Showbizz pt. 2
In Misora's opinion, today had quickly gone downhill from "absolutely fabulous" to "bad memory potential".
Subaru had just run off. And her best bet of finding out why, besides what she had gleaned so far, were two total strangers. Strangers, who had just claimed to have been ditched in the past, albeit for different reasons, she could imagine. She hoped this wasn't a recurring event for them.
Luckily Misora was used to dealing with strangers. A double drill-haired blonde and a geeky brunette were just another pair.
"Hi, you must be Subaru's friends. It seems, I scared him off." She gave them a smile.
Things considered, they were pretty calm.
"Hi, I'm Luna Shirogane, class president of our.. erm Subaru's class," the blonde quickly introduced herself. "And Subaru's friend," she quickly added to her usual introduction.
"I'm Kizamaro Saoshoin, a member of Subaru's class and a friend." the short one said, his glasses mysteriously catching the in-door light somehow.
"Please excuse, Subaru, he's been through a lot lately," the blonde, Luna continued in a placating manner. "I'm sure, he didn't mean to offend you or anything."
"Don't bother apologizing, it was kind of my fault in any case." Misora said. "I guess I prodded a place where I shouldn't."
"Aha, perhaps you may have spoken of his father, whom is presumed dead," Kizamaro said conspicously. "It is quite a sore subject for - ack! Aw!"
Kizamaro rubbed his shin, which had been kicked by Luna.
"Why did you do that, prez?" he whined.
"You should know better, Kizamaro." Luna glared at him. "You're being rude to Misora."
He gasped and bowed low to Misora. "Please accept my apologies, Miss Hibiki."
"No, it's fine." Misora tried to calm him down. "Um, you said that he had run off from you guys too? What happened?"
Kizamaro grimaced and Luna smiled awkwardly.
"Weel, as you know, I am the class president of our class! Subaru hadn't been coming to school for the entire time there. So after three months I decided to try and bring him in."
"It went horribly and he ran." Kizamaro added.
"That's just it," Luna said. "But the weird thing is that he then showed up by himself just a few days later."
"And since then, he's kinda been hanging out with us," Luna finished.
Misora just nodded. She hadn't really learned something new, except about the school thing. Subaru seemed to be quite the mystery.
A gigantic crash from outside the building suddenly cut off any further conversation. Misora whipped her head around and looked outside. Smoke obscured most of her vision outside. People began yelling and panicking.
"Sorry! Gotta run!" She left the stunned pair and ran towards the exit.
In the meantime, War-rock was still locked in combat. Despite his best efforts, Ophiuchus's words still rang true, Ophiuchus was still stronger. Disengaging they stopped to access eachother, both showing visible exhaustion. She's stronger than I remember!
Ophiuchus regarded War-rocks heaving form with contempt.
"Why do you keep strugling, War-rock? You're dead meat, you just haven't realized it yet."
War-rock merely laughed her off, "As if anything you throw at me could stop me."
"Ever since you stole the Andromeda key your life has been forfeit! And I will gladly end you!"
War-rock charged in a straightforward attack. Ophiuchus took his challenge and they rammed straight into eachother. A flash of green and purple light marked their violent union, a deadlock with both parties trying to overpower the other. Hand meeting hand, the each pushed for everything they were worth.
"Already out of tricks, little mutt? You cannot win like this and soon Ox Fire will return to destroy your host!" Ophiuchus gloated, sensing victory was drawing ever closer.
"He's not a 'host', he's my friend!" War-rock snarled at her.
"Don't tell me you actually grew attached to it!" Ophiuchus portrayed mock disgust and surprise, delighting in anything that would anger him.
*Snap* Ophiuchus cringed in pain and tried pulling away, yet she couldn't, because War-rock had clamped his mouth over her left arm and wasn't letting go.
"You crazy... argh!" she was flung down onto a waveroad by said crazy individual.
War-rock flew after her, roaring "His name is Subaru! ROCKMAN PUNCH!" He decked her right in the face sending her flying away, literally through a nearby building.
'This is my chance! I've got to find Subaru!' he thought, admiring his handiwork with a grin.
War-rock turn on the spot and charged back towards the studio, where he had left Subaru, but he had barely moved more than a dozen meters before he was intercepted by a purple light, shoving him sideways and ending his retreat.
