Choosing Paths

If the first statement from Yumi wasn’t enough to put everyone into shock, her second nearly put the group into a coma. While the methods of expressing their shock varied, it was all the same. No one expected to her to say such a reckless thing. It completely defused the tension from before, even if it might have replaced it with something even worse.

Not understanding Yumi at all, Yuki’s hand became heavy on her shoulder. Panic already spread through his face and into his hand. “What are you saying, Yumi?! You can’t do that! It’s too dangerous! We’ll go together to get Yori back!”

“He’s right!” added Seiji. He finally dropped Ayumi to the ground, no longer interested in their argument.

Saki stepped up to join them. She saw the look in Yumi’s eyes built with determination. It worried her the look that she saw. “Yumi, you don’t have to do this alone. This isn’t a burden you have to bear alone. Ayumi doesn’t speak for everyone.”

Yumi shook her head lightly. “I know, but what she says is correct. There is something even more important than just my brother at stake. It’s only been a little glimpse, but it is clear that there are wrongs being done here. Soldiers are meant to protect, not scare its people. We don’t even know what the rest of Atlantis is like or feeling right now. Ayumi feels strongly that they need his help and I don’t doubt those feelings.” She tilted her head towards Ayumi carrying a slight smile. All Ayumi returned was a small narrowing on her eyelids and quickly shifting her gaze away.

Still not convinced, Yuki pulled in front of Yumi to make sure she saw him with no distraction. The moment that his eyes met her, a little hesitation suddenly bubbled up in his heart. ‘She’s got that determined look in her eyes like before…when she took charge…’ He realized then at that instant he couldn’t look at her. His head fell down hanging at his shoulders. The shaking did not cease for him. “…but none of that matters…to me… …saving your brother’s more important to me…right now…”

She lifted her hand up to rest on his wrist and forearm. “Thank you, Yuki. But I can’t let you make that decision.” A sudden blast of wind raked along everyone’s clothes, sending ripples through the material. Yumi knelt down as Yuki collapsed over her shoulder. She looked over to Ayumi calling her in silence. Slowly, Ayumi approached with caution. Passing off Yuki, Yumi stood up to leave him in her care. “I trust you to make sure he stays the course.”

“…yes…” Ayumi looked down at Yuki, seeing him unconscious. She wasn’t entirely certain what to make of the situation. Everything returned to the order she wished. She had Yuki.

In the surprise of the scene, most of them couldn’t react. However, Saki broke free from the stunned effect and rushed over to Yumi’s side. “You don’t even know where he is! Are you going to search the entire countryside for him?!”

Yumi looked back at Saki smiling at her. “No,” she calmly spoke with her head shaking. “I know exactly where he is.”

“What?! How?!”

“It’s my power, I think…” Her hand raised a little to her gaze with her head turned back forward. “I’m still figuring it all out, but I can sense him out there. I just have to follow the feeling and I’ll find him at the end.”

Saki threw her arm out swiping at the air with her words. “If that’s the case you don’t have to go alone! We’ll go with you and be back on track in no time! I can do it myself! With my speed we won’t waste any time!”

“That’s a hella broken power,” commented Seiji. He finally came out of his paralysis and stepped out into the conversation. “It’s not very sporting considering they’re all just a bunch of normal humans.”

She turned her head back towards Seiji quickly. “To hell with fair play!”

“No, he is my brother. This is only something for me to do.”

“Yumi!” Saki turned to face Yumi only to be blasted with wind. The force kicked up dirt and made it difficult for her to see. She held up her arms and squinted her eyes. “Yumi!” Saki shouted through the cloud to no avail. Once the wind calmed and she could see again nothing remained. Yumi was gone. “Yumi!”

Chapter 125 – Choosing Paths

The force that pulled on him stirred his mind. It felt as though it ripped from his home. He wanted to return, but knew it to be impossible. Still groggy from the experience, it took him a while to wake up fully. Once awake, he lazily scanned the environment. His lightheadedness persisted in spite of his alertness rising. ‘Where am I?’

Yori tried to get up to move, but found it impossible. It took him several vain attempts to actually realize the futility of trying. The effort did clear the rest of the hazy from his mind making everything suddenly sharp. He felt his arms stretched a little and pinned in an awkward position for him. His arms were behind him. An abrasive touch to his wrists when he twisted his arms told him enough. ‘I’m tied up! What happened to me?’

Upon the realization of his situation, Yori tried to pull at his arms again, but found the bonds too tight. Escape seemed out of reach. ‘Where is this?’ Yori looked around the space in search of anything that might help him. Unfortunately, the entire room was empty. All he saw was canvas lightly billowing with passing winds. ‘A tent? We don’t have a tent, unless this is Hayashi’s doing…’ The longer that he considered the more he ruled the option out.

The situation drew on and he came to the only logical conclusion, one that he dreaded. The mere thought had his body shaking and his stomach churning in fear. ‘…I’ve been captured…’ Once he understood, he started to think back. He needed to know what happened. Unfortunately, his mind blanked on him. ‘The last thing I remember was being surrounded by the soldiers and then them dropping…but what happened after…’

Any more thoughts would have to wait for Yori. The flap of the tent slid apart, bleeding sunlight through on his face. Its bright light blinded him until a shadow stepped forward. In the sun, all he saw was a darkened figure approach before the light cut away. He caught sight of another figure in the gloom of the tent, but they disappeared out of sight behind him before he had a chance to see fully. The more important figure stood before him less than a meter away.

