(Lily POV)
The vent door cluttered to the ground as I landed down. The two scientists looked towards me in shock and fear. Hassan manifested in my hand.
I stabbed the second one one in the leg, kicking them to the ground. She screamed as she clutched her leg. I quickly turned around and stabbed the first scientist in the eye.
He screamed, before the knife went deep enough and he went slack. I grabbed the usb that the man had, pocketing it before looking towards the second scientist.
"What are you doing?!" She screeched. "That's our work!"
"This...is disgusting." I spat at her, not even bothering to switch to my broken English. "Experimenting on children...you should be horrified."
I stabbed her again the leg, making her scream. I wanted to torture her more, make her really regret this. But I had to get this girl out of here.
I stabbed the scientist in the heart, letting her eyes go blank as she quickly died. I stood up, walking over to the girl who started to freak out.
Tears streamed down her eyes. She would have screamed, if it wasn't for the clasp they had around her mouth. I raised my knife, before cutting the clasp around her mouth.
It clattered to the ground, making the girl look at me surprised. "Are you alright?" I asked.
"Y...yah." She slowly said. "W-who are you?"
Wait, she speaks Japanese, and understands it too! That's interesting.
"My name is Lily." I smiled. "I'm here to get you out of here."
"W-what about the others?" She asked.
"They're out." I told her. "Well...but not the ones you know."
"Did...did any of them survive?" She slowly asked.
"No...they didn't." I sadly said, cutting the rest of her restraints and letting her free.
I got a closer look at her. She was probably about ten, she was cute with black and blue hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her eyes were red from crying.
"W-why...?" She weakly asked, starting to cry. "Why did they do this to us? Why me?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry." I whispered, hugging her. I felt terrible. I could have saved some of her friends. But then...who knows how long it would be to take down the Du Lac's.
And how many more lives they would ruin in the process. I still hated myself for not doing anything, despite my reasoning.
"What they did was terrible." I whispered to her. "But know that your friends would have wanted you to survive."
"B-but...it shouldn't have been me." She whimpered.
"Why?" I asked.
"W-what?" She replied confused, looking up at me with teary eyes.
I think I felt motherly instincts kick in.
"There is nothing that makes you different from your friends." I told her. "If it was someone else, then would be happy. And they would have this same guilt."
"There's nothing wrong with it." I continued. "But know, it's not your fault. Your friends are happy you get a chance to live. It's not your fault."
I gestured to the dead scientists. "It's their fault. And today, it will all be over. They'll never hurt anyone again."
"I...I want to help." She whispered, wiping her tears.
I don't want a ten year old fighting.
"We'll see." I smiled at her. I picked her up, carrying her in a princess carry. She wrapped her arms around my neck. "You want to get out of here?"
"Yes." She whispered.
"Let's go." I replied.
I quickly unlocked the doors using the console inside of the room. Pushing the things out of the way with my feet, I exited the room and started to run towards the exit.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"X-Xena." She muttered.
Experiment X. They named it after her. Easy to remember, I guess.
"Alright Xena." I continued. "Tell me about yourself."
As I ran through the halls, passing the dead bodies of the security, Xena told me all about herself and her former life at the orphanage.
Before all of this happened.
It didn't take long until I reached the stairs, quickly running up them. There was a slight problem however, as once I reached the top multiple guards turned towards me.
The door to the warehouse was closed. It seems that Ken got the children out, and closed the door on the guards so they couldn't harm the children.
But now that left me vulnerable. I could got into the shadows, but could I possibly take Xena with me? I don't know, and I'm not leaving her alone.
"Oh no..." She whimpered.
One of the guards pulled their gun up, pointing it at me. "Put Experiment X down!" He shouted.
Before he could do anything a hole fell from the ceiling. Ken dropped down from the hole, right in the middle of the guards.
He looked towards me. "I wouldn't leave you hanging, you know that? I had to make sure the kids would be fine."
"I never doubted you." I smiled at him.
He quickly dispatched the guard. Their shuffle ended up with multiple bullets in the guard's chest from his own pistol. The man dropped down to the ground, very dead and bleeding onto the ground.
"Who is that?" Xena whispered.
"That's Ken." I smiled. "The man I love."
The other guards reared their pistols on him. Ken slowly put his hands up, smirking. I knew he had a plan, but little Xena didn't.
One of the guards pulled the trigger.
"No!" Xena screamed from my arms, extending one of her hands.
Multiple portals opened up by the guards, a dark blue tentacle shooting out from each one. They grabbed onto the surprised guards.
Ken summoned Loki in his shield form, easily blocking the bullet. It harmlessly bounced off the shield.
The tentacles slammed the guards into the ground, before throwing them away. They slammed onto the ground, some unconscious.
Huh? Was that Xena?
Ken easily took out the ones that weren't knocked out. He looked back towards us, looking at Xena.
"Was that her?" He questioned.
"...I think so." I slowly replied, looking down at Xena, who looked at her own hand in surprise.
"That was pretty awesome." He replied. "That must be your Arcana."
"M-My what?" She asked, looking back at Ken.
"I'll tell you later." He smiled. "For now, let's get out of here."
He incinerated the door with his green fire, leading us out to where the other orphans were safely sitting. Authorities were quickly arriving due to the sounds in the distance.
Xena looked towards them, surprised. "They were..." She muttered.
"The next ones." I sadly stated. "But not anymore." I set her down. "You can join them."
She looked towards them, before looking back at me. She seemed to be conflicted.
"Let's get out of here." Ken nodded. "The orphans are fine and the authorities will get them back to the orphanage."
"What if they really do have contacts to the authorities?" I whispered to him so the children wouldn't hear and get worried.
"I'll check in later." He stated. "They won't be doing anything more to hurt these kids. And hopefully it won't matter, because today will be the day the Du Lac's fall. Right now, they want us to meet up with Erica."
"Alright." I nodded. "Then let's go."
Before I could continue a tug on my leg stopped me. Xena looked up at Ken and I with teary eyes. "Please, take me with you." She begged.
Ken was about to refuse when I remembered what I heard from the scientists.
"Wait." I said. I pulled out the usb and tossed it to him. "There seems to be something special about her, that's what the scientists said. And she wants to help, because of the things they did to her and her friends."
Ken looked at Xena. "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" Xena replied with determination in her eyes. "I want to help!"
He looked her into the eyes, before relenting. "Alright." He smiled. "We'll take you with us. I owe you after you saved me, don't I?"
I knew Ken would have been fine without Xena doing...whatever that was, but he certainly cheered up Xena with her thinking that she saved him.
"Thank you!" She happily grinned.
I wanted to protect that smile.
Ken suddenly touched his earpiece, his eyes widening. "What?!" He exclaimed.
"What's going on?" I worriedly asked.
"Erica is fighting Darien. Alone." He revealed. "This was not a part of the plan. We need to go, now."
I picked up Xena, holding her in my arms. The sirens got louder. I looked over to the other orphans, smiling sweetly at them.
"The police will be here any moment and will help you." I smiled, telling them in English. "We have to go."
We waved to the happy and freed orphans, running away. Ken led the way as we headed to Erica's last known location.
Please be safe, Erica.