On the morning of December 14th, I made my way to Narita International Airport. After politely asking where the lockers were, making my way through the crowd of people trying to make their ways to and from their terminals, and keeping an eye out for Ray Penber, and the other undercover FBI agents, I made my way to locker 21 and opened it. Inside was something I wasn't expecting.
When I opened the locker, I saw a slim wristwatch with a black leather strap and a dark blue and gold face. On the watch was a note with a simple message. 'Put me on and press the top button when your alone.' Following the instructions, I found a place to seclude myself and put the watch on my left wrist. Immediately I felt a prick from the metal back of the watch and heard a small blip from the watch. "Ow! Dammit, warn me next time Gallio." I pressed the button at the top of the face and saw it flip itself around. The face was now more futuristic looking, more like a smart watch from 2018 in my world rather than the digital face that's common for most people in 2003.
What happened next had me giggling. A holographic screen was projected just above the screen. On the screen were the words 'Gallio Edition PIP boy online. Running diagnostics and analysis. Integrating with user's biology. Gallio Genetics bio-frame Accommodare detected, adapting to genetic improvements. Process complete. Please input user name.' As I started to use the holographic keyboard that replaced the previous text, I hesitated. My life as a normal human was over. I didn't have to use my old name. I could come up with an entirely new persona. 'Ok. The old me is dead. Denise pretty much showed what happened to my body. New life, new name. Now, what should I call myself?'
After a few moments of thinking, I finally input my new name. 'Welcome, Mason, Phoenix, to the Gallio Edition PIP boy.' With that a new display appeared. It showed a humanoid body outline turning slowly, almost like it's on a turntable. In the outline were three markers. One on the head, one on the spine, and the last one being on the right leg. They were labeled as 'Increased cognitive ability', increased durability', and 'increased mobility' respectively. I started fiddling with it to see what else I could find when the indicator blinked. 'Incoming call from, Gallio Morrison. Accept call? Yes/No.'
'Perfect timing. What am I thinking? They're probably watching me.' I found a pair of wireless, concealable earbuds, put them in and accepted the call… and immediately regretted it. "IT'S HIM! GALLIO! IT'S HIM! IT'S HIM! HURRY UP!" came the immediate shouting from the other end. Even though I'd only met them once, there was no mistaking that high pitched, cute sounding, voice.
"Hi Denise. Thank you for the tinnitus. Because that's what I needed for this mission, a constant ringing in my ears," I joked. Even though I couldn't see her, I felt her cringe and look ashamed, especially after hearing her voice become downtrodden.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to say hi." I inwardly groaned as I heard that. 'Way to go genius. You made her feel like crap! Gotta fix this.' I mentally kicked myself and sighed.
"Sorry Denise, I was only joking around. nice hearing from you. It's made the first week of my new life a lot less boring. Thank you." I could almost feel her blush with a giant smile on her face. I instantly felt my pride swell as she stammered out a reply.
"W-w-well! You're welcome!" As soon as her reply came the screen on the PIP boy changed again, this time it was showing a small heart with a plus 5 next to it. I quirked an eyebrow at that for a second before the screen then showed a real time display of her end. I saw her standing in front of a console, eyes closed and hands on her impossibly red cheeks, obviously in a daydream. Next to her I saw Gallio in a chair, retracting his hand before messing with the piece of tech in front of him. Behind them, I could see Lucy, Sarah and the twins behind them, along with a trio of women I hadn't seen before. Bandages were covering their eyes and they seemed to be bickering amongst themselves over something. By the Council's ignoring them, I could tell this was a common occurrence.
"We have visual connection Denise," said Gallio, his attention mostly on his device. "He can see you." Denise's eyes shot open and her gaze met my own. It took a few seconds before her blush crept up her face and she began to stammer. She tried hiding herself behind Gallio as she muttered something under her breath that I couldn't here. "No, I'm pretty sure that was all in your head. No way he heard what you were saying unless his hearing is better than I thought, and he heard your muttering just now."
"AAAHHH," shouted Denise.
"Hey," I interrupted. "Not that it's not cute seeing Denise get flustered. But Right now, we need to focus on my job."
"You're right. Now let's get started. Denise. Stand back there with the others… Now." Denise jump at Gallio's demanding voice and ran to stand next to Sarah and the three women. "Oh, yes. Astor, these three women are the Ladies Fate. I assume you know the old Greek legend?"
"Three women who control the threads of Fate. One who spins the threads of Fate, one who measures it, one who cuts it when the time comes. Does that sound about right?"
"Close," spoke the women on the right of the trio. "While, yes, our original jobs pertained to just that…"
"Our new jobs," spoke the women on the left. "Allow us more wiggle room so to speak."
"Each of us," spoke the center. "Were given more sight to deal with multiple timelines and worlds. Because we were appointed to this Council…"
"And because of the larger scale of this job," continued the women on the right.
"We could gain the physical sight of mortals and not just the sight of Delphi. We wear these bandages when we are trying to determine the whereabouts of our criminal by trying to see if one of the threads was growing exponentially."
"I take it you haven't had much progress?" I asked. All three Fates shook their heads. I sighed and looked at the other members of the Council. "Is there a manifest of the prisoners in Shadow Vault so we can go through and see who's missing?"
"I had the same thought and looked into my predecessor's data files."
"Predecessor?"
