Chapter 10

A Familiar Voice

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

Many of the performers were still perfecting their performances, while others were putting on make-up. Many were still bracing themselves, feeling a sense of dread and excitement. Felix waited just outside the room of the idol group known as Starry Sweethearts. His arms crossed, while his right eye emitted a ghostly blue light from behind his sunglasses.

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

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

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

“What do you think? Don’t hold back.”

“You were a mess this morning, it’s a little hard to believe you’re the same person.” Felix grinned, annoying the idol as the morning memory ran through his mind.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“At least your eyebags disappeared.” He remarked.

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

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

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

His eyebrows curled slightly, “Is it alright to tell me this?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The music began as soon as he left the area.

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

“No, sir.” An unfamiliar voice replied.

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

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

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

“Haruki-kun? Is something the matter?”

“Have you seen Asahi-san?”

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

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

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

With a sense of discomfort, he immediately excused himself, “I’m uh… I’m going to go look for him.”

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

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

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

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

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

“Robin Two, in position.” And another.

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

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

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

“Sigh.” His irritated groan was clear and audible in the network.

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

He shifted his gaze to the top of the building, “On my way.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Let’s just say a certain happy-go-lucky idol gave me the idea.” He replied.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Right?” The third replied.

“Are you both children? You have movies for brains. Stopping bullets isn’t possible, much less doing so while in the air.” The first robin shouted in disbelief.

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

Felix looked upwards and saw the crescent moon above him and clutched the necklace under his shirt and smiled. He smiled and pulled out a pale white mask from underneath his cloak. But as he put it on, there was a glint in the sky, and his body was tossed halfway across the roof.