Lucy awoke several hours later, her eyes puffy, and her body still feeling sleep-deprived. She rolled on her side in her bed to look at the clock, only to notice the room was without one. In fact, even through her blurry vision and the dim light, Lucy noticed that the room was completely bare…save for a single dresser in the far corner and two doors, one of which she assumed led to a bathroom. Sitting up, she let the covers fall over the side of the bed and land in a heap on the floor. For a long while, she simply sat there, her body hunched over. No thoughts or ideas passed through her mind. It was as if her brain was not there, but far behind her still trying to catch up. Or perhaps it was because she was still so tired. She didn't know which it was, but didn't put much stock into it. Sighing, she heaved herself to her feet and began pacing around the room simply to be moving. The stillness had somehow become frightening. Lucy walk around the whole of the room, guiding her hand along the smooth wall, feeling its texture beneath her fingers. She eventually found her way to the light switch and turned it on. The lights blinded her temporarily as her eyes adjusted to the light.
The darkness had also become equally frightening. Last night, she had fought with everything she had to stay awake, but was defeated by the power of exhaustion and stress. Lucy chuckled depressingly, realizing that she seemed to have developed a fear of sleeping. The notion was oddly funny to her. She moved over to the dresser, checking each of the drawers. The topmost of the drawers had underwear and socks, while the others were filled with assorted clothes such as shirts and pants. Lucy pulled a few out and examined them, finding everything just her size. She grimaced at the shirt she held in her hand. It seemed that JERICHO had been preparing for her arrival for quite some time if they knew her measurements. She stuffed the clothes back into the dresser without folding them and slammed it shut. As she was about to plop back down onto the bed, she heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" she called.
"It's me," Kosuke's voice replied.
Lucy frowned. She couldn't say she was happy it was him. However, she also doubted if she would've been happy to see anyone right now. Taking her time, Lucy trudged to the door, unlocked it, and opened it to see Kosuke standing in the doorway looking somewhat nervous.
"Yes," Lucy said. Kosuke looked like he was at a loss for words.
"Umm…Did you sleep well?" he asked, fumbling for words.
"Not really," Lucy answered. Kosuke began to flush a shade of pink that matched his hair. He met Lucy's eyes and gave her a sweet, but pathetic smile. "Did you come all the way here just to see if I slept well?" Lucy asked tersely.
"No actually," he quickly responded, suddenly finding himself. "The commander wanted me to get you. He says he wants you to see something." Lucy wasn't too fond of the idea, but agreed, mostly so she'd have something to do, and because she didn't necessarily want to be alone. She quickly fixed herself up, and together, she and Kosuke walked down the hall.
"What time is it?" she asked after they left her room.
"Let's see, it's about…5:26 in the morning," Kosuke reported, consulting his watch. Lucy looked around and saw that even for so early in the morning hours, the headquarters of JERICHO was still alive with activity. As she and Kosuke walked down the halls, Lucy noticed out of the corner of her eye many quick glances cast her way by Kosuke. He had an apprehensive look in his eyes. A few times, it looked like he might say something, but ultimately he said nothing.
"Is there something you want to say?" Lucy asked coldly. She began to find his constant staring annoying. Kotuku's face flushed again as he rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his hair as if he been caught in the midst of an embarrassing situation.
"Just trying to think of something to talk about," he replied with a weak chuckle. Lucy raised an eyebrow at him as he smiled down at her. It wasn't until now that she realized how much taller he was than her.
"You know, you don't seem like the soldier type," Lucy said.
"You wouldn't be the first to think so," Kosuke answered with another chuckle, "The commander has told me that a couple times himself."
"You've known him a while then?" Lucy probed, interested to get more info on Bishop.
"For as long as I can remember," Kosuke said cheerfully. "He was the one who trained me and practically raised me. To be honest, he's the closest thing I have to a father." Kosuke's smile fell, and he became very quiet a moment before continuing. "From what the commander tells me, I was abandoned as a baby by my parents. He found me in some rundown, second-rate orphanage near Osaka. Luckily, Commander Bishop found me and brought me here. It may not have been a 'normal' childhood, but I have friends here, a place to sleep, a place to put my skills to good use, and a life that hasn't been painful or anything…except for when my friends die on a mission." Kosuke became very silent again as he bowed his head.
