Pandion (Genera #1)

Chapter 22

H arumine woke up half past nine and finally felt better. He was scraped and bruised from the night’s ordeal, but that was a small price to pay compared to Takazaki. The past few days were a blurry mess from the brain fog and the painkillers, but he could piece together most of what had happened.

He wasn’t in his own bed; it was Kagesawa’s. Kagesawa was asleep on the floor, surrounded by tools and spare parts, with a BCI and a computer that looked like it had been smashed into the wall. Harumine tiptoed out of the room.

Everything that could be broken by throwing it around had been thrown around and broken. He had to watch his step to not step onto glass or other rubble. There was no sense trying to sort it out since they probably wouldn’t be able to stay. What a wasted effort to have made it livable.

Harumine heard a noise from the corridor. Skittish from the previous night’s events, he hurried to check what it was. There was someone there, in the corridor. Harumine didn’t recognise him.

Was he alone, or…? Judging by the man’s shifty behaviour, he was trying to remain inconspicuous. The noise Harumine had heard was the sound of him breaking into the apartment next door. What in the world?

Since there was no obvious size-difference and the man didn’t seem very menacing, Harumine decided to step in. He wasn’t about to let some stranger break into Takazaki’s apartment unchallenged, even though under the circumstances it probably didn’t matter.

“Excuse me.” Harumine opened the door and faced the man head on before he had time to disappear into the apartment. The man turned to look.

“Who are you?” he asked as if Harumine was the unexpected stranger in this situation.

“That’s what I was going to ask you.”

“Stay out of this. It doesn’t concern you.” The man entered the apartment.

Harumine considered heeding the advice. It wasn’t any of his business, however… Hey, sorry to wake you. There’s a man over here. He broke into Takazaki’s apartment.

A moment later a bleary-eyed Kagesawa appeared from the bedroom.

“What did he look like?”

“I don’t know, regular. Dark, messy hair. About my size.”

“So essentially like you but with darker hair?”

“I guess.” Harumine didn’t appreciate the comparison. The man had looked much shadier than him.

“That describes half of the local male population.” Kagesawa headed out into the corridor.

Are you implying I look exactly like everyone else? Harumine followed him.

No, I think your hair is a lighter shade. Kagesawa knocked on the door. The lock was now clearly broken, but it still didn’t seem right to barge in unannounced.

“Excuse me.” He let himself in without waiting, though.

The police had yet to show up, even though they’d been notified hours ago. A frightening number of people had to have been busy last night to keep their hands full elsewhere.

Takazaki lay on the floor where they’d left him. The stranger was sitting on his haunches next to the body. He turned to look at Kagesawa.

“Oh dear,” he said and turned back. “Why are you up this early in the morning?”

Harumine turned to Kagesawa, who now looked like he might bust a vein. He knows you? You know him?

“Yajima.”

The one who disappeared?

“It’s been a while.” Yajima moved aside Takazaki’s hair to determine the same thing they had not that many hours ago.

“What are you doing here?” Kagesawa asked and took a few steps closer.

“Lost the link to this one, so I decided to come and check. Didn’t think it would be this bad.” Yajima sighed. He didn’t seem shocked by Takazaki’s fate, but he did show some respect handling the body. He adjusted the head back to a less grotesque position and lowered a handkerchief over Takazaki’s face. Then he stood up and turned back to Kagesawa.

“How have you been? Well, I trust? This must be your new link?” He spoke as if there hadn’t been anything unusual about how they’d parted ways.

Kagesawa tightened his fist to prepare for throwing a punch but restrained himself and shook it open instead.

“Why did you leave?”

“You have DEFD.” Yajima’s response was immediate, like he’d never meant to keep it a secret, like it was public knowledge.

“You knew about that?” Kagesawa frowned.

“How stupid do you think I am? I confronted your parents, and they fessed up. I left to protect you. You didn’t sleep, you were consumed by the work. That thing was unstable and developing like crazy, and you didn’t even notice. You seem to be doing better now. I’m glad.”

“My parents?” Kagesawa latched onto this with surprising ferocity. “They know?”

“Sheesh, they’re your parents. Your DEFD is obvious to anyone with half a brain. Of course they fucking know. They’re the ones who fudged your school application and bribed the examiner.” Yajima sighed. “But I guess the EA’s corruption scandals don’t matter anymore. I used to think that was the thing I’d use to bring them down, but it looks like it was the seemingly random piece of information you passed on to Takazaki here.”

“You,” Harumine butted in. “You caused all of this!”

It hadn’t felt right when Kagesawa had been arguing with Takazaki. Harumine would have made more of an effort to sort it out then, but he’d been on his meds. The feelings of regret and anger flooding in from Kagesawa’s side were overwhelming mixed with his own.

