Valkyries

by ShayP

Seemingly average Detective Kruger's world is about to be turned upside down when she meets Windbloom City's masked heroine, Scarlet Fox. Not only does she have to find out why a mob family is interested in her, but a famous hero and a villain as well.

1. Heroes

Valkyries

By ShayP

Chapter 1: Heroes

Heh.

This was inspired by my recent reading of the graphic novels, 'Birds of Prey' and 'Watchmen.' I highly recommend both if you're into super heroes and comic books. Also, thanks to Lone Wolf who also inspired me to write this after one of our many super hero-y convos.

I'm sure there are other 'Natsuki is a detective' fics or "Mai Hime characters with superpowers" fics and I'm also sure I don't care. Woo!

Rated: M for Much too awesome… and maybe because of the sexins. Maybe.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything 'cept the plot and… well, anything that isn't Mai HiMe related or DC Comics related. For example, the term 'metahuman' is owned by DC Comics, I think so, anyways.

I'm trying to think of a clever 'super hero' way to say 'enjoy' but I can't.

Up up and away!

Okay, that was DUMB. Let's just stick with the usual.

Enjoy.

---

'What kind of a dream is it,' said Odin,

in which just before daybreak,

I thought I cleared Valhalla,

for coming of slain men?

I waked the lone fighters,

bade valkyries rise up,

to strew the bench,

and scour the beakers,

wine to carry,

as for a king's coming,

here to me I expect

heroes' coming from the world,

certain great ones,

so glad is my heart

---

Detective Natsuki Kruger sighed as she sat in her tiny office. Her eyes skimmed the latest headline and she was not at all surprised by what she saw.

The Mysterious Scarlet Fox Has Saved the Day Again!

Below the headline was a large photo taking up more of the page than the article itself. On the cover was a woman in superior physical condition (proven by the skin-tight, protective hero suit she was donning) with her hands on her hips as she stared down at a mob boss she had just stopped. The heel of her knee-high, black boot was on his cheek, and he looked terrified.

The dark red mask framing her oddly colored eyes—must be contacts—covered only the area around her eyes and a bit of her nose. Long, chestnut colored hair, wavy and thick, blew behind her like she was some kind of fashion model.

The chest-area of her costume was emblazoned with her hero symbol. It was a simple, dark red insignia of a fox's face. The upper half of her costume was decorated in mostly red and black, the black area surrounding the fox symbol and the red area ending where her yellow utility belt was strapped around her slim waist. Her mask was dark red like half of her costume while her gloves, briefs, boots and cape were black as night.

The cape billowed behind the Scarlet Fox, making her seem menacing. The woman in the photo was one of the most popular caped crusaders of Windbloom City, and Natsuki wasn't quite sure how she felt about the vigilante.

Natsuki rubbed at her temples. "Nao, why the hell do we have jobs? I mean if capes are going to be saving people all time, I don't see why we're needed…" She rested the newspaper down on her shabby desk and instead lifted her mug of coffee to her lips. The searing hot liquid burned her tongue. "Ow, ow," she hissed as she slammed the mug down, causing the brown liquid to slosh around until it settled. She stuck out her tongue and waved her hands at it, as if she could push cool air onto it. "Damn," she muttered.

Nao looked up from her own copy of the same newspaper, her light green eyes twinkling with amusement. Though the newspaper covered everything below Nao's eyes, Natsuki didn't doubt there was a smug smile there. "Are you always this clumsy in the morning, Kruger?" Nao asked as she too finally dropped the newspaper to her own desk. She stood up and sauntered over to Natsuki, who was now sticking her tongue in a plastic cup of water from the cooler Mai had just brought over.

Nao placed her butt on Natsuki's desk and clucked her tongue. She leaned over and took the pencil from behind Natsuki's ear then tapped it against her own chin. "What am I going to do with you, Detective?" The way she said that last word had Natsuki's cheeks flushing slightly as she pulled her tongue out of the ice water and gave Mai a grateful nod from across the room. She wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or suspicious as to how Mai seemed to know she would burn her tongue on the coffee. Then again—Natsuki glanced at Nao, who had brought her the coffee— maybe it wasn't so surprising.

Natsuki, ignoring her partner's suggestive tone, pointed to the newspaper on her desk. "What do you think of this?" She asked, drawing Nao's eyes to the photo on the front page. "The Scarlet Fox? This is her third front page story this week."

"I think she's hot. I don't care if she's a cape or putting me out of my job, I'd tap that in a second."

Annoyed emeralds glanced at the other woman before retuning back to the photo. "Nao, get serious, she probably has a thousand boyfriends… or girlfriends," Natsuki muttered. "That's not the point though," she added when Nao's gaze returned to her.

The redhead shifted so that now she was fully sitting on her friend's desk, her legs crossing and causing Natsuki to nervously rub at the back of her neck.

Nao smirked. "Then what is the point?" She asked.

"The point," Natsuki argued, "is that we've been tailing those guys for months now. They're one of the biggest crime mobs in Windbloom and she, what, takes them out in a day?"

"She's probably been tailing them too," Nao pointed out. "She probably has the 'Fox Cave' or some secret headquarters. All capes do."

Quirking a brow, Natsuki leaned back in her chair. "And how, dearest Nao, would you know that?" Besides, it'd probably be the Fox DEN.

Green eyes sparkled once more. "Because I slept with her partner," she declared proudly.

Natsuki's brow furrowed. "Scarlet Fox doesn't have a partner. Every interview she's done she claims to work alone."

"That's not what this cape said."

"How did you even meet a cape? And which one?"

"At a club, and I didn't know she was a cape until she showed off at her apartment. Her name was, ah," Nao tapped Natsuki's pencil to her chin once more as she looked towards the ceiling for the answer. "Oh!" Her eyes widened and she looked back down at the patiently—or not so patiently—waiting Natsuki. "Nightshade."

Natsuki frowned. "Nao… that's a super villain, not a super hero. Are you sure it wasn't just a fan with the Nightshade costume?"

"I'm sure," Nao nodded. "Had the costume and everything. I didn't get her real name, and I'm pretty sure she's long gone." Nao tapped the pencil once again to her chin. "She was kinky though, wore her mask the whole time—"

Brrrring! Brrrriiing!

Natsuki rolled her eyes, not believing her partner's story. She instead turned to the phone and reached for it. Nao put her hand over Natsuki's, effectively stopping the other woman from lifting the phone. She then winked when Natsuki slid her hand from under hers, and then lifted the phone to the side of her head.

"Detective Kruger and Zhang," Nao said as professionally as she could. Natsuki watched Nao's expression as the person on the other end spoke.

When Nao's smile dropped and her eyes widened slightly, Natsuki mouthed, 'who is it?'

The redhead muttered a, "We'll be right there," into the phone and stood up briskly. She looked at Natsuki, who began to get up as well. "Get your coat, Detective, we've got work to do."

---

Pulling on a form-fitting black pea coat that ended midway down her thigh, Natsuki hurried after the redhead, who had already began bounding down the steps of Windbloom City Police Department. Both detectives were wearing similar jackets with dark jeans and boots that covered their calves. The boots were practical in case they needed to run, but no one could deny they were sexy. The boots also had a special compartment on the inside, where Natsuki and Nao both kept combat blades. Their pistols were holstered to their hips and necessary sunglasses were tucked into their front coat pockets. Natsuki fingered her badge before tucking it into the pocket on the inside of her jacket.

The car chirped when Natsuki unlocked it and the two detectives entered the sleek black Peugeot 907 RC.

"I really like this car," Nao whistled as she ran a hand down the dashboard. "It's sexy as hell. What's it called again? A pigeon?"

"A Peugeot," Natsuki muttered in her best French accent. "It's French."

Nao whistled again. "And how much money did your parents leave you again?"

"Enough," Natsuki grumbled as she put the car into drive and backed out of the parking lot. "So tell me what's going on," she said, not wanting to get into the topic of her parents again. Natsuki loved Nao but the woman was insensitive sometimes and Natsuki couldn't handle that right now, especially not when it had to do with her parents.

"Honestly… you talk about capes taking your job but you don't even need this job!" Nao complained as she threw her hands up dramatically.

Natsuki's fingers tightly gripped the steering wheel of her car. "Actually," she said quietly, "I spent all the inheritance on this car…" she admitted. "I'm kind of broke right now."

Nao glanced at her partner. "You moron. Tell me you're lying."

Natsuki slowly shook her head. "Nope. I mean, this model isn't even out yet… so I had to spend almost all. The rest went to my apartment and some other things."

"Are you naturally this stupid or was it an acquired thing?" Nao deadpanned, her eyes narrowing at her blushing partner. "You were born this way, right?"

Natsuki's foot pressed harder on the pedal. The sound the engine made was practically orgasmic. "Born to love speed? Oh yeah." She smirked. This buy had totally been worth it.

Nao let out a dramatic sigh. "Stupid. I mean you could've bought me one of those cakes."

"Cakes?" Natsuki asked as she glanced at the TV screen where Nao had tapped in an address into the GPS.

"Turn left," the sexy voice of the GPS system reminded Natsuki.

Natsuki cursed, "Damn!" and the wheels screeched as she made a sharp left. Nao was slammed into the side of the car and cursed loudly.

"Way to drive," the redhead grumbled as she rubbed at her head. "Can you focus on the damn road?"

"Then stop distracting me," Natsuki snapped.

"Fine."

They were silent for about thirty seconds.

"And I was talking about those cakes where the strippers jump out," Nao suddenly pointed out. "And don't think I didn't notice how you changed the GPS's voice to sound like a hooker."

Natsuki sighed and her eyes flicked to her speedometer. Her lips twitched into a devious smile. "A hundred," she chirped. Nao rolled her eyes and looked out the window. "So," Natsuki said. "Where are we going?"

"There's a psycho arsonist with hostages inside a burning building," Nao said nonchalantly. Her lack of emotion sometimes made Natsuki envious. It was never a good thing to be emotional in their field. "He lights up another floor at different intervals of time, starting with four floors below the top. The hostages are on the top floor." Nao sighed. "No one can get in because he's completely torched a whole floor… even if they did get in the building, it's too dangerous to go up there."

"How does he plan on getting out?" Natsuki wondered. "And who are the hostages?"

"Two parents and their young daughter," Nao answered quietly, her eyes sneaking a peek at her partner, who visibly paled.

"Oh," Natsuki uttered quietly. "Well… what are his demands? What does he want for the hostages?"

"Well that's the thing," Nao grumbled as she turned from the window to watch her partner. "I don't think he wants anything. I think he just doesn't want to go alone."

Natsuki's brow furrowed as three fire engines sped by her. She internally scowled. She hated it when other cars passed her. Sure, they were fire trucks but…

Natsuki pushed the gas pedal all the way down, both her and Nao's backs pressing into the leather of the car seats as the car sped up. "Then… why doesn't he just end them all instead of dragging it out so long?"

"I'm not a psychiatrist, Kruger, how the hell am I supposed to know?"

"Maybe he doesn't want to really die… maybe he wants to be saved…" and Nao realized Natsuki was now talking to herself, or technically, she was speaking her thoughts out loud without realizing it again. Nao tended to find this cute, and the woman's mind was actually very intriguing despite Nao's constant teases of there being nothing in there but air.

"Maybe. But the thing is, if we can't get to them in time and convince him to let them go… then they're all toast."

"That wasn't a funny pun at all."

"Oh come on, it was a little punny."

"Pun—? Urgh, forget it, we're here."

The two detectives quickly exited the shiny black car and stood staring upwards at the tall apartment complex. Apparently the only people home at the time were just two families. One family he let go three hours ago, before he torched the fourth floor. The second family he hadn't even known was there until he had torched the next three floors.

Thick black smoke seemed to pour out of the windows of the lower levels, the dark swirls floating up into the sky ominously. The remaining two floors, floors nine and ten, seemed to be intact for now.

Natsuki looked around her. There were multiple cop cars, the two fire trucks from before, and the psychiatrist with a megaphone to her mouth.

"It's okay!" Yukino called through the megaphone, her small figure looking even smaller in comparison to the tall, beefy firemen walking around her. "We just want to talk!" Natsuki thought the mousy girl's voice was much too quiet. Good thing they had the megaphone.

Natsuki exchanged glances with Nao before they both strode over towards Commissioner Graceburt. The Commissioner saw her detectives approaching from the corner of her eye and turned to greet them.

"Ah, detectives, I was wondering when you'd make it," Maria Graceburt said, her pure green eyes flickering brightly from the flames nearby. She glanced at her watch. "You are a bit late."

Natsuki tried to fight back a frown. Late? She had gotten them there in ten minutes! That's twenty minutes less than it would've taken them if she had driven like a sane, law-abiding citizen!

The commissioner was the head of the entire police department of Windbloom City. Appointed by the mayor herself, Maria, sometimes going by Miss Maria, had earned the position after bringing down one of the city's most notorious mob families. The woman was in her early forties, with short blonde hair (beginning to gray) and an attitude twice her age. Despite her crabby attitude, Natsuki respected the woman. She was a hard ass but she knew what she was doing and didn't take bullshit from anybody. There was a rumor going around that Commissioner Graceburt used to be a cape... but Natsuki didn't believe it. Commissioner Graceburt had also been a good friend of Natsuki's parents… when they were alive, of course.

"If you don't mind me asking, Commissioner," Nao interjected as she glanced towards the burning building. "Why did you call us here? We handle, you know, kidnappings, rape, murders, that stuff. Isn't this more for the fire department to handle?" She then pointed to the police officers nearby. They were pretty pointless, she thought. "And can't they just arrest the guy when they get him down?"

"Always quick to run from a case," Maria stated as she shook her head slowly. "Do you really think I'd have called you here for no reason, Detective Zhang?"

"Er, no, ma'am!" Nao said quickly, her head lowering as she decided to find the dirt interesting.

Natsuki rolled her eyes and then folded her arms over her chest. "So what do you need, Commissioner?" She asked, wondering the same thing as Nao.

