Episode 16: Russian Roulette
Once again, Ninamori found herself at the Nandaba house. She didn't really intend for it to happen, but it had more or less become kind of a habit. She'd come over in the mornings to help with the chores and then just hang out for the rest of the day. now that she thought about it, she really didn't have anything better to do.
When it was time to do the laundry, Eri went upstairs to collect up whatever dirty apparel she could find. It definitely wasn't her favorite pastime Haruko didn't seem to know the meaning of the words "good hygiene."
Haruko: (suddenly) There's no need for any of that... They'll probably all be wiped out anyway...
The voice caught Eri by surprise and she pause momentarily in front of Naota's door. Regaining her senses, she pulled herself to the wall and waited. Who was that? Haruko? ho was she talking to?
Slowly, Eri leaned in, peeking through the crack in the door. She had to tilt her head a bit, but after a few adjustments, she could plainly see Haruko lounging in Naota's swivel chair, picking at her guitar strings. After another glance around, Ninamori's eyes rested on Naota's fat cat lying in a tubby lump on Naota's bed.
Eri: (thinking) Is she talking to the cat?
Haruko: (to Miyu Miyu) No... I don't think anyone has actually caught on, yet. You know, they're not too bright down here...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: No, not really...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Well ... there is HIM, but as if anyone takes anything he says seriously... Even if he were to get someone to believe him, its not like they could do anything...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: You mean Takkun...? No, I don't think he suspects anything. He's pretty dense about that sort of thing... I mean, he doesn't even know he's being used.
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Yeah ... those goons from Immigrations are tailing 'em, now. They don't even have a clue...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Oh, her? What's her name...? Ki... Kitsu... Kitsu-something-or-other...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Yeah. They planted her in to sway him to their side... And have to admit, she's pretty good at it... Got in him right in the palm of her hand...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Well ... he has become pretty... "fond" of her...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Nah, I don't think it'll be a problem...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Nah, I don't need backup. I can take care of this, myself.
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: (grinning) You know me... I always get the job done...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Last time I checked, he was about a week away...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Its plenty of time!
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: I've got it covered...
Eri nearly lost her footing as she leaned in a bit closer. Her foot made a soft thump on the wooden floor. Haruko immediately caught the sound and looked up.
Haruko: Wha...?! Takkun, that you?
(silence)
Haruko paused to listen. Still nothing. Quietly, she stood up and moved up against the door. With a sudden thrust, she threw open the door, her guitar ready to smash the first thing she saw. Her eyes slid from side to side, scanning through the dim illumination.
The hallway was completely empty. The only thing around was the dirt clothes hamper. All was silent save the sound of Miyu Miyu shifting on the bed. Haruko closed the door and went back over to the desk.
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Yeah... I'd better go...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Okay...
Ninamori's purple head poked up out from under the dirt clothes. She frowned as the smell of sweaty socks overpowered her nose. Silently, she climbed out of the basket and hurried down the hall.
Eri: (to herself) Naota...
Meanwhile, Naota and Kitsurubami were at her apartment, talking over a cup of instant ramen. Well, actually, Naota was doing most of the talking. He'd been doing a lot more of that, nowadays. Kitsurubami just sat, listen to him ramble on about baseball (which he had just rediscovered). After a while, Naota realized how out of character he was and made a mad dash to correct it.
Naota: (blushing) But, whatever...
Kitsurubami: (seeing his cup was empty) Do you want another one?
Naota: (reluctant) Uh... I guess.
Kitsurubami: (as she heads into the kitchen) Did you listen to that CD, I gave?
Naota: Yeah...
Kitsurubami: So...? What did you think?
Naota: (hesitantly) It was.. good... (adding) I couldn't understand what they were saying...
Kitsurubami: Why not?
Naota: (wrinkling his nose) They... scream too much...
Kitsurubami poured some water into the styrofoam cup of dry noodles and placed it in the microwave. After she started it up, she turned to Naota.
Kitsurubami: Haven't you ever listened to hard rock before?
Naota: No.
Kitsurubami: (shrugging) Acquired taste, I guess...
Naota: ...
