Chapter 7
Hoshikawa Subaru:
"On your left!"
In the blink of an eye, Subaru leapt to a parallel waveroad on his right, dodging a concussive explosion in the nick of time.
"Thanks, Rock."
"Don't mention it." The FMian growled.
Subaru felt the static swirl of energy around his left hand as a laser-green sword materialized into place. He threw himself back into the fray, viciously swiping at his enemies before the weapon card timed out. Mettools, Hotroaders, and Cannonbases were the typical viruses that liked to cause havoc on the city streets of Kodoma town. By this point, Subaru – or Rockman – was a seasoned veteran when it came to dealing with these small fries.
A downward swing brought him into a crouch. With a flash of light, Subaru's sword disintegrated. In its place blossomed a power bomb, and Subaru left it resting on the waveroad as he rolled forward and shifted his frequency so that he fell through the translucent orange signal. His free fall lasted but a few seconds. With practiced ease, he adjusted the atmosphere around his body so that he slowed to a near halt and alighted on a waveroad several hundred meters below.
The instant his feet touched the signal, the power bomb he'd left up above went off with a bang, blowing shimmering bits of data into the sky. A chime in his ear signaled the successful download of his spoils. Apparently, viruses were hoarders, often picking up zenny or data cards when they cause trouble. Needless to say, Subaru's training had been lucrative.
"What'd we get?" Subaru asked.
Warrock, using the transer's functions, projected the spoils into denpa space in Subaru's view. He swiped through the information, most of it familiar.
"Not bad."
"You've got a lot of this 'zenny' stuff." Warrock commented, "What are you gonna do with it?"
"Might buy some new weapon cards." Subaru mused, "I keep getting multiple copies of the same low-level junk from these viruses. I need something more powerful. Didn't you say there was another FMian in the earth's atmosphere?"
"Yeah. But whoever it is, they seem to be playing a waiting game. Whether that's because they haven't found a host yet or because they're biding their time, I don't know. I can't tell you much more than that based of my observations alone."
Subaru put a hand to his chin, thinking. "So you can sense them?"
"Something like that." Warrock confessed with a shrug in his voice.
"Can I?"
"What?"
"Can I sense denpa creatures?" Subaru clarified.
Warrock was quiet for a moment, so Subaru explained.
"Back when we bumped into Utagai-san, right before he transformed, I remember feeling some kind of energy coming from him. But that doesn't make sense, given that he wasn't possessed at the time."
"Most FMians aren't going to skip straight to possession, kid. And by most, I mean, everyone except Taurus. That guy's an idiot. Most FMians are going to bide their time and wait for the perfect moment to act. The perfect moment being when they are guaranteed to have total control. It was highly likely that that scientist was already consorting with Cygnus when you met him.
"As for if you can sense them, I'm not sure. You've noticed that denpa creatures are prone to data sharing. That's not an exception on Planet FM. For the most part, there are no secrets. You always know where you stand in society and you always know what others think of you. It may be, that since you've spent time as Rockman, you are more inclined to notice those waves."
Subaru was silent, absorbing Warrock's lecture. Ever since they'd almost been forced apart by Taurus, Rock had been more willing to explain things. Preparing Subaru for whatever came next.
A sigh rattled out of Subaru's transfer, "Actually, you father was working on a similar concept in the space station Peace."
Subaru's head whipped down to his transfer screen, meeting Warrocks glowing, ruby eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
"Brotherband."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"The way Hoshikawa Daigo explained it, it sounded eerily similar to what we denpa creatures do. It is a connection formed between two people – brothers – that allows them to share thoughts and information about themselves. It can be invasive, but that's why it is a connection made only between two humans that share a deep trust."
"I remember him mentioning something about that…" Subaru mumbled. His hand slid to the shooting star design on his breastplate that matched the pendant that he and his father had shared, "This was the prototype."
"Well that certainly makes sense." Warrock grumbled.
"What?"
"Now I know how I got stuck with you, the most boring, antisocial, killjoy human on his entire blasted planet."
"Rock." There was a hint of teasing warning in Subaru's voice, "Do you want me to follow through on those expectations."
"No."
"Then don't say things like that."
"Fine."
"So what do FMians think about you, Rock?"
The surprise in Warrock's voice was palpable. Even as Subaru began to zip down the waveroad toward AMAKEN, he could tell that he'd caught the dragon-like alien off guard.
"You said that FMians data share as well. So what do they think about you?"
"Before or now?"
Subaru shrugged, "Either. I'm just curious."
There was a long silence. Subaru was momentarily distracted by another group of low level viruses. But it only took seconds for him to wipe the floor with them.
Finally, Warrock admitted, "I'm not sure if I'm ready to share that information with you yet, kid."
