"Assassin's Creed: Elf Song"
By cdc100
Summary: As a child, Kaede is adopted, and now has a loving family. However, when her new father is kidnapped, she must learn the ways of the Assassins in order to save him.
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fanfiction. Elfen Lied is the property of AEsir Holdings, Madman Entertainment, Studio Arms, Anime Network and Lynn Okamoto. And Assassin's Creed is the property of Ubisoft, Patrice Desilets, Jade Raymond and Corey May. Please support the official releases.
Chapter Six
"Questions"
The next morning, Joe, Kaede and Gendo were finishing their breakfasts, and just as Kaede was about to leave the table, she was stopped by Joe.
"Hey, wait," he said. "You almost forgot something."
He reached down under his chair and retrieved something, which was revealed to be a stack of movies when he set it next to Kaede's empty plate.
"What's that?" asked Kaede, coming back to her seat.
"Your first assignment for my class," said Joe. "Feel free to take it over to Kohta and Yuka's and just enjoy them."
Kaede finally reached her seat and picked up the movies, then shuffled through them.
"Last of the Mohicans, There Will Be Blood, The Crucible, Gangs of New York, My Left Foot, Lincoln…what? A Daniel Day-Lewis marathon?" asked Kaede.
Joe smirked.
"Was he not just the MAN in those?" he asked. "Hands-down, greatest actor in the world."
"And yet, somehow, not your favorite," said Kaede.
"No," said Joe. "That honor belongs to Robert Downey, Jr. Come on, sweetheart, you have to appear in a hell of a lot more movies than that to be my favorite. I'm lucky to see Day-Lewis in a movie in less than three years."
Kaede merely grunted.
"Don't get me wrong," said Joe. "His skill is unquestionable, and for that, I do count him among my favorites. He just isn't in near as many movies as he should be."
"I get it, Dad," said Kaede. "I get it."
Kaede picked up her backpack and slid the movies into it.
"So, how is today going to go?" asked Joe.
"Oh, I just thought I'd meet Kohta, Kanae and Yuka at their place and see what their plans are," said Kaede. "We still have another week before their classes start, and I thought we might end their break with a bang."
Joe looked at her expectantly.
"Don't worry, Dad," said Kaede. "I'll work your class into conversation. They might be interested in the marathon."
"Good," said Joe. "I think Kohta might especially be interested. You said he liked to draw stuff, right?"
"What's your point?" asked Kaede.
"Well, he sounds like an artsy guy," said Joe.
"Really, Dad?" asked Kaede. "Isn't it kind of rude to assume that?"
"Maybe so," said Joe. "But I'm a writer and a huge fan of anime. I like to create things, and I am huge into film, literature, cartoons and comics. Stereotypes may be rude and offensive, Kaede, but they exist for a reason. Remember that."
Kaede shrugged.
"Point taken, I guess," she said. "Still, though."
Kaede opened the door and looked back at Joe.
"I'll see you later, Dad," she said. "Try not to get bored without us."
As if on cue, Gendo followed Kaede out the door, with Kaede shutting it behind him. When the door was shut, Joe looked in the direction of the door and smirked very slightly.
"Oh, I'm not too worried about that," he said.
Before Kaede left her and Joe's property, she considered hailing a cab, but then remembered her four-legged companion and guessed that he probably wouldn't have been allowed on a cab or even a bus unless he was a service animal. With that in mind, she grabbed a spare bicycle that they kept on the property, and had Gendo follow her as she rode toward Kaede House.
"Stay on the sidewalk, buddy," she said.
Gendo barked in agreement and continued to run after Kaede until they finally reached Kohta's place.
She locked her bicycle to one of the posts on the porch upon her arrival, and gently knocked on the door while Gendo stopped to catch his breath. Gendo came up to join her just as the door opened.
"Hi, Yuka," said Kaede. "What's up?"
"Kaede," said Yuka. "It's good to see you. What are you doing here?"
"Nothing much," said Kaede. "I just thought I'd hang out with you guys for a while."
Yuka smiled.
"That sounds good," she said. "Kohta's still in bed, but he might be up and about in a little while."
"How's he feeling?" asked Kaede.
"His head's feeling a lot better," said Yuka. "He ate a little breakfast earlier."
Yuka gestured toward the interior of the house.
"Why don't you come in?" she asked.
"Thanks," said Kaede, stepping over the threshold.
