The Memento by Qaint

Subaru Hoshikawa was anxious.

He was at his first Hibiki Misora concert and all he could do was worry. Though, in retrospect, he felt that his behavior was indeed justified. Something was bound to go wrong. Things always did. He usually considered himself an optimist, but things just went flying out of control these days.

He had only been able to time after time save the day till now due to his newfound friend, War-rock, and the power he gave him as Rockman. And even then he had been saved several times by this other EM-warrior going by the name of Harp Note. Especially that last time against Crown on his haunted amusement park which was then turned into a fully fledged haunted ghostship. That had been tough. Diverting the course of a falling satellite seemed so simple and easy now in comparison. Ever since his father disappeared onboard the space station, his life had become almost surreal...

Accompanying Subaru was Luna Shirogane and her two goonies, Kizamaro Saishoin and Gonta Ushijima. Luna was actually the very reason they were here to begin with. She had been in a terrible mood all day and this concert was an emergency distraction proposed by Kizamaro. Hopefully she would calm down after this and things could return to normal. If only Misora would get on the stage soon so he could put all this behind him.

"I think I'll go to the powder room" a voice to his right announced. That was Luna. As she passed him on her way out, War-rock made himself known to him via his transer by flopping it open, a function he had never discovered how War-rock was able to use as he was an EM wave being and all. He looked dubiously at his serious looking alien friend on the screen.

"We need to talk, it is urgent!" War-rock gruffed lowly. Now Subaru might be slightly worried about all this in general, but War-rock was simply constantly paranoid! Maybe that came with being a fugitive. However Subaru understood a no-nonsense message when he got one. Nodding, he stood up drawing the attention of Gonta and Kizamaro.

"Are you going to the powder room too, Subaru?" Bud asked oblivious to what he implied. Behind him, Kizamaro mentally sighed at his ignorance.

Subaru held back a snort "Just answering a call. I'll be back before you know it." and out he was.

"So what is it, War-rock?" he asked once out in the hallways.

"There's an EM-being close-by."

"It's Harp, right?"

After all, they had a suspicion that Harp Note's secret identity really was Misora Hibiki, the idol. He wasn't really sure though but things had pointed in that direction for some time now. And if that was the case then it would make sense that Harp would be here. Harp should actually be here. He hoped it were just that. Though he knew that wasn't the case as that wouldn't be a cause for alarm. Things were about to get grimy again.

"No, it's not Harp. She could be here too but then she's hiding her EM-signature, like I am. This one is blatantly obvious about its presence and it is not Harp," his transer replied crisply, dashing his hopes for a normal day. He continued, "And if it is who I think it is, then we'll have a tough fight on our hands."

Meanwhile in the ladies' room, Luna had just finished setting her hair and was about to go back to rejoin the others. What a great idea Kizamaro and the others had. She had of course seen the deception for what it was, but it was a welcome one. She made a mental note that she would have to be a little nicer to them, at least for a while. She had actually completely forgotten about the Misora concert due to her frustration with the state of things. The thought of Harp Note came unwanted to the fore and she did her best to squash the burning feelings it brought up. She was here to have fun and forget about such stuff for a while after all. Hunting Rockman's affections could wait for a while.

She could hear that Misora had started her concert while she was away. She must have missed the start of the show because of her sulking. That was just another stroke of bad luck on her part and another thing she could chalk up to Harp Note's interference. She shook her head. She was here to have fun, she repeated. She should be out there enjoying the concert instead of brooding in here. She went for the door.

Just as she turned her back to the mirrors and sinks, she felt a shift in the room she couldn't quite explain but yet not dismiss. A small shiver went down her spine and she stopped up short of the door. In that moment she wished she hadn't been alone in there. The next instant she realized she wasn't alone. Something sinister was afoot.

She forced her sudden fear into a pit in her stomach and whirled on the spot, facing her would-be harasser or what ever her imagination had cooked up. What met her was the shining form of Ophiuchus in the mirror directly in front of her. She was reminded of a magical genie. A female body made entirely of a swirling purple energy field. The figure was only wearing a helmet that completely obscured its face, though she suspected it was its face, a pair of shoulder pads and a sash. From the dark eye-slits in the helmet, a pair of glowing red eyes watched her.