Maria turned away from her detectives and looked towards the building. The firefighters were setting up a long white ladder. A firefighter climbed on it and ducked when bullets fired towards him. "That's why," she muttered. Wise green eyes met with eager ones. "Detective Kruger, you are one of the sharpest shooters we have," the woman stated simply. "I would like you to get on that ladder with the firefighter and protect him or her until you reach the top. I would then like you to assassinate Mr.… ah…" Maria lifted a clipboard to her face. Natsuki noticed a photo of a man that seemed to be in his forties. He must be the man inside the building. "Mr. Holton if he continues to be a danger to either the firefighter or yourself."

Natsuki blinked. "You want me to…"

"Yes."

"Wait, so I'm here for no reason?" Nao whined. She kicked the dirt below her feet. "Well, this blows."

"But… why me?" Natsuki asked. She wasn't so sure how she felt about being out in the open, on a moving ladder, as she got shot at by a maniac with hostages inside a burning building. "I'm not that good, surely one of the police officers—"

"Kruger," Commissioner Graceburt said sternly, her green eyes narrowing at Natsuki, who shrunk in response. "You will do as I say. Get over there now." The woman pointed to where the fireman was getting down and complaining about being shot at. A firefighter with long blonde hair and a loud mouth cursed the man as a coward and climbed atop the ladder.

Natsuki nodded. "I—alright. I'll go now," she said. She turned to Nao, who lifted a brow. "I guess I'll… see you when I get back."

Nao grabbed Natsuki's collar and pulled so that their faces were an inch away. Natsuki swallowed hard and blushed fiercely. Nao's eyes stared intensely into Natsuki's. "Come back or else, Kruger. I won't have Commissioner Crabby-pants over there putting me with an ugly ass partner if you die."

"I heard that, Detective Zhang," Maria said as her eyes stayed focused on the ninth floor, which ignited. "Hurry, Detective Kruger, I do believe the building is near-collapse."

Nao released Natsuki, who gave the redhead a quick hug before turning and running off towards the waiting fire truck.

"If she dies, Commissioner, I won't forgive you," Nao growled, her eyes following Natsuki's figure as she met up with the blonde firefighter.

"Trust me, Detective Zhang," Maria said quietly and tenderly, her fingers sliding into her pocket as she pulled out another photo. "Natsuki is a smart girl and she… her heart is in the right place." The woman's eyes examined the photo of a family. A mother, a father, and their daughter. "She won't let those people die. She won't fail."

Nao ran a hand through her red locks. "You better be right, Commissioner, you better be right."

---

"Are you the shooter that's going to back me up?" Haruka Armitage asked. She then blinked in surprise when Natsuki flicked her hair back, took out her pistol from it holster and nodded. "Kruger? Natsuki Kruger?" Haruka asked as she got a closer look.

Natsuki's brow furrowed in confusion. She then got a better look at the blonde. "Oh... Haruka… when did you become a firefighter?" She asked, remembering how Haruka had been trying to get into S.W.A.T.

Haruka rolled her eyes, picked Natsuki up as if she were nothing, and dropped her on the platform next to her. "About two months ago. It's just part time though," she explained as she turned and began climbing the ladder. She turned and looked over her shoulder, "You coming, Kruger?"

Natsuki slowly nodded. She climbed the ladder after Haruka, all the while examining the heavy uniform. The fireproof jacket, the helmet, the boots and baggy pants. All that looked so heavy. Natsuki was suddenly glad she picked a profession where she could generally wear whatever made her comfortable, as long as it was practical.

"Now you're not to go in the building," a uniformed official called up to Natsuki. "Just cover Armitage while she's evacuating the hostages… after you shoot Holton from outside the building. We have no idea how that thing is still standing, so you are not to go in. Understood?"

Natsuki continued ascending the ladder. "Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "I've got this under control." I think.

They reached the top, a small platform. Haruka gave the signal and the firefighters below began playing with controls. The ladder began moving towards one of the windows on the top floors. Natsuki swallowed hard. She idly wondered if she should have gotten some type of fire protection. But then again, she wasn't allowed to really go near the building, just shoot the guy before Haruka gets there and wait while the hostages are evacuated.

As the ladder got closer to the dark and empty window, the smoke became more and more obvious. Natsuki began panting lightly and a bead of sweat slid down the side of her face. "I can't breathe," she murmured. Oddly enough, she didn't feel any heat. Usually, when fires were intense, you could feel them even from a good distance. It was mostly the smoke that was causing her to cough lightly.

Haruka turned around and frowned. "Just focus on shooting the guy, you don't need to breathe."

Natsuki nodded and aimed her pistol towards the four windows the guy could appear and shoot at them from. She switched off which window she aimed at, not knowing which he'd appear from, if at all. Natsuki frowned. They were almost to the building and the guy hadn't shown himself. If Natsuki hadn't shot him and they got there… then what? Haruka couldn't go in there unarmed with a maniac around.

Bang, bang!

"Duck!" Natsuki yelled as she grabbed the back of Haruka's fireproof jacket and tugged down as she turned to her right with her pistol aimed and ready. She fired a few shots towards the window the man had appeared in. Natsuki had only caught a glimpse of him. His eyes were beady, but the black soot around his face made them seem even bluer than they probably were. He had disappeared back into the building. Natsuki was sure she hadn't hit him.

Haruka stood back up when the man didn't reappear. The ladder stopped, they had made it to the window.

"Shit," Natsuki murmured. "You can't go in there, not with him still running around."

"There's a little girl in there, Kruger," Haruka growled. "I have to go in." Haruka began to move towards the window.

"No," Natsuki said quietly as she gripped Haruka's shoulder and pulled her back. "I'll go in."

Haruka turned around, eyes wide and mouth opened slightly in surprise. "You'll what?" She asked incredulously. "You will not! You're not even dressed right and this building can collapse any second."

"Exactly," Natsuki said as she shoved past Haruka, poked her head in the window and looked around. The room was empty of any people. Hot, but empty. She put one leg in then the other and turned around to face an angry Haruka. "You're still with Yukino right?" Natsuki asked.

Haruka's brow furrowed. "Well, yeah but what does that have to--?"

"I don't have anyone that would miss me all that much," Natsuki admitted with a weak smile. "So I'll go. I'll make sure the guy is dead, come back, and get you to get the kids, alright?"

Haruka stared blankly at Natsuki. "You're crazy. I'm coming with you," she said as she stepped into the room after Natsuki. "Here," she handed Natsuki a mask, but Natsuki shoved it away.

"No, you'll need it for the hostages. You keep it. I'll be fine," Natsuki reassured her as she held her pistol in front of her and began to walk to one of the doors. From the looks of the room, they were in a bedroom. The furniture was strewn all over the floor, and Natsuki nearly tripped over an overturned armoire.

The heat was almost unbearable. Natsuki coughed into her hand and tried to blink away the tears that formed in her eyes due to the dry air. Natsuki had always been fascinated with fire. In fact, she accidently set her school's cafeteria on fire. Being this close to it was… not as fun.

Natsuki turned around and looked at Haruka. "Stay in this room. I'll come get you when the guy is dead, alright?"

"No," Haruka said simply as she pulled her mask over her face. "I'll look for the hostages while you look for the maniac."

"And what if you find the maniac and I find the hostages?" Natsuki asked, an eyebrow lifting.

"Then you save the hostages and get them out while I get shot," Haruka said seriously. "That's the business we're in." Natsuki wasn't all that worried about Haruka, knowing the firefighter had been a police officer before.

Natsuki frowned and then kneeled down. She tugged up her pant-leg, reached into her boot, and pulled out her combat blade. She stood up and handed it to Haruka, who accepted it and turned it this way and that in her hands. "Keep that and use it if you see him," Natsuki demanded. They both nodded to each other and Natsuki turned once more to open the door.

They entered a hallway. Haruka moved to a room nearby, and Natsuki moved in the direction where she thought the man was. Where are you capes NOW? Natsuki muttered in her head. We cops can handle a mob family, we can't always handle these impossible missions. We do these things everyday and I don't see any cops on the front page. Just people in colorful costumes. She sighed and kicked down a door, her pistol aiming all around the room.

Determining it was empty, Natsuki turned and moved towards another door further down the hall. She kicked this one open too. Again, just an empty bedroom. Growling in frustration, Natsuki jogged to the door she thought would lead to the hallway. It did.

She stepped into it, realizing she was probably around the middle of the floor. If the building collapsed, she was screwed. The heat was even more suffocating here. She prayed the hostages were on the ground. The air was stuffier higher up, heat rises. With a curse, Natsuki realized the maniac had lit her floor on fire too. It was the final floor, their final chance.

Natsuki moved down the hallway until she found an open door. She slowly opened it even more and peeked around it. She saw the hostages tied up and blinked in surprise.

"Mmmph!" They all cried out through the gags in their mouths. The father tried to stand up, but his ankles were tied as well. The little girl, with dark hair and bright green eyes, stayed silent. Her eyes were wide and fearful, but the twinkle of hope in them caused a flash of fear in Natsuki. She had to get this girl out.

Natsuki tried to send the girl soothing messages through eye contact. She then moved further into the room, which was definitely a living room. The couch was overturned, as was the coffee table. Natsuki mouthed, 'where is he?' The mother was the one to shake her head. They had no idea.

That meant they hadn't seen him come into that room. Natsuki stopped sneaking around and ran to them. Quickly, she pulled out her pocketknife and began to slice away the ropes binding the family.

"It's alright," Natsuki cooed, "I'll get you out of here." She finished with the father and then moved onto the mother. The father quickly moved to his daughter and began pulling off the ropes on the girl's hands.

"Thank you so much," the man cried, "thank you!"

"The man who did this to us, he's still alive?" The mother asked as she hugged the newly freed little girl to her chest and gently rubbed her small back in an attempt to comfort her.

Natsuki's lips twitched as she stood up and replaced her pocketknife with her pistol. "Yes," she admitted. "But I'm going to—"

"Are you a super hero, miss?" The little girl asked with wide eyes. Natsuki opened her mouth to say that no, she wasn't, when Haruka barged in.

"Kruger!" Haruka barked as she knocked down the door and strode towards her. She looked at the hostages and blinked in surprise. "Oh," she murmured. She then began handing out the masks that would make breathing easier and then gestured for the family to follow her. "Time to go." She turned to Kruger, "Good job. Listen, I haven't seen the maniac, but this building is going to collapse any second. If we don't leave now…"

"Get them out," Natsuki said. "I'll follow and fight him off if he shows up."

With that, the five people moved back through the hallway towards the apartment Natsuki and Haruka had entered from. Natsuki was in the back, Haruka in the front. Emerald eyes darted all around as they moved. It was incredibly suspicious that the nutcase hadn't shown himself, especially when they had found the hostages.

They reached the window, and Haruka got on the platform. The crowd that had gathered below cheered upon seeing her. Haruka, ignoring them, stretched out her hands in order to receive the little girl.

Natsuki kept her eyes on the door they had come in from. Her pistol pointed at it.

"Alright, Kruger," Haruka said, "it's just you now."

Natsuki turned with a sigh of relief. "Okay but… we should leave him here to die?" She asked quietly. "I mean… that would be killing him. Isn't our job to save everyone?"

"Not the nutcases," Haruka said with a bored expression. "Now get on this thing, you're making me uncomfortable the longer you stand there."

Natsuki chuckled and moved to get on the platform, and Haruka signaled to the firefighters below to begin bringing the ladder back down. Natsuki was almost on the platform before she was grabbed from behind.

"KRUGER!" Haruka yelled. The ladder continued descending, and Haruka turned around and yelled. "NO! Not yet! Kruger is still in there!"

"I'm sorry!" Someone called up. "But we have to rescue the hostages! That man is still up there!"

No shit, Haruka growled in her mind as she turned back to see Natsuki in a headlock.

---

The tip of a pistol pressed to Natsuki's temple and a strong arm wrapped around her throat from behind. Natsuki gripped the arm and tried to dig her nails into it. The man breathed heavily from behind her.

"You took them from me… my family…" he growled, his voice grave and clearly the sound of a madman.

"They weren't your family," Natsuki snapped as she struggled to breathe. She gasped for air and was thankful for when she was let go. She then got kicked to the ground. "You tried to…" Natsuki rolled and stood up, "kill them!" True family never harmed their own.

Natsuki stood a few feet away from the man, balled fists at her sides and eyes blazing. Her jaw was clenched and she was focused, determined. If this guy wanted to fight she was ready.

"They had to come with me," the man said quietly, almost shamefully. "They had to. I was afraid to go alone." He then smiled as he approached Natsuki. "But you can come with me. I won't go alone."

Natsuki blinked and reached for her pistol, which she had holstered right before she was about to get on the platform. The man, seeing this, lifted his own gun to her again. Natsuki cursed, her hands freezing as she was too afraid of making any sudden movements that might encourage him to shoot her.

He smiled, revealing rows of white even teeth. Natsuki took in his attire. A business suit? A soot covered, dirty, ripped business suit. His eyes were as blue as before, though now Natsuki could see they were bloodshot. His messy, dirty blonde hair and psychotic smile made Natsuki realize this man was mentally unstable. Well, she knew that, but clearly this was some type of mental breakdown, he must not have been this insane before.

"Why are you doing this?" Natsuki asked when he dug the tip of his pistol into her forehead. She winced but stood standing, her eyes focused on his and her fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly at her sides.

He slid the gun alongside her head until he had wrapped her in an embrace. "She left me," he whispered into Natsuki's hair, "and she took our little girl with her…" he lightly kissed Natsuki's temple, "and so I killed them…"

Natsuki's eyes widened as she realized today was her dying day. "That's… awful…" she muttered, unable to think of anything else to say as her hand discreetly moved towards her hip holster once more.

The man continued holding Natsuki as if she were some kind of rigid, stiff teddy bear. "You are a very pretty girl," he said sadly. "My wife was beautiful, I think you'd be jealous."

Natsuki's eyes narrowed. Jerk. "You guys couldn't have, uh, worked it out?" She asked in an attempt to keep him distracted and talking as she opened the holster and slid her fingers around the cool metal of her gun.

"No…" he muttered, his tone somber. "She had to die." He then tensed, and Natsuki did as well. He pulled back from her, his eyes looking at her hand. When he looked back up at Natsuki, he was angry. Natsuki gave him a sheepish grin. He growled and backhanded Natsuki so hard her vision flashed white before she fell to the ground with a thud. The floorboards beneath her hands were burning hot, and she heard a worrisome creak.

