Arakawa woke up to the feeling of pain in her upper arms.
As her eyes slowly adjusted to the faint light in the room, she took stock of her senses one by one. The first was pain, which had woken her. She could tell she was hanging by her arms against a cold wall, the surface feeling course, like brick. She was confused by the sensation, expecting the familiar chill of cold steel walls common to Institute holding areas. She suddenly became aware of a shortness of breath and jerkily set her feet to stand as best she could so the position she was in wouldn't suffocate her. She couldn't have been hanging there long in an unconscious state or she would surely have asphyxiated before waking. The next sensation she took stock of was the chill in the room. It felt similar to the air outside. Arakawa tried her best to focus her vision, very much wanting to know where exactly she was. It couldn't be the Institute, which was curious. She had expected that that was where she would be taken. She had frankly been hoping for it.
She couldn't remember exactly when she had been knocked out, but it had been sometime during her transport from the high school. She hoped Mayu had been able to escape, and hoped even more that she had managed to run into Bando. Arakawa had not been able to buy much time, her gun being nearly empty when she had shoved the bag into Mayu's arms and ordered her to run. If she could be honest with herself, those few seconds she stood her ground and fired round after round had been cathartic, after having been so helpless before the Institute and its revolting administrator for so long.
The feeling had been short lived however, as the gun ran dry after less than a minute. She had half expected to be shot there and then, but evidently the men she had been firing at were professionals who were trained to assess combat situations and respond with appropriate force. They knew she was out of ammo, and they knew she had no chance of fighting back otherwise. They took her down quickly, and as roughly as she had expected them to, though beyond that, they were mercifully professional in their treatment of her. She had been expecting at the very least to be beaten or abused for shooting at them. There was a somber note to their professionalism and in the words they spoke. Their orders to one another sounded like ritual, their succinct replies like prayers. Their funereal manner chilled her more than the threat of violence.
"Doctor Akane Arakawa," came a smug voice from somewhere beyond the range of her vision, obscured by darkness where the single light in the cold room couldn't reach, "as I live and breathe."
"I'd rather you did neither, whoever you are," she said in as confident a tone as she could manage considering her position, which she knew was designed to intimidate and cow her. It was largely working, but she couldn't let her audience know that. It was a hard lesson she had learned while underneath Director Kakuzawa. She hated how cold it was in the room; it caused her to visibly shiver.
"Now doctor, there's no need for that. I'm merely expressing my gratitude at your miraculous recovery. There's not many who get to come back from the dead."
Arakawa's vision cleared and she could see more or less where she was, or at least what the room was. It was a basement, empty of everything except a water heater in the distance and a cluster of generators with wires that ran up the single flight of stairs in the basement, to rooms above. She recognized them from the Institute's technological R&D department. They were sterile looking contraptions that ran quietly, save for a hum and the quiet hiss of air being vented from exhaust ports. Arakawa knew them to operate in a similar fashion to power plants, using volatile elements inserted by way of a fuel cell to react with components within, the ensuing reaction generating power. The process was more efficient than petroleum powered generators and tended to last longer, but it was still experimental technology, and highly dangerous besides. What were things like that doing outside of the Institute? WHY weren't they at the Institute?
"Where are we?" she asked groggily, still collecting herself, "why aren't we at the Institute?"
The man stepped into the light, crossing his arms as he did so, regarding Arakawa. He wasn't anyone she was familiar with, but he had a strange look about him. His build was stocky, and he stood only a little taller than she did. His build was strange to her because it looked like it didn't quite fit his shape entirely. Cybernetic enhancements, Arakawa reasoned, recognizing the peculiar body type as typical of soldiers who had gone through the procedures. Then there was his hair, which was quite peculiar. It was a platinum white, cut short with uneven strands that just barely hung over his eyes. Bleached, she figured. She supposed he was the sort who enjoyed cutting a striking figure, or simply had a flair for the dramatic, considering the way he had opened up the conversation. He did not possess the somber air that the other soldiers did, and Arakawa knew that while they had been relatively gentle with her, this man would most certainly not be. The look of anticipation in his eyes promised pain.
"Why not?" the man said, "not like it will matter much to you in the end anyway. You're right, we're not at the Institute, though I rather wish we were. I feel out of my element in this shithole, but I'm sure I'll get over that. We're in a nondescript building somewhere in the city, nothing about it in particular that would draw attention or visitors. The commander's got local law enforcement making sure we don't get any trespassers."
The commander…Ryota…
"Where…is he?" Arakawa asked, hoping that her grogginess would make the question sound like passing curiosity, "here?"
"No," the man said curtly, "he's not on the field, I am. This is my show."
The man walked over to Arakawa, raising a hand to her face. She spat at him, and his hand stopped. A slow smile spread across his lips as he leaned down towards Arakawa, and spat directly into her face. Anger surged through her as he raised his hand again, rubbing his thumb on some of the spit upon her cheek, and used it to wipe at something on her chin.
"Bit of blood on you sweetheart. Just cleaning it off."
"Why? Does it bother you to see what you bastards really are when you torture people?"
"Doesn't bother me personally. I'm not the one who hit you…I just didn't want there to be any blood on you that wasn't shed by me."
The horror of his statement silenced her, and she could only stare in open shock. Even Kakuzawa had operated under the pretense of there being a purpose behind his actions. This man had no such pretensions. He was quite happy with being a sadist. She mentally shook herself; it was just a scare tactic. He was trying to scare her and this was all just exposition to the ensuing interrogation. She got control of herself, and met his smug gaze.
"As for why we're not at the Institute…well," he stepped away from her as though to get a better look at his prisoner, removing his fingerless gloves and letting them drop to the floor, "I'm afraid even I don't know. Orders you see. For whatever reason, they wanted our HQ changed to someplace out here in this piece of shit city. I guess they figured our 'guests' have caused quite enough damage to be bringing them back home to start another clusterfuck."
Arakawa tried not to let the panic show in her face. She had partly been counting on being taken to the Institute. While she had been gathering materials in the high school laboratory, she realized that some of the machinery she had needed would have been quite impossible to remove. She had instead used much of her time down there using that machinery to synthesize the first part of the counter-virus. Along with that half of the agent, there had been other things she had removed which were critical to finishing the compound.