"Hello, young earthling, you will do nicely for my purposes." Meeting this sight was beyond what Luna was prepared for. She took an involuntary step back, her makeshift resolve wavering before the supernatural. This was beyond her. She was helpless. She needed help. She needed, "Rockman..."

It came out only as a murmur, the sound betraying her fear. The EM-being spoke again in a commanding tone "Wave-change with me!"

"No! Save me, Rockman!" she resisted, her voice rising in volume. She was slowly getting her wits back, but she felt an entrancing effect holding her fast in place.

Ophiuchus tilted her head slightly and said in a alluring voice "But don't you wish to see Rockman? I can help you with that. I can make it all happen for you. I can also help you make your problems disappear."

Unbidden a memory sprang up in Luna's mind of Rockman and Harp Note. She broke her guard for a single moment and the next Ophiuchus was over her, filling her consciousness and her heart with her presence. Luna didn't resist; she couldn't. After a few moments she felt she didn't even want to. A sudden realization dawned on her with this new influence in her mind and suddenly Luna feared that she wanted this chance, badly. But wouldn't this be betraying Rockman?

"Didn't he betray you first?" a thought answered. Again the memory of Harp Note and Rockman came forth. With this she might finally see what was between those two. And if necessary, pull them apart. She felt herself give in.

"But War-rock! We can't go in there! It's the women's room! It's not right! Wait wait!" a boy's voice pleaded just outside, completely unaware of the unfolding drama inside.

"Stop hesitating! It is your duty as a man to fight! Do not let embarrassment outdo you, Subaru!" a louder voice from the boys transer argued while seemingly pulling him against his will towards the restroom.

"But we can't!" the boy's voice grew more desperate by every word and every meter they closed in on said lavatory.

"Haven't stopped me before," the transer declared as it kept breaking laws of physics like there was no tomorrow. Even if he'd had his mind on the matter, Subaru would have had no comment on that.

Sensing victory was near, the transer made a sound much like an evil cackle and tore him off his feet through the bathroom door with a mighty heave while roaring "To battle!".

Subaru stumbled through the bathroom door coming face to face with none other than Ophiuchus Queen. Half her body was like that of a snake covered in segmented armor plates. She had two shoulder pads and red scales on her helmet along with a veil. On her head was two large objects which reminded Subaru of rocket boosters. They had pointy ends, around which 2 snakes were coiling themselves while hissing at him. To summarize, he'd found the EM-ian that War-rock spoke of, and he wasn't feeling any sense of accomplishment.

He only managed a single gulp before he felt her tail connect to his head and everything turned dark.

Looking at the boy sprawled on the ground, Ophiuchus Queen considered her new powers. She was more powerful than she had imagined. That fellow had been lucky; she had wanted to play a bit first. But he had been knocked out cold in the first hit and it simply was no fun when they were unconscious. No fear in their eyes. She didn't have much time to wait for him to get back up. She had to find Rockman and through him the Andromeda key.

And then stomp that harlot Harp Note for taking her Rockman! Argh, just her name made her angry! Where did that come from?

Ah, the girl. Such anger. Her scowl turned into a venomous smile as she changed her wave frequency and moved through the waveway before appearing besides the stage entrance. She would cause some havoc and then wait for Rockman to appear. That is after all what heroes like wonderful wonderful Rockman do.

Misora felt pumped with energy. She had just finished her first song. Her old debut song had been better received than she expected and even now the crowd was chanting her name, wanting more. And she was more than willing to.

She took the microphone and spoke, the crowd quieting to hear her words.

"Thank you all for coming today. This debut song sort of brings back memories. Next up will be-" and that's all she got to say before a gasp from the audience stopped her short. Looking around she quickly saw the cause of the commotion, Ophiuchus Queen, who had entered the stage. She tensed at the appearance of this unknown interloper. She was obviously an EM being, which more often than not meant trouble.

The audience didn't know what to make of her, though Misora could almost smell the palpable danger in the air around this one. The next second Ophiuchus Queen announced her attack, "Gordon Eye".

From her eyes, a pair of lasers shot out and strafed a few lights, which were destroyed in an instant. That got people panicking as they fled from their seats.

