A/N Sorry for the massive absence. It has been difficult to update because of issues with the app for fanfiction . net. I could not get it to even go past the welcome page. Anyway, I am back. Here is 54! Geez, this fic turned out much longer than I had planned. Please enjoy!

Chapter 54- Questions Answered

Hagi pushed beyond his limits, continued his trans-Atlantic flight to New York and the place it should have ended over 30 years ago. Willing his vision to clear from a haze of malnourishment, inwardly he told himself that he was almost there. Large fish schools were left behind as the chevalier raced against time and the now setting sun that burned his eyes in brilliant oranges and reds.

It would utilize too much of his precious time to stop and feed now, the Red Shield had certainly figured out his plan by now and would be in hot pursuit of him to retrieve the precious vials in the bag he was carrying.

Some time ago he had discarded the phony trophies the vials were housed in. Sure, it was a blow to the ego of the scientist, which Hagi would have avoided were time on his side, but they really were quite useless considering they were fake anyway. Really, who places a fake, run-of-the-mill trophy next to the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize- Doctor Julia should have refused more adamantly.

Again, for the hundredth time, the chevalier noted the lack of weight on his left shoulder and sent a brief wish to whatever force was listening, "Let the girl find the note."

He had left the cello behind, knowing the weight would prove to be a useless burden in this situation. Thinking she would come to the apartment after she cooled her temper, he had left a note on the case saying that she was to stay over at Omoro and behave for Kai. What he was about to do would ensure her safe return to LA and her life there, so long as she vowed to finish her education on her REAL eighteenth birthday.

Time. He nearly smirked. It seemed for someone who is ageless and never lives under the constrictions of the concept, he certainly was running low on it now.

"Almost there," he whispered into the whipping winds that pulled his raven locks in a stream away from his alabaster face. The sun was sinking below the horizon as the Statue of Liberty began to come into view.

~0~

Saya had plunked herself into the plush seat of Mr. Joel's private plane. It seemed this was taking forever. Time was nearly standing as she watched with detached interest as her loved ones did the monotonous pre-flight check.

It felt like hours had passed since he first phone call to Joel and the packing and planning began. She desperately needed to right a wrong but had no way of controlling the situation at present. People seemed to be aimlessly milling around the plane as they showed cargo and checked seats.

Dr. Julia assured them all that she would explain their findings once they were in flight, but Saya had findings of her own. Impatiently tapping her foot, the chiropteran queen repositioned herself to try to get comfortable, but it just wasn't working. Usually Hagi packed her things, made her comfortable, reassured her… oh no, what had she done? Forcing back the tears that welled in her eyes, Saya gave a sniffle.

Kai, seeing his sister's distress, decided to distract her mind from those thoughts. "Saya," he whispered to gain her attention and watched patiently while she rapidly blinked the tears away. When her head turned to acknowledge him, he asked, "What do you know about Mary Frances?"

"She doesn't want that secret to be known, Kai," was her reply as she gave him a hard look. "I will tell you that she is only 15 years old and that she is not from LA."

Kia nodded and also gave a stern look, "I thought so. I don't think that girl in Vietnam is dead after all- she's alive and well flying across the Atlantic looking for her dad."

At Saya's slow nod, Kia could feel the plane begin its taxi down the runway.

It wasn't long before Mr. Joel announced Mui and explained that the plane would be landing in New York in 10 hours. Mui then read and explained Doctor Green's diary, causing mixed reactions of horror and sorrow to come over the faces of those present.

Joel had known some of the atrocities his father had committed, but this was more shocking than he thought. The Red Shield had been no better than Cinque Fleches, they were exploiting chiropteran blood to create wars for profit- building empires on the graves of the innocent.

Dr. Julia stood and added, "After we read this letter, as you all know, the clinic was robbed. Once we had contacted everyone, David and I checked our files on Cinque Fleches and Dr. Phillip Rosenburg."

"Dr. Rosenburg was using Delta 67 on his son to cure him of a Neuroblastoma that was was inoperable. In the early stages of the drug, they felt it might cure him," David explained. "At first the boy was improving and the blastoma shrank, but the drug wasn't enough to cure him. Dr. Rosenburg begged Amshel to make the boy a chevalier, but Diva refused because she could sense the drug in his system."

