CHAPTER 9

You are the Union's new weapon and they will use you as they see fit. You don't have a say in it so I don't wanna hear it.

Even after three months of experiencing things he thought could never happen – even in the most creative and wild of dreams, after spending time with people he thought could exist only in movies and after being forced to forfeit the right to speak in his mother tongue except when ordered to – Takeo still believed all of this was too ridiculous to be even remotely true.

It wasn't a dream, though; Takeo was not imaginative enough to invent the world he was currently stuck in. (Pinching himself every day to make sure persuaded him he was fully awake.)

He wasn't high on narcotics, either. One of the first lessons Tama-san had given him was about drug intake. They had had a long stroll around the neighbourhood visiting local junkies, most of which were regular customers of Tama-san and his group. The sight of scrawny white men with blurry eyes gazing at empty space, squirming in their bile and limping into walls left a strong impression on Takeo. There was no need for Tama-san to explain the details; the ban on entering the "pantry" and consuming the "merchandise" was more than enough. That being said, Takeo had no intention of ever taking drugs. He was unwilling even when it came to plain medicine such as aspirin. Yeah, Takeo was one of those people.

The only poison he relished was nicotine. The smothering savour of cigarette smoke helped him through rough and lonely nights giving him excuse to why his eyes were watering whenever his thoughts wandered to dark places of his mind. Coming back to his cheap apartment after a long day of dish washing and finding cigarette butts in a can of soda made him feel almost at home.

The safe house was filled with butts of all kinds, the room was engulfed in stench. Despite all the garbage and god awful smell, people would gather around the big table to gamble and share stories. Tama-san was there too, an expensive cigarette in his hand, waiting for Arata-san to lend him the light. It puzzled Takeo how a non-smoker like Arata-san always had a lighter near at hand, while the boss never seemed to ever have one. The leader of the mob was a real nicotine addict, and his chain smoking had gotten worse over the years. When Takeo had declared his wish to try to be a cool adult like Tama-san, Arata-san looked askance at the boy.

"No." His order had been terse and quite sufficient. Takeo had brooded over this "veto" for weeks, feeling as he was missing out on something.

Takeo was not the one to break the rules no matter how much he didn't agree with them, so deciding to spend some of his pay for the pack of cigarettes was not to spite anyone. He was just… lonely. And Tama-san's mood would improve after a few smokes, so maybe, Takeo too will feel better.

It was disgusting. Just like the stink of that place. (The Yakuza boss must not have any taste buds left to keep inhaling this shit over and over again.) The stench did calm him, however, and Takeo now had one pack on him at all times. It soon became a habit to share a smoke with Koichi-san, which was always a pleasant activity. In the end, cigarettes provided him peace and Takeo was hooked in no time.

You were chosen for this Takeo, so you better accept it.

Darn it, he really… really needed a smoke.

Takeo was a slow learner, so it surprised him how quickly he learnt… No. Remembered all the words and grammar of the English language. He didn't even have normal classes of the subject, yet he could now speak fluently, sounding almost as a native speaker. It had to do something with the speed his… modified brain acquired info making it easier for him to disappear into the crowd. It was a strange feeling, not knowing the language, but just using the appropriate words and mimicking others. He was mostly yelled at during training sessions by Krantz, jeered at by Shark and silently observed by Hammer. Takeo rarely communicated with them, only when it was necessary and when he'd think it was logical to protest. None of his resisting bared fruit.

If you don't forget about the life outside these walls, the Union also won't forget about those people in Sapporo. Yamamoto Koichi, was it? Sugimoto Mimi, Miyako Rin? All those people with hilarious names are on the Union's watch list and if you don't behave as expected of a pet, they might end up joining you.

(Fuck. Was that even true? Were his friends really watched? Can they do something like that? Wasn't it illegal?)

"Takeo, you idiot, all of this is illegal. Do you see cops anywhere? No. You probably won't see anyone abiding by the morals of the normal world here."

But, why wasn't there any sign of a police raid? It's been months since his disappearance, hasn't anyone tried to find him? Could they find him? Takeo himself didn't know where this freaking place was and if this Union was as powerful as they claimed to be. Maybe there wasn't a way for ordinary police to do anything about the kidnapping.

