Chapter Two: Memory Plane

Tsukiya tapped his foot anxiously. To be sitting in an airport with a psychotic Hitman, who had changed into a simple t-shirt and jeans, smiling gleefully at the passing crowds was, in many ways, horrifying. He resorted to gripping Selina's cage, his knuckles white like bone. Consciously, he was aware his nervousness had to be controlled but being somewhat blind and having his mind imagining torment and torture he couldn't calm down. He needed to breathe. He needed the safety of his home. Why couldn't he breathe? The cage was yanked from his grip and his head was forced between his knees. He gasped and shook.

"There you go. I guessed you were a hermit, but jeez, I didn't think this would cause an anxiety attack." Isaac said, "don't try it kitty." Selina puffed up her fur and curled up at the back of the cage, eyes not daring to look away from Isaac's danger-covered face. "Who needs a cat anyway? You gain nothin' from them, at least a dog worships you."

Tsukiya slowly lifted his head, the world spinning, and answered with a slur. "C-company?"

"Company? I suppose that's a valid reason." He out the cage on the floor and pulled a pair of round glasses out of his pocket. "Here, I trust you can't voodoo me with all these people around."

Tsukiya cautiously took the glasses with a muttered 'thank you' before placing them on his ears. He squinted as faces cleared. It didn't help the tightness in his chest but seeing clearly allowed him to feel ever so slightly safer.

"You know, the glasses hide your face."

Tsukiya answered absentmindedly. "Why would people want to see my face?"

"Why would people not want to see it? You could pick anyone up with a face like that. Identity is a weird thing. Though I hear dorks are the new sexy."  He winked.

Tsukiya leaned back into the chair with a confused expression. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Act like you're not taking me against my will. Kidnapping me. I don't understand why you can just kill those people without any remorse. You enjoyed it. And yet, when you looked at me for a moment you stopped. Why?"

Isaac frowned and then cackled, causing nearby people to stare at him disapprovingly. He stared off at the crowds, watching them walk and talk and bustle and live. He chuckled less enthusiastically. "You ever had a really bad day Tsuki?" Tsukiya was doubled surprised, having his name shortened and pronounced extremely wrong was new to him. Even so, he simply shook his head. Part of him wanted to say today, after all it was, but his curious mind knew better. "Well, when you unlock level four friendship I'll tell you about my bad day. But I'll at least tell you why I killed them, you think you deserve to know that don'tcha?" He paused, a hand disappearing into his empty pocket and imagined a gun being between his fingers. "One, they could've shot you so that I couldn't collect my money. And boy, those people hate when you don't deliver. Anyway, they attacked me first, not that it would've mattered if they got in the way of me delivering you. Lastly, part of my job is to enjoy it, if ya don't do a job you enjoy you're just wastin’ your life. That clear it up?"

Tsukiya's flashing eyes betrayed him, but still he sighed and nodded his head. "I guess so."

"Great. Now the departure is in an hour so let's go exploring."

Isaac jumped up and grabbed both the cage handle and Tsukiya's arm and dragged him to a few shops lining the entrance of the airport. Whiteness glistened everywhere and kids were running around screaming for toys or sweets. Tsukiya hadn't seen so many children in a long time and watched as a handful of kids ran into one shop that sold plushies. The window of the shop had a large purple bear plush waving at the children walking by, the green eyes lifeless and dead. He suddenly halted.

"Hey what's wrong?" Isaac followed his fearful gaze to the purple bear. His mind clicked. "Have something against purple bears?"

Tsukiya shook his head.

"Childhood nightmares?"

Tsukiya nodded.

"Gonna elaborate or should I buy ya one?"

Tsukiya closed his eyes and felt the memories appear before his eyes, vividly clear. "There was just this man that would turn up in a bear suit at my old orphanage. He was meant to be an entertainer I think, trying to cheer us up, but the bear suit always smelled of alcohol. A few years later this boy, I don't remember his name but he was asked up on stage with the entertainer and before we know it the boy is forced to wear another suit. A clown. But the entertainer didn't know a few wires had come undone and..." Tsukiya stopped as he remembered the screaming and the desperate attempts to get the head of the suit off. The blood.

"Ouch, did the kid survive?"

"He did, but he spent a long time in hospital and I never saw him again. I was adopted just after."

