Disclaimer: I do not own Haruhi Suzumiya and/or Inception or anything related.
A/N: This is the second part of the previous chapter, which I had to split.
WARNING: If you have not seen Inception yet, then go see it before you read this. It goes without saying that there will be MAJOR SPOILERS for the movie.
Also, for this fic, I assume that Cobb got back to reality. Screw whether the top falls in the end, I've got fanfiction.
Title: The Inception of Haruhi Suzumiya
Synopsis:
Dom Cobb thought that his life as an extractor was over. He didn't realize that while he was no longer an extractor, he would be asked to become an inceptor. And his first target after the Fischer job? A girl named Haruhi Suzumiya.
Chapter 8: The Trip (Part 2)
The flight to California was nothing short of quick. In fact, Kyon could've sworn that he fell asleep during the entire ride, and now here they were, approaching a landing strip in what seemed to be yet another private airport, as the PA system told them to stay in their seats while the plane is landing.
The landing was quick and smooth, just as expected of a high-class flight. Carrying their belongings, Cobb, the SOS Brigade, and Mr. Saito and his associates made their way off the plane. Kyon swore that he saw Koizumi winking towards the direction of the flight attendant, who seemed to be taken aback with this gesture.
Well, at least he's not putting his face anywhere close to mine, Kyon thought.
It was decided that Cobb and the SOS Brigade were to stay in Saito's hotel somewhere in San Francisco for the entire duration of the trip. Mr. Saito himself offered an entire floor of the hotel for the travelers. Cobb wanted the kids to settle down at the hotel first, but Haruhi Suzumiya would have none of it.
"Since we're already in America, let's take advantage of the daytime!" she proclaimed loudly. "We're going off for a Mystery Hunt!"
"Haruhi, California's such a big place! We won't even know where to start!" complained Kyon.
"Kyon! Don't you know there's no time to waste?" Haruhi pouted, pointing a finger at him. "We're here already, might as well start early! That way, aliens, time-travelers, espers, and other paranormal beings would be taken by surprise!"
"And what about our luggage? You don't expect us to carry these things along while we search the streets of California, do you?" Kyon sighed.
"Not to worry." Saito chimed. "I will have the hotel staff carry your belongings to your respective rooms. You enjoy the day here at California."
"Geez, Saito, I can't thank you enough for all this." Cobb said.
"Not to worry, Mr. Cobb. I am deeply indebted to you, and this is but a small gesture, compared to what you have done for me and my company." Saito smiled. "Well, I suggest you best get moving while it's still early. Time is money, you know."
At these words, a shiny red SUV pulled up in front of them.
"I'll lend you one of my old cars." Saito smirked. "I figured it would be… attention-grabbing if you cruise around town with a limousine. And I figured that this vehicle would be more appropriate for your activities."
"Wow! This is great! We shall call it the SOS Mobile!" Haruhi yelled, pulling Mikuru towards the vehicle.
"Su-Suzumiya-san?" Mikuru asked "Wh-who's going to drive?"
"I'll drive. I've got a license here in California. And besides, that's what Faculty Advisers are for, eh?" Cobb said, as Saito tossed him the keys.
Waving good-bye to Saito and his associates, the SOS Brigade rode the car, zooming out of sight.
"So it begins?" Arthur asked Saito.
"So it begins." Saito smirked.
"Wow! San Francisco's really awesome!" Haruhi yelled, opening her arms around and twirling in the street.
"Haruhi, stop that. Everyone's looking at you, it's embarrassing." Kyon said.
Haruhi Suzumiya was having the time of her life being in an entirely new place. Her topaz eyes widened in excitement, taking in the world around her.
"This is good. Suzumiya-san's mental state seems to be stable." Koizumi whispered to Kyon. "There should be no Closed Space that will appear."
"Yeah, but what if she decides to alter reality? Mind you, we're not in Japan anymore." Kyon snarled.
"Oh. Not to worry." Koizumi smiled. "The Agency also has people within the US Government, and some agents around the world in case of a catastrophe. My primary concern is that the opposing factions may also have their own people on to us at this very moment. Just keep Suzumiya-san in your sight."
