CH 9

Director Abe agreed to a lunch time meeting with Eddie. Now beside just to do it so Kaede could meet him, Eddie wanted to ask why Nana and Go looked identical. If they were twins, they would be the same age, so that didn't explain it.

Eddie arrived at the restaurant to see Director Abe in a booth on the end. Eddie went in and sat across from him.

"I take it you have information?" Abe asked.

"I do," Eddie agreed. First. Why does Go look exactly like Nana. Only maybe a year or two younger?"

"I've never seen Nana," Abe replied.

"They look identical, trust me," Eddie stated. "If I didn't know Nana better, I'd swear they are twins, but Go is a bit younger. Even if they had the same mother, that shouldn't happen. They can also think to each other."

"I will look into it. There must be a reason." Abe said. "Have you asked Nana or Kaede to come to the facility?"

"I have. Kaede wanted to meet you in a neutral place. That's why we're having lunch now," Eddie explained.

"Here?" Abe asked nervously. "I thought she was coming to the facility?"

A figure in a hoodie from the counter said, "Here, first."

The figure came over and sat by Eddie to stare at Abe. Abe's eyes grew larger. He now saw the pink hair hidden by the hood, and her red eyes boring into him. Trying to calm himself, he said with a little squeak in his voice, "Greetings, Kaede. I'd like your help, please."

"Eddie told me," Kaede said flatly. "What I have to wonder, is if this is just a plot to get myself and Nana back on that island to lock us up again."

"No, no it's not!" Abe cried, waving both hands. "We are trying to get the ones we have left to trust us and get them to be normal citizens. We want you to help with that."

Kaede let out a snort. "Why should I believe you?"

Nervously, Abe said, "Come see for yourself. We let Eddie take Go to see how she will do outside the facility. Surely that should convince you we are sincere."

"A fisherman uses what looks like a live bait to catch fish," Kaede retorted. "Go is identical to Nana In mannerisms and looks. Nana was originally let out of the facility to try and recapture me. Now, you send Go. We're not fish to be reeled in."

Abe struggled a bit then said, "I had no idea Go and Nana looked alike. I've never seen Nana. You truly do not trust me at all."

In a heavy tone, Kaede said, "Trusting you humans got me put into that hell hole to begin with! The promise of saving my friend's life if I surrendered? A LIE! Letting me know they killed another baby like me, just another way to torment me. So, explain to me, WHY I should trust you now."

"I'm not like those men!" Abe pleaded. "Any of those people who were there before I took over, I released them and brought in a whole new staff. I want to correct what they did to you and the others! Kaede, I've heard what you've been doing for our country. I in no way, want to put you or Nana back in there. I want to get more of those girls out so they can live decent lives. Right now they are too wild to let them go."

Kaede snorted again. "We shall see. I will give you ONE chance to prove yourself. If you fail, then I will destroy that place, all the humans in it and take all the others like me with me when I go. Understood?"

Abe swallowed. "Yes, understood. I assure you, I am being completely honest with you."

"You better be," Kaede said in a low growl. She then got up and left.

Abe let out a sigh of relief and sagged down.

"Kaede can be a little intense," Eddie offered.

"You're telling me," Abe said weakly. "For a moment, I thought she was going to kill me."

Eddie offered, "Kaede had a talk with Venom a while back. She doesn't kill now unless she has to. If she thinks you're a bad guy though, well, you'll be splatter burger on the ground."

"I got that," Abe agreed.

"And see what you can find out about Nana and Go. I'd like an answer and I think Kaede really wants one."

Their food came, but somehow Abe wasn't hungry any more.

.

Kaede thought about going to that facility all the way home. She's watched Abe closely. He'd been too shocked to lie to her, and he did sound scared, but sincere. Still she didn't want to go there and be dependent on him or any of his minions for a ride there and back on a helicopter. If something did go bad, she wanted to be able to leave without their help.

She also remembered Go had talked about a Ku there who didn't want to deal with any more humans, so she stayed in her rooms. Kaede was sure that was because Ku felt fairly safe there. After being chained to a wall naked, Ku was probably relieved to be able to have some peace, undisturbed and didn't want to endanger that. If she could convince Ku to leave with her, then she could at least save one more of her kind.

She also figured out how to get there and back with no help from any of those people. Nana's boat, and Nana loved to take boat rides.

.

When everyone got home for the day, Kaede gathered the family and told them her plan.

"Eddie, let Abe know I will come to the island. I am also taking Nana and Go with me. We're going on Nana's boat. Only you, Nana and Go will be coming. Before we get to the island, I want to borrow Venom also. This Abe might be sincere, but until I am satisfied this isn't a trap, I want to be ready."

