Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"I said: HANDS. UP!" he repeated, more forcefully this time, pointing the gun straight ahead. His finger hovered dangerously close to its trigger.

"Come on, Mr. Flamey. Why all the stress? I always knew you were impatient." said a man in a long, black suit coat standing across the room in a mocking fashion.

Four people stood in an old, dingy room, lit only by a singular light bulb located in the center of it. Three of them, standing close to one another, with their backs to the door, were police officers. There was also yet another man in a trench coat, who was on the opposite side of the room, with his back to the window. The officer being most to the front was a young man with long, tied-up silver hair, dressed in a navy blue police coat. A slim girl with long, brown hair and a confident, focused gaze was standing to the side of him. The second accompanying person was a blond man wearing glasses. He was just as slim as the policewoman, but not as focused as her. All three of them were around the same age. The blond man was notably clearly the most nervous person in the entire the group. His hands were shaking and the gun he held made a faint clicking sound with each movement.

On the other side, there was a rather tall, athletic man. He wore a long, old-fashioned black suit coat and a 1960s-style hat hiding the upper half of his face. He smiled mockingly, as if challenging the officers silently.

"It's him... Yakedo! What do we do?" asked the policewoman, staring at the enemy encountered.

The gray-haired policeman grit his teeth nervously. His grip on his gun tightened. At the moment, his gaze fell on an oblong object strapped to the tall man's belt. Its shape resembled the hilt of a sword.

"Wait… where did you get this?!" he asked in a barely audible voice. After a second, his eyes filled with understanding and rage. "It’s…"

All of a sudden, the previously closed door located on the right side of the room slowly opened. It moved toward the police officers, preventing them from seeing what exactly was inside the room behind it. Its piercingly loud screeching attracted the attention of everyone present in the room. From behind the door, a long-haired boy, the look of whom was similar to the one of police officers, emerged at an incredibly slow pace. His long, jet-black hair masked his entire face. He was also dressed in black, which caused his silhouette to almost blend with the other shadows. His clothing resembled black bandages that were enveloping his body. He did not stop until he reached the center of the room.

"Civilian…?" wondered the policeman wearing glasses.

"Not at all. This building has been abandoned for quite some time." replied the silver-haired man.

"Stop!" the girl finally decided to act, aiming her gun at the boy who was now in the center of the room.

The smile of the man in the suit standing by the window widened at the sight of a familiar silhouette. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small gas mask. Without even a second of hesitation, he placed it over his mouth and attached a tiny metal cylinder to it. The long-haired boy turned toward the police officers and begin uttering in a low, terrifying voice…

"AIR CONTROL – SURROUNDING… – VANISH" he said that not showing any emotion, loudly and clearly. Nevertheless, his voice was like a scream, echoing in the minds of the policemen.

"Damn it, he is a Controller too!" thought the silver-haired man, but before he could do anything…

When the last part of the command ended, all the air in the room vanished in an instant, along with the oxygen stored in the lungs of everyone present, except the person who had uttered it. A sudden headache and nausea hit all three officers, causing them to choke due to the lack of oxygen. Each one of them collapsed to the ground.

Across the room, a man in a suit dropped to one knee, but quickly stood up and exit through the open door, laughing in a deep, resonant voice. The policeman wearing glasses, falling against the wall, fired a single shot from his gun. The bullet missed the long-haired man's head by a few centimeters, deviating from its initial path just past his head, and hit the cardboard taped to the window behind him, where the man in the suit had been standing. He did not even flinch. He was just staring at the suffocating policemen before him. His gaze was filled with hatred and contempt.

★

"Over 200 years ago, the first Controller awakened. He lived a normal, human life, until one day… he suddenly gained godlike powers. As the time passed, more and more Controllers began to awaken. Each of them had different powers. Currently, Controllers are believed to constitute about ten percent of the human population. As humans gained unimaginable powers, evolution accelerated to a notable extent. There is no simple answer to how to become a Controller. Some say that one has to be born with a special gene, which is called the "Potential Gene", making one a potential Controller. Nevertheless, in order to stimulate it and awaken one’s powers, one has to experience great emotion, an emotional shock if you will. That is it. Did I pass?"

"Such a great answer. Thank you, Yakedo, you can sit down now. All right, who is next?"

