Detonator M Shuffle

[Aioros]

PREFACE
===

Umm, yeah, so it's back. The H!P fic with a bunch of non-H!P characters (or the non-H!P fic with a bunch of H!P characters). I'm not sure if you've read the first part, so here's a background of the characters and a couple of terminologies.


====CHARACTERS====
M(Mitsui) - The newest member of the Guardians. Even how many times he denies it, he is seen as cocky and perverted, which is actually the truth. He is a Tokusatsu and Anime fan and gets his moves from most of the shows, except moves from hentai shows.(He attempted to use one before but it backfired, don't ask which technique.) His favorite anime is Robby & Kerobby. He doesn't know it, but he is good at making people smile, especially Risa. He is curious with what his life before he became a Guardian was, and wants to find out any clues he can. Also, he would do anything just to get a motorcycle. He's been Miki'd. Twice. M also downloaded the COEUR PB. Twice.
 
K(Kyo) - Easy going and quite relaxed, K's imagination and online gaming fandom are great assets in his duty as a Guardian. Even if he lets Reina win in games, she still loses to him, which causes some kind of tension between them but is often resolved by K letting Reina style his hair. He is also the author of the book "Ultimate PuyoPuyo Mastery" which only has two copies. He still has one of them but the other was bought in ebay by a certain 'ebiRur154k0+'. M usually disses his clothes, but his yankee clothes are in fact his trump card. He's been Miki'd too.

S(Shingo) - The silent, geeky type. S takes his duty seriously by taking preventive measures using the internets. M calls him a perv, but S only uses his X-Ray glasses for surveillance and not for other stuff. He enjoys making Eri OPVs during his free time. He has an unconscious fetish for maid outfits, seifuku and lime green alien costumes. His favorite fruit is the uber-rare papaya-shaped mango. Just like Eri, he is also bad artist. He is also rumored to be a Shining Musume reader. He Miki'd Miki. Damn!

D(Domon) - Flamboyant and narcissistic, this Guardian does have the looks and the skills to back it up. Speed is his main weapon, but he never uses his hands in combat, because of a promise he made to Sayumi. One of his specialties is being able to do the Usa-chan peace without looking like a complete idiot. Auditioned for Johnny's but was disqualified for looking too "girly". The same reason got him booted from the Happy 8 audition. Was also scheduled to appear in an upcoming dorama but the actresses complained that he was prettier than them. Yep, he was also Miki'd.

R(Retsuya) - The ideal Guardian. Efficient, effective, no small talk, all business. Until he and Ai fell in love with each other. Though he's no longer part of the team, he hasn't stopped in his duty protecting Ai from any harm that might come. Miki'd? Uncomfirmed. Ai'd? Most likely.

H(Hikaru) - He appears to be the youngest, but is actually the most advanced of the Guardians. He is assigned to Berryz Koubou and is a bit overprotective. He looks like a delinquent and is a bit hotheaded, but is in fact a sensitive and honest kid. Has not won against Risako in PuyoPuyo, nor has he won against Maasa in arm wrestling. He is also the official taste-tester of Chinami's cooking. He lost consciousness (and a lot of blood due to nosebleed) once, after Saki joked that she was the next one to get an Alo-Hello. Like the others, he also has no idea about his past, but he was flabbergasted once it was revealed to him. (Un)Fortunately, he has yet to be Miki'd.

H2(Higure) - H's younger clone/twin. Has an overwhelming crush on Airi, but has a knack to flirt with Saki just to get on his brother's nerves, though he is more afraid of Maimi than his brother. He cried when he lost to Saki N. in ping pong. He was also decimated by Chisato, 7-1, in a futsal game. Almost drowned when he attempted to teach Airi to swim but in fact(?), did it on purpose to get mouth to mouth resuscitation from her. He likes to collect stuff and the pride of his collection are the autographed C-ute singles and signed copies of Maimi and Airi's PBs. Was last spotted buying Koharu and Mai's single.

Dan - One of the developers of the Guardians. He holds various degrees and is really a smart guy. He is the only known person who has beaten K in video games. He is also the only one who can rival M's ecchiness. He has been a Morning Musume fan since they started. His favorite member is Nacchi.

Tezuka - a former accomplice of Ichiro, he is also the one who developed Graft. He realized his wrongdoings and is now working with Dan in H!P's R&D. He is a fan of Ai-chan.

Dyed-Haired Man - Composer, vocalist and producer. If those clues aren't enough for you to know who he is, you shouldn't be reading this story.

Hello!Project - see Dyed-Haired Man.

Ichiro - the main villain of the story. The first Guardian, he was created to be the ultimate weapon. However, his power corrupted him, and started to become what he was made to fight against. He has a soft spot for Aya, because she was the only one who was brave enough to admit her feelings for him. He likes eating chips and is an avid follower of the H!P radio shows. He was destroyed by Miki's Death Glare.

====TERMINOLOGY====
Guardian (Genetically Uber-Advanced Reconaissance Defensive Infiltration and Assault humaN) - just another proof that any word can be turned into an acronym. Guardians are the final line of defense of Hello!Project. If any gossip about your favorite member comes out, you can blame it all on them.

Graft - a drug that enhances the capabilities of a person, mainly wotas, to the point that he or she can combat Guardians. Ingredients are mushrooms, power pellets, scooby snacks, energon cubes, spinach and hunny. No, seriously...

Wild Fan - a person under the influence of Graft. The person usually undergoes a transformation and is capable of engaging Guardians in battle.

FRAME - the cybernetic schema installed in a Guardian. It was developed using open source software.

Miki'd (also known as "HelloMoto'd") - derived from the name of the notorious Musume known for her groping antics on and off the stage, Fujimoto Miki. It is some sort of initiation or challenge (obviously sensual in nature) that the Guardians undergo, conducted by Fujimoto herself. It has no specific time, date or place. It will happen when Miki wants it to happen. Severe back pains are to be expected. Whatever the outcome, whether the Guardians fail or not, Miki is the winner. 
===

Okay, so on with the show...

[Aioros]

Because putting '2' on a sequel's been done over 9000 times before, adding 'Destiny' makes it potential yaoi/yuribait and "Title+Returns", "Title+letter/symbol/a random number", "Title+Revenge", "Title+somethingthatsoundscheesyorforeign", "Title+Rebirth" and "Title+Revolution"(except Kirarin Revolution) gives me ecchi ideas.


Prologue

Somewhere


The room was a mess. Tangled cables lay on the floor. Blueprints were scattered on the tables. There were also vials, but the fluids they contained were no longer inside. It was a makeshift lab of some sort, but apparently, the one who owns it wasn't very keen at organizing his stuff. Oh, there were a bunch of Hello!Project DVDs, calendars, photobooks and empty potato chip bags lying around too. But the things that would probably catch your attention would be the three large vats in the center.

They were made of glass and metal, but it was impossible to see the contents. The vats were filled with some kind of liquid, more like stuff for a protein bath or something. Or stuff used for suspended animation. There was a short beep and one of the vats opened. Something, or rather, someone stepped out.

It was a boy, around 16 years old. He looked around, then checked his body afterwards. His body was complete, no missing fingers, no amputated limbs, no deformities whatsoever. Oh, and perfect teeth. He saw his reflection on the vat that contained him and saw that there were some birthmarks on his face and that his hair was silver. A few seconds later, the vat next to him opened.

