Somewhere in time...

The young boy runs through the jungle, screaming incoherently as he allows branches to whip past him, cut into his face. Tears form a stream to mark his passage. The ominous music of artillery is pierced by the irregular drumbeat of explosions as fire licks the air, a deathly pall hovering over the mountain village. That of course doesn't cover the acid stench, the sharp whiff of cordite mixed with the nauseating scent of burning flesh.

His foot catches an exposed root as he falls flat on his face, mud staining him from head to toe. He gags on the foul mixture as he struggles to his feet, his ears detecting excited chatter in Spanish howling at his feet. Turning wide-eyed, he sees dark demons charge his way, weapons blinking as shells snap past his face. Fear stealing his voice, he scrambles back up to run away.

"There he is!" one barks, pointing. "Get him!"

The boy turns...and rams into a thick tree! Collapsing, he scrambles up, do anything to escape. The soldiers are nearly on him when a dark shadow suddenly emerges from the forest, a machine gun levelling on the boy's pursuers. A rain of shells later, the soldiers drop, the comic surprise of being bushwhacked by one of their own the last thing to cross their minds in this life.

The boy shudders as the large man who saved his life steps out of the bush. Built like a tank, his bald head glistening with sweat and reflected sunlight, his eyes are masked by dark shooter's glasses as he shoulders his weapon, gazing at the child before him. "You're Japanese," he muses, then turns, his ears detecting the sounds of rebel soldiers rushing to investigate what happened. Gazing at the boy, a smile twitches his lips. "See you, kid."

He disappears. The boy watches him, then blinks as his hazed vision masks the dark jungle around him, revealing an alien countryside in bright light, beautiful farms in neat lots dotting the landscape. In the middle of the field ran a pretty girl his age, with raven hair and dark blue eyes, dressed in a restrictive sort of gown with a wide belt. She was laughing, clearly having a fun time. That made the boy cry more.

Suddenly, she stops, her head turning to gaze his way. Eyes widen in surprise, then she walks toward him. Neither children notice or really care that both are in vastly different places fifteen thousand kilometres apart. Kneeling, she gazes into his bleary eyes. "What's wrong?" she wonders.

He gazes at her, feeling a wonderful warmth filling every part of his being. "M-my parents...m-my parents...!" he burbles, then wails, his strength sending him into the girl's embrace.

"Are your parents hurt?" she asks.

"Th-they're d-dead..."

The girl sniffs, her own tears flowing in sympathy to his plight. "What's your name?"

He gazes at her. "Ryou...Ryou Saeba."

Surprise responds. "I'm Kiyomi Saeba. My friends call me Ren. I guess we're brother and sister!"

Ryou blinks in surprise, then smiles. "Okay!!"

* * *

"Cityhunter - Grand Finale"

by Fred Herriot

fherriot@yahoo.com

**** **** ****

Parts 1-3 edited by E.B. Kushnir

**** **** ****

Based on "Cityhunter," created by Tsukasa Hojo

**** **** ****

WRITER'S NOTES:

1) Surprising given its popularity in Asia on the backs of two live-action films, "Cityhunter" has had little exposure in anime fandom elsewhere outside the irregular dubbing of TV and OVA episodes. "Cityhunter" was one of the first series I learned of when I became an otaku; when I was a member of Endless Road APA, I wrote two small fanfics. This story, a "wrap it up" theme that could lead into a new fanfic series, has been preying on my mind for some time, so while I'm suffering writer's block with other stuff, I'll get it written.

2) This story couldn't be possible without the assistance of the Jump Gold Selection #6 Anime Special "TV Animation Perfect Mook" on Cityhunter, released in October 1994. Copies in Korea cost 10,000 won if anyone's interested while I'm still here.

3) I created Kiyomi "Ren" Saeba to answer a nagging question I have about Ryou. If he did lose his parents at a young age and was raised in Latin America, his first language would be Spanish, not Japanese (though if Hojo-sensei set this in Peru or another country with a nisei population, that'd explain it). I know the empathic link between twins hasn't been properly explained scientifically, so I might be stretching it here. Then again, I might not. ^_^

4) This story is set anytime after the last Cityhunter OVA. I put Ryou's and Ren's age at 30, making Kaori about 25. Umibozu would then be in his mid-forties.

