"Ginji, I always know that you were dense. But... HOW THE HELL DID YOU MANAGE TO GET US LOST IN TIME!"
"Gomenasai, Ban-chan..."
The spiky-haired teen gave an exasperated groan. Just a few moments ago, the Invincible Duo had been on their latest job: retrieving a time machine. Though Ban had secretly sneered at the idea, it was a proper job nonetheless; their professor client, too, had promised a huge fee.
Well, forcing a confession from the prof's assistant that he had sold the device to the yakuza was easy.(The Jagan helped, as always) Tracking the thugs to a back alley in Ura Shinjuku was easy too, as was with dispatching said thugs, who had tried to put up a fight. Oh, but why do I have to let Ginji hold that palm-sized teleporter?
Yes, the doc did warn them that the device was not very stable. And yes, he had been half asleep during the briefing. But did Ginji really have to meddle with the damn thing while they were making their way back to the Beetle?
"Ginji, you BAKA!" The Master of the Jagan could no longer contain his rage.
Ginji, on his part, decided to turn tare and put on his cutest look. He admitted that he couldn't resist a little poking here and there on the device. But apparently, he forgot that he could release short pulses of electricity, which does have its effect on electronic gadgets...
"What the," was all Ban could mutter as a bright light engulfed the Get Backers in that dark alley. The next thing the duo knew, they were here, right smack in the middle of a forest...
"And the thing is that WE DON"T EVEN KNOW WHERE OR WHEN WE ARE!"
"Gomen..."
Another exasperated groan. After calming down somewhat, Ban's rational self took over.He remembered the doc mentioning that should they set off the time machine, it would be a matter of days before it could be used again. Exactly how long, he couldn't remember.
"Note to self: Never fall asleep again during briefings," thought Ban as his mind conjured up the mocking faces of Hevn, Himiko...and that blasted Beastmaster...
"Ne, Ban-chan. What do we do now?"
"Ok. First, we try to find out where our current location is. Ginji, please use your finger as a compass," Ban tried hard to swallow his pride. If he could have his way, he would have bashed the blond teen into a nearby tree long ago... and left him there. Ok, the last part was a joke. Ban knew that he would never abandon his partner and best pal like that...
Meanwhile, Ginji's magnetized finger pointed towards the north.
"Good, Ginji. At least now we know where North is..."
"Onesan! Onesan! Slow down!"
The Get Backers turned their heads. Running towards them was a young teenage girl, about 15, 16. She had a black shirt with short sleeves on, along with a simple beige dress. On her legs were a pair of stockings which covered her legs from the knees down, as well as a pair of black boots. Despite her speed, the young lady ran with a limp, and the duo could see the bandage around her right knee. But what struck the GB duo was the red coloured butterfly knot the girl had in front of her dress. Coincidently, the girl seemed to be chasing after a red butterfly which was now flying past the two retrievers.
The girl passed the duo without giving them so much as a glance. Ban would have ignored her if not for...
"What the hell," mumbled Ban as his Jagan twitched the moment the teen ran past him. When the Jagan had any reaction, best prepare for something to happen, thought the Genius of Battles.
As for Ginji, he could sense too that the girl who had ran past them was not an ordinary person. She seems to have an affinity for minute electrical currents, much like himself. He also observed that the girl looked somewhat dazed, as if she had been possessed...
Another girl was running towards them. Ban removed his sunglasses. Both teens rubbed their eyes to make sure that they were not seeing things.
The teen that was running towards them looked exactly like the girl who had passed them by, except for her attire. This girl had a black sleeveless top on together with a beige shirt with sleeves. Her white skirt was quite short but to make up for it, her black stockings stretched all the way from her thighs to her shins. She had a pair of black shoes on, with white socks..
"Misters, can you help stop my onesan? She seems to be out of sorts..."
Despite the obvious distress in her voice, Ban could tell that the girl had guts in her, seeing how she had approached them, total strangers, calmly for help with her sister.
"Calm down, kid. What's your name," said Ban gruffly.
"Mio. Amakura Mio."
Where have I heard that name before, thought Ban.
"What a coincidence. I have a 'sky' in my name too. My name is Amano Ginji," introduced the Get Backer, thrusting his gloved hand forward.
