Battle Two

Technical Zone: Medium

Again.

She was dreaming of this again.

She was holding the hand of a blindly white figure she was able to make out to be a man. He was leading her through white hallways, turning at random times until they've reached their destination. A red door appeared before them and the white man pushed it opened. In walked the man and the young red-haired girl into an office-like room.

Before them was another man figure but her eyes for some reason couldn't see facial features, only the color of brown is what she could see. The brown man was talking to the white. She couldn't understand their conversation. She never did. They would talk for minutes while she was staring at the clear floor that reflected her. Her hair large and unkempt like a lion's mane and her leaf-green eyes…she was so pale it frightens her.

A sound was heard from behind and she turned to see what it was. The red door they came from was open and two similar white men dragged in a young child with short red hair, a calm blond boy with glasses, and a younger boy with dark hair. She just stared at them, unknowing who they are…but the younger boy really tugged on her hard.

She was unnaturally seething mad at the sight of the dark-haired boy, she didn't know why. She just hated him, but for what? She raised her unheld hand towards the boy. Pink lightening danced around her fingertips. She hated him…Hate…Hate…

Her hand was then smacked by the brown man, yelling at her and violently shaking her. He then yelled at the white man who failed to hold her hand and turned towards the boys. She was then taken by her designated white man and left the room. She was now calm after being alone with the white man after he brought her back into her white room.

The man turned to leave, but she quickly grabbed his hand. She's pulled on him, trying to get her point across not to leave her alone. But the man received the message and stayed with her. It was then she would grab the blankets from her bed and sit in the man's lap, blankets wrapped around them.

….and the dream would always end there, as it was time to wake up.

Ai was rubbing his fuzzy face into Aka's, nudging her to wake up.

"Wake up, Aka", he said as her purred loudly. "Wake up!"

Aka grumbled as she sat up. She yawns and stretched, then laid back down, staring at her TACTical Murder poster she had on her ceiling. "Mmm….Morning, Ai."

"Good morning, Aka." He crawled up onto his owner's stomach and curled up into a ball. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not really", she answered, like every morning. "I keep having that dream again. It pisses me off."

"It still is happening? You've been having that dream ever since your parents died."

"Yeah…" She sighs.

"Has the dream changed a bit? Anything new?"

She shook her head. "No. Can't make out the faces or voices…same old, same old." She looked over her walls full of gay-on-guy posters. Over the five years she locked herself in her room, she made it her paradise. She had a bookshelf full of BL novels and mangas and a computer full of BL games and pictures. At one point, she had asked Ai if Allmates could be gay and he said 'no' rather quickly. But being in bed with her cat and her paradise was all she needed. In morning likes these, it was hard for her to leave her bedroom without motivation. But she made it out of her room for this long, she couldn't quit now.

She sat up, shaking her hair and catching the bobby pins that flew out. "Imma shower."

"Okay" Ai said. "Do your hair again. You still look lovely."

She grumbles. "Rawr!"

Then the day continued like normal. She made her deliveries, stopped by Junk Shop Heibon to say 'Hi' to Aoba before continues her routes. She did her hair like she did yesterday and received many compliments from the customers. She was caught in a single Drive-By, but she won with just one turn. She thought it was fine without her mask since the guy ran off with his tail between his legs.

It was near her quitting time so she headed over back to the bakery.

"I'm back" she announced.

"Aka!" She was greeted by Clear at the doorway as he embraced her.

"Wah! Clear!"

The man quickly let go. "Welcome home, Akaku." He bowed extremely low.

'My god, he's a spazz', she thought. "Uh…Clear, don't bow. And just call me 'Aka', okay?"

He quickly raised his head. "Yes!"

"Clear here is a regular customer of ours", Auntie Ra said from behind the cashier desk. "He fancies your treats quite a lot."

"He does?" She blushed. Sure, everyone loves her sweets. "But, if you're a regular, how come I haven't met you until yesterday?"

"He comes by every time you make a delivery, it seems", her aunt said. "He comes by, tells us some stories and orders your treats before leaving."

"Is that so?" She glanced at the gasmask guy and shrugged.

"I'm a huge fan of your cookies", Clear said. "I also like your chocolate chip brownies, your strawberry shortcake pound cakes, your kiwi-lime lollipops, your cinnamon toffees-"

"Okay okay!" She placed her hand over the mouthpiece of the mask. "I get it. You're a fan."

