Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a few days since Lovelica had appeared at the hospital, and since the appearance of Cronus. Since, things had returned to normal as much as possible, despite the lingering tension. They hadn’t told Emu about Cronus appearing, only Lovelica, since Emu seemed to be in no place to mentally deal with all that, at the moment. After all, even a few days later, he was still shaken from whatever had happened to cause those cuts.

Graphite was… probably not too much better off. He knew about Cronus’ appearance and had only become more clingy, and he’d already been pretty clingy since he’d brought Emu to the CR. It… worried Asuna, a little, but he’d always seemed to be like that. Sure, it had lessened as things got better and Emu didn’t need Graphite’s presence so much, but this causing Graphite to keep by Emu’s side more wasn’t really all that surprising.

They hadn’t even really been able to figure out why Lovelica had appeared at the hospital at all. Nico suspected that he’d been after Yaotome, given he’d shown up where she was and had very much followed after the two of them when they’d fled. That and, according to the two, Lovelica himself had claimed that he’d wanted to “speak” with Yaotome. But beyond that, they really didn’t have a whole lot to work with, though it seemed likely that there was someone that both Lovelica and Cronus were taking orders from. They just had little to point to just who this “game master” was.

“Flower! Flower! Looky!” Mu ran up to Asuna, a piece of paper in hand. He holds it high so she can see, it was a drawing of a person, one that resembled how Mu drew Emu. “I drew the scary person who hurt Emu!”

“Oh really?” The only thing different about how this “Emu” was drawn was that this one didn’t have pink hair or the black scars. “This just looks like Emu.”

Mu shakes his head, “No, no! Erm, well, yes! The scary person looks like Emu but he’s not!” Lowering the picture, Mu frowned. “You guys gotta find him so he doesn’t hurt Emu again, ‘cause it’s really scary.”

Smiling, Asuna ruffles Mu’s hair, “Don’t worry, Mu. You and Emu are safe here.”

“Okay… oh! Do you know if Mr. Sports is busy? He promised to help me ride my bicycle better on bumpy roads.”

Come to think of it, Asuna doesn’t think they’d heard much from any of the Bugsters in Carnival recently. She wasn’t exactly in the best position to know but… Maybe she could ask Graphite. “I’m not sure if Charlie’s busy or not… why don’t we ask Graphite and see if he knows?”

At the mention of Graphite, Mu’s face lit up and he nodded vigorously. “Okay!” He spins around and runs back the way he came. “Dragon! Dragon!”

Kiriya laughed as he watched him leave and Asuna smiled, following shortly behind. She caught up to find Mu bouncing in place as Graphite looked up from his book, curled around the unconscious Emu. “Do you need something, Mu?”

“Do you know if Mr. Sports is busy?”

Placing a bookmark in the book – it was Mighty themed, the top being Mighty’s spikes and eyes – Graphite shook his head, “I haven’t heard from any of the Carnival Bugsters in over a week, Mu. I don’t believe Kuroto has, either.”

That was… strange, usually either Kuroto, Graphite, or Mu were in contact with the Bugsters in Carnival every few days, between the three of them. Mu had pretty much viewed all the Bugsters there, save Salty, as his playmates – and the Bugsters for their part were happy to play along. Kuroto usually tried to keep in contact to satisfy the Ministry, but it was likely that with Yaotome’s work starting, he had been more lax about it. And Graphite often went into the Drago Knight Hunter Z section of Carnival when he wanted to be left alone – but that would have stopped with Emu’s strange behavior the past few weeks.

Asuna hummed, “Well then… maybe we should go check!”

Graphite stared. “You can go check.” He said, “I’d much rather stay here with Kin.”

“Don’t you think you should do something else? Besides, it’ll be really quick, and Emu will obviously be safe, because Kiriya’s here.”

“I get the impression you won’t take no for an answer,” Graphite sighed, setting his book to the side and carefully extracting himself from Emu.

Excitedly, Mu asked, “Oh! Can I come too?”

Just as quickly, Graphite answered, “No, stay here.” He was probably hoping to keep Mu from wandering into trouble in Carnival. That had, apparently, happened a few times.

Mu pouted, “Aw…”

So Asuna gives him a smile, “Think about it this way, Mu, you can help Kiriya protect Emu.”

Face lighting up again, Mu nodded seriously, “Right! I’ll help Mr. Bike protect Emu!” He pulls out his Gashacon Breaker and sits down beside Emu, keeping his serious but ecstatic expression. Beside him, Ai rolls closer, though still appeared to be asleep.

“Costume Change!” Asuna switched back into being Poppy. “Now, with that, let’s head into Carnival.”

She grabbed Graphite’s wrist and dragged him away. Kuroto had, thankfully, created an access point into Carnival from the CR, and had, sometime in the past few months, removed the block that kept things in. Technically, the Bugsters within could come and go as they please, but seemed content with staying there, most of the time. Poppy was pretty sure the Ministry didn’t know that Kuroto had done that, but given Kuroto claimed it was more of a hassle to leave the block in and since the Bugsters had been behaving, she didn’t see much of a problem with it.

It was useful, for Graphite and Mu at least, who were the only two Bugsters that actually entered Carnival with any regularity. Poppy had gone in once or twice but… for some reason, the DoReMiFa Beat area always felt a little too empty, and she was still uncomfortable around most of the Bugsters. All she could remember was Chronicle, and even though she knew that they all weren’t in full control of themselves, it didn’t really help much.

The two hopped into Carnival, finding themselves in the deserted entrance area. It was quiet from the lack of life, but that itself wasn’t that strange. The Bugsters didn’t often congregate there, and often just stuck to their areas. Even if they were visiting with one another, they were usually in one of the game areas. They just seemed to prefer it there.

“Most likely, Charlie will be in the Shakariki Sports area,” Graphite commented, pointing towards the aforementioned area.

Poppy nods, “That makes sense,” So far, there was nothing strange.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, even though there wasn’t a whole lot of reason to think that. Choosing to ignore that feeling, for now at least, Poppy follows Graphite into the Shakariki Sports area.

The cityscape that appeared around them was eerily silent. Not a soul could be found in the city, and it seemed almost like it was dead. Looking around, Graphite frowned, “There’s no one here.”

“Maybe Charlie’s somewhere else?”

“No,” Graphite shook his head, “I mean, there should be NPCs about the city. I’ve been here with Mu enough times to know that.”

Surveying the deserted city, she continued to find no signs of life, NPC or otherwise. “Then… what could have happened.”

He got an uneasy expression on his face, “I don’t know… we should check out the other areas.” It was possible whatever happened here had happened in the other areas. Or the answer could be found there.

“Where do you think we should check next?” Ultimately, Graphite was more familiar with Carnival than Poppy was, and doubly more what the game areas within were like.

“I’d say… probably either Taddle Quest, Bakusou Bike, or Drago Knight Hunter Z.” Graphite offered, “Taddle Quest and my game both have decently populated town or city areas, but it’ll take some traveling to get there. Bakusou Bike usually has a populated racetrack as the first area, so that may be the better bet.”

As the two exit the area and return to the level select area, Poppy inquired, “Usually?”

With something that was almost an amused tone, Graphite answered, “Motors has been known to switch it up from time to time. As long as we don’t land in the middle of a race, we should be fine, but I think Kuroto fixed that bug.”

They approached the entrance to Bakusou Bike, “You think?”

“Well, I hope, at least.”

True to Graphite’s word, they wound up just outside of a racetrack in Bakusou Bike. Though, instead of hearing the roar or hum of engines, of even the cheers and murmurs of a crowd, they were once again greeted with silence. The stands outside the racetrack were empty too, and various racing vehicles, mostly bikes, sat in the middle of the track untouched.

Even Poppy could tell that was unusual. “Empty, again. And no sign of Motors.”

“It’s certainly concerning,” Graphite observed, “Where are they? What happened to their areas?”

“Do you even think they’re still in here?” Poppy wondered as the two left Bakusou Bike, returning to the stage select again. Suddenly the silence felt incredibly wrong and off putting.

Graphite stopped in the middle of the area, “I… don’t know.”

The terrible feeling was overwhelming. Poppy didn’t want to be here anymore. “I think we should leave and ask Kuroto what he thinks.”

“I’m inclined to agree.”