2044

NEDERIA CITY POLICE ACADEMY

ACADEMY END

"The award for best results in the history of the academy goes to…" The announcer, who was presenting academic achievements at the end of the ceremony, looked closely at the piece of paper lying on the desktop, trying to read the name, and then looked up. "Yakedo Mugen! I would like to ask the honoree to come forward to receive their diploma!"

All eyes followed a slightly hunched, tall, long-haired boy with silver hair as he was going towards the stage. He was wearing the classic graduation robe worn by everyone who had successfully completed their education in the unit. However, in the case of the boy, a white hood peeked out from under the robe and ends of his tied-up hair fell into it. After receiving his diploma, he did not even turn to face the microphone. He immediately descended the steps and returned to his seat. It caused other graduates to start whispering to one another.

After the ceremony, when the boy was removing his graduation robe, a brown-haired, slim, and objectively pretty girl in a white button-up shirt and elegant slacks approached him. Yakedo recognized her from the unit, even though he had never spoken to her. During the ceremony, he had seen her accept the award for second-best results in her class. First place had been awarded to him.

"You are Yakedo, right? I'm Mirai. Apparently we are supposed to go to the same room together." said the girl calmly, yet firmly.

"Who told you that?" he sighed in resignation.

"Some guy wearing glasses. Does it matter? Let's go. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get back home."

"Ugh… You may be right. Lead the way." he followed her obediently.

The girl led him through the deserted corridors of the Police Academy, to which they had both already said goodbye. After a few moments, they reached one of the classrooms. It was almost empty, except for a single person. Inside, sitting on a chair, there was a slim, young man with short blond hair wearing glasses. He was around their age and was still wearing his graduation robe. At the sound of the door opening, he immediately stood up, but as he saw them, he decided to sit down again. He was notably stressed.

"Oh, good that you are finally here." the blond started nervously, adjusting his glasses.

"What are we here for, anyway?" Yakedo emphasized. He was clearly irritated.

"Well, you do not know yet. After the ceremony, Gara Hebi approached me and…"

"Who?" the silver-haired man interrupted him arrogantly.

"The commander of the NCPD’s Control Division. What does he want from us? Why did he approach you?" Mirai interjected. Her tone was more pretentious than hostile.

"Well… I achieved the third best score this year, right after you. You know, Mirai, we stood on stage together at the ceremony."

"Yeah, I think something like that could have happened…" the girl recalled.

"I am a Controller, so it may be relevant. You are one too, right, Yakedo?"

"Why does it matter?" replied the ash-haired man, sitting on one of the chairs and leaning against the wall.

"Since we are Controllers, we want to join the police force, and the only department that accepts Controllers is the Controllers' department. It is logical that the commander of that department wants to meet with us. Although... actually... since Mirai is also here and she is not a Controller, that's probably not the point..." said the man wearing glasses thoughtfully.

"I am a Controller just as you are. I was just hiding it." the girl said, sitting between two boys. "You know full well how Controllers were treated at the Academy, so my decision to hide it should not surprise you. However, since we have just graduated, I do not need to hide it anymore."

"Ugh... how much longer do I have to stay here? I promised her I'd be back earlier today. Damn it all to hell..." Yakedo muttered to himself, ignoring the others.

"If it is so, my theory makes sense!" he said proudly, adjusting his glasses and leaning back in his chair. "It must be about us being accepted into the CD ( Controller Department) at the NCPD (Nederia City Police Department)."

"We have to wait a long time. What exactly did the commander tell you... errm... please, remind me again, what's your name?" Mirai asked in an apologetic tone, unable to remember the name of the man wearing glasses.

"Same. Same Hibari. The commander said…"

The door to the room burst open, surprising everyone. A tall, bald man in his forties entered. He had a goatee that resembled a spike extending from the tip of his chin. He was wearing dark sunglasses and was dressed in an extravagant police uniform, with various distinctions and medals pinned to his chest. His appearance alone spoke volumes about his high position as commander. The three individuals gathered in the room immediately snapped to attention, trained – by years spent at the academy – in terms of proper posture and ethics, as well as silence upon the appearance of anyone being of a higher rank than them. The commander looked at them seriously, eyeing each of them from head to toe. After a moment, he turned and closed the door behind him. As soon as he did that, he hunched slightly and exhaled.

