Time – Space Crisis

By Zoram Selrof

Chapter 1: Unsealing

10:11 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday August the 1st, 2206…

"… I'm gonna say it again! That tournament was UNFAIR!"

"Why didn't I think of joining it? I lost my once-in-a-lifetime chance!"

"Buro~! If ya two keep at it then ya know what happens."

"Come on…"

"Ahem, ahem! Fatman! Kizamaro!"

"YIKES!"

"Come on… Ignore them already, Luna – chan…"

"That won't do, Mode! I must prove that I am a competent leader capable of handling the WILL – BE 2 – A Class!"

"Not that speech again… Look: we're still far from the start of the new course so why don't you try to relax in the pool and…"

"That won't do! That interloper will come into the scene and meddle around if I lower my guard!"

Ushijima Gonta and Saishouin Kizamaro (both aged 14) had been protesting aloud in the middle of the Kodama Town Plaza: their Wizards, Ox and Pedia, looked tired of the same thing over and over again: Shirogane Luna then stepped into the picture with an annoyed look to her face along with Mode: both gulped.

"FATMAN! SUMMER VAVACTION HOMEWORK! HOW IS IT?"

"D-done, iinchou…"

"DONE? THEN TRANSMIT IT TO ME RIGHT HERE AND NOW! BECAUSE YOU REEK OF VILE MEATS!" She yelled.

"Vile meats… Come on…" Mode seemed to find it silly.

"Y-yes, ma'am…"

"Kizamaro! Did Fatman even TRY to ask for help?"

"No, iinchou. Not once."

"Hah! I knew it! STICK OUT YOUR NECK, FATMAN! I KNOW YOU'RE LOOPHOLING THE VEGETARIAN DIET YOUR PARENTS IMPOSED INTO YOU~!" She yelled at him.

Gonta gulped and interacted with a "Real Wave" screen to display some data and then apparently transmit it: Luna quickly began to read it while looking both suspicious and annoyed.

"I KNEW IT! FATMA~N!"

"Oh crap. Got found out…!"

"Buro~! Obviously!" Ox fumed.

"Given how he didn't even try to come up with a decent strategy in the Wizard City Tournament…" Pedia muttered.

"YOU COPIED THE ANSWERS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE~! YOUR KANJI LOOK HALF-IMPROVISED BECAUSE YA DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO READ THEM OR THEIR MEANING! THAT - WON'T DO! I'M - GOING TO SEE TO IT! GOTCHA, FATMAN?" She exploded.

"R-roger, ma'am…"

"Now vanish, foul accumulation of fats and calories! I have to get ready to halt the interloper from doing the vilest of acts!"

"Not that again… Why is iinchou so persistent on speaking of Misora – chan like she was the enemy…?" Kizamaro sighed.

"Show your hide, interloper! I'll show it to you! I won't lose to a fair fight: just that ya know!" She threatened.

"… It's already official: we're in trouble, Pedia. We need to find a solution or else…"

10:22 AM (Japan Time)…

"… A billion blue blistering barnacles! The bloody old man either has accomplices or someone here is trying to use "divide and conquer" to gain a vile goal! ALL STAFF! URGENT MEETING AT THE OUTER YARD!"

"Good idea, Urakata – san! We can keep the staff busy out there and then check the security footage!"

"Pororon! Good idea. Let's catch this newest saboteur. What did they do this time around?"

"A venomous spider! They stuffed it inside of one of the studio lamps! It almost bit me!"

"Then we should call the police, sir! That can't be treated just like that: someone could've died, even!"

"You're right, Suzuka. I'll handle the troops. You go for the footage. Ice, give us a hand."

"Roger, sir."

"I'm off!"

Urakata Mamorou had yelled once he'd found out about a new sabotage act while having a plan on mind so Hibiki Misora, Harp, Suzuka and Ice rushed to the room where all CCTV cameras' feed was recorded at to try to single out the culprit.

"… Look. 10 minutes ago this guy entered the room and fumbled with the studio light… The yellow shirt plus red mark means that… He's a newbie technician somewhere. Veterans have blue marks. And anyone would immediately suspect him if he didn't dress as a novice so… Let's dig out the names of the novices!" Misora signaled.

