Drifting Chapter Part 3 (Ch. 12)
They did have a car. It was a black truck with supplies and other sorts of odds and ends all strapped into the truck bed. It didn't have any backseats so we all squished into the front and took off. We drove along the highway in silence for a while. I couldn't help but think about what I was doing. Could I really just go along with them? They were probably safe from me. The orders had only been to kill my friends back at the lab. So maybe... I didn't have to feel guilty.
VY2 turned off down an exit to a small deserted town. It looked like parts of it had been bombed and I shuddered, thinking my whole country must look like this. Center City sure did. VY2 pulled over at a gas station that was still intact and parked the truck in the back. This seemed to be a regular camp-out for them.
"I'll check it out first," VY2 said as he took one of the handguns and started for the back door of the gas station. The door was locked but he found an open window which he pulled himself through.
"Shouldn't we go with him?" I whispered, but IA just shook her head.
"It's better for us to be watching his back. The soldiers aren't going to be on the inside, they'll be out here," said IA, her voice sounded empty. I looked away from her sad eyes. It was stupid of me to feel like I was the only one who had ever lost someone. It felt like a wave of grief hit me and I shuddered, hunching forward.
"Rin...?" asked IA, peering over at me, clearly worried. Painfully, I pushed down the sadness threatening to overwhelm me and straightened up, trying to smile at IA.
"I-I'm fine," I tried to reassure her. Piko just laughed.
[You'll never be fine again.]
Before IA could ask anything else VY2 was opening the back door for us.
"It's all clear, let's try to get some sleep while we can," VY2 said as he began taking out what looked like a sleeping bag from the back. IA and I went over to help him. He was about to hand me some blankets when he hesitated. The silence seemed to stretch as I nervously looked between the two of them.
"Your gun, Rin," IA said quietly. I looked down at my hand which still gripped Len's gun. I had completely forgotten I was still holding it and I was now aiming it at VY2.
[Some orders are still in effect, you know] Piko said, sending shivers up my spine.
"No, it... I'm so-rry I-" I tried to say.
[They may be recognized as enemies and then you'll be forced to kill them.]
"Rin, just put it down," IA pleaded as VY2 looked like he was trying to decide what to do.
[Right now your systems are still confused. And I can't control the virus, yet. Your systems are just drifting between your battle and normal mode, making the virus a lot slower to attack you and eventually shut you down for good. It is still programmed for that, though, so it will happen...]
I felt the gun slip through my fingers and clatter to the ground as VY2 rounded on IA.
"What are you thinking, IA?! We can't keep a deranged robot around!" he yelled, but IA just grabbed my arm.
"Rin, what's wrong?" she asked as VY2 threw up his hands in frustration and quickly picked up my gun.
[You might kill them both if you stay with them. And you definitely will when I take over] Piko sneered. So that was his game. He didn't want me with IA and VY2. But that didn't change the truth ringing in my ears.
"I have a vi-virus," I choked out, "I might ki-ll you both." I was shaking. If I could cry, I'm sure I would've been doing it.
"Rin... we can help you," IA started, pulling my attention to her, "We'll just keep your gun away from you unless we're being attacked. We'll watch you, we'll-"
"That won't m-atter!" I cried, pulling away from her, "You don't think that I can still hurt you without a gun? Or th-at I can't take it from you?!"
"Hey," VY2 walked over to me, with a hard look on his face, "Now you think we can't take care of ourselves? You'd never be able to get through me." He was smiling now.
"It do-esn't ma-matter what you say. If I sta-y with you guys I'll end up killing you," I repeated, feeling terrible. I'd have to leave them now. Then I'll go back to... nothing.
"I beg to differ," VY2 said as he tossed my gun into the back of his truck. He turned to IA, "Are you sure about this?"
"Of course," she said, determined. VY2 nodded and turned back to me.
"If I can show you that I can stop you if you ever try to kill us, will you come with us?" asked VY2. I just stared at him, confused.
"I'll take your silence as agreement then," VY2 grinned as he suddenly jumped at me. I stumbled back, trying to get away. What was he? Crazy?
"No! Stop!" I yelled, but he just whipped his arm around, punching me in the face. I crashed to the ground as I felt something bubbling up inside of me.
The Virus!
Mentally I was frozen with fear, but my body was not like-wise incapacitated.
THREAT
And my body began to move. I tried to kick out at him, but he jumped away. Quickly I launched upwards, trying to catch his neck. He was waiting for it. VY2 sidestepped and grabbed my arm. I felt weightless for a moment before my back slammed into the ground. My body was up and moving before I even realized that he had flipped me. My fear was starting to turn to nervousness as he avoided every attack. Why should I be nervous? I wanted him to win, didn't I? But... if he killed me I'd be breaking my promise to Len...
[What matters more? Len's promise or these people's lives?] Piko asked me.
"I don't know..." I whispered as VY2 threw me onto the ground, but this time he pinned me there. I struggled until I felt his hand brush up against the shut down button on the back of my neck.
"See?" he said as he got off me. I just looked up at him in shock. "You're no danger to us. I'm more of a danger here," he laughed as IA walked over, looking relieved that the fight was over.
"He teaches kickboxing and he also took several forms of karate," IA explained. She kneeled down beside me, trying to help me up, which was difficult because I still didn't have control over my body. The fingers on my left hand kept opening and closing as I forced my body to respond. Slowly, I got up with IA's help.
