Entry 11
Believe In Myself
''I've gotta keep going! Everything is a brand new challenge for me! And I will believe, believe in myself! This is the only way for me!''
– Believe In Myself by Sonic Adventure 2 (Theme of Tails)
xXxXxXx
-The Memories of The Past: Tails & Warren-
The little amber-furred fox was standing on top of an old box, his twin tails flicking as he stared through the window, observing the teenager inside the workshop as he worked on some kind of device. He was curious about what the teenager was trying to create, but he never had the courage to just go inside and ask him; despite the fact that he had spent days hanging around this place. He had feared the teenager's reaction to his appearance, especially after the treatment he had to endure around those he grew up with.
Miles Prower, nicknamed Tails, sighed and jumped off the box, slowly walking away. Just like the teenager he observed, he too was an inventor at heart, but he couldn't even think of showing off his own inventions to the former. He was afraid that he would be laughed at as usual. He shuddered as a particularly uncomfortable memory resurfaced. He had been surrounded by kitsune ARNavs, all of them sneering at him.
''What is this even supposed to be?'' a blue-furred kitsune had grabbed Tails' newest invention, a remote-like device.
''It's an holo-projector. Since you guys can create illusions, I had tried to find a way to make my own. Great, isn't it?'' Tails replied, hopeful that the kitsune ARNavs would finally accept him. He had been living for them since he was created, but was always mocked for his two tails, in comparison to the kitsune's nine tails, and lack of illusion powers. He had hoped that this would finally turn their opinion of him around.
''Oh, really?'' Tails watched in horror as the kitsune gave him a mocking smile, then threw it on the ground and stepped on it, smashing the device into tiny pieces.
''No! Why did you do that?!'' Desperate, Tails fell on his knees and tried to salvage the scraps, only for the kitsune to step on his hand, causing him to cry in pain.
''I did it because your device is trash. You don't belong here, you freak!'' the kitsune replied, laughing at Tails. Tails felt the corners of his eyes watering as he felt like someone had punched him the gut. He got up, staring at the kitsune group in despair.
''B-But, you said…''
''…that we would accept you if you showed us that you were a true kitsune? Yeah, we were lying, kiddo,'' a red-furred kitsune replied.
''The only reason we kept you around was because we knew we could order you to do anything we wanted, and you'd do it,'' a light pink-furred kitsune added, letting out a high-pitched giggle that sounded more like a screech, hurting Tails' ears.
''You were too trusting,'' a dark-furred kitsune added, scoffing at Tails. At this point, Tails was barely holding back his tears.
''You guys are just big, mean bullies!'' Tails yelled, his voice trembling as tears streamed down his cheeks, damping his amber fur.
''So, what? We don't want to have a two-tailed freak around. No one wants you!'' a grey-furred kitsune told him, taking a step towards Tails, his nine tails flicking. ''You should better leave, or else we will make you leave.''
Tails just took several steps back, grabbing his orange backpack, and ran away. He felt like a complete fool for believing that these ARNavs would be his friends.
Afterwards, I couldn't even gather the courage to approach anyone. Tails shook his head, his ears twitching as he heard the workshop's door open and quickly hid behind the workshop. The inventor teenager, whose name Tails knew was Warren Taylor, exited the workshop, only to sit down in front of it, his head lowered, looking quite dejected.
''Why bother?'' he grumbled, feeling exhausted. ''I should just quit.''
Tails observed Warren, feeling sorry for the latter. He knew that Warren had trouble with his own inventions and he wanted to help him, but his own lack of confidence prevented him from just doing that. Warren eventually got up and walked back into the house, with Tails walking out from his hiding spot. He glanced at the workshop, then back at Warren's house, his eyes narrowing as he made a snap decision.
Sure, maybe he didn't have the courage to talk to Warren directly, but he would still help him in his own way. Determined, he ran into the workshop, grabbing Warren's latest invention and starting to work on it.
xXx
Warren rubbed his temple, wondering what he was supposed to do with his newest invention. It was a device that was supposed to cause hoverboards to accelerate faster, but no matter what he did, nothing worked. He felt like a complete failure, unable to live up to the standards as Max Taylor's grandson. His deceased grandfather had been a renown inventor, and Warren loved spending time with him as he worked on his newest gadgets, even inheriting the workshop. However, at this point, he lost all of his faith in his own skills since he couldn't make anything worth of use.
