The first recruit

His body curled backwards, winding up like a yo-yo. On display like a circus act, his nimble limbs bent to his will without resistance. Head tucked against his stomach, he imagined the face of the beautiful girl standing next to him, who was probably looking out on the battlefield with fierce eyes. She'd be gorgeous, if only his vision weren't blocked by his own flesh.

It didn't hurt to contort his body like this. Not even his arm, which had been broken only a few days ago, was causing him any trouble. Healing was his greatest strength. The ability to bounce back from anything, like the elastic he became when he used his zone.

"Junji, this isn't the time to get off on your perverted fantasies. Get going."

"Can't help it, you get me so excited~!" he giggled. At her command, his tucked body shot into the sky with a bang, ripping through the air like it was nothing. Once he was above the skyscrapers, he uncurled himself and began to descend. Kana, barely larger than an ant now, rushed into the crowd with twin blades. He pulled a cord attached to his hip. A spark buzzed off him.

All set for landing. The cord gradually burned until he was only a few feet from the ground. When he made contact with the ground, a massive eruption blasted from inside his body with enough force to push him back into the sky.

This was Junji's main ability, self-imposition. With the pull of one string, he could explode an area the size of a football field if conditions were right. The fog was too thick today, so his explosion wouldn't make as much of an impact as usual. Kana would berate him for that if he got lucky.

With one explosion, hundreds of people were killed or injured. It didn't bother him at all, not when all he could think about was returning to June Tower, where he'd steal Kana's attention again.

Getting stuck at the hospital was such a bore. Only three people had come to visit him. If Kana stayed with him longer, maybe he'd have had enough energy to break through the fog and turn the entire city into a wasteland.

After the third explosion, he tumbled through the sky like a rag doll and caught sight of a boy watching the fight from a skyscraper nearby. His dark red hair blew in the wind, and even though he was too far to make out distinct features, that ever-present frown was clear enough to Junji.

The boy didn't have to move a finger. He could do anything, and the craziest part was that he didn't need a zone or a weapon to do so. Anything he wished, and without restraint. He had eyes that tracked and destroyed by using the mind alone, and hands that could steal the breath from a person's lungs without grazing the neck.

Aka, a member of the red branch—recruit #1.

Shit. He forgot to ignite himself.

That red bastard always distracted him when it mattered most. If he didn't light his fuse at the right time, he'd hit the ground and splat like a bug. It didn't scare him, but made him giddy with excitement. Having no control over his death was thrilling, and it got his blood pumping.

"Kanaaaaa," he said after buzzing his communicator with the screen on his arm.

"What now?"

"Can you catch me? I'm gonna be Junji Juice in like twenty seconds~"

"Always interrupting me when I'm busy...brat."

The blond girl appeared beneath him so quickly that he couldn't tell where she came from. Landing in her arms, her soft hands made contact with his back and tights, which made him tremble.

Thud

"Gross." Kana walked away coolly after dropping him on the ground without warning. He got up and stretched his back. She really didn't hold back.

When the fight was over and most of the rebels had been fended off, the recruits returned inside. Junji couldn't get past security before Superior Arata came out to greet him.

"Aka told me you had another accident," he said. This wasn't a friendly hello or the worry of a superior. No matter what he did, it was never enough for Superior Arata, who favored the red-haired boy over any of the other recruits. The favoritism among his superiors made him hate them. Even Superior Satoshi, who treated him well, had a clear bias for that bastard Takuma.

"He didn't see nothin..."

"Don't lie to me. Everything is on camera," Arata said.

"..."

Messing up in battle after getting out of the hospital...how shameful. His cheeks heated up, and he glanced around to make sure Kana wasn't there. Thankfully, the girl was already inside the tower, probably with her sister.

"You didn't meet quota today. Next time you'll be fighting alone."

He clenched his jaw. This was not the time to talk back. Arata always used Kana as punishment, and he hated it. If he stepped out of line in the slightest, he wouldn't be allowed to fight with her or even speak to her until his superior was satisfied with the punishment. The adults figured that trick out in his first month as a recruit.

