Author's Note- UWAH. LONG update is LOOONG. Lawl. I think this one is like over 5000 words... which is like 12 pages? Ah, oh well. Anyways, lots of action in this chapter! This'll also be the last one where Rin and Len are nine- after this it'll time skip to when they're 14. By the way, all your reviews have made me very happy ;o; -hands out love-.
Rin fidgeted nervously as she waited on one of the chairs adjacent to the labs. It was eerily quiet; the only sounds heard were the occasional foot tapping or the gentle hum of fluorescent lighting up above. Beside her sat a much older woman, probably around her early 20's, silently staring at the wall across from them. The woman had long, silky pink hair that flowed elegantly down her shoulders, and she wore a black, somewhat Chinese-style outfit that was trimmed with gold. Her seafoam eyes radiated kindness, yet held a narrow sort of sharpness about them that signified a witty seriousness. She was Mr. Kagamine's secretary, and by far the best one he ever had. If Rin recalled correctly, her name was Megurine Luka.
"Luka," Rin began unsurely.
At the sound of the young girl's voice, the secretary perked up and smiled warmly, "Yes?"
"How much longer is Len going to be in there?"
Luka frowned, "I'm not sure, sweetie. Would you like anything to eat?"
Rin shook her head.
"Something to drink then? How about some hot chocolate?"
She paused.
Luka took that as a yes, "Alright, you wait here and I'll go get us some hot chocolate, kay?" But Rin said nothing and continued to focus on her feet. Luka sighed and bent down to cup one of Rin's cheeks, "Don't worry so much, dear. Professor Gakupo and Professor Leon are our best scientists, they'll find out what's wrong and cure him in no time. Have faith."
Rin nodded. Luka smiled.
As she left to get their drinks, Rin sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Daddy had called back 30 minutes later and told her he was coming home to take her and Len back to Mirror Corp. Of course there was much media uproar as Mr. Kagamine came home all of a sudden and drove away with his children, especially with Len unconscious in the back seat, and more outrageous stories started appearing on the news but Rin didn't care. All she could focus on was Len being immediately rushed to the labs and given to the care of two other men: one with lavender and the other with sandy blonde hair. Mr. Kagamine had went in with them and left Rin to wait outside with his secretary.
And there she had been waiting for four hours now. It was close to nine at night. Rin hadn't eaten anything but breakfast, yet she wasn't hungry. What were they doing in there? How was Len? Was he going to live? She felt like she was going to go crazy with all these questions running through her mind.
"Tada!" Luka held two Styrofoam cups filled to the brim with the rich, aromatic drink, complete with some mini marshmallows and a heaping dollop of whipped cream, "This'll make you feel better."
"Thank you," Rin smiled meekly and took a sip. It was warm and comforting, yet not enough to settle the knot that had formed in her stomach.
For a while, neither female said anything, and drank their chocolate in complete silence.
"I'm surprised you're so attached to him," Luka finally said, "He's only been with you guys for, what, two months now?"
Rin looked up and blinked at her question, "Aa… I guess… Len's like the brother I never had. Daddy's always so busy with work, and I never really realized how lonely I was until Len came along. And having someone to play with every day, someone who took care of you, it was nice."
"I'm glad you care so much about him," the pink haired secretary leaned back contentedly, "Professor Leon expressed some concerns that you wouldn't treat Len right, but seems you've proved him wrong, ne? It's always nice to care, and have someone who cares for you."
"What about you, Luka?" Rin kicked her legs against the floor, "Do you have anyone you care about, or who cares about you?"
A light blush formed on the older woman's cheeks. "I…" Luka started unsurely, "I do have someone who I care about very much, but I'm not sure if he feels the same."
"Why not?" Rin frowned, "Miss Luka is a very pretty, nice lady. What kind of man is he?"
"He's very smart," Luka chuckled, "Very handsome. About my age, but much taller than me. He's got long hair similar to mine, except his is purple and he wears it in a high ponytail. He's serious a lot of the time but does have a soft side, except he never really shows it."
"And why doesn't he like Miss Luka?" Rin furrowed her brows together in confusion.
Luka smiled forlornly, "Love doesn't work like that, Rin. And he's busy most of the time, I'd just be a distraction."
