Day 136

[from Cyborg Team Alpha]

"Could I talk to her for a bit?" It was the male speaking this time. Ichiko no longer felt like talking, but he was addressing Gumi, not her.

"Sure," said Gumi. "There's some things you can explain better than I could."

The man stepped forward, placing a hand on the railing at the side of Ichiko's bed. "Ichiko… look at me," he said. He tried to sound gentle, but with the metallic quality of his voice, it sounded more like a harsh whisper. It began to dawn on Ichiko exactly why his voice sounded like it did. Even so, however, she still could not bring herself to face him.

"I can understand if you don't want to look at yourself," the man continued. "Neither did I, at first. But please, at least look at me."

Reluctantly, Ichiko rolled over in bed, wincing a little, to gaze upon the man standing beside her. He was wearing all black, and had short black hair with a piercing gaze. His mouth was covered by a balaclava, but as he pulled it down around his neck, Ichiko saw that his entire lower jaw was constructed from a dull grey metal. She then realized that the hand clutching the bed rail was also bionic: a grey, skeletal model, with the inner workings visible inside. Her first thought was that it was rather disturbing, but then she remembered that her own hands - both of them - were now exactly the same.

"I was also killed by the Rising Sun," said the man. "I found it ironic, in a way. I'd spent three years fighting for this nation, I'd survived the bloodiest conflict of the 21st century, and then a bunch of domestic terrorists go and blow me up. But I was lucky. Professor Toriyama had noticed my potential, and he rebuilt me just as he rebuilt you."

That answered that particular question. This was indeed the Toriyama Institute, and the man who had saved her was indeed Professor Satoshi Toriyama, the inventor of the Cyborg System. But there were still so many other questions left unanswered. "But… why?" she asked. "What potential? What is it about us in particular that… made him…" As her pain began to flare up yet again, Ichiko winces, inhaled sharply, and replaced her oxygen mask, trying to relax.

"Professor Toriyama wants to atone for what his research was used for during the South China War," said the man. "He also wants to protect Tokyo from the new menace of the Rising Sun. To that end, he is putting together a team of gifted Cyborgs to protect the city from acts of terror, as well as other criminal activities. There are already four of us, and you, Ichiko St. Clare, make five. Your intellect, supplemented by the computers built into your bionic eye, will prove invaluable to us."

The man's robotic hand tightened around the bed rail, his expression growing uneasy. "I'm afraid that this is non-negotiable," he continued. "You are obliged to join this task force. I can understand if you don't want to, but at the same time… you can feel it, can't you? The desire to avenge yourself. The desire to stop the Rising Sun from hurting anyone else the way they hurt you. I felt it too, after I learned what had happened to me. In time, we will both get our revenge. The Rising Sun will fall. Trust me on that."

Ichiko nodded. It made sense. A task force made of Cyborgs, even a small one, could solve and prevent crimes much faster and easier than a conventional human task force, what with their robotic augmentations. That being said, Cyborgs were viewed as little more than unethical biological weapons by the vast majority of people, so there was no doubt that people would get in their way. But that can't be helped at this point, thought Ichiko. I'm already a Cyborg. No matter where I go now, or what I do, people will look at me the same way they'd look at a nuclear warhead or a sample of anthrax. If I'm going to be a weapon, I might as well be a weapon of good. If there even is such a thing.

In any case, she thought, he's right. I want to get revenge against Rising Sun for what they've done to me. I want to make it so that nobody else ever has to go through what I have. And not just the dying, but the rebuilding. I'm used to being stigmatized, being half-American, but that's nothing compared to what I'll face now that I'm a Cyborg. I can't blame the professor for rebuilding me, so I'll blame the Rising Sun for making him have to. We can destroy them. Together, we can destroy them. I know it.

Finally, Ichiko removed her oxygen mask, and nodded. "Okay," she said. "I'll join you. Even if I don't have a choice, it's still what I want to do."

The man nodded, and extended his bionic arm towards Ichiko. "My name is Ryuto Murakami," he said. "Welcome to Cyborg Team Alpha."

Ichiko reached up, and for the first time she took notice of her own bionic hand. Sure enough, it was identical to Ryuto's, though a little smaller and slimmer. After a moment's hesitation, she gently took hold of his hand. The sensation in her bionic limbs seemed to have finally kicked in, for she could feel the coldness and hardness of Ryuto's hand in hers. She knew it was only bionic sensors giving her this information, not her own nervous system, but even so, the sensations in her robotic fingertips were as real as though she had never lost her hand at all. If not for the steel-grey, skeletal appearance of the prosthetic, poking out from beneath her bed sheets like a ghastly wraith, she could forget that it wasn't the real thing.

"Thank you, Ryuto," she said, shaking his hand. "You too, Gumi. And, also… if you could… please bring Professor Toriyama here, so I can thank him personally. He did save my life, after all… in a manner of speaking."

