Angel Beats! – Second Term
Note: Here's the second chapter, where, in my opinion, it truly begins! J
Also: Sorry for delays; I actually had this and the next chapter done, but we've recently moved, and school has just started up, so, sadly, I never had any Internet to get on to upload. L
But anywho; Please Read, REVIEW, and ENJOY!
Chapter Two – An Angel's Welcoming
It was a chilly and brisk day. The few people walking about paid no attention to the boy with the snow-white hair and extremely pale skin standing at the pay-phone.
"Please, listen to me-" He said, but the sound cut off, and he knew that she had hung up on him.
He shakily set the phone on the front of the machine, staring at the ground below him.
I risked my life to contact her…Now it's all in vain, he thought to himself, clenching his fists…
And that was when the coughing started. He hunched over as a fit of hard coughs overtook him, and blood came up with each one.
It was only when he was now on his knees, in extreme pain, that someone noticed him.
"Hey!" a woman called, quickly making her way towards him, but as she arrived by his side, he fell over, spasms of pain running through him.
"Help! Help!" The woman cried, looking all around, as the boy's vision began to darken…
And silence washed over him. Dead silence.
The boy opened his eyes to an unfamiliar, gray sky up above.
He sat up and looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings. He appeared to be lying on the center lane of a school track, with bleachers nearby. Beyond the bleachers appeared to be the school itself.
Thunder sounded from up above. I need to get inside before it rains… the boy thought to himself, standing and swaying for a moment before balancing out.
He walked fast towards the school building, deciding to enter the largest of them all. Once inside, he gazed around at the empty hallways surrounding him.
Is there anybody here? He wondered, wandering down the hall and eventually coming to a classroom. He set his ear against the door, and could hear someone talking from inside.
I guess I shouldn't disturb them, he thought, moving back, Maybe someone can help me…The Principal, maybe?
The boy wandered down the hall until he came across a flight of stairs. Sure enough, there was a sign stating that the Principal was on the third floor.
So he ascended, eventually reaching the top floor. Once there, he followed more signs that led him to the end of a hallway, where a sign hung out stating 'Principal's Office'.
The boy placed his hand on the doorknob…Then decided that he should knock, and raised his hand, gently tapping the door…
"What was that?" Musume asked, turning towards the door. Tokoi gave the door a cautious look.
"I'm not sure…But nobody ever comes here." He stated, reaching underneath the desk…
And Musume gasped, surprised as he produced two handguns. "W-Where did you get those?" she asked.
"That cabinet over there had a few guns lying around," Tokoi stated, releasing the clips from the USP pistols and checking for ammo, then sliding them back in and locking it in place.
"I'm guessing that they were used for fighting against God?" Musume asked. Tokoi nodded. "What if it's someone like me? Are you just going to scare them off?" she continued.
"Don't worry, I'll only show them if it's a threat." He stated, slipping them into his back pockets and standing, making his way towards the door.
"Who is it?" Tokoi asked. There was silence for a few moments, then someone spoke:
"Um…My name is Gero, and I'm not sure how I got here." Tokoi raised an eyebrow, and stood there quietly for a moment.
"Alright." Tokoi stated, putting a hand on the doorknob, then stating, "God."
He then opened the door slowly, so that he could get a good look at who was on the other side.
Almost instantly, Tokoi was surprised by what he saw: A boy the same age as himself, with snow-white hair, pale skin, light-blue eyes, and all-white attire. He looked like he adapted to a frosty environment, Or he could even pass for an Angel…
An Angel… The thought crossed Tokoi's mind. Gero stepped past him into the office, hesitantly at first, realizing that there was, in fact, no Principal present.
Tokoi closed the door behind him. "Welcome." He stated, managing a small smile. Gero turned to look at him…And didn't smile back.
"Where am I?" he asked in a more threatening tone than Tokoi had expected.
He dropped his smile and gazed at Gero for a few moments, before telling him, "You're dead."
Musume was shocked by how direct Tokoi was with Gero. She was fed the news lightly, with such explanation that she had no need to panic…
And yet, Gero still seemed calm, as if the news didn't affect him…Or he just didn't believe it.
"Don't kid me. Why don't you tell me where I really am?" he stated. A hint of annoyance flashed onto Tokoi's face for a moment.
"It's true. You, I, and Musume here have all passed on," Tokoi explained further, motioning to himself and Musume behind him, "We are all here because we died before we could accomplish something."
Gero still didn't seem effected by what Tokoi was saying.
"That's a lie." Gero stated calmly, obviously defying Tokoi, who was starting to get annoyed.
"Well then, if you don't believe me, you can leave." Tokoi told him through gritted teeth, turning and walking back to his desk.
Musume could see the anger in Tokoi's face. Just walk away, she thought, glancing at Gero, then at the guns that Tokoi had.
"And if I don't?" Gero said…
And that was it. Musume gulped as Tokoi turned and produced the USPs from his back pocket, aiming them directly at Gero.
Now, for the first time, Gero seemed frightened, although only slightly. He had taken a step back, but appeared to be ready for a fight.
