Chapter CCXXXXIX: The Weapon Known As Lachesis Part IV
Once more sliding the lever back on his now beloved toy, Kagi once again made his small train move. A smile upon his face, he watched as the small device moved on forwards, rolling splendidly on it's wheels which were kept in place by his room mate's hairbands.
As he watched the train continued to chug on forwards, he was quiet...however turning his head. He saw-
-!
A sudden jolt of movement, looking on at it he remained silent. However after another moment he turned around and simply sighed uttering, "Looks like she's still continuing to do this."
For any spare moment he had that wasn't stolen from him by the sinister scientists or Rosso giving him lectures, or running weird tests on him. He would use it to play with his now beloved train, or finding some new way to improve it. Watching it go and now turn with a new function he had installed in it, he could feel again that same presence staring on at him from behind the corner.
He knew without a doubt, that it was Lachesis that was doing this. He had felt her eyes upon him nearly every time he'd played with his train. So far he'd been mostly ignoring this lingering gaze and was trying to enjoy what little moments of freedom he had. However this unwanted watching was now proving to become bothersome to him...
As he continued to feel her unwanted gaze upon him, he decided that enough was enough! Walking over to the train, he quickly picked it up and went to walk away. However before fully leaving, he called back loudly, "Don't follow me!" With that he was on his way and he disappeared around another corner.
Silently, as he vanished. After a few moments, it was then the young girl, Lachesis walked out of her hiding space and looking at the empty space that was left, with no boy or train there where she'd been observing, she said nothing nor did her expression change. However there was one thing she did do... grasp her right hand tightly against the wall she was standing next to silently.
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Seeing another memory like this play out, no one at first could think of anything to say. However, Leon having seen the young girl as Hari do this, he asked Kagi, "So? You changed the roles," the young boy hearing his words looked in his direction and as he did, he continued and said, "You became the observer then?"
As Leon said this to him, Kagi simply smiled and made a small nod as he replied, "Yeah, I did..." then looking back to the memory, he told him, "But back then, I was just a curious kid... who just didn't understand anything."
Hearing him say this, no-one knew what it was he meant. But they would soon find out, as they all too continued to watch the memories play out.
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STEP! STEP! STEP! STEP! STEP!
Walking forwards on another dark day, Kagi was travelling down the corridors of the laboratories. As he did, he was quiet as he held his train tightly in his trouser pocket and as he did this, he heard-!
STEP! STEP! STEP! STEP! STEP!
More footsteps, following him. He knew those light tentative steps could belong to none other than Lachesis. As he heard them again, he gritted his teeth with irritation... as they both continued to walk on, with this unwanted game of hide and seek still being played between them. After turning corner after corner after many other corners, with every gaze he made with her shying away, Kagi had finally had enough of this farce and turning around he shouted out loudly, "Will you just stop this already!?"
…
There came no reply to this demand, Kagi agitated then told his silent pursuer, "I know you're hiding there! Just come out and show yourself already!"
… Again there appeared to be no-one there. However after a little more silence had past which was only interrupted by Kagi's impatient foot tapping, Lachesis made herself known to him. Stepping out from around the corner, she looked on at Kagi quietly not saying a word still.
As she did this, finally coming out to see him like this. Kagi exasperated said, "Finally!" Then he demanded out of her, "Why do you keep doing this!? Why do you keep following me like this! Why don't you just leave me alone to play!"
As this question came to her, again Lachesis answered him, "I have told you before, I am not meant to leave you alone for any great amount of time or at any significant distance, doing so well will cause ill will for my mother and-"
"I don't care about your dumb mom!" Kagi told her, then as she became silent from his outburst he continued on to say, "You always keep saying the same thing! 'Mother wants me to do this, mother wants me to do that!' You just have no other reason for being do you!?"
Silent as this angry outburst was put to her, Lachesis tried to process the exact meaning of those words as she repeated curiously, "Reason for being...?" Then after coming up with nothing, she asked him," What do those words entail exactly?"
Seeing she didn't understand a simple thing like that, Kagi annoyed then told her, "It means doing something for yourself you tall dummy! Doing what you wanna do and not just doing what your mom wants!"
Silent as she heard this, Lachesis said nothing and Kagi having expected this then told her, "But looking at a dumb robot like you, it's a no brainer that you don't have any wishes of your own!" With that said so meanly, he went to leave saying, "Not quit following me! I hate being with you and I'm not sharing my train with you either!"