''What should I do?'' Warren muttered as he opened the door to the workshop, only to be startled to see a two-tailed amber fox holding the hoverboard accelerator in one hand and a screwdriver in the other. The fox was just as startled to see Warren as the teenager was. ''Uh, hello?''
''I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to break in!'' The fox turned to Warren, apologizing profusely, looking quite embarrassed. He quickly ran up to Warren, giving him the hoverboard accelerator. ''Please, don't get mad at me!''
''Why are you in my workshop?'' Warren asked, needing a moment to comprehend that this fox wasn't just an ARNav, but an ARNav based on a video game character he was familiar with. Tails' twin-tails flicked as he gave Warren an anxious look.
''I had been watching you work on this device for a while, and I wanted to help you, but I was too afraid to ask you,'' he admitted. Warren scratched his head in confusion.
''Why would you be so afraid of me?'' he asked.
''I thought…'' Tails' voice was barely louder than a whisper as he remembered all the horrible stuff the other kitsune ARNavs had told him. ''I thought that you'd think of me as a freak.''
''Why would I think that?'' Warren was genuinely confused. Tails had his arms behind his back, his tails flicking as he scraped the floor with his shoe, staring at the ground.
''Because, that's what everyone had called me – a freak,'' he admitted, his eyes watering. He was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up when he realized that Warren had crouched down to be at his eye-level, giving him a sympathetic look.
''Do you want to talk about it?'' he asked. Tails was hesitant for a moment, but he couldn't keep his emotions and thoughts bottled up anymore.
''I-I used to tag alongside a group of kitsune ARNavs, who would t-tease me for only having two tails instead of n-nine, as well as my lack of ability to create any illusions,'' Tails said, letting the tears flow. Little by little, the weight tied around his neck came loose. He then pointed at his orange backpack. ''I tried to fit in by making gadgets that could help me become just like them, but they would destroy them and continue to tease me.'' He turned back to Warren. ''S-So, I left. I wanted to find someone who wouldn't be so mean to me, but whenever I tried to approach people, I got really anxious and I was afraid they would be treating me just like the other kitsune.''
Warren stared at the little fox, his heart breaking for Tails. He too had experiencing bullying, so he understood how the fox felt, but unlike Tails, he had learned to tune out the teasing and had support in the form of Lucas. However, Tails had no one.
''Well, I don't think that you are a freak. As a matter of fact, I'm really glad that you had helped me fix that device,'' Warren said.
''Really?'' Tails looked up at him, wiping his tears away. He was startled when Warren placed a hand on his head, only to realize that he was just petting him.
''Yeah, and if you want, you can stay here and use the workshop whenever you want, buddy.''
Tails' eyes grew wide and he smiled, nodding in agreement. ''Thank you so much! I promise I will keep the workshop functional and in good condition. I know this place means a lot to you.''
''Really?'' Warren rose an eyebrow. Tails gave him a sheepish smile.
''I overheard you and your parents talking about your grandfather,'' he admitted. Warren had to wonder just how long Tails had been around his place, but he just shrugged it off.
''I see,'' he muttered, offering Tails his hand. ''It's okay, though. I'm Warren Taylor, by the way.''
''Miles Prower, but call me Tails,'' Tails said, shaking Warren's hand. ''Nice to meet you, Warren, and thank you again.''
''Likewise,'' Warren replied, getting up and holding the accelerator. ''So, how about helping me with this? I was close to quitting, but I think I just need a second opinion on how to fix it.''
''Of course!'' Tails nodded excitedly, joining Warren.
xXx
''So, what do you think your friend's reaction to me is going to be?'' Sonic asked, running beside Lucas, who was on his hoverboard, both heading towards the Taylor workshop. Lucas had told Sonic about his childhood friend, Warren Taylor, and how he was something of an inventor, following in his grandfather's footsteps.
''I think that he might be a bit freaked out, but once we explain everything to him, things should be okay,'' Lucas replied.
''Cool! Now, are we there yet?'' Sonic asked, giving Lucas a mischievous grin. The teenager figured that the hedgehog was itching to ask this question.
