6-9 From Another Aspect

A Special Update that's featuring Ace's Point of View on what he experienced on (some parts of) the 6th Chapter.

<Enjoy~>

[Acel]

The name's Acel, I am like the kids that were used and experimented on, just like Rei. We hold different and unexplainable abilities.

Mine is possessing someone's body by locking sight with my prey. I can control everything; their body, what they say, and what they feel are some of the examples.

As soon as I delivered the chair and was excused, I ran to a safe hiding place where no one would probably suspect me. I manage to get to the closest elevator and I hopped on top of it after I unscrewed the lid when you look up the ceiling.

I'm trying to make my voice as quiet as I can even when I want to scream so hard. The body I'm possessing right now is being tortured by her.

She started with tasers, and I transfer the pain of it to the real holder of the body and make him scream for me, just to save some of my stamina because I might need it later.

And as soon as he stops screaming, I'm the one who's speaking for the man to provoke her or to keep the man silent so he won't have a chance to leak anything valuable. Because once he tells them that something is keeping him from saying the truth, I know that she will catch up to what's going on.

That is the kind of person she is. At least, the "Rei" that I used to know.

"Where did you meet them?" I can hear her starting to question the man again. I felt a foot stepping on my balls and I'm relieved that I don't have to experience that for long when I approve of the man's control over his own body.

"How many are there?" I can hear the man screaming nonstop. She repeated her words. But the elevator started to move which got me startled and lost control for some time.

"Two, I spoke to the two of them," I heard the man speak in a rush.

"Names!" Rei shouted. I couldn't help but just listen because there is still someone on the elevator.

"Their names were" I hurriedly switched back to the consciousness of the man as soon as the person from the elevator was gone. It was a relief that I made it in time before he released some classified pieces of information.

"FUCK and YOU," I tried to mock her and I'm relieved that I had thought of a good come back at the last minute.

I was just trying to not cause any more suspicion that Professor was behind all this.

*     *     *     *     *

They already maintained the old man and I just heard from the information around me that he was going to be interrogated.

"With this mission, your loyalty shall be tested," a commander spoke to me from the transmitter.

I was already half walking and running to catch up to the objective. I was about to pin him to a dead-end room or an alley. But another man has already thought of that, Cedrick.

I hurriedly blended into the crowd to avoid some eyes looking at me when I almost tried to touch the man.

"There is no escape," Cedrick put on a handcuff on him and walked him to the cell himself.

I had no way of performing my task. Thus, I tried to find ways until I serve my purpose and complete my mission.

I came upon information about the chair that was going to be used and delivered to the interrogation room. And that was my only way of having eye contact with the suspect. I killed the person who was tasked to deliver it and replaced him.

"I extend my greatest gratitude," When she said that bowing to where the cameras are, the man looked at me, trying to get my attention, and was probably hoping for me to help him.

I simply smiled and winked at him before I exited the room as my response.

From there, I could hear her ordering the old man to move to the new chair. And I kept refusing her offer with my voice but the body of the man was probably already sitting on the new chair which might've looked funny or confusing for them.

The chair with straps prevented me from killing him through suicide. So I had to be patient and let Rei kill the man for me.

*     *     *     *     *

That was what I was planning, but I didn't think that it would take this long.

And right now, the hotness of the metal rod that Rei keeps tracing on the poor man's skin is more painful than I would have anticipated. I didn't even think that Rei would go to such lengths to torture someone.

Well, I guess half of it was my fault for trying and provoking her. I regret saying that now.

I can't make the same mistake with how the man slipped some information so the one who's enduring the pain and is screaming is none other than me. I am in so much agony.

I misjudge how she would've treated an old man.

There is no bloodshed in my body or any scars that can be left, but it hurts so much and on top of the pain, I could smell the flesh being cooked that I threw up.

All of that made me forget that I also provoked Cedrick who is now taking his revenge by pouring tons of liquid into the bloody body that I tried so hard not to look at. It was probably alcohol that made the pain more intense that I couldn't handle anymore and transferred all the pain to the man as I hear him scream to the worst pain that he's ever experienced before.

I saw the image of Rei being honestly surprised by Cedrick's action as the man started to lose his consciousness and so did I.

The slow movement of the elevator going up woke me up. And I couldn't be silent this time because he was already spitting some information.

"Do you think I'll beg for mercy?" I butted in the conversation and took full control over his body. "Dream on," I couldn't care less if the one riding the elevator hears me. Because I had my gun ready to shoot as soon as someone comes up at me.

After Rei called the Supreme Commander asking for a quick search of me, I just started to realize something, it's that the elevator was going up nonstop. And that made me start to panic.

"You're as quick-witted as I remember you were," I keep talking to them and keep myself composed at the same time.

"Are you done yet?" The Professor asked me through the transmitter. But I can't personally answer him.

