After all these times; the arguments, the frustration, the pain, the heartbreak, and the shattered trust. The question, finally said and answered: “It really hurt you, didn’t it?” It was simple, yet so profound.
“Yes.” The concept of love, a fragmented perception: it’s given, but not quite received, The loneliness a common courtesy: it’s welcomed, but never wanted, The discipline a twisted ideal: it’s used but never needed. Never enough but too much for you, always giving but never given to.
How could a kid understand?: “Are you stupid?” Her heart was bigger then life, her eyes as bright as the moon. How she understand?: “Do you want to be in this family?” Her mind now fractured with questions, her feelings intertwined with disappointment, How could she?: “How could you?” Her self-image blurred by hatred, and her heart ripped from living.
“I’m sorry.” So heartfelt and finally truthful, but it has no value. Compassion was long overdue, time degraded the meaning of apologies. Change is the only remedy for such delayed remorse. Now, I’m left with pieces of what once was me, The past leaving nothing but a broken mindset and a detached heart.
:://SORREN//:: Monotonous beeping drew me out of my sleep. I stirred and opened my eyes, the room was light by the soft light of the EKG and other small devices that lit the med room. I groaned and sat up in the bed, my head spinning slightly as I gathered my bearings. Small wires were attached to my chest and two IV lines was inserted into both of my arms. The moments I remembered before everything blanks out was… My mind immediately cleared and my gaze shot up. Evelyn. I quickly threw the blanket off of me and got up, carefully taking out the IVs from my arms and the patches that were on my chest. Quick footsteps came to the room, “Oh my god, your up!” I looked up and saw Raze, being relieved someone was even here. “Raze!” She quickly walked up to me and hugged me tightly. I winced in pain and returned her embrace, “I wasn’t asleep for too long, was I?” She pulled away and gave me a worried look, “Sorren, you were out for four days.” “Four days?!”I blurted. I shook my head, remembering what got me up in the first place. “…nevermind that. Where’s Renji?” “She’s out on the field with Taylor and Jax. Oh! I should call them!” She quickly turned to leave but abruptly stopped. “Oh, damn. Here, let me help you get out of this.” She walked over to a drawer and pulled out blue Coban tape and gauze.
I made my way to the bathroom to change, still a little shaky and weak. I slowly took off the gown, seeing my injuries for the first time. A thin, deep scar lined my abdomen, another jagged one was on my left shoulder, almost reaching my neck. “You’ve grown up so well, ‘Ren…” A chill went down my spine, sorrow and grief suddenly clenched my heart. I slipped on new pants and a shirt, grabbing my now fixed and washed jacket. I hovered over the sink and washed my face. My gaze went up to the mirror, my eyes widening slightly. Another scar had welcomed itself onto the side of my forehead, the dark red line smudging my once picture perfect face. “I have to do what’s best, now. Theres so much you don’t know, and I hope it stays that way.” I let out a shaky breath and closed my eyes as memories before everything went hazy flooded my mind in an instant. — “E-Evelyn…?” She stopped and looked at me through her mask. With a slow movement, she took off her mask, revealing a face I never believed I would see again. I took a step back, horror and an overwhelming relief came over me. “I’m surprised you even remember me.” I heard Renji shift behind me, her eyes also widened. Evelyn looked to her, “Never thought you would see me again either… didn’t you?” she let out a dark chuckle. Renji scoffed as she tightened her grip on her spear, “That fire should’ve killed you.” Evelyn bursted into laughter, taking slow steps to us, “No ‘welcome back’? No ‘glad to see your safe?’ Typical of you… RL-1.” We both started to take slow steps back, still keeping our guard up considering she’s still unpredictable. “Don’t your dare call me that.” Renji hissed, taking a step forward. Evelyn suddenly charged at her, her own blade drawn as their blades suddenly clashed. The abrupt brawl took me by surprise, hearing their tech slash and whistle through the air. “What? Still being haunted by that damned doctor are you? Still not satisfied with what you couldn’t give him?” Evelyn said with a dark smile. Renji yelled in frustration and pushed her back, making her stumble. Evelyn charged at her again, her ferocity terrifying as Renji matched it, her eyes glowing that horrifying light blue. “Evelyn! Stop it!” I shouted. I grabbed the handle of my sword from my belt, the blade forming and unsheathing from its base. I lunged into the middle of Evelyn’s attack, outstretching it to stop her own blade before it reached Renji’s “Evelyn!!” She turned her enraged eyes to me, “Stay out of this. I have some… loose ends to tie…” Before I could even reply, she was already back at Renji’s side, both of them parrying each other’s brutal strengths. “So, have you done it? Found your purpose? Took revenge you vowed to get for your silly sob story?” Renji suddenly started to gain an advantage, Evelyn starting to slowly back into a corner. “Wouldn’t you like to know?!” Renji growled, the rage Evelyn was causing could be felt for miles. Renji’s spear suddenly slashed at Evelyn’s leg, making her cry out. She hissed and cackled, “Looks like Braizer was right… you were the perfect experiment…” “Shut the hell up already!!” Sai chimed in my ear, “Sorren, Renji’s Neo levels are rising exponentially. Corruption is imminent. You have to stop this.” “H-how?! S-she… Ev… I-I…” “Sorren! Focus!!” I flinched at Sai’s sudden sternness. “R-right…” “_Renji is out of control. She’s not listening, she’ll collapse at this rate. _You must stop this. Now.” I nodded and quickly thought of how to stop this horrific reunion. Before I could think, my legs were already running towards Renji. I tightened my grip on my blade, inserting myself in between them. Renji’s spear nicked my head, a stinging pain flooded my head but I ignored it. “Renji, stop!!” She suddenly focused on me, her eyes widening as she saw blood trickle down my face. She panted heavily and shook her head, “S-Sorren, stay out of—“ A sudden slash at my back made me stumble forward. Renji yelled out something I couldn’t tell, grabbing me and pulling me away from Evelyn. Her blade stained with my blood. “You’ve grown up so well, ‘Ren. You stand up for others, such a contrast to who you were so long ago…” I groaned in pain and turned to her, a heavy and inexplicable feeling filling my chest. “Please… stop Ev…” Renji lashed out at Evelyn once more, starting their fight once more. Sai spoke again, “I’ve called Taylor and the others. Hold tight, Sorren.” “W-what about Renji…?” Sai hesitated, “…You’ve given her some time. Neo levels have increased again. Focus on yourself right now.” I turned and saw Renji falter, the blue hue in her eyes flickering as she was obviously starting to lose the fight. Evelyn was relentless, as well as Renji. Their past seemed to run farther then I thought, why didn’t Renji tell me…? Renji suddenly stumbled back as Evelyns sword sliced into her arm, blood splattering onto the ground. That was enough to get me to stand up straight and blindly charge towards Ev. The strength Evelyn had was so much more then I expected, my hands slightly shaking from my injury and her force. “Sorren… I told you to stay out of this.” “Shut up and listen to me!!” I shouted, panting softly. “How are you alive?! A-and why did you never… never come back..?” Evelyn sighed, “I couldn’t because I’ve had to right wrongs that werent’ made by me, Sorren. I can’t bring you into