"Don't be so hasty to leave, War-rock. You're sorely wanted here." Ophiuchus was back already.
"What does it take to keep you away, woman. You might not have noticed but I'm not interested. I prefer the feminine type."
"Your time on Earth have made you witty, War-rock. A shame you're all bark and no teeth, you foolish dog!"
They got interupted by an loud explosion at the studio. Ophiuchus went from angered to amused in a heartbeat.
"Tick tock, War-rock, it seems like Ox Fire has arrived." This time it was War-rock who looked furious.
"Your little game ends now, Ophiuchus, I will show no mercy!"
War-rock was the first to charge.
Misora ran towards the exit, a great double door, pushing one of them open without stopping. The scene that met her outside was one of total chaos. The tranquil atmosphere that had been so calming had been replaced by a mad panic and people running for their lives. Misora squinted, she couldn't see what was going on because of all the people.
"What's happening? Is it another attack?"
Luna and Zack had apparently chosen to follow her. That might pose a problem later, if she had to wavechange, she considered. A quick glance around told her more. People were even now in this situation putting extra attention on her. That wasn't good.
Through the mass of people she caught the telltale red of Subaru's shirt. She started towards it but almost lost her footing due to a sudden shaking and another explosion that almost threw her off her feet. What was going on? She couldn't see any wavebeings! She couldn't make sense of it. Perhaps as Harp Note? But then she would have to get away from all these people first.
Suddenly a great red monstrosity seemingly appeared out of nowhere among the destruction, breathing fire. It was a wave-being she hadn't seen before. He was gigantic.
"That's Ox Fire, Misora! Be careful!" Harp had appeared on her wavescreen.
Ox Fire was standing in the middle of the road, where he had made a sizeable crater. He was looking down on something. Following his line of sight she gasped. Ox Fire was looking straight at a prone person laying right at the edge of the crater, a red shirt and a brown mop of hair. Subaru!
"Subaru!" the blonde girl yelled mirroring her thoughts. "Oh no, not him again! Where's Rockman?"
'Again? Did Rockman fight him before? But if Subaru is actually Rockman then... can't he just wavechange? Unless, he isn't!' Misora prepated herself. She couldn't take the chance, she would simply have to step up and take the stage!
Meanwhile Ox Fire had begun monologuing to the downed boy. His booming voice almost loud enough for them to hear over all the noise and panic.
'Good, that means he's alive and that I've got some time. Or that Ox Fire is batshit crazy... After seeing that snake-lady it could be possible... Now isn't the time, don't dally!' She mentally kicked herself out of her own inner monologue.
Misora looked around, the street was mostly vacant by now, though a good score remained, flocking out of the building behind her. Some were recording. She would have to find somewhere to transform!
The blond girl, Luna, suddenly got hysterical. "I'm sorry, Gonta, this is all my fault!"
Misora didn't quite understand. 'Her fault? What is she talking about?'
Suddenly Ox Fire lifted his right arm over his head and yelled "Die human!" For Misora, everything ground to a halt. 'Where's my time? There's no time!'
She had to buy some time.
In realtime, Misora acted. She ran forward, ducking low to pick up a small loose piece of concrete, and threw it. It flew and hit Ox Fire right on his shoulder with a great *clunk*.
It had the hoped effect, Ox Fire lowered his arm and looked straight at Misora through the thinning cluster of people, like everyone else was doing who wasn't still fleeing.
"Who dares?" the booming voice promised violence.
"I do, you fat cow! Pick on somebody your own size!" Misora stood up straight.
Ox Fire laughed. "Someone my own size? Or someone of comparable strength? Tell me, little girl, where such a champion could be found, for I have found none so far!" He laughed at his own joke.
Misora loved putting people in their place and blowing up people's expectations, especially those about her.
She grinned, "You can find one right here." Ox Fire broke down in laughter. Hook, line, and sinker. Now for the big twist!
"Harp! Wavechange! On-air!"
"What?" Ox Fire hardly had time to react before Harp Note was upon him.
"Shock Note!" Harp Note fired her signature attack, hitting a surprised Ox Fire square in the chest, making him fall on his back into his own crater.