"Good! Then leave it to me… Novices… Aha-hah! Found ya. Intarou Kakurou, 28, joined 2 weeks ago! Previous work: none at all! Suspicious, I say! My word! I'd stake anything that this guy is the saboteur."

"Perfect! We got the guy and evidence." Ice smiled.

"Urakata – san, sir? The newbie named Intarou."

"Good! Intarou~! YOU~! CONFESS!" Urakata replied through a radio link before yelling at the guy.

"C-confess what?"

"No playing innocent! The spider was brought in by you!"

"Spider?"

"We've got footage!"

"But I made sure there was no camera…! Yikes!" He began to grumble before gasping and realizing he'd been speaking aloud.

"That's a - CONFESSION! SECURITY~! SEIZE THIS SABOTEUR AND CONTACT THE POLICE~!"

"Catch me firstly, old man! Mwah, hah, hah!"

"Wants to run? Won't let the guy. Locking all doors!" Misora grinned as she inputted some commands.

CRASH! THUD!

"Lovely melody, truly." Harp giggled.

"Hah! Hmpf! The guy crashed against the locked front door: they deserved it! Now… Let's ring the police!" Ice grinned.

"They might get desperate but once they do then they're predictable: it's a matter of being two steps ahead of them."

"There! That's what happens to saboteurs like you! You'll have time to consider the extent of your evil-doing in the brig!"

"Besides! This guy didn't join our "Team" so he was suspicious already: we'd found him out but he ended up giving himself away which saved us some trouble." One of the staff commented.

"Operation: Root Out Saboteurs… Success!"

"HORRAY~!"

10:28 AM (Japan Time)…

"… So this place is the Satella Police HQ… I hadn't come over yet. But this building sure is imposing! They share it with the Japan WAXA Branch and Subaru – kun's father works here…"

"Yeah. I believe Subaru – kun is in a meeting with Akatsuki – san so let's just go speak with Utagai – san. There he is. Good morning!"

"Good morning!"

"Oh… You two… Eh… Careful, careful…"

"Huh? What's wrong, Utagai – san?"

"W-well… No big deal, really, Tsukasa – kun, but…"

"Another omen…?"

"T-true, Gino – kun! Another omen is headed for me~! SOMEONE SAVE OUR HIDE~! WE'RE DOOMED!"

"Not again…"

Futaba Tsukasa (having grown up ever since the Meteor G Crisis yet his hairstyle or clothes hadn't changed) had come to the Satella Police HQ with someone else when they met Utagai Shinsuke near the drink vending machine.

"What do we do, Kiboyama – kun?"

"Guess we gotta go find Amachi – san, his superior…"

Kiboyama Gino, Tsukasa's partner, was a guy about his age who had bluish eyes and brownish hair.

He sported a blackish sleeveless t-shirt, jeans, a black leather belt and white sneakers:

"I'd rather say we storm the guy."

"That won't do!"

"Storm… Don't say silly stuff like War Rock does." Tsukasa sighed.

Storm turned out to be a new-gen Wizard who looked reminiscent of Gemini, the FM who'd picked him as a host over two years ago.

His main body was shaped like a spheroid and colored in a patch of green identical to Tsukasa's hair.

His head was round and perfectly shaped: a white-like helmet protected it and included a pair of purple-colored thick shades: his skin was normal-colored and his face looked young.

Two sharp needle-like tools emerged from his armored and purple-colored forearms and replaced his normal hands.

The rest of the arms were painted with the black and yellow striping to signal "danger" as if hinting at the usage of the appendixes.

Like most modern Wizards, he had a hover device built into the inferior part of his body instead of legs which had been colored in the same black and yellow stripes combination.

"I was kidding, ya know…" He muttered.

"Jeez. Stop that foolish behavior."

"Oh yeah? Who is the one trying to ram through all enemy lines with just the sword and shield, Miles, in all VR training programs?"

"That's unrelated."

Miles was another new-gen Wizard: his main body was more "humanoid" in shape and colored in a brownish color similar to sand: some patterns had been drawn over the body to form plates of armor.

His helmet had been painted sea blue and black shades hid his eyes yet it looked strong and resistant.

His arms were colored in a reddish color with white color stripes running up and down their length: the forearms had extra armor on them and his hands' "skin" was black.

He carried a round golden shield with a silver edge and center on his left hand which was large enough to protect half of his body.

