Ron the Rent-A-Cop brought several unpleasant memories back. Sure they guy was mall security, but did he have to be a jerk all the time? Well, given his background it was no surprise why he was so grouchy all the time and suspicious of everybody. It was like he never left the war at all.

Ryuki looked down on the purse-snatcher he had pinned down under his foot and then back to Ron. "Um…I don't think that's much of an option."

"What are you implying, maggot?" Ron demanded. "Are you saying I am not capable of doing my job?"

"Well, you are blind," Alex pointed out bluntly. "Maybe we can help you."

Ron looked thoughtful for a second. Even if his eyes weren't visible, they were still narrowed. "Very well, follow me." Ron turned and led them. Ryuki and Alex firmly grabbed hold of the purse-snatcher and carried him as they followed Ron.

"He sure knows his place around, for someone who just turned blind," Alex pointed out.

"Well, this is Ron," Ryuki stated. "Not much can really stop him. He is a war veteran, like I said. At least this gives us a chance to speak with him."

The blind security guard didn't appear to hear them, but rest assured he did. While he didn't care much for the opinions of 'maggots', he was pleased to know that they knew not to mess around with him. Apparently his reputation preceded him since he was sure this kid was new. Since his 'accident' he had started memorizing voices of those around him so he could pinpoint the troublemakers. This kid was a new one.

Ron stood in front of the mall security office and fumbled with his keys. There were several failed attempts in putting the key into the keyhole but he managed to do it on the 6th try. Ryuki had offered but was rudely snapped at by Ron who later opened the door for them. The security office had surveillance monitors and a cell for those who broke 'Mall Law' as Ron put it. Ron went over and opened the door to the cell before Ryuki and Alex threw the crook inside. Ron then slammed the door and locked it.

"Thanks, maggots," Ron said. That was as grateful as he could sound. "Now, beat it."

"Actually, Ron," Alex began. "We want to ask you a few questions…about what happened to your eyes."

Ron sat down and sighed. "Well, might as well tell somebody. The doctors don't have a clue as to what's wrong with them." Ron took off his shades and Alex gasped. Ryuki was shocked to silence. Both of Ron's eyes were completely white!

"What happened?" Ryuki asked. He had to get information, quick.

"I was watching TV," Ron said, "And then there was this bright flash of light. When I opened my eyes, I couldn't see a thing." He was strangely calm, nearly unfazed, which was slightly disturbing. Well, Ichijyo had said that the other victims were on the verge of suicide. Better to interview a sane and calm one compared to a suicidal one.

Ryuki spoke to Ron, "Ron-san, can you tell us where you got the TV."

"The same place everyone gets one," Ron answered. "The Stereo Shack."

"Stereo Shack?" Alex asked Ryuki.

"It's a store that sells TV's, VCR's, stereos, DVD players…" Ryuki listed. "Entertainment systems, mostly."

"Right," Ron agreed. "Now, get out!" Ron pointed to the door with his cane. "And don't let me catch you doing funny stuff, maggots."

Ryuki bowed before he took Alex with him out of the room. It was time to report in and they had a real lead to follow.

The 6 agents met up at a bench near the fountain after Ryuki had made his calls. Takada and Clover were both loaded down with packages from different stores. Alex and Ryuki both assumed that Clover's addiction to shopping was the reason for it.

"So, you managed to get information from Ron?" Sam asked. "That's great."

"And what were you all doing?" Ryuki asked, arms crossed. He hadn't failed to notice both Takada and Clover had shopping bags with them. "Shopping?"

"Well, we are at a mall," Clover said. "It'd be a waste to just not shop."

"Why didn't you guys tell me about this place?" Takada asked. "This place has the best stuff."

"Because, at the time, your Smart Brain credit card had been confiscated," Tazuka reminded.

"Oh, is that right?" Takada chuckled. He remembered how he got banned from using it by Ichijyo. Still, the reason he lost it had been worth it. The fact that it had gotten Ichijyo mad was just gravy on the top.

