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[The Market]
"How long have they been at it?" One refugee said, their eyes moved to the sound and brief images of the cart.
"Beats me," another replies. "I still can't get over the fact that one of them is used as a booster."
The shopping cart swiftly manuevers between the aisles. Atop the cart, a couple of penguins snatched items off the shelves and tossed them into the cart as they passed.
the rattle of the cart blending into the background, not entirely masking the approaching footsteps, making him turn. "Did you read about their world?
"Just the ordinary. Nothing much going on, except the animals seem smarter than usual,"
"Huh... no wonder that they could talk." one of them nods
"That's not the case, it doesnt say anywhere that they can speak, not in a sense that a person would notice." He confirms, returning to the cart's chaotic spree just as it makes a beeline towards the counter where Kazuhiro stood,
Misty returned from the information kiosk with Ash and Pikachu in tow. They found Brock standing with his arms crossed as he watched the scene unfold across the aisles.
"It's weird, you know. They remind me of a certain Pokémon by their looks, but" Brock mused, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
"I wonder if you could catch them like Pokémon," Ash pondered aloud,
"Pi..." Pikachu chirped curiously from his shoulder.
Misty shakes her head. "That's not going to work. Remember what that kid said? Our Pokéballs only work in our world. They'd be useless anywhere else."
Brock hummed, "Well, maybe we don't need to catch them," he suggested. "We could try taming them instead. I have seen some trainers who work closely with their Pokémon without confining them to Pokéballs."
"That's... actually not a bad approach," She nods slowly.
"Hey, do you think we could go to other worlds too?" Ash looks to brock.
"It's possible," Brock's gaze drifts towards Kazuhiro behind the counter. "But something tells me it wouldn't be free."
CRASH!
The sound jolts those around, seeing as the cart slammed against the counter where Kazuhiro stood. The penguins jumped and flipped onto the counter. One was slightly off balance, slipped and fell, but quickly recovered and hopped back up, his feathers slightly ruffled.
"Kenny—"
"It's Kazuhiro, sir." Kowalski corrected.
"We've gathered the basics, but there's more we're after." He motioned to Kowalski, "Write it down for Koby here."
"Kazuhiro, sir" Kowalski now ready with his notepad and pen.
"First," Skipper's eyes locked on Kazuhiro's face. "We need plane parts, working engines, turbo boosters, and even airline meals. Since you said this place has everything, get the whole shebang in one go."
Kazuhiro was about to say something only to be interrupted
"Hold it, Kevin, I'm not done yet. Second thing on the list..."
Five minutes later...
"And make sure the statue is as detailed as possible, got that?" Skipper casted a critical eye over the pile of notes Kowalski had compiled. "These notes should cover it if you miss anything," he added as Kowalski tore off yet another piece of paper, adding it to the stack.
Kazuhiro picked up one of the notes to review. The paper was nothing more than a mess of scribbles. Fortunately, his slightly enhanced intelligence had captured the essentials of their request, though some minor details might have slipped through.
"I will get it done..." Kazuhiro finally said, his voice calm and measured. "However, the cost will be substantial."
"Money isn't the issue." Skipper retorted briskly. "Rico!" signaling him regurgitate any treasures stored inside.
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After a moment of struggle, and with Private patting his back to assist, Rico managed to expel a few valuable items, though far less than expected.
"Skippa, no more is coming out," Private reported, looking slightly dismayed as he watched Rico cough up a few screws, metal scraps, a handful of silver coins and pennies.
Skipper's face fell for a moment before he snapped back into his usual self "Well, that's alright! We can work something out, right?" He looked at Kazuhiro.
"There are ways to earn." Kazuhiro nods,
"Go on, we're listening." Skipper urged, his curiosity piqued.
"One of them is by getting a loan and the other is to complete missions across worlds." Kazuhiro walked a few steps, later gesturing with one of his long fingers towards a large bulletin board.
The concept intrigued Skipper, and he turned his eyes to the board. "Missions, you say?" He scratched his beak thoughtfully. "Kowalski!" He turned, "Are we in a rush to get to New York?"
"Not necessarily, sir," Kowalski affirmed,"With the abundance of food and fresh water on the island, we are in no rush to take flight. With the lemurs around and the necessary parts, we might be able to build a sustainable plane in six to nine months."
"Sixty-nine months?!" Skipper exclaimed, his eyes widened.
