A/N: Been awhile since I touched this fic, but let's continue it shall we?
Disclaimer: I don't own Prototype or Elfen Lied
XXX
(Two Days Later)
Darren awoke from his 'sleep', if it could be called that, and walked out of his room. He could hear dishes clanking around in the kitchen, obviously signs of Yuka cleaning up. The virus groggily walked down the hallway that led to the dining room, happening to stumble across Kouta's room.
Darren peeked through the door to see Kouta resting, a towel laid on his forehead. Darren noticed him begin stirring before his eyes opened.
"Hey Kouta, how you holding up?" Darren asked as he stepped into the room.
"Never better." Kouta sarcastically said with a rough voice.
"You need anything?"
"Some water. I could have sworn I sent Nyu for some a while ago."
Darren raised an eyebrow, "Of all people, you send in Nyu to get you something?" Darren shook his head.
Kouta let out a dry chuckle, "Yeah, not the smartest thing I've done."
The virus sighed, "Don't worry, I got you covered."
"Thanks."
The viral hybrid made his way to the kitchen where he saw Yuka cleaning the dishes and Nyu sitting at the table scarfing down a bowl of cereal.
Yuka turned and noticed him, smiling she said, "Good morning Darren, you hungry?"
"Morning Yuka." Darren waved off her question, "Nah, I'm good."
"Well that's good. Because Nyu just ate all the cereal." Yuka said with a relieved expression.
"Nyu!" The girl chirped with a face covered in cereal pieces and milk. It was then that Darren noticed she hadn't been using her spoon.
Darren still couldn't help but stare warily at the girl who was innocently smiling at him with that childlike expression on her face. After everything that happened the other night, he couldn't find the time to wrap his mind around her or why she was what she was. He came to the conclusion that she must of had multiple personality disorder of some kind, but it still wouldn't explain what her grievance was with humans. If she was willing to attack an innocent bystander who was just trying to help her, then would it be safe to have her around Yuka and Kouta? When would be the next time she flipped out again?
The girl held up her cereal bowl to Darren, an obvious sign that she wanted to share. The innocence and cuteness of it made the teen smile.
Yuka put the last cup in the cabinet before drying her hands off with a towel, "Hey Darren, I was needing to head to the market to pick up some more food. You mind watching over the inn until I get back?"
He nodded, "Yeah, no problem Yuka."
"Great." As Yuka moved to leave out the front door, she turned to Darren with a smile, "And since Kouta isn't feeling so well, you can take the liberty of cleaning the house."
Darren groaned. At the mention of Kouta, though, he went to get a cup of water.
XXXX
After leaving the Inn, Yuka began to make her way through town. There was a cool early morning breeze that made her walk all the more enjoyable. As she neared towards the market, she saw a large crowd of people gathered near the beach pier. Curiosity getting the best of her, she joined the crowd of people, lightly pushing her way through to see what all the commotion was about. The local police made a futile effort to try and keep the people at bay.
When Yuka managed to peek her head past the police officer, she gasped at the grizzly sight on the beach shore. There were ambulances, military soldiers, and a clean up crew picking up bodies (or what was left of them), off the beach front. The sand had splashes of blood mixed in at every square inch of the beach, the water that splashed up at the shore got mixed in with the sand, giving the low tide a red hue.
It was then that Yuka noticed a news crew off to the distance on the boardwalk, an anchorwoman standing in front of the cameraman and frantically covering the story.
"Wh-what could have happened?" Yuka thought, disturbed by the sight in front of her. It was then that she remembered last night, and how Darren said that he had 'business' to take care of.
But, there was no way he could have anything to do with all of this...right?
XXX
"Over sixty soldiers go in, six come out." Kurama sat in his desk, hands folded as he relayed the report to Captain Byron, who himself didn't look too surprised. "Reports say that both Maverick and Lucy were encountered in the same night, how convenient."
"In one of the survivors reports, we did make note that neither Lucy or Maverick were seen together." Byron said, "But that doesn't mean they couldn't be associated in some way."
"That is highly unlikely." Kurama said, "Lucy absolutely loathes human beings, and so does every other diclonius. If this 'Darren Maverick' character were to approach her, she'd simply try to kill him like she would any other human."
Byron snorted, "If that's the case she's already dead, 'cause that crazy bitch wouldn't stand a chance against Maverick."
Kurama huffed in frustration as he massaged his temples, "There's simply too many variables to consider. Damnit." Kurama decided to change the subject, "What's the status on your other subject, Project Zeus?"
"Off the grid." Byron said, "Has been since Operation Firebreak failed." The Blackwatch commander spat, "Mercer, that sonuvabitch, he's the reason it took an extra 3 months to clean up the streets of NYZ."
