A Certain Scientific Omnitrix: New Testament. Vol. 1.

A Thousand Blades

Old George never really could take the Academy City Retirement Home seriously. 

Academy City was a place for youth, not the elderly, having to waste away here with so many young ones to cause trouble was almost like a plague.

There were a few elderly people who lived in Academy City, that much was true.  Scientists who retired. The first students who never left after graduation and decided to work here. 

The problem with a city that was mostly youth however, was that aside from the adult scientists, Anti-Skill and the teachers, most of it was run by teenagers.

The Head Nurse of the Retirement home for instance, while she might have a complete PHD in medical sciences and home care and development, was a whopping 16 years old.  Granted those who became espers had brains that functioned on a whole other scale compared to normal adults and kids alike, so her super genius was expected. 

But it was also disconcerting when he saw a girl that looked almost too young to drive deciding what pills he had to take that morning.  She was cute George would admit that.. but at his age.. that might be regarded as pedophilia, so he kept that opinion to himself at all costs.. especially since he heard rumors that the Head Nurse happened to be a Level 5 Esper who liked to go to illegal Fight Clubs whenever it suited her..

"Sorano.." Sometimes he'd say to her when she was changing his bed sheets as he sat in his wheelchair watching 'The Price is Right'.  "Why don't you find a better job than having to look after old codgers like me..?"

Sorano Maya always gave him the same smile and the same answer. "George.. my grandfather would be pretty ashamed of me if I abandoned my duties all cause I can't take a few old guys... I owe it to my grandparents to look after people who have nobody else to turn to.. you don't have a family to visit you.. so I'll do my best to give you the company they can't give you.."

Then the day would return to being a dull one where George would wonder if it was really in the mostly teenage staff's place to look over men in their 80s..

That day though.. he saw something a bit more interesting..

As it so happened, the Retirement Home was next door to Academy City's Mental Hospital. This place had been a necessity since there a few espers now and then whose powers caused them to experience mental breaks. 

It was a power used by the mind after all.. to say there weren't risks would be pushing it.  Not that Academy City bothered to tell parents that before kids were sent. They were good at cover ups to a large point. 

The Retirment Home shared a lawn with the mental hospital. And even though the patients were all pretty harmless, George felt it was a poor choice of next door neighbors all in all.. who wanted to live the rest of their glory years next to a place for crazy people? Heck who wanted to live IN a Retirement home in the first place? George wasn't THAT far gone.. then again.. it's not like it would be safe to come out of retirement now.. not till his knights got things in order..

George had gone out for a stroll that day on the lawn, a book in hand. The staff let him do this plenty. He was spry for his age.. and it left a lot of people wondering why he was even here, but he walked at an slow enough gait that it didn't arouse suspicion.. 

He looked at the other half of the lawn where patients on wheelchairs were being pushed around by doctors, allowed to smell the fresh air. And the he saw it.. no.. he saw HER..

It was a blonde haired girl, a patient like the others. She couldn't have been more than 16, which regrettably was the average age of the patients here..  Her serene green eyes looked like they once held a noble air to them.. one of tranquility and wisdom. But now, her hair disheveled and bags under her eyes, she looked afraid, vulnerable, wide eyed and tortured..