Aguri's half dead when he finds her.

To say Kotaro Yanagisawa's life has gone to shit in a very short time is an understatement.

Aguri's life, however, is in even worse condition. It's hard to tell how much of the blood surrounding them is coming from her, and how much is his, but at the very least he's breathing, which she can't quite say.

He turns her over and feels for a wound. What he finds is sticky, wet, and distinctly tentacle shaped.

The test subject's sick grin echoes in his mind.

That fucking maniac!

Why hadn't the dumb bitch just listened to him!? He'd known what they were dealing with... but she hadn't cared. Now look at her! She's so pale... so limp. He can hardly stand to look at her! It's disgusting!

Shaking, he reaches out to search for the pulse he knows he won't find. And as he feels his blood boil, something rolls over in the rubble.

He darts for it instinctively, breaths shallow as he clutches it tight in his palm.

...A vial of Antimatter.

The plan had been flawless. He'd thought each and every detail through in his perfect experiment… every detail short of their insolence! Just when things were going seamlessly, they'd had to sabotage it. There go his dreams! His pride! All because of a fucking psychopath and that insolent bitch.

(...There goes his woman.)

He clenches his fist so tight it shakes. He's growing lightheaded with bloodloss.

He'll get him. He'll get him. If it's the last thing he fucking does, he'll wreak vengeance on that sick bastard for daring to defy him... for daring to lay a finger on his perfect life...! On his Aguri Yukimura!

...He wonders if she'd finally gotten it on her deathbed... if she'd finally understood just what she'd been dealing with. Had he grinned? Had he laughed? Had she realized she'd been taken for a fool!? And had she begged for the help he'd never have offered? Just how hard had she cried?

Her sickly-pale face offers no answers. He doesn't know whether to feel vindicated or sick.

Sirens are blaring and the smell of burnt metal scorches his nose. 'Help' is on its way, but he knows full well they won't offer a single smidgeon of usefulness in amending what he's lost tonight. He begins to stumble to his feet.

...That's when she twitches.

He collapses to the floor, reaching out to claw at her... to grasp onto something- anything. He claps her wrist tight, so ravenous and desperate to hope for a miracle that his very body seems to scream 'Give it back! Give it back!'

...And even as her pulse eludes him, he comes to process just what he's clutching beside her arm.

His Antimatter.

The sirens draw closer and closer... shriller and shriller. His ears ring and his head pounds. Blood trickles down his cheek.

They'll take her away. The police. The doctors. Her needy family. He'll kick and scream and they'll rip her away for good.

They'll blame him... the authorities, the coroner, the little sister. They'll stare at him with those wide eyes, and try to skew the blame. But he knows the truth! OH, he knows the truth! It was all on that sick fuck! He'd felt the need to make one last low blow. Because destroying his dreams wasn't enough... he'd had to take his love! His reputation! Frame him as a criminal! A murderer!

The sirens shriek. His head spins and his ears ring. What will they find!? What will they find!?

He hadn't done it! Give it back! Give it back!

He scrambles for a needle... something- anything to stop it from leaving... stop her from leaving. Panicked... disorganized... desperate, his heart thumps in his chest as he seizes the syringe.

There's shouting in the distance. Bright lights. He's going to pass out.

Shit! Shit! He's running out of time!

He hurriedly empties the vial into the syringe and stabs the needle into the site of her wound. Flesh bubbles and pulsates, and he swears he hears a gasp for life.

That's the only confirmation he needs. He half-laughs, half-chokes and heaves her over his shoulder. He scrambles to his feet and runs across the facility for dear life. Head pounding, and ready to keel over, but with a faint sputtering echoing from behind him.

...Perhaps it's not too late for his dignity after all.


Aguri wakes up to bright white.

The first thing she notices is the white.

The second thing she notices is her body ache.

The third thing she notices is that she's dead.

Or, well, she's supposed to be.

'What… What had happened?'

