AN: I am SO SORRY for leaving you all hanging like this for over 2 months! I really didn't realize that much time had passed. Between College, vacation, and life in general my computer time has been reduced a bit leaving me with less time to churn out chapters for you all. Really I am sorry for the long wait but I promise that you all will have plenty to chew on by the time this chapter here is finished!
By the way I'm sure that at some point you'll notice that I've changed my pen name from DragonMaster Reborn to my new name of: Lady Darkness Diamond.
Dark beauty has always seemed to suit me best. :)
I thank all of you around the world who have been reading this little fanfic of mine, it wasn't until the Reader Traffic was installed on the website that I realize just where all of you kind people were! So thanks a bundle and I hope you will continue to read! I'll try to make this one extra long to make up for the wait alright?
Chapter 21: Caged Bird
Haseo was growing more and more worried by the hour. After Chigusa's unexpected and unexplained exit from Tokyo exactly one week ago, she had all but vanished off the face of the earth. He had tried to contact her by way of her cell phone, e-mail, and even short mail from within The World but his girlfriend was nowhere to be found. Immediately he had gone and sought the help of his friends to see if they knew anything, but had only run into dead ends no matter where he turned.
Pi couldn't find her in The World or offline and really didn't have much free time to devote to the matter either way. Not only was she taking care of Takumi Hino, Yata's real self, but she was working overtime for CC Corp as well. Having Fidchell taken away had been a major blow to the former G.U. leader's confidence and the heart attack he had suffered during the attack had only worsened matters.
Takumi was practically incapacitated, unable to log into The World because the hospital deemed that it was too stressful for him, and unable to return to CC Corp to search for his missing partner and Avatar until he recovered. Sitting back and not being able to do anything whatsoever while the world, both online and off, began to pull apart at the seams was only making him more and more miserable. The once proud, even arrogant man was barely a shadow of his former self and no one knew when, or if he would ever recover. So both Pi and Yata, or Takumi rather, could offer no assistance when it came to Chigusa's sudden disappearing act.
Kuhn had only given a helpless shrug and an apology when asked about the matter, Saku had snorted and curtly told Haseo that she didn't know anything and waved him off with the admonition that if she did find something he would be the first to know. Bo on the other hand had kindly promised to tell his "big brother" the moment anything came up. Endrance had been genuinely worried about her and agreed to help gather information wherever he could. He had even gone to Alkaid, Sirius, and Taihaku for help but they too had only shaken their heads and promised to contact him the moment they heard anything. Rhodesia, or Ambrosia as her in game PC was called, seemed to vanish and then reappear with no warning. Endrance, though, had agreed to ask her about it, but so far Haseo hadn't heard an update back from either of them.
So for now there was little that Haseo could do. The minute Chigusa had received that phone call from her father in Tokyo his mental alarms had screamed a warning that something was wrong. At first he had tried to brush it off as paranoia, they HAD all been under a lot of pressure lately, but now it was all he could think about and the teenager cursed himself for waiting this long to do something about it.
Haseo knew from earlier e-mails that at one time she had been visiting suicide related web sites; in fact it was on one of these forums that she had first run into Sakaki; and everyone knew how that supposed "friendship" had turned out. They could all see how badly her self-confidence and self-image had been damaged by school peers, online players, and even her own overbearing parents. They had all but broken her spirit and even now it was clear that Chigusa still suffered greatly from time to time from such memories.
So currently Haseo was in Canard's Home trying to figure out what to do next. From the sidelines Silabus and Gaspard watched their Guild Master worriedly as he paced back and forth muttering angrily to himself. Taking a deep breath the Blade Brandier stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey there! Try not to get all worked up okay? I'm sure Atoli will show up any day now, so just be patient," he said keeping his voice encouraging.
Gaspard nodded in agreement with that comment as he spread his arms, "Silabus is right Haseo. I'm worried too, but she probably has a good reason for not responding to your messages. Besides everyone you know is helping to look for her right? So all you can do right now is wait for her to show up," he reminded and Haseo twitched at that and stopped pacing but didn't comment. Waiting was the LAST thing he wanted to do right now.
Putting on a reassuring smile Gaspard nodded calmly, "Try taking on a Quest or just going through a Dungeon to get your mind off of it for a while," the beast PC offered and immediately several sharp and nasty comments came to Haseo's mind; but for once he managed to hold his tongue. They didn't know how serious this situation was after all so it would do no good to snap at them.
Then again what if Aihane had managed to get a hold of her? During their visit just last week Rhodesia HAD warned them that the hacker would try such a thing hadn't she? Lately Haseo couldn't even sleep for worrying about all of the terrible things that could happen to Atoli, both online and off.
Holding his breath, Haseo forced himself to calm down so he wouldn't end up screaming at his friends. Turning to his companions the Adept Rogue crossed his arms as his foot tapped impatiently, "No. I won't be able to relax until I know that she's safe. Things are…" he paused for a moment and looked away as dozens of potential threats and dangers came to mind.
Gritting his teeth in frustration he added, "Things are more complicated then you realize…I can't stop worrying until I hear back from Atoli….I WON'T stop worrying…" Haseo told them as he looked up to the ceiling, staring at the hole in the roof that Skeith had created one day out of boredom. That moment seemed like it was so long ago.