The young lady shook the hand gently yet firmly. This girl must be tough as nails, thought Ginji.
"And I'm Mido Ban."
"Mido-san, Amano-san, can you help me chase after my onesan?"
"Let's go, Ginji. We have work to do."
The blond teen stared at his partner. Usually, Ban wouldn't be so quick to help a total stranger, especially when money is not mentioned. Still, Ban-chan does have his soft spots sometimes...
"Well? Hurry up," Ban had already began running.
"Ban-chan, why are we helping the young lady," asked a curious Ginji.
"Because she looks kawaii. Because I'm in a good mood..."
"Ban-chan..." Ginji was clearly annoyed at Ban's attempts to treat him like an idiot.
"Haven't you noticed," said Ban with a more serious tone. "Something is not right with her sister."
"Yeah. I sensed it. The girl seemed to be possessed."
"Not only that. My Jagan had a reaction when she ran past me."
"Really?"
Ban nodded.
Ginji gulped. Something bad's going to happen around here...
"There she is," pointed Ban at Mio's twin.
"Err, Ban-chan... Why is there another...lady in white floating around her.." Ginji was now seriously scared.
"Damn it...Some weird mist is beginning to set in," cursed Ban as the surroundings started becoming hazy.
Clearly, he had not been paying attention to his partner's concerns.
"Amano-san! Mido-san," The Get Backers waited while Mio stopped to catch her breath.
"Mio-chan, I think it's best that you stay in front. We might lose you in this fog," said a concerned Ginji.
Without warning, a mournful tune started to play in the area.
Ginji turned tare and hopped onto Ban's head.
"Get off me, you stupid baby!"
"Ban-chan, I'm scared!"
Despite her anxiety, Mio couldn't help but giggle at the funny sight before her.
"She likes it, Ban-chan."
"Shut up and listen to the surroundings," snapped Ban.
Ginji remained silent. And then...
"What was that singing about," asked Mio, trying hard not to tremble.
"It sounds like a folk song," mused Ban. Or a song sang during rituals, thought the Urchin Head.
"Ban-chan..." Tare Ginji pointed in front.
In between the trees in the forest, the trio could see lights flickering. When they got closer, they saw that there were two rows of lanterns.
Mio and Ban(with tare Ginji still on his head) ran along the narrow path lit by the lanterns. The path led them to a clearing in the thick forest.
There, they saw the other Amakura twin, her back facing the trio. But the girl wasn't alone...
Countless red butterflies were fluttering around her, as if examining her with their crimson wings...
"Mayu," called out her sister.
Amakura Mayu turned around. The butterflies, as if frightened by the call, gathered together and flew away.
Following the butterflies' path, the Get Backers saw something which made their hairs stand on ends.
They saw a village before them, shrouded in mist and darkness. The whole place looked creepy but Ban knew better. The freaking place had been cursed, thought the teen as he lit a cigarette. The years of studying magic and the occult under Maria Noches had finally come in handy.
"Onesan, are you alright?"
"Mio, what happened," asked Mayu, still looking somewhat bewildered.
Ginji got off his pal's head and looked at the older twin. Unlike Mio, Amakura Mayu came across as a timid girl. Her voice was soft and gentle; she also seemed to lack the confidence and firmness of her sister...
Meanwhile, Ban looked behind the group. The path which they came from had already disappeared...
"Ladies and gentleman, I have some bad news."
The other three stared at the spikey-haired teen.
"Look behind us," Ban cocked his thumb to the rear...
Ginji went tare and started running around.
"What are we going to do? What are we..."
He was interrupted by a sudden stomp in his face.
"Would you just calm down? You're scaring the ladies."
Turning towards the twins, Ban suggested, "It seems that we have only one option: to enter that village in front of us..."
Amakura Mayu gripped her sister's hand more tightly, the distress evident in her face. Mio, on the other hand, patted her onesan's hand gently, trying to calm the girl down.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine."
I hope, thought Ban to himself.
Atogaki(Afterthoughts)
- This is the prequel to the actual crossover. Hope you enjoyed it! Please RnR!
- Do note that I haven't actually play the game. But I'll try my best to keep it as close to the events of the game as possible.
- The "sky" mentioned by Ginji refers to their surnames. In Kanji, "Ama" means "sky"...