The Green Light
Title: The Green Light part 1/6
Pairing: Sakumiya
Length: Divided into 6 parts
Genre: Sci-fic, romance, adventure, action
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I only borrowed their name for this fic
Summary: Nino was just an ordinary programmer who suddenly involved in a danger adventure. He woke up in a strange room and met a man who could produce fire by clicking his fingers. He was brought to a strange place and met the extraordinary people - without knowing the fact that he was targeted…
Warning: Character’s death, some aspects were taken from ‘One Piece’ and ‘Gantz’ but the story is original. The setting is in a fantasy world and I took the title from Arashi’s song, one of my favorite.
Beta reader:
ladygiggles, I can't thank you enough for betaing this for me, you're awesome. Thank you for enjoying the story as well, kiss and hugs for you ^_^
The Green Light
Nino blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the dim light; he was in a room, an unfamiliar one. His head was as heavy as steel when he tried to lift it from the pillow. He tried to collect his thoughts on what had happened, but they were in a haze. He looked across the room, there was a candle, which was showing a very weak light. Why did someone bother to use a candle instead of the electric lamp?
He slowly sat up, his head throbbed like hell. He was thirsty and hungry, but it seemed there was nothing he could eat or drink. He guessed he was in some kind of hotel room, the bed where he was lying in was large, and there was a side table beside it with a dead lamp on it. The TV across the room was the newest model and it was switched off, along with all the electricity devices. The only light was the candle at the corner of the room.
Nino was about to climb off the bed when the door opened; a figure entered the room and walked straight to him.
"You're awake," the man said. He wore a weird suit which looked more like power ranger suit, something Nino had only seen in the movies. Nino's eyes had adjusted to the dim light so he could easily see the man's appearance. He was tall and muscular, had a strong jaw and sharp eyes, and his hair was combed nicely, his bangs covered half of his forehead.
"Where am I? What happened? Who are you?" Nino asked. His head was still hazy, he only remembered that he had returned to his apartment from work and he couldn't remember anything afterwards.
"You're in our hideout, I can't explain the details right now. My name is Sho and I'm in charge to take you to our headquarters before the main trip," the man answered.
Nino closed his eyes and massaged his own temple. He didn't understand what this man said, not even a single word. What hideout? What headquarters? What trip?
"I'll explain everything later," Sho said while glancing at his watch. "You must be hungry, someone will deliver your food in a few minutes. You'd better stay here for the time being, it's for your own safety."
"Sho-san," Nino called as the man was about to open the door. "Am I in danger?"
Sho gave him a weak smile, "Unfortunately, yes."
When Sho left, the room fell into an odd silence, even quieter than before if that was possible. Nino leaned his head against the bed wall and tried to calm down. He was in danger, but from what? He was just an ordinary programmer and he had never committed any crime or caused anyone harm.
Someone delivered a tray of food, a piece of hamburger and a glass of diet coke a few minutes later. How did they knew that he loved hamburger? Did they check all of Nino's social media accounts to find out?
Nino ate the hamburger quickly and finished the diet coke in a few gulps. He climbed off the bed and peered outside; he could see nothing since it was very dark. There was no clock inside the room; he didn't know what time it was, but he guessed it was past midnight.
He couldn't find his phone or his stuff, someone must have gotten rid of them. If what Sho had told him was right, then he couldn't use any phones under his ID or someone would track him down. It felt like a bad dream or a very bad joke. Somebody must have played a prank to make fun of him? But who would do that in the first place?
Nino gave up and decided to sleep again; there would be no answer no matter how hard he thought. He had only closed his eyes for a few hours when somebody shook his shoulders.
"We'll depart now," Sho's deep voice said.
Nino rose off the bed and wobbled a bit; he put on his shoes as fast as he could. Sho was standing in the doorframe, watching Nino as he struggled with his shoelaces.
Sho clicked his finger and the candle went dead. He didn't explain anything to Nino as he led him outside, holding his elbow along the way. The corridor outside the room was dark, Nino almost couldn't see where they were heading to, but it seemed that Sho remembered the way.
"Wear this." Sho handed him a thick jacket when they were already well outside the building.
"Thanks," Nino said and put it on. The jacket was an over-sized one and very warm.
"We'll cross the lake and it's probably won’t be the most pleasant journey," Sho said, keeping a tight hold on Nino's elbow to keep him close.
"What? Lake?"
