5) Game On, Mystery Club

Part 6

Later that late afternoon and back at the Mystery Club, Matt, along with Mana, Kaede, Satomi, Chisame, and Chachamaru, are in the club with the suspicious man tied to a chair as they interrogate him. His left heel was patched up with bandages from the bullet shot. The man has black frizzy hair and a thin mustache on his mouth. Satomi looks at his staff card that looks exactly the same as the first card the team got from last getaway man from last night.

"Riku Shimata," Satomi says as she reads what's on the card, "another staff member of the Mahora Sports Games." Satomi puts down the card and looks back at the group. "I think got ourselves another lead."

Matt nodded and looks back at Riku. "So tell me Riku, why are you sabotaging the games and making the athletes get into a lot of pain?"

"I'm doing nothing of the sort." Riku retorted. "I was just minding my own business and strolling through the campus' grounds."

"Then why were you running away from us when I called you?"

Riku flinched. "Listen! I never tried to hurt anybody, I swear!"

Matt snapped his fingers. Kaede came forth to Riku and wrapped around his neck with her left arm. In Kaede's right hand is her Kunai sticking towards his neck.

"Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way," Matt said. "That Kunai is real and it can slice your neck in a second." Matt turns to Mana holding her gun. "And that gun of hers is loaded. If you don't cooperate with us, not only will you get yourself hurt, but you will put many athletes out there on the field in grave danger because of your maniacal actions." Riku didn't say a word.

Chisame calls to Matt, "Hey Matt. I got something." She pulls up a profile on Riku on her laptop screen. "On Riku's profile, he is a three-year engineering mechanic who works at the same company as the last guy when we found his staff I.D., Yamata Industries. There's also no record of him volunteering or a staff member info that he worked with the Mahora Sports Games before."

Matt looks back Riku with a glare. His arms were crossed as he speaks to Riku, "So, how did you manage to get inside the games if the president or any of his followers haven't hired you yet?" Riku didn't want to reply.


In the next room of the club are Negi, Chamo, the rest of the members, Dean Konoe, and Prof. Takahata listening to the interrogation from a recording machine. "Listen Mister," said Matt from the recording machine, "We'll let you go easy if you give us a chance to cooperate with us. You know you don't want to be locked in jail forever. If you do this for us…" there's a moment of silence in the club and the next room. "…you will not only save a lot of people, but your name will be avoided in the publicity." Riku thought really hard of what to do, tell the truth or keep the plan a secret. There was another moment of silence, but then Riku speaks up.


"Alright…" Riku responded back in the interrogation room, "I was bribed to do the dirty work. The leader gave me a valuable offer that if I pulled this stunt of hers, I would get paid tenfold of my job's salary." Matt nodded and understood. "But I never intended to hurt people, I swear. When I saw that high jump girl hurt her back, I panicked and ran away to safety."

Matt responds, "If you knew what you have done was a terrible act, why didn't you contact the police?"

"Because the leader is going to kill me if I get the word out." Matt and the girls in the club raised their eyebrow. "I was ordered not to reveal the leader's evil plan, or my life would be at risk."

Matt thought really hard and comes up with a suggestion. "Well, if that's the case…, we're going to see this leader ourselves." The girls in the club blinked, and so did Riku and the other people in the next room. They were all confused by Matt's suggestion. "If Riku and that other guy we chased last night have their lives on the line, we won't be able to get solid proof information if they are being targeted. Trying to get the evidence we need from Riku might lead a one-way ticket to heaven for our suspect. Truth is after those incidents we saw at the games, I can't bear to see another person or girl get hurt in my sight again." Matt puts his hands on his waist. "The only way to find out more about our criminal, and without getting these hired guns hurt, is we have to go undercover." The girls in the club looked at each other with concern, and so did everyone in the next room. Matt looked back at Riku. "Riku, we need your help."

"I told you I'm allowed to–"

"I know that…I'm saying, is there some kind of rendezvous point for you and the others to meet when your dirty jobs are done?"

Riku thought hard and came up with an answer. "Yeah, there's a huge red bus that's going to pick up the goons and give us hired guns the pay. It's located near the old books district just close to the bridge at exactly 18:00, you can't miss it."

