Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-7064562-20180529122705


 * Note, not a creepypasta, but rather a YA novel that I started two weeks ago. I have 30 of the 34 chapters done and am now working on editing before putting it through the good old grammary and what not. The point of this story will be to trick the reader into thinking the main topic, just like the hunger games, divershitent, and maze runner, is a whole "Kids fight and kill eachother, war war war, goverment is mean, etc, but as it hits in the middle of the book, it becomes obvious that isn't what's going on at all and it's just a bunch of lies and cover ups. Also during the book the chick ends up going slowly psycho and ends up dying because I hate how girls in YA books are always bland with no character but end up with like 18 hunks**

'''Every day they sat him in a different colored room. Today the walls of the cubicle were lined with stained, dirt covered, purple mattress, puffing out of the walls like marshmallows. Lucky he wasn’t claustrophobic, as with himself sitting in a single chair, and the small wooden coffee table, there was hardly any space left to stretch out. It reminded him of the time he broke into an abandoned arcade and gazed upon the obnoxious neon glows of a Laser Tag room, cluttered with broken stands and rocks from the ceiling. Maybe that’s what they were going for? A bright room might lead to happier test subjects, and in that regard, better results? If so, that was an insult, as it would take a lot more than brightly colored mattress’ with unidentified stains to make interaction anything but, well, integration. '''

'''  He took a deep, gave an overly dramatic sigh, and picked up the small metal spoon from atop the now bare table and lifted it up above his head. While distorted, he could still see his reflection on it’s back. Ever since he came to this facility his complexion had been getting paler by the day, and even his mess of bronze colored hair had lost its shine. However, thanks to the fluorescent lights glaring off the polished white floor, the only thing that had been cleaned in the room, he could make out the small strips of light amber hidden behind fellow locks. He once asked his mother about this, one of the only things he had ever asked her, and her response was...'''

'''“It used to be all red, now go play with your sister,” followed by a backhand for asking questions. '''

'''He wished he knew who he inherited it from. His mother's hair was blond, just like his sisters, and as for his father’s...Well, there were several cut branches from the tree and there was simply no way of knowing. '''

'''“Bend the spoon,” buzzed the mattress in front of him. He could see the few dotted holes where the voice spoke from and he was sure the wall in front of him was some kind of one-way mirror, but, what could he do about it? '''

'''Starting into his bored reflection, he gave himself a flirtatious wink to himself, and, reluctantly, pulled back the oval tip at a ninety-degree angle, placed the spoon back onto the table, and threw his feet up. '''

'''“Happy Miss. Friday?” he proclaimed in a somewhat chipper, but very sarcastic tone. Did they really expect anything different compared to every other day of the year? '''

'''Crackling through the speakers, the high pitched voice of a middle-aged woman began to inform him, as if he wasn’t already aware, of what he was really supposed to do. '''

'''“That is incorrect Mr. Van Limbic. You are well aware by now you’re to bend the spoon with your mind, and only your mind. Today…” He cut her off.'''

'''“Today is Friday!” Van said. '''

'''“You were…” He wouldn’t let her continue with her typical spiel. '''

'''“That’s why I call you Miss. Friday, did you know that? I can tell you apart from your voices, and it’s pretty obvious you change daily. So, I took it upon myself to use my creative license and name you after the day of the week you feel the pointless need to retest me. Clever aren't I?” In all fairness, as petty and unoriginal as the names were, he couldn’t take credit for them, as they were Louis’s doing. Test subjects like them had to find some way to refer to there advisers, as they were never given anything to refer to them by outside of a long stream of numbers. '''

'''“...You...” the voice began, and as the boy tried to comment, it plowed through him with pure volume “You are only being deemed two tokens today! I suggest after your final tomorrow, you change your attitude and hopefully, you’ll make enough to afford a decent meal.” '''

'''“Two tokens? What the hell?! I passed the physical exams with almost no effort, it should be three tokens like always!” This was an outrage, at least in his book. Sure he didn’t perform any amazing psychic fleet like they wanted him to, but when it came to good old physical activity, he had top marks. Push ups, sit ups, pull ups, every other kind of ups, he could do them all without even breaking a sweat. Though to be fair, his kind hardly put in any effort towards physical activity so the bar was set pitifully low. The push up average was around five per person. '''

'''“If you’d have taken your pill like advised, you would have been distributed at least eight tokens. On top of that, you’ve refused to obey what we ask of you and instead act in an aggressive and sarcastic manner towards all forms of testing. Due to this, we have deemed your physical exams to be tested more harshly in the hopes you will strive to improve your mind. Have a wonderful day Mr. Van Limbic and good luck tomorrow.” With that monotone, front desk ladylike speech, the mattresses behind him slid opened to expose a dim hallway. '''

'''There was no point in arguing with a speaker, so in a last act of defiance, he picked up the spoon and threw it at the speaker before exiting. '''

“Stupid wall, talking like it knows anything,” he muttered as he exited the room.

'''As he took a left towards the cafeteria, he couldn’t help but smile, as he knew, that after the D-Rank final tomorrow, that he wouldn’t have to deal with daily testing anymore. At least according to his friends Louis and Sayu, who said that once the final was over and done with, that depending on his new rank, the daily testing might be monthly, maybe even yearly. It should pay a lot more as well, which as he thought about it, decided it was best to check if he really was only deemed two tokens. '''

'''He flicked the small watch like screen indented into his wrist, causing a small green trimmed holographic square to appear above it. Holograms of all sorts were common place here. Van wondered how this place would fare in a power outage, but was sure there were backup generators. '''

'''Miss. Friday wasn’t lying, as after clicking his name and surfing through a few menu options, he was met with a big fat fifty-three. It looked like his plan of pigging out before the big exam with pizza and chips wasn’t going to happen. '''

'''Grimacing at his profile photo, Van shuffled through a couple more screens until he logged off, causing the holographic projection to subside and his wrist to go dark. It’s been a year since he was brought to this place, but he still wasn’t used to the screen indented into his wrist. It felt unnatural, and even though it didn’t halt his movements, it was an eyesore and felt awkward at times. Some days he thought about taking a screwdriver and carving it out of his skin, but obviously never went through with it. According to Louis, a girl did try a couple of years back, and thanks to her stroke of brilliance, died from a combination of blood loss, electrocution, and damage to her brain and nervous system. '''

'''It took Van awhile, but after passing by the small beaten down wreck room, the library with books so warn you couldn’t make out what language they were in, and the unsanitized laboratories, he made it to the cafeteria. He entered, stomach rumbling, and quickly looked around the large oval room until he saw the two girls sitting in a corner near one of the four entrance points. '''

'''“Must be great getting out of testing on time,” Van grunted, walking past a group of kids chowing down on junk. He tried not to smell there feast as he passed by towards the lunch line. '''

'''He grabbed a styrofoam tray from a towering stack that he was sure got washed and reused, brought it down the line passed the plump juicy hotdogs, sizzling steaks, golden brown chicken nuggets, and all the other nutritious cancer giving foods teenage boys dream of, all the way to the end of the counter. Capped in a hairnet, despite the fact she had no hair outside of her carpeted arms, was the lunch lady, who scooped up a green lump of mush and plopped it into Van’s tray.'''