"I was given a peek at those files, and your branches methods are unbelievable. How could you be willing to nuke a city like that?!" Kurama asked. He may have been willing to subject an entire race of young girls to barbaric experiments, inhuman treatments, and ruthless slaughter, but he would never wipe an entire city full of people off the globe. The doctor had his standards.
The scarred captain folded his arms, "We're Blackwatch, our mission is to contain the virus. Period; whatever the cost, morals be damned. We're willing to burn our own to hold the red line... and I'd suggest you let that sink in, Director." The captain said.
Kurama glared pointedly at the Blackwatch commander. Kurama heard rumors of the forces ruthless tactics and amoral code, but he thought it was all for show. Maybe they really were just a pack of psychos and sociopaths for hire. Perhaps they really were just Nazis by another name. Just what could Kakuzawa be thinking by associating this facility with these animals?
The door to Kuramas office being opened grabbed the two men's attention. It was a young nurse, "Sorry for intruding, but Bando is awake Kurama-san."
That was a relief for the stoic man, he needed something to distract him from this new revelation. As he and the commander exited the office, Kurama made a personal note to dig up some info on just what Gentek and Blackwatch's connection could have to their organization, and just what their plans further entailed.
XXX
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?" Bando roared in rage. He had bandages covering his eyes, what remained of his arms were wrapped in a cast, and he himself was strapped down to a hospital bed.
"Just as you heard." Kurama responded flatly.
"YOU THINK I'M JUST GONNA LET YOU STUPID FUCKS CASTRATE ME?! HAVEN'T I HAD ENOUGH CUT OFF ALREADY?!" The blinded man waved his stumps around as he struggled against his bindings.
"I know it's hard but trust me, it's for humanity's best interest." Kurama answered again, never losing his stoic facade. The Blackwatch commander stood to the side of the room, letting Kurama handle his soldier. The surviving Blackwatch troops were still in the ICU.
"Humanity's best interest my ass, what do my balls have to do with the fate of mankind!?" Bando growled out as he knocked the intravenous fluid out of his arm.
After a few minutes of fruitless struggle, Bando calmed down considerably, "Tell me, just what the fuck were we put up against? And what the hell were those hands?" The man said, his voice more controlled.
Kurama took a second to mentally gather all his information, "The female, was a mutation not seen in almost 50,000 years. We've named her Lucy, since she was the first of her kind in the modern day, as with the Australopithecusafarensis fossil." Kurama explained calmly. "Her species are known as the Diclonii, or Homodiclonius, a new race of mutants derived from Humans."
"That's all good and dandy, but that still doesn't explain those weapons of hers."
"Those were her vectors, the Invisible arms with telekinetic properties. As explained in your mission debriefing they are able to cut through virtually anything by moving at speeds ranging from a speeding car, to nearly light speed."
"So, what you're trying to say is that she was born with those weapons?" The soldier asked.
"Yes. You see, her brain is not like ours, in the same way the brain of the Homo erectus, Homo antecessor, Homo neanderthalensis and so on differed from anatomically modern Homo sapiens despite that in some cases their brain size tends to overlap. She lacks what we know as the pineal gland. In her place she has what we call the V Organ, short for Vector Generating Organ. This organ is essentially a much larger evolved pineal gland, and it's what grants her vectors, obviously. Many ancient philosophers had theorized that the pineal gland was somehow connected to psychic powers and the like, it seems they weren't entirely wrong after all…"
"That's… Interesting." Bando whispered. "But just what the fuck do my balls have to do with this?" The sociopath demanded.
"Well, we don't truly believe that her vectors were originally intended to be weapons, in actuality we've discovered around five years ago that her vectors can actually generate a mutagenic virus that works on genetic level."
"What the f-… so, you mean I was…" He trailed off.
"You have been infected. It works by altering the pineal gland's secretions into the virus' pattern, she must've grazed it when she gouged your eyes out. Anyway, once that happens, the pineal gland secretes the virus into the testicles, where they alter the genetic structure of the host's sperm cells and replaces it with that of their own… In short, her survival as a species depends on our downfall." Kurama stated darkly.
If Bando had eyes they would have widened in shock, "Th-They plan to eradicate mankind?" The man muttered in disbelief.
Kurama nodded, "Yes…"
The room was washed in silence as all three men took in this new information.
"But," Kurama said, grabbing Bando's attention. "The amputation won't be the only operation you'll be going through. We've had talk of injecting you with a sample of the blacklight virus."
"The hell? Blacklight virus?" Bando said as he recalled a bit of what he was told on the cargobob.
