Chapter Four
Cross Fusion and Me
Kojuro placed his report on the desk, looking up into his supervisor's eyes. The man didn't like when he did that; in all honesty, it kind of gave him the creeps the way that the kid never showed much emotion. "So, I suppose I'll have to read all of this... or are you going to tell the important stuff?" The man asked.
"Sir," He adjusted his glasses. "I report sixty-two crimes, all of which resolved," He reported in a firm voice. "I have also noticed a disturbing trend as of recent."
"And what is that?" The man behind the desk asked, already looking through each of the sixty-two pages. Each page held an in dept report on every criminal. Appearance, chips in folder, programs inside each navi, battle style... "The kid is good..." The man thought. Of course, he noticed Kojuro's 'trend' as well...each instance was highlighted.
"Each one of those suspects used an unusual, powerful chip that destroyed its users' 'soul program.' A dark chip, as I'm sure you have heard of." He explained.
"Dark chips. You mean those chips that Hikari and Ijuin have been bringing in recently?" The man asked. "I thought they had destroyed them."
"As did I. It appears, however, someone else has the resources to create such chips from scratch and are distributing them," He said. "It appears someone-"
Whatever Kojuro was about to say, however, was cut short. The doors behind him burst open, revealing Trinku. "We need to talk!" He shouted pointing to the man Kojuro was speaking to.
"About? I've done nothing to you-"
"Bull!" Trinku shouted. "How could put me on the task of finding those two?"
"Two?"
"Torasun and Yagami!" Trinku shouted. "I thought I was just on Dark Watch, and now them? You know full well I can't handle all this alone, so what gives?"
"Did you notice I bumped your rank? You're getting paid more..." Trinku's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again. "I'd rather take lower pay than more danger, thank you!" He said in an unusually intelligent tone.
"Trinku," Kojuro spoke in his usual calm tone. "Did you just say...Dark Watch?"
"Yeah. What about it?" Amaterasu
"That's the first time I heard that name as well," Their superior spoke. "What gives, Trinku? Who's this Dark Watch?"
"They're the group behind these attacks." Shinigami spoke in an unusually polite tone. "We cornered one of their members in our last encounter. He also had a very unusual chip...a purple chip that made this black aura and he escaped..."
"A purple chip that made a black aura..." Kojuro placed a hand to his chin. "Sir, may I make a suggestion?"
"Hmm?"
"Trinku made a remark about not being able to handle Dark Watch alone. I've had run-ins with these individuals as well. I suggest we work together to solve our problem," He suggested. "And I have an idea, if you'll permit it."
"And that is?"
"Enzan Ijuin created a group recently, team of Blues. Why don't I create one? Trinku could be the first member."
"What!" Trinku shouted. "Oh no! I can take you at school, but I refu-"
"That's a great idea," The man smiled. Trinku sweat dropped as Kojuro placed his hands in his pockets. "The two of your would make a great team, and you both have your own talents. Consider yourself dismissed."
"Damn it..." Trinku muttered. "Fine, but I'm coming up with the name." Trinku whispered.
"Suit yourself. What do you want to call us?" Kojuro shrugged. Trinku thought about that, and then shook his head. "I'll think of one later. I'm out." He muttered, walking towards the door. Something struck him in the back of the head, however. "Ow!" Kojuro caught the item, however. A chip.
"What is this? I've never seen it before..." He asked, as Trinku scooped his off the ground. The man folded his finger over his mouth.
"A development from Dr. Hikari. Have fun with them," He smiled. "I guarantee you'll need them.
"So you're with Kojuro? What is so wrong with zat?" Uriko asked. Trinku sighed. "He seems so nice, and smart, and he is somewhat attractive..."
"Then why aren't you engaged to him?" He muttered. There was a crash down the hall, and suddenly there was loud shouting from a familiar voice.
"I don't need your advice, mother!" Yumi's voice traveled down the hall. "If I wanted it, I'd ask!" Trinku sighed; his mom was at it again.
"Didn't you say you met two guys yesterday?" was his mother's reply in a sugary sweet voice. "And one of them saved your life…how romantic… you should find this boy! I'm sure he'd say yes to such a pretty young thing like you-"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Trinku watched as his sister tossed the door open, storming down the hall with Ami running after her. She stopped, wheeling around to look the woman in the face. "Look! I'm NOT interested! I don't want your advice! I don't need your advice! Understand?"
