Chapter III: Evasion

"That kid… what was wrong with him…?" Tohru Yuzawa muttered to himself as he sat atop the skyscraper, watching from a safe distance as the Rogue Player fled from the reinforcements he had called. "Idealist? Too scared to even move? Just crazy? He didn't seem to understand what I was saying at times…" he continued, replaying the situation over and over in his head as the swarm of Penalty Noise joined the reinforcements in chasing the Rogue Player down. She was nearing Miyashita Park; at that rate, she would soon cross into the remains of Cat Street and the rest of the earthquake-struck Ruins beyond.

"You seem relaxed."

Hearing a voice from behind, Yuzawa turned his head. A woman with long black hair and bandaged limbs stood before him; a ragged set of fluttering clothing and a tattered scarf obscured the majority of her features. "Officer Noraneko," he acknowledged, barely respectful enough not to tread into being carelessly casual. "So the Rogue Player really is that important, huh? Enough that the Conductor would send out someone like you." His tone shifted, becoming more inquisitive. "You'd think a target that important would merit tellin' us rank-and-file why she's so important, especially since we've been searchin' for her for so long. Hm?" The question itself was innocent enough on its own, though Yuzawa's demeanour clearly indicated a challenging undertone.

Noraneko's golden irises stared back apathetically at the Harrier. "The Composer wants her. That's all you need to know," she remarked simply, before abruptly switching topics. "You aren't giving chase?"

"Hmph. Do I need to? The reinforcements, the Penalty Noise… I think they've got this covered; I've done my part. What about you… Officer Noraneko?" he returned the question, smirking.

"No. They won't succeed."

Yuzawa raised an eyebrow, momentarily dropping his self-assured manner. "Oh yeah? And how's that…?"

"My Soul Revel. I can feel it." Her slitted pupils narrowed as she continued to observe the fleeing Player. "Luck is with her… It's dangerous to approach her right now." Noraneko's usually placid-expression twitched for a moment as she considered the Rogue Player, interested.

"Is that right…? You Officers with your 'Soul Revel' talk. An 'ability unique to you' sounds useful, but I couldn't for the life of me imagine how you developed somethin' like that. Care to teach me some time, 'Black Cat'?" he chuckled, adding the Noraneko's well-known nickname in with a playfully sarcastic chuckle.

Noraneko gave no response; ignoring the jab, she moved onto a new topic once more. "The Conductor wants to see you."

This time, Yuzawa's smirk vanished completely, replaced by a frown. "… Really now?"

"'You've done well. I want to reward you personally'… or whatever," she parroted, turning away. "Back to HQ. Let's go."

Yuzawa slowly got to his feet, a little surprised that the Officer was in fact quite serious about leaving the Rogue Player. He cast a quick glance over to the area around Cat Street; he could make out the girl surrounded by Reapers and Noise alike. 'Luck is with her'? She's kidding me, right? Scoffing, Yuzawa made to follow Noraneko, wondering what the Conductor had in store for him.

"'Keita Choujumyou', huh? Aw, I like that! It's really delicate, ken!" Charlotte clapped her hands and giggled joyfully. Her new Partner looked on cluelessly, still holding his Phone up:

My name is Keita Choujumyou [蝶寿命 敬太]

It's very nice to meet you both.

The duo were accompanied by Yukiko within the lobby of 104; a short distance away stood Kensei, and a farther distance past him, a sizable group of twenty-something others. The gathered Players sat restlessly within the lobby, taking care to remain far away enough from any of the mall's storefronts to avoid modulating into the RG via Decal.

"That's great," Yukiko remarked, sounding entirely unimpressed. Her pen swam across the page of her open notebook, marking the new section, [Keita Choujumyou]. "Oh. Just the name's fine," she clarified with an ok hand sign, already diligently recording her thoughts on the newcomer.

Keita stared back at the girl, a mixture of uncertainty and half-understanding on his face. The girl writing in her notebook wore a simple outfit: A t-shirt, baggy shorts, and sneakers; aside from the trio of headbands, the only other distinguishing feature was her tattered, fingerless black gloves that extended up to her upper arm. Something about her was different from the other Players to Keita; something about her seemed… off. But what was it?

"Ahem," Kensei cleared his throat, loud enough for Yukiko to hear from the other side of the lobby.

Yukiko rolled her eyes, not bothering to turn around and face the man. "Er. And it's nice to meet you, or whatever," she added, gesticulating as best she could whilst adding a quick, noncommittal bow.

"Ah… Thank you," Keita stammered, returning the bow. He raised his head, and offered a handshake, but the abrasive girl had already walked off. "Um…" His expression fell; he turned to his Partner for support.

"Don't mind Yukiko, min; she's just a right grumpy lass," Charlotte grinned cheerfully. "You're such a cutie though. Y'even wrote 'nice to meet you' in there!" she laughed. "I thought y'were deaf, not mute- ah." The girl's pleasant expression evaporated; she groaned, realising a little late the futility of her words. Slumping over, she hid her face in her hands, mumbling, "he's deaf," to herself ten times or so.

Uh-oh, Keita gripped his chest, watching his Partner rocking back and forth on the smooth flooring of the lobby. Did I do something wrong?

Of course you did, the negative part of him cut in immediately. You're acting all awkward as usual. Probably making her really uncomfortable.

"Umm…" Keita tried to think of something to say, but found his mind to be preoccupied debating with itself. His gaze wandered around the room before settling on his camera; his hands cradled the device carefully, with the tenderness that a parent would have with their newborn.

Noticing Keita's anxiety, Charlotte quickly sat up and threw her smile back on. She began to type out a note on her own Phone.

Keita took the time to look his new Partner over. A lithe, athletic-looking young woman, Charlotte had a long set of loose curls that were swept into a faux undercut; the orange tresses contrasted strongly with her aquamarine eyes. In the way of clothing, she wore a simple royal-blue midriff tank top. Compression sleeves extended from above her elbow to her wrists, with her hands being snugly covered by a pair of fingerless, snap-cuff, half-scoop gloves. Finally, a pair of compression leggings led down to a pair of sleek, black biker boots. She seems like the active type. Keita noted the consistent black compression gear and gloves, wondering if she was as athletically capable as the outfit indicated.

Just then, she finished her message.

Love your name! I'm Charlotte Kurogami [黒神 シャーロット]

Pleased to meet you, too. Call me Lottie if you like!

The grumpy lass is Yukiko Kitaoka [北岡 雪子]. Don't let her get to you, yeah? I'll introduce you to the others later.

And don't mind me! Just need to get used to your Entry Fee. I'm a bit of a chatterbox.

^-^ /

"Kurogami…" Keita relaxed a little upon reading the message. "N- nice to meet you. Uh. Again." He bowed his head hastily, avoiding eye contact. So she's not mad at me… That's good.

Well, then again, she did just say that your Entry Fee is causing her trouble.

Keita's chest tightened up again. Yeah, but… it's not like I chose my Entry Fee-

You're still causing trouble for her.

