Chapter Text
A man tall man with shaggy brown hair and brown eyes wearing a lab coat walked down the halls ways. Children's voices could be heard as the man passed them by. One of the guards waved at the man who waved back as he continued down the long white hallway lined with metal like doors with a clipboard in hand. He stopped in front of room 301. He took a deep breathe as he enters the room which held Null-Nicole. Spotting the small child laying on his bed. He tapped his foot impatiently as he looked around Null-Nicoles room. The man never understood why Null-Nicole drew the pictures he drew as he looked over the drawings plastered on the white walls of the room. His eyes continued to scan the room, on the left side held a desk with papers, pens, pencils and colored pencils scattered on top of the desk along with a small lamp sitting on the corner of the desk. To his right laid a small white bed pushed against the wall and on the bed sat Null-Nicole.
Null-Nicole sat up slowly his grey hair covering his blue/green eyes as he looked up at the man. The man flinched at the cold stare Null-Nicole gave him, "Hello, Doctor Wellington." Null-Nicole said. A shiver ran down Doctors Wellington spin when Null-Nicole spoke. His voice was soft almost bell-like making him shift in place as he waited for Null-Nicole to get up, his grey pants pooling around his ankles a stained wrapped around the edges of his pants, small strings of grey stained black hung off of the grey pants Null-Nicole was wearing. His short sleeve grey shirt seemed to swallow him whole as he walked towards Doctor Wellington, the dragging off Null-Nicole pants could be heard around the quiet room. Doctor Wellington moved to the side as Null-Nicole passed him, shutting the door behind him. He led Null-Nicole to the experimentation room. Pushing Null-Nicole into the room. Doctor Wellington closed the door quickly shivering slightly as he locked the door behind him.
Null-Nicole who's real name was Akira, sat down on the white tile floor. As he heard the hurried steps of Doctor Wellington leave the room, locking the door behind him as he left. Akira now alone, scanned the room he was in, to his right sat a medical bed, a cabinet holding cotton balls, cotton swabs, tongue pressures and medical tape. On the left side held a heart monitor and an EEG machine. In front of Akira sat a pushed black wheeled chair in front of a computer. Next to the computer, hanging on the wall was a red waste box.
Akira heard the door opening behind him followed with footsteps, a man with short brown hair with blue/purple eyes sat in front of him. This man the researchers called him Nicole Premier. Akira meant this man when he was four years old. The researchers wanted to test out how Akira and Nicole Premier blood reacted together since Akira blood had a mutation in it causing the virus the researchers injected into there test subjects. What the researchers concluded was Akira blood held the Null-Nicole. Ever since that day Akira and Nicole Premier became close.
Close to the point where Akira who hated calling him Nicole Premier ended up calling him Nano. He asked Nano if he had liked the name when he first started calling him Nano. Nano only smiled at Akira and told him he liked it a lot and the name would always be special to him since it was Akira who gave it to him. Nano sat in front of Akira quietly without any emotions in his eyes. Even though Akira and Nano were close it didn’t mean they wanted the researchers to know about it. So they both agreed to keep how close they were to each other a secret.
The door opened again, Akira didn't turn around and Nano didn't look at the researcher who came into the room. The woman who walked into the room had long dark brown hair with blue eyes and a bright smile. She sat down on the floor with the two of them, Akira moved a little bit away from her as she tried to get him to look at her. He never did of course, not after the first experiment they did on him. They wanted to test how strong the Null-Nicole was and injected him with a small amount of Nicole into his bloodstream, he didn't know what the researchers found, but all he felt was a sharp stabbing pain all over his body. He ended up having a high fever and throwing up a lot from the injections.
Now to present day the experiments were getting worse. Once the woman gave up on trying to get Akira to look at her and for Nano to speak the women attached the heart monitor to his chest and the EGG to his scalp and did the same to Nano. She ready the two syringes one held the Nicole virus while the other held the Null-Nicole. She first injected Nano with the Null-Nicole then injected Akira with the Nicole virus. Pain shot through him, causing him to ball his hands into a fist. He grounded his teeth together as it started to feel like his veins were on fire. His nails burrowed into his palms causing them to bleed. Nano held an emotionless face, but if you looked closely his eyes shined with tears from the pain he happened to be feeling.
