A/N: What a week. I got into a minor car accident two nights ago but thankfully, no one was hurt. If not, you wouldn't be seeing this chapter now, LOL.
Chapter 10: The Great Pretenders
"Thank you Sergeant Kira, for that very inspiring presentation. Your sharing resonated deeply with the recruits. I could see it in their eyes, how in awe they were. Youngsters nowadays are not interested in listening to us old folks. They relate better to someone their age. With you as a role model, their drive and dedication to serving the community and upholding justice will only go up."
"You speak too highly of me, sir." Tsubasa smiled politely at the head of the police academy. "It's my pleasure to impart my knowledge to the next generation of officers. I humbly thank you for giving this opportunity." She bowed. When she rose, she received a firm pat on her shoulder and a deep chuckle from the middle-aged man.
"You have a bright future ahead. Continue to do us proud and serve the people of Tokyo well."
"Yes, sir. You have my word."
After the brief exchange, Tsubasa made her way to the academy's cafeteria. Her stomach came close to growling several times during the presentation. Skipping lunch to rush to the academy from the headquarters was not her choice, unfortunately. She walked through the spacious corridors, feeling a sense of nostalgia. Everything had remained the same since she graduated at the top of her batch. She remembered the layout like she had never left and soon, she reached her destination. She went straight for the serving area, hoping there was still food left – hell, she would even settle for scraps.
"I'm sorry. The last set lunch has been taken by that person." The cafeteria staff pointed to a lone figure seated among the empty tables.
Instead of being disappointed, Tsubasa felt amusement tugging her lips when she noticed how the young woman was hunched over her tray, wolfing down the food like she hadn't eaten in days.
"I still have some coleslaw left if you don't mind," the staff offered, bringing Tsubasa's attention back.
"I'll take it. And an iced coffee, please."
Tsubasa took her tray and walked towards the unknown individual who, too preoccupied with shoveling rice into her mouth, had failed to notice Tsubasa's presence. "Hi, may I sit here?" Her amusement only grew when the ginger peered up with bright blue eyes, looked around at the sea of vacant tables in confusion, before turning back to Tsubasa. Then she broke into a large food-filled grin.
"Shure. Pweash shit."
Now, Tsubasa would usually recoil in utter disgust when someone talked with their mouth full – and did she just tell her to shit? The audacity! But Tsubasa found herself curbing the urge to bowl over in laughter more than anything. She was often in the presence of pretty girls – heck, one of her best friends was an absolute stunner – but it was the first time she was so taken by one. Though not a jaw-dropping beauty, this girl was undeniably cute with her girl-next-door charm and unsuspecting nature. Tsubasa had to mentally pinch herself to snap out of her spellbound state.
"Thanks," she said and sat across the woman.
"Wow, you must really love veggies!"
Tsubasa glanced down at her ridiculous mountain of coleslaw. Ah, she could see why her new acquaintance made that assumption. "Not exactly. I love meat just as much as the next person but this is all that's left at this hour."
The woman's hand froze as she was about to devour another mouthful of rice. She looked at her own tray, brows furrowed. The next thing Tsubasa knew, the woman was transferring all her uneaten teriyaki chicken to her plate. Was she for real?
"You must eat! If you don't, you can't survive the crazy training!"
Tsubasa stared. Clearly, she thought Tsubasa was a fellow recruit. Did she not notice Tsubasa was in plain clothes as opposed to the academy's grey physical training T-shirt? If that was the case, Tsubasa worried for the future of the force. "Well, um, thanks. Are you sure that's enough for you?"
"I'm fine." The woman leaned in with a hand cupping her mouth and whispered, "I've some bread rolls in the dorm. Don't tell anyone, 'kay?"
Her overly serious face earned a snicker from Tsubasa. "Sure. You can trust me." There was something about this person that made Tsubasa want to go along with everything she said. They ate in silence for a while before Tsubasa asked something that had been on her mind since the start. "Say, why are you having lunch at this hour?"
The woman's face pinked. "I overslept this morning so I had to run laps and clean the washrooms." She poked at her coleslaw, cheeks puffed. "Because of that I missed the talk by that sergeant. I think her name's Kira Tsu-something."
"Tsubasa. Kira Tsubasa," Tsubasa filled in the clueless woman, deciding to play along. "That's a pity, isn't it?"
"Yeah! There's air-con in the auditorium!"
Tsubasa's smile faltered. "Air-con?"
"That's right! It's so hot in summer! The auditorium's the only place with air-con!"
"… Right." Tsubasa wondered if she should laugh or cry but one thing was certain – the way the girl's already brilliant eyes lit up when she talked was a sight Tsubasa wanted to see again. Sadly, time flew by and she had to return to the headquarters. Finishing her last sip of coffee, she stood, tray in hand. "Thanks for the food and your lovely company."
"You're welcome!"