"How many died the night you came to get me?" Lucy asked before she knew what she was asking. She thought for sure Kosuke would think the question rude or insensitive. But he answered immediately, giving no sign of being offended by her question.
"We lost five; two were diclonius and the others were human." Lucy hung her head low, imagining the soldiers that had died for her and Kohta.
"I'm sorry," Lucy said quietly.
"It's alright. You don't have to apologize," Kosuke answered. Lucy looked up at Kosuke, who flashed her a gracious smile, which she kindly returned.
Maybe this guy isn't so bad, she thought. Although, Bishop still had a lot of convincing to do she added mentally. During their brief silence, Lucy looked around and saw that she didn't recognize any the halls or turns they were taking. Not only that, but the crowds were getting smaller and smaller until only she and Kosuke were alone. The lighting grew dimmer as they descended to what Lucy registered as the lower portions of the base.
"Where are we going?" she asked, unable to hide the edge in her voice.
"Don't worry," Kosuke replied reassuringly, "We're just going down to the cells. The commander wants us to talk to someone." Lucy did not like the sounds of that.
"Talk to who?" she asked, voice still on edge.
"We captured one of the rogues when we rescued you. She's been particularly difficult in talking to us. The commander thinks if you're there, she might be more willing to cooperate."
"What makes him say that?"
"From their attack patterns, we can assume that the rogues were specifically after you. For what reason, we still don't know and were hoping she'll be able to help us with it." Lucy felt a sinking feeling in the bottom of her stomach that only got worse the farther they descended.
"Bishop isn't planning on using any kind of torture to get information out her is he?" she asked grimly. This time, Kosuke didn't answer right away. He stayed silent as he considered the best answer.
"You need to understand Lucy," Kosuke said, suddenly stoic, "We're in the middle of a war. And in war, you have to do things you won't be proud of in the end."
"Does that include you?" Lucy asked pointedly. Again, Kosuke did not answer.
"We're here," he said as they came to a large metal door.
Next to it was a piece of machinery that looked so complicated it was a wonder anyone could have built it. In a flash, Kosuke entered a key code. There was a small weeping noise, and a small compartment opened to reveal another piece of machinery. Kosuke leaned in close to the machine as a small red beam shot out of the glass eye on the console. With another weeping noise, the retina scan completed. Kosuke then lifted his hand toward a pad underneath the scanner and pressed his thumb down hard. Another weeping noise, and then a dull machine voice echoed in the corridor, "Voice recognition."
"Kosuke Irabi," Kosuke replied. One final weeping noise and the doors began to open with a loud rush of wind from the other side.
"Security tight enough?" Lucy asked sarcastically.
"Trust me," Kosuke replied, turning his head with a serious look, "It's never enough."
The hallway beyond was almost an exact replica of the Institute. Giant sliding doors, each marked with a fluorescent number lined both sides of them. The floor was clean and smooth enough to slide on. And because the lighting was so much brighter than anywhere else in the base she'd been, it seemed they were stepping into a different building. Farther down the hall, they saw Commander Bishop waiting for them with his hands behind his back in front of a door marked with a giant red 18.
"Glad you decided to join us," Bishop said to Lucy as Kosuke saluted him. Lucy simply nodded her head in response. Bishop punched in a few codes in the side panel, and the door in front of them came to life, slowly opening to reveal a small observation room inside. As Bishop, Kosuke, and Lucy walked inside, Lucy saw the rogue in question through a large glass-viewing wall. She looked to be near the same age as her and Kohta; and like many at the Institute, was chained to the wall. Yet, she seemed different from the others that attacked her and Kohta. For one, she was still clothed, and didn't seem as savage as the others did somehow. She slumped low to the floor, the chains drawing her arms high into the air. The scene looked very depressing, and although Lucy knew this girl had probably come to Kamakura with the intent on killing her, seeing another diclonius like this couldn't help but stir her sympathy.
