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ninoexchange2019-06-22 11:34 pm
fic for ink_letters!
ink_lettersFrom:
Title: Marks Classified (The Ninomiya Chronicles)
Pairing/Focus: Ohno/Nino
Rating: PG Teens
Word count: around 15k words
Warnings: none, except for the
Summary: They were being monitored for a reason, and Nino, for one, didn’t plan to be executed for treason. But his best friend and roommate seemed hardly bothered, inviting strangers to their home when they both know he shouldn’t. Still, he trusted Aiba to know better.
This was his first mistake.
Notes: dearest ink_letters, allow me to say that I adore your writing so much that it honestly terrified me to find that I was assigned to write for you. That said, please forgive my lame attempt at putting your prompts to life, especially the Superpower/AU/soulmate one. I know that you asked for a dramatic story too, but this ain’t it. Also, I have kept in mind your preferred rating, thus the resulting weirdness. I am so sorry. I hope you like this at least. And to S, please know that your presence alone is enough. Thank you.
Part One : STRANGER
Like most things in Nino’s life recently that was questionable at best, it all started because of Aiba Masaki.
He supposed it shouldn’t surprise him anymore, when he walked into the apartment that night after his shift at the record store and found a stranger sprawled on his stomach on their thankfully carpeted floor. This was obviously another case of his best friend and roommate attracting the weird and taking them home, because, what fucking else could it be?
It began with stray animals - cats or dogs, birds, or that one time Nino walked into the apartment to find Aiba getting cozy on the couch with a python - but Nino knew it wouldn’t end there.
And he was right.
This wasn’t the first time this happened, and Nino found it easier to just ignore Aiba’s strange habit, as well as the people he sometimes invite home to stay over for a night (or a few days, depending on their agreement) as long as they did the same, because it was better that way. He’d trusted Aiba to know what he was doing, that Aiba knew the consequences of letting strangers into their home, the repercussions of his actions affecting not only himself but Nino as well once they were found out.
It was difficult enough to stay ‘under the radar’ when the government was monitoring each and every one of them who came forward to be ‘classified’ after the revolutionary war that changed the way Japan governed its people a few year’s back. The war that almost tore the whole nation apart. Somehow, the knowledge that people possessed ‘superpower abilities’ meant rules have to be changed, upgraded. Bringing back order meant putting every citizen with superpower abilities in check, to make sure they abide with the rules. Classifying them according to their abilities, even going as far as handling their employments for them by putting them in jobs where they obviously wouldn’t be able to utilize their powers without making it look that way.
This meant living arrangements were rigged too, because Nino was certain it couldn’t all be an accident, for two people with almost identical abilities to end up in a two-bedroom apartment as roommates. There probably was a bigger reason why people with resembling powers ended up being put together, but Nino tried not to think about it too much. It was easier to look at it in a different perspective, to instead focus on the one good thing that came out of all this, which was Aiba, and their friendship, and despite the doubt casting shadows over everything Nino had known and believed, he’d tried not to dwell on it much.
After all, this was much better than to end up like those people that resisted the government and went underground, how difficult it must have been to live like that, fighting for a freedom that no longer existed. Nino didn’t feel the least bit free, not really, not with this chip beeping quietly under his skin, monitoring his every move, but he guessed beggars couldn’t be choosers.
At least that was what he kept telling himself.
His friend evidently didn’t share the same sentiment, judging with how he kept inviting suspicious people into their home. Nino was certain this one wasn’t any different. He could tell just by looking at this stranger, even without seeing the scars behind his ear that set their kind apart. Normal people were marked differently, just brands stamped on their skins since they didn’t need to be monitored like the ones with the abilities.
A part of Nino wished Aiba wasn’t stupid enough to start bringing rebels home and helping them, because they both knew exactly what would happen to them if they were caught. A lifetime in jail cell somewhere, hidden in the mountains maybe. Death sentence, maybe something as painful as beheading, who knew? Nino normally didn’t care.
In the contrary, it was probably better if he did.
“How is this possible?” he said, stepping closer. Their visitor tilted his head in answer, unblinking. “He’s not marked, right?” he said, just to confirm his suspicion. He did take a closer look earlier when he found the stranger sleeping, but it was still better to be sure.
If he wasn’t, then there should be something else they could identify him with. The code that should be stamped on the inside of his wrist that would bear his name, at least.
“I don’t think so, no.” said Aiba, paused to mumble his excuse before reaching over to grab the stranger’s arm to show Nino. It was empty. Clean. The man didn’t even twitch. “And no, no stamps, either. See?” Aiba followed, answering his wordless question.
“So, what is he?”
Aiba shook his head. “I have no idea,” he said, “I couldn’t read him and he - he isn’t talking. I tried talking to him before, then earlier, before you came out, but he just - he wouldn’t answer.”
Nino frowned harder. This was complicated than it looked. “Is he broken?”
“He’s not a toy, Nino. Goodness.”
He tried again. “Deaf? Mute?” he stepped closer, stared the man over. The man blinked back, though Nino was sure his gaze just went past him. It was hella weird. Nino ignored it and watched the man shook his head very slowly when Nino repeated the last question.
“Not deaf, then? You can hear me?” he repeated; the man vaguely tilted his head in answer.
To Aiba, “You can read normal people’s thoughts, right? Still?” he asked, knowing Aiba’s abilities well as his own.
“Yes,” Aiba answered. “But, do you think he’s just a normal guy? We’re not getting anything from him so, what if that means he’s like us?”
“He’s not marked, Aiba-shi.” he pointed out.
“But he doesn’t have the stamp, either. And being unmarked doesn’t mean he isn’t like us, Nino.”
He pursed his lips and stared the man over, who was also looking up at him carefully through his lashes. There was something there, a certain understanding behind the almost innocent look that made Nino feel cautious, maybe a little scared.
“Let’s find out.” he said, turning around to retrieve his phone from his room.
*
He didn’t mean to involve other people in this, not when they could very well be putting said people’s lives at risk for calling them out for help, but desperate times obviously call for desperate measures. It was far easier facing a roomful of scientists, doctors and military officers to answer their never-ending questions about Nino’s abilities and what-not, than to literally steer blindly through the dark to figure this shit out. So, against his better judgments, he called someone who he thought would have better understanding on this matter than himself and Aiba to help.
This person was Sakurai Sho.
Unlike Aiba, who obviously possessed so little self-preservation that he found it so easy to be friends with anyone, Sho, apparently, was the complete opposite. He had issues trusting people, people with abilities even more so, despite the fact that Sho was that people; Nino couldn’t exactly blame him. Some of those with powers had done the country wrong, abusing their abilities and killing off so many people, thinking they were doing the right thing. So many people suffered, innocent children losing their families because of the war. It wasn’t to say that things were better now, especially not for people like them, but it could be worse. It could be so much worse, and he would choose this not-exactly-free life over the one that came before this, anytime.
Sho circled their visitor, frown etched firmly on his forehead. Nino couldn’t, for the life of him, understand why the stranger looked far too calm for someone who was obviously being interrogated closely. Their gazes catch for a second, but just like before, the man’s gaze just went past him, as if he was staring right at him but he couldn’t see him. Even his expression remained passive, unchanged, apart from the tiny, almost unrecognizable twitch of his mouth when Nino mentioned about not getting his name earlier in passing.
Nino wondered if he was just imagining it.
“Where did you find him?”
Aiba looked stressed. “Outside of the clinic,” he said, “He was just sitting there, and I thought he was waiting for someone. I invited him in but he just stared at me and said nothing. So I left and went back inside to finish my shift, then when I came out after a few hours, he was still there. He followed me to my car and I thought it would be cruel to just leave him there -”
Nino felt like punching something. “Jesus fucking Christ, Aiba,” he gawked at his best friend, stunned. “You do know how fucking dangerous that is, right? Right? Jesus, you could have invited a human version of a ticking time bomb over for dinner and we won’t even know it. That’s so goddamn stupid.”
