether to decide to reform and get rid of their individualistic thoughts, or to be sent to the "Tube", where they will be reprogrammed and cleansed from the impurities of their lives.
In news regarding the enemies of Battery City, a bounty is offered for their heads. Fellow citizens, help us keep the streets of the city and its surroundings completely clean. As we know, rot comes from the outside.
The names of the most wanted anarchists will be announced below:
"Raven Nicotine"
"Revolver Win-"
"Amphetami-"
"Blinding-"
Kkkkkkkkkkkkk ...
We are experiencing technical problems, please wait ...
We are experiencing technical problems, please wait ...
We are experiencing technical problems, please wait ...
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkk ...
Good morning to you Zone Rats, Shock Queens, and Motor Babies!
We disrupt BL/ind's sick broadcasts to bring you the legitimate and unique news that matters. Doctor D greets you live and undercover at WKL, with the sound your brains and skulls need. With the sacrificial resonance of each morning, boiling like blood in our veins.
Uniting us, Killjoys, one weapon at a time.
Something big exploded yesterday, and no, I don't mean the big ball of radiation that we call the sun and how yesterday it made two waveheads burn. Although… I'll talk about that later.
We lost three of our Killjoy brothers in a raid on our beloved dystopian Battery City. A group will meet at 1800 hours near the Nest to mourn for our companions who did not make it; And if that's not your thing, little Spark will light up the methane skies with lights that will blind even BL/ind itself, exactly forty minutes after.
With that I say goodbye, my compatriots in crime, my damned brothers. Don't take your finger off the trigger and always keep your shadow close, because at any moment we will be turn into ghosts.
Until next time, this is Doctor Death Defying.
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkk ...
The white sound masked all the noise coming from the device. Shouyo flipped the small switch on his radio until the static turned into a murmur and then disappeared. He was careful looking at his left and then at his right, to make sure he wasn't being watched by "dracs" or worse, followed by anarchist rebels whose only concern was getting high and listen to rock 'n roll. He knew that he did not show any threat to any group; he was completely alone, and that was his reality.
Hinata stopped counting the miles and the days that had been passed since he left home, his mother had been turned into a ghost at the hands of the Exterminators. His father, he had been told, had fought in the Helium Wars, which led to their rebellion; the only thing left for him now was to trust that their souls would be cared by the Phoenix Witch, and taken to the afterlife.
He raised the handkerchief around his neck to his mouth and lowered the goggles, a sandstorm seemed to be approaching; and he had passed the last gas station a few thousand miles ago. It was barely the first waves of the morning sun and he already felt his body was in a suffocating hell.
He came from far away; some would call him an idiot and others a dreamer, he had crossed almost half of the world, only with a Célica from '78, a radio, a map, an iron rod and change in his pocket.
He did not know how he had managed if it wasn't for the people he met. Killjoys they called themselves, Hinata doubted they were, they were far from the war zone and did not risk their lives more than normal to stop the corporation that took over their souls. Kouji and Izumi had been generous enough guys to share their shelter and food with him.
He remembered how they had found him:
Rolled up in sheets inside his car, the temperature was above one hundred-thirty degrees, but the radiation waves were at their peak and, he knew that if he didn't get out of there, he would turn into a ghost in a few seconds. If he stayed locked up any longer, he would die from dehydration.
The heat made him hallucinate, from one second to another he was at home. Sitting at the dining room table with his mother scolding him that he needed to get to the table without mud on his pants, he retorted that would be very difficult assuming that everything outside was a complete desert, they had to accept that the mud would be part of their lives.
His beloved sister Natsu laughed at his antics.
A knock on the glass brought him to the scorching reality. He thought it might be draculoids on his guards; he opened his mouth to tell them exactly where they could put those damn masks, but his dry and chapped lips only let out a pitiful moan, his throat was no better, he could feel the sand even in his lungs.
The door opened and two pairs of arms took him.
Until today, Hinata had no idea why those pair of boys had felt pity of him. His mother had warned him about the desert killjoys, not all of them were to be trusted, and some were worse than the exterminators of Better Living industries.
He stayed with them for a few months, discovered that they had a community, it was small, but it seemed to work. There was a nearby metropolis, a few hundred kilometers from there; a spawn of the capital Battery City, not a third its size, but it had exterminators and draculoids waiting on its shores; it forced them to move on tiptoes.
