Miki231 here with a new story! I know many of you might be following my other story, Without a Title, however I have found that my inspiration has decreased substantially and I'll have to write something new before I can return to that fanfiction. Plus, I've just started college so everything in my life will be a lot more busy...

This story was inspired by several fanfictions I've read, namely Black Wolf Deception by Black Wolf Chics and Before You Hit the Ground by Ducky-san, among others such as Black Wolf Pack by Wolf Blossom. I suggest you all go read those fanfics if you like gang-related stories! I really hope I don't come across as stealing content, but I am.. I suppose, being inspired by the ideas in these fanfics and thus compiling a lot of them into one story with a bit of my own touch. I really hope not to offend any of these wonderful authors, and give them credit for this entire fanfiction really, since I'm not particularly good at creating original ideas like they can. xD

Let it be known, however, that I know virtually nothing about cars and law enforcement in Japan. What I am writing is purely from assumption and from Google Images, so whatever looks cool, goes! Teehee!

As for Gakuen Alice, I don't own the characters or concepts. That all belongs to their wonderful author Tachibana Higuchi. Without further adieu, please enjoy Impulse.

Chapter One: Prologue

"That fucker!" The nineteen-year-old brunette growled dangerously, putting her arm in a death grip as she tried to stop the bleeding from a fresh, large gash, the consequence of a bullet grazing her just too closely when she bolted from the resulting scene. She shoved herself up against the brick wall of the darkened alleyway she was hiding in and murmured more curses under her breath as she used her teeth to wrap her scarf around the gash. "How dare he pull a gun, where the hell does he think he is!?"

Today was just not her day. Not only was it the day before her graduation from the Metropolitan Police Department Academy in Tokyo as one of its youngest dedicates, but she had also come in contact with some of the worst things to happen to her on a day to day basis. The morning began with her spilling coffee over herself, and almost ruining a report she had to give to her grandfather for one of the many cases she worked for him. In the afternoon she had to escape from an angry confrontation with her Academy classmate Luna Koizumi who, though intelligent, had no sense about her and apparently believed Mikan to be the scum of the earth, a view Mikan wholeheartedly shot back at Luna.

After a late evening meeting up with her best friend, Hotaru Imai, Mikan Sakura Yukihara had believed that nothing else would happen as she meandered her way through Tokyo's streets at night towards the home she shared with her grandfather. Oh, how wrong she was. She wished she hadn't taken that damn shortcut. It was rare that there was trouble at the time of day, but apparently the two people who came head to head in a gun confrontation decided they just wanted to disrupt a peaceful residential neighborhood to satisfy their blood lust.

Mikan had been caught by a stray bullet but thankfully, after ducking back into the alleyway, neither of the shooters had seen her. Her blood rang in fury as her instinct kicked in. She wasn't a full-fledged police officer yet, but by Gods she knew what was going down and what she could do to arrest them. Spending most of her life following and eventually assisting her grandfather in his cases (at times even coming with him and having hands-on experience) had practically made her into a seasoned officer by the time she was fifteen.

She finished pulling her scarf tight against her arm and tied it soundly, senses alert for any more noise coming from the street. There had been two shooters, she guessed from the local gangs. However, to her knowledge, the area belonged under the protection of Alice Organization who had a long history of dishing punishment out to anyone who threatened their territory. So who were the two shooting at each other?

Mikan pulled her phone from her pocket with her good arm and dialed the number that would tell her everything: her adoptive grandfather's number. It rang twice and immediately his gruff, tired voice picked up. "Mikan?"

"Hey Jii-chan. I've got a problem," she stated cheerfully.

"What? What is it? Where are you? It's almost midnight!"

She stated where she was and quickly summarized her problem in seconds. "Some fuckers-" She coughed and changed her wording. "Two assailants opened fire over here and I need backup. I got grazed by a stray bullet. I don't think any residents called the police yet, but I'm going to try to apprehend one."

"Mikan, I'll have someone over. Don't-" She snapped her phone shut and with a hiss, released her grip on her arm and groped for the pepper spray and small (licensed) gun she kept in her purse.

"Don't follow him? Hah, no way, Grandpa." Mikan smirked and switched the safety on her gun, knowing full well she couldn't shoot it unless one of the shooters decided to come up and threaten her. Self-defense and whatnot.