Mayu now had everything she had removed and Arakawa hoped like hell that she hadn't lost it. What Arakawa did not have, was a pure sample of the vector virus. Those were still in cold storage in labs located within the island facility, as well as the materials she would have needed to synthesize the other part of the counter-agent. Arakawa had not been sure exactly how she would have been able to escape her bonds, find the materials, make the compound, and escape with it, but it was at least a slim hope in the absence of there being any chance of her escape at the high school. She realized now that she could have simply thrown Mayu to the soldiers to slow them down, and she would have been free to continue the work that was so vital. The thought repulsed her however, and she hadn't considered it for a moment during their frantic flight through the school. She wasn't like those other bastards. She didn't believe for a second that 'The Greater Good', which the Institute scientists and administrators preached like gospel, could be achieved with heartless inhumanity.
She thought for a moment about what the white haired man had said. It was obvious that they still wanted the hunt to go quietly, and that it was still going on besides, or else they would most certainly have been brought back to the facility no matter what. It told her two very important things: there were still Diclonius loose in the city, which likely numbered Lucy, and one other that Arakawa learned about while listening to the various conversation and radio chatter from her captors. Evidently that other unnamed Diclonius, Number 5, was their top priority. Considering how much trouble Lucy had given Kakuzawa, Arakawa would have imagined her to be a more important target. Arakawa didn't hold out much hope for Nana, who had bravely sacrificed herself to help them escape. She had not seen a glimpse of Nana while she was being taken to a transport vehicle, and she saw no reason why the soldiers would have shown Nana any mercy. She was probably dead. Sadness pricked at her heart as the thought crossed her mind, as well as guilt.
The other thing their continued secrecy told her, was that JSDF was very likely not established in Kamakura yet, which meant she still had time. As long as those two rouge Diclonius were smart enough not to get caught by the forces now hunting them, she perhaps had as long as a week before Kamakura was locked down by the combined forces of the Institute, and JSDF.
However…she kept running across the same obstacle: escape.
"Well," the man spoke up again, "I was nice enough to answer some of your questions. Now perhaps you'll return the favor. Do that, and all we have here is a nice little conversation, and perhaps you'll get a break from your current sleeping arrangements," he said with a chuckle, "but if you don't…well…something tells me you can likely figure out for yourself what happens next."
Arakawa felt an urge build up in her to cry, as she often did while at Kakuzawa's mercy, or his lack thereof to be exact. As the tears threatened to drop, she looked into the smug, arrogant gaze of the man and suddenly she was just tired of it. She was damn sick and tired of being afraid of what people were going to do to her. Tired of being a victim. Sick and tired of being forced to beg for mercy and GODDAMN tired of that fucker's stupid…fucking…smile.
"I can," Arakawa said meekly.
"Good," he replied, and drew breath to say something more, but Arakawa cut across him.
"I get to find out how dickless you are and see just what it looks like when a grown man throws a temper tantrum."
Anger twisted his face and he took a few quick steps towards Arakawa, his fists clenching.
"You bi…"
"What? 'You bitch'? Was that what you were about to say? I bet that uninspired mantra just rolls right off your fucking tongue from practice doesn't it? Fuck you, you piece of shit."
"You are BEGGING for it bitch…"
"You're right, I am. I think I'd rather you beat the shit out of me than be forced to listen to you talk for another second. Just do me a favor, don't talk while you're doing it."
He reared his fist back to strike her.
"What's your name?" she asked quickly, seething anger in her voice. No more. Never again would she let these cowardly men terrify her.
The man hesitated, seemingly puzzled by the timing of the question. He nodded his head, breathing heavily, showing his gritted teeth in a snarl.
"Alright you cunt, you want to know my name? It's Ghost…make sure to…"
"Thanks for that," she said, interrupting him again, "I was planning on calling you all sorts of ugly things and I wanted to make sure you knew I was talking about you in case I use a word with more than two syllables and confuse you. Stupid fuck."
With renewed anger, he reared back and slammed a fist in her stomach, sending pain crashing through her, then she felt a second blow strike her in the nose. She tasted blood immediately and judging by the excruciating pain she then felt, she knew Ghost had broken her nose. She screamed in agony, unable to help herself, but she felt no shame this time. She remembered how she had felt, holding the gun and fighting back against impossible odds. She remembered even knowing that she was helpless before their might, that they could not stop her from fighting back. She had not been victimized this night, she had been merely defeated. She appreciated the difference as never before.
Ghost laughed as he backhanded her hard in the face, causing another wave of pain, particularly from her broken nose.
"Yeah, that's how it always turns out. Tough talk at first, screaming and crying at the end."
"Sounds like your sex life."
Her words earned her a staggering blow to the side of her head which caused her to nearly blink out of consciousness. She quickly regained her composure, even though agony screamed through her. She glared at Ghost, hating him, and letting the anger burn away her fear. She was fighting now, as she had in that hallway. She thought of Ryota then…even though he technically led these men who did such terrible things, she knew he would never approve of this. She felt a warmth at the thought of the man, and wondered if he would be proud of her for standing up to Ghost. Somehow, that was important to her.
"I'm sorry," she choked out.
"That's better…but it won't…"
"No," she said, yet again interrupting him. She made sure to do that because it seemed to enrage him beyond reason. He was a man who obviously loved to hear himself talk, "I'm sorry I assumed you had a sex life at all."
Another blow, this one into her ribs. She heard them crack and she drew breath to scream, but the pain didn't allow her to make any noise. Her face twisted in agony until she finally let out a ragged cry.
"Enough of this shit," Ghost barked, "what the fuck were you all doing in that high school?"
Arakawa stood on her feet as best she could and looked him in the eyes, "night classes."
Another blow struck her face, and her left eye suddenly went dark. She screamed.
"My men saw you carry a bag out of there, what did you take?"