Isaac nodded. "What was your name before you were adopted?"

"Dante," Tsukiya replied, "that's all I remember being called." He realised how much he was talking and shrunk into himself, cut the emotion off. "I want to leave now." He added forcefully.

Isaac glanced between Tsukiya and the purple bear. "Give me a minute."

He shoved the cage into Tsukiya's arms and disappeared into the shop, confident that Tsukiya would remain where he was, and looked at the multi-coloured plushies. If there was ever a good chance to run it would be now. Tsukiya turned towards the exit but bumped into something. A little girl stared up at him with big watery eyes. Dressed head to toe in pink with a piglet doll gripped tightly to her chest, the little girl whimpered and clung onto Tsukiya's arm. He froze. What were you supposed to do in this situation?

"Uh, hey there." He said uncertainly. She snuggled her auburn head further into his arm and cried.

"Okay, how about we loosen that grip yeah?" He pulled gently but she wasn't going to budge. People were beginning to stare. "I really need you to let go now-"

"Howdy little lady!"

Tsukiya turned his head as Isaac strolled up to them. He bent down to the little girl's level and smiled brightly. "What's your name?"

The girl snivelled and stopped her tears long enough to reply. "K-Kaitlyn."

"Pretty name for a pretty young lady. Do ya know where your mother is, sweetie?"

"I don't know. I saw the bear. Ran off. I can't find my mommy."

"Hmm, well we'll just have to change that. We'll take you to reception and put a call out for your mommy. How about we make a game out of it, the one who can make the most funny faces on the way wins. How does that sound?"

The girl wiped her eyes and nodded. Isaac poked out his tongue and the girl giggled quietly. Tsukiya was still processing the past five minutes.

With many funny faces and terrible jokes later they were standing at the airport's reception with the call for Kaitlyn's mother echoing throughout the building. In Isaac's arms her little head was snapping this way and that frantically, hoping for one small glimpse, and finally a woman sprinted up to the desk. Kaitlyn practically jumped out of Isaac's arms. Tsukiya witnessed the two embracing, tears shed by both, and the mother kissed Kaitlyn all over her face in sheer relief. Tsukiya felt a familiar ache in his chest.

"Come on, time to get on the plane." Isaac said softly. He expected Tsukiya to be defiant, to at least try and tell the receptionist what was really happening, but instead he clenched his fists and turned to stay by Isaac's side.

"Wait!"  

They looked to the mother, Kaitlyn gripping her comforting hand tightly. The woman's eyes shone with admiration. "Thank you."

Tsukiya answered with a small smile and a nod before Isaac gently pulled him towards the gate. The woman reminded him so much of his own mother, or his adopted mother at least, and how the elder woman had always been kind and worryful. Isaac suddenly grabbed him by the hand awkwardly. Tsukiya tried to slither free but the grip only tightened. “Why are you holding my hand?” He accused.

The answering reply was filled with fake concern. “Because I don’t want to lose you, Tsuki.”

Tsukiya glared but said no more and simply endured. His eyes looked up to the massive black screens hung from the ceiling. All of the destinations were to Japan.

“Japan?” He exclaimed.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those otakus…” Isaac grumbled. “You’re not dragging me to some weird karaoke bar.”

“Why Japan?”

“That’s where they want me to take ya, duh.”

Tsukiya abruptly stopped and ripped his hand free. He ignored the staring faces around them. “I want the truth or I go no further. What is this place and why is it in Japan?”

When Isaac eventually realised Tsukiya was serious he groaned and whined and bent his head back in boredom. He had to be firm on this. No matter what abuse Isaac gave, he needed to know. Crowds dispersed around them as monotone voices called out the next departures. Isaac dragged a hand through his hair. It mildly amused him to see the serious expression on Tsukiya’s face. Perhaps a little too much. He pouted and murmured: “It's called The Facility. It was set up in Japan to take advantage of the Japanese’s medical progression as far as I know. The Facility keeps people like you, that’s it. Happy?”

“Not really,” Tsukiya scoffed, “but you won’t say anything else, will you?” Isaac shook his head. “Of course.” He added, disappointment dripping from his lips purposefully. At least it was something, but uneasiness churned his stomach as they again walked to the gate. He tried to push every fearful thought to the back of his mind and, involuntarily, found himself squeezing Isaac’s hand. He in turn said nothing, but a smirk crept onto his face.

