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Midori Akashi is that green-haired girl, who had some lines in the finale, if you didn't know her name.

2: Convalescence

"Two Valvraves on the radar, units four and six," Midori reported to Shoko. "They're hailing us. Do I connect?"

"Please do," Shoko nodded at her.

Akira-chan appeared on the screen, looking like she needed a good night's sleep. Shoko felt the same, but she put on a determined face.

"Thank you for your assistance. Please escort us to the module," Shoko kept her voice steady and her words formal. She had to, otherwise she might just start pleading for forgiveness from Akira-chan, very unlike the Prime Minister she was supposed to be.

Akira-chan looked like she might cry. Please don't, Shoko pleaded mentally, because I would too.

Her only response was to nod and cut the call. Shoko was saved from hurting her friend more (if they were friends, anymore) and she took the seat beside Midori. Midori seemed conflicted, unsure of anything, and idly fiddled with the ship controls. Shoko shared that feeling and let out a sigh.

When everyone was safe and getting better treatment, Shoko would have to consider the future in detail. She figured her first course of action would be talking. It felt wrong – it was wrong – to turn away her friends like that. She had to talk things through with anyone involved: Haruto and the other pilots, probably L-elf and the students, like Nanami-sensei had instructed her. Then they would decide the matters between all the ministers. Worry ate at her, apprehension at confronting everyone. So many things had gone wrong in a matter of hours and she was supposed to fix it all, guide everyone through difficult times. She had to.

"Prime Minister," Iori-san interrupted her thoughts when she entered the room. She looked down on the floor and was considering her words, most likely.

"I know. Let's… let's just get to safety, okay? We can't do anything else right now," Shoko loathed admitting it aloud, but everyone knew the situation was anything but stable. There was no true safety. There hadn't been, for a long time.

"I know! But…" Iori took a hesitant breath, "what if it's trap?" She looked at Midori, who in turn nodded. They both turned to look at Shoko in question.

"I thought of that too. We don't have a choice. It was L-elf who made the call, and no one could make him speak even at gunpoint, and the Valvraves are functional enough to escort us," Shoko explained with a serious voice.

"But the Valvraves could shoot us now, when were defenseless!" Iori exclaimed somewhat panicked.

"They won't. They defended us earlier, when we had to evacuate, remember?" As soon as she had finished, Shoko realized at some level that Iori was looking for excuses and stalling them. She couldn't bring herself to be angry at her.

"But—"

"Would you stop! You heard her, we don't have any choice," Midori scolded Iori. She clearly didn't share Shoko's sentiment. Midori wasn't that upset, but her words held enough spite to halt Iori, who looked somewhat ashamed.

"I know," was the quiet reply. Shoko relaxed when she noted that a fight wasn't going to start. She got up, went to Iori and promptly hugged her tightly.

"I know you're worried and angry, but we'll cope. You have us," Shoko told against Iori's shoulder. Iori was still for a moment, but soon hugged desperately back while letting the tears fall.

A-drei was preparing for a lift-off. L-elf had made him carry any useful medical stuff from the clinic back to the school pre-emptively, so no one had any reason to visit the clinic anymore, leaving that Tokishima alone.

He didn't really know what L-elf was thinking. The whole mess concerning his defection and the guest of building a nation he had took upon accomplishing were one huge question for him, but since L-elf didn't willingly elaborate, he let him be. Curiosity was controlling his thoughts, however. Trusting L-elf to tell what he needed to know, but still wondering what was motivating him, he had decided to corner him at a better time.

Especially when L-elf had told him a lot during their way to the clinic, but had still left out how his cousin Lieselotte fit in to the picture. Dorssian propaganda said she had died of sickness, but he had enough connections to know those news were full of bullshit. And he didn't even need those connections to know it. Something else had happened there, with the students escaping from Earth miraculously and Lieselotte dying mysteriously.

A-drei frowned and held his helmet in front of him. He had a plan for returning to Dorssia – he was kidnapped by a trap sprung by two Valvraves. The students wanted information, but simple interrogation had no effect on him. And because some poor students can't stomach torturing anyone, and because cannon fodder like him had no value as a hostage, they let him go with his Kirschbaum, which was no use to students with Valvraves. His superiors would accept his story and let him continue operating.

The royalists would need help with seizing control of Dorssia. Granted, they could work beneath the excuse of unrest, but the hardest part was getting rid of the Magius. There was a council of 101 in control, but how far their influence reached, they could only guess. He knew a list of the names was uploaded to the Wired, courtesy of L-elf, but the list was no use if the ones on it went underground. He had to get this information to the royalists so they could start unearthing the deep Magius roots.

