Showa Chronicles: Road to Annihilation
Interlude: Se7en
A huge explosion erupted in the middle of the ruins, energy and rubble rising all around a shining figure as the silver glow around them dimmed. The light faded just enough for the figure's full appearance to be shown, revealing it to be female.
She was a cute young woman with droopy golden eyes, silver hair that was tied into pigtails with two black ribbons, and a set of antenna-like cowlicks sticking out on top of her head. She wore a short-sleeved LawPro with a short tie that was nestled in her chest, a silver overcoat that was so short that it stopped above her waist, black fingerless gloves, a black miniskirt, black leggings, and brown cowboy boots with three-inch blunt heels. She was also quite well endowed with a curvy figure and E-cup breasts. Gripped in her hands was a long odachi.
Landing in a skid several feet in front of her was a young man. For his outfit, he wore a black shirt with a green overcoat in black trimmings and lining, brown fingerless gloves, black pants and brown boots. His right hand was holding a jian with a feathered talisman dangling from the hilt.
Crow quickly dashed forward while Kaguya drew her Zangetsu-to and blocked his jian, both slashing and dashing around each other in flashes of blades. Kaguya's aura flashed rapidly before blitzing at him in a blink of light, and Crow quickly backstepped as she went past him.
Kaguya came to a quick stop as she slid her Zangetsu-to back into her scabbard, holding up her hand as a ball of light shot out from her palm. Crow tilted his head and let it fly past to explode behind him. Kaguya remained impassive as she stretched her arms while her hands glowed before throwing energy balls in rapid bursts. Crow's body tilted and curved, afterimages flashing around him as he twisted from the energy blasts, explosions bursting around him. More orbs appeared around her before shooting forward, causing Crow to flip backwards. Kaguya zipped behind him in a blink of light before throwing her leg up and kicking his sword out of his grip, sending it flying high into the sky until it seemed to disappear. Before he could react in time, she threw another kick into his midsection, sending him crashing through a wall.
From the moment he crash-landed, she was already on top of him and had his arms pinned down with her knees. Her fists rained down in blurs, impacts shaping from each blow. Crow tilted his head left and right to avoid getting his face hit before he tilted his head up, a gust of air blowing her off him. He sprung up, and smashed his feet into her, kicking her high up into the air. He reached out his arm as his sword fell into his hand and gripped it, almost as if he predicted where it would land, and then he jumped and darted around as if he was bouncing on thin air, trailing after her, zipping all around with quick sword strikes. Kaguya was forced to defend herself by using her sword to block and parry his strikes. Bringing her knee to her chest, she delivered a hard kick to repel him from her, and give her space to counter with her sword. They both swerved back and forth in midair, their swords clashing wildly, the blades barely visible from how fast they were moving.
Managing to sneak her hilt into his gut, Kaguya concentrated her energy and froze Crow in a block of ice. She zipped all around him, blades of light slashing through the ice before she warped and sent him to the ground with a powerful kick. Still floating in midair, she took a deep breath as her body glowed with bright silver light. Her aura exploded around her before she flew straight down at him like a missile.
Crow tumbled over the ground as the ice prison shattered, jumping back to his feet no worse for wear. Glancing at the silver missile coming at him for just a second, Crow's body flashed green before he blocked her sword with his. The pair disappeared, loud booms echoing around the ruins, invisible forces striking each other. They appeared on the ground again, still clashing sword against sword, both building up power in their weapons before striking once more, the resulting backlash sending them flying in opposite directions in a brilliant explosion of silver and green.
Crow crashed into the ground as his body carved a trench in the surface while Kayuga was sent crashing through pillars. She quickly flipped to her feet upon landing. Her body flickered and her eyes flashed, still up for a fight. Crow's body and eyes did the same, holding his sword in a reverse grip. They could still keep going until one of them was victorious but a third party would not allow this to continue.
"Alright, we're done!" Hiro's voice called out as the ruins vanished in the form of binary code. "I didn't adapt the Bloody Palace to handle your energies just yet. You're gonna blow the whole thing up if you kept at it like that!"
The field around them pixelated and changed into a black and crimson arena which was completely round in shape. Both siblings stepped back from each other and sheathed their swords.
"You've gotten stronger," Crow complimented his little sister.
"Thanks. Haha-ue has been increasing my training and I've been gaining some experience from my job," Kaguya claimed. "But you've gotten stronger as well, Ani-ue."
"Hey, I may not have a goddess for a mother but I did have some very capable trainers. Nothing beats good old experience, though," Crow responded.
"OK, you can pat yourselves and each other on the back later," Hiro interjected. "Raheem just called a meeting."
"Is it about Chichi-uei?" Kaguya asked.
"Duh-doy," Hiro confirmed as if it was obvious. "So, you two go hit the showers. The meeting's in an hour at the usual place."