'''They weren’t tasty, but from what the nutritional label said, each scope contain all the vitamins, fiber, and proteins you’d need to get through the day, and then some. Sure it wasn’t filling, but at the price of free, Van couldn’t think of any reason to complain. '''

'''Giving a nod to the scowling lunch lady he turned on his heels, tray in hand, towards his usual table. '''

'''“Hey Sis, Sayu, anddd... LuLu still isn’t here yet?” Van said, placing his tray down across from the black haired Asian girl, who of course, had yet again not grabbed lunch in his pleb area. '''

'''“Pshh, of course not! You really think he’d get up any time before noon?” Sayu scuffed while twirling her long hair around her fingers. '''

'''“It’s 2 PM,” Van’s sister Lucy chimed in, stabbing her strawberry cheesecake several times in an attempt to murder it. '''

'''“Did I say noon? I meant to say midnight. Lazy bum can’t be bothered to wake up until the moon comes out.” Yet again, another scuff. Sayu could be a tad stuck up, but given how she thought A-Rankers were supposed to showcase an example to lower wards, Van could understand. Mainly when it came to Louis.'''

'''“Actually, bum’s are way more energetic than me. Besides, we can’t all drag ourselves out of bed in the morning and hit the gym like this beast over here!” Placing a green tray with several slices of pizza on the table, Louis elbowed Van in the side of his arm.'''

'''“Hey, Louie-Lu!” Lucy giggled, shoving her battle damaged cake into her mouth. As her brother, Van really wished she’d eat something healthier, but seeing as she had around nine times his amount of tokens, it wasn’t his place to tell her what to consume. Plus, she did eat a lot of apples.'''

'''“Good evening Princess Lucy, Sir Van, and of course Miss. Arso.” Of course, like every single day, this causes Sayu to get triggered.'''

'''“I’m not an arsonist, I’m a Pyromancer you grave digging Corpse-Jockey!” Sayu hissed, causing a small amount of steam to escape her bright crimson lips. '''

'''“I’m not a Corpse-Jockey, I’m a necrophiliac...Wait, no!” As Louis’s foot goes in his mouth, Van sliced the jiggling green slime on his tray and put it in his. It tasted like a mixture of ash and drywall with a delightful hint of cinnamon. '''

'''“Agh, how can you eat that!? I’m not even sure it’s suitable for pigs, let alone humans!” She looked more disgusted than Van, yet he was the one shoveling it into his food hole. It did taste horrendous, but complaining wasn’t going to turn it into ice cream. '''

'''“Better to be a swine than what comes out of it,” Louis unintelligently butts in. '''

'''“What’s that supposed to mean?” Van gave a loud sigh. They did this almost every single day and it always ended the same way. Slowly, Van wiggled his way down the bench. '''

'''“It means that you shouldn’t complain about what someone else has to eat when you get to eat caviar and other rich snobby people food. Speaking of, did you bombard that poor barista with yet again another overly complex soy latte order, Miss. Arso?” Louis taunted. '''

'''With a scowl, Sayu snapped her fingers, causing a small amount of steam to burn its way into Louis’s black turtleneck. As his eyes widen, the small puff of smoke erupted into a purplish flame. This was the second time this week, so neither Lucy nor Van understood Louis’s surprise. '''

'''It wasn’t a large flame, but it wasn’t going to burn out on its own. So, thinking like the genius he was, Louis pounded the blazing ember with a piece of pepperoni pizza until it was extinguished. You think he would have begun to bring a few bottles of water to lunch. '''

'''“Chill out Arso, what if you burned my sexy locks?!” Louis said, now rubbing a strand of his long dirty blonde hair. Normally he wore it in a man bun or a simple ponytail, but today it appeared washed and straightened. It was almost the same shade as Lucy’s, but a tad lighter, similar to a golden retriever. '''

'''“With the amount of oil that’s normally in it, I’m surprised your whole head hasn’t engulfed in flames already.” Giving an overly dramatic, cartoon-like sniffle, Louis pretended to take offense. '''

'''“You know, one of these days you’re gonna set off your limiter. Then you’ll end up like Rebecca,” Louis said, waving his arms around in an ominous way as if he was about to tell a ghost story.'''

'''“What happened to Rebecca?” Van asked, actually curious about what Louis had to say for a change. He gave up on attempting to defuse there fights the last time he was set on fire by Sayu. '''

'''Van never paid much attention to the dribble that came from the advisers’ mouths, but even the greenest newbie knew about the limiters. Mainly because if you ignored it, you might end up like fried chicken. The limiters were applications built into the screen that connect to your brain and nervous system. Overuse your power, or break one of the few rules they have in this compound, and you got a shock. Continuing to blow things up with your physic ability or keep blabbering about things you shouldn’t, and you might just end up with permanent brain damage! That or death. '''

'''“You see,” Louis started, “apparently last week she got into a fight in the lunch line and used some telekinesis blast to send forks after another chick. So naturally, her limiter ended up going off, sounded like a whoopee cushion, but she didn’t stop. You see, she was pissed because this other girl took the last piece of cake, so she kept at it, sending forks, spoons, knives, you name it at her. Well, she overdid it, and I hear the shock was so bad she ended up becoming a vegetable!” At the end of his story, he pointed to a nearby table too a chubby dark-skinned girl eating a bag of potato chips. '''

'''“Louis, she's eating chips,” Van pointed out while finishing the last bite of his feast. “Maybe she's using her powers to do so? Ever think of that?!” Louis said triumphantly. '''

'''“Wouldn’t that cause her Limiter to go off again?” Sayu said with a grin as if proving Louis’s exaggerations wrong is in anyway an accomplishment. '''

“Stop putting holes in my stories, focus on the moral instead of the quality!”

'''“Which is?” Sayu asked. '''

'''“Stop lighting my shirts on fire! I only have like seven of these left!” It was true. The uniform for Louis’s ward was red, but every day he wore a black turtleneck. Van just assumed it was the same one every day until Sayu started lighting them on fire. '''

'''“A better moral would be not to come quick to anger, don’t abuse power, try to be a model Esper,” Sayu said, but ended up getting cut off by Louis before she finished the word Esper. '''

'''“A User Sayu. Not an Esper. The term Esper is a generalization of our people and I don’t appreciate you throwing it around like that. I for one believe my power isn’t physic based, so I prefer to be called a User,” Louis said before finishing, “I have a power and I use it.” He always nicknamed things. That’s why he called Sayu an Arosnitist instead of a Pyromancer, and why he deemed himself a Corpse-Jockey instead of a Necromancer. Van thought the nicknames were stupid, mainly because he stopped after just a few abilities, but agreed with him on this. Not because of the simplicity of having a power and using it, but because, as Espers, they were used by other people...Now that he thought about it, that was pretty simplistic reason as well. '''

'''“Don’t worry, tomorrow I will get promoted and buy you anything you want to eat,” Lucy interrupted in a mutter. She’d been rather quiet during the whole conversation, which was honestly a surprise because normally she’d be laughing at Louis’s antics non-stop. '''

'''Van looked at his sister, gave a tooth filled grin, and reached across the table to pat her on the head. This wasn’t the first time she’d said this out of nowhere. It really got to her, and Van’s stubbornness didn’t help. He knew she hated it, but there was nothing he could do. In the rules, it stated that D-Rankers weren't allowed to give each other gifts. No one was sure why, but no one was willing to risk it. A couple of months ago on Van’s seventeenth birthday, Lucy had Sayu buy something for him with her money, and Van went off on them both. He didn’t like receiving gifts in the first place, but the thought they could have both gotten zapped for it turned his annoyance into anger. '''

'''“You can try, but Van has never once taken me up on my offers to buy him lunch. It’s a shame, as the A-Rank cafeteria has a great selection of dishes from almost all cultures! Oh, and our shopping center has actual brand name clothes by professional designers outside the facility! You also can’t forget about all the sh...'''

