Me: Next chapter, alright!

GS: More darkness!

Me: Maybe more darkness…

GS: Is this a script chapter?

Me: Nah, the next one might I dunno.

GS: Ah, ok.

Me: Nyaro…

Disclaimer: I don't own Trauma Center because Atlus does.

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Delphi: Under Wraps

Gaining Trust

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Everyday, it was the same routine, Nozomi would wake up early in the morning to work at St. Francis and arrive back at the apartment in the late afternoon for some rest. Most of her evenings were then filled to helping Michael who would call her for some assistance. For two weeks straight, he was working on the newest strained, an Armored Bacteria located in the newest subject's lungs. She felt herself flinch every time she stepped out in the other side, hearing about another case of GUILT. She couldn't help but feel at fault.

Tonight, however, was different.

"Dr. Weaver, pay attention," Michael hissed. She didn't need telling twice, stepping closer to him, but still a few feet behind. Nozomi still remembered the incident a few weeks ago clearly and was still wary of him. They were currently in a dark alleyway, walking towards a small building.

"What are we doing here again?" she asked quietly.

Michael growled, "Someone broke into our computers… I have to take care of it."

"Eh… how does Delphi take care…?"

"Shh…"

Both of them walked into the building, looking around. Michael glowered into the darkness, spotting a silhouette in the black. They stepped forward. The man looked like your typical private eye, but he had a sickening grin on his face. Nozomi rolled her eyes, realizing it was just a gross looking hacker playing PI.

"So, everything I found out about Delphi wasn't a lie. You have the Devil Doctor as a partner…" he chuckled.

Michael looked bored, "What do you want to stay silent about this?"

Nozomi frowned, slightly disappointed at the bargaining process. She thought Delphi would do something other than hush money…. Well, if that man requested for hush money anyway. Her silver eyes leered at the man as he looked her up and down. 'Great, another sick pig,' she thought, crossing her arms. The hacker smirked, "So, that's the Devil Doctor? … I'll stay silent if you let me get to know her… personally."

"Bastard…" Nozomi hissed, disgusted.

"I'm afraid she's out of the question. Her personal life is classified and she is not a bargaining chip," Michael replied coolly.

The man sighed, "Well, that's all I wanted then. If I can't have her, than this deal is sour…" The hacker pulled out a cell phone, hitting speed dial.

Michael sighed as well, pulling out a gun, "Indeed, this is sour."

"W-What are you doing?!" the man exclaimed.

Michael smirked, "You found out about Delphi… congratulations… however, you found out nothing. The location you give the police will be false by the time they do anything. You… well…"

"No! You can't…!" the man was shaking. Nozomi turned her head and closed her eyes. This was what she was expecting, however, she couldn't help but jump as the gun went off and the man began yelling out in pain. She had to do something, her doctor side yelled, but the one falling to Delphi shrugged the man aside.

"Come on…" Michael hissed, grabbing her arm.

Nozomi looked at him, "What? You killed him already…"

"Our Leader delivers judgment on incompetent fools like this… we just make sure he reaches them…" he said quickly.

Her eyes widened and she looked at the man, "He's alive?!"

Indeed, the man was writhing on the ground, clutching his chest, in silent pain, his mouth wide and trying to inhale air.

"Tch… still too strong…" he turned and put the gun away, sending a sidelong glance to her as something began to ring faintly in the night air. "Let's go before the police arrive…" he ordered. The sirens were already heard close by and Michael looked around, looking a little pissed, "Dammit… this way." They jumped out a broken window as the police cars appeared, pulling up in front of the building and dashed into the alleyways.

"They might run into the alleys! Get some men and scout the area now!"

"Hell…" Michael grunted. Nozomi looked back, catching sight of flashing lights and the shadows of the officers running into the alleys, flashlights burning into life in the darkness. She looked forward, stopping before she ran into Michael who had stopped before her. In front of them was an iron fence, easy to climb but still a hindrance in their position.

"This way!"

The voices and running steps were getting closer. "Start climbing!" Michael barked.

Nozomi grimaced, but grabbed the fence, "Just don't look up…"

"You shouldn't worry about that right now Weaver!" he exclaimed. She felt his weight as he grabbed the fence and start climbing too.

Just as she made it over to the other side, straightening her dress, and Michael reached the top, the police rounded the far corner, "There they are!"

