SailorStar9: Nya? Chapter 2 goes up. This is Chapter 3 and only one review. No one else is reading this fic! *Sob, sob, wails*
Tailmon (from 'Digital Light of Hope and her current muse): Great, now you non-reviewers made her cry. Leave your comments in your review, or else... (Sharpens claws)
Disclaimers: I own nothing.
Chapter 3: Tantei Gakuen Q: Episode Three
Time passes, at night...
"What the situation of the eviction notice on that piece of land?" the land shark called his secretary. "A lot of people want that land. Hold them down before they make a move. Give no mercy to all who oppose. Do it thoroughly."
Entering his car, he was about to drive off when someone blocked his way.
"Hey," he stepped out of his vehicle "What are you standing there for, bastard? Can you hear me, bastard?"
With a grin, the hooded man thrust a knife into his stomach and pulled out the weapon, the land shark collapsing next to his vehicle.
The next morning...
"Evidence leading to the criminal has yet been found." the newscaster reported. "According to the police, there's a possibility that this has become a serial murder case."
In a rubbish dump, the camera closed in on the land shark's corpse.
In Kazuma's transport...
"Hello." Kazuma answered the call. "It's Narusawa. It's about the game program, right? I'll have it done by next week I'm sorry. Ah!" he blinked when his car turned a corner. "Stop here. I'll walk the rest of the way."
In the streets...
After straightening his clothes out, Kazuma stepped into the Kanda Florist.
"Thank you very much." Youko had finished serving a customer. "Ah, welcome." she noticed Kazuma.
"Hello." Kazuma greeted. "Um can you make me something again?"
"Yeah, for your home, right?" Youko nodded.
"Yes." Kazuma replied as he looked admiringly at Youko who was putting together a bouquet of flowers.
"Nevertheless, you must really like..." Youko noted.
"Eh?" Kazuma blinked.
"Flowers." Youko clarified. "You're always here, every 3 days or less."
"It's just that, I become happy just by seeing them." Kazuma replied.
"It make me happy if you say that." Youko smiled.
"Um, I wasn't..." Kazuma stammered.
In the Mission Room...
"Box-ku, Box-ku, Box-ku." Kinta and Kyu were using one of the cushions for training practice. "Up. Down. Up. Down. Kick."
"That's a useless kick." Kinta chided.
"Evil Super Ultra Mega Ultimate Woot Littlix-Subs-Rocks Thanks-Live-Evil-For-The-Help Big Punch." Kyu was thrown to the ground.
"Kyu, what's with that pathetic punch?" Kinta scolded. "You're making your fist cry."
"Um, I'm not very good with this stuff." Kyu remarked.
"Black-sensei once said that, anything in the hands of a swords-master can become a weapon." Ami stated.
"That's deep." Megu nodded. "But why past tense?" she wondered.
A muscle in Ami's jaw jumped as she clenched it, a old pain rising up in her eyes.
Ryu, having sensed Ami's sudden change in composure, looked up from his book and shook his head at Megu, telling her discretely that she had somehow poured salt on some half-healed wound.
Megu got his silent message and did not press any further.
"What are you being naïve for?" Kinta chided, the duo not noticing the exchange. "You have to at least learn the basis of self-defense. Or you'll get hurt like last time."
"Plus, weak guys aren't charming." Megu added on the sofa.
"That's harsh, Megu." Ami smirked on her side of the sofa as Kinta let out an amused snort.
"Hey, isn't there some kind of special move that even I can do?" Kyu inquired.
"Well, that's..." Kinta stated. "Your only option is to kick him in the crotch, right?" he whispered.
"Eh?" Kyu echoed.
"That can't be trained at all." Kinta added and the two burst out laughing.
"What are you two whispering around for?" Megu commented. "Gross."
"Boys are weird." Ami remarked.
"Good morning, everyone!" Kazuma declared.
"Kazuma, you brought flowers," Ami blinked. "Again!"
"The room will look brighter." Kazuma placed the bouquet on the table. "It's okay if it's elegant, right?"
"Actually," Ami started, the group crowded around the table.
"To be honest, they're getting in the way." Megu finished the sentence.
"Well, you probably wouldn't understand." Kazuma chided the two girls. "Living while being surrounded by flowers... Ah! What a luxury!"
"You're being naïve, Narusawa!" Nanami-sensei declared from somewhere.
"Don't tell me..." Ami muttered in disbelief.
"It's 'Mission Impossible'!" Nanami-sensei dropped in, 'Mission Impossible' style.
"I knew it!" Ami sighed. "Help yourself." she strolled past Nanami-sensei, handing him a kunai knife.
