a/n: Trying forward.

Roaring Souls

File 03: Pieces, Scattered

"Morning, sweetie. I didn't want to wake you this early, but you've got a message."

Maylu blinked and yawned, hair spread around her head as she lay down.

"Roll...?"

"Relax, okay? No rush."

"Who's...it from?" she asked drowsily.

"The boyfriend."

Maylu frowned slightly at the disdainful tone, but let it go as she always did. "Is he okay?"

"Don't know. He just says that he's outside. That's the message. Charming, huh..."

"It's really too early for this, Roll."

"I agree."

"I don't think we're talking about the same thing," the girl said as she rolled out of bed. "Message him back? Tell him I'll be down in ten or so minutes."

"You got it."

"And make sure it says ten, Roll."

"Aw, you think I would play a prank on poor old Eugene Chaud, super genius?" Roll inquired innocently from her terminal.

"Yes."

"Awful."

"I know you are. I'll be back in a bit."

Maylu took a quick shower to freshen up, got into a sweater and a pair of exercise pants, made sure her breath was minty and brushed her hair. She slipped on a pair of runners and grabbed her PET before heading down the stairs and outside.

Waiting for her was none other than the super elite Official Netbattler himself, head of IPC and titan of the netbattle scene, Eugene Chaud. Oh, and he just happened to be her boyfriend. She thought it was convenient. He hadn't changed in the past five years, other than getting taller like everyone else. Same aesthetic, same attitude, same bold style of dress and white over black hair.

Chaud handed one of the two paper cups in his hands to Maylu, and she nodded her thanks before taking a sip through the opening on the lid. A warm, creamy latte to start the day. But of course he remembered what she liked.

"Apologies for being so abrupt. Though I suppose that old myth about women never did hold that much water," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"You only took five minutes more than you relayed. Outside of calculations," Chaud said, drily. She laughed a bit at his remark.

"Helps to be motivated," Maylu replied with a playful wink. She took another sip of her drink before noting the scene ahead of her. "What happened there? And why are you here, exactly?"

"The Officials wanted to investigate this incident, and I took steps to make sure that I was on scene since it was so close to you. Did anything happen last night?"

"If it did, I wouldn't know. I was fast asleep. But...I was at the house. That's Ciel's place...is she...?"

"In hospital. Stable condition." Chaud ran a hand through his twin-toned hair briefly. "They're saying it was a suicide attempt of some sort, maybe a psychotic break...nothing concrete, but they called us in to make sure it wasn't an invasion or a targeted attack. Everything inside was secure. That woman, Ciel Hublot...she knows her stuff down to the molecule. Nothing out of place, just..."

"..." Maylu mused on it a moment.

"It's important because of her connection with SciLab. She's on a project with Doctor Hikari."

"I think she mentioned that, yeah."

He took a sip of his coffee, looking out towards the street. "Keep this between us. And he was there with you, wasn't he..."

"Lan? Yeah, we went over to visit as soon as we heard someone moved in. She was...really nice. Gentle to us, and really shy. I just didn't think...well, why would I, anyways? But she seemed like she was doing okay. Was it...guilt? Or the something she felt she couldn't talk about."

"The something?"

"She...she witnessed her parents being murdered," Maylu said quietly.

"I see. I wanted to check in with you, most of all."

"Thanks. I know you're busy..."

"It's not much of an excuse. I have work to do, but..." He closed his blue eyes. "You deserve better than that, I believe. It's good that you have friends like Hikari."

Are you feeling guilt, too? Like it's not enough? What Lan said...maybe he was right to worry, even a little.

"You're my number one, yeah? Please don't forget it, Genie. Okay?"

"Hmph. I've never liked that nickname."

Maylu stepped close and put an arm around him. "You've never hated it, either."

"Should we really reduce everything to technicalities like that?" he asked before sipping his coffee.

"Maybe. If it gets me more snuggle time with you...whatever works," Maylu said with a smile. "So, is your role in this over already?"

"Not yet. We have to wait for Miss Hublot to recover, then we can ask her some questions...after that, checking in with SciLab one more time to make sure things are secure, getting the media to try and keep a lid on their sensationalism..."

"Sounds relaxing."

"You joke, but it's very much a vacation as far as I'm concerned."

"That means more time for me?"

"You can call at any time and I can make arrangements. If that's what you want."

"Might be...hmmm." Maylu made a contemplative sound. "I'll let you know for sure. Just have to figure what I want to do most this week."

"Of course. I'll be waiting."

"I know you will." She smiled and squeezed his side. He allowed himself a small, faint smile.

"Last I heard, she was still asleep. We'll have to check on that before you're let through."

"Right, I understand."

Lan hadn't slept well, and it allowed him to take notice of the flashing lights outside. He shot up in a flash, quickly got dressed, and ran over to Ciel's place, where uniformed men and women were guarding the perimeter. A quick exchange of information led him to eventually check the hospital in Den City.

"Message incoming."

Lan held up his terminal to see the message Megaman was displaying. "Hey, Lan. Don't freak out, okay? Something's happened to Ciel...they're saying she's okay and recovering at the big hospital in Den City. Chaud is here with me, says there's nothing suspicious," he read as he followed the nurse. "When you wake up, we'll be outside. Take care, kisses. Maylu."

"Chaud's there, huh," Megaman said. "And she woke up after us. Send a message back?"

"Yeah, we don't want her to worry. Tell her we're at the hospital right now, but we haven't seen Ciel yet."

"Got it. Whipping up some mail, and...sent. We're good to go."

"Thanks, bro."

"Worried? Nervous?"

