A/N: It has been more than two years since I've last this story. Seeing as to how my abilities as a writer have improve and that this story is finally going to be finished, I feel that a good revamping is in order.

Warnings: This story will feature violence, mature language, sexuality, scenes of sexual nature and sappy feelings between two men. Reader discretion is advised.

Disclaimers:This is the only time I am saying this: I own neither the characters, nor anything that pertains to the show. As far sa I know, the story concept belongs to me.

Fatalis-e relating to destiny or fate; fated, destined by fate; in a bad sense, deadly, fatal Adv. fataliter, according to fate.

Fatali

Chapter I: Dies e Vicis (Day of Change)

He was running.

Rei's breath felt very heavy in his lungs and his heart hammered painfully against his ribs. Feeling convulsions beginning to tug on his stomach muscles, he clenched his teeth and pressed his lips into a firm line. He had spent a lifetime on the streets, where constantly being on the run meant survival. Although had he anticipated the pain that long periods without food or water brought to be present, it was always a shock to feel it gnawing on his insides.

He flinched slightly when another throe lurched at his sore muscles but he ignored it stubbornly and sped up his pace. He wouldn't risk a glance behind him but he didn't doubt that his pursuers were just a few strides behind. Adrenalin gushed in his veins, throbbing almost irritably in his temples. Blood was rushing to his face, making him feel dizzy, sweat was coating the back of his neck and brow, blurring his vision significantly. He greedily swallowed a mouthful of air and ignored another tug in his chest.

The soles of Rei's feet hurt and there was a stinging ache in his lower back but it was such a rush! The neon lights and dark silhouettes of people flew by him like streaks of bright colours, indistinguishable from each other. The air hit his face almost painfully, his long rope of hair smacking the back of his legs and his fringe whipping about his numb cheeks. He felt like he was the wind, and if it wasn't for the urgency of the situation and his own desperate need to escape he would have spread his arms wide and thrown his head back to enjoy the speed.

A big yellow sign with red writing zipped by him. He smirked to himself, now he'd be able to make his getaway. Growing up in the streets did have its advantages, Rei decided. It might not have been the life of luxury and he'd leave it all at the next possible opportunity but the slums of Sector 5 did have many excellent places where one could remain undiscovered. Getting lost was high on his priority list at that precise moment. Ignoring his protesting limbs he sped up even further. The youth mentally counted off the shops. Suddenly, he pivoted on his heel and dashed off into a dark alleyway to his right, letting its darkness swallow him, all without losing his pace.

The path ahead of him was narrow and veered off into hundreds of smaller passageways. Agilely, Rei jumped over a couple of crates that were blocking his way then ducked beneath the low-suspended laundry. He turned one darkened corner, then another, bowed politely to a portly woman arranging her baggage outside a rabbit hole of a dwelling, who barely spared a glance at the swiftly passing boy and continued to dig in her grocery bags. He was in the residential quadrant now, his pursuers would not be able to get him here. Besides which, they wouldn't be able to identify him.

Rei slowed down to a jog, glad to give his aching muscles the reprieve. Small houses, barely passing for liveable, began to clot him on each side, the alley growing wider. Some people were ambling about, either returning from work or watching their kids before turning in for the night.

People had this amazing ability to adapt into virtually anything, Rei reflected. Take away all comforts of modern life and man will find a way to sidestep it all and still come out on top. Here, for example, on the lowest level of the earth, the living conditions were horrid. Filth was everywhere, on the walls and on the ground and in the air and pumping in the veins. There was sickness and disease and death on every corner; every newborn out of four was born with defects, others died from not having food in their stomachs for months at a time. The government did not bother concerning themselves with the slums; the true heart of the country was in the sky now. The higher one lived off ground, the more important they were as well, the more their lives were worth.

And still, people managed to live in these conditions, Rei mused. He glanced at a couple of children playing in the hollow between two high-rising buildings. He saw the smiles on their dirty faces and then noticed that they were tossing around a dead rat — rats in these parts came with five legs instead of four and amused the kids greatly. He knew from experience that a little farther ahead there lived another family, and though they could barely spare enough food for themselves they never turned down beggars. It was extraordinary, in his opinion, that these people were still capable of retaining love for each other, of living happily despite everything.

"Rei-niichan!"

He heard his name being called and automatically glanced behind him, pausing his pace. A little boy with hopelessly tangled hair and big brown eyes was waving at him from a circle of his friends.

"You'll come play with us, won't you?" Another dirty boy from the group called out to him.

Rei smiled to himself. He didn't know why, but the children adored him. One would think that he created a rather imposing figure for the little ones with his darker skin and golden eyes but it somehow worked the other way around. Kids literally threw themselves at him, always wanting to spend time with their "Rei-niichan". And he didn't mind, really, though he was nearly twenty-one and had far more important things to worry about.

He waved back to the group of children, smiling brightly at them. "Of course," he replied, "there's nothing in this world I would rather do. You'd have to wait until tomorrow, though, I need to get back to the gang and it's getting late."

The children lent in their consent, a few echoing disappointed sighs. One little girl leaned a bit to whisper non-too-secretively to her friend. "I'm going to marry him one day, you know?" Rei laughed at this, his voice joined by those of the children.

"You promise?" He called out to the girl, who flushed a dusty rose shade and hid her face from embarrassment. "Grow up a little and then we'll see, all right?" He watched the girl's face light up and smiled at that. Smile still on his face, he bid them farewell and picked up pace again.

Farther down the rows of makeshift houses and a couple of twists of the path later Rei discovered himself at the entrance of what he called "home". It wasn't much, couldn't even be considered a house, just a large box-like dwelling that kept the occasional cold away and had enough room without being cramped. There were no windows, as windows in this district meant inviting trouble into one's home, and heavy-pleated cloth substituted for a door. A pale glow escaped from beneath the makeshift door. Rei smiled at this and straightened out his clothes, smoothing his hair back, without much success.

"I'm home," he announced, poking his head inside and then hastily letting himself in. The interior did not differ much form the exterior. Four walls, equally scruffy, various bits of cloth thrown over the ground as makeshift cushions, a small basin in the corner and an artificial flame standing on a small pedestal in the middle of the room.

Four childish faces peered back at him, appearing almost shocked. A brightly haired girl was the first to make a move. Faster than he could perceive, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and squeaking out an excited "oniichan!"

Rei laughed in response, surreptitiously trying to disentangle her stronghold on him. "I'm glad to see you, too, Mao," he began teasingly, "but I'm afraid I need my lungs to breathe. And you're squishing the food."

"Oh, sorry," she murmured and sat back on her haunches.

"Nice one, there, Mao," a small boy with outrageously green-coloured hair intoned.

"Oh be quiet, Kiki," huffed the little girl and stuck her tongue out. Then she remembered Rei and turned to face him again. "What did you bring us? Is it better than last time? I don't think I liked those... whatever those were."