Like a Roman Legionary, he wielded a large lance with a brown body and silver spear set atop it: the weapon looked easy to maneuver and powerful at the same time.

Like Storm, he also had a hover engine built onto the lower part of his body which allowed him to remain air-bone.

"Utagai… Let us stop this already." Cygnus sighed.

"Yo~! What's up, people~!"

"Hello! Utagai – san & company!"

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah. Rip Them All Man came~!"

"Oh! Akatsuki – san!"

"War Rock. That title is pointless."

"Oh yeah, Claw Man?"

"For the last time. I am not Claw Man."

"Nope! Acid Disaster!"

"That is pointless as well."

"Says the lawyer apprentice~! Mwah, hah, hah, hah!"

Akatsuki Shidou and Hoshikawa Subaru, followed by their respective Wizards, War Rock and Acid, walked over to the group.

"A-Akatsuki – kun! T-there's an omen! There!"

"Omen…? What omen do you mean, Utagai – san?"

"Me, perhaps?"

"Oh crap."

"As usual your useless mouth can only utter barbarisms."

"Says the devil's advocate!"

"Ah. So I now am the devil's advocate."

"Neechan… Why don't you halt this cold war with Akatsuki already? Not like he's to blame for anything…"

"Jack. I have told you. This is a matter of adults. Children should remain silent and not intervene."

"Oi! I'm almost 14 by now! I'm no gnat anymore!"

Queen Tia showed up to Akatsuki's exasperation and Jack tried to convince her to stop bothering Akatsuki yet she merely directed a dull and bored glare at him: Jack fumed and stuffed both hands inside of his pockets while looking rather annoyed.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah. And the devil burnt up all that weird stuff ya were hiding in the air ducts!" War Rock laughed.

"I know you mean this useless man over there."

"Useless man… Come on! Discuss that with Dr. Yoiri and the Chief if ya have the… eh… courage! Queen Tia!"

"Hmpf. Whatever."

"Whatever the ever, ya mean to say~! Mwah, hah, hah!"

"Shut up already, Rock. You're being noisy, you know."

"I'm Know Them All Man!" War Rock proclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. Now go tuna in Norway and leave us in peace."

"Go tuna, eh? Why not go cod instead?" He suggested.

"Do as you like but don't sink any ships." Subaru sighed and stuffed both hands on his pockets.

"Take your hands off me, you grunts! I'm gonna blow each and everyone one of you grunts sky-high."

"There! Move it!"

"Hiya~!"

"You came."

"Yikes!"

"Misora – chan? Isn't that an Okudama Studios employee?"

Misora had come in after the arrested saboteur who was shouting at the two officers carrying him and Queen Tia lifted an eyebrow upon seeing her: Misora stopped dead on her tracks and hid behind Akatsuki all of a sudden.

"Come on! You scare her and that won't do."

"It will do."

"It won't. And 99% of the staff will agree with me. Oi, Jack! Do you find this reasonable?" Akatsuki asked him.

"Nope. At all. Neechan… Give it up already! You can't do those things here, in Japan! We're living here, not in our nation!"

"I told you: Jack. Children…"

"Hibiki is 'round my age: does that make her a "child" too?"

"… Hmpf. You caught me. For once." She admitted.

"For once? Jeez. You need to melt that ice, you really do!" Jack grumbled and sounded exasperated.

"By the way… What was the meeting about, if we can know?" Tsukasa asked Subaru.

"No big deal… We were going over how back in July the 8th, exactly one week after the end of the Wizard City Tournament, Hyde and his punk assaulted Blood Shadow and robbed his Hunter – VG's whole data: they'll surely try to imitate his Folder under the belief they will be able to overcome me in battle yet we're decided to place some security around our friends just in case." Subaru explained.

"That Hyde… He never gives up, does he? He staged the whole tournament but that's the biggest thing he's done alone. What else could he come up with? He must be running out of bright ideas by now: anyone would." Kiboyama muttered.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah! In that you are mistaken, foolish plebeian audience! My word!" A familiar voice rang out.

"No way…" Subaru groaned.

"Back here? After two years? Is he trying to repeat the same story all over again or what?" Akatsuki groaned next.

"Repeat? No! Today I shall change it! Come after me! I am in the Main Computer already with my faithful disciple Assassin Shinobi! Mwah, hah, hah, hah!"

