My Lost Light

Chapter 4: E.R.I

The boss started off the conversation on the phone with that.

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't remember giving you permission to question things. Just come back to the agency." The boss demanded.

"Right." I responded, seemingly just going along with it before hanging up the phone.

"Who was that?" Kenji asked curiously.

"The agency." I responded nonchalantly. Kokoro and Sashida put their argument on hold.

"What'd they need?" Kenji asked.

"I'm needed for a mission. So, if you'll excuse me." I stated and began to walk away when Kokoro put a barricade up with her arms, as if to stop me from leaving. I could break through if wanted but I wasn't just going to push through Kokoro like that.

"You're not going anywhere." Kokoro declared. Despite her playful attitude she can be serious at times.

"But-" I started.

"No!" Kokoro began as she cut me off.

"They threw YOU out! Remember?"

"Yes, but I-" I once again was cut off by Kokoro.

"No but's! They threw you out like you were nothing. It's their loss. You're coming with us to Godri, end of discussion." Kokoro finished.

I gave in because Kokoro wouldn't give up. "Fine, but they're going to come after me at some point. We can't really go through Phoenix Claw though." I stated.

'Eri, cover our aura's and give me a route to Godri that doesn't go through Phoenix Claw.'

'E.R.I Response: Understood.'

"I know of a shortcut, let's go." I announced.

It was a thirty minute surprisingly peaceful walk to Godri.

"I can book us a place to stay as it's quite late." I suggest with a shrug.

"Yeah, I'm tired." Kokoro started but was interrupted by her own yawn. "I need my beauty rest." She finished.

"No amount of beauty rest is going to be enough to fix that ugly face you've got there." Sashida remarked with a snarky grin.

"You're lucky I'm too tired to fight with you right now." Kokoro stated in defeat.

I had got a room and when we entered, we had settled down. Kenji had already gone to bed.

"Haaa, a nice place to sleep, and get a good amount of it." Kokoro announces.

There were the sounds of a keyboard being tapped on. We looked over to see Sashida on their computer already despite us just getting into the room.

"What are you doing?" Kokoro asked.

"Working." Sashida replied sounding a bit annoyed.

"This late?" Kokoro asked.

"Yeah, you're loud, now shut up, you're a distraction." Sashida replied even more annoyed.

"HMPH- Fine! Goodnight!" Kokoro pouted and whined before going off to bed.

"Do you work for an agency too?" I asked Sashida.

"Yeah, yours hell too?" Sashida replied with a counter question.

"I'm not sure. I've always heard it was." I replied.

"Maybe your life is just hell, so you've grown some sort of immunity from it." Sashida suggested.

"Who knows." I commented.

I lightly watched as Sashida worked.

"Wait-" I stopped Sashida.

"Yeah?" Sashida seemed confused.

"Careful, that'll cause a syntax error. It needs to be </section>" I direct Sashida.

"Oh, uh..., thank you." Sashida thanks me and fixes the mistake.

I watched Sashida continue to work.

"Do you not sleep?" Sashida asks me.

"I don't need sleep. I need to be always alert. Besides, you look like you need more sleep than me." I reply.

"Well, a hacker doesn't really have time to rest. Besides, my deadline's tonight. If I don't finish, they'll track me down." Sashida voices.

"They won't find you." I tell them.

"What?" There was bit worry and confusion in their voice.

"They won't find you." I say again.

"Why is that?" Sashida got alert and asked me.

"E.R.I is currently concealing our auras. Quite frankly you won't have to worry about them finding us." I reassure.

"E.R.I?" Sashida asks.

"I'll explain tomorrow to save having to do a double explanation." I say with a shrug.

When the sun had risen, I had to fight Kokoro to get her out of bed. But quite frankly, mentioning food was enough to get her up. We went to go get breakfast.

After sitting down and ordering Sashida asks, "So, what's E.R.I?"

"E.R.I?" Kenji and Kokoro repeat.

"E.R.I 971085638736848536.984627462 or E.R.I 97.98 Electromagnetic Radioactive Insight, is a device, this earring," I start, moving my hair slightly so the earring could be seen in my left ear. "created by Eri, an old friend who's human? Theoretically, but also not really. It was created to answer questions, enhance abilities, give directions, check accuracies, etc. The explanation can go deeper but it just gets more confusing." I explain. Kokoro and Sashida speak at the same time.

"That wasn't that simple."

"That was too simple."

Kokoro and Sashida look at each other.

"Just because you're smart doesn't mean everyone is!" Kokoro exclaims.

"It's not my fault you're just a braindead nuisance!" Sashida counters.

"I'm quite interested." Sashida implies.

"No more talking about E.R.I, I'm already confused, you lost me at all the numbers." Kokoro states.

"Braindead."

"Nerd."

"Alright that's enough you two." Kenji jumps in.

"Stay out of this!" Kokoro and Sashida yell at the same time. They look over at each other pout and eat.

"This food is so good." Kokoro states.

"I know right." Sashida agrees. They look at each other and at the same time say,

"I mean, this food is terrible!"

"Just shut up and eat your food." I tell them.

"Oh yeah, Senshi, how can I get one of those earrings?" Sashida asks.

"I can have Eri make you one." I offer.

"I wanted to see how it's done. Oh well, what can you do?" Sashida pouts in disappointment.

"I guess I could make it for you, but it'll be harder since we're constantly going to be on the road." I suggest.

"Can I watch you make it?" Sashida asks in excitement.

"Please stop talking about confusing things." Kokoro demands.

"Please don't be stupid." Sashida counters.

"Please don't argue with each other. Oh yeah, Kenji, why'd you want to come to Godri?" I ask.

"I accidentally left my knives and guns at home, so I need to get some. They have really nice equipment here." Kenji responds.

"I can have Eri make you the knives, the guns I'll let you buy." I suggest.

"You don't have to do that." Kenji dejects.

"Then, just think of it as a repayment for letting me come with you." I suggest. I lightly smiled.

"Uh, y-y-yeah." Kenji stutters, his face turned red.