Araki sat quietly on the chair he was appointed to, "attending" the meeting. It was the first time he was allowed to participate in such an important event of the organization. It was originally a meeting with the attendance of The Five and Kane, but the latter had Araki a seat for him to report progress of the experiments.
But he hadn't said a single word in the past 30 minutes.
"We've found a substitute for the last test subject, there isn't much to say now, but the experiment has shown incredible results after a few tests. The matching DNA has accelerated the progress a great deal."
Kane presented in his seat, a smile on his face the entire time. He clicked on a file from his tablet, and a profile popped up on others' screen after, including Araki's. The doctor had seen the file thousand times before, yet each time it would bring to him a different feeling.
"Test subject C45, Hattori Ren. With the most compatible DNA so far, he proves to be the perfect test subject. I will leave the details of the project to Araki-sensei here."
Kane suddenly gestured to Araki, who jolted up in his seat once he realized he was the center of the attention by then. Expectant eyes turned to him, making the man nervous.
"A-anou... the early tests showed that the DNA is 97% compatible with the virus, and though the maturing time is quite long, about 4 to 5 months, it's likely to be active and spread immediately after the maturation is completed."
"Excellent news, the best one so far in 3 long years, isn't it gentlemen?" said Kane.
"I will send someone to replace Okamura next month, will you be able to hold on until then doc?" Kane looked over Araki with a beaming smile.
"I... I don't need an assistant." A tint of sorrow laced in his voice, to which Kane arched an eyebrow.
"Very well then, the meeting is done. Gentlemen, you may leave the building."
The screens blacked out with the leaving of the people in the room, leaving only the doctor, and the guy. "Say it, whatever it is." Kane fell back on his chair, spinning it around to face Araki at the end of the table with a frown.
"Why did you have to kill Shishio-kun?"
Those golden eyes turned cold.
"He was a traitor, he indirectly killed his previous boss, he contacted with Port Mafia - our rival. If I hadn't found him that day, the kid would've been handed over to Port Mafia. Once that is done, your work will be over. And you'll never have that chance to see your wife again."
At the mention of the woman, the man in the white lab coat suddenly pulled himself back, the sight of him challenging Kane was gone. The memory of a lady dressed in sheer red with one hand holding her hat, the other waving flashed through his mind. She stood in the breeze carrying of spring weather, as beautiful as a piece of art.
"Remember why you came to me in the first place, Araki-sensei."
Kane stood himself up once he found no point in staying any further, his shadow trailed behind him, casting over Araki in a moment. Those golden eyes bit his spine cold, forcing him to turn away from the look.
Araki was then the only one left in the room. His fist clenched and eyes hung low, he sat in the dark.
"A future where your eyes are still bright."
With the new found strength, the man exited the meeting room and went straight to the lab. His work wasn't considered "ethical", he had seen many deaths, caused many deaths, but the towering guilt inside him disappeared the moment the memories of the woman he called wife resurfaced. It was his initial reason to take this job, it had always been the only reason.
For his selfish reason, Araki moved on with his doing without a wave of guilt surging within him.
The metal door pulled opened quietly, leaving rays of light from outside flooding in before the man turned on the light switch. The bright light illumined the room, casting on the figure sitting on the bed, a frightened expression on his face.
"Hello Ren." Araki managed a bright smile, still unsuccessful of warming up to the boy.
"Your blood test yesterday was wonderful! My work benefits more from it than just the vessel of the virus. So we will try another test today, okay Ren?"
With that announcement, Ren bolted from his bed, eyes read aggressive as he speared towards Araki with a pencil. There wasn't any yelp nor scream of pain, there was only a glare setting on him.
"Even after all this time you still haven't learnt to be a good kid."
The pencil dug into the flesh of the man he was most afraid of, and Ren pulled back witnessing his father tore out the pencil from his forearm. The fire in those blackish eyes he inherited from the man died out almost immediately, replacing it was the same fear he experienced every time before a beating.
