Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Year XX07, New Tokyo, SE.RA.PH.

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Dark clouds had gathered all day. It came as little surprise when rain started pouring from the sky, blinking with blue and purple from the billboard lights reflecting off each drop. Sika was hidden safely under his umbrella, only his boots getting wet from the puddles forming on the old and cracked road. No one bothered to fix or replace the roads in a low-class district even if they had more holes than Swiss cheese.

Rain was common here and Sika didn’t hate it. Every time rain fell, it would pull that disgusting and polluted air down with it. It always felt fresh to breathe in after the rain stopped. Like the sky was giving them all a chance to catch a break.

But as he reached his home the downpour got much heavier. He stared up in the sky with worry. Standing outside his humble home would explain why. It wasn’t a bad place to live, but this was a low-class district. In these apartments there always is a risk of leakage through the roof.

He closed his umbrella, water pouring down the plastic before he shook off the excess. Then he got his key card out, swiping it to gain access to the apartment building. It was almost as chilly inside than outside when he stepped into the dim hallway with that one annoying, flickering light in the roof. They were nearing the colder seasons, a time of the year that was especially difficult in the low-class districts, as most homes (like his own) didn’t have proper isolation or heating. The poor could only hope for a mild winter, or be victims of brutal costs.

But that was going to be fine… he wouldn’t have to deal with this for much longer…

Sika walked past a few doors before he found his own. He swiped his card again and the door unlocked. He stepped inside and only had time to place his bag and umbrella down before being greeted with the same thing as every day.

“Father!” a voice called to him. “Father, welcome home!”

A boy came running to him. He was short, only ten years of age, but still so pretty. He had big blue eyes, and shoulder-long blond hair framing the face of an angel. It looked like he was about to hug him, but Sika held his hands in front of him telling him not to. He was still wearing his jacket, and although he wasn’t drenched wet, he was still cold and damp.

“I am back Michaela. But please let father take his shoes off first.”

He pulled his boots off, and wet sounds came from them. That’s what happens when you step in too many puddles without waterproof shoes. His socks were also soaked. He pulled them off along with his boots, grimacing a bit at the sloppy sound coming from them.

“Don’t worry about that, father! I will take them to dry in the bathroom!” Micha said, and picked the boots up. He disappeared behind the door furthest from the entrance, which was their little bathroom.

It was a very small space that could only fit a toilet, a sink, and a small two-in-one bathtub and shower. If their clothes got wet they would hang them over the shower curtain to dry for a while. His boots would be placed upside-down in the tub for the time being. With how cold it was getting it would probably take a while longer before they got dry though.

After getting off his jacket, Sika entered the living room. There he saw his second ray of sunshine, sitting in the chair by a short table while filling out a cheap coloring book. When the young boy raised his head to see the man looking at him, his expression was of surprise. But his mouth quickly changed from that “o” shape into a wide and excited smile.

“Daddy!”

“I am back, Mika,” Sika smiled back, cupping his son’s round little cheeks in his hands, so he could shower the boy in kisses. He was often told by Michaela that he fawned over that boy too much. Sika had to disagree, because one could never fawn over such a cutie too much. “I hope you didn’t cause your big brother any trouble.”

“Of course not!” Michaela denied when he came back to join the two. “Mika is always a little angel.”

“It’s not surprising when he has you for a brother,” Sika pointed out, which made the older of the blonds blush.

“You are praising me too much, father,” he giggled. “Anyways. I am sure you are tired after work. I have dinner ready.”

“I thought I smelled something… What is it?”

“Pasta!” Michaela exclaimed with a very bad Italian accent.

“With tomato sauce and meatballs?” Sika guessed.

“Yup!”

There was a saying amongst the citizens of the low-class districts. Always keep stocks of pasta. If it’s ever on sale, grab as much as you can. Surviving in this city with little money requires you eat pasta. Whatever you can find at a discount in the store? Have it with pasta. Leftovers from a previous meal? Put it in a pasta sauce. You have no other food? Cook some pasta, and have it with olive oil and garlic. Chili also works. It will keep your belly full for weeks, though it might slowly put your sanity at risk…

“Then I bet you will be happy to hear I was able to find a whole pack of bacon at a 50% discount,” the father informed. “Because the expiration date is due in only a few days.”

“I will make carbonara then!” Michaela cheerfully announced.

Sika felt like he could just stare at this boy’s happy face forever. The sun didn’t have to come back out from behind those thick rain clouds. His son’s face was much warmer and brighter than the sun could ever hope to get in a place like SE.RA.PH.

“Don’t push yourself dear,” Sika warned him. “Remember that you are only ten years old. And your health is already…”

“But I feel fine, father! And it’s raining a lot today too. It has been super easy to breathe.”

Sika’s gaze lowered. Michaela had for a long time struggled with his health because the air quality outside wasn’t good for him. Despite that he did his best trying to help at home, taking care of his little brother, or making dinner for them all. Sika couldn’t have asked for a better son. But it left him with guilt having to make him go that far every day, acting like an adult even though he was only ten.

But just a little more and that would no longer be a problem…

The family sat around the dining table. A plate for Sika and Michaela, but Mika got a deeper bowl so he wouldn’t as easily make a mess. It was Michaela who served them their portions, and Sika had to hold back a sad sigh watching as the boy very purposely gave himself less meatballs than the rest of his family.

“Michaela,” Sika had to stop him. “Take more meat. You love them, and they are healthy.”

“But… Father needs them more than me,” the blond argued.

“Nonsense. I want you to grow up big and strong. And you need protein to do that.”

He poked his fork into one of his own meatballs, and moved it over to his son’s plate. They were made of valuable ground beef, and there was some egg in them too. They were much richer in protein than only pasta.

The family ate together. A moment of peace in the late afternoon. Even with heavy rain pelting the building, which occasionally shook from the passing trains below, it was the definition of happiness to Sika. His sons eating their share with smiles and laughter coming from them was not a sight he would trade away for anything in the world. Especially that of Mika sitting in his taller chair with his mouth wide open, waiting for his big brother to spoon-feed him his dinner. Fork-feed? No matter.

By the time they had finished, it was bedtime for Mika. He was already sleepy after getting his belly filled. It wasn’t evening yet, but it was still late for a little toddler. Sika carried him to his shared bedroom with Michaela. It was small, and his bed was only a mattress on the floor with some old pillows and blankets on top. That was all there should be. But Sika noticed something new this time.

He laid his half-sleeping child on the bed, and curiously picked up the new object from between the pillows. It was soft and light to hold. A plushie. It was designed to resemble a black cat. It had a big head, and an even bigger body, with a small tail in the very back. It didn’t have any limbs though. Its size would also make it possible to use it as a pillow. It was really cute, but… where on earth had it come from?

Never mind. He let Mika cuddle with it. He hadn’t had a plushie since he was a baby, and it unfortunately got destroyed beyond repair after Sika’s many attempts at sewing it back together (stinging himself on the needle many times in the process).

“Michaela,” he asked for his son when he returned to the living room, where the blond was in the process of cleaning up after dinner. “That plush toy in the bed…”

“I got it!” the young boy said while walking past his dad with stacked plates in his hands, bringing them to the kitchen. “I didn’t steal it or anything, I promise!”

Sika would never be suspicious of his son, and accuse him of stealing. But he was still worried. His son would never do anything bad, but how did he get his hands on a toy like that? A completely new one of high quality was unlikely to have been thrown away for Michaela to find.

“I didn’t think you stole it, but that doesn’t explain where you got it from.”

“You know…” Michaela mumbled in a lowered voice. How nervous he got at the question was a huge red flag to Sika. Especially when he couldn’t properly finish his sentence, and just placed the dirty dishes in the sink without another word.

“Michaela, answer me,” Sika demanded.

“O-okay! I bought it!” Michaela blurted out.

“Bought? But how did you get that money…?”

“You are gone all day at work, Father. It’s not like I have that much to do when the housework is done,” the son pointed out. Cleaning the apartment, taking out trash, and washing clothes took time, but not an entire day. “So, I thought I could do some favors for neighbors. They paid me a little for small jobs… I saved for a toy I could give to Mika.”

Most parents probably wouldn’t be mad at their child for being such a great older sibling. They might be so touched they’d be brought to tears instead. Sika almost was. But he also felt his anger grow from hearing this admission from his son.

“I have told you not to push yourself!” Sika scolded him. “You know you are sickly! The air outside isn’t good for you! I didn’t even want you to do anything at home other than looking after your little brother!”

Michaela must have expected this reaction, and that’s why he didn’t want to tell him the truth from the start. He lowered his head apologetically, and it upset Sika even more because he was the one who should be apologetic, not his child.

“I am sorry father… But I like it. I get to have something to do.”

Sika sighed. It was his fault. His anger should be at himself, not this child who was only doing his best to help their small family. He pulled his child into a hug before he could say anything more that he would end up regretting.

“I am sorry… You shouldn’t be stuck in this home all day. You should be at school.”

“It’s not your fault, father. I understand you didn’t have money to send me.”

Sika didn’t reply to this. It was true they lived on little money, but that was not the main reason why he wouldn’t want to send his kids to school. What students were learning there… Sika fully believed his kids would be better off without it. Not that he could tell them that.

Once they had finished cleaning up, there was not much else to do than spend the evening relaxing. Sika would sit on the couch, with Michaela lying down with his head resting in his lap. This was the normal evening for them, cuddled up while watching their old TV at low volume.

“Another terrorist group squashed, bzzt, the Seraphs once again—”

Micha turned his head a bit to look towards the TV. This was the third this month. Even if he was a child he paid attention to the news, and every time his expression grew more worried. These groups were becoming bolder, so who knew where they would strike next?

“They tried attacking Babel? That is crazy…” Micha curled up a bit on his father’s lap. “They tried attacking the Seraphs… Lucky they stopped them! They are brave and keep us all safe!”

“Hehe… surely…” Sika murmured.

The Seraphs… Or “SE.RA.PH agents”. A group of special soldiers trained by the state in the Babel tower. They patrol SE.RA.PH and keep order. By crushing any rebellion and opposition that is. Revered as heroes by the public, while spreading fear to those daring to oppose the powerful state.

“You know father… I want to be a Seraph when I grow older!” Michaela announced with a smile, which made Sika jolt. “I can become strong, and keep you and Mika safe.”

“I don’t know about that dear…” Sika forced a smile, placing his hand on his son’s head to stop the trembling.

“But it’s always been my dream!” Michaela pleaded.

“Even if that dream contradicts father’s dream?”

“Father’s dream?”

“I… have something I must admit to you,” Sika let out a deep breath.

He had kept this in for years. Even before Mika was born, he had decided on a dream for all three of them to follow. And now that it was growing close it was time to tell his oldest. He was smart and honest, Sika was certain he would understand.

“We are going to move within a couple months,” he revealed. “You, me, and Mika.”

“Move?” Micha sat up with a big smile on his face. Their current home was affordable, but any child would wish to live somewhere else than one of the worst parts of the low-class district. “Where to? Can we move to the South? I hear it’s where families live!”

“This is what you can’t tell anyone Michaela. It is very important,” Sika warned him by putting his finger over his child’s lips. “We won’t move to the South. Nor the North. And not to a higher-class district. I want to move to the countryside.”

“Country…side?”

Micha looked extremely confused. And it was understandable, because a countryside didn’t exist in SE.RA.PH.
SE.RA.PH is a massive state which exists within the circular walls separating the outside, and the walls within the walls again separating the districts. In the very middle was the Tower of Babel, an almost endless structure reaching into the sky. There their leader “The Sovereign” resides on the tallest floor and trains the SE.RA.PH agents.

“Michaela, we will leave the state,” Sika revealed. “We leave SE.RA.PH, and live together on a farm in a neighbor country.”

“L-leave?” Micha could barely believe what he was hearing. “But… isn’t leaving SE.RA.PH like super expensive?”

Leaving the state was usually illegal if you weren’t wealthy. The security was tight too. Trying to leave was a suicide mission. But that’s why Sika had planned this for a decade.

“I know we have lived on very little money, but that is because I have saved,” he explained. “I have hidden away enough money to smuggle us out of the state.”

“But…”

“You will love it Michaela. The air outside of SE.RA.PH is much cleaner.”

Micha looked hesitant. It was only natural. He was born and lived ten years in this state. It was everything he knew. Even if he went to sleep hungry and cold at times it was still the place he called home, and the world outside the walls was on the contrary foreign and scary.

“If you say so…” the young boy replied despite this. “I will go where you want to go father.”

“I knew you would understand,” Sika pulled his son into a hug. “Let’s get a new life out there. I wish for nothing but to see you flourish.”

The three of them were going to run away together.

Sika was already preparing for his plan to smuggle his family out of the state. It would probably be simpler to not give up his home just yet, but he had sold a few belongings they won’t have a need for when they leave. It will be much easier if they can just pack a few bags and get moving when it’s time.

A few weeks had passed since he told Michaela of his plan. Their little secret escape mission. Michaela continued acting like always as told, and the more they spoke about the outside the more he warmed up to the idea of moving. Getting to see the ocean in real life had been one of the huge draws. Sika promised to take him as soon as possible. But that would have to come after securing a new home in the countryside in another state.

Sika wanted to live a humble life on a farm with his sons somewhere. Far away from cities and other people, where they could raise animals. Michaela would love that. And he was sure Mika would want to follow in his big brother’s shoes. Their bond was stronger than anything, Sika even felt jealous at times because of how close they were. Mika was more attached to Michaela than himself.

When he came home it was late at night. One of his long workdays. It was up to Michaela to care for his little brother and feed himself before going to bed. When he came into his apartment he could smell the food which Michaela had left for him. He went to the kitchen to see fried rice, not pasta this time.

But Michaela was nowhere to be found. It was strange, but maybe he had gone to sleep earlier today? He walked to the kids’ bedroom to check on them, expecting to see them both snuggled under their covers when he opened the door. But to his surprise he saw nothing. Empty beds.

