Chapter Ten: Connecting the Dots [Part Two]

Ever since I was a child...I've always had these horrible nightmares...I don't know why, but they come every once and a while and take me from my sleep. On the outside, I always try to be nice and helpful...but I feel displaced. So disconnected from everyone around me. Like this isn't the life I was supposed to have. I seem to just naturally shun people. I'm always denying requests even though I should try to be more outgoing...for a young girl, who is going to be attending high school next year...I should really try harder at being more social. The nightmares haunt me, but I feel...like they are apart of me. It's always the same...alone, at first I felt so alone. My 'parents' cared for me, they fed me, they clothed me, but what did it come down to? I felt so distanced from them, especially when work picked up and they weren't around as often...Why should I share this pain? I should be...stronger than this. I know that is how I feel about things in general...but I had no choice but to let someone, anyone in. My sister...well, Norie, she...she is a very different person from who she used to be. She'd do anything for me, but...I'm afraid. What if she gets hurt because of me? Nobody should have to suffer for me. I-..I can't help but feel like...this is all my fault...for some reason...

She was standing inside of Mr. Calvin's office, nervously rocking on her heels. She knew that she had done wrong, and that is why she was here now. He was looking over some papers he obviously didn't want to correct and he then looked up at her and sighed. "I don't know who you think you are, Maki Gladrin, but what you have done is unacceptable." He said folding his hands together like any lecture about to come from a teacher, and her own expression was sullen, even though she knew that there was close to nothing that she could do in a situation like this. "Can you explain to me why there are people lurking around my office after class asking me about my teacher's license, and even worse, why they are asking me about my questionable field trip idea?" He asked raising his eyebrows, and the girl avoided his gaze. "Beats me." She said quietly and the man suddenly stood up slamming his hands on the desk. "Is that all you've got to say?" He demanded. "I know better than to provoke you." He smiled slyly, and slowly sat back. "You probably told your sister. You ignored my warning, you told someone, didn't you, my sweet little demon?" The girl closed her eyes. "Stop calling me that." She replied, her fist clenched. "I know you've been missing a lot of class, what are you doing spending your time home for? You could have done a better job of hiding it...or do you want them to die, your new family?" He asked with a small laugh. "Shut up." She retorted, keeping her voice low. "Well whatever my sweet little girl. You're going to get special treatment, you know that?" He leaned forward. "For the field trip I mean. Since so many people love you, we can't just kidnap you out of the blue. They'd know where to go...ah yes...you are going to be put on the hot seat as soon as we get to the domes on Wednesday." He stood up slowly and placed his hand on her shoulder. "So Maki...what are you going to? Tell more of your friends?" He asked with a smile. "Just shut up already." Was all she had to say as she moved away from him. "Hmph. You'll be less feisty come Wednesday. I guarantee it."

The words frightened her. But at the same time, she wasn't frightened. Whatever they intended to do with her, as soon as it became clear that they couldn't tie her down with threats...she wouldn't hesitate, she woud...Not here, I have to get away... She was allowed to leave with those last words. She looked around feeling a great sorrow building up inside of her. Just outside of the office she navigated her way to the girl's bathroom. Being after hours, it was empty, and so she found a place to sit and bury her hands into her face. What...have I become? Killing people doesn't solve anything! She thought darkly, looking at her tears in her palm. I just want to go home...I don't like it here anymore...I don't want to go back to being the shy quiet girl...I don't want to be here... She shook her head, No, I don't have that life anymore...I have to just adapt in till I can be free... her mind was all in a jumble and she could focus at all. Then the bathroom door suddenly opened and there was a strange sound following afterwar. She looked up for a moment. The periodic footsteps on the tile floor, accompanied by the sound of jingling keys or something. A janitor? No...she could see under the stall door a silver colored robe which covered the person's legs. The jingling wasn't coming from a single source like a purse or even a set of bracelets, it was as if they were wearing a dress made out of chains. Curiously she tried to peer through the stall door, but someone was holding the door closed. She wasn't sure if she should make a sound, but she wasn't sure what this person was trying to do, or who it even was. Surely it wasn't a student, they were all gone, but a teacher? They had staff bathrooms for that...this was kind of out of the way she thought. Besides, a teacher wouldn't wear something so exotic and noisy. It was someone who must have seen her come in most likely...but who? They had to know who she was right? Why didn't she feel nervous?

Between the crack of the door a small slip of paper appeared, and then as she reached for it, she could hear the person slowly making their way to the exit. She grabbed the note, and then opened the door to see who it was, but all she saw was the trailing silver robe, which encased the entire person from head to toe, leaving the bathroom, and there was nothing more. Was it a trick made by Mr. Calvin? Who else could have come in here without being noticed? She rushed out of the door only to see the hallway empty. She took the note, and flipped the simple piece of paper open.

Have courage Maki. You have more friends than you're willing to admit. We will always protect you. Never forget who you are...but don't forget those who have stood by your side.
-C#1

She wasn't sure who, or what C#1 stood for. But the words filled her with an unknown courage and strength. Norie...Dare...even Michi all seemed like nice people who would stand by her. Her friend Kylie who had mysteriously stopped going to school...they had all supported her, and were concered about her. She did have friends. She wasn't alone. This was her home now. Isn't it about time you accept that? She thought to herself and then nodding she put the note inside of her pocket. "Thank you..." she whispered out loud, slowly returning home. It would be a long time, before she realized just who had sent that message. She felt guilty though...she had hurt Norie just yesterday. She knew that her sister wouldn't show it in front of her. She needed to get home. She needed to apologize to her. 


She came up to the familiar house. The city bus ride had taken forever it seemed. She rushed through the front door and found her parents preparing dinner. "Where is Norie?" She asked quickly, and the parents shrugged. "I think she went out." Her mother said, and she ran upstairs and went into her sister's room to make sure. The room was empty and quiet. Her eyes narrowed as she examined the room carefully. Was I too late...? Norie...

Yesterday.


She was sitting in the kitchen feeling happy about herself. She was in good faith that Dare would come through for her, he always had, and this time it would make everything right again. It was surprising how much she kept from her parents. Especially about Maki. She still couldn't believe that some slime ball teacher who really wasn't a teacher was using very hard to come by information against her sister. Of all people, why would anyone pick on Maki? She may seem distant at times, or have her own world, but she was a good girl. Norie knew because she was her sister. The front door opened, and her sister entered and dropped her backpack on the ground and stood there silent. An aura of sadness and anger seemed to radiate from the girl who seemed rooted to the welcome mat. "Maki?" Norie asked sliding away from the kitchen table and thought to come near her sister but she stopped when the girl raised her hand to stop her in her tracks. "Don't...Norie...I'm sick of this torment.." She was saying quietly. "What happened?" the other girl whispered for a moment looking at her sister. "Why don't you ask Dare huh? He seems to be your solution for everything." She was clearly bitter. "Things are even worse now. More than ever." Her tone remained quiet. "I hope...that when this all said and done, I...I can..make it..." She slumped to the floor and pressed her back against the wall. "What do you mean...?" Norie tried not to sound defensive, but it seemed that her good mood would suddenly be turned upside down.

"He...he's going to kill us all...I just know it...there are people...in this city...who have nothing inside of them!" Her voice was rising, and Norie came over to her sister and wrapped her arms around her. "Don't worry...I'll find a way, I promise, I'll help you through this..." She said, but the other girl pushed her away. "Don't get close...he'll kill you first. He will find out." She was shaking, and she stood up suddenly, looming over the sitting Norie. There were tears forming in her eyes. "Why do you help me? Because you always wanted a sister? Is that it? Am I the incarnation of some dream you had or something?" She demanded pointing her finger at the other. "I-...no, Maki! You're my sister! Not..." She couldn't find the words to say. "I told you my past when I was feeling weak." She said drying the tears from her face and stepped past her sister and stopped for a moment by the steps. "Just let me clean this mess up on my own. You tried your best...I know that...but, I don't want anymore people to die because of me..." She finished quietly, almost so quietly that Norie may not have heard.

The older girl just stayed there on the floor looking out of the front door. She slowly closed it. Inside she felt crushed, but she knew that...if she let it get to her, it would only seal her sister's fate. That was how Maki was. It was the same back when she first heard the story herself. It would be hard to concentrate on school. She drifted up to her room and stayed in there. She felt kind of empty, like she had just been hit by something, but wasn't sure if the feelings had caught up to her yet. Maki is in danger, Maki is going to be gone, she is going to deal with this all by herself. In her mind it was all about Maki. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow. "I messed up...somewhere, somehow. No matter how much I try, it just seems to go the other way..." She whispered, there were no tears, they were hidden inside of her, waiting to come at any point.  Be strong be strong...I need strength, but I can't...