"Mnngh." Keita lowered his head further, self-consciously pulling twirling and pulling at his hair.

Meanwhile, Yukiko was making her way back to the larger group of Players. Veterans and newcomers alike seemed to be discussing the situation, with many turning to Emma and Takaharu more than once for their input. Takaharu proactively made his way around the Players, energetically ensuring that everyone was feeling up to scratch, whilst Emma calmly fielded concerns and questions being thrown at her with her signature professional grace. Before Yukiko could catch any of the conversation, however, Kensei joined her.

"Hey," he greeted, walking alongside her. "How'd it go?"

"How'd asking for his name go?" Yukiko brought a finger to her chin, nodding slowly with a transparently sarcastic imitation of thoughtfulness. "I dunno man, it was tough, but I pulled it off somehow."

"Uh… huh." Kensei nodded slowly, feeling like he knew where she was headed. "So… You seem mad at me-"

"Yeah, I'm mad at you, dumbass…!" Yukiko glared at him incredulously; the two didn't break their stride, despite this. "What was the one condition I gave for helping you with the recovery missions?"

Kensei pursed his lips for a moment, but answered honestly. "That I not overextend myself."

"And did you agree to that condition?"

"Yeah. I did."

"And did it occur to you that maybe," Yukiko held a hand up, shaking lightly with disbelief. "Just maybe, going after and actually fighting against a swarm of goddamn Penalty Noise could have counted as 'overextending yourself'?"

Kensei remained silent for a moment, quietly clicking his tongue against his teeth. "Well," he began-

"Mmmm, no, there's no 'well', you braindead oaf…!" Yukiko interrupted, her voice rising slightly in frustration. She managed to bring it back down, fortunately. "You're my Partner. You're supposed to be the one person I can trust. Try a little harder, or I won't come along to your little recovery missions anymore, Kensei. And don't try to play the 'then I'll have to go alone' card again, either; it won't work." Scoffing, the girl flipping over to diary section in her notebook, jotting down an entry with the current date and time.

Bleeding-heart hero strikes again. Dragged me into helping some Players (Katy, Charlotte Kurogami, Keita Choujumyou) escape the Penalty Noise. YES, THE PENALTY NOISE. Don't let him have his way again.

"Yukiko, I'm sorry. You're right, I went against our agreement," Kensei acknowledged. "I couldn't just leave them, though. Do you understand why, at leas-"

"No," his Partner replied bluntly. "I get that you like to help others, Kensei, I do. And I'm real glad that it's what gives you happiness." She snapped her book shut, pointing it at him. "But. This is the Reapers' Game. We gotta put our own survival first. Playing the hero is nice and all, and I've got no problems with you doing just that. But if you're gonna pull stupid stunts like this and endanger our lives too, that's where you lose me."

The man gave no response; only an understanding, if slightly unapologetic look. He already knew how she felt about the subject, and she knew how he felt in turn.

"Nothing more to say, huh?" Yukiko checked. After a few seconds had passed, she reared back and smacked him hard with her notebook. She turned away. "I'm gonna go cool off." And with that simple statement, she walked off, grumbling.

Kensei stood there for a moment, watching his Partner walk off. Sighing, he pulled out his comb and ran it through his hair. "Great stuff, Kensei," he muttered, walking over to check on Charlotte and Keita.

"But how? He was like, the smartest guy out of all of us!"

"He's right! You can't be serious, Ishikawa!"

Meanwhile, Ishikawa and Takaharu stood before the clamouring Players, giving them a moment longer to voice their feelings and concerns. "I understand how you all feel," she assured, her voice, though being compassionate, was even more so matter-of-fact. "Unfortunately, it is what has happened. I'll take this time to remind you that the Player Hunter has rarely been sighted attacking anyone in the open," she pointed out, calmly adjusting her glasses. "Avoid alleyways and side-streets. Don't split off from your Partner. And always be alert."

"Ishikawa," a particularly riled up Player spoke, "is that really all we can do? Run and cower? Do you intend to let this man get away with what he's done?"

"That's not it at all," Ishikawa shook her head. "I'm simply advising the best precautions to be taki-"

"Emma, those 'precautions' ain't good enough," yet another Player called out. "Think about how we're feeling. Think about how Charlotte is feeling! Shouldn't we ask her what she thinks-"

"Kurogami has already made it clear that she does not want anyone to be reckless; I wouldn't have asked her to sit out this conversation if she had anything further to add." Ishikawa glanced over to the lass; she still seemed to be peacefully chatting away with Keita.

"She's only able to say that because of her Entry Fee!" someone else pointed out. "You know she'd be far more upset if not for that!"

"Regardless," Ishikawa reiterated, feeling her hold slipping. "Acting off emotion isn't going to get us anywhere. Yukimura knew that as well-"

"You've always been good at supporting Jun, Kensei, and the rest of us when we need a level head, Emma; ain't nobody gonna argue with that," another Player stood as he spoke, garnering everyone's attention. "But this is not one of those times. We can't just take this lying down; we've lost way too many of us to this one guy," he pressed on, the emotion evident in his face and voice. The other Players began to nod in agreement. "I say we track down this Player Hunter bastard and give him what he deserves; show him that you don't mess with us! Yeah?" He looked to the others for support; the crowd began to shout out their agreement. Ishikawa frowned, gritting her teeth as she saw arguments beginning to unfold amidst her comrades; losing patience, she opened her mouth to silence everyone…

"Hey, we get it!" Takaharu spoke for the first time, his voice calm; he gently pushed Ishikawa back to step past her. "I'm with you; this Player Hunter has hurt us too many times for too long, and he'll keep hurting us unless we stop him, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"That's right!"

"Exactly!"

Takaharu nodded understandingly, waiting for a moment before continuing. "The Player Hunter is too dangerous to be ignored, like you're saying. We've had our teammates, our friends ripped away from us by this guy. We're not about to let him get away with it."

The crowd murmured in agreement. A select few once again shouted their approval.

Ishikawa tried to restrain herself, but her mouth moved without consent. "Takaharu, wh-"

"That's why," Takaharu raised his voice before Ishikawa could continue. "Emma and I'll discuss a plan with Kensei to take this guy down; in the meantime, we gotta make sure to actually survive long enough to smack it to this guy. I know it's tough, but we gotta bide our time; can I count on you all to keep each other safe until we call on you?" The young man's usually silly expression was all but deadly serious; his trusting gaze swept across the room, looking from Player to Player.

Emma stood quietly behind her Partner. Her fists were clenched; her body trembled with effort.

"Y- yeah," a nervous young girl called out. "I- it's like Takaharu says; we need to stick together!"

A moment of silence… and then the crowd seemed to come to an understanding. The tense whispering and murmuring turned to supportive cries and cheers.

Takaharu grinned. "Thanks, everyone! And Saya," he pointed to the nervous girl. "Great attitude! I know you'll make an amazing Player!"

Saya's eyes went wide for a moment, not expecting Takaharu to remember her. Nonetheless, she bowed in thanks.