What in the world? Even Mika wasn’t in bed. Where could his kids be?

Sika hurried out of his apartment and started walking up the stairs. They were old and rusty, making uncomfortable sounds with every step he took. But once he was at the top he had reached the roof of the building. When he stepped outside cold air hit his face. It was dark out, but the lights from the inner district could be seen even from their location.

He saw the back of someone’s head. Blond hair reaching the shoulders of the person, who was wrapped in a thick blanket. Sika carefully walked towards them, hearing the boy’s soft voice as he pointed to the sky.

“And that is the polar star,” he explained to the small child in his lap, who was listening in awe. “It is brighter than the other stars.”

“Michaela,” Sika greeted with a notable strictness in his voice. It made Michaela jolt in surprise, before he slowly turned his head to meet his father’s.

“Hehe… you are home already…” the blond gave him a nervous and very guilty smile. “Welcome home father…!”

“It’s way past Mika’s bedtime,” Sika reminded him.

“I know, but…”

“Nii-chan innocent!” Mika exclaimed as he hugged his big brother tightly. “Nii-chan smart!”

Despite the situation Sika had to laugh. Like always, Mika defends Michaela when he gets scolded, and Michaela does the same for Mika. The two brothers protect each other no matter what. Sika couldn’t be mad at that. He only wondered how he had been able to raise two angels all on his own.

“You were teaching him about the sky?” Sika asked.

“Yes! I wanted to gaze at the stars with Mika one more time because,” Michaela lowered his voice into a whisper. “You know… we are gonna move soon.”

“The stars outside the state will be much brighter than those you see here,” the single father pointed out. “When we move into our new home, you will see stars you didn’t even know existed.”

“Wooow!”

“Now come on you two,” Sika took his son’s hand to help him up. He was carrying his little brother with the other, the little child having almost fallen asleep in the embrace. His eyes blinked open when he sensed the movement. “Let’s go to bed together.”

“Okay…” Michaela agreed with a small, but disappointed smile. He must have wanted to sit with his little brother for longer. “But father… Could you read us a bedtime story?”

At the suggestion, Mika’s blue eyes lit up with excitement.
“Story? Daddy! Please daddy?”

“Haha… Okay, a short one then.”

Sika brought his children back to the apartment. They got ready for bed, putting on their pajamas, and when the two were snuggled under their covers (Mika hugging that plush toy Michaela had bought him) Sika opened an old fairy tale book. A prized possession of the family. Sika had found it cheap in a used store and bought it as a shared Christmas gift for his sons. It had not only stories, but pictures. Cute paintings of the characters in the stories represented by animals.

What story would he tell today? How about the story of the two brothers?

Two young fox brothers had gotten lost in the woods while trying to return home after picking berries. As it got darker outside the younger brother became scared. He tried running to get home, but got separated from his older brother. He was all alone and cried. A murder of crows surrounded the younger brother and laughed, mocking him. Then the crows attracted something even larger. A big bear. It chased the little brother, who ran for his life until he collapsed from exhaustion. But just before the bear could attack him, the older brother arrived. Despite being outmatched, he bravely fought the bear. His determination to protect his little brother deterred even the bear from continuing the fight. Wounded and out of breath the older brother embraced the younger. No matter what he would always protect him. Together they managed to find their way back home.

“Did they live happily ever after?” Mika asked when his father closed the book.

“Of course they did,” Sika smiled. “No one could get between the brothers.”

“Nii-chan could fight a bear too,” Mika looked at Michaela in admiration. His hero.

“I would fight anything for you!” Michaela hugged Mika closer.

“Michaela… with how frail you are, you should think of other ways to protect your brother than fighting,” Sika pointed out even if his son didn’t like to be reminded of that. “Ah… But I don’t doubt you’d do it for Mika regardless.”

Sika planted a kiss on Michaela’s head, then Mika’s.
“Sleep well my precious children.”

“I love you daddy,” Mika replied.

“Goodnight father,” said Michaela.

Sika exited the children’s bedroom, and when he closed the door the little bit of light coming through the doorway disappeared. Mika turned around a bit on the mattress, so he could rest his head against his brother’s chest.

“Nii-chan… when I grow up I will marry you.”

“Aww… I guess I have to save myself for you then,” Michaela jokingly replied to his brother’s adorable statement. Brothers couldn’t marry, but Mika was too young and innocent to understand that yet.

They closed their eyes and drifted asleep, Mika feeling safe and protected in his brother’s arms.

It was late in the night when Sika got out of bed to have some water to drink. He went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Water wasn’t safe to drink in the lower-class districts, so Sika had boiled a lot of water to keep in flasks in the small cooling place. The water outside the state was supposedly cleaner, though. So that was something to look forward to.

He was still nervous about everything. He had spent a lot of time planning their escape to the details. He couldn’t get caught on their way to leave the walls. He couldn’t have anyone snitching on them. The smugglers had to be trustworthy, because there were some who ended up trafficking the people trying to escape. Nothing could go wrong, or he and his children might end up in a worse position than they already were in. Not that his children knew exactly how much danger they were in…

His past was something he had never disclosed to his kids. But there was a reason why he knew the state, the systems, and everything else so well. And that reason was exactly why they had been in danger for a whole decade. It’s why no one, not even his kids, knew that his real name was “Sika”.

One month… One more month left, and then we get out of here…

The building started shaking as a train passed underneath their home. Then it stopped.

Sika closed his eyes. He couldn’t stay up all night going over everything. He was mentally exhausted enough as is. The only thing he should do now was go back to bed.

He put down the now empty glass of water he had taken, and turned in the direction of his own bedroom. He walked slowly, the soft night robe he wore gracing the skin below his knees. But just as he reached the door, a bright light flashed in his eyes.

It was so intense, Sika had to cover his face with an arm. Through squinted eyes, he realized it was coming from the windows. But what in the world…?

SLAM! A loud sound made the single father flinch in shock. BANG!

Before he understood what was happening, the front door of his apartment was kicked open with such force it was completely bent after falling off the hinges. Dark silhouettes were standing outside, and quickly moved inside.

“What is this?!” Sika exclaimed, but he didn’t have the chance to defend himself. He was grabbed by his head and slammed against the floor.

His blurry vision slowly started to become clearer. The silhouettes… they belonged to men, a large group of men. They were armed, and…

Sika’s eyes widened, and his heart dropped.

Those uniforms… they were the uniforms belonging to the seraphs.

When the men entered the other rooms, Sika started panicking. They broke into his kids’ bedroom, making the father struggle harder, especially when he heard a terrified shriek coming from inside.

“Stop!” he shouted in both fear and anger. “Don’t you dare touch my kids!”

They ignored Sika’s demands. Right now he was overpowered and outnumbered. There was nothing he could do but watch as the soldiers dragged his son out of his bedroom by his hair, which was fisted in the soldier’s large hand. In his arms was Mika, who he held onto for dear life. They forced him to kneel on the floor by a wall, a good distance away from his father.

Michaela’s eyes were full of tears. He was trembling as he held Mika close, looking at his father with pleading eyes as if asking for help. But even if Sika struggled, he had no chance of getting out of the hold of the two soldiers keeping him pinned. Michaela must have realized that too, as his expression changed into hopelessness.

“W-what do you want?” Sika could barely hide the quiver in his voice. He was too scared for his children. “We haven’t done anything—”

“Oh, Sika Madu…”

The familiar voice sent a shiver down Sika’s whole being. It was a voice he hadn’t heard in a decade. A voice which confirmed his worse fears to be true.

He heard footsteps. Sika raised his head to see a tall man approach. His uniform was different from the soldiers’. The man’s hair was slicked back, and his piercing eyes stared directly into Sika’s. He couldn’t read his expression at all. Was it anger? Amusement? Both? Despite knowing this man so well Sika couldn’t tell.

“Sovereign…” Sika mouthed.

The most powerful man in SE.RA.PH, left in charge of the state by the founder himself.

“Traitor of SE.RA.PH,” the Sovereign responded coldly. “At last we meet again.”

“I—”

“Be quiet,” the Sovereign commanded. “I see now. This is where you have been for the past decade. Hiding in the lower-class district, playing wholesome daddy with your little guinea pigs.”

“That’s not—”

“Quiet I said!” the Sovereign snapped. He nodded to the two soldiers keeping Sika pinned. “Raise him.”

The seraph soldiers did as told. Sika’s arms were twisted behind his back, which made him groan in pain. They weren’t concerned at all about being gentle, as to be expected from seraph agents. He was forced on his knees in front of the Sovereign, who approached with the same stone-cold face. Once he was close enough to reach him, he grabbed Sika’s night robe. With a firm pull, he tore the fabric apart.

Sika’s already pale skin got drained of any remaining color. The torn robe fell around him, exposing his chest to the soldiers. But it was the Sovereign who leered at him. He didn’t need to feel the Sovereign’s fingertips trail across his collarbone to understand what this was about.

“Oh, Sika Madu… Our most genius SE.RA.PH scientist. The man who designed the Babel tower, and performed experiments even I considered horrific. How you have fallen,” the Sovereign shook his head in disappointment. “To think that having that child would turn you from one of our greatest assets into… this pathetic excuse of a man.”

“F-father…?” Michaela called out to his father in confusion. He didn’t understand. Why were these people calling him ‘Sika’, and what did they mean by SE.RA.PH scientist?

“What? You never told your kids?” the Sovereign gave him a condescending smirk. “After all the kids you experimented on, sliced open, and mutated, you wanted to hide it from your kids, and pretend to be a perfect daddy? Their big hero?”

“Don’t…”

Sika lowered his head in shame while the Sovereign spilled his sins to his kids. He couldn’t look at his son now. Michaela’s gasp of horror told him enough. He couldn’t handle seeing his disgusted expression.

“Curious you had a second child, though. Where is the mother? Did you do to her what you did to the first?”

The Sovereign raised his leg, and with immense force sent a kick right into Sika’s chest. The cracking sound of shattering bones filled the room. He gasped in pain, blood splattering the floor. Some of the red got on the Sovereign’s uniform pants. He raised a brow, before he directed a second blow towards his head. Sika would have collapsed if not for the soldiers holding him up. Red was dripping from his forehead.

Michaela had been watching with wide and horrified eyes this whole time. He had kept it together the best that he could, but seeing his father be beaten bloody by this stranger was too much. He started crying softly. But his little brother noticed. He was still hugging his plushie, blue eyes staring up in confusion at his sibling.

“Nii-chan…?”

“Shh,” Michaela barely found the strength to hide the fear in his voice. “It’s fine. It’s going to be fine Mika.”

He held his brother closer, making sure his face was buried in his chest, so he wouldn’t see any more of this. Then he placed his hands over his ears, blocking out the distressing sounds as well. It was all he could do. Shield him from this horrible scene.

“I must be careful not to ruin that pretty face of yours,” the Sovereign’s expression was stone cold despite his words. “You know how we deal with detractors of SE.RA.PH. Especially those who betray us, and abandon our cause. Though you are lucky we need you, Sika Madu. But killing you is not the only way to punish your crimes.”

Another pull and Sika’s night robe was reduced to little more than a useless rag. If they couldn’t kill him, they would do the second worst thing to send their message. After they had cuffed the father’s hands behind his back, he was pushed violently to the ground. This time there was nothing stopping him from crashing into it, because the two soldiers had let go.

“Anyone interested may have your turn with him,” the Sovereign told his soldiers. “Enjoy.”

“W-wait!” Sika, in panic and desperation, pleaded. “Not… Not in front of my kids! I will do anything, but please not in front of them!”

“If you think you are in any position to bargain with us, you are solely mistaken, traitor of SE.RA.PH," the Sovereign kicked him in the side, making him cough even more blood. “Or do you want them to have their way with your kids instead?”

“NO!” the father shouted weakly. “Only me! Don’t hurt my children!”

“That’s what I thought.”

Michaela wasn’t old enough to understand exactly what was happening. He sat against the wall, petrified with fear as he watched the seraph soldiers, who he had once looked up to, taking turns violating his father. His father who had always protected them was helpless and wounded, and it only became worse each time he was passed to the next soldier, and kicked even bloodier. As the assault continued, Sika was looking like he struggled to even keep himself conscious. And Michaela was too weak and cowardly to help him.

“Shh… shh…” the only thing he could do was try soothing his little brother, who was blissfully unaware of what was happening to their father. But maybe he was also trying to soothe himself.

When the soldiers considered their work done, they removed themselves from Sika, who was left lying half-conscious on the red splattered floor. His robe was soaked with blood, and even his beautiful silver hair looked red now.

He coughed again. Everything was painful. His entire body felt like it was burning. Even while his mind was slowly getting back on track, he couldn’t move an inch. It was another soldier who had to force him back up, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep sitting on his own.

With what little strength he had left, Sika moved his head to look at his children. Poor Michaela was paralyzed, but they both looked unharmed. It made the father let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s enough. We will bring him back to Babel,” the Sovereign ordered.

“And his kids?” one of the soldiers asked.

The question made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. He glanced nervously at the Sovereign. He had no reason to harm his innocent kids. They had no part in this.

“We need them alive too,” the Sovereign determined. “If we want Sika Madu to comply with us, there is need for a hostage.”

That was right. Sika wasn’t even ashamed to admit it. He would do anything they wanted, as long as they left his children alone, no matter how horrible and inhumane.

“Though…” a cruel gleam filled the Sovereign’s eyes. He started walking towards the two children, his steps sounding so slow and heavy. He stopped right before the quivering Michaela, and now made no attempt to hide the cruelty in his eyes. “How many hostages do we need?”

“One,” the soldier replied.

“Yes. That’s right.”

What?

What were they talking about?

The Sovereign unclipped his gun from the strap around his waist. Slowly he raised his arm, until the weapon was pointed towards the two children. And it was only Michaela who saw, and understood what was happening. His face paled, and his body started uncontrollably trembling.

“Michaela…” Sika could only whisper his name in disbelief.

This wasn’t happening. It just couldn’t.

