THE AWAKENING: BIO-GENETICS
Chapter 67: Distinct

Chapter 67: Distinct

"Training will begin at first light, you all should be assembled in the hall. Tardiness won’t be tolerated!" he hissed, dead serious.

"Yes sir!" they all hissed in unison, shivering, General Anzai was somewhat scary and it creep them out, but there was no going back in this now.

"And one more thing" he began in a serious tone as his eyes landed on Hiro who jumped slightly when he felt his stare along with everyone else, he was now the center of attention and it made him nervous and then Anzai said words that made his head spark and his blood hot.

"I will be training all of you except Kimura Hiro!" he announced

Hiro paled at his words, he saw red, he fumed.

"What?!"

Everyone froze at General Anzai’s words, both stunned and confused, wondering why he said those words and why Hiro can’t train too.

"Why? Sir!" he demanded, he needed an explanation for this unexpected news, there was no way he was about to be left out, and for what reason?

Tori was also lost, he looked just as confused as the kids, he gave Anzai a puzzled look before composing himself, while clearing his throat ’What are you up to Anzai-san’.

"Because Kimura Hiro, you’re blind, and also you’re scheduled for an operation... seems like you didn’t heed Dr. Touka’s warning, your eyes are in critical condition, thereby I can’t train you as a bio-genetics" he states sternly, his tone serious leaving no room for argument, his heavy gaze on Hiro.

Hiro froze at his words as his fist tightened around the stance he held.

"Operation?" Ten said with shaky eyes. His mind flashed to when Hiro saved them, his eyes going off, and then they bled. He gulps hard at the memory, as his eyes widen in realization. ’Hiro’ could he be he wasn’t supposed to go that far? And yet he did? And now he was in a critical condition.

’Hiro’ Shino thought with shaky eyes. ’He wasn’t supposed to use his eyes and yet he saved us’ he adds with sad eyes.

Whispers filled the classroom. Yuki’s features turned dark as her fist clenched hard. ’Idiot’ she thought, biting her bottom lip. ’You really are an idiot’ that was what happens when you risk too much without thinking it through

"So Kimura Hiro, that’s the reason," Anzai said sternly with dark looks, his red eyes beaming dangerously.

"You’re a liability" he adds.

Hiro flinched at his words, his clenched hard at his words, ’not again’ he thought, once again he felt useless and it made his blood boil, he felt small and fragile, if only the ground could just open up and swallow him whole, right now... it was better than feeling this way, he thought of becoming stronger so that he could be useful for once in his life and now this?

"Alright Bio-genetics, that will be all, to your room, get some rest, by tomorrow at first light assemble at the training facility, I’m sure you know your way," Anzai said sternly with deadly looks.

Scared at his dark looks, one by one the rest of the 50 Bio-genetics sauntered out of the classroom hall one by one, all sparing Hiro a glance as they left, Hiro just stood like he was frozen in time.

Yuki stood behind, others didn’t notice.

"General Anzai," Tori said with a nudge of his head.

Anzai raised an eyebrow, his gaze on her.

"And you? Didn’t you hear what I said" he states in a simple tone trying to read her, her expression was blank and very hard to read? ’What’s with this kid?’ He thought with a skeptical look, she was odd, and he didn’t like odd people, better to tell what their next action would be than nothing at all.

"I’m sorry sir but I’m staying behind with Hiro," she said firmly.

Anzai removed the cigar from his mouth briefly, blowing smoke hair before putting it back, giving her a prolonged intense look.

"Suit yourself then, but make sure you’re at training by first light" he states as both he and Tori walk out of the classroom, the doors shutting closed.

"General Anzai, why did you say that to Hiro?" Tori asked with sad eyes.

"He’s a liability," Anzai said as they strolled along the hallway.

"More like a handicap, I watch the footage during their mission, his eyes are the only weapon he relies solely on, and also his downfall, he doesn’t have any skills, hell, he doesn’t look like he could wield a gun". He could tell all that from a look, Hiro was not a soldier, he wasn’t even sure he was capable of wielding a gun.

"But he’s General Kimura’s son, isn’t he like a spitting image of him? Expert in all combat and deadly tactics along with weapons? Aren’t kids supposed to take after their fathers?" Tori said, puzzled, even though he wasn’t married or anything yet or didn’t have any kids yet, he was sure that was the case between a kid and their parents, mostly with a father and a son. His granddad served in the old war along with his dad before they passed on.

Anzai halts instantly as does Tori behind him.

"General Anzai?"

Anzai’s mind traveled to a week ago.

_

A Week Ago

Level 20: Prime Minister’s Level

"Hiro grew up defiant of what his dad does, he never liked anything military, truly the opposite of Haruto" Prime minister Kiyoshi explained. " he may look like him but the kid is the obvious difference"

"I see," Anzai said sternly, funny enough he wasn’t surprised to hear that, because he knew not all kids wanna follow in the same footstep as them, but Hiro’s case was different, he was the son of a General, certain expectations were expected of him, but seems none rested with him.

"What a shame," Kiyoshi said, sighing before turning to Anzai who had an unreadable expression, he forced a smile.

"But assuming you were around I’m sure he would have taken a liking to it, it was really hard with Haruto not being around" he states, bringing out something from his drawer.

Anzai’s gaze fell on it.

He brought out a white transparent light bag with a headset inside broken in two, it was black looking like neon, the buttons at the sidelined red.

"Hiro was clinging to it tightly when they found him," he explains, his mind still replaying the day Dr. Touka gave it to him. "I think his dad gave it to him," he adds, giving it to Anzai.

With sad eyes, he took it.

"I leave Hiro and the rest of the bio-genetics to you, Anzai," Kiyoshi said, his eyes laced with seriousness.

Anzai’s grip tightens against the headset.

_

Present Day

"Not all of them Tori... not all of them," Anzai said with trembling eyes before walking ahead. "Some of them grow too far"

Tori gulped hard at his words before walking to catch up to him.

_ _ _

Classroom

Hiro remained in the classroom, seated, his fist still clenching the iron drip hard, his head hung down as his body trembled.

Yuki was seated beside him, but with a gap.

"Am I..." he began in a shaky voice.

Yuki turns to him with her usual unreadable expression.

"...a liability?" he adds with clenched teeth. He hated even saying the words, and he knew even when no one said it out loud he was actually one, he only had the power of his eyes which was deadly for him, the virus didn’t flow properly to the rest of his body as it should, he wasn’t strong like the others, with eyebrows raised in realization, General Anzai was right... he is...a liability.

"He’s right" he began faintly, the truth hitting him hard. "I am", his whole body trembled, he felt small, he felt insignificant, he felt weak.

"No... you aren’t" she states.

Making Hiro’s body stiff, he slowly raised his head, he was stunned he didn’t expect her to say something positive or consider him such. It was alarming even for someone like her.

"You aren’t a liability" she adds her tone laced with seriousness and for once he felt her emotions through her aura... yes her aura... her different aura unlike anything he has ever felt... a rare and mysterious color to him.

He gulps hard at her words facing forward.

"You’re just weak," she said sternly.

Hiro paled like a blank paper, with a sweat drop behind his head, he turned to her with eyebrow twitching. ’Isn’t that the same thing?’

"Which is why I will stick by you, because you’re weak and helpless" she states.

Hiro faced forward.

"You don’t have to say it that way" Hiro murmured under his breath, this girl was all kinds of weird, and worse she was sticking by him because he was weak and helpless, not exactly the kind of relationship he wanted from a girl, she should just leave him alone.