[EXE5 Spoilers / PG] Healing Wounds - Final Chapter

[Midnight]

Intriguing.

And I see someone has taken my obsession and multiplied it ten-fold. Not a problem.

Anyway...yes, I very much enjoy the story as of yet. I can't help but sympathize with Regal--although he was a cold-hearted bastard, as it's been said, all people deserve a second chance. Great diction and syntax, and altogether a satisfying read.
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Today, these three players are after Big Bucks! But they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives! From Television City in Hollywood! It's time to 'Press Your Luck!'--Rod Roddy

The Kingdom of Loathing: An Adventurer is You! // I ♣ Seals

Avatar by Spork. I very much appreciate it! <3

[Shadowman.EXE]

Lovely story, let's hope Regal doesn't do something that gets him out of his limits or right to the jail with him.

I wonder how bad Regal's welcoming to Scilabs will be (we know they're not going to receive him with open arms >.>).

Lovely fic as always, apart from the cleaning rushed typos thingie *runs away ~/o/;;*
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Hecho en MÉXICO.

[Mari]

Disclaimer on part 1.




Dr. Regal sighed softly as he typed a few commands into the computer he was working at. Two weeks had passed since he began his internship in SciLabs, and so far it wasn't the most pleasant experience for him. People within the labs were wary about him; he wasn't trusted at all, and the only person to ever show any form of trust was Dr. Yuuichirou Hikari. As much as he tried to cope with the feeling of rejection, the distrust from his co-workers, and the fact he was marked with a chip to track him down like an animal, it was too much for him to handle.

Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if this internship was any better than being in jail. He wanted to succeed, but the truth was, he was close to give up and just ask to be locked into a cold cell, and have the key thrown away.

Somebody knocked on the door, putting an abrupt end to Regal's musings. "Dr. Regal?"

The scientist turned around to see Yuuichirou, who smiled politely and sat down next to him. "Working hard, I suppose. Have you finished already? My wife's made a delicious dinner."

Since Yuuichirou was Regal's legal tutor, he had been forced to give him a temporary shelter. Netto and Rockman were a bit uncomfortable to see the 'deranged madman' they had battled nearly a month ago sleeping in the couch, but Haruka didn't mind at all. The man left with Yuuichirou at dawn everyday and didn't return after a couple of hours, or even days, depending of the work load at SciLabs.

Regal looked at the other man, giving a half hearted smile in return. He didn't feel like going anywhere right now. "Yes, I'm done. I'm saving the document right now, actually." Regal looked back to the monitor of his computer as it saved the program into a disc. Once the disc was ejected, the black haired scientist placed it into a protective case and handed it to Dr. Hikari. "That should complete my assignment. I suppose I'll be given a new one tomorrow?" Regal's voice held a rather unenthusiastic hint on it. Pressing a few more keys, the black haired man turned the computer off, picking up a pair of white gloves that laid by the pad of the mouse, slowly and somewhat distractedly, he began to put them on.

"Well..." Yuuichirou patted slightly Regal's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll feel better after eating something." He suspected Regal wasn't telling him the truth, which wouldn't be that surprising. He couldn't imagine what kind of turmoil was going out on his brain, so he prefered not to ask, for now. "Come on, I'd rather not arrive late today."

Regal nodded and stood up, waiting for Dr. Hikari to lead the way. He felt somewhat it was his place to always go behind the man. He admitted he felt somewhat more secure that way, even if he felt sometimes Yuuichirou was like a shield. And he didn't want to make his tutor feel used that way.



Dr. Regal walked out of the small office where the projects were assigned on. He decided not to open the folder and review his assigment on his way to the office he worked at with Dr. Hikari. However, something caught his attention as he passed by the recreation room for the employees.

He could have sworn he heard his name.

"...a scientist who collaborated with SciLabs to develop the laser that saved the Earth from a comet collision, is presumed to be missing after these incidents. Keep tuned to find out more about..."

Dr. Regal's curiosity got the best of him, making him walk into the room and standing barely under the threeshold. What he saw immediately after, made him tighten his grip on the folder he carried. Before his eyes, there was a video recorded during the first transmission of the Kokoro Network, less than a month ago. The video showed himself giving a speech to the world about his ambition and 'dreams' for a world full of true evil and true darkness.

He was told he was a criminal, but as more images were displayed, as more reports were filled about his activities, it became more and more obvious to him the magnitude of his crimes. He said nothing, once more his face wouldn't show reaction to what he was watching and hearing.

He couldn't take to hear anymore. Regal quickly turned around, gripping almost painfully his assigment's folder, and rushed in quick steps to the office, as if to lock himself away from the truth that was accidentally exposed to him.

