"Where is Kaori?" He bellowed.
"I won't tell you." Rae said weakly. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees.

Kaori's father then pulled out a vial of red liquid. "I'll give you the formula of this if you tell me where Kaori is."

The group froze.

"The stone..." Ed said in awe.

I always wanted to use it... Mac even said that Kaori can take care of herself... I should take the chance... He thought, smirking.

"Never!" Rae yelled.
"No, wait! I'll tell you where she is!" Ed said, grinning widely.

Kaori's father smirked.

"EDWARD!" X yelled. "ARE YOU CRAZY?"
"Maybe..." He replied.

No, Kaori's going to be in trouble if we can't find and tell her about this... Mac thought.

"So, Danielle, why did you choose the State over your friends?" Kaori asked.
"What? I was the one who set Mac free!" Danielle said, smiling.
"What. Did. You. Say!" Kaori asked, shocked.
"Well, I ordered someone to..." She replied.
"Who might that be?"
"It was---"

She stopped. Kaori sensed someone was coming by the room she and Danielle were in.

A few moments later, Hughes walked in.

"Kaori, you need to get out of here." He said.
"Hmm? Why?" She asked.
"Someone in the higher ups bribed your father to come and kill you."
"Who told you this!"

"ED! How could you do this!" Kai yelled.
"You told him!" Rae immediately used all of her strength to shake the older teen. "Do you know what chaos you could cause by doing this!" She fell to her knees once more, too weak to get up.
"Well, Mac said that she could handle things on her own... Isn't that right?" Ed said, frowning.

Silence.

Al looked around. Mac was already gone.

"Roy told me." Hughes said.
"What do we do?" Danielle asked.
"Danielle, escort Kaori back to her friends. Once you do, you will be fired." Hughes ordered.
"Oh, really now?" She asked, crossing her arms.
"You're a known double agent, Tabb."
"Do I have to explain all this to Rae?" Kaori asked.
"Yes. Now go." Hughes said.

Just then, an alarm sounded and Havoc walked in.

"Mac Fraisier has been spotted, sirs!" He said.
"Okay. Kaori, Danielle, go get him." Hughes ordered.
"Why do you want that, Hughes?" Havoc asked.
"I have my reasons. Now go!"

After Kaori and Danielle ran off, Hughes reported their escape to Roy.

"What did you say!" Roy yelled.
"You heard me, Roy." Hughes said.
"My best soldier was a double agent!"
"I'm afraid so."

"Where are there soldiers after us..!" Danielle asked, running as fast as she could.
"Hughes must've reported us straight to Roy... Wonderful." Kaori said.
"Why would he do that!"
"So we can never go back to betray the military."

WHAM!

Kaori fell to the ground, Mac falling in front of her.

"Get up, you two!" Danielle ordered. "The soldiers are coming!"

Everyone except Rae and Al began hitting Ed as hard as they could.

...I wonder if Kaori is even alive anymore... Rae thought, tearing up at the thought.

"Rae," Kai began, "don't you want to help us beat up Ed?"
"Too worried for Kaori. Have fun without me."
"Can't she just take care of herself!" Ed yelled.
"With her father around, I'm just not sure..." Rae said, sighing.
"What's wrong with her dad?" Jae asked.

"Danielle, hurry!" Kaori yelled, running.
"How the heck do you run this much!" Danielle asked, panting.
"You really don't want to know." Mac said.

When they stopped running, Kaori was surprised to see that some of the teen soldiers could keep up with her.

"I see Roy is pushing the students further than he used to..." Kaori thought aloud.
"Damn it!" Mac said, panting.
"Danielle, welcome to the 'dark side'; be prepared to kill quite a few soldiers." Kaori said, smirking evilly.
"WHAT!" Danielle asked, shocked by the comment.
"You heard her. Just be prepared... Do you know how to bandage broken limbs?" Mac asked.
"Not at all."
"You're gonna have to learn, then. But first..." Kaori smirked. "Let's kill."

But before Mac, Kaori, or even Danielle could lay a hand on the soldiers, a blue-haired man used alchemy to kill them all.

Kaori's heart nearly stopped. My father... She thought.

In an instant, Kaori fled. She had no clue where she was going, but she ran faster than she had ever done in her life.

"Kaori! Come back!" Mac yelled.

Kaori's dad then used a special alchemy to temporarily stop Mac and Danielle in their tracks. He was going to get Kaori, dead or alive.

Kaori continued running, but stopped just before reaching the edge of a cliff. She looked down and saw a river with a current so strong that it could rip her into pieces.

What am I going to do! She thought. I'm tired and I can't feel my legs any more...

She heard steps behind her that made her body freeze. All she could do was hope that it was Mac or Danielle.

"Kaori! Come here!"

I could jump... But if I die... She thought.

"I said 'come here'!" Her father yelled.
"Never!" She screamed.

She then took the chance and jumped off the cliff.