I know some of you were looking forward to a Linkin Park songfic, but I decided to scrap the idea. First, pretty much every songfic I've seen is a short story. This is going to be something like eight or nine chapters. Second, the lyrics and story have to be related in some way. I wanted to be free of the song's dictation because I had a feeling this would go awry. Finally, I've begun to lose interest in Linkin Park. (Hybrid Theory the thousandth time around isn't as good) It might become more of a chore than a pleasure to write this a month from now. But don't feel down. You can still listen to Papercut while reading this.
* * *
Hikari, a teenage high-school student with hair brushing her shoulders, opened the mailbox at the bottom floor of the apartment. Bill, bill, advertisement, you may have just won a billion yen… a letter from Taichi! Hikari eagerly brought the mail to her family's room. It'd been almost a year since her brother went away. Hikari's life just wasn't the same with her goofy big brother to be comedy relief. She dumped the junk mail for her parents on the counter, and ripped the envelope containing her brother's message open. Inside was a typed note, probably because a dog's handwriting was better than Taichi's.
Dear Mom, Dad, and Hikari,
Everything is going well at college. I'm making lots of friends, and for the most part, doing well in all my classes. I really miss all of you; especially Mom's cooking. The sushi at the cafeteria is tasteless. Anyway, I hope you're all in happy spirits, because tuition is due, and my job can't quite cover all of it. Just call me for the price. And for my loving sister, I'll admit, I miss you the most.
Love, Taichi.
P.S. I'm getting the week off in a month. See you then!
Hikari smiled and put the letter on top of the other mail for her parents to read when they got home. She didn't know why they both had to go to the grocery store, but it probably had something to do with the fact one would usually come home with the other's least favorite meal.
The teenage girl plopped down on the couch, but didn't spot the man's greatest invention. Where is that remote? Hikari checked under the table, in the cushions, and around the TV, before something odd happened.
It's under the couch.
Hikari whirled around. Someone had just spoken. The door was shut, and the room remained silent. Hikari looked about the room, then jumped as the disembodied voice spoke again.
The couch. Look under the couch.
"Who's there?" Hikari's voice wavered. No one replied. That voice, where'd it come from? Hikari hesitantly checked around the room. Of course, she found nothing unusual, and then she looked at the couch. It taunted her, daring her to look under it. Hikari swallowed, then approached the couch. She leaned down, pinched the ruffled edge, and peered under.
Nothing bit back at her. All Hikari saw was the remote. In some ways, that still scared her. She returned to the couch and spread out across it. Hikari turned on the TV, and began randomly flipping. That voice, it seemed like it came from everywhere at once. Like it was inside my head. A memory, by chance, popped up in her head. When she was eight, the first time she had went to the Digital World; she remembered a similar voice. It was so long ago though. Hikari remembered that day she first went to that weird parallel dimension. With Gatomon…
Hikari began feeling a tear welling up in her eye. She missed Gatomon so much, her perky disposition, boundless energy, and always a smile on her face. Hikari continued flipping the channels, and did similarly with her mind. Trying to get a normal reputation was difficult. Especially when you took part in saving the world, twice.
All of the complimenting and praising, and even autographs eventually died down, especially into high school. Ugh, I hate those uniforms. She recalled the first day getting into that itchy blouse and jacket, and the boring green skirt. She felt like she'd gone to a prison. Takeru didn't really appreciate the boy's style either. Ties everyday.
Takeru… Hikari's emotions stirred. Takeru had obviously taken a liking to her, but he constantly had to repress himself. Whenever she talked to him, he had that look in his eye, like he was imagining Hikari in bed with him. Much to Takeru's dismay, she'd said that he was like her second brother. They knew each other very well, and it would be uncomfortable for her to be dating and kissing on a regular basis. She also mentioned that there was some hope. That really turned him red.
She stopped at a channel showing the weather. "…still in a heat wave, that will most likely continue into next week. Expect highs to top 30 degrees Celsius. Analysts are saying this whole summer has been warmer than average, so make sure you drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks when working, and put on a healthy amount of sunscreen."
