...Alright, I take back my previous statement. From now on, the updates will go from "monthly" to "whenever they're done". Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 5: Perfect Machine (Part 2)

I'm just a liar without deceiving

I'm just a broken clown

Make believing

I should've let you know

You should've ran for cover

I'm just a parlor trick

A two-bit counterfeit

The entire hallway was dark. As Evie closed the door to Room 101 behind them, Yamcha pulled the flashlight out and turned it on, piercing the darkness before them. Like the apartment, the hallway had seen better days, with the wallpaper peeling, the carpet was stained, there was a damp and moldy smell in the air, and everything was covered in dust and was decayed. The lights had no doubt been burnt out a long time ago, and there were no windows in the hallway, which resulted in the entire area being plunged into darkness. The hallway ended to his immediate right with a door, though it had a big padlock on it, that had a red 'Exit' sign above it.

But most odd of all were the doors in the hallway. Room 101 was at the very end of the hallway, but the doors down the halls were either completely boarded up with rotting wood, or, to Yamcha's surprise, looked as if they had been completely covered up in cement, blocking any chance of entering or exiting them.

But even so, he couldn't deny the air of familiarity when he looked down the long stretch of hallway.

Yamcha turned to Evie. "Hey, do you know what happened to this town?" he asked.

Evie paused for a moment, as if contemplating what she was going to say, then responded, "Honestly, the details are a bit fuzzy. All I know is that there was some kind of…'accident' in this town years ago, one that was bad enough to make everyone abandon it. But I don't remember what the 'accident' was."

Yamcha blinked as he processed her words. It was new information, though it didn't really tell him anything. Sure, he had somewhat of an explanation to why Kioku Town was abandoned, but it only left him with more questions. What exactly did she mean by 'accident'? What could've happened that made everyone leave?

Maybe Sencha and Tenshi would be able to tell him when he found them.

"Come on," Yamcha said as he turned left and walked down the hallway, with Evie right behind him. As they walked, Yamcha couldn't help but take in the sight of each door he passed. Whether they were boarded up or cemented over, Yamcha couldn't help but wonder something that sent an uneasy feeling down his spine.

Whoever did this…Were they trying to keep something out, or keep something in?

Honestly, after everything he had been through, Yamcha didn't even want to entertain the idea. Instead, he chose to focus on the room numbers as he passed them. 105…106…107…108…109—

Yamcha stopped in his tracks as his eyes landed on the door to Room 109. There weren't any boards or cement covering it up. Nothing was stopping someone from going through it. Curiosity once again overtook him and he found himself walking up to the door, grabbing the handle and giving it a twist. Sure enough, it opened up into the apartment with a quiet groan, practically beckoning him to come in.

Yamcha led the way inside. Evie followed suit and closed the door behind her as the ex-bandit looked around. The only light source in the room came from the windows, prompting Yamcha to turn the flashlight off and temporarily store it in the bag. It looked identical to Room 101—same layout, similar decaying furniture, same number of doors, which were currently all closed, and the same amount of dust and filth on almost everything.

Why would this apartment be accessible while the others weren't? No sooner had the question entered Yamcha's mind than he heard Evie's voice. "What's this?" He looked over to see that she had walked past him and was standing in front of the breakfast bar, picking something up from the counter and holding it between her fingertips. Yamcha walked over and realized that it was a coin, particularly a silver coin with the imprint of an old man on one side and a gravestone on the other. Unlike everything else in the apartment, it was clean and even shiny.

"Not very cute, is it?" Evie asked rhetorically, almost sounding disappointed. Then she turned to her companion with a grin as she held up the coin. "Here, Yamcha, you have it."

Yamcha blinked at the coin but accepted it nonetheless, taking it from her fingertips and placing it in his own hand. He glanced back over to Evie. "Thanks, but…What would we need this for?"

The bluenette merely shrugged. "Who knows? We might have a use for it later." She sent him a playful wink.

Yamcha looked back at the silver coin. She did have a fair point. He couldn't think of anything they'd use it for right now, but that didn't mean it wouldn't come in handy later on. He put the coin in the messenger bag, figuring it'd be the one place he wouldn't lose it, and when he looked up, he noticed a piece of paper with writing on the breakfast bar, having been right next to the coin when Evie found it.

'The scars from the past shall remove the nail that stops time.'

Yamcha stared at the paper for a moment, trying to comprehend the words. But the more he thought about it, the more unnerved he felt. He wasn't entirely sure what it meant, but something told him that he didn't want to know.

