Megabyte: An angelic layer story
By RenaLanford65
Misaki Suzuhara sighed.
(The beginning of these games are so uneventful!)
Kotarou Kobayashi came up, Tamayo Kizaki beside him, beaming.
"No one is going to hurt my Misaki!" Tamayo cheered.
"Tamayo, stop!" Misaki blushed.
"Heard your new partner has been assigned." Said Kotarou.
"Really? Who?" Misaki asked.
"Some guy named Adam." Tamayo scoffed.
"A…boy?" Misaki sank down in her seat, defeated. "I can't fight a boy."
"Oh, yes you can! You defeated Misaki-chan, didn't you?" Tamayo shouted, drawing attention to herself and her group.
"Tamayo, stop, please…" Misaki slumped deeper in her chair.
"So, who's Misaki?" A haughty looking boy stood in the door of the resting room, his hands on his hips.
"I…I am." Misaki raised her hand unsteadily.
"A girl?! How easy!" He laughed.
"What did you expect?" Kotarou asked angrily.
"Hey!" Tamayo stepped up in my defense. "My Misaki is going to kick your butt!"
"I'd really love to see that, but unfortunately, I don't play Angelic Layer. However, Adam is going to make up for me not playing! He'll stomp on your angel and I'll give it to my dog for breakfast!" The boy's annoying laugh continued.
"You're not Adam? I thought…" Misaki narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"Hey, let me talk." The rude boy cut in. "I have found that when a girl thinks, the world is in danger because it takes a large amount of thinking to solve an equation such as 2+2!"
"Who are you to talk about Misaki like that!" Kotarou asked angrily.
"Me? Why I am Hideki Uematsu, the best bodyguard there is! This," he said, stepping aside and revealing a rather meek boy, "is Adam. He is the best duce there is! He'll show you!"
Misaki evaluated Adam in a quick few glances. He had black curly hair about five to six inches long, falling about to his chin. It looked wet, being matted tightly to his forehead. His skin was pale, his eyes narrow and blue. He seemed to have a smart look about him, yet it was also cocky, arrogant, mysterious, and sexy too. He was just too many things to describe.
(He would make a great pairing with Ringo Seto.) Misaki thought, smiling at him. He stared straight ahead, unmoving.
Hideki and Misaki's two chatty friends began to walk away, still quarreling.
"Good luck, Suzuhara!" Kotarou called, not forgetting his friend. Tamayo, however, forgot.
Adam turned to Misaki.
"Your friend is very loud." He commented.
"As is yours." Misaki laughed, expecting him to as well. His lips didn't move. He remained stiff.
Adam sat down beside her, his eyes not straying from the tabletop.
"So," Misaki couldn't hold the silence that he seemed accustomed to for much longer. "What is your last name?"
"Motomatsu." He said, his voice remaining the same dull tone.
"So you're Japanese, then."
"Half." He looked up at her, his eye color becoming apparent now.
"Oh! Your eyes are two different colors!" Misaki realized now. He nodded serenely, continuing to stare into her eyes.
(His eyes are so pretty. One is blue, the other is green. They are sparkling, as if he is going to get into trouble soon.)
"I hope you don't mind if I interrogate you. We are competing, after all, so I have to get to know you better." Misaki said, breaking the silence once again.
"No problem." He looked as if he were going to smile, but then he didn't.
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"Oh. I'm twelve."
"…"
(He seems a lot older than sixteen…it is like he has played Angelic Layer before, like in a previous lifetime or something. He is so calm. If I did not know better, I would swear he was related to Hatoko. Next to him I feel like a ball of nerves.)
"Where's your angel?" Misaki asked, wringing her hands. Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out his angel, one who looked uncannily like him, at least in the face features. It had flowing white hair with a few braids here and there. Its outfit was a limited edition 'light' armor, all black with silver spikes coming out of the shoulders and legs.
"What's its name?" Misaki asked.
"Fukigen."
"That's a funny name. What does it mean?"
"Moody. It represents my emotions."
"You don't seem like you have any."
"…Whatever." He frowned.
"I didn't mean for you take offense."
"Too late now." The frown changed to a scowl. He began to get up when Misaki took his arm.
"I want someone to talk to."
He sighed and closed his eyes.
"Fine." He sat down next to her, looking bored.
"Why did you name your angel Fukigen?"
"I already told you."
"Yeah, but how did you come up with it? Was it someone's name, or did you think it up on your own?"
"It used to be my brother's name." He admitted. A deeper sadness seemed to fill his eyes.
"Used to?"
"…I…don't want to talk about it right now. I don't want to talk about it at all."
"Oh… did you model it after him, too?"
"Sort of."
They sat in silence for a while. Adam looked deep in thought.
"Our fight is soon." Misaki said.
"It isn't a fight." He said flatly, out of the blue.
"What is it, then?"
"A match. A fight is between two people who know each other well and they set up the whole thing themselves."
"What's a match?"
He sighed impatiently. "A match is somewhat a fight, except the people barely, or don't, know their opponent and they didn't set up the whole thing. It is usually publicized and televised."
"I know you." Misaki seemed to enjoy being naïve and watch the seemingly calm boy get infuriated.
"Not as well as you think." He replied, seeming to calm. His skin grew paler and his eyes relaxed.