Rei smiled imperceptibly at her eagerness and removed the bundle he'd been hiding underneath his tunic all this time. He hated to steal, really he did, but he also hated starving himself to death, though it wasn't himself he was worried about. These four children – Mao, Kiki, and the two other boys, Lai and Gao – were his family and for them he'd do anything. All of them were abandoned in one way or another, rejected and scorned and then thrown to live in these filthy conditions. Rei was the oldest of them, so naturally all responsibilities fell on him.

He laid out the contents of the bundle out, handing the few small square metallic containers to the kids and stashing a knife he managed to thieve into a secret compartment in his clothes. Taking another small metallic box for himself he scuttled into a corner. The others were already eating so he opened his container and frowned at the contents. There wasn't any more organic food in the city – or the world – and recyclable, artificially flavoured mush was the only alternative. Rei scrunched his face at the lumpy-looking grey something.

"Are you going to eat that?" One of the older boys, Gao, asked while pointing to the un-eaten container in Rei's hands.

The youth spared the muck another disdainful glance and handed it to the boy, despite his painfully protesting stomach. Looking at them, slurping unidentified substances hungrily, their greasy hair hanging into their eyes and dirty faces, he felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness tug at his heart. He was supposed to look out for them, protect them and this was all he was capable of? At night he often dreamt of seeing these same faces scrunched up with hatred, walking around like wraiths, their skin sagging over protruding bones. He saw their eyes in his dreams and the emptiness in them scared him, accused him. Rei often woke up with a silent scream on his lips, his body trembling. Sometimes he wished that he could die. He hated this, hated the filth and the fact that he couldn't do enough. But what else was there? The world was dying, and so were the people; there truly was no hope.

"You managed to get away?" A quiet voice broke through his reverie. He glanced up at Lai, the one who had spoken and forced on a haughty grin.

"Have you ever doubted me?"

"No, but I suppose everyone slips up once in a while, even you," replied the boy. He was the second oldest of the group and the future leader, should anything happen to Rei. Sometimes Rei was discomfited by how presumptuous the younger boy sounded but he surmised that came from living such a harsh life for such a long while. The care on the other boy's face didn't escape him either.

"Then I'll have to wait for the next time to slip up," Rei answered with a small shrug.

"How's the world up there?" Asked Lai seriously.

Rei shrugged again, meaning that nothing changed from the last time the boy asked. The bottom level, or the slums, was no place to find decent merchandise so Rei would occasionally made the trip to a higher level. Hover modules made that easy because all one had to do was step on the platform and let it take you to the desired location. It was getting back down that was difficult. The milts – law enforcement officers, was their official title – were a persistent lot and did not give up chase easily. Rei knew perfectly well that if he gave them the chance to catch him he'd most likely not see his family ever again. But despite the dangers, he couldn't help but feel addicted. He loved to feel the adrenalin pumping in his veins, loved how he could move so fast and just barely bypass the risks.

He knew he was being a bit selfish when he went out to steal again and then enjoyed the thrill of the chase. His family were probably gnawing themselves from inside out with worry. It was immature and irresponsible of him to leave them facing the consequences of his risk-taking.

"Any news about the front lines?" The younger boy asked.

Rei frowned slightly at that. "I've heard that the Europes are gaining on us, they've moved up nearly twenty kilometres. If this continues, the Saudi front will be in serious trouble. And there were more bombings as well; ten cities, nearly ten thousand times more casualties. "

"Damn," muttered Kiki under his breath. "We're losing."

"But there's nothing we can do, is there?" Asked Mao, answering her question at the same time.

"There's always the army," said Lai quietly. He was frowning deeply, the light from the small artificial flame casting shadows over his face. Rei felt his insides freeze up at the words.

"Absolutely not!" He nearly shouted, scaring the little girl beside him. There might not have been many choices left, but he'd be damned thrice and die just as many times before he let one of the kids join into the bloodshed. Warfare, though he knew very little of what it was like from the eyes of a soldier, wasn't a good enough reason to sacrifice oneself for.

"And why not?" Lai asked acidly. As he saw it, he had no other reason to live. He and his kind were the grime of Earth, they were destined to die anyway. Maybe if he could die a noble cause, his being alive would have been justified.

"Because I won't let you," Rei fired back. "I care about you guys and I don't want you to die in such a way. Believe me, out here is much better than out there. I swore to God that I'd keep you safe and that's what I will do."

"So you're just going to sit here and brood while your people are dying out there?" Lai accused, clenching his fists.

"If it means that I can protect you then, yes, I'd rather rot here," replied Rei, his golden eyes flashing a darker, warmer shade.

"...Um... guys...?"

Both males tuned to the owner of the small voice. Mao sat huddled against Gao's side, chewing on her lip nervously. Gao frowned at the two of them, the expression seeming even more menacing on his bulky visage.

"Can't you save the fighting for later?" He asked. "It's late and we're all tired."

Rei sighed quietly. Of course, how could he ever forget, Mao hated when her two elder brothers fought. He nodded his agreement and motioned for the little girl to crawl over to his side. She did so, wrapping her small arms around his mid-section and burying her elfin nose in his tunic. The youth smiled down at her and smoothed the bright pink hair from her forehead. He liked feeling her small body pressed into him, it didn't make him feel so cold or alone. Living the life he had, there wasn't much comfort around him, so he sought it here, in the only place that would grant it to him.

Somewhere deep down he knew that he was being ridiculously overprotective and maybe just a trifle selfish. He knew the truth behind Lai's words. This was a dying world, its people were dying and so was everything else. Or maybe they were all dead from the beginning but were somehow reliving this hell. Rei couldn't tell any more – he felt like he was stuck in a ceaseless tableau. He'd wake up in the mornings and see the same desolation, day after day, and he'd be struck with an urge to run and find something less hurtful to look at. And when he slept, it was always on the same cold, hard ground, with Mao's slightly shivering body pressed to his.

What scared him the most, however, was that inside he earned for something more. It was like an itch that he could not get to, just under his skin. He did not know what he longed for, just that it was slowly eating him up from the inside.

Did it ever stop, he wondered. Maybe he was just dreaming this up, then. But dreams eventually gave way to wakefulness, though his never stopped.

He felt Mao stir beside him and forced himself to quench away the unpleasant thoughts. He glanced around. The artificial flame was dimmed but he could see the other's smaller forms huddled in their respective cots. He turned back to gaze at the little girl. She stirred once more and tilted her head up to look back at him. In the darkness her eyes resembled empty, sightless hollows.

"Rei?" Mao asked quietly. Not waiting for his reply, she continued, "Is there really a god somewhere out there?"

The youth looked at her strangely. Her earnest eyes were wide and large on her cherubic face, so innocent and childish but the darkness still remained ghosting over her features. For a split second he wondered whether it was the same child that uttered those words. It pained him to think that someone as young as eight could think like that but the truth behind her words did not escape him either. Innocence in this world did not come around often and it certainly wasn't cheap.

"I don't know," he replied slowly, honestly not knowing the answer.

The little girl frowned, her brows knitting together. 'That isn't right,' she thought, 'Rei doesn't know the answer and he knows everything.' "You said earlier that you swore to God that you'd protect us, but," she began uncertainly, "if there is a god, then why doesn't he take away the suffering? Isn't he supposed to be very strong? What kind of a god is he, then, if he lets people feel pain?"

