Disclaimer: The Gatekeepers series and its characters are owned by Gonzo.
Microsz Presents A Gatekeepers Fanfic GATEKEEPERS: REVISITED
Chapter 3: The Search for Ukiya
Megumi Kurogane, is the AEGIS Gatekeeper who once allied herself with the invaders and Reiji Kageyama, the evil Gatekeeper also known as Shadow. The girl who possessed the 'Gate of Iron Wall' and who always competed with Ruriko at Tategami High School to no avail looked but a former shadow of herself. For starters, she no longer sported two pony tails on her head. Her black hair was short just like what Kaoru's hair used to look like years ago. She's not wearing glasses anymore (granted that they were only for show, they were not prescribed) but more noticeable is the expression that she has on her face. Remorse perhaps?
"Megumi Kurogane has volunteered to assist you in locating Ukiya and the other missing Gatekeepers," said the Commander. "Considering the fact that we are a bit short on manpower and we have no idea about the current number and strength of the invaders, we certainly could use all the help that we could get," he added.
There was an awkward silence in the room. None of the Gatekeepers expected to see her again, more so to work with her after what she has done. Megumi on her part just stared on the floor no doubt feeling apprehensive about facing her former comrades once more. It seemed that no one was going to say anything until.
"It's good to see you again Kurogane-san!" said Ruriko. "How are you doing?" she smiled as she offered her hand to Megumi.
'You are glad to see me? After all I did to you? This must be a ruse, I know deep inside of her she hates me, she's probably laughing at me for my failures,' Megumi thought. 'She sure looks sincere though. What are you waiting for? This is your chance to apologize!'
She shook her hand and said, "Um. well. Ikusawa-san. Gomen. I'm sorry for everything that I have done to you. I-I wasn't thinking." Megumi bowed her head. "I'm sorry mina-san."
Kaoru was taken aback, she was actually apologizing. Megumi was always so full of pride that she always criticized them (particularly Reiko-san) for their mistakes and shortcomings in battles. Now she was apologizing? Whether it really was a sincere apology or not, Kaoru knew that their search will be easier with her help. Ukiya's life is at stake here, that is if he is 'still' alive.
'Iie,' thought Kaoru. 'He is still alive. I just know it,' as Kaoru got beside herself for thinking so negatively. She turned to the commander and asked, "Any ideas on where we should start searching for Ukiya-senpai?"
"Your best course of action so far is to go to New York. Gather more information about Ukiya's disappearance and see if you can come up with something," said the commander.
"New York?!! Alright!! I'm going to America!! I better call my mother!!" said Bancho enthusiastically.
"Yosh!" said Ruriko as she clapped her hands together. "Let's get going everyone!"
"Roger! AEGIS!" as everyone simultaneously put up their right hand and flashed a V-sign. "Before you leave for New York you're going to need a few things," as the commander pushed another button on his desk. Another door opened to his left and a tall boy stepped out followed by a black metal box which hovered a few inches off the ground. It took the rest of them a few seconds before they recognized who the boy was.
"Specs!" shouted Bancho. "Long time no see! Heh heh, looks like you've finally grown!
'Specs' or Megame-kun is the chief engineer of the AEGIS Far-East branch even though he is only a teenager. Like everyone else, he has grown up. Though he still wears eyeglasses, he has grown significantly taller (almost as tall as Bancho) and has bulked up a little bit. He's a far cry from what he used to look like three years ago, short and scrawny.
"Hai, Bancho-san. It nice to see all of you," said Specs as he adjusted his eyeglasses. "Since we don't have any time to waste, I'll get down to business," he added pushing a switch in his hand. The black metal box slid- open and revealed its contents.
"As the commander said, you are going to need a few things to aid you in your mission," said Specs. He picked up a small object which was the size of a small bean and showed it to everyone.
"This is a state-of-the-art miniature universal translator. Put this in your ear and you will be able to understand any language or dialect on this planet. Of course it has limitations, it is a one-way translator, meaning you will be able to understand foreign languages but it doesn't enable you communicate in another language."
"Which is why we asked for the help of an American Gatekeeper to translate for you as well as guide you around in New York," the commander cut-in.
"Who?" asked Bancho.
"It could only be Jun Thunders," said Ruriko. "Remember her? She was the American Gatekeeper who helped us defeat Count Evil, General Machine and Shadow. The Gate of Lightning."
"Yes, Ikusawa-kun you are right," confirmed the commander. "We asked her to help and she was more than willing to do it."
"Uh-hum, moving on commander I would like to continue," quipped Specs.
He picked up another gadget which looked liked a handle-grip and gave it to Ruriko. Ruriko took it in her hand and the object transformed into a bow.
"That bow is much more powerful than your old one, it contains a small- energy amplifier much more powerful than what was inside Ukiya's wooden sword," he continued as he gave Ruriko as set of small retractable arrows.
"Arigato Megame-kun," said Ruriko as she examined her new bow. 'It's been a while since I've shot a bow and arrow. I wonder if I'm still good at it'
Specs then took what looked-like a small tube (roughly the size of a lipstick) and gave to Reiko. "That one is for you Reiko, I apologize we couldn't provide you with you're favourite instrument." I decided to go for portability and durability instead of usability since you are now able to use your ability without an instrument.
"What is it?" asked Reiko. Her question was answered when the object transformed into a flute. "Oh I see. Well it's not a piano but I still know how to use it. It looks cool, thank you."
"What about us?" asked Feye.
"Ah Yes, since the rest of you guys don't need any special instrument in order to use your powers effectively I decided to make you these," smiled Specs as he showed them four round shaped silver wrist-watches with a black strap.
"Aside from serving as communicators, those watches also contain energy amplifiers to boost your abilities. It will also enable us to track you wherever you are," he said handing Feye, Bancho, Kaoru and Megumi a watch.
"Here you go Ruriko-san, Reiko-san," continued Specs giving each one them a watch. "It doesn't have an amplifier but it will still serve you well."
