A sweet, dry scent wafted upward from the box. The security guard opened it, and his grin widened.
“Careful, they’re dangerous,” joked the young woman. Her facetious grin wrinkled the scar that crawled across the bridge of her nose. She noted the gleam in the guard’s eyes and snapped, “You’re not allowed to have one.”
“Sorry, Warrior Rachelle,” said the guard. “I haven’t had breakfast, and you’re making me hungry.”
“Too bad, they’re for him,” said the girl.
With a growl of disappointment, the guard pushed the box through the X-ray machine. The woman then placed a paper bag, her wallet and phone on the conveyor belt, and strode through the metal detector. She pocketed her things, grabbed the box and paper bag, and eyed the technician behind the scanner. The technician reported, “All clear. Have a nice day, Astrid.”
Astrid nodded and strode down the brightly lit corridor. She had a bit of a spring to her step, though it mystified her as to why. All she’d done was bake some Anzac1 biscuits, and it was at his request. Had it not been for him, she wouldn’t have lost her Kakugane, wouldn’t have been suspended from active duty, and wouldn’t have had to babysit him. On the other hand, this idiot, his sister, and his friends had become such a wonderful part of her life. It at least put a damper on her traumatic past.
Of course, the stupid stunt he pulled to get him in this mess had also landed her in hot water. Hence, the suspension.
It made her marvel, Then why the Hell am I bringing him biscuits like a schoolgirl?
Astrid reached the end of the corridor, where another pair of guards waited. The Kakugane holstered to their chests glistened as she approached, betraying the guards’ heightened nerves upon seeing her. It was understandable, given who – or rather, what – they were guarding. The doors slid open and she passed them, revealing a laboratory full of jittery scientists, overseen by an impatient supervisor. Astrid edged toward the supervisor and mumbled, “What’re they worried about, Commander?”
“What do you think?” retorted the Commander. He nodded to the boy in the isolation room, playing a Nintendo Switch furiously.
Astrid scoffed, “He’s playing Smash Brothers. He’s not going to go Victor over that.” She nudged the Commander. “You should go and play with him. He’d love a visit from Captain Bravo.”
Bravo glanced at her, the slightest sliver of irritation present in his eyes. In the next instant, it was gone. With a sigh, he moved toward the science team and said, “That’s enough. Stop the IV, draw some blood, and re-run the analysis.” One of the scientists protested, but Bravo insisted. They carried out his orders, and moved their work to another lab, leaving only Bravo, Astrid, and a few remaining overseers.
Astrid and Bravo went into the room with smiles. Astrid’s was far more genuine than Bravo’s. The boy’s eyes brightened when he saw Astrid. She presented him the box.
“Baked ’em this morning,” she chirped. “Be grateful, it’s my first time cooking.”
“You’re a disgrace to your gender stereotype,” jibed the boy.
“Oi, Nathan, make sure you say ‘thanks,’” chided Bravo.
Nathan rolled his eyes and said, “Thank you very much, Astrid.”
Astrid chewed her lip nervously as Nathan took a bite of a biscuit. He leaned back and savoured the taste.
“God bless those Anzacs, eh!” he exclaimed as he took another bite. Astrid found herself sighing with relief.
Bravo curiously reached forward and nabbed one. He too found them delicious.
Astrid eyed the screen. Nathan, playing as Cloud Strife, once again stood the loser, while the victor was Solid Snake. She chuckled, “Still can’t beat him?”
“That bastard, Hellhound99,” grumbled Nathan. “I swear, I meet that dude in real life, I’ll wring is neck.” He swallowed another biscuit and sighed, “That said, only so many times I can replay every game on the net. Any chance on a day pass, Bravo?”
“No can do, Grant,” said Bravo. “That last test didn’t work.”
“No duh,” spat Nathan. “I was sitting here for an hour, waiting for those drugs to knock me out. Nothing.”
“So, we can’t anaesthetise you and remove the Black Kakugane,” said Astrid. She rubbed her nose scar, which tended to tingle when she was stressed. She turned to Bravo. “What about Newton’s Apple? Where I found the Black Kakugane.”
“Already checked,” said Bravo. “Sent teams there twice to scan it up and down. ASIO2 investigated quietly too. Nothing. Whatever was done to disguise it as a regular Kakugane, it wasn’t done there. And according to the head priest, it’d been there since the school’s founding. The one who donated it died ten years ago, with no relatives.”
“Damn,” growled Astrid.
“Back to my first point, could I please have a day pass?” asked Nathan. His brow furrowed with stress and boredom. Bravo’s response only frustrated him more. “It’s been six months, Bravo. I’ve been in this room for six months!”