Misora leveled an angry glare towards the offending EM-being. "Who do you think you are, doing that to my fans?"

That got Ophiuchus Queens attention. She lifted her arms in Misora's direction with an attack on her lips, but then stopped short and let her arms fall, apparently at conflict with herself. Misora's anger and fear was replaced by curiosity by this unexpected act. For a moment they just stared at each other. Misora with an inquisitive look and Ophiuchus Queen with gritted teeth and as much of a glare she could muster, as it seemed to mask something else just beneath, but she didn't move to attack. Misora wanted to move closer.

In that same moment Misora's manager had apparently made it to the scene. "We've got to get out of here!" he shouted.

He grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the exits on the stage. She followed with little resistance, too caught up in wondering about the EM-beings strange behavior.

Not even seconds after, Ophiuchus Queen resumed her destructive rampage with a vengeance back at the stage and soon she was completely alone in the stage hall. She gave a satisfied smirk. Perfect. Now all she had to do was wait. "This should get your attention. Please come soon, Rockman," she whispered darkly to herself.

The first thing Subaru noticed coming back from his enforced absence of mind was his hearing. It was still kind of muted and distant but he could definitely hear it. Or feel it? It was hard to tell. No definitely hear. What he could feel now though were the cold hard floor.

"Subaru! Wake up! Wake up! Subaruuu!" an insistent voice called, again and again.

"Imowake" he mumbled incoherently putting a momentary stop to the calls. He slowly sat up and opened his eyes, despite the glaring lights. A question came to mind. Why was he in a women's bathroom apparently sleeping on the floor? And why did his jaw hurt so much? He fumbled with his hands, where was his visualizers?

"Subaru! We gotta go after her!"

Who?

Today's happenings hit him like a train. And before War-rock got to utter another word he had risen from the floor, looking resolute. "Where did she go? I'll stop her!"

Misora found herself being dragged along by her manager, Kaneda, and she didn't like it one bit. Through a roundabout route, he'd taken her further into the building and then below to an underground car park for the building staff.

"Mr. Kaneda, I can take care of myself so let go of me."

Kaneda didn't quite give in to her demands. "No way! What if you got hurt because I wasn't there! Think of your career! Your fans!"

Misora sighed. He always went overboard when it came to anything influencing her career. Besides she was more than capable of taking care of herself, at least as Harp Note, however Kaneda couldn't know about that. The first chance she got she would run off and wave-change with Harp. Then she would deal with that snake girl. But right now, it was annoying to be dragged around by this thick headed manager who couldn't take a hint.

They entered a parking lot where Kaneda apparently had his car. As they got to the car she moved for the backseat doors, so she could more easily talk with Harp and get out of there. She noticed her chance. Kaneda was too busy fumbling with the ignition. Harp noticed it too.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Fight, of course." The answer came as naturally as breathing. This new girl had ruined her concert and hurt her fans. For that, vengeance would be exacted. Misora felt the familiar rush as she and Harp melted into the wave world.

They were long gone before Kaneda even noticed they had left.

"Goyoda Goyoda Goyoda! Pedal to the metal!" a voice yelled at the unlucky Satella Police Officer driving the car.

"Yes sir, Detective Goyoda!"

Satella Police Detective Heiji Goyoda was not in a good mood. He was on his way to another of these incidents that had been happening lately. This time at a Misora Hibiki concert. That wouldn't sit well with the media and Goyoda hated the media.

First, these new incidents had happened at Amaken, then a school, a citymall and now a publicly held concert? He wouldn't be surprised to see a mob of people demanding his head for not being able to do anything about it. And he was loath to admit that they would have a point. He had been completely powerless to stop these attacks or find any connection between them. Except for that Rockman. That fellow had slipped through his fingers more than once and he knew he'd been close. Insult to injury, the Satella Police were also completely incapable of stopping this Rockman character. He had shown up and sorted out the mess each time till now before leaving mysteriously. And they couldn't rely on that forever.

The squad cars pulled up to the entrance of the concert house, just as some man in a rich expensive suit came running out of a nearby parking building, arms flailing. Goyoda grumbled, a recurring event lately, he noted. Pesky rich people! He didn't want to deal with them and their self-important ways right now!

