Dead Zone

[Gladis]

This is for a tryout, feel free to read + PM me about anything but please don't post here, thank you!

[Gladis]

just a side note, the kalons here are written as human form (or anthro, whichever one you prefer :0)
Prologue

March 12 || 12:00 AM || Mass termination
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"This is an emergency broadcast. Please locate your nearest shelter. This is not an emergency, I repeat. This is not an emergency."

The first thing to go out was the electricity. Mass shut down. The once lit city was now a pitch black. For a blissful moment, there was nothing. Eerie silence echoed across the confused people. Then, as if suddenly, screams rang across the alleyways & streets one by one. It was mass chaos. & 17 year old Kara had no clue what the hell was going on. In fact, no one knew what was going on. Given a life in a prosperous city with only taxes to care about - no one expected the world to end. Not like this at least. Dark black clouds gathered above them & choked out the skies. The gods above were angry. Angry at what humanity has become. The gods were towered over a small figure standing atop the rooftop of a small apartment complex, threatened by his defiance. Only poor Kara was not defying anything, he was only confused & helpless.

The last thing he remembered when the dark skies above him opened up & swallowed him whole was the feeling of falling. Weightless. Empty.

March 10 || 2 days before mass termination
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"Hey Kar! What'd you get on the last test?" Kara was snapped out of his daydream by his classmate Haijing. Haijing's bright blue eyes met with Kara's for a quick second before Kara looked away.

"Ah! I'm kinda too embarrassed to say... I didn't do so well on it." Kara blushed as he fiddled nervously with his uniform. Recently, he was just so distracted by the rumors that the government was soon to be shut down by some coup d'etat rebel group. Honestly, it was a lot of bull but it still scared Kara. The buzz around the school didn't help much either.

"Don't tell me the rumors are getting to you too!" Haijing's playful smirk suddenly dissipated when she saw the grim expression planted across Kara's face, "oh no Kara..." She grabbed Kara's hand with both of her hands.

"N-No, it's nothing!! HAHAHAHA me??? Worried? Forget it!" Kara faked a laugh as his fingers laced with Haijing's delicate hands. "Thank you," Kara whispered softly as he let his head drop onto Haijing's shoulder. For Kara, Haijing was his main source of comfort. He had a hard time adjusting to the new high school dorms & new classmates, but meeting Haijing at the beginning of the school year was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. Kara didn't know what he did to deserve Haijing's endless support.

"Hey Haij, there was something I wanted to tell you," Kara looked into Haijing's bright blue eyes as he nervously pulled back a strand of loose hair. His hair was growing so fast & unfortunately for Kara, he couldn't find the time to get a haircut. Recently, his dark locks had just reached his shoulders. But due to the fact that he showered often & used high quality (strawberry scented) shampoo he somehow ended up looking like some man bun aesthetics dude™ rather than a greasy pariah french fry. In fact, he had the hearts of the whole school. They were all looking at him, & yet Kara was only focused on Haijing's bright blue eyes.
"What is it?" Haijing's voice brought Kara back into reality for the second time.

"I- I... Uhhhhhhhh," Kara blushed before pulling his hands away & standing up. Just tell her you love her. Just confess, it's not that hard. Kara thought to himself before flashing her a bright smile. "Nothing! I mean! I-it's something! I just wanted to say good job on that test!" He stammered before quickly excusing himself.

If Kara had known that it would be the last time he'd ever see her again, he would've held her hands for a bit longer & told her how much he loved her.

[646/700]

[Gladis]

Chapter one

March 12 || 1:39 AM || 1 hour 39 minutes after termination
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Nightmares jolted Kara awake. He gasped for air as his sweaty palms hit the cold concrete under him.
Strange, he thought as he tried to examine his surroundings (which proved to be hard since he was in complete darkness). Did I somehow pass out? What happened here? The night sky was dark, a slim sliver of moonlight slid through the thick blanket of darkness & through the window. Kara realized he was in a room, a work office possibly. A desk sat face up alongside 2 toppled metal chairs. Why would I be here? As Kara's vision adjusted to the darkness, he realized he was surrounded by... Broken chunks of concrete? Metal wires &
gravel stuck out of the textbook-sized chunks. Hm, that's really odd... It looks as if a building had just collaps-

oh no. No no no.

