[Pain.]

[A concept in which every single person has experienced.]

[To experience pain and to suffer is to be human.]

[Pain stops humans from recklessly doing anything as they please, forcing them to hold themselves back.]

[However, what would happen if pain were to be removed?]

With a crackling voice, Number 7 spoke into the mind of Marcus as he desperately tried to bandage the girl - whose stomach had been pierced in three spots.

[All that would be left is a monster without restraint.]

----

"What are you doing?"

"We're... fixing you."

"Am I broken?"

"I... don't know."

This was the conversation Sylvia had with the child as she finished wrapping her blood covered stomach in bandages.

Whether this did anything for the girl, she didn't even know herself.

The wounds did not heal as they would for Marcus or Sylvia, but even so - the child didn't seem to be in any danger.

"Miss Sylvia, that doesn't make any sense."

Looking up to the woman with confusion, the child spoke as she stood up perfectly fine, as if nothing was even wrong.

"After all, how are you supposed to fix me if you don't even know whether I'm broken or not?"

----

Sylvia's heart shuddered at the words of the child, and the coldness which she spoke them with.

'I thought that I was cold. Yet compared to this girl... who should be screaming and crying out of fear...'

Biting her lip, Sylvia looked down at the child with a sad expression.

'I am weak.'

[You know, I was once told that humans were the pinnacle of life.]

As Sylvia helped the child up, Number 1 spoke to the woman casually, as if she was merely ranting her own thoughts.

[That everything in this world was created to serve humanity.]

Taking the hand of the girl, Sylvia stepped alongside the other three as they walked forth, heading into the school with concerned expressions.

All except the girl - whose expression was one of pure excitement.

[I was told that humans were powerful... intelligent... courageous... heroic... ingenuitive... and so much more. But then I found out for myself.]

As they walked through the courtyard, the four approached the front doors to the school, however as they did so they began to hear voices.

"What the hell just happened!?"

"Did you do something, snotnose!?"

From around the corner of the entrance, the shouts of a couple of teenage boys could be heard.

As Sylvia looked to Marcus, the two immediately nodded to one another, understanding each other without even needing to say anything.

'We do not approach. We watch from afar... and when we have obtained sufficient knowledge... we make our move.'

[Everything I knew about humanity was a lie.]

[After all... for every virtue that you humans love to cling to... there are a thousand vices.]

[For every martyr... there is an entire nation of people willing to condemn them to death.]

----

[Before the Cataclysm]

"Hahaha! That party last night was wild! I sure am glad we had enough Sin to get in."

"You're damn right! All the women there... haha... I'd like to hook up with one of them."

"They're way out of your league, man. You're a high schooler. Didn't you forget that?"

"Eh? What does that matter? I'll have 'em lining up for me either way."

"Haha! As expected of you, Arnold."

Gordon watched from the side as a group of boys nonchalantly made their way into the class, not bothering to hide the contents of their conversation as they laughed with one another.

"If you guys don't believe me, then why don't we make a bet on it?"

"I never said I didn't believe you. I'm not taking that bet."

With a smirk, the boy known as Arnold sat down as he looked around him.

All the girls in the class seemed to be giving him glances, unable to hide their interest.

The majority of the guys on the other hand, seemed to be purposely ignoring him - hiding their own frustrations.

"Heh."

With an arrogant smile, the boy crossed his arms as he sat back in his chair.

"Fine then. But even if we don't bet on it, we're going back tonight. A little extra Sin should be plenty of cash to grease a few of 'em up. You hear me, Gordon?"

The prettyboy glanced over to the timid boy to his side, at which he received a light nod.

"See? Looks like snotnose understands now. If we're happy... then everyone is happy. Isn't it great to spread the wealth?"

"Hey hey, don't say stuff like that, Arnold! You'll start sounding like one of the commies."

"Hahaha!"

While the boys joked with one another, Gordon held back a sigh as he looked down in defeat.

For even doing that much would invoke a beating.

'If only.... I was stronger.'

Hiding his face in his arms, the boy's expression wrinkled with agony as he held back his emotions.

He wanted to grasp his own heart, but even that would draw attention to him.

Therefore, he sat there - trying as hard as he could to quiet even his own breathing.