'''“What can I say, I don’t like charity. If I want some fancy shirt, I can just buy it after my promotion tomorrow,” Van interrupted before she could get to the shoes. After that, there would be no stopping her. '''

'''After a second of hesitation, they all burst out in an overly hardly laugh like a pack of autistic hyenas. '''

'''“Haha, sorry dude, but unlike princess over here you have almost no psychic ability what's so ever!” He had Van there. If it wasn’t for another dumb rule stating that promotions would only be given after the yearly final, Lucy would have easily been promoted and moved to the B-Rank ward by now, while he’d still be sleeping in there cockroach infested room. They were right, cockroaches could survive a nuclear war after all. '''

'''“Welp, I can’t really argue with that, it’s just one of my many faults. Maybe I should have taken the pills like a good old boy?” Taking the daily given pills supposedly enhanced a Users mind by some drug logic that Van don’t fully understand. He was never a science guy, but you don’t really have to understand the logic behind it to know they worked. The proof was all around them.'''

'''“No, as I, and surprisingly even Louis have told you, the tokens given for the pill aren't worth the side effects.” As she said this, her fingers began to rapidly tap the cracked brown oak of the table. '''

'''“I’ve never had any side effects though…” Lucy said sheepishly, afraid that Sayu’s nagging would target her next. '''

'''With that, the cheery uplifting aura of sarcasm and friendly insults evaporated and was replaced by a thick cloud of terror. Fear had clearly plastered itself on both Louis’s and Sayu’s faces but was gone in a few seconds. Van, however, saw it. '''

'''“What’s wrong?” he asked, chewing the back of his lip. He personally didn’t take the pills for his own stubborn reasons, but he made Lucy take one each day for the guaranteed tokens. He had to much pride and didn’t like the feeling of taking a weird drug from the people who’d locked them in this faculty. It seemed like common sense, but he was paying dearly for his choice and didn’t want his sister to suffer as well. She needed to experience the best life possible while living here and for that she needed tokens. When they were brought here a year ago, Lucy could hardly even bend a spoon. But now; now she could bend a trunk in half with nothing but her flick of here right index finger.'''

'''“It’s nothing,” Sayu responded in a haste. Sweat trickled from underneath her square bangs as her fingers picked up pace assaulting the table. While uptight, it was obvious to everyone that she wasn’t very good at lying. '''

“Well that’s an obvious lie, but I take it like everything else in this overly confidential institution that it will be explained to me after the test tomorrow.” 

'''Yup,” she said, a hint of panic still in her voice. '''

'''“Ok, well, on that pleasant note, I got to go get some beauty sleep before tomorrow.” Naturally, Van wasn’t going to bed at 2 PM, he wasn’t Louis after all, but he wasn’t really in the mood to listen to anymore pointless bickering and banter. Not with tomorrow closing in.'''

'''He was sure it looked like he was leaving because they refused to talk, but this wasn’t the case. Van understood why they didn’t tell him anything, because they just simply couldn’t. However, he did find it rather irritating that after almost a year, they couldn’t go one day without landing on a blacklisted subject.'''

'''“Speaking of the test for the millionth time,” Sayu said as she reached into her pocket. Pulling out a shiny ebony box wrapped in a blue ribbon, she handed it to Van.'''

'''Normally like with the food, Van would politely; well actually, rudely turn the gift down, but as he didn’t feel like listening to another of Sayu’s hissy fits, he took it. '''

'''When he successfully got the darn box united the bottom fell to the floor with a clunk, exposing its innards for all to see. '''

'''“A pen?” he questioned, lifting the small black writing instrument off the floor and examining the button with a few satisfying clicks. He wondered if the final was going to be a written exam, and if it was, why he would have to bring his own pen with him? '''

'''“Yes, you told us before you like them, right?” As her face blushes a hot pink, she turned away from Van to face the chip eating girl from before. It was true that he liked pens, but it didn’t change the fact she just randomly gave him a pen of all things for no real reason. Not to mention how cheap it looked. '''

'''“That’s a cheap trick, Miss. Arso! You didn’t tell me we were getting them gifts.” With a wink to my sister Lucy, and an enthesitis on “them”, a flow of tears began to flow from Lucy’s emerald eyes. '''

'''“No, Lucy, stop crying, please...I’ll...Umm…,” Sayu trailed off, dealing with confrontation as skillfully as usual. '''

'''“Go to the shopping center right now and buy you a present to make up for your forgetfulness!” Louis finished for Sayu. “And of course, naturally, in all my benevolent glory, I will tag along and make up for not getting either of you anything!” He gave Lucy another wink and her waterworks stopped on the dot. While impressed with there combination technique, Van wasn’t sure he was happy that Louis had begun to corrupt his sister. Mainly because he knew, as he as not told about this or welcomed in on it, that they were planning to use it on him as well. '''

'''“I want apples!” Lucy screamed, before bolting off towards the exit. Van had no idea why she loved apples so much, but she ate more than a horse. '''

'''Looking over at his sister’s lunch tray, he noticed several stabbed cakes and apple cores and thought to himself how strange it was that a thirteen-year-old girl could survive on a pure cake and apple diet. Also that it might be time to call a therapist about her cake mutilations.'''

'''As he lifted himself off the lunch table bench, he heard something he’d hope to never hear again. His sister’s screams. '''

'''He looked quickly to the closest exit, saw Lucy in her blue dress now stained with the dirt of the unwashed floor, and a figure standing in front of her. He didn’t second guess it. '''

'''He bolted for her, jumped over a table, fell, and then bolted for her again. He knocked over a few peoples lunches during this, but he didn’t even care about the mashed potatoes on his shirt as he jogged to his sister’s side. '''

'''It was clear that he overreacted and it was Lucy who had run into her. As Van knelt down to pick up his sister, he gave the person in front of them a look over. It was a girl. A very small girl at that, most likely around 5’4, and for some odd reason, she was wearing a purple hoodie with cat ears on the hood. She was already walking away, her silver hair flowing behind her as she walked, along with a skinny purple tail bobbing behind her. Out of all the people Lucy had to run into, it was a chick with a very weird sense of fashion. '''

'''“Sorry about that, she got a little overly excited.” The girl kept walking away as if she didn’t hear his heartfelt apology. Van couldn’t really feel insulted by this, as it was Lucy’s fault, so he just rolled his eyes and checked on his sister. Before he could ask her if she was ok, the voice of an all too familiar idiot perked up. '''

'''“Hey String Bean! What brings you to the lower wards?” Louis really needs to lay off the nicknames. '''

'''Just then, the girl’s right hand twitched and as if responding to this, Louis’s right knee jolted forward, causing him to fall right on his butt. '''

'''“What the hell?” Van said, offering Louis a hand. He refused and just started shaking his head laughing. Once Van looked back at where the girl was, she was nowhere to be seen. '''

'''“Agh, don't worry, that’s just Kara. Luckily she made me fall on my ass and not my gorgeous face. wouldn’t, want to damage the merchandise after all.” As he picked himself off the ground, Sayu strolled over as if nothing had happened. '''

'''“What’s her deal?” Van asked anyway. '''

“Like Louis said, she’s Kara, and A-Rank like us…” Sayu started before being cut off by Louis.

