Angel With Broken Wings

52 - Kat Ride and Rayne Ames (2)

[POV CHANGE | RAYNE]

I keep my eyes trained on the strawberry blonde girl, my gaze remaining stuck as it takes in her figure. "May we go now?" Her voice came out strained, the girl shifting from side to side as she lowers her younger brother to the floor, my eyes sweeping the room to look for any objections.

"I just have one question." Orter Madl spoke up with his eyes glaring at the girl, a healing mage having been allowed in the room to tend to his broken wrist. "What did Innocent Zero mean...when they said birds?" I see her flinch at the question, Mash Burnedead taking a cautious step forward as if to protect Kat Ride from anything that could cause her harm.

I hear her sigh, a hand landing on the black haired boy's shoulder as she steps around him once more, moving past the boy to stand in front of him. The Adler dorm robes sliding off her figure as she does so, her expression going void of emotion as wings soon stretch out from her back. White coloured wings with black and brown speckles scattered through out fill up our visions as we watch the girl closely.

"Gazzy and I...we are both human-avian experiments. From being embryos to our ages now we have been experiemented on and provided with enhanced strength and speed, as well as our wings." Her words echoed in the room, the silence surrounding the space nearly suffocating as she continues, "We are 98% human and 2% avian...the day I was sent to this world...I was supposed to be executed for being deemed a failure to them."

I clench my hands into fists at her words, somehow managing to keep my face stoic as she continues with a mocking scoff, "I guess that's something you people and the White Coats, the people who created us I mean, have in common, no? Anyone deemed unworthy doesn't deserve a chance to even live." I hear the Headmaster cough from beside me, the older gentleman moving forward and to the three magic-less individuals with slow strides.

"Now, now, I'm sure they understand your point. How many of you are there?" His question makes her look over at him, her voice coming out with a more respectful tone, "There are seven, sir. Gazzy told me the other day that...Innocent Zero has our other siblings as hostages." I ponder at her words, my eyes not leaving her figure albeit narrowing once Mash Burnedead lands one of his hands into her shoulder, brushing fingers against her neck as he mutters,

"The other thing..." She gifts a bitter smile as she nods, her voice soon coming out, "Well...whether you people execute us or not, the scientists at the School, or rather the lab, developed some sort of failsafe on some of their experiments...so, there's a chance that an expiration date shows up before you lot get the chance to kill us."

I move forward at her words, the question escaping my lips in a hurry, much to the shock of the other Visionaries within the room, "They gave you an expiration date?" She nods slowly, hesitating to answer for a moment before the words come out shakily, "Yes. To them we are nothing but objects, things meant to be tortured and then disposed of. Really...I guess they'd get along with this world's laws quite nicely."

Ryoh Grantz lets out a disheartened sigh at her words, his voice coming out, "How cruel...to treat children in such a way. It doesn't matter if they are lackmagics or not, nobody should have to go through such things." She lets out a small laugh at that, responding to his disdain with a shocking revelation, "Oh? Where I'm from there's really no such thing as magic, then again, what else is to be expected when we come from another world?"

"Another world?" Headmaster Wahlberg questions her words with a look of surprise within his gaze, his eyes having widened as small whispers appear within the room from different sides. Kat answers slowly, her head moving up and down to nod at his question as she speaks, her brother inching closer to her as she does so, "Yes, it appears Innocent Zero and the scientists from my world developed a device that can help them go back and forth between them.

"So...the people who did this to me and Gazzy are also magic-less." Her words hang in the air heavily, Orter Madl checking on his wrist as he maneuvers it slightly, the healing mage having accomplished their job and having left the room. His voice comes out with a tone of disdain, his expression darkening further, "That...if that is true, it is something needing to be dealt with in a hurry. No matter how unbelievable it sounds, I doubt that you'd have any reason to lie considering your position."

"Darn...I hoped that would've been able to hurt longer." Her words came out absentmindedly as her right eye peers at Orter's formerly broken wrist, the Visionary letting out a grunt as he turns around to leave the room. "We will be leaving to discuss this matter further. Be prepared to be called upon at a moments notice to answer any other questions we might have."

His words seem to adjourn the case within the room, the other Visionaries leaving one by one with only Ryoh gifting the three magic-less individuals a farewell and leaving myself, Headmaster Wahlberg and the three of them in the room.

The older gentleman lets out a curious huff as he looks at the young boy beside Kat, speaking gently to the child as he does so, "I must say, quite a smart move choosing me as your overseer." The blonde child shrugs slightly as he hears the compliment, his voice coming out somewhat timid as he answers, "I figured...that I'd be able to see her more if I chose you, Mister."

"That is indeed true. Unfortunately, I must take you with me as I go...but no worries, you two will surely see each other soon." The boy lets out a nervous sigh as he nods, moving forward and soon grasping on to the Headmaster's hand, the pair getting enveloped in a green flame as they teleport away from the room.

I watch the two first-years in front of my for a moment before I move forward once more, a green flame soon covering the three of us as we teleport back to the courtyard of Easton Academy. Mash and Kat share a look to one another as they take in the area around them, my feet remaining firmly planted in my spot as I continue to scan the strawberry blonde before me.

"Mash, you can go on ahead... I'll be right there, okay?" Her voice comes out gently as she spoke, a contrast to how her tone was at the Bureau and sparking another twinge on curiosity in me toward the girl. The boy nods, his eyes switching between us both before he slowly moves away, speaking to the girl as he does so,

"See you at the dorms."

[POV CHANGE | KAT]

I shift side to side once I find myself alone with Rayne, my head peeking up slightly as I take him in with my right eye's vision. "Thank you." His yellow eyes widen slightly as he lets out a cough, his stance rigid as he nods slowly at my words. "You're...welcome. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

I let out a small laugh at that, a smile forming across my lips as I lift my head to look at the sky. "No, you've done a lot for me really...I mean, I even cut my hair thanks to your encouragement from before." I twirl a strand around my index finger, lowering my head once more to connect our eyes together.

He raises his left hand slowly to connect against my cheek, brushing his hand gently against it as he takes a few strands within his fingers. He moves closer slightly as he does so, moving his head downwards to press his lips against a few of the strands before letting them fall back against my shoulder, our gazes connecting once more within our close proximity as he speaks softly, breath caressing against my ear as lips brush against my cheek,

"It's certainly beautiful." My breath hitches at his words, the male stepping backwards with a small, nearly hidden, smirk planted on his lips as he watches my face flush a slight pink with his compliment, "I'll be seeing you, Kat Ride."

His words end as he envelops himself in green flames once more, the second-year Adler teleporting away as he does, my voice coming out in a breathless whisper, heart pounding at the third person to show such boldness in affection towards me,

"Bye...Rayne Ames..."