Part 169: Luminol
Listen in: [English/Japanese]
Quark!
VLR OST: [Divulgation]
His...his bracelet! It's... Oh God!
Hold on, Sigma! Calm down.
Look at his chest... Can you see it moving?
Wh-What?!
I quickly pressed a finger to Quark's wrist.
It was faint, but his heartbeat was there.
He's...he's alive...
He's alive!
*Sigh* What a relief.
I'm so glad to know he's safe.
I laughed out loud and grabbed K in a bear hug, or at least as much of one as I could manage.
He patted me on the back and shared what I thought might have been a relieved chuckle.
Zero Jr. said it would only come off when you died...
Perhaps Zero Sr. took it off?
...What? Why?
I have no idea.
Then...maybe Zero Sr. brought Quark here, and put him in this pod thing too...
...
...
Well, even if he did, we don't have any way to know why...
This pod is for medical treatment.
Perhaps Quark has contracted some sort of illness.
He's sick!? What has he got?!
How would I know that?
I imagine Tenmyouji in particular will be pleased.
Yeah, I bet. Do you think you can carry him, or...
No, I believe it would be best to leave Quark here.
As I mentioned, there is a chance he has fallen ill.
If so, then removing him from the pod would be dangerous.
The treatment he is currently undergoing could be compromised.
Oh...
I'll close the pod's cover, then. Is that all right?
Y-Yeah... Sure.
...Wait, um, I just thought of something... Are you sure he's going to be all right?
What do you mean?
Well, what happens if he wakes up?
Can he open that thing on his own?
He'll be fine.
I noticed a lever inside that can be used to open the cover.
So long as no one locks the pod, he should be able to leave whenever he wants.
But if someone locks him in, he's screwed?
Yes, that is what I said.
But you needn't worry.
...
...
Now, we should return to the floor B warehouse.
I imagine the others are already there.
Right, yeah. Okay, let's go.
[Music fades out]
VLR OST: [Placidity]
Listen in: [English/Japanese]
You're one to talk. How much earlier did you get back again? I'd be surprised if you searched at all.
This is it?
Yeah, Clover and Tenmyouji still aren't back.
So...find anything?
Yeah, we sure did.
Yeah? Well, go on. Spill it.
I explained to them how we'd found Quark in the treatment center.
I see... Well, that's good to hear.
Little jerk, making us all worried...
And that is?
There is still some cause for concern.
Just spit it out.
Quark may have contracted an illness of some sort.
As such he has been left in the treatment pod...
Will he be all right?
Yeah, he'll probably—
"Probably?" Do you even—
Whatever, at least we found him. Pretty lucky he's alive, too.
What do you mean by that?
I mean what I said, genius. I'm glad he's not dead. Aren't you?
As equivocal as ever, I see.
How kind of you to say so.
The way you were talking made it sound like there was something else.
Yeah, I'll explain that after Tenmyouji and Clover get back.
There's something I wanted to ask you about first, though.
When you went through the green door, did you search two different rooms?
Two?
No, just the treatment center.
I see...
Then what was the other one...?
What do you mean, the other one?
You know where there's that intersection with three doors?
Well, when K and I went there, two of the doors were unlocked.
You guys unlocked the one that went to the treatment center when you went through the green door.
But the other one...
Who could have opened it?
Don't look at me.
I told you, we only opened the one that went to the treatment center.
Could it have been Zero Sr.?
I don't know...
Hm...
...
...
So did you and K go through the other door?
Yeah.
What was in there?
Nothing, really.
It appeared to be some sort of room for servicing...something.
That doesn't make any sense!
So what the hell was whoever opened that door looking for?
Who knows...
...
...
...
...
Should we go and look for them?
No, there's something I want to check first.
It's never easy with you, is it.
Well, let's get it over with.
...
...
[Music fades out]
VLR OST: [Sinisterness]
This is the rec room.
Dio and I came here earlier when we were looking for Quark.
