Paranoid Doll: Renunciation
Disclaimer: I don't own Vocaloid, just the story.
A/N: Well, this is version two. The differences are drastic compared to version one. I better leave the rant for later. Here goes.
EDIT: I made a typo with the picture describing Luka. Well, now that's fixed. Off to ready the update.
EINS: Assignments
TYPE ZERO
STATUS: ACTIVE
PROGRAM START-UP
PROJECT ROSE CROSS. ver. 2.2
The screen flashed in the middle of the dark, letters forming from the blank space. The slight whir from the machinery filled the air as the programs took its course.
FILE BANK...OK
PERSONA SCRIPT...OK
PARADIGM SET...OK
PHYSICS-CHEMISTRY BASE...OK
VESSEL-MIND INTERFACE...OK
SYSTEM ALL GREEN
Faint lights began to shimmer in the dark, all of lining the various cords and wires scattered in the room. As all of these shimmered, it began to converge to one location in the room...a metallic cask. Hidden in the darkness, a pair of eyes watched how all of this progressed.
"Everything is good to go, Doctor," the voice said in the shadows.
"Good," the 'Doctor' answered with a cold voice. "Let's proceed to the next phase of the project, now that the models are ready.
"Don't forget..."
The cold air surrounded everything around the place. It was the constant element that seemed familiar, as everything else was foreign.
"Don't forget how the wind sounds like during the first fall of snow."
Staring at a blank space, the youth stood before the broken remains of what was the concrete wall of a high-rise building. The cold embrace of the winter wind on his skin felt different somehow. Despite the warmth given by his azure scarf and white long coat, the cold seemed to pierce through his chest. Slowly, his expression began to soften.
"Snow, ice, it's just like you...pure, hopeful in erasing everything by covering it in a blanket of snow...wanting to start anew..."
White flakes began to fall on his short hair of navy blue, contrasting the pigment with the way his skin and hair would do so. The once-empty gaze began to take in the reality of his surroundings marred with ruin and frost. The snow began to cover the scars of destruction, from buildings reduced to rubble to crystal frost on certain places. The sight of the wall before him bore another thing that he can see. Frost icicles marred by crimson, glistening like a ruby while the unrecognizable pile that was slowly being covered by the snow.
"Start anew..."
Impulse. His chest began to be riddled with tightness. His breath hiked up as tides of emotion began to sweep him all at once. He gave a stifled gasp. His arms hung on his sides as the young man stood in confusion...and terror. If guilt or fear was to be seen, his expression showed both. Chaos began to rattle him, his emotions in a maelstrom as they took over, bringing his mind and body in conflict.
This moment had him well. He could only shed a tear...
And scream out a curse.
"Kaito. Hey, Kaito"
The blue-haired youth flailed about screaming. The sound of his name being called was ignored. The next thing that came to him was a solid blow to his head by a bamboo sword. If anything, that snapped him into reality, awake and groaning in pain.
"Sheesh, you and your antics..."
He looked up and found a familiar face, especially the long hair of purple sported in a neat ponytail. The blue-haired youth seethed a bit while rubbing his head.
"Gakupo, you don't have to hit me so hard," he said, gritting his teeth.
"Well, you either sleep like a log or you're as noisy as a dying elephant. Now get up." Gakupo walked away with the bamboo sword resting on his shoulders. The black sleeveless shirt hugged at his lean-muscled body, toned due to rigorous training. His footsteps seemed to glide above the wood floor as his loose white pajamas contrasted the shade of his shirt. Stopping at the doorstep, he turned his head slightly and spoke.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Kaito? Get up already and fix yourself. Breakfast is waiting."
Kaito rose from his bed, his shirtless torso glistening under the ray of the morning sun peering through his window. He rubbed his forehead for a moment, this time due to the dream he had. It seemed too real for him; the scenario seemed too vivid.
"It's that dream again..." Kaito whispered dryly, feeling frustrated with him not figuring out what it meant. Rising from his bed, he ambled towards the bathroom to take a shower.
"Is he up yet, Gakupo?" the young woman inquired. She sat by the table, reclined in her chair while staring at the ceiling. The upper portion of her blouse was unbuttoned, showing her chest slightly.
"He'll be here in a while, Meiko." Gakupo answered as he left the counter with dishes in hand. He prepared breakfast for three people, noting that it was his turn to cook. Placing the dishes of eggs and bacon on the table, he looked at the stairs that led to the second floor. "Do you want to guess how long?"