Tsubasa's heart skipped. Never had she been bestowed a more breath-taking smile – even if it included a piece of carrot stuck between the girl's teeth. "Can I get your name?"
"Kousaka Honoka! You can call me Honoka!"
Her eagerness reminded Tsubasa of a puppy that had just been gifted a rubber ball.
"What about you?" Honoka threw the question back at her.
Tsubasa grinned. "Sergeant Kira Tsubasa at your service."
There was a pause before Honoka's expression changed from one of anticipation to horror. "S-Sergeant Ki-Ki-Kira?!"
Tsubasa tried her darnest to keep a straight face. "It's been nice talking to you, Honoka-san. Try not to miss my presentation next time, all right?" Shooting the dumbfounded recruit a wink, she left the table.
Somewhere in the background, Honoka's fork clattered to the floor.
Tsubasa's eyes snapped open. She blinked, shut her eyes for a few seconds, and opened them again. The dreary, bare ceiling of her room stared back at her. She sighed. A dream? Or a replay of her memories? Probably the latter – the details were too accurate. She sat up on her bed and immediately regretted it. Throbbing pain seized every inch of her back and stomach. She pulled up her shirt, unsurprised to see purple welts spread over large areas of skin. Those underlings really didn't hold back on their kicks last night. Groaning, she pushed herself to a standing position. Something dropped and when she saw what it was, she cursed. How could she have forgotten? Bending down despite her body's protest, she picked up the photograph and dusted it with feather-light strokes.
"Sorry, Honoka." Her fingers lingered on the picture while her stupid mind imagined that carefree voice telling her 'it's okay' because Honoka was always forgiving. She never stayed mad for long. But Tsubasa had crossed the line one too many times. Things were not okay now, and they might never be. Forcing herself to quash the rise of needless self-pity, she stuck the photo back under the drawer and headed for the shower.
The dried tear tracks had to be rinsed off after all.
"Get in."
Tsubasa slipped into the front passenger seat of her supplier's car and waited expectantly. When he said nothing and stepped on the gas pedal, she asked, "No blindfold?"
"Boss said to burn the route into your mind."
Tsubasa turned her attention to the road, trying to process the strange instruction. Just yesterday, the organization did not trust her with the location of their base – well, she guessed it was their base. She bit her lip as the surroundings whizzed by, recognizing streets and landmarks easily after years of chasing criminals all over Tokyo. But good things never come free. There must be a catch somewhere. The possibility of another test worried her, especially if it meant getting thrashed again.
In slightly under an hour, they arrived at a nondescript grey building situated in the north of the city. The interior appeared ordinary until they entered the elevator. Her supplier brought his face toward a small square on the button panel and did an iris scan. A crisp ding and a green flash of light later, the elevator began moving down to Tsubasa's surprise. People not in the know would never have guessed there was a basement in the building as there were only buttons for ground level and above. When the doors opened, she was struck by the same overpowering smell of disinfectant. It wasn't that she disliked it; in fact, a hygienic environment was something she treasured given how itinerant her life had been the past few months. She followed her supplier down the corridor that was illuminated to the point it was almost white, passing mysterious metal doors secured with iris scanners similar to the one in the lift. Finally, they stopped near the end of the corridor.
"Hi again," Seira's husky voice greeted once the door opened.
Play it cool, Tsubasa told herself. Her lips curved. "Hi."
"Take a seat." Seira gestured to the chair opposite hers. "How's your wound?"
"Couldn't be better." Tsubasa sat down, mentally taking note of the room which resembled a modern office with its minimalist design, yet it also sported a strangely out-of-place traditional Japanese element in the form of a sword hung on the wall behind Seira. And above the intricately crafted weapon was a large framed photograph of four people. She recognised two of them – one being Seira while the other was the quiet woman from yesterday but they looked much younger in the picture, likely in their preteens. Then there were two adults. The woman emitted a motherly gentleness with her demure smile and soft pink eyes. Seated on her left, the man offset her aura with his closely cropped grey hair and hard scowl etched into leathery skin, appearing much older in age.
"That's my family. You've met Ria yesterday. She's my younger sister," Seira introduced. "Have you remembered the way to get here?"
"Of course. It's all here." Tsubasa tapped her head. "But why?"
A smirk graced Seira's face. "Cutting the chase again. I like that about you. I'll go straight to the point then. Jiro," she called out to Tsubasa's supplier, "ask Ria to bring him in."
"Yes, Seira-sama." Jiro bowed and left the room.
Tsubasa narrowed her eyes. "Him?"
"A person you'll never forget. But before that…" Seira stood suddenly, eyes fixed on Tsubasa as she rounded the desk to her side, footsteps measured. "Stand up."
