"Kill them all." The chilling words of the Head Researcher at Joy Orphanage sounded out into the microphone. Hearing the orders, the guards nodded and began a slaughter of 30 children.
The blood splashed everywhere, painting the coated walls red. Because of the special coating on the floors and walls of the building, no alarms were sent to the law enforcement.
The children's bodies lay on the ground, unmoving. A researcher slowly went past the bodies, injecting them with a mysterious liquid one by one. After the liquid was injected, the children melted and separated in a multitude of colours. Most of the colours faded away, leaving behind the 7 colours of the rainbow as the remains of 30 children.
The Head Researcher collected the liquefied colours and injected them into the sleeping body of a young boy.
"Hence, we begin the search for the Perfect Personality." The Head Researcher muttered dryly. "Child No. 0000, Healing Personality."
...
That was 3 years ago... Head Researcher Han thought to himself as he eyed the new batch of liquid colour. The colour had all been collected from children, of course, but they had to use the ones living in the streets. That must've led to some drop in quality, because, well...
That child was our most successful experiment. The first, and best. Researcher Han was very bitter about it. Even though his team was the first to create the Perfect Personality, every experiment which followed led to nothing. Even worse, other teams quickly caught on.
And if that wasn't bad enough, Child No. 0000, Healing Personality, managed to escape their research site - he still didn't know how he had done it.
So, everything became worse and worse from there. Funding was cut, trust was lost, Head Researcher Han definitely lost his chance at a promotion, and soon he'd lose his position as a Head Researcher too.
His team couldn't even get a steady supply of children anymore, nor could they spend years raising within the Joy Orphanage like he used to do. Instead?
They had to settle for killing the children on sight, slum children, for that matter, and collecting the liquid colour on the spot. At the very least, they still had legal protection from the main branch - otherwise they'd have to kidnap the children and kill them within their specially made facilities instead. More work, basically.
After blankly staring at the vials of liquid colour, Head Researcher Han's eyes grew furious.
"DAMN IT! Someone go and find that child! Forget about new experiments! If we can JUST get our hands back on Child No. 0000, THEN WE'LL ALL BE OKAY!" He spoke in an angry, condescending way which made the other researchers and the guards veritably pissed, but there was nothing they could do.
"We're all in this together. So! GET ME THE CHILD!"
When I find you, Child No. 0000, I will shackle every part of your body until you are a pile of chains. Ominous thoughts rumbled throughout the crazed mind of Head Researcher Han.
He still remembered the potential which Child No. 0000 held. But, more than that, he remembered the painful and arduous process of raising the troublesome child, constantly looking for entertainment and joy.
It had taken a full year from the injection before Child No. 0000 began to display his powers, and even then, the entire research team had to bend to every whim and will of the child. "Keeping him in his best condition", as the main branch would always say.
After that, Head Researcher Han's team was shaping up to be the next best team. Head Researcher Han himself was going to get a promotion, entering the lead researchers of the main branch.
So, when Child No. 0000 disappeared, Head Researcher Han was understandably pissed. He had raged and stormed for days, torturing and killing all of the children they'd been raising within Joy Orphanage. Even now, thinking back on it, he was still angry, and he wished he could get his hands on more children.
But, the rules of the main branch had to be followed. Children with families couldn't be taken, and if a child was taken, they'd need a batch of at least 5 kids before starting the liquid colour process.
Thus, the thoughts of Head Researcher Han continued.
When I get my hands on you, No. 0000, I will personally torture you - use that stupid ability of yours to the fullest.
...
Krouse was currently getting chased through the streets by a group of dogs.
"Wow, you guys are so big! Ahhh!"
He kept them chasing after him by occasionally using a weak version of Attraction. In the meanwhile, he would speed up, cartwheel or even run backwards. Krouse couldn't help but think, You guys are so fun to play with!
Krouse began to conjure shields to jump on, making it seem to passing people like he was running on air.
Then, he tripped on his laces, sending him flying through the air and crashing into a wall.
"Ouchh..." As Krouse slowly sat up, rubbing his head, the dogs arrived and surrounded him. One of them lunged forward, jaw open, to which Krouse promptly flicked on the head. The dog flew backward, sprawling among the pack.