“It was slightly more effective than I’d hoped. I didn’t foresee all of this.” Yajima gestured at Takazaki’s corpse and the rest of the apartment. “No one deserves to go like that.” He glanced down, his demeanour a strange mix of aloofness and caring.

“What?” he asked.

“You were linked to him, but you sound like you’re talking about a sandwich that fell on the floor.” Harumine wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this.

Kagesawa had believed Takazaki had betrayed him, yet he’d been devastated when he’d found out about his death.

“We weren’t that fond of each other, but it was a convenient partnership. He was always a bit too into all the organism and tech stuff. Not my cup of tea. I thought he would have been better suited for you, Tsuyoshi-kun.” Yajima shrugged.

Kagesawa ignored him. “What now?” he asked instead.

“I guess I need to find someone else to work with. What’s the point of having this thing in my head if I don’t make use of it? I’ve got a few projects I’m working on. Need to get those wrapped up before I can hit the road and get the hell out of here.” Yajima paused for a moment before he continued. “I don’t suppose you’ve checked if it’s grown a lot since? In light of the recent data and considering the growth-rate, it wouldn’t surprise me if that thing actually gained sentience inside your head. That would give the JufO something real to chase.”

“Wouldn’t say if it did.” The corner of Kagesawa’s eye was twitching.

“Figures. Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but since this wasn’t the warm welcome I was expecting, I think I’ll take my leave.” As he passed them, Yajima politely nodded to Harumine. Harumine nodded back out of instinct and watched Kagesawa, worried.

Are you all right? he asked, though it was obvious through the link how Kagesawa was feeling. Any plans of doing something about it, though, were interrupted by Yajima sounding the alarm from the front door.

“There’s people down there.” He doubled back into the hallway.

Harumine checked the corridor. A group of people, difficult to say how many, had returned.

Shit, didn’t they do enough damage yesterday? Harumine tried to make out what they were saying. Someone was answering all of their questions. Knowing how well-liked Kagesawa was by his neighbours, it was difficult to imagine why anyone would give them anything.

Who is it? Kagesawa joined them at the door.

The people somewhere downstairs were having a conversation:

“I called you as soon as I saw him. I’ve seen him here occasionally, going into apartment seventy-eight.”

“Seventy-eight. Was that where we found one yesterday?”

“There should be a pair in seventy-nine as well.”

“It was empty, but we did find empath tech in there. Maybe they’re back.”

The prospect of having to jump out the window again did not appeal to Harumine, but it seemed where this situation was heading.

Who the hell is it? I know this voice. Kagesawa tried to see behind the corner and down the stairs without attracting attention.

Does it matter? We need to get the hell out of here.

“Guys, they’ll head up soon.” Yajima was looking for an alternative route out of Takazaki’s apartment.

Take Yajima and go to seventy-six. Noguchi-san will let you in. I’ll be right there. Kagesawa headed back into their apartment.

“What’s he doing?” Yajima had time to ask before Harumine pulled him along down the hall.

As they passed the stairs, Harumine could see enough to guess which door the people downstairs had knocked. It being at an angle from the stairs, he and Yajima had no trouble passing by undetected.

It’s Nishimura. Harumine rang Noguchi-san’s doorbell.

That can’t be right.

“Yes?” Noguchi-san appeared at the door. Harumine lifted his finger up to his lips to signal silence. She frowned, but it didn’t take her long to catch the drift. She let them in and closed the door carefully.

“I heard a frightful noise yesterday. They came knocking on my door as well. Get in the closet. I’ll handle this.” She seemed trustworthy, but since Harumine had thought the same about Nishimura only a moment ago, having to hide in the closet made him a tad bit antsy. Yajima complied but looked equally unhappy about it.

“What’s Tsuyoshi-kun up to? Does he have a plan?” Yajima whispered.

“I sure hope so.” Harumine couldn’t say what was so important that Kagesawa had to return to the apartment for it. The priority should have been to get the hell out of here. Please hurry…

Kagesawa grabbed the bags he’d packed from under his bed, put on his coat and headed for the window. Swinging out had felt slightly more covert in the dark with no one around, but at least this was the top floor and high enough for not many people to notice.

Kagesawa climbed out and past the downspout. He felt safer once he’d reached the side of the narrow alleyway. Teetering on the ledge was precarious enough without the baggage, so he let them fall down to the ground below and made his way across the side of the building. He tried to hurry, but it was slow going to avoid falling down to his death.

I’m outside. I’m coming over. I think there might be a ladder over there, but I can’t remember for sure. He had a vague recollection of seeing one, but it could have easily been the adjacent building with what his memory was like.

