1x1 Sirens to Escape Millennium

Gummi Bunnies

identity unknown...
Benefactor
The Convergence Series GM
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The bustling city life of Kamurocho was just like always. Crowds of people going to one place to another. Chatter from all directions. Nothing appeared to be different in any drastic measures, even the street brawls felt the same. Something was indeed off, however. Most of the city's populace were simply unaware at the big picture.

Mary Saotome certainly found herself in an unnerving and peculiar situation, and none of it was inherently normal in the slightest. Something was indeed wrong with this city, but the local population was simply unaware of the lurking danger. It wasn't a normal every day occurrence that she gets jumped the first moment she steps into Kamurocho, and the next day, she finds herself unable to leave the city limits without feeling an immense pain that was alike to death.

For a seemingly normal urban setting, something was indeed twisted, and it was hidden in its seams.

❝ Ah, excuse me, ma'am! ❞ A voice called out to her, someone was just now catching up with her, sounding all out of breath the moment he reached her past all the passerbys.

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❝ Did you happen to leave the hospital not too long ago? ❞ The man asked after catching his breath. It was like he ran all the way here from that same hospital that she woke up in, probably meaning to visit her there.

@Yun Lee
 
One week. That was all it took for Mary Saotome's life to go horribly wrong.

Okay, sure. She had felt the exact same a couple weeks ago, when a certain raven-haired gambling addict had showed up in Hyakkou Private Academy. Becoming a housepet because of Yumeko (and maybe Mary's own hubris), losing her game against student council member Nishinotouin...only to deceive a governer's perverted son to clear her debt up in a big game, all thanks to aforementioned gambling addict. But that was normal! ...normal for her, at least. Hyakkou was a school for Japan's elite, that was just the way things were!

But then...everything just got weird.

She never really remembered it happening, but at some point some strange woman named I-No approached her, offering Mary a chance for revenge. Revenge against who, you may ask? There was only one person Mary had in mind to destroy completely: Kirari Momobami. The sudent council president, Kirari was the one in charge of the housepet system. When Mary had gone into debt, Kirari had arranged for Mary to become the wife of some politician, as well as every other detail of her life. Even after freeing herself of debt, Mary wanted nothing more than to take Kirari down. And...she had, in some weird island called Isle Delfino. Sure, she had to die in order for it to happen, then spend some time disguised as the vice president during what had to be the most elaborate and bizarre sting operation Mary had ever heard of...but she had done it! Man, taking Kirari down on that stage...it had been wonderful! Kirari had folded so easily (in hindsight, maybe a little TOO easily), and the news that every member of that damned council had been arrested was cathartic, to say the very least. Skipping out on the two week free vacation (stupid, stupid, stupid, Mary), she had opted to go right back to school, to take over as student council president, changing Hyakkou Peivate Academy for the better. She held her head high, a confident smile on her face as she entered the student council room.

And that was the exact moment when everything came crashing down around her.

"Hey, look!"
Runa Yomozuki popped her lollipop out of her mouth, a smile on her face. "It's Mary!"

...what?

Kaede Manyuuda adjusted his glasses. "Ah, yes. The housepet who won her way out of her life schedule."

What was this?

"Quite a loss for us, really..." Yuriko Nishinoutouin sighed elegantly. "But I suppose it can't be helped."

Was this some kind of joke?

"Tee hee! Well, we still got that governer's son in our pocket, so it's all okay!" Yumemi Yumemite giggled. "Besides, I don't blame her. To be married to a pedophile like that senator in her life schedule..."

These people were supposed to be in jail.

"I can see why the president has such an interest in her," secretary Sayaka Igarashi said with a hint of jealousy. "Such determination..."

She had sent them all to jail!

"................" The Vice President, Kirari's twin sister, stared at Mary, face hidden once again by her mask.

What the Hell is going on?!