"All we got out of her so far is that her name is Sakuroka," said Bishop after a long pause. "This is as close as we're going to get."
"How come?" Lucy asked.
"We have a very limited amount of helmets that dispel vectors," Bishop answered casually, "And we use those mostly for military operations. So since she's our only captive at the moment, I don't see much of a need for it. Our normal defense should be able to handle her if she tries to escape. Besides, she hasn't used her vectors once since she woke up."
"How long ago did she wake up?" Lucy asked, turning to face the girl, suddenly very interested.
"About the same time you guys did, a few hours ago," Kosuke replied. Bishop stepped forward, pressed a small button in front of a small microphone, and spoke directly into it.
"Are you awake in there?" his voice boomed over the louder speaker. Sakuroka lifted her head gently, as if she was only being annoyed out of a nap. Apparently, the glass wasn't one way because when she saw Lucy, her face lit up with an unreadable emotion. Lucy and Sakuroka stared at each other through the glass, their reflections merging.
"It's you," Sakuroka murmured directly to Lucy. Lucy did nothing but continue to stare.
"We brought you Lucy as you asked. Now its time for you to answer our questions," Bishop said sternly, "What were you doing in Kamakura?" It was as if Bishop said nothing. Sakuroka didn't acknowledge she'd heard anything he just said. She refused to break contact with Lucy's eyes.
"So you're Lucy. You're the Queen."
"Why were you trying to find the Queen? What are you after?" Bishop demanded.
"At last we meet."
"ANSWER ME!" Bishop bellowed. It was no use. Sakuroka continued to ignore anything but Lucy. Only after a minute of Bishop's persistent questioning did she regard any other presence. She looked from Lucy to Bishop with the same annoyance as a human regarding a fly.
"I want to speak to her alone," she said suddenly. Both Kosuke and Bishop looked dumbfounded at this outrageous request.
"Absolutely not! I will not–" Bishop balked.
"Go," Lucy said so that she could be heard over him. Both Bishop and Kosuke looked at her as if she was crazy. "I want to speak to her alone too."
"Out of the question," Bishop protested.
"He's right, Lucy," Kosuke added, "She's way too dangerous. What if–"
"I can take care of myself," Lucy interrupted tartly, "Besides, she won't try anything. I can tell." Both Kosuke and Bishop turned to Sakuroka as if expecting some kind of confirmation of this, which they received in a small nod. Kosuke left the room with that, and Bishop followed after an irritated grunt, both still looking as if they thought this was a bad idea. After the door shut behind them, Lucy walked over to the door that led inside the holding chamber. As she moved closer, the door swung open automatically. She stepped inside, and the door closed behind her with a swish. The room was dead silent. Even her own footsteps and breathing were muted as she stepped dangerously close to Sakuroka. Finally, within two feet of her, Lucy sat cross-legged in front of her, both facing each other, eye-to-eye.
"Not exactly how I imagined our grand meeting," Sakuroka said with a grim smile, nodding toward her chains.
"Who are you?" Lucy demanded.
"My name is Sakuroka. I don't have a last name," she answered sourly.
"What were you doing in Kamakura?" Lucy continued. Sakuroka snorted.
"You guys are a bunch of broken records. Is that all you can ask?"
"Just answer the damn question," Lucy spat. The two exchanged glares, but when it was apparent neither was backing down, Sakuroka sighed and leaned further back.
"I was sent there to kill you," Sakuroka answered plainly.
"By Tomo?" Lucy asked. Even if Sakuroka didn't answer, the look on her face would have been all she needed.
"So you two did know each other," she said in mildly surprise.
"Tell me everything," Lucy told her, raising her voice and becoming more frantic.
"Well, there's a broad question. Tell you everything about what: everything about life, the universe, the weather?"
"Don't be smart," Lucy scolded. The dry sarcasm reminded her of Tomo.