A girl stepped out. She was around the same age as the boy and she was quite pretty herself. She did exactly what the boy did after he stepped out. She looked around first. But she saw that the boy was looking at her with a dirty grin. She didn't say anything, but she gave the boy a 'what are you looking at' stare. The boy pointed at her body as he wet his lips. That's when she realized that she was wearing nothing. She tried to scurry for any piece of cloth she could find but there were none. The owner of the lab probably planned this from the start. She just picked up one of the photobooks scattered on the floor and used it to cover herself. She saw herself in the mirror and couldn't believe it, because there was an uncanny resemblance between her and one of the girls in the photobooks. The owner of the lab probably planned this from the start too.

Now, only one vat remained unopened. However this one was different from the other two. It was beeping like crazy since the start and there were red lights flashing from it's base. Red lights are signs that something is wrong, right? And add the fact the there was also a flashing 'ERROR' displayed meant that something was indeed wrong. The boy and the girl were waiting for it to open but suddenly, the LCD monitors that covered the walls of the room turned on and began to broadcast something. A man holding a bag of chips appeared on the screen and started to talk.

"Ummm. H-hello world! I am Ichiro. If you're watching this, that means I'm probably dead. Don't be afraid, the one talking to you right now isn't a ghost. I won't be climbing out of a well. This is a pre-recorded video, not a cursed one.  I never thought that it would come to this, but I realized how important a contingency plan is. And that's the reason why you are here..."

The third vat finally opened. A boy stepped out. The boy and the girl were aghast. Not because he looked like the man on the screen, but because his face was the only part of his body covered with flesh. This is what those beeping and flashing lights on his vat must've meant. His skeletal and muscular structure was bare but it was clear that it was laced with highly advanced technology. The first boy accidentally nudged the girl in a sensitive area, causing her to slap him. The boy's face got scratched and his flesh was torn, because the girl's nails extended and became razor-sharp. But after a few seconds, the boy's wounds healed. That's when they realized that their bodies were like the second boy's body too.

"...You three are gonna continue what I was doing...Umm. Let me correct that. You three are gonna continue something I failed at. And that is..."

===
H!P in house doctor's Laboratory

"Dan-san, what are these for?" Tezuka asked him as he took out a container from the cold storage area. He now works for H!P, under Dan specifically. And they are in charge of the Guardians' maintenance and upgrades. Dan was also successful in removing the cybernetic parts installed in Tezuka, so he was once again, fully human.
"Oh. Those. Umm, those contain the DNA of all the girls from Hello!Project so please do be careful with that."
"I see. So this is what you used to clone H."
"Yeah. Not just clone him, but to create him. When they asked us to make a Guardian from scratch, meaning from DNA, we were a bit reluctant because of the ethical issues involved, but what the heck. Budget was an issue and so was time, we had no chance to test it. We were lucky that our first try was a success. Good thing we kept records and then documented the procedure in case we had to do it again. After Ichiro killed H, I got the go signal from top brass to use these stuff it again. Fortunately, H and H2 will be the only, how should I say it, victims of this kind of procedure. As you can see, the equipment is only good for at least two to three uses. So those things can never be used again. I don't fully approve of this but what's done is done. Morally, it makes me one of the bad guys, Tezuka."
"But you did it for a noble purpose. It's for the safety of the girls."
"Whatever. But I still don't believe that the end justifies the means. I'll just let Kami be the one to judge me when I die. Haha."
"Haha. That will be like fifty, no sixty years from now, when Morning Musume will be celebrating their Golden anniversary."
"Right."
"By the way, you only used Yoshizawa-san's DNA to make H right?"
"Yeah. Each vial there represents a girl from Hello!Project."
"I see. One is to one ratio?"
"Correct."
"You said you only used Yoshizawa-san's DNA. Which means the vial containing her DNA shouldn't be in this box anymore."
"Right. Does that bother you?"
"Not really. I'm worried because there's one more vial missing in the box, Tezuka-san..."
"Really?"
"Really."

Dan walked to where Tezuka was and checked the capsule. He took out a list and checked whose vial was missing.

"So it's her...Now why would someone take away her DNA?"
"Someone took it?"
"Probably. But I can't remember anyone who could...wait..."
"Could it be...do you think he..."
"I think so too."
"..."
"Shit."

[Aioros]

Hello! Project 2007 Summer 10th Anniversary Dai Kanshasai ~Hello! Project Natsu Matsuri!~
7/29/2007 Saitama Super Arena

Backstage

The Hello!Project girls slowly flooded the hallway, after their final performance for that night. They were exhausted, but it was evident from their eyes and their smiles that their hard work paid off. It was quite noisy and it was almost impossible for them to hear one another, but I guess their body language was enough to show their jubilee. They hugged each other before they separated to the groups they belonged to. Then they started heading back to the dressing rooms. Some of the older girls planned to go out while some decided to go back to the hotel and get some rest.

At the hotel's lobby, a certain girl was waiting for someone. She was still wearing her concert outfit and she was still a bit sweaty but she didn't care. The main door opened and it was the person she was waiting for came in. She ran to meet him, and then held him in her arms.

Hikaru-chan! You didn't tell me that you were gonna watch! I saw you in the crowd!" The petite captain said as she tugged on the taller boy's sleeve.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Shimi-chan?"
"Come on. Don't pretend like you don't know anything."
"But I..."

H didn't have the courage to tell her that he was in the backstage during the entire concert after he saw how happy Saki was. He knew she was tired but instead of going to her room to eat, rest or sleep, she went out her way, just to tell him that she saw him in the crowd. All he could do was pat her on the head and pinch her cheek.

"You were great, Shimi-chan, as always."
"Thanks!" Saki said as she hugged him and ran her fingers through his hair before she left for her room.
"Shimi-chan wait..."

As soon as Saki was out of sight...

"Liar!"
"Miya-chan?"
"That wasn't you, was it Akabaka?" (Akai=red, Baka=stupid)
"How'd you know?"
"I saw someone in the crowd. He looked like you, with red hair and stuff. But I knew it wasn't you."
"Why?"
"Because he was with a girl. And that girl was pretty. It's impossible for someone like you to snag a girl as cute as that! Hnnn."
"Eh?"
"It's a joke, dumbass. Plus, I know that the only girl you need is..."
"Miya, come on! You know I can't go to our room by myself! Chinami might scare me again." Risako yelled in the hallway.
"Hmm. I gotta go now Akabaka. It seems that Ms. PURE+ is afraid of the dark. But I can't blame her though. She freaked out the other night when Chinami jumped behind her when she entered our room."
"So she was the one who was screaming the other night."
"Yeah. And you should have seen her haha."
"I can go with you two, if you like. In case Tokunaga-san decides to scare her again."
"Nah. We'll be fine. And you already have Captain, don't you? Why don't you let me keep Rii-chan for myself? I can take care of her."
"With your magic?"
"I will count to ten and I want you to disappear in front of me or else I'll...one...four...."
"Okay. I'm gone."

H was going down the stairs when he heard someone scream again. This time though, the scream had two voices. "So Miss PURE+ isn't the only scaredycat around." he said to himself as he imagined the scene in his head.

H went outside and found H2 and the other Guardians. There were only six of them left, seven if you count R but he already left after the concert.