"What do you guys wear?"

"If you wear like me, a black cap, black sweater, and long blue pants, they'll think you one of them."

Matt takes a deep breath and exhales. "That's all we need to know," Matt stated, "and we'll make sure this conversation is our secret." Matt turns toward Mana and Kaede and twitches his head to tell the girls to free him. The two girls untied Riku as he wobbly stood up from the chair. "You're free to go. The police will give you an escort." Riku nodded. Mana and Kaede escorted and carried Riku to the door.

As they opened the club's door, Prof. Takahata stood in front of them. Takahata took Riku and escorted him home. Everyone came out of the rooms and into the hallways. They all looked at each other.

"So, we're going to infiltrate the enemy's base?" Chisame says to Matt in little concern.

"Yes, but not all of us," Matt replied. "Only a few girls, including me, will go to the enemy's base. The rest will stay behind and still be lookouts for the games."

"Are you sure you know what you are doing, Oda-san?" Dean Konoe asked with concern.

"I might not know what kind of danger is going to be at the base, but if we want to save those athletes and the hired guns, we have to know more by going to the source." Everyone looked at each other with a worried look. "And besides…I have this feeling that Ako and the others might be the next victims to get injured during their next game event." Everyone blinked in fright. Matt makes a firm look and then looks at his members. "So who's with me?" The members paused for a moment. And then they made firm and confident looks on their faces.

"I'm in Matt-san," Mana said and volunteered.

"Count me in too-degozaru," Kaede followed.

"Yeah, me too," Setsuna said with confidence.

"Be careful Setchan," Konoka said with little concern.

"Don't worry, I will."

"Let's do this everyone," Satomi said with confidence.

Every single member, including Matt and Negi, agreed on this dangerous task and are getting ready for the infiltration. Dean Konoe watches the Mystery Club as he smiles, knowing they will succeed and solve the sport game incidents.


Later around 17:45, a red bus is waiting on the streets picking up all the goons that sabotage the games. Matt, with Chao, Mana, Kaede, Chachamaru, Evangeline in her adult form, Asuna, Setsuna, and Fei Ku are hiding behind a shop's sidewall as they watch the criminals board into the bus. The team is in their disguises, but Matt has glasses and a fake thin mustache on him.

"Why do you need to wear glasses and a mustache Matt-san?" Chao asked.

"The enemy might have known about me from the newspapers and TV news," Matt stated, "so I need a good face disguise, so they won't find out who I really am. And also, I do look like Riku when I put this disguise on."

"A good point there Matt," said Mana. "One look on your true face and our cover will be blown."

"And you do really look like Riku Shimata with that mustache on you," Adult Evangeline commented.

They watch the line of goons get shorter as they boarded on the bus. Matt knows this is their chance. "Okay, everyone," he whispered and commanded, "let's go."

Matt and his team move in as they got in line behind the rest of the minions. When it is their turn to board, a young woman, next to the bus's doors, holds a clipboard that consists of a list of any crook. Matt looks in front of her face, still a little bit nervous due to his gynophobia. The woman looked back at Matt.

"Name, sir?" the woman asked.

"Riku Shimata." Matt replied as he imitates Riku's voice and acts like him.

"Your ID?" Matt pulls out the staff ID card that Riku had and shows it to the woman. The woman looks carefully, and then she checks off on her clipboard. But she makes a follow-up question. "What's with the glasses? Your ID doesn't show any glasses on you."

"Uh…I can't see very well when it's starting to get dark." Matt replied with a false statement. "It's something about my eyes not adjusting to dark vision."

"Uh, very well, proceed."

"Oh, and these ladies here are my partners." Matt shows the clipboard woman to the disguised girls. The woman stares at them, while a couple of the girls sweated a little. "You won't recognize them because they are new to the team, but I can assure you they are my partners that help me with that high jump trap."

"Hmm, whatever. As long as they are wearing those uniforms, they are on the team." The woman puts her pen in her pocket and sticks her thumb toward the bus's doors. "Go ahead and get on board."

"Thanks." Matt's team got on board, and they sat all the way in the back of the bus. Matt sits next to a window. There he sees Negi, Nodoka, and Konoka from a distance hiding behind shrubs on a small brick wall. Using Matt's watch and the sun's light rays, he makes reflecting lights to signal the three hiders that Matt and his team are inside the bus.

