Chapter 7: Garden of Learning Rescue! Time to Work a Miracle Articho!
Entrance to the Garden of Learning
The recently new middle school students have finally reached the gated entrance to the Garden of Learning.
"We made it!" Articho pants from slight exhaustion.
"We sure did." Arisa exclaims, out of breath as well. "And that must be the checkpoint to the Garden of Learning."
The hybrid Saiyan look towards the direction his friend was talking about.
"Good eye, Arisa." He nods at her. "Let's go show security our IDs."
"Of course." The popstar says, as the two of them walk towards the entranceway of the Garden of Learning.
Several electronic gates are affixed at the egresses, where female students are using their cards to enter or exit.
"Identifications, please." A female security officer questions.
"We're friends of Kuroko Shirai and Junko Hokaze of Tokiwadai Middle School." Articho explains, as both he and Arisa showed their IDs to her. "They invited us over inside the Garden."
"Names?"
"Son Articho and Arisa Meigo."
"One moment." The woman says, checking on the IDs using the monitor.
After a couple of seconds, the security officer turns back towards them with a smile.
"Everything seems to be in order. Go on in."
"Thank you." He nods at her.
He pulls out a card their Tokiwadai friends gave them and slides it onto the gate machine. The electric gate opens up, as the two Sakugawa walked right though.
As they exit the checkpoint, the two finally get to see the inside of the Garden itself. Once they entered, Articho was amazed, to say the least. Because he saw the buildings and structures themed after many european countries.
Arisa was also in awe.
"This place is awesome!" Articho admits. "It's like if London and Paris had a baby."
"It sure looks that way." The young Time Patroller admits. "Hmm?"
He then looks around to see several girls in different uniforms staring at both Arisa and himself.
"We're definitely tracking a lot of attention towards us." Arisa pointed out, as she started to get a little embarrassed.
"Hey, is that boy wearing a martial arts gi?"
"He sure is."
"Is he from China? Because his outfit definitely looks Southeast Asian."
"Who's that girl with him? His girlfriend?"
"I believe she is. What a cute couple."
"She's so pretty!"
The two teens in question blushed in embarrassment.
"I think we should hurry up to where we're supposed to meet Shirai."
"Yeah, I think we should."
Arisa was the first to start running until she trips all of the sudden.
"Wahhhh!"
Articho runs to catch her but as he did so, he ended up being pulled down onto the brick streets. The end result: Articho was on top of Arisa as the girl is on her back, both staring at each other as their blush deepens. And not only that, but their lips are pressed against each other, just like the other night.
'Ah crap! Not again!' Articho panics in his mind.
'He's kissing my lips again.' Arisa says surprised, in her head as well.
All the other girls surrounding them were surprised as well, then they all started praising the two of them and soon a new rumor was born in the Garden of Learning. At least this one wasn't horrible.
'Oh man, this is so embarrassing!' TheTime Patroller continues to rant in his head. 'Trunks and Pan will never live this down if they were here to see this!'
Meanwhile with a certain teleporter...
"What's taking them so long? They're almost late." Kuroko taps her foot impatiently.
"They'll be here, Shirai." Junko assures her. "Even if they're running a little late, we still have time before our school is closed down."
The auburn haired girl sighed, before looking towards her friend.
"Look, I know we should save the apologies until after we save Tokiwadai. But maybe I should apologize for my behavior right now. There's a chance this plan will fail, even if Shokuhou can try to fix all of this."
"I know. But don't worry, I'm sure we will succeed." The ringlet girl told her younger classmen.
"That's what worries me."
The pigtail girl questions her logic, before seeing her friends in the distance.
"Jeez, you two! You guys took your sweet time!" Shirai says, as the two others came over towards the two Tokiwadai students. The girls noticed that they were too embarrassed to look at each other. "What happened with you guys?"
"Don't ask." Articho growls. "DO. NOT. ASK. PLEASE. I've killed far less than to be embarrassed any further."
"All right." The girl said, as sweat drops from her. "Anyway, let's get inside to Tokiwadai's Judgements Office."
"Actually, before we do that, I wanna try out my new school summer uniform." Arisa interrupts. "Is there somewhere I can change at?"
"Absolutely." Hokaze pointed out. "Follow us inside, then."
So all four of them begin to head towards the school, in order for Arisa to change and to commence with the investigation. Unbeknownst to the students, a drone with a hidden camera was observing them from the distance.