Was there something here you needed to see?
I said nothing, and instead made my way over toward the cabinet.
Inside was the luminol. I reached in and pulled it out, then headed to the light switch and flipped it.
The room went dark, and I headed back to where the others were still standing.
You gonna start telling ghost stories or something?
Why, you scared of ghosts?
Ha! You're kidding me, right?
Then show me how brave you are.
Stick out your bracelet.
You too, Phi. Please.
Our bracelets?
Yeah. I wanna see the underside of them.
What do you mean by that?
I mean the side on the bottom.
The side that doesn't have the display on it. Come on, you really gonna make me explain this?
I know what you mean.
What I'm asking is what the hell you think you're—
Just do it! It's not hard!
Should I also participate?
No, you're fine K.
Your bracelet is a little different from ours.
But I'll join in just to make it fair.
There was a brief moment of hesitation before Dio and Phi stuck out their arms.
I held mine out as well, wrist pointed upward.
This okay?
Yeah. Just hold it like that for a moment.
As fast as I could, I pulled the luminol from my pocket and sprayed it across all three of our wrists.
What the hell, man?!
Dio jerked his arm back with a shout.
Phi's bracelet is clean...
So's mine, of course.
That leaves only Dio.
Wait... What are you talking about...?
I'll explain in a minute.
Just show me your bracelet.
Is something wrong?
Just show it to me.
C'mon Dio, we don't have time for this!
Why do I have to do what you tell me to?!
Because I'm trying to prove your innocence!
L-Like hell you are!
I don't know what you're looking for, but you're not going to find it on me!
Then just show me your arm!
No! You don't get to order me around! I have rights!
As he spoke, Dio made a break for the exit.
He didn't get far.
[Music fades out]
Guh!
He spun around, toward the other exit—
999 OST: [Trepidation]
Stop him!
Right!
Donno what you're talking about, but okay!
All three of us leapt at Dio—
I knew it!
His bracelet's glowing.
Then that means...
Let me go! Get off of me, you fuckers!
Dio...
You killed the old lady.
No! You don't understand!
This is all some kind of...a mistake! Shit!
What's going on here?
I think it's about time you gave us the full story.
As quickly as I could, I explained to Phi what K and I had noticed on the old woman's wrist.
So the person with a bloody bracelet would have to be the person who killed her...
Yeah, exactly.
Even if they'd wiped it off, I figured the luminol would still react to the blood.
Looks like I was right...
...
...
We've got you, Dio.
You might as well confess. Well?
...
...
...
...
Urgh...
I killed the old bitch and took her bracelet!
Why?!
Are you Zero?!
No! I was under orders! I was sent here to—to do...something.
To do what?!
Who gave you this order?
I'll die before I tell you.
So your orders were more important than Alice and Luna's lives?
Whoa whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves!
I killed the old lady, but that's it.
I don't know anything about what happened to Alice and Luna.
That wasn't you?
Tread carefully, Sigma.
This man is not to be trusted. He has already shown he is willing to lie and kill.
C'mon, I'm telling the truth! You gotta believe me!
Even if we do believe you, you're still a killer.
You just haven't killed as many people.
Exactly. He should be restrained somehow.
If we leave him be, he may well kill again.
But where would we put him?
Is there a room we can lock or anything?
Ah... Perhaps we could put him in one of the treatment pods.
Once we've locked it, he should be unable to escape.
Oh yeah...
H-Hey, wait! I'll be good, I promise!
Yeah, I think you're onto something, K. Let's go with that.
Come on, please! Hey, listen to me!
We'll let you out when the white doors open.
Someone's going to need your bracelet to open the secondary door.
Don't fuck with me you guys! There is no way in hell I'm going in that thing!
Let go! Let me go! Goddamnit!
I told you assholes to let me go! You can't do this!
Stop! Stop! Please, stop!
Please, no! You can't—!
EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!