Hinata asked them once, why didn't they take it?
Kouji laughed for a while, then noticed that the question was serious.
"We wouldn't make it," he had said, "we are quite few and they are armed to the teeth."
"We don't mess with them, and maybe they might not mess with us." Izumi continued.
That seemed like a weak "maybe".
"What about you? What were you doing locked in that car? You don't seem from around here."
Shouyo told them his precedence and how much he had traveled, the boys gasped. Surprised, they asked him what was he looking for?
"I want to join the killjoys." He answered with determination.
Timidly they tried to convince him that he was already one, and so were they. Hinata couldn't accept it, the killjoys represented the true uprising against the corporation. His mother told him stories of how they made plans to overthrow BL/ind and how they had clashes in the desert with nothing besides their masks and weapons.
They weren't killjoys, living in cowardice trying not to "mess with" BL/ind was not the meaning of being a killjoy.
He thought he had talked too much, it always happened to him, his mouth went over and over without reflecting on the words. Now they would kick him out of the only shelter he had.
But to his surprise, that was not the case.
Kouji and Izumi wanted to know more about the stories his mother told him.
Hinata was ecstatic, he started with the original group of killjoys, a group of rebels who decided not to flock to the arms of the BL industries. After the analog wars, the land became infertile and the oceans dried up; the air was toxic, filled with methane that increased ultraviolet radiation, and anyone walking through the desert could be turn to dust.
The Better Living corporation took advantage of the broken world and created many oases with electricity, water, and green plants. They had the ideology of clean up the earth and the humans stripping them away from their free will and identity with pills that gave a synthetic euphoria and left them wanting for more.
The killjoys were formed from a group surviving the Helium Wars. His base was in the areas surrounding Battery city; the two enemies constantly watching each other.
The most recognized of all the killjoys was the one who was nicknamed "Little Giant", the stories said that he was the best marksman from all of them; it was small in height but could bring an exterminator to the ground with ease. He represented the freedom that everyone longed for, BL/ind hated him and that alone was enough to increase his fame.
Some doubted that he was human, others said that it was all the hope and wrath of humanity that had taken on a physical form; like an angel of anarchy. Their exploits were heard on the radio, Dr. D always kept them updated with what was happening in the trenches, from Zone 1 to Zone 6.
He didn't remember some of the names of the other original killjoys, the most noted being Vibrant Volume, Impure Eclipse, and the Little Giant.
Until one day the Little Giant was shot.
It had been unfair; they were caught in an ambush and he was purposely taken away from the entire convoy. Eight Draculoids and three exterminators surrounded him and made sure to finish him off.
The entire desert dressed in black that afternoon.
Shouyo was fifteen when his hero died in battle, but it was enough to give meaning to his life. He would become a killjoy and defeat Better Living industries. His mother did not allow it, the central base of the rebels was near the regions of Battery city, only a suicide would fight in that war, like his father.
He would have to cross the entire ocean if he wanted to reach Zone 3, where they were rumored to be located.
Battery City was as big as an entire country, it was more than four hundred thousand square kilometers, surrounded by a wall and guards to keep anarchists away. The terrain around it was known as Zone 1, a few hundred kilometers later Zone 2 began, progressively to the rest of the world.
It was going to be a long way, but he decided to undertake it when the exterminators and masked monsters stormed his home.
Hinata had never killed someone, but he lost all morality when he saw the little bloody corpse of his sister.
She was eight.
She was only eight years old.
The sound that came out from his mouth was between a sob and a scream, Shouyo still found it hard to believe what had happened and what happened next, he found a kitchen knife on the ground; surely her mother had tried to defend her family before being vaporized. Hinata threw himself on top of the exterminator and stabbed his enemy.
On his face.
On his chest.
On his skull.
When the body fell to the ground convulsing and choking with blood, he took the gun wich the man was holding in his hand. He started shooting so many times, like a maniac, without thinking about aiming. He killed the two draculoids of the escort; everything seemed so unreal, the shelter he lived in was a mess, with broken glass and the lifeless bodies of his family.
The trip had not been short, he spent a couple of years, making enough to live, working at what he could, in hostels from of other rebels, washing dishes and cars. Enough to get gas and hit the road, looking for the resistance.
He thanked his friends for sharing with him, Izumi and Kouji had something good there, with their group. But that was not for Hinata, he wanted to be in the trenches and fight that unbalanced war; he was convinced that he would find the killjoys, he did not know them, but it felt as they were his brothers.