The memories suddenly came pouring in. There was screaming & yelling, cars crashing into each other, & those horrible, horrible unexplained dark clouds that brought hell upon his city. Kara was also sure there was an explosion that happened the moment he passed out, but there was no way of knowing for sure. He grasped for the floor under him as if that too was going to collapse. I need to get out of here, he thought as he felt his heart start to race. His vision started to blur as he scrambled towards the nearly blocked doorway. Kara's rushed movements caused him to fall again. He yelled as sharp gravel clawed at his scarred palms. He lay there, helpless & in disbelief. As much as he wanted to leave the eerie office room, Kara was afraid of what awaited him outside. He had seen enough apocalypse movies to know that nothing good happens. Was it a natural disaster? Perhaps help was waiting for him outside. He took a breath before heaving himself up & slowly stumbling to the exit. God, I'm walking like a drunk, he scolded himself as he balanced himself on a nearby wall. Kara expected to see the worst when he walked out. Perhaps dead bodies & some zombies, or maybe some mutated feral animals roaming the ruined streets.

But what greeted him was absolute nothing. Not a single soul. There was no one around, not even death was present at this apocalyptic scene. Collapsed giants that were once skyscrapers owned by rich aristocrats lay defeated across the shattered pavement. Abandoned cars littered the roads, but the drivers & occupants of the vehicles were nowhere to be seen.

The absence of life itself added an eerie touch to the collapsed city. Kara stood in disbelief & utter awe as he tried to take in what he was seeing.

"How could this be real? There was literally an explosion! & utter chaos! & now there's no one! Not even a single dead body!" Kara exclaimed out loud to himself. There was no one around to hear him anyways.
"So," he added bitterly. "Surviving's gonna be easy in this competition-less environment."

"But staying sane? Oh boy."

[507/700]

[Gladis]

Chapter two

2 weeks after after termination
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two dreadful, lonely weeks had already flown by since the disaster happened. Surprisingly, Kara had already adjusted to the silence; he didn't speak much when others were still around anyways. On some nights, he couldn't help but wonder if Haiji was okay. Kara's hair now reached for his waist, & the silky charm was long gone. Not that it mattered anyways; he still hadn't encountered a single soul since then. The upside to that was that he was able to eat & use anything he could find - which was practically everything. The electricity & running water still worked in some areas, Kara didn't know why but he didn't take the luxury for granted. He was glad to have them given the circumstances. None of these luxuries could make up for the loneliness though. (Although, he did find the magic in dry shampoo)

Tap tap tap. Kara thought he heard the sounds of quiet footsteps as he lay motionless in his makeshift hideout that consisted of excessive night lights and strange posters he salvaged from a nearby gas station. He sat up, the possibility of another person made him both excited & anxious. Am I just hearing things? Or is there someone out there? Kara pulled the drapes (that was supposedly his makeshift door) aside & peeked outside. Nothing particular caught his attention: the afternoon sun hung brightly over the clear sky & blanketed the soft hue of fading concrete streets. It would've been a nice day if not for the face that Kara may be the last of his kind. The irony endlessly taunted him.

tap tap tap. The hurried footsteps were a bit louder this time. Kara wrapped his fist around a baseball bat that was sitting on the ground next to him. He cautiously examined his surroundings before slowly exiting his hideout. He caught sight of a boy about his age a couple feet away. He had a messy bowl haircut (which Kara was surprised by how neat it still looked) matched with a large white sweatshirt. His clean appearance came as a shock to Kara.

"Hey!" Kara's voice caused he startled stranger to bolt in the opposite direction. Without thinking, Kara sprinted after the boy, almost tumbling over the loose gravel underneath him.

"Wait! Don't go!" He yelled in desperation, although Kara was one of the top runners in his school, the stranger was even faster than him. Weeks of spoiling himself had already caught on to his physical abilities. Despite the burning sensation in his lungs, he pushed himself forward. He was not going to lose sight of this boy. Seeing another individual gave him hope; perhaps he didn't have to die as the last man on earth. The boy's silhouette edged closer & closer as Kara picked up speed. He reached out & was just about to grab onto the boy when the loose dirt under his feet gave way. Kara felt himself go weightless as the rocky dirt underneath him filled his vision. He grunted as he tried to pick himself up, but the pain in his body held him down.