"I don't see anything else in this room that's interesting," Evie's voice knocked him out of his thoughts, sounding as bored as she looked. "Come on. Let's see what else is around here."

She turned and opened the door, leaving the room without giving him a chance to argue. Yamcha sighed inwardly and just followed her. Even though there didn't seem to be anything nearby—the music box had been mercifully silent the whole time—he didn't like the idea of leaving her behind. Who knows what could been in these apartments?

The two of them continued to look around after Yamcha stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him, digging the flashlight out again to illuminate the darkened hallway. The rest of the first-floor hallway was fruitless, with all the other doors either boarded up or cemented over, and before they knew it, they had made it to a door at the other end of the hallway. It was covered up like the others, and was actually cracked open a bit…

Yamcha pushed the door open with a loud creak and saw that it was a staircase that led upstairs, most likely to the second floor. "What are you waiting for, an invitation?" Evie teased behind him. "Let's go! I wanna see the rest of these apartments!"

Yamcha fought the urge to roll his eyes as he led the way, walking up the old stairs, which groaned under their weight. It only took two quick flights of stairs before they reached a door with a single 2 on the front. Yamcha reached out to test it and found it unlocked, pulling it open to the second-floor hallway.

It looked identical to the first-floor hallway, with the apartment doors either boarded up or cemented over. Nevertheless, Yamcha and Evie walked through the hallway. Who knows, maybe this hallway had an open room like the first one? It didn't take long for them to get an answer in the form of Room 207. Just like Room 109, it wasn't covered up, and when Yamcha walked up to it and twisted the knob, it was unlocked and opened up into the apartment.

Once again, this room had the same layout as the last two room. However, this one didn't have the same furniture as the others. The only piece of furniture in the room was an old, filthy drawer, and when Yamcha and Evie got closer to inspect it, they found two things. The drawer had five small, round indents on its front, right below the handle. And there was a single piece of paper on top of the drawer, which Yamcha picked up to read.

'Three bright coins in five holes be

At one end sits the Seducer of she

The wind from behind the woman doth play

The Formless One, Null, lies furthest from they

The Old One beside the Serpent sits not

'Tis to the Prisoner's left that he doth rot'

Yamcha scrutinized the words, only feeling confused. Was this…some kind of riddle? He didn't understand it. He looked it over again, and paused when he reread the first line. 'Three bright coins in five holes be'. Wait a minute…

He scanned the paper over and his eyes landed on the five indents on the drawer, and realized that they were big enough to house one coin each. Then his eyes scanned the paper again and landed on the words 'The Old One'.

It couldn't be that easy…Could it?

Yamcha set the paper back down on the drawer, digging through the bag as Evie picked up the paper to read it herself. He quickly found the silver coin with the imprint of the old man on it, holding it between his fingers. Evie finished reading and seemed to make the same conclusions as she looked up at him. "Do you think…?" she started to say but trailed off, though she didn't need to finish.

"It could be," Yamcha admitted, putting the coin back in his bag. Evie handed the paper back to Yamcha, who looked it over once more. Three coins…It clearly told them where the coins were supposed to be, albeit in the form of an annoying riddle, but they only had one coin right now. Where would the other ones be? Hidden somewhere within these apartments? It was a shot in the dark, but based on what they had so far, it wasn't unbelievable.

But one question itched at Yamcha's mind: what was the purpose of this?

He reached back over to the drawer and gave the handle a quick tug, only to find that it was jammed, sounding as if it was locked. Yamcha couldn't explain it, but he felt like something was in that drawer, and he was itching to find out what it was. He looked back at the paper again. This was just another shot in the dark, but…Was this a way of unlocking it?

As if she had heard his thoughts, Evie piped up, "Guess we shouldn't waste any time in hunting for coins, huh?" she quipped. At this point, Yamcha saw no reason to argue as he folded the paper up and place it in the bag as well. And who knows?

Maybe this puzzle had something to do with Sencha and Tenshi.

The two of them left the room, heading back out into the hallway. Sure enough, there was another uncovered apartment not too far from them. Room 210. Yamcha grabbed the knob, but to his surprise, it was locked. He blinked, then sighed. So much for getting in this one. He started to walk away, only to pause when Evie spoke up. "Where are you going?"

He looked back over his shoulder at her. "The door's locked," he explained. "Let's see if we can find another one."

