cbman’s Note: Sorry about the long wait, but there’s been a lot of junk that’s been happening in my personal life these past few months, namely school, work, and the fact that my computer’s a piece of junk. In any case, let me remind you that things would will be different from the original episode 2, and this chapter is no exception either. Another character enters the scene in this chapter, Xenogears fans will immediately recognize her when her name is mentioned. Well enough with the small talk, let’s get to the story. Shi's Note: Well, I guess I should put in my two cents worth of talking, eh? I've been around this place for a while, for those of you who actually remember me as LadyShinigami, StormGuardian, or whatever else name I came up with. I've been hanging around this XenoMark/cbman for a while and I gotta admit, he's awesome. Anyways, as I've got nothing more to say here really, lets drop to the story. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (Shion’s POV) Vector’s Second R & D Division, after staying home for three days, Elly, Allen, and I have finally decided to come here. The last time I was here was two years ago I believe; it was to oversee the production of Miang’s, the Archetype KOS-MOS, second armament. At the time, Miang was in the final phase of being completed, a month before she was activated and went berserk. To be honest I never did like going here, to the Second Division, maybe it was because of all the weapons that were built here; the division seemed a lot more like a weapons facility or military base than a laboratory. Today however, I do not feel uneasy because of that fact, I feel uneasy because of what may have happened to the Director, but not only that, I may also have to turn Elly in for her secondary equipment. I turn to the seat beside me and find the blue-haired angel staring out the window, her face wearing an expression of sorrow. It amazes me when I think back at how fast my little girl grew up in the last month, from a monotone and emotionless android to a emotional woman full of life. In the last week alone she’s shown me more expressions than when she ever did when she was first activated; sadness, loneliness, concern, happiness, love, she never was able to comprehend what these things were until recently. The taxi cab comes to a stop now, stopping before twin structures with a large open area between. It is impossible to see the top of the structures, I feel as if I’d fall down attempting to. We all make our way out of the car now, Jin paying the driver’s fee before shortly joining us at the entrance. The way things look on the outside, it looks as if nothing happened. The images I saw during my conversation with the Director, did they only pertain to his office? I have to see for myself now. “What’s your business here?” the security guard stops us at the front gate. “My name is Shion Uzuki, I’m the Chief Engineer of the KOS-MOS Project by Vector’s First R & D Division,” I show him my job ID, “I’m here to give a report to the Director.” “Go on through,” the guard opens the gate for us. Without wasting another second, I take everyone to the east tower where the Director’s Office is located. Luckily there is an elevator waiting for us the moment we enter the first hall, allowing us to get to his office more quickly. Silence is the only thing I hear as we go up the floors, that is, until my idiot brother decides to break it. “Is my sister always like this?” I overhear Jin whisper to Allen. “Yeah, whenever she has to go in to meet the director, she always gets so tense that...” “I can hear you!” I fume. “I see your point,” Jin tells Allen. “What’s that supposed to mean, Jin?!” I yell at my brother. “Allen, what do you mean I get so tense whenever I have to go in to meet the director?” I turn my attention to him after. “If you have something to say about me, then say it now!” “Chief, it’s not like I mean to disrespect you or anything,” my co-worker says nervously, “it’s just that well...” “Well what?!” “Shion, please calm down,” I suddenly find my hand wrapped around another. “I know you’re upset about what you saw over the phone, but please, don’t take your frustration out on Jin and Allen.” “You’re right,” I find myself beginning to calm down, “I’m sorry.” “No, it’s okay, Chief, you must have a lot to worry about, not just the Director, but having to turn KOS-MOS in to the Second Division, it must be hard having to...” “Of course it’s hard!” I find myself raising my voice once more. “I mean,” I try to calm myself down once more, “I don’t want to turn Elly in to the Second Division after all that’s happened to her recently.” “Is that the only reason?” Jin asks as he folds his arms to his chest. “No, it isn’t,” I shake my head, “if I had it my way, I would never turn Elly in to them.” “Don’t worry so much, Shion,” Elly tries to assure me, “do you think they would even still want me now that I’m no longer an android. I’m just an ordinary woman now, what could they possibly want with me?” “I suppose you’re right, Elly,” I lie. I know things aren’t going to be that easy. Even if what I saw happen to the Director wasn’t true and is still okay, he would still order me to turn Elly in to the Second Division. The Director may be a patient man, but even if I were to explain the events that happened in the past few days, I doubt he would even believe me. The story about Elly’s dormant sister, Miang, resurfacing after all these years and trying to take over her body would sound ridiculous to most people, even more so when I tell him that it was her violent actions that turned Elly into a human being. Still, I should try to convince him.. “You’re late, Ms. Uzuki,” a voice greets us the moment the elevator door is opened. I expect to see the Director on the other side, but instead we are greeted by a different individual. The voice that was spoken, it was not the Director’s, but it was a familiar voice nonetheless. The doors fully open now and we find a rather well-dressed individual standing before us. He wears a finely-made suit, one that doesn’t have a fold or loose thread. His hair is well-groomed, his white hair not going past his skull, but two long curly bangs hang down the front but don’t cover his face whatsoever. His eyes are of a red shade, his pupils giving the impression of tranquility. His skin is as pale as a ghost, the same color of his hair, yet there is not a smudge nor scratch on the surface. His appearance and demeanor remind me of someone, but who? chaos? No, that can’t be, they look nothing alike, and yet... “S...Sir Wilhelm, CEO of Vector Industries!” I turn to my side to find Allen quickly bowing to the individual. “Sir Wilhelm?!” I finally realize who the man standing before us is. “Oh my gosh, it is quite an honor to meet you, sir!” I quickly bow as well. So that’s who this man is, Sir Wilhelm, the CEO of Vector. I have never met this man in person until now, I had only seen him in galas and company meetings, but I never had the chance to speak with him. To have the CEO of our company personally meet us is quite an honor, he hardly visits the lower divisions of the company, much less any of its employees. “No, the honor is quite mine,” the man bows as well. “Please, there is no need to be so formal with me, Mr. Ridgeley, Ms. Uzuki, and...,” he stops as he turns to my brother and Elly. “Uzuki,” Jin bows, “Jin Uzuki, I’m Shion’s older brother.” “Escorting your sister to work I see,” the CEO says with a slight chuckle, “I didn’t think there were siblings like you that were still around.” “Well if I don’t do it, who knows what kind of trouble she’d get into,” my brother remarks as I try my best not to lose my temper in Sir Wilhelm’s presence. “And you must be the android that Ms. Uzuki was creating for the last two years,” Sir Wilhelm then turns his attention to Elly. “KP-X, abbreviated name ‘KOS-MOS,’ serial number 00-00-00-00-1, correct?” “That’s what some people call me,” Elly says uneasily. “To be honest, I don’t really like that name,” she continues. “Then you have another name you would like to go by?” “Elly,” my lover answers, “Shion has named me ‘Elly.’” “Very well then, Miss Elly,” Sir Wilhelm corrects himself. “Um sir, there was a reason as to why we came in today,” I tell him, “you see, when I received a call from the Director this morning...” “About that,” Sir Wilhelm interrupts, “the Director signed a letter of resignation today.” “What?” “I received the letter this morning, the reason was ‘family difficulties,’” the CEO informs me. “That can’t be,” I tell him, “when I spoke with him over the phone...” “Ugh...,” I turn to my side to find my lover suddenly pushing her palm against her forehead. “Elly, what’s wrong?” I quickly turn my attention to her. “My head hurts...,” she answers. “A fever maybe,” I bring her temple to mine for a moment, “no, you’re not burning up...” “In any case Ms. Uzuki, in the Director’s place, I would like you to turn KOS-MOS in to the Second Division now,” Sir Wilhelm orders. “What, but Sir, Elly isn’t...” “Feeling well? Ms. Uzuki, she is an android, how could a machine not feel well and...” “But she’s not a machine!” I interrupt him. “She’s human being, just like you and me, so please, don’t label her as such.” “So then this isn’t the KOS-MOS unit you have been building up to this point?” he asks. “Yes and no, Sir, you see...” “Ah!” my lover now falls to her knees, her palms pushing into her forehead further. “Elly!” “I’ll have our men look into this; in the meantime, Ms. Hawwa,” he calls to the other side of the room. “Sir?” A woman steps forward now, her entire body clothed in a dull gray security outfit. She wears not a speck of make up on her face as company protocol dictates, though she doesn’t seem to show any individuality whatsoever on her clothing. No necklaces, bracelets, or rings, nor does she allow her hair to be free from the security cap. Her eyes are not in view either, her pupils covered by the bill of her cap. The only skin she shows are on her hands and face, all of which are a creamy milk white. I find myself shivering for some reason as I look at her, afraid of her aura, yet for some reason, another part of me feels relaxed. She seems so calm, so cool, so...emotionless. She begins to approach us now, taking to Sir Wilhelm’s side. “Please take the KOS-MOS unit to Laboratory 202, room 6,” Sir Wilhelm orders the woman. “Yes sir,” the woman salutes. “I presume you are the KOS-MOS unit,” she turns to Elly. “Huh?” my lover stops gripping her head now. “You don’t seem like it,” the security guard tells her as she slowly returns to her feet, “you look like an ordinary girl to me, but then again, I guess it’s the same with realians these days, it’s hard to tell them apart from humans. Anyway, come along now.” “No,” Elly quickly backs away, “I don’t want to go.” “What?” Sir Wilhelm says somewhat surprised. “I said I don’t want to go!” Elly repeats in a yell. “Sir Wilhelm, please let me explain the situation,” I try to reason with him. “I’m afraid that nothing you say can change the fact that you must turn KOS-MOS over to us now,” Sir Wilhelm tells us. “Guards!” Two more security guards appear now, quickly taking to Elly’s side and taking her arms into theirs. “Wait, you can’t just...!” “Ms. Uzuki, I’m afraid...” “Stop it!” Elly orders the two guards. “Let me go! Shion!” “Elly!” I’ve had enough of trying to explain my situation to the CEO, I’m afraid the only thing I can do now is... “Chief, stop!” Allen takes hold of my arm. “Let me go, Allen!” I order him. “I can’t just let them take Elly like that!” “But Chief, no matter how you look at it...” “Elly!” I manage to break out of his hold. I find my feet pushing against the floor with all my strength, quickly brushing past Sir Wilhelm but before I can go further, the security guard that was at his side suddenly brings herself before my path, her arms quickly taking hold of my shoulders and pushing me back. “Stop it!” I order the woman. “I can’t let you take Elly away from me!” “Restrain yourself, Ms. Uzuki,” the woman orders me, “otherwise I will be forced to take drastic action. I don’t want any harm to come to you, so please...” Without thinking, I quickly bring my knee upward, striking the guard in the rib cage. The force of the blow makes the woman hunch forward, and giving me the opportunity to continue my chase. After several steps however, I suddenly find myself being pulled as if something were trapped my hair. I succumb to the grab the security had somehow laid upon me, and so, I return to the source for a moment. Instead of surrendering to the guard and Sir Wilhelm would expect, I bring my elbow back, the joint striking the lip of my captor. My entire body turns around after, my left leg leading the way as the side of my foot meets with the torso of the woman. Her fingers finally release their hold on my hair and again I hurry to my angel’s rescue. “Elly!” Before I could take another step however, the woman I thought I had just taken care of suddenly appears before my path once more. My fist is the first come forward this time, but before it could find its intended target, the crook of her arm blocks its path, blocking my attack. Before I could do anything else, a force is suddenly exerted on my abdomen and the air flowing against my body. “SHION!!!!” I hear my lover scream. I begin to push myself up now, the pain in my stomach intensifying as I do so. I finally manage to at least get my head to look in the direction where I fell and I find the woman standing several feet away from me, with her arm still stretched forward. I try to push myself off the ground again, but I find all of my energy suddenly drained thanks to that punch that woman dealt me. “Chief, are you all right?!” Allen rushes to my aid. “Why you...!” I look to my brother who begins to draw his sword. “Don’t try it!” the security now reaches for the pistol on her belt. “That will be enough, Ms. Hawwa, Ms. Uzuki,” Sir Wilhelm orders. “No, I won’t let you...!” “Ms. Uzuki, whether you like it or not, we are taking custody of KOS-MOS Unit 00-00-00-00-1 as of this moment,” the CEO begins to turn away. “Further more, because of your inability to follow orders and neglecting to report to HQ three days after your arrival on Second Miltia, I’m afraid to inform you that you are suspended from Vector Industries for six months without pay. In addition, if you are somehow able to violate your suspension, I will have you and your brother arrested for assault in your attempt to defy my orders. Mr. Ridgeley, if you even attempt to help Ms. Uzuki violate her suspension, I will have you charged with criminal assistance.” “Wait, I didn’t do anything wrong, I would never...,” Allen tries to object. “You can charge me with anything, just return Elly to me now!” I order. “Shion please, that’s enough,” my brother tries to calm me down. “But Jin...!!!” “Shion, forget about me for now,” I look over to my lover, “we...we’ll be back together soon enough, so please...” “Elly...” “Ms. Hawwa, if Ms. Uzuki, her brother, or Mr. Ridgeley give you any more trouble on their way out, please feel free to kill them if necessary,” Sir Wilhelm orders as he takes his leave. “Come on!” the other two guards order my blue-haired angel as they follow the CEO. “Wait!” I order, returning to my feet once again. “Please don’t do anything else now,” the guard I had just attacked blocks my path again. “I don’t want any more harm to come to you,” she tells me politely. “You tell me that after you’ve punched me to the ground!” I seethe, bringing my fist forward once more. Again my attack is caught, this time by the palm of her hand. My other hand comes forward now in a downward swing, but this time my wrist is caught by her right hand. She makes no attempt to retaliate this time though, instead just holding me in place. I can feel the moisture in my eyes beginning to escape now, more tears escaping with each blow I try to lay on the woman. The attempted strikes begin to grow weaker now, weaker and weaker until all of my energy is converted into the rivers that now crawl down my face. I find my entire body falling to the ground now, but for some reason the woman in front of me stops my fall, her arms now clinging onto me tightly. The streams that roll