“P-please…” Michaela struggled to breathe, let alone talk. “I… I d-don’t want to die…”

Michaela sent Sika a pleading look. Like he was begging him for help. For his father to save him.

There was not a moment before in his long life that Sika had felt this helpless.

“Lord Sovereign!” more blood gushed out his mouth when trying to raise his desperate voice. “I beg you! Don’t touch my children! I will do anything you ask of me, just don’t harm them!”

But the Sovereign ignored his pleas.

“I will let you choose, child,” he said. “You or your brother. Which one should be spared?”

“Eh…?”

It took a moment for the question to sink in. The Sovereign patiently waited the whole time. Perhaps he wanted to see the moment of realization, watch as despair filled the child’s previously pure eyes. The moment he could feel the grim reaper breathing in his neck.

Michaela looked down at his little brother. Mika was still in his arms, cuddling with his toy, and knowing nothing of the danger or the horror that had happened in their own home. He met his brother’s glance, big and innocent blue orbs staring at him in confusion. Because Mika didn’t understand why Michaela was hyperventilating, or why tears were streaming down his face from puffy red eyes.

Michaela hugged him. He hugged him tightly against his own body. Then he raised his head to face the Sovereign. With a quivering voice he said:

“Please spare my little brother.”

The Sovereign smirked, raising his arm.

“You are a brave one.”

Sika wanted to scream his child’s name. But he was not able to force a single sound out his throat.

“Mika… Father… I love you—”

The Sovereign pulled the trigger, and with a single bang, Michaela’s body jerked backwards, his head hitting the wall behind him. Red splattered everywhere.

His arms went limp and soon fell to the sides. No longer being hugged by his brother, Mika looked up. Crimson liquid trickled down his head. It had gotten onto Mika’s face and body as well, the child seeing the red covering his fingers after he had touched there.

“Nii-chan?” Mika nudged his brother. His eyes were open, but he wouldn’t respond. “Nii-chan? Nii-chan?”

“M-Mi… MICHAELA!!”

Sika Madu let out the most blood-curdling of screams. He cried and trashed with strength he didn’t have. He repeated the name over and over, uselessly trying to get out of the soldier’s grip to reach him.

“Take him away,” the Sovereign ordered.

“Help him! Call an ambulance! Please! Save my baby! Save him!”

“You of all people should know that a shot to the head like that is beyond saving,” the Sovereign scoffed coldly. “Behave yourself, or we execute your other kid too.”

Despite the threat, Sika didn’t stop trying to fight the soldiers dragging him outside. His eyes were locked on his child’s limp and lifeless body, and the toddler in his lap confusedly trying to get his attention.

“Let me be with my children! Don’t take them! Don’t take my children from me!”

The Sovereign shook his head in disappointment as he watched the former scientist disappear through the door of his home. To think Sika Madu of all people would become someone who’d let his feelings hinder his rational mind. But no matter. He would be put into one of the cars, and then brought to Babel to be imprisoned.

He clicked his gun back onto the strap on his waist, and lowered his gaze to the child still trying to communicate with his deceased brother, saying “Nii-chan” again and again. He was too young to truly grasp the concept of death. Even when his little plush toy was lying in the pool of his brother’s blood.

“What will we do with that child, Lord Sovereign?” the nearest soldier asked.

“He will come with me,” he replied. “He is Sika Madu’s son. Even if he turns out to be only one tenth as brilliant as his father, he will be an irreplaceable asset to SE.RA.PH.”

“Nii-chan… Nii-chan!” Mika finally started crying when the Sovereign picked him up, forcing him apart from his brother.

“Clean up the mess here. Then return to Babel.”

“Yes sir,” the soldiers saluted.

Mika didn’t understand anything of what was going on. But he was scared. He couldn’t see his daddy, and he was being carried away from his safe and warm place that was in his brother’s arms.

But the toddler couldn’t do anything but sob as he was taken from his home, and his family.

Year XX20, Babel tower underground, SE.RA.PH.

--

Sika shifted his body just a little. The cold chains rattled with the movement, and his bloodied wrists stung. But he was barely bothered by that anymore.

This was the prison underneath the Babel tower. The dark, torturous cell he had designed himself. This was perfect irony wasn’t it? Being locked inside his own creation for… how long had it been? He didn’t know. There was no light to indicate passing days. He couldn’t count even if he wanted to. It could have been weeks since the last time he asked himself that question. But it could also have been months, or years. That was how he had designed this prison. It was made to make the prisoner lose their concept of time, which would drive them to insanity. His past self sure was a cruel and sadistic maniac. Not that he cared how long it had been anyways.

It felt like it happened yesterday. The pain of watching his child be murdered in front his eyes hadn’t gone away. His heart was still as heavy, filled with so much regret. When he wasn’t mourning, he was silently begging for his poor son’s forgiveness. Because everything that happened that day was his own fault.

If only he had rushed their escape plan just a little. He had been so extremely cautious, trying to plan everything perfectly, but what happened? He was too slow. And for that reason, he was caught.

How foolish wasn’t he anyways? To think he would really be able to leave his past behind, and live the peaceful life of his dreams with his kids, after committing such inhumane acts upon hundreds of innocent children for decades. It was only after Michaela was born that he suddenly couldn’t stomach his own experiments anymore. So, he had taken his baby, and ran away from Babel so he didn’t have to continue performing them. But also… he didn’t want his own child to become a subject of those experiments.

Sika wondered what Michaela had thought in his final moments. Had he felt disgusted learning the truth of his past? Or had he not believed the words of the Sovereign and died thinking his father was the kind man he has always portrayed himself as? Either one of the options made Sika’s heart heavy.

As for Mika? He had been told the boy was still alive. However, he had never been allowed to see him no matter how much he begged. And they didn’t need to. Because just the claim that he was alive, and the threat of killing him in front of him had always been enough to make Sika comply with the Sovereign’s demands. They were able to continue the experiments where Sika had left off after he unlocked the blueprints.

How much suffering had this caused the citizens of SE.RA.PH? Sika didn’t know. He had no idea what the state looked like anymore. How would he, when he didn’t even know what his own child looked like now.

Hopefully Mika is still alive… Alive and well, all grown up.

How he missed him. Michaela too. He missed both his children so badly. But in this lonely cell was only he alone with his sorrows and remorse. If only he could die soon. Be free from this agony. But Sika, being from a long-living species, knew it was impossible if he wasn’t given an opportunity to take his own life.

His children had been his life. A warm light brighter than the sun. But on that night, the light had been snuffed out, and so had Sika’s will to live.

Sika closed his lids. Just let him sleep for the rest of eternity.

…

His gold eyes blinked open in surprise.

He felt something. A rumbling of some kind. It was odd. For as long as he’d been trapped in here, he had never—

KA-BOOM!

His thought could not be finished, because a loud explosive sound filled his ears, as a powerful force flung his body backwards as much as it could before he hit the cell wall. A cloud of dust covered everything.

What the hell? Sika could barely see a thing, but it almost looked like… One of the walls had been blown open. The siren in the Babel tower was going crazy, he could hear it get louder as the ringing in his ear slowly disappeared, and his hearing returned to normal.

“Cough, cough!” someone coughed and sneezed while walking through the dust and debris. “Damn it. Maybe it was a bit too much after all.”

It was a voice Sika hadn’t heard before. Not the Sovereign’s, or any of the guards that had attended to him during his imprisonment. This voice sounded young, and informal. The person stepped closer, and as the dust disappeared Sika was able to get a proper look at this stranger.

He had been right. This person looked young. A teenager or young adult. His hair was messy and as black as a panther’s fur. But his eyes were bright green and friendly. It looked like he was wearing some kind of uniform. It was black, but Sika couldn’t remember seeing anything like it before. The handsome young guy gave the prisoner a goofy smile, and unsheathed the sword hanging from his hip.

“Hey. My name is Yuuichirou, but Yuu is fine,” he greeted while raising his blade, and slicing the chains keeping Sika’s arms bound over his head.

Sika collapsed to the floor. But this guy, Yuu, didn’t waste any time cutting the chains around his ankles either. He swore under his breath when the alarm siren’s volume increased.

“Shit… hope they can keep them distracted for long enough.”

“What…?” Sika wanted to ask what was going on. But he hadn’t spoken to anyone in so long, he couldn’t even recognize his own voice.

“I know you’re confused, but don’t worry. This is a rescue mission,” Yuuichirou held his hand out to Sika, urging him to take it.

“Sika Madu. The resistance needs your help.”

Chapter Text

Year XX20, Babel tower underground, SE.RA.PH.

--

“Sika Madu. The resistance needs your help.”

Sika stared blankly at the hand held out in front of his face. This person dressed in black was standing before him like a dream-like existence. Everything about this scene, from the broken prison wall and the deafening siren still ringing in his ear, looked straight out of another universe. Imagination. And he had to wonder if he had finally been locked in this place for so long that he had fully lost his sanity and started hallucinating.

The young soldier sheathed his blade, and hurried to the prisoner kneeling on the floor. The chains were cut, but still heavy around his wrists and ankles. The weak and malnourished scientist could barely keep his head up. So, Yuu put one arm under his legs, and the other around his back. He picked him up from the floor with ease. Had his body really become this light during his years of imprisonment?

No, wait. Something else was more important. What was this person doing, and where was he carrying him?

“Wait…” Sika’s voice was so hoarse it was painful to talk. “Stop.”

“Please don’t fight against me, Madu-san. This is kind of a high-stake mission,” Yuu explained while escaping through the same hole he’d created. He started running without hearing the prisoner out, down this long underground corridor. “If they catch us, I am extremely dead. I’d like to avoid that.”

The siren kept blaring in their ears. They heard noises from above. Soldiers. Even if they had blown a hole in the wall, the prison was designed in such a way that there was no real way to escape. The guards were bound to catch you eventually. But this ‘rescuer’ seemed confident regardless. Was he that big of an idiot? Or did he know something else?

Sika’s question was answered when Yuu took an unexpected turn. He found a very specific spot in the metallic floor. The drainage. After putting Sika down, he removed the tile, which offered a small hole to crawl into. Because the prison was underneath the ground, it meant this hole led to nowhere other than the sewer system. Sika could barely believe this was the young man’s idea.

He pushed Sika inside without giving a warning. The pipe was tight, but he slid down all the way, until falling into a shallow pool of water. It didn’t smell good. Polluted. But it could have been worse. Yuu came following, but landed on his feet in the sewer water.

They could hear the echoing footsteps of the guards high above them. Had Yuu continued down that path, they would have intersected and killed them right now. But Sika didn’t know if lying in this cold water was any better. Even with the help of his ‘rescuer’, he struggled to stand on his own feet. He’d been kept restrained and unable to use his body for too long. It wasn’t just tiring. It was painful too.

Yuu sighed sadly when looking at the soaking wet and sickly man. His skin was pale like snow, and his lips and fingertips were blue. The guards hadn’t given him any clothes to wear either. He looked utterly pitiful the way he was now. Yuu unbuttoned his uniform jacket, and pulled it off. Then he laid it over Sika’s shoulder like a blanket. It was long enough to cover his body if he closed it all the way down, something Yuu never bothered doing himself.

“We bought some time, but we have to hurry,” Yuu held the scientist’s hand and started leading him through the sewers. Their steps felt heavy in the water, and it splashed under their feet with every step. “If they find out we’re here, they are going to try flushing us out.”

“And you know how to get out?” Sika managed to ask after couching. He almost fell because of his weak legs, but Yuu was able to catch him.

“No,” the boy with dark raven hair shook his head. “But you do. You designed this place.”

“…”

It was true what he said. It was Sika himself who was the architect of the Babel tower. Which meant this sewer system had also been designed by him. But did this boy really think that meant he’d be able to navigate it after so many years?

“Sika Madu, please. I’m dead if this mission fails,” Yuu pleaded.

Sika was tired, but decided to look around. He analyzed the patterns on the tunnel walls, and the direction of the waterflow. Small little details made him able to figure out just where they were. He couldn’t walk anymore, but he was able to nod in the direction he wanted the dark-haired youth to be heading.

Yuu picked the scientist up again and started following his route. The pollution in the sewers and sound of running water made the older man dizzy, though. He rested his head in the crook of his rescuer’s neck. It had been so long since he felt the touch of another human. The warmth. The smell. It was even a bit familiar.

Yuu continued traversing the waterways the best way he could. Sika Madu’s younger self had designed this place as a maze only he could navigate. It was for the sake of making people unable to escape, and also be an escape route for himself. Back then he’d been very paranoid about people within Babel betraying him, even if he was the one who ended up betraying them. But he didn’t know how this young man knew about that. Not even the higher-ups knew how cunning he’d been when designing this place. Had this ‘Yuu’ just assumed he would be able to remember the path to heart? More importantly, who was he?

There was no time to ask, because there was rumbling through the sewers. It almost felt like an earthquake, but both men knew what it really was.

“Well shit,” Yuu swore.

“No, we are right on time,” Sika weakly said. “Stand right here and let it come.”

“Huh?”

A powerful flood of water came from around the corner. Unable to find the prisoner, the guards had finally decided to try flushing the sewers, in case they were hiding down there. Yuu’s heart rate quickened, but he did as Sika told him. He remained standing in place, watching as the water came closer.

The stream engulfed the two men, and Yuu felt himself dragged along. But unlike what he expected, he wasn’t pulled backwards. He held onto the scientist hard while the wave flushed them downwards. Both held their breaths for more than a minute. But just before he was out of air, Yuu felt himself being dropped into a deep ‘pool’ of water.

Still holding Sika, he ascended to the surface and gasped for air. He must have accidentally swallowed so much water. He tried to hold Sika over water too, but the scientist’s eyes were closed. Yuu cursed again and looked around. To his surprise, it looked like… a river. They were being dragged down a powerful river.

Yuu dragged Sika’s body, which was much heavier in the water. After a lot of struggling he was able to reach the edge of the river and pulled the man onto land. He was still not responding, so Yuu immediately started pressing the back of his hands against his chest, thrusting them hard into it. Then he leaned down to breathe air into his mouth.