"We can tell." Kyu followed her example.
"Why do you never appear normally." Kinta remarked, walking past.
"I like it." Nanami-sensei stated. "Is it bad? Stop this!"
"Please be serious." Megu requested, strolling past.
"Ah, stop this!" Nanami-sensei protested.
"As one would expect from you, Sensei." Ryu added, walking past.
"How arrogant!" Nanami-sensei retorted. "Do you think you can become a full-fledged detective with that? Hey, someone, stop this! Thank you." he noted when Kazuma stabilized him. "What?" he blinked when Kazuma handed him a flower.
"It's nothing at all." Kazuma replied.
"And so," Nanami-sensei added. "Order from Dan-sensei." he revealed the mission disc.
"Members of Q Class." Dan-sensei came on screen, the group standing at attention. "How do you do? This time, I'll like you to investigate a serial murder case. The criminal is an evil murderer called a 'scrap murderer'."
"'Scrap murderer'?" Kyu echoed.
"The first victim is a young man who attacked a homeless person." Dan-sensei continued. "Next is a land shark. All the victims are thrown in a garbage dump. This time, the criminal didn't leave any tracks. With your abilities, I would like you to expose the identity of this criminal. I pray for your success."
"It's serial murderer, is this, huh?" Kyu mused once the video cut off.
"The criminal's on quite a high level one then." Kinta added.
"You guys." Nanami-sensei warned. "Don't go overboard. The criminal is serial murderer. Once you find out who the criminal is, let the police know right away. By all means, don't attempt the impossible."
"Ok." the group chorused.
On the streets...
"First, let's look for someone who knew the victim." Kyu suggested, biting into his ice lolly.
"You're always doing this, but why is Kinta here, too?" Megu inquired.
"Ah!" Kinta blinked. "Kyu looks like he'll just jump forward without thinking. I can't just leave him alone."
"It's comforting to have Kinta around, just in case, right?" Kyu added.
"Before that happens, I'll run away." Megu reminded.
"What?" Kinta blinked as Megu stormed off.
"Ah, how annoying." Megu sighed.
Under a bridge...
"It was every night." Rou replied. "They really had no mercy. If that brat wasn't killed, I wouldn't been killed. Is it bad? I'm thankful for the criminal."
"Rou-san." a chef from a nearby eatery stated. "Here." he handed him a box of leftovers.
"I'm sorry you always have to do this." Rou apologized.
"It's alright." the chef replied. "Here."
"You know him?" Megu inquired.
"Sometimes, I give him leftovers from the store." the chef answered. "It's a waste to throw it away."
"Do you know that he was attacked?" Kinta asked.
"Yeah, I do." the chef replied and lit his cigarette. "But, you can sleep without worries now." he told Rou.
"Yeah." Rou nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile...
Ryu had returned to the dump site where the victims were discarded. "Since he never left any trace, the criminal was careful, a person who's well-learned of crimes." he spoke into his recorder. "And since he threw the body in a garbage dump, he might feel that he's being some sort of a hero. In short, he's someone who's stressed out and had a sense of bravery or justice."
"But that sense is sorely misplaced." Ami's voice interjected.
Ryu turned to his partner, as the power of her Guardian Ring rescinded, the blood red bubble in her palm dispelling.
"You sound tired." Ryu remarked. "Anything?"
"Give me a moment to sort out the images." Ami replied, her mind still reeling from the sudden rush of memories as she stood up. "This is why I never had the reason to use this aspect of my power, not only does it drain a lot out of me, it's also mentally exhausting."
The two teens then turned when they saw Yurie's reflected image on the mirror.
"Go and find out what she wants." Ami told her partner. "I'll be fine."
"I'll come back for you once I'm done." Ryu promised and went off with Yurie.
In an amusement park...
"Is Pluto involved in this case again?" Ryu asked.
"If so, what will you do?" Yurie inquired.
"As a student of the Detective Academy, I'm going to do what I'm supposed to do." Ryu replied.
"Why are you trying to escape Pluto?" Yurie pressed sa Ryu proceeded to walk off.
"The pain of someone born with the destiny to be a criminal will never be understood by a person like you." Ryu replied. "She's the only one who understands."
"Then, do you really have the intention of making Pluto your enemy?" Yurie inquired. "When Q Class finds out about your identity, do you think they'll accept you with wide open arms? In the end, you're the one who'll be in pain."
Ryu shrugged off her touch and went off.
"I wonder why Hades-sama isn't interfering with Ryu-sama." Yurie voiced as the cleaner-in-disguise Cerberus approached her.
"I'm sure that Hades-sama... Hades-sama has a plan." Cerberus replied.