She desperately searched her memory for something to concentrate on, rather than the pain. Almost as soon as she had begun, she found herself thinking of Ryota's warm voice and his passionate manner. She realized she wanted to see him again more than anything…and at that moment realized that deep down, it was the true reason she had wanted to be captured. There had been the possibility that they would have taken her to him. Everything else was peripheral, though no less important.
"Office supplies, I was out of staples."
Ghost grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her head against the brick. The course material cut a gash in her head and she felt blood running down her neck, warm and wet. She struggled to hold onto her anger, and her thoughts of Ryota. They were her guardians, her source of strength. She ruthlessly fought back the urge to break and start crying.
"I can do this all night bitch, in fact…I'd love nothing more."
"Go ahead you piece of trash. Why don't you kill me? I think I'd rather die than live to see the result of the giant fuck up that you're all about to make."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
She had to at least try and convince him, but she didn't have to be gracious about it. In fact, she rather preferred not to.
"I know about Red Sky, I know what you idiots are going to do after you finish failing horribly at cleaning up your Diclonius problem out in the city."
Ghost's eyebrows flicked up slightly in surprise. She had not been meant to see it. She laughed at the small victory.
"And just what the hell do YOU know about Red Sky?"
At this, Arakawa burst out in true laughter, unable to stop herself even though the act of laughing made her broken ribs hurt.
"God you're so fucking stupid, I don't know how you remember to breathe everyday."
Every vile word, every expletive, every insult felt like another bullet down the hallway. Her entire world was nothing but pain, but a savage pride thrilled through her at every new instance of defiance. She concentrated on an image of Ryota's stormy gray eyes. She thought of his solemn, age weathered, yet beautiful face. What she would have given to have heard Ryota say those beautiful words to her in person, and not over her makeshift radio.
"Please live Akane…I could not bear for a soul as bright as yours to wink out this way. If fate is kind, perhaps I can look upon you when your eyes aren't filled with sadness, fear, or regret."
Ryota, I wish I could have met you sooner. I wish I could tell you how you woke my heart from sleep. I want to wake you too…I know I could. Please…I just want one chance…let me see you again one more time…
Perhaps it had been the shock of feeling affection for another person, and she was caught up in the unfamiliarity of it, but she knew it was more than that. She felt like she would do anything for another chance to see him again.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Ghost grabbed her throat, "answer the question right now, or I swear I'll paint this wall with your blood until you can't see the wall for it."
"I FUCKING BUILT IT YOU MORON!"
He roughly shoved her into the wall and took a step back, studying her.
"Bullshit," he said in a wary tone, looking at her with curiosity.
"Your precious 'doomsday event' weapon is my design. I worked with the engineers to develop the delivery system. I advanced the theory that it's based on, and I personally engineered the virus itself. No one tells you shit do they errand boy? If you'd been briefed for even two minutes on me, you'd have known that."
"Then you know why it's NOT a mistake to deploy it, unless you're a sympathizer to those monsters."
"Listen you idiot, when I was escaping the facility, I ran into Director Kakuzawa. He was sabotaging the weapon. He replaced the Phase 1 compound with something else."
Ghost chuckled, "is that right?"
"Yes that's right!" Arakawa yelled in frustration, "he replaced it with the vector DNA compound I extracted at his request, and he set it to function the same way that Red Sky's viral compound would, so that it would spread along the cloud line and react to Phase 2. You idiots are going to fire that and SPREAD the virus to the whole city!"
"So you're telling me you found a way to turn the vector strain into a compound that you can spread?"
"That HE wanted to spread, and you're all about to do his dirty work for him, postmortem."
Ghost smiled, then laughed and clapped his hands together twice, "that, was quite a fun story."
"What?"
"You were harboring Silpilit number 7, and on the night of your escape, the men that survived the slaughter at the executive landing reported seeing you together with Lucy. Do you really expect me to believe you're worried that Red Sky won't kill Diclonius, but create them instead? From where I'm standing, you're in league with the monsters."
Arakawa could only stare, her astonishment temporarily making her forget about her pain.
"I may not have been briefed on you, a woman who was supposed to be dead, but I WAS briefed on Professor Kakuzawa. He evidently had an unnatural fixation on locating the vector strain…and you worked directly under him. You want to know what I think?"
"Not really, which is something I'm sure you hear a lot when you ask people that."
The smug look was back on his face. Arakawa wasn't likely to anger him now that he felt he had "figured" her out. She coughed and tasted blood…probably just as well he was in this mood. She needed a break from the torment. She knew the reprieve wouldn't last, because she wouldn't let it. No matter what came of this interrogation, she was not going to let him feel for an instant that he had broken her.
"I think," he continued, ignoring her, "that your little story is reversed. I think you were taking materials out of that school lab to cook up that vector strain that you and the professor were working on. I think you're lying about the sabotage. I think you would have me believe this bullshit story so that I'll put a word in to the commander and have him cancel preparation for the launch. Maybe so your monster cohorts can make a break for it."
"You know, I have to give you credit where it's due. Even I couldn't have come up with a more ridiculous story if I had tried. How does any of that make sense in your goddamn brain? Think! What do you think Director Kakuzawa was doing there when he was killed?"
"Well, he had just escaped his jailors and his corpse was found at the executive landing. My money's on 'escape' as his reason for being there."
"I was instrumental in building a weapon designed to destroy Diclonius…did you forget that? Why would I want to infect others with the vector strain?"
"Let me answer your question, with a question. How do you suppose the administration would have taken it if you simply outright told them you wished to build a massive viral delivery system for the express purpose of spreading the vector strain, which runs contrary to the very reason for the Institute's existence? Pretty sure they would have fed you to the wolves, so you'd have been a massive idiot for laying out your true intentions. You know, now that you bring up Kakuzawa's whereabouts that night, tell me this. What were YOU doing at the landing?"
"I wanted to put a bullet in Kakuzawa's brain," she said honestly, and vehemently.
"Or maybe YOU were trying to sabotage the delivery system. I'm guessing the only reason you're still running around stealing from laboratories is because my men never gave you the chance. Well sorry bitch, but the game's over."