“Nino, that’s enough,” Sho chastised him. To Aiba, he asked, “Identity stamp?”
He and Aiba both shook their heads in answer. “None,” breathed Aiba, “That was the next thing I checked when I realized he didn’t have the chip.”
Nino watched the way Sho pursed his lips as if he was at a loss. Somehow, it wasn’t that difficult to tell that that wasn’t a good thing, at all.
“Sho-san, what is it?” he asked, “Do you think we’ll be able to figure out what he is?”
Sho looked spooked, and for a moment there, Nino felt a little scared, too. “Maybe,” Sho said, “But I think trying to figure out what he is should be the least of our concerns. It’s why he is here that worries me.”
*
They settled with doing it the old-fashion way, using pen and paper to ask questions. Sho suggested it after the next seven times their attempt at verbal questioning failed. They slid the same sheet of paper where the question about his name and the place he came from were written, hoping they’d get an answer out of the man quickly.
It only took a few minutes before they saw the pen move. Strangely enough, the man wasn’t even looking at the paper as he wrote. A moment later, he stopped.
The three of them leaned down to peek. There, on the middle, he wrote two characters. A name. A very familiar name.
It read, Matsumoto Jun.
Nino gasped, hearing the other two doing the same. It couldn’t be. No, it wasn’t possible.
He looked the man over, gaping as he did so, wondering how this man knew that name. Or even find it necessary to write it down for them to see. Because Matsumoto Jun was dead. He died during the war, they were sure of it. He was one of the casualties, though they didn’t find his body. Many were missing, still, and Jun was one of them. Their friend, Jun. Their friend who joined the revolution and got killed because of it.
And there was no way this stranger would know it, unless.
Unless, of course, if Jun was alive and this man knew exactly where to find him.
*
He knew he sounded hysterical the next time he talked, when his voice box was working properly again, but he couldn’t care less. There was obviously far more important things he should care about than to force himself to stay calm, or make himself look passably sane in front of Aiba’s mysterious visitor, because he just fucking couldn’t.
“You obviously know how to fucking write,” he hissed, pointing at the paper and making rude faces at the man sitting there. They’ve migrated to the kitchen, Aiba opting on making more coffee just to occupy his time. Sho, however, chose to stand in a corner, looking grim.
“So, write something! Tell us how you know that person and how we could find him.”
The man simply blinked at him. It’s annoying and equal-parts frustrating, to know he’s got power at his disposal and it wouldn’t even work to help when he needed it most.
“He’s not dead, is he?” he followed, lowering his voice this time. The man remained uncharacteristically quiet. It only served to irritate him even more.
“Say something!”
A hand come up to his shoulder, clinging, squeezing, tugging at him softly. He was shaking something bad, and it didn’t help that the man still looked uncharacteristically calm given the circumstances. While Nino was well on his way to breaking things to get answers, the man still looked far too cool than the situation warranted.
It wasn’t helping Nino’s anger to simmer down, not even the slightest bit. “Nino, come on, yelling at him isn’t going to get us answers. You’re just -” Aiba was saying, but it only made Nino angrier.
He was thrashing around, violently shaking Aiba’s hand off him with a growl before reaching over to grab the man. His hands catching the nearest part of the man he could find - his elbow - and Nino held on, prepared to pull the man forward, tug him, only to end up on his knees on the next moment, gasping.
Aiba and Sho yelled, simultaneously. “Nino?!”
Nino was certain the ground beneath him was shaking, his fingers gripping the man’s skin he was certain they would leave marks. The reaction was instantaneous he had no time to figure out what was happening, just that at the same moment their skins touched, Nino felt as if he’d been struck by lighting. He shook violently, threw his head back, eyes wide as he stared at the ceiling but seeing something else, something that weren’t actually there, seeing faces, hearing voices, familiar and unfamiliar ones, screaming, crying. There were blood, so much of it, and Nino felt like his head was about to split in half, his insides hot as if his whole body was on fire.
I’m here, can you hear me?
That was the last thing he heard before everything went black around him.
*
When he came to, it was to the sound of Aiba and Sho arguing in the background.
His head felt fuzzy and heavy, like that one time he’d stupidly drank the whole night and suffered the worst hangover in the history of hangovers the next morning. Groaning, he sat up and cleared his throat noisily to catch Aiba and Sho’s attention, while trying to remember what happened.
A quick darting glance to his surroundings told him he was in his room, and lying on his bed. He had no idea how he got there.
“Nino, are you okay?” inquired Aiba, sounding almost breathless as he approached Nino on the bed. Nino’s head throbbed at the intensity of Aiba’s worries, both verbal and unspoken, and coupled with Sho’s, it was almost too much for Nino to handle at once.
“Yes,” he gritted as he sat up with difficulty. “And will you please pipe it down? You’re giving me headache with your mental screaming. Enough already.”
“Sorry,” Aiba and Sho said in unison. Nino waved them off.
“It’s fine,” he said, already moving to jump off the bed. Aiba was quickly there to stop him.
“Where are you going?”
“That freak, he’s still here?” he asked, letting Aiba read the rest off of him as he tugged his hand away. Aiba let him, but stood next to him on the bed, obviously to keep him from going anywhere.
“Nino, please -”
“Get out of the way, Aiba.”
“No, Nino,” said Aiba, just as he saw Sho rounding the way to stand next to Aiba. “You’re not going anywhere near that - that person again until we talked this out.”
He wheezed, and slapped the mattress in rage. “Are you even listening to yourself right now?” he hissed. “Our friend is out there somewhere, and that guy is our only way to get him back. Let me talk to him, just let me - let me touch him, like I did earlier. I don’t know how to explain it, but I was-”
“Able to read his mind when you touched him, right?” Sho finished his sentence for him. He nodded. “Which is weird, because we all have the same abilities, and yet neither me or Aiba-san was able to do what you did.” Sho followed, referring to himself and Aiba.
He supposed that should concern him, but right now, he couldn’t really find it in him to care.
“Fine, it’s weird. Now, out of the way.” he said, pushing up from the bed to stand, scowled when Aiba immediately crowded him before he could even take a step forward. “Seriously?”
“Nino, hear us out, please.” Aiba said, reaching forward to wrap his fingers around Nino’s elbow to keep him in place.
“After I talked to the guy, okay?” he insisted. “Come on, this isn’t about us anymore. This is about our friend, it’s about finding him so, if you’ll just let me -”
Another set of fingers settled on Nino’s shoulder, and he knew they belonged to Sho.
“What if they aren’t true?” asked Sho, contemplative, the look on his face made Nino pause despite his earlier desire to run, find the man and shake the answers out of him.
“What do you mean?”
“The visions,” Sho pointed out, unrelenting. “He showed you something, didn’t he?”
“I - How did you know -”
“Yeah, I guessed as much,” said Sho, “It was obvious, based on your reaction.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. All I know is that we have to talk to that man, Sho-san,” he gritted.
“What if he’s a rebel?”
“At this point, I don’t really care what he is. All I care about is that he might know where Jun is. Let me talk to him.”
Sho shook his head. “I wouldn’t recommend that,” said Sho. “I mean, he obviously did something to you earlier and that’s why you passed out. I suggest it’s better to be careful, figure out what he’s classified with first before we do anything rash.”
“He’s obviously gifted, just like us,” he retorted, “but unmarked. Someone we shouldn’t be associating with, if we could help it. But as it is, he’s already here and I have a feeling he knows where Jun is. I’m going to talk to him.”
Sho gave him a cryptic look. “Again, what if they’re not true?”
“What is?”
“The things he allowed you to see. What if they’re not really what they were? What if they’re meant to confuse us? To confuse you? What if they’re not what they seemed to be, not what they’re meant to be, but just fragments of altered events meant to lure us in?”
“Sho-san, I don’t understand-”
“Of course, you don’t and that’s why I’m trying to explain it to you,” Sho said, hands firmly on his shoulders now, holding him in place. “That person, that man, he might look like one of us, but he’s not. I - I think he’s not real.” Sho breathed deeply, fingers squeezing his shoulders tight.