"Definitely. It's...pretty crazy. She was the nicest host yesterday, and then all of this..."

"Gentlemen, a moment," the nurse said as she jogged over to meet a colleague. They chatted for a minute or two before parting ways. "Miss Hublot is cleared for visitors, she actually has one already."

"Oh, that's great! We were worried that she wouldn't get anyone for a while..."

"Right this way." They headed a few doors down before coming to a stop. The handle was twisted open, and Lan entered the relatively small room where Ciel lay. She was asleep, breathing quietly with a small tube going from her left arm. "Press the blue button if you need help. You gentlemen take care, and I'll be around in a while to check on our patient."

"Thanks, ma'am."

With a nod, the nurse left the room and closed the door behind her. Lan took note of the other occupant, standing quietly at the foot of Ciel's bed. He was sharply dressed in a dark grey suit, hair tied back into a neat ponytail and a well groomed beard that made him look classical, in a sense.

The nose was a bit unusual, though. Made him look like an eccentric, or one of those mad scientists in action dramas. Lan briefly wondered just how his mother got into tokusatsu in the first place.

"Ah, a visitor. I see that our young wallflower has made a friend already. And a famous one at that," the old man said cheerfully. "Weil is fine, my boy. You must be Lan Hikari, correct?"

"Yeah, that's me." The two shook hands, Lan noting the older man's strong grip.

"I'm Miss Hublot's employer, though we're more like partners at this stage. She's quite the talent, terribly shy though. And probably world-weary, it looks like. Her mental condition...I knew she had some personal issues, but this was beyond what I imagined, unfortunately. I want to do better by her in the future."

"I think she'll be okay...I mean, by the fact you're here this early, you obviously care," Lan pointed out. "So I think as long as you keep trying..."

"We, my boy. I know that having a friend, even an acquaintance, will help her recovery immensely. I am quite glad that she's stabilized, though...poor dear. This project is her whole life. If I take it away from her...well, I fear that will do even more damage to her psyche."

"You don't say...that's heavy," Lan said with a frown. "I guess there's a mountain of stuff I don't know."

"That goes for both of us." Weil sighed. "Unfortunately, I can't stay much longer. I have to report to SciLab and inform them that things will be delayed."

"You're working with my dad, right?"

"Yes, the great Yuuichiro Hikari himself."

"Well, he's probably getting a report from the Official Netbattlers about this. And he's also really concerned about the welfare of people in general, you know? Whatever you need, he'll get for you. If it's time, money, anything."

"He's presented himself as such a man, but it always helps to have confirmation from a trusted source," Weil said with a chuckle. "I'll be sure to keep it in mind when we have our meeting in the next little while. Young Lan, take care. If you could be here for her as she wakes, it would do wonders."

"I will, sir. Hopefully I'll see you around."

They shook hands again. "Oh, you surely will, my boy. I can assure you of that." Weil waved as he opened the door and left. Lan returned his attention to the girl sleeping in the hospital bed.

Ciel. What were you thinking back there? What caused you that much pain in the first place?

"Feels like I'm getting pulled in, somehow."

"What do you mean by that?" Megaman asked.

"Well...don't think badly of me, okay?"

"For what? Lan, we've both done enough stupid things for ten lifetimes. At worst, I'll just laugh at you for being an idiot. Same as usual."

"That's awful, but it's also really reassuring. I, uh...when we met at the door, I felt like...there was a pull."

"You mean you have the hots for her?"

"It's not that...something deeper, I think. Like okay, she's pretty...she's attractive and stuff, right? But it was the kind of thing that makes your soul react. That's what I mean. I don't know if it's love, or something like a warning, or a distortion."

"I think I get it. Something that makes ripples in the soul, huh."

"Yeah. Does that sound creepy to you?"

"It doesn't, but we're twins and all that. Others could mistake it for...something else. Better keep it between us," Megaman suggested.

"Don't have to tell me twice." He sighed. "So...we're waiting, I guess. Hopefully she doesn't freak out at me being here."

"Maylu hasn't sent anything back yet."

"Meh. Probably making out with Chaud. At least I hope she is, they really haven't been spending enough time together," Lan said as he sat in a nearby chair.

"Is that what you want to think about?"

"No, but it was the first thing that came to mind."

"You're a weirdo."

"Takes one to know one. Also, you're technically me."

"Ah, whatever. Actually, mind plugging me in somewhere? I think I should try and catch up with Roll just in case."

"Right. I forgot one of us has a wife already," Lan said with a smirk, starting the transmission sequence.

"Oh, shut up. See you in a while."

"Yeah. See ya."

Suddenly, the room was quiet save for the sounds of the monitor nearby. Ciel was still asleep.

Lan yawned and quickly fell asleep himself, the exhaustion from the night before catching up with him.

"It's troublesome, in a way."

"..." Lan woke up as he heard someone speak. Rubbing his eyes, he saw that Ciel had her head turned away, facing the window on the other side of the room.

"You really shouldn't be here. Especially with someone like me."

"You would say that, wouldn't you," he replied.

Ciel's dull and weary blue eyes started to moisten with tears.

"Thank you...Lan. I'm wracked with guilt. But I'm thankful."

"Yeah."

"There's a lot to say, if I find the strength to say it."

"Will it take a long time?"

"It will."

He nodded, then remembered she couldn't see him. "Right."

"You're going to say that it's fine. And it's not. Not at all," she said quietly. "But just this once, in spite of myself...I will grab hold of your kindness."

She closed her eyes, pulling her arms tight against herself. The room was quiet once more, as they both waited for the distance between them to close.