“Cem, can I ask you a question?”
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Cem jolts up out of his seat.
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“Oh! I … didn't think you were awake.” Cem says. He'd been sitting in a chair in the living room mulling over the events that had just transpired.
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“I'm sorry if I startled you.”
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“It's fine, I was just lost in thought. What's your question?”
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“Why does mo- Ms. Anri treat me the way she does?”
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“What do you mean? Do you think she's treating you poorly?” He says while gesturing to the seat next to him.
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Zero takes the seat. “It's the opposite really. She feeds me, clothes me, lets me live here with her, and doesn't ask for anything in return. Dr. Katse kept me around while I was still a test subject, and once I wasn't useful anymore, he kicked me out. But now, Ms. Anri takes even better care of me, but I'm not useful to her at all. Why?”
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Cem puts his arm around him. “Well… Let's start with a different question. Why do you have to be useful to be loved?”
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“Loved? I guess… it would be so the other person gets something for their efforts.”
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“See, your relationship with Dr. Katse was built upon an equivalent exchange, and your relationship with Anri is one built upon love.”
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“But why is it that way?”
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“Hmm… Don't tell her I told you this, but when I initially asked her to take you in, she screamed and threw a fit.”
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“Really?”
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“Yup. She did, not because of you, but because she knows that she wouldn't be able to imagine her life without you. She gets attached easily and fights hard to protect the ones she cares about. Her fuss was to shield her from the pain attributed to loving you. So to answer your initial question, she loves you because it's a part of her nature. Even with that, she finds something new to love about you everyday.”
.
.
.
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Several years had passed since Dr. Katse's attack on Zero. He hadn’t been seen in or near the village since then. Due to his sudden appearance and disappearance, Anri asked Cem to teach Zero how to fight, more for her sake than his. After their experience with Dr. Katse, she'd do whatever it took to keep him safe. Aside from training, they returned to their normal everyday lives.
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“Zero! Are you up yet?! Cem is gonna be here any minute now!” Anri shouts down the hall.
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“Yeah, yeah, I'm up…” Zero says, groggily rolls out of bed.
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“You already made breakfast? You must really be excited.” He says through a yawn as he walks into the kitchen.
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“Morning.” He says while hugging her.
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“Morning.” She turns to kiss him on his forehead. “And ‘excited’ isn't the word I'd use. More like, curious.”
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Zero takes a seat at his usual spot at the table. Once she finishes cooking, Anri makes three plates and sits at the table.
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“He's late.” Anri says while staring at the clock at the wall. “He said he'd be here at 8:00 sharp.”
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“Maybe he got tied up with something at work? He did say he’d be in Rahu today.”
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“If that's the case, it makes me wonder what could tie down someone that can teleport.”
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After a while, they decide to eat without him. Minutes turn into hours as they await Cem’s arrival. Late in the night, they hear a knock on the door.
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“Zero, go get the door.”
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“Got it.”
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He opens the door to find an empty moonlit porch.
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“Hello? Anyone out there?”
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An explosion answers his call, knocking him outside through the doorway.
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Dazed, Zero looks up at the now flaming house, scanning for his mother.
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“Mom! Where are you! Are you alright?!” He yells, sprinting into the burning remains of the house.
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Where is she? What was that explosion?
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After digging through the burning rubble, he finds her unconscious with several burns and bruises.
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“Mom, can you hear me?!” He says before getting hit with a hard kick to the stomach.
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“Ah, Zero! Fantastic timing!”
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Why, why, WHY? Why is he here? Everything was just fine a minute ago… But then he just had to show up and ruin it.
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“I just knew I'd get to see you again!” Dr. Katse exclaims. “How do you like my gift?”
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Zero groans in pain as he turns to see Anri awaken. Squinting through the blood, her eyes focus on her son and the madman standing above him.
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“You survived that? You are a hearty one indeed. Zero, pay very close attention.” Dr. Katse says as he pulls a knife off of his hip and walks towards Anri.
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“Stop! Please, I'll do anything!” Zero's pleas fall on deaf ears. “I'll go back to the lab! You can do whatever you want to me! Just don't hurt her anymore!” The tears now welling up in his eyes.
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“I came here today to do one thing. Do you know what that thing is, Zero?” Dr. Katse says squatting down in front of Anri.
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“Please… don't…” Zero whimpers.
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“Sorry to do this to you Anri, but your death will propel my research to new heights.”
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“I love you, my dear son.” Anri says faintly, mustering the last of her strength.
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Dr. Katse plunges his knife into her throat, and yanks it out, flinging blood throughout the burning room.
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Zero was filled with a burning rage, but it was immediately washed over by a sea of sadness. The life of the one person he'd love was just taken. His whole world was shattered due to the madness of one man.
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“Why couldn't you just leave me… leave us alone?!”
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“Why, you ask? It's simple, really. You're an experiment. Unlike you tricked yourself into believing, you never stopped being one.” He turns to Zero, staring coldly.
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“Everything you've felt, all of your experiences, were things I've allowed. Cem picking you up, meeting Anri, having a family. I couldn't take anything from you because you didn't have anything. But now that I've given you something to hold onto, something worth loving, I now have something to take from you.”
