Chapter 9: New Allies
Arisa slept soundly. Her dark blonde hair lay across the pure white cotton sheets, tangled and moist with sweat. Charlotte sat on the edge of the bed and scoffed at how the young lady was so easily ensnared. As the Kuhouin Anniversary Party continued in full swing in the hotel ballroom downstairs, the two of them had their own private party in the lavish penthouse suite.
She held an elaborately-carved silver mirror to her face. She deftly took off the pale blue contact lenses she wore to bait her prey and ran a bony hand down her luscious white-blonde hair. Violet eyes shining in the dark bedroom, she stared deeply into the mirror and admired the creamy ivory skin, perfectly arched eyebrows, high cheek bones and full sensual lips she shared with her twin sister.
"You are me and I am you," she whispered. "For long as I live, you can never die."
Ayase wandered around the festival grounds looking for her other companions. After what Shu just told her, she could really use some of that sake the old timers were enjoying earlier.
"Unbelievable," she muttered and took out her mobile phone to dial the professor's number. She waited for the line to connect then heard a familiar cartoon theme song ringing nearby. She wheeled into a grove of trees to follow the sound. When she came closer, she found two kimono clad bodies lying on the ground near the river.
"Haruka-san!" Ayase rushed to the scene to find Haruka unconscious and Rowan writhing in pain on the riverbank. "Mr. Hughes, what happened?"
Rowan struggled to raise his head but could only clutch at his stomach in agony. The young woman propped him up against a tree. When he tried to speak, an aching cough took the place of words. Instead he pointed to something across the wharf.
Ayase hesitated to leave them alone, but she saw the urgency in the man's green eyes. She wheeled along the waterfront and screamed in horror when she found Tsugumi's metal cat ears abandoned on the old wooden dock spattered with blood.
In the distance, she saw a figure straining to get out of the water. She recognized the man's navy blue yukata right away.
"Daryl!"
Kurachi arrived in front of her mistress's hotel room, summoned by her protective instincts. Although the tall woman expected that Arisa would have to eventually take a break from pretending to be the head of Japan's largest conglomerate, she had been away from the party for too long.
She swiped the universal access card that opened the door.
"Kuhouin-sama, the prime minister would like to speak with you."
No one replied. She searched the expansive suite but her ward was nowhere in sight. Arisa's things were left untouched on the drawers and the bed was unmade. She felt the bed cover. It was still warm.
Just then, her mobile phone rang. The holographic screen displayed an unknown number.
"Where did you take Kuhouin-sama? State your demands and—"
"Hello? Kurachi? I'm sorry to disturb you. This is Haruka. We need your help."
"Hey Yahiro! Where are you, man? I saved a spot on the table just for you two. Call me back ASAP!"
Souta slid his phone shut after leaving a message for his old classmate. His black leather shoes squeaked against the shiny granite floors as he walked along the hotel corridors looking for Arisa. From afar, he saw a familiar woman clad in a black suit, her jet black hair styled in a traditional Japanese ponytail with red ribbons.
"Kurachi-san," he approached her. "Are you okay?"
"Kuhouin-sama has been kidnapped," the bodyguard declared pressing her red lips into a thin line. "Tamadate-san, I will need your assistance."
Souta was shocked, but managed to pull himself together enough to ask, "What can I do?"
"What are you prepared to do?"
Yahiro slumped against the wall outside the Intensive Care Unit where Kanon was facing off against death. His tuxedo was damp, crumpled and torn from the bombing at Tokyo Aquarium. His reflexes kicked in fast enough for him to hold his breath and he held her tight in the violent deluge. The lack of oxygen supply to her brain caused her to go into a coma.
Yahiro used the phone at the nurses' station to call his friends. Shu's number was out of reach so he tried calling Souta. He answered in an instant.
"Hey! Where are you? I'm coming to pick you up right now!"
"I'm at the hospital," his deep voice trembled. "There was an accident."
"What!" Souta shouted at the other end of the line. "Okay, we'll be there in ten minutes!"
Precisely ten minutes later, his short haired friend came running across the hall with Kurachi trailing behind him.
"What happened?" Souta sat beside him in the waiting area and rubbed his hunched back for comfort.
Yahiro kept his tear-stained face buried in his broad hands and spoke through gritted teeth, "We were at the aquarium and someone tried to kill me. Kanon drowned and sh—" He choked as fresh salty droplets poured down from his square chin. "She won't wake up."
"Do you have any idea who could have done this to you?"
"Charlotte," Yahiro slowly looked up with wrathful amber eyes. "Charlotte Gespenst."
Souta glanced at Kurachi with surprise. She nodded back in agreement.
"It seems that we share a common enemy, Samukawa-san."
