Notes: The following is based on the manga rather than the anime (at this time, I don't own the anime, but some day...) and is set shortly after the manga's conclusion. All Japanese names will be written in the traditional manner (family name first and given name second).
Dedicated to Firebird and Phoenix from CCU, who never did get back to his AL fic :o) This is for you, guys.
Angelic Layer Neo: Introduction
Restart for the World! Hikaru vs. Drago
by HA
Dressed in her Eriol Academy uniform, Suzuhara Misaki entered the darkened room. "Um, hello?" she called out as she looked around. Her words echoed around the chamber. She clutched the red and white doll closely to her chest, and she tried to make out the pink hair adoring her head. "This is strange, Hikaru," she said as she took another look around. "Very strange."
It had been a strange Saturday. After classes were done, Misaki was on her way home with her friends Kobayashi Koutarou and Kizaki Tamayo when the car from Piffle Princess pulled up. Koutarou was about to ask Misaki on a date, and Tamayo had gotten him in a very tight headlock. When the driver stepped out, the poor boy's face was red as Tamayo laughed it off, and Misaki was pleading with her to let go. As Koutarou lay on the ground recovering, the driver informed Misaki that she and Hikaru were needed at Piffle Princess headquarters immediately.
"Why?" Misaki asked.
"Your mother wants to see you," the driver answered as he scratched his head at the sight of Koutarou on the ground. "Is he okay?"
"Oh, he'll be fine," Tamayo said, waving the incident off with a smile.
Tamayo and Koutarou ended up coming with Misaki after she had insisted. When they arrived at their destination and brought to the lobby, a man in a lab coat came out and took Hikaru from her.
"Wait, what..." Misaki began.
"Don't worry, she'll be okay!" the man said as he left.
Then, her two friends were ushered away without explanation, and a woman dressed in the nurse-like Piffle Princess uniform handed her a package. When Misaki opened it, she found a Deus headset and a white oval device resembling a brooch. Little buttons labeled "0" to "9" and "E," "In," and "Out" circled its red center. "Er, what...?" she began to ask, pointing to the device.
"Just put it on like a brooch," the woman said with a smile. "Also, push the red button in the middle to turn it on."
"So, where's my mother?" Misaki asked after following the woman's instructions.
"She'll see you afterwards," the woman replied. "We'll wait here for Hikaru."
The two sat on a couch. Misaki marveled at how soft it was. Ten minutes later, the man returned with Hikaru. "Here you go. Good as new," he declared as he handed the Angel to her anxious Deus. "Good luck!" he added as he ran off.
Misaki looked over Hikaru and found nothing different about her. The woman stood up. "I'll take you to the testing lab."
From there, the woman took her to a door. "Please wait in here, don't move," she told her as the door slid open, "and put your trust in Hikaru."
That was how Misaki found herself standing in the dark. The air was very cold, but was comfortable. She held Hikaru even closer to her. "Um, hello?" she asked again.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaa!"
In the dark, Misaki made out a figure leaping onto a spot on the other side. It bent down on one knee with one arm supporting its weight. It got up to its feet and stood in place.
Then, the room became bathed in bright fluorescent light. Misaki looked ahead and noticed a railed stairway before her leading down to a Layer. A platform with protective railing stood within its middle. "Naaaaaa!" she cried out when she realized how close she was to falling, and she took a step back.
"Misaki Suzuhara!!!" a strong and deep manly voice said.
Misaki blinked and beheld the mysterious figure. He wore a green helmet with a yellow visor, and a green cape covered his body. He reminded her of a TV superhero. "Um, excuse me, but who are you?" she asked.
"Haaaaaaaa!" The figure raised his arm, and his cape flew open, revealing green armor and tights. Misaki watched as he began posing sentai style. His pose changed with each word he declared in a loud, clear voice. "I...am...Commander...Dragon!!!"
Misaki sweatdropped. "Naaaa?"