"Okay," Takaharu checked his Phone; he frowned for a moment, but quickly recovered. "Let's sit tight a while longer. There might still be some Penalty Noise lurking outside." With that, the group began to relax, starting up casual conversation with each other. Takaharu gently took Ishikawa's arm and walked to an emptier part of the lobby. "Hey," he whispered, carefully checking behind him to make sure they were out of earshot. "Entry Fee?"

Ishikawa, likewise, first cast a precautionary glace behind her. "Yeah," she answered as best she could. The profuse bleeding from her now-open mouth made it a little difficult, naturally.

"Good god, Emma…!" Takaharu grit his teeth, fishing a handkerchief out of his pocket; he moved to help, but Ishikawa recoiled, holding up a defensive hand.

"I can do it. Thank you," she added, turning her palm upright.

"Sure," Takaharu agreed without argument, immediately handing the handkerchief over. "You really took 'biting your tongue' to a new level, huh?" he winced, watching the straight-faced girl calmly wiping the static from her lips and chin.

"I'm sorry about the handkerchief," Ishikawa noted emotionlessly. "I'll buy you a new one later-"

"Who cares about that? Jeez…!" Takaharu rummaged through the pockets of his parka, quickly locating the Pin he wanted. "Cure Drink." The can formed in half a second; the young man thrust it in front of his Partner.

With a nod of thanks, Ishikawa took the healing Psych; the deep bite marks on her tongue mended themselves; the bleeding stopped.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Ishikawa readjusted her glasses and re-tightened her short ponytail.

"… That was stronger than usual, Emma," Takaharu pressed, his brow furrowing. "Is it about Yukimura-"

"I said, I'm fine…!" Ishikawa repeated, feeling herself slipping once more. "You're going to trigger it again, so shut up and stop worrying-" Realising what she was saying, the girl clapped a hand over her mouth.

The comment had indeed stopped Takaharu; he seemed to struggle for a moment, unsure about whether to press further.

"… Takaharu, I-"

"No, you're right… Sorry. I'll give you some space." Pulling the brim of his visor down to mask his expression, the young man walked off, leaving Ishikawa standing alone. Her expression softened, turning remorseful as she watched her Partner's back.

Arriving next to Keita and Charlotte, Kensei raised a friendly hand as he sat next to the pair. "Yo. How's it going with the kid, Lottie?"

"Heyyy, ya fit like, Kensei?" Charlotte laughed, giving the man a gentle poke with her Phone. "Just introduced the lad to Yukiko. You've got perfect timing, ken." She typed a quick note out.

This is Yukiko's Partner, Kensei Tetsuyou [鋼夭 健成]

He's kind of like our captain. Real friendly, real supportive!

Glancing at what had been written, Kensei chuckled. He bowed politely, mouthing 'nice to meet you' with a smile.

"N- nice to meet you too…!" Keita perked up at the man's welcoming demeanour, taking the time to more closely examine him. The tall man wore a simple white dress shirt with rolled sleeves; his legs were clad in blue dress trousers of similar quality, capped off by a pair of muted, dull purple derbies. The stand-out feature was definitely the red streak of dye in his quiff. "Oh," Keita realised, "I'm uh, Keita Choujumyou, by the way." He smiled nervously, extending a hand.

Kensei's eyes widened a small amount; taken slightly aback, he let out an apologetic laugh, awkwardly holding up his hands. "Ah… Sorry, I can't."

"O- oh…?" Keita lowered his hand a little, uncertain. He looked from the discomforted man to Charlotte.

The girl frantically waved her hand back and forth, an urgent look on her face. Swiftly typing out an explanation, she flipped her Phone around to show Keita.

The young man's eyes slid across the words on-screen. It took a moment for him to process what he had just read, but… "Huh. Is… is that right?" He looked back to Kensei; neither of them seemed to be joking. "Okay. I… I understand-" Then, Keita stopped, noticing something else. Isn't it kinda…? "Um. Kurogami, Tetsuyou… Isn't it getting a little warm in here?"

"Warm?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow, glancing at her light attire. She shook her head. "Not fer me, lad. Kensei?"

The man dropped his smile. Then he gently pulled at his collar. "Huh. Might be my imagination, but actually…" As he wondered, a strong wave of intense heat suddenly washed across them. The other Players sat upright, noticing a slight tremor in the ground. "No… did she…?"

"Whoa- Kensei!?"

Ignoring Charlotte's cry, Kensei ran to the entrance of 104, just in time to see a surge of brilliant white blooming over the overcast skyline, almost as though a supernova had exploded over the horizon of Shibuya.

New Day: Part III

Katy's mind slowly surfaced from the depths of unconsciousness. Her first thoughts formed as she regained cognition. Where… am I? Everything's black. Indeed, she couldn't see a single thing. The thought occurred that opening her eyes might help. Just before she tried that, however, she noticed that there was something else she couldn't do.

She couldn't breathe.

Eyes snapping open, Katy rolled over onto her front. Her chest seized, expelling water from her airway with a bout of violent coughing. Pain stabbed at her as she gasped for air, frantically attempting to identify her surroundings. An alleyway…? The observation barely sounded in her mind before being drowned out by another round of coughing. Rain…! she realised a little late. Thick, heavy sheets of grey poured down upon her back; the vivid sound of drops splattering into dirty concrete overwhelmed her for a moment. In the distance, thunder rumbled ominously. "Nnngh…!" With considerable effort, Katy managed to force herself to her feet. Just as quickly, however, she lost her balance; she fell to the side, saved from crashing back into the muddy ground by an adjacent wall. The girl shook; sharp, rasping gasps escaping her mouth as she held herself. S- so cold… Her trembling fingers made their way to her bag, but… N- no…! Dull, uncomprehending shock hit her as she looked to herself, and the alley around her; it was nowhere to be seen. Shivering uncontrollably, the girl took a small, unsteady step forwards. Her legs felt as though they were weighed down by cement. Slowly, gradually, she dragged herself to the end of the alleyway. This is… Peering out around the corner, Katy saw nothing but cracked, crumbling, half-destroyed buildings. Cat Street, she confirmed to herself, finally getting her breathing under control. She examined the closer end of the street, which lead into Miyashita Park. Just inside the Ruins. How long have I been unconscious? Gritting her teeth, the girl staggered out of the alleyway. The safehouse at Wildkat… It should be close.

Before she could move any further, however, she caught sight of someone in the distance, standing in the middle of the road. A child? Taken aback, Katy widened her eyes. "H-… Hey…!" she called out, lungs weak. With her limbs feeling a little lighter, she picked up the pace, jogging towards the lone child. "Heeeyyy…!" she tried again, a little louder. The heavy rain likely muffled Katy's voice, just as it almost completely obscured the unmoving child's form. Is it not a Player? Katy considered, wondering who else would be standing outside in such conditions. As she got closer, however, the child turned, showing his face. Katy stopped in her tracks, her chest contracting. Time slowed to a crawl as she realised who she was staring at; the shock hit like a train. She could only just make it out in the rain, but… it was definitely him. Koushi and Kensei's brother, who had gone missing at the end of the last Reaper's Game.

