Paranoid Doll: Renunciation
Disclaimer: I don't own Vocaloid. Just the story
ZWEI: Reunion
"SEMPAI!"
The young man turned his head towards the gate, trying to find the one who called him. Kaito walked in through the gate, seeing the pigtailed girl wave at him. She made a mad dash to meet him, showing how eager she was after seeing him.
Perhaps a little to eager…
She threw herself towards him, catching the blue-haired man off-guard for a few seconds. He didn't hesitate to catch her but his footing was a bit off. A push, a tilt and there, down on the ground they were. The youth ended up being pinned by this cute girl.
Her younger blond companion ended up blinking, unable to comprehend what just happened or how it managed to unfold before her. The cobalt-haired youth likewise had no idea of what just happened until he saw her up close. Where did he see a girl with such features, teal-shaded hair, eyes matching a more sparkling hue of green, and a face cuter than the last time he saw her. The last part came out as an afterthought, something he didn't think on purpose. A mewl left his lips as he tried to get up from the ground.
"M-Miku…" he managed to say despite the comfortable weight pinning him. "It's been a long while now, hasn't it?"
"You have no idea, Kaito-sempai." She said with a cheerful tone.
"You know this guy, Miku-neechan?" her blond companion asked. She preferred to address Miku as her big sister for one good reason; they've been looking after each other since she came here. Ever since she was a freshman, Miku was the first friend she had and their bond grew to the point that they're thought to be siblings at one instance.
"Of course, Rin." Miku answered. She suddenly remembered how the two appeared that she quickly pulled back and got off the poor man, blushing. "Sorry about that, Sempai."
"No worries, Miku." Kaito smiled as he got up, dusting his clothes after falling like that. Meiko was not far from him, appearing a few seconds after the spectacle with a devious smirk on her face.
"Oh my, Kaito. You've been keeping secrets from me?" Meiko said with mock hurt. "I can't believe you're dating her secretly."
"EH?"
Too late, the girls were taken by surprise with that statement. Miku had an evident blush on her cheeks, albeit redder than the previous one. Rin stood there with wide eyes. Kaito, shaken by the underhanded approach, bore the same tinge on his cheeks. Blame it all on Meiko, she has a knack for tormenting Kaito since they were children. Knowing each other for that long time, it's been a part of her to tease him and end up catching him red-handed. She hadn't tried this to Gakupo or any person for the matter, but for now, she settled with giving this young man a hard time.
"Meiko where did that come from?" Kaito asked with a flustered look.
"Well, is it true?" Rin asked Miku. Now both were trapped with questions.
"Say, are you girls going somewhere?" Kaito changed the topic.
"No." both girls answered simultaneously.
"How about you come with us for some ice cream?"
Meiko chuckled at the invitation. Kaito's obsession with ice cream didn't seem to fade at all, though as much as he was inviting the two, the item didn't sound like a bad idea. Despite these thoughts in mind, she observed the two without being noticed.
That made our job easier.
The two girls nodded, accepting the offer.
"Well, let's go." Meiko broke the silence before Kaito could do anything. She smiled at them and motioned her thumb to the vehicle behind her. "Get in the car. I know a place where they serve great ice cream."
Fingers shuffled with the keys kept together with the key ring, trying to find the one that can open the door in front of him. It has been long since he came here, probably a year or so since he left. Deep inside, he felt anxious, as he wanted to see if anything changed.
"It's just as I remembered it." Gakupo whispered to himself as he walked in. He made a right turn on the corridor as he found himself in the living area.
Sunlight peered through the glass window panels, casting a warm ambience to the place. The lavender-haired gentleman took a seat on one of the sofas, mind still shuffling and juggling with recollections. He glanced at the wall, seeing a rack where a daisho (a set consisting of a katana and a wakizashi) is neatly placed on a wall shelf. The unlit fireplace faced the window opposite to it. Back then, the walls held a number of photographs and pieces of modern art. Now, these were bare.
His mind drifted for a moment. As his eyes gazed on an empty couch, he felt a memory play before him. He would usually see her there, seated or reclined while reading a book. Long locks of peach would cascade along her back as she delved through the volume. He was content with watching her do that at times, either while he cleaned the blade of his katana or while sitting there in silence. Despite her being preoccupied with her books, she would still be able to feel who was there.