'''“THE A-RANK, not like us! She’s the top favorite to get promoted to S-Rank next Friday, as she was last year. I’d say I’m the second favorite.”  '''

'''“You’re actually fifth,” Sayu corrected, glaring golden daggers at Louis for interrupting her for the millionth time. “Cindy queen of sparks is second, I’m third, and Dominic is forth.” After starting her rank, it seemed Sayu had a little more pep in her step than before. Van had no idea who these other people were, but he assumed they were other A-Rankers like his friends. '''

'''“So why’s she down here in D-Ward?” Van asked, hoping to buy some time so they didn’t run into the girl on there way to the shopping district. The elevator was the same way. '''

'''“Why are any of us in this smelly ward?” Louis said, before remembering how many times Van had asked him a similar question. “I’m not sure man, she came down around this time last year as well. Checking out the croupe of rookies or something for betting I guess.” Sayu kicked Louis, but Van didn’t notice. Betting was a blacklisted topic. '''

'''“Well, let’s go,” Sayu said, grabbing Van’s hand, who grabbed Lucy’s, who grabbed Louis’s, making them a full chain of friends walking down the ward hallway to go shopping. '''

'''It didn’t take them long to make it to the large wooden doors of the marketplace. Unlike all of the other doors, these were the only ones in D-Ward made of wood, so they were easy to find. Still, they weren’t without there technological advances and required you to swipe your screen on a keypad before they would open. '''

'''As the doors opened the fresh smell of wet mold hits there nostrils causing Sayu to shiver, Louis to make a cliche fart joke, and Lucy to take off to one of the dozens of stalls lining the halls of the gymnasium-sized room. '''

'''“Wait up princess!” Louis shouted, running after her and leaving Sayu and Van by themselves. '''

'''“So, Ummm...What do you think your sister will like? Besides apples of course,” she started with a pause, indicating she feels just as awkward as Van did. He was a little angry, as the more he thought about it, the more this seemed like another plan by the double “L’s”. '''

'''“Maybe some jewelry, or a stuffed llama? I’m not really sure,” he responded, looking over at the two who appeared to have made it over to the weapon stands in the far back. Unlike the upper wards, there weren’t many tools or weapons to purchase, but according to Louis it was the perfect place to buy non-combat items. He always hoped to find the bones of kiwi birds, as he loved the burrowing birds desipre the fact they were completely useless in a fight. Van never understood his fascination, as he hated birds and found himself to be more of a cat person. '''

'''He felt a gentle hand grab his clammy one, and turned to meet Sayu’s eyes. He was about to protest, but was dragged over to the closet stall cashiered by one of the Holomen. '''

'''Louis called them worm people, as there bald head and wrinkled faces did resemble worms, but they were holograms. They were capable of touching things, making small talk and whatnot, but they were completely hollow on the inside. It made bargaining impossible. '''

'''As Van had a silent staring contest with the non-emotional cashier, Sayu intensely eyeballed the merchandise. He could never understand girl’s obsession with shiny things. '''

'''He tried to jerk his hand away, but all that did was tighten the grip. Her soft warm hands, beating with sweat, refused to release his own. He was starting to get annoyed, and once he saw Sayu start to grin, he thought about punching her. But then, her hand left his, and a tear sparkled in the corner of her eye. '''

'''In a swift speechless motion, she snatched something off of the table and held it in her closed palm. Van wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt bad all of a sudden. Did he do something wrong? Again?'''

'''“How much?” she asked with a sniffle. She was crying and Van had no idea why. What was with girls and crying?'''

'''“The butterfly hairpin is fifty tokens,” the Holoman responded, putting a screen in front of her to scan. Just like with opening doors, all you had to do was put your wrist up to the screen to confirm any purchase. '''

'''Sayu stumbled a bit. Van thought she was taken aback by the high price, but quickly realized that was stupid. She had more money than she knew what to do with. '''

'''“Hey, are you ok?” he asked, complexed. He wondered if asking girls if they were ok was a smart move. He didn’t think it was, but it was too late to not ask. '''

'''“I told you I grew up on a farm, right?” Sayu crocked, not bothering to look him in the eye. Van didn’t remember her mentioning this once, but decided to let her speak. “Every summer was filled with flowers and picnics with my family. We used to sit on top of this hill in front of our nice quiet home and watch the butterflies flutter around while we ate. My mom loved it. I...I miss her.” She slowly reached her hand up, about to swipe the screen, when Van slid his in front. With a beep, a minus fifty shun on his wrist. '''

'''He was a rarity in the faculty, being brought in at such an old age. He always forgot that people like Louis and Sayu have been locked up in here for over seven years. While he did find her crying to be a little dramatic, he understood family ties. As confusion took its place on Sayu’s face, sorrow took over Van’s as he watched the golden fifty-three turn into just a single digit. His plans of a pre-exam feast were at an end.'''

'''“Why did you do that? I have more than enough…” He put his right index finger to her lip and gave her a wink. He wanted to joke about it being payment for the pen but decided against it. '''

'''“Don’t worry! I told you, after my promotion tomorrow, I’ll be rich. I got more than enough to spare!” Sayu gave a small chuckle at this and without a moment's hesitation, wrapped her arms around him. '''

'''After a good few seconds of just standing there, embracing each other in front of many silhouetted shopkeepers, Sayu let go of Van and fashioned the butterfly into her hair. It was a bright purple, glittering with light blue jewels. It went well with her hair, but not with her overly done makeup. '''

'''“How’s it look?” she asked, striking a school girl pose. Van noticed her cheeks were apple red and he was hoping it was because of her previous crying. '''

'''“As ugly as always,” Louis said, moving into Van’s line of view. Following behind him was Lucy, holding a big white ball of fuzz. After greeting them, Van’s eyes darted to Sayu’s in a panic and noticed the once saddened eyes were now blazing with anger. '''

'''Sensing the mood, Lucy walked up to Sayu and shoved the fluff ball into her face, causing some of the hairs to attach themselves to Sayu’s fruit colored lips. '''

'''“Look, it’s a kiwi bird!” Lucy screamed, as Van now saw a small head and overly large beak protruding from the wadd of fuzz. Leave it to Louis to get something he likes as a gift for someone else. Still, Lucy did seemed awfully cheerful about it, possibly because she was so fond of Louis and his random acts of stupidity. '''

'''“And what did you get her, Miss. Arso?” Louis asked Sayu. Louis had this simultaneous wink and grin trademark he liked to do. He claimed it made the girls go crazy, but as he tried to give Sayu the grin and Van the wink, it simply made his face contort in an unattractive manner. '''