It took a moment before Haseo realized that he had forgotten what was unquestionably the most important person of all, How could I be so stupid?! If Skeith can hack through military firewalls then why wouldn't he be able to find out something about Chigusa? he thought with a small spark of hope as Silabus and Gaspard finally relented and went off to talk to some of the other Canard members. A human being may not be able to figure out what had happened, but surely a machine could. Haseo walked off to a quieter corner of the home and silently contacted his Avatar.
The Terror of Death was somewhat bored and itching for something to do but was nonetheless waiting with forced patience while Haseo took care of his business within the online game. Whenever Ryou entered The World, Skeith too would return, waiting from inside his User's PC and watching carefully in case he was ever needed for an AIDA battle or something. Once Haseo had asked Skeith where he was and the Epitaph hadn't really been able to provide and answer to that. After all what did physical space and location mean to a machine? A being of data that could be anywhere at any time with a simple command or activation of a switch?
Finally the Avatar had settled on telling the teenager that while he was logged into The World, he was "inside" of the PC more or less. But when Ryou left, then Skeith was free to wander around as he wished. There had been a long moment of silence before the Adept Rogue decided to just take that at face value and not try to decipher all the little details, he was a fighter not a philosopher after all.
So at the moment Skeith's current vantage point was behind and slightly above Haseo. It was the same view that any other player would have of their PC. He could also hear everything that was being said and pick up on his human's every thought and worry. So when Haseo finally walked off and then spoke to him it was not that much of a surprise really. The Epitaph had been following the conversation about Atoli and was ready when his User finally spoke up.
Skeith? came the question from Haseo and the Avatar gave an insulted snort. About time you finally came to me brat! Really, I'm actually insulted to think that you would take this long to ask for my help! Me…of all the people in your life. See? You've gone and hurt my feelings now… the Terror of Death replied, feigning a hurt tone of voice as Haseo rolled his eyes at that. Crossing his arms the human shook his head, Stop pretending your upset and tell me what you've found out. I know you've already been looking into this because you're too impatient to sit still, Haseo commented with clear impatience and Skeith would have grinned mischievously at that if he was capable of it. His User would die of a heart attack if he knew even half of the things his Epitaph did when no one was looking.
Hacking in to The World's data took only a second now that Skeith was used to the flow of data in these parts, and within a few seconds several screens had popped up in front of Haseo's face. The teen flinched back in surprise at the sudden action and scowled slightly as Skeith spoke up again, Before you ask you're the only one who can see those windows so don't worry about it. Now I've already checked the ship logs of the cruise liner Chigusa Kusaka's parents were supposed to be on, the events they signed up for, when they ate, what they were wearing when they ate, even surveillance tapes from outside their rooms, on the decks, and from wherever else they put camera's up on that vessel, Skeith stated feeling quite proud of his skills as he spoke.
Once inside the computer mainframe that the company used it had only taken a cursory search using the right passenger names to bring up most of what he wanted and needed. Most of it was labeled "off limits" but Skeith had merely hacked into the files, copied what he needed, and then pulled out leaving everything the way it originally was; simple as taking candy from a baby really.
He could feel Haseo's suspicion and clear interest in the methods he had used to obtain this information, but at the moment the teen's worry for Chigusa overrode any desire to investigate the matter further and he just plain didn't want to know what methods his inquisitive Avatar had used. When it came to Skeith some question's really were better left unanswered.
Haseo fidgeted impatiently, And? What does that have to do with Atoli? the young male pressed urgently and Skeith actually hissed at him, Give me a minute and I'll tell you! he snapped back and then cleared his throat and continued on. He felt a sharp flare of anger with a strong undercurrent of worry and fear coming from Haseo but the human didn't respond and instead waited edgily for more information.
Unhurriedly Skeith continued, Now as I was SAYING, I also found out that the cruise was cut short because of 'computer problems,' power levels were erratic, ship navigation was off, and other stuff like that. It just wasn't safe to keep going until they found out what was going on. When they got to port they ran a full-system virus and anomaly scan and discovered traces of AIDA in several virtual reality events that some of the passengers had participated in, the Epitaph commented and on one of the screens in front of Haseo a list popped up with the names of Chigusa's parents highlighted in brilliant red.
Leaning forward slightly the teenager frowned as he looked over the information and summary of the specified event, Wait…I've seen these things advertised before at spa's and vacation getaway places, its one of those "you are in your happy place" things. It uses visual images to induce relaxation and relieve mental stress. A lot of business men go to them. I know my dad does sometimes. I've seen rumors all over the Internet that they use subliminal messaging to affect people's thoughts or something, Haseo considered and Skeith grunted in confirmation, Looks like you're not as oblivious to the world as I thought you were brat, he quipped and the white PC immediately straightened up.
HEY! Haseo fired back angrily and the Avatar merely laughed at his partner's irritation. Will you be serious about this already! the male added crossly and Skeith calmed down and the image disappeared and was replaced with surveillance footage of a group of people sitting in chairs with full wraparound helmets on their heads. The chairs had various wires and cables streaming from them; they looked like something out of a bad horror movie. A small square appeared and the picture zoomed in to focus on one man in particular.