Hiro Tetsuyou.

Hiro flinched, raising his arms for one moment. The next, he spun around, taking off.

"Wh- Hiro!" Her heart hammering in her chest, Katy took a moment to understand what was happening before giving chase. "Wait, it's me-"

Boom!

A clap of thunder exploded overhead, drowning out the girl's cry. She begged her deadened legs to push harder, feeling her chest tightening as she began to lose ground on the fleeing boy. Hiro turned into one of the countless ruined buildings in the district. Adrenaline shot through Katy as she realised he was closing the door behind him. Hiro…! Rather than expending breath again, she simply shot forwards, desperate to make it in time. "Agh…!" A stifled scream escaped as the door slammed shut on her fingers; she shifted her body against it before the latch could click into place, but Hiro himself was still pushing from the other side. "Hiro, open the door!" she managed.

The boy yelled something back, but it was muffled by the ongoing rain, as well as the door itself.

Katy struggled, ignoring the agonising pain in her definitely broken fingers. With a deep breath, she planted her feet, and shoved her full weight against the door, forcing it open. The two tumbled onto splintered, cracked wooden flooring; Hiro scrambled to his feet and ran a few steps…

"Hiro, it's me! It's Katy!" she yelled again; her voice sounded clearly within the room. The boy froze.

Hiro slowly turned, looking at his pursuer. "Ms. Vio…?"

"Yes," she panted, shakily getting to her feet. "It's me… It's me, Hiro."

"Ms. Vio…!" Hiro's voice faltered; he ran forwards, throwing his arms around the exhausted young lady. "I can't believe it's you." Tears streamed down the young boy's face as he spoke in disbelief.

"What do y- Hiro, where have you been…?" Katy asked, heart sinking a little as she spotted the Timer on his palm; expected as it was, the sight did nothing to improve her spirits. She kneeled down and pulled the boy into a proper embrace. "How have you survived this long, Hiro?"

"I was so scared, Ms. Vio…" he choked out, gripping Katy tighter. "I'm so glad to see you again. P- please don't leave me alone," Hiro pleaded; his tiny frame shook uncontrollably, heaving with each sob.

A pained expression formed on the girl's face. "Shhh, I'm not going to leave you, Hiro, it's okay. It's okay, I'm here," she comforted, gently stroking his hair. She held the boy tight, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. She sat for a moment, regaining her composure. "Hiro," she said, finally, "you must have Pacted, right? Where's your Partner? Are they around here?"

Hiro's crying slowed. His body grew unnaturally still. "Ms. Vio…" he started, his voice quiet. "You know who my Partner is. It's sis."

The answer threw Katy. Silence filled the room; her throat clenched up; her mind couldn't find an appropriate response.

"Hey, Ms. Vio," Hiro spoke again, gently pulling away to look Katy in the eye. "Where… is sis?"

"I-…" Conflicting emotions swirled around within Katy. She's gone. The reminder felt like a dagger through the heart; though it was the correct answer, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Where's sis? I want to see her, Ms. Vio," Hiro repeated, his lips trembling; tears welling up in his eyes once more.

"Hiro, Koushi is…" Katy hesitated, feeling like a monster. Her voice cracked as she forced herself to finish. "Koushi's… She's gone, Hiro." You know she is. You were there. We were both there. "She… She's been gone for…"

"Wh- what are you saying…?" Hiro stepped back, horrified. "What do you mean she's 'gone'? I don't get it."

"Hiro, I-"

A tear ran down the boy's face as he realised what Katy meant. He clutched his head and fell to his knees. "No… No, you said that we were all going to make it home. You promised…!" he was almost shouting now; Hiro tore at his hair, unable to accept what Katy was saying.

"Hiro-" Katy tried again, but she couldn't speak; her throat was so terribly dry. Her face twisted in anguish. "Hiro, I'm sorry, but-"

"You're s- sorry?!" Hiro cried, glaring at Katy through his tears. "You promised we'd all be okay! You lied to me! You're a liar!" he screamed.

"No, I-…!" Before she could say anymore, however… a blade pierced through the boy's chest from behind. "Hiro!"

The boy's eyes widened in shock. He convulsed for a moment, looking down at the bloody weapon sticking out of him. "Ms… Vio…?" He went limp. His attacker carelessly ripped the blade back out; Hiro collapsed to the floor, lifeless. Bright red blood oozed out of his wound, pooling around him.

"Oh- Oh god…!" Katy fell to her knees, fighting the urge to throw up. She looked past the boy; standing behind Hiro's corpse was the Queen of CHECKMATE. And next to her, was the Rook. The Bishop. The Knight… and the King.

"M- Magokoro…?" The stench of iron hit Katy as she stared on in shock; she looked back down, only to see Koushi's body lying alongside her brother's; the siblings' cold, dead eyes gazed blankly into each other.

The blood had reached Katy, now; it soaked into her jeans. It was warm. Unsettlingly warm. "Nngh…!" The girl's stomach twisted; the pain was unbearable. Stop…!

Muki smiled cruelly, stepping over the siblings' bodies to get to Katy.

"S- stay away!" she screamed, scrambling pathetically to her feet before running for the door. Someone blocked her way, however.

Kensei stared at the blood-soaked girl in horror, recoiling at the very sight of her. "Katy, what are you…?"

"K- Kensei…!" she choked out, panicking. "D- don't look in here!"

Too late, however. The man's gaze had already passed by the shuddering girl. "Koushi…? Hiro…!" Kensei breathed, eyes wide. "They're… no. What did you do…?" he asked, turning back to Katy. "What did you do…?!"

"It- It wasn't me, I swear, I…!" She was crying now; she pleaded and pleaded for it to stop, but the tears kept coming.

"I thought you were my friend…!" Kensei shouted, callously grabbing Katy's wrist. "You hid this from me! How could you hide this from me?!"

"Y- you're hurting me…!" Katy sobbed. As she feebly attempted to pull his hand off her, however, more grabbed onto her from behind. She turned around. "Magokoro, let me go-" The words caught in her mouth; a bloody Hiro and Koushi had latched onto her legs and torso, staring at her with glassy eyes. "No, this isn't…!" Katy tried to tear her eyes away, but couldn't bring herself to. The ground shook as an earthquake hit; the building shuddered around them.

"Katy…"

"Ms. Vio…!"

"Katy…"

"Katy…!"

"Please- please stop…!" Katy cried, feeling herself sinking; everyone was pulling her down. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, please…!" The shaking hit its peak; Katy looked on in horror as the district outside began to crumble further; the ground cracked and split open, swallowing her up into a tight, jagged crevice. She screamed one last time before the rubble from above fell and crushed her, burying her in a suffocating, endless darkness.

Katy awoke with a start, bolting upright in her makeshift bed. Her heart hammered in her chest as she shook uncontrollably. Her clothes were drenched in a cold sweat. "Haah… Haah…!" Her breathing came in short, sharp gasps. Her eyes darting around the dimly lit room as she tried to calm herself. "Just-… Just a dream, you're okay… You're okay, you're okay, you're okay…" she muttered to herself over and over, tightly wrapping her arms around herself as she sat alone in the storeroom of the Wildkat Café.

