Alisi Thorndyke: Hey Matt and great chapter 7. :)

This is seriously upsetting Maylu that Lan hasn't mentioned marriage to her. Well, whatever his answer is, I hope it's a good one becuase she may snap at any time.

Can't wait to see what happens next. :)

Alisi T. :)

P.S. My chapter 4 will be out this weekend. :) Keep an eye out for it. :)

Me: You're about to see what happens next, Alisi. I hope it meets your expectations.

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Anonymous: Uh...Ok? That WAS weird. But a turn from the main storyline won't hurt, I guess. This is getting good, with Enzan's involvement and all.

Me: Weird? It was unexpected, but I'd hardly call it weird. I'd call it something along the lines of "An interesting field for conjecture".

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Maurice A. Nigma: This is definitely one of the most confusing and yet dramatic chapters that I've ever read within this story so far. I mean, it rather amazing that Shuko, who appears to be too timid to even speak, say that her own brother pushed her into the water like that. I mean, this is a twist that I have never expected to happen even right after reading Chapter 6. It's a relief that she isn't planning on committing suicide after what Netto said to her. Man, things like this have really gotten serious for when Tohru told Netto all about what Shuko told him about what her own brothers did. I would never point those two to be the source of her own disturbed state right before the story. But what I'm really interested in is the fact that Meiru is now confronting Netto about the terms of their relationship. Man, talk about laying it on thick to a guy who's a pro at analzying peoples feelings and relationships, but pretty thick headed for when it comes to his own. Sort of like Reed Richards in the movie Fantastic Four except that he studies in the field of Psychology. In either case, it seems to me that the next chapter would hold something that would make the story a bit more complicated than it already is. Well, keep up the good work. Later!

Maurice A. Nigma
The Great Blue One

Me: I figured Netto kind of deserved what he got. He needed a little spankin', you know, intellectually. It will be worth the time, just read this chapter.

Shuko said what she did because what was happening at that moment was overriding her timid nature. Come on, that shouldn't be so hard to comprehend. I don't want to be mean or anything, just… If something appears confusing again, re-read the chapter again and maybe you'll find something you missed.

I know her brother's responsibility is really unexpected. I should expect that to be a "WHAT?!?" part there. Her brothers are hardly ever seen or mentioned even in the games, and I thought I would give them something totally new. Maybe it was a good idea, maybe it wasn't. Once the whole story is released, I'll know better.

This chapter should either really clear a few things up or make it more confusing. Then again, it could just be a new thing that will take some time to digest. Whatever happens, I hope you like it and I hope your review will touch on just as many points as this one.

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MegaMan-Classic-Fan: Man! this story keeps getting exiting!

I didn't play the exe series so i don't know about the plot that much but still am really interested! I badly want to know why would a brother try to kill his own sis, especially if that sis was someone like Shuko.

P.S

Your other stories are great as well (I read all but 'I am Zero') beside a few other fanfics by other GOOD authors.

Me: I've seen your other reviews. I'm really glad you liked them so much that you read just about all of them. If you like them, don't forget I Am Zero. It is long, I am sorry to admit, but in my defense I'll say that several new people I've never heard about have added that story to their favorites list.

If you haven't played the EXE series yet, do it… NOW. It's nothing like the Classic series (Which I love very much) but its games are addictive. The addictive ones are the best ones I say. Particularly ones that are as interactive as the EXE series.

Enzan had arrived. He drove up in a limo, like usual, and entered the hospital. In the lobby he found all who had gathered there as well as Dr. Light. "I wasted no time in getting here." he announced. "What's the problem?"

Tohru walked up to him and shook his hand. "Nice to see you, Enzan-kun. I'll have to tell you what happened in detail. Shuko-chan nearly drowned today, and it seems it was no accident."

Dr. Light was confused. "Why send for him?" he asked. "Is he a psychiatrist?"

"No no no." said Tohru, smiling. "He's a detective. When I spoke to Shuko-chan, she told me she hadn't jumped into the reservoir on purpose. In fact, she didn't even accidentally fall in. She was pushed!"

Everyone gasped in surprise. Yaito spoke first "So she didn't try to commit suicide after all! This is… it's a case of attempted murder!"