The alley was quiet, and the street more so. A normal person would have supposed the shooters had run off and continued their fight elsewhere, but the teenager's instincts were shouting at her that danger still lurked nearby. She had just set her thumb on the top of her spray when running steps came into her hearing. She pushed her body closer to the wall, sinking slightly into a crouch behind a trash can and further into shadow as the steps came closer.

Sirens could be heard in the distance as a body suddenly appeared, turning abruptly into Mikan's alley. She tensed as the body pushed itself against the wall, much like Mikan was doing, only a few feet away from Mikan's hiding spot. Thank god he hadn't noticed her. Chest breathing, he tried to control his breathing as he peeked into the street, body tense in concentration for any sign of pursuit.

Mikan couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was.. it was a boy! Some kid probably not even a year or two younger than her gripping a gun at the ready was one of the shooters? The surprise didn't last long, as Mikan herself was a youth who knew how to use a gun, so she pushed aside her shock and moved to examine the boy as a witness. The street light allowed her to get a vague idea of what he looked like, but she could never select him out of a lineup when she couldn't see his face clearly. He had light brown hair, or was it grey, and he had a slender build. He was probably a bit taller than she was. His eyes were.. blue? She tried to squint in the moonlight but a screeching noise brought her attention from the boy to the other side of the alley.

"Youichi!" A deep voice called from the motorcycle who had stopped so suddenly at the entrance to the alleyway. The boy turned so abruptly that Mikan almost stood in surprise. The youth was bleeding! His white shirt was deeply stained in blood from a side wound, and his arm was covered in scratched from where glittering bits of glass could be seen imbedded. Mikan started in surprise. The move cost her, however, because as the grey-haired boy limped to the motorcycle and hopped onto the back, its rider turned his head sharply in her direction and glared into the dark.

Mikan shirked back, suddenly very afraid that he had seen her. Fuck! That would mean she'd be liable to whatever gang they were affiliated with and she'd become a target and god knew what would happen if they found out she was a cop-or would be one.. Her imagination ran wild in that small moment as she peered from her crouch at the rider, quick to memorize her potential enemy.

He was older than her, definitely older than the boy called Youichi. He sported dark clothing and was definitely fit. Almost attractive, if Mikan saw him in a better situation. He had dark, messy hair. What caught her attention the most, however, was his piercing red eyes as he peered down the alleyway. She had never seen eyes like that before. They were a deep crimson, almost dangerous looking, and for her to be able to see their color from so far away.. Mikan slowly shifted into a defensive position as the cry of sirens drew loudly nearer.

The sirens caught the rider's attention and his eyes narrowed once more on the alleyway, suspicion ruling his instincts. He could have sworn he heard something move, and if there were any witnesses, then they were screwed. But the cops were pulling in. He didn't have time to take care of the danger. Youichi was in trouble and they had to leave. Persona would murder them when he found out Youichi left blood evidence..

The motorcycle rumbled to life and sped off as quickly as it had come. Relief filled Mikan's body as she relaxed and turned towards the other entrance. He hadn't seen her, or atleast hadn't deemed it necessary to shut her up. She was safe. Mikan could now see the flashing lights of police cruisers coming closer, and smiled in relief.

However, just as before, another person rounded into the alleyway and collapsed into the wall, body wary with tension. Mikan couldn't let her guard down now. She shifted into a defensive stance and prepared her pepper spray as the person drew nearer to her spot than Youichi had before.

This man was definitely older than Mikan, and Mikan could see him clearly as light began to flood the street as police cruisers drew in. He had brown hair and purple eyes, a slim build, and was actually sort of attractive (Mikan was having the best of luck tonight, really!) had he not been sweating in anxiety and causing Mikan to tense as he approached closer and closer with his gun held by his side, finger on the trigger. The sound of police officers exiting their cars and the comforting crackle of radios and her grandfather's voice ordering officers about gave Mikan such relief as she prepared for her next move.

The man drew closer, eyes on the street afraid someone might come dashing in, and he paid no attention to the teenage girl drawing herself up from behind a trash can. He could make it! He could run and the cops wouldn't have any idea where he went.. He shifted then, prepared to sprint out of there, when he came face to face with a young girl, who was too far into the shadow for him to discern her looks.

