Chapter 9: Dead End

Sector 27: MRPA meeting with Red

"No," 013 spoke harshly with her arms crossed over her chest, "I won’t let 00 go by herself pretending to be Ping. It's too dangerous."

"But-" Arisa's voice was weak and quiet.

"I agree. If we send 00 in there all alone she will surely be caught!!" 014 nodded as she spoke.

"But-" Arisa tried to raise her voice but it was no use.

"I had no intention of sending her anyways. Agent 00 is too important of an asset to allow her to conduct a solo mission..." Red continued.

Arisa clenched her fist and looked to the ground. She knew that a mission like this was dangerous, but she didn't want to be protected. She didn't want to wait safely while her friends risked their lives for her, "NO!" the strength of her own voice frightened her as she finally grabbed the attention of Red, 013, and 014, "I can do this," she pleaded to her sister, "I know I am not a fighter and I understand how dangerous this is, but I'm the only one who can do this! This info from Ping is our only lead! If we don't do this...we may never get the chance! I won’t let more humans die!"

There was silence for a few short moments before Red spoke up, "I'm sorry 00, but the answer is no. I won't risk your safety for that."

"But Uncle-"

"I said no Arisa!" his voice was absolute and booming, it was rare for him to use her real name, "You will stay here! 013, 014 go and find Durim!!!" with that the screen that Red stood behind went dark and the room fell silent.

013 looked at 014 and nodded for them to get on their way.

"Keiko, please," Arisa begged as they walked past her, “Think about how many humans are in danger- please!”

Keiko looked back at Arisa with regret filled eyes and shook her head as she left, "We will look for Durim and find another way," she left the meeting room with Aku close behind her.

Arisa fell to her knees in the large room and bit back tears. She hated this. She hated being weak...she hated being the only one who had to stay behind. She always got patrol missions...or infant retrieval. Never was she allowed alone in the field either….just once...just one time she wanted to help...she wanted to be needed by the team, “I can do this,” she cried through the tears, “I can do this!”

Sector 19: The market near Durim's club

"You think Arisa is mad?" Keiko walked slowly through the crowd; her eyes absent mindedly scanning over the humans and mutants.

014 shrugged, "She probably just feels left out. We can make it up to her I'm sure."

"I wonder if she is really mad at me."

"Why at you?"

"The way she looked at me as we left...I just-"

"You'll have to save your guilt for later," Aku looked at the building that was across the street, “We’re here.”

Keiko nodded, "Durim's men aren't here, I wonder if the building has been ripped clean by STAM."

"We might get lucky. Maybe Durim came back for something. Either way if we don't find him we will have no choice but to send 00,"

Sector 27: MRPA HQ

Arisa was going about her normal work duties in the infant room. One of the most important missions MRPA agents do is going to hospitals and homes and protecting new born mutants from being killed or taken to STAM. All those baby mutants are brought back to MRPA where they are cared for. Many of these babies would grow up to become MRPA agents of their own. For many of these babies, MRPA would forever be their family and home.

Arisa found joy here caring for the infants. She would shift her face into strange shapes to make the small ones laugh or care for them when they cried. Currently she was tucking them all in for bed. Her shift would be over once the last little one closed their eyes and dreamed.

She turned on the glowing night light that set the ceiling and walls to look like a clear night sky with millions and millions of stars and dazzling colors. She shut the door silently behind her.

Arisa felt lifeless as she walked down the hallway. I shouldn't...she she turned the corner, I mustn't do it...I was told to go home. She held tightly onto the door, they told me not to...I am not allowed to do this. She pulled open the door and closed it behind her: the door reading HOLDING CELLS.