'''“Pshh...Err...Well, unlike you, I want her to actually pick out a gift for herself, rather than me picking something I like for her!” Sayu said, gently guiding Lucy over to the table of necklaces, rings, and hairpins. “Here sweetheart, pick whatever ring or necklace you want!” '''

'''“I’m good,” Lucy said, throwing the stuffed bird into the air. Lucy was apparently unaware that they were flightless birds. '''

'''“A gift is supposed to reflect the giver,” Van said. “That way, it’s like the one giving the gift was thoughtful enough to put a little of themself into it.”  '''

'''A look of betrayal crossed Sayu’s face before she turned away from the group and pounded off towards the exit, just like the cat hoodied girl from before. '''

'''“Whatever!” she screamed, her lips sizzling as the exit doors slammed shut behind her. Van had no idea what just happened. He didn’t seem to now a lot. '''

'''“Damn. You sure screwed up, mate,” Louis said, hitting Van in the back of the head. Van was starting to become concerned about all the bruises Louis was giving him. He swore every night a new part of his body was sore and black with swelling. '''

'''“You totally did,” Lucy exclaimed. '''

'''Lucy was the one who just rejected Sayu’s gift, and Louis was the one instigating her, but they had the nerve to blame him. He had enough for today, grabbed Lucy’s hand, and decided to follow Sayu’s lead and leave. '''

'''“Well, I had no idea what I did wrong, but I am stupid so it’s not surprising. Later, Lulu.” But just as they were out the door, Van felt a stiff hand grab his shoulder and pull him back. It was, of course, Louis, but instead of his normal smiling eyes, there was a cold look to them. It was the first time Van had ever seen him serious.'''

'''“Don’t lie to yourself man,” he said, “you know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Bring the pen, and good luck.” With that,  Louis took a right and shoveled off to the ward elevator.'''

'''It was uncomfortable having their hidden fears be brought to life, but they were secretly glad Louis had said that. However, neither of them were sure how Louis knew that they knew, and it brought up several questions they both chose to ignore. Was Louis actually a Telepath able to read their minds, or perhaps cable of Retrocognition, the ability to see past events. No, not possible. Van had seen him bring a goldfish back to life before, and he knew that each person, only had one ability. Maybe he just wasn’t as sly as he thought?'''

'''As they walked down the hallway towards there room, Lucy accounted her shopping trip with Louis. Of course, they weren’t gone long, but somehow in such a short time frame managed to get banned from three stalls. Van could tell from her forced energetic speech that she was worried about tomorrow. Louis’s good natured comment wasn’t helping. “Hey Lucy,” Van swallowed.'''

“Yes brother?” she responded, holding the plump kiwi in front of her face and making it dance about.

'''“It will be fine,” he said simply. He wanted to say he would protector her. That everything would be alright and there was no way it was happening again. But, he knew if he said such thing, he would just be lying to her face. '''

'''“You can’t prevent it. You know that, I know that. We both know what is going to happen, and as Louie said, denial won’t stop it. We will both be fine,” she paused, “as long as you actually try.” After that comment she went back to playing with her stuffed bird, throwing it up in the air and talking to it like a newborn. Van wasn’t sure if his sister was the genius prodigy User of D-Ward, or if she had schizophrenia. Either way, her words did make him feel better, but there was still one thing nagging him. Louis hadn’t given him a gift like he promised. '''

Chapter 2

'''Van wasn’t sure when he dozed off, but he awoke to his alarm sounding some weird type of classical jazz music. As he rustled his sheets and muttered curses to himself, he couldn’t help but glance over to the cluster of pink blankets and scarfed teddy bears on the other side of the room. '''

'''“Always the heavy sleeper,” Van yawned, stretching his arms into the air as he checked the time. 7 AM, a good two hours before they had to report to the exam room. He wasn’t really sure where the exam room was located, but according to the advertisers, it should display itself on their screens when it’s time. '''

'''Picking up one of his few uncased pillows, he chucked it at his snoozing sister, only to have it stop midway in the air and hover. '''

'''“Good, you’re awake. Hurry up and grab your clothes, we have to get dressed and eat before exam time,” he said, trying to hold in another yawn. His stomach couldn’t really handle food early in the morning, but he planned to try his best and hold whatever he could afford down. “And watch the Telekinesis, you don’t want to set your limiter off.”'''

'''Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he soon began to hear the moans and groans of his stubborn sister and headed towards the closet. It was a pretty standard closet, and it would be big enough to hold both his and Lucy’s basic attire, that was, if his sister didn’t have a habit of spending all her money on fancy dresses and laced shoes. There was hardly any room at all for his four standard jackets. '''

'''“After the test today you should get some new clothes. Something more colorful!” Lucy said with a lingering tiredness in her voice. '''

'''“Doesn’t matter, you know we have to wear our floor’s color today,” he responded, picking up his dark pink jacket with the D-Rank patch sewed on the front. Van didn’t see a need to spend money on clothes. Outside of the five sweat-stained wife-beaters, he wore to the gym, he normally stuck to wearing the uniform given to all D-Rankers. Sure they made him look like a flamingo, but they were free. “Besides, I think I’ll indulge myself in a grand feast instead, Involving all the necessary food groups.”'''

'''“So, pizza, pasta, and pie, right?” Lucy said, as her brother throw one of the smaller uniforms at her. '''

“Yup, the three P’s.” 

'''Before Van could close the closet doors, he noticed Lucy’s bright turquoise dress, adorned with white lace all around its edges and pockets. He was sure she had a matching pair of shoes as well and felt a small amount of sadness creep upon him. He wished she could wear something like that today. He also wished it didn’t set her back around a hundred tokens. '''

'''It took them awhile in their sleep-like state, but after making there way to the community washrooms, the only form of bathing in D-Ward, they headed towards the cafeteria for a bite to eat. Unfortunately, due to yesterday's unnecessary spurging, Van had to settle for a rectangular lump of green goo, while his sister dined on honey glazed ham and crisp caramel apples. He tried not to look envious in the hopes of sparing her feelings, but it was extremely difficult. After all, he was looking forward to binge eating a bunch of junk for the first time in a year before his final. He could only hope that today was the last day of starving himself and eating dog food. '''

'''Right as they finished eating, both of their wrists began to give a slow and continuous beeping noise until they tabbed them to reveal a green holographic map with a small red X. It seemed to be plotted on the elevator. '''

'''“I guess this is where we’re supposed to head,” Van said. “It’s in the opposite direction of the normal examination rooms.” '''

'''“Do you have your pen?” Lucy asked in a rather unsteady voice. Van looked at her confused until he saw that she was shaking. Just like any brother would, he didn’t hesitate to grab her arm in a confronting manner, but as he did, his own arm began to shake as well. He was just as nervous as she was. '''

'''“Yup, I’m really hoping it’s a writing exam,” he said, patting his left pocket and trying his best to give a convincing smile. Both of them were well aware of what was about to happen, however, the thought it could really just be an old fashion writing exam seemed to brighten the mood. '''

'''With a worried glance, Lucy choked down whatever response she was going to give and started to drag along behind her brother as they walked down the hallway. It hurt Van to see her so upset, but he couldn’t think of a single way to ease her pain. They had to do this. '''