'If I was stronger... then I would be able to defend myself.'

'But I'm weak.'

----

"Snotnose. We're going to head out. And I think you know better than I do what will happen if we get to the spot before you do."

With widened eyes, the boy quickly got up from his seat, grabbing his bag as he headed off - shivering.

"Hey. Wait up just a moment."

The boy turned around, frozen as the prettyboy known as Arnold spoke.

Not daring to raise his eyes, he turned around, looking down to the ground with shame.

"Did I say that you could leave without properly addressing me?"

Grabbing the boy by his cheeks, Gordon was met with those eyes which turned the hearts of women to mush.

Yet Gordon was no woman.

And those eyes were filled not with the seductive glare which they bore towards the women, but rather with disgust.

"Yes Sir. Is how you're supposed to respond. Don't you think so? What do you two think? Don't you agree that he lacks... respect?"

Turning to the two beside him, the boy let go of Gordon, shoving him back.

The boy fell onto his rear, slowly getting up.

"Yeah, I can't help but agree. It looks like we really haven't taught him enough respect."

"Ah... what should we do about this, Arnold?"

The two seemed to smirk as they playfully made such statements in a sarcastic manner, mocking the boy with their eyes.

"I think you two should already know. How is this guy supposed to make it in the real world if he doesn't even know how to show respect to those above him? Is he really supposed to be the son of a CEO? Hahaha... ah. That's right. I think I just realized it."

Walking off, the three boys made their way around the fallen one, heading off with grins plastering their expressions as they laughed.

"He must think that he's above us."

----

'Why... am I so weak?'

The three boys had merely walked off.

So that they wouldn't cause a scene in the hallways, they had left.

Yet the reason that they had left with such ease was not because they were merciful.

'Why... do I keep on doing this?'

It was because they knew.

'Huff... huff... huff... I... have to hurry...'

That Gordon would never go against them.

He rushed to the back corner of the school, hoping and praying that they hadn't already made it there.

Yet as he turned that corner, he realized it.

'No...'

They were there waiting for him.

'No....'

"Hey snotnose. What the hell is your problem?"

Met with a knee to the gut, it took everything in his power to keep his own lunch from spilling out his mouth as the wind was knocked from Gordon.

"Ugh!"

Falling to the ground while holding his stomach, Arnold put his foot to the boy's face, rubbing it on him with a cheeky smile.

"Don't you think you've gotten a little too... arrogant?"

'I'm the one who's arrogant?'

Tears formed at the boy's face as he was met with another kick.

"Just because you were born into a little money…” Arnold started mockingly. “..you think you have the right to look down on me?"

Grabbing the boy by his hair, Arnold lifted Gordon up as he looked him in the eyes.

"Some people have to work for what they have."

'What the hell do you know about working....'

Gordon looked down to the ground with shame, not daring to meet the prettyboy with his eyes.

Yet even so, he was frustrated.

'You.... you... you take everything you want... you force everyone to do as you please... and you speak about working for that!?'

It was enough to make Gordon want to punch the pretty boy's face.

Alas, he was weak.

'You don't know what it means to struggle.'

"Just looking at a spoiled brat like you is enough to make me grateful... that I wasn't raised with a silver spoon in my mouth."

As the prettyboy said this, he pulled back his fist - slamming it into the face of Gordon.

The boy was sent flying, tumbling through the dirt as the scrapes covered his body.

His entire body was bruised, and his eye was now blackened.

"Ah, but you at least brought the money, right? If you didn't... then I'd have to teach you another little lesson in respect."

Laying on the ground, Gordon didn't even have the strength to get up as he breathed heavily.

"Snot nose. Get your lazy ass up and get me the money."

Slowly sitting up, the boy held his forehead as he made his way over to the bag which he had dropped.

"It's... right... he-"

"Hurry the fuck up!” Arnold snapped.

One of the lackeys kicked the back of Gordon's head, causing the boy to fall straight forward into the dirt as his mind was rattled.

Before him was that bag, and as his consciousness began to fade out, he reached out for it.

'I have... to give it... to him...'

However, it was then that he was met with another foot to his head.

And at that moment, he blacked out.

----

When Gordon woke up, he was tied to a post.