"It's been a long time since all of us gathered like this, huh?" D asked. "But it looks like nothing's changed. I still top you all in looks."
"Don't be too sure about that D. I saw the Rokkies snuggling with H2 earlier." K said. "But we can't blame them though. You know how the Mr. Moonlight charm works on girls. Unless they prefer shotac..."
"Kamei-san likes kids. But not in the same context as M does..." S said.
"Hey, did you hear that news about that unit Buono! I think it's gonna be great!"
"See what I mean? H and H2, you two better keep an eye on M when Buono does promotions." S warned them.
"What's the matter aniki? Looks like something's bothering you." H2 asked H. "Did you fight with Shimizu-san again?"
"No. I'm just worried because she said she saw me in the crowd but I was backstage all the time. And she looked like she was sure that it was me she saw."
"A doppelganger maybe?" asked H2. "Or a clone or...oh, look who's talking, ehehe."
"Negative." S interrupted. "Those things do not exist. However, during the concert, I did detect certain anomalies in the crowd. The readings showed slight traces of Graft."
"I thought we got rid of Graft already? Also, Tezuka-san even showed us and helped us destroy the remaining samples." said K.
"He did. But what if there were other samples that Ichi..."
"Can we guys stop talking about that?" M said. "I know that's part of our work, but can't we enjoy this night, I mean enjoy it for the girls. They worked hard for this concert and now that it's over, shouldn't we be at least be happy for them?"
"LOL. I never thought I'd hear something like that from you M." K told him. "And to think your eyes were locked onto Niigaki-san during the entire concert."
"He's got a point." D said. "Who turned on his emo mode?" he whispered to S.
"What emo mode? He only has ecchi mode as far as I know." S answered.
"Wow. Looks like ecchi-kun's matured." H2 told H. "He thinks and looks a bit older now."
"How come?" wondered H.
"Look at his face. It gives me the impression that he's into U-12 girls now too. And only old guys give me that impression!"
"I heard that brat! But I'm in too good a mood to give you a noogie so I'll let you go for now. So, to celebrate the success of their concert, let's head to the nearest red light district kukuku! Who's with me? Raise your hand!"
"What a pervert..." D said as he shook his head.
"How come I'm not surprised at all?" K burst out. "I'm just gonna remind you to wash your hands after, M. Oh, and remember to zip your pants."
"He hasn't changed." H said as he slapped his forehead as he added 'prevent M from getting within 10 feet of Berryz Koubou' in his to-do list. "I thought he'd change after that trip to Hawaii but I guess I'm wrong."
"Umm...aniki. Why is S-san raising his hand?"



====

The Next Day...

Yajima Maimi, leader of C-ute, comes out of her room. She passed by Tsugunaga Momoko on the hallway who greeted her with an 'ohayo'. Maimi greeted her with a killer glare, which kept Momoko frozen on where she stood. She didn't want to move and waited for Maimi to get inside the elevator. Maimi started to walk away but she stopped and headed towards Momoko, with the killer glare still equipped.

"Where is Hikaru, Momo?"
"I..."
"Don't hide him from me."
"He's downstairs, with the others..."
"I see. Thanks Momo." Maimi said as she headed for the stairs.
"Why are you looking for him, Maimi-chan?" Momoko asked her as she followed. "Did Higure-chan do anything?"
"No Momo. Higure-chan has nothing to do with this."
"What happened to you? It looks like you haven't even slept yet. And what's that? Were you crying, Maimi-chan?"
"..."

Momoko knew something was wrong. She could see the dry trail of tears on Maimi's face but she didn't ask her what was wrong. She was too scared to ask her. That wasn't the first time she saw Maimi mad and she was hoping that she'd never see her mad ever again. But, it looks like it was inevitable. Maimi's fists were closed tight and it looked like she was ready to punch a hole into the elevator's walls. So Momoko decided to keep quiet.

The two of them reached the dining hall after a few minutes. The rest of C-ute and Berryz Koubou were there, and so were a few members of Morning Musume. Suzuki Airi and Umeda Erika greeted Maimi as she passed by their table, but Maimi just went straight to the Berryz's table, where H was sitting. Airi tried to ask Momoko what the problem was but like her, Momoko had no idea as well.

"Hey, what's up Maimi-chan?" Chinami asked her when she got to their table.
"Your hair is a mess." Risako said as she giggled.
"Like your hair isn't. Haha." Maasa told her.
"Don't look at me. It's not my fault." said Miyabi. "Wait, where is Kuma-chan? Did you forget to wake her up, Chinami?"
"Hello, Maimi-chan." was Saki's greeting.
"Yajima-san..."

Before H could finish talking, Maimi grabbed his shirt, and then slapped him before giving him a straight, making him fall on the floor.

[mode107]

you...can't...leave..it..off...there! Clifhangerrr

[Aioros]

It was a strong punch. For a girl. It was a Maimi punch. So theoretically, it should be strong.

H's nose and lips bled. He could have stopped the bleeding but he didn't. Berryz Koubou and C-ute don't know the Guardians' secret yet, unlike some members of Morning Musume who were also at the dining hall.

Maimi attempted to kick him while he was still on the floor, but Airi, Erika, and the other members of C-ute were able to hold her back, making her miss. Maimi tried to get herself free but the other girls held her tight. The voices of her group mates brought her back to her senses. When she saw H looking back at her, with his shirt stained with his blood, and her hand, still red after slapping him, she trembled before she broke out into tears. The C-ute girls tried to calm her down while the Berryz helped H get on his feet.

"You're alright aren't you, Hikaru-chan? It's a miracle you're still conscious though." Chinami told him.
"If that kick landed, we would've picked up your remains from the next room." Maasa added.
"What was that about, Maimi-chan?" Saki asked. "Why'd you punch him?"
"Why don't you ask him, Saki-chan." Maimi said as she freed herself from Chisato and Kanna's hold.
"Hikaru-chan. What's the meaning of this?"
"I don't know."  H said as he wiped the blood that flowed from his nose with his hankie.
"So it's the innocent act huh. Alright. If you don't want to talk, I will. " said Maimi. "What were you doing in our room last night, Hikaru?"

What Maimi asked him stunned not just H but everyone who heard it. Now all eyes were on him.

"What are you talking about? I wasn't in your room, Yajima-san."
"Tss. Of course you won't admit. But I saw you. You were watching me while I was..."
"What?"
"While I was...you were watching me while I was taking a bath. If your phone didn't ring, I wouldn't have known that you were watching me from the door..."
"What? When did that... I never went to your room, Yajima-san! I went out last night with Mitsui-san and the others. Wait, not Mitsui-san. He and Shingo-san went to some other place...I..."
"If you're gonna lie, at least do a better job and make it more believable, you pervert!" Maimi told him as she wiped her tears.

The other girls now started whispering to each other. Except the girls from Berryz.

"How can you say that it was him, Maimi-chan?" Maasa asked.
"The door of our room wasn't closed. I didn't lock it so I'd know if Erika-chan would arrive. But I heard a phone ring near the door and when I looked... I saw him. I saw his dyed hair. His red hair is proof. He's the only one with red hair around."
"But that's not enough evidence..." said Saki.
"Stop protecting him just because he's your guardian, Saki-chan!"
"We're not taking anyone's side, Maimi-chan, just cool off first. It's affecting your thinking!" Chinami told her.
"Oh. I get it now. Maybe you girls are just used to him watching you while you take a bath..."
"You're going too far!" Miyabi said as she shoved Maimi.

Then the other girls started shoving one another. No punches were thrown. Good thing Risa, Eri, Sayu and Koharu were able to pacify the younger girls.

C-ute was able to walk Maimi out of the dining hall while she was shouting 'It's not yet over, Hikaru! I'm not done with you!'. They bumped into H2 in the hallway and Airi explained to him what happened.
"Don't worry, Higure-chan. I'm not mad at you." Maimi told him.

Finally the dining hall was peaceful again. Yurina, still wearing her pyjamas, entered.

*yawn* "What was all the noise about? I could hear if from our room. It woke me up."
"What took you so long to wake up? It's not hibernating season." said Maasa.
"ARE THOSE SKULLS PRINTED ON YOUR PYJAMAS?!" Miyabi's eyes widened. "I MUST HAVE...T…THAT..."
"No way! I already gave you my other set before Miya. Oh my! What happened to Hikaru-chan? Why is his nose bleeding? Did he have another accident?"
"Nah. He saw you wearing those pyjamas. He can see through them and it was too much for him. Haha."
"Chinami..."