''We'll be there in about… now,'' Lucas said, pointing at a house with a workshop next to it. He got off his hoverboard, walking up to the workshop and knocking on the door. Both Lucas and Sonic were surprised when they heard someone from the inside crying out in surprise and something falling on the floor. ''Uh, Warren? Are you okay?''
''Yeah, yeah!'' Warren called out from the inside and opened the door. ''I didn't expect you to come over Lu-'' Warren cut himself off, stunned to see a blue hedgehog standing next to Lucas. ''Uhhh, Lucas?''
''Hi, there! You must be Warren Taylor, right? Lucas told me everything about you. I'm Sonic the Hegdehog, Lucas' partner. Nice to meet ya!'' Sonic quickly introduced himself, extending his hand, with Warren shaking it.
''Uh, right, nice to meet you too, Sonic,'' he said, still a little confused. He gave Lucas a questioning look, who just shrugged.
''I promise that I'll explain everything,'' Lucas told his friend. ''Could we come in?''
''Sure,'' Warren said, turning his head back to the inside of the workshop. Sonic and Lucas peered inside, both surprised he to see a small two-tailed fox giving them an anxious look, waving at them. ''Oh, I guess I should introduce you…''
Before Warren could even complete his sentence, he and Lucas were startled by Sonic, who ran straight past them and stopped in front of the fox, looking quite excited.
''Hi, name's Sonic! Who are you?'' Sonic asked the two-tailed fox. The fox appeared to be a little stunned by Sonic's eagerness, but just rolled with it.
''My name is Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails,'' Tails introduced himself.
''I guess it is because of the tails,'' Sonic said, pointing at Tails' twin-tails, with the fox nodding.
''Nice observation.'' Tails was glad that Sonic was genuinely happy to meet him. ''I can even use them to fly.''
''Really? That's so cool! Could you show me?'' Sonic asked, with Tails nodding and the two running outside where there was more space. Warren and Lucas observed the two ARNavs, with Warren then turning to his friend.
''I believe that there is something you need to tell me,'' he said.
''I'm not the only one who has to explain stuff, but I'll start,'' Lucas replied, his arms folded across his chest. ''I met Sonic yesterday. Turns out, he had been chased by Irregular Hunters.''
''W-Wait a sec, Irregular Hunters?'' Warren was stunned, looking at Sonic at Tails, where Sonic had managed to convince Tails to give him a lift and they were currently flying around the yard, enjoying themselves.
''Yeah, it turns out that Sonic is an Irregular, but surprisingly, he isn't as aggressive as the ones we saw or heard about,'' Lucas added. ''I had told him that he could stay with me, and I had figured that I should ask you whether you can help us to find a way to make sure he won't be targeted by Irregular Hunters.''
''Honestly, I don't know whether I can help…'' Warren muttered, giving Lucas a troubled look. ''I mean, I would like to help you, but I'm not completely sure how to help you with that.''
Lucas just nodded in acknowledgement, then tilted his head. ''Okay. So, what about Tails?''
''I met him yesterday too. He didn't really have anywhere to go and he was treated awfully by those he knew, so I agreed to let him stay,'' Warren explained.
''I see,'' Lucas replied, the two turning their heads towards Tails and Sonic as they landed in front of them.
''Sonic has told me about why you're here and about him being an Irregular,'' Tails said, his twin-tails flicking as he looked at Warren. ''I should've told you this earlier, but I'm also an Irregular. I just had escaped several Hunters a day before I came across your place.''
Warren was stunned, but then lightly shook his head, adding in an assuring tone, ''Don't worry, that doesn't change anything.''
''Maybe, but that doesn't mean that the two still aren't in any danger in case they encounter an Irregular Hunter.''
Warren, Tails, Lucas and Sonic suddenly turned around, seeing a teenage girl leaned against a nearby tree, arms folded across her chest, and hoverboard lying next to her. Unlike Warren and Tails, Lucas and Sonic recognized her.
''You again!'' Lucas exclaimed in surprise. ''Why are you stalking us?''
''I'm not stalking you,'' Touka responded in a cold tone, looking offended. ''I had just figured I should keep an eye on you.''