She would stir and look over, smiling a bit after seeing him. It was what she does.
Now, that image fades and retreats to the depths of his subconscious. Shaking his head, he rose up and went up the stairs.
"I better take a walk. Sitting around won't help."
"Kaito-sempai, Meiko-sempai, where did you go after graduating?" Miku asked with a cheerful tune.
"Well..."
"We went to different universities after that. The company where the two of us work scouted us. They're taking care of the expenses." Meiko interrupted, covering Kaito with his struggle to give answers. "In fact, we didn't expect to meet at all."
"So, you met again there?" Miku asked with wide eyes.
Kaito nodded as he noted the arrival of the waiter, carrying a tray of ice cream treats. He stopped by their table and began serving.
"Banana Split," he served to Rin then turned to Miku and placed a tall container. "Vanilla and Mint Parfait"
The bigger pile of ice cream scoops consisting of seven flavors of virtually all colors ended up with the cobalt-haired fellow. "Here's your usual, sir."
Rin and Miku were surprised with Kaito's serving. The blond girl could not imagine if his appetite is just big or he likes ice cream too much. The other girl laughed, seeing the all-too-familiar quirk that she had seen in the past.
"You can finish all that?" Rin asked.
"He can down a tub of ice cream on his own." Meiko replied matter-of-factly as she nodded.
"He'll get fat if he doesn't watch it." Rin commented, still eyeing the man and his ice cream.
Miku giggled at the thought of a chubby Kaito, seeing a comical pudge bouncing around with a blue scarf while chasing an ice cream truck.
"He'll be worse than a panda." Miku teased.
"I'm not a panda." Kaito squinted and dryly answered.
A shrill ring echoed in the air. Meiko turned towards the side, taking her mobile phone from her purse. Her lips gave slight frown as she looked at them.
"Excuse me, I need to take this call." She said to them as she turned and rose from her seat, heading for a quieter corner. Flipping it open, she answered.
"Sakine Meiko here."
"Meiko, it's me, Haku."
"Oh, is there something wrong?"
"We have a situation. You have to sortie."
Meiko frowned as her expression turned cold and serious. Something didn't add up, though her voice revealed urgency in it.
"I see. I'll go then."
"Thank you. You and Kaito are the closest in the area. Where is he?"
"He's quite busy right now," she smirked. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."
She closed the phone and placed it back in her purse. She walked back at the table where Kaito and the girls were with a hurried pace. The young man noticed it.
"Something up, Meiko?" Kaito asked.
"Something urgent," she tapped his shoulder then turned to the girls. "I'm sorry to cut our meeting short but I have to go. Kaito will stay with you for now."
The girls nodded and soon, she left in a brisk walk. Kaito sighed as he looked at the entrance, noting that he had to pay the bill and everything. Ignoring this part for now, he turned to the girls and started talking.
"So, then." Kaito started as he began eating the ice cream. "How was school after I left?"
Rin took a spoonful of vanilla ice cream and said, "Well, where should we start?"
"Haku, what's the situation?" Meiko asked as she drove through the street. A screen opened at the part of the car stereo, flashing an image of both the operator who called her and a GPS tracking and plotting routes towards the targets.
"We have some Geist activity within the plaza's vicinity. We need to control the situation and make sure no one gets hurt."
Meiko snickered as she took a left turn. "I guess you'll include minimum damage to property."
"Better be prepared for anything."
"Sure. I'm always ready." She stepped on the accelerator and sped on. She has to get ready.
Screams of frantic citizens echoed in the air as people fled in fear for their lives. Grotesque beings lurked about the plaza, seeking victims to satiate their feral urge. A few security guards and police officers had already whipped their guns out of their holsters and opened fire. The bullets were able to punch holes on their blackened skins, though they appear unfazed by the barrage.
Humanoid in shape and form, their black bodies resembled those of mannequins. Lines were etched on it like circuitry, glowing with bluish-white hues. Their faces held one sphere in the center, acting as eyes for them to perceive with. They brought their fingers to span, revealing claws from its tips. To these officers, this would be in their nightmares for a long time.