"So, the Stereo Shack?" Tazuka asked.

"Yep," Alex nodded. "So, you know who runs it."

"Darth," Ryuki and Tazuka spoke in unison.

"What kind of name is Darth?" Clover asked.

"Oh," Clover blinked as they all stood in front of the Stereo Shack. "That explains it."

Darth, the assistant manager of the Stereo Shack, was the stereotypical nerd. He had short orange hair, an acne problem, skinny looking, but also wore a Darth Vader glove, helmet, cape and was holding a lightsabre.

"That's Darth," Tazuka pointed. "As in Darth Vader."

"That explains a lot," Sam said, smiling nervously.

Takada, however, was not fazed. "Wow, that guy must really like Star Wars?" The girls looked at him funny. "What?"

"You're a Star Wars fan?" Clover questioned, surprised.

"Well, it's a cool series of movies," Takada stated. "The special effects, the alien worlds, plus the lightsabre stuff is awesome!"

"He made us watch the original version of the trilogy, the digitally remade version, and the 3 prequels," Ryuki spoke. He remembered the marathon well. It had been Takada's birthday and since they wouldn't order strippers like he had wanted, they did the Star Wars marathon instead. "In one whole night."

"It was a Star Wars movie marathon, as he put it, and we had to sit through it all," Tazuka sighed. "Interesting movies, true, but well…I'm not really one who'd want to watch all 9 movies in a row."

Takada approached Darth, "Yo, you a Star Wars fan?"

"Who wants to know?" Darth inquired and Takada produced from his jacket a Darth Vader action figure, in its original packaging. "Is that…?"

"Got this baby off Ebay," Takada said. "The original Darth Vader action figure, and it can be yours if you give us what we want."

"OK," Darth said, eyes shining. "I'll give you anything! Take the whole store if you want!"

"Relax, my fellow Star Wars fan," Takada smiled. "All I need is info and this prize will be all yours."

Tazuka came forward, "We want to know about the TV you sold Ron."

"Alright, before he decides to sue us or something," Darth said vehemently. "Stereo Shack is not responsible for any malfunctions of the items we sell. It's not our fault he went blind because of watching TV. Didn't you know sitting too close to the TV can lead to blindness?"

"Right, we are not accusing you," Tazuka said calmly. "We just want to know where the TV came from."

"You mean our supplier?" Darth asked. Tazuka nodded. "Alright, let me go and check our records." Darth went to the counter.

"So, is that the reason why Ichijyo confiscated your credit card?" Tazuka asked.

"Well, mostly," Takada shrugged. There had been a few other charges on it that Ichijyo hadn't liked, but the Darth Vader figure was the main reason.

"Makes sense as to how you got that set of James Bond DVD's," Ryuki said.

"So, you're into Star Wars?" Clover said, feeling a little nervous. Sure Takada did not look like a geek, but he had geeky interests. She did like him, she did. He was hot but…still…No! She should not ruin this because he had weird interests! He was a good looking guy with a hobby! Nothing wrong with that! At least that was how she was rationalizing it. She was not going to let the best relationship she had gotten to this far become ruined by a stupid saga of movies.

Darth came back out with a slip of paper, a copy of the receipt. "Here, this receipt has the information you need, including the name of the supplier."

"Thanks," Takada said as he took the receipt. "And here's the payment." Darth gleefully laughed as he received the action figure.

"Can't wait till I show Julie!" Darth cackled. "AT LAST, IT IS MINE!"

The 6 agents nervously backed away. They had only seen Takada get this excited about one of his newest inventions. Not even he was that big of a Star Wars fan.

"So, it's lunch now," Ryuki said, looking at his watch. "How about some sushi at Super Terrific Happy Sushi?"

The girls all shared wide smiles. Ryuki smiled the widest. They all must love sushi.

Seated at a table, the 6 agents were enjoying a large sushi platter. Takada had unfolded the receipt while he scanned the information into his phone.

"Alright, let's see," Takada said as he popped a sushi roll into his mouth. "Says here, the TV was supplied and manufactured by a local factory called 'Sunshine Electronics'."