"Roger that," Crow saluted. He and Kaguya walked out through a sliding door that appeared on a wall. As soon as they stepped out, a sudden pair of soft and large balls squished against Crow's back as slender arms wrapped around him. It wasn't Kaguya, of course, as she was in front of him.
"That was so cool, Crow!" a girly voice behind him squealed. "You were both moving so fast, it was like 'whoosh' and 'wazoom'!" The girl hugging him was blue-eyed, blonde and busty with curves in all the right places. Her hair was long with bangs done in a hime cut. She wore a green, short-sleeved dress that reached down to above her knees, white gloves that covered her arms, and white boots that went up to her thighs, leaving just a strip of flesh exposed between her skirt and boots. Her dress had a rhombus-shaped cleavage window. Her most distinctive features, however, were her long ears that identified her as an elf.
"Glad you liked the show, Shera," Crow grinned. "If I really pushed myself, you wouldn't be able to see me."
"Then perhaps I should push you next time we have a rematch, Ani-ue," Kaguya challenged as Chibimoose landed on her head.
"Naa!" Chibimoose squeaked cutely.
"I'll take you up on that," Crow returned. "Anyway, let's get freshened up. I stink like cow dung."
"How about I wash your back for you, Crow?" Shera offered, grinning.
"Sure," Crow grinned back.
"No," Kaguya denied, frowning sternly. "If you both went in the bath together, you would spend way too much time getting dirty instead of getting clean."
"Aw, you're no fun," Shera pouted.
Raheem had called his siblings for a meeting. They were all gathered around a table with a plastic top and grid-like surface.
"Now, let's begin," Raheem said as he activated the holo-table, displaying a holographic image of a straight line. "This is our father's timeline." Several lines branched off from the main line and then the tip of each branched line expanded into a rectangular window to display video footage. "And these are the events we need to target. The ones blacked out are the events we've already hit."
"Wait, aren't we just going to save his life?" Shinobu questioned. She wore a white and pink gothic lolita dress. The top was white with see-thru sleeves that reached her elbows and a pink bow over her left breast. The mid-thigh length skirt was pink and frilly with two lines of black and white lace going across it. Her legs were covered in pink stockings with black crisscrossing laces, and a pair of black Mary Jane pumps with red and pink bows was on her feet. Finally, she wore a large, black bow with pink frills on her head.
"It's not that simple, Shinobu. His death happened during a space-time distortion caused by the killer. It's nearly impossible to enter a distortion," Raheem answered.
"You say it's nearly impossible," Shinobu pointed out. "If that's the case, I say we go with my plan."
"Your plan to kidnap him right at the moment of his death and bring him back to our time," Kaguya deadpanned.
"The universe would believe he was dead, the distortion would remain unchanged, and we would have our father back," Shinobu explained logically, crossing her arms. "Easy peasy."
"Only we would've taken him from his life," Kaguya retorted. "It's wrong, Shinobu."
"At least he'd be alive and in our lives again," Shinobu argued. "Isn't that what we all want?"
"Yes, but it'll be complicated. We still don't know who or what killed him," Raheem reminded. "We'll be going in blind and I doubt he'll be happy about being kidnapped."
"So kidnapping is out of the question," Shinobu grumbled. Honestly, it sounded like a good plan in her head.
"We have made considerable progress so far," Layna reminded them. She was dressed in a long-sleeved blue shirt with frills at the cuffs, puffy shoulders and three black buttons. Over it, she wore a black, frilly overall dress with a striped black and a white ribbon on the back of her waist, white stockings on her legs and black X-strap stilettos. "Shinjiro passing through when Aunt Satan was kidnapped set the seeds. And Raheem cutting that awful Evil Agito in two before he could act on his plans was a bonus. Plenty of lives were spared thanks to him, and our other aunts' and uncles' pride was never so cruelly stepped on. With that, they are already getting stronger on their own merits instead of feeling inferior to the others."
"It's showing too," Shinjiro agreed. "They can perform better now."
"We've also made sure Oyaji boosted his powers sooner rather than later," Hiro added.
"And yet, we are no closer to finding out who or what killed him," Raheem retorted, eyes narrowed. "If we don't solve this mystery, it will all be for nothing."
"So, what's our next move?" Shinjiro asked. Raheem pulled up an image of a dark-skinned bearded man in a black suit and lab coat.
"This is Professor Saiba Kyofu," Raheem started. "This is the guy who ordered that attack on the village. In the original timeline, he started a revolution to promote psychics as the next step in human evolution. He was very charismatic and amassed a huge following."
"Like a cult leader," Hiro interjected.
"Something like that. But his plans go further than a typical cult leader. What he planned to do would have killed 50 percent of the world's population. Now, something has changed."
"I'm guessing it's the Agitos," Crow assumed.