When he said goodbye to his friends, he continued on his way, with his tank full of gasoline and cans of pre-made food from years ago. The desert highway made no promises, the days were hot, and the nights froze his fingers, and yet every morning he listened to the radio waves of Dr. D, his only connection to the government rebels.
What he had learned, the head of the movement was Raven Nicotine, as he was the one who was mentioned the most in every report from Better Living and Dr. D. He had also heard about Revolver Wing and Amphetamine Panther, Lunar Acid and Neon Spark; the names were too many but Shouyo couldn't wait to meet them.
He had reached Zone 4 and needed information about their base, the problem was that, apparently, no one knew where it was located. There were more rebels, purposeless teens who did nothing instead getting high on the radiation from the sun and steal what they could.
As if he having exterminators breathing down their necks wasn't enough.
He spent a few days in a sordid community and had to sell his Celica to obtain bits of information about the killjoys' base. So now there he was, in a lost place on the desert near Zone 3 and 4.
If he looked the horizon, he could see steam coming off the paved road; like water spilled on burning gravel. His boots burned from his feet to his knees, his teeth gnashing, full of sand. But he was confident, he would make it.
For Natsu, he would make it.
It was dangerous to continue along the main street, on route Guano; but he knew he wouldn't last more than three hours, alone and lost in the arid desert.
He thought he saw an illusion far off the rusty and orange landscape, but he was sure when he heard the roar of an approaching engine at high speed. Hinata froze when he looked at the BL/ind logo etched into the wall of a pickup truck.
He ran out onto the road, sliding over a mound of sand to hide. The earth was as hot as an oven and he could feel it through his gloves.
The car stopped abruptly and six draculoids got out, spotting it. They were pawns controlled by a white mask that brainwashed them and made them have horrible visions, without eyes or mouth. They were the lowest link in the entire corporation, easily replaceable, easily controllable.
He had heard stories of killjoys turned into dracs.
It was six against one, but Hinata wasn't someone who would give up; he pushed himself off the sand and jumped on one, throwing it to the ground. He grabbed the iron bar from his pants and attacked his prey, felt a stabbing pain in his side, and it wasn't until the grimy sky was in front of him that he knew a draculoid had kicked him.
He felt another blow to his jaw, this time he saw stars.
He tasted the corner of his lips and felt the metallic taste of blood, the goggles and handkerchief had been thrown aside; now the security cameras of BL Industries could look at his face.
He felt another blow to his stomach, the black and white monsters seemed unwilling to shoot him, perhaps sparing bullets and didn't see him as a threat to them. One kicked his hand and heard a soft crunch followed by the wave of pain, Hinata let out a groan and squeezed his sand-filled eyes.
Would it all end here then?
As a nameless rebel who posed no threat to BL/ind.
The blow that followed was to his head, he felt it only as a buzz.
The next thing he heard was an impact from something solid ... but the pain never came, and the blows stopped.
Shouyo hadn't been the target that time.
"Woo! One more for me!" screamed a voice.
The draculoids didn't speak ...
He shot his eyes open, a wave of searing pain coursing through his body and the areas where he had been hit; but that was the least thing on his mind because in front of him were his rescuers.
There were three of them, he noticed.
One wore a helmet, two wore masks.
The drac that had been attacked was on the ground. The one wearing a black helmet ran in his direction, turning on as he ran and using the momentum and gravity on the axe he held in both hands, charging at the white-masked enemy before giving him a chance to draw his weapon.
The inert body fell to the ground beside him; the man made it look as if his huge weapon weighed nothing.
"That's mine," he crooned in a muffled voice, the sound obstructed by the piece in his head, "I'm ahead, Revolver."
Revolver?
Revolver Wing?
Could it be?
"No, no, no," said one of the masked men, "I was distracted, that's all."
The so-called Revolver threw the bat into the air, when the object came down, he deftly grabbed it and struck the other of the brainwashed pawns. Hinata could make out through narrowed eyes cloves were all over the tip of the weapon.
The two noisy rebels took out the draculoids with ease, the one in the black helmet leaping deftly, kicking his victims' chest to knock them down and then landing the last blow. Revolver relied more on brute force and struck with fists and sometimes head butts.
