Kaito had never seen anything like it before.
Blaster ready, he stormed into the room and joined the still arriving guards in subduing the chaos. Kaito was too late to stop the attack from happening, but he hoped it wasn't too late to save Miku. Yet as his eyes scanned the crowd as he kept taking out anyone threatening, he couldn't find the familiar turquoise hair. Things began to calm down. The intruders were either fleeing or dying.
Kaito searched harder. No Miku in sight. He couldn't even find Kyo, Yuu, or Master Tonio. Part of it might have been his fear of looking too closely at the already still bodies. Though Kaito did manage to find one familiar face.
"Ona!" he exclaimed, rushing to the Cinderella's side.
Her leg bled profusely, arrow sticking out her calf, but otherwise Ona seemed fine. She hid behind an overturned table and fought from there. Firing her blaster at remaining Thorns who tried to shoot her and oblivious ones alike, Ona helped to snipe out the enemy one-by-one.
"There you are," Ona calmly greeted as if this wasn't a life threatening situation just as Kaito ducked behind the table and helped her with the Thorns.
Not surprisingly, the attackers continued to quickly thin out. Either there weren't that many, or they had other teams infiltrating elsewhere. Kaito desperately hoped it was the former.
"Where's Miku?" he asked after shooting another Thorn. Kaito felt sick. This was like the simulations he played once before when he was eighteen and had to go through military training, so it was almost natural for him to slip back into the mindset. Yet it wasn't anything like it at all. The things he was shooting weren't virtual targets. These were real people. Real people he was probably killing.
Kaito forced the realization aside. There would be time to think about it later. If there even would be a later.
"They blew a hole in the wall with the stage," Ona said, either ignoring Kaito's question or not hearing it. "After that happened, they began flooding in like a swarm of locusts."
Between shots, Kaito explained, "Miku was right about the enemy being on the inside, but we were wrong to not examine everyone."
Before Ona could ask, Kaito said, "The academy's Juliets are the ones who attacked Mew. They somehow connected with the Thorns, and now they're working together to avenge the Juliet executed months ago."
Ona swore. "Why didn't anyone think to monitor them?"
"I thought Mistress Prima was supposed to handle that." Kaito searched around again, not finding his fiancée amongst the living or the dead. He was too afraid to hope.
"Where's Miku?" he asked again.
"Miku and the blonde Juliet fled, and they're dragging another with them," Ona quickly answered, barely looking at Kaito in favor of peeking over the table.
Not bothering to tell Ona what he was doing, Kaito jumped from the table and ran off. Ona called after him, but he ignored her. That blonde Juliet Miku thought so highly of was partly responsible for all of this, and Kaito was not about to let her hold Miku and another girl hostage for this barbaric cause.
This wasn't part of the plan! Rin thought as she and Miku carried the slowly waking Ms. Yuzuki from the auditorium. We were supposed to blow up the stage just to assassinate Mistress Prima, not bring in a small army to attack everyone at random! Why are they doing this? Why wasn't Mistress Prima opening the fundraiser in the first place?
Believing they had come to a safe location, Rin and Miku set down the waking Ms. Yuzuki. She asked what happened, and Miku answered. Not wanting to confess her own part in this but knowing she would if she dared speak, Rin kept quiet.
Arms crossed, Rin leaned against a column and closed her eyes. She let out a deep breath. Now that she thought about it, Rin didn't remember seeing Mistress Prima in the auditorium at all. Rin was so sure Mistress Prima would have given the opening speech, not somebody who was hired to do the job. It was as if Mistress Prima knew to stay far, far away from what was going to happen.
But how would she know? Rin wondered. Was this just a coincidence, or did someone tell her? If somebody told her, then whom?
Of all the questions Rin had, she did have the answer to one: The Throns played her for a fool. Nobody would think Rin would truly turn to the Thorns side. Even if they didn't know about her previous work with Master Tonio, they would know Rin cared for Miku and would not want anything to happen to her favorite Cinderella. The Thorns took what they wanted from Rin – information Rin was so foolish as to provide and her ability to sneak around undetected – and led her to believe she was in on their plan. Based on everything taking a path Rin did not anticipate, Rin was not as informed of their intents as she wanted to believe.
Rin was a dirty traitor, and in the end, the Thorns were right to not trust her.
"I'm scared," Ms. Yuzuki said, voice pitched high. Rin turned to see the purplette clutching Miku's fingers. "We should have followed Luka's example and gone back home. This can't be how it ends. I don't want to die!"
"Shhh." Miku rubbed her thumbs over the back of Ms. Yuzuki's hands. "It's okay. You're not going to die."
"We need to keep moving," Rin said, forcing the words out. "I don't know how long it'll be before someone who isn't a friend finds us."