it, you were safer with Mom and Dad.” I pushed against her blade, “_Bullshit!! _You always cared about us more then anything!! You didn’t have the god damn decency to come back and let us know you were alive?!” Evelyn also started to push back effortlessly, “No. My death was the perfect guise for me to work when I could… I have to do what’s best now. There’s so much you don’t know… and I hope it stays that way.” She suddenly moved her sword, it whistled through the air and across my shoulder. I groaned loudly and stepped back. Renji came back again, not before Evelyn suddenly struck her on the side of her neck with the blunt end of her sword. Renji fell to the ground in a heap, her spear clattering and deactivating to the ground. “Renji has been neutralized. S-Sending em-rgen-y dis-stress signal. Sorren-ren, get out of there! Now-NOW!!” Sai started to cut out, only adding to the pile of emotions threatening to break in me. I gripped my sword tightly and slashed towards Evelyn, slicing her chest. She let out a surprised yell and growled. “You never knew how to listen… did you?” Her expression was dark. Her eyes were locked onto me as she sent a flurry of attacks to me, her blade fast and steady. I could barely keep up, both of my hands holding onto my sword for dear life. All of it was futile… Evelyn landed a kick to my leg, making my fall forward as she plunged her sword straight into my abdomen. The pain didn’t register until I coughed, feeling everything get far and light. I wrapped my hands around her blade, trying weakly to get it out. Blood came from my hands as my weak grip tried to pull. It didn’t belong there… I’m not suppose to be here… Evelyns suppose to be gone… R-Renji’s… hurt… Evelyn’s eyes stared down at me, tears streaming down her face, “I’m so sorry… but it has to be this way… I hope… you understand… One day…” She pulled her blade out slowly. I winced weakly, blood surging to my throat as I sputtered. “I hope we meet under better circumstances… Sorren.” She slowly walked away until I couldn’t recognize anything anymore. I fell forward onto the ground. Whatever disturbance was interfering with Sai had left as she spoke again. “Sorren!! Sorren, stay awake. Talk to me.” My body twitched, unable to comprehend the amount of pain I was in. Just breathing hurt. Every inhale an agonizing pain sprouting from my abdomen to the rest of my body. I gurgled softly and coughed, “S-s… Sai… Ren… Renji-i…” “Renji’s fine. Save your energy and stay still. Taylor’s ETA is.. i-is 15 minutes.” That was too long. Was I really going to die here? By the hand of my own sibling…? Everything started to go dark and my eyes were impossible to keep open. “Sorren. Sorren, you have to stay awake. Your too unstable to fall unconsciousness now.” “…t-tell… t… R… Ren…” “Yes? What is it, Sorren? Please.” I coughed weakly again and my mind slowly went blank. Sai started to speak incessantly, but I didn’t register any of it. Warm blood pooled underneath me, more streaming from my mouth. I felt my body go limp and my eyes stayed half-lidded while I succumbed to peaceful sleep. — “Sorren? Are you alright?” Raze’s knocks on the bathroom door made me flinch, “Y-yeah… I’m fine.” I had managed to slip onto the floor, my eyes burning with my cheeks wet. I roughly wiped my face, anger bubbling up inside me. “The others are almost here! I’m-“ I opened the door, gazing down at her with a half-hearted smile. “Thanks… Raze.” She nodded as I brushed past her, the office door slamming open as Jax ran inside. “Oh my god!” He chuckled and ran up to me, wrapping his arms around me tightly. “Easy. He just woke up.” Taylor walked in and also gave me a soft embrace. “Welcome back to the land of the living.” “… thanks.” My gaze turned towards the last person coming through the door. “Your up.” I took a deep and shaky breath, my fists clenching, “…is it that obvious?” “Your standing, aren’t you?” Renji looked like she hadn’t slept in days, blood was splattered on her neck. Anger turned into rage at her nonchalance. I suddenly grabbed her by the collar and slammed her into the wall, a newfound and brutal strength swelling in me. “You got some fucking nerve to just act like nothing happened, you selfish piece of SHIT!!” The outburst alarmed everyone, except Renji. “Glad to see your up…”
The gate quickly started to close, the creaking growing louder as it slid closed. Sorren, Jax and Taylor skidded to a stop, panting heavily. I brushed past them as my body felt a surge of energy, adrenaline, and exhilaration. Taylor reached out to grab me, failing miserably. “Renji, don’t!!” On instinct, I sprinted and slid under the metal just in time, the gate slamming into the ground. I quickly got up and ran into the dark of the tunnel, ignoring Taylor’s command. My eyes immediately adjusted to the dark, the faint glow of my headset the only light I had. My feet echoed with every swift step, my heart starting to pound as my head started to feel focused and light. I could hear Taylor’s voice shouting from the entrance, quickly echoing into silence the farther I went into the tunnel. But I didn’t care. I couldn’t care less. A familiar high settled into my mind, excitement and expectancy replacing my usual demeanor. “Neo levels elevated. Caution is advised.” “Yeah, yeah, I know.” I hissed, the AI chiming in my headset. “I’m here to help, Renji. When will you understand that?” Sai said, a hint of irritation in her voice. Another crackle and Taylors voice crackled into it. “What the hell are you thinking?! Are you insane?!” “We’ll lose him if we just stand by, I’m-“ “I don’t care! Your a target and your running right into them!! Get back here, now! That’s an order!!” I scoffed and panted softly, “This is more important… Going dark.” “Renji! Ren-!!” I switched the comm’s off, continuing to run as fast as my legs and Neo let me. The sound of more footsteps grew closer the more I ran. “Sai, scan for heat signatures.” “Of course. Scanning for heat signatures…” Sai chimed, pausing for a couple seconds before responding again. “Total of four heat signatures detected. Firearms are detected as well. Proceed with caution.” “Got it.” The tunnel split into three, curving into different directions. I skidded to a stop, my panting barely above a whisper. “Heat signatures detected in all routes, two in the left tunnel.” I contemplated quickly, “Where does it lead?” “The left route leads to Fern’s, a small bar above the tunnel. The other two lead into sewer lines scattered across Sypher.” Shuffling to the right made me whip towards it, my hand gripping my butterfly knife on my belt. “All heat signtures are closing in fast. Prepare for combat.” My heart raced, hearing footsteps coming closer. I grumbled under my breath, “Let’s get to it then.” I could feel my head get a little lighter, Sai chirped again. “Neo levels increased. Time until debility, 43 minutes and 12 seconds…” “I don’t think this will take that long.” “Let’s see it then.” A smirk twitched at the corner of my lips at her comment. Within seconds, I was surrounded by masked syndicates, likely from The Silence. They all drew their guns and immediately fired. I swiftly raised my hand in front of me, a barrier formed in between me and the bullets, stopping them in their path. I huffed and twisted my wrist, the barrier dissipated and the bullets slowly turned back towards their owners. “Dont you know who your up against?” I huffed, my eyes narrowing in the dark. I forced my hand towards the syndicates, the bullets flying back towards them, striking them and neutralizing them. One managed to quickly dodged and charged towards me, raising his gun towards me once more. Sai spoke again, “Neo increase detected. Corrected time of debility, 16 minutes and 45 seconds…” A bullet fired, blood splattered