Beside short lessons about modified humans, robots and sci-fi looking weapons, Krantz also shared some info about the Union, though nothing useful Takeo could utilise for his escape.

Apparently, the Union was way more… global and had friends in high places who funded experiments Takeo was now a part of. The rule of the Elders over the Union and its possessions, such as scientists, research material and data, was independent and even though their influence spread over the world governments and forces, their plans and agents were a well-kept secret from world leaders. Basically, the Union was everywhere… and nowhere.

And Takeo was supposed to just accept all this bullshit about him being chosen to become a mindless pawn in their games? (Fuck them all to hell!)

They think they can just take his language away from him by letting Krantz beat him senseless whenever Takeo utters something that wasn't in English. (Ha!) Takeo can take the beating. If there was anything he was familiar with in his life it was pain, and he knew exactly how to protect himself from it.

It took Krantz a while to figure out the beating had no wanted effect on a dumbass like Takeo. The muscly man narrowed his eyes in annoyance one day when the wheezing kid with blood dripping down his chin smirked at him. The small victory tasted divine on Takeo's tongue, especially since Shark was staring at him mouth agape with no comment on the matter. And Hammer actually smiled, making that the first show of emotion since he got here.

"That's right. I don't care how hard you hit me, the truth is you don't want me dead. Otherwise you would have already gotten rid of me. Even when you do get sick of me, I won't care. I'm not afraid to die. No one would be hurt by my death, either, so no harm done there. No one would miss me."

"Have you forgotten?" Krantz asked him staying as poised as ever while he towered over him.

The members of the DA5 project were granted about six hours of sleep if they completed their tasks for the day as they were intended to. Takeo would often spend those nights restless, something gnawing at him relentlessly. He tried to figure out what it was, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Do you want your friends to join you? Maybe you do." Krantz tilted his head slightly to the side, letting his grey hair fall into his emotionless eyes. "Ah, but unlike us, they're not high quality meat. I doubt they'll survive our little practise."

Indignant. Yeah… that's the word. Takeo was indignant, despite knowing how unreasonable that was. His friends just let this happen to him… and they were still letting it happen to him. It hurt him more, because he knew how selfish it was of him to think like that.

There was no way anyone could help him, not even Tama-san and the whole of the Yakuza, yet Takeo still felt… abandoned and betrayed. He didn't deserve to be treated like this, it wasn't fair everybody decided to move on with their lives without him, just because he could be troublesome… Just because he was in trouble. Wasn't there anything about him that was worth fighting for even if it was useless?

Takeo knew he wouldn't have given up on any of his friends if their places were reversed. (Hell, he would have found them after so much time, even if he couldn't, odds and probabilities be damned.) He would have done anything to bring them back home and protect them, so why wasn't there anyone in his life who'd do the same for him? He tried so hard not to get in the way, to be useful, to please and not hurt others by making mistakes. Didn't he do enough? Was he asking too much? To be needed?

Takeo closed his eyes to calm himself and then continued to glare at Krantz who hasn't moved a muscle.

So, finally, the composed bastard understood he won't get anywhere by inflicting physical pain. Instead, he decided it was time to put another nail into the emotional coffin Takeo was trapped in. He had to hand it to him, Krantz picked a smart solution to the problematic behaviour, very smart indeed. Bravo.

Krantz was smarter than Takeo, because no matter how despondent Takeo was… No matter how much he was perhaps angry, he couldn't bear the thought of being the cause of someone else's suffering. And the older man knew it.

He almost cursed loudly in Japanese like he sometimes did when he wished to hit Krantz in the face. Just once would be enough. Unfortunately, Takeo may be the fastest man alive, but Krantz still managed to keep up with him and push him down.

He pushed all three of them down, even when they were attacking him all together. Shark complained he felt naked without his knifes and assured the rest of the DA5 he'd be the last man standing if he had his weapons. Something told Takeo nothing would change whether they had weapons on them or not. Krantz was just too much of a monster.

Nothing changed for almost three months now. Training their new skills made using them feel as natural as breathing; Takeo couldn't even remember how it felt to run and not break the sound barrier. It frightened him how normal it became to him to just make a click in his brain and suddenly hear the footsteps in the opposite wing of the building. He didn't know how the building looked like, nor how big it was, but he could draw a map in his head just by listening to people walking along corridors. It kept him awake at night, not being able to block out the noise… and his curiosity.