Just by the time he was entering the office, he stumbled upon Yuuichirou, who gave to his colleage a surprised look. "Dr. Regal? What is--"

Dr. Regal let his folder fall down. He blinked a few times, unable to hide his shock anymore. "I'm... 'Im sorry, Dr. Hikari." He replied as he kneeled to pick up the folder. After entering the lab, he literally dropped himself in the chair and rested his upper body on the desk.

"Are you sure you're okay, Dr. Regal?" Yuuichirou gave a concerned glance at his colleage. "What's wrong?"

"Y-yes..." Dr. Regal sat up straight and rubbed his forehead, trying to regain his composture to no avail. His hands were shaking, even if it was a very suble motion that only a very observant person could notice. "I'm fine, Dr. Hikari, don't worry."

Yuuichirou looked at the other scientist, skeptic. "No, you're not." He placed a hand on Regal's shoulder, patting him. "Come on, you can tell me."

Regal sighed heavily and nodded. "I... I saw a report in the news when I was picking up my new assignment... It was a report about me before I was found in the hospital." He paused for a moment, trying to hide the commotion the best he could, "Was I really that mad man on those videos?"

The brown-haired main sighed. He had expected this to happen, but he honestly didn't want it to be so soon. Yuuichirou retrieved an empty glass from the desk and poured water in it. "Here. Take a drink." He picked another chair to sit in and contemplated the man, while Dr. Regal drank the water slowly. "That's in the past now. Don't worry."

The black haired scientist took the glass of water, taking a few sips from it to try to calm down. He knew he had to have done something terrible in that lapse of his forgotten past, but he never thought he'd be capable of attempt to submit the world into the darkness. After a few more sips he finally managed to calm a bit and faced Yuuichirou. "Dr. Hikari... you knew all this, didn't you? Please tell me everything about me. I must know the lenght of my wrongs!"

His colleage hesitated. "You do have the right to know, I'm well aware of that, but... I don't think--"

"Please, Dr. Hikari. I need to know!" Dr. Regal frowned deeply, his whole expression darkening. He couldn't help but raise his voice. "I know you're hiding something from me. Why did you chose to help me instead of letting me rot in jail, like I should have? Now I can understand why nobody around here trusts me." He was ready to just give up; his rational mind was clearly numbed by the outburst of emotions, of guilt, of disgust for himself.

Yuuichirou pondered about it. Delaying it longer wouldn't help. "Okay." He breathed heavily, hoping he would make sense. "I... I believe in second chances. You were fighting for an ideal, and I'm familiar with that feeling. And you now seem so determined to pay for something you don't even remember doing, and I believe that speaks high of yourself."

Regal couldn't help but to snicker. "An 'ideal'? That's a fancy name to say I was trying to dominate the world and make it my way. That's hardly an ideal." He sighed, not sure of what to think or say now. "Dr. Hikari, I honestly don't think anything I'd do could repay for my crimes. I admit this is the way of the coward, but I feel it would be better to just send me to jail. These hands have made no good to anyone so far, I don't think anyone could ever believe I'd do anything good for anyone now."

"'No good'? You've helped us a great deal here. Have you not being here, this work would've taken us months to finish. The benefits our work will bring for the Electopians... Isn't that enough for you?"

"For me? Or for the people that look at me and fear turning their backs on me thinking I'll stab them on the back?" Regal sighed once more. "I shouldn't expect to be treated any different than a criminal, should I? On the back of my mind, I guess I hoped that one day, my crimes would be forgiven. It's a foolish hope, I do understand, but it isn't easy, Dr. Hikari. I do not enjoy to feel the glance of people around me, watching my every move. I don't feel comfortable with your son coming downstairs often just to make sure I'm sleeping. I don't enjoy to cause fear even when I'm picking up my assignments... I feel I'm fighting a lost battle."

Yuuichirou had a bit of trouble finding the best words to soothe or calm the scientist. "No, you're not. I know, it must be hard at first-- wait, no. I don't know. I'm not in your situation."

Regal stared at him. Yuuichirou decided to stand up and walk around, trying to collect his thoughts.

"To be rejected... the feeling of being pointed at, discriminated for what you were. No, I do not know that. However..." He turned to face Regal, his face dead serious. "I do know that people change, and so you've changed. And so they'll change, sooner or later."

Dr. Regal tilted his head slightly, Dr. Hikari was either a very naive or a very hopeful man. "How are you so certain I won't become insane again and just try to take over the world once more?" But Regal couldn't deny the convenience of his memory loss. It felt as if someone had pulled the strings to try to give him a second chance.