Just like that, the Captain was able to make them behave. It was not the time for jokes.

"Is that true, Hikaru-chan? Were you really in Maimi-chan's room last night?" Risako asked him.
"What would I be doing in her room, Sugaya-san?"
"The only one who could answer that would be you, Akabaka." Miyabi told him. "Where were you last night?"
"After we talked, I went out of the hotel and met the others. Mitusi-san and Shingo-san went to a 'ultra happy place' or something, Kyo-san went ahead because they were gonna have a siege in this online game, while Domon-san said he needed to get his beauty sleep. Higure got a call from Suzuki-san, and asked him if he can go out with them for a midnight snack. I went to our room and slept."
"Maybe you sleepwalked." Momoko said. "Or did some kind of astral projection or something."
"I don't know, Tsugunaga-san. But if I sleepwalked, I wouldn't have woken up in my bed earlier today."

The girls looked at him. They wanted to believe him but it was clear that there was doubt.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he asked them.
"Hikaru-chan..."
"Fine. I'll be going now. See you all later then."

They watched as he walked out on them.

Just when he was about to leave the hotel, one of the black suited security guys approached him and whispered something.

====
Dyed-haired man's Office

"Are you going to ask me what I was doing in Yajima-san's room?"
"Nope."
"Whew. Well that's a relie..."
"I'm gonna ask you what you were doing in the other girls' rooms."
"What? What are you talking about?!"
"Take a look."

The Dyed-haired man clicked on a switch and then a set of TVs appeared from the wall. Then it started to show something. It was the hallways of the hotel where the girls were staying.

"At around 2 PM, while the girls were in the dressing room, someone was seen coming out of Rika-chan's room." the Dyed-haired man said as he played the video. There was a time stamp that showed the date of the previous day and the time. "After a few minutes, he entered Koharu-chan's and Aika-chan's room. After that, Aichan's and Gaki-san's room. Then the Rokkies' room. Then Erika-chan and Yui-chan's room. Then..."
"That's not me!  You can check my system logs if you want! I was at the arena's backstage during those times!"
"Who is it then? H2? You two may look alike and the only way we can distinguish you from each other is by the hair. That guy on the video has red hair H. And only you have red hair."
"I didn't do anything!"
"I trust you H, but the evidence points to you. You're one of the best and you're doing a great job in protecting Berryz Koubou. I've also heard that there's something going on between you and Saki-chan but I'm not mad. It's understandable because falling in love is normal at your age so why should I deprive you of it? Besides, as long as you keep Saki-chan and the Berryz happy, I'm fine with it. Like you, I believe that that guy in the video is somebody else. We don't know what his motive is, but invading a girl's room is just unforgivable. I know you wouldn't do something like that.
"What am I supposed to do now? Ask forgiveness for something I didn't do?"
"No need for that. The girls don't know about it. Well, except that incident with Maimi-chan. However, I suggest you go see Dan first. As a precaution, I asked him to put limitations on your abilities. That's fine with you right?"
"Yes. I understand."
"We'll find out who's behind this H." the Dyed-haired man said as he placed his hand on H's shoulder. "I assure you."

====
The Lab

"You can check my logs Dan. I have nothing to hide. I'm innocent."
"I know H. Tezuka and I already knew that something like this was going to happen sooner or later. So we made some preparations."
"You knew?"
"Long story. But as the boss said, I'll have to cut your abilities, meaning some of them will be disabled for a while."
"Okay."
"Hehe. You'll be like a normal kid so you have to behave H. And you better go to the clinic after this."
"Why?"
"Why? Because the in-house doctor's got a hot nurse! That's why. You should let her check you while you check her out hehehe."
"..."
"What?"
"If I'm gonna grow up to be someone like you or M, I wish that you had never revived me before."
"I'm just kidding. But you should go let them check your nose. So Shimizu-san won't get worried. She likes your nose, you know."


====
In a fastfood somewhere...

"What the fuck was that about, Jirou?! Why'd you call me when it was almost gonna reach the good part? Shit! I should have switched my phone to silent mode." said a young man as he slammed his hand on the table. He had silver hair but there were some red highlights.
"It's true that part of the plan was to frame-up H. But it was not part of the plan for you to..." answered Jirou.
"Heh. I think you're just jealous because I had a front row seat for that scene. It was hot, I tell ya. And what kind of dye did you use? Look at my hair! It's a mess, Miki!" the boy said as he pointed at his hair. "Wait. Don't tell me that was food coloring, dammit!"
"Don't blame me, Hisoka. I'm not an expert at hairstyling." the girl said. "Plus, your hair's been a mess ever since the start."
"Whatever. I'm done with my part. So it's your turn now."
"I know."
"You two better tone down your voices."
"Why Jirou? We can let them hear us. We'll just erase their memories. Or just kill them."
"Zoom into that shop a few blocks away from here." Jirou said as he pointed outside. "See that guy with the glasses and that guy wearing a red scarf and looks like he's been ripped off by a fat hooker?"
"I don't like that guy with the red scarf. That stare he has makes me feel like he's undressing me. I should kill him." said Miki.
"What about them, Jirou?"
"They are like us."

[jafeijai]

..."They are like us.."

I WANT A SHOWDOWN!! 
Anyways, I'm glad this is going to be continued..Maybe I shouldn't read this from the shadows this time around But regardless, I'm in for the long run. I want Yoshizawa clone fight too!! [waits for next chapter]

[JFC]

Ok...Ichiro's contingency plan (i.e. having backup, custom-programmed "Guardians" at his hideout) makes some sense, but why is the female one named "Miki"?  Did Ichiro model her after Miki-sama (who, remember, is also a Guardian) or is it just that she coincidentally has the same name?

Either way, can we look forward to a Miki VS Miki fight?


Hisoka (H3? ) and Jirou are like H and H2, aren't they? They're also modeled using Yossi's DNA.     

It would certainly explain why it looks like H on that security tape that Tsunku... I mean...that Dyed-hair man was referring to. 


And...S is one lucky bastard..

[Sancho]

This only prove that 2007 is a year of Sequels (well some movies launched this year where sequels.) But I don't mind because I've enjoyed the 1st story and i think I'll enjoy this one even more (Thanks to M's antics  ).

[Blu-Cherri]

woo~ new Detonator M!!!
loving it and can't wait for more!!!

[Aioros]

modesta107: there will be more cliffhangers

jafeijai: the clones will duke it out in a few chapters

JFC: the clone's name is Miki, but was it Miki-sama she was cloned after?

Sancho: M will go all out but will he get Miki'd the 3rd time? dundundundun

Blu-Cherri: Thanks!

I'm glad you guys like it. I'll do my best no to disappoint you. Here are some more stuff you can expect.