Commander Dragon raised a gloved fist. "Misaki Suzuhara, I challenge you to an Angelic Fight!" he said as he shook his fist.
Misaki blinked. "Huh?"
Commander Dragon went down his stairway and stood on his platform. "It is an honor for me to take on the National Champion of Angelic Layer." He pointed to Misaki. "In the name of justice, peace, and love, please grant me this honor!"
Misaki looked around. A glass panel was located on one side of the room, and a black dome stood out on the ceiling along with a multisided display screen. "Well, nothing we can do," she told Hikaru, and she walked to her platform. She looked around for the usual seat Deuses sat in while playing. When she looked for a place to plug in her headset, she realized it had no plug-in cord. "Huh?"
"Don't worry," Commander Dragon said, "for today, Hikaru will still move."
Misaki looked at the green-clothed stranger. "But how?"
"Put on the headset, concentrate on Hikaru, and everything will be fine."
Misaki found no reason to not trust Commander Dragon, and she donned the headset. She switched it on and opened the wings at its side. Everything seemed normal. The upper left corner of the visor said "Hikaru," and the upper right corner showed Hikaru's power level and the ten-minute digital timer. She looked at her Angel. Well, here goes, she thought, and she willed Hikaru to open her eyes and smile. Hikaru's eyes stayed closed, and her mouth remained motionless for a moment. Then her eyes opened slowly, and her mouth curved upward into a cheerful smile. "Wow!" Misaki exclaimed.
"This headset doesn't need to be hooked up to a system," Commander Dragon explained. "As long as you stay focused, your Angel will move and fight normally."
Hikaru moved her arm. "I think I've got it," Misaki said. She looked at Commander Dragon. "Um, where's your headset?"
Commander Dragon pointed to his helmet. "Mine is built in." He flashed her a grin. "So, are you ready, Misaki Suzuhara?"
"Um, I am," she replied, although she found it odd for her to hear her name said that way. Knowing what to do, she stepped forward with Hikaru in her arms. "Wings of an Angel! Please guide me and Hikaru! Hikaru, fall in!" She tossed Hikaru towards the Layer, and after performing a flip in the air, the pink-haired Angel landed on her feet. Both waited for their opponent to make his move.
Commander Dragon opened his cape. "Triumph in the name of justice, peace, and love! Drago, fall in!" he shouted as he threw something towards the Layer.
Misaki gasped as the opposing Angel landed on its feet. In all her time as a Deus, she and Hikaru had faced a variety of Angels, but they all shared the same body template. Drago's body shape was human, but it was bulkier thanks to its armor, especially the large shoulder guards. Like Commander Dragon, its color scheme was various shades of green with touches of yellow.
Its head wasn't like other Angels'. Instead of being human-like, it was robotic with beady yellow eyes within a black angular slit. Another sharp slit shot down from the middle of the eye slit. Two side angular fins stood out on the sides of its head. Drago towered slightly over Hikaru, and it looked down at her. The display screen showed the pictures and energy status of both Angels.
"Dragon Justice Saber, activate!" Commander Dragon said, slicing the air in front of him with his arm.
Drago reached at its left side and pulled out a long rectangular piece of metal. It held it horizontally in front of its chest, and Misaki gasped as twin blades of light shot out of both ends. Hikaru watched as Drago spun the weapon around and held it at its side.
"Okay, let's go!" Commander Dragon said, and Drago rushed towards Hikaru with its double-edged blade.
Misaki barely reacted in time, and Hikaru ducked a swing from the blade. She threw a kick from the ground and made contact with Drago's stomach. The green Angel staggered back, but showed no sign of damage. The lightweight Angel slid back for a moment, and Misaki willed her to do a backflip to get back on her feet.
Misaki assessed her opponent's Angel. Too much armor. Hikaru's too lightweight to take down Drago. She recalled how she used Shirahime's weight against her by using a piledriver in her first tournament, but with Drago wielding a weapon, Misaki doubted she could get Hikaru close enough to pull off that maneuver.