As the Satella officers squadrons climbed out of their cars, he noted the rich-guy making a beeline for him, the disadvantage of standing out among your men. In a few seconds he would be there. Well, Goyoda figured, he'd better not waste them.

"Boys, set up and get ready to move out! There's an unclear situation akin to Amaken. Evacuate anyone you find, but keep them close to let us a gain a picture of what has happened." Good thing about that Amaken. At least they knew a little about what they were up against. However knowing that didn't help the feeling in his gut. Those things were impossible. He had firsthand seen that Rockman guy catch a falling Sky-Tram! It might turn ugly.

Speaking of ugly. . .

"Officer! Officer! Please help me! I'm Misora's manager! Misora has disappeared! You've got to find her! I fear that, she might have run back inside!" the man panted.

The name brought excited whispers among his men, but Goyoda felt like screaming at the heavens. To find a VIP in the middle of this would be a nightmare. He knew how idols were. Just like pesky rich people except they also were snotty brats. Instead of speaking his mind, he merely grumbled "We'll find her. Now go explain everything you know to that man over there."

He pointed towards an officer.

"You three, stay here and watch the exits. The rest of you, move out! We've got a little princess to save" he barked and with trained efficiency the men moved with the bulky anti-virus equipment. While it may make for a disastrous situation if anything at all did happen to Misora on his watch, it could at least motivate his men too. Goyoda gave them a confident smile. This was the part of the job he'd signed up for.

"Goyoda Goyoda Goyoda!" A battle cry that was familiar to everyone under his command.

They entered the building with no soul in sight. It was eerily quiet and it made him and his men wary. "Split up and search for any stragglers or viruses. Groups of three. You four will come with me. We're going to the main stage." And with that they headed out with hasty steps.

However something he'd said from the mission briefing worried him. Only one virus had been picked up by their scanners and even now he only felt one close waveform on his scanner. It wasn't even a virus for all they knew. They might not be ready for this.

Meanwhile, Ophiuchus Queen was getting impatient. Hadn't Rockman noticed her yet or was he afraid to come out? Did he think it was a trap? Well, now that she thought about it, she, by herself, was indeed a planned trap. After all she knew, that he knew her as a worthy foe but he wasn't the type to run from a fight he at least had a shot at winning. But she didn't know how he would react when cornered, like now fleeing through the galaxy. Maybe she hadn't planned this out very well. Last time they cornered him, he had used Andromeda against them. Now he had fled to this backwater planet. What did he plan on doing here? Stand his ground against all of them? Impossible.

Maybe it was that human Harp had mentioned. That human might have some reason to defend this planet and War-rock sought the protection of someone he could wavechange with. But if this Rockman wanted to defend the planet then she wouldn't be here bored. Then she would be fighting him by now!

She cursed. Damn males, they always seem so simple and transparent except when they needed to be. Did she perhaps have to destroy even more? To prove that she was a serious threat if left alone? Now that idea had some merit, it would at least keep her preoccupied.

Just as she had made that decision though, there was a sound from the doors on the opposite side of the room and five men ran in. They wore uniforms and bulky equipment on their backs with a sucking device along with those computers everyone had strapped on their arms. She considered them.

Were these soldiers or merely law enforcers, she pondered. Perhaps a bit of both.

One of them wore a brown coat and seemed to lead them. He had no sucking device. They stopped short once they spotted her and began to yell at her to "stand down". Did they want to fight? Puny humans. At least they could provide some entertainment while waiting and maybe even hold some educational value about her new strength and humankind in general. They began to move forwards, towards the stage. Yes, come closer little oblivious humans.

She waited till they had crossed half the distance before she sprung into action. She charged straight at them. She was in their midst before they could even aim those bulky devices. Such speed! She immediately swiped one of the uniformed men with her tail and sent him flying in among the rows of seats. The rest scattered in all directions. She went after the coated one but he managed to avoid her by jumping in between two rows. She wouldn't allow any escape! Her eyes lit up as she called upon her power. The man reacted by dropping to the floor as he narrowly escaped her gaze. She followed him with her eyes. "Gorgon Eye!". The red eye-beam gouged a line in the floor towards the man. He managed to roll under the seats into another row as the attack let up. Ophiuchus Queen felt like laughing. At least some of these meat bags had some spunk!

