Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: I'm currently working on a lot of my old stories, but I decided to break it up with this short little 8,000 word fic. If I wasn't such a slut for reviews, I would have posted it all as one chapter. But there's also a bit a transition gap, so the second part will be posted in a little bit.
This is a heist!AU, filled with noir melodrama and Guren's squad. A lot of Easter eggs from the light novels, but no major spoilers. Enjoy!
The file hit the table with a flat smack. A figure shifted in the shadows, adjusting in the seat to blend better with the darkness. Thin strips of light escaping through the closed blinds cast eerie shadows across his face.
"Do you know what this is?"
The faint rattle of handcuff chains answered the question. An apathetic shrug.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be." The words were lower, sharper. A hissed warning, met with indifferent silence.
Despite his throbbing cheek and the tiny nicks along his wrist from the tight handcuffs, he couldn't resist a smile.
It was all a bit melodramatic for his taste.
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Before anyone could respond, light flooded the dark room as the door swung open. He lifted his stinging eyes, adjusting to the sharp change in environment. After a brief second of furious blinking, he squinted at the silhouette, slouched in the doorway with a hand planted on a hip.
"Wooah, it sure is dark in here! You'll go cross-eyed with all that squinting!"
And with that, the tense atmosphere burst.
He heard the telltale scrabble of fingers skirting along the wall, fumbling for the blinds pull. He narrowed his eyes, waiting for the bright onslaught of light. Within seconds, a faint zwerp of sliding blinds was accompanied by an explosion of yellowed, incandescent light pouring through the lone window. He glanced up slowly, taking stock of his surroundings.
His newest interrogator bodily threw himself into the last chair, skidding across the concrete floor with a metallic screech. Can that one be any louder? He flicked his attention back to his other captor, recognizing him instantly from his trademarked sneer.
Guren Ichinose suppressed a snort. It was only expected that the Hiiragis send the best to interrogate him. He knew of Kureto's ruthlessness through the dark rumor mill, but he could only suspect that his silver haired partner was just as dangerous.
Kureto grimaced, visibly dissatisfied to be torn from the shadows. He turned his sour stare from his partner to Guren, ready to resume the interrogation.
"As I was saying, you are not in a position to act cheeky."
Guren hoisted an amused eyebrow, feeling his bruised cheek smart with the action.
"That's the last thing I want to revisit."
He could only play the silent, stoic role for so long. He paused for a moment, shifting his gaze from a glowering Kureto to his bored partner.
"Though I am a bit curious as to why I'm being interrogated by—well, I assume—two of Hiiragi's favorite dogs." Guren forced a pleasant smile. "Judging by your fancy collars, of course."
Instead of bristling, the silver haired investigator laughed and offered Guren a lighthearted bark.
"Woof. You got us. The glowering one is Kureto and I'm Shinya. Hiiragis, both of us, of course."
The brightness of Guren's smile was knocked down a few notches. He was right. Though lesser known than his older brother, the Hiiragi silver sheep was still a whispered bane of the underworld. He didn't want to dwell on how complicated his situation had become now that both were on his case.
Kureto wrinkled his nose as if smelling something foul. "Don't play coy, Ichinose. We arrested you at the site of a failed heist operation."
"Am I officially under arrest? I don't even know my crime!"
Kureto continued, ignoring Guren's objections. "You are apprehended at Jujo Electronics, where an unidentified van escaped with several thousand dollars' worth of product."
"Yeah, but how do you know I was involved? I could've been going to buy a new laptop when that happened."
"At three in the morning?"
"Okay, so maybe I was out jogging."
"In completely black clothing?"
"Call it agility training."
"Whatcha training for? A low budget heist-slash-super-spy film?"
He could tell Shinya was enjoying their banter. Guren wasn't having nearly as much fun.
Neither was Kureto, apparently.
He interrupted them with another irritated clearing of the throat, sending a glare in Shinya's direction. Guren started to get the feeling that their partnership was not a mutually requested one.