A-drei would participate gladly.

Determined, he put on his helmet, climbed into the Kirschbaum and booted up. He saw L-elf stop before entering the school building. He glanced up, as if knowing he was being watched, and nodded at A-drei.

He let out a chuckle and took off. He had a medic to contact and a medical bed to ship.

The school had started to smell. L-elf was no stranger to a large amount of bodies, but the smell of decay and blood was enough for him to put a sleeved arm on his lower face. The students were going to have very hard time getting everyone out and possibly cleaning the building. Funeral was most likely going to be held next to the graveyard which had formed after the first attack.

He had to find a brown-haired male, who had the same body proportions as Haruto. The school contained easily over a hundred bodies, so there was a good chance he found someone of resemblance. Stepping over the bodies littered on the hallway floor he took a good look at everyone, and peered inside every room he encountered.

He had luck on the second floor. This poor boy slumped over a desk on his back was only an inch taller than Haruto, had short brownish hair and otherwise didn't look too different. Someone who had known Haruto longer than a week would realize he wasn't the real one, but L-elf wasn't going to let them that close. Carefully he inspected the boy's injuries. Seemed like he was shot in the torso thrice, but his head was unhurt, which was enough. He took a firm grip and lowered the body from the desk on the floor and set to work.

Moments later, he had taken unnecessary clothes like the student uniform jacket and zipped up the pilot suit. It didn't him as well as it had fit Haruto, but it would do. Last he put the helmet on the body and checked his work. It wasn't idiot-proof, but he lifted the body onto his shoulder like he had carried Haruto earlier. Checking that he hadn't gotten more blood on himself, satisfied he made his way out of the building.

While outside, he thought where he would keep the body double. He had told Rukino Saki that they were keeping him at the school and later burying him alongside the other students, but now he wasn't so sure. If he put him back inside Hito, he could just tell the news of his death and bring the body outside only when it was time for a burial. Deciding to do the latter he went back to the first unit.

Inside he set the body to the floor, settling him so his face was turned downwards. That way he could let people ogle at the body from the hatch opening without letting anyone touch it. His work done, he took out his phone from a pocket and glanced at the clock. He had roughly half an hour left before the ships returned. Enough time to inspect the Phantom. Before going outside he looked at the screen on the dashboard. The AI still had someone with… it. Her.

"Who are you?" he asked forwardly. Floating around the screen, the blue-haired entity came closer.

"You're not the pilot," the thing answered scornfully. He probably referred to when Haruto had used his body in that fight.

"No, I'm not, but I'm the one in charge of them," he told.

The thing was quiet and frowning at him, but then the female one barged next to him. "It's you!"

"Yes," he nodded. At least he had talked with this one. "Do you even have name? Valvrave? Hito?"

"I'm Pino!" she answered cheerfully. "And this is my big brother, Prue!"

Big brother? They were siblings? "…alright. Where did Prue come from? You weren't there earlier," he asked them.

"I was in Cain's Valvrave," Prue admitted, answering only because his sister trusted L-elf, he assumed. He didn't know how he had gotten inside this Valvrave and didn't have time to care. Prue was far less trusting, spoke more coherently and regarded him with disdain. He probably knew a lot more than his sister.

"Why is Tokishima Haruto still alive, even after running out of runes?"

Pino raised a forefinger on her jaw as in deep thought, Prue looking aside seriously. Great, either they didn't know the most important thing or weren't willing to tell.

"…don't know," Pino said quietly while shaking her head. Prue was silent for a moment longer before speaking.

"It might be because he's unnatural," he finally stated.

L-elf raised his eyebrows. "Unnatural how? Because he's one of the students at Sakimori Academy?"

Prue shook his head. "No, unnatural… he's closer to being a true Magius than the other pilots are," was his cryptic reply. "I can't really explain it." Pino had closed her eyes and was nodding her head in agreement.

Conclusion: they knew nothing of importance. L-elf tch'ed in annoyance, opened the hatch and stepped outside.

He had to make a quick trip to the Phantom while he still had time.

The module came into view. There had been no serious incidents on the journey, but Saki was alert. Akira-chan had contacted her once about a fleet belonging to ARUS, close to the meeting point, but by someone's grace they didn't attack or follow them. The sudden flyby had reminded Saki of the danger still present and she had been tense since.

Saki agreed with Akira-chan that they should remain in space until all the ships had boarded the module. She hoped L-elf had prepared some way of convincing Shoko-san to let them stay in the module, too.

She was afraid to hope for anything more.