Tap tap tap. The footsteps of the boy grew softer as he ran away. Kara hopelessly pushed himself up as he wiped a smudge of blood away. Tears filled his eyes & trailed down his hopeless face before landing onto the dry dirt between his fingers. He had no choice now but to go back home. Once again, he was alone.

[578/700]

[Gladis]

Chapter three

March 29 || 2 weeks 3 days after termination
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It had been three days since Kara's encounter with the mysterious boy. The passing days rendered him hopeless & empty. The desire to survive was slowly fading away from him. What's the point of surviving now? Time slithered by like sand through loose fingers. Kara spent his days laying hopelessly on bed. But he was tired of being unable to do anything, it was time for change. Today was the day he was going to set out & look for others. For the past few weeks, Kara had been too afraid of the possibilities he would encounter if he did decide to set out & explore. But the reality of loneliness hung over him like an invisible spirit.

"Three more bottles of water... & I'm set!" He exclaimed to himself as he stuffed items into his backpacking bag. It took him about three hours in total to pack & repack his items. Kara often over packed & before realizing he could not go far with such weight on his shoulders. Within the last few hours before the sun started to set he managed to leave the city zone. The undisturbed wildlife came as a shock to Kara. Was the city the only place that was affected by the explosion? Why is everything surrounding it so... Untouched?? He trudged on deliberately & hummed himself to distract the crushing weight that was putting stress on his back & shoulders. He reached a small, desolated town before deciding to settle down & rest. Kara flung his bag to the ground & dug for snacks before standing back up & examining the town.

"I remember this place! My friends & I used to always come here to play. I wonder..." He trailed off before he could finish his own sentence. The likelihood that the people were nowhere to be seen was close to a hundred. Even if this town was untouched, it seems like the people suddenly vanished. But it wasn't news to Kara; he was used it anyways. A small market sign flickered & caught his eyes. Ding. A small bell placed on the door rang as he pushed through it. The place smelled old & stale but Kara didn't mind it at all. Oh well, less people means more luxuries for me... Too bad I packed for nothing, he thought as he went inside the store & tore through the food aisles. He treated himself with processed goods & bottled soda

Ding. Kara's head shot up as he heard the bell again. Someone is here, his heart pounded as he cautiously tiptoed towards the end of the aisle. Fear coursed through his body as he complicated the possibilities. If the intruder had a weapon of some sort & knew well of Kara's presence, he was dead for sure. Kara bent down & clutched a souvenir vase. It wouldn't help him much but at least it was something. Hours seemed to go by as Kara waited silently by the end of the aisle as if he was expecting someone to pop out & end him of his misery already.

Finally, the impatient Kara had enough & stepped out from the aisle & into the open.

Huh??? It was the boy he saw three days ago. His back was turned to Kara unnoticed as he rummaged through the snacks like Kara did a moment ago. Kara was about to call out before the boy turned around & met his eyes. Time seemed to slow down, almost blissfully, as the boy sent a hundred jolting shocks of electricity through him.

Kara gasped for air as he collapsed. Hundreds of questions cut through his head as he fell to his knees & vomited everything he ate. How did he do that? WHY did he do that? Why? Why?
The last thing he saw before the darkness enclosed him was the headlights of the helicopter slowly edging towards him through the cutting noise, like two glowing fairies coming to deliver him towards eternal rest.

March 29 || City of Danghae || 40 minutes after capture of unknown survivor
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"We found a survivor. I repeat, we found a survivor."
-Unrecognizable muttering-
"YES he's still alive, hurry up & bring him back to the headquarters."

[692/700]

[Gladis]

Chapter four

March 30 || 2 weeks 4 days after termination
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"Kara! Kara!" A child's voice called out to him, but he couldn't make out anything in the foggy haze. Where was he? Vivid buildings started to form in the fog. Kara immediately recognized the town library & his elementary school as the town was slowly building itself through the haze. Was this the city of Boryong? The place he grew up in?