Alarms blare in her mind as she struggles to piece it together. The… the moon... the moon had exploded. The... Reaper was going to explode, too. But he left. He escaped. He was going to hurt people.

She smells blood. Why does she smell blood?

He… he had hurt people. Screaming. Loud screaming. The collapse of the building. That's the blood. But… she'd… she'd stopped him. She'd held him tight, and begged him to stay.

No, wait - The blood's hers. R… right? A… a sharp pain in her gut. Something had pierced her. Hadn't processed what, just that it hadn't been the Reaper. She knows that for certain. S… something in the building.

She'd… she'd been choking on her own blood... couldn't breathe, couldn't see. Still can't see... vision's too blurry.

...Something's standing over her. Someone's definitely standing over her. She's on the ground. What happened?

She… she'd died. She knows that. She'd known she was going to die. Too much blood: sticky, vile. The Reaper had known, too... crawled towards her on his knees... ever so gently pulled her into his arms... begged and pleaded, 'Please don't die.' 'I didn't mean to.' 'I'm sorry.' 'Tell me what I can do.'

The… the kids. She'd told him to take care of the kids. W- where are the kids!? Where's the Reaper!? Where's she!? She's… she's not alive, is she? This… this isn't… this isn't the hospital. Is… is this what death feels like?

No. No way. Her gut is screaming. Her veins are on fire. She's going to throw up.

"You're awake!" A familiar voice exclaims, and she can just barely make out a delirious grin.

Oh my god. It's-

"Kotaro?" She rasps. Her voice is louder than she'd anticipated... like she hadn't expected anything to come out at all.

"Indeed."

Her vision's beginning to clear by now. But it makes no more sense. They're… they're in the Reaper's room, at least she thinks so.

T... The Reaper-!

She bolts to her feet... feels a sharp tearing pain in her gut and shrieks. Yanagisawa quickly pushes her back down to her feet.

"Don't stand," he commands.

Aguri has to hold back tears. She sputters for air and claps at her stomach. She can't see what happened... it's covered. She's in patients' gowns. Why?

She shakily reaches for her shirt and pulls it up just slightly. What she sees makes her feel ill. She's… she's certainly been impaled, that much is true. The half-closed, half-healed wound throbs... and not just in pain, but with life. Viscera and muscle tissue barely attempting to hold together her ravaged flesh, and discolored, sickly skin raised around the site of the injury, it writhes... her skin and muscle bubbling and twitching, as if trying to tear away from her body.

She's… she's seen this before.

Her veins. Why are her veins on fire!?

Yanagisawa kneels down... firmly lowers her hand, and then her shirt.

"Don't do that, either. It's still healing."

She stares at him... stares through him. He's disheveled, injured, grinning. S… something happened to him- his eye, but she can't focus on it. Can't focus on him. She thinks she's going to throw up.

"W… what happened!?" She demands. "W- where is he?"

Yanagisawa's lip twitches. And all at once, his demeanor goes dark. He stares at her with a venomous, disillusioned gaze.

"What happened?" He repeats, voice low. "Are you telling me you don't know?"

"I… I…-" Aguri's words catch in her throat. "...The moon! It blew up! And then Reaper! He-"

"Killed you!" Yanagisawa interrupts. Voice raised… fist trembling he repeats, "He killed you."

"He… he…-" Aguri wants to argue, but she just can't find the words. Yanagisawa's tone terrifies her... and besides, she can hardly even focus. Her head is swimming.

She reaches out to clutch at her temple.

"As for what happened afterwards," Yanagisawa continues. "I saved you. I brought you back from the brink of death. And although I must apologize for what I had to do…" There's a sudden sinister undertone to his words. "I have the feeling you'll come to appreciate it in due time."

Aguri's head spins. And all at once her worst fears are confirmed.

"That stuff," she says. "You put it in me-"

"I saved you!" Yanagisawa snaps. "You should be thankful!"