The young man gaped at her for a long while, then with a sad smile he ruffled her hair and hugged her to his body once again.

"That doesn't matter," he answered slowly, still smiling despondently. "I don't think we'll ever find out. Now sleep, you're very tired."

She murmured something into his shirt and snuggled a bit closer. Rei listened to her breathing patterns while she slowly fell asleep, running his hands though her hair all the while. Was there really a god, he wondered. He doubted it, and if there was, He had abandoned them a long time ago. Maybe He grew tired of herding a bunch of disobedient children, or perhaps He saw that mankind didn't have a favourable future and chose to take His chances elsewhere. All that remained of God was a novelty, the title and the idea that sounded to pleasant but rarely meant anything. Either way, this world was godless.

Rei was just beginning to get lost in the soft, rhythmic breathing of the small child beside him when sirens blared from over head. Immediately, the four other occupants in the room jolted awake. Growing up the way they did taught them that light sleep meant survival.

"What in Hell..." muttered Lai, rubbing his sleep-encrusted eyes.

"What's going on, 'niichan?" Mao asked from beside him.

Hurriedly, Rei poked his head outside the dwelling. The big telescreen two levels above them broadcasted a blurry picture of himself, indiscernible writing scrolling beside it.

"Fuck it," the youth hissed under his breath and ducked back inside. How they managed to get his picture he didn't know but it meant serious trouble. He might not have been able to read what the telescreen showed but he knew a criminal charge when he saw it, and there was one hovering just a few levels above him and it had his name on it.

Hurriedly, he scurried about the room, digging out various bundles from secret hiding spots. He had no time now. Rei might have been popular with the children but he had enough enemies in this sector of give him away without a second thought. Another thought struck him and he dared a quick glance at the worried children around him. There wasn't enough time to prepare everything so he just threw the bundles to the children.

Frowning deeply, Lai picked up one of the packages and inspected it. It was one of their emergency provisions. Startled, the younger boy looked up at Rei.

"Rei," he drawled in slowly, "what's going on?"

The youth didn't answer and continued moving quickly about the room. "Listen carefully," he began from where he was taking out his throwing knives and wrapping them in cloth, "I want you four to go out the back way and head to the northern quadrant. From there, you can contact a friend of mine, his name will be Dickinson, you hear? Tell him that I sent you and he'll know what to do after that. He'll take you to Sector 6 and from there I want you to find some place you can hide. Don't come out for at least a week, understand? Can you do that for me?"

Grimly, Lai nodded and pocketed the wrapped up knifes Rei threw his way. He didn't need to know the details to understand that his brother was in a fix. That was the price they paid. All of them knew the dangers, and all chose to ignore them. But it was still hard to deal with, to know that one day someone you cared about was going to just vanish and you'd never see them again.

Kiki piped up, worry seeping into his voice. "Wait a second, 'niichan, something's wrong isn't it?"

"Brother's in trouble, isn't he?" Gao asked quietly.

Rei didn't say anything, didn't even glance at them. His throat felt very tight and he didn't trust his voice any more. They needed to get away, the milts would be there soon. His well fare did not matter, as long as they survived.

"Oniichan?" Mao whimpered softly.

Rei glanced at Lai again and nodded slowly, motioning to the back wall, where the secret pathway was. Obediently, Lai put away the bundles into a strap-on bag, attaching it around his waist. He then took Mao's and Kiki's hands, steering them toward the passageway, which Rei had already opened. Just when the younger three disappeared into the dark pathway, Lai turned to look at his brother.

"They'll miss you, you know," he said quietly, ducking his head so Rei wouldn't see the misery he knew must have shown on his face.

"I know, I'll miss you, too," replied Rei softly. Firmly, he grasped Lai by the forearm; it was a gesture that until that moment meant good will between friends, now it was a farewell. "You'll protect them, won't you? Promise that you will."

Stiffly, the younger boy nodded. He had looked up to his big brother so much, letting go was hard. "Yes, I will. But you, you, don't let them beat you down, you hear?"

Rei smirked at that. "You don't really think they'll be able to do that, do you? And here I thought you had faith in me."

Lai grinned in response, though his facial muscles ached from the gesture. "I guess not." He clasped Rei's forearm for just a moment before letting go. Rigidly, he turned back to the secret passageway and ducked through it. He didn't look back and said nothing else. Goodbyes were too formal, he felt, too impersonal and crude. Goodbyes only expressed a parting between people, they did not, however, convey the feelings inside, so they were as good as useless. And so he stealthily followed the others down the dark pathway, knowing all too well that he'd probably never see his brother again.

Rei watched as his family moved farther and farther away from him, slowly disappearing into the filth. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat. Then realizing just how little time he had, Rei attached the wall panel back into place and took out the knife he stowed away in his tunic earlier, hooking it under his belt. With a last glance about the small room, his home, he crawled out and then immediately tore down the alley.

He was running again, and he smirked at the irony. Before he was running home, now he was running away from it. The familiar aches were returning to his limbs, breathing became strenuous, his heart beat painfully in his side. But he continued running, down one path, and then another, past a row of small houses, around a stack of crates. He knew it didn't matter whether he ran or not, he'd be found anyway; it was difficult to disappear when you were wanted to be found. He could already hear their footsteps behind him.

When the residential district was a few quadrants away, Rei stopped. He guessed by the large metal crates that the small courtyard he was in used to be the storage zone; vaguely he remembered coming here to play with his friends. He smirked ruefully to himself again. There was just enough room for a little get-together.

He didn't have to wait long for the guests to arrive. His smirk widened when he heard the thumping of standard militia boots stop and then "There he is!" echo through the air. He surmised there were at least six of them, but without light he couldn't be sure. 'Interesting odds,' he thought to himself with another wry grin. The adrenaline was still coursing in his veins from the run, and it was further fuelled when one of the large men threw himself at Rei. Nimbly, the youth dodged to the side just in time and then swerved to the side when a punch was aimed at him. One of the milts tried to deliver a low kick but Rei sprang away and dealt a backhanded blow.

One came from behind him and Rei spared a moment to deliver a back kick then elbowed the thug in the gut. While his attention was diverted, a milt managed to deal a punch to the side of his face that sent his jaw muscles screaming. Thrusting his fist into the man's stomach, he was allowed enough time to move half a step behind and execute a roundhouse kick, sending the man sprawling to the ground. The youth delivered another punch to a milts that sprang at his side then bringing his leg out and under his opponent's feet.

Dimly, he was aware that someone was shouting for him to surrender. He ignored it and jumped out of the way of another kick. The milts were cornering him against the crates, given time, he wouldn't have enough room to dodge their hits. Gracefully he ducked to the side when a blow sailed for his head, he then used the momentum to propel on his heel and deal a high kick. His body still twisted from the action, he sprang on his other foot, jumping a few paces behind him and on one of the smaller crates. Not sparing a moment, he leapt up the remaining crates until he was towering six feet over the milts.