Akira felt his skin shift by his right eye, popping out the veins. The feeling was new and strange for he only seen this happen to Nano when would be injected with Akira's blood. A wet liquid rolled down his check from his eyes as he wiped away the liquid staining his fingers red he looked up at Nano in confusing wondering what was happening to his eye. Catching Nano's eyes which widen as blood ran down Akira's check as the virus slowly started to change the white of his eyes to a deep black which made his blue/green eyes more noticeable. The woman who was watching the subjects took note of it before turning back to the machines.
Akira's heart sped up as the virus spread more into his body, spiking his temperature and causing irregular brain waves to happen. While Nano didn't really seem to have any physical mutations this time from Akira's blood running inside of his body. Akira wanted to cry at the pain of it all, but he held it in as the researchers continued. He watched Nano glare at the researcher or to be more exact to everything in the room. Akira didn't know how long they sat in that room, but when they were done Akira's right eye held a permeant black tint to the white of his right eye.
Once the researchers were done they led each of them to there own rooms. When Akira got back to his room the researcher who took him back told him he could go outside before leaving. Akira waited for the man to disappear around the corner before handing outside. When the sun hit his eyes it caused him to hiss in pain from the bright rays. He put his hand over his eyes as he looked around to see if they let Nano out, spotting him sitting on a bench underneath a tree Akira made his way over to him.
When Akira sat down on the bench, Nano turned sideways, one leg tucked underneath him as he softly grabbed Akira's chin. A small shock of pain before numbness settle in the place where Nano touched. He looked into Akira's right eye noticing the black tint. He clicked his tongue in disgust and glared over at the building. When Nano let go of his chin Akira traced the darken veins covering Nano's hand. The darken veins first appeared three years ago from the consistent injecting of the Null-Nicole into Nano. Akira played with his fingers as he thought back to his daydream from earlier. He shivered as he remembered it causing Nano to pull him closer, rubbing his arm to stop him from shivering as he spoke,"Nano, there becoming more vivid and worse," Akira felt Nano's stare as he traced the black veins on his hands.
“How often?” Nano asked as he moved to sit on the bench correctly, he picked Akira up, putting him on his lap. Akira hugged Nano, barring his face into Nano’s chest. Nano ran his fingers through Akira’s hair.
"Everyday now, but it not just at night. It's starting to happen during the day too." Akira closed his eyes as Nano continued to run his fingers through Akira's hair. When Akira first told Nano about the dreams, he told him he should write it down or draw it out since the images wouldn't leave his mind. Since Akira wasn't too good at writing he decided to draw it all out. When he first showed Nano a drawing he did, Nano smiled. Nano told him that he had a talent for drawing. He didn't think so, but he kept at it and each drawing that wasn't about the dreams he would show to Nano. Sometimes Nano would take the pictures and keep it in his room which made him happy because it showed him that Nano truly loved his drawings and wasn't just saying it to make him happy.
Nano held Akira tightly to himself as he felt a stinging pain building up behind his eyes, but he held back the tears that wanted to spill from his eyes. Both of them knew as the researchers continued to experiment on them the worse the effects would be on their bodies which started to change with every new injection,, but the researchers didn't care about how the injections were affecting their bodies for they only cared about the effect it had on the virus and how to make both the Null-Nicole and the Nicole virus stronger they failed to realize the physical and mental changes in the two.
Nevertheless, Akira and Nano noticed the changes to there bodies, for example, their skin reacting to each other giving off a glow which around the pair. As time went on other effects started to appear. Nano was the first to notice his blood getting darker while Akira's blood gotten thicker. They both noticed they could smell the other like the virus had seeped into there skin causing it to produce a scent that only the people who have the Nicole virus in them could smell.
While Nano had gotten strength and speed from the Nicole virus, Akira who had the Null-Nicole gotten vivid dreams and could hear better than most. While the researchers tried to suppress Nano's emotions the in end it would end in failure for once he was around Akira the work they did would come undone and his emotions would come flowing back. Depending on how long it's been since he seen Akira he would sometimes end up crying, but as the years went by he learned to control it. He liked to let the researchers think they were making process with suppressing his emotions. When in reality they weren't.