"Sounds like something I can handle." said Enzan. "But before I can help you, I need to know everything I can about it. Where is Netto anyway?"

Tohru noticed Netto's backpack was among the things the purser had given him. "I have Netto's notes on it here." he said, taking out Netto's notebook. "And I'll tell you what I know. Netto is outside with Meiru-chan, but I doubt he can tell you more than what he's already told me."

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Netto looked into Meiru's teary eyes. Love was shining from them. He freed one of his hands from Meiru's grasp and wiped away a few of her tears. The love his heart had waited for was right there all along. He would never find such love as had just been professed in the whole world, and he wasn't about to let it go.

"Meiru-chan… I will marry you." he whispered.

With those few small words his confidence grew rapidly! "I'll marry you! You'll be my wife, and we'll raise a family with as many children as we can. We'll live in a large house and do… oh we'll do everything a husband and wife do! We'll have children and name them after ourselves, I'll come home from work everyday and kiss you and tell you how much I love you… And I love you, my dear little Meiru-chan. I wouldn't have anyone else but you."

Meiru-chan was ecstatic. She cried out tears of joy and buried her face in Netto's chest, her whole body trembling like a leaf. Netto tilted her head back and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, my little Meiru-chan!" he whispered again.

Meiru could only cry harder. Her heart was sailing through the clouds with Netto's own heart flying right beside her, and she could only cry. Cry with the joy of the returned love and affection she had longed for for so many years.

Netto held her and brought her close. Unaware of it, his own eyes were spilling tears. Meiru's happiness at marrying him only made him treasure her more and his own happiness couldn't resist spilling a little tearful love. "I'm… so happy, Meiru-chan." he said softly. "You've just made me the happiest man on earth. I'm going to have to thank God for giving me such a wife."

Meiru lifted her face to look into his. "You know the Lord?!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad! When? You must tell me all about it!"

Netto reiterated what had transpired during Shuko's recovery at the hospital.

"And things have happened that have changed my life forever, Meiru-chan. I prayed for hours and then a comforting feeling came to my heart and told me that Shuko-chan would indeed live. And not only did she live, but she didn't try to commit suicide like we'd all thought! And I have a wife! Meiru-chan, this is the happiest day of my life!"

"Oh Netto-kun- I mean, dear." said Meiru, laughing. "I hate to ask now, but my mind is free. I'm interested in what you just said. How did Shuko…?"

"She was pushed in." said Netto. "Someone tried to kill her."

It took a few moments for his words to click with Meiru's thoughts. "Why, Netto! Are you saying someone wanted to kill her?"

"Yes. But I don't know why." Netto answered.

"But who on earth would want to hurt someone like Shuko-chan? Netto you have to find out!" said Meiru.

Netto shook his head and squeezed Meiru's hand. "Even now you think of others." he remarked. "I intend to find out. But let me tell you something before I join the others. Watch out for that man that knocked you down. In fact, I think you should either come with us or stay someplace safe until we have this man under arrest."

"Who on earth are you talking about?" Meiru said confused. "What does he look like?"

Netto thought hard for a moment. "…He's got sandy hair and tanned skin. But Tohru-kun told me just a few minutes ago that he has… I remember! Black eyes and he is a little taller than Shuko-chan. We need to find them, wherever they are. Enzan should be able to help us."

Meiru nodded as the memory became clearer in her mind. "I remember him. And you made the biggest… sweetest fuss over me that I ever saw. I wished you'd told me sooner though, you wouldn't have had to call Enzan."

Netto's ear perked up. "Really? Why?"

Meiru stood up from the bench. "Because I know where he is!"

Netto whirled up onto his feet. "What the blazes-! You know where he is?!" he shouted.

Meiru nodded excitedly. "I saw him just today! I saw him running down our street and I decided to look out my window as he passed by. He looked your house over and then he went inside the old house that nobody lives in. Someone else with a large coat and hat was there and let him in through the door!"

Netto grabbed Meiru by the shoulders and smacked the biggest kiss in the world right on her lips. "My sweet darling Meiru-chan, you're a genius as well asthe most wonderful girl in the world!"

Enzan and Tohru appeared in the hospital doorway, both astounded at what they saw. Netto took Meiru's hand and raced towards them. "I'll explain everything later. Right now we have a murderer to catch!"