Hmm... As Krouse stared at the familiar-looking surroundings, he remembered from where it felt familiar.
"Right! This is the place I used to beg in." He admired the high walls of the buildings. "How many times did I starve to death in here again?"
Krouse had honestly forgotten, just like he forgot many other things. Until he found his way into the Border Control's teams, he had starved and died on the streets plenty of times.
Krouse spent that time begging for food, getting little, and dying occasionally. He didn't steal, however.
I can't imagine what kind of person would steal. Maybe if they had to provide for others as well? Krouse mused for a moment. Well, anyways! Sounds like a potential slippery slope into darkness and corruption.
Crunch! A dog had gathered its courage, rushing forward and biting Krouse's hand. Krouse, having a small, thin forearm, lost his hand an instant.
"Yikes! I forgot you guys were still here." Krouse casually turned around and broke the rest of his forearm, causing the bone to become sharp and jagged.
Then, he leaped forward and slashed the neck of the dog which bit him. As another dog leaped forward, Krouse activated Shielding, causing the dog's nose to flatten mid-air. Taking the chance while it was stunned, he drove his arm bone into the dog's neck.
The other dogs watched the first two dying and began whimpering. Some backed away slowly.
"What? You guys aren't having fun?" Krouse looked somewhat confused. He picked up speed and began to run after the fleeing dogs.
Now, the dogs were running, with Krouse chasing behind. Krouse once again leaped mid-air from a shield, piercing another dog with his arm bone as he landed.
Tsk, the efficiency is still kinda slow... As Krouse thought to himself, he decided on a new plan. Running up close to a sturdy wall, Krouse took advantage of his Apprentice Combatant strength to break his other arm against it.
Pushing the jagged, sharp bone through his flesh, Krouse now sported two blade-like arms.
He pushed off from another shield, rushing forward at high speeds. With this, he took down two dogs at the same time. Now, there was only one dog left.
It looked truly frightened.
The two chased after each other for a few more minutes, with Krouse giving the dog light scratches at its back whenever it slowed down. Finally, the dog ran out of all energy, collapsing at the end of an alleyway.
Krouse slowly walked up toward the dog, laying on the ground.
"Thanks. I had fun." With those parting words, Krouse drove both of his arms into the dog's skull. He sat down next to the dog's lifeless body.
Krouse had made a pretty huge scene today. Luckily, while passing strangers might've been traumatised by the sight of a child with two broken arms chasing a dog, it wasn't a very messy procedure. In fact, outside of the dogs' deaths, Krouse himself didn't bleed.
At this point, you might be wondering. How could Krouse die multiple times? What about pain? Why was Krouse so okay with breaking his arms?
It was because Krouse couldn't die.
Indeed. Krouse might've been an Apprentice Combatant rank, but he had 3 abilities - one simply didn't count as a skill.
Krouse could hypothetically live forever. Even dying didn't stop him - after a while, he'd just recover from it. No injury, no pain. And once Krouse began healing, he'd be happy once more.
It was... a fake happiness, you could say. All that happened was his body released chemicals. A huge amount of endorphins. Endorphins were natural painkillers, producing a sense of relaxation and euphoria within him.
Krouse then began the healing process. As if a video was put on rewind, his arms unbroke themselves. A new hand grew where it had been previously torn off. All the while he healed, Krouse held an almost crazed smile on his face.
Finally, the process finished, and Krouse was no longer smiling so hard. The endorphins began to dissipate as well, leaving Krouse completely normal once more.
Picking himself up fully, Krouse - now pleasantly smiling - skipped back toward the Border. He'd had enough fun for the day.
...
As Krouse got close to the Border, he heard an alarm.
A level 4 alarm.
"Wow, it's a big wave this time!" Krouse ran to his room and grabbed his gear in excitement.
Putting on his equipment quickly, he ran outside his room and saw Chuck, Noelle and Abel rush out of their residences as well. Noting this down, he joined the rest of the group.
"You know what guys, I think I'm gonna have the most fun day ever!"