Chapter 16: The Missing Girl Himiko 02: Transfers

Life in the Quirk Facility wasn't all that terrible.

The kids were fed good food and given time to play and hang out when they weren't under testing by the bald doctor or Mr. Yanagisawa. Himiko liked the hangout room the best, she thinks. She got to meet the others who were in the Quirk Facility too!

There weren't many kids left ever since Injection day; whenever she asked, Mr. Yanagisawa would simply answer that they got sick and were transferred to another part of the facility but were perfectly fine. There was an edge in his soft voice when he said this, his eyes squinting just a little too much.

While Himiko was keen on the fact the man was definitely not… telling the full truth, at least, she had sense enough not to push the subject. The last time she showed attitude to them, they put her in the Punishment Room for a whole day…

There were six kids left in this side of the facility, and she heard that there were going to be two more transfers sometime soon.

The day after her check up, she was forced in bedrest, sniffling and resting on her stomach with her back exposed, medicine slathered all over her charred skin. She stayed that way for two days, and with special help from a new nicer doctor who helped her get up and stretch and go to the restroom and eat whenever it was time. Thankfully, by the third day, they brought in a doctor with a healing quirk and the pain was almost gone after the treatment.

They said she was a success, and she was praised highly for it. They said they'd start using that treatment for the other children too. Regrettably, however, they also said she wasn't done with her treatment either. She had successfully retracted the tentacles back to her but has been unable to call them back. Not only that, but there's been this dull thumping in the back of her head, feeling almost deep in her brain…

Threatening to spill.

But the medications she was forced to take were helping. A bit.

It was about four days after her first treatment when she was finally allowed back into the Hangout room. She went to her usual corner, the beat-up bean bag on the white carpet where dolls and various books laid scattered. As she sat down, she ignored the pinching in her neck and instead brought her favorite Hello Kitty doll to her chest, studying the room around her. There were only three of the six kids she knew with her, each doing different things almost mechanically. Their movements were stiff, almost painful.

Himiko cringed. She could relate.

With a huff, the blonde pulled herself from her comfy seat and made her way to the group, her doll still tight in her grip. It was like a comfort to her.

She sat down in the middle of them all, clearing her throat—they all looked at her, a small smile on the peach-haired boy's face. Tobiko was his name. Number fifteen.

She liked Tobiko, he was nice. And interesting—despite being quirkless, he had pointy ears and strange eyes! He was also a lot older than she was, and she often wondered how he ended up here; if they all were the same.

"Hello," she greeted the three. "How was your treatments?"

Tobiko sat down by the girl, his legs folded under him while his hands rested on his knees. "Mine was a success."

The two girls, Ayane and Estuko (Numbers twelve and six) joined the two, crossing their legs and smiling their tired smiles.

Estuko nodded. "As was mine."

Ayane shook her head. "They said I'll need another injection today. Apparently someone messed up with the doses and it wasn't enough or something."

"Oh, you didn't have to go through the electroshock for nothing, did you?" Tobiko frowned.

Himiko shivered at the thought—that'd be awful! And she heard there were other treatments after the shock treatment just in case the first round didn't trigger the tentacles. The doctor had said the tentacles were currently "programmed" to respond to pain, if they successfully integrate in the person, that is. After they're activated, they weren't supposed to hurt anymore, right? Ayane and Estuko then explained that they've been experiencing sharp pains in their neck and head.

"Hey, did you guys hear about the new transfers?" Ayane started, leaning forward.

Himiko nodded. "They said they 'have their eye on two'—er, at least that's what I heard from my nurse yesterday."

Estuko bounced in her seat. "I know, isn't it so exciting? This place is changing lives! Soon, they'll be giving this quirk to quirkless adults, too!"

Tobiko seemed a bit unnerved, shuffling uncomfortably. "I almost don't want that," he hummed.

"Huh?" Ayane tilted her head. "Why'd'ya say that?"

The freckled boy shrugged, leaning back on his hands. "Unless they, like, fix their 'pain activation' crap, I'd like to live without chronic pain, thank you very much."

Estuko nodded along with a hum. "...Yeah, I kinda agree. They're only in their beta stages though, right?"

"Then why test it on a bunch of kids like us?"

"Um, me and Estuko are technically adults, Ayane."

She finger gunned. "Right."

Himiko hummed, hugging her Hello Kitty doll closer and pursing her lips. "I wish it would go by faster. I wanna see my Momma and Daddy again."

The three glanced at her with frowns. She was the youngest in the group, wasn't she? Tobiko propped his leg up, slinging his arm around his knee. "Y'ever stop to realize we were, like… legitimately kidnapped from our homes?"

They grew quiet, not knowing what to say to that before Mr. Yanagisawa entered the room, a pensive look in his eyes that were poorly disguised by his smile. "Greetings, children. Number fifteen, can you come with me? It's time for your check up."

Tobiko quirked a brow. "I had mine this morning."

"Yes," Mr. Yanagisawa's smile grew strained. "And you're due for another one, Number Fifteen."

The four children traded nervous glances at each other before Tobiko stood himself up and began rubbing his arm nervously. He glanced at Himiko for a moment before obediently following Mr. Yanagisawa out. The blonde saw how the scientist clamped his hand down hard on the shorter boy.

She turned her golden gaze back to the two girls in front of her, frowning. Ayane and Estuko scooted closer to her leaned in. "He's right, though," Estuko whispered.

Ayane nodded, and they fell back into a tense silence and the two older girls got up to mess around with their own favorite things—Estuko with a rubix cube and Ayane with some drawing paper.

After a while of it, Himiko grew restless and raised her head, opening her mouth to speak but paused when she saw Estuko drop her rubix cube and began to twitch. Her hands were tense and in a claw-form, the muscles in her arms tight and her body jerked onto the floor. Himiko and Ayane screamed and stood up like the floor had burned them—instantly, nurses flooded the room, crowding around Estuko while ushering the other two girls out of the room.

They were at the brink of tears being led back to the eating area, both holding each others' hands and trying to get the image of Estuko hitting the ground with her eyes rolled up and white spit dripping out—Himiko shook her head, pursing her lips as she fought the tears.

What had happened? Everything was fine—she was doing fine working on the dumb color box before she just...dropped.

That night, Himiko couldn't sleep very well. It was probably the worst night she's ever had to endure, especially since the pain in her back wouldn't leave her be and her head felt like it was about to crack in two.

In the middle of the night, there was a scream that pierced her ears—fear gripped her heart with a claw of ice, squeezing it and paralyzing her where she laid. The rumble of feet passed by outside her room.

Ayane's room was in that direction.

Himiko buried herself under her blanket and pillow, forcing the tears to go away.

The next day, Himiko was the only one left in the Hangout Room. When she asked about them, Mr. Yanagisawa said Estuko and Ayane had been transferred to the other building, and Tobiko was recovering from treatment today.