“What are you talking about?”
Sho cleared his throat. “I think that man, it’s - it’s just a shell, a projection of the real person who sent it in his place. There are only a handful of people who have this ability, though I’ve never seen one myself, at least until now, just heard about their existence after the war. Replicants. These people, they’re extremely powerful, and very dangerous, if they want to be. Normally, they could only make one copy of themselves at a time, but I heard that there are those who are powerful enough to make several copies at one time, perfect replicate of the real person to stand in its place, made to accomplish what they’re tasked to do. I heard it could be difficult to tell them apart, at least if one had no idea what they’re dealing with.”
Nino tried not to look affected, but it’s hard. Reading Sho’s fear and seeing the same thing reflected in his eyes made it twice as difficult to pretend not to care.
“And how would you know we’re dealing with the same thing right now?”
Sho’s mind was a myriad of terrifying possibilities that it was difficult to comprehend it.
“It’s so obvious. You can tell just by looking at it. It’s blank,” Sho said, holding Nino’s gaze in his. “empty. The fact that we can’t read it simply proves it’s not what we think it is. A good enough copy, but a faulty duplicate just the same. Something that obviously can’t be trusted. I’m not really sure how it was able to do what it did, the visions it showed you, but we could only guess. Such power is rare; I can’t be certain the extent of such ability aside from what little information I was able to gather about the people who possess it. But one thing’s clear, it was sent here for something else other than to help us find Matsumoto.”
Nino blinked. Empty? He didn’t think so.
“But he’s not empty,” he insisted, remembering everything that man showed him earlier. “I know what I saw, Sho-san, and it’s - it wasn’t nothing. They can’t be. They’re real. I knew it. I felt it.”
Sho shook his head, shook his shoulders for good measure. “And how would you know if what it showed you was real?” Sho asked, sounding and looking troubled. “We can’t even talk to it.”
Nino blinked, uncertain. Something nagged in his mind, the memory of an unfamiliar voice ringing at the back of his mind.
I’m here. Can you hear me?
He gave Sho and Aiba a look, and swallowed past the lump that lodged itself in his throat.
“Oh, but I can,” he muttered, darting his gaze from the shell-shock look on Sho’s face to the open doorway. “I think I can, Sho-san.”
*
“You think?” Sho parroted, confused. “What do you mean?”
The decision was swift he’d surprised even himself. He took two steps backwards, away from Sho, turning completely around and walking towards the direction of the door. In seconds, he was in front of the man Sho was insisting was anything but a shell, and planting himself to the front, facing the man, vaguely hearing the sounds of footsteps following him.
As if on cue, the man turned, eyes glassy it was almost expressionless, gaze going past Nino, just like always.
“Nino? What are you doing?” asked Aiba, just as he lowered his head, left hand poised in mid-air and closed his eyes, waiting.
He didn’t even need to wait very long.
The touch came not even seconds later, gasped when at the same time the voice came through, a now too-familiar sounding ‘I’m here, can you hear me?’ something else followed. But where Nino expected the same terrifying yet confusing vision he saw the first time their skins touched, it didn’t. However, in it’s place, something even more terrifying took over.
Because it was as if Nino, despite the fact that his eyes were screwed shut, was certain he was staring at an impending view of their missing friend, Matsumoto Jun, who looked much older than the last time Nino had seen him. What was terrifying, however, was the fact that Jun wasn’t moving, still as a rock, his battered, bloodied body lying spread-eagle on what looked to be once white concrete floor, now dirty and disgusting, his arms and feet shackled onto something that looked like a bed, so clear it was as if Nino was just there, right next to Jun and staring right at him.
Can you hear me?
Nino focused solely on that voice, breathing through his noise to collect himself despite his fear clawing at his chest and working its way to settle on the general vicinity of his throat. At the very least, he knew he didn’t need to use his voice to communicate this time around, squeezing the hand grabbing his own lightly, more to reassure himself than the silent man holding his hand.
Yes. Yes, I can hear you.
A pause, a breath. I know how this looks, but you need not be afraid, okay?
I - That’s easier said than done, Mister… How - How is this even possible? How are you doing this - whatever it is you’re doing. Are you - are you messing with my head?
Does it feel like it? Like I’m messing with your thoughts right now?
To be honest? Not really.
A pause, and Nino heard the sound of a quiet breath.
It’s because I’m not. This communication is possible because we’re connected.
Connected how?
You’re holding my hand in yours right now, aren’t you? That’s how.
Okay, that only made it sound even more creepy. Will you explain it in simple words that I could understand?
It’s just how my powers work, really.
That doesn’t really explain anything.
It is confusing, I know, but given how -
Confusing doesn’t even quite cut it, he pointed out. Sure, you said you’re not messing with my head, then why am I looking at my supposedly dead friend’s body right now when I’m sure my eyes are screwed shut? And I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t be, since I know he’s long gone, and that I’m certain I’m at home, sitting on the couch and presently holding hands with a weird guy my roommate invited over for coffee? How do you explain this? And who are you?
You already figured it out, that’s why we’re here and we’re already talking.
He released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, confused and equal-parts relieved to hear that Jun wasn’t dead despite his doubts, to know that he wasn’t just hallucinating, that what he was seeing right now wasn’t just a mere fragment of his imagination. Jun was alive, or so the voice reassured him, even though he couldn’t quite believe it just yet, seeing that the body lying there, the one that looked so much like Jun despite the blood and the bruises, had yet to move even a single muscle ever since.
Did I?
Yes.
Nino quietly balked at the voice’s confidence. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to try and get the answers he needed, straight from the owner of the voice itself while they’re at it.
I still need you to explain this to me. Slowly and very carefully, if you please.
The voice didn’t even pause. Fair enough. Where do you want me to start?
He squeezed the hand he was holding absently. From the beginning, of course. Like, how does this work? What is this I’m seeing, and is this real? Is that really my friend, Jun, I’m staring at right now?
It is him, I swear to you. And it’s as you guessed it. You’re looking at Matsumoto-san through my eyes. You’re seeing exactly what I am seeing. And right now, I am looking at him, sprawled on the floor, unconscious.
Unconscious?, he parroted in his head. Not dead?
No, not dead. Just unconscious. He’s - resting.
Doesn’t look like it at all, he said, bile rising up his throat. So Jun didn’t die, but it sure looked like he was heading in that same direction anyway. And soon.
In fact, I think he’s not even aware he’s lying there, given how bad those bruises look. Who did that to him?
It’s not always the same people, so, I don’t know, came the simple reply. Nino knew he wasn’t going to get the answers he needed like this. They have to be able to learn how to trust each other, and that wasn’t happening if he had no idea how this ‘talking’ thing worked first.
How about you?
What about me?
Are they beating you too? Like what they’re doing to Jun?
Silence. Hmm. I guess I’ll take that as a yes -
Ohno. Ohno Satoshi.
Ohno-san. A-Are you okay?
Yes. At least for now.
He sighed. Sorry, I know this is taking us a lot slower than you probably expected. I just - I just want to know what’s going on, is all.
Don’t worry about it, I understand.
So, tell me, this - this communication thing, how does it work? Surely, it isn’t like, I can see exactly what you see but not the other way around? Or am I right?
Pretty much, yes.
How convenient, he frowned. And weird.
It’s for your own safety, I’d say.
For my own safety?
Yes.
What about this man here?, he asked, referring to their visitor whose hand was gripping his.
What about him?
I’m guessing you know who he is? Why he’s here?
Sure, I do. I was the one who sent him over to find you.
To find him? What the hell did that mean?
Who is he?
An extension of myself, I’d say.
So, technically, he’s you? Like a clone or something?
Yes, kind of. Like a clone, a near-perfect copy of myself, but with restrictions. My ability, well, it is classified as Replicant and it - it allows me to create a copy of myself, mostly for when I’m in danger. It’s like sending an SOS call in the form of a person.
