Phantom Chaos

By Zoram Selrof

Chapter 1: Cherry autumn

17:17 PM (Japan Time), Thursday November the 1st, 2206…

"… Phew. Classes are over… We already went through the October exams but soon we'll need to start preparing the December ones… You can't lower the guard!"

"True, Subaru – kun. Let's hope all bows to Kizamaro's First Law of Logic."

"W-what? What's that? Can ya eat that?"

"FATMAN! GOTCHA!"

"YIKES! I-iinchou! I'm sorry~!"

"Not again… Tsukasa – kun, we need to get to the shelter."

"If there's one, Gino – kun."

"Man."

"I know, Jack, I know. The madness is coming."

The 2- A Class students began to wrap up their day and to prepare to leave: Hoshikawa Subaru, aged 14, was talking in a general manner to address everyone: Saishouin Kizamaro adjusted his glasses and grinned: Ushijima Gonta frowned and looked like he didn't know what Kizamaro was talking about: Shirogane Luna got a fit of bad mood and Gonta gasped in fear: another student groaned as he looked at Futaba Tsukasa, who sighed in defeat: Jack also complained.

"O-oi! Kiboyama, man! Didn't ya tell me spaghetti were good?"

"I never did, Ushijima – kun. And too much spaghetti isn't good for you, anyway."

Kiboyama Gino was a student who had bluish eyes and brownish hair: he seemed to be one or two inches taller than Tsukasa.

"FATMAN! I'M ABOUT TO EXPLODE~!" Luna threatened.

"Wha~h! Spare me, iinchou~!" He pleaded.

"Let's get to the shelter." Subaru hushed to the others.

They rushed out of the classroom, down the corridor plus the stairs: they crossed the lobby and exited into the front yard: they sighed in relief as they walked across it.

"Mwah, wah, wah, wah! Oxus Bullus Malignus lost to Warus Rockus Samus Benignus!"

"War Rock. Quit fooling around. What have you destroyed today?"

"Who knows, Subari~? Maybe your evil twin's chimney?"

"What "evil twin"? Stop trolling."

"Buruo~! You pulled an ambush of Water Denpa Viruses on me~! You fanged rascal!"

"You horned bully~!"

"Say that again, you!"

War Rock materialized in front of Subaru while grinning but Subaru replied with skepticism and rising annoyance: Ox showed up next and he was pretty much annoyed by now: they began to yell at each other.

"Pedia! Did you patent Kizamaro's First Law of Battles?"

"Please, Kizamaro – kun… Aren't you getting self-centered?" Pedia sighed from inside the Hunter – VG.

"Miles will blow you 100 Miles away!" War Rock laughed.

"Stop with that silly pun once and for all." A voice growled from Kiboyama's Hunter – VG.

The Wizard inside of it materialized: his main body was more "humanoid" in shape and colored in a brownish color similar to sand: some patterns had been drawn over the body to form plates of armor.

His helmet had been painted sea blue and black shades hid his eyes yet it looked strong and resistant.

His arms were colored in a reddish color with white color stripes running up and down their length: the forearms had extra armor on them and his hands' "skin" was black.

He carried a round golden shield with a silver edge and center on his left hand which was large enough to protect half of his body.

Like a Roman Legionary, he wielded a large lance with a brown body and silver spear set atop it: the weapon looked easy to maneuver and powerful at the same time.

He also had a hover engine built onto the lower part of his body which allowed him to remain air-bone.

"Storm will storm Fatman's fridge!"

"Why should I? The pun's lame, anyway." Another Wizard complained from Tsukasa's Hunter – VG.

This new Wizard looked reminiscent of Gemini, the FM who'd picked Tsukasa as a host over two years ago.

His main body was shaped like a spheroid and colored in a patch of green identical to Tsukasa's hair.

His head was round and perfectly shaped: a white-like helmet protected it and included a pair of purple-colored thick shades: his skin was normal-colored and his face looked young.

Two sharp needle-like tools emerged from his armored and purple-colored forearms and replaced his normal hands.

