Chapter 10

A Familiar Voice

It was the evening of the concert. The crowds raged and cheered while the performers were in their rooms. The stadium was filled with logos and symbols of the twelve agencies, and the symbol of the Golden Lion could be seen beneath the stage where the performers stood at.

Many of the performers were still perfecting their performances, while much of the others were steeling themselves. Felix waited just outside the room of the idol group known as Starry Sweethearts. His arms crossed, while his right eye emitted a ghostly blue light in the shadow.

“Hey, thanks for waiting. Tonight’s the night!” A voice called out to him.

With both hands on her hips, the young pop idol, Natsumi Sakurai, better known as “Yumiko Sakurazawa” by the cheering masses, stood confidently before him.

Her figure was silhouetted by the bright lights, wearing a frilly black and white dress with a starry pattern with a complimenting decorated mini top hat, she smirked playfully towards him.

“Speak your mind, what are your thoughts?”

“You were a mess this morning, it’s a little hard to believe you’re the same person.” Felix let out a smirk that annoyed the idol as the morning memory runs through his mind.

His face dripped with sweat as the sun brightly shined through window walls in the living room, “Forty seven… forty eight…”

As Felix counted his push-ups, the door of Natsumi’s room creaked open. The pop idol walks out, wearing a depressed, sleep-deprived expression.

”…forty-nine… fifty… Good morning. Hope you don’t mind, I helped myself to some of your… coffee.”

As he stood to greet her, Felix’s greeting slowed down as he noticed the look on the young pop idol. The bags under her eyes had gotten dark, while her face was flushed red like a rose.

“The new character was released last night and I spent all my crystals to get her. But… but…!” Her tears slowly escape her eyes.

“Uhm, there, there?” He tried to be sympathetic.

“She was supposed to put a smile on my face!” She quickly turned into a sobbing mess in the middle of the living room while Felix incompetently tried to comfort her.

Felix was snapped out of the morning memory by the young idol’s tight pinch on his cheek. “Stop grinning, I’m still mad because of that.”

“At least your eyebags disappeared.” He remarked.

She remarked with a pout, “Magic of make-up.”

“What’s amazing is how you can change appearances.”

“Funny you say that” Natsumi pulled him by the collar and whispered near his ear, “Ayame over there didn’t look like that back then. I snooped around and found out she had plastic surgery. Rumors say she did it for her boyfriend.”

“Is it alright to tell me this?”

“It’s not like you’re really into these things, right? It’s just that… faces, personalities, they change depending on what they go through, huh?” Her eyes narrowed and sharpened as her voice turned cold and professional.

Felix noticed this difference and sighed, “After what happened last night, I’m not sure if I can keep you safe. So I’ll ask you one last time, are you sure you wanna go out there?”

She let go of his collar and replied with a smile befitting a pop idol.

“I don’t intend to besmirch the family name over something this small, if I backed down now, people wouldn’t expect much from me later on when I’m the actual head of Obsidian Industries. Besides, you stopped a sniper and ran me back home. I know you can do it.” She said with a reassured smile.

Felix kept silent at her response, while the cheers and excitement from the crowds grew louder. A girl in the same outfit that Natsumi wore called out to her from afar, “Yumi-chan, we’re almost on!”

“Coming, Ayame-chan~! I’ll dedicate the last song just for you, so be sure to listen, Child of Stars.” She eagerly demanded from him.

Felix let out an exhausted groan, “Ugh, you knew about that, too?”

“Don’t underestimate an idol!” She pointed her finger directly to his face.

His expression softened as he yelled out; “Good luck out there!”

As the idol left his line of sight, his smile disappeared as he murmured to himself; “Sorry, but I’m here to protect you, not watch your concert.”

The music began as soon as he left the area.

Felix pressed into his earpiece and mumbled, “See anything suspicious?”

“No, sir.” An unfamiliar voice replied.

“Keep observing.” He ordered as he continued onward.

As he walked through the dark halls, he noticed a familiar figure by the side from the corner of his eye.

“Excuse me, Yoko-san?” Felix walked up and asked.

“Haruki-kun? Is something the matter?”

“Have you seen Asahi-san?”

“Asahi-kun? Why would you ask that?” She responded with the slightest hesitation in her tone.

“I’m just curious, since I haven’t seen him.”

“Hmm… now that you mention it. I haven’t seen him the whole night. Could it be that you like him?” She asked with an uncomfortably enthusiastic smile, her hands clutched tightly together.

“I see, I’m going to go look for him.”

“Don’t disappear either, understood? You might just miss it.”

