"STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
Wepal was running through the corridors of the restricted Fandine Fountaine area in Borrettius. He was running as fast as he could, following the trail of the child who had snatched a piece of the Borrettius flower and a small bottle containing pollen, but Wepal didn't know that the pollen had fallen in the Borrettius chamber earlier after the child tried to grab it.
Wepal and the child were getting farther and farther away; the child was too fast and too agile for Wepal. He didn't know that security was also chasing them because of what Wepal had done. But Wepal still wanted to get what he was supposed to have gotten earlier.
Security sirens blared in every corridor; the security doors at the end of each corridor began to close automatically due to the danger alert. Yet Wepal kept running alongside the boy who had stolen from him down the long corridor.
The boy began to feel short of breath; he was pushing himself too hard, running too fast. As he ran, his finger reached for the earpiece in his left ear, contacting someone to help him.
"Hello, Umiko? This is Yehzekiel, code Arrowwod. How much further until this corridor reaches the end? I've been running for too long my legs are aching, and the door ahead of me is about to shut tight. I'll be locked in. Please help me."
Yehzekiel ended the call. He tried to look back, but Wepal was barely visible to him. Ahead of him, he saw an intersection. He knew he had to change direction, but Umiko hadn't given him any instructions yet. Yehzekiel used more of his power to run faster so Wepal wouldn't see which way he chose at the intersection. He turned right because he spotted a special staircase nearby after the turn one accessible only to guests.
Wepal began to lose track of Yehzekiel at the intersection. He was confused about which way to go, but he knew he was also being chased by Fandine Fountaine's tactical police, and he didn't have time to choose a path. Unfortunately, the security doors were about to slam shut he could still get through if he wasn't afraid to crawl or hesitate.
"Wait… ah, damn, which way did he run? Damn it, damn, DAMN IT! All the doors are going to slam shut, but ah, screw it!"
Wepal had no hesitation left and was certain he could get through, but as he turned around, he suddenly felt the red laser beam in his eyes. His heart immediately left his body; he was in very, very big trouble. The tactical police had captured him, and every door in every hallway of Fandine Fountaine was already tightly sealed.
"RAISE YOUR HANDS SLOWLY! AND BOW YOUR HEAD!"
The tactical police officer who had successfully apprehended Wepal made it clear that he couldn't go anywhere now; he had no emergency funds left because he'd given everything to Borrettius. He tried to make up his mind with items that Borrettius should have been able to accept, but he got nothing as if it were all down to a roll of the dice. Even all the doors in the hallway leading in different directions were closed as well; he was truly trapped and could not go anywhere else.
Wepal gave up.
"fuck…"
he muttered as he slowly raised his hands and bowed his head in frustration. He had been soundly defeated twice once by a kid and once by the division chief which had driven him to seek revenge, but he failed both times; instead, he'd caused an absolute disaster.
"The suspect has been apprehended. This is a Balaka member from the Ai division."
The head of the tactical police unit said to someone over the earpiece.
He closed the earpiece, lifted Wepal, forcing him to stand, and took him to a members-only area to be investigated before being prosecuted as the perpetrator for all the acts he had committed while he was a Balaka member at Fandine Fountaine. The consequences of all his actions would be borne solely by the head of the department, Prof. Vector Beliagnum, but he would certainly refuse to accept or even listen to him anymore, so Wepal would inevitably be imprisoned or even expelled from the Fandine Fountaine spaceship after undergoing pre-sterilization and a lethal injection.
Wepal was taken away by the tactical police for his service; he remained silent, neither speaking nor resisting. He was consumed by vengeance and was certain he would die with his hatred for Umiko. There was no other Balaka member besides Umiko, Akumu Umiko Valentinia who could care for the gifted children, and she was even one of the highest-ranking members of The Seven Sovereigns Sins.
Sometimes this is what keeps him out of major trouble, but I can't help but think to myself I'm not the one causing the problems here. What's the point of Borrettius, the Aphotemi, the one who part of Unilotus in Fandine Fountaine? Isn't that just exploiting the original object for Ai to evolve?
Wepal stood silent, seething with resentment throughout his body without a response, without acceptance, he walked alongside a truth that would never await him in the near future.