"Your very first fan compliment, Akaku", her aunt giggled. "He orders nothing but your sweets. You should be honored."

"I am…I…" she turned her head away from Clear's, unable to figure out what to do with her emotions. "I'm really happy you like my stuff."

"They are very delicious" he said.

"Yeah…" To hide her red face, she steps aside from the tall man. "Well since you're my fan, how about I make you something fresh on the house?"

"Really?!" Clear beamed.

"That's so nice of you, Akaku", her aunt said.

She walked behind the counter. "It's the least I can do since he's a fan. I might create something new while I'm here. You don't mind being my taste tester, Clear?"

"Not at all!" he said.

Aka nodded and headed towards the large kitchen where her uncle was, creating a huge wedding cake. She didn't bothering letting him know she was there so she got right to work. She loves to bake, to create something sweet and fun. Her aunt had told her that she had 'the magic touch' when it comes to baking and decorating treats. It seems so, too. She never made a mistake while making treats.

An hour tops, her brownie cake was done and cooled. She had already created fresh strawberry frosting to decorate the cake. While that was done, she shaved four curly ribbons of German chocolate to put around the cake and a fresh strawberry as a topping.

"Whew!" was all she said. Uncle Ku and Auntie Ra peered over her shoulders and gasped at her newest creations.

"That looks good, Aka", Uncle Ku said, patting her shoulders.

"Is that for Clear?" asked Auntie Ra.

"Yeah…I hope he likes it", she said, picking up the plate and leaving the kitchen. She found Clear sitting that the only table the shop had, humming to himself. "Here you go."

"Wooooooooooooow!" he gushed. "It looks so good! So perfect!"

"I said I'd make you something fresh", she said as she sat across from him. "Here", she handed him a spoon. "Eat up!"

"Thank you so very much, Aka!" he said. "I'll enjoy every bite!"

"Yeah yeah." She rested her head on her hand and stared into an empty space. Sure, she was happy about creating and baking and she's thrilled that she could watch her 'fan' enjoying her newest creation, but she's still affected by her constant dreams. No one knew about them but only Ai and herself, it was pointless to worry her Aunt and Uncle. They already have a lot of their plates.

She glances at her right hand, the use she tried to use against the dark-haired boy. What could she do? Does she even have that power now? Or are the dreams just meaningless and just the cause of her consuming too much sugar?

"Aka?"

"Hm?" She turned her attention back to Clear.

"Are you not well?"

"I'm fine", she assured. She notices that he was halfway done with the cake…and still had his mask on. "Okay, I'll bite. What's with the gasmask?"

"Eh?" He dropped his fork and holds on to the mask. "I can't ever take it off."

"And why not?"

"Because…" he got silent, making Aka even more curious. "I promised myself never to take it off until I am forgiven."

" 'Forgiven'?", she asked. "What, did you murder someone?"

He shook his head. "No…I failed to protect someone. They were my responsibility and I failed. And I'm not sure if that person forgives me…" He lowered his hand for a moment, and then sat straight up. "But that person is alive and well, though so that's good news."

"Yeah" she agreed. "So, this person", she thinks they could be an ex-lover or someone extremely important to him, "if you know that they are alive after failing to protect them, why don't you ask for their forgiveness?"

"Waaaaaaah?!" he exclaimed.

"Quit being a spazz", she yelled, then calmed down. "You can't go on being guilty for the rest of your life. If you want forgiveness, just ask that them. Don't just sit here sulking about it while eating cake."

"Oh…just ask?" He went silent, then nods. "You're right, Aka."

"Of course I am", she said, crossing her arms. "Any Human being would know this. And if that person is Human, they would've already forgiven you by now. It's unhealthy to hate someone for years upon years."

"Right…I understand!" He then reached across the small table and grabbed the girl's hand. "Thank you so much for teaching me this, Aka. I'm truly honored of being your friend."

Aka blushed at his praised. "It's…It's nothing. It's the least I could do for you since you helped me out last night."

"But a free cake and advice is too much for me", he said with a laugh.

"Well, you deserved it. You're my friend." She sounded very cheesy saying that, which made her blush even more. But she was able to make another friend. A spazzy friend that enjoys her treats, but all the same. A friend.

"Aka?"

"Hm?"

"Aka means 'red'. Akaku means 'blood', correct?"

"Uhhh…yeah, but I spell 'Akaku' as 'blush', not 'blood'.

