LXV

Bindung

"I will create a new world with a new lebensborn project, I will replace the foolish homo-sapiens who cannot do anything less than ruining this world and driving it to the brink of destruction. In their place there will only be homo-diclonius and they will transcend mankind as we know it. Even as you and I speak here the preparations are underway to launch the virus and to have it spread throughout all of Asia, in just a few years half of all mankind will be dead, in less than a decade humanity will cease to exist and be nothing more than a distant memory. My plan can no longer be stopped."

"I AM SORRY FATHER… ANNA WAS LYING…"

His hand was raised, there was no further need for her to speak. "I know Anna, you are trying to tell me again that I cannot become the god of the new mankind. I know what you are trying to say but I have a son that not even you could predict, my plan seem to have exceeded your predictions."

"… THAT NOT WHAT I MEANT…"

He smiled. "There is one more thing I want you to understand Anna, you said that you could not predict your own future right? Then you do not have to worry at all, I am not as cruel as a father as you may have thought for a long time. There still it a surprise in store for you my beloved daughter."

"… FATHER… WHAT DO YOU MEAN… ANNA DOES NOT UNDERSTAND…?"

"Lucy. We are finally meeting each other after a thousand years, you should at least try and understand that now is not to time for us to waste on mere petty quarrels. You the main personality off all people should understand that right? Understand that we don't have a place to live with humans, that we cannot coexist with the in peace."

"A place to live… a place to call home… a right to exist…" It had been listening all this time to what the chief had been saying, in the back of her mind the voice was once more stirring, she had to fight it. "A place for yourself should be by yourself. We had a promise remember, do not try and oppose me."

How could she have forgotten that dreadful promise, a promise that now with hindsight she should have never made in the first place. If only she had seen it for what it really was back then. "The promise that I would make a world in which humans didn't exist for you. Did you dare to forget that?! You dare to defy me?!"

Never in her life could she forget it, it was the promise that seemed to hold everything for her and now it had been the sole reason for nearly all of her misery and why she was being hunted and hated. If anything she wished she had never been so foolish to accept it.

"There is no place for you to return too… no place for you to run… no place to hide… you can't turn back anymore… you can't get away from me… if you want to break that promise then I have a plan for you… you won't break our promise… I will make you pay…"

So now it was already resorting to threatening her, Kaede didn't know what this voice was planning but whatever it was she couldn't let her guard down. If it was really going to make her suffer for breaking their promise then who knew what it would be capable off.

"Do not think… that you can get away… from me… or the promise… you will pay if you dare to betray me…"

"Why are you still hesitating?" The chief's voice broke her out of the trance she must have been in, whenever the voice spoke to her like this she would become oblivious to the world around her. To him it must have seemed like she was hesitating about his offer.

"There is no other path for you, no alternative choice you could make. Our blood and power are needed to create this world you desire." His eyes were resting on his son next to him, it was clear what he was hinting at.

"So you are saying that with your help and power I can finally create a world for my own, one where my kin could live in peace and not having to fear for their existence?"

"But off course." There was an unmistakable twisted smile on his face as he leaned forward. "To annihilate the foolish humans who have tormented and prosecuted our species for so long, together we can bring justice to them for all the pain and suffering they have caused us, together we can create a world for our own kind."

"… YOU TOOK IT WRONG FATHER… THE THING THAT ANNA LIED ABOUT IS-…" Anna howled as she watched it happen, before she could even finish her warning his head was sliced off. His body toppled backwards as his blood was splattered all over the place, equipment was covered in his blood. Still flying through the air the head spun, the last expression of the chief was forever engraved on his face.

Kaede couldn't help herself but laugh at seeing the irony of it. "YOU REALLY DID SAY SOMETHING FUNNY AFTER ALL THE BULLSHIT I HEARD FROM YOU! A WORLD WITHOUT HUMANS!? ANNIHILATING MANKIND!? I THINK I'LL PASS!"

Watching as the head fall down with a wet thud she wondered what had been the last thought on his mind. "How did it feel you fool to have your wish come true? Was it everything you had hoped for? Or, don't tell me you never truly realized it yourself, did you ever understand your true place?"

She had known the moment she had seen him, she had felt it the very first time she laid her eyes upon him. He had been just like that one person from before and just like him he had made an empty claim and had held this misguided belief that they were equals.

"You foolish man, did it ever got through to you that you were just another mere human? You thought in your arrogance and idiocy that we could be allies just because you had a few horns growing out of your head, do not make me laugh!" Shaking her head in disbelief she stepped over his lifeless body. "Have you forgotten that us diclonius can sense the presence of other of our kind, you do not have the presence as one of my own. Your horns are nothing like ours, yours are just some mutation."