"Gosh, how serious can one be? It is so exceptionally boring!" the commander muttered, approaching the lecturer's desk. Along the way, he merely said "At ease!" to the graduates standing at attention. He pulled a few documents from a bag slung over his shoulder and began spreading them out on the desk, then leafing through them one by one. "Let's see...you are this year's top students? On top of that, are you all Controllers? Okay. Which one of you is Mugen?"

"It’s me, sir." Yakedo stood up again, this time taking a little more care of his posture, which was still not perfect.

"You were the one with best grades in your class and in the history of the academy?" the commander looked at him intently, stroking his beard with one hand.

"Yes, sir."

"..."

After a moment of tension, the commander burst out laughing.

"I admire you! 100% in all your subjects? That's too much! Man, even I did not get results like that at the academy! Hmm... maybe it was because I had other things on my mind back then. Whatever!" he recounted with amusement, almost like a child, blushing at the memory of the good old days.

"Thank you… sir." Yakedo muttered, embarrassed by the behavior of someone of such a serious and important position.

"Dude, relax. It's just me. Gara Hebi. Gara-Gara for friends. Okay, sit down. Now let's get down to business." The commander pulled his reading glasses out of his bag and carefully examined the documents. "All right. Mugen Yakedo: Theory exam – 100%, practical exam – 100%, academy grades – perfect." Gara-Gara read. "Hibari Same: Theory exam – 99%, practical exam – 89%, academy grades – almost perfect. Arashi Mirai: Theory exam – 95%, practical exam – 97%, academy grades – very good. You're all above average."

The bearded commander closed his briefcase and looked at the three of them carefully. "Let's get down to business. As you have probably guessed, I am going to recruit you to the CD. I suspect you have no problem with that. I just need your written consent." After getting up from his chair, the man took a few forms and handed them out to the cadets. Afterwards, he returned to his seat and sit back comfortably. "Fill them out, sign them, and write your Control in the proper field."

Five minutes later, Same stood up, clutching the form handed to him. Meeting the gaze of the other two, he sighed softly and silently gathered the documents from the others. Sorting the papers, he placed them on the desk of the sleeping Chief Gara, waking him up with the tapping of the paper.

"Okay!" the commander cleared his throat, leaning over the papers. "Let's see… Mugen – fire, Arashi – electricity, Hibari – water. Nothing extraordinary, no mutations or aberrations, but never mind the powers! It is an honor to have you among my ranks!"

Putting the papers aside, Gara-Gara sit back in his chair and leant back, stretching his back. "All right! Yakedo!"

"Yes, sir?" the silver-haired boy, at the mere mention of his name, rose from his seat and stood at attention out of habit.

"Oh come on, stop it with the 'sir'! I said that friends call me Gara-Gara!" Commander Gara Hebi just waved his hand at the graduates, leaning back in his chair even further. "Everyone at CD calls me that! "

"Yes, sir." Yakedo replied. Not knowing how to react, he continued to stand at attention awkwardly.

"Gara-Gara!" the commander corrected the silver-haired man stubbornly, not hiding satisfaction.

"Mr. Gara…"

"Gara-Gara…"

Yakedo sighed, realizing he would not win the fight. "Sigh... Gara-Gara..."

"Perfect, my little Yakedu!" Gara-Gara shouted loudly, emphasizing the last word. The diminutive he used made Yakedo feel embarrassed and ashamed, while Mirai could barely contain her laughter. After a moment of showing a proud smile, the commander continued, this time with seriousness, or at least as much seriousness as he could muster at the moment. "To the point, my little Yakedu. You bear the greatest responsibility. I will not hide the fact that I accepted you into the NCPD even before you signed these papers. After all, you are already part of the team. Since you are new and inexperienced, like children in a fog, I have decided to make you a team. Thanks to that, instead of getting lost separately, you can hold hands the whole time and not let go, trying to get out of a situation together. You may also get lost together. Since you know each other, it should make it easier for you to work together. As for you, my dear Yakedo, I have appointed you as the leader of the team."

The commander paused for a moment, allowing the trainees to absorb the information, looking at each one in turn, before finally returning and stopping on Yakedo. "It means that you will be responsible for your team, making decisions in stressful situations, and ensuring the success of the mission. All right, leader, tell us a little more about yourself."

