Chapter 15

The death of Iwai Kaimu left his friends in a dreary moods. Elena, Atsushi and other scientists had to hear almost every day of how much monsters they were. It didn't bother much Atsushi as it bothered Elena. They had to do what was necessary in order to complete the drug, besides those

homeless people's lives had already been full of worries and problems, and there had been a chance that they could die anyway, even if the organisation wouldn't bring them in, considering their homeless lifestyle.

Over the last months, Atsushi had found out little bit about each of the homeless' people lives. Iwai Kaimu hadn't had any family, and he hadn't have any income to support himself and thus he lost his house; Daichi and Daiki Maiki had lost their job, and they hadn't had money to pay the bills and thus they'd had to move out of their house, they had a problem with finding a job ever since; Riko Nakama had come from a orphanage, however, she had preferred to spend her time with Iwai and others than in orphanage that according to Riko hadn't treated her well; and Moriko'd had actually a house and parents, but they'd often abused her, which had resulted in Moriko frequently running away from her house.

Elena saw it as them coming from one hell to another. The difference was that the current hell was much worse from what they'd experienced as homeless. Atsushi blocked any thoughts of how much those homeless people suffered because of all those experiments that the scientists had been doing on them. Atsushi, unlike Elena, didn't get emotional about those people. He admitted that he somehow felt sorry for them, but at least, they were doing something useful. Before, their life hadn't had any meaning, but now they were a big help in creating the drug that would change a human's life for a better.

Unfortunately, the experiment weren't going well. Four months after Kaimu's death, Maiki Daiki died as well, and he, Elena and other scientists left only with Maiki Daichi, Nakama Riko to experiment on. They also had to include Sanda Moriko to this list.

"You only have two mice to use for your experiment, I think it's a good time to use Moriko-chan for the experiment," Pisco informed Atsushi and Elena.

"You, at least, could not express about Daichi and Riko as mice, they're people."

Atsushi sighed, his wife clearly didn't like how the homeless people had been treating, but what they could do. If they wanted to finish this drug, they had to take every possible step otherwise they would never finish it.

"Yes, will do," Atsushi said.

Pisco was about to leave them when Elena stop him. "Wait!"

Pisco turned towards her, forcing a smile and politeness into his voice. "Yes, Elena-san."

"I think we should postpone this experiment, in meantime, Atsushi and I should analyse the notes that we wrote during the experiments on Kaimu and Daichi, and Vermouth. We're clearly doing something wrong since two people already died, so the corrections in our research are necessary."

"And how long analysing over your notes, you think will take?" If the words could poison then Elena would be dead. The smile that Pisco was putting on his lips looked more like a grimace.

"I don't know, few moths, I guess," Elena responded, in a calm voice.

"Listen, Elena, even though, you don't want to use Moriko-chan for the experiment, you will have to eventually," Pisco said, firmly, but seeing Elena staring at him with her almost begging eyes, he added, "Fine, I guess the boss won't be against if you postpone the experiment on the homeless people, but don't procrastinate with it. I expect the analyse of notes won't take too long. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good, now go back to work."

As Elena suggested, over next few months, she, Atsushi and other scientists occupied themselves with reading through the notes that they had made over the last years, and it was lots of them. Even with other scientists, it still was taking long time to go through them. Elena wanted to go through every note twice, just in case if she missed something. However, Atsushi suspected that Elena was indeed procrastinating, although careful analyse over the notes wouldn't hurt.

Atsushi also wondered that perhaps Iwai and Daiki had died due to their age. Iwai had been almost sixty years old, and Daiki had been over thirty. Maybe the drug would work on the younger body like Riko or Moriko. However, if that the case, they better did something about it. Atsushi and Elena didn't want the drug to work just for a specific group of age. They want it to work for everyone no matter how old that person was.

During those months, Riko and Daichi could get some rest and spend time with Moriko. They had lied to her that Iwai and Daiki got bored and left. Moriko had been shocked and it had been hard for her to believe in it. They all had always stick together for good and bad.

"Why didn't we go with them?" Moriko had demanded the answer.

Atsushi, who, had been around, then, stop to hear what Riko or Daichi would answer them.

"Be-Becaue, we have to help the scientists with their project." Atsushi heard Riko's respond. He hadn't been sure if Moriko had bought it or what had been her response, because Atsushi had gone back to the lab.

Atsushi hoped that over two moths of analysing all the notes, would bring some efforts, though Elena still insisted that they should analyse them more. Atsushi was in the lab and going through the same paper, for the hundredth of time, when he felt poking on his arm. He turned away to see a very happy Elena.

"What is it?" Atsushi stood up from his chair. Elena took his hands in hers, and she said, her voice full of happiness, "I'm pregnant, we're going to be parents again."

A big grin appeared on Atsushi's face. "That's amazing. Oh my gosh, I'm so happy." Atsushi hugged his wife.

The other scientists who heard the conversation, came to Elena and Atsushi and congratulated them.

