Northern Military Research Base

Dante released Rose's wrist but stayed next to her. "I'll be fine Rose."

Rose shook her head. "They said you were to die." She looked at Resha. "Let me take him away. Away from the blue people."

Dante shook his head. "Rose she can't-"

Another knife was suddenly in her hand and at his neck. Where does she hide these things? "I'll take you away from them! You will be safe!" she cried.

"I cannot allow that," Resha said. "Hide him and they will find the both of you. That's when the both of you will be tried and killed. By then, I have absolutely no power to stop that."

She sighed. "Rose, please, understand. I'll take full responsibility over this. I'll make sure he'll live. And if not... no, he'll live. I'm positive."

Dante moved the blade from his neck. "I'll be fine Rose. Trust me and Resha. I won't die."

Rose sniffed. "But you won't be safe. The blue guys will hunt you and find you then kill you." She started to cry. "They want to kill you! I don't want you dead!"

Dante hid a sigh. You've tried to kill us.

Resha hugged Rose. "I'm a blue person too and I don't want him dead. See? Not all blue people are bad, Rose. Everything will be fine. I bet that with my life!"

Dante stood there looking at Resha and Rose. "Rose, I promise I will see you again. Alive. But I can't till my appeal is over." He shook his head. "All your doing is hurting my chances."

Rose hugged Resha back. "But I want to see him now! I don't want him to leave! You will die!" She cried, muffled as her face was in Resha's shirt.

Dante shook his head. "I won't die Rose. I promise."

She patted the girl's head. "Listen to Kotaro," she said. "Things will be all right. He will not die."

That was when a military personnel of high office entered the scene. "What is the meaning of this!?" he bellowed, making Resha let go of Rose and stand up. "Sir! A child has--,"

But he only shook his head. "I don't need your explanations!"
But you asked... she thought.

Dante turned to the military official. "You asked her for a meaning and she was giving you one." He said glaring at the man. "We were just on our way to the courtroom for my trial."

Nero walked up behind the official.

[Heading to bed for the night]

Resha stood up, holding her arm. "Uhm, yes. It's as they say..." Gahhh, not looking good!

The official looked around. "And how do you explain all these dead bodies?"

Resha didn't look up. "It was an accident. The--,"

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" the official cut her again.

WHYYYYY MEEEEE?! D:

Dante gritted his teeth and calmly walked over to the official. "Your damn guards weren't enough. Now I don't care how high ranking you are. If you are responsible for this base, you are in for it." He glared at him. "You could simply put it as a failed test run for an experiment." He pointed at Rose. "Who's coming with me."

"Sir." Nero spoke up. "I take responsibility. I was tasked with guarding these two and I should have eliminated the threat."

Rose looked down, her hand behind her back.

"Erm, they're all under my jurisdiction?" she added. "So, uhm, in all honesty, it's really my responsibility?"

She wasn't sure how to say it, and was just glad she wasn't cut again in the middle of her explanations. They both have a point but the bottom line is, it would be safest if she take the weight without putting Nero, Kotaro and Rose in trouble.

"They're uhm, my... experiments?" she didn't really want to say it but she had little choice in the matter.

Dante shook his head. "We are her experiments but we were granted freedom from the military's order. We are responsible for our own actions." He looked at Resha. "She was just here to heal me for my trial."

Nero sighed. What a do gooder.

Rose was messing with her fingers and still hadn't looked up.

"Erm, something like that," she said. "Either way, I'm going to take responsibility--,"

"Enough!" the military official scolded. "Who are you anyway!?" he pointed at Resha.

"...erm," that made her speechless. He was getting mad at her and he didn't even know who she was?! He pointed at Kotaro, Nero and Rose. "Trial, escort - go, go. Let's not waste any time!"

Dante glared at the man. Resha was told she was to go to the trial. "Exactly who are you anyway? To where you don't who Resha is. And she's supposed to come to the trial." He said coldly.

Nero walked over to Dante. "We gotta go Dante."

Rose glared at the man. Dante could see she was about to snap and he had to jerk away from Nero to calm her. "It's alright. We will handle it."

"Bah! Convicts have no right to talk to me like that!" he shook his head and waved Kotaro off. "You are a dead man walking."

Resha snapped. "He's not!" she glared. "How dare you speak so unjustly! We don't need someone who's here just to flaunt their power to give us orders!"

He snapped back. "I am a high-ranking military official! Von Karm!" he pronounced clearly and loudly. "How dare you speak like that to me!"

Dante gritted his teeth at the man. A power juggler. "You may be high ranking but you are to follow proper protocol and rules 'Von Karm'." He walked slowly over to him. "If you are so high and mighty, then where were you when this happened, how do you not know General Zane's sister, and how come you haven't heard of the Lightning's Pain alchemist's trial?" He stopped a few inches from the man.

Nero placed his hand on his face. More trouble then.

Rose glared at the man and a small slither of steel came from a hidden sheath somewhere on her person. Dante glanced at her, Calm down. He whispered.

"I don't need you to tell me about protocols and rules," he spat back at Kotaro. He looked at him with a sneer.

But what he said made the Von Karm blink. "Eh? This girl? You are?" then he laughed heartily. "My, my, my! Err... Resha! You've grown! It's been a long while! Why! You were such a cute kid back then!"

Resha tripped on midair. "And the Lightning's Pain Alchemist, you say? You certainly look quite different from the last time I saw you!" he laughed again.

"Well! Let's forget this misunderstanding and away with us! I shall be attending the trial myself. Come, come!"

Dante raised an eyebrow. Do I know him? I was known as The Lightnings Pain Alchemist years ago. Who exactly is he? "How do you know me and where?" Dante said crossing his arms. "And how long was it when you saw Resha?" But he sighed. "Very well, but Rose comes along."

This is a freakshow. But I guess I shouldnt talk. Nero thought.

Rose sighed and nodded.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he shook his head. "Come now, you are a convict. We will be doing the interrogation."

He looked at Resha then to Kotaro. "But if you must know, I know you from the reviews and we've met sometime before - when Resha was still a child. That's when I last saw her," he nodded. "And you, for that matter. It's been a long, long time. I'm not getting any younger, after all!" He heartily laughed.

"Well, sure, sure," he looked at Rose. "Now off we go!"

Dante still glared at the man but nodded. "Then lets be on our way. Rose, come on." He looked at Resha. "Lets go."

Nero sighed and walked over to Dante. "I'm still your escort so I have to be watching you."

Rose walked over to Resha. "walk with me?"

Resha found it rather weird, that man but she supposed there were just some people like that.

She nodded at Kotaro and smiled at Rose. "I'll do better than that. I'll hold your hand," she did as she said and started walking.

Dante, now being led by Nero, walked toward the courthouse.

Rose gave a small smile and took Resha's hand, walking with her toward the courthouse.

[Out]