Chapter 8: Cowardly tactics

10:22 AM (Japan Time), Sunday December the 9th…

"… I'm Mr. Universe! Did you know it? Hibiki – chan."

"Hmmm? Who are ya? How did you get there sans permission?"

"Who needs it? There's only me and you…"

"SECURITY!"

"You called? Hum! A suspicious fellow!"

"Wha! That was fast!"

"So! Who is it?"

"Ah. Akatsuki – san. Good timing. We don't know yet but…"

"Alright. In that case… Shall we have you willingly accompany us to the Satella Police HQ?"

"E~H! Sapo…! Satella Police~?"

"The same ones. Now. Talk. Ugly."

"YIKES!"

Misora had come out into the filming area of Okudama Studios, SE of it, only for a guy on his mid-20s having black hair and brown eyes irises to come bother her: she directed a mistrusting look to him but he began to try to play chevalier: Misora called for security and 4 Security Wizards materialized, surrounding the guy: he gasped as Akatsuki, Acid and 2 Commandos came into the scene: Akatsuki glared at the guy and the guy gulped.

"I'm just a noble person! I just wanted her autograph!"

"Hmmm…" Akatsuki didn't seem to believe him.

"State name and occupation." Acid ordered.

"Eh? Well… Kanoo Matou, 22, programmer…"

"Searching database… Match found… Criminal history: one case, dating 3 years 4 months 11 days…" Acid searched the database.

"What was it?"

"Pickpocket in his college. He was expelled."

"Pickpocket… Nothing else?"

"No."

"So you wanted to steal her wallet, huh?" Akatsuki grumbled.

"T-that's… the past!"

"Not registered as employee of any company. Freelancer programmer: he shares a flat with another 3 persons." Acid listed next.

"Fine. We'll settle this at the HQ. For the time being you're charged with trespassing. This area is staff only."

"E~H?"

"Accompany us."

"No way!"

"Way."

The two Commandos dragged the guy away while Akatsuki sighed: he then glanced at Acid who nodded and scanned the area.

"Satellite Search."

There were no signatures or responses so he shrugged.

"Alright. The area seems to be clear yet… Did you check the Wave Roads and the immediate radius, guys?"

"Affirmative. We found no Virus acting out of usual or Wizard acting out of the usual."

"Good. Anyway. Let's get to the main topic."

"What progress have we done?"

"Thanks to the stuff Burai managed to get… We found out that the control signal goes through several repeaters… We began to trace them back but ended up in the Izu Peninsula… It'd seem that the other repeaters had their records erased. We're trying to see if we can recreate the path by sending pings to them and studying their reactions." Akatsuki narrated to her.

"Izu Peninsula…" She muttered.

"But that could be one of many repeaters: we got through 12 repeaters before ending up there." Acid warned.

"Huff. The culprit isn't making it easy. What about the memory storage, was there something on it?"

"Some pre-recorded dialogue… And some names… "Ooze"… "Chunk"… "Pincer"… "Farfarello"… "Hunter"… "Tricorne"… We're not sure of what they are but I've got the hunch it's the names of those freakish things we've been fighting insofar."

"They could be, yeah."

"Then there was something about "flash 'n spin 'n napping"… It surely was some other randomness that the Denpa Body was supposed to snap at us during the fight."

"Where was the Denpa Body built?"

"Sadly there wasn't any data about it. Or about from where it got to the mines although it's obvious that it used a portal. They all seem to be made from a base model and then cloned… Their abilities are: Float Shoes, Air Shoes, Under Shirt and HP plus 500…"

"So… What's their max HP?"

"600."

"600, huh… I thought it could be 666."

"No wonder. Seeing the guy's obsession with being a "Demon Tribe Chief" to begin with…"

There was a sudden noise and they saw several of the staff run off through the front door while covering their mouths and nose: some more ran out through the back door and into the stage's yard.

"W-what happened?" Misora asked an employee.

"… Cough, cough…! Tear gas…! Someone filled the whole ventilation system with tear gas… Cough…!"

"My eyes!" Another groaned.

"By all the… Is this a new tactic by the culprit?"

"It wouldn't surprise me."

"Shidou. I am catching a familiar signature in the back-yard amongst the staff… Analyzing… It's not a Night Baron."

"Don't tell me it's Queen Tia."

"Oh heck. And she gassed the Studios to try to kidnap me during the ensuing confusion?"

"So. The singer became the detective."

"Queen Tia! You've done it this time! I'll have you arrested her and now for a terrorist attack on a TV studio!"

Queen Virgo suddenly showed up coming from the road running along the building's right side and looking unimpressed: Akatsuki growled and signaled her with the right index finger.

"Denpa – Henkan!" Both he and Misora exclaimed.

They transformed and drew their weapons: Queen Virgo merely shrugged and spun her staff.