5) Certain people's given names, like Saeko's father, are made by myself since my "Cityhunter" references don't list names for them.

6) Ren's cats: Miki's name means "beautiful tree." R.N., atop being Reika's initials and the name of her agency, also represents a registered nurse. Black Rose comes from Kasumi's quest. "Cedar" is the first part of Kaori's family name. Sharon is from "the Rose of Sharon," the English name for a chrysanthemum. The Bruce is the nickname of the most famous Robert in history: King Robert of Scotland (see "Braveheart"). Wanderer comes from Sara being a missing child. Rose is part of Bloody Mary's real name, Rosemary. Dancer is from Maiko's career as a cabaret girl and Dreamer is Sonia's reflecting on her past with her father and Ryou.

**** **** ****

PART ONE - RYOU'S LAST SECRET

"Geez, what happened here?! World War Three?!!"

Saeko Nogami shudders, gazing at the sea of destruction before her, a sea which an hour before was a promising waterfront high- rise. Police and fire rescue personnel were everywhere, collecting bodies as they tried to piece the mess together. The inspector knew better. The New Harbour Centre was financed by a union of Yakuza with various drug cartels of South America looking for a way to launder their ill-gotten gains. Atop that, they had connections with terrorists operating throughout Asia, which meant this might become a transit point for weapons. Given the sometimes cordial relationship between law enforcement and "civilized" gangs, it was easy to predict the police would turn a blind eye to the Centre as long as civil order wasn't disturbed. Saeko was galled when she heard, so she decided it was time for a little civil disturbance.

Enter from stage left: Ryou Saeba.

Breathing in, she feigns innocence as a sergeant comes up. "Ma'am, we just broke into the basement of the Centre. Gods, it's like an armoury down there! What was going on here?!"

"That's what I need you to find out, Sergeant," Saeko sweetly smiles, turning on the charm she had oft used to bluff her way past her male colleagues to get things done.

"Yes, ma'am," he nods, then heads off.

Another approaches a moment later. "Ma'am, we found this in what's left of the casino," he offers her an evidence bag.

Saeko blinks, a chill locking her in place as she gazes at the revolver, blood splattered over it. A Colt Python .357 Magnum with an four-inch barrel. No fancy sights on it, but she knew who owned this particular piece. No, no, it wasn't possible...

* * *

The man staggers through the dark alleyway, feeling the mother of all headaches as he makes his way from dockside. Blood covers his forehead, a gash nearly hidden by a lock of black hair. His clothes...red shirt, black slacks and grey blazer...were splattered with blood. An empty pistol holster was tucked under his shoulder. No other injuries...except possible amnesia, the man had concluded.

Once in the field of low light from a nearby street lamp, he sits down. His body seemed one giant ache from head to toe, his heart hammering from intense exertion. Exertion from what? Why couldn't he remember? Taking a deep breath, he gazes at his hands. Callouses covered the fingers and knuckles. Policeman, maybe? If so, where was his badge? In fact, where was any identification?

Standing, he rifles his pockets. He wasn't in so much pain that nausea or vertigo didn't drop him; besides, he needed answers. His hands then fall on a small card in his pants pocket. Pulling it up, he squints. "'Ki-yo-mi Sa-e-ba,'" he reads, then blinks. At least he knew Kiyomi was a girl's name, so that couldn't be him.

He then notes the address. Fukushima. Rifling his other pockets, he smiles on finding a change purse with bills. Good, at least he had train fare, plus meals. Thank the gods he didn't forget things like that. Maybe when he got somewhere to clean up, he'd start remembering the rest...like who he was.

With that, he heads off to find a subway station, recognizing the southern districts of Tokyo. Maybe Kiyomi could help him...

* * *

"...explosions at the New Harbour Centre in Kawasaki attracted police and fire brigades to discover a large cache of illegal weapons and drugs, indicative that the building, long suspected of being a legal front for criminal activities, was a trans-shipment point for weapons smuggling. So far, no one has been able to determine what caused the explosions..."