Sho didn't respond to that. He slid out something from his pocket which looked like a flashlight. He didn't wear any jackets and he seemed not affected by the cold air. They headed towards a small boat on the shore.
“I hate boats," Nino mumbled, but Sho seemed not to hear it.
Sho waved his hand and produced fire out of nowhere.
"How did you do that?" Nino asked.
"Later," Sho said, gesturing for him to sit down.
The boat was small and only just big enough to occupy both of them. Sho told Nino to fasten the seatbelt around his waist. Sho produced another fire and switched on the machine mysteriously and without any warnings, the boat departed across the dark lake.
If it was normal conditions, Nino would complain all the way. He hated travelling by boat and this small sized thing was the last vehicle on earth he wanted to ride. His head started spinning around and before he could prevent it, he threw up.
Sho glanced at him briefly but he didn’t say anything, he just stood beside the wheel and controlled the boat. Once in a while, he checked his watch. The trip felt like forever and when Nino thought that he would die from throwing up, the boat began to slow down.
Sho fixed his hair as if they had just ridden a motorbike and not a rocky boat across a dark lake. He looked at the eastern sky; its color had changed to a soft orange. He shifted his gaze to Nino as if just realizing that he was there. The latter steadied his breaths and tried to stand up, but his legs were shaking hard.
“It's the safest route," Sho said, not even offering any help to Nino whose legs were still shaking hard.
Nino felt that he would throw up again if he opened his mouth to protest, so he kept quiet. He followed Sho's steps to the shore; the sun was about to rise and for the first time Nino could see Sho's outfit clearly. He wore something which looked like a swimsuit, but it was thicker and made of fine leather. A belt around his waist held two guns on each side, and a pair of dark boots decorated his feet.
"Are you a kind of soldier?" Nino asked.
"Sort of," Sho shrugged and again took Nino by the elbow. He led the way, just like before they crossed the lake. "We’re heading to the headquarters," Sho explained shortly.
They walked in silence through a path which was surrounded by trees. The sun had completely risen now, revealing a scene Nino had never seen. He was never an outdoor person, he rarely went for a walk to get fresh air at the nearby park, so he was completely clueless about the neighborhood area. They were not in his neighborhood, though.
Sho loosened his grip on Nino's elbow when they reached the gate of the old building. He gestured to Nino to enter before locking the iron gate behind them. He guided the way through the corridor, down some stairs, another corridor and more stairs until they arrived at the room which was locked with a finger print scanner.
Sho placed his fingers on the device and entered the room, Nino followed him.
"Sho-chan, welcome back," a voice rang out as Sho closed the door behind him.
"We've been expecting you," another voice said.
Two men approached them; both of them wore identical swimsuit-like outfits with different colors. The one with the green suit was taller and slimmer, he smiled broadly as he walked towards Nino's direction. The other man with a dark purple suit was muscular like Sho. He scowled deeply and looked at Nino with a suspicious gaze.
"We're still waiting for Ohno-san," the purple suited man said.
"Matsujun has been tense since last night, he was so worried about you," the green suited man said.
"Shut up, Aiba," the man called Matsujun scolded the taller man, his face reddened.
"Oh, I almost forget to introduce myself," Aiba said, approaching Nino and extending his hand. "I'm Aiba Masaki and this is Matsujun. We're assigned to protect you."
"From what?" Nino couldn't help himself from asking.
"Sho-chan didn't explain anything to you?" Aiba said in surprise.
"It's better to wait for Ohno san," Sho answered. He looked relaxed for the first time, he approached the chair behind a desk and slumped down on it.
"Let's have a cup of coffee, then," Aiba said cheerfully to Nino. "Sho-chan isn't good at hospitality, he must have shocked you," he continued, chuckling.
Nino almost said that Sho didn't offer any comforting words when he threw up on their way here, but he refrained himself from doing so. He followed Aiba's steps towards the other part of the room. With Matsujun left behind, he and Sho talked in low voices which couldn't be heard.
"Do you like latte? Er- Nino?" Aiba asked.
"Anything is fine," Nino answered. There were too many unexplained events since he woke up inside the dark hotel room last night and he felt he couldn't handle it anymore.
"There you go," Aiba handed him the cup and poured another one from the coffee machine for himself. "You must be surprised, huh?"
Nino sipped the coffee and calmed down for the first time since he stepped on Sho's boat.
"I don't know," Nino honestly answered, perhaps the word ‘surprised’ wouldn’t be enough to explain what he felt right now. "I was just a mere programmer until last night. Who are you guys?"