STEP! STEP! STEP! STEP! STEP!
As he walked off in a huff like this, Kagi continued his grumpy steps forwards. He didn't know how long he walked away from her or for what distance. But one thing he did notice after a little time... there were no other footsteps following him anymore.
Noticing this one fact, as he looked behind himself. He saw nothing, but again there was nothing new in that. But at the same time, he couldn't feel the girl's presence anymore either... seeing he'd ditched her at last he sighed saying, "Finally! I'm alone!" With that he brought out his train and began to play with it, by himself.
…
Alone with his train for sometime, this was a huge relief for the young boy. For ever since he'd been dragged into that place, he'd not had a chance to have a moment of proper privacy to himself. So this was a relaxing piece of luxury for him.
Then as the train came to a standstill again after he'd pulled the lever back, he picked it up and went to walk in another direction. However as he walked on, he realised that as he looked around himself at the corridors he'd made it into. He didn't recognise them, nor had he noticed the shadows of darkness that hung heavily over the walls... the whole place was eerie.
Feeling a little uncomfortable, he had to ask, "Have I ever come down here before?" However no-one was there to answer this question for him. For in that darkened space, he was entirely alone...no-one was there.
As the isolation of his situation finally began to sink in, Kagi looked behind himself almost expecting Lachesis to be there following just a little distance behind him. However... he felt nothing. There was no-one there behind him, sensing this he began to wish that-!
"Oh what am I doing!?" He cried out, shaking his head he told himself mad, "I can't rely on that dumb robot girl! I gotta look after myself!" With that trying to be brave as best as his young self could be, he declared walking forwards, "I can get myself away from here! I'll find my way out and get back to dad, mom and sis! They're both waiting for me I know it!"
Then as he looked down to his toy train, he couldn't help but add, "And I know sis will love this train too!" With that for a bit of fun and to calm his nerves, he set it down on the floor and pulled the lever again, making it chug on forwards again.
Smiling as he saw it go, he began to chase after his small invention. Then as it wheeled on forwards, it began to turn and go down another corridor. As it did this, he cried out, "Hey! Wait for me!"
But the train didn't and departed without him, seeing it go Kagi was smiling widely and began to turn the corner too. Doing this, still brightened he said, "I said you should-!"
"Urgh..."
Freezing in fear quickly, Kagi saw something that he was not expecting to see in those dark halls. A person.
Looking on at him, in shock the small boy couldn't help but take a small step back in surprise. As he did this, making it back into what little illumination there was. Kagi saw that the man that was before him, had long scraggily brown hair that hid away his eyes and a very similar beard that hid away the majority of his mouth. He was dressed in a green medical gown and his legs along with arms were covered in bandages. But the thing that caught his attention the most, was that this individual had caught a hold of his toy train and was holding it tightly in his right hand.
Seeing this in seconds, Kagi didn't know how to speak to this man and so hesitantly asked, "Um? Hello...?"
"Hmm...?" Hearing him, the scraggily man tilted his head almost robotically to the right. As he did this it seemed his attention had been drawn to Kagi.
Seeing this man staring at him, the young boy then cautiously decided to say though still nervously, "Uh? Hi sir... I was playing with that train you're holding?"
As this single noun was said to him, the man repeated almost in a daze, "Tra...in?"
Seeing he'd registered that, Kagi still felt horribly uncomfortable and answered him, "That's right um? Could I get it back from you?"
The man said nothing to this request, instead he only continued to stare on at Kagi with lifeless drained eyes. Making the young boy uncertain if this man was really functioning on the same level as a regular human being. However he couldn't just give up on that train, he'd worked so hard on it! So he decided to suggest something else, "Um? If you're lost I could help you get back to where you need to be or-?"
"Need...?" The man asked.
Kagi shivered and simply responded, "Um? Yes...?"
There was silence in the air, it was heavy and it felt really wrong there. Kagi almost felt like taking a step back, to run. To get out of there, but before he could move-!
"Hee...hee...ha...ha..."
A very unnerving chuckle began to leak out from the man's lips. Kagi froze in place, he didn't understand. What had he said that was so funny? What was-!
"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"
Suddenly the laughter turned horrible and manic! As it did, Kagi knew this was bad he had to get out! To-!