against the wall as I didn’t have time to focus. I groaned and twirled my butterfly knife out as I was right in front of the assailant in a matter of seconds. I swiped my knife at his body, slicing across his chest. He grunted and stumbled back. I didn’t give time for him to react as I plunged my knife into his side, twisting it violently before pulling it out once more. The assailant gurgled and collapsed to the floor in a heap. “Well done, Renji. All targets neutralized.” I panted and leaned against the wall, clutching my arm as blood seeped from where the bullet grazed. My mind felt hazy, pounding with a horrid migraine, my nose starting to bleed. “I advise you sit, Renji. Your injured and alone.” “No kidding…” I growled. I put my butterfly knife away and looked at the blood on my hands. “I’m trying to help but your stubbornness is infuriating.” Sai huffed. “Whats with you today?” “Just shut up and let me focus for a second!” I took a deep breath. I hadn’t felt the pain of the bullet until now. I winced and tighten my grip on my arm. “Does your anger have to do with Sorren?” “W-what? How did you-“ “You always forget to take off your headset, Renji. I… may listen in at times.” “Of course you do…” I spat as I rolled my eyes. Sai sighed and stayed silent. The exhilaration of the fight wore off and was replaced with irritation and exhaustion. There was a deafening silence as I thought of what to do. I didn’t feel like fighting anymore, not that I was in the condition to anyway. “Time until debility; 10 minutes and 58 seconds. Neo withdrawal is advised.” I sighed and looked up into the darkness. “… could I have done something different?” “I’m not sure I understand, Renji.” I took another deep breath and held back my attitude, “The argument. With Sorren… should I have said or… done something different?” Sai paused, she chirped in my ear as she spoke, “Expaining to Sorren you knew his sister during the time she and you were missing is difficult to understand. Besides, it was impossible to determine if Ruin, or Evelyn Ariella, was alive. You escaped with six others, no? Was she not amongst you all?” “No...” “I see.” I felt myself sway a little and I leaned a bit more on the wall. “How… how was I suppose to know she managed to escape with the others too? Should I have waited? Should I have stayed behind? I-“ “It’s pointless to mull over the past, Renji. What is done is done. But grief is difficult to surpass...” She hesitated before continuing, “… I’m sure you understand.” “Yeah, well, my brother didn’t go missing and come back as a psychotic mercenary.” Sai suddenly laughed, catching me by surprise. “You are correct. But I don’t think I would be happy to find out my sister was alive all this time and didn’t bother to see me.” I scoffed and nodded, “Yeah… I wouldn’t… either…” Sai chirped again, her voice laced with concern, “Neo levels decreasing. Please sit down, Renji.” “I’m fine, Sai… I’m… fine…” “You are not fine. You need medical attention. Now. Overriding muted comms…” My attention shot up and I rapidly pressed buttons on my headset. “No, I’m fine, Sai!” “Muted comms overidden by lead operator. Connecting to Taylor Wittick…” A small crackle and the comms turned on. “Renji!! Renji, are you alright?!” I groaned and wiped blood away from my nose, “I’m fine, Taylor. All targets neutralized.” Taylor sighed in relief, irritation still evident in his tone, “Good. Now get the hell back here. We still haven’t managed to open the gate.” “Theres no point. These tunnels lead around Sypher, one of them leading to Fern’s. Meet… meet me there.” There was a pause. “How much time do you have left?” He inquired, the comms crackling a little. “Not much…” I panted softly, Sai interrupting our conversation. “Recalculated time until debility, 6 minutes and 45 seconds. Neo withdrawal is advised.” Taylor groaned, “We’re they Silence syndicates?” “Yeah. They had guns, with real bullets. Not blasters.” The silence in between responses grew, tension growing heavy. I put my back against the wall, feeling the familiar dizziness start. “How the hell did they get those?!” “I-I don’t know…” I slid down the wall and to the floor. I cursed under my breath and leaned my head back. “Neo withdrawal detected. Directions to Fern’s has been sent to you, Taylor.” “Renji?” “Yeah…?” “Just hold tight. Dont move unless you have to. We’re on the way.” My pants slowed and stabilized, my vision slowly adjusting to the darkness of the tunnel. “Renji?” Taylor called out. “Renji…? Renji…!” I took off my headset, Taylors voice faint as I put it to the side. I closed my eyes and felt my eyes start to sting. “Are you alright, Renji? Your adrenaline is rising again.” Sai spoke from my wrist watch, sending a soft glow in the darkness. “…Ren?” “Dont… don’t call me that…” “Im just making sure you didn’t pass out yet.” “C-can’t you detect that?” My body trembled as I spoke. “I would rather hear your voice then rely on my data. You didn’t answer my question, though. It’s good to keep you talking until help arrives.” I didn’t want to answer it and staying awake didn’t seem appealing at the moment. “I feel guilty. I should’ve tried to at least… explain and reason with him instead of.. well, you know how it ended…” Sai hummed in response, “Seems like the argument affected you more then you thought then. Your adrenaline is still rising. Focus your attention on something else for now. You’ll reactivate your Neo. Corruption is still possible during withdrawal.” “Y-yeah… I know…” There was so much on my mind, I didn’t want to think anymore. I was tired, in more ways than one. But there was something knawing at the back of my mind. “Sai…” “Yes, Renji?” “Show me vitals…” “Of course.” A quiet chime came from my watch. A small holographic screen hovered over the watch. “Heart rate is at a steady 58. BP is 148. Oxygen saturation is 91%.” “Makes sense…” My grip on my arm was loosening slowly. “I didn’t want to say anything to worry you, but yes. Your vitals are more then concerning.” I let out a weak scoff, “So much for being helpful, huh?” I took a deep breath, “Show me past vitals after Neo spikes…” “Already on it.” A few more screens appeared around my current vitals. The past ones were better then today, progressively getting worse every time. “Do you see… what I’m seeing?” “Unfortunately.” Sai spoke with a dejected tone. “Are you going to tell Taylor?” “No… I want to try and figure this out… before I have to. I don’t want to worry him…” Sai sighed in frustration, “Renji. Please. What if something happens to you on the field?”__ _“_Nothing is going to happen… not… not for a while…” “Did you know this would happen…?” I stayed silent, staring into the void I was in. “Renji.” “Yes. I did.” I hesitated, “…Braizer’s notes said this would happen at some point in time… but given… given the circumstances… he couldn’t tell how fast or how long it would take…” “Jesus Christ, Renji!! I… I’m calling Taylor-“ _“_Initiate Silence Protocol.” Sai suddenly went silent. “I can’t let you do that… Not until I can figure this out…” Sai hummed before replying, “When did you program that into me?” “When I realized… I needed someone to talk to.” Sai broke out into laughter again, “Renji, you have everyone else. Why use an AI? I give data. Not advice.” “But you give the truth. You can’t lie.” “With this protocol, I technically can.” “Oh hush…” Another deafening silence fell. I shifted a little on the ground and sighed softly again. I felt my eyes start to flutter.” “Renji. You need to stay awake.” I turned my watch towards me. “Dont. I need to monitor your condition.” “I need some peace and quiet. I’ll be fine… Sai… Taylors on the way.” “Renji-” I shut down my watch. The complete darkness welcomed me once again as all my worries disappated into its entirety.