The next day came and it became clear that she wouldn't be able to continue. Not with Michi constantly watching her and asking her questions. In truth she was getting tired of it...she felt bitter inside, as if she had caught some contagious disease from her sister yesterday. It was affecting her mood, she had to leave before she accidentally spread it to someone else. She tried to keep smiling, but...she felt like she was made of glass, and all could see her heart crying inside of her chest. She was honestly afraid. Nothing like this had ever happened before. She wasn't good at dealing with such things without a release, and there wasn't a release, there was nobody she wanted to turn to. It had always been that way, she made friends, but something always happened, and she never let them in when it mattered most. Maybe she was more like Maki than she thought? Michi's dad was found, and so it felt like she was becoming  more and more cheerful, and even though she should be happy for her friend, she could feel herself shying away. She had to get out, she had to clear her foggy head. She left halfway, and went home. She climbed the stairs and went into her room and waited. "Tomorrow...Maki is going to...what exactly?" She couldn't help but think about it. "Is she going to die? Are they going to experiment on her? Are they going to rape her? Who are they? I just want to be alone...I want to walk...somewhere anywhere..." She got up and left her house, and began to walk down the sidewalk, her eyes eying the cracks in the sidewalk, and she wondered what Michi would see if she were here. It was because she was noticing things she normally wouldn't notice if she was just walking somewhere. She eventually found herself in a park. It was a place she knew, as it was between the old high school and the new one, she had played here when she was a kid. It was empty now, most kids were still in school. Those who were too young to were probably napping.

She looked at the blue and red plastic castle like park and smiled. It looked so fake, but in memory was actually quite fun to play in. She used to pretend to be a princess, and Dare would always come and rescue her. Those were some good memories. Her eyes fell upon the swings as they swayed back and forth in the wind. If it weren't for the rocks that would get stuck in her shoes, she would have ventured over and played around for a moment. Instead she noticed a single man sitting on a bench, and for some reason she was compelled to speak with him. She inched along slowly, and the man turned around slowly; he was actually quite young, and he pushed his glasses further up his nose as if getting a better look at her. Then he smiled, and beckoned to her. "You, my lady, seem troubled." He said with a smile, and she sat down next to him. "I am." She replied quietly staring at the park. "Wanna talk about it?" He asked and she shrugged. "I...I'm not sure..." He stretched out his legs and ran his hands through his black hair. "I think I may have seen you around. Always with that young Japanese girl." He stated, and Norie knew he wasn't talking about Michi, she knew he was talking about Maki, and then she began to tear up thinking about her sister. "Yeah..that's right...but tomorrow...she might die." She tried to hide it, and the man placed his arm on her shoulder as a friendly gesture. "No she wont." He said, so assuredly, she couldn't help but turn to look at him again. "Why do you think so?" She asked and he looked away at the empty park. "Because you really care about her ya?" He said folding his hands together. "I...I can't save her from this..." She stated looking down. "She wont let me, I don't think she wants me to get hurt because of her." And the man turned completely to look at her. "This sounds really serious." His eyes furrowed, and reached out to touch her head but she seemed to back away instinctively. "What...are you doing?" She asked, and he closed his eyes. "My apologies...there is just this sort of ritual I heard about. It might give you the strength to help the ones you care about." He said taking his hands and placing two fingers on his temples. "You see like this?" She couldn't help but smile a bit as he did look pretty silly. "Except you need someone to do it for you, like a flow of energy." he was motioning with his hands. "I don't think that will really help--" She was saying, but he took both of his fingers and placed them at her temples and her eyes instinctively closed. After a while he spoke again."There, I gave you some of my energy." He said after what felt like five minutes of complete silence. Her eyes opened and she felt strangely rejuvenated. "What was that, some kind of magic?" She asked amazed. He shook his head as he stood up. "Aha! You believe in magic? That's ridiculous!" He chuckled for a moment, and gave her a thumbs up. "No need to thank me... just...don't tell anyone you saw me here, I'm kind...of in trouble...with the wife." He added and with a quick wave and he then left the park and was out of sight. "I never...got to know his name. I think that's kind of weird...he said he had a wife, but there wasn't a ring on his finger." She said standing up and looking down at the ground. "I feel surprisingly strange for some reason. Like really relaxed I guess...it isn't unbelievable now is it?" She asked herself turning around. "Maki...do I have the strength to save you?" She asked, leaving the park herself, but still, she didn't head back home. There was something she wanted to look into before she did...


In a very different part of town, two high schoolers were walking home. Both of them were absorbed into their very own worlds, but occasionally one would misstep and disturb the other. "Ah, sorry!" Michi exclaimed, as she had nearly pushed Kaz into the street. The boy wasn't even thinking of where they were going exactly as he corrected his movement to where it was before. It was hard enough for him not to think of it as...I'm going to a girl's house. Aside from Kylie, I've never really been to a girl's house...I wouldn't be so girl shy if Jess hadn't moved away with mom... But in thinking about Jess, he became unaware of the girl next to him, or her periodical staggering motions which sometimes caused him to bump into her, and then he would be reminded all over again that he was going to her house. I hope we don't go into her room, I may not be able to help myself but indulge, ehehe...I'm not so sure if this is a good idea, I may have self control, but I mean...I can't help it can I? Ah hell what am I thinking? We're just exchanging valuable information. She may bee a good ally in this struggle, or whatever.

She poked him suddenly. "We both can't phase out!" She exclaimed suddenly. "What are you talking about, I was paying attention I'll have you know." He said nodding his head knowingly. "Yeah? How could you? You were slowly straying off into the middle of the road! You might get run over you know." She pointed out. "What the hell? I was only over a little, because there was a branch on the curb." He retorted defensively. "Well here we are." She said stopping in front of her home, and she led him through the front door where he removed his shoes. "Ah, Michi you're home--ah, you brought home a visitor?" Her mother asked stepping into the room. She seemed delighted, and taken aback at the same time. "Yeah hey Mom, this is Kaz, I just bumped into him today." She said, and now that she put it that way, it sounded strange to him. He nodded. "It's nice to meet you." He said, sounding a bit uneasy, he didn't like meeting parents for some reason it always put him on edge. "Ah well, nice to meet you too..." the woman said giving her daughter a skeptical look. "Here, sit." Michi directed him over to her couch and he sat down, hoping there was somewhere to look, other than Michi. Staring is inpolite correct? Michi sat down next to him, and it made him feel even more uneasy. She noticed. "Relax Kaz, you have that stuff written down right?" She asked and the boy nodded and pulled out the information. At that time the mother returned, and locked the door and pulled the curtains and turned on the lamp.

"I've secured the house." She stated sitting down as well. "Well Kaz, you should know, this house is constantly being watched." The woman said, and he could feel himself feeling growing even more nervous. "You aren't going to relax are you?" She asked. "Ah..hell, am I really that easy to read?" He asked. "Sorry, but...uh, what exactly is going on?" He added. "I told my mom between classes that you had some information about the domes. She's been doing some information collecting herself." Michi stated. "We believe that a faction of Senba is really pulling the strings in this entire ordeal. You see, my husband has fled the country to escape from them. They must have taken drastic measures in order to go that far." She was saying and Kaz nodded. 'This all started out as...'let's just see what's going on at the middle school.' to...'there is a large dangerous organization that is plotting...what exactly?' He thought to himself pointing to the papers. "All I know is that all suspicious activity is bound to happen at these domes." He said quietly and Michi nodded. "From what you've brought to the table here...it seems like someone is manipulating a loophole within the government system here."

"That may be...but what do we do about it? What can we do about it?" Michi asked and Kaz leaned back in the couch trying to relax. "They did invite me..." he began. "huh?"
"I mean...I think if I went tomorrow...I might be able to do something." He leaned forward. "I don't know what, but I think...I think I should go."
"That's dangerous you know." The mother was saying. "Yeah, but...I promised a friend I would get to the bottom of this." He replied. He wasn't sure if that is what he believed in, but it felt right. "If you go, I'm going with you." Michi added. "What are you saying now?" Her mother interjected. "It's dangerous....I know Kaz is an adult and I have no jurisdiction over him, but that doesn't mean you can piggy back into this dangerous mess! What if you go missing too, hm? Like your father?" She asked. "But Dad got to safety..." She added. "He's an adult...now isn't the best time for you go rushing off and getting hurt you hear?" She commanded with great concern. "Still, I would at least need your help to reach Norie..." Kaz stated. "Yeah...but, she's so distant it seems...she might not even be at school tomorrow..."
"We can just go to her house and tell her...I don't know what kind of person she is...but I do know this...if my sister was in danger, I think I would do anything to help her. Even if it put me in danger." He said, and it was a feeling that Michi couldn't readily identify with.

Norie did seem to adore her...I haven't seen Maki since the first time I met her...I... She nodded, turning to her mom. "At least let me help them..." She asked. "Don't you want to know what's going on? It would be suspicious if you went, but I can--."
"You can help, but I don't want you to go near those domes . Understood? Imagine how I would feel being all alone here...?" She said and Michi could feel the pain it would cause her mother, she had felt similar pain when she first learned that her father had gone missing "Well...I think it's time I get going..." Kaz said, looking at the time on his phone. He was starting to feel very uncomfortable again when the mother and daughter began to go back and forth like that. He always hated it when Jack's father would come out and say bold things right in front of him. It was always unpleasant. "That might not be a good idea..." The mother was saying. "You should stay here Kaz." Michi added. "Wait...you mean, the whole night?!" He asked, astounded. "Yes, it is a good idea...that way you and Michi can go to school at the same time." She added. His mind was jumping to all kinds of conclusions, some of them were a bit manga related, and he tried his best to banish them. "Well, it's not like I don't mind but...why can't I leave?" He asked, full of concern. "They'll get you. Just for being here..." I don't know exactly who they are talking about, but now they've got me all spooked.
"That's scary. I wish I had known beforehand." He said hanging his head
"You're the one who has been investigating you aren't completely innocent. Besides if you get kidnapped now, who is going to go the dome tomorrow?"
"Right...I don't have anything though..night stuff..ah this is going to be awkward..."
"Don't be ridiculous! I can show you my room, and..."
"Ahem. You wont be sleeping in her room you understand young man?"
"Don't turn this around against me! You're the one who insisted I stay here!"
"Mom you're making his face turn red!"
"It's both your fault!" He couldn't help but laugh. This is kind of fun, and scary at the same time...not exactly what I had in mind for 'talking to a girl,but still...augh, curse this male body! If I were just...I don't know...I'll be careful.