"But at this rate..." Yurie trailed.
"I have an idea." Cerberus voiced.
In his office...
"Amakusa Ryu-kun.." Dan-sensei mused, looking at Ryu's photo, before he started coughing. Taking out his handkerchief, he coughed into it. When he let off coughing, the camera moved in to reveal a blood stain on the cloth.
On the streets...
"The land shark who was killed used a gangster to harass us every day." the store owner replied. "He wanted to take this land forcefully."
"Eh?" Kyu blinked. "Did you encounter any trouble?"
"Yeah." the store owner replied, returning to the kitchen. "They'd come and be loud, and they'll make a scene about how the food is bad. Now I can relax and do my business."
In the Mission Room...
"No good." Kazuma sighed, shutting his laptop. "I can't think of anything." then, his stomach growled.
In the cafe...
"Then," Kazuma peered into the display case. "One strawberry dumpling and one marguerite bread roll." he placed his order.
"Could that be your dinner?" Youko voiced.
"Ah!" Kazuma blinked.
"Hm you're a student of the Detective Academy." Youko remarked once the pair sat down.
"Aside from that, I'm also a game creator." Kazuma replied.
"Really?" Youko blinked.
"Oh yeah, Youko-san, here." Kazuma presented her with a sample of his newest game. "This is one of my games that'll be going on sale. It's just a sample, but if you want, you can have it."
"Thank you." Youko took the game box. "What kind of game is this?"
"It's a mystery game, set in Tokyo." Kazuma replied. "I used some sceneries from the city. I've also used some real deduction methods."
"Amazing." Youko noted as Kazuma showed her the photos he took. "You can make something like this."
"Well, in a way, it might actually even be a hit." Kazuma added.
"You can do anything huh?" Youko mused.
"Eh?" Kazuma blinked.
"Because you're creating games and also aiming to be a detective right?" Youko explained.
"No..." Kazuma replied. "Well... that's..."
"As for me, I've loved flowers since I was young." Youko commented. "I didn't think of anything else besides becoming a florist. It's cool to have a lot of things that you want to do."
In the Mission Room...
"We're back!" Kyu declared as he, Megu and Kinta entered the room as Kazuma pondered over the evidence.
"Ah!" Megu slumped onto the sofa. "We walked all day, you we have zero clues.
"The victims' ages and occupations are different." Kinta added. "Result of the investigation: no connection can be found."
"Yeah." Megu agreed.
"That's not true." Kyu objected. "Both of them have a common feature."
"Eh?" Kinta blinked.
"Both of them are hated by others." Kyu replied. "'I want to take revenge against him.' 'I want to make him suffer.' Hearing the cry of these people's hearts, the criminal might have caused these cases. It's possible, right?"
"The people who were killed were trash of the society." Kinta remarked. "So the criminal tried to become an 'Ally of Justice' and threw them in the garbage dump?"
"Yeah." Kyu nodded. "But I will never acknowledge that kind of criminal. No matter how evil someone is, murder isn't something that can be forgiven. I will catch that criminal."
"If that's the case, then the question is how did the criminal know about their existence?" Megu wondered.
"A slow but sure investigation." Kazuma noted. "Analog as usual, huh?"
"How about you?" Megu turned to the computer genius. "Did you find any information on the net?"
"Not really." Kazuma replied, packing his things.
"You're not even investigating seriously." Megu remarked. "So don't say that."
"I had some game programs and other things to do!" Kazuma protested.
"What are you getting mad for?" Kinta blinked.
"Kazuma?" Kyu voiced as Kazuma walked off. "What's wrong?"
"I'm jealous of you, Kyu." Kazuma stopped in his tracks. "You have no doubts.
"Eh?" Kyu blinked as Kazuma exited.
"What's wrong with him?" Kinta wondered.
That night...
A teen got down from his bike and started spray-painting on a wall, with loud music blaring in the background.
"Whatcha doin'?" he demanded when someone turned off his player. "Don't just keep quiet, bastard!" he approached the intruder threateningly.
Wordlessly, the hooded man thrust a knife into his stomach. Not allowing him time to escape, the hooded murderer added another injury to the teen's stomach.
The next day...
"Moroboshi-san." Kyu voiced as Moroboshi and Nekoda exited from the new crime scene.
"What are you doing here?" Moroboshi looked at the three teens.
"What about this time's victim?" Megu asked.
"A delinquent brat in this area." Moroboshi replied. "And why are you answering?" he gave himself a slap.
"Why are you scolding yourself?" Nekoda blinked.
"Excuse me, please stand back." Ochiai apologized to the crowd.
