TheSide :special:

The Side :special:

Three people were in a darkened interrogation room, used by the police forces commonly. Under the light sat a young man with dark hair and eyes. Sitting across from him was a man in a suit with red hair and a beard. Standing at the wall of the window stood a woman in a button-up shirt and slacks with a jacket.

“So, let’s get this going shall we?” the man asked the young man.

The young man didn’t move for a moment. He shifted his hands in his pockets, his black pants and black blazer looking very fine on him.

“What’s your name?” the man asked.

The young man’s dark eyes raised a bit, as he tilted his head to the side. His enigmatic presence and emotionless nature there as always. “Akiio.”

“And what are we asking you about?” the woman asked.

Akiio’s eyes moved to her. His reply was emotionless and fluid, “You’re questioning my intelligence.”

The man chuckled, “Well, he’s got a sense of humor.”

“Shut up, Rick!” the woman snapped as she straightened. “This isn’t funny kid! We’re questioning you on murder!”

“I’m not afraid of you.” Akiio answered, his head tilting more, his eyes not moving from hers. “Your body is thin. You must weigh about 130- No- 141, or 2. An hourglass shape, your strength lies in your torso and thighs.”

Slowly the woman rested against the wall again. Rick waved to her to remain calm, then looked back to the young man with black hair. “Who taught you to study things like that, Akiio?”

Akiio just shifted back into a more comfortable position, slouching in the chair without a single emotion on his face. It was obvious he wasn’t being intimidated.

Rick smiled a bit, leaning close, “You don’t want to be here do you?” Nothing. “Want to tell me where you want to be then?”

Akiio shifted up, the question poking at something that interested him. “The ocean. Not the ugly sky of the north, or the bright sunlight or the tropics. The crisp ocean itself, being out upon it in northern tropics where it gets the hurricanes.”

“Why there?”

“The clouds and sea- it sparkles like something otherworldly.” Akiio answered. “Sounds fascinating.”

“Hm..” Rick leaned back a bit. “So… What would you do there?”

“I’d take a plane to an island where I can get a skiff, and take myself out to a small island of sand and dirt where no one was.” Akiio answered, still emotionless. “I’d sit on the beach and look at everything, then up to the sky.”

“Why would you want to go somewhere where no one is?” the woman asked, her eyes thinning. “Are you afraid of people?”

“No.” Akiio looked to her. “People cause problems. They can’t get along. They fail to see the dangers where they live and the people around them. They make and hire people to kill people they deem unworthy.”

“So, you want to be away from these people?” Rick asked.

“People who proclaim to be acting in the name of God.” Akiio answered, “Whether they hear from him or not, I don’t care. It’s when they feel that they have the right to judge others to kill them.”

“But you’re the one killing them!” the woman shouted, slamming her fist onto the table.

Akiio didn’t jump, he just looked to her. Rick sighed, “Alice… Calm down.”

“No! He’s sitting there talking like some freaking genius!”

Akiio leaned back again. “I haven’t killed anyone. I was trained to notice everything I can. Human anatomy, ways to kill, ways to prevent death and other such methods.”

“So who taught you?” Alice asked again, more calmly.

“Books.” Akiio answered. “Anatomy books, muscle movements, fighting methods, carpentering books… Lots of things. I can use almost anything as a weapon.”

“What can’t you use as a weapon?” Alice asked curiously.

Akiio’s face grew a slight smile, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“That’s enough.” Rick stood up. “Look, Akiio, with all this knowledge about how to kill people, it’s not looking good that you didn’t murder Professor Gete.”

Akiio closed his eyes. “It was a series of unfortunate events.”

“You know what happened?” Rick asked.

Akiio looked to the police officers. He didn’t need to say anything and they knew he did.

Finally, Alice asked, “What happened?”

“Gete came in to talk to Seraphin.” Akiio answered, sitting up a bit. “They spoke a moment, then they began to argue.”

“About what?” Rick butted in.

“Where a book was.” Akiio replied. “Seraphin didn’t know where it was, and Gete became upset. He wanted it immediately for something but wouldn’t say. He rushed to grab Seraphin by the arms. I pushed him out of the way.”

“Pushed who?” Alice asked.

“Seraphin.” Akiio answered. “After I was grabbed by Gete, I let him talk down to me. Kicked his lower knee and shoved him back against a table. He toppled over. He stood up and came after me. I shoved Seraphin first out the door behind us and down the stairs. Gete couldn’t follow well because of his knee, and tripped. At the next turn, he hit his head against the wall. I went up to look and he wasn’t moving.”

“So you left him?”

“I examined his body and Seraphin called the police.”

“Then what?”

Akiio glared at Alice, “Then I’m sitting here trying not to sound too smart for your also well-educated brain to manage.”

Alice glared back, walking out of the room. Rick sighed, looking to Akiio. “Mind waiting here a moment?”

“Where’s Seraphin?”

“He’s being questioned in the other room.” Rick answered, standing up.

“If you do anything that could endanger his safety, I won’t forgive you.”

Rick looked back to Akiio, those dark eyes focused on him. Rick smiled, “Now, now. Is that a threat, or a warning?”

“Neither.” Akiio answered, leaning back. “It’s a statement of my mental declaration.”

“So you mean it literally?”

“I wouldn’t come after anyone regardless of what their actions are.”

Rick stared at Akiio for a second, going back into the room with the door shut to ask him another question. “Really? No one? Not even if they had wounded Seraphin?”

“No one.” Akiio answered. “Understand this: I was raised since birth to be emotionless. My one and only dedication is Seraphin’s survival. Not the murder of others.”

“Why not? They were threatening Seraphin.”

“I would only attempt to kill someone if just rendering them paralyzed wasn’t good enough.” Akiio replied, very flatly. “I’m not a hypocrite. I won’t take someone’s life. It’s not my place to judge whether they have the right to live or not.”

“Who has that right?”

“No one on this planet.”