...
You can't say I didn't warn you, Kamu.
...
Oh come on, stop sulking like a kid.
I'm dead…
I'm dead…
I'm dead…
Yeah, yeah, that's obvious.
And you're telling me to stop sulking like a kid? Are you out of your mind?
I'm too young to die…
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!
Stop panicking a little.
STOP PANICKING? HOW ARE YOU NOT PANICKING IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS?!
First of all, stop yelling in my ears, and second, I'm going to fix this.
As if you even have ears… but fine, how exactly do you plan to fix this? Don't forget I'm dead, dead, dead, and still dead.
...
...
Hey!
...
Hey, you didn't answer my question!
...
Jack, are you still there?
Okay, fine.
W…what?
You're alive now.
No, I'm not.
You're going to wake up any second now.
Are you sure about thi—
NOW!
His eyes flew open. Drenched in sweat, he jolted upright, frantically scanning his surroundings for any kind of anchor. How am I alive? That was the first thought that crossed his mind as he came to. His breathing was harsh and ragged. Still trying to make sense of it all, a voice pulled him out of his daze.
"This is incredible, Mr. Kamu." said Dr. V.
No words came out of his mouth. The only response he could give was a raspy breath.
"Forgive my past bluntness, Mr. Kamu. Usually, when we mention death as a potential side effect of the Haz system injection, agents tend to hesitate. I truly thought you were dead, I still don't understand how this is possible. It's the first time I've seen anything like this, but we won't complain, will we? You're alive, and the Haz system is flowing through your veins. It's beautiful, magnificent, a true blessing… but let's move on."
Gently slipping his hand into one of the pockets of his lab coat, careful not to agitate Kamu further, he pulled out a strange little object.
It was rectangular in shape and no larger than a hand. No words or symbols were etched onto it, only its matte gray color stood out.
At the sight of the peculiar object, Kamu finally managed to form a few words.
"What is that?" he asked, still weary from the ordeal.
"This is a Haz system analyzer. There's a small built-in screen, and once the agent presses it into their hand, it displays their type. Simple as that."
"Oh, I see." Kamu said, his exhaustion slowly fading.
I really hope this thing doesn't kill me…
Dr. V held out the analyzer to him. A bit hesitant, but determined to find out his Haz type, Kamu snatched the object from the doctor's hand in one swift motion, no longer bothered by his previous state.
"Someone's eager to find out their type, I see…" Dr. V said with a slight chuckle.
"Squeeze it for a good minute, Mr. Kamu."
Kamu closed his fist around the device and started to squeeze, his nerves rising at what the result might be.
After about a minute, he finally opened his hand.
"..."
"..."
"I don't get it."
"Me neither…"
"Is it broken?"
"Impossible. The Development and Technology Department checked every single device yesterday."
"Then why isn't anything showing up?" Kamu asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
"How do I put this…" Dr. V looked slightly to the right, struggling to finish his sentence.
"It's never happened before, but now that I think about it… I had heard about something like this…"
"What are you talking about, Doctor?" he asked, visibly more anxious.
"The Haz system… is incompatible with you." He let out a deep sigh, relieved to finally get the words off his chest.
"EXCUSE ME?" Kamu shot up from the chair and stepped closer to the doctor, clearly still bothered by the situation.
"Normally, once the Haz system is injected, either the person dies, or their abilities are enhanced. But in your case… nothing."
"Inject me with the Haz system again. I'm sure it'll work this time."
"Impossible."
"Why?"
"Injecting the Haz system into someone a second time results in immediate death."
"O-oh."
His face dropped instantly, and so did his body, collapsing back into the chair behind him. He didn't say another word. The fight in him had vanished. He just stared blankly at the cold, sterile floor beneath him.
"Don't worry, Mr. Kamu… you're still an agent of the SDA. But without the Haz system… you won't be allowed to go on missions."
"….."
"You'll be assigned to the SDA's office division." Lowering himself to Kamu's level, Dr. V placed a hand gently on his shoulder, but Kamu, still staring at the spotless white floor, said nothing. What could he have even said in that moment?
He searched for words, but something held them back, his disappointment.
