Akihiko

I look up and see her crying.

"Hey... hey... what's wrong?"

She looks up, wiping away the tears, "nothing, it's just that it's so sad."

"What's so sad?" I ask a little confused. My life? My story? Me?

"The fact that you have been fighting a one-sided battle for so long all alone."

I chuckle, "Well I wouldn't say all alone. At least put it in a nicer way, you make me sound like a loner."

"But you are!" She interjects still sniffling.

"Hey! Don't make personal jabs!" I say faking anger.

She giggles. Good at least she's somewhat cheering up and returning to her normal self.

"Well, it isn't a personal jab if everyone knows it. It would be common knowledge."

Never mind, she's back to her regular annoying self. I roll my eyes in response.

"But just so you know, I appreciate the fact that you told me what you did. It mustn't have been easy..." she says a bit shyly.

I run my hand through my hair, "No it's fine princess. It's just that some people need to be knocked off of their high horse, and see what the life of others are like." I say jokingly.

"First, I hope you weren't talking to me when you called me princess, and secondly, are you accusing me of being unaware of the lives others live? Cause I'll tell you-"

I cut in, "No princess you don't get it because you got a good life. You have a family that cares for you, friends, and freedom. It probably didn't even occurs to you that Victor and I grew up in very different situations. Victor has his freedom now, and no doubts values every second he can live it. I, who can't even leave this building without permission wouldn't even waste a millisecond of freedom, because I know how precious it is. But you. Having grown up with it, no doubt has no idea about its value!" I say starting to get slightly annoyed. Why would she deny the fact that she's privileged! If you have privilege, own up to it! Accept that you are better off than the rest of us, then do something with that privilege!

"Have you forgotten, that I too came from a lab?" She says mildly, eyes flashing dangerously. I can feel the anger that is laced in her tone of voice. "Have you forgotten that I was originally created as a weapon too? I spent six year locked up in a lab as well! I don't think that anyone would ever even think to create something like us just so that they could raise them as a normal kid! No that simply doesn't happen." Yep, she is starting to get angry, "Yes maybe I got lucky! Yes, maybe I'm wasting my freedom. But you know what?! At least I fought for it! At least I actually tried to fight against what was holding me back. I tried to run away from the lab multiple times. And from the sound of your story, yes I was treated better, but I still knew something was missing. And what did I do? I tried to fight for it and get it myself. Look at you. You were treated worse than I was. What stopped you from running away? You could have gotten freedom, so don't go lecturing me about how I was born into and don't value freedom!" She stands there slightly out of breath, flushed with anger.

Is she trying to put the blame on me? Blame for what happened? I did the best I could have in my situation. Yes, maybe I could have escaped. But I would never abandon Minami or Lilith to be here all alone. If I took the chance to escape, that would just put the two of them in an even worse situation, and would also make the white rats create a Test 421. After all, it took 420 shots to make me. I doubt that they would have any hesitation to make another weapon like me... like us.

"Ok. Maybe you're right. Maybe I should have escaped. Maybe I should have run away and let other people like Minami and Lilith deal with the consequences. Maybe I should have left the next test subject to pick up where I left off. But I didn't. Why? Because I didn't want other people to face the sh*t I had to face!" I say in defense... wow, we really are getting into a pretty heated argument here.

"The problem with you is that you see yourself as a weapon. You remove yourself from the situation and don't include yourself in a group. You see yourself as an outsider."

"Well, I'm sorry that I was raised that way!" I spit out, "Should I also apologize for only being conditioned to think, torture, kill, revenge, repeat? Because I know that I'm not normal. I know that I'm dangerous, and I will hurt the ones I love the most. So I stay away so they don't get hurt. I mean look at you. You basically dragged your Niichan and the rest of your family into this mess because of..."

She turns a violent shade of red, and she looks like she is going to explode. Sh*t I hit a cord, and she's going to blow her top on me. I see the flames spring up suddenly and dance around her. "SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT ME, OR-"

BANG! CRASH! THUD!

There is a commotion outside that overpowers her yell. The door is thrown open, and we see a silhouette hobble in, limping, outlined in the smoke that fills the hallway.

It's Mother... or at least Mother in Lilith's body.

She rushes to us as fast as she can, and we meet her halfway. She collapses to the floor, and Kasai being the closest to her, instinctively catches her, and lets her down gently.