Gendo followed her and as Kaede slipped off her shoes, he rubbed all four of his paws on the mat in front of the door. The two new guests padded down the hall to Kohta's room and looked in. Indeed, Kohta was laying, eyes closed, on a mat in his room.
Kaede walked carefully over to Kohta and knelt down next to him.
"Hi, Kohta," she said, keeping her voice low.
Kohta slowly opened his eyes when he heard her.
"Oh," he said. "Hi, Kaede. How's it going?"
"I could ask you the same, but Yuka already answered me," said Kaede. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah," said Kohta. "I'm doing alright. I just thought I should take it easy."
"Sounds like a plan," said Kaede. "I have a couple of things to tell you, Kanae and Yuka about, but I'll wait until you get up."
"Okay," said Kohta.
"Just try to make it soon, alright?" asked Kaede.
"Sure," said Kohta. "I think still being in bed at 10 is pushing it."
"Kanae says you're normally in bed until noon," said Kaede, smiling.
"Oh, jeez," said Kohta. "I've been getting better about that. I've been awake since eight today, so my being in bed right now doesn't count."
"Whatever you say," said Kaede.
Before getting up, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on Kohta's cheek.
"Thanks for helping me last night," she said.
"Don't mention it," said Kohta, a blush coating his cheeks.
Kaede and Gendo left Kohta's room and decided to explore the house a little more.
The two didn't find much to the dwelling. The most furnished rooms in the house were the kitchen and the bedrooms. However, they did get a closer look at the indoor hot spring the house had to offer, and Kaede, at least, thought it looked really relaxing.
"What I wouldn't give to soak in that for a while," she said. "I wonder if Kanae is up right now."
As if on cue, when Kaede turned her head, she saw Kohta's younger sister sprint down the hall and rush her.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Kaede.
"Hey!" replied Kanae. "I'm glad you came back! We barely got to visit yesterday!"
"Oh, come on, Kanae," said Kaede. "You know I wouldn't miss visiting you."
The two looked in on the indoor hot spring.
"Awesome, isn't it?" asked Kanae. "I haven't gotten to use it since we got here, but the day's just begun!"
"I get the next turn," said Kaede.
Kanae looked confused for a moment, but then perked back up.
"Well, enough about that," she said.
She gestured for Kaede to follow as she went back into the living room, where they found Kohta finally out of his room, sitting up.
"How's your head feeling, Kohta?" asked Kanae.
"Better," said Kohta.
He stretched and let out a small yawn.
"So, what are you guys up to today?" asked Kaede.
"We were going to do some cleaning today," said Yuka.
"We didn't really feel like doing it yesterday so we figured we'd wait," said Kanae. "But with Kohta feeling the way he does, I just don't know."
"I…could tough it out," said Kohta. "You guys don't need to stop what we're doing on my account."
"Well, I could be persuaded to help you," said Kaede, smiling.
"What do you mean 'persuaded?'" asked Yuka.
"I can help, but I'd like you guys to do something with me afterwards," said Kaede.
"What might that be?" asked Kanae.
Kaede pulled off her backpack and unzipped it. She pulled out the stack of movies Joe had given her.
"Why don't you all sit down?" she asked.
From their various places in the room, Kaede and her friends went to have a seat. They gathered together and Kaede spread the movies out in front of her.
"My dad didn't bring me back to Japan just so I could see you," she said.
"What do you mean?" asked Kohta.
"You guys know that my dad writes and is also a teacher, yes?" asked Kaede.
"Rings a bell," said Kanae.
"Well, my dad is going to teach a course here for the time being, at the exact university you are going to," said Kaede. "He's going to teach a film class."
"A film class?" asked Yuka.
"Yes," said Kaede. "One that I am going to attend. And he would very much like it if I could get as many people interested in his class as possible. So, how about it? You want in?"
Kohta shrugged.
"Sure," he said. "I could use a good blow off class."
Kaede punched him in the arm.
"Ow!" he said. "Hey!"
Kaede smiled at him.
"I'm sorry," she said. "What did you say?"
"I said…it would be a great way to expand my horizons," said Kohta. "How about you guys?"
Kanae smiled.
"It sounds like fun to me," she said.
Yuka shook her head.
"Alright," she said. "If it means that much to you, I'll take it too."
"Excellent!" said Kaede.
"So, what's with all the movies, Kaede?" asked Kohta picking up one. "Gangs of New York?"