Kitsurubami: After you're done eating, I've gotta get back to Headquarters...
Naota: Oh.
Kitsurubami: (playfully sarcastic) Yes. You know, we adults do have to work to sustain a decent lifestyle.
Naota: I guess.
Kitsurubami dropped Naota off at his house, kissed him on the cheek, and hurried off. Naota put a hand to his cheek as he watched her car disappear. When he came back to his senses, he shrugged gruffly and went into the house. No one was inside, so he guessed that they were probably in the shop.
Sure enough, when Naota opened the side door of the bakery, Shigekuni and Ninamori were behind the counter, talking quietly. They both paused as he came in.
Naota: (to Eri) What are you doing here...?
Eri: (scornfully) Apparently your job...
Naota: Whatever... Its not MY job...
Eri: You're such a delinquent.
Naota: You're such a brat.
Eri: Where were you anyway...?
Naota: Why do you care?
Eri: I don't.
Naota: (scoffing) Yeah...
(at a beef bowl downtown)
Amarao: (looking up at the menu) ...
Woman: May I help you, sir?
Amarao: Uhh... I guess one medium regular ... no onions...
Woman: One medium regular with no unions ... will that be all?
Amarao: Yeah.
Woman: That's be...
Suddenly, the restroom door flies open and someone walks in. Amarao doesn't even bother to take notice until the figure stops beside him. A very distinct shade of pink catches his eye.
Haruko: Well, well...
Amarao: Raharu...! What are you doing here?!
Haruko: (flatly) I'm hungry...
Amarao: You've always got an angle...
Haruko: You know, you're right... (smiling) As a matter of fact, I planted a bomb in a the girls potty and I'm going to blow this entire block sky high...
Amarao: (shocked) You wouldn't...!
Haruko: (laughing) Talk about easy...!
Amarao: (sweatdropping) ...
Haruko: (to the lady at the counter) Is my food done yet?
Woman: In about a minute, ma'am.
Amarao: We're missing another satellite...
Haruko: No surprise...
Amarao: What makes you say that...?
Haruko: (snickering) Not everyone is as dense as you...
Amarao: You've got inside information...
Haruko: Heh heh...
Amarao: Playing both sides of the fence, are you? That's pretty risky, don't you think...?
Haruko: As if I need advice from you...
Suddenly, an explosion from a few blocks away shakes the entire area. The floor of the beef bowl trembles as things begin to rattle off of the counter and shelves. Dishes and silverware clatter to the floor. Haruko turns to the direction of the explosion with a look of surprise on her face. As she watched smoke rise through the wind, a grin crosses over her face.
Haruko: Well, then...
Amarao: What are you going to do?!
Haruko: (sneering) What do you think I'm going to do...?
With that, Haruko removed her dual-necked guitar from her back and rushed out of the restaurant. For a moment, the commander just stood there, dumbfounded.
Amarao: (stuttering dumbly) Wha...?! Wha...?! Wha...?!
Haruko rounded the corner, braced for a fight. As the metal monster came into view, her smile faded. The creature stood about twenty feet tall and was covered in spikes from "head" to "toe." Two gorilla-like arms protruded from either side of it, complete with fat hands and pencil point-like claws.
The robot spotted Haruko and immediately attacked. Stretching both arms out directly in front of it, the robot fired its "claws" into the air. Ten pointed projectiles, five from each hand, short forth, straight at Haruko. She batted away three of them and dodged the remaining seven.
Haruko: (shouting) Too easy!
The monster responded with a second and third round, but couldn't keep up with nimble alien girl.
Haruko dashed toward the curb, shooting off rounds of ammunition, and hopped up on a parked car. The robot sent another barrage of flying claws at her, but she jumped out of the way. The car exploded on their impact.
Amarao peeked out from behind another car on the other side of the street. He'd seen Haruko fight more than once, but she never ceased to amaze him.
Haruko leapt into the air to make her own attack, but was interrupted (in midair) by another stream of claws. She barely managed to shift her weight and evade the attack. She landed a few yards away to recover her balance before taking another attempt.