"We're soldiers," Aiba replied shortly. "We're formed to take missions, but this time it’s a little bit different, we are here to make sure of your safety. I thought that it was weird when I heard that you’re a programmer, I imagined someone with big eyeglasses and such, but I was wrong, you're so cute, you know."
Nino rarely got a straightforward compliment from others, so he had no idea how to react.
"So, you're some kind of power rangers?" Nino asked. "Your costumes," he added.
Aiba smiled broader as he heard it. "This is the uniform of the soldiers from our base, it's our favorite colors. Sho-chan loves red, so he wears red, same thing applies to me and Matsujun."
"That Sho-san produces fire from his fingers," Nino commented, trying to heard casual.
"Oh, that," Aiba said happily. "He has some kind of special power to control fire, weird isn't it? Matsujun can predict the enemies’ movements, he's like a human satellite."
"How about you? Do you have that kind of power?" Nino couldn’t help himself from asking, it was like meeting people from his favorite video game.
"Me?" Aiba's face formed a difficult expression. "Let's say I can shoot the enemies from a good distance," he grinned.
The door opened again and revealed a man who wore a blue costume with a long cloak like Sho’s. He entered the room and found Nino almost immediately. He wasn't as tall as the other three men, but he had a kind of frightening aura which made Nino shiver as their eyes met. The room's temperature abruptly dropped as the man entered.
"Ohno-san, good morning," Matsujun greeted the man with the utmost respect. Sho stood up from his chair and approached Ohno.
"Good morning," Ohno replied. He looked at Sho and patted his shoulder, "Thanks for your hard work, Sho-kun."
"We're far from finished, though," Sho answered.
Ohno walked in Nino's direction; something in the man's eyes prevented Nino from moving, he began to feel the chill, as if someone had just dropped the temperature to zero.
"Ninomiya Kazunari," he called Nino's name. "I'm glad you're safe."
"It seems he has no idea what he's up for," Aiba chirped in.
Ohno swept the room with his gaze to ensure that everyone was listening.
"My name is Ohno Satoshi and I am the captain of this special unit, which was assigned to protect you, Nino-san, from a threat. You're a hidden Konseki of the Green Light State. Every nation is looking for you and want to kidnap you for their interest.”
Nino looked at Aiba beside him and waited, he expected someone to say 'just kidding' but nobody reacted, they listened to Ohno seriously.
"You have a unique ability to empower a whole island, or even a country, and everyone is chasing you now to release that power from you. Our duty is to keep you safe and deliver you to the Green Light where you can get the maximum protection," Ohno paused and gave Nino some time to process the story.
"I don't get it," Nino said after a couple of minutes had passed. "There's no way I possess that kind of power, I can’t even win in a sprint against a fifth grader kid. You must have mistaken me for someone else, Sho san must have brought you the wrong person."
"Sho kun never mistakes anyone," Ohno said firmly, glancing at Sho proudly. "I know it's hard to believe and you must have thought that we're pranking you, but we're not. You'd be dead by now if Sho-kun didn't bring you here,” Ohno took a deep breath and looked at his subordinates’ faces one by one, stopping for longer on Sho’s.
“The four of us are the best squad the Green Light can get. You'll be alright,” Ohno continued.
"So, when will we depart to the Green City?" Nino asked nerveously.
"It will be decided later," Ohno replied. "You can take a rest for the time being. One of us will guard you to make sure you’re safe," the man turned around and walked towards Sho's direction. "Follow me," he said.
Nino watched them disappear beyond the door and felt the room's temperature return to normal. He put down the empty coffee cup on the table and slumped down on the armchair, still trying to grasp what was really happening.
"We’ll be here to protect you, Nino," Aiba said, grinning.
"Thanks, Aiba-kun" Nino mumbled.
***
Nino didn't see Sho for the rest of the day. He was left in a room with Aiba as his bodyguard. Aiba was nothing like Sho, he loved talking and telling Nino jokes about his work in Green Light. He told Nino that he was the last member of their four-man unit and he had to pass hard training before he could join it. Aiba also told him about the special powers they develop, which sounded very much like magic to Nino.
"What kind of power does Ohno-san have?" Nino asked when he remembered how the room turned cold as Ohno entered.
"He has an ice power, but I rarely see it," Aiba shrugged. "He avoids using it and prefers to fight in a normal way. He's a nice captain, and he'll do anything to protect his subordinates, I like him."
