There was a brief, almost unnatural moment of silence in the conference room. Genivieve bore it patiently, calmly waiting for the other side of the table to process and eventually speak.

Kakuzawa eventually broke the ice, "Anything else we should know about?"

"The two times we brought Alma out, we had her give birth," she stated plainly, "Both of her sons matured at a rapid rate using a variety of experimental procedures, to the point where they reached full maturity in only a few years."

"Why would you make her have kids?" asked Kurama, clearly aghast.

"We were curious to see whether they would inherit any of their mother's abilities. So far, only one of them, Paxton Fettel, has shown some intense psionic abilities, even able to control certain people for a limited time. The end results were rather messy for those he controlled."

"Well now. If I'm not mistaken, I'm sure you would have been interested to make quite the profit out of a soldier like that. It seems we're not the only corporation trying to profit off the blood of others."

Kurama shot his boss a look that might have gotten him fired on a different day, but his superior simply rolled his eyes and flapped a hand at his subordinate, "We're both thinking it, aren't we?"

"Tactful," one of Aristide's subordinates, a tall blonde man, spoke up for the first time. A single word, but it was enough. Kakuzawa glanced at the man with a hungry leer, "Oh, please! We all know how these things go. My side can at least be honest about it. How do you justify child experimentation?"

"This isn't the time for a morality debate, Mr. Kakuzawa," she said clearly, "We've flown a long way, and this recounting is becoming pretty exhausting. What we need to discuss is our next move against Alma and Lucy."

"You're the ones who seem to always be in the know," commented Kurama dryly, "Surely you must have no fewer than a dozen different plans?"

"Depending on your suggestions, we might be able to lift it up by a few more," Aristide's reply had been smooth, "What concern do you all have regarding her current condition?"

"We need her alive," Genevieve frowned at Kakuzawa's blunt statement. There seemed to be slightly more force in those words than she'd expected to hear. Was it another ploy to assert dominance? How much did Lucy matter to this man?

Questions for later.

"We're not entirely certain about Alma's psionic limits," confessed Genevieve, "But we are certain about Lucy's limits. If we go after her, we can draw Alma to wherever Lucy is sent towards."

"Defeat Lucy, defeat Alma," recited Kakuzawa. He had to admit, it was an appealing strategy, "Sounds good, and we may have just the weapon to deal with her,"

"And what would that be?"

"You'll meet her soon enough," he replied, pushing back from his table. He stood up, and turned to Kurama, who'd stood up with him. The chief took pleasure in his subordinate's expression at what he said next, "It's time for a family reunion."

Kouta and Yuka were sitting on the front steps of their house, watching the stars. At least, that was what Kouta had told Yuka when she'd come out to check on him. And apparently that was the reason she decided to join him. And so, the two of them sat on the porch, looking up at the sky, but not really seeing the stars, because honestly, neither of them were out here for the stars.

It was the house.

Sure, Alma had been responsible for everything that's happened to them, but it seemed a bit weird for them to still be staying in a place that had such bad memories. Living at Maple House had been such a delight to them in the beginning: a great large building that was all theirs. But now, they wondered if they would ever be able to be happy there, even if, by some titanic miracle, they were able to make peace with Alma. But then again, where else could they go?"

Their sad thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps, and they looked down at the group approaching them.

One of them was easily recognizable as Mayu, with Wanta trotting ever loyally beside her. The other two people walking beside her were strangers. One of them was a fully grown man with western features and a beard, dressed in a wool knit shirt, cargo pants, and even combat boots. The second person was a girl around Mayu's age, and at first, the two cousins thought that it was Nyu. Who else would have pink hair. and horns shaped like cat ears? But no, as she got closer, they realized that this was not, in fact, Nyu, but somebody just like her. She was slightly shorter, with shorter hair, though she did seem to have the same innocent expression that Nyu so often wore.

Kouta and Yuka both rose from their seats at the same time, and walked forward to meet up with Mayu, as well as whoever on earth these two new faces were.

"Mayu, you're back!" exclaimed Yuka in a generally cheerful tone, but there was a definite apprehension in her voice as she glanced at the two strangers, "Who are your new friends?"

"And more specifically," said Kouta in a far blunter manner, "Are you two going to pull anything while you're here? No offense, but we've had a few oddities going on here, and I'm not sure how much more we can take." He was eyeing the man while he was talking, who seemed unfazed by the assertion. Unsurprised, too.