The monsters made a mad charge, pouncing at their victims. The guards kept shooting, moving back as they continued. One of these beings managed to pin an unfortunate guard on the right side of the line, wounded by the claws as they met his flesh. Now open to attack, the being lunged at them with slashing at them haplessly. There was no hope for them.
"I'm outta here." One of them muttered helplessly as he turned tail and ran away, leaving his dying companions in order to save himself. Two of these creatures chased him as they broke away from the group. The man made a right turn, hoping to find a way out. The only thing that welcomed him was a brick wall. He was cornered.
The man turned around and raised his gun, firing at the creatures that now stalked their way to his direction. He walked backwards as he kept shooting, eventually having his back against the brick wall. If it could get any worse, the sickening click of the gun was heard. The clip has been spent. Now, everything seemed dismal. He has found himself caught between living and dying, unable to escape.
All he could do now is close his eyes, raise his arms to shield himself and brace for impact.
A shockwave was felt as an explosion was heard. The guard opened his eyes and saw a massive sphere of light as it slowly decreased its size and span. Soon, it was gone. As it subsided, he discerned a figure of a woman with her back facing him. She was clothed with a crimson suit, sporting short brown hair and wore shoes of black leather. What seemed odd was found on her right hand, finding it to be covered by a metallic glove.
"You better get yourself away from here. It's going to get ugly." She said to him as she walked away from this corner, heading to where those monsters rampaged.
He could not believe he was able to live another day.
The monsters moved around the town plaza, lurking after leaving a trail of destruction behind them. She could've guessed that this is unavoidable. Gritting her teeth, she raised her right hand to the level of her face, revealing the metal-clad limb to be donning a gauntlet. Her eyes were focused on them as words began to resonate on the surface of the metallic piece.
Brennend in der Palme meiner Hand, werden die Flammen meines Zorns erwähnt.
(Burning in the palm of my hand, the flames of my wrath are evoked.)
"Geists…" Meiko muttered as she looked at them dejectedly. A fiery sensation seeped within her well being as she made her fingers move, causing the metal pieces to crackle. The humanoid Geists began to circle her, ready to pounce and maul. A series of lines marked the gauntlet with a crimson aura, amassing to his palm in a sphere. The aura shifted from crimson to black, solidifying into a metallic ball the size of her fist. A few lines of glowing scarlet shimmered faintly as she sauntered in approach.
The Geists made their move as they charged at her. The woman threw the spherical device at the ones in front of her. Its crimson gleam became intense as an explosion enveloped the ones before her. Its force and blaze obliterated one as it met the spherical grenade head-on while the others were pushed back.
Seeing this opening, Meiko darted through the clearing it created as she readied another sphere grenade. Tossing another in the air, she made a pivot with her foot and darted on to her left. The orb flashed and gave off another explosion, its flames and force shattering the bodies of five more. Their numbers have been shaved down, leaving about eight more out of 15. She made a run for it, making the monsters follow her.
The expression she wore didn't show any sign of fear, only a state of rage brought in by this whole encounter. She came about a wall, wherein above it were the streets that led to other parts of the city. The humanoid Geists hopped and rushed at her trail, being a few meters away from making her into minced meat. She dropped an object on the ground, a canister rolling down the pavement. It stopped right at the very path the incoming monsters came to. The brunette readied another bomb conjured by her metallic gauntlet, a set of dart-like objects. They are coming in closer than she had anticipated.
It is do or die.
Meiko made a leap, stepping on the wall and started taking a few more steps with her wall-ride. The last step made her body flip backwards, the height of the flight made by her arcing body quite higher than the incoming assailants. She grinned as she hurled the dart-like objects at them, seeing them pierce the bodies of four of them. The others on the ground had come to the proximity of the canister.
"Die." She whispered as she snapped her fingers.
Explosions enveloped all eight of them, leaving not a trace of their remains behind. Meiko landed on the pavement with cat-like grace, her task already done.
"This one's cleared." The brunette commented as she started walking away. "I could use a drink."
She did not realize this was not the end of the chaos.
Long strands of pink seemed to shine under the afternoon sun as she walked by the sidewalk. It was already late in the day, road traffic growing dense at every second while trains are jam-packed. The young woman had taken this route, usually surrounded by tall buildings after coming from a recording session. Her ensemble consisted of a pink tank top, a black vest, and a pair of skinny jeans. A hairband rested on her head, keeping the stray strands of peach in place. She quietly walked, music playing through the ear buds connected to her music player as it drowned away the hustle and bustle of the busy city.