How foolish he must have been to have disillusioned himself with such foolish stories about their divine destiny. "And you even believed those old legends, perhaps you should have taken them for what they were, legends. Doing this stupid one man show and talking about things you had no clue or any right to!"

Daring to open her eyes again she watched in disbelief as Barbara just stood there transfixed, not able to move she did not understand nor could she come up with any reason why she would not retaliate. Only as Saeko stepped away did she become aware that something else had been going on and already her senses were telling her enough.

Just at the edge of the threes she could see Kyou standing there, a vicious smile apparent on her face. "Kyou-san, h-how did you get here?"

"Baka, I could sense you and that one. It was pretty easy for me to find you even though the damn bug was slowing me down." She pointed to Dai who stood there behind her, even if he was still trying to catch his breath he already had his gun aimed for Barbara.

"Your two sure are stupid, your family was really worried and I had to leave my sister to go and find you! I hate being outside when it is this cold and I hate having to leave my sister with a bug because you two baka's ran away!"

Nana wasn't sure what to say to her but she eventually managed to thank her for coming to their aide despite her obnoxious attitude, as she looked over Saeko had already put some good distance between herself and Barbara who lay sat there on the ground. As she approached her she could see something sticking out from the neck, a closer look revealed them to appear like some kind of needles. Lifting her head up her attention was drawn again to the gun that Dai had been holding, only now did she notice that it was an unusual looking one.

"D-Did you do this to her? W-Why did you have to hurt her?" She wasn't even aware of it but her eyes were already red from the tears she was shedding. "She needs our help."

"Nana-san is right, she didn't do anything wrong. They just twisted her into doing those things, she never meant it." Saeko was already next to her, much like Nana she was feeling the same. "Please Hirano-san you have to help her?"

He just gave them the odd look. "Have the two of you got hit in the head? She was trying to kill you. Have you two got any idea what she would have done for sure if we hadn't arrived in time?"

"You should listen to the bug, what he says is true. This sister wanted to kill you two and even though I do not like bugs they are not all bad."

Dai lowered the gun. "I know the two of you want to help others of your kind and I have seen that determination first had when we were at the DRI Saeko-san. You can't find it in your heart to abandon one of your own no matter what they may have done, it is a little naïve but also admirable."

Kyou did little more than cast them all a foul glance. "So now you have become like this bug, your all crazy if you ask me but I too would like to see more of us survive, San-chan never had that chance." Nodding his head Dai knew what she was talking about, san or nr. 23 as he knew her had lost her life during their escape. These girls were already part of a small group and it seemed that everything they got involved into made that group even smaller.

"She doesn't bear any sins, she was used by those people, they tormented and made her suffer. She likely has never understood what it means to be loved and cared for." Saeko mentioned as she wiped away some of her tears. "Much like her I never got to experience those emotions until recently."

Taking the initiative she stepped forward towards Barbara and as she kneeled down in front of her she wrapped her arms around her and refused to let go. "Can I ask what your name is?"

"I'm sorry, I really am sorry for having done this." She confessed as she kneeled down next to the boy's body, like his father she had killed him but were she felt nothing to him but to this boy she was feeling regret and lots of it. "You likely never did anything wrong in your life, you of all people should have deserved a happy and long life. I am really sorry for having to do this."

If she could then she wanted at least to have him buried in a place he deserved, the boy had done nothing wrong to her, he was not responsible for his father's evil nor could he be blamed for any of the crimes his father had committed in a misguided belief.

"But a lot of humans are in misery because of us, there is no other way as I see it, I can't allow our bloodline to exist any longer. Sadly that meant you had to die and I will likely join you as well soon." Much to her surprise she sobbed as she made her farewell to him, this boy had been the only remnant of her family and for a brief moment she could feel her mother's love for him. Behind her she could hear movement again as something vast started to move.

"You do realize that you people have always been human right?"

"ANNA ALWAYS KNEW… BUT SHE COULD NEVER TELL HIM… FATHER WAS HUMAN EVEN IF HE HATED THEM SO MUCH… ANNA COULD NOT FIND… THE STRENGHT TO TELL HIM… BUT!" What remained of her right arm slammed on the platform as she fought to get herself back up, raising the remnants of her other arm her eyes spoke with vengeance. "I WILL NOT LET YOU JUST WALK AWAY FROM HERE AFTER HAVING MURDERED MY FATHER!"