Helping Ms. Yuzuki to her feet, Miku frowned at Rin and asked, "Is there anywhere safe to hide?"
"I don't know," Rin answered, "but anywhere should be better than hiding out in the open."
"Then let's go hide in one of the rooms in the sleeping quarters," Miku suggested. "I don't think anyone with evil intent will go there."
"Maybe, but maybe not. Either way, it's a destination."
The three of them, Ms. Yuzuki now on her feet, rushed down the halls to search for the sleeping quarters. However, they had to pass the offices to get where they were going. All three stopped when they heard someone speaking in one of the rooms.
"Yes, Empress." It was Mistress Prima's voice. "Everything is going according to plan."
"Excellent," replied a voice Rin had never heard before. It was undoubtedly female, and it sounded off. When it spoke, it sounded staticky and distorted, as if Mistress Prima was communicating with this person through an old phone. "Phase one of my plan has officially begun."
"It worked out a little too perfectly," Mistress Prima purred. "I got the revenge I wanted, and it motivated those pathetic piles of sludge to try to fight back. Now that they have officially struck, civil war shall be on its way soon enough."
"And with civil war tearing down your planet and leaving its residents weak and tired," the other replied, "it will be effortless to claim Artemis for myself. With your planet in my custody, I shall finally be a great enough force to overthrow the Republic and claim the galaxy for myself."
"Don't forget what you promised me," Mistress Prima then said, words the weakest Rin had ever heard the headmistress use. "My daughter and her child will be safe. You will keep them and me safe, and then let us reign over this planet with only you above us."
"Of course, of course. But what of your daughter's husband? Does he still live?"
"See to it that he doesn't. Arrange an accident, or outright annihilate him. I don't care. Just make sure he's no longer in the picture."
Silence, then, "Very well."
When it sounded as if Mistress Prima hung up, and would likely exit her office at any moment, Rin wordlessly ushered the others back. Taking a new path, they ran down the halls. The new attempt didn't last long.
Ms. Yuzuki cried a bloodcurdling scream. Rin and Miku turned around, and Rin's heart exploded when she saw the tip of an arrow sticking out of Ms. Yuzuki's chest.
First at the arrow then at the others, Ms. Yuzuki's eyes slowly traveled upwards and rested on Miku. Blood spilled from her mouth and dripped down her chin. Then her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body sagged as she fell forwards.
"Gakuko!" Miku shouted as she lurched forward to catch her friend. Calling out the name a few more times, Miku futilely attempted to help her get up. However, Ms. Yuzuki's glazed over eyes, draining of life faster than Rin thought possible, were all anyone needed to see to know Ms. Yuzuki would never stand again.
This is my fault. Looking away from the Cinderellas, Rin saw a familiar face and felt her mouth go dry. No, it can't be!
"We were right to not trust you," Cul said, crossbow lowered. Miku, gasping, looked at the other Juliet but said nothing as she held Ms. Yuzuki's body close and got blood all over her dress. "Rin, how can you help Cinderellas? People like them killed Gumi!"
"And how are we any better? People like us are killing more innocents!" Rin shouted, unsure how she was able to speak. "Ms. Yuzuki never did anything to deserve death!"
"She deserved death the minute the Sisters tattooed a silver crown onto her wrist!" Cul spat. "Gumi would be so ashamed of you."
"Don't you tell me how Gumi would feel!" Rin snapped back. "Gumi wouldn't have wanted this! She wouldn't have wanted anyone to die for what's on their wrist!"
Cul sneered. "Looks like you joined the hypocrites. Cinderellas can kill us for being Juliets, but we can't kill Cinderellas because we're Juliets? I can't believe you're defending the system!"
"I'm not defending the system. I believe in a better world, but this isn't going to create that world!"
"You really are a dreamer. There is no better world, Rin. Only the world where the ones on top feast on the ones on the bottom. Well, I'm tired of me and everyone I love being feasted on! Tonight, I'll glut myself with the blood of Cinderellas and traitors." Cul threw down her crossbow and aimed a blaster Rin didn't see Cul carry. "Starting here and now."
"RIN!" Miku shouted, scared. Not scared for herself, but scared for Rin. Otherwise, the Cinderella was too stunned to move.
Either Miku didn't know whom Cul aimed for, or maybe Miku knew who was the target and foresaw what Rin would do before Rin herself did. Either way, Rin didn't have to think about it. She jumped in front of Miku.
Getting shot with a blaster was like having acid and knives and flaming arrows simultaneously stab into one's very bones. Rin opened her mouth to cry out, but she was in too much pain to make a sound. The whole right side of her body had been blown away. A third of her was meaty chunks and pieces now. She hoped the next shot would kill her quickly.
Collapsing, Rin cried hot tears. She grimaced. Miku was screaming, but Rin could barely make out what was said.
