The InfectioN

~~Hikaru's property~~

Hikaru hand against her forehead.

Ever heard of lesbians before? I happen to be one.
If you don't, you need some serious updating.

Meanwhile, Hikaru already takes apart Stingray his left arm.


~~Youmu Konpaku~~

Fine. I'll make sure you don't wet yourself. I just hope this time you get guards that can handle something. You already know how I dislike hanging around with others. Don't go pushing your luck.


~~Team Icarus hangar~~

The hangar was deserted by now. The ship had been fixed and was ready for the next race. Without being detected, someone sneaked into the hangar and got under the ship with some tools. After some time, the person left again, leaving no trace of his presence.

"Lets see how well you can pilot that ship without air-breaks."

Matolliarty
“Very well then. As soon as you finish eating we can head over there. Sleeping earlier so we can rise earlier would seem like a good idea in light of current events.”

Hikaru's Property
“Had to make sure you weren’t just one of those types that don’t love anyone at all. You’d be amazed how much of those I’ve heard about. I heard a story about it once, it was called the Vetearnium Heart of King Somebody or Other. Actually, no one knows the origin of that story… Seemingly came into being a few hundred years ago. But I digress, I gotta fix some stuff…”
EggRobo began rebuilding the nearby wall.

~~Youmu Konpaku~~

Youmu went on eating.

You have easy talking there. I had to fight that thing while there was someone being in the way with outdated weaponry.

When she finished, she played the knife and fork on her plate. She waited a few second and then grabbed her weapons, placing them on her back again.

Then again, outdated weapons don't have to be bad. Just depends on what you can do with them. Lets get going.


~~Hikaru's property~~

I pretty much couldn't care less.
You have an energetic personality. Where did a machine like you get that?

Hikaru was busy tuning up Stingray his entire body. It was going to be faster and more powerful. Stingray deactivated its weapons and just kept his basic systems running.

Nik looked around, and decided it would be a good idea to find a suppressor for his pistol. He holsters the aforementioned weapon and begins looking around for a gun store, wondering if they still exist. As he walks down the road, he gets a feeling that something ain't right. He begins to walk faster, eventually breaking into a run. He keeps running, eventually finding what he is looking for. He walks inside.

Hikaru's Property
“Well, you see…” He began, while continuing to repair the house.
“I don’t even know myself, honestly. It just sort of… happened. Can’t really explain it myself. But I’m not complaining. No, at all. Freedom is worth it!”

Matolliarty
“Shall we take the limo again? Unless you desire to carry me home, of course.”
She walked outside to the waiting limousine and began to step in.

Meanwhile, a Few Light-Years Away
Their entire fleet was destroyed, only The Odyssey remained. But they had won. The enemy had been defeated. Or so it had seemed…
“Victory is ours! Let the celebrations-”
“General, our sensors indicate multiple new enemy ships heading in this direction.”
“No… There is no way we can defeat them alone with the ship in this condition!”
“Then I recommend a strategic retreat, sir.”
“Yes… You said there was planet nearby that showed signs of intelligent life? We shall go there and warn them of the approaching threat. We must ally them to our cause! We can only hope they haven’t already been enslaved. You heard me! Set a course for that planet!”

~~Hikaru's property~~

Same as me then... I am less energetic, but surely have my own personal opinion, which is a sign of having a soul.
Robots that gain a soul. A personal curiosity, the thing that sets every being apart from each other. Funny that lifeless machines can acquire such a thing as well.

Stingray gets opened up even further, showing all kinds of highly advanced electronics. Hikaru attached Stingray to a terminal to get access to the memory banks of Stingray.

Bullets? Rebecca and Fiona? Club mix? Stingray, what is all this?
Music. Don't get any wrong ideas, but I have been diving deep in the internet history and stumbled across this. I liked it and saved it.

Hikaru looked a little confused and just pressed play. Dance music started playing. Then Hikaru noticed the year it was from.

You have been diving deep to find this. This song is 401 years old!
Doesn't change the fact that it is good. Better then some of the things played in this year.
Sure it's not bad at all. Just don't forget that we are in the year 2412. Not in 2011.


