Catching Up: An Air Gear Fanfic

Chapter Nineteen: Hacking in the AI

"Damn the AI!" Rhodri pounded his head on the table. "It won't work!"

"Boss, what's up?" Terra's former Tuner, Asa, rushed inside. Rhodri flapped his hand.

"Nothing," he groaned.

"What's going on, boss?" Luna's former Tuner, Daniel, accidentally bumped into Asa. Rhodri flapped hand again.

"Stop calling me 'boss'. I feel old if you keep calling me that," he said. Asa and Daniel exchanged glances.

"Aegis is coming," Daniel reported.

Rhodri's head shot up. "Aegis? Why did she decide to come back? She pretty much hates everyone."

"You're exaggerating, man," Asa said. "You better behave. She's coming in--"

"Thank goodness I made it!" An auburn-haired girl hugged a nearby pole. "Rhodri-kun!"

Devon crushed her drained soda can. "Who is that crazy chick?"

Naoki took her crushed can and threw it in the recycling basket. "How should I know? I never seen her before."

"Sorry, but--UAGH!" Rhodri zipped back inside the maintenance room. "She came in here so fast! Daniel, close the door!"

"I ain't closing the door for you." He yanked Rhodri out. "It's Aegis, man. She hasn't been in Japan for a long time."

"Ooh!" Ikki was getting crazy all over Aegis now. "Who's she?"

"Crow, this is Aegis, the Boulder Queen," Rhodri said. "Aegis, have you heard of Team Kogarsumaru?"

"The team with three Kings?" Aegis's eyebrows hovered.

"Yep."

"Yeah. The guy next to me is one." She searched around her surroundings. "Where are the other two?"

"Fuck, beanpole! You're heavy!" Agito was dragging a knocked-out Kazu from the bathroom. "Got 'im."

"Thanks, Agito." Ikki gave him a thumbs-up. Agito grumbled something and picked up a drink from the cooler.

"Never mind," Aegis said. "Did you have any problems with the AI recently?"

"I tried it today," Rhodri told her. "Won't let me in. I think it has a virus."

"You need a hacker to get in."

Everyone turned to Naoki. They smiled slyly.

"What?" Naoki said directly.

"Oh, hell no!" Naoki tried tearing himself away from Rhodri. "I swear to myself to not do that anymore!"

"It's just a one-hack-of-a-lifetime-thing," Rhodri said. "Now get your butt on the fricking chair."

"Oi! Someone help me!" Naoki kicked Rhodri's face. Everyone laughed.

"It's not funny!"

Everyone stopped laughing.

"Let me in." Devon shoved Naoki and Rhodri from the door. She sat on the rolling chair.

"What makes you think you can fix the AI?" Asa snatched the AI from her. "Punching it?"

Devon punched him on the face. "I'm not gonna fix it. I'm no computer genius."

"Then who is? Naoki? Ha! That little know-it-all won't fix it."

"Not him, dumbass." Devon switched her eye patch over to Devyn. "She means me."

"Devyn?" Rhodri let go off Naoki. "Since when do you know how to fix computers?"