''Lucas, who's that?'' Warren asked.
''Her name is Touka Kageura. Sonic and I met her the previous day and it looks like she's following us around,'' Lucas explained. ''She also somehow knew about Sonic being an Irregular.''
''That was just a conclusion I came to after observing you,'' Touka replied, lifting her hoverboard. ''Frankly, I wouldn't want either Sonic nor Tails to be annihilated by the Hunters.''
''Why? Why do you care so much?'' Lucas asked. Touka fell silent, averting her gaze and then left on the hoverboard.
''She's a little weird,'' Tails commented. Sonic grinned, placing his hands on his hips, then playfully elbowing Tails.
''I wonder if she intentionally decided to wait to reveal her presence as she first needed to figure out a good pose,'' he said, causing Tails to chuckle.
''Admittedly, Touka is right,'' Lucas said, turning to Sonic and Tails. ''I think that it would be great if you two could stay without having to worry about Irregular Hunters. However, as long as they have those scanners, they will eventually figure out that you're both Irregulars and go after you.''
''Maybe there is a way…'' Tails muttered, drawing everyone's attention. ''I could create a program that would hide our identities as Irregulars. However, I would also need a device where I can install that program and we would have to keep it on our person.''
''If you can do that, then maybe you could use this.'' Warren tapped the AR Visor hanging around his neck. ''You are ARNavs, so you wouldn't need an AR Visor, but still, we could just say that it is an accessory.''
''That sounds like a good idea. Now, all we need is to get a pair of AR Visors and I can start work on the program,'' Tails said.
''Leave getting the AR Visors to us,'' Lucas said, with Warren nodding.
xXx
Lucas and Warren went to a store where the AR Visors were sold, buying one for Sonic and Tails, and then returned back to the workshop, where Sonic was watching Tails working on the program, bouncing on the balls of his feet and very interested in his new friend's work.
''We're back!'' Warren announced as he and Lucas entered the workshop, both carrying a small box with the AR Visor inside them.
''Great! I will be done soon with the program,'' Tails said, reaching for an orange device in his backpack and connecting it to the computer.
''What is that?'' Sonic asked Tails, pointing at the device.
''Oh, it's something I call the Miles Electric. I built it from scrapped devices people had just tossed into the trash,'' Tails explained, giving Sonic a look of disbelief. ''Can you believe it? That stuff was perfectly functional. All it needed is to be repaired.''
Sonic just leaned with his elbow against the swivel chair, crossing his legs and leaning on one foot. ''I guess some people just couldn't be bothered to repair them if they can just buy new stuff.''
''Right,'' Tails nodded, looking down at the Miles Electric and observing the coding. ''I think that this should be it. All I need is to install the program in the AR Visor.''
''Here you go,'' Warren said, pulling out a pair of grey goggles. Tails put them on the top of his head, opening a holographic screen and transferring the data from the Miles Electric into the AR Visor. It took a few moments to be installed, with Tails then turning towards Sonic.
''Now, it's your turn,'' he said, with Sonic nodding and placing the green sunglasses Lucas gave him on the top of his head and opening a screen. It took a few moments for the data to transfer, with Tails then switching the Miles Electric to the scanner function he had added after his encounter with the Irregular Hunters. He gave it to Warren. ''Just press the button here and it should work similarly to the scanners the Irregular Hunters use.''
''Okay,'' Warren nodded, using the scanner on the two Irregulars. A few seconds later, a message popped up. ''It says 'Negative'. Your program works, Tails!''
''Alright!'' Sonic and Tails high-fived. Lucas sighed in relief.
''I guess this is one less thing to worry about,'' he said.
xXx
-Present Day-
''Finally, I got it to work again,'' Tails said, holding his Miles Electric device up triumphantly.
Even though it was late in the evening, he and Warren were still at the workshop, making sure nothing had been affected by the explosion back at Codex. They both had heard from the news broadcast about what had happened in Neos City and wanted to make sure everything in their workshop was still working. The AR Visor fortunately returned to normal on its own after they turned it on and off a few times.
''Man, what a day…'' Warren sighed as he sat back in the swivel chair, stretching his arms. ''I guess nothing makes you tired like escaping near death.''