"Weird name," Clover said as she took a bite.

"And WOOHP isn't?" Tazuka pointed out.

"OK, I guess you got a point there," Clover shrugged.

"Let me find information on this place," Takada said as he used the internet function on his phone. "OK, the place is pretty brand new and opened a few days ago."

"That's strange," Tazuka rubbed his chin.

"Yep, it opened at the same time as people started going blind, because of watching their TV's," Takada frowned. "Coincidence, I think not."

"Maybe we should ask Ichijyo to find more information," Ryuki suggested.

"Well, don't say I don't ask the jerk for anything," Takada said before he punched a button and sent the data to Ichijyo's phone. "In the meantime, we should check out the amusement park."

Sam, Clover and Alex's eyes widened. Sam asked, "An amusement park, in here?"

"Judging by the size, are you really surprised?" Tazuka responded.

"They also have the Gigantoplex, a huge movie theatre," Ryuki said.

"Ooh, we should so check it out," Alex squealed. She looked imploringly towards Sam.

"OK, maybe we can have fun, but first thing tomorrow we start looking for answers at Sunshine Electronics." Sam was sandwiched between her two friends in a hug.

Of course, someone had to ruin the moment as Ichijyo's face showed up on the Riders' SB-Watches. He didn't look too pleased. Then again, from what they've seen, seeing him looking pleased was as rare as seeing the same comet fly by twice in the same lifetime.

"Hello, Riders and Spies," Ichijyo said in an emotionless tone, which he was known for when he spoke of business.

"Great…" Takada rolled his eyes.

"Found anything, Ichijyo?" Ryuki asked.

"About Sunshine Electronics, not much," Ichijyo informed, "But based on the address on the receipt, it was an abandoned factory until a week ago."

"Abandoned?" Tazuka inquired. His phone beeped and he took it out. He then flipped it open to show a picture of what Sunshine Electronics looked like before.

"OK, that place seriously needs to be fixed up," Clover pointed out.

"Well, apparently it did, but information on whoever bought it and converted it into an electronics factory is still difficult to get at this time."

"Thought you were a genius, scaleface," Takada teased.

"I maybe a genius, but I'm not a world class hacker like a certain someone I know," Ichijyo icily retorted. "In any case, I hope to get a report on any new information you may find regarding this case. Shadowcobra out." His face vanished.

"He has a codename too?" Clover asked, incredulously.

"He is our official leader, even if he is stuck behind a desk most of the time," Tazuka answered.

"Well, we better check this out," Sam stated.

"Why not tonight when the darkness allows us to be a little more stealthy?" Ryuki suggested.

"Now that's not a bad idea," Alex smiled. Maybe a day at the Galleria Mall might be good and maybe Alex could help Ryuki get over Caitlin once and for all.

Takada and Clover found themselves in front of the large arcade in the mall. The genius knew that he wasn't going to be leaving without making a stop in this place. Once he managed to get inside, he almost went into raptures of joy. He could see blinking lights and hear game sounds everywhere.

"I am home," he sighed happily.

"Wow," Clover blinked. "I thought that arcades were like breeding grounds for geeks."

"Well, there are a few," Takada shrugged. "But there are those of us who are like professional gamers. We do it for the challenge than just fun by itself. Sort of like how you look for sales while shopping."

Clover nodded. That was true, while shopping was her passion and she enjoyed it, she also took it seriously. Takada apparently was the same with his games and his experiments.

"Now," Takada grinned. "Where can a guy find some Guitar Hero? I feel like making some music."

It didn't take him long before he found one. What came next was nothing short of a musical which a professional could make. Numerous people were gawking at how Takada was conquering the machine. It made Clover swell with pride that her man was skilled enough to draw a crowd. It wasn't even geeky either. It just meant he was a good musician. He did tell her that he was in a band. He was a natural for this game.

Maybe she should test him out on DDR?

