| ARC V | Chapter 6: ACE

 What is the point of this meaningless existence? I cannot breathe, yet I live. Suffocate. My nose—stuffed, obtuse scent. And this…foul taste of water always lingers on the tongue. The bubbles pop like a barrage of bullets—as though my skin tore while it shivered—as though my ears are to rupture.

 I am enduring. Still enduring. I've… Endured.

 I… I—my flames have but burned out.

 I WANT TO DIE.

 But I cannot—THEY keep me here in this. Miserable glass reflection. Alive. Starved and…defeated.

 I'm scared.

 I don't want to die—

*Crack*

 Suddenly, the world shook, and a loud *boom* rumbled—well… I don't care. I've given up. My hands—my body. It's all numb, and so is my heart.

*Crack*

 Hm? The glass container is breaking? Why…?

.. 

…..

 …

 "So? Kid, now what?" a rough, distant, echoey voice muffled through the glass.

 "Did you kill people?" a calm young voice followed.

 "Some. There are unavoidable cases… but are you sure? They're involved in this too…" The rough-sounding man said.

 "They are fragile either way. Killing them would be easier, but. They deserve worse. They will live as humans and bear the guilt all their lives—the monsters do not care and deserve—hence, there is no need for them to suffer," a flat voice stated.

 The man did not say anything as he gazed at the young boy. He did not know what caused this little boy to be so jaded. The look in his empty, cold eyes was…as inorganic as they could get.

 "So…? What is that glass container?" he asked.

 "A test subject. Presumably an esper prototype—"

 "What? Really?" the man raised his brow and continued, "He looks just like a kid…" Yet, chills rushed down his spine… "he's staring at us…"

 "Worry not. He can not do anything—he is stuck in there, and he can not see you, and his esper abilities are sealed within the waters."

 "…Kid, we're supposed to kill him like this?"

 "It is a prototype—unless they have been injected with an esper core, then—freeing them from the abomination is the greatest salvation to be granted."

 "B-But he's so young!" he exclaimed with his hands out of frustration.

 "Does not matter," the boy flatly replied again.

 The chills of the boy's words clearly reached the young boy inside the container—their hollow eyes met. Yet… the contained boy had more hope and life in his eyes, rage flourished in his heart, and sorrow grappled his chest—he did not want to die, not like this.

 "…"

 "He seems pretty angry for some artificial life to me…" The man took a closer look. "See? He's… burning in hatred yet…"

 "—There is submission in his eyes," the boy flatly replied.

 "Y-Yeah…I've seen some shit, but this is disgusting…so you're telling me he is an actual human?"

 "Yes," another flat voice followed.

 (…What a jaded boy—he's barely ten, and his eyes are that of a veteran. Damn, that boss—leaving me with such a freaky kid. He owes me an expensive drink later… still, he's the first esper I've seen outside of YB—a nut case filled with vengeance on his mind, yet there's little emotion in it.)

 "Are we still killing him…then?"

 The reluctant voice in the rough man's voice resonated with the contained boy; his eyes widened in surprise, and as if pleading, he closed his eyes and leaned toward them with his forehead placed on the tank.

 "No, we will not. Unlike these monsters doing the research, anyone considered innocent is human—the others can despair as they aren't," YB calmly replied. 

*Gulp*

 He raised his hands, and the container shattered and burst into levitating pieces—each time the man saw YB use his powers, he was always astonished, and it never got old.

*Cough, cough, cough*

 The grey-haired boy relentlessly coughed water out of his lungs. He finally gasped for air and clenched his chest with an upward gaze; he stared at YB and the rough man with tattoos all over his face.

 (I'm…free?)

 "So…what do we do with him now?" the rough-looking man asked the younger boy.

 "We will take him in—unless. Boy, which one do you choose? There are two options. Come with us, or forget everything that has ever happened and live an ordinary life."

*Boom*

 Suddenly, an eruption of the boy's esper abilities shook the ground, cracking the facility and flickering the lights—the metal tiles, the doors, and the corpses of the researchers were being torn from the floor. The young boy was on his knees, weeping. All his emotions spun and twisted like—he was falling apart.

 But YB did not hesitate to walk up to the boy. He was completely unaffected by his abilities, and all the objects spinning around that came his way were suspended in the air as he approached—until he finally crouched down.

 "Now, choose. What do you want to do?" YB looked into his golden eyes and calmly asked.

 The boy gazed into the similar-coloured eyes, yet… YB's were darker, and…there was no light in them. Unlike him, YB was detached from everything—even his own life. The boy grabbed his sleeve. He was shivering, but with a nervous look, he said.

