A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Had wanted to update last week but was too tired from work. Hope you'll enjoy this new installment!

Chapter 2: When There Was Hope

She should have investigated the crash. She should have. But she didn't. And now she was staring at the ice-cold corpse of Ishida Hisao, their informant who had dropped off the radar weeks ago. His usually sunken cheeks were ghostly pale, and his lips a depressing purplish-black. His lifeless russet eyes were wide open, reflecting the fear that consumed him in his final moments. Honoka felt sick when a fly landed on his right pupil and she couldn't help but blink hardly in his stead, as if the insect was eating at her own eyeball. His battered, scrawny body was half-sitting, half-lying on the gritty floor of the alleyway, head tilted at awkward angle and exposing the gaping gash across his throat. Dried, browning blood made a messy trail down his ragged T-shirt.

Sobs sounded in the background and Honoka's insides tightened. Her mother was the one who discovered Ishida when she took out the trash in the morning. Honoka blamed herself. If she hadn't gone back to sleep, if she had been less lazy, if she had gone to check the crash behind her house last night, her mother would have been spared the traumatizing sight. Her mother's scream still echoed in her head. It had made every hair on her body stand on end. She ground her teeth together as guilt ate her up from the inside.

Then dread seeped into her pores when she realized something.

Honoka pored over the forensic photographs scattered on the oval boardroom table. She cringed at the sight of multiple near-black welts on Ishida's pallid torso. Biting her lower lip, she moved on to the next image. The back of Ishida's head was a clumpy mess of shattered skull fragments and congealed blood. He had suffered too much before his death. The initial autopsy report stated he died from blood loss but judging from his numerous injuries, he would not have survived long even if his throat wasn't sliced like a hapless farm chicken. The guilt sitting in her stomach intensified. Ishida might have chosen to be an informant purely for the financial rewards but no one could deny his tip-offs had helped the authorities nab countless drug dealers. He didn't deserve such a tragic death.

"It has to be the work of the Blue Men!" Nico declared hotly as she slammed her palm on the table, visibly upset the Blue Men had one-upped them again.

"They discovered his informant identity. There's no other way around it," said Maki.

"And they remember Honoka from that night at the junkyard and somehow found out her address," Umi concluded, voice tense. "They are threatening us."

The members of Unit 47 shifted their attention to the silent Honoka. She hadn't spoken a word since they returned from the crime scene. An unreadable expression marred her normally cheerful features.

"Honoka." Eli placed a hand on her subordinate's shoulder, hoping to ease some of her worries. "The superintendent has assigned our men to watch over your family and the neighborhood. The culprit shouldn't dare to do something again with so many eyes watching."

Contrary to their expectations, Honoka responded with a large smile - but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine, guys. And I trust our colleagues will protect the neighborhood." She stood up, adjusted her gun holster and earpiece, and threw on her khaki bomber jacket. "I'm going out to continue the search for the Blue Men."

"But Honoka, if they are behind Ishida's death, you could be their next target. It'd be better for someone else to do it," Eli voiced her disagreement with the officer's plan.

"Even better. I will bait them out." The staunch determination in Honoka's cerulean eyes told Eli there was no talking her out of it.

"Wait!" Umi grabbed her things. "I'm coming with you." She gave Eli a discreet nod before following Honoka out the door. But just as they stepped out of the office, they came face to face with Tsubasa who uttered a quick 'follow me' before she marched towards where Eli was.

"Unit 47, I have some footage that might be of interest to you."

"Is it regarding Ishida's case?" Eli asked.

"That's right." Tsubasa held up a small blue memory card between her fingers. "A voyeur was caught this morning after Honoka's neighbor made a police report."

"My neighbor? A voyeur in my neighborhood?" Honoka wondered, appalled by the news. "Wait, does that mean the voyeur also lives near me?"

Tsubasa nodded. "On the opposite side of the street."

Honoka's jaw dropped. Her neighborhood was certainly getting too happening for her liking. First, Ishida's body was found behind her house. Then, a pervert living opposite her. "Don't tell me it's Abe-ojiisan who did it? He watched me and my sis grow up!"

"Unfortunately, yes. And some of his videos have you in it."

"WHAT?!" Memories of the kindly old man giving her lollipops when she was young flashed through Honoka's mind and she suddenly regretted accepting them.