"God R…!"

"Slow! Wing Blade~!"

Acid Ace turned on his jets and ran forward, crashing into Queen Virgo and pushing her back: Harp Note jumped over him.

"Shock Note!"

She shot some of her notes at Queen Tia as she began to clash her staff against Acid Ace's Long Sword.

"Che! Foolish plebeian deluded by illusions…! Be buried under the ice forever!" She got annoyed.

"Hmmm…" Acid Ace looked like he was mistrusting.

"Machine Gun String!"

Harp Note shot some strings that plunged into the navel area of Queen Virgo and sent some musical notes down them: Queen Virgo wasn't paying heed to them either.

"So. You made Ice go berserk back then."

"Indeed."

Harp Note frowned at Queen Virgo's reply directed at Acid Ace after he'd guessed something aloud.

Huh? I've got the feeling something's wrong. Maybe it's nothing. My imagination, I guess.

"Since you lot are being annoying… I'll leave it at here for today: but do not think you can escape your inevitable fate."

Queen Virgo warped out of the area while Harp Note fumed and mumbled out of annoyance.

"Sheesh. Sensei…! When will you leave me in peace? We bothered to catch that spy and all… And this is the result of the struggle we've gone through? It was all in vain?"

"Che! We'll have to find a way to stop her or else…"

"Cool it down, Shidou."

"I'm trying to!"

"Pororon. There they go again." Harp muttered.

16:26 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Zzz…"

"Eh… Boss?"

"Huh? Ah! I fell asleep!"

"That's why Lartes and I…"

"I know, I know! But I can't stand being there and doing nothing! I must pour my efforts too!"

"Anyway. We need to come up with a plan to handle Queen Tia soon enough or else things will get ugly."

"Shit. The last thing we needed."

"Calm down. We'll find a way around. As usual."

"As usual… Fine. What does Akatsuki say?"

"They're having some success with the ping system but it takes a lot of effort to have the system accept those."

"Sheesh."

Omega came to talk with Vadous and found him asleep on his command armchair: he woke up and scowled when Omega brought the bad news but Omega tried to encourage him.

"Warning. Warning. Code I. Code I."

"Intruders? The culprit?" Vadous grumbled.

"Massive data upload has infiltrated Outer Level. Stopped by Level 1 Firewalls. Warning. Data materializing. Denpa Bodies."

"More freaks?" Omega grumbled.

"Obviously!"

"I'll go."

"Good. I'll lock all doors. Send Miles and Storm to fight, too."

"Roger."

Omega dashed away and stepped into an elevator platform: it headed down a diagonal shaft and an energy field came up to seal it up: Vadous typed into the console and brought up imagery of one rounded metallic corridor with armored doors on both sides, some archways, and fluorescent lights in the ceiling.

"So? Whose turn is it today?"

Some enemies came into sight: they were less grotesque than the ones with the teeth of some days ago.

These ones had pretty normal faces yet they seemed to lack a mouth, their eyes were small, they had no hair and apparently no ears or nose either.

Their right arm had something like four flaps that were closed around where the hand would be: the left arm only had a skeletal hand at its end instead.

Omega rushed towards it: the enemy lifted the right arm and opened the flaps to then shoot a projectile seemingly made of bone: Omega quickly cut it up along with the freak.

"They only seem to be efficient at long range."

"That must mean they're backed up… by the "Hunters"…" Vadous calmly deduced.

"Yeah. Here they come."

The "Hunters" came into sight but Omega simply began to slice them up: other imagery showed Miles using his shield to block attacks and then plunge his spear through the enemies: Storm formed electrical arcs and shot at them: Sigma was shooting lasers from his eyes that pierced through the outer skin and stunned the enemy before he shot thin white electrical rings to them and zap them: Blood Shadow unloaded his shotgun as they got close to him.

"Struggle, struggle~!" A Night Baron laughed close by.

"Central Hub? I'll deal with it myself! Hah!"

Vadous pressed a button and one of the grids, the right one, opened thus revealing a huge cylindrical room extending below it having various sets of catwalks intercrossing it at different heights.

"Let's go!"

He jumped down and landed in one of the catwalks before scouting the insides of the area.

The Central Hub was easily over several tens of meters tall and huge: it was a gigantic cylinder-shaped room which had several catwalks and stairs crossing across it from different heights and directions plus large fans set on the walls: the ground was a mere metallic grid which seemingly allowed a large bulk below it to expel heat: most of the room was unlit but the catwalks had fluorescent paint on the ground and handrails to mark them: the ceiling had two small metallic grids as well shaped like opposing halves of an hexagon one of which was opened and was from where Vadous had dropped from.

"Black Ace! Track Denpa Body signature!"

"No need to! I'm here! Traitor!"

"Traitor? Hmpf. Speak for yourself!"