Hikari was glad her father had fixed the air conditioner. It was nearly on high blast, and she loved falling asleep on the couch during these hot summer days. Actually, I'm getting pretty sleepy now. Hikari curled up slightly on the couch and drifted to sleep. She eventually forgot about that weird voice, but that would be temporarily…
* * *
Hikari woke up to her mother's light shaking. She slowly stirred, then looked at the clock. The number 6:30 stared at her. "Hikari-chan, dinner's almost ready."
The half-asleep girl immediately knew what the meal was from the smell in the air. Tuna. She absolutely loathed tuna, no matter if it was on a sandwich, as sushi, or any other form. Hikari washed her hands and plopped down in her seat at the counter. A large pile of tuna, in all its smelly glory, was on her plate, along with some rice towards the side. Hikari immediately went for the rice, delaying the inevitable. She was about to help herself to more, when her mother butted in.
"Hikari, have some tuna."
Hikari watched the meat like it was glowing and making faces at her.
"You don't have to like it, I just want you to eat it. You're a growing girl and I spent a long time making this."
Hikari gazed at the tuna, hating it with a strong vengeance and then a corner of her mind seemed to activate. Hikari couldn't describe it, but it like using a part of her brain for the first time. She rubbed her forehead, a small twinge of pain built up there, then abruptly disappeared. She squeezed a piece of tuna between her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.
It tasted even worst than normal. No, that was an understatement. It tasted absolutely appalling. Like someone had dumped way too much salt on spoiled meat. Hikari gagged on the disgusting food and downed almost half of her milk to wash it away.
"Are you OK? Did you choke?" Her protective mother was already by her side.
Hikari shook her head then offered her mother a piece of the tuna. "Here taste this. There's something wrong with it."
Her mother plucked a piece in her mouth. She made a face similar to what Hikari's had made, and spat out the bad food into a napkin. Her eyes were watering up as she said. "I don't know what happened to your batch Hikari, but I don't have any more tuna, though I'm sure you're celebrating on the inside." Her mother walked off, mumbling something about calling the supermarket. Hikari gladly threw away the rest of her dinner.
* * *
Half an hour later, Hikari was heading out the door to meet with her friend Miyako, who'd claimed to have a surprise for her. Miyako's surprises usually ended up with both of them doing a lot of explaining. Hikari went out of her home after her mother's warning about the 10:00 curfew. She heard Miyako's car halfway down the stairs.
Everyone else has a car. Miyako has a car, Takeru has a car, and even Daisuke who passed the driver's exam through sheer dumb luck has a car. Meanwhile my brother and his college books force me to pay for my own car. Hikari found her friend and her dull red Honda parked at the side of the road. Miyako waved and honked like the other girl was nearly blind and deaf. Hikari jumped in and immediately reminded Miyako that she needed to be home by ten PM.
"Right. OK, there's this new place open downtown…" Miyako sped out into the street like a drag racer. "And I thought it would be really cool if we went there. But I can't tell you what it is because I want it to be a surprise." Miyako barely stopped in time for the red light. When it signaled to go, Miyako, without much concern for the car's engine, accelerated hard.
Several minutes of intense stopping and going, Miyako pulled up to a large black building. Hikari's face fell as she saw the name of the place in bright neon, lightning-shaped letters:
"Crossfire?" She read aloud. "The new laser tag place? Miyako, you know I suck at these kind of war games."
Miyako eagerly ran through the maze of other parked cars. "Oh come on it'll be fun. Besides Ken and Daisuke will be there."
"I have a suspicious belief that Daisuke asked you to bring me here. I thought he had given up on me a long time ago."
"No he said it was because he needed target practice." Miyako went through the door with Hikari following much less anxiously. Miyako paid for both of them at the counter and found Ken and Daisuke spending time at the arcade. Daisuke, who still refused to give up his goggles, blasted away enemies in a mindless shoot-everything-that-moves game.
Miyako greeted Ken with a kiss while Hikari simply said hello. Daisuke barely noticed the arrival of the two girls, on a count of he'd just secured his place on the High Score list. He cheered and did some kind of victory dance as his name appeared at the bottom of the list. He finally turned and regarded Hikari. "Oh hi Hikari. Man I can't believe how long it took to get my name on that list I must've spent half my allowance on that game. So, hope you're ready to come in last."