Ryuto nodded, his half-metal mouth twisting into something that may have been a smile. "Of course," he said. "I imagine he'll want to see you as well; he'll be glad to know that the reconstruction was a success."

"He's over in his office," said Gumi. "I'll go and fetch him."

 Ryuto nodded, and Gumi left the room. As she did so, Ichiko noticed that her footsteps sounded rather metallic, and a little heavy. From this, she could surmise that Gumi had, at the very least, had her feet replaced. She had, after all, mentioned that she was also a Cyborg. Ichiko couldn't help wondering for a moment what had happened to her, and what the full extent of her rebuild was, but she knew better than to ask. It was most likely a touchy subject, and she didn't want to pry into the personal history of a woman she'd only met five minutes ago. Instead, she replaced her oxygen mask and closed her one remaining normal eye, resting a little while she waited for the professor to arrive.

Day 135

[from The Ember Stone]

"What… just happened?"

"You were attacked, stupid," said Erica. "I just saved you, though at the cost of an Ember Shard."

"Ember… Shard?" repeated Jacob. "You mean that jewel thing I found?"

"That's the one," said Erica. "Man, I really underestimated how quickly Vaz'qui would start looking for it…"

"Who was that?" asked Jacob. "Why did she want that Shard thing so badly?"

Erica raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know what that was, kid?" she asked.

"Not a clue," said Jacob. "I just happened to pick it up on my way into town, and then that woman attacked me on my way back…"

"I see," said Erica. "I guess I really am in the sticks out here, huh… alright, listen up, kid. That jewel you found is part of a stone called the Ember Stone, that gives whoever holds it the power to control fire. There are three other jewels like it, that control the other three elements, and if you have all four then you become invincible. An evil sorcerer named Vaz'qui has the other three jewels, so I smashed the Ember Stone to stop him from having all four, but now he and his minions are searching for the pieces so they can put it back together. I was hoping to get to the first Shard before they could, but so much for that."

"Uhh… sorry," said Jacob.

"For what?" said Erica. "Even if you hadn't picked it up, Caerulea would still have gotten to it before me. It's a pain, but there's nothing either of us could have done about it."

Jacob recalled his attempts to sell the Shard to the town's jeweller. Perhaps if he had succeeded in selling it, he could have kept it out of her reach. "So that woman... Caerulea… she's one of Vaz'qui's minions?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Erica. "He has four of them, each representing a different element. I should've known he'd have them out looking for the Ember Shards. I'll have to hurry, because with five of them out searching, they'll find them in no time at all."

"Uhh… so should I leave you to it, then?" asked Jacob. "I mean, I have to be heading home as well…"

"Yeah, sure thing," said Erica. "I gotta go find that second Shard, and fast. See you later, kid." With that, Erica sprinted off towards the nearby forest, leaving Jacob alone to ponder everything he had just seen and heard. This strange woman, whose name he did not even know, was currently on an epic journey to gather the fragments of a magical gem in order to prevent an evil sorcerer from taking over the world. Just for a moment, he had been a brief part of that journey, and somehow, it felt like it was the most exciting thing that had ever happened in his life. But now it was over, perhaps never to return. All that was left now was to return to his home, and finish what he had originally set out to do. With a sigh, Jacob set off back towards his farmstead home, resigning himself to his ordinary life.

***

"Welcome back, dear," said Jacob's mother as he came through the front door. "You're a little later than usual. Did something happen? You weren't robbed, were you?"

For a moment, Jacob thought about telling his mother about the incident with the Ember Shard, but since he still didn't quite understand it himself, he decided not to. "No, mother," he lied. "I just got held up a little at the bakery, that's all."

Jacob's mother let out a sigh of relief. "That's all? That's good," she said. "Could I have the money then, please?"

Jacob reached into his pocket and pulled out the coins, which he handed to his mother. "Thank you, dear," she said. "Dinner will be ready soon, so wash your hands and then help me set the table, alright?"

Jacob nodded, and headed off to the bathroom to wash his hands, his mind still focused on what had happened only a few minutes ago. The thoughts remained with him even as he went to bed that night, and as he drifted off to sleep, he dreamed of women made of fire and water, and a crystallized man with crimson eyes. 

Day 134

[from StarLight]

"KENSHIROOO!"

"JOTAROOO!"

"KENSHIROOO!!!"

"JOTAROOO!!!"

Sanae was in currently in her bedroom, introducing Kousen to the world of anime. On the TV screen in front of them, two heavily-muscled men with spiky hair were staring each other down, fists clenched, yelling each other's names back and forth endlessly. While Sanae seemed enraptured by the show, Kousen was rather nonplussed by it. "Are they actually going to fight," asked the youkai, "or just stand there and yell each other's names for the entire episode?"

"I hope so," said Sanae. "They've been doing this for three whole episodes now."