"Now that you have received your weapons and translators, you can now proceed to New York. Find Ukiya-kun and the other missing Gatekeepers. Make a sortie Gatekeepers!" said the commander firmly.
"Roger!! AEGIS!!" said everyone in unison.
===========
His bleeding left shoulder is mercifully numb. A fractured rib reminds him he's alive. Notwithstanding the fact that he's barely given food and water, it is a miracle that he is still alive. In all likelihood however, Shun Ukiya, a Gatekeeper of the AEGIS Far East Division will be dead before long.
He has lost track of how long he has been held captive. He doesn't know where he is. He has forgotten how many times he's been tortured, tested and forced to reveal his ability over and over again. If he were an ordinary man he would have just resigned to his fate and wished to die, fortunately for Ukiya he is not an ordinary man. He is a Gatekeeper, a person with the ability to summon energy from an alternate space, in his case giving him the ability to use the wind and accelerate vehicles to over 300 mph; the Gale Gate.
'A few more days, I would have enough strength to escape or at least put up another good fight,' he thought to himself. It was not the first time that he tried to escape from his captors - the Invaders - and his next attempt won't certainly be his last.
'Even though I failed to escape from them at least one thing's for certain, they still want me alive, for the moment at least.' He stared at the ceiling of his 6' x 8' cell which was lit by a solitary light bulb. He turned his aching wrists which were cuffed to the wall along with his feet. 'I wonder if anyone knows that I've been kidnapped,' he asked himself.
- FLASHBACK -
About three months ago.
"Ukiya, do you want to go clubbing with us?" asked one of Ukiya's female classmates.
"Sorry, but I have to take a rain check on that. Uh.. um, I still have a lot of school projects to finish,' said Ukiya as he scratched his nose.
"C'mon Ukiya, it's a weekend. As they say all work and no play." she said grabbing Ukiya by the arm.
"I'm sorry Kate but I can't, maybe next time."
"Oh, alright. But you're definitely going with us next time!" smiled Kate.
"Sure, next time. Have fun!" quipped Ukiya. Kate waved goodbye at Ukiya and went to join her friends. Ukiya was somehow reminded of a certain girl he knows with the same positive disposition towards him. "Just like Kaoru." he smiled.
'What am I doing? I should be having fun on a weekend not doing homework. Am I really trying to avoid getting close to any girl here? There's nothing wrong with getting close to someone, is there? It's not like that I would be cheating on a girl friend. He began to think about a certain long haired girl wearing a yellow ribbon and a beautiful smile on her face.
"I guess I better write to Rurippe and the rest of the guys. I'm sure Kaoru would be mad at me if I missed writing to her."
Ukiya left for the dormitory which was also located at the University. New York State University is one the largest universities in New York about five times the size of Tategami High School.
As Ukiya was nearing his dormitory, he paused and looked around.
"That's odd, why is it so quiet? Usually music would be booming out of one of the dorm rooms by now," observed Ukiya. 'Well I can ignore the silence but this is ridiculous, no one seems to be around,' he further thought.
Perhaps he is just getting paranoid, maybe there is a big party that he doesn't know about and everybody is there. Maybe it's just another school prank, but after fighting Invaders he knows that people don't just usually disappear in campus without a reason, especially in a large university.
He entered the dorm building, the dormitory lounge was empty. Usually, it would be occupied by a lot of students, guys and gals alike. It was the only part of the building where girls were allowed as the dormitory was for guys only so it is the most popular place in the building. 'Where is everyone?' he asked himself. 'Even Mr. Stevens is not here."
Mr. Stevens is the dorm custodian, making sure that no student was to bring a girl inside the dorm rooms. Then something suddenly hit Ukiya, an eerie feeling he hadn't felt for a long time.
"Could it be?" he asked. "Is it possible that they've come back?"
Ukiya was heading for his dorm room when a hand grabbed his shoulder.
"Ukiya, Mr. Richards wants to see you in his office. Now."
Ukiya turned around to see that it was Michael Brachman, a pale looking guy that transferred to the university two months ago. He avoided contact with others students and gets irritated quickly even with the most trivial things. Ukiya certainly didn't like Brachman and he knew that Brachman didn't like him either judging from the way that he looks at him when they pass each other in the hall.
"Sure, thanks Brachman. I'll go see him after I put my bag back in my room."
"Dr. Richards instructed me to make sure that you go see him. I'll wait for you here," said Brachman.
"Suit yourself," quipped Ukiya. "I'll be back soon."
After a few minutes Ukiya came down. Brachman led the way towards the office of Dr. Richards, the Dean of Engineering. As they entered the Engineering building, Ukiya again took notice that no one was around.
He asked Brachman, "Do you know where everyone is?"
"They're all at the pep rally at the football field for the big game tomorrow," Brachman quickly replied.
"I see." 'It makes sense,' thought Ukiya. He remembered that almost all students liked to attend pep rallies of the football team. He remembered the time when Kate forced him to attend one. Almost everyone was there - students and teachers alike - the football stadium was jam packed; full of cheering students, and that was just for a game which still has to be played the next day.
Ukiya never really cared for American football; he never did understand the rules or liked the sport. He preferred soccer to American football. Ukiya smiled as he remembered the time when Kaoru tried to teach him a soccer move called the 'Submarine Shot' and got injured trying to execute it. Ruriko, who was a substitute nurse at the school clinic refused to use her gate powers to cure him and instead used iodine which of course really hurt.
They were nearing Dr. Richards' office when Ukiya caught glimpse of a flier posted on the bulletin board.
NYSU FOOTBALL PEP RALLY SUPPORT THE TEAM AND SHOW YOUR SCHOOL SPIRIT!!!! BE THERE!!!! WEDNESDAY 8 PM at NYSU STADIUM
"Hey Brachman, do you know what day it is?"
"It's Tuesday Ukiya, now will you shut up!" said Brachman who was obviously starting to get irritated.