"That's right. In the original timeline, he didn't have access to the artefact that would allow him to convert psychics into Agitos. But when Dad went back in time to save Viviana Eisenberg's parents, that caused a ripple effect in the timeline."
"I thought he already had a way to turn Espers into Agitos," Shinjiro said.
"He was trying to awaken the Seeds of Agito that were buried in people with psychic potential. Unfortunately, his attempts met with failure," Raheem answered. "He was only successful in awakening their psychic powers but if he wanted to make Agitos, he would require a powerful mystical artefact. He would need the power of God."
"Which he now has," Kaguya concluded.
The image on the table switched to display a black monolith.
"This is the power of God that he's using," Raheem continued. "This giant black monolith is called the Maternal. It's a huge Spirit Stone that he discovered in Teotihuacan, Mexico. It has the power to convert any human that comes into contact with it into an Agito. Though the condition is that they need to have really high psychic energy, otherwise they turn into crippled Failed Agitos or just end up as a pile of goo. Sometimes they'll end up turning into Gurongi, but that don't happen as often."
"So his Brain Trust Society is just a front for him to gather powerful psychics to convert into Agitos. But what is his endgame then?" Crow questioned.
"Probably world domination with a master race of his own creation," Hiro suggested. "I mean, he made himself an army and the guy looks like a megalomaniac. It's in his file too."
"While the Maternal is the key to his plans, we still don't know what his master plan is," Raheem said. "But Hiro's suggestion is a strong possibility."
"Yes, I knew it," Hiro grinned, pumping his fist proudly.
"So we need to expose Kyofu, help our aunts, uncles and father to stop his plans, and make sure the wedding goes smoothly," Layna listed. "Since Daddy restored Hinamizawa, Kyofu may try to destroy it again out of spite."
"According to Kyofu's psychological profile that we have on file, that is highly likely so we need to send some people to help protect the village," Raheem stated.
"Not only that," Kaguya added. "Kyofu may end up doing something bolder. And, he is going to make some type of move to pit the public against our elders again. Not to mention a few other things that would have to be taken care of."
"You found something?" Raheem asked and Kaguya nodded.
"I found where the Star Vampire nest is. They should be ready to hatch soon. If I make it, I'll be able to cut them down before they leave for space."
"In that case, I'll go and get rid of the Krillitanes," Crow volunteered as he held up his hand. "When I found out about their hidey-hole in New York, they already shipped off the planet with tons of people in their bellies. Nobody was the wiser. I aim to fix that."
"I'll help you out," Raheem offered.
"Guess we'll have to figure out who watches over the village then," Hiro sighed as he stood up and stretched.
"By the way, how is the Father's Day gift you and Jiro are working on?" Layna asked.
"Good progress so far," Hiro answered. "The tech's not what we're used to but that's busted GS technology for ya."
"I'm staying behind to finish it up," Shinjiro added. "Should be ready by tomorrow."
"I'm gonna do some recon on the BTS," Shinobu piped up, "Taking Ami with me, of course."
"I will keep my eyes on the news," Layna offered. "If anything comes up, I'll page you."
"Page? Oh you mean with pagers, yeah," Hiro realised. "Almost forgot the decade we're in. Haven't got our cells suited for this era yet."
"So, hold on, who's gonna watch the village?" Raheem asked.
"You didn't forget, did ya?" Hiro grinned. "We have several extra hands."
Shortly after the meeting ended, the siblings went to their quarters to rest up. Hiro's quarters were well-furnished with gothic furniture, posters of American country singers, a jukebox, and an arcade cabinet called 'Polybius'. Normally, his place was a little more unkempt, but he had some lovely company over to motivate him to keep it clean.
"It would be so easy for us to kill this Kyofu bastard," Lady Death said, sitting on a couch as she polished her Apocalypse.
"Yeah, it would," Hiro agreed, tuning his detached cybernetic left arm at his desk. "Except we aren't doing that."
"But it would make things run smoothly. By eliminating your father's enemies before they become a threat, that will ultimately save his life," Lady Death reasoned.
"I must agree with Lady Death, Hiro," a beautiful green-eyed woman with wild blonde hair said as she stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a white terrycloth robe. She was drying her hair with a towel and had large horns sticking out of her head. "Your father had so many enemies and since your youngest half-brother can track them all down in the timeline, it would be easy to hunt and deal with them."
"Totally reasonable, but we still don't know what kills him, Genie," Hiro argued. "We only have one clue, the number 108. We still don't know its significance or what it means."
"And I reckon that just killing them all would not really help in the long run," spoke another tall blonde girl who was seated on the bed. She wore a white tank top with denim booty shorts. She also had blue eyes and spoke in a heavy Southern accent. "We can't just clean up other people's messes whenever we want just because we can. Hiro and his sibs wanna help their dad but they can't interfere too much. Still, they're doing their best."