Before Rin could inquire any further, the door to the labs swung open and two familiar men strode out. They both looked very solemn, very tired.
"Professor Gakupo! Mr. Kagamine!" Luka instantly rose and bowed, "How is everything?" At the sight of a certain purple haired professor, the pink on her cheeks deepened.
Gakupo acknowledged her greeting with a nod, "Everything's fine… for now."
"Is Len okay??" Rin ran to her father and pulled his suit jacket. He looked so pale and tired. Mustering as much of a positive expression as he could, the man bent down to pat his daughter on the head.
"We did as much as we could," he tugged at her ribbon, "The program made something go wrong with his system, but luckily he didn't download it 100% so it wasn't able to fully integrate with him. Right now he's been reset to a vegetative state similar to when we first got him, but we need to work out a few more kinks before we have you reactive him, alright?"
"So… he'll be okay?" Rin struggled to comprehend her father's myriad of vocabulary.
He laughed, "Yes, Len will be okay."
A few feet away, Luka shyly turned to the indigo eyed scientist, "So how was it?"
"A wreck," Gakupo explained quite bluntly, "That program was definitely not the one I sent out. Whatever it was, it did a number on Len's internal functional module. In other words, it tried to attack his mind by erasing his memories and replacing it with other stuff but was unsuccessful. It did manage to install some weird stuff into his brain, though I was able to stop the virus's flow before it caused any real damage. I don't know how much is still left inside or how this rearrangement will affect him."
"Who could have done such a thing…" Luka's brow creased with worry.
"Someone closer than you think," his eyes narrowed as a certain sandy-blonde haired man exited the lab.
"Professor Leon!" Luka bowed.
"Hn," he grunted dismissively at her.
"Well, if everything is done," Mr. Kagamine said, "Then I suggest we all head home now. It's pretty late, and I think we all deserve a good night's rest."
Suddenly Rin shook her head vigorously and ran into the lab.
"Rin! Where are you going??" the adults called as they ran after her. They found her standing by Len, staring in awe at the machine he was resting on. It was shaped in such a way that Len was reclining against it, almost like a chair, yet had so many wires and lights running through the hunk of metal that Rin could barely discern what was going on. Nonetheless, she reached out and held one of his limp hands with both of hers.
"I want to stay here," Rin stated, "With Len."
"That isn't necessary," Leon's lips set in a firm line, "You being here might cause some interference."
Rin frowned. "I'm staying here with him. I won't touch anything- I promise!"
Mr. Kagamine scratched his head, "You can't stay in the lab, Rin. It's not safe. And you need to go home to change into your pajamas and shower and stuff. Plus, where would you sleep?"
"I have a fold out bed in the couch in my office, sir," Luka piped up, "Occasionally I spend the night when the workload becomes too much. I'll even stay with her if you want."
Rin gazed with hopeful, turquoise orbs at her father, who knew that once she pulled those puppy dog eyes the fight was already over. "Alright," he sighed, "I need to finish some stuff in my office first, before heading home. I'll be back first thing in the morning."
"Yay!" Rin threw her hands up happily and embraced her father. Behind them, Leon's eyes narrowed, an action which did not go unnoticed by Gakupo.
"Are you comfy?"
"Yup!" Rin grinned and snuggled into the bed's sheets. It was kind of awkward sleeping in her every day clothes, but at least she wasn't wearing what Luka was. The woman seemed to be having a hard time getting comfortable in her business clothes.
After bidding each other goodnight, Luka turned off the lights and fell fast asleep. Rin, on the other hand, couldn't seem to keep her eyes closed. Her mind constantly drifted back to Len and whether or not he was alright. Luka had told her over and over again that everything was okay, but for some reason she couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen to Len if she wasn't there. An hour passed. Then two. Rin was still staring at the ceiling. She glanced at the door.
"Should I go?" Rin wondered, but then shook her head, "No, everything's okay. Gakupo, Daddy, and Luka said so. I just have to trust them." Rin pulled a handful of the sheets over her head and shut her eyes. One minute… two minutes… "Gah! Why can't I get this bad feeling out of my head? Go to sleep, Rin, go to sleep!" But as much as she tried to fight with herself it was of no use, and the anxiety continued to build. "Okay… maybe a glass of water."
