It had only been a single hour since they heard the terrible news.

It had only taken that single hour for SHE to get everything repaired and fixed, again.

Nothing less for Jen-Ya, wonderful Taoist priestess of the ages... oh wait.  Janet.  Dr. Janet.  Ugh, Janet hated that Doctor term.  Well, whatever worked.  At any rate, again, it was nothing less for Janet (Screw that Dr. thing!).  Because she fixed everything.  Standing before the other nine girls, Janet had an air of authority as she made her statement.

"Hey everyone!  Bison's back!"  Janet happily proclaimed as the red suited man stepped onto the stage, much to the shock of the other Dolls.

"Yes!"  M. Bison proclaimed.  "HA HA!  I am Lord Bison and I hath returned to my wonderful harem of beautiful wenches!  Charmed, if I do say so, myself!"

Juli blinked.  "Why is Bison being British?"

Juni joined her.  "And why is he so short?"

.....arrrgh.  Janet voiced her thoughts out loud.  "Oh screw this.  This isn't working.  Sorry, Mini-M. E. Bison.  You'll have to go find another line of work."

The short midget clone of Bison snapped his fingers.  "Phooey."

A snapping of fingers that someone did in the real world happened at the same time, which quickly snapped Janet out of her daydream.  She looked around, realizing that she was back in one of Mrigranka's lab rooms, with Marzche and Serina behind her.  And who was in front of her?

"That's not going to work."  The man in the suit commented.  "The Mini-M. E. Bison project wasn't ever finished, anyways."

Inwardly, Janet sighed, though outwardly she maintained her composure.  "I know that.  I was just thinking of possibilities."

The two High Command secretaries were being very pressuring at the moment.  Or at least, she could feel that they were watching her every move.  Apparently now that Bison was gone, his invisible behind-the-scenes magic shoemaking elves decided to pick up the slack on their own.  Course, then again, it was kinda well known that they had to carry a lot of slack in the first place, anyway.  It was just that no one cared while there was the commander to watch over everyone and be the authority figure.

The man's blonde female companion decided to progress the conversation.  "We'll leave the counseling of your fellow Dolls to you.  We expect that you'll come up with a proper solution."

Janet was somewhat surprised.  She didn't expect the High Command secretaries to have any confidence in her.  At least, that guy that ran the receptionist desk to the commander sanctum was always condescending to her (if she ever figured out who that asshole was, she sooooo was going to show him how SHE dishes out S&M better than even Aurora could when one has fallen out of the favor of SHE).

"You reacted awfully fast to get things back under control during that Psycho Drive fiasco.  It was... impressive."  The long-haired blonde girl continued.  However, there was a tone of suspicion in her voice.  One that was purposefully emphasized in order to make sure Janet realized it.  "I would have thought that no one could react that quickly unless they knew about the incident before hand.  But then, I'm just a secretary, anyways."

Did they... they really thought that Janet could have...!?

"Please pardon my co-worker.  Secretaries aren't supposed to speculate."  The man broke in.  Janet could have sworn his voice sounded somewhat familiar and for some reason, for a brief moment, it made her feel like hurting something badly, but that probably had to be just because she was really stressed out from the recent events.  "Secretaries exist to compile and manage info for the leader.  A leader which we're still seeking out right now."

Janet was even more surprised than before.  Why were they bringing this up in front of her?  The woman took out some papers and flipped through them.

"Our most logical choice for leader in light of Lord Bison's absence would be High Lady Rose.  A runner-up would be the lords of Shadowlaw.  However, it is highly likely that none of them would care to bother with taking up the leadership after their last encounter with Lord Bison about the issue.  Furthermore, Sagat appears to have charted his own course and will not be caring for power, anytime soon.  We have in fact, realized that it is a position you may contest for, if you so desire."

Janet wasn't just surprised.  She was stunned.

"Me... lead Shadowlaw?"

She could be the leader.  She could be the one that everyone had to obey.  For an eternity, everyone would have to bow down to her word.  And yet... there was one thing.  One thing that made it all wrong.

The Chinese girl sighed.  "......no, let Rose do it.  Lord Bison chose her, after all."

Images of that fateful night filled her mind.  When she killed for him.  When she turned on everything, and brought everything downhill.  Here, she was not her old self anymore.  She was Janet, stealer of lives, the one who always did it again, vampire that metamorphisized babies into lobsters...

...damn, what the HELL was that?  Janet still wondered what kind of CRACK Serina was smoking when she came up with that term about vampires.  Reminded about Serina, Janet stared back at the pink-haired girl, who was still standing straight at attention along with Marzche.  It was strange, but she was being eerily more quiet than usual.

At any rate, the point still remained.  After everything Janet did for him, Michael had chosen Rose.  She was defeated... stabbed in the back, after everything she did.  Or... more likely, she was just stupid enough to believe she could have Michael to herself in the first place.  An irrational dream by a little girl who didn't know any better.  She couldn't be so naive, anymore.  So why fight it?  What right did Janet have to go against M. Bison's wish?

The female secretary seemed pleased with her answer, though.  Or at least, even though her facial expression didn't show it, her remark following Janet's answer could almost be seen as an apology for the earlier implied accusation.

"Stepping down is sometimes a very rational choice to make.  Perhaps Commander Bison will thank you in his next life."

That last sentence was stated without sarcasm.  Though Janet didn't get what was up with the pseudo-religious reincarnation implication of it.  And then, they were gone.  Unfortunately, they wouldn't be the only ones that would bug Janet, that day.

Cammy was next in the line of people who wanted to be enlightened by the great SHE, and Fenrir was right behind her.

...this was going to be a long day.

"Bison isn't dead."  Cammy stated.  "I'm going after him.  I know he's out there, somewhere.  This is a test of your faith and your loyalty to Lord Bison.  The rest of the dolls will be coming with me."

Eh eh eh?  What the hell!?  Oh yea, this was going to be a really REALLY long day.

"Are you insane?"  Janet couldn't believe what she was hearing.  "I checked, myself!  He's a corpse!"

Was Cammy going mad!?  Maybe this was a result of the current blonde girl with the two pig-tails in her hair being different from the other Dolls, but the one with the mask wasn't this bad...

"Dr. Janet, what do you think you're doing?  Are you loyal to Bison or not?"  Cammy motioned for the exit.  "I shall repeat.  The rest of the dolls will be coming with me.  Lord Bison is out there, and I'm going to take everyone else and go find him."

Today HAD to have been 'give Janet a ton of stuff she couldn't believe she was hearing' day.  She didn't even know how to reply to this.

Fortunately, from the doorway, Fenrir stepped into the confrontation to defend the confused girl.  Another surprise.  Janet was starting to get used to it.  "Agent Cammy, I wasn't aware that we Dolls were yours for the taking.  Furthermore, the term 'The Dolls' is to be stated with an air of a title.  To do so otherwise would indicate that we are nothing but the doll type of toy, which obviously is incorrect."

Cammy took her up on her challenge.  "Who do you think you are?  My rank exceeds yours, Agent Fenrir."

Pot to Kettle:  Hey, you're black.  Janet was getting really annoyed.  It was odd, because she and Fenrir really weren't on the friendliest terms for a really long time.  There had been a lot of tension between the two forever since Fenrir became a dolls.  No... not just 'a' doll.  A Doll.  To say and think of it as a title...  Janet was actually beginning to like that idea.  And she was the one who engineered the Doll Project and created the Dolls.  So who did Cammy think she was, to insult all of them like that?

Janet stared at her in the face... and realized that she wasn't staring at Cammy, at all.  She was staring at someone else.  What Janet and Fenrir thought she was, was right.

"Number Two, get out."

The blonde girl looked at Janet in shock.  "What did you just call me?"

"The Dolls are the Dolls.  If you don't consider yourself to be one of them, why are you here?  Get out, Number Two."

"My name is NOT..."

"OUT."

Number Two stomped her foot.  "Forget this.  I'm out of here."

"Oh, and Number Two," Janet called, causing the other girl to turn around before she continued.  "Put some damn pants on."

Number Two shot Janet a glare than angrily stomped out of the room.  And thus Number Two (who was also number two in the line of worshippers who feared SHE and wanted her wisdom!!!!) was out the door.  Fenrir was next in line, but first, there was still something that troubled Janet.  She turned to Serina, who still was looking morose.  Well, might as well see if she could illicit some sort of response.  She needed some reassurance, at least.

"What do you think about what Number Two said?"

"Tsch."  Marzche replied, apparently deciding to leave the rest of the replying to Serina, as always.

Serina was quick to take it.  "If Michael were still around, then of course I'd be nice and would listen to him!  I just thought that there was a scarier metamorphisis than ever before... but I guess I was wrong.  But no one's perfect... I still think, though, that he's really gone..."

She started to perk up a little as she said that but quickly calmed down again with a hint of odd depression in her voice.  Or at least seriousness.  Janet couldn't tell, because she never saw Serina like that before.  But again, there were more pressing issues.  Her question about M. Bison was answered.

