Unclassified; Zero and Still Standing Chapter 42: Keeper

Yesu awoke to the chirping of birds.

She had slept lying face down across the bed. She stretched lazily.

Sunlight drifted into the room through the curtains.

Yesu stood from the bed reluctantly, yawned and walked to the window.

She pushed back the curtain and sighed. The air was fresh. The trees were green.

Everything felt new.

***

The enticing sll of cooking wafted past Yesu's nose as she made her way downstairs.

In the dining room, Arrow sat at the head of the table, sipping tea in a chipped mug and peering over his rectangular glasses at the morning paper.

Six other newspapers lay stacked next to him.

"Good morning, Arrow," Yesu said as she strode in.

Arrow glanced up briefly. "Morning, Kaelitha."

Yesu sat on his right.

"You can call Yesu. Kaelitha sounds boring."

Arrow said nothing.

"You didn't co down for dinner yesterday." Yesu went on. "I was thinking of bringing in sothing to your office but Greta said you didn't want to be disturbed."

Arrow flipped the newspaper to the next page.

"Mrs Rowen." He corrected.

Yesu pressed her lips together. "She said she prefers being called by her na."

The room went quiet for a while. Yesu studied the cravings on the wooden table.

"You skipped classes yesterday," Arrow said calmly.

Yesu looked at him, a bit surprised.

"I didn't feel like going." She said simply.

Arrow dropped the newspaper and looked at her fully. He took his ti before speaking.

"You have been pardoned. Do not skip classes again."

Then he returned to his paper.

Yesu almost laughed.

"Pardoning without my permission." She said under her breath.

Arrow pretended he hadn't heard her.

Yesu sighed.

"I like my room." She blurted. "And the clothes. And the stuff you sent to ." She smiled mischievously. "Was the makeup kit your idea?"

Arrow didn't miss a beat. "Everything was Mrs Rowen's doing. I would never bother myself over such a thing."

There was a slight edge to his voice.

The room was silent again.

Yesu let out a breath, bored.

"Was it you who chose all my extracurricular activities?" She asked suddenly.

Arrow mumbled sothing before he spoke.

"What of it?"

Yesu ran her fingers along the table.

"Well, usually it's the student who picks out the activities based on what they're interested in."

"The State already made those decisions for you," Arrow said bluntly.

Yesu paused for a second, then made a face.

"Being a piece of property is no fun."

Arrow lowered the newspaper and stared at her briefly.

He hesitated for a mont.

"If you have any major difficulties, let know."

And the newspaper was back up.

The maid, Greta, ca into the room with two trays of food, each balanced on an arm.

Yesu stood and took one from her.

"Thank you." She muttered.

They began breakfast in silence. Arrow picked up the next newspaper each ti he finished the one at hand.

"So," ca Yesu. "Do I have any 'activities' on weekends too?"

"Yes."

Yesu was a bit taken aback. She hadn't expected a response when she asked the question, not to ntion an affirmation.

"What are they?"

"Not them. Just one."

Arrow glanced at a clock on the wall, even though he was wearing a watch.

"We leave in a few minutes."

"Where to?"

Arrow sighed. "Allow to eat breakfast, Kaelitha."

Yesu scowled at him.

"You're the worst Keeper I've ever seen."

Arrow sipped his tea.

"Tell when you find better."

***

Yesu was waiting by the door when Arrow descended from the stairs, dressed in a formal shirt and trousers.

He was mildly surprised to see Yesu already at the door, ready to go.

The doorbell rang before he reached her. Yesu turned the lock and opened the door.

Two ard soldiers stood before her.

There was a black van parked recklessly on the grass outside.

More soldiers were in it.

Before the soldiers could say anything, Arrow was already beside Yesu.

"How can I help you?" He asked.

"Good morning, sir." One of the soldiers said. "We are here to carry out the order of transporting the State subject for scheduled evaluation."

Yesu instinctively took a step back.

Arrow stepped out.

"Have you been inford of the role assigned to by your Sovereign State?" He asked calmly.

The soldiers were montarily puzzled.

"Yes, sir."

"Then why," Arrow continued. "Are you here to pick up my ward without my permission?"

Silence.

"Who gave the order?"

The soldiers hesitated.

"The Assembly, sir."

Arrow gave a slow smirk.

"Let Assemblyman Bertram know that I will be handling all direct matters concerning my ward."

"Yes—"

They were interrupted.

"And will not tolerate another interference."

"Of course, sir."

"Get your vehicle out of my lawn."

The soldiers turned and went to the van, said a word or two to their comrades and drove off.

Arrow glanced behind.

Yesu was holding the door handle, staring at the retreating van. Then she shifted her gaze to him.

Arrow now had his eyes on the lawn, at the marks the van had made on the grass.

When he finally spoke, he sounded irritated.

"Let's go."

***

Arrow drove through the flowing heart of Central City in near silence.

Morning light spilled across the endless maze of skyscrapers and elevated rails. Massive billboards flickered between buildings while streams of vehicles moved below like veins of steel and light.

Yesu sat quietly by the window, staring without restraint.

Everywhere she looked, sothing moved.

The city felt alive.

"Why am I going for evaluation again?" she asked suddenly.

Arrow kept his eyes on the road.

"Not evaluation," he corrected. "More of a study."

"Yes, because that sounds way less concerning."

Arrow ignored her completely.

The vehicle slowed in front of a towering skyscraper of black glass and silver steel. Yesu tilted her head back slightly.

The top disappeared into the morning haze.

"That's unnecessary," she muttered.

Arrow parked his car and stepped out.

Inside, the building was even larger than it looked outside. Polished floors reflected sunlight pouring through enormous glass walls.

Yesu followed Arrow into an elevator.

The numbers kept climbing.

Twenty-seven.

Thirty-four.

Forty-one.

Yesu's brows lifted slightly. "This building just keeps going."

The elevator finally stopped at the top floor.

The doors slid open.

There was only one apartnt.

Two ard security guards stood outside a massive tallic door at the end of the hallway.

The mont Yesu saw them, sothing about the place tugged at her mory.

A strange discomfort settled in her chest.

"…Why does this feel familiar?" she murmured.

One of the guards noticed Arrow and imdiately stepped aside.

A heavy chanical sound echoed through the hallway.

The tallic doors unlocked and slowly slid open.

And Yesu froze.

Doctor Heckman stood inside the apartnt, smiling pleasantly like he'd been expecting them all morning.

"Good to see you, Yesu."