Unclassified; Zero and Still Standing

The trio moved quietly through the undergrowth.

Bent low beneath the shrubs, they slipped from one patch of cover to the next.

James led the way.

He occasionally tilted his head, following the faint metallic chime only he could hear.

Now he could pick up a scent as well.

Carrots stayed directly behind him.

Yesu followed last.

She could tell they were already very close to the source of the chiming.

She told herself she had made the right choice by not pointing out the sound first.

Instead, she had waited. Waited for James to hear it. Waited for him to announce it.

Yesu was beginning to understand why he had looked so puzzled earlier.

The fact that she could perceive sounds before someone whose Ability specialized in sensory detection was something to question.

But then again, was there anything about her that wasn’t worth questioning?

She wondered what Doctor Heckman would say if he happened to find out about this.

More strange theories would be concocted, she was sure of that.

Unfortunately, she wouldn’t get to hear them because she wasn’t going to tell.

Ever.

James suddenly halted. He crouched even lower.

The two girls instinctively did the same.

"Did you find the carrier?" Carrots whispered.

No response.

James remained completely still, staring ahead. His face somehow looked even paler than before.

"Hey." Carrots nudged him.

Still no response.

She frowned.

Then punched his injured shoulder lightly.

James flinched with a sharp wince.

"Ow!"

He spun toward her.

"Hey—"

He immediately froze.

His head snapped back forward in alarm.

A heartbeat later, he let out a relieved breath and faced her again.

"Sorry, not sorry," Carrots said. "You were zoning out."

James scowled at her.

"Well?" she asked impatiently. "Carrier?"

He mellowed down and jerked his head slightly ahead.

Without another word, Carrots carefully crawled beside him.

The moment she looked through the leaves...

She froze.

"What’s wrong?" Yesu asked.

Receiving no answer, she tried stretching her neck to see past them.

She couldn’t.

So she gave up and carefully squeezed between them instead.

Beyond the bushes lay a quiet clearing.

And in the middle of the clearing was a lone enormous tree.

And under the tree was a member of 11-A sitting silently, back resting against the trunk, head tilted toward the canopy above.

Eyes fixed on a particular spot.

An open pen tucked behind one ear.

A foot tapping lightly against the ground.

Tap.

Chime.

Tap.

Chime.

Yesu could hear the sound of metal with every tap.

She watched as the sunlight filtered through the leaves, drifting across the clearing in soft golden patches.

The light moved over the grass...

Over the tree...

Over the quiet figure beneath it.

Who, for the record, seemed eerily calm.

As if there wasn’t a battle unfolding throughout the forest. As if he could be anywhere else but here.

Infact, the carrier looked... bored.

Apollo.

Carrots leaned toward James.

"Are you sure the Scales are with him?" She whispered carefully.

James nodded once.

Carrots slowly withdrew behind the bushes.

"Come on." She glanced between the two of them. "We have to report."

Carrots and James crawled a little further away.

Yesu remained transfixed to the spot.

Watching.

She noticed the page of a notebook resting face-down beside Apollo’s boot, fluttering gently whenever the breeze passed through the clearing.

She gave her head a tilt.

James and Carrots were already at a reasonable distance from the clearing.

Carrots pressed the transmit button on her walkie-talkie.

She spoke in the lowest voice.

"Guys, we found 11-A’s Carrier. Over."

Screech.

A whisper.

"Carrots?"

Farida.

Carrots groaned immediately, almost rolling her eyeballs out of their sockets.

"I was speaking to Soraya. Not you, princess. And stop calling me Carrots."

James snatched the device away. "This is not the time, please."

Another screech.

"James."

Soraya.

They both leaned in.

"Isaiah’s tracking your exact location. Remember what I said. No team engages alone. Wait for backup."

Click.

James pressed the button hastily.

"I wouldn’t dare think otherwise."

He glanced fearfully in the direction of the clearing.

"Could you bring the whole squad with you?"

Screech.

"There’s a problem with the computer. It might take a while to track you. How many squad members are there?"

James was sweating heavily.

Carrots coughed.

"Just one. The Carrier."

A pause.

Screech.

Soraya’s voice returned with a grave tone. The one she usually used when facing the possibility of defeat.

"Will you three be able to capture?"

They both froze.

"Well..." came Carrots.

James kept glancing behind.

Soraya sighed on the other end.

"Who is it?"

James’ breathing was fast-paced and loud.

Carrots shot him an annoyed look.

"Who is it?" Soraya was starting to sound worried.

Carrots snatched back the walkie talkie.

"It’s Apollo."

Silence.

Then—

"Fuck."

Soraya was more alarmed than defeated.

Carrots seemed satisfied with the reaction.

"No engagement then?" She asked with slight tease.

"Engagememt? What do you mean engagement?"

Soraya was incredulous.

"Do not approach. I repeat, do not approach."

James sighed in relief. "Fine by me."

"Get out of there now. We’ll figure out something else."

Click.

James stood immediately.

"Let’s go."

Carrots got to her feet. Something instantly occurred to her.

She looked around.

"Where’s Yesu?"

James sighed deeply.

"Seriously, what’s with that girl?"

They quickly retraced their steps back to the clearing.

Yesu was still crouched in the bushes, staring into the open space.

They laid low beside her.

"What are you doing?" James hissed at her.

Yesu didn’t flinch.

"Making sure we don’t lose him, that’s what." She turned to them. "Are the others coming?"

"No. Soraya said retreat."

Yesu blinked.

"Why?"

James was astonished.

"Why? What do you mean why?" He gestured toward Apollo. "Don’t you have eyes?"

Yesu followed his gesture. She looked confused.

"Let’s go." Carrots said.

Yesu faced her.

"This might be the only chance we get to capture one of 11-A. There’s no one around. He’s alone. We can take him."

Carrots looked her over, baffled.

"Do you have a loose screw or something?" she asked.

Then shook her head rapidly.

"Yesuin, let’s go."

Yesu was even more perplexed.

"Why would we do that when we have an opportunity like this?"

James slapped a hand to his head in frustration.

Carrots sucked in a deep breath.

"Because," she said with strained patience and gestured toward the clearing. "Of who that is."

Yesu nodded slowly.

"I see..."

Her companions were starting to relax.

Then she frowned, slipping back to confusion.

"Does this have something to do with the fact that he’s a Vire..."

Her head rocked, trying hard to remember what Quinn had called him.

She gave up.

"Vire... something?"

James dropped to the floor with an exhausted sigh.

Carrots’ gaze sharpened. "No. It’s not because he’s a Viremont."

"But you said it’s because of who he is."

"I meant because he’s Apollo."

"What’s with Apollo?"

"You don’t know?"

"If I did I wouldn’t be asking."

James was on the verge of crying.

"Guys, can we please do this when we get back safely?"

No one listened.

Carrots was already turning red.

"Where the hell are you from anyway?"

"Zero District 16. Now tell me why or I’m doing it."

"Do you have a death wish? I told you that’s Apollo. What the hell do you think Apollo means?"

Yesu paused.

She had absolutely no idea.

"Still," she said anyway. "I don’t think it’s worth all the fuss. He’s in my class at Prep. I’ve knocked him over twice."

She looked over at Apollo, remembering last week at the gate.

She scowled.

"He’s a little unfriendly, I’ll admit. But completely harmless."

With that, she got to her feet.

Her squad mates reached desperately to grab her.

Too late.

Yesu was already out of the bushes.

James fell flat.

"This will not end well."

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