"Almost there now," Kensei assured the five Players as they walked into the Underpass.

"We know where Miyashita Park is, Kensei," Yukiko muttered under her breath, flipping through her diary.

"Ach, this is gonna be great fun," Charlotte sang cheerfully, typing out a shorthand version of her words for Keita's sake. He smiled back briefly, before returning to walking silently along. "Feelin' pumped, Taka?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, absolutely!" Takaharu flashed a grin, turning to his Partner for a moment. "Right, Emma?"

"It's 'Ishikawa'."

"Well," Takaharu continued as if he'd heard nothing. "If you need any help once we're there, just say the word, Lottie!"

Barely stopping herself from pointing out that this was the fourth time he had made such an offer, Ishikawa allowed Takaharu and Charlotte to chat away, instead striding to the front of the group. "Leader," she called softly as she walked up next to him.

"Hm? What's up, Emma?" Kensei smiled, running his comb through his quiff.

"Are you absolutely sure she's alright?" She adjusted her glasses, worry seeping into her voice. "I know it's Katy we're talking about, but from what you said, the situation sounded quite dire. Not to mention that explosion…" She stopped, drawing her mouth into a thin line.

"Yes, well." Kensei stowed the comb away, a thoughtful expression on his face. "'course I'm worried, too. But at the same time, I know that she wouldn't have ran off alone without a plan, so…" He shrugged, then chuckled nervously. "Well, no point stressing. We gotta keep calm in situations like this, yeah?"

"Of course…" Though Ishikawa conceded, her expression remained troubled. She bit her lip. "I only wish that I could have followed you to help her-"

"Hey now," Kensei cut in, "I'm the one who told you and Taka to head back to 104. 'sides, without you to support the rest of the team, who knows how much they could have panicked?"

Ishikawa lowered her head, remained silent. Several paces back, Takaharu quietly observed his Partner with a worried eye.

"Hey," Kensei spoke again. "It's not the first time this kind of thing has happened to her, if it makes you less worried. She'll definitely make it there," he assured.

Ishikawa looked up. "The Penalty Noise?"

"What? Oh, no," Kensei chuckled. "No, just in general, where there's been some emergency situation, and we've had to meet back up at the meeting place."

"Ah, yes," Ishikawa nodded. "That 'promise' you mentioned before we left 104."

"Yeah. Took me a little to get her to agree to it, but… Well, to elaborate," Kensei chuckled, "whenever something like say, a particularly dangerous Mission comes around, high Players casualties are reported, or in this case, the Penalty Noise show up… If it's enough to cause worry for her safety, I head straight to the Park, and wait for her to meet me there. Sometimes she gets there first, though," he chuckled again to lighten the mood. "It always plays out the same, really. She assures me that she's doing well, we have a nice chat, and that's that until next time."

"I meant to ask earlier, actually" Ishikawa raised an eyebrow. "How do you measure what's 'enough to cause worry'? What if something happens that seems 'serious' to one of you, but not to the other?"

"Ah, well. There have been uh," Kensei paused, counting up on his fingers before giving up. "Let's say one or two instances where I've gone to wait at the meeting place, she happens to walk by, hours later, and asks me what I'm doing-"

"Hours?" Ishikawa repeated, her voice rising above her usual pitch and volume. She caught herself too late, clapping an indignant hand over her mouth with a frown.

"I usually ditch him at the 15-minute mark," Yukiko remarked, not looking up from her notebook. "20, if I'm feeling generous," she added with a smirk.

"I mean, you know," Kensei laughed awkwardly. "We know each other well enough so that we're usually on the same wavelength now, but…"

Ishikawa carefully observed the man's face for any indication that he was joking, but to her amusement, he seemed entirely serious. The smallest of smiles crept up on her face. "If… you don't mind me asking, what's an example of one of those times?"

"Uh. Well. Hmm…" Kensei thought hard. Or at least, appeared to; he tapped a finger against his chin a few times before sighing. "Man, it's been such a long time-"

"Three months ago," Yukiko cut in, reading off an entry in her diary. "We had a Mission to get to 104. Problem was, we also had to be wearing clothing from the #1 Brand at the time- ugh, I kinda remember now," she broke off, recalling her annoyance with distaste. "We didn't have access to the Brand Chart for that one; sucked big-time."

"Yukiko, you really don't have to-"

"Anyway," she spoke over her Partner, "Kensei was absolutely horrified," (she indicated the underlined word in her diary before continuing), "that a wallflower like Katy wouldn't be up-to-date on what stuff was trending, and that she'd fail the Mission. We ran aaallllll the way to Miyashita Park and to help her. Wanna guess what happened, Ishikawa?" Yukiko grinned.

"I suppose Katy… had no problem with the Mission? And Leader waited on her for, well, 'hours'…?"

"Eh. Half-right," Yukiko's grin widened.

"Half?"

"So," she looked back down to her notebook, "not only did Katy clear the Mission; she came to the meeting place anyway, but only to comfort Kensei, because she knew he would be freaking out and worrying over her!" Yukiko slapped her leg, snorting as she remembered the feeling of hilarity.

"I see…" Ishikawa smiled lightly. "That's quite like Katy, to be so caring-"

"Oh, no, no, no," Yukiko interrupted, coughing as she tried to regain her breath. "That's not even the best part. Kensei? Wanna take this one, buddy?" she offered sarcastically, sniggering.

"Since when are you so cheerful, Yukiko?" Kensei sighed, running his hand through his hair to distract himself.

"Hey. Anytime we can gang up to dunk on you like this, I'm game," she snickered. "So? You wanna tell her, or should I?"

"Fine, fine," Kensei accepted, pouting a little. "So, she assured me that she had no trouble clearing the Mission. Then it turned out that I actually had no idea what the trends were, so she had to be the one to help me out instead. Ha ha, hilarious," he recounted in monotone, walking a little bit faster. "There, happy?"

"Very," Yukiko acknowledged, jotting down this momentous occasion in her diary.

"To be fair," Kensei added, "you didn't know jack, either. And you're a girl. So yeah."

"Pfft. Sexist jerk," Yukiko shot back. "I just don't give a damn about 'fashion'. I wear what I wanna wear."

"It is quite the roundabout way to check up on her," Ishikawa jumped in to prevent further argument. "A quicker, simpler way would be nice."

"It would, but you know Katy. Asocial butterfly, that one; especially in the last few months. Keeps to herself more than I like," Kensei sighed sadly. "I still haven't even met her Partner, you know. How crazy is that? After how long we've been playing the Game, and all."

"Yes… I haven't either, actually," Ishikawa noted, thinking back to the few times Katy's Partner had come up.