"Kiiiiaaaaaa!" Commander Dragon shouted, shooting his fist out in front of him.
Misaki gasped as Drago rushed Hikaru again. Hikaru dodged the initial blade swipe, but got hit by the second blade on the chest followed by a punch that sent her flying. She landed near the edge of the Layer. As Hikaru slowly got up, Misaki gasped as she noticed her energy gauge was down to half. Oh no! she thought as she noticed the ceiling display showed the same thing.
"Hmph." Commander Dragon placed his hands on his hips. "I've heard about the Miracle Deus, but so far you haven't tapped into your inner fire, Misaki Suzuhara. How can your lightweight Angel defeat Drago?"
Hikaru got to her feet. "I'm not giving up!" Misaki shouted, balling her hand into a fist. "It doesn't matter what size you are!"
Commander Dragon nodded. "Your spirit is still there. Good." He pointed towards Hikaru. "Drago, attack!"
Drago charged towards Hikaru, and it seemed it would knock Hikaru out of the Layer. "Now!" Misaki said.
Hikaru leapt straight upward to dodge the blade swing, and as Drago stopped itself from falling off, she landed on its head with both feet. She bounced off into a somersault and kicked Drago, causing his to waver off balance. Misaki watched as Drago's energy gauge went down a little, and Hikaru landed into a roll. She ended up in the middle of the Layer and waited.
Drago lurched forward, but soon regained its balance. It turned around and faced Hikaru, who flexed her fingers in anticipation. The green armored Angel charged and swung its weapon wide. Hikaru leapt over the attack and kicked Drago in the face. As it staggered back, Hikaru unleashed a flurry of punches to its chest, and the double-edged blade fell to the ground. Still dazed, Drago swung its fist and made contact with Hikaru's stomach, but Hikaru recovered and delivered a powerful clothesline. Her opponent crashed onto the center of the Layer, and its power went down to its final quarter.
Misaki took a deep breath. Both Angels had suffered heavy damage, and she wanted to make sure she didn't make any fatal mistakes. Commander Dragon watched as Hikaru kicked Drago's weapon off the Layer.
"Not bad," the Commander said with a smile. Drago staggered to its feet. "However, I'm afraid this Fight is over."
"Hmm?" Misaki watched as Drago stood in the middle of the Layer. Hikaru watched her opponent carefully as she did her best to stay standing.
"Now!"
Drago rushed Hikaru and kneed her in the stomach, causing her to fall back. She stayed on her feet, but the hit caused her to move towards the edge of the Layer.
"Drago, use your ultimate weapon!" Commander Dragon sliced the air again with his hand. "Dragonfire Blaster!"
Drago's shoulder guards opened, and a bright green light shone from both of them. Misaki gasped, and Hikaru stared at the sight. "Hikaru!!!"
Seconds later, both guards unleashed a powerful green blast that rushed towards Hikaru. A bright green illuminated the room as the blast made contact. When the light faded away, Hikaru was nowhere to be found.
"Yes!" the Commander said, pumping his fist in victory. "Good job, Dra..." Then, his jaw fell open.
Misaki gasped. Drago looked upward and saw Hikaru above it. A powerful pink glow came from the Angel, and as she fell towards Drago, Misaki figured out what to do. "Now, Hikaru!"
Hikaru aimed her foot towards Drago, and the glow intensified around it. Before the armored Angel could react, Hikaru's foot made contact with Drago's head. As it held its head, its opponent landed on her two feet, and Misaki found herself doing something she had never done with her before. However, she felt it was the right move to do, and recalling a vivid memory from her first tournament, she did it. Hikaru moved her hands back, and a pink energy ball formed between them. She watched as Drago backed away, its hands still holding its head. The ball grew larger.
"Now, Hikaru!" Misaki shouted.
