Fictions Mentioned: Groundhog Day (1993), Spongebob Squarepants
Episode 6 - Introductions Are In Order (2)
OP Song:
Tomorrow Never Dies · Sheryl Crow
Location:
Multiverse: KK 2004 Multiverse
Universe: ACMI Universe-Prime
Insert Song: Start
Max Payne - Main Theme
"Huh... Well I'll be damned..."
Shizuri Mugino muttered, sporting an impressed expression, seeing the camera that was showing Touma Kamijou managing to calm down a fight between two women with nothing but cold hard facts and logic and restored public order.
Alongside her were her three teammates in ITEM: Frenda Seivelun, Saiai Kinuhata, and Rikou Takitsubo who were also watching the same camera as her.
They were all inside a large RV motor home that has a grey paintjob. This was outfitted with an array of Foundation technology including jet propulsion systems and advance laser, plasma, bolter, and other types of weaponry, all of which are considered state-of-the-art armaments and capabilities, built upon courtesy of two major rival friendly companies and mutual benefactors that have a share in the Foundation's stocks and other types of unique benefits as they provide the Foundation with state-of-the-art technology that could be use for the safety of their personnel and for the betterment of the Multiverse.
Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises.
The ITEM girls were all seated down in comfortable office chairs as they begin to monitor the security cameras that were installed throughout every part of the city, known under the term OVER_LINE XCEED Mark 12, a joint Stark-Wayne counter-network of miniscule machines spread all over Academy City which serve as the sole direct line of information as one out of many types of contingency plans of secretly counteracting the machinations of the Board Chairman himself.
Aleister Crowley.
Born Edward Alexander Crowley on October 12, 1875 and managed to fake his death by the time he was officially declared dead on December 1, 1947. Considered to be an Individual of Interest (IoI), one of the most dangerous humans on ACMI Earth-Prime due to his unpredictability and adaptable nature to plan ahead when his plans would seemingly fail and is a chessmaster par excellence. Known to be the founder of Thelema, a system of philosophical law and magic. His overall plan has been shrouded in mystery except to a certain few on Earth, and is known in secret by the Foundation.
One of the main goals, considered as the ultimate part of the plan, that Aleister seems to have in mind is the total eradication of all magic, replacing the phases with something new, something more scientific in response to the early death of his first daughter, Lilith Crowley, and as an ends-justifies-the-means method of doing what needed to be done to ensure that what had happened to his daughter may not happen once again to other families, finally breaking the cycle and allowing humanity to live on without risks.
When it all came down to it, Academy was built upon the foundation of a burial ground of a very broken family that was dealt with a harsh blow upon life. But that blow eventually became a source of strength as Aleister Crowley's determination would eventually lead him to Japan and became the founder of the now modern day Academy City, a city-state of science that had began sometime in the late 40s to early 50s when the reconstruction of Japan was still underway.
As of this moment in time, while the girls were busy "watching the show" so to speak from the bigger-on-the-inside and adequate back part of the RV that houses over multiple security cameras, the two MIB Division Agents: Agent Shiage Hamazura and Agent Jiang Haoyi were simply just seated on the front seats, waiting on the front of the RV, performing a silent stakeout as the RV was parked just a few meters nearby towards Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant, watching the restaurant from one corner.
Agent Haoyi, sporting a concentrated look, was looking at the holographic viewscreen that was showing the same scene that the ITEM girls were currently watching, and couldn't help but smile as he commented. "As expected of Kamijou, always knowing when to apply the weapon of cold hard facts when things seemingly escalate more than necessary."
"Hmph. Yeah, that's the boss for you. He's always quite the serious and dependable guy when it comes to situations like this," Agent Hamazura sported a smile of approval and expectation.
"Hey... Hamazura was it? I think I'm starting to like this boy already if he can manage to order a Level 5 to sit down without any further objections," Mugino smirked as she turned towards Hamazura.
"Yeah well, Boss has a certain natural gift in ordering people to stand down at just the right moment. A little trick that he'd learn throughout the years," Agent Hamazura explained.
"Speaking of which, Hamazura, when we once asked you about this Kamijou person, you once said that he was some kind of General or something for umm... what was it called again...?," Frenda sported a pondering expression as she hopped out of her office chair and head towards the two agents.
"Spatio-Temporal Armed Forces (STARS)," Agent Haoyi answered in his partner's place.
"Yeah, that's the one. STARS. Just what is up with that anyway?," Frenda asked, sporting a curious expression, leaning towards the seat of Agent Hamazura who was located at the left where the driver seat was.