“I won’t, I won’t.” Felix waved as he walked away.

As he walked through the hallways in the back, Felix pressed into an earpiece and spoke clearly, “Robins, are you in position.”

There was a brief, static noise that didn’t last longer than half a second before a reply could be heard.

“Robin One, yes sir.” A feminine voice replied from his earpiece.

“Robin Two, in position.” And another.

“Robin Three, I’m here, sir.” The third one spoke with a very casual tone, and through her voice could be heard a crunching noise.

“Three… are you eating?” Felix spoke in dismay.

“S-sorry, sir. It’s just some chips, I was hungry.” She replied.

“Sigh.” His irritated sigh was loud and clear in the network.

“And you, sir?” The first robin asked.

“On my way.” He answered as he tilted his head to the top of the building.

The twilight was marching toward its last moments on the horizon, and the bright colors seeping through the thin spaces of the skyscrapers gradually faded as it turned to dusk. Felix climbed out to the very top of the stadium carrying a large, black case. At the edge of the roof of the entrance, his coat dragged against strong winds.

As he got up to the top and walked, he pressed into his earpiece once again, a short static buzz is let out;

“Report.” Felix spoke as he looked towards the distance with a pair of binoculars.

“Robin One, no signs of the sniper yet, sir.” The agent responded as she watched from atop a distant building.

“Robin Two, currently sweeping the stadium. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, no bombs or explosives or anything. Nothing in the crowds either, other than some gross-looking fanatics, sir.” The second answered from within the stadium.

“Robin three, if I may, sir. The only suspicious behavior going on is how the Blue Phantom is requesting for back up from robins.” She responded, standing in the backside of the stadium.

All three robins form a triangular formation surrounding the stadium as per Felix’s instruction.

Felix smirks as he answers “Let’s just say a certain happy-go-lucky idol gave me the idea.”

“Boss, if I may be so bold, have you taken a liking to said happy-go-lucky idol?” The third robin lightheartedly commented.

“Well… she does have an idol’s charisma.” Felix smirked as he opened the large case.

“Don’t worry, boss, we’ll make you proud.” Robin three replied.

“I’m counting on it. Three, what’s on your visual?” He asked while assembling his rifle piece by piece.

“Currently sweeping the two kilometers away from you, nothing much.” The third robin replied.

“Tsk.” Felix expressed his disappointment with a click of his tongue while looking outward into the distant buildings.

“Sir, with all due respect, there’s too many people to scan for and only one drone. With how sudden you requested for our assistance, it’s the only one I was able to assemble and authorize.” She laughed dejectedly.

Felix pressed his finger against his chin as he thought out loud, “A sniper would be hiding kilometers away, shooting back is obvious, but how do you suggest capturing them?”

“I think the fastest way would be to get a taxi and drive there, but it’d still take a lot of time.” The first robin spoke.

“If I leave my position, she could easily get sniped.”

“Then we just keep firing back.” The second robin spoke.

“Well, sir. You could always swing forward with your grappling hook to block the bullets.”

“Three, that’s not possible.” The first robin responded.

“But I’ve heard rumors that David Soldier could do it.” The second robin replied.

“Right?” The third replied.

“Are you both children? Stopping bullets isn’t possible, much less doing so while in the air.” The first robin yelled out.

There was a whistle in the wind and a twinkle in the dusk sky.

Felix looked upwards and saw the crescent moon above him and clutched the necklace under his shirt and smiled.

He smiled and pulled out a pale white mask from underneath his cloak. But as he put it on, there was a glint in the sky, and he suddenly got flung halfway across the roof.

He rolled near the edge just above the crowds, on his earpiece spoke the worried voices of the robins asking similar questions, “Sir! Sir! What happened? Are you alright?”

As he opened his eyes, in front of him lay the pale white mask, sizzling with smoke.

Felix grabbed it and got back up. His head, ringing after the blow. He took one step forward, and took a second wobbly step, as if to fall over.

“Wh-what… happened…” He weakly muttered. On his head

On his earpiece spoke another, masculine voice, not in his command, “Felix.”

Recognizing the voice, his eyes widened and began to radiate with an azure glow, before turning into a scowl.

“You were shot by a drone. I disabled it just now.” He looked up and saw a small aircraft sinking through the sunlight.

“Who is this? How did you intercept this network?” The first robin asked.

“Robin Three, set your drone to North East, four kilometers from your current position.” The interrupting voice spoke.

“S-sir, what do I do?” Robin three asked Felix, both nervous and untrusting of the intruder’s voice.

“Sigh, just do it.” Felix answered, albeit, reluctantly.