"Don't worry. It's nothing scandalous. It's just you being, well, you... though he admitted to deriving sexual gratification from watching the videos. But," the brunette's grip on the memory card tightened so much that the rest feared she would break it, "I've made sure he won't do it again." Nico, who was sitting nearest to Tsubasa, caught a glimpse of a crimson smudge that looked suspiciously like fresh blood on the inspector's knuckles and her body did an involuntary shudder. God knew if the man was still able to breathe through his nose.

"Anyway, back to the main point. The footage he took last night of Honoka's neighbor might have accidentally caught the person responsible for leaving Ishida's body behind Homura. Look through it carefully." Tsubasa tossed the card to Eli who mentally thanked the heavens it was still in one piece. Then she walked over to Honoka, locking gazes with the ginger. "Be careful during your investigation, 'kay? I'll drop by Homura as soon as I can after work today to check on your family. See you there."

Umi peeked at Honoka's face, observing quietly as her friend's eyes glimmered with unshed tears as though the strong front she had put up was slowly crumbling in Tsubasa's mere presence.

"Tsubasa wasn't kidding when she said all the videos of you are simply you being your usual stupid self. Seriously, eating a whole sandwich right before bedtime? That's the surest way to gain weight," Nico deadpanned. "He's really sick to masturbate to these."

"Were you hoping to see Honoka naked?" Maki shot the petite woman a questioning frown.

"Eww, no! I'm not Tsubasa!" Once the words slipped out, Nico slapped her hands over her mouth, panicking. Her eyes darted around, making sure said inspector didn't suddenly appear.

Umi slammed her hands on the table, shaking the monitor that was playing the video. "Enough, the two of you. Be serious."

Ignoring them - she was pretty much numb to Nico and Maki's bantering by now - Eli stopped the playback and rewound it. "Look at this." She pressed the play button. On the dark screen, the footage was shaky as though the camera was being moved around to get a different angle. It panned to a lopsided shot of the alley behind Homura, showing two shadowy forms dragging a third person along the narrow path. As they dropped the body against the wall, they knocked over a metal trash can. Honoka's breath hitched when a black cat darted out of the alley. Her fingernails dug into her palm, leaving tiny crescent-shaped impressions. That was the crash she heard. She watched with bated breath as the two figures stiffened and snapped their heads towards the main street.

Her right hand shot out and smacked the pause button.

One of the faces was illuminated by the street lights in the split second he looked up.

"It's him!" Honoka gasped. Sharp undercut. Bleached slicked back hair. Beady eyes. She had seen him a few times during the team's raids at Kabukichou's nightclubs but he was always clean, giving the police no reason to bring him in for questioning. She unpaused the video, hoping to catch a glimpse of his accomplice but the camera jerked violently and appeared to fall to the ground. Static filled the screen before it went black for a few seconds. Then the visuals came back on to show Honoka's neighbor changing.

"Mmm... Nice ass..." mused Nico in appreciation before she was promptly silenced by a flying pen to her forehead courtesy of the team's best markswoman.

To make sure they didn't miss any details, the team scrutinized the rest of the videos captured by Abe, including the latest one taken just that morning. That was when Honoka's neighbor noticed the elderly lecher filming her while she was changing into her work clothes.

"Doesn't she know to draw the curtains when she changes?" Maki huffed and leaned back in her seat, feeling a complete lack of pity for the victim.

"It's a good thing she's not Honoka. If not, Tsubasa might be facing a murder charge now," Nico remarked as she recalled the blood on Tsubasa's hand earlier.

Eli cleared her throat, right brow twitching as she tried not to acknowledge their wise cracks. "We are going to track down this man at Kabukichou tonight. Take him alive at all costs."

"What if he commits suicide like the other Blue Man at the junkyard? If that guy was anything to go by, the members seem to have a cyanide pill hidden in a false tooth," Umi reminded.

"Then we'll just have to stop him before he could release the poison."

The time was 6:00 PM. Some of the nightclubs and bars in Kabukichou had already raised their shutters for business. The well-known red-light district was beginning to teem with pretty boys sporting gaudy anime-like hairstyles and skimpily dressed women in high heels. They distributed fliers advertising various pleasure services for the establishments they worked for. Nico casually accepted one from a handsome tout and nearly choked when she saw the cover charges. It was way out of her league - her paltry civil servant salary would never allow her to bask in the lavish attention provided by the famous host clubs regularly featured in magazines.

