Yeah this chapter is a bit short, but I'll make it up within the next few chapters. I'm just really tired and want to finish it. Hope you like it.

Red Rose

Chapter 22

"Hey, where were you? I've been looking all over for you!"

Masaki turned around to see Kanae hurrying over to him, a glowing smile on her face. However, the male Diclonius's expression remained dark.

"I've been tracking Zoe down. I see that you're back from your 'date'," he said in a low voice, emphasizing on the last word.

"Yup," Kanae happily replied. "Any luck so far with finding that girl?"

Masaki chuckled, though it was humorless. "Oh, I did. I actually conversed with her."

The pink-haired girl's eyes bulged out. "What?! You conversed with her?! Are you nuts?!"

"I know what I'm doing," Masaki replied. "By the way, were you able to find out anything about Zoe?"

"No, not really. Kouichi didn't really tell me much about her. She's dating his friend for one thing....think his name was Takuya or something," Kanae told him, her face furrowed into a frown as she tried to remember. "But he said that he met Zoe recently and that she wasn't from around here. You know, he said that she's been all over the place as far as living."

Masaki looked at the ground thoughtfully. "Hmm...interesting.... Though it doesn't tell us much about her."

Kanae shrugged. "Hey, what can I say? He didn't feel comfortable talking about his friends. Though he did seem more nervous about talking about Zoe.... But anyway, what did you and Zoe talk about?"

"Things," he said dismissively.

"No, don't even pull that shit." Kanae stepped out in front of him, her amber eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't you dare try fucking with me."

Masaki carelessly raised an eyebrow. "How am I fucking with you?"

"You expect me to tell you every detail about my date and explain what I learned about Zoe. But then you decide that you don't feel like telling me what you found out?" Kanae looked at him with annoyance. "We're in this mission together, so you better tell me what you did."

The young man smirked. "We merely conversed about...flowers."

Kanae gaped at him disbelief. "Flowers? You're fucking kidding me....flowers?"

"Roses to be exact," Masaki told her, sidestepping around her to continue walking.

"You can't get much more boring than that," Kanae muttered, following him. "Seriously...flowers?"

Masaki glanced back at her. "You asked, I answered."

"Why the hell would you talk about that, though? That's kind of...random," the girl said.

"You wouldn't understand," he replied.

Kanae rolled her eyes. "Yeah, 'cause I'm such an idiot."

"I'm not callling you an idiot," Masaki told her. "I'm just saying that you wouldn't understand because most people wouldn't."

"In case you didn't notice, I'm a Diclonius," she stated, pointing out the obvious. "Not an ordinary person."

"Yes, but either way, you still would've been lost about the meaning behind the conversation."

Kanae huffed. "Well, did Zoe understand what you were talking about?"

A smile twitched at the corner of Masaki's lips. "I think she did..."

"Yeah, because she's just so intelligent," she said sarcastically.

"Oh, but she is. I knew she was before I even spoke a single word with her," he told her.

Kanae rolled her eyes again. "Uh-huh. Sure, whatever."

Masaki ignored her condescending tone, continuing his way down the road. "I sensed Zoe nearby and saw her and her friends drive past me. They were heading to the hospital."

"Really? How did you catch up to them?" Kanae asked.

"I stole a car," he replied nonchalantly. "Drove to the hospital. Found Zoe in the gift shop and walked over to her."

"You're an idiot," the girl hissed. "Are you trying to blow our cover? And you call me wreckless."

Masaki adjusted his hood. "I didn't call you wreckless, I called you careless. I only insinuated that if you're not careful, you could be wreckless."

"Ugh, you know what I mean!" Kanae exclaimed, losing her patience. "So then what happened?"

"I waited in the parking lot after I spoke to Zoe. After she and her friends exited the hospital, I tried to follow them. However, the car decided to die on me, so it was rendered useless."

The female Diclonius sighed. "That sucks. If the car hadn't died, you would've found out where Zoe lives."

"I'm aware of that," he said through slightly clenched teeth. "I'll find out where she lives soon enough, though."

"I don't doubt it, you crazy bastard," Kanae grumbled. "You're not one who gives up so easily."

Masaki's face was stern. "I don't give up. I'll do what it takes to get what I need...and I'll kill anyone who gets in my way."

Meanwhile

Kouji walked throught doorway, an irritated expression on his face. Takuya and Zoe were lounging on the couch, Zoe with her head rested on the brunette's shoulder.

