67 Side Story - Code 000A

I was locked in a cage.

My older sister and I had long black hair like our eyes.

All around me were other children like us.

They were in these cages because our parents sold us.

"Don't worry. They told us we were going to change the future, that's why they bought us, because they needed us."

My sister said that to reassure me maybe. The thing is, that day, I heard some men talking to our parents.

A door opened, a group of men in white coats came in.

One of them had long white hair and red eyes.

"How are you my dear children!"

"My name is Professor Epstein, and I have come to tell you that I will be in charge of your transformation."

"Transformation?" Said my older sister.

The person called Epstein pointed upwards.

"I will turn you into superheroes!"

Hearing that, I was speechless.

It was the first time I had ever heard that word coming from an adult.

"We're going to put you through some tests. They're going to hurt, I won't lie... but! Those tests are to see what kinds of skills they can gain."

Professor Epstein smiled and then we were taken out of the cages.

We were taken to a room where there were games and sweets.

We could watch TV and play video games.

That was the best day of my life.

The next day, we were taken to a white room with lots of lights.

Professor Epstein along with several people wearing white coats were looking at me.

One of them came up to me and injected me with a big needle with a red liquid.

As he said, it hurt a lot, but it was momentary.

They untied me from the table and asked me how I felt.

I sat there for hours and was asked every so often how I felt.

So as not to bore me, they gave me sweets and toys.

In the end, they let me go after writing down various things.

◇◇◇

Weeks have passed since we came here.

Everything was normal, except for one thing.

The number of children was less than I remembered.

There was more space than I needed.

Everyone was playing happily, even me, except for my older sister.

"Onee-chan, what do you have?"

I asked. My big sister was looking a bit grumpy, but with a smile she said.

"I'm fine, I just feel weird."

"Should I tell Professor Epstein?"

"I don't think so. It's just a passing flu maybe. I'll be fine, I swear."

My sister was smiling even though she looked bad.

I would have liked to tell her more, but that was the last time I saw her.

◇◇◇

"How are you feeling today, 000A?"

Professor Epstein took me to the same white room, but this time the number of people in white coats was less.

They all had strange light blue clothes, yellow gloves and masks.

He also gave me a strange name.

I said to him. "I'm fine."

"I understood. I just want to say that this time it will hurt a lot."

"I'll be strong, I'm used to it."

I said with a smile.

There was something I'd like to know.

"Professor, do you know where your sister is?"

I couldn't see his mouth, but from the silhouette he was smiling.

"Yes. She's resting. Don't worry."

I nodded as it was reassuring to know that.

"Well, let's get started."

He said as he approached a table.

He picked up something and I was surprised.

It was a saw with a wire.

But then he put it down somewhere else, I was surprised as he picked up a big red syringe.

My heart was pounding with pleasure.

As he injected me with the liquid.

I thought it was going to be like always that it was just going to hurt, but nothing else would happen.

I was dead wrong.

As the syringe emptied. I started to feel a heat inside me that bothered me.

It burned so much, so much, I felt like I was going to die.

When I was about to open my mouth.

They put a muzzle on me.

The heat was increasing that I felt like I was going to faint.

Professor Epstein came up to me and said.

"Well, it seems to be working. The effect seems to be working."

"We will proceed with the operation as the virus has taken effect."

The people came closer and the professor whispered to me.

"I am very sorry, but your big sister as well as your other little friends have passed away."

"The injection you were given was a powerful virus that kills cells and replaces them as new ones."

The higher-ups behind the successful for them, but failed for me project on new humans who developed a kind of superhero ability, asked me now to look for a method to extend life.

A woman took a small pointed knife and proceeded to make a small cut in my arm.

A small yellow hose was attached and began to suck blood.

"I wasn't lying to you when I told them I was going to turn them into superheroes. But... my research funds are expensive. That's why I need to do this."

"Ah! I put you 000A because there was already a 0, a 00 from A to Z. But they ended in failure, I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Courage!"

After saying those words.

A man turned on the saw and its blade started to rotate very fast.

Then, for the first time in my life I cried myself unconscious.

◇◇◇

How long has it been?

My body has grown.

I have breasts and my appearance has changed.