The third man was just looking around, keeping an eye around; the noted that he had two firearms, one in each hand. Shouyo had leaned on his elbows to better see his companions, with the back of his hand he wiped a small path of blood that ran down his nose. All he did was spread sand mixed with blood on his face, but he ignored it.
They were killjoys, he realized.
They were the real killjoys.
"That's a tie!" Exclaimed the one with the bat with glee, Hinata noticed that he had white hair pointing skyward.
There was only one more enemy left and the two noisy men looked at each other for a moment, deciding who would be the fastest and win the competition. Before either of them could make a move, the sound of a shot took them by surprise and the draculoid fell to the sand.
They both looked at the third, silent masked man with the two pistols.
"Why?!" Revolver yelled desperately, falling to his knees in the sand. "He was going to be mine!"
"You two are causing too much ruckus, let's get this over with and get back to base." He sentenced, he had short black hair.
The man in the helmet approached to Hinata.
"Can you move?"
He nodded his head quickly; in seconds the heat rose to his cheeks.
"What do we do with him? Shall we drop it off at the nearest gas station?"
"Don't! No..." Shouyo tried "...I ...a killjoy ...I want to join you!"
He could see up close now, the rebel's helmet had two small, pointed attachments on top, resembling ...two black ears?
Hearing the words, he took off his helmet, the first thing Hinata noticed was his black hair pointing in all directions, covering almost half of his face; he had tanned skin, narrowed eyes, but somehow, they seemed to give him an arrogant air; he pursed his lips showcasing a crooked smile.
"Oya?" He asked amused.
"Oya? Oya?" Revolver approached, lifting his mask and smiling with complicity from ear to ear, he had large amber eyes.
"Do you want to be a real killjoy, little crow?" The raven with the strange hair emphasized the word.
"Yes." Hinata answered quickly, leaving no room for doubt. "I want to be one of you."
He seemed skeptical, that took him by surprise, when people used to ask him; the answer left a feeling of respect, others simply said that he was insane. No one had ever been so intrepid to take it as a joke.
Like he didn't know what he was talking about.
The one with white hair seemed to have streaks of black lightning coming out of his scalp; he was looking sideways at the black-haired man who questioned him.
"Panther?" Revolver asked.
The aforementioned, scratched his chin, deep in thought, as he looked at him questioningly; Suddenly, Hinata felt very self-aware. Did they think he was a traitor?
"I don't know." He finally spoke, "I mean, you look like a child, why do you want to fight a war that we may not win?"
"Panther, that's pretty cynical." The ash-haired man teased.
"I'm just telling the truth."
He didn't notice when the third had approached, taking off his mask to get a good look at him.
"Maybe we should take him to Doctor Death's station, it's pretty safe there." he thought for a moment and added. "Until his injuries heal."
"NO!" Hinata exclaimed, a little more demanding than he wanted, but he wasn't about to waste an opportunity like this. Where the most renowned killjoys came just to save him and patch his injuries "I'm fine!" He urged, but when he was about stand up, a hot, stabbing pain traveled from his hand all over his body, maybe he had some broken fingers. "I promise. Wait, are you friends with the doctor?"
The one with the enigmatic smile, Panther chuckled, as if Hinata had told a joke.
"He's not so much a friend… but rather an acquaintance. He's a pretty odd guy."
The orange haired man's eyes shone with happiness, he had done it, he had really done it. After those countless thousands and thousands of miles, he had reached the core of the rebellion. Just like the Little Giant.
"Let's get him to the car." The stoic of the three suggested, he had almond-shaped eyes and a fine nose.
"Wait! I want to join the killjoys! Fight Better Living Industries!"
"How old you?" Panther chided. "Fifteen?"
"I have twenty-two." He clarified, feeling a bit offended.
The black-haired man smiled broadly, in a lazy way.
"Oh, you really are short."
Hinata bit his tongue, this couldn't be happening, he hadn't crossed half of the world just to receive the beating of his life and be sent back.
He didn't even have a home to return.
"I think we should bring him to Nicotine" Revolver spoke after a while; it was visible on his features that pondered the options. "He gives the orders; and… I don't know, there's something about this boy." He smiled through narrowed eyes, Hinata froze with anticipation. "Maybe we need more killjoys like him."
The messy-haired one seemed satisfied, he moved away from Shouyo to get a better look at him, crossing his arms like Revolver. The redhead couldn't help but smile, it was difficult to explain, the three of them… they had a different presence, he had never met other people like that. It was like the aura of a predator, and the first instinct he experienced was to run away.
