Chapter 26: Wrong place wrong time

18:20 PM (Japan Time), Monday May the 25th…

"… Yo. Boss. Been a while."

"Miquel – kun! Glad that you dropped by… You see… The Net Police guys have returned to their usual routine of "waiting for something to happen" yet Ijuuin Enzan is not giving up: he's been obsessed into trying to decipher that message you gave Hikari Netto through Agoras – kun. Besides that… Did the examinations go fine enough? The course ends in June the 19th, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It's timed to end at the same time a normal school course ends so I've just had the preliminary exams and the next two weeks will be busy with preparing the final exams."

"It must've been lonely around here sans us… We did see the footage of the six-way-attack, Legato… Are you alright?"

"I am, Andy – kun. I'm a boulder, ya know."

"Heh. Catchy."

Kage had come to visit Noir (being disguised with his black cloth) on his Golden Star HQ office room: Noir sounded glad to see him again as Kage sat down on a chair: Andy shook hands with Legato, who'd been standing to Noir's right as if being a bodyguard.

"Some juice?" Noir offered.

"Apple."

"Alright. Here you have."

"Thanks, Boss. Cheers!"

"By the way… Could I ask of you to do a little thing?"

"What?"

Noir suddenly became quiet and made some gestures to Legato who drew a field detector: he began to check the outer walls.

"… Nothing, sir."

"Good. I don't want Suzuki – san to hear this one thing. Well. I've procured some documents to send an agent to the Waterworks so as to install a device which will allow their server to be scanned by Zero's terminals as well and to filter dangerous traffic towards it… Could you do it? Agoras – kun is busy with another investigation and Zarashe – kun is doing something along with Ikada – san. The snipers are out of the question too and so are the Navis… Suzuki – san is no good either because we don't want them to spoil the surprise… I'd gone myself but I'm feeling tired as of late because I've been working like Hell in Purgatory which is over 90% complete and Zero's initial testing simulations…" Noir told Kage.

"Point is: I gotta go. Fine. I can go right now."

"Pick that sports bag over there because it has the maintenance uniform you need: besides, they'll only glance at the documents and the ID before allowing you in… They're not taking security very highly and thus I picked that place given such criteria… I made it look like you've been learning for some years and they sent you to check it out but you'll be in contact with a senpai to make sure you're not gonna screw it up." He detailed.

"Alright. I go, place that, and head back. I gotta leave no trace of our presence there or they'll begin to sniff around." Kage summed up.

"Yeah. But the device itself looks like an extra system for backup purposes so they won't think it's dangerous… They'll rather look for something in the Cyber World…"

"Excellent. Let's go, Andy. I'll drop by tomorrow 'cause I wanna have a better chat with ya before tackling on the exams… See ya round Lucky Corner, Boss." Kage grinned.

"Take care, Legato. I'll later tell you how it felt to take part in a little "sabotage" of a major Government facility…" Andy snickered and sounded amused.

"I'll be waiting to hear it." Legato replied.

"Good luck."

18:50 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Alright, so you're the Government inspector… And your senpai will be monitoring you… No trouble, then… Go to the water filtering systems and have a look at them: we're still disputing if we should replace Filter 4-D or not… You may help us settle that."

"Yes, sir. I shall get to work immediately, sir."

"Good. Go."

"Thank you, sir."

Kage (disguised as a technician by wearing blue overalls and boots along with a cap while having removed his bandana and sunglasses) had been speaking with a Waterworks official before being given the go-ahead: he walked up a set of stairs while carrying a tool-box and then opened a door into the room with the huge water filtering machines and they control panels: Kage headed for the room's furthest console and examined it before crouching and taking out a folded paper from his trousers' right pocket which contained a set of blueprints: Andy projected with the hologram and looked at them too.

"Alright. I gotta remove the SE compartment cover because there's nothing inside of it and connect four wires: the rest will work on its own. I then replace the panel, place the screws on its place and I'm done with it. It should be over in less than 30 minutes… I'll then take some notes and say that I'll forward the results after going through the usual bureaucracy. By then they'll have forgotten all about me and we'll be alright."

"Heh. Boss is a genius, yessir." Andy grinned.

Kage got to work by using a screwdriver which he used to remove the screws: he then took the cover out and examined the cavity which looked ready to insert something there: he picked a sealed metallic box with three wires colored red, green and blue emerging from its left and inserted it on place before connecting the wires using the other ones coming out from inside of the console: he turned on a switch and a green-colored LED turned on.

"Good. Now the system will synch with the Waterworks server and since it has the passwords and all there'll be nothing noticeable. Besides, this thing's software is just there to listen in and intercept hostile data like Viruses and such." He whispered.