Slowly, without disturbing her caretaker, Rin climbed out of bed and gently padded about the office looking for a water dispenser. Odd, there wasn't any. Didn't people usually keep some in their offices in case they got thirsty? Oh well, maybe there was one in the hallway. Rin vaguely remembered there being one next to the elevator. She gently creaked open the door and slipped outside.
It was dark. Rin could barely see anything, except for the dim pathway lit by the tiny bits of light seeping in through the windows at the ends of the halls. An ever present red light illuminated the area by the elevators. There! The water tank!
Her white ribbon bounched as she skipped over to it and grabbed one of the nearby paper cups. Just as she was about to pour herself a cup, she stopped and gazed at the elevator's reflection in the tank. The image of a certain blonde haired boy flashed through her mind.
"Len…"
Rin turned around slowly and faced the elevator's large, double doors. She saw her reflection staring back from the metallic surface, yet there was something different about it. Without a word, she pressed the button and stepped inside.
The elevator dinged, signaling her arrival on the designated floor. Cautiously, she made her way to a pair of white doors with the words "LAB 1" printed across. Above them hung a lit sign that read "CAUTION: Authorized Personnel Only". Rin frowned and looked to the side, where a DNA scanner was. On its label were several warnings and instructions. Apparently, one had to place his or her hand on the scanner, and if the DNA matched any of the ones in the "approved" bank, then the person would be allowed entrance. If not, then an alarm would go off and the entire floor would go on immediate lockdown.
Well, it seemed as if her journey ended there.
But despite all that, Rin didn't know why she still put her palm against the scanner. A few beeps later and the doors opened with a heavy sigh.
"Access granted."
The turquoise eyed girl drew back, stunned. It worked? How? She looked at the screen, where Len's face was displayed. Oh yeah, wasn't her DNA integrated with Len's, or something? Speaking of which…
As Rin entered the chamber, the lights up above turned on automatically, illuminating her every step and revealing the object of her quest. There he lie, on the same mechanism as earlier and in the exact same position- nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The knot in her stomach loosened somewhat, yet wouldn't go away completely. Suddenly, she heard the lab doors beep and open with another groan. Rin squeaked and hid behind Len's chair.
"Rin? Are you in here?"
"L-Luka?" Rin peeked out from behind one of the legs. She sighed, relieved that it was someone she knew, yet immediately tensed up again. Luka was probably going to reprimand her for sneaking in here. "I-I…"
"I knew it," Luka bent down to pull the younger girl up, "Come to check up on Len, hm? Gakupo said he's fine, dear. He'll still be here in the morning. Anyways, do you have any idea what time it is? It's nearly midnight! A growing girl like you needs her sleep- your father and Len wouldn't be happy to know that you stayed up all night. Let's go back to bed, ne?"
"I don't want to..." Rin bit her lip and looked shyly at the floor, "at least not yet."
Luka blinked and smiled, "Want to sit with him a while?"
Rin nodded.
The girls settled themselves beside Len.
"So what made you come check up on him? Still worried?"
"I just had a bad feeling and wanted to come see him for myself," Rin fidgeted nervously. For some reason, her anxiety suddenly increased tenfold.
"Ah, I see," Luka put a finger to her lips, "What kind of bad feeling?"
Before Rin could answer, the doors to the lab slid open for the third time. From their position, it was hard to discern who the newcomer was, but the heavy shoulders and blocky build signified that it was a man, and he seemed to be holding something at arm's length.
"Professor!" Luka gasped, "What are you doi-"
A loud bang suddenly rang throughout the lab. Luka screamed. Rin's eyes widened.
Mr. Kagamine jumped when the door to his office swung open. He had just about finished up with all the business he missed during the day and was getting ready to finally go home.
"Professor Gakupo?" he squinted, just to make sure he wasn't imagining things, "You're still here?"
But Gakupo wasted no time with trivialities, "Where is Leon?"
Mr. Kagamine's brows furrowed together in confusion, "He went home hours ago. Why do you ask?"