She didn't let up. Jumping high into the air, she changed her frequency, making the wave road clear and tangible, kicking off from the underside of a road, she sped down towards Ox Fire, who had just gotten up. She changed her frequency back again, to a normal bystander appearing just above him. Less than three seconds after her first attack, she hit with a dropkick, sending him face-first into the ground again.
She wasted no time getting to Subaru. Hoisting him over her shoulder, she jumped onto the flat roof of a nearby building. She sat the boy on the roof and with a "Stay here!", she was gone.
She landed a few meters away from the now raging bull/Ox, that was Ox Fire.
"You're not that tough actually." Harp Note said with disinterest.
Ox Fire dusted himself off. "Your attacks are weak, just like you. I can't even feel them."
"We'll see about that."
Harp Note sprung into the air, firing several Shock Notes in rapid succession towards Ox Fire. Most hit straight on and kicked up a lot of smoke, but Ox Fire stood fast under the barrage and readied his own attack.
"Fire Breath!" he roared, shooting out a stream of fire towards her moving form. Harp Note barely dodged it, not avoiding getting slightly singed.
"Too slow." she stuck out her tongue as she landed, much to Ox Fire's anger, if his roaring was any indication.
He charged forward and swung a heavy fist. Harp Note flipped backwards, just out of reach. However the ground under her cracked as Ox Fire's fist struck the concrete and she fell quite elegantly on her face.
Ox Fire immediately grabbed her foot, holding her upside down before him. "Little girls should know when playtime is over or they might get hurt!"
He hit her right in the gut, sending her flying across the street.
Subaru was to be blunt, bewildered and in shock. He had been pretty certain that it would be the end when Ox Fire had cornered him. Just to be saved by Misora, who had then transformed into Harp Note and saved his life, again.
Just as he had thought it might not be her who was Harp Note, she had flipped his world around. And now she was in need of his help, Rockman's help, but right now he was powerless. He wanted to yell at her to run away. He didn't want her to risk her life for his.
Wasn't War-rock supposed to stop Ox before this happened? Perhaps he ran into Ox Fire instead? That wasn't a happy thought.
He sat down dejectedly.
'I hope everyone are alright...'
Harp Note stood up from where she had landed.
"He hits really hard," she wheezed.
"Well, that's to be expected. He is the strongest FM'ian after all."
"What?" Harp Note stared slackjawed at her guitar. "Then how will we beat him! How did Rockman beat him?"
"Relax! I said, he was the strongest, not the smartest!" Harp amended. However it didn't calm Harp Note. "But how can we win? He is withstanding all of our attacks! And we can't use battle cards like Rockman!"
Harp grinned.
"Well, then we'll just use a new attack."
"Eh...? We can do that?"
"Sure, all it takes is an idea and some wave-manipulation, a feat that I have mastered, but since you can't do that, just follow my lead when it's time. It has a lot in common with making music. You learn fast, so don't worry, besides I'll be helping you." And then Misora felt another presence in the back of her mind. She found that she understood a concept foreign to her but couldn't hold on to it, the knowledge wasn't her own. But it could work!
"But remember, to make this work you have to get in close!" the soothing voice of Harp resounded in the back of her head. "Ready?"
"Yes!"
She set into a run towards her opponent. Ox Fire had been waiting, some notion of warrior pride or possibly just to observe his handiwork; she would never know, but it didn't matter. She jumped high, evading his first flameblast, returning fire mid-air. He lifted an arm to block the shock notes, blocking his view. She landed a few feet away.
"Guitar String," she called out and the strings on her guitar flew forth and wrapped tightly around his right leg. She immediately ran past him, getting several meters until the string grew taut; the sudden momentum pulled his leg back and ripped him off his feet.
Harp Note, still gripping the string, pulled with all her strength, propelling her back towards the downed giant. With a small hop, she landing squarely on his bulky back. At a mental command, the strings returned to her guitar. Now came the tricky part and she had to act fast. Ox Fire was already beginning to move.
Strumming loudly, Harp Note called out her attack, "Wave Distortion!"
A wave of pure sound erupted from her strings with noise as if she had broken the sound barrier and tore into the back of the fallen FM-ian. Over the roar Harp Note noted several things, she had made several furrows in the concrete, it had worked and most surprisingly, she had now been rendered airborne, blown back by the attack. As she neatly corrected her position in the air and landed, as Ox Fire struggled to get up.