Ukiya stepped back and drew his retractable wooden sword that he took from his dorm room. "Alright Brachman, who are you!? And happened to the students!?"
Brachman stopped dead on his tracks and turned around. He had an evil grin to his face. "You know Ukiya, you should worry more about yourself rather than those worthless bugs!" exclaimed Brachman in a monotone voice.
Brachman raised his right arm which transformed into a huge muzzle like that of a bazooka. He took a shot at Ukiya who managed to dodge as a sonic wave passed him hitting the corridor wall.
BRRRRAAAAAAMM!! There was now a huge hole in the corridor wall as dust and debris covered the hallway. 'Brachman's an invader! A Fukuoka type,' thought Ukiya, shaking off the dust from his head.
He took a peek at the hallway to see if Brachman was still there. He wasn't. 'Alright Ukiya, calm down. You can do this even though it's been three years since you've fought an invader' he thought trying to reassure himself.
Ukiya cautiously walked along the hallway, his ears alert to every noise which would give away location of the invader. He turned a corner when he saw Brachman standing near the Dean's office.
"C'mon, let's see how the legendary Shun Ukiya fares against the new generation of Invaders!" sneered Brachman.
"Oh you'll see! Vacuum Missile!!" shouted Ukiya. A blue bolt of energy hurled straight towards Brachman. To Ukiya's shock his vacuum missile went through the invader and it disappeared.
"Is that the best that you can do!? You disappoint me human!!" said Brachman who appeared behind Ukiya. Before he could react he felt a painful thump behind his neck. "Da.mn.it.," was all that Ukiya could muster before he lost consciousness.
"Good work Brachman, the master would be pleased," said another voice behind Brachman.
"That was easy," bragged Brachman. "But what do we do if his friends come looking for him?"
"I'll worry about that Brachman, now pick him up. Master will have a lot use for him" said the sinister voice. "After you deliver him to the Master I have another task waiting for you my young charge."
"And what is that task sir?" asked Brachman. "Do you want me to come after the others?"
"One stone at a time Brachman, one stone at a time."
- END OF FLASHBACK -
'Curse that Brachman!' thought Ukiya. 'I promise I'll make him pay for this a thousand fold!'
His cell door began to open and Ukiya knew that it was that 'time' again, another round of tests, torture and pain. Four invaders stepped inside the cell, uncuffed his hands and feet from the wall, put a blindfold on him and dragged him to the testing cell.
During the time that he's been held captive by the invaders, Ukiya noticed that these invaders were a lot different from the ones he used to fight with his friends. They were very methodical, precise and extremely cruel. They were unlike the previous invaders who never displayed such emotion, such attitude like they were almost human. He never got a look of the invaders who were doing the tests and tortures on him. They really took pleasure in testing him, the more he resisted the better they liked it. Ukiya got wise to this during the recent weeks and just gave in to his captors.
'It's no use resisting, I would just waste my energy. I have to conserve my strength for my escape,' thought Ukiya as he was cuffed to a metal table.
"Subject U-01 seems to have given up resisting," said one of the testers.
"He is after all human. He just reached his limit and is now broken," said another.
"When are we going to dispose of this bug?" asked the former.
"Soon, we almost have all the data that we need," replied the other.
"I'm looking forward to testing Subject M-02. The master said that she is a high-level Gatekeeper."
"Shut up! You talk too much! Let's begin!" ordered the other which sounded superior in rank.
'She? They've captured another Gatekeeper? I hope it's not one of my friends!' wished Ukiya. 'I really have to find a way of getting out of here! I have t...' his thoughts were cut as a high voltage of electricity surged through his body.
"Aaaaaargh!!"
===========
"We'll be landing shortly, please fasten your seatbelts," Specs's voice boomed over the flight intercom.
It's been a long non-stop flight from Tokyo to New York City. Normally, a flight from Tokyo to New York would require several stops at various airports around the world to refuel but the Gatekeepers' aircraft isn't ordinary, the YS-15 an upgraded version of YS-11 has been modified by Specs to cover great distances at half the time.
"There it is! The Statue of Liberty!" exclaimed Reiko. "We're in New York!"
"Woooow!" was all that Feye could say.
"Focus everyone!" said a determined Ruriko. "Remember that we are not here on vacation, we are here to search for Ukiya-kun and the other missing Gatekeepers."
"She's right you know," said Kaoru in support of Ruriko.
The rest of the Gatekeepers all nodded in agreement.
"YS-15, this is Control Tower II you are cleared for landing," said a voice on the radio.
"Roger Control Tower II, I am starting to make my approach," confirmed Specs.
He lined up the plane for its entry, deployed the landing gear and made a perfect landing. Aside from being the chief mechanic of AEGIS FE Division, this intellectually gifted teenager is an excellent pilot. The YS-15 taxied around the airport and slowly came to a halt.
"Welcome to New York City!" exclaimed Specs as he spoke once again into the intercom. "Good luck!"
"So this is America!" said Bancho excitedly as he got on his knees and kissed the ground.
"Bancho stop that!" ordered Kaoru. 'It's a good thing that no one else can see you doing this. It's embarrassing,' she further thought.
Luckily, one of the perks of being an AEGIS Gatekeeper is the privilege of skipping procedures and protocols. The Gatekeepers just flashed their Almighty Licenses and went through customs without being hassled. They proceeded towards the V.I.P lounge where they met a familiar face.
"Welcome to New York," smiled a very beautiful lady in her twenties. Her long black hair and fair smooth skin made her a sight to marvel as she could easily pass for a supermodel.
"It's good to see you too, Ms. Jun Thunders," said Ruriko. "We really appreciate your help."
"Think nothing of it," said Jun. "What are friends and comrades for? Besides I also want to find Jim, Ukiya and the others."
"I managed to set an appointment with Mr. Richards, the Dean of Engineering of the New York State University. He was more than willing to help us out," continued Jun.
"Let's get going. Please follow me everyone."