"Ah.  I see."  Janet replied, then sighed.  "She's just being a nutcase since Bison died.  Makes sense, given that she's even worse than the masked one."

Janet always trusted herself.  She trusted her judgment.  But she needed that reassurance because for the longest time, she was unsure if she was right, after all.  To bury the ghost, or to keep it around?  But... the ghost was gone.  Forever.  The sooner they all got over it, the better.  It... had to be buried.

SHE wanted to cry, but she wouldn't.  There was no funeral for Bison, and there was no one to shed tears for.  She had cried that day she lost Michael a long long time ago, anyway.  She had cried the day she realized that she never had Michael in the first place when she decided it had to be all or nothing, and that there would be no sharing.  To cry again would just be redundant.  The ghost was gone, indeed.  There was nothing else that could be done.

Now it was Fenrir's turn.  At least, she seemed to be the last in line, but more could always come later.

What did she want?  Was she going to berate Janet, again?  Bad enough that those two secretaries and Number Two did.

"So?  What?"  Janet asked as Fenrir walked up to her.

Fenrir put her hand on her hip.  "Jen, we're all waiting for a statement."

Janet was surprised, once again.  Though this was a good thing, this time.  She was expecting Fenrir to tell her that she was 'doing it again', even though in this case, Janet wouldn't have been able to figure out what -it- was.  But still, speaking of things she couldn't figure out...

"Why do -I- have to be the one that has to give the statement?"

Fenrir sighed.

"Jen, do you remember?  'We are his Dolls.'?"

What kind of question was that?  Of course she remembered!  The Dolls were to be Lord Bison's personal unit.  His finest.  The ones under his direct command.

Fenrir continued.  "I once dreamed of being the bodyguard of my commander.  The personal choice.  A top doll, forever by his side."

She closed her eyes.  Janet noticed that she said the word 'doll' as a generic noun, that time.

"And then came the news that Lord Bison was gone forever."  Opening her eyes, Fenrir looked up at the other Doll with an almost worried look.  "But you know what's really scary, Janet?  When I heard the news, I was surprised, but that was it."

What was she trying to say?

"Well, okay, I suppose back then I felt sad, but after a while... I didn't feel sad at all."  It slowly began to dawn on Janet as Fenrir clarified.  "When I looked back in retrospect and was over the initial shock, I realized that, compared to what I SHOULD have been feeling, I didn't care that he was gone, at all."

"So..."  Janet stuttered, "What you're trying to say is that the brainwashing... That our loyalty... Any brainwashing... Damn..."

Self-consciousness... the realization.  The rationalization.  They haven't seen Lord Bison in months.  Even Janet just decided that she herself... was going to bury the ghost.  The Dolls WERE supposed to be his personal unit.  But they had realized that they weren't, anymore.  Seeing Bison with so many substitutes, with so many others... and now that he was gone, what were they supposed to do, now?

Fenrir crossed her arms.  "The statement, Janet.  You can either try to restore it, or you can try to get rid of it.  Right now, we're all just confused, and we need SOMEONE to stop that, now.  Give the word that we should try always remember Lord Bison, or give the word that we should forget. Just give a god damn word..."

So it really was up to her, after all.  But she still wasn't sure of herself.  She still wasn't sure if they were going to listen.  But Fenrir was right.  Someone had to do it.

...sigh, being SHE had its disadvantages.

Give the word that they should try to always remember Lord Bison... but Janet was really the only one that COULD remember him.  The other Dolls were close, but not THAT close.  The truth was, she was the only one that had been able to truly get any bit near Michael on such a level.  To the rest, even though they had been tricked and deluded into thinking otherwise, he really was just their captain and commander.  The one to be loyal to as their leader, but the one who was now gone.

Fenrir was right.

Had the crazy sword girl not have pointed it out, Janet might have mistaken the confused and still shocked looks on the rest of the Dolls' faces as mourning, but a little more thought made her realize that it was just that.  Confusion and shock.

It was just that none of them dared to say it out loud.  But the truth was, deep down, they all probably were realizing just how out of touch they've become with Lord Bison over time.  They all realized that, even before his death, they had been without him for so long that he had just become their far-off employer.  This... was a very touchy situation.  Janet even wondered that some of them could be so irked by the whole revelation that if they don't get some breathing room or freedom fast, there would be some ugly mutiny-ing going around...

...no, SHE had it under control.  Well, it wasn't just that.  Janet was still uncertain of whether she was sure of herself or not, but she did know all of them.  She did know that she could trust them.  But then... the uncertainty came back.  She thought she could trust Avelle, too.  She let Avelle run off, and Avelle had done so after what Avelle found out about Lord Bison.  That didn't stop Avelle from betraying and selling out Shadowlaw, later.  Would Cammy have done so, too, had Cammy not been killed before she could get the chance?  But then again, she never got to talk to Avelle or Cammy like she got to talk to the other Dolls, now.  She wouldn't make the same mistake, twice.

No tip-toeing.  She walked right into their midst.

"I have a favor to ask of all of you."

All of the other Dolls turned to look at her, wondering what was going on.  This was it.

"I want you all to forget about Bison, now.  He's gone, forever."  No... maybe that was going too far.  She didn't want to over-interpret Fenrir's statement.  Janet quickly added, "You may mourn for him or honor his memory, but I ask that you all realize your own needs and look after them, too."

They were still silent.  Probably a lot of their uncertainty was gone now, but in its place, the surprise at what she was asking of them came.  Well, at least Janet wasn't the only one being surprised, today.  Her next statement would be even worse.

"Rose is going to be High Commander until further notice."

Oh yea.  That did it.  Now they all looked completely stunned.  This would soon be replaced by worry.  Which would soon be followed by many protests or thoughts of how one angry High Lady would try to get revenge on them and smite them all with her wrath.

"But we all practically tried to kill Rose!"  Olvere stated, at which several others of the Dolls stared at her, making her quickly change her statement.  "Erm... or at least gave her lots of really really mean looks."

Juli slapped herself in the forehead at Olvere's slip of the tongue.  Janet wasn't sure what that was about, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know, anyway.  In the end, all for one and one for all managed to prevail or something, though, because now Juli was there to try to help Janet out a little.

"You don't need to worry."  The brunette commented.  "Rose wouldn't do that.  She told me once... that she was sorry when she realized what her being here might have meant for the rest of us."

...wha?

SHE was not supposed to be this much out of the loop.  Just how much touch did Janet lose with everyone else while she was trying to catch Michael's attention?

But the rest of them... they believed Juli.  Janet realized that she herself almost lost touch with them all just like M. Bison had, too.  Fortunately, it looked like things weren't too late for her.  Well, perhaps with one possible exception.  Janet noted that Juni had decided to stay towards the back of the other Dolls to draw less attention to herself.  Who did she think she was fooling?  She shot the blonde girl an angry glare, just to make sure that Juni knew that she wasn't off the hook for trying to KILL EVERYONE, at all.  But there wasn't any time for that, now.  They couldn't afford to have a morale blow at a time like this, just like back with Avelle...

She continued.

"Please remember, this is classified information.  Only we and a few others know what happened to Lord Bison.  We can't have it leak out now, or else there would be chaos."  Janet had once kept information from the rest of the Dolls, but this time they all could have the information and all be the ones to keep it from others.  "Don't worry about it.  I just want all of you to go out, follow yourself, and think of your own reasons why you're a member of Shadowlaw and a member of the Dolls.  If you truly can hold onto your loyalty for us, then by all means, come back.  Otherwise, you'll be free to go.  Just tell me where you want to go and what you want to do, and I'll set it up."

They all had... a lot of thinking to do, today.  None of them even moved, trying to figure out what their decision could be.

"Oh, one more thing."  Janet added.  "Just to show you how sincere I am, I'll be removing the last psycho power feed inhibitor from us all, and utilizing the method where psycho power will truly be able to be used from and feed off of your own emotions.  If you find yourself and find your own power within you, you won't have to worry about relying on the psycho drives, anymore.  It gives the final range of your ability, so you don't have to worry about anyone probing into your thoughts or any memory scans or any big brothers, either.  Since I trust you, you can follow your own path without fear of being persecuted for it."

Then she turned to go back to her room, and await their answers.  If they didn't come back, then that was that.  Janet knew that they wouldn't be betraying her and giving any of Shadowlaw's deepest secrets out after what she said to them.  The Dolls had been together long enough not to know to pull another Avelle.  Or at least, most of them have.  However, there was one of them who was still really new.  Cammy, herself, wasn't new, but this clone that had just entered the room was not Cammy.  Fortunately, she only caught the last bit of Janet's sentence.

"Follow your own path?  Agent Janet, there's only one path to take.  Now get out of the way.  We're all going after Lord Bison.  Don't think I'm going to let you all abandon him, again."

The weary looks of the Dolls focused on the blonde girl before them.  None of them really said anything, though.  Janet knew that they were too tired.  That they didn't want to deal with it.  So she stepped up for all of them.

Still weary, Janet confronted her.  "Number Two, tell me how much you cared.  Tell me how much you cared about the Dolls.  Tell me how much you cared about us.  As Lord Bison's bodyguard, you purposefully shunned us all just so you could concentrate on him..."

