Aries opened his eyes wondering if he should fake ill.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAEbpyX6PF1X
Sleeping did seem quite fun at the moment, or at least more fun than going to the Training Ground and embarrassing himself like yesterday.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAi7XYUznb3y
Aries didn't know why he got picked as the captain. He had never become a leader before, he also didn't seem to glow leadership in the interview he first went before he was accepted. Why, then?
610Please respect copyright.PENANAHzIf6XxCQW
Not only that, Aries didn't really come from a rich family. He hadn't got the money to get sword and achery lessons, so he didn't know how he would be able to fight.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAoLHyZ3ygxN
Honestly, Aries was never sure of what Zodiacs actually do. He heard they fight off bad people, but that was the same as policemen and policewomen. So, what do they actually do?
610Please respect copyright.PENANAFbYff0gshy
Do they spy or something? If so, well, he might need to retire and become a baker instead. Aries was very clumsy, after all.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAeymoj9CyYT
Well, whatever. Aries couldn't care less for that at the moment. He finally decided to get his butt out of bed and shower. One good thing out of this place was they had warm water... and hot water if you wanted to burn yourself, he supposed.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAYK4WywhWoK
After showering and using his clothes, he went to class. Aries hoped that they wouldn't have to go back to the cursed place called Training Ground because that would be absolute hell, thank you very much.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAHrMaghNTzj
He smiled at a person who he passed by, continuing throughout the halls of the building and then turning on a corner. As he neared the classroom which he so-hated, someone pulled him into an empty classroom.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAHssYYdGdj3
Mind you, empty classrooms were pretty common. There were barely any people around, that's why.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAPXG9KIai4I
"Hey-"
610Please respect copyright.PENANAfgPUdEqj0R
A hand quickly clamped over his lips and he couldn't speak any coherent words. Aries immediately regained his vision, but everywhere around him was dark and he could not see a thing.
610Please respect copyright.PENANA9zEa5qMGYT
"It's me, Gemini, and we're ditching class today, cap'n."
610Please respect copyright.PENANAYDlgHdsisq
The voice came from in front of him, which means someone else was holding him from behind.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAMUlDdvqoKO
The so-called Gemini continued, "All four of us."
610Please respect copyright.PENANA2FfYMtOgGV
Then, someone turned on the lights. Everyone instantly flinched except Gemini who was smart enough to close her eyes. Aries jerked away from his captor's embrace and jerked forward.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAI4vYZNJq8g
Hearing Taurus squeal so manly, Gemini opened her eyes. In reflex, she quickly pulled a table to shield herself from Aries. It caused the captain's vulnerable body part to clash with the table instead.
610Please respect copyright.PENANA9qO3SWQY9y
Whilst letting out a string of curse worda, Aries held the area between his legs. The three people around him was amazed for a second, but the silence was quickly broken by a male's laughter.
610Please respect copyright.PENANA4JWDF5ztoz
Obviously, Aries wouldn't cry over his own pain; he's not that crazy. It was a laughter that Aries knew all to wall
610Please respect copyright.PENANAdaCCi3m9Xc
"Ta- u-" Aries whimpered, letting out another dozen curse words. "Taurus, I'm gonna- kill- yo- u! Ugh!"
610Please respect copyright.PENANAImB9uHswiX
He turned around and let himself down on the cold floor, leaning on the table that nearly erased his future.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAR7bnKzf2UC
After calming down a little, the red-head asked, "What do you people want from me?"
610Please respect copyright.PENANAzNwFTLVlOs
The other three looked like they were having some intense telepathy session until Taurus explained, "We're going to investigate something, actually."
610Please respect copyright.PENANAtV3UyGJsKQ
Aries raised an eyebrow, finally recognizing the person behind Taurus. "Pisces? Why are you here?" he asked in surprise. Never in a million years would he ever imagine that Pisces grow up to be a delinquent.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAgbNLZlFroj
The girl being questioned just gave an awkward wave and chuckle. "Well, Gemini somehow managed to persuade me to do this thing. She's very persuasive."
610Please respect copyright.PENANA5FrQnLsoLh
Gemini? The vice-captain?
610Please respect copyright.PENANAHwX8MBz7VA
Quickly, Aries turned around and right in front of him was the female vice-captain, standing proudly with her purple hair behind her back.