"Want to take Bill along for video proof?" Eddie asked.

"No. You'll be the only human allowed to come. This is going to be a Diclonius cruise. I'm going to try to coax Ku to come with us. She won't come if we have any other humans besides you with us. Eddie, you'll be staying with the boat."

"Saturday then?" Eddie asked.

Kaede turned to Nana and Go, who sat side by side. "Go, Nana, that OK with you two?"

"It is!" Nana agreed happily. "Go, you're going to love Nana's boat!"

Go nodded eagerly.

"I'll go call Abe and let him know," Eddie said and got up.

.

Abe agreed to let them come by water to the island. He knew Kaede was wary about them, so he let Eddie know there would be a dock ready for them on Saturday. He just hoped everything turned out right. He needed Kaede's help.

That night, Eddie found a way to tell Nana and Go apart. Bust size. Nana was a little larger endowed than Go was, mostly due to Go being younger. As last night, they both crawled in bad naked with him. Nana was also set on showing Go how to have the best time with Eddie.

Excited sex with Nana and Go. Eddie was real tired by the time they were both satisfied and got their back rubs to finally go to sleep.

.

Saturday morning Eddie, Nana, Kaede and Go went down to the marina. Eddie stopped by the office to register the float plan while Nana clasped Go's hand and hurried down the dock to show Go Nana's boat. Kaede walked behind them, watching the Go fawn over the boat, then Go and Nana jumped over onto the boat as Nana loudly and happily told Go about her boat. Kaede had to grin at their enthusiasm. She was glad they were happy. Unlike the hyper girls, Kaede just stepped over onto the boat.

Eddie came down to find they were all in the pilot house, Nana explaining all the controls and monitors to Go. Kaede watched them patiently. Seeing Eddie come in, Kaede told him, "I'm going to need Venom when we go onto that island. Stay with the boat, engines idling just in case we need to make a fast get-away."

"We ready to leave?" Nana asked eagerly.

Eddie nodded. "All set. Kaede and I will untie us."

Nana beamed at Go, "Follow me up to the bridge, that's where we leave the dock and come in, so we can see the whole boat when we're moving it." The pair ran out and scurried up the ladder.

Eddie got the front line, Kaede got the aft one. Jabbering about what she was doing, Nana backed away from the dock and headed them out of the harbor. Eddie didn't think it took THAT much explaining, but Go listened intently as Nana rattled on.

Motoring on, Nana called out when the island was in sight. On the back deck, Kaede extended her hand to Eddie.

"You two behave yourselves," Eddie said and clasped her hand. Their hands darkened as Venom flowed from Eddie into Kaede.

"Just be ready to get out of there if things go bad," Kaede replied.

.

Abe and two men saw the big boat coming and were waiting on the dock as it came closer. Abe had a briefcase with what he learned about Nana and Go. He saw Go up on the bridge as they got closer. The girl with her that looked like a mirror image of her had to be Nana. Kaede appeared from inside the boat and came up towards the front of the boat to grab up a mooring line. On the back, Eddie had another mooring line.

The boat smoothly moved up to the dock and stopped. The line Kaede had flew over and caught a cleat on the dock, then wrapped itself onto a cleat on the boat. In the back, Eddie threw his over, it missed. Abe had one of the guards with him go help Eddie tie up. Go and Nana came down from the bridge. They all met near the back deck.

Abe lifted the briefcase and opened it to pull out papers to hand them to Eddie. "I have the information on Nana. It seems that they were experimenting with cloning. The government banned any attempt to clone humans, but the people here wanted to see if it worked. They used the DNA from Nana in their experiments since Nana wasn't truly human. They did make a successful clone, which is Go."

"Why?" Kaede asked in a hard tone.

Abe shrugged. "Attempting to clone a human was illegal, so they used a Diclonius. Even if it failed, no one would ever know, or so they thought."

"Go is a clone?" Go asked.

"Go is another Nana," Eddie said. "That would explain a lot."

Nana looked at Go, then Eddie. "But Nana is Nana and Go is Go," she said, sounding confused.

"Think of it as Go is your twin sister, Nana," Eddie offered.

"Yes!" Go happily cried, "Nana is Go's sister!" They beamed each other big smiles.

Kaede was happy for Nana and Go, but she had more important things to do here. "Abe, show me what you are doing here now."

"Yes, or course. This way," Abe offered and lead the trio of Diclonius down the dock.

