Chapter 26: Sweet Warmth After A Long Day

"Why are you treating me like this? Why do you keep pretending to be so arrogant? I know how you and the rest of your kind feel about me and my own. I know exactly how you all fear and despise me, that dreaded look in your eyes. Stop hiding behind a wall of conceit."

"At no point…have I ever believed that. You yourself believe to be hated and thus are hated. You expect to be hated and thus are hated. You want to be hated and thus you will be hated. It is up to you to decide what you want to be, Number Zero."

"…What are you talking about? Do you not look at me, and feel disgust with what you see?"

"In war, disgusting things are seen, far worse than those horns upon your head. I am growing old and feeble, my eyes have seen, my ears have heard, my nose has smelled my skin has touched. Everything has been a long drawn out war so I've seen it. You have every right to hate your existence but it's up to you decide how you will live that life. Will you stop and fall to the battle floor in shame? Or will you keep going and even if you are thrown to the floor in a heap, die with dignity?"

"…If I said I wanted you to remove these chains, would you do so?"

"I would not."

"…If I said that I expected you to remove these chains, would you do so?"

"I would not…"

"…If I demanded, that you looked me in the eye and removed these chains this instant."

"I would not..."

"…Then I will remove the chains myself and I will do what I wish regardless of what you or others may think. At this very moment I no longer serve you, I serve myself and my own beliefs."

"…Interesting."

How long he had been there, starring at his own hand was a mystery even to himself but as if in a deep trance, Julius Javel found himself reminiscing on the not so long ago past. The night air was refreshing against his skin and thought barely a gleam of it could be seen, his red orbs partially glowed in the moonlight. It had been 6 years since he had, in the best of words, departed from his life 'in' the facility and began his life 'at' the facility. Just a single horned man, a genuine phenomenon that exceeded all bounds of what made Diclonius. He was as far as anybody knew, as far as he knew, the only male Diclonius in existence and amazingly enough he was also the very first one to be admitted to the facility though not necessarily the very first to exist.

Number 0, Julius Javel. Just a number, his very own name he gave himself after reading many books, something he had Garder to thank. That man, the first man to ever see him as something more than a Diclonius. Yes, if anything he looked at him as another human, just another human and more importantly, his views on life, to make one's own decision. As the second member of Vladimir's group, one might have wondered what would cause one of such intelligence to lower himself to the role of a killer. Had he not wished to abandon himself from that area? Had he not wished to get rid of that sickening tenacious feeling that once engulfed his entire mind, mindlessly slaughtering? Vladimir had stated that they all had a reason for killing and his reason was a bit different than most. It wasn't so much about killing to earn something than it was about keeping something.

Something important.

Now that Vladimir was running his own business, the task of killing Elrya had become both easier and harder. Vladimir still expected them to attack and finish off the girl but he also expected her to win. It was the entire point of the operation "Pinpoint Lifeline" to completely and utterly crush her mind body and spirit. Like a battle in a war, to crush the opposition both physically and mentally. Something that The Incorrigible was quite apt at doing. The main problem lied in Vladimir himself because although he and Garder knew his emotions and tendencies, there was no way of perfectly knowing exactly what Vladimir was going to do. Therefore, the best plan was to actually stay as far away from Vladimir as possible and watch his movements from a distance.

They knew that he had gone to Kakuzawa and thus had started something with him. They knew that Roy Synth was currently in lead with Elrya as well. The main objection that Garder had, other than finding and eliminating Elrya was keeping Kakuzawa occupied with the idea that he was still looking for Lucy. Too much trouble would occur if he released Number 35.

It seemed they all, had their own motivations and plans to go by.

"What does everyone have against me!" Elrya yelled, looking at Yin and Miriana as if expecting them to answer. "I didn't do anything wrong…" She began before silently thinking to herself. "…Besides…killing a few people…men…women…still this is messed up!"

"I'm sorry Elrya, you shouldn't have to go through any of this." Miriana said kindly.

"Damn right I don't!" Alya uttered in her thoughts as well. "Who does that woman think she is, trying to pick a fight with me of all people? I swear the moment I see her again, screw whatever Roy says, I'm taking her ass down."

"I wish everyone would stop breaking the laws of reality." Elrya thought back to her friend and self-conscience, looking up at the starry night sky. "Controlling bullets, random illusions, eating vectors! I thought we we're the only ones who could defy physics! Before I wouldn't hesitate to lop of the head of anybody who even looked at me the wrong way.

