The Laughing Clowns

<p>The stadium falls silent, the Battle Cube humming pulsing slowly its blue glow. Man this woman can't just enter a door without making it a huge scene. Whatever she has to say, I'm not gonna do it. Aura enters back into my S.O.U.L device setting a damaging blaze in my heart. It's easily to tell that this woman will say anything to gain favor, she's done it with my dad. With me. I know her tricks. We walk across past the door with all the secret service guards tailing us from behind talking in their headsets. <br/> <br/>"Pfft, imagine having to talk in headsets. That's so weak." Yuuzuko says. <br/> <br/>I take a short peek behind me and see him waving with his signature shit-eating grin, but man it is pretty funny can't shake a chuckle or two myself, "That's true man and hey, that was a nice spar. When did you get so serious about this?" <br/> <br/>"Probably, because of what happened yesterday. The four clowns were up to something. If we didn't leave when we did…" Aoi says. "Also hi, I'm part of this crew you know." <br/> <br/>"Wait, you're in my guild?" I ask. <br/> <br/>"Of course I am! I'm the Ice Goddess!" <br/> <br/>That's why she's been following us every day. Makes sense. Wait, what?! I was that dumb, wooow. But thank god, she's the Ice Goddess in the game, means I can trust her skills easier. <br/> <br/>"Well I'm happy to see who you are! You always never wanted to really show yourself when we talked about heading out." <br/> <br/>Fwoom, a door slams shut and wakes us out of the conversation, "Alright! Now we are here, kiddos!" Mother says. <br/> <br/>Inside one of the empty classrooms, we sit across from mother surrounded by six of her servicemen with a stern look on her face, her purple-covered lips serious. Even though the air conditioning is off, the frigid stare coming from her is intense. A blizzard could be here freezing us passively, thank goodness we all have defensive abilities on stand by. Many desks in order along with their backpacks carrying extra clothes from the amount of sweat we do during class everyday. Sunlight pouring into the large windows and filtering through tree leaves. The silence is becoming too long though, if no one is wanting to speak up I'll start. <br/> <br/>I let out a sigh, "Isn't this what you shouldn't do? Mother." <br/> <br/>"What are you talking about?" She asks. "Things are perfectly safe." <br/> <br/>"The windows are see through, no sound changer, nothing to protect information coming in and out. I'm starting to think you chose the wrong job as protector of the country." I say. Each word cutting through her like invisible daggers. <br/> <br/>She places her fingers and adjust her spectacles, "Look, I'm telling you we're safe. No one will be able to even breathe near our presence. The whole school is stuck inside one of our newest technologies. It stops communications from coming in and out, and makes the whole school invisible if it needed to." <br/> <br/>Aoi's AI, a small boy with blue liquid hair and bright blue eyes that swirl as if underwater wearing a raincoat and boots, walks towards the window and she looks out as well and stays nearby, "Well, maybe you should start telling us why you're here. Kazuki, seems very uncomfortable with you here. So maybe just get on with it." <br/> <br/>Mother stands and walks up closer to us and with a deep breath says, "I'll need your help, Kazuki." <br/> <br/>Tch. After abandoning me? Yeah, no. I don't think so. I step forward so hard the floor I swear I heard crack and look into her eyes, "And what makes you think I'll help you?" <br/> <br/>Instinctively she steps back, her eyes straining to stay serious. She knew she'd step on a mine asking for my help, there's no way I'd accept her asking for help. I'm still calming my breath as Aura, tries to control my bloodstream enough to not make me lose it. Mother falls onto her knees and bows as low as she could which is something I never thought was possible and screams, "I'm so sorry, Kazuki! I'm sorry I did that to you, but I really don't want to be killed! I want to start over, gain your trust at least. Please show me you have at least some forgiveness towards me even if I left you when you were six." <br/> <br/>A flush comes across my face and hold my arm a bit hearing her out, "And how do I know this isn't you just manipulating me into doing this?" <br/> <br/>"I, Mariko, hereby swear to you Kazuki that I want your help! I swear to you." She cries, this seems a little too much. "I watched your spar session with Yuuzuko, I honestly didn't believe in your abilities when my boss said to hire you as my bodyguards. But as I watched you and Yuuzuko spar, and saw your ranking in the Top 20 most powerful guild in Elements, I've never felt so proud to have been your mother. Please believe me." <br/> <br/>As the silence comes across the room, this time its a good one. Sometimes her dramatization of everything isn't so bad once in a while. I kneel down and give her my hand, she isn't beneath me. I wanted a good connection with my family again, maybe this is the start. I look at her in the eyes and say something I never thought I would say, "Okay, Mom. Let's work together. Just, you don't have to be too dramatic about it." <br/> <br/>She jumps up and hugs me so tight, my eyes widen. How long has she thought about reconnecting? Why now? Is it because she is being sought after by people in the Element game? So many questions, but teamwork makes the dream work, right? I don't mind helping to take down those terrorists from the game. My eyes close and hug back, letting it sink in. <br/> <br/>BOOM! An explosion sounds from outside and after a moment another explosion happens at the side of the school wall. People from the first floor scramble and scream as the alarm on our floor sounds. BOOM! BOOM! Aoi's AI shoots out a large water wall that vaporizes into stream as an explosion blasts near the window, "I think we should leave now! The alarms are raised, Kazuki! We need to be at our stations!" <br/>"On it!" I yell. Taking one last look at my mom before jumping out of the window with the other two and bolting out to see what's happening. "Aoi. Yuuzuko. Here take these." I say and throw the 2 extra battle cubes stored in every classroom for emergencies as I keep one every day. <br/>Once we reach the entrance of the school, robots carrying bombs, thousands of them, fly and drop their load down onto the school and walls start caving in. Four people wearing clown masks hold onto their various weapons, a sword, two mini scythes, a pistol and three grenades rush to the scene and cause more havoc trying to rush into the school. They cackle and laugh as they explode the government cars as to not let them leave the area. Each of these clowns are solo with no AI with them, they are NPCs? No. They're players!</p>