While that certainly piqued Subaru's curiosity, he didn't have time to pursue the topic. A ping sounded in his ear, repetitive and insistent. In the corner of his visor, Subaru noted the readout: pursuant tracking engaged.
Pursuant tracking?
"Someone's following you, kid." Warrock explained.
"Who?"
"Only GPS location is available to you. All other data is encrypted."
"So it's either someone who's very paranoid or it's someone within law enforcement." Subaru surmised.
"Want to find out for sure? They can't lock on your z-waves without some of the data going both ways. That's how we know where they are."
"Why not?"
Subaru could feel Warrock's smug attitude exuding through their connection, "Let's scare them a bit." He growled.
"Ha ha, Rock. How about we don't."
Subaru internalized the coordinates provided by the 'pursuant tracking' function and homed in. With a flash of Rockman's signature, green light, he zipped down the waveroad, only to appear at the location of their first wave battle that day, one that had been amongst a hoard of water type viruses in the Kodoma Town hydroelectric power plant.
None other than Inspector Goyouda stood there, surveying the damage of the fight.
"Damn that Rockman." The man grumbled under his breath.
Subaru, still invisible on the waveroad above, just rolled his eyes. This guy was an idiot if he didn't see how Rockman was the one stopping these attacks. Then again, the Satillite Police, for all their boasts of being a force specialized in combating negative EM activity, didn't know the first thing about the science behind it. There was no way Inspector Goyouda understood exactly what he was dealing with when it came to Rockman.
So how in the world was he successfully tracking Rockman?
As if on cue, another ping signaled in Subaru's ear, and down below, a chime from Inspector Goyouda's transer sounded out. The inspector glanced at the screen, noticing that Rockman's dot rested on top of his exact coordinates. He looked around wildly, but saw no one.
Subaru couldn't stifle his laugh. Tracking him was one thing. But Inspector Goyouda truly had no means by which to do Suabru any harm. Rockman was way, way out of his caliber.
Almost like he had sensed Rockman's mirth, Inspector Goyouda's face grew purple with rage and he screamed into the empty air, "ROCKMAN! Show yourself."
"I'd rather not." Subaru said aloud, but he was so far from Goyouda's state, the inspector wouldn't hear.
"Inspector Goyouda!" A new figure entered the scene, running up to the gruff policeman like his life depended on it. Which was saying something since the man was rather overweight and dressed in a gaudy, maroon suit with too much flair. Some kind of rich businessman, apparently. "I need your help immediately!"
Subaru wasn't a nosey person and he honestly didn't care what the greasy schmooze was going to ask for, so he flashed away down the waveroad. AMAKEN wasn't far from the power plant and it was nearing lunch time. His mom would be worried if he didn't show up for Sunday lunch with her.
Suddenly hesitant, Rockman screeched to a stop outside the labs. With Inspector Goyouda tracking his movements, he'd have to be more careful about where he transformed for the time being. Until he could write a counter code for the inspector's newfound tracking program, it wouldn't be smart to make so many pit stops in Hoshikawa Subaru's private lab. It would be a dead giveaway.
Instead, he reentered real space behind a tree in the sparse greenery that surrounded the labs. He just needed to retrieve some things from his lab before he could go home for lunch. No problem, right?
Wrong.
Loud voices carried down the street, one that he had heard shouting for his EM alter ego only minutes before. Apparently, the rich businessman hadn't captured the inspector's attention like Subaru thought he would. Inspector Goyouda was marching his way towards AMAKEN labs, his eyes glued to his transer screen, ignoring the businessman following in his wake.
Crap.
Subaru dived behind AMAKEN's large sign that marked the entryway to the labs. It was a couple of meters wide and solid, industrial steel to emulate the rockets the scientists helped to build. Subaru had never been happier for the unnecessarily large fixture. Completely distracted, he peeked around the edge to see Inspector Goyouda frown at his transer screen. The schmooze continued to rant.
"She's been missing all morning. She's an icon! Shouldn't you be mobilizing all your forces to find her!? Kodoma TV was in absolute ruins this morning when she didn't show up for her scheduled interview, and…"
Inspector Goyouda held up a hand, "Will you shut up for a moment?"
"Inspector! This is important!"
"More important than locating an extremely powerful virus that's been causing trouble for over a month? I don't think so."
"She's missing."
"I'm sure she just ran off. It's happened before. Besides, you can't officially file a missing persons report until it's been twenty-four hours."
The businessman balked, "She's a minor!"
Subaru shifted, trying to get a better look. But a hand suddenly shot out of nowhere, clamped down on his shoulder, and dragged him back. An unconscious yelp almost slipped its way past his lips, but that same hand clamped down over his mouth. A voice hissed in his ear.
