Chapter 49
[68]
Wakaba sat in the back of a police riot vehicle with her hands cuffed behind her and 6 armored officers aiming their weapons at her. She had agreed to confess to her crimes and enter police custody willingly under one condition, that she got to speak to Sojiro and Futaba Sakura face to face before her incarceration.
“So you’re the one who caused the crime spree in Yongen last night?” One of the officers asked, their voice muffled behind the mask. “Did you know 4 officers died that night?” Their tone became aggressive.
Wakaba merely looked down. “I’m sorry.” She said in a hushed tone.
“You’re sorry!?” They stomped on the floor. “The one you brainwashed couldn’t bear what he’d done and took his own life! He had 3 kids! They lost their father and you’re sorry!? You don’t get to be!”
“HEY!” The officer next to them shouted. “Calm. Down. We have a job to do. She’ll face justice. If you pull anything, I’ll have you court martialed.”
The aggressive officer growled before lowering their weapon.
When they finally reached the holding area, Wakaba was escorted through the halls to the cell she would be held at until her transportation to The Raft. As they walked through the facility she noticed a hall which was closed off for reconstruction.
When the guards escorting her finally came to a stop, she was standing in front of a small bench attached to the wall and a toilet next to it. They pushed her forward towards the bench and made her take a seat. When she was seated, the guards stepped away before signalling to a camera.
The floor around the cell made a low pitched humming noise as thick glass slowly rose from the floor until it reached the ceiling completely surrounding and trapping Wakaba. The first thing she noticed was the silence, now she was unable to hear anything in this cell, almost like she was wearing noise cancelling headphones. The dead silence of the cell seemed like punishment in and of itself.
She deserved it, she deserved everything she was getting and more. If she could get her one request, then she was willing to bear it all.
Futaba’s veins ran cold as she was escorted through the facility. It was scary here, not because it looked dangerous, but more because it didn’t. The walls of this place were a stark white with absolutely nothing on them. The hum of the lights was constant and was the only noise across the facility.
She held tightly onto Sojiro’s arm as they were escorted through the long empty halls by a guard. Her mom had only agreed to come quietly because she wanted to speak to her. This was all too much, it was just this morning that they were all sitting at the Leblanc counter, eating breakfast together.
This couldn’t be real, right? Her mom wasn’t a criminal, she was a scientist who travelled the country helping to establish renewable energy sources. Her grip on Sojiro’s arm tightened and he placed his free hand on her head to console her.
As the two of them rounded a corner, they reached a glass container, within which sat her mother. Wakaba Isshiki sat on a small bench with her head down, her eyes obscured by her hair.
“MOM!” Futaba ran up and placed her hands on the glass. However, Wakaba had no reaction, seemingly unable to hear her.
“Young lady, remove your hands from the glass at once.” The guard ordered Futaba while reaching for his baton.
Futaba complied and slowly stepped away from the container back into Sojiro’s arms.
The guard turned to Sojiro before speaking once again. “You have 5 minutes to speak with her. After that amount of time, all further communication will be cut off and you will be escorted off the premises. Do you understand?”
“Yes. I understand.” Sojiro replied.
“And you, young lady, do you understand?”
“Yes,” Futaba wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Yes, I understand.”
“Alright.” The guard walked over to the wall and slid open a panel to reveal a phone on the wall, the kind one would see at a payphone. He pressed a button beneath the phone before holding it up to his ear.
Futaba turned to the inside of the cell and saw Wakaba suddenly look up from the floor, seemingly startled by a noise. When she looked outside and saw her daughter and Sojiro, a large smile graced Wakaba’s face. She’d been crying, Futaba noticed, the tear stains were still on her cheeks and her eyes were red. Wakaba pressed her hand against the glass and used the other to wipe her face, overwhelmed by the emotions she was feeling.
“Prisoner 086, remove your hand from the glass and pick up the phone!” Came the voice of the guard on their end. Wakaba seemingly heard him too as she began searching around her cell only to see a small panel emerge from the wall with a matching phone on her end.
Wakaba picked up the phone and held it to her ear before the guard repeated his question from earlier to her. Futaba watched as her mother spoke into the phone before Sojiro was handed the phone.