"This is the first assignment for the class," said Kaede, smiling. "A Daniel Day-Lewis marathon."
Kanae cocked an eyebrow.
"Who is that?" she asked.
"Only the greatest actor in the world," said Kaede.
Kanae scoffed.
"Oh yeah?" she asked. "What makes him so great?"
"Well, gee," said Kaede. "Where to start? To put it simply, Daniel Day-Lewis has been known to put all his being into his performances to the point where you don't even know it's Daniel Day-Lewis anymore. He dedicates himself to making his characters realistic even if it damages his overall wellbeing."
Kohta held up the movie in his hands.
"What did he do for this?" he asked.
Kaede picked up Gangs of New York and smiled.
"For his character, Bill "The Butcher" Cutting, he actually took up a butchering apprenticeship and learned how to properly cut meat and use a knife effectively," she said. "And when it was getting cold on set, he refused to trade in the coat he was using for a more modern, better-insulated one, simply because the coat he was wearing was one that people would have had to endure such conditions with back in the 1800s. As a result, he got sick. He got pneumonia, and refused to seek treatment until it almost killed him."
"Wow," said Kanae.
"You think that's impressive, you ain't seen nothing yet," said Kaede, pulling out My Left Foot. "In this, he plays the famous author Christy Brown, who had cerebral palsy. The title comes from the fact that the only thing Christy Brown could control was his left foot. For this character, Day-Lewis stayed in a wheelchair the entire time the movie was being shot, actually learned to write with his foot, and maintained the kind of awkward position you would expect of someone with cerebral palsy. And if you're not impressed by that, when they were finally done shooting and he left his wheelchair, they found that he had broken two ribs. Or so I've heard."
The others were stunned for a moment.
"Okay, that's actually pretty impressive," said Kanae.
"The only thing we would change about him is the length of his filmography," said Kaede, smiling. "So, you're in? I'll see you in my dad's class?"
"Yeah," said Kanae.
"Sure," said Kohta.
"Okay," said Yuka.
"Great!" said Kaede, pulling them all into a hug. "Okay, where do you keep your cleaning supplies?"
Yuka went into a supply closet and pulled out several pieces of equipment.
With the four of them working together, the residents of Kaede house made quick work of the little messes that had somehow been made in the until recently vacant house. It wasn't long before Kohta and Kaede found themselves working on scrubbing the entryway.
"I think we can call this good, Kohta," said Kaede.
"Alright," said Kohta. "Oh, wait. I missed a spot."
He reached over in front of Kaede, but as he did, he felt his elbow bump into something.
Kaede let out a light squeak.
Kohta looked back and found out what the problem was. He had bumped into her chest.
"Oh my god!" he exclaimed, retracting his elbow. "Sorry!"
Kaede turned away ever so slightly.
"It's…okay," she said, a light blush on her cheeks. "Don't worry about it. I was in your way."
"That's no excuse," said Kohta.
He turned the other way and scrubbed at the spot he missed before retracting the sponge and putting it back in the bucket.
At that moment, Yuka walked by. She stepped into the entryway and put her shoes on.
"I'm going shopping," she said. "Can you think of anything we need?"
"Everything," said Kohta. "I don't think we got around to buying groceries yesterday. Thank goodness we ate dinner before we arrived."
Yuka turned and went out the door.
"Okay," she said. "I'll be back in a little while."
"Hurry back!" said Kaede.
Kohta turned to Kaede as Yuka left.
"Did you have anything else in mind for activities, Kaede?" he asked.
"Not really," said Kaede. "I just thought watching those movies together could be fun. Also, in the spirit of the movies we're watching, I thought maybe we could order out and have some American food."
"American cuisine, huh?" asked Kohta.
"No, that stuff's just food," said Kaede.
Kaede was about to lead Kohta back into the living room when they heard a knock at the door, followed by the sound of it sliding open. They turned around, and in the doorway, they saw a young girl with a yellow oversized sweatshirt, carrying an umbrella.
"Um…excuse me?" she asked.
Kaede turned to face her.
"Hello there," she said. "Can we help you with something?"
The girl looked up at the two and shuffled her feet.
"The thing is…" she began. "I found this umbrella, and the name of this restaurant was written on the handle."
"I see," said Kohta. "Thanks for bringing it back."
Kaede took the umbrella from the girl and smiled.