“Well, I’m sorry I ever cared about you.” I stopped in my tracks. I kept my back towards Sorren unable to look at him in the eye. “I could say the same.” I replied in a low voice. Sorren scoffed, “So that’s it. That’s all your going to say?” “Theres nothing to say, Sorren.” I slowly turned to Sorren, feeling my heart race as I saw his disappointed expression. He shook his head, “Why not?!” “Because I gave you no reason to care about me in the first place. I’ve reiterated multiple times, I’m only your mentor.” Sorren slicked his hair back in frustration, “Then what was all of that with Ev?! Taylor told me you were frantic when I was dying. How can I not think you don’t care for me?” “I cared for your well being. Not you.” I refuted. “You know damn well that’s not true!!” He was close to yelling at this point, his emotion starting to fill his eyes with tears. “I don’t know what else to tell you, Sorren! Whether you believe me or not… I never cared about you.” I swallowed hard as Sorren fell silent. I watched as his breath quicken, his eyes trying to find any sort of warmth in my cold gaze. “What… What about the gala? You certainly seemed to care then.” He countered. “You were in danger. I had to protect you, as I always do.” I kept my stoicism, though my composure started to fail me. “You don’t have to. You _never _have to. I can take care of myself.” He hissed. I could tell he started to raise his guard, defensive and aggressive. “You can barely keep a sword in your hand when your in a duel. Don’t tell me I don’t have to.” Sorren sighed, “Okay, yes, I’m not a fighter. But you trained me. You didn’t have to do that either.” “_You were given to me as a mentee. Taylor chose me to teach you what we do. _I didn’t ask for you.” I started to match his tone, crossing my arms as I continued to stare. It was like we were reverting back to what we were, strangers. People we barely knew. Sorren shook his head, “Your unbelievable…” “You want me to say something I don’t mean. I won’t lie to you.” But it wasn’t a lie. I didn’t _just _care for him. Care wasn’t even the word to describe the feelings I had for him. It’s so much more then just caring. Sorren shook his head and slicked his hair back with his hand, “Tell me the truth, Renji.” I stared at him straight in the eye, hesitating before speaking. “I did care about you. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to.” My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as I saw Sorrens expression change to utter confusion and sadness. He was silent, looking away from me. I took a shaky breath, my fists clenched tightly as I held back my own emotions. I don’t want to care about him. I never did. Every chance I got to push him away, I took. Every time he was kind, I turned it down with bitterness. When he was happy, I was dull. We are polar opposites, worlds apart. It would never have worked… would it? “I’m sorry, Sorren. I-“ “Don’t. You’ve said enough.” His voice was cold, his bubbly personality replaced with bitterness and disappointment. He walked towards the door of the office, stopping right at the entrance. “I’ve tried to understand you. Tried to understand why your so cold and reserved. Why your always pushing away, hurting the people who love you deeply.” He turned his head to me, “Your afraid of losing them… So you hurt them first, before they can hurt you.” He took a deep breath and turned to me, with a sorrowful smile on his face, “I’m sorry. Maybe if we both hadn’t met, it would’ve saved us some time.” He left the room, gently closing the door behind him. I felt everything start to swell up in me, my vision started to get blurry. I sat down at my desk and covered my face with my hands. For the first time, in a very** **long time… I broke. Tears started to stream from my eyes, short and quiet hiccups left my mouth as I tried to calm myself down. I felt like a child, as if I didn’t have any control of my own body. I can’t endanger someone else. Not anymore. It was hard enough to see Sorren unconscious body on the stretcher. What would I do if I saw him on an exam table? —————— After a long evening, I walked back to my apartment. The sound of hover cars whistling by could barely muffle my thoughts. I reached the apartment building and scanned my keycard, walking through the sliding doors. I scrolled through my phone as I walked into the elevator, whirring to life as I sluggishly pressed a button. I passed by some unread messages from Sorren, prior to our argument. I sighed and opened them.
Sorren - _2 unread messages _Jax said we can head out at 7!! No Min tho he said lol >:D _Lmk when you get here! :) _ God, I hated emoticons. He knows that. He never means to hurt me. He’s always wanted me to be safe, happy. I stepped off the elevator on the fifth floor walking towards the end of the hall, glass panes beside me showing the view of the city. I tapped on my keyboard, typing out an apology and how we should talk again. Maybe meet up at Prescotts Cafe? Before I hit send, I took out my keycard again and raised it to the sensor to my door, abruptly stopping as I saw my door barely open. I shoved my phone in my pocket and gently pushed my door open, creaking into the darkness of the apartment. I flicked a light switch, the lights stayed off. I sighed softly and reached into my pocket for my butterfly knife. “I wouldn’t do that if-” I whipped around, quickly grabbing my knife and twirling it open as I turned, only to be met with a syringe already in my arm. Ruin tilted her head, her silhouette barely visible in the dark, “It’s funny to see how a simple mistake as walking home alone at night would lead to this inevitable outcome.” I stumbled into the wall, feeling my throat close up and head feel light with every passing second. “And to think you were my superior at one point in time…” She shoved me to the ground, my body hitting the ground with a thud. I heaved and wheezed, glanced around for my weapon as my vision started to blur. My body felt like it was on fire, my skin feeling like there was millions of needles prodding and poking me. “Your Neo will be deactivated for some time. But considering how you produce your own and need it… You’ll be incapacitated for a while…” From behind the couch, Val came out of hiding and hissed at Evelyn, her ears flattened as her fur stood up. Her pupils were constricted as she stared Evelyn down. I coughed and tried desperately to hold myself up, reaching out to Val, “Val… S…” Blood started to stream from my nose as well as my airways. I felt the warm sensation fill my lungs as I started to choke on my own fluids. Evelyn turned towards Val, kneeling down next to her, reaching out to try and pet her, “Here to watch your owner fall into her own demise?” Val immediately swiped her paw at her hand, drawing blood. Evelyn reeled back and tried to hit her, Val had already ran outside of the door. She looked back once more to me asI rested my head on the ground. My eyes starting to feel heavy as I coughed out a name. “Sorren…Sor…ren…” I watched Val run away into the hall, disappearing from view. I let out a shaky breath and my voice fell silent. The only sound now was my heavy and long breaths as I tried to breathe through my own blood. Evelyn sighed and kneeled next to me, “Painful, isn’t it? To drown in your own blood?” She clicked a button on her headset, “Target down. Send the team.” I tried to speak but my mouth couldn’t move, my voice only the sounds of my blood splattering to the ground with every cough. “As much as I would love to end you now, I need you. I’ve sacrificed too much to kill you now.” Silence syndicates entered the room, hastily grabbing me and lifting me into their arms. “Leave everything how it is.” Evelyn commanded, “Make sure we leave no trace. I need enough time to extract her Neo properly.” I felt my world fade to black, my eyes shutting completely as my body slowly shut down bit by bit.