"Gentlemen, I would advise you to hurry, we just blew up a patrol of dracs and still continue into the middle of the desert." The unflappable slanted eyes interrupted. "We have to get back on the highway before we have more company."
The dynamic pair of killjoys lifted him off the ground with ease and into the backseat of a well-maintained '74 Chevrolet Nova… relatively. It had an arachnid on the hood, graffiti on the entire body, various stickers of animals such as owls and cats.
It was the coolest thing Shouyo had ever seen!
The rebel with the twisted smile took the driver's seat and started the engine in seconds, the other two sitting in the back, one on either side of Hinata.
"I'm sorry, kiddo" the sly-eyed raven clarified, "but this is just protocol."
He was confused for a few seconds; he didn't know why he was apologizing, until a sack was placed over his head, cutting off his sight.
"Don't take it the wrong way," came a voice to his left, "but we can't let everyone know the way. Oh!—" He seemed to remember something. "My name is Revolver Wing, if you become one of us I will tell you my real name."
"Really?!" Hinata glowed with excitement.
Revolver laughed out loud.
"Here it goes again." He heard the muffled voice to his right.
"He's so dense sometimes…" murmured behind the wheel.
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Revolver exclaimed, offended, then Hinata called his attention back. "The guy with the horrible hair..."
"Hey!" He claimed.
"His name is Panther Amphetamine and the one on your other side is Hysteria."
"Nice to meet you." He greeted calmly, as if Hinata didn't have a sack on his head, as if they weren't in the damned apocalypse.
"Nice to meet you!"
He didn't know if it was the sweet lullaby coming from the rubber of the tires against the pavement, or the fact that he hadn't slept more than three hours in a week, or the endless miles they had traveled, or the bag on his head that cut off his air circulation; but he fell asleep on the way.
The last thing he heard was the back and forth between Panther and Revolver, followed by Hysteria's exasperated sighs.
A gentle nudge woke him up, followed by a chuckle.
"I can't believe it; he really fell asleep." The voice was strange, but he was sure he had already heard it.
It was then that all the events returned to his brain. He opened his eyes and surprisingly he was not assaulted by the violent rays of the sun, he looked around and noticed he was still in the car. His eyes traveled to the right, to discover the vacant seat, then to the opposite side, he was surprised to see the rebel with the monochromatic hair.
"Rise and shine!" he beamed.
"...only two hours have passed". Hysteria commented out of the car.
Hinata got out of the vehicle, fully awake to explore the surroundings. It was clearly not the desert, there were walls and a ceiling ...and the whole place felt colder, compared to the deadly radiation of the sun. But how? The whole world was hell, how could it be colder?
"We're underground, kiddo." the spiky-haired one explained, reading his thoughts, "Now come with us."
The three of them started to move forward and he hurried to keep up. Sure, the air felt stuffy and a little overwhelming, after spending his entire life outside. An uneasiness settled on his stomach and he felt a bit claustrophobic. But when he thought about it, it was brilliant! That was reason they could hide in plain sight from BL/ind's satellites and cameras.
The place felt tight even though it was full of different cars, motorcycles, and a couple of pickup trucks. Hinata started to get excited, the killjoys, they really were great, as all the stories said!
Their guides came out through one door, Shouyo was following closely, but it was difficult; they came out into a huge room, it was full of murmurs and people. It was probably the main room, boys and girls of different ages talking, tuning weapons and building. Some looked at him with curiosity, others approached and greeted the three who walked in front of him.
He could explode due to happiness; his dream had come true.
He couldn't help it, when they passed a room he looked inside. A boy with his same height was holding in his hands a small vial of crystalline liquid. Hinata wanted to see him closer, the killjoy had spiky black hair and a few golden locks falling on his face; carefully, he added another substance to the bottle.
All his senses were triggered by the explosion and he was thrown back; his entire face was full of black dust just like the boy's room. Shouyo panicked, was the guy dead?
To his surprise, the one with the golden lock only seemed to laugh at the matter.
Another alarmed man entered the room in horror, pushing Hinata aside with ease, he was a giant, Shouyo posed no threat to that rebel.
"Oh!" I'm sorry. He apologized to Shouyo upon realizing what he had done, after that he ran into the sooty room and carefully pick up the spiky haired guy.
"Hey, don't stay behind." Came Revolver's harsh voice.