"Kara!" The oddly familiar voice rang out again. Kara turned around to see a child running towards him. The hog hid most of her complexion but the ocean blue eyes were hard to miss.

"Haiji!" Kara called out. To his surprise, the words that left his mouth came through the voice of a child. He looked down at himself,
Just like Haijing, he was a child too. He reached out his arms & embraced Haiji as she ran into him.

"I missed you!" She cried as she dug her face into his chest.
"For what?" Kara asked, dumbfounded. He too had missed Haiji like crazy, but he couldn't seem to remember why. His memory was clouded like a window on a cold day. He wanted to reach out & wipe the condensation away, to draw little shapes into the misty window. Maybe this was a memory he was reliving.
"You didn't come with us when we asked you to come to the zoo! No one understood why, the whole class was going?"
"Huh? But I like zoos."
"Then come on, silly!" Haiji's laugh rang through the alleyways of the cloudy city. She grabbed Kara's hand as she headed towards a strange brick building that had the words "ZOO" scrawled messily over the top. Kara was about to head in when he felt his heart drop. Something wasn't right. Something felt off, like gas stations at midnight. It was, surreal almost. Like a strange piece of knowledge that didn't fit in. This wasn't a memory, it was reality.

"Haiji..." Kara let go of Haiji's small hands. "We never met when we were children, did we?"
"W-what are you saying Kara? Are you saying you don't love me anymore?" Tears formed in her eyes.
"No Haiji, that's not what I meant!" Kara was cut off when Haiji ran into the zoo by herself, sobbing. Suddenly, a high pitched sound rang through the air. Kara covered his ears & ducked. Ugh, she went into that building by herself. Suddenly, the tacky "zoo" building started to shake violently. Horror shot through him as he watched the building shake, & then collapse.
"HAIJI!!"

March 30 || Patient room
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Kara awoke from yet another nightmare. Sweat blanketed his forehead as he stared at the white ceiling above him. Kara tried to sit up but to no avail. Huh? He tried to sit up again but a metal strap was holding him down. HUH? Kara desperately kicked & kicked but to no avail. Suddenly, soreness & pain shot through his body as he winced. Memories flooded through him, that jerk hit me with some type of electricity! He cursed under his breath as he tried to forcefully tear his way out.

"Ah, survivor 115, I see that you're awake. If I'm correct, you're name is Kara Han?" A young brown haired man in a white suit entered the room & stood in front of the bed bound Kara. Kara gritted his teeth at the man he assumed to be a doctor.

"Yes. That's my name, now would you please let go of me?"

"My apologies," he smiled as he pressed a button on the bottom of the bed. The metal locks unbuckled & slid away with a kshh.

"I am doctor S, but you can call me Lijia," the doctor continued as he pushed his circle glasses up. Kara sat up & examined the area. The room had no windows or anything at all - but it was new & well polished. He wanted to ask the doctor to explain everything, since he seemed to have all the answers, but where does he begin anyways?
"You just happened to be stuck in the Dead Zone," Lijia explained, as if reading his mind, "Relax Kara Han, I will explain everything to you."

[691/700]

[Gladis]

Day ??? || 5 hours after capture
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"How should I start?" Lijia sighed as he pushed his circular framed glasses upwards. "Ever heard of that 'rebel group?'"
Kara narrowed his eyes. So, were the rumors true?

"Yes, the rumors were true... Well, kinda."
Kara shifted uncomfortably in his bed. Did Lijia just answer his own thoughts? It was very, very strange & Kara did not like it.
"You do know that war that was brewing off of the Eastern borders a few years ago right? The rebel group didn't help with the fact that we were already in troubled waters with another country," Lijia continued, "well, everyone dissapeared because... Because the group wanted military weapons."

"WHAT?" Lijia's description sounded like a cheesy sci-fi movie plot. There was no way this could be real, there is no way.
"We don't know where the people are, but we're trying to figure that out. Our current goal is to fend off the rebel group. You see..." Lijia rambled on as he pulled out a metal case & slid out a metal chip, "they want this."
Kara squinted. It was just a small metal chip, he could've easily confused it with a SD card.