Kyon sighed. Haruhi kept yelling praises for the difference between Japanese skyscrapers and American ones.
"You know, Tokyo Skyscrapers are all glass and neon lights and stuff, it's kinda loud! But here, some buildings are made out of gravel and bricks and stone and so forth! It's almost like classical architecture! I would've also thought I'd see one of those rail-car thingies, but I guess they're not here..."
Kyon looked around and thought, "This doesn't look anything like one of those places from San Francisco postcards." He then shrugged it off, thinking "Well, there must really be more to California than what they show in postcards". His thoughts were cut off by the sound of Cobb laughing in reply to Haruhi.
"Yeah. There is a subtle difference between the designs. I'm surprised you noticed that, Miss Suzumiya. You could be an Architect someday."
Koizumi winced a bit, and then whispered. "The last thing we need is for Suzumiya-san to be an Architect someday."
Before Kyon could ask Koizumi what was wrong with Haruhi deciding to become an Architect, he noticed that more people are looking at them, not seeming to like the ruckus Haruhi was creating as she chattered animatedly.
"I think you should tell Suzumiya-san to calm down a bit. Looks like Americans don't like noise." Koizumi said.
It would appear to Kyon, that once again, Haruhi's interest in doing an actual "search" has been replaced by her desire to have fun. As Haruhi's next request was for Cobb drove the entire group to a nearby carnival she saw.
The carnival was situated well outside the heart of the city, near the park. It was what one would expect of a typical carnival: booths and stalls of games and cotton candy and popcorn, clowns holding colorful balloons, children running and blowing bubbles, along with their parents trying to catch them.
"I'll go look for a place to park the car! You guys go on ahead and have fun. I'll meet you guys at the carousel by five! Don't do anything that will cause you trouble, okay?" Cobb smiled, waving the car keys he was holding.
"We won't, Mr. Cobb." Koizumi smiled, waving as the adviser made his way towards the car, and drove off.
"A carnival! I've been to Obon festivals, but never Carnivals like these! Come on, Mikuru! I want to see if they have goldfish catching!" Haruhi yelled.
"U-uwaaa…" said the time-traveler, as Haruhi dragged her by the arm.
Kyon sighed. Western-style carnivals don't have goldfish catching. He turned to see Yuki Nagato staring at what was called a cotton candy, carefully examining how sugar was spun into a soft, edible thread. A few minutes later, she had bought one.
"This feels almost like that time we went to the Obon festival." Kyon said, as he watched Nagato take dainty bites at the cotton candy.
Koizumi laughed. "It's interesting to note the subtle similarities between Japanese and American cultures, isn't it? For instance, instead of a goldfish-catching booth, they have dice games and number games. A roulette or a tombola, perhaps."
"What's your point?"
"The point is that while a goldfish-catching booth requires skill, most booths here require some sort of luck with numbers."
Kyon looked at Koizumi. "And what's so interesting about that?"
Koizumi's eyes narrowed. "In gambling, you need more than luck to win. You need the knowledge of probability."
Haruhi and Mikuru made their way towards a nearby booth with a huge table with numbers on it. The booth was run by two men, both dressed up as clowns. One clown was wearing a red suit with a blue wig and smiling at them, the other was wearing a blue suit with a red wig, looking as if he wasn't pleased with his job.
"Wow! So many numbers!" Haruhi yelled. "What are these for?"
"Well, missy, this is a betting table!" said the clown in the red suit. "you bet on three numbers, and if we draw those numbers from this tombola 'ere, you win a prize!"
"That's three dollars for three numbers." Said the clown in blue, his somber expression not changing.
"Awesome! All right then! I'll place a bet!" said Haruhi, handing over three dollars to the somber clown. "And geez, you're a clown! Why so serious?"
"Yeah, why so serious, darling?" mocked the clown in red.
"Shut up." Retorted the clown in blue. Turning to Haruhi, he handed three tokens and asked, "What numbers?"
"Hmm…" Haruhi closed her eyes and placed the tokens randomly on the board. Upon opening her eyes, she grinned widely, looking at the numbers she randomly picked.
"Four, Eighteen, and Twenty-Seven!" Haruhi yelled, placing her tokens on the numbers 04, 18 and 27.
