The sky, the wind, and the white rain carried Rose downward, guiding him onto the sleek motorcycle that sped close behind the convoy of black cars. At last, he landed firmly on the back seat, riding with Feng.
"Perfect timing, Green! Did you know, Japan is one of sixty-seven countries without fourth highways? That means those bastards can't fly away from us! Time for a chase, baby!" Feng pressed a hidden switch, and a bulletproof visor slid into place, shielding her from the hail of gunfire that rained down on them.
"Hah! They don't even know where I got this bike! Go on, take them out!"
Rose crouched low, ready to leap. The motorcycle surged forward, closing in on the rear car. With a predator's grace, he sprang, claws digging into the door. The force sent Feng's bike skidding dangerously close to the guardrail.
"Whoa! That was close~ you scratched my ride, Green!" she shouted.
Rose tore through the glass, dragging a yakuza out and hurling him onto the highway. Feng swerved sharply, avoiding the tumbling body.
"Hey! He'll die like that! Ease up!" she shouted.
But Rose did not relent. His claws shredded through the passengers inside, painting the car's windows crimson.
"Rose… what are you doing?!" Feng gasped, pulling her steel baton from her side while keeping one hand on the throttle. She leveled it against the second car's tires, her cybernetic eye zooming in.
Bang! The shot burst the tire, sending the vehicle spinning out of control. Feng accelerated past, closing in on the final car.
Inside, Rose kicked the lifeless driver out and seized the wheel. He pushed the engine to its limit, ramming the target's vehicle. Bullets shattered the windshield, tearing holes through his geisha mask. Rose ripped it away, revealing the hollow steel beneath, his titanium core exposed.
He slammed the car against the guardrail, sending Tetsuo's vehicle crashing through and plummeting into a mountain of waste below. The old man crawled from the wreckage, bleeding and broken. Rose descended, his feet landing on the heap just steps away from the dying figure.
"Ahh… you…" Tetsuo wheezed, staring up at the empty face of the machine.
Rose reached behind, pulling a black ridge from his spine. It unfolded into a gleaming katana, neon light glinting off its edge.
"Rest well, old man," Rose said, raising the blade in the manner of an ancient warrior.
But before the strike could fall, Feng's metal baton intercepted it. "Stop it!"
"May i ask, why?" Rose tilted his hollow head.
"He's gone anyway. Let him go in peace. Let his family bury him whole." Feng pressed the blade down, refusing to let him lift it again. Together, they stood in silence as the old man's breath faded away.
"What did she do to you?" Feng whispered.
"Eve taught me survival. I must do whatever it takes to achieve it."
"Achieve? Killing people without reason? There has to be more. Answer me, Rose!" Feng struck his shoulder, furious.
Rose stood still, then tore away the shredded kimono, exposing his plastic frame. Blades extended automatically from his body—his entire form transformed into a weapon. Feng covered her mouth, stepping back in horror.
"All those months I taught you… you didn't get any of it?" she cried.
"I remember everything."
"Lives, innocence lives! You slaughtered them like they were nothing. Do you know what that means? Every life you take brings grief to countless others. You didn't mean to, did you? Tell me!" Rain poured down, thunder rumbling in the distance.
"Every human carries evil inside, waiting to awaken. When it does, the world becomes like Yueguang. I only did what Eve taught me."
"Yueguang isn't where you belong, and i'm trying to get you out of it."
"Then why don't you just leave? Why do we stay in that place?" Rose asked.
Feng embraced him tightly. "Because I have hope..."
Rose's voice softened. "Sometimes I don't want to do this anymore. I want people to live better lives, like in the White City. I want someone honest, someone who won't lie to me. Right now, I just… can't find a place to belong."
Feng held him closer. "I promise you, Rose—when this is over, I'll get you out of this shitty cycle. And when that day comes, you must run. To me, you're like a child growing up. And no mother wants her child to become a murderer. You want the truth? I'll give you the truth. But you must stay with me. Be with me. Go with me."
Rose nodded.
The two hurried back to the vehicle and made their way to the private craft waiting to collect them. Once aboard, Rose found Eva drenched in blood, clutching her abdomen. Despite her wounds, she smiled faintly at the sight of him.
"Hey, Rose… ahh…" she gasped.
"What about Zanlin?" Rose asked.
"He escaped. I should've been more careful. In the end, he got me—straight through the stomach."
"That thing… what was his name?" Feng questioned
"He was my Adam. I let the one I've been chasing all this time slip away. Hah… at least we both took a beating."
"Were you chasing him… or was he chasing you?" Rose's voice carried suspicion.
Eve tilted her head, then nodded as if she understood something unspoken. "Why, Rose? Your face looks… oh. I see."
"You should treat your wound first, Eve," Feng said firmly, guiding her toward the emergency room.
Rose turned his gaze to the rain-smeared window. Police cars sped past, heading toward the site of the massacre. In the reflection, he saw his hollow face staring back at him, empty sockets glistening with water. He whispered a word, uncertain of its meaning, uncertain why it came to him at all.
"…Heart…"