Behind a smile

Part 30~Boken boy

Slowly, the world around me came into focus. I was in a dark cell with chains around my wrists, holding them above my head. Dim candles lit the room, letting me see the other people in the room.

But that was impossible. I started to search my mind for my siblings but none of them were there. That was impossible. They always were there.

Looking across the room again I could see three others. One I recognised as Jack. He looked awful, his wrists were bloody, clearly showing his attempts to get out. He had bruises forming on his cheek, whoever brought us here had hit him.

Next to Jack, was Chi. He was sleeping quietly against the wall but was shivering violently. He didn't look hurt but he was very cold and that was starting to make me worry.

The other person was still asleep. He looked like us but different. His hair was darker and more matted. He had dirt covering his face but didn't have any cuts or bruises. He had blood on his camo shirt, he almost looked like one of those old soldiers you saw in old pictures from before Quirks.

"J... Jack... Chi... who... who is tha... that...?" I watched Jack's face turn from confusion to realisation to joy and finally to pain as he moved and irritated his wrists. A small dribble of fresh blood travelling down them. "Jack! Do... don't move... You.. you'll hurt... hurt yourself..."

"Don't worry about me, Izu," Jack said hoarsely, his voice sounded rough and like he had been screaming. "How are you feeling?"

"I... I've had... had worse... My... my head is... is screaming... and... and I do... don't think... think my... my arm and... and ribs ha... have sud... suddenly healed... so... so they are throb... throbbing pretty bad.... bad," I explained dryly. "How.. how are you... you?"

"I'm fine, obviously."

I raised my eyebrow at him, knowing full well that he was not, in fact fine but I knew I wouldn't get him to admit anything so I changed subject. "How... how is Ch... Chi?"

"He had a headache but other than that he was fine. Any idea who he is? He hasn't woken up yet." Jack motioned for the soldier but hisses when he irritated his wrists.

"I... I have... have an I.. idea," I muttered, thinking back to what happened in the clearing. That voice, a new voice. I can see that now.... but if another voice is in my head, who is he? "I.... in the clear... clearing... I... I was be... being defeat... defeated... But... but then there... there was this... this voice... Like... like with you... you, the... the fir... first day you... you lived in... in my head..."

"Another sibling? Another brother? Is that possible? You stopped creating us after we left the orphanage," Jack gasped in shock.

"No... after we stopped getting hurt..."

We both turned our heads to see Chi waking up. His voice was so quiet we almost didn't hear it.

"We only stopped getting siblings after we stopped getting hurt... You were hurt, weren't you? They hurt you." I could see the tears glistening in Chi's eyes and all I wanted to do was run and comfort him but I knew I couldn't. Jack didn't seem to care though as he started to fight against the chain, more blood pooling down his arms. "No! Stop! Jack, stop!"

Jack stilled when he noticed that he was hurting Chi. "What do we do? We can't just f**king sit here and accept it!"

"No, but you could save yourself pain." The voice was hollow and harsh, just like it had been in the clearing. We turned our heads to look at the only other person in the room. He's broken, dull, gold eyes looked down at the ground. He looked so hurt and he has barely been alive a few days. Hours if you count how long he had actually been awake.

"What the f**k do you mean by that?!" Jack fought against his chains in anger but ended up hurting himself again and let out a low growl.

"Ja... Jack... calm down..." I turned slightly to face the new me, making sure that Jack new not to move. "Wha... what is you... your name?"

"I don't have a name."

That's weird. Everyone of my siblings has had a name when they were born. I shared a look with Chi and Jack before turning back to the broken teen. "Why... why are you... you here? Ever... everyone of... of us had... has a purpose... do... do you have... have one?"

"We have purposes?" Jack gave me a smirk causing me to roll my eyes.

"M... Mei heal... heals us... Ja... Jack pro... protects us... Ch.. Chi keeps us... us happy.... Koi pro... provides us with.. with information... Za... Zama hel... helps us live... Sor... Sora keeps us... us inspired... and... and you mu... must have a... a purpose too..."

"I kill."

The silence that followed was unbearable, you could have heard a needle drop or a mouse squeak or a final leaf fall of the autumn tree. "I... I won... wonder what the... the trees are... are like... At... at home... The... the Kik... Kikyas will be... be blooming soon... You... you'll like them... give... give you a... a chance to... to see life... life rather than... than death..." I smiled at the broken me, hoping he got the message. "Did... did you kill... kill Hisashi..."

"No. I took his energy but not all of it. He will live. I'm not sure why I didn't kill him."

"Because you are not meant to kill," Jack said simply, not even looking at him. He looked conflicted, as if we showed him an impossible world. "No one's purpose is just to kill. You always have a choice to kill them or let them live, you can always choose for them to live."

"How sweet of you, Jack." The door clanged open, someone walking in. "Comforting a person who hasn't even existed for three days. Well, I guess it's time for you to meet my new friends, son."