“Felix, he switched to a rifle.” The unknown voice commanded Felix.

“I don’t need your help.” Felix sharply replied.

“He’s loading now as we speak, what else are you gonna do?”

“You could always tell me where he is.”

“But where’s the fun in that? Now, come on. Just like Luna taught you, use what you have.”

Felix stood up and took off his black cloak before moving two meters to the left, just as the voice had instructed.

“Take a deep breath, he’s about to fire. Incoming in three… two… one…”

He positioned it forward, like a shield. Felix’s legs were pushed against the rooftop as a bullet struck against his cloak, tearing a small hole into it, but not quite powerful enough to pierce through.

“Good, can you handle the next?”

From within the stadium, the music began to rise as the Starry Sweethearts all stood on stage, starting their song. The crowds cheered intensely from within the stadium. His vision sharpens, his hearing heightens, and his heart begins to race. Inside his flesh coursed a current of blue electricity boiling his body.

“Felix, the next one is coming, move to the right.”

The enemy sniper fired, one after the other, Felix waltzed around as he blocked the bullets using his bullet resistant coat.

“He is currently reloading. It’s your turn.”

With ragged breaths, Felix took a moment to collect himself. As soon as his breathing steadied, he headed to his rifle, one more round was fired.

“Oh wait, he’s firing aga—” The unknown voice spoke once more just seconds after the trigger was pulled.

Felix turned his head as soon as he heard and saw a small flicker of light from the distance. A sharp metal clang could be heard as the bullet crashed against his gun’s edge as bright yellow sparks flew over his bright, crisp blue eyes.

“Sir?!” All three robins yelled worriedly.

“My bad. He had one more bullet. Now he’s reloading.” The voice replied in a smug tone.

“…You did that on purpose.”

“Perhaps… I wanted you to use it.” The voice answered with a tone of high expectation.

“I can’t…”

“Did you just… stop a bullet with your gun?” The first robin asked in disbelief.

“What of it?” Felix answered.

“Now I’ve seen everything.”

“No wonder you’re called the unfollowable Blue Phantom.” The third robin commented in disbelief.

“Don’t you start, too.” Felix groaned.

“Sir. We’ve found the location of the sniper. It’s as he said.” The third robin added.

Felix put back on his damaged coat and rushed to his rifle and moved it accordingly, and through the scope he saw his target on the other end, positioned atop a building with large, lit signs.

He fired — The bullet flew a meter above his target and struck one of the glowing signs behind his target, and it showered countless sparks before the light faded and struck.

The enemy fired again. A loud thud could be heard from the roof of the stadium as it missed him by a foot.

“Tsk…” Felix clicked his tongue and drew in a sharp breath. He fired another round and struck against the edge of his target’s rifle, striking his target on the shoulder.

“You got him. Now fire again.”

“I can’t…”

“He’s getting up, what are you going to do?” The voice said.

He let out a sharp, irritated noise between his teeth as he watched as his target ran into the building.

“No one else is playing by your rules, Felix. To them, killing you will always be necessary.”

From the case, Felix pulled out a grappling hook, and a featureless white mask that hid his rage.

He fired it to the closest building and swung across the wide spaces as he left the stadium. Below him, the streets echoed with the voices of civilians, and countless vehicles letting out varied sounds and bright lights.

Despite the few small holes that the bullets had left, the rough winds still worked against him as it pulled back the tail of his coat.

A repetition of swinging across the buildings and running through their roofs. Through the quiet run above the buildings, to the loud noises as he swung by to get to the next roof, narrowly avoiding the bullets headed his way.

“You’re almost there… one hundred meters forty meters…one hundred twenty meters...”

Felix saw the figure atop the building. With a burst of blue light, he rushed through the buildings, dangling on the line between the thin grappling hook and death from falling, all in a morbid midair dance that he could not afford to misstep.

“Felix, the target is about to fire again.” The voice spoke once again in his earpiece. “Now! Use it!”

He pulled out his gun once more and swung his arm upward against the bullet, and it spun toward the sky. golden particles sparked out from the clashing metals spread across the faint blue trail that Felix’s eye left behind.

“Forty meters, twenty-five, fifteen—”

Felix whipped himself upward once more and stared down at the lone figure from above, masked and draped in all black.

Their glances met, and his blue eyes locked on to his target and took aim, but he noticed that the target’s gaze was still moving, following his trajectory. He realized too late that he was on a collision course with an unlit billboard.

Felix slapped into it like a bug on a windshield.

He whimpered as he slipped down and fell. The giant Japanese characters collapsed on him. “Bollocks…”