"Um… I've looked at the clues." said Enzan. "The best place to start looking first would be-"

Netto cut him off. "We don't need to look. This wonderful girl has just told me the exact location of where we can find our suspect!"

He rushed off to Enzan's limo, dragging a blushing Meiru behind him. "Come on you idiots!" Netto cried. "Don't waste time!"

Both Enzan and Tohru were baffled, but they followed Netto and Meiru into the limo and drove off to ACDC Town. They were filled in on the details during the ride. Enzan couldn't understand Netto's behavior with Meiru, and neither did Tohru. But Tohru at least began to hint at what had happened when they stopped near the curb of the main road leading through the neighborhood.

"I don't think we should get too close." said Enzan. "I think I can trust you two to come with me. But you have to take these with you."

Enzan placed pistols in Netto and Tohru's hands. "We have no idea how hostile these two may be, but they are fast. We need to be able to protect ourselves. Sakurai, I suggest you remain here. One of my men will stay here and protect you, but I can't let you go with us."

Enzan popped the door open and he and Tohru stepped out. Netto prepared to follow them when Meiru suddenly latched onto his arm and pulled him back down to the seat. "Don't go!" she shouted.

"Sakurai, let Netto go." said Enzan angrily. "I should have objected to taking you in the first place. You can't keep him here when we need him."

Meiru shook her head. "I won't be like a girl in a stupid medieval story who lets her love do a dangerous thing just because he wants to give himself as a sacrifice for other people and then loses him forever. I love him too much to risk losing him the same day I found him."

Netto nodded and turned to Tohru and Enzan. "Just give me a live audio feed to my PET once you have the men in custody and I'll listen to what they tell you.. Right now I'm going to stay here with Meiru-chan."

It was a simple task. Enzan and the other men ducked and weaved around the other houses until they were right behind the subway entrance. Enzan signaled to them and at 3 they rushed the house. Enzan snuck in through a window and there was an instant brawl. Tohru led two other men and they smashed through the old door and into the living room where Enzan was fighting with too very surprised men.

WHACK!

The first man fell under the strong fist of Enzan. The other man was tackled to the ground by Tohru. They both held them down as the policemen cuffed their wrists and ankles. Then Tohru switched the lights on. They were in the living room of the house where both men had apparently been napping on the couches.

Both men matched the descriptions Shuko had given them. Tohru recognized one of them immediately. "It is you… from the Pastry Shop!" he said.

The man looked up at him. "Ah yeah." he remarked. "I saw you too. You're the one who our sister was slobbering over at that pastry shop, aren't you?"

The other man shook his head. "No way. I was there and I never saw him and Shuko together! I went there with Hikari Netto but I've never seen this man before!"

"That answers at least one question." said Tohru. "It's so hard to tell you both apart that we thought we were seeing the same man each time. No wonder…"

Enzan's men secured the two men on chairs.

"I suggest you keep a civil tongue in your heads." Enzan admonished them. "We don't exactly take kindly to people like you."

One of them, whom I will simply refer to as Jerome, laughed. "You don't dare touch either of us." he chuckled. "I can sue you for anything and everything you have if you dare touch us."

Tohru walked over to him and smacked him upside the head. "Sue that!" he said bitterly. "If that can be sued, then I shudder to think what will happen to you for drowning your own sister!"

The man raised his eyebrows. "Did I do that?" he said. "Dear me, I think I must look too much like my wimpy brother Hector here. Believe me when I tell you that it was he who did the pushing, I merely had to make him do it."

Enzan laid a hand on Tohru's shoulder. "I think you and I should take a seat on the couch. I think we have plenty to learn from these two men."

Enzan and Tohru sat on the couch, both parallel to the two men in the chairs. "We know how you did it." said Tohru. "And we'll have all the proof we need in the security cameras at Waterworks. But why did you do it? Shuko-chan was the most caring person I ever knew. She did all the work she could to support you and send you to college ever since your parents died. What is it that drove you to go and do this horrible thing?"

Hector spoke up. "We… We did it because she deserved it!" he squeaked. He looked at Jerome. "There, you see I'm no wimp!"