Haruko ran hopped onto another parked car and jumped off of the hood, using the front of the car as a diving board. She sprung high into the air, hovering right above the robot. Using her slender arms, Haruko shifted upside-down, speeding headfirst into the robot. Her guitar released a crushing blow, splitting the very asphalt the robot stood over.
It wavered, obvious damaged and off-balance. Its three "legs" buckled under the pressure and nearly gave way. Haruko pushed off of the robot and skidded backwards over the street.
Haruko: (grinning) Guess I held back too much... (readying her guitar again) GET READY!!!
Haruko charged forward again, this time remaining on the ground. The robot, who had just recovered from her last hit, didn't even have time to react before she clove it in two.
The force of the final strike blew the mechanical titan to bits, releasing all of its spikes, in every direction, all at once. When the smoke cleared, Haruko sat casually on top of a totaled SUV. Her guitar rested between her legs, her short pink hair almost covering her maniacal grin. Amarao slowly emerged from hiding, still quite shaken.
Amarao: (stuttering) You... you... (exhaling) Wow...
Haruko: (still grinning) Heh.
Amarao: How'd you...? Were you...? You weren't this strong before...!
Haruko: (standing) You didn't honestly expect me to just sit on my beautiful butt and wait for something to happen, did you...? (looking at Amarao) Medical Mechanica aren't the only ones who've been at work, you know...
Amarao: (looking around, despairingly) Three city blocks, destroyed...
Haruko: Oh, quite griping...
Amarao: This is no joke, Raharu! You can't be reckless like this! Its dangerous!
Haruko: Believe me... You have worse things to worry about than me...
Amarao: Huh...?
Haruko: If you think this is bad, wait til you see what happens to your precious blue planet when MM's done with it...
Amarao: So, its true... Earth IS their true target...
Haruko: (mockingly) I didn't say that...
Amarao: Then what?!
Haruko: You're such a small man, you know? There are powers out there, powers you can't even begin to fathom... MM is just one of them... When it all goes down, there probably won't be anything left of this place ... nothing bust space-dust and debris...
Amarao: I know what's going on here...!
Haruko: You don't have a clue, little man...!
Amarao: What...?
Haruko: You humans... So sure of your own superiority, stuck on your own existence...! A pathetic sub-race with no motivation and no brain!
Amarao: HEY!
Haruko: You've got no place in this battle, so why don't you just sit back and watch the professionals do what they do? the truth is, you were never a major piece in this chess set... Just an ordinary pawn, not even effective enough to make a difference. Your influence doesn't even make MM itch!
Amarao: Whu...?!
Haruko hops down off of the car and looks around. Raising her index finger and thumb to her mouth, she whistles piercingly. Her yellow vespa immediately comes roaring down the street and around the corner. It abruptly stops directly in front of her.
Haruko: (preparing to leave) Face it, Taro... Your existence means nothing in this battle. (climbing onto her vespa) The war's coming to a close... Might as well enjoy the ride while it lasts...!
With that, she wrenched the handlebars, bared down in the seat, and sped away, the exhaust from her tailpipe and the fading sound of her engine left in her wake.
Naota got home late, again. He sat in his room, staring down at his unfinished homework. He usually wasn't in the mood for homework, and this moment was no exception.
Time ticked by as he just sat, waiting for something. Anything. Anything to pull him away from his desk, any excuse at all. And finally, his prayers were answered.
Downstairs, the phone rang, waking Naota from his idle musing. The ringing stopped, indicating that someone had answered it. After a few seconds, his father's call floated up into his doorway.
Kamon: Nao, phone!
Naota hurried downstairs, not even bothering to put away his books (a habit he had developed long ago). It had been a few days since Kitsurubami had called, and needless to say, Naota was excited to be hearing from her again. When he picked up the receiver, Naota was quickly dashed with disappointment.
Amarao: (whispering) The park, tonight at nine...
Then he hung up. Naota put down the phone and raised an eyebrow. talk about vague. Naota couldn't understand what this guy could possibly want from him. They must have hit another dead end or something.
Naota pulled on his jacket, announced his departure and promptly closed the door behind him. It was a chilly night. The cool air stung his cheeks, stinging them pink with cold.