"Idiot! You're going to get both of us caught at this rate!"
"What?" Subaru mumbled past the hand.
"Stay quiet and I'll let you go."
Subaru nodded, not really in any position to argue since he and this person seemed to have the same goal. The hand was removed from his mouth, and as silently as possible, he shifted onto one knee and turned to look at his partner in hiding.
And he was struck completely speechless.
Crouched behind the AMAKEN welcome sign was none other than the rather distinguishable features of Hibiki Misora. Something he couldn't identify entered her green eyes upon his reaction, so he pulled himself together. Subaru snapped his mouth shut and adverted his gaze, peering to the side to see if he could catch a glimpse of the inspector without putting his head out.
But this was certainly an unexpected turn of events. It only took a second to recognize Misora, from her distinctive pink hair and big green eyes to her petite frame and porcelain skin tones. She even had her guitar slung over her shoulder. If he wanted to hide, he certainly wouldn't want to be doing it with Hibiki Misora. And why was she hiding anyway?
"What are you doing here?" Subaru whispered.
"I could ask you the same thing." She shot back just as quick and quiet.
"Hiding."
"Same."
"From who?"
Misora pursed her lips for a moment before she answered, "My manager."
"The sleazy grease monkey?"
She hid a giggle behind her hand, "The very same. What about you?"
"Inspector Goyouda." Subaru found himself being completely honest. Being on the run was certainly a way to make friends – did he say friends? – no, acquaintances quickly.
Misora's face screwed up into a comical expression, "Did you break the law or something? You don't really look like the delinquent type at all." She flicked his shooting star pendant to make a point.
Subaru snatched the pendant to keep it from swinging about and tucked it into his jacket. "No." He admitted, "But he probably wants to talk to me – probably ask a few questions – and the feeling isn't mutual."
"You and me both." Misora said, a scowl settling on her face.
Subaru sent her a raised eyebrow, waiting on an explanation.
"I just wanted a morning off. Is that so much to ask for? Just one morning without an interview or a show or some other waste of my time, so I can enjoy the sun and the beautiful sky. But no, my manager has to be an annoying jerk that schedules my life away."
"I'd hate that."
Misora grew quiet as she listened to the inspector and her manager's debate. It was growing in volume and likely getting nowhere very fast. Subaru studied her face as she was distracted, noting the crease between her eyebrows; a product of stress and loneliness. A familiar combination that he had seen the mirror far too many times. Where was the happy-go-lucky heroine now?
It was all an act.
Seeing as the act was on TV, he should have guessed that would be the case. But since he'd put a face to the name of Luna's idol, he had begun to notice her everywhere: concert posters all across Kodoma Town, on the big screens in the malls where they played recordings of her hit singles on repeat, and in his house on his mom's favorite soap operas. This girl didn't get a break from being the perky pop-star, always in the limelight. And that was… well, that was sad.
He would hate to have all that attention. And it seemed, to some degree, so did she.
Oh man, Subaru was going to regret this wasn't he.
"Let me help."
She gave him a distinctly suspicious look.
"What?"
Subaru pushed aside his discomfort, saying again. "I can help. After all, you can't hide behind this sign all day. It wouldn't be much of a break."
Misora crossed her arms over her chest with an air of challenge, "Oh yeah? And what do you stand to gain from that? A day with an extremely famous pop-star?"
He couldn't help but roll his eyes, even though it was probably rude, "Maybe I could stand to gain escaping Ugly 1 and Ugly 2 over there. Geez!" he huffed, "Is that so hard to believe?"
Despite his callous words, they seemed to put Misora at ease. Her eyes flicked in the direction of the arguing men, even though she couldn't see them though the sign. "Okay." She breathed, "What do we have to do?"
"We?" Subaru said as a mischievous grin somehow slipped past his emotional defenses, "Don't worry. Something as simple as this is a one man... errr, person job."
Misora leaned over and watched with interested as Subaru slid his transer open on his left arm. Deft fingers began punching commands on the keypad. He'd practically had the AMAKEN system down to an art style since he was ten. It wouldn't be hard to initiate the automatic gate to the left of the entrance; that one squeaked and squealed like no tomorrow. The technicians hadn't gotten around to oiling it in years since it was rarely every used. It opened to an access way that led out back to the storage space for the pre-wave technology. Throw down a false trail, and then make an escape. That was the plan.
The plan worked practically perfectly. Inspector Goyouda reacted like any good inspector and went to investigate. Misora's manager predictably followed, still insisting on finding the pop-star.
"Follow me." Subaru hissed, creeping out from behind the AMAKEN sign and checking that the coast was clear.