That’s - hella weird.
Yeah, well. I kind of get that a lot.
And this is how your face looks like? Exactly like this one?
I’m sorry if my appearance didn’t pass your standards.
Nino chuckled at that. I didn’t say that.
Right.
Nino shook his head and mentally chastised himself for getting off track.
You still hasn’t explained how we’re able to communicate like this. I mean, do I really need to hold hands with your - your copy just to talk to you? Can’t we, I don’t know, talk like how normal people do or something?
The physical contact is required to establish the connection. I did try to communicate with you before but I realized it could be dangerous.
Dangerous how?
The Guild could find out about you and… and I can’t risk that. I’m already putting your life in danger as it is by sending that replicate over to find you.
Guild? What the hell is that?
A group of powerful and very dangerous people. They have been abducting people with abilities even before the Classification, and even right after the revolution. To experiment on them, mostly. Then kill them off when they no longer serve their purpose.
Nino shivered, hearing that. And this Guild, you’re saying they abducted you? And Jun?
Yes. They’ve been conducting experiments on us ever since we were captured.
Holy crap. And sending your replicate over to us is your way of asking for help, is that it?
I’m sorry, but yes. I know it’s awfully shameless of me to do this, and this plan, well, I didn’t agree to this at first, but we just - we couldn’t just give up. And talking to you made me realize one thing : that Matsumoto-san is right. You’re a good friend, Ninomiya-san.
I - I don’t know what to say.
You don’t really have to. I mean, I know this is a lot to take in, and you might not even want to get involved but just -
I’m already involved, Ohno-san. There’s nothing we can do to change that now. So, then, why send a broken replicate if you need help? Wouldn’t it be better if he has voice so he could talk to us if in case you’re not available?
No. I created him that way for a reason.
Like a disabled person? You do know he can’t actually talk, right?
Yes. I removed that on purpose, but I added something else in its place to enable us to communicate with each other once he found you. It’s why you reacted to him the way you did when you first touched. I did it as a precaution.
Precaution? To what?
His thoughts aren’t safe. I need to make sure no one would be able to connect you with me if they found him.
Shouldn’t you be worried with mine too? Surely, if there’s anyone who’s thoughts might be compromised, it’s mine. I’m marked. My friends are, too. How do we know the government aren’t listening to us right now?
They can’t. The chip they planted in you is blocked.
How are you so sure about this?
You just have to trust me on this, Ninomiya-san.
That’s not very helpful. And wait, I don’t remember ever mentioning my name. How did you even -
Because of Matsumoto-san, of course. He was the one who told me all about you.
Right.
So, now you know why I didn’t want to agree to this. But its that or accept our fate. Death will come sooner or later, anyway. But Matsumoto-san - he said it doesn’t have to be that way. That we might have a chance if I agree to this plan and find you. We need your help, Ninomiya-san.
But, why me?
I know it does sound implausible, but believe me, you’re the only one who could.
Me? But I - I don’t understand.
I don’t suppose you would. Not right away, anyway. And as I said, this is a lot to take in at once.
But just to reassure you, I don’t mean you and your friends any harm. But we’re running out of options and it’s getting increasingly difficult to find a way to break out from here, more so everyday, not when we couldn’t even use our powers the way we’re supposed to. I guess I was just lucky that one time to be conscious enough to use mine, so I was able to send that copy out without being detected. I wasn’t - I didn’t like this idea, either, but the longer we’re stuck here, the chances of us getting out alive is getting slimmer and slimmer every day. Your friend, well, Matsumoto-san - he proposed this idea himself. Said he know his friends would be able to help.
Nino breathed hard through his nose, steeling himself. The owner of the voice had simply confirmed his suspicions. That all these elaborate schemes - everything that happened and still happening - were done in attempt to ask for help, to let them know that somewhere out there, Jun was alive but was being held in captive.
Obviously, the owner of the voice was with him, too.
You’re saying that but how would I know that you speak the truth? That what I’m seeing, what you claimed I’m seeing is truly what you say it is? If that’s really my friend, Jun? What if it’s not and you’re just trying to fool me, my friends? How would I know that your powers don’t extend to making perfect copies of other people as well? How would I know you’re not lying?
I’m not. And no, I swear to you, that’s not going to happen. My powers don’t work that way, I’m afraid. I can only make just one copy of myself at a time. Ask your friend, Sakurai Sho. Matsumoto-san said he knows. He’ll tell you. He’ll tell you I’m not lying, and even if I can, I won’t. I won’t ever lie to you, Ninomiya-san. Never.
Part Two : DISCOVERY
It wasn’t the ‘talking part’ that freaked him out, but how it worked exactly.
Touching the shell - as Sho normally addressed him - first and foremost was the key, to, well, establish a connection. This was only possible when the man was awake, or at least conscious enough to communicate. Which didn’t happen often.
Nino also realized that their communication was mostly similar to speaking with someone through a telephone - they could both hear each other, but they couldn’t see each other. Though in their case, Nino seeing exactly what the replicate could see from the creator’s end was the exemption.
This fact, however, still wasn’t enough to convince either Aiba or Sho.
It’s day four now. The past two had been quite unfruitful, since the man (Nino honestly had a hard time referring to him as an ‘it’, a shell, since he looked anything but) was always sleeping. At least that’s how it looked like from the outside. Surely, it should mean something, but he hadn’t worked out the nerve to ask. It was another thing that was confusing about their visitor, and Nino swore he would get the answers to it soon, along with everything else he wished to know including how they’re going to help break Jun and his mysterious friend out from where they were being held captive.
Obviously, planning their escape would be difficult when their only means of communication was out of commission.
He kind of hoped that would change tonight.
He finished his shift early tonight, glad that it was Maruyama who would be taking over the next one because it was too easy to manipulate the man into letting Nino go early. He didn’t bother walking home either - it usually take about forty five minutes to an hour to get home by foot - opting on taking a cab and silently bemoaning the amount of cash he would be shelling out to this particular taxi ride just to get home quickly.
When he got into the apartment, thankfully, Aiba wasn’t home yet. And when he checked, he realized gleefully that their visitor was awake. Nino watched him turn his head towards Nino’s direction when Nino announced his arrival.
“Glad to see you up and alive, Ohno-san’s clone.” he commented with a grin, mostly to himself as he dropped his bag on the floor. He rounded the way to the couch, and was giddy to find the man already reaching out for him despite the fact that he was certain he couldn’t see him.
“Woah. Looks like someone is too eager to talk, huh?” he teased, taking in a deep breath to ready himself before he sat down next to the man, closed his eyes and took his hand.
Ninomiya-san, hello.
That gentle slur was unmistakable, as was the softness on the man’s tone when Nino’s name fell from his lips. And even now, or after the few times Nino’s heard it, he couldn’t shake that unusual feeling blooming in his chest at the sound of it. He was obviously becoming so fond of the man - the shell and the voice that owned it - and it was both hopeless and insane.
Certainly, he was losing the few remaining working screws in his head for even allowing himself to develop a crush on a weird guy who probably wasn’t even real in the first place, and, what in hell was wrong with him, really?
He was busy trying to wrap his head around everything as it was, and holy crap, romance should be the last thing he should think about getting himself into, not now at least, but apparently, it was simply unavoidable.
God, he was so screwed.
He breathed, and focused on the voice instead of the feeling it evoked in him for now, forcefully swallowing his excitement and worries down despite the difficulty.
Hi yourself, he said, fingers tightening marginally against the man’s own. They’re warm. Nino wondered if the real person who sent its ‘copy’ over felt just as warm.
It’s been a while. How are you holding up?
Barely. Ohno answered, Sorry I haven’t been able to talk. Things are a little difficult here lately.
I can imagine. So, are you finally going to tell me where you guys are so we could, I don’t know, start looking for you?
We’ll get there, but first things first. A beat, a pause. You sure you’re decided? To help us?