"What? Can't catch me now, can you?" Rei called out to them haughtily, stopping to look down on them. Then he felt something barely graze his right ear. He cussed under his breath, rubbing at his ear to check for bleeding. There were other cuts on his body, he knew; bruises and a couple of fractured ribs at least. Another shot ricocheted off the metal crate, just below his foot. He swore again and ran to the edge of the crate, jumping to the next.

"Persistent bastards, aren't you?" He hissed under his breath. Another shot sailed past him. He ducked again and moved lithely to the next crate. They wouldn't dare to kill him, would they? These days all able-bodied men were needed at the front lines, and he certainly fit the description. So what was the deal with the guns, then?

Rei realized too late that he got distracted by his thoughts and didn't move a second fast enough to avoid the next shot. A stinging ache spread through his calf. It was just a prickle at first but then it spread like a glacier wave through his leg and then up the rest of his body.

"Fuck! Stun guns? So that's their game."

Rei tried to duck again when he heard another shot being fired but his limbs were too heavy. His fingers were becoming numb and a shudder passed through him. He felt his chest constrict and then a last breath escaped his throat painfully before he fell.

He couldn't move or breathe but he could still see the faces of the milts hovering over him, and then somebody was reading his charge.

"Kon, Rei, number alpha two seven four dash one sixteen," the automaton voice stated, "you are convicted of multiple charges of theft, felony and in-accordance to comply with state law. You will be tried under jurisdiction nineteen twelve and then immediately sent to Sector 1 for military duty. You have the right to remain silent."

Needless to say, Rei didn't utter a word. His stared un-blinkingly overhead, to the black, black sky and towering buildings. But what else did he expect? The sun? Stars? Those were just a myth. There was no such thing as stars or sunlight, just the ash black sky.

Hiwatari Kai looked out into the brightly-lit courtyard of the Academy through the window of his grandfather's office. From his position, the people below were mere dots, moving like insects to and fro. He then glared at the dome-like ceiling. Since the sky became black nearly a millennia ago, on the day that Apocalypse descended on Earth, sun seized to exist. If it wasn't for structures like these that were designed to provide artificial light, the entire world would have been suspended in darkness. The only downfall was the intensity of this light and the heavy energy bill.

Hiwatari Voltaire came to stand beside his grandson and also looked out into the courtyard. He traced his gnarled hand over the glass, blocking the ant-like people from view, as if obliterating them from existence. Kai's grandfather helped to establish the Academy, a place intent to prepare the human body and mind for the battlefield, and because of that he held a very important role in the parliament. On top of that, he was the president of Biovolt, once of the largest militant organizations in the entire world, and one of the most prominent politicians in Asis.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" The old man breathed out, awed at his creation.

Kai sneered down at the minuscule people. "Quite."

"So many little lives, so precious, and all obediently working underneath my fingertips," said Hiwatari, an almost insane gleam coming to his eyes. "Can't you just feel power radiating through your veins? One day you'll have it all, you know?"

Kai glared outside once more and then moved deeper into the room. "I'm well aware of that, Grandfather."

Hiwatari narrowed his eyes at the back of Kai's head. His grandson's insolence was almost intolerable at times, if he wasn't the same way when he was growing up he'd think there was something seriously wrong with the boy.

Kai glanced about the scarcely furnished office, the bare metallic walls, the single desk with leather chair. He looked at a few scattered papers on the desk, scanning their contents with very little interest. Politics were not his forte, he though grimly.

"Is there anything else you need from me, Grandfather?" He asked, annoyed with the old fool's silence. There obviously was no love lost between the two relatives.

Voltaire crossed his arms behind his back, clenching his jaws tightly. "New recruits are being shipped in again," he stated, almost casually.

Kai put down the papers he had been perusing and glared at his grandfather. "And what do you expect me to do about it?"

"You're a Commander already, Kai, I expect you to act like one," Voltaire snapped. "You'll be give an squadron of twenty-five, just like everybody else, and I want you to train them. They will be your future team."

Kai felt his temper flare up at that. Voltaire seriously wasn't thinking about making him baby-sit some snot-nosed nothings, was he? Kai wasn't a people's person and the thought of having some twenty-five inexperienced weaklings and hero wannabes under his care made him sick. People just didn't have the same appreciation for war, as he had, so they chased after its ideal, thinking that they could become national legends.

"You can't be serious, Grandfather," Kai spat out.

Voltaire quirked an eyebrow at the youth. "Oh? Don't make assumptions, Kai, I'm very serious. I've already given Boris the instructions. You're to report to level three lobby at o' six hundred hours tomorrow for team assignments."

Kai balled his hands into fists, averting his eyes to the outside again. He hated being controlled like that, hated how he had to obey every command Voltaire threw at him like some trained pooch. But he supposed that came with the profession. Warfare, after all, was a game based on power play, the stronger and the weaker, as was life. The stronger were the powerful, the weaker were to be used by the powerful and more power was the goal of the game. And like in the game, he was just a pawn to be used. Kai hated that he could not even put up a fight.

"What about the western front lines? Am I... will my team be deployed there once training is over?" The topic had come up before but always Voltaire avoided answering or gave the wrong answer.

"They? Yes," began Voltaire. "You, on the other hand, will remain here for another team to be assigned to you. I don't want you out there."

Kai dug his fingers deeper into his palms. He always received the same reply. It was his duty to fight, he gave into it willingly when he volunteered to be a soldier. He swore to protect his country and its peoples with his blood, and he'd protect them with his life.

"Why not?" He asked acidly. "It's my duty, isn't it?"

Voltaire sighed quietly and rubbed at his temples. "Enough with these foolish romantic ideals, Kai. War is not about duty and honour, it is about death and bloodshed and who can survive the longest and kill the most before he, too, dies."

"Isn't that what soldiers are supposed to do? Die for their countrymen?"

Kai knew quite well that his grandfather was touchy with death, having dealt with it a million times in the past. And he also knew that he was purposely tugging at the old man's strings when he mentioned it in relation to war and himself. But in all honesty, he was not afraid to die; he was and had been prepared to die since a very young age. Like all things, he would die one day, it was inescapable and it was fate.

Voltaire turned back to the picturesque window, looking down at his ant colony again. "You can die later, Kai, but not any time close to now. I still need an heir from you. Give me an heir and you can die five times over if you so please. But none of your chivalrous crap for now."

Kai grit his teeth. Aa, money, so that's what was stuck up the old man's butt. Even in his old age he couldn't let go of his money. Kai headed for the door out, having just decided that he had enough of the conversation."Understood."

"And get rid of those ridiculous things on your face!" Hiwatari called after him.

Outside the office, Kai glared venomously at the guard and stalked off to the transporter pods. The things on his face that Voltaire was referring to were blue dual triangles painted on each cheek. He was perfectly aware that Voltaire hated them and that it created a menacing image of him to his peers. Rumours of his aloof nature spread over the Academy; no one dared to cross his path for fear of his wrath. And that was exactly how he preferred it. He did not appreciate people meddling with his business, he hated even more when people thought that they could get him to "melt" as if he was a glacier.