Well that rumor about subliminal messaging isn't so farfetched after all. Real scientists and researchers have been investigating the theory and found that for the most part it's nothing but wishful thinking and bogus rumors. But other studies HAVE shown that when coupled with sound cues and the right visual images it does affect the brain waves of certain people. Alcohol also helps to heighten this effect because it lowers a person's inhibitions, Skeith explained as one of the side screens flicked over to an image of brainwave activity that jumped and spiked erratically. At the bottom it had the name Ikari Kusaka with notes and warnings about abnormal brainwaves and strange behavior.
Before Haseo could comment on it though Skeith had spoken up again, there was a lot to say and not a lot of time to get it all across. All of you G.U. members know by now that AIDA affects people's emotions on a conscious and subconscious level, and those viruses are far from stupid, in fact they seem to be getting smarter every time I come across one, the Epitaph noted with a frustrated grunt.
Moving on he added, So with Aihane in control he could easily have one of his AIDA fragments alter the machinery so that it would have negative affect on a person's emotions instead. The AIDA influence is strong enough to manipulate a person to the point where they could easily become violent and even dangerous to others around them in the real world. Ikari Kusaka had several sessions and I confirmed that AIDA was present every time. It was especially focused on him, but only another data life form such as myself would be able to tell that without a deeper inspection, there was a long tense pause before Skeith spoke up again.
The fact that Ikari consumed a moderate amount of alcohol before ' plugging himself in' means that the hypnotic, suggestive undertones would be nearly doubled anyway, and with AIDA also doing everything possible to influence him…well… there isn't a doubt in my mind that Aihane is using Ikari Kusaka against his daughter, Skeith stated seriously as Haseo clenched his fists tightly in frustration.
With a tense voice the Avatar continued explaining, Innis told me that Ikari and his wife have been fighting a lot lately with each incident escalating in violence. I also know that the girl confirmed that to you as well. Innis was monitoring that phone call Chigusa received in Tokyo and explained to me that the girl's mother has jumped ship and left home already; most likely for good. So Ikari is no doubt already brimming with rage that he can't fully express, well without being arrested that is, then he goes on this cruise to try and relax only to be affected by AIDA, maybe without realizing it at first, he commented and then paused for a moment as something caught his attention but he dismissed it and moved on, it was probably just his imagination.
Skeith pulled his attention back to the matter at hand, Then when Ikari gets back, his wife packs her bags and heads off to who-knows-where, leaving him with a daughter that he already more or less hates. So for him to jump from verbal to physical abuse, especially if Chigusa's mom isn't there to take it and distract him…well let's just say that I've looked up the statistics and I have to say that they aren't pretty kid. You wouldn't believe how many domestic abuse cases the Chiba police receive every DAY, he offered and opened up a screen with a bar graph showing the day to day totals for said calls.
Innis, Macha, and I were listening in when you had that conference with Rhodesia…and well, I don't like to admit it but that woman is right about what she said. The problem is that Aihane knows going after a minor like her outright would be too suspicious and would attract unwanted attention. But if her father were to assault and kill her in a fit of frustration, or maybe even drunken rage… then on the surface at least no one would tie everything together. Most of the neighbors and family acquaintances already know about their family trouble, Skeith grunted in mild disgust as he explained everything to a silent Haseo.
After a brief moment of silence the Avatar cautiously added, For Aihane it is the perfect plan and one that has little chance of going wrong. Ikari Kusaka's own personal feelings and emotions were already leading him to this point… and now with AIDA's influence…Aihane's plan can't go wrong, the Terror of Death said hesitantly as he trailed off and fell silent.
Even if he didn't fully understand such emotions the Epitaph still knew how much Ryou cared about Chigusa; in fact Skeith could feel his User's emotions with every fiber of his being no matter where the young man was or what he was doing. Even when the teenager wasn't online they were still linked, bound together by an unexplainable connection. Skeith knew without a doubt that his Master's love for that girl was far stronger then most people, and even Ryou himself, realized. No matter how frustrated he may get with Atoli or Chigusa rather, at times, Ryou would go to the ends of the earth in order to protect her and keep her from getting hurt again.
But at the same time the Epitaph User realized that he couldn't shelter her completely from life's troubles. Just as Ryou hadn't been able to help her that day back when they were in a party together along with Azure Balmung; Aihane had purposely prevented Haseo from summoning Skeith so that Atoli would be forced to fight on her own. That day she had summoned Innis and gone toe-to-toe with that Oswald AIDA on her own and managed to squeeze by okay. But just barely making it in a battle with Aihane wasn't good enough; he was always watching, always waiting for a chance to exploit them somehow. It seemed like forever since that event had occurred but it couldn't have been more then a few months at the most.
Silence stretched on for a long time and Skeith could feel the sudden drop in his partner's emotions. It was like a cup dropping and shattering on the floor, the contrast was startling. Haseo closed his eyes and the Epitaph could feel a wave of pain wash over him as the Adept Rouge clenched his fists in frustration. What do we do? What CAN we do? I mean I can't just sit here knowing that her life is in danger! Haseo urged desperately; a clear undertone of panic was rapidly growing in his voice.
