(A/N: Anxious to know what happens? Wait no longer.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 18: The Final Slaughter

Lucy had, dare she say it, been having fun with Wanta. She had thought that walking him would be a chore, but she had actually enjoyed herself. For a short while, she was that innocent little girl playing with the puppy she had found all those years ago. She would have to do this more often.

Wanta barked happily and tried to run away, but was held back by the leash. Lucy broke out into a smile. She had been smiling more and more lately. She hated to admit it, but she owed her newfound happiness to Kaede. If her alternate personality hadn't helped her escape from the lab, she would still be back there suffering.

'You would find even greater joy if you would just give in to me.' came Kaede's voice.

Lucy frowned. 'I will not play your sick game. Helping me escape was the only thing I owe you. Any other desires you have are not my own. They are merely my instincts, which I choose to take no part.'

'Poor, poor, Lucy. You will soon find that what you want will no longer be relevant.'

Lucy's eyes narrowed. 'I thought your desires were the same as mine.'

'They are.' Kaede admitted. 'But there are things that I want that you don't want. Your rightful place as the queen of your species is a prime example.'

'The hell with my species! They can go extinct for all I care!'

'Regardless of what you or I want, one day, Diclonius will replace humans as the dominant species of this planet. Even if I no longer take part, it will still happen. I will merely speed up the process.'

Lucy didn't argue back. She couldn't. What Kaede said was true. One day, maybe hundreds or even thousands of years from now, humans would be extinct, and Diclonius will remain until the next stage of evolution took place. That was just the way things worked. That was natural order.

Lost in her thoughts, Lucy hadn't realized that Wanta had stopped until she felt the pull on the leash. She looked behind her to see the dog with his feet planted firmly on the ground. His eyes were narrowed and his teeth were bared as he growled.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. She gave the leash a tug, but Wanta refused to move, barking in argument.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Do you smell something you don't like?"

Wanta proceeded to act as if he were in a threatening situation. Curious about what was wrong, Lucy used her vectors to pick the dog up and carried him the last few yards to Kaede House.

Wanta began barking loudly. Lucy wondered why until she saw a note taped to the door. Thinking that Kohta or Yuka probably left a note saying that they took Mayu to the hospital, presumably at Nana's insistence, she took it down and unfolded it.

As her eyes scanned the note, they grew large and fearful. She dropped Wanta, her complete attention on the note.

'It can't be.' She thought fearfully. 'How did they find us? We never left an clue about Nana and I being here.'

There was a chuckle in her head. 'Ah, but you did.' said Kaede. 'You may not know what happened during the brief period we were Nyu after killing Mayu's parents, but I do.'

Lucy's heart was pounding. "What happened?"

Kaede chuckled. 'You had a little run in with Kenshin. Nothing serious. He didn't hurt you since you weren't Lucy at the time. But little Nyu brought him back here.'

Lucy's eyes widened. 'He must have told Kakuzawa.'

'It is the only explanation.'

Lucy looked back at the letter. 'And now he's hoping to get me by using them.'

She crushed the letter in her hand. How dare Kakuzawa threaten her family! Yes, her family. The old fool must have finally gotten it through his head that she wouldn't be taken back to the lab, and was using Kohta and the others as hostages.

'But why there? Why didn't he just wait for me here?'

'For obvious reason.' Kaede told her. 'He's trying to keep a low profile. He doesn't want anyone to know about this. That's why he wants to meet there. He can make sure the area is secure, just like he did last time.' She was silent for a moment. 'So what are you going to do?'

Kaede didn't even need to ask. Lucy knew that it was no longer up to her. Right now, her greatest desire was to rescue Kohta and the others, then to slaughter Kakuzawa and everyone assisting him. Kaede would act upon this desire, whether Lucy wanted her to or not. She could already feel her darker half taking over. Lucy let her take control, knowing that there would be no use in fighting the inevitable.

'I wonder,' Lucy thought, 'will I go to Hell for my sins?'

"No, Lucy," Kaede answered, now in complete control, "I think you've suffered enough."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The scientists and security guards had let all the Diclonius out of their cells, after giving them a little something to help them relax, and were now having their wounds treated. The plan was to sedate the Diclonius into a state where they wouldn't be in much of a condition to fight, and then treat their wounds and explain what was happening. Even so, there had still been some bloodshed. Six people had been wounded, and four more had been killed, but the drugs seemed to be kicking in. The Diclonius seemed to have calmed down. And though it was clear that they had not forgiven their tormentors, they had stopped fighting, seeing this as their chance for freedom.