It didn't take long to get to the park It wasn't that far away, and due to the streetlamps, Naota spotted the red-haired man long before he actually reached the park benches.
Amarao: (as Naota approaches) We have to talk...
(about ten minutes later)
Amarao: (concluding) And that's about the size of it...
Naota: (frowning in annoyance) Couldn't you have said that all over the phone...?
Amarao: Haruko's definitely up to something... What, I'm not sure... (thinking) I'm not really sure about anything, anymore...
Naota: So, that's why you called me out here...?
Amarao: ...
Naota: (slowly) Why me...?
Amarao: Because, I believe you're the only one that has a shot at this... No one else has the power you have. No other being in this solar system can do what you can. You're the only one that can knock this one out of the park... You've got to... For your family... For your friends... For everyone you care about...
Naota: And if I miss...?
Amarao: (flatly) Game over.
That night, Naota lay in his bed, wide awake. His body told him he needed sleep, but he just couldn't keep his eyes closed. It had seemed like only yesterday this would have seemed like a bad dream. hen did his life become so complicated? Fitting robots and aliens... It sounded like something straight out of a science fiction film. Naota rolled over in bed. above him, Haruko snorted in her sleep. She mumbled something and shifted under her covers.
Naota: (thinking) Whatever...
---------------------
RIDE ON SHOOTING STAR
ORANGE no SLIDE utsusu sora
SPONGE no PRIDE burasakete
SPIDER
kike totta sono yokan wa
kakusanakuta tte ii n da
iro no tsuita yume mitai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
GRUNGE no HAMSTER otona bite
REVENGE no LOBSTER hiki tsurete
SNIPER
fuchi totta sono sekai ni
nani ga mieru tte iu n da
nerau mae ni sawaritai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kimi o sagashite kindanshôjô ch
uso o tsuita
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
---------------------
Haruko: Well, that was pretty typical! I mean, where exactly are we headed anyway, huh? Hey? HEY?! Are you listening? Director! DIRECTOR! (pause) Oh, well... The next episode of Fooly Cooly: Episode 17: Heartbreaker!
Once again, Ninamori found herself at the Nandaba house. She didn't really intend for it to happen, but it had more or less become kind of a habit. She'd come over in the mornings to help with the chores and then just hang out for the rest of the day. now that she thought about it, she really didn't have anything better to do.
When it was time to do the laundry, Eri went upstairs to collect up whatever dirty apparel she could find. It definitely wasn't her favorite pastime Haruko didn't seem to know the meaning of the words "good hygiene."
Haruko: (suddenly) There's no need for any of that... They'll probably all be wiped out anyway...
The voice caught Eri by surprise and she pause momentarily in front of Naota's door. Regaining her senses, she pulled herself to the wall and waited. Who was that? Haruko? ho was she talking to?
Slowly, Eri leaned in, peeking through the crack in the door. She had to tilt her head a bit, but after a few adjustments, she could plainly see Haruko lounging in Naota's swivel chair, picking at her guitar strings. After another glance around, Ninamori's eyes rested on Naota's fat cat lying in a tubby lump on Naota's bed.
Eri: (thinking) Is she talking to the cat?
Haruko: (to Miyu Miyu) No... I don't think anyone has actually caught on, yet. You know, they're not too bright down here...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: No, not really...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Well ... there is HIM, but as if anyone takes anything he says seriously... Even if he were to get someone to believe him, its not like they could do anything...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: You mean Takkun...? No, I don't think he suspects anything. He's pretty dense about that sort of thing... I mean, he doesn't even know he's being used.
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Yeah ... those goons from Immigrations are tailing 'em, now. They don't even have a clue...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Oh, her? What's her name...? Ki... Kitsu... Kitsu-something-or-other...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Yeah. They planted her in to sway him to their side... And have to admit, she's pretty good at it... Got in him right in the palm of her hand...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Well ... he has become pretty... "fond" of her...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Nah, I don't think it'll be a problem...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Nah, I don't need backup. I can take care of this, myself.
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: (grinning) You know me... I always get the job done...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Last time I checked, he was about a week away...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Its plenty of time!
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: I've got it covered...
