Ghosts of Wonderland

Winter

Ghosts of Wonderland

Halo Zero: Winter:

Winter was brutal that year. It all started with the six-day lockdown of Ikebukuro. Then the reception for the phones was cut off. However, things were about to get even worse.

Shinra stared at the computer screen with a stunned look on his face. He had to read the email about five times.

"He has lost his mind," he said to himself. Shingen named him head researcher of the Tadpole Research Project in the event of his death or if he is unable to work. The doctor shook his head.

"Nope," he was quick to say. "Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope." He sat back in his computer chair. Celty turned just as he was saying the last "nope". She tapped him on the shoulder. Shinra looked up to see her message on the screen.

"[Something the matter?]" she wrote. Shinra pointed to his screen. Celty leaned in for a read. She turned to see the uneasy look on her boyfriend's face. The dullahan shared the same look on her non-existent face.

"[Can he really do this?]" Celty wrote.

"Apparently he can," Shinra said. She didn't need to ask to know what he was thinking.

"[How do you plan to stop him?]" his girlfriend wrote. The doctor shrugged his shoulders.

"I already talked to Igor about trying to stop my dad. Other than that, I've got nothing," he said.

"[Where is he now?]" Celty wrote. Shinra took a moment to think about that.

"Last time I checked, he said he was going down to Yagiri Pharmaceuticals," he said. Calling was out of the question. There were the chat apps, but how often did Shingen check those? With one look, Shinra told Celty what she needed to do.

"[I'm on it,]" she wrote. The doctor bowed his head.

"Thank you," he said. Shinra turned back to his screen. That email stared back at him, reading like Shingen's suicide note and final will and testament all rolled into one.

"What are you trying to do, dad?" Shinra asked to no one in particular.

"Any luck?" Sota asked.

"Nope," Yukari said. He held up his phone while trying to look for any reception. Yamato rolled his eyes.

"Will you give it up already?" he asked. "No one has any reception! Ikebukuro is screwed." The other tadpoles looked up at him.

"Aren't you a ball of sunshine?" Madoka asked. Yamato threw up his hands in the air.

"I'm just sick of these two idiots trying to make a reception magically appear," he said. "If Shingo can't fix it, what makes them think that they can do any better?"

"Don't talk like we're not here," Yukari said.

"Am I lying?" the other tadpole asked.

"Enough!" Taishi shouted. The younger tadpoles went quiet.

"Yamato does have a point," Taishi said after he took a breath. "There is no point in using the phones for the time being. Still, we need to come up with another way that we can all keep in contact."

"The chat apps are good," Saori said as she held up her phone.

"Well yeah, but..." Sota said.

"In other words, stop looking like idiots and trying to find a signal," Yamato said. Yukari frowned as he made a face at him.

"Do you have to be such an asshole?" he asked. The other tadpole narrowed his eyes.

"When have you ever known me to be nice?" he asked.