Shouyo left the scene and returned with the trio, even so, his eyes were stubborn, he looked where he could; He was shocked when he saw a room full of cables and computers, how could they get access to that? Better Living stripped them of all technology after the wars. His mouth dropped open in a little "Wow"; a bespectacled blond typing avidly noticed him, glancing at his direction.
He paid no more attention to him and turned his amber eyes to the screen. Shouyo made a face, there was something about the way he had looked at him that had made him angry! Who did that guy think he was?
Hysteria cleared his throat and Hinata caught up with them, together they entered a new room, in the middle was a large table that covered almost the entire room, there were chairs on each side. His first thought was that it looked like a conference room.
Apparently, the killjoys were more organized than he thought.
"Nicotine." Panther called.
In the back of the room was a man, square-shouldered and hair neatly cut; it reminded him a general.
"We found a little crow." The big white-haired man sang.
"He thinks he want to join us." The tall black-haired man continued.
"What's your name?" Nicotine approached.
Hinata stepped back without thinking, his presence was quite severe.
"Shouyo Hinata." he clarified, a little scared, but did not allow it to reach his voice.
"Why do you want to join?"
"I want to fight! Like the Little Giant!"
This caught the strong-featured rebel by surprise, as if he saw something that Hinata didn't.
"Not everything is as glamorous as the broadcasts said, nothing guarantee that you live more than the year, and most likely you will die in the first outing."
"It doesn't matter!" Shouyo returned. "I want to make a difference; I want my death has a meaning, to fight for what I believe is the right thing to do. I want to punch that whole corporation in the teeth when they least expect it. Let them know that a midget can kill a giant too!
They fell silent, all that was heard were his forced breaths. He had only let the tip of the iceberg out.
"All right, you'll be one of us." The leader accepted, looking at him with a fired gaze; Hinata felt anticipation building in his chest. For the first time, after three years, his life would finally begin to make sense.
"That's great!" The white-haired man celebrated, throwing a fist in the air with excitement.
"Are you sure of this?" Panther asked with uncertainty. "I mean, he's still a boy."
"He will start as an aide, with chores to maintain the base. The best members of the Vanguard will teach you how to defend yourself decently. He will be part of the family." He smiled kindly, Hinata was having a hard time believing he was the same stern-looking man he had just seen. "Then we will see in which branch he can excel."
"Branch?" Asked Shouyo.
"We function as a body." the leader explained patiently. "Each organ is just as important to maintain a constant balance to make the body able to function."
"I understand…" Hinata muttered confused.
"Bokuto and Akaashi." He called, Revolver and Hysteria approached, "Show him around and introduce our new member to the killjoys."
Shouyo glowed with joy.
"Welcome, little brother!" Revolver said giving him all five. "My name is Koutaru Bokuto! Revolver Wing is my alias."
"Tetsurou Kuroo." Panther Amphetamine introduced himself.
"Keiji Akaashi." said Hysteria.
"And I am Daichi Sawamura, welcome brother."
A soft beep activated his system, the compression room opened, releasing air and steam. Kageyama opened his eyes, it took a couple of seconds to focus, making a slight creak and illuminating the room.
He made a list, body temperature: acceptable; linguistics found; genetic algorithms: ready; neural networks: acceptable.
Words rose behind his eyes rapidly, the inventory of all his functions ended, and the systems were updated to function normally. He tested the movement of his limbs and went out to prepare for the day.
He walked through his apartment to the refrigerator in the corner, pulled out a small white cube with the Better Living Industries logo in black. Placed it on his back, and it clung to his skin until it was gone. His senses soared to the limit; plus always did, but it kept him alive. Giving a charge to his battery and life to his nucleus.
He turned on the television in his living room, flipping it to the news channel; went into the bathroom while listening the sound of the apparatus. The morning news anchor grinned from ear to ear as he celebrated a beautiful day in Battery City; Kageyama looked at himself in the mirror, pulling one eyelid slightly to observe every feature of his face.
He was being childish.
It wasn't like he could change; his artificial physique was permanent; sometimes he couldn't help but feel a bit envious of humans, getting old? The word was so strange, waking up one day with flabby, yellowish skin and white hair ...
But then again, he hadn't seen a human of that age in years.
He turned on the head of the shower and let the water wash away his thoughts; they were strange and dangerous.
When he came out of the bathroom, he heard the sound of the communicator from his apartment.