Ren was dragged out in the watch of Araki, who couldn't do much of a thing to the situation either. The cries of the boy echoed throughout the hallway, it continued even when he was chained on the patient bed. Every struggle was in vain, no matter how hard he tried.
"Stay still! I will not repeat myself!"
Like a reflex, the boy stopped struggling, he stayed quietly still on the bed like the exact order from his father. Ren was unable of disobeying the man in any situation. Araki was astonished, even though it wasn't the first time he saw it happened. The absolute obedience of the child to his father, regardless of what the father did, regardless of what the boy thought.
"We'll do some health check Ren. It'll be finished in no time."
There wasn't a reply, as if the child had already given up on that patient bed. Reluctantly, Araki moved on to checking Ren's pulse, then hooked him up to the monitor next to the bed.
"He's in a very good condition, the virus is fully activated. New blood cells are reproduced at an excellent pace."
"Good work Ren." Araki turned to the lad only to find the sedative had already put him out.
"Let him rest, I'll have your wound treated, Shou-san."
Araki received no reply, the father stood there quietly watching his son on the bed. It would have been a loving scene if those blackish eyes of the man didn't burn with hatred. Araki had no knowledge of the relationship between Shou and Ren, how it turned sour like such, but even for an abusive parent, Shou was getting out of his way.
Araki jumped in just in time to stop Shou from stabbing the folded knife on the child's arm, on the exact spot where Ren hit him moments ago. "Security!" Araki screamed, his voice cracked under the struggle of the stronger man.
"Stop! Shou-san!"
The strength of the man was unbelievable for an anemic patient. The pure hatred was fueling Shou and he was determined to have his deed finished. Araki pushed Shou back and had the man locked on the ground, yet not even seconds later, Shou threw Araki over to jolt up.
"Shou-san!"
He stopped, eventually, to a kick to his abdomen.
"Everything has to come down to me hm?"
Kane's shadow fell over the body of Shou groaning on the ground. Two bodyguards followed behind him and with a wave of the hand, the two underlings picked up the weakened man then removed themselves from the chamber immediately.
Araki once again met with those biting cold golden eyes that had him turning away almost every time. But, not quite something out of his expectation, Kane offered the man a hand which he took. The boss even dusted the dirtied lab coat for Araki.
"You and that little kid over there are the two most precious assets of the organization. I can't afford any of you getting hurt now, alright?"
The corner of his lips twisted upward to form a smirk, one cunning enough to make the opposite wary.
"Shou will be kept away, don't worry. He has finished his job."
A light pat Kane placed on Araki's shoulder, completely different from the rough ones he normally received. Araki didn't utter a word but he at least had been able to meet Kane's eyes without fright.
"I expect good news regarding the project, Araki-sensei."
And with that the man exited the chamber, footsteps echoed through the room.
...
Kane sat there in his office with eyes glued on the picture frame to his left. It was a picture of his mother holding a birthday cake with a bright grin. He was 10 when the pictured was taken. He remembered that day with vivid memories, everything they did, he remembered it all.
"I'll find the book, soon. And we'll be able to celebrate your birthdays again, mama."
Araki deepened himself in the memories of the woman he held most dear. Reliving the days when they both were together. Every moment spent with her was beautiful, shame for them to pass so quickly. He longed for those days to come again, and he knew those days would come again.
"Very soon, my dear. You'll be able to see the sunrise again."
The pencil fell from the girl's grip as she sighed, eyes still looking at that very line of cipher she hadn't been able to crack. It had been a week, and because she had just about zero knowledge about handwritten ciphers, it wasn't an easy task to crack it when she possessed little resources. But it was the only clue she had left, Ren was the only person she had left in the family. She still remembered the promise she made to him. She will fulfill it no matter what.
"It'll be alright, Ren. We will be alright very soon."
The wheel of fate once again turned, leading their paths to cross and challenging them to fight. They didn't fight for themselves, but for others. Selfless people on the roads to destroy the world.
~~~~~
A/N: It's not an official "comeback" but I just wanna give you guys something for Valentine day ehe. Hope you all had fun, have some more fun with this one :))