"Unlike the other Deities in this Council, my position requires a constant replacement as science progresses. I'm currently the Fifteenth Manifestation of Progress. Anyways, I found his notes and… you're not going to like what I found."
"Just lay it out for me. How many people are locked in the Shadow Vault?"
"Somewhere between 8… and 20 billion."
"…You're shitting me."
"I wish I were. Though, it might not be entirely accurate. My predecessor was a meticulous note taker. And, as I've found from other notes of his I've found in the last millennia, a lot of the times, he never erased or altered his notes from before. Both written and digital. His notes on the Shadow Vault list the lowest number of inmates as 8 individuals and the highest as 20 billion. Also, they're out of order, jumbled, and not dated. How he kept track of them, I'll never know. So, I don't know how many prisoners are currently in the Shadow Vault, nor do I know who they are."
"Can't you go in there to find out?"
"We can't enter. Trust me I've tried. Each of us aren't the original manifestations. Nor do we know of the Vaults original creators or what they did to it. We can't get in, and we can't send you in because of the risk that you may never get out again."
"This is getting more and more complicated. Okay, easy path locked out. Focus on the harder path. Denise. Is it possible for a mortal to enter the Shinigami Realm in this world?"
"No," she said. "At least, not without help. You'd need a Shinigami to either carry you to the realm or kill you with a very specific wording in the Death Note. But all Shinigami are under orders to never do that."
"What are the chances of a Shinigami being tricked or coerced into disobeying?"
"None."
"Are you sure? What if they get bored like Ryuk? Or are as gullible as Sidoh?"
"Still not possible. There are… severe consequences if this Law is violated. Don't ask how severe." Her face was masked in darkness, and her voice turned more serious than anything. Her eyes glowed red and a malicious smile spread on her lips. "Let's just say, if they weren't already gods of death, they'd be praying that Death would claim their souls." She giggled darkly, causing the other Deities to back away from her. I just watched her in fascination at this sudden change. It seemed like she truly embodied Death as she claimed. In all it's forms. I blushed, realizing I'd been staring for too long, and cleared my throat.
"I'll take your word for it. Now then, back to business. Ladies Fate, is this world exactly like the version I'm familiar with in the form of an anime back in my world? Or are there variations to it? I haven't encountered anyone who plays a major part in events of this multiverse and don't know if there are any changes."
"Other than one change, there are not really that many significant changes," said the Fate in the middle.
"What change is that?"
"The person you're looking for is not named 'Light' Yagami. It's 'Tsukiko' Yagami. It's a female version of Light, with the same psychology and desire to be god."
"So, other than that, no other significant changes?"
"None from the world originally. Any changes would be made from interactions from you and our escapee."
"Can I do in this world as I see fit? Like, for example, could I help Light… Tsukiko, win against L and Near? If I do, will there be any significant consequences?"
"No," said Lucy. "This isn't a Prime World, a world where events play out in the same way no matter what. It's a Variant World. Any changes made here only effect worlds that may spawn from its inception, and the choices made within. It won't affect any other timeline or Multiverse."
"But be careful," Said Denise. "It's close enough to the Prime that if this world is undone, it could cause some major devastation to any other timelines. Think of it like an Alpha Variation. Significant enough to affect multiple nearby worlds, but not enough to affect everything else."
"That being said," said Gallio. "Do try not to lose. The loss of this world won't just affect it's Multi or Omniverse, because 11 other worlds were already undone, each with a varying degree of importance, from several unrelated worlds, this will weaken each of us considerably. Balance takes time to readjust after such a cataclysm. Already each of us are already feeling the effects. None more so than Denise, and especially Gareth. The only reason Denise is here, and Gareth is not is because she's better at hiding it. Now then, I assume you have a plan?"
"Find Li... Tsukiko, ask for help in tracking down the escapee, try not to die and fail." I could see sweat drops form on all of them.
"Not much of a plan is it," said Sarah.
"Hey, I'm winging it. None of us know who is not supposed to be here, nor do we have any clue as to what they're planning. I'll adjust when needed in light of new information. If any of y'all have a better suggestion, speak up now." When none of them said anything, I looked at Sarah, an idea coming to mind. "Hey Sarah, are you able to sense anyone who's able to use magic? Any type of magic?"
"Yes," she replied. "But it's limited. In a world full of magic, it's more difficult to identify people based on magic signature, mainly because most worlds draw magic from the environment."
"What about in a world where magic is a rarity, like this one?"
"I can do it. Why do you ask? And what makes you think they're using magic?"
"The Fates. They can't see the escapee. Only one way I can think of that can do that. If they were a scientist there would be an energy signal that we could track and a massive ego that wouldn't let them stay hidden for long. No offense Gallio. He merely grunted and shrugged, seeming to agree with me. "Plus, there's the fact that they still would be seen by you because they've only prolonged the inevitable. Luck merely affects your chances at living. There's been no changes in time or distortions in space so nothing abnormal there.
"If they were undead, I'm assuming Denise would be able to still detect them, as the soul would still be somewhat connected to the body. Since Denise hasn't sensed anything regarding that, that leaves one thing. Magic. I know of one type of magic that can hide you from Fate and Death."
"Necromancy. Son of a bitch! Why didn't I think of that?!" She screamed and started pulling her short hair. "It's my domain! I should know when someone can influence it! What is wrong with me?!"
"Stop berating yourself and focus. If you can feel them anywhere, please let me know." Sarah nodded and left the room they were in. I looked at Gallio. "For now, I'll keep trying to find them myself while Sarah sees if she can sense them. For now, what else can this watch do?"
