Chapter 29: Prime Investigators
Ilia panted, almost falling over several times as she tore up the grated steps onto the surface. She was going to put as much distance between her and the damn hall, even if it meant everyone else fleeing to their bunkers were at the other end of the underground structure. That wasn't supposed to happen! Hine had been so sure they could take on the Transformer with their new abilities, and yet she had been more than they'd ever imagined. Ilia bit her tongue as she stumbled again, tasting metal in her mouth. Her heart rammed against her ribcage. She could barely see; Hine's surge was so bright she barely turned away in time. The rest had scattered like flies. The scent of Wyld, singed by her light bolts, lingered in the air, thick and unrelenting, making her stomach flip over and over and bile rise in her throat. His red-raw body would be forever seared in her mind.
She didn't meet a single other User as she fled. Perhaps the rest had taken refuge in the dormitories after their plan went up in smoke. She just knew she had to get out of there; the Transformer was incensed and Ilia wouldn't dare to cross her path again. She'd rather face death than her wrath. The energy control in the Transformer was so precise that Ilia, who'd just ejected a bolt of energy without any calculation, was mind-boggled. So that was what a true high-ranker was like. She was a fool to think a transplant could bridge that gap.
Brushing her loosening hair out of her face, she sighed in relief when the cracked walls that marked the exit came into sight. The scientist would never let her return alive knowing they'd failed to capture the Transformer. Ilia would leave this place, return to normality, and stick to her guns. No more weird experiments or kidnappings, no more chemicals and watching her dear friends surge and sacrifice everything. And certainly no more monsters. It wasn't worth it. This was all a huge mistake.
She slowed, her racing heart steadying somewhat. Freedom was in sight. She stuck her head out. The heavy red fog blurred her surroundings as usual, but they would fade when she reach Area Four. She would probably be caught by Peacekeepers for breaching curfew but at least if she were seen leaving school, the punishment wouldn't be so severe – and perhaps she could work on her homework tonight. She would work hard, become a proper citizen again. Her feet hit the cobbled ground and she dashed in the direction of the broken fence she could climb through.
A movement out of the corner of Ilia's eyes caught her attention. She whipped around, sliding to a stop. Shadows moved in the red mist. Escaped monsters? Other students? But no, the students wouldn't be here. The move to underground was for good; the scientist made sure of that.
Swallowing, Ilia produced a small bolt of energy, bathing her body in white light, and shot it at the moving shapes. They scattered.
Before she could produce a second, something shot out of the mist and snagged her arm. She tugged, and cried out in pain as the snares dug into her skin. The leash tugged taut and she fell onto her knees. Without warning, a shock of electricity coursed through her body. She shrieked, her eyes rolling in her head. Her convulsing body slammed repeatedly against the floor, producing grazes and cuts. Her limbs flailed, beyond her control. Pain tore through her every cell, followed by numbness and pins and needles. When the electricity stopped, she lay on the floor, drenched in sweat and panting. Her heart rammed against her ribs.
Humanoid shapes took form around her. At least five surrounded her. Humans! Ilia's relief was short-lived when she recognised the bright yellow hooded cloaks. Her throat tightened. Investigators.
"Identify yourself," demanded the Investigator whose lasso still gripped Ilia's wrist. Ilia gulped, her throat dry as the desiccants she used in organic chemistry. She shrieked again when the Investigator sent another jolt of electricity down the whip.
"Ilia, Cl-class 2A," she whimpered. The Investigator with the lasso turned to his companions and whispered something. The others exchanged dark looks and one of them fished out her tablet. A few quick taps on it produced a hologram of her class photo and details. Ilia didn't need to peek to know what was making them so grim.
"Missing since the Area Five explosion on the morning of August 8th," said the female Investigator holding the tablet. Eagle-like eyes gazed down on Ilia. One of the other Investigators knelt down and grabbed Ilia's chin roughly, wrenching her head upwards. Tears coursed down Ilia's cheeks as her neck cricked. The girl scanned Ilia's face with light from the tablet. Ilia's head was dropped back onto the ground again. She wept in silence. "Looks like that shorty Peacekeeper's tip-off was right. Yes, this is she."
