Hope for The End (Book 3)

7. Questions Left Unanswered

Hajime's exhausted brain snapped to attention. He had just regained consciousness. He lifted himself off the ground, his hands were burning. Wait- hands?

He looked down to see that his arm was back on his body. Though it was shiny and metallic. Somehow he could feel it? He didn't want to think about it, his brain was already spinning and his head was aching. He looked around. The figure was gone. All that remained was their dried up blood on the ground. His friends were no where in sight.

He slowly stood up, his legs feeling fuzzy and heavy. He dragged himself around, questioning what to do. Maybe Chiaki was still around? She had fled before the explosion after all.

He trudged along the path leading up to the cottages. His back screamed for him to stop, his arms felt like weights on his shoulders.

An eternity later, he got to Chiaki's door. He didn't want to knock, so instead he slammed his head on the door three times, regretting it almost immediately. His head throbbed again and his vision fuzzed out when he heard the door open.

He looked down to see a petrified Chiaki staring at him. She looked as though she had been crying for a while, her eyes were red. They lingered on his new arm. She hesitated for a while before dragging him inside and having him sit on the couch.

"Oh god what have they done to you..." She murmured worriedly.

Hajime was grateful for the seat, he didn't realize how sore his legs had become.

"Don't...know." His voice faded into a whisper, "I saw... Izuru..."

"Yeah I saw them too," Chiaki confessed, "I should have done something but I was too scared to get in their way."

"...them?" Hajime's sluggish brain was fighting to speed up, "Who else was there?"

"Junko.., and a black haired girl..." Chiaki mumbled.

Hajime stared at Chiaki, "So...she isn't...dead...I knew it..."

Chiaki nodded. She stood up quickly to get supplies so she could patch him up.

He closed his eyes and faded into blackness again. The next time he awoke, things were not going to be pleasant.

Nobody had seen Kyoko at all the next few days. It was usual for her not to be seen or heard from for long amounts of time, but this felt different. There was a type of tension in the air that was too pronounced to ignore.

Mitarai seemed to have gotten sick, he threw up more times than anyone could count.

Komaru and Asahina were worried sick for Makoto but knew he was a lost cause. He was too deep into his despair, no matter how much they talked with him through the bars.

Toko and Byakuys minded their own business, though Toko seemed on the edge more than usual and Byakuya seemed to stiffen more.

"Something must have happened after we left..." Asahina thought to herself one afternoon after another unsuccessful chat with Makoto.

Komaru sighed, "Maybe, but what can we do about it? We haven't seen Kyoko for almost a week..."

Asahina considered this for a moment, then her face brightened, "We can ask Keebo for help! He can scan for her, right?"

"Oh yeah... your right!" Komaru smiled.

They both stood up and walked down the hall. They stopped at Keebo's door and Asahina knocked. There was a surprised noise before Keebo opened the door.

"Hello!" He greeted, "What can I help with?"

Asahina hesitated, "Well, We haven't seen Kyoko for a few days and we're starting to get worried. I'm sorry to ask but, is it possible for you to scan for her?"

Keebo thought for a moment, "..Yeah I suppose I can do that. You guys can't be robophobic if you are half robot yourselves."

His antenne spun around on top of his head. When it finally stopped he muttered, "No, that can't be right..."

"What is it?" Komaru asked.

"My scanner indicates that Kirigiri is at the Future Foundation's old headquarters..."

"What?" Aoi questioned herself, "Why would she go there?"

"I am not sure," Keebo said thoughtfully, "No one sent her there, I know that."

"Are we able to ask Makoto?" Komaru asked Keebo, "Maybe he knows why?"

"That is possible..." Keebo muttered, "However, I think I should ask him. You two stay here."

He walked off in the direction of Makoto's cell.

"Hopefully he gets an answer..." Ashaina sighed, "Kyoko really is a mystery sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Komaru laughed, "Isn't she always?"

"Oh- yeah- I guess so" Aoi smiled.

They talked for a while before the sound of Keebo's footsteps approached them.

"Oh hey Keebo, did you get-" Asahina froze mid sentence.

Makoto was standing there with Keebo shortly behind him.

"He told me that he only answered to you..." Keebo said sheepishly, "so bringing him here was the only thing I could think of."

"You could have just come and gotten us! You didn't need to release him!" Komaru cried.

"I have your answer ready," Makoto grinned wildly, "Would you like to hear it?"

Aoi nodded on instinct, "Tell us!"

"I had a little chat with her, and now she is going back to the future foundation." Makoto laughed to himself, "That isn't the last place she's going though, so you might want to hurry and catch up before she moves again."

They both stared at him.

"What did you talk about to make her do that?!" Aoi asked, almost hysterically, "Kyoko wouldn't abandon us like this if it wasn't something major!"

Makoto only laughed. Then he walked back to his cell.

Keebo watched after him.

"Something fishy is going on here..."