They proceeded out of the airport and boarded two black cars which were provided by the AEGIS New York Headquarters. On their way to the university they marvelled at the tall buildings and skyscrapers of New York. The streets were busy with the hustle and bustle of people going on with their daily lives, oblivious to the fact that the invaders are once again stirring.
The cars entered the NYSU campus and stopped at the university parking lot. The young Gatekeepers stepped out of the cars and followed Jun who was leading the way. They made their way through several buildings and finally entered the engineering building. After walking up several flights of stairs, they reached the office of the Dean.
"We're here. Since there are many of us, I suggest that only Ruriko and I go see the Dean," said Jun. "The rest of you, just wait here," she continued and entered the office.
Ruriko was about to enter the door when someone grabbed her shoulder.
"I must come too, Ikusawa-san," said Megumi. She had a serious look on her face.
Realizing that Megumi was so adamant about going, Ruriko agreed.
"Oh, alright you can come too. The rest of you just wait here and stay out of trouble," she reminded them.
They entered the office and saw a woman in her forties taking phone calls, and jotting down messages.
"You are here to see the Dean, am I right? You friend is already inside," she said as she pointed them towards another door.
The door opened and Jun came out. "What kept you so long? It's rude to keep a person waiting. And what is Megumi doing here?"
"It's my call Jun, I'm the leader of this mission and I want her to come with us," said Ruriko firmly in Japanese. "Let's go."
The girls entered the room; it was a modest office with mahogany tables and shelves filled with books ranging from Physics to Chemistry and Aerodynamics. The walls were adorned by various pictures, diplomas and certificates of recognition. The man sitting behind the table stood up and gave a smile.
"Ah, you must be Ukiya's friends from Japan. Please take a seat," he said. The man was in his fifties, had dark gray hair, pale skin and small dark beady eyes. He sat down and took a good look at the young Japanese ladies before him.
"Dr. Richards, may I introduce you to Ms. Ruriko Ikusawa and Ms. Megumi Kurogane. Ladies, this Dr. Nathan Richards, the Dean of the Engineering Department," said Jun.
"Nice to meet you sir," said Ruriko in perfect English which she learned at the Central University in Tokyo.
Megumi on the other hand said nothing. She just stared at the man, as if she's trying to figure something out.
"It a pleasure to meet you ladies, please take a seat," muttered Dr. Richards.
After the girls took their seats, Dr. Richards continued.
"First of all, I am very sorry to hear about Ukiya Shun's disappearance. He's such a fine young man," he said sincerely. "Rest assured that I am willing to answer whatever questions you have. If you need to talk to other students at the campus I am more than happy to arrange it."
"Thank you sir, if you don't mind I would like to ask you a few questions," said Ruriko.
"Go on."
"According to preliminary reports, Ukiya came to see you to ask for a leave of absence from school. Is this true?" asked Ruriko.
"Yes," he quickly replied.
"I was wondering why Ukiya would do that. The semester had already begun and if he wanted to go back to Japan he could have done so during the summer break. Can you just apply for a leave anytime?" she continued.
As the Dean made his explanation Megumi just kept quiet and stared at Dean. There was something odd about him; she just couldn't put a finger on it. His behaviour was normal for a human, but she keeps getting a peculiar vibration from him. She felt the same when she was with Reiji Kageyama.
'I know that something's wrong with him. But how do I prove it?' she further thought. 'Oh what the heck!! I'll just have to take a chance! I hope that I'm right otherwise I might end up in jail, Gatekeeper or not.'
Ruriko was just about to thank Dr. Richards for his cooperation when.
"You're a liar!" accused Megumi. 'That's just great Megumi. You've got the delusional and paranoid young woman down to pat!' she thought. She took a letter opener which was lying on the desk and slashed the Dean's hand.
"Young lady what was that for!?" he shouted as he covered his left hand.
"Megumi! What did you do? I'm sorry sir, I can heal your hand just let me have a look at it," said a concerned Ruriko.
"N-No it's alright. I'll just go to the infirmary," he murmured.
But Ruriko managed to grab his left hand, and to her surprise there was no blood, just a huge cut on his hand.
'No blood! But that's impossible! Megumi cut his hand! Could the Dr. Richards be a..' her thought was cut-off as Dr. Richards grabbed her left arm and twisted it around her back and used her as a shield.
"Very good Ms. Kurogane. You managed to sense that I am an Invader. It took you long enough though. It seems your negative gate isn't as strong as I thought," sneered Dr. Richards.
"I knew that sooner or later you Gatekeepers would eventually come looking for your friend. I'm sorry to say that you will not live long enough to . . aargh!!"
Dr. Richards reeled back as Ruriko managed to get one of her retractable arrows and stabbed the invader at its leg.
"Jun-san!" Ruriko shouted as she ducked for cover.
"GATE OPEN!!! Thunderbolt!!!" shouted the Gatekeeper of Lightning. A surge of lightning streaked towards Dr. Richards and hit him squarely at his torso. The impact sent the invader hurling breaking the wall and falling four stories down. They looked out of the wall to check on their enemy.
"He's gone!" said Ruriko who was trying her best to compose herself.
"Let's discuss that later. We've got more pressing issues to worry about at the moment," said Jun calmly.
"Such as?" asked Ruriko as she tried to survey the surroundings where Dr. Richards landed hoping to find some traces of the invader.
"Like these invaders who suddenly appeared out of nowhere!!" shouted Megumi.
To Ruriko's astonishment, they were surrounded by a dozen invaders. And they are certainly not there to give them a warm campus welcome.
- END OF CHAPTER 3 -
[Author's Note: Sorry if I took a long time to update, working after all is very time consuming. I hope that whoever reads this fanfic will be entertained. Well as you now know Ukiya is still alive and kicking well. sort of. And finally some action!! I hope that you guys and gals who read this liked it! Watch out for the continuation of Gatekeepers: Revisited - Chapter 4: Kindred Spirits! More interesting plot and story twists.]