"Would you like to come in?" she asked.
Before the girl could answer, the trio heard a sound like yipping from a dog outside.
"Is that a puppy?" asked Kaede, rushing outside.
Kohta followed her, and the two found a small puppy outside the door, tethered to a post.
"Oh, hello little guy!" said Kaede.
Kaede reached forward and scratched the little animal behind the ears.
"Who is this?" asked Kaede, looking back up at the girl.
"This is…my friend," she said. "I call him Wanta."
"Hello, Wanta!" said Kaede. "You're so cute! You remind me of Gendo when he was little!"
The dog barked happily.
"Who's Gendo?" asked the girl.
"Oh, Gendo's my dog," said Kaede. "He's fully grown now."
The girl nodded.
"You know," said Kohta. "We're sorry. We've forgotten our manners. What's your name?"
"Me?" asked the girl. "My…name is Mayu."
(A/N: Mayu – Cynthia Martinez)
"Nice to meet you, Mayu," said Kaede. "I'm sure Gendo would love to meet you too."
Kaede clapped her hands, and out came racing he faithful companion, Gendo.
"Gendo, say hello to our guests," said Kaede.
Gendo padded over to Mayu and started to lick her hand. In response, Mayu gently patted his head. At that moment, Gendo seemed to take notice of Wanta and wandered up to the little dog.
"Wait!" exclaimed Mayu.
"Oh, don't worry, Mayu," said Kaede. "Gendo's perfectly harmless. He's a big old softy."
True to what Kaede said, the larger dog bent down and started to lick the younger dog, getting at different parts of its fur.
"See?" asked Kaede. "He likes him."
"Hey," said a voice. "What's going on here?"
The three people turned in the direction of the voice to see that Yuka was already back with the groceries.
"Oh," said Kaede. "Hey, Yuka!"
"We have a visitor," said Kohta. "Mayu here came to return our umbrella. I must have left it on the beach last night after tracking Kaede down."
"I see," said Yuka.
Yuka walked past them and into the house.
"Hey, Yuka," said Kohta. "I'll help you put those away."
Kaede looked up at Mayu.
"Hey, we were just getting ready to have a little snack," she said. "Would you and your friend like to join us?"
Mayu looked at Kaede and smiled.
"Sure," she said.
The two walked into the house. Mayu unhooked Wanta from the post and led him indoors. Gendo followed at Kaede's heels.
"You know," said Kaede, "if you want, maybe you and I can take these two for a walk. What would you think of that?"
Mayu looked down at Wanta.
"Um…well…" she stammered.
"Come on," said Kaede. "It'll be fun!"
Mayu looked back up at the pink-haired girl and smiled.
"Okay," she said. "Sure, that sounds like fun."
"Alright, then," said Kaede.
The girls took their shoes off and led their animal companions to the living room. As they sat down for their snack, Kaede noticed the pile of DVDs.
"Okay," she said. "I guess that's one downside to our guest."
"What?" asked Mayu.
"Oh," said Kaede. "Nothing."
As the girls sat down, Kanae walked into the room.
"What the hell, Kaede?" she asked. "Why didn't you say we had company?"
Kaede rolled her eyes.
"Sorry," she said.
Kohta came out into the living room with some treats. Each of the girls took one, and Kohta even gave one to each of the dogs.
Mayu looked blissful as she took a bite of the snack she was offered.
"Thank you," she said.
"No problem," said Kaede.
After the group finished with their snacks, Kohta turned to Mayu.
"You know," he said, "I just realized, if you found our umbrella, you must have been near the beach when me and Kaede were attacked."
Sweat suddenly gathered on Mayu's cheeks.
"Well…yes," she said.
"Don't be nervous," said Kaede.
"Yeah," said Kohta. "I was just hoping to ask you a couple of things."
"O…kay," said Mayu.
At that moment, Mayu couldn't take her eyes off the table.
"Did you happen to see anything going on at the beach?" asked Kohta.
"Uh…well…" Mayu stammered.
"Take your time, sweetie," said Kaede. "No need to rush."
Mayu gulped.
"I remember…seeing a man on the beach," he said. "He was blinded. And one of his arms was missing. The other was broken."
"That's it?" asked Kaede.
"I…put a tourniquet on his arm and went to get him help," said Mayu. "He was bleeding out. I hope he's okay."
Kaede and Kohta looked at each other.
