Disclaimer: I don't own Steins Gate (even though I would really like to)

Another First Time Meeting

Hot. It was a hot, humid day when Kurisu Makise ventured out of her hotel for the first time in a week. Her eyes squinted in the dazzling sunlight when she stepped from the cool, air conditioned lobby of the hotel into the blistering streets of Akihabara.

In many different aspects, Kurisu Makise was an eccentric entity that disparaged from the ordinary crowd. The reason to this phenomenon was a miscellaneous mixture of appearances, achievements and a wide assortment of habits. Her natural red locks always made her the center of attention wherever she went, and the habit of wearing lab coats outdoors didn't help her blend in either. Adding that onto her somewhat puerile actions, the gazes of people were always drawn toward her in nearly any circumstances. Though amongst her sundry peculiar traits, there is one which people tended to notice more than others: her exceptionally young age which was not matched by her distinguished accomplishments in the field of science. And by all means they were breathtaking.

Temporarily disregarding the less prominent events in her short yet dazzling history, the fact that she had won none less than four consecutive champions in the reputable 'International Invention Competition' was enough for her to make the headlines of the local paper. And steadily, the young girl began to gain fame as a brilliant prodigy as she won her ways through countless contests and competitions. Those who had the chance to visit her room will be astonished to discovered that unlike the usual teenage girl, whose walls were normally adorn with a flashy collection of posters and pictures, what covered the walls of Kurisu Makise's bedroom were trophies, medals, certificates and ribbons of every kind and color. Furthermore, at the young age of eighteen, her glorious feats was sufficient to have her enlisted as one of the 'Ten most promising scientists in the coming decade' and thus, made the cover of the world-renowned science magazine, Sciency.And what intrigues crowds even further was that apart from her major in neuroscience, she also issued several highly controversial theses concerning the topic of time and space traveling. Fascinating as the subject was, poorly few researches had been conducted in this field. Due to the huge requirement of funds and the lack of practical results, few had chosen to delve into these topics, much less devote their time into actual experiments. But one of the young girl's most revolutionary and widely disputed claims was that a trip across time could be accomplished with the help of mere household electronics alone. Naturally, the initial response from the public was one of utter disbelief, closely followed with a hefty hail of bland remarks and ruthless criticism. But the young girl did not, as many originally assumed, relent on her seemingly ridiculous proposal. On the contrary, she held firm to her ground and stated with confidence that given a little bit of time she could prove all the experts, professors and scientists who scoffed at her theory wrong. Of course, success is not earned by words only.

Shielding the sunlight with her hand, Kurisu cannot help but sigh as she thought of the countless experiments conducted through the past week. Miraculously, she managed to create the electrical discharge which signaled the successful production of a mini black hole, which in her theory was the key to distorting the fabrics of time. And at that time she proudly thought her job in that musty, dingy laboratory was nearing an end. But with her next endeavor, the girl discover to utmost dismay and disappointment that the end was not even remotely close. Because of its microscopic size, everything she attempted to squeeze through the mini black hole was all reduced to a jelly-like state with no exception. Green, slimy substances that would soon become the janitor's worst nightmare formed a puddle on the floor, bubbling sluggishly. And for the first time, Kurisu felt discouraged. Not because of the disastrous endeavor, but because of the catastrophic effects it had on the environment. The odds that she'll get to use the laboratory once her not so generous host witnessed the wreckage for himself was infinitely close to zero. Then again, just about anything is possible when one is trying to cram a remote controller into an atom sized hole.

And thus, after several fruitless and incredibly messy attempts, she decided it to be the time to cut herself some slack and take a break, which was her initial intention when coming to Akihabara. And the first thought that came to her mind was to go out and enjoy the country air that she found so rejuvenating.

Slowly, Kurisu walked along the broad dirt tracks with an air of carefree leisure. Breathing in a lungful of fresh oxygen, she feasted her gaze upon the misty summits of the mountains surrounding the little town. The mountains she was accustomed to seeing were all dotted with manmade architectures and had long lost the sublime beauty of nature, much different from the grand sight she was seeing now. Rays of sunlight painted the mist a dreamy color of gold, swirling like wisps of cotton candy. And amongst the thick, white veil, the faint gleam of rainbow color twinkled merrily at her. Time trickled by and Kurisu watched the sun climb higher and higher in the dome of heavens until it approached its peak, making small beads of sweat seep from her forehead. Stretching her rigid limbs, she released a wistful sigh of satisfaction and turned back to the road leading back to the hotel.