Evie looked back at the apartment number and giggled softly. "We can get in here," she said simply.

Yamcha blinked at her. "How?"

"I didn't say it earlier, but I found a key right before you came crashing in," the blue-haired woman explained. "A key to Room 210. It wasn't needed before, so I didn't bring it up."

A grin found its way to Yamcha's face as he turned and walked back over to Evie. "You do?" She nodded once. "That's great! Where's the key?"

Evie didn't give a verbal response. Instead, a smirk appeared on her face as she raised one hand to the collar of her tank top to pull it away from her body, while her other hand reached towards her cleavage. Yamcha immediately looked away. He had enough years of experience with Bulma to know when a woman was hiding something in her bra. And he was a bit abashed to know that, had it not been for the fact that he was in a committed relationship, he would've tried to sneak a peek…

The sound of the lock clicking drew Yamcha's attention back to the door, and he turned to see Evie holding a key in one hand and pulling it away from the door. A small key with the number '210' carved onto it. Evie started to put the key back in her bra, and Yamcha chose to quickly open the door and step inside to avoid looking at her, only to freeze in his tracks when he caught sight of something in the room.

There was an old sewing mannequin in the middle of the apartment, placed in the midst of the other furniture. But what creeped Yamcha out were the clothing it was clad in. The mannequin was wearing a sleeveless green tunic with red trimming and a white circle on the chest with the kanji "楽" symbol in the middle, tan cargo pants, a white sash tied around its waist, and an orange cloth tied around its shoulders. Unlike everything else in the apartments, the clothes were fresh and clean, as if they had just come straight from the factory.

Yamcha couldn't help the chill that went down his spine. He recognized those clothes anywhere. It was the outfit he had worn during his days as a desert bandit, when he had first met Goku at sixteen. It was just unnerving, to see it here. Why was it even here in the first place?

Evie, meanwhile, had walked past Yamcha and up to the mannequin, giving it a once-over with a raised brow. "Not exactly 'fashionable', is it?" she asked rhetorically. She chuckled to herself. "Who thinks it's a good idea to even wear something like this?" Yamcha narrowed his eyes at her, though didn't get a chance to protest as Evie added on, "Anyways, you think this place had any coins?"

Coins. That's right. Yamcha happily took the distraction from the mannequin to look around. Maybe it was on the breakfast bar? That was where the first coin was, after all. But one quick check confirmed that no, it wasn't there. The ex-bandit glanced around again, and this time noticed that the bathroom door was cracked open slightly. He walked over and pushed the door open, and as he stepped inside the bathroom, a glimmer caught his eye and he looked towards the source.

In the sink was a single copper coin, the same size as the silver coin, and when Yamcha picked it up to examine it, he saw that it had the imprint of a snake on one side and a crescent moon on the other. Satisfied, he put the copper coin in the bag. Two down, one to go.

"Found it," Yamcha announced as he exited the bathroom. Evie, who had been searching the kitchen cabinets mere moments before, looked up with a gruntled grin. "Come on, let's find the last one." He headed out of the apartment with the bluenette, refusing to even look at the mannequin as he passed it. He didn't know why it was there, but right now, he didn't even care to know why.

The rest of the apartments in this hallway were inaccessible. So, with practically no choice left, Yamcha and Evie headed back to the door they had first come through, going back to the staircase. Another two flights of stairs later, they found themselves at the door to the third and final floor.

But as soon as Yamcha set foot into the third-story hallway, a sudden loud, muffled scream reached his ears. He nearly jumped out of his skin, rapidly scanning the hallway. What the hell was that?!

"…Please tell me you heard that," Evie said quietly, timidity piercing her tone. Yamcha nodded mutely. He glanced down at his bag. The music box was still silent, but it did little to ease his nerves. It wasn't until he looked back up that he realized that the door closest to them—Room 301—was uncovered, though he got a daunted feeling when he looked at the door.

He was hesitant at first, but Yamcha opened the door and stepped inside with Evie right behind him, and when he did, he suddenly understood why. The only furniture in the living room area was a single loveseat that was facing a television, which was turned on but had a snowy screen and was letting out a hissing noise of static…and fresh blood had been splashed onto the screen and over the loveseat and carpet beneath them. There were streaks of blood on the ground leading from the loveseat to the main bedroom door, which was slightly open, as if whoever was bleeding had been dragged there…

Yamcha gulped nervously at the sight, unable to tear his gaze away. Next to him, Evie looked no better, practically shaking where she stood. Then, the blue-haired woman took a few tentative steps towards the bedroom. The action snapped Yamcha out of his stupor, and after a moment of hesitation, he followed suit. Evie made it to the bedroom door after a minute or so and pushed it open to peek inside. But as soon as she did so, she gasped loudly and rushed away from the door, looking ready to be sick at any moment. Yamcha's eyes widened at her reaction. Then, for what felt like the millionth time, morbid curiosity won him over and he looked into the bedroom…and placed a hand over his mouth as nauseating horror shot through him.