~~Youmu Konpaku~~

I don't even think you could handle the velocity if I carried you.

Youmu got into the limousine and sat down. She could have turned it into a race as for who would be faster, but decided against it. It would be better to make sure that Matolliarty was protected.

Matolliarty
The limo made its way over to the hotel, known as the Ultra-Lux. Matolliarty exited the vehicle.
“I know your not one to enjoy luxuries, but my room does have a pool and a hot-tub, if you decide you want to relax. This place is old fashioned, none of that newer techno-relaxation stuff. To the elevator, then.”

~~Youmu Konpaku~~

Youmu got out of the limousine and walked into the hotel.

There better not be a problem with me carrying weapons. I'll see whether or not I take a bath... Maybe not a bad idea though. I never actually give my body some proper rest.... ... Marolliarty, You take the elevator. I'll go with the stairs. You know, to keep in shape...

Matolliarty
Matolliarty shrugged her shoulders.
“If you want to.”
She parted with Youmu and entered the elevator, hitting the button for the 9th floor. As it ascended, she went over the current situation in her mind once again. Recent events had been quite unsuspected. Her new bodyguards, when they arrived, should be able to handle this new threat. But in the meantime, she really needed her new acquaintance in order to be safe. Matolliarty didn’t like having to rely on others, but she must in this case. The elevator doors opened and Matolliarty went over to her room, swiping a key card in order to open the door.

~~Youmu Konpaku~~

Youmu looked at Matolliarty entering the elevator. She sighed.

Rich people are such weirdo's. Time a for a quick exercise.

Youmu got onto the stairs and instantly dashed upwards, dashing off of the walls, not touching the ground even once. When she reached the roof, she looked over the edge to find the balcony of the room Matolliarty was staying. When she found out, Youmu stepped over the edge and started to run own using the wall, jumping off when she was close to the balcony she needed to be. Youmu decided to just stand on the railing of the balcony, hoping to give a little scare to Matolliarty.

Matolliarty
Matolliarty entered her room. She waited a few seconds to see if Youmu would catch up, but it would seem that she was taking her time on the stairs. Matolliarty unbuttoned her jacket and removed it, placing it on the dresser next to the bed. The absence of Youmu was beginning to make her a little nervous. Maybe Youmu was already here somewhere. She made a quick scan, and then went out onto the balcony.

~~Youmu konpaku~~

Youmu looked Matolliarty straight into the eye's from of the railing of the balcony and smiled.

You are such a slow person. Maybe you should start training... The kind of training I always do. Though I don't see you dashing off of walls for even 5 minutes straight, it could help.

Youmu walked over the railing without even the slightest feeling of fear. She then turned to Matoliarty again.

Say, do you think I could survive a fall from this place?

Matolliarty
Matolliarty jumped slightly upon noticing Youmu. She though about Youmu’s mention of training.
“Yes… Being faster could potentially be useful… But what kind of training do you do? As for surviving a fall… Why are you asking that?”
Matolliarty moved back inside from the balcony.
“As I said before, you may use the pool and hot-tub in that room over there if you want. I will be taking a shower in the bathroom over here.”
She went into the bathroom, but left the door open a crack. She wanted to make sure that she could call for help if needed, and Youmu didn’t seem like the kind of person who would take advantage of an open bathroom door. She looked in the mirror at herself for a few seconds, and then kicked her shoes off. She unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it off over head. She took off her pants and put them on the growing pile of clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror again. She thought she looked pretty scrawny, to be honest. Youmu must look much stronger than this. She removed her bra and panties and added them to the pile. She would usually put her old clothes in the hamper for room service to retrieve and wash, but at the moment she didn’t think it was a good idea to have people who are potential murderers coming into her room. She bent over and activated the shower, which automatically warmed the water to her preferred level. There weren’t any shower curtains, so she simply felt the water and, satisfied with the temperature, stepped inside.

~~Youmu Konpaku~~

Youmu sighed and got off of the railing and onto the balcony itself. She walked inside and leaned against a wall near the open door.