'''Every day since they got to the facility, they had to take a daily test to showcase how far they could progress with there gifted abilities. After a couple of months, they were told about the final exam, and how the results of it will determine their new place in life until they grew old enough to go out to fight in the war. A new rank, freedom of the compound, and even an education, where just a few of the privileges for anyone who passed the exam. However, that’s what worried Van. Was he could enough to pass? What would happen if he failed? He knew Lucy would be fine, she could pick her nose and bend a thousand spoons without even trying, but him...It’s not like he couldn’t, but, he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to be there war hound, baited by the promise of a juicy steak. He couldn’t let their system beat him, but the more he thought about it, the less choice he thought he had. '''

'''The halls were getting a tad more cramped as they walked on. Normally it was big enough for around four people to walk shoulder by shoulder, but as they got closer to the X, and what appeared to be the end of the hall, they noticed around fifty people all just standing around. It looked like a huge cluster of pink, but they could see a few yellows, oranges, and even a red in the pile. '''

'''Van thought it was odd. Where there really these many people taking the yearly exam? Why were there people above D-Rank here? He was sure Louis and Sayu told him that the exams for other ranks take part after his. '''

'''He felt the pressure of his Lucy’s grip and it broke him from his worries. Sure there were a lot of Users there, but he was a self-centered hermit that never paid much attention to anything or anyone that didn’t strike his fancy, so it might be possible they were all hiding away in some dark corner together. At least, that’s what he told himself, as untrue as he knew it was. '''

'''Still, as hard as he tried to lie to himself, as he looked around, another thing bothered him. There age. The majority of them all looked to be around Lucy’s age, all freshly made teenagers. Was he so obvious to his surroundings and the people on his own floor that he didn’t notice this many kids running around? Well, not really running around, as most of them seemed to just be brooding or twitching uncontrollably. '''

'''With a deep breath, they pushed their way past the stragglers who have yet to reach the core of angst-filled teens, until they make it to the end of the hallway. In front of them, Standing above several of the kids leaning on it, was an idled glass elevator, big enough to fit several elephants inside.'''

'''“Amazing, so this is what Louis and Sayu ride every day to get to our ward?” Van said in wonderment. While he knew there was an elevator, he never once sought it out himself, as people who have yet to take the exam, had no need for it. While he was excited to ride in such a thing for the first time, he also felt a tad nauseous thinking about hovering in the air on a skinny platform, waiting to drop or ascend with a group fifty or so people, some of which, were very overweight. '''

'''“Don’t bother,” called a rather tall teen with dark skin and a rather unkempt perm. Judging by the neon yellow jacket, it was obvious he was a C-Rank User. Van didn’t quite care for his tone, as the way he saw it, C-Rankers weren’t much better than D-Rankers. From what he’s seen, and been told from Louis, a not so reliable source, most C-Ranked Telekinesis Users couldn’t cause a can of paint to fall without moving their hands like a madman. Kind of pathetic when you consider the fact Lucy can cause things to move in any direction just by blinking repeatedly at them. '''

'''“The evaluator will ding and open when it’s time to jump on board. Just lean on the wall and away from the doors and wait for it to ding. It will go ding, ding, ding and open, trust me,” shouts an energetic, orange haired girl. Unlike the tall darker boy, she had extremely pale skin and a mess of pimples all over her face. However, just like him, she was a C-Rank User. '''

'''“Sorry,” Van apologized half-heartedly, cutting her off. “So why are you guys here? Do you really have to wait until the test subjects get on before you can go up to your rooms?” Van actually wanted to ask, “Why are you in D-Ward”, but he held his tongue in the hopes of not coming off as rude. Why he cared at that moment was beyond him.'''

'''The male just ignored him and went back to glaring intensely at thin air, but luckily, or unlucky, the annoying orange fly now buzzing around him and Lucy was more than happy to explain their presence. Unfortunately, it was hard to understand what she was saying, as her words fizzed in and out like soda pop. '''

'''“We’re scoping out the competition and placing bets! Last year some guys did it to us, so we figured, we should try it, and all... Don’t see a point in it really, as most people don’t use their powers due to the limiters and all. So...Umm...Ya waste of time, you are all newbies, but I suppose we could have waited on our floor. We should be stopping at each floor, as some B-Rankers, and even a few A’s are normally asked to come to to the yearly finals.” Just before Van could ask her why higher ranks come to witness there test, what betting was, and if she understood basic English, the elevator door chimed and slid opened.'''

'''As the group hustled in with a surprising calm, a large sturdy hand grabbed Van’s shoulder. His first thoughts were of his friends, Louis and Sayu, but as he turned his head, he saw the stern face of the dark-skinned C-Ranker. “If you survive today, keep in mind your still ugly, ok kid?” Kid? While he was rather tall, for whatever age he was, Van highly doubted the boy was much older than him, if at all. The oldest people in this facility outside of the advisers are around twenty, like Louis. Van was seventeen, going on eighteen, so there was simply no way a large age gap existed between them. He did get the ugly part right though. '''

'''They squeezed there way to the very back of the elevator, far away from the C-Rankers and their odd personalities. Sadly, somehow, the orange haired girl was able to dart between peoples legs and found them within seconds. '''

'''“I really hope no one farts in here!” she said, letting one rip herself. Lucy giggled, but Van just stood there, worried. What was wrong with these people? '''

'''After ascending for around a minute, a large C began to glow above the elevator doors, and to everyone's annoyance the girl let out a loud “Bing”. To Van’s annoyance, even though a few C-Rankers got on, and a few left, this girl was not one of them. No, instead she proceeded to bing on every floor, until they made it all the way to S. '''

'''Unlike the other floors, no one got on at the S-Ward, as it was apparently obvious to everyone but Van that it was time to get off. Even Lucy decided to follow the crowd, chatting it up with the psychopathic girl about kittens and fish. '''

'''As the crowd thinned and moved on, Van tried to hang back. He couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling he got about all of this. Both of his friends, the advisers, and even a few Holomen, have told him this was the yearly final for all new D-Rankers. Why were so many people above D-Rank here? He had a few answers, but none of them put him at ease.'''

'''He walked on, behind the group, and as they turned left and right, he began to ignore his unpleasant thoughts and began looking at the polished white marble walls. They were rather remarkable. In his ward, the walls were chipped, carved roughly from stone, but here, they held no blemish and were smooth to the touch. Even there doors, while wooden, were carved with a hint of gothic architecture that gave the whole area a spooky, yet cultured feeling. '''

'''“They even have pillars!?” Van muttered in astonishment, as he saw the two large ebony columns that the group of Users were entering in between. '''

'''As he entered them into a large dining hall, he just had to take it all in. Statues with stainless golden armor adorn the walls, along with age-old paintings, and even heads of large non-existing beast. It was amazing. The best he had in his ward was that one rat head a kid glued to the wall. He was so lost in thought, he didn’t even notice the line forming at the left-hand side of the dining hall. '''

'''“Bring up your screen soldier,” he heard a  monotone voice command. He couldn’t see well from here, but he was sure it was a Holoman. '''

'''As the line shifts through, Van’s suspensions are proven correct and he does just as he’s asked. He learned long ago there wasn’t really a point in arguing with holograms. Still, he didn’t notice the Holoman finish doing whatever it was with his screen, and that was a mistake. '''