"Whoa…" Kurisu found herself staring blankly down a completely unfamiliar street while she stood still in the middle of a concrete sidewalk, like a lone island amongst the flow of people bustling about around her. This was certainly not within her agenda. Captured by nature's magnificent display, Kurisu failed to pay notice to her surroundings, thus resulting in this awkward dilemma. And the fact her phone was not receiving signal was just another layer of icing on the cake. Looking around, the buildings along the street were unlike the great, towering skyscrapers she was accustomed to seeing, but instead, they were stout, worn and gave a weathered appearance on their faded facades. As far as she could tell, bicycles were the only sort of transportation local residents used to get around town. In other words, taxi rides were out of the question. Kurisu contemplated the options left at her disposal, which included asking a passerby, try buying a map at a convenience store, and walk around on her own. That was when she was sent stumbling forward by impact.

"Hey, watch where you're standing, redhead! You're in my way!" said a pompous voice, loudly.

Kurisu, who had regained her balance with much effort, swerved around indignantly to look at her assailant. It was a man garbed in a heavy lab coat and with a nest of black, unkempt hair which took resemblance of a pile of disorganized twigs. His height allowed him to tower over Kurisu, and there he stood, looking down at the girl in contempt.

The girl studied the man's features intently. Despite that she knew it was her first time seeing the man, his expressions, his visage, and his loud, sonorous voice made memories stir in the depth of her mind…

"I see, you are rendered speechless by my dazzling magnificence and glory. But it is expected, since it is I who you now lay eyes upon, girl!" Upon seeing the girl's astonished expression, his face broke out into a wide grin. Irritation burned away whatever thoughts that lingered in Kurisu's mind. There was no she knew this person, because if she did, she wouldn't have left him alive to further contaminate this society.

Furious though she was, years of being taught proper etiquette did not completely go to waste, much to the relief of her parents. So reluctantly, she decided to deploy a peaceful approach for the time being. Smoothing her rumpled up dress, Kurisu tilted her head upwards and bowed deeply before saying.

"I'm sincerely sorry sir, I was didn't see you coming. I just came to town and happened to be lost. I was just wondering if you could be so kind as to show me the way back" apologized Kurisu, but before she had the chance to finish her sentence, she was rudely interrupted by the man before her.

"There is no need to feel ashamed, girl, as the man you see standing before you is none other than I, Hououin Kyouma, the one chosen to unlock the gateway to the Steins Gate. Now, bow before me and marvel my unrivaled splendor!" Engrossed in his own irrational smugness, the man failed spectacularly to notice the veins popping up along Kurisu's forehead. Patience, unfortunate was never one of the merits of her character, and the man was simply determined to push it beyond its limit.

"I'm afraid you might have misjudged the situation, sir. I was simply standing here." said Kurisu, smiling in a very fake, very vicious manner. The man directed a finger at her accusingly.

"That alone is an unforgivable crime! How could a puny, insignificant midget like you block the way of an almighty, omnipotent, charming, handsome, charismatic mad scientist like me? And what makes this entire event even more absurd is that I am not the average almighty, omnipotent, charming, handsome, charismatic mad scientist. My name is Hououin Kyouma, the man"

"Oh, is that SO?" said Kurisu viciously, stepping forward and seizing hold of the man's wide collar. One may think being raised in a family of great prestige might contribute in making the girl nice and conservative and polite. Evidently, they were wrong.

"Hmm…It seems that you are not as modestly endowed as I initially assumed, Christina"

"Which means…?"

"Your boobs are bigger than they appear"

"I'll tell you something, dear. If you weren't such a hopeless imbecile, I would just let you lock and unlock your stupid gate all you want. But congratulations to you, I'm not in a great mood today and you succeeded marvelously to piss me off" Kurisu said in a dark voice. The man, taken aback by her abrupt switch of demeanor, flinched and took a step back.

"Now, who do you think you're talking do, young lady. I am Hououin Kyouma! The one fated to surpass all and any" he said, recovering swiftly. Yet, just like Kurisu a few moments ago, he wasn't granted the chance to finish.

"Do you know who I am, sweetie?" asked Kurisu in a sweet voice, pulling the man's face closer to own.

"Err… a violent delinquent who died her hair red in some fancy rip-off beauty salon?"

"No, but I believe we'll get along quite nicely, Hououin Kyouma. My name is Kurisu Makise, and after hearing your most touching declaration, I simply cannot allow an ambitious man of such potential pass before my eyes. So congratulations, young boy, you have just earned a spot as my personal laboratory assistant. That will be the first step in your grand quest of surpassing Newton" The girl smirked.

"Become your personal assistant? You've got some guts to say that, redhead" said the man, as he glared at the Kurisu as hard as he could

"Yes, I admit I do. So what about it?" Kurisu challenged, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm going to make you pay for your petty insolence, Christina"

"I truly feel sorry for you, your mind is so addled you can't even remember a name. Alas, reality is too cruel"

"I assure you, you'll see one of its worse aspects very soon" said the man, and inhaled deeply.

"KURISU MAKISE? That perverted redhead who wore a pink polka dot, D cup bikini on the cover of an international scientific magazine? You're her?!" exclaimed the man in a loud voice, drawing the attention of crowd.