"They made it in," Negi stated and whispered.

"Yeah, they sure did." Chamo followed as he popped onto Negi's shoulder.

"Will they be okay?" Nodoka worried.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine, and they will succeed," said Konoka cheering Nodoka up.

The woman with the clipboard got into the bus and starts up the engine. The bus moved, and it drove off into the streets. Negi, Nodoka, and Konoka watched the bus fade away into the streets. "Be careful…" Negi said with a concerned tone.


After about ten minutes passed, the bus arrived at an old and abandoned three-story building. When the bus stopped, everyone got out of the bus, including Matt and his team. The woman who had the clipboard makes an announcement. "Now remember everyone; in half an hour, we will have a group meeting on the third floor, so be ready." The minions nodded, and they entered the building.

Matt and his team are standing in front of the doors staring at the enemy's base. "So, this must be the place," Matt said. "I'm sure we'll find some useful clues in here."

"So, what do we do?" Fei Ku asked.

"Since this place may contain a lot of those goons, we'll stick together and search the area carefully without being noticed. Stay close and follow my lead."

"Can't we use magic, Matt-san?" Adult Eva questioned. "It'll be a piece of cake."

"Two things Eva, one: we'll cause a scene, and they'll surround us. And two: if they see your magic, who knows what these goons are going to do you. They might use you guys for magic abuse."

Eva paused and makes a thought. "Mmm, point taken."

Matt straightens his fake mustache and glasses, and he adjusts his black cap. He took a breath and exhaled. "Alright, girls," he commanded, "let's go." The team walked inside and starts to investigate.


The Mystery team is on the second floor and in the corridors of the building, opening every door they encountered and making sure there's no crook around them. After opening and peeking inside in most of the rooms, they encounter one room that looked important. The team went inside and investigates the room. It was an office room with a couple of file cabinets, a desk with a computer on top of it.

Kaede and Fei Ku are searching through the papers and folders inside the cabinets until Fei Ku got something. "Hey, what's this?" Fei Ku wondered as she pulled out stapled papers.

"What is it?" Matt asked as he approaches Fei Ku. She gave the stapled papers to Matt, and he observes it. After a few seconds, Matt makes an interesting discovery. "Interesting…"

"What Matt-dono?" Kaede asked as she raises her cap.

"These papers show a list of rejected athletic students that were in their junior high and high school years."

"Really?" Asuna responded, "Why are they rejected?"

"One stated a girl can't participate due to a weak heart, another with asthma trouble, and a young man with a weak muscle in his left leg."

"Those athletic people have medical conditions," Mana stated.

"That's right, I wonder why the enemy has this list?"

"Hey Matt," Setsuna called as she looking at the computer, "Come and take a look at this."

Matt and the girls walked over to Setsuna and looked at what's the computer screen. On the screen shows a picture of the Mahora Sports Wrap-up Games ID card with no person in the picture box. On the bottom of the ID is a row of pictures that contains different people's faces, and on the right side is the computer's toolbox that contains art icons.

"Since when did they get a Mahora Sports Games ID card on this computer?" Setsuna wondered. "And what's with all this stuff of the pictures and these icons?"

The girls were confused, but Matt, Chao, and Chachamaru looked at the screen carefully. The three blinked, realizing what's on the screen. "Photoshop," Matt responded. The rest of the girls turned to Matt's response.

"Indeed, that's how these cronies manage to get inside the games," Chao stated.

"Wait," Asuna said, "You mean someone uses this program to put them on the staff list, and that's how the enemy gets inside?"

"Affirmative Asuna," Chachamaru replied. "I would think the true enemy must've hacked into Mahora's computer databases to get this staff ID card and copies it for the crooks to get inside the academy."

"But who would go so far to do this?" Fei Ku wondered.

"I don't know," Matt responded, "but these are helpful clues. Let's take this list and move on."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and they exited the office.