Nino nodded, it explained why he felt intimidated when Ohno was around, and perhaps it was the man's natural charm which showed how strong he was.
"Sho-chan is the second in command in case Ohno-san dies," Aiba said lightly. "Don't take it seriously, that man doesn't die that easily," Aiba continued when he saw Nino's expression.
The rest of the team were informed later that day that their departure would be delayed for a few days. Jun was the one who came to Nino's room and informed him. He was in charge of keeping an eye on Nino the second day. Unlike Aiba, Jun didn't talk much. He was too serious and had a bad sense of humor. Deep down inside his heart, Nino wished to see Sho once again, but it seemed that he and Ohno were going somewhere outside of their hideout.
"Can you fight?" Jun asked after hours of silence. Both of them were reading books to kill the time. Nino normally didn’t read books, but there was nothing else he could do now. His phone was gone and it was frustrating that he couldn't play games online anymore or read the random news or stalk his colleagues through their social media. He wondered whether they realized his sudden disappearance - probably not, Nino thought. The computer company he was working for was too big to realize the absence of a single employee.
"I can't fight, I lived in a peaceful world before you guys came and kidnapped me," Nino replied.
"Come, I'll teach you,” Jun said, closing his book and gesturing to Nino to follow him.
"You're here to protect me, right? Why should I learn how to fight?" Nino lazily stood up from his chair and approached Jun, just realizing now how tall the man was.
"Well, just in case the enemies attack us on our way and they are outnumbering us, it will be troublesome if you can't depend on yourself for a few minutes at least," Jun shrugged. He gestured towards the door and waited for Nino to follow him.
"You play video game all the time, don't you?" Jun asked as they climbed up the stairs. Nino had already forgotten how far the outside world was from the rooms he had been kept in.
"Yes, what about it?" Nino replied.
"I guess you can shoot the targets exactly the same way you did in the video games," Jun said, pushing a connecting door towards another corridor.
"I hope I don't need to do that in real life," Nino mumbled. He still had too many questions regarding Ohno's revelation the day before. It was hard to believe that he held some kind of massive power, he couldn't help thinking that Ohno and the other three were still making fun of him. Maybe they were some kind of mafia who kidnapped him to take out his kidney or sell him to another mafia for slavery.
Jun gave him the real gun and told him to shoot as many targets as possible on the training ground close to the headquarters building. When Nino hit the first target, he was surprised. It was no different than playing a video game and he quite liked it.
They were there for a few hours and when Nino shot the last target, he saw Sho approaching them. He gave Jun a quick nod before walking towards Nino; he looked briefly at the targets Nino had shot and returned his sight to Nino.
"You'll train with me tomorrow, captain's order," he said with a harsh tone as if Nino would say no.
"I thought that we’re departing from here soon," Nino said.
Sho ignored him.
"Matsujun," Sho turned around. "Make sure you give him a proper outfit. He can't train with that ugly cardigan."
"Hey! That's rude," Nino protested, but Sho had already disappeared towards the building. "Probably to assist his beloved captain,” Nino thought bitterly.
"He doesn't mean it," Jun said, smiling at Nino.
"Yeah," Nino replied. "He watched me throwing up all the way here and not even offering me a word to make me feel better.”
"He's a soldier, he's seen much worse, throwing up is just - how should I put it - isn’t something which need his concern, " Jun shook his head and told Nino to take a rest.
Neither Jun nor Aiba showed up at his room that night, perhaps they were sure that Nino was safe or they were sure that nobody would attack him in his sleep inside the headquarters. Nino wondered where their rooms were or what they were doing before sleeping. He was bored and there was nothing he could do to break the boredom. Maybe it was okay for him to take a little walk around the building?
Nino opened the door and left the room; the corridor was dark, but he had remembered where it would lead him. There was no sound except his own footsteps; Aiba had told him this morning that the headquarters was only occupied by ten soldiers - which meant his chance to meet another man was almost close to zero.
He walked along the corridor and turned left around the corner; the air was chilly here, Nino shivered as he stepped further, he cursed himself for leaving his cardigan in his room. He heard voices from one of the rooms near him. Curious, he tiptoed as slow as he could and peered inside, regretting it instantly.
Ohno and Sho were inside the room, seemingly eating each other's face. Sho's body was glowing from the fire he produced, meanwhile Ohno's fingers turned blue from the ice he created. They held each other so tight as if the world would turn upside down if they let go.
TO BE CONTINUED
a.n: Writing fics from Nino's POV is addicting.
