Story: Mind the Gap (French version available : "Intervalles")
Date: posted 10 november 2022
Beta: None
Fandom: The World End With You
Disclaimer: No, I do not own TWEWY and do not make money with this story
Summary: Just after the Long Game, Joshua saved the rest of the Hashiko Gang but have been condamned by the Angels for his choices : He is bound to Shibuya whith half his powers restrained. Worst, the futur judgment of M.H depend of his good behavior. And Neku play the Shinjuku's game with Coco, Sho and Tsugumi, trying to live again.
Trigger du chapitre: None I can think of but there is some drama!
Enjoy your Reading !
On one of the broken sofas in the studio above WildKat, Sanae stared straight ahead, lips pursed. His left hand rested loosely on a cushion, a book long since abandoned between his fingers. His right arm, on the other hand, was wrapped firmly around Joshua's shoulders, hugging the boy to his side. Each of his carefully controlled breaths stirred the blond hair on his neck. With Joshua's eyes closed, it almost looked like the boy had decided to take a nap next to the artist.
But the reality was quite different.
Their minds were turned inward, listening, like so many others in the Tokyo UGs, to what was happening in Shinjuku. The vision was blurred, the incredible amount of Timbre saturating the district made observation as sharp as through a snowstorm. But the Shibuya Composer and Producer had a distinct advantage over all the other curious districts. Three of the six main protagonists belonged to them. The Shibuya pattern was clear in Sho Minamimoto and Neku Sakuraba's Vibes, a little more faded in Coco Atarashi's, but still legible, and it allowed them to find their way through the saturated environment.
They had observed everything.
From the last day of the game to Shiba Miyakaze's coup, to the Reaper mutiny and the Executor's triggering of the inversion. They had been on that couch for hours without actually being there, standing side by side, completely still. It was only when the Reversal had been set in motion and Neku had tuned in with the Shinjuku Conductor and his sister, creating a barrier to hold it back, that Joshua had tried to get up. He'd barely had time to shift his weight onto his feet when Sanae grabbed him by the shoulders, preventing him from disappearing.
"We can't wait any longer, that fool has launched the Reversal! The Shinjuku Conductor may be very good but he's no match for even such a low level Angel, he's going to get destroyed and Neku with him!" Joshua spat immediately as he pulled himself out of Sanae's hands, still on the edge of the chair and ready to bolt.
"You can't interfere, Josh! Even without talking about breaking the rules of the Tuners, going against another district's Inversion? They're not going to let that go."
"Let them do their Inversion!" Joshua replied annoyed. "I'll just get Neku back and the rest can continue!"
"You know as well as I do that it's not that simple, everyone has their eyes on the Shinjuku Game! Even if you manage to get him back without getting erased, because, I remind you, you don't have all your powers now, even then, what will happen? I won't be here anymore, you'll probably be locked up or forcibly ascended and sent to the higher planes and then what about Neku? Your rescue will have drawn the attention of others to him and..."
"Then what do I do!?" Joshua shouted as he leapt to his feet. Sanae gasped, looking at him with wide eyes. He hadn't seen the Composer this emotional since his first few months on the job. Eyes flitting back and forth, hair in disarray, breathing too fast and hands shaking, Joshua looked nothing like a God.
A little lost and probably out of reflex, Sanae leaned over the couch to grab Joshua's hands and calm their shaking. "You trust your partner." He said calmly as he stared into Joshua's grey eyes.
But the Composer gave a mocking gasp and snatched his hand away. "Do you hear yourself? Neku can't fight an Angel! And that's the problem, he trusted me to bring him back to life but for the fourth time and probably the last, I'm going to guide him to his death!"
Sanae remained for a moment stuck, he didn't know what to say, what to do to improve the situation. And then, in the worst rescue, they felt two souls crashing through the barrier protecting Shibuya from the Shinjuku disaster. It wasn't the first time since the beginning of the evening, everyone being a little bit aware of the UG, whether it was former players a little too psychic or Reapers with a good survival instinct had taken advantage of the lifting of the lockdown about ten minutes earlier to pour into the neighbouring cities. Well... those who had survived the first purge and the waves of Noise. They were still trickling in, but these two were special: they were Reapers from Shibuya.
Neku's team for the Shinjuku Game.
But Neku wasn't with them.
"They abandoned him." Joshua whispered.
"He's the one holding up the barrier, they couldn't do otherwise." Sanae reminded him gently and Joshua collapsed back onto the couch. "If he's not the direct target, perhaps sending more energy to him through your pact would be enough to protect him from the Reversal." Sanae offered and Joshua looked up at him with a frown.
"But they'll figure it out."
"There's nothing that prohibits the transfer of energy between members of a pact." Sanae noted. "Since you're not directly influencing the Inversion, the others should leave us alone. Then you'll just have to wait for them to divert attention to get Neku back in Shinjuku. Our Tuners on the other hand..."
"I'm not going to choose between you and Neku." Joshua replied firmly and Sanae smiled sadly.
"You don't have to, I'm making the choice myself. Think about it Josh, the transgression is minimal, I'll be locked up for a few years at worst, it's nothing compared to my life. But Neku... if we don't save him now, he'll be lost forever. This way, at least you won't put yourself in danger and will be there to protect him."
Joshua hesitated, but Sanae didn't even give him time to accept or refuse. He got up from the couch, ran a hand through Joshua's hair and gently reached up to kiss his forehead. His moustache tickled Joshua, but he didn't have the strength to complain about it as he usually did.
"But I've never been without you..." Joshua murmured.
"Then take this as a holiday." Sanae joked. "It's way past time you got your independence. Live your life, Josh, and I'll come back well-rested to see the incredible being you've become in a few years. But please, don't walk this way alone, promise?"
"Promise." Joshua sighed without even thinking about it.
"Then go! Go play the brave knight." Sanae smiled as he pushed Joshua's back slightly. Using the movement, Joshua turned and walked out of the workshop without a backward glance.
Within a few beats of his wings, he was facing the border of Shibuya and Shinjuku. Eyes fixed on something he couldn't actually see, he spread his hands and opened the valves between their Vibes, transferring more and more power to Neku. Again and again and again. It was barely enough to withstand the reversal, and even then, Neku's Vibe and his own continued to be syphoned off. So he sent more and more, in a thin but steady stream, determined that all his efforts would not be for naught. And, finally! Neku steadied himself. Abruptly cutting off his flow of powers, leaving Neku a tiny, faint flame, not worthy of attention, Joshua waited patiently, pressed to the border, for the Higher Beings to grow bored and turn their attention away from Shinjuku. It didn't take long, and Joshua wasted no more time, afraid of being caught by his tuners before he finished his task. He took a deep breath...
And crossed the border.
Think about letting a review on your way out and see you on the next chapter !