"Welcome aboard," VY2 said as he turned back to the neglected sleeping bags.
"Why are you guys doing this for me?" I asked, at a complete loss. Piko didn't have anything to add either.
"The world is bad enough as it is without us adding to it," VY2 said over his shoulder.
"And what kind of world would it be if we don't help out those who need it?" IA added, smiling at me. I just smiled back at her. How could I possibly argue with that?
We went back to the task of getting ready for bed. They acted as if nothing had happened and I tried to do the same. I was still worried. Would VY2 really be able to stop me when the virus or Piko took over? For now, I would have to trust them, just as they were trusting me.
We settled down in what looked like a back office. The blankets and sleeping bags were scattered around to make room for all three of us. VY2 pulled the shades down on the window, making the room almost completely black, as IA walked over to me.
"I have this extra shirt, if you'd like it," she said, holding out a black long sleeve shirt. Thankfully, IA and I were the same height and build so it looked like it would fit.
"Ye-s, thank you! It's perfect," I told her and she handed over the shirt, "I'll just go change real quick." I left the room and found a bathroom connected to the gas station's convenient store. Cautiously, I gazed into the mirror. Even in the darkness I could see that my shirt was a complete disaster. There was so much blood on it... I quickly pulled it off and dropped it to the floor. With only one arm it took a lot longer to get IA's shirt on, but in the end I managed it. The sleeve of my right arm dangled and I could see part of the metal poking out of the black fabric.
"Shoot," I whispered. I had already ripped it. Ignoring that for now, I tried to comb through my hair with my fingers, but I only succeeded in pulling out my hair ribbon. My frustration increased as I tried unsuccessfully to put it back in. After a few minutes of fruitless attempts, I gave up and went back to VY2 and IA, stuffing my hair ribbon into my pocket.
"I'd stay up to watch for soldiers but I'd just fall asleep. Anyway, I think we'll be all right for the night," said VY2 as he locked the door behind me with the keys he had found in the gas station. He then plopped down beside IA, looking exhausted.
"Th-ank you," I said. I hoped they knew how much I meant it. IA just smiled and grabbed my hand, pulling me down beside her.
"We'll listen to your story, tomorrow. That is... if you'll tell us," said VY2. He was laying down now and I couldn't see his face. "We'll tell you ours as well."
"Yeah... yeah l-et's do that," I agreed. After all, I would probably spend the rest of my life with these two, until the virus took over. We should get to know each other.
"Okay, it's sleeping time!" said IA as she laid down and tossed a blanket over me. I followed suit and somehow managed to fall asleep quickly.
I jerked awake. It was still night and both VY2 and IA were sleeping. I tried to calm myself. It seemed that Piko had found out how to give me nightmares.
He just chuckled in response.
It was about Len, of course. I killed him again and again. His face filled with pain and accusation. Suddenly I remembered that one night Len came and slept with me because of a nightmare. It must have been about me dying and now I was having those same nightmares. Except that I couldn't crawl over to Len and reassure myself that he was okay. I would never see him again.
I started shaking with quiet sobs. A soft hand touched my hair. My eyes opened to see IA looking over at me. Her eyes looked so sad. Instinctively, I felt that she had lost someone close to her too. I let her put her arms around me while I ached for the arms I'd never feel again.
?
My eyes opened slowly to a bright room. Why was I here? I tried moving but immediately stopped from the pain that was coming from my shoulder and chest. That didn't make sense.
"Len?" asked a tentative voice.
"Rin?" I asked, but it was Miku who was looking down at me. Suddenly it all came rushing back to me. Rin being hacked and shooting at us... at me. I looked around wildly, but it was only Miku and me in the room. Miku shook her head sadly, there was blood in her hair.
"What happened to her? Where is she?" I yelled, panicking as I tried to get up and go to her. The pain almost floored me again.
"She's gone, Len. She ran away. We can't find her anywhere," Miku said as she gently shoved me back into the bed, avoiding the place I had been shot.
"What happened?" I asked, my hands shaking.
"She... she shot you and panicked. She was screaming and... she... Rin tore off her arm," said Miku as she shuddered, "After that she started running. Kaito went after her but he couldn't catch up. She's not even in the city anymore. That's the last we've heard of her, Len."
"We've got to after her! Why aren't you still out looking!?" I cried, grabbing Miku's arm.
"Len, you've been unconscious for several days. We've been looking. She's not coming back," said Miku, looking away from me. She sounded guilty.
"You don't want her to come back, do you?" I asked in shock, hoping it wasn't true.
"Somebody hacked her, Len. She was going to kill everyone. She almost killed you. And Gumi is... she's dead. We can't let something like this happen again," she said, trying to make me understand, but I just pushed her away.
"I can fix her," I said quietly.
"You don't know that, Len! If she comes back she'll try killing us again!" Miku yelled, jumping to her feet.
"You don't know that either!" I yelled back. I turned to look at her only to see that she was crying.
"She was my friend too, and I love her, but we need to survive." Miku turned away from me. "I have to go check on the others. Try to get some rest."
I silently watched as Miku quickly escaped the room and shut the door behind her. My heart was pounding in my ears as I slowly processed all that had happened. Taking a deep breath, I worked my way off the bed, ignoring the pain shooting through my arm and chest.
"I won't give up on you, Rin," I whispered as I made a couple of agonizing steps toward the door. It was time to find Meiko.