The lavender haired scientist brushed by him and immediately settled himself in front of Mr. Kagamine's computer, typing away furiously. "Leon planted that virus in Len."
"What…?" the CEO's confusion increased, "Why would he-"
"It's because he still thinks Len is his son," Gakupo interrupted, never once taking his eyes off the screen, "and he's fully aware of Len's capabilities. He knows that Len is far superior to regular beings, and if equipped with the right arsenal and programming he could potentially become a deadly weapon. Leon wants to use him for power. He plans to reveal Len to the world when the time is right and then achieve widespread acclaim for "his" brilliant creation, thereby earning him endless money and resources to continue his research or do whatever the hell it is he wants. It'd also be like giving his son another chance to live, except gloriously."
"How…"
"I spent the past few hours hacking into Leon's databanks," Gakupo stopped typing and turned the screen to his boss, "Here. Take a look for yourself."
Mr. Kagamine was awestruck. "Incredible… Look at these logs! They date back to years ago. He's been planning this for quite a while… There's so many entries."
"Apparently he used some program to delete my e-mail before Rin could see it," Gakupo continued, "and instead replaced it with his. The virus that Leon planted in Len is supposed to erase most of his free will/memories and replace them with those of his late son, but it's near impossible since Rin's DNA has been integrated into Len's mind since creation, and as long as she says his name he will always remember her. But Leon has been desperately trying to find a way to stop Len from remembering her… and I think he might do something drastic."
"Drastic? You don't mean…"
"Exactly. Rin is the only thing standing in his way, and knowing Leon, he won't stop at anything to remove all obstacles. We need to get Rin and Len somewhere safe as soon as possible, before Leon returns tomorrow. Is Rin still wit-"
A bang and scream interrupted his speech. Both males paled. They looked at each other. The lab!
"Leon, what do you think you're doing?!" Luka shivered and shielded Rin with her body, "Put that gun down right now!"
"Shut up," Leon stared at her with a cold, unfeeling expression. As Luka opened her mouth to protest, Leon fired another shot in the air.
Rin whimpered and hid her face in the older woman's shoulder.
"Give me the girl."
"W-What? No! You can't have her!"
"I said," Leon's eyes narrowed, "Give me the girl."
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my daughter."
Mr. Kagamine's figure appeared in the doorway.
"Daddy!" Rin shouted and was about to run to him when she met eyes with Leon. If she went to her father, that would only bring her closer to Leon. Rin took a few steps back.
"Leon," Mr. Kagamine's tone was grave, "I know everything. I know what you're planning to do with Len, and you won't get away with it."
Suddenly, the sandy haired scientist started laughing. Rin, Luka, and Mr. Kagamine drew back with bewildered expressions. What was so funny?
Gradually the laughter increased in volume until he was full on cackling. Leon snapped his head toward the sky, eyes wide, veins protruding from his throat. Neither of the others knew what to do, too paralyzed with fear and fascination at the madman's actions.
"You fools!" Leon sneered, "Now you see what Len is?! He's the perfect being! The pinnacle of nature and technology combined! But you," he pointed an accusing finger at Rin, "You use him to do useless household chores and sing you lullabies! How dare you mistreat such a fine specimen; you don't deserve him! I, on the other hand, will make him great. I will show the world the awesome power of a Vocaloid and finally give my son the chance to live again the right way!"
"He's not your son, Leon!" Mr. Kagamine shouted.
"SHUT UP!" Leon's knuckles turned white as he gripped the gun with all the force he could muster.
"His DNA is not the same as your sons!" Mr. Kagamine ignored him and continued, "It might have been when he first started out, but it's changed since then! Open your eyes, Leon!"
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!"
A shot rang through the air.
Rin and Luka let out twin screams as Mr. Kagamine fell to the ground, clutching at his abdomen. Blood seeped through his fingers.
"DADDY!"
"MR. KAGAMINE!"
"DON'T MOVE," Leon hollered and aimed his gun at the two females, "You're next."
His eyes locked with Rin's.
"You know," he said as he stepped closer to her, "You've been a real thorn in my side, even though we've never even met. You're a whiny, spoiled, little girl, mistreating Len as your slave. I know. I've seen through his memories. So, as a favor to both him and myself, I'm going to eliminate you, then you'll never be able to say his name and he'll never be able to remember you. And then he'll listen only to me! Brilliant plan, isn't it?!"