"Nice shot!" I whistled to Rei after she shot all four cameras in the room. That made me imagine that the Professor was watching my performance since earlier through the cameras that she just destroyed.

I guess he already knew the answer to his question.

"It was nice working with you up until now," after Professor Norby's statement, my transmitter stopped working anymore.

The elevator was also maintaining its pace to go up which made me confident that the one riding it is the one going to end my life.

I started panicking and the adrenaline was so intense that it made me remember a certain memory that I wanted answers to for a long time.

I couldn't care anymore and just blurted things in the wrong way.

"Just like how you shot your mother," I can't keep being rational anymore that I think I'm going crazy.

Rei's punch didn't surprise me at all but it made me lose my balance. I chose to let go of my gun to hold onto something so I wouldn't fall.

I can already see the wall above me closing in and a cloud of smoke coming out from the spaces between the lid of the elevator made me go insane. The thought of being crushed or being killed by someone kept circling my head, making me choose one out of the two.

I hurriedly opened the unscrewed lid and jumped down inside the elevator full of smoke.

I felt someone kicking me which made me fall. The smoke vanished and the door opened.

I tried to crawl my way out the door but I was shot in the leg. I endured it and kept crawling but the door closed when I was this close and it went down again.

The assassin holds a gun with a silencer and is probably skilled. I tried to punch his arms behind me which has a strong grip as he dragged me to a corner. He shot my other leg that made me shriek and stays put.

I got a good look at his face and was about to possess him to save myself.

*     *     *     *     *

"Go ahead, I'm waiting," says Professor Norby.

I held a gun that I got from the soldier that was carelessly holding my arm. And now, I'm holding his gun and pointing it at Professor's head.

"You can't even do it," he said, leaning closer to the gun I'm holding. The only reason that I was hesitating was that he's holding hostages, others like me which I already treat like my own family and siblings.

"Coward," as soon as I dropped the gun, his guards continued to point their guns at me while putting handcuffs on my hands.

His echoing laugh made me sick.

"You could've just ended your own miserable life and be freed from all of this," he made me realize an option that was already in the back of my head.

"You're the coward here," he whispers in my ear when they made me knelt in front of him.

I was already considering being his puppet to at least warn her and he did approve of my resolve in exchange for full monitoring on me twenty-four/seven.

*     *     *     *     *

Then I remember the reason why I risked myself and agreed to be his puppet, it was to warn her. And I won't be able to do that if I let go of the man's body now.

"Why can't you even defend yourself?" The man in front of me, I know that he's one of Rei's friends because I saw him near her on a lot of occasions.

I can't believe they're this close to her.  Does she already know?

"You're still as weak as I can remember you were," he says like we've known each other for a long time. He pointed the gun at my head but I just kept glaring at him.

Then, he shot me on the side at the last second. I held the part where he shot me that was already full of blood.

"Why?" I asked when he hides his gun and puts his hood on, turning his back at me.

"I felt sympathy for my best friend," he says, wiping his cheeks that were probably wet with tears. But that made me more confused by the situation. Because I know that Professor Norby is watching and that he is probably going to get scolded later. Or is he not going to be punished for his actions because of how important he might be on this operation?

Every possibility kept playing with my head that made me laugh for how cruel this world could be to us...to me.

"I still don't get why they say you sound like a gorilla when you laugh," he steps outside the elevator after he pushed a button going up and I'm left here to bleed until I die.

I was prepared to rest but someone called my name.

"Acel," Rei's voice echoed on my head that ended the endless loop of my past, flashing in my eyes when I'm in front of death's door.

And it just irritated me in some way.

"Don't you dare call my name with that lying mouth of yours!" I shouted. "How dare you dream of being everyone's hero!" Her smiling face when she said that in the past made me so angry.

Fear.

"You swore that we'll get everyone outside those horrible tinted walls!" But I kept screaming and pouring everything out. Thinking that that'll be my last moment to do so.

Blame.

"How dare you get out of there alone! I considered them siblings, but did you?" I can't stop.

Denial.

"Do you even know how many died?" I keep crying, knowing that blaming anyone won't be such a good idea. I can hear her croaky voice trying to explain that it wasn't her intention, she didn't like how everything turned out.

Regret.

"Yes, that's the problem!" I readied myself for an apology and explanation that I owe her. I was planning to keep this to my grave but now that I am nearing there, I felt a sudden urge to tell everything so I won't end up regretting anything.

Confession.

"I know you're not at fault because I am!" I finally said the first step.

"From the beginning," my silent sobbing interrupts me.

" 'He' knew everything from the beginning," I felt a lot of different kinds of emotions but that didn't stop me from continuing. "I've known that 'he' knew that the plan wasn't going to work! I didn't tell anyone because everyone's life, everyone that I cherish was on the line," guilt was eating me.

Guilt, that I'm only telling her this, now.

Another punch was what she gave me, along with a question about why I didn't tell her.