That was the image that he radiated. Cold and hard and unapproachable. He was so good at projecting this image that even he believed it on occasion.

Distantly he heard the little chime when the hover pod reached ground level. Keeping his head high and his glare murderous, he walked purposely down a hooded hallway, occasionally glancing at the courtyard to his side. He doubted there was a place on earth that resembled the Academy in grandeur. It was really a couple of buildings housed under an enormous dome. The buildings were mostly dormitories for the trainees as well as classrooms and practice halls. It was like a small city contained within a glass bubble. There were shopping and entertainment arcades, a park (dingy as it was without real trees). Bordered by the sea on one side and an ocean on the other, and it even had an artificial weathering system — ever since the world eclipsed in darkness seasons were pushed back, winter and summer and spring existed only in historical records; there was only eternal night and black rain now.

Kai would have smirked disdainfully at that but those sorts of gestures coming from him might send the next unlikely passer-by running for their lives. He found it morbidly amusing how the government was giving up so much resources and money for dead men. They were spoiled and fattened like pigs before being sent off to slaughter.

"Aa, so the Ice Prince decided to grace us poor, worthless humans with a smile? I'm impressed."

Kai was startled at the interruption to his thoughts but hid it behind another scathing glare. He didn't bother to glance at the speaker and continued to stride purposely. He could recognise that cocky voice anywhere. Tala, that pompous bastard.

Undeterred by the other's frosty demeanour, Tala hurried up to walk just slightly ahead of Kai, turning to face him while still keeping his pace.

"I thought you had abandoned all hope for pathetic little people, what gives? You're turning soft?" He asked, tilting his face in what was meant as an innocent gesture.

Kai grit his teeth and looked at a point just between the parting of Tala's bright crimson hair. The arrogant soldier was Boris' – the vice president of the company that established the Academy – favourite lap dog and was a major thorn in the side. Kai had no idea why Tala always bothered him. Maybe because he refused to be daunted by the other's taunts or perhaps because he was Voltaire's grandson and heir until further notice. It was no secret that Tala sought only to increase his personal wealth.

"You've been chatting with Voltaire again, I see," he continued, unfazed by Kai's lack of response. "Well, aren't you just a Granddaddy's little boy, been asking him for a promotion? Oo, I can just imagine you grovelling at his feet —" he raised his voice a notch to mimic a girlish whine "— 'oh, Grandfather won't you reconsider? I've been such a good little boy lately.'"

Kai bit back a snarl and thwarted down the urge to ram his fist into the irritatingly mocking face. Violence between cadets was against protocol and Academy policy, and though Kai cared little for rules and regulations, he also knew that both Voltaire and Tala would take that as an opportunity to bring him down.

"Shut. Up." He spat and shoved past Tala, pointedly ignoring how the redhead squawked indignantly behind him.

Kai then heard the other chuckle behind him, calling out with "Why so touchy, Ice Man? Got too close to the truth?" but he ignored that, too, and headed for the building that accommodated the training rooms.

In a small part of his head Kai realized that his coldness would one day be a fault, but then he also didn't know whether he wanted to change anything. War was not played by merely one person, he admitted, and his lack of camaraderie would be a lethal mistake on the battlefield. Kai supposed that his unwillingness to become a team player was mostly a defence mechanism. If he didn't have any one meddling with him, then there wouldn't be that risk of attachment and ultimately loss, or betrayal.

And also there were the emotional complications. Affection and care caused one's mind to become obscured, which could become a vital link between death and life when the moment came. The battlefield was even more hazardous; tensions and all sorts of jagged emotions coated the air, things were likely to happen, people could get hurt, or killed. Kai didn't want to get distracted by those emotions, didn't want to feel obliged to return them. Another reason why he protested against having his own team.

He'd heard stories from veterans before, when he was young, and they told him that you knew and loved the man fighting beside you more than you loved your mother; facing death together was like the vow of marriage, only deeper because you knew that this moment with this person was the last. That frightened Kai most of all, though he was doing a very good job of convincing himself otherwise. Love, lust, sex – whatever – had no room in war. And besides which, he reminded himself, there were strong rules about such interactions with another soldier. Such things did not exist any more – or weren't allowed to, anyway; homosexual activity was one of the most heinous crimes, punishable by death.

If anything, Kai's glare deepened, his lips stretching into a barely visible line. Such thoughts, of course, were ludicrous.

And in any case, he was already at the training centre and striding toward practice room twelve. It was a routine of his, followed meticulously. Every day he would come into the same room at the same time and combat synthetic enemies until he had to remind himself to stay conscious. It rarely held a challenge for him, knowing perfectly well that there was no chance of him getting seriously injured, but he enjoyed the thrill anyway. There was just something so instinctual and raw in the art of combat, one he'd thoroughly anticipated every time.

Stopping at his destination, Kai took out his identification tag and slid it through the thin slot, punching out a few keys on the wall panel. Programme Zeta Dranzer, level 3, the computer screen beside the automatic door informed him. He pressed a few more buttons and the doors slid open, revealing a green, sunny clearing. He knew it wasn't real, just a recreation of a scene from art works dating back to before the Apocalypse, but every time he saw it he felt his breath catch. Was this really how Earth used to be? This lush greenery, the sky a cloudless, spotless brilliant blue? Modern world paled in comparison and Kai couldn't help but long to really feel what Earth felt like back then, instead of a produced image. It wasn't the same, he thought.

Kai stepped into to room, the door closing and disappearing immediately after him. The program started running as soon as the doorway vanished and he knew, from experience, that artificial enemies would begin to gather around him in no time. Hastily he undone the first few buttons on this cadet uniform – a dark, navy almost, blue with maroon and golden edging – and unzipped it the rest of the way, discarding it to the ground at his feet. As always, there was a hidden compartment beside the door containing the necessary weapons for the program. He crouched down low, opening the camouflaged case and removing a replica of an ancient katana. He tested it's familiar weight in his grasp, drawing it in a few loose circles, marvelling at how gloriously the light gleamed off its polished blade.

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of movement in the cluster of tall trees some five metres of. A second before he realized it for it was, the crack of a twig being stepped on alerted him of another presence, behind him and much closer. Kai swore under his breath; his inspection of the sword had allowed them to come closer to him than he usually allowed. He drew the katana in front of him on a slightly horizontal angle; a defensive stance. Then something whizzed his left biceps, tearing the white material of his undershirt. Cursing once again, he skirted another shot, crouching then moving off behind a shield of a thick tree.

Out of the danger zone for the moment, Kai brought a hand to wipe at the blood beginning to seep from the small graze on his arm. His heartbeat picked up speed considerably, the pulsing reverberating through his veins. Another movement caught his attention and he remembered the other opponent. Now he had foes on both sides, a crucial mistake if it was a real-life situation. He smirked. The better. He loved challenges.

