(Let's spend some quality time together.) Neku sat in homeroom with Joshua and Beat as people started to leave for their next class. Shiki and the girls had taken off early while Neku stayed behind to give a full explanation to Joshua while Beat stayed out of curiosity.
"-but they couldn't remember who gave it to them." Neku finished explaining as he handed Joshua the strange pin from last night.
"Mind control? Like those weird red pins?" Beat asked as Joshua examined the pin with a pensive look on his face.
"No. Those were fairly simple comparatively. They were imprinted with simple commands. The way Neku described what happened, this is more than any reaper can muster."
"How so?" Neku asked.
"Let's just say…their minds wouldn't be able to handle the strain." (Then who could have used that pin?) "I'll have to talk to Hanekoma about this. See if any of his connections can shed light on the problem."
"Yo can I help?" Beat asked.
"I think this might be a bit out of your ability range." Joshua replied making Beat give a low grumble.
"A little antsy there dude?" Neku asked.
"I didn't get any action at the concert. Feels like I'm being benched ya know?" (You're too pent up.)
"Just hold out. Odds are that won't be the last attack."
"Something is very strange about that though." Joshua said with a thoughtful look on his face. "Why would they wait until after the concert to strike?" This question had been on Neku's mind as well.
"That's a good question. I thought they were after more players?"
"Nothing has come up to refute that yet." Joshua smirked, "Maybe they caught wind of us and figured taking you out would tie up any loose ends. Big mistake."
"You make me sound like a linchpin."
"Quite the contrary Neku. But you are a very powerful piece in this chess game."
"What like a horsie?" Beat asked.
"Knight." Neku corrected.
"No, I'd say he's my queen." Joshua said with a wide grin.
"Shut up." Neku shot back.
As the trio consorted over the pin, Eri had been making her way down the hallway to her next class, only to spot Nina lazily marching down the hall in a daze. Eri quickly approached her friend to see a dreary look on Nina's face and a sullen expression across her mouth.
"Hey Nina!" Eri greeted in her usually bubbly tone.
"Oh! Hey Eri…" Nina returned quietly.
"What's wrong? You seem quiet…quieter than usual anyway." Nina took a deep breath.
"I'm just worried." Eri tilted her head, "I'm really happy to have you guys as friends…but I'm starting to think that maybe it's affecting my grades a little bit." Nina reached into her bag and pulled out an exam from a week back. It was an old language class quiz with a few marks on it and a C in the upper right corner of the paper.
"Seems fine…maybe a little low but you'll bounce back." Eri assured her and Nina just sighed.
"I'm just worried that maybe I can't handle relationships and my intelligence at the same time." Eri thought about this for a moment. She wasn't willing to lose a friend over something like this but she had to think up a way for them to come to a compromise, "Maybe I should-"
"Field trip!" Eri yelled grabbing Nina's shoulder sand making her give a small yelp.
"F-Field trip?"
"Yes! If you're worried about your grades then we'll just have to make sure that we do something educationally fun!" Nina looked surprised at this.
"A-Are you sure? Most people don't like spending their time studying."
"No, we won't be studying. We'll be going to museums and learning!"
"R-Really?"
"Yes! I'm not giving up on our friendship." Eri gave her trademark welcoming smile, "Will you give it a try?"
"O-Okay…I'll try."
"Great! Now to get everyone together."
"E-Everyone!?"
"Yeah! We're going with everyone. It's a field trip after all!" Eri had already typed out the details before sending the information to everyone else in the group, "This is going to be so fun!"
"Y-Yeah…or boring."
"Stay positive! I'm sure everyone will be up for it!"
Neku looked at the text he had received from Eri and found himself confused by what Eri had suggested.
"Huh, wouldn't have pegged Eri for an intellectual." Joshua commented as he checked his phone.
"Come on. I hate museums." Beat said. "Just a building you walk around in and look at stuff on the wall."
"Yeah, gotta agree there." Neku said. (But I'm guessing there's a reason she's suggesting this.)