"Yeah that would be nice...I've so wanted to go home for so long!" With that the old man brought up the train and gazing at it's small shape. He recognised what this device symbolised and raising it high in his hand, he added, "But! This little thing won't help... cause after all."
Not understanding what he was getting at, Kagi didn't know what the old man was going to do with his train? What-!
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Horrifying Kagi in seconds, his train began to be covered in deep glowing red cuts! Immediately he cried out, "Wait what're you-!?"
CRACK!
Then suddenly the train seemed to collapse in upon itself under this awful glow before-!
SMASH!
It was entirely destroyed and exploded everywhere becoming nothing more then broken shards and small pieces of scrap that now pitifully littered onto the floor.
So shocked this had happened and so quickly, Kagi couldn't think of a thing to say or even tried to move.
But the man however, "Now how did you say you were going to help me?" With that he reached a hand forwards to try and touch Kagi.
In seconds though, the young boy knew somehow by instinct that he couldn't let that man touch him. No matter what! He to get away, so darting down and away from his touch he cried out, "No!" With that he ran back in the direction he had come from, he had to get help!
"Hang on!" The man called out with a sinister grin on his face, "Didn't you say you were going to help me if I wanted?" With that he followed after Kagi at a leisurely quick pace.
Kagi simply shook his head hurriedly. He didn't want to look back! He needed to find someone! Anyone who could help him! Even-!
"You won't get away!"
GRAB!
"Agh!"
Suddenly his right arm was grabbed, tightly! Cringing from the pressure that was around his small arm, he cried out trying the make the man release him, "That hurts! Please I-!"
"You know...?" The man asked tilting his head again, in that same creepily robotic way as he gazed at Kagi with now enraged manic eyes, "Bad little boys who don't fulfil their promises and run away from poor helpless people..."
Kagi didn't know what the man was going to do to him! But he didn't want to know! He struggled more and as he did, he noticed a red glow began to escape from the man's right hand that was holding onto him fast. As it did his eyes widened as he heard the man finally say-!
"Deserved to be punished!"
GLOW!
"AAAGGGHHH!"
Suddenly Kagi's right arm was inflicted and was beginning to be covered with small cuts! It was like he'd been cut by a dozen sharp edges of papers! They were subtle but horribly deep and the pain was-!
Seeing the young boy shake and flinch under his power, the man pulling him up and making him gasp from the pain again asked him, "Now? Are you ready to start listening to me?"
Kagi didn't know what to do or say! He didn't know what the right answer was to do then, but before he could form a thought-!
"You will release him from your custody immediately! Project 17!"
Shocked to hear that cool voice, Kagi turned and saw just some distance behind him it was none other... than Lachesis! Seeing her there down the corridor, staring down at them both Kagi couldn't believe she'd come for him then. After he'd been so mean to her? After he'd-!
Hearing and then seeing the young girl who had interrupted him, the man gazed at Lachesis. However, after a moment he realised, "Ha! Ha! Ah, so you've come little sword girl?"
Puzzled as heard this, Kagi repeated cringing, "Sword...girl?"
The man paid him no mind however and said, "...So? She's made no progress upon you still?" For as he gazed at her young being, he realised, "I can still see you have light in your eyes... she hasn't broken you at all has she?"
Lachesis said nothing to this, her eyes simply remained fixed on the man and Kagi who was still his captive. Seeing she wasn't responding to him, the man continued to say, "And you've taken none of my radiance into yourself have you... so that mean's you're a total failure!"
As he heard the man say these words and looking to Lachesis, he could swear he saw her flinch just a little. Her...flinch? The girl who was so robotic and empty? This man was-?
"But this boy?" With that suddenly Kagi flinched terribly in pain again. It was because this time the man had pulled him up by the arm again. Making him look up at is face, as he did so the man's horrible burning red eyes seemed to stare down into the core of his heart. As he did, he heard him say, "I can see a radiance too in this young one... that feels so different and yet, so similar to mine!" Then looking to Lachesis he asked, "So tell me the failed sword, Lachesis... does the boy have the power to bring me back to my home world?"
The girl though didn't answer him, instead she bent down and suddenly-!
GRAB!
"Agh!"
"Gh!"
Kagi was ripped from the man's hold! As he fell to the floor with his back now aching and his arm still in pain, he looked and saw that Lachesis had knocked into the man's feet sending him flying to the floor and was crouching before him in a protective stance. As she did this, he heard her say, "I told you to let go of him, 17!"
