A/N: Wowie, I didn't think I'd be able to get this long a chapter out. Oh well, here it is!
Date: October 14, 2020
Divergence: 1.048596* (Steins Gate)
*Worldline shift in 2020 - Not the exact same worldline as it was before the shift.
Time until Overwrite: 16 years, 1 month.
"Okabe!"
Maho ran over to her colleague who had just collapsed over the table just behind her.
They were in the classified room of the Neuroscience Insitute, finalizing paperwork for what to present to ATF for the Summer of 2021. They were just about set to offically announce Amadeus, a project that took a lot of time because of the total lack of funding. It wasn't until the success of the Memory Conversion Machine that the university finally allowed for the project to be paid for and ever since then, advances in cracking the secrets to how the A.I worked came at a breakneck pace. The only reason why this was so was because of the man who was now slumped over the table, speaking unintelligibly.
"Okabe!" Maho came behind the man. "Are you okay?"
She could hear Okabe hyperventilating, almost as if he was trying to suppress a scream. She was at a loss for words. Not a moment prior, Okabe was cheerfully bantering with her as they usually did, but now he had been reduced to a mess in a matter of seconds. She didn't know if she said something to trigger the PTSD he had told her about. Okabe only ever told her that he had PTSD, but not what for, and she never pried deeper into it because she didn't want to force him to open up about anything traumatic for his sake.
Maho placed her hand on his back, a move she instantly came to regret. Almost as if he became hypersensitive to his surroundings, Okabe whipped around, grabbed her hand, and twisted it painfully. Maho could only let out a scream in shock and pain as it felt like he could have torn her arm in half if he needed to.
He let go, and kicked her back into the table. She hit the table hard, causing her to crumple over from the pain that was shooting up her back. Papers flew all around, covering the whimpering scientist. She didn't know what to do. She had no access to her PhoneDroid since the nature of the classified materials they had allowed no one to bring phones into the room, and Okabe was clearly superior in strength.
"Okabe..." she forced out of her throat. "Please...don't"
Tears made their way out of the 30 year old as her back was pulsating in pain. She felt certain that she was going to die, that for some reason, her colleague would murder her in cold blood right there. She was terrified. This wasn't the same man she was working with moments prior. Maho looked up at her attacker, seeing his eyes for the first time. They were wide in shock and fear.
"Maho...?" he muttered before realizing what he had just done. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you. I'm so sorry."
He was apologizing vehemently as he approached the scared scientist. She could only whimper. She was certain that Okabe was playing some sort of cruel game, that he was doing this act to make her suffer for it, that the Committee had somehow broken through and taken control of him. She closed her eyes as Okabe kneeled down to her, she didn't want to see his face. She braced her body as well, in wait for whatever Okabe was going to do to her next.
Instead, Maho could feel the ruffling of papers against her body as the weight from the stacks that flew all over her was being cleared up. She opened her eyes to see Okabe picking up all the paper, almost as if he hadn't just assaulted her moments prior. She was unsure what to think. She didn't know for a fact what Okabe was planning, but he wasn't hurting her anymore. She watched him closely from her spot on the ground, trying to sense what was going on. She noticed his eyes, a set of eyes that seemed like they belonged to someone who had lived a long life. Granted, Okabe already seemed like that, but this set of eyes had experienced a trauma unknown to her, almost as if he went away for many years in the span of a couple seconds.
Okabe finished cleaning the papers off the ground and her body and extended his hand out to her. She flinched, not expecting Okabe to do so, but she shook it off and hesitantly took it. Pain shot up her back as she stood, causing her to hiss through clenched teeth. She wanted to fall limp, but Okabe's strong grip didn't allow her to.
"The pain will subside much quicker if you stand up," he said. "It'll allow the blood to flow more quickly."
There was a vague maturity to him that was absent in all the years she had known him. Even as the leader of Valkyrie, Okabe still seemed like a child to her despite the 3 year age difference. She was at a loss for words, as if this man wasn't the man she had known all this time.