Yuuichirou Hikari had showed he trusted him, even if he was mildly suspicious of him being a direct victim of his past deeds; if this man had it on his heart to give him a second chance, if he was willing to trust him in his home at night, maybe over time other people would follow his example. But it wasn't just a question of Yuuichirou setting the path for others to follow. It was in his hands that others would trust him. Somehow, he felt it was more than a personal challenge for his own sake anymore.

"Do you really believe I can attone for my wrongs?"

"Yes, I do. I still believe in people's honesty, and..." Yuuichirou paused for a moment. "And I think there's nothing wrong with me believing that. The Dr. Regal I met a couple of years ago was different from the Dr. Regal I'm talking with. I'm talking to a man who's ready for a change. Am I?" He looked at Regal, expecting an answer.

"A change? Yes, I suppose." Regal began to play absently with the folder that contained his new assigment. "There's no point on crying for the spilled milk, right? I can only clean up and start over." The black haired man picked the folder to open it as he glanced back to Dr. Hikari for a moment, rewarding the other man with a genuine, kind smile.

Yuuichirou couldn't help but return a skeptical look to him. "You don't seem pretty convinced, but I'll take your word for now."

"I can't convince myself and change in one attemp, Dr. Hikari. I am still doubtful of my chances. But I'd feel pretty angry with myself if I just throw away the chance you've helped me to get. Let's just say, for now, my main motivation is for your sake, and your family's," He nodded and reviewed the documents of his assigment, idly turning his computer on to begin his work, "We cannot build a city in one day, can we?"

"I guess not." Yuuichirou chuckled, taking a sip of the same cup of coffee. "But that doesn't mean we can't build it."

"Yes, we can." Regal smiled once more and nodded.

"Indeed." Yuuichirou bowed slightly. "If you need anything, give me a call. And... Dr. Regal?"

"Yes?"

"I talked with Commander Barrel and he's proud of your progress so far. Maybe in six months or so you would be allowed to live in your own. With the chip, of course, I'm not sure if you're getting it off anytime soon... but at least you won't have to sleep on the couch anymore." He chuckled, feeling somewhat ashamed for not having a guest room. "I'll be back in a couple of hours to pick you up, is that okay?"

Dr. Regal nodded slightly, letting out a soft, geninely amused chuckle. "Alright, Dr. Hikari." He nodded and turned back to his computer to commence his work. He couldn't help but laugh softly as the other man left.

"Dr. Hikari, you're still so much like a child."



Barrel left his raincoat on the next seat, sat down and promptly took the menu that the waitress handed to him. He eyed it, not really focusing in its contents. "A coffee will suffice for now, thanks" he said, in order to dismiss the woman.

After picking a choice -a chocolate cake sounded nice- the commander dropped the menu and faced the man in front of him. "Are you going to order anything?"

"Humm..." The man across the table nodded, scrutinizing the menu for a bit longer and finally ordered a coffee and a strawberry cake. When the waitress walked away, he fixed the hat he was wearing, making sure to hide very well the mechanical eyepatch on his right eye. "Well, what news you've got for me?"

"Depends of what you means by news, Dr. Wily." Barrel replied diplomatically. "I suppose you would like to hear about your son's progress, albeit I suppose you're doing that on your own." He distractedly brushed a string of hair aside.

Dr. Wily laughed softly, playing iddly with the scarf wrapped around his neck, "I can't watch over him as much as I'd like. But yes, Commander Barrel, I'd like to know how is my son doing so far. I'm sure the ride has not been fun."

"From what Dr. Hikari has been telling me, no, not really." The waitress brought the cake slices and the coffee for both men and dismissed herself as quickly as she had appeared. "But he appears to start getting used to his new life. I'm sure that in six months or so we'll be able to negotiate a new 'deal' with the jury."

Wily took a sip of his coffee and nodded, "I see. What kind of new 'deal' are you planning to arrange for him?" The elder picked his fork, pinching on the decorative strawberry on the top of his cake.

"He'd be under probation, within an apartment of his own. He'd also be forced to report to the police personally every Monday, just to check on his whereabouts." Barrel poured a bag of cream in his coffee. "I understand it's unconvenient, but that's the best he'll get, considering his crimes."

The old scientist nodded, taking other sip of his coffee. "Well, I'm sure he'll be just content with being able to have his own place to stay. As generous as Yuuichirou can be, a couch to sleep in just doesn't make the cut."

Wily glanced past Barrel to the park that was right across SciLab's building. "Thank you, Barrel. I appreciate what you've done for me and my son. Of course, I know appreciation isn't always enough. Here's a present from me." Wily reached into the pocket of his coat and handed a mini disc to the younger man. "Colonel will surely enjoy these upgrades."