"Hmm. Well, anyway. We're here," Kensei announced, stepping into Miyashita Park; though the weather had scared off any citizens in the RG, there were certainly a small number of Players scattered around the area. "Still a little rain, but that's fine, We'll have that training session while we wait for Katy. First off, though, Lottie, Keita," he turned to the back of the group; the pair perked up. "Let's get you stocked up before the First Mission arrives."

"Psychokinesis," Katy tried again, holding her palm out. Her shoulder bag rustled, slowly rising off the floor; after gaining about an inch's worth of air, however, it began to tremble, then promptly fell back into its place. I can't maintain my Psychs. Katy grimaced at the realisation, then moved to stand from the mattress. "Nngh…!" Sharp pain shot through her muscles as she shifted her weight. Her mind now fully roused from the depths of sleep, she recalled the bits of memory that had made their way into her dream; the trek from the alleyway to here had been short, but painful. Very painful. My entire body… The effects of the Lv. i. With some effort, the struggling girl managed to walk over to some crates in the corner. The Reapers got a good, long look at me, so… Rummaging through the crate's numerous contents, Katy picked out a distinctly different outfit. After changing, she laid her old clothes out on the floor before her. "Pyrokinesis," she muttered, snapping her fingers. A spark ignited a small tuft of flame at her fingertips; it sputtered feebly for only a second before extinguishing itself, however. "Tch. Pyro…!" After several more attempts, the heap of clothing finally caught fire, burning steadily into static. "Right," she whispered to herself. "On to Mr. Tezano." Katy gingerly stepped towards the exit, wincing as she went. Suddenly, she stopped, turning back as she remembered something. After a moment's hesitation, she returned to one of the crates, carefully going through its contents. Inside, she found what she was looking for; a bundle of cloth. Carefully unwrapping it, the young woman took a moment of silence to look upon what she had stashed inside. Koushi's cuff bangle sat in her hands, shiny and clean as ever.

Katy felt her stomach lurch a little as she recalled the nightmare she'd just experienced, but the feeling quickly passed. That one was worse than usual. I must be tired. Gazing into the polished silver, the girl examined her face; her reflection smiled, giving Katy an encouraging look. Katy managed to smile back. Safely stowing the bangle away in her shoulder bag, she made for the exit once more. It's raining, she realised. The same thick rain from her dream poured down from the skies, drenching a good area of the district outside. Cautiously, the young girl peered out the dirty window of the storefront. To be expected… she grimaced; a handful of Harriers patrolled the streets and skies, searching carefully for the Rogue Player.

A friend?

Keita jumped up from the park bench as Charlotte's Phone lowered in front of his face. He spun around to see his ever-smiling Partner standing behind him. The young boy looked back down to his camera, instinctively hiding the screen. "You… You saw?" he asked timidly, cheeks flush in embarrassment.

Charlotte nodded, her face falling a little. She said a single word, before quickly typing out a new message.

Sorry. That okay?

"N- no, it's fine. Sorry. Just didn't notice you there," Keita shook his head, watching intently as his Partner typed yet another message out.

Can I see?

Keita pursed his lips. An absent-minded hand rose up to pull at his hair. Charlotte tilted her head expectantly. "Um. Okay. Here." With the care of a parent handing over their child, Keita slowly, nervously took the camera off his neck, passing it over to the excited-looking girl.

Energetic as she was, Charlotte took the time to loop the strap around her own neck before examining the camera itself. Keita relaxed a little, greatly appreciating the respect. He tensed back up immediately, however, at the sight of Charlotte bursting into a fit of laughter. "Um. Sorry, I look really dumb, I know…"

Charlotte stopped laughing, an incredulous look on her face.

What? The two of you look magic! Cute as anything! -

The girl plopped herself onto the bench, pulling Keita down to sit next to her.

"Wh- hey…!" he stammered, caught off-guard. The girl angled the camera so that they could both see the display. Keita grimaced as he saw his face; eyes wide, mouth open, it was clear that he had not been ready for the photo when it had been taken. Beside him was a young man with blonde hair and deep blue eyes; a wide grin stretched across his face as he held Keita securely in a one-armed hug.

So? Friend? Boyfriend? :O

Charlotte stared Keita down, practically vibrating on the spot with excitement.

"What- no, not like that, we're just friends!" Keita corrected, shaking his head so fast that he dizzied himself.

Tell me about him? About the pair of you.

"He's- you know. He's my best friend, but…" Keita mumbled, trailing off. "That's basically it."

Charlotte pouted.

C'mon, Keets. We're gonna be Partners for a loooooooong time. I wanna get to know you before anything else, okay?

Keita blinked, unsure of how to respond. Charlotte waited patiently, smiling as she swayed and bounced around. "Okay, well. Maybe a little" He looked upwards. Where to start? "So actually… I'm only half Japanese; I moved over here from America a year ago because of…" he trailed off, noting Charlotte's interested expression. "… family stuff. So, uh. This involved changing schools, obviously. I joined my new school midway through the year as a transfer student, and I… met him there." He smiled a little as he recalled the memory. "Um. Am I talking about myself too much? Sorry," he added quietly.

Charlotte shook her head, fingers hammering down upon her phone keyboard with newfound vigour.

No, that's brilliant! Real happy for you.
How'd you two become friends, then? Were you studying similar things?

"Kind of. Actually, he came up to me because he was also a transfer student from America. Nice coincidence, huh? I'm kinda… not very good at the whole 'making friends' thing. And I was already stressed about uh, a lot of other things with the move, so…" Keita paused looking down. "When he just decided to march up to me and say, 'hey! We should be friends!'," Keita let a short, quiet chuckle out. "I uh… I really, really appreciated that. He's always been there when I needed him, since. You, um… remind me a lot of him, actually," Keita noted, glancing nervously over to his Partner.

Charlotte's eyebrows raised up; she pointed to herself, saying a single word. 'Me?', unless Keita was mistaken.

"Yeah. You both, um…" he trailed off, tugging self-consciously at a lock of his hair.

"You both… have the same kind of smile. If that makes sense," he quickly added, looking away in embarrassment.

Good job, me. Way to make it weird.

After a few seconds of self-loathing, Keita turned back to Charlotte, only to see her holding his camera out, smiling that same wide smile.

That was really sweet, Keets. Thank you for sharing, yeah?

"Oh, uh… It's no problem," he mumbled, quietly taking the device back. … Tell me something about yourself? The question formed easily as anything in his mind, but as usual, Keita found himself too anxious to vocalise it. He simply looped the camera's strap around his neck, and sat there quietly. A second later though, he noticed Kensei walking over, alone; a cluster of Pins sat in his hand.

"Huh. You see that?" the Harrier asked, maintaining a steady altitude as he peered upon the Ruins from above.

"What is it now?" his friend, a Support Harrier, groaned, no longer bothering to hide his exasperation.

"Thought I saw something move down there," he pointed to a gap between two buildings, squinting as he stared at the spot through the rain. "Let's go che-."

"Beej, this is like, the tenth time you've 'seen something', man," the Support shook his head. "Let's just call it. The Rogue Player's long gone."

"Tenho, come on," Beej, or rather BJ, insisted. "I promise I saw something this time. Let's just check it out real quick, okay?"