Sika coughed, and started spitting sewer water into Yuu’s face.

“Well… you are okay then,” he said in relief, and wiped the water off his face.

They were both soaking wet and freezing, but at least they were out. Yuu could see the Babel tower in the near distance. He had no idea they had been pulled that far by the river, but it worked in their favor. He got a device from his pocket and clicked the button.

“Please be fast…” he murmured.

He held the scientist close against his body, worried the frail man might die from hypothermia unless they got help soon. But he had given the signal, meaning that unless something had gone horribly, horribly wrong, his teammates should be on the way.

Sika was freezing. He could barely stay conscious anymore, fading in and out between a blurry image of his surroundings, and pitch black.

He gave up and closed his eyes. He felt something against his face. Fingers. They gently brushed some of the wet strands stuck to his face out of the way.

Sika hadn’t felt such a kind touch since the day his children were taken from him.

When Sika woke up later, it was in shock and confusion.

He was lying on something soft, and under warm covers. He weakly opened his eyes and saw a room. It was dark. The only source of light seemed to be an oil lamp at a table. The walls were metallic, and so was the floor, but covered with an old rug. The roof was made partly from wood, though, and so was the door. But there were no windows.

It was warm. He’d been covered with many layers of fur. The mattress under his back was likely very old, but after years in that cold cell, he wouldn’t be able to separate a bad mattress from one of top quality.

Sika tried to push himself up. He wasn’t very successful, but could at least sit slightly with a pillow for his neck to rest against. He noticed also that neither limb had those heavy shackles around them anymore. Someone had removed them. Not that he needed to be bound to be kept in place at this point. But…

Where was he? This wasn’t Babel, surely? What happened, why—

Just as he asked himself the question, he remembered. The youth with dark hair, wearing a uniform. The sewers. The water. His memories afterwards were fuzzy, but after piecing them together, although unclear, he was slowly able to paint the whole picture of what had happened.

In that perfect moment, the door to his room opened. Or it might not have been ‘perfect’, as Sika had laid still in his thoughts for a few minutes already, but it felt that way. His heart rate quickened, because in Babel someone entering his cell never ended well for him, but when he saw the green eyes of his visitor, he allowed himself to take a deep breath.

“Heya,” the youth grinned. The young man who had ‘rescued’ him from the prison.

He came to the scientist’s bed, carrying a bowl of something. Once he put it on the table by his bed, Sika was able to see it was soup or stew of some kind. Sika didn’t know what to make of the smell. It had been so long since he was near real food, as Babel directly pumped him full of any nourishment he needed to survive, as well as drugs to keep him weak. Could his body even handle real food anymore?

That was something he would have to find out, because the person who saved him took a spoonful, and brought it to his mouth. Sika could barely move at all, but was able to part his lips, and swallow down the stew. It was thin, and easy on the body. But still Sika felt an instant reaction in his belly, wanting to throw it up. He remained strong and swallowed more.

Hm… Why did it have to suddenly remind him of his son’s cooking…?

The youth must have noticed something was wrong, because his expression shifted. Sika realized there were tears in his eyes. None escaped, but it became even harder to see, and he tried blinking them away.

“You sure have been through a lot, huh?” the dark-haired rescuer commented. “You need to regain your strength. So stay in bed, and let us feed you until you’ve gained some weight.”

Sika couldn’t find it in him to respond. But he did as told, and finished the food.

It didn’t take long after until he passed out again.

“Yuu-san!”

His last teammate finally joined them in what was currently their secret hideout. Shinoa was dressed in all black, and her lavender hair was held up in a ponytail. The moment she entered, she ran to hug him. He didn’t have any complaints, as she had done good this time too.

“The mission was a success,” their leader, Guren, said. He was leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. The four younger members of the resistance looked at him, now that it was time to discuss where to go from here.

“I can’t believe it, honestly,” Yoichi said.

“It is thanks to Shinoa. To think she was able to infiltrate, and hack their system,” Yuu praised the youngest member. “Not only did she find out about the sewers, but she was also able to delay the censors, allowing me to sneak inside undetected.”

“A piece of cake for someone of my talent,” she bragged, but everyone could tell she was over the moon after being praised this much by Yuu.

“Having a Hiiragi on our side comes with benefits,” Guren said, and turned his attention back to Yuu. “How is the fucker?”

“Sika Madu? He’s doing better. He finished all the meals, and I think we might be able to slowly increase the nourishment faster than we expected.”

“Well, he is a ‘winged one’, so his recovery will be faster than if he were human,” the final member named Kimizuki pointed out.

“But mental recovery might still be challenging,” Yuu explained. “So the rest of you should stay away from that room.”

“You don’t need to tell us,” Shinoa mumbled.

As crazy as it may sound, this small group of teenagers, lead by a young adult man, was currently the main force of the resistance. What little was left of it. There were a few more members scattered around SE.RA.PH, but the main operation was led by them.

Guren. Son of the former resistance leader, taking up the mantle after his father.

Shinoa. The hacker, with ties to the Hiiragi family, who serves Babel.

Yoichi. The one in charge of dealing, and providing weapons for the resistance.

Kimizuki. The informant, who wasn’t afraid of getting involved with dangerous people, and capable of fighting his way out.

And of course, Yuu. The mysterious one, who might not have admitted to much of his past or intentions, but was insanely powerful, not to mention fearless.

They had all worked together for the past two years, but this was their biggest mission yet. And it was only going to get more dangerous from here on.

They had their runaway scientist, an invaluable asset. But until he recovered, they had to continue on, sabotaging the underground dealings of the corrupt state, and slowly target and take down those involved with them.

“Remember everyone,” Guren spoke up again. “Do not get caught by the Seraph soldiers.”

Shinoa visibly cringed at the title drop.

“Are you okay?” Yuu asked.

“Yes… it’s just…” she mumbled.

“Stay away from the high-ranking ones,” Yuu warned. “They’re going to make you wish for death.”

“We know already,” Kimizuki reassured.

Every single member of the resistance knew how dangerous the Seraphs were. Super soldiers, trained by Babel since childhood into killing machines, who imposed ‘order’ onto every citizen with their cold steel. Few who crossed paths with a high-ranking one of them were ever seen alive again.

With their individual responsibilities clear, the team members headed out. Shinoa might have wanted to stay behind a little more, but was given her next mission by Guren. They had all heard about it for a while, of a certain nobleman dealing illegal weapons on the black market. Said weapons were supposedly from Babel, the corrupt government handing them to citizens who paid enough, or that’s what was claimed by the intel they’d received from a trusted source.

Seize the opportunity to break into the home, and copy the files on the nobleman’s computer, while he is meeting up with the dealers. A way less dangerous mission than the one she’d just been part of.

She reluctantly accepted, saying a final goodbye to Yuu, and left the hideout as well. It was better that way, to have less people gathered in one single place. And it was right in time before he had to think about tending to Sika again.

He was on his way to the makeshift kitchen to prepare more nutrients for the frail scientist when Guren stopped him.

“You still didn’t tell them?” he asked.

“It has nothing to do with them, and doesn’t change anything,” Yuu’s answer was short. “And you are satisfied as long as my power is of use to you, right?”

“True that. It’s your choice anyways,” the leader of the resistance shrugged.

Yuu continued nursing Sika back to health for days, turning to weeks. And in time, he started looking much better. His almost skeletal appearance was no more. The color on his face had returned, and he had a healthy body weight at last. It also meant his beauty had returned. He was prettier than a woman.

Sika slowly gulped down his stew, and was able to chew meat and vegetables now. He was also capable of sitting right up in the bed, and holding the spoon with his own hand. But even if his physical body looked better than ever, his eyes had no shine. He kept staring out into the air, and speaking a word to no one. At least not until now.

His empty eyes moved to Yuu, who was sitting next to him. It made him feel like a sick child. But because of his terrible condition, it might not be strange that he wanted to be close. It still posed the greatest question, and he was finally ready to ask.

“Why did you save me?”

Yuu stared at Sika in shock. It wasn’t the question, it was the fact that he’d spoken to him at all. It was so surprising, his words didn’t register as a question at first.

“Um…” he hummed softly, while his brain slowly made sense of his words. “Oh. Well, you’re a former scientist of Babel, you’re an ally we can’t afford to miss out on.”

Simple answer. But Sika wasn’t satisfied. He shook his head.

“I can’t be your ally,” he said.

“Of course you can!” Yuu insisted. “You have every reason to join our cause against Babel.”

“Perhaps, but…” his fingers wrapped tightly around the lukewarm bowl he held. “I can’t ever stand against them. Not while they have my child. They… just finding out I escaped might be enough to make them…”

Sika’s face paled in fear. Which was impressive, because his skin was so white already, it was hard to imagine how it could lose any more color. But somehow it did. The fear of not knowing what Babel would do in retaliation weighed heavy on the poor man.

“Sika, they’re not gonna execute your kid for this,” Yuu reassured. “He’s too valuable of an asset to Babel. They’re never getting rid of him any time soon, I swear.”

“He…” Sika’s eyes widened. “You… know for a fact that he is alive…?”

“Yes. He is safe,” the dark-haired youth promised.

A sense of relief washed over the former scientist. Was he presented any evidence? No. But just hearing someone say it so confidently had allowed him to cling to that hope. He wanted to, no needed to believe that his baby was still alive.

“How do you know for sure?” he asked.

“I met him personally,” Yuu said. Sika looked at him in disbelief, but Yuu kept a straight face, without any signs of lies or deceit on it. “That blond hair, and striking blue eyes are hard to forget. He even told me about his pasta-loving father.”

Yuu could see it in his eyes. The moment Sika realized that Yuu was telling the truth.

“So…”

“If you cooperate with us, I promise we will do anything to save him in return,” Yuu said.

Sika didn’t respond to this ultimatum. But they both knew that the desperate father had no choice but to agree. Just the possibility that he’d get to save his son was something he couldn’t pass up on.

“But if they have my child…” Sika was still not sure.

“I assure you, nothing will happen to him,” Yuu promised. “As I said, he is way too valuable to them. It’s your life that’s in danger.”

“You say so, but…”

“If you back out, he is never going to be saved,” Yuu raised his voice a little in frustration. He couldn’t deal with the man being indecisive. “Neither will the rest of SE.RA.PH. We need you, Sika Madu.”

Sika was done speaking, and just nodded. It was enough of a reply for Yuu, so he took his dirty bowl. It didn’t look like Sika even noticed. He was staring into the air again, but… he saw a bit of shine in his eye for the first time. It was weak, like a dying candle. But it represented the little bit of hope which had returned to the heart of the broken man.

“You do have a purpose now. Something you can do for the people, and for your son,” Yuu said before he left the room. “If you can move more, make sure to do the exercises I told you about before. Rebuild some muscle mass, and then we will let you in on our agenda.”

Yuu closed the door to his room, and left the father alone with his thoughts.

Chapter Text

The vehicles rolled in. Large, armored cars, with wheels so big and rough they tore up the asphalt road, before stopping outside a higher-class home. Despite being in the middle of the night, it was bright outside from the powerful headlights of the military trucks. Doors opened, and uniformed men stepped out in union.

They broke through the door. A dog started barking at the sudden intrusion, but it was quickly silenced with a click. The noise had awoken someone, and the soldiers rushed inside one after the other, searching the whole house.

A man and woman were dragged out of their beds, wearing only nightgowns. The woman was scared and crying, and so were the son and daughter who were taken from their rooms into the living room with their parents. But the father had a different look on his face. Fear, yes. But panic and guilt as well.

The soldiers moved aside, allowing someone to enter after them. He was dressed in white and gold, with a long cape dragging behind him like wings. He had hair like golden sunshine, and striking blue eyes, with thin slits for pupils like a snake. His pretty face was only making him more intimidating, because it was like staring the demon king in the eyes, the devil.

“Goshi,” he spoke his name so sharply, it felt like it could really have cut through them if he wanted to.

“Seraph…” he whispered. His blood ran cold in his veins under the gaze of the devil’s icy eyes.

“Dear… what is going on…?” the woman by his side whispered fearfully. She looked towards her children, who were curled up between the armed soldiers following the Seraph.

“It’s with my deepest condolences that I must inform you of your husband’s crimes,” the Seraph spoke slowly, but despite his words there were no traces of sincerity in them. He was as cold and heartless as the rumors described.

“Crimes?”

The Seraph impatiently tapped his finger against the hilt of his weapon, which rested in the black leather scabbard on his waist. The sound called forth one of the soldiers. He pressed a button, and a hologram lit the room up. A list.

“In the past, you had ties to the terrorist organization, calling themselves the ‘Moon Demons’. Isn’t that right?” the Seraph asked.

“Y-yes, but… that’s all in the past, which I admitted to,” Goshi tried to defend himself, but the Seraph shook his head, and waved his finger ‘no’ in front of him.

“Yet, it seems you are still collaborating with the terrorists. Living the life of a double agent, feeding them information,” the blond in white revealed, and the color drained from the wife’s face. “Too bad… You have a wife and children. To throw all of that away, and for what?”

“W-wait!” Goshi exclaimed, the soldiers raising their weapons towards him when he tried to crawl closer to the leader. “Please… I admit my sins. I will tell you anything you want, just leave my family out of this. They knew nothing, and are innocent!”

“There is no useful information you could ever offer me,” the Seraph coldly replied. “You cannot provide the location of their leader, no? He was smarter than to share such details even with his close allies and friends. Such as you…”

His words revealed just how much he knew. Goshi was not just a collaborator of the Moon Demons, he was one of their leader’s closest friends. A traitor of the worst kind, in other words. An enemy of Babel.

“Seraph… I beg you…”

“You knew the consequences,” he spared him no sympathy, and clicked something from his waist. “Anyone who betrays Babel will be made an example of.”