Idly, she wondered what A-drei was going to do. She was grateful to him, for listening to her explanation and letting her go from her prison. His meeting with L-elf on the module earlier had reassured her momentarily that they still had help, had allies.

Finally reaching their home, Saki maneuvered Carmilla to the other side of the entrance at the bottom side. Someone, probably L-elf, opened the doors and one by one, the ships slid inside. Akira-chan had been flying behind the ships, and after she was in, Saki followed. They had had to use one of the Familiars on the way, so they had two left, until more was made.

Behind Saki the doors closed. The three ships found docking points for each one. Saki knew she should help moving the injured ones further inside, but wondered if they even wanted help from the likes of her. Akira-chan seemed to have the same doubts and didn't move.

She knew she had to get her unit repaired, with the frontal legs so badly melted and communications nearly broken. It was a miracle if they could get the repairs done with limited resources and knowledge. Otamaya and Kibukawa-sensei would help her, but few persons could only get so much done.

And who will become the next pilot of the first unit? Saki didn't like the thought of anyone but Haruto doing it, but they had to appoint someone, when the Valvraves were their best – only – means of defense. The pilot would have the biggest responsibility, with them needing to feed. If what Kibukawa-sensei had told her was believable, only the students of the Sakimori Academy could pilot the Valvraves. He hadn't elaborated why, except by vaguely mentioning a military program. But it certainly explained why someone like L-elf hadn't taken a hold of a Valvrave.

With students slowly coming out of the ships Saki decided she would try her luck and went to dock Carmilla. Akira-chan followed her.

"Please walk to the surface if can! If you can't walk, wait for someone to come to you. We'll get everyone out, so please don't panic!" Shoko hollered loudly. The moving was slow, but at least they weren't in a hurry, like they had been when attacked. The uninjured and some of the less injured were helping the unfortunate students to go ahead. It was easy here, in the gravityless area, but up in the module proper they would need beds with heels and wheelchairs, if there were any.

"Prime Minister!" It was Satomi, who floated from another ship closer to her. "Please let Akira stay here, at least! She doesn't have any other place to go to," he pleaded.

Shoko understood his concern. "She can stay," she told him, "and I was thinking we should let the pilots explain their side of the story."

Her words were a visible relief to him. "Thank you," he said and kicked himself back towards the ship he came from.

Shoko took a glance to see how many students were left. Not too many, and she decided she would sought out Haruto. She made her way to the control room of the entry point, were she knew someone had to be controlling the doors and the airlock.

Reaching the door to the room, she wasn't surprised to see the former Dorssian waiting for her on the other side. "Sashinami," he acknowledged with his ever serious face.

Shoko nodded at him and clasped her hands in front of her. She went into this head first, once again without a plan of any kind, and only now was thinking her words through.

"First, thank you," she said while looking at the ground, "for the broadcast. And for letting us come back." She bowed, like the JIORan custom was.

"No need," he answered shortly. Shoko raised herself straight and finally met his eyes properly. "I have news. And you'll want to know what really happened. Tend the students and we'll have a talk at 1900 hours, with everybody present," he stated.

Shoko nodded, a bit lost and wondering about the supposed news. She would meet Haruto later, at least in the evening if not earlier. "What are you going to do?"

"Now I'm monitoring the radars. How many students are alive?"

Shoko grimaced. "…37. Four died because of their injuries," it hurt to admit how powerless she had been. She couldn't protect or save everyone.

L-elf's face remained impassive, like the body count didn't concern him. "If there are uninjured ones available, sent them here. Or anyone who can stand and stay awake will do," he instructed.

Shoko nodded again. "I'll send Otamaya-kun and Renbokoji-san. Maybe Takahi-san, Iori or Midori…" she listed the ones she could remember were fine.

"Otamaya Yuusuke needs to help Rukino Saki. Get Renbokoji Satomi and Ninomiya Takahi here to monitor things at minimum," he added. "Have you seen Kibukawa Takumi?"

"Kibukawa-sensei was helping somebody who couldn't walk," Shoko answered, puzzled at why he would need the teacher.

L-elf nodded. "Use the girls' dormitory. I cleaned up the building." Meaning it was the only place without bodies lying around. "I have taken everything of value from the clinic downtown and delivered them to the dormitory, so you have no need for looting."

"Thank you," Shoko repeated and felt herself brighten up. They would get through.

"And stay away from the first unit," he added as an afterthought. "It started an automated self-destruct sequence in response to the damage it took. I managed to deactivate it, but it might start itself again, if handled improperly."

L-elf had an infuriating way of telling serious matters with a nonchalant voice. Shoko was shocked and it probably showed on her face. "But why're keeping it here then?" she asked with a raised voice.