Maybe I can use that to my advantage later.
"We are willing to work with you in order to apprehend your team."
"My team? I really don't know what you're talking about."
Shinya reached across the table and slid the file towards himself. He leaned back while lazily flipping through the various papers.
"Hmm… Lets see… Ichinose, Guren. First arrest was at age 15 for breaking and entering…followed by more Bs and Es." Shinya scanned through the lengthy list, pausing at particularly juicy records.
"Theft of a family heirloom from a Mister Ferid Bathory? Says it had been in the family for centuries." Shinya cocked an eyebrow over the file. "For shame."
"I thought my juvenile record would be sealed."
Kureto offered a humorless bark of laughter before crossing his arms. "Is that so?"
Guren pursed his lips, remembering the frightening influence his investigators held over him. It was only expected that they would dig up any dirt possible.
"With such a lovely juvenile record," Shinya continued, casually thumbing through the rest of Guren's file like it was a second-rate mystery novel, "it's surprising you don't have anything within the past five years."
Guren met Shinya's sharp, unwavering stare with a narrowed gaze of his own.
"I grew out of that phase."
Shinya shook his head with a wistful sigh. "If only I could have gone through my embarrassing high school phases as quickly as that."
"The fact remains that you were a useless punk," Kureto concluded, cutting into their banter again. "Rarely do mutts like you outgrow a past like that so easily. Either you're telling the truth—doubtful—or you've gotten better at covering your tracks."
Guren's tongue lashed against the back of his teeth as he swallowed his venomous retort.
"Alright. So I did a few bad things when I was younger. What does that have to do with whatever this is all about?"
"Several thousand dollars' worth of electronics were stolen from a Jujo factory early this morning. Your getaway van fled before you could escape, leaving you stranded at the scene of the crime." Kureto repeated the story slowly as if he were speaking to a small child.
"I still don't see how you can arrest me without more proof. So far, it sounds like all you have is circumstantial evidence."
"Oops! How could I forget about these? It looks like you didn't catch all of the cameras."
Shinya rustled through the folder before sliding several grainy photographs across the slick table surface. Guren bent over the pictures, drumming his fingers as he studied the blurry faces, one of which he recognized as his own. Guren felt his shoulders slump; he had no witty comeback this time.
Damn. I knew we missed something.
"A security camera from a nearby unit caught you and your teammates in the act," Kureto continued. "The photos were too distorted for running recognition software, but this is where you can help us out."
"They left you behind, so you clearly don't mean much to them." Kureto eyed Guren with thinly veiled satisfaction. "Whoever this team is, they have stolen property from several of the major businesses throughout the city without leaving a trace. Imperial Imports, Goshi Tech, Jujo Electronics—and of all of these, you are the only loose end we've encountered."
"They don't care about what happens to you. No one does. The best thing you can do with your miserable life is sell out their ringleader."
"That's a bit harsh," Guren slouched further in his seat, no longer attempting to deny his involvement. "So, what if I say I have no idea who's behind this, huh?"
"Then I'd say you were lying."
"Then I suppose there isn't much more to say." Guren crossed his wrists, rattling the handcuffs with the action.
Kureto glared at Guren before slipping out of his seat with an annoyed hiss. Guren tilted his head in time to catch Kureto's reflection pacing in the mirrored glass.
"Let me offer you some friendly advice, Guren."
We're on a first name basis now?
"Oh, man. Now you've done it." Shinya kept his gaze locked on his nails as he picked at a cuticle.
"Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day."
"Yeah, yeah. And if you teach him to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime. Horoscope or fortune cookie?"
Kureto's hand clamped firmly down on Guren's shoulder, causing an icy shiver to rattle down his spine. Guren tried to shrug him off, but his grip was too strong.
"Abandon a man to drown and he'll never need to eat again."
"Cheery, huh?" Shinya peeked up at him from under a raised eyebrow. "They won't let him write the company newsletters anymore."