down my cheeks come to a halt for a second, freezing from the warmth of this woman’s body. I feel my anger beginning to subside now, why, I do not know. This woman, though she has struck me down and taken Elly from me, for some reason this situation feels so... familiar. This warmth that she gives me, why is it that I feel this way? “I’m sorry, Shion,” the woman begins to apologize, “I truly am sorry about everything...” “Everything...?” I begin to look at her face now. Tears now flow down the sides of her face, her mouth quivering and her entire body beginning to tremble. Her hold on me begins to release itself now, her arms now falling to her side and her head drooping to the ground. I begin to step away now, wondering what it is that’s making this woman cry. “I’m sorry,” the guard quickly begins to wipe away her tears, “I didn’t mean to... In any case, I’m afraid we’ll be taking custody of Elly; do forgive me, but I’m simply following my orders. I must bid you good day for now,” the woman looks at me for one more second before going on her way. ‘Those eyes...,’ I notice now that she turns away. “Wait a second!” I try to call after the woman. The guard simply continues on her way, not wasting another second to look back. For a small moment, I had just seen the guard’s eyes. They were full of sorrow, yet so calm like the ocean. The pupils in those white orbs, they were a very familiar color, a color I had only seen two people have. A beautiful sky blue, that’s what they were, but that can’t be, not after what happened. It’s impossible, and yet, if it is true, then that would explain why I felt what I did when she was holding me. Could it be that...? “Chief, are you all right?” Allen tries to ask me. “Blue...,” I recall the color of her irises, “they were... blue.” “Chief?” “I...I’m sorry,” I apologize, “I must have gotten carried away back there.” “Shion...,” my brother looks at me with a concerned look on his face. “But the fact is... Elly is...,” my eyes begin to melt once again, “and I...” “Shion, don’t say anything,” Jin tells me as he brings his arms around me, “come on, let’s just go home.” ‘Just what am I supposed to do, Kevin?’ I think to myself. ‘After all your hard work to try and get her created, I couldn’t...’ “...and thus I believe it is necessary to create such a force to combat this threat,” I recall that day four years ago. It had been about a month since I started working at Vector, during that time, Kevin had created the blue prints to the original KOS-MOS, Miang, and was presenting the idea to the head executives of Vector. The meeting took place in Ariadne, it was a cold and rainy evening. Kevin had chosen me to act as his assistant during the meeting; why he chose me, I still don’t know to this day. “So you’re saying that a combat android is sufficient enough to combat the Gnosis?” one of the executives asked. “Why an android, why not just create a realian to do the job?” “Sir, I believe an android is more controllable than a realian,” Kevin continued, “you see even if a military realian is programmed without emotions, there’s always a risk that it may go out of control since they are capable of free will. That is not the case with androids however, they have no free will whatsoever, they act accordingly to their original program.” “I understand the basic concepts of your idea, Mr. Winnicott,” another executive said, “but don’t you think our current military forces are enough to defend us from these attacks?” “Actually I’d like my assistant, Ms. Uzuki, to answer that question.” “What, but Chief Winnicott...!” I said shocked at his last statement. “Well Ms. Uzuki, what do you think?” “Well, I, uh... To tell you the truth, I don’t think our current military forces are enough to combat the Gnosis,” I blurted out. “Even if we had all of our forces together, it wouldn't do any real damage to the Gnosis. We would only be able to protect ourselves for a period of time before they break through our defenses, which is why the KOS-MOS Project is so important.” “Reading over your file, it says that each unit of the KOS-MOS Project is equipped with the Hilbert Effect,” one of the committee members followed, bringing the report to his eyes, “I don't see how that can really change anything if we can simply add that to every spacecraft, it seems a lot less expensive than creating a whole legion of these androids.” “Yes, well...,” I found myself stuttering. “The androids would be more mobile then the space ships, sir. They're also smaller in size and would be of more use in other areas, where a ship is far too big to.....” “Ms. Uzuki, you are well aware of the fact that our company also creates the smallest space ships in the universe, do you not?” a third member asked. “I'm sure a simple pod-like ship would be enough to stop a Gnosis if the ship were equipped with the Hilbert Effect.” “Uh... Oh..., but you see, I think the benefits of the KOS-MOS Project would be well worth it, sir,” I tried to explain. “How long have you been with the company so far, Ms. Uzuki?” the same committee member asked. “Not even a year? Tell me this, why should we go along with a plan that an employee, who doesn't seem to know much about the company and hasn't even been a year with us at that, issued us? Why should the committee approve such a project that one with very little experience and knowledge offered us?” “Because sir... I...,” my words began to fumble, “the project itself may seem far-fetched but it would be a great advantage for us once...!” “That is all Ms. Uzuki, Mr. Winnicott,” another member interrupted. “We shall give you the committee’s decision within a week’s time, good day.” “Ye..yes sir,” were the last words I could recall. After all that trouble, after all that humiliation I went through on that day, the company decides to just take Elly away from me as if she meant nothing to me. The company didn’t even seem to want to go through the project though, and yet here they are demanding that I turn Elly over to them. I can’t believe the company has stepped over me like this. I would issue a complaint, but even I know things will work against me if I did, I assaulted that security guard after all. Elly, why did they have to take her now, why take away the one I love? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (MOMO’s POV) We’re surrounded, this can’t be happening, after everyone’s hard work to try and keep these people away from me, they’re still able to... I can’t control the trembling in my knees, the air in my lungs begins to grow short, and I’m starting to feel faint. The soldiers jump out of their machines now, each of them pointing a projectile weapon at us. I find my feet automatically forcing me to back away, stopping the moment my back meets with the side of the car. I look to my sides to find my friends standing beside me. Jr.’s fingers twitch nearly every second, he seems so tense as he tries to hold back from pulling his guns’ triggers. chaos stands perfectly still, his arms barely relaxed as they dangle next to his sides, but his face shows an expression I’ve hardly seen him wear, an expression of anger. Ziggy on the other hand, stands with his hands already behind his head with his face totally calm. “That’s right, no one need to die needlessly,” the commanding female voice from the largest A.G.W.S. says as we all put our hands in the air. “Jr., Ziggy, what do we do now?” I ask, keeping my voice as low as possible. “Stay calm, MOMO,” Ziggy orders me. “As long as we cooperate, no harm will come to you. Their goal is to retrieve you unharmed, there is a very low probability that will do anything rash.” “What about you, Jr., and chaos?” “Don’t worry about us,” Jr. tells me, “we’ll think of a way how to get out of this. It’s not like this is going to be the end, you know.” “You, the pink-haired girl, get over here, now!” one of the U-TIC soldiers orders me in a harsh tone. “Don’t try anything stupid or we’ll fill each of your friends with holes. The same thing applies to you three,” the soldier turns his attention to the others, “try anything and we’ll open fire!” “Before that, do you guarantee the