"The hell?!", John repeated with wide open eyes since something unexplainable was in front of him - for whatever reason someone posed in a big and round costume what is seemingly supposed to be a bear and was standing right there. The colors in red, blue and white kinda resembled some flag from an unknown country. The person who was inside that absurd animal thing stared at him and spoke quickly:
"Beary good day, but can I have your TV?" John first doubted his ears than his eyes – did he just said "beary"? And did they eyes just moved like normal ones? He shook the head and concentrated on the question he answered with a simple "No" before he closed the door. Another reason for his doing was that he had a strange feeling when he saw that thing like he had with the blonde guy on the day on his arrival.
"Probably normal the circumstances given...I mean, the hell was-" But seconds later the door bell was ringing again and John opened the door yet another time. Just like he was expecting the bear was still there and yelled this time:
"But I need that TV beary, beary much!"
"Then buy yourself one, damn it! And if you ring one more time I will rip that fur off and shove it up your stupid mouth!" Connor really already had enough of those bear puns. He literally smashed the door in and locked it up completely annoyed. He really did not need this. Especially on this day. He walked down the stairs to the basement and baited the foxes out with some soothing words. He quickly took out his cellphone and was inserting Joe's number already. Sadly he only reached the mail box. Because of that he sighted loudly and typed in another number. After a few signal tones a conversant and female voice was speaking in English from the other side:
"Hello? Conner here?" John then replied in Japanese with a little relieved tone:
"It's me, John. Misaki, coul-" Before he could finish his sentence the female voice immediately interrupted him in a threatening manner of speaking:
"How often do I have to tell that you should call me Mum, hm~? And don't dare to come with the whole adoption story!"
"Okay, okay, geez...Mum, where is Joe?",John was asking again a little bit ashamed. His adoptive mother then replied:
"He is at a crime scene. Since you aren't here anymore he has to go himself more often so that his reputation won't totally go out of the window. Should I give him a message from you?"
"Yes", he answered tensed, "Another murder happened but this time I saw the corpse...It was totally irrational again...Well, tell him please, he should let his cellphone on so that I can reach him next time. Besides I have told the uncle of Yu everything about the case - at least that what had something to do with his nephew." Misaki fell silent for a short moment but then inquired furthermore:
"Did you told him your "stupid" thoughts? The ones with the fake corpse?" The student took a deep breath but still tried to object his ideas from that time:
"Listen, you too should know that something like that isn't possible in our age. It will take at least fifty years to get such results. It's technically cloning, you know? And although I know all that I still cannot explain why I can't completely doubt my idea."
"Well, sometime you can't explain everything. For instance that you only can cook American food good", the woman was rejoicing giggling. Her adoptive son then gave a humorless answer:
"That was a bad example but yes. Most likely it is simply because we live in America?"
"That is not an argument, John. I also live here and I can cook almost everything. Say did you already met a girl that got your interest?", Misaki was asking interested. She just couldn't stop to squeeze out every single Information out of him.
"Hm...", the boy from the Connor-Family had to think hard, "Well, there was this girl who looks like a boy and who is also a "detective genius". I suppose I am interested since I want to know how experienced she is in her work." His analytic answer sadly provoked his mother a little since she yelled angry through the phone:
"I meant if you could be friends or even get laid with her! Okay, maybe not that, but something into the romance direction! I don't want that you stay there alone and it would be much more reassuring if I would knew that somebody takes care of you! Friendship and love feels good!"
"You know exactly how I am. I can't say that I'm the most social guy in the world. The guys in New York are okay, I know them since my childhood. Well from what I remember. But now I am here in a totally different town, if you even call that town and start from dust! It will take some time until one can build up friendships and whatsoever!", John tried to argument with that but that left his foster mother cold because she immediately responded:
"Excuses, excuses! You could at least try some small talk with her or anyone at all! Always start small! And if someone invites you take the offer! With too much fear and too little motivation you will never get better to make some contacts! Remember, the more contacts you have-"
"...the more eyes and ears I have for the case, I know, I know...Okay, fine, I will try...", the young man finally agreed tired. Because of that Misaki's tone immediately changed to a happier one, like always when her family admits that she is right.