"Then why are you still watching it?" asked Kousen. "I don't understand."

"It's the suspense!" exclaimed Sanae eagerly. "You know something's going to happen at some point, but you don't know when! It could be in five minutes, it could be in five months! That's the beauty of it!"

Kousen sighed. "Is this really how your people entertain yourselves these days?" she asked. "How boring."

Sanae sighed. "Alright, let's see what else is on…" She turned over the channel and was greeted by a shot of five girls sitting round a table eating cake. "Nope, that's also boring." She turned over the channel again, and this time stumbled across a news broadcast.

"We interrupt this program to bring you a convenient news bulletin," said the anchor. "A strange magical girl dressed in black is currently on the rampage in downtown Mitsuzawa, overturning cars and smashing windows. Authorities are unsure whether this magical girl is connected in any way to White Star, the heroine who yesterday saved Mitsuzawa from a giant sea monster, but it is clear that unlike White Star, this girl does not have good intentions. Authorities are thus urging people to stay in their homes and watch clichéd shonen anime instead."

"I don't believe it," said Kousen, staring at the screen in horror.

"I know!" moaned Sanae. "Watching shonen anime is always less fun when the government are telling you to do it-"

"No, not that," said Kousen. "It's her. She's back."

Sanae took another look at the screen. There was a shaky close-up of the magical girl, and although it was a little blurry, she could clearly tell that just had the report had said, this girl was evil. Or maybe just attention-seeking, as at that moment she turned to the camera and waved energetically at it before turning her attention back to the Mazda MX-5 that she was currently violently dismantling. Either way, she needed to be stopped.

"You know her?" asked Sanae.

"I do," said Kousen. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you this, or at least not this early, but… when I came to your world, all those years ago, I didn't come alone. There was another who came with me, a youkai called Kage. We fought to protect this city from monsters, and together we were known as the StarLight Duo, for we wielded the White Star and Black Star Emblems respectively.

"However, 372 years ago, it all went wrong," said Kousen ominously. "Do you recall what I told you this morning, during class?"

Sanae thought hard for a moment, then shrugged. "Nope," she said. "But we can just show it in a flashback, like this:"

***

"They sure are enthusiastic about you, aren't they?" said Kousen.

"Mmm," Sanae mumbled into the desk. "I can see now why you told me to keep my identity a secret. If people found out, they'd never leave me alone."

"It'll die down eventually," said Kousen. "After a while, people will just get used to having you around. When they do, you'll know you've finally succeeded in bringing peace to the city."

***

"Oh, that!" said Sanae, her eyes widening in recognition. "Yeah, I remember that now. So, is that what happened with you and Kage? People just got used to having you around?"

"More or less," said Kousen. "People stopped being afraid whenever a monster appeared, because they knew we would defeat it, and when we did, they carried on as though nothing had happened. To me, that was a sign that we were doing our jobs properly. But to Kage, it was a sign that the townspeople no longer truly appreciated what we were doing for them. She felt we'd been turned into slaves, doing the people's bidding without any recognition.

"Eventually, she grew bitter and resentful towards humans, and one day when a monster appeared, she refused to help. I tried to talk sense into her, but she had grown angry at me as well, for serving the humans so willingly. In the end, I was forced to fight my old friend. The resulting battle destroyed half the city, but ultimately Kage was defeated, and I sealed her away inside her own Emblem. However, my powers had been greatly weakened during the fight, and I was close to death. With the last of my strength, I sealed myself away inside my own Emblem, in the hopes that et cetera, et cetera, you know the rest," Kousen concluded.

"And now someone's picked up Kage's Emblem and decided to use it?" asked Sanae. "Damn. I'm guessing I'm going to have to fight her, huh?"

"I'm afraid so," said Kousen, her face grave. "However, I must warn you that Black Star will be far more powerful than that monster you fought yesterday. It will be a very difficult battle. All I can do is wish you good luck, and hope that you will be successful."

"Thanks, Kousen," said Sanae. "I'll do my best, just like I did yesterday!" Sanae hopped off her bed and began rooting around inside her school bag. "Now then, where did I put that Emblem… I know it was in here somewhere…"

"Please don't tell me you've lost the most powerful magical item this side of the World Above," said Kousen wearily.

"No, wait, here it is," said Sanae, and as she pulled it from her bag, she was engulfed once more in a blinding white light. Her T-shirt and sweatpants morphed into a beautiful white knee-length dress, with violet lace trim. White thigh-high socks and high-heeled shoes gently enveloped her feet and legs, the straps of the shoes winding their way delicately up her shins. White gloves manifested themselves on her hands, and as the Emblem transformed into the White Star Wand, she clutched it tightly in her right hand. Finally, her hair curled itself into two neat ringlets either side of her head, and her transformation into White Star was complete.

