Safety

With Rei’s help, I made my way through the maze of streets and stop lights. Nothing made itself known on the way, real or artificial. If anything, the lack of movement was nerve wracking.

You’d think there would at least be someone, something! Surely someone would have forgotten to take the trash out. Or maybe a robot would be making its way around.

Yet the streets stayed quiet as could be. Without the slowing rain, barely a drizzle now, my footsteps would have echoed off every wall.

I glanced up towards the skyscraper dominating my vision. Glass panels wet with rainwater towered up and up, covering the tower's exterior. Moonlight illuminated the otherwise dark rooms inside best it could. A thing of beauty. If not for the buzzing streetlights, no natural sources of illumination would be present, leaving Tokyo to the sky’s whims.

“There's a door on the left, around three quarters of the way back.” Rei’s relieved voice shot through my ear. From what he explained, the sky wasn't in my future.

Instead, I’d be heading deep within the concrete.

I staggered my way towards the door and threw it open, hoisting myself inside. At this point the rain felt sickening. Everything was numb and the pain had been fading away, all dangerous signs. My only hope was that Rei would have a solution.

“Makoto!” A familiar high pitched voice came from within the shadows. I squinted best I could within the dark room I’d barely registered.

Nari rushed towards my side, a look of work on her face. “What happened to you!”

“Just broke out of a moving truck. No big deal.” I grinned up at her. One look at my legs and she turned pale.

“No big deal?! You look like you just got run over!” She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in for a hug.

“Don’t worry abo-” My words slipped off as the adrenaline finally faded. Spots appeared in my vision and my muscles lost their strength.

“Makoto!” Nari screamed as I collapsed to the ground, the darkness overtaking my sight.

***

When I awoke, an unfamiliar room awaited me.

It reminded me of something military made. Equipment was scattered around in open crates, legal and illegal, set on concrete floors worn with age. A mix of counters and sleeves lined the walls, with more people moving between them than I’d seen in days.

Feeling slowly returned to my limbs as I oriented myself. A musty smell caught my attention, a sign of the depth. This must have been where Rei was talking about.

I slowly made my way off the hard mattress under me, only to collapse on the gray floor.

“Oy Makoto, you movin a bit too soon bro.”

“Kono!” I looked up as his familiar towering figure made its way over to me. His familiar grin and smug expression brought a bit of ease to my heart. What all had Rei been up to?

“Let's get ya back on the bed.” With barely a glimpse of effort, he hoisted me up like a rag doll and plopped me back on. “I get it dude, but ya bodies not where your mind’s at. Besides, you've been out for a week; give it some time.”

“Wha- What do you mean by that?”

“Look down bro. That’ll explain better than I can.”

Down? His words made me hesitate. Did I want to look? Did I want to know? Even I knew the shape I was in before I passed out in Nari’s arms.

No, I could do this. There was nowhere for me to run to. I had to know the truth, no matter how much it hurt.

Casts of white wrapped around both legs, up to my knees. I tried to move my leg… 

Nothing… 

Nothing… 

Absolutely no feeling.

“You really gave those old bookworms a headache. Hell, I can't tell ya how long y'all were in the opperaten room. He chucked. “Was wondering whether you’d survive for a bit there. Still, walking three miles with both legs and multiple ribs broken, not to mention the blood loss and potential hypothermia from the rain! You’re one hell of a trooper.”

“Kono?” I took a second to gather my words. “I can’t feel my legs.”

“Ah.” His expression morphed into one of uncertainty. “Was hoping you’d take a bit longer to notice kid.”

“A bit longer!? How the hell did you think that was gonna work!”

“Woah Makoto. I don’t think yellen is gonna heal ya up any faster.”

“I-'' He was right. This wasn't the time for that anyway. I’d have all the time in the world later to scream at the Corruption Checkers who actually fucking did this.”

WIth a calmer voice, I spoke. “What did the doctors say?”

Kono sighed. “It’s up in the air kid. There's cures all right, not anywhere here though. Fides loves to keep the advanced tech out of our reach.”