"Wha~t?"

"You didn't even bother to rescue Anaya."

"IQ – sama~!"

The Night Baron suddenly hovered and floated around Vadous and tried to taunt him but Vadous shot the taunt back to annoy it.

"Whatever. You're pre-programmed, anyway."

"Like I care! I'm immortal!"

"Oh yeah? Did you find the Philosopher's Stone or what?"

"Good attempt but that's as far as it comes! Go, my pets!"

"Sheesh. Double Thunder!"

Vadous drew both swords and they frizzled with electricity and crossed them to form the shape of an "X": streaks of electricity jumped off and defeated the "Hunters" that got too close: he then made them spin in mid-air and move around while cutting anything on their path: the Night Baron remained silent since it surely wasn't programmed to react to such a situation.

"It's Lorentz Force."

"Sith Lord Lorentz?"

"Sheesh. Quit it with the Sith Lord."

"Then why didn't you change your name?"

"Because it'd be running away from it: you lousy leftover."

"I'M NO DAMNED LEFTOVER!"

"You lousy lapdog."

"YOU SON OF A…! YIKES!"

"Oh my? So Anaya was "you-know-what"?" He snickered.

"Spoke too fast!"

"Denpa Body is receiving live commands." Black Ace reported through the helmet's radio.

"Aha-hah. Begin tracing…" He whispered.

"What are you whispering?"

"Dunno. Maybe a spell to cut off your wings?"

"Beware, fool! You're facing a Death Eater!"

"I'm SO scared. A devout neophyte that bowed to Death Shadow?"

"SHEESH!"

"Shaash." Vadous snickered.

"Invaders defeated."

"What! Already. Shit."

"4th hacking attempt repelled."

"Aha. So you've come to try to hack my data. But I've placed several security measures." Vadous shrugged.

"Then I've got no further business here! Retreat!"

"Warning. Tracing interrupted. Signal traced to repeater in Yamaguchi Prefecture…"

"Yamaguchi… So we were right: it wasn't in Izu. I've got the hunch we're getting closer. Let's start to direct some searches there… You can unlock the doors, Black Ace."

"Roger. Door locks released."

"By Release Man!"

"Ahem, ahem." Omega grumbled.

"Yikes! I didn't intend to make a double-meaning joke!"

"Move your butt to Yamaguchi! NOW!" Omega snapped.

"R-roger, sir!"

"Well, well… Yamaguchi… Maybe they want to enjoy bathing in a December onsen?" Blood Shadow tried to come up with something to vent off the tension in the air.

"Why not… The guy must think he's a model."

"And, Boss… Will you have some tea to calm down?" Lartes asked.

"Alright. I feel satisfied to have overcome the rascal. Let's see if Dragon can make it be of decent quality."

"If not… Let's put some pressure." Lartes shrugged.

That asides… I feel like we're closing in… Another little bit…!

21:51 PM (Japan Time)…

"… Gruh… Grah… Ugh… Ah…! Nguh…!"

"Good rhymes. About to patent them?"

"S-shut up…"

"Does the column feel good?"

"Like Hell!"

"Glad to hear it…"

"Shit."

Subaru was moaning as he was tied to the "column", a metallic column with a square base: he was sitting on his knees and a piston with two dot-filled vibrators spinning clockwise and anti-clockwise was continuously pumping in and out of his ass: his cock was still plugged and he had the metallic cups on his nipples.

"My lil attempt failed but nevertheless… I set the fear on them! Mwah, hah, hah, hah." Ganondorf laughed.

"Hah… I'm skeptical…!"

"Che. Stubborn type… Whatever. Soon… A week will have passed. How's that for a revelation?"

"Shit. A week…! I thought it'd been 3 days…! Being underground and blindfolded most of the time makes me lose notion of time and day: what madness!"

"Heh, heh, heh. Maybe you'd prefer to go as Commander on a deep-space exploration that takes months to reach the Jupiter system? Switching with the second-in-command every some hours and abiding to a dull and mundane routine…" He chuckled.

"No need to! With Vadous – san's "hyper-drive" we can be there in a matter of hours!" Subaru replied.

"Heh, heh, heh. Oh well. Whatever the ever."

"… YO! YO! YO! Welcome! Amigos! In this edition… I bring forth the alluring and mystifying grandness of someone… And that someone is… ME! Moon Ace! YO! YO! YO!"

How stupid… What useless ego! Moon Disaster!"

"Let's go~! Un tipo con barba derrota un tipo con bigote! A bearded guy beats a moustache guy!"

Where's the LOGIC on it?

"Oho. We've got company. It's someone and no-one!"

"Shut the trap up." Omega icily hissed.

And now you pissed off Omega – san.

"Yo! Danna! I know it! The culprit's whereabouts!"

"Impress me. Go ahead."

"Somewhere and no-where!"

