Noah stares at Tahno like he's lost his mind. The man just keeps grinning, clearly amused by Noah's reaction. "You can't be serious," Noah says, incredulously.
"But I certainly am," Tahno replies, not losing his smile. "You will be the General of the Elite Junsui Task Force. And just so you know, I'd get a promotion too if you accept, since we can't have two generals in one unit. I'd become a commander; how great would that be? So that's just a bonus point, but no pressure at all."
No pressure? Noah thinks, his mind reeling. What about this is not pressure? He decides not to voice that thought, instead saying, "I'm not a leader. I've never led anyone in my whole life, and I don't want to. I don't want to tell people what to do or force them to fight. I don't want to force them to take on dangerous tasks while I hide behind their cover. I don't want them to grovel before me like I'm some kind of king. I don't want any of that. I just want to be normal. I just want to go to school like everyone else. I want to make friends like anyone else. Above all, I just want to live a simple life with my family. I wanted all these things that are now impossible to have, and it's not fair. I'm a monster who failed to protect my family. The only thing I should be is dead." Noah's voice grows more strained as he clenches his teeth.
The anger surges within him, making his fists clench and shake. Tahno, noticing the change, places a hand on Noah's shoulder. "Hey, no need to get so worked up, okay?" Tahno says calmly, trying to soothe him. After a few moments, Noah feels the tension start to ease, though the pain remains. "You did your best Noah." Tahno adds gently.
"How can you be so sure? You weren't there!" Noah snaps. " I'm just a monster, do you understand? A cold-hearted demon!"
Tahno's expression turns serious. "I know that, okay? I know very well that you're a demon. However, I also know that it's not something you can control. You didn't intend to run away, and you probably wouldn't have been able to save them anyway because you were a kid! You were a kid who knew nothing of your nature or what you could do. How could you possibly save others when you didn't even know how to manage yourself? Your mother, brother, and Zelena were all unfortunate events that you had no control over, No one would accuse you of failing."
"Zelena?" The name triggers something deep in Noah's memory. An image of a woman with long blond hair in a ponytail and green eyes flashes in his mind, bringing with it a sharp pang of heartache. The woman looks so much like his mother, but she's not. "Who…who is Zelena?" Noah asks, his voice trembling. "Who was she, dammit?"
"She was your aide," Tahno explains, hesitating. "She was taking care of all your needs when you first got here, during the first five months or so. She was unusually calm around you, so she got closer than the others."
"Was? What do you mean, was? Where is she now?" Noah demands, his fear rising. Tahno remains silent. "Where is she!" Noah's voice cracks with desperation.
"She's dead," Tahno finally admits, his voice heavy. "It was an accident. You were very fond of her because she looked a lot like your mother. So you developed…well, a crush of sorts. You'd calm down a lot when she was with you, especially when she'd comfort you. We told her many times she shouldn't get too close, no matter how calm you were, but she saw you like a little brother and couldn't help herself. Things were okay until one day, some idiot left the door open, and you saw her kiss her boyfriend who also worked here. You became enraged. You transformed, and she tried to calm you down like she normally would. But you were too far gone, and by the time she realized it…it was too late."
Noah stumbles backward, the weight of Tahno's words crashing down on him. "Are you saying that I…I killed her?" He starts to shake uncontrollably as the horror of what he's done sinks in.
"It was an accident, Noah! Just a really unfortunate accident. She knew the risks; she'd never blame you. In fact, her last words were that you were a good boy, and she begged us not to hurt you. It was then that we realized a particular level of electricity could stun you back to normal. However, it was strong, and between that and the shock of what you'd done, you forgot all of it. We felt it was for the best."
Like a bolt of electricity, memories flood back into Noah's mind. He remembers everything—Zelena's face, her touch, her laugh, her scent, even the beat of her heart. He loved her like a mother, sister, and lover all at once. She filled the void left by the loss of his mother, Caleb, and Rachel. Deep down, he knew she was older and probably with someone her own age, but he lived in a fantasy where it was just the two of them. So when he saw her kissing that man, the rage overwhelmed him, and everything went black. He doesn't remember anything between that moment and waking up in his bed, but he had felt like something was missing. Now he knows what it was.
Noah shakes even more, feeling as though he's about to lose control again. It's a feeling he hasn't experienced in a long time. Just as he feels himself slipping, Tahno grabs him by the shoulders and pins him against the wall. "Pull yourself together, Noah! I don't want to have to use it, but you know I will if I must," Tahno warns, referring to the device implanted in Noah's head. The one they used that day. Tahno looks him dead in the eyes, all traces of laughter gone. The intensity of the moment forces Noah to rein in his emotions. He takes a few deep breaths, his heart rate slowly returning to normal.
"I'm okay now, Tahno. Thanks," Noah finally says, his voice steady.
Tahno lets out a breath of relief, dropping his hands. "Jesus, you scared me, man! Don't do that."
"I highly doubt you were actually scared. Not the big bad Tahno. You know no fear."
"Eh, you'd be surprised. Honestly, you're just a terrifying guy. I'm scared of demon you."
"Yeah, well, so am I. I don't want to be this. A monster that can kill people, accidents or not."
"Then don't be," Tahno says firmly. "You don't have to be that monster inside of you. You can be who you've always been, Noah Gremory. Now that's a good kid. That's the kid who's gonna lead our task force."
"You're still on that? I told you; I don't want to be a leader who rules over his team. I don't want them to serve me and treat me like a god. I'm not better than them, so I should be a normal member."
"This is all precisely why you're the best man for the job. Your humility and respect are what's going to set you apart from all the other generals. I want you to form a team with people just like you—well, minus being demons, of course. I have four kids who are lost just like you and need to be found. I think you're the last piece they need to bring it together. The five of you are amazing on your own, but just think of how amazing you'll be as a team of Junsui hunters who started out as friends. Building a strong friendship between you all is what will make you the strongest team around. Thus, you will truly be the elite—the best of the best."
"However, those kids will never make it without you. They all have very intense quirks, personalities, faults, or whatever that make them easily clash with others. However, your neutral demeanor and indifferent attitude are exactly the glue they need to unite them all. So it can't be anyone else, Noah. It just has to be you. So what do you say? You in?"
Noah doesn't fully understand what Tahno is talking about, and it all seems really annoying. But then, he remembers something important. His brother's last words to him were to live in peace for their sake. All this time, Noah has been loathing himself, but he never really thought that maybe he could use all this hate and anger and direct it at the true enemy. He vowed to take them down, so he will. "Okay," Noah says, his voice resolute.
"Alright! That's awesome. Well then, let's get right to it. I'm sure everyone has had ample time to make themselves more comfortable. Let's go meet your new best friends!" Tahno says playfully as he walks away, and with an eye roll, Noah follows.
Tahno leads Noah to a sector that looks very modern but also isolated. As they walk inside, Noah sees a redheaded guy eating an apple while a green-haired guy sits on a stool, playing with a hamster. There's also a pink-haired girl looking terrified, hiding behind a blue-haired girl with a ponytail. The blue-haired girl glares at Noah, shielding the other girl protectively. Noah looks at Tahno, skepticism written all over his face.
"This is my team?" Noah asks as the group stares at them like they're intruding.
Tahno just laughs. "Well then, now that we're acquainted, let's get this started."
Noah looks back at the group and starts to question what he's gotten himself into.
~Act 1 End