Chapter Text
“This is the real test, Tokio.” Saika looked over his shoulder with a sigh, arms crossed against her chest. “You think you can do it…? Hack into the R:X beta program, I mean…”
“I… I sure have to try…” Tokio grumbled a bit as he worked at the open database the two had found. “Gotta prove I’m a real member of Schicksal somehow or Posuane won’t get off my back…”
“Is this because of Geist joining up? I swear…” She huffed, shaking her head. “Why do you care what Posuane says, anyway? He’s a total clown.”
“He’s a total clown, yeah, a totally annoying one.” Tokio grumbled under his breath as he continued working at the open database. “Just one more change and… there! I’m in!”
“Well, hurry up then! Pick one of the cards and change the info to say you won.”
“One second, I got this…!”
Name: Tokio Kuryuu
Handle: 9
“9, huh…?” Saika snorted a bit. “How creative.”
“I wasn’t gonna use some fancy German word just to go along with the rest of them.” He stuck out his tongue just thinking about everyone else’s handles. “Besides, 9 is short and easy to remember! It’s perfect.”
“If you say so…” She rolled her eyes, turning away. “Just hurry up and finish with that, okay? Flugel said something about looking out for a message on the Schicksal site later tonight and we do need to check that out.”
“Okay, okay…” With a little difficulty, he was able to exit the system as he was never there. “No need to hurry me along, Saika~ The message will be there when we get a chance to check the site.”
She huffed. “If we’re late again, I’m blaming you.”
“We won’t be late, I promise!” He patted her back as he walked past her. “Come on, we can go check it right now.”
--
“Saika! It’s so nice to see you again.” Tokio’s mother was quick to greet the girl as the two entered the house. “Tokio hasn’t been giving you trouble, has he…?”
“Not anymore than usual, no.” She shook her head, giving her a smile. “So, I guess that’s still a lot…”
“Eh?! Saika…!”
His mother clicked her tongue, giving him a pointed look. “Now you make sure you don’t go around giving such a pretty girl too much trouble, young man!”
“Y-yes ma’am!” He gave a little salute, peeking over at Saika, who was clearly holding in chuckles. “...Though she could get me in a little less trouble, too.”
She rolled her eyes, giving him a shove. “Don’t talk like that, Tokio. Most of our plans come from your hair brained ideas.”
“Maybe Saika is just as hair brained for going along with it, then…”
“Eh?” She narrowed her eyes. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing, nothing…” He whistled not-so-innocently before turning to his mother. “Anyway, we’re just gonna mess around on my computer for a little. If you need me before we head out again, just yell!”
“Alright, alright… you two have fun.” She shooed them towards the stairs. “If you want snacks, Saika, don’t be afraid to have Tokio come get you some.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks Mrs. Kuryuu!”
“Eh… this is unfair…” Tokio sniffled a bit. “You’re both against me…”
“Get used to it.” Saika rolled her eyes as they made it up to his room. “It’s been like this since we were both fourteen, you know.”
“I know, but it’s still rough…” Four years of that stuff could take its toll. “But whatever… let’s see… Oh! It worked! I got an invite to R:X!”
“That’s great and all, but… hello? Schicksal site? Which we came to check?”
“I’m getting there! Saika, you really like bossing me around too much…” He sighed as he opened his browser and pulled up the site. Of course, at first it seemed blank, but run it through the special decoder and…
“The South Parking Garage in Shibahama is where we need to head…” Saika frowned. “Why did Flugel change where HQ was so suddenly, though?”
Tokio shrugged. “Who knows? The Old Man is hard to get a read on.”
“Fair enough…” She sighed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, we should probably get going. It’s quite a walk from here to there.”
“Akanedai isn’t that far from Shibahama, but okay.” Tokio powered off his computer and pushed away from his seat. “Let’s get going, then. Don’t wanna be late and get blamed for it, ehe.”
“Tokio…”
--
“So either we’re early, or Flugel is late…” Saika looked around the empty parking garage with a sigh. “Which do you think it is?”
“Definitely a mixture of both, knowing him.” He rubbed under his nose with a finger as he spoke. “Bet you Cello is kicking him into gear as we speak.”
Saika leaned next to Tokio, closing her eyes. “Probably… Geez, I can’t imagine relying on someone younger than me to get me to places on time.”
“Eh…” Tokio shrugged a bit. “At least he has that, otherwise… he might never move the HQ.”
She snorted. “Guess that’s true enough…”
As their conversation lulled to a stop, a familiar RV pulled up… The HQ was here and soon enough, Flugel was popping his head out the side, waving at the two. “Ah, so you two made it here first? Come inside, then, come on.”
Tokio shrugged and did as Flugel asked, Saika following right behind. “Why’d you move HQ, Old Man? Get in trouble with someone?”
“No, nothing like that…” He waved his hand in the air, nonchalant. “Just thought we could use a… change of pace. How have you two been, by the way? Same as always?”
“I guess you could say that…” Tokio rubbed his chin, trying to decide how to relay the big news. “Well, save--”
“Tokio, oh excuse me, 9, finally hacked something successfully.” Saika cut him off, ruining his moment of glory. “If anyone wants to get a peek at R:X early, well… He’s the guy to harass.”
“That’s cold, Saika…!”
“Mmm, I see…” He nodded, tapping his finger against the desk as he pulled something out. “Then I suppose I’m the one with some really interesting news.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to--” Tokio cut himself off when he saw what Flugel produced. “I-is that a gun?”
“See, I’m not quite sure… because if you open it…” He pulled the trigger. “It becomes a computer. A GUMP, if you will.”
Tokio made a face. “That name’s totally lame.”
“Those of us who have hacked successfully only once have no room to critique the names I come up with.” He waved the GUMP in Tokio’s face for a moment before placing it on the table. “...I have a few things I want to look into about this before we do anything, though… You two keep an eye on HQ and this thing while I’m out, hm?”
“Sure.” Saika nodded a bit, glancing at Tokio. “Just to be clear, though, no touching it, right?”
“Right.” He nodded as he made his way for the door. “Feel free to mess around on R:X if you two get bored, though.”
A moment of silence passed as Flugel left, Saika staring at Tokio and Tokio staring at the GUMP. He wanted to touch it, despite the clear fact he wasn’t supposed to be laid out… And he was probably going to touch it, just for a second before Saika inevitably slapped him upside the head for it.
“Don’t mind if I do…” He reached for it, ignoring Saika’s exclamation to listen to Flugel for once, and wrapped his hand around it.
“Tokio, no…!”
The only problem with that? Well, just that the entire room went white as soon as he had a grasp.