"You should show how much YOU care for Lord Bison!!!"  The clone snapped back.  "I can't believe this!  You should be one to talk!  You're being a hypocrite, Janet."

Janet simply shrugged in reply.  "You can care about other things without forsaking those you were supposed to be one of.  I've learned this, finally."

"I think you're being selfish!"  Number Two snapped back.

Janet's reply came as she was looking behind her at all the other Dolls, all of whom were watching the two.

"Sometimes I wondered... if it was selfish, to seek a love that actually meant something..."  Crossing her arms, Janet became determined as she saw the other girls staring back at her, then turned to face her foe, again.  "I am giving the rest of the Dolls the chance to find their own self-conscious.  I want us all to finally be different from the myriad of clones and women and objects.  I want us all to finally be truly special, for once, which was something that I could never truly be with Michael.  Do you want to come along, or do you want to be stay behind to isolate yourself like you've always have, and live forever by Bison's side?"

"You know what?  Forget you."  The blonde girl forcefully shoved Janet out of the way, knocking her to the ground.  "-I- am the Premiere DOLL, Janet.  I am taking command.  The rest of you, come on!"

Number Two shot all of the other Dolls a threatening glare.  They were all still confused as ever, and Janet didn't even get up.  She just pushed herself up a little, enough to look at the other Dolls, who were unable to make a decision.  Fenrir, however, was an exception.

"Psh..."  The small sound that the Japanese sword-girl made was enough to show her defiance.  Not that the alternate Cammy clone cared.  She knew that Fenrir was against her, already.  Silence followed once again, with no signs of opposition.

"Then that's it, then?  Good.  We'll be off to find Lord Bison, then."

Still even more silence.  Juli stepped up to Cammy, then... walked right past her and held out her hand to help Janet get up.  Janet took it without a word as she got to her feet.

It caught the blonde girl completely off guard.  "What?  What are you..."

"Oh!  Janet!  Are you all right?"  Noelle was fast by Janet's side with her medical instruments at the ready.

"But..."

Desire quickly ran to Fenrir's side then turned to look at the girl.  "I'm sorry, but I can't bring myself to assist in helping one go after their false soulmate.  There's still a chance for you to find your soulclone, Number Two!"

Aurora was with her, too.  "Seeking to alleviate your pain will not help you.  I'd prefer to be with those who actually know what they're doing."

"...FINE!"  Angrily, 'Cammy' grabbed Marzche by the arm.  "Not all of us are traitorous bastards who are filled with complete arrogance!"

Janet frowned and angrily grabbed and yanked Marzche back from her grasp.  "Oh sheez!  You're getting just a little desperate there, aren't you, Number Two?"

"AAAH!!!  Poor Marzche!  That was really really MEAN!!"  Surprising everyone, Serina actually shoved the clone girl to the ground, herself.  It surprised all the other Dolls quite a lot, besides Marzche.  "What do you want to do?  You can't go off saving the one who needs to be dark because the virgin sued him!!!"

The Dolls' look of surprise quickly became a look of confusion as they tried to figure out what Serina meant by that, but then again, Serina was always impossible to understand, anyway.

Finally, however, someone seemed to be choosing a different choice.  Olvere nodded at the lone blonde ex-Doll with a salute.  "Oh, don't worry, Agent 'Cammy'.  I'll assist you in tracking Lord Bison down!"

Already back on her feet and now putting her hand on her hip, 'Cammy' nodded.  "Hmph!  About time someone knows what the right thing to..."

"I did it!  I've found him!  I've found Lord Bison!"  Olvere perked, and you could almost see a light bulb above her head.  "But... sadly, he's dead.  Hmm.  Well, at least that mission was fast.  Now I shall be waiting for Janet's further orders.  I am glad that I could do you this favor, Agent Number Two."

"You know what?  SCREW YOU!"

Number Two stomped right past her and up to the final Doll left.  The one she talked to, so long ago.  The one who actually understood just how important loyalty was.

"Agent Juni, come on.  Let's leave behind these stupid jealous bitches and..."

"I... I'm sorry, 'Cammy', but... even if someone betrayed me, there ARE still people I care about."  Juni nervously beamed, then in a quick mach slide, was standing by the rest of the Dolls.  "I... I did a bad thing.  But I now know.  One can do bad things but their heart and mind can still be at least partially right.  I... I don't want to have to.  I don't want to have to accept the consequences of what happened.  But I'd rather accept the consequences, then be one of many that was 'special' for only one night."

Number Two didn't know what Juni meant by the bad thing she did, but she knew that Juni was against her, too.  She looked over all of the other Dolls, then focused on Janet for one last time.  "...goodbye, bitch.  You're only so lucky that Lord Bison is wiser and more merciful and just than you'll ever be."

And she left the Dolls, and was gone from them.  In the quiet that followed, Janet continued without any more talk of what just happened.

"I hope you will all enjoy your decision."  Turning around, she left in the opposite direction, leaving the Dolls with that statement.

Janet sighed, some tears in her eyes once again.  She then spoke her thoughts out loud, but no one could hear her.  But she needed something tangible, so the words went into the air.

"Well, Michael... no, Lord Bison.  Lord Bison, I guess even though now you're gone, and even though it means I'll have to work under Rose, and even though it's about time I finally give it up, I suppose this is the path you've led me down, and so I'll stick to it.  That will be my sign of respect for you.  I can only hope the others will do the same, but I can't make any promises..."

They were all back in various rooms.  Juni didn't know where Juli was.  Her partner didn't go back to their room, immediately.  Was Juli avoiding her?  She... probably was.

...What was that!?  Everything had gone wrong!

"Did you see how Janet looked at me?  I... I'm going to have to accept my consequences."  Juni cried.  "Even though it looks like I did the right thing, after all.  I feel that something good happened.  But... despite that, I have to die."

Sitting on Juni's partner's bed, Marzche had already opened her laptop and was playing a game of minesweeper or something as Serina looked around, almost as confused as Juni was.  Juni continued her babble.

"It's because she knows.  It's because Juli told her!  She's like... she's probably going to get everyone to go after me or something else and now I get to be branded as a direct traitor and this SUCKS and why is this happening to me!?"  Exasperated, Juni bowed down, her hands to her face.  Serina, for once, didn't really know what to say as the blonde cried a little more then eventually looked up again.  "I... I know why this is happening.  It's because I TOLD Juli.  It's because I was stupid enough to trust her!  She wasn't supposed to know!  I KNEW she wasn't supposed to know!  But... she knows.  Janet knows.  What am I going to do...?"

Serina attempted to make an answer.  "Awww... Ju-chan!  It's okay!  I'll go talk to Janet so you won't have to be judged."

So she wouldn't... have to be judged?  Juni blinked, then looked at the pink-haired girl.

"Y... you can do that?"

"I think... maybe for once, I can make a difference now.  And you..."  Serina looked more serious than ever, even more so than when she told Juni she was joining her to go after those vampires back at Otakon, when she wanted to make her first difference.  Though it was only momentarily, as she quickly perked up again.  "You can go burn down a figless fig tree since the figless ones are doomed never to bloom anyway but then you can go find a new one with new figs and figs can be figs of REDEMPTION which is really good and whatnot!  ^^"

Um... burning fig trees sounds cool?

"Come on, Marzche!  Juni, we'll see you later!"  Serina waved as Marzche stood up and closed her laptop.  Before they could go out the door, however...

"Serina, Marzche, wait..."

The two paused and looked back at the blonde girl.

Juni saluted.  "Thanks.  Serina, Marzche... Thanks for helping me back there.  And... thanks for being with me, even after I screwed everything up."

Marzche actually blinked, herself, surprised at Juni's statement of gratitude to her.  Serina, as always, was quick to reply back as she beamed.

"You're welcome, Juni!!"

Marzche joined Serina in saluting back to Juni, then they left.  And Juni... all she could do was hope that they were successful, or that if they weren't, they wouldn't be getting into the not-cool situation that she was in, right now...

When life has you down, you're supposed to pick it up.  Serina knew this.  But picking this up looked like it was going to be really really hard and whatnot.

Poor poor Ju-Chan :(  While she was the one asking the question, the truth was that the question was Serina's for the asking.  What WAS she going to do?

Serina didn't know what she was going to do.  Look sharp, Serina!  You can't believe in the magical fluffy bunny fairy of make-believe and love, but you can believe in yourself (or maybe you could make a magical fluffy bunny fairy of make-believe and love for yourself to believe exists, but unicorns are much nicer  ^_~).  You have to believe in yourself for Juni's sake, even if she can't bring herself to have the faith to believe in you, too.

CHARGE!!!

"JANET!!!!!"

"AAAAAH!!!!"  Ambush!  "Dammit, Serina!  No one else who was in-line announced themselves that loudly!"

"Loudly?  But I have to be loudly!!!"  Why are you pouting, Serina!?  Explain yourself!  "Being loudly gets the message across!  And the message has to get to the other side!  But no one ever gets the message so I have to help it and try harder and stuff!"