"Dude, we've been searching for ages. If you and the others," he indicated to the other Reapers scattered about the district, "want to keep searching, go right for it. I'm gonna report that we couldn't find anything, then get back to practice. You're free to join," he shrugged, soaring off with a flap of his wings.

"Wait, Tenho!" BJ protested, but his request went ignored. He glanced back towards the alleyway; a couple of broken boxes, a tattered tarp, and a garbage bin rattling in the wind sat there. The longer he thought on it, the more foolish he felt. "Argh," the Harrier threw his head back, then made to follow his friend. "Alright, Tenho, wait up!"

Far below, a pale hand lifted the edge of the tarp from beneath. Katy peered out, looking upwards at where the pair of Reapers had just been. Gone? I suppose they didn't spot me after all. After a quick survey of the sky, the girl crawled out from under the tarp, keeping low. Taking care not to trip on the bits of garbage and rubble littering the narrow space, she walked farther into the alleyway. Main streets are far too wide. I'll have to find another side-street. Reaching the end of the alley, she peeked around the corner. Two on the ground. One in the sky. Clicking her tongue, the girl went back the way she came. Hm? She looked down at the numerous bricks and fragments of stone she had stepped over. Then, she looked up, examining the adjacent apartment block; two stories up, she saw… A hole? I can probably… Slowly, carefully, Katy tensed her legs… then jumped. "Nngh." Her fingers caught the edge of the opening nicely; her arm muscles cried out, however, straining to hold her weight. Come on…! With some struggle, the girl managed to pull herself up. She rolled onto her back, panting; her arms already felt fatigued and sore. Sitting up, she took a few seconds to steady herself; then she was back on her feet.

Walking around a dusty, unmade bed, she reached for the door handle, stopping as she noticed a photo frame on a bedside table. Though also caked in dust, a picture of a smiling couple and child could be made out. A family lived here… Katy bit her lip, and turned away; opening the door, she stepped out into the living room. Nice and dry in here. Staggering over to the front door, the girl laid her hand upon the doorknob… Jammed. Pursing her lips, she pressed her palm against the wood. "Shock." The Psych weakly rattled the door, but otherwise made no difference. Katy frowned. Because it's a Lv. 1? No. It's just that I still can't… Clicking her tongue in frustration, the girl vainly pulled at the door one last time, then walked around the room, finding a large, broken window to peer out of

A block away stood a tall, extravagant tower of glass and steel; an almost unreasonably sturdy hotel that seemed to have received almost no damage from the earthquake, contrasting strongly with the ruined scenery surrounding it. Almost there, Katy reassured herself, scanning the dark back alley below before steeling herself. You can make it. After a few preparatory breaths, the girl leapt out the window, preparing for impact with the ground… "!" She hit the concrete, and her legs instantly buckled upon impact. The rest of her body soon followed; biting back a yelp of pain as she smacked into the ground, the weakened girl tumbled a short distance before slamming into the front of one of the many dumpsters lining the opposite wall. A portion of the overloaded bin's contents spilled out; cardboard and plastic clattered upon the concrete, whilst assorted glassware smashed to pieces upon impact instead. Quickly, get up…! Agony ran through her whole body, slowing her already sluggish movements even further.

Rapid footsteps sounded out from the street outside; someone was approaching.

Come on, move! With some serious effort, Katy barely managed to right herself, sitting against the side of the dumpster just as the footsteps stopped at the end of the alley. For a moment, the girl considered peeking around the dumpster. Don't, she stopped herself, dark as the alley is, there's no way he'll miss your head poking out like that.

"Hey," a brutish voice boomed out over the pouring rain. "Someone there?"

Katy grit her teeth, scrambling to form a plan as the footsteps slowly began to approach once more. A Player, maybe? As if I'd be so lucky. I'll just wait until he gets a little closer, then… Wait. The footsteps had stopped again. Had the man stopped walking? Or maybe… No. He's flying so that I can't hear him…! I need to confirm his position. The girl's gaze darting all about, her eyes landed on the broken glass beside her. That'll work. Carefully scooping a shard up, she slowly slid it around the corner, staring into its reflection. There he is…!

Just as she had assumed, the Harrier was floating mere inches off the ground, his entire body tense; handgun drawn, he slowly, patiently glided forwards, thoroughly combing the shadowy alley with his eyes as he went.

Katy glanced to her fingers, gingerly attempting to flex them. The fall hadn't done any favours for her body, it seemed; a dull pain radiated from her entire limb when she moved. She looked back to the glass. He's staying on-guard. I don't think I can move fast enough to jump him from here… I'll have to time this just right. Biting her lip, Katy pressed herself further into the shadow of the dumpster, waiting patiently for the Reaper to float closer… Not yet. Closer… Just a little more. Closer still… Don't panic…! And just as the Reaper came within a couple of paces of her, the girl focused on a plastic container on the ground behind him. Please move. "Psycho," she whispered. For a moment, nothing happened… but then, the container lifted up for a second… Perfect. The next, it fell back down onto the ground, hitting it with a clatter.

"Wh-!?" The Reaper spun around in surprise, eyes wild.

Now! Grabbing a brick off the ground, Katy reared back, ignoring the tearing sensation in her muscles. "Repulsor…!" The Psych took effect immediately this time; the Reaper spun around once more to face Katy, only to receive a devastating, Psych-enhanced strike to the side of the temple. The brick exploded into powder from the force of the blow; the Reaper himself fell, hitting the ground with a thud. Katy, too, collapsed, falling in a heap next to the man. Harsh, ragged breaths escaped her body as she tried desperately to push herself up. You need to get up! "Rrrrrgh…!" Despite feeling something snap inside her body, Katy managed to roll over onto her back; she raised a palm to defend herself… but no need; the Reaper remained as he was on the ground, out cold. The girl stared at the man's unmoving form for a moment, then sprawled out on the cold ground, allowing herself a moment to catch her breath.

Bang!

The pebble exploded midair, just as all that came it before had done; the dust leftover quickly scattered into the breeze.

"Bullseye again, Emma," Takaharu whistled, adjusting his visor as he gazed up at the clearing skies. "You're fifty for fifty; wanna take a break? Rain's letting up, so maybe we can grab something… to eat…" Looking back down to his Partner, he stopped.

The young lady stood completely unmoving, gazing blankly up at where her target had just been.

Takaharu's eyes narrowed. Dropping his handful of pebbles back on the ground, he trotted over to the girl. "Yo. Earth to Emma?"

"Hm? Ah, yes?" she stammered, snapping back into reality.

"I helped you out with target practice and all, you know. Least you could do is not ignore me," he chuckled.

"Yes… My apologies." Ishikawa brought her expression back to neutral, turning to walk away. "Wait here. I'll fetch something for you from Leader's-"

"Hey," Takaharu ran over, softly grabbing her wrist. "What's up? You're really out of it."