"No, six TO nine months," Kowalski stepped up to the bulletin board and inspecting the notes. "Going back to what Kazuhiro said from the start about the concept of worlds. Our best bet is to salvage whatever resources the world has to offer to trade to get the necessary parts." Kowalski inspected the small rewards given as they weren't enough. "Given the rewards, it may take time. Plus, it's surprising that I can read what's written," he added, a bit shocked as he turned back to face Skipper.
Skipper nodded, absorbing the information. "Alright, soldiers, looks like we've got ourselves a mission within a mission. Let's get to it and earn what we need!" He turned back to Kazuhiro. "We'll take on these missions. Just point us in the right direction."
Kazuhiro nodded. "First, you have to fill a contract. Would you prefer to be of seasoned or of novice rank?"
Skipper smirked, "I think we all know which rank we belong to, right boys?" He turned to his team, who exchanged fin slaps,
"The seasoned rank will cost twenty five credits each, totaling hundred credits." Kazuhiro explained.
"Aren't you being a bit too greedy, Kenny? Making us pay just to do missions?" Skipper retorted, narrowing his eyes at the towering figure.
"It's part of the market's services. However, the novice rank is free. After completing a certain number of missions, you can rank up to seasoned status. You can also pay to rank up later if you wish," Kazuhiro clarified,
"Kowalski, analysis!" Skipper barked, turning to his second-in-command.
Kowalski tapped his beak thoughtfully. "Based on our current assets, we can't afford seasoned ranks for all of us, sir. Our only options are to either work our way up or gather resources to pay for a rank up."
"Fine," Skipper sighed, "baby rank it is." He turned back to Kazuhiro,
Kazuhiro took a few steps to the counter where a small stack of papers lay. He marked four by shading in the novice choice. He then handed the adventurer contracts to each penguin. "Sign these, and you'll be ready to pick any available mission on the board by simply ripping the note off,"
"Rico," Skipper called, as Rico promptly spat out a pen. He held the pen with both fins, as he signed the document beneath his feet and then passed it to the others. "Are there any more fees we should know about?" he asked, raising a brow.
"There are." Kazuhiro responded smoothly. "If you have read the document, you would have known about the travel fees, failure fees, facility fees, and several others. These will accumulate and can be paid by the end of the month."
"Sheesh, who knew you were so money-hungry," Skipper muttered. After the others finished signing their documents. A later scene occured as the contracts whispered to Ash and items materialized above them, revealing exactly four cards draped in bronze. The sight made Skipper whistle in appreciation while the other three stared with mouths agape.
"These are your adventurer cards. Losing them will require you to pay extra fees to get it back," he said, his tone unchanging.
"More fees? What is this, Congress in session?" Skipper muttered, but loud enough for his team to hear. "Rico! Safeguard these cards and never let them see the light of day until it's necessary." He handed his card and the rest to Rico, swallowing the cards whole.
"Kowalski!" Skipper turned. "Assess the missions. Filter out the dull ones."
"I've already done a preliminary scan, sir," Kowalski reported,"Most of the more exciting missions are reserved for seasoned ranks. The ones available to us are mainly support roles and resource gathering."
Skipper's face fell slightly. "Seriously? None? And here I thought it would get better."
"Although, there is one mission that stands out," Kowalski replied. "It's an operation to deal with a gang of street cats causing trouble in the neighborhood. Authorities have a hard time catching them."
"A cat gang, huh?" Skipper's eyes sparkled with interest. "That's more like it. Alright, boys, we've got our mission. Let's show these cats they picked the wrong neighborhood to mess with. Rip out the note, kawalski."
As Kowalski tore the note from the board, a muffled ting was heard inside Rico, drawing everyone's attention.
"Got something to say, Rico?" Skipper asked,
Rico spat out the source of the noise: a glowing card with Kowalski's name on it.
"Hm, I think I might understand what's going on here. You,". He pointed at Kowalski. "Hand that note to him," he gestured towards Private, curious to test his theory.
Skipper bristled slightly. "And who gave you the right to order my men?" his eyes narrowed, then turned to Kowalski. "Kowalski, pass that note to Private."
Kowalski complied, transferring the note to Private. Another ting echoed from within Rico, followed by Private's card being expelled.
'It appears the market recognizes and assigns members for a mission when the note is handed off, allowing them to form a group.' Kazuhiro thoughtfully concluded.
"I think I get the gist of what's happening here," Skipper said, scratching his beak. "Kowalski?"
"To summarize, the note assigns those who touch it onto a group," Kowalski confirmed
"You don't say? Private, hand me that note," Skipper ordered, wanting to verify.