"It's okay," said Mayu urgently. She took a hand from each of the two strangers, linking them together in a chain of spontaneous friendship, "This girl is Nana, she's a Diclonius. That's what Nyu is, too! And this man right here doesn't have a name, but he sometimes goes by the Point Man, so we can call him that, I guess."

A strange, adult man who wouldn't give his name to the underage girls that he'd suddenly just befriended? Kouta had only just met this man, and was already starting to trust him less and less. "You say that he knows who Alma is?"

"Yes, he does! He can help us make contact with Alma, and maybe even reason with her."

"He said that?"

"Well…not exactly."

Kouta's frown deepened, "What does that mean?"

Nana scratched the back of her head awkwardly and spoke for the first time, "He can't…um…he's mute."

"He's mute," repeated Kouta flatly. He eyed the Point Man warily, "So first he won't give me his name, and now you're telling me that this man won't give us his name, and now can't even speak?"

He noticed Yuka glancing at him with a slight frown, clearly put off by his aggressive behavior. Kouta wasn't quite sure why he was being aggressive, himself. Hadn't he just been wishing for someone to come along and take care of Alma for him? So what if the solution came in the form of an adult western man who couldn't talk, then who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth?

Yet all the same, there was a certain strangeness to the man that he couldn't quite place. Granted, there was something strange about Nana as well, but that was probably because she was like Nyu. A Diclonius, was it? He was used to that type of eccentricity, had come to know it, and even cared for it. But Alma, and the strange Point Man who was connected to her, were an oddity that he couldn't adjust to, for he couldn't even get close to her.

Nonetheless, it all came back to one point: He had no choice.

He looked at the Point Man and Nana, and offered a courteous smile, "Please come in. We have a lot to discuss."

He, Yuka, and Mayu headed inside, and the two latest guests of Maple House followed after them.

Alma looked up from her position beside Lucy's bed, eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

They're here!

Lucy, still feeling herself, looked at Alma with a concerned frown, "Who?"

My sons!

Lucy hadn't been expecting that. She sat up in bed, mouth agape, "Your sons? The ones who look older than you?"

Yes.

"How did they find you?"

I don't know. They must have kept searching after I left. They knew about you.

"So what'll you do now?"

Alma honestly wasn't sure what she should do. She looked at the door, where she could feel their minds, and hear their thoughts the way someone could hear voices coming from a different room. One was curious and determined, the other black and brooding. Her sons.

Her sons.

She'd never wanted them, had suffered greatly to bear them, and yet, when she'd held them both in her arms, she couldn't suppress the torrent of love that she'd felt for them. It had reminded her of how she'd felt for Lucy, and the pain of having them taken from her had been like ripping open an old wound and rubbing salt in it for good measure. She couldn't be with her sons. Of course not. She wasn't allowed anything. She was left to rot and decay while her legacy was subjected to the same drawn-out despair as her, cut open and pieced back together, injected full of chemicals, forcing them to grow at a significantly faster rate than hers. She could feel their pain, and had reached out to one of them to help strike back at their tormentors, striking them down to hopefully free her of that wretched prison so that she could be with Lucy.

Paxton had gone livid, painting the walls red with her blood, but her other son, who'd been raised separately, had been sent in to try and stop them. Alma had forgotten what he was like, having not been able to reach out to him like she had with her other son. It had all been a terrible ordeal, but it had freed her, in the end, and she was able to free Lucy. That was what mattered.

But now, they'd returned for her, having apparently become dependent.

She wasn't sure how she felt about her sons at this point, if she was even capable of feeling the way a mother should. It was one thing being a friend, but a family member? She wasn't even certain if she loved them at this point.

I don't want to see them.

Lucy's eyebrows raised, surprised by her friend's rebuttal. "…Why not?"

I just don't.

"Alma," Lucy wasn't sure how to respond. She hadn't thought much of Alma's sons since reuniting with Alma, clearly having other things on her mind. She wasn't the warmest of women, far from it, in fact. But hearing Alma's negative view still felt wrong to her. "They're your family."

You're my family.

Lucy had to choke something back upon hearing that. It was nice to know that she meant that much to her…but still…

"Alma…I don't know how long I'll be around while still being…myself…but when I'm gone, it might not hurt for you to have some more people to be with…like your sons, for instance."