Kaede eyed the men walking to the sides of them.

'I'm watching them. They have tasers. Tasers won't work on me,' Venom thought to her.

Abe asked, "Just curious Kaede, but did you rent that boat?"

"It's Nana's boat," Nana announced. "Eddie named it Nana's Joy, and it is!"

Abe was surprised to hear this. He looked back at the yacht they came in. "It's your boat, Nana?"

"It is! Nana really likes her boat."

"That must have cost a fortune," Abe said vacantly.

"Not your business," Kaede stated flatly.

Abe let it go.

Going inside, Kaede noted guards were here, but no one was pulling guns. Abe showed Kaede the old, unused vaults, and the large 'community' vault that five Diclonius girls shared. Inside there were seperate rooms with doors. At the moment three of the girls were out in a common area. One was snacking, the other two had a ball. One bounced it off a wall, the other smacked it back into the wall.

"It's a game they made up," Abe explained. "They seem to be fine as long as we don't go in there. They don't talk to us, just each other. They are given whatever food and drink they ask for."

"I want to talk to them," Kaede stated.

Abe waved to the stairway up to the doors. "Right this way."

The small room before the community room held a mike, a long snot where trays were slid into the room, and a door. Kaede motioned to the door and said, "Open it."

The guard in the room said, "We can't, it's locked from the inside."

'Allow me,'Venom thought. Kaede walked to the door. She raised her hand at the door. A black tentacle came out of her hand and broke the door open.

The three girls visible all spun in place, and watched Kaede come in. Shutting the door behind her, she called, "Get the other two out here, we need to talk."

The girl with pale pink, nearly white hair asked, "Who are you!"

"Kaede. I know things you need to hear."

"You're one of us?" a pink haired girl asked as she stared at Kaede.

"I am. There's two more of you, right?"

The third girl, who looked a little older, pointed at the window. "There's two more in that room."

"Yes, Nana and Go. Would you like to meet them?" Kaede asked.

"Sure!"

Kaede turned and motioned. Loudly she said, "Nana, Go, come in here."

A fourth girl peeked out of her room. "What's going on?" She then stared at Kaede.

"Come out, it's safe. I just want to talk to you," Kaede explained.

The fifth girl was napping. She wasn't pleased about being woken up, but came out frowning. "Is this important?" she asked.

"It is," Kaede told her. "Nana, tell them about your boat."

Nana happily told about her boat that they went places with. Go agreed and added that's how they got here. "And we're going to leave the same way!" Go cheered.

Go then told them about the Maple Inn where Kaede and Nana lived and about the nice humans who lived there.

"You live with humans?" the purple haired girl asked in wide eyed disbelief. "You eat at the same table and … sleep with them?"

"We do!" Nana said. "Eddie is real nice to Nana, and now to Go. We have a fun time there."

"I don't believe it," the pale pink haired girl said. "Human hurt us, they always have."

"Here, they did," Kaede agreed. "I escaped this place years ago. "Nana and I now have a nice home and friends. We go places and do things. The stupid humans here are the ones with guns and do things to hurt you. Away from this place, they are different. You can spend your lives outside this enclosed room. That is, if you want."

"Kaede," the slightly taller pink haired girl said. "As long as we stay in here, the humans don't bother us. Why should we risk getting shocked and chained up again?"

"To learn and be free of this place," Kaede said firmly. "It makes my skin crawl just being back here. If I can convince any of you to come and teach you how to live free and be around humans with no worries, then it's worth it."

The taller pink haired girl asked, "How do we know you're telling us the truth?"

Kaede snorted. "Why would I lie to my own kind? How about this, one of you come with me. Just one. I will bring her back later, say in a few days and let her tell you what she experiences."

They all looked at each other. Mind hands came out and touched together. The mind hands retracted. The taller pink haired girl said, "I am called Hachi. I will go with you to see what the truth is."

Kaede nodded. "Then come, Hachi, and I will show you. No humans will hurt you as long as you don't hurt anyone else. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Then let's get out of here."

Kaede led Nana, Go and Hachi to the door. She opened it to see three guards with their pistols up. Frowning at them, she said, "You shoot, you die."

Abe quickly added, "Guards! Put your weapons down and let them go. NOW!"

"We were told they cannot leave the enclosure."

"I am telling you this group can!" Abe barked. "Allow them to leave or you're fired!"

The guards lowered their guns. Kaede walked past them. Nana and Go each held one of Hachi's hands and led her out.

"It's OK, Hachi, you can come with us," Nana said.

Hachi eyed the guards. "I don't want to be shocked any more."