"What are you thinking?"
"Ah--nothing! Nothing at all...seriously, we should be more serious right? I mean tomorrow...is a big day..." He said. "I think we should celebrate our friendship! C'mon! let's make the best of a good night!"
"I know what will relax us, some good old..."
"Mom! Don't bring out the Sake!"
"I'm honestly not much of a drinker..."
"Oh right, I forgot you're underage...you see in Japan..."
"Don't get started with those stories now!"
 
The night would continue on with that same level of mirth. Despite not having any sake, Kaz managed to open up a little around the mother and daughter. Though he never expected it to come out the way it did. He enjoyed himself.

The next day...had come. It turned out that Kaz ended up sleeping on Michi's floor, and he was thankful that it smelled nice. In contrast to his own room, which probably would have horrified Michi, or at least mildly disturbed her. This has all been pretty crazy, but now I have to think about what to do exactly...where did you go Jack? Usually I'd be hanging out with you, or working...not spending time my time here in this house...but still I had fun...after all they are pretty nice...I bet when this is done, it will all just reset though... He didn't want it to. Not yet. He wanted to have more fun, now that the final day had dawned. Maybe he'd get a chance. Maybe next time Norie would be there too. He could only hope.

They had decided not to go school the next day. They instead went straight to Norie's house, as Kaz followed Michi. He felt strangely more comfortable now after spending the night with the Kasahara family. He suspected that because the father was absent, it was less comfortable than the worst scenario. He was silent, and a bit overly aware of his mannerisms. It was like one of those things were you wish you could have small talk, but wouldn't be able too because of what they were about to do. They were going to warn Norie. Yes...Norie had been a popular topic last night. Even though Michi's mom did get a little tipsy. Either way, at 1 pm, he was going to be entering those domes. He was afraid. He wanted Michi to be with him, but...her mom seemed so adamant against it. They continued on through the cold foggy morning, in till they came to the front of the large white house where Norie lived. They walked up the driveway, and came to the front door and rang the bell, standing together silently. "Do you think she'll answer?" Michi asked and Kaz shrugged, "Do you think she's even home?" He replied and the two waited for a while. There wasn't an answer. "Maybe she went to school?" He asked and she shook her head. "Not on this day...she'd most likely go to the middle school or..." she paused for a moment. "Would she have gone to the domes?" He asked but they couldn't say for sure. "Let's check around back real quick." Michi said running around to the side of the house. "Hey wait, I don't think--" I guess it doesn't matter if we trespass... They came into the backyard and found the back door open. "This isn't good." Michi exclaimed running through the open sliding door and into the kitchen, with Kaz hesitantly following behind. She looked around for a moment, not finding anything sticking out, like a note, so she then led them upstairs to Norie's room and slowly she opened the bedroom door. She had only been in the room once, but already something was bugging her. "Hey, wait downstairs and keep a look out will yea? This is a girl's room after all." She said and Kaz went back downstairs shaking his head. Yeah, you're saying this after allowing me to sleep on your floor huh? I guess I'll never understand the rules of feminine privacy. Maybe they purposely make it that way. We'll never know. It's always up to them huh.

The girl stepped out of the room and closed the door. When she opened it again and stepped through, she noticed that it was very clean, and well kept. Everything was folded neatly, and the clothes were hung up in the closest or put away in the dresser. She then turned around full circle, her eyes taking in everything, the curtains were pulled over the window, there was nothing under the bed, the ceiling was untouched there was nothing on the floor. She then narrowed her eyes and closed the bedroom door from the inside, and there she found a note. She removed it carefully and examined the words on the page. It wasn't Norie's or Maki's, she knew that much because she had seen Maki's handwriting when she examined her notebook, she knew it wasn't Norie's after seeing all of her homework problems. [Michi does have a surprisingly good memory when it comes to fine detail after all]. "We've been watching your moves very carefully. We knew you'd probably come here. If not, oh well, too bad who cares what happens to your friend. You'll know where to find her." Michi finished reading it and she then pinned it back on the wall and came rushing downstairs. "Kaz! We've got a problem...a huge problem..." She said sounding worried. "Yeah what is it?" He asked looking away from the backyard he was examining. "She's been taken!" She exclaimed. "Norie was taken to the domes, I found the note on her door!" She was speaking fast and he sighed. "Calm down." He stated asking her what it said exactly, and after reciting it word for word he pondered it for a moment. "They could be watching our moves. Either way we have to go to the domes, whether Norie is there or not." He said and then he looked at her. "But you...shouldn't go." 
"Why not? Because my mom doesn't want me to?" She asked, shoulders sagging. "I'd hate to bring you along, as much I could use your help." He stated with a sigh. "Then let me come!" She exclaimed, "Norie is my friend! I have to help her!" He could tell that she was serious, and he began to think about it for a moment. "We can't just waltz in there without a plan." He said quietly. "I think we should wait in till the right moment..." 


So they started to think of a plan that would get them inside of the domes without being noticed right away. If they were being watched, that would mean they were followed at some point. If they really were the intended readers of that letter. They had plenty of time to figure it out. But being high schoolers, they wouldn't be able to go all over town, not without the police noticing, or the school noticing. Hell, he hadn't even told his dad where he was last night. The old man was probably fretting over it. "Let's go to my house real quick." He stated. "It's not that far...we could make it before school starts, and then it will be easier to approach the domes." 
"So you've decided to bring me along then?" She asked. "Yeah, how could I not? But I don't want your mom to kill me afterward okay?" He said as they left Norie's house and began to walk towards his with a slight sense of urgency. "Alright, but you have to protect me then." She added and he sighed. Yeah right, I can hardly hold me own in this case...you're probably a better fighter than me.

The domes rested on the horizon so pleasantly. What hidden and dark purpose did they serve? How did such a thing like this come to be? Shrouded in mystery, they housed the answers to the curious' questions. To uncover such questions...and to save the city from an uncertain fate, those who got involved without even realizing it. Yet, they each have a reason to be there. The day had dawned. Everything was in motion, but who was pulling the strings? At the very heart of the domes, the answer will be found. 

~Continue Reading Scratch The world as the domes begin to be explored!~




Editing note: The last handful of paragraphs were not reviewed. So unedited, I hope they're still good. ~_~

Author's notes: Tomorrow, on Monday, a post will be made concerning a new posting schedule as well as some fun little facts and statistics about this very blog! I would like to personally thank all of my readers who continue to check here for new posts, and especially to those who are sharing this story with others. I can't say that this is really top notch stuff, but as a writer, knowing that people are actually reading something I wrote is uplifting. I hope I can continue to keep things going in a positive direction! Once again, thank you, all of you.

Chapter Nine: Connecting the Dots [Part One]

He spent his lunch hour at the table under the tree, his food already consumed, and a pile of papers were spread out before him. Today was Tuesday, and there was only half a day left before tomorrow would come. The day he had much hope for, but wasn’t exactly sure what to do about it. It was already too much trouble, he thought, but Jack had insisted. Kaz sighed as he brushed his hand from his unkempt hair. There was a map of the city in front of him, as well as a notebook full of details. Even though he was considered lazy, and his only hobbies included things that took close to no physical effort, he did have the kind of mind to turn this entire thing into his own little game. That was his strong suit he thought, and even though he wasn’t the fastest at solving puzzles, he at least credited himself with the ability to think outside the box.
 
Thursday: I was placed in this mess when those robbers decided to ‘test’ me. Or, that is what they claim anyway, that was confirmed when that blonde woman handed me that business card. An invitation to a meeting at the twin domes on the outskirts of town, marked here on the map. The only roads that lead to it aren’t very busy, so it wouldn't be too hard to get there unnoticed. I spent the weekend surveying the area, but I couldn’t get to close without having to walk a hell of a long ways. Oh yeah, almost forgot, it was on Friday that Jack told me to investigate further. Though what’s bothering me now more than ever is the fact that I can’t seem to get in contact with him. He said he wouldn’t be driving to school this week, and him and his sister wouldn’t be going to class. That’s a bit odd in my opinion. Still, I was asked to do this, I owe my best friend something now don’t I?
 
It was on Friday that I hung outside of Norie’s class...trying to identify just who the hell I'm supposed to talk to. It was difficult for me to even know which one was her. It doesn’t help that I’m girl shy, and if I just walk in all casual like, and say I want to speak with her, it might be a little strange, not to mention embarrassing.
 
