Katropolis: Sovereign Chapter 13

Whilst the citizens of Area 5, and many others across the city slept, those residing in one laboratory did not. Taro had told his men not to return until they had found the clone. If they got Yuzuki at the same, that would be a huge bonus. They had been out all day, searching as far as they could think. The Director sat in his office, thinking on his projects.

He was the only one who was annoyed by how things were turning out. Ramona was glad C3-701 was gone, it meant that she didn't have to watch a camera all night, losing sleep. However, she was looking into one, or rather several cameras, at that moment. Cameras which showed various parts of Area 5. Some inside warehouses, other looking out onto the streets and a couple in the alleyways.

Yet, she had still not found her. It made Ramona feel useless. She worked very hard to get where she was and now, it felt like she had done it all for nothing. Why had she not been able to find her? With all the cameras, how hard could it have been? It all made no sense.

Even so, she knew had to carry on. Checking every camera closely, Ramona continued her hard work.

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Soon, the sun started to rise over the city, giving the grey walls of it's houses an orange hue. It was not yet warm but it was comforting. The sun meant a new day full or work and a step forward to a new era for everyone in Katropolis.

As the early hours of dawn passed, the rays of the giant star scanned over the house which currently housed Chizuko, Sora and their recent guest, C3-701. Orange light poured into the bedroom, quickly awakening Chizuko. She had spent all night trying to figure out what was going on; her sleep was not as peaceful as she had hoped.

Leaving C3-701 sleeping away, Chizuko dressed and went to the living room. It was here Sora was preparing to go and help her friends. They were almost done with the outer shell of the Matsumoto laboratory. Sora, still a little nervous about the clone, asked how she was doing. Chizuko reassured her everything was fine.

Once Sora was sure she felt safe, she left to start working. It was then time for Chizuko to see what today's talk with the clone would bring. Taking a plate of food for her counterpart, she went back into her room.

It seemed different. In the space of a few minutes, the room had changed somehow. The window, which was not open before, was now unlatched. Chizuko knew that before she fell into her restless sleep, C3-701 was there, finally calm after her outburst. However, she wasn't there now.

In her mind, Chizuko figured that she had been captured; taken back by the people who created her and probably now would be forced into doing something else. Something that would put one or all of them in danger this time around. Setting the plate down, she went over to the open window. There appeared to be no signs of breakage, just an undone latch and a gentle breeze.

It was strange but then again, C3-701 was still so much of a mystery, just like Yuzuki was. Those who created the clone were still not known to the group either.

Taking a step back from the window, Chizuko thought about what she had been told so far. She figured that the clone had been desperately trying to attain something but was struggling to achieve it, or at least, was achieving it in the wrong way.

Knowing she had shared her own limited information with Yuna, Chizuko figured it would be best to update them all together now.

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The clock shifted its minute hand forward and a familiar tune rang throughout the room. They had been gathered in this living room for less than an hour but already knew the full extent of the situation. It didn't take long to explain to everyone. Now, they were all wondering what the next step was.

Yuzuki, having been silent throughout, seemed to suddenly feel herself again. The fear and anxiety she had been feeling since the incident in the old house a few days previous was gone. It was all thanks to her new group of friends. They made her feel welcome and clearly weren't going to let whoever was behind this get to her.

“Of course, now we have to properly find out who is behind all this.”

A very good point by Chizuko. They so far had no real clue as to the person leading this scheme, nor their reasoning behind it. The group's only clues came from the clone, along with the mysterious building they had seen when they went to Area 6.

They had a name at least. Taro. However, no one could quite place that name. It appeared that whoever Taro was, he was not widely known in Katropolis. Not like Falco; whom everyone knew about. The fact he was unheard of made him all the more suspicious.

His actions so far, the removal of Area 6 cyborgs and the numerous times he had seemingly sent out C3-701 to capture Yuzuki, all made it clear he was slowly coming out into the open. Taro was being devious and it appeared he was also very callous. That much, Chizuko could tell by what she knew about him so far.

Thinking back on C3-701, Chizuko wondered where she was now. Had she been captured? Or was there something deeper in this?

Finding out the answers to all of Chizuko's questions, and no doubt the other's questions as well, would mean they would have to venture back to Area 6. They knew that the building was heavily guarded but they had faced protection like that before. Having faced Area 4's cyborgs and the King, nothing seemed to be daunting for them any more.

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Plans were not necessary to the group. They knew exactly where they were heading and what they would demand when they arrived. Still, they spent some time going over everything.

“Are you going to find her?,” Sora was implying about C3-701, who she still felt a bit uncomfortable thinking about, “I mean, what will you do about her? When you see her again?”

The others listened intently to this. They all had mixed feelings about the clone. It was hard to completely comprehend her actions without proper reasoning.

“It all depends on what I discover. Either way, I'll make sure we stop this whole mess before it gets out of hand. One way or another.”

Sora agreed with this. As did the others. Yuzuki was the most unsure about C3-701, the fact she was the target made it harder for her to believe what she had been told. Sitting silently, she thought back on her short time with the group again. It appeared that something was still weighing heavily on her mind.

It would only be a matter of time before this whatever it was came to light.