The rest of the arms were painted with the black and yellow striping to signal "danger" as if hinting at the usage of the appendixes.

Like most modern Wizards, he had a hover device built into the inferior part of his body instead of legs which had been colored in the same black and yellow stripes combination.

"Jackie~! Seize your golden chance~!"

"Shut the hell up." Jack grumbled.

"…73 carrots, 56 apples, 48 pears…!"

"Y-yeah, iinchou…!"

"Huff."

Gonta walked out while being still scolded by Luna: Mode, her Wizard, was hovering next to her and looked exasperated.

"Anyway. Let's scram." Subaru suggested.

"And ram into mail-boxes!" War Rock laughed.

"HMPF!" Ox fumed and folded his arms.

"I'm off to WAXA. I want to figure out what neechan's been up to: nothing good, I can see it coming." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Have you tried to talk some sense into her?" Subaru asked in a hushed tone.

"Believe me. I tried. But she always shrugged me off and pretended I wasn't there to begin with." He sighed in defeat.

"Man. We need to keep an eye on her."

"Totally."

"…boiled beans, lentils, peas…!" Luna was still listing Gonta what seemingly was a vegetarian diet.

"No more~!" He pleaded.

"Mwah, hah, hah. Moon Ace placed a curse on the guy."

"You mean Moon Disaster. That joke's pointless."

"Stainless!"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure. Just go beat Shinobi's Black Hole Server record once and for all." Subaru tried to shoo him away.

"Mwah, hah, hah. OK, Subari~!"

"See you tomorrow!"

"…tomatoes, lettuce, olives, radishes…!" Luna kept on listing as she stood in the midst of the yard apparently oblivious to her surroundings.

"O~h! Iinchou! It's Ramen Gamen!" Gonta signaled behind her.

"No way! The soap opera hero~? Where~?"

She whipped around and Gonta used the chance to run off as Luna rushed towards a girl student younger than her.

"Where is he?"

"Where is…? Who?" The student asked back.

"Ramen Gamen!"

"In the TV, but of course."

"No! He's got to be here!"

"Ahem… Your classmate ran off."

"WHAT! FATMAN! YOU SNEAKY FATS AND CALORIES CLUSTER! CHA WON'T GET AWAY SO EASILY~!"

Luna ran off and Subaru sighed as glanced at it while he headed towards his home.

"They're matter and anti-matter: they need to annihilate each other the whole time." He grimly muttered.

"FOUND CHA~!"

"WHA~H! SOMEONE SAVE ME~!"

"Luna – chan, what about…?" Mode could be heard asking.

"Be quiet, Mode! Reputation and whatever! I've got a score to settle with this Fatman!"

Why does this town need to go mad the WHOLE TIME? JEEZ!

17:49 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Shidou."

"What."

"Mail. From Yoiri – hakase."

"Green hi-energy tea?"

"No. Loosening Agony."

"What the heck is THAT?"

"Apparently… A pop music band of the 2160s."

"Pop music? Sounds like hardcore rock 'n roll to me."

"Not my problem."

"I knew it. Man."

"Oi, Akatsuki. Jack's here."

"OK. Let him in, as usual, Ryuusuke."

"Sure."

Akatsuki Shidou had been going over some report over his desk in the Satella Police HQ when Acid announced an incoming mail: Akatsuki rolled his eyes as if he could foresee the contents but when Acid listed them he looked totally bluffed and taken aback: he then sighed and rolled his eyes while Acid seemed to shrug: a Commando came in to report and he simply nodded in approval.

"So? What's the latest sneaky loophole neechan has come up with?"

"Straight to the point, huh? Well. She's been visiting a women-only S&M club which happens to be 100% legal because all workers there signed a contract of their own will and are over 18…" He rolled his eyes.

"Jeez. Let's hope she doesn't try to drag Hibiki over there."

"Let's hope she doesn't. I still don't see the point to her femdom mania."

"If there's any to begin with." Acid warned.

"There isn't: it's some random caprice or obsession." Jack sighed.