"Maho," he said as he got her to stand straight up. "I just have a couple questions."
"You know," she winced. "I have many more to ask you."
"Did Y2K ever happen?"
His sudden question caught her well off-guard.
"What? You mean that thing with the computers that was supposed to happen in 2000? Okabe, nothing happened, don't you remember?"
"Is Kurisu alive?"
"What kind of question is that? She just left the room a couple minutes ago!"
Maho could see more and more relief flood over Okabe's face as if his life depended on her answers.
"Did we just finish the Amadeus project?"
"Yes! We were going to present it to ATF next year! Okabe, what happened!?"
Okabe sighed in relief, fell back onto the table he had previously collapsed on, and put his hand to cover his face before softly chuckling. "I did it."
Maho could see a tear roll down Okabe's cheek from under his hand.
"Okabe..." she softly said as she carefully approached him and placed a hand on him. "What happened?"
Her colleague slowly lifted his hand, still looking at the ceiling. His eyes were red and she could see tears welling up in them. Those eyes, those eyes that seemed to have seen hell itself. They spoke to her, they spoke to her better than any scientist could. Okabe's eyes showed her a world she had never known, but that world was hidden under lock and key by the man that owned them.
He looked at her, and she could feel that world begin to unlock itself to her.
"Maho," he said. "I think it's time you learned the truth about what I've been through. It'll help explain what just happened. We need Kurisu in here too. She needs to know I just got through a Reading Steiner episode."
"Reading...Steiner?"
Okabe was guided through the campus of Victor Chondria, passing by classrooms, lecture halls, dormitories, and the quad area before being placed in front of the doors of the Neuroscience Institute. It was an unassuming building, donning the look of most others, being tall and everything. It was a given considering just how much success emanated from the building what with the work that the three scientists currently walking through the doors did.
They entered, passing by a lady at the front desk who had greeted the group warmly without much of a thought. They went down the decorative hall that held all the awards held by past scientists, pictures, and general accolades that the Neuroscience Institute produced. Maho pushed Okabe into the first hall which held all the elevators and she pushed the button to go down. It only took a couple seconds before an empty elevator arrived, prompting Maho to usher both Okabe and Kurisu in as quickly as she could.
They were all silent as they went down to the basement floor. Okabe stood behind Maho so he couldn't exactly read any expression on her face. He looked over at Kurisu who was also at a loss for what to say.
"So," he said trying to break the ice. "It's been a nice day today, hasn't it?"
"Shut it."
Maho's response was quick and cold. She was nothing like the laid-back woman that was talking to him about his lecture before he had to admit to her that he knew nothing of their relationship in this world line. He could only hope that it was somewhat similar to the relationship he built with her on the Beta Attractor Field. A relationship out of respect and a mutual understanding that they were outmatched by the genius that was Kurisu. The genius in question had a worried look on her face as Okabe was sure she didn't know how to process the seeming hostility that Maho projected into her voice.
The elevator stopped and the double-doors opened to a long hall which was being watched by a single armed security officer. He seemed to match Okabe in build, but he looked slighly older as his gray hairs could be seen poking out of his cap. His friendly face was matched with the smile that he flashed at the three as Maho guided them out.
"Phones please," he said apologetically.
Maho and Kurisu took out their PhoneDroids, prompting Okabe to do the same with his. He smiled warmly at the girls as they placed their phones in the bin, but he didn't exactly do the same with Okabe, opting to remain neutral as he walked past.
"I can't help but feel that the guard doesn't like me as much as you two," he whispered to Kurisu.
"It's because you're not a girl," Kurisu whispered back. "He's a harmless man who enjoys the company of women more than men."
"Duly noted..." Okabe couldn't help but feel suspicious about the guard but he shook it off as Maho led the trio deeper down the hall.
They finally came to a stop on the final door on the right side of the expansive hall. Maho swiped her ID on the reader then lowered her eye down to have it scanned, allowing for the doors to fly open in response. All three then walked in, inhabiting the lab as the lights began brightening up because of the fact that someone entered.