Shit.

Natsuki was lifted off the ground from behind. When she was standing she promptly elbowed Holton then pivoted, pulled his head down, and kneed him square in the face. He howled in pain, dropped his gun, and wobbled backwards, his face in his hands.

Natsuki ran for the gun, but he recovered and ran for it as well. Their bodies collided, and Natsuki, being the smaller one by far, took most of the blow. She watched helplessly as he slowly picked up the gun and pointed it at her. He glared at her. "You betrayed me as well. Women always betray me!"

Natsuki slowly stood up, her eyes focused on his insane ones. "Drop the gun, Holton," she said soothingly. "You don't want to do this. I thought you didn't want to be alone when the building collapses."

Holton eyed her, then tilted his head back and laughed. "I have one more… one more that will go with me."

Natsuki's brow furrowed. "What?" He had another hostage?

"I don't need you," he said as he aimed his gun at Natsuki, who closed her eyes in anticipation.

"Ara," came a smooth voice from behind the man, causing him to turn in surprise and Natsuki to open her eyes. "Did you not hear that guns are not toys, Mr. Holton?" Scarlet Fox asked as she strode over to him.

The man's eyes widened and he quickly aimed his gun back on the detective, who stared wide-eyed as well. It wasn't everyday you saw a cape, especially one that was making every headline.

This stopped the masked Shizuru Viola in her tracks. Her lips formed a small frown, though her eyes still twinkled with an intense predatory gleam. "Hostage situations are so unfortunate," she said dryly as she folded her arms and lifted a brow, as if asking what the man wanted.

"S-Stay away!" Holton demanded as he inched closer to Natsuki. "Or I'll shoot her!"

Natsuki looked at Holton, who kept inching closer to her, his eyes still focused on the super heroine of Windbloom City. The caped crusader simply kept those dazzling rubies on Holton, who seemed to be transfixed by them. Natsuki herself was transfixed. It was such an odd color. Maybe the heat was making Natsuki see things, or perhaps the Scarlet Fox was a metahuman.

Most super heroes were metahumans, humans with supernatural abilities… no one was really sure how they acquired them. Some were born with the powers, while some probably got them the old-fashioned way like falling into a vat of nuclear waste or touching some type of radioactive meteorite. The Fox, as far as Natsuki knew, was just a human in great physical condition with a ton of helpful gadgets. She was like the Batman of real life, except not nearly as dark or grouchy.

Holton was now so close to Natsuki, she could probably reach out and grab the gun that was pointed at her. Holton was still glaring at the costumed woman. Natsuki couldn't see his face, but she assumed it was menacing and threatening. Perhaps he was trying to intimidate the hero? Right. Like that was going to happen.

Natsuki made eye contact with Fox, who arched a slender brow and then smiled. She gave Natsuki a small, barely noticeable nod. She had distracted Holton so well, the man hadn't even realized he backed up all the way to Natsuki, who he was practically holding the gun out to.

Natsuki grabbed Holton's gun and pointed it away from her own body, before bringing his outstretched arm down on her knee. A sickening snap was heard, and Holton cried out as his arm broke. Natsuki toppled to the ground, having slammed his arm so hard into her knee that it hurt.

Viola swooped down on Holton, her cape billowing behind her like a dark swirling mass of shadow. Natsuki stood up quickly and, deciding Scarlet Fox could handle Holton, moved towards one of the doors that led deeper inside the building.

"Where are you going?" Viola asked as she dropped the downed Holton to the ground. She stepped over his body and approached the young detective, who was halfway out of the room and only looked over her shoulder at the sound of Viola's voice. Viola took in the girl's dazzling emeralds, fair skin, and ebony hair. My, she was pretty.

"He said he wouldn't go alone or something," Natsuki explained quickly. "He might have another hostage in here."

"The building is going to collapse any second," Viola stated sternly. "I can feel it..." The Scarlet Fox's ruby eyes shimmered. Maybe they were contacts? It wasn't uncommon. Red eyes like those were now a huge popularity item. Many girls walked around with red contacts in, just to look like the Scarlet Fox. "There's not enough time."

Natsuki shrugged and then narrowed her eyes at the costumed woman, "Then why are you wasting mine?" She asked as she turned and ran down the hallway. "Hello? Is anyone here?" Natsuki called as she continued walking down the hallway, hoping she would be able to hear a muffled cry for help despite the loud noise of cracking wood, snapping support beams, and burning homes.

A muffled cry was heard, and Natsuki darted into a nearby room. Viola followed quickly behind and watched as Natsuki quickly cut off the binds off a young boy. He was not part of the other hostage family.

"Gregory Watts," Viola said, her voice level and tone soothing. "Missing two days ago. I suppose Holton must've kidnapped him…"

Natsuki rolled her eyes, and gently threw the kid over her shoulder. "I don't care who he is right now, I just care about getting him out."

Viola nodded and gestured for Natsuki to follow. They headed back out towards the room with the unconscious Holton.

A sharp crack was heard, and Natsuki froze. She felt the wood beneath her. It was barely there. In fact her weight bent the floorboards. The woman, who Natsuki just realized was covered completely in a skin-tight, spandex-like material, turned around and lifted a brow as if to ask why Natsuki had stopped.

Natsuki pulled the young boy away from her and smiled at him. "Don't worry, okay?" She said. The sniffling boy nodded and rubbed at his puffy eyes. Natsuki held him out, and Viola walked over and retrieved him.

"Why are you…" Shizuru Viola looked down and realized why the detective had given her the boy. "Don't move," Shizuru whispered, as if her voice could cause the floorboards beneath Natsuki to finally snap. "Any movement can make the wood break faster," Viola said as she tried to think of what to do.

"Forget me," Natsuki growled. "I'll be fine, just get him out of here like the good little cape you are."

Shizuru found the woman's attitude very admirable, if a bit bitter. What was a detective doing up here anyways? Viola licked her dry lips. "I shall be right back," she said as she turned and disappeared through the door Holton was lying in.

Natsuki sighed. She was dead. The wood cracked again, and Natsuki sucked in a breath in anticipation.

Viola returned thirty seconds later. "Both the boy and Holton have been given to authorities," she informed Natsuki, who smiled slightly.

"You're fast," Natsuki muttered.

"I get that a lot," Viola replied as she held her hand out to Natsuki, who slowly began to reach out for it. "Steady," Viola whispered when Natsuki's fingertips gently touched her own, "no sudden moveme—"

SNAP!

Natsuki's eyes widened as she toppled backwards and the ground swallowed her whole. She was flying through the air, debris and flames surrounding her.

---

No! Shizuru growled in her head as the girl disappeared into the darkness. Viola quickly jumped into the hole where floorboards had just been, her arms spread out as if she were an eagle diving for its prey. This amazed her. The fire had burned away the middle of every single floor, turning it into a virtual pit of flames. The heat and flames could be felt through her costume, and she wondered idly while diving down into the darkness, how the detective was holding up with the heat.

Viola reached her hands out when the detective came into view. Wrapping her arms around the girl, whose eyes were now closed, Viola held her close to her chest and then quickly reached for her grapple gun. Firing it upwards, Shizuru prayed its hook would wrap around something.

It felt like forever in that darkness until Shizuru was tugged upwards briefly and then hung in the air, her hand gripping the grapple gun and her bicep burning as she held up, not only her own weight, but that of the unconscious detective as well.

The two hung there, suspended above fire and surrounded by burning remains of the apartment's floors. They drifted back and forth in silence. They were lifted above what Shizuru decided must look just like Hell. It was hot, really hot now that they were deeper into the building. Shizuru realized they had to get out or else the building was going to—

RIIIP.

The heroine quickly swung to the side, just nearly dodging a falling bit of debris that surely would've knocked them both down had it hit. "Ara," Shizuru murmured, her brow furrowing slightly. Her thumb instantly found the button on her grappling device and she pressed it without a second thought.

The device began reeling her upwards, towards wherever her hook had gotten a hold of something. Faster and faster upwards they flew. Natsuki opened her eyes slightly with a groan. She saw the intense masked face of Scarlet Fox, looking upwards as the air rushed by them.

Shizuru pulled them over onto the intact floor of the building. She wasn't sure what floor they were on, but assumed it was higher towards the floors that had been torched last. There was fire everywhere, and it was difficult to see. The smoke caused Shizuru to gag and she would have reached into her utility belt for some kind of gas mask but nothing was ever as convenient as it was in the movies.

"Come on," Shizuru said as she tugged Natsuki up and tried to get the girl to walk. "If we can make it to that window, I will give you a kiss," she promised.

Natsuki mumbled something sarcastic but her wobbly legs managed to hold their ground and she, with the aid of Shizuru, managed to walk the distance to the window. A loud crash was heard from above. The building was coming down. Shizuru quickly backed up, then ran and crashed through the window, Natsuki tucked tightly to her as they flew through the air.

Shizuru landed on grass and rolled to lessen the impact. It still hurt her, and she was sure the detective was incredibly uncomfortable or bruised, but they were alive. Shizuru stayed hovering above the half conscious detective, her cape forming a protective barrier as the debris and glass flew overhead. A gloved hand moved down Natsuki's face, gripped the girl's chin, and forced her to meet her eyes. "Breathe," Shizuru whispered down to her.

Natsuki groaned and then coughed. She was in a cocoon with the Scarlet Fox? What was the cocoon made out of—oh, was it her cape? Flashy, Natsuki thought as she idly wondered how super heroes even created their costumes, which were clearly more than just fashion statements.

Paramedics and police ran over. Shizuru, deeming her and Natsuki safe from the explosion, shoved back her cape, sat up, and pulled Natsuki's head onto her lap. She once more stared down into the woman's face. "Are you alright?" Shizuru asked as she lightly tapped Natsuki's cheek.

Natsuki's face was covered in soot from the fire, making her look like a chimney sweep. Shizuru gently wiped some of it from the girl's face and sighed when the girl didn't respond. She had been awake a second ago! She moved her fingers to the girl's neck and smiled. A strong pulse pounded against Shizuru's fingertips. The girl was definitely alive.

Natsuki's eyes opened to mere slits, and emeralds gazed up into wine-colored eyes. "You capes," she grumbled, "so unreliable."

The corner of Shizuru's lips lifted in a small smile. "Are we now?" She asked quietly as she helped Natsuki sit up. "You sound a bit ungrateful," Shizuru teased, causing Natsuki to chuckle—and then cough some more.

The paramedics reached them and quickly began examining Natsuki and asking her questions.

"You better get out of here before I have to arrest you," Commissioner Graceburt said with a small smile as she approached. Shizuru looked away from the detective, who was now receiving all the medical attention she needed.

"Ah, Commissioner," she greeted with a small nod. "How are you?"

"Quite good now that you've saved my sharpest shooter," Maria said as she glanced at Natsuki, who looked up and gave a weak smile. "Good going, Kruger," Maria called to the detective, who was swapping the paramedic's hands away and attempting to stand up.

Shizuru blinked away her surprise. "She is your sharpest shooter? How old is she?"

Maria's brow furrowed. "As old as you, I'd assume. You're, what, in your mid-twenties?"

Shizuru nodded, a small smile forming on her lips as she realized another trick of Maria's to learn her true identity. "About."

Maria huffed and nodded. "Kruger's twenty four. Young, but talented."

Shizuru stretched her arms and then turned as Natsuki approached. "She… is very brave," Shizuru commented quietly.

Natsuki arrived and nearly toppled over before Shizuru caught her and helped her back up.

"Sorry," Natsuki murmured. "I'm just exhausted."

"It is alright," Shizuru replied. "You should get to the hospital."

Natsuki gave a dismissive wave. "I'm fine." Shizuru realized that that was true. Kruger seemed… fine. No apparent injuries, no burns. Shizuru herself could feel burns in some places, and she was wearing a mildly flame-resistant suit, so it was interesting that Kruger didn't have any. Perhaps she just hasn't felt them yet, Shizuru thought with a sigh.

Nao and Haruka appeared and nearly tackled Natsuki to the ground. "KRUGER!" They both yelled as Natsuki yelped in surprise at the sudden onslaught.

"What?" She barked at her two friends when they had let go. Well, Haruka had let go.

Nao pressed her lips to Natsuki's in a quick kiss, effectively shutting the detective up. Shizuru and Maria both lifted an eyebrow and exchanged glances.

"Um…" Natsuki mumbled as she blushed and lifted a finger to her lips. "That was… why did you…?" Partner detectives were not allowed to be in a romantic relationship, so Natsuki sent worried glances over to Commissioner Graceburt and offered the displeased woman a small sheepish smile.

Shizuru giggled quietly at Kruger's expression. Despite the soot on her cheeks, Shizuru could still make out a bright red color as the girl blushed. How adorable, Shizuru thought.

Nao's eyes narrowed and she jabbed her pointer finger into Natsuki's chest. "Because you had me worried, you moron!" She yelled. "You could've died! The orders were to stay on the platform! Not enter the building!"

Natsuki blinked. "Are the people alright?" She asked as memories of flames, heat, guns, and fearful faces flickered through her mind. "The kids?" She glanced at Fox, who had taken Gregory Watts from her.

"They're fine, Kruger," Haruka reassured her. "But you're an idiot. A courageous idiot!" Haruka playfully punched Natsuki's arm. "Ya got guts, though. I like that!"

Natsuki rubbed at her arm and shrugged. "Thanks. I think." Her eyes slowly lifted to Viola, who was rubbing some soot off her mask and then frowning at her dirtied gloves. "Hey," Natsuki called quietly. The costume woman looked up and smiled.

"Yes?"

"Thank you…" Natsuki said with a small blush. She evaded her gaze and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. "For helping me back there I…" She paused and looked off towards the ambulances pulling away. "I'm glad we got everyone out."

Viola lifted a brow. 'We' got everyone out? Shizuru was pretty sure Natsuki had gotten everyone out. Natsuki and Haruka. The only person Shizuru got out was Holton. Gregory Watts did not count, since Kruger had been the one to rescue him in the first place. Before Viola could mention this, the reporters swarmed around her, causing the detective to disappear behind a sea of people.