'''With a swift kick, Van is booted through the entryway, and into a wooden door, slamming his upper jaw on the wood. As he looked back with a glare, he noticed a boy in bright orange with dark hair laughing at him. The boy was a B-Ranker. '''

'''“Go faster soldier,” he said with a snotting elitist tone. '''

'''“Go eat a lizard,” Van hissed, fondling the door until he finally gripped the handle. As he opened it, the boy jogged in front of him and strolled inside without looking back. '''

'''“Good luck noobie,” the boy said, as he walked towards a very small group of other orange-jacketed Users. Van just rolled his eyes and began looking for his sister, who he found almost immediately seating on a bench in front of a few dented lockers. '''

'''As Van sat down next to her, he noticed the screens of one girl and one boy project themselves into thin air. After an unsure nervous glance, they both limp away to the door opposite the one Van just came in, and left the room. '''

'''Putting his index finger to his lips, Van began to nibble it like a goldfish. Why did they go into that room? Is it some kind of private test session? He had his suspicions, suspicions he wished wouldn’t ever come to fruition, but as the gears started to turn, he knew it must be true. Looking over at his sister and seeing the worried look on her face, he knew she was thinking the same thing. He also noticed the orange haired annoyance take a seat next to Lucy. '''

'''“I changed my name to Misty Waters,” the girl chimes. Van couldn’t recall asking, or really caring what this girls name was. '''

'''“What was it before,” Lucy asked. '''

“Flamengo Leonardo Delavega,” she started, putting her hand to her mouth in confusion before finishing, “the third.” 

'''“Look lady,” Van started irritably, “can you go away? Perhaps find yourself a nice dark well to jump into?” He was getting sick of this girl and didn’t have the tolerance to humor her anymore. Unlike his sister who jabbed him in the side with her elbow, a strong look of disgust on her face. She was always too kind in Van’s eyes. He thought, after all, they’ve been through, she would be a little harder, and of course, at least a little untrusting. Was it a good thing she was still so innocent and naive? Should he be proud her? He was, in a way, but naive and stupidity was practically the same thing in his book. '''

'''Misty, or Leonardo, or whatever she wanted to be called, just begun to stare at him. As another group left the area again, she spoke in a slow and creaking tone, like that of a crone. '''

'''“You know where they’re going, don’t you?” Misty said. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. It took Van aback for a moment, the girl suddenly becoming serious threw him for a loop, but his face quickly became stern, and, he nodded.'''

'''As the hours ticked by, so did the number of people in the room. Some cried, others laughed, but one by one, the fifty or so people who started off in the room slowly dwindled down to around ten. Van was overjoyed when Misty, who attempted to kiss him on her way out, left. '''

'''Around ten minutes passed, when his own screen flickered into his view, telling him to enter the room which had swallowed so many Users already. '''

'''At first, it seemed like he didn’t notice it, but as the screen of a somewhat chubby, round face boy also sprung to life, his thoughts took an even more fearful turn. So small and maybe even younger than Lucy. No one should have to die that young.'''

'''His grip tightened on his sister’s hand. He didn’t want to let go. He knew she would be fine, she was one of the strongest Users he knew, but, seeing that the young boy, the one he must face, made him worry for his younger sister. '''

'''As Van got up, still holding his sister’s hand, he looked at the boy and was surprised to see him glaring at him through his oily bowl-cut. It encouraged to Van while waiting that anyone above D-Rank surely knew what was going on. They were told several times that no one can be promoted until after the final exam, so all the C-Ranks and above must have gone through this before. He was guessing they might be some kind of variable, meant to throw them for a loop, but this boy, this visibly angry lad, knew something was going down despite being a D-Ranker just like Van. The more he thought about it, the more obvious it seemed to him that anyone with half a brain would have put two and two together. Even if they didn’t know what was actually going to happen, anyone with a competitive spirit would have taken a guess at a competition of some sort. '''

'''After giving Van a toothy grin the boy bolted to the door, swung it open with unnecessary force, and pounded off down what sounded like a long-abandoned hallway. '''

'''“Lucy,” Van said with a condescending tone, staring at the now closed door the boy just left through. It was time. '''

'''“Yes,” she replied. He could feel the sadness in her small shaking voice. She understood what was about to happen just as he did. He may have called her innocent and naive, but he knew that wasn’t true. She had experienced the same thing as him after all. '''

'''“You know, after this…” his voice trailed off. What could he say to console her? Was there anything he could do? It’s not like they could simply run away or opt out of the test. He knew this was coming. He knew it from the moment they got here what was in store for them. '''

'''“We’ll both be A-Rankers, living in the height of luxury,” she smirked. Van could tell it was a weak attempt at a lie, but he couldn’t help smiling a bit himself. '''

'''“You know I love you, right,” he said, bending down and hugging her tight. He was expecting her to say it back, but instead, she begged him. '''

'''“Please, If you have to, become their dog,” she cried weakly. “You’re too stubborn and your pride is unnecessary. Please, please promise me…” She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he couldn’t refuse.'''

'''However, right before he could lie to her, his screen began to flare up and beep repeatedly, cutting off the rest of their conversation. It was time for him to go.'''

'''Looking at her one last time, he nodded his head, got to his feet, and strolled towards the door. Flinging it opened he walked ahead into a dimly lit hallway and came across two doors. On his right was a crisp white door, almost newly polished, but on his right with a glowing green circle above it, was a chipped black door. He took the hint and proceeded through it, cautious of any splitters the warn wood might give him. '''

'''As Van entered into the small room, he looked upon the puffy sky colored foam of the walls and frowned. '''

'''“You have to be kidding me,” he said, rolling his eyes. In the middle of the room were a round mahogany table and a metal folding chair. On the table was a clear glass of orange liquid. Van wasn’t sure what it was, but he picked it up anyway and eyeballed it. He believed it was orange juice, but didn’t hesitate to pour the drink onto the floor.'''

'''Only, as he tilted the glass sideways, the fluid didn’t splash onto the floor. It seemed to be so thick that it hardly budged at all. Even putting the glass completely upside like a ketchup bottle didn’t help run any of the liquid down. '''

'''That’s when he noticed the almost transparent needle on the table. Was he supposed to fill it up with the orange fluid? Just as he thought about throwing the glass, the side of the wall buzzed with static. It took a few seconds for the salt and peppered screen to fade away and be replaced with a clear monitor showing an old man. '''

'''With pudgy cheeks, a squashed nose, and more wrinkles than a walrus, the man’s face was the only thing outside his comb-over that reflected his age. As the man backed away from the camera, Van could see that under his stainless white lab coat the man had a very lanky body, almost stick thin. This man, who Van knew all too well, was Surewood Cortex, the owner of this, the Alpha-3 facility. '''

'''“Why hello there Van, how are you today?” he said in a greasy voice. As he talked, he rubbed his long dirty fingernails through his hair, and thanks to the high definition of the camera, Van could swear he saw white flakes powder the floor. '''

'''“What’s up with your guy’s obsession with bright colors? Also, where did you even find all these mattresses?” Van asked. To Van, the answer to these two questions was more important than anything that was about to go down. He had to know what their fixation with the colors was, but like with every question he asked, his answer was a simple shrug. '''

“Is that really important right now?” 