Tazuka and Sam were both looking forward to spending some nice and quiet alone time with each other. Despite the fact that both of them were supposed to be working on a case, Tazuka couldn't help but agree that maybe spending some time-off with the girls would be good. He was fond of Sam, even if she was a couple of years younger than he was. She was mature, and intelligent. Definitely qualities that he liked in a woman.

They were standing in line at the Gigantoplex, waiting to get tickets to a movie. So far, they hadn't made a decision.

"So, what do you want to watch, Sam?" Tazuka asked the red haired girl, who was scrutinizing the movie posters to determine what to see. Tazuka couldn't care less since he'd be spending time with Sam.

"Not sure, yet," Sam said, biting her lower lip. She needed to choose something that was nice and sophisticated. Something she felt Tazuka would enjoy. She knew he was artistic, but also mysterious. So, would a musical be his taste, or a detective movie? A thriller, perhaps? Oh, she just couldn't decide.

She gasped when she felt his hands on her shoulders and he whispered into her ear. "Whatever you choose, it's good enough for me." She sighed and her knees turned wobbly. Despite being a super spy and the smartest girl in school, she was in all definition still a teenage girl and teenage girls went crazy around handsome boys and Tazuka definitely was one handsome boy, on her top three list. On that list was David, a boy that the girls often fought over but he merely saw them as friends. It was frustrating, but the guy was just so nice.

Well, Sam had a new boy in her life and she was going to keep him around. At least she knew he wasn't going to betray her.

Both Ryuki and Alex were yelling and laughing at the top of their lungs as they sped through the roller coaster at top speed. Ryuki's braid was flapping in the winds as he held onto the safety bar of the car so tight that his knuckles were turning white. However, he had a look of mirth on his face, only matched by Alex's who was sitting right beside him.

Alex was an energetic girl and loved excitement, so the amusement park was a good place for them to go to have some fun and have a date. Takada and Tazuka had taken the other two girls on similar excursions to just spend time together until they went to do some sleuthing.

When the ride ended, Alex was a little wobbly but Ryuki managed to catch her. Finding her breath, she shouted out, "Let's do that again!" She sure was happy.

Ryuki chuckled as she helped her towards a bench to rest. "Maybe later. Right now, how about I get us a drink?"

"That would be great," Alex said, still a little woozy. Ryuki quickly zipped towards a refreshment stand.

'Having fun, aibou?' Yaminekoryu spoke within his host's mind.

"I can't remember having this much fun before," Ryuki replied, taking two cans of soda from the refreshment stand.

'Except when you were with Caitlin here,' Yaminekoryu reminded. Ryuki froze.

"Why must you…?"

'Remind you? I'm not. I'm just telling you what you're thinking. There's no doubt that you still have feelings for her.'

"I do, but I've moved on," Ryuki muttered.

'Have you?' Yaminekoryu didn't sound too convinced.

Ryuki shook his head to get Yaminekoryu's voice out but he knew it was a matter of time before his demonic tenant spoke again. Yaminekoryu was a part of him, ever since he was born. The demon was his guardian and often took control in the beginning of his career as a Knight and operative, saving his life. He couldn't get rid of him since they were bound together.

He never told his friends, except for Tazuka and he suspected that ichijyo may be aware of Yaminekoryu more than he showed it. A quick personality change never went unnoticed by anyone, though Takada would attribute it to Ryuki having a split-personality. He was close but no cigar.

He approached Alex and saw a guy talking to her. His eyes narrowed. What was he doing with Alex? What were they talking about? Ryuki's eyes glimmered a deep shade of green as he frowned and went forward to see…

Then he saw that it was Jonesy.

"Honestly, I can show a whole bunch of places that are just as good as the roller coaster," the self-proclaimed ladies man smiled charmingly.

"I appreciate the offer," Alex sweatdropped slightly. "But I really can't."

"Are you sure?" Jonesy pressed gently. "I mean, I don't bite."

'Do not pound Jonesy, do not pound Jonesy,' Ryuki chanted over and over in his head. Yaminekoryu's influence was pressing him to defend his girlfriend but he had to remember that Jonesy did not disrespect women nor did he force the issue. He'd keep trying, but eventually give up.