A black uniform became clear to Yori with his vision returning back to familiarity with the darkness. The man stood tall. Well formed muscles exposed on his chest and arms showed him to be trained and physical. Yori didn’t know if his own fear made the presence feel even more imposing than the man’s stature. The closer he focused on the face the more he knew he recognized it. Short closely cut dark blonde hair hugged his head and narrow piercing eyes of deep blue, same as before. ‘He was one of the soldiers that attacked us! Did he capture me?’

Abeiron took a half step forward leaning down to the seated Yori. The appearance of Yori made his features harden a little to cover up the truth. It unsettled him. ‘The rebellion nearly thirty years ago was said to have had children, mostly MP users, but…’ He watched the changing expressions on Yori’s face trying to understand his foe. ‘If this is the preamble for rebellion why would children already be involved? Is it because of the laws?’ The longer that Abeiron thought the more he dragged himself in circles questioning unnecessary things.

He closed his eyes briefly, only appearing as a blink, but it cleared his mind. Forcing focus back, his mind centered on Yori, a teenager. The one point of unease remained; they had taken a child prisoner. All they ever had to deal with on the border were the lost scientists to return safely back, adults. ‘I won’t question the Captain, but interrogating a child seems like something a villain would do. But he’s right that we need answers and none of them looked to be an adult… What is this invasion of theirs?’

A glance over at the MP in the corner giving him a nod in silence told him all he needed. The Field was finished. Abeiron narrowed his eyes further, forcing a darkly serious tone from his voice. “Regardless of whatever language you speak I know you can understand me.”

Surprise entered into Yori’s eyes from the declaration. ‘How does he know I’m still wearing the translation earring Hayashi made for me?’

“While we’re here there is no language barrier for anyone. So silence based on language is not valid. Also know that this Field has a regenerative effect, so injuries will be healed over time.” Abeiron leaned in closer to Yori to impress the graveness of the situation. “You may just be a child, but you should be old enough to understand your situation.”

Yori leaned into his chair as much as it allowed. He felt the pressure the man exuded. It was heavy and suffocating. Sweat built up on his back making him stick to the wood backing. He was just a high school student, one that had never been in a fight in his life before coming to Atlantis. Yori felt the compulsion to start blathering immediately. ‘Anything I say could hurt her…I might not have been the brother she needed lately, but I can at least protect her in this way…my only way…’

He fought to build up as much resolve as he could to fortify his mind and body. ‘I need to do something to delay them…’ His face struggled to become stern as fear still periodically spread through him. “The Geneva Convention prevents mistreatment of civilians.”

“The moment you entered our territory you were trespassing on foreign soil. When you attacked the soldiers, you became combatants. You aren’t civilians anymore. You’re terrorists.”

The shock caught in Yori’s mouth made him forcibly close it so as not to give away his surprise. He unfortunately already revealed himself too much. ‘Terrorist? You can’t be serious! That’s a huge leap to make so quickly, but…I guess in their mind that is what we’re doing…’ Yori didn’t like agreeing to the accusation. He only thought of himself helping his sister, he only ever defended himself when attacked. He made no provocative moves and Yuki was here to stop the attacks. ‘They started everything.’ Yori knew that he could not say something like that though. “But regardless the articles—“

“Don’t apply here. We never were party to the treaties. Our existence is an invisible one. Anything that happens here will remain here.”

‘Doesn’t apply?! You can’t be serious? How inhumane are these people?!’ Yori fought with his complete disbelief of his situation. He thought he could call their bluff as an empty threat, but he found himself cornered. There was no hesitation in the Atlantean officer before him. ‘They really are going to torture me for information!’

‘As a child, scaring him should be enough. It’s a little rough, but it’ll pull out the information we need.’ However, fate didn’t grant his hope.

Time slowly dragged on between Abeiron and Yori in a battle of patience, fear and wills. It was a battle that Yori knew he was losing. All the pain seemed simple and brief as it all vanished soon after he received it. The regenerative Field worked as told, his body would always be ready for more. Unfortunately, his mind didn’t recover or his heart. The toll that he took and yet unable to feel true relief from pain left him in knots of twisting exhaustion. He simply wanted it all to end, but held wearily on to the thought of his sister. ‘I must protect…her…’

The tent flap opened, the light came even more painful for Yori to take even though later in the day. He saw nothing well with sweat covering his face and hanging off his brow. A new arrival added a mix of uncertainty and dread with a pinch of hope. It could be over for the moment or a sign of things worse to come.

The Commander tilted his head over his shoulder a little, noticing the entrance. “Captain.”

Simonides walked around the man and over to his flank. He looked down at the chair and Yori. Tied both to the chair and together still held firmly, he saw no signs of it loosening. Scanning over the body of the teenager, the tunic held together through the rough treatment, but his body looked fine. Sweat covered nearly all of his exposed skin. His breathing came swallow and in small paces. “He say anything?”

“Nothing helpful, sir.”

“I see,” he said in a measured tone. He gave a motion to Abeiron to step aside. Simonides stood in front of Yori staring down at him. His hands came to rest upon Yori’s shoulders as he bent down, coming to eye-level with the child. “Your will is strong. You do honor to your cause for resisting this long. However, understand that this is merely a prelude. We have ways to force you to talk and we can make them painful. I’ll give you this last chance to speak before my generosity is spent. We will put an end to your rebellion.”