"Oh, Ochiai." Moroboshi noted. "Do you have any interesting information on the scrap murderer? You could be recommended for transfer to the detective department."
"Um, I'm no longer interested in that." Ochiai replied.
"Oh?" Moroboshi was surprised. "Didn't you want to transfer to the detective department?"
"By closely protecting the citizens of this area, I've realized the magnificence of this job." Ochiai replied.
"Oh, is that so?" Moroboshi nodded.
"Excuse me." Ochiai saluted.
"Yeah." Moroboshi nodded.
"The victim's usually the one who shows up at work." an employee voiced behind Kyu and the others.
"It'll finally be quiet." his co-worker added.
"Yeah." the first employee agreed.
"Did the victim frequent your shop?" Kinta asked.
"Almost every night." the first employee replied. "He plays his music loudly in the parking lot. He was a troublesome person, right?"
"Ah!" Megu gasped, noticing the match book in the second employee's hand as he lit up his cigarette. "That match book!"
"What about it?" Kyu inquired.
"Yesterday, the guy from the Soba Store who fed the homeless person had it too." Megu replied. "The ramen store had the same matches."
"Um, where did you get these matches?" Kyu asked the second employee.
"This?" the second employee gestured. "Ah, it's from one of the clubs I go to."
"Could it be... you talked about the victim in that club?" Kyu wondered.
"Ah, yeah I might have." the employee noted and Kyu nodded his thanks.
"We found it, huh?" Megu remarked. "The common point of this case."
"The criminal found the information about the victims at that club." Kyu reasoned.
That night, in the club...
"Everyone looks suspicious." Megu noted.
"What's with your outfit?" Kyu noticed Megu's clothes.
"If I look like a kid, I'll be looked down upon." Megu replied. "Hey." she voiced.
"Huh?" Kyu blinked.
"That guy's been wandering aimlessly around the club." Megu spotted a man.
"Eh?" Kyu exclaimed. "Kinta?" he blinked when Kinta approached the man.
"Kinta!" the two men hugged after awhile. "It's been awhile!"
"Hey, you were working here, huh?" Kinta noted.
"I'm a manager!" the man replied. "A hiring manager!"
"I see." Kinta grinned widely.
"Kinta!" Haruka raised her glass.
"Oh, you're here too, Haruka." Kinta looked over. "It's been awhile!" he turned back to his male friend.
"Looks like they're all friends huh?" Megu mused.
In the bar that housed the Mission Room...
"Hey." the counter assistant started as Kazuma played darts on the board. "Is it okay if you don't investigate with the others?"
In the club...
"Scrap murderer huh?" Kinta's male friend remarked, seeing the newspaper clipping.
"Do you know any suspicious people?" Kinta asked.
"There's a lot of people who go in and out." Kinta's friend replied.
"Then how about someone who might be targeted?" Megu inquired.
"Someone who might be targeted?" Kinta's friend echoed. "Ah! Lately, there's been a woman who comes here frequently. She has a 'Peeping Room' website. Those who access it are being scammed, and there are people who are bitter about it."
"What's a 'Peeping Room' website?" Megu wondered.
"A site in which a camera is set up in a woman's room, producing a 24 hour show that shows her even when she's sleeping or changing." Haruka supplied.
"Hey, do you know her name?" Kinta inquired.
In Tamura's room...
"Ah hello?" Tamura called. "I'm Tamura and I've ordered before. I want to add something."
In Kanda Florist...
"Okay, it's Tamura-sama, right?" Youko asked over the phone. "Please wait a minute. I'll prepare the voucher. Alright." she placed down the phone.
Outside Tamura's apartment building...
The scrap murderer was keeping watch.
In the club...
"She's on the phone." Megu noted after Haruka accessed the site on her laptop as Kinta called Kazuma on the phone.
In the bar that housed the Mission Room...
"Hello?" Kazuma answered the call.
"It's me." Kinta replied. "Find the address of the owner of this site I'm about to tell you."
"Eh?" Kazuma blinked.
In Tamura's room...
"Yes?" Tamura called when her doorbell rang. "Ah, hang on a sec." she requested over the phone.
In the club...
"Hm?" Kyu blinked as Tamura walked out of her room.
In front of Tamura's door...
Tamura gasped when the scrap murderer held her in a chokehold and locked the door.
In the club...
"Kinta!" Kyu called when he saw the scrap murderer appear onscreen as he tossed Tamura onto the floor.
"The bastard showed up!" Kinta growled.
"Ah!" the group gasped when the scrap murderer disconnected the camera, the image fizzling out.
"Hello." Kinta took the call.
In the bar that housed the Mission Room...