I wasn't just saying that because when they came into this room to cut me and take my blood I saw my naked body in a huge mirror.

Right now I didn't have one of my eyes or my limbs.

Worst of all was what I was hearing.

"We are creating superheroes!"

I could hear perfectly well how Epstein was talking to another group of children- no, victims like me.

I was a bit glad that my suffering would be over for a while.

Was I a bad person because others would suffer like me?

Who cares.

No one can help me or save me.

Why should I feel sorry for those who will go through the same as me, but can't help me at the same time?

It's pathetic to want to feel bad for someone I will never meet.

That's what I've learned from being locked up here for years.

I'm not supposed to feel sorry for anyone. In the same way no one will feel compassion for me.

For that reason, I just hope to die soon.

◇◇◇

Someone is coming.

It's rare for this to happen since I don't remember the last time someone came.

In fact, I haven't seen Epstein for a long time.

A strange guy came in his place he said.

The door opened. And a stretcher came.

It was placed next to me.

In this darkness, we couldn't see each other's faces because if there was another stretcher here, it was because it was like me.

I decided to break the ice as it was boring to talk to myself.

"Hey, are you conscious?"

"..."

There was a small murmur. He can't seem to talk.

But it doesn't matter, I will talk to him because I don't know if he will die or not.

I heard that when they were going to bring others like me here, they died during the journey.

"What is your name? Do you remember?"

"... My name is Der."

"Oh, Der, what a nice name. I think?"

"I am... huh? -What was my name?"

"I forgot it. I'm 000A as they call me, nice to meet you."

"What are we doing here?"

"What do you mean, what are we doing here?"

"It's obvious. To die."

"I don't want to die...."

"Too bad. I've been locked up in here for years, so dying is the best thing to do with your life."

"No... I don't want to live..."

"want to live..."

"I told you that-"

"I don't want to die again!"

"Huh?"

"In my previous life I died tragically! And I don't want to die again..."

Oh, I see...

No, wait. What the hell are you talking about?

"I'm... I'm a reincarnate. In my previous life I was a girl from a country called America. My parents work in a hospital.

"Every day they told me that they liked to save lives because it was the right thing to do. If you can help others, you should do it. It is your moral duty."

"That's why I went to medical school. To be a doctor so I could save people."

"But one day... some men came into our house. There was an uproar because some protesters went crazy over a racial event. Apparently it was because the companies that sponsored them were against what they supported. That upset people in some way which ended up in massive fights and fires."

"In the end... all I remember is that I picked up a knife while one of them was undressing me... sometime later I woke up in an operating theatre."

That's very strange. What is this girl talking about? She's a girl is what she seems to be.

"Those guys... they're not doctors. They're monsters in human form! I can't stand it... living like this... living in this world is a torment."

After saying that, I heard a loud sound.

I called out to her to find out what she did.

"Hey, Der, what happened?"

"..."

"Der..."

"Hey..."

"Hey, answer me. Der!"

I started to feel something I hadn't felt in a long time.

Worry.

Everything was dark.

But my eyes started to get used to darkness and now I could see in the dark.

I was a little shocked by that, but then it was made worse by what I saw.

A little girl was just like me.

No limbs and on a stretcher.

She was a girl possibly the same age as I was when I arrived.

I was watching her for a long time.

Seeing her made me think something.

What if I had been in her situation?

If I had said a few words of support to her, would she have chosen to live?

Oh...

Am I really the resentful one?

I chose to become bitter and not try to live.

A girl younger than me did not endure this suffering instead of living.

She could have lived longer if I had said those words of support to her.

What's more. She said she was a reincarnated one.

If I remember correctly, my older sister said that there was a story about transmigrators. People who died and their souls were sent to another world.

Could it be that my older sister is in such a place?

I want to see her.

I want to see you sister...

I had no limbs, but a phantom feeling.

Something was beginning to rise up inside me.

My body was starting to feel strange.

I felt a sensation similar to pushing.

Something was coming from inside me.

It was painful.

But as time went on it stopped hurting until... I felt it.

I felt something touch the stretcher.

It was fingers.

My fingers and toes.

The sensation brought tears to my eyes.

How long had it been since I had felt this?