“It's a lost cause, in Japan anyway.” From a steel boiled door, Rei waltzed into the room, followed by an excited looking Nari. Both dawned camo jackets. “Outside however…” He just smiled.

“There's that annoying voice in my head.” We laughed as he made his way towards my side.

Nari wrapped her arms around me as tears fell from her eyes. “God, I was worried you dummy.”

“Sorry about that Nari” I gently wrapped my arms around her. “But Rei, what do you mean?” There was no going outside. Sure, Fides guarded their prisoners, but the border? That was a whole different story. It took years for Rei to get the ability to go back and forth, and even that was by a thread. I was a wanted criminal, as were Nari and Kono. There was no leaving Tokyo.

“You heard me. Just as rats sneak in and out, so shall we. They may not have that tech for your legs here Makoto. South Korea on the other hand, well they are more than happy to help refugees from Japan, and have the tech to do so.”

“But still…”

“Makoto, who do you think we are?”

‘We?”

“You know, all these people! This giant facility right under the heart of Tokyo! Were rebels Makoto; Smugglers specifically, and powerful ones too. There's nothing Fides fears more than a group like ours, with one of their worst enemies funding the whole thing.” Rei grinned. “If anyone can do it, its us.”

“But still, I’m a wanted criminal!”

“Just makes the job more exciting.” His expression became serious. “Besides, it's the only chance we have if you ever want to walk again.”

“If you think it's the best path…” Maybe it was my views held just days ago, but everything felt daunting. Not only was Rei a rebel, one of the people I’d been complaining about for years, but he’d been working under my nose the whole time! How did he expect me to take all this in at once?

No, actually how was he feeling about it? This was Rei. He’d listened to me rant on and on about Fides for years, yet never said a word.

“For now though, take this.” From under his camo jacket, Rei pulled out something forbidden, dangerous. An item worthy of a lifetime sentence if I was caught with it.

A sleek black pistol.

It should have been obvious! Hell, there were guns scattered all over the place. Yet the fact one was just inches away made it all feel real.

With a shaky hand, I grasped the weapon.

Cold. That was the only way I could describe the feeling within my hands. The sleep metal reflected the humming lights swinging away on the ceiling, without a care in the world. A certain scent appeared as I brought it towards my chest. Danger welled up inside, what always came as an accomplice to the fragrance. The smell of gunpowder.

“I'll leave you all to it. Remember to keep that safe Makoto.”

“Will do.”

With a slight bow, Rei turned the other way and started talking to one of the rebels walking around.

Nari let me go and sat on the edge of my bed. “What happened to you?! Rei gave a quick explanation, but with how busy he is, I still got loads of questions he can't answer.”

“Oh, that's a long story.” I grinned, recapping my story since we got separated. She kept her face mostly neutral, frowning here and there as I went over everything.

“So the Lex Credendi exists after all. I really wanted to believe that it was just a fairy tail.”

“Same here. The second Fides works the kinks out, it's over. Nothing is safe from that gaze.” I shook my head. “But enough about that. What happened to you guys?”

Kono glanced towards Nari before speaking. "We lucked out, kid. They hightailed it out with you, leaving just a few guards to deal with us stragglers. Makes sense I guess, not like we said shit.”

“Rei got there just after you drove off, a batch of soldiers with him.” Nari placed her hand on my arm. "They chased after you, but couldn't afford to draw the attention to themselves catching you would have required.” Both of them tensed up, as if expecting me to be pissed off by the news.

“Thank god. I would have marched right up to their fancy tower if they’d done anything.”

“But Makoto, you're only like this because they wasted time on me and Kono!” She shouted, gesturing towards my legs.

“So what? Worst case, I’ll need a bit of help getting here and there. Nothing I can't handle.”

“Still-”

“Nari, I’m fine! Beating yourself up over it won't accomplish anything. If you're that remorseful, put that towards this Korean escape thingy.”

She hesitated, her face slowly morphing into one filled with determination. “I guess I'll just have to put my all toward it.”