"Thought you'd never ask. Now, I know you've accessed the bio readout, as that is the screen it's programmed to go to as you first activate it, much like the Rob-Co models. Its layout is basically the same as the PIP boy 3000, the only differences are it can transmit audio and video signals, it has a sleeker design to it, rather than the blocky design of the original. Damn nuclear-powered society. Also, it has a larger carrying capacity that doesn't impede your own physical weight and speed."
"No being over encumbered, that's always a plus. What else?"
"If you acquire weapons, they'll be instantly sorted into sub categories, making them easier to find for later use. It also has a few other modes to it that can aid later on, but I'll leave those secret for now. All you need to know now are it's downsides."
"Ok then, what are the downsides?"
"Well first, V.A.T.S. is gone. It's a feature I had to scrap to work with the increased carrying capacity. So, no auto aim or probability indicator for what limb your trying to hit. Another thing that couldn't be helped is the size of things that can be stored in the inventory. Basically, if it's bigger than you, you can't carry it."
"No auto aim. Great. So, if I have to shoot something, which might happen, I have to rely on my own skill, which is pretty much nonexistent because I've never fired a gun in real life. Well my luck just sucks."
"I can if you want," said Lucy. She was smirking behind Gallio and winked at me as she held Denise's mouth shut after her comment."
"Thank you for the offer Lucy, but I'll pass."
"Can't blame a girl for trying, now can we?" I shook my head and looked at Gallio, who was distractedly working on his device.
"Anything else?"
"Yes," he said, not even looking up. "In your inventory you'll find three devices already inside. The first is your weapon. It's a pair of electrically charged knuckle dusters. They come with three settings. 'S', 'G', and 'DD'."
"And those stand for…" I asked, confused.
"'S' is the lowest setting. A mildly annoying shock that is more for gaining someone's attention or, if you're immature, playing a prank. 'S' stands for 'Sarah'"
"You're an ass!" shouted Sarah from down the hall.
"'G' is the middle setting. This is your non-lethal combat shock it generates the same amount of electricity as a taser, locking the muscles of your opponent upon contact. It's painful to experience, but not deadly. The 'G' stands Gareth. And last but not least, the 'DD' setting. This is your lethal setting. The knuckle dusters generate enough electricity to stop the heart upon contact and are extremely painful. Any victim would spend their last moments in agony. The 'DD' stands for 'Deadly Denise'. Rather fitting, wouldn't you agree?" I could only nod as I took them out of the inventory and examined them. They had a smooth black and white design and didn't feel like they weighed more than a pound each.
"The next device is something you should already be familiar with. My Pacification Field. When you pull it out of you inventory, you'll find instructions on how to operate it. This device needs no further explanation other than a warning. Try not to use it too often. I'm afraid it may lead to an addiction, and your body becoming immune to its influence. Only use it in stressful situations. We don't need you becoming an incoherent mess. Not only would it take time out of my schedule to fix your problem, it's in bad taste.
"The third device is an experimental prototype armor. I say experimental, but I haven't been able to test it yet."
"Should I be worried?" I asked, Denise looking between both of us, a scared look on her face.
"Not really. It shouldn't blow up on you… just try not to activate too many of its functions at once, or you risk permanently damaging your new body. I think, I'm not 100% sure."
"Oh, that's very reassuring. Can I at least get a luck boost so I'm a little bit safe?"
"You'll have to pay the toll," said Lucy, a seductive look on her face. "One night with me ought to do it."
"On second thought, I'll handle the risks. No offense Lucy." Lucy's only response was crossing her arms under her breasts and pouting as Denise sighed in relief. "What functions does the armor have?"
"Hmm… I can't really remember. I made it so long ago, I lost track of what I put in there. I'm sure you'll figure out how to make it work, and what it can do."
"You know, I'm starting to think I'd trust an invention made by the Think Tank over one of yours." I seemed to have hit a sore spot because as soon as the words 'Think Tank' left my mouth his eyebrows started twitching, and when I finished speaking, he looked like he was about to start ranting again. Before he could utter a word, I saw him get flung into a wall, an irate Sarah behind him. "Bad news?"
"That," she said. "And some good news. Good news is, there definitely is magic being used in that world that shouldn't exist there. Bad news is, not only can I not track it, I can't pinpoint where exactly it's from to get a clear identification of who this might be."
"So, we're back to square one. Perfect, nothing I like more than having to repeat the same process over and over. Thanks for looking anyway Sarah, at least we're not completely in the dark now. We know we're dealing with a mage of questionable power and skill, and no clue what world they're originally from. It's not much, but it's something." I then heard the announcement that the plane from America was arriving and turned back to the holo-screen. "The agents are about to show up. I'll report in if I find anything."
"Be careful out there, Kid," said Lucy.
"Don't call me 'Kid'. It's 'Phoenix'," I replied with a smirk. Denise quirked an eyebrow and smirked back at me.
"'Phoenix', huh?"
"Cliché, I know. But I figured, I died and was reborn after an explosion. And my original body is most likely going to be cremated. 'Phoenix' kinda fits, you know? Besides, my old life is over. The old me is gone. New life, new me. Things were kinda getting unbearably boring there anyways. Denise bringing me to you guys is probably the best thing that could've happened to me." I smiled at Denise, making her blush and smile back.