A corpse was sprawled out on the bed. Large amounts of blood had pooled onto the sheets and the floor. The corpse was covered in deep wounds, looking as if he had been severely bludgeoned to death, to the point where his face was unrecognizable beneath the bloodied flesh and the long, tangled mess of black hair. His clothing, which had once been a black tank top and blue trousers, were now nothing more than bloodstained, shredded messes.

Yamcha had to hold back his stomach at the sight, and the overwhelming metallic scent of blood wasn't helping him. At this point, with everything he had already seen in this town, this should be tame in comparison. But he couldn't help it. That's when he noticed that the window was open, letting the cold, snowy air into the room, and blood was splashed on the windowsill…as if whoever had done this had dumped the body on the mattress and escaped out the window…Who could've…?

"Yamcha?" Evie's voice meekly called out from the kitchen area, making him look over his shoulder. "I…I think I saw a coin on the bed…But I don't wanna go back in there…"

Yamcha looked back at the bed, and sure enough, there was a single gold coin resting on the one corner of the bed that wasn't coated in blood. He carefully walked over to the bed, trying not to step into the pools of scarlet as he reached over and picked up the coin. It was the same size as the other two, and the pictures…on one side was the image of a woman with shoulder-length hair and a blindfold covering her eyes, while the other side held the image of what looked like a nest with three small eggs.

"I'm sorry," he whispered under his breath, turning his head so he wouldn't have to look at the corpse as he placed the coin in the bag. A feeling of shame crept in. If he had gotten here earlier, maybe this person would still be alive. And on top of that, it was almost like he was stealing from a dead body. They needed the coin for the puzzle, but that thought did little to ease him.

Not wanting to stay another minute, Yamcha quickly left the room, making sure to close the door behind him. He looked up to see Evie still standing in the kitchen, an unnerved expression on her face. "Let's…Let's just leave," he said quietly. The blue-haired woman nodded solemnly, not even attempting to argue as the two of them silently exited the apartment.

The only place left to go now was back to Room 207. They had all three coins, so it made sense. Neither of them spoke as they made their way down the stairs and into the second hallway. But there was a silent mutual agreement between them: they just wanted to solve this puzzle and get out of these apartments.

The moment he stepped into the second hallway, the flashlight started flickering, forcing the hallway to transition between alit and dark several times. Yamcha stopped for a moment to glare down at it. "Come on…" he grumbled out, giving it a few gentle smacks. It took a few more seconds, but the light finally steadied. He really hoped the batteries would last a little bit longer, at least until he found the girls.

Once they were back inside Room 207, Yamcha put the flashlight away and pulled the paper containing the riddle out to read it over once more. He narrowed his eyes at the words, trying to figure it out. He paused to pull all three coins out and place them on top of the drawer so they were side-by-side, looking back and forth between the paper and the coins.

Evie was at his side as he did so, looking over the riddle as well. She let out a small hum of thought, making Yamcha look up at her. "'At one end'…'furthest from they'…" she muttered out loud, turning her gaze to the coins. "So, one end has the snake while the other is empty…"

Yamcha returned his gaze to those two particular lines and realized that she was right. His eyes then fell to the third line. 'The wind from behind the woman doth play.' His attention fell on the golden coin, and that's when he realized that the woman was looking to the left. 'To the prisoner's left'… "Yeah…" he said quietly. It was all starting to click now. If he was right, then the order must be…

Evie seemed to have made the same connections, as she picked up the golden coin and placed it in the middle indent with a tiny, metallic snick. It made sense, really.

With the last line in mind, Yamcha picked up the silver coin and placed it in the second indent.

And finally, as his eyes scanned both the second and the penultimate lines one last time, he picked up the copper coin and placed it in the last indent on the right.

As soon as he did so, a click filled the air, signaling that the drawer was now unlocked. Evie's face lit up as Yamcha allowed a bit of victorious laughter to escape his lips. He reached over and grabbed the handle, pulling the drawer open. Inside was a single key, identical to the one that Evie had used to access Room 210. But when Yamcha picked it up to examine it, the number '311' was carved into it instead.