"It's a… thrilling job, you'll see!" Dr. V added with forced cheer.
Two weeks later, in the SDA offices.
Office… small.
Window… small.
Coworkers…
Work…
Money… to live?
No…
No…
To survive.
Like an endless loop, the days kept repeating.
Again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
Did my work mean anything?
Do I mean anything in all of this?
And screw it, I need to finish sorting this damn file before 6 p.m. or that witch from the department will threaten to fire me again.
And once I'm fired, they'll just hire another drone, barely paid more than minimum wage, to replace me.
Damn Haz system.
Oh great, another email—somehow even more mind-numbing than the last: don't forget to move the chairs from the 7th floor to the 8th.
No thank you, no please, of course not, that would've been too much to ask.
My soul's been chained to this building for an eternity.
If eternity means two weeks.
Those two guys over there.
SDA agents. Both of them have the Haz system running through their veins, so why are they even in this depressing place?
Answer…
To flirt with the new girl.
Every single day, it's the same thing. Poor her.
Looking at her, who'd ever guess she's a monster…
Alright, I should get back to work before someone starts yelling again.
11 p.m. in a dark alleyway in the city.
Don't worry, Mr. Kamu… I promise today you'll leave at 6 p.m….Six p.m. my ass!
Didn't even get paid for these overtime hours.
Bastards.
There's no one around. Creepy.
Alright, time to hurry home.
Wait, are those people?
How did I not notice them earlier… whatever, doesn't matter. I'll just walk fast and act like I didn't see a thing.
Still… kinda tempting to sneak just one little glance.
Just one… Laura?!
That's the girl from work.
But what's she doing out here this late? She left the office early today.
And those other guys…
They're SDA agents!
I know them all too well.
They're the ones who won't stop hitting on her.
"Hey there, beautiful… you're really hot."
"Yeah… really… really hot."
They've been drinking—obviously.
"Sorry, but I have to go. My little brother's waiting for me. It's really late, I shouldn't have stayed this long with you."
"Don't be so shy!"
One of them just wrapped his arm around her neck. She's panicking, you can see it all over her face.
"Let me go, please."
"Let me go, please."
"Please…"
"SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU'RE GONNA WAKE UP THE WHOLE DAMN STREET, YOU FILTHY WHORE!"
He… HE SLAPPED HER!
Fuck, fuck, fuck,I have to do something. I need to step in, help her, do something.
But… they haven't noticed me yet. I could just walk by.
No!
No!
No… no, what? It's not my problem anyway. I'll just keep walking and they'll ignore—
"Kamu?"
FUCK. THEY SAW ME!
"Yeah, it's… it's that worthless piece of shit, Kamu."
"Oh right, the loser who was incompatible with the Haz system."
Bastards…
"Ka…mu…" Laura whispered.
She looked at me with half-lidded eyes, her gaze begging for help.
Her cheek was still red from the slap.
If I leave her here…
It's going to end badly. Really badly.
I have to find a way to get her out of there.
"It's late… I think it'd be a good idea if everyone just went home and got some rest. Don't you guys agree?" Please let this work.
"I've got a better idea." said the first man.
"You get lost and let us have our fun with her, understood little bitch?" added the second, tightening his grip around Laura.
Her eyes… Laura's eyes…
Damn it… damn it…
Think.
Think!
"No."
Laura's gaze shifted. It wasn't the same anymore.
Without warning, the first man slammed his fist into my gut. Hard. No words.
I collapsed to the ground, Laura looked at me with a stunned expression. Damn it…that'll teach me to play the hero.
Lying there, I could barely hear anything.
My eyes shut tight, I couldn't see.
But I wasn't completely out.
I forced one eye open, just a crack.
That's when I saw her.
Standing beside Laura and the first man.
Dressed all in black.
Her face....i can't see it.
She sliced off his arm cleanly, effortlessly, freeing Laura in a blink.
Laura didn't wait. She ran away without trying to understand.
The second man tried to get his gun but, she was faster.
With a single punch, she crushed his skull, right in front of his friend's horrified eyes.
I… I can't keep my eyes open anymore…
That hit… she's a monster…
The second guy… dead.
Jack…
Jack…
Jack… talk to me…