"Were you two…there?" asked Mayu.
"Oh," said Kohta. "Well, you see, we were ambushed down there. We managed to get away before anything really bad happened. We were wondering if you knew of anything else that happened down there."
Mayu nodded.
"There's a chance the police could come by at some point," said Kaede. "It would be really helpful if we had someone else's word on what happened down there."
"I…see," said Mayu.
After another snack, Mayu went to retrieve Wanta, and the three residents walked her to the door. Mayu turned and bowed her head in respect.
"Thank you for having us," said Mayu. "We really appreciate it."
Wanta barked, seemingly in agreement.
"It's alright," said Kaede. "We were happy to have you."
Kohta turned away from Kaede toward Mayu.
"Do you have an address or phone number that we can use to get in touch with you?" he asked. "You know, just in case the police call."
Mayu's eyes widened the smallest amount. She quickly closed them and bowed again.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed. "I have to go!"
She and the dog scrambled down the steps leading up to the house, until they rounded the corner and were out of sight.
Kaede frowned.
"Did something about that girl seem strange to you?" she asked.
"Yeah," said Kohta. "She seemed…I don't know…"
"Distressed?" asked Kaede.
"Yeah," said Kohta. "I hope she's okay."
"Me too," said Kaede. "She had that look like that smile in there was her first smile in months."
Kohta nodded.
"Well, guest or no, I still have to take Gendo for a walk," said Kaede. "Would you like to come with me?"
"Oh," said Kohta. "I would love to, but I don't think I should leave Kanae, and if she came with us, Yuka will be wondering where we all went."
"Well, you could leave a note," said Kaede.
"That's true," said Kohta. "I don't want her to worry, though. I'll have some food waiting for you when you get back, though."
"Okay!" chirped Kaede. "Well, I'll see you later, Kohta."
Kaede trotted down the steps of the house, Gendo close behind, and the two went on their walk.
The two walked through the main part of the town, getting a better lay of their surroundings.
"Wonder if anything's changed since we were last here," said Kaede. "Wanna find out?"
Gendo looked up at Kaede and barked.
"Alright, then," said Kaede. "I'll check high, you check low."
Gendo panted and sat in place as Kaede looked for a foothold in one of the nearby walls. Finding one, she ran toward it and pivoted off the foothold, grabbed hold of the roof and pulled herself up.
When she was on the roof, she turned all the way around once to take in her surroundings, then looked down at Gendo.
"I could have used my arms, but that just seems a tad lazy," she said.
Gendo barked up at her again and took off down the street. Kaede smiled at the dog's antics and pursued him.
As the two ran, the dog on the street and the girl on the roof, Kaede looked around the area.
"I don't know why I expected any changes, Gendo," she called down to her dog. "Everything seems to look the same every time we come here. Oh. Spoke too soon. The old teashop's been replaced with a new one."
Further down the road from the tea shop, something else caught her eye.
"Hm," she said. "Abstergo has outlets here too, huh?"
Seeing where she was looking, Gendo rushed over to a storefront with an insignia that looked like a triangle composed of three trapezoids arranged around each other. Kaede climbed down from the roof and followed her companion over to the storefront.
Inside the window, displayed on a rotating platform, was what looked like a game console.
"Animus," said Kaede, reading the label on the product. "Kohta would probably love something like this. I know Dad would."
She chuckled.
"But you know Dad," she said. "Still rockin' the PS3 and Wii."
Gendo looked up at Kaede and barked.
"Let's get going, Gendo," said Kaede.
Kaede walked with Gendo until they were away from the main part of town, and the duo came upon a park. The two walked through the park in near silence. The only sounds either could hear were Gendo's panting and Kaede humming a small tune, and occasionally letting a few of the words come out of her mouth.
"I can feel it…coming in the air tonight…oh lord," she mumbled. "And I've been waiting for this moment…for all my life…oh lord."
After a few more steps, she kept singing.
"Can you feel it…coming in the air tonight…oh lord," she said. "Oh lord…"
She stopped singing when they came upon the town's cemetery. She yawned.
"Feel like taking a break?" asked Kaede.
Gendo barked once, indicating the stairs near the grave markers.
"You're right," said Kaede. "Those look like a great place to park it for a minute. Let's go."
They went over to the steps and took a seat. For a moment, Kaede leaned up against the rock wall. She yawned loudly and reached down to scratch Gendo's neck.