Eri nearly lost her footing as she leaned in a bit closer. Her foot made a soft thump on the wooden floor. Haruko immediately caught the sound and looked up.
Haruko: Wha...?! Takkun, that you?
(silence)
Haruko paused to listen. Still nothing. Quietly, she stood up and moved up against the door. With a sudden thrust, she threw open the door, her guitar ready to smash the first thing she saw. Her eyes slid from side to side, scanning through the dim illumination.
The hallway was completely empty. The only thing around was the dirt clothes hamper. All was silent save the sound of Miyu Miyu shifting on the bed. Haruko closed the door and went back over to the desk.
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Yeah... I'd better go...
Miyu Miyu: ...
Haruko: Okay...
Ninamori's purple head poked up out from under the dirt clothes. She frowned as the smell of sweaty socks overpowered her nose. Silently, she climbed out of the basket and hurried down the hall.
Eri: (to herself) Naota...
Meanwhile, Naota and Kitsurubami were at her apartment, talking over a cup of instant ramen. Well, actually, Naota was doing most of the talking. He'd been doing a lot more of that, nowadays. Kitsurubami just sat, listen to him ramble on about baseball (which he had just rediscovered). After a while, Naota realized how out of character he was and made a mad dash to correct it.
Naota: (blushing) But, whatever...
Kitsurubami: (seeing his cup was empty) Do you want another one?
Naota: (reluctant) Uh... I guess.
Kitsurubami: (as she heads into the kitchen) Did you listen to that CD, I gave?
Naota: Yeah...
Kitsurubami: So...? What did you think?
Naota: (hesitantly) It was.. good... (adding) I couldn't understand what they were saying...
Kitsurubami: Why not?
Naota: (wrinkling his nose) They... scream too much...
Kitsurubami poured some water into the styrofoam cup of dry noodles and placed it in the microwave. After she started it up, she turned to Naota.
Kitsurubami: Haven't you ever listened to hard rock before?
Naota: No.
Kitsurubami: (shrugging) Acquired taste, I guess...
Naota: ...
Kitsurubami: After you're done eating, I've gotta get back to Headquarters...
Naota: Oh.
Kitsurubami: (playfully sarcastic) Yes. You know, we adults do have to work to sustain a decent lifestyle.
Naota: I guess.
Kitsurubami dropped Naota off at his house, kissed him on the cheek, and hurried off. Naota put a hand to his cheek as he watched her car disappear. When he came back to his senses, he shrugged gruffly and went into the house. No one was inside, so he guessed that they were probably in the shop.
Sure enough, when Naota opened the side door of the bakery, Shigekuni and Ninamori were behind the counter, talking quietly. They both paused as he came in.
Naota: (to Eri) What are you doing here...?
Eri: (scornfully) Apparently your job...
Naota: Whatever... Its not MY job...
Eri: You're such a delinquent.
Naota: You're such a brat.
Eri: Where were you anyway...?
Naota: Why do you care?
Eri: I don't.
Naota: (scoffing) Yeah...
(at a beef bowl downtown)
Amarao: (looking up at the menu) ...
Woman: May I help you, sir?
Amarao: Uhh... I guess one medium regular ... no onions...
Woman: One medium regular with no unions ... will that be all?
Amarao: Yeah.
Woman: That's be...
Suddenly, the restroom door flies open and someone walks in. Amarao doesn't even bother to take notice until the figure stops beside him. A very distinct shade of pink catches his eye.
Haruko: Well, well...
Amarao: Raharu...! What are you doing here?!
Haruko: (flatly) I'm hungry...
Amarao: You've always got an angle...
Haruko: You know, you're right... (smiling) As a matter of fact, I planted a bomb in a the girls potty and I'm going to blow this entire block sky high...
Amarao: (shocked) You wouldn't...!
Haruko: (laughing) Talk about easy...!
Amarao: (sweatdropping) ...
Haruko: (to the lady at the counter) Is my food done yet?
Woman: In about a minute, ma'am.
Amarao: We're missing another satellite...
Haruko: No surprise...
Amarao: What makes you say that...?
Haruko: (snickering) Not everyone is as dense as you...