"I won't deny that war changes people and you two were very young when that war in your nation happened… But trying to rape Hibiki Misora just because she wants to… That won't do." He grumbled.

"Of course. That's what we've been struggling to prevent ever since Rock Man blew up Meteor G, over two years ago."

"Jeez. Why did she have to be like that? I can tolerate her cold behavior and her mania of trying to degrade me, but that… Scaring Hibiki like that and putting pressure on her… Jeez. Women." He grumbled.

"I know. I'm afraid I've never really understood neechan either: she always seemed to be so… distant." Jack rolled his eyes.

"SOMEONE SAVE US! THE OMENS CAME BACK!"

Utagai Shinsuke rushed in while looking panicked and like he'd run all the way here from somewhere else.

"T-t-the v-v-vending m-m-machine!" He uttered in a rush.

"What's wrong with it today?" Akatsuki sighed.

"It was muttering Demoniac things!"

"Oh come on. It was just saying "hola y adiós" the whole time. War Rock surely rigged it again, like the brutish fellow always does to begin with, anyway." Cygnus sighed.

"But isn't that…?"

"Jeez. That's just Spanish! It was saying "hi & bye"!"

"A-ah, is t-t-t-that s-s-s-so?"

"Stop making your teeth dance." Cygnus fumed.

"B-b-b-but!"

"Don't you have some job to do?" Akatsuki suggested.

"Oh! True! Job, job!"

"Man. War Rock, Moon Disaster, Omega, Sigma… That quartet is enough to drive you mad." Jack complained.

"I know. At least Omega and Sigma are in an overseas mission and they won't be showing up for a while. And I hope Moon Disaster goes sing his extravaganzas at the penguins in Antarctica."

"Let's hope that, yeah. Or else we'll need to build an anti-madness shelter at this rate."

"My, my. What's with the gloomy mood, Shidou – chan? Didn't you try some of the music I recommended?" Dr. Yoiri stepped in.

"No." He drily replied.

"It's very relaxing."

"I haven't had time."

"Alright, when you have time…"

"Dr. Yoiri, there's a package for you labeled "Ultimate Guide of the 22nd Century by WRS"…" A female Commando came in while carrying a thick package.

"Oh my? Maybe it's a present from one of my sister's granddaughters."

She opened it and found a printed photograph of some elder woman with a face filled with wrinkles and with messy, dirty and decaying gray hair: Dr. Yoiri frowned and didn't seem to get the point but Akatsuki sighed and rolled his eyes.

"This one was LAME. War Rock." He called out.

"Warus Rockus Samus!"

"Yeah, yeah. I know that tune of yours. Just show your hide."

"Beware, Akatsuki! I poisoned all "Sweet Candy" in the nation!"

"I'm SO afraid. Really."

"Mwah, hah, hah. When Sigma gets back then we'll have a party in the Denpa – kun Square~! See ya~! Acid Disaster!"

"Jeez."

"Oh my. So Rock – chan pulled a joke on me? I don't see the point."

"There's none to begin with, hakase~…"

"Oh, is that so? Well. I'm going back to improving the Noise Canceller: the field data you collected during your second visit to Omicron was useful, Shidou – chan."

"When will you quit the nicknames, hakase~?"

"Oh my. Well. I don't know."

She walked back to the elevator after throwing the book into a garbage bin: Jack rolled his eyes and the female Commando sighed too as she went out again.

"Man."

"Anyway. If you feel like it, you're free to go try to talk to Queen Tia and point out that no word-play will save her from trial and prison. A rape is a rape and there's no beating around the bush or loopholes to exploit: it's as clear as this." Akatsuki told Jack.

"Huff. Sure. I know it won't make much of a difference but, for the record… At least it'll be proven that we warned her plenty of times and she disobeyed those warnings. Another infraction to add to the list of charges in a court…"

"Yeah. We spoke about this with a prosecutor and she was very straight to the point. Good luck."

"Thanks. We'll all need it. By the way, what about Hyde and Shinobi?"