Umibozu morbidly laughs as he wipes the counter, periodically gazing at the scenes of destruction. Looks like Ryou had loads of fun tonight. Pity he wasn't cut in on the action; he wouldn't've minded the exercise. Still, Miki had wanted to do some shopping, so someone had to watch over the Cat's Eye. Probably soon, Ryou would pop in for a coffee and spill what happened, then saunter off to his usual haunts to debrief himself, cool off.

Surprise then crosses his face as Saeko's car stops in front of the cafe, the inspector stepping out and striding to the door. A plastic bag with a revolver was in her hand. Ryou's Python. A chill races through his spine as she nearly bashes the door down, the look in her eyes telling him plenty.

"What happened?"

Saeko sighs, slumping on a stool. Silence falls as she tries to gather her thoughts, then she gazes at him. "I may have sent him to die, Umibozu."

"Ryou?!" the giant warrior humphs, then sighs. "Maybe."

"You don't seem to care," Saeko glares at him.

"You've never cared," he counters, a warning stare peeking out from beside his dark lenses.

Saeko winces, the hit diving deep into her heart as another wash of guilt roars up her spine. Oh, yes, he was right. Saeko had, when things required the deft touch of the man many called Cityhunter, played Ryou like a harp, promising numerous sexual favours in return for his well-honed skills and his willingness to brush the limits of the law to get things done.

Before tonight, she didn't care how he really felt about their game. After all, Ryou was someone who rarely demonstrated his real feelings to those he knew, even Kaori. Saeko's callousness irked Umibozu at times; even he, someone who after a lifetime of warfare, was still fumble-fingered around women, was caught by the inspector on occasion to do a favour or two. After the Bay City thing, Umibozu resolved to keep Saeko at arm's length. Ryou obviously didn't care when Saeko had come to him for tonight's job, allowing his emotions and libido to drive him...possibly to his death.

"You're right."

"Eh?" he looks at her.

"I never cared."

The inspector was trembling, her dispassionate mask cracking at the seams as tears flow down her cheeks. Sighing, he walks over to get some coffee, then hands it to her. "Saeko, let me tell you something. Ryou is a strange guy at times, but if you came to him because it was important, then deep down, he'd know how important it is and he'd do the job. He knows the risks. We all do in this trade. He knows that one day, he might not be lucky. He doesn't let that get him down. He may not speak it, but his actions do the talking. He cares a lot for people, even you."

"You think he's alive?" Saeko gazes at him, surprised that she had heard so much from the normally stoic warrior at one time.

"Maybe," Umibozu nods. "He's been through too much to let the characters running that place beat him. He may be hurt; I'll sweep the place when things cool off. But he knows how to survive when he's hurt. He's done it before, loads of times."

Saeko blinks, then nods, sipping her coffee. The door then bangs open, revealing a very upset Kaori, 44 tonne hammer at the ready. "RYOU!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!"

She stops on seeing Saeko, then blinks, her eyes quickly noting the bag with the revolver. Umibozu sighs, then makes another cup. "Sit down, Kaori," he stares sympathetically at her. "There's something you better know..."

* * *

Feet pace one after the other as the woman makes her way through the bustling Shinjuku depot. Black T-shirt, black slacks and a grey blazer, the curves of her body very apparent. A .357 Desert Eagle was tucked under one arm. The cut of the blazer masked the pistol's presence; she had it made by a tailor who once worked for the police preparing clothes for undercover work.

The woman was a curious mix of fashion model and tomboy, her hair cut in a taper to her neck, unruly combed over her forehead in spiky bangs. She was quite tall, able to look most men in the eyes. Passers by stare at her, then cower away, unsure as to how to take this strange vision in their midst.

Making her way to the rows of lockers at one end, she stops before one fitted with a combination lock, a locker rented on a long-term basis to people who frequent the station. Spinning the dial, she opens the locker to find several folders located inside. Opening them, she confirms the contents, then heads off to get her bags, a porter waiting beside them. A sad smile cuts across her beautiful face as she tips him, directing her bags to a taxi.

