Daichi startled as the train passed into another tunnel, roaring in his imagination, though the noise was really quite reasonable. "Goddamn trains." He hated them, but it was far more affordable than flying, and he was fairly certain should his train crash or derail he would be able to get himself out safely. With planes, the same logic didn't quite apply.

He sighed, and settled back in his chair. The numbers of travelers had been shifting all day, until this particular car held only a handful. Daichi smiled tiredly at an older woman who was glancing his way. She smiled back, then returned to staring blankly out the window.

Five minutes later, half the mountainside crashed down around them. Screams ricocheted around the car and the ones up and down the line. Daichi himself was scrambling to his feet, head reeling from the impact. His car leaned at an almost perfect forty-five degree angle, caught by the far wall of the cave.

Dammit, he was going to die.

"Daichi Yamamoto?"

Daichi turned his head, eyes wild. He hadn't heard that name for a while. Odds were someone was calling out for another passenger on the train. Except they aren't yelling.

A hand fell on his shoulder, squeezing hard.

"You're coming with me."

A shiver of fear made his knees go weak. Daichi turned his head, and saw someone vaguely familiar. Ah yes, the assistant to the detective girl. Negima? Naru? "Why are you here?" he asked as his knees gave out.

Neuro's face took on a look of horrible anger. "You drugged Yako Katsuragi. You will tell me where she was taken. You," he said, eyes taking on an unearthly gleam, "Will satisfy my hunger."

Holy shit, Daichi thought as he fainted, He's a cannibal.

--

"What made you decide to get into detective work? It's not quite a field where young woman would usually flock." The Director smiled, her eyes fixed on Yako's face. A panel of at least fifteen buttons rested by her knee, and her finger was waving like a metronome. Yako could almost hear the tick, tock of the woman's beautifully manicured nail.

"I don't know," she said, offering a nervous laugh. Yako wasn't actually nervous. In fact, her eyes showed absolute anger. "When did you decide to get into abductions and blackmailing? It doesn't quite fit your image."

The Director's finger paused, and then her other hand negligently pushed one of the buttons on the panel. The big screen Yako half-faced erupted into chaotic movements and screams as a shot was fired. All the teens in the large enclosure had hit the ground, covered their heads, or huddled behind someone else.

This time, no one looked to be bleeding.

A blank, Yako thought. She's insane. The realization wasn't new, but the extent of that realization took on new meaning.

"Tch. I'm interviewing you, darling. Please keep that in mind. Now, once again." The Director cleared her throat, her pretty smile still in place. "What made you decide to get into detective work? It's not quite the field where a young woman would usually flock."

Yako swallowed her ire and fear, giving the Director a plaster smile. "Oh, I don't know. It must have been right after my father had been killed, and the police weren't finding any leads as to why. I guess that was when I really got interested."

"So you never read mystery novels when you were younger? Not a fan of any mystery comics?"

"I didn't read all that often before, I'm afraid."

The Director tutted again. "Quite the role model you are. Now, Yako, are you familiar with the fan following you've amassed since your appearance in the national eye? I hear you have fans even in foreign countries! How does that make you feel?"

The question didn't make much sense to Yako, but she could see the Director's finger slowly begin to slow, and bit off a response. "I'm not sure. I never wanted to be famous."

The Director's finger kept moving. "Understandable. Odd that you go to such lengths to gain attention and fame, however, when you profess such a desire against fame." The woman paused, thinking. "Then you are unaware of the fanworks to be found concerning you online?"

"I am aware," Yako began, "That there are fans online. The amount of visitors to our website don't match the numbers of cases we are asked about, and I have an idea of what kind of fan mail we might be getting." The last was a lie. Akane handled all the emails Neuro didn't find interesting, which was almost all of them, and Yako hadn't bothered herself to care. People who didn't know her wishing her well made her feel uncomfortable, particularly when it wasn't obligated by their school or other social custom.

"I am sure your fans are glad that you know they exist. One of the questions that has been haunting the forums as well as my own mind concerns your status in relationships. Are you single?" The Director leaned forward, smile growing.

"Er, yes I am. I don't really think that's anyone's business." Yako found herself looking at the television screen again, seeing the fear in the teenagers trapped there. "They have their own lives to live."

"Certainly you won't deny the populace their curiosity. You say you aren't taken, but are you dating? After all, there is your assistant. Several of your admirers feel that closeness indicates something deeper, especially when you are rarely seen without him in public. Then there is that handsome officer, Mr. Sasazuka, or his young associate Mr. Ishigaki."

Yako snorted, amused despite the situation. "My assistant is my assistant, and Mr. Sasazuka and Mr. Ishigaki are friends and contacts I've formed through the police department.

"If you say so." The Director smiled, her finger pausing for a moment before continuing it's back and forth dance. "If you were going to be seduced by one of those three men, who would it be?"

Yako fought the urge to roll her eyes. There was no real answer to that question. Mr. Sasazuka was an uncle or older brother of sorts. She liked him, certainly, but didn't think he was much the kind for seducing. Ishigaki was at least closer to her in age. Neuro was right out of the – her thoughts derailed, seeing that finger come close to stopping, her other hand hovering over the panel of buttons. "Neuro!" she blurted, realizing belatedly she'd gone with her normal instinct in insane situations – call out and locate the most likely suspect. Perhaps his name was like a panic response.