She had known it would be useless, but she still felt deflated with her failure to convince Ghost of the truth. She saw Ghost's smile widen and knew he was mistaking her sudden dejection for waning resolve.
"Well," Ghost said, "I'm sure that even though you and that Diclonius freak got yourselves captured, that there is a plan B to all of this. Bando would at least have come up with that, being an Institute trained soldier, even if he is second rate. You're going to tell me what that plan is."
He was talking about Nana…captured…not killed. She was alive! Feeling renewed by the knowledge, she gathered herself up to look at him as best she could with a black eye and blood running over the other one. The reprieve had been nice while it lasted…but now it had to end. She was taking an awful risk with what she was about to do. She hoped with everything in her that it would work. She allowed herself to gather every last ounce of her strength, knowing she would need it.
"It's a sin that a person like yourself has been so chained down. I wonder what you would have been without those chains?"
His words to her that night.
Ryota, maybe I can't show you what I could have been, but I can show you what I will be. They have me bound but I am not in chains. They want to break me but I feel no shame. Give me strength Ryota…will it upon me…I need it…I need you.
She muttered under her breath, feeling blood drain out of her mouth from where it had pooled.
"What was that?" Ghost said, taking a step closer…
Gritting her teeth, she threw her leg with all her strength into his groin, connecting solidly and causing him to drop to his knees. She grabbed the handcuffs that were holding her arms up and held onto them as she lifted both legs and kicked Ghost in the face with both feet, knocking him over. When he got back onto his feet, she saw blood dripping from his nose, and a feral look of rage in his eyes.
"That's plan B you motherfucker! You're pathetic! Maybe the next time you go under the knife for enhancements, you can ask the doctor to get you a pair of balls. I sure as hell didn't feel any down there."
"We're…going…to rip…you…apart!"
We?
She didn't have time to contemplate the strange outburst as Ghost was on her in a second. The only thing on her mind after that, was remembering to breathe in between her blood curdling screams.
From far away, Nana could hear Akane's horrifying screams.
She drew herself further into the corner of the room that was her makeshift cell, trembling with fear and worry. She had been so sure that her combat with the Institute soldiers would have drawn all of their forces away from the others. It had been a sobering revelation to realize just how many men had been thrown against them. There had been enough to take her down, and more remaining to pursue Akane and Mayu. Her only consolation at that moment was knowing that Mayu had made it out of there with Bando. He would know what to do, and would keep her safe, though Nana did not entertain any ideas of being rescued. Despite how afraid she was to be back under the Institute's control, she did not want Mayu falling back into their hands.
When they had arrived at the seemingly derelict building near the coast, Nana had been confused, expecting to have been taken back to the Institute. She knew that awful man, Ghost, had wanted to get them back there, expressing the desire loudly on a radio shortly after they had been taken out to the transport vehicles. For a while, during the conversation he was angrily having with the voice on the other end, the men had simply stood around awaiting orders from Ghost. Nana had overheard some of the conversation while they stood waiting. From what she had been able to piece together, they had lost contact with a man named Director Vanith, and orders were being issued from another director who was residing at the facility. This director, a man named Westmore, had claimed "security reasons" for keeping the soldiers, and their captives, away from the main facility. The reason seemed strange to Nana. It seemed that security would be precisely the reason to call the soldiers back.
As she'd arrived at the makeshift headquarters, she saw that it had already been somewhat prepared for them to move in, though it held none of the trappings of the main facility. No steel walls or complex security systems. No specific holding areas for Diclonius prisoners. It was simply a shell of a structure, the walls devoid of anything which would set them apart from any other area of the building, and common lights with crude functionality. Her own "cell" was simply a room on the second floor of the five story building. There were no windows and only one door. There wasn't much space within, making it seem more like a large closet than a small room. The weak light which illuminated the area made her surroundings seem even smaller and she was feeling mildly claustrophobic because of it. Even more so due to her two guards who took up space themselves. The guards were overkill in Nana's estimation. With her hands securely bound, and the vector nullifier firmly secured to the base of her skull, one guard would have been more than enough. They probably could have even left her alone and locked the door. Frankly, even the handcuffs were unnecessary as she could not move her synthetic arms without her vectors.
Another muffled scream issued from down below and Nana let out a small wail. She had a good idea of who was down there with Akane, and knew very well what she was going through. Nana knew her turn was coming. She cried silently for Akane, no one deserved to suffer that way. Even though she loathed Ghost beyond words, she knew she could never do to him the things he had done to her, and was doing to Akane. She would kill him, nothing more. When Akane screamed however, Nana sometimes forgot about her aversion to torture. During one particularly long scream, Nana had exclaimed to her guards why they could stand by and let someone do things like that to another person. They had not replied, beyond quickly training their rifles upon her at the outburst, as if she were remotely a threat to them now. They had refused even to look her in the eyes and their stony expressions did not change one bit. She didn't bother trying to engage either of them in conversation after that, merely curling up in a corner as far from them as she could get.
A knocking sound at the door startled her somewhat. Likely the guard change, replacing her faceless watchers, with two more faceless watchers. When the door opened however, it only opened halfway, a voice whispering in hushed urgency from the other side.
"Guys, got a minute?" said the voice from outside. One of her guards looked at her pointedly.
"She's not going anywhere, just come out into the hallway a sec."
Begrudgingly, the men filed out of the room. As the door shut behind them, Nana felt instantly better at not being under their scrutiny. She almost didn't mind the restraints or the vector nullifier that kept scattering her thoughts in constant waves to keep her from being able to focus on moving her vectors. Almost immediately after the door was shut, and locked, Nana could hear a conversation in low tones. Realizing she could faintly make out the words from where she was, curiosity got the better of her and she slowly began inching across the floor, being unable to move her synthetic limbs themselves, making her way towards the door. Upon reaching it, she leaned close to listen.
"Going out of my fuckin head listening to that shit man," said the first man, who had knocked on the door.
"That's the sergeant down there with the scientist right? Jesus Christ…" came a second voice.
Another scream from down below silenced the men. When it faded, they continued.
