(Painfully short... but I have like no motivation to write action this week, and when I write against my will, the writing kind of just sucks... more than usual. :P)

Outside the television, you all decided to wait and see if Robert would wake up. If Paranoia Hades was the most evil thing that Devil Zukin could sense on the other side, you hoped his defeat would stop future kidnappings; you felt that it was all right to tell Maid Zukin what was going on. She seemed concerned for Robert, as if she was his mother.

"Oh dear," she said, "I hope he and Emi will be all right."

"We're gonna get her," Rage confirmed. "As soon as we're ready to go back, we're gonna save her."

"Is there anything we can do for Robert?" she asked.

You doubted it. You had no idea what was wrong with him, only that he was taken over by a... song. Nothing about that made any sense to you. It was like these kidnappings had some connection to DDR. Was it because each of the victims played the game, and the game was targeting players?

"What order is he going in?" Rage asked, confused.

"Yeah," Yuni said. "And if Paranoia was the kidnapper... or Robert or... whoever, why did he take Erika first? Did he not like her?"

"That's impossible," Devil Zukin said. "The boy said he owed something to her. Her death was... perhaps some sort of mistake?" She definitely wasn't sure of her theory. You wouldn't know unless he could tell you...

"G-guys," Alice muttered quietly, "I think he's waking up."

The group turned to the boy sleeping on the couch. You, Rage, and Yuni eagerly walked up to get a closer look. His eyes looked distressed, but he groaned softly. You tried calling to him.

"Souji," he mumbled. You heard a few sighs of relief behind you.

"Hey, are you okay?" Yuni asked.

"Am I... where am I?"

"You're in my house," she said, a bit more rude than she intended. "But you can stay if you want."

"Wait... what happened? Where's Emi?"

No one wanted to tell him where she was, and that after all he did, you left her there. Still, you took the task upon yourself to explain that she was in the television.

"What? She's stuck in there? We can't just let her-"

"We had to get you out first," Zero stopped him. "Do you know anything about Paranoia Hades?"

Robert paused. "That's... that one song. That boss song from DDR."

It was also the name of the monster you encountered in the other world. Once you told him that, he seemed to know why Zero brought it up.

"Yeah I... well, I kinda know about it. It's just been inside me... or like, it's a part of me. I never asked to have this weird song, it's just like one day it sort of got there. Like I could hear it when there was dead silence. I saw him... the guy who called himself Paranoia Hades, in my dreams. He was always saying that he wanted power, like he needed me to be strong for him. He looked weak to me, but he always looked like a monster at the same time. I was... intimidated by him. He usually wouldn't leave me alone unless I was having a weird dream that didn't make any sense."

"Did these weird dreams ever involve a lady in a purple dress?" Alice asked curiously.

"Uh... sometimes, why?"

"N-no reason, sorry for interrupting."

"Anyway... over the weekend, I was talking to my dad about playing DDR with you guys. He really got angry at me for that. He said that I needed to stop hanging around Emi so much, or he would... he would hurt her. I was afraid of what would happen to her after that. So when I went to sleep, Paranoia told me I had the power to save her. I just had to take her into a television, where Pluto couldn't get to her."

Pluto...?

"I didn't really think about what he was talking about; but I just had to get her. I thought that if I could keep Emi to myself, she would be okay. As long as I could hide her in another world."

"But Paranoia gained power on the other side," Zukin thought aloud, "and so you couldn't remain yourself there."

"Ah, yeah... he said something about you, too."

"What?" She looked desperate for information.

"He said just to stay away from you. He wouldn't tell me why. I guess the less I know, the better for him."

"I see," she mumbled.

He seemed to be done with his story. You asked who Pluto was.

"Pluto? He's... another song. I think... when Paranoia was talking about him, and after what my dad said... I think that song is taking over my dad. When he was talking about Emi, he just said he'd do to her what he did to Erika. I kind of lost it after that... I didn't ask him anything else. I'm not even sure I feel like I was talking to my real dad; it's like I could tell something was off about him."

