"Why does someone like you have this?"
Shintaro's hands shook holding the picture.
Eyes narrowing with grief and her chest paining from the bittersweet memory.
"So?" Kano prompted, there was no affection or compassion in his eyes.
Shintaro lifted her head, looking upward towards the now fading sky. Directly facing Kano she spoke in a horse voice, " Tell me something, it was you, wasn't it? Those times in school, when Ayato just wasn't himself."
Kano narrowed his eyes, "That' right. What of it? It's not like you could tell the difference back then." He gripped his fists. " You were close from what he said, and yet you couldn't even notice how much pain he felt..."
The red jersey wearing girl closed her mouth for a few heart beats before speaking again, "Are you an idiot?" her words were out of character, Kano's eyes widened in disbelief at what he had heard. The stunned emotion only lasted for a few seconds as the anger that was once there before now turned into a rage.
He grabbed the collar of her jacket with one hand and pulled back a fist. "What did you say?!"
Shintaro stared at him with emotionless eyes, but placed a hand on his arm, " It...wasn't your fault."
Kano flinched, freezing up. "Don't fuck with me."
"You felt guilt, that you couldn't save him. That's why you hate me, because I'm the same." she spoke calmly.
Kano rage got the better of him, landing a punch on Shintaro's right cheek knocking her over.
"Urg!" She grunted, her face throbbed. Shintaro sat up, looking up at the dirty blonde haired boy. His body hung, and his eyes were half closed, it was the face of someone still grieving.
"Why did have to be you?" Kano asked dully. "Of everyone in this disgusting world, why did I have to meet you today of all days?"
Shintaro stumbled up, wiping away a dribble of blood, she didn't answer, holding on to her own arm for support.
Eventually she spoke, "You can hate me as much as you want, you can even blame me for what happened..." stumbling forward she placed her hand on his head ruffling his hair. Kano didn't fight it, putting his head on her shoulder. "but remember you aren't alone. You have your family." she hoarsely finished, her voice getting choked up.
Kano smiled bitterly, smirking. "Do you really believe that a few words are going to change make everything right?"
Shintaro put her hand on the back of his head to comfort him in some way. "I don't know. It's pretty hypocritical of me to lecture you, considering." her eyes glazed over in memory. "I will make this right, I promise."
Kano laughed a little. "Don't lie." He lifted his head and walked past her, not making eye contact.
...
There was a minuet of silence before orange lights took the sky, Shintaro and Kano looked upwards as Momo's voice reached their ears.
"Oy, that's Momo isn't it..." Shintaro's body tensed.
" Seems like it." Kano bluntly replied putting his hands in his pocket.
"You don't think that she's in any danger do you?" A concerned feeling grew in her chest.
Before Kano could answer there was and a small explosion in the space between them, pushing them both forward due to the collision.
Both looked behind them with deadpanned faces, in the clearing dust crouched a familiar white haired android.
"K-Konoha!?" Shintaro immediately asked bewildered.
He stood, and on his face was a waterfall of tears.
"S-Shintaro, you disappeared..." His expression was that of a child abandoned. "and Kano disappeared, and everyone disappeared..."
He lifted his hands wiping away the tears with his mouth still quivering.
The jersey wearing girl walked forward taking out a handkerchief and tried to calm him down.
"It's alright Kono, we're fine. And we'll find everyone else it's okay." she gently said.
Konoha's sniffs ceased as he lowered his arms, "But your face." He pointed to a now dark bruise on her face.
"Eh, it was just an accident, I'm okay." She pet his head reassuringly, as Konoha nodded.
"On another note, everyone's apparently missing." Kano said, turning towards the direction of the lights. " I have an idea where they maybe, but it's a distance away."
Konoha reacted quickly, scooping up Shintaro like a child, and picking up Kano under his arm.
"Oy, what the-" Kano's eyes widened as he grabbed onto Konoha's shirt as well as he could.
Shintaro immediately wrapped her arms around Konoha's neck, fearing for her life as he jumped higher than a three story building.
Kano faced paled seeing how high they were in the air.
"Which direction?" Konoha calmed asked still airborne.
Kano just pointed in a direction and Konoha followed the given instructions.