"Alright," said Sanae, "time to go do the thing! Seriously, I need to think of a good pre-battle quote."

Day 133

[from I Watch You Sleeping]

Once Raiden has obtained his usual mapo tofu, and I get my usual soba noodles, we sit down at a mostly-empty table and start eating. "Oh, right, I almost forgot!" says Raiden suddenly, lowering his voice. "You remember you sent me on that errand? I managed to track down the girl from the photography club and get a handwriting sample from her. Here you go."

Raiden places a scrap of paper on the table in front of me. An old proverb is written on it, in what I assume is the photography club member's handwriting. I can't help wondering how Raiden got hold of the sample, but that's not really important. What's important is that, even at a glance, I can tell this doesn't match the stalker's handwriting.

"Does it match?" asks Raiden.

"Nope," I tell him.

Raiden frowns. "So we're back to square one, then," he says.

"Yeah, I guess so," I admit.

"Darn," says Raiden. "Well, at least we ruled her out as a suspect, I guess."

"True," I say, nodding. "But now we need to find some other line of inquiry."

Raiden opens his mouth to reply, but quickly closes it again as a familiar voice rings out from behind him. "Excuse me, may I sit with you both?" asks Sakura.

Raiden and I nod in agreement. "Of course," I say.

"Thank you," says Sakura, who promptly sits down next to Raiden and begins eating. Sakura Hatoyama is a girl from Class 3-1. Her younger sister, Shiori, is best friends with Natsume. Because of that, we've known each other for a few years now.

"I don't think we've spoken in a while, have we, Kentaro?" asks Sakura. "How have you been recently?"

"I've been pretty good, thanks." Up until this morning, that is. "How about you?"

"I can't complain," says Sakura. "How about you, Raiden?"

"Eh. The usual," mumbles Raiden through a mouthful of mapo tofu.

Sakura scowls disapprovingly at Raiden. "Please don't talk with your mouth full, Raiden," she says.

Raiden's response is to roll his eyes and make a motion with his chopsticks, in a crude imitation of a talking mouth. Sakura just ignores him, and we carry on eating our lunch, pausing every now and again to talk about nothing in particular. Sakura's calm, relaxed pace, and insistence that we all wait until we've finished out mouthfuls before speaking, means it takes us longer than usual. We've only just finished when the bell goes to signal the end of lunch.

"Lunch is over already?" remarks Sakura, as the bell rings out. "Gosh, that was fast."

"Yeah, we'd better get going," I say as I stand up. "See you later, Sakura."

"Until we meet again, Kentaro. Raiden." Sakura stands up and bows to each of us in turn, then heads off back to her own classroom as we head back to ours. I have to admire how polite and well-mannered Sakura is. Shiori's much the same, from what little I've seen of her. I wish Natsume was as polite as those two.

***

The afternoon lessons pass rather uneventfully. Before I know it, it's the end of the school day. While a number of students will be sticking around for club activities, I'm heading straight home as usual.

While the school day may have drawn to a close, it seems my ordeal is far from over. As I make my way through the grounds, towards the front gate, I receive another text message. It's the stalker again:

"YOU NOTICED ME! I KNEW YOU WOULD! I'LL FOREVER CHERISH THOSE MOMENTS WE SPENT TOGETHER TODAY~ THANK YOU, KEN-CHAN. XXXXXXX"

I guess that confirms it, then. The stalker really is one of my fellow classmates. I don't understand it… why go to all this trouble? If this person really loves me, why don't they just come up to me and say it to my face? Why send these letters and text messages? And… why send me photos of myself in my sleep?!

I shake my head wearily. None of this makes any sense at all. As far as I can see, the only way to make sense of this is to track the stalker down. I just… don't know how.

***

As I embark on the short walk home, I continue to go over the letter and the text messages in my mind. Especially this latest one. "You noticed me"… from that, I can only assume that I must have actually talked to my stalker at some point today. It's a horrifying thought. Having a stalker is bad enough, but knowing that you know them, that you see them and maybe even converse with them on a regular basis… dear God. It's like being the heroine of a magical girl show, and knowing your arch-nemesis is one of your classmates, but you have no idea who they are or how to prove it.

However, I think I have a way to narrow it down. I think it's fair to assume that the stalker is female. In that case, if I really did talk to them today, I can just run through the names of every girl I talked to. Meiko… Aiko… Sakura… Mizuki… Harumi. As unlikely as it seems, any one of them could possibly be the stalker.

If it's Mizuki or Harumi, then they're most likely doing it out of spite. As for Meiko, Aiko, or Sakura, I can't imagine what their motivations could possibly be. Least of all Aiko. But then, nobody ever knows her motivations for anything, as she never says anything.

I pause suddenly, realizing I already passed my house a couple of blocks ago. I was so preoccupied with everything that I didn't realize. As I turn and walk back towards my house, I silently resolve not to tell my parents about any of this. This doesn't concern them, and I don't want them worrying about it constantly, which they will do if I tell them. This is my problem. I'll deal with it myself.