"The sergeant said we were doing whatever is necessary to take those monsters down. We may not like it, but whatever's going on down there…we just have to trust that it's necessary," came the voice of the third.
"I don't know. Ghost has always been rough with detainees, but this? I've never heard it this bad. I'm going to be hearing that damn woman's screaming in my fucking nightmares. Is this what we're doing now?"
"Watch that shit. This isn't the time to be losing focus. What the brass does is their prerogative. Ours is just to follow orders, and get this job done. That chick down there was conspiring with one of those demons who ripped up our guys back on base. Far as I'm concerned, she's earned whatever she's getting."
"Whatever you've got to tell yourself man. I'm not saying I want to defect over this chick. I'm just saying this shit doesn't feel right."
Nana then heard the sound of a single pair of footsteps, running towards the room. She recoiled away from the door, fearing someone would be crashing through.
"Guys, we got to get down there," came a new voice, "sergeant got carried away, she's hurt real fuckin bad."
Nana didn't want to hear anymore, but couldn't bring herself to stop listening.
"Well what are we supposed to do? I thought they were all just getting capped in the end anyway."
"Not Doctor Arakawa. Ghost just reported back to the commander. Ryota passed on orders from Westmore. He ordered her brought back alive to the Institute's medical facilities on base."
"What do you think the brass wants with her?"
"Not our problem…let's just fucking get down there and get her out of here…"
"What about Number 7?"
Nana inched further back away from the door.
"I'll keep watch."
"Just you? You sure you'll be alright?"
"She's not going anywhere. Hurry and get Arakawa back to base before she fucking dies down there man."
Nana heard the footsteps departing from the door and she crawled back to her corner. She didn't quite understand it. They had sounded genuinely disgusted by what they had heard from the basement. It did not quite sync up with her own assessment of the soldiers. As far as she had been concerned, they were all as horrible as Ghost.
The door opened slowly, and the soldier entered the room, rifle first. Once he was able to see where she was in the room, he lowered the weapon, and stepped more quickly into the room, closing it quietly behind him. She expected him to take his place, standing by the door with a blank look in his eyes. Instead, he seemed deflated, hunched. When he had shut the door, he leaned back against the wall next to it, and slowly slid down into a sitting position. He did not look at her, but the expression on his face was one of gnawing anxiety and stress. She dared to study him a bit more.
He was young, much younger than the other soldiers she had seen before. He seemed not much older in appearance, than she herself was. She knew she couldn't measure it in such a way, considering she was technically only eleven years old at this point. Papa had long ago explained to her that as a Silpilit, she would age and develop somewhat more rapidly than others.
He held the rifle loosely, letting the barrel rest between his feet and stared at the wall opposite him. Nana was suddenly aware of the quiet in the room, and beyond. Apparently they needed more men than they had thought to care for Akane, leaving none, or very few on the second floor. Nana was glad she wouldn't have to see what Akane looked like as they drug her up from the basement. A tear slid down her cheek and she sniffled loudly, letting out a few quiet sobs.
At that moment, she noticed the soldier looking at her, the first one to do so since she had been captured. He seemed to be struggling with something, but she wasn't sure what. She felt so angry and frustrated at that moment, as well as feeling overwhelming sorrow for Akane.
"You call us the monsters," Nana said venomously, "you're all disgusting, the way you enjoy hurting people!"
The soldier looked on her with pain in his expression. There was also indignation. It was as if he were not sure which he should be feeling more.
"Did you really just say that?" he said, "you think you're so much better than us? I wonder if you're even aware of why you kill and destroy. Or if you even care." Even she could tell the words were born from a raw emotional wound. They angered her regardless.
"How DARE you? Of COURSE I care! I never wanted to kill anyone…"
"But you did. They're right then aren't they? You monsters can't control yourselves. That's why they kill your kind wherever they find you."
"Stop calling me a monster…I'm not a monster," Nana said, another tear sliding down her cheek, "I'm a person, just like you, despite what you all think. I don't understand how you think we're so different from you."
She sniffled again, and leaned heavily against the wall behind her, closing her eyes. She sobbed silently, not caring if the soldier saw. What did it matter anyway?
"I make my own choices," Nana said in a voice that was just above a whisper, "just like you. I feel pain just like you. I have emotions like you. I even have a name, and it's not 'Number 7'."
She opened her eyes, "so what is it really that makes me different from you?"
"Your vectors…"
"What if you were born holding that rifle? It kills the same as my vectors can…probably better. Would we be the same then?"
"That isn't…" he fell silent, unable to conjure up a suitable reply. After a few moments of awkward silence, he raised his hand as though to run it through his hair, but lowered it at remembering he was wearing a helmet.
"Sorry…" he said, the gesture born of reflex, and seemingly surprising him. It certainly surprised her.
They sat for a few minutes in silence, both nervously staring around the room. Whenever Nana thought he wasn't looking, she stole glances at him. Unlike the other soldiers who had come in to stand guard, there was nothing stern or harsh about his expression. One thing he did have in common with the other soldiers, was an air of uncertainty and inner conflict. It was just more pronounced in this man. Looking away again, she allowed her thoughts to travel once more towards home, and those she called family. She concentrated very hard on how happy they made her feel, and mostly, how she had no longer felt so alone in the world. She needed that contradiction of the darker aspects of humanity which seemed to surround her like a thick fog wherever she went. She had to believe that not all people were like the evil men of the Institute. She thought much about Lucy and was silently thankful she had known her. Lucy did not know it, but she had helped Nana understand that there were shades of light and shadow in all people, and to judge humankind as absolutely possessed of one or the other, was unrealistic.
These men, they were afraid of her, and that was all. Ghost may be cruel, but she understood in her short dialogue with her new guard, and from what she had overheard by the door, that these men were not cruel at heart. A sadness came over her at knowing that if she had to, she would kill these men who threatened to destroy the people she loved. It was different when she believed they were all universally evil, but she was having trouble holding onto that belief now. These men were scared, not evil. She couldn't fault them for that, not really.