The ash-haired man, still standing next to his bench, did not turn his head, only shifting his gaze to the other two. He sighed and began coldly. "Fine. Listen, since I am the leader of this team, you should not interrupt me. I prefer to work alone, so if you run into my fire, do not be surprised if you get burned. This is not the academy anymore and I do not intend to be your mother. As I have become the leader, it means you have to listen to me. If you do, you will survive."

There was just silence in the room, combined with Mirai's questioning gaze and Same's surprised expression. After a moment, the commander broke the silence. He was definitely pleased.

"Oh my, that was cold! Alright, Mr. Flame, that's enough" Gara-Gara said with an innocent expression, but after a while, his tone and expression suddenly became serious. "Firstly, as Mugen said, this is not the academy anymore. Here, you will have to be on your guard with every breath. You will be working in the field, which means a constant danger. Your lives will be at risk every single day. Try not to die so I can see your beautiful faces at the police station every day!" the commander added with a smile, but his eyes looked at the other three individuals in the room carefully, as if assessing whether they had fully understood the weight of his words.

"You are a team, so take care of each other. I am entrusting you to Yakedo, so listen to him. Yakedo, take care of them. They are your people, so keep an eye on them." After a short pause, he returned to his natural, more relaxed tone. "Well, I guess that is it. See you in two days at the NCPD office at 6 AM. There should be a lovely secretary waiting for you in the CD section. Now go home and rest! Congratulations!"

The three Controllers rose from their chairs, preparing to leave. Before they could say their goodbyes, they noticed Yakedo already leaving the room. Mirai noticed that and, with an exasperated sigh, followed him out, deciding to take on the role of organizer.

"Mugen!" Mirai called across the hallway to Yakedo, who was walking a bit further.

"Yeah?" the silver-haired man muttered and turned to the girl.

"Since we are stuck with each other anyway, maybe the three of us should go out somewhere to get to know each other better. It is better than working with strangers."

"No, thanks. You can go if you want to."

"Seriously? I guess that's the point of integration - for everyone to integrate. Since you are our leader, it would be sensible to get to know you if we are going to trust you."

"Too bad." Yakedo replied, completely emotionless, just waiting for the moment when he could go home.

"Uh-huh…" The girl muttered, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Anything else? I am in a hurry."

"No…"

"Bye, then." he said and then moved on towards the exit.

Mirai's gaze followed the new leader, surprised by his attitude and behavior. Her feelings about her new job became more pessimistic. "What's the deal with him, huh?"

★

Two days later. Somewhere the nearest sky metro station and the NCPD headquarters. A newly arrived Mirai, dressed in casual sportswear, descended the stairs leading to the station — to the main street. On the horizon, a mere five-minute walk away, she saw her destination: a tall, glass building with multiple floors and departments inside. At the very center of the building, a yellow, neon, glowing NCPD sign could be clearly seen on a blue background.

The entire city, anywhere she looked, was filled with colorful lights and neon signs, whether displayed on the sides of buildings, billboards, or even on public transportation. Advertisements, news, politics… all of that was instilled from every angle to anyone walking down the street.

As she descended the last step, Mirai heard her name from behind.

"Mirai!" the girl turned around and saw a blond boy with short hair and wearing glasses calling her. The familiar face made Mirai smile slightly.

"Same, am I right? I was afraid you were already waiting for me there."

"It seems not, luckily. First day at work... I cannot believe it. Honestly, I am so stressed" said Same, trying to lighten the mood despite his own nervousness.

"Me too, at least a little bit, although not entirely because it is our first day…" Mirai replied thoughtfully.

"Huh? Then why? By the way, I wonder if Yakedo has arrived yet."

"Ugh, that's why I am worried."

"Why? Has something happened?"

"It's not that. He is just... weird. He always talks down to us. As if the fact that he broke all the academy records meant something."

"Well, you know, it does means something."

"I know…" the girl admitted reluctantly, putting hands in her pockets.

"Unfortunately, I do not think that we can do anything about it." Same just shrugged. The pair of Controllers neared the entrance to the NCPD headquarters. "I guess it is understandable, knowing everything he has been through in the past."

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?" Mirai was surprised at the mention of their new leader’s tragic past. She turned towards Same and raised one eyebrow in interest.