When the two arrive back at the CR, Mu is gone and Emu sits at the table across from Kiriya. Taking a look at the two, Poppy asked, mostly out of habit, “Everything okay while Graphite and I were gone?”

Giving the two a smile, Kiriya nodded, “Yeah, nothing interesting happened.”

A frown planted itself onto Emu’s face, “Except the fact that you were gone for like, fifteen minutes, Lazer, and in those fifteen minutes my scars got… weird.”

Now that Emu mentioned it, Poppy noticed that the black was gone from the tips of his hair, and the scars on his face seemed… different. Emu rolled up his jacket sleeves and, without any long sleeves on underneath, revealed the scars on his arm, now more resembling black veins than they did his actual scars.

Glaring at Kiriya, Graphite hissed, “You left?”

“I had something I had to deal with!” Kiriya raised his hands placatingly, “And I was as quick as I could be!”

Poppy did her best to give Emu a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, Emu, we’ll figure out whatever it is.”

His head falls, “I sure hope so.”

“Now, Graphite and I are going to go talk to Kuroto, we’ll be back soon,” she sends a glare Kiriya’s way, “Try not to leave this time, Kiriya.”

---

The bags under Kuroto’s eyes were worse than normal. Poppy was pretty sure that he always had some kind of bags under his eyes, but normally, they weren’t quite this bad. Clearly the appearance of Cronus, most likely, had distressed Kuroto. Which was fair, there weren’t a whole lot of people they knew that would be able to use the Chronicle Gashat, and one of them was dead and the other was Emu. Sure, Nico had proved you could pull it off with a lot of determination, but the Cronus that they saw on the roof didn’t seem to be bothered by using the Gashat, and had been using a Bugvisor II, not a Gamer Driver.

Not that they knew how he’d gotten it, given there were only two Bugvisor II, and Poppy had one. Kuroto had the other, having repaired it after Chronicle, but it hasn’t been used since.

“Have you checked Carnival recently?” Graphited asked, flopping into the chair beside Kuroto’s desk.

Seeming a bit annoyed, Kuroto stopped typing and sighed heavily, “No, Graphite. I’ve been a bit… busy.”

Graphite snorted, “Well Carnival, is a bit empty. Even the stages are like a ghost town.”

“What?”

“Poppy and I checked. No one. Got an answer for that?”

In an incredibly measured voice, one that made Poppy think Kuroto was trying very hard to stay calm, he answered, “I haven’t a clue, are you sure they’re not elsewhere? In a difference area?”

Rolling his eyes, Graphite groaned, “We looked.”

“I don’t have an answer for you,” Kuroto’s voice was strained, “I really don’t.”

“Kuroto…” Poppy frowned, “This could be a problem.”

He rubbed his forehead, “I am aware of that. But without knowing where they went or what might have happened, there’s not much I can do.” Tiredly, he drummed his fingers on his desk. “Though knowing our luck, this is somehow connected to Lovelica and Cronus.”

“Then maybe we should focus further on trying to figure out what Lovelica is up to, it seems to have something to do with Dr. Yaotome…” Poppy tapped her finger against her cheek.

“We’ll go talk to her, next.” Graphite said. “Oh, and Kuroto… Kin’s black scars have… changed. Those scars had something to do with his Gamedeus infection, right?”

The frown on Kuroto’s face on deepened, “They do… that’s why Masamune had the black veins when he’d absorbed Gamedeus’ data. It’s concerning that they’ve changed… I’ll have to go visit him this evening.”

Speaking of Masamune… Now that Poppy thought about it, Emu’s scars now reminded her an awful lot of the veins that Masamune had gained. Were they somehow connected? Or was it just because they both were caused by Gamedeus, in one way or another, and so they’d obviously share some similarities?

As the two turn to leave, Kuroto called out, “Hold up, Graphite, I have something for you.”

Turning to face Kuroto, Graphite is presented with the Bugvisor II and what looked to be a modified version of the Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat. “What’s this?”

“I’ve been working on it,” Kuroto explained as Graphite warily picked up the two items. “I thought that it would be good to… at least have the opportunity to put this Bugvisor II to good use. And so I created a modified version of Drago Knight Hunter Z, I figured you’d prefer to use your own Gashat, after all.”

Staring at them, Graphite spoke in a strained voice, “I don’t need these to fight.”

“No, you don’t. But when you’re fighting things that aren’t regular Bugsters or Ride Players… then you may need the extra help.”

Though Graphite was clearly not pleased, he slipped the Bugvisor II and Gashat into his jacket. “Fine,”

---

“I assume that it would be a stretch to think you know why Lovelica was after you?” Poppy asked Yaotome as she and Graphite crowded into the makeshift office Yaotome worked in.

“You assume correctly,” Yaotome sighed, “The best I can guess is my work might get in the way of whatever his master is planning.”

Graphite huffed, “Which doesn’t really give us much more to work with.”

“I’m sorry, I really wish I could help you.” She did seem remorseful that she couldn’t provide them with more. “May I ask how Emu is doing? I heard that he hasn’t been feeling well recently.”

“Hopefully, it will pass,” Graphite responded, “It’s unlikely he’ll be up to meeting you anytime soon.”

With a smile, Yaotome nodded, “That’s understandable. I can wait.”

---

Mu didn’t like this room.

It was cold and dark and scary – all sorts of monsters could be hiding in the darkness! But it wasn’t the monsters in the shadows that scared Mu. It was the monster that appeared behind that door.

He wanted to go home, but he couldn’t. The door was the only way out of this cramped little closet, and it was locked. So he was stuck here until someone let him out. Hopefully, someone would notice he was gone and come and save him.

And hopefully Emu was okay.

Chapter Text

When Ai woke up from her nap, she growled. That in and of itself was strange. But what was even stranger was who she was growling at. Emu. It worried Graphite. He ended up picking up Ai and placing her down at the bottom of the stairs in the CR. Technically, the stairs alone would not be enough to keep her from coming back up, but she didn’t seem to want to climb them.

Something was obviously wrong with Emu, Graphite just didn’t know what.

Was it because of his scars? Whatever was happening with Gamedeus in his body? Even if there was an explanation, they didn’t yet have a way to know for sure. Even if they did, it was likely Graphite would still worry.

He just wished there was actually something he could do about it, instead of just having to sit around and hope for the best. There was so little they knew about everything, and that made it nearly impossible to try to do something about it. Be it Emu, Lovelica, Cronus, or the missing Bugsters.

Graphite didn’t like being away from Emu, but for once… he thinks that it might be the best option. The way he can help Emu the most. Even if the details of that way were still unclear.

And the modified Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat and the Bugvisor II in his coat pocket weighed heavier than nearly anything else he’d held before. Though he’d taken them from Kuroto, he had no intentions of ever using them. He didn’t need the Bugvisor’s power, he was, after all, one of the strongest Bugsters. Even if those numbers were skewed by humans turned Bugsters and other such anomalies like Parad.

And somehow, as though they needed more worries…

“It looks like someone with a vendetta took a hammer to it,” Nico commented, staring the damaged Gamer Driver on the table. Her description was apt enough, as the Driver had a large dent in the side, wires and screws sticking out.

Kuroto looked particularly distressed at the sight of it. “But how? The Gamer Drivers and Bugvisors are not easy to damage! Not in the slightest!”

“I’m afraid I don’t know,” Saki frowned. It was her Gamer Driver that had been damaged. “It was like that when I woke up, so the most I can supply is that whoever did it was able to get into my apartment, do that, and leave without waking me up.”

Not that even that knowledge really helped them determine who they could be. After all, the only ones who have damaged a Driver of Kuroto’s creation was Gatton, damaging Emu’s Gamer Driver, and Emu himself, who had broken the Bugvisor II Masamune had, the one that now sat in Graphite’s pocket. It couldn’t have been Emu, this time, which left few options. Perhaps, a stronger than normal Bugster, but even then, that seemed unlikely.

Picking up the Driver, Kuroto sighed, “I’ll… start on trying to get this fixed. In the meantime… perhaps we all better keep an eye out. Be more careful. It’s possible whoever did this might go after someone else, next.”

Nico nodded, “I’ll tell Taiga, someone can go give Parad a heads up.”

“We should also probably be concerned about that this person knew where Saki lived, and was able to break in like that,” Kiriya added, “But I’ll tell Ace about all of this when he comes down at lunch.”