"What time is it, Koizumi?" Kyon asked, watching Haruhi from a distance.
Koizumi looked at his watch quickly and said, "Three o' clock. Two hours until Mr. Cobb gets back here."
Yuki Nagato remained glassy-eyed, looking at the carousel in the distance.
"Man. This is boring. I'm too old for a carnival. Why can't we get to see the sights of California instead of this? We're tourists, for heaven's sake! The first thing we should be looking at is the Golden Gate, or Disneyland or something! Instead, the people are looking at us!"
Koizumi's eyes narrowed. "Did you say, people were looking at us?"
Yuki Nagato spoke for the very first time, pointing upward.
"There."
"Yusef, is everything all right?" Cobb asked, closing the car door.
"I've talked to Arthur. They've got the combination." Yusef replied. "Is it all right leaving the SOS Brigade?"
"They can take care of themselves. Besides, we've got team members in the carnival." Cobb said.
"I hope there's no freight train this time, Cobb." Ariadne piped up from behind Yusef.
"I trust you there isn't. We wouldn't have to deal with militarized projections, because no one's altering the dream layout." Cobb said, throwing a gun to Ariadne and Yusef. "But better safe than sorry. I'm meeting them in two hours. Saito, Yusef, Ariadne, you better get in position. You have to drug them before-"
Blam! Something made the wall beside Cobb break down.
"W-what the hell is that? Koizumi?" Kyon shouted.
Koizumi was frozen in shock, staring at the object in the sky Yuki Nagato was pointing to.
"How could a huge close up of the planet, Jupiter, appear in the middle of the day?" Koizumi whispered. "Unless…"
The people around them flashed their eyes towards Koizumi's direction.
"Koizumi?" Kyon asked, frantically.
"They have detected the source of the anomaly. It is you, Itsuki Koizumi." Nagato pointed at him.
"Anomaly? What do you mean, Koizumi is the cause of the anomaly?"
"We're… not in California." Koizumi whispered, his eyes livid.
"What do you mean, we're not in California? Why is Jupiter there?"
"That thing… Is a product of my subconscious…"
"Your subconscious, Koizumi? But your subconscious can't affect reality!"
"It means…. We're not in California, we're not in reality… We're in a dream."
"Cobb!" Ariadne yelled. "Behind you!"
Whatever made the wall break down was making its way towards the four of them.
"Shoot it!" Saito yelled at Yusef.
Yusef, who had the gun, aimed for the projection that was making its way towards them.
"They don't seem to be armed with guns." Cobb said, getting off the ground. "They're just like normal projections armed with super strength."
"What do we do now?" Ariadne asked.
"Change of plans." Said Cobb, picking up a bonnet, placing it over his head "We'll all kidnap Haruhi. Just like we did with Fischer."
"But they will suspect you." Saito replied. "There is more than one Tourist in this job this time."
"We just have to take Haruhi deeper. The SOS Brigade might go after us, but they wouldn't be able to use anything against us." Cobb said, getting into Yusef's van. "Besides, they won't find a way to get to the deeper levels."
"What about that 'alien' girl?" Asked Saito.
"She can't use her powers in this place. If she does, then we can hold her off."
"Why's that?" Ariadne asked.
"Because she doesn't have a subconscious." Cobb replied.
"What is going on back there?" Haruhi looked around to see people converging around Kyon, Koizumi, and Nagato. "Ky—"
Her sound was muffled as the clown in blue covered her face with a handkerchief. Haruhi fell asleep, drugged by the clown.
"Su-suzumiya-san!"
The clown in red pointed a gun at Mikuru.
"So sorry, love. I've always thought you were pretty. Maybe some other time, eh?" he winked, as the he and the other clown ran off with Haruhi.
"Nagato, can't you do something about this?"
The projections were moving closer towards them.
"Connection with the Integrated Data Entity has been severed. My data manipulating abilities have been reduced to one third of what it was." Nagato replied monotonously.
"What's gonna happen now? How about you, Koizumi? Can't you blast these things?"
One of the projections lunged towards Nagato, who threw it off with one hand.