Pairing: Sakumiya
Length: Divided into 6 parts
Genre: Sci-fic, romance, adventure, action
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I only borrowed their name for this fic
Summary: Nino was just an ordinary programmer who suddenly involved in a danger adventure. He woke up in a strange room and met a man who could produce fire by clicking his fingers. He was brought to a strange place and met the extraordinary people - without knowing the fact that he was targeted…
Warning: Character’s death, some aspects were taken from ‘One Piece’ and ‘Gantz’ but the story is original. The setting is in a fantasy world and I took the title from Arashi’s song, one of my favorite.
Beta reader:
ladygiggles, I can't thank you enough for betaing this for me, you're awesome. Thank you for enjoying the story as well, kiss and hugs for you ^_^
The Green Light
Nino blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the dim light; he was in a room, an unfamiliar one. His head was as heavy as steel when he tried to lift it from the pillow. He tried to collect his thoughts on what had happened, but they were in a haze. He looked across the room, there was a candle, which was showing a very weak light. Why did someone bother to use a candle instead of the electric lamp?
He slowly sat up, his head throbbed like hell. He was thirsty and hungry, but it seemed there was nothing he could eat or drink. He guessed he was in some kind of hotel room, the bed where he was lying in was large, and there was a side table beside it with a dead lamp on it. The TV across the room was the newest model and it was switched off, along with all the electricity devices. The only light was the candle at the corner of the room.
Nino was about to climb off the bed when the door opened; a figure entered the room and walked straight to him.
"You're awake," the man said. He wore a weird suit which looked more like power ranger suit, something Nino had only seen in the movies. Nino's eyes had adjusted to the dim light so he could easily see the man's appearance. He was tall and muscular, had a strong jaw and sharp eyes, and his hair was combed nicely, his bangs covered half of his forehead.
"Where am I? What happened? Who are you?" Nino asked. His head was still hazy, he only remembered that he had returned to his apartment from work and he couldn't remember anything afterwards.
"You're in our hideout, I can't explain the details right now. My name is Sho and I'm in charge to take you to our headquarters before the main trip," the man answered.
Nino closed his eyes and massaged his own temple. He didn't understand what this man said, not even a single word. What hideout? What headquarters? What trip?
"I'll explain everything later," Sho said while glancing at his watch. "You must be hungry, someone will deliver your food in a few minutes. You'd better stay here for the time being, it's for your own safety."
"Sho-san," Nino called as the man was about to open the door. "Am I in danger?"
Sho gave him a weak smile, "Unfortunately, yes."
When Sho left, the room fell into an odd silence, even quieter than before if that was possible. Nino leaned his head against the bed wall and tried to calm down. He was in danger, but from what? He was just an ordinary programmer and he had never committed any crime or caused anyone harm.
Someone delivered a tray of food, a piece of hamburger and a glass of diet coke a few minutes later. How did they knew that he loved hamburger? Did they check all of Nino's social media accounts to find out?
Nino ate the hamburger quickly and finished the diet coke in a few gulps. He climbed off the bed and peered outside; he could see nothing since it was very dark. There was no clock inside the room; he didn't know what time it was, but he guessed it was past midnight.
He couldn't find his phone or his stuff, someone must have gotten rid of them. If what Sho had told him was right, then he couldn't use any phones under his ID or someone would track him down. It felt like a bad dream or a very bad joke. Somebody must have played a prank to make fun of him? But who would do that in the first place?
Nino gave up and decided to sleep again; there would be no answer no matter how hard he thought. He had only closed his eyes for a few hours when somebody shook his shoulders.
"We'll depart now," Sho's deep voice said.
Nino rose off the bed and wobbled a bit; he put on his shoes as fast as he could. Sho was standing in the doorframe, watching Nino as he struggled with his shoelaces.
Sho clicked his finger and the candle went dead. He didn't explain anything to Nino as he led him outside, holding his elbow along the way. The corridor outside the room was dark, Nino almost couldn't see where they were heading to, but it seemed that Sho remembered the way.
"Wear this." Sho handed him a thick jacket when they were already well outside the building.
"Thanks," Nino said and put it on. The jacket was an over-sized one and very warm.
"We'll cross the lake and it's probably won’t be the most pleasant journey," Sho said, keeping a tight hold on Nino's elbow to keep him close.
"What? Lake?"
Sho didn't respond to that. He slid out something from his pocket which looked like a flashlight. He didn't wear any jackets and he seemed not affected by the cold air. They headed towards a small boat on the shore.