"It's an implant that gives you artificial powers. The given name for these are biopills." Kara's mind immediately jumped to the boy who had shocked him with a painfully abundant amount of electricity.

"Yes, he has the biopill inplant in him," Lijia replied to Kara's silent thoughts.

"Y-you you can..."

"Oh mine? I can read minds," Lijia winked before exiting the patient room.

Day ??? || 8.5 hours after capture
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"YOU!" Kara howled at the boy who had sent a hundred shocks down his body. He was slumped lazily against a chair behind the bars of a small jail cell. His arms were bound by a metal cuff that was designed to prevent him from using his artificial powers. Kara shook the bars, he was incredibly angry.

"HOW COULD YOU? MONSTER"-- Kara continued to shriek endlessly as the boy casually ignored him.

"Watch your mouth, that's my friend you're talking to, you know," a tall green haired boy placed a hand on Kara's shoulder.

"Well excuse me but your friend fried me to death with whatever freaky power he got though the biopills," Kara hissed before swiping the boy's hand aside.

"You really think Kiji had a choice?" The boy laughed as he glared at Kara. Normally, Kara would have been imitated, but after going through hell & back, Kara decided he's seen worse.

"You talk like you're a really trustworthy person," Kara rolled his eyes. Suddenly, the boy's eyes widened. Before Kara could react, he grabbed Kara's wrist & pulled him closer.

"Don't trust everything they tell you," the boy stared at Kara with wide eyes. Kara had never seen what true fear was until now. He shuddered as he felt the green haired boy's breath on his shoulder. What does he mean? Is the government hiding something?

"What's going on here? Darren, you're supposed to be cleaning the storage room," a female voice interrupted whatever the green haired boy was about to say. He dropped Kara's wrist as he straightened himself up, "Sorry ma'am. I'll be on my way right now." He hastily bowed before bolting out of the area. The electric boy - Kiji or whatever - suddenly shifted in his seat, uncomfortable by the mysterious female presence. Kara cursed as he cradled his wrist. It was too dark to identify the female figure but he knew he was in trouble anyways.

"Long time no see... Kara."

Do I know her? Kara squinted, trying to make the figure out from the shadows. Everything was hidden except for the familiar sight of piercing blue eyes. Was this the girl of my dreams? No wait, that girl was a real person. I know her... She was someone I knew when the world was still intact.

"Haiji?"

[641/700]

[Gladis]

Day ??? || Refugee headquarters
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The familiar sight of the town in Kara's dream emerged from the fog once again. But it was alright, Haiji was back in Kara's arms in real life. The impossible became possible. For Kara, everything was starting to fall back in place. Haiji was all Kara needed, she was okay & safe.

But something seemed off.

Kara stared at the collapsed building. His heart raced, why isn't she coming out of there? Where is Haiji?

"H-hai..." Kara wanted to call out to her, but he trailed off. The gaping silence seemed to have the answer for him. As much as Kara didn't want to know, the answer was right there. It was undoubted & unavoidable, like time itself.

Haijing is gone, you can't bring her back.

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Kara jolted up, awakened from his nightmare. What is up with this recurring dream? The familiar scene haunted his dream since the day he arrived at the government refugee headquarters. Then again, he has only been here for 4 days. Kara wiped the beads of sweat forming on his forehead off & slipped his shirt on. The room was dark & silent, but there was enough moonlight poking in through the glass window for him to see. He pulled the bedsheets aside & slipped into some loose fitting sweatpants before making his way to the door. Kara hesitantly reached for the doorknob. Where would I go? It's too late. Somewhere deep inside him, Kara felt cautious around this area. Sure, it was run by the government & it seemed like a safe place, but what was up with that Darren kid? Is the government really hiding something? Sure, there were a lot of survivors & people at this camp, but why wouldn't they meet Kara's eyes? When Kara tried to talk to them, they would avoid him as if he had the plague. The only interaction he had was with Darren. Hell, even Kiji wouldn't speak to him. & what was up with the tattoos on everyone's neck? Every camper Kara saw had a red X imprinted on their necks, except maybe Darren & the officials. Kara shook his thoughts off & turned the knob before he changed his mind.