Microsz Presents A Gatekeepers Fanfic GATEKEEPERS: REVISITED
Chapter 3: The Search for Ukiya
Megumi Kurogane, is the AEGIS Gatekeeper who once allied herself with the invaders and Reiji Kageyama, the evil Gatekeeper also known as Shadow. The girl who possessed the 'Gate of Iron Wall' and who always competed with Ruriko at Tategami High School to no avail looked but a former shadow of herself. For starters, she no longer sported two pony tails on her head. Her black hair was short just like what Kaoru's hair used to look like years ago. She's not wearing glasses anymore (granted that they were only for show, they were not prescribed) but more noticeable is the expression that she has on her face. Remorse perhaps?
"Megumi Kurogane has volunteered to assist you in locating Ukiya and the other missing Gatekeepers," said the Commander. "Considering the fact that we are a bit short on manpower and we have no idea about the current number and strength of the invaders, we certainly could use all the help that we could get," he added.
There was an awkward silence in the room. None of the Gatekeepers expected to see her again, more so to work with her after what she has done. Megumi on her part just stared on the floor no doubt feeling apprehensive about facing her former comrades once more. It seemed that no one was going to say anything until.
"It's good to see you again Kurogane-san!" said Ruriko. "How are you doing?" she smiled as she offered her hand to Megumi.
'You are glad to see me? After all I did to you? This must be a ruse, I know deep inside of her she hates me, she's probably laughing at me for my failures,' Megumi thought. 'She sure looks sincere though. What are you waiting for? This is your chance to apologize!'
She shook her hand and said, "Um. well. Ikusawa-san. Gomen. I'm sorry for everything that I have done to you. I-I wasn't thinking." Megumi bowed her head. "I'm sorry mina-san."
Kaoru was taken aback, she was actually apologizing. Megumi was always so full of pride that she always criticized them (particularly Reiko-san) for their mistakes and shortcomings in battles. Now she was apologizing? Whether it really was a sincere apology or not, Kaoru knew that their search will be easier with her help. Ukiya's life is at stake here, that is if he is 'still' alive.
'Iie,' thought Kaoru. 'He is still alive. I just know it,' as Kaoru got beside herself for thinking so negatively. She turned to the commander and asked, "Any ideas on where we should start searching for Ukiya-senpai?"
"Your best course of action so far is to go to New York. Gather more information about Ukiya's disappearance and see if you can come up with something," said the commander.
"New York?!! Alright!! I'm going to America!! I better call my mother!!" said Bancho enthusiastically.
"Yosh!" said Ruriko as she clapped her hands together. "Let's get going everyone!"
"Roger! AEGIS!" as everyone simultaneously put up their right hand and flashed a V-sign. "Before you leave for New York you're going to need a few things," as the commander pushed another button on his desk. Another door opened to his left and a tall boy stepped out followed by a black metal box which hovered a few inches off the ground. It took the rest of them a few seconds before they recognized who the boy was.
"Specs!" shouted Bancho. "Long time no see! Heh heh, looks like you've finally grown!
'Specs' or Megame-kun is the chief engineer of the AEGIS Far-East branch even though he is only a teenager. Like everyone else, he has grown up. Though he still wears eyeglasses, he has grown significantly taller (almost as tall as Bancho) and has bulked up a little bit. He's a far cry from what he used to look like three years ago, short and scrawny.
"Hai, Bancho-san. It nice to see all of you," said Specs as he adjusted his eyeglasses. "Since we don't have any time to waste, I'll get down to business," he added pushing a switch in his hand. The black metal box slid- open and revealed its contents.
"As the commander said, you are going to need a few things to aid you in your mission," said Specs. He picked up a small object which was the size of a small bean and showed it to everyone.
"This is a state-of-the-art miniature universal translator. Put this in your ear and you will be able to understand any language or dialect on this planet. Of course it has limitations, it is a one-way translator, meaning you will be able to understand foreign languages but it doesn't enable you communicate in another language."
"Which is why we asked for the help of an American Gatekeeper to translate for you as well as guide you around in New York," the commander cut-in.
"Who?" asked Bancho.
"It could only be Jun Thunders," said Ruriko. "Remember her? She was the American Gatekeeper who helped us defeat Count Evil, General Machine and Shadow. The Gate of Lightning."
"Yes, Ikusawa-kun you are right," confirmed the commander. "We asked her to help and she was more than willing to do it."
"Uh-hum, moving on commander I would like to continue," quipped Specs.
He picked up another gadget which looked liked a handle-grip and gave it to Ruriko. Ruriko took it in her hand and the object transformed into a bow.
"That bow is much more powerful than your old one, it contains a small- energy amplifier much more powerful than what was inside Ukiya's wooden sword," he continued as he gave Ruriko as set of small retractable arrows.
"Arigato Megame-kun," said Ruriko as she examined her new bow. 'It's been a while since I've shot a bow and arrow. I wonder if I'm still good at it'
Specs then took what looked-like a small tube (roughly the size of a lipstick) and gave to Reiko. "That one is for you Reiko, I apologize we couldn't provide you with you're favourite instrument." I decided to go for portability and durability instead of usability since you are now able to use your ability without an instrument.
"What is it?" asked Reiko. Her question was answered when the object transformed into a flute. "Oh I see. Well it's not a piano but I still know how to use it. It looks cool, thank you."
"What about us?" asked Feye.
"Ah Yes, since the rest of you guys don't need any special instrument in order to use your powers effectively I decided to make you these," smiled Specs as he showed them four round shaped silver wrist-watches with a black strap.
"Aside from serving as communicators, those watches also contain energy amplifiers to boost your abilities. It will also enable us to track you wherever you are," he said handing Feye, Bancho, Kaoru and Megumi a watch.
"Here you go Ruriko-san, Reiko-san," continued Specs giving each one them a watch. "It doesn't have an amplifier but it will still serve you well."