In the beginning it took a lot of strength and concentration to pick up all the sounds and understand them. It made his head hurt, leaving him with no sleep. The building was vast, too big to imagine, which made Takeo even more desperate to blueprint it. Every night he tried to hear more and more, breaking the yesterday's limit.

During that time he still believed there was a way to escape this wretched place. With every night he spent listening, he felt the task becoming more futile.

It didn't matter how fast Takeo was; this place was a maze and there was at least one monster – that he knew of – capable of catching him. It was frustrating, because Takeo got impression they made him fast but still slow enough for Krantz to grab him by the collar. The whole "practising with Krantz" drill aggravated him being that its sole purpose was to teach them they couldn't beat him, and therefore, can't escape. Not that Hammer or Shark gave an impression of wanting to be anywhere else. (What the hell was wrong with them anyway?)

Speaking of wrong, Krantz didn't find Takeo's weariness during training amusing one bit. The worst part of it was that the prick somehow knew what the cause of it was.

"Do us both a favour, Takeo, and stop thinking you can outrun me." He almost sounded offended. "It's commendable that you exercise your super hearing at night. However, if you come to me tired again, I might have to call Dr Aris."

"You know what, it would be nice to finally meet the person who condemned me to this hell, so I can personally give my heartfelt thanks."

"You think that's funny?" Krantz peered through him when a small smile formed in the corner of Takeo's lips. "You have no idea with whose patience you're playing. Brat."

"Oh… Shut up…"

Takeo propped himself up on his elbows and slumped against the metal wall.

"Or maybe this little game of tag we've been having for the past couple of months isn't enough for a young man like you? Want me to pick it up a notch?" Krantz was starting to amuse himself, which in turn made Takeo's gut twist in an agonising way.

"I want to slap you. Just once."

One more thing Takeo was fretting about more than usual was his constant desire for violence. The harder Krantz hit him the stronger the wish for a payback grew inside Takeo and the things he imagined himself doing to the man weren't something you should do to a fellow human… or anyone really. He could do it, tough, he was fully capable now that he had these odd powers and something told him Krantz actually wanted him to release himself to the cravings of a feral animal trapped inside. It scared him to think what would happen if he succeeded in landing in a punch or two or three… or four or five.

It's been only three months and Takeo was falling apart at the seams, spending most of his time thinking about his father for some reason and that poor- Evil gossip girl from his school. What's going to happen to him if he doesn't flee from the Union?

"Yeah, how about it? Isn't it high time to get some weapons and field experience?" Shark cracked his bony fingers with a sneer on his face. "To be honest I miss some slashing practise. Maybe princess and I can have a first dance at the podium! See who's faster then!"

"That would still be me, you obnoxious piece of shit."

Takeo curled his fingers into fists in dismay, because he still remembered the time he barely reacted to that lanky man's prodding. Now, however, every time Shark opened his mouth, Takeo wished he could sew it up tight forever. It took so much strength to restrain himself that he more often than not wondered why he was even trying.

"No one asked for your opinion, Shark. Then again, you might be right for once." Krantz didn't even look at him.

"Happy to oblige." Shark shrugged with a chuckle, and Takeo wanted to throw something at him. Something heavy. Hammer still had the same smile on his tanned, fat face. His staring was unnerving.

"Perhaps getting pounded to a wall, even with a gun pointed at a bare handed man, will make you convinced you should pay heed to my humble advice." Krantz said.

(A gun? Are they gonna give him a gun? Do they know what he can do with a gun?) Certainly… they probably even knew what he'll be able to do with it now, having been enhanced.

"A gun, ha? Ha! Could have guessed the princess was too bashful to get her hands dirty like a real man!" Shark snorted and Takeo's brow twitched.

"I see you're interested in giving it a go." Krantz fixed an earpiece in his left ear, pushing down some buttons. Couple of seconds later the metal plate in the wall scrolled down, letting a long row of white shelves roll into the room. They were equipped with a wide range of knives, explosives, guns and rifles, all meticulously placed and carefully designed.

