Hamatora - Story Untold

Chapter 2 - Numbers

-" How many are there? Clones, i mean." - Ratio asked.

-" To be honest, it's an uncertain number. "- Cake answered -" Many of them either were killed off, ran away or are yet to be awakened."

-" What do you mean by killed off? "- Musaraki asked -" And awakened?"

-" By killed off, it means what i just said. If you don't develop more than the original or you become worthless you die. Simple as that. "- Cake said, without any expression on his face.

-" And by awakened, he means we aren't born like you. Your DNA is stored in the facilities, then when they find your minimum interesting, they create a copy of you. "- Timber said, looking at Nice -" It takes several months for us to be fully completed, so by the time we are ready to be "born" they awaken our minimum."

-" How do they do that? The minimum awakens when the holder is ready, or in extreme iminent danger... "- Birthday pondered out loud.

-" Exactly. They either remove us from life support, or do anything that possibly will kill us if we don't stop it. "- Cake answered.

-" What happens when you don't awaken? "- Nice asked.

-" We die. Then they simply create another one like the last and try again. "- Timber answered -" It's not like they care or anything."

-" They just kill you?! How can they do that without being stopped? Don't you have rights? "- Honey asked, outraged.

-" Rights? We don't exist. We are only lab rats, we are nothing. Born from nothing, created to do nothing except expand our abilities. "- Timber spoke, with both hurt and guilt in her eyes.

-"But why do they do that? They want to know that extent of your abilities but why? You can't leave right? So why do they have interest in the ones that already left Facultas? "- Nice asked, angered.

-" Because... if they see that your power is amazingly strong, they'll do anything in their power to bring you back. That's why some copies run away. Even us are fearfull of what they might do. "- Cake said -" That and the Bond copies hold to their original."

-" Bond? "- Musaraki asked, curious.

-" Yeah, it's like this. You can miles away, but your copy will always feel what you do. If you cut your hand, the copy will feel like he or she just cut her hand. "- Cake aswered -" Althought it's nice to not feel so alone, that bond has a down side."

-" What's the down side? "- Honey asked.

-" If we die, you don't feel a thing... But if you die, we'll feel like we just died. Sometimes it takes months, others take years to overcome that feeling. "- Cake said -" But since they don't want to waste that much time on us,they erase us..."

-" They kill you, if we die? "- Nice asked, in awe.

-" Yeah, that's why Lance was after you. "- Timber said to Nice -" If he kill's you, i'm next in line for the execution."

-" But why does he want you dead? "- Ratio asked.

-" Easy. Timber is far to strong for Lance, so if she dies he will become the strongest in the facility. "- Cake said -" But, since she is too strong, he can't kill her, but you're weak and reckless. For him, you're an easy target."

-" But how did he found out about me? Does Facultas know i'm here? "- Nice asked.

-" Yes and no. Facultas knows you're in this town, but not your location precisely. "- Cake answered -" He found out after your little breakdown."

-" Little breakdown? The hell are you talking about? "- Nice asked, angrily.

-" When your friend died. Takahiro was it. You were seriously angry and extremely sad. "- Timber said, looking down at her feet -" You felt so bad, you wanted to fall to the ground and scream your lungs out... Well you didn't, i did."

-" You did? "- Nice asked.

-" Basically, Timber felt just as she was there. That he was her friend and she wanted to save him. That triggered a slight depression on her and Lance thought it was a good time to kill you. "- Cake aswered.

-" But why? "- Ratio asked.

-" Because, if you enter a depression, you have two choices: You get up and move on immediately or you get killed. "- Timber said -" The facility wastes no time on the weak. That's why we copies are so close to each other."

-" If we don't group up and become like Lance, we are less than worthless. When i fell to the ground, all out friends came running towards me and yelled out for me to get up. They were so scared. "- Timber spoke, sadly -" They didn't want me to die. That's why i had to save you. I don't like you. Not even the slightless chance, but if you die... i die."

-" So you basically saved me so you could live? "- Nice asked -" That's a good reason, i guess..."

-" Oh, why? You think so greatly of yourself i had to come running to save you because you're so important? "- Timber mocked -" Trust me, i could care less if you died. But i'm your copy and i don't wanna die. I have friends who need my protection, friends who deserve it."

-" Yeah, now that you mencioned it. We should get back. The facility is probrably noticing our absence by now. "- Cake said, getting up.

-" If there's still a facility. How in the world did you think it was best to leave Nell on charge of everything? That girl has atleast a hundred screws loose up in her head. "- Timber told Cake.

-" Well... She is a party animal, but she is the only on who keeps Aqua and Luy off each others throats. "- Cake anwered.

-" I guess you're right in that situation. "- Timber sighned -" We have to go back now."

-" Will you be back? "- Nice asked Timber.

-" It depends. I have to take care of my friends, and i will have to find Lance, before he regrets he was ever created. "- Timber answered.

-" How many friends do you have to take care of? Three? Four? "- Birthday asked.

-" Well, there's Luy, Aqua, Nell, me, Timber and Mo. So we're six in total. "- Cake answered.

-" But there are atleast two hundered squads like mine or even more. Like i said, only the facility knows the exact number of Nobodies that exist. "- Timber told them -" It's possible we even surpass the number of Original's."

-" So basically you, there more of you than actual born minimum holder's? "- Musaraki asked.

-" I don't know. But our original names are created by serial numbers. So if i'm 9-19 and Cake is 2-22, that would mean i'm younger than him right? Wrong. The numbers start backwards. It was supposed to start at 10, but... i'm 9, and i'm one of the younger generations of Nobodies. The number probably goes to 100 or bellow. "- Timber said, walking towards the door -" One advice. Don't get yourself involved too much in this. Our path is like quick-sand. It will get a hold of you and you won't be able to escape, ever again."