Hello all! Welcome back to my story.

I hope you like feels cause you'll board the feels train on this chapter.

And what might our favourite vermin be hiding, I wonder.

I hope you enjoy it! Have fun.

-(December 30th - Morning, approximately 6:00 AM)-

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-(Motel room)-

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-Nagisa(P.O.V.), Akari, Karma & Ritsu-

We got to the motel when the sky was still dark. Perks of doing this in Winter, I guess. I drove the 3 hours from the lab to here despite Akari's insistence that she wanted to do it. No matter how much it would have distracted her from what she was thinking I refused to risk an accident due to her mental state. The last thing she needs is more guilt... It was a... somber trip. Barely any words exchanged, no music, the darkness of the world around us, all in all not a very good ambient for relaxation.

The first thing we did as we neared the motel was dispose of the vehicle. A nice little off the road ditch served for that purpose. Then we got back to the room. We ditched our bags onto the floor and threw ourselves on top of one of the beds. This mission was less than pleasant...

A small cough broke us out of our stupor. "Hey, you don't even bother to say hello?" If glares could kill, I'm sure Akari would have murdered Karma ten times over.

I decided to intervene before anything happened. "We're not really in the mood for that. Just let us have a moment for ourselves. We'll discuss everything afterwards."

"But we... Fine. Have it your way." I'm sure Karma wanted to say something but I guess even his young self can read people well enough to understand when not to press too hard.

I turned to Akari. She looked... frail and yet, not. So contradictory. It's like she fears something enough to paralyze her and yet she has the will to keep on moving. Her hands are so tightened that her knuckles are turning white, I hope she doesn't injure herself, and her face looks conflicted. I have gotten good enough at reading emotions to see pain intermixed with resignation, anger, determination and, worse of all, self-loathing. That is... the one emotion I hoped she wouldn't have to feel. What I wanted to protect her from... I know I can't shield her from all, especially because she is by far not a damsel in distress, but even then, no one wants to see the ones they love in pain.

I wrapped my arms around her and she flinched a little before relaxing. At least she isn't pushing me away. I whispered to her:

"It's ok. You know I would never push you away. Now, can we have that talk?"

"I... Maybe. I don't want to. Just thinking about it makes me want to puke... I don't think I can..." She was starting to panic and trying to squirm away so I relaxed my hold on her a bit and continued whispering:

"Shhhh, calm down. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Slowly." I waited until she settled down a bit. "Yes, like that. Focus on your breathing and on your heartbeat. Just focus on them, nothing more." She started to become calmer. "Now slowly relax your muscles, all of them. Good, you're doing fantastic."
In the end she managed to contain the incoming panic attack.

"Thank you, Nagisa. I feel much better now."

"Well, I learned from the best, even if not on the best of conditions. But that's not important right now. Are you ok for that now?"

She looked at me worriedly for a moment before relaxing again. My problems are still not fully fixed, they might never be, but right now this is for her.

"I think so. What exactly do you want to speak about?"

"Just the average. Are you going to be ok, do you want to say anything about what happened, can I help you in any way..."

"I think I should be ok. Eventually. But I just, I can't, why did I have to do that? No, I know what you're going to say. What I meant is why did that have to happen at all? The world is so unfair. Did you look at, at, at... I can't refer to that person as an it! It was living human being that the worm just casually perverted into an abomination! Why did that have to happen?! Why are the governments so blind? But are they really? And if they aren't, why are they allowing such atrocities to happen at all?! This should have never happened and yet, and yet... Dammit all, I can't accept this!"

"I know 'Kari, I know. Don't let it get to you. The more enraged and out of your mind you become, the more the vermin has control over you. You can't let that happen. Alright love?

"I... yeah. Sorry for getting wound up."

"It's ok, I understand how you feel."

"I know you do, no matter how much I wish you didn't. I just can't help but feel wrong, repulsed, guilty, so many other things. I pulled that trigger. I couldn't save that person, I couldn't do anything! I hate being so powerless..." Her voice became... empty, I think you could call it. "Maybe it would be better if I just... Did not come along."

A feeling of horror swelled up inside me. I know that tone. I know far too well what it carries along with it.