No. No. Nononono. Aguri's thoughts race as she thinks about Reaper keeled over on the lab floor. She tries to scoot backwards but only finds wall. And as her veins burn and her head pounds, her stomach pulses... pulses... pulses.

"I… I can't… oh god. Oh god-"

Yanagisawa's gaze looks almost sympathetic for a moment, but soon hardens.

"Stop whining," he says. "You're alive. You should be thankful for that much. And as for your killer…" his teeth grit. "Well, we'll take care of that. I promise you, Yukimura. We'll take care of that."

His whole body trembles as he speaks. All the same… he just doesn't strike her as afraid. Maybe it's the shock speaking… but he looks manic, almost: knuckles a pale white and jaw tightly clenched. He reaches out to cup her by the cheek.

Aguri pulls back, almost on instinct. And trembling, too, she whispers "No. Nononono. Just listen to me, Kotaro. This is all a big misunderstanding. He didn't do any of that-"

Yanagisawa pauses, but doesn't speak. Instead, staring at her with one big wide eye, he lets his hand hover in midair.

...A moment of silence.

"He… he didn't mean to!" Aguri chokes. "He didn't mean to hurt me. I mean he didn't, even! He tried to protect me! It was something in the building that did this! Not him! Not him!" Her breath hitches. "One of the tentacle mines or something. I don't know. It was all so fast. But he didn't try to hurt me… I swear! This was- this was my fault, really! He was worried for me!"

She's desperate. She's not sure what it is but something about Yanagisawa's words petrify her. She can't let him think about Reaper that way. It wasn't his fault! It wasn't! Please! Don't hurt him!

She sends him a pleading look, but Yanagisawa's expression only seems to twist. Staring down at her he says "Oh. And so he didn't kill you," disgusted, almost. "Forgive me for assuming considering he killed EVERYONE IN THE LAB!"

His last words are a scream… said so loudly the lab walls seem to shake. Aguri's hands drift to cover her gut.

"No," she says. "He wouldn't…- he couldn't h- no. Nonononono. Tell me it's not true."

Yanagisawa's words are said so genuinely. But she still can't believe it. She won't! He wouldn't! He wouldn't!

"Oh, but he did," Yanagisawa says. "You saw it yourself! Don't tell me you didn't hear the screams!"

No. Nononononono. NO!

"T… Tanaka. Nakagawa. Fujiwawa. Someone… someone has to be okay. You can't mean that everyone… everyone's-"

She can't even say it. She refuses to. She won't believe it! That they're…-

"Dead. Everyone is dead," Yanagisawa says. "Seventy-five percent of the lab is dead and the other twenty-five is in critical condition! Look around you! Look at the state of the place! Don't tell me you're in denial!"

And slowly… Aguri's gaze drifts. Debris everywhere… the strong scent of drywall. The place looks like a crime scene... and it is. Her breath starts to hitch… and a tear spills down her cheek.

No. No. No! Anything but this!

"We are the only two survivors," Yanagisawa says. "And look what's become of us!" He points accusatorily towards her… then back towards himself. It's only then that she processes the bandages wrapped tight 'round his face and hears a horrific shriek in her mind. His eye. It's… it's…-

...Gone.

Even so, he somehow manages to look at her with such hatred.

"Of course you think he didn't kill you. But he did. He did. He killed you and he reveled in it! Have you forgotten that he's a master manipulator!? You've fallen prey to his charms, Yukimura! But I'm smarter than that... ohhhhh yes I am!" He's started to pace. "And I know what he did to you. I know what his intent was."

"N… no-" Aguri whispers, almost too quiet to hear. She doesn't believe a word of that... about manipulation, but she can recall the bloodshed… oh god the bloodshed. All at once, it comes back to her. She'd… she'd seen some of it from the observation room… the horrible things The Reaper had done... guts strewn across the floor and a maniacal cackling. He'd seemed so gleeful. But The Reaper who'd looked at her as she died... he didn't… he didn't look like that.