- 2 new Guardians. Who they're assigned to? I won't tell yet
- Stand-alone chapters (one is MAPLE-related )

[Aioros]

"What's wrong M? Not satisfied last night?"
"Of course not! Why should I be satisfied? I lost a lot of money from those pachinko machines. Now I'm broke."
"Why'd you want to gamble anyway? Did you get someone pregnant?"
"NO! Of course not! Why the hell did that enter your mind S?."
"Don't be too defensive. I don't act like that when you make me the butt of jokes. And besides, you're the one who told me to lighten up before."
"Okay. I'm sorry. I just don't like those kinds of jokes."
"So, what were you gonna use the money for if you won?"
"I want to buy something for Gaki-san, like an after concert gift or something like that. After all, she's always been nice to me. She's cute when she blushes."
"If you wanted to win, you could have just hacked those machines to churn out the money. Up,up,down,down,left,right,left,right,B,A,start could have done the trick."
"Nah. I wanted to get money honestly. I'm sure Gaki-san won't like it if she finds out that I cheated."
"Gambling and cheating are both bad. But I do know something Niigaki-san might like."
"Really? Can you tell me S?"
"I think she'd appreciate it if you paid more attention to her when she talks instead of looking at Ms. Li Chun."
"WTF? Are you saying that I check her out?"
"You don't?"
"Do you?"
"Don't answer me with a question."
"Hmm. Okay. It can't be helped. Ms. Li Chun is a cutie herself but still, Gaki-san is number one for me. I'll take your advice into consideration S." *sigh* "I really want to give her something."
"How about buying her photobook instead of just downloading it."
"I bought Isshun, S. And I'm also going to buy MAPLE."
"MAPLE? What's that? Wait..." S said as he searched the internet.
"Hehe. I'm surprised you don't know about it. Of all people. Shame on you!"
"Damn.You. M."
"You don't have the schedule for the photoshoot yet huh? But enough of that, I've been getting signals of Graft within the area, S."
"Finally. I thought you'd never notice that."
"When I try to search where it's coming from, it points to those three kids." M said as he pointed to a fastfood a few blocks away.
"I know. I've been checking them out ever since I detected the signals."
"Checking them out? The three of them? Or just the girl?"
"The three of them. But they seem to be normal. I ran a scan and they was nothing unusual. However, when I try to listen to them, the frequency either gets jammed or it redirects me to a radio show. The girl is cute though."
"Yeah. She reminds me of someone...and those two boys. They look familiar too."
"Anyway, let's go back to the hotel. And send a report to Dan-san. And if you want to give something to Gaki-san, I know a place where you can..."
"It's not an adult-oriented shop, is it?"
"Ummm..."
"It is? Do they sell sexy lingerie? Or tiger-striped undies? Or..."
"Just follow me. I know a place. But it's not what you think it is."
"Great! After you build up my imagination, you decide to burst my bubble."
"You can vent your frustrations on your Photoshop and 10 yen masterpeices when we get home."
"Nevermind."

====
A few days later...

Shimizu Saki's school

"Hello Chii-chan! What did I miss in class?" Saki asked her classmate, Chihiro. Saki is taller than her, if ever you're wondering.
"Not much Saki-chan. By the way, here are some of the handouts the teacher gave out when you were gone."
"Thanks. I owe you one, Chii-chan."
"How were the concerts? Sold out again?"
"Well yeah. It was great."
"I see. But how come I can see worry on your face? Oh, don't tell me. It has something to do with that guy you were telling me about. He didn't show up?"
"Not really. He showed up. But there were some problems after the concert, so I haven't seen or talked to him for a while."
"Are you two already...having a lover's quarrel?"
"What? No! We're just friends."
"I see. By the way, we have a new classmate. She just tranferred here a few days ago."
"Really?"
"Wait I'll call her."

Chihiro came back with a girl. She had a pony tail and a nice smile. She's taller than Saki, if ever you're wondering.

"Saki-chan, she's the one I was telling you about. Our new classmate."
"Hello. I'm Shimizu Saki." Saki said as she bowed.
"I know you. You're a member of Berryz Koubou. You're famous."
"I'm not really that famous." Saki said as she blushed.
"I'm Miki. Fujimoto Miki. But I'm not the idol. We just have similar names but I think I have a more pleasing personality."
"Haha. Miki's a nice name. And Fujimoto-san is quite a good person once you know her. But if you like to touch like her, I won't mind. Hey! What are you doing?"
"You said you won't mind?"
"I won't mind. But not right now."
"Not in front of Chihiro-chan? That's okay, I'll touch her too."
"Hmm. You seem to have a lot of Snoopy accessories." Saki said as she noticed the phone strap and Miki's bag and her socks.
"Yes I do. I'm even wearing Snoopy panties. Wanna see?"
"No thanks. Maybe some other time."
"Okay. Just tell me when you want to see them."
"Okay. Hmmm. I've been thinking about it, but you really look like someone I know."
"I look like someone?"
"Yes. You look like..."
"Fujimoto?"
"No. Not Fujimoto-san. You look a lot like Matsuura-senpai when she was younger. Yeah. You do look like her."
"Matsuura Aya? I look like her? That's the first time someone told me that but I guess it's a complement."
"You're funny. I think we can get along well...Hey! Your hands!"

===
In one girl's forgotten memory (Happened probably before one of the concerts)

A stock room isn't exactly the most romantic place where someone confesses love but...

"Why'd you call me down here? Is something wrong?"
"No. There's nothing wrong."
"Then why call me here?"
"I just wanted to ask you something."
"Okay. What is it?"
"Do you have feelings for me?"
"What? Are you out of your mind? Me? Fall for you? That's crazy!"
"You didn't answer my question."
"Well, to tell you the truth..."
"I like you."
"..."

The boy moved closer and put her in an embrace. She couldn't understand it, but she liked being in his arms.

"I know you like me too but you're afraid to show it because of Saki-chan. I like her but I think I like you more. No. I always liked you, ever since the time we first met. If you tell me that you like me too, I'd be the one to tell Saki-chan about it and call it quits with her."
"I don't know...I'm confused. What about Captain..."
"Your answer. What is it?"
"You...you're right. I like you too."
"I see. Thanks. Hmmm. Your hair smells really nice."
"Thanks."

The boy leaned closer and attempted to kiss her but the girl pushed him back.

"Why? I thought you said you liked me?"
"Before that, I've got something to ask you too."
"What is it?"
"Since when did you start calling her Saki-chan? You always called her Shimi-chan. And why do you smell like cigarettes? When did you start to smoke? And those earrings. You said that you won't wear them anymore. Also, you always said that I should change my shampoo since it stinks. You're not him aren't you?" the girl said as she tried to free herself from his grasp. She gave him a hard slap so he'd let her go. "Who are you?"
"Damn. I'm busted. That's very clever of you. But you will not get out of here without... "
"What are you going to do to me? Don't think I'm going to give up myself that easily."
"We're just gonna do some things that will destroy your friendship with that tiny captain girl and make you hate H for the rest of your life. Like taking a picture of us while kissing. That's all. But if you were Tokunaga, I'd probably..."
"Creep!" she said as she punched him. But it was not a Maimi punch. So it wasn't that strong.

The girl ran for the door but it was shut tight. She was trapped. The boy held her wrist and gave her a mild shock, taking away her consciousness.

"I'm sorry. I can do things with you right now, things that you never imagined, and I'd just erase it from your memory but unfortunately, you're just not my type..."


===
Saki's School again

Saki was preparing to go home, organizing whatever stuff she had in her locker when Miki approached her, with no intentions of touching though.

"Umm, Saki-chan."
"What is it, Miki-chan?"
"Natsuyaki. Natsuyaki Miyabi is your friend right?"
"Yes, what about her?"

Miki handed her an envelope. Saki opened it. The envelope contained a picture. And there was silence. Saki dropped te picture but she picked it up, after she recovered from the shock.

"I think that was meant for you, but somehow it ended up in my locker..."

It was a picture of Miyabi. And a boy with dyed red hair. Kissing. Even if the boy's back was turned, Saki knew who it was.

Her world stopped. She felt like she didn't want to breathe anymore. She wanted to cry, but she didn't. Not in front of Miki. She didn't want to show any weakness.

She was a strong girl. Strong, not in the arm wrestling context but strong as in determined. Unshakable. That's why she was chosen to be the Captain. But that image she was holding in her hands was enough to crush her will and break her down. And if that wasn't enough...