Kenshin, however, was the exception. He wasn't waiting around for the police and doctors to arrive. He had something he had to do, and he was going to do it.

"You can't leave!" a man shouted at him. "You have to wait for the police to come. Then you can get help."

Kenshin ignored him and continued down the hall.

"You must stop." A scientist insisted. "It's true that we're letting you go, but we can't have you walking around in public so soon. We can't risk anymore bloodshed."

Kenshin stopped, but only because the scientist was in his way. "Move."

The scientist shook his head. "I know you want to leave, I don't blame you after everything we've put you through. But you must understand that we have to consider both the public's safety and your own."

"They are in no danger from me." Kenshin said calmly. "Only one will die."

The scientist shook his head and reached into his coat for a syringe. "You're leaving me with no choice. I'm just going to give you a little something to-"

His sentence was cut off as Kenshin decapitated him. He didn't react to the man's death. Though his humanity was very slowly returning, he had yet to regain his conscience. The scientist had been a mere obstacle in his way, which he removed in the simplest way possible, then continued on his way.

"Kenshin."

He stopped as Arakawa moved in his way. Another obstacle, easily overcome.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To find Kakuzawa." Kenshin replied simply.

Arakawa shook her head. "Let the police handle him. We have to get you help."

"I need no help. I am in no need of medical treatment, and I have no desire to kill anybody, save one."

"You can't go around killing people." Arakawa argued. "I'm trying to prove that you Diclonius are not mindless killers who kill for no reason. If you continue slaughtering people, it's going to make it harder-"

One of Kenshin's vectors shot out. It wrapped around her throat, lifted her in the air, and slammed her against the wall. Arakawa suddenly became very fearful her life. Kenshin was different from other Diclonius. While the others that had been held captive were filled with great anger and hatred for their tormentors, Kenshin felt nothing. Killing her wouldn't be an act of vengeance, but merely a simple chore, like flipping a light switch.

Gasping for breath, she looked down at Kenshin, expecting him to snap her neck at any moment. "Are you going to kill me now?"

Kenshin looked at her for a moment. "No." He let her go. "I have no desire to take your life."

He began walking away again. Arakawa rubbed her throat. Her first thought was that she had been touched by a vector. She had been infected. She now carried the Diclonius gene within her. Any children she would have would have horns. And she did want children one day, but they would all be Diclonius.

And a split second later, she realized that she didn't care. Diclonius were people too. And even if her children were Diclonius, she would love them just as much as she would if they were human children.

More security guards rushed forward to stop Kenshin from leaving. But Arakawa spoke up. "Stop, let him go."

They looked at her as if she had gone crazy. "What? But he just killed a man."

"That was our fault. Don't stand in his way."

"We cannot just have one of them walking around freely."

Arakawa glared at him. "Why not? That is what our goal. Humans and Diclonius living together peacefully. Kenshin has no desire to hurt anyone." Except for Kakuzawa, but the freak deserved it many times over. "Kenshin," she called, "when you finish what you need to do, make sure you come back."

Kenshin didn't even look back. "Don't worry, I will."

After all, he had nowhere else to go.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

This seemed like a very appropriate place to settle things. A bloodbath had taken place on this bridge. This was where Lucy had been captured for the second time. Sadly, some good men were killed as well, including Shirakawa, Kurama, and his daughter. Lucy would meet her end here.

He turned to his captives. Bound and gagged, Yuka and Mayu looked terrified by being surrounded by all these men with guns. Poor Nana had a collar around her neck that repeatedly sent electric shocks through her to keep her in a state of pain so she couldn't use her vectors.

But Kakuzawa could care less about them. It was the boy who was glaring at him defiantly that held his interest. What was it about this boy that held Lucy so spellbound? Why was she so enamored with him? He was just an ordinary human; there was nothing special about him.

Kakuzawa shook his head. It didn't matter, as long as it brought Lucy to him. He wasn't fool enough to try and confront Lucy head on. He had tried that, and everyone had failed. Bando, the mercenaries, Nana, his son, Kurama, Shirakawa, Mariko, and then Bando again. They had all failed, either being slaughtered or severally wounded. That's why he was having her come to him, and with her lover and her friends here, she wouldn't attack.

At least that's what his plan was.

"Sir, someone's approaching." Said one of his men.

Kakuzawa placed his hand over his head to keep the sun out of his eyes and looked down the road. Someone was approaching them. And unless it was someone who ignored the roadblock they had set up, it could only be Lucy.