Honoka adjusted the black wig she had on and tried in vain to scratch an itch on her scalp. It had been bothering her since they left the station. She wondered how her favorite cross-dressing idol group wore wigs for almost the entire day while entertaining fans with energetic dances and unwavering smiles. Despite the overwhelming urge to rip the long hairpiece off, she endured it for the sake of the operation; she couldn't alert their target by broadcasting her presence with her signature ginger locks. Honestly though, she didn't see the point of doing this. Unit 47 had become common faces in areas like Kabukichou and Roppongi where nightlife and drug activities were bustling. Even if their target did not recognize her, he might be able to identify her teammates. However, Nico had insisted on her wearing a disguise to play safe so here she was looking like a long-lost relative of Cleopatra while weaving through crowds under colorful neon signs. Her heart was pounding. She constantly walked ahead of her group, eager to find the man in the video. In spite of their relentless efforts,all the establishments they ventured into turned up nothing. Even the Yakuza members who guarded the clubs and love hotels that their gangs operated claimed they had not seen the man recently when showed his picture.

"Looks like he's not here," Eli said as the team gathered outside a Family Mart. She took a sip of the bottled iced tea in her hand. It was already 2:40 AM, more than seven hours since they began their search. Their target was known to frequent the clubs at around 11 PM. "It's been a long day. Let's continue the search tomorrow."

"I'm not tired. I can still go on," Honoka asserted.

"Honoka, we will resume the search tomorrow night at a later time so that we can last till the clubs' closing times. You guys have been up since seven because of Ishida's case. You need rest."

"But-"

"No buts." Eli stood firm with her order. "Tomorrow's reporting time will be twelve noon. Get lots of sleep because we'll be working overnight tomorrow."

"Yes, Ma'am!" everyone but Honoka answered. Knowing her subordinate's knack for disobeying orders, Eli made sure to drive her home first before sending the others back. When Honoka entered her house, she blinked in surprise upon finding the lights in the living room still on.

"Welcome home," came a familiar smooth voice from the couch.

"Tsubasa!" A smile finally found its way to Honoka's face for the first time that day. She chucked her keys haphazardly on the coffee table and collapsed onto Tsubasa, not caring even when the keys slid off and clattered nosily on the wooden floor. The tiredness in her body melted away as the feeling of being pressed against the brunette soothed her more than anything else in the world. "Why aren't you asleep yet? It's already three," she asked when she pulled back from the embrace.

"I was worried about you." Tsubasa pinched her cheek. Her heart twinged when she spied the puffy bags under Honoka's eyes. "And I was checking the neighborhood earlier. Didn't see any suspicious characters but I bumped into Hoshizora and Koizumi who are on patrol tonight."

"Oh, Rin-chan and Hanayo-chan! I haven't seen them in a while." Honoka perked up a bit as she was quite fond of the two juniors in the force. "By the way, how's my mum..." Her voice trailed off when she recalled her mother's reaction to the gruesome find.

"She's still a little shaken but it didn't stop her from manning the shop today. Your father closed the shop earlier than usual though to let her get more rest. And I think my presence provided some assurance." Tsubasa flashed a peace sign and her trademark wink.

Honoka giggled at Tsubasa's deliberate smug face; she never failed to lift her spirits. "Aren't you full of yourself?"

"Isn't that what you see in me?"

"I can't deny that." Honoka played absentmindedly with the soft cotton fabric of Tsubasa's heather grey T-shirt. "Who wouldn't feel safe with the star of Tokyo's police force around?" she jested. They cuddled in silence until Honoka murmured a soft but heartfelt 'thank you', blushing a tender pink against Tsubasa's chest. Leaning down, Tsubasa planted a kiss on her crown and spoke three little, but very dear, words into her ear.

When Honoka woke up the next morning, the spot next to her on the bed was cold, indicating that Tsubasa had long left for work. Noticing her mobile's notification light blinking, she unlocked the screen to find a photo attachment from Tsubasa. It was a shot of the T-shirt Tsubasa wore last night with a large wet patch near the round collar.

You drooled on my shirt again. There'll be payback ;)

It was an impossible task. The Blue Men were in the dark while the police were in the open. They could be tracking the police's every move from the shadows, thus foiling their search efforts easily. Although the image of the suspect had been sent out to all the active officers in Tokyo, he was nowhere to be found even after five days. It was easy to lose hope in the face of such hopeless circumstances but Honoka was not having it, not when the safety of her loved ones could be at stake.

"Eli." Honoka approached Eli's desk. "Please use me as bait."

Eli knew where this conversation was heading without Honoka saying more. Even so, she didn't like it. "Honoka, I've said it before. It's too risky."

"Please, Eli. I know you are worried about me but there is no other way. You know it."