Amarao: You've got inside information...
Haruko: Heh heh...
Amarao: Playing both sides of the fence, are you? That's pretty risky, don't you think...?
Haruko: As if I need advice from you...
Suddenly, an explosion from a few blocks away shakes the entire area. The floor of the beef bowl trembles as things begin to rattle off of the counter and shelves. Dishes and silverware clatter to the floor. Haruko turns to the direction of the explosion with a look of surprise on her face. As she watched smoke rise through the wind, a grin crosses over her face.
Haruko: Well, then...
Amarao: What are you going to do?!
Haruko: (sneering) What do you think I'm going to do...?
With that, Haruko removed her dual-necked guitar from her back and rushed out of the restaurant. For a moment, the commander just stood there, dumbfounded.
Amarao: (stuttering dumbly) Wha...?! Wha...?! Wha...?!
Haruko rounded the corner, braced for a fight. As the metal monster came into view, her smile faded. The creature stood about twenty feet tall and was covered in spikes from "head" to "toe." Two gorilla-like arms protruded from either side of it, complete with fat hands and pencil point-like claws.
The robot spotted Haruko and immediately attacked. Stretching both arms out directly in front of it, the robot fired its "claws" into the air. Ten pointed projectiles, five from each hand, short forth, straight at Haruko. She batted away three of them and dodged the remaining seven.
Haruko: (shouting) Too easy!
The monster responded with a second and third round, but couldn't keep up with nimble alien girl.
Haruko dashed toward the curb, shooting off rounds of ammunition, and hopped up on a parked car. The robot sent another barrage of flying claws at her, but she jumped out of the way. The car exploded on their impact.
Amarao peeked out from behind another car on the other side of the street. He'd seen Haruko fight more than once, but she never ceased to amaze him.
Haruko leapt into the air to make her own attack, but was interrupted (in midair) by another stream of claws. She barely managed to shift her weight and evade the attack. She landed a few yards away to recover her balance before taking another attempt.
Haruko ran hopped onto another parked car and jumped off of the hood, using the front of the car as a diving board. She sprung high into the air, hovering right above the robot. Using her slender arms, Haruko shifted upside-down, speeding headfirst into the robot. Her guitar released a crushing blow, splitting the very asphalt the robot stood over.
It wavered, obvious damaged and off-balance. Its three "legs" buckled under the pressure and nearly gave way. Haruko pushed off of the robot and skidded backwards over the street.
Haruko: (grinning) Guess I held back too much... (readying her guitar again) GET READY!!!
Haruko charged forward again, this time remaining on the ground. The robot, who had just recovered from her last hit, didn't even have time to react before she clove it in two.
The force of the final strike blew the mechanical titan to bits, releasing all of its spikes, in every direction, all at once. When the smoke cleared, Haruko sat casually on top of a totaled SUV. Her guitar rested between her legs, her short pink hair almost covering her maniacal grin. Amarao slowly emerged from hiding, still quite shaken.
Amarao: (stuttering) You... you... (exhaling) Wow...
Haruko: (still grinning) Heh.
Amarao: How'd you...? Were you...? You weren't this strong before...!
Haruko: (standing) You didn't honestly expect me to just sit on my beautiful butt and wait for something to happen, did you...? (looking at Amarao) Medical Mechanica aren't the only ones who've been at work, you know...
Amarao: (looking around, despairingly) Three city blocks, destroyed...
Haruko: Oh, quite griping...
Amarao: This is no joke, Raharu! You can't be reckless like this! Its dangerous!
Haruko: Believe me... You have worse things to worry about than me...
Amarao: Huh...?
Haruko: If you think this is bad, wait til you see what happens to your precious blue planet when MM's done with it...
Amarao: So, its true... Earth IS their true target...
Haruko: (mockingly) I didn't say that...
Amarao: Then what?!
Haruko: You're such a small man, you know? There are powers out there, powers you can't even begin to fathom... MM is just one of them... When it all goes down, there probably won't be anything left of this place ... nothing bust space-dust and debris...
Amarao: I know what's going on here...!
Haruko: You don't have a clue, little man...!