Sakuroka frowned, and took a deep breath. "I was homeless and living on my own a few months ago. There were some boys in town that got some thrill out of chasing me. After a particular chase, I heard a voice inside my head telling me to go to Kamakura and to find you."
"And this voice," Lucy said, "Was it Tomo?" Sakuroka nodded.
"He told me I should go and kill you."
"And you listened to him," Lucy asked disdainfully. When Sakuroka failed to answer, she continued, "Why would you do that?" She just shrugged indifferently.
"I don't know…seemed like a good idea at the time. He said I'd become the new Queen, and I figured 'hell, my life can't get any worse right?' Unfortunately, it seems life can always get worse," she said with a smug tone. "Because once we got to Kamakura, he jumped ship when I needed him most."
"So in other words, you were only his ride," Lucy said, hoping to provoke her a little, but remembering what Tomo had said to her. Sakuroka laughed at Lucy's comment with a disturbing grin.
"You bet," she said, "And now here I am…just waiting for them to kill me."
"And what makes you think they're going to kill you?" Lucy asked.
"Oh come off it…you don't really trust these people, do you?" Lucy didn't answer. Although what Sakuroka said was true, she wasn't about to admit it to her. "Once I'm no longer useful to them, they'll end up killing me, like they always do. The same goes for you too, my Queen. That's just the way it goes for people like us."
"What did Tomo want?" Lucy pressed, ignoring the last part of her statement.
"Hell if I know. But all I'm certain of is that it involves you. He spoke of you a lot, you know…not very good stuff either. But with how often he did, I'm starting to suspect that he loves you."
"So he says," returned Lucy, now with a sickening taste in her mouth. Sakuroka leaned in forward closer to Lucy, speaking barely above a whisper so low Lucy had to lean closer herself.
"You can't stop him. Whatever he's up to, you won't be able to stop him. He's everywhere. He's not diclonius anymore. He's something else now. And whatever he is, you won't be able to stop him. I realize that now. I was only a tool to him, nothing but a meaningless tool to be used and tossed aside. But that's ok…because I'll be dead soon, and then I'll be free." Lucy looked down on the girl, feeling something between pity and disgust. The girl was clearly insane. She felt like she was looking at something ugly, yet still felt an unattainable sense of sympathy for. To Lucy, it was like looking into a mirror from two years ago. Lucy stood up, having heard enough from her.
"You're not going to tell anyone about this?" Lucy asked, somewhat hopeful, "About Tomo or any of what you just told me."
"Of course not. But the real question is…are you?" Sakuroka proposed with a mocking grin. Lucy turned her back on her and left the room. Outside in the hall, Kosuke and Bishop were waiting for her. Kosuke leaned up against the far wall facing the door, while Bishop tapped his toed impatiently on the tile floor.
"So, what did she say?" Kosuke asked eagerly.
"I can tell you one thing; she's definitely insane," Lucy answered him, looking over her shoulder toward the closed door.
"Did she say anything important," Bishop asked.
"She just told me about why she came to Kamakura to kill me. Apparently, she thought she'd become the Queen if she did," Lucy added when she noticed Kosuke's and Bishop's eager faces.
"Anything else?" Bishop asked with probing eyes. Lucy stared into them as she considered Sakuroka's words.
You don't really trust these people do you?
"No," Lucy said simply, "That's all."
A/N: And another one bites the dust...or something like that. Hope you guys enjoyed that one. I have some good news. I'm officially on summer break, which means I'll have a lot more free time to write. And that means I should be able to update quicker. I'm shooting to have the story finished by summers end I hope. So stay tuned.
As Tomo and his army of silpelits ravage the nation, all Lucy and the others can do is sit and wait. Nearly prisoners, they wait inside JERICHO's base, each confronting their own inner demons. Can Lucy truly get over her trust issues? And what inner battle could Kohta be struggling with inside himself, and what will he do to overcome it? And as all these questions circle their minds, the shadowy wheels within JERICHO begin to turn. Tune into the next chapter of Elfen Lied: The End.