He put his head down on the papers, and sighed. It doesn’t help that yesterday I figured out which one Norie.was..my god…she’s too cute! How the hell am I supposed to approach a popular girl like that? I can’t even think about it without getting all flustered. He slammed his fist on the table. Don’t give up Kaz! You have to do this…but then again, I may have missed my chance. Time is running out, I may have to approach her after school, but what if I can’t do that? I have my own classes to attend, and as soon as that bell rings it’s not like I can catch her alone. What should I do? Maybe ask one of her friends? I’m not too sure about that. She seems to get along well with the students in her class…I suppose I could follow her home, but what if her parents answer? I could have a backup plan, like, I was returning a lost item for her or something. God damn it Jack, when this is all over I swear I’ll make you pay. In cash.
 
He was at least thankful for his temporary leave from work, despite the fact that he wasn’t being paid. It wasn’t like he was going to spend any of that money anyway. He continued to look over the papers, which mainly had little notes, and a time line of events sketched on it. He was glad he was a senior, his lunch period was extra long due to his minimal course load. He was thankful that he had worked hard enough in his previous years to be given some time to think over what really matteedr. This really did matter…didn’t it? A favor for a friend. Even though it was a pain in the ass, he felt good inside, like he was repaying a long overdue debt to his friend, who had watched his back countless times. He was earnestly worried about Jack, and Kylie too. Where had they gone? He couldn’t tell for sure. But there was more to his investigation…it had made him suspicious of almost everyone.
 
Sunday

As early as the city bus came he was there, waiting anxiously. The closest he could get to the domes was the hotel plaza, and even then it would be a few blocks, at least from there he could at least get a glimpse of the lot that had been vacant for many years, where the domes supposedly were. Originally they were planning on building a giant mall there, but because of a complication in the funding and contracts, the mall was never built, and the lot remained empty. Everyone assumed that eventually something would go there.As he ventured out to survey the area he kept a close watch on anyone around him. He wanted to take his time, just in case someone was in fact following him around without him knowing. He took the time to venture into a coffee shop, hoping to make it look like a simple outing that any teenager would take on a Sunday morning. He ordered a simple glazed pastry and a regular black coffee and took a seat in the far corner where he could see everyone and anyone who came into the cafe. They were all ordinary, many were church goers, some were just writers, opening up their glowing laptops, and others still just wanted a somewhat quiet place to work on the crossword puzzle that was printed in the newspaper. It seemed like everyone in there was a cliche: folding their legs and enjoying the occasional whir of the coffee maker, and the faint hum of classical music playing in the background. He spent a half hour there nibbling away at his pastry, and sipping on his hot coffee, in till finally he cleaned up, and began towards the domes again. It seemed like nobody was particularly following him, or taking notice of him, so he shrugged off his suspicions as best he could. 


A few blocks down he came to the end of the city, or so it seemed. The isolated Stadweld didn't have any suburbs. Almost everyone who worked in Stadweld was a resident of the city. That is why when he reached the edge of the sidewalk, and looked across the back road, he had little trouble seeing the two white tops in the distance. The domes were truly there, a confirmation that made his experience last Thursday all the more real. He wasn't sure what to do. Was it a public place? Or were there guards to tell people it was off limits? He didn't feel like getting in trouble, so he just simply stopped to look at it. It was here that a young man came strolling up to him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. 

"Hey buddy, what are you doing out here?" He asked somewhat cheerfully, and Kaz looked slightly annoyed as he turned to face his coworker. "I could ask you the same thing, Trey." He mumbled and the other took his hand away and shrugged. "I've been walking around the perimeter of those domes ever since they were built. Everyone who gets close to them either disappears or leaves and doesn't say anything about it. Pretty strange don't ya think?" He asked quietly, as if mystified by the aspect. "Not willing to go there and see for yourself?" Kaz asked, a slight smile crossing his face before it faded. "Ha-ah, I don't think so. It's not like I have a reason to go in there. I just like to see what kind of people go in and out." He stated coolly. "So, you never did say why you're out here." He added and Kaz turned away for a moment. "Not collecting rumors that's for sure. I heard that some kids were gonna be going there for a field trip. Thought I'd see what they were like. Huh, I doubt what you say is true if the city is allowing children to go there." He kept his back to Trey, who's eyes narrowed for a moment and the older man stepped directly behind him. "Hey now, you aren't holding out on me are you? How did you find out a piece of information like that?" He asked darkly, and for a moment Kaz felt a tinge of fear, but he shrugged it off as he turned. Explaining to him what had all happened doesn't seem like a good idea. He's just some coworker, and that means he could be anyone. Ah hell, like he's dangerous...but I should be careful right? It's like Jack's secret not mine. "A friend told me." He was vague on purpose and Trey sighed shaking his head. "Damn, that's no good. So you aren't going in there are you?" Kaz looked at the domes for a while, and then thought of what Trey had said. The conversation was making him uncomfortable. "No, I'll get a chance some other day to..." he paused for a moment to consider the possibility that Trey had something to do with the robbery. He was known to have a lot of information, and it was uncanny how his conversation that day seemed to come to light. A lot of things are happening. If I wasn't so damn curious I'd be just as ignorant as the next guy...A lot of things are happening... 


"Do you know something about these domes?" He asked and Trey smiled. "I know a lot of things Kaz. I know those domes are dangerous. I know that everyone who has tried to find something about them, has ended up dead or simply mindless." The tone that Trey was using was really starting to bother Kaz. As if his sixth sense had just kicked in, and it was screaming for him to stop this silly chase and return to a normal life. He turned around, facing back towards the hotel plaza where he had come from. "What about you? You're still alive." He pointed out. There was a long silence as Trey peered up towards the sky. "I'm good at what I do." Was all he had to say. Like hell, you've done a good job of scaring me that's what you're good at. Just how do you plan on using that skill anyway? Going to put 'rumor collector' on your resume? He began to walk back to the bus stop. "Yeah well, I just wanted to take a look." He waved his hand. "Don't get too close yourself then yea?" There was no reply, but Kaz didn't even bother to look back to see if Trey was there. It was better to just let him do whatever he wanted.As he walked he began to think about the suddenly 'mysterious' coworker. It was odd, when he first met Trey he thought the young man was just as lazy as he was, always slacking off, and he hardly had any motivation or hopes for the future. It was probably best to just wait for the police to take care of this...or something. 


His phone buzzed in his pocket. He flipped it open. A message from Jack? He thought to himself as he read the message. "Hey, sorry man, but I wont be able to drive this week to school you know. Me and Kylie are both taking some time off, my dad is really sick I think so we're gonna be at home for a while. Alright, take it easy." It was rather formal for a text message but it brought about a number of questions. If this text message was related to the events of the past week then, it could mean that Jack's family is under some kind of duress. What if the police were being manipulated? After all the mayor was in command of the city, in a sense, and if Jack's father was being compromised somehow, a lot of the power would then fall into the hands of the mafia or Senba.Though it seems to already be in there hands despite what the government does. Though corruption can only go so far...maybe it wouldn't hurt to do something? Ah hell, I can at least tell this Norie chick right? If I can figure out who she is. But not today. He had to take baby steps in till Wednesday. He'd get a free ticket into those domes, despite what Trey was trying to scare him with. In fact, they were probably full of wonderful treasures, right? There had to be a reason why Trey didn't want to go, or want anyone else to go there...in fact.


!

"He probably was following me to see if I'd go to them!" He exclaimed out loud, and in his mental backtrack he didn't even notice a young Asian girl standing next to him. He suddenly turned as she had made a very strange sound after his sudden declaration. "Ah, um..." he began. "I'm sorry..." he stated after regaining his composure. "Ah-no, it's my fault, I was just...well..." she seemed uncertain of what she wanted to say, but it seemed like there was something she wanted to talk to him about. "Is something the matter?" He asked, sounding more polite than he normally would. "Y-yes, you see...I think, or well...the girls were wondering what you were doing outside of our class during the past few days..." She began, stating quietly, and he looked embarrassed for a moment. Ah hell...this can't be good can it? He looked down at the ground, unable to face her eye to eye. "I-..I guess I should just say it huh." He tried to think of what to say. She wasn't too bad looking herself, and it was always harder when they had some good look about them. "Yeah, a lot of them were worried, I think Norie was going to do it, but...she left so I got sent out here instead..." Yeah why didn't they just send a boy from their class? He thought to himself for a moment, but he was glad. This girl seemed understanding, as opposed to the usual stereotype: a lurking male outside of a mixed classroom is clearly a pervert. I should stop reading manga before bed... "I was trying to get a chance to talk to Norie." He stated and then he felt really hot inside. It just sounds like...I'm trying to date her or something. Wow, get it together Kaz. What the hell is wrong with me? "Norie? Why do you want to talk to Norie?" She asked, sounding a bit concerned, and that oddness seemed to calm him down for a moment. Is this girl related to this mess as well? "Well you see...a lot of crazy things have been happening around here...it's kind of a personal thing..." He wasn't sure if he could entrust this information to this girl. It could end up being like Trey, who was still marked as unknown in his book at this time; but he couldn't take any risks. The girl looked at the notebook and map on the table, and then back at him. "Crazy things?" She repeated, and her serious face made him think that somehow she was related to this entire mess, and he stood up. "If you know any rumors...or, er--things, I'd really appreciate it...I'm just doing a friend a favor ya?" He tried to keep his cool, but talking to girls was never his strong suit. 