"Ever heard of the United Nations Peackeeping, Seivelun? Think that as basically the same in terms of function and role when it concerns the STARS. They are considered to be one of the most powerful militaries in the history of the Multiverse due to the fact that it is composed of infinite sets of military personnel who operate as a unique type of instrument that has been developed as a way to help the universes and multiverses that are torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace. They all serve as as the armed forces to the Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA), an inter-multiversal organization made up of god-like races and pantheons, tasked with aiming to maintain inter-multiversal peace and security, develop friendly relations among themselves, achieve inter-multiversal cooperation, be a centre for harmonizing the actions of multiversal powers and superpowers, and promoting and protecting the rights and freedom of the Younger Races in general," Agent Hamazura explained.
"And Kamijou just so happen to be one of few who holds the rank of General of the Army, which was a rank that was earned and not just given by the way in case anyone is wondering as not everyone can just be called a General of the Army," Agent Haoyi explained.
"Woah, this Kamijou guy sounds super cool when you describe him like that," Kinuhata sported a surprised and interested expression as she leans from the back of the office chair and listens in to the explanation alongside her other fellow ITEM members.
"But still, being given what is perhaps the highest military rank attainable at such a very young age? How is that possible?," Takitsubo asked, tilting her head as she like Frenda was also walking towards the front and was facing Agent Hamazura for answers.
"Hmm...How is that possible indeed," Agent Hamazura smiled in a mysterious way that seems to show some form of sympathy and a little bit of empathy that was thrown in the mix as they were directed silently towards the aforementioned spiky haired boy who had been through far more than anyone could handle. "Boss's life in the past is...kinda messed up when you think about it. At a young age, before our Chief Scientific Advisor came along, Boss and his family were practically quite miserable due to the fact that they have had to deal with countless harassments from their own neighbours and other people who seem to pass by on their side of the corner, blaming the Boss for a couple of seemingly random coincidences that seem to cause a bunch of misfortunes for everybody, and it's because of this that he was given the title: God of Pestilence or some kind of bullshit like that. And even then, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Boss's suffering. What he experiences later down the line when he was eleven was quite the eye opener which had spawend a lot of controversy that is still being talked about today throughout the Great General Assembly (GGA)," he explained in a grim tone.
"Oh? And what kind of controversy are we talking about here, exactly?," Mugino asked, sporting an interested expression, with a raised eyebrow and with arms crossed.
Agent Hamazura became silent for a few moments as he takes one meaningful at all of the ITEM members, one that was noticed by latter, feeling the atmosphere turning even more grim. They would also notice Agent Haoyi sporting more or less the same grim expression as his mouth became a thin line.
After a few moments had passed, Agent Hamazura could only say this. "Tell me girls, have you all ever heard of the movie, Groundhog Day?"
"...No? What's the movie super about?," Kinuhata asked.
"Well, believe it or not, said movie is actually based on historical documented facts that took place in another universe in a location in the United States known as Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, although the producers and director of the film weren't aware of it. The plot revolves around a television weatherman by the name of Phil Connors being subject to a mysterious phenomenon that involved a lot of endless amounts of time loops. On the first set of loops, it wasn't really all that bad, dismissing it as some type of déjà vu. But then things started to spiral down to apathy as Connors realized that there apparently would be no actual consequences regarding his actions no matter what considering the nature of the time loops. And so, he decided to spend the other loops indulging in binge eating, one-night stands, robbery, and other dangerous activities, using his increasing knowledge of the day's events and the town residents to manipulate circumstances to his advantage. But then, the grim reality begins to set in as Connors eventually became quite suicidal, depressed and desperate for a way to escape the loop by any means necessary. Eventually, with a little encouragement from a woman that he grew to genuinely love by the name of Rita Hanson, he decided to use the loops to save and help everyone that he can, eventually turning into a much better person by the time he finally broke the cycle. After the events surrounding the loops, the Foundation had decided to make official contact with him which started next month on March 1, and since then become one of our consultants when it came to the nature of time loops in general," Agent Hamazura explained in a solemn tone.
"...Wow, that's actually pretty super romantic and sad," Kinuhata said as she couldn't help but feel mesmerized by the tale.
"But still, what does that have to do with my question regarding this Kamijou person?," Mugino asked, sporting a curious expression.