She chanced a glance at the soldier in the room and found he had been looking at her. Their eyes met and he made as if to look away quickly, but couldn't, as something reflexive in him couldn't let him completely look away. One second, then two, and she could feel the understanding, as she was sure he felt it, that there could be no feigning the glance as accidental. As she looked into his eyes from across the room, she could feel that he was coming to a similar contradiction of belief regarding her kind.
"Are you afraid of me?" Nana asked quietly. He blinked twice and looked away from her for a moment, slightly uncomfortable. She was glad when he returned his gaze to her. She kind of liked his eyes.
"I don't know," he said.
"I'm afraid," Nana said honestly.
"Of us?"
Nana shook her head, "I'm afraid of never seeing my family again. I'm afraid of what you all will do to them. I don't want them to die. I don't want to leave without saying goodbye."
Tears formed in her eyes and slid down her cheeks, "the only reason I have to be afraid of you," she said, "is because you could make those fears come true."
"I wouldn't…" he began, but then froze and looked away. She knew he was about to deny that he would ever do such things to her, but realized that he couldn't. The reality was that he was in control of her fate, along with the other soldiers, and those who commanded them. She could feel his sincerity however, and silently thanked him for it. In a way, she realized, he was as bound as she herself was.
He sighed, "I guess I'm afraid of all those things too. That's why I'm here. That's why everyone is out here."
He looked back at her, "but now that I think about it, I guess I'm really not afraid of you either."
She offered him a weak smile, and he automatically responded with one himself, catching himself as he did so. She understood. He wasn't supposed to smile with his enemy. He seemed to realize the ridiculousness of trying to school his expression and laughed mirthlessly.
"Would you kill me if you didn't have that vector nullifier on you?" he asked plainly.
"I wouldn't want to," Nana said, evading his literal question while answering his real one.
Nana heard faint commotion outside and some harshly shouted commands. She thought she heard the name "Arakawa" mentioned. She hoped that Akane was okay.
"What's your name?" the soldier asked her, "your real one, not the number."
"My name is Nana. What about you?"
"Daisuke."
She tested the name silently on her tongue, liking the sound of it. She felt strangely warm inside.
Finding herself suddenly uncomfortable with her sitting position, she tried to shift her legs around to lean more into the corner but couldn't move the lower parts of her legs, being unable to use her vectors to manipulate them. Frustration began to well up within her.
"Um," said Daisuke nervously, "what's the matter?"
"I can't," Nana began, but stopped, feeling humiliated. Daisuke observed her legs as she kept trying to shift them unsuccessfully.
"You can't move your legs?"
"They're prosthetic…I can't move them without my vectors, and it hurts to sit this way."
He stood up and instinctively rested the rifle against the wall as he made to take a step towards her but froze, realizing what he was doing. Nana just watched him, saying nothing. Eventually, he let his hand part from the gun barrel, and moved close to her, kneeling down.
"How did you lose your limbs anyway?"
She recalled the image of Lucy's cold and cruel gaze as she dismembered Nana. She didn't really want to talk about that. It was a thing done against her by a different person in Lucy's body. Even still, she would never completely forget her anger towards Lucy. She didn't want to be angry with her right now.
"In a fight with a person I used to know. She was cruel and had no conscience. She died a long time ago though."
Daisuke began gently lifting her legs to readjust them, not quite meeting her gaze. He reached further up her prosthetic limb to help shift her more easily, and didn't seem to realize where the prosthetics ended, eventually touching the flesh of her thigh.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Are you?" she said, thinking he was still talking about the story of her missing limbs. She had wanted to know if he was really sorry for her, a Diclonius', pain. He stopped and looked at her, his hand frozen upon her upper thigh. It was clear he thought she was asking a different question.
The warmth of the touch was as exhilarating as it was unfamiliar. She would often forget what it was like to be physically touched by another person, whether it was a companionable hand on her back, or a hug. Most of the physical sensation she would otherwise have felt, would have been in the arms and legs she no longer had. Daisuke's hand on her leg sent a shock of sensation that thrilled through her in a way nothing had before.
He seemed to realize what he was doing, and yanked his hand away, as though he had been touching something very hot, looking away again. She saw a deepening blush on his face and recalled that there had been many boys at her school who shared the very same look when they would speak to her. Daisuke made as if to stand up again.
"Wait," she said quickly, not really knowing why.
He obeyed, and sank back into a kneeling position, returning his gaze towards her. Up close, his eyes were even more striking, having a bright green tint, his lashes giving them a naturally dark appearance which offset the color in his eyes. She could see his hair somewhat underneath his helmet, short, dark, and sticking out in places. He seemed so clumsily put together, a boy in a soldier's uniform, but there was something about that which she liked.
The way he looked at her…she never wanted him to stop. He didn't stare like she was a curiosity, and he didn't seem to be in the process of coming to some decision about her. He was swept up in something she could not name, and so was she.
"I…shouldn't be…doing this," he said nervously.
"Doing what?" she asked, desperate to hear the answer.
"You're a Diclonius," he said, more to himself, "they said you were all remorseless killers…"
"I'm not like that. I would never hurt you," did she say that out loud? It had slipped out before she knew she was going to say it. She was startled with her own forwardness.
She felt her own cheeks flush, and lowered her eyes to the floor. She understood now, she was attracted to Daisuke. She had occasionally harbored what she understood to be crushes on other boys from school, but never did anything about those feelings, not knowing exactly how to conduct herself. She didn't know what to do with the feeling now. She only knew that she was feeling it, and it was different and more powerful than she had ever felt it before. She couldn't quite understand why she would feel this way about him in particular. They were supposed to be enemies. She knew if the order were given, Daisuke would be forced to kill her. Somehow, knowing that didn't change those feelings in the least. She felt scared and out of control, but it wasn't exactly an unpleasant feeling.
He cast his eyes downward in shame, "this isn't right…"
"What?" Nana said in disappointment. Was he backing away? She didn't want him to back away, it seemed so unfair after what he made her feel, "what do you mean?"
"All of this," he said gravely, "that shit downstairs, you being here like this, I just…" he removed his helmet with one hand and roughly raked the other through his hair in frustration. His hair had a messy, spiked appearance which Nana found quite handsome, "I don't know…I don't know what to believe."