"Ah, Mary." A door opened from the left, and in walked in the class president herself. Kirari Momobami gave Mary a cool smile, then sat down at the head of the table, resting her head on her knuckle. "How nice to see you. Did you have a good weekend?"

"You...you...!" All Mary could do was sputter, still trying to process this all. What was this?! Kirari had been arrested, they all had been arrested! Why were they here, as if nothing happened?!

"Ahaha! Wow, she's gone crazy!"

"Poor thing...hanging around Yumeko so much must have messed with her mind!"

WHAM!

Mary slammed her hands down on the table, glaring right at Kirari. "You! You're all supposed to be in jail!! We put a stop to you all in Isle Delfino!"

"Isle Delfino...?" Kirari's smile didn't waver. "Mary, are you all right? I know I told you I like those I don't understand, but that doesn't mean those who speak in tongues."

"I am not speaking in tongues. You know it! You all know it! I-No and Leeds killed you, then you all were sent to jail! That's how it worked! That's why I-"

"You what, Mary? What was your plan for walking into this student council room today?"

"I was...I...ugh!" Mary shook her head, as if to shake off the question. "It doesn't matter! What does matter is that none of you should be here!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Kirari sat up now, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary. In fact, I really can't recall ever hearing of an Isle Delfino, or those people you mentioned. I think it's best we all go back to our daily lives, don't you? Unless...this is your way of saying you've changed your mind about joining the council."

Looking back, this was where Mary made her biggest mistake. What Kirari had just said was a warning. A threat. Act like everything is normal, join the council, or else. But Mary was too worked up. All that hard work, all her dreaming of being president...it was all for nothing! Nothing!

"Grrr...no way!" Mary put her fists on her hips, refusing to let up. "Once Yumeko gets back from her vacation, she'll back me up! And then-"

WHACK!

A sharp pain in the back of Mary's head sent her to the ground. She was still conscious, but her pain and blurry vision made her wish that she wasn't. She could hear voices, but nothing that they were saying registered at the time.

"Midari! You lazy bum, showing up so late!"

"Hey, better I did now! She was gonna blow our cover!"

"I didn't think you'd care."

"Sure I do! Yumeko wouldn't want anything to do with me if we lost our council!"

"We should do something about her, though...she'll run her mouth if that blow to the head didn't give her amnesia."

A gun cocked. "I can take care of that..."

"W...wait..." Mary held a weak hand up.

"Don't! You'll stain the carpet!"

"Kirari, maybe we could..." Sayaka's worda became a whisper.

"Ooh...I think that would work. Midari, if you don't mind."

"You got it!"

The last thing Mary saw was the heel coming down on her head.

---


"Nngh..."

Mary Saotome slowly regained her senses. She was laying on her back now, somewhere cold, and she could hear faint music. Her head was pounding in two different places, and she could barely hear or see. Jeez...what happened? She tried to remember as she sat up-

Thud. "Ow!!" Great. Her head hurt in three places now. Groaning, Mary rubbed her head, laying back down for a few moments, before she realized what it was that just happened. She had bumped her head on something. What exactly was it, though? Mary couldn't see with how dark this all was... Lifting up her hands, she felt all around. It was a small, confined space, and it was pitch black. What the Hell?! Where was she? What was this-

"Eek!" The space shook, as if knocked upward. Mary gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. They were moving. A small black space that was moving...oh God. Oh no. She was in the trunk of a car?! This couldn't be happening!

"HELP! HEEEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPPP!!!" Mary started banging her fists on the roof of the trunk, screaming at the top of her lungs. She had enough stamina to go a good two minutes, before collapsing back down, exhausted. Shit. Shit! There had to be a way out of this place! Turning her head from side to side, looking for something, anything she could use, a small glow caught Mary's attention: a little handle to her right. Yes! Grabbing the handle and pulling it down with all her might, the trunk flung open, revealing a night sky full of stars. Mary sat up, and, oh thank God, traffic! Beautiful, beautiful traffic! Mary jumped out of the car, and ran, refusing to stop until she got out of there.

