20th Century Boys Volume 2 : Prophet Chapter Thirteen Chou-san - Page 43 - Calender: (20th) Shouhei (27th) Retirement Chou: Yeah... Kouno-kun...? About Shouhei-chan's birthday... What does he want the most? Chapter 13 : Chou-san - Page 44 - Chou: Peekaboo? What's that? Eh? Monster from a video game...? Popular with the kids? Oh, I wouldn't have known that at all... Okay, a Peekaboo. I'll look for it. Goodbye... Kouno: Oh... Father. Have you thought about what I told you earlier? Chou: Ah... yes, but... Kouno-kun, I appreciate your concern... Kouno: Come live with us. Chou: I appreciate your concern, but I doubt my daughter has any desire to live with me. Kouno: If you'd only come and talk to Yumiko for once... - Page 45 - Chou: No, I'm used to living like this. You don't need to worry about me. Kouno: Father... Even Shouhei says he wants to live with his Grampy. Chou: Tell Shouhei-chan to look forward to his birthday, will you? Kouno: Ah... Father... Phone: (click...) - Page 46 - Yama: Chou-san. - Page 47 - Chou: Oh, hey Yama-san. Yama: What's in the bag...? Chou: A Peekaboo. Yama: Peekaboo? Chou: What, never heard of it? It's a big hit with the little rascals. Yama: Heheh, that sounds like Chou-san, the big studier, to me. Chou: Ya gotta know these things when you're a cop, you know. Yama: Exactly right. Chou: By the way, Yama-san, you got some free time? - Page 48 - Yama: It's gonna be lonely... Chou: Huh? Yama: Your retirement's coming up pretty soon. Chou: You're probably thinkin', good riddance. Yama: Nah... a week later, I won't be able to hear your shouting voice anymore... Chou: One week... that's what I wanted to talk to you about... Yama: Hmm? Chou: After next week, there's a real corker of a case that I want you to take over, Yama-san... Yama: Ohhh... Chou: That professor, Shikishima, from Ochanomizu Engineering... - Page 49 - Yama: Yeah... The case of the missing family, right? Chou: By the way, Yama-san, what did the autopsy on that student of Professor Shikishima's turn up? The one with all the blood drained out of his body... Yama: Oh, that... It isn't police jurisdiction anymore. Chou: ...explain? Yama: Tokyo U's virus lab is running careful tests on it. It's not a case, it's a disease. Chou: Disease? Yama: The effects resemble that of a virus originating from Africa. And we've found that the student visited Africa right before he died... Chou: So... did they find the virus? Yama: Well, I just went to the lab and heard the full details... - Page 50 - Yama: Had me jumpy, thinking I might have gotten infected. The Ministry of Health is having a heart attack over this... It honestly isn't the type of thing we deal with! I know I told you the death of the college student and the disappearance of Professor Shikishima could be related, but... Now I really think they're two separate incidents. Chou: But looking at the characteristics of it all... Yama: Huh? Chou: It could actually be something preposterously large. Yama: What do you mean? Chou: Given the times we're in... there's also germ warfare to think about. - Page 51 - Yama: Oh, I doubt THAT... Chou: Look at these two pictures. One of them is something drawn on Professor Shikishima's backdoor... And the other... Is the T-shirts Shikishima's students were wearing. Yama: So what does this symbol stand for? - Page 52 - Chou: Do you know about the "Friend"? Yama: Huh? Chou: This is the symbol of a group of people based around some person called "Friend". Yama: Who is this "Friend"...? The leader of a cult, or what? Chou: I dunno... I looked around, but I couldn't find out what he's trying to do... All I know... is that during the investigation of Shikishima's disappearance, we found out that his daughter had gotten involved in some strange group. That strange group was probably "Friend's". Yama: I see... Chou: I was amazed. This group is large enough to book the Budokan. There's also a group of parents whose children were drawn into this group, trying to create a legal team. - Page 53 - Yama: Hmmm. Never heard about it. These kind of things just blow up huge when you take your eyes off 'em, nowadays. Chou: So I asked a certain theologist if he knew what "Friend" was all about. Yama: I see... Chou: What he told me was pretty interesting. Yama: So what did he say...? [The theologist said...] <