The commander looked at it, smirking. "If they prove useful to us, I'm sure he will." He left the fork next to his half-finished coffee and wordlessly plugged Colonel in the cafe's cashier system. "I'll pay the bill, don't worry."

Wily chuckled softly. "They will, I'm sure." He finished his coffee, taking a few small bites of his almost finished cake. "I think it's best to take my leave. Please keep me informed of my son's progress." Wily waved as he fixed his hat and scarf and began to walk away towards the park.

Barrel stepped out of the cafe, putting on his coat again. He glanced at Wily's shilouette until it disappeared behind a corner.

"Do you really trust the man, sir?" asked a disembodied voice from Barrel's pocket.

"For now, yes." Barrel pulled out his PET and faced his Navi, Colonel. "We'll see later how it turns out."

"Understood." replied Colonel.

Barrel looked up. The rain had finally stopped, the moon slowly fading in between the clouds. "Looks like it's going to be a beautiful night, don't you agree?"



Dr. Wily walked through the park to SciLabs. The place was dark and empty. He asumed his son and Yuuichirou Hikari were gone already, until he noticed the two men walking out of the bulding. He tried to get near them without being noticed, managing to catch up some of their talk. He found himself chuckling, as the two men were talking about their current project, throwing theories back and forth for possible solutions to their assigment.

Wily began to walk away, smiling contently, and hoping for a bright future for his son.



"...and so you see, the coding on this part of the module is-- is something the matter, Regal?" Yuuichirou noticed his colleage's distraction. Regal's gaze was fixed at the street in front of them, as if he were searching something.

"Eh? Oh, S-Sorry. I thought I saw someone that seemed familiar to me." Regal looked back once more before dismissing the thought and turning back to Dr. Hikari.

"Must've been a ghost or something." Yuuichirou chuckled, fixing his eyes back in the paper folder he was holding.

"I didn't know you believed on ghosts, Dr. Hikari." He chukled softly and looked back into the paper the other man was holding. "A ghost from the past, perhaps..."

"Well, I hope it won't join us for dinner tonight." Dr. Yuuichirou Hikari said, closing his folder nonchalantly. Both walked to Yuuichirou's SUV, ready to end yet another typical sunday night.


~fin



AUTHORS' NOTES

SSX: The final chapter took longer than we expected, due to a combo of broken computer (mine) + lost logs; we had to rewrite a little bit of a scene, nothing to worry about.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the fic, and a special thanks to Sol for beta-ing this final chapter. I don't think Planty and I are going to colaborate again, I'm too lazy for her taste. :< We hope you enjoyed the fic, and we'll be glad to hear any critiques/comments about it. Go ahead, reply, we know you want to. Oh, and read Planty's fics, because she's awesome. End of random plug.

Plantman: Oh boy, quite the lenghty chapter we got. Again, we're sorry for the delay but I'm hoping the wait was worth it.

I'd like to thank everyone that has supported us and reviewed this fanfic, it makes my ego feel the love *bricked* >_> I don't think this might be the last colaboration between us, I've learned to cope with the comadre's times XP I'll nag her for another at some other time. And Read the comadre's fics >:/ because Yuu is love!
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Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.

[Mari]

Disclaimer on part 1.




Dr. Regal sighed softly as he typed a few commands into the computer he was working at. Two weeks had passed since he began his internship in SciLabs, and so far it wasn't the most pleasant experience for him. People within the labs were wary about him; he wasn't trusted at all, and the only person to ever show any form of trust was Dr. Yuuichirou Hikari. As much as he tried to cope with the feeling of rejection, the distrust from his co-workers, and the fact he was marked with a chip to track him down like an animal, it was too much for him to handle.

Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if this internship was any better than being in jail. He wanted to succeed, but the truth was, he was close to give up and just ask to be locked into a cold cell, and have the key thrown away.

Somebody knocked on the door, putting an abrupt end to Regal's musings. "Dr. Regal?"

The scientist turned around to see Yuuichirou, who smiled politely and sat down next to him. "Working hard, I suppose. Have you finished already? My wife's made a delicious dinner."

Since Yuuichirou was Regal's legal tutor, he had been forced to give him a temporary shelter. Netto and Rockman were a bit uncomfortable to see the 'deranged madman' they had battled nearly a month ago sleeping in the couch, but Haruka didn't mind at all. The man left with Yuuichirou at dawn everyday and didn't return after a couple of hours, or even days, depending of the work load at SciLabs.