"Hey!" A man's voice called out from behind her, only making Mary run faster. There was a city ahead. She just had to reach the city, and she would be safe, right? Who cared about that weird sense of foreboding she had every step closer she got to that place? She just had to reach the city. Then she could find a phone, get home, and take Kirari and her gang of criminals down for good! No one made a fool of Mary Saotome and got away with it! No one!

...fast forward to the next day, where someone very much had done just that.

Mary didn't remember what exactly had happened to her between arriving in this city and waking up in a hospital the next morning. All she knew was that somehow, things were now far worse than they ever had been. Trying to leave this place only brought pain, and there was no way to contact her parents, or Yumeko, or anyone who could help her out! And now...this guy shows up?

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"Uh, yeah." Mary crossed her arms, giving this man a very unfriendly scowl. "And I would've left this dump, too, if I could. I'm trying to get back home, but I can't leave this stupid city!"

@Gummi Bunnies
 
❝ Uh... huh. ❞ The man couldn't help but feel pure confusion trying to wrap his head around her words. Guess that's not an every day thing. Letting out a tired sigh, he had that feeling that a lot of work was cut out for him. Of course, he still had questions to ask of her, considering that he did plan to speak with her at the hospital.

❝ In that case, we should go somewhere else, since I have a few questions to ask of you. And well... this city isn't exactly safe enough to have a conversation out in the open. ❞ He proposed that they move to a different location within Kamurocho. Following through with that suggestion, he glanced around them to keep an eye for any suspicious figures. A breath of relief once he confirmed that the coast was clear of any problem individuals. All he waited on was her agreement to follow him.

@Yun Lee
 
Well...it wasn't as if she had anywhere else to go, huh? This weird guy was pretty much her only ticket out of this place...if he was even on her side. Mary wasn't ready to trust him for an instant, and planned on kicking him in the shin and taking off at the first sign he was going to betray her. But that being said...

"Sure. Let's go." She shrugged, scowl not leaving her face. "The sooner I get out of here, the better."

@Gummi Bunnies
 
❝ Alright, then let's head this way. ❞ The man gestured her once she agreed. It didn't take a rocket scientist to notice that she was on edge, and sorta felt like a handful. During this time, it wasn't exactly his place to ask on why she was like this or needing to leave Kamurocho pronto. Either way, they were keeping up the pace through the bustling city crowds, which soon started to thin out once they turned the corner onto another street. It was unclear on where exactly they were going.

❝ Oi! Old man! Where the hell you think you're going?! ❞ They didn't get to proceed up this new street long enough before running into a problem case, that being a small gang of street thugs by the looks of it. ❝ You got any idea how long it was for us to wait in front of this shitty bar for your ass! Huh?! ❞

❝ There's a reason why I had to crack down on your weapons chain around here. ❞ It sounded like this detective man had to deal with this particular group before, probably outing them and their illegal activities. Even if it was broad daylight in this quiet part of town, these thugs weren't going to leave peacefully. One of them happens to take notice of Mary, training sights onto her.

❝ Eh... didn't think you'll be the type having a cutie like her following you around, old man. It'll be a damn shame if you got your ass beat in front of her, y'know? ❞ A sleazy tone of voice came from the gang leader stepping forward to throw a punch at the older man, who managed to block it barely but not well enough. There's no doubt that this was going to get ugly fast.

❝ I... I'll handle this, just go through that alleyway, and there'll be a set of stairs that leads up into back entrance to this building. Say that Officer Date sent you there. ❞ The man whispered over to Mary in a hurry before having to block another thrown punch.

@Yun Lee
 
Seriously? What kind of town was this?! Kidnapping an innocent girl, attacking some old detective...jeez! Well, Date didn't have to tell Mary twice. The teen took off running into the alleyway, eyes peeled for that staircase. The last thing she wanted was to be anywhere near these thugs. Those creeps would probably try something if she stuck around, and the last thing she wanted to do was stick around anywhere in this city for too long.