After Matt quietly closes the door, the gang hears a couple of voices not far from them. They turned towards the sound and sees light flashing coming from the crack of an opened door from another room. The gang got close to the opening of the door and peeked inside. There they see two criminals, a woman and a man, watching an advertisement on the television while drinking and eating their snacks. The team looked at the TV to see what the thugs are watching, and it is the ad of Mako Sayaka's Vita-bar. Then they heard the goons talking.

"That Mako sure is hot," said the goony man, "I mean, look at her perfect body."

"Don't be such a pervert." the woman responded. "Yeah, she may have a good and healthy body, but I just feel terrible that she had to be like us."

"Yeah, just like us, formal athletes, she got rejected when she tried to participate in the Mahora Sports Games five years ago." This caused the Mystery people to blink.

"What was the reason for her to not participate in games?" the woman takes a sip from her drink.

The goony man takes a bite on a chocolate bar. "The medical people from Mahora told her that she gets light-headed very easily. Even though she was eager to be in the games, the staff people wouldn't let her in no matter how eager she tried."

The woman scoffed, "Those staff and medical jerks. We worked so hard to participate in each of our school's athletic games, and this is the thanks we get." The woman moaned. "I'm glad I'm part of this crooked team."

"Yeah, me too. We'll make sure those faculty people are going to pay for what they did to us, and we'll make sure those participated athletes feel our pain for what we experienced."

"Right, you mean…'if we can't be in the games, then those athletics won't be.' am I right?"

"Right on the money." The two giggled evilly.

Matt and his members backed away from the door and looked at each other. "Did you guys hear that!?" Fei Ku shouted and whispered at the same time.

"Yeah, every single word," Asuna responded.

"So that's what they are planning to do," said Matt with his hand on his chin. "But I'm still concerned is: who is their leader, and how did these crooks still get inside the games besides the fake staff ID cards they're using?"

Everyone paused for a moment to think until a criminal showed up to the Mystery team. "Hey, you!" the goon shouted. The Mystery Club people jolted and see the goon. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh…just uh…hanging around, that's all," Matt said, imitating Riku's voice.

"Well, quit fooling around, the co-leader wants everybody in the surveillance room on the third floor. We have a meeting, now hop to it!"

"Yes, Sir!" the mystery people shouted as they marched to the surveillance room.


On the third floor in the surveillance room, every minion from the evil team is inside as they are standing and looking at the monitors that show the Mahora Sports Games. The mystery team went inside and stood in the very back of the room. The mystery team looked around in the room seeing all the crooks in front of them.

"Look at all these thugs," Chao stated. "There so many of them."

"Indeed," Eva replied, still in her adult form. "We wouldn't stand a chance against them if disguises are blown."

"Just stay calm, girls, and don't make a scene," Matt whispered and commanded to his members. Everyone nodded and understood Matt's words.

Just then, the 25-year-old woman with the black beret comes forth in of the minion team with a microphone in her hands. She turned towards the group and makes an announcement.

"My fellow goons, you did a fine job for making this far," the woman speaks, "We are gathered here because of one thing, revenge. Revenge to those filthy rats that ruined our chance to shine out there on the field. But not to worry everyone, for I, Kimi Tsujo, and our leader has finally found a way to make sure those ingrateful morons will never torture us again." She pulls out her remote, and she points and clicks at the monitors. The screens show the game events that had the 'incident' scenes with the injured athletes. "Thanks to your hard work and efforts, our plan is in motion. And soon, our mission will be complete for Mahora Academy, and so will your other school and academies that rejected all of us. And that mission is…" There is a moment of silence, and the mystery people are anxious to find out their evil plot. "…to ridicule all sport game events throughout this country for eternity."

The goons cheered in excitement, but the Mystery Club members were shocked at this scene. "No…" Matt said with little fright.

"Wait a minute," said Mana in a thought. "How could they possibly do that?"

"And how do you suppose we can do that, you might ask?" Kimi told her crooked team. Mana sweat-dropped a little. "It's very simple." Kimi got her remote and flips the screen to show the athletes and the audience at the games. "As you can see, the athletes are starting to become more frightened and feel like they should give up since they experienced our 'accidental' actions to them. And the crowd goes insane due to our dirty actions, thinking the games are rigged and cheated. The people are now starting to blame each other, thinking that they cheated the games because they each think they are supporting their own athlete to win eagerly."