"You won't be, or Kaede will kill them," Nana assured her.

Hachie still eyed the guards warily as Nana and Go led her out. Ahead of them Kaede walked by Abe, a pair of guards in front of them.

"They can't shock Kaede?" Hachi asked.

Nana whispered, "Kaede has Venom, they don't."

"What's Venom?"

Nana giggled. "You may see soon unless the humans here cooperate with Kaede."

Coming to another enclosure, it opened. It was Ku's enclosure. Abe told the guards to let Kaede in and if Ku wanted to go with her, she could.

Kaede said, "Nana, stay just outside the doors."

Nana did. Go stayed with Nana. Kaede figured that would be fine. Hachi did wander in with Kaede.

Ku was in her room, so Kaede went up and knocked on the door. "Ku! Come out please."

The door cracked open, Ku stuck her head out. "Kaede, right? You feel a bit different."

Kaede smiled. "I came expecting trouble. Would you take a boat ride with us?"

"What's that?"

"It's fun, but you're going to have to leave this vault." Kaede explained. "As long as you don't try to hurt anyone, no one will be allowed to hurt you. So, would you like to see Nana's boat?"

"Any humans on this boat?"

"One, Eddie, Nana's boyfriend. You have nothing to fear from him." Kaede stated.

"I'm Hachi, I'm going to see what Kaede has."

Ku nodded. "You promise nothing will happen to us?"

"Promise, get some clothes on. I want to get out of this place," Kaede told her.

Ku nodded and went inside. A moment later she emerged wearing a long T-shirt.

Good enough, Kaede thought. "This way."

Abe was standing just inside the vault doors. The relief guard was coming. Seeing the doors open and Diclonius coming out, they pulled their pistols and shot. Just as fast, Tentacles shot out from Kaede and grabbed the darts, making them spark. Kaede also grabbed both men with her mind arms and wrapped them up. Venom came out in his 'female' form.

Walking up to the wide eyed guards, Venomette glared down on them. "Do you really want to get eaten?" she growled.

"STOP!" Abe cried. He ran up to the side of the thing Kaede had turned into, ensuring he didn't get close. "Please forgive them! They are the new guards, they didn't know!"

"That is your fault!" Venomette snapped. "One more guard attempts to shoot at any of us and I bring this place down around your ears! Do you feel me?"

"Yes, yes!" Abe cried in squeaks. "So sorry, let me go first so this doesn't happen again!"

Venomette threw the men into the far wall, then retracted back into Kaede. Kaede eyed Abe and said, "There will be no more warnings."

"Yes, I know," he agreed quickly. "Follow me and please, stay behind me."

"Wow," Ku and Hachie both said vacantly as they stared at Kaede.

"That's Venom," Nana said with a grin.

Ku giggled. "That was awesome!"

Hachi grew and evil grin. "Kaede can stop the shocks. They can't hurt her."

Hearing her, Kaede turned to her. "That's right, but you still must behave. Give them no reason to try to hurt you. Follow me."

"I will, anywhere!" Hachi said with a grin.

"Yeah," Ku agreed.

In their procession back out, Abe sent word ahead that no guard was to attempt to stop them or even pull their pistols.

Getting out to the boat, Eddie was up on the bridge. He called down, "Kaede everything go all right?"

"Mostly. Nana, get the aft line, I'll get the forward one. Everyone, get on."

.

Like Go had been, Ku and Hachi standing on the front deck with Nana and Go, were stunned by what they were seeing. Nana pointed out things like the hills they were seeing and as they came closer to land, the houses, beaches and the plane she saw.

Getting close to noon, Kaede made the girls lunch and coaxed them into the lounge. Nana took Eddie's up to him. Hachi asked, "Kaede, you could have killed those men who shot at us. Why didn't you?"

Kaede explained. "First bit of wisdom. A scared human is better than a dead one. You kill only if you have to. Scare them and they will tell others of your power and leave you alone. Second bit of wisdom, most humans don't care what you are. Treat them decently, they treat you decently. Most humans are not gun-toting Bakas like on that island."

"And you might get a boyfriend too!" Nana chimed.

"Yeah!" Go agreed heartily. "That was really fun last night with Eddie, wasn't it Nana?"

"Boyfriend?"

"NO details, please," Kaede said firmly.

Nana raised a finger and said, "A boyfriend, or husband does private things with you and makes you feel REALLY good!"

Go nodded vigorously.

Kaede grumbled, "And you aren't suppose to tell what it is you do together. Girls, a boyfriend is a guy who likes you and wants to spend time with you. If you really like each other and want to stay together for a long time, then your boyfriend will marry you and become your husband."