The soldiers dragged the traitor’s wife to the middle of the room. The husband could do nothing but cry out for her, helplessly struggling against the men holding him down. He pleaded and pleaded, but the Seraph’s eyes were like ice when he looked down at the trembling woman. He raised his arm, the gun pointed right at her forehead.

“Please…” the woman croaked between her sobs.

“Don’t worry,” the Seraph’s blue, snake-eyes stared right into hers. “Your children will follow you right away.”

A single push of his finger, and the gun fired off. The woman collapsed backwards, crashing into the floor. Her hair was slowly soaking in red.

The husband was crying and screaming in despair. The children, who just saw their mom get executed in front of them, didn’t have as strong of a reaction. They might be too shocked or confused, not fully realizing what had just happened. But their father’s wails made them sob quietly in fear as well.

The Seraph’s eye twitched. His head was aching. It had to be the screaming, surely. Like nails against a chalkboard. He thought he was used to the screams of humans already. But it was reason less to stay longer than necessary.

Despite still trying to process the sight of his wife’s lifeless body, when the Seraph moved towards the children, the husband tried to plead with him again.

“Don’t hurt them! They are just kids! Please!”

“No family of a traitor of Babel is to be spared. Such is the rule,” the Seraph reminded him. “You knew, and still chose to aid terrorists at the cost of their lives. Your wife and your children… you may as well have killed them with your own hands.”

He raised his arm to the children next. An older brother and younger sister. Their eyes were red and swollen from crying, but the younger didn’t seem as aware of her surroundings as the older. Too young to understand. But her brother might have realized what was about to happen to them.

Ah, how sad. The Seraph pulled the trigger on his weapon. But…

Right before it clicked, his finger stopped.

He was standing frozen in place, eyes fixated on the children. The older, with a gun pointed at him, hugged his younger sister close against his body, bravely trying to shield her. Futile. But still, the Seraph couldn’t move his finger.

His head was hurting so, so bad. It felt like his mind was splitting apart. The longer he stared at them, the more it burned. He brought his free hand to his forehead to rub, just to feel a warm sensation under his gloves. When he looked at his hand next, it was soaked in red.

The sound of two bullets boomed loudly in his ears. He blinked, and next thing he knew, the children were lying dead on the floor.

Something tapped him on the shoulder.

“Oi, Mikaela?” someone called for him. He moved his head and saw his fellow soldier with dark violet hair. “You good there?”

“Um…” the blond Seraph mumbled. When he looked at his hand this time, it was clean. Not even a smudge of red. His dizziness cleared, and he put his gun back in the holster.

As the one in charge, he shouldn’t admit to getting distracted for a moment. He cleared his throat and turned to his soldiers with the same cold and emotionless expression he was known for.

“The traitor will be taken captive. Any friends of the Moon Demons are valuable hostages,” he ordered, and his soldiers didn’t waste any time before cuffing the man. It wasn’t hard, because he had lost all will to fight, following the execution of his whole family inside their own home.

They took him to the back of the armored car, and locked him inside. It was not up to him what happened to that man from here on. But he would likely be kept in a not-so-nice cell, where he could grieve his family alone. In many ways, this was a worse punishment than death.

A few of the other soldiers started cleaning the scene, but that wasn’t the job or concern of the leader. He returned to his own vehicle, already typing out a report of the night’s events. His allies joined, and they drove off back to Babel.

One of his allies scooted closer to him in the seats. The Seraph’s signature side-eye made him stop, but his curiosity wasn’t quelled so easily.

“Mikaela, sure you’re alright?” he asked. “You kind of froze up there, didn’t you? What happened?”

“None of your concern, Lacus,” the blond replied coldly.

“You never had any problems with executions before. So, if there’s something wrong with you, can’t you tell a mate?”

Mikaela was well known among the agents of Babel, the commoners, and especially their enemies. A deadly force, showing mercy for no one, and feared by all. One of the most talented and powerful agents despite his age. It’s why he’d become the youngest Seraph ever, endorsed by the Sovereign himself.

So, freezing up like that was very unlike him. Lacus had never seen it before.

“I will give you one final warning to mind your own business,” Mikaela said sharply. “Unless you wish to end up like that man’s family, you will take it seriously.”

“Aw, really stepping on your toes,” Lacus leaned back in the seat, with his arms over his head. “Sometimes I wonder if your face is the only reason why you’re the Sovereign’s favorite.”

Mikaela scoffed. What a foolish statement.

“And that’s everything. We captured another ally of the Moon Demons.”

“Excellent. Just as expected of you.”

Mikaela was standing in the great room on the top of the Babel tower. There, the Sovereign resided in his office. From his windows, one could see all of SE.RA.PH, the city lights of the different districts blinking like a sea of little stars.

The Sovereign was seated behind his desk, listening to the Seraph agent’s report with a satisfied expression. So far, there was not a single mission his new favorite agent had failed. Little details of the mission were needed no more, but the Sovereign allowed the blond to finish, just so he had more time to let his eyes roam his elegant figure.

“I came across a problem, lord Sovereign,” Mikaela admitted.

“Oh?”

“When it was time to execute the traitor’s family, something strange happened. My head was spinning. And I was unable to pull the trigger on the children,” he explained.

“I see…”

Mikaela’s headaches were not new. But it had never gotten so bad it hindered him in his mission before. Mikaela had a blank expression, but the Sovereign could sense his nervousness. Even if he hadn’t failed, he worried the Sovereign might be disappointed in his hesitation.

“Come here, Mikaela,” he ordered.

The young agent immediately walked closer to the desk. He moved around it, so he was positioned right next to the Sovereign’s chair, the man was now leaning back in it, and smiling at him. He put both hands on the armrest and pushed himself up. He was standing much taller in front of his young agent.

“You are malfunctioning.”

“I know. Forgive me,” Mikaela apologized sincerely.

Mikaela was not a machine, or program. But even if he was flesh and blood, he was a weapon. Although his weapon was malfunctioning a little, the Sovereign knew it was irreplaceable. He could always tweak and fix his tool.

“I will. You are my most loyal and reliable servant,” the Sovereign reassured him. Mikaela always sharing every bit of information with his master, even if it could have negative consequences for himself, was proof.

The Sovereign traced his fingers down the young agent’s back, under his cape. Mikaela gasped softly. He had been trained to be well receptive of this type of affection. Such could help with his horrible headaches too.

But before that, he had something more important he had to share with his precious agent. Now that he had finished his previous mission, it was the perfect time to bring it up.

With the Moon Demons’ double agent behind bars, they had weakened those terrorists even more. It was only a matter of time before they crumbled from the inside. But… they were not the only ones taking losses lately. The Sovereign was very aware of a certain… break in.

“Mikaela, I have a new, very important mission for you,” the Sovereign said softly, while he moved his hand up and down the blond’s back. His movements were reminiscent of someone petting a cat. “While you continue to preserve order in SE.RA.PH, I need you to be aware of a certain prisoner who recently escaped.”

“Escaped?” Mikaela asked after letting out a pleasured sound from the physical contact. “Not from Babel? That should be impossible.”

“For a normal person, yes. But this is no normal prisoner,” the Sovereign said bitterly.

He moved his hand from Mikaela (who had to hold back a disappointed sigh), and clicked a button on the band around his wrist. A holographic screen opened in front of them. And on the screen was a photo of a man. He had a beautiful, androgynous face, and very long silver hair.

“This is the prisoner who escaped. It’s believed he made it out with the help of the Moon Demons.”

“But… how?” Mikaela had a hard time believing it. Babel was the most secure structure in all of SE.RA.PH.

“A normal person would have never escaped. But this man… he is the architect of Babel,” the Sovereign revealed. “He was once my ally… and friend. But he betrayed us.”

“And you want me to kill him?” Mikaela asked.

“Yes.”

It was a hard decision, but he had already determined that Sika was better off dead than alive. While he was valuable to Babel, he was a much bigger threat alive should he have fallen in the hands of the Moon Demons. The safest option was to kill on sight, and not take any risks trying to capture him.

“Normally, I would have sent all my forces to capture him. But… to not tarnish the image of Babel, I cannot allow people to know of his escape,” the Sovereign explained. “That’s why I ask you to do this, Mikaela. I can only trust you with this task.”

It was barely noticeable, but Mikaela’s lips moved up just a little bit. As if he wanted to smile after hearing his master holding so much faith in him. That soft and sweet look in his eyes was reserved only for the Sovereign.

“Understood. I will continue my duty, while also tracking down this man,” the blond said. “I will not disappoint you, lord Sovereign.”

“I know you won’t,” the older man said, and caressed his servant’s cheek. “But before that, let us do something about your headaches. It would be terrible if you continued being bothered by them during your missions.”

“Please, lord Sovereign.”

A cold chill crept down his spine, like icicles prickling the bones.

Sika looked to the side suddenly, wide eyes fixated on an empty spot on the upper wall. His hands trembled so badly he almost spilled soup on his lap, but someone took the bowl out of his hands before it broke under his grip.

“Hearing something?” Yuu asked. 

He knew that Sika’s race, the winged ones, have stronger senses than regular humans. His elven ears could have picked something up, but his gaze was so unfocused he doubted it was the case. Couldn’t blame a man for being paranoid after being locked in a cell for over a decade.

Sika needed a bit to calm down. Slowly, he turned his head to look at his single companion. The man looked horrible despite his beauty. The dark circles under his eyes made it look like he hadn’t slept in weeks, even though he had been passed out for the majority of the time after his rescue. Just when he’d recovered so well too.

“No… Just an awful feeling,” he weakly responded.

Even if his body recovered, his mental state must have worsened after Yuu’s proposal. There was a lot of pressure on his shoulders. The life of his child, especially.

“That’s not surprising. But for something positive, I think you might be able to leave bed very soon,” Yuu determined. A winged one can get back in shape even faster than he expected.

Sika nodded. He didn’t feel much better, but he knew his body had regained its strength. Only his mind and heart was still hurting. And he might have just become so accustomed to pain, he was still imagining it all over his body.

His yellow eyes trailed up and down the person by his bed. Yuu, the young guy who saved him. Sika had never tried having a proper look at him before. He was a rather handsome male, with black hair, and green eyes, like jades. The clothes he was wearing were normal for a rebel. Mainly blacks, to more easily blend into the dark. His demeanor was always friendly and chill, even though he was guilty of breaking out a prisoner from Babel. Had to wonder if he was simply stupid or insane, maybe both.

One interesting thing he noticed about the dark-haired youth was the fabric wrapped around his neck. A wide choker or something. Sika might not have thought much about it, if not for the accessory hanging from the front.

“Girlfriend?” he asked.

Yuu was caught by surprise at the question. When he saw Sika’s finger pointing at the accessory, he simply shook his head.

“Ah. No, this isn’t the kind of couples necklaces you think of,” he replied. “It’s honestly best to not have a partner if you're a member of the resistance.”

“That’s…”

Sika closed his eyes. He knew exactly what he was talking about. Babel, to scare the citizens into submission, always punished the loved ones of traitors. Innocent family members and lovers who knew nothing, all of them would be executed. Sika knew that personally.

“Have you decided yet?” Yuu asked.

Time was passing by fast. Sika was likely the most wanted man in SE.RA.PH now, so Yuu hadn’t stopped pestering him with that question.

Sika had thought about it for a long time. He despised his position, but knew that he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. Even taking his own life would be a better decision than to let his regrets eat away at him, while the resistance tried convincing him.

“I wish to save my son,” he said. “Losing Michaela was the greatest tragedy of my life. I don’t want to lose Mika too.”

Yuu smiled.

“I promise you, if you help us, we will save him. I swear it to you.”

Sika was still hesitant. There were so many worries on his mind. But he knew that most of all, before he forfeited his life, he wanted to secure his son’s. It’s his final wish, and he was sure it was Michaela’s wish as well.

“Okay. I will join you,” the former scientist confirmed. “If you save my Mika, I will do anything in my power to aid you.”

Chapter Text

Covered in a dark hood, Sika was taken through a not so wide alleyway in the very edge of a lower-class district. The people seemed slightly better off than those he had lived near in the past, but it couldn’t be described as wealthy either.

He was brought through a small door in the corner of a building, the smell of paint and dust overwhelming the sensitive senses of the man who’d until now spent more than a decade in captivity. Only when the door closed did he dare pull the hood down, revealing his dainty face, and recognizable silver hair. No matter how much he’d been through since the escape, that silky hair remained almost flawless after just a wash.

The older man let his eyes wander around the room, taking in the unusual sight. A little old, with shelves upon shelves covering nearly every wall. DVDs, electronics, even old tapes. The open spots were covered with different posters of old movies from more than two decades ago.

“Never seen a retro shop?”

“Not exactly a hobby I used to take interest in,” he responded to the dark-haired male who followed behind him. “Fascinating, though. While the music and movies seem old, the technology hasn’t changed much.”

True was that. The old and new video players were near identical to each other, if only becoming smoother in design as time passed on.

“Not surprising, is it? In SE.RA.PH, everything is controlled by the state. That includes the companies,” Yuu noted. “It makes it difficult to invent something new. Things probably haven’t changed since before you were imprisoned.”

“I guess… At one point in time, technology evolved so fast…”

“Ah, right, you’re like real old, aren’t ya?” Yuu remembered, knowing of Sika’s species. “Well, of course, if you designed Babel, which has been around for thousands of years, that’s quite obvious.”

“What are we doing in here anyways?” Sika asked the pending question.

Yuu walked past the silver-haired man, and lazily threw himself on an old couch, sighing out loud. He resembled a tired man coming home from work, except they had only moved from that secret hiding spot, to this… place. Though, days of caring for a sickly man might have taken a toll. His allies left all that work to him.

“See, this is my place,” Yuu said. “I run this shop, have since I was fourteen. But I also operate from this place. I will keep you here for the time being, until my informant gets back to me about a person of interest.”

“Those are not many details,” Sika crossed his arms. He’d agreed to join these people, but this youth wasn’t very specific about their next steps. “Is my presence needed for this?”