Another projectile, an short bow arrow, struck the tree just centimetres off his face. He moved to the other side of the tree, looking out to the unseen enemy, and then the crunching of leaves was dangerously close to him. He hid his smirk and ignored the sound. Another arrow struck the bark, just barely missing his hand. And then, in a motion too fluid to be human, he ducked just before a blade stuck his side of the tree and brought his sword in and upward arc, cleaving his opponents arm right off its shoulder. The enemy fell to the ground, writhing, but emitting no other sound than rustling of cloth. It's face was empty, a deformed doll's. It then disintegrated, vanishing before Kai. There was no blood, nothing. Somehow, Kai felt empty.

Another arrow sailing by his ear alerted him to the still unseen enemy. He dropped to his haunches, moving off to the trees opposite his opponent's. It was impossible to get all the way to the other side of the clearing where he could take care of the archer without getting himself shot. So he opted to divert the enemy's attention with subtly moving branches and then sprint around the clearing to end up behind it. Not a minute after he thought that, the air just above his head was split with a swoosh. He propped himself on one leg, bringing the other out and under his opponent's feet, making it stagger back. Using the small amount of time he was granted, the youth sprang to his feet, delivering two high kicks to his enemy before angling his katana up and behind his head and then bringing it quickly down again.

He watched his opponent writhe in pain, like the first one, though for some reason he did not feel any remorse. Should he? He just killed an image, a ghost of the past, something that wasn't alive and did not belong amongst the living. Should he feel sad for it?

The youth didn't dwell on it too much before moving off again; his enemy was still buckling in the last throes before death, making the bushes shake. Soundlessly, Kai ran through the trees, occasionally throwing a rock or twig behind him. Another opponent showed up on his right. Before it could even raise it's sword, Kai's katana had already sliced through its mid section. Ahead of him, he saw the hidden enemy, crouched low behind some shrubbery. It, too, was faceless. Stealthily, Kai moved closer to it, drawing his sword over his head once again. A twig crunched under his foot but before the enemy could whirl its startled, empty head at him, the youth's katana was buried deep in its back.

Kai exhaled sharply, wiping the sweat off his face and brushing dishevelled slate-coloured hair out of his eyes. And even before the motion was done, he gyrated around and brought his katana on another enemy. Another one showed up at his side before he could fully recover. He delivered a low kick, followed by high and then a deadly low cut from his sword. Not two minutes later, two more showed up, shadowing his movements from both sides. He took out the first with a sweeping upper cut, using the momentum to slice through the second.

Again and again the faceless enemies popped up at his side, and again and again he brought down his katana with a deadly swipe. Sweat drenched his shirt by now, the flimsy material clinging to his body. He ignored how his lungs throbbed form the exertion. Offhandedly he noted that bruises and small lacerations were beginning to form all over his body, he hadn't even noticed when he got those. And still the enemies kept on coming at him, brandishing swords and knives and guns, though nothing truly compared to the nothingness where their faces should have been. At the back of his mind, Kai wondered whether he was like that, too. Another empty, soulless thing that charged with barred weapon and thought of nothing but death.

Hours later, it seemed, the program stopped running, as the standard safety procedure went. It might have been impossible to be killed by one of the faceless enemies (safety, again) but it was not unheard of inexperienced cadets dying from blood wounds. Staggering slightly, he came back to where he dropped his uniform jacket and donned it on, not even bothering to care that his undershirt was stained with blood in several places. Clenching his teeth and running a hand through his hair, he pressed a few buttons on the wall consol, which blended perfectly with the surroundings and would have been undetectable if he didn't know how to look for it. The door opened with a light ding. Kai walked out and immediately the weight in his hand disappeared; he didn't even realize that he was still holding on to his katana. Looking at his hand, he wryly noted that blood was clotting shallow cuts, where he had dug his fingernails into the flesh.

With a light shrug, he walked out of the building, noting the silence. It was night outside, the lights on the support beams of the dome dimmed to create the illusion of darkness. Stars were spread overhead, though he knew perfectly well that that was an illusion as well. He stepped onto the tiled courtyard and his footsteps echoed throughout. It was eerie and held a sort of otherworldly loneliness, but then he
never did admit that he was lonely and besides which, that's how he liked it.

When Rei came to, he had the sort of gnawing impression that something was very much wrong. On impulse, he bolted out of bed, murmuring something about Gao's breakfast (the boy loved his food, as much of it as he could get) and the game he promised the kids the evening before. He stopped when he realized that he couldn't move his hands. Looking down, feeling his stomach plummet while doing so, he noted the standard issue militia handcuffs. He cussed under his breath and tried to, somehow, undo them.

"There's no use, you know, those things are impossible to get rid of, unless you have the keyword."

A voice just off to the side informed him. Startled, he looked at the speaker, finding himself facing a boy slightly younger than himself with dark, blue-tinted hair and equally dark set of eyes. Instinctually, he brought his hands to his chest in the best defensive pose his restrictions allowed.

Guardedly, Rei studied the boy, running his eyes over the slightly frayed red jacket, automatically searching for a weapon. The youth's round, earnest face did not hold any animosity toward him, however. Slowly, Rei brought his hands back down, fisting them on his lap.

"Who are you?" He asked, slowly, expecting the other to pounce on him should he give any provocation. Living all his live in the slums taught him that everybody could be an enemy, from an old man with the begging cup to the little child with huge, innocent eyes. In any case, it would not hurt to be prudent.

The blue-haired boy seemed unfazed. "Me?" He asked, pointing to himself with his own cuffed hands. "I'm Kinomiya Takao, call me Takao." He expended his trapped hands to Rei. The other youth just looked at him with a raised eyebrow but shook the proffered appendages anyway. "Who're you?"

"Rei." He gave nothing else.

"All right then, Rei," said Takao cheerily — 'Is this guy for real,' wondered the older boy, 'or just insane?' "I'm from Sector 6, where you're from?"

"Sector 5," answered Rei cautiously.

"Oh! How awesome!" Exclaimed the boy, startling Rei. "Sector 5? For real? Isn't that where Shanghai used to be, before the wars back in twenty-three-forties? My grandpa told me all about it, he used to be one of those study people that read lots of old books and look up ancient history. He said we lived where Tianjin used to be. Isn't that just so cool? Can't you just imagine walking on the same streets as the old peoples used to walk? What if you walk on their graves, wouldn't that be just freaky?"

The boy continued talking, unmindful that his companion was not sharing into his enthusiasm. Rei, on his side of the conversation, could just stare at the blue-haired boy in a sort of open-mouthed wonder. 'Definitely insane,' he confirmed to himself.

While the other chatted about some nonsense, Rei asserted the damage done to him. Based on his quick scan on the room, he guessed they were on the milts' transport pod, heading for Sector 1, he recalled the automatic voice telling him before his consciousness gave way. That's when he remembered about the stinging ache in his calf and then the numbing sensation. It was gone now, the only side effect being the irritating itching where the bullet hit and a sort of misplaced coolness in the marrow of his bones. He could feel the side of his face throb and even before he felt for it, he knew that a nasty bruise was forming there. His side hurt as well, though not as strongly, which meant that they must have done something to his fractured ribs. Rei was sore all over, mostly from sleeping on cold, metallic floor, he guessed, but otherwise he was just dandy.