Wiping the tears from his own eyes and sniffling his nose, Futaba’s adoptive father spoke into the phone.
“Hey there Wakaba *sniff* we’re um...we’re here.”
“Sojiro,” Came the voice from the other end, loud enough that Futaba could hear it as well. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you, both of you, for so long.” Wakaba paused. “I’m sick. I’m very sick. I have been for years, but I kept it from both of you for your own protection.”
“Wakaba, what are you talking about?” Sojiro asked, anger and sadness present in his tone. “What is all of this about? What did you do?”
Wakaba sighed before taking a seat on the bench. “There was an accident at work 8 years ago. We were experimenting with dark matter, testing its capabilities and potential uses. One day in the lab, something went very *sigh* very wrong, and I was exposed to the raw dark matter.”
As she spoke Wakaba held up her hand and her pale skin shifted in color to a glowing black.
“Afterwards, I was left...different than before. They kept me for study for months, that was that summer where I told you we had a breakthrough and they needed me to stay indefinitely.”
Sojiro’s face was shocked at seeing Wakaba’s powers for the first time, Futaba as well but she merely turned and clung to Sojiro.
“I-I remember that day.” Sojiro managed to get out. “Futaba had wanted us to go to Destinyland together, she was heartbroken when you said you weren’t coming.”
“I’m so sorry Futaba.” Wakaba spoke directly to her daughter. Futaba looked up from Sojiro’s side to see her mother giving her a sad smile, more tears were running down her cheeks. “I wanted to be there more than anything, but it was dangerous. And I couldn’t dare to risk your safety.”
“So how...how did you come back to us?” Futaba finally spoke into the phone, her voice cracking as she spoke.
“The scientists experimenting on me created a drug, one that could suppress my powers for a time. That was why I was able to visit, but never for long. It lost its effect over time. This trip...It was going to be my last week with you before they began more ‘drastic’ measures.”
“Dr-Drastic measures? What do you mean?”
“Surgery. Intensive, life threatening surgery. Possible lobotomies. Whatever it took to find what made me tick. On the off chance I lived and was cured, I could retire and go back to you both. But the odds, they didn’t look good. So I managed to convince them to give me one more week with you all.”
“Wakaba…” Sojiro was stunned at the revelation.
“...Or so I thought.” Wakaba continued, surprising them both. “I don’t understand why, but something happened when they let me out. The drug they were supposed to give me was a fake. And when I began to change, I tried to call for help, but Shido Sciences ceased all communication with me.” She stared back at the ground.
“I think…” She spoke again. “I think they wanted all of this to happen. I think they wanted my condition to take over and for me to do all of this. Why? I still don’t understand, but it makes me think. Maybe what happened to me 8 years ago wasn’t an accident, that thought has been rattling around in my head for some time now and I think it may be true.”
“You have one minute remaining.” The guard spoke from across the hall.
Panic rose on Wakaba’s face as her time was running out. “Futaba! Futaba honey look at me!” The woman ran over to the glass and placed her free hand on the barrier separating them.
Sojiro handed his daughter the phone. Futaba wiped the tears from her eyes and placed her hand over her mother’s from the other side of the glass.
“Sweetie, I love you more than anything in the whole world. I want you to know that. I’m sorry that my mistakes kept us apart, even long before my condition. You mean the world to me and I’m just so, so sorry that I couldn’t be there when you needed me to be. You and Sojiro, you’re gonna be alright without me. And I know you’re gonna do great things when you grow up.”
“M-M-Mom…” Futaba’s tears were pouring uncontrollably now.
“Sojiro.” Wakaba addressed her best friend and her daughter’s guardian. Futaba held the phone out so he could hear. “I need you to promise me something.”
“Anything, Wakaba.”
“I need you to keep Futaba safe. Something is coming and I don’t want her having any part of it. You keep her safe no matter what. Got it?”
“Of course Wakaba.”
“Good. There’s one last thing I need you both to hear. One more secret I’ve kept even longer than my condition. It’s about your father, Futaba.”
“M-My father?”
“Yes. I’m ashamed to tell you this, but I need there to be no more secrets.” Wakaba’s face became dead serious.
“Your father is Masayoshi Shido.”