"Um... ooookay."  Did Janet look like she had a headache to you?  She didn't like it when the birds used her head as their bird-style litter box but the birds were her friends!  They aren't supposed to hurt Janeeeet!!!

Fly, birds, fly!  Serina shook Janet frantically to get her answer.

"Janet!!!  There's no lobster buffet tonight, right?  RIGHT!?!?!"

"Serina, let go of me."

O_o

Um... oops.  ^^;

Let go of Janet's collar, Serina!  She can't breathe!

"Ahem!  Serina, there won't be a lobster buffet.  Just a single meal.  I do not like lobsters that try to PINCH me."

Eh eh eh?  Try to pinch Janet?  But... but when did anyone do that?  The only one that Serina could think of was Avelle, and Avelle was already gone, hidden in the garden where the red birds crowed but refused to share their songs with the rest of the world:(

Maybe... maybe you were holding onto the collar too hard.  She really couldn't breathe!  Ooooooo... time to adminster the talk... OF CPR!!!!

"Janeeet!  I'm soooooorry!  But that's why I went for the other collar that Mike from Oedipal Pike wore!!!  But it turned out to be too big a collar!  Way way way too big!  And so I thought that I was getting worried of not goose being cooked but the lobsters instead though the analogy still stands and now you say that it's going to be that way and poor Ju-chan is going to be a diiiiiie!!!  JUNI DOESN'T LIKE SECRET GARDENS!!!  >_<  I don't think Avelle did, either:("

"Um... ooookay."  Why does Janet repeat 'Um... ooookay' all the time?  Loop?

"Music isn't supposed to loop too often!  Marzche seemed to like looping music but I wondered if she LIKED looping music so she tried her bestest not to loop it so why are you looping?"

Then... Janet said something very strange.

"Serina, normally, I don't pay that much attention to you.  With a good reason."  Ouch?  "But this time, it seems like you're genuinely trying to tell me something.  So, okay, let me ask you this question.  What the HELL are you talking about?"

Yoshi?

Serina's turn to repeat.  "Music isn't supposed to loop..."

"I don't hear any music right now, Serina."

"You're repeating yourself?"

"Thank you."

Um.... okay?  Um... okay?

Huh?  What is THAT all about?

Serina, this is a startling revelation.

NO ONE KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!   O_o

"But... but..."  Serina stuttered.  "I thought you liked your own secret garden where the birds roamed free."

"And?" asked Janet.

"And then the birds would fly but when you caught one you didn't like, the psychic vampire would STRIKE and worse yet get worse and worse and abandon the bird to roam in someone else's secret garden where the birds are red with BLOOD that the vampires probably drained and the poor babies cry and whatnot before they..."

"TURN OFF THE GOD DAMN BIRD LANGUAGE ALREADY!!!"  Janet shouted.

*blink blink*

But... Janet is supposed to like birds  Oo

Okay, Serina!  Think!  You have to get this right!  You don't know how many strikes exist in this game of baseball and worse yet if you hit wrong the umpire may cry foul and then someone may catch the ball but before then you might be accused of goal tending just because Juni accidentally fumbled it in the safety zone!

...turn off the [nasty words omitted] bird language, Serina.

Serina, try your hardest.  "And then they were blah blah and they jump jump HIGHER and there were"

"I said turn it off."  Janet snapped.

Yoshi?

"Um... okay?"  (Side note, Serina!  So that's why Janet looped all the time!  ^^;)  "And then they did the stuff to achieve a higher purpose of..."

"Speak more slowly."

-_-

What?  The lobster can't metamorphisize over night!!!!!

Serina, you never were able to make a difference:(  But with Juni, something was accomplished.  Even if it didn't work... you aren't supposed to work alone!  What did you think you were doing?  Get help!

"Marzche, are the unicorns easier to see than the birds?"  Serina asked, in order to get assistance.

"Oreo." shrugged Marzche.

Oh wait.  Marzche's favorite animals weren't birds, either.  ...EH?  Why were you the one stuck with all the birds then!?  Kitty cats and fluffy bunnies are better!

Kitty cats scratch on chalk boards!!!

"Marzche!  I can use the paintshop program, please?  Thank you, Marzche!!"

Poor Janet.  Her headache looks even worse than before.  ...well, it WAS her own fault for tolerating the birds when she really didn't like them!  She should have told them!!!  >:{

...... @_@

That was a very mean thing to think, Serina!  But at least now you know, and knowledge is power and knowing is half the battle!  Marzche will take up the mouse and the keyboard!  And you can sing the song to the world, so together you can try to fix what you accidentally broke.

So Serina began!  "Juni once heard about a soul virus which made us think that it was possible for nasty things to happen and Freudian Mike abandon Barbie when he overdid it with the roses!"

"Bad = Soul Virus = Too Much Soul", typed Marzche into the computer.

"Okay... so judging by this screen, Juni thinks that Bison decided to neglect us because Rose came along?  Tell her to tell me something I don't know, Serina." remarked Janet.

Serina shook her head.  "No no no.... that wasn't it!  The equation isn't finished yet!  Rose has soul power and Juni did some research and thought it similar so that then we found the source of a mean mean evil ouchy that had come to manifest..."

"Serina, you're losing it again.  Just let Marzche type the damn thing onto the screen."

.......break out the stones, Serina.  It's not very nice, but you'll be killing two birds at a time all night:(

"Soul Power = Psycho Power = Psycho Drive" typed Marzche.

"Huh?  How the hell did Juni come up with THAT?  ...oh wait, I don't think I need to know."  Janet slapped herself in the forehead.  Doesn't slapping yourself in the forehead hurt, Janet?  Oo

"Jaaanet, please don't send her to the secret garden:(" pleaded Serina.

"Birds language = off, Serina." remarked Janet.

"...please don't give Juni Avelle's fate?" pleaded Serina [in ENGLISH!!!!].

"Serina, you DO know what Avelle did, right?  Oh, reminder.  Turn off the birds language."

Serina, Janet was serious.  You have to be serious, too.  But you always were serious, weren't you?  You just didn't know!  It wasn't your fault, so perk up, Serina!  Plead the case to the judge!

....hey!  No birds language!!!  XD  XD  XD  ....well, okay, there was a little, but that was a start!  ...ACK!  Get serious, Serina!

"We tried to find out from Jeronimo why Avelle betrayed you..."  Maintain composure...  "All we had were the journal tapes.  And they said that Bison is bad and whatnot.  They said that..."

"That I was bad too.  I read the damn things, you know." snapped Janet.

But... But Janet KNEW why they said she was bad, didn't she!?  But you knew!  You could tell her!  Maybe she just didn't understand because you didn't even know that she didn't like too many birdies!

"I thought that..."

"I'm the vampire."  Oh.  Guess she did know.  ^^;;  "I figured THAT much out from your babble, at least."

Okay, so your babble, now.  But she didn't hear Juni's babble!  Even if Juni stuck with the kitty cat more than the birds.

"Juni thought that..."

"Of course, she was against me." wrongly finished Janet.  Oo  "You always were, weren't you?  Did you think I was an idiot and didn't know who you were referring to when you talked about psychic vampires?  My birds language isn't that bad, Serina.  I'm going to let this go for you and Marzche just for your services.  Consider yourself lucky, considering that you're the one who attacked me, here."

@_@

They are... services?  But... But Janet never referred to it as that!  Being the ones that she would rant her heart out to is more than a service!  She doesn't say things like this!!!

You're just a service!?!?  >_<

She can't mean it, Serina!  You know this!  Because this isn't how it's supposed to be!  Because Janet probably really really does like you and Marzche since she's the type of vampire that holds onto her prey so why did she just say that you were just a service!?!?

...because you attacked her.  That's what she said.

Bow your head down, Serina.  Not in shame, since it was a misinterpretation.  Do it because it had to come to this...

"...Juni told me that she felt that Lord Bison was the one actually possessed by the vampire, not you." Serina sadly stated.

"Huh?"  *blink blink* goes Janet.  But it's still not very cheering.

"I... wanted to try something new.  I was never really sure, but Juni seemed so sure that Mike was the one..." continued Serina.  It was not very cheering at all:(  "I was just thinking that maybe I could make everything oh so nifty again, but I guess... that... you... really were..."

Janet interrupted before Serina could finish.  She didn't want to hear Serina call her THAT in an actual SERIOUS tone.  "Okay!  I'll find a way to get Juni off the hook!  God dammit, you're disturbing when you're being sad."

And THAT... was very cheering!  ^_^

"You really weren't the vampire, I was going to say!" Beam a ridiculously cheerful beam!  "Or at least, can say now!  Heehee!"

"....whatever."  Teehee!  Janet stole Marzche's quote!

What did you do, Serina?  Sometimes, when life thinks you're being too nice, the times they see that you yourself are sad, then something must truly be wrong.  Though... Serina didn't really feel like she was being too nice.  One can never be too nice, though that can vary by the definition of nice, too.

........speak English.  Speak slower.  Stop going off on the tangent.

Yay!  Even though bad things can happen, good things can happen too, after all.  ^_^  Now to tell Juni!  :D

"Serina, Marzche, wait."

