Nighttime Sounds II

This island, heavily industrialized like the many of the second ring, is home to Radiohead technologies, a company founded decades ago during the age of radio wave technology, despite it being outdated now Radiohead has evolved with times becoming one of the leading companies in data management and security,

As the internet has become commonplace within the second ring even being seen as a second home by some, data management and security has become a necessity, companies such as Radiohead help manage and secure their data from breaches and attacks.

This is a very lucrative business, so much so that stealing even one gigabyte of data stored within the company's servers, is enough to make you a multimillionaire if to the right buyers…

...

"Pheew♪" whistles a hooded figure stood on a rooftop Parallel to the Radiohead data compound

The figure paces impatiently looking over at the heavily guarded facility

"Are you sure there is going to be attack here?" the person speaks with apparently someone over a communication device

{"Three guards were paid off to call in sick to today

And seven police officers were paid to not patrol this area tonight,"} another voice replies

The data these companies store are virtually impossible to steal from online,

However, if one were to break into the main building itself…..

"Even if what you said is true, this place is still damn near impenetrable, I am curious to see how they will get through, but would much rather I hunt them down beforehand and invoke my divine punishment

That would save us much more time." The person on the roof murmurs

{"Divine punishment? don't tell me you are really going to start playing into this Messiah role Apollo?"} the other speaker groans

"Are you mad you don't have a name Himari?" Apollo teases

{"Hardly."}

"Maybe I should make one,

How about the wiseman?"

{"How about you stay focused"}

"I would be focused if I was out in the streets looking for actual wrong-doers"

{"This isn't a superhero movie Apollo

The only 'wrong doing' that occurs here are either by criminal organizations or pirates,

Be my guest if you want to go looking for a purse snatcher."}

"Only a suggestion, you need not be so abrasive Himari"

{"'Need not be so abrasive"} Himari echoes him

{"I love how the third ring people talk

It is so outdated,"} she half chuckles

"Wow, I didn't know your developers programmed the ability to laugh into your system," Apollo dry laughs

{"Was that your attempt at a joke Apollo?"} Himari audibly frowns

"Not really, I was just trying to show off that I can speak your techno mumbo too," Apollo feeling somewhat lame for the attempt

{"Do you want an applause for that?"}

"....."

{"That's what I thought,"} …..

…..

The conversation dies down,

Himari, currently situated on her home island of Hanabira, where she directs Apollo who masquerades as the vigilante known as the people have dubbed the Messiah,

Himari uses her other job at the prison is so that she can see to it that the criminals Apollo apprehends getting their deserved sentencing

The pair's motivation for assuming this responsibility is still unclear.....

...

"Hey Himari"

{"Hey Apollo"}

The two begin to speak simultaneously

"You first Himari."

{"So I was thinking, well I actually was going to say… one of my sisters recently got engaged and she is having a party, she has been pestering me to bring someone with me—"}

"—Yeah I'll go," yawns Apollo lazily

"But don't you have other friends at work to ask?"

{"I am a few years away from being a senior government operative Apollo, and I am twenty-three,

How many do you think I work with are close to my age, that I could become good friends with"}

"That energetic engineer with the weird name,

I thought that was your friend?"

{"I already asked MF, before asking you, it seems my sister already invited him because she knows we're friends, she means to make actually ask someone,"}

"Can I bring Kage and Lyra then?"

{"You can bring your girlfriend, but not the pirate,"}

"First of all, Lyra and I are akin to siblings, we have been through hell together since we were children,

And secondly you need to give Kage a break, he is umm, complicated"

{"Still does not excuse the crimes,

Why do you pull for him so much and you've previously said you only met him recently Apollo?"}

"Remember when I just said that Lyra and I, went through hell?

Well Kage was like a light, no, that's not Kage actually,

Kage was like a firefly that would occasionally light up, one that got lost and stumbled onto us, only he inadvertently ended up helping us

My friend Pinoki used to say he was emotionally inconsistent,"

{"Is that a mental illness?

Maybe we should have him rechecked"}

"Hey, that was not the point I was getting at Himari"

{"Mmm, you can bring the pirate if you want I suppose"}

"So I did get through to you!" Apollo gloats

{"Now what was it that you wanted to ask me Apollo?"} Himari ignoring the previous remark

"I was wondering how come you are so relaxed when we do vigilante stuff, but such a hard ass during the day?"

{"This is a hobby, work is work, will that answer suffice?"}

"I feel like you are me patronizing sometimes when you speak all proper,"

{"I always speak proper,

Stop fishing for content to keep our conversation going Apollo,

Buck up, I am detecting approaching vehicles, get ready"

The conversation finally subsides as the 'Messiah' watches stealthy at a foursome of armored vans

{"Are they planning to drive right through the building? Because that will never work they must have something else planned,

A bomb maybe, no that'll potentially destroy the data servers,"} as Himari ponders Apollo watches as the masked perpetrators disassemble from the vehicles hauling with them a spiraling object not even Himari has seen before,"

{"That has to be some newly developed bomb, or maybe something else entirely"}

"No use worrying over it, let's call this a night Himari."

{"You haven't even taken them out yet"}

"Yes, I know–" Apollo cracks his knuckles and stretches his arms preparing to jump onto the unsuspecting assailants

"–But this is going to be quick."