The Doctor did not wait long before nodding in agreement, fearing he would meet the same fate as his guard's arm.
I turned the page in the notebook and wrote in a large, clear hand: [First.. you will lead me to a place where I can eat. I am very hungry, and if I lose my patience because of hunger, you might lose other limbs.]
Garaki swallowed hard and nodded quickly: "Of course! There is a small town not far from here, it has quiet restaurants.. I will pay for everything you desire!"
I loosened the wires on them slightly, but kept them wrapped around their wrists and feet in a way that allowed them to walk with difficulty without running. As we were walking toward the asphalt road, I shot a sharp look at the Doctor and wrote a question that had been occupying my mind since I saw those monsters in the forest:
[Tell me truthfully.. have you succeeded in creating any integrated and good "Nomu" yet?]
Garaki paused for a moment, appearing hesitant, then sighed deeply while looking at the ground: "No.. the current experiments are still primitive. The specimens you saw in the forest were just failed models, lacking the consciousness and the required strength to endure without their bodies collapsing. We are far from the intended goal."
I looked at him in silence. So.. the original plot hasn't started yet, I thought to myself.
I closed the notebook firmly, making the Doctor jump in his place, then I wrote: [Fine. After I eat, I want you to take me to your secret hideout.. or your lab.. or wherever it is you are hiding. My body is collapsing and I need rest.]
Garaki gasped and opened his mouth to object: "Impossible! The lab is an extremely secret place, and the Master will not allow—"
Before he could finish his sentence, I moved my fingers lightly, and the steel wire tightened around his neck suddenly until it almost cut off his breath, while the wires wrapped around the two guards made a metallic sound.
The words froze in Garaki's throat, then he looked at his guard's shattered arm, then at me, and realized that "The Master" might kill him later, but I would kill him "Now."
He lowered his head in complete surrender and said in a defeated voice: "I understand.. I will take you there. I will do anything.. just loosen this wire."
The men walked before me with stumbling steps until we reached a town teeming with life, and we stopped in front of a famous restaurant from which the smell of grilling wafted, nearly driving my mind away. I entered the place with confident steps, my white coat fluttering behind me, while dragging behind it a scene that could only be described as a nightmare for passersby; three men wearing torn clothes and bound by shiny metallic wires, one of them moaning from a shattered arm, and the Doctor trembling in his undergarments under my old coat.
The conversations stopped suddenly, and a heavy silence hung over all the tables. Looks of terror and astonishment followed us, but I gave them no attention. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the voice of a small child pulling his mother's garment and saying with innocence tinged with fear: "Mama.. look at this villain! Why is he tying these people up?"
His mother hugged him quickly as she backed away in panic, her eyes fixed on me. I wasn't surprised; rather, I felt an internal irony; a youth with sharp features, wearing a long lab coat, dragging behind him four men bound by steel wires as if they were slaves.. what could cause more misunderstanding than that?
I pulled out a chair and sat in the middle of the restaurant, gesturing for them to sit on the floor beside me. I ordered massive amounts of food, and as soon as the first plate was placed before me,
I began to devour the food crazily.. every bite made me feel a new rebirth in my exhausted body. I remembered the past three days; I remembered the bitterness of the grass I was chewing, the hard taste of the tree roots, and the murky water I was barely sips of to stay alive.
While I was chewing the hot meat, I felt a lump in my throat that wasn't because of the food. Tears gathered in my eyes and almost fell, not out of weakness, but because I realized at that moment how delicious the food was. I wiped my eyes quickly with the back of my dirt-stained hand and continued eating ferociously, ignoring the whispers of the people and Doctor Garaki's stunned looks.
I finished the last plate, looked at Garaki, then wrote in the notebook coldly:
[Now.. I am full. Take me to your lab, and do not make me regret keeping you alive until this moment.]
Doctor Garaki nodded submissively and stood up slowly.
We left the restaurant amidst the looks of bewilderment that did not leave the faces of the customers, and we walked toward the edge of town where a black camouflaged car was waiting.
We all got in,
"...." Silence prevailed inside the car, broken only by the moaning of the guard with the shattered arm. :
"Listen.. I will take you there as you requested, but you must know that the lab is still in its infancy. It has not received enough development, and many of the devices are still under testing."
He went silent for a moment then added, his eyes shining with a mysterious glint: "And if you are thinking of sabotaging the place or tampering with the samples, you must bear the consequences. There.. there is someone who will not be pleased by your presence, and also the Master will not hesitate to crush you if he feels a threat."
I looked at him coldly, and in my mind I was wondering: Who would really win if I fought Shigaraki now? I think I would be able to fight, but as for All For One, I don't think I could even scratch him.
I opened the notebook and wrote in a quick, indifferent hand: [Do not worry about your dilapidated lab.. I am not interested in sabotaging anything.]
Then I turned the page and wrote clearly: [All I want right now is a quiet place and a bed. I just want to sleep, and if anyone dares to wake me before I have had enough, I will make the entire lab collapse over your heads.]