Nevertheless, they both noticed their minds became sharper as the experiments went on. Lately, the experiments started to affect more of there outer appearance. Nano's eyes which were originally blue, but due to the virus, it caused his eyes to become a mixture of blue and purple. By injecting the Null-Nicole into him it slowly started to turn his veins black.
On the other hand, Akira started to form small black bumps on his arms and legs which were painful.When Nano noticed the pain these black bumps were causing him, he decided to cut them open and let the blood drain from it. In turn, it caused Akira to have small paper thin scars on his body and the newest development from the experiments were the whites of Akira's right eye changing to have a tinted black. Nano couldn't stand by and let this continue anymore. Akira's young body couldn't handle the experiments too much longer and the lightly hood of Akira dying from the experiments rose each day. Nano worried that one day Akira would die from these experiments. Nano understood he should worry about himself, but he also knew the scientist wasn't going to let him die no matter what since he was the first person to have completely merged with the Nicole virus and live.
Nano always thought the scientist would tressure Akira for being the Null-Nicole, but that wasn't the case. They wanted to see how strong the Null-Nicole could be, see if they could improve it along with seeing how to make the best use of it against enemies who also had the Nicole virus, but the scientist truly didn't need Akira if they had the means to recreate it. So the researchers experimented harshly on Akira. Sometimes Akira would come back covered in marks.
What scared him the most was when one day during the spring of last year, Akira came outside his eyes so dull you could have mistaken him for a doll. He had a thick medical trap wrapped around his neck. That was the first time Nano cried. He held Akira close to him, sitting on his lap, running his fingers through Akira’s hair. Trying his hardest to bring back some light into his soulless eyes. Nano didn’t know how long he talked to the silent Akira, but slowly as time went by lights started to appear in his eyes again and when Akira looked up at Nano and smiled, he cried. For at that time he thought he lost his friend. The first person who really looked and saw him for who he was and he saw Akira for what he was as well. They were not just test subjects they were people. They were humans, not machines. If it wasn't for Akira, Nano knew he would have never realized that he could still retain his humanity. He would have been a husk of himself and he didn't want Akira to lose himself because of these experiments. So even if it hurt him. Even though he wishes he didn't have to, but if he wanted Akira to live he had to break him out of here somehow before these experiments killed him. Nano knew he would be upset when Akira left, but being upset and knowing he is alive than being upset and lose himself knowing Akira died because he didn't do or at least try to get him out of here would kill him.
Akira who fell asleep from Nano running his fingers through his hair slowly woke up from his cat nap and sat up, Nano looked down, smiling which Akira returned. He got off of Nano when he heard footsteps coming towards them. Nano stood up as well, picking up Akira who reached for a high branch to hide from the person who was coming towards them. Akira once he was high enough in the tree. The leaves from the tree hid his form. Nano sat back down on the bench as the person who was a woman sat down next to him.
The woman had red hair with blue eyes, she smiled happily at Nano who returned her smile with a blank look, "Premier, the experiments between you and Null-Nicole have come up with amazing results." The woman said excitedly.
Akira rubbed his arms and glared at the lady. He didn't understand what was so exciting about it. They hurt not only him but Nano who has always been there for him. Who helped him understand what was happening to him. Who taught him many useful skills and Nano who promised Akira that he would teach him more as he got older like how to fight with a weapon and hand to hand combat. He couldn't wait to learn as much as he could from Nano.
Akira thought this way because he considered Nano to be his first friend, his best friend. He looked up to him for how strong he was compared to him, but Nano always told him to never compare one's self to another for there will never be another person like him. How his opinion is the only one that matters when it comes to himself. Akira took his advice like a fish to water. Even when things seemed bleak to Akira, Nano always helped him. Akira only hoped he helped Nano in the same way as Nano does for him.