"Glad to have some positivity, Ariel," Hiro smiled as he reattached his arm. The cybernetics flashed and turned into a flesh-coloured coating with circuits that pulsed with a golden colour. Hiro flexed his wrist, making sure it was good and ready.
"Things were so much easier for me back in Hell," Lady Death said as she admired her reflection on the flat of her blade. "We find our enemies and we kill them. Simple, straightforward and effective."
"Agreed and that's one less nuisance to deal with," Genie nodded as she casually removed her robe, displaying her nude form. She had an amazing body, with firm muscles and amazing curves. She also wasn't too shy about showing them off as she was not too concerned with modesty, especially to her beloved.
Hiro certainly did not complain as he appreciated her nudity but then Ariel went and pinched his cheek.
"Watch those wandering eyes, mister," Ariel chided.
"C'mon, she doesn't mind," Hiro retorted.
"I don't mind," Genie shrugged.
"See? Let me enjoy the show," Hiro insisted. Ariel rolled her eyes. He had a point but still, it was rude to watch someone changing, even if the person that was changing had no concept of modesty. The same could be said for Lady Death whose combat attire was just a black bikini. Ariel always thought the pale undead woman needed more sun. "Anyway, did Aunt Conda get her present?"
"Yes, she did," Lady Death confirmed. "But only after I deemed her worthy. I'm surprised you were willing to part with it, and without payment at that."
"I've got tons of weapons already and I can always make more," Hiro said humorously. "Besides, I wasn't using it and letting it collect dust would be a waste."
"You sound like a hoarder," Ariel quipped.
"I'm a demonsmith," Hiro corrected. "I need products to make profits. But did you really need to challenge Aunt Conda, though? You know she's good enough to use the whip."
"Perhaps, but I still wanted a chance to test my might against her," Lady Death confessed. "I was told she was strong. I'm pleased to know it was not just empty words."
"You never make things easy, do ya, L.D.?"
"No, I do not, and I know that's what you like about me, Hiroyuki," Lady Death smirked. "You do love conquering a challenge."
"You bet I do, babe."
Crow's quarters had a Chinese sword mounted on his wall and in one corner of the room was a suit of medieval armour, polished silver and in pristine condition. There was a king-sized bed with white sheets and green covers as well as matching pillows. Like Hiro, he also had company.
"Since you're done training, perhaps it's time you keep your promise to me," Xie Yingluo said to Crow as she took his arm. She was a beautiful woman who was dressed like an Oriental princess from ancient times. She wore an elaborate dress with a black top, a white coat with gold trim, flared sleeves, a forest green skirt, white kung fu pants and gold low-heeled shoes. Her greyish brown hair was done odango style and covered in gold fabric with flowing ribbons that hung down her back. Purple tassels were also fixed to her hair. Her elaborate outfit complimented her beauty without being revealing. She also had crimson claws on her right fingers. "You promised to take me out to dinner tonight."
"No, it's my turn!" another woman claimed as she took Crow's other arm. She had unearthly beauty, which was apparent since she was a demon. She had long elf-like ears, long purple hair and blue eyes. As a demon, she had a pair of long and sharp horns growing out the sides of her head, a spade-tipped tail, and two pairs of bat-like wings. She wore a black gothic lolita style dress with puffed sleeves, a corset, a long skirt that concealed her legs and red Mary Janes. However, the dress did not hide her curves and the plunging neckline showed off her cleavage. While she normally had an Ojou-sama-like personality, right now she was acting a bit spoiled and needy. Her name was Sheliss. "He promised to take me out! He's mine, tonight!"
"Don't make me kill you, succubus," Yingluo threatened the demon.
"As if your toxins can ever work on me," Sheliss taunted, sticking her tongue out.
"You girls really gonna keep going at it today?" Crow asked calmly, already used to this happening. Ever since Yingluo and Sheliss met, they had developed a bit of a rivalry. They were civil most of the time but when it came to spending time with him, they just couldn't share.
"Fighting each other is bad, you know," Shera urged them and it seemed to be working. "Besides, Crow said he was going to take me to watch a movie tonight."
"Crow!" Yingluo and Sheliss glared at their lover.
"Girls, girls, listen," Crow held his hands up. He realised his blunder as he had scheduled dates with the girls on the same night. With everything going on, it had slipped his mind. It was one of the challenges he had to deal with from having multiple lovers. 'How did Father do this?'
Oh, his father had time powers and thus he could take his lovers out simultaneously. He just made temporal duplicates to keep everyone happy.
Well, Crow made a mistake and it was time to own up to it.
"Hey, I'm sorry," he apologised. "I'm not making excuses but this mission hasn't allowed me to relax as much as I can. We're still trying to figure out how to save my father and the dates I promised to have with you all just slipped my mind. I apologise and I want to make it up to all of you."