"I guess your friend likes to take care of your boyfriend behind your back, huh?" Miki said as she chuckled. "Maybe she kisses better than you."

Saki didn't look at her. She just gathered her things, closed her locker and left.

"That was easy. Too easy..." Miki said as she grinned.

[ziggurat]

Damn nice chapters. A continuation of detonator m is always welcomed.

Look like it's going really bad in the next chapters.. scary and frustrating feeling for captain T_T

go go go!

Always doing good works words, thanks for providing us this new fic!

You better disiplined M for his too much ecchi brain

[JFC]

JFC: the clone's name is Miki, but was it Miki-sama she was cloned after? 

Omgass she's a clone!?!?!

- 2 new Guardians. Who they're assigned to? I won't tell yet 

They gotta be for Koharu and the 8th Gens! I'm thinking, one for Koharu & Aika then the second for Junjun & Linlin!

"What's wrong M? Not satisfied last night?"
"Of course not! Why should I be satisfied? I lost a lot of money from those pachinko machines. Now I'm broke."

So instead of a nudie bar, they went to a pachinko joint? Probably better that they did that, since the girls (especially Risa) would probably freak out if they found out.

"So, what were you gonna use the money for if you won?"
"I want to buy something for Gaki-san, like an after concert gift or something like that. After all, she's always been nice to me. She's cute when she blushes."

Awwwwwwwww...he's right, you know. 

"If you wanted to win, you could have just hacked those machines to churn out the money. Up,up,down,down,left,right,left,right,B,A,start could have done the trick."

Ah, the good ol' universal CAPCOM code.   

"Gambling and cheating are both bad. But I do know something Niigaki-san might like."
"Really? Can you tell me S?"
"I think she'd appreciate it if you paid more attention to her when she talks instead of looking at Ms. Li Chun."

Busted!

"I bought Isshun, S. And I'm also going to buy MAPLE."
"MAPLE? What's that? Wait..." S said as he searched the internet.
"Hehe. I'm surprised you don't know about it. Of all people. Shame on you!"
"Damn.You. M."

S didn't know about Eri's new PB??? Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame shame shame. 

But enough of that, I've been getting signals of Graft within the area, S."
"Finally. I thought you'd never notice that."
"When I try to search where it's coming from, it points to those three kids." M said as he pointed to a fastfood a few blocks away.

Ah, so Ichiro's protoge's have Graft within them? I wonder if they ingested it, or if Ichiro designed them to automatically generate Graft within their own bodies like glands?

But they seem to be normal. I ran a scan and they was nothing unusual. However, when I try to listen to them, the frequency either gets jammed or it redirects me to a radio show. The girl is cute though."
"Yeah. She reminds me of someone...and those two boys. They look familiar too."
"Anyway, let's go back to the hotel. And send a report to Dan-san.

Considering their recent discovery, with luck Dan and Tezuka will be able to put 2 + 2 together, figure out who and what these 3 kids are and what the Guardians can expect from them.

After you build up my imagination, you decide to burst my bubble."
"You can vent your frustrations on your Photoshop and 10 yen masterpeices when we get home."
"Nevermind."

I was wondering where those were all coming from. 

Shimizu Saki's school

"Hello Chii-chan! What did I miss in class?" Saki asked her classmate, Chihiro. Saki is taller than her, if ever you're wondering.

Shorter than Captain??? That's pretty damn short. 

"I see. By the way, we have a new classmate. She just tranferred here a few days ago."

Uh oh...I got a strange feeling about this...

"Hello. I'm Shimizu Saki." Saki said as she bowed.
"I know you. You're a member of Berryz Koubou. You're famous."
"I'm not really that famous." Saki said as she blushed.
"I'm Miki. Fujimoto Miki. But I'm not the idol. We just have similar names but I think I have a more pleasing personality."

Shit...it's Ichiro's cloned girl, isn't it? She's a younger version of Miki-sama? 

Fujimoto-san is quite a good person once you know her. But if you like to touch like her, I won't mind. Hey! What are you doing?"
"You said you won't mind?"
"I won't mind. But not right now."
"Not in front of Chihiro-chan? That's okay, I'll touch her too."
"Hmm. You seem to have a lot of Snoopy accessories." Saki said as she noticed the phone strap and Miki's bag and her socks.
"Yes I do. I'm even wearing Snoopy panties. Wanna see?"
"No thanks. Maybe some other time."
"Okay. Just tell me when you want to see them."

Yep, she definitely "communicates" like our Miki-sama alright. 

"Okay. Hmmm. I've been thinking about it, but you really look like someone I know."
"I look like someone?"
"Yes. You look like..."
"Fujimoto?"
"No. Not Fujimoto-san. You look a lot like Matsuura-senpai when she was younger. Yeah. You do look like her."

Wait a sec...Aya?

...

AYA?!?!??? HE CLONED AYA?!?!?   


Sunnovabitch...Ichiro must have combined Aya's and Miki's DNA together! Looks like the clone (which I will refer to as "Miki2") has Aya's physical traits and Miki's mental/behavioural traits.  It wouldn't have been hard for him to get samples of their DNA either, considering how in the first DETONATOR M story, he reveals that he was involved with both of them.
 

The boy moved closer and put her in an embrace. She couldn't understand it, but she liked being in his arms.

"I know you like me too but you're afraid to show it because of Saki-chan. I like her but I think I like you more. No. I always liked you, ever since the time we first met. If you tell me that you like me too, I'd be the one to tell Saki-chan about it and call it quits with her."
"I don't know...I'm confused. What about Captain..."
"Your answer. What is it?"
"You...you're right. I like you too."

Now, considering how strongly H feels about Captain, it's a pretty safe bet that it's NOT H that this girl's speaking to right now. By process of elimination it should be H2.  However...

"Since when did you start calling her Saki-chan? You always called her Shimi-chan. And why do you smell like cigarettes? When did you start to smoke? And those earrings. You said that you won't wear them anymore. Also, you always said that I should change my shampoo since it stinks. You're not him aren't you?" the girl said as she tried to free herself from his grasp. She gave him a hard slap so he'd let her go. "Who are you?"
"Damn. I'm busted. That's very clever of you.

...

"We're just gonna do some things that will destroy your friendship with that tiny captain girl and make you hate H for the rest of your life. Like taking a picture of us while kissing. That's all. But if you were Tokunaga, I'd probably..."

Unless H2 has suffered some major glitch in his programming, this can't be him. That only leaves H3, who is likely the one who was the one peeking in on Maimi.

Thinking back again to the first DETONATOR M story (and referring to the manga strips that ChrNo made for them), I'm betting the girl is either Momo-chan (she wanted H to help her practice kissing) or Airi (since she seemed like she was pretty sweet on H2 in ChrNo's "Double Trouble" manga). 

Miki handed her an envelope. Saki opened it. The envelope contained a picture. And there was silence. Saki dropped te picture but she picked it up, after she recovered from the shock.

"I think that was meant for you, but somehow it ended up in my locker..."

It was a picture of Miyabi. And a boy with dyed red hair. Kissing. Even if the boy's back was turned, Saki knew who it was.

MIYABI??? It was Miyabi???

Fuck, and he (whoever he is, probably H3) erased her memory too, didn't he? Now the shit's really gonna fly.

Her world stopped. She felt like she didn't want to breathe anymore. She wanted to cry, but she didn't. Not in front of Miki. She didn't want to show any weakness.

...

Saki didn't look at her. She just gathered her things, closed her locker and left.

"That was easy. Too easy..." Miki said as she grinned.