"So that's your plan? Making a fool of yourself in public? Indeed, fate has not treated you well" said Kurisu with an air of contempt.

"Laugh you foolish girl, for you will soon be unable to. Horror none has ever survived will surface, and the toll of your impudent deeds will be taken"

"Where…WHERE IS SHE?!" before the girl could retort, a booming holler erupted at the far end of the street.

"Who's that?" asked Kurisu nervously.

"That, darling, is your imminent doom" replied the man, smiling malevolently.

"I call upon you, the guardian of the doors of hell, the usher to the entrance of the purgatory. In my name, cross the barriers between dead and living, force apart the gates of souls and demise and set foot upon this land of mortals. Oh, sinister spirit, answer my prayers and rain misfortune upon this treacherous being, incinerate her flesh, annihilate her spirit…" the man chanted

"God, be quiet" exclaimed the girl frantically, shooting nervous glances at the people walking around them. She already met one lunatic in town (hopefully the only one), and she had no desire of meeting someone with strange fetishes about pink polka dots. Kurisu didn't know whether or not did the man hear her, but assuming that he did, it was manifest that he decided not to heed her warning.

"Come forth from your lair of bones and ashes, bringer of destruction, and emerge from a flaming pillar of FIRE!"

An earsplitting roar reverberated through the air.

"Redhead! Pink! Polka dots! D cup! Bikini! KISSY KISSY INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC MAGAZINE! She is mine!" Kurisu panicked as the voice grew closer by the second.

"I'm sorry, call him off! I didn't mean to offend you"

"Once the devil has been summoned, he will not return before feasting upon the flesh of young, youthful virgins. Now, if you're lucky enough to survive him, find me. I need to go or I'll be caught in the slaughter" said the man, stuffing a piece of paper into Kurisu's hand.

"Bankai! Supersonic Tornado Dash!" (Bleach reference) Then the girl saw people flying in every direction possible as a giant, meaty object barreled into them.

"Oh my god folks, look at this massacre! The beast is squeezing past pedestrian after pedestrian, getting closer and closer to our poor innocent victim by the second. Oh, he's only ten meter away. Eight meters, seven meters, six meters. I can't believe my eyes. That monster gone completely nuts! He's spinning he arms around like whirring tornado just to get his hands on our dear Mrs. Makise! " said the man, laughing loudly.

Ignoring the still-laughing man, Kurisu searched frantically for a route that could provide an escape from what was likely to be the most humiliating scene in her eighteen years of life. But to her utter despair, the people formed a seamlessly impermeable barrier surrounding her and man, who was still blissfully unaware of the mounting awkwardness of the situation.

Kurisu exhaled slowly and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt with a determined expression. The man was only a few meters away now, and there was no time for her hesitate. Only one single option remained at Kurisu's disposal, though she'd rather not use it.

"There's no use fighting him, Christina. It'll be over before you know it" mocked the man

"I can say the same to you" said Kurisu, gritting her teeth as she pulled back her leg.

"What do you-"

"Hidden Arts: Human Projectile Impact!"

"Here I come, HONEY!" At last, the man broke past the barricade of men and made a great lung toward Kurisu.

"NOOOO! Why am I flying through the air? No, Braun, STOP!"

At that moment, time seemed to slow down as he soared across space in a graceful arc. He could see the every tiny detail of the man's massive figure, the eyes clouded by lust and hunger, the little trail of foaming saliva spraying from his mouth and those meaty lips, so plump and crimson, puckered up and ready for a sweet, long kiss. Closing his eyes, he braced for the devastating contact.

"Henceforth, I pray for the salvation of Hououin Kyouma, may his sins be forgiven and his spirit accepted into the arms of God" said Kurisu, two of her fingers crossed.

"DARLING, KISS ME~!

"NOOOOOO! SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

Okabe, what did I tell you about not messing around with mommy's bra?

It's a bad and rude thing to do to a girl?

No, it prevents my assets from drooping

"WHY THE FUCK AM I HAVING THIS AS THE FINAL FLASHBACK?"

"He was perfectly normal back in the ward and we thought that maybe we should give him a chance to experience society. We never imagined he would behave like this and I give my most sincere apologies for the trouble may have caused you. But please rest assured, we will keep him under strict surveillance from now on" the girl said, bowing once more. The crowd dispersed as quickly as it formed, with the occasional sympathetic shake of heads directed toward the man, whose mouth hung open in dismay as he struggled to get on his feet. It only took seconds for him to recover.

"WHAT DO YOU-" Kurisu clamped her hand over the man's mouth and forcibly dragged him into the nearest deserted alley before he could make a scene.

The moment Kurisu relinquished her hold, a flood of complains and protest burst out the man's mouth.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? YOU'VE JUST RUINED MY IMAGE? DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND THE SEVERITY OF THE CRIME YOU'VE COMMIT?"He howled and grabbed his hair.