"Need to get more sleep," she said. "Swear to God."
Then, suddenly, Kaede's eyes shot wide open. There was something odd happening. An odd tingle made itself known in her head. She could feel something nearby…or someone…
"Gendo," said Kaede.
Gendo looked up from where he had laid down, the step just below Kaede's seat, silently answering her.
"Something's wrong," said Kaede. "Don't ask me how I know. Something just feels out of whack. Like…I don't know, like I can sense something or somebody nearby."
Gendo looked around frantically now. His brow crinkled, and Kaede thought she could hear a low growl coming from him.
"I know," said Kaede. "I don't like it either. We should go."
"Excuse me," said a voice.
Kaede turned around and was met with a strange sight…or it would be, if the sight wasn't eerily similar to her own reflection.
Standing behind Kaede was a young girl. She couldn't have been more than 13 or 14. But what got Kaede's attention was the fact that this girl had pink hair and eyes that looked almost violet. She was wearing a dark violet dress with white cuffs and collar, and in her hair was what appeared to be a violet necktie.
"Of course you knew I was coming," she said, smiling. "And I knew that you'd know."
Kaede quirked an eyebrow.
"How…did you know…who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Nana," said the girl. "I was hoping I would find you."
(A/N: Nana – Sasha Paysinger)
Kaede and Gendo stood up from their spots on the stairs and looked at the new arrival.
"Why were you looking for me?" asked Kaede. "What are you?"
"I'm a diclonius," said Nana. "Just like you."
Kaede stuttered.
"D-…Dye…dyke…diclonius?" she asked.
She looked up at the tie in Nana's hair.
"Oh," she said. "I get it. You have horns too, don't you?"
"Yes," said Nana. "You're just like me."
Kaede took a miniscule step back.
"What do you want with me?" she asked.
Nana had been holding what looked like a shopping bag.
"I'm going to go home, and you're going to come with me," she said, putting the bag down.
"I don't think so," said Kaede, stepping back a bit further.
"It's no use running away," said Nana. "I already told them I've found you. They know you're here."
It was then that Kaede got a good look at what Nana had in the bag. It looked to be audio equipment. Kaede had the feeling it was a radio that Nana was using to relay information to whoever "they" were.
As she said this, Nana maintained a small, calm smile.
"What's next?" she asked.
Kaede shook her head.
"As many questions as I might have, whoever sent you must be insane if they thought I'd willingly go with whoever they sent, even if they did look like me," said Kaede.
Her eyes widened suddenly.
"They don't," she said. "Gendo, let's go. We have to get out of here."
Kaede turned to leave, but suddenly found her leg being held tight to the ground.
"Oh no," said Kaede. "You have them too."
"We all do," said Nana. "Mine are longer than yours."
Kaede shook her head.
"I have people who will come looking for me," she said, pulling out her phone.
"I can't let you do that," said Nana. "Papa asked me to bring you home with me. I can't let him down."
Kaede felt both her hands being hoisted into the air by the same force that held her leg. She looked down at Gendo.
"Gendo, go get help!" exclaimed Kaede.
The dog barked at Kaede and ran as fast as he could back to the house.
"Look, Nana," said Kaede. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you force me."
"I don't want to hurt you either," said Nana. "I can't kill anyone."
"Wha-?" Kaede said, taken aback. "Who said anything about killing?"
"Enough questions," said a new voice.
Kaede looked to the other side of her and saw a tall man wearing a suit and glasses. He advanced methodically toward Nana and her captive.
"You'll be coming with us," he said.
"Like hell," said Kaede. "Who even are you?"
The man adjusted his glasses.
"Call me Kurama," he said.
(A/N: Kurama – Jay Hickman)
"Well, Kurama," said Kaede. "What exactly do you need me for?"
"I'm afraid I can't discuss it with you," said Kurama. "Not here and not now."
Kaede grimaced.
"Then I'm afraid we have nothing more to discuss," she said.
With that, she released the chunks of rocks she surreptitiously picked up while being held by Nana and questioned by Kurama.
"I'm sorry…" said Kaede, as the shadows of the rocks covered her two captors.
Nana and Kurama both looked up in alarm. One of the large rocks started to fall toward Kurama, but Nana rushed toward him as well.
"Papa!" she exclaimed. "Look out! Move!"