If the feelings of nostalgia had slapped him in the face before, it was hitting him like a freight train right now. Hotaru Apartments, Room 311. Even the words themselves were ringing familiar bells. Had he once known that place well? If so, maybe that's where Sencha and Tenshi were waiting.

Looks like this puzzle had been worthwhile after all.

"Room 311?" Evie asked out loud, examining the key in Yamcha's hand. He gave her a single nod in lieu of a verbal response.

The two of them exited the room again, heading back up towards the third floor. But when they got halfway up the stairs, the flashlight once again started to flicker. Yamcha and Evie both stopped in their tracks, with the former grumbling, "Not again." He gave the flashlight a couple of gentle smacks again, but unlike last time, the flickering refused to cease. "Oh, screw it," Yamcha sighed, turning off the flashlight and plunging the stairs into darkness. Next to him, he could hear Evie let out a small, surprised squeak. A small pang of guilt hit him. Yeah, maybe he should've warned her first…

But that wasn't too important right now. Yamcha stored the flashlight back in the bag and held up one hand, forming his own light source with a bit of chi in his palm. As soon as the pale blue glow touched her, Evie's face lit up. "Whoa…" she breathed out in awe, her gray-blue gaze transfixed on it. "What is that?"

"It's called chi," Yamcha explained. "It's the life force energy inside all of us. I've learned how to harness it."

"That's…Wow…" Evie said, her voice barely above a whisper. Yamcha couldn't help but smile warmly at her reaction.

With the chi source lighting their way, the two of them walked through the third-floor hallway and quickly came upon Room 311, uncovered and practically beckoning him to come inside. Yamcha fit the key in the hole, hearing the satisfying click of it unlocking. He quickly pulled the key out and didn't hesitate to push the door open.

"Hello?" He called out as he killed the chi light and stuffed the key in his bag, walking inside the apartment with Evie right behind him. He looked out around, trying to find a sign that someone else was here. "Tenshi? Sencha? Are you in here?" Only silence answered him back. He frowned in confusion. But…he was sure they'd be here! If not, then where…?

Evie had closed the door behind her, curiously looking around the apartment as she walked around. "Hey, do you know this place?" she asked, making him turn to her. She chuckled softly to herself as she removed her leather jacket and placed it on the couch. "What, did you use to live here or something?"

Live here…

The moment those words left her mouth, it was like a chord was struck within him. Now it made sense…

"This…" Yamcha said quietly, looking around the apartment for the first time. It was nearly identical to the other ones they had entered thus far, consisting of only an aged couch and coffee table. It was visually no different. But this one…

He walked up to the couch, momentarily oblivious to Evie's eyes on him. "We used to watch cartoons here, and it's where Grandma would sleep whenever she'd visit…" the words left his mouth without him even realizing; his eyes falling on the empty space where the TV stand once sat. He walked away, glancing at the empty spot in front of the open window. "That's where the dining table was…" He turned his head to the kitchen area. "Mom and Grandma always loved cooking and baking…" He glanced between the two bedrooms. "Mom and Dad's room…Mine and Sencha's room…"

There was no way he could deny it.

"This was my family's apartment."

Evie looked a bit surprised, but Yamcha hardly noticed as colors and images filled his vision. Another memory. The apartment was now full of life and gave the ex-bandit a warm, cozy feeling as he took in his surroundings. It was exactly as he remembered it. The apartment was decorated beautifully in the theme of red, green and white. There was a pine tree sitting in a nearby corner, decked out in lights, ornaments, tinsel and the obligatory star on top. The TV was on and playing an old timey black-and-white Christmas movie.

The ghostly image of Tenshi was sitting on the couch, smiling as she enjoyed the movie and happily munching on his mother's famous chocolate peppermint cookies. Yamcha couldn't help but noticed that she looked quite a bit older now—a preteen or teenager, if he guessed correctly. Her messy blue hair ended just past her shoulders, she was taller, and it looked like puberty had definitely started to change her.

The sound of humming reached his ears, and he looked up to see the images of Fukusa and Ochako were in the kitchen area, putting the finishing touches on dinner. There was a calendar up on the wall in the kitchen, giving Yamcha the exact date of this memory. December 1, Age 743.