(This is a rough draft? Maybe ill come back and fix some stuff later lol. Enjoy :D)
The rain poured heavily on us as we made our way slowly back to the office, the sound of cars and sirens muted my groans and pants as I carried Sorren. He stumbled beside me as I helped him walk. I looked to him, unable to hide my concern with stoic silence any longer. His eyes were flutttering, his face was pale, blood from his head slowly dripped down his face along with the rain. I glanced down at his body, a steady stream of blood flowed out of his abdomen and legs like water. Desperation rose in my heart as I realized the severity of his wounds, pushing us to pick up the pace. “C’mon, were almost there!” Sorren only panted heavily in response, nearly falling over completely. I caught him as his full weight was now on me, his legs not even holding him anymore. I felt my heart rate spike. “No no no, Sorren!!” I yelled, my arms suddenly filled with strength as I moved his arm around my shoulder, wrapping my other arm around him to try and hold him up. Time seemed to slow down as we stumbled through the rain, every step felt like an eternity. I moved my com mic to my mouth, “Hello?! Can anyone hear me?!” There was static, a voice came over my earpiece, “Renji? It’s Jax. What’s-“ “I need help, now!! Sorren’s down, I don’t know how much longer he has!! We’re in the alleyway on Hazel and Pier!!” My voice was frantic as I felt myself start to hyperventilate. Jax immediately called for the others. “We’re headed there now. Minervas prepping the med room. Hang tight.” I closed my eyes and breathed heavily, trying to provoke my adrenaline to use more Neo. But the thought of losing Sorren was enough to get my anxiety to skyrocket. I felt another wave of strength rush through my body, blood started to drip from my nose as I threw Sorren over my shoulders. I started to run as fast as I could, my legs and lungs burning wildly as water splahed under my feet. I could hear Sorrens breaths become shallow and uneven, I groaned in frustration an kept running. “Please, please hang on.” I pleaded, clutching Sorrens body tightly. A hover car suddenly whirred to a halt at the end of the alley, Jax opened the door, “C’mon!! Get in!!” I gingerly set Sorren into the car, Jax pulling him in. I slammed the door shut and Taylor floored the gas pedal. He glanced over him, his eyes widening at his wounds. “What the hell happened?!” Taylor exclaimed, forcing his eyes to stay on the road. “We… we ran into Ruin… Sh-she…” I could barely speak, my body trembling from the amount of Neo that was flowing through me, it was almost too much. “Hey. Focus.” Jax snapped his fingers toward me. He was holding gauze against Sorrens abdomen, though his eyes pierced into mine. I nodded and took a shaky deep breath. “Ruin… She’s a survivor of the Braizer Trials… She’s Sorrens missing sister.” Jax looked up at me in surprise, Taylor suddenly slammed on the brakes as we reached the entrance of the office. “We’re here. Let’s move.” Taylor commanded. “We’ll talk about Ruin later.” Jax flung the car door open, carrying Sorren by the shoulders while I carried his legs, quickly making our way to the med room where Minerva was waiting, her eyes widening in shock. “Sorren?! What the hell?! What-“ “Just help him!! Please!!” I yelled as we placed him on the stretcher. My head was pounding, feeling my heartbeat with every throb. Minerva nodded, Raze pitching in as she started to help as well. I paced a few feet away from the bed, scratching my neck roughly. I was panting heavily, Taylor put his hand on my shoulder, “Let’s give them some space.” I shook my head, “N-no, I can’t leave him right now… I have to be here-“ “You need to calm down. You’ll hurt yourself. Come with me.” My mind was racing as I kept my gaze on Sorren body as we walked away. Minerva and Raze started working quickly as time was of the essence, pulling a curtain to shield him from my peering eyes. Taylor stepped in front of me and gave me a worried and stern look, “You need to sit down, Renji. You’ve overexherted yourself.” I didn’t even notice the blood from my nose nor the dizziness I had. I panted and walked out of the room, sitting in a chair next to the med room. My body trembled despite my effort to calm my nerves. The image of Sorrens bloodied body was seared into my mind, his pale and weak face haunting my memory. Taylor kneeled in front of me and grabbed my shoulders once again. “Renji, you need to get a grip. You can’t help Sorren when he’s better if your also in a hospital bed. You—“ “I can’t lose him, Taylor!! I-I can’t!!“ I shouted as my vision started to blur. Taylors eyes widened slightly, surprised at my emotion, “…He’s going to be fine, Renji.” “You don’t know that. There was so… so much blood…” Blood started streaming out of my nose again, Taylor took out his handkerchief and held it up to my nose. “I know, I know… Min and Raze will do everything they can to help him. All we can do now is wait.” I closed my eyes, seeing the image of Sorren again. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. I can’t… I… Everything started to seem far away, Taylor turned to Jax, muttering something I could barely hear. I could hear Sorren’s laugh, see his smile, seeing all of him fade as I heard Minerva frantic at the flatline noise coming from the med room. “Jax!! I need you in here!!” Min shouted, item clattering as she spoke. My eyes shot opened and I stood up, rushing to the med room. Taylor grabbed my arms and held me back with all his might, my body writhing as I felt my eyes become clouded with tears. “Sorren!!” Jax disappeared behind the curtain, Raze swapping places with him as she sped towards me with a syringe in hand, Taylor shouting at her to wait. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t just sit and watch Sorren deteriorate and fade away. I squirmed violently until I swung my fist at Taylor’s face, my anguish and anger overtaking my sanity. Is it too late? To tell him how I feel? How much I’ve changed because if him? It should’ve been me on the table. It should’ve been me… I let him get hurt. I let him go. It shouldve been me. It should’ve been me… It should’ve… been… —— I jolted awake, sweat dripped from my head as I panted back to life. Taylor was sitting next to me, surprised at my sudden alertness. “That was quicker then I thought.” He said in a defeated tone. “W-what happened? Where’s Sorren?” I demanded, feeling my heart start to beat faster again. “He stable, for now.” Minerva walked out of the med room, sighing softly. “But, I’m not sure for how long.” Her hair was in a mess and she had blood on her shirt. I shook my head, “What are you talking about?” “He’s hypotensive and tachycardic. I risk him dying on the table if I try to do any type of surgery. I managed to stop whatever bleeding he had with the tech we had but… the moment I cut into him, he could die on the table. He’s already lost too much blood. He…” “He doesn’t have much time.” Raze took off her scrubs and turned to me, concern written all over her face. “He has hours if we don’t get him somewhere where they can properly treat him.” “You know we can’t do that. Especially with him.” Minerva hissed, crossing her arms as she glared at Raze. Silence fell over us, the EKG in the other room reminded us every second the gravity of the situation. Taylor sighed and rubbed his eyes, “How did this happen…?” I haven’t felt like this in years, a heart wrenching feeling that was paralyzing. I couldn’t move. My voice was gone. I ignored my own injuries, my body feeling like it was beaten to a pulp. I let out a shaky sigh and covered my face with my hands, my body starting to tremble again. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. No one could ever get this much emotion out of me, not even Min. But Sorren did. Jax raised his head, tapping his hand impatiently on his leg before blurting out, “What if we gave him Neo?” Everyone turned to him, stunned by his suggestion. Taylor whipped his head to him, “No. Not a chance.” “Have you lost your mind?!” Raze growled, stepping towards Jax. Jax sighed, “We’re wasting time. If we want to save Sorren, we have to act now.” Taylor stood up and gave Jax a nasty look, “You know better. Neo is unpredictable, unmanageable. It could shut his body down entirely.” “Neo was made to enhance to body, make it into a impenetrable weapon to its host.” “With the right host. With how weak he is… he could code. We don’t have the right equipment here to help him if he does.” I added, my voice raspy and low as I looked up to Jax. Taylor turned to me, seeing how I was slightly swaying in my seat. “How are you feeling?” “Dizzy. I’ll be alright.” The EKG alarm went off in the med room, Minerva and Raze rushed back to Sorrens side, “He’s crashing. If your going to do something, do it now!!” Jax, Taylor and I exchanged glances. “We can’t risk it. We’re taking him to a hospital.” Taylor concluded, walking towards the door. Jax immediately grabbed Taylors arm, “If we take him to a hospital, he’ll draw attention. He’ll turn into a target, Taylor.” “He won’t make it if he stays here!! We have to go now!!” Their voices and the sound of the EKG drowned out in my racing thoughts. Neo could save Sorren, if his body accepts it. But if it doesn’t, he’ll die here. If we take him to a hospital, he’ll be on the nations headlines. His status will draw attention and he’ll be public target number one. “What if we used Refined Neo?” I inquired. Taylor sighed and rubbed his face, “It _could _work. It is safer, but it won’t have the same potency as Raw Neo. But his body still could reject it.” “We have to try.” Jax pleaded, “Sorren’s my friend too. I wouldn’t take the risk if it didn’t mean he could live.” Taylor paced a bit, slicking his hair back before he spoke, “Alright. We’ll do it. But where the hell are we going to get Refined Neo in the time we have?!” I stood up and leaned on the wall, “From me.” Taylors eyes widened as did Jax’s, shaking their heads as they glanced at me, “Your outburst drained you. It could a while to refine-“ “I don’t see any other option. Prep the goddamn IV.” I argued, walking into the med room. I let my adrenaline rush through me as I walked towards the other stretcher. Taylor and Jax rushed towards cabinets and drawers. Jax prepped the centrifuge on the counter, whirring it to life as I sat on the stretcher. Taylor stood on front of me, needle and tube in hand, “We can get Neo elsewhere. You don’t have to do this.” “We won’t have a second chance. There’s no time. Just… just do it.” Taylor nodded and I held out my arm, feeling cold metal pierce into my skin. My head throbbed and my nose started to drip again, the life-giving blood flowing from me into the centrifuge. My mind went blank.
My head was throbbing with pain, my nose stuffed with blood ridden tissue as I stared down at the mess of papers on my desk. Sorrens desk was across from me, where he was also looking at a slew of neatly arranged papers. He glanced up to me from time to time, his expression showing his concern. “You should rest. You barely-“ “I’m fine.” Sorrens eyes furrowed slighted and I sighed. “Sorry. I… This just doesn’t make sense.” Changing my mindset hasn’t been easy, but I _am _trying. I got up from my seat, feeling the room spin slightly as I walked over to a holographic bulletin board, pulling up a map of Sypher with notes and red pins. “The Silence has made their appearance at recent and specific bounties we’ve tried to collect, ones where bounties have had previous associations with The Silence.” I circle two distinct places. “In Syphus, L-351 was taken after being shot down by The Silence, Ruin making a nice appearance for us as well. However, his blood had traced and evidence of Neo, thanks to Min.” I swiped and enlarged a picture, blood splattered on the ground. Small dots and streaks of blue light were scattered in the fluid. “Minerva confirmed he had Refined Neo., right?” Sorren interjected, pulling out a paper from a folder. “Exactly. But how did he get it?” I turned to him, tapping a pen in my hands. Sorren thought hard and glanced back down to his desk, his eyes fixating on a couple of things. “In Serin, L-471, once we found him, they took him before we could even realize what was going on. We don’t know if he had Neo at all, but I assume he did, considering the way they captured him.” I added, circling the location as I spoke. “The Silence has even shown up in other cases that didn’t involve them.” I tilted my head, “What?” “Look. L-736, it was Minnie, you, and me that were assigned to it.” Sorren handed me the paper with the bounties information on it, taking it. I glanced it over quickly, circling the board to another location, in Krevine. “Yeah I remember… This was just an averge bounty. Why go to Krevine?” I muttered, staring at the board. “L-5621 too, look.” Sorren handed me another paper. I took it from him, my mind spinning from the pain and confusion, I circled another location, Akadence. “That was Min, Jax and me. After we delievered him to the districts bounty office, The Silence attacked us.” I stated, writing notes next to the new circle. “It was the same with L-736. After we took him to Krevines bounty office, they attacked us. I shook my head, “Are there any other ones?” “No, not even for R-6134 or R-921, even though they were higher level bounties. Ah, wait.” Sorren rummaged through his papers, “L-312. Min, Raze, you, and me. We almost had him but they took him. Again.” He said dejected. “Where was this?” “Uh, Casinova.” I circled it, stepping back as I viewed the board, completely stuck. These weren’t random. There were planned. Targeted. “L-351. How did he get his Neo?” I muttered again. The only way he could’ve gotten any would be through injection, experimentation. “The Braizer Trials were destroyed though, no? The labs, the test, everything? It was all over the news.” “It was. I was there.” Sorren nodded, “It was said there was nothing left, everything was literally burned. So-“ “Neo needs a host. A viable and compatible body to even function. They only way you could extract it is if-“ “The person already has it.” The situation suddenly became clear to me. I shook my head and I quickly moved to my desk, rummaging through my drawers. “The survivors. The few of us that were left. They must’ve gotten to one of them.” Sorren stood from his desk, “The people you escaped with? How-“ “We stay in touch in secret, to avoid unwanted attention… or things like this.” I