"Arisa-sempai was kidnapped," Souta explained further. "Security cameras caught Dr. Gespenst entering her room and exiting half an hour later. Arisa-sempai was with her, but she seemed different."
"Perhaps she was drugged or hypnotized, but Kuhouin-sama certainly did not look like she was completely in control of her actions." Kurachi paused to place a hand on Yahiro's shoulder. "Furthermore, I received a call from Haruka-chan."
"Shu's mother?"
"Yes," she looked at him with serious almond eyes. "Shu and Tsugumi were taken as well. They've tracked down the chip in Shu's robotic arm to an abandoned GHQ base in Oshima Island. She suspects that Dr. Gespenst and her lackeys might be planning to use void power in an attempt to bring about a Fifth Apocalypse."
Souta gripped Yahiro's other shoulder.
"Remember that time Shu gathered us when he needed help to rescue Inori? When all rode in that jeep and he used our voids one by one? He needs us again, but this time we can fight on our own."
Yahiro wanted to ask how, but then he caught sight of a doctor coming out of the ICU.
"Doctor!" He chased after her. "How is she? Is she awake? Please tell me she's alright."
"I'm sorry," the petite lady proceeded to give him the details of her fellow doctor's condition. "In a nutshell, she is in a stable state, but she is yet to wake up." She took note of the two people waiting for Yahiro. "If there's somewhere you need to go, Samukawa-san, we can take care of Dr. Kusama. She has always been kind to everyone in this hospital."
Yahiro considered this for a while then bowed deeply at the lady doctor. "I leave her in your capable hands."
"We will do everything in our power to make sure that she gets well soon," the small woman replied with a smile.
Yahiro turned back to Kurachi. "If we leave now, we can catch the last ferry to Oshima Island."
"Ferry?" Souta interrupted. "No way. How do you think we got here so fast? There's a chopper on standby at the roof right now."
Yahiro managed to smile at Souta. "And how are we supposed to defeat a bunch of void users?"
It was Kurachi's turn to interrupt.
"We'll fight fire with fire."
Haruka sat by Rowan's bedside to monitor his health. The attacker hit the bull's eye when they punched the ailing man in the gut. She herself was no better off nursing the trauma on the back of her head with an ice pack.
The former intelligence officer stirred.
"Rowan-kun," the professor gently pushed him down. "Please don't try to get up."
"I'm fine, Haruka-sensei," he smiled weakly. "Please don't keep me on this bed."
"Alright," she replied with a smile of her own and helped him up. "How are you feeling?"
"I've seen better days," he slid on his silver-rimmed eyeglasses. "How are the children?"
"Ayase is shaken and Daryl has a gunshot wound on his left shoulder."
"He'll survive. He always does."
"More importantly, he recognized one of the abductors as his cousin, Alexander Gespenst."
"Any relation to Lady Charlotte Gespenst?" his green eyes inquired.
"Her son," Haruka handed him a clean white polo shirt and a pair of khaki pants. "I called in reinforcements. In the event that she might be attempting to spark a Fifth Apocalypse, I had an old friend acquire the two remaining Void Genome Emulators."
"I don't know. Something about that feels off." Rowan changed his clothes behind a room partition painted with a scene of Mount Fuji.
"That's true," Haruka's dark brown eyes narrowed. "I've worked with Dr. Gespenst in the past and she didn't seem like she was completely invested in my brother's plans. However, we have to prepare for the worst."
Her brother being Keido Shuichiro, former Antibodies Chief turned President of Japan. Compelled by a one-sided competition with Haruka's husband, Ouma Kurosu to shape the future of human evolution, he was further influenced by the mysterious organization Da'at to unleash the Apocalypse by reviving Mana using Inori's body.
Rowan emerged from behind the partition. "From what I can gather, Lady Charlotte sounds like a wild card with her own personal motives."
Haruka's sandy brown curls bounced as she nodded. "Dr. Gespenst doesn't seem to be driven by curiosity like Makoto Waltz Segai, or envy like my brother. I know Shuichiro kept her around because of her skills, but he was always wary of her."
"She's enigmatic to say the least," Rowan added. "It just creeped me out how she always looked so calm yet so cruel. She had this dissonant serenity."
"And she does whatever she likes without a thought about the consequences."
Daryl replaced his tattered yukata with a white t-shirt and a pair of slim fit blue jeans. Walking wearily through the Ouma ancestral home, he stroked his swollen cheek. The other pain, a gunshot wound underneath his bandaged shoulder, sizzled.
He slid open the door to the living room where he found Ayase looking out at the dark ocean and the moonlit beach. He approached and sat on the windowsill. Minutes of stillness passed with only the sound of crashing waves between them.
"Are you willing to fight them?" Ayase broke the silence. Her post-shower burgundy hair lay wet and loose on her shoulders.
Her hands were folded primly over a small paper bag.