***

The subject of this morning's letter isn't raised until dinner time. "So, Ken, dear, what was that letter from this morning about?" my mother asks me. "Anything important?"

I've had more than enough time to come up with a convincing lie, but I don't find one necessary. Instead, I just respond, "No. Nothing important, really," and to my relief, nobody seems to question it.

"Who was it from?" asks my mother. "One of your classmates, I assume?"

This time I don't need to lie. "Yeah," I say. "Yeah, it was." I just wish I knew which classmate.

"Speaking of your classmates, how's Raiden?" asks my mother. "He hasn't come over for a while now."

"Nah, he's been kinda busy lately, catching up with homework…" The conversation carries on from there, and the letter is not mentioned again. Indeed, for a while I can pretend I don't have a stalker at all. Until I get up to my bedroom, that is.

I'd left my cellphone upstairs on my desk when I got home. Checking it now, I have 38 messages. One is from Raiden:

"2DAY WAS TOUGH 4 U, I BET. DON’T WORRY, MAN. I'M HERE 4 U. OH, & WORD OF ADVICE: DONT TALK 2 ANY GURLZ. THE STALKER WILL KILL THEM. L8R~!"

What an idiot. Still, I can't help feeling better, knowing that I'm not going through this alone. The other 37 texts are all from the stalker. No, wait… make that 38. A vibration heralds yet another text from them. Guess I'm gonna be hearing from them at all hours of the day. I check the messages with a sense of foreboding that's already starting to become uncomfortably familiar.

The first message reads, "WHY AREN'T YOU ANSWERING MY MESSAGES, KEN-CHAN?" The second reads, "ARE YOU ILL? ARE YOU BUSY?" The third reads, "ARE YOU WITH ANOTHER GIRL?!!" The fourth simple reads, "ANSWER ME!" As does the fifth. And the sixth. Scrolling down, the rest of the messages all say the same thing: "ANSWER ME!" She's sent it over and over again, every other minute, as though it would actually get me to respond. I get the feeling she won't stop until I do… but I don't want to…

I guess I don't have much of a choice, though. I hit Reply, and just stare at the keypad for a while, trying to think of what I could possibly say to this person. I guess… maybe… sigh. No good. I can't do it. I can't respond to them. I just can't.

I switch off my cellphone and put it back on the desk. I can only hope that the stalker gets the message and stops texting me, though I know that isn't likely. This is all getting too much for me. If things continue to escalate like this… what next?

I sit down on the end of my bed and let out a heavy sigh. At this rate, never mind the obvious danger to myself, there's a danger other people could be affected by this. It's like Raiden said: if any other girl tries to hit on me, the stalker might well try and attack them out of jealousy. That's the last thing I want.

I don't know how, but when I finally go to bed, I fall asleep as I usually do. At least the stalker can't hurt me in my dreams.

Day 132

[from Sonic the Hedgehog Returns]

With the Death Egg's main generator disabled, its propulsion systems were now offline. Momentum kept it moving forwards for the moment, but without anything keeping it in the air, it slowly began to plummet towards the lake below. Alarms began to blare in Robotnik's control room, warning him of the impending disaster.

"What's going on?!" the dictator bellowed, pounding a fist on the control panel. "Don't tell me that hedgehog managed to shut down the generator!"

"It looks like he removed the power source," said Snively.

Robotnik growled. "What is that prototype doing?! There's no way it should have let Sonic through!" He quickly jabbed a button on the control panel. "Attention, Metal Sonic Mk.I! Destroy that hedgehog and retrieve the power source!"

***

As Sonic rushed out of the generator room, Sally contacted him once again. "Looks like the generator's down," she said. "Nice job, Sonic."

"Piece of cake," said Sonic. "Now to haul haunch outta here before- UGH!"

Metal Sonic Mk.I slammed into Sonic just as he passed through the doorway back into the corridors, knocking him backwards. A strange object tumbled out of Sonic's hand: a bright green gem that he had found inside the generator room. It appeared to have been the power source. No doubt the machine had come to put it back, just as soon as it had disposed of him.

"What now?" asked Sally, in a tone of resignation.

"Looks like that copy of me has come back for the power source," said Sonic. "I'm gonna hafta fight my way past it this time."

"I see," said Sally. "Well, good luck, Sonic. I'm sure you can defeat it."

"Oh, don't you worry, Sal," said Sonic, focusing his attention on the machine. "I got this."

The spines on the robot's back opened up, revealing thrusters that suddenly propelled it towards the fallen power source. Sonic quickly darted forward and just managed to snatch it up before the robot could reach it, racing round it and heading off on his way. Unfazed, the machine promptly turned round and dashed off through the corridors in pursuit.