Can't help but wonder if Ichiro came up with this plan, or if the young trio came up with it themselves. Either way, so far things have gone quite well for them. They've shown that they (or at least H3) can infiltrate the Guardian ranks undetected and pass as one of them. The more they keep this up, the more they'll subtly disrupt things between the girls, which in turn is likely meant to cause some disruption amongst the other Guardians, which should make it easier for them to be taken down later on.

[Aioros]

zig: M is not ecchi. At least not as ecchi as you and me. 

JFC: the cover had a hint of who the clone was Your guesses on the new Guardians? Well...we'll know in a few chaps

[Aioros]

"Psst. Hikaru-chan."

H looked at who was calling him from behind the corner. The limiter installed by Dan dampened his senses, so his sight and range weren't as strong as before.

"Huh? Oh, it's you Tokunaga-san. What is it?"
"Umm, I'd just like to ask if you know what's going on between Miya and Captain."
"Why? Is there something wrong?"
"It looks like Captain's trying to avoid us, especially Miya. We don't know if they fought or something, but we don't like what's happening. Do you know?"
"I have no idea as well."
"Oh. I see. Okay, thanks for your help anyway. We'll just have to make sure that they're not fighting 'coz that will be bad for the group. Anyway, I'm going back to practice Hikaru-chan. See you later."
"If you need my help, just tell me."
"I will."

===
Rehearsal Area

"Okay. That's a wrap, girls. Good job!" the instructor said. "I'll see you all again tomorrow."

The girls headed to the benches to where their things were. Yurina, Maasa and Chinami were making fun of Momoko's hair that day, Risako and Miyabi were talking about clothes and stuff, while Captain, for reasons unknown, strayed away from them.

"I'll go ahead. See you all tomorrow." she told them.
"Captain, wait." Miyabi told her but she kept on walking towards the door. She stopped when Miyabi grabbed her wrist. "Is something bothering you?"
"It's nothing, Miya. I can handle it."
"You can tell us what your problem is." Momoko said.
"I don't think you girls will be able to help. I can face it by myself."
"We won't be able to help if you don't tell us what it is." said Maasa.
"Come on, Captain. You can tell us." added Chinami. "That's what friends are for right?"
"Does it have something to do with Hikaru-chan being in Maimi-chan's room?" Risako asked her.
"It's Akabaka's fault again huh? Don't worry, we'll teach him a lesson next time we see him." Miyabi added

Saki didn't answer them. She took out something from her bag and handed it to Miyabi. The other girls gathered around her as she opened the envelope and took out the picture it contained.

The silence was terrifying. Only Saki was brave enough to break it.

"Is that what friends are for?"
"M..Miya?" the other girls, except the name's owner, said in unison.
"C...captain. I...this never happened! I swear." Miyabi told her. "That's me, but...I. I never kissed Aka...Hikaru-chan!"
"The picture can't lie. But you can, Miya."
"Saki-chan. Please. You have to believe me."
"I want to believe you but...I need time. Don't worry. You're still my friend, Miya. I just need time to think. See you all tomorrow."

With that, she left. Miyabi dropped on her knees and started to cry. The others hesitated before they tried to calm her down. The picture was clear, not like the ones tabloid magazines take, so it cannot be helped if they believed what the picture was telling them.

===
"Psst. Hikaru-chan."
"Hmm? What is it Tokunaga-san?"
"Come with me. We need to talk."

Chinami led him to the rehearsal room where the other girls were waiting. H saw that Miyabi was sobbing.

"What happened to her?" he asked them.

Maasa handed him the envelope. H opened it and took out its contents. Like Saki, he picked it up from the floor after he recovered from the shock.

"First, you go into Maimi-chan's room, then this. What are you gonna do next Hikaru-chan?" an angry Risako asked him. "Who's next?"
"I...I never did this. And I never went into anyone's room, Sugaya-san."
"Then who could that be? A clone or something?" Momoko asked.
"You said that we can tell you if we needed your help. We need it now, Hikaru-chan. You have to set things straight before things get worse." Chinami said.
"I...that's not me."
"Just tell us the truth, Hikaru-chan." Yurina said.
"But..."
"Are you gonna talk or what?" Maasa asked. "Or do we need to force answers from you?"
"Can you leave us two for a while? Please." Miyabi told them. She already stopped crying. "I need to talk to him. Alone."

The girls emptied the room in a few seconds. Now only the people who were in the picture were left.

"That's me in the picture. I'm sure. But is the other person you, Hikaru?"
"Miy...Natsuyaki-san. I don't know where that picture came from. But I'm sure that whatever it is in that picture, it never happened."
"I know. I don't remember being in that situation with you. But..."
"But?"
"I guess I have to tell you this. I'm tired of hiding it anyway."
"Tell me what?"
"I like you, Hikaru. I like you."
"Natsuyaki-san..."
"I know that Captain will always be first in your heart, but I...I can't control my feelings. I can't stop myself from falling for you. Saki is my friend. It hurts but I have to bear it that the person I like is in love with one of my friends so I have to give way."
"Miya..."
"I'm sorry. Sorry if I had to tell you this. I hope this doesn't affect our friendship in any way. I'm still your friend right?"
"Of course." H said as he embraced her. "Thanks for understanding..."

There was noise coming from the door. They could hear the others saying "don't go inside Captain...", "but I forgot something..". It was already too late before they were free from each other.

"Shimi-chan..." H said as he let go. "I was just..."
"It's not what you think Captain."
"..."

Saki just smiled, walked passed them and took the towel that she left and placed it in her bag.

"Captain. I can explain..."
"Shimi-chan..."
"Don't worry, Hikaru-chan. I can take care of myself." she said. "Miya. Take care of him, okay. Goodbye, Hikaru-chan."

Saki left the room running at full speed. She even bumped Maasa but that didn't stop her.

"Shimi-chan, wait!" H said as he tried to follow her but Miyabi's hand on her wrist stopped him. "I need to follow her, Miya."
"Do you really need to?"
"Yes. I need to. I have to."
"Okay. As I expected. I'm sorry for stopping you." Miyabi said as she let go. "You're the only one who can fix this.  Please find her. Promise me that everything will be okay."
"I promise."

H ran after her but he bumped into Maasa too. However, unlike Saki, H fell down and the girls had to help him stand up.

"Thanks everyone." H told them. "I'm sorry for causing trouble again."
"Go get her, Hikaru-chan." they said.


========
H wasn't able to find her. He went to her house but she wasn't there yet. He could use 'check' but it's scope was cut in half too. Saki's location was out of range. H just stayed and sat at a swing in a park near her house. It was late afternoon, and there were no other people in the park. The sun was still up though. But the dark clouds started to cover it.

"Where could she have gone." he thought. "And what the hell is going on? How come all of this is happening to me?"

He didn't notice, but someone sat on the swing next to him. H knew that someone was beside him but he just ignored it. The one beside him then lit a cigarette.

"If something happens so her, I won't forgive myself...dammit!"

After finishing a stick, the person took out his mobile phone and switched to its media player. Then something started to play. H didn't need heightened senses to hear it because it was at full volume. He could hear water, like water coming from a shower. Then he heard a voice. A familiar voice...

"H...Hika... I...I...I love you...Hikaru...Hikaru..."
"Y...Yajima-san?"
"Yes. That's Yajima's voice. I guess you're smart enough to know what she was doing back there. I also have a video of that if you want. But I won't give it to you for free hehe. I didn't know that she was in their room that time so I guess this was just a bonus."
"YOU SICK FUCK!"

Finally H looked at the one who was sitting next to him. He didn't like the feeling though, because it was like looking at a mirror, except his reflection wore something different. Both of them stood up at the same time.