Eh?

"About the services thing..."  called out to them, Janet did.  "Sorry, I worded that wrongly.  We are the Dolls.  ...that's all."

Um... okay?  Janet apologizing for... um... something?  WAS that an apology?  Oo

Whatever (hope Marzche doesn't mind you stealing her quote too, Serina^^;).  There's been enough birdies today.  You need to go tell Juni that this time, they're all flying free!

Juni was... alone again.  Well, technically, she was.  But for the longest time, she never really was alone.

She wished she was alone.  She really wished she was.

But she wasn't.

Junivelle was back.  Again.

Why?

"What do you mean I'm back?  I was always here.  You see?  Right there.  Sitting on your bed.  There I was."  The short-haired blonde girl in the dark Doll uniform motioned.

"I'm the one sitting on my bed.  Not you."  Juni snapped back to her mirror image that was standing in the middle of her admittingly-small room.  Why oh WHY did Avelle's ghost take to making herself look exactly like Juni?  She had a perfectly good other form to take.  Mainly, her own!

The blonde sighed.  Reaching over, she grabbed her kitty cat plushy lying on the bed and held it.  It was all she could hold, since Cuddles had gone missing ever since Junivelle's plan blew up everything.

She was in deep trouble.  She missed her kitty cat.  And... her head hurt, too.  This was really really evil!

"I don't understand you."  Junivelle remarked as she threw her hands up in the air.  Yea, like she wasn't the only one not understanding others, right now.  "You really liked Bremare, until Fenrir told you the truth about him.  Yet, you still tried to keep clinging on to him.  What were you thinking?!"

"Hey!!!  Bremare didn't deserve what you said to him!"  Juni snapped back.

"I was trying to save you from yourself!  Hell!  I was trying to save MYSELF from YOU!"  Junivelle replied.

"Save yourself from me!?"  Juni was as peeved as her imaginary friend (who wasn't being very friendly).  "Hey!  Well, you know, if you'd just GO AWAY, that would solve everything!  I'd like to be saved from YOU too, you know."

"I can't go away.  You can't, either.  I really REALLY wish you could, though."

"HEY!  I'm not the one who's the imaginary friend, here!"

Junivelle crossed her arms.  She was being really reeeeaaally ungrateful right then.

Silence.

......huh?

What?

Was she not going to address Juni's statement?

....hooray!!!  A winner is Juni!  Yea!  That oughta show that stupid imaginary friend who...

"Juni, I hate you."  Junivelle remarked.

Or maybe it wouldn't show her stupid imaginary friend, after all.

"Which means I hate myself."  Junivelle sighed.  "I hate how I just practically completely blew everything up within Mrigranka with nothing to show for it thanks to the leeway I gave you.  I hate how I let you decide not to let me use Bremare which would have made things so much easier.  And I hate how I let you make me lose my god damn kitty cat."

Juni blinked.  That... was not the comeback she was expecting.  Her imaginary friend just told her that SHE hated HER?  That this was all Juni's fault!?  WTF!?  -She- was the one that plotted everything!!!  Junivelle... no, she didn't even have the right to be called Junivelle!

"W... WHAT!?!?!  YOUR KITTY CAT!?  HEY!!!"  The blonde snapped back.  "Well... I hate you, too, Avelle!  Thanks to you, we lost Bremare in the first place!  If you would have let me talk to him, that wouldn't have happened!  Thanks to you, I now almost killed everyone!  Thanks to you, I think even Juli hates ME now!  And it's YOUR fault that we lost MY kitty cat!!!"

More silence.

Junivelle slowly raised an eyebrow at Juni, before finally slowly stating her name that the blonde gave her in the form of a question.

"Avelle?"

Juni herself hesitated to give an answer, before a look of determination finally crossed her face.

"Yea!  AVELLE.  Avelle, I wish you never possessed me!  I HATE YOU!"

The girl that Juni was yelling at was... exasperated.

"AVELLE!?  You're pathetic, Juni!  'Oh, it wasn't me!  It was Avelle!  She possessed me!'  HA!  But you hid the true possession thing away, didn't you?  Because you were too weak to deal with it!"

"Weak!?"

"Yes, weak!  Here, I'll show you!"  That was when Junivelle pulled out her gun.

What the!?

Juni quickly stood up and mach slided off to the side as Junivelle fired.  The laser blast seared right through the bed, leaving a charged line and tear across the sheets.

Her imaginary friend was attacking her!  HER IMAGINARY FRIEND WAS ATTACKING HER!

...damn, that sounded stupid when Juni thought it out, out loud.

Junivelle fired another bullet, but Juni was able to recover in time to mach slide through that, too.  The shot slammed into the wall, leaving a smoking bullet hole there as Juni stopped right in front of the other, but Junivelle was first to react.  Quickly grabbing Juni, she went spinning through the air in a flip before slamming Juni down right on top of the chair in front of Juli's computer.  The chair was smashed into pieces as Juni slammed against it and Junivelle leapt off, landing on top of Juni's partner's bed.

Just for added extra effect, Junivelle grabbed Juli's plushy kitty cat and threw the stuffed animal at Juni's head, before putting her hand on her hip as Juni groggily leapt back to her feet.

"Haven't you noticed?  You've been gradually growing weaker.  Because you're starting to realize just how right I am."  Laying the gun down onto the sheets, Junivelle proceeded to cross her arms and step down from the bed as she continued.  "Look at how weak you are.  I'm the stronger one, now.  Because now that you've seen the truth with your own eyes, you hate Juli.  You despise her.  You don't trust her anymore."

"SHUT UP!"

Weak!?  Juni, in an attempt to show just the opposite, immediately came drilling feet first towards Junivelle with her spin drive smasher.  The other blonde simply took it it without even blocking.  As Juni struck Junivelle with the high pressured upwards leaping cannon spike kick of the attack, the recipient of the attack didn't even flinch.  She caught Juni as the blonde landed from the air then slammed her back against the bed with a suplex.

"Juni, prepare to die." stated Junivelle.  "When I, the real Juni, finally will no longer have to deal with you, perhaps I'll finally be able to start fixing up this big screw-up that you've caused for all of us."

Getting up from the other side of the bed, yet unable to get further than a tired kneel, Juni found it difficult to even open her eyes.  She couldn't believe that she was losing consciousness, already.  She wasn't supposed to have THAT low an endurance.  Looking around desperately, she saw the gun that Junivelle left on the bed that was in between her and the other Juni.  She tried to grab for it.

Her hand went right through it.

Juni stared in surprise.  "How..."

"DO   YOU   UNDERSTAND?"  Junivelle remarked as she grabbed Juni by the arm and yanked her forward, then grabbed Juni by the tie and held the blonde up to her face.  "I *AM* YOU."

"H... how can you be..."

Before she could complete her sentence, a two-fisted punch from Junivelle slammed into Juni's head.  The mirror image continued to punch the crap out of Juni as Serina walked into the room.

Serina stared at the two in surprise, but Junivelle continued her assault.

"Eh?"  The pink-haired girl remarked towards the blonde(s).  "I said you could burn a figless fig tree, Juni, not punch yourself a lot.  O_o"

Tears were in Juni's eyes, some from emotion, but also a large amount simply from being punched so hard and so many times.  One of her eyes was probably black by now.  As Junivelle's grip remained, the limp blonde tried desperately to say something...

"S... Serina... help..."

But it didn't seem like the pink-haired girl could even hear her.  Or even see her.  What she DID see, however, was a really really pissed off Junivelle looking back at her.

The glare was enough to scare the heck out of the poor other Doll.

Aaaaah!  Run away, Serina!!!  Might have to tell Juni that things are up after she's calmed down  Oo

Juli's footsteps only lightly echoed as she was walking down the metal halls.  The Doll footwear was designed and the Dolls themselves accustomed to be as silent as possible at all times, but the silence of the atmosphere was even more so, allowing the small noise of the boots against the metal floor to be discernible against the silence.

The doors and the whole of Mrigranka were generally maintained very well, though the silence was enough to be able to hear the squeaking as Juli slowly pushed the metal door to the lab open.  The large super computer behind Janet was currently off, and the lab itself rather empty, save for the people within it.

Olvere was already on her way out.  The dark-skinned agent, dressed in the same Doll ensemble as all the others, paused to address the brunette temporarily.

"Agent Juli, you've made a decision?  Oh yes... Janet wants you to take a number."

As she walked past, Juli pulled a number from the slot.  Number ten.  Hmm, Janet must have had a pretty busy day so far.  But Juli had to bring this up.  Within the room, she spotted Noelle, easily identified by the first aid backpack that she was still wearing for some reason as well as her large full head of short red hair, talking to the one Juli wanted to see.

"Is that it, then, Noelle?"

"Yes, Janet.  There are some things from Lady Rose that... I need to learn about.  This is my goal, now.  It fits in well that I stay in Shadowlaw, too, at the same time, doesn't it?"

"Yea."  Janet sighed what apparently was a sigh of relief.  "I'm... glad, after hearing what Aurora and Olvere had to decide.  Well, I'll be seeing you then, Noelle."