Nino didn’t even hesitate when he answered.
Of course, why are you even asking me that?
A pause. Because it won’t be easy, Ohno said, paused for a moment as if he was contemplating continuing. And I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you have to do it alone.
The remark took him by surprise.
What do you mean I have to do it alone? Are you saying I can’t ask Aiba-chan and Sho-chan for help? Are you crazy? If in case you don’t know, I’m just a weak-ass Reader who can’t do shit. I don’t even work out to save my life, and the only thing I’m good at is with games. You know, shooting things on a screen? Please stop making assumptions of me. I’d rather not be the reason you and Jun end up dead for real.
I know what you mean, and yes, I do realize that fact. Matsumoto-san made that point very clear from the beginning.
Good to know he hasn’t lost all of his working brain cells yet, then, despite being in captive. So, tell me. What should we do? I’m sure Aiba-chan and Sho-chan would gladly -
I’d still prefer not to involve them. Matsumoto-san agreed with me on this as well.
Nino frowned. Okay, but what about me? Surely, you’re not insisting I do this suicide rescue mission alone. Because that would be fucking impossible.
No, it’s not. Because you can. You’re the only one who can.
He shook his head, feeling slightly incredulous.
Ohno-san, I appreciate you putting all of your confidence in me, I really do, but I’m telling you, you’re wrong. Talk to Jun again, he’ll tell you. He knows how my powers work, since we got the same thing. There’s no way I could save you on my own, it’s impossible. My ability is useless in this situation; I swear it wouldn’t even help me get close to where they’re keeping you. I might probably end up dead before I even get there. Do you understand what I’m saying here?
You think I’m referring to your Mind Reading ability?
Well, obviously, since that’s the only one I have?
No, Ninomiya-san. There’s more. God, you have no idea, do you? About your other abilities?
He was certain he sounded as confused in his head as he looked. What was this man getting at, really?
What other abilities are you talking about? I only have one, okay? I’m a Reader, been classified as one for as long as I can remember. Aiba-chan, Sho-san, me, and even Jun, before he disappeared. We’re all Readers. Just Readers. And that’s how we knew each other, the four of us. People were grouped together according to their abilities, surely you know that.
That’s the dominant one you’re referring to, but that’s not what I’m talking about. You’re gifted with other powers too, Ninomiya-san. Abilities you kept hidden, maybe even forgot about.
What are you even saying? That’s not - No, no way, that’s impossible. I’m pretty sure I would have known it if that’s the case.
Are you sure?
Yes, he countered, confused, irritated. Seriously, I don’t -
Tell me, Ninomiya-san. Didn’t you ever experience, when you were younger, maybe before the Classification, a time when you could do odd things? Reading minds is your default power, so doing that should be so easy, familiar, like breathing. But how about the time when you’re able to move things with your mind? The time you were hit by a car while crossing the street but came out unscathed? The time you traveled to the past and had no idea how you snapped back to the present after staying there for hours?
How - How did you know all of that?
How about the time you got mad at your parents and turned invisible for the whole week that no one could find you? That even your family thought you were dead, your friends. Or the time -
Stop, please stop. How are you even - how do you know all these?
A beat, longer this time. Because I saw them, Ninomiya-san. Because you gave me access to your memories, your thoughts.. Even the ones you kept to yourself, the stuff you never told anyone.
But…what? I never - I don’t remember ever doing that!
You did. The first time you held your hand out, the first time you voluntarily touched me, you remember? That was when it happened. That was when you allowed me to see everything.
But…But you said -
I told you we’re connected, right? Right?
No, but that’s not - that shouldn’t -
Ninomiya-san, please calm down -
He’d pulled away, body shaking, shuddering in fright. It wasn’t that hard to figure out what was causing it.
Oh god, what had he done?
*
It took him a while to compose himself, enough to want to try again. He supposed it was a good thing they had the apartment all to themselves. It gave him enough room to think without the consequences of having Aiba around to influence his decisions.
And he was a rational person in nature. After the initial shock had died out, he began to see things from a different perspective, and it allowed him to understand the gravity of what Ohno was telling him.
Those incidents Ohno mentioned were all true. They happened during the time he hadn’t yet understood what it was like to have powers like he did now, or even how to handle them. When the revolution happened, and the Classification after it, then it had been a lot easier. He’d been assigned to live in a community, around people who have the same abilities as him, and those memories involving him displaying several terrifying powers had been forgotten.
Until now.
Somehow, it terrified him to think that he was wrong.
It didn’t take him long to decide, finding himself gravitating towards the couch where Ohno’s replicate was sitting, stock-still, in the same position Nino had left him a little while ago. He sat down next to the man, and was only slightly disappointed that he wasn’t reaching out to take Nino’s hand like he did the first few times he sensed Nino near.
This was obviously his fault.
This time, there was no second-guessing his decisions. He reached out before he could talk himself out of it, closed his eyes and hoped for the best.
*
Of all the things he’d braced himself for, this, certainly wasn’t one of them.
I’m a what?
A Solvent. It’s an ability that allows you to absorb other people’s existing powers. Surely, you didn’t think you have all those abilities to begin with, only to lose them after a while. It’s because you didn’t; you were merely borrowing them.
That’s absurd.
It’s not. God, you really don’t know, do you? You have no idea how powerful you are. Apart from being a Reader, you’re a Solvent too, Ninomiya-san. Another power you possess that you still properly hasn’t discovered yet.
I thought you’re already done with the surprises, he despaired, fingers gripping Ohno’s replicate’s own tight. What the hell is this about now?
Well, that’s not all of it.
Oh my god, are you serious?
I’m afraid I am.
Why do you know all these things about me better than I do? Is this because you’re still reading me? Oh my god, stop.
No, I’m not, I promise. I knew you have this power the very first time we talked. Remember? You passed out afterwards.
Are you talking about the stuff you showed me that first time? Yeah, those pretty much fucked me up, so, you know, thank you very much for that!
You thought those were mine?
Wait, what do you mean, are you saying they’re not? I thought they were your memories, and you were showing them to me, just so I’ll believe you. I saw Jun then, and some other people too, and it was honestly terrifying. There was so much blood -
No, Ninomiya-san, they’re not mine. A beat, and Nino swore he could hear Ohno’s heartbeat accelerate.
What - What are you talking about?
They’re yours.
They’re - what?
And they’re not memories. That was - it was a vision. Of the future. And they’re yours. You were the one who saw it, and in turn, you showed it to me, that first time we touched. And that’s your other ability, Ninomiya-san. One more that you obviously didn’t realize you have.
What is it?
You’re a Watcher.
He felt his heart actually skipped a beat at that. Is that -
Yes, Ninomiya-san. It’s the power that enables the person who possess it to see the future.
*
“You’re not actually considering - no, no way,” Aiba muttered, pausing in mid-sentence to give Nino a look, shaking his head, lips pinched and his expression rigid. “No fucking way, Nino. I won’t let you.” said Aiba with a firm shake of his head, crossing his arms tightly over his chest in a clear display of defiance.
Nino understood Aiba’s concerns - how could he not when this concerned him more than anyone else - but turning Ohno down, and by extension, Jun, would mean leaving them to deal with this problem on their own. In short, they were simply going to let the Guild kill their friends slowly while they do nothing.
And Nino had no intention of doing that.
“This isn’t up for debate, Aiba, Sho-san,” he said, squaring his shoulders and countering Aiba’s glare. “I’m only telling you this so you know. So you won’t come looking for me when you realize I was gone. I didn’t say I was going to let you stop me.” he pointed out.
“But how do you know it’s going to work?” Sho cut in this time, furious. “You don’t even know if that shell’s owner is telling the truth!” Sho gritted, pointing at Ohno’s unmoving copy on the couch.
Sure, he didn’t, he couldn’t, but he’d take his chance. It wasn’t to say he was confident their plan would work, but he trusted Ohno enough to still go. He couldn’t not, not after everything he’d learned and not when he was certain he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he let his fears get in the way.