Finally, she would know the truth...

* * *

"It's not possible!!"

Umibozu sighs, gazing at an ashen-faced Kaori as Miki cooks breakfast. After a restless night, she had come straight to Cat's Eye to get an update from Saeko. The inspector had quietly told various people on the street to keep an eye out for Ryou in case he was in the area of the New Harbour Centre. She was now at work getting updates. Saeko's father had no idea what she had done; he was presently being grilled by the Interior Minister for allowing weapons smuggling to go on right under the police's noses.

"Relax, Kaori," Miki squeezes her friend's hand. "Ryou's been through a lot worse than this. Besides, think of how many people he could've saved from the weapons in that place. Reports on the news said there was enough stuff to equip an infantry battalion."

"Y-yeah, that's true," Kaori nods, gazing at her untouched coffee. "Hey, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, huh."

"That's the spirit!" Miki nods, then turns on the television. "Well, let's see what's on the..."

Her voice catches as Ryou's image flashes on the screen, a commentator making his report. "...attack at the New Harbour Centre was reportedly perpetrated by Ryou Saeba, age unknown, a trader in Shinjuku many suspect is the mysterious yet legendary street mercenary known as Cityhunter..."

Silence shrouds the Cat's Eye...

* * *

"How did they get the tapes?!!" Saeko barks.

The sergeants before her tremble under the inspector's lethal gaze. Saeko paces before them like a hungry panther. "Will one of you *gentlemen* care to explain to me how security at the place was so lax that the media got hold of this?!" she hisses.

The door opens. "I can explain that."

"Father!" Saeko blinks as Commissioner Satoru Nogami walks in.

"You gentlemen are dismissed," the commissioner waves them out, then stares neutrally at his eldest daughter.

Saeko trembles, apprehension and cold rage fighting for control of her heart. "What's going on?"

"I had those tapes released," the commissioner mirthlessly smiles. "After all, certain individuals were quite put off by what happened last night."

"Why?!" her voice is ashes.

He sighs. "The gangs were making a considerable amount of money from their operations at the New Harbour Centre. The loss of the Centre and the trust of the people who used it hurt them badly. They would naturally see fit to allow their clients to vent their rage at the loss of that particular venue...so to avert any ugly incidents, it was decided to feed them a bone."

Saeko shudders, not wanting to believe this. Ryou was being made the fall guy for doing something that helped thousands of potential victims. "Do you have any concept of what could've happened if those guns weren't stopped?" she demands.

"I've no illusions on that," her father replies. "I have no illusions that Saeba did a good thing. As much that I abhorred his methods, not to mention your working relationship with him, he had his uses in keeping things calm. But the elements involved at the New Harbour Centre were just too big to take down all at once."

"What makes you think that?!" she slams her hands on the table, fighting the urge to slap him for stabbing her in the back like this. "What makes you think that it's alright to allow those animals to run loose, killing people, disrupting lives...?!"

"And Saeba didn't?!!" he snaps. "This is NOT America, Saeko!! I know where he trained, where he made his mark!! I know his past all too well!! He sometimes acts like this was New York! This is Tokyo!! We do things different here!" Taking a breath, he stares at her. "Since Saeba has no living relatives and since he can be now presumed dead, the gangs will not do anything to 'avenge' what happened last night on innocent people!! This is straight from the Interior Minister, Saeko! Cityhunter...is dead!!"

Saeko blinks, the coldness of his announcement ringing through her mind like a Buddhist's bell. "We don't know that..."

"If he's alive, then the gangs will no doubt wish to chat with him over what he did," the commissioner turns to leave. "IF he's alive. I'm protecting you as well. If someone found out it was you that sent Saeba out, Saeko, your life won't be worth anything. Think about it, child."

The door closes behind him. Saeko shudders, then sinks into her chair, covering her eyes...

* * *

"How could they do that to him?"

Kaori stares at Saeko, white-faced over what the inspector had revealed later. "I don't know," Saeko tries desperately not to cry, then sips her coffee. "In a way, I understand. I got a look at some of those weapons, then heard about some of the groups that were using that place. These people make the Japanese Red Army look like wet-nosed kids."