"I see Robotnik managed to capture my best feature, at least," Sonic remarked, glancing back at the robot as it pursued him. "Alright then! Catch me if you can, ya heap o' junk!"

SWATbots and Badniks began to block Sonic's path, trying to pen him in. Sonic effortlessly dodged a volley of laser fire from a group of SWATbots ahead of him and barrelled straight through them with a Spin Dash, obliterating them. Metal Sonic Mk.I continued onwards, straight through the smoke and debris thrown up by the explosion, and kept going.

***

 "Sir, our auxiliary power supply is almost depleted," said Snively. "We have to leave now, otherwise the escape pods will lose power. I hate to admit it, but… it looks like the Death Egg is lost."

"Impossible!" roared Robotnik, slamming his fists against the controller. "There's no way that hedgehog could have-"

Robotnik cut himself off as the lights in the control room suddenly flickered and died. There was no longer enough power left to run everything, and the lights had the lowest priority. It was no use. Snively was right. He had to abandon the station, for now at least. There was still the chance that Metal Sonic Mk.I could retrieve the power source and put it back, but time was running short. In only a few minutes, the station would strike the lake's surface, and even if the impact didn't tear it apart, it would still sink straight to the bottom and be lost. For now, he had no choice.

"Alright, fine!" said Robotnik. "Activate the escape pods, and order all SWATbots to fire on Tails' plane! Even if he somehow manages to defeat Metal Sonic Mk.I, there's no way he can make it off this station without that plane!" Robotnik let out an evil laugh as he and Snively made their way to the Death Egg's escape pods, hoping that Metal Sonic would fulfil its design purpose and rid them of the real Sonic once and for all.

Day 131

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san]

"Hey! Let's go on date!"

Yuuichi, who was busy playing on his Vii Q, jumped slightly as Ilana suddenly threw her arms around him from behind. "Eh? A date?" he repeated.

"Yes!" said Ilana, who seemed excited by the prospect. "We are married couple. We should do married couple things, like go out on date, feed ducks, drink from same glass."

"I thought "married couple things" were all to do with children and taxes," remarked Yuuichi.

"We have not those things!" replied Ilana cheerfully.

"We still have to pay taxes, you know!" said Yuuichi indignantly.

Ilana shrugged, turning her attention to the TV screen. "What you are playing?" she asked.

"It's called Splashoot," said Yuuichi. "It just came out the other day. I'd been so hyped for it, and I gotta say, it's amazing."

"What it is?" asked Ilana.

"Basically, you play as kids that can transform into squids, and you battle other players to try and paint the most territory. Look, now I'm a kid…" Yuuichi pressed a button and his character dived down into the ink beneath him. "Now I'm a squid!"

Ilana suddenly grabbed the remote control and switched the TV off. "Now you are dead," she said. "Now we go on date."

Yuuichi cried out in shock. "Hey, I was playing that!" he moaned, reaching out for the remote. "Switch it back on!"

Ilana smirked. "You promise we go on date when you finish?"

"Yes, yes, I promise!" said Yuuichi in a panic. "Now please, switch it back on!"

Ilana giggled, and switched the TV back on. "You so cute when am - how you say - fluster," she said, as Yuuichi found that to his relief he had not been killed.

"Please don't do that again," said Yuuichi. "You almost ruined my kill-death ratio!"

"I know not what that is," said Ilana, "but I sorry. I just want do things with you. You are husband, after all. We should go on proper date."

"I know," said Yuuichi. "Tonight, I promise. Once I'm done playing."

Ilana smiled widely. "Thank you, Yuuichi," she said.

Yuuichi suddenly blushed nervously. "You know… I've never really been on a date before," he said.

Ilana seemed surprised by this. "Really?" she repeated. "Not ever?"

"Yeah," said Yuuichi. "Like I told you before, I'd never had a girlfriend or even kissed anyone before you turned up."

"Oh yeah, you said that…" muttered Ilana thoughtfully. "Well, I make sure first date is good one, then. Should we go fancy restaurant, dine like tsars? Or should we do simple thing like go for walk, eat ice cream, watch sunset?"

Yuuichi thought about it for a moment. He didn't really have any clothing appropriate for a fancy restaurant, and he had this feeling in his gut that if the two of them were to visit such an establishment, it would most likely end in disaster. Surely nothing could go wrong from just a simple walk through town. "A walk sounds nice," he said.

"Okay," said Ilana, nodding. "We go for walk, then. You show me all nice things around town."

Yuuichi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Uhh, Ilana… you do remember I've barely left my apartment in three years or so, right? I don't really know much of the town at all."

"Then we just walk wherever, and see where path takes us," said Ilana. "Might be better. We not know what we about to see, so it make good surprise for us when we see it."

"Okay, sounds good to me," said Yuuichi. "I'm looking forward to it. I never thought I'd be saying this six months ago, but… I guess it'd be good to get out of the house sometime."