“I hate boats," Nino mumbled, but Sho seemed not to hear it.
Sho waved his hand and produced fire out of nowhere.
"How did you do that?" Nino asked.
"Later," Sho said, gesturing for him to sit down.
The boat was small and only just big enough to occupy both of them. Sho told Nino to fasten the seatbelt around his waist. Sho produced another fire and switched on the machine mysteriously and without any warnings, the boat departed across the dark lake.
If it was normal conditions, Nino would complain all the way. He hated travelling by boat and this small sized thing was the last vehicle on earth he wanted to ride. His head started spinning around and before he could prevent it, he threw up.
Sho glanced at him briefly but he didn’t say anything, he just stood beside the wheel and controlled the boat. Once in a while, he checked his watch. The trip felt like forever and when Nino thought that he would die from throwing up, the boat began to slow down.
Sho fixed his hair as if they had just ridden a motorbike and not a rocky boat across a dark lake. He looked at the eastern sky; its color had changed to a soft orange. He shifted his gaze to Nino as if just realizing that he was there. The latter steadied his breaths and tried to stand up, but his legs were shaking hard.
“It's the safest route," Sho said, not even offering any help to Nino whose legs were still shaking hard.
Nino felt that he would throw up again if he opened his mouth to protest, so he kept quiet. He followed Sho's steps to the shore; the sun was about to rise and for the first time Nino could see Sho's outfit clearly. He wore something which looked like a swimsuit, but it was thicker and made of fine leather. A belt around his waist held two guns on each side, and a pair of dark boots decorated his feet.
"Are you a kind of soldier?" Nino asked.
"Sort of," Sho shrugged and again took Nino by the elbow. He led the way, just like before they crossed the lake. "We’re heading to the headquarters," Sho explained shortly.
They walked in silence through a path which was surrounded by trees. The sun had completely risen now, revealing a scene Nino had never seen. He was never an outdoor person, he rarely went for a walk to get fresh air at the nearby park, so he was completely clueless about the neighborhood area. They were not in his neighborhood, though.
Sho loosened his grip on Nino's elbow when they reached the gate of the old building. He gestured to Nino to enter before locking the iron gate behind them. He guided the way through the corridor, down some stairs, another corridor and more stairs until they arrived at the room which was locked with a finger print scanner.
Sho placed his fingers on the device and entered the room, Nino followed him.
"Sho-chan, welcome back," a voice rang out as Sho closed the door behind him.
"We've been expecting you," another voice said.
Two men approached them; both of them wore identical swimsuit-like outfits with different colors. The one with the green suit was taller and slimmer, he smiled broadly as he walked towards Nino's direction. The other man with a dark purple suit was muscular like Sho. He scowled deeply and looked at Nino with a suspicious gaze.
"We're still waiting for Ohno-san," the purple suited man said.
"Matsujun has been tense since last night, he was so worried about you," the green suited man said.
"Shut up, Aiba," the man called Matsujun scolded the taller man, his face reddened.
"Oh, I almost forget to introduce myself," Aiba said, approaching Nino and extending his hand. "I'm Aiba Masaki and this is Matsujun. We're assigned to protect you."
"From what?" Nino couldn't help himself from asking.
"Sho-chan didn't explain anything to you?" Aiba said in surprise.
"It's better to wait for Ohno san," Sho answered. He looked relaxed for the first time, he approached the chair behind a desk and slumped down on it.
"Let's have a cup of coffee, then," Aiba said cheerfully to Nino. "Sho-chan isn't good at hospitality, he must have shocked you," he continued, chuckling.
Nino almost said that Sho didn't offer any comforting words when he threw up on their way here, but he refrained himself from doing so. He followed Aiba's steps towards the other part of the room. With Matsujun left behind, he and Sho talked in low voices which couldn't be heard.
"Do you like latte? Er- Nino?" Aiba asked.
"Anything is fine," Nino answered. There were too many unexplained events since he woke up inside the dark hotel room last night and he felt he couldn't handle it anymore.
"There you go," Aiba handed him the cup and poured another one from the coffee machine for himself. "You must be surprised, huh?"
Nino sipped the coffee and calmed down for the first time since he stepped on Sho's boat.
"I don't know," Nino honestly answered, perhaps the word ‘surprised’ wouldn’t be enough to explain what he felt right now. "I was just a mere programmer until last night. Who are you guys?"