Guren swallowed. He got the message, loud and clear. "I get it. Competition's a bitch. More fish for the other guy."
"So, I'll ask you again. What happened at Jujo Electronics?"
He sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Lemme see the pictures again."
Shinya briefly flipped through the photos, pulling out a few while slipping the others back into the folder. "Here, these are the ones with the best quality. Remember any names?"
Guren tapped one of the blurry faces twice. "This guy—he was in charge of blowing out the security cameras. His name is Norito. Sucked at his job."
"Does this Norito have a last name? An address?"
Guren had to bite back the sarcastic laugh. "Of course I have his address—he sends me a Christmas letter each year. Let me grab my underworld address book out of my bag." Guren shook his head and reached for another photo. "This one was… I think her name was Milo…? No, Mito. She's the reason I fell off the van."
"You were pushed off?"
"Not quite." A corner of Guren's lip flicked up, pulling against the deep purple and green bruise along his cheek. "She packs a hell of a punch."
"Why did she punch you?"
"Probably like you said—to get rid of competition."
"And her?"
"Oh, right. The last one. Sayuri something. I didn't see her much. Didn't even know she was on last night's job." Guren crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Like I said earlier, they picked me up a few weeks ago. I've only worked a couple of nights, since apparently one of their own was unavailable. They didn't tell me much. I didn't even know we were going after Jujos until we pulled up."
Kureto made a disappointed sound in the back of his throat. "As I suspected, you were there for cheap muscle. Who knows if these are even their real names?"
Guren shrugged, unperturbed by the thought. "Technically I told you what I know. Now about that reduc—"
Kureto scoffed as his slid out from behind his chair. "First I'm going to run their names through our system. If for some miraculous reason, we get a hit, then we'll talk again."
"Hey! I held up my pa—" Guren tried to interrupt, but Kureto silenced him with a wave and a hard stare.
"Come on, Shinya. Let's go."
"Ehh? Oh, sure. Stay put, Ichinose!" Shinya waggled friendly fingers at Guren before following Kureto to the door. "I'll leave the photos to keep you company. Who knows? You might remember something." Shinya offered a wink before slipping through the door.
As the door's lock mechanism bolted shut, Guren sagged on the table, sighing as he rested his chin on his folded hands.
It had been a long day.
Twelve Hours Earlier.
"Oi! Hurry it up, will you?"
"Just because I didn't slack at the beginning doesn't mean you ca—"
"Are you two trying to wake up the entire city?"
Mito squeaked and Norito managed a sloppy salute as their leader approached them. Brushing the dust off her hands, Sayuri gave a nervous hop and hurried back towards her group when she noticed the others had gathered for an impromptu meeting.
"Ahh, yeah… My bad."
"Sorry, Guren…"
Guren pinched his nose and exhaled through his mouth. "It doesn't matter. Just…try to get one more load in the van before we move to the next stage."
Mito nodded vigorously, her red hair bouncing with the action. She turned to hurry back towards the pallets, but a humming sound in the back of Norito's throat caused her to hesitate.
"Yo, Guren. Are you sure about this? I mean, what if we got the information wrong this time?" Mito drifted towards the group, drawn back by the uncertainty in Norito's words.
"This is more dangerous than anything we've done before. I don't think we should risk the others. Shigure is—"
Sayuri straightened up and shot Mito a side-eyed glare. "If…if Guren says it's safe, then it's safe!" Her resolve wavered and she peeked back at Guren sheepishly. "Uhm, right, Guren? It'll be okay, won't it?"
"Right." Guren nodded, offering his skeptical team a blinding smile. When they didn't seem convinced, he shrugged and returned to his current task, loading up pallets of stolen Jujo technology. He wasn't one for inspirational speeches. The others returned to their own work, but Mito trailed after him, sending out rapid-fire concerns.
"I still don't think this is a good idea."
"..."
"Why are we going after the first families?"
