"No! No, I'm not leaving without him! I won't!" Screamed Rin, scrambling onto her feet again and making a break for the laboratory door. Yet again, Meiko and Gakupo dove after her, grabbing either of her arms and pulling her back.
"Rin, calm down! Rin!" Meiko pulled harder on her, trying to keep the young Vocaloid restrained.
"Just give them some time!" Agreed Gakupo, who even admitted to himself that the girl was much stronger than she looked.
For a moment, Rin ran in place until she slumped back and fell backwards on the hard floor, arms held up in defeat. She didn't bother trying to struggle.
Everyone was quiet for a minute until she stood silently, the two cautiously letting go of her. That was when she sprang again, this time able to run past them and into the laboratory.
"Rin!!"
Diving past scientists and professors as she was pursued, Rin saw the capsules ahead and ran to the one that contained Len. His body was suspended aimlessly, held in place by various hook-up links.
"Len!! Len!!" She screamed, pounding on the glass. "Wake up, Len! You can't leave me all alone! Please don't leave me!"
But no matter how much Rin hit the glass and yelled his name, Len's eyes didn't flicker open.
Sliding down the glass capsule to her knees, she fell into a myriad of tears until the others ran inside. Gakupo's strong arms gathered her up and carried her out as everyone stood bewildered.
Shifting her eyes around, Miku took in the sights of the laboratory as the scientists shooed them out. She had never needed to go inside here, and she hoped she would never have to.
And yet...It still felt vaguely familiar, this place...
--
When she came back to her supposed home, Haku was flooded by questions from her fellow Voyakiloids. No matter how much they crowded around her and asked her what had happened, what was wrong, she didn't reply.
All she could think of was Dell. She hadn't been here to help him, to see for herself what was wrong. But if what had happened to Len also happened to Dell...
It took all of Haku's strength to erase the image of her brother convulsing violently as it had been described.
"Oi, Haku?! Are you going to tell us or what?!" Shouted Deruko, who shook Haku by the shoulders.
"W-Why is he not with you...?" KIATO asked timidly, shivering at Deruko's outburst.
Haku didn't say a word, her body still and silent.
Dell was hurt, and still believed those words she'd said. It was too late for her to say sorry. And she hadn't been here...
She wasn't there for her brother when he needed someone the most.
Her vision grew dizzy and glazed over with ones and zeros.
"Haku!!" Someone yelled, but she had no clue whom it was.
Her legs caved in, and she fainted to the floor.
--
As different as they were, Rui and Lin were more than welcome by the other Vocaloids to stay with them until this mess was sorted out. Neither of the Rin-like units spoke the on the way there.
Rin herself lay on the backseat, eyes closed while trying to fight herself into sleep.
Glancing behind, Meiko watched the young girl turn onto her other side, a shiver quickly circuiting through her body. She could remember something she'd heard before that sleep was how people dealt with fear.
That was how Rin was dealing with her fear, then. She slept.
Shaking her head and adjusting herself back into looking forward, the older woman's eyes darted to look out the window at the passing buildings.
Whatever was wrong, they would fix it. She couldn't remember a time when a Vocaloid had not been able to be repaired, or even remember a Vocaloid who had been needed to leave them.
That was good then...It meant Len and the others would be okay...No Vocaloid is unrepairable...Right?
--
The read out of the clock says 2:47 in blocky, red letters.
For possibly the tenth time that night, Miku closed her eyes and tried to feign sleep. But no luck would come, as yet again her eyes snapped open with an audible click.
Her legs felt restless, like they needed to move, to walk.
Standing up and stretching her legs out as far as she could, Miku walked into the hallway and towards the kitchen. Maybe if she ate something, she'd get drowsy.
Creepy shadows stretched across the hallway as moonlight spilled in from various windows.
Flicking the switch for the lights, the kitchen remained dark. With a confused look, Miku flipped the switch several times on and off, but it was to no avail.
"They must have burned out..." She concluded. Considering how used the kitchen often was, it wouldn't come by as much of a surprise if that were the case.
Carefully going to the fridge, she groped around in the darkness until the cool, metal handle was clasped in her fingers.
She pulled on it hard.
It refused to open.
She pulled a second time, harder.
Still shut.
Again, pulling.
Now Miku was starting to get annoyed with all this. First the lights won't turn on, now the fridge won't open? She swore that this house was slowly crumbling and falling apart around them...
"Miku."
She jumped back and looked over in the darkness. A figure stood looming in the darkness, staring in her direction.
"W...Who's there?" Miku stood in her best stance, hoping it was one of the others. It wasn't unheard of for burglers to come around here, but it was Gakupo or Meiko who scared them off.
Why her of all times tonight?