"You're the one who's been trying to get me into trouble."
"Yes. And I'm also going to be the one who kills you. Again."

H ran a scan but he didn't find any cybernetic parts in him.

"We're the same. But I have a program that prevents you from scanning my internals. I'm done scanning you and I was right, they really nerfed you. That's too bad because you're going to die without even putting up a fight."
"Who are you?"
"H3. But you can call me Hisoka. I could have used Hikaru too, but there's like a gazillion people who has that name already."

It started to rain, and it washed up Hisoka's red-dye job, revealing his silver hair.

"Fuck. I have to know what kind of dye you use. Or maybe that's paint." Hisoka said jokingly.
"..."
"Are you prepared to di..."

H caught him with a straight to the jaw but it didn't send him flying. Hisoka checked and there wasn't even a drop of blood from his lips.

"Tsss. Miyabi's punch was a lot stronger than that. But I have to tell you this. She was a good kisser. Too bad she forgot about it hehe. Come to think of it, after I kill you, maybe I'll go kiss her again."
"So you were that one too. I'm going to kill you for pretending to be me and for trying to destroy their friendship."
"Not if I kill you first."

Hisoka vanished and the next thing H knew was that he was struck in the gut and was sent flying. Good thing a tree was there to stop his trajectory. But he was hurt. Hisoka picked him up by the throat.

"Any last words?"
"Heh. I should be the one asking you that."
"Is that a joke? I thought you didn't have a sense of humor. You're pretty stupid to still have the courage to say something like that. "
"It's not a joke. Of course I'm serious." H said as he grinned.
"Huh?"
"Because Dan-san gave me the password to override the limiter, asshole!"

[Blu-Cherri]

oooh~ liking that ending!
Time to get powerful hikaru! lol

[JFC]

JFC: the cover had a hint of who the clone was 

Yeah...didn't notice it at first.

"Psst. Hikaru-chan."

H looked at who was calling him from behind the corner. The limiter installed by Dan dampened his senses, so his sight and range weren't as strong as before.

I wonder by how much H's abilities have been reduced? Also, what if an emergency arises and they need him back at full capacity? How long would/will it take for him to "power up" again?

"It looks like Captain's trying to avoid us, especially Miya. We don't know if they fought or something, but we don't like what's happening. Do you know?"
"I have no idea as well."
"Oh. I see. Okay, thanks for your help anyway. We'll just have to make sure that they're not fighting 'coz that will be bad for the group.

As I said previously, this is likely what Ichiro's protoges were aiming for to begin with.

"Does it have something to do with Hikaru-chan being in Maimi-chan's room?" Risako asked her.
"It's Akabaka's fault again huh? Don't worry, we'll teach him a lesson next time we see him." Miyabi added

Saki didn't answer them. She took out something from her bag and handed it to Miyabi. The other girls gathered around her as she opened the envelope and took out the picture it contained.

Geez, here we go.

* JFC takes cover.

"C...captain. I...this never happened! I swear." Miyabi told her. "That's me, but...I. I never kissed Aka...Hikaru-chan!"
"The picture can't lie. But you can, Miya."
"Saki-chan. Please. You have to believe me."
"I want to believe you but...I need time. Don't worry. You're still my friend, Miya. I just need time to think. See you all tomorrow."

Captain's reaction has me worried, to be honest.  She realizes that as leader, she has to do her best to keep the group functioning and together, and that she has to be mature here...but she's still human though. More importantly, she's a young girl and she has feelings for H.  She might be putting on the calm/stoic demeanor now, but I can't help but predict that somewhere down the line she's going to snap.

The picture was clear, not like the ones tabloid magazines take, so it cannot be helped if they believed what the picture was telling them.

Next question is...who took the picture?

H saw that Miyabi was sobbing.

"What happened to her?" he asked them.

Maasa handed him the envelope. H opened it and took out its contents. Like Saki, he picked it up from the floor after he recovered from the shock.

First the Maimi incident, and now this?  Things aren't going well for H. With any luck he'll start to get suspicious about these strange events that keep "involving" him.

"I like you, Hikaru. I like you."
"Natsuyaki-san..."
"I know that Captain will always be first in your heart, but I...I can't control my feelings. I can't stop myself from falling for you. Saki is my friend. It hurts but I have to bear it that the person I like is in love with one of my friends so I have to give way."

Wow, she told him. In a way it's good that she did, I guess. At least here they both know where they stand.

"I'm sorry. Sorry if I had to tell you this. I hope this doesn't affect our friendship in any way. I'm still your friend right?"
"Of course." H said as he embraced her. "Thanks for understanding..."

There was noise coming from the door. They could hear the others saying "don't go inside Captain...", "but I forgot something..". It was already too late before they were free from each other.

"Shimi-chan..." H said as he let go. "I was just..."
"It's not what you think Captain."
"..."

That was HELLA lousy timing.

Don't worry, Hikaru-chan. I can take care of myself." she said. "Miya. Take care of him, okay. Goodbye, Hikaru-chan."

Saki left the room running at full speed. She even bumped Maasa but that didn't stop her.

Shit, Captain's totally on the verge of just losing it.

"I need to follow her, Miya."
"Do you really need to?"
"Yes. I need to. I have to."

That's going to be really tough considering his abilities have been diminished. With Captain in the state that she's currently in and H unable to use 100% of his abilities to protect her, she's an easy target.

He didn't notice, but someone sat on the swing next to him. H knew that someone was beside him but he just ignored it. The one beside him then lit a cigarette.

H3?

After finishing a stick, the person took out his mobile phone and switched to its media player. Then something started to play. H didn't need heightened senses to hear it because it was at full volume. He could hear water, like water coming from a shower. Then he heard a voice. A familiar voice...

"H...Hika... I...I...I love you...Hikaru...Hikaru..."
"Y...Yajima-san?"

Ooooooooooooooooooh crap.

Finally H looked at the one who was sitting next to him. He didn't like the feeling though, because it was like looking at a mirror, except his reflection wore something different. Both of them stood up at the same time.

H...meet H3.

"You're the one who's been trying to get me into trouble."
"Yes. And I'm also going to be the one who kills you. Again."

H ran a scan but he didn't find any cybernetic parts in him.

"We're the same. But I have a program that prevents you from scanning my internals. I'm done scanning you and I was right, they really nerfed you.

That's too bad because you're going to die without even putting up a fight."

So far, pretty much everything has gone according to plan.  Taking out H is definitely going to be easier when his Guardian capabilities are reduced like this.

Hisoka picked him up by the throat.

"Any last words?"
"Heh. I should be the one asking you that."
"Is that a joke? I thought you didn't have a sense of humor. You're pretty stupid to still have the courage to say something like that. "
"It's not a joke. Of course I'm serious." H said as he grinned.
"Huh?"
"Because Dan-san gave me the password to override the limiter, asshole!"

Looks like Dan and Tezuka DID manage to put 2+2 together and figure that something strange was going on. Hopefully the override allows H to get back to full capacity FAST, and if he's even luckier he recorded the convo that he and H3 just had. With it he can prove his innocence to the girls AND inform Dan/Tezuka about H3.

[Sancho]

Great story worth but that creep check out Junjun . cool down cool down.

 Ahem... I don't mind him checking other girls as long as it's not Tsuji, or Eri (S please keep her safe from M  ).   

- Stand-alone chapters (one is MAPLE-related )

Waiting for this one hehehehehe

[ferrar1]

Damn M is back !!!!

*forces self to read before starting work

[jafeijai]

Here we go...Clone fight #1 of what I expect to be many others..=D Though when this gets out, I think all hell's going to break loose in the search for the clones..Should make for some interesting fights Anticipating some great action in the next chapter! ^_^