"Now that you have received your weapons and translators, you can now proceed to New York. Find Ukiya-kun and the other missing Gatekeepers. Make a sortie Gatekeepers!" said the commander firmly.
"Roger!! AEGIS!!" said everyone in unison.
===========
His bleeding left shoulder is mercifully numb. A fractured rib reminds him he's alive. Notwithstanding the fact that he's barely given food and water, it is a miracle that he is still alive. In all likelihood however, Shun Ukiya, a Gatekeeper of the AEGIS Far East Division will be dead before long.
He has lost track of how long he has been held captive. He doesn't know where he is. He has forgotten how many times he's been tortured, tested and forced to reveal his ability over and over again. If he were an ordinary man he would have just resigned to his fate and wished to die, fortunately for Ukiya he is not an ordinary man. He is a Gatekeeper, a person with the ability to summon energy from an alternate space, in his case giving him the ability to use the wind and accelerate vehicles to over 300 mph; the Gale Gate.
'A few more days, I would have enough strength to escape or at least put up another good fight,' he thought to himself. It was not the first time that he tried to escape from his captors - the Invaders - and his next attempt won't certainly be his last.
'Even though I failed to escape from them at least one thing's for certain, they still want me alive, for the moment at least.' He stared at the ceiling of his 6' x 8' cell which was lit by a solitary light bulb. He turned his aching wrists which were cuffed to the wall along with his feet. 'I wonder if anyone knows that I've been kidnapped,' he asked himself.
- FLASHBACK -
About three months ago.
"Ukiya, do you want to go clubbing with us?" asked one of Ukiya's female classmates.
"Sorry, but I have to take a rain check on that. Uh.. um, I still have a lot of school projects to finish,' said Ukiya as he scratched his nose.
"C'mon Ukiya, it's a weekend. As they say all work and no play." she said grabbing Ukiya by the arm.
"I'm sorry Kate but I can't, maybe next time."
"Oh, alright. But you're definitely going with us next time!" smiled Kate.
"Sure, next time. Have fun!" quipped Ukiya. Kate waved goodbye at Ukiya and went to join her friends. Ukiya was somehow reminded of a certain girl he knows with the same positive disposition towards him. "Just like Kaoru." he smiled.
'What am I doing? I should be having fun on a weekend not doing homework. Am I really trying to avoid getting close to any girl here? There's nothing wrong with getting close to someone, is there? It's not like that I would be cheating on a girl friend. He began to think about a certain long haired girl wearing a yellow ribbon and a beautiful smile on her face.
"I guess I better write to Rurippe and the rest of the guys. I'm sure Kaoru would be mad at me if I missed writing to her."
Ukiya left for the dormitory which was also located at the University. New York State University is one the largest universities in New York about five times the size of Tategami High School.
As Ukiya was nearing his dormitory, he paused and looked around.
"That's odd, why is it so quiet? Usually music would be booming out of one of the dorm rooms by now," observed Ukiya. 'Well I can ignore the silence but this is ridiculous, no one seems to be around,' he further thought.
Perhaps he is just getting paranoid, maybe there is a big party that he doesn't know about and everybody is there. Maybe it's just another school prank, but after fighting Invaders he knows that people don't just usually disappear in campus without a reason, especially in a large university.
He entered the dorm building, the dormitory lounge was empty. Usually, it would be occupied by a lot of students, guys and gals alike. It was the only part of the building where girls were allowed as the dormitory was for guys only so it is the most popular place in the building. 'Where is everyone?' he asked himself. 'Even Mr. Stevens is not here."
Mr. Stevens is the dorm custodian, making sure that no student was to bring a girl inside the dorm rooms. Then something suddenly hit Ukiya, an eerie feeling he hadn't felt for a long time.
"Could it be?" he asked. "Is it possible that they've come back?"
Ukiya was heading for his dorm room when a hand grabbed his shoulder.
"Ukiya, Mr. Richards wants to see you in his office. Now."
Ukiya turned around to see that it was Michael Brachman, a pale looking guy that transferred to the university two months ago. He avoided contact with others students and gets irritated quickly even with the most trivial things. Ukiya certainly didn't like Brachman and he knew that Brachman didn't like him either judging from the way that he looks at him when they pass each other in the hall.
"Sure, thanks Brachman. I'll go see him after I put my bag back in my room."
"Dr. Richards instructed me to make sure that you go see him. I'll wait for you here," said Brachman.
"Suit yourself," quipped Ukiya. "I'll be back soon."
After a few minutes Ukiya came down. Brachman led the way towards the office of Dr. Richards, the Dean of Engineering. As they entered the Engineering building, Ukiya again took notice that no one was around.
He asked Brachman, "Do you know where everyone is?"
"They're all at the pep rally at the football field for the big game tomorrow," Brachman quickly replied.
"I see." 'It makes sense,' thought Ukiya. He remembered that almost all students liked to attend pep rallies of the football team. He remembered the time when Kate forced him to attend one. Almost everyone was there - students and teachers alike - the football stadium was jam packed; full of cheering students, and that was just for a game which still has to be played the next day.
Ukiya never really cared for American football; he never did understand the rules or liked the sport. He preferred soccer to American football. Ukiya smiled as he remembered the time when Kaoru tried to teach him a soccer move called the 'Submarine Shot' and got injured trying to execute it. Ruriko, who was a substitute nurse at the school clinic refused to use her gate powers to cure him and instead used iodine which of course really hurt.
They were nearing Dr. Richards' office when Ukiya caught glimpse of a flier posted on the bulletin board.
NYSU FOOTBALL PEP RALLY SUPPORT THE TEAM AND SHOW YOUR SCHOOL SPIRIT!!!! BE THERE!!!! WEDNESDAY 8 PM at NYSU STADIUM
"Hey Brachman, do you know what day it is?"
"It's Tuesday Ukiya, now will you shut up!" said Brachman who was obviously starting to get irritated.