Leon cackled again lifted the gun to Rin's forehead, finger dancing dangerously about the trigger.
"Let them go."
All four of the room's occupants turned to look at the sudden source of the interruption. There, standing at the doorway, was Kamui Gakupo, holding a gun of his own.
Leon faltered for a second but quickly covered it up with a wide grin. "Ah, Gakupo! So nice of you to join us."
"Put the gun down, Leon."
Leon snorted, "And what are you planning to do? Have me arrested and explain this entire situation to the police? Then everyone will know about Len and the scandal will make this company go under, leaving you and the rest of Mirror Corp's miserable employees jobless! Tch, you'd never do that. You're too soft, Gakupo."
"Really?" lavender brows raised in interest, "What if I said I'm already way ahead of you?"
"What?" Leon grit his teeth.
"Always have been and always will be" Gakupo smirked, "The police are on their way and should be up here any minute now. Any last words?"
"You liar!" Leon seethed, "Tell me the truth or I'll shoot this brat over here!" He aimed at Rin.
Gakupo's expression hardened. "It's true."
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Leon shouted. He fired.
There was a scream as a body fell to the floor.
"LUKA!!" Rin ran to the secretary's side, tears streaming down her face. Luka had thrown herself in harm's way and took the bullet for her. Gakupo's eyes widened.
"Idiot woman, getting in the way." Leon grunted and reloaded his gun.
"G-Get behind Len," Luka whispered to Rin, "H-He won't shoot at you if y-you're behind Len… Go, quick."
Rin nodded. Determination set upon her brow as she ran to Len and pulled him from his chair.
"W-What are you doing?!" Leon's expression turned to one of horror, "DON'T YOU DARE GO NEAR HIM! GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS AWAY, GIRL!" He fired some warning shots in the air. Rin shut her eyes and pulled still unconscious Len in front of her. The shots stopped and Leon grit his teeth in anger. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he felt the barrel of another gun press against his spine.
"It's over," Gakupo deadpanned, "Drop your gun."
Leon was sweating now, but he still mustered a grin, "Or what, Professor Gakupo? What will you do? Shoot me?"
"Don't test me."
"Do it!" Leon laughed, "I dare you!"
"I'm warning you."
"You don't have it in you!!"
Gakupo pulled the trigger.
Leon's body hit the ground with a thud.
Rin stood outside the hospital room with a large bouquet in her hands. Beside her was Mr. Kagamine, who was currently wheelchair ridden and being tended to by Kamui Gakupo. It had been two days since the incident. Minutes after Gakupo had shot Leon, the police arrived, and then everything was a blur of sirens and shouts. Luka, Mr. Kagamine, and Leon were lifted onto stretchers and immediately rushed to the hospital. They were about to take Len too, but Gakupo intervened and said Len was simply unconscious, and after checking his vitals, which Len still had, the paramedics reluctantly relinquished him to Gakupo's care. Rin and Gakupo were kept behind for hours as the police questioned them as to what exactly occurred, but Gakupo took care of much of the talking, easily making up excuses for everything. Rin went along and agreed with everything he said.
He explained that Leon had an insane thirst for power and was not satisfied with the position he held at Mirror Corp. Thus, he plotted to kidnap Len for ransom but was found out, which led to their current predicament. The police seemed to buy it, and after collecting more samples as evidence, let them go.
Gakupo had taken care of Rin and Len for the next two days, working day and night to purge Len of that virus. But so far he hadn't been as successful as he would have liked. On the third day, the hospital called and told Gakupo that it was okay for them to visit Luka and Mr. Kagamine now. Leon had been transferred to a separate prison hospital. They had gone to see Mr. Kagamine first, and while Rin hugged her father, Gakupo left for a few. When he came back, the purple haired scientist held an elegant and rather expensive looking bouquet in his hands.
"Give these to Miss Luka," Gakupo told Rin as he handed the bundle to her, "But don't tell her I bought them, okay?"
Rin frowned in confusion but complied nonetheless.