Misora said nothing, but she matched his steps perfectly. They crossed the open space between the entry gate and the physical building with a forced casual. But instead of going through the main doors, since that was where Inspector Goyouda was likely to follow up, Subaru swerved around the side of the building. The sun beat down on the pair as they snuck along.
Finally, Subaru came to the fire escape door he was looking for. This particular door opened up only a half a hallway away from his lab space.
Again, he flipped open his transer to deactivate the alarms so they could pass through without being detected. He held the door open for the pop-star, saying, "Second door on the right." She nodded, her pink bob bouncing with the movement and she pressed on with confidence.
Safely within the lab, Misora hopped up to sit on an empty workbench. Her eyes glittered as she watched him double check his transer for activity. He wasn't really comfortable with her watching him, but she had trusted him enough to get them this far, so he guess he owed her somehow.
"I might need to reconsider your delinquent status, dude. Speaking of which, I don't think I ever got your name."
"Hoshikawa Subaru."
"Hibiki Misora."
"I know." Was his succinct response.
"And yet you're not screaming my praises or declaring undying love."
Subaru shot her an incredulous look, "Should I be?"
"Nah. I guess that just means you're not a fan." Misora kicked her feet back and forth, not looking at him now but looking at the floor. She changed the subject, "What is this place, anyway?"
"AMAKEN labs." Subaru explained, relieved that the conversation was now in more comfortable territory, "This is my personal lab space."
"Really?" she raised a pink eyebrow at him, "You don't look a day over fourteen."
"Fifteen." Subaru grit out, slightly irked. However, when he saw Misora's smirk, he realized she'd mistaken his age on purpose. "The scientist who runs the place is a family friend. I've been working here for years. I know what I'm doing."
"I don't doubt that." She said, hopping down and stretching her arms over her head, "Not after what I just saw. You're like a hacker or something."
Suddenly uncomfortable, Subaru busied himself with tidying up another workbench. Scratch sheets of rough calculations littered the surface, so he pinned them on a corkboard in the order he roughly recalled working them out. Misora was suddenly right next to him, surveying his work. How had she moved so silently?
"What else can you do? Hacking. Research. Nerd math. Care to add to the list?"
"No." He muttered, putting distance between them.
"Okay… touchy. But this wasn't exactly what I had in mind for my day off. Remember. Sun. Beautiful sky. We're not going to hide in this stuffy lab all day, are we?"
"There isn't a 'we' here." Subaru's response was somewhat tetchy, "You can do whatever you want now that your manager is off your trail."
"But I don't know my way to the roof."
"It's dangerous up there."
"Which is why," Misora had captured his arm, "I need an accomplice." Her smile was all charm which was something he was in no way accustomed to. "C'mon," She urged, "I need someone who knows this place like the back of their hand. And all evidence points to you."
He hesitated.
"It's a Sunday. Do you have something better to be doing?"
"Not really." He grit out.
"Okay then! Let's go!" Her grip tightened on his arm, which he – as carefully as possible – decided to pry off. Her green eyes lingered on him for a minute, studying him. But eventually, she dismissed the action with a shrug.
"Lead the way, Subaru."
And he did. He wasn't sure what prompted him to do so. But from the moment they had discovered each other hiding behind the AMAKEN sign, he'd had the feeling that he and Misora shared more in common than he'd like to admit. What gave him that idea? No clue. He was certainly surprising himself with how compliant he was to her requests.
To top it off, Warrock had been strangely silent through their interaction. In any similar situation Subaru had had with, say Luna, the FMian could barely keep his snickers quiet. Maybe he was just waiting for a chance to openly and mercilessly tease Subaru.
With it being the weekend, there were fewer employees at AMAKEN than usually – only those that had pressing experiments came in on Sundays. So the two teenagers made it to the roof without interruption. Subaru and Misora navigated the industrial fixtures and the loose gravel before finding the ideal place to perch. It wasn't a surprise that it was almost the exact same location that Subaru had first met Warrock.
Once again, Misora was dangling her legs, kicking them back and forth from her perch. She seemed to soak up the sun, tipping her face back so that her short, pink hair brushed her shoulders. She'd pulled her guitar off her back so it now sat in front of her so she could strum it absentmindedly.
"Honestly, I like coming up here at night." Subaru surprised himself – yet again – by volunteering information first, "It's a great spot to stargaze."
"It's been a really long time since I've done something like that." Misora answered, without looking at him. Her focus was captured by a string that didn't seem to meet her standards. Her hands moved with practiced ease as she thrummed the note and twisted the knob at the top. Subaru didn't know the first thing about music, but he could tell that Misora lived and breathed it.
"What do you get to do?"