Despite his struggles with Yaminekoryu, Ryuki was still receiving the rush of memories he had about Jonesy. He remembered all the ways that the teen had helped him out, with his dates with Caitlin to their jobs at the book store that they had shared. The memories of good friends he couldn't hang out with really hurt.

Alex spotted him coming closer and smiled before turning back to Jonesy, "Sorry, but my boyfriend's coming over."

"Huh?" Jonesy blinked before he turned to see Ryuki standing behind him. He gulped slightly at being busted. "Oh…uh, hey sorry, man. My bad. I didn't know she was your girl."

"Don't worry about it," Ryuki smiled calmly. "Alex-chan is a very cute girl and no man in their right mind wouldn't find her attractive."

Alex began blushing radiantly. Ryuki could always make her blush no matter how used to it she was.

"Hey, haven't I seen you before?" Jonesy asked as he stared at Ryuki. "You look way familiar to me, man," Jonesy said and Ryuki swallowed some saliva. He remembered erasing Jonesy's memory. No way could he remember him. "Hey, I think I saw you at the sushi place!"

Ryuki let out a relieved sigh. Jonesy's memories hadn't come back. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be happy about it or not.

Jonesy bid the couple goodbye before leaving the area. Alex then noticed the sad frown on her boyfriend's face. She knew why. Having friends who no longer remembered you could be a painful experience. Maybe she could help ease his pain.

"Hey, how about you win me a prize?" Alex said as she pointed towards one of the stands.

"Sure," Ryuki smiled.

A crowd had collected in front of the DDR machine, mostly geeks who came here who had no lives and few professional gamers. Cameras were flashing as the audience watched with rapt attention at the pair playing DDR.

It was Takada and Clover.

Takada and Clover were both moving to the music and dancing based on the arrows on the screen. Clover found the experience exhilarating and so was Takada as he watched her move. Man, she was one hot babe and her dancing proved how flexible she was.

Score.

As soon as the song finished, Clover did a pose and cameras began to flash. She gushed, "Oh, you love me! You really love me!" She blew kisses at her adoring public.

Takada was of course one of them as he whipped out his SB-Cell and used it to take several snapshots for his collection.

Tazuka and Sam exited the Gigantoplex and the red-haired girl sighed as both of them had seen a romantic movie together. Tazuka had enjoyed the movie with her as he had his arm around her shoulders.

"Great movie," Tazuka noted.

"Yeah," Sam sighed dreamily as she leaned into Tazuka's body. She hadn't seen a whole lot of the movie since she spent a part of it kissing Tazuka. How he had kept up with the movie she didn't know.

Tazuka smiled at the girl and considered himself lucky and enjoyed his time with her. He for once didn't want to know what it future held for them. He didn't want to waste time by counting down the days they had left. He wanted to enjoy the time they were currently using.

"So," he smiled. "Feel like checking out some music?"

"Definitely!" Sam nodded with a smile.

Tazuka smiled as he and Sam began walking. The future would come no matter what. It was what they did with the present that affected the outcome.

Alex giggled as she hugged the stuffed cat Ryuki had won her at shooting game stand. For someone who used his fists a lot in fights, he sure could use a rifle. Ranma had gotten himself a small hat that looked like cat ears, which he was wearing on his head.

"You look like a big kitten," Alex giggled as she took in the sight.

"You think so?" asked Ryuki.

"Yep!" Alex nodded. She then wrapped her arms around Ryuki in a hug, crushing the doll as she nuzzled her face into Ryuki's. "My big cuddly kitten."

Ryuki smiled as he hugged Alex back. He felt very warm as she held onto him. Being affectionate in public really wasn't a problem with him. He liked showing Alex how much he cared and if others saw, then that wasn't really a problem, at least around here. Takada would have gotten a little bit far at times and may even tease Ryuki. Of course, comparing the two Riders, Ryuki had the ability to keep a relationship lasting a lot longer. Of course, going out of their way to match someone like Takada would require some…discipline for their actions.