"Real bad?" Umibozu hums.

Saeko nods ruefully. "With the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of communism, a lot of pent-up hate is being unleashed around the world. People who've been supplied by Moscow for years lost their bankroll overnight. And these are people who've fought for so long, they've lost track of what they're fighting for, have come to like fighting and killing.

"Atop that, you've got the economic slump in Japan and the currency problems elsewhere in Asia. A lot of people are going to be out of work in the next while. What do they eat? Where do they live? Crime becomes a big attraction to them; it's quick, easy money. The best of them will enter gangs.

"Many of them, even the Yakuza, are switching to drug trading, forming links with the cartels in South America. They say a lot of people get into selling drugs because the demand is so high and the returns astronomical. That's money, money terrorists will be attracted to. Put it all together and it's one giant powderkeg ready to go off at a moment's notice."

Everyone runs the scenario through their minds. "So until someone finds a way to diffuse those terrorists AND reinvigorate the economy to get people back to work...people have to keep a sharp eye out for things like the New Harbour Centre," Miki muses.

"Exactly," Saeko nods, her hands waving around. "What's worse, the idiots in the Internal Ministry aren't looking at the bigger picture. All they care about is keeping the peace..."

"Protecting their asses, you mean," Umibozu cuts in.

"Got that right!" Saeko hisses. "If they're not stirring the pot, they think the gangs won't do a thing. That's bullshit!" she spits out, causing everyone to blink; profanity was not Saeko's usual way of expressing herself. "We would've been dealing with those guns and the thugs who use them sooner or later!"

Grim nods respond as the door opens, the door chime pealing. Eyes turn to see Saeko's sister Reika walk in. "Coffee, please," she calls out, then slumps into a chair beside Kaori.

"Any sign of him?" Umibozu wonders.

"Nada. Not a lick," Reika sips the brew placed before her. "It's like he vanished from the face of the planet...or..."

"Don't say that!!" Kaori snaps...

* * *

The man watches the beautiful countryside pass by, having left Tokyo two hours before after a trip to a public bath to tend to his wounds, a laundromat to wash his clothes and a pharmacy to get pain killers and bandages. He ditched the holster; he saw no reason to hang onto it since he had no weapon. He knew he was a good shot with any weapon. How he learned it was a mystery. Shaking his head, he relaxes. It would be a couple hours to Fukushima.

His eyes then notice an elderly woman gazing at him. "A problem, Obaa-sama?" he wonders.

She smiles. "You did good work last night, Saeba-san. Those thugs you fought were so awful; I don't believe a word they said about you on television."

He blinks. "Excuse me...you know me?"

Concern replies. "Is there something wrong?"

"I...I seem to have got a bout of amnesia," he embarrassingly laughs, shrugging sheepishly, then points to his forehead.

"Ah!" she nods. "Well, in your line of work, I'm not so surprised. Here," she hands him a paper.

He blinks, staring at himself. Ryou Saeba. So that was his name. Was Kiyomi a relative? Sweeper? A hired mercenary who also worked as a bodyguard, special operative and private investigator all in one. A special problem solver. So that's who and what he was! Cityhunter...his street name. "Thank you," he nods, then plunges into the article to finally get some answers.

"Where are you going?" the woman wonders.

"Fukushima," he replies. "There's someone I've got to meet. Someone...I hope could help me remember a few things."

She nods. "Be careful, Saeba-san. Those people you fought weren't the least bit nice. Your friends could be hurt if they find out you're still alive since the police think you're dead."

Ryou blinks, then grimly nods. "Then it's best that I disappear for a while."

* * *

"I'd like these filed right away, please."

The clerk at the Shinjuku District Chamber of Commerce blinks, then stares at the forms. Standard change of business ownership forms for a private firm. Saeba Enterprises. Change of ownership from Ryou Saeba, president and founder, to his sister Kiyomi "Ren" Saeba. He blinks as the news reports he saw earlier come back to him. "You're Cityhunter's sister?"