Shera, Sheliss and Yingluo shared a look and got into a huddle. Curious, Crow wondered what they were discussing. Were they compromising or were they going to have a duel to determine who would have his attention tonight? The huddle broke apart and the three women nodded to each other.
"We've come to a decision," Yingluo said. "Crow, you will take me out for dinner and dancing."
"Fair enough," Crow nodded.
"Then, you and I are going to spend some intimate time together at a love hotel," Sheliss added, licking her lips. That look she gave him made him shudder as it promised unholy pleasures.
"And we can just, you know, watch the movie here," Shera finished. "I mean, you have a home entertainment system. We'll just sit on the couch, watch a movie, eat popcorn and cuddle."
"Oh, that sounds good," Crow agreed.
"But don't let there be a next time," Yingluo warned coldly before kissing Crow on the cheek and taking his arm.
"Now, I'm going to need to grab some candles, whips, handcuffs and rope," Sheliss said as she sauntered away.
"Try not to hurt him too much! I get him when it's my turn!" Shera called to the demon princess.
"I promise only to keep him alive. I need him to satisfy my needs," Sheliss replied. She knew Crow had pretty strong stamina. He could handle whatever she did to him.
"So, you said you wanted to talk to us, Shinobu," Shinjiro said as she was accompanied by Kagami. They were sitting on a semi-circular couch in a private karaoke room with Shinobu and Ami. A flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall, connected to a karaoke machine. There was a table with snacks and beverages as well as wireless microphones.
Ami Enan was Shinobu's best friend. She had wavy wine red hair that reached her shoulders and her fringe covered her left eye. While Shinobu was dressed in her usual gothic lolita style, Ami wore a short green dress with blue denim jeans and sandals. Besides being her best friend, Ami was also Shinobu's IT girl and a skilled hacker which made the Phantom Thief's job easy as she could shut off any security system that would stand in her way.
"Ami and I came up with a plan to deal with Kyofu. I'm sure you must've heard the others talking about just killing him, right?" Shinobu asked.
"I did not," Shinjiro answered.
"Well, I was thinking we could steal Kyofu's reputation from him."
"Elaborate."
"From what Shinobu has told me, besides his research, Kyofu's reputation is everything to him," Ami explained. "It's what allows him autonomy and gets him his funding."
"So, we plan to collect video evidence of his wrongdoings. If this guy was in GIN-SHOCKER then he must've experimented on kids," Shinobu added.
"In other words, you plan on sneaking into his compound to record him doing something morally questionable," Kagami concluded.
"That's right," the perky goth grinned. "And maybe grab a few souvenirs along the way."
"Shinobu," Kagami frowned disapprovingly. "While I agree that recording Kyofu's wrongdoings will help us put him away, you need to keep that kleptomania of yours under control."
"You sound like Kaguya," Shinobu huffed, rolling her eyes.
"Then you know that I'm right. Someday, you're going to get yourself into huge trouble and may not have us to bail you out."
"Hey, the thing I bring to the table is my skills as a Phantom Thief," Shinobu defended. "Besides, I only steal for a good cause."
"Your collection says otherwise," Shinjiro pointed out.
"After accomplishing a heist, I should be allowed to collect trophies to commemorate them," Shinobu claimed proudly.
Shinjiro sighed as he rubbed his head. She was his youngest sister and the designated baby of the group. While this designation should have fallen to Raheem as he was the youngest, he was far too mature for his age. Therefore, they all felt it was their responsibility and duty to protect and guide Shinobu.
"Just...be careful," Shinjiro advised his baby sister.
"Don't worry, Nii-chan. I got you all and Ami here watching my back," Shinobu smiled. "So, who wants to sing next? We've got a couple of hours to kill."
Layna was in her room. She had a vanity mirror which she used to put on her makeup. She also had a TV with a game console connected to it and a bookshelf that was filled with figures of video game characters with a blue electric guitar leaning next to them and a poster of Pantera on the wall. The centrepiece of her collection was a figure of Kamen Rider Showa that had been given to her by her mother. Her bed was queen-sized with blue sheets, pillows and covers. A photo of her family was on her bedside table.
Sitting at her vanity table, Layna opened her scrapbook and she flipped to a page that had a photo of herself, her twin brother and their father. It was taken back when she and her twin brother were little kids. They were standing in front of their father's mansion and holding water pistols, all dirty and wet but with huge grins on their faces.
Layna fondly remembered that day like it was yesterday.
1995
Layna and Crow were having a water gun fight. They ran around on the wide-open lawn with water pistols, shooting at each other.
"You missed, Layna!" Crow gloated and he pulled the trigger. However, his gun was empty and released only tiny spurts. "Empty!?"
"Gotcha!" Layna giggled as she sprayed her brother in the face. She laughed as Crow fumed while soaking wet and she ran away from him. Suddenly, she slipped on the wet grass and fell.
Shinichi, who was watching them, quickly ran over to Layna.