"Rhyme might like it though." Beat said trying to convince himself.
"Sounds like a wonderful idea. Let's do it." Joshua said making both Neku and Beat look at him. "Yes?"
"Nothing." Neku said. "…Just didn't expect such a straightforward answer."
"Yeah, you usually talk in riddles." Beat added. "Why the sudden change yo?"
"Please. Knowledge is a boon in my field. It influences imagination in so many ways. It's one of the reasons Neku is such a wiz with pins."
"Really?" (Guess it would explain why I had so many choices when Shiki and Beat had only one type of Psyche they could use.)
"Hang on. Shiki's as smart as me. Why couldn't she use a lot of pins?" Neku asked.
"Narrow viewpoints can damper a persons' ability." (Right. Her obsession with Eri would have been on her mind the entire game.)
"So you're basically sending us to a training camp."
"Precisely."
"So…I gotta learn?" Beat asked and Joshua nodded. "Damn."
After school the group boarded the Giza Line train, heading for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. It was situated in Chiyoda City which meant it was a good half and hour trip. All the while, everyone was sandwiched together like sardines in the small, crowded bus car. Neku never liked to take it if he didn't have to. (How can so many people fit!?) He was currently holding onto an upper bar as he tried to keep himself from being squeezed between a disheveled business man and a woman draped in shopping bags. (Geez, I can smell this dude's breath…and that woman's gross perfume.) A slight jostle had Neku grip the bar to avoid falling as Nina gripped his school jacket. They had been lucky enough to stay together, given her shortened stature she was able to stay close to Neku as Rhyme did the same with Beat.
"I-It's more crowded than I would have expected." Nina commented still gripping Neku's side. "Are trains always like this?" Neku thought for a moment.
"From six AM to eight PM at least." He answered. "Most workers take the bus all over Tokyo, if not all of Japan." (She's never taken the trains?) "I'm guessing you lived near your schools?" Nina nodded.
"At least within a walkable distance. O-Or even a bus route." (Lucky. I've had to learn the train schedule backward and forward to get to most of my schools.)
"Well…if you ever need some help with the train, I don't mind giving some pointers." Nina looked up in surprise before nodding.
"Thanks Neku."
"Don't mention it." Neku looked away from the thankful girl. (Being a good friend shouldn't feel so embarrassing.)
When the train finally stopped at Toranomon Station, all seven kids squeezed their way out of the train and gave a collective relieved sigh.
"I never would have guessed how crowded a train would be." Joshua said in a rare moment of annoyance.
"I think someone stepped on my feet." Beat said rubbing the top of his shoe.
"…Sorry." Rhyme said with a guilty expression. Eri gave a long stretch before pulling out a tourist map and looking it over.
"Alright, the museum is…that way!" She pointed north and found herself pointing at a wall.
"Let's leave the station first." Neku recommended as Eri gave an embarrassed chuckle.
As they made their way to the museum, Nina, Eri, and Shiki all looked over the brochure of the Ministry.
"-and they have this section on various technology, and even a digital blueprint of one of their shuttles!"
"And I'm betting it's all included in some boring tour." Beat said in annoyance.
"Dude, just deal." Neku said. "We're already here, you might as well just relent to it and enjoy."
"Enjoy what? Museums suck yo!" (And your complaining makes it SO much better.) Joshua cleared his throat.
"I hear they recently included an exhibit on skateboarding."
"Seriously? Maybe this won't be entirely boring." Beat's pace picked up as Neku slowed down to walk next to Joshua.
"What's with you and lying?"
"I don't hear any complaints." (Not the point.)
"Oh! There it is!" Eri yelled and everyone stopped to see a large building just across the street. It looked like one of the standard private businesses but the bustle and signs near the front of the building definitely gave the impression that it was more of a public building than private.
"Give them credit for using space." Neku commented. They stepped up to the main doorway and entered to find the place fairly crowded with tourists and visitors for the museum. After making their payment they walked onto the main floor and looked over the map.
