리틀팍스

 "We cannot agree with you now, Jang. We're off."

 He stared at them. One, who had just spoken aloud, said, looking directly at him-

 "The theft of the core, and disappearance of Choi-that's for all of us to discuss and investigate, not for you to run into personally. Why is this organization-or just a research group-had been built, if you are going to act completely on your own? Aren't we supposed to work in a group, all of us sharing the same purpose? Wasn't it you who have firstly suggested it?"

 "I-I-"

 He was having difficulty of fighting back.. The person declared of leaving continued, quite unaware of his respond.

 "Now you act alone, not even informing the others. And for what has been the result-THE LOSING OF CHOI AND THE CORE FOREVER."

 "WHAT THE-"

 Now Jang was also shouting. The aggressive, tense mood loomed heavily in the room.

 "If you have only informed us-if all of us had come up with a decision through precise and careful discussions-would it have happened? Seemingly you now do not seem to work in a group. Then, there is absolutely no reason for us to stay here. I will no longer cooperate with you and your group."

 "YOU-"

 "Farewell, Jang."

 He said shortly, completely ignoring Jang's protest, and left the room, followed by three or four people, leaving only two-Jang and a middle-aged, female researcher-behind. 

 My father stared, lost for words. Odd emptiness replaced the empty seats.

 - - - - -

 When I opened my eyes, I could see the scenery of a dark, dusky bedroom surrounding me. The pair of gleaming, Core-like eyes were vivid in my mind. I shook away the last vision from my unconsciousness, and looked around, even though I was no stranger to that scenery.

 Even a month later, the memory-now more like a trauma-wasn't getting washed away by a tide of memory which rushed into my head afterwards. The announcement of my father's coworkers that they would no longer cooperate with him, the battles with mind-obscured devils arising at least once a day-I though it was enough to make me forget about Mr.Choi.

 It wasn't enough.

 Somehow realizing that I wouldn't fall into sleep again if I tried to, I sat up straight in my bed, and swept my body with my eyes. What a great thing it was, to be able to control one's body on his or her own. And what a pity to those who can't. Soon my mind drifted into wonders of whether Mr.Choi's mind was in a state close to hibernating, or was feeling exactly like D was. Maybe he could remember things he did when he was sort of synchronized with D. Maybe he could remember what D had done before it had engulfed Mr.Choi's consciousness. 

 A shrill, alarming sound pierced through my thoughts. Jolting with mild surprise, I flung myself out of my bed, and ran down the corridor.

 Even the slightest unconsciousness isn't allowed.

 Seon Yeong-the only researcher who didn't leave when all the others did-had already come when I went inside. Soon Minho and Min Young trundled in, looking thoroughly tired. 

 "They never rest."

 My father muttered, flexing the wearable device on his right hand, creating some sort of mechanic friction. 

 "Ready, all of you?"

 There was a note of distinct exhaustion in his voice. Even though, his eyes shone through the stour of tiredness. All nodded, Minho and Min Young quite drowsily. 

 My father stared at his own hand, which balled into firm fists. He closed his eyes, as if having a flashback. 

 They were already in the shelter when we were completely armed and ready-seemingly they had wrestled themselves through. Registering their victim, the hulking, less-polluted ones charged, emitting deafening roars. Followed by swifter, more severely polluted 'devils'. I breathed out deeply, and tightened my two fists, getting ready.

  One hit, block a lunge at the right, swoop underneath and hit back, block the attackers and rebound them off-the movements were being produced without thinking deeply. It felt as my muscles were doing all the work, not my brain.

 The mechanical arms fastened on the device I was wearing on my back did the literal fighting, registering the swoops and flails of my arm, and instantly producing the identical movements. Battling with an army of those devils was not so hard using that device.

 Which had been fashioned by not only Mr.Choi, but also all of the other members of Anti-devilers. 

 One gigantic swipe from right to left, block low attacks, give a blow at the right and block the left-the movements were being produced without thinking deeply. Soon I found myself almost completely done with the less-polluted ones.

 I barely managed to block the sudden swipe coming almost in the direction I was looking at. I A victim of D who seemed to be in his or her middle teens was facing me, with its arm stretching forward for a punch he or she gave me a second earlier. There wasn't a trace of humanity beyond the eyes.

 I fought frantically, with the robotic arms moving back and fro rapidly. The fight seemed to be driving me into corners. But the teenager 'devil' paid too much of his or her attention on me. All of a sudden, the tension of the battle died with a mechanical whir, and the enemy fell, unconscious. 

 "You okay, Jin Seok?"

 Seon Yeong asked, rather hurriedly. A device which suppressed the power of D was in her hands. 

 I nodded, panting, and looked around. A lot of unconscious bodies of D-polluted people were scattered around. My father was just pinning one of them onto the floor with his right arm, and Seon Yeong hurried away, probably to aid the fallen congestions.

 Minho and his sister were fighting-rather desperately-at the corners, and they seemed to be barely keeping themselves unscathed. I saw Min Young sway momentarily, possibly still drowsy by her sleep, and lost awareness of what was going on. 

 "NO!"

 Minho flung himself at his sister, and managed to pull her out from the range of attack. It was a close miss. While Minho was pulling himself up, Min Young, who was still in his arms, let out a gasp which was more likely a sob. Minho turned to see what was going on, and fell on his knees. 

 Another group of irrational, D-polluted people had just rushed in, with a pair of them in the lead. My father, who had just finished on a troop of pollutions, lunged at them. He backed away, stung by surprise. 

 "Kan Jin Ho-"

 He murmured in utter bewilderment. Min Young's voice issued out.

 "Mom-dad...."

 That was when I realized that the male 'pollution' had some identical features with Minho, the female with Min Young. Their human feature was barely recognizable through the metamorphosis D gave them. Not being dull and bulky at all, they seemed to be leading that troop.

 The entire 'army' charged, raiding on all of us like a gigantic tide. I barely managed to fight one small, polluted kid away, but also knew that it would make almost no difference. Three pairs of robotic arms flailed against the flood of pollutions, but it seemed to be nothing but the feeblest gesture of protest. The shock of meeting their parents in such form hadn't still worn out from Minho and Min Young. It would probably be the last feeling they would ever feel-

 What seemed to be sharp snaps of explosions filled the air momentarily. More than half of the polluted populations fell on the floor, their inhumanity gradually disappearing into their human features. I uncoiled my robotic arms, and raised my head a little bit.

 Five or six people, armed with devices which I could not tell, stood at the entrance. All were wearing uniforms with logos of Exo-mineral research team imprinted upon it-except that the marks seemed to have been erased off forcibly. One of them stepped out, and asked, looking at my father.

 "Excuse me-are you Mr.Jang?"

-to be continued-