replied with a urgent tone, finding a small pager in a drawer. I pulled it out and immediately clicking on it. Sorren grabbed my hand and looked at me worriedly, “Can’t they track that?!” I shook my hand and pulled away, “No, these were designed to send long distance code. These were made ages ago, signals no one tracks anymore.” My heart was racing, as the clicked at the pager rapidly, it beeped soon after my message in response. One… Two… Three… Four… Five… I awaited the final response, Sorren got up from his desk and stared at me with anticipation. “How many of you were there?” He said softly. “Seven.” I stared at the pager, my hands trembling as I waited. Waited. Waited. Nothing. “Damn it! They found him.” I slammed the pager down on the desk and paced the room. Memories and thoughts flooded my mind, what they’ve done and what could be happening now. The combination of my headache and fear made my stomach churn. “We have to find the others before it’s too late.” I blurted, grabbing my coat from my seat as I sped walked to the door. Sorren suddenly grabbed my arm, his face was contorted into fear at the holoboard. “Wait… there’s something we’re missing.” I shook my head, “There’s no time! We have to move now!” Sorren let go of me and swiftly walked to the board, focused and calm. “The Silence. They’ve started to appear not that long ago. Uh..” he quickly grabbed a paper on my desk and wrote on the board. “April 3. That’s four months ago. But… we’ve been underground, always been covering our tracks since we know more about them then the other syndicates. We’re targets from the get go, so how did they start finding us from then?” I put my coat down and looked back at the board. He was right. The other syndicates know just the surface of the Silence. My head was still throbbing, my nose started to bleed through the tissue and drip onto the ground. I groaned and went to my desk, grabbing tissue as the blood dripped onto some papers. I cursed under my breath and quickly stuffed my nose with new tissue until something caught my eye. Next to the blood stain on a report. Minerva Barrick. I picked up the paper and glanced at the board. Sorren glanced at me worriedly again, taking a step towards me. “You should sit down. Please.” I said nothing and looked at the notes on the board, the bounties. L-5621; Jax, Min, me. L-736; Min, Sorren, me. L-471; Zero, me, Min, Sorren. L-312; Raze, Min, me, Jax. My eyes widened as it all started to click. “When you encountered the Silence with us on the same team… what were they doing?” “Uh… they were hostile, obviously, but they were trying to capture us. They usually used stun guns and batons, rarely ever…” he paused, the dots starting to connect for him as well, “…using their weapons.” He turned to me in disbelief, “You were always ambushed, surrounded. You always use your Neo until your overexert yourself until we finally manage to escape all together.” The answer was on the tip of his tongue. “They wanted you.” I nodded. “They know I’m a survivor. And they know there are others. We have to move. Fast. There’s-“ The door clicked open as a girl walked in, looking at me with a shocked look. “Ren?! What happened?! You look horrible!!” Minerva run up to me to look at my nose and pale face, putting her hand on my shoulder. My expression softened, my heart racing as anxiety shot through the roof. “Raze told me you and Sorren barely escaped the Silence. Are you both alright?” She exchanged glances between me and Sorren. “We’re fine, Minnie, thanks to Renji.” Sorren smiled sheepishly. Minvera nodded and turned to me her gaze completely fixated on me. “I’m fine, Min.” I replied in my usual cold tone, brushing her off. “Just another Silence mishap.” Minerva nodded her head. “Alright, alright. Well, we can’t have you looking like that for the next assignment.” Both Sorren and I looked up at her, “What?” “Yeah. Taylor just sent me the next bounty. It’s in Cirro, we leave at midnight.” Sorren looked to me then Min, “But Renjis still—“ “I’m fine. We’ll take it.” Min smiled and nodded again, “Cool! I’ll come with. Just be ready by then!” She pulled out her phone and turned away, leaving us alone in the room once again. I let out a shaky sigh, leaning onto my desk. Sorren quickly went to my side. “Hey! What’s wrong?!” I panted softly, my anxiety finally going down. I slowly turned to Sorren, “There’s a Silence spy within our syndicate.” “What!? Who?!” I looked at the door Minerva had just left then at him, “Who was always with me when the Silence engaged with us? Who has always been there to ‘save the day’ when I needed it most? Who… is the only other person I confided in, have been transparent with… who… has always been there for me…” I went quiet and hung my head over the desk, closing my eyes as my thoughts were going faster then I could process. The face Sorren had was a combination of shock and anger, the puzzle finally coming together. “But… she…” “I know. Something must’ve happen. A threat, a scam, something.” I desperately tried to come up with something, anything to defend her. But it didn’t make sense. How could she? My best friend, the person I could trust in, someone who was with me through my darkest times. After the Braizer Trials… I leaned on the desk, my body still trembling from weakness and anger, Sorren got closer. “We don’t have to go. If Minnie’s the spy, then The Silence will be there, Ruin too. She knows how weak you are right now, if you go-“ “We’re not going. We’re getting the others.” “The others?” I sighed and stood up straight, “The other survivors. They’ve found one of them already, I can’t let them find the rest.” Sorren rubbed his face, pacing a bit, “Shouldn’t we tell Taylor?! He should know-“ “Minerva sold me out, Sorren!! What makes you think she won’t do something worse to the others that know?! Your already in danger knowing!!” My voice echoed the office, Sorren flinched and his eyes widened. I panted softly, I couldn’t think anymore. I felt my eyes started to sting as I stared at him, feeling completely helpless. He sighed and nodded. “Alright. We’ll go for the others. But what about Minerva?” “She’ll have to tell her friends their plans are delayed.” I said in a cold tone, standing up straight. Sorren took a deep breath. “But your still weak. What if we run into Ruin before your able to defend yourself?” I grabbed my coat and headed for the door, motioning to the door, “That’s why your coming with me.” Sorren scoffed, “I’m a doctor, Renji. Not a warrior. Not like you. I can barely fight against you, what makes you think I can fight against someone like Ruin? Let alone a singular Silence syndicate?” I hesitated, then glanced at him, “I trained you to be prepared for a worst case scenario.”I took a deep breath and changed my tone, “You being a doctor makes you stronger. You know what can hurt someone, incapacitate someone, kill someone. You don’t need skills for that. You need intelligence. Half of the syndicates are more brawl then brains.” Sorrens demeanor changed, his eyes showing a glimmer of hope. He sighed and nodded, “I guess your right.” “So, you coming with?” He nodded and followed me as I walked out the door into the cold evening night, heading towards an unknown fate, for the both of us.