"No doubt that we're under a Dream-Sharing device."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means, Suzumiya-san's subconscious is also under it. Which means…"
Koizumi's hands glowed with a red color.
"I can use my powers here."
Koizumi charged towards a projection, cutting it with his glowing hand. Blue liquid-like material dripped from where it was cut.
"I knew it. These projections are also Celestials themselves."
Meanwhile, Arthur and Eames took Haruhi to a nearby abandoned warehouse.
"I told Cobb to meet us here. Picking Haruhi up at the carnival is too dangerous. Something has alerted the projections." Arthur panted, heaving the unconscious Haruhi onto a table.
"I hope it's not because Cobb brought in his freight train again."
"It's not Cobb. The projections are attacking one of the SOS Brigade Members."
"Well whoever it is, he caused a bloody big deal of a problem for us. Now we have to run away from these Herculean projections."
"I knew Haruhi Suzumiya's subconscious would be somewhat militarized. I just didn't expect they'd be this violent."
"Well, you didn't expect them to be powerful abominations, didn't you Arthur?"
"I did not expect this. What kind of projections are these?" Arthur yelled, ducking under a sturdy office table. The projections behind him just literally smashed the wall with their strength. "I was assured that-"
"Well, Arthur, darling, what do you expect?" Eames yelled back, aiming his gun at the attacking projections "She's the Prime Dreamer!"
"There's too many of them, Koizumi!"
The swarm of projections kept attacking them.
"Kyon-kun!"
Kyon, Koizumi and Nagato turned around. It was Mikuru Asahina.
"Kyon-kun! They've got Suzumiya-san!"
"What?"
"This is worse than I thought. They might be trying to extract something from Suzumiya-san's mind." Koizumi panted, as he blasted esper fire against the projections.
"Extract? What is going on? If this is a dream, why can't we all just wake up?" Kyon shouted.
"Your nervous system has been imbued with an REM-enhancing substance that will not wear off unless the influx is halted." Nagato explained.
"And even if we did wake up, we need to wake Suzumiya-san first." Koizumi charged up a huge ball of esper fire in his hands and yelled. "Fumoffu!"
The charged ball of fire blasted an entire line of projections, leaving a pathway clear.
"Come on! We have to get Suzumiya-san back!" Koizumi yelled.
Kyon, Koizumi and Nagato ran towards the pathway, meeting up with Asahina-san.
"Let's get in the car."
"W-what car, Koizumi-kun?" Mikuru squeaked.
"This car."
Koizumi pointed to a shiny silver car that suddenly appeared in front of them.
"I've been trained for lucid dreaming. I can dream up things like this. Hop in."
"Eames!" Arthur yelled. "Eames! Are you alright?"
"Bloody projections!" Eames yelled back, reloading his gun. "I'm fine, Arthur! Is Cobb gonna get here sooner?"
"I hope he does! I can't hold them off Haruhi for long!"
Suddenly, there was the sound of screeching tires, as a white van made it through the smashed wall.
"Hop in!" Yusef yelled.
"About bloody time you got here."
"Well, we had problems of our own, Eames." Cobb replied. "Where's Haruhi?"
"Here she is." Arthur said, handing her over to Cobb. "Quick, put her in the back of the van."
"What do we do now?" Ariadne asked.
"We enter the second dream layer." Arthur said.
"Yusef, just keep driving, they might come after us. One of them is a lucid dreamer." Cobb said.
Meanwhile, the SOS Brigade were driving around town, looking for any sign of the kidnappers.
"Where could they be?" Koizumi asked, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.
"Did you see that van, Koizumi?" Kyon yelled from backseat.
"What van, Kyon?" Koizumi said, turning around.
"That speeding white van." Kyon pointed.
"That must be them. Come on!" Koizumi said, turning the wheel around.
Yusef looked at the rearview mirror.
"There they are. They're after us, Cobb."
"Just keep driving."
"I've got a plan. Nagato-san, could you hook up our car's bumper onto the back of their van?"
"W-what are you going to do, Koizumi-kun?" Mikuru Asahina piped up.
"I'm going to jump onto it." Koizumi said, as he went out using the open car window. Nagato moved towards the driver seat without so much as a complaint.
"Koizumi!" Kyon yelled.