Skeith quickly tried to reassure him, I will talk to Innis and we'll see what we can find out. You should log off and rest, you have been under a lot of stress worrying over this after all… and you still have to go to work in 2 hours. Let me worry about this for the time being. The very moment I find something out I promise you'll know about it, the Avatar promised but his words did little to improve Haseo's mood. Sure they fought and argued and seemed to constantly be bickering about something or other, but when it came right down to it, Skeith really didn't like seeing his Master so upset and depressed.
Turning his head away from the screens that Skeith had summoned the Guild Master nodded halfheartedly, Yeah…okay…, was Haseo's quiet and distracted reply. Picking up on his thoughts the Terror of Death added, I know you're worried but you can believe that Innis is already doing everything she can to keep Chigusa safe and sound. She'll do her best to keep anything bad from happening, Skeith firmly insisted and finally Haseo let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his neck. Fine, fine, but…, he paused and swallowed hard.
Just do everything you can okay? the teenager pleaded hesitantly and the Avatar sent his User a wave of reassurance before Haseo logged off.
The Home that Skeith was currently looking at immediately went blank for a moment before shifting to another place. Within a fraction of a second the powerful AI was back floating in the black and blue space of an outer dungeon that he had taken over for his own personal use while in The World. The Avatar's would also meet here occasionally to talk about the developing situation with Aihane. Closing his eyes for a moment Skeith sent a message to Innis to meet him here and then sat back and waited patiently for her to arrive.
Sensing a sudden shift in the data Skeith looked over his shoulder to see a "hole" open up in midair before Magus came through. Waving his arm the Propagation closed the data pathway and looked around. "Hey! Didn't expect you to be here, I thought you would be out gathering data or finding another AIDA to sink your claws into," he pointed out cheerfully. Skeith flashed him an 'I don't have time for you' look before giving a grunt and turning away indifferently. Skeith was trying to think seriously about what to say to Innis when she arrived here and really didn't want to be bothered at the moment. His talk with Haseo had put a serious damper on his mood. Wise-cracking, sarcasm spewing Skeith was not present at the moment.
At first the Terror of Death had just ignored the other Epitaphs, but pesky Magus just wouldn't go away until the First Phase spoke to him. Finally Skeith had given in and now they were actually on fairly good terms. Of course you wouldn't know that by the way they were always trying to attack each other…literally. Part of the reason was that Skeith just didn't know how to peacefully interact with others.
Being "kind" and "gracious" just didn't come naturally and whenever he was in the vicinity of a fellow Epitaph it usually didn't go very smoothly. Innis had been trying to help Skeith be nicer to others and sometimes he marveled at the amount of patience she had when dealing with his temper. Often times she would accuse him of acting just like Haseo used to, always having a sharp comment or harsh word to deal out. He WAS getting better little by little and had come quite a ways from the way he had formerly acted…but…he still had a long way to go before anyone would deem him even remotely friendly.
Ignoring all of the warning signs Magus floated over to his side, "Well isn't the air chilly in here today? Get any colder and your going to turn into a block of ice there pal," the yellow-green Avatar commented mockingly as he put his hands behind his head. Whipping around Skeith began glowing an ominous red and Magus backed away with his hands up, "Geez! What's your problem?! You're in an even worse mood then usual!" he yelped in surprise as the Terror of Death calmed down and crossed his arms, not giving anything up. But the Propagation was not going to be ignored.
Holding his arms out in supplication Magus continued, "Oh, stop being such a wet blanket and tell me what's wrong already, maybe I can help you out," he offered fully ready to help out his "friend" should the need arise; but still his inquiry received no reply from the stoic Avatar. Rolling his eyes Magus waved a hand in front of his companion's face, "Heeeeeeeellllllllllloooooooooooo? Are you in there or not? I know you heard me," he prodded further and Skeith twitched in agitation but continued to remain silent, wishing the overly cheery Epitaph would either go away or implode into a little explosion of numbers or something.
Seeing that his comments were pretty much falling on deaf ears Magus did something that he KNEW would get his companion's attention and most likely earn himself some form of violent retaliation as well, not that the latter was anything unusual. Leaning forward slightly the Propagation reached out and poked Skeith in the side briefly before doing it again…and again…and again.
"WILL YOU CUT THAT OUT!" Skeith finally roared angrily as he whipped out his scythe and swung it at Magus's head. The other Avatar easily ducked the attack and floated just out of range, "All you had to do was answer my question and we would have been just fine now wouldn't we?" was the unabashed reply that was received and Skeith bristled angrily and cocked his blade back, ready to reduce this annoying pest to a useless jumble of one's and zero's.
"Will you boys cut it out? We're here to work together, not blast each other into oblivion," a smooth feminine voice cut in before the Terror of Death could enact his retribution. Looking over they both spotted Innis there watching them. "Speak for yourself," Skeith snapped back as he looked back, flashing Magus a glare of warning. Shaking her head slowly, Innis floated over and placed a hand on Skeith's, silently urging him to calm down. Puffing up with indignation the white Avatar nevertheless recalled his weapon and crossed his arms as he looked away, still highly irritated.