"I found the address." Kazuma reported.
In her room...
"Someone!" Tamura flung open her window as the scrap murderer grabbed her. "Help! You..."
In the club...
"Thanks." Kinta jotted down the address. "You're a great help. It's near." he told the rest. "Tell Officer Moroboshi right away." he told the younger teens.
"Okay." Kyu nodded as Kinta hurried off.
In her room...
Tamura was flinging anything she could find at the scrap murderer in an attempt to defend herself.
"Help!" she screamed, knocking the murderer's knife away with a pillow.
"Madam, is something wrong?" Youko inquired over the cellphone.
His main weapon gone, the murderer caught the fleeing Tamura and started to strangle her.
"Madam, madam." Youko echoed over the phone after Tamura's dead body dropped onto the bed. "Hello, madam?"
Realizing that the person on the other side of the line might have heard something discriminatory, the murderer ended the call.
In front of Tamura's door...
Kinta had arrived at the door, only to find it locked.
"Hey, open up!" he pounded on the door. Finding a fire extinguisher nearby, he pried the door open and burst into the room. Finding no one, he tried the window to find it locked, before hearing the water gushing in the bathroom.
"Hey!" he tried to shake Tamura awake once he switched off the water hose. "Hey! Hey! Are you okay? Hey!"
"Police!" Ochiai voiced in the doorway.
"Police Officer." Kinta turned to Ochiai who had hurried in.
"I'll arrest you, red-handed murderer!" Ochiai declared.
"Huh?" Kinta blinked as Ochiai manhandled him. "Hey! You're wrong! Stop it! Hey!"
Later...
"Ouch!" Nekoda winced, kneeling beside the body. "How scary."
"And the criminal?" Ami asked as Ryu returned to the room.
"You're sure the room was locked, right?" Moroboshi inquired.
"Yeah, isn't that why I broke the knob?" Kinta asked.
"Kinta." Ryu voiced. "There really wasn't anyone in this room?"
"Yeah." Kinta nodded. "As you can see, there's really no place to hide in here."
"Then, that means the criminal took the keys with him?" Moroboshi reasoned.
"Moroboshi-san." Nekoda cut in. "The room key was found in the victim's tea jar. The spare key was in the room too."
"Eh?" Moroboshi gasped. "What?"
"So you're saying that this was a sealed room?" Megu concluded.
"Not possible." Ami objected.
"Good job." Ochiai saluted the incoming officers.
"Did you come here on Moroboshi-san's order?" Kyu wondered.
"No, there was an anonymous tip." Ochiai replied.
"And so you mistook Kinta as the murderer?" Ami mused.
"I jumped to conclusions." Ochiai admitted. "I'm very sorry." he apologized to Kinta.
"Ochiai, you can go back now." Moroboshi informed.
"Then, please excuse me." Ochiai saluted.
"And another thing, we can't find the victim's cellphone." Nekoda added.
"Huh?" Moroboshi echoed.
"When the criminal barged in, the victim was talking someone on her cellphone." Megu supplied.
"Eh?" Nekoda blinked.
"Yeah, so that means the criminal must've taken the cellphone." Kyu reasoned.
"Then maybe the person on the other line, heard the full details of the crime." Megu surmised.
"If that's the case," Ryu started.
"Then that person is in danger." Ami finished the sentence.
"Hey Nekoda, hurry and find out who it is." Moroboshi instructed.
"Okay!" Nekoda hurried off.
On the streets...
The scrap murderer redialed Tamura's last dialed number.
"Hello, this is Florist Kanda." Youko voiced over the voice recorder. "We are now closed for the day. Our business hours are from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Please try again tomorrow."
Growling, the scrap murderer ended the call.
On his way home...
"A sealed room is impossible." Kyu mused. "But there's no place for a person to hide in that room." He stopped in his tracks when he heard a whistling tune.
"You're Kyu-kun from the Detective Academy, right?" Cerberus inquired.
"Yes." Kyu blinked.
"Do you know Amakusa Ryu's real identity?" Cerberus posted a question.
"Eh?" Kyu echoed.
"You should try to find out his motive for entering the Detective Academy." Cerberus suggested. "I'm sure you'll find a very interesting answer. Let's meet again someday. That's our destiny after all." Snorting, he walked off, leaving a befuddled Kyu behind.
The next morning...
Youko opened the shutter of the flower shop, unaware that she was being watched.
"Hmm, so you're sighing because of her." Megu noted, peering into the shop upon hearing Kazuma's sigh. "So that's why you're buying flowers every day. I didn't know you were interested in older girls."
"Wait, come over here, Megu." Kazuma dragged her off. "Keep it a secret from everyone else."