He looked at her again, considering her, "you killed a lot of guys back at that school."
"They wanted to hurt my friends, what would you have done if you were me?"
He continued to stare at her intently, "you'd kill me. First chance you got if that thing on your head was turned off."
"No I wouldn't Daisuke. I know there's no way I can prove that to you, but please believe me that I wouldn't."
He looked so lost…like she had once been. They were more alike than he knew. The spot where he had touched her leg seemed to tingle with the memory of it. She wanted him to touch her again, her blush deepened.
"Daisuke…could you…" she said in a small voice, finding the words difficult to say out loud.
"Please…hold me," she closed her eyes, embarrassed with herself, but unable to suppress the need. If her life had to end soon, and in pain, she at least wanted to feel one last glow of warmth. At least this man didn't think she was a wretched monster, and indeed, she had felt an almost instant connection with him. If these were her last hours, she didn't want to waste it. She knew he felt it too, and that…meant the world to her.
It happened before she even knew it, lost as she was in the current of her emotions, but in a sudden rush like an ocean violently filling in an empty space, she felt the control over her vectors return. Opening her eyes and looking up in mute shock, she registered Daisuke's arms at either side of her head. She stared dumbly while the fact registered in her mind: he had deactivated the vector nullifier.
For a few moments, she forgot how to breathe as they stared at one another. She could hear his breathing quicken with anxiety and uncertainty as he waited to see the result of his colossal leap of faith.
Using her vectors, she quietly unlatched the handcuffs which had bound her arms behind her. It had been a silly precaution in the first place considering that when they put the vector nullifier on her, she couldn't move them to any effect. Finally able to move her arms and legs, she adjusted her position more naturally as she reached her arms around Daisuke's neck. As she felt him hesitantly wrap his own arms around her waist, she responded by lifting herself into Daisuke's arms. Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and simply let her feelings surge through her like a raging storm. Her entire body tingled with the pleasure of the embrace, and her heart raced in her chest. She felt almost unable to contain herself.
"Do you believe me now?" Nana said in a broken, tearful voice. She had not remembered starting to cry.
He pulled back and looked into her eyes, there was profound emotion there, as well as terrible anxiety.
"What…what did I just do? They'll execute me for sure…"
Kill him? Kill Daisuke? Never. NEVER.
"I won't let them," Nana said fiercely. She brushed back her long, deep purple hair out of her eyes so she could look at him more clearly. Neither spoke, or moved, or seemed to breathe.
The door opened suddenly.
"Hey man, we're picking up to move out and…HOLY FUCK!"
Daisuke jumped up rapidly and Nana saw the two guards from before standing at the door.
"She's loose! Put her down!"
Time slowed to a crawl. She saw the men raise their rifles, saw the fear and panic in their eyes. She watched it all as though she were floating outside of her body. Distantly, she heard the word "wait, stop!" being screamed like a far off echo in the midst of a dream. She saw Daisuke stand suddenly, his arms outstretched towards the soldiers in warding. She saw him lose his balance as he stood up so quickly, accidentally stepping between her, and the guns. Muzzle flashes, screaming, panic, fear, rage, oh the profound rage.
The event transpired in a few savagely violent seconds. She slashed out with her vectors, working more on instinct than strategy. There were blinding flashes of gunfire that were quickly cut short followed by cries born of panic and surprise. There was the thump of a body hitting the floor and Nana found herself on her feet without remembering standing up. Silence prevailed once again in another frozen moment as Nana stood protectively over Daisuke. Floating in midair before her, were the bullets that she had caught in her quick sweep of the vectors. On the floor below her, Daisuke panted rapidly as he patted his body over with his hands, looking for wounds he was certain existed somewhere. Stark amazement crossed his face as he realized he was unharmed.
As Nana let the bullets clatter to the ground, the two men in front of her took a step back. She could have killed them, and done so easily. But things were different now, and realizing how they were different brought her to a new purpose. She would prove them all wrong about her kind. She would show them that their fears were based on lies. She would still fight if she had to, and kill if she had to, but she would not make it easy for them to continue to think of her as a monster. Daisuke had, in the short time they had spent in the small room, done what Kouta and the rest of her family had done for her. He had proved that there were those who would dare to see past what she was, and show compassion and empathy for the person inside.
The two soldiers dared a glance at the floor where they had dropped their useless guns, sliced cleanly in half by Nana's vectors.
"Daisuke!" one of them yelled, "what the hell are you doing? She'll kill…"
"SHUT UP!" Nana screamed at them, "I don't want to kill anyone! Don't you understand?"
"Tell that to our brothers you fucking murdered earlier tonight and back at the Institute. We're ready to die fighting your evil you monster."
"I wish I could have told them!" she screamed, "but they were too busy TRYING TO KILL ME FIRST!"
The soldiers drew knives, Daisuke stood between her and them.
"Stop this! It doesn't need to be this way! You guys KNOW shit isn't right with this mission man, we just talked about it. What the hell are we doing out here? Why are we torturing scientists and just sitting on a Diclonius prisoner? Wouldn't Ghost have asked Nana right away to help find the other Diclonius responsible for the deaths at the Institute? Why the hell hasn't he done that?"
"Who the fuck is Nana?"
Daisuke motioned frantically behind him, "her! That's her name."
"Daisuke, do you have any idea the kind of shit you're in for this? Get out of our way, don't make us go through you!"
"Touch him," Nana said icily, "and I swear, you'll be sorry."
A few moments of silence passed among all parties. Nana glared at the other soldiers who glared back with knives at the ready. Daisuke looked unsure whom to protect. All of them seemed to be waiting for some sort of sign regarding what to do. Nana knew that time was running out though. Very soon, other investigating soldiers would make the decision for all of them.
"This really your decision Daisuke?" one of the men said, "you crossing that line? You know if you do, there's no coming back."
Nana waited, unwilling to influence his decision. She hoped beyond hope that he would choose her. Triumph and happiness filled her as Daisuke slowly backed away towards Nana.