@Gummi Bunnies
 
The back alley was practically the opposite of the streets. Empty and quiet. Well, quiet with the eventual sounds of fighting coming from the street. It hasn't been a single minute that Mary's gone into the back alley, and Date was already dealing with the street gang. There was no telling if that'll resolve well on his end, but that was for later.

Just like Date described, there was a staircase that would lead up to the back entrance to this building's third floor. Given that a few gunshots rang from the fight on the street, that was a good enough sign to hurry along to that back entrance. Right next to the stairs, one of the trash cans happened to move a bit. Strange.

@Yun Lee
 
Mary refused to stop running, now actually kind of afraid. Ever since stupid Isle Delfino, everything had gone so wrong!! Sure, things got weird when she met Yumeko, but somehow even that worked out! But this...this was just ridiculous.

The gunshot jolted her out of her little pity party, and Mary shrieked, losing her footing and crashing right into the trashcan. Ugh! It better not have any stains on it...it was already bad enough she was stuck in her school uniform until further notice!

@Gummi Bunnies
 
Just as Mary crashed right into the trashcan, a loud grunt came from it the moment the trashcan tumbled onto the cement ground. The can's lid flew right off, and out came some guy who was, for some reason, hiding in that knocked over trashcan.

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❝ Oi! What the hell? ❞ The man cursed out in surprise and frustration, getting himself onto his feet and patting away any dirt on his pants. It didn't take long for him to put two and two together on who knocked over his hiding spot of a trashcan.

❝ Watch where you're going, blondie. You almost ruined my perfect hiding spot, now I gotta set this all up again before he even gets here. ❞ The man with the eyepatch complained with an annoyed breath, lugging himself to prop the trashcan up again.

The fight back on the street sounded like it was dying down, the gunshots not exactly being heard at this point. And because of that, the eyepatched man looked like he was hurrying the setup for his hiding spot.

@Yun Lee
 
"Wha...?!" As if this town wasn't awful already, now it was downright weird. One-eyed weirdos hiding in trash cans? What kind of place was this?!

"Hey!" Mary stumbled to her feet, glaring at the man. "Who do you mean, he? Is he the guy that jumped me?" Wait, why was she even talking to this freak? "Ugh, forget it! I need to get upstairs!"

@Gummi Bunnies
 
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For a moment, the man paused from what he was doing, as if that one question she spewed out caught his attention. Much like it rang a particular bell in his head. However, he focused his attention to the lack of fighting to be heard out on the streets.

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❝ Damn, I gotta ditch the hiding spot. He better be ready this time around! ❞ The man with the eyepatch cursed at how he didn't have the time to go with that hiding spot in the trash can any more. Briefly, she could see him pull out a sheathed knife, and without a word, he ran off into the street where that fighting brawl was taking place.

It looked like no one else was hiding out in trash cans in this back alleyway, so the coast was clear for Mary after that brief encounter.

@Yun Lee
 
What was going on?! Did EVERYONE in this town just look for fights all day? Ugh, this was the worst! Mary didn't have time for this...if she had to pay for plastic surgery, she was going to sue this city for everything it had!

...once she got out of here, of course.

Oh yeah! Speaking of, Mary rushed up the stairs and into the building. That old man had better known what he was talking about...

@Gummi Bunnies
 
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Upon entering the building, Mary would enter a comfy-looking bar that was nearly empty from the looks of it. It seemed like one of those places in a bustling city that would be generally packed, but this was the opposite of packed. There was only two people here: the barkeeper and... a young girl that was asleep on one of the couches.

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❝ Can... can I help you, ma'am? ❞ The barkeeper genuinely appeared surprised by her sudden entrance into the bar, as if she wasn't expecting visitors to come by today. For a moment, the woman eyed the telephone that was on the counter.

