Throwing Away The Sobbing

Dark-blue early night sky entered the central stage above and gusted the freezing wind across the spacious area of Rising Sun, including the scenery of Neo Tokyo city. Buildings with neon-light, holographic screens shone its glittering light that brightly embarked throughout the wide space of the city.

Most of the roads were now filled with neon-line vehicles inhabited especially on the vehicles that stopped their engine due to the holographic traffic light heaving the neon-crimson light on the upper part. One of the vehicles becoming the temporary parking members was the enlarged bus with neon-blue lines wrapped around the entire rear part, taking the position on the middle back.

Inside the bus, the majority of the seat from both the front row and the back row were occupied by office workers and high schoolers who were ready to either meet their restful home or prolong the midnight activity. Hatoshi and Yuna were also the passengers of this bus as they took the paired balmy, silk-white seats on the back left side.

As the bus still didn't create any movement forward, Hatoshi placed his opened sketchbook on the floating holographic placemat on the front. Hence, he began to initiate the drawing activity by connecting the drawing lines of his newest sketch with the black-ink drawing pen.

The chosen newest sketch he currently chose for the drawing material was an armored man submissively kneeling and wincing somberly toward an inhuman figure on the left. A floating figure with a muscular body shape and a demonic mask resembling a despondent Oni slowly became the center of attraction through Hatoshi's downcasted furrow.

His downcasted furrow also lured his close partner beside him to glance into the ongoing drawing process, perceiving her intrigued sight toward the artwork. Then, Yuna raised her stare closer on seeing the schoolboy who noticed the presence being watched with him steering his furrow onto her.

"Pretty interesting concept for the artwork, Hatoshi." Yuna happily praised, switching her impressed stare back to the ongoing artwork once again.

"Thanks for your relieving compliment again," Hatoshi uttered with a thankful tone, slowly wiping away his downcasted furrowed and widening his eyebrows in a tiny glimpse of serenity. "To be honest, this is how I…felt like now…hehe."

"It's okay, Hatoshi," Yuna assured.

"Besides this artwork can be very good and unique at the same time," Yuna added, extending her compliment. "I also like you drew another artwork that is not quite related with….Superhero again.

"Well…for that, I'm just trying a new concept," Hatoshi answered with little traces of confidence igniting his voice and chuckling.

A neon green light arose through the traffic light from the outside and the vehicles smoothly started their engines, including the bus. A little bump emerged on the holographic placemat as the sketchbook of Hatoshi sluggishly slid onto the back, holding the side part with his other hand from falling.

Regardless, Hatoshi presumed his drawing activity by tracing the sobering face of the man, especially on the left cheek part. The continuation of completing the drawing shone a reminder within Yuna's broadened eyebrows, coloring her entire face with cloudy worriedness.

The schoolgirl briskly folded his other hands that holding the drawing and bit her unnerving lips briefly. A soft landing from the palm of his close partner stopped the clean flow of the drawing activity with Hatoshi resting his drawing pen.

He steered his half despondent glance toward the worried face of his close partner, flipped up his hand, and gripped Yuna's gentle holding hand. They traded their stare toward each other and encouraged Hatoshi to clear his throat, receiving the intention of his close partner's action as she tightened her holding hands.

"You wanted to talk about when I'm exposed my true identity to….them, right?" Hatoshi guessed with a bitter tone, gritting his lips.

Yuna assuredly nodded, "Yes Hatoshi. Is this true you will….them on the morning?"

"Of course…yes," Hatoshi replied with anxiousness showering through the course of his veins by sweats showering his trembling neck. "Because….in two days, The Phantom Guy told me and the other he will be back."

Hatoshi grunted and muttered, "I…know I needed to be there for them and even the city too. It's….my responsibility right now on protecting…you and the city from his twisted ambition and I didn't…want to keep stuck like this."

"I really adored that you always wanted to move forward even deep down you truly hurt." Yuna complimented, gleefully broadening a gentle smile.