"Diva did not like her chevaliers to be used in experiments, even though Amshel did so with Karl and James behind her back," Julia explained. Pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, she added, "So Dr. Rosenburg and his colleagues went to the highest rated geneticist they could find- Dr. Green, hoping that could find a way to clone a chevalier."

"Once the scientists had met and collaborated on their ideas, they decided to test their theories," Julia explained. With a sigh she continued, "Unfortunately both companies uncovered this plot and broke up the group- each demanding that the cloning project continue."

"Cinque Fleches found James Ironside, a decorated Marine, and made him a chevalier exclusively for this purpose," David explained. "The project is what created the Schiff and in turn, that same project was how he was revived after Christina Island. Unfortunately, Dr. Rosenburg was too eager to await testing and gave the formula to his son. Because of his illness and the drugs already in his system, it turned him into what Cinque Fleches called 'mouse'- or a chiroteran that has no human form."

"Dr. Green, however, decided that instead of creating chevalier in a test tube," Julia added, "he would try his more natural approach. The Vietnamese girls he was recruiting were being artificially inseminated with altered human embryos…. Made from Hagi's blood and tissue samples."

Hibiki, having studied the subject was a bit baffled and surprised. "Wait, Dr. Julia, you said they used Hagi's blood and tissue samples- don't you need a sperm sample?"

"In humans," Mui answered, "yes, but a chevalier's blood and skin tissue contain a unique enzyme that causes it to regenerate quickly- it's why they can regrow an arm or leg… or heal at an astounding rate. This regenerative enzyme also contains the base DNA for the chevalier."

Saya sat quietly, taking it all in. Her mind was whirling with the new knowledge and she was going over past moments with her chevalier- all the times he looked so confused and so hurt. The last time she saw him in that restaurant window… "He was innocent," she whispered out loud as tears streaked her face.

Everyone on the plane, save Kai, were oblivious to the eldest queen's state. This was far too interesting to stop discussing now.

The Okamuras had joined them at Tokyo airport and had been quietly listening to the discussion. Mao had left their newborn son with her father and step-mother so they could join them on this flight. The two had been working on this story for the past 15 years and were determined to see it through to the end.

Mao interjected, "Now wait a minute." All eyes turned to her as she continued, "Mau Xhan was implanted in 1972- Diva gave birth to her daughters a year after conceiving. There's no way the gestation period for a human giving birth to a cloned chevalier takes that long!"

Dr. Julia nodded, "While that's true, what you don't know is that Diva also delayed her impregnation by 4 months while Amshel was transporting her to the US by boat." The scientist then added, "We also believe that the infant itself prolonged her gestation because the mother was unconscious. According to records, Xhan was not pregnant when she arrived at Bach Mai Hospital, but shortly after she was awakened, she was."

"But according to hospital records," Okamura piped in, "Hagi was seen going in and out of Xhan's room on March 23rd… the calculated date of conception. That can't be some coincidence right?"

"According to hospital records and Dr. Green's journal," David answered, "He visits her on that exact day every year. No one seems to know why. It's something we'll have to ask him."

By now, Saya was sobbing into Kai's arms. She couldn't have given him the benefit of the doubt- even once? Didn't she know he would never betray her? Mary Frances… Or whatever her name is...was right, she was a selfish bitch.

Kanade wondered aloud, "If she's a clone of Hagi, why is she female?"

The plane grew quiet except for the sound of Saya's soft sobs and the drone of the jet engines. Mui cleared her throat and replied, "According to data compiled on Cinque Fleche's chevaliers, we found that their chromosomes lack the Y that makes a male- they contain all X chromosomes like a female. We believe that occurs when he is turned by his queen- he takes on her genetic patterns to become a better guardian and food source for her. This is also why we believe there are only female offspring."

"You say this is just theory," Hibiki prodded, "not fact. Why haven't you tested this theory? All your need is a genetic sample."

"Indeed," Dr. Julia agreed with a note of bitterness to her voice. This whole thing could have been resolved long ago if Hagi had just complied. "As you may have noticed, Hagi has been uncooperative about assisting us in that matter."