Nana ran toward Kurama and pushed him out of the way of the rock. The rock fell with a loud crash. Kurama looked down at himself, and found he was unharmed.
"Are you alright, Papa?" asked Nana.
Kurama looked toward Nana. His eyes widened as he saw that Nana wasn't as lucky as he had been.
Nana had a pained expression on her face, due to the weight of a large rock being on her arm and leg. Kurama surmised that the appendages were shattered at best.
As Kurama tended to Nana, Kaede ran up the stairs and into the graveyard. However, as soon as she rounded one corner, she heard what she thought was the sound of a bullet ricocheting…less than an inch from her head. The shot stopped her dead in her tracks. Looking to her right, she could see a group of soldiers in all black, not unlike what the soldiers on the beach wore, and pointing guns at her. They all seemed to be led by a man in what appeared to be a labcoat.
"What is all of this?" asked Kaede.
"We're taking you in," said the man in the coat. "We need you for a special project."
"I'm going to assume that means you need me alive," said Kaede.
With that, she broke into a run and weaved in and out of the tombstones and grave markers all about the place. They provided sufficient cover, but also required the soldiers to give chase. Eventually, the soldiers caught up to her and had her surrounded on all sides, each with a gun pointed at her. She put her hands on her head in anticipation of her capture, but just as the group started to close in, she heard a dull popping sound, and one of the soldiers fell to the ground, unmoving. Kaede couldn't tell whether he was unconscious or dead.
The soldiers were on high alert now. Half of them had their eyes on Kaede, the other half were looking at their surroundings in hope of catching their newfound stalker. Moments after the first attack, one of the soldiers observing Kaede found himself being dragged by the neck into the nearby trees. His body seemed to move up into the branches and halt. As he hung there, he clutched his neck, seemingly trying to dislodge something.
Another one of Kaede's observers fell dead in front of the others. After he fell forward, the small group was able to see the cause. A knife was embedded in the soldier's back. After that attack, Kaede could swear she saw someone moving really fast between the gravestones. Indeed, she thought she saw someone wearing a white hood, similar to the man who rescued her and Kohta the night before.
At this point, there were only three people left, but Kaede heard a sound like quick and soft footsteps, coming toward the soldiers. Out of nowhere, Kaede saw three men in white hoods jump up into the air and onto the three men. Kaede thought she heard the sound of blades unsheathing. She saw the three men seemingly clutching onto the men's throats, but when they withdrew their hands, she could see deep gashes on their throats.
Kaede stood wide-eyed and more than a little bit nervous. However, she was broken out of her stupor when one of these assailants came up to her while the other two ran back into the trees.
"It's not safe here," he said, in a voice Kaede thought she recognized. "Leave now. Get to safety."
Kaede put her hands down and started running from the cemetery as fast as she could.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Sorry about the long wait, you guys. I wasn't going to make excuses before, but so much has happened since I promised an update on this story, I don't even know where to begin. My birthday was fairly recent and I am now 23 years old. My summer job got over and I now have to find a new way to support myself and my brother. Between those things alone, it's been a miracle if I've been able to find the time to update anything, let alone this. I also got a visit from a friend of our family from Australia. The last time I saw him was literally just as I was starting high school. You do the math. I also had a really heartbreaking time after the death of great American actor, Robin Williams. I always knew that we would lose him at some point in my lifetime. I had just hoped it wouldn't be this soon. I spent a good deal of the time after his death being embarrassed to be a human being because a bunch of people were sending hate comments to his daughter over Twitter. For goodness' sake, people. This is a time for comfort, healing and love, not for anger and hatred. Thankfully, though, I have seen some positives in the last month or so. I played through all of the Dead Space games…probably won't ever play them again, but it's a pretty captivating story if you really pay attention. Also, a friend of mine moved into town after finally getting out of the Marine Corps. and we've been hanging out non-stop. Consequently, I've spent a lot of the time more than a little bit inebriated. I also got to see the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Anybody else see it? Okay, enough rambling. Now that I've told you what's going on, I'd like to ask you all something. After I get done with Assassin's Creed: Elf Song, or I've done a decent amount, I'm thinking of doing another Elfen Lied crossover, this time with a Marvel comics franchise. I'm thinking of either X-Men or Guardians of the Galaxy. X-Men would make more sense, but Guardians of the Galaxy would be cooler. What do you guys think I should do? If you decide to review, let me know what you think. Till then, catch you later!