"Just get going 'Phoenix'," said Sarah. "I'll keep trying to find them on our end. Hopefully one of us gets lucky. And none of your jokes, Lucy. I'm not in the mood." The two started arguing and Denise turned to me.
"Be safe Phoenix." She smiled at me sweetly and ended the call. I sighed softly and went back out to the airport terminal. A few minutes went by before I spotted a group of people making their way from the gate. I spotted a man with short black hair and light blue eyes in a brown trench coat.
"Raye Penber. He won't start following Tsukiko for a few days, but it's better to be close by just in case the mage decides Raye could be of some use. And I should probably start talking out loud. God, I hope this doesn't become a habit." I casually followed the agents out of the airport and spotted a security camera nearby 'Right. Public surveillance. Need to do something about that. I see them about to get into a few cabs and manage to flag down Penber. "Excuse me! Do you speak English?"
"Yes, I do. I'm from America. Raye Penber." He extended his hand to me and I shook it.
"Phoenix Mason. Are you on your way to a hotel? I need somewhere to stay while I look for a job here in Japan."
"I am actually."
"Mind if I take a cab with you?"
"I don't know, I'm kind of in a hurry Mr. Mason."
"Come on. It's not like it'll take that much more time. In fact, we're wasting time just standing here talking." Sighing Raye turned to me.
"Alright. Get in." I helped him get his luggage into the cab and got in with him. He told the driver where to go and we were on our way to the hotel. "So, why are you in Japan, Mr. Mason?"
"Call me Phoenix. Mr. Mason sounds like a teacher."
"Alright, then you can call me Raye."
"To answer your question, I'm starting a new life here. Things were getting kinda stale back home. Figured a change in scenery would be nice. Didn't think anywhere in the U.S. would be far enough away, so I came here with nothing but some money to exchange and the clothes on my back. What about you Raye? What brings you here?"
"I'm here on business. My company is attempting an important merger and I'm one of the people who were trusted with the meeting."
"Office job huh? Must be hell."
"Sometimes it can be. But it can be pretty rewarding other times."
"Like how?"
"Well I met my fiancé there. So, there's that." We spent the rest of the ride talking about the differences we could see between Japanese and American cultures. I chose to steer the conversation away from his job as soon as possible. I could tell his responses regarding his job, sans the information about his fiancé, were rehearsed. 'Must've been trying to memorize it for a while. Better make him more comfortable talking with me.'
Once we arrived, I helped Raye with his luggage as he payed the driver. We made our way to the lobby and he broke off to meet up with the other agents. I purchased a room that gave me a view of the street, so I could keep track of Raye and the other agents. 'I need a way to track him. I need to find Tsukiko as soon as possible. I started fiddling with the PIP boy and found a map of the city. I zoomed in on my location and found a second indicator. I clicked on it and the map changed into a 3D model of the hotel. The second indicator was a few floors above my own and was moving towards a room.
"How the hell… Gallio better explain this later. Right now, convenience outweighs logic." I made my way back to the lobby and went out to the street. I managed to find a clothing store and purchase a few sets of clothes so I'm not wearing the same thing every day. I bring my clothes back to my room and access my PIP boy again. I noticed that it had access to this world's internet. "Dammit Gallio. You're almost as bad as Gareth regarding information." With nothing better to do, I pulled out the armor to examine and mess around with it.
It molds itself around me perfectly and I look at myself in a mirror. It's a full body armor with no helmet, a metallic grey sheen to it reflecting the light from the lamp in the room. I notice it managed to form itself around the PIP boy and look at the watch, flipping to the physical analysis screen. I flip to the effects screen to see what the armor does innately without anything activated.
"Prototype Hunter Armor activated. Noise Dampeners online. Physical Enhancement online. Stealth Field offline. Directed Energy Shield offline and deactivated. Kinetic Dampeners online. Mobile Tracking Unit unavailable. No Personalized weaponry compatible with Prototype Hunter Armor systems available. Localized EMP at 20% charge. Estimated recharge time; approximately 32 hours without proper charging apparatus. WARNING. Critical systems missing from primary armor functions. Missing systems include; Emergency Medical Treatment Automatic Dispenser, Remote Tracking Aerial Drones, Remote Tracking Sensor Drones, Adamantine Shield for Projectile Combat, Power Regulator for intentional continuous use, Standardized Armor Adaptation Unit for environmental and situational exploration and combat, Standardized Artificial Intelligence for optimal power distribution."
"Stealth armor. Again, convenience outweighs logic. Now, how do I activate the stealth field and how long does it last?" I looked at the PIP boy and notice a wire that looks compatible to a port in the armor. "When in doubt…" I plugged the watch to the armor and watched a new display appear.
"Gallio Edition PIP boy syncing with Prototype Hunter Armor. 100% synchronization complete. Stealth Field can now be activated. Estimated time for active Stealth Field; 52 minutes before necessary 13-hour recharge. WARNING. Without Standardized Artificial Intelligence, Stealth Field at 53% effectiveness. Standardized Artificial Intelligence and Power Regulator required for optimal and efficient use."
"Well, that's that answered. Nothing to do then except wait for Raye to start shadowing Tsukiko. That'll only be another 4 days." I groaned and collapsed on my bed. "I thought I was done with boredom, but I guess that's gonna be a regular thing no matter what universe you're in. Now, how the hell can I pass the time for 4 days? Go sightseeing? Find a tour? Test out the armor?" I stayed that way for a few minutes before sitting up and putting the armor back in the PIP boy. "Maybe I should find a job, even though I'm not wanting for money. Might as well just go for a walk and find something to do."