"That went surprisingly well." Misora scratched her cheek thoughtfully.
Harp piped in, "Well, you have also certainly grown stronger. I doubt you would have been able to do this when we first met."
Harp Note shrugged. "Perhaps, but let's not make the mistake of dallying while our opponent recovers, like some guys," she sent a pointed look in Ox Fire's direction. Hefting her guitar she strolled up before Ox Fire.
"Now I'll ask nicely, release your host or I'll simply do it myself. Your choice."
Ox Fire lifted his head and glared. "Release my host? I won't surrender to the likes of you, Harp! I am the strongest FM-ian there is!"
"Fine!" Harp Note pouted.
"Pulse Song!" The attack cancelled Ox Fire's transformation, leaving an unconscious Gonta on the ground.
Ox fled with a yell of future retaliation, though Harp Note tuned it out. She was looking at the site of their battle, while lifting up the unconscious boy. The street was a bit wrecked, but otherwise things were fine.
A few craters and much of the road had been rendered destroyed. She had caused this. Not intentionally, but she participated. And people would now know who she was, which was the greater problem in her opinion.
She had, after all transformed in front of not only Subaru's friends, but also the stragglers who was still shuffling out of the building. She heard sirens in the distance. It was likely the Satella Police; they would want to talk with her and unlike Rockmans train-catching heroics, her debut on the EM stage was to put the whole town to sleep. As she dropped off the unfortunate boy at his friend, Kizamaro, Harp Note sighed. She couldn't deal with all this right now.
But she had something she had to deal with first, regardless if she didn't know how.
Ophiuchus and War-rock was still going at it. Somehow, War-rock had proved far more surprising, both in wit and in fighting prowess than she had expected. It hadn't helped that she had sensed Harp nearby, likely ruining her plans and fighting Ox Fire and Ophiuchus had no idea whether Ox Fire could defeat her. She should have won long ago against War-rock already, yet they were still fighting.
"Give me the Andromeda key, War-rock! It might not be too late for you to save your partner!"
"Never! If I gave you the key, then his life might as well be forfeit along with everyone on this planet! I won't let anyone use it again!"
A red light shot to the sky and disappeared on the waveroad. It took a second before the realization set in. Ox had lost.
"Looks like your trumph card just got blown sky high, Ophiuchus." War-rock chuckled.
"It's not over! I'll just defeat and torture the location out of you!" Ophiuchus screamed. She shot a purple orb of wave energy which War-rock deftly avoided. He swirled up behind her and fired his own orb of green energy at her back, sending her crashing down on the wave road.
"You're a predictable idiot when you're mad, Ophiuchus, just like Ox. This battle is mine!"
"I'll tear you apart, you mangy dog!" and with that she charged straight at him, trying to barrel him down. Once again, War-rock simply evaded and fired more green bolts of energy at her.
"Drop the idiot ball, Ophiuchus, you've lost! It is over!" he flew straight at her, diving under her and barrelling into her back and knocking her down past the wave road.
Ophiuchus righted herself in the air, her EM body crackling with violent energy. "You lucked out, War-rock! But I know who your host is, you can never feel safe again!" and with that she fled, leaving behind a tired and bruised but victorious War-rock behind.
Harp Note landed on the edge of the roof where she had deposited Subaru. She was tired, but she had to resolve her earlier mistake, for both their sakes.
Subaru sat at the center of the roof, perking up at her arrival.
Harp Note cancelled her transformation and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for holding you up like this."
Subaru nodded apathetically. "Thanks for saving me back there. I thought I was a goner."
"Don't worry about it." Misora almost cringed. Now that she stood here she didn't know how to go about it.
"You know," she began tentatively, taking a few small steps closer to Subaru. "About your father, I'm sorry."
Getting no answer from Subaru, she continued. "But I really think I understand how you feel."
Subaru opened his mouth but Misora cut him off. "A few months ago, my mama died of an illness."
One step closer. "She had been weak for a long time and I felt like there was nothing I could do for her. That was when I really started singing for her because it made her happy and that meant the world to me. So I sang and eventually ended up as a singer and she was happy for me. That's the short version at least. For a time, things were well."