Elsewhere...
"Damn!" A young girl said, as slammed her fist on the table.
This girl has chocolate colored skin, pink ponytails, and a cute color version of a punk girl outfit.
"So Shokuhou decided to bring in back up. Hmph. Well no matter. I can easily alter their memories with the snap of my fingers. Figuratively speaking, that is."
The girl then smiles wickedly, as she turns around towards her guests. Or to be more specific, her prisoners. One is a familiar girl with long blue hair and little baby with black hair. Both of whom are sound asleep.
"After all, I have her precious little daughter." She says. "Alongside her sister-in-law. These two will be the perfect bargaining chips."
The girl then looks down to see something in her hand she's holding.
"Hopefully, I wouldn't have to use this fruit against her. If that mystery figure is right, then it can give me the power to crush her once and for all." She says to herself, before looking at the baby one more time. "Don't worry little Alice, I'll bring you back to your mommy soon enough."
Meanwhile...
Everyone is now in the shower room, as Arisa strips out of her casual clothes and into her summer school uniform.
"How come I have to be in a changing room that's only for girls?" Articho growls in annoyance.
"Because, if you're not with me or Hokaze then it will be very suspicious for a male student to be wondering the halls of a all girls school."
"But you should clearly be embarrassed and disgusted about me in a girl's shower room!" He argues. "I could've waited outside, not wait for Arisa to change in here!"
"It's not a problem here, Articho, we know that you're not a bad person who won't take advantage of us." Junko assures him.
"That's not the point!" He snaps.
"I'm done." The popstar announced, opening the door to her stall and walking out. Everyone had a good look at her school uniform. "So, what do you think?"
"Whoa..." The boy says with a loss of words. "You look very beautiful."
"That uniform really suits you." The teleporter admits. "It fits my partner as well. And I especially love your hair."
"Thank you." The popstar smiles, she has her hair long and straight. Her school uniform was a white shirt with a blue collar, a red tie, and a blue medium length skirt. The popstar also has a dove hairpin on the right side of her hair.
"Alright, let's be off. We gotta school to save." Articho declares with his fist up in the air. "Banzai!"
The girls looked at each other, before shrugging their shoulders.
"Hmm?" He drops his fist and looks on in confusion. "Oh come on. You guys don't have to do it, but at least show me a bit of confidence."
"If we have to." Kuroko says, as the three girls decided to do a similar cheer.
"Go team!"
"See. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" He smirks with pride.
"I guess not." The pigtail girl pointed out. "Now let's head over to the 3rd branch office. Makigami should be in there, waiting for us."
"Who?"
"She's a member of Judgement, and a member of the Queen's clique." Hokaze answers. "She will also be helping us with the investigation."
"Well, we're gonna need all the help we can get." He shrugs.
"One more thing, we have one more who will be joining us."
"Another officer?" Arisa asks.
Kuroko forcefully chuckles.
"Not exactly." She cryptically answers.
Just then, the door opens up to reveal another student. This girl had long honey blonde hair, golden eyes with star pupils, and surprisingly a large chest for someone her age. Around DD-cup.
"Well, well." The student says. "It would appear that everyone's here."
"And you are?" Articho raises an eyebrow.
"Allow me to introduce myself." She says, doing her signature pose. "I am the fifth ranked Level Five. Misaki Shokuhou: Mental Out. And it's a pleasure."
Articho sweat drops, not impressed as his arms and body are slouching.
"Nice to meet you, too." He says. "Though I'm not a fan of that pose of yours. Hell, I find poses really embarrassing."
Hokaze gasps at what he just said and Kuroko had to look away as she covers her mouth, containing her laughter.
"Hmm? You're not the first person to talk to me like the way you just did." Misaki stated. "You're very interesting. I was even impressed that you got the attention of my trusted follower."
"Follower?" He asked, before looking at Junko. "Oh right. You must be the head of this clique Hokaze's a part of."
"I am." She confirms, taking a remote out of her handbag. "And I think you need to know your place."
"Not a chance." Articho acknowledges, standing behind her all of the sudden.
Misaki jumps in disbelief and fright. Arisa and the other girls freaked out as well. They didn't even see him move.
"How did you-"
"The last time someone got into my head, it didn't bode well with him." He says with a dark tone in his voice, whispering in her ear. "So keep your gloves off of me."
