TOKYO
Chapter 6
Technique
"All right ... run it through again," said Zelgadis.
This time, the Mandala was connected to a computer, which was making some attempt to explain the readings. Seifer was at the keyboard, rapidly typing in commands. "Okay ... here we go," he said, flipping a switch on the machine that the Mandala had been connected to before.
The Mandala flared to life, running through several weeks' worth of data. Now and then the computer released a high-pitched warble as it found something it wanted, along with a number with an excessive number of digits.
"So, what are we looking for, exactly?" asked Soma, leaning against one wall.
"Disturbances from the same dimension as Zio's," said Zelgadis. "Specifically, any sign that anyone else might have come here, as well as a vague distinction of what they might look like, or at least general shape. There, see -- here's his specific appearance."
On the screen was the date and time of Zio's appearance, and an image of a monochrome shape that, if you squinted and unfocused your eyes, probably looked like Zio, shoulder-armor and black cape and all.
"How about that frickin' huge thing we saw a while back?" said Soma. "The underground one that's the size of a building?"
Zelgadis moved over to the Mandala and pushed a button on the device next to it. "Hmm ... Nope, still not due to open for another few weeks. And it's definitely not from the same dimension."
"What the ..." muttered Seifer. "Guys, come look at this one."
The image failed to show anything humanoid. "Okay ... I cannot tell what that is," said Soma.
"It's two people," said Seifer. "Look, there's one head, there's the other, their arms are extended to each other there ..."
"They look ... like Neifirst," said Zelgadis, squinting.
"Oh wonderful. There's two of her running around," said Soma.
"Hmm ... she commented that her 'sister' was her opposite," said Zelgadis. "Hmm ... I wonder if perhaps, in that regard at least, she wasn't being truthful ..." He shrugged. "Either way, we'll want to find her."
"Great plan," said Seifer. "So, who has the most destructive power in the group? Or at least is the most capable of defending themselves?"
Vash walked into the room. "Hi guys, what's up?" He blinked. "Hey ... why's everyone staring at me?"
"I'm not sure I can handle this," moaned Vash.
"Quit whinin'," said Dita, aiming a strange device around the sewer tunnel. "We all have to do dangerous stuff in the League. Including, in your case, introducing yourself."
"What, as Valentinez --"
"Here we are at the right tunnel," said Dita. "Let's see ..." The device began to warble. "Okay ... looks like there's been nothing new since Neifirst and her sister arrived ... let's hope she didn't teleport away, and we have a reasonable chance of figuring out where she went ..."
"Like maybe ... that way?" said Vash, pointing at one archway, which had claw marks on it.
"Yes, that'd be a clue," said Dita, as drily as only someone who isn't built with artificial saliva producers can manage. "Let's try that way."
Vash beamed. He had Discovered A Clue.
"You go first," said Dita.
"Me!? B-but ... but I ..."
Dita sighed. Sometimes she wished she hadn't been given emotions, and would simply be unaffected by the fact that Vash appeared to have the combined intelligence and self-confidence of a roasted amoeba. "Just move, will ya?"
"Um, okay!" said Vash, nervously stepping through the archway. "Ooh, footsteps in the dust!"
There was, indeed, a thick layer of dust in this room, and it had obviously been disturbed by footprints. "Well, you definitely have a flare for the obvious," said Dita. "Hmm ... but there's only one set of footprints. If this is where both Neifirst and ..." She considered what to call the other one. "... 'Nei-second' showed up, shouldn't there be two of 'em?"
"And if they were fighting each other," said Vash, "shouldn't the dust be a bit more disturbed?"
Dita gave him a long hard look. That was the most coherent thing he'd said since she'd met him. "You've got a point," she said slowly, looking down at the dust. Only footprints had done anything to it. "Looks like someone wanted to cover up the violence."
"And used some kinda magic or telekinesis to change the dust," said Vash, looking hard at it. "They might not have even gone that way ..."
"In which case, we might walk into a trap if we go that way," said Dita. "Okay ... looks like this might be a dead end in terms of searching." She tapped the side of her head. "Okay, I'm gonna radio home, and tell 'em what's up."
"Oh, you have a built-in radio?" said Vash.
"I'm my own cell phone," said Dita. "One of Zero's modifications ... Huh, I'm getting more static than usual -- must be 'cuz we're underground ..."
"Or maybe it's some sort of magical disturbance," said Vash.
"What makes you say that?" asked Dita, frowning.
Vash pointed. Dita looked.
There was a girl in the far corner of the room who looked a lot like Neifirst ... but her outfit was purple.
Dita quickly reached for her handgun. In deference to the fact that she didn't know if this girl would be hostile or not, she didn't pull it out yet. In deference to the fact that she was not a complete idiot, she had her finger on the trigger and was ready to fire it in a split second.