safety of the others?” I ask their leader. “What?” “Will you spare my friends if I agree to go with you?” “The others will be spared if you go with us,” the woman in the largest A.G.W.S. answers, “you have my word.” “Okay...” “MOMO, don’t!” Jr. yells. The deal I made with the woman makes Jr. bare his teeth. I can see how desperately he wants to draw his weapons again and open fire on the U-TIC soldiers, and I can understand how he feels, but I don’t want to see any of my friends injured on my account. I bring my hand onto Jr.’s shoulder now, causing the muscles in his face loosen. I give him a soft smile and the rest of his body grows even less tense. I take a moment to smile at him for a little while so that he can relieve more of his anger, gazing into his eyes until I feel as if there is no more. I turn back to the soldiers now, my smile quickly melting away when I realize the fate that awaits me. Without looking back, I begin to walk forward now, walking until I find myself at the feet of the giant, dark-colored machine. “A wise choice, 100-Series Observational Realian,” the pilot inside says. “Now kill the rest of them as ordered!” “What?! You said that...!” A blast of gunfire echoes in my ears now, my eyes shutting the moment the roar of the bullets enters my ears. I quickly shut my eyes after, my knees pushing to the ground and my arms hugging the sides of my head. I find myself being suddenly lifted from where I sat, my stomach resting against what seems to be someone’s shoulder and my legs dangling. “Put me down!” I order, my eyes and throat burning. “How could you just open fire on them after you promised! You’re the worst person ever! I won’t forgive you for this!” “Is that what you say to the person that saved you?” “Huh?” I open my eyes and find a black jacket clinging onto the body of the one that saved me. I look a little to the right to find a shade of red hair and blue eyes. “Jr.?” “You idiots! Fire! Fire!” the woman in the giant mech orders her men as a hail of bullets fires from the sky. I look upward now to find another machine, this one the same height as the dark-colored one the woman pilots. The A.G.W.S. is a light blue color, it’s legs have a similar design to Jr.’s A.G.W.S., but it has two large guns coming out of its back. The bullets fired from the U-TIC soldiers have no effect on the giant robot regardless of where the projectiles hit. Another hail of bullets rains from the A.G.W.S., this one killing a majority of the soldiers on the ground. “Dammit, this was unexpected,” the pilot in the dark-colored mech curses. “Looks like I have no choice but to retreat for now, but I swear, I’ll make you all pay for this.” “Pellegri, wait!” I look over to find chaos trying to chase after her. “You?!” the mech comes to a halt in mid-air. The blue machine tries to attack now, another burst of fire escaping the barrels of its weapons. The dark one somehow manages to dodge each shot, evading the fire by weaving from side-to-side. Seeing that his current tactics aren’t working, the pilot of the blue A.G.W.S. now rushes forward with its right fist launching forward. Its opponent intercepts the attack with the lunge of its spear, forcing the blue A.G.W.S. to stop its punch and make it open its hands in order to catch the attack. Unfortunately the spear attack was only a decoy, the real attack was a kick that came from the dark-colored A.G.W.S. “I have no time for this,” Pellegri tells the pilot in the blue A.G.W.S., “but I had no idea you were here,” she turns her attention back to chaos. “Is this what you’ve decided?” she asks only to get a response of silence. “Hm, I see..., if that’s the case, it won’t be long until we see each other again.” Without saying another word, the dark-colored A.G.W.S. begins to fly into the atmosphere. I turn my attention back to Jr. who stands beside me and find him unharmed from the sudden attack. His anger has already subsided, but he doesn’t give me his usual smile. Still, he gives me a look of relief which assures me that he’s okay. I turn to my side to find Ziggy now approaching us, his expression as calm as ever. “MOMO, are you okay?” Jr. asks me. “I’m okay,” I answer, “but who was it that saved us?” “I don’t know,” Ziggy answers as the blue machine begins to land near us, “but perhaps we’ll find out.” The cockpit of the machine opens now, a small cloud of smoke breathing out as a man in a Federation Military uniform makes his way out of the A.G.W.S. As the smoke clears, the first color I see emerge from the smoke is a bright orange color. His hair, that’s the first thing we see, his somewhat shaggy hair that covers his entire forehead and a majority of the back of his neck. His uniform though, is a bit different than normal military uniforms in terms of color. Instead of being a dark blue color like most A.G.W.S. pilots’ clothing, his suit is a greenish-gray shade. The zipper on the top half of his uniform is partially open, revealing a blank white t-shirt underneath. I turn my attention to his face now; his chin is very sharp, yet his nose is a bit flat. The biggest surprise, however, is the color of his eyes, they’re a bright yellow color, the same color as mine. “Who are you,” I ask the man, “are you a realian too?” “Correct,” the pilot answers with a monotone expression, “I am a Federation Military Realian, designated name ‘Canaan.’” The way he speaks, it’s eerily similar to how KOS-MOS used to talk. Monotone, not a shred of emotion is found in his voice, I thought even military realians were programmed to show some emotions. “Canaan, it’s been a while,” chaos greets the realian standing before us. “It appears so, chaos,” Canaan nods. “My apologies,” he turns to Jr. after, “I did not see you there, Rubedo.” “Forget about it,” Jr. tells the military realian. “You all know each other?” Ziggy asks the three. “It’s a long story,” chaos answers, “but in any case, it’s a good thing you were flying around, Canaan, if you weren’t I don’t even want to imagine what might have happened.” “Actually I was on my way to the Uzuki Residence,” Canaan explains, “my orders were to assist in bringing the 100-Series Observational Realian to the UMN Central HQ. It was by chance that I was able to find the three of you under attack by the U-TIC Organization.” “Still, thank you very much for rescuing us,” I thank the military realian. “I was merely performing my duty,” Canaan answers. “With the current threat now over, I suggest that you bring the 100-Series Observational Realian over to the UMN Central HQ. To prevent any further attacks by U-TIC, I will escort you three there.” “Yeah, that’d be a great idea,” Jr. agrees. To the UMN Central HQ, I should be safe there, even if I won’t be, at least I’ll be able to see Mommy again. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (Ziggy’s POV) The UMN Central HQ, my final destination for this mission, the first part in becoming a complete machine. “Follow me,” the military realian orders the four of us. We begin to walk down the empty entrance hall of the building, not a single person or furniture in sight. Looking down this hall reminds me of what will become of me; all my memories erased, not a shred of emotion, a blank slate is what I will be left with after this mission is complete. “You have finally arrived,” the voice of a middle-aged woman enters my ears now. “Mommy, I...,” MOMO tries to speak with her, speak with the woman who is supposed to be her mother. “You have done well, Ziggurat 8,” Juli turns her attention toward me, not saying a single word to her daughter. “Your mission is now complete, I thank you for your efforts.” “You’re welcome,” are the only words I can say. “It’s been so long, Mommy, I...” “Ziggurat 8, come with me,” the woman now tells me, again not saying anything to her daughter. “Canaan, take the rest of them to the third level laboratory in section 5.” “Yes ma’am.” “Mommy, can we...,” MOMO tries to speak with mother again, but still gets no response. “Come along now,” the orange-haired realian orders my comrades. “Can you give us one moment?” chaos asks the man. “Ziggy, I appreciate the help you’ve given us on