"What was it like when you died?" Kiku asked.
"Terrifying," Takeru admitted, "All I remember is losing and everything going dark." He immediately felt like kicking himself.
"Real suave, Takeru. Girls just love when you get existential." Fortunately, Kiku seemed impressed, and she moved to hang onto Takeru's arm. It had been six months since Takeru had come home, and he'd gotten better at opening up to Kiku, but this was the first time he'd been able to talk to her about the Ignis War. Up until now the loss of Flame had been too fresh.
As they walked, Takeru began to feel eyes on his back. At first he tried to ignore it, but when the feeling persisted, he began to tense up.
"Are you okay?" Kiku whispered.
"We're being followed," Takeru whispered.
Kiku yelped and clung tighter to his arm.
"Judging by her face, I'd say you noticed us," A group of thugs Takeru didn't recognize had blocked the path behind him, and he was willing to bet they were waiting ahead as well. He pushed Kiku behind him and raised his fists. The man who'd spoken, probably the leader, laughed.
"The boss said no witnesses. Kill the chick, take the guy alive."
"Eek! Takeru!" Kiku yelped
"Get ready to run when I tell you." Takeru said, sounding a lot calmer than he felt.
The leader lunged forward, brandishing a lead pipe. Reacting on pure muscle memory, Takeru grabbed the pipe and twisted it out of the man's grip, before slamming it into his gut. The thug dropped to the ground. Some of his cronies rushed forward. Takeru slammed the pipe into the shoulder of one of the attackers. When the man staggered, Takeru grabbed Kiku's hand and pulled her after him. Spurred on by fear and adrenaline, the two sprinted to Takeru's house and locked the door, whereupon they collapsed. After what seemed like an eternity, the voices outside faded and the couple each let out a shaky breath. Takeru was the first to stand up and peek out the window.
"They're gone," he said, half to reassure Kiku and half to calm himself. His girlfriend shuddered.
"Who were those guys?"
"I don't know, but I might know someone who can help me find out." Takeru pulled out his Duel Disk and sent a message.
"Hey Kusanagi, it's me. Some thugs came after me tonight, don't know who they were but they said their boss wanted me alive. Think you could do some digging to see who hired them?"
It didn't take long for a reply to pop up.
"I'm calling the others, we'll rendezvous in 15 min in VRAINS."
Takeru turned to Kiku.
"Tell my grandparents what happened when they get home."
With that he took a deep breath and held up his duel disk.
"Into the VRAINS!"
As Soulburner approached VRAINS SOL , he noticed that some of the group were already there. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was Blue Maiden and Ghost Girl, along with a girl he didn't recognize, who was wearing her fuschia hair in pigtails and a soft pink idol dress. He guessed probably Blue Maiden's girlfriend Miyu Sugisaki.
"Soulburner!" Blue Maiden called as he landed "It's been too long."
Soulburner grinned, "Missed you, Blue Maiden! You too, Ghost Girl." The latter briefly looked up from her Duel Disk and winked. He turned to the girl in the short pink and extended his hand for her to shake.
"I don't think we've formally met. Name's Soulburner."
"Wow it's so good to see you, well I guess not see you, more like meet you, though I guess I've never seen you so either works, oh where are my manners, I'm Mi-I mean Aquaria, I couldn't think of a name but Ao-I mean Blue Maiden said that my magic AI thing was named Aqua and-"
"Aquaria!" Blue Maiden laughed, "Remember to breathe, okay?"
"Right, sorry, I've heard so much about you meeting you is kinda making me nervous and I talk too much when I get nervous...which I realize I'm doing right now so I'm going to shut up."
"Don't sweat it. It's better than being so starstruck you hide in a classroom." Both girls chuckled at that.
"I was told there was an emergency," Everyone jumped at the sound of Revolver's voice. "And here I find you all lollygagging."
Aquaria yelped and grabbed Blue Maiden's hand.
"I'm great! How are you?" Soulburner joked, trying not to look at the scowl Spectre gave him.
"Delightful actually. Now that we're done with pleasantries, shall we discuss whatever the issue is?"
"We at least have to wait for Kusanagi." Blue Maiden pointed out, "He's the one who called this meeting."
"Which he is late to."
As if on cue Kusanagi logged in.
"Ah," Specter grinned, which caused Aquaria to back away, "Speak of the devil."
"Sorry I'm late," the hotdog vendor smiled sheepishly, "I was worried about leaving Jin alone. Are the others on their way?"
