Monarch 2: Connections

Chapter 11 - Kazuyuki

"You are weak! And that is why you will die here!"

Kazuyuki woke in a cold, metal room. There was minimal light coming from a small window at the top of a wall. On the opposite wall, a solid metal door stood with a sliding panel to look in. As he attempted to sit up on the hard bed, he noticed his hands were bound with large, metal cuffs.

He was able to sit up and move to the edge of the bed, so he could fully take in his surroundings. There was a small toilet and sink across from his bed, but aside from that, his room was barren. He wondered for a moment why he was here... When his memory kicked in.

He fought against Takashi and used his abilities. Two enhanced fighting each other. He hasn't heard of an incident like that since the end of the war...

Kazuyuki leaned forward and held his forehead. He realized he was sweating profusely. He could still feel the residual anger...

"Regretting your actions?" Kazuyuki jumped at the new voice. He looked to the door to see a set of harsh brown eyes staring in at him like he was a troublesome animal. "Or are you regretting that you couldn't finish the job?"

"Huh?" Kazuyuki tried to speak, but he realized his throat was dry. He took a moment to regain his voice. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About three days..." The man said, coldly. "Anyway, now that you're awake we can proceed with the hearings... Your defense lawyer provided by the government will be here later today, so don't fall back asleep..."

Before Kazuyuki could object, the man slammed the sliding partition shut, leaving him alone with his thoughts. If it's been three days, the others have undoubtedly returned to Fujisawa now. And he immediately thought of how Katsuki was doing. From what he remembered, she was recovering well and would just need bed rest and monitoring. But what if something flared up? What if her injury ended up infected? And then there was the matter of the potential trouble he caused for Jace and Rekka.

The Minster of Defense swore that their military records would be kept strictly under lock and key. But would that deal apply if any of them got in trouble with the law? And if this would be an exception, would that compromise the trust that the Minister had for him and Rekka?

All of these thoughts combined with what seemed like dehydration were causing Kazuyuki's head to hurt. He struggled to his feet and managed to sip some water out of the sink. It probably wasn't the cleanest in the world, but it would have to do. Afterward, he sat on the bed with his back on the cold metal wall. Out of curiosity, Kazuyuki attempted to use his abilities, but it seemed like the cuffs had some kind of ability to block his powers. He didn't even have his strength.

Over the next hour, Kazuyuki reluctantly replayed the entire day of the ski trip in his head over and over. Making sure he had every detail of what happened ironed out. He knew the best chance he had was to tell the truth. He knew in his heart that he acted only in self-defense. His level of force was justified...

Soon enough, he was released from his cell and escorted to a small conference room. He was then ordered to sit in a chair, and his cuffs were chained to the desk, keeping him from moving much. It was uncomfortable, but Kazuyuki managed.

"Now then..." The public defender sighed as he looked around, carefully examining the room. "I have been briefed on the situation from the prosecution. From what they said, you fought against another enhanced human due to a fight over a... Girl..." The defender raised his eyebrow, waiting for Kazuyuki to respond.

"It's not quite that simple, sir," Kazuyuki started.

"Oh, I'm sure it's not. But I care not about the details..." The defender leaned forward and interlaced his fingers. "The problem for you is the prosecution has a compelling case." The defender looked around once more. Then he locked eyes with Kazuyuki. "And I, quite plainly, agree with their claims..."