our journey so far. I just thought I should thank you, that’s all.” “Yes, thank you, Ziggy,” MOMO tells me as well. I turn to the captain of the Durandal now. His eyes may be facing the floor, but I can tell that his pupils are still filled with anger and rage toward me. His naivety is getting the best of him, I know he has no words for me, it is probably best this way. My employer begins to take her leave now and I begin to follow. There’s no need to look back at my former comrades, however... “We’ll meet again, won’t we, Ziggy?” I find the little girl’s hands wrapped around my own. I turn to her for a second, turning to the yellow irises in her eyes. Water begins to drop from the edges of her pupils and her lips begin to quiver. Her hold on my hand begins to tighten now and her brow falls to my arm, pulling the rest of her body closer to mine. I do nothing but stand there as she holds me, do nothing but observe the young child. She begins to remind me of that day now, reminding me of the warmth of his hand and the tears that were shed that day. I feel my throat beginning to grow parched now, a feeling I had not felt in the longest time. My eyes are beginning to burn as well; I know that if I were to continue standing here these unwanted feelings will only worsen. I then place my free hand on the child’s head and say, “We will meet again, MOMO.” I begin to walk now, slowly freeing my arm from MOMO’s hold as I follow my employer to one of the elevators at the end of the hall. Not a word is said as the two of us ride the lift to the lower floors of the building, my thoughts still lingering to the young girl’s hold on my hand. When I look into my palm, I see her teary-eyed face once more and the last words she said to me. This is very unprofessional of me, I shouldn’t be thinking of such things. “You’ve grown close to her I see,” my employer suddenly speaks. “Excuse me?” “It’s nothing...” “This isn’t any of my business, but I have to say that you were rude to her back there,” I suddenly bring up. “You didn’t say a single word to your own daughter.” “That shouldn’t be any of your concern,” Juli retorts. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve grown very attached to that realian.” At the risk of insulting her any further, I decide to say nothing else. Grown an attachment to MOMO, I believe there is some truth to what Juli had said. It is very unprofessional of me, however, when I become a complete machine, it will be a piece of my new blank slate... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (Jr.’s POV) I watch from the other side of the glass as they place MOMO in the center of the room. As all of the workers do their individual tasks, she wears her usual smile, the smile she’s always been wearing ever since Albedo... “Are you all right, Jr.?” chaos’s voice interrupts my thoughts. “Huh?” “You seem troubled about something, is everything all right?” “Yeah, I’m fine,” I assure him, doing my best to brush away my anger. My attention returns to the other room now, to the other side of the glass where MOMO still stands. That smile, no matter what situation she’s in, no matter what happens, she always wears that smile. Why is it that every time I see that smile I’m almost driven to tears? When I saw that smile back then, I never cried, and now... “Is she always like this?” “I’m afraid so, Rubedo. My daughter, Sakura, I’m afraid she’s been brain-dead for as long as I can remember.” Sakura Mizrahi, I first met her fifteen years ago, and I met her in her comatose state. She couldn’t speak, she couldn’t see, and she couldn’t hear, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to talk to her. “So there is no way to communicate with her?” Gaignun had asked. “There is a way, Nigredo, although the technology itself is not perfected yet,” Mizrahi answered. “Have you ever heard of an encephalon? It’s a recently-made technology that creates an artificial environment in one’s brain. I have created an encephalon specifically for my daughter so that my wife, Juli, and I could speak with her in her current state. If you like, I could introduce you three to her.” “We really don’t have time for stuff like that,” I answered, “we’ll continue waiting for Yuriev as ordered.” I don’t know why, but regardless of what I said, I really did want to talk with her. Was it because I was intrigued by her, or was it because of Yuriev’s wish to have us, his “children,” try to expand our horizons and meet new people. “Oh come on, Rubedo, can we take a break for once?” Albedo begged. Albedo, he was so different back then. He wasn’t that maniac who took pleasure in mutilating himself or harming others, he was so innocent, so childish, so...weak. “It’s not going to do us any harm, Rubedo,” Gaignun added. “It’s not like we’re really going anywhere, it will give us something to do while we wait.” I’m not sure what was with me back then. I always stuck to my duties back, almost as if I had no mind of my own. Funny how I get angry at others who are like that in the present, I just find it most ironic that I dislike people who are like the person I was in the past. However that day was different, I decided to take a break from our orders, I made my very own decision for once. “...all right, but we’ll only stay for a short period,” I decided to give in. It wasn’t long before the four of us were given dive units. In the blink of an eye, the laboratory had disappeared. A lush garden filled with orchids and other flowers was now beneath our feet. Blue sky, white clouds, and a soft breeze, it was like something you’d only read in fairy tales. It wasn’t long before the sound of a piano began playing. We all turned to the source the moment the soft melody began playing, finding a young girl with dark brown hair sitting in the middle of the garden while playing the piano. I don’t know how to describe what I felt when I saw her, all I know is that it was the first time I had ever felt that way. Duty, mission, orders, these words and others associated with them had vanished the moment I saw her; I felt like we were the only ones standing in the garden that day. The piano had come to a halt shortly after, the player’s attention now turning toward us. The moment her eyes met with mine, I felt as if my heart skipped a beat. For once I felt lost, lost within those beautiful cinnamon eyes. A smile fell upon her face moments after, that smile forever etching into my memory. “Sakura, I’d like you to meet some of daddy’s friends,” Mizrahi said as he introduced us. “I’m Nigredo.” “A... A... My name’s Albedo..., h... how do you do?” “Rubedo, they call me Rubedo.” “Hello, it’s nice to meet you all!” she said, her smile growing brighter with her voice. “Is everything ready?” Juli Mizrahi’s voice returns me to the present. “Yes ma’am,” one worker answers. “Then begin the download of the Y-Data.” “Roger. Initiating the link up between the 100-Series Observational Realian Prototype and the UMN.” The next room begins to glow a light blue as MOMO continues to stand at the center of the area. Her body begins to float as more of that light begins to emit from her body. Her gaze turns to me for a mere second, her smile still being worn on her face. I return the expression with one of my own and she nods. Her lips lose their curl gradually as her eyes begin to close. Eventually her body lies in midair, completely unsuspended as the illumination grows brighter. Then another color begins to fill the room, the color red. The sound of alarms begin to ring now, the blue light beginning to dim. “What’s going on?!” Juli jumps from her seat at the sound of the alarm. “A virus is being uploaded into the UMN System,” one of the workers reports. “What, that’s impossible! Where’s it coming from?!” “The 100-Series, ma’am!” “What the hell?!” I bang my fist against the glass wall. “MOMO!” The expression on her face is one I wished I would never see her in again. The expression of pain, I never wanted to ever see it again. The way her face scrunches, how her body twists, again I’m reminded of that time. “No, stop it!” I cry. The sound of her cries, how she called out my name during