Private complied and handed the note to Skipper, resulting in another ting from Rico's void-like stomach.
Skipper glanced at the note before slapping it on to Rico's back, producing yet another ting. "Looks like we're officially a crew on this mission,"
Kazuhiro interjected, "To start your mission, simply leave through the main entrance with the note in hand. It will take you to your destination."
"You heard him," Skipper said, stuffing the adventurer cards back inside Rico. "Let's roll." The penguins slid on their bellies towards the exit.
Meanwhile, Ash, Misty, and Brock approached Kazuhiro. "Wee'd like to sign up as adventurers too," Brock said, trying to keep a serious face despite the flush on his cheeks.
Misty gave Brock a sidelong glare, suspecting his true motivations. She muttered something under her breath but didn't argue.
"Very well—" Kazuhiro started,
ZAP!
The sound came from the entrance. Rico lay slightly burnt on the floor, still alive but looking worse for wear. The commotion drew everyone's attention.
"Rico!" Skipper shouted, rushing over. He cradled Rico's body, glaring at Kazuhiro. "Was it you?!"
Kazuhiro observed the scene and shook his head. "That is not possible, no one can harm anyone in this domain. However it could be one of the market's defense system, To trigger such mechanisms, your friend may have harmed someone—"
Kazuhiro observed silently. "Or to sneak out the produce from the market without paying."
The penguins' eyes widened in realization. Skipper sighed in defeat, "...Rico, spit it out." Rico complied, expelling a stash of snacks, treats, and small products. "Alright, no more sticky flippers, boys. We'll earn our keep the right way." Kawalski approached and assisted Rico as they left the endless domain.
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[W4 (Deathnote)]
[Yagami's residence, 10:00 PM]
Step. Step. Step
A middle-aged woman stopped cleaning the dishes and turned to the sound of footsteps descending the stairs. She noticed that it was her son, Light, who now wore a winter coat. "Are you Going somewhere?"
"To the convenience store. I'll stay up late tonight to finish an assignment" Light smiled, "Now that I'm here, might aswell take out the trash."
"Oh, that reminds me, there's a small box beside the front door; throw that out, too. It's a bunch of old useless stuff."
Light nodded and walked to the hallway. He grabbed the trash bag aswell the box and left.
Light's footsteps echoed softly against the pavement as he walked, the cool evening air brushing against his face. He went down the dimly lit street.
"Care to explain why the shinigami are on its side?" Light muttered, keeping his voice low as he walked past a narrow alleyway. He knew Ryuk was close behind,
"I've heard stories, and that's about it," Ryuk replied nonchalantly.
Light tossed the trash into a nearby bin, and his mind began to theorize. "An ally is a big stretch. For that to happen, it must have offered the shinigami something they all needed, something that resolved their weaknesses or fulfilled their desires."
Ryuk's eyes glinted with amusement, choosing to remain vague and not spill as much. "Hn, from what I heard, your words can be a possibility. So, do you want to summon it here?" Light continued walking, heading towards the convenience store. "I guess not," Ryuk followed closely.
After a minute of silence, Light spoke again. "Is it possible to control where that door should appear?" he asked, his voice thoughtful.
"It is," Ryuk said, his tone more serious. "From what I've heard, you can focus it on the spot where you want it to appear. To summon the door, simply envision the place you have seen."
Light nodded, absorbing the information as they reached the convenience store. The door opened with a soft ding, and a blast of cold air greeted him. He moved from shelf to shelf, gathering snacks, drinks, sweets, and a bag of chips to keep him fueled for the night.
With nothing else to get, he headed for the cashier's counter. The worker casually scanned the order, later turning the screen to face it towards him. He paid the amount due. The worker bagged his stuff and wished him farewell as he left with Ryuk trailing behind.
"Can I have some?" Ryuk asked as they stepped outside, eyeing the bag of snacks.
"You can buy your own," Light said flatly, checking the items in the bag before pulling out a small chocolate bar for himself.
"Hm? You aren't coming then?" Ryuk tilted his head, curious.
"No," his voice was firm as he took a bite.
A soft hum from the alleyway drew Ryuk's attention. A subtle light emerged from the darkness, revealing a golden door with a scale symbol engraved at its center.
The strange scene in front of Ryuk's eyes was disturbed by Light's voice, which made him turn to face him again. "I'll just have to open it so you can go in, right? I won't join you. As I do not want to associate myself with you,"
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