"You're pretty when you blush, Akaku" he said.

That made her face turn completely red. "Don't say stuff like that to me!"

"I'm being honest, Akaku", he laughed.

"Just call me 'Aka', you spazz!"

"I think I'll stick to 'Akaku', it's a pretty name."

"Just 'Aka', Clear."

" 'Akaku', Akaku."

Unknowing to the bickering friends, Auntie Ra and Uncle Ku were watching them from the kitchen. Auntie Ra was getting very giddy watching her niece bickering at her new friend.

"I think we just found out who will marry our sweet little Akaku", she gushed out her husband.

" 'Gasmask guy' ?" Uncle Ku shook his head. "No way. The guy won't even show his face in public."

"Hunny, look at them! They are soooo cute!"

"Regardless of they look cute together, who are we to explain to him that she won't be able to age pass twenty-one when he's fifty-seven?" When he heard his wife sigh, he turned to her. "Even she doesn't even know. But before then, she might get captured by that bastard. We don't even know how many happy days she'll have before she has to run again."

She looked onto the flour-covered floor. "But she deserves happiness, right? At least we can give her that before the time comes, right?"

Uncle Ku smiled and hugged his wife. "Of course. We're her Aunt and Uncle. We're to support her. And she deserves her happiness…even it if with a boy who refuses to take off that goddamn gasmask."

Auntie Ra giggled. "Oh Ku…"

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The next day was busy. Over 40 deliveries and she couldn't stop by to say 'Hi' to Aoba. She got home three hours later due to last minute deliveries and she was tired.

"Good work today, Aka", Uncle Ku cheered. "Today we were able to survive."

"Yeah…good work." She yawned and trudged up the stairs next to the cashier desk that led up to their apartment to go to her room. Sleep. That's all she needed. Even if that dream haunts her again, she needed sleep.

Once in her room, Ai jumped from her shoulders onto the bed. "Aka, are you going to bed right now?"

"Yeah…maybe…yes." She didn't hesitate crawling underneath her blankets. Once her head hit her pillows, she was out. And again, she dreamt that dream again. It wasn't like she could control it or change it. She just watches being taken to the brown man, being bored, watch the boys come into the room and hate the dark haired boy. Thing is, why would she hate him? Every time she dreams of him, he looks sad. And then the white man will take her away to her room, she would make him stay with her and sleep in his embrace while he was humming to her.

Humming? That was new. He never hummed in her dreams before. No, it wasn't coming from him. It couldn't be.

Slowly waking up, Aka stared up to see a gasmask peering down t her. It took her a few moments to react.

"Gaaah!"

"Good evening, Aka", greeted Clear. "Did you sleep well?"

Trying to calm down her racing heart, she quickly sat up, pillow in hand, and started attacking the man with it. "You are a creep! Why are you in my room? Why were you staring at me like that? It's fucking weird, you ass!"

Clear didn't do much effort to dodge the blows. "Waaaah, I'm so sorry, Aka. You looked so peaceful. But you looked like you were in pain so I hummed a song for you."

"That was you?!" She tried to hit him harder.

He covered his head as she hit him. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

She finally stopped and sat on her bed. "A warning would be nice if you were coming over, Clear. Or a Coil call."

"I'm sorry", he sniffled. "It won't happen again."

"Whatever, its fine" she sighs as she lay back in bed. At least she got some company today, though that company is in her room for some reason. Why was he there in the first place? "Anyway, what are you-"

"Wow!" Clear was at her bookshelf, looking over her books and games. "Koujaku wasn't joking. You are really into Yaoi." The excitement in his voice made her feel proud of her collection.

"It's not like I'm ashamed of it or anything", she said. "It makes me happy shipping guys together." She then remembers that he mentioned the Hairdresser's name and scowled. "What did Koujaku tell you about Yaoi?"

"Oh, that it's boys falling in love with other boys", he answered. "Also that you like to watch them have intercourse, though isn't that being a stalker watching two males make love?"

"It's not like I'm REALLY going out there to watch to guys make-out", she yelled. She couldn't believe this spazz. "The guys I like to watch are fictional!" 'But not Aoba and Koujaku', she wanted to added but kept her mouth shut.

"Oooooh! They aren't real?" He tilted his head to the side. "So you like watching two fictional males doing homoerotic things to each other for fun?"

