Chapter 41: Patrol

Earth: July 12, 2014; 11:03 AM; Raph's House

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Kyle, it's not funny." Matt muttered as he eyed the boy who'd doubled over laughing on the couch opposite him, and he inched away from Kyle while patting his ears as if to massage the spikes of pain that had buried themselves into his ears. "They enrolled in school without even telling us, somehow."

"Well, at least you guys can see each other more during the weekdays." Kyle said, trying to keep a straight face and voice as he spoke. He took a deep breath and straightened up.

"That's true." Grape said, shrugging. He kept his eyes locked on the screen, watching as Cole Macgrath launched himself into the air with a pillar of ice and then fired an array of electrical grenades towards a crowd of enemies. "…maybe I should use this as a reference for using my powers."

"I'm not so sure about that." Yuki muttered, her tone unsure as she stared at the screen and watched his character. "Your bracelets aren't nearly as powerful as he is."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Your control over the elements is limited to several things." Sakura responded in kind, holding up Matt's hand as if she were presenting a live specimen. "You can't even make a spark of electricity without first engaging the transformation."

"True." Grape looked down at his open palms and nodded grimly. "I've tried."

"You tried?" Yuki asked, unsure whether she should look concerned or if she should laugh.

"Yeah." Grape replied, and he suddenly engaged his transformation without warning. Half of the people in the room widened their eyes a bit in surprised reply, but Grape ignored every questioning gaze pointed at him and just focused on his hands as small currents of blue electricity jumped from one hand to the other. "Well, that aside, you seemed like you were in the middle of something, Sakura."

"Right." Sakura nodded as she continued, still holding up Matt's hand. "You guys don't have the powers, but you have the bracelets that grant you limited control. In other words, the bracelets are the ones with the powers, and they have limits of their own that I'd warn against."

"Limits such as?"

She pointed at Grape's own bracelet. "That one was manufactured with Planeptune's special mixture of magic and technology that makes the best use of electricity. You can use the other elements, but they aren't as strong as electricity when it comes to your bracelet."

She then held up Matt's hand a little higher, and then gestured to the bracelet for what seemed like the third time. "On the other hand, Lowee's magic development is advanced enough to make the best use of ice. As a result, majority of Lowee's technology went into this one."

"As I know, Raph's had come from Lastation and synergises well with fire." Sakuya commented, and then pointed at Kyle. "The last one from Leanbox uses its mixture of magic and technology to manipulate the wind."

"So, what you're trying to say is that we should stay to our bracelets' elements as much as possible to maximize their strengths." Grape finished, sighing. "And here I thought that I could go ahead and start tossing out crazy combinations."

"I'll try to head here after school so that I can help out and hang out, too." Kyle offered, finally regaining his breath and his composure.

"That'd be good." Grape replied, still focused on the game in front of him. "We'd appreciate that."

"Hey, Vince." Ayase suddenly said, looking at him from across the room since she standing near the dining room and he was on the couch. "As I hear, you aren't going to be around for much longer. Is that right?"

Shino's immediate reaction was to turn to the boy in question, run and cling to him and ask "…do you have cancer?"

"No, no, no." Vince patted her on the head and gently removed her arms from his body. "I'm heading to America to study."

"When will you return?" Sakuya asked, concerned.

"…after college?"

The room went silent for a while. For a while, the only sounds being made were coming from the monitor as Grape continued to play his game.

"…you're one of us now, and that makes you a target." Raph started, his worried gaze locking with Vince's. "If you get attacked over there, we can't help you."

"We might not even know if anything happens to you." Sakuya added, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Vince replied, scratching his head. "If I hadn't gotten involved, things wouldn't be so complicated."

"Oh, what are you saying?" Himawari suddenly emerged from the kitchen with an armful of junk food bags and walked into the living room. She strode past Vince, dumped all of her snacks onto the table, and then walked back to Vince and held one out to him. "This ain't your fault. We'll work out something, so have some Pik-Nik."

"Speaking of that something," Grape continued, his eyes still glued to the screen and his hands still controlling the game as Cole Macgrath suddenly summoned a tornado to wreck an army of thugs. "ASIC's been quiet lately."

"Obviously, they're just waiting for their time to strike." Raph replied, sitting his butt onto one of the arms of the wooden chairs behind Grape.

"Maybe…we should, like, make some sort of patrol or something." Ram suddenly spoke up after swallowing a cheek-load of potato chips. "Y'know, to keep an eye out for 'em."

"Pretty good idea." Kyle responded admittedly, shooting a glance outside as if he were paranoid that someone were stalking them outside the house. "But where?"