"We're here."
Konoha landed in front a normal looking building, he gently put the two down.
Kano stumbled a bit sitting on down to try and stabilize himself from the sudden joy ride.
Shintaro just passed out on the ground, not being able to take all the excitement, which was worse than being held hostage.
"Ara, Shintaro?" Konoha helped her sit up against a wall but she was unconscious.
"Can't blame her for passing out." Kano said standing up, he walked towards the entrance, "I'm going ahead, don't worry about me." jogging in he went out of sight.
Konoha felt conflicted over whether or not to go after him, to the point where his head started to hurt but decided on a course of action.
Kano jogged through the hallway, panting he saw a familiar figure running the same direction.
He smiled, "Hey, do you know where we're running to, Takene?"
The pony-tailed girl, smiled in return side glancing him, "I'll be, you actually came."
"Of course."
She pointed forward, "I heard Momo's voice above us so that's the best place to look."
Kano nodded following her.
Eventually they make their way upward, the rest of the Dan was behind a glass door.
"They're over here!" She called opening the door.
"I can see that," The calico-eyed boy panted putting his hands on his knees. "Why are you so energetic?"
"See? Everyone's here!" Momo smiled at Hibiya who returned the gesture.
"Where's Shintaro?"" Seto asked walking forward.
Kano put his hands up, in-a-matter-of-fact gesture, "About that..."
"Found you."
Kano turned his face paling, Konoha was standing there alone.
"W-What are you doing here?!"
Konoha scratched his cheek, "I got worried."
"Don't tell me you let Shintaro on her own..."
Konoha's expression brightened as if he had figured something out, then his face saddened. "I forgot her..."
...
...
"This is partly your fault too Kano." Kido remarked karate chopping the back of Kano's head. He crouched down in pain.
"Where the am I?" Shintaro wondered to herself, she wandered though the building complex. When she had come round Konoha and Kano had disappeared, and she was completely alone. If she was sane then she probably would have gone home immediately and would have forgotten this day ever happened. But today wasn't a normal day, not by a long shot.
"I hope everyone's okay..." She thought to herself. Suddenly her whole world spun, Shintaro staggered into a wall clutching her head desperately she tried to get her bearings.
She flashed back to before she adapted to her NEET lifestyle when she was still in school.
The voices that had had haunted her since she was a kid, the screams of terror, the flashes of blood, the terror in everyone's voices.
"Why the hell now?!" She gritted her teeth together in pain. She attempted to focus on her breathing making sure she wouldn't black out again. Her headache worsened, she felt her heart beat quicken. Now was definitely not the time for a panic attack, and especially today when she hadn't even bothered to take the medication.
" Shit." Shintaro curled up into a ball just breathing in and out, pleadingly she whispered.
"Help...please..." and then her vision went fuzzy.
Ayato sat at his desk, he looked out of the window towards the giant diagonal clock tower.
"Do you understand what you have to do?" A voice behind him asked.
The red scarfed boy smiled, "Ya." He stood walking towards that staircase.
A figure in a black hoodie behind him smiled in relief.
Ayato stopped for a second, turning he held a curious look on his face. "Hey, who exactly are you?" he asked. "You never told me your name exactly."
The figure pondered this for a second, "Well, I suppose you can call me...XX, it's what my queen called me.
"XX? That's kind of an odd name." Ayato chuckled. "But thank you for not leaving me alone."
They nodded, and infront of Ayato the daze opened. He took a deep breath before walking in not looking back.
XX's eyes drooped a little as their smile faded. Removing their hood and allowing their locks of white hair drop down revealed a very familiar face.
"It seems the other me is already here." looking up she opened her red eyes that were locked with the repeating cycle, " This time could be different..."
I have this headcannon that Shin usually carries around a handkerchief out of habit because of Momo, but it's whatever.
Arguments are really hard to write, and I put in a bit of fluff if you squint.
so for the next chapter, Kuro's commming backkkk (:) ). I try my utmost best to try and post it as fast as I can,
so please tell me what you think about XX, because there will be more of herrrr
(Also the reason that Kano had the photo of the quartet was because he took it out of Shin's room last chapter when no one was looking)