"Hmm…they have a science wing." Shiki pointed out.
"Yo! I say we check out the sports wing!" Beat spoke up.
"Save the best for last." Joshua suggested. (Nice save.)
"I-I'd like to look into the technology section." Nina spoke up.
"Technology it is!" Eri finalized.
"I wonder if they have anything new on psychiatric tech." Joshua mulled.
"Looking to go into psychiatry?" Eri asked and Joshua smirked at Neku.
"Something like that." (Cheeky.)
"That's brain studies, right?" Beat asked and Rhyme nodded.
"It's the study of the human brain and what effects it."
"Base bones explanation but essentially correct." Joshua judged before going into thought. "…And possibly a lead in the right direction." (What's he musing about?)
"Alright, let's get techy!" Eri cheered as she led the group. Neku and Shiki stayed back and watched as Eri effectively led the group towards the technology wing.
"She's very passionate about this." Neku commented. "I didn't expect this much enthusiasm out of a museum trip."
"She's doing it for Nina so it makes sense." Shiki replied.
"It does?"
"Yeah. Eri isn't one of the most popular girls in school just for her looks and charm."
"Could have fooled me." Shiki pouted at this comment, "Sorry, continue."
"Anyway, she cares about her friends. It's kind of the reason she was so mean to me…she wanted to help me." (Yeah, I remember that.) "Nina was conflicted about whether or not her new friendships were interfering with her studies. Eri wanted to show her they weren't."
"So that's why we're at a museum."
"Yep. Pretty nice of her huh?"
"It's got merit, I'll give her that." Shiki tilted her head at this response. "But I'd call the execution something to be rethought." Neku started walking only to be stopped by Shiki.
"Hang on, what do you mean?" Neku started to reply only to have Joshua tap on his shoulder.
"Neku, I'd like a moment of your time."
"When don't you?"
"Just come along. It's important. You to Shiki." Joshua turned around and walked away leaving Neku and Shiki to follow.
"Any clue what he's talking about?" Shiki asked and Neku shrugged before following Joshua with Shiki behind him.
Neku and Shiki followed Joshua down a few restricted hallways. Shiki seemed fairly worried about being caught while Neku just followed behind quietly. (I'm honestly surprised we aren't in some secret military bunker.) Eventually, Joshua opened up a door which led into a large empty room with a large white pad in the center that was lightly glowing.
"Where are we?" Shiki asked as she closed the door.
"Just in a little side project the composer in this city has been working on. They like to tinker on their free time."
"You've got big connections." Neku commented.
"Just a good handful I can call on. This being a crucial one for tests I've had to conduct recently." Joshua gave a snap of his fingers and the white pad increased its glow, creating a center point where a formless person came out and changed into an exact copy of Neku.
"How the hell?" Neku commented as he looked himself in the hollow white eyes.
"This composers tech is pretty useful. It's too bad he can't patent any of it without ending up erased."
"Really?" Before Joshua could answer Neku quickly spoke up.
"Can we get into composer law later?" Joshua nods.
"We're here to discuss the matter of that pin you two found on 777."
"You're talking about the weird player pin, right?" Shiki asked.
"Exactly." Joshua snapped his fingers and the pad on the ground lit up before materializing a copy of Neku on top of it. Neku and Shiki jumped slightly at the copy. (Creepy.) Neku looked at the ground it was standing on to see a pulsating purple circle under the copy.
"What is that?" Neku asked. Joshua stepped onto the pad and it instantly lit up under his feet with a light blue circle.
"Consider it your carbon copy. An amalgamation of Neku that hits all the notes it needs to replicate you."
"A copy of Neku!" Shiki said in surprise. Neku looked at his copy and focused on the scowl he had stuck on his face. (I don't scowl THAT much.) Joshua walked closer to the copy and Neku watched as his circle flattened as it collided with Joshua's.
"What's with the circle?"
