Channel 37- Soon To Be Finals
"WHAT?" Kaidou yelled as they walked home from school since obviously not all of them would fit on the bus.
"Yes, the mission is for you guys to win the final game." Inui answered.
"You should have told us!" said Kamio, looking depressed. "I know I would have played a lot harder!"
"What happens if we don't win the finals?" said Kaidou.
"We have to stay here until you two win the finals." Said Inui. "So if you lose, we'll have to wait until next year for you to try again."
"And staying here for as long as we are is painful enough." Said Atobe. "I need more clothes for tomorrow and the day after."
"Why do you have gray skin?" Kamio asked.
"A skin disease." Oshitari answered.
"Oh." Said Kamio. "Sorry." Then he looked around. "Hey, is Tachibana here yet?"
"No." said Kirihara. "You're the first person who isn't on Seigaku or Hyoutei and isn't ME."
"Do you guys know where Tachibana is?" Kamio asked.
"We don't know where anyone else is." Inui answered. "We're faced with these Universes as we get there."
"What other Universes has there been?" said Kaidou. "I mean, I know there's been a Girls Universe, but other than that you all mostly look the same. Except for Atobe and Oshitari who are both gray."
"But it's a skin disease." Kamio reminded him.
"No it isn't." said Atobe. "We were in Detective Universe. It was black and white there."
"Oh." Said Kamio, looking at Oshitari. "Why didn't you say that? You got me all concerned."
"I thought it was obvious that I was lying." Oshitari admitted.
"Ryoma was in the Mary-Sue Universe and now he can't play tennis or even eat right." Said Momo.
"Back off." Said Ryoma as he tripped and fell on his face.
"Or walk right." Momo added between laughs.
Everyone enjoyed a good laugh at Ryoma's expense.
"Most of us wear different clothes for our Universes but we changed when we got here, figuring we stuck out too much." Taka explained. "Like me who was wearing an entire suit of armor, or Inui and Momo who were both dressed as pirates."
"Yeah, and I've been meaning to ask about that patch." Said Kaidou. "I just thought it was too awkward to bring it up because I thought maybe you'd be sensitive about it or something."
"I AM." Said Inui. "Don't ask about the patch."
"Why?" said Kaidou. "What's underneath it?"
"I told you I'm sensitive about it." Said Inui. "So don't ask."
"He hasn't looked yet." Eiji said.
Just then, they came to a crossroads.
"We're down that way." Said Shishido, pointing to the left.
"Our houses are both this way." Kaidou said.
"Where are you guys staying?" Kamio asked.
"At some hotel nearby." Said Oishi.
"Where did you get money to stay at a hotel?" Kamio said.
"We robbed a bank." Fuji replied.
"Robbed a bank?" Kaidou repeated.
"Well, Ootori robbed the bank." Fuji revised. "The rest of us just watched."
"They MADE me!" said Choutarou, looking upset.
Kaidou cleared his throat. "So what are we doing?" he asked. "Kamio and I can't miss school tomorrow or the day after or else we won't be able to play in the game on Wednesday."
"Well, then obviously you must continue going to school." Inui said. "The rest of us will bide our time and find something to do."
"I am NOT going to be able to go to school knowing that soon we're going to be jumping around to different Universes." Said Kamio and then he paused a moment or two to consider what he had said. "Hopefully."
"Now, now." Said Inui. "I think what we should do right now is all go to the Friendly Eating Place and have dinner."
"Friendly Eating Place?" said Kaidou. "That place is really satisfying."
"I know, I got that feeling too." Said Choutarou.
"Oh, we can't." said Kamio. "We have a big history project due tomorrow that we've put off until tonight."
"Right." Said Kaidou. "Good call on that one."
"Do you guys do everything together in this Universe?" said Momo.
"What?" said Kaidou. "He's the only person I know."
"Same here!" said Kamio.
"All right…fine… you guys go do your history project and we'll go to the Friendly Eating Place WITHOUT you." Said Eiji.
"Eiji, by the way, don't ever do cheerleading again." Kaidou warned.
"Aww…but I was good at it…" Eiji frowned.
"Just don't." said Kaidou. "Seriously. I am not kidding."
"All right, fine…" said Eiji sadly.
The two groups parted ways, and the larger of the two went to the Friendly Eating Place where they not only were satisfied with their meals, but got to enjoy a good chuckle at Ryoma's pathetic expense.
They returned to the hotel where they once again split up into the predetermined rooms.
In Room 1…
Oishi was coming out of the bathroom and Eiji was sitting there on one of the beds staring at him.
"What?" said Oishi.
"I know you don't like me bringing it up…" Eiji said slowly. "But uh…what's that uh…" he gestured his head towards the bathroom. "What's that like?"
"You know what, Eiji?" said Oishi. "That is one of the LAST things that I want to talk about. Especially before I go to bed."
"Sorry, I was just curious." Eiji frowned as he hid under the covers.
Oishi immediately felt bad for what he said.
"You know Eiji…" said Oishi. "I've said a lot of not really that nice things to you while I've been like this and I know you're just trying to be supportive and act like nothing's wrong…"
"Yeah…" said Eiji with the best pout face as he nodded.
"I would just prefer if you acted as though everything is normal… by acting as though everything is normal." Oishi said. "Like… pretend as though I'm NOT a girl."