"...I do not know much myself, but I have heard rumors about him at the academy. Apparently, since birth, even before the Awakening, he lived with his mother in the slums, in extreme poverty. What is more, his mother was in debt to a local gang. They barely had enough to live on. One day, she went to the store as usual, but she did not come home. Six-year-old Yakedo was the first to find her shot body right outside their door." just hearing the story sent shivers down Mirai's spine. Embarrassed by her earlier condescension, she lowered her head, listening silently.

"After all that, Yakedo bounced from one foster home to another. Many of them were so toxic that he had to be moved from one to another. Physical abuse, psychological abuse, and much more. Finally, a dozen or so years ago, he was fortunate enough to find a normal home where he has been living to this day. Still, such a childhood certainly leaves a significant psychological scar."

"It… explains a lot." Mirai admitted, now looking at Yakedo much more empathetically. A moment later, they arrived at the main entrance of the building that was their destination.

Upon entering, they were greeted by a neat and aesthetically decorated lobby, dominated by a predominantly blue layout. Sterile walls were adorned with screens displaying various messages and advertisements. On the opposite side of the room was a spacious reception desk. Behind it were two sets of elevators. Not far from the entrance, there stood Yakedo, leaning against one of the walls.

"Finally. How long do I have to wait for you? I will not tolerate you being late."

"Being late? It's 5:50. We are 10 minutes early." Same replied, trying to deescalate the situation.

"This is not a school, just being on time is not enough. Here, you have to be half an hour earlier. Either you adapt, or our cooperation, as well as your work, will come to an end."

"Then why are you also waiting in the lobby if you were here before?"

"I have no intention of bearing the consequences for you. If I had shown up there alone, without you, I would have been responsible as leader..." Yakedo pushed himself off the wall and stepped closer to the other two, narrowing his eyes in irritation.

"Yes, sir. Understood. It is our fault. Anything else?" Mirai, being fed up with the conversation, stepped between the two boys, trying to deescalate the conflict caused by Yakedo's strong personality by acting meek and taking all the blame.

The silver-haired man looked her straight in the eye silently, but his earlier aggression faded. He clicked his tongue and turned toward the elevators, nodding to his two new partners. "Come on, before we are seriously late."

"All right, the guy had a tragic childhood and I feel sorry for him, but he does not have to act like a total asshole about it!" Mirai thought to herself. However, she would never say that out loud.

After entering the elevator and pressing the button for their desired floor, the three cadets stood in awkward silence, enclosed in a small, bright metal cage. After reaching the proper floor and leaving the elevator lobby, they passed through a glass door marked "Controller Department".

The room was spacious, filled with cubicles and offices. Some of them were occupied by people, but most of them were empty. Opposite the door through which Yakedo, Mirai, and Same entered, there was a secretary's desk, which was larger than the others. At it sit a young, short, and slender woman with tied-back brown hair. Two strands of hair fell symmetrically on either side of her face.

The modern desk was equipped with the standard equipment: a nearly transparent touchscreen monitor, small headphones with a microphone, and a touchscreen keyboard that could be deactivated with a single button, returning it to the form of a typical desk. What is more, there were various types and colors of pencils and pens, as well as stacks of papers. On the other, empty side of the desk, there was an open chocolate wrapper with half-eaten snack in it. In a wastebasket next to the desk, four other, already empty wrappers of the same type of chocolate could be identified. At the very front of the desk, facing the front door, was a plaque stating: "Korinai Kakaonoki - Secretary".

At the sound of the door opening, the brown-haired woman lifted her head briskly. Her face lit up with excitement at the sight of new people. "Welcome to the NCPD, how can I help you?"

"Is Commander Hebi here?" asked Yakedo, who was walking in front.

"Gara-Gara?" hearing her superior’s name, the secretary tilted her head to the side, like a dog listening for new sounds. "No, he is not here yet. What seems to be the matter?"

"We are the new recruits. We were supposed to be here at 6 AM" Same said, stepping closer to the desk.

"Uh-huh, you are new ones. Yes, I understand now." with an expression full of understanding, the woman pulled a crumpled piece of paper from the pile and looked at it, narrowing her eyes. "What did Gara-Gara call you? " she said, more to herself than to the three of her interlocutors.

"My name is Yakedo Mugen, I am the leader of this team, that is all he told us."

After listening to the silver-haired man, the secretary looked at the paper again with concentration. "I am sorry, I cannot find anyone of such a name." she stated, nodding.