The Director looked delighted. "Ooh, a student-mentor relationship, with the mentor being the younger one in the equation! You're quite adventurous, Yako."

Yako didn't point out that she was answering a hypothetical question. The Director wasn't a person who would appreciate the correction, and unfortunately, Yako felt the trapped teenagers would be the ones to suffer.

"What about your assistant, Neuro, makes him attractive to you?"

These questions were stupid. Fame was stupid. As soon as she was out of here, for Yako had faith she would get out of here, she was retiring. Neuro could field his own cases now, and she'd be a psychological consultant if he needed it. Yes. That is exactly what she'd do. "I don't know, his hair."

"What about his hair?"

"The contrast. I find that so immeasurably attractive. Yes, his hair has simply got to be the thing."

Laughing, the Director winked at Yako. "A hair fetish, hmm? I wouldn't have expected that from you, Ms. Katsuragi, if you don't mind me saying so." Leaning back, the Director favored Yako with another smile. "How would you describe him, in a word?"

"Demonic."

"Interesting-"

"Two-faced. Maniacal. Brilliant. Twisted. Sick. Serious. Thought-provoking. Should I go on?"

"No, that is quite alright." The Director's demeanor had shifted, looking far less displeased. "Seven words too many, really." Her hand twitched, and in rapid succession, hit several different buttons on the panel.

Yako screamed. "No! Stop it!" The silent echoes of her cries repeated on the television screen, while the teens dived and wept, several bleeding after this round of shots. At least two weren't moving, others clutching limbs or body-parts in silent agony.

The Director watched along with Yako, lips twitching into a far less sane semblance of a smile. "Oops. My hand slipped. Now, where were we?"

--

Neuro let Daichi drop from his grasp as he pulled out one of his demonic tools. "Seven seven seven tools of the Demonic World, Evil Smelling Salts!" He lacked enthusiasm, but not appreciation, as he knelt next to Daichi and allowed the small, bug-like white creatures to crawl out and affix themselves to the membrane of Daichi's nose.

Moments later, the man was awake again, gagging on the stench permeating his senses. "What the heck is that? How gross!"

Neuro, unappreciative, un-gloved his hand. "Smelling Salts. You fainted." The sharp, serrated blades of his fingers inched forward, catching bits and pieces of light to reflect back at Daichi. "You kidnapped Yako Katsuragi, utilizing some sort of powerful sleeping drug in order to catch her unawares and transport her to a holding container from which she managed to escape."

Daichi looked surprised, but Neuro was continuing. "She managed to phone the police, contacting myself by chance, before she was seized yet again by individuals you contacted prior to leaving the town. Your lover, Yoshi, has no knowledge of what has transpired, and you want to keep him ignorant."

The demon's eyes flashed, spiraling green as he gently caressed Daichi's throat. "I know you've done it. Now I want to know where she is."

"Y-you! You're not human. You can't be!" Daichi shivered, eyes wide with terror.

"No," Neuro said, his smile small and pinched. He wasn't bothering to look pleasant for the moment. Neuro wasn't pleased, so he didn't see why he had to pretend. "And you are not simply a financial adviser." The knives pressed closer, drawing blood, and Daichi broke into hysterical laughter. His eyes overflowed with tears.

"You wouldn't know. You and that fucking detective," he said, swallowing. "Have no idea how damn hard it is to earn the respect you deserve. Yoshi wouldn't know it either if it wasn't for me, but he knows that. He just doesn't know how he got there." Daichi laughed, a hollow sound.

"He still thinks the debtors went away because of my genius, but that's not the only truth. Guys on the underground, the real filthy ones, the ones like you," he said, a shot at Neuro, "Don't give a guy room to breathe, even if the money's a sure shot. No, they wrap you so tight around their dicks they're always hard, and then they taunt you about the horrible things they're just waiting to do to everything you've worked for just for shits and giggles. Tearing things down, breaking every shred of credibility you can ever have... You have no fucking idea what that's like."

Neuro waited, feeling this particular mystery was almost ready to devour. Daichi wasn't the end goal, this was becoming clear, but he was a necessary stepping stone.

"Why did she come back?" Daichi sought Neuro's eyes. "Why did she come back alone? You weren't watching her – no one was watching her – you took away every last excuse I needed to let them forget about the little detective. She's not half as attractive an idea when she's being walked everywhere, but you just had to be something else, didn't you?" Daichi had stopped crying, looking desolate. The emotion was lost on Neuro for all it's complexities. "She's still young enough to be untouched, isn't she? Physically, that is. She walked right into the lion's den, and she's carrying fish by the handfuls. I don't know where your teacher is. Haha, hahaha, I felt you flinch. Go ahead. Kill me." There was no melodramatic shift, only a deeper sadness, a deeper weariness that moved over Daichi's form. "If I knew where they took Yako, I would have told you already. They never let me know anything more than a number."