“Obviously, I wouldn’t know it if I don’t try.”
Sho and Aiba groaned in unison. “That’s the stupidest, most useless sentence I’ve ever heard. Jesus, Nino.”
“I swear you two are going to take that back once I come back here with Matsumoto in tow.”
“Jesus Christ, he’s serious.” Sho cringed.
“That’s what I’ve been telling you!”
“Well, he’s stupid if he thinks you’re doing it alone,” Aiba muttered, eyes narrowed. “Because you’re not. We’re coming with you.”
“Aiba -”
“And no, Nino, that’s not debatable,” Aiba added, unperturbed. “You can’t expect us to just agree to this and let you go there on your own. We’re not completely useless, okay? And Jun’s our friend too. Let us help.”
“But the shell won’t be able to protect us all,” he said, counting on Aiba to understand.
Aiba and Sho shared a look. “It doesn’t have to,” Sho said, “We’ll be fine.”
Ohno didn’t exactly elaborate on the matter, but that he made sure Nino would get where he needed to go with the help of Ohno’s copy. Nino kind of wondered if that meant the shell was invincible, though it would be unlikely if that was the case.
One more thing that worried him was the fact that Ohno didn’t mention anything about acquiring the powers he needed to save Ohno and Jun, just that he would, also with the help of the replicate. Surreal couldn’t even quite describe it all, and it was honestly difficult not to feel terrified knowing that he was willingly putting his life on the line to save a friend, and a stranger, but he knew that he couldn’t back out now.
Especially not after the last conversation he and Ohno had. The subtle hints were there, and it wasn’t even that hard to figure out that there was something there, between the two of them; despite the consequences of their meeting, of the situation itself, Nino was certain he wasn’t the only one.
You need to know these things, Ninomiya-san, Ohno had said, like he knew he had to remind Nino this over and over again. in order to help us. Otherwise, we’re scrapping this plan and you can just forget all about it.
What? But that’s not -
You heard me, Ohno had insisted, tone surprisingly resolute. I’m not letting you do this only to get yourself killed.
Wow, and here I thought you don’t care what happens to me. You did say I have to do this rescue mission alone, right?
Alone means without your two other friends tagging along, Ninomiya-san. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to do it on your own, because you’re not. That replicate is going with you.
You’re kidding, right?
Do I sound like I’m joking?
He didn’t, but Nino wisely didn’t comment on it. But, this guy? Seriously?
You’ll find that he’s pretty useful. He’ll guide you where you need to go, and protect you at all cost, with his own life. He wouldn’t get hurt easily so you can use him however you see fit. You’ll get the powers you needed to bail us out once you are inside. Please be careful.
So, does that mean the first thing I should do is to get close to the prisoners with the powers so I could borrow them first to be able to rescue you? That’s the plan?
Pretty much, yes.
Oh god, he moaned, dramatically. We’re all going to die, aren’t we?
Ohno’s answering laughter made Nino giggle in return, in spite of the circumstances.
I was hoping we won’t. Y-You already saw how it ends, but I’m still counting on the fact that the future is not set on stone. It could still change, because it hasn’t happened yet. I - I hope you know that I didn’t wish for this to happen, to put your life in danger to save us. I just - I wanted to think this is fate, Ohno paused here.
Yours and mine, at least.
Nino hoped Ohno wasn’t reading him right now, that it wasn’t too obvious that he was swooning. God, he was hopeless.
You really should stop talking already, like, seriously.
You liked that one, didn’t you?
God, you’re still talking?
Fine, fine, alright, I’m sorry. I was just - no, don’t mind me. Okay, just remember, I’ll be with you no matter what, yeah? Just take his hand if you need to talk to me. I’ll be there. Please be careful.
I’ll try.
You have to. I can’t - I can’t lose you, Ninomiya-san. Not like this. Not now. Okay? Do you understand?
Don’t. Just, please don’t.
Ohno remained quiet after that, but it didn’t mean Nino misunderstood, because he didn’t. He knew what was happening, and god, would it be right to just ignore it? This?
Hopeless. Guess that made two of them, then.
“We’re doing this together, end of story,” Aiba said, with finality. There was understanding in his eyes that Nino refused to see earlier, Sho’s too, clear as day as they stared Nino over. For a moment, Nino wondered why they haven’t called him out on it, maybe teased him about it the way he expected they would, but he figured they knew and they understood.
This was important to him as it was to them, since he knew they all wanted the same thing.
And it didn’t matter how they were going to achieve it. This was a fight they were going to do together, and that was that.
He just hoped they knew what they were doing.
Part Three : RESCUE
Sho and Aiba insisted this was a suicide mission disguised as a rescue plan.
As if he didn’t know already, and it wasn’t like he was disagreeing per se, and it was better for everyone involved that he just keep his mouth shut and follow the plan, at least the one he and Ohno agreed on, since arguing with his friends over this wasn’t going to help. He’d thought of telling them about the powers Ohno insisted he had, especially the ones he wasn’t classified with, but thought better of it.
He’d rather not complicate things further by talking, nor embarrass himself in the process if it turned out this was all just an elaborate scheme to prank him.
Still, despite his doubts, a huge part of him wanted to believe Ohno was telling the truth, about Jun, about the powers he had no idea he had, about saving them. Even here, now, with Ohno’s replicate tugging him forward, his doubts was still eating at him from the inside. And the only other thing that was prompting him to move forward was the sound of Ohno’s voice in his head, quiet and reassuring, telling him to be careful.
The place they were brought into was the building near the animal clinic Aiba was working at - certainly not the place one would imagine holding people against their will - but somehow made perfect sense why they have been taken there anyway.
Johnnys Pharmaceuticals and Laboratories was one of those known companies that manufactured pharmaceutical drugs, but was the very first among its peers to discover the existence of super-powered individuals through one of their government-backed researches. There were numerous rumors about the company doing more than manufacturing over-the-counter drugs for normal people and the gifted alike, but they were mostly being covered up if not ignored.
This was obviously the reason why and he wouldn’t be surprised to discover more as they went along.
And truthfully, Nino didn’t want to worry about it too much when his nerves were already on edge, and he still didn’t know what in hell he was doing. All he knew was that he was navigating through the semi-darkened hallways of Johnny’s Pharmaceuticals and Laboratories after Ohno’s copy had successfully managed to get them inside through the back door without much effort (it was locked, but his companion was able to open it easily, much to Nino’s surprise) with his heart pounding hard in his ribcage, breathing hard through his nose, albeit quietly despite the fact that it sure felt like the devil was after them. He had no idea where they were going either, but he trusted Ohno enough to follow his copy’s lead as his fingers gripping the man’s own tightly as if his life depended on it.
As an agreement, Aiba and Sho were to wait for them in the car, parked at the opposite side of the road and prepared to drive off at the very first sign of Nino running back out, hopefully with Ohno and Jun in tow. They were expected to just stay where they were, practically invisible; Nino hoped they’d just stay put and wouldn’t try anything stupid.
They were just rounding the corner when Ohno’s replicate stopped them, squeezing his hand and tugging him closer to the wall. He looked around, just in case the reason they were stopping was because of a nearby surveillance camera he hadn’t noticed yet, but found that there weren’t any.
This surprised him in its entirety. Because for an establishment this huge, and was obviously running questionable operations behind it’s supposedly legal ones, he’d expected the place would be overcrowded by CCTV cameras and crawling of security personnel.
That was obviously not the case here.
It’s because they don’t need the cameras, Ohno’s voice said, reminding him of the man’s presence even when he couldn’t actually see him. (Or, maybe he could; Ohno did say his replicate was a near perfect copy of himself after all.) They have their own PSD stationed on every floor.
What, like a team of super-powered security guards?
Something like that, yes.
I give up. We really are going to die here. Holy crap.
Not if you get to level four as quickly as you two could manage it, without being detected preferably, to find the room they are holding Yamada-kun and his friends.