Yehzekiel stopped in the emergency stairwell, gasping for breath from running too fast and pushing himself too hard; his legs were already tired halfway through, but he forced himself to keep running so Wepal wouldn't catch him. He clutched his chest tightly until he coughed violently.
"I-I… ugh…"
"BLEECHH!" Yehzekiel couldn't hold it in any longer he threw up everything in the corner of the emergency stairwell, emptying his stomach completely.
"Ew… fuck… im so fucking gross"
He started to feel exhausted after emptying his stomach completely his head began to spin, but he still had to make his way to Umiko's room, which was very far from where he was. He didn't even know where it was because he'd taken a different route. If he went back to the normal path, he'd definitely be spotted by either Wepal or the tactical police. But luckily, he had already contacted Umiko he just hoped someone would come pick him up at his current location too. But this time, he was on his own, having to find the room before anyone else could spot him.
Yehzekiel walked slowly and climbed the stairs, peeking into each room floor by floor to figure out which floor and where he was. He was a bit annoyed that no one was picking him up, especially since he was carrying something very important in his hand a floral crown belonging to Borrettius that he'd stolen from Wepal. If it weren't for Umiko asking, Yehzekiel wouldn't have wanted to get involved.
"shit… I'm already so dizzy… Is this for real? No one's coming to pick me up? And how much longer do I have to keep climbing these stairs… I don't think there are that many floors."
Yehzekiel started complaining, but he kept climbing the stairs and checking each floor to see how far he'd gone if only there were signs indicating which floor he was on. Finally, he found the Fandine area with its open roof, a sign that he was close to Umiko's room, which was very far away and also sealed off for the safety of the place from outsiders.
But for his own safety, he had to move quietly to reach the stairs leading to Umiko, and that was quite a distance from the emergency staircase where he was which only made Yehezkiel even more dizzy. Yet for some reason, there was no one in the Upper Atsro-Lab. Especially in the north this place should have been bustling, so Yehezkiel wouldn't have had to go to the trouble of moving so stealthily.
With high confidence, Yehezkiel walked straight ahead without hesitation, not thinking about whether any danger might suddenly come his way. Glancing to the right and left, there was no one anywhere, and only Yehezkiel was alone in that large room.
"Seriously-"
BUGGHH!
Unexpectedly, two people suddenly appeared behind Ezekiel and immediately struck his neck with their bare hands, he passed out.
"He's not a worker or a scientist here; it's true that Fandine Fountaine shouldn't have an orphanage."
"That's just for show, to make the company look good and hardworking. Besides, the children here are just treated as components; they're more useful as tools. What else…"
The man paused his speech, he approached Yehzekiel and crouched beside him. His hand slowly unbuttoned Yehzekiel's shirt from the bottom and pulled it up, revealing a tattoo on Yehzekiel's back.
"He's a grown man who's mixed with the bodies of others, his own child and wife."
They were all bewildered. Why was someone who looked like a child actually a married adult? None of them wanted their tracks to be seen not even Yehzekiel. If even one person were spotted, it could be dangerous, let alone someone the size of Yehzekiel, who looked like a child. They lifted his still-living body, carrying him to a more secluded place and away from The Pride (Umiko) area.
Silence. A dim, pitch-black darkness filled Yehzekiel's mind. He tried to open his eyes and even attempted to grip his own palm, trying to stay conscious no matter what situation he was facing this time. He opened his eyes slightly, trying to stay alert. He was being carried by two people he didn't recognize they were wearing masks and doctors' scrubs. Were they among those seeking revenge? Yehzekiel closed his eyes again.
"B-Bubbu-"
SMACK!!
Yehzekiel woke up thanks to a slap from someone incredibly strong. He just stared blankly, his gaze confused as he looked around, waking up in such disorientation that it took him a long time to process what was happening.
"...Who are you?" Yehzekiel asked the three people in front of him, but they were all standing apart. Instead, he immediately spotted a tall young man standing before him, while Yehzekiel was tied tightly to a pole below.
"How should I know? Why are you asking? Besides, we're the ones who should be asking you."
Suddenly, the teenager choked Yehzekiel's neck not hard, though, he just wanted Yehzekiel to keep communicating without any distractions from his mind. Yehzekiel was startled shocked that he was about to be killed by the very person who had saved him, he just stared at the teenager. But it was the teenager's face that terrified Yehzekiel the acne or burn scars on his cheeks and forehead were massive, and one of his eyes was completely blind.