610Please respect copyright.PENANARHC2KJzsjp
"This is our vice-captain? Ditching class on the second day?" Aries criticized, even though he was technically doing the same thing. The difference is that he never meant to ditch class in the first place.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAEJvlh9kZPk
Gemini chuckled, flipping her hair like it was no big deal. "I'm sure one-hundred percent we won't get caught. If we do, they won't kick us out of the RJ254 anyways. Probably would just make Aqua captain, but I can easily prevent that from happening."
610Please respect copyright.PENANALvSn1Dn4Nf
The captain of RJ254 stood up and was about to explode when someone put their hand on his shoulder.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAzuZt27stHW
"Aries, I bet it'll be fun," said Pisces in her small shrilly voice.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAFwC7s0Doup
Aries' eyes softened. "Fine." His head hung low until he sighed and finally looked at Gemini in the eyes. "But if we get caught, I'm blaming you."
To the roof they went. Somehow, Gemini managed to memorize the map of the school and each location they put cameras in. Moreover, they all got to the rooftop without problem, even though they all weren't in a good mood--Gemini was an exception.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAT7jNYvCrZD
That girl sure loves playing around. She's so childish, yet I am also falling into her trap. Aries was starting to really regret joining this thing.
610Please respect copyright.PENANA0hRI62tkvx
"So, what do we do now?" he asked once they all arrived on top of the roof. He looked around, finding that nothing looked out of the ordinary. However, Gemini and Taurus told him on the way here that there was something unexplainable here.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAmrhKeJ8TvO
Honestly, Aries didn't believe it. This building is the ZODIACS building. It's heavily protected with cameras and all that kind of stuff. He thought that the female vice-captain was just playing around and she was intending to bring the whole team down with her.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAxAxncum9qL
Gemini walked to a very large pile of boxes. The stack was so high and huge that it covered whatever was behind it.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAtEib3JfU77
Pisces quickly approached her. "What are you looking for? Careful, you might bring the whole boxes down," she warned in worry.
610Please respect copyright.PENANA6wTNXKVVU9
The bossy vice-captain shook her head and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Wait a minute. Taurus, come here. Where's the button again?"
610Please respect copyright.PENANAgZTVI27Dhm
As Taurus walked over to help Gemini, Aries wondered what kind of drugs were they consuming and how much. Why in the world would there be a button in the middle of boxes? That doesn't make sense at all.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAymAoJJwte8
A sound of a click could be heard clearly before the boxes started moving away and letting the Zodiacs pass through. It was like an automatic manual door, which didn't make sense at all.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAShIJ2IkOIw
The four of them walked to the other side behind the boxes in awe before Gemini suddenly stopped walking, causing the others behind her to do so.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAZxBU6I6hcB
"What in the world is this?"
610Please respect copyright.PENANA0CdVqhKSCd
Aries looked to the floor where she was painting. The tiles were mostly white, but there were some red ones. After a while, he realized that the red tiles presented the word "DIE" in capital letters.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAdaZmfQkeYo
He gaped before blinking a few times and shutting his mouth, pretending nothing happened. "So? Where do we go from now?" he asked, bravely putting his foot on a white tile. Instantly, the white tile beneath his foot cracked and fell to who-knows-where.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAHnkGpOIDAd
In reflex, Gemini pulled him backwards so strongly that he fell to the safe floor. Pisces knelt next to him, worriedly asking if he was okay.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAjROZk4t5l4
The person who brought them all here pursed her lips, looking at the floor carefully. "Well, fudge it," she decided before running down the "I" in "DIE" and safely making it to the other side.
610Please respect copyright.PENANANDoJpON1gG
Gemini panted a little before waving and smiling at her teammates. "Come on!"
610Please respect copyright.PENANAXoOQhRT8p3
After a little bit of running, they found themselves in front of a weird looking blue building with a window-like thingy in the middle. Taurus raised an eyebrow and approached the window-thingy. He tried to push it because there was no handle, and it easily opened.
610Please respect copyright.PENANApRsdITztfK
A bit too easily, if you ask Aries. It all seemed like a trap to him and he knew the others thought the same thing. However, they need to try, even with the risk of getting caught and expelled in their second day.
610Please respect copyright.PENANA6Z6Mo8VUiM
After successfully getting inside the building, Aries took the lead and started walking towards their right. It was very dark, but not to the point where they couldn't see. "It's bigger than how it looks from outside." He assumed it was some kind of laboratory from the weird smell.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAKd5hlBBRKa
Pisces loudly gulped. "Guys, what do you think that is?" she asked, making the other three follow the direction she was pointing at with her hand.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAgW9DzmSond
It was a large tube filled with floating human organs such as hands, legs and eyes. The Zodiacs gaped and their eyes couldn't be wider. They didn't believe what they were seeing.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAdgmpp49GFV
"I... think we should go," Taurus said, breaking the icy silence. He frowned deeply, unable to take his eyes off the floating fingers. Is this also the work of the Zodiacs?