It was true from Matt's perspective as he looks at the monitors. All the people in the audience and crowd were going mad at each other, thinking that they manipulated the games so their own athletic team could win with ease. Matt's face became more frightened. "It's like the Black Sox all over again," Matt says to himself.

"And now let's see what the announcer and the president of the games have to say," Kimi said as she turns the monitors to show the announcer and Jirou.

There on-screen is the announcer and the president of the games in their worried state trying to calm down the audience and the athletes. Everyone in the surveillance room listened to the announcer and Jirou's words on the TV screens.


"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer says to everyone in the games, "I can assure this will never ever happen again. Our staff people are doing their best to find the cause of this situation."

"That's what you said early today and yesterday!" An athletic girl complained.

"Yeah, and it's happening again!" another athletic girl yelled.

"We won't play your games anymore if you intend us to hurt or kill us!" the last athletic girl screamed.

All the athletic girls were yelling and shouting at the announcer and Jirou. The announcer feels like he's in a trapped cage. He turns to Jirou and makes a question, "Mr. President, what should we do?"

The president sighs and asks the announcer to give Jirou the microphone. "I'm really sorry, everyone," Jirou said to the crowd. "I never expect this to happen. Like I said, we are doing our best to apprehend these criminals that are responsible for this mess, but I guess it's not good enough. I'm sorry it's coming to this, I guess there's one option for me to do to end this chaos." The audience, athletes, announcer, even the crooks and Mystery Club team at the base are all watching and staring at the president waiting for his response. Then the president came with an answer…,

"I'm officially ending Mahora Sports Games forever."

The athletes and audience in the games gasped in this shock, but the goons back at the hideout were happy and excited that their plan worked. All the people in the games are disappointed that it was the last and final year to end the games tragically.

Matt and his members got discouraged and feel like they let everyone down. "I can't believe this is happening," Matt said in disappointment.

The goons, including the co-leader Kimi were continuing to jump in joy that their plan finally worked. Kimi makes an announcement, "There you have it, everyone. The Mahora Sports Games are no more." The goons shouted in excited, until…

"OBJECTION!" a girl shouted from the games.

Everyone heard this, the audience, athletes, goons, Kimi, and even Matt and his members. They looked to see who said that. And there, showing in everyone's view, is Ako raising her hand in the air. She, along with Yuna, Makie, Akira, and Misora, walk in front of everyone in the games, including the announcer and Jirou Kayaku.

Ako makes a speech, "We can't just give up now! Not after we waited for so long for this event. I wanted to play in these games ever since I enrolled here at Mahora Academy. And it has finally come to me this year. But I never wanted to end like this. The Mahora Academy Spring Wrap-up Sports Games is supposed to be all people, athletes and fans, coming together to enjoy and be at peace with each other, like the Olympics, before we enjoy the summer vacation. And now look at us fighting among ourselves because of some rigged and cheating accidents. We're supposed to have to fun, not to fight. We are here to play with each other, have fun with each other. And most important of all, be friendly with each other. So what if some of our athletes got themselves hurt, I'm not giving up yet. And even if I have a twisted leg during a race I'm in, I will still continue on and finish the race even if I'm last. So I beg of you, everyone, don't stop and fight. Instead, hope for the best, because even though your favorite athletes may not win this year, there's always next year."

Everyone became silent and no one said a word until…

"She's right, everyone," Yuna said to the crowd. "If I was in a basketball game and I keep missing the dunks, I will still go on until the very end."

"That goes for me too," Misora followed and told the crowd. "I will still move on even if there was a minor or major setback of any injury I would take."

"Me too," Akira shouted in a firm mood. "I'll never give up, and I want to have fun."

"Same here," Makie said to the audience. "I want the Mahora Games to continue in the most peaceful and friendliest way, even if there are any accidents along the way."

All the other athletic girls in the games start to see the light from Ako and the other girls, and they realized they are right. They should never give up yet. The athletic girls agreed to continue the games and have fun. The audience sees this miraculous and warm scene as they turned their angry faces into happy smiles. The crowd cheered.

The announcer turns to the president with one last question, "Mr. President, what do you have to say after that wonderful speech from that girl?"