"First you pushed me over, then acted like the crazy person you are, and then made me apologize for something that is obviously NOT my responsibility. So now you've decided to accuse me for ruining an image you do not possess, huh? Are all men like this?" Kurisu folded her arms crossly and glared at the man. She didn't care about some vague, sub-conscious feeling in the depths of her mind anymore. All she wanted then was to see this man apologize for all the trouble he caused her.

"Accuse?" said the man, fully exploiting their difference in height as he advanced forward "I am Hououin Kyouma, the mad scientist destined to uncover the secrets of the Steins Gate, and I state nothing but the truth! Mua-" Instantly, Kurisu covered his mouth.

"If you keep laughing like that, it won't be long before you really get in a ward, Mr, Hououin" said Kurisu wearily and removed her hand for the second time.

"Honey, I said that I am a mad scientist. Do you think that behaving normally like the ordinary folk would help me live up to my reputation?" said the man, wagging his finger at Kurisu.

"I am confident that after seeing your impressive performance nobody in this town would consider you as someone normal, Mr. Hououin, but on the other hand, I greatly doubt one as mentally deranged as you could possibly dedicate his time to researches of any sort" scoffed the girl.

"Muahahaha" The man dodged Kurisu's hand and laughed even louder.

"Such naive thoughts you possess, girl. I am unraveling the most profound secrets of the universe itself! But explaining it to you would be a plain waste of time as it is not something the people of your caliber can ever hope to understand, so worship me, for I am the mad scientist" Again he was silenced by Kurisu's palm.

"You should really consider taping that mouth of yours, because sooner or later, it'll get you into the police station." she grumbled.

"So what is this 'most profound secrets of the universe'?" inquired Kurisu, half amused.

"Time" he replied. For the tiniest fraction of a second, the girl froze. Something flashed through the man's eye that Kurisu didn't understand, something oddly familiar. But before she could fully register it, it vanished, gone as the man regained his usual pompous demeanor.

"Surprised, aren't you? Amazed, even? And I'll let you know something else, I'm unlike those petty amateurs out there who only talks and produce noise pollution with their tedious monologues. I put my actions into words! And now with the help of my fellow lab members, I have successfully created the first time machine humankind has ever seen, the Phone Microwave! Muahahaha!" he declared triumphantly.

"The… Phone Microwave" repeated Kurisu, puzzled.

"Yes! The Phone Microwave, the most sophisticated machine upon this earth, and the key to unlocking the secrets of time!"

"What kind of strange name is that?" she questioned. But immediately afterwards, she shook her head and spoke "Then again, if it was you who did the naming, I suppose I should be glad that it's normal, even barely…"

"So, the name aside, how does it work?"

"That is not something foolish mortals like you can comprehend" he said haughtily.

"Would you like to know my name, Mr. Hououin?" asked Kurisu sweetly.

"Hum... well, maybe...perhaps...most likely...not" answered the man with a grin.

"I am Kurisu Makise, from America. Perhaps that rings a bell?" said the girl, ignoring Hououin's comment.

"Is it supposed to?" inquired the man with feign innocence.

"If" began Kurisu through gritted teeth. "You are really a scientist, and then you are truly poorly updated"

"I could hardly care less about what those incompetent mediocre do when I have matters of much more significance waiting for me to attend to, girl."

"You should be more careful with your choice of words, Mr. Hououin. You do realize that you are undermining practically all the scientists on the face of Earth, right?" said Kurisu darkly. Abruptly, the man leaned forward and because of the lack of space, Kurisu was forced to have her back flat against the wall as Hououin continued to approach.

"Let me tell you something, Christina…" The man's face was only a few meager inches away from Kurius's, so close that she had no choice but to look him in the eye. Being so near to a man in such a compromising posture, the girl's heart pounded as she thought of what could be the following development.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed" He grinned.

Silence reigned for a whole minute.

Beep. "Hello, is this the police station? I was harassed a moment ago by a guy named Hououin" The man snatched away her phone before she could finish.

"Hello? Harassment? Oh, that was just my friend playing a prank, I'm so sorry to take up your time. Exactly, ah, teenagers these days, they don't know what's for their own good. Don't you worry, officer. Yes, definitely, I'll warn her not do it again. Thank you for your help, have a good day" He sighed in relief and snapped the phone shut.

"Oh my god, you can actually be polite! It's a miracle!" said Kurisu, covering her mouth.

"Of course I can, but only to people who deserve it" he hissed venomously.

"Really? You know that I can call the police anytime, right? And if you don't give me back my phone, you'll be prosecuted for theft and sexual harassment, I'll see to it personally" Kurisu said, looking up at the sky.

…

"I am sincerely sorry for my atrocious actions. Please notify me if there is even the tiniest thing I can do to compensate for your losses" said Hououin, bowing deeply.

