The feeling of being controlled had defined his existence for as long as he could remember. The freedom to ask, to think, or to choose had always been a foreign concept to him.
He was, to put it mildly, sheltered. He was sheltered not for reasons of care or protection, but to be preserved. Untainted. Like a doll being set up for display.
072's eyes started to droop the longer he stared. He sat back down on his seat.
His earliest memories involved the exact same things. He could remember every single day he was in that place, perfectly--- for nothing new ever happened. Every day was the same. Every movement and every activity was dictated just for him. He used to spend most of his time inside a warm, coffin-like enclosure-- an incubator, was it called? In there, he was often put to sleep. They would only ever wake him up when they needed to.
He was an experiment. A live, human experiment-- A prisoner.
The longer he stayed in that place, the more his sanity started to slip. Why was everything so monotonous? Why is everything the same? Why am I here? Who am I?
And who are they?
They had no right to use him like that. They had to right to do what they wanted with him. He had no business being there. So, the moment when he was taken out and shipped away, locked in a small, cramped crate, for who knows how long-- he felt absolutely exhilarated.
Pain. Exhuastion. Now, that was something new. When he crashed and shattered his container, he felt more exhilarated still. Water was pouring from whatever contraption was up above, and the ground was filled with odd mechanisms. Even better, he met a human. A human just like him.
And he was free. He had escaped those monsters. The instant he had felt the first splash of water and breathed the first bit of fresh air, he had decided. This place.. this beautiful, beautiful place, will be his home.
072 closed his eyes, the feeling of exhuastion taking over him. He had been moving constantly all night, and spent all his energy.
"Zz...."
He snored, leaning on a man's shoulder.
This, too, was a first;
A peaceful, all-natural, and undrugged sleep.
_________________________________________
"Zzz..."
"Hey, kid?"
"Zzzz..."
"Hey, wake up!"
072 felt someone jostling his shoulder. He opened his eyes, slightly disoriented.
"Zzz.. guh?"
He sat up straight on his seat, wiping the drool on his mouth. His eyes adjusted to see the man whom he had been sitting beside look at him with an expression of shock and disgust.
"We've arrived at the station, kid. You're lucky I haven't reported you to the officers; you could pass for a homeless man's child. Run along and find your parents."
"Eek..!"
The man pushed him. 072 bit his lip and joined the queue to the doors.
"Wah.."
When he reached the front, he gasped in amazement. A big, round, orange thingy was just starting to show far away in the distance, beyond the walls. The fluffy stuff in the sky (which he'd seen were dark grey before) were pink and yellow.
"Move it."
"..."
'How rude.'
072 hopped, irritated, to the station exit.
The light from above seemed to have illuminated the entire place. He walked quietly and quickly then reached the street. There were far more people than before, and much more noise.
Honk. Honk.
"And then he said.."
"There's a new shopping mall that just.."
072 listened intently before shaking his head. No, he had to find something to eat first, along with a change of clothes. He couldn't risk standing out by looking filthy.
He ran along the crowded streets and carefully followed people's movements, moving only when they did. After a few minutes of walking, he caught a whiff of something delicious.
He followed the scent. It led him to a small, cramped-looking building with displays in front of it, holding what seemed to be food. 072 watched, interested, as a woman in fancy clothing said something to the building's owner (Was it 'bread'?) and gave coppery-looking wads of paper in exchange for a bit of food. 072 stared. It seemed unfair to exchange a few pieces of paper for food, but he was probably just too unfamiliar with life outside. Still, he didn't have any paper. He'd have to resort to 'borrowing' some.
And so, he got to work.
SWIPE, SWIPE, SWIPE.
Just a few minutes later, he stuffed several wads of paper into the shirt's breast pockets.
People outside were unbelievably careless.
He timidly approached the woman running the small building.
The woman's name was Charlotte. As she busied herself getting some fresh bread from the oven and tidying the displays, she heard a tiny voice.
"Bah..?"
"Hm?"
'What was that noise?'
Charlotte blinked, confused, and set the tray of bread down on a table. She went back to the front of her bakery.
"Hello?"
"Halloo!!"