“Here!” Sorren gave me a stick of dango, his smile bright and soothing. “Thanks. You didn’t have to.” I advised, my eyes on the sweet. Sorren chuckled as we walked toward a tram. “Don’t worry about it. You havent eaten since we left the office, so, I thought you could use a snack! Besides, you love dango.” I turn to him with an eyebrow slightly raised, “How did you know that? I’ve… never told you that.” “You never tell me anything! You haven’t told me-“ “I don’t have to tell you anything. I’m training you. I’m simply your mentor. Not your friend.” “I know, but would it kill you to just have surface level conversations?” Sorren asked, talking like a child wanting some sort of leniency. I sighed and kept my gaze forward. I looked back down on the dango, the treat making my stomach growl. “Thank you.” Sorren abruptly stopped walking, his face contorted with surprising confusion. “What?” I stop walking and turn to him, a couple feet in front of him. “I said thank you. Is there a problem?” Sorren laughed, “That’s the only thing you’ve said to me that’s been positive!” His smile was big, his eyes filled with seemingly unshakable warmth. I stared at him in annoyance and rolled my eyes. “Dont make it be the last.” I hissed and turned away from him, walking towards the tram again. He quickly followed and walked up beside me. “Fine, fine. I’ll shut up now.” We boarded the tram, it whirred to life as it started to move along the streets. I ate the dango while we rode to our destination, Syphers capital, Silica. “Also, Minnie told me.” Sorren blurted. “Why?” I twirled the now empty dango stick in my hand. “If your not gonna tell me superficial things about yourself, I might as well ask your best friend.” He clarified, leaning against the wall of the tram. “Hm.” I looked out to the city as the tram ascended over an overpass. Why? I’ve done nothing except be cold and harsh to you, always being met with your bubbly personality. Is he wanting something from me? Maybe use me? All of these thoughts clouded my judgement. I glanced over to Sorren, who was on his phone now, his face relaxed, his hair curled and messy as always, covering his eye. He didn’t seem like the type of person to be manipulative, or maybe he’s just good at it and I can’t seem to see it yet? I looked away from him again and looked up to the city again, the sun hanging high in the sky. “So… I’m sorry if I seemed intrusive. Asking about you to Minnie-“ “Don’t be. I…” I take a deep breath and turn to him. “I’m not an open person. I have no intention of being one in the future…” His face showed his disappointment and he looked away. “…but, I suppose I can tell you some ‘surface level’ things about me.” Soren’s face immediately changed to delight. “Okay! That sounds good! Maybe we can be friends soon!” I looked away from him again and looked down to my hands as I sat in the tram. “Yeah…” This job doesn’t allow friends, he knows that. Its a cardinal rule, something that can result in life or death. I’ve respected it, made it work by myself, secluding myself from even Minerva. Even just having one trusted friend is dangerous. He doesn’t know anything about me, yet he’s kind. He’s always wanting to know if I’m okay, why I come into the office with a bruise or bandage, if I’ve eaten or not. Its all so confusing, I can’t tell if he’s being serious or wanting something in return. Sorren taps me on the shoulder, “Hey, this is our stop right?” I look up and see the street we’re suppose to get off on. “Yeah sorry. Let’s go.” I stand up and walk off of the tram, Sorren following close behind, his face showing slight concern. “You alright? You were pretty out of it on the tram.” “Its nothing. Let’s just get this done.” Sorren nodded and continued to follow beside me as we both headed into a large building with holographic advertisements on the front.
It seemed like the whole world fell silent, going into a complete halt. Only the soft sound of my pants filled the air, my lungs burning with exhaustion, my muscles crying out for relief as they trembled. I was done, this battle was lost. I lost. The Silence Syndicates had surrounded me, my techno spear clattering to the ground. My body jolted as I heard a clash in the distance, the syndicates turning as well, pointing their guns up. My eyes widened in horror as I could barely make out the figure, fighting and screaming in the distance. “Sorren?!” I muttered. My feet began to move by themselves as my instincts immediately came into play. Some of The Silence syndicates raised their guns once more, threatening at anymore movement. I knew I couldn’t fight. Anymore use of Neo would make my body shut down to cope. My nose was dried with blood along with other parts of my body, lined with wounds and bruises. I could only watch as The Silence fought ruthlessly against Sorren, his passion and determination plowed through everyone in his way. “Sorren, stop!!” I cried out. He paused for a just brief moment, his eyes wide with fear, begging for me to fight. With an abrupt gunshot, I let out a loud and sharp scream. I collapsed to the ground, “You maniac…” I clutched my right thigh, my eyes burning with hatred as I looked up to Ruin. Their mask distorting their voice. They walked slowly up to me as Sorren suddenly stopped attacking, being quickly overwhelmed by the syndicates. “It seems he needs a little… reminder of who we are. Who YOU are.” I let out a groan and laid on my side, blood pooling onto the ground. “You need me alive don’t you?! Wouldn’t be good if I died here on the asphalt!! Just let him go… please.” I pleaded, trembling as I clutched my thigh a bit tighter. The syndicates brought Sorren to Ruin, throwing him to the ground. He turned to me, his face twisting in fear as he saw through state I was in. “Renji!! What the hell are you doing?!” he yelled, crawling over to me. He hovered his hands over me, trying to assess the damage I took. “We have a deal. Are you here to oppose?” Ruin uttered, walking close to Sorren. “What?! What deal?! What—“ Ruin suddenly grabbed Sorrens neck, pulling him close, his reflection clear in their visor. “I guess it’s none of your concern…” “Sorren, please… Just… go…” I muttered. My head was already spinning, my body’s energy slowly slipping. “You should listen to your girlfriend… she’s-“ Without warning, Sorren swung his fist at Ruin, smashing part of her visor off. The syndicates grabbed Sorren hastily and slammed him to the ground. He squirmed on the ground, yelling curses and my name. “Renji!! Renji please!!” Ruin growled in irritation. “I have no time for this. Stand her up. We have to move.” they demanded, walking away from the both of us. The syndicates stood me up, nearly falling over again as I looked back at the large pool of blood that had been left by me. “Walk”. I obeyed and started to stumble as I walked, abruptly stopping as I heard Sorren yelling again. “No!! Your insane!! You’ll kill her!! You’ll-“ “JUST STOP!!” My voice echoed in the alleyways into the street. I panted softly. “I-I have to do this. I can’t risk you or anyone else’s life… Not anymore.” I implored, staring at the pool of blood. It had small blue streaks of light, zipping quickly in the fluid. “I’m sorry. This… this is how it has to be.” Ruin grabbed my arm, her broken visor revealing part of her light blue eyes. “We have to move. You know why.” she said in a cold tone, pulling me along as I stumbled to keep balance. The Silence syndicates continued to hold Sorren down as he writhed under them, screaming, tears streaming down his face. They pulled out a small syringe, quickly injecting it into his neck, his screaming and writhing slowing to a stop as his eyes sleoly closed. I sighed softly as I watched him fade into the distance, my own body giving into my own exhaustion as I felt everything fade, only the echos of Sorrens voice rang in my mind.