"How so? " Mirai asked, surprised, leaning her hands on the table.

"Huh… Maybe he named you differently on the card. Wait a minute."

The secretary turned to the monitor and knocked on the desk twice. Buttons corresponding to those visible on a classic keyboard appeared on the tabletop. She typed something into the computer and with her other hand, reached across the desk, feeling for the chocolate. Finding it, she deftly broke the remnant of the wrapper in half and stuffed it into her mouth. Within seconds, the chocolate was gone and she turned to Yakedo.

"Name and surname, please." the woman said, smiling warmly at the silver-haired man.

"Yakedo Mugen." the boy standing in front of the desk repeated.

"Hmm…" once again, secretary Korinai Kakaonoki tilted her head to the side, listening to him like a dog listening to new sounds."Mugen, right?" She repeated to herself, then returned to the computer and typed in the name, eating the last piece of chocolate with her other hand. "Mugen. Yes, I see someone like that here. You are assigned to…" disbelieving her eyes, the brown-haired secretary moved closer to the monitor, reading slowly "… the genius team. There are also…Arashi and Hibari. Is that you?" she asked the other two.

"Yes, it's... us." Mirai replied with relief and embarrassment combined.

"Ugh, okay. I will enter you differently then." Korinai took the paper and pencil from earlier and changed the name "The Genius Team" to "The Gray-Haired Handsome’s Team" not hiding it too much.

"Okay, take a seat at free desks. Gara-Gara will be here soon."

After the three apprentices left, the secretary threw the chocolate wrapper into the trash, which was then almost full of similar empty chocolate wrappers. She then opened a drawer, which was overflowing with still-full chocolates. From the drawer, she pulled another treat out and placed it within her reach. After eating another cube, she put on a headset with a microphone and, by pressing a button on her desk, established a connection with the commander.

"Gara-Gara? Where are you? I have a few newbies here, supposedly to you... What do you mean: you do not know what's going on? ... No, you are not free today... You signed them up yourself... Tall, long, gray hair... Yes... Yes... I do not know... They are waiting... What do you mean by: for what? For you!... Goodbye." The conversation was loud enough that even if they had not wanted to hear it, the cadets surely would have. After taking off her headphones, Korinai turned back to them with a smile. "You will have to wait a while. Gara-Gara has business matters, but he is already on his way."

"Does he think that we are idiots? The whole department must have heard this conversation!" Mirai though to herself contemptuously.

"No problem. We will wait." Same waved his hand, trying to smooth things over.

Yakedo's attention was drawn to a metal door on the other side of the room. The door, if one could call it that, resembled a bunker gate. It was thick and tight. A "DO NOT ENTER" sign was affixed to it from the side of the main office. Despite that, constant bass and metallic squeals could be heard from the room. The sounds was symmetrical and rhythmic that it was impossible for them to be machine-generated. What Yakedo heard was likely music. The heavy sounds of an electric guitar with boosted bass, combined with the constant rhythm of a double bass drum were something that only most ardent metal listeners could call music. He wondered if the music could be heard so clearly from behind the thick, soundproofed wall, from a dozen or so meters away, how loud it must have been inside the room.

Thirty minutes passed. All three cadets were visibly tired, sleepy, and bored with the situation. A trail of drool was running down Same's chin as he was sleeping, his head resting limply against the back of the chair. Mirai shook her head every so often to wake herself up, her head leaning low and her mind being on the verge of falling sleep. The only one holding on was Yakedo, leaning on his hand placed on the desk, fiercely fighting the urge to close his eyes.

Chief Gara burst into the office with a loud bang. With a broad smile, he slammed the door behind him. The noise caused Korinai to jump in her chair in fright, swallowing another piece of chocolate. The lamplight reflected off Gara's bald head, blinding anyone who looked at him. The entire time, his smile never left his face. His cheerful eyes were visible even through the sunglasses perched on his nose. The woolen sweater he wore attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Embroidered on its front was the sentence "Chief #1."

"Enjoy your meal, my dear Korinai!" Gara exclaimed, approaching the secretary's desk as if nothing had happened. "Well... Where is my favorite... Ahem... I mean – my favorites!" after correcting himself, the commander looked around the office until his gaze finally landed on the three cadets he had already woken up. "Hello, hello!"

