Tokyo: Become Human

Chapter 16: Sparks

His condition only began to worsen.

Every step he took made her head throb, so she could only imagine how he was feeling. Even with her supporting most of his weight, the most they could manage together was a slow, awkward hobble. Rin knew he wasn't going to last very long like this, but what choice did she have? They couldn't very well just sit in the street and live like beggars, hoping someone would take pity on him before he...

She refused to finish that thought.

The mysterious figure disappeared beyond a fence that separated the street from a part of the forest. From the way that Len nearly came to a halt, she could tell he wasn't all too keen on the idea of this person leading them into the woods. Or he would be, if he was at his full consciousness, but he only seemed to lean into her like he didn't know what was going on.

Rin couldn't leave it like this. She thought back to the address that the girl, Teto, had given her. It was somewhere stuffed in her bag, but would they really make it there? It was all the way across the city, way too far to traverse without causing Len even more pain. And the train they were supposed to take? Well, it wasn't likely that no one would notice the two, which was a chance they couldn't take. At the very least, she needed her brother in better shape before they could get anywhere, and the best she could do for him right now was find him a place to rest and try to fix him up somehow.

There was a hole in one part of the fence big enough for them to fit through. The shadow had the same idea apparently, because they gestured for the two to hurry up. Rin noticed a hologram just beyond the boundary.

Authorized Personnel Only.

"Don't mind that." The figure rasped.

Rin shrugged and hauled Len through the hole, wrapping his arms around her shoulders so she could pull him easier. He made it in, only to collapse in her arms as soon as they were through. His knees buckled and a shockwave of electricity shot through the base of her spine.

"Len?" Cautiously, she shook him a little to see if he could keep walking.

He merely groaned, clinging to her weakly like a sick child.

Panic rose in her chest. "Len, please." She tried shaking him again, to no avail. Her arms were getting tired under his weight. "We can't stay here, we need to go." Oh god, what was she going to do now?

A hand reached out to them.

Rin moved him away from it instinctively, until she saw it was the person she was supposed to be following, their hood and clothes soaked from the rain. They put their arms under his, and used their hand to make a circular spinning gesture. Rin assumed they wanted her to turn around, so she did.

Len's arms were then instantly draped over her shoulders. She understood what was going on, and bent down to slide off her backpack. At the same time she latched under his legs so that he was securely on her back.

"I've got you." The person said.

They took up the backpack, and began guiding them, their hand on Len's back. He was lighter than Rin thought he was, but still a little heavy, so the three of them were forced to a snail's pace.

The woods were wet and damp, the ground all muddy and slick, forcing each step to be very slow and careful. Foliage stuck to her ankles, catching her tights and scratching up her feet. Her soaked hair clung to her face. She nearly jumped as something black and slimy fell onto her cheek, before remembering that she had changed her hair color earlier; it was a mere lock of hair.

"We're almost there." Assured the shadow.

Rin nodded. "I hope so."

Indeed she did, since Len was now borderline unconscious and getting heavier by the second. She could both hear and feel his thirium pump as it pulsed feebly, and it hit her just then that she was going to run out of time.

She was running out of time.

There was no way that was going to happen.

She felt herself moving faster, leaping over logs and rocks, stomping through the mud, stirring up the insects dwelling in the forest floor. She splashed up a bunch of puddles and felt the water seeping into her shoes, but forced herself to ignore the squishing of her feet.

"Stop."

Rin came to a sudden halt. The shadow was now standing in front of them, holding out their hand in a "stay there" gesture. Only this didn't seem right, though she didn't know how.

"We think, therefore we are."

The shadow was now next to them again.

Wait.

Rin looked back and forth, and suddenly she realized that there were two of them now. One of them, the one in front, was much taller than the one she'd been following all this time.

The taller one stepped back and pressed their hand against what appeared to be a rock wall covered in vines. They pulled back the vines to reveal a narrow opening that was just wide enough for the average sized man to fit.

The tall shadow stalked towards Rin and held out both his arms. She didn't understand what they wanted, until they sighed exasperatedly.

"Give me the boy."

Instantly, Rin backed up. "No."

"Just do it." Said the shorter shadow.

Reluctantly, Rin allowed the tall shadow to slide Len off her slowly. They cradled him and gently lifted him up, his head resting against their chest.

"Come." Said the small shadow.

Rin felt uneasy letting these people carry Len off without telling her what was going to happen next, but once again she reminded herself that she didn't have much of a choice.

The two of them disappeared beyond the vines, and the small shadow and her walked towards the tunnel together.

The figure held out their arm.

"What is it?" Rin asked.

The shadow stepped out in front, blocking her path.

"I can't allow you to continue."