She felt a violent tug at her being. A feeling tugging at her energy. She whirled on the spot. The three men left standing had pointed their wavesuckers, as she would now call them, towards her and was sucking in the EM waves and through that, her very being. It was by no standard very effective. It might have worked better if she weren't wavechanged. After all she was not just EM waves when fused with a human. And with the human as an anchor for her essence, they would be hard-pressed to undo her transformation in any short amount of time.

But it was annoying and could be felt draining little bits of her strength. And it made this less one-sided than she expected. How did they know how? Had War-rock taught these humans how to fight EM waveforms? She dashed, faster than they could react behind them. Her eyes lit up with a red hue.

This was not what Goyoda had expected. Lying on the floor having just dodged a laser of all things shot at him by what was some kind of materialized super-virus. And hearing the voices of his men, their virus dry-cleaners as they were fondly called by the force, weren't enough alone to stop it. At least not this few. He opened his transer. However his call for reinforcements were brutally interrupted.

"Gorgon Eye!" followed by a red light.

And then the pained screams of his men. Damn! He rose to his feet as they crumbled to the floor. That virus had to be stopped!

She stood behind the incapacitated officers. They had some serious burn marks and their dry cleaners were toast. But they would live. Right now Goyoda would thank whoever cared for small graces. The virus turned towards him and began, of all things, to mock him.

"Do you see how the odds are stacked, little man? You and your race will face extinction before the might of planet FM."

On a normal day such a statement from a virus of all things might have got him scared or made him hesitate. Especially since viruses normally weren't visible and never talked nor acted in an intelligent manner. However today was not a normal day for Goyoda. Giving a single look to his men, who were his responsibility, made him think of the often blind faith they put in him. And this virus had the gall to boast to him after doing that to his men? Today he didn't care. He was mad.

"You are defenseless. Those wavesuckers of yours are little more than a nuisance." She was slithering towards him at a leisurely pace.

Goyoda however, wasn't listening. He was far too busy. For the first time in months he had his hand in one of his special pockets.

As any self-respecting member of the Satella Police he kept a number of battlecards on his person. He had never really given it much thought though. He didn't know if it was for a last line of defense or simply a fad in the police. Perhaps to provide a shining example for the populace? It was after all considered a civilian branch of virus-deletion.

However due to Satella Police's efficiency and partly due to lack of popularity for virus-busting outside of a need-to-do basis, few civilians bothered to carry battlecards around with them in their daily lives. But he wasn't a civilian so he had plenty of battlecards and he was reaching for one now, not knowing if it would work but not seeing better alternatives. His fingers clasped around a card. A longsword? Would have to do. She was almost upon him.

He lifted his transer so it was horizontal before him.

"Ready to end up like those men? They seem rather pathetic now don't you think?"

"I think not!" he answered.

He swiped the card into the slot holder on his transer. Ophiuchus Queen only had a second to wonder what the action implicated before it was too late.

Goyoda hadn't expected much, least of all for it to actually work, so it was to his great surprise and pleasure when she was not only hit but howled in pain, a clear chip on her right shoulder pad with a mark going all the way down her midsection.

Even as he hastily attempted to load another card she recovered and with an uncanny speed picked him up by the neck with a single hand. His arms instinctively began to clutch at her grip but she didn't budge. The sheer anger in her eyes spoke volumes about her state of mind. This pleased Goyoda even as he felt his windpipe constrict.

"I tried to play nice!" Another squeeze on his windpipe. She was about to open her mouth again when suddenly something pinkish hit her side. "Rock Buster!"

Ophiuchus lost her grip and he landed in a heap and gasped for air.

Rockman stood on the stage, pointing War-rock in the direction of Ophiuchus Queen. He had just phased through several walls and landed here. And he was mentally kicking himself for not getting here sooner. The place looked like a wreck and there were people who had gotten hurt.