"What did she do to you except spend her whole teenage life caring for you two?" Enzan inquired.

Jerome spoke up. "I'll tell you what she did. She was born, that's why. Our mother wanted a son to be the first child of her womb because she knew how inferior girls are and what a horrible shame it would be to her and her stupid cult she belonged to. But we saw for ourselves how we are in comparison with her and we knew better. Our mother made sure she knew it, and eventually so did we. Most of the problems we've ever had had something to do with her in some way."

"Cult?" asked Enzan. "Something in her religion put the shame label on people of your mothers own sex?"

"Why not?" Jerome continued. "Both our mother and our father left us eventually. But we weren't about to let that spoil our lives. We talked to Shuko and she agreed to do whatever she could to ensure that our future would be as good as it would have been had father and mother stayed."

Tohru felt hot anger boiling his blood. "No wonder she's so miserable all the time… No wonder the rain falls on her account. No wonder accidents are the end result of her very existence! You two devils and your witch of a mother brow-beat her into submitting to your wills by treating her like a bad luck charm. To you she was an object from which to mine whatever you could out of her to suit your wants and needs."

"It was her fault!" said Hector. "That's all there is to it. I'm not going to let some unfortunate event spoil my life because I was born with a stupid sister. She owed it to us you know."

Enzan glared himself. "Then I'd like to know why you tried to kill her in the first place. What would happen if your source of income suddenly disappeared? Hm?"

Hector was too nervous to respond. Jerome spat at him. "You're a pansy… just like Father was." he growled. "Shuko had been late in sending money last month and the A point average we would have had went down the tubes. This wasn't the first time, and our average was getting lower every time the money arrived late. It was for the materials we needed for a class project. We decided to become independent and sell the few meager things we had here and then find part time jobs back at Netopia."

Hector started off right after Jerome stopped talking. "Shuko would have to go you know. We knew she might try to hold on to the house so we decided we didn't need her anymore. She's served her purpose and we decided that if she resisted to the idea that she would have to be removed. It was Jerome's idea, but I- and I am no coward or wimp, did the job myself."

"STOP ME, ENZAN!" Tohru screamed insanely as he ran up to Hector and beat him in the face with his fists. "STOP ME BEFORE I KILL HIM!"

Enzan grabbed Tohru around the waist and threw him back on the couch. "Sit down, Froid." he commanded. "I have one last question for these two.

So what if your sister resisted? You could make her let you take whatever you pleased. You broke her heart and spirit already. There was no reason to kill her, was there?"

Jerome and Hector fell silent. Hector was too frightened to speak anyways. Jerome on the other hand, gave a small… evil smile. And he began to laugh, louder and louder. He gave no real answer to Enzan's question, but he laughed. And Hector gained a little confidence and laughed with him.

Jerome spoke while he laughed. "You... Ha-ha ha! You should be very angry now, aren't you… want to kill us perhaps? You were her boyfriend, weren't you? He he he…"

Tohru slowly stood up, holding up his hand to show that he wouldn't hit the men again. He walked over to Jerome and leaned in nice and close. "No… no love lost." and he added in a whisper. "And no life either."

Jerome turned pale. Tohru nodded. "You heard me right didn't you? Me and my friend saved her before she died, and from now on I'm going to take care of her. She's going to live a normal happy peaceful life free of your parasitic little selves. I'm sure Shuko will just love to testify that you are the two responsible for this. Not to mention the devices in my Dad's facility which most likely recorded your voices."

Jerome screamed in anger and tried desperately to reach for Tohru but his hands were also cuffed to the armrests of the chair. His chair clattered to the floor, and he landed on his face right at Tohru's feet. Jerome grunted at the pain, but he was more humiliated than anything to fall on his face in front of the one man who foiled his plans. I cannot tell you precisely what he said while he lay there on the floor, because it wouldn't be fit for any decent person's ears.

"Take these men and arrest them." ordered Enzan.

Tohru turned to the wall, his head hanging and his fists clenched. Enzan laid a hand on Tohru's shoulder and spoke unusually softly. "I want you to know right now that what you saw was not insanity. Those men are nothing but evil itself. Evil with no excuse, and they profess it with laughter. Those men will be going to trial, and we have to make sure justice's hammer strikes true."