Regal looked at the other man, giving a half hearted smile in return. He didn't feel like going anywhere right now. "Yes, I'm done. I'm saving the document right now, actually." Regal looked back to the monitor of his computer as it saved the program into a disc. Once the disc was ejected, the black haired scientist placed it into a protective case and handed it to Dr. Hikari. "That should complete my assignment. I suppose I'll be given a new one tomorrow?" Regal's voice held a rather unenthusiastic hint on it. Pressing a few more keys, the black haired man turned the computer off, picking up a pair of white gloves that laid by the pad of the mouse, slowly and somewhat distractedly, he began to put them on.

"Well..." Yuuichirou patted slightly Regal's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll feel better after eating something." He suspected Regal wasn't telling him the truth, which wouldn't be that surprising. He couldn't imagine what kind of turmoil was going out on his brain, so he prefered not to ask, for now. "Come on, I'd rather not arrive late today."

Regal nodded and stood up, waiting for Dr. Hikari to lead the way. He felt somewhat it was his place to always go behind the man. He admitted he felt somewhat more secure that way, even if he felt sometimes Yuuichirou was like a shield. And he didn't want to make his tutor feel used that way.



Dr. Regal walked out of the small office where the projects were assigned on. He decided not to open the folder and review his assigment on his way to the office he worked at with Dr. Hikari. However, something caught his attention as he passed by the recreation room for the employees.

He could have sworn he heard his name.

"...a scientist who collaborated with SciLabs to develop the laser that saved the Earth from a comet collision, is presumed to be missing after these incidents. Keep tuned to find out more about..."

Dr. Regal's curiosity got the best of him, making him walk into the room and standing barely under the threeshold. What he saw immediately after, made him tighten his grip on the folder he carried. Before his eyes, there was a video recorded during the first transmission of the Kokoro Network, less than a month ago. The video showed himself giving a speech to the world about his ambition and 'dreams' for a world full of true evil and true darkness.

He was told he was a criminal, but as more images were displayed, as more reports were filled about his activities, it became more and more obvious to him the magnitude of his crimes. He said nothing, once more his face wouldn't show reaction to what he was watching and hearing.

He couldn't take to hear anymore. Regal quickly turned around, gripping almost painfully his assigment's folder, and rushed in quick steps to the office, as if to lock himself away from the truth that was accidentally exposed to him.

Just by the time he was entering the office, he stumbled upon Yuuichirou, who gave to his colleage a surprised look. "Dr. Regal? What is--"

Dr. Regal let his folder fall down. He blinked a few times, unable to hide his shock anymore. "I'm... 'Im sorry, Dr. Hikari." He replied as he kneeled to pick up the folder. After entering the lab, he literally dropped himself in the chair and rested his upper body on the desk.

"Are you sure you're okay, Dr. Regal?" Yuuichirou gave a concerned glance at his colleage. "What's wrong?"

"Y-yes..." Dr. Regal sat up straight and rubbed his forehead, trying to regain his composture to no avail. His hands were shaking, even if it was a very suble motion that only a very observant person could notice. "I'm fine, Dr. Hikari, don't worry."

Yuuichirou looked at the other scientist, skeptic. "No, you're not." He placed a hand on Regal's shoulder, patting him. "Come on, you can tell me."

Regal sighed heavily and nodded. "I... I saw a report in the news when I was picking up my new assignment... It was a report about me before I was found in the hospital." He paused for a moment, trying to hide the commotion the best he could, "Was I really that mad man on those videos?"

The brown-haired main sighed. He had expected this to happen, but he honestly didn't want it to be so soon. Yuuichirou retrieved an empty glass from the desk and poured water in it. "Here. Take a drink." He picked another chair to sit in and contemplated the man, while Dr. Regal drank the water slowly. "That's in the past now. Don't worry."

The black haired scientist took the glass of water, taking a few sips from it to try to calm down. He knew he had to have done something terrible in that lapse of his forgotten past, but he never thought he'd be capable of attempt to submit the world into the darkness. After a few more sips he finally managed to calm a bit and faced Yuuichirou. "Dr. Hikari... you knew all this, didn't you? Please tell me everything about me. I must know the lenght of my wrongs!"

His colleage hesitated. "You do have the right to know, I'm well aware of that, but... I don't think--"

"Please, Dr. Hikari. I need to know!" Dr. Regal frowned deeply, his whole expression darkening. He couldn't help but raise his voice. "I know you're hiding something from me. Why did you chose to help me instead of letting me rot in jail, like I should have? Now I can understand why nobody around here trusts me." He was ready to just give up; his rational mind was clearly numbed by the outburst of emotions, of guilt, of disgust for himself.

Yuuichirou pondered about it. Delaying it longer wouldn't help. "Okay." He breathed heavily, hoping he would make sense. "I... I believe in second chances. You were fighting for an ideal, and I'm familiar with that feeling. And you now seem so determined to pay for something you don't even remember doing, and I believe that speaks high of yourself."