A mistake… that's all. One he can't take back... one he'll never fix, but he's not like that... not really. And as she starts to weep her whole body quakes… heart aching intensely for both her coworkers and for her friend.

'Where is he right now?' She wonders, desperate. ' What is he feeling?'

"I'll avenge us, though," Yanagisawa says, ignoring her tears. "I'll help us get revenge. Restore my legacy! Your dignity! Mark my words… I won't rest until I do. But you have to listen to me. Leave this dream world of yours behind. It's time to kill the beast."

"W-what!?" Aguri sputters. "No!"

"Listen to yourself!" Yanagisawa growls. "Why won't you wrap your brain around it already? He doesn't give a shit about you. You're a tool to him! But you can become so much more than that… yes. You can become so much more."

He stops… turns back to face her… and stares her down with that singular pale eye. There's a surprisingly predatory look to his gaze: hungry, almost. And ambitious in the most frightening way.

"You already have Antimatter flowering through your veins. If I can continue to experiment on you then surely I can create something even stronger than my first beast... s omething strong enough to put him in his place!"

Aguri's whole body goes rigid.

"You don't mean… you don't mean-"

"You could become akin to a god! All you have to do is believe in me! Don't tell me you don't see it! The potential! We can be the ones to put him down! "

There's a raggedness to his tone… an intense sort of conviction. But all the same, it just frightens Aguri. No! No! She won't take part in any such thing! She knows Reaper didn't mean to hurt her, and she won't hurt him! Besides…

Her stomach churns at the very thought of suffering like he'd suffered.

Putting on her very best brave face she says "No. Absolutely not. I…- you know I can't participate in that kind of thing, Kotaro. Thank you for saving me, but you need to let me out of here right now. I need to talk to him. I need to find out why this happened-"

Yanagisawa's quiet for a long moment. Then his eye narrows… and as his shoulder starts to twitch he says. "The answer's no. Of course the answer's no."

"This isn't right, Yanagisawa," Aguri repeats, looking him in the eye. "It's not safe, it's not moral, it's not anything! I love you, I really do. But I can't just-"

"No. You don't." Yanagisawa's interjects, voice dripping with venom. It's hot embers and ice cold all at once. "You don't love me. You love the monster, and you always have... the monster you should give no shits about... the monster who's never loved you back... and the monster who you let escape. This is all your fault, really..."

His anger is building. He walks her way, footsteps heavy and fist clenched.

"You told him what was happening. You told him we were going to kill him. And why? Because you treasured a single serial killer over the entire human race? Now he's out there! And he's getting stronger! You're the one who led him to kill your coworkers. You're the one who led him to kill you! And you're the one who led him to take my eye. For what!?"

"Because you're soft? Because you're lonely? Because you're idiotic? Or perhaps because of all of the above? I have done everything for you... I have fought so hard to get you where you are... and you destroyed all of my dreams just because you're a stupid, cheating whore. I can't believe it! I'm being generous to you, really."

"I saved your life! I offered to let you help me! But you're too above even that, aren't you!? Even THIS is too difficult for you. Why? Why?"

His expression twists. And he seems to loom over her. Aguri tries to stumble to her feet but her whole body screams. And as she backs against the wall she whispers:

"I am not going to hurt anyone, Kotaro. It's that simple. I'm sorry."

"No. You're not," Yanagisawa growls. "You have never been sorry for a single thing you've done to me! I heard you confess to The Reaper, woman. You have never loved me. You have never given a shit about how I felt. Was I not good enough for you? Was that it?"

"No!" Aguri replies, voice hoarse. "That's not it!" It's hard to think through the pain, but she needs to explain herself… she has to! "It's just… it's just… he was so nice to me, you know?"

"AND I WASN'T!?"

And Yanagisawa swipes her up by her collar. Aguri lets out a shriek as she's hoisted to her feet. Tearing up, she shakes her head rapidly.