"Isn't it, 'Please keep it a secret.'?" Megu corrected.
"Please keep it a secret." Kazuma repeated his request.
"Stop hesitating, go inside and confess your love." Megu chided.
"That's not what I'm stressing out about." Kazuma protested.
"Then what is it?" Megu asked. "I don't know why you're distressed." she added after Kazuma refused to answer. "But your feelings won't reach her if you don't put it in words. You'll only be in pain. You want to tell her something, right?"
"Megu." Kazuma started.
"Once you get an answer, tell me everything, okay?" Megu nodded. "I'll tease you a lot. go." she pushed Kazuma towards the shop. "Bye!" she turned to go.
In front of Tamura's door...
"Ryu, Ami, you were curious it too?" Kyu asked, finding the pair in front of the door.
"Yeah." Ryu replied.
"As I've said last night, a sealed room murder isn't possible." Ami added.
"There should be some sort of secret." Ryu remarked.
"But man, Kinta sure did a number on the knob." Ami joked, looking at the damaged handle and entered the room, followed by Ryu.
Kyu hesitated for awhile, recalling Cerberus' words from last night. Shaking off any doubts from his mind, he entered the room.
"The scrap murderer's crime ends by throwing the victim in the garbage dump." Ryu voiced.
"As for this one, however, he threw the body into a bath." Ami added, the trio turning to the bathtub. "Why did the criminal break the crime pattern?"
"It's because an unexpected accident occurred." Ryu answered her question.
"Kinta showed up outside the room, right?" Kyu realized.
"Yeah." Ryu replied.
"When Kinta came running here, the criminal was in this room." Kyu concluded.
"The question is, where was he hiding?" Ryu mused.
"There's no place you can use to set up a trick to hide yourself." Kyu added.
"Mirror?" Ami frowned, kneeling in front of the dressing room mirror beside the table.
"Eh?" both boys looked at her.
"Why is a dresser mirror here?" Kyu wondered. "The color is different because it's covered from the sun." he looked over at the wall.
"Then, the mirror was hanging there." Ami surmised.
"But why?" Kyu mused.
"Mirror Trick!" the three chorused after a while.
"We really need to stop doing that." Ami shook her head.
"Doing what?" both boys asked in unison.
"That." Ami pointed.
"What?" the two boys chorused.
"Never mind." Ami sighed.
"The scrap murderer used that mirror." Kyu concluded. "This room's floor and wall had the same color. When the mirror was placed diagonally, it reflected the floor and hid the criminal. Then when Kinta headed for the bathroom because he heard the shower, the criminal went out."
"But it's weird." Ryu voiced. "Didn't the police come in right after Kinta did? Why didn't the police notice the criminal?"
"There's only one person who was able to leave this room without arousing suspicion." Ami stated, getting up.
"Eh?" Ryu looked at his partner.
"I know who did it." Kyu realized Ami's implication.
"Yeah." Ami nodded. "It could only be that guy."
In front of Kanda Florist...
"Ah, welcome." Youko greeted Kazuma as she stopped watering the pots.
"Hello." Kazuma replied.
"What's wrong?" Youko wondered when Kazuma sighed. "Kazuma-kun? Here." she handed him a glass of orange juice after they settled down
"Thank you very much." Kazuma took the glass. "There's something I wanted to tell you."
"What is it?" Youko wondered.
"The truth is, I have no drive in becoming a game creator." Kazuma confessed. "Lately, I've been sick and tired of it. Even as a detective, if I were asked if I really want to be one, I'd probably have a hard time answering. That's why, I'm not the type of person who deserves your compliments. I don't know where I belong."
"I was like that too, Kazuma-kun." Youko admitted.
"Eh?" Kazuma blinked.
"I didn't know where I belonged." Youko added. "But, when I realized that I liked flowers, while touching them and studying them, I just naturally felt that it's what I want to do. Where you belong isn't something you look for or find. Maybe the life you've chosen will suddenly become the place where you belong?"
"Youko-san..." Kazuma started.
"I have some donuts." Youko offered. "Want some?"
"Yes." Kazuma nodded. "And another thing... can you tell me your email address?"
"Sure." Youko nodded. "Then tell me yours too."
"Okay." Kazuma nodded and the two exchanged email addresses.
At the police station...
"Using the mirror trick that I've just explained and assuming that the criminal ran out, "Ochiai-san should have bumped into the criminal." Kyu continued his explanation. "However, Ochiai-san didn't see the criminal. There's only one answer that will solve this contraindication. The one who was hiding there was Ochiai-san himself."