"Layna, are you OK?" Shinichi asked as he helped his daughter up. Layna was beginning to tear up, her clothes were dirty with bits of grass stuck to them and she looked like she had scraped her knees and elbows.
"It hurts, Daddy!" Layna sobbed.
"Don't worry, Princess. Let Daddy fix you right up," Shinichi smiled and he turned his finger counter-clockwise. Layna's body glowed as her clothes were clean again and her scrapes were gone. "There. All fixed. So don't cry, OK?"
Layna nodded and smiled as she hugged her daddy before she went to play again. Shinichi picked up his water pistol to join them.
She turned to another page. It was when she and Crow had a birthday and their siblings and parents were there in the picture. Layna smiled fondly as she loved looking back at those happy memories. Though her daddy had many duties, he still made time to spend with his kids. Considering his past and lost childhood, he never wanted his children to be deprived of theirs. However, nothing lasts forever. When her daddy had to go, he had said goodbye to her and the rest of her siblings, promising that he would come back...only he never did. She could no longer make any happy memories with her daddy after that.
"Oh my, aren't you feeling like absolute shit right now?" came an aggressive voice that sounded just like her.
Layna nearly jumped from her scrapbook and frowned. Looking over at her mirror, she saw her reflection looking right back at her with glowing blue eyes and a crooked sneer.
"What is it you want?" Layna frowned.
"For a namby-pamby princess, you're really desperate, eh?" Mirror Layna said mockingly, standing up as she put her hands on her hips. "Dear Uncle Alan told you the rules about time travel, didn't he? About paradoxes and all that crap. There's a pretty good chance that you'll all screw things up and make things worse."
"You know the main reason why we're doing this," Lanya retorted, standing up so they stood face to face. "Saving daddy is just the added benefit. Besides, I doubt you even care either way."
"Sure, I don't. I honestly don't give two fucks about what happens. But I'm still in your head," her reflection shrugged, tapping on her temple. "I'm the Hyde to your Jekyll, remember? I exist to do the things you're too much of a chicken shit to do."
"I don't need you to remind me," Layna growled. "You only appear whenever I get too scared."
"Exactly. Chicken shit," Mirror Layna huffed. "Well, I guess unless you're with that boytoy of yours then you're a real freak in the sheets. I still like a taste of him-"
"Please don't speak of my boyfriend like that," Layna interrupted.
"Then stop acting like a little bitch all the time!" Mirror Layna pointed before the mirror rippled like water, distorting her image. When the ripples faded, Layna's reflection returned to normal.
"Why does she always have to sound so crude?" Layna muttered to herself, for real this time.
"Good night, Shino," Ami said to Shinobu at the door of her quarters.
"You know, you could join me," Shinobu offered suggestively, gently cupping her friend's cheek. "It gets cold at night." Ami rolled her eyes in response to her best friend's attempt at flirting.
"Good night, Shino," Ami repeated.
"Good night," Shinobu returned and she watched her friend go to her room before shutting her door. Turning to face her room, she smiled. "Hello again, my pretties~!"
Shinobu's bedroom was fairly typical of someone with her style. Her floor was covered in pink carpeting with purple furniture here and there. She had a purple sofa, a coffee table, a vanity table, crimson wallpaper and a chandelier.
Attached to her wall was a set of shelves filled with what she called her 'collection'. Among them was the Pink Panther diamond, an umbrella that once belonged to a certain Doctor, a wooden mask that contained a portion of Loki's powers, et cetera. The centrepiece of her collection, being held on a pedestal and protected in a glass case, was a trumpet that was once used by Louis Armstrong.
Being a Phantom Thief, Shinobu had amassed quite a collection that she kept in her room. Her whole shelf was filled with the treasures she had 'liberated' from the rich, the famous, and museums. Whenever anything caught her eye, she just could not resist and wanted it no matter what. She did have a code of honour, though, as she would not steal something with sentimental value. Otherwise, it was hers for the taking.
But all these treasures could not fill the void in her heart but she kept trying to fill it. She kept stealing valuables so that she would not feel that emptiness anymore. Whenever she was successful at stealing something, she felt satisfied, but that satisfaction only lasted briefly and then she was out stealing again. She just could not help herself. She needed to steal. It almost seemed like an addiction and the only thing stopping her from robbing people blind was her code of honour but even she had been tempted to break it on occasion.
Going over her collection, Shinobu picked up her most precious treasure: an old music box she had gotten on her first birthday. She popped it open, revealing a dancing ballerina as a tune played from it. Her gaze, however, was focused on the family photo that was on the underside of the lid. She gazed at the face of the father she had lost but now she had a second chance. She did not want to lose him again, so she would save him, no matter the cost, even if it meant stealing him away.