As I turned around, I fell.

I spent hours trying to stand up.

Eventually. I managed to stand up and walk.

I fell several times.

I think I was like that for two days, because only twice the lights went out during the day, and that was to sleep.

Now that I could walk, I wanted to escape.

I wanted to live for my sister.

I wanted to live for Der who didn't try to survive because of me.

I didn't know if I could open the knob.

But with just a slight force, the door broke.

I used that opportunity to run.

I had no idea where to run.

I ran so far, I ended up in a very deep part of the place.

I didn't know how to get out.

But it was a huge door.

Then, I inadvertently put some pressure on it and the door softened.

I looked at my hands.

Does that mean that what Epstein said happened?

Did I become a superhero?

Once again I pushed hard and the door fell.

It made a loud sound.

Lights came on.

As my eyes adjusted to the light... I found an abomination.

What I saw made me want to vomit.

Enormous tubes filled with glowing green liquid and... I can't tell.

I walked as my tears came out.

Then, with all my might I hit the floor.

A crack in that icy, metal floor was made.

"Damn you Epstein!"

"What super heroes?!"

"What medicine for the top brass?!"

"You were just playing with people's lives!"

"You're not a human, you're a demon in human guise!"

I was screaming to the point that my throat hurt.

I didn't know at what moment it happened, that my hair and eyes that were black turned blood red.

Then, I decided to release them.

I ran straight to the places where the other children should be.

I opened a door and a group of men with guns were in front of me.

They shot at me.

The bullets hurt, but nothing happened to me.

The bullets were embedded in my body.

Then they were expelled little by little.

For some reason I felt very thirsty.

His neck looked appetizing.

I bit into it as if it were a fruit. And I sucked its blood.

It was my deliciousness.

More armed men were in front of me.

I bit them all dry.

In the end there was only one man left in a white dressing gown.

"Wait, I am your creator!"

"You are the experiment we were looking for! I made you like this, so don't!"

I grabbed the man with my hand and asked him.

"Where is Epstein?"

"I don't know, but he must be somewhere in the capital since he ran away-"

I broke his neck, that's all I needed to know.

I approached the children and told them that everything was going to be fine.

They were scared of me, but it didn't matter.

I took them and we got out of there.

◇◇◇

It has been a few years since we escaped.

I found out several things since I stole a diary called a report.

It said several things I didn't know.

Like the virus they injected me with was called "Project Vampire" a weapon that would be the climax to the fight against dragons.

I bit one once and I also got to know several things.

It was the humans who invaded this world.

With their weapons and waste they polluted this world and have started to achieve a phenomenon that is only visible every 500 years.

They are really despicable.

The children have grown up, they have become warriors like me.

I bit them and now they are like me, progenitors, because we are the first.

So... let's destroy the humans.

◇◇◇

The war against the humans is over.

The republic was destroyed.

Hundreds of humans fled without their technology which destroyed.

Some did not have their breathing equipment so they could not breathe properly.

At this rate, they will become extinct.

Sister, I avenged you.

But not only that. I got comrades. I even got a name.

My name, yours, hers, and above all, a unique name that sets me apart from humans.

Astraea Gerbera der Trueblood.

Now, I will live my life in peace.

◇◇◇

I was wrong.

More than 1000 years have passed.

My comrades have decided to die.

Worst of all, we cannot die easily.

A few years ago a strange shadow appeared in front of me.

That shadow asked me if I wanted power and I accepted.

I felt something strange in that conversation, it seemed that I was going to accept it anyway.

But it doesn't matter.

Even my husband who I buried since he was a human and we created a place to live together.

I will give all that up.

I want to die.

I can't take it anymore.

Every now and then I hear tormented voices.

Please let me die.

That wish I entrusted to my descendants before I planned to lock myself in a coffin and wait for my death.

◇◇◇

"I am Licht."

A descendant seems to have awakened me.

There are many things I don't understand, but a strange boy standing in front of me was challenging me to fight.

My body is still weak, but I can still beat him.

But I have no reason to do so.

"And I've come to kill you just as you wish."

Until he said that sentence.

With that alone, he made me become serious.

"Shall we begin?"

Will you be the one who can grant my wish?