Shizuru frowned and reached through the crowd for the girl, hoping to pull her through. The memory of the girl's finger tips touching her own… and then falling backwards into a pit of darkness caused Shizuru to retract her hand quickly. Her brow furrowed slightly, wondering why she remembered that so well, and why it made her so uncomfortable. She had never lost anyone. She had almost lost Kruger.

"Scarlet Fox!" The reporters shouted, bringing Shizuru from her thoughts as she flashed all the cameras a dazzling smile. "Tell us, what was going through your head when you saved all those people!"

"Yes! What happened when you entered the building? Was Detective Kruger unconscious? Was she at the mercy of Mr. Holton? How did you save her and how did you know Gregory Watts was in the building as well?"

"Ara…" Shizuru uttered. "I was not the one to—"

Beep, beep!

Shizuru turned her back on the crowd and quickly pressed a button on her glove. This turned on her built in walkie-talkie. Usually it was on twenty-four seven. "Yes, Alyssa?" Shizuru asked, waiting for Alyssa's voice to come through the tiny device in her ear.

"Stop talking to the press and get back to the Tower," came the voice of Shizuru's friend and informant, Alyssa Sears, "I've got some new intelligence on the Clercuzio family mafia and Nightshade. It seems they're planning to steal—"

Shizuru sighed. "I'll be right there," she said to empty air, though she was sure Alyssa could hear her on the other end. She then turned around again and flashed the reporters another smile before turning and running off to find her bike.

She had left it in a clearing nearby, so that no one would find it. She came to an abrupt stop and blinked when Detective Kruger was already walking around it, her hand sliding on the bike seat.

Kruger looked up and jumped back. "Oh, sorry," Natsuki murmured. "I just… you were talking to the press and I needed some air so I came walking out here and—"

Viola smiled and gave a nod. "I understand," she said as she approached and slid her hand down her bike's seat just as the detective had done moments ago. The detective looked entranced by something. Viola inwardly sighed. She hoped she didn't have another damsel in distress crush on her hands. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Natsuki said as she folded her arms over her chest and mentally yelled at herself to stop staring. It's not every day you saw a gorgeous woman in a skin-tight costume! "I like your bike. I always wanted one but I, uh," Natsuki chuckled and ran a hand through her dark locks, "bought a car instead."

"Oh?" Shizuru asked as she stepped closer. "What kind?"

"A Peugeot," Natsuki replied, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

"That's French is it not?" Shizuru questioned, not at all seeming uncomfortable with the fact that the young woman could afford such a car.

"Er, yeah, it is," Natsuki said in surprise. "How did you know that?"

Shizuru interlocked her gloved fingers and cracked her arms by pushing her hands away from her chest. "I like going fast," she answered simply. Not to mention the word is French.

Natsuki remembered zipping up through the air and the intense expression of Viola's face. "Oh, yeah me too. I always wanted a motorcycle. A Ducati, actually."

Shizuru smirked. "You have good taste." Shizuru's bike was custom made by Alyssa, who made most of Shizuru's gadgets.

"Mm," Natsuki hummed in response. She realized she was probably boring the hell out of this hero. "I'm sorry for wasting your time. You should go and uh, save the world or something and put me out of a job."

Shizuru arched a slender brow. "Put you out of a—surely you don't believe that? You had gotten there first, no? You had saved all those people, you had taken the gun from Holton and beaten him up… I just saved you from falling. That is all." Natsuki stood staring as she allowed the words to sink in. She had to admit, it felt good. "You were the hero of today, Detective, not I." Shizuru took another step and gently cupped Kruger's cheek. "I do believe I promised you a kiss," she said thoughtfully.

Natsuki's eyes widened. "W-What?" She stammered. "I, uh, don't think you ever sai—mmph!" Viola's face had already descended, her lips wrapping around Natsuki's in a brief kiss.

Natsuki's eyes fluttered closed, deciding she might as well enjoy the kiss if it were going to happen. Besides, Scarlet Fox was hot. Natsuki could brag about this to Nao later. The kiss was over as soon as it had started, and Shizuru slowly pulled away, her lips only hovering over Kruger's for two seconds before she spun on her heel and got on her motorcycle. The engine roared to life and the masked woman looked over her shoulder to giggle at the confused detective before she turned around once more and sped off, her cape billowing behind her.

Natsuki blinked. She could still feel those lips on her dry ones. Damn it! Had the kiss been gross for Viola? Natsuki felt like crap, she must look like crap! WHY on EARTH had that just happened? Natsuki only vaguely remembered Viola promising a kiss if they made it to the window, or something like that. She must have a huge ego if she thinks her kisses are good enough to be motivation and incentives.

Natsuki thought about that some more. Okay, well maybe they are but that's not the point, she grumbled as she turned and decided to just forget today ever happened. She just wanted to go home, take a bubble bath, and then crawl under her covers and go to sleep.

---

The next morning at the office, Natsuki had her head on her desk and was snoring lightly. Nao looked up from her files and rolled her eyes. Searching for something on her desk to throw, Nao ended up finding a paperweight. She weighed it in her hand. Nope. Too heavy. This would give Kruger a concussion. Then again, she does have a thick skull…

"I know you're not thinking of throwing that at me," Natsuki said suddenly, causing Nao to jump in surprise and look at her partner, who now had one eye open and focused intently on her.

"I wouldn't even consider it!" Nao said as she dropped the paperweight back onto her desk and stood up. She flashed the now suspicious Natsuki a Cheshire cat grin as she approached. Planting her butt atop Natsuki's desk again, she handed her partner the newspaper. "Have you seen this yet?"

Natsuki groaned and sat up. After rubbing at her face she straightened out the newspaper and read the headline.

Scarlet Fox Saves Innocents from a Burning Building and Takes down a Maniac Gunman!

Natsuki's face visibly paled. "Oh," she uttered as a stabbing feeling of self-pity overwhelmed her and she flung the paper to the floor. She glared daggers at it and looked away with a harrumph. Of course the cape gets all the credit. "I bet I wasn't even mentioned in that article, was I?" Natsuki asked, her tone bitter.

Nao leaned forward, lightly grabbed Natsuki's chin, and turned her partner to face her. "Scarlet Fox also saved rookie detective, Natsuki Kruger, just before the building collapsed in an explosion of flames and debris," she recited, she had the lines memorized.

Natsuki snorted. Rookie detective?

"I don't really care," she said finally as she tried to tug her chin away from Nao. Nao kept her grip firmly on Natsuki's face, and Natsuki eyed her partner curiously. "What matters is that the people we saved are safe," she declared, her tone sincere as she so very obviously meant it.

Natsuki blinked in surprise when Nao's mouth was suddenly over hers. Liking the feeling, Natsuki closed her eyes and pulled Nao closer, deepening the kiss. Soon, the redhead was in Natsuki's lap, her knees tucked on either side of Natsuki's legs and her lips still moving hungrily against the other woman's.

Natsuki had always thought Nao was attractive, their bickering was seen as flirting by some, but Natsuki had never been sure how she felt about her partner. They were working partners. Technically this kind of relationship was a bad idea.

Natsuki idly thought of Scarlet Fox and how her perfectly full lips had felt. That kiss hadn't included any tongue, unlike Natsuki's current kiss with Nao, but it was so… what was it? Natsuki wondered. Oh please say I do not have a hero fetish. She then imagined Nao in a hero costume. Yeah, that was hot. Damn, Natsuki mentally cursed.

Nao broke the kiss and instantly went to kissing down Natsuki's jaw line. Natsuki let out a small moan when Nao reached a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. "W-Wait, Nao," Natsuki said through another moan, "we shouldn't…"

"Shut up, Kruger," Nao said when she lifted off Natsuki's neck so that she could unbutton her partner's shirt. "You're such a pansy sometimes, I swear…" Nao grumbled as she expertly removed Natsuki's light blue blouse and pushed it over the woman's shoulders. Natsuki helped her and was about to protest once more when Nao's lips moved down her collarbone and a whimper escaped her throat instead.

Lips moved down the valley of Natsuki's breasts before Nao's hand came up to move a bit of Natsuki's bra out of the way so she could kiss up the curve of a soft breast. Natsuki tilted her head back and tried to stifle her moans, not wanting the people outside their office to hear what was going on.

Nao moved back once more to kiss Natsuki's lips again. She swallowed the woman's moans and then reached her hands around Natsuki to unhook the other woman's bra. Her fingers were on the—

Knock, knock. "Detective Kruger? Detective Zhang?"

Natsuki shoved Nao off her in her terror, and Nao shot her a glare from the floor. Natsuki sent her an apologetic look and then yelled a nervous, "Yes?" She quickly reached for her shirt and began buttoning it as fast as she could. She wiped the saliva from her neck, not sure if the lights would make it obvious that it was there or not.

Nao stood up and dusted herself off. "What bad timing," she murmured.

Natsuki ran her hands through her hair a few times and then pulled her coat on as a precaution.

"It's Commissioner Graceburt," Maria said from the other side of the door, her voice clearly suspicious. "As you should know… from my voice," she added. Yup, she was suspicious.

Natsuki gave Nao a look and lifted her eyebrows. Nao nodded, giving Natsuki the OK. The detective sighed, tried to calm her heart and forget about the fact that she had almost had sex in her office with her partner, before striding over to the door and opening it. She stepped aside and let Maria in.

The woman walked in and looked around the office. Nao was already in her office chair, playing with her paperweight. She looked up, her expression bored. Nothing unusual there. Maria then glanced at Natsuki, who was panting slightly, her cheeks flushed and her innocent smile completely forced.

"What on Earth happened to you, Kruger?" Maria asked as she brushed some blonde hair from her eyes.

"Er…" Natsuki looked past Maria to Nao, who lifted a brow in response.

Really, Kruger? You can't lie? Nao sighed when Maria followed Natsuki's gaze to the redhead. "Don't look at me," Nao said, "I don't know what Kruger does on her computer when I'm all the way over here."

Natsuki's jaw dropped. "I wasn't looking at por--!"

Maria shook her head. "I do not want to know. I just came in here to let you know that a Mr. Clercuzio is here to see you."

Natsuki's brow furrowed and she looked to Nao, who merely shrugged in response. "Clercuzio…?" She muttered, the name sounding familiar. Her eyes widened in realization. "Isn't that the name of the mob that's been steal—"

Maria nodded. "I don't know what he wants and he doesn't have a criminal record… maybe he wants to turn some family members in, I don't know, but I want you to find out what he wants and just be careful with this man, alright?"

Natsuki nodded. "Sure thing, Commissioner."

Maria eyed the two detectives suspiciously once more before striding out of the room, her air of power and authority leaving with her.

Natsuki and Nao both let out a sigh and looked at each other.

Nao finally cursed. "That woman is such a cock block."

Natsuki quirked a brow. "Neither of us have a—"

"Okay, clam jam. Is thatalright with you, Miss Technicality?" Nao asked, tone full of her usual sass as she smirked at Natsuki's frown. "Seriously. The girl equivalent of a cock block is a clam ja—"

"I believe you!" Natsuki growled as she gestured for Nao to follow her. "Come on, we have work to do."

---

"Alyssa," Shizuru greeted as she handed her blonde friend a white box of take-out Chinese food. "I brought you dinner."

Alyssa sniffed the box and snickered. "Is that sesame chicken? You know me so well," she teased as she rolled back her wheel chair and twirled so that she could face Shizuru and stuff her face at the same time. The blonde woman was one of Windbloom's most intelligent occupants. A metahuman, Alyssa was a technopath, meaning she could control most technologies. She could shut security cameras off just by looking at them. It was helpful back when she, known at the time as Golden Hawk, partnered up with Scarlet Fox on missions. Now, retired as a crime fighter, Alyssa chose to still aid Shizuru by giving her information, walking her through missions, and using her skills to explain things as Shizuru goes along.

"Thanks for telling me what floor they were on," Shizuru said as she watched Alyssa take a mouthful of chicken. "I was seriously considering calling it a lost cause."

Alyssa wiped at her mouth with a napkin and leaned back in her chair. "You? Call something a lost cause? I'd like to see that."

"Would you?" Shizuru asked, her eyes lifting to the giant computer screen that took up half the wall. Her eyes were drawn to one particular Internet window. The picture of a woman with bright emerald eyes and long dark hair in a police uniform smiled out at her. The badge on the girl's dark blue uniform said WCPD, Windbloom City Police Department.

"Actually, you're right," Alyssa said. "I wouldn't." She then followed her friend's gaze to one of the smaller computer screens. "Pretty, huh?"

Shizuru nodded slowly. "Yes, quite," she agreed, her eyes lingering over the picture once more before turning back to Alyssa. "Who is she?"

"Officer Natsuki Kruger. Well, she's since been promoted to Detective Kruger. She's cute though, isn't she?"

"Yes, we have established that she is attractive," Shizuru said with a small sigh, her eyes sneaking another peek. She was a very attractive girl, especially without all that soot on her face, covering her features. "Why are you interested in her?"

"Me?" Alyssa said, faux-shock in her tone. "I'm not. I hijacked that file from a Clercuzio computer." Alyssa turned to look at the picture. "I have no idea why they're interested in her. She's rather average, at least her life history."

"I disagree," Shizuru said sharply. "She's admirable."

Alyssa blinked and slowly looked at her friend. "Do you… know her?"

Shizuru ran her tongue over her bottom lip and then ran a hand through her chestnut locks. "Not exactly. She was at the burning building yesterday. She had saved all those people, had taken the gun from Holton when it was pointed in her face, had run back to find out if there was another hostage… she nearly died."

Alyssa Sears looked impressed, it was rare to see such an expression on her face. "She sounds like a cape. Maybe she's one of us, because you know, many of us have jobs as detectives on the side. I hear Haruka's part-timing it as a firefighter these days."

Shizuru seemed to think this over, her eyes lifting to look up at the ceiling. "Perhaps…" she mused as she remembered she had indeed seen Haruka, The Brigadier, there. Her eyes came back down from the ceiling as she remembered something. "No, she couldn't be."

"Why not?" Alyssa asked, her icy blue eyes meeting with Shizuru's ruby-red ones.

"She says we capes are putting her out of a job, that we're unreliable."