I can hear them in the corridor now. They’re up here. We’re in the closet. Should I check for the ladder? Never mind. They’re at Noguchi-san’s door. Shit. I hope we can trust her.

So long as no one peered out the windows looking for trouble, Kagesawa was confident he could reach the other side. The challenge was to get Satoru and Yajima out and down.

Oh, thank God, she’s giving them hell, Satoru continued. Kagesawa hadn’t doubted that she would. Nishimura maybe yes, but Noguchi-san? She would never betray him. They had an understanding.

I’ve reached the corner. There’s a ladder, but it’s going to be a jump. It’s on the building across, a metre or so. As soon as you can safely get out of there, do it.

Kagesawa waited. Time slowed to a crawl. When Satoru finally swung himself out through the window with Yajima close behind him, Kagesawa grabbed a hold of him and helped him over to the downspout, relieved. Once he’d made sure Satoru had reached the ladder safely, he turned to help Yajima, who was struggling similarly.

They were now out of the building but by no means out of danger. The streets were likely still crawling with anti-empath vigilantes. No place was safe.

“Tsuyoshi-kun!”

Kagesawa turned toward the window to see Noguchi-san’s head poking out. He hurried over.

“This is for the young one.” She handed Kagesawa a knitted jumper. “Take care of yourselves out there.” Her hands remained over Kagesawa’s for a while.

“Thank you. For everything.” It occurred to Kagesawa that this could be the last time he saw her or any of his other neighbours. The world had changed, and it was possible it would never be safe to return. “Give my regards.”

“Will do. Thank you as well.”

“It’s been a pleasure.” Kagesawa flashed her a smile, and though clearly worried, she returned it.

“Likewise.”

At the bottom of the ladder, Harumine waited for Kagesawa to climb down. In the meantime, Yajima checked the options for the safest route for a getaway. He didn’t seem interested in making this a group effort, but he was there, unable to decide which way to head, when Kagesawa descended down to street level.

“How did you get here? Did you drive?” Kagesawa asked him, tossed Harumine a jumper—just the thing to ward off the worst of the cold—and hurried to pick up some bags from the other end of the alley. Yajima shook his head.

“I came from out of town. The train was faster.”

“Here.” Kagesawa gave both Yajima and Harumine a bag each. “It’s less suspicious if I’m not the only one carrying all this.”

“What is it?” Yajima asked.

Harumine peeked into the bag he’d been given. It seemed like a basic set of travel gear. “Oh sweet, you packed my toothbrush?” He was genuinely happy to see it, even though it didn’t seem like a priority right now.

“What the hell happened that made you this organised?” Yajima gave Kagesawa some suspicious side-eye.

Kagesawa responded with a casual shrug and pointed at Harumine.

“Don’t look at me. I’ve had a migraine for the past few days. I’ve not been fit to focus on anything, much less help anyone.”

“I was motivated.” Kagesawa took Harumine by the hand and pulled him along.

“Um, where are we going?” Harumine glanced at Yajima to see if he would follow. Yajima checked the street behind them again but opted to tag along.

“The train station, I’m assuming. We can discuss the destination on the way there, but right now we should get going while that mob is still busy inside.” Kagesawa turned into another back alley and headed in the opposite direction from the nearest station. Harumine was about to point this out before realising said station was practically next to the local EA office. It was probably a smart move to avoid the area.

I think I know where we should go. The EA had started organising safe spaces for empaths, but with its resources dwarfed by the unrest and with the two of them no longer being licensed empaths, relying on the EA for help was not an option.

However, none of this affected Harumine’s alumni status. Moreover, it was the only place besides the EA headquarters that Harumine could think of to host the equipment and the knowledge that could help shed light on what was going on inside Kagesawa’s head.

There might be some unexpected benefits to being the natural teacher’s pet – type of student. Harumine had been on good terms with most of his professors, but there were a few in particular that sprung to mind.

The SEU.

He could tell Kagesawa wasn’t thrilled, but it was understandable. The SEU had a reputation, and it could differ a lot depending on who you spoke to.

Are they even going to let me in? Kagesawa glanced at Yajima. Not to mention him.

“ Are the two of you projecting about me? He has that look.” Yajima glared at Kagesawa.

He looks like he’s skulking everywhere he goes by default. No sane person would voluntarily let him in and expect him to not be thieving at the first opportunity. Kagesawa’s comments were comically petty. The dynamic between the two had the faint scent of an old divorced couple.

Harumine tried to keep a straight face. This was not the time to indulge in humorous mental imagery… but it was hard to resist.

“Only the highest praise, I assure you,” he said to Yajima. “I think I have a safe place in mind for us, and you’re free to join.”