Innis turned to Magus and waved her finger accusingly, "Honestly Magus, one of these days Skeith is going to really do some damage and I'm just going to sit back and watch it happen," she warned as the Terror of Death turned back and sneered at said Avatar. Ignoring the jibe Magus waved his hand, "All right, all right I know when I'm not wanted," he said in a hurt tone of voice. Skeith snorted and crossed his arms, "Just what ARE you doing here anyway? Did Tarvos beat you into running her errands again?" he questioned mockingly and Magus actually looked embarrassed for a moment.
Scratching his white mask-like face with a sharp finger Magus cleared his throat, "Yeah, well…she just wanted me to give this to all of the other Epitaphs. I was just going to leave them here for everyone to pick up but I can give you both yours right now," he responded as he dropped his hand and summoned a glowing green orb of highly compressed data in his palm before doing the same with his left hand. "It's a new virus program that I've been working on. Tarvos and Pi examined it with me and we think that this should help protect us, at least a little, from Aihane's attacks," Magus explained in a serious tone of voice as Innis reached out and took it, absorbing the information and updating her systems.
Magus extended his hand to Skeith who nodded and did the same. The Terror of Death was statue still for a moment as he allowed the new information to run and operate through his body. He mumbled something under his breath when the task was complete. Frowning at him Innis gave him a harsh elbow and Skeith glared at her, before speaking up, "I said thank you," he hissed as if through gritted teeth. Innis gave a nod of satisfaction, "See? Was that so hard?" she questioned and the First Phase turned away, "Yes" he fired back unrepentantly and she narrowed her eyes but didn't comment on it.
Bowing slightly Magus took his leave, "Well that's all I came here for. Shoot a message my way if you need anything. I'm always willing to come to the aid of a damsel in distress, especially one as pleasant to be with as you," he offered sounding just like his overly flirtatious User, Kuhn, as he looked pointedly at Innis.
The Mirage of Deceit gave a small chuckle and dipped her head to him, "That's very kind of you Magus. I just may take you up on that offer," Innis commented with a lighthearted tone that nevertheless sounded somewhat forced, no doubt from the stress of worrying about Chigusa. Narrowing his red eyes until they were mere slits Skeith felt a sudden flare of irritation and anger towards Magus. True he usually didn't like the Third Phase either way but this was…different, he didn't know why exactly but he just didn't like the avenue this conversation was headed down. Something about the way Innis seemed so comfortable around Magus just didn't sit well with Skeith at all.
Bristling with frustration Skeith darted forward and stated tersely, "If she needs anything I'll handle it myself," he emphasized firmly and Magus titled his head in mild surprise but also seemed quite satisfied at the same time. Holding his hands up the Avatar moved away quickly; even he could tell when he had pushed Skeith just a little too far.
"Hey, fine, I get the hint, no need to get all jealous like that man, it was just a joke," Magus said with a definite tone of amusement in his voice as he waved his arm, opening a hole in the data just behind himself. With a cheerful wave of his arm the Propagation slid through the opening, seconds later the hole closed seamlessly leaving the outer dungeon just as it had been.
Grumbling to himself Skeith crossed his arms and turned back to Innis who was staring at him as if she would burst into laughter at any minute. "I am NOT jealous so stop giving me that look already," the white Avatar snapped irately. Innis put a hand to her chin as she gave a small giggle. Tilting her head slightly she dropped her hand and clasped then behind her back, "I never said a word about it now did I?" she questioned with calm reason.
Growling at her Skeith dropped his arms, "Are you done having fun at my expense yet?" he demanded and she cleared her throat and floated over to him, "Don't forget that YOU are the one who called me here. So what did you want anyway?" Innis commented smoothly, diffusing Skeith's anger and at the same time changing the subject. It was a trick she had developed during their long training sessions together; after all someone had to tame the wild beast didn't they?
Skeith relented but not before throwing her a dark look in recompense, "I just wanted to know how things were going on your end with Chigusa…I've told Ryou the scenario and he's justifiably worried. I promised to tell him anything I could about how things were going….so, um…how ARE things going on your end? Did you find her yet?" he questioned and Innis' face dropped and she looked away from him, her calm demeanor suddenly changing to one of depression and worry.
From their time together, for Innis was the only other Epitaph that Skeith could actually stand to be around, the Terror of Death had discovered that the Mirage of Deceit certainly lived up to her name, even at the worst of times she could put up a convincing mask that would fool even Chigusa. For the most part she was the "mother" of the group, always looking out for all of the Avatar's and constantly thinking about the consequences of her actions; in short she was the complete opposite of Skeith who was highly irritable, hated pretty much everyone or at least acted as if he did, and usually acted first before thinking about what might happen later.
Innis was careful and thoughtful and, while prone to dangerous temper flares at times, was always looking out for those she cared about. Skeith had more of a "shoot first, shoot some more, shoot again, and when everyone's dead ask some questions" type, but lately he had been improving in that area. Not much of an improvement maybe but he was trying at least.
Appropriately sensing the change in her mood Skeith moved closer to her, "Innis? Innis what's wrong?" he asked slightly worried by her sudden silence. With a small shake of her head she looked up at him. "Oh Skeith…I can't find anything. I've tried contacting her using every method I can think of but nothing works," she emphasized in clear distress as he turned to the side. Waving her arm she summoned several screens showing attendance records from Chigusa's high school, video footage from the streets of Chiba, phone records, recorded text messages, and even clips from the teenager's personal web cam.