"Then, the identity of the scrap murderer was..." Moroboshi gasped.
"That's right." Ami nodded. "It's Ochiai-san."
"Alright." Moroboshi told his subordinate. "Then prepare an arrest warrant immediately."
"Ah, ah okay!" the two officers hurried off.
Inside Kanda Florist...
"Florist Kanda, hello?" Youko took the call.
"Can you deliver one bouquet of flowers to a funeral?" Ochiai requested outside the store. "Deliver it to..."
"I understand." Youko nodded. "I'll deliver them right away. Sorry, I have a delivery to make." she informed Kazuma.
"Please don't worry about it." Kazuma assured. "I'll email you later, okay?"
"Yeah." Youko nodded. "Later then."
In the factory...
"Excuse me." Youko voiced, entering the factory. "Delivery from Florist Kanda.
Ochiai suddenly appeared behind her and chloroformed the florist.
On the streets...
"Alright." Kazuma nodded. "I got Youko-san's email address. Hello?" he answered his cellphone.
At the police station...
"Kazuma." Megu informed. "Youko-san is in danger."
On the streets...
"Eh?" Kazuma blinked. "What do you mean?"
At the police station...
"By chance and over the phone, she heard the scarp murderer while he was committing the crime." Megu explained. "I phoned there, but she left to deliver something and nobody knows where she is."
On the streets...
"Eh?" Kazuma exclaimed.
In the factory...
Youko awoke and found herself tied to a chair. Looking through the window, she saw a building and recalled one of Kazuma's photos. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out her cellphone and snapped a picture, sending it to Kazuma.
Upon hearing the chime, Ochiai looked up and grabbed the cellphone.
On the streets...
"Youko-san!" Kazuma gasped, receiving the picture on his cellphone. "This place is..." he connected his cellphone to his laptop and activated the search engine. "The only place you can see this building form this direction, it's this abandoned factory! Kyu, Youko-san is in an abandoned parts factory." he informed the group, dashing off to save Youko. "I'm going ahead."
At the police station...
"Kazuma is going alone to where Youko-san is." Kyu told the group.
"Eh?" Kinta echoed.
"I'm really going to have a long talk with him about heading out alone after this." Ami muttered as the team hurried off.
In the factory...
"Useless effort." Ochiai remarked, shutting the cellphone. "Ah! Last night, did you hear anything from that trash woman? Did you tell anyone?"
"What are you talking about?" Youko asked.
"If you're lying just like that, then you're also trash." Ochiai told her. "You're also trash." he rested his blade against her neck. "Trash."
Arriving at the scene first and seeing Ochiai circling Youko, Kazuma quickly made a decision.
"Stop it!" he called, stopping Ochiai from stabbing Youko.
"Who the heck are you?" Ochiai glared.
"I've told the police that you're here." Kazuma replied. "You can't run away anymore, scrap murderer."
"Are you going to get in my way too?" Ochiai inquired. "Then, I'll deal with you first."
"Kazuma-kun, run!" Youko warned as Ochiai changed his target.
Delivering a kick to Kazuma's stomach, Ochiai raised his blade to finish the teen off.
"Kazuma!" Kyu hollered, arriving with Ryu and Megu in tow.
"You guys..." Ochiai looked at the new arrivals. "Are from the Detective Academy."
"I can't believe that you're the criminal." Kyu voiced. "Why? Why would a police office like you...?"
"It's because I'm a police officer that I did what I'm supposed to do." Ochiai replied.
"Huh?" Kyu gasped.
"No matter how I tried to convince the police, 'Wrong jurisdiction', 'A damage report hasn't been submitted.'. Nobody is giving justice by saying those things. That's why I cleaned up the trash. Look around you. Everyone's happy that they're dead."
"Then what about Youko-san?" Kyu asked. "What did Youko-san and Kazuma do? Are you saying that killing someone innocent for your sake is right? That's just weird. It's wrong. No matter how hard you try to administer justice, with that selfish egoistic reasoning, taking other people's lives cannot be forgiven. We will never acknowledge you. You're just a murderer!"
"No!" Ochiai objected and approached the three.
Backing off, Kyu gave Kinta and Ami who had hidden upstairs a nod. Waiting for the right moment, the two fighters pounced. Kinta delivered a elbow jab on Ochiai's back as Ami grabbed Ochiai's weapon. Backflipping, she landed on her feet, the blade safely in her grip.
"So, who's taking him?" she looked at Kinta as Ochiai stumbled up. "Guess that answers that question." she muttered when Kinta took off after Ochiai.