"Take your pick." Krantz turned on his heel and walked away, leaving the three of them to mount themselves with weapons.

It looked like the trio made choices to their own liking, but it was far from that. It was all already decided ahead of time.

Their personalities, upbringing and special abilities were taken into account in such a detail that the subjects didn't even have to converse to know which weapon went to whom. Therefore, it wouldn't be strange to say that the gun Takeo had picked up called out to him. It may have not looked like the ones he was accustomed to, yet the form and shine of it caught his immediate attention and wouldn't let go. The way the gun fitted into his grip gave the impression it was made for his hand and his hand only. Everything it was marked perfection. The sensation was weirdly pleasant.

The strange looking bullets were already in the barrel. Feeling the heat rushing to his ears and face, he realised that all he needed to do was pull the trigger.

He glanced over to Krantz, who had turned his broad back to them and Takeo thought that pulling the trigger… was easy.

"You even know how to use that, sunshine?" Takeo heard Shark snicker even before he could finish his taunt.

It was pure luck Shark saw Takeo sharpening his stare in time, because if he moved a moment later, he'd have a hole in his cheek.

The Asian brat shot a bullet to his face with no warning. Shark blinked flabbergasted and then exhaled sharply his cold breath, swinging with his blade. The image of the brat in front of him blurred, and the knife sliced the air. Shark felt presence on his side, seeing only a hazy dark figure aiming the hot barrel at his nape. Instead of a bullet carving a tunnel through his head, he felt a strong shove. A powerful kick pushed him and Shark flew over the trolley with all the weapons. Hammer took a lazy step to the side, so that Shark wouldn't slam right into him. The skinny man hit the floor with his chin. He screamed in rage, jumping to his feet.

"You bitch! I'll fucking cut you to ribbons!"

"Shut it, Shark." Came a strict order from Krantz, who was squeezing Takeo's wrist, stopping him from shooting again.

"Don't you stop me! The little piss needs to be punished!" Shark pointed with his knife. "You blind, you motherfucker? You wanna die? You fucking retard, don't ya remember the fucking rules?!"

"I said, shut it!" Krantz repeated and Shark clenched his sharp teeth. The only satisfaction Shark was getting out of this commotion was the fact that Takeo's wrist was making painful sounds under their leader's grip. However, the Asian kid showed nothing on his face which pissed the hell out of Shark. The cocky brat glared at him with his black eyes.

"Takeo." Krantz called him in a strict voice. "I said to point that gun at me. I knew you were stupid, but I hoped you were modified enough not to be senile too. I ain't in charge of a kindergarten. You can tear each other apart for all I care, as long as you don't kill one another. Did you forget that one simple rule?" He was stabbing him with his stare. Takeo didn't turn away, tough. He was burning up. Krantz noticed the boy was trembling in anger, which made him add dryly. "Or are you that excited that you got your toy? Enough to try it on your colleague? I should have done this ages ago."

"You're no colleagues of mine!" Takeo spat in Japanese and shifted his weight. He revealed his other hand, holding a smaller gun. No one noticed when he took it from the trolley. They almost missed it when he shoved it into Krantz's calm face.

Krantz pulled back his head and the bullet flew over his scarred nose, ricocheting off the bulky rifle on the trolley, almost ending up in Shark's opened mouth. Takeo bent forward and hit Krantz in the guts, freeing himself from his grip. Not a moment passed when Krantz got him by the collar and pulled him up like he was a mere feather. The older man tossed him over his head. Shark and Hammer left their posts in a hurry as Takeo fell hard on the ground where they were once standing. He skidded to a halt hitting the wall. He gasped and the next thing he saw was Krantz's shoe heading for his neck. Takeo rolled over, dodging just in time.

This was absurd. Takeo was aware that it was ludicrous of him to try to beat this monster and run away.

It's just that when he got a hold of a gun, he felt stronger and quicker. And what if they actually didn't know how talented a sharpshooter he was? He was positive they didn't know about Tama-san, so why would they know about his firm aim? Perhaps, assigning him the guns was a mere coincidence? He had phenomenal vision, all of his friends said so, and now he had crazy speed too, so maybe that was the reason scientists thought Takeo would be quick to adapt to firearms.