''I think we got really lucky,'' Tails noted, taking his gadgets out of the backpack and checking on them. ''If it hadn't been for Touka and Shadow, who knows what would've happened. Even if Shadow was the one who caused all of this trouble in the first place.'' He then hummed as he inspected the boomerang. ''I wish we could've stayed at Codex a little longer. I'm sure there is a lot of fascinating tech there.''
''We could go there tomorrow,'' Warren suggested. Tails' ears perked up and his tails flicked in excitement.
''Really?'' he asked, looking at Warren. The teenager nodded, only for a frown to appear on his expression.
''Although, I'm not sure whether Touka and Shadow will be happy if we start snooping around,'' he added. Tails' smile faded as a troubled expression replaced it.
''Maybe we could ask them for permission? I mean, not only is the place abandoned, but it is also government property, but if they don't like the idea of bringing up their past…'' Tails mused, while Warren shrugged.
''Rig- huh?'' Warren was surprised when he got a call on his AR Visor. Tails stepped next to him, looking curious when Warren opened the holographic screen, with Lucas and Sonic appearing on it. ''Hi!''
''Hey, guys!'' Lucas greeted the two, giving them a sheepish look. ''We're sorry for calling so late, but we have a question for you two.''
''It's no problem,'' Warren replied.
''What do you want to ask us?'' Tails added.
''Lucas suggested that we should have a meeting tomorrow regarding what happened at the Codex Research Facility,'' Sonic explained. ''We wanted to know whether it would want to attend it and whether you'd be okay with the meeting being held at your workshop.''
Warren and Tails were a bit surprised by the questions, exchanging brief glances with each other and then nodded. Warren then added, ''Sure, why not? Tails and I had been talking about Codex anyways.''
''Great! So, can we also invite everyone else who was at Codex?'' Sonic quickly asked. ''We wanted to involve everyone in this meeting.''
''Even Shadow, Touka, Metal Sonic and Ferra?'' Tails asked.
''I'm not sure about Ferra and Metal Sonic, but we had figured that we should call Touka and Shadow,'' Lucas explained. ''After all, these two know more about that place than any of us. However, the only issue is that we don't know how to contact them.''
''Weeeeell…'' Tails trailed off, his tails flicking anxiously as he saw Sonic, Warren and Lucas giving him a questioning look. ''When I checked my AR Visor to make sure it worked, I realized that I forgot to turn off the tracking app in Shadow's AR Visor. I usually keep it on in case I lose the AR Visor.''
''Cool! Could you connect us to the tracking app?'' Sonic asked.
''Sure!'' Tails nodded, grinning.
''I don't think Touka and Shadow will be happy when they learn about this,'' Warren noted.
''Leave these two to us,'' Lucas replied.
''Yeah, we can handle them,'' Sonic added confidently.
xXx
''Shadow?!''
Kisaki Kageura stared in pure shock at Touka and Shadow, trying to process the latter's sudden appearance. She knew that she could've acted as if she had no idea who the dark hedgehog was, but it was clear from Touka's expression that she wouldn't have believed Kisaki regardless of what she said or how convincing she had sounded. Leaving the dinner on the kitchen table, she just walked over into the living room and sat down on the couch, with Touka and Shadow stepping in front of her, arms folded across their chests, still silent as they waited for her response.
''I… I really don't know what to say…'' Kisaki muttered, her gaze directed mostly towards Shadow. ''I was told you had been contained and sealed away.''
''They obviously did a poor job,'' Shadow responded, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Kisaki. While he and Kisaki had been on friendly terms when they were still at the Codex Research Facility, he was now cautious of her, especially since she never bothered to tell anything to Touka, let alone remind her of his existence. Touka, on the other hand, was furious.
''Why haven't you told me anything?! About Shadow?! About the Codex Research Facility?!'' Touka confronted her. ''I had told you several times that I had memories about that place, but you told me that I shouldn't bother thinking too much about them!''
Kisaki stared at her with a look of regret, lowering her head, her tone mournful, ''I'm so, so sorry for not telling you anything, Touka.'' She looked up, the corners of her eyes watering. ''I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't.''
