BREATH . OF . LIFE . ~ { ReGenisis Chronicles Book I }

Chapter Ten [Part 1/3]: Limp Instruments

                        -Jake Aylesbury -

 Dropping Kate off at the gym, I left her staring at Swan in awe.

Natalia had made an early start and even to the most experienced of us; she was impressive. Agile and light, she made fighting seem more like an elegant dance with the air whilst she was working on her own. Kate's eyes had widened, mouth dropping open to watch as Swan stood on a beam, half a foot wide, performing a combination of high kicks and fluid punches. In between handstand walkovers and other acrobatics that made many envious. She'd learned a lot from Rin when they'd trained together, the both of them had always had a certain balance to them. After becoming a Nocturnal, what had meant some effort, became as easy as breathing to the both of them. They were practically unrivalled before in single combat, unsurpassed after.

Swan glanced aside at us, before moving into a handstand at the end of the balance beam and throwing herself off of it at speed. Landing perfectly. She tossed her plait from her shoulder and walked over to Kate with very little expression on her face. Miss Andersen was speechless, and I couldn't help but smile between the two of them. But I had other matters to take care of whilst they did some heavy fisted bonding. Although, I doubted Miss Andersen would be able to get in striking distance of Swan during this training session. So I excused myself with little more than a, "good luck."

       * * *

I'd called Jennings in to my office, it was time to clear up some of what had been going on. The part I understood. "When you think of Nicodemus Garner, Rin Takeichi and Griffin King, what comes to mind?" I had asked, trying to remain patient where I stood in front of the door.

He shrugged, hugging his closed laptop to himself. I'd instructed he bring it.  "Traitors, fallen from glory. I arrived long after they'd left, so that's all I got about them."

"Have you ever heard of the unwanted?" I pressed, rubbing my hands together anxiously.

He glanced away, thinking for a moment. "I know that some of those locked up in the cell blocks are referred to as 'unwanted.'"

"Do you know what happens when they outlive their usefulness as specimens, their pain is no longer pleasing to certain powers that be... do you know what happens when they fail to conform?" I could tell my voice had turned dark, my face set hard and serious. Mimicking Mr Andersen, enough that I could have scared myself by association.

He shook his head, then nodded slow,  "they're disposed of? So that they are no longer taking up valuable space and so that they cannot be used by others." He was figuring it out as he answered. "Although the last purging of unwanted was two and a half-oh." He realised, his mouth forming a small 'o' shape. "That's when they turned traitor, isn't it?"

I nodded, explaining, "Rin was given the order to destroy them. Murder then burn them in fire."

"But that never happened?" Jennings face had turned down, fear causing confusion curdling it.

"No, do you know who made up that particular group of unwanted Nocturnals and experiments?" I had to be sure that the gravity of it occurred to him, as well as the honourable nature of what they had done.

He started to let his eyes wander about the room. "You said before. Those who wouldn't conform or who weren't useful."

"Which meant they were unwilling to fight or vulnerable." I agreed with a nod, watching him blink. Thinking about that last word. It conjured up many things in my mind. The young, the afraid, the impaired. People without hope or any power to direct themselves.

"Vulnerable?" Jennings had frowned, "Makes getting rid of them seems wrong, cowardly. A waste." He muttered on.

"You're not the only one who thought that way. Instead of kill them, Rin, Griffin and one of the founders of this company banded together and created a haven for those who could not be moulded and who were vulnerable." I waited until he looked up at me, wide eyed and taken aback, before continuing. "They did not share information outside of Trinity, they only ever used violence against us, and Ides, to protect those in their care. What part of that makes them a threat, or true traitors Jennings?"