Akira shook his head as he heard the lady continue, "We found out that each time we level up the dosage that the Null-Nicole gets stronger and everytime we up the dosage on you the virus multiplies. We predict that by the time Null-Nicole is in his teens he would have the most deadly weapon against the Nicole virus. It can kill any person who has the virus and hasn't completely merged with the Nicole virus to die upon contact."
Nano's hands formed into a fist as Emma continued talking to him about the experiments they did on them. Nano noticed his knuckles slowly turning white and the string of skin breaking in his palms. As she continued to talk the surer he was that he had to get Akira out because he did not want Akira to be a tool for them to use not like they planned to do with him. When Emma stopped talking, Nano stood up from the bench. He couldn't take much more of this talk plus he wanted her to leave so he could get Akira down from the tree as dark storm clouds started to roll in.Another researcher called out to Emma before she could walk with Nicole Premier. Nano waited until he couldn't see them anymore before lifting his arms up for Akira to jump down from the tree. Once Akira got his footing, he walked with Nano back into the building.
Akira quietly closed the door to his room. He slid down the door, putting his head down letting a few tears fall from his eyes. Akira knew his body couldn't handle this anymore. As each morning passed it became harder to wake up. Harder to move, he knew if something wasn't done, he would die in this accursed place. Nano most likely thought the same, but Akira felt helpless. Nevertheless, Akira couldn't accept the path laid before him. He would fight against it as much as he could even if it killed him in the end. Akira slowly got up from the floor, he laid down on his bed and fell asleep. Akira didn't know how long he was asleep for before he heard the door leading into his room opening. Akira cracked open his eyes to see Nano in his room. Akira slowly sat up wondering why Nano was here. Nano sat down on the bed as he rubbed his eyes Nano started to speak, "You need to leave this place, now."
"What do you mean?" Akira asked as Nano stood up to collect Akira's clothes, sketchbook, pictures from the walls he plastered on along with pens, pencils and color pencils. He put them in a bag he brought in with him.
As he zipped up the bag he answered him, "They want to see what else your blood can do besides neutralizing the Nicole virus. I saw a row of different poisons and virus they wanted to try out. I couldn't let you go through that. I fear it would kill you…No it would kill you."
Akira’s eyes opened wide, he always knew this place would try to kill him, but he didn’t know it would be so soon. Nano put the bag on his shoulder and picked up Akira, “When we leave this room. I want you to close your eyes tight.”
Akira who had his head on Nano shoulder just nodded his head in agreement. He heard Nano take a deep breath as he left the room. All Akira heard were the screaming of people who got in Nano’s way. He felt something wet splash on his back and in his hair. He ignored all the screaming and yelling as Nano rushed down the hallways of the research center. Nano finally stopped at the door, putting Akira down on the ground and handing him the bag. As Nano turned around intending to hurt or kill as many as he could to give Akira enough time to get away from the research center. Akira pulled on his hand to get his attention, “Come with me Nano.” Akira looked up at Nano with tears swimming in his eyes.
Nano turned and kneeled down, “I can’t.”
"Please," Akira said as his voice cracked. He didn't want to be alone.
Nano hugged Akira close to him and whispered in his ear, "I can't, but I swear we'll meet again." Nano slowly lets go of Akira, pulling out his dagger, he handed it over to Akira.
Akira held the dagger close to himself as he understood that this dagger would represent their promise of meeting again. Akira ran out the door without looking back. Nano felt a single tear fall from his eyes as Akira left him behind. He turned when he heard voices coming his way. He went into a fighting stance as they rounded the corner of the hallway, he attacked.
Akira could hear the screams of the people fighting against Nano. Akira ignored the sounds putting the dagger inside one of the bags many hidden pockets, he ran as fast as he could into the woods. He didn't know how long he ran, but when he came upon a street he slowed down to catch his breath then slowly walked down the street. His legs, arms, and face stung from the cuts he received from the plants while he ran. Akira made a right turn, he felt his legs shaking as he walked farther away from the woods until his knees gave out. Falling to the ground, he slowly felt his eyes start to close. Akira fought against it, but the pull was too strong and the last thing he saw was a plump woman with curly black hair and green eyes before he passed out.