The bottom line was, Takeo had an element of a surprise. And even if it all was a grandiose delusion on his part, he couldn't let the chance of overpowering these bastards slip through his fingers.

He had to escape… before he regrets ever being born.

Takeo never missed. With these guys, tough, he did. Shark was coming in on five o'clock. He didn't have to see him with his super vision, hearing his frenzied screaming was more than enough to pinpoint his location. Takeo dodged him effortlessly hitting him with the handle of his bigger gun. A sudden pressure stopped his movements. Hammer got him from behind. He didn't really "get him", he was just standing there, as if he knew where Takeo will move. Takeo didn't have enough time to think about a possibility so worrisome because Krantz was already in his face. With a tap of his boots, Takeo made a high jump taking aim at the persistent man. The bullet nicked him on the ear and Takeo almost laughed form joy thinking: "…this might actually work."

His eyes picked up an unguarded exit about ten meters ahead of him. He aimed at the lock with both of his guns, when a black plastic ball came into his view. It appeared out of nowhere, flying a couple of centimetres from his nose. It ticked and shined.

The blast of a bomb threw Takeo at the wall. He dropped his bigger gun and slumped down feeling numb. His breath rasped in his throat when Krantz walked out of smoke as if the blood soaking his shoulder didn't faze him at all. Takeo aimed at him and pulled the trigger, growling like an animal. That monster disappeared before his eyes and rammed his gun into the ground. The muscular fingers sank into Takeo's wind pipe and pulled him to his feet. With no moment to spare, Krantz slammed their foreheads together, making Takeo's head shake like it was on a string that snapped. Krantz saw the boy's pupils dilated in shock and dropped him on the floor like dead meat.

The space was swirling and Takeo thought he'll throw up. He winced when Krantz yanked his hair. The beast pounded his head into the floor making a huge dent in it. The agony of hearing your own skull cracking and fixing itself repeatedly was echoing in his brain together with the crazy laughter of the observers that filled the room.

The beating went to a sudden stop and Takeo realised Krantz was telling him something. He didn't care what that monster had to say about his behaviour, he wanted to lose conciseness and fall into darkness where there was no one to see him being this pitiful and weak. Alas, being enhanced meant being able to function even in extreme situations such as these.

"I think we both agree you will never leave this place as long as I'm alive." The arrogant prick was as composed as ever. "If you're too dense to care about your own life, remember that other's well-being depend on the quality of your service to the Union. You disobey and break the rules again and your friends will be shipped here the next morning. I'll make you watch me break them."

Krantz released him and stood up. If stares could kill, Krantz would have already been dead.

"You were good today. All of you." He folded his arms. "I think starting the next level of training would be wise."

"Hey!" Shark barked showing his teeth. "What about the fucking punishment, ha?!"

"It's your own fault for letting him get that close to you, Shark." Krantz answered peevishly.

"What?!"

"Silence." Krantz uttered in a way that made perfectly clear who the inferior one was. "I won't chastise our colleague for showing bloodlust."

The way that monster hid his delight when he glanced over to groggy Takeo made the younger man shiver in terror.

"There's no harm in surrendering to it more often."

Takeo felt a twinge in his chest. Those words will stay with him for good as they were created and arranged in such a smug grin just for him. Krantz knew exactly what he was doing and what his next move shall be. And Takeo?

Not so much.

Author's notes – chapter 9

Tao said Krantz was someone all the other DA5 members combined couldn't beat in a fight, which makes sense considering someone has to be in charge and keep them all in check. Krantz is a tyrannical leader who doesn't lose his composure, except when he wants to show off his skills and power over someone.

Hammer is the toughest one to write for me. He always seemed to me as the biggest psycho of them all, hiding his malice by being apparently indifferent. He's the one that observes, much like Tao. Unlike Tao, tough, he doesn't do it out of curiosity, but out of wanting to gather as much as info he can use against people (that fight with Regis, for example, when he went and got the kids as a bribe material). Being "lazy and a glutton" makes him look tamed in comparison to Shark. I think he's far worse.

Well, I'll talk about him more in some of the next chapters. As I mentioned earlier, I'm making things up by over analysing certain parts in the comic. I'm trying to give more depth to the characters, because I don't want to write only about Takeo and Tao.

Hope you enjoyed. See ya soon!