"Aw… How sweet of you. Maybe you can treat me to dinner tonight, and don't try anything funny, because you'll be eating a bite of everything before I start" said Kurisu as she futilely struggled to hide her bursting laughter.

"I'm sure you'll find my company exceedingly entertaining, Christina" She could almost hear the man's teeth grinding together furiously.

"I'll be looking forward to it then. Oh and one more thing, Mr. Hououin, DON'T CALL ME CHRISTINA!" protest Kurisu indignantly.

"Yes, yes whatever. It doesn't matter as long as you respond doesn't it. But since the hour if far too early for dinner, why don't we pay my laboratory a little visit. Given your interest in my field of my research, I'm sure you would be very much interested, won't you, Miss Makise" said Hououin, a malevolent grin sketched on his face. If Kurisu hadn't already been forced against the wall, she would've have taken several steps back for the sole purpose of avoiding it.

"As much as I would like to comply" started the girl hastily.

"Don't worry about it, there are other people present, so I won't be able to do anything to you. Now, in pursuit for efficiency and the conservancy of time, I recommend that we take the shortcut" he pointed at the dark, murky depths of the alley and said.

"And besides, we can't have ultraviolet rays scorching that pretty hide of yours, can't we, Christina?"

"I think I prefer the sunburns" Kurisu drily retorted.

"Alas, why could anyone understand my kindness? When did the society become such a cruel, cold place?" he exclaimed dramatically, wiping nonexistent tears from the corner of his eye.

"The day you were born"

"Ah, young people these days, always pessimistic. Look on the bright side, Christina, or take a pill. I'm pretty sure you need it"

"DON'T CALL ME CHRISTINA!"

"See, that's the spirit" chimed the man, chuckling upon seeing Kurisu's seething expression. Even after he finished laughing, a ghost of the smile still lingered on the corner of his mouth as they walked out of the alley together.

"So, where do we go?" inquired Kurisu, who had given up resisting.

"Do you really think that I, the greatest mad scientist in the world, would so easily share his secrets with you?" he twirled around and asked.

"Well, yes, frankly. You were rather eager to show off" answered the girl in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"Because of my kindness, I shall keep my promise. We meet here again at seven o'clock, Christina. Do not be late" said the man.

"Shouldn't that be my line, Mr. Hououin?"

"A mad scientist is never late. He always arrives when he wants to"

"So you're Gandalf now, huh? Who am I? Frodo?" (Lord of the rings reference) said Kurisu, raising an eyebrow.

"Sam suits you better, Christina. You share similar builds"

"STOP CALLING ME CHRISTINA!"

"Interesting, you didn't deny that"

Okabe Rintarou sat on a bench outside the electronics store his landlord owned, both hands placed behind his head as he stared at the tufts of stray clouds drifting leisurely through the sky. Closing his eyes, he sighed.

"Again" he muttered to himself, recalling his encounter with the red-headed girl this morning. He knew that they would inevitably meet, but never did he expect that it would be on the streets of this city.

"I guess this is the last time, isn't it?" At the thought of that, memories began surge forth. Slowly, his hands clenched together. He sat there silently, allowing the waves of memories to submerge his conscience. Among the countless flashes of memories that flipped through his mind, there were those he forgot where they were made, there were those that had faded into blurry shades of light melding together. But nevertheless, regardless of background the faces that appeared were always the same. It was the same people repeating themselves over and over again. This time, it was no different. His hands relaxed.

"Not a bad start, but there's still much to work on" he said and stood up in a single flourish. As he walked toward the building, he heard the hollers of his landlord and the frantic responses of the Suzuha, the part time girl working in his store. Both of them played an essential role, but for the moment, it is best to let them be. He climbed up a set of staircase located beside the store. After two flights of stairs, he arrived at a dust-covered plastic door and flung it open brutally.

"Behold! I am Hououin Kyouma, the man fated to uncover the secrets of the Steins Gate!" grandly, he shouted.

The two people inside were unfazed by his sudden entry. In fact, despite the racket it made neither of them gave any sign of noticing it at all. One was a petite girl wearing a sunhat and a light blue dress and a dreamy expression on her face, playing absentmindedly with a furry pillow that had the face of a panda sown upon it. The other was a large, fat man that had his eyes glued onto the screen of a computer, which showed a woman garbed in an extremely revealing outfit. The room was small and covered with a thick layer of dust, with only a sofa, desk and wooden table as furniture. Torn in several places, chunks of cotton protruded from the cracked surface of the sofa. A large, clunky computer occupied the desk and whirred loudly as it struggled to process the tasks given to it by its user. Last but not least, upon the table sat an enormous pile of books, magazines and random pieces of paper mixed together.