"My brother and my fiance are both otherwise detained." Ghost Girl spoke up. "Blue Maiden and I'll fill them in."
"And I'm here too!" Go Onizuka jumped from his D-Board and landed in a pose that was a hair too dramatic for the five inch drop. "I'm sorry! The kids held me up!"
"Yeah just wanted a dramatic entrance." Ghost Girl teased. Go mumbled something, but didn't refute her.
"Alright, so now that's everyone." Kusanagi said. "Now you're probably wondering why I called you all here."
"Because you always wanted to say that?"
Everyone whipped around, disbelief written on their faces.
"YUSAKU!" Soulburner shouted, nearly knocking Playmaker down with a bear hug. Blue Maiden wasn't far behind, wrapping the hero of LINK VRAINS in a tight embrace. Go pulled all three kids into a group hug. Miyu babbled an excited greeting. Kusanagi's grin lit up his whole face.
"Welcome back, kiddo." Ghost Girl beamed. Even Revolver cracked a smile. Specter's expression remained an unsettling grin.
"I haven't been gone that long," Playmaker said.
"No, only four months," Blue Maiden said, "We'll go over your cover story before school."
"Cover story?"
"Naoki was starting to theorize about where you'd gone."
"Oh...You were saying, Kusanagi?"
"Right, right," the hot dog vendor shook himself. "Soulburner, could you elaborate on the message you sent me?"
"Okay," Soulburner explained what had happened to him and Kiku.
"Oh shock of all shocks. A former delinquent getting attacked by some new kids trying to make a name for themselves. Stop the presses." Specter smirked.
"Normally I wouldn't have brought everyone in on this, but someone's been following Jin for a few days now, and my instincts tell me it's connected." Kansanagi said.
"Something happened to me last week," Aquaria volunteered. "I was going to the store, I was out of cereal and I didn't want to have to run out first thing in the morning, that might make me late for school, and then I'd have to walk in in the middle of class, and that would so embarrassing-"
"The point, please," Revolver rolled his eyes, earning a glare from Blue Maiden.
"Right, sorry, anyway, there was a guy following me, medical mask, sunglasses at night, a little like Em-er, Ghost Girl's brother, but it definitely wasn't him 'cause this guy was bald, anyway he came up to me and I got scared so I kicked him in the you-know-where's and ran home and didn't go to the store for a week."
Blue Maiden squeezed Aquaria's shoulders.
"If it scared you that much why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to worry, I feel so bad that you had to save me from Lightning I thought-"
"Aquaria," Blue Maiden looked her in the eyes, "Don't ever feel bad about needing help. I've missed you for 10 years, I'm not going to lose you." She stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss on Aquaria's brow.
"That goes for all of you." she added, giving Playmaker a look.
"Now that you mention it," Revolver said, "A couple days ago some idiots tried to hold up me and Specter at knifepoint. They seemed to know who we were, but I assumed I was being paranoid."
"What happened?" Go asked.
"Specter talked to them for 3 minutes." Revolver replied, "Then they turned the knives on themselves."
"So," Playmaker said thoughtfully, " I'm willing to bet you're right, Kusanagi, and they are related for 3 reasons. 1) Takeru's attackers said that they were working for someone who wanted him alive, but not Kiku. If it was just some tryhard kids they wouldn't have bothered with the distinction. 2) The attacks all happened within a short timespan. This suggests some sort of plan being put into action recently, and 3) Everyone in danger was alone, except Specter, who was with Revolver. This suggests targeted attacks, and what do we all have in common that might make us targets?"
"Oooh, oooh, pick me, I know!" A kid-maybe 15-butted into the conversation. He had blue hair, streaked with green and blue eyes.
"It's the Hanoi Project, right?"
There was a brief moment of silence before Takeru asked; "Who are you?"
"Oh, right," the kid grinned sheepishly. "I'm Zephyr, I know about the project 'cause the Wind Ignis was made from me."
"You're dead," Revolver half whispered.
Zephyr shrugged, "I don't know where you heard that. Aw! That sounded so lame! Hang on. Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. Was that any better?"
Revolver looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"That bad huh? Whatever, I'll come up with something better later. For now, I'm here to duel. Specifically, you." He pointed at Playmaker and a digital line connected their Duel Disks. "You've got some data Boss wants, and if I win, I get it. I lose, I won't bother you again."
Playmaker looked at the line and sighed.
"I can't refuse, can I?"
"Sorry, no." Zephyr summoned his D-Board
"Alright then," Playmaker summoned his own.
"DUEL!"