They can't replace you.

"Just as Kouta couldn't replace you, I know…but we still hung out with him, and we liked him. Alma, I don't want you to just disappear. Being lonely…it's horrible. I don't want you to have to feel that way when I'm gone. Reach out to them while I'm gone. Make an effort. Make any effort."

Lucy was genuinely floored by how wholesome she sounded. Ordinarily she would've gladly helped Alma kill any who bothered her best friend. Was it part of having a friend? Was it the fact that she was in Kouta's house?

I'm not capable.

"You don't know that, Alma. You…you…"

Lucy grabbed her head and let out a long, drawn out moan. Alma could feel Lucy's mind slowly regress, as something bent and wicked was replaced by something fresh and…innocent.

"Nyu?"

"How much further until we've arrived, Mr. Kakuzawa?"

"Patience, Ms. Aristide. We're almost there."

The two of them, as well as there selected "entourages," were heading down a wide hallway whose cleanliness bordered on immaculate. Kakuzawa had been tempted to ask his American guests to be blindfolded, but had figured that it would be too much to ask at this point. It still bothered

(infuriated)

him that Genevieve knew so much about his Institute, whereas he knew barely anything about Armacham at all, let alone whatever science experiments they'd been working on for the past many years. Just how much had that insufferable woman uncovered. Did she know about his heritage, about his plans to subjugate humanity to the wrath of the superior species? After how far he'd come, after how much he'd progressed, to be unmasked by some harlot from across the globe…

He swallowed back his rage, grateful that he was leading the procession, lest his guests glimpse the look of fury on his wrinkled face.

There was no guarantee that she knew of his plans. After all, he'd been sure to keep such personal records at home, in his private quarters. Armacham's interest in his Institute extended only as far as Alma. Anything else was irrelevant to them, and that included what was done with Alma. So fine, he'd play ball with these people. He'd expend whatever resource he could spare if it meant tracking down and being rid of Alma. And hopefully, the tool to defeat Lucy, and maybe even Alma, lay just through this heavy vault door.

Once the door was open, (a somewhat lengthy process that required a keycode and a retinal scan,) the door was open to reveal a massive chamber the approximate size of a football stadium. Off to one side was a small viewing room, and at the other end was a large, house-sized chamber of sorts. There seemed to be something emitting from the chamber, but Genevieve couldn't make out what exactly it was. Some kind of light, perhaps…but why was it waving around? No, not light, she noticed as she grew ever closer.

They were vectors.

Dozens of visible vectors.

They floated around the chamber, translucent lifeless limbs, feeling around for something to grab onto that wasn't part of its prison. Aristide was quite surprised by all of this. To her knowledge, she'd never known a Diclonius to wield vectors that were visible to the naked eye.

"Impressive, aren't they?" asked Kakuzawa in the sort of casual tone one might use when discussing the weather, or of an old friend they'd just run into, "Proud employees of Armacham Corporation, I present to you Number 35, also known as Mariko, the most powerful Diclonius in stock!"

"Impressive, indeed," mused Genevieve, "Just what are her combat capabilities, though?"

"Vectors extend to a range of 50 meters, and her strength is monumental, to say the least," he explained patiently, "Like I said, she's our most dangerous weapon, and I'm quite certain that she'll be able to bring Lucy in."

"How did you acquire such a specimen?"

Kakuzawa's grin widened, almost reaching his eyes, "That's quite an explanation. Should I tell it, or should you, Kurama?"

Aristide and her associates all turned as one toward Kurama, who was beginning to look increasingly aggravated. Aristide already knew the answer before the poor man even said it.

"She's my daughter."

Genevieve didn't have any children. Never much cared for it. Still, hearing this man's declaration made something stir in her, a feeling that was warm and heavy. She didn't even believe she could still feel that way.

"That's right," Kakuzawa nodded, "Our very own General Director became one of the first people to discover the sad truth of how Diclonius reproduce. As I'm sure you know, Diclonius are monogendered, meaning that they're only female. Their vectors contain a special virus that targets sperm cells, ensuring any and all children he conceives are Diclonius."

Genevieve might've offered her condolences if she thought they'd be accepted, but she figured the stone-faced director would rebuff any offerings of pity. She certainly would have.