So it must have been at least five hours since then, he decided and sighed quietly; that's how long it took for the stun effects to wear off. He hoped the others were all right, that they wouldn't be stupid enough to risk going back to the hideout to look for him. But then, Lai was with them, he'd make sure nothing happened at least; he promised, after all. Then the reality sunk in. He'd probably never see them again. The war on the border was getting serious and even after nearly five years it still hadn't show signs of ending. The government was getting edgy, cutting down on money for the poor quadrants, using every opportunity to enlist more soldiers. Every criminal these days was sent to the army; there simply wasn't enough resources to keep running prisons and they'd die there rotting anyway, why not put them to good use?

Rei scowled bitterly. Out of the torture house and into the slaughtering pit.

Silence met his ears and he looked up to regard his strange companion curiously. "Why did you get caught?" He asked before he could help it and instantly he felt ashamed. It wasn't his business and it wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing to talk about.

Takao blinked at him a couple of times and then shrugged. "My grandpa needed some medicine. He's been very sick lately, can't even get out of bed, and when I went to the store on level three I couldn't cough out enough money. I didn't think the shop owner would mind so much, after all, wouldn't everyone be glad that because of them a life was saved? Heh. I guess he didn't think so. The milts caught me while I was walking back home." He then regarded Rei quietly, warily almost. "Why are you here?"

Rei shrugged. "Same boat as you, you could say. I needed some food for my family and was a little short on money chips."

The two grew silent after that. Rei was thinking back to the children, wondering if they had enough food and whether Mao was crying (which she probably was). He felt guilty for not saying anything in the ways of goodbye to them, but he couldn't, really, not when looking at their small faces made his stomach churn painfully. Takao, based on the grim look on his face, was thinking of this grandfather, probably wondering how he was faring without that medicine; he never did get back home with it.

The blue-haired boy shifted slightly, then looked up at Rei with a grin. "But man! That was some entrance! What happened to you? When they dragged you in I thought you were halfway to the land of the dead! There was blood on your face and clothes! And the milts! They looked like they wanted to eat you alive! What did you do to them? Kicked the shit out of them, I hope."

Rei laughed then, a bit gutturally, but that was mostly because his lungs ached after as much exertion as he had had. "You could say that," he admitted to Takao, remembering pummelling one giant milt after another. The other boy laughed with him then, too, and suddenly Rei felt the tension that he had not detected in the air before begin to drop. Maybe it was the beginnings of a friendship? It would be nice, he thought, where he was going to not be alone at least.

The two of them sat there, in the small cramped transporter, listening to the soft hum of the engines, occasionally exchanging a few sentences. Rei told Takao about the kids, of how he was the only thing he had, and in exchange Takao told him of his grandfather, who, too, was the only thing he had.

It may have been hours later that they felt a little tremor pass through the transporter. They both looked up startled, muscles tense, scuttling away from the portal that was slowly crawling open. Then white light hit them, blinding them. Rei tried to shield his eyes with his hands but found them grasped firmly, pulling him up.

"Hurry up, you filthy rats!" A voice barked at them, yanking harder on Rei's arms. Still blinded, he spat at where he assumed the milt was standing. His face snapped to the side with a painful-sounding slap. He winced, bit his lip, hard, but refused to make a sound.

Succumbing to his captors, Rei allowed them to drag him out of the transporter, though he tired his darnedest to make the job harder for them. On solid ground, the brightness began to fade. He looked around himself in wonder. Everything was incredibly clear. Eternal night obscured nearly everything with darkness, but this place was so bright, as if the once banished sun returned again.

"Move!" He was shoved from behind. The youth winced again as some of the wounds reopened.

"Damn bastards," he muttered under his breath and was pushed once again.

He, along with other prisoners, he noticed, were herded into the centre of the brightly-lit courtyard. Rei tried to seek out Takao, who was ushered out before him, but there were too many dark heads bobbing in the cluster of equally confused men. He guessed that every one of them were criminals, like himself, and were delivered to their designated punishment. He smirked wryly to himself. 'What about a trial?' he thought with another smirk.

"Attention scumbags and flea-bitten rats!" A booming voice resounded through the courtyard, instantly silencing the confused murmurs from the convicts. "You are at the Academy of Warcraft Arts in Sector 1 of Asis. By coming here you have automatically taken a vow to serve your country until your very last mangled, putrid breath, and that will be how most, if not all, of you will end your stay here."

Over the many heads, Rei could just see a tall, broad-shouldered man walk back and forth in front of the group, his chin held rigidly high, eyes filled with disgust. "This will be your new home —" he spread his arms to indicate the courtyard and the buildings surrounding it "— and here is where you will spend the rest of your days. Each of you will be sorted out into groups and a Commander will be placed in charge of you. You will obey his every command, even if he tells you to cut off your balls and eat them raw. If he tells you to wipe his piss of with your tongues, you will do it. If he tells you to betray your best friend and kill him with your bare hands, you will do it. He will become your god and your religion." A startled, wave-like murmur passed through the cluster, eyes darting to each other for confirmation.

Rei felt a cold shiver pass through him. Was this how the military was run? With fear and humiliation? Rei would rather thrust a knife through his heart than face the type of Commander that was described.

The youth watched the man walk off and then another, lankier but no less menacing-looking man take his post. He held out a digitalized list before him and began to read in an irritatingly scratchy voice.

"Batmanov, Sergei, double alpha eight four dash twenty-three." 1

A tall boy with dark blond hair walked shakily from amongst the cluster. Even from his position, Rei could clearly see that he was shaking badly, his eyes darting around frantically. An officer led him off to somewhere.

Another name was called, and then another. One by one, men – and even a few boys – were separated from the group and lead to another area, looking for all they were worth like they wanted to crap their pants.

"Kinomiya, Takao, negative beta six two dash fifteen. "

Rei held his breath, watching from a decidedly decreased group as Takao walked out. He saw the blue-haired boy grin easily at the officer that came for him but it seemed just a little fake to him, like it was plastic or was stitched to his face. Rei's sharp eyes did not miss the slight shaking in the other's knees.

"Kon, Rei, alpha two seven four dash one sixteen."

Still concentrating on Takao's retreating form, Rei almost missed his name being called. A silence fell among the remaining men, then, like all the previous times. They looked at each other, warily, the same question lingering on all their minds. Is it you? Rei frowned at how frightened they all were acting and pulled a smirk on his face. Cocking his head to the side, he pushed through the throng, murmuring a few "pardon me"s and walking out almost saucily to face the waiting milt. He smirked even wider, seeing how strangely the officer regarded him.

"Shall we?" He offered his hand to the confused cadet, grinning at him cheekily, narrowing his eyes mysteriously.

Without a word (the officer didn't take his extended hand), he was lead to a smaller cluster of men. He immediately identified one of them being Takao. With a small grin he ambled over to him.