Yamcha looked around for his father and spotted him standing by the door, which was currently open and he was looking at something down the hallway with an amused smile on his face. Before Yamcha could go see what he was looking at, the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps reached his ears, and within seconds, Chawan stepped out of the way just as the ghostly images of his younger self and Sencha bolted into the apartment. Just like Tenshi, the two of them were a bit older than the last few memories, looking to be just on the cusp of puberty, with Yamcha's dark hair ending just above his shoulders and his sister's hair ending at her midback.

Sencha had a victorious look on her face as she skidded to a halt, both her and the younger Yamcha panting as Chawan closed the door. "I don't get it," the younger Yamcha growled out, narrowing his eyes at his twin. "You've always got your nose in a book! How are you faster than me?!"

Sencha merely giggled at him. "Strength isn't everything, Yams," she said teasingly. "You've got to plan ahead. You're the one who used up all of your energy by going full speed at the start of the race."

Tenshi, who had been watching from the couch, laughed softly to herself as the younger Yamcha sent a glare her way. Honestly, Yamcha couldn't help but chuckle as well. More memories like this were resurfacing. He always loved playing and spending time with Sencha and Tenshi. Kami, how long had to been since those days?

"And you better not forget our bet," Sencha said, giving her brother a smirk. Her words made Yamcha blink. Bet?

As he watched his younger self pause to glance over at his parents and grandmother before signaling for Sencha to follow him to the couch, it finally clicked for him. That's right. They had bet that, if Sencha won this race, then Yamcha would have to…

"C'mon, just tell us already," Sencha said, excitement filling her voice as she and Tenshi eagerly waited on the couch next to him.

The younger Yamcha threw one last glance at the rest of his family, who were too busy in the kitchen to notice anything they were saying and doing, then turned back to his sister and friend to quietly say, "Remember how Dad and I were going to visit uncle Tasseo today?" They both nodded. "Well, while we were there, I overheard a secret about the town."

The girls both looked intrigued, and it piqued Yamcha's interest as well. A secret? But just before his younger self could say anything else, the memory faded away, leaving behind the dilapidated apartment. Dark eyes narrowed in confusion. What kind of 'secret' would his younger self have?

Uncle Tasseo…Now he remembered. Tasseo was his father's older brother, and he loved his family very much and used to visit whenever he could. But then the visits stopped one day. It had happened when the twins were five. He…had gone to jail. Their parents hadn't gone into detail, but they just said that he made some 'bad choices'. And when they were old enough to understand, Fukusa and Chawan had sat them down and explain what happened: Tasseo had gotten into drug trafficking, both for the money and to support a new addiction. His uncle wasn't a bad person, he just made a few bad decisions and was in jail because of them.

But his uncle had been getting better. Even though he had only been a child, Yamcha could see it every time they visited him. The jail had admitted him into rehab as he served time there, and if he recalled correctly, Tasseo was happier sober and eager to finish his sentence so he could be with his family again.

At that moment, something else clicked in his mind. A secret that only the three of them knew…Of course, it made sense! If Sencha and Tenshi were going to wait for him somewhere, then it would be somewhere special for them. He could feel hope begin to swell up inside of him. Maybe whatever this secret was, it had to do with where they were.

But what was the secret? He skimmed through the memories he had recovered thus far, but nothing was coming up.

"What was that?" Evie's mystified voice broke Yamcha from his thoughts. He looked up to see that she had never moved from her spot behind the couch, her jacket still resting on the filthy cushions. An astonished expression was on her face, her eyes rapidly scanning the apartment.

Yamcha couldn't find his voice for a second, then managed to quietly ask in disbelief. "Wait…You saw that, too?" Evie nodded mutely in response. He didn't know how to respond for a moment. Those were his memories. How was she able to see them as well? He briefly wondered if she had telepathic abilities—the other Z-Fighters certainly did—but immediately discarded that idea. She didn't even know what chi was until a minute ago, for crying out loud!

He didn't a chance to think about it any further when a sudden sound reached his ears, making his mind grind to a halt as he froze. It was the familiar sound of faint, softly hissing static.

Oh no…

Yamcha whirled around on the spot so he was facing the open window. It couldn't be…

The soft hissing turned into a shrill whirring noise, slowly growing louder with each passing second, and were now accompanied by approaching steps. And seconds later, a grainy voice began to echo throughout the town, clearly coming from a radio. It was incomprehensible at first, but it soon cleared up. And Yamcha didn't like what he heard.