"Huff. Hyde keeps on playing orchestra conductor and Shinobi now practices kendo most of the time. Phantom seems about to regret sticking with Hyde to begin with and Assassin keeps on attacking sheep on the mountains." He rolled his eyes.

"In short: nothing's changed."

"Correct."

"Fine. I'm off."

"See you."

"Good-bye." Acid dully added.

Jack left the room and Akatsuki resumed reading a report before picking up a pen and signing it: he then walked over to one of the Operators and handed it to him.

"Make sure it gets to Inspector Goyouda."

"Roger."

"Well. Paper-work's over: let's drop by Kodama Town and stock on some "Sweet Candy"." He suggested.

"Roger."

He walked out of the building while humming a tune and found Moon Disaster making some weird dance in front of the Wave Liner station entrance to the exasperation of the 2 Commando assigned to keep watch over that armored door.

"YO! YO! YO! Moon Ace, on the scene and on the ground!"

"Jeez. Moon Disaster. War Rock told you to do this, didn't the rascal?"

"YO! YO! YO! Acid Disaster, my aibou! Let's rock 'n roll!"

"When did I become your aibou, anyway…? You've got public waiting for you in Antarctica!" He grumbled.

"YO! YO! YO! Well then! Moon Ace, on the ace and on the ice~!"

"What in the… A~h! I give up!" He growled.

"YO! YO! YO! Start of the season, is this? Heh, heh, heh! Ciao~!"

"War Rock…! You bothersome meddling jerk…! Just you wait! SHEESH!"

18:09 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Hello~… My dear! Cleansing service~!"

"… Did the owl beat the tiger?"

"What's that? Some joke? Hah, hah, hah. Of course not."

"Gotcha."

"Huh? What?"

"You there, that girl! ID yourself!"

"C-cleansing staff!"

"Oh yeah? You didn't know the password."

"N-newbie!"

"Even a newbie gets told on the 1st day of work."

"Lovely. I'm sure Queen Tia – sensei sent that gal here."

"Pororon! Guess so, Misora."

Hibiki Misora had been writing down something in a paper while inside of her Okudama Studios room: a woman knocked at the door from the outside and she merely lifted the right eyebrow: Urakata Mamorou called out to the woman and Misora sighed while Harp sounded unsurprised at the happenings.

"SECURITY~!"

"Roger! Get out, you fake!"

"I'll remember this!"

"Of course you will. You lot are the types to hold grudges." Urakata wasn't surprised.

"They got inside stealing an employee's ID." The Security Wizard reported next while the spy's yells faded away.

"Sheesh."

"We called the Satella Police."

"Fine. Let them handle the stuff. Misora? Can I come in? The mouse beat the lion in 1 minute 33 seconds."

"Roger, sir. Please come in."

Urakata came in, sighing, while Misora stood up to face him: he slapped his face and defeat and growled.

"Do you have a hunch?"

"Queen Tia – sensei."

"Hmmm… The former "Dealer" member, was it?" He seemingly tried to remember.

"Yes. She's sister to Jack – kun, that friend of Subaru – kun who'd come over the day the incident with Ice happened…"

"Hum. I seem to remember, yeah. So? Why did she send this fake?"

"It's her way of warning me."

"Warning you?"

"Well… To be honest, sir… It's a somewhat… ahem… private talk."

"Ah. I won't ask any further, then."

"Thank you, sir. Well. To put it simply… She seems to have some kind of warped jealousy over me, I dunno why, and tries to downgrade me."

"Man. As if the record labels' perverts and the magazine perverts weren't enough… Now we have that gal to deal with too?"

"I think that she won't be the type to pull the same trick twice. She's obsessed with standing out as different from the lot."

"Ah! Then that's something."

"Trouble?" Suzuka asked as she showed up in the threshold.

"Obviously." Ice, her Wizard, shrugged.

"Yeah. Someone who's trying to downgrade me…" Misora shrugged.

"The city's gone mad." Ice sighed.

"Pororon! You couldn't put it clearer than that." Harp sighed.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah. So the Ice Princess strikes back with a hammer of anger, eh, Misora~?"