The two saluted, and Noelle walked past Juli and out the door.

"Next.  Number Ten!"

"After Aurora and Olvere?  What was that about?"  Juli asked as she walked up to Janet, who crossed her arms as she looked towards the ground.

"Fenrir... was pretty distressed.  Olvere and Aurora need to be away for... wait.  Why don't you just ask them, yourself?"  Janet looked up and glared at Juli.  Apparently there was a hint of anger in her eyes.  After what Juli's partner did, Juli wasn't sure if she could blame Janet for that.  "Agent Juli, did you make your decision?"

Juli decided not to address the glare and just get down to business.  There wasn't anything she could say, anyway.

"Janet, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Juli, I'm really not in any mood to grant YOU any favors right now.  You do realize what your partner did, right?"

"....."  The brunette didn't respond.  There really wasn't anything she could say.  Janet eventually sighed again and gave in.

"Okay, what is it?"

"It's about Ophelia..."  Juli began.

"Her?"  Janet paused to think for a moment, remembering the name which Fenrir most likely told her about.  "Oh right, the Doll that some jerk decided to make behind my back without informing me first.  It wasn't like she was the first, though.  What about her?"

"She doesn't seem to have anywhere to go, huh?"

"Do I care?"  Frowning, Janet crossed her arms.  "I think I've had enough of the Cammys' by now."

"Ophelia isn't Cammy, Janet."  That statement stopped the condescendingness in Janet's eyes, at least.  Well, time for the request.  "Could you please transfer her over to the I&E department?  I think she'd like it that way.  Tell her that I think it's for the best that she get to spend her time with 'dad'."

Janet, now taking Juli more seriously, was confused a little by Juli's statement.  "Huh?  Dad?  Oh, right.  Fenrir told me about that.  Whatever.  Let Lord Vega play around with her, then.  I don't care.  I'll tell her that you requested it.  Are you done yet?"

That wasn't very hard.  Ophelia... what did she call Juli back there?  Mother?  Juli... was one of the Dolls.  And they were already at an all-time fragile state right then.  She had already come to the brink of ruining her relationship with her partner.  Ophelia would be happier with her 'father'.  Lord Vega would take care of the girl, so the brunette was glad.

"Yea.  Thanks."  Saluting, Juli left.  The 'decision' for herself was one she'd probably have to make, later, but right now, there were still many other things she needed to think about and do.

She still had to talk to Juni.  Juli remembered the look in her partner's eyes back when Mrigranka went to hell in a handbasket.  She remembered how betrayed Juni seemed to have felt.  She remembered how it was her fault apparently that Juni's plan failed, whatever the hell it was.  She knew that whatever punishment Janet was going to give to the girl was her fault, too, because Juli was the one who told Fenrir, so that Janet was eventually able to find out who caused that fiasco.

But what was Juli supposed to say?  Was she just supposed to allow Juni to blow everything up like that!?

What was she going to say...?

"You can't go!"

Fenrir's shout from her room prompted Juli to stop and take a slight detour away from getting back to her's and Juni's room.  She peeked in from the door.  Within Fenrir's room, besides the bed and the kitty cat plushy that all the Dolls seemed to have, as well as a computer which Juli recognized as an older model (apparently Fenrir didn't really care to upgrade very much), Juli saw an assortment of shrines to broken sword shards or something strewn about in the back.  She also noticed that Fenrir's room was bigger than hers.  Mainly, though, she paid attention to the conversation going on in front of her.

"Of course I can go."  Olvere stated back in reply to Fenrir's statement.  "Agent Janet told me so.  Fenrir, I know that you're not happy about this, and even Janet didn't think I was, myself, but I have to."

Sitting on Fenrir's bed, Desire was fiddling with her fingers as she watched the conversation, a bit worried.  Aurora was also standing there with Fenrir and Olvere, though she wasn't being very talkative.

"But what am I supposed to do?"  Fenrir asked.  "We can't be breaking apart like this!"

"I'm... sorry."  Sighing, Olvere looked off to the side.  "My family's side is losing control.  I've realized.  Illyna was partially correct.  I need to do this.  I need to get my priorities straight."

"Your priorities!?  What about what you told Illyna back at the parking lot near the Bullfighting Arena?  I thought WE were your priorities!"  Fenrir exclaimed.

Olvere glared at her, though it wasn't a glare of hate.  It was more simply a notification of how serious she was.

"Fenrir, do you respect me?"

Putting her gloved hand over her bowl-shaped hair, Fenrir slowly closed her eyes a little, then removed her hand from there.  "...yes, of course I do, Olvere."

The three girls were quiet, until Olvere began to speak up again, this time really softly.

"I'll be heading back to the PETA, then.  I'm sorry, but I really need to do this.  Janet has an 'official' assignment set up for me.  She also told me that if she managed to find my Psycho Powered project that Agent Juni accidentally lost, she'd tell me.  I'll be leaving now, already.  I'll try to keep in contact for as long as I can..."

"Yea... yea, of course."  The two saluted to each other, then Fenrir quickly asked, "But... will you be coming back?"

Olvere closed her eyes and put her hand to her chin.  "I wish I could say 'yes', but I've learned... that I can't be sure of anything, anymore."

"I guess that's it, then.  I really hope I'll see both of you, again.  It's... been fun."  Nodding to the two others, Fenrir shifted her focus to the girl with the blue sash around her waist and the small tail in her hair.  "Aurora, do you think you'll be okay?"

"Janet told me she thinks she was able to fix that... stupid defect."  Aurora was frowning at the memory of how she must have looked to some of the other Dolls when she went beserk.  "But I think I can finally find what I was searching for.  So I'm willing to take the risk if she's wrong."

"Yea... Yea, of course.  Very well, then.  Goodbye, you two..."

One last final salute, then Olvere and Aurora both stepped past Juli and were gone.  It was pretty obvious they all knew the brunette was watching, but there wasn't any time nor space to address her.  But now that only Fenrir was left (for the most part.  Desire didn't seem to be doing anything), Juli realized she could finally speak.  But she hesitated.  What was she supposed to say, anyway?  It seemed like Fenrir had just lost almost everything.  Juli knew that feeling all too well back when Cammy and Avelle left her, but was Fenrir prepared for it?  To lose all your friends, to lose those you cared about, and to see them leave you forever...

She tried to find the words to speak.  "Fenrir, I..."

Fenrir bluntly interrupted.

"Juli, why are you wasting your time hanging around with a pathetic borderline useless failure like me?  To me, you're just a worthless slacker.  Do you think I'm an idiot?"  She snapped.  "I saw how sad you were when you came back from your mission against Avelle.  I saw how depressed you were when you had to go after Bremare.  I saw how disturbed you were when you had to fight Yun and Yang.  I just didn't CARE."

Juli knew she didn't mean that.  She knew that Fenrir wasn't THAT ruthless.  She knew that Fenrir was really only communicating that point because she was unable to bring herself to say what she really wanted to say, directly.  In times like these, and after what happened to Fenrir, she knew that the sword-wielding Doll needed to escape, so Juli continued listening to her without argument.

"Don't you understand, Juli?"  Fenrir asked, the mockful tone in her voice reaching an all time high.  "I could never be your friend. Go back to your partner, Juli.  She's all you have left, Juli..."

Fenrir started laughing, but there were tears in her eyes.

"Hahaha, she's all you have left..."

That was what she was trying to tell Juli.  She had just lost nearly everything, and now Juli was on the danger of having that happen to her, too.  Juli already told on Juni, and now Janet already knew about what Juni did.  Juli still didn't exactly know what to say, but she knew what she had to do.  Backing away from the tear-stricken Fenrir, Juli quickly ran out of the sword-shrine filled room to reach her own room.

A room which, from within, a certain blonde girl was talking to herself.  "I knew this would happen, 'Juni'.  I told you not to tell her.  I told you that I would be proven right.  YOU knew that this would happen!  You knew through me that she would ruin everything!"

Juli ran faster.  She had to tell her.  She had to tell Juni she was sorry.  She had to try her hardest to make up with her partner for breaking the trust.

Her partner was fading.  "Junivelle, I..."

Juli's footsteps echoed down the hall, louder than before.  What was she going to say to Juni?  She didn't know.  She'd have to be completely honest.  She couldn't tiptoe anymore.  She had to appreciate her partner.  She had to apologize for everything.

Junivelle scoffed at the fading image before her of the blonde girl that looked just like herself.  "You can't move?  You're too weak.  Because now you finally are accepting the truth.  I finally no longer have my stupid side of denial who thinks everything is so happy sappy and thinks she should keep it that way, even though I knew all along that I really logically couldn't."

The brunette quickly knocked on the door to their room.  She had to try to make everything right, again.  "Juni!  I need to tell you something..."

Looking at the door, Junivelle slowly readied her gun and pointed it towards the source of the knocking sound, as she gave some final parting words to her mirror image.

"And now, I'll take the first step to fixing what you destroyed, 'Juni'.  If only I could have thought of a false name for you like you did for me, you God damn fake."

