renegades [teenage mercenary]

002 * under major editing

"011?"

She flinched as she heard him speak, his familiar voice throwing her out of her hazed thoughts. She took a step back, cautious of his presence as she made sure to not slip on the towel she dropped. Even though he was at least two meters away from her, she still felt too close. So close.

She took note of Mr. Kang to her ten o'clock, standing a distance away.

She looked back at 001, thoroughly searching his facial features to ensure it was him and not some false lighting. Or could it possibly be a dream? But who else would know her number? She shook her head. Although his silver hair was shorter (still unkempt as before, she discerned) and his eyes had this sense of warmth she had never seen before, it was unmistakably him. It was 001.

It just didn't make sense—he was supposed to be dead. They had told her he had died that fateful night. She frowned. So they had lied. What was new?

"001? How are you here?"

He must've been thinking the same thing about her for this situation to occur. Was he working here at the military base? Although, with a quick rundown of his outfit, he wasn't wearing fatigues of any sort. He was wearing some sort of uniform, although she wasn't sure what work he'd be doing having to wear a uniform so...illogical. A suit? Where was the mobility in that? Was he undercover, maybe?

She was taken aback as he gave her a warm smile that reached his dark eyes, and she couldn't help but feel her walls slowly deteriorating, losing grip on the vigilance she was trying so hard to hold on to. How much had changed in his life if he was comfortable enough to smile like this?

"Major Kang found me a little over six months ago," he said. So it wasn't a coincidence. "He must have put together that we both worked at the Camp." She stood there, shocked. Mr. Kang—Major Kang had seemed so sure that she was numbered without even really knowing. He was smart bringing 001—she would give him that. 

"You misunderstood," she countered. "How are you here—how are you alive?" 

"...I faked my death."

Rei paused, her thoughts a mix of anger and envy and surprise. She couldn't be angry when he had done the same thing she did but yet it felt so wrong to hear. He was their leader. You couldn't just quit being a leader, couldn't quit that kind of responsibility.

"I didn't want you to know that I was ever thinking about it in case they were to ask you. You know how good they are at picking out lies. They wouldn't stop until they found out if they knew you or anyone else was aware of my whereabouts." All she could do was nod and think about his words. Despite how upset she was that he had never told her, that she had to go and chase him through those woods only to pretend that she was bent on killing him...it was reasonable. She'd rather the plausible deniability on her part than know and have to risk more than the torture she had already received.

"You killed them. The other numbers."

Confusion crossed his face.

"What?"

"They all died—searching for you and then we were searching for them and so many—so many didn't come back."

"I didn't kill anyone. Just injured them enough to leave them unable to fight back."

Rei's brows furrowed as she looked away. It didn't make sense. If he didn't kill them, then who did? Which Number would do that? They all resented and disliked each other, but it was a silent rule. They didn't kill each other. No friendly fire.

She licked her cracked lips as they started to dry. What was she supposed to say? He was lying? They lied? But it didn't matter if he was lying. In fact, it didn't matter what side was right. Nothing could change the punishments and the torture they went through after he 'died' or the deaths and the consequences they faced for his actions.