"No-! No! It's not- of course not! It's just… it was arranged, and-" she sputters for breath. "You never seemed happy with me. It was only natural for me to-"

"I'VE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING! I'M SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU EVER DESERVED! AND YOU REPAY ME WITH THIS!? THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT YOUR FIANCE!?"

"I'm sorry!" Aguri cries. "I'm sorry! Just let go of me, please! It hurts!"

She doesn't even know how to describe it. It's like nothing she's ever felt before. Veins alight and stomach pulsing, her whole body feels on fire. As he pulls her in closer she's not sure whether to cry or throw up.

"You think you're hurting!?" Yanagisawa snarls. "What about me!? What about how you're making ME feel!? HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT!?"

"I'm sorry!" Aguri repeats. "Please! Pleasepleaseplease! Just put me down! I'm begging you!"

Her voice is a shriek, but he doesn't listen to her... not until he knocks her back against the wall and she lets out an ear-splitting scream. Covering her head with her hands she quivers and sobs.

Slowly… he lets go of her collar and lets her slide down to the ground. She lets out a whimper as she hits the lab floor.

He watches her, silent as she sobs. Then, finally, lip curled, he whispers, voice trembling:

"And so this is it? You're done?"

It's a surprisingly detached question. All the same, Aguri can't help but detect the threat behind it. He's staring at her, expressionless, but with a fire behind his eyes.

She's scared, almost, to answer. Her whole body's throbbing and the last thing she needs right now is to make him even more angry. But every alarm bell in her head is going off and she knows if she stays here a second longer she'll be in grave danger. His predatory gaze says too much… and something vile flows through her veins. Her every instinct begging her to run she knows one thing and one thing only:

She needs to get out of here. Now.

Slowly… she stumbles to her feet. She leans against the wall for support, letting out raggedy, short breaths as her knees start to shake. And then… nodding quietly, she looks across the room to meet his gaze.

"It has to be," she says softly. "We…" her head starts to spin. "...I think we want different things."

She takes one step towards the doorway- just about throws up as she does. Her vision's starting to blur, but she can't give up. Not yet.

"Thank you for saving me. I mean that, genuinely. I think… you're a good person. And I think… you can be happy one day. But not with me. You… you need help, Kotaro. And I can't…- it's not something I can offer. People like us… we weren't ever meant for each other. I mean… you never even liked me. We couldn't- we shouldn't have…- "

It's hard to breathe. It's hard to even think. But he's staring at her so intensely. She knows she needs to say something. Now.

"...This wasn't fun for either of us. And I know… you didn't really want it, either. You can… you can find people who are better for you. But I need to go now. I need to end this. I… I feel really scared right now, and…-" her voice catches in her throat. "...I don't want any part in this. Please."

For a second she thinks maybe he'll listen to her. He stares… quietly, as she stumbles towards the door. But as she reaches out to grab the handle she hears an icy whisper...

"NO. YOU DON'T GET YOUR HAPPY ENDING."

...And all at once her veins go cold.

She's hardly given time to react. Abruptly he reaches out for her and grabs her by the hair. He pulls her in with a merciless scream and throttles her back and forth. Voice a roar... spittle flying, he jerks her head to the side and proclaims, outraged, that she's unearned that right.

"I SAVED YOU!" He snarls. "I'M THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE HERE RIGHT NOW! YOU GOT YOURSELF KILLED AND I BROUGHT YOU BACK! DO I NOT EVEN GET SO MUCH AS A THANKS!? YOU SHOULD OWE ME! I SHOULD OWN YOU!"

It's hard to even process his words. Letting out incoherent screams of her own Aguri desperately tries to tear away and earn some relief from the pain. But it's no use. His grip is simply too tight, and the harder he shakes her the more excruciating her body feels.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU, YOU STUPID BITCH!? I THOUGHT HE'D KILLED YOU! AND HE COULD HAVE KILLED ME, TOO! BUT I SAVED YOU, ANYWAYS! DO YOU KNOW WHY I DID THAT!? BECAUSE I CARED ABOUT YOU! BUT THAT'S NEVER MEANT ANYTHING TO YOU, HAS IT!?"