@Yun Lee
 
Oh thank God. Mary couldn't believe it-for once, she was actually grateful to be somewhere quiet. Everyone was too busy fighting each other to go get drunk, huh? What a fucked-up town this was...

"I don't know, can you?" Mary crossed her arms, not exactly in a friendly mood. "Some guy sent me here because I got jumped and wound up in a hospital this morning. Said to say his name was Date or something."

@Gummi Bunnies
 
The barkeeper blinked for a moment, surprised that Mary mentioned Date's name. Suppose that it changed the woman's impressions on her for the better, considering that she appeared to be on edge with the sudden arrival of someone new around these parts.

❝ Oh, Date-san directed you here? I don't think we've met, but I'm fairly glad that nothing else has happened to you... ❞ She voiced out her thoughts on Mary's situation, taking into consideration that she had already met Date by now. ❝ I hope that I'm not overstepping my boundaries here, but all sorts of strange events have been taking place in this city for the past few weeks. A part of me doesn't want to make the conclusion that all of this is connected, all these happenings... especially with your case. ❞

The woman glances over at the young girl sleeping on the couch, continuing, ❝ First it was a friend of mine finding this girl, Haruka, at a shot-up bar, and we later learned after keeping her safe here that the yakuza are after her for some reason. Now, there's been talk going around Kamurocho about a nocturnal serial killer on the loose, that their methods are almost... inhumane... with how the scene of the crime was described... ❞

Realizing that she's rambled on for too long, she stops herself from talking so much to Mary. ❝ O-Oh, my apologies. I didn't mean to dwell on that topic so much. I suppose I'll hold off on that thought until Date and Kiryu return. Ah... I'm Reina, just so you know. ❞

Awkward silence took over the bar's atmosphere, Reina prepped up a glass and going through the fridge for a water pitcher. ❝ Can I get you a glass of water, by the way miss... ? ❞

@Yun Lee
 
"S-Serial killer...?" Oh God. Oh God!! Had she survived some attack from some psycho within the first minute of her winding up here? What the Hell?! A part of her actually kind of wished she had stayed in that trunk. No doubt whatever Kirari had planned would've been better than this!

She took a seat at the bar, not even caring that she wasn't old enough to drink. The combined weights of Delfino and this last 24 hours was enough so that she felt she had aged a good ten years. "...that'd be nice." Mary couldn't even muster up her usual brand of snark right now. She just wanted out.

@Gummi Bunnies
 
The bartender fell silent but gave a slight nod, diligently pouring out a glass of water for Mary. Much like she spoke too heavily on an uncomfortable topic, Reina appeared unsure on how to keep the near empty bar away from painful silence. Almost like she regretted bringing up the possible serial killer lurking on the Kamurocho streets. Placing the fresh water glass on the counter, her eyes happened to focus on something in the lower shelving of the counter.

❝ Oh, sorry for... bringing up one thing after another, ma'am. But this was left in the mailbox this morning, and I was wondering if the name listed onto the envelope seems familiar to you? ❞ Reina inquired with uncertainty, unaware of what the contents inside the envelope were. Holding out the mail in question, there was a single name listed for the recipient.

To: Mary Saotome

@Yun Lee
 
Mary didn't mind the silence, really. After everything that had happened, it was nive to have some time to gather her thoughts and figure out what was going on.

Okay. Recap. Mary drummed her fingers on the bar, closing her eyes to recollect everything that could have led to this. One day after school, she was approached by some dominatrix who offered her the chance to get revenge on Kirari. Of course, Mary accepted, and played along with the plan. They were going to trick the student council into thinking they were getting a whole bunch of life contracts worth millions, money that wasn't even from their world that would make them even powerful. The scheme was so elaborate that it even confused Mary, but whatever. She would pretend to die, switch herself out with Ririka, while the dominatrix (what was her name again? Ingrid? Ihna?) got Kirari to play Ririka disguised as Mary. They'd secretly apprehend and arrest the student council each time, then boom! Defeat that giant turtle and go home victorious! But where did it all go wrong, then? What happened for her to wind up here?