Hikaru's hands moved forward, and the energy ball flew towards Drago. The attack exploded on its chest, and Commander Dragon could only watch as Drago flew out of the Layer and crashed to the floor.
Misaki wiped the sweat off her brow and took a deep breath. "Oh my!" she said, and she rushed down the stairs. Commander Dragon was already at the Layer, and when he was about to pick Drago up, he find another pair of hands lifting it off the floor.
"Here," Misaki said, handing Drago to its Deus. She saw clearly the yellow "D" and eyes on his dragon-shaped helmet. "I'm sorry for hurting your Angel."
The Commander took Drago into his arms and stared at Misaki for a moment. Then, he let out a loud belly laugh.
"Huh?"
The laughter stopped. "Oh, don't worry about hurting Drago." Commander Dragon looked towards the floor. "Now, where did that saber go?"
Misaki spotted the weapon and picked it up. "Here it is," she said, and she gasped when she realized she had picked it up by one of the energy blades. The Commander grabbed it just as Misaki let it go.
"Don't worry," he said as he deactivated the weapon by pushing a small switch on it. "Impact Light isn't designed to hurt people or anything else," he said as he inserted the weapon into Drago's left side.
"Impact Light?"
"Light that can be turned solid enough to be used as weapons by Angels," Commander Dragon said. "I'm surprised you were able to activate your Impact Light Generator. You just got it installed a while ago."
"Impact Light Generator?" Misaki looked at Hikaru. "You mean she can...?"
"She just used it," the Commander said. "Oh, and see, no damage on Hikaru," he added, pointing to where Drago slashed her.
Misaki followed the Commander's finger and saw the lack of a slash mark on Hikaru. She noticed Drago had no sign of damage from Hikaru's surprise shot. "But why install something like that in Hikaru?"
"To make the Fight more interesting," the Commander said, "and what a Fight it was. I salute you, Misaki Suzuhara!" He clicked his heels, stood at attention, and saluted his opponent.
Misaki blushed. "Thank you, but...er..." She noticed the Commander's dark skin below his visor. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"No, I am not."
"How do you know about me?"
"That would be because of me."
Misaki watched as a door slid open, and a bespectacled man with spiky dark hair and a lab coat stepped out. "Mr. Icchan?"
Commander Dragon still stood at attention. "Chief Mihara, sir!" he said, saluting him.
Mihara Ichiro, a.k.a. Icchan to Misaki, nodded. "At ease, Commander." He looked at Misaki. "Good job. Your mother is very proud of you."
"Mother?" Misaki looked around the room. "Where is she?"
"She's hiding behind a chair, but I think I've got her," an unfamiliar voice said from inside the door. "All right, Shuuko, come on, everything will be fine..."
Seconds later, a woman with brown shoulder length hair came out with a gentleman Misaki never saw before. His skin was like the Commander's, and he wore a lab coat and a white suit. His hair was tinged with white at the temples, but his face had a youthful quality to it. "See, Shuuko, it's your daughter."
"But Culpepper-san..." Shuuko said, her face flushed and her voice stuttering.
The black man shook his head with a bemused smile that showed off his pearly white teeth. "What a family, eh, Ichiro?"
"Indeed, Winston," Chief Mihara said with a grin.
"Misakichi!!!"
Before Misaki could respond, Tamayo had her in a tight hug. "You were wonderful!" she declared as she grinned. Misaki gasped for air in the tight embrace. "What a comeback, right, Koutarou-chan?"
Koutarou appeared behind Tamayo. "Uh, good job out there, Misaki," he said, his face turning a fine crimson.
"Koutarou-chan," Misaki said, her cheeks burning.
Tamayo grinned and let Misaki go. "So, you want to get all lovey-dovey with Misakichi, huh?" Quickly, she grabbed Koutarou and delivered a suplex. "You know the drill! If you want her, you'll have to get past me first!" she said as she applied the camel clutch to the hapless boy.
