Say I Love You

Are You Even Human?

Third Person POV:

The group of boys ran away from the attacking Neighbor, still terrified. "W-wait for us!" One of them yells, supporting his injured friend. A huge explosion goes off at they both glance back. Another boy [should I say man? >.0]  is standing there, a Border agent of Miwa Squad, sent to take care of the Bamster.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, seemingly slightly annoyed. "This area is off-limits."

The injured boy yells, still scared and angry, "Save us! A Neighbor is attacking!!"

The agent ignores them. "Ren-san, I've found civilians en route to the Forbidden Zone. One is injured. It seems they spotted the Neighbor." He stares the two boys down. "Requesting 'protection'."

MeAnWhIlE... A huge smoking crater was driven into the ground. Two more Border agents stand on the edge of it. "This is Miwa on sight. The fighting is over. A large-scale Neighbor confirmed down." Agent Miwa continues, "They made a scene. Which squad did this?"

Miwa's com crackles, "Hold on while I check."

"We're late to the party, Shuji," the other agent speaks up, "This thing was torn to pieces. This is A-rank work for sure."

The other boy analyzes the remains. "It must be." His com crackles once more.

"This is weird, no squads were there... I don't see any squad activity. We are the first to arrive."

Miwa's eyes narrow, "What's going on? Who could have done this?"

Is ThIs A tImE sKiP?

Yuma's POV

Osamu runs up behind me gasping, "What do you mean you're a Neighbor?! That thing was a Neighbor!"

Wait, is that what they think here? No wonder Osamu looked so confused. "No, that big thing was a Trion soldier." I explain, "They're automated weapons built by Neighbors. Neighbors are humans like me that live across the Gate." I almost wince when I say like me. Am I even human anymore, with this body?

Osamu looks scared of me now, "But I didn't call that thing!" I try to assure him. "Our world also has lots of different people."

~TiMeSkIp~

It's darker now, and Osamu's taking me down are busy street filled with strange glowing signs. "You're in Border and you didn't know?" I ask, continuing our conversation. It's hard to believe Border wouldn't tell their own agents how the Neighborhood and Neighbors work...

"I've never heard of anything like that." Osamu must still be running on adrenaline, or maybe he's just always this intense. "It sounds like nonsense!"

Nothing feels right about any of this. This whole world is strange, Border doesn't make any sense, and Osamu... is the most foolish person I've ever met. "This is pretty different from what my dad told me," I mutter, mostly lost in thought.

Replica stretches up, "Running away from the site quickly was a wise move," he reassures. I wasn't thinking about that at all, but he is right. The way Osamu is talking, Border wouldn't even try to listen to me. I'm pretty sure they'd just attack, no questions asked. Because I'm a Neighbor, and apparently no one knows that we're humans. I mean better for me, fewer people will question my strange appearance, they won't even suspect I'm a Neighbor. But all that cover could be blown. Because of one person.

I pound my hand in my fist. "Listen up Osamu!" Crossing my arms, I make a clear X emphasizing my point. "Forget everything I said."

His face is a mask of confusion and disbelief.