"I think it's about time to bring those homeless people back to the lab. We practically finished with the notes' analyse," one of the scientists said out of sudden.

Elena's smile vanished from her face.

"I think that too, besides, Pisco and the boss will be angry if we procrastinate even more," Atsushi said.

"Fine, but please can we leave Moriko, for now? We can still bring her into the lab," Elena said as she saw Atsushi opening his mouth. "But, we won't do tests on her, right away. We still have Riko and Daichi."

Atsushi and the scientists exchanged unsure glances, but they agreed with Elena. They realized it was better not to upset Elena, especially, in her condition. Atsushi just hoped that they would be more lucky, this time.

Elena was relaxing in her bedroom, while, Ichirou and Akemi were playing in the living room. Ichirou was sad that he had to spend less time with Moriko, they had become pretty good friends over the last year. Elena was very thankful that the boss didn't get this crazy idea of Ichirou including into the experiment.

However, Ichirou eventually would need to work for the organisation. Elena just wondered when it would be, Ichirou was already almost twelve years old, so in few years, he could learn about the organisation. Elena wished that Ichirou could have a normal life. She just hated that he would need to work for the organisation that had killed his parents.

Atsushi returned home, and let his body fall on the bed.

"You look exhausted," Elena smiled at him sympathetically as she put her hand on his chest.

"I am, god I was doing experiments with the chemicals and checking the reaction of it. The one that we applied to Riko doesn't work right. I mean you saw yourself, she has breathing problems, and headache, and other symptoms, even though we applied just a little of the substance," Atsushi explained.

It had been three months since the scientists started again the experiment on Daichi and Riko, and when they had brought Moriko into the lab. As Elena had said, they hadn't been using Moriko for the experiment, yet, but it hadn't passed much time, before Moriko realized why the organisation had offered her and her friends the 'job'.

Moriko had protested to be a test subject, and she had demanded to let, Daichi and Riko go. One look on a gun that one of the member had been holding, made Moriko obedient. She also had found out about Iwai's and Daiki's death. It made her terrified.

I'm in hell. It's was Moriko's words.

Elena couldn't help but think that this experiment on the homeless people will fail. Elena got a certain idea, which she decided to tell Atsushi about it.

"I was thinking we should ask for a help the other scientists, you know those foreigners that we met during the convention." Elena and Atsushi had gone to the convention again, where they had again met the scientists from different countries. They had even seen Agasa, again who bragged about his inventions.

"Well, more hands for work is always nice, but I don't think those foreigner scientists will agree to work here, I mean they are from different country, and even if they would agree, I doubt the boss would accept anyone into their organisation. You know how much suspicions, the boss is."

"What if those scientists won't come to us, but it's us who will come to them, to their country." Elena could feel excitement rose in her chest.

Atsushi sat down on the bed, and looked at Elena with questioned expression on his face. "What do you mean? We cannot just leave the organisation. The boss would never allow us to leave."

Elena for a moment looked into an empty space of the room, her mind was busy with all the thoughts with the plan that she had come up.

"I mean we could tell the boss that since those experiments aren't bringing any results, and we need a fresh eyes to help us with this project. We will mention that those scientists has to stay in their country, so it's better if we go to them, and we also could ask the boss not to monitor us twenty-four seven."

"Don't you think the boss would find it suspicious if we asked them about it? And besides, maybe the experiments on Riko and others will bring some positive results." Atsushi didn't sound convinced.

"I doubt that. Riko already shows negative effects, and I'm sure Daichi and Moriko won't be different and about the boss, I don't think they deserve the drug. I think when we'll create it, we shouldn't give it to them, and that is why it's better if we complete it in a different country." Elena wore a serious face.

"Okay, one thing is to work outside the organisation, but work against the boss is another. It's too risky. If the boss would find out about it or even suspect it, then we will end up like Ichirou's parents, and the boss might not be merciful to Akemi as they were to Ichirou, and besides you're pregnant," Atsushi eyes showed concern.

"Obviously, I'll wait when I give a birth to our child, and about the boss," Elena smirked and she continued, "I think I got an idea that would make the boss not suspicions about our plan."

The next months had been passing, and as Elena was in advanced pregnancy, she listened to Atsushi and took a holiday, reluctantly. Atsushi thought it would be good for Elena, she had been working too much, thought it could be said the same about him. Atsushi tried different methods of mixing the substances, however, it didn't bring any good results, and Riko wasn't feeling well. She actually felt worse, after Atsushi inflict another substance into her body.

"Please, Riko-chan, don't die, please," Moriko begged with a weak voice.

Atsushi approached Riko and put his hand on her chest, her heartbeat was very slow. Atsushi observed Riko as life was fading away from her.

"Riko-chan? Riko-chan!" Moriko called her friend, tears were streaming down on her cheeks. "Do something!" she demanded through her tears.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. She's dead," Atsushi said. There was no emotions in his voice.

He thought that the idea of working outside the organisation could actually be good.