Why? And who is that guy?
He’s a Jumper. Well, most of his friends are, but I heard there are Clippers and Screamers there too. Borrow their powers so you’ll have something to defend yourself with. The shell would do its best to take you to where you need to go, but I prefer it better if you have the powers you need to fight the buggers off if in case they got that replicate first.
You mean he could die? But - you didn’t mention this before!
He’s just a shell, Ninomiya-san. I can easily replace him with a new one, no problem, so long as I’m alive. So don’t worry about him.
Wow, that’s just comforting! Thank you very much!
I’d say it’s better for you to meet the original, but, that’s all up to you, of course.
God, why do I even like you? You’re just a grade A prick.
That’s really sweet, but do you mind moving along, Ninomiya-san? You’re wasting precious time arguing with me.
You started it!
Ohno simply laughed and told him to suck it up, before he felt he was being tugged into the opposite direction.
Nino supposed there was nothing else left to do but to move along.
*
It was sensible to just use the stairs in this situation, so despite knowing his body wasn’t built for such vigorous activity, he swallowed back his complaints and followed the duplicate’s lead. It was an awful long journey up from the first level to the third - he honestly started to feel confident about the whole thing since they haven’t encountered anyone yet - until they got to level three and came face to face with a man twice his and the shell’s size, donning a suit.
For a moment, the guy looked surprised, then confused, when his gaze settled on the man standing next to him.
“What the hell, aren’t you supposed to be -” the guy said, or at least started to, holding his hand up in the air as he spoke. Nino felt the air around him sizzled, reaching down to find Ohno’s replicate doing the same.
Their fingers were barely intertwined when Ohno’s rang in his head, so loud he gasped at the sound of it.
Take his power and use it!
Too late, because then Nino felt the ground beneath him disappeared, as he and the shell were being lifted in the air. Then, as quickly as it started, it was over, Nino dropping on the ground with a loud thud, hand still clutching Ohno’s replicate’s own, at the same time they heard the sound of another body hitting the ground, followed by a familiar voice urging them to get up.
It was Aiba. Holding what looked like a golf club in one hand, and a bottled water in the other.
And unsurprisingly, Sho, empty-handed, was with him too.
God, his friends were just as weird as he was.
“What the actual hell - didn’t I tell you to stay put?!” he hissed, completely forgetting his manners as he sauntered toward his friends with a glare. Aiba didn’t even look the least bit apologetic.
“Well, thank goodness we didn’t, or you’d have your brain splattered onto the walls if we didn’t come to help you!”
“I told you we got this!”
“Well, it sure didn’t look that way to me!”
“Guys, that’s enough!” Sho stopped them both, getting in between them. “Nino, are you okay?”
“I’m splendid! What are you doing here?” he countered, pissed.
“Saving your ass, what’s it look like?” said Aiba, just as Sho pushed him aside to give Nino a look.
“We can’t just stay there and do nothing. We saw you use the back door so we went through that too. This place crawls, Nino. Don’t you think something really weird is going on here?”
“Well, that’s what I was here to find out, obviously.”
“Still planning on saving Jun and your imaginary friend?” asked Sho, which he answered with just a nod of his head. “How?”
He bit his lips. Should he tell them?
It’s okay, Ninomiya-san, said Ohno in his head. They’re your friends, and they’re there anyway. You could use all the help you could get. I’m - I’m sorry you’re all in this dangerous situation because of me.
Don’t say that. It’s not your fault, okay? It’s our decision to help our friends. None of this is your fault, you hear me?
I -
Shut up. I don’t want to hear any apologies, okay? Okay.
Nino -
He let go of the shell’s hand in favor of facing Sho.
“Help me get to level four. There are people I need to find first.”
Sho looked doubtful. “Why?”
Nino sauntered forward without looking back.
“I need to borrow their powers.”
*
There was no time for discussion, even though Aiba and Sho’s combined inner musings were as loud as their speaking voice. Following the shell as he led the way to level four without letting go of his hand, the sound of Ohno’s voice telling him to be careful was like an ever present reminder that he knew he couldn’t lose.
Thankfully, the room they were looking for was just right next to the corner of the fire exit, the door opposite the elevator that it had made their journey a hell of a lot easier.
“Quick, Nino, we’ll cover you.” Aiba said, urging them along. The shell tugged him forward and planted them in front of the room’s door, Nino watched as the shell held out his hand and touched the doorknob with ease.
Not even two seconds later, Nino definitely heard the sound of its lock turning.
Then the replicate was taking his hand back and stepping away, prompting Nino to do the opposite while he positioned himself behind Nino. Nino wasted no time in turning the knob as he was instructed and, upon finding it unlocked, pushed the door open and peeked inside.
The darkness that greeted him barely even surprised him, but more so the lack of the resounding alarm he’d expected to follow once they’d managed to open the door.
“We took care of it!” Aiba hollered from where he’d planted himself earlier, answering Nino’s unspoken question. “Now hurry up before any of them realized we’re here!”
Sounds of covers being tugged aside soon followed. Then there were sounds of shuffling feet, bodies bumping into each other and hushed voices, and Nino braved the consequences by stepping further into the room, arms raised in mid-air in a gesture of surrender.
“W-Who - Who’s there?” Someone croaked out from the lump of huddling bodies backed against the far wall. Then, suddenly, it was bright in the room and Nino finally had a clear view of who he was talking to.
“I’m Ninomiya, a friend of Matsumoto Jun and Ohno Satoshi. I’m here for Yamada-san.”
A good-looking, young fellow in his early twenties stepped forward slowly, carefully. “That’s me. What do you want from us?”
Ninomiya-san, you guys need to get out of there fast. They’re on to you now. They’re locking the place down and sending security to block all exit and entrance points. Please don’t let them catch you.
Tell me where you are so we could go straight to you.
Level nine. And Ninomiya-san?
Yeah?
Please hurry.
I’ll be there as soon as I can. Just hang in there.
Nino sighed, turning back to face the confused-looking Yamada. “I’m afraid I’m here for your powers, Yamada-san,” he announced to the room at large. “And not just yours,” he said, pointing to his terrified companions.
“Theirs too.”
*
It probably wasn’t the brightest idea he came up with, but it was the only thing he was able to think of at the time, just before he took off and started running for the stairs up to level nine. He’d just hoped Aiba and Sho are smart enough not to get caught while they guided Yamada-kun and his friends to safety, because he’d rather not go back for them once he got Jun and Ohno out.
He and Ohno’s replicate had another face to face encounter with a three-member security team just as they reached level seven, though fending them off was a lot easier now than it did several floors before. He shoved them away with a quick flick of his hand, confident at the way they hit the opposite wall, groaning in pain.
One of the three was quick to recover though, dodging out of the way as Nino pinned his two other companions to the wall, yelling Ohno’s name. He didn’t even saw what transpired, just that the next time he blinked, Ohno’s replicate had his knees against the back of the guy’s skull, pushing him down until his face was kissing the floor.
“Woah, dude!” he exclaimed, before knocking those two he’d kept pinned against the wall’s heads together, rendering them unconscious. “That was awesome!”
Ohno’s replicate didn’t even blink, slammed the guy’s head against the floor and stood as if nothing happened to grab Nino’s hand.
Ninomiya-san, are you okay?
Nino hid a smile and let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding as he followed the replicate’s lead.
Never better. Be ready, we’re almost there.
*
It didn’t occur to him to expect that they’d be facing more security people the moment they arrived on level nine, but somehow, they just did. The entire floor was crowded with people, probably a dozen or so blocking their way, before they were quickly being surrounded.
His fingers twitched inside the replicate’s grasp. Ninomiya-san?
Give me a minute, Ohno-san.
Something wrong?
Nope. We’re all good. Talk in a bit?
“Bold of you to think you could just barge in here and steal our people.” a guy to his left said, tilting his head to give Nino and the shell he was with a look.