Hikari sighed and pointed at Miyako. "She dragged me here. And go easy on me. Please?"
Daisuke grinned. "I dunno, you'll have to ask my trigger finger. In the arena, they know me as Sharpshooter."
* * *
Minutes later, Hikari wore a heavy plastic breastplate with a sensor in front and back, and needed two hands to carry an unwieldy, elaborately designed gun. She was pretty sure her score was in the negative range because she seemed to be getting shot a lot more than she was shooting.
A flash of red went by. Hikari would've been dead if it was the real thing, because it took nearly two seconds for her to hoist the gun up and point it in the general direction of what she'd seen. Hikari investigated the area, a maze of boxes to hide behind. She jumped as another player ambushed and pumped her full of radio waves. Hikari tried to crouch down but she'd already been killed.
"Ha, ha. Newbie." The guy laughed and looked for more inexperienced players to bully.
Hikari stood back up after a few seconds with her armor reactivated. She suddenly felt like she had a headache. Maybe it was the pulsating techno music. It began building up though. Hikari couldn't focus. The girl's vision became fuzzy, and she had to breathe heavily.
She also felt something else. Anger, and frustration, growing. She never wanted to come here; she would've enjoyed a quiet night at the movies or the park, not being last in some stupid fake game.
Hikari felt like she'd snapped. Something happened to her senses, making them strong as a wild animal's. In her mind's eye, a shadow floated behind her. Hikari waited until the person was less than a meter away, then whirled around and repeatedly squeezed the trigger like there was no tomorrow.
Daisuke's expression was one of surprise as he lost a life. "How'd you know I was behind you? I pulled that trick a dozen times!"
Hikari felt the adrenaline gush out. "Uh, I'm not sure. It's like I sensed you coming." She rubbed her head. The feeling of anger, it was like something in a bubble, and the bubble just… popped. "Listen I'm gonna drop out. I'm not into this game."
Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you want to. But I wish I had eyes in the back of my head." He ran off into a cloud of fog.
Hikari went out of the exit, returned her equipment and sat down in the waiting room. Ten minutes later, Miyako, Ken, and Daisuke came out, sweaty and exhilarated. The easily excited teenager cheered as the scores showed up on a screen. "Oh yeah, first place, I rule!"
"Yeah, twelve kills, and you only died once. Who was that?" Ken asked.
"Hikari. I don't know how she caught me sneaking up on her. She just whirled around and… wham!" He smacked himself on the chest.
"Hey that's pretty cool. What do you say to a free shake for being the only person to kill Daisuke for the first time in weeks." Ken offered.
Hikari shook her head. "No, I'm not feeling that great. I just want to go home."
Daisuke tilted his head. This certainly conflicted with what many other people would say. "Alright then, but I'm not taking her home. I'm just getting warmed up!"
Miyako bounced up and down. "Me too, me too! I wanna play this some more!"
"I'll take you home." Ken quietly offered.
Hikari smiled and stood up. "Thanks Ken."
They both went to the parking lot and into Ken's small sedan. As he pulled out, Ken asked, "What's been troubling you?"
Hikari was surprised at the bluntness of the question. She was unsure how to answer for a moment. "Well, it started this afternoon. You see I was looking for the remote, and then I suddenly knew where it was. Out of nowhere. And I didn't put it under the couch. A few hours ago too, at dinner, somehow, I think I… changed the tuna, because it tasted horrible. And in that laser place, I don't know, something happened to me and I could sense everyone's presence." She leaned an elbow against the armrest. "You probably think I'm crazy or psycho."
Ken chuckled. "Of course not. I have one word for all of three of those incidents. Coincidence." He was a much milder driver than Miyako and gently stepped on the brake early enough for a light stop. "You are a pretty unique girl though Hikari. You used to tell me what happened when you first went to the Digital World. And even when we were in that wild place, you did some weird things."
Hikari shifted her position. "You don't think, my powers are returning do you?"
"All the stuff that happened, isn't like what happened at the Digital World. You went through dimensions and controlled Digimon and gave off weird glows. It's probably all some weird fluke. Don't worry about it."