Creeeeeak. Unsurprisingly, he was greeted by a dark, empty hall. Keeping his hands on the wall, he slowly shuffled down the hall, careful not to accidentally hit anything. He stopped at the door he grew all too familiar with. Haiji's room. The ambitious girl was recruited as an assistant to this place the day the "terminal" hit, & had been working to help survivors. Kara sighed quietly as he stood in front of the door.

Knock knock Nothing. Only the darkness & the stubborn wooden door greeted him. Kara turned to leave when the door slowly opened.

"Kara, what is it?" Kara stared at Haiji's silhouette, speechless. Why had he come here? He felt like a child running to his parents after having a nightmare.

"I just... Wanted to tell you about my decision." Haiji's eyes momentarily lit up, "did you decide on the Biopill implant?"

"Actually- no." Was that disappointment he saw in Haiji's eyes? Before Kara could explain, Haiji cut him off, "ah, we'll talk about it tomorrow. Just go to sleep Kara. Good night." She sighed and closed the door without giving Kara a chance to respond. Kara stood in front of the closed door, speechless. Huh??? What was that? Why was Haiji suddenly so impatient with him? A couple of days prior to this, Haiji had asked Kara about the Biopill implant. Although Kara pretended to have interest in the operation, he wasn't all for it. I mean, having powers seems cool & all, but do I really trust them implanting a device in me? For some reason, Kara couldn't shake Darren's words out of his mind. Why was Haiji so intent on this?

As he left, the strange dream replayed in his head. Haijing is gone, you can't bring her back.

[662/700]

[Gladis]

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It was just another typical day within the camp. But to Kara, the place began to feel like a prison, but he didn't have much of a say. I mean, I can't really blame anyone for this. It is the end of the world, there are more important things to worry about than my unhappy ass. Kara lazily slumped against the metal chair as he wolfed down the tasteless food they served him every morning. Haiji stared at him with gentle eyes, as if their encounter last night had never happened.

"Kara, are you ready for training?" She asked in an all-too-motherly tone that Kara did not like at all. Haiji was still the same kind person she was before the Mass Terminal, but something seemed off. Her kindness prior was genuine, but now she seemed... Artificial almost.

"Yeah! I'm so pumped for some actual work!" Kara smiled through the tasteless porridge. Training is something Kara enjoyed since it provided him some exercise to keep him in shape. Although the reason seemed a bit bizarre to him. Training required to prepare us in case the rebel group attacks us, Lijia had explained. Luckily, Kara had no encounters with the stray group, but the thought intimidated him.

"You'll have lots of fun, baby. I'll see you later," Haiji smiled fakely before abandoning Kara once again.

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"What the hell is up with electric boy?" Kara questioned the green haired boy. He had bumped into Kiji & Darren on his way to training. Kara could barely make out the boys' faces but Darren's green hair was impossible to miss. Even in the dark, Kara could tell that something about Kiji seemed different. Aside from the missing "X" that used to be on him, he had a light in his eyes that wasn't there before. & to make matters even more confusing, Kiji had finally said something to Kara. It was something like hey watch it punk, but Kara was too surprised to actually take offense into his words. Darren caught Kara's confused look & smirked, "I removed the chip from Kiji."
"Darren... WHAT? Are you crazy? I thought Kiji was your friend!"
Darren frowned at Kara's accusations, "Yes, he is my friend. That's why I removed it."
"That's so messed up man, I can't believe it."
"Kara, listen. Once they plant that chip, they have access to your entire nervous system & body. They can control you against your will. They can brainwash you & plant fake memories into your brain."
"Why... Why would they do such a thing?"
"Seriously? Are you that dumb? Wake up dreamer boy," Darren's eyes burned into Kara's soul. "They're not implanting the Biopills in people because la dee da it's so fun to have superpowers and stuff. That's just a bunch of bull, nothing is given to us for free like that. You know those strange tattoos? That's the Biopill branding. The reason why they're so braindead is because they don't have control over their own brains anymore." Darren paused before leaning in towards Kara, dragging his voice into a harsh whisper.