With a nod, Kuroto slipped the broken Driver into his pocket and left. Nico frowned, chatting with Saki a little longer before they both had to leave. The CR once more returned to being its normal inhabitants. Poppy, who still lived there, and Kiriya who no longer lived there, but spent most of his time there working. Graphite and Emu were still there, of course, but given the year that Emu and Kuroto spent in the CR, they most likely wouldn’t be considered that odd of a fixture.

It was then that Emu slowly sits down at the table, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He hesitates for a moment, before asking, “Who could have damaged Brave’s Gamer Driver?”

Kiriya shrugged, “Who knows, at this point. Also, Brave? Since when have you called her that?” He taps the spoon from his coffee against the mug, “And now that I think about it, you called me Lazer yesterday. I thought we were past that?”

Emu’s shoulders stiffened, “O-Oh… Well I… I guess I’ve just been- uh- been really stressed, with the- well- everything…” He pulled his blanket closer and looked away.

“Well… just don’t get yourself too worked up. We’ll have it handled.” Kiriya takes a drink of his coffee.

“If you say so…”

After that, Emu was a lot quieter, and his words, what few there were, felt more careful. Still, he seemed to have avoided talking much, and when he had to, his words were short and slow. Graphite wondered if this was all really getting to him.

Or maybe, it was something else, but there was no way to know for sure, and not when Emu hasn’t said anything. Neither Parad nor Kuroto had noticed anything strange, but Emu has succeeded in hiding things from them in the past. While it had mostly seemed a habit Emu had shaken… it was entirely possible that he’d fallen back into it with recent events. Even not knowing about Cronus.

Graphite resolved not to let Emu know about Cronus until it was absolutely necessary, if at all.

Though he couldn’t help the feeling that doing such a thing may not be the best, may only upset Emu more, he more feared what would happen if Emu learned. Surely it would bring to mind the possibility that Masamune had returned. Emu couldn’t be allowed to think that.

---

Taiga sighed and stretched in his chair, grunting a little as a joint popped. He’d been sitting far too long, but it was unavoidable, in certain situations. Like now. Standing, Taiga left his office and began to walk through the clinic, intending to find the somewhat makeshift kitchen Nico had created to have a late breakfast. Barring the usual background noise, the clinic is quiet.

Once he’d had breakfast, a half hour later, he walked back towards his office. He had more work to do, after all, and it wouldn’t do much good to procrastinate it. The light was off in his office, strange given he hadn’t thought he’d turned it off. But it was possible he’d forgotten, so he didn’t give it too much pause. Just as he opened the door, he heard a loud crash, prompting him to pull it open even quicker. It slammed into the wall, and before he can take in the sight in the dark in front of him, something hits him.

In the face.

---

The CR receives a call from Nico only an hour or so after she left. At this point, Emu had long since hid himself away in the empty patient room, Kiriya was well engrossed in his work, and Asuna had left for her nurse duties. Graphite was sprawled on the couch, intent on allowing Emu some space.

Nico sounds terribly unamused over the phone, “Guess our Driver breakers struck again. This time, they also hit Taiga, but I think, other than the black eye and the part where he got knocked out, he’d fine. Probably. He says he’s fine, at least.”

Graphite, who was the one who answered the phone, rolled his eyes. Taiga could have a mild concussion and probably wouldn’t have admitted it, if he could even figure it out himself. But there was another issue here, the damaging of another Gamer Driver. “That’s two, now. But the only one who doesn’t know about this is Parad, so everyone else will at least know to keep an eye out.” He himself was beginning to contemplate going up and telling Parad himself, as opposed to waiting until he came down at lunch, like Kiriya had planned to. “You should probably tell Kuroto, though, and get Hanaya’s broken Driver to him.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico sighed, “I will. Just make sure you all are keeping an eye out too. This person was pretty bold, sneaking into Taiga’s office in broad daylight, when they had to have known Taiga was awake.”

Though only Kiriya would be able to see it, Graphite nodded, “I doubt they’d attack the hospital, and it should be difficult for them to gain entrance to the CR. Gemn, perhaps, may be easier, but even then.”

“We’ll see, I guess,” Nico fills him in on a few more details and then the call ended.

Kiriya looks up from his laptop, taking a drink of coffee. “So, another Driver’s been damaged?”

“Hanaya’s,” Graphite sat back down. “Saiba says the perpetrator also attack him when he walked in on the act. It was dark, though, so he didn’t get a good look.”

“Things are getting interesting, it seems,” Kiriya sat his coffee cup back down.

Snorting, Graphite, leaned back, “I wouldn’t call it interesting. I’d say annoying.”

“Six of one, half a dozen of the other.”

Returning to his book, Graphite huffs. Kiriya too returns to his work with a thoughtful hum. Nothing of note happens until a half hour or so later, when the CR receives another call, once again from Nico, but Graphite can hear Kuroto raving in the background.

In a tone that was uniquely Nico, she begins, “So…”

Already guessing what might have occurred, Graphite sighed, “Let me guess, our Driver breaker has struck again?”

“Yep, hit Kuroto’s and mine, somehow. I was making Kuroto go eat something and when we came back…” He could practically see her shrug, “Well, you get it.”

“Then… that just leaves Kiriya, Parad, and Emu, plus the Bugvisor II that Poppy has.”

“And,” Nico reminded, “The one that Kuroto gave you yesterday.”

He rolled his eyes, “Not that it will do any of you any good.”

“I feel like you’re missing the point,”

---

Patiently, Emu waited at the beginning of the stairs in the CR for Parad, who was due to come in for lunch soon. Just a little longer and little more, soon it would all be done. And of course, no one thought anything might be strange. Just perfect. Exactly what he needed.

So Emu sits on the bottom stair and plays his game. Just a little longer, Parad would be here soon. He could wait however long it took, even if Parad got interrupted or held up. Being able to wait for him was very important. The little Mighty on his screen hit an enemy with his hammer mid jump, then landed on a platform.

The door opens, prompting Emu to look up. As expecting, it was Parad who was walking in, smiling when he saw Emu. Emu smiled back and stood, slipping his game into his pocket. With his hand still in his pocket, he runs up to Parad and hugs him.

“Parad!” Emu grinned when Parad wrapped his arms around him, “You’re here!”

“Yeah,” Parad laughed, “Come on, Emu, I was here before work this morning, it hasn’t been that long.”

At that, he hummed. “Still…” He pulled his hand out of his pocket, shoving it and what he held against Parad’s chest. “You should probably be more careful.”

Around his arm, Parad began to disappear, sucked into the Bugvisor II in Emu’s hand. Like the other Bugsters, Parad didn’t seem to really be aware of what was happening, which made it much easier to ensure that Parad could do little to fight back.

Then he hears a footstep on the stairs, and he pulls the Bugvisor away, shoving it into his pocket as Parad collapsed to the ground. “Parad! Parad!” He quickly called out, “Are you okay?!”

That prompted the footsteps to descend faster, joined by two more sets. Kiriya is the first to come down the stairs, then Asuna and Graphite followed next. Upon seeing Parad, who had collapsed to the floor, and a frantic Emu at his side, Kiriya kneels at Parad’s side.

“Zero, what happened?” He asked, looking Parad over.

In a panicked voice, Emu answered, “I- I don’t know… I- Parad came back and I- we hugged and then he- he just collapsed!”

Asuna frowned, “He just collapsed?”

As Emu nodded, Graphite moved to his side. “And you, Kin? Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah…” While he answered Graphite’s question, Ai trotted down the stairs, barely impeded by her small legs. She sniffs around, then stops at Emu’s feet, staring up at him before she began to growl again, just like earlier. “A-Ai… what’s gotten into you…?”

Shaking his head, Graphite picked Ai up, “She’s doing this again,” He groaned, “I’m going to put her in the patient room.”

Kiriya stands, “Let’s get Ace in there too, see if he’ll wake up any time soon.”

Asuna nodded and moved to help Kiriya with Parad, while Graphite went on ahead and put Ai in the patient room. With that, Emu disappeared back up into the main room of the CR.

---

Ai starts barking again in the middle of the night. When Graphite goes to check, he finds nothing in the patient room save for Ai, Parad, and a broken gamer Driver.