The argument with the staff over Selina slowed the departure process. However, not-so-surprisingly, Isaac managed to charm a way around it and convinced them he had filled out the forms while obtaining the tickets. The cage and Selina were taken to board the plane and Tsukiya hated to watch her disappear with a luggage manager. Reluctantly, Isaac promised she would be fine.

Even with anxiousness making his head feel light, Tsukiya couldn’t help but have a childlike excitement as they waited for the plane to take off. He had never experienced being aboard a plane before, and while the circumstances were perilous and unexpected, he couldn’t help but let a grin spread across his mouth. Isaac had told him to sit by the window, likely so he couldn’t escape even if he tried, though where he could go was questionable, but Tsukiya made no complaint; this was far too exciting and new. Other passengers seemed less enthusiastic: adults wore sour faces as they waited for small alcoholic bottles to come, young adults and teenagers had their heads in the provided TV screens or headphones, and children cried in anticipation and fear. The usual formula for close human interactions with strangers. It was reminiscent of his bus journeys to and from work. The never-ending fighting for seats or simply trying not to accidentally bump into a stranger while standing. Smells, sounds, touch and people. A bad combination.

Tsukiya’s paranoid thoughts melted away for now.

“The hostesses are always a sight to behold.” Isaac mused as he leaned back against the headrest.

Tsukiya looked over greying heads and as he did he said: “Elijah said ‘the best entertainment is watching people around you’. Funny, he never mentioned the hostesses. He would travel on planes a lot when he was younger.”

“He never took you with him?”

Tsukiya shook his head. “His family didn’t like me much.” Isaac leaned forward in shock, quite unable to fathom how anyone could dislike him. “I don’t know why. Well, I do, but Elijah still wanted to be my friend no matter what his parents said. He sacrificed a lot for me.”

Isaac chuckled. “Sounds like he’s a good guy.”

“He was, yeah.” Tsukiya faltered, a shiver running through his body. “He died because of a tumour. Figures, we have these powers and this symbol but I couldn’t heal him. I couldn’t save him.”

He thought of those last few months. Elijah complaining about headaches, blackouts and nosebleeds but was so adamant nothing was wrong. Maybe if he had persuaded Elijah sooner, maybe, he would still be alive. Tsukiya spoke honestly, “I’m sorry, for thinking you had killed him before. You want to blame anyone but the tumour.”

“Hey I took no offence. I appreciate the apology.” Isaac replied with a grin. “Though I wish he was still around, you know, to keep you company at The Facility. Helps to have a friend on your side. Not that I’d know about that.”

Silence engulfed them. Tsukiya was unsure of what to say. This wasn’t some dramatised stockholm syndrome cliché, far from it, and Isaac was a murderous psychopath who had slaughtered and captured many including himself...and yet he was the only one who knew about him now Elijah was gone. The thought made him sad. Whatever this Facility was he hoped it wasn’t an asylum of some kind with evil doctors and torturous equipment. Now you’re dramatising, he scolded himself.

His body vibrated as the metallic hulk began to move slowly. No running away now. He thought nervously.

Throughout the journey Tsukiya dipped in and out of sleep, the adrenaline rushes leaving him exhausted. Plus, there was little to do other than talk to Isaac, who became far more talkative the longer he stayed awake. In fact Tsukiya wasn’t sure if Isaac had slept at all during the journey so far. Tsukiya tried to avoid appearing friendly, but his charm and understanding was difficult to ignore. However, quite mortifyingly,  remained professional as far as Tsukiya could tell. The vibrations of the plane easily lulled him to sleep and it was more than once he had found himself leaving on Isaac’s shoulder. The hitman had made no move to wake him when he did fall asleep on him. Nightmares would take hold suddenly. Images of blood, masks and an unknown face behind steel glasses repeated behind his eyelids and startled him awake.

By the third time he had woken up there was a blanket covering him and Isaac was nowhere to be seen. Tsukiya craned his neck over seats but there was no sign of his vibrant black hair. He sat back and curled up into the blanket and thought about Japan. His mother hardly talked about the place, what she did say was said with tears streaming from her eyes. Maybe he could convince Isaac to do some sightseeing. He shook his head, what a stupid idea. He flipped the window shutter up to see the Earth below was drenched in pitch black. Small orange orbs flickered. Tsukiya smiled.