"Oh, you're back, Okarin. Did you buy the magazine I mentioned?" the fat, chubby man said, not removing his vision from the screen. Itaru Hashida, a man known in his university for his superior skills with the computer and his notorious reputation of lurking in the girl's bathroom. After graduation, he was accepted into a prestigious software company, but due to the intense protest of his fellow female colleagues, he was laid off shortly after employment. The same process was repeated several times before the man at last gave up on finding a girlfriend while working. But because of the rather remarkable records on his reserve, he currently maintains an unemployed status.

"Go buy it yourself if you really want it that much, Daru. It'll do your body some good too because I swear you're getting fatter by the day" said Okabe, plopping down on the tattered sofa. The old furniture wheezed pathetically as all the air inside was squeezed out by the man's weight, sending a few strands of cotton flying into the air.

"You're hallucinating, Okarin. Close the door, you're letting the hot air get in" said Daru in a calm tone that contrasted with his vigorous clicking. Okabe grudging lifted himself from his seat and kicked the door shut none too gently.

"You shouldn't do that, Okarin. The door's going to break" said the girl in a slow, dreamy tone. Okabe, who just dealt another devastating blow to the sofa, turned to look at her.

"Well, I don't how to break this up to you, Mayuri. But I'm afraid that the door is already broken, just like the sofa, the desk and the ceiling" said the man, and as if to emphasize his point, little chunks of the rock started to rain down from above.

"The computer's working just fine for me" said Daru, shrugging.

"And that makes this place suitable for human inhabitation?"

"I don't see why not. There's water, electricity, gas, and Internet, and the ceiling should probably last for a few weeks before it collapses. The most important thing is that I don't live here, so even when it does, as long as it's during the night, I'm safe" said the large man.

"I am so fortunate you have you as a friend, Daru, you're concern is so touching that I'm having goosebumps already" Okabe said sarcastically.

"Yes!" Daru bellowed triumphant and tilted his body closer to the computer. What took up the entire screen was the image of a naked woman standing in the middle of a sunny beach. Okabe shook in his head in exasperation.

"Yes! I've finally unlocked the final stage! Bless you!" said Daru, almost kissing the screen as his vision hungrily roamed every single inch of the image.

"Hey, don't rape my computer!" cried Okabe indignantly.

"It's not like you use it" said the fat man, pushing his glasses further up his nose.

"We are the 'Future Gadgets Research Team'! Instead of watching restricted material that is continuously corrupting your mind, shouldn't you be utilizing more of your time to research?" said Okabe reprovingly.

"I am" said Daru. "It's just every time you see me, I happen to be replenishing my energy"

Just as Okabe opened his mouth to retort, Mayuri the girl spoke.

"Are we going to the temple today, Okarin?" asked the girl, standing up with the plush still held in her arms.

"No, I have a date today" the man answered. To his surprise, nobody responded. Daru shook his head and picked up the phone beside him.

"Don't worry, Okarin. The ambulance will be here right away and let's see what the doctors can do about that brain of yours, even though it's probably a lost cause" said the man, dialing with his pudgy digits.

"IT'S TRUE! I HAVE A DATE TODAY! YOU CAN TAG ALONG ALL YOU WANT IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT!" roared the man, outraged.

"If that's true, Okabe, then the poor lady is either truly desperate, or all the males have died in this town. Since I'm still here, and she didn't come looking for me, then it must be the former" said Daru, putting down the phone and returning his focus back onto the computer.

"Are you implying that compared to you, I am the less preferable choice?" question the man in an insulted tone.

"At least I appreciate their bodies"

"The lady who has the misfortune to marry you better be prepared for a life without sex, Daru, or always manage to be the one on top. I doubt anyone short of a sumo wrestler can stand your weight without having their spines broken" said Okabe

"Unlike you, Okarin, I don't think of them in a sexual perspective" said Daru loftily.

"SAYS THE PERSON WHO WATCHES PORN EIGHT HOURS A DAY"

"That's not porn, Okarin, it's art" said Daru, suddenly serious. "I am an artist, captivated by the beauty of the naked human"

"No, you are a pervert, catering to the desires you don't even bother to hide"

"People with obsolete, conventional thinking like you can never understand the holiness of the mission God has bestowed upon us, Okarin." Daru looked at him sympathetically, which somehow irritated the man to no end.

"I think Japan can keep up with its birth rate without the help of you or me, and aren't we facing a global food crisis in how many years?" said the Okabe.

"Who is she, Okarin?" Mayuri asked, curious. She stared at him with her large, green eyes expectantly.

"Kurisu Makise" answered the man, pulling a magazine from the staggering mountain of debris. The cover was a red-headed girl clutching a thick, paperback book in her hands that had the bold words 'Advanced Research of the Human Brain Activities' printed prominently as its title. Absentmindedly, he flipped through the pages.

"Hah! I told you, Okarin, you're hallucinating. Kurisu Makise is in America, and even if she came to town, there's no way she would go out with you" snorted Daru derisively.