"A missing student in Area Six... Lira will want to hear about this."
"Lira is hearing about this right now," came a soft voice from not too far.
Ilia's blood turned to ice. She'd only ever heard that voice on the public announcements and holographic news at home, and even back then the voice stirred primal terror in her. She didn't dare move, but her whole body quaked.
The Investigators snapped to alert. The air of fear was not Ilia's alone. A tall and slender figure came out of the red fog. Long chestnut hair fell straight past a serious face with cold grey-green eyes, eyes that missed nothing. Her lips were turned into a smile but there was no humour in it. Lira wore a black version of the bright yellow cape associated with Investigators, gloved hands clasped loosely in front of her.
"What would a missing student be doing in a restricted area?" Lira's voice might be low, but every word sent shivers down Ilia's back. "I hope you have a good excuse, Ilia of Class 2A."
Ilia found she had no voice. Her lips trembled.
"Bring her to the tent. I want to have a... talk with her."
Arms grabbed hers and hoisted her up roughly. Her head snapped back, sending a spasm of pain down her spine from being on the ground for so long. The girl Investigator loosened her lasso but kept close by, her eyes never leaving Ilia's face. They must be the same age. Ilia's hands were wrenched behind her, her elbows pinned to her side, and the Investigators marched her beyond the red mist in the other direction to the broken fence. Tall, reinforced steel walls came into sight, and they stood wide open. Blinding white halogen lights poured through the gap, throwing long shadows behind the group. Ilia had never seen the gates to Area Six open before.
Lira called it a tent, but it was more like a small prison. A mobile electric fence stood at least six foot high around an erected dome-shaped building. Lira swiped at the entry pad and a small portion of the fence disappeared, returning when the group had passed. The door opened automatically, showing the interior of the first room, which was empty except for two chairs and a table, the latter of which had two metal loops on its surface.
The Investigators shoved Ilia in. She stumbled, her body numb from the electrocution and weak legs tangling into each other, and almost landed on her face. The palms of her hands grazed on the bumpy plastic floor as she fell, leaving red grazes. She pushed herself up onto shaking legs, watching Lira with a palpitating heart as she marched across and sat on the table. The rest of the Investigators retreated outside. The door slid shut again, leaving her alone with Lira.
Ilia kept her eyes fixed on the floor when Lira cast her steely gaze over her.
"My name is Lira," she said. Her voice was quiet but it resonated. Each word weighed heavy in the air like ominous wind, making Ilia break out yet again in sweat, as if a disaster was looming. "I am head of the Investigators in March City. I suppose you are aware of that."
Ilia nodded, mute. Everybody knew who Lira was.
"The way I work is I always get what I want. I get information from the staunchest, hardest students. I make the nastiest brutes weep and grovel for their lives. If you give me what I want, we needn't resort to that. Do I make myself clear?"
Ilia nodded again.
"Take a seat."
Ilia did as she was told. The fear wrapped with no mercy around her throat and tightened until she thought her eyeballs would explode. She clutched the front of her dirtied March City uniform, trying to even her breathing. Her skirt was rumpled and her shirt dirty from her flight. In this spotless tent and Lira's pristine condition, she was positively unkempt. Thoughts spun out of control in her mind.
"Put your hands through the cuffs."
She hesitated and then slid them through the loops. The metals tightened until they were snug around her wrists, her palms pointing at each other. There was no way to escape.
"What were you doing in Area Six?"
"I was – lost, returning from schoo—"
In one smooth movement, Lira reached across the table and touched – light as a feather – Ilia's hand. Before Ilia realised what was going on, her fingers on her right hand discharged a bolt of light onto her other hand. She screamed. The stomach-churning scent of singed flesh reached her nostrils. She turned and vomited over the edge of her plastic chair onto the floor. Lira lifted her legs delicately, avoiding the projectile. Some of it splashed onto Ilia's arm as she was still tethered to the table. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She gasped, heaving with breathlessness from the pain and from the nauseating scent.
Lira tilted her head, glacial eyes observing Ilia without any sympathy.