“The more you do that the weirder it is.” Isaac fell into the seat and folded up a ripped piece of paper and slipped it into his pocket.

“Do what?”

“You. Smiling. It suits you.”

“I was just staring out the window and saw all the lights. It reminded me of how simple everything was.” Tsukiya answered innocently. He blinked. Isaac was staring at him too intently. “Maybe you need some sleep?”

Isaac chuckled. “Nope, I don’t tire that easily. My stamina is famous.”

“Isn’t everything about you famous?” Tsukiya mumbled. Isaac simply nodded his head. Tsukiya yawned and he pulled the blanket even closer to his body. “What will you do after you give me up to The Facility?”

Isaac grinned as he tapped his pocket. “Already sorted that. One of the hostesses was all too happy to help me figure out how the toilet door locks.” The devilish grin and the accomplished tone was easy to read. Tsukiya’s face reddened a little and he cursed his eyes for glancing at Isaac’s crotch. “Once I’m done with her I go on a little money-filled adventure with booze and chicks and scams and then I’ll find the next zodiac.”

“I-I see.” He choked. He found himself not satisfied, he couldn’t stop the question falling out of his mouth. “Will we...see each other?” For the first time Isaac’s smiling face turned into a deep frown. “I know you’re a psychopath-”

“I prefer the term ‘dangerously charming’.”

“Sure go with that. What I mean is, even if you are that I don’t have anyone else. Not anymore. Elijah’s dead, mom’s dead...I never really knew anyone else, I didn’t want to know anyone else in case they found out about the mark. I don’t know what to say. Do you understand?” Tsukiya questioned, or more begged as the words left him.

Isaac was very still, passive, but like a switch his face became hard and cold.

“No”

Tsukiya blinked and then nodded slowly.  He understood. Perfectly. “Right.”

The rest of the journey was less exciting. The childlike happiness had been drained away as reality stuck its fangs in. Though Isaac was quick to joke and chuckle and flirt with anyone who walked past, Tsukiya just glumly stared out the window. He had no reason to be sad, he should’ve been overjoyed in fact but something gnawed away at his mind, a constant irritating reminder.

He was entirely alone.

They got off the plane and collected Selina from the confused workers. With Selina in one hand and the other grasped around Tsukiya’s wrist, Isaac slowly guided him towards the entrance of the airport. Tsukiya was too dazed by the neon lights and constant squeaky voices on the big TV screens to realise just how determined Isaac’s expression was, or the powerful grip on his wrist. Everything was bright and colourful and new...for a brief magical moment he was in Japan with Elijah.

“Elijah I-” he stopped short and the sparkle drained from his eyes. “No, Isaac. Not Elijah.” He muttered.

Isaac pulled him forward and ignored the slip, and became very aware of ominous white-coated men outside the glass double doors. His red eye glistened. He blinked. Both began to glisten. This wasn’t what he wanted. This was meant to be easy. He stopped before the glass doors, just far away enough to not set the automatic system off and glared at the ominous men: one stood tapping his foot, another fumbling with a clipboard, and a third glaring just as deadly back. Isaac huffed. He turned to Tsukiya, realising with a start how short he was and how green his eyes were and how adorable his curious little face was. He looked like an innocent child being fed to lions. Isaac shook his head.

This guy was a grown man, a grown man with powers he didn’t and would never understand.

With his best grin pulling at the corner of his lips, Isaac spoke with dripping with charm. “Good luck maple boy, you’re gonna need it with these Hugo Strange wannabes.” He slapped Tsukiya on the back, placed Selina‘s cage in his arms and pushed him towards the glass doors. The middle man frowned beneath steel glasses.

“About damn time. You are not going to cause a fuss, are you?”

Suddenly Tsukiya was thrown back into middle school. “N-no, sir?”

“Good. Come with us, now.” He commanded coldly. Eyes of ice and a face of stone, Tsukiya clutched the cage tightly as he stepped toward the stranger. He snapped his head back around to say goodbye but Isaac was nowhere to be seen. Tsukiya’s heart sank.

“Come on, boy.”

Tsukiya silently obeyed.