This time Byron spoke up, "Yeah, Blacklight. I know you heard about the incident in New York city, and the viral outbreak that was linked with it. The secondary target that your unit was after had an encounter with a product of it."
Bando's mouth hung open. He heard about the outbreak in NY, and how the zombie apocalypse practically broke out on the island of Manhattan. He was actually supposed to undergo a transfer to serve under Blackwatch but was rejected due to cause of being a 'loose cannon'. Something else he couldn't forget that night were the screams of men over the radio from an unknown entity.
"Just what the hell was that thing?" Bando asked with a slight hint of fear in his voice. He hadn't even seen the thing and from the minor details he was given in the mission debriefing, he didn't think he wanted to.
"The subject your Team encountered was a shapeshifter known as Subject Maverick, otherwise known as Darren Richard Maverick. We've also given it the Sub-Codename of Apollo, after the Greek God son of Zeus." The commander explained.
"Okay, that tells me his name," Bando said, "Anything else?" He said sarcastically.
"Darren Maverick was the oldest of three kids born to a lawyer, his mother, and an engineer, his father. So he grew up pretty privileged. His two siblings were Felicia, age 8, and Courtney, age 11. When the outbreak reached its peak, the girls were killed by a runner by the Codename of Zeus. Otherwise known as Alex Mercer. The psychopath devoured two girls and infected a teenage boy." At that last bit even Byron seemed disgusted.
"So what I'm getting out of all this," Bando started, "Some kid got infected now he's trying to get revenge?"
"You catch on quick."
The blinded soldier scoffed, "Then let the little bastard get his retribution and it'll all be over with."
"It's not that simple, and for two reasons. One, we can't just let a weapon like that run amok with no tabs being kept on it. Two, Darren is a product of Blacklight, which means it's a product of Gentek and Blackwatch. We own it, and we want our stuff back." Byron said with a sharpness in his tone.
Bando went limp in his bed, "What do you want me to do?" He asked Kurama and the Captain.
Kurama pushed up his glasses with his index finger, "First we're going to replace your limbs, and give you your eyes back."
"And then," Tyler started, "You're gonna get infected with the virus."
"And what's infecting me with the virus gonna do?!" Bando barked, "You tryna turn me into a freak like Apollo?"
"No." The Blackwatch captain said, shaking his head, "The scientists in Gentek genetically enhanced a varient of the DX-1120 strain of the blacklight virus that Apollo and Zeus are infected with. This altered strain will not give you the same negative side effects that it gave Maverick; your arms won't be turning into swords, but you'll be granted accelerated healing, and incredible strength, speed, and endurance. You'd still be human, you'll still be a soldier...but a super soldier. You could physically go toe to toe with Apollo, and you could get even with Lucy for what she did to you. Sound good?"
Bando took a moment to let all of this new information soak in. A grin slipped across his face as he relaxed in his bed, "Sounds fuckin sweet."
XXX
Yuka, hands full of groceries, traversed the sidewalks back to the maple Inn. The disturbing images of the blood soaked beach shore was ingrained into the back of her mind, making her lose her focus and bump into a few people by accident.
Could the soldiers that have arrived been fighting some kind of terrorist group? If so, why would they beat Kouta, a civilian, to a pulp the way they did? And if there was some kind of battle, wouldn't there be some kind of evacuation for the town?
Unless it was lowkey.
Maybe it wasn't exactly the military who passed through, maybe it was someone else? Maybe that group was sent in discreetly for some special assignment? But whatever assignment they were sent on wound up a death sentence for most if not all involved.
And it was a bit peculiar that her and Kouta came across Nyu and Darren on that very same beach the other day. Its funny how coincidences work.
Yuka opened the door to her parents Inn, heading straight for the kitchen to unload the groceries. She saw Darren sitting at the dining table, hood over his head, arms folded behind his head, and legs propped up crudely on said table. Ironically enough, nobody really ate at that table, with the traditional floor tables being much more preferred for an eating surface.
Nyu was in the corner playing with an umbrella she'd found in one of the closets. When the pink-haired girl found out the the thing could pop open, she acted as if she just discovered fire.
As Yuka put the groceries away, she didn't notice Darren's gaze staying trained on Nyu like a hawk.
The virus had to be prepared for if and when Nyu flipped out again. The second she did, Darren would have to put her down. He couldn't put Yuka and Kouta in danger. What the boy was hoping for was for her to flip somewhere in private, like the other night, so he could ask her some questions. Potentially, he could just consume her and possibly have his questions answered that way, but if this whole Nyu-to-Lucy switch was a mental thing, he would probably only get Nyu's memories, instead of Lucy's, which means he'd have to consume Lucy to gain the necessary memories.