The girl flinched away, covering her face. "Don't hurt me!" she yelped.
Vash put a hand on Dita's arm. "Let me handle this."
"Are you sure it'll be safe?" said Dita.
"Hey, I'll be fine," said Vash, who was never safe, especially around people who had heard the phrase "sixty billion" used in context.
He walked over to the girl. "Hey," he said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We're not gonna heart you ... we're just a little bit jumpy cuz we had a run-in with someone who looked like you who said she was called Neifirst ..."
The girl gapsed. "Neifirst!?" she exclaimed, all but shooting up to her feet. "Are you all right ...?"
"Well, one of us got a few scratches in his armor, but we're all okay," he said. "We're not exactly bad in a fight ..." He exhaled. "What's your name?"
"My name is NeiSecond," she said. "But you can just call me Nei." She blinked. "You said you fought her ..."
"Oh, it wasn't too bad," said Vash. "Mostly we were just avoiding her attacks. But the way she was dodging, I only managed to get in one hit!"
"You hit ..." The girl's eyes widened. "Who are you?"
Vash struck a pose. "I am none other than Vash the Stampede, the brave, honorable hero of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen! I am he who never misses, and I have never been struck by any weapon! I have selflessly dedicated my life to two ideals!"
Dita stared. This bore the scent of his general stupidity, only more strident.
"What are they?" asked Nei, in the tone of voice of someone who wasn't sure whether they wanted to know.
Vash struck a different pose, his hand raised to pass through two gestures. "LOVE AND PEACE!" he exclaimed.
Nei looked helplessly to Dita, who shrugged. "Vash is ... Vash," said the Persocon. "I haven't seen him act this goofy ... but in a fight, you just can't hit him."
"I see," said Nei slowly. "You want to stop my sister ...?"
"And someone else we think is from your world," said Dita. "You want to help us?"
Nei nodded. "Definitely. Where are we going to go?"
"We're ... well, it'll be better if we just showed you," said Dita. "C'mon, it's not that far."
"Wait," said Nei. "Just ... concentrate, one of you, on where it is in relation to here ..."
Dita frowned. "You know some sort of teleport magic?"
"Not magic, no," said Nei. "But I can ..." She glanced at Vash, whose face was screwed up in concentration. "... um, teleport us."
"If it's not magic, and you don't have any tech--" began Dita, and then stopped, because Nei clasped her hands together, and was now concentrating.
A golden circle of light appeared next to her.
"What is that?" said Dita uneasily. "It's ... it's not registering right for any of my magic scanners, and it's definitely not technological ..."
"Ryuka," said Nei. "It's a Technique."
"What kind of technique!?" said Dita, staring.
Nei frowned. "You don't have anything like them here?" she said.
"Nope!" said Vash. "So, uh, what does it do?"
"Just step through, and you'll be where you were concentrating on," said Nei. "It'll close when I go through it."
Vash shrugged, and without hesitation stepped into the circle. He promptly vanished.
"Ugh!" exclaimed Dita. "That was hell for my scanners ..." She winced. "It looked kinda like a wormhole opened for him and then closed after him ..." She stepped into the --
*ERROR*
Diagnostic cycle complete. Beginning activation cycle.
Dita opened her eyes, and found herself looking up at the concerned expressions of Nei, Vash, and Zelgadis. "Ugh ... what was that!?"
"Apparently, your sensors got overloaded with conflicting data," said Zelgadis. "Your system simply gave up and crashed. You didn't lose any data before you stepped through it, though."
"Good," said Dita. "I don't even wanna think about losing my system, until I make another backup ..." She shook her head and turned to the newcomer. "So, Nei, did you want in?"
Nei closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, there was a fire in them that hadn't been there before. "We have to stop Neifirst," she said. "I'll help -- even if it costs me my life."
"I hope it doesn't go that far," said Zelgadis. "But, well ... Welcome to the League, Nei."
Neifirst looked at the crystal ball. Rufus wasn't the only one who'd tapped into the Orb. "She's joined them," she said coolly.
"I thought they might," said Zio. "Are you worried?"
Neifirst shook her head. "She's a weakling," she said. "Even if she's capable of going into a rage the way I am, her heart really isn't in it."
Zio chuckled darkly. "Well, I'll let you kill her," he said. "The others are more or less up for grabs between the two of us ..." He smirked. "Except for the blue-skinned one. I think I'd like to destroy him myself."
Neifirst grinned. "Oh, I'm sure you'll enjoy it," she said. "So, what's our next move?"
Zio gestured, and the view in the dark orb changed to show an overview of the city. "Well, here's a map of Tokyo," he said. "Where would you like to attack first?"