"But…you should listen anyway…I mean, you are still single, my dear…"
The older girl glared at her mother, before grabbing her car keys. "That's it! I'm leaving! I can't take this!" She shouted. "When you're done poking around in my love life, call me. Shinigami knows how to reach me." She grumbled, slamming the door behind her. The three of them watched, and then heard the sound of a car peeling out. "…"
"I should have figured this would happen…" Ami sighed. There was then a hand at her shoulder as Uriko attempted to console the woman. "You shouldn't pry into her like that, Madam Matanoa. Yumi seems…um…content to keep things to herself. She'll tell you when she's ready."
"Yeah, which'll be never if she's smart at all…" Shinigami muttered. Trinku gave a slight, silent laugh as he stood up with a stretch. "Hey, lets go to Kit's, Uriko," He suggested. Then, under his breath, "All this femininity is choking me to death…"
"Okay!" Uriko smiled, as they walked to the door. Leaving, Ami sighed as Lita stepped in the room. "Please tell me you have a son like her." She moaned.
"Your mom did what?" Kit and Gelbman laughed. "Man, she's terrible!"
"Its true…she's a great person but as dense as I am…" Trinku sighed, eliciting a giggle from Uriko and Shinigami, who witnessed the ordeal. The four of them continued to laugh at Trinku's expense…until a loud beep came from his PET.
"Mail call." Shinigami help up a letter. Trinku looked at the envelope image, and then sighed. "Ah man, its him…"
"Him?" Kit asked.
Trinku nodded. "Kojuro. He's looking for me…"
"Why does Kojuro have your email all of a sudden?"
"He got it to contact me. We've become…" Trinku shuddered, but Uriko conveniently finished the sentence for him.
"Partners!" She grinned. Trinku's face twisted in disgust as she continued, "I don't see why that's so bad…he's really smart…"
"And talented…" Kit nodded.
"And probably near perfect in battle…" Gelbman pointed out.
"And I'm sure he's popular with the ladies…unlike you, Trinku. He sounds pretty perfect compared to a lazy punk like you." Shinigami gave Trinku a sideways glance. Trinku stood up, tempted to once again yank out Shinigami's batteries.
"I have to go meet the jerk, so you two have fun worshiping the oh-so-perfect Kojuro." Trinku grumbled, walking towards the door. Uriko stood up to follow, but heard it slam quickly.
"Oh…now I have to walk home by myself… Oh! Kit!" She grinned, turning to the blonde. He scratched behind his ear.
"Sure, why not. I can't see why he'd leave you here, though…"
Kojuro traveled ACDC streets, watching the area closely as he went. "I don't see what we were sent to look for…I'm starting to doubt it was even here…"
"Statement: You did receive this tip from an anonymous subject." Laser pointed out. Kojuro didn't argue; it did seem rather suspicious that he happens to be walking down a street with no criminal activity at all.
He made an abrupt stop. "Trinku's here." Said Kojuro.
"Query: How does Kojuro know this?"
"He's not quiet at all, Laser."
"KOJURO! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!"
The black haired teen rounded a corner, walking directly into Kojuro's line of sight. "You know, for a guy like yourself, it's awfully hard to find you. I had to question at least six businessmen who dressed like you." Trinku muttered.
"I suppose that's supposed to be an insult," Kojuro noted. "Perhaps I shouldn't have decided to help you out…" He continued to walk past Trinku. Trinku muttered something under his breath, following behind him.
"Could you at least tell me what we're looking for?"
"Something about a dome," Kojuro mentioned. "A large dome that no one could seem to enter or exit. And there was rumors to be navis sighted in the dome," Kojuro stopped, removing his glasses to clean them. "It's a very suspicious tip, so I'm not even sure if it's reliable…"
"…This dome…" Shinigami had his hand on his chin. "Describe it."
"Large, multicolored…that's all the information we were given."
"Is that the dome we're looking for?" Shinigami asked, pointing behind them. They turned, seeing themselves reflected off a domed surface directly behind them. "Sneaky thing, huh? Lets go inside." Shinigami suggested. Just as he said this, however, it faded away. "...Weird."
"Indeed," Kojuro agreed.
"Ya know, I'm quite sure it'll appear," Trinku smiled. "We just have to find-" Upon nearly finishing his statement, the dome reformed around them abruptly. Trinku slapped his forehead as Shinigami spoke: "Trinku."
"I know, I know. Shut up." He sighed. There was a brief silence, and then Trinku heard what sounded like a gasp coming from Kojuro. "What?" He asked. His peer pointed over his shoulder, causing him to scratch his head.
"What? You act like you see a monster or something."
"Awfully close. I see something that should be impossible."
