The Commission's Game

Suitcases

The teenagers were swaying, bleary-eyed and downright exhausted. Kodai rubbed her eyes with fisted hands, in an attempt to wake herself up. But the attempts weren’t working well--only accomplishing in aggravating her skin and making it red. 

Shoji and Aoyama weren't much better, having been light sleepers their whole lives plus attempting to relax in a strange environment, impacted them hard. Next to them stood Soda, Shinso, and Midoriya. From behind that row remained Todoroki, Mei and Shiyozaki. 

 Monoma was grimacing from his spot a bit away from the group. 

A loud bang was heard, making some of the teenagers flinch. 

The door across from the group burst open, Matuka entering flippantly. His stride was powerful, domineering. And his height did not aid in making the students feel safe. He basked in their tired expressions, just stopping short of their group before grinning. After a good night's sleep after muling over his options, he felt great. He glanced around the room, taking in the puffy faces and bloodshot eyes of the children before him. 

Besides Todoroki and Shinso, the teens were all in the same clothes as they were last night. That was about to change.

“From here on out,” He spoke, voice booming. It ricocheted off the walls and felt like knives in their bodies. “You are all property of the Commission. Meaning you will abide by anything a representative or I say. At all times.”

At this, he could see a few of the tired faces wake up. He saw the jaw of the Todoroki kid tighten and his eyes hardened. Oh this one will be fun. 

A couple of kids from their group opened their mouths as if they were to say something. Matuka grinned, his teeth baring forward in a cruel semblance of a smile. He used his bulky hands to snap his fingers. Two guards stepped forward, their arms holding  a surplus of cloths. Silence encased the room once more, but with a grin, Matuka noted how a few of the teens showed outward signs of anger and resistance. 

Maybe this whole group will be fun, he thinks maliciously, running his tongue over his teeth. But he stopped short, noting two teens who seemed to not be reacting beyond expressing fatigue. He paused, feeling anger rising up at their lack of expression and fear. He noted how he would look into that later. “You all will now change clothes and wear the Commission’s mandatory uniforms as you are all under the Commission’s wing and are foretelling its strengths. From here on out, failure of compliance and excellency is not an option.” He speaks levelly, twisting his gaze to every kid in the room except for one, which lingers on Midoriya’s downcasted gaze for far longer than normal. “For the next couple of weeks, you will be trained, worked to the bone, and taken in for questioning whenever necessary. Remember you are being monitored by both your class and by the general audience. Of which, if you attempt to speak to the camera or contact someone without the Commission’s previous acceptance or authorization, then you will be taken to a different campus and placed under the watchful eye of someone who is not nearly as kind as we are here.” It was a threat and a promise mixed into one box and tied in a bow. 

Kodai gulped, not at all losing sight of the looming, unspoken array of punishments left unsaid if one of the group didn't follow orders. And with this array of people, the outcomes were not looking good. 

Monoma was seething at the condescending, scathing look that Matuka was sending him. It felt like a challenge, It was a challenge. The longer the teen seemed to stay still, the more itchy he felt: itching to move, itching to rise up, itching to throw something, choke someone. But he let out a breath through bared teeth and let his anger simmer below the surface. His blank eyes made contact with Matsuka, the challenge left unsaid verbally yet flowing through the air like a wind. 

Shinso was also glaring at the bulky Commission representative but kept his disdain relatively un-noticeable to the naked eye. 

Shoji raised his hand, seemingly unbothered by the thick, angry atmosphere around him. He kept his expression steady while he confidently raised his hand. From a couple people down, a pink-haired teenager also shot her hand in the air like a bayonet. 

Matuka peeled his gaze from Monoma and glanced at the two raised hands. “Yes?”He drawled, eyes landing firmly on Shoji. 

“Sir, when will we get our suitcases?” He asked. 

Matsuka grinned, “You won’t.” He said bluntly. There was a small round of chattering that became prominent at his words, making the adult increasingly annoyed at their lack of silence and respect. He held back a sneer and a scoff. “The Commission has deemed it unnecessary to permit luggage from an outside source inside the building. Here, you are already supplied with what you need.” 

Midoriya snapped his head up, wide, nervous eyes looking into the adult’s. 

“But what about our personal belongings?” Soda mumbled, not bothering to meet anyone’s eyes. 

This time, Matuka couldn’t hold back a glare. “I do believe that if you need something that is mandatory for your health and wellbeing, then it should be found in your charts. But otherwise, personal desires are not required to be successful within the Commission’s walls.”

“I have a photo of my family in the suitcase, can I at least have that?” Spoke up Kodai, a bite in her voice. She popped a hip, her stance becoming unbalanced for a second. Similarly, her arms were crossed and she held a firm gaze. 

"Me too! I have photos of my babies that I like to look at before I go to bed--" chimed in the loud voice of Mei.

"Ma famille! Ma mere sends me letters that I must answer, she will know where to mail them, correct?" Spoke up Aoyama.

"Silence!" Yelled out a now completely miffed Matuka. His shoulders were stiff and face harsh.

The guards were still behind the Commission leader, though upon him giving them another signal, they began passing out the new clothes. 

“While here, you all are property of the Commission,” Matuka droned on, taking a deep breath before speaking further, “and therefore, you all do not need outside squandries to take up the forefront of your mind. Now get dressed and head back down here. Your guards will escort you to the cafeteria. Then your day will begin.” He spoke, ignoring the rest of the chatter and questions coming his way. With a swirl of confidence and condescending attitude, Matuka left the dorms, another predatory grin overcoming his facial features.