Ilana smiled. "You see? " she said. "Do same thing every day is boring. Must try new things. Is important."

Yuuichi nodded. "Yeah. I'm starting to realize that now. And it's all thanks to you, Ilana. That being said…" Yuuichi effortlessly dispatched yet another squid-like enemy, causing them to explode in a shower of ink. "I'm not going to give up video games and anime completely. They're just too good!"

"I not ask you to," said Ilana. "They part of you. Yuuichi without anime is like Russia without vodka. Is not thinkable."

"I see," said Yuuichi. "Okay then."

Ilana suddenly leaned forward, peering curiously at the TV screen. There was an odd piece of graffiti painted on the wall Yuuichi's character was currently standing in front of. "What that say? 'Bush do 9/11'?" repeated Ilana, confused.

Once more Yuuichi nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Ehhh… there's some weird people on Wintendo Direct…"

***

As Yuuichi and Ilana strolled peacefully along the riverbank, the sun was starting to sink low in the horizon, a cool late-afternoon breeze rustling through the grass. Ilana's hand slid gracefully along the iron railings separating them from the waters below, her hair glowing a fiery scarlet in the evening light. Yuuichi found the whole scene remarkably tranquil and relaxing. For the first time in a very long time, he felt glad to be out of his apartment.

"Hey, something's just occurred to me," he said. "If you were a mail-order bride, then there must have been some reason you wanted to leave Russia, right? What was it?"

Ilana sighed, as though she had hoped they wouldn't had to have had this conversation. "I not have good life in Russia," she said. "Growing up, family was always poor, weather was always cold. No money for fun things. Was hard life, but was only life I know, so I endure it. Best friend at school was a girl named Katarina. She was, uhh, how you say… she like girls like you like girls."

"She was a lesbian?" asked Yuuichi.

"Yes, that is word," said Ilana. "She was lesbian. And we were good friends. Not lovers. I was not her type. Also am not lesbian. Anyway, Putin not like lesbians. He say, "You lesbian, you go to jail". So Katarina go to jail. And then I realize: Russia is not good country. I talk to family, and they agree: Russia is not good country. So I decide to leave, make good life elsewhere. However, I not have money to buy house in other country, and I not have skills to get work in other country. Only have enough money for plane ticket. So I decide to marry foreign man, move in with him, and start new life that way. Was only choice."

"So that's why you became a mail-order bride," said Yuuichi. "That's actually rather sad."

Ilana nodded. "I hope Katarina is okay in jail," said Ilana. "I never tell her I leave the country. When she get out, she will look for me but not find me…"

"I'm sure someone will tell her where you went," said Yuuichi.

"I know," said Ilana. "I just regret not saying goodbye. She was best friend, after all."

"And then after all that, you come over here, and find that the guy who "bought" you knew nothing about it, and was just a lazy otaku with no job," said Yuuichi. "Damn, now I feel even worse."

Ilana stopped and leaned back against the railings, smiling at Yuuichi. "I tell you many time, Yuuichi," she said. "You are good man. You are honest man. You willing to change, and you are changing. I lucky to have been bought by you. When I signed up to be mail-order bride, I was… nervous, I think is word. Yes, nervous. I heard bad things. Mail-order brides trying to leave bad life behind, and finding even worse life waiting for them when they step off plane. But I lucky. I have very good life now, in very good country, with very good man. I am happy."

Yuuichi smiled back at her. "I'm glad you feel that way," he said. "Japan certainly is a great country, isn't it?"

Ilana nodded. "Yes. When your friend bought me, I look up information on Japan. The technology, the nature, the culture, the riches… I loved it all. I thought, "Japan is good country to live in". And I was right. Is good country. Am glad to be here with you."

Yuuichi glanced up at the golden sky, as the sun continued to sink lower and lower. "Thanks, Ilana," he said. "I… I like having you around as well."

Ilana giggled, moving away from the railings and hugging Yuuichi from behind. "Of course you do," she said. "I am pretty wife who cooks and cleans for you. Of course you like me."

Yuuichi blushed but did not resist as Ilana hugged him close to her, her breasts pressing against his back. He nodded. "Yeah. I think… I think we make a good couple."

Ilana nodded, nestling her head against Yuuichi's shoulder. "I think so too," she said. The pair of them stood this way for some time, silently enjoying each other's warmth, until the sun had finally disappeared completely below the horizon and the sky faded into the blue-black of twilight. As the first stars appeared, the pair looked up at them, watching them twinkle beautifully.

"You know," said Ilana, "there is saying in West that if you wish on first star you see at night, your wish will come true."

"Really?" said Yuuichi. "Then, I wish for-"

Before he could complete his wish, Ilana placed a finger over his lips to silence him, causing him to blush harder. "Is also saying that if you say wish out loud, it not come true," said Ilana. "So say it not."