"Hmm," Alex sighed softly. "I don't wanna let go."

"You'll have to," Ryuki whispered as he lay his head on top of hers. "We won't be able to check out the rest of the park if we don't move."

"Mnnn," Alex sighed. "Now that's a tough choice."

"Take your time," Ryuki smiled. "I have nowhere to be for the time being."

"Hmm," Alex smiled as she snuggled. "Good. This is going to take some time to decide."

"You know, there is a pet store with lots of other kittens to cuddle with," Ryuki offered. He had been hoping to visit that place again. The animals were incredibly cute.

"I'd lova that!" Her gaze then turned mischievous as she looked up at Ryuki. "You're so sweet. That why you're my special cuddly kitten. You couldn't keep me away even if the world tried."

Ryuki smiled. He loved Alex a lot. He also enjoyed the hugs and kisses. Maybe if they had time he could show her the pet store. He just wished that he could spend more time with her.

Sam listened with a sigh as she sat next to Tazuka on a piano stool in a store that sold musical instruments. She didn't dare move since it would ruin the moment but swayed lightly with the music as his fingers danced across the keys of the piano. Tazuka seemed to know which keys to hit, even with eyes close. Either it was due to his clairvoyant abilities or his own talent, she didn't really care. It sounded beautiful nonetheless.

Clover and Takada relaxed on a bench. Actually, Takada was sitting on the bench as Clover was sitting across his lap, their lips locked in a kiss as he had his hands on her hips to keep her steady. Her arms were looped around his neck as she continued to make out with him. Clover was thinking over some of Takada's quirks. She had dated a lot of guys but they either weren't interested, didn't measure up to her expectations, too clingy, picky, or worse of all were interested in Mandy. That last part nearly made her gag in disgust.

Takada was none of that. He was a genius, had great fashion sense, loved to have fun and was a great kisser. Sure he was a little absentminded, careless and his eyes would wander towards other girls, but despite those things he was the perfect guy. Plus, he could shield her from danger with his own body and escape unscathed.

And his armor just made him look like a regal knight. When she had been a little girl, she often fantasized about meeting a real knight in shining armor.

Her dream had come true, one way or another.

The 6 teens met up back at the fountain after spending the entire day at the mall. It was starting to get late.

The boys shared serious looks and said, "It's time."

"Nuts," Clover sighed. "I don't think I even hit half of the stores in this mall."

"Get over it, Clover," Sam sighed. "Besides, no one said we have to go back home right after. We can get some more shopping done then."

"Yeah," Alex nodded. She was in total agreement, especially since it would allow her to spend some more time with Ryuki. "There's always time for more shopping."

"Now that we have dealt with the shopping crisis," Takada smiled as he reached into his backpack. "It's time I do a little digging on Sunshine Electronics myself."

Takada pulled out his laptop and sat on a bench. The other five teens crowded around him to see what he was going to do. To the girls' amazement, Takada's fingers began to fly over the keyboard as he brought up the website for Sunshine Electronics and attempted to hack into their systems. Everything seemed to be going smoothly for a moment before the screen suddenly went black and what looked like an iron door closed on the screen.

"Kuso!" Takada hissed in Japanese. It wasn't nice to curse in front of a lady unless she found it attractive. "They stonewalled me."

"Huh?" Sam blinked. "But didn't Ichijyo say you were some world-class hacker?"

"I am," Takada nodded. "But these guys have their security so beefed up I'll need to use my home computer or the one back at Smart Brain."

"That will take time we don't have," Tazuka pointed out.

"Then it looks like we're going in blind," Ryuki shrugged.

"That's okay!" Alex smiled. "We wouldn't be where we are if we weren't good at our jobs."

"True," Tazuka nodded. "We'd be dead."

A shiver ran down everyone's spines. Truer words have never been spoken. Still, their next objective was clear; gain entry into Sunshine Electronics.

Thank you Ten Faced Paladin!