Turning slowly upon hearing that, Trinku found himself looking into a muscular chest. Poking the chest, he looked up...into the eyes of a monster. "ACK! WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!" He screamed, running behind Kojuro. In front of them...
...Was a very large, centaur navi. "Kojuro Seitamashii?" Was its gruff statement.
"Yes. I suppose you're from Dark Watch." He adjusted his glasses, which were slipping off his face due to the quaking Trinku who latched onto his arm. "As much as I'd like to examine you, I'm going to have to put you down."
"How do you suppose we'll do that?" Trinku whispered. Kojuro (after prying the boy off of him), thought about that...then drew a chip. "I suppose I'll test this chips effectiveness."
"A chip. Honestly...and I thought you were smart." Shinigami grumbled. "What the hell is that supposed to do-" Shinigami fell silent as a chip was stuffed in his PET, the same one Kojuro drew. "Oh, not you too!" He shouted at Trinku.
"I'm willing to try anything!" Trinku shouted. Then, with a smile, "And Kojuro may be on to something. Isn't that the chip we picked up earlier?"
"Yes." He smiled back. The centaur navi, who was digging in his ear, looked at his fingernail.
"Are you two done? I have a job to do, you know?" Drawing a cross bow, he pointed it. "I'm supposed to, err, kill you? Yeah, that's it... Now hold still." He aimed. Kojuro gave a slight chuckle, he slid the chip in his PET.
"He grossly underestimates us, Laser." He said to his navi. "Now...let it activate."
"Statement: Shout 'Cross Fusion.'" Kojuro did, as did a now cocky Trinku. There was a bright light, then...
"STUPID! I DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS!" Shinigami shouted. Trinku couldn't tell where it came from, but it sounded awfully close, like a nagging voice in his head. "Who told me you could use my body!"
"What're talking about?" Trinku rubbed his head. He had a sudden headache from the shouting...but froze once he touched it. A cold, metallic feeling. "Wha- ACK!" He was covered in black leather, and a long trench coat draped his shoulders. "I've become a Goth! Nooooo!" He wailed.
"Not quite." Kojuro's voice. Beginning to wheel around and shout at him, he stopped upon the sight of him. Robotic armor, long brown hair, a visor instead of glasses, steel wings... "Its called cross fusion." He explained. "Interesting concept; you fused with Shinigami. You are Shinigami and I am Laser," He glanced at his hand, which promptly transformed into a cannon.
"Interesting isn't the word for it..." Trinku muttered the same time Shinigami thought it. The centaur, who will be called CentaurMan for simplicity, picked his teeth, then snapped back to attention. "Oh, you're done now? Now can I do my job?"
"You can try." Kojuro pointed the cannon. A beam of energy burned past Centaur's cheek, scorching it. "That'll be you're only warning. As you can see, my partner here isn't as merciful as me."
"Partner? You mean that little-" CentaurMan began, but stopped mid sentence. "Where'd he go?"
A clean slice down his back answered that question, as Trinku swung Shinigami's massive, though surprisingly light buster scythe at the navi. He staggered, then stumbled as Trinku sliced his back legs. Rushing back to Kojuro as the navi climbed back to his feet, Trinku grinned.
"Talking is gonna get you killed, you know..." He whispered.
"Considering the circumstances," Kojuro's buster began to glow much, much brighter, as if trying to compress the sun itself. "I'm going to have to agree with you. Light-"
"-Stinger!" Trinku finished, tossing the scythe. An enormous burst of light smacked into the scythe, sending it whirling at a much faster speed, a whirling whirlwind of glowing death. CentaurMan's eyes widened as the scythe came within an inch of his face...then impaled itself into his shoulder.
"ACK!" He screamed, grabbing the handle. Pulling it out, it seemed to hurt even worse. Standing up woozily, he fell back on his horse-like knees. "Okay, so fighting isn't a good idea. Archer is going to be mad at me..." With that, he logged out, leaving a grinning Trinku and still business like Kojuro.
"...Heh..." Trinku snicker. "Hehehehahaha! This is so cool!" He looked down at his hands. "I mean, look at me! I'm friggen Shini- what? No!" He suddenly screamed, as his hands began to dissolve. Within seconds, he was back to boring old Trinku. "No!" he wailed, as Kojuro watched the dome dissolve.
"...We should go report," Kojuro said, as the chip slid out his PET and into his hand. "I'm quite sure our superiors will find our findings interesting." Walking ahead, he made sure to ignore the moans of the whining Trinku.
"...I hate you Kojuro..." He muttered. "Wait up!" He then shouted, realizing how quickly he was being left behind. Shinigami sighed.
"This is the beginning of a long and painful partnership..."