Seeing the commander, all three cadets immediately stood at attention, trying to perk themselves up. At this sight, Gara waved his hand dismissively. "Come on. Are you standing in front of a king? It's me, Gara-Gara." Gara said with a smile, approaching them and then took off his glasses, hanging them on his sweater.

"Gara-Gara! You have to show them the ropes!" Korinai ordered from behind the desk.

"Uhh, yeah, yeah." for a moment, Gara-Gara’s expression changed to disappointment, but after a while his classic smile returned. "So, little Yakedo, are you ready for work?"

"Yes, sir... ahem... Gara-Gara." Yakedo corrected himself hastily, traumatized by the interrogation from a few days ago.

"I am glad to hear that!" the commander exclaimed happily, patting the silver-haired man on the shoulder and moving on to the next person. "Miss Arashi, you look beautiful today. Are you stressed?"

"A bit…" Mirai replied awkwardly. Gara-Gara just shrugged it off with a smile, which quickly turned into a fake one as his face turned towards Same.

"Oh, good to see you too, Sake."

"Same, sir…" embarrassed, the blond-haired man corrected his name, but to no avail, as Gara-Gara had long forgotten about the whole situation.

"What?"

"My name is Same."

"Well, that’s what I said." the commander defended himself, not understanding at all what the man standing in front of him was talking about.

"No, you said... Oh, never mind."

"Hmm... You are weird one, Sake. Let's get to the point. Come with me, I will find you some work-specific clothes." At the commander's words, Mirai's face paled in horror. Her eyes focused once again on the sweater Gara-Gara was wearing. Her imagination conjured up worst-case scenarios about the uniforms she would have to wear from then on.

Enthusiastic Gara led the less enthusiastic Yakedo, Mirai, and Same toward the locker room. The room was divided into two smaller one with separate, opaque glass entrances, separating the men's and women's locker rooms. Inside, the rooms were filled with lockers lining every wall available. Even though the entire unit only had a dozen or so people, there were more than enough free lockers. Opposite the entrance, there was a passage to the next room. It was the shower room. Inside, there were nine showers. Below, there were knobs allowing for regulating the water temperature and shelves for shampoo. Both the men's and women's locker rooms looked the same, being mirror images of each other.

After opening the door to the men's locker room, Gara immediately headed for the largest closet in the room. Among several sets of identical clothing, one stood out notably. A long, dark navy blue coat that, when worn, reached down to the wearer's knees. It had numerous pockets and zippers on every side. The word NCPD was embroidered on the back. Ignoring him, Commander Hebi began pulling out and distributing appropriate sets of clothing to everyone, giving one to Yakedo when his time came as well, but he refused the gift. His gaze was focused on the coat hanging in the center.

"What about this one?"

"Huh?" Gara-Gara followed the boy's gaze and when he reached his destination, his smile widened even further. "Oh, this one. This one is one of a kind. A prototype of sorts. There has never been another one like it. I am going to give it to someone for his or her special achievements. Such a great material. It is flexible, durable, resistant to fire and high temperatures. It once belonged to an incredible man." The bearded commander pulled the coat out of the closet and turned it over in his hands. After considering it for a moment, he decided to give it to Yakedo.

"Sir...?"

"What? Achieving best results in the academy's history is probably enough. Besides, it would break my heart to deny it to you. I saw the way you looked at it."

"Thank you, sir… I mean – Gara-Gara." Yakedo replies quietly in disbelief.

After distributing the remaining items of clothing to everyone, Gara-Gara and Mirai left the men's locker room. As the door closed, the commander's tone, despite his still-smiling face, became a bit more serious.

"What do you think?"

"Excuse me?"

"What do you think about them? About your team?"

After a moment of thought, Mirai replied uncertainly "Well… They seem to be okay. It could be worse, but…"

"But…?"

"I have my doubts, sir. As for… As for Yakedo. He does not seem like the right person to be involved with the group, let alone lead it."

Gara's smile became much less pronounced, but much more genuine one. "Oh, yeah. You are right, he is a difficult guy, especially when you first meet him. But I trust him. I know he will follow orders and do anything for the team. You still need time. Do not expect to suddenly become great friends overnight. I do not even expect that of you. You have to at least be a good team. Yakedo has a lot of responsibility as team leader now and he is trying to give you the impression of being tough and cold. Just do what he says and you will be fine. Now, go get changed."