THUD!

"Ugrah!"

"Got not time for idiocies. Someone's life is at stake. Go sing that to the lions in the savannah! SHEESH!"

What were you hoping to accomplish? You should know by now that "serious mode" Omega – san never has time for jokes or idiocies: he's got a very short patience indeed!

"Heh, heh, heh. Disaster dropped by with the Dis – ter –as troop! Don't ya think so, Hoshikawa~? Nyah, hah, hah. Mwah, hah, hah!" Ganondorf laughed.

Only you would think it's funny. You or War Rock. Or Sigma – san. Let's hope they do something useful this time around!

"O~w! Sheesh! Let's resume, anyway!"

"Mwah, hah, hah. What's up, Moonie~?"

"YO! YO! YO! Omega hit me, the jerk!"

"That's why I say that ya gotta stay away from the guy's serious mode or else you'll regret it, man."

"Sheesh! Fine! Let's resume… El pato tiene muchas patas!"

"Mwah, hah, hah. The duck's got many legs."

"And wives!"

"'Cause "patas" can also mean "female ducks"!"

What a lame pun.

"And then… There were no jerks!"

"And no punks with white hair!"

"Say again!" Burai growled.

"Crap! Run for it!"

"Whoa!"

The broadcast got cut and Ganondorf kept on chuckling while Subaru inwardly groaned.

Why do you always need to anger others around you guys? DO SOMETHING USEFUL!

"You two! Search Yamaguchi Prefecture! NOW!" Akatsuki radioed them, growling.

"Hermano~! Let's go have some samba~!"

"Damn it all! I'm not your "bro~"! And I don't wanna dance samba: got no time! SUBARU'S LIFE AT STAKE! Get me?"

"Rock Man's life at stake? I thought he'd gone to the Bahamas?" Moon Disaster wondered.

"Do you EVER listen to me?"

"YO! YO! YO! Dunno. Ask your step-bro, the Republican Speaker."

"I – am – not – a – speaker!" Acid grumbled.

Lovely. I knew it. Moon Disaster never pays proper attention! If he did he could do far more useful stuff!

"Companion splitting, I take it?" Queen Tia butted in.

"You don't laugh! Queen Tia! Once this deal is over then you're next! I'll come settle it with you myself!"

"I see. So you will come rob my honor."

"For the last damned time! I'm not a depraved villain like that Night Baron rascal! The guy's an eyesore to you, no? Why don't you do something about it or next time HE will gas YOU?" Akatsuki exasperatedly told her instead as if to incite her.

"… Hmmm… Hmpf… You might have a point, Akatsuki. You have saved your life… for now."

The jacking was removed and Akatsuki growled.

"YO! YO! YO! I'm in Yamaguchi! And in Shimonoseki! The beaches are empty: guess there was a shark roaming there."

"It's December!"

"December? YO! YO! YO! Oh true. I thought it was August."

"You're in Valencia's moon, anyway."

"Valencia? A planet? Where? YO! YO! YO!"

"Sheesh! It's a Spanish saying! It means that you're not paying attention when you should be paying it!"

"Interestin'! So! What do I do?"

"Search for a repeater! Access it! And look up its records: there might be something in them! Some odd signal!"

"YO! YO! YO! Detective Moon, on the noon!"

"That pun's LAME!" Akatsuki growled.

"Now, now. Shidou – chan. Did you try out the Loosening Agony? It's good for the nerves."

"Hakase~… That a heavy metal music group!"

"Oh dear. Could've sworn it was a tea for the nerves."

"… Hakase~… How about you look over the "Copy Canceller" data and see if we can improve it somehow?"

"Oh well. I'll try."

"And that's it for today! So?" Ganondorf snickered.

"Hmpf…! Gruh… Gah…! Sh…! Nothing…!"

"Maybe this will make ya change ya mind?"

Ganondorf drew a metallic wide ring that he placed in Subaru's mouth to keep it open and closed the leather band behind his head: he then gripped the head with both hands as he forced Subaru to suck on his cock: he was unable to fight back because of the ring.

Shit. This thing makes me unable to close the mouth!

"Yeah… I'll show you how to do proper blowjobs… And how to lick feet: like the pig you are!"

PIG? ME? You're the pig! You make a lot of noise but in the end you can't do anything but wait for the hunter to come! HMPF!

"Yeah… Like this! Eat it up!"

He suddenly released and filled Subaru's mouth with the white stuff: he pulled the metallic cups and Subaru inwardly groaned.

"Heh, heh, heh. Struggle! As much as you want! Eventually… You will beg and submit to me! It'll be my grand victory! Let's go arrange for the next show… I've got some interesting freaks to show them…"

Ganondorf walked away from the spot while Subaru grumbled.

Dream on, Ganondorf! You'll eventually be found… and defeated! Hah!