But if this was a case of multiple personality disorder, by killing Lucy he'd be killing Nyu as well. Out of good conscience, he just couldn't do that.
Apollo's attention was brought to Yuka, who took a seat in the chair across the table from him.
"So Darren, I never got to ask you because of that… little situation we got in last night, but where did you go after you split off from Kouta and me?" Yuka asked.
Darren raised an eyebrow in question, "What situa-oh," He slapped his forehead and pulled his hood over his head in embarrassment, "that situation…"
He knew exactly what Yuka was talking about.
XxX
(Last night)
"Why do I have to help you with this shit!?" Darren roared. The virus had seen a million variations of horrific images; from mutilated bodies, to zombies, to monstrous mutated abominations, to the contents of his younger sister's diary, and he'd been involved in some extremely uncomfortable situations, hell, he ate andkilled people as a hobby, and this bothered him more than any of the things he'd done since being infected.
He was to help Kouta undress Nyu, a girl with the mind of a child, and who could turn into a psychotic mass-murderer at the drop of a hat, naked.
Kouta's face was beet red, he himself not exactly comfortable with his predicament either. He gulped, "L-Look man, I'm not exactly down for this either, but we can't just leave her in these wet clothes, she'll get sick. Besides, you owe me this for lending you my clothes."
"Alright alright fine, let's get this over with." The virus spit out as he gingerly moved to unbutton Nyu's pants, while Kouta timidly began to pull her shirt off.
Neither boy was new to seeing naked women, obviously, and neither was new to undressing a girl either, but it was who they were undressing that made them cringe.
With a few pulls, the two gentleman pulled off Nyu's garments, leaving her as bare as when Kouta and Yuka found her.
The virus was praying to whatever God may exist that Lucy wouldn't surface, otherwise, he would have to; A, kill her before she could kill Kouta, thus exposing what he truly is, or B, if he couldn't save Kouta, kill Lucy before she could get to Yuka.
Either way, he'd be screwed.
Kouta scratched the back of his neck before handing Darren a white t-shirt, "Put this on her for me."
"Sure, make me do most of the work." The virus said sarcastically.
"You don't have to… I'll just take my clothes back." Kouta said.
'I should let you.' Darren thought. But he proceeded to grab the t-shirt anyways.
Kouta picked up a pair of blue hot shorts, sighing as he said, "Alright, you put on the shirt, I'll put on the shorts. See, I'm not making you do all of the work."
Maverick shot him a pointed look before focusing on Nyu, who'd been glancing back and forth between both boys. Darren motioned for her to raise both of her arms above her head, which she happily did. Kouta made her straighten her legs in front of him so he could properly put the shorts on her.
Darren moved behind the horned girl, and brought the shirt above her head and through her arms, gingerly lowering it until the tips of his fingers accidentally grazed the sides of her bust.
Nyu gasped lightly in surprise as Kouta and Darren cringed.
"Y-You did that on purpose!" Kouta snapped.
The virus barked back, 'Fuck off, my fingers slipped."
The other teen scoffed, "Yeah right, didn't get enough action at your party the other night?"
"You callin' me a liar!?" Darren growled as his eyes narrowed.
"Your nose is getting longer, I'd shut the hell up if I were you!"
"That's it!" Darren snapped. It was then the tendrils within him began to twist and coil, ready to spring out and turn the human across from him into a late-night snack, 'To hell with Lucy, I'm gonna kill Kouta.'
The sound of creaking floor-wood brought Darren's attention to the door, his hearing picking up on the approaching footsteps before Koutas.
A woman's voice was mumbled from behind the closed door, but it was of no surprise who the voice belonged too.
And it scared the hell out of the two teenagers.
The door opened as Yuka said, "Kouta, Darren, why are you yell-..." Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Nyu naked with blue shorts around her ankles, and a white shirt hung limply around her shoulders. Both boys blood ran cold, Kouta feeling tempted to dive out of the closest window as his face paled.
The horned girl sat unaware of the… dicey situation the group of housemates found themselves in. She was too invested in poking and playing with her breasts, enjoying the newfound sensation of having them touched.
Yuka lightly took in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she did. A forced smile found its way across her lips, "Well, isn't this a lovely affair."
Suddenly, a thought dawned itself on the virus. He had no reason to be embarrassed. This was just a slight misunderstanding. He looked to Kouta, and noticed that he'd be the one needing to explain himself, not Darren. And what better way to get even with Kouta for calling him a liar?
Kouta threw himself out of his shock, forcibly shaking his head as he said, Y-Yuka, this isn't-"
"This..." Darren rudely interrupted. "Is exactly, what it looks like."