"If you lose, you'll buy me a drink." Meiko beamed as she sat up properly. "I can guess it'll be a minute."
"I say lower." he replied as he sat down. His black button-up shirt matched his fitted jeans, bearing the same dark color. Meiko dressed up with a white blouse and a pair of red slacks. She scowled a bit, wanting to rant about another thing. "Gakupo?"
"Yes?" he had a bite-sized chunk of bacon dunked into his mouth as he listened.
"I understand the talk about blending well with people but..." Meiko pulled the fabric of her blouse with her thumb and index finger with an uneasy expression. "Why do I have to dress up like this? Yes, it's the company uniform but can they do something about this design?"
Gakupo had dunked a forkful of egg while taking a look at Meiko's outfit as she ate.
"Nothing seems to be wrong. Unless you want the uniform those girls have?"
"That's where I'm getting at." Meiko sighed as she took a sip of her coffee. "With this thing I'm wearing, not to mention my short hair, I might be mistaken for a guy if I wear the blazer."
"True."
"I know right?"
"Why don't you get one?"
"That's the problem. They don't have a size for me."
Gakupo paused for a bit and nodded. She had a point. Uniforms, one of the few things to worry about. Before he could say anything, the sound of heavy steps descending from the stairs noted the arrival of the one they're waiting for. Out came Kaito, dressed in a black T-shirt under a blazer with the same dark shade while a pair of dark jeans followed the form of his legs. A thin azure scarf hung around his neck, giving the only color to the sable outfit.
"Kaito clocked in about...57 seconds. Three seconds short of a minute." he announced. Meiko flinched as he looked at her with a smirk. "Looks like it'll be your treat this time, Meiko."
"Eh, what's this about?" Kaito asked, clueless
"Nothing really." Meiko answered, changing the subject. "Why do you always get up so late?"
"Uh, well...er...uhm..." Kaito was looking around the place, looking for an excuse. "A broken alarm clock, I guess."
"Well, go eat your breakfast because we only have a few more minutes to spare." Gakupo stated as he rose from the table, carrying the empty plate to the sink. "We'll be late for work."
LENTEN COUNTDOWN
TIME REMAINING BEFORE RENUNCIATION: 60:45:05
The display flashed in the middle of the room with this reading. The counter kept on plummeting with its numbers as time flies by. A man stood nearby, his black military uniform contrasting the gray walls around the room. The black captain's hat concealed his eyes with the way it was tilted, leaving the shiny insignia on its center to gleam.
"Two days and twelve hours..." he said flatly. "We are giving them quarter."
"It means we will have fun with this." his companion spoke with a wicked grin. The glistening silver necklace served to accent the black shirt, coat and trousers. "My sword will have its share of chaos and it will be hard-earned."
"Your bloodlust precedes you." another voice joined in the fray, the metallic arm flexing and spanning its fingers. The white shirt and black vest emphasized his broad frame while his sunglasses covered his eyes. "What does he have to say about this? What will we do next?"
"The Lord Justice plans to broadcast a warning," the stoic soldier answered. "He is sure we will not be ignored."
The three look back and gaze at the throne behind them, noting the presence of another. Seated pensively with legs elegantly crossed, he smiled at them.
"Look your best. We will make ourselves known."
The car cruised easily thanks to the loose traffic. Kaito looked out as he let the wind brush his hair and face, gazing at the open window on his side. He whistled as he began to wonder about the briefing earlier.
"Meiko?"
The brunette had her eyes on the road, taking the wheel as they drove through the flyover.
"What is it?"
"Remind me why we're going on this babysitting mission." he had a scowl on his face, unwilling to do anything about it.
"First off, it's an escort mission." Meiko said a-matter-of-factly before expertly drifting on the curve ahead. This shook Kaito on his seat, as if she punctuated the point. "Secondly, our targets, or should I say clients, are in that school we're heading to. Don't forget, there's another condition to this."
The cobalt-haired man sighed as he diverted his thoughts elsewhere.
"Face it Kaito, you want this trip." Meiko teased as she saw an opening on the road. "Not to mention that I know you have a thing for young girls."
"WHAT!" he said, wide-eyed.
Meiko stepped on the pedal and the car darted through the now-empty street.
Moments ago...
