Bungo Stray Dogs - Volume 8 - Chapter 3.3

After the large motor stopped running, we got off the elevator and found ourselves in a dim corridor. The gray walls were painted with black-and-yellow hazard stripes. We followed the path straight ahead as if it were inviting us into the darkness of the abyss.

The courtesy lights on the floor faintly illuminated our faces. I sent a ping signal up ahead and received a response from the facility’s system a few seconds later. There was no doubting it. We were going the right way.

After taking a right at the end of the corridor, we advanced even farther into the abyss until we passed through a double fireproof wall and found ourselves in a spacious underground depot. At the back of the tennis court–size area was a colossal fireproof partition wall with a small security station in front of it. All four guards stationed there—two inside, two outside—were armed and looking in our direction.

Their eyes were empty. They took nothing about us into consideration, not our facial expressions nor who we were as people. All they saw were three suspicious individuals.

“Halt,” the closest guard instructed in a firm, mechanical voice.

Master Chuuya stopped in front of the muzzle of the man’s gun.

“We have an appointment. Let us through,” he demanded calmly, as if the gun did not even exist. When the guard looked back, another guard faintly nodded to him.

“We heard. But this is a top secret facility. We’ll need to examine your belongings and perform a blood test before letting you through.”

“A blood test?” Master Chuuya raised an eyebrow. “What for?”

“You three don’t even know what kind of facility this is?” The guard sighed with contempt. “How pathetic.”

“The hell did you just say, you punk?! Do you even know who I—? Mmm!”

“I am sure everyone knows who you are, so I believe keeping silent would be your best option.”

I covered Shirase’s mouth before he started a fight.

We ended up having our belongings inspected and our blood collected.

The guard pressed a box-shaped blood-drawing device against Master Chuuya’s wrist. He said nothing as they took his blood. When I heard the sound of air being released, I knew it was over. His expression still had not changed one bit.

Shirase also had blood drawn from his wrist.

“Ouch! Whoa! Hey?! That hurts, damn it! Ow! You shoulda said it hurt before you pricked me, you jerk!” He flailed his free arm as if this was the most pain he had ever felt in his life.

I was next. The sound of air pressure being released was followed by the needle breaking.

“…”

The guards and I made eye contact. I didn’t say a word. Nor did the guard who was holding the kit for drawing blood. He used a spare kit on my legs, neck, lower back, and every other place he could stab, but each needle broke. Before long, there was a commotion in front of the station.

“Bring me a knife!”

“Where was that saw again?!”

More guards gradually arrived until the entire security team tried to draw blood from me. All their attempts ended in failure.

After exhausting their resources, the guards stared at me and panted heavily, out of breath. I stood there with a blank expression and waited for them to draw my blood. A mysterious silence followed.

I extended my neck until the inner joints were visible, then began to bob my head while I walked.

“Look. I’m a pigeon.”

“Ahhh?!” The guards fell backward.

“Quit messin’ with them!” Master Chuuya smacked the back of my head.

The guards eventually called headquarters and had me exempted from the blood test.