XXX
"Yeeeeaaaaahh," The prototype rubbed the back of his neck, Yuka still giving him a saucy smile, "let's not speak of that...ever. But if you've gotta know where I dipped off too," the raven haired teenager gave a faux-nonchalant shrug, "I stopped by the local police department. I wasn't gonna let those soldiers get away with beating on Kouta."
"That's nice, but you split off from us twice. Where did you go the first time?"
"To find Nyu, obviously." He was losing his patience.
"What about the jacket?"
"What about the jacket?" Darren's voice grated, "I found it."
Yuka didn't sound the least bit convinced, "You found a leather jacket."
"That's what I said, why are you drilling me with questions?"
"Because you're staying under our roof Darren. If, and I'm not saying you did, but if you have a habit of stealing things, could you blame me for being the least bit concerned about it?"
The Prototype flinched. After a brief pause, he said, "You have a point, sorry Yuka."
She backed off, "What are you gonna do today?"
"Today?" The prototype started, smirking, "I think I'm gonna stretch my legs."
Time for some parkour!
XXX
Walking the streets of Kamakura was a young girl, around the age of 13. She had shoulder length brown hair with bangs that covered her forehead, and purple-red eyes that showed a past filled with pain. A cream-colored turtle-neck was her only option of clothing. Her only companion was that of a small white dog, one that'd already been homeless, same as she was. In her hands was a small sack that she used to carry supplies she'd need to survive.
A low growl came from her stomach as she passed a set of restaurants in the shopping district of the town. She placed a hand on her stomach before looking to the pup walking beside her, "Are you hungry too Wanta?" She asked.
The little white dog gave a small whimper as confirmation.
Reaching inside her sack, she pulled out a towel that contained a piece of bread, no bigger than her fist. It was all she was able to manage through the charity of others. The charity of others is what helped the girl survive on her own for so long.
She tore the piece of bread in half, and gave Wanta the piece, which the pup happily ate. Staring at the bread, she found it hard to eat, despite her hunger.
"My appetite's still ruined from the other night." She mumbled, putting the bread back in her sack. She came across a vendor that had a newspaper detailing the events from the night before.
BEACHFRONT BLOODBATH
Was the headline.
The pictures that were shown on the paper were enough to make one's skin crawl, let alone reading the details.
The details that were provided on the paper were, thankfully, not vivid, so those who read it were luckier than she was.
XXX
The girl and her dog sat huddled together in a back alley, next to a dumpster, umbrella opened over her head. With her stomach rumbling furiously, she got up to see of she could get food. It was tempting to dig through the dumpster, but that ran an extremely high risk of her getting sick.
Being sick and starving was not a good combination.
She went to a nearby bakery, the owners being kind enough to give her scraps before.
"Mayu," the owner said when he saw her, "back again I see." He was an older gentleman with gray hair showing his age.
Mayu gave him an embarrassed smile and a slight nod of her head in reply.
The baker sighed and wrapped up two pieces of bread in a paper towel, "I wish there was more I could give you, but this is all we can spare."
"I'm grateful, thank you so much!" she said happily, taking the bread.
As her and the Wanta headed back to their alley, they saw a pack of six soldiers rush past.
"Step aside civilian!" One of the S.A.T's ordered.
Mayu gave the soldiers a questionable glance, "Why would the military be in Kamakura?" She asked Wanta, the small dog giving a slight whimper in reply.
Her childish curiosity getting the better of her, she began to follow the soldiers.
She had to move fast, the men obviously in a rush to get somewhere. Moving fast while staying hidden was not easy, she had to dip behind alleys and abandoned vendor stands to stay out of sight.
Tailing the soldiers led her to the beach pier, the sound of chaos quickly filling her ears. The smell of ocean water, smoke, and death filled her nose. Mayu and Wanta came to the edge of the pier to see the soldiers and over a dozen more practically going to war with one hooded man.
Or at least it looked like a man. Her eyes widened in terror as she saw his arm transform into a sword and hack away at the soldiers firing at him. She saw the bullets tear right through his body, but it did nothing to so much as slow him down.
The hooded man was a killing machine.
Wanta whimpered and scratched at her leg, telling Mayu that they should go before they were spotted.
Mayu dipped down, using the balcony ledge as cover while the sound of silenced gunfire and screams filled her ears.
She walked a few feet before a dismembered arm flopped down in front of her, eliciting a shriek from her throat before she ran, dog following after.
Her heart was racing, her mind scrambling to wrap her mind around the carnage she'd just witnessed. She had to have ran for at least a mile, mile and a-half, before she started to walk, breathing heavily as she did.
'What's going on…' She thought. With the military already here, what other authority could she go to?
Wanta barked before running up the pier, forcing her to follow after him. As she neared a boat store, she could hear groans and curses coming from someone on the beach, which was where Wanta was leading her.