610Please respect copyright.PENANA3ifKgG9W0o
Out of nowhere, laugh could be heard, followed by a question, "Why are you leaving so soon?!" None of them knew who said it, but they knew they were surely in trouble.
610Please respect copyright.PENANA780EPMR1ge
Suddenly, the ground they were standing on gave out and they fell. Pisces was the only one who made a sound; a squeal. The others were too dumbfounded to even react.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAZBhY6hVOrN
Somehow, they found themselves standing in front of a grinning old man. The tube of organs were on the floor above them. The suspicious stranger said loudly, "I'm not sure who you are, but I obviously can't let you go now that you've seen things you aren't supposed to."
610Please respect copyright.PENANAJLBEAOPdm5
The four teammates looked at each other. Surprisingly, Gemini looked more mortified than Pisces did. She also appeared to be holding back something.
610Please respect copyright.PENANA0rrDzYgtkg
The two Zodiac males were also equally troubled, even though they didn't show it. After mustering enough courage, the captain asked, "What are you going to do to us? Cut off our arms and legs?"
610Please respect copyright.PENANAxZPWzNk6RJ
The old crazy man laughed. "Nope, that's for the Opiuchus project and as far as I know, you guys aren't royalties," he said as if cutting off people's organs was an everyday thing.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAVMdbzjJ6t4
"What do you mean royalties?!" Taurus exclaimed in shock. Were those the organs of the king and queen? But they are alive...
610Please respect copyright.PENANA8pAjLj2FTU
Again, the annoying laughter of the insane human could be heard. "Well, you know royalties are royalties because they have magic power, right? So-"
610Please respect copyright.PENANAobvYZVRMf4
His answer was cut off by someone throwing this large object at him. Apparently, that weird man wasn't that durable considering he fainted just from Gemini throwing a large piece of floor at him.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAMo9PmkMUsU
"We need to go," she grimaced, pointing at a ladder on the corner of the room.
"Don't say a thing to them," Gemini warned with a weird expression. She didn't have time to explain why because the door in front of them suddenly opened.
610Please respect copyright.PENANA41RcNNP1yM
Scorpio was in front of them. "Huh? Where have you guys been? We covered up for you saying that you were sick and all. The teacher somehow bought it, but I think it's just because she was in a hurry."
610Please respect copyright.PENANAHTmrdE0EwT
Behind him, Libra appeared and added, "By the way, the teacher just left. She said that we are going on our first mission today. We need to save the princess who just got captured. Crazy, right?"
610Please respect copyright.PENANAOjs4xJ3FBa
Royalties.
610Please respect copyright.PENANABlN3qXz8Eo
The four Zodiacs looked at each other, each one with a worried expression. Gemini looked most troubled out of them, though. Like there was something she was hiding.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAElHVCzgwyJ
Scorpio then chuckled. "Who's that, Aries? Your girlfriend?" he teased.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAovVu3Kr32X
The vice-captain glared at him. "I'm your vice-captain, you idiot," she said in annoyance. "By the way, the reason we're late... I actually tripped and none of us knew where the infirmary is, so can anyone help me?"
610Please respect copyright.PENANAu6Zwc49Bp9
Tripped? Aries looked at Gemini whose left hand was holding this thick book and her right hand was holding an area around her knee.
610Please respect copyright.PENANANavhMSZTdN
That knee was badly bleeding and her skin was ripped off. Pisces gaped, not noticing anything of it earlier. She knew she fell on Gemini, but she didn't think she caused any injuries. The vice-captain was pretty good at hiding it, too, since she was the one who ran the fastest to their classroom.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAO3Sdar8ixa
Libra gasped in worry. "Geez, how reckless could you be? Come on, we need to get you to the infirmary," she scolded, even though she honestly was just shocked. She quickly wrapped Gemini's arm around her shoulder and started walking away.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAymDhWeB8tN
Sagittarius followed behind them, ready to give her assistance.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAc6AsBPOcMw
"I didn't realize," Taurus whispered to Aries.
610Please respect copyright.PENANAKypm6UAX4G
"Me neither. She's a weird one. A really good actor."
ns 172.70.130.185da2