A scowl tweaked her lips, "Whatever my shitty manager tells me to do. Which is usually: perform, act, or attend interviews. Take your pick. It's a charmed life."
Subaru would have to be an idiot to miss her sarcasm, and he certainly wasn't an idiot.
"I'm sorry." Was all he could say.
She sighed, but didn't say anything.
"So what would you rather be doing?"
The speed at which her head swiveled to look at him was alarming. Did he say something wrong?
"What?" He asked, nervousness slipping into his voice.
"No one's aksed me that in a really long time." Misora whispered. And now Subaru could read the awe for what it was in her expression: eyes wide and mouth hanging partway open. "I'm…" she blushed, "I'm just a little surprised is all."
Subaru shrugged, deciding instead to focus on the skyline.
After a moment, Misora answered his question. "I'd like to write my own music. Just be an artist instead of an idol, you know? I'd like to travel the world for inspiration and then write music that makes people really, really happy."
"That sounds nice." He responded, even though he personally wouldn't really enjoy it. It seemed like the right thing to say.
"It would be a dream come true." Misora said wistfully.
A chime from his transer interrupted the flow of their conversation, but Subaru wasn't too bothered by it. He didn't want things to get weird. He was just helping her out for a day. She'd seemed so miserable when she'd been hiding behind the sign.
"What is it?"
"Just a message from my mom." Subaru kept his voice dismissive, like it wasn't a big deal. He didn't want to make Misora feel like she was inconveniencing him. "She was wondering why I wasn't home for lunch. I just told her I was working on stuff at the lab."
"And," there was a hint of mischief in Misora's voice, "What are you 'working on'?"
He tossed her a smile, a real one, even though it felt stiff on his face. "Helping you feel better."
A laugh was her only response. Instead of carrying on that train of thought, Misora began stringing together chords that fell into a tune. She closed her eyes and swayed back and forth to the music. Humming along, she continued to play, as if Subaru wasn't even there anymore. In that moment, it was just Misora and the music, the sun and the beautiful sky. The melody was sweet, with mixed hints of hope and sadness. Subaru didn't pretend to be an expert in Misora's work, but he'd certainly never heard this song before.
After a few minutes, Misora strummed the final chord. She opened her eyes and fixed him with an emerald stare.
"I wrote this song for my mom." She confessed softly, "It's the song that got me into the industry. But now I'm just supposed to play whatever they give me. I don't want that." She paused, "I played this song for my mom when she died three months ago. My mom wanted me to shine bright as the sun, but I don't feel like any of my light is my own anymore."
Even though she spoke figuratively, like the lyrics of a song, Subaru understood what she was saying – what she was feeling. It was like living had become a passive experience. When you lost the one who mattered most to you, everything felt fake. And everything became an act; no one saw the real you.
But someone could see the real you. Someone who went through those same things.
"My dad disappeared three years ago." Subaru pulled his eyes from hers, instead looking at his folded hands in his lap.
"Does it get any easier?" Misora's voice was fragile, searching for a painless answer.
"Not really. But, if you have someone to support you, it doesn't have to be as lonely." Just like he never had. Because he had cut himself off from people, thinking it was easier to live without relationships because of how much they hurt when they ended. He'd been wrong. But then, things spiraled too far out of control to fix. It had become habit, never to get close to someone ever again.
Maybe that could change now.
A sudden, banging sounded interrupted Subaru's train of thought. The door to the roof was thrown open with a loud crash, closely followed by the sound of Amachi's voice.
"Inspector Goyouda! It's dangerous up here. And if you're looking for an EM entity, it's not like you're going to spot them with the naked eye. In short, it's a useless 'vantage point' as you so succinctly tried to put it."
"Nonsense!" The gruff inspector shrugged of the scientists concerns, "I saw the readouts with my own two eyes. Rockman came here! Are you harboring him, Amachi-san?"
""Harboring him'?" Amachi sounded justifiably peeved, "What in the world are you talking about? Why in the world would we keep a virus?"
"You know as well as I do that Rockman is not a virus!" Goyouda grouched.
"Inspector!" Another figure joined the first two: Misora's manager. He was panting with exertion. No doubt, from climbing all the steps it took to reach the roof, "You need to do something about Misora-chan!"
"Man, I've told you, time and time again." Inspector Goyouda raged, "THAT IS NOT MY PRIMARY CONCERN RIGHT NOW!"
"Inspector Goyouda," Subaru could tell that Aamchi was trying to stay calm and be a voice of reason, but his patience was wearing thin, "I didn't provide you with the EM tracking technology for you to turn this situation into a manhunt. It was so you would be able to locate the scenes of attacks more quickly."