Koizumi crouched on the car roof.
"Nagato-san, now!"
Nagato stepped on the accelerator, attaching the car onto the van. Koizumi took it as the signal to jump onto the van.
"What the hell?" Yusef yelled looking up.
"Never mind that." Cobb said. "Keep driving."
"Oi! Koizumi!" Kyon rolled down his car window and yelled "Blast the roof off and get Haruhi outta there!"
"Allright!" Koizumi yelled back. "I'll blast it!"
Koizumi's hands glowed red.
Boom!
The silver car spun around, drifting on the asphalt.
"Kyaaaaaaaa~!" Mikuru Asahina yelled, as the car spun around.
"Did we lose them?" Yusef asked.
"Yeah, we did." Koizumi replied, getting through the door while the van was moving.
"About time you got here." Arthur said, dryly. "We were worried you wouldn't get here because of the change of plans."
"Well, I am here now, Arthur." Koizumi smiled. "And Suzumiya-san?"
"She is asleep, Mr. Koizumi." Saito replied. "It is now time to get to the second layer."
"Good. We're pulling of a Mr. Charles, aren't we, Mr. Cobb?" Koizumi smiled.
"A version of it, yes." Cobb replied as they all hooked themselves onto the PAS-IV.
"What the hell was that?" Kyon shouted as Nagato hit the brakes. "You mean, Koizumi was working for the kidnappers?"
"Kyon-kun…" Mikuru said weakly.
"Damn it!" Kyon shouted. "So now what? Huh?"
"M-maybe th-they're trying to put Suzumiya-san under another layer again…"
"What?"
"I kn-know this technology… In th-the future, they use it for classified information to classified information."
"I don't follow, Asahina-san…" Kyon panted.
"They're not trying to extract information from Suzumiya-san. They're trying to plant one."
"What? How's that possible?"
"Inception." Yuki Nagato replied.
"What?"
Yuki Nagato started up the car and drove towards the direction of the van.
"They are trying to put information in Haruhi Suzumiya's mind by accessing it through what humans call 'dream state'."
"Why?"
"The human mind is vulnerable during this state."
"Not that, Nagato… I mean, why would anyone want to plant an idea into her mind?"
"Because such planted data on Haruhi Suzumiya will affect 'reality'."
Kyon stopped for a moment, realizing the possible effect this whole trip would have on Haruhi, and the unimaginable trouble she would cause the world.
"How could we stop them?" Kyon said, staring at Nagato's emotionless eyes.
"We need to access the same subconscious dream-state layer they are on."
"N-nagato-san…" Mikuru piped up. "How is that possible? We don't have the technology to-"
"As I am attached to the device, I can provide you with the needed chemical compound to go deeper. In effect, I will serve as a Portable AutoSomnacin IntraVenous."
"A what?" Kyon asked.
"A PAS-IV?" Mikuru squeaked. "Nagato-san, you will be our PAS-IV? But that means you won't get under, right?"
"I will be able to follow you for every layer you go into, except for the shared subconscious. However, as I descend every layer, my connection with the Integrated Data Entity weakens. My data manipulation abilities decrease every layer."
"Well, never mind that. At least you're with us, right?"
Nagato's eyes blinked, looking at Kyon's.
"Yes."
A/N: Does anyone want to beat Koizumi up for betraying the SOS Brigade? Or maybe you guys are on Team Inception? Or maybe you're confused as to when, how, or why Koizumi sided with Cobb's team? That's in the next chapter. Until then, R&R!
In the next chapter:
"Looks like you guys are in a fix." A voice, belonging to a figure, standing near the door said.
"We're completely fine." Arthur said to the newcomer. "I've got the Mark researched."
"You don't know half of anything about Haruhi Suzumiya." He smiled.
"What is this place?" Ariadne asked.
"This, is what Haruhi Suzumiya's mind looks like."
"A rather empty place." Eames smirked. "This looks more like Limbo to me."
"What is that!" Cobb's eyes widened, looking at a towering blue monster smashing everything in sight.
"That, is what you'll possibly be dealing with, once you're in her mind…." Koizumi smiled. "Looks like you'll be needing a Specialist."