"Are you ready?" Gakupo turned and gave her a warm smile.
Rin nodded. Slowly, she creaked the door open. Gakupo followed, pushing Mr. Kagamine inside as well.
"P-Professor! Rin, Mr. Kagamine!" Luka gasped and shut the book she was reading.
"These are for you!" Rin grinned and thrust the bouquet into her lap.
"Oh my," Luka was speechless, "These… they're beautiful! Thank you, Rin."
"They're not from me" a devious smile found its way onto the younger girl's lips, "They're from Mr. Gakupo!"
Luka's eyes widened. Gakupo coughed profusely and turned to face the window.
"P…Professor?" the pink haired secretary turned a fierce scarlet.
"They're to apologize," Gakupo's voice was shaking slightly. Was he embarrassed? Rin giggled, "You shouldn't have gotten hurt."
Luka's blush darkened, "T-This?" She motioned to her bandaged wound, "It's alright, I'm used to stress, haha…"
Gakupo turned away from the window slightly to study the injury. His face softened. Rin could see a faint hint of pink also on his cheeks. "Get well soon, Luka."
Mr. Kagamine smirked and eyed the scene with amusement, "Come on Rin," he whispered, "Let's leave these two alone." Rin beamed and they slipped out without a word.
A month passed. Rin had been transferred to the care of Meiko and Kaito's families, because Gakupo couldn't find time away from his research of Len to properly make breakfast, lunch, etc for her. Every day, at a certain time, Gakupo would pick her up and bring her to the hospital to visit her father and Luka. On the third week, her father and Luka were released from the hospital and Rin went back to living at the Kagamine estate... alone.
She hadn't seen Len the entire time. It seemed as if Gakupo was never going to find a cure. She sighed heavily and gazed out one of the windows. Her mind started to wander to the usual things... where was Len? How was he doing? How much longer? Was he even going to come back?
A ringing interrupted her reverie.
Rin picked up the phone. "Hello?"
Her father's face appeared on its video screen. "Rin, hello! Listen, Luka's coming to pick you up right now and bring you to Mirror Corp. We've got a surprise for you."
"A surprise?"
"You'll see when you get here." her father then ended the call with a bemused smile.
Rin blinked in wonder. Was he talking about...?
Luka came 30 minutes later, with the same bemused smile that Mr. Kagamine had. During the entire ride she refused to answer Rin's questions, only replying with a "You'll see."
They arrived at the company. Rin was now sitting in the same seats outside the labs that she had been so many weeks ago. Luka and Mr. Kagamine waited beside her. The doors to the lab opened and a rather happy Gakupo walked out.
"Miss Rin," he bowed, "Glad to see you again. If I may?" he motioned to her hand.
What, did he want to kiss it? Rin blushed and held it out, but to her surprise he withdrew a needle from one of his sleeves and gently pricked her ring finger. He then collected the resulting blood on a small, sample dish.
"Thank you," he bowed again, "I'll be back in a few moments." He disappeared behind the lab doors once again.
"Get ready," Luka's smile grew wider as she bandaged Rin's finger.
Rin was shivering now. She couldn't believe it. Was this really happening??
"Surprise!" Gakupo appeared again, this time rolling out a cart normally used to carry crates. Rin's eyes widened. There was...
"Len?!"
Gakupo stopped and turned the cart upright. For a moment, all was still. Luka and Mr. Kagamine held their breaths.
Then, a pair of heavy lashes fluttered open, revealing two lustruous, cerulean eyes.
"R-Rin…?"
Immediately, Rin squealed and threw her hands around his neck. Tears began to stream uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"W-What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Len looked flabbergasted and tentatively wove his arms around her waist.
"I thought you wouldn't remember me," Rin sobbed harder into his shoulder, "I thought you were gone forever..."
Len's expression softened, "I could never forget you Rin... you're a part of me. And I'll always be here, what are you talking about?"
She started to cry even harder.
"Ah!! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it worse!"
"You goof," Rin sniffled and punched him playfully on the arm.
Len glanced worriedly at the other adults, who just laughed.
Weeew. Done at last heheh. Hope you guys liked it! Review, review! xD. The more I get, the more compelled I am to update? ;u; -loves-.