I found myself at a park after about thirty minutes of walking and sat at a bench. I reached for my headphones out of habit only to remember they were on my original body. "Dammit. Of course, I don't have any music. And I can't mess with the PIP boy, this tech doesn't exist yet. There's gotta be something to do. I can't just sit around doing nothing." Suddenly, I heard a scream coming from a nearby alley and sat upright. "Was someone just screaming right now?" I looked around trying to see anything in the park. I heard another scream behind me, coming from an alley a block away. "What the… questions later, action now!" I ran for the alley as fast as I could. When I got there, I spotted a man gripping the elbow of a blonde girl in a hat and sunglasses.
"Give it to me now girl," said the man. His face was hidden in shadow, so I couldn't identify him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," replied the girl. "Please! Somebody help me!"
"Hey asshole," I shouted. The man turned to face me as I tackled him away from the woman. "Run ma'am! Call the police! I'll keep him from you!" She nodded and ran out of the alley. "Okay asshole, time for you to go down!"
"You bastard," muttered the man. "She has something I need, and you let her get away. Now I have to track her down again."
"If you think I'm gonna let you get away before the police get here, you've got another thing coming."
"Hmph. You're in my way 'hero'. This will be you're last mistake, worm." He then made a staff with a deformed skull appear in his hand. "When I kill you, I'll use your corpse to lure her out again." I eyed the staff and then smirked before slowly activating the PIP boy.
"Wow, Lucy must've done something to me despite my turning her down," I said confidently as I equipped the armor and the knuckle dusters. "Because you're just who I've been looking for!" I yelled and charged at him. He grunted and sidestepped my initial attack with my left hand, only to be hit by my right. He screamed in agony as the knuckle duster's second setting shocked the living hell out of him. I was about to hit him again when he raised his hand. I was lifted off the ground and away from him by whatever spell he was using.
"So, the council has found themselves a dog. Not even a dog, a pup. How adorable. Listen here boy. I'm giving you this one courtesy. You get to live. You're not a threat to me. You're merely a gnat, annoying." He sent me into a wall hard enough to knock the air from my lungs. Then sent me into a bunch of trashcans behind him. "Do not get in my way again boy. I will not be as generous. You may have been deemed strong enough by the council to become their pet, but that just shows how incompetent they are.
"Rejoice boy. For you are in the presence of a king. And once I've obtained what I'm looking for, you will be basking in the glory of a god. Do not attempt to thwart my plans again. Or I will kill you." He cast a spell and turned invisible as I tried sitting up. I heard footsteps coming and put away the armor and knuckle dusters before collapsing and passing out.
I woke up a few minutes later, being tended to by EMTs a police officer near by talking with the woman from before. I sat up and groaned before looking at the EMTs. "I'm fine, thank you." Hearing me, the officer and the woman came over to me. The officer looked at me and smirked.
"That was a brave thing you did, kid. But ultimately stupid. You should've called us. We would've handled the situation." 'Yeah, until he sends you into a wall with magic and then reanimates your corpse.'
"Honestly sir, I don't have a phone. I heard the screams and just ran. Didn't even think of notifying the police until after I got thrown into those garbage cans. Though I think by the time we'd have arrived, she'd have been hurt or worse." I looked at her and smiled. "Glad I could help ma'am." She nodded and turned away from me.
"Your Japanese is pretty good. Don't even hear an accent. What did you say your name was?"
"Oh, I'm Phoenix Mason. I just moved here from America. And I had a pretty good language teacher."
"Well Mason-San, try not to be a hero too much. That's our job. Can't have you getting hurt because of it. Now she wasn't able to give me an accurate description of the man who attacked her. What about you?" I shook my head and sighed.
"It was too dark. Wasn't able to see his face. Is it alright for me to go after I give you my report?"
"Well it doesn't look like you were severely injured so sure. Just try not to get into any more trouble." I nodded and gave my report, leaving out Gallio's tech and anything that was said. I turned to where the girl was, only to find her gone. 'Strange. Can't be helped right now though. Need to call the Council.' I found my way back to the hotel and was making my way to my room when Raye found me.
"Hey Phoenix! Whoa, what happened?"
"Oh, just got into a fight after saving a girl from some creep who ambushed her in an alley."
"Why didn't you call the police?"
"Don't have a phone. Couldn't call them. Besides, she was gonna get hurt if someone didn't do something. I kinda acted on instinct."
"Well just be careful Phoenix. And next time let the police know what's going on. It's their job to save people, not yours."
"That's assuming there is a next time, Raye. And I highly doubt there will be. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to rest. As you can see, I got my ass handed to me. See you later Raye."
"Later Phoenix." With that, I made it back to my room and sighed. 'Ok, no more distractions. Time to make the call. I activated the holo-screen on the PIP boy and waited for a response. After about a minute, Gallio appeared on the screen, his head covered in bandages. "Uh… everything alright?"
"Yes," he replied. "Everything is fine. We can get hurt, you know. Especially when we're weakened. Now what's up. You can't have found anything yet. It's barely been 2 hours."
"That's where you'd be wrong. Get the others. We have a situation." I waited a few minutes as the rest of the Council, sans Sarah, came into the room. Seeing me got Denise worried and Gareth amused, if the looks on their faces were anything to go by. "Well I found the bastard, but I couldn't catch him."