"Because Mugino, the example that I just gave would definitely apply to Boss himself. Only in this case, it wasn't just time loops, it was literal world hopping from one parallel universe to the next ad infinitum, suffering similar and different experiences, meeting and saving people along the way, stopping the Committee of 300 from doing what they want, and trying to save the village of Hinamizawa of many universes among other highlighted events. Boss is actually far older than physical appearances made him out to be. Physically, he's fourteen years old and is a middle school student by occupation. But in reality, he's already gone way past over a quadrillion at this point," Agent Hamazura explained in a solemn tone.
"Wait? Are you trying to super say that this Kamijou person is actually an old geezer running around in a younger body?," Kinuhata asked, sporting a shocked expression.
"And that old geezer can still kick your ass on a regular Sunday morning if you as much as deserved it, Kinuhata, considering the fact that he has an ability that could negate the powers of any esper in Academy City, no matter what Level," Agent Haoyi answered.
"The Imagine Breaker, right? That scary mean lady said something about that ability during the debriefing?," Frenda asked, putting her right hand to her waist as she recalled the discussions that she and the rest of her team members have had with the scary mean lady - Councilwoman Amanda Waller - regarding Touma Kamijou.
"Yeah, and I still couldn't believe that such a super convenient ability could actually exist. Gives me the chills honestly when one thinks about it," Kinuhata said, putting her arms around her shoulders as if she felt a cold temperature.
"Well your misgivings are greatly understandable, Kinuhata, considering that we should count ourselves extremely lucky that the Imagine Breaker is in the right hands of someone whose more worthy of it than most of everyone else. When one looks at such an ability from an objective viewpoint, such ability couldn't help but be termed as a broken one due to it's sheer versality upon the battlefield," Agent Hamazura explained.
"Hey guys, look at this," Agent Haoyi pointed towards the holographic screen that was projected on his front right corner which managed to draw the attention of Agent Hamazura and the rest of ITEM. "It appears that Kamijou and the girls are starting to talk again, and at the same time enjoying the order that was now being put unto the table by one of our guys."
Insert Song: End
Insert Song: Start
Dies irae - Animation OST: Burlesque
"So you're ability is called Mental Stinger, Mitsuari-san?," Kamijou asked, eating the cheeseburger and savoring the taste.
Misaki Shokuhou couldn't help but sport a curious expression due to the similar theme and common nature regarding their ability, listening with interest as she slowly but surely managed to eat the cheeseburger that was in her white glove hands, savoring the taste of it and thoroughly enjoying it to her surprise.
"Yes," Mitsuari nodded, pulling something out from her short skirt pocket, showing what appeared to be an advance smartphone, with a more powerful camera attachment and wider angle lens than was standard. "I can apply my ability through the use of this device, allowing me to do more or less do the same type of ability that Shokuhou-san does."
"Interesting," Kumokawa sported a thoughtful expression, eating a chocolate pie from the table. "Granted, having the same type of esper ability isn't rare to begin with in this city, but it's still quite a novelty for two mental users of the exact same type to be face to face with each other."
"...Y-Yes, I suppose so," Mitsuari hesitantly said, slightly glancing towards the side, which was noticed by both Kamijou and Shokuhou.
Shokuhou was sporting a curious, tilted expression while Kamijou sported a subtle calculative and concerned expression, still having certain suspicions regarding what had happened a few moments ago.
"Well in any case, I suppose that we should enjoy this meal that was set out for us on the table. Discussions would have to be put on hold for now," Kamijou suggested, diverting the sensitive topic that might be brought up.
"R-Right," Mitsuari nodded, silently thankful that the discussions appear to be suspended for now as she begins to slowly touch the edge of the hamburger with her own two fingers, hold the burger and taste it, savoring it's flavor, which in turn would give a warm smile upon her face and a hum of positivity.
"Speaking of which, I just realized something," Kumokawa said, tasting the burger that was on the table, savoring the taste and smiling due to the sheer delicacy of the flavor. "Just what kind of burger am I eating here?"
"Oh that, that's called a Krabby Patty, senpai," Kamijou smiled knowingly, explaining.
"Krabby Patty?," the three high class ladies sported curious expressions.
"It's a special type of burger that Josephs would tend to sell in this place every now and then. They were given the go-signal to sell them by the guy (or krab as Kamijou would say silently in hs thoughts) who invented this type of burger through the use of a special type of formula that is deemed classified information," Kamijou explained.
"Oh really now," Kumokawa sported an amused and interested expression as she leaned on the table. "And just how classified are we talking here, kouhai?"