"Can I trust you?" She asked suddenly stepping closer to him, her eyes looking right at his face and he could tell that his face was probably turning red and he was hating himself for it now. Why do I feel like she is peering into my very soul, it's as if her eyes, are super intense. He was impressed, and a little taken aback."Huh, you're face looks...are you blushing or something?" She asked, and he turned away. "Ah no...I'm...not very good at talking with girls." He admitted, and there was a pause. "Oh, I think I understand, you're shy!" She exclaimed sitting at the other end of the table. "Yeah I guess so...ah, anyway, you can trust me...erm, oh right, my name is Kaz...a-ha..." He was kicking himself in the butt. Stupid, this isn't some kind of romance, just focus on the task at hand! God I sound like a retard "Uh, just relax...you know I'm not very good at this kinda thing either..." she admitted. Like hell, you seem to be doing just fine! He kept his eyes away, occasionally glancing back at her. "Are you sure? You don't seem to be shy like me." He felt weird talking about it like this, but the girl was overly understanding, and he couldn't say he had met anyone quite like that before. "Well I've had a lot of practice, you know I've been to so many schools, some in Japan, and some in America..." She trailed off eying the notebooks. "J-Japan! That's cool!" He couldn't help but blurt out. He chuckled to himself a bit. "Ah, you know...I'm one of those people who...really likes games and things..." he said and she nodded. "It's okay...I know how it is...to be shy, that's what I'm saying I guess. Oh I almost forgot! My name is Michi...it's nice to meet you Kaz...but, what exactly do you mean...crazy things?" She asked. "H-hey now, you asked me if you could trust me...wouldn't that mean you have some kind of idea?" He asked not wanting to be the first to admit it. "I'm Norie's friend...new friend I guess. I have somewhat of an idea about what's been going on with her. You said you wanted to talk to her right?" He nodded, "Y-yeah, I missed my chance huh...did you say she went home?" Don't I sound polite? He felt better though. "Yeah, that's been happening a lot recently. She's been missing class, and has been going out on her own..." She seemed very concerned and the solemnness of the topic calmed Kaz down quite a bit. "Ah, I would advise against doing that..." he said taking out the card that the blonde woman had given him. He had kept it with him ever since he began investigating. Like a real secret agent he slid the card across the table. 


"Tomorrow, around 1 Pm, the middle school near Patterson high is going on a field trip to those dome structures listed there. I've been told I should inform Norie because her sister seems to have some kind of information." He stated darkly, and Michi couldn't help but smile at herself as she looked at the card. "Ha-...ha, you know you sound like one of those secret agents." She laughed then despite herself. "H-hey, you gotta play the part...I guess..." he felt embarrassed all over again. "Well this confirms a lot of things I think--" She began, but then the bell rang. "Ah, sorry...class starts now..." She stood up. "Hey, why don't you come over to my house after school?" She asked and he thought about it for a moment. "We can talk more about this..." she was walking away. "A-alright...Michi...I'll stand over by the entrance then." He said as she walked away. He began to pack up his things and put them away inside of his bag. What are the chances of me meeting someone like that huh? Well...things might be looking up, but this sure is becoming one hell of a story. He began to walk back towards class, but for some reason he couldn't help but smile. Not only do I get to repay you Jack, I get to have a new friend...



Michi returned to class and smiled to herself. Who would have thought that her intuition was spot on? Of course she had thought of it, and that is why she acted upon it. Despite Norie's friendly and outgoing demeanor, she wasn't telling her everything, and it was starting to bother her. After her meeting with Dare, it had become clear that something was pulling her new friend. Something that must be happening behind the scenes. Ever since that time, she hadn't been given a chance to hang around Norie's house, and aside from one weekend they spent together downtown, there was very little after school communication. Was this how it usually went for Norie? She was definitely good friends with a lot of people, and Michi had noticed over time just how many people she knew. Of course it wasn't like they had drifted apart, or, that Michi had been pushed into the background, it was more like something was bothering Norie, ever so faintly. It was her eye for detail that had first caught onto the young senior who was prowling outside of their class before homeroom, during lunch break and even after school. For a few days she had noticed it, and today was the day she felt it was time to confront him. Her intuition told her that he was somehow looking for Norie. It was surprising to find out that he really was. It was an odd coincidence she thought. But she was thankful for it now. He seemed like a really nice guy, after all he did sound very polite. It would give her a chance to bring someone to her house for a change. Maybe her Mom stayed home again, as it was growing increasingly dangerous to go to work for her, now that her dad was out of the country. Things were finally starting to look up weren't they? Well, tomorrow seemed to be the day...


I'll definitely help you Norie! I'll find a way. I promise.

~Part Two will be posted on Sunday~

 

Chapter Eight: Taking the initiative

A light gray smoke billowed from his mouth as the cigarette hung loosely between his lips, he held a pair of binoculars up to his eyes and surveyed the two structures in front of him. The billowing white, canvas-style tops of the twin domes swayed ominously in his viewfinder. He frowned as he pulled the binoculars down and tapped them on the short iron fence that separated the property from the back road. He took the butt from his mouth and tossed it onto the ground and stomped on it with his boot. In the past half hour, nothing interesting had happened aside from the ten school busses that suddenly showed up and drove into two adjacent openings that burrowed into the gravel covered ground. Behind the surveyor was a fancy black car that was parked just behind him, and on the side of the back road. He glanced back at it for a moment before tightening his gloves, and readjusting his black backpack.

The young man was none other than, Toru Senba, the one and only son of the head executive of the possibly the largest chemical company in the world. He was no older than 18 years old, with short black hair that was well kept, and wild brown eyes which were covered by a pair of orange tinted goggles. At a glance he looked like he was some kind of soldier, or some kind of mercenary who did off hand dirty jobs. The black, bullet proof vest was strapped over his white sweatshirt, and at his side he carried a dangerous looking handgun, as well a couple of clips of ammunition. The blue jeans were common among teenagers, as well as common running shoes, which were colored black and matched well with the rest of his outfit. It's almost time. He thought going to back to the car to put the binoculars back. Nobody would have guessed that he was the son of the head executive at the Senba Organization just by looking at him. The boy had lived in his father's shadow ever since they had moved to Stadweld to ensure that the company's influence was absolute over the area. Though in living in that strict shadow, Toru had become his own man. Despite his slightly thug-like attitude Toru was good at making plans. He was careful, and he liked to watch things as they played out. All of the secrets his father had kept, Toru had acquired them on his own accord. [An act which would have Old Senba in a horrible rage]. Though Toru was under the impression now that his old man had fallen off his rocker, and was currently unable to make any decisions himself. His conclusion had reached it's pinnacle just a few days prior...

~A few days ago~

"How was work dad?" He asked in a slightly sarcastic tone, looking up from his gourmet meal, eying the graying man who was sitting at the end of the table adjusting his napkins. The man had a look of slight distaste as he scooted up to the table. It had been commonplace for Toru to inquire about the day of work his father sometime had to endure. Lately the company had been undergoing quite a rift between two separate factions, and his father had to work late just to keep them from crossing the line. The days had been long and hard, and when the tired old man returned home looking smug, his son was always ready to ask how it went. "Work is going well, son. Now eat your dinner." His usually commanding voice wasn't uncommon, but Toru had never gotten such a simple answer, and especially since it was such a blatant lie. "Nothing exciting huh, well I guess some days just pass right by." He replied taking a forkful of food and bringing it to his mouth. Are we being watched? Maybe I should ask him in our own native tongue ha? He thought looking up at his father and down at his fork. I wonder if we'll ever go back there? "Why don't we ever go back to Japan?" He asked in Japanese, and there was a long pause as the man brought his own fork to his mouth and as he chewed slowly Toru watched him carefully. The man grunted something incoherent for a moment. "Are you...alright?" It was uncommon for his old man to take so long to answer such a simple question that even Toru was becoming concerned. He had continued to speak in Japanese, and the aging man looked at his son confused, and then suddenly he snapped. "Eat your dinner." He ordered in English. Toru then stood up. "Do you not...understand?" He asked in English and the man stood up as well. "I told you to eat!" He commanded. For a moment Toru considered sitting down for a moment. "What is the password?" He asked in Japanese. This would seal the deal. It was to be only asked when one was in danger of his life, and it had been established by the two of them ever since Toru was a child. If his father did not answer the question within ten seconds, would mean he was either in danger, or was not himself. 