Juli quickly opened the door and ran into the room.

"Juni, I..."

She was greeted... by her partner's gunfire.

It was with a final revelation that Juni realized just what Junivelle wanted to do.

It was with a final desperate surge of energy that she made a last ditch attempt to stop her.

Grabbing Junivelle's arm, the blonde was able to keep the other blonde from shooting for a split second.  A split second which was enough for Juli to register what was going on and roll to the side as Junivelle fired.  Angrily, Junivelle smashed Juni with a back chop which sent her slamming against the back wall... but there was no impression made in the wall by the collision.

Juni couldn't bring herself to move.  She didn't have the energy.  All she could do was watch.  All she could do was watch herself kill her own partner...

Until she realized as Juli smashed into Junivelle with a powerful spin drive smasher that she was wrong.

All she really could do was watch her own partner kill HER.

Juni choked as Juli finished up the cannon drill with a cannon spike which knocked Junivelle away.  Junivelle seemed unfazed, but Juni was clutching her abdomen in pain.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"  The brunette angrily shouted.  "Is this it!?  So quickly!?  I didn't even get the time to talk to you about it!!!"

"Go to hell you BITCH!"  Junivelle shouted back as she aimed her gun again.  Before she could finish pulling the trigger, however, Juli had slammed into her face with a sniping arrow kick.

Juni clutched her eye where Juli hit her as Junivelle was knocked to the ground.

"I... I can't believe you!  You're just like Bremare and Avelle!"  Juli cried.  "All of you always do this to me!  I can't even do anything without any of you deciding that I'm worth nothing to you and never was, then deciding to kill me right there!"

Spinning towards Junivelle with a quick hop, Juli slammed her fist into the blonde's stomach.  Juni coughed up some blood as Junivelle retaliated by mach sliding past Juli's follow up roundhouse kick and grabbing Juli from behind with her legs then slamming Juli down to the ground with a frankensteiner.  The brunette quickly rolled as Juni fired again, and then leapt up with a cannon spike to the girl's side, which made Juni reel as the pain shot through her.

Juli proceeded to assault Junivelle with a flurry of kicks.  "Is this what you want!?  FINE!  Don't expect me to spare you because none of you ever decided to spare me!"

Juli... Juli was killing her!  How... Junivelle was bad enough, but now this was even worse!  Juli was KILLING her!

A kick to Junivelle's face.

Juni put her hand over her mouth in pain.

Another punch to the chest.  A knee to the stomach...

She... her partner... Junivelle was right...

Crying, Juni began to close her eyes.  Junivelle still wasn't getting hurt at all.  Because the blows Juli was dealing went straight to the one who wanted to hold onto her.  To the one who thought she could trust her.

Physically, Junivelle couldn't keep up with the assault.  She was slammed into a desk, causing pieces of it to fly off and a lamp to fall down to the ground with a crash.  What was left of the chair that Junivelle used Juni to break earlier was crushed into even more pieces as Junivelle was slammed into it.  The bed sheets were sent flying all over the place as one of the pillows burst when Junivelle desperately tried to dodge one of Juli's punches that hit the feather-filled cushion.

Finally, with another hard kick, the gun went flying out of Junivelle's hands.

Juli stopped to turn back and look at it.  Junivelle was starring at it too.  Then the two immediately dived for the weapon.

Juli got there first.

With a cannon spike, she sent Junivelle slamming back into the wall.  The blonde quickly got up on her knees, only to see Juli pointing the gun at her head.

"I... win, Juni."  Juli remarked.  "I just want to ask.  Why?  So that when I finally win, and kill you here instead of the other way around that everyone else was trying to do to me, I can finally know what all of you stupid asshole jerks were thinking as you held the gun to MY head."

Juni couldn't see straight.  Everything was blurry.  Her eyes were filled with tears from the beatings, and from the realization of everything.  And when she was able to clear her vision at least a little, thanks to the moment of recess before Juli would finally end her misery, she saw that...

Junivelle was crying, too.

"I've been apart from Lord Bison for so long.  I've been apart from you for so long..."  Junivelle's words were difficult to make out from behind her tears.  "I became a leader.  I had begun to handle everything just fine by myself. But then when I thought I could trust you..."

Junivelle slowly turned up to look at her perplexed partner, tears still in her eyes and flowing down her face as her voice was filled with desperate anger.

"YOU had to go and tell!"  Junivelle screamed at her.  "You had to go and try to ruin everything!  You put my life... my goal... my entire dream in jeopardy!  What am I supposed to do?  Huh?  HUH!?"

Putting her hands to her face, she continued crying.

"Friendship?  Partners?  Soulmates?  It's all useless!  Is that why you didn't even care when Makoto saved your life?  Is that why you KILLED Avelle?  Is that why you backstabbed me so we have to fight each other to the death here AGAIN?  It only gets in the way!  It gets in the way of everything, and I can't trust anyone anymore!  I couldn't even trust you!"

Gun still pointed at her partner, Juli stared in shock as Juni's statements hit her.

"Dear, why should I kill you when I can save you?  You do still have a chance."  Avelle explained.  "Come on, forget about Lord Bison."

They... they DID give her the chance...

"You're the skilled secret agent I never could be."  Bremare shrugged.  "Baxter Corp... no, the world could use someone like you."

Juli suddenly remembered that they did try, after all.  But she rejected them, because she thought she couldn't go with them.

"So... you're not with me?"  Staring in surprise for a bit, the revelation began to sink into Juni and a sad pleading demeanor swept across her face.  "Juli... I... wanted you to be with me for this..."

Because they couldn't trust her.  So she went and... killed them.

"Very well, darling.  I guess it had to come to this."
                    "Now I know that you truly will kill me when you get the chance."
"I couldn't even trust you!"

The tree that isn't flexible enough to bend against the wind will eventually finally break.  Juli just didn't realize that, maybe, all this time, it wasn't everyone else who was abandoning her.  As she dreamed of a world where everyone would finally stay by her side, she didn't realize that, all this time, it was she herself that was the tree being blown against by the winds.

What does the killer do when she finally realizes that the reason she didn't have any more friends was... because... she brutally murdered them all?

She... she KILLED all of them.  Or would have, had she had the chance.

Three strikes, three failed chances, and now, for every gale she stood against, it was finally time.  It was time for the tree to break.

The gun fell by the brunette's side.

"I... I understand.  I'm sorry..."  Even as she retained a calm serious look on her face, tears welded up in her own eyes.  Juli nodded, before throwing the gun to Juni, who caught it.  She then kneeled to the ground and bowed her head down.  "Just... let me close my eyes first.  So I don't have to see all I have left pointing a gun at my head, before everything ends.  So I can die with the illusion that for once, things were different."

Juni saw Junivelle staring at her partner, stunned.  The blonde slowly stood up, gun in hand, and slowly pointed it back at Juli's head as Juli closed her eyes.

"Y... you're... letting me... do this?"  The blonde stuttered.

"I... I have to.  All I ever did... was get in their way..."  Juli replied, her eyes shut.

All of the wounds that Juni had taken as Junivelle was pummeled by her partner could now be seen on Junivelle, too.  Because now Juli was showing that Juni could have kept her, after all.  But it didn't matter anymore, because things had gone too far and Junivelle had the gun.  Despite how it was Junivelle that screwed up everything, not Juni.  Junivelle caused Lord Bison to die!  Junivelle attacked Juli and caused Juni to have a black eye and be seriously hurt!  And now she was going to kill Juli and there was nothing Juni could do about it because SHE was the one with the gun and there was no other way!

Because... she... was the one with the gun.

Standing up, Juni slowly glanced downwards at the weapon in her hands that was pointed at her partner.  No wait... Junivelle still had it.  It was just that the helpless paralyzed blonde in the corner that Juni had been referring to as Juni all this time was gone.  Most likely forever, now.  And the only one remaining was the one holding the gun.  Because the truth was that Avelle never did possess Juni in the form of Junivelle.  So maybe that paralyzed girl wasn't gone, after all.  It was just that she and the one with the gun were actually one and the same.  Juni WAS Junivelle.  She was the one with the gun.  She was the one with the black eye.  She was the one with the blood on her lip.  She was the one who had been on the ground crying when Juli had the gun pointed at her.  Everything Junivelle said was right.  It was just that despite that, Juni just wanted to hold onto it.  She wanted to hold onto everything.  She wanted to keep her partner.  She wanted to keep her perfect life.  But it wasn't perfect, and she discovered that her 'sister' was a lie.  Life sucked!  It was useless!  Everything was all lies!

She just wanted a world where she could have both her power and her partner.  But she couldn't have both.  That's why one side of her went for her ideals and dreams while the other desperately tried to hang onto her 'sister'.  And because she tried so hard to have her cake and eat it too, to the point where she freaking got into a fight WITH HERSELF over it, she was now going to get nothing.

Juni hated Junivelle.  Junivelle hated her.  Junivelle WAS her.  She hated... herself...

But now she was the one with the gun.  And now, with a single shot, she was going to end it all.  She was going to finally kill the girl that kept on getting in the way of everything.