Alyssa snorted and turned back to her computer. She ex'd out of the girl's photo. Shizuru winced, Alyssa didn't notice. "I hate people like that," Alyssa muttered. "They're so ungrateful for everything we do for them. Fine, they don't want any heroes around? Let's see how the crime rate does when we're gone." Alyssa turned around to face Shizuru once more and then stretched. "Besides, she would've died if you hadn't shown up, I'm sure."

Shizuru gave the blonde a weak smile and pulled off her ruby red mask. She then unattached her cape and then her belt which she placed on a nearby countertop. After a quick stretch, Shizuru ran her hand through her chestnut locks once more and turned to stare towards her view of Windbloom. "You never told me your information on the Clercuzio family since yesterday," Shizuru said, her eyes following a blimp in the distance. "What have you found out?"

The familiar sound of Alyssa's fingertips tapping away at the supercomputer's keyboard put Shizuru's soul at ease. So many answers had come after that sound. It was odd, but Shizuru found it absolutely soothing.

"We-e-e-ell," Alyssa drawled as her hawk-like face became serious, "besides the fact that they're interested in Natsuki Kruger, want to steal something expensive, and that they're trying to contact Nightshade? Not much."

Shizuru frowned, her relaxed mood instantly gone. She turned and leaned her back against the cool floor-to-ceiling window. "What do they want with Nightshade?" She asked. Images of the green haired villain flashed through her mind. She shuddered. "And why her of all villains? She's the least likely to work with them."

"She works with you," Alyssa pointed out, her tone clearly giving away the fact that she wasn't happy with the fact.

Shizuru pouted. "Be fair. She has information and offers it to me."

"Because she wants in your bed," Alyssa said simply. "I don't care if she has valuable information, she's a villain, a criminal, and I can probably get you the same information." Alyssa put on a grumpy face, knowing full well that Nightshade did have information Alyssa couldn't find. Nightshade was, after all, the princess of the underworld. She had her secrets and no matter how much cyber surfing Alyssa did, she wouldn't know them as well as Nightshade.

Shizuru ran a hand down her face and sighed deeply. She was exhausted. "Well?"

"I don't really know. There are no other files I can find. It's hard to break all their encrypted files," Alyssa said with frustration, "even with my powers." Alyssa turned to look at Shizuru. "You look tired, Shizuru," Alyssa gestured to the door. "Go get some rest."

Shizuru lifted a brow and a playful smile came to her lips. "Ara, is that a command Golden Hawk?"

"It is, Scarlet Fox," Alyssa teased back. She pointed to the door to Shizuru's bedroom. "Sleep. You've got some work to do tonight."

"Oh?" Shizuru uttered as she began walking across the room to her bedroom door. Both their bedrooms were close to the main room on the top of their tower. If an emergency ever happened, they'd both hear the computer. "And what kind of work is it this time?"

"I'm going to have you spy on this Kruger chick. I want to know why the Clercuzio are so interested in her."

Shizuru stopped, her hand on the doorknob. "She's... not a criminal."

"Never said she was."

"I kissed her yesterday," Shizuru said suddenly.

Alyssa froze in her chair then turned around. "You… what?"

"I told her I'd kiss her if we made it to the window that we ended up jumping through as the building collapsed," Shizuru explained. "I kissed her… I don't think she wanted me to."

"You could've blown our whole… Shizuru I need you to go undercover, maybe it's too risky now! What if she recognizes you?" Alyssa asked, her disappointment clear in her tone. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't go around kissing all the damsels in distress you saved. You're not a knight, Shizuru, you're a super hero with responsibilities."

Shizuru nodded. "I know," she said quietly. Although, to be fair, Kruger was not the damsel in distress. If anything, SHE was the knight. "I don't think she'll recognize me. You know I change my entire persona when I'm not Scarlet Fox." It was true. It never ceased to amaze Shizuru how changing the way you carried yourself could transform you into a completely different person. It was how they did it in the comic books. No one ever realized Clark Kent was Superman, even though Superman wore no mask. Why? Because Clark Kent didn't walk completely straight and powerfully like Superman, he slumped slightly like a more normal human. He also wore glasses and his voice was different. These are the kinds of cues people pick up on subconsciously.

Alyssa smirked and nodded. "That's true. Well, maybe we should just see what we find out from mere surveillance first, how's that sound?"

"Delightful," Shizuru said. Only those that truly knew her would know she was being sarcastic. "Good night, Alyssa," Shizuru said as she turned and entered her room.

"'Night, Shizuru," Alyssa called over her shoulder as she pulled up Natsuki Kruger's file again. Her eyes skimmed the information for possibly the hundredth time that night. "You're so incredibly average, except in the looks department," Alyssa muttered. "So why on Earth would a mob family be interested in you?" She scrolled down to the girl's statistics and records. "Hmm…" the woman hummed. "Track runner, exceptional shooter, highest marks in nearly all the athletic departments…" Alyssa's eyes widened. "Why, Detective Kruger, you'd make the perfect cape." She thought of the Clercuzio. "Or the perfect villain."

Shizuru stared off into the dark, her eyelids feeling heavy. She hoped this Natsuki Kruger wasn't too upset about the newspaper's headlines. A part of Shizuru knew that this woman was the kind of person that cared more about truth than the lies. If this girl knew that it had been her—that she had saved the children—she wouldn't care what everyone else thought.

---

Natsuki and Nao sat on the couch in one of the meeting rooms. Their office wasn't a fancy office; it was just where they did their paperwork. If someone wanted to meet with them, it was done in this room or the multiple just like it. Natsuki watched Mr. Sergey Wang Clercuzio as he sat down across from them. He was a man of perhaps thirty-four, with messy blonde hair, an odd scar right between his eyebrows, and alert brown eyes. Natsuki instantly sized him up just by the way his finely tailored suit fit him. He was definitely in shape.

"Detective Kruger, Detective Zhang," Sergey greeted as he gave them both a curt nod. "Thank you for seeing me."

Natsuki and Nao exchanged glances before focusing back on the man and offering him a warm smile. "No problem," Natsuki said as she shifted a little in her seat, one leg across another. "What can we help you with, Mr. Clercuzio?"

"Ah, please, call me Mr. Wang," he said with a sheepish smile. "My, ah… family name has a bit of a reputation these days, as I'm sure you know."

"Mm," Natsuki nodded. "A bit," she agreed. Now was he playing 'oh I'm an innocent member of the Clercuzio mob' or was he about to ask for protection from them? "How can we help you, Mr. Wang?"

The man fidgeted in his seat and his eyes darted around the room before focusing once more on Natsuki. "I think I'm being followed," he said after a moment, his voice a hushed whisper.

Nao snorted from the opposite end of the couch, and Natsuki turned to glare at her. Nao offered a smirk and an arched brow. Natsuki rolled her eyes and turned back to Sergey. "Do you know by whom?"

"No, obviously not, otherwise I'd have the cops called on him by now."

"So you believe it is a male?" Natsuki asked, and she glanced at Nao to make sure the redhead was writing this all down on a pad. She was. Good detective, Natsuki muttered in her head.

Sergey shrugged. "Could be a chick, wouldn't be the first time I was followed by a lovesick girl," he chuckled at his own joke. Natsuki and Nao stared at him blankly. He cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I think it's a man. I'm not asking for much, just some protection, maybe surveillance around my house for a few days?"

Natsuki sighed and glanced at Nao, who shrugged. "We could provide that, yes," Natsuki explained, "but you'd have to really convince us you're in some type of danger. What reason would someone have for stalking you, Mr. Wang?"

He scratched at his chin in thought. "Perhaps they're out to get me for revenge?"

"Revenge?" Natsuki repeated. She leaned closer, her sparkling green eyes alive with interest. "Why would someone seek revenge on you, Mr. Wang?"

"I suppose because my family's misdeeds?" He asked.

"I… see…" Natsuki murmured. "You think someone wants to kill you because someone in your family killed someone they knew?"

Sergey shifted once more, as if afraid he'd say the wrong thing and get his family arrested. "Yes…" He answered quietly.

Natsuki flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Alright, give Nao your name and address and we'll stick around your house tonight."

Nao had her pen to paper, ready for Sergey's information. He gave it to her and she scribbled it down. "Great, a stakeout." She glanced at Natsuki. "I hope you make it interesting, Kruger."

Natsuki cleared her throat and fought back a blush. "Will you, ah, shut up for a second Nao?" Natsuki asked politely as she stood up again and shook hands with a confused looking Sergey. "Thank you for seeing us Mr. Wang. If you see a car parked outside your house tonight don't worry, it'll just be me and Detective Nao here." Natsuki gestured to Nao, who gave Sergey a bright grin and a wink.

"Thank you ladies," he said with a smile as he turned around to gather his briefcase on the couch.

"Detectives," Natsuki corrected.

He offered an apologetic smile and corrected himself, "Detectives." He nodded to them both. "Thank you for doing this, truly. I might be able to get some sleep tonight," he joked as he pulled his dark gray trench coat on, turned, and strode towards the exit.

Mai, walking by with a mug of coffee, offered to walk him out. He smiled, nodded, and the two left the office.

"See you tonight?" Natsuki asked her partner as she put on her black pea coat. Nao appreciated the way it showed off Natsuki's slim waist, and she almost didn't even hear Natsuki.

"Hm? Oh yeah, it's a date."

Natsuki smiled. "It's a work thing. We can't—"

"We can't but we will," Nao finished for her. "Come on, we both know something else is going on. I doubt this guy is being stalked, he's a complete tool."

Natsuki nodded, her expression darkening. "I know, it might be a setup of some type but I can't figure out why so I keep telling myself that that's stupid." She shrugged and grabbed her briefcase. "I mean, what would the Clercuzio mob want with us?"

The redhead shrugged as she headed back to her office to grab her own things. "Beats me," she called from the office. "You giving me a ride home?" She asked as she stepped out of the office in her own pea coat. Instead of the same black color as Natsuki's, hers was a bit lighter, giving it the appearance of dark gray. Natsuki thought it made Nao look more sophisticated, which also meant hotter.

"If you'd like," Natsuki replied.

"I would like. My car's in the shop."

"What'd you do to it?" Natsuki asked as she held the door open for Nao, who nodded her thanks and walked through. Natsuki followed her out and they headed for the elevators.

"Stains," Nao answered nonchalantly.

"Oh, Nao, ew. Too much information."

"You're a detective," Nao replied as she pressed the door close button repeatedly so that the three people running to catch the elevator got a face full of closed, cold, corporate metal. Nao turned to Natsuki, eyes shining. "You can never have too much information."

---

Natsuki threw her briefcase on her bed. Her apartment was pretty nice. She hadn't spent all her parent's money on the car. She had paid off all her payments on a very nice apartment she planned on living in for the rest of her life.

She was on the twenty-first floor of twenty-five. Her view was excellent, and she didn't even mind the slight obstruction of her view of where the city ended and there was just a vast river. On the opposite side of the river Natsuki could just make the outlines of more skyscrapers and buildings. The slight obstruction was caused by another, slightly taller apartment building. Perched atop it was Scarlet Fox. Of course, Natsuki didn't know that as she planted her forehead against the cool glass, closed her eyes, and exhaled slowly. Her breath fogged the glass.

The sun was setting on the river. She'd have to go to that guy's house soon enough and she wasn't in the mood.

I don't get a break, she thought as she drew a smiley face in the spot she had fogged and then moved towards her bathroom to get a shower started. The soot she had washed off from the day before was still on the bottom of her shower. She let the water run, hoping it would all be down the drain before she came back.

She sat on the edge of her bed and turned on her TV. It was on the news, as it usually was.

"Nightshade has been seen in Roswell Avenue Gym. Gunshots were heard previously. Families of the gym's regular occupants are anxiously awaiting news. We believe she is kidnapping two of Windbloom's top athletes, who train year-round at Roswell Avenue Gym for the Olympics. Although there is no evidence confirming this, we believe it to be a hostage situation, in which she will be demanding ransom for the insured well being of the two athletes. The city is wondering where all the capes are…"

"What a bitch," Natsuki muttered as she flicked the TV off and allowed her upper half to join her lower half on the bed. Why the hell does she want even MORE money? And wouldn't it have made more sense to go after the mayor's daughter or, I don't know, some other heiress or heir? Although, I guess professional athletes do make LOADS of cash. For what? Running around and hitting a ball? I KICK balls and I get paid jack shit. Sure it's a little different, but still… balls are balls.

Natsuki turned her head to the side and stared at her framed picture. She reached out and ran a finger down one of the figures. "Miss you guys," she murmured, her eyelids feeling heavy. "G'night," she whispered as sleep stole her before she could protest.

---

Shizuru listened to everything Natsuki said. She had set up microphones in the woman's apartment before she had gotten home from work. Who did the detective miss? And… Shizuru had heard that news report. I ought to check that out. She found it odd Alyssa hadn't contacted her about it.

Pressing her finger to the button built into her glove, she asked out loud, "Alyssa?"

"What's up, Shizuru?" Alyssa's voice came loud and clear through Shizuru's earpiece.

"Did you not hear about Nightshade's recent –"

"Oh yeah, don't worry about it, I heard the Brigadier is on it," Alyssa said. When Shizuru didn't immediately say anything, Alyssa added, "But I'll double check the street's video cameras and my data and I'll tell you in a second."

Shizuru nodded, though Alyssa couldn't see it. "Alright, thank you."

A minute went by. Shizuru hadn't seen Natsuki get up from her bed, and could still see the detective's feet hanging off the end of the bed. It was kind of cute. Had she fallen asleep?

"Shizuru?"

"Yes?"

"The Brigadier is on it. I think Haruka just got there a little late because she was still tired from that building thing yesterday."

"She's still tired from it?"

"Well, I think she feels bad because she was one of the firefighters there. You know, Haruka does it part time when she's not being a cape." Shizuru nodded. "Anyways, she was pulled away once Detective Kruger was taken by that maniac Holton guy, and it's not like she could rip off her firefighter uniform, reveal her costume, and then jump in the window and save the day. That would've given away her identity and sometimes your identity is more important than someone's life."

"Is it?"

"Yes. She felt guilty, really, not so much that she was tired."

"Oh. Understandable. Well, Detective Kruger is safe, she can stop feeling guilty."