---

There was even more unsettlement in the CR the next morning. Now, the only ones with functioning Gamer Drivers were Kiriya and Emu, plus whatever had happened to Parad, who still was unconscious. Now, there was only three people left who could transform, and Emu wasn’t in the best state as it were. And still, Lovelica and Cronus were out there someone.

Asuna would bet that they had something to do with this, somehow. Maybe the power of Cronus was enough to damage a Gamer Driver. That was the best answer she could come up with, at least. Though even that wasn’t much of an answer, especially without knowing just what Cronus and Lovelica were planning.

Something seemed off about this whole thing, though. About whatever happened to Parad and about the Gamer Drivers being damaged and the disappearance of the Bugsters. After all, Parad’s Driver was only damaged after he was knocked out, not before, and Emu had claimed that it had just happened but… perhaps what happened to Parad was connected to what happened to the other Bugsters? It was a long shot, but maybe… Maybe she and Graphite were in just as much danger as all the other Bugsters, and just didn’t know it yet.

And what about Kiriya, Kuroto, and Emu? Would they even be safe? Or could something happen to them too?

More than ever before, Asuna found herself wondering about the incident with Emu and Parad yesterday. Even though Emu claimed that whatever had happened to Parad had just happened all of a sudden, she wasn’t quite convinced. They had only Emu’s word to go on, until Parad woke up. Was there a reason that just happened to Parad? Is that same reason why Ai has been growling at Emu, who she usually so adored?

She didn’t want to suspect Emu had anything to do with this, but the dreadful doubt wouldn’t leave her mind, no matter what she tried to do to chase it away. Yet what could she say about this doubt? Emu would be upset by it, and surely Graphite wouldn’t hear it, nor would Kuroto. There wasn’t really any proof that there was even any reason to suspect Emu of anything. No real evidence, just conjecture.

Silence covered the CR like a heavy blanket, while Asuna contemplated these thoughts. Kiriya was gone, visiting over in Gemn to talk to Kuroto about something, leaving only Emu, Graphite, herself, and the unconscious Parad in the patient room. Emu had hidden himself away at the bottom of the stairs, far enough not to notice a hushed conversation.

Asuna couldn’t leave her doubts alone any longer, no matter how much she disliked them.

“Graphite?”

Graphite had a book in his hand, but by her observation hadn’t seemed to really be reading it. “Yes?”

She tried to figure out the best way to say her thoughts. It was hard to put into the correct order, the correct words. “Emu has been… different, recently. That is to say… Since two days ago, when we investigated Carnival.”

He set his book down, “I’ve noticed, too.” There’s something strange in his voice, something almost fearful. “Calling Saki and Kujo the wrong things, his scars, how Ai growls at him…”

“What happened with Parad yesterday.”

“You think that it’s connected?”

Choosing her words carefully, Asuna answered, “I think it’s possible, and that there’s too much strange going on to rule out that it could, somehow, have something to do with Emu.”

It’s clear that Graphite isn’t pleased with that idea, as Asuna had expected. He growled and set his book aside. “If, somehow, he is connected to all of this… Then why? Why would Emu do something to hurt someone? Knowingly? And Parad?”

The issue is, Asuna really doesn’t have an answer. How could she? It was so unlike Emu, there wasn’t a reason she could think of. “Maybe… his Game Disease? Or Cronus?”

“You don’t know,” Graphite said, his voice soft, “And neither do I.”

“I don’t want it to be true, for him to have something to do with this…” Asuna replied, “But I don’t have a better answer, either. Something’s happening and now, Emu’s one of the only ones who can still transform. I don’t want to wait until Emu’s the only one left to see if something is strange.”

“But then… what do we do?”

Frowning, Asuna sighed, “I really don’t know,” She huffed in frustration, “We can’t just confront Emu about it…”

“Confront me about what?” At the top of the stairs stood Emu, jacket pulled tightly against his chest. He stared, curiously looking at the two. “I… heard you two talking about something and it… sounded important.”

Sending a glance towards Graphite, Asuna wasn’t really sure what to do. Tell Emu the truth? Graphite, frown on his face, took a step towards Emu. It seemed that Emu could sense that something was wrong, taking a further step to the side, then back.

Slowly, Graphite continued his approach, “Tell me, have you been entirely honest with us, the past few days?”

Confusion and worry on his face, Emu answered, “Of-of course… W-why wouldn’t I?”

“Then is what you told of what happened to Parad true?”

“W-why are you acting so strange?”

With a snarl, Graphite extends a hand out, Graphite Fang appearing in it, “Stop the act!”

Then suddenly, Emu wasn’t in front of Graphite anymore. He was standing to the side, watching the two. No longer was his gaze worried or confused, there was no fear. Instead, he watched them with a calculating gaze, almost amused. Even his posture seemed different, more confident.

With a laugh, Emu’s lips twist into an unnerving smile, “Oh, I was hoping you’d all be too dumb to realize.” His head tilted to the side. “And really, most of you were, even Perfect Knockout and Dangerous Zombie. But you two… oh, you noticed, it seemed. A little thing here and there, and now you’re on to me.”

“If you’re not Emu, then who are you?” Asuna asked, pulling out her Bugvisor II.

“Don’t be naïve, DoReMiFa Beat. I am Emu, you’re just too convinced of his perfect little innocence to admit it. Can you really not figure this out? Who it is who has taken your precious Emu? The one who has damaged your Gamer Drivers and took out Perfect Knockout?” He reached into his jacket, “I thought you were smarter. But I see that I was wrong.” From his jacket, he held a Bugvisor II.

Graphite growled, “You!”

Emu – or this strange, terrible Emu they’ve been around – was Cronus.

Emu or Cronus or whoever he was, laughed once more. “Now you see.”

Still, this didn’t answer where the real Emu was, or who this fake Emu really was. Asuna places her Bugvisor on her waist, even though she knows that she wouldn’t be able to stand against Cronus’ power. “Where is the real Emu?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find him sooner or later. It really doesn’t matter, you haven’t long yet. This game has just begun, after all.” He laughed once more, and then he was gone.

---

Every time that Emu wakes up and Mu is freed from his prison, he only got put back every time Emu fell back asleep. They always noticed when he was in there with Emu, and now, Mu thinks they’ve realized when he appears. Though he tries to cling to Emu, to keep close for both of their own safeties, it doesn’t matter. They pry him away.

It hurt to see Emu. Every time, he looked worse. The bandages and the bruises grew, and Mu could only be reminded of before. These people were like before, too. They hurt Emu and laughed and didn’t care how much it hurt. All Mu wanted to do was hug Emu, comfort him in such a terrible time, like Zombie and Dragon had before. But those meanies wouldn’t let him and Mu hated it!

After the third time of being pried away, Mu was wailing and sobbing the entire time he was in the closet. He hated this.

Chapter Text

“The Emu who has been with us the past few days,” Graphite began, arms crossed and a frown on his face. He and Asuna were relaying to Kiriya, Kuroto, and Nico what had occurred not long before with Emu. Or who they thought was Emu, at least. “Is not the real Emu.”

“Not the real one?” Nico echoed, “What do you mean? And where is he, anyway?”

Asuna tapped her cheek, “We don’t know. Graphite confronted him and then he took off. But Nico…”

With another huff, Graphite added, “He had a Bugvisor II, and the two that we know of are accounted for.”

At that, Kuroto’s eyes widened, “Then that means… he is Cronus.” Asuna couldn’t imagine how hard of a thing that was for Kuroto to say. The idea that Emu, in any form, could be his enemy, well and truly.

“And it probably means he’s the one responsible for the damaged Gamer Drivers,” Kiriya noted, “Which this all would explain his strange behavior.”

“So we have to find the real Emu – he’s the only one that’s going to have a way to defeat Cronus.” And, of course, that Emu could very well be in danger. That alone would have been enough to encourage Kuroto and Graphite, at least, to search for the real Emu.

Kiriya hummed, “But how are we going to find him? We don’t know where he could be.”

Carefully, Kuroto raised a hand to his chest, resting gently over his heart. Tentatively, he said, “I think… I may be able to? It would be better if I were Parad but…” With Parad unconscious, still, Kuroto was the only one left with a direct connection to Emu. Their bond, though maybe not as strong as Emu’s and Parad’s, may be the best way to find Emu. “There’s… something there. It’s faint but…”

“Shouldn’t you have realized something was off sooner?” Graphite asked.