The rest of the car trip was silent. When Hikari arrived home, she thanked Ken and they exchanged sayonoras, then went upstairs into her room, half an hour early for curfew. Her parents were watching some kind of late night sitcom, so she just went into her room and fell heavily onto the bed. She cycled through the events of the day and eventually drifted off.
* * *
Sleeping well?
…Yeah
Good.
Who are you?
I'm you.
You're me?
That's right.
But… I'm me; I'm the only one of me.
Not exactly.
I don't get it…
Relax; just have a good sleep.
…OK.
* * *
"We got another one. Looks pretty strong too." One man, his face green from the computer monitor pointed a glowing dot.
"Good, where?" Another man looked over his shoulder.
"West section of Odaiba."
"Already calling up one of our guys."
"Damn, look at that thing glow. Copler will really be happy with whoever this is."
* * *
Hikari woke up from the weird dream. It was midmorning, no later than nine AM, but bright and warm. The girl rubbed her forehead, which still hurt slightly. It was Sunday; Takeru had a game scheduled for today. Hikari planned to attend, even though her head was randomly throbbing. The still-groggy girl got dressed, ate a light breakfast, and headed out of the apartment.
Hikari's head felt like a raging typhoon. So many things were happening, things that she couldn't explain, things that weren't normal. Why do I have to be the weird one? She searched her mind for that… thing that kept talking to her. She tried speaking in her mind, screaming in her mind. Nothing came back, but a dark, lonely emptiness. Why am I trying to contact her? Is it even a her? Hikari realized that she had no idea whether or not this person was herself, or someone else. She was getting a headache again…
As she passed by a food stand, a man offered some fruit. Hikari politely turned him down. The man sighed and leaned back in his chair, then suddenly stood back up. All of his food looked like it had just aged a week. All of the apples were brown, and the bananas had ripened to an ugly brown. Should he not have bothered that girl?
* * *
Inside the school gym, a severe morale beating was being administered onto Kobe High School. The few fans that had traveled to see their home team were disappointed by the game and ended up leaving. In the last half minute, they were losing, eighty-seven to forty. Takeru led the charge against Odaiba's rival, which was now their whipping boy. Over half the points were made by the red streak with Takashi and the number nine on the back. Nine, because that was the age when he discovered basketball. The little boy with a glint in his eye was now a tall blonde high school student, slightly taller than his brother, and a head taller than Hikari. He could easily bench press his weight, which was no small number, and when it came to girls, Takeru was the target of several dozen at last month's dance. He ended up going alone because Hikari turned him down.
In the last few seconds, Takeru made a grand finish with a perfect three point shot. As it went in without disturbing the rim, the buzzer signaled the end of the game and Odaiba residents exploded in cheers. Takeru was familiar with this scene. He'd been the star of the basketball league since sixth grade. Most of the rare times when Odaiba lost were during his vacations.
Takeru spotted Hikari among the exhilarated crowd and gave her a flashing grin and wave. Hikari just smiled back. A familiar tugging sensation was annoying her again. She inhaled deeply as a sudden rush of some unexplainable feeling rushed at her. This is happening too often… something's wrong with me. In her mind's eye, a picture briefly flashed. Me… in pain… someone hurting me! Hikari mashed her hands into her temples like there was something crawling in her forehead.
"Hey, you alright?" A woman next to her noticed Hikari's strange behavior.
"No!" Hikari hadn't heard the woman's question. Her outburst was uncontrollable. She cleared most of bleacher steps in one jump and dashed out without knowing where she was going. One word kept pulsating through her head: Run. She had to run. Somewhere, anywhere, just run. Someone was out to get her; she had to run away.
* * *
"Kirisuto, look at that glow." One man pointed at a bright dot glowing on the radar.
"It's moving really fast." A woman at his side observed.
"How high is the power?" A third man asked.
"Went off the scales a long time ago." The other man mumbled.
The woman raised a single eyebrow. "Think it's stronger than Copler?"
"No one's stronger than Copler."
"Should we move out?"
"Trap's already set. Going pretty fast though."
"We'll catch it."