"You three understand our stand in this situation, yes?" the commander, Ted Kasane, said as he leaned forward to his desk and brought his hands to clasp each other. Eyeing the three agents through his glasses, his expression stressed how serious the matter was.
"Yes sir." The three answered as they stood before him. Meiko stood in the middle with Gakupo on the right and Kaito on the left.
"Due to the lack of capable agents with Special Talents in our ranks, I've resolved this matter with my power." he stated as he smoothed his black suit with his hands. He placed his hand on the desk, file folders caught in his grasp. He spread them to reveal two of them. "Now I took the liberty of finding these candidates as the Head of this branch. Shion, Sakine, these folders hold the information of your objectives."
The pair approached the desk and picked the files up. Meiko browsed through them and took a good look at the pictures, trying to remember every feature they bore. Kaito, on the other hand, smirked as he looked over what Meiko was holding.
"You are to find them and bring them with you." Ted stated. "Are we clear about this?"
"Yes sir." the three answered in unison.
"The two of you can go now." he then looked at Gakupo. "Kamui, I'd like you to stay here."
The two left the office, wondering what the commander wants with him. While the brunette focused her attention with the details of the mission in hand, the cobalt-haired man ended up with questions in mind. As soon as the door closed behind them, Gakupo took a breath and composed himself.
"Kamui, I have a different assignment for you." Ted started the discussion as he pushed another folder forward. "The subject you are after is this one."
He reached for the folder and opened it. The first thing the purple-haired gentleman noticed was a picture of a woman with long pink hair with eyes of radiant blue. Her familiar features left the man surprised, a name leaving his lips in a whisper.
"Luka..."
"Seems like you know the subject, Kamui." he said, amused.
Inside him, a number of emotions seemed to stir within all at once. He can't be sure of how to react. The gentleman kept his composure and changed the direction of the conversation.
"What is my mission?" he asked with a serious tone.
"You are to find the subject and coordinate with her." the man pushed his glasses up a bit. "I believe you know what to do from here."
Gakupo didn't like the sound of that. Although from what the crimson-haired man said, it seems that discretion is in the agent's hands. He closed the folder and looked at his superior.
"The arrangements are also set, including your new quarters and equipment. When you're set, we'll contact you about other things."
"Very well then, sir. I shall take my leave." he said coolly as he left the office.
What is this supposed to mean? Gakupo thought as he walked towards the black motorcycle parked near the park. The stroll didn't help him in clearing his thoughts regarding the assignment Ted gave him. Mounting the bike, he reached for the helmet and slid it on his head. Fate, you are one cruel mistress.
He turned the key to the ignition, bringing it to life. Revving it on the throttle bar, he darted off and went for the highway. The path he took to would be the more scenic route, in hopes that he could take in the whole situation.
These new arrangements are going to be quite a handful. He made a turn as the sight of the seaside made him feel relaxed as he sped through the road. However, even with these new things, nothing seemed to change. It's as if nothing happened.
He sighed as he cruised off, a name leaving his lips.
"Luka..."
"So, Miku, where do you wanna go?" the blond girl asked, walking side by side with her friend. The short hair had clips to hold her stray strands in place while a white ribbon was neatly tied on he hair.
Her companion, a girl slightly older, tilted her head to think, making her long pigtails act like balancing scales.
"Hm, want to go shopping, Rin?" Miku asked her.
"Sure." she cheerfully answered as they neared the gate.
Their giggling filled the air as they walked along. As soon as she looked forward, she stopped. Rin stopped as well, wondering if there was something wrong.
"Miku," she called her. "You okay?"
Rin's voice seemed to fall on deaf ears as Miku stared with astonishment. The teal-haired girl said nothing, standing as if caught in a daze. For some reason, she recognized the scarf on the stranger's neck.
What happened next caught Rin into having a fit.
She squealed.
"SEMPAI!"
Rant Corner:
This corner will have notes on every chapter. Usually what I think of it and so on.
To start off, though this one came in a bit later, the plan to involve everyone instead of just Gakupo, Kaito and Len stuck with me longer. So, I thought of putting them in. Another thing, no action on the first one, reason is that I need to flesh out their backgrounds. Not to mention that this chapter seems to be a bit short (must be the lack of action) –smacked–
By the way, the updates of this and version one (VanaN'Ice: ParaNorm Smile Joker) come out on the same week. Expect an update from that once this is up.
Well, that's the rant. I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review, ok? See you next time.
Sydney Grise