"…this could also backfire." Grape muttered, finally pausing the game and turning his gaze to everyone else in the room. "They're looking for us, so looking for them is essentially giving them what they want. Patrolling around is like wearing a flag that says please nuke my ass."

"How about just going around the immediate area, then?" Raph suggested, crossing his arms.

Kyle shot him a look of skepticism. "…so…"

"Melinville." Grape concluded, sighing and picking up the controller again. Resuming the game, he returned to his casual slaughter of virtual baddies. "Well, Melinville and a bit beyond that."

"I think that's an okay idea." Matt shrugged, unsure of what else to say. "Not too far, but it's enough to get a good look."

"Certainly better than just sitting here and doing nothing." Vince replied, sighing.

Ayase's eyebrows scrunched up in thought. "Remember, though. Engaging the enemy is a last resort. They're out looking for us, so no doubt they've got ways to bait us out and trap us. Underestimating them will lead to our deaths or worse."

Kyle nodded in reply. "Aight. Them let's split up and meet back here in a bit."

"Who goes with who, and who goes where?" Javy raised his hand.

Kureha raised her hand up as well, following Javy's example. "Isn't this place the residential area?"

"Well, there are three residential areas here in addition to the city-section." Grape replied, still focused on the game as Cole brought down a hail of lightning on a massive monster and annihilated its too-long-of-a health bar.

"Yeah, there are also other cities next to us, too." Kyle added.

"I see." Yuki muttered in understanding. "There are layers to the place."

"Pretty much. Cities within a city. Sub-cities, towns or whatever you wanna call 'em." Grape replied, finally turning off the console and placing the controller down on top of the PS3.

"At least we've only got this place." Himawari sighed in relief.

"So…again, who goes with who?" Javy repeated his question.


Earth: June 12, 2014; 12:32 PM; Melinville, Main Street; Northeast Section

"How long are you going to pout, Neppy?" Grape asked, reaching for another handful of junk food as he continued to walk forward on the road.

Himawari quickly inched away from him, evading his hand. "Ayase was just being mean, calling me a loud idiot again!" She then pointed her cheese dust encrusted finger at Grape. "And why aren't you mad?! She called you that too!"

"I've been called worse." Grape replied, shrugging and turning around to their companions. "Mind giving me a hand here, guys?"

Sakuya, who was trailing behind alongside Vince a few meters away, just shrugged. "I don't plan on getting into an argument about what to call you two."

"Uh, that's not what we're arguing about."

"Maybe you could pay more attention to the patrolling?" Vince suggested, snickering.

"Well, it's not like we're gonna really find anything?"

"Put the earphones back in your pocket, Grape."

"…actually, be careful." Grape suddenly shifted entirely from casual and chill to tense and cautious in the span of a second. He glanced behind everyone, furrowing his brows.

Sakuya glanced back, only to whip he head back forward and begin to walk faster.

Behind them, there was a group of grown men walking around twenty meters away.

And they all had their hands in their pockets.

"If that's not suspicious, then I'm Morgan Freeman's daughter." Vince muttered.

"Wanna bet?"

"Grape, shut up."

"This is an opportunity." Grape replied, clenching his fists. "Let's walk over there. They'll get the message." He then gestured with his head to one of the more secluded roads.

"…gangrape?"

Grape immediately swatted Himawari on the top of her head, and then grabbed her by the hand. "Come on, let's go."

As the four walked down the small, isolated and lonely road, they felt their anticipation hit the roof when they heard the footsteps echo from behind them.

As they turned to face the group of men that were following them, Sakuya widened her eyes when the men suddenly pulled out what seemed like paper talismans. The men, one by one, threw their talismans down to the ground.

And from the talismans' landing points, the shadows rose and formed beasts with glowing yellow eyes.

"And we're back to this." Grape muttered, and both him and Vince pulled out their weapons and engaged their transformations.

"They're back there, too." Himawari commented warily, and Vince turned to see another group of men and shadows on the other end of the street.

"Surrounded. Brilliant." Sakuya muttered, drawing her spear and brandishing it.


Earth: June 12, 2014; 12:33 PM; Melinville, Barc Street

"Why is this place called Barc Street, anyway?" Kureha wondered out loud.

The four of them stood amongst a number of unconscious men, who'd tried to attack them after summoning forth a tidal wave's worth of shadow beasts.

Javy shrugged and poked one of the defeated shadow creatures that was slowly dissipating into nothingness with his foot. "I guess they just decided to call it that."

"Who's they?"