"Freeze." She stated calmly, aligning her gun with her pepper spray and aiming at his face all the while trying not to wince at the shooting pain the gash in her arm was giving her. His eyes widened, his hand on his gun tensed. He'd shoot her to get her out of the way. Thank God he had a silencer on his gun.. Mikan took her chance and sprayed directly into his eyes before he could even lift his gun.

He screamed in pain and dropped his gun, clutching at his eyes and face. "You bitch! It burns!" He cried, face red and tears streaming down his face as he stumbled into the wall. Mikan smirked, assured that his loud behavior would attract the officers, and lowered her spray and gun. She kicked his gun into the street to get the cops' attention. "You're probably going to get arrested for carrying that around, and injuring a civilian." He turned to her angrily, releasing a hand to raise in a fist, realizing too late the flashlights that descended upon him from men in uniform.

"Freeze! Put your hands where I can see them!" Mikan smiled at the familiar sound of her grandfather pushing past the arrested individual and she welcomed the warmth of his arms as he pulled her into the street. She put her head down so the assailant couldn't see her face properly and gripped her arm carefully. The officer arresting the individual smirked something akin to triumph.

"Well, if it isn't Reo Mouri. What is a big-shot coward like you doing on this side of town? Aren't we just so lucky for catching a member of Alice?" His voice trailed off as Mikan was escorted to her grandfather's police car where a medic awaited to patch her up. She could hear Reo's curses and yells and she triumphantly decided that her bad night wasn't too bad if she managed to catch atleast one criminal. The other shooter, the boy.. Youichi was his name? He was young. Atleast he didn't have to go to prison so young. She sighed a bit at having to give a statement later about what she'd seen. Maybe she'd omit her name, in the name of justice. After all.. he looked like he was the one being chased. And he was injured! The other guy just didn't get a say in who deserved more backlash.

Mikan scoffed at the thought and smiled, cooperating with the medic as her grandfather peppered her with scoldings and inquisitions, knowing full well she could handle herself in any dangerous situation.

She made him stop with a single, pouty look directed at his reddened, worried face. "Look, Jii-chan.. It's late. Do we have any food at home? I'm sooo hungry!"

She found out later from her grandfather that the man she helped arrest was Reo Mouri, a prominent member of Alice Organization. She knew so much from what the officer had exclaimed, but her curiosity as to why he was having a shoot-out on his own turf had her questioning who the boy was. Apparently Reo hadn't said anything in questioning, and plead guilty for shooting in a residential neighborhood and injuring a civilian. This, Mikan called perfectly, and her charges were laid successfully. Because he hadn't injured anyone else, Reo was given six months in prison and some odd amount of community service, nothing that Mikan really paid attention to since his problems flew right above her head. She was much more concerned with her present life.

She successfully graduated from the academy with a bandage around her arm and an already prominent career in the starting. Mikan was assigned to the main force in Tokyo under the supervision of Narumi, a man she had watched move up the ranks from his beginning as an officer, due to the care of her grandfather. She heard rumors of how her rising career was due to her being related to Superintendent Sakura, but she scoffed them off and worked even harder as one of the youngest police officers on the force.

Mikan was familiar with many of the officers anyway, having worked with them on and off since she was younger. She walked through the office with a few folders in her arms and waved to whoever she recognized, flashing a bright smile to her instant friend from Police Academy and class president, Yuu Tobita, another young genius recruit before approaching the office of Narumi.

"Hey, Narumi! Here are the cases you asked for. I already filled in my half of the paperwork so just hurry up and-OH GOD, what are you wearing!?"

Dropping the folders in shock, she quickly knelt to gather them up, face pale and telling that she wanted to be anywhere but there.

"Oh, nothing, Mikan-chan! I'm just trying on things for my cover, you know how I'm going to pretend to be a drag queen to infiltrate that drug ring, you know.." A flamboyant, kind yet heavily cheerful voice ranted on about this, coming from the tall and lean body of a man in his thirties with long, shining blonde hair and sparkling purple eyes. He wore bright clothing, colorful and definitely not appropriate for an officer of his rank. He definitely shouldn't have been in the office with ruffles on! Or bangles! Or eyeliner! He was a male for goodness sakes! Mikan cringed at the sight again and wisely positioned her eyes to look at the wall.

"... Right. You do know the squad thinks you're gay, right, Narumi?"

"WHAT!?" He stood up in an indignant manner, slamming his hands on the desk. "Who does? I'll fire them all!"