Realizing the sound came from below, she looked down.
072 held up the wads of paper, slightly pink. He had just realized that this was his first time talking to someone-- and the words that he planned in his mind wouldn't come on his tongue.
The child in front of her waved the money.
'ACKKSKSJSSWS!! So adorable!'
Charlotte squealed internally. She looked at the child with a fond and pitying expression. He was a little filthy. Did he perhaps live on the streets?.. Where were his parents?
"What would you like to buy?"
"Agah."
"I see, I see. If you spend all of that, you'll get two bags of fresh bread."
"Gah?"
"Yeah. How about spend some of it now and come back for more later? You wouldn't want to spend all of that in one day, would you?"
"Ahuh!"
"Okay, here you go. One loaf of fresh bread. Eat well, alright?"
The child nodded vigorously, took the bread, and paid Charlotte, who gave him his change. With a quick wave, he scampered off, biting off a peice of it.
She waved back, sighing. What a cute kid. Hm.. she felt like she was missing something, though..
'Oh well, probably nothing important.'
'....Wait. Where did he get all that money?'
072, completely oblivious to the woman's dilemma, scampered off into an alleyway, plopping down on a peice of cardboard beside a trash bin. He bit on the loaf of bread. It tasted much better than the food he used to have back in that place-- where the food was all green and orange, and didn't taste very nice.
Crunch.. crunch..
'Mhm! Yummy.'
Not to mention, it was much more filling.
He continued to eat, savoring the taste. By the time he felt full, he had already eaten half of the 'loaf of bread.' He kept the rest in the paper bag to eat for later.
"Mnm!!"
Now he needed to find some clothes. He stood up and looked at the white shirt he was wearing. It was very filthy-- plus, it was much too big for him.
Clang.
"G-- eeekk!"
!!
072 jumped.
He turned frantically to look at the other end of the alleyway. For a moment, he thought those people in blue clothes had found him.
He squinted. Despite it being bright, the towering buildings made the alleway look dark and dreary.
Was that a voice?..
Hesitant, he followed the source of the sound, abandoning the bread and stuffing the paper money into the paper bag.
"Put me down, put me DOWN!!"
"Where do you think you're going after snatching away what's mine?"
"It's not yours!! I PAID for it!!"
"Listen, brat. Does it look like I care?"
"Give it to us if you know what's good for you."
072 reached the end of the alleway. There was a wall blocking his way; the voices seemed to be coming from the other side.
SMACK.
"O-- Ow!!"
072 winced.
"What's your problem, huh? Looking at your clothes, you must come from a well-off family. So, what's the issue with giving up one tiny, insignificant object? You should be grateful we haven't taken you hostage!"
"Uu..! Hic-- WAAAAAH!!""
"Tch, you're so annoying!! Grab it quickly before anyone hears!"
"..."
072 took out the metal rod which he kept in the shirt's breast pocket and extended it. Using it to vault himself over the wall, he spun it around and lunged it to toward the men speaking.
CHIK--
"H-huh?"
He aimed the rod at the man holding the boy. The man, startled, loosened his grip.
The boy managed to escape. He rolled over to the side, terrified, and stared.
The man cursed. "Damn brat---"
Without even bothering to look at who had caused the noise, they turned their full attention to 072.
"Get out of here, kid. This doesn't concern you." The man threatened.
"...."
"Hey, are you deaf? I said scram!"
The man went to grab 072's hand---
072 quickly reacted and slashed the rod sideways.
SLICE!
The man in front of the group clutched his neck. A thin line of red appeared on his skin, widening rapidly.
"Uh, uh--"
He stumbled backwards--
THUD.
The man collapsed, unconscious. The two other men stared, frozen in terror, at the crimson stain spreading on the ground.
"AHHHHHHGHH!! RUN!"
Tap.
072 landed silently on the other side of the wall, the metal rod dripping with blood. He retracted it, wiping his cheek.
'Outsiders are a bit cowardly, huh? That was a little too easy.. they could have attacked me all at once. And he's not even dead. Yet.'. L
"Wh-- who are you?"
'Oh-- right.. I almost forgot.'
072 looked behind him.