Regal couldn't help but to snicker. "An 'ideal'? That's a fancy name to say I was trying to dominate the world and make it my way. That's hardly an ideal." He sighed, not sure of what to think or say now. "Dr. Hikari, I honestly don't think anything I'd do could repay for my crimes. I admit this is the way of the coward, but I feel it would be better to just send me to jail. These hands have made no good to anyone so far, I don't think anyone could ever believe I'd do anything good for anyone now."

"'No good'? You've helped us a great deal here. Have you not being here, this work would've taken us months to finish. The benefits our work will bring for the Electopians... Isn't that enough for you?"

"For me? Or for the people that look at me and fear turning their backs on me thinking I'll stab them on the back?" Regal sighed once more. "I shouldn't expect to be treated any different than a criminal, should I? On the back of my mind, I guess I hoped that one day, my crimes would be forgiven. It's a foolish hope, I do understand, but it isn't easy, Dr. Hikari. I do not enjoy to feel the glance of people around me, watching my every move. I don't feel comfortable with your son coming downstairs often just to make sure I'm sleeping. I don't enjoy to cause fear even when I'm picking up my assignments... I feel I'm fighting a lost battle."

Yuuichirou had a bit of trouble finding the best words to soothe or calm the scientist. "No, you're not. I know, it must be hard at first-- wait, no. I don't know. I'm not in your situation."

Regal stared at him. Yuuichirou decided to stand up and walk around, trying to collect his thoughts.

"To be rejected... the feeling of being pointed at, discriminated for what you were. No, I do not know that. However..." He turned to face Regal, his face dead serious. "I do know that people change, and so you've changed. And so they'll change, sooner or later."

Dr. Regal tilted his head slightly, Dr. Hikari was either a very naive or a very hopeful man. "How are you so certain I won't become insane again and just try to take over the world once more?" But Regal couldn't deny the convenience of his memory loss. It felt as if someone had pulled the strings to try to give him a second chance.

Yuuichirou Hikari had showed he trusted him, even if he was mildly suspicious of him being a direct victim of his past deeds; if this man had it on his heart to give him a second chance, if he was willing to trust him in his home at night, maybe over time other people would follow his example. But it wasn't just a question of Yuuichirou setting the path for others to follow. It was in his hands that others would trust him. Somehow, he felt it was more than a personal challenge for his own sake anymore.

"Do you really believe I can attone for my wrongs?"

"Yes, I do. I still believe in people's honesty, and..." Yuuichirou paused for a moment. "And I think there's nothing wrong with me believing that. The Dr. Regal I met a couple of years ago was different from the Dr. Regal I'm talking with. I'm talking to a man who's ready for a change. Am I?" He looked at Regal, expecting an answer.

"A change? Yes, I suppose." Regal began to play absently with the folder that contained his new assigment. "There's no point on crying for the spilled milk, right? I can only clean up and start over." The black haired man picked the folder to open it as he glanced back to Dr. Hikari for a moment, rewarding the other man with a genuine, kind smile.

Yuuichirou couldn't help but return a skeptical look to him. "You don't seem pretty convinced, but I'll take your word for now."

"I can't convince myself and change in one attemp, Dr. Hikari. I am still doubtful of my chances. But I'd feel pretty angry with myself if I just throw away the chance you've helped me to get. Let's just say, for now, my main motivation is for your sake, and your family's," He nodded and reviewed the documents of his assigment, idly turning his computer on to begin his work, "We cannot build a city in one day, can we?"

"I guess not." Yuuichirou chuckled, taking a sip of the same cup of coffee. "But that doesn't mean we can't build it."

"Yes, we can." Regal smiled once more and nodded.

"Indeed." Yuuichirou bowed slightly. "If you need anything, give me a call. And... Dr. Regal?"

"Yes?"

"I talked with Commander Barrel and he's proud of your progress so far. Maybe in six months or so you would be allowed to live in your own. With the chip, of course, I'm not sure if you're getting it off anytime soon... but at least you won't have to sleep on the couch anymore." He chuckled, feeling somewhat ashamed for not having a guest room. "I'll be back in a couple of hours to pick you up, is that okay?"

Dr. Regal nodded slightly, letting out a soft, geninely amused chuckle. "Alright, Dr. Hikari." He nodded and turned back to his computer to commence his work. He couldn't help but laugh softly as the other man left.

"Dr. Hikari, you're still so much like a child."



Barrel left his raincoat on the next seat, sat down and promptly took the menu that the waitress handed to him. He eyed it, not really focusing in its contents. "A coffee will suffice for now, thanks" he said, in order to dismiss the woman.

After picking a choice -a chocolate cake sounded nice- the commander dropped the menu and faced the man in front of him. "Are you going to order anything?"