"We'll move it when we have more time. Just don't touch it and we'll be fine," he asserted. "Go and retrieve the persons I mentioned. I have to talk with Kibukawa," he finished and went out of the door leading inside the module.

Time, time, time. They never had time, had they? Shoko sighed and went to make an announcement.

"—and Ninomiya Takahi, please report to hangar control 2. I repeat: please stay at the girls' dormitory for the time being. There is food and medical supplies at the site. We are holding an open meeting at seven o'clock this evening in front of the dormitory building. And please avoid the first Valvrave unit that is close to the school. Seriously, stay away from it!"

The announcement made by Sashinami seemed like it was written by L-elf or something. Takumi knew Sashinami didn't plan that far and so detailed by herself.

He had so far helped two students who were unable to walk by themselves, having gotten shot at their legs. He was returning to the ships when L-elf came by and stopped him, claiming he needed his 'expertise'. He wanted to help the students first, but when L-elf insisted his matter was much more urgent, he relented and followed him. Seemed like he was getting led to the town part of the module with hurried steps. What could be more urgent than shot victims? It must be something important, because L-elf wasn't the type to exaggerate.

But then again he played people like fiddles when he wanted to accomplish something, so if Takumi was feeling dread, nobody could blame him.

L-elf kept to himself until they arrived at the only clinic of the module after a while of walking. He showed himself inside and made way to a specific room. Takumi noted he knew the route and didn't even glance around in question, which meant he had been there before.

They reached a patient room and L-elf switched the lights on from a panel next to the door. There, on the bed, lied Tokishima Haruto, glad only in a plain pilot's undersuit. L-elf went over to the body and checked it for signs of life. Apparently satisfied with the results, he turned to Takumi, who had gotten stuck to the doorway in surprise.

"Can you tell if he's in a coma?"

Ah. He had assumed Takumi could examine Tokishima-kun the best. Takumi shook himself out of his stupor and went closer to the other side of the bed. Tokishima-kun breathed, had a pulse but was unresponsive. Takumi felt at his pockets and took out the small lamp he usually had with him. Pupils reacted to the light as they were supposed to.

"What happened to him?" he finally asked.

"Rune depletion," was the short answer, which explained a lot. "But he is still alive. Even the Valvrave AI didn't know why, just called him 'unnatural'," he continued before Takumi had a chance to ask.

He frowned in response. He might know what the machine had meant by that, but doubted if he should tell. He straightened up and looked down at Tokishima-kun.

That abnormality the Valvrave AI had referred to might be Tokishima-kun's origins as a test tube baby, genetically engineered to be the 'ultimate being', as Dr. Tokishima had so eloquently put. It might explain why he was alive. But was it his place to tell?

Brief struggle with his thoughts and seeing L-elf close to losing his patience made him choose his words carefully. "Tokishima-kun is different, even among the students of the Sakimori Academy," he finally stated. "Special because he was made to resemble the Magius very closely. Piloting the Valvrave merely unlocked his immortality."

L-elf could read between the lines, and by the slight widening of his eyes, Takumi assumed he had done so.

"And because of that unique body, he survived," L-elf concluded and looked at Takumi over the bed.

Takumi nodded. "It's the only theory I have for this," he indicated at the motionless body.

"Does he need coma treatment or runes?"

"That, I can't answer. Only one who knows all about Tokishima-kun is his father, Doctor Tokishima Souichi, one of the scientists we were meant to rescue on the Earth mission. But he refused, said he wanted stay," Takumi explained. He cursed himself for not knowing the details of the project, even when he had been a part of it.

"So he's in Dorssia," L-elf said while looking down at Tokishima-kun, seemingly displeased.

They fell silent. Takumi wished he had more solid knowledge, about Tokishima-kun or about taking care of comatose patients. He was a good kid, not meant to be rotting away hooked up on some machines.

"If he needs runes, there's the Phantom," L-elf suddenly said. "You can't get the machines out of it, so he would need to be kept inside the ship."

Meaning they couldn't dispose of the ship. Or let the people on it go, or release them from their suffering, if they were beyond help.

"How are you going to get him into that machine? We don't have anyone here with proper medical knowledge, much less someone who knows Magius technology."

"It's not a long-term solution," L-elf scowled at him, "and I can get one of the advanced transportable medical beds from Dorssia. And we need to get in contact with that doctor you mentioned, which will take too much time."