She had one place to go to tonight, her home. It was thanks to the project she was working on, an album that Crypton is preparing to release. There were a few more songs left to record, songs that she wrote and composed. Thankfully, there have reached half of the project's progress and a lot were accomplished today. Now, the only problem she had was with this singer. She's a handful for her to handle, requesting for ridiculous things. She may have talent but her performance a few days ago (until now) were not bringing the song justice. This diva personality was getting to the nerves of the staff, the songwriter included at most.
The woman could only think of drowning the frustration with music. It soothed her every time, setting her thoughts to drift. It was the same wave that aided her in gaining inspiration. As much as she would want to make more in her the comfort of her home, she was particularly drained. Oh, how she wanted to sleep.
I'll have some tuna tonight. She thought as she crossed the street.
"I'm sorry if we have to walk home like this." Kaito apologized as they walked through the street.
Miku shook her head with a smile on her face, assuring him.
"Don't worry about it." She cheerfully said.
"Besides, you're being too uptight, oniichan." Rin added as she frolicked along.
The cobalt-haired youth sheepishly chuckled as they walked along. Digging his fingers on the pockets of his coat, he looked up at the sky and whistled a tune.
"So, where do we go next?" Kaito mused as he asked the two.
Rin and Miku exchanged glances after hearing him. The blond girl had a mischievous grin on her face.
"Are you sure you want to join us?" she asked, something about her tone made him feel something's about to happen.
Not sure of what she's thinking, he simply answered. "Yeah, no problem with that."
Miku nodded at Rin after hearing his answer. The two girls giggled as they rushed at him. Rin took his right side while Miku took his left, clinging to his arms with a tight grip. Kaito stood there with a confused look, wondering what the two were thinking.
That was until he was dragged along by the two, chanting happily as they went along.
"SHOPPING, SHOPPING, WE ARE OUT FOR SHOPPING!" he heard them in a cute chirp. His eyes widened, as he could believe what he had dragged himself into.
What did I get myself into?
"Lord Justice," the voice echoed from the entrance of the dimly lit room.
The master of this room sat reclined on his throne, his right leg propped on his left knee in his pensive state. The black cassock, trousers and shoes of leather did not show any trace of color before the host of candles surrounding the place. The contrasting factor to this outfit was found on the mask placed on his right shoulder, serving as a pauldron to cover it. The long, flowing hairs of white from the piece reached towards the left shoulder as it covered the top portion of his chest and back like a scarf or a piece of fur would. The candlelight revealed his face, making it look pale as his short hair of dark russet made his features appear youthful.
"What is it, ZERO?" he inquired, not shifting from his seat.
The man replied as he stepped forward before his superior, revealing his soldier uniform which resembled those of the Imperial Army when they fought the Second World War. His hat still covered half of his face, still holding a cold expression on his face.
"Resonance has been detected." He answered coldly. "It's Drei."
"Number three..." the lord snickered upon hearing this. The idea of resistance was the only condition he was waiting for. He issued his order. "We will proceed as scheduled. Gather all the Judges. The time has come."
"Understood." The soldier answered as he left. Now left alone, the lord closed his eyes as he began to speak, seemingly to no one.
"Ah…my perfect dolls, when will you open your eyes?"
I have to admit that this isn't coming out right. The purple-haired gentleman thought to himself as he walked on towards the street. It has been long since he walked through this part of the city. The last time he remembered walking through these streets is when he was going to pick someone up from work or when he was going to pay a visit. He kept to himself this time, trying to shut away memories that plagued him earlier.
He walked on, seeing if there were any changes to this place. There were changes to this particular avenue. As much as he ruled out the flyers and banners that usually change every month or quarter, he saw shops that were different from the ones he were familiar with. The shop where he would get to buy tea and other things was replaced with a bookstore. The flower shop now became a clothes store. Some shops remained; they just had a different appearance. A smile marked his face, seeing how long he had been away from this place.
Yeah, I really am being too nostalgic.
SMACK!