The man cringing her say this then moved to get up saying, "You little-!"
But Lachesis moved faster, making it to the man she moved her right arm and hand fast, which-!
BASH!
Forced the man to fall back down, unconscious. So studying him for a few moments to make sure he was truly incapacitated, she finally turned and asked, "Are you terribly injured, Kagi?"
Hearing her ask this question and showing proper concern for him for the first time... it was so unlike her. But at the same time, he didn't dislike it. So without uttering a word, he revealed to her his injured arm that was covered in the cuts. As he did this, Lachesis seeing the damage knew she had to act. With that she stood up and said, "Mother... Mother can you hear me?"
Hearing her communicate, Kagi didn't know at first what she was speaking into. But looking on, he finally noticed the red gemmed pendant that was on Lachesis's left wrist. As he saw it he then realised, "Wait?"
"...Yes that is correct, he escaped from the lab," nodding as she heard her mother's response, she then answered, "Very well, I will wait here for your assistance and that of the others." With that the call ended and Lachesis lowered her left wrist tapping the gem.
Seeing her do this action, Kagi remained quiet until Lachesis turned her eyes to look in his direction again. As she did so, he had to ask, "You...you've been in contact with your mother all this time?"
Hearing him ask this question, Lachesis then answered him simply, "I have been in communications with her when I needed to report changes or certain events."
"Certain events?" Kagi repeated. Then as he did so, looking down and imagining the shattered remains of his train. He asked her, "Does that mean... that she also knew about my train? Were you planning to take it away from me at some point if she told you to?"
As this was asked of her, Lachesis was quiet for a few moments as she looked down at Kagi. However as she made her considerations, she told him, "No, I did not."
Surprised to hear this, he asked, "You didn't tell her about it?" To which an answer came to him as a simple shake of her head. As he saw this though, he couldn't quite believe it as he continued on to ask, "But... wouldn't that be something that you would need to tell her, I mean you said you had to do anything to please her so-?"
"How would you constructing a toy displease her?" Lachesis asked him, not understanding his logic. Kagi remained silent as he heard this response, seeing him do this it was clear the girl didn't quite understand him either and continued on to say, "If you are so concerned of it's value you need not be, I never told her of its existence."
Kagi though couldn't accept this simple fact and so asked, "But...why?"
Looking at him silently asking this. It was then Lachesis told him the one thing perhaps he would understand, "...I simply did not wish for her to know." With that she then asked him, "Does that answer satisfy you now."
Quiet as she said this so dryly, Kagi didn't react for a moment. However in another second he couldn't help but giggle and doing so, he told her, "Yeah I guess!"
Seeing him react like this, Lachesis had never seen this expression on the boy's face other than when he was playing with the train. As she looked on at him, her eyes widened and she became more surprised when she heard him say, "You know what... I guess you're not that a total robot after all."
Perplexed, that was the one expression Kagi could tell the girl had now. For as she looked down at him, it seemed as though she'd seen something awe striking for the first time. It was so unlike her, but at the same time Kagi could feel his heart warming towards her and somehow in that moment... he couldn't help but think she looked cute as she darted her eyes away from him with uncertainty.
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"Aww how cute!" Saria cried out, for she couldn't believe the sight that she before her eyes.
However Ori beside her looked on irritated as he said with irritation, as he crossed his arms saying, "Tch! Gross!"
Everyone in the audience had one of the two reactions, but there was no denying the fact that everyone couldn't help but feel warmed inside watching this blossoming of sweet emotions between the two young ones.
Nozomi smiling too, couldn't believe the new faces she was seeing of her dreadful enemy. For in the beginning she seemed so cold and distant, but maybe... all this time. Had she ever tried to understand her? But with the battles they had in the past, there'd never been opportunity for her to discover a side of her like this... so she had to accept that what was in the past was the past. But maybe now-!
"YOU BRAT!"
Quickly these softening notions were ground to a total halt as suddenly the terrors of the past began to reveal themselves to the now shocked audience.
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Shocked Kagi turned to look in the direction where the shout had sounded, he saw somehow the horrible man had got up and-!
FLASH!
Suddenly something burning with bright red light was sent hurtling their way! Seeing it, Kagi didn't think to move but-!
"Kagi!?"
SHOVE!
"AAAGGGHHH!"