"We regret to report a brutal killing that took place last night. A woman and her two children were murdered by their husband and father. This killing has flared up the debate over gun control once more, as the father purchased the handgun used in this killing at his local gun store two days earlier. This murder took place while the family was gathered at home last night.

"The father went out to his car, retrieved the handgun, and shot his wife while she was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. The family's thirteen-year-old daughter came to investigate the commotion, and the father shot her, too. His ten-year-old son had the good sense to hide in the bathroom, but reports suggest that he lured him out by telling him it was just a game. The boy was found shot once in the stomach from point-blank range."

The words grew louder with each step. And not a second later, the music box came to life, its quiet melody echoing off the walls of the apartment.

"Police arriving on-scene after neighbors called 911 found the father in his car, listening to the radio. Several days before the murders, neighbors say they heard the father repeating a strange phrase and a sequence of numbers in a loud voice. They said it was like he was chanting some strange spell.

"There was another family shot to death in the same state last month, and in December of last year, a man used a gun and a meat cleaver to murder his entire family. In each case, the perpetrators were fathers. State police say the string of domestic homicides appears unrelated, though it could be part of a larger trend, such as employment, childcare, and other social issues facing the average family."

The 'report' ended, immediately being replaced with the shrill whirring noises once more. Despite every fiber of his being screaming at him to run and hide, Yamcha crept over to the window. He instinctively reached up to grab the sashes and pull the window close, but froze halfway in his action as soon as he realized that there were no sashes. It looked as if they had been ripped clean off the window. There was nothing to close.

Against his better judgment, Yamcha leaned his head forward to look around outside. Maybe if he could pinpoint where exactly it was coming from, then he could—

All thoughts grinded to a halt when he turned to his right and saw the silhouette in the fog. The silhouette of a tall, bony, almost humanoid creature with a siren for a head. The silhouette that was growing closer and closer with each step it took, causing the music box to grow louder and louder.

"Evie, we need to leave," Yamcha said quickly, turning and bolting towards the door. He grasped the handle, but just as he was about to turn it, he looked back over his shoulder, expecting to see Evie standing right behind him. Instead, the bluenette was standing directly in front of the window. "Evie!" he exclaimed, letting go of the handle to run over to her. "What are you doing?! We need to leave now!" The music box, footsteps and shrill noises grew in intensity, only furthering the ex-bandit's anxieties.

"It's you."

Those two words made Yamcha pause. Evie hadn't moved a muscle when she spoke, still gazing outside the window. And her voice…It didn't sound scared or unnerved or anything like that. Rather, it sounded…almost nostalgic, as if she was just now recognizing someone…

"Evie, what…?" Yamcha started to say, but caught himself and shook his head. "Evie, we don't have time for this! We have to go!" He reached over to grab ahold of her wrist, hoping he could rush both of them out of the room before Siren Head got here. They could talk about whatever this was later.

But as soon as his fingers barely grazed the skin of her arm, Evie violently yanked her arm away as if she had been burned. Yamcha's mind barely had time to process this before the bluenette suddenly slammed both hands into his chest. There ended being a lot more force behind it than he was expecting, and the surprised ex-bandit was sent flying backwards. He felt his back crash into something—definitely one of the nearby doors, based on the sound of wood loudly snapping—and banged the back of his head against something cold and hard a second before he hit the ground back first.

Yamcha groaned loudly as he raised himself up on his elbows, rubbing the back of his head as soreness pulsed through it. What the…Why the hell…?!

He didn't get to think any further before he heard it.

The familiar wail of a siren, much closer and much louder than the last two times.

No…No!

Sharp agony pierced Yamcha's brain, forcing him to shut his eyes as he fell back to the ground. No, not again! Please!

The siren's wail finally died down into silence after several long, agonizing seconds, and before both it and the pain completely faded, a rotting stench hit Yamcha's nose. He raised a hand to cover his mouth and nose as he pulled himself up into a sitting position, and nearly identical to last time, the world was pitch-black when he reopened his eyes.

Not this again…

"Evie?" he called out, though it was slightly muffled by his hand. He was met with silence once more. No footsteps, no static…and the music box had stopped playing as well…

"Evie!" he said again, a little louder this time. Again, no response. Yamcha reached into his bag with his free hand and pulled the flashlight out, letting out a sigh of relief when it turned on. At least something was going his way.