Ukiya stepped back and drew his retractable wooden sword that he took from his dorm room. "Alright Brachman, who are you!? And happened to the students!?"
Brachman stopped dead on his tracks and turned around. He had an evil grin to his face. "You know Ukiya, you should worry more about yourself rather than those worthless bugs!" exclaimed Brachman in a monotone voice.
Brachman raised his right arm which transformed into a huge muzzle like that of a bazooka. He took a shot at Ukiya who managed to dodge as a sonic wave passed him hitting the corridor wall.
BRRRRAAAAAAMM!! There was now a huge hole in the corridor wall as dust and debris covered the hallway. 'Brachman's an invader! A Fukuoka type,' thought Ukiya, shaking off the dust from his head.
He took a peek at the hallway to see if Brachman was still there. He wasn't. 'Alright Ukiya, calm down. You can do this even though it's been three years since you've fought an invader' he thought trying to reassure himself.
Ukiya cautiously walked along the hallway, his ears alert to every noise which would give away location of the invader. He turned a corner when he saw Brachman standing near the Dean's office.
"C'mon, let's see how the legendary Shun Ukiya fares against the new generation of Invaders!" sneered Brachman.
"Oh you'll see! Vacuum Missile!!" shouted Ukiya. A blue bolt of energy hurled straight towards Brachman. To Ukiya's shock his vacuum missile went through the invader and it disappeared.
"Is that the best that you can do!? You disappoint me human!!" said Brachman who appeared behind Ukiya. Before he could react he felt a painful thump behind his neck. "Da.mn.it.," was all that Ukiya could muster before he lost consciousness.
"Good work Brachman, the master would be pleased," said another voice behind Brachman.
"That was easy," bragged Brachman. "But what do we do if his friends come looking for him?"
"I'll worry about that Brachman, now pick him up. Master will have a lot use for him" said the sinister voice. "After you deliver him to the Master I have another task waiting for you my young charge."
"And what is that task sir?" asked Brachman. "Do you want me to come after the others?"
"One stone at a time Brachman, one stone at a time."
- END OF FLASHBACK -
'Curse that Brachman!' thought Ukiya. 'I promise I'll make him pay for this a thousand fold!'
His cell door began to open and Ukiya knew that it was that 'time' again, another round of tests, torture and pain. Four invaders stepped inside the cell, uncuffed his hands and feet from the wall, put a blindfold on him and dragged him to the testing cell.
During the time that he's been held captive by the invaders, Ukiya noticed that these invaders were a lot different from the ones he used to fight with his friends. They were very methodical, precise and extremely cruel. They were unlike the previous invaders who never displayed such emotion, such attitude like they were almost human. He never got a look of the invaders who were doing the tests and tortures on him. They really took pleasure in testing him, the more he resisted the better they liked it. Ukiya got wise to this during the recent weeks and just gave in to his captors.
'It's no use resisting, I would just waste my energy. I have to conserve my strength for my escape,' thought Ukiya as he was cuffed to a metal table.
"Subject U-01 seems to have given up resisting," said one of the testers.
"He is after all human. He just reached his limit and is now broken," said another.
"When are we going to dispose of this bug?" asked the former.
"Soon, we almost have all the data that we need," replied the other.
"I'm looking forward to testing Subject M-02. The master said that she is a high-level Gatekeeper."
"Shut up! You talk too much! Let's begin!" ordered the other which sounded superior in rank.
'She? They've captured another Gatekeeper? I hope it's not one of my friends!' wished Ukiya. 'I really have to find a way of getting out of here! I have t...' his thoughts were cut as a high voltage of electricity surged through his body.
"Aaaaaargh!!"
===========
"We'll be landing shortly, please fasten your seatbelts," Specs's voice boomed over the flight intercom.
It's been a long non-stop flight from Tokyo to New York City. Normally, a flight from Tokyo to New York would require several stops at various airports around the world to refuel but the Gatekeepers' aircraft isn't ordinary, the YS-15 an upgraded version of YS-11 has been modified by Specs to cover great distances at half the time.
"There it is! The Statue of Liberty!" exclaimed Reiko. "We're in New York!"
"Woooow!" was all that Feye could say.
"Focus everyone!" said a determined Ruriko. "Remember that we are not here on vacation, we are here to search for Ukiya-kun and the other missing Gatekeepers."
"She's right you know," said Kaoru in support of Ruriko.
The rest of the Gatekeepers all nodded in agreement.
"YS-15, this is Control Tower II you are cleared for landing," said a voice on the radio.
"Roger Control Tower II, I am starting to make my approach," confirmed Specs.
He lined up the plane for its entry, deployed the landing gear and made a perfect landing. Aside from being the chief mechanic of AEGIS FE Division, this intellectually gifted teenager is an excellent pilot. The YS-15 taxied around the airport and slowly came to a halt.
"Welcome to New York City!" exclaimed Specs as he spoke once again into the intercom. "Good luck!"
"So this is America!" said Bancho excitedly as he got on his knees and kissed the ground.
"Bancho stop that!" ordered Kaoru. 'It's a good thing that no one else can see you doing this. It's embarrassing,' she further thought.
Luckily, one of the perks of being an AEGIS Gatekeeper is the privilege of skipping procedures and protocols. The Gatekeepers just flashed their Almighty Licenses and went through customs without being hassled. They proceeded towards the V.I.P lounge where they met a familiar face.
"Welcome to New York," smiled a very beautiful lady in her twenties. Her long black hair and fair smooth skin made her a sight to marvel as she could easily pass for a supermodel.
"It's good to see you too, Ms. Jun Thunders," said Ruriko. "We really appreciate your help."
"Think nothing of it," said Jun. "What are friends and comrades for? Besides I also want to find Jim, Ukiya and the others."
"I managed to set an appointment with Mr. Richards, the Dean of Engineering of the New York State University. He was more than willing to help us out," continued Jun.
"Let's get going. Please follow me everyone."