"Why?" Cul growled, her words somehow piercing through Miku's shouts and Rin's blood pounding in her ears. "Why did you do that? Why would you try to take the place of a Cinderella?! Rin, you idiot! Had you stood still, I would have given you another chance!"
Somehow, knowing she would soon die filled Rin with a courage she had never, ever felt before. She laughed without humor, pushed herself through the pain to look up, and smiled at Cul. With nothing left to lose, Rin said the words she had originally planned to take with her to the grave.
"I love her."
"I love her."
The words replayed as Rin slumped forward, the shot from the blaster leaving her in such intense pain despite the damage being minimal, it was a wonder Rin didn't pass out immediately.
"I love her."
Rin's words spoke even as Rin's head hit the floor with a thud, her shoulder bleeding a rate that Rin would die from blood loss if help wasn't given soon enough.
"I love her."
Words that seemed to stun the red-headed Juliet as she could barely raise her hand to fire the next shot at Miku's heart, definitely killing the Cinderella now that Rin was unconscious and couldn't intervene again.
Clinging Gakuko's lifeless body towards her, Miku watched as the standing Juliet struggled. It was clear on her face that she didn't want to shoot Rin. Now she was stunned, unable to single-handedly take out the last person in a trio that tried to escape.
The decision was made for her.
"CUL!" shouted someone from the end of the hall. "Retreat! RETREAT! We got what we wanted. Shoot them and run. It's time to go now!"
"Coming, Nana!" the Juliet, Cul, shouted back.
Her eyes locked onto Miku's, and she shot her blaster again.
Miku slumped forward.
The deed done, Cul turned on her heel and fled.
Forcing herself to count to thirty when what she really wanted to do was check on Rin, Miku waited for Cul and the girl named Nana to flee. She waited for them to be gone. For one reason or another, Cul missed Miku, but Miku knew it wasn't an accident. Maybe she had killed enough for one day, or maybe she wanted Miku to try to stop Rin's profound bleeding. Either way, Miku knew she had to be patient if this sparing of life would last.
When she was certain the coast was clear, Miku sat back up, gently laid Gakuko down, and crawled over to Rin.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Miku mumbled as she turned Rin over to see her skin growing chalk pale from the increasing blood loss.
Miku tore the end of her dress and applied pressure to Rin's wound. She couldn't stop the bleeding, but she could slow it until someone who knew what to do came and help. If such a person would come at all.
"Don't die on me, Rin," Miku begged. "I order you to not die on me!"
"I love her."
Rin's words echoed again. Miku didn't know she was crying until she saw her tears splash onto Rin's face. This wouldn't be how it ended. Things would not conclude like this. Miku would not allow it.
"I love her."
Sobbing, Miku muttered, "Why did you have to say that? You shouldn't have said that. Rin, you don't say things like that then die!"
"Miku?!"
Head snapping upright, Miku shouted, "Kaito, I'm over here!"
Never before had Miku been so relieved to see her fiancé. He ran towards Miku, fell to his knees, and crushed her with a hug.
Since the hug pulled Miku away from Rin, Miku broke free to continue applying pressure to Rin's shoulder.
"Help me!" Miku begged. "Rin's dying!"
Kaito's words, spoken with a venom she never heard the man use before, cut deeply to Miku's heart. "Good riddance. After what today has proved, the only good Juliet is a dead one."
Miku blinked, unsure if she heard Kaito correctly. Then she snarled, "Don't talk like that! She's dying, Kaito! I need your help to save her."
"You would save her but not your friend?!" Kaito snapped, pointing at Gakuko's still form. "Don't try to convince me a Juliet didn't do that!"
"Help me now, and we can talk about this later," Miku pleaded. She couldn't control herself. The events were finally catching up with her, and she sobbed so hard she kept hiccupping.
The decision was made for Kaito. Just then Ona and a blond Miku had never seen before walked down the hall from the direction which Kaito came. Ona walked on a crutch but was otherwise fine. Ona and the man saw the scene before them and wordlessly rushed to Miku's aid.
Ona pulled Miku away, and the man began inspecting Rin. It was Miku's first instinct to try to thrash away from Ona to stop this stranger from touching Rin, but she held herself together long enough to see he was giving Rin the help she needed. When the blond man pulled out a first aid kit, Miku began crying in relief.
Sagging into Ona, Miku allowed the tears to flow freely. It was too late for Gakuko, but there was still a chance for Rin. Miku prayed and prayed, not knowing to whom she prayed, that Rin's name would not join the list of casualties when this day came to its inevitable end.
"What happened here?" Ona asked. As she didn't address either Miku or Kaito, Miku chose to keep sobbing. When no answer came, Ona tried again. "What happened here?"
Still no answer. For one reason or another, Kaito was silent. Miku only kept crying.