"You found him," asked Gareth, disbelief evident on his face. "That easily? Earlier you were complaining that you didn't have anything to go on, now all of a sudden you found the very man you're looking for? You expect us to believe that?!" Before replying, I pulled out the Pacification Field and activated it.
"First, Gallio, I might get addicted to this more often if I have to constantly be berated by him whenever I check in. Does he have a mute button?"
"Sadly, no," said Gallio with a sigh. "A biological mute button is hard enough to make. And until I make one, I can't even begin to think about how to make one for deific entities."
"Damn, oh well. Second, I did find him. I couldn't see his face though. Where's Sarah? She needs to hear this next part."
"I'll get her," said Lucy. She sauntered her way to the control panel in front of Gallio and flipped a switch. She grabbed a microphone and held it to a speaker causing a feedback. I covered my ears with my free hand and left shoulder as Sarah could be heard from the speaker.
"OOOOWWW! WHAT?!" shouted Sarah.
"Get over to Gallio's lab. Phoenix has a report."
"I'll be right there," she replied with a sigh, before shutting off the speaker on her end.
"PHOENIX?!" shouted Gareth. "YOU DARE CORRUPT THE NAME OF MY SACRED BIRD BY NAMING YOURSELF AFTER IT?! YOU HAVE THE GALL TO…"
"Hey Gallio, you got any duct tape on hand?"
"What kind of modern scientist would I be if I didn't? Denise, third cabinet second shelf from the top." Denise ran to the cabinet and grabbed it before running up to Gareth, taping his mouth shut and his arms to his side. "Sweet silence. Thank you, Richard Drew for duct tape. Why didn't I think of this in the first place?"
"You were probably trying to come up with a more permanent solution. Duct tape is great, but you have to find it, then try and hold the person down. It's faster just to press a button and boom, mute."
"That's probably it. Anyway, continue." I told them what had transpired in the last 30 minutes. About how the man was attacking a girl, identified me as working for the Council and proceeded to kick my ass, and the staff he had. When I finished, I turned to Sarah, who seemed lost in thought.
"The staff sounds familiar to me. Do you know what it is?" She gave it a minute of thought before replying.
"The way you described it, it sounds like the Staff of Worms. One of the most powerful items in the field of Necromancy."
"The Staff of Worms? You mean the Staff created by Mannimarco in the Elder Scrolls world?"
"The very one. And it's had multiple users besides Mannimarco, most notably the Hero of Kvatch in most worlds where the Hero saves Tamriel and becomes Arch-Mage of the guild. When the Hero of Kvatch became Sheogorath, most of their items were scattered across Tamriel by looters and thieves. There have been multiple worlds where the staff is one of those stolen items. It narrows down the list considerably but it's still pretty large. We need to narrow our search to world's where the Staff's presence no longer exists."
"We also need to see if any version of Mannimarco was ever locked in the Shadow Vault. It may lead to us knowing where to look in the notes Gallio found." I started to think as Gallio went to where he kept the notes. I must've been silent for some time because when I looked up, Denise and Kira were watching me worriedly while Tyra stood behind her sister, glaring lightly at me.
"What's on your mind, Phoenix," asked Denise. Both her and Kira eyed me curiously as I looked at them trying to come up with an answer.
"Are we sure that there was only one escapee?"
"Yes," replied Tyra behind the two of them. "There have been no other people trying entering world's they're not supposed to be in."
"That's not what I asked Tyra. I asked; 'Are we sure that there was only one escapee?' not if anyone has entered other worlds."
"W-why do you ask," asked Kira. I turned to the timid girl.
"Because of how easy it was for this mage to hide himself from all of you, even the Fates, who should have a clear line of sight for anyone in the Metaverse. Mortal, Immortal, Undead, or God. Yet they can't find him. Denise couldn't sense him if he were dead, undead, or dying. He's somehow able to mask himself from Sarah and has evaded drawing too much attention to himself. All that, and he was able to undo multiple worlds, all at once, and then showed up here? A world where Denise's power is openly being used to shape this world. A place where Death is ever present in the form of a Death Note.
"Something doesn't add up. I get it, he's a Necromancer and openly defies Death in all forms. Not just a Necromancer, mind you, but a Lich. He doesn't manipulate time, only space. So, how could he undo all of those worlds?"
"You're saying you think there's more than one escapee," said Tyra.
"Yes. If you're going to escape a prison, you wouldn't leave alone. You'd break others out and hope the authorities go after them first, just so you can stay free for a few moments longer than them. I need to check out the Shadow Vault personally just to make sure…"
"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING," shouted Gareth. "You saw Gallio's surveillance on the Vault. Only one person managed to escape! There's no need to go back, just to see the same thing we know to be true. Do you dare question our reasoning?!"
"You don't need to be a dick, Gareth. I'm questioning whether or not you were tricked somehow. It can be quite easy to do so, as we've seen. It's smarter and safer to check up on…"
"You will not give us orders, boy! We've existed longer than your world has been alive! We know more than you do on this sort of topic! Shadow Vault is inescapable!"
"And yet, you have me tracking down someone who escaped the inescapable. If just one person got out, then more can as well. Maybe not the same way, but they can find another way. You need to think rationally and not treat me as a child, when what I say makes sense. Denise?"
"Yes," she replied."