They proceeded out of the airport and boarded two black cars which were provided by the AEGIS New York Headquarters. On their way to the university they marvelled at the tall buildings and skyscrapers of New York. The streets were busy with the hustle and bustle of people going on with their daily lives, oblivious to the fact that the invaders are once again stirring.
The cars entered the NYSU campus and stopped at the university parking lot. The young Gatekeepers stepped out of the cars and followed Jun who was leading the way. They made their way through several buildings and finally entered the engineering building. After walking up several flights of stairs, they reached the office of the Dean.
"We're here. Since there are many of us, I suggest that only Ruriko and I go see the Dean," said Jun. "The rest of you, just wait here," she continued and entered the office.
Ruriko was about to enter the door when someone grabbed her shoulder.
"I must come too, Ikusawa-san," said Megumi. She had a serious look on her face.
Realizing that Megumi was so adamant about going, Ruriko agreed.
"Oh, alright you can come too. The rest of you just wait here and stay out of trouble," she reminded them.
They entered the office and saw a woman in her forties taking phone calls, and jotting down messages.
"You are here to see the Dean, am I right? You friend is already inside," she said as she pointed them towards another door.
The door opened and Jun came out. "What kept you so long? It's rude to keep a person waiting. And what is Megumi doing here?"
"It's my call Jun, I'm the leader of this mission and I want her to come with us," said Ruriko firmly in Japanese. "Let's go."
The girls entered the room; it was a modest office with mahogany tables and shelves filled with books ranging from Physics to Chemistry and Aerodynamics. The walls were adorned by various pictures, diplomas and certificates of recognition. The man sitting behind the table stood up and gave a smile.
"Ah, you must be Ukiya's friends from Japan. Please take a seat," he said. The man was in his fifties, had dark gray hair, pale skin and small dark beady eyes. He sat down and took a good look at the young Japanese ladies before him.
"Dr. Richards, may I introduce you to Ms. Ruriko Ikusawa and Ms. Megumi Kurogane. Ladies, this Dr. Nathan Richards, the Dean of the Engineering Department," said Jun.
"Nice to meet you sir," said Ruriko in perfect English which she learned at the Central University in Tokyo.
Megumi on the other hand said nothing. She just stared at the man, as if she's trying to figure something out.
"It a pleasure to meet you ladies, please take a seat," muttered Dr. Richards.
After the girls took their seats, Dr. Richards continued.
"First of all, I am very sorry to hear about Ukiya Shun's disappearance. He's such a fine young man," he said sincerely. "Rest assured that I am willing to answer whatever questions you have. If you need to talk to other students at the campus I am more than happy to arrange it."
"Thank you sir, if you don't mind I would like to ask you a few questions," said Ruriko.
"Go on."
"According to preliminary reports, Ukiya came to see you to ask for a leave of absence from school. Is this true?" asked Ruriko.
"Yes," he quickly replied.
"I was wondering why Ukiya would do that. The semester had already begun and if he wanted to go back to Japan he could have done so during the summer break. Can you just apply for a leave anytime?" she continued.
As the Dean made his explanation Megumi just kept quiet and stared at Dean. There was something odd about him; she just couldn't put a finger on it. His behaviour was normal for a human, but she keeps getting a peculiar vibration from him. She felt the same when she was with Reiji Kageyama.
'I know that something's wrong with him. But how do I prove it?' she further thought. 'Oh what the heck!! I'll just have to take a chance! I hope that I'm right otherwise I might end up in jail, Gatekeeper or not.'
Ruriko was just about to thank Dr. Richards for his cooperation when.
"You're a liar!" accused Megumi. 'That's just great Megumi. You've got the delusional and paranoid young woman down to pat!' she thought. She took a letter opener which was lying on the desk and slashed the Dean's hand.
"Young lady what was that for!?" he shouted as he covered his left hand.
"Megumi! What did you do? I'm sorry sir, I can heal your hand just let me have a look at it," said a concerned Ruriko.
"N-No it's alright. I'll just go to the infirmary," he murmured.
But Ruriko managed to grab his left hand, and to her surprise there was no blood, just a huge cut on his hand.
'No blood! But that's impossible! Megumi cut his hand! Could the Dr. Richards be a..' her thought was cut-off as Dr. Richards grabbed her left arm and twisted it around her back and used her as a shield.
"Very good Ms. Kurogane. You managed to sense that I am an Invader. It took you long enough though. It seems your negative gate isn't as strong as I thought," sneered Dr. Richards.
"I knew that sooner or later you Gatekeepers would eventually come looking for your friend. I'm sorry to say that you will not live long enough to . . aargh!!"
Dr. Richards reeled back as Ruriko managed to get one of her retractable arrows and stabbed the invader at its leg.
"Jun-san!" Ruriko shouted as she ducked for cover.
"GATE OPEN!!! Thunderbolt!!!" shouted the Gatekeeper of Lightning. A surge of lightning streaked towards Dr. Richards and hit him squarely at his torso. The impact sent the invader hurling breaking the wall and falling four stories down. They looked out of the wall to check on their enemy.
"He's gone!" said Ruriko who was trying her best to compose herself.
"Let's discuss that later. We've got more pressing issues to worry about at the moment," said Jun calmly.
"Such as?" asked Ruriko as she tried to survey the surroundings where Dr. Richards landed hoping to find some traces of the invader.
"Like these invaders who suddenly appeared out of nowhere!!" shouted Megumi.
To Ruriko's astonishment, they were surrounded by a dozen invaders. And they are certainly not there to give them a warm campus welcome.
- END OF CHAPTER 3 -
[Author's Note: Sorry if I took a long time to update, working after all is very time consuming. I hope that whoever reads this fanfic will be entertained. Well as you now know Ukiya is still alive and kicking well. sort of. And finally some action!! I hope that you guys and gals who read this liked it! Watch out for the continuation of Gatekeepers: Revisited - Chapter 4: Kindred Spirits! More interesting plot and story twists.]