"Good morning, chief exterminator Tobio Kageyama" It was the leader of the corporation, he tensed, waiting to hear his order. "We need your presence in building "G", at dawn three killjoys were caught and it is your duty to punish them as it is due. That is all, have a better day."
The static was heard for a short time and then disappeared.
Kageyama was ready, he just finished tightening the belt of his white pants. He wore his usual uniform, a white cotton shirt with a leather jacket of the same color. He took his M9 handgun and left the building, he lived on the eighteenth floor.
Upon reaching the basement, he greeted the doorman who was smiling at him with artificial happiness and mounted his motorcycle, waking up the engine noisily.
The machinery vibrated between his legs, the blinding white lights of Battery City gliding over his form as he increased his speed. He stopped in front of a traffic light and looked around, all the citizens wearing their respective headphones on a mandatory basis and walking without stopping. The streets were patrolled by policemen chasing away young children begging for a piece of food, too poor to buy BL's mandatory pills, but too young to be taken to the Tube and turned into draculoids or exterminators.
His eyes focused on the wall of a skyscraper, a giant hologram of the leader, repeatedly playing the same message each time. He was dressed in white, he gave the impression of an immaculate god, because he was, wasn't he? The clothes contrasted with the brown of his soft curls and hazel eyes. Tooru, was his name.
«Remember citizens, there is no such thing as "love"; it is an illusion capable of controlling you to do dangerous things, an emotion better suited to the beasts of the desert.
Battery City thrives on honesty; it is essential to maintain the safety of our citizens. Remember, secrets are the devil's dessert; If you have information about Better Living's enemies, you should immediately share it with your nearest exterminator or police officer.
They are the parasites of the world and there is nothing dirtier than ideas in your mind.
Have you smiled today?»
Next to the projection were the posters corresponding to the most dangerous rebels, Nicotine Raven, Radiant Cinder, Amphetamine Panther and Revolver Wing. A photograph of their faces looking straight ahead, their eyes were covered by a black line with the word "exterminate" in white letters, and they were crossed by a red X.
It was unnerving for Kageyama, they were all so different, he could see from their expressions how uneven they seemed. Panther smiled as if only he could defeat Better Living Industries; Nicotine seemed as if he was not afraid of them, that was what irritated Tooru the most; Cinder and Revolver had… white hair, the very idea was absurd. They were surely beasts without any kind of humanity.
The traffic light turned green, and he continued on his way.
He arrived at building "G" and showed his credentials to get authorization and he could pass. Most of the time it wasn't necessary, he held the record for the highest number of traitors brought to justice and punishments given. He looked up at the countless windows of the skyscraper that ran from the first floor to the last; the smooth walls made up of white panels.
He stepped inside, his thick black boots echoing with every heavy step he took. The installation only consisted of white floors and walls, in front of it was the receptionist's desk, the rest was artificially deserted.
The girl nodded and indicated that he could come in; Kageyama reached for the elevator and with the peak of his finger pressed the little button that said "S5".
It was the purification floor.
The doors were opened with a soft blast and he was assailed by the groans and grunts of the detained rebels. The ceiling was full of halogen lamps that filled the place, there was not a millimeter in shadow; everything was built with concrete.
The three rebels were being held by policemen, with their hands tied behind their backs; they all had bruises on their faces and some bloody cuts, because of having the stupid belief they could beat Better Living.
Another exterminator gave him the list with all the information on the criminals.
"Yuuji Terushima?" Kageyama asked.
The rebel had blonde hair on the top of his head slicked back, the rest was shaved and black. Terushima licked the corner of his mouth, where it was cut, and smiled, but he didn't look happy. His eyes shining with pure and incorruptible hatred, Kageyama swallowed heavily without knowing why.
"Go to hell, fucking machine." He mocked.
The exterminator next to him attacked him with a stun gun releasing four hundred volts into his body. He paralyzed his body immediately, his face twisted into a grimace of disgust. The black-haired man squatted to be on the same level as the rebel, looking at him face to face; that increased the accessibility of the listener and perhaps he could reach him.
"Do you know why I'm here?" Kageyama questioned mildly, with no emotion in his voice.
"You can fuck off." The killjoy spat in his face; the raven closed his eyes but felt the liquid fall on the bridge of his nose. He leaded a few fingers and wiped it off.