"Well yeah and then there's the fact that you showed her up… again. And you're not even a metahuman… SHE is. Your approval rating keeps going up and up according to recent polls, Shizuru. I wonder if it's because you're a normal human. Like them. Not a metahuman, like most of us. I don't think they trust us as easily."

Shizuru stood up, deciding that perching was stupid. No one was going to see her. "I suppose," she replied dryly.

"Oh I forgot to mention this," Alyssa's voice chirped from the earpiece. "Natsuki isn't actually that average. She got the highest marks on all her athletic tests and passed with flying colors. They tried recruiting her to special units in the military."

"Private Kruger?" Shizuru asked with a smile. "That's cute."

"When I said she was average I was really just talking about her personal history, not so much her statistics. She's actually quite an exceptional detective, probably why they promoted her when she was so young. There's also the fact that the Commissioner worked with her parents before becoming commissioner, which was interesting but probably not important."

"I see." Shizuru's eyes refocused as the girl sat up and rubbed at her eyes, as if trying to wipe the sleep from them. "How cute…" the cape murmured.

"What is?"

"She just woke up… she acts like a teenager that has to get up for school."

Alyssa's light laughter filled Shizuru's ear. "You WOULD find that 'cute.' Most people find puppies cute."

"Puppies are cute too," Shizuru agreed. "Ah, ah," Shizuru said excitedly. "Detective is on the move."

"Oh? Where to?"

Shizuru lifted her binoculars to her eyes. She blushed and coughed nervously. "Mm, she is, ah…"

"Shizuru?"

"The bathroom…"

"Oh… did she not shut the door?"

"No need, no one can see her. She lives really high u—" Shizuru suddenly cut off.

"Shizuru…? Shizuru!"

"Ara…" Shizuru uttered, her eyes going wide and her feet inching closer to the edge of the building so that she could get a closer look.

"What? Are you alright? Don't randomly cut off like that!"

"She's undressing."

"DON'T BE A CREEP, SHIZURU VIOLA." Alyssa's voice was loud and Shizuru winced slightly at the volume.

Shizuru then giggled into her hand. "My, my, Natsuki Kruger…" Shizuru breathed, now feeling prouder than ever that she had kissed that gorgeous creature down there.

"Ew. Shizuru I'm taking you offline if you continue with your perverseness. WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBI—"

Shizuru pressed the button on her glove, effectively turning Alyssa off. She leaned closer, her eyes glued to the binoculars.

Natsuki pulled off her shirt. Her lithe form seemed to be absolutely flawless to Shizuru, who was beginning to feel like the kind of creeper she put in jail for stalking. I was told to be surveillance, was I not? Shizuru justified as she watched Natsuki unhook her bra. It fell to the ground, and Shizuru took in the divine sight. Was this girl single? It wasn't conceivable. She had to have a boyfriend, or a girlfriend. Perhaps that redhead that had kissed her before, Detective Zhang was it?

The pants were the next article of clothing to go. Shizuru wondered if the detective was doing it so seductively on purpose, or if she really was only being this slow because she was having some trouble with the button on her jeans. The jeans came down, revealing a shapely ass and black panties. Shizuru, yet again, inched closer to the edge of the building for a better view. The girl then removed her socks and stretched. The way she looked at herself in the mirror… like she was lost… Shizuru wanted to reach out and—

Ah! Shizuru toppled forward, off the edge of the building. Had she actually just fallen off a building? In the middle of a beautiful girl stripping? I am such a pervert. Shizuru thought as she took out her grapple gun and shot it towards the building she had just fallen off. She swung back towards it when it had hooked around something, and then pressed a button that shot her upwards towards where she had been before. When she was safely up on the building once more, she sighed and got back into position. She lifted the binoculars to her eyes and mentally growled. Natsuki had gotten in the shower, which was not in her line of sight.

She hesitantly put Alyssa back online with a finger to her glove.

"Oh, I see you've put us back online. Did you have your fun, creep?" Alyssa asked, clearly agitated.

"Oh yes," Shizuru replied. She'd never admit she had fallen off a building because of ogling someone. "It was quite the show."

"You'll never change," Alyssa muttered. "Anyways, I was trying to hack into a recently added file from Kruger's computer at her office. Did you know tonight your little Detective Sexy-Pants is going to be doing a stakeout at Sergey Clercuzio's house? Apparently he filed a complaint earlier today that someone is stalking him."

"Lies," Shizuru whispered. "Why…" She chewed on her bottom lip and decided to stay away from the edge of the building this time. "Sergey is bad news. I'm sure Detective Kruger knows something must be up though. The police department isn't stupid. They know about the Clercuzio's too."

"Yeah, but they don't know the Clercuzio's have Kruger's file."

"I'll follow her," Shizuru decided out loud. "I don't trust this."

"Neither do I. Something's not right."

"Oh, she's out," Shizuru said excitedly. Natsuki had a towel wrapped around her torso. "I'll contact you when she's on the move, Alyssa."

"Okay….creep."

Shizuru sighed. "I can't have a little fun? I don't get to enjoy these things anymore. I don't have time."

Alyssa chuckled. "Just follow her, Shizuru," Alyssa said through a sigh. "And be careful."

"Always," Shizuru replied without missing a beat as she got ready to follow Kruger's car.

---

Natsuki leaned over and opened the passenger side door for Nao who slid into the seat and shut the door with an unnecessary clang.

Kruger winced. "Hey," she warned, "No need to slam. If the car is in pain, I'm in pain."

Nao gave her partner a sidelong glance, rolled her eyes, and turned her head to face out the window. "You and your car…" She murmured.

Natsuki smiled and discreetly checked out the redhead from the corner of her eye. The redhead was busy staring out the window, her cheek resting on her fist. Natsuki enjoyed the view of a slender neck and porcelain skin. Part of her wanted to reach out and see if her friend's skin was as soft as it looked. Instead, she typed in Sergey's address into the GPS.

"Make a right at Sweet Pine Ave.," The sexy voice of the GPS informed Natsuki.

"Thank you, Victoria," Natsuki said in a 'James Bond' voice.

Nao glanced over at her dorky friend. "Seriously? You named the GPS voice Victoria? The same GPS voice that sounds like a hooker?"

Natsuki glared at Nao as she made a right. "Don't be rude to Victoria," she warned. Her eyes flickered to the small TV screen with a virtual image of her car driving down a virtual road. "Damn, this guy lives practically out in the country."

Nao rolled her eyes. "It's barely ten minutes outside of the busy parts of the city. Relax."

"Hey…" Natsuki started. "Nao this whole… thing can't really happen." Her fingers tightened and then loosened and then retightened again on the steering wheel. Natsuki cleared her throat nervously and blushed. "I really like you but we work together, you know? It's… we can get fired and I don't know about you, but I need this job."

Nao, face still looking out the window, merely responded with, "Whatever, Kruger. I just thought you were acting all cute and heroic is all. Must've made me confused."

Natsuki chewed at her bottom lip. "Right," she growled. "That's the only reason you attacked me at my desk earlier. Sure."

Nao turned from the window to narrow her eyes at Natsuki. "Don't get pissy, Kruger. You said it yourself. We're business partners. We can't be anything than friends, so be glad I only see you as one."

Natsuki decided not to say anything, knowing by now when she was going to start an argument with Nao. She likes me, Natsuki muttered in her head. I know she does.

The redhead, satisfied that she had gotten her message across… and saved her ego from a severe bruising, turned to watch the buildings and pedestrians as they zoomed by.

They were in for an awkward car ride.

---

The Scarlet Fox looked up at the sound of a beep.

"Yes Alyssa?" Shizuru asked as she pushed off the tree she was leaning on and looked towards the house of Sergey Wang Clercuzio. The man lived in a mansion of a house. There were no other houses for miles, just green fields and trees. The mansion was fairly close to the side of the road, but it still had a gated entrance. This man didn't need protection. He had protection. So why did he want the two detectives there?

"I picked up a Peugeot on my security cameras. The license plate matches that of Kruger's, so just a heads up that they will be there shortly," Alyssa said.

Shizuru could just see the blonde in her mind. Alyssa was probably seated in that comfortable computer chair, her fingers moving across the keyboard at lightning speed, her eyes focused intently on several pop up screens at once. The woman was damn helpful.

"Thank you, Golden Hawk," Shizuru purred as she slipped her binoculars out and peered through them. A sleek, black car turned onto the road. Shizuru's special binoculars were also a speed radar. It was borrowed technology from the traffic police and their speed guns they pointed at moving cars. Alyssa designed them herself.

My, my, someone wasn't kidding when they said they liked going fast, Shizuru mused as the number in her binoculars was well in the three digits. The number slowly decreased as the car came to a stop across the street of Sergey's mansion.

The Scarlet Fox crept closer to the car, her body hidden in shadow with the help of her dark cape. Twigs cracked beneath her boots as she went. When she was close enough so that she could see the occupants of the car, Natsuki and Nao, she jumped up into a tree and decided to keep surveillance from there.

The two detectives didn't seem to be talking. Shizuru sighed and then pulled out her binoculars once more to peer into the mansion across the street. Sergey couldn't be seen in any window, but the lights were on in nearly every room on every floor. A butler moved from one room to another, and Shizuru saw a cat on the top floor, but that was all.

Putting away her binoculars, Shizuru then pulled out her tracker gun. She aimed towards Natsuki's car then pulled the trigger. A tiny, metal device latched itself to the front bumper.

"Alyssa?"

"I read you, Scarlet Fox, what's up?"

"Did the tracker work?" Shizuru asked quietly as she quickly ducked behind a branch when she thought Kruger was looking her way. She peeked around the tree's limb only to see Kruger looking towards her partner. They were talking now.

"Yeah the signal's loud and clear. I can track that car all around the world. Nice aim."

"I try," Shizuru said with a small smirk. "Now for the microphone…" she loaded her tracker gun with a different yet very similar looking device. She then aimed and shot again, this one landing on the roof of the car.

"I'm picking up voice waves," Alyssa declared. "Want me to redirect them to you?"

"Yes please," Shizuru said as she made herself comfortable on the thick branch and waited, arms folded across her chest, for the microphone's feedback to take over her connection to Alyssa.

"Alright, just press the button on your glove when you want to temporarily unlatch the microphone and put me back online. The device will automatically fall off the car after an hour anyways."

"I know," Shizuru said with a giggle, "how many times have we done this before?"

"I just like to make sure!" Alyssa snapped.

Two more 'beeps!' later, and Shizuru could hear the conversation within the car.

---

"So should we go in and, I don't know, let him know we're here?" Natsuki asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt and cracked her knuckles. She stared towards a tree she had thought she saw something in, and then looked towards Sergey's mansion. "Man, he has a huge house."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Nao muttered as she followed Natsuki's gaze to the house. "You could probably house all of Windbloom City in there."

Natsuki chuckled and peeked at the redhead from the corner of her eye. "So was that a 'no' to letting him know we're here?" she asked, now fully turning her head to face her partner.

Nao, still refusing to make eye contact, shrugged. "I think it would be stupid," she said, "I mean we already told him we'd be here and I'm pretty sure you told him that if he saw a car out in front of his house that it'd be us."

"True," Natsuki agreed as she leaned back in the comfy leather seats and closed her eyes. "This is fun," she muttered.

Nao glared at her partner then punched the woman's shoulder. "Hey, don't go to sleep! We have a job to do."

Natsuki opened her right eye a slit to look at the redhead. "Oh really? I think this is the first time you're telling me to get serious." She then opened both her eyes and leaned forward to press a button on the touch screen TV. "Music?" She asked, pressing the button before she could get a confirmation anyways.

---

"Alyssa," Shizuru hissed as she pressed the button on her glove that would temporarily disable the microphone and redirect her to Alyssa instead. "They're listening to Britney Spears."

"What song?"

"Toxic, I believe."

"I like that song…" Alyssa murmured, and Shizuru could see the blonde woman blushing slightly with embarrassment.

Shizuru rolled her eyes and pressed the walkie-talkie off again, allowing the microphone on the roof of the car to take over her earpiece once again.

---

"You're not honestly listening to that crap right?" Nao grumbled as she reached out to flick the radio off. She did, and began pulling her hand back.

Natsuki frowned and grabbed Nao's retreating hand. Their eyes met. "I just wanted to get you to say something," she admitted. "Anything that isn't..."

"Work related?" Nao finished for Natsuki, her brow lifted as a devilish smirk appeared on her lips. She interlocked her hand with Natsuki's and shifted closer so that she was slightly leaning towards her partner.

"Exactly," Natsuki murmured as she leaned forward as well and caught Nao's lips with her own. The kiss quickly grew heated, and Natsuki swallowed the redhead's moan upon sliding her tongue into the soft opening.

---

"Ara," Shizuru exclaimed as she quickly flicked the microphone off and put Alyssa back online once more.

"What is it? Are they listening to Christina Aguilera or something this time?" Alyssa questioned, her tone sarcastic.

"Not quite, Alyssa," Shizuru murmured. "They are, ah, kissing. Heavily."

Barking laughter was heard from the earpiece. "You're kidding! Detective Kruger and Detective Zhang, huh? Don't they know that's against the rules?"

Shizuru, who was actually deeply annoyed as she watched the two kiss, merely grumbled then sighed. "I suppose the attraction is too much? They are both incredibly attractive women."

"Why do you not sound as amused as you usually do when you see two people making out?" Alyssa asked.

Shizuru frowned. She had no idea. "Perhaps I am not in the mood," she replied quietly. She blinked when she saw Natsuki help Nao over the middle compartment separating their two car seats, effectively putting the redhead in the other detective's lap. "Honestly," Shizuru grumbled, "shouldn't they be working?"

Alyssa's brow furrowed at the tone of Shizuru's voice. "Is something wrong?" She asked her friend, now suddenly worried Shizuru was unhappy about something.

Shizuru shook her head, though she knew Alyssa couldn't see it. "Not really, no," she said. "I'm not sure why I—" she blinked as Natsuki's hands snaked up the front of Nao's blouse and began massaging her breasts. Shizuru looked away, her cheeks fully red. She cleared her throat as she stared at the dirt instead. "Don't they know people can see them?"