"War Rock. Go beat Phantom Black's Noise Wave 6 record."

"That a challenge, Misora~?"

War Rock showed up in front of the Wave Station while grinning but Misora directed a dull, bored and unimpressed glare at him while coming up with something outta the blue to shoo him away.

"Sure as Hell." She fumed.

"Alright! By the way: will ya explain to me what was that stuff I dropped by last time around?"

"No. It's Top-Secret. Maybe if you pull Moon Disaster's ears he'll let out a hint or two. If he doesn't beat ya before that."

"Wha~t? Moonie Ace~ is gonna beat me, ya say~? Just ya wait! I'm so gonna beat the guy to a pulp! Mwah, hah, hah!"

War Rock warped out and Misora fumed: the others sighed in exasperation as well.

"My good mood is ruined. I need some fresh air. Be back immediately: not like I want to stay too much outside now, in November…"

"Roger. I'll go back to supervising."

"We've got to practice for our next filming sequence. See ya, Misora – chan."

"Good. Take care, Suzuka – chan."

"Pororon! Next time ice their flame." Harp told Ice.

"Delighted, truly!" She grinned.

"Let's go."

Misora picked a brownish coat and put it on before stepping outside and walking past three employees having a smoke and chatting: she walked down the avenue and entered the tennis yard: she sat down on a bench and stretched.

"Well. At least Kanaya, my pale imitator, is safely locked in jail and there's no way she'll get out by herself. And Queen Tia – sensei can threaten but maybe she's in a position in which she can't take any action without being intercepted." She muttered.

She stretched again and circled one around the tennis yard before heading back into the building and back into her room: she took off the coat and placed it on the perch before sitting down in the chair and picking up her pencil again while looking at the lyrics she'd written insofar.

"Hmm… I think I can improve them a bit. Let's think. Sailing skies, sailing skies, towards the unknown… That doesn't sound too bad, you know: let's write it down."

She wrote down the new three lines she'd thought of and then paused again: she glanced at some aerial photographs of tropical-like islands somewhere and seemed to seek inspiration from them.

"Hmmm… Bright sun, bright sun, sparkling ocean, sparkling ocean, juicy coconut, juicy coconut… I want to have an optimistic and relaxing mood to it since it seems to be fashionable as of late."

"Pororon! I'm back from collecting news. I stumbled upon Wolf and he told me there's some new fan club dedicated to Juurou – san in Kodama Elementary, see~…" Harp returned.

"Juurou – san? I vaguely remember having seen him once or twice, yeah, but I'd never guessed he was THAT popular…"

"Well. It's a boys' club: it'd seem he brags about his Rambo fighting style and it got popular."

"Boys will be boys." She shrugged.

"Guess that. Humans get more complicated with every day: I've been around for almost 3 years now and I still find some stuff hard to understand, see."

"You're not the only one." Misora rolled her eyes.

"Guess I'm in the club."

"Yeah. The "Less-You-Know-The-Better Club"…" She sighed.

"That's some name."

"It's an irony, Harp. But, anyway. I feel like I'll soon have this song completed and ready."

"That'll be great."

"Sure."

"Emergency, emergency! We're being invaded by a hostile fleet of smoking burning and intoxicating cylinders!" The speakers suddenly blared to life.

"Jeez. Rock. Is that cha new idea of a joke? It's LAME." Harp sighed.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah. It's MEAL! My newest meal!" War Rock laughed through the speakers.

"Jeez. Moon Disaster will say ya are a lil berserk runt in his next extravaganza." Misora improvised.

"Wha~t? The rascal! This time around I'm going all out!" War Rock growled aloud.

"Phew. Boys will be boys, yeah." Harp sighed in relief.

"Told cha." She shrugged and resumed her work.

"I suddenly got a bad feeling."

"It's gotta be your imagination, Harp. I'm sure this will be a quiet November to begin with." She shrugged it off.

Yet… I feel something… The advent of a crisis? Or, else…?