Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just playing in the sandbox. Hope you guys enjoy it!
"All right, what is it?" Haruka asked without preamble as she was let into the office by a servant that scurried away. "I'm a very busy person, Kaioh-san."
"Ah, of course, of course, thank you for coming, Tenoh-san! I wouldn't have anyone but the best for my dear Michi-chan!"
"Michi...? Your daughter, right?"
"Yes, yes! My poor, sweet Michi-chan has been kidnapped!"
Kaioh Ryujin was an ageing man trying his best to appear otherwise, but as one of the richest, most influential businessman in Japan, no-one was going to tell him that his wig wasn't very convincing. You didn't get to the top without making lots of enemies, and while they might not comment on Kaioh-san's wig, they would kidnap his daughter. They were that sort of people, if you saw fit to call them that. Since Haruka had been called for, 'person' was probably being generous.
"You're sure it's vampires, Kaioh-san?" Haruka asked, just to be sure that she wasn't wasting her time. "You have many rivals. Not all of them are vampires."
"No, no! No-one but a vampire could have spirited away Michi-chan! Her bedroom is on the 49th floor!"
"...that's what you're going on?" she asked, incredulous.
"We have some of the best security systems in Japan, and they show nothing!" the old man wailed. "No signs of a struggle, no fingerprints on the doorknob! And the window was left open in the middle of December! She hates the cold!"
"All right, all right," Haruka sighed, running a hand through wild blonde hair. "Is there anyone in particular you might have annoyed?" she paused. "Or anyone who might like your daughter a bit too much?"
The businessman paled. "Oh, they wouldn't! Oh, my poor Mi-"
"Kaioh-san!" Haruka interrupted sharply. "Think! Don't just sit and cry!"
"I – yes, of course, you're right," he mumbled, embarrassed. "She'd laugh if she could see her father like this."
"So, does anyone come to mind?" Haruka prompted. She really hoped Kaioh-san had some clue. She hated detective work.
"Ah!" Kaioh-san snapped his fingers. "Darkan!"
Haruka groaned. "Tell me you're joking."
"Ah, you see, we invited him and some of his higher-ups to a little gathering last month as part of an outreach, to show that Kaioh Industries is not afraid to welcome vampires who wish to live peacefully with humans."
"That's a nice thought, Kaioh-san, but when vampires say that they want to live peacefully with humans it means they want us to stop defending ourselves against them," Haruka said bitterly. It was the first thing you learned as a Hunter: never, ever trust a vampire. They're lying. They always are.
"It seems that, this time, the Hunters' paranoia was correct." Kaioh-san sighed. "Darkan seemed very taken with Michi-chan at the party. It could have been him."
Could have...? Great. Not a solid lead, but better than nothing. And if Darkan wasn't the culprit, he might like Kaioh Michiru enough to lend his considerable resources – and knowledge of the inner workings of the vampire community – into helping them find her.
"I'll get started, then," Haruka said, turning towards the door, mind aflame with possibilities, the thrill of the hunt racing down her spine and into her blood. She'd been in a bad mood for the past few days since a failed hunt; that had now vanished, replaced by plans and scenarios working themselves out in her head.
"Tenoh-san." Kaioh-san's voice stopped her. "I'm not asking you to kill anyone, only if you must. Please, just bring back my Michi-chan safe and sound."
She nodded, to signal that she's heard. "I'll try, Kaioh-san. I'll try."
-TBC-