"ARE YOU SAYING THAT ROCKMAN IS A MAN, AMACHI-SAN!? HOW WOULD YOU KNOW SUCH A THING UNLESS YOU WERE HARBORING HIM?"
"It's in the name, sir."
"AHHHHHH! MISORA-CHAN!"
Just their luck. Misora's manager had happened to take a glace around the roof while the inspector and the scientist were arguing. And now he had spotted his wayward idol. Misora stiffened next to Subaru.
"How did you end up here, Misora-chan?" the businessman marched over to their perch, "Nevermind, it's not that important right now. We need to get you back. We are so behind schedule today!"
Inevitably, the teenagers had also caught the attention of Inspector Goyouda and Amachi. Subaru cringed at the looks he received: disapproval from Amachi (he had been told, numerous times, not to mess around on the roof) and suspicion from Goyouda (he had no idea what kind of connections that man was making).
But it wasn't important right now. Misora's manager had captured the idol's wrist, and was now dragging her across the roof, back to the door, rambling nonstop about all her appointments that day.
"Hey!" Subaru called, making everyone present freeze – even Misora's manager who had made it halfway to the door already. All eyes were on him, and he felt immensely uncomfortable. But he couldn't just let Misora get dragged off without saying anything.
Some unknown force powered his footsteps as he marched up to Misora's manager and pulled the man's grip loose from Misora's wrist.
"Do you think that, just maybe, you could treat her like a person and not a commodity?" His voice was all bite, that chilly tone he had practiced for years. Even Misora's eyes widened a bit.
Misora's manager, however, was not cowed. The businessman got right up in his face, clogging Suabru's air with the cloying scent of his cologne, "Don't tell me how to do my job, boy." He leered.
Subaru leered back, "Doing your job should involve treating your clients with respect and not like some kind of circus animal that you put on for a show. Unless you're a ringmaster, which you aren't."
The backhanded blow was, needless to say, unexpected. In any other circumstance, Subaru was sure he would have seen it coming and therefore would have been able to react appropriately. But he was so mad, blocking was not the first thing on his mind.
Instead, the businessman's heavy, ring-covered hand, connected with his cheek and sent him stumbling back a few steps. Amachi was by his side in a flash, placing a steadying hand on Subaru's shoulder and glaring at Misora's manager.
"That's enough." Amachi snapped, "Get out of my facility before I call the police. Oh, wait," A nasty smile spread across his boyish face, "They're already here."
Everyone's expectant gaze turned to Inspector Goyouda, who returned their gazes with a detached expression. His dark eyes finally fixed on Subaru, and Subaru could see that some unnamed emotion was warring in his mind.
"Kid," Goyouda barked at him, "Do you want to press charges?"
"No." Subaru mumbled dully.
"Then I'm leaving." Goyouda glared at Misora's manager, "And I would advise you follow my example." He continued to glare at Misora's manager, but everyone present could tell that the next words were for the idol alone, "And if I ever have reason to believe that stuff like this happens often, I will need to add another case to my investigations."
The inspector swirled on his heel and stomped off, his long coat billowing with the force of his movement.
"Come along, Misora-chan." The businessman said with less force this time, "Let's go."
Misora stood frozen on the roof, knees locked and fingers gripping her guitar like it was a lifeline. Shock, Subaru realized. Obviously, this behavior was not common, and it scared her. Wide, wild green eyes met his, but then fell to the place on his cheek that undoubtedly bore a mark in the shape of a hand. Regret weighed heavily on her shoulders. Finally, Subaru saw her take a deep breath and follow her manager out.
When it was just the two of them, Amachi went into full, brother-bear mode.
"Subaru." His big hands encased both of Subaru's shoulders and his face loomed directly in Subaru's line of vision, "Are you okay?"
"Fine." Subaru mumbled, finally bringing his hand to his cheek now that no one was there to see, save Amachi, "It just smarts." Which it did. The skin stung, hot under his touch as if threatening to swell. But he knew, from past injuries as Rockman, it wouldn't leave a mark beyond a few hours. It would be fine by tomorrow.
"I can't believe he actually hit you!" the scientist whispered, "But," He drew Subaru into a hug, "I'm really proud of you for standing up to him."
When Amachi let go, he pressed, "But how did you happen to meet Miss famous-pop-sensation Hibiki Misora, Su?"
Subaru didn't like that smile his friend was giving him, "We were hiding behind the sign at the entrance to the labs at the same time. " He answered honestly.
"Ah, and who were you hiding from?"
"Um…" Subaru caught himself, "No one." He finished lamely. To change the subject he asked, "Why was Inspector Goyouda here?"