Junji was a rebellious one who'd go off on his own and ignore instructions. The only person he listened to was Kana, which was why he was put with her permanently. His feelings were obvious to anyone, and they loved to use them against him. They tried everything. But even physical torture was not as bad as separation from her. She was his drug, and being torn from her made him go insane.

After all the times they used this method, he learned to go numb. It was hard at first. He would refuse to eat or sleep, staying up all night pulling on his hair and biting his nails. Agony.

He pushed past Arata and went inside to find her.

- - -

Saya followed Takuma to the roof that night, long after the others had gone to sleep. Her heart raced as they climbed each set of stairs. The elevators were temporarily down, making the trip even scarier.

To make up for the traumatic event she'd been through because of him, he promised to show her the city at night. Saya was never allowed to go further into Central City, so she'd only ever seen it from a distance. From her bedroom, the buildings that lit up the night were just tall sticks looming in the distance.

The wind calmed by the time they stepped onto the roof. The blue pillar shining on the tower was bright and covered Takuma in an ocean haze. If she remembered correctly, this was where their father's met and became friends. It warmed her heart.

He took her to the ledge, and they peered down at the bustling city. Nightlife went on like the fight from earlier hadn't even happened. But in the shadows, rebels were lurking, preparing their next attack.

"Pretty, huh?" he said.

She stared at his face. He was gifted with an ethereal beauty, from his mother, no doubt, but which was tainted by his permanent scowl and the bandage around his head. When would he take it off?

"I heard you went to visit Junji. So, do you know him?"

She nodded, caught off guard by his question. They were always being watched, but that thought still bothered her even though she was well aware that her right to privacy had been taken when she joined the organization. Humano was covered in cameras, and the superiors kept their eyes on all the recruits. Takuma, being a senior of status, would know just as much as Satoshi.

"We don't get along. He's always in the way, just like a cockroach who refuses to die," he said.

So it was a two-way hatred. Takuma wasn't as concerned with Junji, keeping his dislike for the boy to a minimum. He never gave any person too much care or thought. Selfishness like that was what helped him kill without feeling regret and was essential to the job.

A breeze through his hair, and clear blue light draped over his strong form—her heart skipped a beat. Is this what those two boys felt all those years ago? This magnetic pull towards someone you barely know? She couldn't believe it. He was too distant to be someone she'd consider a friend.

Clink. Clink.

He whipped around and came face-to-face with a gun. Five men stood on the opposite side of the roof, armed and ready.

How did they get there?! Takuma threw his arm around Saya and covered her. The men were increasing in number, climbing up a ladder on the side of the building, and forming a wall in front of the door to go back inside the tower. It was locked, stopping the rebels from getting inside.

Why was that ladder still up anyway? Hadn't the lower portion been removed years ago? They must've devised a way to connect a new ladder to the old one...

Without wasting a second, Takuma lunged off the roof with her. She'd have screamed like crazy if she could.

"A car is coming, prepare yourself!" he yelled.

He let go of her, and she fell next to him. Stories passed quickly, windows nothing but a blur. The men on the roof shot at them but missed.

A car pulled up directly beneath them, and the sky roof slid open. Their curled-up bodies landed inside the car. They were automatically buckled into the side-by-side seats. She was frozen with shock, eyes darting around as Takuma began to drive. They sped through the city at top speed, passing others who were waiting in traffic by using the government lane.

The car was partially operated by artificial intelligence, following the movements of recruits and ready to pick up anyone in need of escape. Takuma looked around anxiously, making sure no rebels were following him. Then he tried to radio Satoshi. No answer.

"What the hell?" Takuma spat. This was the most worried she'd seen him yet. Something was very wrong. As they drove, she thought she saw black figures against the buildings. Wisps of smoke.

As they escaped deeper into the maze of buildings, they appeared clearly. Tall figures holding long scythes. She glanced over at Takuma, who was flipping between maps on his visor intensely. He didn't notice them. But they were obvious to her, those reapers that were stained against the buildings, black as crows.