"That's where you're wrong, Daru. Great minds think alike, even though her mind isn't really that great in comparison with my unprecedented level of intellect. And besides, there is no woman on the face of Earth that can withstand my overflowing charms of masculinity" said Okabe with a grin.

"I don't know about intellect, Okarin, but you sure do have a large head, which I'm not sure is equivalent with capacity"

"Assuming it's true that you're going out, Okarin, where would you take her? The only restaurant you know and can afford is that noodle stand around the corner, which doesn't open after two o'clock" the fat man pointed out.

"I have everything planned out here" said the man with a smile and pointed at his head.

"Then I'll be waiting for the police to call, Okarin. Last time you said that, we had to bail you out for drunk driving" said Daru, finally averting his glassy eyes from the screen to look at Okabe.

"I WAS CYCLING!" bellowed the man, furious and upset.

"On the freeway" Daru added.

"It was a shortcut, for God's sake! People always fuss over the tiniest of things" exclaimed Okabe.

"A shortcut to where? Tokyo?"

"Anyways, everything tonight will go as planned, so there will be no need for you to worry, Daru"

"If you say so" The man shrugged and turned back to the computer.

"Now that we have all the useless crap talk aside, let us continue this grand voyage to the sea of unknown. Let us take forth the step that will bring us further than anyone has ever hoped to venture. And let us uncover the veil of mystery and have the very fabric of time itself shown before our eyes. BEHOLD" he swung his hand toward a corner of the room, where several items lay silently on the dusty floor.

"The masterpiece of human technology, the first time machine mankind has ever seen, the Phone Microwave!" he finished.

"If you have the time to devise a new speech, Okarin, why don't you spend some time worrying about your date? If I recall correctly your last date ended with the girl chasing you around trying the kill you with a baseball bat, but my opinion doesn't mean anything to you, don't they"

"Ready the device, Daru" He rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Shouldn't you check if your landlord is down there? Last time we did it, he raised the rent by 5000 yen, and this time, you might just get evicted from the house"

"Such trivial matters cannot stop us from progress, we must move forth and obliterate all that stands before in our way, for I am Hououin Kyouma, the greatest mad scientist of all times! Muahahaha!" Okabe laughed.

"Well, I look forward to seeing you obliterated by Mr. Landlord" said Daru and with a grunt, heaved the computer from its place. He then settled it on the floor with prudence, wary not to knock any of its delicate appendages out of place.

"Prepares yourselves, my fellow Lab members, you are about to witness the dawn of a new era, the rise of a new age with your own eyes. Henceforth, time will no long be the abstract concept people aspire after, today time will bow down under our feet! The choice of the Steins Gate is before us!" Okabe slammed the microwave onto the table. It was a machine no different from the ordinary microwave save for the socket on its side. Swiftly, the man took picked Daru's cell phone from the desk and slid it into the groove, securing it in place.

"Rejoice, my brethren! The moment is upon us!"

"He's taking longer than usual, isn't he" Daru whispered to the girl beside, who nodded in consent. Okabe shot a look at the clock hanging on the wall beside him, and a confident grin came into sight on the corner of his mouth. He pushed the 'Start' on the microwave, which began humming immediately.

"All the conditions have been fulfilled, hence, let the experiment begin!" said the man, extracting his phone from his pocket. Flipping it open, he floated his thumb over the 'Send' button located at the center of the keypad.

Seconds later, white sparks of light began appeared inside the machine and they swiftly grew into tendrils of crackling lightning that bounced against its walls and threatened to burst free of the microwave's confinements.

"I see it, the light that conceals the Steins Gate" muttered Okabe, shades of light dancing in his black pupils. He slowly raised the hand holding his phone.

"This time" Electricity saturated the small room, making the hair of all the people present stand on end. The light bulbs hanging above flashed and flickered dangerously.

"I WILL BECOME THE KING OF THE WORLD!" He pressed the button.

A man walking on the street from work gazed in disbelief at the sight when a fork of lightning pierced the air, coming from the window of a small, two-story building.

"THIS BETTER BE THE LAST TIME, YA BUNCH OF RETARDS!" A large, muscular man wearing an apron bellowed gruffly, waving a broom at the trio standing in front of him.

"Remember this moment, you vile fiend and regret it when misfortune befalls your greedy, corrupted soul! Do not beg me for mercy, for I will show you none regardless of how pitiful your pleas! Remember this moment!" He flailed his hands wildly in the air as he was dragged back upstairs by Daru and Mayuri together.

"Well, don't come beggin' on ya knees when I decide to kick ya out of the house, Rintarou" said the

"Try as you will, foolish mortal, and you shall taste the fury of Hououin Kyouma, the mad scientist destined to uncover the secrets of the Steins Gate! Demons shall feast upon your flesh, flames of purgatory shall burn your soul mercilessly and only then, can you atone for the sins you have committed in cold blood!" shouted Okabe. Mayuri opened the door and Daru tossed the man inside, mopping his brow.