Misaki was beginning to tell that her opponent had a very calm personality but probably hadn't had any social interaction or fun for a long time.
"Our match should be starting soon, then."
"…" Once again he was deep in thought.
"Why do you think so much?" Misaki asked. "Don't you want to get to know me?"
"For what?"
"The match."
"No. The only time I will need to know you is if I were to throw a party." He was careful, precise, with his language.
"But…"
"Your tactics will reveal everything about you on the battlefield. It is the most intimate way to get to know a person."
Misaki felt her face grow hot.
"Intimate?"
"Yes." He leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes.
Mr. Icchan came in, half smiling directly at Misaki, who stood up and half smiled back.
"Ah, Misaki. How are you today?" He furrowed his eyebrows at her deepening frown. "What's wrong?"
"I'm just…nervous." She admitted.
"You should be, if you're up against him." Mr. Icchan nodded to Adam's unmoving body. Adam had half-opened one eye-the blue one-and was watching them.
"You know Mr. Motomatsu?" The young girl asked, hearing Adam snort at her words.
"Adam, please. I am not much older than you." Adam sat up, his narrow eyes formed into slits. He saw Mr. Icchan watching and lowered his eyes to Misaki, then the tabletop.
"I don't think we should talk about him right here in front of him…" Misaki frowned.
"We'll wait until he leaves." Mr. Icchan smiled at the boy, who did not seem the least bit amused. He immediately got up, grabbed his angel, and began to walk off when Mr. Icchan grabbed his arm.
"I want to talk to you before the match." He told the younger boy, who yanked his arm away and walked off, not glancing back once.
"He seemed so calm and nice when I first met him." Misaki sank down in a chair.
"Ah, don't worry. He always seems that way. He is just a very angry child. Just forget about his personality and concentrate on Angelic Layer. Believe me, you will need to. He's one tough guy."
"I bet."
"Well, I guess I'll leave you and Hikaru alone now. I've got to go find him." Mr. Icchan walked away, waving before he disappeared through the doorway.
(That is the first time I have seen him leave normally.)
Misaki looked down at Hikaru, who was lying down on the table, her pink hair spread about her like a halo.
"Let's go get ready, Hikaru." Misaki smiled down at the angelic face.
As she was passing the opponent's dorm, she heard loud, over exaggerated shouts. She didn't mean to pass Adam's dorm, but it was the only way to her favorite smoothie shop. She pushed to door open slightly, but she still couldn't see who was in the room. She was sure it was Adam, giving himself a pep talk, or something else boys did when they wanted to prepare themselves for a tough thing, like sleep or play video games, but the next voice was clearly not Adam's voice.
"I don't care!" One of the voices shouted.
(That is Mr. Icchan's voice!)
"Why can't you understand?! It was the only way! It was the only way to save her!"
"The only w-"?
"I don't love her!" The second voice screamed. It was familiar, but she couldn't place it…
(Is it…is that Adam? Is that Adam in there?)
"Why?! You gave up on a perfectly good marriage! And all, for what!" Mr. Icchan shouted. His voice was stressed, angry.
(Marriage?! Adam was married?! He is only sixteen!)
"I already told you! I don't love her! I never wanted to hurt her!"
"Never wanted to-that is so false! I can smell your lies! I can smell the fear on you! Why did you come back here?!" Now Mr. Icchan was pushing it. She could hear someone crying, but she was sure it wasn't Adam. It sounded like…a female…
"Listen to me!" Adam screamed. His voice was hoarse; Misaki could tell he didn't yell very much.
"No! I refuse to hear your lies! I refuse to hear your voice! I won't have anything to do with you anymore!" Mr. Icchan ran to the door, pausing. Misaki backed away, breathing hard. She was sure she had been caught, and she braced herself for his wrath.
However, as she opened one eye, she saw Mr. Icchan standing in the doorway, but facing the room's inside.
"Adam…" He said softly.
"Go away." The young boy's choked cries were getting worse by the minute. His voice was barely audible, but yet Misaki could make it out fine.
"I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to wish you good luck."
"Good luck…" Adam snorted. "A few seconds ago, you were angry. Why would anything change now?"
"I want to talk to you."
"…"
"You decided to come here, after your incident, then." Mr. Icchan seemed calm now. "To seek me out, to ask for forgiveness? To ask for another chance?"
"No. I had no intension of finding you. I did not expect forgiveness, nor another chance. I did not even expect you to like me. I can see I was right."
"Hey, hey…" the older man seemed hurt. His voice drifted off as if he had nothing left to say.
"I think this fight against your best pupil should help me accomplish what I came here to do."
"Oh? And what would that be?"
Adam smiled, a knowing smile. "To play Angelic Layer."
"Since your fight is coming up in fifteen minutes, I want to give you some tips."
"Whatever."
Misaki pulled the door open a bit more in time to see Mr. Icchan put his hands on the younger boy's shoulders.
"Do your best…son." He smiled. Adam nodded, a hint of a smile in his serious face.
"Anything for my father." The young sixteen-year-old boy walked toward the door, his eyes straight ahead.
(Son…father…how did this happen! How could Mr. Icchan not tell me?!)
Misaki picked up Hikaru, whom she had dropped during the talk, and scrambled off, tears blindly falling from her pale face.