Hatoshi chuckled happily before sharpening his blissful eyebrows and replied, "Well…whining and resting about the guilt for a long time will not…solve anything in the end."

"Besides, I prefer responsibility and solving this problem rather than listening to my mood," Hatoshi mentioned valiantly.

"Your statement is true, Hatoshi," Yuna remarked joyfully.

Hence, Hatoshi comfortably wrapped one of his gentle arms on his close partner's stomach which briskly convinced her on leaning her head on his chest, closing her soothing eyes. A soothing moment and serenity bloomed through both of the high schoolers on their way of going home.

The freezing inside of the Chemistra's secret base was recently entered by another hero from outside Neo Tokyo. The hero was none other than Akushijo who headed forward and widened his intrigued sight onto something occurring on the edge-right, releasing a relieving gasp.

The Grass Ninja witnessed two heroes of Neo Tokyo, Chemistra and Agano alongside his hulking robot, Ryuzen centralized their sight onto the hovering bluish screen. Akushijo's approaching presence was quickly caught by the two heroes as they turned around, preventing the ninja from taking more approaching steps.

"Good to see you again, Akushijo." Agano greeted gladfully.

Akushijo giggled and uttered, "Me too, Old man Onmyouji."

Akushijo continued his approaching step and stopped immediately when he caught the glimpse of the cotton-white metal watch with encircling neon-blue light on the middle emerging from Chemistra's right wrist. A curious clouded The Grass Ninja's bright lantern eyes as he marked his finger down and slowly shoved his sight closer in order to observe the object.

"So, is the…clock thing related to countering the weird humanoids alongside their megalomaniac Phantom?" Akushijo asked with an intrigued tone.

"It's not a full counter machine," Chemistra answered with a deep stoic tone. "Instead, it's a detector. A detector that can predict the exact spawning location of the humanoid and even Tha Phantom too

"However, there's still a flaw too which is the technology could not find the location of The Phantom's whereabouts," Chemistra added.

Akushijo grunted with a little trace of dissatisfaction lingering through his voice, "Oh…I see. I thought it'll be some kind of machine that can nullify their genes like…The Silver Ozmonian could do to the creepy destroyer group."

Chemistra firmly crossed both of her cybernetic arms and despondently bowed her head, gazing down her sight onto the watch. A swift resilient juiced her mind with her sternly lifted centering sight to Akushijo and rested her crossing arms, erasing the abrupting despondency that might still linger in her thoughts.

"The big problem is our technology wasn't strong enough on creating a power-nullifying machine, especially toward The Phantom," Chemistra explained coldly. "Detector was the only best thing we could ever have so far, new Akushijo."

"Ah I see, so we just have to rely on our own power then," Akushijo murmured with him pressing a gleaming uneasy stare, "Sorry to say I don't think our power is strong enough on…defeating the humanoids."

With the feeling of bitterness clouding the flow of the conversation, Agano took one step up and raised one of his clenched fists in the front of his beating chest. He precisely marked his stare toward The Grass Ninja who unnervingly tilted his head back and forth, preparing to flare up an encouragement through the conversation.

"We can still train in here and discuss our plan, new Akushijo," Agano suggested, steering his gaze shortly on The Chemist and returning it to The Grass Ninja.

"I know, but I'm still not quite sure if…we face The Phantom guy just only four of us. Including the giant robot" Akushijo countered, glaring his skeptical eyes to the right and trembling his hands.

A memory clip replaying the scenery where Sparror stood in the secret with dreaded guilt played briefly through Akushijo's mind. A grimace frown painted The Grass Ninja's entire glistening sight, forcing him to stagger the tightened hands of his, and released a hefty-contorting puff.

"Also…I just thought about that Sparror, Did you guys sure he will…be back!?" Akushijo frantically asked.

Agano reluctantly exhaled the burdensome air and replied with an anxious tone, "I'm still not sure, but…I'm hoping he'll be back, new Akushijo."

"Tomorrow I will visit his house and check whether he will join…the upcoming fight or not," Chemistra mentioned rigidly, sharpening her observative stare toward The Grass Ninja.