In the darkness of the storage area, Ochiai delivered a kick to Kinta's stomach. Kinta stumbled, barely managing to dodge a punch from his opponent. The two faced off and Kinta grabbed the dangling wire, using it as leverage to send Ochiai a flying kick. Turning a corner, Ochiai delivered a kick to Kinta who was chasing him, forcing some distance between them, after which Kinta delivered a left-cross against Ochiai's cheek.
"Are you alright?" Megu asked as Ami unsheathed her knife and sliced through Youko's binds with a single cut.
Meanwhile, having kicked Kinta to the ground, Ochiai pulled out his revolver and trained it on Kinta.
Kyu came in from behind and delivered a kick to Ochiai's crotch.
Taking the opening, Kinta knocked the gun out of Ochiai's hand and sent him to the ground with a elbow jab to the back.
"Kazuma, are you okay?" Kyu hurried over to the injured Kazuma after Ochiai was dealt with.
"Ah, yeah." Kazuma winced.
"It's because you tried to do something unreasonable by yourself." Kyu joked.
"When I thought, 'I have to save Youko-chan.', my body acted by itself." Kazuma replied, letting Kyu help him up.
"Analog." Kyu grinned and pushed Kazuma towards Youko.
"Youko-san." Kazuma voiced.
"Thank you." Youko gave Kazuma a hug. "Thank you, Kazuma-kun. Thank you."
"Guess we'll be teasing him a lot after this." Ami gave Megu a knowing grin.
"Agreed." Megu nodded as the police sirens sounded.
"Ochiai!" Moroboshi declared as Ochiai struggled in the arresting officer's grasp. "We won't be lenient. Prepare yourself." With the handcuffs slapped on him, Cerberus' hypnosis was activated. "Ochiai! What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Nekoda replied, steadying Ochiai.
"Hey!" Moroboshi started.
"Okay." Nekoda nodded and he pulled Ochiai into the police vehicle with the help of the arresting officer.
Aside...
"What happened to that man's disposal?" Yurie asked.
"The moment his hands are cuffed, he'll forget all of his memories." Cerberus replied. "I've used a very powerful hypnosis."
"At any rate, I'm very worried about Ryu-sama." Yurie voiced.
"I've planted the seed." Cerberus informed. "After that, Kyu-kun and the gang will probably nurture it."
"Thanks for the photograph." Nanami-sensei snorted, snapping the photographic evidence on his high-speed camera.
As the police cars drove off...
"Okay, let's go home too." Kinta suggested, the group nodding in agreement.
"I need my coffee." Ami muttered, splitting off from the group.
"Ryu." Kyu voiced once everyone else was out of earshot. "Yesterday, a man came up to me and said something strange. He asked me, 'Do you know Amakusa Ryu's real identity?' What was that about?"
"Right now, I don't want to talk about it yet." Ryu replied.
"Okay." Kyu added, as Ryu took off in the same direction Ami went. "I won't rush you anymore. So, I'll wait until you want to talk. Okay?"
Ryu remained silent and walked off.
"What are the odds that it's Cerberus' doing?" Ami noted once Ryu caught up with her. "They sure act fast, casting seeds of doubt already. There's really nothing much you can do about it, you'll just have to trust everyone." she gave him an encouraging smile.
The next day...
"Morning!" Kyu called as he and Kinta entered the Mission Room. "Huh?" he blinked when Megu hushed them and noticing Kazuma's downcast expression. "What's wrong with Kazuma?"
"Well you know." Megu whispered. "Youko-san is getting married."
"Eh?" Kinta gasped. "Are you serious?"
"Then, Kazuma was rejected?" Kyu echoed.
"I didn't really confess to her, so you can't say I was rejected." Kazuma protested.
"What a sore loser." Kinta remarked.
"Hello?" Kazuma took the call when his cellphone rang. "Yes, I'm really sorry. Regarding game creation, please let me take a break for a while. Right now, there's something I really want to do. Excuse me."
"What is it you really want to do, Kazuma?" Kyu wondered.
"Digital or analog, I won't lost to any of you!" Kazuma declared.
"What's that?" Kyu peered at the poster Kazuma presented.
"Detective Development Plaster." Kazuma replied. "If I have this, I'll have physical strength that'll surpass Kinta's."
Ami sighed and fell sideways onto the sofa.
"If you have time to do this, then train your chest or something." Kinta chided, snatching the poster.
"You're exerting effort on the wrong thing." Megu agreed as Kinta passed the poster to her. "Here you go!" she dodged Kazuma and returned the poster to Kinta.
Kyu moved away from the group and looked at the chair Ryu normally occupied.
Elsewhere...
Ryu leaned against a railing on a bridge, thinking of the conversation he had with Ami the previous day.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.