"It's a person's presence or, aura, if you prefer."
"And what does that have to do with the pin?"
"Give me a moment Neku. All good things to those who wait." Suddenly, Joshua's circle grew, completely enveloping Neku's copies aura. Joshua raised his hand and the copy mimicked that motion.
"What did you do?" Shiki asked.
"Simple, I took control of him." (How the hell?) Joshua made a few more motions, which Neku's copy emulated perfectly, "It's very easy with a copy, but with enough energy you could force your will over a weak human." Joshua's aura pulls back to it's constant, no longer overlapping the copy and returning said copy to it's natural state.
"So an aura can overlap a persons will?" Shiki asked.
"Precisely."
"And that's what the pins are doing." Neku said coming to the point. Joshua smiled.
"Gold star for you Neku." He pulled out the pin and attached it to the clone. As soon as it clicked, a black aura shot out from the clone, completely enveloping its aura. "Quite a piece of work."
"Didn't those Red pins do the same thing though?" Neku asked.
"No. Those were wired to a single ideal. It wasn't so much about control as much as conforming. Bringing everyone to a single ideal. This one is much more in line with complete domination of a person." (Creepy.) "Although-" Joshua held up one of his player pins before putting it onto the clone. The black aura faded away, returning to a calm purple, "-it's still not enough to combat my work." (That's a relief.)
"…Hang on." Neku said in thought. "Why wasn't he doing anything then?"
"Yeah." Shiki added. "He just stood there. When Def March had the pins on they were moving and attacking. Why didn't this one do the same?"
"A good point to bring up. Every used a remote-control car before?" Joshua inquired.
"A few times yeah." Neku answered.
"Think of the pin as the receiver and the person wearing it as the car." (Simple analogy.)
"Without a command they can't move." Shiki said in realization and Joshua snapped.
"Not command, no movement."
"But then what's the point of multiple pins?" Neku asked. "You can't control multiple cars with one controller. Each member of Def March was moving independently of one another. But each one was wearing a pin."
"So?" Joshua retorted. (You can't be this clueless.)
"SO, one mind can't juggle control over multiple hosts AND give different commands to each one."
"Pick that up of a sci-fi movie?" (Smartass.)
"The principle is still the same! One human have full control over three more to the degree your implying!"
"Who said they were human?" This stopped Neku in his tracks. (Given what I know now that might not be too farfetched.)
"Another rouge reaper." Shiki said.
"No, not even the most powerful reaper can pull off total control of a person. It's why Megumi only made a pin with imprinting capabilities. This isn't an amateur stunt."
"So something more powerful than a reaper." Neku suggested.
"Much more powerful." Joshua corrected. "Someone at least on an angel level of control." (Angel?)
"That's title doesn't sound nice." Shiki said and Joshua chuckled.
"How do you feel about someone snapping their fingers and making you face ten times the black noise any reaper can muster up."
"Not gonna lie…that sounds terrifying." Neku replied.
"Then consider that a fifth of their ability." (Great. Dethrone one mad man and another pops up in his place with worse weapons.) "Including being able to juggle multiple minds at once." (So that's what you were hinting at.)
"If that's the case then why isn't this causing uproar with, what I'm guessing are, the higher ups?"
"Oh it has." Joshua answered. "While we were playing our game with Megumi, apparently a few high-ranking angels decided to try their luck at some taboo matters and escaped before being reprimanded." Joshua snapped the pin off the clone, "One of those being the domination of will through these little toys." (Fantastic.)
"So we're dealing with will imposing mad men looking to dominate everyone." (…Hang on.) "If that's the case then there has to be more than just two or three. The planet has over a billion people. No matter how powerful you are there's a limit to what one person can control."
"Sharp Neku." Joshua complimented. "You're right, it's not just a small band we're dealing with."
"How many are there?" Shiki asked. A silence fell as Joshua uttered the number of angels that were part of this control plot.
"Easily somewhere in the thousands."