"Hey, stranger, never expected to see you in these parts," Rei said teasingly. He didn't know why he was acting this way but he suspected it was to keep himself from trembling in terror. Takao grinned at him, feeling some of his nervousness subdue.

"Is this all?" Rei heard the quietly spoken phrase and turned to look to the shadow of a building. A man dislodged himself from a pillar, as if he had melted into the stone.

"Yes, sir," the officer that brought them there replied curtly. He then turned to the group of twenty-something men, addressing them in a cold voice. "All of you, assemble yourself into a row, toes along this line." He pointed to where tiles of the floor connected. "Keep your eyes trained in front of you."

They sluggishly moved into position, probably still terrified by it all. The man who seemed to blend into shadows so well stepped in front of them, running his gaze along the their petrified faces. Rei managed a quick peek before turning his attention back to the front, as instructed. He was startled, to say the least, but kept his face neutral. The officer before them was just a boy! His age at most. From what that man had said he expected his Commander to be a giant that crushed human bones using just his sheer will, not one that had barely grown up!

Rei frowned, inspecting the man from beneath hooded lashes. He was tall and seemed almost lanky in the dark blue uniform. He had a pale complexion, a set of odd umber-coloured eyes and hair that was a ridiculous mixture of blue and slate and looked as if it hadn't seen a comb since the Austraria boundary conflict ten years ago. Rei noticed strange markings on the boy's cheeks and got the distinct impression that he was a runaway barbarian from the far reaches of Siberia. He narrowed his eyes and resisted the urge to sneer. What was so special about this boy?

"Listen up," the Commander (if he assumed correctly) began in a rich baritone. "From here on you filth can forget about ever seeing home or the rest of your filthy family ever again. This is your home now. I'm in charge of you now and as such you will listen only to me, you will obey only me. Is that clear?" Numbly, they all nodded, Rei more forcefully than necessary. "Your lives and deaths are at my fingertips. If I choose to, I will use that privilege, no questions asked.

"I am Hiwatari Kai, the highest-ranking Commander in this institution. You will address me only as 'Sir', if you do not comply, you will be punished. If you disobey any of the rules I lay out, you will be punished. If you step beyond the boundary of your privileges, you will be punished. Punishment ranges from flagellation to death. Make no mistake, your lives are expendable and replacements can be found easily."

An almost imperceptible murmur of agreement passed through the line of assembled. Rei felt an unpleasant shiver pass through him at the tone in the Commander's voice. He had to bite back a vicious retort. This boy had barely learned how to pee without help and he was calling them filth, addressing them like they were the ones who needed to be educated?

"I will call out your names and you will step forward." The other officer handed him the tablet with the list. "McGregor, Johnny." A red-haired youth stepped forward. Another soon followed.

"Tate, Maximilian." The Commander paused when a blond boy with a slight build bounced forward. "Tate?" Kai let the name roll off his tongue, glancing at the excitedly bounding youth. "Aren't you the heir of Tate Enterprises?"

"Sure am! You can call me Max, though, if you like," the blonde answered cheerfully. Kai had to blink away his confusion. In a place like this? Didn't the boy knew that he was trained to die? He had heard of the notorious heir of the said company, and seeing the boy in person confirmed some of his assumptions. This Max Tate was either ridiculously childish or a very good actor.

"What are you doing here, this isn't a place for spoiled rich boys?" He asked.

"Well," the blonde began thoughtfully, "this country had given me so much, and knowing that my own people are sacrificing themselves for it made me want to do something as well."

"A battlefield has no room for chivalry," Kai stated and immediately winced, remembering Voltaire's words. "And I'm sure you are needed to take care of the future of your father's company."

Max titled his face and looked at Kai scrutinisingly. "But aren't you Voltaire Hiwatari's heir? The grandson of the president of Biovolt?"

Kai ignored the question and read the next name. Things always came back to Voltaire, no matter how hard he tried to believe otherwise, he would always be Voltaire's grandson. At the moment, it was a curse.

"Kon, Rei," he read off the last name on the list and watched as a youth about his age stepped forward.

Something about him caught Kai's attention. The young man had lightly bronzed skin, sun-kissed, if that was possible – which it was not because there was no sun – and inky black hair falling into his eyes. Amber-golden eyes that stared back at him venomously. His perpetual frown deepened; hadn't he instructed that they look only forward? Something thrown over the youth's shoulder drew his attention. Fists clenching at his side, he strode over.

Looking down his nose at the boy, Kai scrunched up his face and grabbed a hold of the dangling thing, realizing it to be hair. He grasped the rope in his hand, tugging harshly at it. The youth – Kon Rei – didn't flinch but Kai noticed the almost imperceptible narrowing of his eyes.

"If you want to stay alive as long as possible in my squad I suggest you cut this thing off," he said frostily, giving another pull at the hair.

"And if you don't want to be missing that hand of yours I suggest you remove it from my hair," Rei hissed back, his pupils shrinking into cat-like slits, if that was possible.

With a final tug, Kai drew his hand away, then, almost as an afterthought, wiped his hand on his pant leg. He heard Rei growl behind him but ignore it, for now.

Turning to them one last time, he barked out, "Your training begins tomorrow morning at this time, exactly. Tardiness will not be tolerated. You'll be shown to your dormitories later, now strip and head for the showers, I don't want to encounter that stench ever again!"

Kai gave a few instructions to the officer that until that moment remained motionless and then set off for the training rooms, again. Behind him, the line of future cadets – his team – scattered around, listening to the instructions given them. He let a sigh escape and then quenched it back suddenly. No more than twenty minutes had passed since the arrival of his new team and he already had the urge to kill every single, snivelling one of them. He needed to train some more, he decided, wanting to feel the heaviness of a katana in his hand again.

From many stories overhead, Voltaire and Boris watched as several such assemblies dispatched and the little dot-like people began moving around the courtyard.

"Are you sure it is wise to let criminals and convicts fight alongside the Academy's best?" The vice president asked, moving to stand behind the desk. "Some of them are murderers, cold-blooded killers."

Voltaire smiled at something hideously funny. "And that would be different from the typical soldier how?"

Boris didn't answer for some time, letting the thick silence sink in. Finally, he said, "What if they can't be trusted? It's not unheard of dogs turning against their masters."

Voltaire grinned down at his little toy army. "Humans have this tendency of always abusing whatever they were granted," he began. "Give man freedom and he used it to commit crime, give man choice and he takes the wrong one, give man power and he'd eventually destroy himself with it. But teach a man how to obey, how to forget everything else but this – bloodshed and destruction – and they will grow accustomed to it, they'll come to appreciate it and love it. He'll learn that obedience means strength and that survival lays in strength and he'll willingly become obedient so all that strength could be harnessed from him, for him."

Boris looked Voltaire's reflection in the glass and it struck him, maybe for the first time in nearly two decades, that his superior was truly a frightening man.

(Continua...)

1 I didn't know Spencer's Russian (or English) last name, so made one up In the code for the people, the 'alphas' and 'betas' are blood types. Like 'double alpha' is A+ and so on so forth, of course I made up the blood types.