"When I'm done here, can you take me to see the Shadow Vault? Or at least, as close as you can get and then let me check things out?"
"Sure, I can do that. Although having Tyra take you there might be your better, and faster, solution."
"True, but somehow I don't think she'd be agreeable to helping me." I looked to the Manifestation of Space as she continued to glare at me. "Just call it a hunch. And besides, I wouldn't get to spend some time with you if I did that, now would I?" Denise just blushed and tried hiding her face from me. I just smiled and turned to where Gallio and Sarah were talking. "Can you two keep me up to date with your findings?"
"Yes," they both replied distractedly.
"Hey Gallio, any chance you could send over a ranged weapon? Like a gun or a laser or something."
"Don't press your luck, I already sent the PIP boy, armor and shockers. I can't send anything more. Besides, you can't have a gun. You already said you have no experience with one. And a laser would be drawing too much attention to yourself, not to mention that you can't have more tech that's more advanced than the world you're in. If you lose it, it could end up causing an arms race for more of whoever finds it. Sorry."
"Alright, fair enough."
"Besides," said Sarah. "To quote one of my favorite magic users." She cleared her throat and turned to me. "'Magic must defeat magic!' Hold out your hand, Phoenix. I'll send you something."
"Nice Uncle impression by the way," I said as I held out my free hand.
"Thank you. Now hold still." She snapped her fingers, and a wand appeared in my hand in what looked like a holster.
"A wand? Don't I have to be magical in order to use one of these?"
"Someone's been reading Rowling's work. Normally, yes you would. But this wand is special. It unlocks your magical potential, allowing you to use magic. Just be careful. This world has no latent magical energy, which means you can't recharge your reserves with some sleep. You will be drawing magical energy from yourself when you use it, and only yourself. Soul magic tends to be powerful, but its price is costly. The more of it you use, the more it draws power from your very soul. Because of this, your immune to mental control and manipulation. You'll be able to use normal magic when you get to a magical world, but Soul Magic will be your go-to, just because of instinct alone.
"Now Soul magic will benefit you in your current situation. It can be used similarly to normal magic, so manipulation of the elements, telekinesis, like what the mage did against you in the alley, and basic magic bolts are things you can use. There is one thing that makes it differ from normal magic however, and that's it's special ability. Soul magic, for reasons I've yet to understand, can act as a sort of Anti-Magic. It can negate spells, drain energy from a mage and give it to your own reserves, and can redirect any magic spell that is cast at you, if you know how."
"Including spells like the Unforgivables in the Potter-verse?"
"Maybe, I haven't tested that out. It's just too dangerous. Though, it may explain why baby Harry survived that night, and never became an Obscurus when growing up with people like the Dursley's." At the sign of her expression turning grim I turned the discussion away from the subject.
"So how do I activate it."
"Oh, just spin around three times and chant 'make me magical'." She tried hiding her small smirk and I looked at her.
"Now, do you think I'm that gullible? I'm not Gareth." The flailing and muffled shouting coming from him was enough to make us smile, the previous discussion momentarily forgotten.
"Damn, thought you'd at least spin one time before realizing."
"Pacification field makes me more perceptive, remember?"
"Now I do, and I'll keep that in mind from now on. Just treat it like a Wingardium Leviosa spell without an incantation. Give it a swish and a flick and focus on connecting with the wand. When you've accessed your core, I'll send you a basic grimoire. It'll give you instruction on how to use magic at a beginner's level. Now you need to…" she trailed off as they saw me following her instructions with my eyes closed.
From what Denise told me afterwards, it was apparently the single most amazing thing any of them had seen. Black and golden flames surrounded my body and the wand before zeroing in on my heart and head. Once the flames died down, and I felt that it had worked, I opened my eyes, making Denise, Lucy and Sarah gasp. "What's wrong?"
"Your eyes," said Sarah. "their silver." I turned to a nearby mirror and, sure enough, my eyes, once dark brown, almost black, had turned silver. I blinked, trying to see if it was a trick and that they'd go away. When they didn't, I turned back to the screen.
"How...?"
"I don't know," said Sarah. "It might be a result of the Soul Magic, but I've never seen this happen before. It's an anomaly."
"Beautiful," said Denise, not even trying to hide her blush this time.
"Well," said Lucy. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you Kid?"
"Didn't I say not to call me 'Kid'?" She shrugged and grinned. "Now, about that grimoire?"
"Oh, right," said Sarah. She snapped her fingers again, and in place of the wand was a medium sized book. "There you go. Just be sure to practice the spells in private."
"That goes without saying. Hey, is it possible to track a magical signature?"
"I know where you're going with this, and it won't work. Telekinesis spells don't leave a lasting signature like most spells. It's not a directed energy spell like magic or fire bolts or the spells from the Potter-verse. It's the magic version of the latent psychic power found in psychokinetic people of other worlds. Sorry. We can't track him that way. And because it's a low power spell, it's probably why he used it against you, not just to throw you around, but to stop you from tracking him, and to limit how much magic he uses."
"Well, it may be low powered, but it still hurts being thrown into a wall. I'll track him another way. Oh yeah. Hey Gallio! Where are those tracking devices compatible with the Hunter Armor?" He looked up from the notes and turned to me.
"I scrapped them."
"Why?"
"They kept malfunctioning and destroying my labs. I finally got fed up with them and scrapped them."
"Ok, what about the power modulator and A.I.?"