That entire sentence made her pride sting. "If you put it that way, I guess you're right." God did the truth of her addiction hurts. "But it's not just that. I like the stories. The romance, the angst; it makes you wonder if they are good people like them out there on the streets."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her Honekoneko, pulled out her 3Ds and booted it up. "Come! Sit!" She patted the space next to her on the bed, which the man rushed over and sat by her. Going to her saved file of TACTical Murder named 'Blur's Route'. She last remembers playing the game before today's deliveries got out of hand.

One her top screen was an image of pink-haired boy with a tanned skin similar to Mizuki's. But only have of his face was of a metal and has red laser eye while his human eye was yellow. The boy was frowning, as though he was telling a sad story.

This didn't go unnoticed by Clear. "He's a robot", he said.

"Cyborg", Aka corrected. "His name is Blur and I'm head-over-heels for him."

"Even though he's not fully Human?" He sound shocked, which pissed her off.

"It isn't about his features, Clear", she snapped. "He has a good heart." She focused her attention to the boy on the screen. "He's sweet and kind though people treat him like crap because of what he looks like. He can play a violin piece that'll make you cry and he's always-always there for the main character."

Clear watched his friend as a soft pink blush taint her cheeks. He looked at the screen again. "It's not about his looks, but what he can do, huh? You're extremely passionate about that, Aka."

"Of course I am", she said. "If I judge people on their looks, I'd have no friends and be less of a Human. People shouldn't judge others, honestly. It's straight up stupid."

"I see….I understand now." Clear nodded. "It's what's on the inside that makes you a good person, not what's on the outside."

"That's what I've been saying." She closed her handheld console and faced the fair-haired man. "Speaking of that, your gasmask is still on. You still haven't talked to that person yet?"

That's when he started spazz out. "Wah! No-no, I haven't gotten around to that. You see…" he started to twiddle his fingers, "I'm not sure if that person wants to see me or even remembers me so…I think I'll keep the gasmask on for now."

Aka raise a brow. "You're not sure if they want to see you or even remember you? Then take off the stupid mask!"

"No! I still can't!"

"Look, if they don't remember then its fine to take it off." She reached the mask but the man dodged her hand.

"No, I really can't take this off", he whined. "Trust me, Aka."

"And trust me, Clear, that this is pissing me off. You have nothing to hide." She was able to grip the mask, which made him panic.

"Aka, please" he begged, holding on to his mask for his dear life. "It's not important."

"It is important to me." She gripped tightly onto the mask. "You need to let it go. Move on already. You have a fear that one person won't forgive you over a mistake. You're human, everyone makes mistakes."

"But…Aka." He tried to pull away.

This was making her even more pissed than before, making her body hot with rage. "Clear, take it off!" Feeling a small tingle from her fingertips, pink lightening shot out like sparks and hit the mask. This startled her and she quickly pulled back at the same time Clear did.

Aka glanced at her hands, trying to catch her breath. She saw it. She knew she did. The familiar pink light from her dreams. She got it to come out. 'It really wasn't a dream', she thought. 'No…it was never a dream.'

A loud crack echoed the room, bringing Aka back from her thoughts and focused on the man across from her. The gasmask was cracking and splintering until it completely shattered into pieces, making Clear spazz even more.

Aka smiled. She could finally get to see the spazz's face after three days. As the mask shattered and pieces landed onto her floor, his face of a rosy-cheeked, chinked-eyed Japanese woman was there before her. 'Clear…is a woman? As-fucking-if!'

"What the fuck, Clear?" she yelled. "You're wearing another mask? Why?"

"B-because I'm not normal", he whined, totally ignoring her little magic show.

"Ugh, that's it!" She grabbed her Honekoneko and Ai, and then stormed out of her room. She didn't need to deal with him right now. She needed air. No, she needed Rhyme. That'll make her cool down for a bit. Having a friendly battle, worry about Clear and her fancy new powers later. And with that, she left the Bakery.

Clear, who hasn't budged, squatted down to pick up the pieces of his broken mask. "That person is doing fine and is well" he murmured to himself. "They don't remember me…so is it okay to not hide now?" Once all the pieces were picked up, he sighed. "Maybe…Ack! I was supposed to bring her to Aoba and Koujaku and she ran off!" Running around in circles with a handful of the broken mask, he found a wastebasket at the side of her bed and took off after her.

"Oh no…where could she be?" he asked himself, running down the street opposite of where Aka truly went.