Juni gradually pointed the gun to her own head.  Her partner opened her eyes and looked up at her.

"Juni... what are you doing?"  Juli asked, a look of worry on her face.

"G... Goodbye, Juli..."

Closing her eyes, Juni slowly began to pull the trigger.  A searing pain shot through her head, then it was all over.

Springtime forever...

Forever now together...

We'll be together forever...

Until we die...

Now it's time for Springtime...

How can you tell?

I hope you enjoy your Springtime so journey well...

In the background, the lullaby tune of the music box continued to drift throughout the room, almost making up for the wrecked sight of the ruins and broken furniture surrounding it.

It was a site, that the two girls, standing in the middle of the room hugging each other, were currently ignoring.

"Why do you put up with me, Juli?"  Juni closed her eyes as her partner held her.

"Aren't you the one putting up with me?  You were the one that could have decided to pull the trigger."

Previously, none of them ever decided to spare her.  For once... things WERE different, after all.  The tears in Juli's eyes were tears of happiness, for once in that day.

"You should be more careful."  Juli remarked with a friendly tone in her voice.  "Hitting you with my sniping arrow to keep you from being shot is going to start getting old at this rate."

"Haha... I'm... sorry about that."  Juni beamed as she hugged Juli.  "I... I think I made a wrong choice, back then.  I forgot about those that were really close to me..."

"I'm... sorry, too, Juni."  Juli replied.  "I got tired of everyone always breaking the trust and not caring about me.  I forgot that they trusted me and that I had to care about them, too..."

Juli still knew that, like Bremare and Avelle, Juni would probably have to leave, soon.  Janet knew who's fault it was that the Psycho Drives were destroyed, after all.  But this time, things really WERE different.

"What now?"  Juli asked as she continued to hold her partner.  "Do you want to run away?  I'll go with you if that's the case then."

"I... I don't know.  I wish I could stay.  It'd be easier for you, that way."

The music box continued to play.  Nothing more regarding that needed to be said.  They would probably just have to wait to see what path they would take, together.

Juni closed her own tear filled eyes as she hugged Juli even tighter.

"I... love you, Juli."

"I love you, too, Juni." The brunette replied, before looking off to the side.  "I... I don't know what will happen to us, now, but I'll try my best to make sure everything will be all right."

There was a knock on the door.  The answer to what was going to happen was apparently going to come quicker than Juli thought.

"Agent Juli, Agent Juni..."  In the doorway, Janet saluted.

Juli glanced over at her as Juni opened her eyes, a worried look on her face.

"Janet... what are you going to do?"  Juli asked.

"Huh?  Do what?  I told you all that it was up to you to decide what YOU wanted to do."  Crossing her arms, Janet frowned.  "Is there something here that I don't know about?"

"You should know."  Juli replied.  "I... erm... heard that... it was known that Juni..."

Sighing, Janet snapped back at Juli.  "Known?  What are you talking about?  There is no proof that Juni did anything.  All security cameras in that sector was off.  We only have a select few peoples' word that she did something to lead towards the fiasco, and that's just circumstantial evidence.  Unless the High Lady herself were to claim Juni did it, it shall have to be assumed otherwise.  And I highly doubt that those who collaborated together to do such a thing would confess, especially when there's no reason for them to do so."

She coughed.  Like Fenrir, Janet was indirectly stating her point.  There weren't any words that would suit the amount of gratitude Juli felt, but she tried to find some.

"...thanks, Doctor Janet."

"Janet.  Not Doctor.  Damn, I hate that title.  It sounds old.  I'm not much older than you, you know."  Janet wasn't much older than Juli?  Mweh?  At any rate, Janet's attention shifted to Juli's partner, who had a black eye in addition to several bruises, as well as to the room in general which seemed rather trashed, to say the least.  "Um... what happened here?"

"Juli knocked some sense into me!"  Juni replied with a beam.

The reaction of the young girl with the braided hair was filled with an awkward feeling.  "Erm... okay.  Well now... I see that your partner has already taken care of... your punishment then."

Juli raised an eyebrow.  "Are you thinking that..."

"No.  Nevermind.  I don't think you two would be like that.  Desire has it wrong, anyway."  Janet shrugged.  "It's perfectly logical that you two would just be really close to each other, considering that you two are... nevermind."

Both of the girls asked at the same time.  "What?"

"I said 'nevermind'!"  Janet snapped in reply, before sighing again and putting her hand to her forehead.  "Look.  Just... get out of my face.  I don't want to see you again.  At least, not for a couple days.  Go on.  Get out.  I'm not ready for this.  Come back later then I'll figure out what to do with you two.  I don't have the energy to care right now.  Everything's been shot to hell, ROSE is my leader now, and THE BEAST is coming over soon.  I said that you could all run off for a while, if that's what it takes for you to find yourself, and I really would prefer you take me up on that offer."

"Oh.  Right."  Juli saluted as she let go of her partner.  Janet was being blunt, but in the end, she really was showing that she had a heart, too.  "Well... Juni and I still have to figure out where we want to go.  But regardless of where that is, we will be back, just so you know."

"That's fine.  Actually, I'm glad to hear that."  Janet saluted back.  "What are you going to do, now, anyway?"

Juli slowly looked at the gun in her partner's hand.  "Well... first, before we can do anything in the future, I guess we have a lot of past to throw away."

Juni nodded in agreement as she stared at the weapon.  She then took out two things from the drawer.  One was the journal tape with Avelle written out on the front.  The other was a picture of a young Lord Bison that Juni had showed her partner right before the Psycho Drives went boom.

Starring at the picture, Janet nodded in agreement, too.  "...yes, I suppose we all do.  Here, I'll throw away that part of it for you.  Well, I'll leave the rest your own stuff to you, then."

Taking the picture of Michael to give it a fast one way trip to the incinerator, Janet turned and left the room.  She turned quickly, because she didn't want the two 'sister' agents to see the tear in her eye.

"Well... I'm not sure I ever said it before even after you left long long ago, but I guess I should say it now."  Janet slowly whispered to herself as she was leaving.  "It does feel good... to finally have this goal off my back.  A goal becomes a burden if it's hopeless after all.  It was my fault... for allowing myself to fall to a pointless teeny bopper crush like that.  Goodbye, Michael..."

When she was gone, Juli looked at the journal tapes in Juni's hands.  "So no more Avelle stuff, right?"

"Yea, no more Avelle stuff.  I think... I've realized there's something I like even more than that."  Holding the gun in her hand to look at it, Juni shook her head and whispered something to herself.  "Maybe someday, oh wonderful Lady June... but if not, oh well."

"I guess we should get started then, huh?" asked Juli.

"Yea.  I miss Cuddles, though."

"I'm sure she's out there, Juni.  We'll find her."  Juli sighed.  "But I... I do wish that Avelle and Cammy were still here, too.  I wish I could have apologized to Avelle, now that I've realized all of this.  But then... there are a lot of people out there that I need to apologize to."

The two girls walked down the hall.  Cleaning up what was left of their room (at least the computer was spared) could wait for later.  They headed for the bulk trash area.  It would be better to throw the gun and journal tape away, directly, after all.

Starring at the huge trash container in front of them, Juni beamed as she held the journal tape.

"No looking back, right, Juli?"

Juli smiled.  "Of course."

Turning around, Juni threw the journal tape behind her away while Juli did the same with the gun.  They then proceeded to walk back to their room until they heard a loud bonking sound, which was soon followed by a scream.

"OW!"

Juli paused in shock.

"Juli, what's wrong?"  Juni asked.

"That voice."  Her partner stuttered in reply.  "I thought that I just heard... Avelle?"

Running quickly to check behind the dumpster, Juli almost slammed directly into one of the custodian's apprentices who was holding the gun and journal tape that the Dolls had just tried to throw away.  But the young girl in the light blue non-cleavage generic french maid outfit that Juli was looking at couldn't have been Avelle, because she had long blonde hair.

"Oh!  Excuse me!  Did you accidentally drop these?  These flying objects... hurt a lot."  The custodial girl remarked, her voice sounding too floaty to be Avelle's.

Juli explained as her partner caught up.  "Erm... I'm sorry.  I was trying to throw that away."

"Oh.  Well, okay.  I'll put it away for you, then."  The custodial apprentice replied.

"Yea... thanks."

Turning around again, Juli and Juni left to go back to their rooms.

After they were gone, the long-haired blonde girl turned around to address her companion, who had just shown up.  "They said they were sorry about that."

"Well, they need to watch where they're throwing their garbage!"  The other young custodial apprentice, dressed in tan rags with a tan hat that covered her hair, snapped back.  She took off the hat to reveal her short light-red hair, then rubbed her head.  "That hurt!"

Avelle's voice... Juli figured that her wishful mind must have been hearing things.  She just wished that Avelle was back, but... there was no looking back.  Next thing she knew, she'd probably be hearing Cammy's voice, too.  Still, she was glad, at least, that she had her partner.  As Juli and Juni walked back to their room together, the two girls were happier than they've ever been for a long time.