"The entire squad, meaning me too, meaning you'd fire me too and that means what exactly? Oh right, no dinners with Jii-chan and me!" Mikan cooed, crossing her arms around her chest holding the folders and lifting her nose up, pointedly in the direction of the very open door where officers doubled back when they peeked inside and saw Narumi in his garb.

"Well I-It's for the job!" He cried.

"Sure it is. It's not for another two months! Soon everyone is going to know of your tendencies, Narumi-senpai!" She strode forward and dropped the folders on his desk. "Here. Sign them, kiss them, spray them with perfume, I'm done for the day."

She turned on her heel and walked out, shooting Narumi a bright smile and a light wave, dropping all harsh pretenses. "See you tonight for dinner, otou-san!" He shot her an absent smile and wave in return, and smiled to himself at the nickname. Ah, little Mikan is now a big and professional Mikan. How time had flown.. He remembered her when they played investigators together when he was a new officer and she just barely ten!

"Hey Iinchou-I mean, Yuu!" Mikan skipped her way over to her friend's desk and placed her hands on it, leaning in eagerly to the suddenly blushing boy. "So did you get me the information I asked for about you-know-what?" She asked in a whisper.

"Umm.. yeah, Mikan-chan, I did. Alice, right? Uhh.." He flustered for a moment before reaching into the drawer of his desk and pulling out a stack of papers and handing to Mikan. "I pulled some strings, a senior friend of mine works in filing so he was able to get me those, but don't lose them, please?"

"You know I won't! It was just one time and I put it down, you know that!" Mikan pouted cheerfully. It had been only a few months since she started working officially. She'd messed up a few times, but it was a record few in terms of new officers. "Thanks, anyway, Yuu! I owe you one!" She reached over and ruffled his hair, causing the boy to flush and her to grin, oblivious, before she leapt off the desk and sauntered out, giving a small wave goodbye.

She brought the stack of papers with her to her scheduled meet-up time with Hotaru. It was only mid-afternoon but Hotaru would roast her alive if she was even a second late, so she had made it a habit to be early to meetings with her best friend.

Hotaru Imai was one of Mikan's soft spots. They were oil and water, really, but they got along so fantastically even though Hotaru tended to abuse Mikan with her infamous Baka gun and Mikan took it like a champ. Their friendship however transcended that of normal relationships. You could only be them in order to understand how deep their love for eachother ran. Childhood friends for life, was the quote Mikan liked to use to describe them. Hotaru had been there for Mikan through all her tough times, through Alice Academy and through Police Academy-he was the one who encouraged Mikan to graduate early and just blow through officer training.

The brunette entered their usual coffee shop for their casual get-togethers and waved to a familiar waitress before taking a seat at high table by the window. She could look out and see if Hotaru arrived. Meanwhile, shifting about the papers, she read through her research on Alice organization. Most nineteen-year-olds looked through college catalogues or even the ditzy ones looked at teen magazines and fashion designs. Mikan? She looked at crime reports, attached with photos of various members, caught and rumored, of the infamous gang and whistled at some of the crimes they were suspected to have committed.

It seemed pretty obvious to connect that Alice Organization was affiliated with Alice Pharmaceuticals, a wealthy, national medical company that supplied for nearly half of the country their medical supplies. The gang was rumored to lead an underground drug ring as well as suspected to traffic all sorts of goods and firearms. Much past that there were no reports save the occasional body found who had some relation to the gang. Mikan turned a paper over amusement at a photo of a dead man who had been beaten to such a degree his face was indescribable. Curious as it was, it had seemed like he had been one who had been accused of rape just before his death. Curious, curious.

She glanced at the time on her phone: still fifteen minutes before Hotaru would arrive. She still had time. Flipping through a few more pages, she sipped her coffee in leisure. There were apparently a large quantity of members in Alice, very few were photographed, and many were dead. A blond, eerily (and Mikan suspected eternally) grinning man had been photographed exiting a cafe from just the right perspective that Mikan was able to see two stars tattooed on his collarbone. She raised an eyebrow and mentally catalogued it.

He was the only one who had more than one star. Many others did not have any such markings, save one bald-man had a single star on his hip. She scoffed at the placement. It wasn't like he would show it off at any point, but amazing enough, the photographer apparently had caught the man shirtless. Typical investigators...