"Perfect! Well, I have to hang up now. You know, cooking course and that kind of stuff. Would be nice if you would call more often – and not only because of work! This time would be great. It should be...eighteen o'clock at your place right? Yes, eighteen-No, wait, seventeen o'clock would be better. That way we have much more time to talk. Don't worry I'm always awake at that time as you know. Love you, bye!" The connection broke off and John put the cellphone back into his side pocket of his pants. He sighted loudly but a smile appeared on his face. It has been a while since he heard the voice of his ordering mother of authority. He put the curtains together which darkened the room. After he was sure everything was closed and locked he jumped on to the couch.
"So...let's see what happens today..."
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Midnight
Rain
The American sat in front of the TV while the foxes were gathered around him. He patted one of them that was on his lap. The others were at various other places of the couch. As soon as the clock reached midnight the screen flickered again and one could recognize the silhouette from yesterday. The show master raised its distorted voice with the sound of a comedy-show:
"Welcome, my ladies and gentlemen! I shall greet you to the Midnight-Channel! Let's go to the news straight away: Some "No-Life", what one would say in America, was killed in his apartment this afternoon – namely me!" Fake laughter was sounding from the loudspeakers but John had a different problem at the moment. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Did someone just confessed to have murdered someone in TV?! The voice nevertheless continued with its news so that John had to think about it later:
"Naoto Shirogane and John Connor immediately began with the investigations. You know, Ms. Shirogane was asked by the police itself to help with the case. In comparison Mr. Connor got nothing like that! NOTHING!" The shocked boy had to listen how some third class moderator threw names, especially his own, out into the public without a hint of caring about it.
"Awwww...great. Tomorrow will be so annoying...", John was mumbling to himself before he put his focus back to the show:
"Speaking of Mr. Connor, my dear spectators! Did you know that he is a damn good detective from New York? But he is NOT the nice guy from the neighborhood! No, he is the definition of an anti-hero!" John had to groan loudly when his name was shouted out like he was some pop star.
"Bad guys are kicking someone to death? John shoots their knees and cut of their thumbs! One guy breaks another ones arm? The Japanese badass from America breaks two! He pays those people the double amount back! Is that not an awesome guy, right?! And since he is the adopted son from a high-ranked policeman he also always gets the permission he needs right now! No matter what he does he gets away with it! IS! THAT! NOT! COOOOOOLLLL?! Anyways he didn't managed to catch me! He followed me to this town me since I killed his schoolmate Yu Narukami! But so much to that. Our next and last topic is going to be about a cool animation show! Here are some scenes!" The young man could not rhyme together why the hell all that happened at the same time his investigations are going good since a long time in this case. He hoped to see something helpful in that animation even if it is only a small hint for the identity of the mysterious moderator. Sadly he could only see how a giant samurai-like being beating away small black balls with monstrous tongues with an even more giant sword-spear-thing. That creature was almost demonic and held the strange weapon upside down like a knife. It seemed like it was quite aggressive and even taunted its opponents. John couldn't see more because of the bad resolution of that animation.
"AND THERE IT IS! THE RANDOMNESS!", he yelled through the room what made the foxes run away from him. At that moment he didn't paid much attention since he was really enraged since he expected more. Suddenly the program ended instantly after a quick "Bye" from the show master and the whole room got dark since the light of the TV vanished.
"Great, that is exactly what I needed: Being a gossip source in the school...", Connor was mumbling to himself pissed off who then proceeded to find the foxes to try to calm them down.
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The next day
In the schoolmate
Sunny
Seemingly the Midnight-Channel made his round since everywhere he went he got mumbling and sneaking looks. Besides of the ones who talked to him about the game from yesterday there was apparently no other topic in the school. He earlier made a short trip to the drama club but the level there was too low for him so he decided to just let it be. Like always he walked up to the rooftop so that he could relax there. When he walked up the stairs he noticed that the door was open and could hear a discussion. He sneaked closer in without revealing himself so that he could understand what kind of talk was held there.
"Listen, we cannot trust the Midnight-Channel to one-hundred percent. That individual can say a lot...furthermore we would make the same mistake we almost did with Namatame." The American could assign that voice to Naoto. Then he could identify the voice of Kanji:
"Shouldn't we just ask that John guy himself? This is too complicated! If he ain't tell us on his own will then we will just get him to it!" The boy was making a fist but before Connor could listen more his head pained again like yesterday and he managed to hear the same echoing voice:
"I am thou...thou art I...from the sea of thy soul, I come...thine lost memories shall return to thou..."