A song... all this time, a song was the kidnapper. Who would've guessed? Did this explain anything about the order of captures?

"Anybody remember what Emi's friend said when she was on TV?" Rage asked. "She was looking for someone with rhythm, so... maybe Pluto just used her lure us into the television or something."

"It didn't work well as a lure," Zukin commented. "Although it did pique our interest of the world to begin with. Had it not been for Rage-sama and I watching TV, we may never have saved anyone else..."

"Then why'd he pick on me next?" Rage asked. "It was me, and then Yuni, and then Zero, and then Alice."

You all sat thoughtfully for a moment before Robert spoke.

"I think... I had something to do with it."

No... he hadn't kidnapped everyone, had he?

"I don't think so. But after I heard Souji's stories, I'd go home and tell my dad about them. Back before he got angry about it. So... everyone my dad heard about... every person who played DDR, anyway, was who got captured. Pluto must've been after the dancers in particular. I first told him about Erika at the arcade. I told him about Souji and the guys at the dorm, but he didn't hear about them at the arcade or anything. Then I talked about how Rage owned his takoyaki stand..."

"Then I got kidnapped after I stopped by your place," Yuni said.

What about Zero?

"I told him about when we had that match together. And Alice, I ehm... told him that story Souji told me."

That... time you creeped her out. You decided not to say anything beyond acknowledging that you knew what he was talking about.

"That settles it," Rage said. "Pluto was the kidnapper this whole time, and he was getting information from Robert. Now all we have to do is rescue Emi, and we can beat him down once and for all!"

"How?" Yuni argued. "We can't just start beating up his dad in the real world. We don't even know if Paranoia went away."

Well? Did Robert still feel his presence?

"I didn't have any dreams about him while I was crashing here," he answered. "But, to be fair, I was unconscious; I didn't dream anything that I can remember. Right now, I guess I feel kinda... normal."

It may be too soon to tell, but you just may have defeated the song inside Paranoia. Perhaps, if Pluto were to be in the other world, you would be able to face him and defeat him in the same manner.

"Paranoia was an ex-underling to Pluto," Robert explained. "He told me about how Pluto was his master, and I was the only person he could talk to about overtaking him. That's why he needed power, but he never had enough."

That meant that Pluto was more powerful than Paranoia. You questioned how you would be able to defeat him. But Devil Zukin had some sort of power... what was it? A song of heaven... that was all anyone knew. You felt there was no way to tell if you couldn't get any information out of Paranoia or Robert... you would just have to trust in Zukin's ability, despite not knowing just what it was.

"So what now?" Yuni asked. "Are we resting before we go and get Emi?"

"That seems to be the case," Akira answered. "Robert, are you able to go home?"

You could take him back to your dorm, if he was ready.

"I think so," he said. "Thanks a lot... I'm sorry I was a ton of trouble."

"Are you kidding?" Rage said. "Thanks to you, we know what we gotta do now. You can get stuck in the other side all you want if you got a bunch of info like that."

He meant well.

You also thanked everyone for their help before you left Yuni's mansion and took Robert back to your dorm.

-.

It was late by the time you got back to the living area on campus. You and your recovering friend were the only ones in sight.

"Hey, Souji?"

You gave him your attention.

"I'm sorry... about everything. If there's anything I can do to make it up, I'd do it."

There wasn't much he could do. You wanted him to stay safe, and away from the dark influences of Paranoia Hades. But if he ever learned anything more, you would appreciate more information. He was the only person who understood the songs, it seemed. He also needed to keep an eye on his father; he could quickly be a threat if he was really being controlled by the Pluto that Paranoia spoke of.

"I will," he said. "And... I know it's a lot to ask but... please save him, too. He's not the same as he used to be."

You would.

(You waited impatiently for the author to write action again...)