Despite being a lab, it was surprisingly empty of any sort of identifying details to let the bystander know that it was, in fact, a lab. There were two tables, one was set up right next to the opaque glass window while another was sitting in the center of the lab. Both tables were clear of any and all materials, leaving them naked to Okabe as he was always used to seeing something on any sort of table whether it be Steins Gate or the Beta Attractor Field.
Maho grabbed a seat at the table. Given her height, she had to jump onto it rather than just be able to lean into a sitting position. Okabe and Kurisu found their seat at the opposite side of the room, on another table just across from the woman who was seemingly ready to interrogate them.
"When did it happen?"
Maho's question was cold and almost cutting.
Kurisu looked at Okabe, but Okabe felt for a fact that he'd be able to explain himself properly and prove himself to Maho the same way he was somehow able to prove himself to Kurisu.
"Two nights ago," he said. "It was two nights ago."
Maho's brow remained furrowed as she continued to examine him. All Okabe could do was stand as proud and confident as he could while Maho continously eyed him. At the very least, Maho seemed calm about it and he thought he'd have a better time trying to explain to her than he did with Kurisu. But he knew he couldn't do it without the help of someone who knew her just as well as he did. He waited.
"Haha," he started laughing. "Hahaha..."
Maho's eyes widened slightly, not expecting him to say anything. Kurisu also eyed him, wondering just what was happening.
"FU-HAHAHAHAHAA" Okabe-no-Hououin Kyouma burst out cackling. Maho and Kurisu both flinched. "You're examining my body like you're investigating a scientific specimen, loli! I understand just how rare a mind like my own is, but you're too inconspicuous with your stares!"
"Now just who are-" Maho tried saying.
"Assistant!" Kyouma cut her off. "Quit making yourself useless and assist me, the great mad scientist, Hououin Kyouma, for once!"
He pointed his left finger at Kurisu while keeping his body opened toward Maho. Kurisu's surprised look quickly turned to one of anger.
"Okarin," she said. "Now's not the time-"
"Wrong!" Kyouma responded. "It's Hououin Kyouma!"
"Oka-"
"Nope!"
"Ok-"
"Not my name!"
"O-"
"Hououin Kyouma!"
Kyouma watched as Kurisu got angrier and angrier each time she was interrupted. He swore, he could see steam coming out of her ears just from how upset he had made her with his insistence on calling him his proper name. He plugged his finger into his ear, pretending like he had a bluetooth earphone on him.
"It's me," he said. "It seems like the Organization has cast an amnesic cloud over the United States. My own assistant can't even remember my proper name. Reroute all research to Japan and prepare my stealth plane for quick exit. Before any of that is done, re-allocate all my assets to-"
The mad scientist got interrupted by a hard elbow to the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Maho then stomped him down with her hard-soled shoes until he was flat. Each hit whipped her labcoat upward just from the sheer force she was exerting into her kicks. Her hair whipped up and about, but it always remained neat and orderly. She stomped one last time, keeping her foot on the defeated man and crossed her arms again.
"Either you've changed and aren't taking this as seriously as you should," she said. "Or you haven't and you're just trying to play a cruel elaborate prank. Either way, this beating is justified. Now, who are you?"
"Fufufu," Kyouma could barely laugh. "Who knew such a small body could hold so much pent up aggression?"
Maho clicked her tongue before stomping on Kyouma again. "Why is it impossible for you to answer such a simple question!?"
Kyouma chuckled again, causing Maho to get ready to stomp again. Before she could decide to lower her foot with force, Kurisu had interrupted her, presumably because she hated seeing the mad scientist get hurt.
"Senpai!" she said. "It's true. He's changed. But the idiot is still Okabe Rintaro. He's still the idiotic Hououin Kyouma who we've learned to work with, but he's just missing his memories."
Maho turned her attention to Kurisu. "What's the gap?"
"Huh?"