"I dunno. The president?"

"Back on topic, please." Ayase interrupted, sheathing her weapon and letting it dissipate into pixels. "If these people had those shadows with them, they're more than just standard thugs. These guys were with ASIC."

"Hang on, lemme call the others and check on 'em." Kyle offered, and he dialled up Raph's number.

After a few tense seconds of ringing, Raph's greeting over the phone came up.

"Raph, are you alright?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah. We just got into a battle. The guys retreated, but we're more worried about you guys."

"What are you talking about?"

"They retreated, but we overheard something about reinforcing another group of guys. Yuki tortured- I mean, interrogated one of the unconscious guys and we found out that there's a bunch of these groups in Melinville."

"I see. But none came to us."

"Then that means that they might be going for Grape and Vince. Matt, try to call Grape!"

Kyle heard Matt's shout faintly from somewhere behind Raph on the line. "I'm trying! He's not picking up!"

"Okay, that's enough." Kyle immediately gestured to Ayase, Javy and Kureha, and then began running. "Raph, meet us at the Barc Street intersection. We're heading to Grape now."

"Gotcha."


Earth: June 12, 2014; 12:42 PM; Melinville, Main Street NW

"Guys!" Raph cried out worriedly as he turned the corner and caught sight of Kyle and the rest of his group.

They were locked in battle with more shadow beasts and ASIC men.

Raph clicked his tongue and sprinted forward, nailing one unaware enemy right in the base of his spine with his pistol and knocking him clean out. Using the now unconscious body as a platform, he vaulted high up and unleashed a hail of flaming bullets that tore through the shadows with ease.

"Thanks!" Kyle let out that cry of gratitude as he fought with renewed vigor. Blinding one enemy with a gust of wind to the face, he delivered a spinning roundhouse kick that sent the man sprawling.

Just as he turned around, he realized one man had gotten behind him and was about to deliver a powerful blow when he suddenly flew to the side. Kyle heard the gunshot ring out, and he felt a shiver run down his spine.

Okay, I'm not gonna make Kureha mad. He thought, casting an uneasy glance and a thumbs-up of thanks to the black haired girl a fair distance away.

"C'mon!" Matt yelled out as he ran down the intersection and skidded to a stop, and then began running down the street towards Melinville Main Street. "Grape's just down this way!"


Earth: June 12, 2014; 1:31 PM; Melinville, Main Street; Northeast Section

"Gods, there's too much of them!" Grape let out that yell of frustration, kiciing away one man and then shocking two shadows into nonexistence with a lightning bolt from his hand. He then grabbed another incoming man with his arm, locking him into submission, and then called out "Neppy!"

"Gotcha, gotcha!" In a manner reminiscent of Tidus' acrobatics, Himawari performed flip after flip and manoeuvred through a wave of enemies unharmed. She then jumped really high and landed with her blade, burying it into the man that Grape was keeping locked.

"Keep that up!" Vince cheered, slashing an enemy down with his broadsword.

"Behind you!"

Sakuya, without warning, suddenly thrust her spear in Vince's direction. The action caught him off guard, and he quickly dove to the side to avoid the spearhead's deadly point, only to realize when he took a second look that Sakuya had buried the weapon's lethal edge into a shadow that had been impaled mid-leap.

"Th-thanks, Sa-"

"Thank me later!" Sakuya replied, spinning on her heel and delivering a series of destructive blows with the staff of the spear that sent three men into the ground. She then cartwheeled, driving her heel into a fourth man and then slashing with her spear and eliminating another shadow beast.

"It's about time we named these goddamn things!" Grape yelled, grabbing one shadow by the arm after evading its swiping and then throwing it into the air before blasting it with his shotgun. He turned around, smashing his sword hand's knuckles into another oncoming man and then sending lightning into his system and knocking him out.

"There are a ton of names you can use for these things!" Vince replied, slashing another shadow and then dropkicking another enemy human into unconsciousness. "More importantly, do we have backup?!"

Just before Grape could bark a reply, he saw Matt and Raph dashing down the street behind one wall of enemies cutting them off.

Their eyes locked, and the wordless conversation was over before a second had passed. Grape nodded and grinned, and then steeled himself.

"Neppy, you're with me!" He suddenly shouted so loudly that even the enemies faltered at the sheer volume of his voice, and then they took a step back when his loud voice transformed into an ear-piercing yell as he suddenly charged the wall of enemies.

"Grape!" Sakuya cried out, lowering her spear and widening her eyes. "What are you-?!"