The Level Five started to fear for her life, after hearing those words.
"Are we clear?"
"Y-Yes." She quickly answers. "I-I'll keep my promise."
"Good." He says, going back to his usually cheerful self. "Then I hope we can be friends."
The girl turns around with another shocked expression.
"Friends?" She asked.
"Yeah." Articho nods.
"O-Okay, that's terrifying." Junko confesses with a paled face. "I didn't even see him move."
"I thought he can only move fast, fly, and fire energy beams." Shirai wonders. "But I didn't expect him to move THAT fast."
"S-Sure. The two of us can be friends."
"Don't be so scared like that." He assures her. "It's not like I'm gonna hurt you."
"Oh, all right." Shokuhou told him, relaxing. "Then let's become friends, Articho was it?"
"Yep. I guess Hokaze told you about me, huh?"
"Something like that."
Later...
Everyone is inside Tokiwadai's Judgement branch office, looking for all of the information they had about investigating the rumors.
"Do you believe that the rumors could have been spread using an ability?" Articho asks.
"Yes." Kuroko confirms. "According to Hokaze and Shokuhou, they've been on this case for weeks now."
"Oh. Well, good for you." He compliments the two. However, this didn't cheer them up.
"Do any of you have a list of students will powers to influence other people's minds?"
"We tried doing that, but most of them have an alibi. Including the Queen herself." Makigami explains. "However, we still believe the suspect is a Level 4. Most likely a Level 5 candidate."
"Let me see the Level 5 candidates. Former students as well." Articho asked one of the other members of Shokuhou's clique. One girl, named Kobayashi, nods as she pulls up a laptop.
"You seemed to know what you're doing." Hokaze deduced.
"Trust me, I'm the most experienced out of all of you." He told her, as he goes up to a laptop, to see a list of different Tokiwadai students. Some that are attending now or formally attended.
"What kind of telepathic ability did the suspect use?"
"It appears to be a type of ability that allows the user to put their own influence into the subject." A black hair girl with glasses answers.
"Hmm." Articho says, skimming through the candidates until he got a name. "Got it. Goes by Wendy Katsch. Does that name ring any bells?"
"It does. She's a very cruel Level 4." Misaki answers. "But that was a year ago."
"Mind telling me what happened?"
"Certain circumstances caused her to get expelled from our school."
Articho had a suspicious look.
"She's hiding something." He says to himself. "And I doubt her clique knows about what transpired a year prior."
"I can't tell them what happened last year, that got her expelled. At least not yet." Misaki told herself. "I almost lost two important people in my life that day."
"Do you guys know where she is now?" He asked. "Or at least, do you have a lead to her current whereabouts?"
All of the Tokiwadai students shake their heads a 'no.'
"Worth a shot." He sighs disappointingly.
"Do you know what she was like back then?" Arisa wonders.
"Hard working and always by the books." Misaki explains. "But also a huge hypocrite and a bully."
"Why does that sound familiar?" He gazes eyes away from her, recalling a certain god with so many hypocritical actions.
"And a bit of a slut." Hokaze chimes in with a disgusted expression.
"I've never heard of this girl." Kuroko says with confusion in her voice.
"You were only a grade school student, so this was before your time here as a student of Tokiwadai." Misaki told her. "On occasion, Katsch will sometimes come back to the dorms two minutes before curfew. Sometimes walking back in with her uniform wrinkled up."
"Why?" The popstar was confused.
"Because she was hanging out with the wrong crowd. Partying almost every night. And sleeping with high schoolers." The girl with lavender hair answers, with a frown on her face.
"Not to mention she's been abusing her ability on others." The Queen mentions.
"Like you?" Articho roasts.
"Oh, nothing like me."
"Really now?" He grins cockily. "Then I guess you two have something in common after all. And that word is hypocrisy."
"Articho, I'm thinking you need to stop." Junko exclaimed.
This really offended Misaki. A lot actually.
Just then, her phone started to ring. And Articho perks up with a shocked expression.
"What the hell?" He questions to himself. "This power I'm sensing. It's immense."
"Queen?"
"I'm going to answer this real quick." Misaki told everyone, stepping out for a moment. After going into the hallway, the second year presses the call button and places the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"It's been awhile hasn't it, miss Queen of Tokiwadai?" A sweet yet sinister voice questions over the phone.
"Katsch." The blonde girl says, not amused.