"What's the gap between memories that align with our own and his memories? When he came back from Gamma, the gap was only one second for us. What is it this time?"
Kurisu hesitated. It was clear that she didn't want to admit to how far back Okabe's memories has aligned with their own.
"Spit it out, Assistant!" Kyouma said from under Maho. "You've made it this far."
"Call me Assistant again and I'll be the one doing the kicking," Kurisu snapped back at him before turning to Maho. "Well, you see here, Senpai..."
Maho listened with intent, waiting to hear Kurisu's revelation. Her face remained sharp, like an astute scientist making an observation.
"His memories haven't aligned with ours for 26 years."
Maho stepped back in shock, not knowing how to take the news. Kyouma felt the pressure ease on his back as the small woman grasped for a table in order to get some sort of support.
"26 years? What?"
Kyouma watched as Maho tried piecing together the information she received. Her fists were clenched as she leaned on the table, facing away from both him and Kurisu. She was visibly shaking. Kyouma knew he couldn't allow that to happen.
"Loli!" he yelled. "Don't you dare be upset over my situation! I still need you so that I may finally overthrow the world's ruling structure!"
"Me being upset over your situation?" he heard Maho say shakily before she turned. "I'm upset over the fact that I lost a dear friend of mine to you!"
Not this again, Okabe thought.
"Lab Member #009!" Kyouma countered. "I am your boss! The great Hououin Kyouma needs no friends, just assistants!"
His remark caught Maho off-guard as it should have. He never knew if he set any sort of number for Maho, but he hoped that there was some sort of similarity in the number systems of the Future Gadget Labs from both the Beta and Steins Gate worldlines. Given her reaction, Kyouma could only guess that he got the number right. Kyouma watched as Maho gathered herself from the table, her head being down the entire time. He watched as she shuffled to his spot, before shoving him once. It wasn't a hard shove, but he was pushed back a step.
"He gave you notes about me, didn't he?" she said quietly.
At this point, Okabe reigned in Hououin Kyouma as he felt he was finally able to plant seeds of trust in Maho. He put his finger up to Kurisu who was beginning to make her way between the two, prompting her to stay put and watch. He closed the gap and embraced the woman.
"No amount of notes can replace the friendship we had on the world I came from, Salieri." Okabe whispered just for her to hear.
Maho shivered in his arms, recognizing the importance the name had to her. It was how she compared herself to Kurisu. Kurisu was the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Maho was the one who Mozart outperformed in every way just because of talent, Antonio Salieri. Only, in this worldline, Maho never shared that fact with anyone else, choosing to keep it all a secret because she never wanted Kurisu or anyone to pity her.
Okabe could feel Maho slowly snake her arms around him and hug him in return. Her shaking calmed down and her breathing slowed from the raggedness it had been when he first embraced her. They finally split, Maho having some redness in her eyes, but she was smiling.
"You could have laid off the Hououin Kyouma act for a little bit," she said. "All I needed was those words."
"The Hououin Kyouma act wasn't for me," Okabe admitted. "It was to get that woman over there to speak up and be able to freely talk about it without wanting to hurt me."
As soon as the sentence was completed, Okabe felt something hard hit his head, knocking him to the ground. As he fell, he saw a high-heel shoe fall with him. It was as if it was all in slow motion before he hit the ground with his shoulder.
"Your Hououin Kyouma act made me want to hurt you even more," he heard Kurisu say.
Okabe popped back up rubbing his head. He sheepily smiled at Kurisu who was walking in his direction to grab her shoe.
"You two still have that dynamic even if you're a different person," Maho said. "It's almost like you never changed."
"What can I say?" Okabe shrugged his shoulders. "The other version of me went through just as bad of a hell as I did. Similar experiences shape similar mindsets I suppose."
"And both of you have been rewarded with a world that we all get an equal chance at."
Kurisu wrapped her arms around Okabe from behind as she said her statement. The move caught Okabe off-guard, causing him to flinch a bit, but he placed his hands on Kurisu's to show his care for her. Maho couldn't help smiling and patting Okabe on the cheek before making her way to the door.