Kaede could feel her anguish at having seen it happen, she did not blame this girl for wanting to see her death but she could not allow herself to die in this place yet.

"I understand, I do not blame you." She whispered as she struck back, how sad it was that she had to kill this entire family. The man's daughter likely had much like her deceased half-brother never done anything wrong in her life, it was such a waste of life to her.

The monstrous head split apart like an overripe fruit as her vectors struck, blood and other bodily fluids rained down on her.

Amidst all of this there was one thing that caught her interested and with a grin on her face she left this accursed lab. "Looks like your father at least spoke the truth for once, he wasn't so cruel to his own beloved daughter." Right now she needed to make it off from this island and get back to Kouta, there was still something she desperately needed to tell him. If she could just say what she wanted to say then she could accept whatever fate was in store for her.

Arakawa took several steps back as more pieces broke off from the edge, already the floor was starting to cave in as cracks spread across the room. "Oh this is bad, if this keeps on going the whole institute might cave in." With no idea on how deep it was going and with no intention on finding out their only option now was to get off the island as fast as they could.

Behind her the girl dropped to the floor as she started to breath heavily once more, no doubt that injury was causing her trouble again. She still looked very pale to Arakawa.

"Diana?" The woman asked as she stepped forward. "Are you alright?" Well at least it told Arakawa what the girl's name was, it would be more pleasant for her if she would be addressed by her name. From where she was standing she could see that she was unconscious, the poor girl she told herself must be under such strain if she was having this much trouble.

With her attention being drawn back to the unknown woman she asked the question that she still had not gotten an answer to again. "Hey you, how the hell did you get here?"

Not even bothering to even look her in the face the woman answered her question with a question of her own much to the annoyance of Arakawa. "Did this girl save you?"

"Huh? Well yeah, kind off I guess." Confused she answered but even then what did that question have anything to do with their current situation and why did she not answer a simple question.

Seeing as she picked up Diana and headed for the door Arakawa felt like she was being abandoned.

"Whatever you are planning on doing I am going to leave, if you don't want to die then perhaps it would be better for you to hide somewhere out of sight."

"WHAT!? WAIT, NO WAY ARE YOU LEAVING WITHOUT ME! DO YOU EVEN HEAR ME!? DON'T YOU DARE TO LEAVE ME HERE!" She had it with her demeanor not to mention her rather downright rude attitude. "THIS INSTITUTE IS GOING TO COLLAPSE, WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE ISLAND! WE HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM HERE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!"

She just eyed. "Then escape on your own, I have a more important job to do. You will likely only get in my way and I can't keep saving your ass when I need to look for things here!"

"What the hell could possibly be worth looking for in this place at a time like this!? There are diclonius bent on tearing us to pieces outside this room you know! In her fury she was pointing to what remained of the door trying to get her point across to this thickheaded stubborn person.

The woman stopped in her pace and looked back, for a moment Arakawa thought she could see hesitation but as quickly as she had stopped she turned back on the spot. "So and? What is that you are looking for? It must be pretty important."

Waving her off the woman headed back for the door. "Forget it, it won't help at all even if I did tell you."

"AH!? HOW DARE YOU!"

"Just leave it at that, now at least try and make yourself useful and tell me where I can find the researcher that developed and weaponized the virus?"

She laughed at hearing her say that and a grin running from ear to ear emerged on her face, now she was the one holding the advantage, this foolish woman hadn't even realized who she had been talking to. "Who are you asking that facing the wrong way ba-."

She didn't get to finish her insult as a violent tremor caused an entire section to break off.

"LOOK LET'S JUST GET OUT OF HERE FAST! THIS PLACEI S GOING TO FALL ANY MOMENT!" She was starting to panic as she witnessed the broken of section disappearing as the chasm nearly doubled in size.

"I said I was looking for something, escape for yourself if you want to leave that desperately."

"ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING!?" She howled as she could just not understand this woman, any sensible person would have already legged it at the first sign of trouble. "YOU DO UNDERSTAND THAT HANGING AROUND HERE WILL GET YOU KILLED!? OR IS WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR OWN LIFE!?"

The woman sighed in response to that little outburst. "I guess it can't be helped, it would be pointless anyway to continue searching without any real clues." From underneath her jacket she pulled a weapon and readied it. Arakawa watched somewhat dumbstruck as it looked like little more than a modern variant of the crossbow, surely she wasn't serious about using that against diclonius. She would feel more comfortable if they were to use a tank or a rocket.

"Alright then, let's go. You can follow us if you want but don't be a hindrance." Taken Diana back in her arm she lead the way leaving Arakawa standing there in confusion.