"The same," Ren nods; she had seen those reports. Of course, the part about Ryou being dead was a lie. She would've sensed it. He was alive though she was having problem trying to detect him even after meditating. Something was wrong, but after checking out the locker, she knew he got her card with her parents' address. If he was in trouble, he knew he had support.

He smiles, sympathy in his eyes. "I heard about what happened to him on the news. Personally," he looks around, then lowers his voice, "...the idiots in the government're being assholes over this whole thing. I hope he's okay."

"He'll be fine. He survived fighting in South America and the streets of New York and Los Angeles. Tokyo is much easier."

The clerk nods, then stares at the forms. Signed three days before. "I'll have these filed right away, Miss Saeba."

"Thank you," Ren nods. "Could you direct me to the district property office, please? I have the forms right here," she taps the other folder in her hand.

"It's three doors down," he nods down the hallway, then writes a name on a card before handing it to her. "See this person. I'll tell her you're coming to see her."

"Thank you," Ren nods, then leaves...

* * *

Kaori blinks, surprised to see the news media camped in front of hers and Ryou's apartment building. As soon as she emerges from the mini, the reporters rush toward her...then back off the instant Umibozu steps out of the Jeep that followed Kaori home. "Are you Cityhunter's partner?!!" a dozen yell out at once as Kaori is blinded by multiple flashlights.

Umibozu falls in behind her as she stops before the reporters, trembling under the eyes of the world. Taking a deep breath, she stares at them. "I'll...yes, I'm Ryou's partner."

"Why did he attack the New Harbour Centre?" a reporter asks.

"Who informed him about the weapons there?" another wonders.

"What was his beef against the drug cartels?!" a third asks.

Kaori shudders as the questions keep coming...

* * *

"Sign here please."

Ren fixes her signature to the document transferring control of Ryou's apartment building to her, the transfer arranged three days before. The clerk for the district office, a pretty young woman, smiles at her. "Is that it?" Ren wonders.

"Yes, Miss Saeba," the clerk nods, then sighs. "You know, your brother is a good man. He killed that roadside assassin that stalked young women here some years ago. He might've been a hentai at times, but people appreciated him for things like that."

"He has his moments," Ren files everything into her briefcase, then bows. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the clerk nods...

* * *

"That's enough!"

A growling cough escapes Umibozu as the reporters realize Kaori had a friend who didn't like them hassling her. "She isn't Princess Diana," the large warrior grumbles. "Can't you see she's been badly shaken up by what happened?! Leave her alone!"

"Hey, pal, we're doing our jobs here!" a reporter protests...

...then his voice drops to a squeak as Umibozu leans down at him. "Then do them elsewhere," he snarls.

A car is heard. Eyes turn as a beautiful red Mazda drives into the parking lot beside the mini. The door opens, the driver disembarking in what seems like slow motion as hauntingly familiar features become apparent. Kaori's jaw drops in disbelief as Ren closes the door, then walks up to her. Yes, this was a woman...but the similarities in height, eyes, hair and facial features...all that was so much like Ryou...

This was Ryou's...sister?!

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," Ren's face is neutral as she gazes at the reporters. "May I ask what you're all doing on my property harassing my houseguest?"

Kaori blinks. "This is Cityhunter's home, lady," one of the reporters snaps as a photographer moved to snap a picture.

Ren's hand is a blur as the Desert Eagle fills her palm, the barrel snapping out. Several shots later, shattered cameras fall to the ground, the photographers howling in pain from shards of glass and shattered plastic, the reporters backing away from the woman. "You are on my property without a reason. I don't see a badge on any of you, so you're not police officers. Now, do I ask you to leave or do I call the police or ask my friend here," she nods towards Umibozu, "...to *escort* you off the property?"

Taking the not-so-subtle hint, the reporters quickly withdraw to their waiting vehicles. Ren holsters her weapon, then stares at them. "By the way, if you're so interested as to how Cityhunter found out about the New Harbour Centre, why don't you ask the police? They're the ones who released the information about his involvement in the first place. Ever think they were using you?"