Another step. "But it didn't last, she got worse. I felt her slipping away, yet there was nothing I could do and that made me sad and angry. Really angry. Angry at the doctors, who couldn't save her, angry at my fans who just wanted to hear me sing, angry at my manager who didn't understand. But most of all I got angry at myself for being so helpless." She felt like sobbing, but clenched her fists instead. "Isn't that how you feel? Like you're all alone in a world where nobody wants to help you. So you think that you have to push on alone, but that's impossible! You'll wear yourself out!"
Another step, Subaru was almost within arms reach. "When she passed on, I was sad and I kept to myself a lot. I even stopped writing my own songs because I wrote them for her and without her, there was simply no point. But that's not what I really wanted. I wanted to move on and be happy, to smile again. That is what mama would have wanted."
Misora grasped his hands. "And so must you! No matter if he's alive or dead, you need to live!"
She hugged him, "If you think he's still out there somewhere, then believe and never give up on that. I just don't wish to see you tearing up inside over it. You're not alone with this!"
"Thank you.. Misora," Subaru's voice cracked slightly. They stayed like that for a few seconds, until growing sirens brought them back into the moment. Apparently the Satella police were finally showing up.
The moment over, they broke contact, looking away from each other.
"I better get you back down again. Your friends are probably worried sick about you," Misora mumbled.
"Yeah, they probably are," he mumbled back.
Misora transformed into Harp Note and picked up a suddenly reluctant Subaru, bridal style. "Here we go."
A single jump and they landed safely on the ground. As Subaru was let down on the ground they saw Kizamaro, but Luna and Gonta were nowhere to be seen.
However as they approached him, they noticed they were both lying unconscious on the ground. Subaru ran the final distance. "Kizamaro, what happened?"
Kizamaro lightened up. "Subaru! I'm glad you're alright! And about Gonta, well he's been out of it, though he seems fine."
"Yeah, I know, but what about Luna?"
"Oh yeah, Prez just fainted when Misora transformed into Harp Note." He turned towards Harp Note, glasses glinting unnaturally. "That was so cool by the way! Beating up that monster just like Rockman! You're at least as cool as Rockman and then you're also a pop idol!"
"Uh, just trying to do the right thing," Misora evaded, taken aback by his brashness.
"The right thing?! You absolutely rocked! I'll be your fan forever."
Misora blushed and Subaru sweat dropped. 'Kizamaro seems fine at least.'
Gonta slowly sat up. "What's all this noise..."
"Gonta! You're awake!"
Gonta shook his head drowsily. "I had the weirdest dream, you wouldn't believe it if I told you. And it all felt so real, like I was really there!"
Kizamaro sobered down and took a single look around him at all the damage. "Actually, I think we would."
"Really? Alright, here it goes. I was at this restaurant and it had all these different kinds of burgers and pizzas and steaks and and it was like a mixture of western and eastern foods and and the cooks were all like-" They all sweat-dropped as Gonta rambled on about his very own distinct adventure. However any further rambling was cut short by a yelling man with a screaming siren on his head.
"GOYODA GOYODA GOYODA!" the Satella Police had arrived in force along with various emergency crews.
Harp Note smiled wistfully at the group in front of her.
"Perhaps I should be going then," Harp Note said lowly and with that she seemingly disappeared. Subaru felt a tingle near his left shoulder and heard a whisper in his ear. "Now don't worry, Subaru, I'll be looking out for you."
She was gone. Her earlier spot was almost instantly replaced by an irate Heiji Goyoda, who reached out for empty air. Subaru didn't appreciate the switch. As any situation with Detective Goyoda, this would be bothersome. Subaru missed her already.
"You there! What happened here? Where are those who caused this?" he asked in rapid-fire as if he hadn't just sprinted a hundred meters.
Subaru sighed, once again, he would have to explain himself. At least this time, he wasn't involved as Rockman. His sighing had unfortunately drawn Heiji's attention to him.
"You again? You simply keep popping up everywhere I go. I hope you aren't at the center of this mess. Again."
That stung a bit.
Subaru kept his features calm. 'More than you know, detective. More than you know,' he thought.
"Anyways, you're all coming with me to the station. I have lots of questions and this is not a place for kids to be." And with that, their fate was sealed.
A/N: Though I really wanted to be done with this one early, I only managed a fourth of it on my vacation and since then it were an uphill battle. But if you read this, then yay, I finally succeeded and I still have readers.