Modern Reaper

Hero Has Changed

"You feeling okay? That was quite a scare you gave us." Zeyphr asked me concerned as we walked out of the train station. We got off on the right stop without a problem, and the conductor apologized for the scare. Despite Akita's inkling feeling that something was wrong, it just made Linc's determination to see Shirley grow even stronger.

"Hey Hero, can we talk for a bit?" Akita asked after we got out of the train station. Linc, having memorized Shirley's address, began to lead the group. Seeing an opportunity to talk to Linc, Zeyphr moved up beside her to have a conversation. They were quite a distance away, but Linc didn't seem bothered by him as he chatted her up. I was more interested in hearing what he was saying to her, but Akita's imploring expression won in the end.

"Sure." I said, submitting to what she had to say.

Akita shuffled around her bag before pulling something out. "The maids found these in your pockets when they did your laundry." My eyes widened when I saw the two of orange pill bottles the doctor from school had given me.

Yes!

"My pills!" I remarked suprise, earning me a scolding from Akita as she reminded me to be quiet so that the two ahead wouldn't overhear us. After a quick apology, I tried to take the bottles back but Akita snatched them away, and they disappeared from my view just as quickly as they had appeared. "Hey, what are you..."

"These are dangerous Hero." Akita said, her face dark in an expression I had never seen before. "You shouldn't be taking these."

"You don't understand," I began, trying to get Akita to see that I wasn't just doing drugs, but her face continued to grow more grave. "These are-"

"You don't know what these are to be telling me." Akita growled. I gulped.

"Hey," I whispered. "what do you mean by that?"

Akita was silent as we slowly resumed walking. All the while I eyed one of the orange bottles that she still held in her hand. I didn't know why, but for some bizarre reason I couldn't take my eyes off of it. "Who gave these to you?" She abruptly asked, snapping me out of a daze. We stopped walking again.

"A d-doctor at school. These help with the pains I have."

"Hero..." Akita began slowly, her chin dipped and her eyes focused on mine. "Don't ever take these again."

"I need those Akita, now give them back-" My hand in her face, Akita bit my hand with suprising sharp teeth. Realizing that I had done something rude, I never expected Akita to outdo my rudeness by biting me. I whipped my bleeding hand back and Akita frantically dabbed my blood from her mouth before dropping an A-bomb on me.

"These pills are the ashes of human reapers."

...What?

What did...

...what did she just say?

"What did you just say to me?" I asked in a quivering voice. I felt my mental wall of defense shake with her words and felt a wave of anxiety wash over me. My breathing picked up and familiar purple dots formed in my vision. I leaned over her to grab the bottle of pills and Akita did something I never thought she'd do.

She slapped me.

"I know you're hurting Hero," She whispered, the bottle from her hand on the floor opened. It was quickly attracting the presence of pest, and I looked at them devour what I so desperately needed. "I know it's hard. But you don't want those. You're stronger than this! You don't need these to-"