If he had just been here sooner then this wouldn't have happened. He saw three wounded officers on the floor and one knocked out among the chairs. And then there was the Detective Goyoda, rasping and trying to control his breathing. He had heard her angry yelling from a distance. Whoever this was she was a mean lady, since she'd done that to the Satella Police. He would have to be careful.

"That's terrible of you, Rockman!" she cried in a childish voice lacking all of the earlier venom he'd heard just before. "Don't you like me?"

Subaru's faltered out of surprise. Something that didn't go unseen by his opponent.

"Quick Serpent!" she flew in his direction like a rocket.

Subaru only managed to dodge at the last second by jumping over her. Ophiuchus hit the stage background and crashed through it. War-rock landed on his feet at the front of the stage. Drawing a battlecard, a cannon he noted, while turning he only managed to have it predationed in time to wish it had been a sword. She had already recovered and was already right beside him. She swung a fist, which he narrowly ducked under only to get a snake which hang on the arm in his face.

Before recovering he felt her other fist connect to his face. He flew a few meters and landed on his back, looking up he saw her eyes getting a red hue. That was probably not good. He rolled backwards to a one-armed handstand and pushed himself off from the ground, a feat that was surprisingly easy in his wavechanged form.

"Gordon Eye!"

In midair he saw her scorch one half of the stage in two with her laser beam. "Why are you running from me, Rockman?" Why indeed?

It was time to start fighting back! He brought his cannon to bear on her, getting a solid hit while she was still using her beam weapon. She didn't even flinch. With a proper sense of urgency he grasped for more cards, a Sword and an Airspread. "War-rock did something happen between you two?"

He hoped War-rock could make some sense of this opponent.

"No, this is not like her at all. Ophiuchus is usually much more calm and collected. It must be her host influencing her," he said in between eating the cards Subaru was stuffing him with. Then she was upon them again. "Quick Serpent!"

Still airborne, all he could do was make a cross guard block with the sword and airspread gun as Ophiuchus rammed into them. As they flew towards the wall he changed his frequency, allowing him to harmlessly pass through the wall. Ophiuchus simply rammed through it, adding further destruction but ended her attack to look for his whereabouts.

Subaru changed his frequency again while in midair and landed on the opposing wall, this new place being a hallway, and lifted his airspread gun and fired even as he pushed off from the wall back towards her. Even with her speed, she couldn't evade the shot and his subsequent sword attack. However she didn't even try as she guarded herself from the shot, avoiding the worst damage and as he swung his sword she managed to stop him short by grasping his wrist. Then in a quick movement as they collided she coiled her tail around him and began squeezing the life out of him, even as Subaru's momentum sent them flying back through the hole she had just made scarce moments ago.

Misora had finally shaken off her manager and wavechanged. As Harp Note she entered the waveroad and upon her exit landed right in the middle of the stage.

"Harp Note dropping in!"

Silence met her entrance where supposedly two EM beings were battling according to Harp. This place was a mess and her stage was almost completely destroyed she noted in horror. There was the moan of a few hurt Satella Police officers laying around. Was she too late?

Any further observations were cut short as Rockman and that snake-lady came flying through a hole in one of the walls. She was wrapped tightly around Megaman with her tail, she noted. He seemed to be in pain. She had better hurry.

"Finally got you, Rockman! Now you're mine." Ophiuchus Queen almost sang, her voice coy.

Misora eyed her with a glare. Oh no, she didn't! That was just plain wrong.

Harp Note jumped into the air towards them, strumming her guitar once, calling upon her power. "Machinegun string! Get off him."

Her guitar strings shot off towards the pair and bound the snake FM'ian. Harp Note pulled and Ophiuchus went flying towards her. A little part of her mind noted that Ophiuchus had chosen to bring along Rockman.

"Oh it's you, you little harlot! Always coming in between Rockman and I! Well, let's see how you FIT together!"

Then she threw Rockman in her direction, knocking them both back towards the stage where they landed in a heap. Rockman uselessly tried to get off her. Wasting no time, she simply pushed Rockman off of her and she rose just in time to see Ophiuchus heading her way. Strumming her guitar, she called forth two amplifiers, "Shock Note".

Ophiuchus dodged with lightning speed and then she was on stage raising her arms towards Misora. She was only a few meters away.