"Tamayo-chan!" Misaki cried out as her friend pulled back Koutarou's head by the chin.
"Oh dear," Shuuko said.
The black man stepped up to Tamayo. "Um, young lady, I think your friend's turning blue."
"Oh, he'll be fine, Culpepper-san," Tamayo said.
"I...hope so," the man said. He looked at Misaki. "This is normal?" he asked as he pointed to her friends.
"Unfortunately," Misaki answered, and a smile crossed her face. "Mother!"
Shuuko paused at the door, and her daughter caught her in a hug. "Did you see me?" she asked.
Shuuko nodded. "You did very well," she answered with a stammer as she forced herself to hug her daughter back. Then, her nerves steadied, and the hug became more comfortable.
"She did very well, indeed," the Black man said.
"Didn't I tell you she was good?" Chief Mihara said.
"I can confirm that," Commander Dragon said.
Misaki looked at the black man. "Mother, who's that?"
"That's Culpepper-san," Shuuko answered. "He's an old friend and colleague of Ichiro-san from America. He runs a toy company there."
Mr. Culpepper held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Suzuhara-san."
Misaki stared at his hand before remembering that Americans liked to shake hands. She took his hand and shook. "Um, nice to meet you," she said shakily. She took a deep breath. "You speak good Japanese."
Mr. Culpepper laughed. "Actually, I'm speaking English, but thanks to this, we can understand each other," he said, pointing to something on his collar. Misaki saw it was the same device she was wearing. "A little invention of mine. It contains a database of all the world's languages. It translates anything someone says to whatever language the user speaks, and it translates whatever you say into the other person's native language."
"Wow." Misaki looked around and saw that everyone was wearing one of Mr. Culpepper's devices. Even Koutarou, who was starting to exhibit an interesting shade of purple, had one on his collar. "So, what brings you to Tokyo?"
"Well..." Mr. Culpepper rocked back and forth on his feet. "Piffle Princess is planning to take Angelic Layer overseas, and my company, Imagitech, will handle international distribution."
"Really?" Misaki said. "Angelic Layer's going to be brought to other countries?"
"Yep. Mihara-san felt it was time to spread Angelic Layer around the world," Mr. Culpepper said. "He also asked me to help make improvements in the Angels so people will buy them."
"Like the new headset and Impact Light?" Misaki said.
"Exactly," Chief Mihara said. "This new headset"--he took Misaki's into his hands--"enables the Deus to conduct Fights anywhere at any time. As for Impact Light, it gives an Angel new options for attacking."
"There's so much more," Mr. Culpepper said. "Mihara-san and I have come up with alternate Angel parts like anti-gravity systems and more armor."
"But why?" Misaki asked.
"Variety!" Chief Mihara declared as he pointed towards the sky. "I think we should spice up the game a little, especially since a little action is needed to sell the game."
"Also, we're trying to go for a wider demographic," Mr. Culpepper said as he spread his hands before him. "We want boys to play as well as girls. Hence, the innovations." He looked at Misaki. "However, you proved something to me, Suzuhara-san."
"What did I prove?" Misaki asked.
"That you don't need a lot of power in win in Angelic Layer," Mr. Culpepper said. "Drago is the first Angel designed and built to use the new parts, but you still beat him."
"But I used the Impact Light system, too."
"But you depended on Hikaru's natural strengths before using it," Mr. Culpepper said. "You and Hikaru make a good team, and you'd make a great challenge for the World Champion."
Misaki blinked. "The World Champion?"
"We have so much in store for Angelic Layer," Chief Mihara said, appearing next to Mr. Culpepper. "We're going to hold National Tournaments, and then we'll hold the World Tournament here in Tokyo."
"You mean there'll be Deuses and Angels from around the world coming here?" Misaki asked.
"Yes!" both Chief Mihara and Mr. Culpepper declared.
"By the Dragon, it will be beautiful!" Commander Dragon said, shaking his fist in front of him as he knelt on one knee.