"Don't! Just don't! Don't ever say that again! Do you have any idea what would have happened if you hadn't come back with me?! I would probably end up killing Yanagisawa, yes, but with the amount of self-hatred I had, I doubt I would have come out alive from that! You're my rock. The anchor that has kept me sane and healed a lot of my wounds over these years. Please don't ever say that again. We both know what that kind of self-loathing leads to and I refuse to see you make the same mistake I did. I doubt I would survive it if you did..."

She looked surprised and maybe a bit touched. The worry for me was back too, but I need not dwell on that for now. Her eyes started wetting and she suddenly latched onto me and buried her head in my chest.

"Thank you. Thank you so much Nagisa. Gosh, what have I done to deserve you. I love you so much."

I couldn't help but smile.

"I could make a book about the things you've done for me, but the true question is what have I done to deserve you. Despite all I did you never gave up on me and supported me all the way. Even after I got us..." I left the rest unsaid. It was easy enough to understand. "I just... You're who I care for the most. I love you too 'Kari."

We stayed in each other's embrace for what felt like hours. Feeling her warmth reassured me that she was alright and that we would be fine. Yanagisawa will not break us. We had to get up eventually, even if very reluctantly.

"Let's go and speak to the grump over in the corner. I don't think he likes being ignored." I said, grinning at her.

Akari snorted. "Yeah, I guess we should stop neglecting the baby." Ignoring a background 'Hey!' she smiled and moved towards Karma as I did the same. Her smile was not as bright as it used to but it had something else. It was stronger? Firmer? More certain? Whatever it was, it reassured me that maybe we would come out of this not the same and yet not worse.

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-(Unknown)-

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-(Unknown)-

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-Yanagisawa(P.O.V.)-

A door knock distracted me from the data I was reviewing. Subject 09 really was perfect. Such a staggering amount of progress compared to the other failures. I think this might be it. The experiment I was waiting for. With the results from 09 I might finally obtain the power I desire. One day... One day it might be sunny again.

"Enter!" The supervisor of the Rocky Lab entered the room. He is nervous. More bad news I guess... How can things keep going wrong in the last phase of the plan?!

"Well? What is it? Don't dawdle and just tell me what has happened already!"

"Ye, Yes sir. Well, I got contacted at 2:00 AM, local time, by the security officers in the Rocky Mountains' Lab. There has been an... incident."

He was clearly delaying. I'll be pissed if he keeps beating around the bush.

"That much was obvious by your countenance. Stop prolonging this conversation as much as you can. What happened?"

"Well, at 1:30 AM, once again local time, an alarm was set off causing the staff to begin evacuation of the lab. When the ones on the bottom level tried to move to the stairwell they discovered that there was a fire blocking their passage, which was at the time assumed to be the cause of the alarm. In their panic they moved to use the cargo elevator to escape. The elevator went up a few meters before it stopped because of what we now believe to be foreign interference. We discovered signs of tampering with various pieces of equipment throughout the labs which leads us to believe that the complex was infiltrated. The so called Organization has been on the run for quite some time now so I doubt it was them. I can only conclude that this is the work of the same group that invaded the laboratory in Paris. We were unable to detect any of them though. The camera feed shows no one, though that might have been tampered with, and no guard or sensor detected anything. Though there was one guard whose security card was missing. He has been reprimanded already and put into the punitive program."

Interesting. My previous assessment that the group was composed of professionals appeared to be right. To be able to go inside such a remote lab and leave virtually undetected... I underestimated whoever these people are. I must make sure they cannot keep interfering. The failure of the plan would have consequences that I refuse to accept! I refuse to lose hope. This man appears to have something else to say though...

"Did something else happen that needs to be brought into my attention?"

He visibly cringed at that.

"Huh, you see... After the fire was extinguished and the staff returned to their positions... They found out that Subject 02 had been killed. Preliminary tests point towards poisoning."

That... Was far, far worse. How did they let that happen! All living subjects are necessary for any and all insight into their internal functions. This is a setback that I would have preferred not to have but it is manageable.

"Very well... Order the containment and continued study of Subject 02's remains. I doubt all potential has been extinguished. Also, pass on this message to all other chief supervisors: I will organize the reinforcement of the defensive measures of each lab, so be ready to receive your orders soon. You can leave now. Do not bother me again until I call you to discuss the new research arrangements in your lab."

"Yes, sir."

He left quite quickly. Probably relieved that no punishment was handed out. I have no time for that. There are more important things to do now, I can't let this collapse around me.