"WHAT'S WITH THE SUDDEN ATTITUDE!? ACTING LIKE YOU ARE SOME KIND OF BIG SHOT! AAH! WAIT A SECOND!? DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" Grabbing whatever she could lay her hands on she nearly tripped when she reached down to retrieve the case, if anything she really needed to bring this with her. It was far too important to allow it to get destroyed if this place where to crumble.

Outside the room it had already turned into a battlefield as the first of the diclonii fell, the heavy barbed steel ball embedded within her skin. Arakawa watched in amazement as two more of them dropped to the ground. "Wow that weapon of yours is amazing, did you bring that with when you came?"

"Yeah I did but it has some drawbacks, firstly is that the limited amount of ammo I can carry with me. The second is that there are diclonius that can withstand the pain better than others."

Barely had she said that as Arakawa show to her distress than one of the downed diclonii was already getting back on her feet, the ball still stuck against her chest.

"WAIT!? THEN WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THOSE!?"

The head exploded and the lifeless body slumped to the floor. "Tungsten rounds do the job just fine at short range, they are standard for anti-diclonius usage."

Turning her head away quickly she found that a scary prospect.

It was the only warning they got when the walls started to crack and shriek before she lost her footing, there was no question in her mind that the section they were currently in was the next part to collapse. "UWAAAH!? AAH! WAIT!? WA! NOOOOOO!" The floor disappeared underneath her feet before she could even react.

It all appeared to happen in slow motion for her as her body slowly tilted backwards, she could see every little detail on the woman's face as she fell. Even if she were to reach out and try to get a hold it wasn't going to make a difference for her, she was done for.

She early slammed against a floor section as she came to an abrupt halt, her feet dangling in the air she looked up to see what had stopped her fall.

"Damn your heavy, care to go on a diet!" She cursed as she gritted her teeth, already she could tell that the woman was straining to keep her from falling any further.

"DON'T! DON'T LET GO OF MY HAND I BEG YOU!?"

"Drop the case dammit! I is too heavy for me, I can't pull you up! Do you want to die?"

"DON'T SCREW WITH ME! THE THING INSIDE IS-!" She could feel the grip slipping

"DO IT NOW! IS THAT DAMN CASE REALLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR LIFE!?" She wasn't going to hold on for much longer, they might even both fall.

How could she even say that, even if she didn't want to die here the content of that case was too important to her. All the information she had gathered on the virus and the vaccine she had created.

It was her greatest achievement, her god project, the future of mankind if those warheads were to be launched. But it was true that with the case hanging from her shoulder she was too heavy, clinging on to it any longer would see both herself and it fall. With a heavy heart she allowed it to slide from her shoulder and as she watched in disappear into the darkness of the hole a part of her cried. "Well that was the only example of the vaccine I-…"

"EEEH!?" The woman screamed at the top her lungs. "THAT WAS WHAT!?"

Amidst the fire and smoke Yamada strode seeing if she could find what remained of their adversary, this had been a costly battle alright and their chances of launching the surviving warheads were as good as nihil. "We finally got you you bastard, now to salvage what I can from this mess." She mentioned with a certain air of feeling victorious.

There was little left of the hold, the launch rails were reduced to little more than tangled wrecks. She even questioned now if any of the warheads had survived, the ship was barely able to float. It was just a wreck waiting to sink, perhaps it would be wiser for her to count their losses and just abandon the ship but before she could do that it would need to be scuttled to make sure that nobody were to find out.

That was the part of her that wanted to survive and it was taking a lot of will to keep herself from running and not looking back anymore. But even if she were to do that she would have to endure his wrath when she would arrive back at the DRI, there was no escape from him.

"Well you certainly managed to ruin our plans but this is only a minor setback." It was something which assured her that not all would be lost.

"…Madam…" One of few surviving men came out to meet her. "We seem to be lucky, one of the blocked exits was freed when that rail came down, we can use it to get back to the surface of the ship." His eye was swollen, his nose broken, no doubt the rest of those that had survived were in the same shape, for that matter she wasn't in any prime condition herself.

"Not before we make sure that this monster is dead, we cannot allow it to come after us when we leave the ship. Gather those men that can still walk and search what remains of the hold."

"Yes madam." The man nodded as he left, for the time they would do as she told them but there was every chance they would rebel if they found out there was something else that she wanted to secure.

Time went by as the survivors made their sweep through the ruined remains of the hold, their progress was painstakingly slow due to all of the damage it had suffered, two men had died when they lost their footing and fell to their deaths. With nearly all of the lights gone the hold was covered for the most part in darkness, only the fires brought light in here.