That relief was short-lived, though, when he got a good look at his surroundings. He was in the guest bathroom, with the door having been knocked off its hinges and split apart into several parts that were now on the ground; the walls were rotting and caked in grime and dried blood, while the floor was cracked and smeared with fresh blood, the coppery scent nearly overpowering the putrid stench. The bathtub, which he now realized was what he slammed his head again, was covered in mold and dirt and cracked like the floor; the sink, mirror and toilet were in no better condition.

Yamcha stood back up and slowly walked back into the living room. Sure enough, it was no different from the bathroom. The rugs and furniture looked severely decayed and were covered in holes and some kind of black gunk. The windows were now completely boarded up, the counters were covered in a mix of blood and mold, and parts of the ceiling were either cracked or completely ripped away, revealed a metal chain-link fence-like covering beneath a black sky.

And Evie was nowhere to be seen.

Yamcha had to look away, feeling his stomach churn. He didn't understand this at all. Why…Why was any of this happening?! A part of him wanted to scream at the top of his lungs in frustration. At this point, he was willing to take any kind of explanation, no matter how asinine.

Yamcha wasn't sure how much time had passed, whether it be several long seconds or merely a few minutes, before he happened to turn his head and spotted something on the back of the couch. It took him a moment to realize that it was Evie's leather jacket, exactly where she had put it minutes before. He walked over to it and picked it up, and it wasn't until he was holding the article of clothing that he realized it was…bigger now? He narrowed his eyes as he held it up in front of him. Yeah, it definitely was bigger…and looked to be roughly his size…

He blinked at the jacket, setting the flashlight and bag down on the couch before trying the leather jacket on out of curiosity. And it fit perfectly…

"Okay, now you're just screwing with me!" Yamcha yelled out to no one in particular, angrily snatching up his bag and flashlight. He probably just alerted another creature to his presence by yelling, but he really didn't care at the moment. Come to think of, now that he had finally screamed something out in frustration, how were these things able to find him in the first place?

Not a moment later, a thought hit him, making his stomach sink. Those creatures…Could they find him thanks to his chi? It made sense, in a way. Both times that Siren Head showed up had been right after he had used his chi, and that figure at the schoolhouse hadn't been there until after he used it.

If that was the case, he couldn't risk using his chi, not even as a light source. It just wasn't worth it if he was going to get attacked, and who knows how many more of those creatures could be lurking in this town. From now on, he was going to have to rely solely on walking and his physical strength.

Something glistened out of the corner of his eye, making him turn towards the source. Sitting on the coffee table were three items. Two of those items were stuffed animals. The first was a brown teddy bear with a blue ribbon tied around its neck, while the second was a light gray bunny with drooping ears and a pink ribbon tied around its neck. Both of them were worn out with age, but were surprisingly clean and free of any blood or grime. Yamcha couldn't help but get a sense of déjà vu when he looked at them, but wasn't sure why. And sitting in between the two toys was a single padlock key.

Yamcha walked over to the coffee table and picked up the key. If this was going to be anything like the coin puzzle, then he would probably need it sometime in the future. No sooner had he done so when the memory of seeing a padlock on the first-floor exit resurfaced in his mind. He wasn't sure how the key had gotten here, but right now it didn't matter. He stored the key in the messenger bag. He could use it to leave the apartments…and then…

His confused mind searched for what to do next. Tasseo…He learned about some kind of 'secret' while visiting him at…at…

Still holding the flashlight in one hand, Yamcha dug the map out of the bag again and looked it over. His eyes found it almost immediately, as if they were drawn to it. Near the edge of the town was a picture of a single building with the words 'Geppei Prison' written beneath it. He was starting to remember. Geppei was a minimum-security prison, which was where Tasseo had been transferred to finish up his sentence, after completing his drug rehabilitation at another prison in a different city.

Yamcha had a feeling that, whatever the 'secret' was, he'd find out there.

He located the Hotaru Apartments on the map and mentally mapped out the quickest route. "Just a couple of streets, and then this alleyway…" he said under his breath. He exhaled quietly as he folded the map back up and stored it in the bag, turning towards the door.

It was now or never. If he wanted to find Sencha and Tenshi and get them out of here safely, then he couldn't waste another moment. And he hoped that, wherever Evie was, she would be safe.

But as he walked towards the main door and was about to reach for the handle, the music box came to life, its quiet melody breaking through the silence.

Lay your heart into my perfect machine

I will use it to protect you from me

I will never let you see what's beneath

So good for you and good for me

We told ourselves we're

Right where we ought to be