"What kind of imposter are you?" Toru smirked, reaching to his side where the gun was most oftentimes kept. He pointed it at the man's chest. For a minute the man seemed to grow even more angry, and then he blanked out, his expression changed to a bit of bewildered fear. "Y-y-you wouldn't shout your own father now would you?" The voice was his fathers, but the soft scared tone betrayed who he was. Toru advanced with a smile rising on his face. "Oh yeah? I've been yearning for the head company for a long time. You let mom go back to Japan, but you insisted I learn English here, to 'follow in your footsteps' and so I vowed that one day I'd be the head of the company, and I'd live wherever I wanted. You're losing your edge if you didn't see this coming! I'll do whatever it takes for that power, even if it means doing you in!" The sneering face was nothing more than an act to scare the strange impostor who was poising at his father, presumably, and the man knocked his chair over as he attempted to retreat. "H-help! Help! My son is trying to kill me!" He screamed, toppling over onto the floor. "You're wasting your breath. You know, I sent the maid out, so it's just us. Father son time!" He laughed, firing a bullet just to the side of the crawling man. He marched him towards the far hall closest in the guest room. "Y-you're insane! don't you care about your inheritance? You won't get away with this, the police--"

"The police? Now I know for sure that you aren't my father." He laughed out loud, as a thrilling sensation began to well inside of his stomach. "We own the police! The only one who would even think of doing us in is the Mafia, and we have too much responsibility in this community to be simply taken out. I don't know how you managed to look just like him, but I guess it doesn't matter, either way..." He trailed off aiming at the man's forehead, watching the beads of sweat pour down his face and off his chin. "So why would you infiltrate a Japanese man's house and not even speak Japanese?" His eyes narrowed as he interrogated the frightened man who was supposed to be his father, but in Toru's mind, he was someone completely different. "I- I-do speak Japanese!" He replied in the language. "Too late!" Toru howled rushing forward and the man cowered for  fear that he would be shot and killed, but instead the boy slammed the butt of the gun into his head, knocking him unconscious. "Ha. I bet you never would have guessed that the son would knock out his own father. For a long time you've been acting strange. I'm not sure where my real father is, or if you really are him and got manipulated somehow...but either way it's best to take you out of the picture..." He stated, proceeding to gag the man and drag him into the closest. He threw in a few water bottles and some food and then locked the door from the outside. "There you go! When you wake up, you'll have to tend to yourself for a while in till I get to the bottom of all of this." He said putting the gun away and clapping his hands as if he had just completed a hard day's work. "Well now it's time to clear the table, dinner's already over." 

He didn't think twice about his actions, but he was still uncertain of what he should do next. In till the next day when the doorbell rang. It was a familiar sound, as there were plenty of business associates who came over to drop papers off for his father, and oftentimes Toru would steal them and read them before handing them off to the executive. Today it seemed no different as he opened door to find five men in suits outside. However, he had never seen any of these men before, and in his mind they looked like mere grunts, as opposed to the usual appearance of a manager or higher ranked staff member. Could it be related to the faction war? Are they here to roughen us up? He thought as he looked them over. They stared at each other for a while, and then the first one reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Is your father around? I need to personally deliver this." He stated with unusual coldness. Toru shook his head. "My father's unconscious upstairs at the moment, you'll have to come back later." He replied quietly. "Unconscious?" The suited man asked looking quizzical. "Yes you see he likes to whip me into shape sometimes..." he smiled for a moment. "Well it looks like I got a move on him, and now he's out cold. But, there's no need to be alarmed gentlemen, I'm sure he'll be ready to work again once he recovers." Toru's charisma was undeniable, yet the men lingered outside, a strange murmur echoed between them. His gun was concealed under his long sleeved jacket, and his hand instinctively wrapped around the grip of the handle. "Shouldn't you bring him to the hospital?" The man finally asked sounding a bit concerned. "Are you insane?" Toru's voice rose as he unsheathed the gun and pointed it at the man. The man backed away. The same wicked smile from the evening before shimmered onto the young man's face. "Who the hell are you?!" He demanded angrily. "Anyone would know that my father wouldn't need to go to the hospital. We have a family doctor who takes care of shit like that." He was almost yelling. "Over a simple concussion?! Get real man!" He kept the gun steadily pointed at the front most of the suited men. "What? Aren't you going a little far over--?" The man asked, when one of the men hbehind him shook his head. "The boy obviously saw through us." He said pulling out his own gun. Yet before he could capitalize, Toru kicked the door closed with much force, catching them by surprise, and then he dove over the living room couch, aiming at the door. 

He could hear them spreading out as the window-side bushes rustled. "Don't be fooled! I'm a top notch marksmen!" He yelled, his expression was that of a dare devil about to perform a very entertaining trick. Even though the curtains were pulled over the windows, he still managed to see the shadow lurking, and then the sound of gunfire as the window broke and whizzed through the mansion. "Hey! That's coming out of your paycheck!" He retorted firing a shot in response. He heard a grunt followed by a heavy thud. "That son of a bitch got me!" Someone screamed, and then the sound of the kitchen window opened could be heard. At the same time the front door busted open again, and the two intruders were fast approaching. Toru rolled firing at the entrance, knowing that getting through the kitchen window would be harder, rather than the immediate threat that was right in front of him. A vase shattered and water spilled over the floor. Tables were ripped apart by the gunfire. Toru managed to hit one of the intruders before fortifying himself inside of the study. There were five suits in total, two were hit, one was still approaching, and one was in the kitchen...that left one more. He turned around, seeing someone trying to break in through the study window, which was behind the mansion proper. It wasn't unlikely that there were even more men hiding elsewhere, but for now he turned around firing through the window, scaring the intruder off for a time. At this rate, I'm going to run out of bullets. Damn these bastards! He thought with a smiling as sweat poured down his face. For a rich, pampered pup, I'm doing pretty good. He raced over to far bookshelf just as the study door opened. "Just give up Toru." The man said, looking at him disgusted. "Aha! So even the grunts know my name!" He exclaimed with excitement in his voice as he pointed the gun right at the man. "I'm not a grunt. But you misunderstand, I'm not a member of Senba." He said stepping forward, holding his own gun. "Oh yeah? Then what's your motive then?" He didn't back down, as he stepped forward himself.

"I don't see the need to explain to you. I already know you're keeping your father in the closest upstairs, and soon my men will free him so he can continue his obligated duty as the executive of Senba." The words made Toru's eye furrow with puzzlement for the first time. So these guys aren't working with Senba, a third party trying to overrun the company while there is internal strife? Then why would he want my father...well duh, he sure as hell isn't acting himself!  "If you give up, and promise to work with us, we'll let you live." The man stated, and then slowly Toru's mouth began to curve into a smile. "I wonder..." He began. "Who's faster?" He practically yelled, as his body pulsed with adrenaline and pulling the trigger, the man fell down. He ran up to the man who was groping his shoulder in pain, and then he picked up the enemy's weapon. "I guess I am." He said with mirth as he took a nearby ornament and dropped it on the man's face knocking him out. He then noticed that the man who had tried to sneak off to the study was nowhere to be seen. Not wanting to stay in the room any more, he left and cautiously walked back into the living room. He noticed another intruder unconscious on the floor with a kitchen knife lodged into his chest. Standing not to far from her victim was a Japanese woman who was dressed up as a maid, and she nodded as Toru entered the room. "Nice job, Keiko." He said giving her a thumbs up. The woman smiled with a boy. "Thank you master Toru, I'm glad to be of service." She stated humbly. "I'm going to check up on my dad...hey did you call the bodyguards?" He asked and she shook her head solemnly. "It's no use master Toru. I fear that something horrible has happened to the master's company." She said and he nodded still holding onto the gun. "Oh yeah? And where did you get that kind of info?" he asked, and the woman shook her head solemnly once more. "A member of our management division. It was so bad, that he was forced to leave the country to keep his family safe. Master Toru, you know of the faction schisms do you not?" The woman asked keeping her posture erect as she held her hands folded in front of her. He didn't bother asking her how she knew of it when he sole job was clean up after them, but still he couldn't deny the fact that she had practically killed one of the intruders with a kitchen knife. "I want you to get whatever information you can out of these guys." He said avoiding the question entirely. "Nobody can be trusted at this point." He added reloaded his gun looking around, and was confirmed by the silence that nobody was lurking around outside. "Keiko, I need you to hide yourself in this mansion once you've finished up cleaning this mess... I'm going to be going out, I won't be back for a while so don't come out or go anywhere in till everything is settled." He explained putting his gun back into it's holster. The woman gave him a deep bow as he started to walk upstairs to check on his father. "Because I don't know what the hell is going on. I'd like you to stay in my book of trust you hear? Don't go running around or I may have a good reason to do you in on the spot." He stated disappearing up the stairs and out of sight. 

The Senba organization had taken a sharp turn for the worse as the faction revolution was growing more and more out of hand. Being home schooled, and not a very social person, Toru didn't have very many non associated people to turn to in this case. The general public would be the least affected by the internal strife of the Senba Organization, and so they wouldn't know anything, or would be too afraid to get involved in such an important issue which could go either way at this point. He decided, or rather, had already decided last night, that he would be taking things into his own seemingly capable hands.

Just eighteen years old, and already he had made the first giant step forward to securing the company for himself. But in all reality, he wasn't much of a businessman. He more or less saw the economic empire his father built as a giant pile of gold he could sell off to a more experienced and willing member of the company. Despite the intense plan and care his father took to prepare him for the position. Whatever the future held, or whatever this mess came down to, he would get to the bottom of everything in due time. Through the interrogation made by his family's servant, he was able to discover a very curious establishment that had just recent popped out of the ground so to speak: The two domes that were awkwardly positioned on the outskirts of the city. Toru had never gone undercover before, and he wasn't sure he liked it. He preferred to attack head on, as long of course, the outcome was in his favor. He sighed as he closed the door to the car that he owned. Life isn't always easy for the rich guy. He thought as he chuckled to himself, and then stretching out his arms, and adjusting his pack once more he stared at the domes once more.