"Okay, I understood….that," Akushijo mumbled, trembling both of his glistening-frantic eyes.

Another reminder blitzed through the depth of The Grass Ninja's mind as he constantly shook his head before elevating his opened palm. Akushijo retrieved back his hand with him observing both The Chemist and The Onmyouji, obtaining the willpower to unleash the statement as he froze the trembling hands.

"How about the Shaolins? Will they aid our battle like before?" Akushijo presumed the flow of the conversation with nervousness showered his voice and exposed his point. "I….meant that weird Phantom might prepare something that can be equally powerful as the Planet Destroyer creep."

"Especially with those bizarre-looking army of humanoids," Akushijo added.

Agano sighed in utter disappointment and uttered, "Sadly, The Shaolin had their own problems too."

"The Shaolins currently still ongoing one of the most notorious criminal organizations in their own country," Agano explained calmly. "That's the reason why they couldn't aid…us."

"Even for its upcoming days they still couldn't do…it?" Akushijo countered with another question, raising his puzzling eyes.

"Based on what Mistress Foreseen said to me, it's an obvious no," Chemistra mentioned.

Hence, The Grass Ninja anxiously bowed his head feeling the bitter sorrow showering his beating hard, and shivered all of the motions. While Agano could only give a pity look before he patted his fellow ally on the left shoulder, igniting the glimmer of encouragement through his mind.

"New Akushijo, we still had a hope of stopping this threat," Agano assured with a slight placidness shining through his voice.

Akushijo unnervingly swallowed a large gulp of saliva and guessed, "You think that Sparror will return tomorrow?

"I'm mostly certain it's a yes," Agano answered valiantly before he deepened his tone when continuing on sharing his answer. "However, if Sparror didn't come back, we just have to face whatever the twisted Phantom tricks he wanted to show."

"Because at the end of the day, we are heroes." Agano remarked rigidly, "We will face anything no matter the cost in order to maintain the peace!!

Agano grunted, "More specifically, we are all ready to die too at the end of the day!! New Akushijo."

The Grass Ninja hastily closed both of his unnerving-gleaming eyes and howled a despairful whimper, step by step grasping the eagerness. An eagerness that incinerated most of the agitating semblance within Akushijo's mind with him let loose one of his widened his in excitement.

Moreover, The Grass Ninja locked his poised glance toward Agano who responded to him with an alleviating chuckle. A temporal image of his dead father who wore the same Superhero mantle as he popped out and replaced The Onmyouji's spot within his sight before dispersed into scattering white ashes. The refreshing reminder stuck into Akushijo's head, releasing a gleeful giggle and lightening up the shimmering light through his widened, mitigated sight.

"You reminded me of my father, Old Man Onmyouji. Always love to talk about that kind of thing." Akushijo confessed cheerfully, marking his finger toward The Onmyouji. "But, you are right about that….heroic previous statement."

"Your father will be proud seeing his son like this," Agano stated gladly.

"Hopefully, yes, Old man," Akushijo admitted proudly.

Then Akushijo switched his sight toward The Chemist and shoved his fist onto the palm before he uttered with igniting the tiny spark of eagerness, "So, Cyber Chemist, are we ready to commence our tonight's training?"

"100% yes," Chemistra replied chillingly and swiftly walked past The Grass Ninja which prevented her steps from moving further.

"If you two are ready to initiate the training, follow me," Chemistra added, persuading both Akushijo and Agano.

Akushijo turned around in The Chemist's direction and said, "It's obviously a yes. I'm very ready to train and kick The Phantom ass!!"

"Also ruining his goddamn bizarre…show!!" Akushijo spoke with glaring assertiveness scorched through his mind.

Thus, The Chemist headed toward the exit automatically slid as she reached the near distance and opened the freezing outside view of the meeting, being followed by the other two heroes alongside the hovering Ryuzen. A night time of training was initiated for the heroes in order to gain a better chance of combating the upcoming threat from The Phantom's newest twisted show.

***