Potentially Problematic
Sophie Dawly
Disclaimer – I don't own anything in here. I don't own rights to Xenosaga Episodes I,II or any future installments to the Xenosaga series. I don't own anything else I make reference to. I am not making money off of this. There. That just about covers everything.
(4- The Alter-Ego)
(1)
"What are you planning to do?" Now that her captor had relocated her to a larger holding cell, Momo could breath a little easier and felt more inclined to ask questions.
"You wouldn't understand. But since I've recruited you as forced labor I suppose I'll have to give you some of the details." He sighed. "My name… is Professor Dark."
Momo's eyes went wide as he stepped forward from the shadows to reveal his ancient lined face.
"Y – You're the one that stole from our spaceship!"
"Yes. That's right."
"You're that 'stupid old curmudgeon that left behind a clear trail of evidence'!" Momo was only repeating what she had heard the Professor saying some time before. She didn't even know what a curmudgeon was.
"Watch it there, kiddo. At least I wasn't the one who fell for the 'I'll give you some candy' line!" Professor Dark said testily. He paused and took a deep breath to compose himself, and then continued; "Now, what I am building is of no small consequence. Perhaps you remember my Dark Erde Kaiser that I once intended to use to control people through virtual space."
"That's horrible!" Momo exclaimed, but Professor Dark just ignored her.
"But you and your friends destroyed my plans, along with my robot, so I've now had to invent a far more dastardly plan!"
"What are you going to do?"
"I am going to destroy all of humanity! I would rather existence did not exist than live in a universe where I am only second best compared to that Professor!"
Momo was silent. In a strange sort of way, she felt herself empathizing with him, understanding this madman's emotions.
"But just because you're only second doesn't mean you have to give up on everything! You're still human after all…" She spoke with such conviction, that Professor Dark stared at her in amazement. Clearly, he had never had a hostage act in such a fashion. And then he listened to her story.
(2)
Shion was busy working on the Encephalon, trying to pinpoint Momo's location so that they could go and rescue her. She had arrived at the conclusion that Momo had been taken to the Encephalon after the hint Evil assistant Scott had given them.
Meanwhile, Matthews and the Professor were getting drunk, at a loss for anything better to do. Adonis, the droid that worked at the bar, made sure that their glasses never quite reached empty.
"You know- if Shion wants to live her life like that…" Allen and Tony were sitting in a booth elsewhere in the bar with three bottles of liquor. Only one still had something left.
"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with her being a L-l-l." Allen couldn't bring himself to say it. It had taken him several rounds of drinks for him to reach this stage of acceptance.
"Hey, Allen." Tony leaned forward. "You wanna go… somewhere with me?"
"Okay." They two men got up, and leaning on each other for support, managed to make their way towards the door.
"Look at the door! It's shiny and it goes 'Swoosh!'" Allen commented.
"Yeah… that door… it always goes 'Swoosh!' it's awesome. Like… it's just awesome." Tony agreed.
The Professor and Captain Matthews were too busy getting sloshed to pay any mind to Allen and Tony falling over while trying to leave.
(3)
"Damn… This is all my fault." Jr. had slipped into his second bout of depression since Momo's disappearance. He had locked himself up in his room so that no one would bother him, leaving him free to wallow in self-pity. "I should've been there… I should have been protecting her… like I promised." Jr. stood before a mirror so he could glare at himself properly.
"Looks like you've really screwed up this time." Jr.'s reflection folded his arms across his chest and stared at him. Jr. didn't seem all that surprised, but he was panicking a little.
"No… not you… not again!" He covered his ears with his hands and dropped to his knees.
"What, Rubedo? You're not happy to see me?" The reflection pouted.
"Leave me alone!" Jr. begged. "Y-you're not real!" He insisted, rising to his feet to yell at his twin in the mirror.
"Really?" The reflection sounded incredulous. He poked himself in the stomach, just as a test. "Well…" He began, "If I'm not real, then how come I can do this!" Jr.'s reflection slammed his palm against the mirror, creating a distortion in the air around him.
Jr. covered his face with his hands, and began writhing in pain. "No, stop! Stop it! You're not real!" He insisted.
"I am very, very real Rubedo." The reflection narrowed his eyes and looked menacing. "And you are going to listen to me."
(4)
Ziggy was down in the basement level, looking for clues. KOS-MOS was there as well – she had insisted on helping him. He had dusted the weaponry counter and shutter for prints, but hadn't really found anything. KOS-MOS was examining a piece of metal on the floor.