Yuuichi nodded, and the pair silently made their wishes. "So, uhh… should we head back to the apartment now?" asked Yuuichi. "It's getting dark."

"We should, yes," said Ilana. "Was good first date, yes?"

Yuuichi nodded. "Yeah, it was," he said. Then, he paused and looked around. "Uhh… which way exactly is the apartment?"

Day 130

[from Electron]

The marble steps of City Hall cracked slightly beneath Titus' weight as he watched Electron approaching. Yesterday the mayor had publicly announced the superhero's impending arrival in SIlverburg, and had boldly declared that the super's crime wave was now over. Titus begged to differ, and he was ready to take the superhero down in front of the whole city and prove once and for all that he could not be stopped. Not by the police, not by SHRED, not by anyone.

As Electron descended towards the pristine City Hall building, he couldn't help but be slightly intimidated by the sheer physique of the man before him. He was over six feet tall, powerful muscles rippling and gleaming all over his body, his solid steel skin shining sinisterly in the sunlight. It seemed like a very difficult first assignment, but Electron tried to remain calm and not let his nerves get the better of him. He had the advantage here. He had all the equipment and training that SHRED had given him, and he also had a plan.

Electron landed neatly at the bottom of the steps, and from this position, Titus seemed even larger as he stood thirteen steps above the superhero, looming menacingly over him. "So, you're Electron, huh?" he said. His voice was loud, deep, and gruff, but with a slightly metallic quality to it. "You're shorter than I thought you'd be."

At this point, many superheroes would have come up with some sort of witty riposte, deflecting the insult right back at the villain. Most superheroes, however, were not on their first day on the job, and feeling rather intimidated by the giant metal man standing before them. A hesitant "I guess" was Electron's only reply.

Titus smirked. "You don't seem like much of a hero to me," he said. "But if you really wanna get your ass kicked that badly, then come at me!" Titus spread his arms wide, challenging Electron. "I'm right here, hero!"

Electron knew that his suit wasn't going to provide much protection against Titus' herculean punches. One blow to the face would probably knock his head clean off his shoulders. But for his plan to work, he needed to get in close. And in any case, perhaps he wouldn’t need the suit's protection. If his electromagnetic force fields could stop a bullet, they could stop one of Titus' punches. Probably. Possibly.

Nervously, Electron started to make his way slowly up the grand staircase, never once taking his eyes off of Titus. After a moment, Titus also began to descend, closing in on the superhero. As soon as Electron was within arm's reach, Titus roared out and swung at Electron with a mighty right hook. It was well-telegraphed, and Electron ducked out of the way easily, but before he could do anything else, Titus suddenly kicked him hard in the face, sending him tumbling back down the stairs. The hero fell to a heap at the bottom but quickly scrambled onto his hands and knees, grimacing in pain as blood began to spurt from a broken nose.

"Is that all you got?" shouted Titus, taunting the hero from up high. "I thought you had more in you than that!"

Shakily, Electron climbed back to his feet, staggering a little before turning to face Titus with renewed confidence. "I'm just getting started," he said.

"Really?" said Titus. "Looks to me more like you're about to be finished!" Titus charged down the steps, each one cracking under his weight as he stormed towards the shaken hero. This time, Electron was ready, and as Titus swung another almighty blow at him, he focused a magnetic force field directly in front of himself, ready to block the hit. Titus' fist still connected with Electron's chest, but all the force had been taken out of the blow and Electron did not feel a thing.

As Titus stood there flabbergasted, trying to understand why his punch hadn't sent Electron flying across the street, Electron quickly placed a hand on Titus' arm, and in a shower of sparks the villain was completely immobilized. "Wh… what the… I can't move!" he exclaimed. "That's… that's impossible!"

"Actually… oww…" Pinching his broken nose between the forefinger and thumb of his free hand, to try and stem the blood flow, Electron carried on speaking in a voice that now sounded rather nasally. "Actually, it isn't. It's to do with… electromagnetism and stuff. I dunno, I'm a little dizzy, but…"

Titus tried vainly to move himself, even an inch, but he could not. "There's… no way I could be taken down by a bunch of magnets… argh!"

"Actually, you are the magnet," said Electron. "The electricity flowing through your metal skin creates an electromagnetic field, which I'm able to manipulate at will. I'm using that to hold you still, and that's why you can't move."

"I see," said Titus. "So, as long as you're holding onto me, I can't move?"

"Pretty much," said Electron. "SHRED are on their way, and they'll take things from here. You'll be off to Black Rock, and this city will be safe."

"Maybe for now," said Titus threateningly. "But for how long? Another me will come along soon enough. You may have defeated me, but how many more can you defeat?"

"I dunno," said Electron, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess we'll find out, one way or the other. But hopefully, I can defeat as many as I have to in order to keep this city safe."

Titus sneered. "We'll see," he said.