“It’s… not so easy. Sometimes Emu hides his feelings away and Parad and I have just… learned that’s something he does. It’s usually better not to bother him about it.” Kuroto drummed his fingers on the table, “But I think… now, there’s enough. To follow it.”

With more hope and confidence then they’d had prior, Asuna said, “Then let’s go! After all, Graphite, Kiriya, and I can still transform, we might have a chance to free Emu, now.”

“Hold up, Graphite?” Kiriya asked, “What do you mean, Graphite?”

“Kuroto’s given him the Bugvisor II he fixed up from Masamune, and a modified Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat,” Nico answered, “Though knowing Graphite, he’s gonna be too stubborn to use them.”

With a roll of his eyes, Graphite responded, “It doesn’t really matter, does it? Anyway, let’s just get going.” He examines Kuroto, “Kuroto can lead, and Asuna, Kujo and myself will deal with anyone who gets in the way.”

Kiriya shrugged, “I mean, as long as it isn’t Cronus, we should be fine.”

Not that they had any way of guaranteeing that Cronus wouldn’t appear. Especially if he had something to do with Emu’s disappearance, which seemed likely. Yet, without Emu, they had no way to counter Cronus’ power. They’re best hope was to try to get to Emu, free him, and hope that he has the strength to fight.

Finally, Asuna sighs, “Well then, lead the way, Kuroto.”

---

Pushed against the wall, Emu trembled, staring at the door in front of him as he heard it open. It was never good when it opened, it only ever meant that he would be hurt. That they’d take him and experiment on him, once more just treat him like a toy to be played with more than he was a human being. Not that he was very human anymore, anyway.

To think, that the one who had been terrorizing him, had been haunting his dreams using his own face… was real. Really was this… other version of him, who wore a sick smile and cruel eyes. Who had appeared in the CR, to Emu’s horror, but this time, he didn’t hurt Emu, this time, he grabbed him and took him away, to here. Wherever this place was.

And he brought Emu face to face with his worst nightmare. Sat in a chair, across from the one that the other version of him had shoved Emu into. Looking just as he had when Chronicle had ended, yet somehow, that scared Emu even more.

Of course, the first words from that monster’s lips were, “It’s good to see you again, Hyper Muteki.”

Emu had frozen, staring at Masamune with fear, mouth opening and closing in the search of his voice. When he could finally find it, all he could say was, “…How?”

With something that might almost have been glee in his voice, Masamune had explained. Explained how the Next Genome Institute had brought him back – as was a plan if Chronicle failed – and when he was brought back, that other Emu was formed. Though Emu couldn’t find a real reason why Masamune would send that other version of him to terrorize him, somehow the very act itself was answer enough. Masamune seemed to love to see him suffer.

The door opened, and standing in the doorway was Masamune. Silent, he marched over to Emu and grabbed him by the now raggedy shirt, pulling him up. “It’s time, Hyper Muteki.”

He didn’t’ bother trying to resist, just looked to the ground and let Masamune pull him along. There was no point – to any of this, really. To Emu trying to fight back, not even a reason that Masamune was doing any of this, other than to make Emu suffer. And that was fine, what could Emu really do about it, anyway?

If there was a reason to even care about trying to fight back, Emu couldn’t see what it was at this point.

Then there’s this… tug. Something in his chest that felt not so much it was calling for him to come to it, but for it to come to him. Like there was this rope in his chest that someone was pulling on, using it to lead them to Emu. It made Emu… anxious. Something was coming, something was going to happen, and as it was….

He was powerless.

Heart beating in his ears, suddenly Emu’s legs locked up, freezing his in place despite how Masamune continued to pull at him. The sudden stop of movement prompts Masamune to stop walking himself, turning around to look at Emu once more. A glare greets Emu, he knows it even though he can’t see it himself.

There were a lot of things he wanted to do in the moment, where a sudden surge of hope overwhelmed him. Yet he knew that letting anyone know what would soon occur could be bad, could make things worse. So he mutters an apology and takes a step forward.

Masamune huffed, grabbing Emu’s shirt again and they continued forward.

Maybe he wouldn’t be saved in time to avoid this last experiment, but that was okay. Because soon, Emu would be safe again, and that gave him the courage to face this last trial.

---

With Kuroto leading them, Graphite, Asuna, and Kiriya followed well into the outskirts of the city. Though it was flimsy, Kuroto thought he could follow the bond to Emu, and they were willing to give that a shot, if it meant they might find Emu. There wasn’t any time to waste, whoever has Emu could be hurting him, could be doing god knows what.

It made Graphite angry just thinking about it.

Now if only Kuroto’s navigation was a little less of tugging at a string that can go through walls, but you cannot. Though Kuroto seemed to be able to determine the direction, getting there was not particularly easy, resulting in more than a few detours. All it did was add to Graphite’s impatience and worry. Whoever it was who took Emu – and oh they had their suspicions, but they had little proof – would be in for a surprise, surely, when they finally arrived. Graphite, for one, knew that he would make it very unpleasant for them.

And if the people who took Emu dared to hurt him…

You’re always so protective of him. Doesn’t that emotion cloud your judgement?

He rolled his eyes, grumbling to himself. Though he’d thought that the irritating voice of his host was long gone, he’d forgotten that it often took periods of silence. It only arose when needed, when it felt it had something to say. Graphite simply didn’t like it much, especially now that he didn’t need to try to take care of Emu’s injuries. Of course, that opinion that his host has always held, that a doctor shouldn’t allow their feelings to interfere with treatment.

But Graphite was not a doctor, he was not treating anyone. He was rescuing his friend, someone who means the world to him. Perhaps his emotions might cloud some degree of his judgement, but those who dare to take Emu should face the consequences. Graphite understood enough what would be too far. The question would always be whether or not he cared in a particular instance.

Right now, he wasn’t sure he cared.

So dramatic. Shut up. And what will you do if you can’t rescue him? If you don’t possess the necessary power? Graphite wouldn’t allow that. He had power enough, he was one of the strongest Bugsters, entirely on his own power. Or course he’d be able to rescue Emu. What of Cronus’ Pause? …Emu was the only one with a way to counter that. Graphite wouldn’t delude himself that he might be able to.

And therein lay the biggest problem. Most likely, wherever Emu was, that fake Emu – Cronus – would be there too. And if Emu was the only one who really had the power to counter Cronus, then they’d have to rely on Emu having the strength to fight, and that he even had access to his Gamer Driver and Gashats. That was probably a stretch, but it was possible.

Because of that, perhaps it would be best if, once they arrive, they were careful. As much as Graphite would love to tear through anyone and anything in the way between him and his Kin, it was unlikely that would work very well in the long run. It would draw attention, and surely it would draw Cronus. Lovelica they could deal with, Nico, Saki, Kuroto, and Taiga would have defeated him previously if Cronus hadn’t saved him.

There, now you’re thinking. This isn’t something you can just rush into, not if you want to succeed in rescuing him.

As much as Graphite hated to admit it, the ghost of his host was right. If he had followed his initial instinct, to simply hurry and find Emu, it would be likely that he, Asuna, and Kiriya would be defeated the moment Cronus arrived. Then they’d have achieved nothing, and it could be possible for something like what had been done to Parad during Chronicle to be done to them, again in Poppy’s case, though perhaps not through Lovelica’s hand. They had one chance, with the element of surprise, to rescue Emu, and they couldn’t mess that up. Though Cronus knew they knew his identity, he didn’t necessarily know they were coming.

Finally, Kuroto stops outside an empty looking warehouse. He stares at it, eyes darting across the wall that faces them. “He’s… here.” He said, softly.

“Then we simply have to find where in here…” Graphite studied the outside of the building as he spoke. Not that there was much of interest to find. “And avoid catching Cronus’ attention.”

Asuna nodded, “We’ll have to be careful,”

“It could be worse, at least it’s only Cronus and Lovelica.” Kiriya shrugged.

“That we know of,” Kuroto reminded.

And so they began to devise their plan.

---

The false Emu laid sprawled across a couch, his hair having returned to its previous brown color. It was how he often spent his time here, in this warehouse that he was born in. Or that he came into being in, at least, he wouldn’t exactly say that moment where he gained a physical form was when he was born, after all. In his hands, he was playing a game, otherwise ignoring the world around him.