"Thank you, sir. I guess you are right." Mirai walked away towards the women's locker room, visibly calmer and more convinced by the commander's assurances.

Inside - she placed the clothes she received on a wooden bench, but before she could start changing, he heard an unfamiliar, female voice from behind.

"Huh? Who are you?"

Startled, Mirai immediately turned around, searching for the source of the voice. A young, naked woman, dripping wet, appeared in the doorway leading to the shower room.

The woman was around 27, with a slim figure and blond hair reaching just below her neck. Purple bags under her eyes complemented her visibly tired expression. She seemed in no way bothered by either her nakedness or the gaze of the unknown younger woman. While waiting for an answer, she leaned against the doorframe and folded her arms over her chest.

"M-Mirai A-Arashi, ma'am. I am a new recruit here and it is my first day!" Mirai, embarrassed by the whole situation, bowed her head, blushing slightly.

"Ma’am? Do I look that old? Oh my God, I’m only 25." the blonde girl complained, exaggerating, trying to make herself look as young as possible.

"No, that's not what I meant. You look very young, I just..."

"Mirai, right? I'm Annie" the woman greeted Mirai as she approached her. She extended her still-dripping hand toward her.

"Nice to meet you…" even after returning the handshake, Mirai still did not look up, deeply embarrassed by the woman's boldness.

"Sorry about… this…" still unfazed, Annie just looked down at her wet, naked body. "If I had known there were any newbies coming, I would have at least worn a towel. Well, you can be happy. Most of the squad would have given a lot for that sight."

Annie's expressionless face made it impossible to tell if what she was saying was a joke or the truth. Mirai did not even bother to guess. Intending to dry herself off, the blonde girl moved to a bag, previously unnoticed by Mirai, lying just outside the doorway to the other room. From the bag, she pulled out a small white towel and began drying herself, starting with her head and hair.

"So... what are you doing here at such an early hour, Annie?" the constantly embarrassed girl tried to ease the awkward mood in any way possible.

"Me? I am just leaving. I had the night shift and I always take a long time in the shower. What time is it? "

"Umm... Almost eight o’clock."

"Damn it! Already?! Two hours in the shower seems to a bit excessive. You know what, kid? Since it's free, we have to take advantage of it!" for the first time since the conversation had begun, Mirai saw any emotion on Annie's face.

After a few minutes, a brown-haired girl, Mirai Arashi, dressed in new work clothes, emerged from the changing room, clearly tired of the chatter of the woman she had just met. She had also noticed Same, dressed up, standing near the door.

"Are you ready yet?"

"Oh, Mirai, you are here. You look good."

"Oh, thanks. You… too. Where is Yakedo?"

"He went to take a shower first. He said he'd rather not get his new clothes dirty."

"Yeah. It sounds like him."

A few seconds after uttering that sentence, Yakedo emerged from the men's locker room. A new, almost shiny, navy blue coat covered him from mouth to thigh. The dark blue contrasted perfectly with his ash-gray hair. The high, turned-up collar concealed a small, proud smile at the gift he's received. Seeing the faces of his new partners, filled with quiet delight, his smile deepened. It was something he had no intention of revealing to them at that moment.

"Ready? Here we go."

★

"Leave me alone, I don't want to have anything to do with you."

"What? But... but why?"

"My friends told me everything. You are another one of those Controllers."

"But…"

"My dad told me that the Controllers were evil and that I should not have gotten close to them. Get out of here, Yakedo!"

"After all, we... are friends... "

"What?! I would never be friends with a Controller!"

"Oh look! The stinky Controller has found a friend!"

"He probably is a darn Controller too!"

"What?! No! Yakedo is the one who picked on me! I do not want to know that dog!"

…

"Look! He pushed the stinky Controller! Let's run before he gets mad!"

...

Why do they hate me?
I did not do anything to them.
I just wanted to play.
Why did he push me?
We were friends.
Why is he playing with them now?
They were laughing at him just a moment ago.
Why am I alone again?
Why won't anyone help me?
Why do they look at me like that?
Why do they hate me?

Mom.
Why did you leave me?
Why did you leave?
Why didn't you get up when I woke you and saw you in that red puddle?
Why did you leave me too?
Why do these people I live with beat me?
Why do I have to move house again this year?
Why does everyone hate me?
It is not my fault.

Mom.