Leaning against something that she could no longer recognize she tried her hardest to remember anything that could help her find it, this would not have taken her more than maybe ten minutes when the ship was still intact but now it seemed to take like ages.

She needed to bring back at least some of the warheads, that way she had some proof that she had done her best to keep it secure and perhaps it would be enough to convince him.

"UWWWAAAAARRRGGGHHH!" She shot up straight as she heard it coming from somewhere in the distance, this had not sounded like the others. The other men she could see were disturbed by it as well, already they had been through more than enough and some of them would likely reach their breaking soon enough.

"Grab whatever weapon you can find and follow me!" Drawing the combat knife that was still strapped to her boot she allowed those men who had salvaged a gun to take point, with just a knife in her hand she wasn't planning on doing anything suicidal. "Keep it steady! Keep it in tight formation and watch your fire!" It would take little for them to break, even the guards who had been trained by the JSDGF and seen combat were straining under the situation.

Guess no one had even been able to train them for what they had to fight within the hold, this monster had swept a bloody path through them and torn men to pieces where they stood.

"UURGGGUUUUHHH! GUH! GUH!" More noise was coming from up head and to her it had the unmistaken sound of a man desperate for air, somebody was choking or rather being choked to death.

As they rounded the next corner their flashlights illuminated the bloodstained trail, the man hung there, his throat ripped open and there he stood, blood dripping from his chin some of the men vomited on the spot.

The hairs on her neck were upright at seeing this, she could not believe that this monstrosity was still alive, she had buried him underneath a mountain of rubble. Every fiber in her body told her that he should have been crushed to a bloody pulp, as she took a step back her fear turned to joy as one of the men pointed out something to her. With a vicious smile on her face she stepped forward, a move that would bring her within his reach and had this been earlier certain death.

"It seems you are stuck, how befitting for a monster like you to be nailed to the wall!" It was a figure of speech but nevertheless their opponent was unable to move, the left arm was trapped underneath the debris and likely crushed as well. She almost felt something to admire given he had not lost consciousness from the blood loss.

She giggled in response. "So onee-chan… wants to know my name?" She was sobbing and her eyes were stained by her tears but when Saeko looked into them there was no sadness or sorrow coming from this girl, only a desire for revenge and hatred.

"Onee-chan lives… with the vermin who tormented us… she calls them friends… I hate them… I hate onee-chan… stop touching me onee-chan… you sicken me!" Saeko barely had the time to react when she was launched into the air.

Getting back on her feet Barbara smiled as she eyed up Dai, the human was going to die first for having dared to shoot her. With him death she would take care of the others next but this latest diclonius was a mystery to her, there was something different about her.

"Say onee-chan… have you heard… the voice?"

There was a faint grin on her face. Yes, I have heard it. It spoke to me often when I was still trapped at the place, I can even hear it now whispering things to me."

"What does… it tell you onee-chan?" Barbara looked at her, this one was listening to the voice, if she could make this one see it as well the two of them could likely take care of their traitorous sisters and their humans compatriot. Would anything of them scream if she asked.

"It tells me to kill all bugs and rid them from this world, it wants just us to live." Her head tilted slightly to the left. "But I find it annoying, it always keep yapping to me and never once has it helped me. To be honest I actually hate it's constant nagging in my head, I don't like bugs and I will hurt anyone who tries anything on me but there are some bugs who are nicer than others." Looking back at the human standing next to her Barbara felt her anger rising.

"So onee-chan… is a traitor… as well!" Barbara spat on the ground, so here was another one who had decided to turn against the voice, she would make her pay for that as well. "… Then… onee-chan can die… with the others… as well… DIE TRAITOR!" Howling with rage of being betrayed she lost her attention for the others and lunges out towards Kyou.

"DIE… DIE… DIE… DIE… DIE!" She shouted every time she striked or lashed out towards her, much like with the other this sister easily dodged most of her vectors. If she was like the other one then she could not afford to let her make use of her better speed.

"… DIE… DIE…DIE… ONEE-CHAN… CAN JUST DIE! … ALL… ONEE-CHAN'S… CAN DIE… SO JUST… DIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!"

Unable to avoid all of the vectors Kyou got launched into the nearest three, her back cracked as she was flung into it. With her back against the wall and the pain that coursed through her body she couldn't defend herself anymore as over a dozen vectors came for her.

A sharp excruciating pain shot through her skull, She let out a high pitched scream, losing her footing Barbara fell to the ground.