I asked that because I hoped to get the typical answer... and then step off of the railing. A normal person wouldn't survive a fall that high. I on the other hand, can survivie a fall from even twice the height. The training I follow... It is quite hard. It doesn't only make you fast, because just speed isn't everything. It makes you at least twice as strong and makes you body be capable of taking on more. It can be compared to Shaolin people. There training is intense, but there punches would easily break bones. ... ... I also have to note that... I started training some time after my parents were killed by fiends. And that was several years ago.

Youmu stopped and looked at the door to the pool and hot-tub. She hesitated for a second, but then decided to just treat herself and take a bath.

I'll be going for a bath. If you get attacked, scream like a little girl. If it is something else that you could easily do yourself, then don't bother asking me for help.

Youmu walked into the room and activated the hot-tub. She took her weapons off and placed them on an nearby table. She opened her jacket and got her arms out of it, revealing a shirt that used to be all green, but in time got blood all over it. It also has cuts and holes in it in different places. She then pulled her shirt over her head and threw it onto the floor. She then pulled off her jeans and undid herself of her shoes. Youmu had scars all over her body. At some places she had some old bandages. She pulled those off and threw them away. She didn't have a bra, instead she just had bandages running all over her chest, being tied together very tight on her back.
Youmu looked at her slightly muscled body, hesitating on undoing her bandage and underwear.

It's not the same as back then. They are gone. And I can kill...

Youmu removed her bandage and panties and placed them on the rest of her clothes. Her face turned slightly red and quickly got into the hot water. She came to rest in the hot water and leaned the back of her head against the edge.

What would Matolliarty think when she saw my body. So much scars as I have isn't very natural. Next to that, she probably would really understand why someone would use a bandage instead of a bra.

Matolliarty
Matolliarty put shampoo in her, lathered it up, and rinsed it out. She then began to wash her body with the bar of soap. Both of these things, shampoo and soap, were really old fashioned items. Even showers were outdated in today’s world. Matolliarty, despite her love for science, also found these items from a simpler world fascinating. Sometimes she felt she was born in the wrong time. She turned her thoughts from this when she finished washing herself. She turned off the shower, and grabbed the towel. Towels. Another old fashioned item. She used it dry her body so it wasn’t dripping wet. In all the old movies, women would often wrap the towel around their body after taking a shower. Matolliarty had no idea how they could get it to stay that way without holding it. She tried it a few times, but the towel always just slid off. She never had company before, so it was never a problem if she walked around naked. Not that she did that a lot or anything…
She wrapped the towel around her and held it in place with her hand. She ventured out of the bathroom, heading towards the dresser. She looked inside, looking for pajamas or other sleepwear. Foolishly, she had only brought one to this hotel, and it was nowhere to be found. It must have been misplaced in the laundry. Annoyance spread across Matolliarty’s face. It subsided when she became to curious as to what Youmu was doing. Matolliarty tried to silently move over to the door, peeking inside. There she saw a pile of clothes, as well as a large number of bandages. She ventured inside to get a closer look.

She looked back, noticing Umino was no longer there. I wonder if he left because he didn't like me. If I wasn't already nearly there, I would go back to find him... although I don't know that for sure... I don't know anything about myself... I don't know... Scanning...Scanning... Irae; obliterated 400 years ago. Renovations completed a couple of years later. The current 'leader' is Chaos Darkblaze, has inherited his (at least) seven times great grandfather's, and grandmother's powers. Recently suffered two lots of damage, an explosion from an unknown source, and something undisclosed. As she approached the gate, another woman dropped down. You have some nerve showing your face again. You were thrown out for a reason.
Who...are you?
Don't play dumb with me. You're a monster, everything you did, everything you were, the fact that you survived something no mortal should have survived.
W-what... what are you talking about? Who are you?
I told you to STOP playing dumb with me, little sister. She placed one of the edges of the double edged greatsword against the Girl's neck.
Now, now, it's obvious that she actually doesn't remember anything, you should just let her in, if it turns out she can actually remember, then there are enough people who can easily kill her, you being one of them. She reluctantly lowered her sword and stepped aside.
I'm pretty sure that it's going to rain soon, you're obviously a bit confused, or a very good actor, so, for the sake of argument, we will go with the former, both of you come to my house, and we will see how much of this we can clear up. As the girl stepped inside, most of the people just glared at her, mothers held their children close to their chest. The three people entered the house, the town being rather primitive compared to everywhere else.
Let us introduce ourself to the amnesiac, I'm Chaos Darkblaze.
I'm Ira Aurae, you are my older sister, only by a year, but still.
I... don't know my name... no matter how much I search, I still can't find it.
Anyway, as for the reason you were exiled...