"That was all," she said. "Thank you for filling me in on the situation even though it seemed like there was no intent to do so. Would you like to join me on a tour of the campus before you head back to the lecture hall? It's a good way to kill time before your next lecture."
Okabe and Kurisu looked at each other, then they looked at Maho. "Sure, why not."
The couple followed the small woman out of the lab, the door sliding closed behind them automatically. They walked down the long hallway, it seemed empty but Maho reassured Okabe that there was always people working behind each window, but it didn't show because of the classified nature of what they were doing their work on. They walked up to the security guard who was handling their phones and requested them back.
"Oh," the security guard said as he handed Okabe his phone. "Your phone was ringing incessantly while I had it, it seemed like there was something important that you were supposed to deal with before handing it to me."
The guard smiled at Okabe warmly before ushering him off and handing the two others their phones. Okabe checked his phone and saw 6 missed calls and 10 text messages from Daru. Okabe frowned as he read the messages.
"Problem."
"Call me as soon as you can."
"Mission in jeopardy."
"Okarin I really need you to answer the phone."
"Where are you?"
"Okarin!"
"We were compromised."
"I need you to call me."
"America is the problem."
"I'll stay awake until you call back."
"Maho," Okabe started speaking in Japanese out of habit. "Can I take my phone back into that lab room we were just in?"
Maho frowned and responded in the same language. "Well, there's no classified information, so I wouldn't see the problem.
Maho looked at the security guard who was eyeing Okabe with suspicion and spoke in English. "Let him take his phone down the hall."
"As you wish, Director," the security guard obliged.
As soon as he got the okay, Okabe dashed past the two girls, swiped his card, scanned his eye, and entered the room. Almost immediately after, the two others showed up, panting and gasping for air.
"What the hell, Okarin?"
Okabe ignored Kurisu and proceeded to dial Daru. His texts were ominous enough, but considering the fact that he made them vague caused an even deeper pit in his gut to form. The phone rang continously for what seemed like an eternity before Daru finally picked up.
"Okarin, what the hell man," he said immediately. "I really need you to answer quickly in situations like this."
"Sorry," Okabe responded. "I had to give my phone up at the door, but I was able to get it back. What's the problem?"
"We're not in good shape," Daru said. "Three agents we sent to extract New Encephalitis patients in Los Angeles were already tagged by the Committee. They were waiting for them at the door. The patients weren't freed and our guys got really messed up. I don't kno-"
"Breathe, Daru," Okabe tried calming down the rambling hacker. "Were our agents able to get out?"
"Yeah," Daru said. "But it's a given that the Committee knows about the importance of the New Encephalitis cases considering our involvement in it. Okarin, this isn't good. I picked up their comms and it looks like they're going to triple security there now and make it harder for us to extract them."
"We'll worry about that in time," Okabe responded calmly. "What about the other patients, were they taken out?"
"Yeah, but it's that last hospital that's a problem for us."
"Alright, I'll come up with something. Be on standby and I'll relay the plan to you."
"Okay. I'm trusting you."
"And that trust is well-placed. Take care, brother."
"You too, pal."
Okarin hung up and faced the two women who had heard the entire conversation unfold. "Looks like we have a job to do ladies."
A/N: Well, there's a proper introduction to Maho with some Kyouma action embedded in there. I'm sorry that it seems like the story doesn't seem to be going anywhere, but i'm slowing it down for the sake of building up the characters and getting the world straight before I dive right in. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! As you can tell, the next couple chapters are going to get pretty juicy in terms of action, but I'll make sure to give you those small character moments here and then.
I honestly love you guys. It warms my heart to see people who are actually willing to take time out of their day to read what I put out. I hope I'm not letting any of you down in any way and, if I am, that you let me know so that I can fix whatever I'm doing wrong. It's a pleasure to write this story and I do it because I know people are going to read it. So thank you for giving me purpose to write.
Love,
Quil~