I gasp, sitting up with a start. The last thing I remember is Scarlet saying she was sorry and then knocking me out cold in that weird room. I look around frantically, trying to tell where I am. It looks like I'm still in that room Scarlet took me to, but I don't see her anywhere.
Looking down, I realize I'm in a kind of chair that you would see in a dentist's office. There's a table next to me with a metal tray sitting on it, but there doesn't seem to be anything in the tray. What the hell is happening? I feel like there's something wrapped around my neck, so I reach to feel what it is.
It's pretty tight, no loose room to get my finger under it. It's not very thick, probably only about three inches in width. It almost feels like leather, but it's more smooth. Is it a kind of nylon maybe? I try to take it off, but I don't feel a clip of any kind. It's not stretchy, either, so how did it even get on me? Crap, is it still here?! Frantically, I dig through my ripped hoodie, looking for my necklace. I breathe a sigh of relief as I realize nothing happened to it. Stroking the side of the ring on the chain, I take one last look at it before sticking it back in the hoodie. This relief didn't last very long, as I realize the situation I'm in.
"Ah, you're awake, good." Looking across the room, I see the chairman of the school step out of the shadows in the corner.
"What did you do to me?"
"I see you've discovered the collar, not a surprise considering it's a foreign object on your body."
"Collar?! What the hell is this? I'm not a stupid dog!"
"I assure you, that's not what I think of you." He hands me a mirror as he's talking, allowing me to get a good look at this so-called collar they put on me. It's black all the way around, with no breaks in the color. "The collar that you see on yourself now is made of a specially designed thin metal that has the feel of leather. Implanted inside the collar is a tracking device located at the front of your neck. It should be thin enough that it doesn't push the collar away from your body, but you will still be able to feel a slight difference."
"You little-" I try to jump out of the chair and lunge at him, but I'm pulled back into the chair by the back of my neck. "What the?"
"As you've just witnessed," the chairman adjusts the sleeve of his jacket, completely unfazed by my outburst. "There is also a small piece of metal on the back of the collar that allows a type of leash to be attached to it, for extreme circumstances." These people really are treating me like a dog, what the heck is wrong with them?!
"I told you I'm not a damn dog!"
"I am sure you are upset with this development, so allow me to explain why you are in the situation you find yourself in now. The superiors of the school, including myself, decided that this is the best way of action for us to take with you right now. It ensures that even if you try to run away, we will be alerted by the device and track you down quickly and easily. You will keep this on until you prove to us that you will no longer try to escape from this school."
"You guys really are psychopaths! If I'm such a problem to you, then just let me go already!" Jeez, this school is even worse than I first thought.
"I'm afraid we can't let that happen."
"Well why not?! You have no good reason to keep me here, at least none that I'm aware of!"
"I can't tell you the reasoning behind it, sorry. You will be a student at this school, and that decision is final. If you are upset by the collar, you have to prove to us that you won't try to run away anymore. If you cooperate with us, we should be able to take it off within the month."
"Tch, whatever. How did you even get this stupid piece of metal on me?"
"You've heard of the pro hero The Operationist before, haven't you?"
"No, I don't care for heroes at all. They can all rot in hell for all I care about."
"Well, he works for us at this school now. His Oddity allows him to fuse or separate any kind of materials together, except organics of course. He assisted us in getting the materials and placing the collar on you in a way that there could be no way for you to get it off yourself." Of course it's some stupid crap like that. Though, I do have to admit it's a pretty genius idea. I'd find a way to break the seal if they just welded it together or something, and a simple lock would be no problem. This way, it's like there wasn't a gap in the metal to begin with.
"This is a load of bull, you could've at least asked me first."
"Believe me, this is a much better way of dealing with your situation than what many of the others wished to do to you." That's pretty ominous sounding… I wonder what they'll do to me if I choose not to cooperate even after this. I'm starting to think that this is just my fate, to become another puppet for the system to do with as they wish. Even though I don't like it, I'm stuck here. Maybe if I pretend to go along with the school I can get more powerful and then break out right before graduation! I think that's the only way that I can do this…
"Fine. I'll stay here."
"I know you don't like it but- wait, what? You'll… stay?"
"Yeah, that's what I just said. Don't you know how to listen?"
"If this is some trick to get me to take the collar off, it's not going to work. It'll take more than that to prove yourself."
"Believe me or not, my response stays the same."
"Are you really just going to accept this, after all your fighting?" He sounds super skeptical, he definitely doesn't believe me. Whatever, I'm not the one who'll lose sleep over that decision.
"Yeah, well, I don't have another choice. Can I go now?"
"Yes…" Narrowing his eyes, he reluctantly presses a button next to him and I hear a click as the leash retracts back into the seat, freeing me. I see him tense up, waiting for me to pounce on him, but I don't do anything. Swinging my feet off the side of the chair, I slowly stand up and turn towards the door. Recovering quickly from his initial surprise, he stands up and clears his throat. "Scarlet is waiting on the other side of the door to escort you out of this place. Thank you for your time." Without looking back at him, I walk out the door.
***********
Nova walks out the door without batting an eyelash in my direction. Sighing, I gather my things. "Man, she really is a strange one. I can't tell if she was joking or not!" I wait a few minutes before going out the door myself.
"Chairman, report." Oh yeah, I totally forgot about the earpiece they made me wear.
"I'm here Crawler, I'm here." He's so impatient, it's like he's a little child sometimes.
"Good, I feel like the Council was about to kill me! Please hurry back, I can't take much more of this!"
"Why are they so upset? Did you do something?"
"They're not upset, just anxious. I guess they really are interested in the girl."
"Well I don't blame them. Anyways, I'll just give my report to you right now. It'll be awhile until I get back to the council's room."
"Oh, please wait just a minute, I'll broadcast this to the entire room so they can all hear what's happening." I hear a couple clicks, and then Crawler gives me the go ahead.
"Hello Council members, I assume you all can hear me." I get a smattering of yesses, and then I continue. "The operation was a success, and the collar was installed." Pausing for a minute, I can hear people shifting in their seats, waiting for me to report on the rest of the mission. "She did not take the news very well at first, but near the end, she seems to have been willing to comply. I still am not entirely certain of the sincerity of her words, but she said that she would stay here at the school as a student." I hear several surprised gasps from the room.
"C-chairman, are you sure about that? Did she really submit to us? I don't believe it! That headstrong, stubborn girl really gave up?"
"Well Crawler, I don't think she gave up per-say, she probably still hates all of us, but it appears that she is willing to stay at the school. Now it's just a matter of training her to like us instead of despising us. I don't think she's going to try to run away anymore."
"We are still keeping the collar on her, I assume."
"Yes, I'm not entirely sure of her intentions, and this may very well all be a ruse." I can hear the council chattering with one another in the background, but I can't really make out what they're saying. "To conclude this matter for now, it does not appear that brainwashing will be currently necessary. Although the situation may change, we will not take action until her motives are clear. Meeting adjourned." I hang up the call, and continue on my way through the hallways. To be honest, I'm glad that there were enough votes against the brainwashing. I believe that she will make a great hero one day, and she has the perfect personality and drive for it. If we brainwashed her, all that would go away. Sighing, I smile slightly, then head out the back entrance of the building. I guess it's time to go get ready for the meeting at the end of the day.