Amarao: What...?
Haruko: You humans... So sure of your own superiority, stuck on your own existence...! A pathetic sub-race with no motivation and no brain!
Amarao: HEY!
Haruko: You've got no place in this battle, so why don't you just sit back and watch the professionals do what they do? the truth is, you were never a major piece in this chess set... Just an ordinary pawn, not even effective enough to make a difference. Your influence doesn't even make MM itch!
Amarao: Whu...?!
Haruko hops down off of the car and looks around. Raising her index finger and thumb to her mouth, she whistles piercingly. Her yellow vespa immediately comes roaring down the street and around the corner. It abruptly stops directly in front of her.
Haruko: (preparing to leave) Face it, Taro... Your existence means nothing in this battle. (climbing onto her vespa) The war's coming to a close... Might as well enjoy the ride while it lasts...!
With that, she wrenched the handlebars, bared down in the seat, and sped away, the exhaust from her tailpipe and the fading sound of her engine left in her wake.
Naota got home late, again. He sat in his room, staring down at his unfinished homework. He usually wasn't in the mood for homework, and this moment was no exception.
Time ticked by as he just sat, waiting for something. Anything. Anything to pull him away from his desk, any excuse at all. And finally, his prayers were answered.
Downstairs, the phone rang, waking Naota from his idle musing. The ringing stopped, indicating that someone had answered it. After a few seconds, his father's call floated up into his doorway.
Kamon: Nao, phone!
Naota hurried downstairs, not even bothering to put away his books (a habit he had developed long ago). It had been a few days since Kitsurubami had called, and needless to say, Naota was excited to be hearing from her again. When he picked up the receiver, Naota was quickly dashed with disappointment.
Amarao: (whispering) The park, tonight at nine...
Then he hung up. Naota put down the phone and raised an eyebrow. talk about vague. Naota couldn't understand what this guy could possibly want from him. They must have hit another dead end or something.
Naota pulled on his jacket, announced his departure and promptly closed the door behind him. It was a chilly night. The cool air stung his cheeks, stinging them pink with cold.
It didn't take long to get to the park It wasn't that far away, and due to the streetlamps, Naota spotted the red-haired man long before he actually reached the park benches.
Amarao: (as Naota approaches) We have to talk...
(about ten minutes later)
Amarao: (concluding) And that's about the size of it...
Naota: (frowning in annoyance) Couldn't you have said that all over the phone...?
Amarao: Haruko's definitely up to something... What, I'm not sure... (thinking) I'm not really sure about anything, anymore...
Naota: So, that's why you called me out here...?
Amarao: ...
Naota: (slowly) Why me...?
Amarao: Because, I believe you're the only one that has a shot at this... No one else has the power you have. No other being in this solar system can do what you can. You're the only one that can knock this one out of the park... You've got to... For your family... For your friends... For everyone you care about...
Naota: And if I miss...?
Amarao: (flatly) Game over.
That night, Naota lay in his bed, wide awake. His body told him he needed sleep, but he just couldn't keep his eyes closed. It had seemed like only yesterday this would have seemed like a bad dream. hen did his life become so complicated? Fitting robots and aliens... It sounded like something straight out of a science fiction film. Naota rolled over in bed. above him, Haruko snorted in her sleep. She mumbled something and shifted under her covers.
Naota: (thinking) Whatever...
---------------------
RIDE ON SHOOTING STAR
ORANGE no SLIDE utsusu sora
SPONGE no PRIDE burasakete
SPIDER
kike totta sono yokan wa
kakusanakuta tte ii n da
iro no tsuita yume mitai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
GRUNGE no HAMSTER otona bite
REVENGE no LOBSTER hiki tsurete
SNIPER
fuchi totta sono sekai ni
nani ga mieru tte iu n da
nerau mae ni sawaritai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kimi o sagashite kindanshôjô ch
uso o tsuita
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
---------------------
Haruko: Well, that was pretty typical! I mean, where exactly are we headed anyway, huh? Hey? HEY?! Are you listening? Director! DIRECTOR! (pause) Oh, well... The next episode of Fooly Cooly: Episode 17: Heartbreaker!