"I think it's time for infiltration. I'll get in, and cleanse the plague that has been hindering -MY- company. Yes, ha-ha-ha!" He began to approach the domes in the same fashion that a police force might approach a drug house. He guessed that whoever it was inside was busy accommodating their guests, or whatever they brought in on those school buses, and they probably wouldn't notice him; and of course if anyone did, there was plenty of ammo to take care of them. His hand fingered the pistol. Not a soul was in sight as he came closer to one of the domes. He wasn't sure which one he should go into, they were probably connected somehow, but that was a grave assumption. Though he couldn't help but feel that the two white tops were just the tip of the iceberg. As he walked closer and closer he began to feel a strange rumbling coming from underneath him. The entire ground began to shake, and he knew that it wasn't natural as he had never experienced such an earthquake in Stadweld. "What the hell?!" He fell back and out of the corner of his eye he noticed that one of the domes was descending into the ground below. "Holy shit! That's crazy!" He looked around wildly to see if it was somehow related to his approach. The dome was spiraling down into the earth like a drill bit, and the bewildered Toru watched as it completely submerged into the ground. Then as the rumbling began to subside as the entire structure had descended, two giant steel plates slid over the surface as he then watched as a group of people came outside bearing shovels to cover up the gray patch of steel in the bed of gravel.

With a sigh of relief at the astounding silence that followed, Toru continued to watch out of sight. Deciding that it probably wasn't safe to remain outside, he began to search for an entrance to the dome that remained topside. Aside from the underground garage opening, the dome seemed completely sealed off, and seeing that the two garage entrances once faced each other, he wouldn't gain access that way without being seen by the maintenance unit. I highly doubt they only have one entrance. What if a fire breaks out? He thought to himself eying the concrete walls carefully, and then his speculation came to fruit as he noticed a small door, which seemed tightly set in place. He pulled on the handle and wasn't surprised to find that it was locked. He backed away and then, reaching into an accessible pouch in his pack, he attacked a silencer to the gun and  pointed it at the handle. It had been his most favorable hobby ever since he was introduced to his father's bodyguards, and of course, his father had granted him that wish: One hobby. That was it. And Toru was thankful for his love of guns, especially handguns. 

"Aha! Open Says me!" He fired a few bullets into the door and then with a running kick he slammed it open, and he quickly raced in to see if anyone one had noticed. The room he entered in was completely empty aside from a thick web of colored wiring; it appeared to be some kind of electrical maintenance room. He closed the door behind him, and continued on to the next door. He moved through it and into another hallway. Looking around he felt as if he had entered some strange alien craft. The odd stillness of the place bothered him greatly, and there was a strange scent on the air as if the entire hallway had been sprayed with some kind of chemical gas. Reaching over to his backpack he removed a simple gasmask and adjusted it to his face. They were fairly expensive, but of course, being involved with Senba, being a company centered around chemicals, it wasn't uncommon or hard for him to acquire. He held out his gun as he moved through the quiet hallways, hearing ominous buzzing sounds, which pulled at his consciousness ever so slightly. Were there cameras around? Were they watching me? Ha! let them, I'll kill anyone who threatens my family, or something badass like that. He thought wishing he hadn't smoked that cigarette before his infiltration. At this moment, his nerves were crisp, his senses acute. The style of the place irked thought; The glowing white tile, and the construction of the doorframes, it all reminded Toru of something that would fly in space. There were no maps or directions posted on the walls, but aside from the many doors that lined the hallway, there was only one direction to go, and the direction he was currently going gave him the feeling that he was going up slightly. If this place is really built like a drill, then I guess it would just continue to spiral up in till it reached the top. The self-proclaimed, new executive of Senba continued his upward survey of the dome. 

Unaware that everything he was doing was being watched.

 ~End~

~Scratch: The pieces are finally coming together, as everyone comes to the same twin domes.~

Next time on scratch: Norie, Michi and Kaz come to an astounding conclusion. Continue to read as all the pieces begin to fall into place! 

Delay

Today's chapter will be posted late.

Time frame: 8:30 ~ 11:00Pm. Central time zone.


Please check back during that time.
Thank you for reading.

Chapter Seven: The "Captain" and Nightmares.

Sometime after school, in the north parking lot (AKA: the hangout for delinquents)
 

Across the field, a lone figure approached, dressed in nothing more than a pair of blue jeans and white hooded sweatshirt. The parking lot was full of shady characters who were all grouped together shouting and laughing. The girl was strikingly beautiful, her long raven black hair was even known among the upperclassmen girls who so quietly whispered in envy. Her cobalt eyes peered straight ahead at the rabble who had taken notice of her, as if it were an expected visited. The strength in her eyes intensified as they narrowed down to a single person she had identified as the leader. To her, these students were  of a lesser class, hoodlums, who had yet to become criminals of the underground world. They had cigarettes hanging between their fingers, and for many of them had their hair dyed or spiked, and much of their attire was associated with chains or very baggy and loose. She looked particularly disgusted to see such characters hanging around the lot, which was owned by the school in a sense, and she didn’t want to be here at all. One of the kids who saw her, flicked his butt into the grass and dislodged himself from the hood of one of the cars he was sitting on, and jingled towards her pulling up his sagging pants. “Hey she showed up! So you got our message eh?” He asked with a devious smile and she remained silent, looking at the other guys who were laughing like some kind of mindless attachment. “What a puppet show.” She commented, her tone betrayed her elegance, as it was harsh and condescending. Her tongue was sharper than a stick, and her glare was on par with a basilisk, only a fool who didn't know better would step up against the deadly school captain. 

“Hey, ya don’t need to get all cold, we just wanted to hang out with you for a bit, you know have some fun…besides we aren’t the kind to let the likes of you off so easily.” He sneered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a switch blade and wavering before her. It wasn't too uncommon for idiots to threaten her life after all of the delinquents she had thrown into detention, but this was a real first for her. Someone had the nerve to actually go threw with it. “What do you think you’re doing with that?” She asked as if he was a complete and total idiot, there wasn't any hint at all in her voice that she was the least bit scared. “I’m going to have my way with you, Rey, Rey!” He tossed the blade skillfully between his hands. She looked even more so disgusted, to the point where her anger was becoming physically palpable. “Tell me your name.” She demanded, stepping forward, and the boy found it amusing. “Landon.” He stated, and she stared at him for a moment, in till it had been committed to memory, now she knew his face, if the pseudo criminal ever decided to attend school, he would be in for it. There was no escape for him now. “Come on boss; show us how it’s done!” Someone impatiently shouted from the lot and Landon smiled, “Right, okay if you don’t want to bleed all over the ground you’ll start by taking off your clothes.” He ordered and she scoffed at his pitiful threat. “What is this, some kind of circus act? That’s not how you order someone to do something.” She said taking a menacing step closer to him, and out of impulse his arm shot the switch blade forward, but she caught the blade between her fingers as her hand wrapped around his. She then twisted his wrist causing the blade to spin harmlessly away to the ground. Then from underneath her sweatshirt she slid the concealed night stick she always carried, right down the lining of her long sleeve, and held it tightly as she slammed the butt into the kid's face knocking him to the ground. Blood began to flow down his face. He grunted in pain as she stepped on his chest with her foot. The other boys who were watching were taken aback by the sudden motions of the girl. “Do you want to know why I wasn’t afraid of you?” She asked darkly looking down at Landon; his eyes had closed, trying to hold back the tears. “Because there weren’t any girls with you; seriously you should learn to play your role better. A real gangster boss wouldn’t come out to the front right away, he’d let one of his subordinates take care of a simple girl. Besides look at the weapon you used, did you take that out of your daddy’s toolbox? It wouldn’t even draw blood unless you forced it with everything you had.” She finished her lecture on how a thug should properly act and then she lifted her foot off of him and looked at the others to see if there was another challenger and they just merely looked at her in amazement.

The sad part was...Rey had a feeling that knew what they were getting into. That kid was probably dared to do it by someone else. Everyone who went to Patterson knew her as the captain. Everyone who didn't go to Patterson because they were too busy acting out repressed feelings in the form of criminal misconduct, knew her as the daughter of the Pichanto family. It was true that the most of the city realized that the economic power was mainly held by Senba as it played a major role in establishing Stadweld as a larger city. However only those who played ignorant to the fact, or were too busy with their lives to tell, didn't know who controlled the underground. It came in tiers of course... 

The gangs controlled the streets, there weren't very many in such a small, and isolated place as this, but they still existed, and were for the most part untouched by the police. That was because they were lackeys for the Mafia, the ones who controlled the underground. The organized, criminal family unit. And her father was the one who was currently on top. It was his reputation which had set Rey's course in her life. She was tough, she was strong, she was very beautiful, but it was often undermined by her generally quiet personality. She was dignified, and extremely focused on whatever task she was given. This had granted her the title of captain, and her skills in apprehending delinquents at school had sparked a number of dark rumors. Was she doing it because she was the daughter of the Mafia? Was it a favor her father asked her to do? It was true that the Pinchanto were known as the caretakers of the school system. If not for their influence, the poorly located Patterson High would have been shut down and relocated. Everyone that Rey busted was suspected of being more than just your average school prankster. What family did they come from? Are they apart of the gangs? Did they're dad do something bad? Maybe he's gonna end up dead in the river! You idiot, where the hell is the closest river, they'd just burn the body in one of the factories.