Ishikawa turned back to look at the young man. "Nothing. I'm just slightly fatigued." Gently taking her arm back, she pointed over to where Kensei, Charlotte, and Keita were standing. "Go ahead and relax with the others; I'll bring you that food for your trouble, alright?"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry," Takaharu declined politely, staying where he was. "If you wanna thank me, how about telling me what's on your mind?"

"Takaharu, I said I'm alright. I don't need your help, so…!" Ishikawa's heart beat a little faster; her voice had risen a little as she insisted on the point again. Before she could fully compose herself, however…

"It's about Katy this time, isn't it?"

"Yeah, what about it?" The retort came immediately after the question had been asked. Ishikawa clapped a hand over her mouth once more, glaring at Takaharu. "Entry Fee, Takaharu," she reminded him, her words slightly muffled.

"I know," Takaharu nodded sadly. "You… don't have to say anything, then. Just listen at least? Please?"

Ishikawa's gaze softened upon seeing her Partner's expression. After some thought, she lowered her hand. "… Alright. What is it?"

"I just wanna say… I get it. We all owe Katy for different reasons, but I feel like you in particular are really worrying over her, since you've always felt very, um… 'close' to her, is the word, I guess. It's not just that, though. The increase of Noise, lately. And especially Jun being…" Takaharu's expression faltered for a second. "… Jun's Erasure. It's affecting you, but that's okay; you should talk about it. Tell me how you feel for once, you know?" he asked, his eyes sincere. "It's… Everyone's thinking about it. I just feel like all of these things piling up are too much for you to handle. And," he broke off, laughing nervously, "you know that means something when I'm saying that about you."

Ishikawa drew a quick breath to speak… but simply shook her head. "Leader's doing his best for everyone. So I have to as well."

"It's not the same," Takaharu pressed. "He's keeping a straight face for everyone because he's the leader. But even he'll talk to Yukiko, at least, about his feelings when he's ready. I don't wanna be rude, but… if I don't ask you about it now, while it's fresh… I feel like you'll just bottle it up forever. Because that's what you do. Why else would your Entry Fee be what it is?" Takaharu frowned uncomfortably, pulling his visor down a little, and staring at the ground.

Ishikawa stared at her Partner, feeling conflicted. For a moment, she thought back to her life before she had died; an image of her parents flickered through her mind, but she quickly suppressed the memory. After a few more seconds of silence, she asked a question. "Takaharu, why do you ca-… Why are you so insistent on this?" Her tone softened by the smallest amount. It was slightly more emotional now; more human.. "We've known each other for so long. You know that I don't…" The young lady sighed, unsure of how to talk about herself. "That I'm… not the kind of person to do that. I'm capable of handling these sorts of situations."

"I know you can," Takaharu acknowledged. "But it's not like you aren't hurting on the inside like everyone else. You just don't let it show. Sometimes it feels like you want to, but you just… can't."

Ishikawa stiffened at that last observation; she hardened her expression before Takaharu could notice, however.

"Look, just…" Takaharu sighed, standing straight. "I do care about you. You're my Partner, you know? You're my friend, too. And I'm yours, I hope?" Throwing the joke in to lighten the mood, Takaharu let out a small laugh. "Could you at least… just consider opening up to me a little more? You don't have to talk about how you feel right now, okay? Maybe a little later, if you can. That would mean more to me than a handkerchief, or some food, Emma," he added, smiling.

As her Partner's words hit, Ishikawa felt a small pang of emotion for a moment. Instinctively, the young lady crushed down the feeling and brushed it off… but not entirely. "… Okay. If you're insisting, Takaharu." Adjusting her glasses, she gathered herself, returning to her usual manner. "I'll… give it some thought. Oh, and…" she looked him in the eye, giving the faintest of smiles. "It's not 'Emma'. It's 'Ishikawa'. Yes?"

Takaharu stared back in awe for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Whoa! Did you seriously just tell a joke, Emma?"

"No- It's not a joke," Ishikawa frowned. "I would in fact prefer that you refer to me as such."

"Aww, come on, you could let it slide at least once…!" The two bickered for a short while longer; Ishikawa's short, calm answers were drowned out by the sound of Takaharu's laughter echoing through Miyashita Park.

The rain had stopped.

"Well, isn't that nice?" Kensei mumbled to himself as he looked up at the sunlight shining out from behind the dispersing, overcast clouds. "Good to see you again, Mr. Sun," he smiled, making his way to a nearby bench. "'scuse me," he gave a friendly nod to a Player already sitting on the bench, leaving a comfortable gap between them as he sat. The man exhaled, watching Charlotte and Keita trying out the Pins he had handed over. It'll be tricky, but… I think they can do it. It's just a matter of willpower. His eyes narrowed on the young man specifically. He fumbled with the metal discs in his hand, nervously trying to work them out as his Partner cheered him on. Kid's got potential; he could probably cast Psychs on our level in no time… The issue is his self-confidence. Once that's out of the way, then… His train of thought was interrupted, however; glancing to the side, he realised that the other Player on the bench was now sitting right next to him. "Uh… Can I help you?" he chuckled nervously, considering shuffling back a little. The Player wore a dark, hooded poncho atop a thin, black pullover and jeans, making it difficult to discern their expression.

"Kensei," the Player whispered, "don't make any sudden moves, alright?"

"Wh- excuse me?" Despite his confusion, he did as the Player said. "Uh. So, what's up…?" he checked, casually casting his gaze around the area as he did so.

"Harriers. Entrance of the Park."

Kensei's eyes innocently wandered over to said entrance. Sure enough, a pair of Reapers stood there, silently watching the scattered Players in the Park from afar. "I see 'em. They causin' you grief, or…?"

"They think I'm in the area, so they're still looking for me."

"'Still'…?" Kensei paused, gears turning in his head. "… Hold on, you're…!"

"Yes, of course it's me…! Do I really need to raise my voice for you to recognise it?" The Player adjusted her hood to better show her face; hazel eyes stared out into Kensei's rust-coloured eyes.

"Katy…!" Kensei barely managed to keep his voice down, breaking into a smile. "You made it out after all. I'm so glad you're safe…!" Noticing her expression, however, his smile fell. "What's wrong? You okay?"

"Sorry. First," Katy's eyes continued to survey the area. "I don't see Kitaoka. Is she alright?"

"She's fine; just holed up in the base," he glanced to an abandoned apartment block at the border of Miyashita Park and the Ruins. "What about you? You look…" the man paused, grimacing, "… like something happened."

Katy continued to stare into the distance, her expression fraught with worry and turmoil. "Well, I… paid a visit to Mr. Tezano."

"That's the uh… Scientist guy you're friends with?"

"Yes, that's him," Katy nodded shakily. "I'll need to catch you up on some things first, but… " her mind wandered briefly to the mysterious blonde woman, then to the unpleasant events surrounding her excursion to Tezano's headquarters. "There's something that I found out while I was over there. Something you should know."

New Day: Part III - Threads Backstage

Not much to say today, other than thank you for reading! If you're enjoying the story/have any feedback, I'd love to know :

Until the next chapter, though, take care of and be kind to yourselves!

-X