"Classified enough to the point that you'd probably get sued on the international court for the stealing of copyrighted material and spending a minimum of over thirty years in a maximum prison cell," Kamijou said, speaking the truth while also using a subtle form of humor, indirectly referencing the fierce battles between the greedy crustacean businessman Mr. Krabs and the propelling self-proclaimed evil genius Plankton, with Spongebob and Squidward usually getting caught in the middle of the crossfire.
"Isn't that sort of punishment a little too harsh?," Mitsuari asked, sporting a raised eyebrow.
"Well, let's just say that this type of punishment is an understandble condition considering the shenanigans that are usually involved in it," Kamijou smiled, explaining.
"And what pray tell are these types of shenanigans so to speak?," Shokuhou asked, sporting a raised eyebrow.
"The best and worst kind," Kamijou simply said, leaving it as just that, with the three high class ladies raising an eyebrow of curiosity.
"Hamazura, just what the heck is he super talking about now?," Kinuhata asked, as she and the rest of the ITEM girls were looking at Agent Hamazura who was sporting a knowing smile.
"Oh that? That's a very long story to tell actually, and it's something that might seem to be a bit too ridicolous for you all to take seriously, so you better not say that I'm bullshiting on this. And if you would still doubt what I'm saying, I and my partner would show you proof of it either way as we recorded all of these incidents as part of standard daily fare within the Foundation," Agent Hamazura explained, sporting a knowing smile, looking towards his partner. "Isn't that right, partner?"
"You said it, man," Agent Haoyi nodded in turn, sporting the same knowing smile.
The four ITEM girls couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the knowing smile that their Field Commander and his partner were sporting right now. The three of them, minus Takitsubo, would begin to inwardly comment. "Why do we have the feeling that we are going to (super) regret this?"
Insert Song: End
Insert Song: Start
Phantasm - Clad in Steel Armor, High Priest of The 300 - English Subbed
You did not use a cellphone for things like this. They were convenient pieces of technology, but they were also full of personal information. Thus, you should use an old-fashioned payphone. It was best to use one in some forgotten place where there were no security cameras nearby.
People were easily captured even after going to the trouble of leaving their home and sending the threatening email from an internet café a few subway stops away. That was thanks to the security cameras that kept track of who was using each booth and moving through the café's aisles. You could not get away with anything just because it was a public space that received a lot of traffic. You had to hide your face and be careful about fingerprints and hairs so you did not leave behind any trace.
Whether the evidence was physical or digital, you had to keep in mind that you were breaking the law or you could not ensure your own safety. The checklist needed to avoid Anti-Skill's forensic investigation was a long one, but if you decided you could not accomplish everything on the list, you should not stoop to criminal activity in the first place.
Crime was crime. If you could not escape being caught, you would be punished.
"Yes, that's right, sir," said the person in a respectful tone who pushed aside receiver's curly cable with his gloved fingers.
That was just how careful he had needed to be when entering this phonebooth. He had to speak with someone located elsewhere and discuss things they could not allow to be discovered.
"The back-alley brats that I paid off failed to accomplish anything, which is expected really. Making this look natural is no longer possible for this particular moment. I believe that the Wyvern should be deployed as a response to this for testing purposes in the case of apparent failure, so once the cargo arrives, I and my men will settle this ourselves."
A skeptical voice spoke over the heavy receiver. "And you are quite sure that you can accomplish this without fail, sergeant? I do not need to remind you of the consequences for failure."
He had expected this, but when hesitation over a small risk would only lead to the risks snowballing out of control, it was best to nip that death spiral in the bud. It was too late to panic once the point of no return had already passed.
"Yes, sir. I want to do something about this before the two packages would enter the grounds of School Garden. This will become much harder if that happens. So we would need to make contact with the cargo deliverers immediately. Drones are pretty much a no-no since these would be useless with all the unexpected gusts of wind and updrafts created by the buildings. We don't want to draw any more attention from the Board Chairman anymore than needed. And the less that was said about those tiny nanomachines that the damned Foundation has in it's pocket dimensions, the better. Which is precisely why I will guide our weapon with my bow. So I only need to get the cargo to me and my men and we'll eventually handle the precise adjustments on site from there."
"See to it that you do, sergeant. Nam novum Orbis Terrarum. (For the New World Order.)"
"Nam novum Orbis Terrarum. (For the New World Order.)"
Insert Song: End
ED Song:
Betcha Never from Cherie (2004)