''Why?!'' Touka demanded an answer, fuming. Shadow glanced briefly at Touka, noting just how upset she was. While he too had questions for Kisaki, he decided to remain silent, not interfering until Touka managed to process her thoughts on the matter.
Kisaki opened her mouth slightly, looking at Touka, then averted her gaze, contemplating how to explain the situation. She bit her lip, finally asking, ''How much do you remember?''
''Almost everything,'' Touka responded sharply.
Kisaki just nodded along, adding, ''What exactly do you want me to explain?''
''I want you to tell us both what happened in the time after Shadow and I had been attacked by the Irregular up until when I woke up six months ago. You had been there, haven't you?'' Touka said. Kisaki sighed, leaning back against the couch as she looked at the two.
''I will tell you what I know, but I don't believe either of you are going to be satisfied with my answer,'' she said.
''This is just the start,'' Shadow told her glumly. Kisaki just nodded.
''From what I remember, I was in my office when the Irregular escaped its containment, only to be called by Prof. Sakamoto later on to go to the medbay and take care of you. I was told that your BioEnergy had been affected severely, but that was that. My priority was to keep you stable, so if you want to know about whatever happened outside the medbay, I couldn't tell you because I have no idea. I just assumed that you had an encounter with the Irregular and that it was responsible for what happened to you,'' Kisaki explained. She tilted her head slightly in confusion when she saw Touka and Shadow exchanging glances, and Shadow looking away guiltily. ''D-Do you know…?''
''I was the one who did that to her,'' Shadow admitted. Kisaki was stunned, her gaze shifting towards Touka, who shook her head.
''We talked about it and, rest assured, we found a way to prevent this from happening again,'' she said, smiling at Shadow. The latter, while still looking troubled, nodded back in response.
''I see,'' Kisaki muttered, continuing. ''All I can say is that you remained unconscious for the reminder of your time at the facility. I had actually told Prof. Sakamoto to get you out of that place and bring you to a hospital, but he refused.''
''I'm not surprised,'' Shadow said grimly. Kisaki stared at him, with Shadow realizing that there was a faint gleam of fear in her eyes.
She then took a deep breath, continuing in a steady tone, ''As for what happened next… I don't know the details, but what I do know was that there was a stream of personnel, mostly researchers and security, being brought into the medbay. They all had horrible injuries, ranging from scorch marks to open wounds to internal bleeding.'' Kisaki then gazed at Shadow, keeping her voice from trembling. ''I was told that you were the one responsible for this.''
''I was…'' Shadow said, his voice barely louder than a whisper. He clenched his fist. ''I know what I had done was wrong, but after what the Professor had told me, I was blinded by pure rage.''
''What were you told?'' Kisaki asked carefully, not wanting to enrage Shadow. She understood that this was a sore topic for him to talk about. Shadow, on the other hand, looked like he didn't want to reveal anything, opting to just observe Kisaki; who realized a moment later that the dark hedgehog was trying to figure out whether her question was genuine.
''The Professor lied to me. He told me that Touka was dead and that I was responsible for her death,'' Shadow responded, feeling the familiar sense of rage building up inside him once again. He observed the look of pure shock on Kisaki's expression. Apparently, she hadn't been told the whole truth.
''I… I had no idea,'' Kisaki stuttered. ''I-I'm so sorry…''
''It doesn't matter anymore,'' Shadow replied coldly. ''What happened after my containment?''
''From what I remember, about a day or two later, several government officials came in, combing through the entire facility and telling us that all projects would be shut down and that we were supposed to leave the place immediately,'' Kisaki said. ''We were all interviewed before that and told to never tell a living soul about what happened there or that we would be arrested for leaking confidential information and put into prison.'' She looked at Touka. ''That was the last time I saw you until about six months ago. You were just taken away by an official.''
''So, that's why you never told me anything. You were afraid that the government would be after you, right?'' Touka asked. Kisaki nodded.
''In hindsight, it sounds really stupid,'' she responded.
''What happened afterwards?'' Shadow asked, now quite curious. Kisaki looked at the two, now surprisingly serious.
''Before I continue, I need to make it clear that after the Codex Research Facility had been closed down, a long time has passed,'' Kisaki said, with Touka and Shadow giving her a curious look. ''You two have been gone for 10 years.''