~~Youmu Konpaku~~

Youmu noticed Matolliarty peeking and venturing further inside. Youmu looked at Matolliarty with an annoyed expression on her.

What the hell do you think your doing? What is she looking for? Maybe the bandages pull some attention. But why is she peeking to begin with? She a pervert?

Different thoughts enter Youmu her mind. She wasn't very happy with the thought of other people even being in the same building when she wasn't wearing anything.


~~Hikaru's property~~

Hikaru finished the tune-up on Stingray and placed back all the armour pieces. Club music still played in the house. Hikaru was enjoying hearing something new, even if it was old. When she was done, she copied the music from Stingray his memory bank and then disconnected Stingray from the system.

All done. Now lets see how the house is coming along.
I sure feel more powerful now. These lasers should now me able to penetrate most things. Thank you, Hikaru.

Matolliarty
Matolliarty seemed taken aback by Youmu’s reaction, but quickly responded:
“Such an intriguing response… You are fearless when it comes to fighting vicious monsters yet freak out at being seen without your clothes. Speaking of your clothes, what is with all the bandages and blood? If you need new clothes, I can get you anything you want. Just because you usually don’t let anyone see you doesn’t mean you have to wear such… strange clothing. Anyway, I came to let you know that I am going to sleep now. Sorry if I ruined your relaxation a bit… But I do think you look rather sexy, in a heavily scarred sort of way.”

Hikaru's Property
EggRobo was just finishing repainting the repaired wall. He turned his attention to Hikaru when he heard her mention the wall.
“Oh? Yeah, I finished this wall. I can work pretty fast sometimes. It does seem to be getting rather late though. Mind if I use some of your spare parts and tools to repair my jetpack? I’ll keep it down while you sleep. Unless you don’t sleep. You do sleep, right?”

Meanwhile, In a Private Back Room of the Phoenix Triumph
“But sir, it sold its weapon to an assassin who tried to assassinate the client-”
“I don’t care what he did! I told you to keep a low profile and you opened fire on uninvolved bystanders! At least EggRobo was once useful! You were always worthless! I am giving you another chance. If you fail me again, I will use your scrap to build something useful. Understood?”
“Yes, master.”

~~Youmu Konpaku~~

Youmu got quite pissed off at the last comment Matolliarty made, but remained calm.

I have a bad history that concerns other people and not wearing any clothes... ... That blood is mostly my blood. Fights were harder for me when I just began fighting those outsiders. Taking hits is quite common then. Most of those bandages are useless now because the wounds have healed. Just the long one... I use it instead of a bra. Probably seems strange to you, but for someone like me, it is way better. A new shirt would be nice though. Makes me feel less exposed... ... At least you are able to express your opinion, even-though I don't like it... ... ... Before you go to sleep... I want to ask you something. How... Did you experience your parents? Were you capable of liking them?

Youmu looked away, lowering her head into the water a bit. It was a rather difficult question to her.


~~Hikaru's property~~

Look in the garage. Maybe I should go to sleep earlier. I do have another race tomorrow. I shouldn't lose on my favourite track.
I am the one that doesn't sleep here. And now that my lasers are stronger, I don't think that robot from last time will want to fight me again.

Hikaru walked away, going to her bedroom. Stingray kept his sight on the robot and kept his scanners on-line to see what was happening on the rest of the terrain.

