Team 529

~Chapter 35: Day Thirty

It has been three days since Team 529 last saw Sensi. Their arms hurt and they were dying from hunger and thirst. They were still tied in the dusty dark room with no food or water or even the ability to move around.
It also has been three days since they last spoke with each other. In these three days, they recalled what has happened and stared emotionlessly infront of them. They didn't feel like talking. Or moving. Or eating. Or drinking.
Or living.
They were here, trapped with no one outside to trust. With no one to save them. Normally, Sensi would be there for them. He saved them when the white ninjas attack them. He did his best to heal Venus. He saved them from the grey ninjas. He healed all of them who were badly injured. He made sure they were all okay. He saved them from the earthling that wanted to know everything about them. He stopped Robot-8 from killing them. He stopped their battle with Umeda when it was going to wreck their lives. He sent them to school and agreed with them when they said they hated maths. He occationally also went to pick them up from school. He accepted the fact that they had human friends.
He was like a dad.
He was so...nice.

But then,
On the other side,
He trained them until they couldn't move. He gave them harsh punishments and didn't bat an eyelash while they suffered. He would refuse to give them long rests. He didn't care if they got injured during a battle as long as they beat the robot.
He didn't stop Rabo's attack.

"Guys.." Len broke the ever lasting silence that was between them. His voice was hoarse and when he talked, his throat hurt. It was dry and he hadn't moved it in days. They were all surprised when they heard his voice. "Lets leave." there was no emotion in his voice and it sounded empty.
"How? Smartass." Chizuko did the effort to move her eyes towards him. Her eyes were heavy since they haven't slept since Sensi left the room three days ago.
"We can." Len continued "We're tied by rope. We can."
It hurt Rin to hear her brother's voice so broken and vague.
"I don't want to leave." Nezumi muttered
"Lets leave." Len repeated "Lets leave... We can."
"Len please!" Rin said loudly, her tears pouring down. "Stop talking...stop...please! Len please."
Len looked up at his sister who was crying. He envied her. He also wanted to feel emotion. His feels flinched at the mention of his name from Rin's mouth. It has been long since the last time Rin called him just 'Len'.
"Rin. I'm sorry." Len moved his mouth upwards. It felt forgien to smile. It was so fake.
Suddenly there was fire from Chizuko's side as she burnt the rope tying her. "I'm sick of this." She kicked the pole she was tied to.
"Chiko." Nezumi said "Don't."
"Nezumi. We can't stay here." She went to Len and burnt the rope tying him. "We can't be the robots Sensi wants us to be."
Len got up and went to his crying sister, hugging her. She buried her face into his shoulders and cried her tears out.
"Lennie you..." Rin cried.
"Sorry." He untied the rope holding her and as soon as she was free, she threw her arms around his neck and cried even more.
Chizuko burnt the rope holding Mikasa and Killua then went to Nezumi and stood infront of him. "Are you leaving with us?" She asked emotionlessly.
"Chizuko, what would we do when we leave?" He said her full name
"Declare battle on Sensi." She replied with no emotion. "We will be the robots Sensi didn't wish us to be."
Nezumi looked into her eyes for any indication of emotion or at least doubt. But there was none.
"Burn it." He said ushering towards his rope.

"We are going to leave a note to Sensi." Killua said.
"How?" Mikasa asked "And why?"
"We should tell him that we are challenging him." Nezumi explained.
"Okay but how?" Mikasa asked again
Team 529 thought about it.
"Like this." Chizuko said as she held one of the metal scraps on the ground and slashed her wrist with it. Blood poured out of it and she just simply used her other hand to smear blood on the wall of the room. Team 529 nodded and copied her, some of them flinching.
They left a note behind, wipped the blood off their wrists then used their powers to break out of the room.
"YOU ARE NO TEACHER OF OURS
WE DESPISE YOU.
WE WILL BATTLE YOU.
AND WE WILL WIN.
-TEAM 529"
Was the note they left behind.