Then Masamune walks in and quickly catches sight of him. “What are you doing here?”

“Drago Knight Hunter Z and DoReMiFa Beat learned I wasn’t their Emu,” He answered, not looking away from his game. “Since they’d just go tell others, and they couldn’t just disappear without raising even more questions, I just left. I broke Perfect Knockout’s Gamer Driver anyway, that just leaves Bakusou Bike’s and Emu’s over there, plus the Bugvisor DoReMiFa Beat has. They won’t be able to beat me and Lovelica.”

“You really-“ Masamune cuts himself off, clearly annoyed as he shook his head. “No, they’ll be discontinued soon enough. The game is just beginning.”

With a smile, the false Emu nodded, “And I’ll be the winner!” then, like an afterthought, he added, “Well, we’ll be the winners, but I’ll be the one doing most of the winning for us.”

“Keep your eyes open,” Masamune told him, “We can’t rule out them somehow finding a way here and searching for Hyper Muteki.”

Everything was falling into place, but they couldn’t discount the stubborn tenacity of those Riders at the CR. “I’ll take care of them if they do.”

---

Carefully, Graphite, Asuna, and Kiriya snuck through the warehouse Kuroto had brought them to, while Kuroto himself waited outside. They needed to find Emu and there was a lot of ground to cover. So they quickly decide to split up, hoping that none of them encounter Cronus, and begin their search. Emu had to somewhere, had to be in a room or somewhere similar that could be used to keep him from just leaving.

Somewhere around here, somewhere, he just knows it… Emu’s here…

What will you do when you find him?

That, of course, depended on what state Emu was in when Graphite found him. Whether or not he was injured, whether he could stand, or fight. That’s what Graphite had to know before he could determine what to do. If it came to it, Graphite was prepared to get Emu as far away from here as possible.

Listen, then…

Graphite’s compelled to listen, stopping mid step just in time to hear something thud loudly against a wall, some distance away. At first, he was going to ignore it, more likely to avoid it. After all, it was likely to be someone he’d want to avoid, since he’d tying to avoid catching attention. Then he hears something else, a tired groan.

“Ugh, can’t I go? It’s not fun watching you bully him.” That was Cronus.

“It’s a punishment,” A hauntingly familiar voice cut, “Not bullying him.”

Again, Cronus groaned, “Masamune… I don’t need to be here, c’mon.” He confirmed, for Graphite who that voice was.

Carefully, Graphite creeps closer.

There’s something quiet, almost like another voice, but Graphite can’t make much out.

“Go,” Masamune said with a huff. There’s no sound to indicate Cronus leaving, but Graphite is certain he had. Then there’s another thud. “Now what was that?”

This time, Graphite can just barely hear the voice, freezing in his steps again. “W-what’s even the- the point of all of t-this?” Emu. That was Emu. “Is it- is it just to make me suffer?”

“You’ve dared to defy me,” Masamune responded, “And for that, you deserve these punishments.”

“You- you don’t scare me any- anymore.”

Graphite moved closer, faster and with less care than before. Cronus was away, and his Kin – Graphite had to save his Kin. He can see Masamune and Emu now, though neither seems to be aware of him. Emu was on the floor, sitting on the ground with his back pushed against the wall. He glared at Masamune, who stood over him, looking just as he had during Chronicle.

Masamune sneered at Emu, “That’s not what it sounds like.” He reaches down, grabbing Emu by the torn shirt.

Before Graphite can think much further, he rushed forward, shoving Masamune to the side, knocking him down to the ground. “Do not touch him.” He changed into his Bugster form, making it clear he was prepared for a fight.

I suppose that works… The ghost of his host sighed heavily.

“Graphite!” There was a hopeful joy in Emu’s voice.

With a grunt, Masamune pulls himself up, turning to look at Graphite. “You think you can protect him?” Even though he’d just been shoved to the ground, he seemed only mildly irritated. “You’re nothing more than a Bugster, your power is nothing against-“

“Against what? The power that you’ve given to that mockery of Kin?” Graphite growled, “I would tell you to leave, but I am not quite so kind. You are, after all, the one who has hurt and hurt my Kin, and now… you are powerless compared. That is the downfall of giving your power to someone who is not here right now.” He pulled his Graphite Fang from his back.

Warily, Emu called out, “Graphite, what are you planning on doing?” He struggles to try to stand, but Graphite holds a hand out to tell him to stop.

Voice cold, Graphite answered, “I am only going to give him what he deserves.”

“Don’t… kill him, please.”

“I won’t. That has never been the intention.” It was better, after all, if Masamune lived. He’d taken the easy way out before, but Graphite wouldn’t allow that to happen again. But Masamune had to pay for what he’s done, how he’d hurt Emu. And it seemed that Emu had realized what Graphite means to do.

He doesn’t even seem that upset about it, just… wary and worried. But death was too kind for Masamune, far too kind for all the hurt he’s caused.

It seemed that Masamune now realized just what situation he was in, his eyes quickly darting around their surroundings, then to Graphite. Not scared, no, he was too stupid and full of himself to be scared. But understanding that he didn’t have the kind of power he seemed to think he did. Because Cronus was the only real power he had, and that he’d given to someone else.

You really shouldn’t-

Graphite didn’t care.

---

“Think Graphite’s having better luck?” Kiriya whispered when he and Asuna found each other again.

“Hopefully…” Asuna wasn’t really sure. If any of them were to find Emu, it would probably be best that it was Graphite, but since they’d split up, they could only learn each other’s progress if they ran into each other. Neither of them had much luck, so far, finding anything useful.

The two had slipped into an empty room, furnished with a desk and chair with a computer at the desk. They weren’t sure how long it would stay empty, but if they heard the door open, they could teleport away. Idly, Kiriya began to search through the desk as they spoke. “God, we do an awful lot of hoping, don’t we?”

She just sighed, greatly disliking how much had to rest on their shoulders. “I guess sometimes that’s all we can do.”

Continuing to rummage through the desk, Kiriya shrugged. After a few more moments, he finds something, face lighting with a grin. “Well, I think I’ve hit the jackpot.”

“Oh?”

He then produces a Gamer Driver and Emu’s three Gashats, “Seems we found where they’ve been keeping Emu’s things.”

Asuna frowned, “That means we probably shouldn’t stay here much longer…” It was unclear who it was who Cronus and Lovelica worked for, but that person, or worse, Cronus, could come back at any moment. “You should go and try to find Emu, and probably Graphite. Then we can all get out of here.”

Kiriya pockets the items, “Yeah, you should probably get out of here now, leave the rest to us. Once we find Zero, that’s all we’re really here to do.”

While she didn’t entirely like the idea, it was also the most logical. It wasn’t worth it to try to fight Lovelica or Cronus if the didn’t have to. She nodded, “Right, just be careful.”

With a cheerful nod, Kiriya slips back out the door to search for Graphite and Emu. That would be easier if they were together, like she and Kiriya hoped. Now alone, Asuna waited for just a few moments, before she slipped out the door herself. After all, having more of them there just raised the chance that Cronus’ attention found one of them.

Yet before she can make it to the door they came through – never mind that she could have easily of teleported out – she’s stopped. A familiar voice called her name – or rather Poppy’s name.

“Oh Poppy…”

She spins on her heel, facing the source of the voice. “Fuck,” She swears under her breath.

“What a surprise to see you here,” Lovelica seemed pleasantly surprised at her presence, something that annoyed Asuna greatly. “Have you come to join the winning side?”

Glaring at him, she responded, “No, I’m just here for Emu.”

“A shame, are you sure you can’t be persuaded?” Though Lovelica was mostly playing nice for now, Asuna was certain that wouldn’t last much longer.

And there’s little chance she’s escaping without a fight, so she pulled out her Bugvisor and the Toki Meki Crisis Gashat. “I’m sure,”

Toki Meki Crisis!

Lovelica held a hand over his chest in mock hurt, “You’re using my own Gashat against me?”

Buggle Up! Dreaming girl! Koi no simulation! Otome wa itsumo Toki Meki Crisis!

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,”

He huffed, “Fine then, we’ll have a fight, and you’ll find that you won’t be able to resist my charm once more!”

Asuna really, really doubted that.