A hard hit had his body pivot and spin. He nearly lost balance but with his leg moving by instinct, he was able to keep himself up. He was confused as to what happened. Trying to find who was the cause of it, he did not need to look further as he ended up looking at the pavement. Scattered pieces of paper littered the area with a young woman trying to pick it up. It was then that he moved by instinct.
"I'm sorry, Miss," he said as he moved to help her pick up her things, "I wasn't looking at where I was going."
She wordlessly collected her scores, sporting a worried expression. It seemed these items were precious to her. Gakupo kept on collecting them until there was not a stray sheet of paper left on the ground. Piling them up together neatly, he noticed that these bore music notes.
Sheet music? He thought. She must be a composer.
He handed the papers over to her, smiling apologetically. Before he was able to speak, he caught the scent of vanilla and strawberries as it wafted about his nose. He froze for a moment, seeing the flowing hair of light pink. He could not believe what was there before him.
Luka, he whispered to himself. "Here you go."
She faced him and took the pieces, putting these back into her folder as she rose from her seat. He rose at the same time, straightening himself as he kept his composure. Gakupo couldn't imagine she would be there right in front of him. At a moment that seemed to be an accident, he never thought this would be a reunion.
On the other hand, the woman wasn't sure what was with the gentle smile on his face. If anything, she could not remember where she had seen him. A familiar feeling came to her, but this she could not point out what it is.
"So, you're a composer?" Gakupo asked with a gentle tone.
"Yes…" she replied.
"That's great." The gentleman replied as he put a hand to glide on his hair, feeling the ponytail that was set securely. "I guess I'm not used to this place. It's been long since I've been here."
"I see."
The woman could not help but put her curiosity to good use. These features of his seemed too familiar but a little obscure. She could not help but ask.
"Excuse me for asking this," she started. "Have we met before?"
"Now that you asked…" Gakupo drifted off as he scratched his cheek. He was quite cornered with the question. He never thought that it would come to this. "I can't be sure if we have met or not, so I don't know. But…"
He extended his hand, offering a handshake to the woman.
"Just in case, my name is Kamui Gakupo."
She took his hand out of courtesy and shook it. "Megurine Luka."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled as he let go of her hand. "I'll be going now. Maybe we'll meet again."
"I hope so…" Luka replied as she walked away.
Gakupo took a different direction, his mind filled with a clutter of thoughts. He never expected this reaction at all. This target was different. Would he choose to play along with the situation or will he try to rectify a mistake he had committed? With that question pooling among a pile of other queries, he sighed and thought of leaving.
Yet, he was stopped in his tracks.
A cold shiver reverberated through his body. Something didn't seem right. He could feel the hairs of his skin rise as the feeling of malice tensed his body. It was close, within their vicinity. Images flashed in his mind, making him see a shade lurk about the wall of the building nearby. Its limb was outstretched, forming a dart as it took aim on the peach-haired woman.
She was being targeted.
A Geist? Here? That can't be.
"Luka, get down!" Gakupo yelled as he dashed towards her, lunging and brought her to tumble down on the ground.
The dart was launched, missing the pair by a meter. Luka felt annoyed by the action but after seeing the protruding thing impaled on the ground, she winced in confusion and fear. Someone was after her. With regards to who it was or why it wants her dead, she doesn't know.
Gakupo rose from the ground and helped her up, his hand extended to put her behind him. The lone Geist sniper jumped off from its spot and landed on the ground. It wasn't long until distortions began to bend the space behind him, creating rifts out of the space. Assembling behind the creature were seven of its companions; humanoid Geists with bluish-white lines.
Now there are caught in a predicament.
TIME REMAINING BEFORE RENUNCIATION: 53:20:00
Rant Corner:
Well, there's our second chapter. Sorry for the delay, guys. The update came in slow because of the projects that I need to finish. Those Majors are killing me, but that doesn't stop me from writing.
Now on to the rants, if you've noticed, I used German on one of the lines there. I'm not well versed with German so I used a translator. (Hits himself). Anyways, I plan to use them when these guys use their powers. They don't chant them, they just appear.
From this point, I can tell you that the updates might slow down. It'll speed up by the time it's September.
Thank you to all of you who placed this story on alerts and favorites list. I hope you enjoy this update. If you can, leave your reviews/reactions/suggestions.
See you next time.
Sydney Grise.