They got as far from the place as possible when Len fell face first onto the ground.
"Twinnie!" Rin jumped next to his side, turning him so that he was facing the sky.
"Whats wrong?" Killua asked "We haven't been walking for that long!"
"That idiot!" Nezumi exclaimed "Look at his wrist!"
Team 529 glanced at Len to find his wrist bleeding.
"He didn't close his wound!" Mikasa said in shock
"He must feel weak now from the amount of blood he lost." Killua sighed.
"What a smart guy." Chizuko rolled her eyes.
"Twinnie!~" Rin said in frustration "You left a trail behind you~"
Realization dwelled on Team 529. Sensi could follow them anytime now.
"We need to get far from here." Killua helped Len up and started walking "Now."
Team 529 hurried as much as Len could keep up until they reached a bridge and thats when they felt someone following them so they hid in the trees surronding the bridge.
"Shhh." Nezumi ordered. They all placed a hand on their mouth. Len felt a bit better.
They watched as Sensi walked towards the bridge and stopped midway looking around.
"Spread around." Killua whispered. Each member of Team 529 started slowly tip toeing away from the team to surrond Sensi from all the sides.
Sensi still seemed unaware of their presence.
"It seems like our first battle with him is already now." Len tsked. He wasn't happy. None of them were. They wished Sensi didn't follow them this quick. They wished he stayed back in the house for a bit longer.

"Three." Nezumi whispered
Team 529 closed their eyes and breathed in, made a few moments pass then breathed out.
"Two."
They slammed their eyes open then got in position to attack. Nezumi was about to give the last count down when they heard.
"Team 529. Get out of your hiding places. I know you're here." Sensi said
They tsked but jumped out anyway.
"You-"
"Don't say anything Sensi!" Mikasa ordered, relasing her power. "Don't."
Sensi, to their surprise, really didn't say anything and remained quite.
"W-we will attack!" Rin stuttered
Sensi seemed to think then glanced at the ground and nodded.
"Sensi." Killua said, standing straight back, out of defence posure. "If we ask questions, will you answer truthfully?"
Sensi looked at Killua in the eye for a while until Killua broke it and looked with guilt at the ground.
"Yes." Sensi said.
"Killua! Its no time for questions!" Nezumi shouted "This man wants us as tools! We can't be weak. Especially not on the first battle!"
Nezumi ran towards Sensi and aimed to hit him but Sensi dodged quickly. Sensi had a chance to strike Nezumi back. A clear shot but he merely stayed where he was.
"I'm trying to prevent the first battle!" Killua explained "I am trying to prevent all battles from happening."
Nezumi tsked and jumped back to his position.
"You will only answer with yes or no." Killua ordered. Sensi nodded.
"Are you on Rabo's side?" Killua asked
"No."
"We only want honesty Sensi!"
"Yes."
"Are you on his side?!"
"No."
Killua ruffled his white hair and breathed out uncertainly.
"Do you hate us?" Rin asked
"No."
"Liar!" Chizuko ran to him, relasing her burning fire in flames towards him. Sensi jumped up and landed behind her.
"I don't." Sensi insisted. His voice made something in Team 529's heart flinch. His voice was different from anything.
It almost sounded...hurt?
"A-are we tools to you?" Len asked
A moment of silence.
"No."
"Honest?"
"Yes."
"Do you..." Rin thought for a second "Do you trust us?"
Sensi looked at her. Then at the rest of the members then at the ground and closed his eyes.
Nezumi tsked "He doesn't." he whispered.
Sensi looked up at them again.
"Rabo's coming. Hide." He ordered.
"W-what?!" They all exclaimed
"You're running away from the question!" Chizuko exclaimed
"Answer Sensi! Please!" Mikasa shouted
Sensi looked around then said, for the first time, with desperation. "Team 529! Go. Hide. For God's sake! Listen to me this once! Rabo isn't alone. He's not letting you go this time, he's coming to kill you and me so go!"
Team 529 were taken aback by Sensi's sudden outbreak.
Was he worried?
Maybe he still cares.
"Sensi!" They exclaimed "We are not hiding anymore."
Sensi looked at them with disbelief and opened his mouth to say something but there was a crash next to them that made the whole place dusty.
"Well, well." They heard Rabo's voice "Isn't this tragic? Poor 529 had a fallout with their loving yet uncaring teacher. I nearly shed tears watching you lot from far." He said with sarcasm.
Team 529 coughed and tried to shake away the dust to be able to see Rabo clearly.
"A bridge?" Rabo continued "That seems like a perfect place for the seven of you. Oh wait, let me correct myself"
The smoke cleared and Team 529 saw Rabo. He came with his men. There were at least a hundred of them and they all looked bloodthirsty. Team 529 gasped as Rabo ignored them and continued
"This is the perfect grave for all seven of you."
His laugh echoed around the place.