Now a days, I'm afraid somebody's going to turn my hands into the next week's barbecue.

And…"

"Hm?" Alya queried, sensing the intensity in Elrya's emotions.

"I…might have made a small promise to myself never to kill anybody again."

"…I'm sorry say again?" Alya asked, putting the metaphorical finger in her ear and twisting.

"I've gotten out of control a bit in some of the fights so I'm surprised I didn't end up breaking it. But I promised myself that as long as I could have my friends. As long as I could…even for a little bit, be with Yin and Miriana, then I promised myself I would never kill again! Even Yin doesn't think I have ever killed anybody! Do you know what he would even think if he found out!"

"But…all the things they did! All the torture that we went through! I'm sorry Elrya but that has to be the stupidest thing you've ever said in your life! What about Vladimir or Garder! What about all the pain they've caused you, does that not matter anymore? They want us dead and they won't stop until we are dead or until they're dead."

"I know…it's just that…" Elrya mumbled.

"Just what!" Alya yelled inside her head, having a mental battle with her very self. "They deserve it! They all deserve to die! They have to die! Even if we don't decide to kill them, they'll keep hunting us down and it's not just us either! Seriously, knowing that freak of nature Vlad he'll go and kill Yin and Miriana as well! You don't want that do you?"

No. She didn't have to give an answer to that and it wasn't that she minded killing either. She had done it before, very easily and mostly after just getting pissed off. But now, after listening to Miriana, after finding her emotionally attached to Yin, she no longer wanted to do kill. She knew that she had to, or in better sense, she knew that those hunting her down would, as Alya had said, never stop one side was dead.

"Alya…what should I do then?"

Why Elrya would even ask that was beyond Alya and yet, she couldn't help but think the same thing. They shared the same thoughts, the same feelings, they were one in the same. It was just their mindset that was different. Alya wanted to both kill for defense and kill for pleasure, her instinctive nature overriding her at points. Yet she also, in the deepest part of her heart, wanted to be with a family as well.

"I…I just don't. Hey Yin!" Alya yelled, surprising the man as he was still getting use to the two separate mindsets in one body. "Is that you…Alya?" He asked.

"Yeah, where are we heading anyways?"

"I've got some cash for a few nights at a hotel, since we can't go to my house." He said, having ironically just a few minutes after Roy and Bando had come, and seen that going into his house was rather easily said than done. He had also realized that the number for Bando was in there and there was no way he was going to risk causing a commotion in getting it. He wouldn't have been surprised if he was on some random wanted list now a day.

It wasn't much, a small place though it wasn't exactly like they were going anything big. Getting late anyways, it wasn't as if they wanted to spend the night looking for two men whom could handle themselves anyways. Plus, without Roy, there was no way of even getting to the first facility so the best thing to do was to just rest. As each room only had two beds, Yin got one room for the two girls and one for himself. They weren't the most spacious, but they were well kept, something to be expected from such a small place. The wooden floor was polished clean, almost gleaming while the white walls were absolutely spotless. Since they had no idea how long that would be staying here, Miriana agreed to go to the store and pick of a few provisions, leaving Elrya Alya and Yin in the room as he relaxed in the chair, needing some rest from such a long and brutal day.

"Is something wrong Elrya?"

"I'm Alya."

"Oh sorry." Yin said hastily. "I can never tell if it's you or Elrya unless you talk."

"What's the difference between us?" She asked, never able to really tell herself.

"Well…" Yin began, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "Elrya's voice is a bit softer and, not to be offensive or anything, a little kinder. Your voice is a little deeper but it also seems to have a lot of confidence in it."

Alya didn't answer, in fact she hardly seemed to be able to look at the man as her eyes were looking only at her feet.

"Oh, I'd like to ask, how are those scars?"

"Hm?" She queried.

"You had a lot of scars on your body when Elrya first came. Scars from the days at the facility, it was fairly bad."

Alya wondered how on earth he would've noticed those, as they were invisible with her clothes on but she decided for the most part to put that thought aside. "My body as you know, heals a lot faster than humans do. I don't have those scars anymore…though I'm not sure how'd you know about them." She said mostly as an afterthought but still loud enough for Yin to hear. He also decided just to ignore it either because it would basically mean he admitted to seeing her nude, which honestly he would never have tried anything anyways, it was just easier to ignore it. The room grew more and more silent and when it seemed like the girl was going to fall asleep, Yin got up from the chair and started to leave the room when Alya's voice once again broke the silence.