“Your people?” he bit back, unaffected. “But I don’t think they like in here very much, seeing that you lunatics abducted them and kept them here against their will.”
There was collective murmurs from the men surrounding them as the man speaking to Nino waved his hand. The rest of his men took two steps forward, closing in on Nino and the shell in the process. Their thoughts were as confused as the expression they were wearing, and Nino did his best to hide his smile as he felt the replicate squeezed their hands together. The sensation he felt at the back of his head intensified, and he knew that it meant he was absorbing their powers without them even realizing it.
“So, what, you’re here to save them, is that it?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” he said. Then, “So, what if I am?”
Another guy stepped forward. “Funny. But do you really think we’re gonna simply let you? You won’t even get two steps away from us before we’re dragging you back to where you came from.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Do you feel threatened?” the same guy asked, grinning mischievously as he gestured to himself. “Come on, I’m actually being nice here.”
“Really now?”
“Yeah. In fact, I have a proposition for you. How about we settle this the nice way, where no one dies or gets hurt, how about it?”
“That’s an enticing invitation, thanks, but no thanks,” he answered. “But, maybe we could come into an even better arrangement. You let me walk out of here with two of my friends you’re keeping inside that room,” he pointed, “and we’ll call it even. If you do that, I promise not to break anything important, how’s that?”
That prompted the men to laugh. Nino raised an eyebrow at them in answer. “I take it the answer is no?”
“What do you think?” small guy answered.
Nino shook his head and flexed his hand, the one not holding the replicate’s own. He could feel the air around his hand - charged with energy no one could see - followed his fingers’ movements.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” was all the warning the men got before Nino was moving, the shell along with him to shield him, as he electrocuted half of the men till they were writhing on the floor, and then throwing the other half into a hole he created on the wall.
“Woah, Nino!” exclaimed Sho and Aiba, simultaneously. Nino didn’t notice them being there.
Nino ignored them in favor of sprinting towards the direction the shell was pulling him to, feeling entirely like his heart had lodged itself permanently in his throat.
Ohno-san? Are you okay? Where are you?
Here, Ninomiya-san. Still here. You okay? Are you hurt?
I’m good.
Thank goodness. I - Where are you?
On my way to you. Wait for me.
*
Unlocking the room wasn’t nearly as difficult as when he was finally standing in front of Jun, who looked no worse for wear despite being in lock up for years, and Ohno, awkwardly, because obviously, starting a conversation with anyone - not even with the person he supposed wasn’t exactly a stranger anymore, but still was, technically - wasn’t exactly his strongest suit.
So instead of ending up doing something he knew he would regret for the rest of his days, he turned to Jun, walked the short way towards him and hugged him, before whacking him upside the head.
“You could have told us you were abducted, you bastard! We thought you were dead!”
“And how was I supposed to do that, you idiot?!”
“Almost five years, J! Couldn’t you have figured something out like Ohno-san did?!”
“Well, I’m sorry I’m not as clever as he is!”
“Well then at least you know you are -” he grumbled, when he was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming against the wall and Aiba’s mental screams soon followed.
His actual voice took form not even two seconds later. “Matsujun! Holy shit, is it really you?”
“Aiba-san -”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. You two were supposed to help the others out, what the hell are you - OH MY GOD, SHO.” he squeaked, watching in horror as Sho shoved Aiba out of the way, him too, so he could grab Jun by the shoulders, hauling him up from the bed and kissing him.
“We should go!” Aiba was yelling, and Nino honestly couldn’t agree more. “Sho, damn it, that’s enough!”
“Break them up, break them up, oh my god, my eyes!”
He backed away, cringing, stumbling on his feet and almost losing his balance if not for the pair of hands that caught him before he accidentally brained himself on the nearest bed.
It was Ohno.
Their gazes catch for the second time, and for a moment there, Nino was certain everything stopped, saved from the two of them. The noises he supposed he should hear was muted, and he couldn’t hear beyond the sounds of his own heart beating unsteadily inside his chest. Ohno’s fingers came up to settle across his jaw, soft, chaste, like Ohno was afraid it’d hurt.
Nino wondered what it all meant, until it happened.
It felt just like it did the last time it happened. The images came like simultaneous strike of lightning hitting him from all sides he was almost drowning in them. His eyes were close but they were still there, coming at him and flooding his entire senses, making him remember things he was certain never happened yet. Ohno held him through it, could feel the warmth of his breath against the side of Nino’s temple, murmuring soft words on his skin and holding him steady as he tried to regain faculties on his limbs, waited until his knees were stable enough that he could finally stand on his own.
Evidently, the world, he realized, remained on pause.
“What the hell was that?”
Ohno gave a chuckle. “You really like asking questions you already know the answers of, do you?”
Confused, he shook his head. “But, that’s - does it mean we’re - like that? Supposedly?”
Ohno’s grin was so, so fond that it was hard to look away. “I guess so?”
“You’re not sure either!”
“Oh, but I am,” said Ohno, gingerly, almost shyly. “Between the two of us, someone has to be.”
“But I’m not - I mean, we’re not -”
“If you don’t want us to be, that’s fine,” said Ohno. “Well, for now. Because then you’ll find that it would be kind of difficult to get rid of me now that I have found you.”
To that, he honestly had no prepared comeback. So he just let Ohno pull him closer, felt him settled a hand across the small of his back while the other he used to caress Nino’s jaw. This closeness, it ought to scare Nino away before, but with Ohno, it just felt so natural, familiar, easy.
And maybe, he still wasn’t sure; the visions gave him just enough to know where to begin, where to look. But one thing remained the same, amidst all the chaos he saw.
In all of it, he was with Ohno.
“But I’m not sure -” he said, cutting himself halfway when Ohno caught his hand and brought it to his lips.
“I’ll be sure enough for the both of us, Kazu. How about that?” Ohno said.
Nino couldn’t help it, he smiled, letting Ohno hold him through his uncertainties knowing he wouldn’t be for long. He let his head tip forward till he could rest his forehead against Ohno’s shoulder, smiling at the vivid memory he saw of Ohno kissing him under a sky full of stars.
Something shifted then, could be the air around them or the powers holding the universe together because afterwards he could once again hear everyone’s thoughts, saved from Ohno’s, followed by the sound of Aiba’s voice prompting them to go.
“Save the romance for later and let’s fucking go!”
The door slammed against the wall as it abruptly opened. “They’re here! Get them! All of them!”
“Holy shit, we’re all gonna die!”
Nino pulled himself away from Ohno’s embrace, tugging Ohno aside when Ohno pulled him to stand behind Ohno. “Nino -”
“Shh, it’s okay,” he said, squeezing Ohno’s arm in reassurance. “It’s okay. I can do this.”
“But -”
“Trust me on this one, Oh-chan,” he said. “Now, step aside please.” he said, and Ohno did, albeit hesitantly. He gave Ohno a smile just as Ohno’s replicate appeared by Nino’s side.
“Be careful.”
“Always am.” he answered.
His future could wait. He obviously had this present trouble to take care of.
“Kill them!”
Nino grinned.
-End-
Epilogue (sort of)
Ohno liked to say it was fate - he was still gushing at the part where Nino shared his visions with him, at least the ones that literally sealed the deal and made him agree Ohno was the one - but he just always made it a point to ignore Ohno just to be a jerk.
Their friends thought it was romantic, in an epic kind of way, because, what else could it be? Ohno had seen Nino in his dreams, even before they’ve properly met, and Nino saw fragments of future with Ohno in it in turn. Jun, in particular, liked to remind Nino that his abduction started it all. That Nino wouldn’t get to experience (and in turn, enjoy) the perks of a blissful, married life if not for him.
Nino always told him to suck it up.
All in all, things were - nice. Even if they were now being hunted. It was nice to know that even when life was hard, and their situation even more so, they have each other. Their powers, to make a difference.
For Nino, that, in itself, was enough.
And it was kind of perfect, really.
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😘💙💛
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