He immediately knew where he was.

He was behind the school.

It was later at night. Probably somewhere around 8 P.M. at this point.

"Ngh..."

He tried to move, yet his hands were tied tightly - to the point where even trying to escape was futile.

'They... left me here?'

He looked around to see that there was clearly nobody in the vicinity.

Nor was the bag of money there.

'They... left me here.'

Gritting his teeth, tears came to the eyes of the boy.

'Do I have to wait here... all night? What will father thin-'

As he had this thought, the eyes of the boy went wide.

And then, playing back in his mind, the memory of his father stuck itself in front of him.

Those condescending eyes, and that professional demeanor.

"Do not speak to me until you have achieved something. Until then... I have no son."

As the boy recalled this, he cried.

He sniffled, hiccuped, and he felt pathetic.

He couldn't even wipe his own tears, for his hands were tied behind him.

The snot covered his face, and he dropped his head as he lamented his own pathetic nature.

'Why... can't I do better than this?'

As he sat there unable to move, Gordon had an entire hour to do nothing more than wallow in self hatred.

And for every moment that passed, he began to hate himself more and more.

'Why am I so pathetic?'

'Why can't I do anything right?'

'Why am I such a failure?'

'Why am I such a crybaby?'

The time passed, and eventually the boy cried himself to sleep.

Until he was rudely awoken by another kick to his gut.

He grunted in pain.

"Hey. Snotnose. Looks like your money wasn't enough."

Looking up groggily, the blurry vision of the boy soon cleared to reveal the figure of the prettyboy who had left him in such a position.

Snapping awake, Gordon opened his eyes to see something which was rare indeed.

Arnold looked... pissed.

"Hey, don't kill him, alright?"

"If you do that, you'll be in real trouble, you know."

"Shut the fuck up."

Snapping back to his lackeys, the prettyboy gave them a look which suggested that if they didn't shut up that they would be the ones on the other end of his fist.

"I'm not in the mood right now."

The two gulped and immediately quieted themselves, looking the other direction.

'It's not my fault you tried to bang a 24 year old woman... and an expensive one at that.'

'After all, you're only a high schooler...'

'No wonder she wouldn't take you seriously...'

Slam!

The boy thrust his fist into the side of Gordon's face, once again shattering his mind as he barely managed to stay conscious.

Slam! Slam! Slam!

And then, a flurry of blows.

Left, right, up, down.

"You think you're fucking with me!? Only a thousand Sin tonight!? I thought you were supposed to be rich!” Arnold snarled, spit flying. “The place we went to wasn't some poor man's refuge, you know! Do you think I'd go to some run down dump? I know you’ve got the money to get me the luxury treatment, so why the fuck did you cheap out on me tonight, snotnose!?"

The boy continued to kick and punch Gordon, who was unable to even dodge - for he was tied to a post.

The feedback shattered him, and being constricted only made the pain even worse.

"That.... blurgh... was all.... I had... my father... ugh... cut... me... off..."

As the tears flowed from his eyes, the boy barely managed to get these words out while taking the relentless attacks of the bully.

"What... Did you just say?"

The prettyboy stopped his attack for a moment, stepping back with wide eyes.

However the surprise in those eyes soon turned to anger.

"So either you're lying to me to save yourself... or you really are useless in every way."

Slam! Slam! Slam!

How many blows did the boy take on that night?

Too many to count.

He was beaten ruthlessly, to the point where he stopped feeling pain anymore.

Yet as he was tied to that pole, his head fell forward as his eyelids dropped.

'I... suppose it's time to go back to sleep.'

"Useless. You're staying here all night, snotnose."

The boys turned around to leave as Gordon looked up, unsure whether to be happy that they were leaving or terrified that he would have to sleep standing here all night.

'If only... I was good at something.'

'Why... do I fail at everything?'

Yet at that moment, there was a flash of light.

Connecting the minds of the people like a matrix, the electric burst lasted only a second.

And in that moment, as exhausted as he was already, Gordon was overcome by an even more intense wave of exhaustion.

Yet not only him.

The three boys in front of him fell forward, their faces slamming into the muddy ground as they dropped unconscious.

And then, Gordon too closed his eyes.

'What the hell... can I do to change things?'

----