"Humm..." The man across the table nodded, scrutinizing the menu for a bit longer and finally ordered a coffee and a strawberry cake. When the waitress walked away, he fixed the hat he was wearing, making sure to hide very well the mechanical eyepatch on his right eye. "Well, what news you've got for me?"

"Depends of what you means by news, Dr. Wily." Barrel replied diplomatically. "I suppose you would like to hear about your son's progress, albeit I suppose you're doing that on your own." He distractedly brushed a string of hair aside.

Dr. Wily laughed softly, playing iddly with the scarf wrapped around his neck, "I can't watch over him as much as I'd like. But yes, Commander Barrel, I'd like to know how is my son doing so far. I'm sure the ride has not been fun."

"From what Dr. Hikari has been telling me, no, not really." The waitress brought the cake slices and the coffee for both men and dismissed herself as quickly as she had appeared. "But he appears to start getting used to his new life. I'm sure that in six months or so we'll be able to negotiate a new 'deal' with the jury."

Wily took a sip of his coffee and nodded, "I see. What kind of new 'deal' are you planning to arrange for him?" The elder picked his fork, pinching on the decorative strawberry on the top of his cake.

"He'd be under probation, within an apartment of his own. He'd also be forced to report to the police personally every Monday, just to check on his whereabouts." Barrel poured a bag of cream in his coffee. "I understand it's unconvenient, but that's the best he'll get, considering his crimes."

The old scientist nodded, taking other sip of his coffee. "Well, I'm sure he'll be just content with being able to have his own place to stay. As generous as Yuuichirou can be, a couch to sleep in just doesn't make the cut."

Wily glanced past Barrel to the park that was right across SciLab's building. "Thank you, Barrel. I appreciate what you've done for me and my son. Of course, I know appreciation isn't always enough. Here's a present from me." Wily reached into the pocket of his coat and handed a mini disc to the younger man. "Colonel will surely enjoy these upgrades."

The commander looked at it, smirking. "If they prove useful to us, I'm sure he will." He left the fork next to his half-finished coffee and wordlessly plugged Colonel in the cafe's cashier system. "I'll pay the bill, don't worry."

Wily chuckled softly. "They will, I'm sure." He finished his coffee, taking a few small bites of his almost finished cake. "I think it's best to take my leave. Please keep me informed of my son's progress." Wily waved as he fixed his hat and scarf and began to walk away towards the park.

Barrel stepped out of the cafe, putting on his coat again. He glanced at Wily's shilouette until it disappeared behind a corner.

"Do you really trust the man, sir?" asked a disembodied voice from Barrel's pocket.

"For now, yes." Barrel pulled out his PET and faced his Navi, Colonel. "We'll see later how it turns out."

"Understood." replied Colonel.

Barrel looked up. The rain had finally stopped, the moon slowly fading in between the clouds. "Looks like it's going to be a beautiful night, don't you agree?"



Dr. Wily walked through the park to SciLabs. The place was dark and empty. He asumed his son and Yuuichirou Hikari were gone already, until he noticed the two men walking out of the bulding. He tried to get near them without being noticed, managing to catch up some of their talk. He found himself chuckling, as the two men were talking about their current project, throwing theories back and forth for possible solutions to their assigment.

Wily began to walk away, smiling contently, and hoping for a bright future for his son.



"...and so you see, the coding on this part of the module is-- is something the matter, Regal?" Yuuichirou noticed his colleage's distraction. Regal's gaze was fixed at the street in front of them, as if he were searching something.

"Eh? Oh, S-Sorry. I thought I saw someone that seemed familiar to me." Regal looked back once more before dismissing the thought and turning back to Dr. Hikari.

"Must've been a ghost or something." Yuuichirou chuckled, fixing his eyes back in the paper folder he was holding.

"I didn't know you believed on ghosts, Dr. Hikari." He chukled softly and looked back into the paper the other man was holding. "A ghost from the past, perhaps..."

"Well, I hope it won't join us for dinner tonight." Dr. Yuuichirou Hikari said, closing his folder nonchalantly. Both walked to Yuuichirou's SUV, ready to end yet another typical sunday night.


~fin



AUTHORS' NOTES

SSX: The final chapter took longer than we expected, due to a combo of broken computer (mine) + lost logs; we had to rewrite a little bit of a scene, nothing to worry about.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the fic, and a special thanks to Sol for beta-ing this final chapter. I don't think Planty and I are going to colaborate again, I'm too lazy for her taste. :< We hope you enjoyed the fic, and we'll be glad to hear any critiques/comments about it. Go ahead, reply, we know you want to. Oh, and read Planty's fics, because she's awesome. End of random plug.