“Well, you should’ve thought of that before you pulled that stunt at Warrawul,” snapped Bravo. His hair stood on end, and his breathing quickened as he glared down at the boy on the bed. Nathan’s glare returned the same hostility Bravo radiated, and the Commander forced himself to calm down. “Look, I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I don’t want you to be stuck here any more than you do. I don’t want that thing in your chest anymore than you do, okay?” The boy gazed away, his shoulders shaking. Bravo huffed and decided to throw him a bone. “I might be able to arrange a visit for your sister and parents. But until we figure out how to reverse your condition, you’re staying here. Understand?”
Nathan let out a long sigh. The thing in his chest clanged, and he could hear its rumbles echoing up his spinal column. As much as he wanted to be out of the room, the creature inside him also wanted out. Because of that, he had to stay put.
That didn’t stop him from haggling.
“Klein, Jessie, and Paul too,” he said.
“Just your family,” said Bravo firmly.
“Then a video chat with my mates too,” blurted Nathan. He slowly added, “Please.”
Bravo eventually agreed. His eyes turned to the TV, and he said, “Haven’t played this in a while. Think Jessie’s online?”
“I’d message him if you gave me a phone,” said Nathan. He offered Bravo one of the controllers.
They were partway through setting up a game, with Nathan as Cloud Strife and Bravo playing as Kirby, his favourite character. Bravo’s phone buzzed, the calling number he clearly recognised. He took the call by the door. Nathan waited patiently, while Astrid sat down beside him.
“Wanna play too?” asked Nathan.
“No, thanks,” said Astrid. She patted him on the shoulder, sensing he still missed his friends. The cabin fever was clearly getting to him. She recalled the contents of the paper bag, and showed it to him. “Ariadne sent me this,” she explained. “She said it was from her and your parents.”
Curious, Nathan reached into the bag and pulled out a shirt made of light fabric, not unlike a gym shirt. The shirt was predominantly green, with gold stripes running diagonally upward. The stripes met at a central point on the chest, where there was a gold, five-pointed star. The design made him laugh.
“What’s this? My superhero costume?” he chuckled.
“Don’t be mean,” chided Astrid. “Ariadne designed that herself.”
“I’d look like Captain America,” said Nathan.
“Well, more like Captain Australia,” replied Astrid.
Nathan checked the bag, and found another shirt. He pulled it out, revealing a dark blue design, with similarly oriented stripes of silver and white. On the chest, instead of a star, there was a crucifix. The more slender shape indicated it was for a woman.
“Looks like you’ve got one too,” he chimed. He held it over her chest and chuckled, “You’ll look like Bible Man.”
“Hey, don’t diss that show,” said Astrid. She held up the shirt and couldn’t help but smile. It had the same colour scheme as her Newton’s Apple uniform, which Ariadne had clearly remembered. She gazed into the bag and said, “There’s something else in there from me.” Nathan looked into the bag and found a folded length of red cloth. He unravelled it, revealing a long scarf in the same colour as the sash that had once hung from his Arms Alchemy.
“Oooh, nice,” he chirped.
“I figured it really suited you,” said Astrid. “Back when we were fighting the L.X.E. at Warrawul, you looked cool with that sash wrapped around your neck.”
Nathan beamed, “Thanks, Astrid.”
“Don’t try to kiss me,” warned the battle-scarred girl.
Nathan poked his tongue out facetiously. He then turned to the door, wondering if Bravo was finished with his call. He saw the man, hunched against the doorframe, pale faced and panting heavily. Nathan stood nervously and approached the man.
“Bravo, what happened?” asked the boy.
Astrid drew near. “Commander, what’s wrong?”
Bravo finally noticed they were looking at him. His eyes shifted and he fidgeted. He blurted, “There’s been an emergency. I have to go.”
Nathan grabbed him, and Bravo found himself unable to move out of the boy’s grip.
“What’s going on? You look freaked out,” said the boy.
Bravo huffed irately and said, “Moonface attacked a Regiment facility at Cunnamulla. And it looks like he had help from a Witch.” His eyes darted between the pair, before falling on Astrid. “Warrior Rachelle, I need you to come with me. You’re the only one who fought with the L.X.E. who isn’t being held in custody.”
“And what, I stay here?” exclaimed Nathan. “I can help catch him. Especially if he’s still working with Victor, or knows where he is.”
Bravo pulled out of Nathan’s grip and thrust his finger in the boy’s face. “You’re staying here! Got it?” Nathan stepped back from the man’s advance. Bravo’s eyes were roaring for his obedience, which he gave out of respect. Astrid gave him an apologetic glance as she left, leaving Nathan alone in that cursed observation room.
He plopped on the bed with a sigh. His hand brushed against the shirt his sister sent. Not caring that people were watching from behind the one-way mirror, he pulled off his hospital shirt and donned the new one. It fit to his well-built form, showing off the six-pack bestowed upon him by the Kakugane in his chest. The golden star, an insignia of his heroic epithet, glistened in the cold hospital light.
He couldn’t wait to wear it in public.