"Hey," Kouji said absently, plopping himself down on the other couch.

"Hey," Takuya replied in the same tone, his vacant eyes staring straight ahead.

Rather than looking at the television, he seemed to be looking through it, as if it weren't there. Zoe's eyes were cast downward, at the floor.

"How'd the visit go?" Kouji asked.

Takuya sighed. "Not good..."

The raven-haired teen winced. "How bad is she?"

"She's in a coma," Zoe replied monotonely. "The doctor doesn't know if she'll pull through..."

"And even if she does, she might have serious brain damage," Takuya added.

Kouji raised an eyebrow. "They can't tell if she'll have brain damage right now?"

"Only to an extent," the blond said. "But they won't know the brunt of it until she's awake."

"Fuck....," Kouji's voice trailed off momentarily, until he decided to change the subject. "Went to a job interview today."

Takuya glanced at him. "Really? How'd it go?"

"Eh, I'm not sure yet. I was competing with some ass-kissing douchebag in a striped polo shirt," Kouji said with disgust. "So I'll know within the week whether or not I got the job."

"Where did you apply?" His brown-haired friend asked.

"Some stupid retail store." Kouji adjusted his bandana. "But money's money, so I'll take whatever job I can get."

Takuya snorted. "You apply to a retail store...but you don't know what it's called?"

"Fuck off," Kouji grumbled. "If that doesn't fall through, I can always apply somewhere else."

"Yeah, I guess."

Kouji glanced around the room. "Where's your Mini-Me?"

"Tommy?" Takuya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Who else?" Kouji rolled his sapphire eyes.

The brunette sighed, resting his chin on the top of Zoe's head. "He's in his room. Doesn't want to come out..."

"Nana with him?"

"Yeah, and so is Wanta. Right now, they are the only two who can make him feel even remotely better," Takuay said.

"What about my idiot brother? Is he back?" Kouji asked him.

Takuya nodded. "He got back a little while ago. He's the only one in a good mood right now. Well, other than the fact that he feels bad about Tommy and his mother."

"I take it as the girl didn't walk out on the date then," Kouji chuckled. "And didn't put a restraining order against him."

"Dude, you're more likely to have a restraining order against you. I mean, you are the mentally unstable emo," Takuya pointed out.

Kouji gave him the finger. "Even if I am somewhat of an introverted loner, Kouichi's the raving lunatic."

"Hey, I resent that," Kouichi chimed in, making his way into the room.

"What can I say? You are," Kouji said to his brother.

Kouichi smirked. "Yeah, and this is why I went on a date and you didn't."

"That's probably because she didn't want to offend you by asking me out, the better-looking one," Kouji replied haughtily.

"Better-looking?! Yeah, you're so much better-looking with your greasy ponytail and dirty, old bandana," Kouichi taunted.

The long-haired twin stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "Greasy?! You dare to call my hair greasy?! I wash and condition my hair everyday! And my bandana isn't dirty! I wash it every other day, along with my others."

Kouichi snickered. "Wow, Kouji. You overreact way too easily."

"Overreact?!"

Takuya glanced down at Zoe. "Here we go again..."

Zoe sighed. "Just like every other day."

"I'm more attractive than you!" Kouichi and Kouji unanimously shouted to each other.

"Wow, you two are so alike that you say the same sentences," Takuya quipped.

"Shut up!" The twins glared at each other, annoyed that he was right. "Stop saying what I'm saying!"

Later that night

Kakuzawa was waiting eagerly at the entrance as his two subjects returned.

"Desperate much?" Kanae raised an eyebrow as she sauntered past the man.

"Don't use that tone with me!" Kakuzawa glared at her and watched as Masaki walked past him as well. "Tell me everything."

Kanae smirked. "Where should we begin?"

"You can tell me how your meeting with that boy went, Number Fifty-One." Kakuzawa followed them down the hallway. "And get into the examination room so that Itami and Silverman can run a test for each of you."

"Well, Kouichi is really nice," the girl commented.

The director groaned. "I don't care about petty things like that. Did he or did he not reveal anything about Zoe?"

Kanae sighed, annoyed. "He didn't tell me much about her. She's going out with his friend, Takuya."

"That doesn't help me at all because I don't know who this Takuya person is," he growled.

"All he told me about Zoe was that he met her recently and that she's not from around here."

Kakuzawa rubbed his temples, let out a sigh. "That's it? That's all he told you?"