"Why aren't you running?" Tokoi stated calmly. He and Gero locked eyes for a few moments, as lightning suddenly crackled outside, filling the room with an ominous-blue glow for a moment.
"I'm not allowed to stand my ground?" Gero retorted.
Tokoi shook his head, and dropped his aim. "You only had me going for a moment there." he said softly, covering his face with a hand as if hiding his triumphant smirk. Musume and Gero looked at him, confused. Then, Tokoi looked back up at Gero, and finished:
"Angel."
As he spoke the words, Musume found herself taken aback. Angel…From God? She looked over at Gero, who was obviously puzzled.
"What-" he began to ask, but Tokoi lifted his pistols once again, and fired a shot from each of them.
Luckily, Gero was able to duck the two shots, which were directed towards his head. He then spun around and opened the door, running out into the hallway as Tokoi fired three more shots at him, all of which barely missed him, hitting the wall beside him.
"Stay here." Tokoi said to Musume, who had her ears covered from the loud gunfire. He began to make chase after Gero, and Musume watched him as he left.
"W-Wait!" she called after him, not wanting to stay in there alone. She ran out into the hallway, then continued on, trying to follow the sound of gunshots.
If that guy's an Angel, then I'm sure Tokoi won't let him escape, Musume thought, But…Is he really an Angel? Doubts began to cloud her mind, but she shook them off and continued running…
But it wasn't long until she lost them. The sound of gunfire had ceased, and there was no trail marking where they could have gone.
Damn, where did they- she began to wonder to herself:
But a shallow, cool voice suddenly came from behind, "I saw them head for the girl's dormitory." Musume jumped in surprise at the voice, and turned around.
He appeared to be a student, wearing the same uniform that she had seen the others wear. He had glasses, combed-out brown hair, and a book merely a few inches in front of his face, which he was still reading as he talked to her.
"Um…Thank you." Musume stated, opening her mouth to ask if he was, in fact, an NPC or not, but she shook her head and turned, realizing that the other two would be more important.
Musume followed the signs leading her to the girl's dorm rooms. Sure enough, a few bullet-marks could be seen in the walls, and she knew that she was on their trail…
But she didn't realize that she was walking right past Gero.
Gero's breathing was beginning to shallow. He was sitting against the door to the room he had entered. Luckily, it seemed unoccupied, so there was no chance of someone stumbling upon him.
He had escaped…For now, at least. When he was out of sight, he slipped into one of the Girl's Dorm rooms, and his pursuer ran right past.
How long can I stay here? He wondered, standing slowly and making his way over to the window. Gazing outside, he could see the rain pattering against the glass...
And, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the computer sitting on the nearby desk.
Maybe I can contact somebody! Gero thought, quickly sitting at the desk and reaching down for the computer tower, and pressing the power button.
As the machine booted up, he grinned to himself. Now I can get out of this crazy place…
But he realized that something was wrong. Instead of the normal, blue desktop you would normally see for a computer, a screen stating, "Angel Player 2.0" appeared, with a box asking for a password.
Of course, it's protected. He thought with a sigh, putting his hands on the keyboard and thinking hard about what it could possibly be…
Eh, it can't hurt to try. He thought, typing in his first guess: "Password".
ACCESS GRANTED
You've got to be kidding me, Gero thought, barely able to keep himself from laughing at the odds of his first guess being correct. He watched as the password box went away, and was replaced by a few other things on screen.
Everything seemed to be in English, but, luckily for him, he had studied it every year in High School, knowing it would pay off eventually.
This computer is… useless, he thought to himself, seeing that it only had a few links on it. He moved the mouse over to one that said 'Students' and clicked it.
What he saw surprised him. There were merely four names on the list, his included.
Tokoi Konoda
Musume Yokota
Gero Kanagi
Usagi Tai
Gero raised an eyebrow. What the hell is this? He wondered, moving the mouse over to another tab that read "Skills".
Another list dropped down on the other side of the screen:
Hand Sonic
Distortion
Delay
Harmonics
Absorb
Howling
He clicked on 'Delay', and, suddenly, a model of a girl appeared on screen, moving from side to side, with a delayed-pattern about her. After a moment, he realized it must be an example of what the 'Skill' is.
He clicked Harmonics. Sure enough, the model appeared again, this time splitting herself into an exact copy.
What is this stuff? Gero wondered…Then a thought came across his mind. I wonder…
He clicked on 'Hand Sonic' and attempted to drag it over to his name. Sure enough, when he let go of the mouse button, his name flashed for a few moments, before returning to normal.
That didn't- Gero started to think, but his train of thought was interrupted by a sudden feeling of pain in his right arm. He fell out of the chair, kneeling down, gazing at his arm, trembling…
Then, within a single second, the pain subsided. Confused, Gero glanced back up at the computer screen, where a box had appeared on screen.
Guard Skill: Hand Sonic –Transfer Complete
"Guard Skill: Hand Sonic?" Gero muttered to himself, and jumped up in surprise as a blade suddenly slid up from his right arm, extending well past it.
This…This is… He wasn't sure what to think for a moment, but he then found himself grinning and gazing at the blade, swinging it gently through the air.
This is going to be fun.
To be continued…