Tobio looked at his face, Terushima licked his lips, he caught a glimpse of a small metal bead on his tongue. The exterminator next to him kicked him in the face, the rebel was carelessly thrown aside. Kageyama motioned his partner to stop, he didn't see the need for senseless violence.
Besides, he would be joining their ranks shortly.
If he chose well.
"Young Terushima," he addressed again, this time keeping distance, "I come to give you with an outlet for all your crimes and senseless lifestyle. You can be part of us, Better Living Industries will accept you as a member of our family where you can rebuild your life in an honest way."
The man with flashy hair spat blood on the floor due to the blow from earlier and began to laugh loudly. Kageyama was lost, he didn't understand what had caused that reaction, he hadn't said anything amusing on purpose; He looked at his Better Living underlings, none of whom seemed to understand what his reaction was about.
"Do you think... " He exclaimed between gasps and laughter "...Do you think I want to join you!?" Terushima threw himself to the ground, apparently unable to contain himself from the laughter; Kageyama couldn't do anything but gawk at him, was it something he had said? "Being a fucking lap dog!? Let them melt my brain with their meds!? I'd rather rot in hell."
The black-haired man blinked once, twice, three times. This was unnecessary, he had always thought about it. But those rebels always seemed to choose the hardest path. The solution was simple, join them and keep their life, maybe not their identity, but they could breathe one more day.
It was always the same.
"Take him away." Kageyama ordered.
They lifted him off the floor, his feet slipping on the white concrete, Tobio looked at his face; his features contorted in a dance between pure happiness and utter fear. The exterminator cocked his head, he would never understand humans.
"Killjoys!" He exclaimed heartbreakingly to the other two boys; they were visibly shaking. "Make no apology!" It's death or victory!
After that they gagged him and took him to the other room, where his body would be purified with flames. There was the nauseating screech of the giant hatch being opened, followed by the shrillness of the machinery in action.
Kageyama looked at the remaining rebels, his eyes going from them to the door where they purified their bodies and back. Something constricted his metallic chest, not a malfunction, he thought; his regular checkup had been only four weeks ago, and he took a dose of Plus in the morning, still, he couldn't shake the strange feeling.
"Hayato Ikejiri?" Asked the mechanical exterminator, continuing with the information in his hands.
The boy had short brown hair and freckles on his cheeks, he let out a pitiful whimper from his throat when Kageyama looked at him from above.
"Don't ... y-come closer to m-me." He stuttered, trying to show more courage than he felt, his teeth clattering in sheer terror.
The way out was easy, Kageyama thought. Why didn't they choose to live? Why didn't they choose the right option?
"Is that a no?" Asked the exterminator who was next to him, it was certain that his patience had run out.
Ikejiri looked like an infant; the strange feeling that ran through the gears of his torso returned.
"Take him away." The other declared, they repeated the process again, taking him by his armpits, gagged him and dragged him away.
"Kaname Moniwa." Tobio called, addressing the last rebel, this one had big eyes, and short black hair. He also gave the impression of being short. "What will it be?"
The pitiful boy just eagerly denied; he was crying freely, sobbing like a dying animal. Saliva dripped from his chin and snot came out of his nose; the black-haired android stepped back slightly, surprised by the prisoner's raw honesty.
Did that mean he chose to be purified?
"Get him out of my sight." His partner hissed, Kageyama just watched as he was taken to the other concrete room.
He cleared his throat and sorted the papers in his hands, a little disappointed in how the situation turned out. He hadn't been able to save any of them.
The exterminator beside him chuckled, the sound of flames burning with anger behind them.
"Damned rats, huh? They will never learn, if it were up to me I wouldn't even give them a chance to breathe the air of Battery City. They should all die. How can they be against Tooru? Our leader is a genius."
"Well," Tobio murmured, thinking, "you're right about that."
He didn't want to stay any longer, he needed to get to building "A" in order to start his workday. He didn't need to be distracted by rebels being purified or something like that.
He left the skyscraper in a hurry. Still, he had the face of the last boy in his mind; his features moving, tears forming at the corners of his eyes and saliva falling from his jaw.
It was then that the answer hit him.
Compassion.
What he had been feeling was compassion.
I've always been drawn to these kinds of stories, and I like to put my favorite characters in those situations, it's entertaining and I hope you guys feel the same way.
I hope it got your attention and join me in this new story.
I would love to read your opinions, so you are welcome to leave your comments.