Chapter 127: Friends
"Alpha said he wasn't surprised."
Snapdragon had returned. 2 stared for a second, a bit confused. He had been too busy with his thoughts to catch on to what Snapdragon was talking about right away, but then he remembered that he had sent Snapdragon to tell Alpha about 23's betrayal. That, of course, explained Snapdragon's comment.
"So things are taken care of, then?" he asked.
Snapdragon nodded. "Have you figured out what 23 is up to?"
2 shook his head. "He hasn't done anything but argue with 19 since you left."
They both turned their attention to 23 and 19, who were arguing about – of all things – Namine. 2 wished he had been paying attention to the conversation so that the understood just how they had gotten to that particular subject. He scanned through his memory to see if he had heard any fragments of the conversation and remembered them, but sadly, all he could remember was debating about whether or not he could trust Q.
His ability to remember everything was apparently limited to things that he had been focusing on and did not include the minor things that were going on around him.
He'd have to keep that in mind.
Not that he'd forget, of course.
But he'd have to try harder on focusing on the important things.
Such as this conversation…
"Well, considering the fact that he hasn't dropped it yet, I'm assuming the answer is yes," Joseph was saying.
2 frowned. Just who was he saying that about? Given the context of the situation, he had a feeling it was 23 – but what was it that 23 wasn't dropping? And the answer to what was yes?
"Though, I have to say, I think it's kind of ridiculous that you two are arguing over the contents of a binder," Joseph added. "Seems like a stupid reason to betray us, too, 23."
Ah.
That would explain it.
"It wasn't the only reason I betrayed!" 23 said, and he sounded a bit annoyed.
"Well, it's obviously the only reason that really matters to you."
"I'm just upset about the fact that he didn't bother to tell me, when all it was, was a bunch of stupid-"
He was silenced by a quick shake of 19's head.
23 glared. "What? Don't want anyone else knowing about this?"
"He trusted me," 19 whispered. 2 noticed that he wasn't making eye contact with 23 – or anyone for that matter. "He trusted me to keep this secret. Breaking his trust to tell you – my brother – is one thing. But I can't-"
"Who's trust!?" 23 demanded. "Obviously, they mean more to you than I do!"
"23, I did not say that!" 19 replied, angrily, though he sounded close to tears. "I broke his trust to tell you, it's just—breaking it any more…"
"Who are we talking about?" Joseph asked, though he was not answered.
"You certainly had no qualms about breaking the trust that we shared!" 23 shouted.
19 shook his head, sadly. "No, 23," he said, voice choked. "You were the one who broke that trust. You were the one who betrayed me."
"Are you-"
"That's enough!" Snapdragon had summoned his scythe and now had it aimed at 23's throat. 23 was eyeing it warily. "Betraying us is one thing; but taking the extra time to rub it in 19's face?" He shook his head in disgust.
"19, are you alright?" 2 asked.
19 didn't really look alright, but that didn't keep him from saying he was anyway. 2 sighed.
"Maybe it would be best if you let us handle this," he continued.
"I… I suppose so…" 19 said. He stared at 23 for a moment longer, and then slowly turned and started off. "Just… don't harm him, okay?"
"As long as he doesn't make it necessary, I'll be glad to do that," Snapdragon assured 19.
23 looked slightly scared now. He glanced over in Q's direction. "Hello? Backup!"
"Nah. I think I'd rather just sit here and watch your plans fail!" Q replied.
2 turned his attention over to her – she was now sitting in Vexen's vacant seat, and looked like she didn't plan on moving any time soon. There was a glint in her eye, though, one that could almost be defined as evil; 2 didn't like it.
"Which, by the way, 23, what is the plan, exactly?"
23 stared. "You don't know!?"
Q made a face. "No… I wasn't briefed before I was sent here. However…" Her eyes lit up. "I do think I remember hearing L mentioning something about you stalling… and then when Riku and Namine get back from wherever they are, there'd be an ambush… Oh, whoops." She giggled, and then grinned.
Obviously, she felt no remorse about revealing the plan like she just did.
"What are you doing?!"23 hissed.
"Wasn't it obvious?" Q asked. She raised her voice and continued: "I was letting everyone know that there's going to be an ambush when Riku and Namine get back." She turned to Joseph. "Do you think I was loud enough? Or should I repeat myself?"
Joseph turned to 2. "Should we trust her?"
2 shrugged. He really wasn't entirely sure. It didn't seem like this was a set up… but how was he really supposed to know?
"I think we should," Toby whispered. "At least for now. She seems helpful."
"Are you insane!?" 23 said, eyes firmly fixed on Q. "When Saix finds out-"
"It'll be too late, because I'll already have told someone here the information I came to tell them," Q finished. "So unless someone kills me now…"
"I'll kill you now…" 23 said.
Q raised an eyebrow at him. "You have scythe at your throat. How, exactly, do you plan to kill me?"
He glared.
"Hey, maybe you should go ahead and call that ambush off, especially now that—" Q raised her voice again "—everyone here knows that there's going to be an ambush."
"Not a chance!"
Snapdragon gave 23 a thoughtful look. "I suppose I could always just kill him; that would solve the problem, wouldn't it?"
2 considered it and then shook his head. "Even if we get rid of him, there's only a fifty percent chance that they'd actually call of the ambush. Besides, 19 didn't want to hurt him if it wasn't necessary."