"Now what's with the attitude? I thought the two of us were friends?"
"You're no friend of mine." Shokuhou told her, bitterly. "You do realize what you've done, right? Because of you, Tokiwadai might have to shut down."
"It's a necessary sacrifice." Wendy declared. "Those girls need to learn to face reality. Unlike you, Ayu, and Misaka."
"It's your fault Misaka hates me. Those rumors you've been spreading."
"Now, now. You only have yourself to blame." She chuckles. "After all, you ignored those rumors yourself."
"I know, and I'm starting to regret that." Misaki sighed. "Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't end this call right now?"
"Go right ahead." She insists. "But then you wouldn't know that I have your daughter."
This caused her to gasped, and almost dropped her phone.
"What did you say?!"
"You heard me." She repeated herself, before Misaki heard the sound of a cooing infant. "I have your little Alice. Oh sweet, sweet little Alice."
"Leave her alone, you monster!" Another voice rings out on the other end. Then there was a sound of something getting slapped.
"Silence. You will remember your place." Wendy says. "Sorry, but looks like I'll be going now. You can enjoy whatever life you have left once your school is shut down for good."
"No! Don't hurt my baby girl!" Shokuhou shouts, as tears fall from her eyes.
"Relax I'm not going to hurt her. I'm just taking care of her until I finish some business. Now if you would excuse me, someone need some discipline." The former Tokiwadai student declares, finally hanging up.
"No! Alice!"
Now she finally falls down on her knees, as her phone slides out of her hand.
"What have I done?"
"Shokuhou?" A familiar voice asks.
She turned toward the source of the voice, seeing the one person she was fortunate enough to run into today.
"Misaka?"
The person she was referring to was none other than the third ranked Level 5. Mikoto Misaka: Railgun. Also known as the Ace of Tokiwadai. She was a girl with chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. She is wearing the summer school uniform of Tokiwadai.
"How long have you been there, and how much have you heard?" She asked, wiping away her tears.
"I didn't hear anything." She answers. "I just got here."
"Oh, right." Misaki said, standing up. "Sorry you had to see me like that."
"Why are you apologising?"
Before she could explain, the door to the office opens up.
"My Queen!" Hokaze exclaims. "We heard you crying."
"Y-You did?" She stutters before noticing someone missing. "Wait. Where's Articho?"
"That's the thing. We don't know. He just instantly vanished right before our eyes after telling us that he had to go."
"Knowing him, he's probably going after Katsch." The teleporter deduced, before everyone noticed one additional person. "Sissy?!"
"Oh. Hey Kuroko." Her roommate says, suspiciously. "You got some explaining to do."
Meanwhile with Articho...
The Time Patroller appears out of thin air with Instant Transmission, standing behind Wendy who was just finishing her call with Misaki.
"Relax I'm not going to hurt her. I'm just taking care of her until I finish some business. Now if you would excuse me, someone need some discipline." The former Tokiwadai student declares, finally hanging up.
"Wendy Katsch, right?" Articho asks in a calm tone.
Hearing the sudden voice cause everyone to turn towards him.
"A-Articho?!" Sicily was shocked, seeing him again.
"Sicily?" He was surprised, before noticing her condition. She was wearing a elegant nightgown, and had several bruises on her body. Including a red handprint on her cheek. "You did this to her?"
"Why? Is there a problem with that?" Wendy asked, raising her eyebrow.
"It is." He answers, coldly. "Especially you kidnapping a friend of mine and a little baby."
"Hmm?" She questions. "You're serious. Oh, I'm terrified."
"There's no way she's a Saiyan." Articho says in his thoughts, gazing at her with a calm but serious expression. "Question is, where did she get this kind of power? She wouldn't be aware of what ki is."
Wendy then chuckles sinisterly.
"Oh, I see what's going on here." The kidnapper says. "Shokuhou put you up to this so you can save her family."
"Family?"
"Oh, you mean she hasn't told you." she says, showing him the baby girl. "This baby is very special to her."
The young Time Patroller gazes at the infant, as Alice opens her eyes. Seeing them causes the hybrid Saiyan to gasped, realizing the secret that Misaki kept from everyone.
Articho has found Wendy Katsch. But it would appears that the child in her hands is connected to Misaki Shokuhou. What will he learn from this new foe? Secrets are revealed,next time on Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Articho's New Mission!