Moonlight gave Daryl's downcast eyes a pearly purple hue. "Aunt Charlotte has always treated me kindly and Alex is like a brother to me."
"Then what about Tsugumi and Shu?" she snapped. "Family isn't all about blood, you know. My friends have been my family since I was seven. I swear, even if it makes her cry, if you fail to save her again, I won't hesitate to kill you."
"I failed to save her," his pale blonde hair fell onto his face as he gripped the cold metal disc embedded into his chest.
The young woman opened the paper bag.
"She was going to give this back to you tonight," she held out a pair of white cashmere gloves. "I think she put a note in one of them."
Daryl drew a small piece of paper from one of the gloves and opened it. His amethyst eyes widened, looked confused then shut gently in quiet contemplation. The light on his chest sparkled a just a little brighter through his thin white shirt. His lips curved into a shy smile and quivered as he kissed the soft cashmere that smelled of ripe oranges.
"Don't worry, I didn't read it," Ayase blushed and felt uncomfortable watching him during such an emotional moment, but at least she finally understood what he truly felt for her best friend. "But if that crazy murderous part of you is still in there, we need him to fight for us."
The waves continued crashing, but there was a whirring sound in the distance that slowly made itself heard. Ayase and Daryl drew their guns at the same time and waited on opposite sides of the window.
A dark red and white chopper landed on the beach in front of the old house. Daryl crouched and ran stealthily to another window. He looked up at the large glass cabinet in the corner of the room from which he could see the scene outside reflected vaguely. He held out three fingers signifying that there are at least three people coming out of the helicopter. He cocked his silver GHQ-issued handgun.
"Haruka-chaaan! Aya-chaaan!" an energetic man's voice called from outside the house.
Ayase recognized the voice and answered, "Souta, is that you?"
Daryl shot her a look that said, "What the hell are you doing?"
She got the message and mouthed "Trust me."
"Aya-chan?" The man knocked on the sliding door facing the beach. "Yeah, it's me. I'm with Yahiro and Kurachi-san."
Ayase wheeled slowly towards the door, unlocked the door and pointed her gun at it. "Come in!"
The door flew open, but instead of Souta, a tall woman stood there with a gun. Daryl shot at her by instinct and the woman fired in return. His Void Genome Emulator shone brightly as he deflected all her bullets.
"Stop!" Ayase shouted, causing a ceasefire.
Kurachi pointed her gun down, but refused to holster it. Daryl understandably did the same. Souta and Yahiro carefully looked in and stared at the scene.
"Kurachi-san," Ayase moved closer. "I'm very sorry for the rude welcome." She turned to Daryl and spoke. "Ease up. They're our allies," she motioned the three to come in but none of them budged. "Daryl, this is Kurachi-san, Souta and Yahiro."
The blonde finally relaxed and put his gun down. Kurachi followed suit and crossed the hall.
"You're a fast shooter," she held out her hand and introduced herself. "Kurachi Yukina, former Undertakers agent."
"Daryl Yan," he put away his gun and shook her hand. "Former GHQ second lieutenant."
Souta followed suit and grabbed his hand without warning.
"Tamadate Souta, film director extraordinaire!"
Daryl snatched his hand away in disgust.
"Nice to meet you, too," Souta knitted his brows together.
Yahiro walked towards them and tried his luck at making acquaintance.
"Samukawa Yahiro," he offered his hand respectfully. "I'm Shu's friend."
Daryl didn't take the outstretched hand and simply asked, "What's your void?"
"The Shears of Life," Yahiro frowned and retracted his offer of amity. "It can sever life and kill instantly."
"The lady looks useful but what do we need these two for?" The blonde noted the man's long black business coat and dark green scarf. "Do you even know how to fight? You look like an accountant."
"I used to be a drug dealer. I've won a few brawls in my youth. Besides," the brunette smirked. "Shu knew nothing about fighting yet I hear that he sliced you up every single time. What does a spoiled brat who sits around controlling robots with his mind know about real combat?"
Daryl swung a punch at Yahiro and soon fists were flying between the two.
"Stop it, you idiots!" Ayase pulled Daryl away as Souta restrained Yahiro with Kurachi in between, forcefully separating the two boys. Soon Haruka and Rowan rushed in to catch the group in the middle of the heavy tension.
"What's going on here?" Rowan asked.
Daryl struggled to free himself from Ayase's grip and accidentally tipped her wheelchair over, sending her crashing downward. The room fell deathly silent. The young woman lay motionless on the wooden floor. Everyone could sense her seething with rage.
"Get out. Every single one of you," she pointed at the door. "GET OUT!"
The whole gang except Daryl made a run for it. When he attempted to help her up, Ayase slapped him across the injured side of his face. The pain on it tripled. He turned to complain, but instead he found her angry hazel eyes glaring up at him, overflowing with tears.