"Liars and time wasters will soon regret their decisions," she said, her voice as light as that feather-touch but more dangerous than any ability, enhanced or not. She leaned forward, grey-green eyes burning holes through Ilia's head. "Tougher and more skilled Users than you have tried and failed to defy me. I will ask again: what were you doing in Area Six?"
Ilia sobbed. Her hand throbbed, the tips numb. The light bolts had left bright crimson flesh, oozing straw-coloured liquid, on the palm of her hand. It was only a small blast over a small area, but she knew Lira wouldn't hesitate to escalate the situation.
"I was... running."
Those glacial eyes gave nothing away. Ilia swallowed and averted her gaze again.
"There was a fight downstairs... I was a spectator. It went wrong. I was running away."
Lira raised a gloved finger.
"Please!" Ilia said quickly, watching her in panic. "It's true! I know I'm not supposed to be there. I'm sorry. I trespassed. I'll take the punishment."
"You think I'm here interrogating you because you're out after curfew?" Lira let out a laugh as mirthless as her previous smile: a high, tinkling sound. She stopped abruptly and leaned over. Ilia shrank back. "How is it that you have the electromagnetic generation ability of Gray of Class 5B?"
Ilia trembled.
"She gave them to me."
"'She'?"
"The scientist... I don't know her name."
Lira brushed Ilia's hand again. This time, a larger bolt shot from her right hand. The light covered her whole left palm. Ilia screamed until her throat was raw. The smoky scent filled the tent. A trickle of brown smoke wafted from her burned left hand. Her arms trembled. The tears came in a steady stream. She sobbed, head bent over the table.
"No more! No more, please!"
Lira grabbed the back of her head and wretched Ilia back by a handful of her messy dark hair.
"Please!" Ilia's voice cracked. "I'm telling the truth! I promise!"
"I know," said Lira with a gentle smile, her face dangerously close to Ilia's. "You're frightened?"
Ilia snivelled and nodded. Lira's smile widened.
"Good." She released Ilia's head. "Now, this ability is stolen from Gray, am I correct?"
Ilia dared to just nod. She flinched when Lira raised her hand, but she only tapped her chin.
"And Gray is...?"
"D-dead."
"From the scientist's work?"
Ilia nodded. Lira seemed impartial to that revelation.
"Tell me about the fight."
Ilia sniffed. Blood mingled with the plasma oozing out of her burned hand. She swallowed bile that rose in her throat.
"It was... it was between Hine and the Transformer. We were no match. Hine, he... he surged. Things were getting bad, so I ran away."
"Ari, the Transformer?" Interest coloured Lira's previously monotonous voice. "She's also in Area Six?"
"Yes... she came for her sister, for M-mina."
"I see." Lira seemed genuinely intrigued. There was a new light in her eyes. She stroked her chin with her gloved hand, surveying Ilia with renewed interest. "Mina is a high achiever?"
"She's like me... not that good."
"I didn't think so. I've never heard of her name. And Mina is in Area Six of her own accord?"
"No. I think... I think the older students took her there after the exams. She didn't come willingly, not like most of us. The lady scientist asked for her."
"And what does this lady scientist have planned for Mina?"
"I think she wants to transplant Mina."
Lira's eyes narrowed. "I see."
"And... and she wants Ari for the last stage of her experiment. I don't know what it is. I just know she really wanted Ari. She got really excited when she learned about her ability – that's why she told us to bring Mina."
There were several seconds of silence before Lira asked the next question.
"How many of you are there?"
"I don't know."
Ilia barely had time to suck in a breath. The next blast coated her whole hand. She didn't remember screaming, but her throat was as raw as the skin, which blistered before peeling back, showing the bloody, fleshy innards. Her hand trembled but there was almost no sensation over the palms and fingers now, only the red-hot burns at the wrist where there were still some intact nerves.
"I don't!" she cried. "Twenty, maybe more! I don't know many of them!"
Lira's face gave nothing away. With an icy smile, she leaned forward again. Ilia flinched away. Lira snatched Ilia's ear and dragged her face closer, ignoring the whimpering.
"I have a task for you, Ilia," she whispered, her eyes bright. "If you do as I say, I promise no further punishment will come of your involvement in this. Do you understand me?"
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