"But you are a girl, Oishi." Said Eiji. "That's what makes it hard to pretend."
Oishi's eyes narrowed. "Good night now, Eiji." He said.
"Good night, Oishi!" said Eiji. "I'm glad we had this talk!"
In Room 2…
"You TOLD them about your tracking power?" Shishido groaned, slapping his forehead.
"Shishido…I'm sorry…" said Choutarou, bowing his head in shame. "They're already assuming that I have every power."
"WHY are they assuming that?" said Shishido. "You obviously have your limitations! What if we came across your one weakness? What then?"
"Oh and they made fun of the fact that I can't phase or see through brick when it's daytime…" Choutarou said.
"Why?" said Shishido. "They can NEVER phase through or see through brick."
"I know." Said Choutarou. "I should have said that, Shishido! I never know what to say, and then I look back at it later and think of a hundred things I should have said."
"It's all right, Choutarou." Said Shishido. "Now you have something you can say the next time they try to make fun of you about one of your powers."
"Yeah!" said Choutarou. "But I know I'll just forget."
"Don't worry about it, Choutarou." Said Shishido. "I'LL remember!"
"You'll stick up for me?" said Choutarou, his eyes lighting up.
"Choutarou, come on!" said Shishido. "When have I NOT stuck up for you?"
"Shishido, you're such a great friend!" said Choutarou. "I'm so proud to save the world with you while we're superheroes and to play doubles with you when we get back to our original Universe!"
"Right back at you, Choutarou!" said Shishido.
In Room 3…
"This is SO dumb!" Ryoma whined from the bathroom.
Momo was already lying in bed so he was starting to get annoyed with Ryoma's constant yelling from the bathroom. He finally got up to investigate to find Ryoma standing in front of the mirror with a toothbrush in his hand and some toothpaste smeared all of his face.
"What are you doing?" Momo said, at a loss for anything else to say.
"I can't even brush my teeth without failing." Said Ryoma.
Momo was at a loss. Again.
"How did you brush your teeth for the twelve days you were in the Mary-Sue Universe?" he asked.
"Usually, whenever I had to brush my teeth, Sutefuani helped me." Ryoma answered.
"She helped you brush your teeth?" Momo said, slowly losing the will to live.
"She helped me with everything." Said Ryoma. "In case you haven't noticed, my shoes have been untied ever since we ruthlessly murdered her…"
"Why do you think you're so incompetent?" demanded Momo. "If you let her do EVERYTHING then obviously you wouldn't be able to do ANYTHING!"
"I'm so ashamed…" Ryoma said truthfully.
In Room 4…
"How many more of our teammates have we not encountered?" Atobe said.
"Gakuto," Oshitari said immediately as he changed his bed sheets. "And… let's see… Jirou. Hiyoshi. Kabaji." He paused a moment. "I believe that's all."
"Assuming only the Regulars are being affected." Atobe said.
"That is assuming a lot." Said Oshitari. "For all we know, none of the others are enduring this torture as we are."
"But most of Seigaku has already appeared." Atobe pointed out. "They only have to find Tezuka."
"Is that so?" said Oshitari. "I wonder if that Inui has any control over where he goes next, and it just so happens that he went on a loser streak for three Universes in a row accidentally picked up the two of us, Kirihara and Shishido and Ootori."
"What do you mean?" said Atobe.
"Have you noticed how EVERYONE is on Seigaku recently?" said Oshitari. "And prior to Detective, Cowboy and Superhero Universes, it was only Seigaku. And the only reason Kamio's here is because one of their Seigaku people was in the same Universe."
"Hm…so you think he will just find the rest of his own teammates, namely Tezuka, and just call it quits on the rest?" Atobe said.
"Yes." Said Oshitari. "He SAYS he doesn't have control over where he goes and that the counter must reach zero. But how can we trust someone as strange as that?"
"I suppose we can't…" Atobe rubbed his chin.
In Room 5…
"Taka," said Fuji as he sat in bed with a pondering expression.
"Yeah?" said Taka as he got into his OWN bed.
"I loath this female body I am in." Fuji said.
"Oh." Said Taka. "Sorry."
"No, I really do." Fuji said with a sigh. "And I was thinking about what happened in the Mary-Sue Universe."
"You mean when we all died?" Taka asked.
"Yes, that." Fuji said.
"What about it?" Taka said.
"Everyone came back to life when we went to the next Universe." Fuji said.
"Thankfully." Said Taka.
"So I'm wondering…" Fuji went on. "What if I were just to kill myself every time we entered a new Universe? That way, I wouldn't have to deal with going through all these missions, and time would pass very quickly instead of having to loiter around for days in hotels."
Taka considered this.
"It's not like I have any weapons so I'm not very useful if we were in a battle like a few that you've told me about." Fuji said.
"Yeah but Fuji." Said Taka. "You killed Sutefuani, remember? The rest of us failed and YOU killed her."
Fuji stopped and considered this.
"That's right." He said. "I did. All right. Never mind. You've convinced me, Taka. Good night."
Fuji lied back down and immediately went to sleep, bursting into giddy giggles as he enjoyed his slumber. Taka only sat there and looked depressed.
Finally, in Room 6…
Sorry. They're already sleeping.