"Like Eddie and Nana will!" Nana beamed.

"We know, Nana," Kaede said.

Go asked, "Nana, can Go be married to Eddie too? He's really nice to us."

"We'll ask Eddie after lunch," Nana replied.

"Goodie!"

Hachi eyed the pair. "I think being out can get complicated."

"It is fun. We've seen things we never knew existed," Ku told her. "I'm liking this boat ride. Can we see where you live?"

Kaede frowned. "Not this trip. This is just to let you know there is an outside world off that island. I want you both to think about what could be. I will agree, some humans deserve hate, but not all of them. Hachi, I'm going to want you to explain that to the rest of your friends."

Hachi nodded with a frown. "That's not going to be easy."

"Going back to that island that treated me so terribly wasn't easy. I did it for you and your friends so you also have a chance to live a good life," Kaede countered.

Venom then popped out from behind Kaede's shoulder. "I'm getting hungry."

Kaede lifted up half her fish that had the head still on it. Venom ate it with a "Thanks" and pulled back into her.

"Was that what you turned into?" Ku asked.

"Yes, that's Venom. A symbiote."

"That's awesome," Hachi said with a grin. "Can I have one?"

"He's the only one. I'm borrowing him from Eddie."

"Darn."

After lunch, they were coming up on Endoshima island. Eddie drove them around it, then went to the beaches to show them that. After that, Eddie headed back for the island.

Seeing they were getting close, Ku grabbed Kaede's hand. "Kaede, I don't want to go back. I want to stay with you."

"Allright, as long as you behave," Kaede assured her.

Hachi frowned. "I do have to go back, don't I? I have to tell the others about today."

"You do, and it is very good of you to do so," Kaede told her.

"They are my friends," Hachi stated. "Kaede will you take me back? I feel safe with you."

"I will. In a couple days, I'll come back to see of anyone else wants a boat ride."

They arrived back at the island. This time it was only Kaede and Hachi who got off to meet Abe. On their way back in, Kaede told Abe that Ku wanted to stay with them, so she was going to give it a try. He agreed, so long as she kept him updated on how Ku was doing.

.

Abe made another decision as he watched Hachi tell the rest of the girls about her trip, and asked them to think about coming along with her next time. Kaede was doing good with them so he decided to ask if she wanted to be on the payroll as a trainer, lower executive salary.

.

When they docked, Naha made sure Go and Ku had straw hats on like her and Kaede. While Go walked beside Nana, Ku stuck to Kaede's side as they made their way back to the Maple Inn. Eddie walked on the other side of Nana.

"There's lot of humans here," Ku whispered nervously to Kaede.

"Don't see any with a gun, do you?' Kaede asked.

Ku looked around. "Over there," she said pointing to a pair of policemen on the corner.

"Those are police. They're the ones who keep the peace and arrest bad people to get them off the streets. As long as you don't do anything bad or hurt anyone they won't bother you. If anything, they will help you if you're in trouble."

"Really?"

Kaede nodded. She made a point to stop by them. "Sirs, do you know where Chin's market is?"

The one on the left pointed down the street and said, "Yes, go down five more blocks and turn right. It's halfway down that next block."

Kaede bowed. "Thank you, sir."

He returned her bow. "Any time."

Ku stared at Kaede as they left. "Not only did you talk to him, he helped you," she said in awe.

"That's what police do. They help people." Kaede assure her.

By the time they got to the Maple Inn, Ku was looking a little less nervous. Walking in front with Ku, Kaede opened the gate to let them in. "This is where we live."

Ku looked up at the large wooden building. "Your vaults and rooms are in there?"

Nana chuckled. "Ku! There are no vaults here, just our rooms."

"Yeah, Ku. The whole thing is ours, not just your room!" Go announced.

They got up to the door and it opened. On the other side was Bill, holding his camera. "Eddie, we gotta go, there's a hostage crisis up in Yokohama!"

Ku braced herself. Nana and Go only frowned at him.

"But Eddie just got back home!" Nana cried.

Bill shrugged. "Sorry. Excuse me," he said and walked past them.

With a huff Eddie said, "Sorry Nana, I gotta go."

Quietly, Kaede said, "Ku, put your arms away, Bill's not going to hurt us."

"He scared me," Ku replied meekly as she watched Eddie walk out the gate with Bill. "What's that thing he has?"

"It's a camera for taking video, nothing to be scared of" Nana explained.

"There is nothing to be scared of here," Kaede told her.