She takes her Bugvisor II in hand as Lovelica summoned Bugsters to aid him. She dodges out of the way of the first maid dressed Bugster, swinging the chainsaw end of the Bugvisor at the Bugster.

---

Once Graphite was finished with Masamune, who quickly attempted to scurry off, probably to hide somewhere else in the warehouse, he returns to his human form and turns to Emu, helping him stand.

Emu looked at him with wary eyes, “Wasn’t that a bit… much?”

Snorting, Graphite shook his head, “Not in the slightest. I could have done worse, but death is too kind for him.” Head falling, Emu looked away from him, silent. Graphite chose not to worry too much about it, at the moment. “We need to get out of here, hopefully Asuna and Kujo haven’t run into Cronus.”

“Are they the only other ones here?”

“Kuroto is outside, but Asuna and Kujo are the only ones that can transform at the moment. And you yourself, if we find your Driver and Gashat.” Graphite explained, leading Emu through the hall, retracing his steps towards the entrance.

After stumbling a little, Emu asked, “Why? Why can’t the others transform?”

Graphite adjusted his hold on Emu, hoping to support him better. He then answered, “That fake you – Cronus – he damaged their Gamer Drivers.”

There’s a moment where he can tell Emu froze, when he mentioned Cronus, before quickly continuing moving. Obviously, Emu had feelings about Cronus, either the Rider itself or the fake Emu who had become it. Either way, that would have to be a worry for later, when they were somewhere safer.

A door opens and Emu stumbles again, Graphite tensing and shoving Emu more behind him. Carefully peaking his head from the door was Kiriya, who grinned at the sight of the two of them. “Hey, you found Zero!”

“Oh, Mr. Kiriya…”

“Kujo…”

Kiriya then reached into his jacket, producing a Gamer Driver and some Gashats, “Asuna and I found something of yours, Zero,” He walked over, handing the items to Emu, who held them with shaking hands.

“And where is Asuna?” Graphite asked as Emu stared at his Driver and Gashats.

Before Kiriya could answer, a voice from behind answered, “If she’s smart, she’s gone. But most likely, she’s the one Toki Meki Crisis is fighting, right now.” The three turned, greeted with the sick smile of Cronus, who appeared terribly relaxed, hands in his jacket pockets as he watched them. “You know, you really did a number on Masamune. Not that I’m complaining, I don’t really like him.”

Emu reeled back, staring at Cronus in terror. Kiriya took a step forward, closer to Graphite and Emu, hand already reaching into his jacket for his Gamer Driver and Gashat. Cronus didn’t seem prepared to fight them, at that exact moment, at least, but it was still entirely possible. Graphite could only hope that Emu had the strength to fight, otherwise there was no chance for them to even hope to defeat Cronus.

“Aren’t you and Masamune supposed to be working together?” Kiriya asked, his voice measured and careful.

Cronus shrugged, “I guess. But like I said. I don’t really like him, and I certainly don’t need him for this plan going forward. I was always the player, and he was always just going to steal my reward, so it’s better for me he’s out of the picture.” Then, he pulled his Bugvisor II and a Chronicle Gashat out of his jacket pockets. “It’s also better for me if all of you are out of the way. Especially dear little Emu there, so…” He activates his Gashat.

Kamen Rider Chronicle!

Kiriya quickly followed suit, placing his Driver on his waist and activating his Gashat.

Bakusou Bike!

Shaking, Emu pulled himself from Graphite, following suit. Graphite wasn’t sure if he was shaking from fear or from what had been done to him prior.

Maximum Mighty X!

Hyper Muteki!

As the Chronicle Gashat floated from Cronus’ hand and into his Bugvisor, he gave them one last terrifying smile.

Buggle Up! Ten wo tsukame Rider! Kizame chronicle! Ima koso toki wa kiwamareri!

Level Up! Bakusou dokusou gekisou bousou! Bakusou Bike!

Saidaikyuu no powerful body! Dariragan! Dagozuban!

Maximum Power! X!

Muteki! Kagayake! Ryuusei no gotoku! Ougon no saikyou gamer! Hyper Muteki Ex-Aid!

Cronus laughed, “You’re going to try to fight me. I hope your Hyper Muteki still has enough strength. As for you two…” Around him, Bugsters appear, different from previous ones. These seemed to glow slightly, a goldish color that sparkled. “I think you’ll find my Bugsters much different than usual.”

Then Cronus and Emu have both moved, already fighting each other. Kiriya turned his attention to trying to take out the Bugsters, and Graphite does the same, switching to his Bugster form once again. Swinging his Graphite Fang at a Bugster, it seemed to mostly shrug it off. The attack clearly hit, but it did very little. Still, Graphite didn’t let it deter him, swinging again and again at the Bugsters that tried to attack him.

Off to the side, he can see that Kiriya is having only slightly better luck. He, at least, was able to knock a few Bugsters down and even defeat a few. These Bugsters were clearly stronger than the usual ones, that much have been what Cronus meant.

Like this, you’re not strong enough.

Graphite knew he wasn’t the strongest, knew he was always fighting with what would ultimately be a weaker power than the Riders. And he could tell easily enough that he wasn’t strong enough to fight these Bugsters well, he didn’t need anyone else to tell him that. Yet, what more could he do. His power was all he had and he wouldn’t sit aside in a fight.

You have something stronger, the voice of his host reminded, you just refuse to use it.

As though his host wanted him to see, Graphite thought of the Bugvisor II and Gashat Kuroto had given him before. He didn’t want to use it, there was no point. He was strong enough on his own, he doubted that the Bugvisor and Gashat could make him much stronger.

Yet his host’s ghost was terribly persistent. And if it can give you the power? What then? Do you still refuse to use it? You want to protect him, so why do you limit your strength?

One of the Bugsters takes advantage of his distracted state and hits him, knocking Graphite back. He growled in frustration, before quickly swinging back at the Bugster, this time knocking it to the ground and causing it to disappear. He didn’t need the power of Kuroto’s creations, he was strong enough on his own.

Emu is knocked to the ground, colliding against a wall roughly. Shakily, he plants a hand on the ground to push himself up, but Cronus just kicks him. Graphite found his attention fixed on the scene.

“How pathetic,” Cronus laughed, “I guess they really did a number on you, you can’t even fight me. I’d almost say this is a waste of my time. Almost.”

He leaned down, forcefully turning Emu over and removing the Gashats from his Gamer Driver, carelessly tossing them to the side. Despite the protection Hyper Muteki had given him, Emu was glitching, straining to try to get away from Cronus. Not even caring, Cronus grabbed him by the arm and yanked him up.

Don’t just stand here!

Pulling Emu close, Cronus sounded horrifyingly amused, “Now, now, Emu…” He pulled his Bugvisor II from his waist, holding it up to Emu’s chest.

You have to do something!

“It’s time for you to be discontinued.”

…Or do you want him to die?

Before he can even think, Graphite rushed forward, forcefully wedging himself between Cronus and Emu. No longer being held up by Cronus, Emu fell to the floor, while Cronus looked a little surprised, still holding his Bugvisor in his hand. Then, he placed it back on his waist. “Drago Knight Hunter Z…” He said slowly, “Would you like to be discontinued first? Is that it? Well, I certainly can provide… Yes. Let him watch as you die trying to protect him, and then Lazer Turbo, and then, if she still resists, DoReMiFa Beat too. Then, I’ll finally let him die.”

Like this, you can’t fight him.

Graphite was already reaching into his pocket when the thought came to him. “I won’t let you hurt Kin any longer.” He pulled out the Bugvisor II, placing it on his waist before retrieving the modified Drago Knight Hunter Z Gashat.

“Graphite?” Emu called with a pained voice from the floor.

“Oh?” Cronus sounded amused more than surprised, “Do you have a surprise for us?”

Drago Knight Hunter Z!

Placing the Gashat in its slot, Graphite answered, “I do.”

Buggle Up! Do-Do-Drago Kni-Kni-Kni-Knight! Dra! Dra! Drago Knight Hunter! Z!

Around him, green armor with red accents appeared. His helmet resembled his head in Bugster form, though with more visible eyes. His right arm was red, much like his Bugster form, and on his back were a set of wings that extended behind him for a moment, before settling against his back almost like a bisected cape. He still held his Graphite Fang, for that he was grateful.