The morning came almost too quickly. Raheem was always the first to rise and he was in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand as he read the newspaper. He often started the day with a piping hot cup of coffee which he always took black, never adding any creamer or sugar. His siblings joked that it matched his personality as he could be pretty bitter at times. The truth was, it kept him sharp.
He had been up all night running through simulations to ensure the plan would succeed, considering every variable. They could not afford to screw up. Every victory would lead them to their goal and they had to succeed no matter the cost. Failure was not an option.
His siblings were strongly invested in this mission to save their father. However, unlike them, Raheem was not as emotionally invested. Despite being Shinichi's son, he did not feel particularly close to his father. Granted, he had only been a toddler when he had died but even back then Raheem was pretty cognizant. He was already aware of the world despite being so young.
He was only doing this for his Ma, the one who had raised him. She had told him of how important Shinichi was and that he needed to be saved. That was Raheem's driving force. He was doing this all for her.
Just don't ever call him a 'Mama's Boy'.
Kaguya's room was Japanese-inspired with tatami mats covering the floor. Instead of a bed, she had a futon with black covers dotted with stars. In one corner of her room was her telescope and there was a globe in another corner. She had a closet and a desk to do her work, with her laptop on it.
"And finished," Kaguya smiled softly as she finished giving Chibimoose his morning brushing. "Neat and tidy."
"Naa!" Chibimoose squeaked.
Chibimoose was Kaguya's constant companion. He was always by her side, ready to comfort her. Unlike most of her siblings, she had never met her father since her mother didn't wish to be tied to a relationship. When she heard the father she had never met had died, she locked herself in her bedroom and hid under the covers. Chibimoose had been in her room and went to join her, nuzzling her and wiping away her tears. She had cried herself to sleep, holding her companion, but she was happy to have him comforting her. It was why she always had him at her side to watch her back.
Despite his appearance as a spherical stuffed moose, Chibimoose was actually a powerful doomsday weapon in disguise. In fact, at full power, his beam could destroy a planet. Kaguya remembered the day she met Chibimoose. It had been at night while she was stargazing when she saw a shooting star crash near her home. Curious, she investigated and found the poor creature lying in a crater. Despite having the appearance of a stuffed toy, he was a living thing.
She nursed Chibimoose back to health and took him in while also keeping him a secret from her mother. Then, one day, the Space Sheriffs came to Earth looking for a powerful source of dark matter and found Chibimoose. They had tried to confiscate him from her, citing that he was a dangerous weapon. Kaguya did not like this at all and fought the Space Sheriffs. She would not allow them to take her friend from her. When Kaguya had gotten hurt, Chibimoose was about to kill the Space Sheriffs when Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu and Alan intervened.
They had negotiated a deal. Kaguya would join the Space Sheriffs and keep an eye on Chibimoose for them. Since Chibimoose had not destroyed the Earth, that was enough evidence to prove Kaguya was the perfect caretaker.
At first, Kaguya was reluctant to join but then she started to enjoy being a Space Sheriff. She did not have an official partner but she often brought Chibimoose along with her while on assignment. It seemed that news travelled fast since everyone often looked warily at the living doomsday weapon that accompanied her, but after some time they got used to her and Chibimoose.
And Chibimoose was not her only closest confidant. She also had Shinobu, her little sister. Out of all of them, Shinobu had grown the closest with Kaguya. They were like yin and yang with Kaguya being the responsible and introverted one while Shinobu was the reckless and extroverted one. It was always Kaguya who tried to keep Shinobu on the straight and narrow and it worked, for the most part.
As a Phantom Thief, Shinobu followed her own code and sense of justice as she only stole from people who deserved it. However, Kaguya's own sense of justice followed the letter of the law. So, the two sisters would often clash. Nevertheless, they remained close and always made up after an argument.
Their views may clash and they argued constantly about the difference between laws and justice, but it was these arguments that made them grow closer instead of tearing them apart.
A van was parked outside of the abandoned St. Lucia Academy. It didn't look out of place from any other van. It was mainly black with tints of gold, orange, blue, green, silver, purple, and red on both sides. On the back doors, the number 13 was painted in bold white.
The door opened and both Hiro and Shinjiro fought at the exit, pushing at each other until they both popped out together. The rest soon followed.
"Alright, you guys all have your assignments," Hiro said as he pumped his fists. "Now, let's do this!"
"...That was a terrible speech," Shinjiro criticised.
"What? I thought it was a good pep talk," Hiro defended.
"No, you should go like this," Shinjiro retorted and cleared his throat before he started. "My dear brothers and sisters, remember what we need to do and why we must do this. I don't have to stress how important this mission is. Each of us may have our own tasks, but they are no small jobs and they are all important. So, let's get out there and do everything we can to stop Kyofu, save our father, and save the world!"
"...You got that sappy speech from that tribe you hang around with, didn't you?" Hiro remarked.
"At least I did better than you. All you did was say, 'let's do this'!"
"It's short, sweet and straight to the point."