What she saw, made her skin crawl.
A girl with pink hair, clothes drenched in rain water was standing over the body of a mutilated soldier, his right arm sliced off cleanly at the forearm, and his left forearm snapped in half, bone poking against the sleeve fabric of his uniform.
Mayu gasped before grabbing Wanta and hiding behind a set of crates near the stairwell.
The kid wanted to vomit, but had hardly anything in her stomach to spew out.
A low 'thud' in the sand caught her attention, her heart nearly stopping when she saw it was the hooded man from earlier. His face was shadowed from her perspective, but what nearly made her soul leave her body was when he turned directly towards her, noticing her almost instantly.
Instead of advancing towards her, he simply put his finger to his lips in a silent 'shhhh', before he nodded his head for her to hide better.
And so she did.
She could hear the two talking, before a bit of shouting filled her ears. Once the voices stopped, Mayu looked to see the hooded man was carrying the pink haired girl away, feet fleeting across the sand before he hopped over the two story tall balcony, and disappeared.
Fury filled curses continued to rip flow from Bando's throat, bringing the young girl's attention to the man, flinching as she got an eyeful of his condition up close. His eyes were gouged out of head and he had bullet holes in his shoulder and chest.
"Where are you you bitch! I'll kill you, I'll fucking kill you!" Bando swore as he flailed his mangled limbs.
Holding Wanta in her arms, Mayu approached the shredded soldier and winced, "What did she do to you?" she whispered, although Bando heard her through his cursing.
"Who the hell said that?! The fuck are you doing here!?" the pool of blood surrounding him only growing larger,
"STOP MOVING AROUND!" Mayu ordered the man, who stopped moving. She set down Wanta who scurried up and licked his face, "Hang on for one second, don't move if you can help it." She noticed the area around the boat store was wrecked, with pieces of wood, plastic, and netting scattered around. The strings from the torn netting would provide a good torniquete for the soldier's arm stump.
After tying off Bando's arm, successfully stopping the blood flow, she picked up her canine companion, "I'll call an ambulance, just hang on!"
And she hurried off.
Only, for Bando, a helicopter was already on its way.
XXX
Mayu shuddered once again, 'I do wonder, what happened to them?' As she thought about the hooded man, the pink haired girl, and the wounded soldier.
A shadow upon one of the buildings snatched her attention.
The figure of a person was running up the side of a building, before leaping to a building parallel to it and running up it as well.
Mayu's eyes widened as her mouth opened in awe. The figure reached the rooftop of the building before doing a front-flip off the edge, falling from a height that no normal person should have recovered from.
But he did.
The second his feet touched the roof of a smaller building he dipped into a roll and kept running.
'How is he-?!' the girl thought in wonder. Kamakura's buildings may not have been the skyscrapers that could be found in a city like Tokyo, but they were still too big for one to jump off of and not gravely injure themselves.
She noticed the man coming in her general direction, although he was about a few yards ahead. Upon reaching the building that connected to Mayu's alleyway, he jumped off, pulled a backflip, and landed on a vendors cart, sending pieces of fruit and wood chips all over the street.
The onlookers were impressed at the teens physical capabilities, while the merchant who owned the cart, was a lot less amused,
"What the hell did you think you were doing you idiot!?" He barked at the teen.
"Sorry about that" Darren said as he shook off the pieces of orange peel stuck to the sneakers. "I'll pay you back...sometime later." he said as he walked away, leaving the man fuming. It's not like the teen could do anything besides say sorry anyways.
As Mayu got a good look at him, the hairs on her body rose, "It's….the guy from the other night…." She said as she watched him walk away. He was wearing the same hood and everything.
This wasn't coincidence.
She looked to Wanta, who gave a small whimper. 'You think this is a bad idea?" She asked him.
"Arf!" Wanta said in reply.
Mayu sighed, "I'm probably gonna regret this." She said as she picked up the pooch and jogged after the hooded teen.
Darren could hear the rapidly approaching footsteps, the tendrils within him preparing to lash out at a possible threat.
Balling his fists, he turned on his heel, eager to punch a hole through someone's chest.
He froze, eyes widening as he saw the girl from the night before.
Mayu's blood went cold as she stared down the hooded stranger right in front of her. She was ready to confront him, sure. But she had no idea what to say when she did.
"...Hello…" She finally said with wide eyes and a blush.
"...hi?" Darren said. "Can I help you with something?" It was a long shot, but, maybe she didn't remember him?
Mayu choked down the lump in her throat before saying, "Yes, I mean, not exactly, its just that, I remember seeing you on the beach last-"
"No you didn't." the virus said.