“It will be, just wait. You’re a genius, way more skilled a hacker than my current ally, so yeah. Taking you on my missions doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” he shrugged, but then the tone shifted. “More importantly. Look, you’re at great risk just existing. Being close to me is your best bet at survival.”

Sika frowned a little, and looked the youth up and down. He was a male of average height for a Japanese person. He was young, a teen. Nothing about him screamed ‘powerful’. But that confidence wasn’t fake either.

“You’re that strong?”

“Oh yeah,” Yuu confirmed. “I could solo most Seraph agents. Does that ease your mind?”

“I would never have guessed,” Sika replied.

It was hard to believe, but why would the resistance leave him, the person they had broken into Babel to rescue, to be protected by this young man if there wasn’t truth to his claim?

“Better get used to my company, gramps,” he smirked.

The retro shop was only at the front of the building. Yuu got up and guided Sika through a door behind the counter, leading to the actual living space of the young man. It was spacious and open, though clearly old. The walls were brick, but he’d decorated it with some cozy furniture to make it appear not so cold and empty.

In the corner, there was a computer. An especially old one, but Sika noticed newer and more powerful components hooked up to it.

He had to get a closer look, walking towards the workplace to analyze the computer. It didn’t take long before he realized…

“Yeah, that strange setup makes it harder to track,” Yuu said Sika’s thoughts out loud. “SE.RA.PH getting so strict on tech to keep people under control made it so that practically nothing is backwards-compatible. Bet they didn’t think anyone capable of mashing together their own device.”

“It’s very creative,” Sika had to give his compliment. “Though had I still been at Babel, I would not have overlooked such a thing.”

“Throwing their greatest science and tech guy in jail was a skill-issue on their part,” Yuu shrugged.

“...”

Sika’s gaze lowered a little.

For a few years after his capture, he had been forced to share some of his research and secrets with Babel, at the threat of his youngest, and only surviving child. He wasn’t proud of it. How many people died in the aftermath? He was never given a number, and never had the chance to find out from his cell.

But… The reassurance that his son was still alive might have made it worth it to a selfish parent like himself.

Though, saving him… That was a whole ‘nother can of worms.

“Your informant you said.”

“We’ll see her soon, don’t worry,” Yuu replied. “I get you’re eager to save Mika, but you’ve gotta be patient. You’re SE.RA.PH’s most wanted criminal as of now.”

“I am aware,” Sika rolled his eyes.

“But there aren’t any wanted posters around,” Yuu reminded.

When someone hunted by Babel and the Seraph agents is afoot, they’ll usually plaster their faces on hologram displays around the city. For someone as dangerous to Babel as Sika, one would expect them to put him on every single screen available the moment he got out. But no, nothing.

“Because I was a Babel high security prisoner,” Sika explained flatly. “Admitting that I have escaped will make Babel look weak, and might empower and raise morale among rebels.”

“Man, sounds like such a bother to be a dictator,” Yuu sighed. “Can’t ever admit to screwing up, must monitor every citizen down to what they’re eating for dinner, and let’s not get started on the censorship!”

“Yes, I would advise against becoming a dictator,” the silver-haired man’s eyes softened a little.

It had been a long time since he last had such a casual conversation. It was nostalgic in a way. But thinking back to his time as a free man, and his sweet son Michaela… It was still as painful as the day he’d lost him.

A parent could never get over losing their child.

“There’s a bed in the other room. You take it,” Yuu offered. “Although you are better, you should get as much rest as possible.”

“What about you?” Sika asked.

“I will stay up for a while. Got things to do.”

Sika’s eyes narrowed a bit at this. When Yuu noticed, he simply shook his head.

“No worries, I will fill you in about everything you need to know. I ain’t trying to keep secrets, we are a team now right?”

“Right…” the silver-haired man sighed.

The city lights were dazzling from the rooftops.

In the upper-class districts, it was beautiful. A sea of blues and pinks, lights from buildings, cars, large advertising screens, and much more. All bleeding into each other, because of the moisture in the air. Even in the dead of night, it all seemed so alive.

“You know what to do, right?”

“Yes,” her heart pounded in her chest, from the simple sound of her teammate’s voice.

“The blueprints are on his laptop. After you have copied them, leave without a trace, and return to base.” 

“I understand, Yuu-san,” she nodded, tightening a belt around her black bodysuit.

“Good luck, Shinoa. I trust you with this.”

She tapped the device in her ear when his voice cut off. The rainfall was light, but the grip on her boots made sure she didn’t slip when she moved to the edge of the roof. She closed her eyes, and kicked herself off. Her body kept falling, falling, the water droplets whipping against her face. But at the exact right time, she twisted her small frame, and grasped the elastic rope attached to her belt.

She landed safely on an edge, and quickly unhooked the rope. Without any more safety measures, she crawled along the edge of the building, 50 stories high. A normal person would be petrified, but Shinoa had done this for years.

She reached her goal, the air vent. From her belt, she had the tools to pry it open, and didn’t waste another moment before going inside. This space would be too tight for anyone else, but Shinoa was small and slim enough to barely snake herself through the long and closed space.

This is a luxurious, grand hotel.

High security, but still nothing compared to the target’s own home. Therefore, this is the only opportunity to strike until his next business trip.

He is moving blueprints for a dangerous, new weapon in development. One Babel wants its hands on.

Yuu had given her all the information she needed for the mission. The overview of the whole hotel, security camera locations, and the target’s routine. In other words, she knew exactly how to move, and put her plan into motion.

She opened another vent, and crawled out, finding herself in a storage room. Good. Rooms like these didn’t have surveillance. She was able to undress in peace, taking off her bodysuit and boots, which revealed a surprise underneath.

A tight-fit, deep rose-colored dress, its skirt falling loosely around her legs by a simple removal of a pin. Inside the small bag she’d managed to smuggle inside, she got a pair of stylish, high-heeled boots, and a few accessories in white gold. She cleaned her face and upper body with a wet wipe, before bringing out a trusty mini-makeup palette. She added some color, glitter, and shimmer, as well as a rose-red lip, and long, black eyelashes.

She put her belongings into the small bag, and hid it inside the vent. This would work as her escape route too. Now, it was time to get to business.

Shinoa fixed her hair, before discreetly exiting the storage room. With no one around to watch, she started marching down the hallways of the luxurious hotel, with an alluring, and confident posture.

It was one of the first steps of being a spy. The way you walk and carry yourself can determine whether or not you are found out. Shinoa wasn’t the most endowed woman, she was in fact rather petite, with little to no curves to show for, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t attractive. She had a beautiful face, and eye-catching lavender hair. When men turned to look at her, it was to admire her, not out of suspicion.

This is why she was chosen for this mission.

Men are morons, simply put. Rich men of the highest class, even more so in certain aspects. Too protected, too used to security. That’s why none of them would question a pretty girl.

This floor didn’t have a lot of video security, it did in fact have a strict ‘no video surveillance’ policy for a very specific reason. To prevent anyone getting their hands on video evidence of the upper-class men cheating on their wives with young women and prostitutes they bring to this place. Instead, they had guards standing by every entrance. But not the vents this little mouse crawled through.

She had a destination.

The target’s hotel room? A plan to steal his key, so she could get her hands on the blueprints? None of the sort. While there might not be camera surveillance in this exclusive part of the building, the remaining security was near impenetrable. Not even she had been able to find a way to bypass it, needing not only the member card of the person whose room she was breaking into, but also his personal code, fingerprint, and eyescan. Hacking was impossible, and not to mention, even if she was able to, the card tracks the location of the holder, and the number of times it’s used.

Pretty much, to have privacy in this place, they might have sacrificed the presence of cameras, but honestly, getting past cameras might have been easier than getting through the security of these member cards.

Luckily, there was a very simple solution.

She was going to have the target willingly let her into his room.

“The target? He loves fooling around with women. Just act shy, but interested, and he’s going to take you to his room.”

Shinoa wasn’t interested in sleeping with this guy, but she had a solution for that problem. The only concern was getting inside, and then she was free to get the blueprints, and escape the way she came.

Where to begin?

The hotel’s bar, of course!

Shinoa, along with a few other women who just happened to arrive at the same time, walked right past the guards, into the massive, and honestly beautiful room. She smiled and winked at the guards, and they let her in without even a question.

While the men were asked to scan their membership card, women were allowed to walk freely in this place. The staff knew that most of the women were not members, and either wives, secret lovers, sugar babies, or whores invited by the men.

Most of them…

Shinoa did notice a table near the entrance, where a stunningly beautiful woman was sitting. She was definitely of a noble class, and surrounded by four seemingly younger women. Shinoa tried not to get flustered at the sight. Of course rich women like her would have a whole harem of lovers, regardless of which way they swing.

Money, power, and sex was a drug unlike anything to humans.

And the rich, with no worries in their lives, fall into debauchery. It corrupts, it makes man desire more, a greater high next time, something that can make them feel that rush again, as the pleasures dull over time.

Yes, like a real drug.

In their pursuit for that rush of excitement, they start cheating on their partners. When that grows old they take several partners at once. Soon, not even that can satisfy them, and they delve into the taboo. The immoral. Teenagers, not necessarily because they are into them, but simply to get high off knowing they are doing something wrong. And once that line has been crossed, it can only get worse.

It was an uncanny feeling, to be surrounded by such extravagance, while knowing the dark truth behind the glamor. Beautiful, like a venomous snake’s colorful scales, while it wraps around you, catching you like prey.

But tonight, she was the one on the hunt.

She walked towards the bardesk, but halted in her tracks when someone stepped out from behind one of the columns. Crimson red met widening amber eyes.

“Hey,” the tall man greeted. He looked near two meters tall, with a wide and muscular build. He was wearing a formal suit that sat a little tight around his chest area, making it necessary to keep the shirt unbuttoned, instead of, you know, wearing a bigger size.

He was not her target. He did have brown hair, yes, but the front part was red. The dual-colored hair was interesting for sure, but she was looking for a man with brown hair, and a smaller physical frame.

But even so, it wasn’t good to be thrown off completely because a man unexpectedly talked to her. She quickly forced a smile, which appeared completely natural.

“Oh hello, sir,” she replied, keeping her voice as cheerful and high pitched as possible, without it sounding fake.

“You hardly look old enough to drink,” the man commented.

This again? What an insult. Okay, he was completely right, but still.

“Aww, you don’t need to flatter me,” she giggled. “People tell me I look young for my age.”

“Hey, you don’t have to lie. This place doesn’t give a crap. A lot of the girls here are minors,” the stranger nudged his head in the direction of some of the young women drinking, and dancing to the jazz played in the bar. “It’s just that I haven’t seen you here before.”

Ah crap.

“You also look very innocent,” the man continued. “If this is your first time being invited to this place, just know what you’re getting yourself into. Even if it starts slowly and comfortably, the guys here are going to push further and further, until you’re made to perform acts you might never recover from.”

“...”

Shinoa gulped.

She was aware. Young women here were likely to suffer a terrible fate. She knew, but still it left her a little cold inside to hear it out the mouth of another person.

“Oh no, ahaha!” she laughed it off. “I am not that type of girl, I won’t ever go that far. Just dates for little me!”

“That’s what they all say…” he mumbled, which sent a shiver down her spine. “But it’s your own choice to make. Enjoy your evening.”

The man walked away, leaving a slightly shaken Shinoa to herself.

Why did her chest feel a little heavy?

Maybe she hadn’t expected someone in this place to actually have a heart? Given his warning, and that final comment, he must have seen such tragedies befall young women over and over. But, as he acknowledged, it’s not like he can do anything to stop her.

Damn, the faster she could get this mission over with, the better.

This place just became too depressing.

She took a seat by the bardesk, and waited.

From a distance, she might seem shy and reserved. Perfect prey for men, in other words. She waited for minutes. She wasn’t completely sure when her target would show up, but it had to be around–

Someone took a seat besides her, and held up two fingers, ordering drinks.

“Good evening.”

Reddish-brown hair. A wine-colored suit. And a matching build.

Her target.

“Oh thank you, but you didn’t have to,” she attempted to humbly deny his offer when the drinks came, one for him, one for her.

“I insist,” the man replied. “A beautiful girl shouldn’t sit by herself, without a drink.”

Shinoa found herself hesitating a little. Although the man’s words were flirtatious, his tone seemed neutral, and so was his expression. After hearing the information about him, she had honestly expected his personality to be more of a… womanizer. Instead, he seemed… not uninterested, but also not as eager as an alleged fuckboy would be.

He was admittedly good-looking though, so that might be part of the reason why he so easily found himself in the company of women.

“Are you all by yourself?” he asked.

“It appears like I have been forgotten…” Shinoa let out a fake, sad sigh. “I guess I should have expected it. There are many women here who are way prettier than me.”

She hugged her slim waist with an arm, drawing attention to her small, flat body.

“Men don’t like girls like me, they like… curves,” she continued in a sombre tone.

“Not all guys think that way,” the man denied. “You look great.”

Shinoa twirled a lock of hair around her finger, moving it closer to her face, unsuccessfully hiding the pink blush on her cheeks. This shy and demure display made the man scoot closer to her, gently placing a hand on her thigh.

“Ah…” she let a gasp pass her parted lips. “S-sir, this type of thing is… It’s foreign to me…”

There was a slight gleam in his eyes.

Of course, she was a small, petite woman, with an innocent face, and a pure, virgin body. Prey to be devoured, claimed, and deflowered. The virgin fetish was strong with these guys. Gross, but it’s what she had hoped to gain his attention.

But her feigned panic turned real when the man snuck his hand up her skirt.

“?!” she let out a small shriek. “W-wait sir, people can see–”

“Everyone knows that,” he made her look around the bar, and sure enough, other guests were borderline fucking in public.

“B-but…”

She couldn’t do it here. She didn’t want to have sex with this guy, no way! But it wasn’t like she could perform her plan in public either.

Luckily, the man withdrew.

“But if you are really too shy, I don’t mind taking your first time in private,” he reassured. “Take your glass and come with me.”