"Wouldn't killing him to prevent an ambush be reason enough?"
"This is 19 we're talking about."
Q shook her head. "You Vexen Replicas are such idiots sometimes," she said. "You're worrying about the probability of killing someone being helpful, when you can solve this problem with just a bit of logic." She straightened in her chair, craning her neck as she looked the room over. "Let's see… I see one... two, three… four… hmm… ten people in this room who look like they're good fighters, and there's about… twenty people in this room total – all of whom will put up some resistance to the ambush. There's… how many people involved in the ambush, 23? Five?"
"Seven," 23 replied, turning up his nose slightly.
"Ooh, seven, I'm quaking in my boots!" Q rolled her eyes. "I doubt seven people can do much when they lack the element of surprise."
"Riku and Namine don't know there's going to be an ambush," 23 said plainly.
"I'll go warn them!" Joseph declared.
A dark corridor opened somewhere around the center of the main room.
It was too late.
2 craned his neck so he could get a better look at Riku and Namine—for them, it was—trying to take stock of things. Joseph said Riku had been injured. It had been a few days, and probably enough time for him to heal, but if it hadn't been…
Before 2 could really figure anything out about Riku's physical state, seven dark corridors exactly opened.
Immediately after, about two dozen Berserkers appeared.
Q cringed. "Ooooh… I forgot about the Berserkers…"
"You have GOT to be kidding me!" came Riku's screaming voice. "I'm back for TWO SECONDS—"
2 turned and shoved and icicle through the Berserker closest to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Snapdragon turn from 23 and start attacking a Berserker. Joseph and Toby were both against one Berserker; Joseph wasn't doing anything more than distract it, but Toby's signature blast of fire and lightning seemed to do plenty damage.
Q had gotten to her feet and was ignoring the Berserkers (they were ignoring her, too). She scanned the room, frowning slightly. "You don't see L here, do you?" she asked after a moment.
2 took a quick glance over the area; the Berserker he was fighting prevented him from doing anymore. "No…" he replied slowly. "She doesn't appear to be here."
Q appeared to grin slightly. "Good." She summoned lightning to her fingertips. "That means I can do this!" She took careful aim and chucked the lightning in 37's direction.
"Ow!"
If Q wasn't grinning before, she was certainly grinning now.
"Been wanting to do that for a while…"
"What was that!?" 37 yelled.
"Best-friend stealer!" Q called. "If it wasn't for you…"
Surprised, 2 turned around. That was a tone he had never heard a Larxene Replica use before – it was almost… sadness. Things were clicking together in his head. Of course, Q and L had been friends last he had checked, but last he had checked was long before the Rebellion started and long before L and 37…
"Of course, I shouldn't blame him," Q whispered. "It's L's fault. She was the one who—but… I still can't believe she did it. I can't believe he returned the feelings, either. It seems like… there's so many things wrong with this and I'm the only one who notices. But I can't… do anything about it!" Her voice had risen to a shout by now. "I can't do anything about it and- and I'm ranting. And…" she glanced over the few people who were paying her any attention. "And you're all men, and don't care."
"Uhm-" 2 began.
"I'd love to care," Snapdragon interrupted. "But I kind of have three Berserkers after me."
Q rolled her eyes and sent a large lightning bolt at one of the Berserkers, finishing it off. Snapdragon managed to get rid of the second. The third was slayed by another scythe.
"Why is there always a raid when I'm trying to take a nap?" Amaryllis groaned. "Though, more importantly, why do I hear a Larxene Replica and yet no—" He paused, the expression on his face quickly going from annoyance to shock. "Q!?"
Q turned to him, and her jaw dropped. "Amaryllis!?"
"What- what are you doing here?" Amaryllis asked.
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here!? I thought you died!"
"Well… I…" Amaryllis made a face and shrugged.
"I-I thought Saix had killed you!" Q said. "The last I saw you was right before all the chaos broke out, and then- so many people died… I assumed…" She trailed off, and then grinned. "Well, what does that matter? The point is, it's good to see you!"
"It's good to see you, too, but—"
"I mean, Amaryllis, you don't understand how- hmm?" She stopped, catching the look on Amaryllis's face. He nodded over in Riku's direction, then put a finger to his lips. Q frowned, a bit confused, but then glanced over her shoulder to see what he was indicating. Her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh! Shh." She put a finger to her lips, mimicking Amaryllis. "Shh." Then she smiled.
Amaryllis chuckled.
"Hey, hate to interrupt your reunion," Joseph said. "But, uhm, anyone else notice that 23's gone?"
"When did he slip off?" Q asked, frowning. "He was right here. One of us would've noticed him slip off!"
"I was a bit busy fighting the Berserkers," Snapdragon said.
"As was I…" 2 admitted slowly. He grimaced. "We should've had someone keep any eye on him."
"Where do you think he—"
Riku suddenly screamed in rage, and a wave of darkness surged through the room. It finished off what was left of the Berserkers, and it made every Replica stagger slightly. 2 quickly shook his head, not liking the feeling that had accompanied the darkness.
"What… what was that!?" Q demanded.
"Was that Riku!?" Joseph asked.
2 turned to Riku – he seemed to be the only one not affected (minus Namine). 2 frowned. He couldn't remember Riku having the ability to do anything of this sort…
"I… don't know…"