Eli was not one to put her subordinates' lives at risk but her sergeant was right. They didn't have a choice. She sighed, hoping she would not regret what she was about to say next.

"Alright." Before a smile could fully form on Honoka's face, Eli continued sternly, "But you have to be very careful and keep us updated at all times. If the situation gets dangerous, you get out." Reaching down, she opened her desk's drawer and retrieved a plain-looking black sports watch. "Wear this. It's a tracking device and it also allows you to send signals to us. Press the top right button to alert us that you are in danger and need backup immediately. This is more convenient than tracking your phone's signal like what we have always done."

Honoka nodded, strapping the watch around her left wrist. "Thank you, Eli."

"Don't die. I don't want to have to deal with Umi and Kira-san if anything happens to you," Eli said wryly, finally showing a hint of amusement.

"Yes, Ma'am!" The ginger gave a sharp salute. "I'll be going now then. Oh, and please don't tell Tsubasa. I don't want her to worry."

Honoka believed it was not just the police getting frustrated but the Blue Men too. With officers raiding the common drug dealing spots every day and the marine police keeping a tight eye on the harbors, the Blue Men were unable to carry out any major deals. They were losing lucrative money opportunities and it was only a matter of time before they had enough of lying low and did something to get the police off their backs. It wouldn't take long, Honoka was sure.

She prowled the streets of Roppongi, keen blue eyes scanning the faces in the crowd. She was used to operating on her own, often tailing suspects to obscure hideouts before alerting her team. Her usual brash attitude might not show it but fear sat quietly in her. It had always been there but for the sake of upholding justice, she suppressed it, not willing to let it hinder her. Tonight, her heart thumped exceptionally hard as if it wanted out of her chest. Her senses were on high alert. Every sound was piercing her ears and every face was screaming at her to study them. The Blue Men could be right next to her and she wouldn't know. It was scary yet exhilarating.

Honoka stopped outside Club Vertigo where she had previously seen the target. Rhythmic bass beats assaulted her aural senses as soon as she entered. Flickering laser lights in neon green and blue hurt her eyes momentarily. The dance floor was packed with bodies bobbing to the head-spinning house music. She spied the DJ station at the far end of the room and smirked. There was one sure-fire way to let the Blue Men know she was here - and alone. Shoving her way through the sea of people - and ignoring the wild hand that groped her ass - she jumped onto the elevated platform.

"Hey what are yo-"

"Sorry," Honoka apologized to the DJ before she pushed him aside and cut the music.

Silence. And then murmurs of confusion.

"On the lights! Police!" Her powerful voice soared over the floor and it didn't take two seconds for the groans to start pouring in. "ID check! Men to the left, women to the right! Hurry if you don't want to waste your time!"

"Hey! What's the big idea?" A bald man in a black suit marched up to Honoka. She recognized him as the one in charge of the club. "Didn't you guys just come two days ago? Are you trying to ruin our business?"

Honoka wiped a spot of saliva that hit her cheek during the man's angry rant. For a second she was reminded of Tsubasa being covered in her drool.

"I'm looking for this man." She brandished the image of the target.

"I know. Your colleagues said the same thing the other day," the man snapped, clearly exasperated. "And no, I haven't seen him. If I did, I would turn him over to you guys immediately so that you'd stop interrupting our business."

"I will hold you to your words." Honoka gave him the hardest stare she could muster. "I'll be doing the ID check now. It won't take long."

And she meant it. After checking just a handful of patrons, she left and pulled the exact same stunt in several other clubs. Barging in and making a grand entrance seemed very Honoka-like and she wanted to laugh when she imagined Umi's scary face lashing out at her for being so goddamn noisy.

Five hours and ten clubs later, Honoka was spent. She had created a huge enough ruckus to alert basically all the gangs in the area of her solitary presence. The Blue Men would surely catch wind of her actions if they hadn't already. Leaning against the metal shutter of a shop, she sent a message to her team.

I'm stopping here today. Will continue at Shinjuku tomorrow.

She stared at the sent message and pondered for a bit before typing something else.

v(^_^)v Fighto!

There. Typical of the group's liveliest member. That should make them worry less about her. She wondered when guilt had become a permanent resident in her thoughts. It was so unlike her carefree nature. Yawning, she made her way to her motorcycle, hoping she wouldn't fall asleep before she reached Tsubasa's apartment.

A/N: Thank you for keeping with the story till now! The setup is almost done so you can be sure the real fun will start in the next chapter ;) Oh, and the rating will go up due to a certain couple's *cough* sexy time.