The young girl gazed at him questionably, "But-"
Adjusting his hood, the young man turned on his heel and began walking away, making Mayu call out, "I saw you, and those soldiers!"
Faster than she anticipated, the stranger was back in front of her, the look in his eyes filled with a malice that almost sucked the soul from her body. Now she was starting to regret her actions.
Darren was seriously trying not to hurt this kid. He saw her near the boat store, same place Lucy finished mangling that one S.A.T soldier, but it's not like this girl could have seen what he did himself to that platoon, right? If she did, he had to stop her from running her mouth to the wrong people...in the most nonviolent way possible.
His fists were balled, voice filled with venom as he said, "You didn't see anything...nothing that anyone would believe if you told them." That last part may have been a complete bluff. If she told the right person that could domino to having Blackwatch and about a dozen tanks and apache helicopters aiming guns at Maple House.
Mayu's brown eyes continued to stare at him, the girl putting on the bravest facade she could muster up.
An irritated sigh escaped the Prototypes mouth, "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"
She shook her head.
Scowling, the virus turned to his left, a sushi restaurant being the closest place they could sit down and converse.
He nodded towards the restaurant for the girl to follow him, 'Hope they take animals.' He thought.
The restaurant didn't have a door per-se, but a set of curtains that one walked through. Once going in, the virus noticed the place to be rather spacious, with oriental styled decor, brown two seater tables sitting in the center of the restaurant, and a number of booths lining the walls. The lighting for the place came from a number of paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Thankfully, there were very few people dining here at this time of day, so privacy wouldn't be an issue.
They approached the hostess, a short, frail japanese woman, she looked rather nervous as she spoke, "N-Normally we don't allow dogs he-" A predatory glare from the teen shut her up, "H-Hold on," She walked through another set of curtains for a few seconds, and then came back "Follow me please."
The hostess led the trio into a dining room that was practically empty. There were floor level tables and cushions that one would sit on instead of chairs. Giving the three a spot, the hostess gave menus to Darren and Mayu. 'Your waitress will be with you shortly." she said as she hurried out.
Paying no mind to the menu's, Darren continued to look at Mayu, who looked reasonably uncomfortable.
"So," the viral hybrid started, "tell me, what did you see the other night?"
Mayu gulped as Wanta cuddled up next to her, "I saw you, on the beach...and you were… killing those soldiers."
Darrens scowl didn't change as the waitress approached, "Water for now." the virus said before the woman could even open her mouth. Caught off guard by the teens curt attitude, the woman sulked off to get their beverages. "Now how could I do that, I'm just one man."
Her lip trembled as she thought back to what she saw, her eyes traveling to the virus's right arm "Your arm, it was… it was a sword. And your hand, it was a set of claws."
A slight eye twitch came from the hooded teenager, although he kept his cool exterior, "Alright. Maybe that was me." His head tilted, "And even after you saw what I could do, you still confronted me about it?" He smirked, "That takes a lot of guts."
The waitress came and set down two cups of water, Wanta happily taking sips from Mayu's cup. Darren nodded his head towards the door to signal the waitress to get lost, for the time being.
"So," Darren shrugged, after the woman left, "is that it?"
Mayu shook her head, "Wh...what are you? And why?"
Sighing, the virus said, "To put things simply, I'm not exactly normal. That's all I'll say on the matter. Why I took out those soldiers, well," he shrugged again," they were trying to kill me first, because of my abnormalities."
The girl took a second to process this, before nodding, "And the pink-haired girl, who is she?"
"That," Darren snapped, "is on a need to know basis. All I'll tell you is that she's with me." He raised an eyebrow, "Are we done?"
Her face turning red from embarrassment, the 12 year old asked, "Are you a bad person?" That made the young man's facial features soften, making Mayu continue, "It's just that, I live here, and I don't…" she looked down, "I don't wanna be afraid."
The hybrid's eyes widened.
(Flashback)
He was back in the Brownstone his family lived in in Manhattan.
Finishing brushing his teeth, Darren walked from his bathroom, heading back to his room. He sported a black eye from a physical altercation he got into with another kid that schoolday. On his way through the hall, he noticed Courtney's door was slightly opened, allowing him to peek inside as he walked.
The girl sat at her desk, head was lowered to her science textbook as she did her homework. The look on her face was downcast.
He immediately walked in, "You alright kid?"
She glared at him for a second, and then looked back at her textbook, "Heard the fight you had with mom and dad." she mumbled.
He mentally kicked himself. Of course she heard the yelling. He rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, about that…"
"It happens all the time!" She snapped, "Quit making excuses!"
"You don't know what's going on, don't tell me I can't make any!" He snapped back at the 10 year old.