He coughed, meeting Neuro's unflinching, unforgiving gaze. "I can tell you what I suspect. They're close to town. Can't help but stay around the watering hole."

The mystery solidified, and Neuro didn't bother thanking the man for his meal. His transformation startled Daichi, but didn't break through the melancholy that embraced him. Neuro brought him close and devoured his mystery, feeling it was rather flat, and too emotionally invested. Neuro was used to the spicing of despair and anger, jealousy and hatred, greed and negligence, but this twisted, helpless love and fear combined in a new way. There would be no thanks for this introduction of sensation.

Daichi passed out again as Neuro's meal finished, looking drawn. The demon picked him up, flung him over his shoulder, and set back to town.

By now, Sasazuka was bound to have something.

--

Yako felt herself crying, far before she realized she was. "You're sick! People can't treat each other this way. How can you do this? How can you hurt them?"

"My dear," the Director said, her head cocked to the side, "By pressing any one of these buttons. Really now."

Yako held back from saying anything about how obvious that was, and how it wasn't an answer as she tried to fly up out of the chair and found she couldn't. Of all the most ridiculous things in the world -

"Oh yes, please don't mind the glue. We needed to make sure you wouldn't spoil my shot somehow." Yako didn't want to believe she'd been crazy glued to the chair. There was no salvaging this top now!

"On the topic of Neuro, how did you meet him?"

Yako answered stiffly, through her tears and slightly stuffy nose. "Star gazing."

"Star gazing? You were out star gazing?"

"Yes. It was a beautiful night."

"And you met Neuro then."

"He ran me over."

"With a car?" The Director managed to mimic horror in her voice almost perfectly.

"No," Yako replied drably, "With a bicycle. Skinned my knee."

"Did he kiss it and make it better, darling? Yako, do tell."

She felt sick to her stomach. "Yes. Of course. How'd you know? This is so embarrassing."

"Amore is like that, Yako. What a mysterious beginning! Now, I have always been curious about... Oh." The Director sat up, much as Yako did when she noticed the action on the screen. "Look at that. My dear, you've been holding out on me. If you simply must go after Neuro, you should have told me quite plainly that it was for his eyes."

Eyes which Yako noted could actually be seen as Neuro, along with Sasazuka and a handful of other officers of the law, broke through into the containment room. "Neuro!" Yako said, feeling the mix of gladness and confusion as she watched him on screen.

The Director sighed, then stood up. "There's no helping timing, I suppose. This part of the filming is done, boys." She turned, eying Yako, and pulled out something resembling a gun from her bustline. "Thank you for your cooperation, Yako." With a whoosh of expelled air, a dart pricked through the skin of Yako's arm. As she felt another kind of lethargy consume her, a last few words caught her falling interest.

"Cut her out of the chair, then bring her down to Studio G."

Whatever the reason, Yako's floating mind hovered around the words, and slowly shied away.

--

Sasazuka examined the room he stood in, then the fifteen subjects tied up on the floor. All of them were between fourteen and twenty-three, and all were in fairly good health.

"We've got three dead, sir." A younger officer saluted Sasazuka, then went off to find Usui. The ambulances at ready for the other four teenagers who had been found seriously injured were blasting their sirens as they moved out. Special workers were being called in to deal with the remaining teens, who in their various stages of shock were alternately crying, yelling, or attempting to fight helping officers.

There was no sign of Yako Katsuragi.

"Twelve cameras, only one with an active feed." Neuro tapped his lips, eyes wide and innocent. Ishigaki had chosen to remain further away, watching the demon. Sasazuka merely nodded, not feeling particularly pressed to ask why Neuro seemed so confident of his facts. He, too, had noticed the cameras, but nothing particular about their state of operation.

"Someone was watching, then. It would explain the lights we found in each of the gunman's booths." Sasazuka sighed, tired.

"The gunmen are well conditioned. Not one of them put up a fight, but not one of them is registering much of a response outside of pupil dilation." Neuro smiled, looking cute. Sasazuka was vaguely impressed with the demon's acting skills. "Eeaah! It's like brainwashing, from one of those cartoons Teacher's always watching when she should be doing work!"

"For school, or for you?"

Neuro smiled, but didn't answer to clarify. Sasazuka knew which the answer was, but trying to figure out what to do about it was the tricky part. "She won't graduate without good grades."

"Statistically speaking, performing at the most base degree of passing allows students of all ages to move forward a grade!" Neuro's finger shot up into the air, and his eyes took on a round, empty look.

"Most statistics are made up on the spot."

Neuro shrugged, and Sasazuka looked back toward the entrance.

"We're going to have to go deeper," he said at last.

Neuro smiled, the same demented grin he'd worn when dealing with Terra. "Indeed. How exciting. They're next move is certainly coming." He turned his head toward Sasazuka, eyes glowing. "This mystery is on the tip of my tongue."

Sasazuka sighed. "Reassuring. Well, you do what you need to. I see paperwork coming my way."

Indeed, whenever Usui looked quite that unhappy, it inevitably meant paperwork was soon to follow. I wonder how much Ishigaki can handle all at once...