As he examined it all Skeith realized that Innis was right…he couldn't find traces of Chigusa anywhere. She hadn't been in school for days, the facial recognition scans of the Chiba streets didn't register anything; the technology had been installed in most big Japanese cities 7 years ago. The cell phone and house phone records showed that she hadn't made or received any calls for the same amount of time, no text messages had been sent and the web cam had a few shots of her and even now showed Chigusa curled up on her bed with her legs drawn up and head down on her knees.
The Mirage of Deceit clasped her hands in front of her, clearly worried, "I've looked everywhere that I can think of, I even altered my voice and called her school's main office but they said she hadn't been in since the Monday after she got back from Tokyo and as you can see nothing else is working. Her cell phone doesn't register any calls because it's been disconnected, not just the service, but the actually phone itself. I think her father Ikari might have destroyed it or something. I would use her computer to talk with her but it's the same thing there. The entire machine is just…" she paused and waved her hand.
"Cut off?" Skeith supplied and she nodded at his choice of words. With a heavy sigh Innis pointed to the current web cam video that was running with the present time ticking off at the bottom, "Even now I can see Chigusa sitting right there but I have no way of really talking to her. It's like she has become a prisoner in that house. I've seen her father Ikari come and go but never her, and he only stays away for a few minutes at a time. I fiddled with the web cam's programming and code but this is about all I can do with it now. Ikari tried to pull the plug but I had already changed the connections so that it should be able to run and record video information for another couple of days before the memory I loaded onto it fills up," Innis added as an afterthought as she continued staring at the image of Chigusa, the girl didn't seem to be moving, which wasn't a very good sign.
With a grave voice she added, "I even found the number of her friend Neinai and hacked into her computer and cell phone to see if she had contacted Chigusa but that didn't turn up anything either," Innis offered helplessly as she looked away in obvious frustration.
Silence hung in the air as Skeith tried to think of a way to help out but could only shake his head in mild frustration; Innis had already tried every avenue that would yield positive and trustworthy results. The words a prisoner in that house were still nagging at his attention and Skeith turned back to her, "Is there another working computer in that house? One that Chigusa might not have access to?" he questioned and Innis perked up for a moment and stared at him before summoning another screen and glancing over it for a moment before nodding to him in confirmation.
Satisfied Skeith explained his theory, "I'm thinking that AIDA's influence might take a while to have its full affect on Ikari, it might not trigger actual physically violent behavior in him until a certain point or a special criterion is met. Perhaps he is still using that computer and being influence by AIDA. Aihane might be trying to burn away Ikari's humanity all together, send him completely insane so that he won't be competent enough to tell anyone what really happened. And even if he did spout off the truth…" Skeith paused and Innis clenched her fists, "He would be so far gone that no one would believe him either way. Aihane wants to make sure that he's in the clear before completing the final stage of his plan," she whispered looking sick as she dropped her head into her hands.
"What am I going to do? I'm supposed to protect her! Keep her safe! I already let down Shino and now I'm going to fail Chigusa as well! I wanted to help her but now I might as well have killed her myself. Oh, this is all my fault, if it wasn't because of me she never would have been caught up in this mess in the first place!" Innis said miserably and Skeith felt a twinge of guilt. He hesitated before reaching out and putting a hand on her shoulder.
The Mirage of Deceit did kind of have a point with that one. First Atoli's Epitaph had been stolen and used to send others into a coma, then Sakaki had controlled the girl and used her against Moon Tree, and now Aihane was literally trying to kill her in order to get to Innis.
Feeling awkward and out of his element Skeith nevertheless keep his hand resting there on Innis' shoulder, trying to help in the limited way that he knew how. He knew from experience how much panic he personally had been in when that Scorpius AIDA had shown up in Breg Epona and tried to separate him from Haseo's PC. It was the worst sensation in the world and as much as he disliked the other Avatar's at times, he would never wish that feeling on any of them.
"We'll figure something out Innis…" Skeith tried uncomfortably to reassure her but even to himself the words sounded weak. For the first time he cursed his purely online existence, it WAS up to them to protect their Master's from harm and it was frustrating to realize that at this moment there really and truly was nothing that either of them could do.
Ryou jumped up from his bed in a cold sweat, some sixth sense screaming that something was very wrong. He had come home from work exhausted and after stripping down to his pants and socks merely flopped down in bed to sleep. The stress from worrying about Chigusa, his Guild Master responsibilities, work, school, whether or not Aihane was going to suddenly ram a car into him or something…it had all built up to a boiling point and the teenager had been forced to rest before his body collapsed on him. He had managed to summon the strength to listen to Skeith as the Avatar explained his talk with Innis. After hearing everything Ryou had vowed to skip school tomorrow and drive to Chiba himself to see if he could find anything. After all there were some things that only a human being could do.
Now though was a different story and he quickly turned on the lights and looked around in a panic but thankfully the only other creature in the room was his pet, Shira who was staring at her owner with a puzzled look on her feline features. Ryou was still trembling and looked down to see that his hands were shaking as well. Every fiber of his being was practically shrieking a warning to him. Rolling out of bed he hurried to his dresser, grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it over his head even as the computer screen flicked on.