She was cut off by the sight of Himawari suddenly dashing past her at the speed of a blur. She cut through shadows and slid around and under men at supersonic speed, managing to close in on Grape easily.

Grape, with a cry like that of an incoming barbarian, brutally smashed his entire being into the throng of foes and tore open a small gap in the otherwise impenetrable wall of enemies. Himawari, vaulting over his back, kicked another group of enemies back and then slashed to make the enemies falter.

"MATT! RAPH!" Grape screamed again, this one the loudest shout yet. The sheer volume forced the closest men to cover their ears or risk hearing loss, and the others grunted in pain as the sensation of pain driven into their ears was like an invisible nail being hammered into their brains. "NOW!"

As if on cue, Matt and Raph drew their weapons and barrelled into the unprotected, unsuspecting rear flank of paralyzed enemies. It only took a few minutes afterwards to see the rest of the hostiles either retreat out of sight or on the floor and sleeping.

"…that was a reckless strategy." Sakuya commented scoldingly, sheathing her weapon and knocking her fist onto Grape's forehead. "What if you'd gotten hurt?"

"I'd reckon you should just hit me again, if that's the case." Grape replied with what sounded like a slightly bitter laugh and turned to face her. Sakuya sighed when she saw the numerous bruises, cuts and scrapes that decorated his arms, legs and his chest.

"Yes, I should." She replied, touching one bruise and making Grape's grin wince in pain. "I'll hit you plenty after we get you fixed up."

"How'd things go on your end, guys?" Grape suddenly turned to Raph and Matt, who were leaning on the walls of the narrow street and panting for breath.

"…not…nearly…as bad as things went here." Raph breathed out and breathed in. "You…idiot…you didn't need to do that." Raph then pointed at Grape's injuries. "Look what you did to yourself."

"Nothing a little first aid can't fix." Grape shrugged, sheathing his weapons and undoing his transformation. He then turned around and high-fived Himawari, who was standing next to him with a wide grin. "More importantly, that was awesome!"

"Well, I figured that's what you were going for." She replied, beaming while puffing out her chest. "That's true teamwork!"

"Yeah, yeah." Ayase, having caught up to the group, sighed as she also allowed her weapon to disappear. "Let's get back home and rest. I could use a drink after all this."

NEPSTATION!

(w/ Grape, Raph, Matt & Kyle)

Raph: Hey, it's us again! Raph Kurohono!

Matt: Matt Shiroyuki.

Kyle: Kyle Midorikaze!

Grape: AAAAANDD GRAAAAPE PAPUKURAIIIIIIIIII!

The Three: …

Kyle: R-Right…. Anyway, so the school year's begun and we got a new routine once again.

Matt: A new exhausting routine….

Grape: Come on! No sweat, no glory!

Raph: I think it's "no guts, no glory."

Grape: I don't wanna see his guts, man. That's weird.

Raph: Y'know what… whatever

Kyle: But, yeah. With the school year starting, I'll be a lot busier since I'm in a different school than you guys.

Matt: As if you don't already have very little screen time already.

Raph: Says the guy who doesn't talk much during normal conversations. You barely stand out.

Matt: I'm perfectly fine with that.

Grape: We can't have it like that. You're a main character!

Kyle: Grape's the one that stands out the most though when it's us.

Raph: That's because Grape's…

Matt: …A poser?

Grape: Hey!

Raph: I wasn't gonna say that! I was gonna say stupid and crazy.

Grape: That's even worse! And I don't wanna hear that from you, Raph!

Kyle: But you're crazier and stupider.

Grape: I'm random, that's just how my character is.

Raph: And that's why we don't have a problem with making you stand out.

Grape: I'm also apparently the punching bag.

Raph: You brought that onto yourself man. Besides, Matt's the punching bag for Kyle.

Matt: Unfortunately...

Grape: Yeah, but I'm the punching bag for all three of you.

Kyle: Oh, come on. We all equally mess and insult one another.

Raph: Which basically shows just how good of friends are we.

Grape: Reminds you of anyone?

Kyle: Sorry what?

Grape: The CPUs dammit!

Kyle: Oh, right… Yeah man.

Grape: Y'know what, nevermind.

Raph: ...Well we're out of time anyways. Hopefully the next time you won't be the punching bag.

Matt: Maybe we can make Kyle the punching bag next time.

Kyle: In your dreams, cherry-boy.

Matt: FUCK YOU!

Raph: S-See ya soon!

Grape: This program was brought to you by… Coke, Pepsi, Microsoft, Apple…

Raph: OH GOD, PLEASE END IT! CUT! CUT!