Lee Seng sighed as he lay on the floor. A soft pillow was set behind his head and a blanket was thrown over him. The guards had left him like this since he couldn't move due to the amount of Negative he had taken.
Dr. Hayes had gone absolutely crazy over the whole ordeal. She was the one who told him to get the flag. It wasn't entirely his fault for showing such a display of… "brutality" as Dr. Hayes put it. Lee Seng sighed, trying to get the test out of his head.
'That was only a single test out of however many they needed to do on me.' Lee Seng thought. He groaned. The tests would probably take weeks to complete now that Dr. Hayes was probably going to a higher up and making a big deal out of it. 'You're the one who wanted me to showcase my new power… I don't even know what I did.'
The door flew open as a bright light zoomed past Lee Seng. A light dagger hit the wall, bouncing off of it and onto the bed. Lee Seng listened as footsteps moved over to him and Akali came into view.
"What did you do to my brother?!?" Akali shouted. She grabbed him and tried to lift him up. She was angry so Lee Seng assumed she had finally heard what had happened. "Akio's foot is gone, Lee Seng! Why did you take his whole foot?" She couldn't hide how frustrated and upset she was about the whole ordeal. She stood up and turned, wiping away her tears that she didn't want Lee Seng to see. She didn't need to be teased over crying. It would ruin her image.
"All you had to do was get the damn flag! Why did you have to go and do that?" Akali asked after gathering herself. She had turned to face him. Lee Seng would've shrugged but his body was a rock, so he simply made a 'mmm' noise. "Is this some kind of joke to you? You could've killed Akio! You could've killed my brother!"
"He could've killed me." Lee Seng retorted.
"But he didn't!"
"But he was!" Lee Seng angrily shouted. Akali took a step back, shocked Lee Seng had angrily yelled back at her. "Don't come in here pointing fingers on what obviously happened. He had all the intention in the world to stop me at any cost. Even if it meant going mad and trying to kill me."
"What?" Akali's demeanor immediately changed up. What was once threatening, was now confused. Lee Seng rolled his eyes and tried to look away from her.
"You guys always point fingers and only see what you want to see. I thought adults were supposed to 'be rational and see the whole picture.' That's a load of bullshit apparently." Lee Seng grumbled.
"Lee Seng! That's not the point right now. Akio's getting treated as we speak. He has to get surgery for a new foot because of your power." Akali shouted.
"A price to pay for being a prisoner to my father, I guess." Lee Seng brushed it off.
"You really don't care, do you? This is Akio we're talking about." Akali scolded him. Lee Seng looked at the door and forced it shut. Akali turned, surprised he was even able to use his power. "What're you doing?"
"Tell me something." Lee Seng looked at the ceiling. "Should I take anything Akio says while he's mad?"
"Did he say stuff, again?" Akali asked. "What does all of this have to do with the stunt you two pulled?"
"He mentioned your lives would be better if you didn't have to watch me." Lee Seng told her. Akali grew quiet. "Something about Mom getting him and probably you to promise her something. To steer me away from the path dad wants me to be on. Is it true?"
"He's just saying things. You know when he's mad, he—"
"Even if he's a bit crazy under his Negative, some of it is still true. Did Mom make you two promise her something? What did she ask from you two?" Lee Seng interjected. Akali sighed and decided to lie down next to Lee Seng. She rested her head on her arms and looked at the ceiling. There were still those galaxy stars stuck on the ceiling. She smiled, remembering the many times she had slept in here when Lee Seng had nightmares as a kid.
"Tell me, Akali." Lee Seng quietly spoke. "What did he mean by all that?"
"I don't know the full story but from what I gathered, your mom and the Creator struggled early on in their lives. They struggled to have kids. The fact you came along was a miracle in itself. She remembered this whole thing with a woman who could see the future. Told her to come see her when she was 'with child' and she did… The Creator didn't believe a single word that lady said but your mom was very adamant that part of it was true.
"The lady predicted they would have a boy. They had a boy and that cemented a lot of things for Chee-sama… She began to wish for the best for her child. Any mother would do the same. When the Creator started the Biohuman project… She grew a bit scared of what would come. He was offering people butt loads of money in return for testing. An 'inhumane' act. Your Mom wondered why the Creator was doing such a thing but eventually, after many failed attempts, he perfected the Biohuman serum.
"She had taken care of us just like she took care of you. She used her off time to make sure we were okay mentally and physically. She offered services the Creator didn't at the time, but your mother found Akio and I most interesting. We were foreigners in a shit load of debt back then. Unruly people wanted to find us, so we were forced to accept the Creator's terms. We needed to hide.
"Chee-sama heard our story and decided she would ease our pain as much as she could. She introduced us to you, and you immediately grew attached to Akio. You wouldn't leave him alone so your mother thought it would be a good idea for us to act as your older siblings. She knew the Creator would want something with you eventually, so she confided in us about what the future might hold…" Akali recalled. She sighed and looked over at Lee Seng. He was thinking with his expressionless face.
"What did the lady say that got Mom so worried?" Lee Seng asked after some time.
"You would meet someone exactly like you and they would cancel out your bad luck. You wouldn't feel so bad about all the misfortune that was happening around you. If you continue to walk the path the Creator wants you to, you'll lose everything." Akali answered.
"I'll lose everything?" Lee Seng whispered. Akali turned her entire body and looked at Lee Seng. His expressionless face had become complicated, full of conflicting emotions. His ruby and sapphire eyes swirled with purple. His unique eyes had gained another color.
'His eyes weren't always like that, right?' Akali wondered. The purple mixed with parts of his eyes as Lee Seng continued to think.
"So, I guess that means I have to either disappear or actively do what the Creator doesn't want me to do." Lee Seng concluded. He slowly turned his head to look at Akali. "I guess I am my father's son…" Akali raised her eyebrows at him, asking him to elaborate. "Both too greedy for our own goods…"
"Greed drives everyone to do things they wouldn't do. It's what fuels people to soar higher than they think they can. I wouldn't know what the correct answer is in terms of if you should stay here or not, but do you want to live your life chained to your father or fly as far away, even if it means melting your own wings?"
Akali lifted herself off the ground and stretched. She listened to her body respond with cracks as she rolled her neck and slowly stood up. She looked down at her little brother. He might've put himself in a hard place, but he was smart enough to realize something she and the other Numbers failed to push for themselves.
"Whatever you do, don't tell me." Akali told him. She began to turn when she was reminded of something. "I think your good luck came when you least expected it. Now that you have it, what do you do with it?" She opened the door and left Lee Seng to his thoughts.
"What does she mean by that?" Lee Seng wondered. "I've already met my good luck charm? Nothing's been in my favor, per se… What could she mean by that? Does she know something I don't?" Lee Seng's fingers twitched as the cogs in his head slowly turned.