"With no context whatsoever."
"They all know what I'm talking about."
"You can't be sure of that."
"Yes, I can!"
"No, you can't!"
"Can!"
"Can't!"
"Can!"
"Can't!"
As the two oldest members of their group argued, Raheem facepalmed.
"We are going to be here all day," he groaned.
Tailsmo4ever: So as you all can see, all of Shinichi's kids have been introduced fully after cameos of them were scattered throughout the story. Introducing the Chronicle 7, the ragtag team of Showa's children that each has their own power set and quirks. From oldest to youngest we have: Hiroyuki, Shinjiro, Layna, Crow, Kaguya, Shinobu, and Raheem. More about them will be revealed as the story goes on.
This interlude also introduced more characters. First up, we have Hiroyuki's harem:
Genie (from: "Re:Gex"): Genie is a being of immense power and unknown origins. Genie does not remember her past but her survival and warrior instincts remain. She wields a large sword named Dragynne. The sword is capable of cutting through almost anything. She is also a powerful spellcaster.
Ariel Lynn Chylde (from: "Darkchylde"): A woman from the deep south with the power of 'nightmares'. Ariel Chylde was a troubled young teen long before she moved to her new hometown of Salem. Plagued by frighteningly familiar and recurring nightmares, Ariel soon found out the hard and painful way that there were dark forces in her life that even she was unaware of. When her abusive father attacked her one fateful evening, they both quickly discovered that Ariel could summon and 'become' any of the dreadful creatures called from her multitude of dark dreams. What she didn't know at the time was that once she sets these creatures free from the nightmare world of her mind, they don't necessarily have to return when they don't want to.
Lady Death (from: "Lady Death"): Lady Death was an ordinary young woman named Hope in medieval Europe. Her father, Matthias, was a demon-worshipping warlord and practitioner of witchcraft, whose crimes against his people caused them to turn against his daughter. She was falsely accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake, but before the flames consumed her, she recited an incantation she overheard her father use, calling forth a demon. She brokered a deal with it to enter Hell in exchange for the willing renouncement of her humanity. Once in Hell, Lady Death gathered up resources and an army to kill her father and the lord of Hell, Lucifer. She was successful but at a cost as Lucifer laid a curse on her. Lady Death may never return to the mortal plane so long as the living walk the Earth. Thus she influenced several dark-minded people to enact the Apocalypse so that she may return home. When Hiro caught wind of this, he clashed with Lady Death, but later used his Golden Magic to undo her curse. Though she is still undead, she is still capable of transforming back to when she was alive.
Next, we have Crow's harem:
Xiē Yīngluò (from: "Thunderbolt Fantasy"): An assassin and swordswoman known as the "Princess of Cruelty" who once served an evil lord named Huò Shì Míng Huáng. Her speciality is poison and she takes pride in her work. She jumped at the chance to track down Crow to prove herself to her master. Her pride is actually a facade and she is not as confident in her abilities as she believes herself to be. After she was abandoned by her master, her interactions with Crow helped her to find new meaning in life.
Shera L. Greenwood (from: "How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord"): An elf princess who ran away from her kingdom after her brother began lusting after her to continue the family bloodline. Crow met her during his travels as she was being pursued by soldiers her brother sent after her.
Sheliss Elleness Zurbach (from: "The Night When Evil Falls"): A demon princess with the appearance of a teenage woman. For centuries, her father's kingdom had been at war with a rival Demon Lord named Gilva. Gilva killed her father in combat and took over his kingdom but he was left wounded. Sheliss realised she was not strong enough to fight Gilva alone so she went to Earth to find a worthy champion and discovered Crow.
Note: these are not all of them but these are the ones that have been introduced so far.
We also have a character from the "Lupin the 3rd" anime series:
Ami Enan (from: "Lupin the Third Part 5"): Ami is the daughter of Enzo Bron, CEO of the IT conglomerate Shake Hanz Corporation, and a Japanese woman named Yuko Enan. Her parents divorced amicably when she was still a very small child, and her mother gained full custody of her. When she was six years old, Ami and a group of other young children were kidnapped by child pornographers to serve as photography models and, eventually, 'merchandise' for paedophiles. Upon her daughter's disappearance, Yuko committed suicide when malevolent rumours named her as being responsible for this tragedy. However, even at her tender age, Ami demonstrated an unusually well-developed aptitude for computers and programming. In order to pass the time during her imprisonment, she used a discarded computer to create her own computer game. When the gangsters noticed this, they kept Ami and used her programming skills for their own profit. One of her major works at that time was the establishment of the dark website Marco Polo along with its transaction and payment system. She eventually escaped the gangsters and hid herself away in a high-security server facility in France. Shinobu snuck into the facility for a heist, which was how the two met. They struck a deal and Shinobu 'stole' her, the pair becoming sisters-in-arms ever since.