"And everyone will want to meet you, Misaki," Shuuko said. "After all, now you're the best Deus in the world."
Misaki stared at her mother. "Huh? Why?"
"Well..." Chief Mihara rubbed his chin. "People will see it that way after they watch the fight between Hikaru and Drago."
"Naaa?" Misaki exclaimed.
"We recorded the entire Fight," Mr. Culpepper revealed, pointing to the dome on the ceiling. "That's a multi-angle camera, and it captured everything on tape."
"Why'd you record the Fight?" Misaki asked, her lips trembling. Her hold on Hikaru became very tight.
"Well, we need to show a Fight with an experienced Deus to help promote Angelic Layer," Shuuko said.
"But you and Athena are the best, Mother," Misaki said. "You would've been a better choice to do this."
"But you and Hikaru have improved ever since you started playing," Shuuko said. "Besides, we felt you'd appeal more to the kids who'd like to play."
"Plus, Athena lost to Drago," Chief Mihara said as he wagged his finger.
"What?" Misaki exclaimed, looking at her mother. "You and Athena lost?"
"Just barely," Commander Dragon said, now standing. "It was close, and your mom gave it her all, but the Dragonfire Blaster overpowered the Light of the Soul in the end."
"We planned it so the winner would go on to fight you and Hikaru," Shuuko said. "That's why you and Hikaru had to fight Commander Dragon and Drago."
"I see." Misaki nodded. "However, why didn't anyone tell me I was being taped?"
"We wanted a genuine performance," Chief Mihara said. "If you had known, we weren't sure if you'd play like you normally would."
"Okay," Misaki said, and she looked at the Commander. "Excuse me, but can you tell me who you really are?"
"I cannot," Commander Dragon answered, his hands on his hips. "In the name of justice, peace, and love, I must keep my true identity a secret in order to protect the innocent."
Chief Mihara leaned closer to Mr. Culpepper. "And you thought Misakichi and her mother were weird."
Mr. Culpepper rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me, Ichiro." He glanced at Commander Dragon and shook his head.
Misaki looked at the floor. "Koutarou-chan!!!"
"Oh, he'll be fine," Tamayo said with a smile as she held Koutarou in her arms. The boy's eyes were swirly, and his skin color was almost back to normal.
"Stand back!" Commander Dragon approached the unconscious boy. "I know CPR!"
No one below noticed the robot bat watching them from above. It made sure to keep itself hidden next to the dome camera, and its camera eye continued transmitting video footage to its owner.
The tapping of the cane echoed throughout the darkened chamber. "I trust all of you enjoyed the little show?" the cane's owner said to the five faces on the screens in the air.
"It was interesting," a male said.
"Very exciting," another male said. "Such power."
"Could've used something more, but I can't put my finger on it," a third male said as he sipped from a glass full of a red liquid. "Still, it was entertaining."
"Not bad, I suppose," a female said. "I assume ours will be superior?"
"Of course," a fourth male said. "With my insight into Angelic Layer, I'll guarantee ours will be superior."
"I expect nothing less," the figure said as the cane tapped on the floor. "Angelic Layer will be out around the world within at least three weeks, and I want us to be fully armed before that, understand?" he said, pointing the cane at the last male who spoke.
"As you command," the male answered with a bow. "I'll start immediately once my shipment comes in."
"So will we all, sir," the first male speaker said. "We will make sure your plan succeeds."
"Let's hope so." The cane tapped against the floor as its owner paced the room. "You have your orders. The shipments are on their way. Begin mass production once they arrive."
"Yes, sir!" all five said.
"Your wish is our command," the first male speaker said.
The cane tapped again as its owner faced the six. "Don't disappoint me."
"Yes, sir!" all five said. "DG, dominate!"
One by one, the screens with the faces disappeared, leaving the figure standing alone in the darkness. "Soon, very soon..." he muttered to himself as he curled his gloved hand into a fist.