Horrified, Kagi saw that Lachesis was struck by the terrible red light and he was sent flying out of his path! Seeing this in panic, he cried out in panic, "Lachesis!?"
The man though who sent the horrible attack flying at them, didn't care for the pain he was causing. Instead he was only more determined to cause more suffering. Walking over to where Lachesis was cringing and shivering from the horrible attack he'd inflicted on her, he gazed down at her with empty eyes and reached his red glowing right hand down towards her.
Seeing him do this, he was scared for her. Kagi quickly went to get up to stop him but-!
"Tch!"
Tensing up in seconds, Hari was dragged up by a pull of her long hair! As she was, she then heard the man known as Project 17 tell her, "It's all because of you and Rosso that I've been made to suffer like this!"
Kagi didn't know what to do, for if he made the wrong move than this man would-!
GLOW!
Suddenly he began to glow with his terrible power again and as he did, Lachesis winced as the power began to flow and spread. Covering the entirety of her body in viscous red lightning, as this occurred the man seemed to be caught in the thralls of his rage as he repeated over and over again, "It's all your fault! It's all your fault! It's all your fault!"
Seeing him do this, Kagi couldn't hesitate any longer and cried out loudly, "No stop it!" With that he began to run towards them both!
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
GLOW!
"AAAGGGHHH!"
Immediately the electricity intensified! As it did, Lachesis was screaming and Kagi panicked screamed loudly, "LEAVE HER ALONE! STOP IT!" With that he grabbed Lachesis and tried to pull her out of the man's grasp. But-!
"AAAGGGHHH!"
Instead he was caused in the terrible throws of that power too! It ensnared him and the burning was horrible as deeper more terrible gashes began to spread over his body, including Lachesis who was suffering the worst of the damage!
Seeing this happen to these two young children, the man clearly didn't care. It seemed he even enjoyed the torture he was subjecting them to. For they deserved it, any pawn of Rosso's no matter how old they were deserved punishment! For why should he show mercy, when that woman had destroyed his-!
"How truly pitiful..."
Turning as he heard this familiar cruel and cool feminine tone, he began to utter, "Wha-?"
BLAST!
"RRRRRAAAGGGHHH!"
Suddenly the man's body was struck with a terrible blast of light himself, however unlike the burning he had put the two children through. This one disintegrated his body moments, turning it into nothing but charred particles! Letting the children fall to the floor helplessly.
Seeing her former project now become nothing but a lifeless statue like grey husk, Rosso who had fired the shot from a cruel white gun. She continued on to say as her cohorts began to surround her, "I had been so looking forward to run some more interesting experiments upon you my dear..."
As those words flowed from her red lips, his still form began to drift away into the air as ashes but before it fully vanished away-!
FLASH!
Immediately something red and glowing was snatched away from the disintegrating husk. The men holding the device that now contained the glittering light then informed their terrifying leader, "The Fragment is now secured professor!"
Pleased at hearing this Rosso then responded, "Marvellous!" Then as she looked from them, she looked down to the two now barely conscious children at her feet.
As she saw them, she was quiet... however in the distance-!
GLOW!
The red fragment contained within the machine that housed it, seemed to grow brightly with warm radiance. As she noticed this and her cohorts, suddenly-!
"Urgh!"
GLOW!
Suddenly from Kagi's body, a green glow began to emanate from his body. As it did so and Rosso saw the Fragment's reaction. She looked down over to the subject that was her child... as she did so, she smiled and said, "This could serve to further my research... and my wish."
Kagi in his last moments of consciousness didn't know what Rosso meant by that. But there was no time for him to think. For quickly and quietly, his consciousness dimmed and he was swallowed into darkness and the one thing that remained in his mind's eye... was the pained expression on Lachesis's face.
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Everyone looking on at the memory were all horrified. None of them could believe the brutal attack they had just witnessed happening to the young Kagi and Hari. They were all so shaken none of them could say anything.
But one who was entirely silent and hidden amongst them, did his best to not voice himself at all. Holding his mouth firmly closed with his enormous gloved hands, he was shaking awfully. He couldn't stand seeing what had happened to his accomplice so long ago... for looking at the image that held Hari's pained face. The pain and suffering she had been through seemed to be worse than anything he could imagine.
But Kagi looking on up at the image sadly, knew that these memories were the only the beginning of a greater tragedy and it would all start when his younger self would next open his eyes...