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It was all… an experiment? Science drove him this far?
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Zero starts to feel dizzy before falling unconscious.
.
.
.
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“Looks like you can't disregard him and kill me at the same time. You know what to do Zero. Kill him.” Dr. Katse says.
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“I will not!”
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“Why? Too scared to kill someone like you? Surely you have the means to do so.”
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“Someone like me...” He mumbles.
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Maybe he's right. Maybe I do have a soft spot for these kids. However, I do need to take him out of the equation.
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“Lord Varasta. With all due respect, I will not allow you to harm Dr. Katse.” Seven says, breaking his silence.
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“So you do talk. Why do you intend on protecting him with your life?” Zero says while picking himself up.
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“Because this is simply what I know. I have one goal in life and that is to protect Dr. Katse. I'll do whatever it takes to ensure his safety.”
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“Sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?” Dr. Katse says.
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“I've no idea what you're talking about.” Zero says while fighting his own mind.
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“Don't play dumb! He's just like you! He has a goal and he's willing to do anything to get there. You yourself are willing to hire assassins and a pirate to bring down your enemies. You've even attacked royalty to get this far. You're shaping up to be just like your father and his father before him.”
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“SHUT UP! I am nothing like them and I will never be anything near what they were! I’m better!”
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“Better how? You still do the same things they do!”
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“It's not like that! I'm doing what I have to do!” He shouts back at him while swinging in a raging flurry at Seven. Still struggling to keep up, Seven dodges most of them while landing a few hits on Zero.
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“And what do you think they did? Were their actions not necessary? How do you think your grandfather Lord Kraha was supposed to take down a powerhouse like Lord Reeda? What about your father’s many strides in creating MERD?”
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“All of their actions costed the lives and livelihoods of hundreds, if not thousands of innocents! Mine are… are…”
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“Are exactly the same!
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“SHUT UP!” “I hate to have to use this on you, but you are in the way. I'm sorry.” Zero says as he rushes at Seven.
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For the first time in their battle Seven is wary of his opponent. Perhaps he could feel the difference in Zero’s approach. Maybe this time, an attack would come that he couldn't afford to take.
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Zero swings with an exaggeratedly wide right hook. For the first time in this battle, Seven leans back to dodge the telegraphed punch. However, this was exactly what Zero had anticipated. He jumps over Seven, grabbing his neck and throwing him over his shoulder, leaving him face-down on the floor. He quickly hops on top of him.
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“For your own sake, please do not resist. It will only make this worse for you.” Zero says as he starts to pull Seven's ability out of his back.
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Dr. Katse stares at him in wonder. Despite he and Zero’s long history with each other, he had never actually seen the ability he toiled so long and hard for.
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“See that? Told you you could do it. Now all you have to do is finish him off. Kill him.” Dr.Katse
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“I refuse.”
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“And why is that? Your father and grandfather would’ve done it without hesitation.”
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“I’m here for you, not him.” Zero says before dashing over to Dr. Katse and swinging wildly.
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His fist stopped inches away from Dr. Katse.
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“This was the last thing your father helped create before his untimely demise. An artifact that can absorb ether and expel it as a shield.”
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“And how many lives did this take?”
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“Dozens. More specifically, the life of every failed test subject.”
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Zero continues to swing at the shield.
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“Since it looks like I won’t be leaving here anytime soon, we may as well continue our chat. Do you remember what our nation’s crest is?”
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“Of course I do. Thanks to someone, I was shown the Ouroboros countless times.” He says through gritted teeth as he beats on the shield.
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“Yes, the Ouroboros initially stood for Infinity, or a continuous state of life. In other words, Madu would never cease and would always have what it needed to survive.”
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Zero doesn't respond, but continues to strike the shield. As Dr. Katse speaks, Zero can feel his strength growing weaker after every passing second.
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“I see your strength is starting to wane. It seems you know when I'm getting at.”
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“Shut up and die already!”
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“I'll keep going. Once your grandfather, Kraha Varasta, took office, his actions as king would go on to dishonor the crest, leading to new meaning amongst the people: Madu was a greedy snake that would consume everything until there was nothing left but itself to devour.” As he finishes speaking, Zero breaks through the shield, but Dr. Katse catches his hand before he can strike.
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“You're starting to behave just like that snake, taking everything that you can.
“And with this you'll be able to see exactly what you are.”
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Dr. Katse lets go of Zero’s hand, allowing it to go straight through his chest.
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He's dying. By my hand at that… Something's wrong.
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“Just like your father…”
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No…
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“And his father before him…”
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No, no, no…
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“You became… a king, a snake, and a villain.”
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“No! You're wrong! I'm…”
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“It took 19 years… for you to… get to this point. I'm so very proud… of you… Test Subject Number… Zero.” Dr. Katse says through coughs as blood leaks from his mouth.
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He gives one last, wicked smile before passing away.
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“You're wrong! They're the bad ones! Not me! I just want our nation to be better! For us to no longer be a breeding ground for wicked people like you and my father… and myself…”
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Just like my grandfather. Just like my father. I really am a villain.