She took his hand, and they walked together out of the bar. This guy had to be well known, because several people greeted him on the way, women, but also a number of men.

“Ky Luc!” one of them said his name. “A new girl tonight, ay? You never change.”

Curiously, this man, her target Ky Luc, had been polite to the women, but remained neutral in his expression. However, when speaking to this man he actually smiled.

Whatever, that was none of Shinoa’s business. She simply tried to make herself seem shy, but eager, to avoid having to communicate with these men.

“Looks like the guy who invited her ditched her,” Ky Luc replied. “His loss, I suppose.”

“Really? What moron would leave such a cutie?” the other man laughed, and looked the short woman up and down. “Some men are so shallow, thinking all chicks need to have big tits to be hot. Mentally underdeveloped men, that’s what I call em! Flat chicks are fine as fuck, I’d love to have a go at her for one.”

Shinoa went from feeling weirdly complimented, to horrified.

“Tonight, I want her to myself, but maybe I will share next time,” Ky Luc said.

“Man, you’re the best,” his friend patted him on the shoulder, before being on his way. “Have fun!”

Unknowingly, her grip around her target’s hand tightened. She walked with him through the hallway, but her mind had started racing for reasons she hadn’t expected when accepting this mission.

Despite having next to zero expectations for the men in this place, she could hardly believe the way they spoke to each other in the open. While Ky Luc had been polite to her and the other women, he spoke to that other man about her like she was a toy that could be passed around and used.

They viewed humans of lower social status as objects, that much was obvious.

Sure, that’s what she was sort of relying on for this mission, but to hear how unashamed these guys were about it? Ugh!

Now, that red-haired man’s words rung in her mind. Because, had she not been here on a mission, had she simply been a normal girl, she could only imagine the horrors she’d be made to face.

“What’s wrong?” Ky Luc suddenly asked.

Her face must have gotten a bit pale, and her eyes were wide.

“U-um… well…”

At least her discomfort meant she didn’t need to act anymore. She genuinely seemed like a normal, worried girl, about to get cold feet, not a spy or agent. At least something useful came out of that disturbing exchange.

“Don’t worry, you will be more than prepared for it when that time comes,” he ran his hand down her back.

Already plans for next time, huh? Too bad it wouldn’t happen. In fact, he wouldn’t even get the pleasure of the first night.

They stopped in front of a door, leading to one of the private hotel rooms. Ky Luc scanned his card, entered his personal code so fast it would be near impossible to read his fingers, then finally got his thumb-print and eye scanned at the same time. Only then did the door open, the side of it glowing blue in the moment.

Her pulse quickened. She was finally inside.

The room was grand and luxurious. Only the richest of the rich could afford to pay for a room like this.

The furthest wall was just a large, tinted glass window. From the inside, you could see the entire city underneath, but from the outside it was impossible to look in. There were couches, a warm fireplace, and– Wait, was that a fucking bubble-bath?

Sure enough. By the large windows of the ‘living room’, there was a bubble bath. Shinoa had for sure seen it all now.

‘Woah, the elite are insane, but they sure know how to live the good life…’

She was guided past the comfy bath, and taken to the room next door. Because this hotel of course didn’t just come with one luxury room, but a whole apartment! But come to think of it, many of these upper-class people probably live in this place over a period of time occasionally. Still couldn’t help but feel like it was overkill.

The bedroom was also large, with the same view of the city as the living room area. Even if she knew it was a one-sided window, she couldn’t help but suspect this appealing to exhibionist fetishes…

Shinoa was sat down on the huge bed, which of course had sheets of silk. Ky Luc placed his glass on the night table to take off his outer suit jacket, and it was the opportunity Shinoa needed. She just had to distract him somehow, and then–

“?!”

She was pushed down on the bed, kisses attacking her neck. She squirmed, but the man had her trapped against the mattress. She gasped loudly when his hand went right under her dress, caressing the skin of her stomach.

Wait, wait–!

Why did these men have to be so forceful?! One thing she hadn’t lied about was being a virgin. No man had ever touched her like this before, and even if he had a nice face, she felt disgusted. When his other hand started fondling her small breast, she almost wanted to puke.

No, she didn’t want this…

‘Yuu-san, I… I am so sorry…’

She instantly regretted that thought. It made her seem quite pathetic, didn’t it, feeling like she was betraying a guy she hadn’t even had the guts to confess to yet. But even so, she had wanted her first time to be with him, if he so desired it himself. She didn’t want to lose her virginity to a mission.

Her eyes shut tight.

She was an agent of the resistance. She had to endure this, for the sake of SE.RA.PH, she had to–

“Hey,” a whisper tickled her ear.

She blinked, realizing her eyes were teary. She stared up at her target, who although his eyes didn’t convey any emotion, had a smile on his face.

“Was it too much at once?”

“H-hah…” Shinoa took a deep, shaky breath. “I just… I don’t… If I get pregnant…”

Those were the first words she’d been able to push out, but they actually did the trick. Ky Luc’s eyes widened slightly, and he pushed himself off her.

“I almost forgot. Where are those condoms now…”

Not in the drawers, nor the large closet. He left the bedroom in a hurry.

That’s it. Her chance.

With shaky hands, she retrieved a tiny pill she had kept hidden on her body. She dropped it into her target’s glass, watching it instantly mix into the drink, so perfectly no one would be able to suspect it had been tampered with.

Ky Luc returned within only a few seconds, with a pack of condoms in his hand. Now, she just had to stall until he had another taste of his drink. The odorless and tasteless drug should enter him undetected, and then…

Shinoa brought her glass to her own lips, pretending to sip.

“S-sorry sir, I just… I feel so nervous,” she faked a scared voice. “Maybe I just need to drink some more first…”

“It’s what they say, some alcohol can help you feel more confident,” he encouraged, and grabbed his own glass without a second thought.

Ah, men who become too comfortable really forget their survival instincts… Not that his life is in danger, but she wondered if she could have tricked him into swallowing poison at this point.

They enjoyed their drinks together, or at least Shinoa pretended to. It didn’t take long before the drug kicked in, and her target started feeling faint.

Her heart was racing in her chest.

Ky Luc put his glass down, and laid on his back. With his hand, he motioned Shinoa to come to him.
“You, sit on my lap.”

Asking a virgin to ride him because he is feeling too tired? That was not about to happen.

She climbed on top of him, and playfully straddled him. She kept looking shyly away, but made an effort to clumsily unbutton his shirt.

One button, another one, a third–

Ky Luc’s eyes were closed shut, and his breathing became calm yet heavy.

He had passed out just like that.

Shinoa stared at him for a few seconds. Her heart rate was still erratic. She had to force herself to inhale.

“Ah… hah…” her breaths were shaky. “Hah… Haha!”

A grin spread across her face, and she joyfully jumped out of the bed.

“Hahaha, that’s what you get for trusting a pretty face!” she said smugly, and left her target alone on the bed, as she exited back into the living room. “Now where is that laptop…?”

She eagerly searched the place, while adrenaline still pumped in her veins.

She had just pulled off the most dangerous single-mission yet! Not only was she saving potentially thousands of lives, she also… When she returned back to base, Yuu would for sure praise her bravery and skill!

“Ah!” her eyes widened.

There, hidden in a drawer under the table… The precious laptop!

She got a tiny chip that she had hidden in her hair accessory. It was designed to bypass security, and simply copy every file on whatever it was plugged into. It entered, and started glowing blue, indicating that the download had begun.

“Hello?” she called out into the mic that had also been hidden in her hair clip. “Yuu-san, are you there?”

“Yes, yes, it’s me.”

“I am downloading the files right now. You have to be ready to receive them.”

“Already am! How much is left?”

“It’s at twelve percent, but I just plugged it in.”

“Okay, got it. I will have it in five minutes, then, give or take.”

“Yes, right away–” her smile dropped as a loud knock interrupted her. “?!”

She turned her head around, and the banging continued. It came from the front door of Ky Luc’s room.

“Shinoa? Is something wrong?”

“S-someone is knocking, but–” she halted in the middle of trying to explain what was happening, when she saw the side of the door glowing blue. “Holy shit–!”

In panic, Shinoa grabbed the laptop, and bolted away. Right as the door opened, she was able to retreat into the bathroom, and lock the door.

Her face was chalk white.

“Shinoa? Shinoa?”

“Y-Yuu-san, someone entered… I am still inside…” she whispered.

“Entered? Ky Luc’s room?” Yuu asked.

“Yes–! I don’t know how, but–”

“Shinoa, not even the staff can do that. Only one group of people have this kind of authority.”

Seraphs…

The key cards Seraph agents carried around could get them anywhere, no matter how secure. The only exception being certain areas of the Babel tower itself.

“N-no… no… Y-Yuu-san, I…” the poor girl struggled to breathe. Tears ran down her face, as the situation dawned on her. “H-how could this be? How did they know…?!”

“I am really sorry Shinoa.”

“Sir Ky Luc is in here!” a voice yelled from outside the bathroom door.

“The intruder must be hiding!”

No.

No, no…! No! No! Please no!

“Yuu-san, I am scared…” her voice broke.

“Shinoa, please listen to me. Send me the file and destroy this device, and the chip.”

98%... 99%...

The moment it hit 100%, Shinoa pulled the chip back out. With violently trembling hands, she pushed her chip into the communication device, instantly sending it over.

“I got it! Thank you Shinoa, you did it!”

She had succeeded with her mission. Now, many lives would be saved.

However…

“Yuu-san, I…”

“Again, I am sorry. I won’t let this be in vain. Goodbye, Shinoa,” Yuu’s voice was soft, despite the situation, despite his words. “Don’t let the Seraphs catch you alive.”

“Yuu-san–!”

The call was cut off.

Her tearful eyes, blank and lost, stared at the device in her hand. She choked on yet another sob, before crushing it, breaking both the device and the chip into pieces.

‘You could at least have let me tell you…’

It didn’t take long before there was a knock on the bathroom door.

She had to do it. She had to, she couldn’t let them take her alive!

She just had to bite down on the poisonous pill she’d hidden in her mouth.

The door was busted open with such force, Shinoa was slammed into the wall from the impact. She was curled up on the ground now, fear and pain overpowering each of her other senses. She tried to push herself up, but her arms were weak, and quivering.

“Ah… So it was you after all,” a familiar voice said.

She lifted her gaze.

Red hair, a suit, glowing, crimson eyes. But now, there was a gun in his hand.

“You…?” Shinoa recognized him. It was the man from before. The one who’d tried to warn her.

He is a Seraph!

“You are under arrest,” he said. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”

No, she couldn’t let them take her. Ending up in the hands of the Seraphs was a fate worse than death. No matter how terrified she was, she had to escape the only way possible.

Do it.

Just do it already, you coward!

“Oh no, you don’t!”

The man, right before she was able to bite down, grabbed her by the throat, and pushed his fingers into her mouth.

Stunned, Shinoa couldn’t even struggle. Part of her believed she should have been dead now, but to her horror, the Seraph fished the pill straight out of her mouth. He looked at it, then smiled.

“Can’t let you kill yourself before we interrogate you~”

He effortlessly lifted her from the floor, and forced both arms behind her back. The metal handcuffs dug painfully into her skin when he clicked them on, restraining her.

“Did you find anyone else?” the Seraph asked his men.

“No, sir Crowley, we couldn’t find any accomplices.”

“So, she is acting alone,” the Seraph named Crowley concluded. “Is sir Ky Luc okay?”

“Yes, it looks like he was just given a sleeping drug,” the soldiers reported. “Honestly, it seems like he is having the best sleep of his life.”

“That makes sense. Ky Luc would never fall into this trap if he could detect any killing intent,” he hummed. “I also believed this girl to be harmless, but that doesn’t mean she is free of guilt. We better ask her very nicely who sent her.”

“Y-you are better off killing me, because I won’t tell you a thing–!” Shinoa protested.

This made Crowley chuckle.

“You are shaking like a leaf, and there is makeup smeared by your tears, and you are still trying to act courageous? It’s cute at least.”

Shinoa was hauled out of the hotel, and put into the back of a prisoner van.

She could do little but sob quietly to herself, while praying for some kind of miracle to save her.

Chapter Text

“...”

He entered the main living space the next chilly morning, wrapped in the blanket he’d slept with during the night. That’s where he found the young resistance member slumped over in front of his computer screen. He was breathing softly, chest rising and falling.

Sika couldn’t help but notice how… well, young he looked. And yes, he was only a teenager, barely tipping his toes into young adulthood. And yet he had the world on his shoulders. So did this entire group of rebels.

Mikaela had to be around the same age as this youth. And the future he had wanted for him at this age? A peaceful life outside this damned city, hope for a future, a fulfilling life. Not… This.

He walked on silent feet, sliding the blanket off his shoulders, to gently lay it over the teen.

“!” 

His eyes widened when, faster than his eyes had been able to track, a hand grasped his wrist.

Yuu raised his head slightly, a single, bright green eye staring into his.

“Ah,” he mumbled, and his grip softened. “Sika Madu. Morning.”

“...” the silver-haired man had his mouth slightly open in surprise. He closed it, and cleared his throat. “Good morning.”

Sika retracted his hand, Yuu’s fingers easily slipping off.

“Watcha doing?”

“I was simply trying to cover you…” the older man replied. “Not a heavy sleeper?”

Such reflexes, even while sleeping? It reminded him of those highly trained soldiers. He didn’t know the resistance fighters also put their youth through such learning. It was harsh discipline that not everyone could manage to achieve. He remembered seeing those torturous sleep exercises while he was still part of Babel.

“I haven’t had the greatest sleep lately anyways,” he shook his head. “Hungry? Let’s have something to eat.”

He didn’t have a lot, but enough to fill their bellies. Though… It was mostly eggs. Eggs, rice, and soy sauce. Sika didn’t comment on it though, as eggs were undoubtedly nutritious, and vegetables and fruits had gotten so expensive in SE.RA.PH, only the rich could afford to eat them regularly.