"This shit's not right. I'm sorry but I can't be a part of this anymore. You know I'm right. You ALL know I'm right."
"You're making a mistake."
"Wrong. I'm fixing one."
The way he stood in front of her like a resolute defender…it was like the way she had stood her ground when fighting the soldiers. No one had ever done that for her. Not even Papa…
The men began to slowly advance upon them and Nana grabbed Daisuke, pushing him aside so she could face their attackers. She would not allow them to harm Daisuke. She had given him her word on it.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash from downstairs, and the walls shuddered. Frantic shouts could be heard and occasional spurts of gunfire. Bando, it could be no one else. She had almost forgotten that he was still free and might possibly attempt a rescue. She had to get out there and help him, he was hopelessly outnumbered and wouldn't last long without her help.
"What the hell…" one of the soldiers began as both turned their heads towards the sound. Nana used their distraction to her advantage and flung her vectors out, striking their jaws with blunt force. They flew backwards into the wall and slumped to the floor, unconscious.
"What did you…?" Daisuke began.
"They'll be fine, I only knocked them out. We have to get out of here, my friends are out there trying to rescue me. They'll be killed if we don't hurry!"
Daisuke grabbed his rifle from the wall and turned to look at her.
"Nana…tell me I'm doing the right thing here. My head's going in a million directions right now. Tell me I'm not going to regret what I've just done today."
She looked at him, not knowing how to answer. It wasn't the kind of thing she could just tell him, he had to decide that for himself. He had already decided, she knew. It was just taking time for his head to catch up with his heart.
Another loud boom shook the building. Nana stared at Daisuke with desperate eyes; it was now or never.
His eyes hardened with resolve and he brushed past her, readying his rifle and moving fluidly. There was a loud click as he chambered a round into his weapon.
"Stay behind me, move when I move, stop when I stop. Do exactly as I say at all times until we're clear of the building."
He didn't wait to hear her answer, and began to move down the hall with her in tow. He was suddenly transformed from the conflicted, unsure person he had been with her in the room. Now he was precise, and professional. Stern and authoritative. She knew that between them, she was the stronger, but the way he handled himself made her forget that fact many times during their movement through the building.
As they headed downstairs, she could see debris around the floor, and felt the chill of winter air all around her. Strangely, they had not run into anyone yet, or any bodies.
"I think whatever attacked this place caught us in the middle of mobilization," Daisuke said, "that's what those guys were coming upstairs for, to collect us."
"Is that why there's no one here?"
"No one inside, yeah. But outside?"
As they reached what looked like an entrance hall, they could hear voices calling out from somewhere beyond the front door. Daisuke moved quickly to a wall near a window and motioned Nana to hurry towards him. As she did so, he placed a finger in front of his lips, commanding silence, as he listened. After a few moments, he turned to Nana.
"I don't think anyone's dead. Guys out there don't seem to know what's happening…hold on."
He reached for his waist and retrieved a radio. Making sure the volume level was low, he turned it on and held it up to listen.
"Still no sign of whatever did that shit. You guys got anything?"
"Negative. Whoever's out there is just banging on the walls. Found a few breaches but no contacts. I got a bad feeling about this. Like someone's whacking a beehive to get the bees out in order to get to the honey."
"Shit…I got three units inside who aren't answering comms. Where's the sergeant?"
"He already left with the escort party going back to base. Get some men back in that building and find out what the fuck is going on!"
"Shit," Daisuke said, "if they're coming back…we'll never dodge them out in the open."
"Leave that to me," Nana said, "hold onto me and don't let go."
"What…?"
"Just do it!"
Nana opened the door as Daisuke grabbed onto her, and she carried them outside with her vectors, then began to grasp at handholds far above them, lifting into the air.
"Shit!" Daisuke exclaimed as he gripped her more tightly. It caused her some pain but she ignored it, carrying them both higher and higher as fast as she could.
Before long, they reached the roof and she deposited them upon it roughly. It took a moment for Daisuke to get his balance, and when he did, he stared at her in amazement.
"That…was incredible."
"Well…" Nana looked away shyly. She felt reinvigorated at being free once more, even the cold didn't seem to bother her much. Looking back at Daisuke, she tried to find the words to thank him for what he had done for her. She understood full well the sacrifice he had made, and there were just no words to properly express what that meant to her. They stared at one another, finding some comfort in their relative safety, and Daisuke let his breath out in a huff as though he'd been holding it in.
"I can't believe I just did that…am I really standing here right now?"
"You're not sorry you did, are you?"
"No," he said quickly, "I don't think that I am. It's weird…but this is the first time since I joined up with S.A.T that I haven't felt confused about my choices, or the things I've done. I think…I think this is the right thing to do. I don't know where the hell we're going to go from here…but I'm sure I chose right."
He had done more than that. He had chosen her.
She began to walk towards him, suddenly needing to feel his arms around her. She was surprised with herself just how quickly she had become enamored with this man whom she had only known for an hour or so. She supposed that sometimes, that was all it took. She had made many of her friendships rather quickly after all.
But this was more than friendship, she knew. She was taking as much of a chance on him, as he had taken on her. For now, she just wanted a few moments with him before they left to find Bando and Mayu, who were sure to be very close by.
When she got close however, a large heavy object slammed into him, knocking him away from her as he cried out in pain.
"Nooo!" Nana cried, whirling around angrily to face the unknown attacker and was greeted with a sight that paralyzed her with shock. It was not a soldier that had found them by chance on the roof, and it wasn't even Bando.
It was a person she had not remotely expected to run into. Certainly not here, certainly not now.
Before her, cast in the cold glow of the moonlight through a break in the clouds, was the stoic and lethal visage of Lucy, eyes full of murderous intent towards Daisuke. How was she here? How did Lucy find her? Fear surged through Nana as she realized what was about to happen. Lucy looked down upon Nana, her eyes softening somewhat with genuine concern. It did not make Nana feel at ease.
"Kouta and I have been looking everywhere for you Nana," she said. She then looked towards Daisuke, clenching her fists, her voice carrying a dark edge that promised violence, "stand aside…
…I'll take care of him…"