"Oh god!" Aguri howls. "OH GOD. OH GOD. IT HURTS. LET GO! PLEASE!"

"NO!" Yanagisawa shrieks. "What don't you get about NO!? YOU DON'T GET TO LEAVE HERE!"

Ignoring her pleas he jerks Aguri to the side once more. Her desperation only seeming to make him more violent, he starts to drag her to the center of the room.

"I KNEW IT WOULD COME TO THIS," he rambles. "I KNEW YOU'D DO THIS BUT I GAVE YOU A CHANCE ANYWAY. AND SINCE YOU WON'T TAKE IT THEN WE CAN DO THINGS THE HARD WAY. YOU DON'T WANNA LOVE ME? YOU DON'T WANNA COOPERATE WITH ME? TOO BAD! AND JUST REMEMBER THAT IT'S YOU WHO MADE THINGS COME TO THIS! WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS AS A TEAM! BUT IT'S TOO LATE NOW!"

"YOU WANNA LOVE THE MONSTER?" He asks, slamming her down on the operating table. "THEN YOU CAN LIVE LIKE HIM!"

At once Aguri realizes what's happening. She tries to fight back… kicking her legs wildly, but it's no use. She's simply too weak. He overpowers her. And as he straps her arms… her legs to the table, she screams.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" She begs. "YOU CAN'T!"

"And why not!?" Yanagisawa asks. "You're the reason my last experiment escaped! I think I'm owed a replacement!"

"They'll… they'll come looking for me!" Aguri cries. "My sister! The Reaper! You'll get caught! They-!"

"THINK YOU'RE DEAD!" Yanagisawa interrupts. "They think you're DEAD! No-one is going to come looking for you! I'm the only person who knows you're alive! You're as good as disposable, Yukimura!"

"No. No. Nononono- please! "

Aguri's gasping for breath. But Yanagiawa's already reaching for a vial of Antimatter. And as he empties it into a syringe she sobs.

She tries- desperately- to make an escape… do something, anything! But as hard as she flails it's no use, and as her vision goes bright white as she struggles against her restraints.

"I'll do anything! Please!" She begs as he dawns on her. "Anything but this! I can give it another try! I can say sorry! I can be a good wife! Please! Just don't do this to me!"

She doesn't want to. She doesn't want to more than anything. But she feels the fire run through her veins and wants to projectile vomit. She can't! She can't take it again! Please!

"You sure changed your tune quick," Yanagisawa retorts, his face a sneer. "But I'm afraid no can do. I already gave you your out. And this is what you settled on. You'd best get used to it, Yukimura. Because I am never letting you go."

She doesn't even get the chance to whisper his name before the needle is inserted into her vein. And then… kicking… screaming… her body reignites. She lets out a horrific shriek and starts to writhe… body contorting in unnatural ways as she twists to fight her restraints. And all at once she realizes what she'd felt up until now was nothing… a simple preview of the overwhelming pain. The faint burning… even the sensation of him picking her up by her collar as her stomach screamed… it pales in comparison to this.

She's in hell. This is hell!

She lets out an incoherent howl… tears spilling down her cheeks. She barely even processes it as he removes the needle from her arm, simply wails and attempts to reach out a hand... but it's no use. And as she struggles for raggedy breaths in between the involuntary shrieking he smiles at her. A demonic smile… one that seems to revel in her pain.

"Goodbye, Yukimura." She thinks she hears him say. "I'll be seeing you again soon. But for now… I think I'll leave you to your devices."

"YANAGISAWA!" She tries to cry, vision blurring and throat burning. "KOTARO!" But it's no use. Yanagisawa steps out of the doorway… and giving her one last long look over his shoulder… he scoffs, before slamming the door behind him and leaving her in the lab alone.

Aguri doesn't stop screaming, even long after he's gone.