She came to a stop nearing the end of a pile where a familiar looking grey-haired boy with sunglasses on looked back at the camera from a photo. He seemed to be wearing a school uniform, judging from the back of a blazer, and he had no expression on his face, but Mikan knew for sure that was who she had seen that night long ago. He was definitely younger in the photo than now. Youichi Hijiri, huh? She smirked. He might get caught by her someday, especially since she knew what he looked like now..

Mikan checked her phone again-five minutes to go!-and flipped to the next page. Her breath caught at the familiar eyes.

Except instead of a shot taken from some private investigator stalking the members, this member had a mug shot taken. Even with such a youthful mug shot and an arrest record, he still managed to make her blood still with his piercing crimson gaze. She knew what he'd look like now, older, more mature, with an adult body instead of an awkward teenager's... She quickly shifted her gaze from his unnerving eyes and attractive face to his profile. Natsume Hyuuga was his name. It gave some dimensions of him but Mikan tried not to think about matching his sign with hers or any stupid girlish crap like that. She was investigating him for business!

She squinted at the arrest record. He was a juvie kid, committing a few counts of vandalism and theft, even stealing a-Mikan snorted-cat from a pet store once and having, apparently, kept the thing for months before anyone could pinpoint him. Other than his record, however, he apparently had no run-ins with the law that were directly related to Alice. A few notes were written in the file regarding suspicions on the relationship but nothing was clear. A recent picture was clipped to the photo, dating just a year and a half ago, and Mikan bit her lip looking at it. He seemed to be leaving a gas station with an unidentified automotive. Nothing out of the ordinary, and Mikan's heart hadn't skipped a beat since she expected his appearance.

However, he did have something peculiar about him.

His head was turned away from the camera, looking elsewhere, and just behind an ear that held a red stud and a cuff a tattoo of an encircled star could be seen. Mikan pulled the photo closer to her, inspecting carefully. Her gut told her that that meant something was definitely important about the man she saw that night and he was dangerous. The odd feeling of a challenge bubbled from her stomach and she felt oddly excited..

Natsume Hyuuga, was it? Mikan smirked to herself, tilting her brown eyes up past the paper to the door that had just opened to reveal her best friend followed by, curiously, a tall blonde-man with striking blue eyes. Her eyes filled with questions as she hurriedly packed up her papers and shoved them into her purse, standing up from the table and beaming a bright smile at Hotaru.

"Hotaru!" She rushed with open arms at her best friend, only to be hit in the head quite strongly with a hard object, presumably her Deer Hoof Glove. Mikan cringed in pain and rubbed furiously at the hoof-shaped mark on her forehead.

"Idiot. What are you doing rushing at me in a coffee shop? Don't embarrass me." Hotaru said, deadpanned, as she took her usual seat, completely neglecting the presence of her suddenly very concerned blond companion who set down the two coffees he'd been carrying onto the table and looked at the crouching brunette.

"Are you alright?!" The blonde asked in great concern, kneeling down to offer a hand to the hurt brunette. She nodded her head, grinning largely at the blonde before turning her eyes to the outstretched hand so she could grip it and stand up. What surprised her, however, was that by looking down, she noticed something peculiar, quite a coincidence really.. But not.

He had three stars distinctly similar to those she'd seen on the photos she'd been perusing through tattooed on the side of his wrist.

Her smile changed significantly, brighter to anyone watching and Hotaru paid her smile no real mind, and Mikan gripped the hand. The man returned her smile with a kind one of his own and pulled her up easily. "It seems like Imai-san is a bit rough with you as well," he remarked cheerfully, and held out his hand once more for a proper handshake. "I'm Ruka Nogi. I assume you must be Mikan?"

Mikan smiled brightly at the blonde before glancing over to Hotaru. Did she know what kind of man was introducing himself to Mikan right now? Star tattoos weren't particularly interesting or rare, but those stars were definitely an exact match. "Yup! That's me! Hotaru didn't mention she'd be bringing anyone with her today, though. Have a seat, please!"

Ruka smiled and settled himself in the third seat as Mikan did the same. "Uh, yes, well it was meant to be a surprise. You see-"

Hotaru spoke above the newspaper she'd began reading, sipping her coffee calmly. "Ruka's my boyfriend, Mikan. We've been dating for a few months now."

Mikan gaped.

How was that for a first chapter? I'm excited! I've never written that much in one go before! I hope you all like it! Please review and let me know what you all think. 3 Who have I mentioned in the story so far? ;D