"Snake Legion" she called, having no qualms about attacking Harp Note. Her two snakes flew forward towards her. Harp Note reversed the grip on the guitar, holding it by its board.

"Oh you can keep those!" Misora took a baseball stance. "No no no.." Harp began.

BOINK! There was a sound not unlike a sprung string and the snakes went flying back towards Ophiuchus Queen, who avoided them, with a perturbed look before rage marred her features again.

"You shall pay for trying to steal my Rockman!" A dangerous finger pointed accusingly towards the blonde.

"Oh yeah? You'll pay for ruining my... this concert hall!" Harp Note gave back.

Then Ophiuchus Queen stormed forward closing with Harp Note.

Subaru didn't feel so good right now. His insides felt like mush, which was pretty serious considering he was mostly EM waves.

He stood up on shaky legs, watching Harp Note and Ophiuchus Queen go at each other. While he was almost done for, it seemed both of them still had plenty spunk left. Having been knocked out, punched in the face and nearly squeezed to death, he decided that this was not one of his finer moments. But it was time to end this. And he was going to end it. He drew a battlecard.

Predation! "Plasma Gun!"

Ophiuchus Queen stalled for just a second trying to see what Rockman was up to, just to get hit by Rockman's attack. This further earned her a vicious hit by Harp Note's guitar. Ophiuchus landed on the floor just below the stage and got herself upright with some difficulty. She looked at Rockman with a hurt expression.

"How could you side with her instead of me? You traitor, spurning my love!"

"Can't take the heat?" Harp Note said, reversing her hold on her guitar back to normal. Ophiuchus Queen offered her only a sneer. Misora stuck out her tongue in response. In Subaru's opinion both looked extremely silly compared to the deadly melee just moments ago. None the less, Ophiuchus seemed to have had enough.

"This is not the last you'll see of Ophiuchus Queen!" she declared before she disappeared.

This was not what Subaru had hoped for. If Ophiuchus fled now, then she wouldn't release her host! Just like Cygnus still had Utagai somewhere. The memory of his failure pained him and he was loath to add another to his record but she was already gone and he was in no state to pursue. All he could do was wait for her next appearance and then stop her. Though for now it seemed he had a blonde to deal with.

"So what was happening between you two, loverboy?"

Subaru sighed. The day was not over yet.

Misora was walking through the concert house, alone except for Harp.

"So Misora, I don't get why you came back here. Nobody is here." Harp said. "I don't know what you hope to find".

Misora had gone back to the battle zone, intent on surveying the damage first hand.

"Anything really. Rockman explained that whoever it is, Ophiuchus is holding someone against their will."

They entered the lavatories, where Harp first had noticed Ophiuchus Queens' presence. Nothing of interest were there except for... What was that? She picked up the item that had caught her interest. A pair of strange green glasses.

"Those are some weird glasses. Do you think it belongs to the one we're looking for?" she mused aloud. "Harp?"

"Hm... actually Misora, I remember those glasses, I saw them on a boy I met not long ago," Harp said. "I never thought to see them again here of all places."

"Last time I saw these glasses were the first time I fought with War-rock".

Later after going to bed, Subaru suddenly jolted upright as if struck by lightning. "War-rock, where's my visualizer?"

A/N: My first fanfiction. I hope to get a better grasp on it from here on out. I am sorry, but you should expect irregular updates though I will try to keep it going as much as I can. My source of inspiration comes from "Project: KIZUNA" by Goddra2. I hope to one day attain that same level of brilliance.

Starting off in the late part of episode 24. I made some minor changes to how it originally happened to keep it somewhat new to readers. The changes will hopefully spiral out of control from here. I am prolonging the Ophiuchus arc too, possibly delaying Cygnus' reappearance. Who knows at this point? I don't.

The thing about Luna and Ophiuchus came to me about halfway through. I thought a dangerous girl like Luna with a dangerous lady like Ophiuchus would help add another layer of madness and really make Subaru's life interesting.

Note that Kaneda is the name Misora gives him in that episode. I think his name is mentioned in the games too but I can't read Kanji so there's no way I'm getting the japanese name from the game. No first name is given anywhere I know of.

I hope to learn a lot from this venture. And I hope to reduce my author notes from now on.