"I'm sorry," he apologized and walked away.
They sat in a row on the edge of the porch waiting for Ayase to come out. White moonshine cast an eerie glow over the unusual group. Yahiro held an ice bag to his jaw next to Souta who was listening in on Kurachi discussing with her friend, Haruka. Rowan sat beside her, pressing an ice pack onto an unwilling Daryl's cheek.
Haruka read the notes she took on her holographic table out loud.
"This is what we know so far: Doctor Charlotte Steiner Gespenst is the twin sister of Daryl's mother, Engineer Maria Steiner Yan, and widow of Charles Gespenst, a rich businessman who passed away back in 2039. She is a world renowned neurobiologist specializing in the brain-machine connection based on the theory of genomic resonance. She invented the Void Genome Emulator and is the only person in the world to successfully perform surgery to install it in a human being. She has one child, Alexander Gespenst, a former Tennozu High School student during the Loop 7 Quarantine."
She swallowed hard and remembered what she had the Ghost Unit do under her supervision during those horrible days.
"Just before the Fourth Apocalypse she abandoned GHQ. Recently, she re-entered the upper class social circles to make a deal with Genome Biotechnology, formerly Sephirah Genomics, to acquire two Emulators in their possession. Is this correct?"
"Initially," Yahiro clarified. "She didn't specify what she was after. Only when Tsugumi and I discovered that her son had hacked our system did she graciously ask for my cooperation. When I refused, she attempted to eliminate me."
Kurachi, with her lustrous onyx hair, then relayed that she had used her influence to acquire the devices through an off-the-record loan from the heads of Genome Biotech.
"Don't tell anyone," Souta jokingly gossiped. "But the truth is, Granpa Kuhouin named Kurachi-san the true heir to the Kuhouin Group of Companies. Arisa is just a decoy to keep the board of directors from staking claim on the company. They'd rather let a teenaged blood relative be their boss than a mere personal assistant. Behind the scenes, it's Kurachi-san who really has the final say."
"Tamadate-san," the serious woman interjected. "That information is unnecessary. What else do we know about the son, Alexander. Does he have a dangerous void?"
"I doubt it," Daryl finally spoke up. "He's always been a shy kid. It's probably just a baseball glove or something."
"Even more inferior," Yahiro mentally recalled the data. "It was just a pen that couldn't even write. That's why we put him in Rank F." He turned to his short-haired buddy. "No offense."
"None taken! But wait!" Souta stood up. "I remember that guy! Looked like a shorter Daryl with the blackest black hair?"
"Yep," Daryl answered. "Except less good-looking."
"Do you have the old ranking database with you?" Souta shook Yahiro.
The former student council vice president clicked open his phone and pulled up the void ranking list.
"Look at this," Souta pointed at the genomic resonance reading for Alexander Gespenst.
"No way" Yahiro couldn't believe it. The number was 1989. "This should be a Rank S void!"
"Exactly, but you guys just brushed it off based on its assumed function. Shu suggested that it might be an error on the reader's part," he paused to collect his thoughts. "But you said that it could be an indication the he was infected."
Souta thought back on their days slaving away at the diving facility retrieving vaccines from a sunken ship.
"The Apocalypse Virus let me see other people's voids and his was unbelievable."
"What are you talking about, Tamadate-san?" Rowan politely asked.
"His pen wasn't meant to be used on paper," his voice growing grave. "It was meant to be used on people. With it, he can manipulate a person's memories. I can't tell to what extent he can do this, but all I know is that it really fucked up with his self-esteem and personality. The poor kid never knows which memories are his or not."
Daryl bowed his head and tried to absorb the information. Manipulating memories? Why would Alex have a void like that?
"If we only had the chance to put the pieces together earlier, we could have avoided all this," Yahiro regretted. "Another thing that worries me though is the presence of the enemy's nephew in our base of operations."
"What did you just say?" The former GHQ soldier ran to attack him and the rest of the gang made a scramble to keep them away from each other.
"I wouldn't trust you to watch my back, blondie!"
"Like I would care, brownie!"
"See?" Yahiro laughed. "We can't trust him to fight on our side."
"Boys!" Haruka addressed the two grown men. "We'll never get anything done if you can't get along!"
At that point, Ayase rolled herself out into the porch. She changed into her skin-tight scarlet red Endlave pilot plugsuit and tied her chestnut raspberry tresses into a high ponytail. Her eyes were still puffy from crying, but she wore a determined smile.
"We don't have to get along," she declared. "We just have to work together."
End of Chapter 9: New Allies
Yeah! Three chapters to go! Next time on Sweet Rewards, our heroes get ready for battle and we take a peek behind enemy lines. Hohoho~!
Love always,
Kinky Robot