"We're going to war Kara. & it's not our choice whether or not we want to fight in it," Darren growled before bolting off into the opposite direction.

Kara was speechless. So that's what the training is for. It's not for defense... But -
"Darren! Wait!" Kara dashed towards the direction Darren went. Where did he go? Where did he run off to? Oh right, down the dark hall. The door - A metal door with a neon EXIT sign stood at the end of the hallway. Did Darren leave this place?
Kara began making his way towards the door but he was cut short by a familiar female voice.

"Not so fast, Kara baby." Before Kara could react, a sharp needle like pain stabbed at his neck. He felt his body faltering against his will. He was so close... So close to the exit. He took a step forward. Or was that forward? Kara couldn't tell where he was going anymore, he felt sluggish & drowsy. Before Kara hit the ground, he caught a glimpse of bright blue eyes that glimmered like the sea.

[699/700]

[Gladis]

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Kara screamed. He wouldn't accept the truth, even if his hands bled from digging through the rubble of the collapsed building. "I am going to find her! I am going to find her & I will bring her to someplace far, far away. We will live in peace with none of this happening! Haijing is mine! You can't take her away from-"

Haijing is gone Kara, you can't bring her back.

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Beep beep. Click. Beep beep. Click. Beep beep. Click. Beep beep. Click.
"It's finished, doctor."
Who am I? Why am I here?
"S-sir, why am I tied down?"
"Oh, good day Kara. I see you've awaken. How are you feeling?" Kara? Who's Kara?
"Who are you?"
"I'm doctor Lijia, & this is my assistant, Haijing."
"Hello doc, hello Haijing." For some reason, these names struck him as familiar. Was his name Kara? The name was lost on him. Whoever he was, he wasn't Kara anymore. Lijia hit a button & released Kara from the patient bed.
"Go ahead & walk around, see how you're feeling." Kara slid out of the bed & began to walk. He was unbalanced & wobbly, but he was able to make his way across the room. Lijia frowned before leaning in towards Haiji & whispering something like why doesn't he have any powers? Are you sure you used the right one? The identity-less boy who was refereed to as "Kara" cocked his head. He had absolutely no clue what the Doctor was talking about, so why whisper?
"May I go, Doctor Lijia?" Kara smiled foolishly.
"Of course. Do you need Ms. Haijing to show you the way around?" Kara thought about it, Haijing is awfully pretty, but there was something about her personality that Kara did not like.
"I think I'm good, I'll find my way around." He smiled politely before silently exiting the room.

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He stumbled across a shady pair lounging in a dark hallway while exiting the lunchroom. One of the boys had sea green hair & was very tall, while the other one was short & had a silly bowl haircut that covered his eyes.
"Hey punk, where ya going?" The tall boy asked.
"To training," Kara's grin was brushed away with a sarcastic scoff.
"Quit playing dumb Kara, you know what we're up to."
"No sir, in fact, I do not. I'm Kara by the way" Kara smiled & stuck out a hand for the tall boy to shake. The tall boy frowned & smacked Kara's hand away, "aw, they got you too? What a shame, I was starting to think you'd be useful."
"Well um, doctor Lijia said you're next in line, I believe." Kara responded as politely as he could. Darren's eyes went wide with fear at Kara's words. Kara tried to keep a straight face, but it was the first time the boy showed actual fear. Suddenly, Kara broke down with laughter.
"I GOT YOU GOOD DARREN. I GOT YOU GOOD!" Kara wiped away a tear. This time, Darren was the one who looked confused. "They implanted the Biopill on me, but it's got no effect on me! I've been faking it," Kara whispered slyly.
"Oh you fool, you got me good," Darren glanced at Kiji & gave Kara a lopsided grin. "But say, why doesn't it have an effect on you"
"Well," Kara placed a finger on his chin & pretended to think hard about Darren's question. "I think it has something to do with Kiji shocking me like that. I think it woke up that subconscious part of my brain, which is why the Biopills don't work on me. So, thank you Kiji."
Kiji smiled, "anytime."
"So, are we down to leave this place tonight?"

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