She didn't have long to ponder that. As Reina brought up the letter, Mary's eyes widened. "That...that's me!" Mary snatched the letter away, ripping it open. If they knew her name, they HAD to know how to help her, right?

@Gummi Bunnies
 
Apologies in advance for what has happened to you since you have arrived in this city of Kamurocho, but it has been brought to attention that you happened to cross paths with a possible suspect that has been making attacks on unsuspecting victims. In order to put an end to these attack incidents, I would like to speak with you in private and figure out what can be done to assist and accommodate you for these troubles. This may seem out of place and abrupt to you, but I cannot risk putting so much confidential information on this case on this letter.

We may continue this possible discussion at the Millennium Tower, preferably after it gets dark outside. Ask for my name to the clerk that you may see upon entering the premises. I hope to hear and meet you soon so we can resolve these matters.

-Akira Nishikiyama


❝ You're Mary Saotome? ❞ Reina blinked in surprised, thinking that it was too much of a lucky chance for her to find the person who this envelope was addressed to. Before she could question what was on the letter, the front door leading into the bar opened, and soon followed Date being helped into the bar by another man. It wasn't hard to tell that Date wasn't looking too great with a clear stab wound bleeding out from his stomach, and it wasn't like this other person was able to get out of the fight unscathed either with a few bruises here and there.

❝ O-Oh no... I'll go get the first aid kit right away, Kiryu-san, guide Date-san over to a chair so he can rest. ❞

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❝ Right. Sorry for the trouble. ❞

❝ It's okay, it's definitely okay. Let's just focus on getting you two first, I'll be right back. ❞ Reina insisted that this was something that shouldn't need an apology for, and soon rushed herself into the backroom to fetch over the first aid kit. Without standing around any longer, the other man, Kiryu, assisted the wounded Date over to another couch that was in the bar, and during all of this, Haruka still remained asleep. Maybe it was for the best that the young girl didn't see how they both appeared right now.

❝ G... good, you managed to get safe... in here after all. ❞ Date managed to say with a weak voice, seeing that Mary was here like he told her too before that fight broke out. That comment only confused Kiryu, directing his attention to the blonde.

❝ Huh? Date, is she involved with the- ❞

❝ No, it's a different case, but with how things are going lately, I won't be surprised if the two cases are connected somehow. ❞ The investigator clarified the possible situation that was at hand here, inferring that Mary's case and whatever Kiryu's case was were most likely unrelated to each other. But there was always that possibility that those cases could be related. For a moment, Kiryu appeared like he took notice of the opened letter that Mary had, but he kept quiet on it. Like he didn't want to intrude in any of her business.

@Yun Lee
 
...what.

That was honestly all Mary could think as she read the letter once, then twice, to make sure she understood it all. Honestly...she did, kind of. So, there was some serial pervert or something attacking random people, and she just so happened to be their latest victim. Okay, well, that at least meant that that had nothing to do with Kirari, so that was nice. Actually, Kirari probably couldn't care less what happened to Mary as long as she was out of her hair. That was actually a relief; one less thing to worry about for the time being.

But this Nishikiyama guy...he seemed to know what was going on. And getting some accomodations could be nice, especially in a dump like this...

Her thoughts on the letter were interrupted as Date appeared, alongside a newcomer. Kiryu, huh? And he saw the letter, so there was no point in trying to hide it away. Damn! Mary folded it back up and crossed her arms, not helping the old man. What could she do, anyway? That Reina chick was getting a first aid kit, so it'd be fine. But seeing him wounded like that was still a bit unnerving... "Y-Yeah. Some weirdo was..." Oh wait, he was hiding wasn't he? "...around, but I got here okay. Too bad I can't say the same for you."

What the two men said next really caught her interest. "Wait...there's something else going on? Other than whoever jumped me?" Oh, shit. If Kirari was involved after all...

@Gummi Bunnies
 
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