Amachi began steering Subaru towards the stairs as he explained, "He came here yesterday to propose a team effort between the Satellite Police and AMAKEN labs. What with the recent rise in negative EM activity. I told you this would happen, Su. I gave him the tracking prototype I'd been working on for field testing, but he must have found something that lead him back here. I'll have to look at the data to determine if it was real or a bug."
Subaru cringed at the thought of having both Goyouda and Amachi on his case. Amachi might just be a force to be reckoned with.
"I see. I assume you have other anti-EM projects in the works."
"That I do."
"Will Utagai-san be coming back to work tomorrow?" Subaru asked.
Amachi turned to peer at him. By now, they stood in front of the scientist's personal labs. "That was slightly out of the blue, Su." Amachi said.
"I did go to visit him in the hospital." Subaru answered with a disarming roll of his eyes, "He seemed excited to come back to work. He made it sound like Monday would be his first day back."
"It is." Amachi responded, this time with much less suspicion. "I'm planning to see what he thinks about my projects and the direction of this contract with the Satellite Police."
"Well that's good." Subaru turned to go, "I'd like to see them too. Your projects, I mean. Sometime. Not today. My mom wanted me home for lunch an hour ago."
Amachi smiled at that, "You better get home then. I wouldn't want to incur Akane-san's wrath, if I were you!"
Subaru laughed at that, waving as he took off down the hall, "Me neither!"
Subaru wasn't a particularly heavy sleeper, so when he woke up in the middle of the night, he knew something had to be amiss.
"Rock." He whispered to his partner, "What's up."
No response.
That did not bode well. For the past month Subaru could count on Warrock to make some sarcastic comment about how boring he was because he needed to sleep eight hours a day. By the time he woke up, Warrock was always itching for a conversation, no matter how inane. The absence of said chatter now rankled Subaru like a bad rash.
"Rock!" He called more urgently. He didn't expect an answer, but it was worth a try, just to be safe.
Subaru threw off his covers, racing down the steps to the main landing of his room. A digital clock on his desk indicated one in the morning. Boy was he gonna kill Warrock when he found him. It was a school night! Hastily, he pulled on a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, before grabbing his transer and sprinting, as silently as possible, out of the house.
The residential sidewalks were completely empty. Subaru shivered in the crisp air of early February. Now, where to start looking for his wayward partner?
He closed his eyes to get his bearings. And somehow, by eliminating that one sense, he suddenly caught the faint sound of a song playing along the soft breeze.
Music?
Focus harder, Su! He thought, squeezing his eyes tighter. The song came from the west and with it, the steady thrum of Warrock's z-waves. Warrock was right in saying that he could tune in to them, but it was subtle and it took a lot of effort. Rockman could do it like a natural born instinct, but Subaru had to treat it like an antenna that he didn't have.
Subaru's residential area gave way to the shopping district within a few blocks, and he could just make out the music getting louder. At least it didn't sound like a fight. That relieved Subaru, but he was going to ask Warrock what the hell he'd been thinking when he found him. If this was the second FMian they'd noted, then it wasn't smart for Rock to go after them without Subaru.
He passed under the shadow of a building, starkly outlined in the light of the full moon. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of an anomaly: a humanoid shape rising out of the building's shadow. Target acquired.
Quietly as possible, Subaru sprung the locks on the first stairwell he could find and began to race up them two at a time. He could feel Warrock's presence getting closer, the closing distance making it easier to sense the FMian who's waves matched his own. Upon reaching the top, he burst out the door, simultaneously screaming, "Rock!"
Without further prompting, the FMian flew to join his human. Their fusion caused a wash of green light and the thrum of power to pass over the rooftop. In less than a second, Rockman stood opposite of his newest enemy, blaster charged and poised for wave battle.
"What are your intentions for earth?" Rockman called as he surveyed his opponent.
The girl – it was a girl? – turned to face them, the music fading out as she did. In the bright moonlight, Subaru could make out her petite frame. Her suit was composed of a dress and leggings, no doubt made of the same spandex as his suit. Ribbons trailed from her honey colored hair, but most of her head was encased by a pink helmet and her eyes were hidden by a cerulean visor. Hearts adorned her outfit and she held a guitar loosely in her hands.
"Long term or immediate intentions?" The voice came, not from the girl's mouth, but from the small display at the tip of the guitar.
"Don't play word games, Harp." Warrock growled.
"Warrock, is that you?"
"Yeah."
"And I'm Rockman." Subaru chipped in, "Answer the question."
"What is the meaning of this, Warrock?" Harp squeaked, "Are you not in control of your host?"
"Shut up, Harp." Warrock snapped, "Just answer the kid's question."
The voice, which Subaru identified to be the cat-eyed, harp-shaped FMian that rested inside the girl's guitar, spoke with a distinct smirk in her voice, "My immediate intention is to kill Mihashi Michiya to appease my host. And then, my long term intention is to kill all the humans."