"As my Lord announced, this time we're going to win! With the data on the "Copy Canceller"… We will make a lot of business once we tweak it a bit to delete ALL Wizards on its range! Mwah, hah, hah, hah!" A manly voice rang out.

"By all the… We gotta stop them, sir!"

"The three of us will suffice! Let's go! To the 57th floor!"

"Denpa – Henkan! On Air!"

Subaru, Misora and Akatsuki became Rock Man, Harp Note and Acid Ace respectively and stepped into the elevator to climb upwards: the elevator pinged once it reached the destination and they stepped down to find the whole Control Room to be filled with a high dose of pinkish smoke and everyone collapsed.

"Sheesh! They put everyone to sleep with sleeping gas… We'll tend to them later: we MUSTN'T let them get away with the schematics! Get ready! Cyber – In!"

"Cyber – In!"

The three of them entered the "Cybernetics" of the Main Computer and rushed on forward while busting Viruses.

"These Viruses sure aren't rubbish. Hyde and the punk brought them along! Bothersome meddling jerks!"

"Che! Outta the way!"

The three of them managed to reach the backbone: Phantom Black was giving them the back and meddling with a "Real Wave" screen while chuckling in a low tone of voice.

"Oho. Not so fast. You gotta step over me firstly!"

"Che. Assassin Shinobi, the Alphabet Murderer, Hyde's punk…!" Harp Note grumbled.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah! I beat ya to a pulp in the Wizard City Tournament, didn't I, woman?"

"Shaddup."

"Calm down, Harp Note. This is an order." Acid Ace commanded.

"Roger, sir."

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah! Alright, then! Come!"

Assassin Shinobi appealed as being over a meter and sixty tall and wore a pitch-black bodysuit reminiscent of ninja clothing including a purplish cape hanging from behind his shoulders, two metallic shuriken on his shoulders and knees plus a utility belt.

His face was largely hidden by a balaclava while his brownish teal hair came out from an opening behind it in a totally spiky and wild manner: his eyes' irises' were blood red in color.

A small green shuriken glowed on his forehead, too.

He also carried a katana sheath attached to his back using a leather band which circled his body from the left shoulder until close to the right hip: it was painted purple and black while being decorated with four black dots around it.

Overall he looked like a ninja armed to the teeth yet he didn't strike out as being much older than Rock Man.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah! Forbidden Power!"

"What's that?"

"The high-level Viruses were not meant to stall for time… They're part of my new technique! Hra~h!"

"No way! Self-inflicted damage for a Muramasa Blade…!" Acid Ace quickly caught up.

"Mwah, hah, hah! Catching up? Eat this!"

"Hruah! Che! But! My max HP is 2000. Losing a fourth is no big deal! And you can't hope to stop the three of us alone!" Acid Ace hissed.

"Mwah, hah, hah. Alone? I brought backup. Shadow Clone!"

"Crap."

Assassin Shinobi created two "clones" and they all attacked Acid Ace at the same time with the katana, glowing with purple light: Acid Ace collapsed and both gasped.

"They combined their power to sum up 1500 HP of damage! He's improved ever since last month!" Rock Man gasped.

"Mwah, hah, hah. You're next, woman. Rock Man is my Lord's prey, so I can't beat 'im to a pulp… Mwah, hah, hah!"

"No! Not so quick! You! That pretty girl will fit in MY collection! A good villain always has a good-looking girl as executive!" An unknown voice rang out.

"Heh, heh, heh. Coming… The trigger of a crisis!" Phantom Black turned around and grinned.

"What? Trigger of a crisis?" Both gasped.

"Name's - Clock Man! And in about 3 minutes 38 seconds I'll be able to activate my - TRUE POWER!" The voice laughed.

"Clock Man? Who's that?" Both wondered.

"Mwah, hah, hah." Both villains laughed.

"Wait! You're telling us the reason you attack WAXA HQ was to bring this guy out into the scene?"

"Well! I dunno who you guys are but not like I intend to work with anyone~! I work alone! Hah! How's that? Whaddya think about my cool looks?"

The guy named "Clock Man" suddenly jumped into the scene and stood up to his full height of a meter of eighty.

His design was rather similar to the Denpa – Henkan users in the sense that he was a humanoid model Wizard yet he did have legs unlike most Wizards.