It was this pretense which isolated Rey from the others. Her obedience to her father was incredibly odd. Nobody knew if it was because she loved him, or if it was because she felt obligated to do whatever he said. If she broke the rules, would it stain her father's name? It was odd for someone to think that way. Mobsters already are notorious. Who cares what the daughter does? While everyone was trying to figure it out, Rey simply continued on as she did, denying almost anything anyone came up to her with. She had money, and power. And she wanted nothing more than to be left alone by these wild conspirators, who had nothing better to do that stalk her and see if something happens. This is how it always has been, ever since she started school. It would probably stay that way forever. 

I have no future. My future was given to me the day my mother died. Not only was my father cursed of having the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, but he was given a daughter that looked just like her in every way imaginable. A constant reminder that the woman he loved so much was no longer alive. I have to be a lady, I have to be elegant, I can't deteriorate in anyway. I must be a living memorial to my deceased mother, who I don't even remember all that well. Everyday I come home to that same discontent face, it doesn't matter if I do good in school, we have plenty of money, and as soon as he dies, the reigns will fall into my hands, and I'll be the one watching my back. I'll probably end up dead before I can even reach college. There aren't any friends who can help, everyone is too afraid of my reputation to even think of befriending me. It's not like I care. I can't care. If I cry, I'll be putting tears on my mother's face. Does anyone here, even understand? It doesn't matter...

The days continued to drift by. In her normally unchanging life, Rey found herself sitting in class, and for the first time, she was unable to concentrate properly. She had the misfortune of sitting next to the window, and the day seemed so perfect outside, she almost felt as if she had to go out there and smell the fresh air. She could almost see the crystal clear pond from her lofty classroom window. It was almost time for lunch. Her palm was rested on her chin as her eyes continued to drift to that just out of sight beauty, and she was almost compelled to leaned forward just to get a glimpse of the clear waters. It was then, staring outside, that she noticed a single hooded figure darting out towards the pond. Her eyes intensified with an underlying rage. If there was anyone in the entire school who she would like to unmask and imprison, it would be the school skipper. Her rival, her nemesis, the savior of the underground was a mockery of the real thing. She was certain that only the school skipper would dare leave school at such an hour, and with great conviction she stood up sliding her chair back into the person sitting behind her. The teacher in the room stopped lecturing for a moment, and the whole class stopped. Rey was not one to break the rules, or do anything to disturb the class, so her actions brought a still silence to the room as all eyes fell on her, but quickly looked away. She then briskly strode out of the room, leaving her books behind. She began to run. 

She tied back her hair into a ponytail, an act which her father would normally frown upon, but there was something burning inside of her. The thrill of the chase! She couldn't have her hair getting in the way. She was glad that she was wearing shoes that were adequate for running as she sprinted past the guard near the ground level exit, and without even a word of protest, she was outside and in the cool autumn air. She continued along, knowing that if she didn't hurry the skipper would be long gone and out of sight. She crept along, getting closer and closer to where the pond was, when suddenly a voice of a teacher shocked her still. Would they even dare to give me detention? She thought for a moment, when she realized it was a middle school teacher who was running towards a couple of other students. She stayed out of sight as she watched the teacher talking to the presumably 'school skipper', and some other outlaw she couldn't really identify. At first she thought that the teacher was lecturing them, and was going to turn them in, but instead she began to lead them towards the middle school. Within that single moment, a lot of things became clear to her.

Father! Don't you know...everyone is complaining about that teacher Mr. Calvin. 

"Hmph! What would you know about the school system?! All of our teachers are certified! Those whelps are probably just upset because we 'give them too much homework'! Don't bother me with such useless trifles."  

The only difference between me and my mother...

Father never hit mother. 

She waited a while longer before moving from her position, and came upon the middle school. She found as she entered the building, that there were many students lining up as if they were all leaving somewhere. She looked around to see if she could see where the two high schoolers went, but with no success. As she looked around, she realized in that moment, that she probably stood out among all of the younger kids. "Hey you! What are you doing here?" A teacher asked stepping through the crowd of chatting, excited preteens and directly in front of Rey who held her composure. "I'm here on behalf of the head of the school board. I'm surveying the validity of this field trip." She lied and the teacher rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, his stare slowly turning from that of a teacher who had caught a trouble maker, to that of a man who was planning how to explain to his wife where he was last night, and where there was lipstick on his face. The scheming, intelligent man who was standing before her was none other than the suspicious teacher in question: Mr. Calvin. "I never heard from the school board about that." He said after a long pause. "Why would you? That information would come to the administrators, not to a teacher." She retorted, and then he grabbed her arm. "Okay? You want to come? Then you're coming with me." He began to pull her away and she protested. "I can't--review the field trip if you take me away from the kids." She was half shouting, and her own physical strength surprised him as she broke away from his grasp. The two looked at each other for a moment, and then he nodded. "Fine, be on your best behavior. You will be on bus H, come on." 

It had been the boldest thing that Rey had ever done. If her father knew about this, he would probably have done a couple of things. He would have definitely fired, or imprisoned this Mr. Calvin on the spot, and then behind closed doors, he would have scolded her severely with the back of his hand. She tried to push him out of her mind as she followed a group of students, who were being lead onto a rumbling yellow bus. It had been years since Rey had ridden on a bus. As she walked up the metal steps and walked down the thin lane, looking at the somewhat occupied leather seats there was a girl who beckoned her. She was sitting in the back, and at first Rey thought she was signaling to a friend, but as she got closer the girl nodded. It was rare for a Japanese girl to be attending school at Stadweld, Rey knew that the majority of the people in the city were of European descent, and very few immigrants came to such an isolated place, unless of course they were connected to Senba in someway. She sat next to the girl, wondering if she was going to start a conversation or not. She eyed the short, black haired girl who finally spoke. "This is really dangerous." the girl said, her voice sounded a bit scared even and Rey's expression became concerned. Dangerous? 

"They are taking, the entire school. Nobody even really knows where we are going." She continued, and Rey remained silent, her mind was processing the information so that when all of this was said and done, she would have an official report to give to her-- despite herself she closed her eyes as if she were in pain. Then she turned to the younger girl. "What is your name?" She asked. "It's Maki." There was a pause as the bus jolted, and began to roll down the path towards it's destination. Rey then placed her hand on Maki's shoulder. She smiled at the girl she hardly knew. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything. Just call me Rey." Her approach was a bit frightening from the other girl's perspective, but she couldn't help be relieved at the strength of this new appearance. 

It had been a nightmare since the very beginning.

 

Excuse me, Maki Gladrin is it? You must be that adopted sister of Norie's right?

"Um...yes?" She was so scared and timid, she couldn't help but look helplessly up at the man who was smiling at her. It was his suit, his gelled black hair, his business-like appearance. He was nothing like the other teachers. He was always calling on her, ever since that first day. Mr. Calvin was becoming more and more frightening as each day passed. She had heard stories of teachers who raped students, they got them to stay after class by acting friendly, and then before you even knew what was happening...

No...she wouldn't let this creep get his way with her! "Ah Maki, you weren't in class yesterday. You weren't skipping out now were you?" She shook her head. "N-no, nothing like that. I have a frail constitution...so I  sometimes...just..." she didn't know what to say, she couldn't help but feel her body shake, fear was hovering over her, despite trying to keep a calm face. "Well if you have time after class, I can tell you what you missed." He said. She didn't know what to do. She could, the next class would come in and then it would be okay. She nodded. "The files are in my office, come on, why don't you just come down and see for yourself." He said and she mindlessly followed him towards the teacher offices. Here they stopped just outside of his office and he inserted the key and they walked in. He closed the door, she felt terrible, afraid. Then there was this awkward pause as neither of them moved. 

"I know who you are." He said suddenly, and her mind blanked out. 'Who I am?' she slowly turned around looking at him with surprise and anger. "What do you mean?!" She asked and he smiled at her deviously. "I think you know what I mean little demon." He said reaching to pat her on the head but she slapped it away. "Bastard!" She growled under her teeth. "Maki, Maki! don't say things like that. I'm a generous man. You will do what I instruct. Oh, and don't tell anyone else. That would only make things worse for you." He then walked over to his desk. "Ah yes, this is what you missed yesterday." He handed her a typed document. She snapped it out of his hands and then left the man sitting in there. 

That bastard.

I'll kill him.

I swear, I'll kill him.

The generally timid and complacent Maki looked outside of the window. She was worried about a number of things. Where was Dare? She hadn't heard from him, and for a moment she thought that he would come in at the last moment and scoop her away from the dreaded field trip. There was no sign of him, all there was...was this girl named Rey. The bus rolled into an underground chamber. There was nothing to see. She looked over at the other girl who kept her eyes faced forward. This was it. The beginning of the end.

A 'ray' of hope appears, but what is going to happen at the domes?

~Next time on Scratch~

Continue reading next Tuesday! When we finally have the chance to meet someone who knows quite a bit about Senba. But who is this mysterious person? And what are they doing outside of the two domes?! Aha...

Sorry if this one is short...and not as well written. The rough draft didn't go through.