"I won't let you." Subaru said evenly, "Release your host and return to Planet FM."
"Never!" Harp screeched.
"Then we will use force!" Warrock rumbled. But he lacked his usual elation at the prospect of a wave battle. That alone was enough to make Subaru hesitate. Something was different here. Something was off. And something was definitely familiar about this girl. "Do it, kid!" Warrock barked.
Subaru released the blast he'd been charging, forcing Harp to dodge to the side. When she landed, she spun her arm in a pinwheel as two amps appeared by either side.
"Shock note!" She cried, strumming the guitar forcefully. White light erupted from the amps, and Subaru got the impression that whatever concussion was traveling his way, it'd be best to dodge.
A gatling gun downloaded to his transer with a thought, resolving in place of his left hand. He stood his ground and let the bullet's slice through the wave to make an opening where he stood. The rest of the concussion traveled past him, whipping up the dust and gravel on the rooftop. When it cleared, Harp was nowhere to be found.
"Above you!" Warrock hissed, and Subaru once again got the impression that Rock was taking this battle rather seriously. He aimed his weapon above him just in time to see the last of the ammunition spit itself at Harp where she floated, perched in the air. She seemed surprised that he had caught her so soon, forcing her to physically deflect the first few bullets before she could throw up a semi-serviceable barrier.
And even then it wasn't enough. The last of the barrage thudded into barrier, sending gossamer cracks spiderwebbing across the surface. Finally, it shattered into pieces, smashing Harp out of the air and flinging her across the rooftop. Subaru cringed as she bounced like a ragdoll and rolled to a stop, facedown.
"I'll get you for that!" Came Harp's indignant voice.
"Hey! That hurt!"
A completely new voice rang across the silent rooftops. Subaru, Warock, and Harp were all stunned into silence, and in the distance, sirens began to sound off.
The girl pushed herself up, slumping to her knees as she rubbed her head and looked around.
"What's going on?" She seemed completely surprised by the turn of events, "Where are we?" She looked at Subaru, "Who are you?" She tightened her grip on her guitar and turned the display to look at her companion, "What the hell, Harp!?"
"Oh!" The FMian floundered, "You woke up."
"What's going on?" The girl repeated.
"W-well…"
While Harp attempted to stutter out an answer, Subaru whispered, "What is going on, Rock?"
"She's like you. In denpa-henkan she still has her own will."
"What is the meaning of this?" The girl didn't seem to find whatever excuses Harp was offering to be satisfactory. Her lips were screwed up in a familiar scowl.
"W-well, you see, a lot happened… and…"
Subaru cut to the chase. "She's an FM life form and a member of a warring clan that is trying to destroy all humans."
"Seriously!?" The girl glared at Harp.
The sirens were upon them now. The sounds of doors slamming echoed up from the street.
"This is bad!" Harp squeaked, "We need to go!" With that, Harp strummed the guitar, opening a hole from real space into denpa space and knocked the protesting girl into the wave world. Subaru watched as they ran, just a pink streak on the display of his visor that disappeared in seconds.
"Well, that was abrupt." He mused.
"We should be going too." Rock reminded him, sounding about as inclined to follow the pair as Subaru was.
"Yeah." He hummed, "And I want to go back to bed."
Subaru let out a yawn as he absentmindedly shifted his frequency to that of the nearest waveroad home. A leap, a flash, and mere seconds later and he was back in his bed.
"We'll talk about this tomorrow." He informed Warrock.
"Whatever you say, kid."
"Was that…" Subaru's eyes fell closed and he drifted off to sleep before he could voice the thought that had been nagging at the back of his mind.
"Was that who I thought it was?"
Thank you everyone for your support as I try my best to get this story back up and running. I worked really hard to get this chapter out in a few days, but I can't promise I'll continue at this rate. Finals are coming up in a week, so I might die. But~ my plan is to spend a lot of time writing over break, so look forward to it!
Concerning this chapter: I couldn't remember the name of Misora's manager so the name "Mihashi Michiya" is a stand-in. These sequences had a combination of influence from the show and the game (the element I really want to get across here is that Misora and Subaru ARE friends in my book!). Also, no Luna POV; sorry, but it just didn't work here as there was a lot to develop with Subaru by seeing himself in Misora. Not a whole lot of action either, but meh :\
Jimbob86, MoonShadow's Thoughts, and LoveGlutton, you all are wonderful. The summaries you sent me gave me plenty of material to use as direction for this story. I will let you know if I ever have any questions ;)
Thanks for reading and if you have any thoughts you'd like to share, leave a review or PM me!