Surprised in the eyes of several of the newshounds tell Ren that her words had hit the mark. With that, they disappear. Ren heads inside. Kaori and Umibozu remain in place, staring at the stranger who seemed more a twin to Ryou than just in looks. The former turns to the latter. "Umibozu-san...who is she?"

The giant sighs, then stares at her. "You're about to learn Ryou's last secret, Kaori. C'mon, let's go inside."

* * *

"Fukushima! Fukushima station..."

Ryou sighs as he disembarks the train, gazing around. He nods thanks to the elderly woman who had given him her paper, then heads for the exits. Along the way, he attracts the attention of two cops munching down some ramen in a kiosk by the door. "Hey, Sarge, look who it is!" the young rookie points.

The sergeant looks over, then blinks. "I'll be damned. What's he doing up here?"

"Shouldn't we be doing something?"

The older officer hums. He personally thought the whole idea of dropping the onus for the New Harbour Centre raid on a man whose reputation as a problem solver, a helper of innocents, was pretty solid even with the police, was way out of line even for the idiots in the Interior Ministry. He then notices the bandages on Ryou's forehead. Sighing, he stares at his partner. "We have no orders to arrest him or send him back to Tokyo. Haven't you ever heard about harassing civilians without justification?"

The rookie blinks, then watches Ryou get into a taxi. "Yeah, I know he did a good thing, but what happens when the jerks he went after find out he's here?"

"We watch him," the sergeant replies. "We go back to the station, tell the lieutenant VERBALLY that Cityhunter's in town, possibly wounded and looking for a place to relax and heal, then we find out where he's staying and keep an eye on the place...and we keep it quiet," he adds before turning back to his ramen. "If those dorks in the Ministry wanna keep coddling the druggies to keep the peace, then we play along...in our own way. Besides, your ramen's getting cold; you better finish it up."

"Right!" the rookie turns to his bowl...

* * *

"Here you go, Saeba-san," the driver smiles.

Ryou blinks, gazing at the beautiful single-family dwelling some kilometres outside of Fukushima. A nameboard emblazoned SAEBA is fixed to the gate. A well-tenured farm. "Are you sure this is the place?" he stares at the hack.

"What the card said," the driver nods, then stares at the house. "I know of these people. Good family. They got a daughter who looks a lot like you. Relatives of yours?"

"I wish I knew," Ryou smiles apologetically, then hands him the fare before stepping outside. "Thanks."

"Anytime," the driver nods as he pulls away. Gazing at the tall man as he heads toward the house, the hack bites his lips. Personally, drug dealers scared him; he had two kids in public school and had heard of the stories of drug dealers making their way into schools in America. If that came here...!

Shaking his head, he moves to grab his CB mike, then pauses. Would someone be monitoring the frequency, someone who didn't mind trying to cash information in for money? Biting his lips, he sighs. He had a friend who was a cop, a sergeant with some years experience on the streets. He'd visit him later and pass the news on, hopefully somewhere where there weren't prying ears...

* * *

"So, you really do exist."

Ren gazes around the living room, then smiles at Umibozu, who had placed himself in a chair. Kaori took another chair, staring apprehensively at the beautiful woman with them, scarcely believing that Ryou Saeba, the original orphan of war, had a living relative. Yet the documents Ren had placed before her confirmed it...and gave Kaori a new boss. "Yeah, Umi-chan, I exist," Ren nods, relaxing in a love seat next to her brother's friend/rival. "How do you want to go by? Umibozu, Falcon or Hayato?"

"Whatever way you want," the larger warrior shrugs.

"Okay, Hayato-kun," Ren nods, then sighs. "Gods, twenty years since I finally learned about Ryou-chan and I'm here at last with no idea where he is or how to find him."

"Chasing those newsies off by siccing them on the police won't work for long," Kaori warns. "They'll want to know who you are, especially since you shot their cameras apart. Reporters don't like being harassed by people they're interested in."

"Reporters don't like being rolled," Ren grins savagely. "If they get curious, I'll drop them a further hint, pointing them right at old man Nogami. That should teach the asshole not to stab people in the back if nothing else will."

"How do you know all this?" Kaori blinks.