Clock Man's face skin was colored in a slight reddish color and surrounded by a protective helmet: this helmet's ear-pads had two analog clocks with green rims built there and a bigger one with detailed spots for the minute marks set on his forehead: the segment of helmet behind the main clock was colored in slightly yellowish color with a mix of white thus making up a color reminiscent of wax statues: his lower jaw was protected by a gray metallic piece of armor.

The chest had a green piece of armor as extra protection and the space around his neck had a rim colored in that same wax-statues-like type of coloring.

His shoulders' upper part used the same color palette yet the lower half used a chilly green color: the SW and SE edges from where the arms emerged had a metallic gray ring drawn there.

The arms' skin was mere black yet it gained two parallel yellowish stripes running down the length of the forearm past the shoulder: a small analog clock had been set on top of each palm: the fingers had reddish skin just like the face.

Most of the main body was colored black yet the sides were covered by the white-like material until the knees.

The knees had thick greenish bands around them and the front part of them also had analog clocks placed there: the inner side of his boots had also been painted white while the outer side remained on being green-colored.

Lastly, both sides of the ankles had clocks built there and the upper part of the boots was black in color while the front, heel and soil had been painted in a brownish color.

Overall, his motif was clearly the "clock" itself and he appealed as being the smug type.

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah. Another 2 minutes and 11 seconds and I shall activate - MY TRUE POWE~R! What jerks! I had such potential, but they wanted "just" to have a look at the flow of Time-Space! How boring! What thrill is there to that? Nah! I'd rather go and jump like crazy back and forth! Mwah, hah, hah, hah!" He laughed.

"What? Then this guy… I see! Like Joker…! Joker was a WAXA Project to control the power of the "Meteor Server" but he went off and ended up in "Dealer"… This guy must've been a project of that time and because the Joker incident was still fresh on their minds when they began to see this guy's behavior they deemed wise to seal him up to then reprogram him but they didn't get the chance to…!" Rock Man gasped.

"Hah! Good, Holmes! I'll praise ya!"

"I dunno who "Holmes" is but… I'll use my trump card to stop all of you at the same time!" Rock Man shrugged.

"Mwah, hah, hah! 1 minute 28 seconds left. Let's start! This data these guys provided looks interesting. Let's wind back my clocks! Mwah, hah, hah, hah, ha~h!"

His clocks began to slowly wind back and then they increased their speed as a holographic clock began to be draw behind the so-called "Clock Man" guy: a counter for the day of the week, another for the day, the month and the year began to show up and was also rewinding at a mad speed.

"… Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Now! Time Freeze! You're coming with me, pretty girl! Hah!"

"Kya~h!"

"Misora – chan!"

Clock Man suddenly warped and appeared of front of Harp Note before he emitted a flash and Harp Note was paralyzed on the spot: he grabbed her and rushed towards the clock the hands of which were already slowing down along with the counters.

"Another 34 seconds and my TRUE POWER will be activated!"

"Like I'll let…!"

"Phantom Claw!"

"Che! Phantom Black! Outta the way!"

Rock Man had been about to chase Clock Man yet Phantom Black got in the middle and gripped him with the "Phantom Claw" attack to Rock Man's increasing annoyance.

"Mwag, hah, hah, hah! Rewinding complete! Destination… 17:05 PM Japan Time… Tuesday February the 14th, 2012! Au revoir!"

The clock's hands vanished and a "tunnel" opened which seemed to extend through another plane of existence altogether: Clock Man and the frozen Harp Note jumped inside.

"MISORA - CHA~N!"

"Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Hmpf! I knew it was worth it freeing that guy from there! Let's go, Shinobi! My new drama will take place there as well! Farewell, Rock Man! You lowlife will soon be erased from History!"

"Roger, my Lord!"

Phantom Black tossed Rock Man towards a corner and jumped inside of the "tunnel" along with Assassin Shinobi: Rock Man recovered and jumped inside: the whole world turned into a bluish cylindrical tunnel extending beyond what the eye.

"No! Wai~t! I won't let you get away~! Hyde! Shinobi! Misora – chan! I'll save you… And I'll stop those two villain guys' ambitions…! No matter what… it takes! Whoa~h!"

A force began to suck him northwards and he yelled in fear…