Kai couldn't help it as he followed the conversation while comforting his sister, "Wouldn't give you a sperm sample, huh?" He then chuckled when his next comment actually made the scientist, and numerous others on the plane, blush. "Not really surprising. I don't think the guy would know how to give a sperm sample."

Those from his generation groaned as his daughters and son sunk low in their seats in embarrassment. Saya rose to whack him in the shoulder, causing him to ask, "What? We all know it's true."

Mao groaned and replied, "Ugh, Kai, you can be so immature sometimes."

Deciding a change of subject was more than necessary, Hojo asked, "So, this baby that was born is a clone of Hagi, but what happened to her? You say that she was dropped off at an orphanage and then just disappeared."

"She went from orphanage to orphanage until she was found dead on a beach a couple of years ago," replied Mui sadly. "But I think she was still alive. We just have no proof."

Saya turned her tear stained face up. Promise or no, the story had to be finished. She knew the answer because it came straight from the girl's mouth. "The body they found on the beach wasn't her- it was a French girl that was a victim of human trafficking."

"How do you know this, Saya?" Joel asked as he turned to look at her.

Saya met his gaze and wiped her face with her sleeve. "I know because she told me tonight."

Everyone listened intently as the queen continued, "She was teased in Vietnam and tormented. Thinking she'd have a better life in the US, she left with a human trafficker after she killed the other girl in fear that she would be found out.

Lack of feeding while she was traveling to the states made her very sick and weak, she became pregnant and her pimp tried to beat the baby out of her." Tears streaked her face at the thought of the horrors the girl endured… at such a very young age.

"She killed him in order to feed and then rampaged the streets of LA. That was how she found The Center and miscarried her baby."

"Mary Reyes took her in and cared for her. When she died, her daughter took over the care of the girl, but Mary Frances died one night and the girl panicked. She buried the body in the backyard, cut off her hair and dyed it red. That's how she became Mary Frances."

The plane became deathly quiet as this knowledge sunk into all the people on the plane. Mary Frances and the baby from Vietnam were one and the same- Hagi's clone.

"Snow White," Mao uttered. "The boy from the orphanage called her Snow White. It translates to Thuyet- right?"

Mui nodded The affirmative as her mind processed that little baby she once held was that mouthy young lady at the clinic. She recalled how odd it was when the girl seemed to understand her words that day and then begged her not to say anything. Now she knew why.

Kai was stunned as he looked at his sister. Color drained from his face in realization. "You mean to tell me I've had a 15-year-old running my bar all this time?!"

Nervous laughter began to break out slowly, starting with the two younger queens. It only served to cause Kai to feel indignant. She was a minor! Not only was she drinking alcohol, she was serving it! Oh the trouble he could have gotten into.

"Relax, K- I mean Dad," Hibiki tried to soothe in spite of her near slip-up, "She didn't get caught, and even if they did investigate- she has an ID, birth certificate, and a California commercial license that says otherwise."

Giving his daughter a hard look, he replied in an equally hard voice, "She got them from someone who was taking care of her. "

Kanade then turned to face off her dad as well. Hearing of the horrors the girl she had once been held captive with had gone through, she couldn't help but be sympathetic. It was wrong to chastise the poor kid for trying to survive. "Dad," she nearly growled as her eyes began to glow blood red, causing Hibiki to respond in kind. "She was forced to do what she did…"

Before the discussion got out of hand, Joel VI intervened by pushing his body and wheelchair between the standoff. Immediately, the twins' eyes returned to their respective blue and brown. Kai murmured his apologies, looking thoroughly scolded.

David came to the side of the leader of the Red Shield and offered his assistance. With a raise of Joel's hand, he knew he had been told to stand down. The look in his superior's eyes told him that Joel needed to do this on his own.

Clearing his throat as all parties regained their seats and focused their attentions, the leader of the Red Shield gathered his thoughts. "The twins are correct, this young girl did what she needed to do in order to survive. The situation she was in and is currently dealing with is solely the fault of my father and the Red Shield that existed before I took command."