"Vinab… Amelia and Zyan."
"so you were... Vinab?"
Vinab tightened his grip around Yehzekiel's neck he didn't like being questioned after he'd already given someone information. Soon after, Vinab finally released his grip on Yehzekiel.
he walked behind Yehzekiel, untying the ropes on his hands they'd been tied so tightly they'd caused wounds, though not severe ones.
"We don't like your master. and yours must be Umiko right?"
"Y-yes…" Yehzekiel answered fearfully.
"Don't be afraid. We just want to talk to you. We don't like your friend either, by the way."
"Verdinan?"
Vinab nodded. he walked forward slowly toward the table near Amelia, who was sleeping on the plush sofa. he poured tea into a glass and drank it while waiting for Yehzekiel to stand on his own it would certainly take quite a while since the three of them had inflicted minor injuries on Yehzekiel.
"Tell us about yourself and why you're working with Umiko or The Pride."
Yehzekiel paused for a moment he knew for sure they'd bring up Umiko's name eventually, and Umiko was quite famous among the Fandine Fountaine crowd. It would be dangerous if he told them right away it would be dangerous. Especially since Yehzekiel had been raised by Umiko before he was sent to Aphotermania. Umiko's first child, Leon Voidan, had been kidnapped and couldn't be saved because he'd been sent away. And now, Yehzekiel didn't know how to dodge their questions.
"What took you so long?"
"...You guys, why are you asking about Umiko?"
Vinab immediately glared at Yehzekiel in shock. Vinab felt rage boiling in his head, annoyed by the question Yehzekiel had asked. Vinab walked slowly, approaching him without a single word, but with the anger he carried in his hands. Vinab choked Yehzekiel again, this time tightening his grip. Yehzekiel couldn't speak but was choking.
"Why are you asking again? Didn't I already tell you that women have such high egos? Her pride has caused us all to suffer. It's not just that she treats you like a child, but the way she treats you like a piglet. You're so stupid… a part of your original family from your old body has fused with you." His anger raged in his head he was frustrated that Yehzekiel had toyed with Vinab's words and time.
It was clear that Yehezkiel wanted to speak even as Vinab was still choking him tightly, his hands trembling as he grasped Vinab's with a small smile on his lips.
"You must be Longeyes's underling, dont you?"
In a mocking tone, he mentioned Wepal's name a man who had been arrested less than an hour after the incident occurred. Vinab's face flushed red, he couldn't stand Yehzekiel anymore. Vinab released his stranglehold on Yehzekiel, took a step back while pulling on his shirt collar, causing Yehzekiel to stumble backward with the pull. Vinab placed his hand on Yehzekiel's face and slammed Yehzekiel's head against the wall with great force, over and over again. He turned Yehzekiel's body so that his face was facing the wall and slammed his head against it again and again with great force, causing Yehzekiel's head to bleed profusely and even breaking his nose.
Vinab released his hands from Yehzekiel, his anger now sated as he had vented it upon him because he hadn't received the answer Yehzekiel should have given him; yet now Yehzekiel could not move, though he was still breathing, still alive. But his body was paralyzed, and he was desperate. Vinab bent down slightly and grabbed Yehzekiel by the hair, dragging him a short distance to stand before a large mirror, revealing the battered state of Yehzekiel's face and body. Wounds covered his entire face, and blood from his head flowed down to his hands. Vinab crouched so their heads were level.
"You really are a piglet. No one will ever raise you as a child again your body will never be whole… who are you motherfucker?"
Vinab spoke beside Yehzekiel in a low yet deadly tone, his hand still gripping Yehzekiel's hair. He wanted to speak, but the pain was unbearable.
"Y-Yehzekiel... Arrowwood... …. …. …. …. …. …. … … …. "
He fell silent for a moment, adjusting his body position just right to make a sound that wouldn't cause more blood to leak from his mouth. He shifted slightly but couldn't move much because Vinab was still behind him, hugging him and yanking Yehzekiel's hair upward he was truly tormented. Until finally, Yehzekiel tried to speak very softly
" .- .-. .- r-raphiel borrettius."