that time. When she ran between the both of us during that fateful day fourteen years ago, and that time when that monster, when that bastard violated her. No, don’t remind me, don’t show me again! Stop it, just stop it! “Rubedo, you murderer!” “No, it’s your fault why she died!” “So sweet, so alive!” “Get your hand off her you mother...!” “Help me, Jr.!” her cry echoes in my mind once more. “NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The entire room grows dark suddenly, but the light returns a second after. The plug had been pulled for a moment, but that brief second wasn’t enough to free me from these memories. The cold feel of the floor still crawls up my temple, the blood in my veins boiling in my fists, and my eyes still burning like coal. “Jr., are you all right?” chaos tries to ask me. He helps me return to my feet, allowing me to get another view of the next room. A whole crowd of workers now surround her. I can barely see her, see her as she lies on the ground now entirely motionless. Her “mother” brings her fingers to her wrist now and I prepare for the worst. “She’s still alive,” Juli announces, “take her over to the maintenance lab in the second floor.” I breath a sigh of relief upon hearing the news. She’s still alive, that’s good to hear, but why do I have a feeling that everything’s not okay. “Ma’am, we have another problem,” another worker informs her. “What is it?” “I’m afraid a gate has suddenly opened.” “A gate? Which one?” “You’re not going to believe this, but it’s the gate to Old Miltia.” The gate to Old Miltia, only he could have done this. Albedo you bastard, just what the hell are you up to this time?! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (Jin’s POV) “Chief, no matter how you look at it, they would have taken KOS-MOS back at some point,” Allen says as he tries to comfort my sister, “I mean, even you had to know this day would eventually come.” “It doesn't matter, Allen!” Shion screams, her fist meeting with the edge of the counter. “I didn't try to stop her in the end and I'm sure there was more I could do. I promised Elly I would always be with her. It's not fair of me to just hand her over like that. I should have tried harder!” She’s been like this for the last two hours. My sister is not one who gets this upset, even what the two of us argue. Alcohol is a substance she usually ignores, even when going out with her friends. To tell you the truth, I can only think of one instance aside from this one in which she’s consumed it. Naturally I can’t help but worry, even though I know she’ll get over it in time. At least, I hope she’ll get over it. “Shion, it's not like you could have done anything,” I tell her, “and even if you did try anything right now, Sir Wilhelm said he would have you arrested. I mean, you're lucky enough to only get laid off after assaulting that security guard.” “Still Jin, I let her down when I could have done more to keep her safe,” she says as she takes another shot of her drink. “You just don't go around and let people take away who you care about. I don't care what happens to me, so long as Elly is safe.” “Shion, there are some things you can't control, things we can't...” “You aren't listening to me!” she interrupts. “I could have done more, tried harder for her! But I didn't. I let those people take her away without so much as an argument. How would you feel if you did that, Jin?" “Um Chief, I don't want to take sides, but you practically beat that security guard crazy,” Allen suddenly brings up. “Allen! That's a horrible thing to say!” she yells at her co-worker. “And Jin, imagine how you would feel if you just let some stranger tote me off like baggage without trying to stop them! How would you feel?" How would I feel? The thought never really occurred to me. Even when I learned of her engagement two years ago, the thought of her being taken away from me never crossed my mind. Anger, sadness, regret, would I feel each of these things or all of them? Why, why is that I don’t have an answer? “In all honesty, Shion, I... I don't know,” I answer. “I don't know what I'd do.” “Then don't tell me how I should or shouldn't feel when you don't know!” my sister reacted, chugging down another glass. “God, you're acting the same way you did when Kevin died!” Wait, what did I just say? No, I didn’t mean to say that, I never wanted to say that. His death was always a touchy subject with Shion, and bringing it up like this is too cruel. The side of my face begins to sting suddenly as it suddenly jolts to the side. I turn my gaze back at my sister now as her hand rests on the air where my face was. Her eyes are narrower than they ever were before, her entire face red with anger, and her other hand balled. What I said was definitely inappropriate and I know I deserved that slap. Still, I... “How can you say such a thing to me, Jin?!” she screams, tears streaming down her face as rapid as ever. “Elly means a lot to me and I'm worried about her! You don't know what you're talking about you jerk!” “Shion... I...” Before I could say another word, she quickly turns away and runs out of the bar. I sit there on my stool now with my hand still reaching out to her, my face still burning from her strike. The pain on my cheek has cooled, but the emotion behind it still pierces my heart. “Jin, that was a cold thing to say, especially coming from her brother!” Allen tells me, disgusted. I say nothing more and sink deeper into my chair. Even Allen begins to leave the bar now, leaving me to sit alone with my thoughts. The day Kevin died, it was a very difficult day my sister had to live through. She must be living through that day again with Miss KOS-MOS now out of her life. But what she said about how I would feel if someone had taken her away. Why do I continue to keep thinking about that? Is that day coming sooner than I had expected? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (Elly’s POV) Clack, clack, clack! The constant beating of my shoes hitting the floor echoes continuously down the hallways. The sound of more shoes follows in close to pursuit, the sound growing closer and closer with every step I take. All of my muscles in my legs continue to burn as I run, the breath I take into my lungs practically scraping against my throat, and the throbbing of my heart crashes against my chest. “Don’t worry, it’s just the ‘Drive,’” one voice continues trying to falsely assure me. Again I try to ignore the voices, but no matter how fast I run and where I turn, they continue to follow. I turn at the next corner I see, hoping to evade the source of the voices once more. It fails to do so as they continue to chase faster than ever, their voices growing even louder. “The ‘Drive’ will just readjust your balance and make you feel good.” The voices continue to pressure me, and again I try to deafen them with my own. “I don’t want it!” I tell them for the millionth time. “I, I don’t want to use it!” My words still have no avail. They continue to draw come closer and closer, I can feel their breaths beginning to beat against my back. My feet push even further into the ground now, only to come to a stop a moment later. A dead end, there’s no more room to run. I bang my fist against the wall for a moment, my eyes practically melting knowing that I can do no more. The other feet begin to slow down now, their owners now within a few arms reach. “You think we’re going to make an exception because your father’s top brass?” “Please! Go away!” I beg. They ignore my pleads, instead grabbing me by the arms. One pulls me toward him in a very swift motion, nearly pulling the bone out of its socket. Another pushes me against the wall, pinning my other arm against it so that I can’t move. My three captors continue to chuckle as I try my best to escape their grasp but it is to no avail. There is nothing I can do but try to shield my eyes away from these men, shield them from what they’re going to do. “Please! Stop it!” I cry once more. “STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!” In a flash, I feel the force planted on my arms vanishing. The voices have come to a stop as