"We're soldiers," Aiba replied shortly. "We're formed to take missions, but this time it’s a little bit different, we are here to make sure of your safety. I thought that it was weird when I heard that you’re a programmer, I imagined someone with big eyeglasses and such, but I was wrong, you're so cute, you know."
Nino rarely got a straightforward compliment from others, so he had no idea how to react.
"So, you're some kind of power rangers?" Nino asked. "Your costumes," he added.
Aiba smiled broader as he heard it. "This is the uniform of the soldiers from our base, it's our favorite colors. Sho-chan loves red, so he wears red, same thing applies to me and Matsujun."
"That Sho-san produces fire from his fingers," Nino commented, trying to heard casual.
"Oh, that," Aiba said happily. "He has some kind of special power to control fire, weird isn't it? Matsujun can predict the enemies’ movements, he's like a human satellite."
"How about you? Do you have that kind of power?" Nino couldn’t help himself from asking, it was like meeting people from his favorite video game.
"Me?" Aiba's face formed a difficult expression. "Let's say I can shoot the enemies from a good distance," he grinned.
The door opened again and revealed a man who wore a blue costume with a long cloak like Sho’s. He entered the room and found Nino almost immediately. He wasn't as tall as the other three men, but he had a kind of frightening aura which made Nino shiver as their eyes met. The room's temperature abruptly dropped as the man entered.
"Ohno-san, good morning," Matsujun greeted the man with the utmost respect. Sho stood up from his chair and approached Ohno.
"Good morning," Ohno replied. He looked at Sho and patted his shoulder, "Thanks for your hard work, Sho-kun."
"We're far from finished, though," Sho answered.
Ohno walked in Nino's direction; something in the man's eyes prevented Nino from moving, he began to feel the chill, as if someone had just dropped the temperature to zero.
"Ninomiya Kazunari," he called Nino's name. "I'm glad you're safe."
"It seems he has no idea what he's up for," Aiba chirped in.
Ohno swept the room with his gaze to ensure that everyone was listening.
"My name is Ohno Satoshi and I am the captain of this special unit, which was assigned to protect you, Nino-san, from a threat. You're a hidden Konseki of the Green Light State. Every nation is looking for you and want to kidnap you for their interest.”
Nino looked at Aiba beside him and waited, he expected someone to say 'just kidding' but nobody reacted, they listened to Ohno seriously.
"You have a unique ability to empower a whole island, or even a country, and everyone is chasing you now to release that power from you. Our duty is to keep you safe and deliver you to the Green Light where you can get the maximum protection," Ohno paused and gave Nino some time to process the story.
"I don't get it," Nino said after a couple of minutes had passed. "There's no way I possess that kind of power, I can’t even win in a sprint against a fifth grader kid. You must have mistaken me for someone else, Sho san must have brought you the wrong person."
"Sho kun never mistakes anyone," Ohno said firmly, glancing at Sho proudly. "I know it's hard to believe and you must have thought that we're pranking you, but we're not. You'd be dead by now if Sho-kun didn't bring you here,” Ohno took a deep breath and looked at his subordinates’ faces one by one, stopping for longer on Sho’s.
“The four of us are the best squad the Green Light can get. You'll be alright,” Ohno continued.
"So, when will we depart to the Green City?" Nino asked nerveously.
"It will be decided later," Ohno replied. "You can take a rest for the time being. One of us will guard you to make sure you’re safe," the man turned around and walked towards Sho's direction. "Follow me," he said.
Nino watched them disappear beyond the door and felt the room's temperature return to normal. He put down the empty coffee cup on the table and slumped down on the armchair, still trying to grasp what was really happening.
"We’ll be here to protect you, Nino," Aiba said, grinning.
"Thanks, Aiba-kun" Nino mumbled.
***
Nino didn't see Sho for the rest of the day. He was left in a room with Aiba as his bodyguard. Aiba was nothing like Sho, he loved talking and telling Nino jokes about his work in Green Light. He told Nino that he was the last member of their four-man unit and he had to pass hard training before he could join it. Aiba also told him about the special powers they develop, which sounded very much like magic to Nino.
"What kind of power does Ohno-san have?" Nino asked when he remembered how the room turned cold as Ohno entered.
"He has an ice power, but I rarely see it," Aiba shrugged. "He avoids using it and prefers to fight in a normal way. He's a nice captain, and he'll do anything to protect his subordinates, I like him."