"Let's get back to the topic at hand," she stated curtly, "Can she be controlled? I wouldn't want to replace one headache with another."
"She'll keep her toe in line, of that I'm sure," said Kakuzawa confidently, "Pain is always a good deterrent."

"Pain is what made Alma and Lucy into the monsters they are," declared Genevieve, "And it'll take more than pain to put either of them down."

"You talk quite smugly, miss," replied Kakuzawa, but I don't see you putting forth any other ideas. Do you know any other means to neutralize Lucy, or maybe Alma for that matter?"

It was a moment before Genevieve spoke, but when she did, it was in a carefully neutral tone, "Perhaps. But before we discuss any further plans, why don't we meet MAriko first?"

"Make yourselves at home, I guess," muttered Kouta as he trudged inside. Nana and the Point Man examined the wooden interior of Maple House with curiosity, taking in the traditional Japanese layout.

"Welcome to Maple House," exclaimed Yuka, making some effort to be cheerful, "Nyu should be sleeping at the moment, though she might be awake by now."

Almost as if on cue, the door leading to Nyu's bedroom opened, and a head of pink hair poked out. "Nyu?"

Nana had been apprehensive at the mention of another Diclonius, but from everything Mayu had said, the Diclonius that resided with them hadn't been anything like the creature that her father had described…although, now that she thought of it, Lucy hadn't harmed her when they met out by that cemetery. It was Alma who'd done those horrible things. But all the same, she couldn't stop the faint wave of fear that coursed through her veins as she recognized the girl who looked gazed at her with bright, curious eyes.

It was Lucy. No doubt about it.

Her papa had told her how dangerous this girl was, and how much carnage she caused. It had also once been her mission to bring her in, although now she was supposed to just lay low, and wait for her papa to come find her. But now, with Lucy right here, perhaps she-

Back for more?

Nana's whole body froze up in horror as those words invaded her very mind. The very shadows seemed to warp and bend together, as a withered form took shape, and for the first time ever, the denizens of Maple House got a full, good look at Alma Wade.

Kouta let out a startled yell.

Yuka and Mayu flat out shrieked.

Wanta peed on the spot.

Nyu let out a whimper and quietly closed her door.

Nana's grip on her legs slackened in fear, and she fell to the floor in a heap of body parts, causing Yuka to shriek once more.

The Point Man was the only one who remained in control. Without a hint of fear, he calmly yet purposefully strode forward, putting himself between the children and the monster that had been plaguing them. Alma regarded the brave man with an even stare, and the Point Man fixed her with one in return. Kouta, who was the closest of the terrified teens to fully regaining his faculties, began to wonder if the two of them were waiting for the other to make the first move, whatever form it may take.

"Mother."

For a moment, everyone thought that had been the Point Man speaking, but the voice wasn't coming from him, but from around the room itself.

Then, as suddenly as one monster appeared, so too did another.

Wisps of red smoke gathered in one spot, congealing into the form of one single man. Dark hair, a scarred forehead, and eyes that looked just like Alma's.

Yuka didn't have the strength to shriek this time. She just fell onto the floor in a dead faint. Nobody seemed to notice. Nana, who'd just begun pulling herself together, nearly lost her grasp on her limbs once more. She looked at the Point Man for help, and he calmly held a hand up to the frightened girl, with a palm facing out toward her; the universal hand sign for hang in there, baby.

"Mother," Paxton's expression and voice were both filled with reverence, like a follower witnessing the second coming of Christ, "Long have we searched for you."

If she hadn't been put off by the first appearance of her son, then she was certainly put off now. Paxton didn't seem to notice but continued speaking, "I carried out your will against Armacham. Together with my army, we stormed the facilities and the labs that had imprisoned us, that had kept us apart for so long. We ripped, tore, and scorched any who stood in our way, all so you could be reunited with your friend!"

The man fell to his knees, arms spread forth, further driving home the notion that Alma was some sort of warped Messiah. "Now we are here, Mother, your two sons, traveled across the globe to find out what your plans are. What are these Diclonius to you? What is Lucy? Tell us, Mother!"

Alma regarded her prostrate son with the same even gaze she'd given his brother, and for a moment, Kouta wondered if she might even strike out and kill them. Then, she slowly raised her arms… and put a hand on the shoulder of each son. It was an awkward gesture, one that did not seem wholly sincere, but the message was made clear.

Family.