"I'm his twin sister; I was born six minutes before him," Ren shrugs. "I've been able to sense my brother since we were ten. Thoughts, experiences, things like that."

Kaori blinks. "Then...he's known you for just as long..." she then turns to Umibozu. "When did you find out?"

"There are three people who know Ryou who've also known about Ren. You have to understand, Ryou didn't know if she existed or not, much like she didn't know he existed...until recently, which explains why she's here. If he told you, would you've believed him? At most, Ren could've been the product of a very overworked imagination...or something clinically worse."

"I guess so," Kaori bites her lips. "So who else knows?"

"Kenny Field and Bloody Mary."

Kaori feels a twinge of sorrow arc through her. Two people, one dead, who knew more of Ryou's shady past than she ever did, something that annoyed her to no end at times. Still, if Ryou didn't have solid proof about Ren, keeping quiet seemed prudent. "So what made you come down here?" she gazes at her.

"When Saeko-chan came to him with the New Harbour Centre job, he did an initial reconnaissance of the place and got an idea how tough a nut it was to crack," Ren sighs. "Personally, Hayato-kun, not bringing you into it was dumb. So, when I sensed what he was up against, I offered to take over in case...the worst happened."

"But you don't think that, right?"

"No, I didn't sense him die," Ren nods, the assurance in her eyes making Kaori feel much easier. "So my first priority is to find him, see if he's alright, then we'll finish the job."

"I'm ready!" Kaori braces herself.

Ren *glares* at her. "You have a choice in this matter, Makimura-san," her voice turns frosty. "Since I am now the owner of this company and this building, you're now working for me. You can continue to do so or you can leave."

She reaches into her bag, handing Kaori a bankbook. "This is an account Ryou-chan kept on your behalf for emergencies like this. There's fifty million yen there now. If you wish to go, you'll have money to get into university and start your own career."

Kaori's jaw drops in shock on seeing the record of deposits, which ran back several years, since the time they began working together. Not a single withdrawal and the account was a savings account with high interest. "My brother never spent *all* his time drinking the earnings from his jobs," Ren muses. "If you wish to stay, understand *I'm* the boss now until Ryou-chan gets back."

"I'll stay," Kaori hands the book back. "Ryou's my partner. I'm not abandoning him now."

A *look* drills into her, causing Kaori to perspire heavily. "You got a lot of gall saying you're Ryou-chan's partner since you're nowhere near trained to be a proper sweeper," Ren hums. "If you want to be his partner, you better brush up on a lot of things, Kaori-kun. I may have not spent my youth in a South American jungle, but I'm not slouch in that department. There's still a lot of things you need to learn about this job."

"Wh-what do y-you mean?"

"One: curb the temper," Ren sighs. "Keep it away from when you're using a weapon. You take a gun or bazooka in your hands, your take lives into your hands. One stray shot can kill as good as one aimed shot. Two: stop pretending this is a game. As you saw last night, this can be life and death. Take it seriously. You're not Jane Rambo. Our opponents won't collapse like a house of cards when you bust the door down. You never spent your whole life living on the edge, so you're nowhere near expert on what it means to face the dark side of human nature. Got it?"

"Hai," Kaori nods, cowed.

"One more thing," Ren stands, raising a finger in warning. "Keep the hammers out of my way, Kaori-kun...or else, YOU'LL be the one swinging out a window on a rope at nights."

Kaori shudders, seeing the steel in the woman's eyes, then nods as she quickly withdraws to her bedroom. Umibozu watches her go, then gazes at Ren. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I had to," Ren sighs. "If Kaori-kun wants to eventually marry my brother, I won't stop her...but I know my brother doesn't love her in that fashion, not yet at least. Part of him feels he'd be betraying Hideyuki-kun if he tried to get close to her. 'Sides, my brother's lost a lot of people who were very close. Our aunt and uncle, his adopted parents during the war, Sonia's dad..."

"He's afraid he'd lose Kaori," Umibozu muses, then stares at her. "What about you? You've got a 'partner of partners?'"

"Me?!" Ren muses, then whistfully sighs. "Someone..."

* * *

To be continued...