"You got mad enough to punch a hole in the wall." she said matter of factly, "Last time you threw a glass! You can barely control yourself every time you get mad! It's frightening." she finished.
This caught the boy off guard. He wanted to make a comeback, defend himself somehow, but he couldn't. "I'm sorry." he said.
She still glared at him, "It's only a matter of time before you hurt one of us. I get afraid whenever you're around." for the third time she got back to her school work.
"I...I won't let that happen." he said, pained that he'd hear his own sister say that about him. He turned to leave the room.
"I hope not." she said before he could leave, "I don't wanna be afraid anymore."
(Flashback End)
"I…" Darren started, "I'm not a bad guy." His eyes narrowed, "Trust me. I wouldn't hurt anyone who didn't already deserve it." Mayu looked unconvinced, his gaze hardening, "However bad you think I am, trust me, I could be alot worse. You seeing me for what I am, could have sealed your fate, but I wouldn't do that to you. Those soldiers, the ones you saw me put down, would kill you if they knew you knew as much as you did."
That widening in her eyes showed Darren her alarm. "Get the picture?" he asked.
"Y-yeah." she nodded.
Relieved, he said, "I need your word that you won't tell anyone what you saw."
She nodded, saying, "I won't."
"Good." He said as he leaned back, "So, what's your name?"
"Mayu."
He jabbed a thumb at himself, "Darren." He looked to Wanta, "Cute dog." he said casually.
The dogs tail wagged happily.
He took a closer look at the girls clothes, noticing what was supposed to be a cream colored turtle neck had brown spots all over it. It also smelled like it hadn't been washed for days, "No offense, but where the hell are you living, in a dumpster?" He asked.
She and Wanta blushed embarrassingly, "Not exactly...I've been living next to one."
"What? Why!?" He demanded to know. This was not a poor town. There was no reason a child should be living on the streets.
"...I ran away from home." she said timidly. Knowing he'd want more answers, she continued, "My mother and father weren't very nice to me."
Darren's eyes narrowed, "How long?" He asked.
"A few weeks, I think."
At this Darrens dark brown eyes shot open. He'd ran away from home once, but he wound up going back within at most two days. Whatever she ran from, had to be nightmarish.
Now that he looked at her, from what he could see of her arms, they were skinny. Really skinny for a girl her age.
"When was the last time you ate?" He asked.
"A few days ago."
He immediately signaled for a waiter to come over, "Pick whatever you want." He said as he pushed her a menu.
No way was he gonna let her go hungry.
XXX
Kurama and his assistant, Shirakawa, strolled down the halls of the Diclonius Research Institute.
"The S.A.T. and Blackwatch failed, Kurama." she reminded her superior as they walked. "If Bando fails despite the super-soldier enhancements, what hope will she have against the two of them?"
The stoic man stopped in front of a chamber marked '7'. "The S.A.T. failed because we sent them after an enemy they were in no position to handle." He said as he walked through the big double doors. Shirakawa following right beside him, "We'll send her after Lucy personally." He looked to one of the scientists guarding specimen #7, "What's her situation, Isobe?"
"She's stable, as of now." The man said, "I'd say she's improving actually." The male assistant of Kurama said.
The General Director stepped up to the test subject, who had been dubbed, 'Silpelit #7'.
The test subject was a young girl, no older than 12 or 13, who'd been chained to the wall. Head to toe, her body was covered in blood, the source having come from fresh and painfully received wounds from the experiments the scientists performed on her. Th young girl lifted her head, revealing a pair of pained yet innocent-looking violet eyes, like her hair.
"P...pa...pa…" She spoke, her voice rough and raspy from pain, and exhaustion.
XXX
"You full yet?" Darren said with a small smile on his face, several plates of eaten sushi and ramen scattered along their table. He hadn't eaten any himself for obvious reasons.
A satisfied nod came from Mayu and a happy yap came from Wanta.
"Thank you so much." She said as Darren pulled out a wad of bills and began laying several of them down.
"Don't sweat it." He said, taking several bills from the wad and handing them to her. As the two stood up and walked towards the entrance out, Darren remembered one more thing before they left.
"Stop." He said as they reached the hostess podium. He took a napkin from a dispencer on the counter and a pin that the hostess had on the podium to sign checks, and began writing on the napkin.
He handed the napkin to Mayu, "If you ever need anything, come here." He said as he left, leaving the girl and dog behind.
Mayu looked over the napkin, seeing an address under two words,
"Maple House?"
XXX
A/N: Been some years since I touched this fic. This chapter was actually a half-completed document on my laptop for the longest time haha. For those of you who waited so long for an update to this fic, I hope you enjoyed. Until next time!