His reasoning was solid, Takumi admitted. He was conflicted – of course he wanted to save the kid, but doing it at the cost of those people was pretty inhumane. Expect he had been involved with the Valvrave project, so he couldn't really be talking about morals suddenly. Besides, L-elf clearly had set his sights on saving the pilot, regardless of the cost.

Sighing, he scratched the back of his head. He would help as best as he could.

"Officially he's dead," L-elf interrupted his thoughts. Takumi was confused and looked at him questioningly. "Can't have rumors about human experimentation going on, can we?"

He supposed it was a good reason, but felt like he wasn't getting the full story here. "That's not the only reason," was more like a statement rather than a question.

"It's not. I have plans concerning him. I only let you on this because I had to have a professional opinion."

"So the students don't know? Are they even going to know?" Takumi asked, disbelief coloring his expression.

"Eventually," L-elf said with a low voice, his stare challenging.

'Eventually' could mean tomorrow or the day Tokishima-kun awakened, if he ever did.

Takumi felt like throwing his arms in the air. He wasn't even getting paid to deal with difficult ex-enemy-military and students who had decided to declare independence. These kids just kept getting themselves in some strange stuff.

The hangar had quieted. All the students were back where they belonged, located to the girls' dormitory building. Akira, in a moment of courage, had accessed all the cameras from her unit and had meant to take a look around the school. She had stared horrified at four feeds at the same time and closed the connection to the cameras with an audible gasp. The dormitory was the only place saved from a bloodbath. Or it had been cleaned for the students' sake.

She had now few safe feeds open; one to the control room his brother was in, two located close to the main entryway of the school grounds and few other ones in the dormitory building. She sat with her knees hugging her chest, just watching the cameras and waiting for the evening. She had also watched Rukino-san work with Otamaya and two other guys repairing her unit for some time.

She noticed how L-elf appeared on the camera that surveilled the entrance. A knock interrupted her, however, and she looked up. Shoko-chan was hovering outside, asking to be let in.

Akira hesitated. She didn't think Shoko-chan would hurt her, but she still felt fear. Fear that Shoko-chan, the friend who had gotten her out of her isolation, would reject her now that she was aware of what she was.

Shoko-chan seemed to assume she wouldn't get in and made her hands into fists for a second. Then, she lifted herself so she could sit on the unit's hatch.

"Akira-chan… I," she too hesitated, and looked up so Akira couldn't see her expression. "You don't have let me in. Just listen to me, for now. Okay?"

Akira didn't respond in any way, so Shoko-chan took it as consent to continue. "I have no right to call you my friend," she said quietly. "And I… I know, that no matter how many times I apologize it would not be enough."

Akira felt her throat tighten.

"What kind of a friend does that? I turned you away when you needed the most support, and th-then I was so cold to you and—" she stopped, put her hands on her face, took a few breaths to calm herself. Akira hugged her legs as strongly as she could and stared resolutely ahead.

A quiet moment passed.

"I know it's not enough, but I want you to know I'm sorry. So, so sorry." Her voice was so low Akira barely heard it. It was like her insides were turned around, with sorrow and anger fighting for dominance.

She wanted to be angry so much. It was Shoko-chan who— who— Inuzuka-senpai and Yamada and Haruto were gone—

Gone, and that sorrow might just crush her.

"I'm sorry," the quiet plead was repeated.

Akira punched the button for opening the hatch. Shoko-chan shrieked when it suddenly moved beneath her and Akira was there, gripping Shoko-chan as tightly as she could.

They held each other for a moment, both crying their hearts out. Akira was angry, but willing to forgive her friend for her mistakes.

"I'm so glad," Shoko-chan spluttered soon after, letting Akira go and wiping the tears off on her sleeve. Akira smiled a little and did the same.

"I'm so glad," she repeated. "I know I have to apologize to Haruto and Rukino-san—"

Akira froze.

She was aware Shoko-chan was still talking excitedly. But she didn't know.

She didn't know.

And the crushing wrongness was back.

L-elf was back at the school, heading for the boys' dormitory building. The room he had shared with Haruto had few important objects hidden in it, and now he needed one of them.

Kibukawa had walked with him and departed towards the other dormitory where majority of the students were. He had made the teacher promise him he would keep the secret, but it didn't mean L-elf trusted him enough to not babble. He was a soldier, yes – sensible enough to know when to keep his mouth shut and just march on —but he was also sentimental and protective of the students. There was no chance he would slip, but there was a chance he might outright tell.

A necessary risk, however. Confiding in him had also paid off – he couldn't help directly now, but had mentioned something game turning.

L-elf had to find one of his advanced communicators, those that could send and receive encrypted messages. A-drei would have to make a shipment and start searching for a certain doctor.