well, but the question is why. The darkness begins to pull away from my vision slowly, revealing to me a gruesome sight. The silver-metal halls are now painted with random splashes of crimson, the stench of rotting meat now filling the air. I cover my mouth to prevent the contents of my stomach from escaping, and for a second, it allows it to settle. I turn to the floor to find a more hideous sight; the three men that were chasing me now lie dead. Their mouths are as open as they can be, the holes where their eyes once were now oozing with scarlet. Ruby lakes now rest beneath each of the bodies, all of them flowing from craters where some of their arms or legs used to be. Their faces are horribly disfigured, but the expression of anguish and great pain is still visible on all of them. My knees weaken at the sight, forcing me to fall to the floor. A warm liquid rushes onto my palms now, the red substance tainting the skin underneath my gloves. It’s blood, their blood. My lips begin to quiver now as I stare at the elixir of life in my palms, quivering as my eyes begin to burn. My breath begins to hiccup and my nose begins to run, I don’t care what the reason is, but I didn’t need to kill those men, I didn’t need to kill my fellow classmates! I wake up screaming after seeing that horrific image. My heart beats repeatedly against my chest for a few seconds, each beat growing slower than the last. My entire body feels as if its on fire, yet it cools in a few moments time. I realize that what I had just seen was another dream, but like the one this morning, it felt so real. I try to assure myself that it was just a nightmare, but the feeling of those men chasing after me and their blood on my hands continues to return. Eventually I brush away the last remnants of that dream only to find myself in a room and bed I had never seen before. ‘Where am I?’ I think to myself. That’s when I remember; this is a cell in the Vector Second R & D Division, I can’t remember its exact location though. Before they put me in here, I remember they took me to a laboratory, trying to connect me to different machines. They injected me with something and then everything went black. I’m not sure what they did, but it doesn’t look like they injured me in any way seeing how there’s not even a scratch on my body. Before I can recollect any more events, my temple begins to throb once more. I bring my palm to my forehead in an attempt to ease the pain, but it does nothing. A creaking noise follows the headache, the noise coming from somewhere in the room. I turn to the door on the west side of the room to see the nob turning. The beating of my heart begins to throb fast again as my legs begin to shiver. I swallow down the lump in my throat causing the pain to disappear and calming my knees once more. I ball up my hands into fists now, preparing for the imminent threat that waits on the other side. I may not be as strong as I used to, but I can still use Ether. “Who's there?” I call to the person on the other side of the door. The door begins to swing open now and a person begins to make their way inside. The one who enters carries a tray in her hands; it has what looks like a sandwich and a glass of water. The person slowly closes the door after setting foot in the cell, closing it very slowly and quietly. It is now that I begin to recognize her. It’s the security guard Shion had fought with earlier when they took me away. The wrap my thumb has on my knuckles tightens now upon realizing this, but my anger toward this person begins to fade as she comes closer with the tray. My body begins to loosen now, all the tension eventually disappearing. She stands before me now with the tray still in her hands and she begins to speak. “I've brought you something to eat,” she places the tray on the bed. “I imagine you've got to be hungry by now.” My eyes turn to the food the woman put down. I take a moment to glance at the two slices of bread and the jam smashed between them, but I do not give into the yearnings of my stomach. This woman may be up to something, if she could attack Shion just like that with no hesitation, then... “The food is fine, we haven't done anything to it,” she tries to assure me. “If you don't believe me, I can prove it to you.” She breaks off a small piece of the sandwich and brings it to her mouth. The guard chews it for only a second before swallowing its contents. I wait a few seconds to see if there are any repercussions. There are none, but despite that, I still feel as if this woman is up to something. “Why are you doing this for me?” I decide to ask. “Is this how you react to everyone you meet?” the woman dodges my question with one of her own. “Or is it just to me? I assumed you'd have been hungry, sitting in this cell. That's why I brought you food, now please, eat.” I take up on the woman’s offer and take the sandwich into my mouth. The mashed fruit is rather bitter and the bread dry. Regardless, it does calm the grumbling of my stomach. I take the glass of water after and proceed to drink it, but I notice that the guard is watching me closely. Having her observe me like this makes me feel uneasy, so I speak to her once more. “Is there something wrong?” “It’s nothing,” she answers. “It’s just that you really are acting more and more like her everyday it seems.” “More like her, what are you talking about?” “Ms. Hawwa, it looks like most of the guards are gone now,” another individual suddenly appears at the door of my cell. “Miyuki?” I recognize the young woman almost immediately. “Alright, we’ll proceed as planned,” the security guard nods. “Elly, come with me. We're going to go to the A.G.W.S hangar.” “The A.G.W.S. hangar?” her order leave me confused. “Wait a minute, what are you going to do with me this time?” I ask only to have her run ahead. “Hey don't ignore me, I'm talking to you!” I follow the woman outside of the cell where she and Miyuki wait. The guard rushes to the east as soon as she sees me, stopping at the corner at the end of the hall. She leans down its side for a mere moment, quickly bringing her head back after. Miyuki then quietly proceeds to the woman’s location and I follow close behind, checking behind my shoulder ever once and a while in case anyone else comes. “Miyuki, what are you doing here?” I ask in barely a whisper. “I saw you and Shion come in here earlier,” she answers. “I tried to say hi but the elevator doors closed before you could even see me. Then later I saw Shion running out of the building crying, so I thought something must be wrong. When I learned you were here, I...” “I see,” I interrupt her, “then what about this woman? Why’s she helping us out?” “You mean you don’t know Ms. Hawwa?” Miyuki says, surprised. “The funny thing is, this was her idea.” “Her idea?” “Sh! Be quiet!” Ms. Hawwa orders us. I step in front of her so that I may take a look at the other side of the corner. Three security guards stand there, all of them with their backs currently turned toward our location. One of them begins to turn now and I quickly return to the other side, flattening myself against the wall. “There's at least three of them,” Ms. Hawwa says. “Elly, Miyuki, I want you to wait here.” Ms. Hawwa reaches for the two tonfa on her belt now, spinning them along her wrists after drawing them. She begins to creep away from our side of the wall, allowing me to take her spot. Two of the guards have left now, leaving one with his back turned toward us. Ms. Hawwa taps the guard on the shoulder with one of her nightsticks, striking him in the face with the other the moment he turns around. The man makes a grunting noise upon being struck by the weapon, but he falls unconscious shortly after the hit. The other two guards appear from the next corner now, their tonfa also drawn. Ms. Hawwa twirls her weapons once more, stopping them by bending her arms in a forty-five degree angle. One guard jumps forward with his weapon, only to have it stopped by the tonfa on Ms. Hawwa’s left arm. She quickly launches her knee upward after, striking the man in the chin. She extends her leg after the knee attack, swinging it to the west