"I made the armor compatible with A.I.? Huh. Must've been high. Sorry, no A.I. available. Don't trust them. I'd have to base them off of an existing consciousness. I don't have anyone to base it off of. And I can barely stand myself on a good day. You think I'm gonna base an A.I. after my own mind? One of me is more than enough.
"As for the power modulator, I think I have it powering my toaster."
"…You…use it…for a toaster."
"Don't give me that look. I stole the toaster from the Sink in the Big Empty. It was water damaged and kept complaining that it needed more power to work. So, I converted the armor's power modulator to work with the toaster."
"You gave a homicidal toaster a device to better manage power for a high-powered stealth suit. Why?"
"I wanted better toast."
"Please tell me you're joking." He stayed silent for a few seconds, completely straight-faced, before he broke out into a grin.
"I'm totally fucking with you. It's powering your PIP boy. I can whip up another and be done in three days." He started laughing, causing me to chuckle along with him. "That look on your face was priceless. I can't believe I managed to stay serious for as long as I did."
"To be fair, I just met you. For all I know, you actually would do that. Given that Think Tank inventions are deadlier and superior." I smirked as he stopped laughing. "Two can play the troll game Gallio. And you can't beat me."
"Challenge accepted, Phoenix. I'll get started on the power modulator right now. Denise, you go through the notes while I'm working."
"What?!" she yelled, making me cringe slightly. "Why me?!" He turned to her, glaring. She replied by shivering in fear before turning to the notes and doing what Gallio 'asked' her to do. I looked at him.
"Why are you guys so hard on her?"
"Well, I'm hard on her because she's a klutz. She's come into my lab and ruined everything in a matter of seconds on multiple occasions. So, I've threatened to have her test my more… questionably stable experiments."
"As for me," said Lucy. "She's taken and ruined a few of my favorite outfits. I've hexed her with bad luck because of that."
"That seems a bit much for both of you," I said. "She doesn't deserve that. And what about the rest of you?"
"M-me and Tyra don't mess with her. She's nice." Said Kira. "And Gareth doesn't like anyone."
"Meh," said Sarah. "I just do it for the hell of it. It's pretty easy." By this point it looked like Denise had anime tears running down her face. I sighed and looked at them.
"Please stop messing with her. She doesn't deserve it. You want my help? Do me this favor and leave Denise alone." I don't know what happened, but apparently something about me scared them enough to nod in compliance. "Good. I'm going to hang up now. Gallio, please let me know as soon as the new Power Modulator is done." I stopped the call and turned off the Pacification Field before lying on my bed. "I really hope that we find this bastard soon. I owe him a beating." With that I fell asleep.
The next four days were uneventful, unless you count Tyra dropping the Power Modulator on my head when it was ready, that led to an argument that broke her sister, who couldn't decide who to back up. We called a temporary truce and I dropped the matter entirely. After equipping the Power Modulator to the armor, the Stealth Field's efficiency rose from 53% to 88% and would last for almost three hours. Ready to follow Raye as he shadowed Tsukiko Yagami.
I left a few minutes before he did and watched from a nearby rooftop as Raye left the hotel. He hailed a cab and started to head out. I started following, instinctively making myself faster by channeling Soul Magic into my legs. I was keeping up with the car, not even realizing what I was doing. I just kept following the car, jumping from roof to roof. I had no idea I was being watched by three different sets of eyes.
When we got to Raye's destination, I made my way to street level and equipped the armor. I activated the Stealth Field and started following him. He soon started following a girl with long, light brown hair, and a neutral expression on her face. 'This must be Tsukiko. Perfect.' I started following the two of them for a few minutes before I noticed a shadow besides Tsukiko. Imagine my surprise when I saw Ryuk fly down and start floating right beside her. 'Ryuk? How am I seeing him? I don't have a Death Note.' I decided to keep following them until Raye was done shadowing her for the day. As soon as he left, I followed Tsukiko, periodically turning off and on the Stealth Field to make it last a bit longer. When she got to her house, she went inside while Ryuk stayed outside. I went up to him and decided to try and mess with him. I chucked a rock at his head and saw it pass through. "Hmm?!" He looked around frantically trying to see where it came from before his eyes fell upon me. "What the…?"
I stayed still to see if the Stealth Field could work against him and watched as he got closer to me. I covered my nose and dropped the Stealth Field when he was a few inches from my face. "Dude. You need a mint. Your breath smells like a zombie decided to sun bathe and started cooking whatever rotting meat is left on it."
"WAHH!" shouted Ryuk as he stumbled away from me. "How did you do that?!"
"Sorry, trade secret." I brought out a fresh apple and tossed it to him. "Catch. There's more where that came from if you help me." He caught the apple and immediately devoured it before turning to me as I held another apple out to him. He tried swiping it from me and missed as I moved it away from him.
"Rrrrgh," he growled. I could see him scratching at his arms like a drug addict before giving in. "Alright Fine! Just give me the apple!" I tossed it to him and he devoured it as fast as the first one.
"Good boy. I need to talk with the owner of Sidoh's Death Note. And yes, I know whose note that is. Have her meet me at Shibuya tomorrow at noon. As for how she'll find me, I won't be hard to miss. Do that and you'll get three lady pinks." I could see the Shinigami salivating and smirked. "Relay my message please. And tell her my name is Phoenix Mason. It's impolite that I know who she is, yet she has no idea as to who I am. With that, I tossed him one more apple and started walking away, activating the Stealth Field.