"Run...Get out of here..." she pants... but not in the tone of voice that I usually hear out of her.

Then it hits me. It isn't Mother... it's Lilith. I want to cry in joy, and in sadness. I haven't seen her in so long... well I have seen her, but not HER. Lilith has been controlled by Mother for so long, I didn't even know if her conscious was still there, buried beneath all that mind control. But here she is. My old friend.

"Wait, what?! Mother? or is it Lilith?... I'm confused here... and run... run where? And why? And run from what? Or maybe it's who? And are you okay, or do you need some help or-" Man, Kasai and her ever questioning mind. Can't she just shut up, and obey Lilith. She is one of the smartest people I know, and if she says to run, that means that something bad is happening and we need to get out.

But Lilith cuts her off from her stream of questions. She looks directly at me, "Get out of here. Get her out of here. Get Minami, and Yuri and Victor, and GO!" She throws me a pair of keys, and I catch them without even thinking about it. Perks of training.

Although in her weakened state, she is still authoritative. Even though she isn't controlled by mother, I still feel compelled to follow what she says... perhaps it is because she isn't controlled by Mother. It's great to have my old, annoying, chirpy friend back.

"What are you doing just looking at me gaping. Close your mouth, and don't catch flies. Did you not hear me? I said go you Baka! Get out of here! It isn't safe. Ice attacking, and you know what The Rat's plan is. If we get you, Kasai, Victor, and Yuri out of here, then we can foil their plans. So get them and go!"

I don't hesitate after that. I know exactly what Mother and Hell's Fire has planned. I grab Kasai's hand and tug her.

"But what about you?" Kasai whispers to Lilith, not budging from the girl's side.

Lilith laughs halfheartedly, "I'll be too slow... I'll just slow you down. She's been in control of my body for too long, and I can't fully control my own body, and fight her off the entire time. Now quickly, go with Akihiko, find everyone else, and go! She'll be after you soon, and I don't know when she is going to take me over, or if she's just going to come after us in someone else."

Kasai doesn't budge. Are you KIDDING me! Are you deaf? Lilith said to move!

"What are you doing!" I hiss at her. "You heard what she said. Get up and let's go, we don't have time."

But she flat out refuses. "No, I'm not going anywhere without Lilith."

"Are you kidding me. Lilith will be fine, she is Mother's favorite. Anyways, you barely know this girl, and you're deciding to risk your life for her? You've literally met her, well at least the real her a few seconds ago" I give an exasperated sigh, "No offense or anything Lilith."

She chuckles, "None taken."

"I don't care. She is clearly risking her life to help us escape. I can't just leave her here!" Kasai still doesn't move, and Lilith can defiantly tell that nothing will move Kasai from her side.

"How about," I can see Lilith's genius brain get to work... although she may be created and manipulated to be weak minded, she truly did have a brilliant brain, "Akihiko finds everyone, grabs them, and takes off... and I and Kasai can get out of here. I'm sure that with the help of Kasai I'll be able to escape." While saying this she gives us both a warming smile, but as she looks at me separately, I know that she says with her look that she probably won't make it, but will be able to convince Kasai out of here.

I nod, and without a word, she nods back, and I know that she knows that I got her message.

Honest to Kami, I don't know a stronger person than her. To believe that she is resisting Mother right now, and figuring out a whole plan to get us to escape...

I quickly stand up and rush off to get everyone else. Before I leave the room, I see Kasai helping Lilith up, who is like a newborn deer, shaky on her legs. How did she even get here?! I wish them a mental good luck and rush into the hallway. We defiantly need a lot of luck on our side.

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A/n

Hello lovely human beans~

I'm sorry I didn't post last week, and I honestly have no excuse why...

Sorry about that.

Anyways, I'm signing up for courses for uni next year, and there was this course about Mafia Culture and the Power Symbols, Rituals and Myth that I want to take, but I'm so unclear about the number of courses I can take... if anyone knows how university courses work and can give me some info, that would be great. Cause I'm lost...

Thanks so much for supporting me and this book, honestly it means a lot.

Peace and love

Original A/n

Hello lovely human beans~

APOLOGIES FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER!!! (ಥ﹏ಥ) I was at camp, and didn't have wifi to post!

Well, how was the chapter?

Ugh I'm so itchy cause I have so many bug bites!

Anyus, see you guys in 2 days (for reals) with a new chapter,

Peace Out

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