"Run!" he yelled, jumping to the ground before the lights caught either of them. They both raced off again, but then Nozomi heard something she thought she would never hear:

"It doesn't matter! Open fire!"

A bullet hit the ground next to her left foot, making her jump again. Gunshots continued to echo in the alley, most missing her by mere inches. 'Dammit! How many bullets do those guns hold?!' she thought angrily, turning another corner. The fence rattled as the policemen began to climb over it themselves, buying a few more seconds. Nozomi turned around at the sound of a clink of metal against the ground and a grunt. Michael had cut a bullet out of his shoulder using a small pocket knife.

"Tch…" he looked the other way, taking the lead, Nozomi staring at his shoulder as it bled openly, but she also noticed him running with more favor to his right leg. They ran out of the alley near the park and, more importantly, near her apartment.

She grabbed his arm and looking him dead in the eye, she said, "I have an idea. Come on."

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Bang, bang, bang!

"Ma'am, this is the police! We'd like to have a word with you."

Lights flickered on in the apartment and the policeman stepped back as the door opened. Nozomi gazed lazily at the officer, "This better be important, I have two operations later this morning and if I'm half asleep because you woke me up for no reason…"

"I-I'm sorry, it's just that…" he paused, staring at her chest through her half-buttoned top.

She snapped her fingers irritably in his face, "Eyes up here buddy."

The officer jumped and stuttered, "U-Uh… two criminals we-were spotted running this direction a-and…"

"And… what kind of criminals?" she asked, opening the door a bit more.

He gulped and looked to the side, "They're part of Delphi."

"… Is that it? No description?" she asked, annoyed, "Look, there are warnings every morning about another GUILT infection caused by Delphi. If you don't have a description of these criminals you're chasing, thank you for wasting my precious sleeping time…" She slammed the door shut and locked it, flicking the lights out again. She listened to the officer's fading footsteps before walking back into her bedroom, "Okay, he's gone."

Michael stepped out of the closet, pulling out his small pocket knife again. Nozomi shook her head, "You should let me deal with that instead…"

"I refuse medical treatment…" he growled, kneeling down to remove the second bullet from his leg. She looked disgruntled as the bullet landed with a bloody clink against her carpet, blood dripping onto his pant leg now. He stood up and pocketed the knife, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow if anything comes up."

"Hold you horses…" she said, grabbing his arm, "You may refuse modern medicine, but at least let me stitch you up. You can get infected all you want, but you're not risking blood loss on my watch."

"You doctors and your…" he grumbled, but she walked off before hearing the rest, rolling her eyes at his attitude. She returned in a second carrying a needle, thread and gauze pads.

Michael glared, but she just ignored him, "It's just a simple suture and bandage, no gel, no alcohol."

"… alright…" he sighed, but he was still looking at her sharply.

She looked back, "… Well?"

"Well what?" he replied, blinking.

Nozomi rolled her eyes, "The shirt. Lose it. I don't want to sew your shirt to your skin." She heard him grumble under his breath but slowly, he removed his jacket, removed his tie and took off his shirt. Nozomi avoided staring at his finely chiseled chest and moved around to his back, focusing on the bullet hole. With the needle and thread, she worked quietly, suturing the injury closed. Michael didn't flinch or grunt as she threaded through his skin, sealing the first one in a few seconds on starting.

"Were they aiming for you, or did you step in the way?" she asked, moving to his leg. He didn't answer right away, ignoring the needle once again. She shook her head, "I get it, not the talkative type outside of work... Whatever, I'll be done in a second..."

"... Your ability is more important to Delphi right now," he finally said, making her look up, "For the sake of our success, my life is expendable."

The needle stopped moving, poised for a final stitch. Nozomi cut the thread and rose, looking at Michael in disbelief, "You can't be serious..."

"Oh, but I am. We humans just fight for life, yet we will take another's life just to survive and for what? To convince one to see another's ways? To show them the right politics or religion to follow?" Michael asked. She didn't answered, silent and contemplating answers while he redressed. He shook his head as he straightened his tie, "Face it... man seeks death and we're here to deliver their final judgment."

Nozomi watched him leave, still silent from his statement. She didn't have an answer still, but she did realize something. Michael trusted her enough to reveal Delphi's being.

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Me: Kinda short but getting shot is short.

GS: Interesting...

Me: Ehehe... maybe now we go to script. Well, I'll think about it and be back later readers! Bye bye!

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