(Ren’s running, Beni flies at him)

Beni:

Hey, Ren!

Ren:

(stops) Beni!

Beni:

I heard the story from Koujaku. Geez, what does Aoba think he’s doing?

Ren:

As long as he’s safe when we find him it’s fine. Let’s go find him.

Beni:

Y’say that but where’re we looking? You got any ideas?

Ren:

That’s…I don’t.

Beni:

Hey hey…y’can’t help it. For now let’s scour the places where people go drinking. Ah!

Ren:

What is it?

Beni:

Koujaku’s gettin’ a call right now. Hey, this is–! It’s from Aoba?!

Ren:

Hah–Aoba?!

Ren:

It dropped.

Ren:

Kh–!

Beni:

That’s weird. Koujaku picked up but Aoba didn’t say a thing. There was some rustling and noise–don’t y’think something happened?!

Ren:

Beni. Where was the call from? Can you look it up?

Beni:

Yeah. I can find the general location. Wait a sec.

Ren:

Mhm.

Beni:

Ah, got it. It’s the South District.

Ren:

The South District…Beni. I’m sorry but can you let me hear the call recording?

Beni:

Ok. Wait a sec. (There’s a beep and he plays it back. It’s just the sound of a crowd and some sirens in the distance)

Ren:

Ah…

Beni:

Hey, is this…?

Ren:

Yes. It seems he’s on the move. That thing that sounded like music was the song that always plays at the big clothing store in the middle the South District’s shopping area. At the end of it I heard sirens too. Those were likely from the police cars on routine patrol.

Beni:

Weh…you’ve heard it before?

Ren:

The South District is…a place Aoba often visited in the past so I remember it.

Beni:

All right! In that case then you’ve got a general idea of the place, right?

Ren:

Let’s use the back roads. It’s faster that way.

Beni:

B-But…come on…I ain’t been to the South District that much so I don’t know it that well.

Ren:

It’s all right. I remember it. Even if this situation is vastly different from how it was in the past.

Beni:

Anyway, we’ve gotta go take a look. I’ll let Koujaku know.

Ren:

Yeah. Thank you. Let’s go!

(he runs off)

~interlude~

Cop:

What’re you doing dragging your feet like that? Hurry it up! (he hits Aoba)

Aoba:

Agh–ngh–(he falls down)

Cop:

You’ve been seriously sluggish for a while now, huh? Hey. What’s with that rustling back there?

Aoba:

Geh–

Cop:

Your coil, huh? (he pulls it off and smashes it)

Aoba:

Ah–!

Cop:

Without this you can’t call anyone, right? No one’s coming to help you.

Aoba:

Tch!

Cop:

Come on! Hurry up and spill what you know.

Aoba:

Nngh! I told you I don’t know!

Cop:

You’re pretty stubborn. Hurry up and spit it out! (punches him)

Aoba:

Nngh! (he coughs)

Cop:

(sighs) Come on. Say it.

Aoba:

Nnh…I really…don’t know anything!

Cop:

Aaah~ For a shithead who didn’t even run away, you’ve got guts. But no one’s coming for you and you can’t get away. You know it just might happen that in an unfortunate incident during the investigation you just happened to meet your end. Haha! Hahahaha! Haaah. Geez, if Akushima-san was here, he wouldn’t let us just do what we want with you guys. But yanno, Akushima-san, he was a great guy!

Aoba:

Kh!

Cop:

Oh? What’s with that look? Whenever I talk about Akushima-san you get a pretty defiant look in your eyes. It’s pretty good! Huh?!

Aoba:

What’s with…this guy…?

~interlude~

(Ren’s running through the South District)

Ren:

Earlier Aoba was…most likely in this area.

Beni:

Oh! It’s true! I can hear the same song from when I played back his call!

Ren:

Yeah.

Beni:

But enough about getting this far, where did they take Aoba next?

Ren:

Mmh!

Beni:

How are we gonna find him? (Ren starts walking off) Tch–hey!

Ren:

Hah…I’m sorry. Do you have a moment?

Guy:

Huh?

Ren:

I’m looking for someone. He’s a man in his twenties, wearing a white jacket, about this tall.

Guy:

There’s a lotta guys like that…

Ren:

Have you heard any sort of disturbance in this area?

Guy:

Disturbance? Ah…there was some kind of shit going down earlier.

Ren:

There’s a high possibility that he was involved in that disturbance.

Guy:

Ah…oh! There was a guy who didn’t get out and the police nabbed him. Could it be that guy?

Ren:

Ah–you saw him?!

Guy:

Yeah. Just from a distance, though.

Ren:

Please tell me everything you know.

Guy:

I dunno anything, that’s what it is. Everyone else got away but this one guy got caught. This cop was dragging him along, it was kinda…what a dumbass!

Ren:

Kh–! (grabs him)

Guy:

Hey, what’s with that?

Ren:

Where did that man go?

Guy:

Hah?

Ren:

Hurry up and say it. Tell me everything you saw.

Guy:

H-He was with the cop! They went that way! That’s all I saw! They went the other way from the rest of the force, so they’re probably in the buildings or alleyways over there! He’s probably beating on him, right?

Ren:

Keh…I’m grateful. Beni. Let’s go.

Beni:

Y-Yeah.

(they walked off)

Beni:

You know where Aoba’s at now?

Ren:

Even if we only have a general area it’s good. For now…we’ll have to gradually feel the area out.

(The AllMate Ren comes up to them, panting)

Beni:

Huh? This guy…isn’t that Ren?

Ren:

You followed us? (Ren barks) I see. Let’s look for Aoba together.

Beni:

Heh. It’s heartwarming but you don’t know a thing, huh? But it’s fine to celebrate that. Definitely.

Ren:

Yeah.

Beni:

Then, Let’s go find Aob–oh. Wait a second. It’s another call.

Ren:

Ah–

Beni:

It’s from Aoba. But he hung up right away.

Ren:

Kh–! Beni, let me hear it.

Beni:

Yeah. (he plays it, it’s a bunch of popping and crunching sounds) It sounds different from the one before.

Ren:

Like it’s crushing up against rubble…Or perhaps…a sound like rubble scattering about..

Beni:

D’you know where it’s from? Aah, damn. The waves are all jumbled so I dunno.

Ren:

In this area there’s a lot of illegal network activity. It must be difficult for you to single out Aoba’s signal.

Beni:

Damn…but I know the general location! Ren, d’you think we could do something if we checked it up against your memories?

Ren:

Let’s try it.

Beni:

Y’can’t navigate now so it must be really frustrating, huh?

Ren:

No. I’m perfectly fine because of you Beni. I’m truly indebted to you.

Beni:

Cut it out. Come on, let’s hurry up and find Aoba.

Ren:

Yes. There’s many buildings and alleyways in the South District where Aoba used to hide long ago.

Beni:

Oh.

Ren:

It seems that Aoba used them when he simply wanted to be alone. That’s how I know of places where people don’t usually go. Let’s focus our search on those places. Once we’re closer to Aoba, he can probably pick up on the signal from his Coil.

Beni:

He? (Ren barks)

Ren:

Mhm. If you pick up on Aoba’s signal, please tell me. (Ren barks)

Beni:

Aha, I see. That’s because you’re his AllMate, huh? We’re countin’ on you! (Ren barks) Right, let’s go! (they run off)