"You know why. It's the best way to get noticed."
"Yeah, but do I really have to—"
"Yes."
Mito puckered her lips together, displeased by the unfolding of events. However, she remained silent as she carted more of her family's stolen property to their van. Guren watched her for a moment before turning to surveil the dimly lit warehouse. He eyed the security cameras warily, watching for the faint red pulse of light. When the light didn't appear, the camera's glassy lens remaining dark, Guren allowed himself a small smile.
Looks like that idiot finally figured out how to disable the cameras. During a previous raid, Norito had forgotten to shut down the emergency backup generator, causing the cameras to blip back to life only moments before they finished. A well-placed swing of the crowbar fixed the recording problem, but prematurely alerted the authorities to their actions.
"Are you sure you got all of the cameras?' Guren decided it couldn't hurt to be thorough.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm positive this time."
Guren shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets as he sauntered back towards the van. This would be their biggest job yet. Everything had to be perfect.
"D'you think we should go back for—"
"I think we got as much as we could," Guren interrupted, scanning over the boxes stacked precariously in the pack of the van. "We shouldn't stick around much longer. According to the intel we got, the next patrol is due soon."
The others agreed with quick nods. Guren could tell that their adrenaline from a successful start was fading into apprehension.
"Let's head out," Guren repeated, yanking open the back door to the van. Mito and Sayuri piled in as Norito jumped into the driver's seat. In the distance, the faint howl of sirens echoed in the distance. Guren whipped his head around, trying to pick up where the sound was coming from.
"Start the van!" Norito jerked his wrist and the engine sputtered to life. He fumbled with the gear shift and pressed down on the gas. The van lurched forward and stopped with a screech. Guren winced as their boxes of stolen goods tipped forward with ominous crunches.
"Oops, still getting used to th—"
"Get moving!"
"Wait, Gure—"
As Norito brought the van to a gradual roll, Guren raced beside the vehicle, keeping pace with it as best he could.
Clutching onto a spare seatbelt, Sayuri leaned out of the back of the van, holding out a hand for Guren to grab. With a grunt, Guren lunged forward, nearly tugging her out of the van before Mito yanked her back. He clambered into the van, panting as he pulled himself into a cross-legged sitting position.
When he looked back at his team, they refused to meet his gaze. Norito flipped the rearview mirror down, reflecting the gear shift instead of his sleepy eyes. Sayuri had jumped over the divider and slid into the passenger seat, staring wide-eyed out the window.
Oh. Right.
"I'm sorry, Guren." Mito almost looked like she meant it as she pulled her fist back. "I didn't want to do this."
Guren braced himself for the inevitable impact, squeezing his eyes in time for Mito's knuckles to plunge into his cheekbone. Guren's rubber soles grated against the van's floorboards as he bodily tipped over from the attack. He tumbled out of the open door, freefalling for a few terrifying seconds in the cool breeze caused by the slow-moving vehicle. He landed hard on his back and rolled a few feet, tucking his aching elbows closer as they scraped against the pavement.
"Shit…" he groaned, pulling himself onto his knees once his vision stopped tipping. He squinted at the flash of taillights as his chance at escaping pulled away with a screech of tires against pavement. He spat out blood, either caused by Mito's punch or his fall, and gingerly prodded at his jaw, making sure nothing else was broken.
In the near distance, the sound of sirens grew louder. Moments later, red lights flared against the warehouse windows and threw shadows across Guren's pinched expression.
Tires over gravel crunched as several police vehicles pulled up to the lot, encircling Guren like eager sharks. Guren raised his arm to block out the blinding glare from the headlights of the police car that skidded to stop, the grill a mere meter from his bleeding nose. An officer stepped out of the driver's seat, running a hand through his dark, non-protocol mohawk as he leered at Guren.
"What do we got here? Looks like someone let their stray mutt off its leash."
Shit…
Part Two will be up in a few days! Thanks for reading!