"Y-Yin…" She muttered, her instinctive nature battling with her before being overrun by her emotions.

"Yes?" He asked, looking over his shoulders and seeing that she was still looking at her own feet with her face red as a cherry. The Diclonius kicked her legs, and subconsciously touched her horns and secretly wondering why he wasn't disgusted with them. "Can you…hold me?"

"Oh…are you cold?" He asked leaving Alya to wonder if he was being generously truthful or just trying to hide his own emotions as well. "Y-Yeah…" She muttered, wrapping her arms tightly around her body as to make the point clear. "I'm…pretty cold right now."

Rather hesitantly, Yin sat down on the bed next to her and wrapped one of his arms around her, letting the young Diclonius rest her head against his shoulder, relishing in its warmth. Humans and Diclonius…could never hold a relationship right? All humans had to die right? So why was resting against this human so comfortable when in reality it should horrible. She knew that Elrya was smitten by Yin but could she herself, Alya, possibly be…"

"You know Yin…" Alya began while closing her eyes and breathing in, nearly falling asleep right there. "Elrya really likes you…She's told me herself. How you're one of the first people to ever be kind to her, how you took her in and nursed her back to health. That was…very kind of you.

Uh…thanks…I guess. Since I guess it means you also nursed me back to health as well.

Can…you kiss me."

The look on the black haired man's face might have been absolutely hilarious had Alya not been extremely serious in her statement. The young man nervously scratched the back of his head, smiling uncertainly and looking at everything but the girl in question. His entire decency cells were crushing him, telling him that she too young, too innocent and the other more childish and romantic part of him was telling him to do it right now as the girl in question was rather pretty.

"I'm not so sure…" Yin said, trying to put it into the most polite terms he could think of. "I mean…ummm, I'm 20…and your…what was it…15?"

"So?" Alya muttered, raising an eyebrow as if was making the most obvious statement of the century. "Elrya likes you…and I…sort of…maybe…just a tiny bit…" She muttered almost incomprehensibly, looking away, and feeling the bead of sweat run down her face. "Besides I mean…with us Diclonius it isn't like there's a lot of male pickings or anything."

"I understand, it's just..."

"Just nothing!" Alya yelled back, breathing in deeply and relaxing herself. "You have no idea…what it's like to be hated and hurt like we were. I like you Yin…and coming from me that means more than I think even you understand. I'd really like it…if you kissed me."

It was said that in times of emotional and mental conflict a devil and an angel would sit on one shoulders and coax them into doing the right and wrong thing. Yet for Yin Sandersas, he couldn't tell what was right or wrong. Legally doing so much as hugging the girl would probably get him thrown in jail much less doing what Alya was asking. Yet Alya had been through enough stuff that most soldiers hadn't even been through. But Elrya and Alya to that extent as well was very pretty, cute to in a sense and her bravery and conviction was almost astounding.

"Are you sure?" He asked, secretly talking as he kept musing the idea over in her head, something that didn't go past Alya at all. "Yes…now do stop trying to stall for time. I've heard it's easy, you just open your mouth a bit…" She whispered, inadvertently moving her head closer to his while her eyes closed. No longer able to keep his emotions inside and almost subconsciously was drawing closer and closer to her face.

"Humans and Diclonius…can't ever hold a relationship right? But…maybe…I can look past that idea for just a moment."

"Is there a reason you're still stalling?" She whispered in his face, her lips only inches from his own, able to feel each breath of air on her face. Then before either of them knew it, their lips were locked together, unmoving, just simply pressed together without movement. Breaking apart, Alya's blushed was highly adorable as she fidgeted uncontrollably and staring at him out of the corner of her eyes. "That was…nice." The young girl said softly, touching her own lips and thinking of how warm it had felt. "If it's not too much, can you…do it again?"

At this point, saying no just didn't seem like an option anymore. Yet he continued to stall as normal, letting his brain run wild as the metaphorical angel and death battled each other to a standstill. It had certainly felt nice, like tender sweet taste of cherries, although that might have just been his own mind going into overdrive and making stuff up. It would be a lie, to say that he would not like to feel that lovely taste again. Still, he kept telling himself to wait, not to push it and for love of it all she was five years younger than him. Didn't that make it illegal? Didn't that make it wrong? It hadn't felt wrong but logic and passion were in such a battle with him that he thought might lose it.