"Perfect. That was fast. Let's go for the second phase."

"Alright, Danna." He joked.

"Heh. Someday I'll be the danna, yeah."

"Wanna make a couple with Akemi?" He teased.

"Come on." He rolled his eyes.

"That means "yeah" last time I checked." He teased next.

"No! I don't intend to! I don't want to bother Akemi – san!" He blushed and began to sound annoyed as he whispered his reply to Kage.

"Or do you want Rock Man's pink friend?"

"Roll – san? Oh no! That's Rock Man's stuff. I don't want to get in the way of that 'cause they're both long-time friends."

"Lily?"

"Lily – san? No way." He settled.

"Sandra?"

"Beta X got hooked by Sandra – san already so drop it and let's finish this job already, Operator." He fumed.

"Sure, sure, Mr. Absolute."

"Jeez."

"Alright! That was the last screw… Now let's go check Mr. Filtering Filter of Filters and let's hope it ain't a profanity filter."

"When did your sense of humor turn this crazy? Did Video Man and company have something to do with it or WHAT? That humor is just so literal… so crazy!" Andy complained.

"Ask them." Kage replied.

He accessed a console's data with the PET and began to look at photos of a large filter: he rubbed his chin and then began to compare them with others filters.

"Hmmm… It has degraded by 14.8% since its installation 6 years ago so it's holding out pretty well yet it could be dangerous… I'd rather say they should replace it or we'll have a bad surprise one day." He settled after a while.

"Alright. Let's finish checking with the other machines and head home already."

"…true, that kick straight into the goal was cool! You should've seen it, Ice Man!"

"Guess so, desu…"

"Oh crap." Kage gasped.

"I know that voice." Andy gasped.

"Quick! Behind this machine!"

"Y-yeah!"

Both quickly hid behind the bulk of a machine and glanced at the point where the room turned to orient itself northwards: voices were coming from there.

"Hikawa Tooru – kun, of B Class…! I'd forgotten his father is the director of his facility!" Kage muttered.

"And that's his Navi Ice Man… Guess I should go back inside the PET: hide it on the pocket, pretend to be working, pick the tool-box and head out ASAP… We'll tell the employee about the filter, come out into the street and we get away full speed…" Andy whispered a course of action.

The aforementioned Hikawa Tooru came into view: he was a young man about Kage's age who might five or six centimeters shorter in height than him.

He had short and combed brown chestnut hair and chestnut brownish irises as well.

Today he wore the typical middle school uniform and looked animated as he held a bluish Link PET with the drawing of a snow flake against a blue background as emblem and talked with the Navi named Ice Man.

Ice Man seemed to be barely one meter and forty tall: he wore Eskimo – like clothes colored lush green and forest green: his gloves were colored brown and so were his boots.

His eyes were brown and he had a small nose: two figures colored pink and shaped like seashells were drawn on his cheeks: his head was surrounded by the parka's own hood as if to shield it from the cold.

He carried a small backpack colored brown and with his emblem drawn into it as well.

"Hmmm? Whose tool-box is this?"

"M-mine." Kage came out after having hid his PET and lowering the cap to try to hide his face.

"Oh. The Government Inspector…? Eh… No offense, but…"

"Newbie. Senpai telling me." He quickly replied.

"A-alright. I am sorry, I should've asked my father… I won't get the in the way. Let's go elsewhere, Ice Man."

"Roger, desu."

Kage began to type into a console while giving him the back but Hikawa suddenly halted as he was about to head back: he'd frowned and he now turned around to spot how the lower half of Kage's PET was coming out of his right pocket: he inwardly gasped and made the "silence" sign to Ice Man as he silently tip-toed until he reached him and got a better look at the PET: he then studied the hair which was visible and seemed to realize who he was.

"Eh… Kage – kun?"

"Yikes!" He gasped.

"Is that you?"

"W-wrong person." He improved a foreign accent.

"There's only one person I know with such a PET." He argued.

"F-fashion." He quickly replied.

"Kage – kun: you can't fool me. Not even 11 months after we last saw each other. What happened to you? Hikari – kun kept on saying you'd gotten involved in some organization or another…"

"Wrong person!" He insisted.

"Come on. I'm not dumb."

"Wrong p…!"

Hikawa suddenly picked his PET and he instinctively turned around to catch it back but in doing so Hikawa could see his face and Kage realized too late he'd fallen for the trick.

"Are you gonna kept on pretending now?" He asked.

"Crap." He muttered under his breath.

"What are you doing here? Why are you feigning to be a Government Inspector?"

"Go home." He snapped back.