"I didn't have the guts to sacrifice anything," I tried smiling, to stop the flow of tears so I can tell the next line to her without interruption. "But in the end, he killed EVERYONE," she must've been so devastated when she heard that.

"And revived those he thought he can use to hunt you down," I can't stop because if I do, I might lose my consciousness and die without saying everything I want to say.

"Listen," coughing up blood even in my real body, "They're closer than you think," is the only thing I can say because I don't know the specific name of the person who killed me and who was also close with her all this time.

She was struggling to convince me to tell her where I am, probably thinking that she can still save my life.

Which we both hope for.

"NO!" I try to stop her from exhausting herself any more than I should.

"Come on, don't lose hope. I can still-" I hear her say as the old man's body fell and so did she.

Is there even hope left for me? Just the thought of it makes me want to laugh.

"We were brought back to life with an intent to end you and everyone was hypnotized to think that way whether they like it or not," I hope she heard that. Because I barely have any strength left to talk to her.

"So pleaseー" my head starts to lean on the elevator wall. I started to catch my breath slowly and steadily to at least continue the last line that was on the tip of my tongue.

Then I suddenly remembered a particular memory that was an answer to my question earlier.

*     *     *     *     *

After the lunch break and a tiresome act in front of others, I was taking a shower in the public bathroom.

I happened to shower with the one who was the loudest and the funniest guy in the group. With him, I can be myself and I don't need to behave like another person just so I could be loved because...

"How's my best friend's day?" He asked being so energetic that it spread to me as well.

Because he treats me as his best friend with or without the mask that I usually have on.

I replied to him with honesty and trust.

When I tell him I'm happy, he was genuinely happy too. But when I tell him that I'd had a bad day, he'd make me smile or chuckle.

And the latter is what the situation looks like at the moment.

"I don't get why they say you sound like a gorilla when you laugh," he said after telling a joke and while knowing the answer to his question.

Then I came to a sudden realization that the one who called me his best friend was the same boy who shot me with sympathetic eyes and tears.

It was Crono who shot me...

*     *     *     *     *

"Save them"

I finally felt satisfied after I poured everything I wanted to say that was hidden inside me to someone I can trust.

~~

I opened my eyes to see nothing.

Or to be precise, it's so dark.

But I'm confused, why do I still have my consciousness with me?

Isn't this the afterlife?

I'm sure I died already, but why?

Then a light started to fly past me. Without a second thought, I tried to catch up to it. It stopped, and when I got closer, I can see it forming into a shape.

"Mom?" I looked at the woman on the right that looks just like my Mother. She smiled back and extended her arms.

I stood still and looked at the one on the left, just to see my Father.

"Dad?" He too extended his arms.

Both are smiling and are waiting for me to fill the empty spaces in their arms.

"Come here Acel," I hear my father's words. But the one I'm facing isn't moving any muscles right now.

"No, come to mama," I'm starting to see some memories from my childhood coming out from the black surrounding like it was a film that was meant to be shown to me.

"His name is going to be Ace," my Father says holding me as a baby.

"Ace is a common name, how about Acel?" Mother was the one who came up with my name who Father couldn't disagree on.

I looked back and forth to the memories that kept appearing out of nowhere and to my parents who are standing and waiting for me to come to their embrace as they kept smiling.

I stepped forward and slowly walked towards them.

"Acel, hide," I hear my Mother's worried voice from another memory when they were trying to save me from what's going to happen to me after they catch us.

But I kept walking and ignoring those voices.

"Everything's going to be alright, just listen to them, okay?" Father tried to not cry when he was being dragged away with my Mother to another vehicle.

I remember all of it like it was yesterday.

My tears started to roll down my face when I see and hear more memories being played as I continued walking to their embrace, which was still waiting for me.

"Be a good boy and make friends," it was my Mother's advice when they were going to be executed after they planned to escape the laboratory with me.

"Be sure to take care of yourself," my Father hugged me and whispered. "Please, do your best to escape from here," and that was the last time they talked to me as walked away with the soldiers that led to their death.

I played dense and oblivious so they wouldn't worry on that day. But deep down inside, I knew everything and suffered alone.

"It's alright," Rei's voice echoed through this darkness that led me to stop walking and watched that memory on my right, knowing that my parents whose arms are open wide wouldn't go anywhere.

"You still have us," she was hugging me behind the building that I often hide when I want to pour my heart alone.

"Every child here is the same as us, so if you consider them your siblings I'm sure they'll do the same," she's comforting me. "We're going to get out of here with everyone," I remember we promised that to each other and I believe that she will someday make that promise come true.

I still believe she will save every single one of them.

All the negative feelings that I felt when I was walking faded, I can now smile and be happy.

"Acel" I can hear my parents calling me on the back of my head.

"I'm coming," I say running towards their embrace and hugging them as tightly as I could. And they didn't hesitate to hug me back.

I held both their hands as we, a family, walked together to an endless pit of darkness.