"I'm sure Kruger will invest in some tinted windows…" Alyssa chuckled. "Shizuru, just focus on the mission and let them do their thing, alright?"

"Of course," Shizuru said with a weak smile. "Maybe I'm just tired," she said, justifying her uneasy feelings of the two detectives being intimate. "And I'm not turning the microphone back on until they are finished, so keep me busy by talking, Alyssa, please."

"Hm. Okay. So… what are you wearing?"

Shizuru giggled. "A skin-tight combat suit with a utility belt, a cape, boots, gloves, a mask, and a whip…"

Shizuru heard Alyssa suck in a breath. "Kinky," the blonde whispered. "Who are you dressed as?"

"Scarlet Fox," Shizuru said, her tone giddy as she enjoyed their little game. "Who will you be role-playing as?"

"Mmm, I think I'll go with Golden Hawk. I read in the tabloids they had a thing going on. I've heard we look alike too."

Shizuru whistled. "Oooh, I like that. Especially her costume where she shows off her midriff…"

Alyssa's rich laughter flowed into Shizuru's ear and the brunette joined in. "My, you are quite good at distractions, Alyssa," Shizuru commented through her laughter.

"Why thank you, Foxy."

"You are welcome… Hawky?"

"That didn't work as well."

"No, it did not."

---

Nao let out a throaty moan as Natsuki's hands continued massaging her rather small breasts. Natsuki could fit them both easily in the palms of her hands, but neither were complaining. Each stroke and touch sent a shock of pleasure downwards, leaving Nao wanting so much more from her partner at this moment.

The redhead was sitting in Natsuki's lap, her back pressed against Natsuki's front and her ass pressing against Natsuki's lower regions. The seat was moved back in a way that made the steering wheel not an issue, giving them enough space.

Natsuki continued licking and kissing the flesh on the side of Nao's slender neck. She grazed Nao's nipple with her pointer finger and then placed her thumb on it as well and gave a light squeeze. Nao cried out, which encouraged Natsuki's right hand to move from Nao's chest, down her flat stomach, and to the waistband of the redhead's pants. All Natsuki wanted to do right now was worship Nao's body and show her that she was not just some stupid, geeky friend with a nice car. She would no longer be treated like Nao's pathetic plaything. The tables had to turn some time, and Natsuki was sure now was that time.

Nao continued tilting her head to the side, giving Natsuki easy access to her neck. Every part of her burned with desire. She wanted Natsuki on her. She wanted the other woman to ravish her and touch her and kiss her. Upon feeling Natsuki's hand on her pants, Nao quickly moved her hands to help unbutton them. When that was done, Nao moved her hands to squeeze at her partner's legs, which were on either side of her, her fingers digging into the material of Natsuki's pants.

Natsuki's hand wasted no time in moving down towards her partner's underwear, which she slid under and instantly found Nao's hottest spot. The redhead was already wet down there, and she cried out once more when Natsuki's fingers slid past her lower lips and began rubbing her most intimate places with no mercy.

Nao moaned as Natsuki's left hand squeezed her breast once more, sending another jolt of pleasure downwards. "N-Natsuki…" Nao whispered hotly, her heart racing fast and her eyes heady.

A finger slid up and down Nao's entrance, teasing. Natsuki grinned when Nao shifted slightly, clearly trying to get Natsuki to hurry up. "This is for all the teasing you put me through," Natsuki whispered into Nao's ear as she went back to rubbing the slightly younger girl's clit. Natsuki herself wasn't sure if she was feeling ice or fire. The way Nao's body writhed against hers turned her on to no end. The sexy sounds Nao could make only served to make Natsuki more and more uncharacteristically determined to teach Nao a lesson. A pink tongue darted out from the dark-haired girl's mouth, swishing around Nao's ear lobe until Natsuki decided it was time to stop torturing Nao too badly.

Nao tilted her head back and let out a strangled gasp as Natsuki's finger curled and slid past slick lips. The single thought of fire flickered through Natsuki's mind as Nao's muscles clenched around her. Natsuki didn't immediately move her finger, wanting to get used to being inside Nao first. Five seconds later, Natsuki began slowly moving her finger in and out of Nao. It was an awkward position, and Natsuki shifted slightly and pushed Nao a little to make it easier for her.

"Nn.." was the only wordless sound Nao made. The redhead's eyes closed and her teeth bit at her bottom lip as Natsuki began moving in and out of her tightness, her finger moving torturously slow but gaining speed as the seconds ticked by. Nao couldn't think coherent thoughts, her mind flickering between thoughts of Natsuki as her friend and partner, and Natsuki as her lover. Soon the pleasure just blocked all thinking completely, turning Nao into little more than a flustered, whimpering mess.

Natsuki's hungry lips moved down the back of Nao's neck and over her shoulder, her kisses quick and light. Nao's mind honed in on every movement of Natsuki's finger and the redhead began to rock her hips in rhythm with the older girl. Natsuki's left hand had since stopped once it wrapped around Nao's breast, much too focused on her other hand's ministrations to focus on the other's. Still, the feeling of Nao's erect nipple against her palm made Natsuki feel in control. She was holding all the cards, Nao was at her mercy, and she liked it.

"Natsu—" The name turned into a string of simple, meaningless sounds. Nao's essence coated Natsuki's fingers, making it easier for Natsuki to continue sliding in and out, her finger stroking Nao's inner walls.

Their breathing was quick, and Nao's nonsensical noises were met with Natsuki's panting. Natsuki's brow was shiny with sweat, and the thought of 'work' was in the farthest recess of her mind. All she cared about right now was Nao and bringing her partner over the edge.

Nao's body began to convulse as a surging sensation rose within her. Shockwaves of pleasure shook her body as Natsuki continued her onslaught. The tension in Nao's lower torso began to get stronger with each stroke. Her body was convulsing as Natsuki, sensing Nao's closeness, entered another finger without warning and intensified her efforts.

Nao cried out and clamped down on Natsuki's fingers as she was finally brought to her peak, an explosion of pure ecstasy and heat washed over her. Nao's body tensed as the waves of pleasure rolled through her, her body convulsing in response. Natsuki continued her strokes of Nao's inner walls in an attempt to lengthen the orgasm and bring her partner down at a slow pace.

Nao's body fell back onto Natsuki as the redhead felt weak and exhausted. Natsuki slowly pulled out of Nao, causing the younger to gasp just slightly before relaxing back into Natsuki once more. Detective Kruger wrapped her arms around Nao and lightly kissed the redhead's shoulder. The hair clung to their faces due to the perspiration and the quiet panting was the only noise that filled the Peugeot.

---

Shizuru brought a hand to her mouth and yawned, her eyes staring lazily at the mansion. "Um…" she hummed, "three point one four one five nine two…" Shizuru's brow furrowed as she tried to think of the next number in the sequence. "Six… four?"

Alyssa made a buzzer noise. "Eeeh! Wrong. You got all the first eight numbers right, but the ninth number in pi is a five, not a four. Close though." Alyssa was probably Windbloom City's most intelligent super hero, if not the most intelligent citizen. "I've memorized a good first seventy numbers," Alyssa added, her tone trying to make her not sound as pompous as the statement sounded. It was generally in Alyssa's nature to be a bit arrogant though, and Shizuru didn't mind at all.

The Scarlet Fox sighed. "Not everyone memorizes these things, you know," she pointed out. She decided to check on how the two Detectives were doing, having decided to sit down on her branch and stare straight ahead at the mansion across the street when things between the two started getting heated.

"Ara," Shizuru uttered in surprise. "They're finished."

"Oh, jeezus! It's about time," Alyssa mumbled. "Honestly I hope they get fired. What kind of detectives get it on when they have a job to do?"

Shizuru frowned slightly, her eyes glued to Detective Kruger, who was helping Detective Zhang move back into the passenger seat as she buttoned her top back up. Kruger must've really worn her out, Shizuru thought with a small smirk. Shizuru couldn't deny she was definitely attracted to Natsuki Kruger. The woman would make a great cape, exactly the kind of type Shizuru was attracted to. Besides, she clearly knew what she was doing. Shizuru found herself slightly envious of Nao, wishing she had someone like Kruger to love her in that way. Or did they love each other? It seemed more like a spontaneous act of passion to Shizuru, but maybe that was wishful thinking so she could try Kruger out for herself.

"I'm sure if they felt this job was important they wouldn't have… gotten distracted," Shizuru assured Alyssa, wanting to believe Kruger knew better. "They must know something is up… it is a Clercuzio's house, after all," the Fox pointed out as she stood back up and watched as Natsuki made some kind of joke to Nao, who playfully punched her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at the other detective… who leaned in for a kiss instead.

Shizuru looked away and sighed. "Alyssa," she said quietly, "I'm starting to see why you quit. I have no time for… romantic relationships. Not unless they're with another cape and, not to be a hypocrite, but we capes can be a little arrogant or insane." It takes a very extreme kind of personality to don a costume, run around the city and fight crime. Not often did these similar types of personalities mesh well, at least not in Shizuru's case.

"That's not why I quit," Alyssa murmured, the sound soothing despite it coming through a mechanical device. "I'm better as a researcher. Finding information, helping other capes… helping YOU. The field was fun, but I need to be where I'm more helpful."

Shizuru's brow furrowed. "You were incredibly helpful in the field. You remember? You hold, I punch?"

Alyssa's laughter filtered through the earpiece, bringing a smile to Shizuru's lips. The sound soon came to a stop and Shizuru heard Alyssa take a deep breath. "Shizuru I have a family. When Nightshade took my father I wasn't sure if I'd ever see him again. I loved being a cape, but I can't risk that again. If you take up the cape, if you put on a mask, you put everyone you know and love at risk as well. It's… a catch 22. You don the costume to save lives from danger yet, at the same time, you're putting those most important to you at risk to lose theirs. Understand?"

Shizuru nodded. "Yes," she answered, her tone somber. "I do."

"Which is why," Alyssa said, her tone back to its usual smooth and powerful sound, "You are one of the most at-risk capes I know. The mayor's daughter? If someone finds out your identity… hell, the whole city could be taken down… your father can be assass—"

"I understand," Shizuru said quickly, cutting Alyssa's next word off.

"Sorry, Fox," Alyssa murmured. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"It's quite alright, Alyssa," Shizuru reassured her friend. "I know the risks of being the mayor's daughter." A silence came over them, the earpiece not making a sound. Shizuru then turned to watch the two detectives again. They were talking calmly, Kruger beaming and Zhang practically glowing. They both looked slightly tired, but happy nonetheless.

"Ah, ah!" Alyssa suddenly chirped, causing Shizuru to wince at the volume. "Two black, Mafioso-looking cars speeding down the road. Heads up, Fox."

"Thank you," Shizuru said as she silently jumped from her position on the tree's branch and landed silently on her feet. "Can you get a read on the license plates?"

"Already on it," Alyssa said, "Give me a second."

Shizuru crept so that she was concealed by two leafy bushes. She had a clear view of the mansion and of the two detectives, who were still talking amongst themselves. A figure appeared in the window of the topmost floor, and Shizuru turned to see if either Kruger or Zhang were paying attention. To her surprise, Kruger was pointing towards the window and Zhang was ducking her head to see out of Natsuki's window.

The two black cars sped down the street, coming to a screeching halt on the opposite side and directly in front of Sergey's front gates.

---

"Hey, Nao," Natsuki said as she watched, an uneasy feeling growing in her chest as four men exited both vehicles.

"Yeah, Kruger?" Nao asked weakly, her fingers dancing along her pistol holster.

"If we're about to die… I want you to know…"

"Yes?" Nao asked, now more interested in what Natsuki had to say instead of their slowly approaching doom.

"You were a pretty decent last time," Natsuki finished with a chuckle. She received a whack to the back of the head. "Ow!" Natsuki whined as she shot Nao a dirty look. "That was uncalled for."

"Get serious, moron," Nao growled. Her green eyes lifted away from Natsuki's to instead watch as four of the six men approached their car. "Shit. Get out your gun."

"Way ahead of you," Natsuki said under her breath, her hand clutching her pistol in her lap. Her body tensed, her eyes following as the man finally made it to her window. He smiled and lightly tapped on the window, signaling for her to lower it.

"You remember when we had to roll down our windows?" Natsuki asked as she pressed the button that lowered the glass. "Like literally? Roll it down with our hands?" She was probably just talking to stop the nervousness that was increasing with each heartbeat.

"Yes," Nao replied through gritted teeth. The anxious feeling in her stomach didn't subside as she eyed the three men standing behind the one that had tapped on Natsuki's window. In fact, the more she eyed them, the worse it got.

The window had lowered only enough so that Natsuki could fit her pistol out, and not enough for the man to fit his hands in. The windows were bulletproof, one of the upgrades Natsuki had paid for with her parent's money. Natsuki flashed the man a smile. "Hello," she greeted. "If you're looking for the library, it's just down the street and to the right."

Nao, even though fearing for her life at the moment, found the comment quite hysterical. Clearly these men had never been to a library. The confused expressions on their faces at Natsuki's words confirmed this.

"Actually, miss," the man said, "I was wondering if you'd like to step out of the vehicle for a second," he said as he stepped back, as if waiting for Natsuki to open the door.

"Actually, sir," Natsuki replied, "I quite like where I am, thank you very much."

"Are you the one from the police department?" The man asked, deciding to go in a different direction. Natsuki noticed, for the first time, they were all wearing suits. She sighed, typical.

"What's it to you?" Nao asked from behind Natsuki. "This is a public street, we're allowed to park here whether we're cops or not."

"Get out of the vehicle," the man demanded, his tone replacing forced politeness with demand.

Natsuki looked past him and realized the other four men were heading inside Sergey's driveway. She then turned her gaze back on the man. "Fine," she finally said. She re-rolled up the window and pointed to where she kept her extra set of keys. She gave Nao a look. "You stay here."

Nao blinked. "What? No—!"

Natsuki slammed the door behind her and locked the car from the outside with her first set of keys. The second set, the set she had shown Nao inside the car, couldn't do that, they were only meant for starting the car. This way, Nao could escape if need be.