"Finally, a break" Daru muttered under his breath and prepared to follow Okabe into the room, though instead of being thrown inside he apparently decided to walk using his own feet.

"Hey, fat kid" Mr. Landlord called. Daru turned around and blinked in confusion.

"I overheard ya guys talkin' just a moment ago and is it true that the moron has a date?" he asked, crossing his arms. Before Daru could shrug, Mayuri eagerly spoke up.

"Yes, Mr. Landlord, yes indeed. Okarin has a date with Mrs. Kurisu Makise" said the girl, bouncing on her feet.

"Kurisu…Makise?" mumbled the man, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Yes, Mr. Landlord, Kurisu Makise from America" added the girl.

"An American?" said the man in disapproval. It was obvious that Mr. Landlord falls into the category of 'people with obsolete, conventional thinking'.

"No, Mr. Landlord, no" said Mayuri, shaking her head.

"Then what?" he demanded impatiently.

"Hem, hem" coughed Daru, and smoothed his crumpled up shirt.

"What?" asked the man, impatient.

"Allow me to explain, Mr. Landlord. Mrs. Kurisu Makise was born in Tokyo, Japan, 1990. Her father was once a physicist widely acclaimed among the scientific community for his contribution to the research of time and space traveling, which later became the trigger to Mrs. Makise's avidity toward the subject" Daru began, taking out a little, squashed notebook from his back pocket and flipping through its sticky pages.

"At the age of four, due to the abrupt change of her father's vocation and hiring company, Miss Makise and her parents immigrated to Washington DC, USA and stayed there for seven years in total. During this period of time Mr. Makise issued several more theses and articles that contained suggestions considered daring even by today's standards. Naturally, they were put to question by his fellow physicists, but the majority of the crowd gladly accepted them and those who attempted to oppose were too few in numbers to make visible influence to the general public. Thus, Mr. Makise reached the peak of his career and reputation"

"But on the seventh year in the US, Mr. Makise was laid off by the company he worked for and the reason to their return is none other than the loss of Mrs. Makise's father's job. The details of what occurred in the laboratory was classified as confidential information by the government-funded facility which Mr. Makise worked in, but there were rumors saying he disagreed with the CEO's decision of aborting his project and went ahead to conducted it on his own. The results or even the veracity of this incident is unattested, yet it remains a fact that a few months after his return to Japan, Mr. Makise suffered a grave impact by having nearly all his theories and claims overthrown. What made the blow ever more devastating to him was that the first one to discover his mistake and also unintentionally revealing it to the public was his own twelve year old daughter, Kurisu Makise. In a span of a few weeks, he lost all his credit as a scientist. With Mr. Makise unemployed and their little daughter still in school, they were forced to live a frugal life with her mother's meager income as an elementary teacher in Japan." Daru shook his head heavily.

"Fortunately for them, life as such only lasted for three years. At the age of fifteen, Mrs. Makise was accepted into Harvard University with full financial aid and in two years issued her first thesis: 'Advanced Research of the Human Brain Activities'.It was acknowledged by even the most experienced professors in the field of neuroscience to be immensely accurate and abundant in details. For a period of time it even became the topic of controversy. A year later, she graduated from Harvard with honors. But what really made her the rising star of the scientific community was her second piece of work, 'The Complicated Intersections of Space and Time'. It mainly elaborates upon Einstein's theory of space and time not being separate, but actually tightly woven together. And in her book, she also spent a long portion of the contents discussing the myriads of possibilities the theory could bring us. All of a sudden, Kurisu Makise became the center of attention. Awarded with medals and ribbons of accomplishment by associations worldwide, the ring of glory surrounding her was so great that even her father had the chance to share the limelight. He was passionately welcomed back into his old circle of fellow physicist and got hired by another company. Right now, Kurisu Makise should still be in America doing research, but according to Okarin, she's now here in Akihabara and had most unfortunately ran into him on the streets" finished Daru. For a moment, nobody spoke.

"It's kinda odd…" the first one to regain the ability to speak was Mr. Landlord "…seeing ya talk so much about something other than porn"

"THAT IS NOT PORN! IT IS ART!" aggravated by the man's choice of words, Daru protested.

"And Kurisu Makise is a masterpiece" he suddenly said with eyes sparkling with tears and startling the other two with his sudden change of tone.

"The smooth, ample curves of her body, the way her wavy crimson hair sways and gleams in the sun like the finest silk, and those eyes, those crystal blue eyes that draw you into their fathomless depths when you try to explore the contents of what it beholds, oh I have met the love of my life"

"You know, Hashida, one day I will get both you and Rintarou behind the bars. I can't believe humans can consciously get so creepy"

"Try as you might, you vile fiend!"

This is my first time writing an story so please kindly tolerate the awkward wordings.

If you like it, please by all means review

If you don't, then you could always leave some comments for my reference

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