Matolliarty
“I don’t know what you’ve experienced, but I can assure you, you are safe here. It would seem to me that you would be safe anywhere, from what I’ve seen of your skill. But yes, we can get you that new shirt first thing in the morning.”
Matolliarty sat down cross-legged on the floor next to the hot-tub, and then turned her attention back to Youmu, to reply to her last question.
“My parents, you say? Well, my father was probably very likable, but he was always at work, never at home. You see, we had a butler that sort of took care of us. By we, I mean my twin and I. It was good having a butler as your nanny, because he would do whatever you asked him to do. My mother and my sister were both idiots, which is why my mother clearly liked my sister more. Oh, how I liked my father more. Which is a bit ironic, since… Nevermind. That was a while ago, they are all dead now. Except for my sister Gwen, she might still be alive out there somewhere. Probably living in a cave, eating bugs… But enough of that.”
Matolliarty leaned closer to Youmu.
“Why did you want to know about my parents, anyway?”

Hikaru's Property
EggRobo went into the garage. There he found the tools he would need, as well as some spare parts.
“These should do nicely… Now, lets start here…”

~~Youmu Konpaku~~

Youmu listened carefully. She looked at Matolliarty and then leaned her head against the edge again.

I just wanted to know... If there are people who had good experiences with their parents. My own experience is bad. I was sad when my parents laid dead in front of me, everyone would be, but at the same time, I was happy. I... I was abused for years by them... In... In a sexual way. I-it also explains my way of reacting when I'm without clothes. I just... I just can't stand it.

Tears started coming from Youmu her eyes. Her memories were painful. She wanted to be able to forget them all, but bad memories like those will always stay.


~~Hikaru's property~~

Stingray followed, having taking an interest in the robot. He still wondered about how machines were able to gain a personal curiosity, an individual mind.

Uhm... What do you think Robots like us have interests in? That must be one hell of a strange question.

Hikaru's Property
EggRobo looked up from his work.
“Dunno. We’re probably like humans. We each have a unique view of the world, and different parts of it interest us. May I ask what your interests are?”

Matolliarty
Matolliarty didn’t really know how to react to Youmu’s crying. She hadn’t thought someone like Youmu would cry.
“Now now, there is no need to cry. It is all in the past. No one can do that to you now.”
Matolliarty thought for a second.
“Am I the first person you have ever told about this? Because if I am, you can let it all out. I‘ve heard its healthier for your mental health if you don‘t hold these kind of things inside you.”

Meanwhile, a Few Light-Years Away
The ship finished investigating the remains of the battle.
Terroist forces intercepted fleet here. Stealth attack. Then fled in direction of possible habitable planet. Preparing to chase down… Halt. Processing new data source. Old communication system detected. Changing course. Investigate communication system first.

~~Hikaru's property~~

Stingray just stared at EggRobo.

I never thought about my own interests. I just do as I am told to. But if there is something I like a lot, it is diving deep into the net to find very old music and such.I guess that counts.


~~Youmu Konpaku~~

I... I have told it before to others... But they don't actually listen. You are the first to actually listen to me when I talk about it. Letting it all out doesn't remove all the pain I feel when thinking about it. I was... I was... I was raped at least 4 times every week by those sick bitches. I wish that their bodies were still their. I would be destroying them with my bare hands, just to let their poisoned souls see how much I hate them.

Matolliarty
“With that kind of anger, I’m surprised you chose to hunt fiends at all. After all, they did kill these people for you… Although I also hunt outsiders of my own… Perhaps I can tell you about them one day. Well, I should be getting to bed now. Unless you want me to stay longer?”

Hikaru's Property
EggRobo listened as he worked on his jetpack. The damage was actually quite minimal. It should be easy to repair before tomorrow. He removed the busted section and began constructing a replacement out of the spare parts.

~~Youmu Konpaku~~

It is okay. You can go sleep, I will manage, like I always do.

Youmu wasn't even sure if she was telling the truth now. She has always been able to keep these feeling away until now. She still thought she would be able to handle it.


~~Hikaru's property~~

Stingray kept looking, not having much else to do.

I wish I were able to help. But I don't have hands. Just these lasers.