Or, that’s how it had been when Sika still lived in the lower-class district. He didn’t know if it had gotten better or worse since, but he considered the likelihood of improvement since then slim.

“We will meet with my informant today,” Yuu suddenly announced.

“Oh?”

“Don’t you feel like we’ve been in hiding for long enough?”

“No, that’s not it,” Sika shook his head. “But you were the one who told me to be patient. So, this is sudden. I am not complaining, but why?”

Yuu shrugged.

“The situation changes unexpectedly,” he nodded his head in the direction of his computers. “One of our members completed a highly dangerous mission.”

“I see. And you wish to meet up?”

“That would be impossible,” the dark haired male traced his fingertips along the edge of the cup of watery coffee. “She didn’t make it out.”

“Oh…” Sika’s eyes widened.

“The members of the resistance cannot be taken alive, to risk any information being leaked. We therefore have ways to off ourselves, should we be cornered. Just a small, potent pill.”

Cyanide, also known as ‘suicide pills’... To think these young people would– No, it made sense. Sika himself knew that death would be preferable to what Babel would do to you once you’ve been captured.

“I am sorry for your loss,” the silver-haired man said. Why? He wasn’t sure. It just felt like the correct thing to do.

But Yuu’s lips just curled into a small, but gentle smile.

“No need to be. We all know we might lose teammates at any moment. The resistance members have been dropping like flies for years. It has only managed to stay somewhat stable after Guren took charge,” Yuu explained, and there truly was no visible sadness in his voice. “And even if Shinoa was our hacker, you can do all that stuff yourself, right?”

“I…” he hesitated. “I suppose there shouldn’t be anything in SE.RA.PH able to bypass me.”

“I expected as much!” Yuu flashed him a quick grin, before his eyes turned serious again. “While she was cornered, she was able to copy and send me some important blueprints. But…”

“Something the matter?”

“Yes, actually,” Yuu admitted. “The reason I didn’t get any sleep? I sat up trying to figure it out. I believe I am missing something.”

“Ah. They weren’t complete,” Sika concluded.

“I was expecting it, honestly. Basically, the code is unreadable, unless we acquire the ‘key’ we can combine it with,” he tried explaining in simple terms, but paused, and chuckled. “Wait, no need to tell you that. You understand better than anyone, don’t you?”

“Isn’t that why you broke me out?”

“One of the reasons, yes. Silly me, forgetting when looking at you. I’d never guess this pretty, elven man once had the title of the greatest inventor and scientist of SE.RA.PH, had I not known your identity beforehand.”

The same could be said about Yuu, though. Sika would have never guessed such a laid-back youth could be a member of the resistance group.

“Well!” Yuu clapped his hands together, once his meal was finished. “Let’s find a disguise for you, and we’ll be heading out to meet with my informant!”

A disguise sounded like the best option.

“...”

Sika was standing in a long, black coat, with a hat on his head, and glasses balancing on his nose. His hair was braided, laying over one of his shoulders, and his bangs were styled to hide his pointy ears.

“Is this really the best disguise you could think of…?” he asked.

“C’mon, it’s not like anyone knows what you look like. The resistance is running on a pretty low budget, so sorry for not having realistic face masks, or wigs,” Yuu replied defensively.

“Moreover… This place?”

Sika glanced up at the bright, colorful LED sign, glowing dark pink, with what resembled the depiction of a woman’s leg moving up and down seductively. It was located in a hidden, sleazy alley, where the smell of alcohol and… other substances were fresh in the air.

“Yup!” Yuu happily confirmed.

“This… is a whore house…” Sika pointed out, but it didn’t matter.

Yuu grabbed his wrist, and dragged him towards the entrance. He opened the door, Sika’s sensitive eyes blinking as every single one of his senses were violated all at once.

The music, the sensual lighting, and eugh, the smell–!

Yuu walked right inside, like it was his own home. This was despite the number of barely clothed women walking around, some in sheer, or even transparent underwear, and others dancing around the poles in front of a group of men being covered in some type of glitter, emphasizing certain parts.

Not to mention, some of the women looked awfully young. Teenagers. Holy shit, this place was sickening. Sika wanted to throw up, but held back when he noticed a couple of girls approaching the dark-haired guy who dragged him here.

“Yuu-san!” one of them chirped, wrapping her arms around his upper arm. “Welcome back!”

“Yuu!” the other one was more daring, hugging him by his waist instead. She had long, pink hair, and was noticeably younger than the other women. Both those girls were. “Will you spend time with us today~?”

“Unfortunately not, Mirai,” he gently patted her head.

“Aww…” she pouted in disappointment. “So… Her again…?”

“You know me well,” he grinned. He nodded his head at Sika. “C’mon.”

He wanted to leave this place immediately. But perhaps his discomfort was the reason he hurried behind Yuu, a part of him hoping it would be the escape route. He tried not to look at the young girls wearing such provocative underwear, it stung. His Michaela had been only a little younger than those girls the day he lost him.

But Yuu only took him deeper into the building. And there were the rooms. Rooms for even more… intimate activity.

A young woman, perhaps around his age, was leaning against the wall. She had dandelion hair, tied up in twin tails on each side of her head. The outer corner of her eyes had a smokey, black eyeshadow look, with sparkly purple on the middle part of her lids, and silver glitter in the inner corners. Her baggy, lavender eyes looked up from behind the long eyelashes, coated in black mascara.

She was pretty, but Sika had a hard time looking at her. Because she too was only barely covered by sheer underwear, meaning almost her entire body, including the hickeys and bite marks around her neck area, and purple bruises on her legs and hips, were fully visible.

“Mitsu!” Yuu called out for her, before grabbing her by the waist, and pulling her in close. “I missed you, little hare~”

He placed a forceful kiss on her lips, the girl moaning weakly as his tongue invaded her mouth.

Sika could only watch wide-eyed in disbelief.

When Yuu pulled back, licking his lips, he turned to Sika.
“I brought a friend. It’s his first time, but we’ll help him get over his shyness, right?”

“I don’t mind,” she responded, in a voice more hoarse and tired than he’d expected.

They opened the door to one of the private chambers, with dark walls, and a bed covered in red sheets. There were also certain devices for kinkier play in the room, Sika noticed when he hesitantly stepped inside, already regretting it the moment the door shut behind him.

Yuu was playfully tugging on the bra of the sex worker, pulling it down as if trying to undress her. As he witnessed the scene unfold, panic overtook all of Sika’s senses. With a burning red face, he blurted out:

“I am not having a threesome with you–!”

It was Yuu’s turn to stare at him now. Then, he burst into hysterical laughter.

“Alright, enough of this nonsense,” the woman finally slapped Yuu away, her entire demeanor changing within the span of a second.

The girl Sika had perceived as tired and meek sat down on the bed, legs crossed, and pulled a packet of cigarettes she had kept hidden under a pillow. A single flick of a lighter, and she was inhaling the tobacco smoke, before blowing it back out, a grey cloud forming around her.

Sika glared suspiciously between her and Yuu.

“What is going on?”

“It’s literally what I told you,” Yuu replied matter-of-factly. “Every once in a while, I visit this place to ‘fuck’ this little hare. Finding-useful-confidential-information!”

Sika’s blank stare said more than words ever could.

“Okay, I haven’t figured out the acronym, but you get the drift, right?”

“Maybe replace ‘information’ with ‘knowledge’?” Mitsu suggested.

“Oh!” Yuu snapped his fingers. “It still sounds awkward to say out loud, but the words all fit now at least! It’s a start!”

“So, wait… This is your informant?” Sika asked in genuine surprise.

In this room, she looked even worse. The circles under her eyes were dark, like she hadn’t relaxed in weeks, maybe even longer. Not to mention how thin she was, she clearly didn’t get enough to eat.

“Expecting some elegant spy or something? No, it’s just me,” the prostitute chuckled darkly. “Girls like us aren’t worth anything. We are sold, and used as toys until we get too old. No more than objects. Though… There is one perk to this.”

Another stream of smoke was expelled, this time through her nose.

“Let’s just say… People aren’t as tight-lipped around objects,” she finished.

“...” Sika’s eyes narrowed. He understood her point.

“So, what’s new?” Yuu asked. “This is about a guy called Ky Luc, or anyone connected to him in any way.”

“A noble guy, hm?” Mitsu closed her eyes. “Yes, I remember. Must have been working for him, that guy. He was speaking on the phone. About how he couldn’t disappoint some big shot, and a deal I couldn’t make out.”

“Great. Anything else?”

“Two men. They were more vague than that moron, but they did mention the hotel you told me to keep my ears out for. It could be a coincidence, but…”

“Regardless, give me all of it,” Yuu instructed. “You did as I told you, right?”

“Yes,” Mitsu confirmed. “While they were showering, I copied the information on their ID cards, as well as the date they visited.”

She found her small bag, and pulled out a box of female hygiene products. She opened it, and grabbed a folded paper.

Any digital information could be tracked down to its original source… They were being incredibly careful, making sure the information exchange was untraceable. Sika had to admit he was impressed.

Yuu snatched the paper, and smirked as he turned to lock eyes with Sika.

“Now, Mr. Scientist, are you ready to put your skills to use?” he asked, waving the notes in front of his face. “Track these guys down.”

Back at Yuu’s place, the sound of keyboard keys clicking at a ridiculous speed filled the small living space.

Sika was seated in the chair now, with Yuu leaned over his shoulder, sipping from a mug of the same watered-down coffee. His golden eyes were focused on the screen, the numbers, the names, like a predator searching for vulnerable prey.

With their ID numbers, Sika had been able to find the identities of the men who’d ‘visited’ that Mitsu girl, the ones she’d found suspicious that is. A lot of them were no one of importance, but out of the couple dozens of numbers, he’d been able to pinpoint five or six men of interest.

“Those guys? There’s almost no info on them,” Yuu noted.

“Exactly. If you work for someone as high profile as those nobles associated with Babel, you’d like to be as anonymous as possible, no?” Sika replied.

“Yeah, that’s to be expected. In some ways, the resistance is the same. Most of us are randos,” the dark-haired boy sighed. “Only Shinoa came from a high profile family. She’s the one who died recently.”

“Then, her family…?”

Sika knew too well how Babel operated. A single family member betraying them could result in the entire bloodline being wiped out. Women, children, it didn’t matter. Even his–

His body tensed, lifeless, blue eyes staring into the empty air.

Red trickling down his face.

The images, the ringing in his ears… the iron taste.

Block it away, block it, or else–!

Or else, he would pass out.

“Nah, it’s a bit complicated,” Yuu’s soft voice was able to lure the older man’s mind back to reality. “She and her sister left the family a long time ago. They were completely disowned, so I doubt anything will happen to them. I mean, it didn’t when the seraph agents executed her sister.”

“Oh… right, I see,” Sika cleared his throat, luckily able to compose himself.

“That’s why Shinoa joined us. She wanted to avenge her sister, or at least finish what she’d started. Though, it’s not like she had anywhere else to go. She’d been with Guren since her sister was killed,” Yuu continued. “Guren… is from a disgraced family. Kind of incredible that he survived for so long.”

“And the rest of you are just…?” Sika paused, not sure how to formulate himself.

He didn’t have to think much about it, as Yuu finished his sentence for him.
“Orphans? Yeah. Kids who might not even exist, as we have no family to notice if we were to disappear. But that’s what makes us perfect for this.”

“The same as those girls…”

Sika still hadn’t gotten what he saw at that whore house out of his head. Such young women… This state was foul for allowing such places to exist.

“Eh, some of them are, but many of them actually have family. Which might be even more fucked up, to be honest,” Yuu hummed, gazing up as to remember something he’d been told. “A lot of those girls were sold by their own family. Mitsu, my informant? She never liked talking about her past before she became a prostitute, but her older sister is supposedly of high class. Must have sold her little sis to avoid competition, or something.”

“Their own family? Selling them?” Sika stopped typing, turning his head to look at Yuu with an angered glare.

“Crazy, am I right?”

“But… That’s just…!” The silver-haired man couldn’t find the words.

He was no saint himself. His current companion might not know the true extent of what he did back when he was still part of Babel, but Sika remembered everything vividly.

But even with a past like his, with unspeakable amounts of blood on his hands, after committing unforgivable sins… Even he couldn’t imagine doing something like that to his own family. It was… Beyond evil.

“Surprise, surprise, this is a shithole, full of shitty people,” Yuu replied dryly. “It’s why we are fighting. To change this place. And if we are successful, maybe the next generation of young girls can avoid being turned into sex toys for rich noblemen?”

“...”

Sika turned back to the computers, and continued typing.
“Alright…” he mouthed.

Yuu grinned, and patted the former scientist on his back.

It was supposed to be a friendly gesture, right? But Sika felt his eyes narrow.

“Though…” he opened his mouth again. “Is that really why you are doing this, Yuu?”

The dark-haired youth stopped moving.

“Why are you asking that?”

Yes, why? It was a feeling Sika had been carrying for a while. An unnerving feeling.

“You claim to be fighting for change, yet your words are as hollow as your smiles,” the elven man replied harshly. “Not a shred of remorse or guilt after your teammate met her end during a mission you sent her on.”

He heard a chuckle.

Arms wrapped around the silver-haired man’s shoulders from behind, Yuu resting his chin on top of his head. Despite the intrusive touch, Sika chose not to move.

“I like that. You are perceptive,” Yuu murmured, fingers caressing the spot right underneath his collarbones. “I ain’t gonna lie to you, it’s true. I am not some moral hero, fighting for justice.”

“Then…?”

“My goal doesn’t clash with the resistance’s, that’s all. We have a common enemy, despite having different things to gain from taking them down,” the young man explained simply. “You’re the same, right? You want to save your son. That’s why we’re working together.”

“That’s true, but…” Sika closed his eyes. “No, nevermind. Let’s focus on our next steps. Your group has a plan, no?”

“Hey, you’re the smart one, not me. You come up with a plan.”

Sika fought the urge to slam his fists into the table in frustration.
He had a point, but still… the audacity.

“Alright. Here’s how we start.”