"Was it…not nice?" Alya asked, looking surprisingly like Elrya for a moment as her bottom lip trembled.

"It's not that…it was quite nice." Yin answered back, still remember that cherry taste. "You've got the taste of cherries."

She looked up at him with a tilt of her head breathed into her hand and sniffed. "I guess…" She thought, taking the compliment a little too seriously. Yet it was enough of a compliment to make her smile and blush even more than before. "Well then, Yin, just a little one on the cheek, for good luck?" She asked.

"I wonder…if something's wrong with me. I wonder…if I'm not actually crazy. He's a human, just a plain ordinary human and I hate them…right? I hate them…and yet…I can't hate him. I am Alya…and I'm Elrya…we're both the same people just with…different thoughts. I don't want to just be instincts anymore I want…

I want…

We want…to be with his man…forever."

"I'm back!" Miriana yelled in her overly cheery disposition, barging right in as Yin's lips pecked the girl's cheek whom in an instant pushed Yin away so suddenly he stumbled backwards and fell flat on his back. While Yin Sandersas groaned in pain, Alya randomly switching over to her other personality turned her head, pulled up the covers and uttered quickly.

"Sorry but I have to go to sleep thanks for the snacks Miriana you are good friend but I need to go to bed have a good night see you in the morning!" Before going into some loud and incredibly fake snores while trying to ignore the sweat dripping profusely from her reddened face.

"…Did I interrupt something?" Miriana asked innocently looking at Yin sprawled out on the ground and rubbing his aching back. "Ummm, no Miriana…everything's fine." He said, seeing no reason to go into details. "Thanks for bring the food also, I'll leave you two girls alone then, I'll wake you in the morning."

Trying to his hide own sweat beats, yin turned and walked out the door.

"Elrya? What were you and Yin doing?"

"Nothing!" The Diclonius replied quickly, waving her hand randomly in the air. "We were just ummm, talking that's all. Just a little chat between friends."

"But…I thought he was…"

"Just talking!" Elrya said, a little forcibly. "That's all we were doing, just a little bit of chatting while you were away."

"Oh…" The young girl uttered crestfallenly. "Strange I thought you two were kissing."

!

"Ah! Ugh! Wh-What gave you that idea! W-W-We were just talking, just chatting like I said. Silly Miriana sometimes I wonder where you get these ideas!" She responded with a fake enthusiastic laugh while scratching the back of her head. "Then what were you talking about?" Miriana asked.

"Ugh…cherries."

"Cherries?" The young girl asked quizzically. "Why would you talk about cherries?"

"Because they're…tasty."

"Oh, did you taste like cherries to him?" She asked, smiling so broadly and mischievously it was a wonder where such an innocent girl got it from. "N-N-No! We're talking about how…good the food tastes. It may surprise you but cherries are my favorite fruit in the whole world. I absolutely love cherries." She lied so pathetically that not only did Miriana not believe her, Elrya also knew that Miriana knew it was a lie in the first place.

"So you kissed him right?" She said, still smiling mischievously. Where in the world she got this demeanor was beyond the Diclonius but with no other options on her side, she decided to just give up. "Alright...we may have…slightly…just a little…tiny bit…kissed." Nearly jumping out of her bed from MIriana's child-like squeal, Elrya starred hopelessly as the young girl giggled happily. When it went on for a full 20 seconds, Elrya was beginning to get a little irked.

"D-Don't laugh! It's embarrassing enough." She muttered, looking away and hoping that Miriana couldn't see her already extremely red face. "It's just that…I really do like Yin…a lot. Both Alya and I do a lot."

"That's wonderful and see, telling the truth is easy. I'm going to get some water; do you want me to bring you some?"

"Sure." Elrya responded taking the glass from her hand and sipping it down.

"You know…" Miriana said in that strange playful little voice of hers. "It has a pretty nice ring to it."

"What does?" Elrya asked.

"Elrya Alya Sandersas."

!

Spewing out the water in comical fashion, Elrya spluttered and choked while her best friend laughed merrily.

Author's Note: After a brief break, the next chapter is out and to get away from the blood spurting nightmare that was the end of chapter 25, I decided to go to the more lovely and romantic aspect of the chapter. Hope you all enjoy, do R&R and I'll get the next chapter done ASAP