If she thinks she's leaving me in here, Nao mentally growled as she tried her door's handle. When the door didn't open, she really growled this time and reached for the second set of keys Natsuki had shown her. She pressed the 'unlock' button. Nothing happened. She cursed. God damn you Kruger for leaving me in here, somewhere I can't help you from.

Nao glared out the window, hoping the man Natsuki was standing up to would see her death glare and feel threatened. It was the only thing she could do.

"So," Natsuki said, her weight shifted to one side and her hand on her hip. Her other hand held her pistol loosely at her side, ready to lift it and shoot if need be. "What can I help you boys with?" She asked, her eyes flickering from one face to another. They seemed to melt together. They all looked the same to her.

The first man, the one that had been doing all the talking, merely smiled and gestured for Natsuki to follow him. "Come with us," he said simply.

"No," Natsuki deadpanned. "I won't."

The man grew visibly agitated. He finally gave in to his instincts and lifted his gun. "Come with us and you live."

A sound came from behind Natsuki, though it was muffled by the car's interior. It was either Natsuki's name or a 'HELL NO.' Natsuki wasn't sure. Banging on her car windows was heard but Natsuki didn't turn around, not wanting to see Nao panicking. She prayed Nao would just turn on the engine and drive off.

Her emerald eyes stared down the barrel of the man's gun. "That's…" Natsuki swallowed hard, "unnecessary, don't you think?" She asked weakly.

"Put your gun down," the man demanded, his tone missing all previous traces of persuasion. Now he was all force.

"I believe you should put yours down," the Scarlet Fox said as she seemed to jump down from a nearby tree, landing easily on her feet. Natsuki's eyes widened. Eight points for the 'just-in-the-knick-of-time-entrance,' she thought.

The men all turned around, and Shizuru flicked her whip. The crimson cord wrapped around the surprised man's gun and pulled it towards Shizuru, who caught it as it flew through the air towards her and then threw it to the ground. She then smiled at the men, who continued staring at her in disbelief.

"Don't just stand there!" The man, now weaponless, yelled. "Get her!"

Three points for the highly overused and cliché boss-to-henchmen command, Natsuki muttered in her head. The three men all drew their pistols, completely forgetting about Natsuki. Natsuki's emeralds met with rubies for a split second before both sprung into action.

Natsuki instantly attacked the man closest to her, he was now weaponless and Natsuki didn't want to waste any bullets on him. Natsuki whacked him over the head with her gun effectively knocking him unconscious, and then she dropped to the ground and kicked the feet out from under one of the other men. He toppled backwards and landed on his back. Natsuki slammed her gun across his face, and then looked up to see the Scarlet Fox easily dodging and deflecting bullets with her long, metal staff. Shizuru twirled her staff around, sending one end of the staff roughly into the chest of a man, sending him flying in the other direction, his gun flying from his hand. Shizuru and Natsuki both had their eyes locked on the one man left. He was wearing glasses in contrast to all the others, who had been wearing sunglasses.

The man's eyes widened, his eyes fearful as they darted between the slowly approaching Scarlet Fox and the standing Detective Kruger, who had a gun pointed at him. Shizuru folded her staff with the press of a button. It was metal, and fit in Shizuru's utility belt when fully contracted. It was only 6 inches fully folded up. With the press of a button, the two ends of the staff extended so that it stood at about Shizuru's height.

"Drop the weapon!" Natsuki yelled.

Shizuru smiled. "Yes, please do," she said. "You have to answer some questions for us." The spectacled man stayed silent, his pistol lowering to the ground.

"WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!" Sergey yelled as the situation came into view. The other suited four men were dragging him down his driveway, stopping at the large gate. Sergey's hands were bound behind his back, and two of the four men in suits were pulling him by his arms. The men all stopped and exchanged looks upon seeing their fallen comrades.

They all drew their guns quickly, but Shizuru flung something down with a 'pop,' causing a large explosion of smoke to cover her, Kruger, and the man with glasses.

Kruger couldn't see anything except white smoke, but she heard gunshots being fired. Soon, the sound was replaced by groaning men and cries of pain. Natsuki crept through the smoke and reached out to where she thought they left the man in glasses. She grabbed a fistful of the man's suit and pulled him off the ground. "Don't move," she growled, her pistol digging into his back. The man shivered and nodded hastily.

Scarlet Fox appeared out of nowhere, her hand grabbed Natsuki's shoulder in a way that meant 'don't turn around.' Natsuki didn't move and waited. Shizuru lowered her lips to Natsuki's ear and whispered, "I will meet you on the rooftop of your building tonight at nine. We have much to him alive, I will handle this and get the information from them." With that, Natsuki felt the Scarlet Fox's presence disappear from behind her, and she shivered in response.

The smoke began clearing, and Natsuki could make out the outline of panicked men looking around in circles. Soon, a shadowy figure came out of nowhere and punched them to the ground. Yup, the Scarlet Fox had this under control.

Natsuki turned and ran back to her car, which she unlocked and slid into the driver's seat. The sound of a car screeching away made Natsuki want to instantly follow it. One of the men must've gotten Sergey to their car and sped off with him.

"Great," Natsuki growled. "Not only did we fail miserably, but the guy we're supposed to make sure wasn't being followed just got kidnapped."

"Will you shut up for five seconds? You could've gotten killed you moron!" Nao yelled as she pulled Natsuki by the collar and kissed her quickly. She pulled back and glared intensely into Natsuki's eyes. "Now drive before you do something else completely stupid."

"I'm fine, aren't I?" Natsuki replied as she turned away from Nao, shut her door with a slam, and quickly turned her car on. The smoke was now completely cleared, and the Scarlet Fox was standing amongst several bodies of fallen men. An eerie glimmer of bright red caught Natsuki in her gaze. Natsuki swallowed hard, gave a small nod to the caped heroine, and then sped down the street.

"Now where are we going? You don't honestly think we can catch Sergey's kidnappers, right?" Nao asked, her eyes nervously watching the speedometer.

"Nope. We're going to the station to report this then I'm going home and watching a crappy movie," Natsuki replied, her heart still racing in her chest. She turned to Nao and gave a cocky grin. "You saw how cool that was right? Me and Scarlet Fox fighting alongsi—"

"Will you keep your eyes on the damn road?!" Nao yelled. "If those men back there didn't kill us, I'm sure your psychotic driving skills will."

"Sorry," Natsuki murmured, though she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She and Scarlet Fox had completely taken down all those guys. The best part? No one had died in the process. "Man she's tricky huh? All her little gadgets… and her weapons are so cool. Like her staff! It's practically the size of a pencil and then with the click of a button both sides extend until it's like five and a half feet or so!"

"Well," Nao muttered. "She is called the fox. They're generally known for being tricky and clever."

"Mm," Natsuki hummed. "Yeah. She is both of those."

Nao gave her partner, now lover, a sidelong glance. "You're not…" Nao paused, her brow furrowing as if she were trying to decipher the excited expression on Natsuki's face. Shouldn't the woman be paralyzed with fear? Or talking about something other than Scarlet Fox like, well, Sergey's kidnapping? "Never mind," Nao finally said as she turned her gaze towards the blurring trees.

Natsuki glanced at Nao briefly before setting them back on the road as she weaved in and out of the traffic trying to get back into the city. "No, what is it?" Natsuki asked.

"You don't… have you ever had a crush on a cape before?"

Natsuki blinked at the question. "No. You know I generally don't like them. Why?"

Nao shrugged. "Just wondering."

"Why," Natsuki asked, a grin spreading on her face. "Have you?"

Nao rolled her eyes at Natsuki completely missing the point. "No. Although I always thought the Brigadier was hot. Or Nightshade."

"Again," Natsuki pointed out. "Nightshade is a villain. She just kidnapped—"

"I know, I know," Nao muttered. "As I said, just forget it."

"Alright…" Natsuki said quietly.

A part of her said she should pursue this topic with Nao, she should find out what's bothering her frien—her partn—her lov—her girlfriend? But the fresh memory of adrenaline pumping through her veins as she took on a whole troupe of men with a cape at her side was still clear in her mind.

God. The Scarlet Fox was like a walking bundle of sex and seduction. It was also a major plus that she was clearly intelligent. Natsuki stopped her thought flow, analyzed it, and then rewound to Nao's previous question. Shit, Natsuki mentally cursed. She clearly sounded infatuated with the Scarlet Fox. That had to be why Nao asked such a weird question about her crushing on capes.

Natsuki sighed and reached for her cell phone. Time to call the Commissioner.

---

Shizuru Viola watched the detective from her perched position atop the nearby apartment building she had nearly fallen off earlier that day. She watched Natsuki through the binoculars then looked around at the surrounding rooftops. No one seemed to be around. It was safe.

"She there?" Alyssa's voice emitted from the earpiece.

Shizuru was deeply grateful for it. It always made her feel like Alyssa was there with her, protecting her though she was far away. Alyssa would always be the best backup possible, whether fighting alongside Shizuru or sitting in front of a computer back at the Tower.

"Yes," Shizuru said. "I'm going to go down now."

"Alright. One quick thing though," Alyssa said, effectively stopping Shizuru just as she was about to swoop down to the slightly lower building's roof.

"Yes?" Shizuru asked, her finger pushing the earpiece further into her ear.

"Captain Rad contacted me and wants to know if you want to join the League of Heroes," Alyssa stated, her tone void of any emotion, clearly because she wanted Shizuru to make this decision on her own.

Shizuru mulled it over, her finger on her chin. That would make her the only non-metahuman to be invited into a hero organization, especially such a prestigious one. She'd be making history.

"Let dearest Rad know…" Shizuru said as she swooped down to the roof below. She landed in a crouched position, and slowly stood up, her cape hanging loosely around her shoulders. "That I will join once he lets other non-metahumans in and stops being a bigot. You don't need to have powers to save people, he should know this."

Alyssa, far away in her tower, smiled at Shizuru's answer. "That's what I thought you'd say," she said. "Just figured I'd make sure before telling him you're not interested."

Shizuru hummed in response and she walked towards Detective Kruger, whose back was turned. "Turning you offline for this conversation Alyssa, hope you don't mind," Shizuru whispered.

"It's fine. I'm going to bed now. Let me know when you come in to the Tower, alright?"

"Always," Shizuru replied as she pressed the button on her glove.

---

It was 8:55pm. Natsuki waited on the rooftop of her building. She wasn't really allowed access up here, but she had snuck up anyways. That day had been completely hectic and exhausting. She and Nao had a ton of paperwork to do and Commissioner Graceburt was less than happy to hear that their client had been kidnapped under their protection.

Natsuki let out a sigh and ran her hand through her long ebony locks as she waited for the Scarlet Fox. Just thinking about it made her excited. Oh god, Natsuki whimpered. I sound like a fan girl. She wasn't, though, she was still pumped from that fight earlier, that's all.

The distant wailing of a police siren caused Natsuki to lift her head and walk to the edge of the building. She placed her palms on the cool stone and leaned over to stare down at the red and white lights of the traffic below. The city was alive, and Natsuki let out a sigh of relief. It was weird how soothing police sirens and car horns sounded to her now. It used to keep her up at night, now it was like her lullaby.

"Careful," Shizuru warned as she approached the detective. "You might fall." Shizuru's lips curved into a mischievous smirk when Natsuki whirled around in surprise.

Natsuki, after looking the Scarlet Fox up and down, chuckled lightly and rubbed at the back of her neck nervously. "I'm sure you'd catch me," she replied.

Shizuru arched a slender brow, wondering if that was meant to sound romantic or not. "This is true," she finally said as she glided closer, her cape moving behind her as the wind blew it back.

Kruger ran a hand through her dark locks once more, her eyes taking in Shizuru's red mask and the simplified symbol of a fox head on the chest piece of her costume.

"Are you staring at my chest?" Shizuru teased, causing Natsuki's eyes to jerk up.

"No! I was, ah, checking out your symbol," Natsuki said quickly.

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Shizuru grinned at the color that appeared on the girl's cheeks. The emeralds averted from Shizuru's gaze. "Ah, I was just teasing. Please forgive me. I've had a long day."

Natsuki looked back up and gave a weak smile. "Me too, as you know." Natsuki looked around the completely flat top of her apartment building. She hadn't heard the hatch leading into the building open, and surely she would've seen the woman climb up. "How did you get up here?" Natsuki asked when her mind couldn't find a logical answer.

Shizuru's brow furrowed. "I jumped," she answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Seeing the girl's confused expression, Shizuru giggled and pointed to the slightly taller building nearby.

Natsuki followed Shizuru's finger with her eyes and formed an 'O' with her mouth. "Gotcha," she finally said as she turned back around. She idly wondered if the jump would've hurt, but the Scarlet Fox looked fine. Ten points on the surprise entrance, Natsuki remembered to score. All heroes know how to appear out of nowhere, she thought.

Shizuru nodded and folded her arms. "So, I think we should talk about why the Clercuzio are after you and supposedly your girlfriend as well."

Natsuki's eyes widened, and instead of doing what any other person would, asking what the hero meant by the Clercuzio being interested in her, she said, "She's not my girlfriend."

Quirking a brow in surprise at the detective's quick reply, the Scarlet Fox smiled dangerously, her wine-colored eyes twinkling in the darkness. "Is that so?"

---

So, I'm sure the NatNao fans enjoyed this, or the shiznat/natnao fans like myself.

Yup. So it's up to you now. Either you're the kind of shiznatter that won't read ANYTHING involving NatNao or you're the kind that will put up with NatNao just because you know there will be ShizNat to rival it.

Personally, I love a little competition.

Note: Natsuki's car is fucking sexy. Please do yourself a favor and go google it. Peugeot 907 RC. Sex.

Oh. And HOT MISS MARIA ANYONE? I think yes.

I also think "Captain Rad" is an incredibly lame super hero name… but whatever.

Also, Monster and Siren of the Sea have been updated as well. Check them out along with the new poll in my profile.

Thanks again to my lovely beta, Andrea. If it weren't for her power-beta'ing skills you wouldn't have anything to read, so yay for her existence, amirite?

Chapter Songs:

Blood Sugar by Pendulum

Vintage by Zatox (Andrea's choice!)

Don't Stop by InnerpartySystem

Question: To update or not to update? Let me know in a review!

Have a great day and thanks for giving Valkyries a chance!

-ShayP