''What?!'' Touka's jaw dropped. Shadow was also stunned, but his reaction was more subdued. He did notice that Kisaki was much older than she had been when they met last time. ''But… how? I mean, look at me, I'm still a teenager, not an adult.''
''From what I was told, you were put in a stasis pod, which kept you from aging naturally,'' Kisaki explained. ''Six months ago, all of the former employees had been once again brought in for questioning about Professor Sakamoto's whereabouts. After the questioning, I decided to ask where you were, and one of the officials working there told me that they had awakened you as well, and since I took care of you, as your doctor, they agreed to let me see you and maybe help them. I remember that you were still in a daze, clearly not remembering anything that happened.'' Kisaki bit her lip anxiously. ''They… They had no clue what to do with you anymore, so I asked them whether it would be okay if you stayed with me.'' She shook her head, shivering. ''I couldn't bear seeing you in that state, and I felt that, if you had lost your memories, there was no reason for them to keep you there any longer. So, they agreed. It was still a struggle to convince them, but they eventually gave me the go ahead to adopt you and never speak again of what happened.''
''I see…'' Touka muttered, her gaze lowering. There was something else that was eating her inside out. ''D-Do you know anything about whether I had a family before Codex? I mean, I was told that my parents died in a freak incident by Professor Sakamoto and that he was my guardian, and I was told the same when you adopted me… But, now I want to know if that was also a lie.''
''I'm so sorry, but I have no idea,'' Kisaki replied, shaking her head. ''You were living at the Codex Research Facility before I had been hired, before Shadow was created.'' She briefly glanced at Shadow, who just nodded in response. ''I was given your medical history, but when I asked Prof. Sakamoto about any relatives in case of any possible genetic diseases, he told me not to research your past and that he would cover it. He had been the lead geneticist at the facility, so I trusted him.'' She clasped her hands. ''At that point, all I wanted was to give you a better life. You would always tell me how much you wanted to go outside the facility, to have a normal life, and I had hoped that you'd be happy with this new start.'' She closed her eyes, lowering her head. ''But, when I brought you home, you were so withdrawn, full with questions about why you lost your memories. You barely spoke with me in the first few days, and even weeks later, it took you a while to get used to your new life.''
''I just wanted to know who I was,'' Touka replied, her tone sharper than she intended it to be. She went quiet for a moment. ''Still, thank you for finally telling me everything.''
''What about the Professor?'' Shadow asked, drawing their attention. ''Why were you questioned about his whereabouts?''
''I'm not completely sure, but from what I gathered, it appears that Prof. Sakamoto had been monitored by the government, only to completely disappear over a year ago. After all, he was the head of the Codex Research Facility,'' Kisaki explained. ''I believe that he is the only person who can answer your questions about your past.''
''That doesn't help us much,'' Shadow grumbled, glancing at Touka, who shook her head.
''I'm not hungry, I'm tired, I'm going to sleep,'' Touka muttered, walking out of the living room and going upstairs. Kisaki looked at her as she left, then gazed at Shadow, who just gave her a silent glare before following Touka. Kisaki just sighed, feeling emotionally drained.
Shadow, meanwhile, caught up with Touka just as she had pulled down the ladders upstairs and climbed up, opening the hatch. Admittedly, he was a caught off guard a little by the fact that she was sleeping in the attic. He climbed inside, lowering the hatch and looking around the room before sitting next to Touka on the bed.
''What do you plan to do now?'' he asked.
''Honestly, I don't know,'' Touka admitted, hugging her legs and placing her chin on her knees, then looked up at Shadow. ''What about you? What do you want to do?''
''I don't know either,'' Shadow admitted, giving her a slight smirk. ''I believed that you were gone and I didn't care about what my future would be. I only wanted revenge.''
''You know, I am just glad that we're together, and that we are not stuck at Codex anymore,'' Touka told, smiling. Her smile then faded as she contemplated the situation. ''Although, that doesn't mean that I still have questions.''
''If you want to know more, the Codex Research Facility is abandoned, meaning that we can just go inside and comb through any remaining data without any interruption,'' Shadow suggested. Touka paused for a moment, thinking about his suggestion, then nodded.
''Okay. We'll do that.''