"What did you expect? For me to find out every last detail about Zoe in one day?" Kanae asked incredulously.

"Never mind." The director looked at Masaki, who had an apathetic expression on his face. "What about you, Number Forty-Five? Did you find out anything about Zoe?"

Masaki glanced at him. "I saw Zoe, but was unable to get close to her."

Kanae threw him a confused look, but Masaki warned her not to say anything with his dark eyes. The girl remained silent, wondering why he wasn't revealing everything.

"Where did you see her?" Kakuzawa asked.

"She and her friends went to a hospital. I followed them in a car-"

"How on earth did you get a car?" The director rudely cut him off.

Masaki sighed. "I borrowed it from someone. Anyway, I was going to follow them home, but then the car decided to die. I lost them and was unable to find any of them for the remainder of the day."

Kanae looked at Kakuzawa and smirked at him. "You know, it would be much easier if you let Masaki and me use a car while we were out. In case we need to follow Zoe in a vehicle."

"Absolutely not," he replied sternly as they entered the examination room.

The scientists were whispering amongst themselves, scrutinizing over their clipboards.

"Why not?" Kanae complained.

"I don't trust the two of you with a car," Kakuzawa said gruffly. "You'll try to escape or you'll crash it."

Kanae shrugged. "Fine, have it your way. Zoe will just continue to get away from us because we don't have access to transportation."

"Besides, Director, you are forgetting two crucial factors," Masaki added in a low voice.

"And what would those be?" Kakuzawa asked.

Masaki glanced at him. "For one thing, why would we try to escape? Those explosives you implanted into us will detonate if we do attempt that. And second, Zoe will continue to slip away just out of our reach. We will never catch up to her or find out where she lives otherwise."

Director Kakuzawa grunted, then dropped his gaze to the floor. "Just...strip down and do as Itami and Silverman instruct you to do. I'll be in my office."

"What, you don't wanna stick around and stare at the two of us naked?" Kanae quipped.

Instead of replying, the man stormed out of the room, muttering curses to himself.

Kanae looked at the approaching scientists, cocking an eyebrow. "What kind of test is this?"

"Nothing too serious or anything," Professor Itami replied as he handed Masaki a cotton swab. "We're just going to check out to see if either of you are fertile."

"What? I thought Dicloniuses weren't fertile," she shot back. "Well, other than Zoe...."

"Still, Kakuzawa wants us to check nonetheless," Silverman said. "It'll only take a minute and you can do it yourself."

Kanae groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine."

A minute later, Masaki had already finished giving them his tiny sample, his lips curled slightly in disdain. He dropped the swab into a plastic bag and handed it to Itami before wordlessly stepping into his chamber.

Once the female Diclonius had given her sample, she too, went into her chamber. The scientists secured the metal devices holding the subjects, before leaving them both alone in the dark room.

However, as she stood in her chamber, Kanae couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty.

Kouichi is really nice, she thought to herself. And sweet... He really doesn't deserve to be dragged into this....but I need to stick with the mission...

Midnight

Zoe stared up at the ceiling, her heart beating rapidly. Her mind kept going back to that strange young man she had met in the hospital gift shop.

There was something about him...I just can't get him out of my head, she thought. There was something....'off' about him...but what?

She glanced at Takuya, who was snoring loudly on his side of the bed. His leg was hanging off the edge, where the blanket failed to completely cover it. Zoe laid there for a minute, pondering. After about a minute or so, her eyes narrowed and she concentrated. Two vectors emerged from behind her, somewhat surprising the blond. Although her other two were still disabled, the working ones were adequate for the task. With one vector, she moved Takuya's leg back onto the bed, while the other one covered it with a blanket.

Takuya snorted and yawned, rolling over towards Zoe. Without waking up completely, he pulled the blond into his arms, his fingers entwining with her hair. Zoe snuggled up against him, though her thoughts remained elsewhere. She had not told Takuya about the man she had met.

Takuya might get the wrong idea, she thought to herself. But then again, maybe he won't. Not like it matters, because you'll never see that guy again anyway....

Zoe sighed and closed her eyes. "Just forget about him..."

However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't...

Okay, that wraps up chapter 22. Sorry it was short, but hey, gimme a break. And no, Zoe is not thinking of Masaki romantically, she just thinks he's some weird guy. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and the next will be coming within a few days. And yeah, don't be too disturbed about the samples Masaki and Kanae had to give ^_^; Just...don't let it bother you.