 "I-I have nowhere to go…" His hoarse voice managed to escape his lips. "W-Will you take me…?" he pleaded.

 .. 

…..

…

 Ever since that day, YB took me in; he is a bit cold but treats me nicely. How do I say it? He's like a big brother? Even though he's four years older than me, he seems so mature… as we walked the streets of New York City, I witnessed a boy throwing a popsicle stick in the trash—his father praised him and ruffled his hair…

 How nice, I thought as I glanced over at YB.

 "YB, can we buy popsicles?" I somewhat nervously asked.

 "Mm, I suppose—which flavour do you want? The stall over there seems to have many to choose from," YB flatly replied as usual.

 "Will you pick for me?"

 "…"

 YB briefly glanced at me and walked over to the stall. He came back with only one. Now that I think about it, YB barely eats anything…

 "Here you go," he handed me the cola-flavoured popsicle.

 "You're not getting one?"

 "No, I don't like sweets."

 "…I see."

 I put it in my mouth—it tastes sweet, and there's a slight cold, ticklish feeling on the tongue. But I think I prefer chocolate ice cream more. As I finished eating it, I threw it in the trash—glancing over at YB, who watched our target closely—well, of course, he wouldn't…pay me any attention; this murky sensation in my chest was resurfacing again…

 "Good job for properly throwing it away," he said, ruffling my hair.

 "…"

 I couldn't say anything but sit there; my face was heating up—it was a little unbearable but… nice; his hands were warm and gentle, contrasting his apathetic, cold self. Even so… I don't believe YB to be indifferent—he seems lonely.

 "YB…will you praise me like this from now on…?" I reluctantly voiced, but our conversation was cut short.

 "Our target is moving. Let us go."

 "…Okay," I nod.

 Yet, he ruffled my hair again. 

 "When I feel like it," he bluntly said.

 I nodded—I'm content with just that. I wish it always were like this. It's nice and warm; I wish he were my real brother. But one day…

 "ACE, I want you to become YB?"

 "…Huh?" ACE frowned.

 Samuel suddenly asked back at the headquarters. With a dragon tattoo running through his whole body, a cigar in his mouth, and a circular puff, he gazes into my eyes.

 "YB's gonna quit soon. Hasn't he told you why?" he raised a brown.

*Sigh*

 "In any case, we need an esper to replace him, and you're his student, aren't you? We want you to take over his name; his name is recognised already, and we want to use that still—of course, you can decline and stay ACE."

*Tsk*

 "Can I speak with him first…?"

 "Oh? Of course, he's still on a mission—still, it baffles me he never kills those deemed 'human' until now, but I suppose he can afford it with his skills—and we can't lose perception of that skill," Samuel shrugged.

 "In other words, one of us 'dies' and that would be 'ACE?'" ACE frowned.

 Samuel hit his desk, and with a grin on his face, he burst out laughing.

 "Ahaha! You espers really are something! But yes, that is what he wished."

 "He came up with this?" ACE sighed. "Pragmatic as always," he sulked with a frustrated click of the tongue.

 "In any case, on the few missions you have together from now on, you'll be YB, and he'll be 'ACE'; ACE will 'die' on his last mission. Got it?"

 "Understood…"

 …And so, a few months passed. He still hasn't talked about why he's going to quit, but… I finally learned his real name. Alum Miller. On our last mission, he just said, "Good job," and patted my head—then, after we returned to the base… he stood before the entrance.

 "YB. I've fulfilled my vengeance. I have no reason to be here anymore."

 …I see…vengeance.

 "This is where we part."

 "…"

 All my insides were hot, boiling, bubbling and sizzling! Without saying a word, I punched him, but he didn't resist and took it; his face bled but was still hollow—there were absolutely no emotions left, not even the coldness.

 Fuck I'm frustrated… I've known… I've known! And I was prepared, but… isn't this too sudden? Why are you leaving me too…? Why? Of course, you're not going to tell me, are you!?

 I grabbed him by the collar and leaned onto his chest—for the first time in a while, he ruffled my hair gently, and I couldn't stop my tears from flowing.

 "…Fine, leave then!" I exclaimed as I pushed his hand away.

 That's right, I'm YB right now.

 So act like it.

 But as I glanced back, I saw a somewhat sorrowful expression on Alum's face. Still, he faintly smiled before slowly turning, and so, we parted ways.

*Tsk*

 I clenched my chest and hit the wall nearby.

 "Dammit…"

 Warm tears rushed down my face, and I fell to my knees.

 "Dammit… dammit, dammit! You could've said goodbye, at least!"