But it wasn't Lucy. At least not the Lucy he knew. The look on her face and the way she held herself were different. He had only seen her act like this once before, on the security monitors after her second escape.

"Well, this is unexpected." He said. "I had expected Lucy to come, not you."

Kaede sneered at him. "Your note said merely to come here, not who to come as."

Kakuzawa crossed his arms. "Fair enough. Still, I had my doubts. You really did come here to save these pathetic humans."

Kaede shook her head. "Not them. Only Kohta. Although the others will be useful. I did infect them."

Kakuzawa raised an eyebrow. "Did you now? Then maybe I'll let them go once I kill you."

"Kill me?" Kaede repeated. "You don't want to take me back?"

Kakuzawa glared at her. "There's no point. My research is at an end. All I have left is your life."

"Interesting. So your work is finished. I am curious as to know what your goal was."

Kakuzawa sneered at her. "I wanted to create the perfect being. I thought you were the fastest way to reach my goal, but instead you led to my downfall."

Kaede chuckled. "So you were trying to play God?" She grinned evilly at him. "Well, now the real God will judge you."

Her vectors shot out. Having Diclonius blood, Kakuzawa was able to see them.

"Kill her!"

The soldiers began firing. Kaede wrapped her vectors around herself, forming a protective cocoon around herself. She laughed as their pathetic bullets slammed into her invisible force field, leaving her completely unharmed.

Kakuzawa swore. "Don't you have any more powerful weapons?"

"This is all we could smuggle out, sir."

Kaede openly laughed. "You humans and your pathetic guns. It's pitiful. I prefer to use my bare hands."

Using her vectors, she launched herself at them. Her vectors went flying, slaughtering one after the other. Kakuzawa's eyes widened in horror. Kaede wasn't hesitating at all, even with her friends as hostages. He watched in slow motion, as body parts and blood went flying.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Kohta's head. Seeing her lover die would stop her dead in her tracks.

Sching!

Kakuzawa cried out as his hand was sliced off, the gun falling to the ground. Kaede grinned at him before returning her attention back to the soldiers.

The bloodbath seemed to last an eternity, but it was over in less than 15 seconds. Bodies and body parts littered the ground in a pool of blood. Kakuzawa was on his knees, nursing his bleeding stump. Kaede barely glanced at him before turning to her friends and using her vectors to cut their bonds.

Once his hands were free, Kohta ripped the gag out of his mouth. "What did you do?" he demanded, horrified.

Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Is that your way of thanking me?"

"Thanking you? You killed everyone. You didn't have to kill them."

Kaede bent down so she was eye-level with him. "I know I didn't. I wanted to. I am not held back by morals like Lucy is." She stood up and turned to Kakuzawa. "Now leave while I finish up her."

"Kaede-"

An invisible fist slammed into his jaw.

"Go now." she told him. "I may not be able to bring myself to kill you, but I can still hurt you." She glanced at the three girls. "And, of course, they are expendable."

Yuka held Mayu and Nana protectively. "Kohta…"

Kohta glared at Kaede. He knew she would carry out her threat. She wasn't Lucy.

Without another word, Kohta and the others took their leave. Kaede and Kakuzawa were left alone, with nothing but bloody corpses to keep them company. Kakuzawa looked up at Kaede, knowing that her death was in her eyes.

"This ends it." she told him.

Her vectors shot out, relieving Kakuzawa of his arms and legs. But before he hit the ground, two of her vectors grabbed either side of Kakuzawa's head and lifted him in the air.

"I should thank you." she told him, grabbing one of his horns and breaking it off, bring much skin with it. "I owe my existence to people like you."

Kakuzawa looked down at her fearfully as blood ran down his forehead. But as he watched her, the fear slowly left him. Soon he began laughing. It started with a chuckle and ended in a full blown laughing fit.

Kaede raised an eyebrow. "You're about to die. So what do you find so amusing?"

Even though he was hurting, Kakuzawa still managed to smile at her. "It's ironic. I dedicated my whole life trying to create the perfect being," he snickered some more, "but you were already here."

Kaede stared at him for a moment before smiling at him and crushing his head with her vectors.

(A/N: Kakuzawa may be dead, but that doesn't mean all is right in the world. There are still a few more things that need to be taken care of. And I know what you're probably thinking; is Arakawa crazy for letting Kenshin walk free? Well, it may not be the smartest thing to do, but she's gathered information and knowledge on Diclonius that no one else has. She doesn't believe Kenshin will actually harm anyone aside from Kakuzawa, mostly do to his inability to think for himself. Things are going to start coming to a close, so you won't want to miss the next chapter.)