and knocking him in the side of the face. Another swing of her leg follows, striking him on the other side, and then a final one, this one striking him upward on the chin. This one also falls unconscious, leaving the other guard shaking in place. Ms. Hawwa approaches the other guard now, but he makes no attempt to move at all. With a quick swing of the weapon on her right hand, she plants the weapon on the temple of the guard, knocking him out as well. “You didn't have to do that,” I try to point out afterward, “we could have just tried to sneak past them.” “If we had waited to sneak past each guard, it'd have been much slower,” she explains. “Going through them directly will give us much more time.” "It's not that, more guards might come later and...” “Let’s move on,” she ignores the next words I have to say. We continue down the hall until we find ourselves in a giant hangar. Several different A.G.W.S. units, many of which weren’t even registered in my data banks, stand here. Despite that, much of the space in this area is empty; I’m surprised that there aren’t any guards stationed here. “I guess we’re almost home free then, huh?” Miyuki asks. Ms. Hawwa doesn’t say single word, instead walking to one of the consoles near one of the A.G.W.S. units. This particular unit is different from the rest though, it’s much larger than an average A.G.W.S., and the design itself is also unique. The entire machine as a sleek and smooth design, not a sharp point anywhere like most A.G.W.S. There are two wing-like structures on the back too, and the cockpit looks like it can fit up to two people. I turn back to Ms. Hawwa who begins to punch in a code into the console system. A humming noise begins to emit from the machine shortly after and at the same time a ladder to the cockpit appears. “Take it,” Ms. Hawwa suddenly orders the two of us. “The E.S. Dinah is yours.” “Before that, there’s some things I want to ask you, Ms. Hawwa,” I address the woman. “Why are you doing all this for me? I can understand Miyuki, but why you? How is that you know my name, and who exactly are you?” The woman’s eyes turn to the floor for a moment, and she says nothing. Finally she looks back up to me and speaks. “I've caused enough trouble in the past that this is a way for me to help make up for it,” she says. “The past, what’re you...?” “It's time that I go,” Ms. Hawwa turns away again. “I have other things that I must attend to. You have many questions, but now is not the time to answer them. When we meet again, you’ll get your answers, Elly.” Without saying another word, the mysterious woman walks out the same way we entered the hangar. It’s strange, Miyuki said that it was Ms. Hawwa’s idea to rescue me, but I have no recollection of ever meeting her. Still, there’s something about her that I admit feels so familiar, something I felt not too long ago. I’m not sure how to describe it, but the closest word that can describe this emotion is nostalgia. “Hey KOS-MOS, are you all right?” Miyuki’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. “Yeah, I’m sorry,” I apologize. She looks at me strangely after what I had just said. She simply shrugs after a few moments and begins to climb the ladder into the A.G.W.S. unit. I guess it must’ve been my response to my question, she must be used to having me say something like “all systems are normal.” I follow her into the cockpit shortly and take the main pilot seat in the front. The door slowly closes on the machine after and the lights within the control panel turn on shortly. The main screen shortly follows and I proceed to move the A.G.W.S. toward the hangar door. “Miyuki, do you know the code to open the hangar door?” I ask. “One moment, I’ll type it.” The doors open shortly after. The city lights greet us the moment after; though they aren’t entirely bright, they still allow our machine to be visible to the naked eye. I begin to think that taking this A.G.W.S. was a bad idea now, seeing how its size is bigger than other A.G.W.S. I bang my fist against the controls after realizing this, there’s no way we can escape using this machine, and going back inside the building would be a bad idea after what Ms. Hawwa did to those other guards. Miyuki and I would probably be blamed for that if we were caught. “You know, this new model is different from the others,” Miyuki points out. “What do you mean?” I ask, trying to hold back my frustration. “You see that lever next to the control stick, pull it down.” Shrugging my shoulders, I decide to comply. The entire unit begins to tremble suddenly, the cockpit slowly lowering to the ground until the shaking stops. “And what was the point of that, Miyuki?” I ask in a sarcastic tone. She gives me another weird look after what I had said. She must really be used to me not acting like this. After a few seconds of giving me that weird expression, she finally explains. “The E.S. Dinah has two forms,” she says, “the usual A.G.W.S. form, and an aircraft form. In other words, this new A.G.W.S. is a transformable fighter jet. That lever you pulled alternates between the two different forms.” “I see,” I nod, “I suppose this form won’t attract much attention then.” Without wasting another second, I pull down on the control stick and the entire machine begins to rumble once more. Slowly but surely the shaking stops as the city lights grow smaller and smaller on the main screen. With the city now barely visible on the main screen, I decide it’s time to go back to Shion’s. There’s something that keeps bothering me though. During our escape, we had only encountered three guards, none of which were in the A.G.W.S. hangar. There was also the fact that there weren’t any guards outside either. Vector is full of industrial secrets so it doesn’t make sense why the security was so lax. Something’s just not right about all of this, it’s almost as if they wanted me to escape and take this prototype. Still, I shouldn’t think about it too much, I have to return to Shion. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (Wilhelm’s POV) The stars shine as brightly as ever. Since the beginning of time, Man has always looked to the stars for answers and inspiration. All I see however is darkness. The stars are merely tools to distract our eyes from the ever-growing darkness, tools that try to hide away the inevitable. “Master Wilhelm,” my thoughts are interrupted by subordinate who dresses in red. “KOS-MOS and Miyuki Itsumi have just escaped confinement from the Second R & D Division. They have also taken the prototype E.S. Dinah with them, is this acceptable?” “Yes, that’s fine,” I tell my subordinate, my eyes still averted toward the eternal darkness. “KOS-MOS, or rather ‘Miss Elly,’ and Ms. Itsumi have roles to fulfill after all, it’s only fair that I allow them to play their part.” “I must also report that the 100-Observational Series Realian Prototype has also linked with the UMN,” he adds to his report. “The virus that Albedo had installed within her has been uploaded into their system, and as a result, the gate of Old Miltia has opened.” “Excellent,” I turn to my subordinate. “Everyone has fulfilled their roles thus far. Everything is going just as planned according to our Compass of Order. All that’s left is to gather the ‘final one’ before we can retrieve the ark.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------- XenoMark’s Note: Well, I hope this chapter was to your liking, I’m sorry if it wasn’t. I guarantee that the next chapter will be better though. As for Elly’s nightmare, I’m sure Xenogears fans recognize it, and recognize the true identity of Ms. Hawwa as well. Man, it’s been such a hassle to actually finish this chapter, I just hope we can bring out the next one much faster. Well, reviews are welcome as long as their not flames. Again, sorry for the long wait, hope we can get the next one up sooner, later people! Shi's Note: He's right, the next chapter will be even better! Hopefully, when bro's not busy with his school work and I'm not working, we can get busy on the next chapter for you guys. Until then, see ya.
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