Nino nodded, it explained why he felt intimidated when Ohno was around, and perhaps it was the man's natural charm which showed how strong he was.
"Sho-chan is the second in command in case Ohno-san dies," Aiba said lightly. "Don't take it seriously, that man doesn't die that easily," Aiba continued when he saw Nino's expression.
The rest of the team were informed later that day that their departure would be delayed for a few days. Jun was the one who came to Nino's room and informed him. He was in charge of keeping an eye on Nino the second day. Unlike Aiba, Jun didn't talk much. He was too serious and had a bad sense of humor. Deep down inside his heart, Nino wished to see Sho once again, but it seemed that he and Ohno were going somewhere outside of their hideout.
"Can you fight?" Jun asked after hours of silence. Both of them were reading books to kill the time. Nino normally didn’t read books, but there was nothing else he could do now. His phone was gone and it was frustrating that he couldn't play games online anymore or read the random news or stalk his colleagues through their social media. He wondered whether they realized his sudden disappearance - probably not, Nino thought. The computer company he was working for was too big to realize the absence of a single employee.
"I can't fight, I lived in a peaceful world before you guys came and kidnapped me," Nino replied.
"Come, I'll teach you,” Jun said, closing his book and gesturing to Nino to follow him.
"You're here to protect me, right? Why should I learn how to fight?" Nino lazily stood up from his chair and approached Jun, just realizing now how tall the man was.
"Well, just in case the enemies attack us on our way and they are outnumbering us, it will be troublesome if you can't depend on yourself for a few minutes at least," Jun shrugged. He gestured towards the door and waited for Nino to follow him.
"You play video game all the time, don't you?" Jun asked as they climbed up the stairs. Nino had already forgotten how far the outside world was from the rooms he had been kept in.
"Yes, what about it?" Nino replied.
"I guess you can shoot the targets exactly the same way you did in the video games," Jun said, pushing a connecting door towards another corridor.
"I hope I don't need to do that in real life," Nino mumbled. He still had too many questions regarding Ohno's revelation the day before. It was hard to believe that he held some kind of massive power, he couldn't help thinking that Ohno and the other three were still making fun of him. Maybe they were some kind of mafia who kidnapped him to take out his kidney or sell him to another mafia for slavery.
Jun gave him the real gun and told him to shoot as many targets as possible on the training ground close to the headquarters building. When Nino hit the first target, he was surprised. It was no different than playing a video game and he quite liked it.
They were there for a few hours and when Nino shot the last target, he saw Sho approaching them. He gave Jun a quick nod before walking towards Nino; he looked briefly at the targets Nino had shot and returned his sight to Nino.
"You'll train with me tomorrow, captain's order," he said with a harsh tone as if Nino would say no.
"I thought that we’re departing from here soon," Nino said.
Sho ignored him.
"Matsujun," Sho turned around. "Make sure you give him a proper outfit. He can't train with that ugly cardigan."
"Hey! That's rude," Nino protested, but Sho had already disappeared towards the building. "Probably to assist his beloved captain,” Nino thought bitterly.
"He doesn't mean it," Jun said, smiling at Nino.
"Yeah," Nino replied. "He watched me throwing up all the way here and not even offering me a word to make me feel better.”
"He's a soldier, he's seen much worse, throwing up is just - how should I put it - isn’t something which need his concern, " Jun shook his head and told Nino to take a rest.
Neither Jun nor Aiba showed up at his room that night, perhaps they were sure that Nino was safe or they were sure that nobody would attack him in his sleep inside the headquarters. Nino wondered where their rooms were or what they were doing before sleeping. He was bored and there was nothing he could do to break the boredom. Maybe it was okay for him to take a little walk around the building?
Nino opened the door and left the room; the corridor was dark, but he had remembered where it would lead him. There was no sound except his own footsteps; Aiba had told him this morning that the headquarters was only occupied by ten soldiers - which meant his chance to meet another man was almost close to zero.
He walked along the corridor and turned left around the corner; the air was chilly here, Nino shivered as he stepped further, he cursed himself for leaving his cardigan in his room. He heard voices from one of the rooms near him. Curious, he tiptoed as slow as he could and peered inside, regretting it instantly.
Ohno and Sho were inside the room, seemingly eating each other's face. Sho's body was glowing from the fire he produced, meanwhile Ohno's fingers turned blue from the ice he created. They held each other so tight as if the world would turn upside down if they let go.
TO BE CONTINUED
a.n: Writing fics from Nino's POV is addicting.