The president makes an announcement with a smile, "There's no denying it; let the Mahora Sports Games continue!" The crowd goes wild as everyone is excited for the games to proceed.

"And there you have it, folks, from our sponsor and president that the Mahora Sports Games will continue. So everyone, join us tomorrow as we celebrate and have fun on the last day of the games. Thank you, everyone, and have a good night!" The crowd still cheered on in great excitement.


Back the enemy's base, Kimi and all the goons were shocked at this terrible sight to them. Their plan backfired, and Matt and his team smiled in relief that the games continue until the end of the main event.

"No…" Kimi said in great fear, "this is not supposed to happen!" the crooks in the crowd were murmuring to each other, feeling like they are cornered and don't know what to do. Just then, Kimi's cell phone rang, and she answered it. She got a call from her leader and listens to every word that her boss said. Kimi hangs up the call and turns to the minions. "My cohorts, we still have a chance to make sure our plan works…permanently."

"How?" said one of the goons in the front row.

"How you may ask? I got orders from the boss of keeping our revenge in motion." Matt and his members in the back listened carefully from the very end of the group. "It's that girl who gave that horrifying speech…" There was a moment of silence… "we must kill her."

Matt and his member jolted and widen their eyes in great shock. "NO!" Asuna shouted, and she flinched back in fright. But she tripped on something, causing her to fell back at knock onto a shelf that contains boxes on top. The shelf falls towards Matt and the girls.

CRASH!

The goons and Kimi heard the noise and looked at the mess they noticed. Matt and his team got up from the fallen shelf and wipe off the dirt from them. Then they noticed the criminals and their co-leader staring at them.

"Uh…sorry about that," Matt said, imitating Riku's voice, "Just a little accident, that's all."

"Hey…wait a minute." said a goon walking towards them. "I haven't seen you guys before."

"Oh, that's because…uh…we're new here," Fei Ku told the minion.

"Yeah, uh…we were just recruited." Chao followed.

"That's odd," said Kimi with her arms crossed. "I don't recall recruiting any new members lately."

Matt and others jolted in fright as the goons got closer to them. "Who are you guys?" said one of the goons. Matt and others didn't answer, but instead, they shivered a little.

Another one of the evil followers got closer to Matt and sees his face. "Your face looks familiar." a crook said. "I feel like I've seen your face before."

"Really?" Matt said in Riku's voice. "Well, you've seen many faces that look like me." Matt giggled a little. "Well, we must be on our way and get this operation of yours started."

But their sneaky escaped was stopped when a few goons pulled a gun toward Matt and his team. "Guys hold this man." said the goon. "I want to look at his face carefully." Two goons grabbed Matt's arms while the girls were surrounded by the other goons' guns.

The goon looks closely at Matt's disguised face and observes him very carefully. "You're creeping me out here," Matt said in fright.

The goon took a moment and then blinked in realization. "Hey! Wait!" the crook shouted. He grabbed Matt's glasses, the cap, and fake mustache to pull them off…

…and, Matt's real face has been revealed. "You're Matthew Oda!" Matt faces frowned.

The other criminals then took off the Mahora girls' caps and sweaters, revealing their true selves. Every single goon flinched in this shock, and they pulled out their gun towards the Mystery Club team ready to fire them. Matt and his team raised their hands in the air.

"Well, well, well…" said Kimi in a surprise mood. "If it isn't the famous Matthew Oda we heard so much about. I see you managed to infiltrate our base."

"Yeah, that's right," Matt said in a mean mood. "But how did you recognize my face? I wasn't in the papers yet."

"Our researching members studied about you solving the last cases you solved, like the kidnapping and the fair incident. And they managed to find a picture of you during their work." Matt growled at Kimi. "But I can see you heard all of our plans, so I'm afraid I can't let you heroic do-gooders get in our way." Kimi snaps her fingers.

An evil member then throws a spherical device towards Matt and the team, and the gang is confused. The device opened and activated a tremendous electric shock to stun the Mystery Club. The team fell to the ground as they were knocked out. Matt was on the ground as his eyes were still a bit open to see Kimi in the stand. "Try all you want, Matt Oda, but you'll never defeat us, not even our precious leader." A crook walks closer to Matt as he blacked out.