“Ah, you really think just getting a power up is going to make you strong enough to fight me?” Cronus laughed.

Truthfully, Graphite didn’t know. But he knew one thing, and that it was that he was willing to do just about anything for Emu. Even if that meant trying to fight Cronus.

Kiriya shoved a Bugster away, looking over at the fight about to unfold. “He’s seriously going to…?”

Emu stares up at the sight before him, terror in his eyes. “Graphite…” He pleaded.

He didn’t want Graphite to do this, but Graphite knew there was no other choice. It was clear that Emu was in no state to fight Cronus himself. Graphite would protect Emu, no matter what.

“Then let’s fight,” Cronus reached for his Bugvisor activating his Pause.

It took Graphite a moment to realized what happened, unlike before he seemed to be able to realize what was going on. Everything seemed…. Slow. Or his movements, at least. Cronus walked towards him seemingly unimpeded by it all.

The Pause… something’s protecting you from its full power.

Then Cronus stops in front of Graphite, “It’s almost amusing that you think you stand a chance against me. But that’s a part of the fun, yes? Knowing that you can easily win the game, but watching as your opponents still try to fight you. Still think they might be able to win…” He looks behind Graphite, at Emu. “I hope you’re watching.”

Weakly, Emu whimpered, “No…”

We have to move.

Cronus reaches for his Bugvisor II once more, and it’s then that Graphite feels himself break through the slowness. He swings his Graphite Fang, hitting Cronus and knocking him back as the Pause resumes.

“What?” Cronus growled, “How the hell were you able to do that?”

Even Graphite himself wasn’t sure, but he chose to ignore it. He rushed forward, swinging his Graphite Fang again. Cronus was more prepared, this time, raising an arm to block it before kicking.

“He… he moved in the Pause!” Emu exclaimed.

“What?” Kiriya finished fighting the last of the Bugsters, Cronus having not summoned anymore, and ran over to Emu’s side.

Pulling himself into a sitting position, with Kiriya’s aid, Emu watched the fight, explaining, “In the Pause. Graphite moved. I saw it. That’s why Cronus was so surprised.”

Kiriya returned his attention to fight. Cronus had since removed his Bugvisor from his waist, using it as his weapon to try to even out with Graphite’s Graphite Fang. While it was clear it was by no means an even match, it was much more even than it had been before, with Graphite’s new power. Graphite stood a chance to at least fend off Cronus.

“I wonder what your brother put in that Gashat…” Kiriya said, before grabbing ahold of Emu once more. “We need to get out of here, Graphite’s buying us time, but it’s hard to say how long.”

“What about Poppy?”

He ushered Emu through the warehouse, “I’ll find her and check on her, but you need to get out of here and to Kuroto, first.”

With Emu and Kiriya gone, that left Graphite to continue his fight against Cronus. Cronus seemed angry that Graphite had managed to move past the effects of the Pause, possibly even angry that Graphite had allowed for Emu to escape. His attacks became more aggressive, forcing Graphite on the defensive. Graphite knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it up much longer, but any time he could buy for Emu to escape mattered.

“Why do you fight so hard for him?” Cronus hissed as he slashed at Graphite. “He’s done nothing for you. All he does is leech off of other people and their kindness – yourself included!”

Blocking the attack with his Graphite Fang, Graphite growled in response, “Those are lies, you do not know my Kin!”

He swings his Graphite Fang, “Don’t know him?” Cronus laughed, blocking the attack with his Bugvisor. “Of course I know him! I am him, just the part that none of you want to admit! I know him better than any of you!”

He’s just trying to get under your skin. Don’t let his lies anger you. A calmness finds its way into Graphite’s mind, allowing him to better focus on the situation. This fight won’t be able to continue much longer, slowly Cronus was wearing away at him.

Then Cronus kicks him, knocking him to the ground as his transformation disappeared. “Aw… the dragon isn’t strong enough to beat me.” Cronus taunted. “Too bad, but I was always destined to win…” He takes a step towards Graphite.

“Have you really won?” Graphite asked. “After all, Kin has gotten away, and he’s more of a danger to you than I am.”

Cronus stopped. “You…” he hissed. “For that, I should discontinue you. But first…” He pointed his Bugvisor II at him, “I have to collect some data.”

Graphite grabbed his Gashat and teleported away.

---

Asuna dodged out of the way of another of Lovelica’s Bugsters. They kept coming, making it hard to get to Lovelica himself. That was the only reason this fight was taking so long, it was nearly impossible to get past all of the Bugsters in the way. If only she had someone else to help her deal with them, but Kiriya had hopefully found Graphite and Graphite was hopefully with Emu…

She couldn’t focus on that. Instead, her attention needed to be dedicated to getting rid of these Bugsters so she could make it to Lovelica.

“Poppy… Are you sure you want to do this?” Lovelica asked from the other side of the group of Bugsters. “You know, I’d welcome you back with open arms.”

Frustrated, Asuna shot several Bugsters, causing them to disappear. “I’m not going back with you! No fucking way! I’m not interested in the slightest so quit it!”

Lovelica seemed rather offended by that, “Oh, Poppy… whatever have they done to convince you of such things-“

“Will you shut up!?” She was fed up with Lovelica’s nonsense. “Get over here and fight me like someone who isn’t a coward!”

One of the Bugsters in the group that Lovelica kept spawning was kicked to the ground. Kiriya, transformed, waved, “Hey, I’ll deal with these guys if you wanna deal with him. By the way, Zero’s out with Kuroto, Graphite is… uh, busy. We can talk about that later.”

Emu was safe, that was good. Kiriya’s vague response as to where Graphite was… was not as good. But she could get the details later. Right now, there were Bugsters to fight, even with Kiriya dealing with most of them, there was still Lovelica to worry about.

“Right,” Asuna nodded, turning her attention, “Lovelica.”

Taking a step back, Lovelica looked a little nervous, “Ah, come now Poppy…” She fires at him, causing him to panic and try to dodge, barely managing to avoid the attack. “I’m a lover not a fighter, surely we can talk this out.”

Having made his way towards him, she slashes at him with her Bugvisor. “Unless you’re coming back to the CR to be kept out of trouble, I don’t think we can.”

“Fine then…” It sounded like Lovelica had a new determination in his voice, but Asuna didn’t give him much more time. She knocked him back then reached for her Bugvisor.

Critical Crews-Aid!

With that, Lovelica was easily defeated.

---

“I’ve alerted the Ministry to this,” Kuroto said, Emu in his arms, leaning against his chest. “They’ll come to see what they can find.”

Graphite snorted, “Perhaps Masamune is still cowering somewhere.”

At that, Kuroto’s eyes widened, “What? Masamune?”

“That’s what it sounds like,” Kiriya nodded, “I hear Graphite really uh… gave him a new one. I doubt he went far.”

Asuna frowned, “What about Cronus?”

“Last I saw Graphite was fighting him… hey, how’d that go?” Kiriya’s answer caused Asuna and Kuroto to turn their attention towards Graphite.

“What?” Asuna gasped, “You were fighting him?”

“He wanted to hurt my Kin.”

Kiriya shrugged, “I think something in that Gashat you gave him, Kuroto, let him move in the Pause, at least a bit.”

Kuroto considered that. “I suppose it’s possible… perhaps from his infection coming from Emu? I’ll have to look into it, after this.” He looked down at Emu, “Which reminds me, how are you holding up?”

“Tired,” Emu responded. “Really tired.”

“You can rest soon, Kin,” Graphite assured, “And rest as much as you need.”

---

Cronus stood on a rooftop, bored as he stared over the sitting. “It’s a pity,” He said out loud, “That I was able to retrieve Toki Meki Crisis’ data, but not Drago Knight Hunter Z or DoReMiFa Beat’s.”

He reached into his pocket, pulling out the Chronicle Gashat he used. “It’s amazing that they extracted this data from Masamune… But even better, a new game… sure, it might not have all the data it needs…” He smiled, “But it has enough. I hope Emu likes this game. I know I certainly will.”

Turning around, he walked toward the entrance to the rooftop. “If we’re lucky, he’ll even bring someone else along for the ride. I’m sure he’d love that.” The Gashat returned to his pocket, before Cronus stopped. “Oh, this game will be the best either of us have ever played, I just know it.”

With that, Cronus disappeared.