Plantman: Oh boy, quite the lenghty chapter we got. Again, we're sorry for the delay but I'm hoping the wait was worth it.

I'd like to thank everyone that has supported us and reviewed this fanfic, it makes my ego feel the love *bricked* >_> I don't think this might be the last colaboration between us, I've learned to cope with the comadre's times XP I'll nag her for another at some other time. And Read the comadre's fics >:/ because Yuu is love!
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Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.

[Sol]

That was a very nice end to this fic, both of you. I'm honored that you let me beta this for both of you. =o

This fic was really nice. The exploration of what happens after the game is really interesting, and you two pulled it off perfectly. Nice job.
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<3 Planty~
Art in icon done by Raburabbit.

[Sol]

That was a very nice end to this fic, both of you. I'm honored that you let me beta this for both of you. =o

This fic was really nice. The exploration of what happens after the game is really interesting, and you two pulled it off perfectly. Nice job.
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<3 Planty~
Art in icon done by Raburabbit.

[Mari]

Thank you very much, we're glad you liked it.

The fic has finally been archived to ff.net, and it'll be shortly archived into my writing journal as well.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2583626/1/
_________________

Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.

[Mari]

Thank you very much, we're glad you liked it.

The fic has finally been archived to ff.net, and it'll be shortly archived into my writing journal as well.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2583626/1/
_________________

Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.

[Midnight]

Oh my. Very interesting finish to the story.

As I say with many other lengthy stories that I read, I find that there are a lot of thought-provoking questions that can be asked based on what issues are brought up. I feel that I can sympathize quite well with Regal, since his emotions of rejection by the general public and the stigma associated with being different is a feeling that I know FAR too well.

I very much enjoyed the plot point where Regal finds out about his past, since it forces a very introspective portion to follow, in which the intriguing ideas are presented.

Well...I'm out of ideas for now. Excellent job, and congratulations on finishing a fine piece of work. I only regret that I was unable to beta it when you requested.
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Today, these three players are after Big Bucks! But they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives! From Television City in Hollywood! It's time to 'Press Your Luck!'--Rod Roddy

The Kingdom of Loathing: An Adventurer is You! // I ♣ Seals

Avatar by Spork. I very much appreciate it! <3

[Plantman]

Har, my turn to reply >.>;

Any ways! Regal's accidental meeting with his past was a part we considered necesary, for him to be able to feel truly determined to pay back to society for his wrongs. Also, I think it gave him a portion of necesary developement in his character as it shows him still skeptical about his own chances, but rather hopeful as well. Thanks for your all your reviews, they've helped us a great deal to develope the original idea to its termination.
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Hecha en MÉXICO - Avatar by Me.
"Logic is the Ultimate Weapon."

[Plantman]

Har, my turn to reply >.>;

Any ways! Regal's accidental meeting with his past was a part we considered necesary, for him to be able to feel truly determined to pay back to society for his wrongs. Also, I think it gave him a portion of necesary developement in his character as it shows him still skeptical about his own chances, but rather hopeful as well. Thanks for your all your reviews, they've helped us a great deal to develope the original idea to its termination.
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Hecha en MÉXICO - Avatar by Me.
"Logic is the Ultimate Weapon."

[Neko]

*inster loud fangirl squeal here*

Oh my god that was gorgeous. I loved the way the end was handled and Yuu is so niiiiice ;-;, amazing simply amazing. I mean it wasn't just good that was great.

Lovelyful job, great ending. *hugs both*
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Roses are #FF0000, violets are #0000FF. All my base are belong to you.

Avatar, credit Yakitate@devart

[Mari]

I've always thought Yuuichirou's one to have soft spots in his heart. Thanks for your comments, Neko.

Even if we wanted to write him as a heartless bastard, the ending wouldn't fit the EXE5 ending. Bah. :<

--

Anyway, the comadre convinced me of this, so we have a crack-induced follow-up for this story now. Check "Roasted Sweet Potato" on this same forum, and thanks for reading.

http://www.kishuku.com/reo/viewtopic.php?t=4053
_________________

Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.

[Mari]

I've always thought Yuuichirou's one to have soft spots in his heart. Thanks for your comments, Neko.

Even if we wanted to write him as a heartless bastard, the ending wouldn't fit the EXE5 ending. Bah. :<

--

Anyway, the comadre convinced me of this, so we have a crack-induced follow-up for this story now. Check "Roasted Sweet Potato" on this same forum, and thanks for reading.

http://www.kishuku.com/reo/viewtopic.php?t=4053
_________________

Currently fangirling Edgy Eft and mplayer1.0RC1 -- firefox 2 is just okay, those are pure awesome.