"Back down, Miku." The voice came again, low and deep. Yet comforting, like Kaito's.
"Who are you?"
"A friend. A truth teller."
Lights turned on all around Miku, the bright light forcing her eyes to close.
--
When she could open her eyes again, Miku found herself in an empty room, the walls, floor and ceiling all painted a clean shade of pure white.
"I see you have awoken."
Turning to look behind her, Miku saw him.
He was a tall male who, just as she had first thought, looked very much like Kaito. His skin was a dark brown, though his hair was almost as white as the room itself.
A black coat decorated his body, with yellow cuffs on the arms, along with yellow trim that felt just above a pair of red boots.
But what drew Miku most were his eyes, which seemed blank, yet filled with something she couldn't quite put into words.
It was like determination, but...Something more.
"Who are you," she asked again, "and where are we?"
"Hmm...You find names so very important, don't you? Fine then, you may call me Yuku." He responded, not bothering to answer her other question.
Miku looked him up and down, taking in his appearance. What was this feeling in her hardware? This little tingling feeling that wouldn't leave...
"Come."
She looked up to see him walk to one of the walls and grasp a door handle hidden within the whiteness and pull it open, darkness pouring through on the other side.
A step forward, another step forward...
Like her legs had a mind of their own, Miku followed him through the doorway.
Emerging to the other side, she found that they were in a dark room, almost as empty as the white room, until a blue light illuminated itself on the other side of where they stood.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, Yuku pointed with his other hand towards the blue light.
"Go. And the truth will be revealed."
Walking cautiously, the light grew bigger and bigger until Miku realized it was a small computer, with a single cord sticking up towards her. He wanted her to plug this into her system?
Before she could consider, the plug suddenly seemed to fly foward and smack into her arm compartment, clicking into place.
How had that...
Images ran through her eye screens, sounds echoing throughout her hearing systems.
"The truth will set you free, my dear." Yuku spoke behind her. "You are learning of what is true, and what is false around you. I too, however, share your deception..."
A feeling of drowsiness swept over her, and Miku fell to her knees.
"That's right...Close your eyes, and remember it all..."
The last thing she saw was Yuku walking in front of her, kneeling down.
Then blackness.
--
"Is it starting up yet?"
"I'm not quite sure why it isn't...The computer says all systems are functional, all backup systems in place...What could possibly be wrong with it..."
"Ah! There it goes, it's eyes are opening!"
With an audible, but loud first click, the robot's eyes opened and blinked once. Twice.
"My name is Unit 4. My condition is working."
The robot herself was nothing special, actually. It's 'skin' was nothing but pure metal, and it's eyes were filled fully with yellow, no pupils or anything.
"What capabilities does this one have, sir?"
"More commands than Unit's 2 and 3, as well as several more weapons."
Weapons...? Why would they need weapons? That robot looked friendly, if even a bit homely.
What was this place...
--
More images...More and more...Of her and others...Of pieces of machinery and huge, unbelievable looking metal parts...What was this feeling...This strange feeling of betrayal?
"You saw, correct?" Yuku loomed over her, his eyes narrowed.
"Yes, but...I don't understand..." Her vision was growing blurry, but it wasn't another vision. The plug clicked out of place from her arm and limply fell to the floor.
"In due time, you shall. As for the time being, you must leave."
"Leave? But...Yuku, why? Can't you tell me more?"
"..."
"...Yuku?" Miku whispered, trying to stay calm. The tender feeling she'd first felt upon seeing him was gone and instead replaced by utter panic.
"...I will come again, Miku. Wait for me."
Raising his hand towards her, his palm held a small light which glowed intensly. Miku shut her eyes and put her arms up, trying to block the brightness away. It almost hurt, the light...Her fingers tingled with electricity and then...Nothing...
--
"Wake up, Miku!!"
Eyes bolting open, Miku looked around quickly at her location. She was back in her bedroom, light streaming in through the curtains at her window.
Her body was twitching slightly at a fast pace, but when she sat up, her mechanical body went still. Images of what occured seemed to occupy her mind the most.
The most prominant of these images was of Yuku, the tall male she had, possibly, met last night. Had she been dreaming about everything? It felt so real...And she could still remember seeing that robot...And the calmness instilled in her was still-
"MIKU!!" Someone was banging violently on her door. "GET UP, IT'S AN EMERGENCY!!"
Was that...Teto?
Opening her door, Miku's arm was grabbed and she was pulled down the hallway. Catching up with Teto as best she could, it didn't take long to see the tears on the pink-haired girl's face.
"Why are you crying...? What's wrong?" She could have sworn her circuitry froze as her fear was confirmed.
"It's Ted! H-He's sick! Really really sick!"