"Hey!" Jr. greeted Ziggy enthusiastically – it almost made the cyborg suspicious. "Watcha up to?"
"I am currently examining this piece of s#!." KOS-MOS reported, referring to the piece of metal using one of the new words that had recently been added to her vocabulary.
"That's awesome." Jr. commented, unsure of what else to say. KOS-MOS went back to her task.
"We're looking for clues to Momo's disappearance." Ziggy informed the URTV. Jr. nodded to show that he was listening and understood.
Suddenly, there was a rather loud noise behind the metal shutter of the weaponry counter.
"Did you hear that?" Ziggy turned his head towards the direction of the sound.
"Affirmative."
"All I hear is those voices saying that I've got to burn everything to make way for the apocalypse." Jr. said.
KOS-MOS and Ziggy turned to stare at him.
"What? You guys don't hear it?" Jr. stared at them, unconvinced.
Ziggy had decided to ignore this last comment, and instead, directed his attention back to the metal shutter. He forced it open, and was shocked by what he saw. Impulsively, Ziggy grabbed Jr., the youngest in the room, and covered his eyes.
"Hey – wha… what's going on!" Jr. began waving his arms around frantically.
"Lunch is ready!" Shion announced. "Sweet fancy Moses! Allen! Have you no decency!" She was repulsed at the sight of Tony and Allen in a rather compromising position.
"Uhh…" Tony and Allen looked at each other.
"What's going on!" Jr. finally managed to break free of Ziggy's grasp. "Jesus Monkey Lords!" He exclaimed.
"Wait – this isn't what it looks like!" Tony stood up.
"I am offended by this." The KOS-MOS informed everyone. "I am leaving this area."
"Look, man – just take it. Keep it please." Jr. handed Tony his trenchcoat and followed KOS-MOS and the others back upstairs.
(5)
Jr. went back into the men's cabin to retrieve a new trenchcoat out of the closet. He had just finished putting it back on, when something startled him.
"I think we should go get them."
"Stop it! I would never do anything like that!" Jr. protested. "They're my friends!"
"Listen to me Rubedo." The reflection glared at him. "Listen or else."
(6)
"System scanning complete." KOS-MOS reported.
"Finally!" Shion sighed. They had been busy running tests on the metal object that the android had discovered in the basement for most of the day.
"There is a 97.888 percent probability that this is a Forbidden Dive device."
"But it's so small!" Shion's eyes widened in disbelief. She took the small object in her hands to study it.
"There is also a very high probability that it will lead us to Momo's current location." KOS-MOS added.
"We've got to tell everyone – right away!" Shion stood up, and rushed to the bridge.
(7)
"Jesus tap-dancing Christ!" Tony spat on the floor, still a little drunk. "Hammer – I know you took it!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Hammer protested.
"My first-edition copy of the Iron 4 volume 12 Issue 5!" Tony folded his arms across his chest and glared at Hammer threateningly. "I know it was you. You've practically been swooning over it since I got it!"
"Why would I want your crappy comic book when I actually have the complete Iron 4 collection!" Hammer's voice had reached and entirely new volume, and had begun to sound squeaky. It hurt Shion's ears just listening to him.
"What's going on?" Jr. appeared wearing a new trenchcoat.
"Hammer stole my first-edition comic book and now he's calling it crappy!" Tony pointed to the hopping mad navigator.
Jr. tried not to look guilty, yet Neither Tony or Hammer seemed to notice; they were too busy being angry with each other.
"What the hell?" Captain Matthews arrived, Chaos not far behind him.
"Please, stop this at once." Chaos stepped forward.
"I know where their keeping Momo!" Shion said suddenly. "This is actually a dive device." She said, referring to the round metal object she held in her hands.
"Really?" Jr. sounded genuinely interested not only because he wanted to save Momo, but also because he didn't want to discuss what had happened to Tony's Iron 4 comic book anymore.
"There's no time to waste." Ziggy said. "Let's go."
(8)
"It's time for you to meet the boss." Professor Dark opened the door to Momo's cell. "I think you'll understand what I'm trying to do."
Momo hopped down. She had been shaking with fear before, but now she had seemed to have some level of control; at least she could stand up properly now.
She followed the professor down the hall; at least she thought it was a hall. It was dark, so she really couldn't tell. They stopped at what looked like a door.
"Go in and meet her." Dark Professor said. "I know she seems a bit rough around the edges, but she's really a nice person once you get to know her."
Momo gulped and went through the door.
"Come in, you filth."
The sound of that voice was enough to make her blood run cold.