'''“It is to me,” Van said. '''

'''“Anyway…” Surewood started. He was sick of Van, the sarcastic little brat, never responding properly to the stages he set. If it was up to him, the child would have been neutered and sent straight to the Beta region, but it wasn’t up to him. Even he had orders. “It’s time for your final. Just as I did with the last eighteen kids, I’m going to replay the directions of the test to you now. As for the other eighteen kids, and of course your opponent, that is for my partner Charles Knowles to deal with.” Van wasn’t sure if the one to replay this information to the children was picked beforehand, but he was sure Surewood chose to be his bringer of bad news.'''

'''“Why waste your time?” Van asked, placing the glass back on the table with a clink and sitting in down in the chair. It gave a squeak as he sat down, the bolts must have been rusty. “We both know that I know everything. I’m one in a million, aren't I? Why not just throw me into whatever and let me put it together myself?” '''

'''“Well son, for starters, you are replaceable. It is indeed true you are a rare Esper, but you’re only about one in a hundred thousand.”'''

'''“Well, given how our population is only around ten million, I’d say that’s pretty darn rare.” Van leaned back in the chair allowing the two front legs to come off the ground as he stretched his arms back in a relaxed manner. Van wasn’t egotistical, nor arrogant, but he loved to act all that in front of these facility workers. He could admit to being a jerk, especially to people who lock you up in a building and train you to be mindless soldiers. '''

'''“You don’t even know half of what you think you do. Not the state of the world, not about Espers, and certainly not what’s going to happen to you next.” '''

'''“You’re going to make me fight that other kid to the death, right?” Van tried to keep up his cocky act, but he choked on the last few words. He knew it was going to happen, but he didn’t want it to. An Esper gained power through an increase in their aura. It’s a rather simple process. Studies, excesses, training, extending one's abilities, could all help to raise the amount of aura their brains could produce. Only, there were shortcuts.'''

'''Van knew of two. The one widely known all around their third of the country, deemed the Alpha region, was the pills. The other wasn’t as pleasant or known as the marketed Superdrug, but it was a million times more effective. Van knew this from firsthand experience with it. '''

'''“Yes, but that’s only half of it. Please, fill up the injection needle with the orange liquid on the table. It may seem to thick but it will go in easy,” Surewood said this with a sympathetic grin, but Van knew there was joy behind it. '''

'''“You didn’t even put out any eggs to go with my juice, so why would I do that?” Van challenged. There was no way he was going to inject glowing orange juice into his veins. '''

'''“It’s a drug we’ve developed, completely harmless to you of all people, but we need you to take it anyway. We’ve let you get away without taking the pills every morning, so can’t you just do us this one little favor?” His voice had a flamboyant sweetness to it that made Van’s shiver. What a creepy old man. '''

'''“You said taking the pills was a choice, why isn’t this?” “Oh it is sweetie, I’m sorry I didn’t make that clear.” Surewood was enjoying this tug and war game, and Van was losing his footing. Van knew he his next words would bring on a chilling response. '''

'''“Than I’m not doing it,” Van choked. Surewoods slick green eyes gave a shine as his dimples pressed the fold of his skin over them. Van was sure in his youth, Surewood had gotten far too many facelifts. '''

“It’s just that, I recommend you do, or, you’re sister might not like who her opponent will be.” 

'''“You leave my sister out of this! She’s taken your pills every day!” Van roared. The cup on the desk flew at the screen with the speed of a thin, aerodynamic bird, and smashed into the wall screen in front of him. Both the glass and monitor were undamaged. Surewood gave a shrill laugh. It was what he wanted. '''

'''“She's a prodigy. In all my years working in this facility, even with the pills, I’ve never seen someone blossom so beautifully. It would really be a shame if her stem had to be plucked so soon, say by an A-Ranker?” Lucy was talented, Van knew it. Sure he had never seen what Louis or Sayu could really do with their powers, but both of them always commented highly on what Lucy could do. Apparently, they were allowed to view our test, and both of them, and quite a few others stated she would have no problem getting into the B-Ward, but, an A-Ranker is on a whole different level. From what Louis once told him, B-Ranker’s were Dwarf Lantern-Sharks, while A-Ranker’s were Great Whites. Van had no idea what an S-Ranker would be like. Maybe a Megalodon if they continued with the themes of sharks. '''

'''“Is that why there were A-Rankers in a D-Ranked final? To weed out your stupid garden?” Van was angry, but he tried to keep himself in check. Still, he couldn’t be bothered to go retrieve the glass, so with a wave of his hand, he sent the unspilled glass soaring back into his palm. In the heat of the moment, Van completely forgot about his limiter, but as he was about to fight another kid to the death, he didn’t pay it much mind upon remembering.'''

“One seed can bear many fruits Mr. Limic,” Surewood said.

'''At this point, Van was sick of gardening puns. He never cared the hobby, as it was boring and a waste of time. Why spend half a year spraying pesticides on tomatoes to keep fat ugly caterpillars from munching on them when you could just go to the store and buy some?'''

'''With a shaking hand, Van dipped the point of the sharp needle into the orange liquid. As he pulled up on the syringe, he was surprised to see Surewood was right. The liquid really did shoot up without any problem at all. As if just by touching it with the point, the solid-like substance turned into a runny solution which had no issues going up the thin wire like needle. '''

'''Van gulped as he stabbed his vain and pushed the plunger. Outside of the known second of pain that causes kids in doctors offices all around the world to scream and bite physicians, he didn’t feel anything else. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Simply passing out from injecting himself was the most plausible, but some part of him was really hoping it would have awakened some deep, secret, power lingering inside of him. Orange juice was good for you after all. '''

'''“Happy? Now you won’t force Lucy to fight an A-Ranker, right?” Van barked, as if he was defying them by doing exactly what they told him to do. It seemed he wasn’t a very hardcore rebel going against the man after all. '''

'''“Don’t you worry Van, here, I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Surewood paused for an effect, hoping for a reaction from Van, but to his delight, got none. “It’s rigged. We’d never force someone as talented as your sister into a situation like that. We need strong Espers like you two.” He gave a wink, the adjacent mattress fell down exposing a door, and then the screen went blank. '''

'''Van felt stupid. Not only did he use Telekinesis right in front of Surewood Cortex, but he easily followed there demands. If he was going to cave in so easily, why was he being so difficult before? If he simply gave in, perhaps, even when he first got here and took the pills like he was asked, he could have saved himself so much trouble. '''

'''He remembered the feeble threat made at his sister. That’s why he got angry and gave in so easily. He had to protect her, but not just her, all of his family. They were the reason he fought against the faculty in the first place, but, was it really fighting? Or was it simply that, he had to much pride? The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to stop. Outside of being used, he couldn’t really see a problem with the typical faculty lifestyle. After all, Louis and Sayu seemed to enjoy it. '''

'''As he walked into a new dimly lit hallway, hearing the roars and thunders of applauding fans, he couldn’t help but wonder. Was he actually doing anything to hurt the facility? Was he actually fighting them and there power over him and his sister? Or, was he simply being a stubborn teen, putting off the inevitable of cleaning his room.'''  