"Ryou? What's wrong? I felt the change in your mood…" Skeith began but the teenager cut him off.
"Calculate the fastest route to Chigusa's house!" Ryou barked out as he looked around several times for his sneakers before realizing they were right in front of him. Quickly he grabbed them and pulled them over his socks; tying the laces he continued, "Stop lights, cross roads, interstate, car accidents, traffic, construction, everything! Find out the fastest way to get there at this time from Tokyo at this time of night," he commanded but the computer screen was already running beyond its advertised speed capacity as Skeith complied with his User's order.
Darting over to his lamp stand Ryou grabbed his car keys, wallet, and cell phone as he stopped to take a deep breath to calm his rapid heartbeat as he looked at the alarm clock. It was 1:30 in the morning. But still something was wrong with Chigusa and he needed to find her NOW. The young male didn't know how he knew and in fact Ryou really had no solid or even half-way stable basis for believing it, but something inside of him said that the clock had started and time was running out. If he didn't hurry over to her house as fast as he could…then he was never going to see her alive again.
Seconds later the computer screen lit up showing the highlighted route and other detailed information. At the same time Skeith spoke up, "I have everything figured out. I've taken control of your SUV's computer through the navigation system so if you get in I'll be able to take you there myself," the Epitaph offered and Ryou nodded in distraction as he shut off the light and ran out to the main room. He hurried over and yanked open his front door, pausing long enough to shut and slide the deadbolt in place before turning and rushing down the steps.
For a moment Ryou couldn't remember where he had parked the car, but Skeith had already moved from his User's computer mainframe to controlling the sleek jet-black SUV and there was the sound of an engine starting up as a car over to his right started up and backed up, swinging out of it's parking spot with perfect precision as the headlights flicked on. Switching gears it jerked forward and sped over to where Ryou was standing, coming to a sudden stop and causing the tires to screech slightly as the drivers side door swung open, revealing an empty seat.
Grabbing the door before it could swing shut, Ryou hurriedly jumped into the seat and put his seat belt on even as the vehicle picked up speed again, driving out of the parking lot of the apartment complex and pausing for a moment to let a car go by before pulling out onto the street. For long moments the only sounds were the purr of the engine and the soft blowing of the air conditioner along with Ryou's heavy breathing. After a moment passed the male realized something.
"Since when did you learn to drive?" he questioned as he looked down at the navigation system inlaid into the console. It hitched with static for a moment before settling back to its former screen, showing where the car was and what streets were coming up on the "highlighted route." There was a smug grunt from Skeith, "Pretty much every country has a book or something that you have to look at with all the rules and regulations in it before you get your official drivers license don't they? Well I downloaded that to my inner systems and I've been watching you every time you drove. It's really not that hard," the Avatar commented with a distracted air as they came up to a yellow light.
There was a flicker from the surrounding street lights as the stop light suddenly switched back to green. With a please air Skeith added, "I learned the house location from Innis so we will be in Chiba and at her front door as soon as physically possible," he added confidently and Ryou nodded but that didn't help him relax any. He couldn't stop fidgeting and took a deep breath as he gripped the arm rest. He held it in for a moment before letting it out as he stared at the buildings around him.
After a moment of silence Skeith spoke up again, "Ryou?" he questioned hesitantly and the male turned back to the navigation system that was seemingly doing it's job despite the fact that the Epitaph was now driving. "Yeah what is it?" he replied unable to keep the worry out of his voice. Another pause followed his comment before Skeith continued, "The fact that we're driving to Chigusa's house right now means that you think she's in serious danger; not that she isn't. But…how?" he asked somewhat cryptically and Ryou frowned at that.
"How what?" he asked his worry quickly molding into irritation at not being able to do anything immediately. Skeith seemed to be thinking carefully about how to phrase this question, "How do you know she's in danger right this minute? I mean it's true that her father could attack her at any time but how do you know that Chigusa is in jeopardy now when you have nothing to base it on?" Skeith questioned curiously and Ryou was silent as he thought of a way to phrase his reply.
Running a hand through his hair the male said, "For humans…sometimes you just…know something. You don't have any solid basis or reason for it but still you just…know that it's true. People have said that they knew when their relative or friend died even though they may have just talked to them, or they felt that something bad was going to happen and they got into a serious accident later on that day. Science can't really explain it but…sometimes you just…know things. It's not something you can really tell someone else. You just…feel it with every fiber of your being, you know and believe in it even if everyone else says that your wrong," Ryou feebly attempted to explain. With a shake of his head he waved his hand, "I'm not sure I can really explain it to you," he added weakly, not able to take his mind off his girlfriend for a single minute.
Skeith allowed the silence to linger for a moment before speaking up, "No…I think I understand what you mean," he reassured before going quiet again. Turning back to the surrounding city of Tokyo Ryou clenched his fists, Please God don't let me be late…please let me get there in time to save her, he thought desperately feeling a tightness in his chest as he leaned back and closed his eyes, wishing with all his might that he were already there. But for now all he could do was sit back…and trust in Skeith to guide him there safely.
