Unwanted Elements

Chapter Two

I've been doing my research on rouge elemental masters, and my findings are not increasing Osomatsu's life expectancy. 

Supposedly, elemental masters go rouge for many different reasons, but the most common reason why is the power. When the power goes to their head, they go delirious. Driven mad by false illusions of the powers they were bestowed with. They think they can do anything, and there will be minimal consequences. These people usually get inflicted with God Complex, believing they are a deity, and will act as if they truly are one. 

Most masters that go rouge end up leaving paths of destruction in their wakes. I remember actually being at the site of havoc from a rouge fire user. He'd burned down a pet shelter, while the owners were away. I was close by at the time, and the second I smelled smoke, I forced my legs to move to the source. 

Thankfully, nobody was around, so I had my chance to shine. I ran into the burning building, obviously not thinking clearly. I picked the locks to so many cages, standing in the swarm of terrified dogs and cats, all meowing and howling to get out of the burning wreckage. I opened doors and cages, using my ice to attempt to put out the rising flames, which lapped at the environment, fulling my lungs with smoke. 

In my defense, I consider myself to be an animal lover. What can I say? Animals are far better than humans. I may hide from society and befriend so many cats I could store them in my hoodie and throw it as a bomb of cats, but I still have a heart, y'know? I was sneezing a lot too, the dog hair flying into my sinuses triggering my allergies. I should have thought twice before I threw myself into this without thinking!

I felt a scorching heat massaging my back and cheeks, and I whipped around. Orange flames danced into the sky, leaping and licking into the tiled ceiling. The smoke was clouding everything, and I was coughing so hard,my chest felt as if it were going to explode. As a last resort, I called Todomatsu, and asked him to bring Jyushimatsu. Deciding Todomatsu could fix this, I ran to the door, but never made it, collapsing onto the stone ground before I could make it out.

I woke up in a hospital bed. The doctors had told me and my horror stricken parents that I'd inhaled an entire lungful of smoke, and that I was extremely lucky to be alive. That moment, sitting up in the hospital bed with my mother and father by my bedside, with IV tubes sticking out from my wrists and a breathing mask put on me while I slept was when I realized it. My powers weren't going to make me immortal, they would not protect me from the looming threat of death.

I was in the hospital for about two weeks. Todomatsu came to visit me the day after my collapse in the burning shelter. "Oi, Ichimatsu-niisan" he said, causing me to look up. "Whaddya want?" I asked, gritting my teeth.  He settled himself into the chair by my bedside, immediately pulling out his phone. "Your regards," he mumbled. I scoffed. "Don't fucking humor me, Totty." I growled. Did he really have the nerve to pull this shit only a day after I could have died from smoke inhalation?

"If you wanna know, me and Jyushimatsu-niisan got there about five minutes after you called. He burst down the door, and the MINUTE he saw you laying on the ground? Pulled your body out to safety himself. Tried to push smoke from your lungs all by himself. Called the ambulance himself. Made sure all of the animals got out safe all by himself. All I did was put out the fire. He's the one who saved your life," Todomatsu shrugged, crossing his legs.

I sat speechless. I wasn't surprised, to be completely honest. Me and Jyushimatsu had always looked out for the other. I shouldn't have been surprised that my little brother had saved me from dying with smoke crowded inside my body. I made a mental note to thank my little brother as soon as I got out.

I lay down, my head resting on the crisp pillow, the clean, cold sheets having a soothing sensation on my aching, burned body. Todomatsu looked at me, his eyes sneaking over the top of his phone. "The animals are alright, just so ya know. Mom and Dad're worried about ya," Todomatsu said, but I ignored him.

I almost died to a rouge master's disaster, but I wouldn't say it would justify slaughtering so many innocent people just because of something they didn't choose to be born with. Nothing could justify that. Knowing my parents supported this onslaught? Made me want to puke. Well, I knew my father definitely supported this mass murderer claiming killing my people would make the world a better place. I wasn't sure about my mother. She wasn't a pacifist normally, but would never support the killing of innocent people. 

There's one thing nobody tells you about being an elemental master. It's that you're going to be stuck in a loop, an anxiety driven train of thought that makes you fear for your life. Makes you worry that every day could be your last, even if your powers are very well concealed. Now that this murderer is on the loose, I'm terrified. Terrified my parents will discover me and my siblings' secret. I'm terrified I'll be one of this murderer's victims. I'm scared. 

If this guy finds me, my ice won't be enough to save my life. 

I was still terrified of telling my brothers. So, I started doing research. Figuring out which elements were tied with rouges, which elements aligned with what, and what the most common element among them was.

Before I started, I'd made sure to pull Choromatsu aside and inform him about everything. Yes, I know, I'm awkward around my own brother. But, I needed someone sensible to help me out here. Choromatsu's the most sensible and logical brother I've got, and of course, I also dragged Jyushimatsu into this.

Of course, they did not react well.

But, to be fair, how are you even supposed to react to the fact that someone's killing people like you and you have a high chance of dying? I still remember the looks on their faces, a mixing bowl of confusion, horror and a little bit of worry mixed in. I don't even remember telling them too well, but I do remember I'd been scared and a panic attack had pounced on me mid-sentence.

I remember Choromatsu putting a hand on my shoulder as I hyperventilated, terror threatening to melt my heart. "Oi, Ichimatsu, calm down! Breathe!" he said over and over again, firmly grasping my hand as I fought to breathe, feeling as if my lungs were about to break apart like overfilled balloons. I tried to take deep breaths, but I felt as if there was a blockage in my lungs.

Tears began to roll down my face as the ability to breathe knocked me over in suddenness, letting me sob uncontrollably with worry rising in my gut. "What's wrong, niisan?" Jyushimatsu asked, placing his sleeve-clad hands on my trembling shoulders. Letting out a sniffle, my words came out in a trembling tumble. "I... I don't want to die," was all I could utter.

"Relax. We're not going to die tomorrow. We're gonna figure out who this is, and we're gonna put a stop to these slaughters." Choromatsu assured, banging his fist into his open palm. "Ehhh?" me and Jyushimatsu hummed in unison, a little confused, and a little worried. "Don't worry, we'll find them." he reiterated, and it somehow put me at ease.

We told Osomatsu, Karamatsu and Todomatsu later that night, as we were all gathered around the kotatsu after dinner that night. "Okay, so lemme get this straight. Somebody is killing people like us just because... we've got powers?" Todomatsu asked, his eyebrows knitted with doubt. "Yep. That's what it looks like," I said, not wanting to lift my head off the tabletop. 

"But the question is... why? What did we even do?" Osomatsu asked, staring up at the ceiling from his position on the floor. "We were born with elemental powers, that's what we did, apparently," I uttered, the exhaustion coursing through my body bursting into my voice. "I guess it's just because people tend to see us as dangers to society," Karamatsu inputted. 

"Just because a few go insane suddenly we're all dangerous!" Osomatsu sighed, annoyance tainting his voice.

"That's just what people like to do," Choromatsu grumbled.

We sat in silence for a while, and it was kinda eerie. At last, Osomatsu stood, stretching his arms high above his head. "Well, it's no use scaring ourselves. We should get to bed," he reasoned, and to be honest, it sounded really good. 

I went with him to grab the futon, one thought on my mind: were we the next on this killer's list?