* * *
Hikari was blindly plowing through people, not caring who she shoved by. Something in her mind kept telling her she had to run. If she stopped… Keep running! The voice commanded, immediately banishing the thought.
At the corner, a man in a business suit and shades kept watch. He looked anonymous among other people, but was waiting for the signal. A hidden microphone, buried halfway into his ear canal crackled and spoke in a feminine tone. "Get ready Atoshi, thirty meters and closing." She briefly paused. "Make that twenty."
What? Is this person on a bike? Atoshi quickly recognized whom the signal was coming from, a young woman who was making an island through the crowd. He casually began to walk forward on an interception course.
The blow that came left Atoshi completely disoriented. One moment, he was accidentally bumping into Hikari, preparing to apologize and give an excuse for her to follow him, the next, he was sprawled on the ground after hearing the frightened girl scream: "Get away!"
He quickly regained his composure, cursed under his breath, then turned and headed back to the van.
* * *
"We could have a problem here." Atoshi said before taking a long sip of coffee. I saw the look on her face. She was terrified."
"So? A scared girl against a seventy kilogram agent?" One of his partners, a woman named Amari, said.
"She used her powers." Atoshi said with an annoyed tone. "Some kind of telekinetic blast." He finished the rest of his drink and crumpled the Styrofoam in his fist. "It was like getting hit by a gust of wind."
"Probably did it without thinking." Amari went over to pour herself another cup of the miracle drink, of which no adult with long hours could live without. "She's pretty powerful, we'll have to catch her off guard."
"That'll be pretty hard." Ryu, Amari and Atoshi's partner spoke up from his chair at the computer board. He ripped off a piece of paper, and adjusted his glasses while examining it. "Her psyche is still in the early transition stage. It's pulsating without a pattern. It would take weeks or months before we could accurately predict when she's at her strongest."
"So we'll wait until she's weak, then strike, with force if necessary. Copler really wants this one."
"And what Copler wants, Copler gets." Amari and Ryu spoke in unison.
* * *
Hikari was quite jumpy at her house that afternoon. She wanted to rest. Yes, rest is what she needed, without voices, painful head-trips, or anything else weird. Just… normal. That's all I want. She lay down in bed, tugging the covers up to her neck. Hikari wondered how Takeru would react if she told him about all of these problems. Probably get all protective and angry, then somehow try to turn it into a kiss. She shifted to her side. On the alarm clock, it read a quarter past nine. She couldn't remember the last time she fell asleep that early. Even her parents had noticed and given each other those troubled looks. I don't want them to worry; I'll have to tough this out. Hikari closed her eyes, but the sleep refused to come. She considered doing something, almost banished it, but then rethought.
Five minutes later, Hikari was out the door.
* * *
"This'll be easy. She's weak, and outdoors, and it's night." Ryu pointed at the dot, much dimmer than it had been.
"Where is she at now?" Atoshi asked before opening the van door.
"Looks like… the local park."
"I'm coming with you. You'll need backup if something happens." Amari was already at her partner's side.
"Don't forget these." Ryu tossed them both a small bag. "Knocks `em out in seconds."
"Let's haul in a big one."
* * *
Hikari sat on a park bench enjoying the cool, clear night. Few were out at nine thirty, except dog walkers and other people with distraught minds. The sky was clear and moonless but hardly a single star was visible. The lights of the city always drowned out the heavens. Wish I could see them… wait, never mind. I would probably shut down all the power. Hikari was beginning to get a grasp of what was wrong with her. Every time I want something, it happens. I wanted to find the remote, I did. I wanted to do better in that game, and I did.
So you're finally admitting I'm here.
Hikari was hardly startled. The voice was becoming more common, and she could, sort of, talk to it. Why are you talking to me?
Everyone needs to talk to someone else at one point. Why not talk to me?
Because… you're not natural! Everybody else has just themselves in their head.
Are you sure? Maybe you just have better contact with me than others do.
What's going on with me? Am I schizophrenic?
No, just different. And you might want to look behind you.
Hikari instinctively turned around. The voice couldn't have picked a worst time. A black business suit filled her vision, followed by pitch-blackness as a foul smelling gas invaded her nose and sent her into a deep slumber.