"Not until you tell us what's going on."

"Ask Hikari – kun! I wasn't here! At all!" He growled.

"What's with you? You used to be nicer."

"People change, Hikawa – kun! Now GO HOME!"

"You're not my dad." Hikawa was being stubborn.

"Fuck! I'm not doing anything bad for the Waterworks! This is for the sake of the Waterworks' stability and security! GO HOME!"

"I won't."

"By all the… Andy! What do I do NOW, huh?"

"W-well… That's…"

"Gimme an idea! With this guy around the whole point of the mission will go ashtray!" He whispered.

"Hum…"

"Well?"

"I'm thinking!" Andy protested.

"Aren't Navis supposed to think way faster than humans? You're computer programs after all!" He snapped.

"I know that! But we can't form plans out of air! Not even the best military minds can think of a strategy on the field!" Andy defended himself.

"Hey… What's that bulky thing there, in the tool-box?"

"That bulky thing…? Eh… A boomerang!" He improved.

"When did you become such a liar?" Hikawa didn't fall for it.

"This is for your good, man! GO HOME!"

Hikawa played deaf and picked the bulk covered by a handkerchief which turned out to be Kage's own Beretta M92F customized with the silencer included: it had the initials "KM" written on its grip's left side using golden-colored paint.

"A gun! How can you go around with a gun? You're not gonna tell me you're in the Yakuza!" He gasped.

"No, damn it! That's a tranquilizer model! It shoots out darts with a sleeping drug! We don't kill: we only seek to bring stability to society which is needed nowadays! End of the tale!"

"I guess I should call the police because I don't like your behavior and you're carrying a gun in an illegal manner."

"Damn it! You've left me no other choice…!"

He suddenly yanked the gun from Hikawa's hands, removed the safety and shot a dart at his right knee: Hikawa gasped and immediately became sluggish before collapsing on the ground: Kage quickly picked his PET and switched it off.

"Lovely. Now what, Mr. Anderson?" He grumbled.

"Well. We came here walking from the parking where we left the black Toyota at so… We could use a "Dimensional Converter" and go to Purgatory where we can bring Boss and try to negotiate with this guy into reaching some deal…" Andy suggested.

"Sounds like a half-plan but whatever…"

"Tell the guys that you're done with firstly."

"Yeah, I know. You stay here and keep an eye out for the guy while I go speak with them… Let's hope his father thinks he's still wandering around and takes a while to notice… It's inevitable that he'll notice the fact but well…" Kage sighed.

He left the PET on the ground to allow for Andy's life-sized hologram to come out while Kage picked his tool-box and closed it before heading into the small control room.

"My senpai says that the filter you mentioned could be a danger if left as it is, and the new regulation mandates that they should be replaced every five years so you're one late with this, sir." He calmly reported while trying to sound polite.

"Oh man. Now we'll get a scolding." One technician groaned.

"I apologize."

"No. It's not your fault, lad. I knew we should've done something about that thing before but we've been way too lazy…"

"Alright, sir. I'll be leaving, sir."

"Sure, sure. Thanks for the advice, anyway."

Kage hurried back to the room and picked Hikawa plus the tool-box: he headed out through a door and down some stairs into a side alley where he stopped: Andy projected and nodded.

"Starting up "Dimensional Converter"…"

A "hole" of yellowish energy formed in the ground and one of those "Dimensional Converters" emerged from within it while it began to emit its characteristic booting up sound.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Activation!"

The same thing which had happened in the Akihara City Hotel months ago repeated: a white circle of light formed at their feet and the light expanded in the form of a column while they bodies were slowly "erased" by the white light until nothing remained except for the machine: the column became thinner and thinner until nothing was left: the machine shut down and retreated into the "hole" it'd opened: once all of its length had come inside the "hole" closed as well thus leaving no trace of its presence there.

"… Tooru? Oi! Tooru? Are you around here? Answer me! Why did you shut down your PET? Tooru?"

A man on his 40s or 50s wearing the Waterworks' blue overalls and having brown hair and irises plus some beard walked into the alley while looking around: the resemblance to Hikawa was unmistakable so there was no doubt that it was his father.

"Where'd you go to, you and Ice Man? Huh?"

He spotted something on the ground and hurried to pick it up: the object turned out to be the wallet of his son which had fallen there and was open: Hikawa Sr. gasped and looked around.

"What a thing to happen…! Tooru's been abducted…? But… Why? And by whom? I've got to contact the police! Yet… There are no car tracks or smell of car here… Someone must've seen a car speeding away from this spot so… Anyway! Contacting the police is first! Tooru… I'll get you back sane and safe…! That's my duty as your father…!"