"As the first Joel's son dedicated his life and efforts to correct the wrongs of his father, so I must do the same," Joel added as he turned his head downward. Seeming to add with his own thought, quietly he spoke, "Had I known these circumstances, I would have attempted to rectify this long ago- before the child was born."

Turning to Dr. Julia, he asked, "Are there any reports of genetic markers in this girl and Hagi?"

Pushing her glasses further onto the bridge of her nose, the aging scientist replied, "There are seven that came with the different paternity tests and five that I requested for my own research on regenerative proteins in chevaliers. In all of the tests nearly all markers are a match."

He huffed a heavy sigh as the words of the great Shakespear came to mind, "Heavy is the head that wears the crown." So much could potentially be learned from this information. Numerous medical advances came along with the answers and the research that was embodied in this one girl.

But he recalled the first time he met Saya and the innocent look she had on her face- her past self that only knew purpose for forgotten. She had lived the life of a happy, normal, teenage girl. That innocence was stolen away… not with Diva or her blood, but from the corruption of greed. It was Joel I's greed for knowledge, It was his father's greed for money, and it was Amshel's greed for power that caused a very long and bloody war that robbed the innocence of both queens. Diva might have stood a chance of redemption if allowed to live as something more than a scientific experiment.

It was with these thoughts in mind that Joel made his announcement, "I want those documents destroyed."

He had expected shock. He had expected outrage and a barrage of questions. What happened surprised him, although outwardly it did not show. Looking around himself, the now mid fifties leader of the Red Shield took in expressions of acceptance. It seems that they all agreed with him. Turning hazel eyes to the world renowned genetic scientist he apologized, "I know what it means for your career. This research would provide so many medical advances."

He then turned his gaze to the twins who looked at him curiously. Knowing the doctor's eyes followed his, he asked, "But if it fell into the wrong hands, what would it cost them?"

Placing a reassuring hand on Joel's expensively clad shoulder, David responded, "We understand. This war has gone on far too long and cost so much more than Say a or Diva should have ever had to pay. So far, this newest generation has suffered the same fate. It's time to end this- for the well-being of everyone involved."

"All patient files for any of my chiropteran patients will be destroyed," Dr. Julia agreed. "What knowledge we have will be used to treat the twins, their chevaliers, Saya, and Hagi on an as needed basis. It's how we can ensure the well-being of everyone involved."

David had placed a worn and aged hand on his wife's shoulder and added, "And to ensure there will be no information that could end up in the wrong hands." Looking to the twins and then Saya in turn, he ended with, "There will be no more wars over chiropteran blood."

As the three leaders came to an agreement, Saya wasn't sure how to feel. Most of her immortal life had been spent in slumber, dreaming of bloodshed and war. When she was awake, it was the waking version of the same thing. The only reprieve had been after Vietnam, she had been blessed with a few decades of oblivious forgetfulness. Now, the Red Shield was doing what she had wanted to do almost a century ago- end the war. At that time it was to be done by ending her and Diva's life in hopes that somehow the chevalier's would revert back to being ordinary men.

Science had proven that theory incorrect over the years, but the Promise had remained the same- She would end Diva's life, then Hagi would end hers and the other chevaliers too. Then, she knew his heart, he would end his own life to follow his queen. Back then, she had no idea that loyalty was actually love. Now that she was aware of the love, she felt betrayed because of the existence of a child he had sired.

It all seemed so pointless and tiring. The one she truly loved was planning to end his own life because she abandoned him and because he felt it was his duty to end the threat to the future of her and her nieces. Here in this moment, the threat had been eliminated without bloodshed or battle- not even a harsh word spoken.

Her grief and anxiety exhausted her. Her brown eyes slid to half-mast as one final tear streaked her face. Trying to conjur an image of Hagi in happier times from her extensive memory bank proved fruitless. The queen drifted to sleep against her brother's shoulder with the last image of Hagi that was forever burned into her mind.

He stood at the window looking in upon her with a man he did not know. The two looked to be on a date and the look of betrayal that flashed in his eyes and slightly turned the corners of his mouth downward was heartbreaking.

Silently, she prayed to any and every higher being out there listening that the girl made it in time to save her father… and the man Saya loved.