Aihane smirked in satisfaction as he clicked his mouse, immediately the computer window zoomed in on a black SUV that was driving rather quickly through the streets of Tokyo. The license plate matched his records but the way the red and yellow stop lights were mysteriously flicking back to green provided all the proof he needed. Sorry Ryou Misaki but you're not going to make it to see Chigusa on my watch, he thought wickedly as he pulled a headset on and flipped down the microphone.
For the past week he had been working carefully keeping discreet eyes on Innis as she worked frantically to try and help her Master. But Aihane was no fool and while the first thing the Avatar did had been to notify the police, she was too worried to realize that all of her attempted calls were being monitored and sent down through dummy phone lines that Aihane had set up and was answering himself. No need to have the boys in blue coming over and spoiling his fun after all. Finally Innis had given up on them and turned back to other methods, none of which were working.
Pulling his thoughts from the matter the skilled hacker turned to the computer on his left and brought up a special screen and keyed in a unique data code, one that he hadn't thought he would actually have to use for a while. But if he was able to accomplish one leg of his plans a bit sooner then…he wouldn't complain about it. He waited for a moment until a confirmation screen popped up and then the hacker switched to his current selection of AIDA fragments. Not hesitating he selected three specific ones, fragments that had been waiting a long time to perform this particular errand. He had put them all through special "training" feeding them all the information that they needed to know and making sure he had their unquestioning obedience. All of them were Helen AIDA, the most agile and mobile of all that Aihane had yet discovered. They were perfect for this task.
Turning the sound up he connected the data passage in front of them and immediately they shot forward, traveling through the now opened link that suddenly split, sending each one off to specific machines located in a personal garage in Tokyo, not to far from Ryou Misaki's apartment. The machines in question were a large truck equipped with four-wheel drive and two smaller cars that were clearly intended for street racing more then anything.
Aihane had purchased them just a few weeks ago put a lot of money into them as well but it was the top of the line navigation system that was the really key. They were the same ones that had been recalled months ago for causing traffic accidents and suddenly switching to a different continent or country while driving. AIDA had infected them back then and was doing so now with Aihane's guidance.
"You know your mission and you know your target…" the hacker paused and downloaded a picture and current location of Ryou's vehicle into the cars that he had modified for his personal use. He had never actually intended to drive them…no they were for a much different purpose. When he received confirmation from all of the AIDA fragments in question he nodded in satisfaction. "The Epitaph user of the Terror of Death, Ryou Misaki is in that car and I want him dead. Go after him and smash that SUV to pieces, I don't want a single scrap of metal left by sunrise…is that clear?" Aihane ordered.
"Yes Master" was the reply he got back from the AIDA. Leaning back as a new window popped up showing him a camera view of the garage he was currently renting.
Slowly three doors cranked up revealing the headlights of the cars he had purchased. The truck was the first one out of the dark entrance and it was quickly followed by the street cars as the doors slammed shut behind them. The camera view changed and showed them all driving down the narrow street and quickly picking up speed as they wove in and around traffic. The AIDA controlled vehicles were performing just as Aihane expected them too, better in fact.
So Skeith has learned how to control his Master's vehicle as well has he? the hacker thought with a dark smile, Well I wonder how that Avatar will fare when his driving is REALLY put to the test? And he had better hurry up as well. Ikari's has finally received last of AIDA's influence and now he is on the warpath. If those two don't hurry up there won't be a Chigusa to save. What to do, what to do? he considered as he threw his head back and laughed with twisted pleasure.
AN: Well there you go everyone! I made that several pages longer then I normally would have just to make up for the long wait. But then again I'm sure there were plenty of other things keeping you on the edge of your seat!
Now you know what's up with Chigusa's parents, or her dad at least. Mom jumped ship leaving our poor Epitaph user to fend for herself. Innis has hit a wall and can't help out or even call the police because of Aihane's tricks. Ryou is worried to death and knows that something is going on even as he drives out to go and find her. And just what did happen on Chigusa's end anyway? I know you all are wondering about that and I WILL explain so please don't burst forth with a thousand questions okay?
So I also put in some candy for all of you who have wanted to know a little more about the Avatars. You got to see how Skeith, badly, interacts with his fellow Epitaphs. He really is a bit clueless when it comes to dealing with others gracefully. I decided that Magus might be a little more…carefree. Like Kuhn he is friendly outgoing quick to try and make friends, especially of the female variety, and often jokes around. But at the same time he can very serious when he needs to and knows far more then he likes others to see. Overall, a loyal friend, though possibly a bit annoying at times.
Innis has a bit more backbone in her then Chigusa does and always worries about her User. Carefully thinks of the consequences before taking serious action and will always have a helping hand when needed. Prone to sudden mood swings though as you have seen.
There you have it! More info about the Avatars! You finally learn just what the heck is going on with Chigusa's father after her interrupted trip to Tokyo and Ryou proves that he really does have a heart underneath that hard exterior after all. And for the guys who may be reading this story there is even a car chase in the next chapter! See? I have a little something for everyone here don't it?
So thanks a million for, hopefully, being so patient with me and please be kind and review!! I need to hear what you think about the story! Until next time everyone!