Joining Together

After I exited the library with both reports in hand, I found the nearest map and located Zackson's office center-north along the edge of the island. As I walked there, I noticed the time, 2:37pm. Wow, I must have been out for a while, I thought, I wonder what the others are up to.

It took me about 13 minutes to get to his office, walking at a steady pace. His office was a part of a larger building that represented the headquarters of the island. The front doors leading to the reception area were panels of glass with 2 square glass panels on each side, giving a clear view of the room-sized desk and the women working away behind it.

I walked in and asked where I could turn in both reports, "Your name please," she asked.

"Max Holenberg," I replied.

"With two Ls, correct," she began using the computer in front of her.

"Yes," I lied. After a few seconds of her typing away, she pressed a button on her desk and spoke to the microphone connected to it.

"Mr. Zackson, Max Hollenberg is here to turn in his report on the gate exploration."

"Yes, send him up to my office," Mr. Zackson replied. She quickly got out of her chair and around the desk. Then proceeded to guide me through the hallways of the building and onto the second floor. From what I could tell, she was in her late 20s to early 30s, and non-awakened, so she wasn't a slayer. Her attitude towards me is different from other non-awakened, she isn't scared like most others are but more or less calm.

"Here we are," she said, stopping before the doors leading to Zackson's office. "Just through those doors," she gave a smile and walked away.

I took a minute to mentally prepare myself and called out for Rose in my thoughts but got no response. After my preparation, a sudden thing popped up in my mind, I forgot to check if luck was able to affect magic back at the library. I buried my face in my hands, frustrated by my forgetfulness. "It's all right," I told myself, looking back up at the doors, "I still have the rest of the afternoon."

I opened one of the double wooden doors, breathing in a kind of sweet cinnamon scent, reminding me of autumn, which was coming up but was weird since we only started summer 3 weeks ago. "Hello Mr. Zackson," I said, walking to the front of his rectangular style desk.

"Good afternoon, Max," he responded. I noticed he was dressed more business casual now than when I last saw him in the early morning, "You can set those papers down in that tray there," he glanced over at the desk tray to his right. I nodded and smiled in response, setting them down in the tray. "You have one too, don't you," his words froze me in place as my mind struggled to think of words to say. "We both know, there's no point in denying it," he continued.

This could be a good opportunity, I thought. I barely know anything about what Rose is, but maybe Zackson knows more about them, and if things get dicey, I can always freeze time and get out of here. "If you're referring to the so-called demon," I made eye contact with him, "then yes, I do have one."

Mr. Zackson reached into his desk, pulled out a document, and set it down facing me. "Max Holenberg, a member of the Holenberg orphanage that took place in the 'Children Indoctrination Experiment' that began 20 years ago across the United States."

I was speechless when did he learn so much about me? I picked up the document he set down, finding that it was my government record. The picture it displayed was when I was 12. I know it was when I was 12 because I never got my photo taken when I was 13. I read further down, wondering if he was planning on reporting me back to the creators of the experiment, and then I came across my status reading the word "diseased," next to it. Just why did he want to show me my own document.

"It says that you're dead," he got up from his desk and walked over to the glass wall overviewing the ocean, "and yet you're right here."

It did say that I thought as I continued to read the paper. "But what would that mean and why are you showing me this," I looked over at him.

"It means you got out," he turned to look at me, "both you and Jacob got out."

Looks like he did his research just after finding out I had Rose with me. Still, it feels good knowing that the government thought I was dead and wasn't planning on finding either of us. "I still don't understand why you're showing me this?"

"Being a part of the experiment, you would know what it was for right," he ignored my question. I nodded in response. "Then tell me what you think about it."

"It wasn't like it was horrible," I said, "the only real problem was the one-way track that was set up for us, and the parents who put us there are really at fault for going along with the experiment."

"Look at the paper below your document."

I looked back at my document, noticing the paper he was talking about under it. The second paper was titled, "Results of the Children Indoctrination Experiment," and below that, "Abstract, The Children Indoctrination Experiment was an experiment where children of awakened were raised and monitored in foster homes, adding to the government's military force if ever awakened. Out of all the children observed, we found a 100% awakening rate, supporting the genetic awakening theory stated in our previous paper."

A 100% awakening rate was a shock, and it said children of awakened.

"The paper doesn't go into specifics on the process of how the children were obtained," he paused. "But the parents were killed, and then the children were collected."

I froze once more. Were my parents really killed, I thought, did they really not put me there. No, how do I know he's telling the truth. "And just how do you know that?" I asked.

"Before that, what are your feelings now towards the experiment?"

"Quit ignoring my questions," I said, now angry and glaring at him.

"Hahahaha," he began to laugh, then stopped as quickly as he started, "I'll have to kill you if you decided not to join me."

"Then will you help me find my parent's identity when I do join you?" I was still confused by the information given and wondered what did he meant by "join him."

"Definitely," his response was confident and reassuring.

"So how are you so sure that my and the other parents are dead?"

"Because I was one of the ones they hunted down on the other side," he explained, "by a slayer I thought was my friend. That's when the demon came and gave me another chance by changing my face and helping me get stronger."

"If you're already strong, then why do you need my help," I asked, wondering.

"Because over the years, I've discovered that 3 A-rank slayers were tasked with the killing of slayers with newborn children, and I believe they have demons as well."

"It's not like they're unstoppable just because they're A-rank," I pointed out.

"That's the thing about having a demon," he began revealing, "they allow you to surpass the upper limit of A-rank, and full power would be considered an entire rank of its own."

"What… even stronger than A-rank," I said in shock, "I can become even stronger than A-rank."

"Yes, and I can help you," he extended his hand out to me, "so I strongly suggest you join me in arresting the 3 slayers and the mastermind behind the experiment."

"I mean well yeah," I quickly shook his hand. "I don't wanna die," I said with a small chuckle, lightening up the mood. Mr. Zackson replied with a grin and walked back to his desk. I left the documents on his desk and walked out of the office. As I walked down the stairs, I passed by 4 adults, 2 guys, 2 girls, with one of the girls holding what seemed to be a trident.

Are they going to see Zackson, I thought as I stopped and turned around to see them walking towards his office. "I wonder if they know anything about the experiment or share the same goal."