Yesu stood at the door.
"Hey, Millie." She said effortlessly.
Millie gaped at her. Not because she was there, but because of how casually she had spoken.
As if the odd jumpsuit she wore wasn't shredded and stained with blood. As if there were no cuts and burns on her arms and face.
As if she'd only been gone a few hours, not days. As if she was just dropping by from Gerry's Pizza to say hi or sleep over.
"Hey." Millie managed to say.
"Can I co in?"
Millie blinked. "Uh… yeah. Of course." She stepped away from the entrance.
Once inside, Millie's eyes moved slowly over the burns, the dried blood, the ripped jumpsuit.
"Yesu, what… happened to you?"
Yesu glanced around absentmindedly. The living room was empty. The TV was still on.
"Your dad went to the shop?" She asked.
"Yeah," Millie replied automatically. "He didn't want to, but you know Mum."
"Is she ho?"
"No. Sudden spa trip."
"And Raphael?"
"No one's ho, Yesu." Millie snapped, but softened quickly. "Well, except Keith. And grandpop, probably fell asleep in the toilet or sothing."
Both of them laughed.
Millie gave Yesu a sad smile.
"You should get rid of that." She gestured at the jumpsuit. "And take a hot shower, you look like you need it."
"I'm starving too."
"I'm making dinner," Millie said with a wobbly smile.
"Finally…" Keith charged into the living room then stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Yesu.
"Whoa." He exclaid. "You looked different from the keyhole."
Millie rolled her eyes. "That's because you could only see her head."
"Co on," Millie said, taking hold of Yesu's hand and dragging her to the hallway. "Let's clean up this ss."
"I think she looks cool." Keith tagged along behind them.
"I think you should go do the dishes." Millie shot back.
***
Yesu ca out of the steam-clouded bathroom wrapped in a towel and shut the door with a contented sigh.
Millie's room was neatly arranged as always. The bed was well made, the books on the shelves were stacked properly, and the shoes were lined up accordingly.
The walls were covered with posters. Of Null 'heroes', Zero rights advocates, Central City views.
And Jessica Freeman. Millie's personal favorite.
Yesu went over to her backpack, removed it from the rack and searched inside for clothes.
As she made to leave the room, she caught sight of a form on the desk.
Before she knew it, she was picking it up. It turned out to be a registration form.
For the ZCP.
***
"Hey, Millie," Yesu called as she entered the kitchen. "I saw the form on your…" she stopped.
Keith was also in the kitchen, washing the dishes.
Millie stared at her puzzled, then suddenly realized. She shifted her gaze to the onions she was cutting.
"On her desk?" Keith asked. "Oh, I've seen it."
Millie glared at him. "What did I tell you about going through my stuff?"
"It was on the desk," Keith said in defense.
"Doesn't matter. Stay away from my room."
"Okay. Okay." Keith nodded.
Millie resud chopping the onions. The silence that followed was sharp.
Until…
"Mum says the ZCP is a staged institution. From what I understand, it ans it's crap." Keith stated breezily.
Millie dropped the knife onto the counter and advanced towards the boy, face burning red.
"Why you little…"
Yesu ca in the way, nudging Millie back.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now." She said playfully. "I'm yet to have a decent al."
But Keith went on, as if oblivious to his sister's impending attack.
"Personally, I don't think Zeros need the ZCP. I think what they need is a different thod of handling things."
Millie almost went nuts.
"They?" She yelled, incredulous. "What do you an by 'they'? You annoying Zero brat."
Yesu was holding her tightly now. Keith didn't seem affected one bit.
"Nah ah." He waved a little finger to Millie. "I haven't gone in for assessnt yet so I'm technically still a Neutral."
Yesu's mind flashed back to the Assessnt facility.
Millie llowed. "So what? You think you're gonna end up with a Rank?"
"Ninety percent certain."
Millie scoffed. "Save it. This family has never produced a Rank."
Keith cocked his head to one side. "So did George Wringlen's. He ca from an endless generation of Zeros. But he beca the first agent to set foot on Northern land and survive."
"Oh really?"
"Read your history."
Millie charged at him but Yesu's hold was stronger. Despite that, she kept trying to lunge past Yesu.
"Why are you so upset?" Keith asked innocently. "Things happen. Look at Yesu, she's no longer a Zero."
Millie stopped. She glanced at Yesu.
"Who told you that?" Yesu asked with a serious expression.
"It's all over the district. Mostly Null news, Millie watches that a lot." Keith replied, still sounding innocent.
Yesu let go of Millie, staring in confusion.
"Actually, things are pretty rough right now," Millie said.
"What's going on?" Yesu asked.
Millie walked out of the kitchen. Yesu followed her to the living room.
Millie changed the channel on the TV.
The bright logo of Null News spun across the screen before a serious-looking reporter appeared.
"…public outrage continues following the disappearance of a student and citizen, Yesuin Kaelitha, after multiple recorded incidents linked to suspected Rank activity."
Images flashed across the screen.
The road accident with a trailer in the middle of the street.
Blurry footage of Yesu falling from the school rooftop.
Then another image.
CCD officers are escorting her out of the hospital under heavy security.
Crowds are gathering outside the hospital.
Millie folded her arms tightly. "They've been showing this all day."
The reporter continued.
"Questions are now being raised concerning the CCD's involvent and whether the governnt unlawfully detained a civilian without public disclosure."
The footage changed again.
This ti to a woman standing before a crowd of reporters. With a larger crowd behind her.
Sharp suit. Firm posture.
Ms. Vance.
"Yesuin Kaelitha is a citizen of this district," Ms. Vance said coldly. "And whether she is a Zero or Rank makes no difference. Her whereabouts must be disclosed imdiately."
Caras flashed wildly around her.
"We have tolerated discrimination against Zeros for decades under the excuse of 'security'. We will not tolerate disappearances."
Behind her, protest signs rose above the crowd.
WHERE IS YESUIN KAELITHA?
ZEROS ARE HUMAN TOO
RELEASE HER
"The demonstrations will continue," Ms. Vance finished, "until answers are given."
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