"What the hell is that? Something talks...in my head?", John muttered to himself. This time he is sure that that didn't happen because he was tired. Slowly the pain faded away but he realized that he wasn't the quietest one while whining in pain since the people from the rooftop heard him. Yosuke raised his voice after a short awkward silence:
"Sooo...seems like he is on the verge of puking the stairs a new color...Should we interrogate him anyways?"
"How nice", the American was thinking while he tried to get a sight that did not look like a pixel-feast. Nevertheless he decided to play the dumb one and asked:
"About what?" He sounded more dizzy or rather high then he thought he would. Naoto looked at the others to signalize that she would handle it. Because of that Chie then had an almost begging look directed to Naoto what made the lady in with blue hat sigh:
"Hm...Alright. That could be good training for you since you want to be a police detective. Very well, he is yours." The tomboy then cracked her fist while grinning but immediately let it be since everyone else gave her an angry look. They took John on to the rooftop and let him sit. He noticed that the blonde guy with the flamboyant shirt was not with them. Seems like he either was not at school today or in general. Chie then coughed a little to get attention and began the interrogation:
"Alright...As you have heard we want to ask you a few questions...Did you see the Midnight-Channel from yesterday?"
"You mean today. There is a reason it is called "Midnight"-Channel. And yes I have. What about it?", John asked who was back to a normal state, "Is this about Yu Narukami and my...reputation?"
"Indeed! Could you tell us if it is true? About...h-his..." Her voice halted and her eyes pointed to the ground like everyone else. In Yukiko's eyes he could see even a stronger sadness and worryness. Seemed like she had a little deeper connection with him. The private detective then breathed deep in and had to know if they had the right to know the truth:
"Are you friends of him?"
"We are his best friends! And we went trough a lot of things..." Yosuke made his statement with a euphoric tone to which the Inn-Girl added:
"He brought us all together!" This didn't made it easier for him to tell them everything. He hates to bring bad news about someone to friend and families. Maybe because that was one of the reasons that he was so anti-social.
"Alright, I understand. Then you can get the ugly truth: His unharmed corpse was found. His DNA was identical with his data. There is no reason to doubt that it is him and that he is dead. Except the fact that his body didn't even had a scratch." He purposely left out his own opinion about the fake-corpse but then the following question surprised him:
"Wouldn't it be possible to recreate the corpse or something?"
He looked dumbfounded to the girl with the long brown hair and looked into her eyes: They did not show a single hint that she believed in death of their friend. The same was with the others. Suddenly he got brilliant idea and inquired right away:
"Do you know something I don't?"
"Uhm, what should we know?", Yukiko was asking while hesitating. John on the other hand focused on their mimic.
"Lips pressed together, nervous looks are getting exchanged, person hesitated...", the young man was summing up inside his head analytic. He noticed that Naoto regained her composure faster then the others but that didn't stop him from asking further:
"Have you actually seen that...thing in that weird animation? That with the giant samurai-thing with the giant sword-spear?" After he spoke out those words he immediately focused on the reactions. He then analyzed it as precisely as possible:
"Twitching at the words "thing", "animation" and "sword-spear"...look away on purpose. Conclusion: Either they are with the murderer or they know something no other persona will believe it except of them. First option? Unlikely. Second one? Possible. May be get a freaky explanation from them. Or silence. Two actions to choose: Ask them directly or leave it and try to get it another way. Maybe one by one. Less confidence alone then in group. What decision to make?"
But before he could make a decision the bell was ringing for the end of the lunch-break. John just wanted to leave but Naoto yelled after him:
"One last question! The things this person was saying about you...are they true?" While John was walking away he simply answered with a light sarcastic "maybe".
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Midnight
Cloudy
John was lying around on his couch and thought about the events from the last days. The voice in his head, the case and the Midnight-Channel...they had to be connected somehow. The foxes were not in his house this time so he could had his peace. He stood up and walked up to the window-door to the back garden of the house. The entire room was still dark but before he could open something to get fresh air he heard a strange sound.
"That sounded like like those sounds you hear in Anime when some drop falls down on some black nothingness...I seriously get crazy here..." But then he noticed how someone was behind him.