Beneath the Rubble

“Chris, sir?” A man knocked on the door.

“Clark?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Come on in.” The man opened the door.

“Sir,” Chris shot him a dirty look.

“...Chris,” the man corrected himself.

“Get on with it, Clark.” Chris raised an eyebrow.

“W-well Chris,” Clark stammered.

“Before we came the other night to investigate the Labs, we set up cameras.”

Chris sat up a bit.

“And?”

Clark handed him a camera.

“Well, this...this isn’t one of our men.”

As Chris pressed play, his eyes widened.

“Is that...”

*

A man wandered the rubble whistling, swinging his keys.

“Yeesh.” He sighed as he kicked a tiny piece of the ruin.

“Glad I wasn’t on shift during this shitstorm.”

The man suddenly froze. He looked around cautiously. There’s no way.

Before the man could take another step, something grabbed at his leg. Startled, the man dropped his keys.

“Huh!?” He looked down quickly.

“I said...help.” The girl looked up at him.

Her grip was weak, and yet he couldn’t free himself. All he could do was stare.

“Please...” The girl weakly mumbled.

“H-hold on...” the man said.

“Let go a second.”

The girl opened her mouth but shut it.

“I’m not going to run; just let go.”

She gave what seemed to be an attempt at a nod.

The man knelt and smirked.

“I knew stealing this thing would have its benefits.” He gloated, dipping his finger in a tiny bottle labeled ‘The Cure.’ He then proceeded to apply it to the girl’s lips.

“Don’t get mad at me if this doesn’t work, kid.”

The girl’s eyes widened.

“Huh,” the man said, closing the bottle.

“Guess it did work.”

The girl stared at the man in awe.

“Mister.” She began.

“What’s your name?”

The man smiled as he began picking pieces of the rubble off the girl.

“Norio Takeshi...”

*

Chris stared as the recording ended in astonishment.

“You know him, S-...Chris?”

Chris shook his head.

“Barely,” he frowned.

“He didn’t seem like the type of guy to play the hero, is all.” He sighed, handing the camera back to Clark.

“Do you think that’s what he went there to do?”

Chris scratched his head.

“Beats me; quit asking so many questions.” He scolded.

“Relax, I'm only teasing you,” Chris said with a chuckle.

"A-ah..." Clark let out a sigh of relief.

“Understood!” He said, giving a nervous laugh.

*

“...Norio?” The girl asked as the man lifted her onto his back.

“Mm.” He replied.

“...Like the cookie?” She asked.

Norio quickly stopped.

“Hey!” He cried.

“Don’t compare my name to a cookie, you brat!” He shouted angrily.

The girl let out a laugh.

Norio sighed as he continued walking.

“Mother’s going to kill me for this...” He muttered as he carried 247 back home.