It was the kind of tone Tsubasa couldn't ignore. She rose and held her breath when Seira laid a hand on her shoulder, slowly and purposefully snaking down her back, around her waist, and then up to her chest. The touch was firm, prodding even, and she was way too close for comfort. Tsubasa's stomach tightened. She caught a strong whiff of antiseptic on Seira. Just how much of a cleanliness freak was she? Not forgetting her current situation, she scanned the desk and zeroed in on the snowflake paperweight. Solid crystal with points sharp enough to pierce skin.
"What are you looking at?"
Tsubasa was quick to bring back her smile. Maintaining her calm façade, she replied, "Just admiring your paperweight. The design is one of a kind."
"You've got a sharp eye." Seira pressed herself against her, sliding her hands up to Tsubasa's neck, smoothing over her shirt collar and squeezing lightly. "And good taste. No two snowflakes are the same and that applies to this design too. It's the only one in the world."
Tsubasa stiffened when Seira's warm breath caressed her ear. Though sensual, the other woman's actions reeked of unpredictability. Those hands were capable of twisting her neck or crushing her windpipe. Or maybe there was a blade hidden between her fingers, just waiting for the right moment to strike. One could never tell with people from the underworld; they lived by their own rules. Granted, Tsubasa could fight back if it came down to it, but she didn't believe she could get out alive. Who knew how many men were around?
Seira stepped back. "Take off your shirt."
Tsubasa would've shot her an incredulous stare if not for her well-honed acting skills. "So you swing this way too." She winked, masking her shock while throwing the bait and hoping for Seira to fall for it. It wouldn't hurt to find out more about her; any and every detail could turn out useful in the future. She began working on her shirt buttons, all the while keeping her eyes on Seira. She shuddered when the garment came off. The temperature in the room was lower than she'd thought.
"You're a charming person, but…"
Click.
Tsubasa jerked back when she found herself staring down the barrel of a pistol. Throat dry, she tried unsuccessfully to swallow. Shit.
"Hey, c'mon, I was just joking." She raised her hands and offered the most apologetic smile she could manage. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple.
Seira kept the gun locked on her. "You're capable and I want your talent but you were also a part of the police." She nudged the steel muzzle against her forehead, hard enough to leave a mark. "If I ever find out you're still working for them, I'll kill you."
"You have nothing to worry about. I hate them – cross my heart."
Seira curled her finger over the trigger. "It'd better be that way. This won't be the last spot check so don't let me find anything that shouldn't be here on you." A few tense seconds passed as her gaze pierced long and hard into Tsubasa's. Then, like the flip of a switch, she relaxed her posture, a coy smile returning. "It'd be a pity to lose such a handsome face after all." She patted Tsubasa's cheek, her fingers lingering a tad longer than necessary. "Now wear your shirt."
Tsubasa was only too glad to comply. Being found half-naked and dead was the last thing she wanted her already ruined reputation to be associated with. This sense of helplessness sucked. Once she was done buttoning up, the door flew open and in stumbled a man flanked by Ria and Jiro.
"Seira-sama! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!" Arms tied behind his back, he wriggled onto his knees.
If Tsubasa thought nothing else could rattle her, she was dead wrong. Time froze with the new arrival. She didn't even need to look at his face. His gruff voice was one she would never forget.
He who taunted and hit her mercilessly when she was abducted.
He who chopped off her finger with sick glee.
He who belonged to the Blue Men.
She turned to Seira, eyes wide. "You…"
"You've figured it out, right." It wasn't a question. "We're the Blue Men, or perhaps I should say the Blue Men is Saint Snow."
"Seira-sama! Please forgive me! I won't do it again! Don't-" The man's pleas were cut short by a swift kick to the head courtesy of Ria.
"Don't interrupt when onee-sama is speaking or I'll kill you."
"I think I owe you a little history lesson," Seira continued without missing a beat. "The organization was founded in Kyoto in the seventies. We started as Saint Snow but when we expanded our operations to Tokyo, we used the name Blue Men and it was managed by this person." She cast a sidelong glance at the quivering man on the floor. "Everything was fine until he kidnapped you of all people and allowed the police to wipe out many of our Tokyo members. If he'd taken that orange head as planned, the Tokyo branch wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses because she'd be dead before the police could track her down."
A crippling chill shot down Tsubasa's spine. Her sweet Honoka… gone, if she hadn't intervened back then.
"The surviving members scattered and eventually sought refuge at Saint Snow. I'm here now to rebuild the Tokyo branch. But I can't say I'm not grateful for his blunder. Because of him, I discovered you. Your perseverance and intelligence impressed me."
"How did you know?"
"I might have been in Kyoto at that time but I have eyes here too. I told the Tokyo members not to kill you because I wanted to see what else you could do and you didn't disappoint when you got your cop buddies to show up."
"Are you saying I should be thankful to you for sparing my life? You caused me to become like this and now you expect me to work for you?" Tsubasa's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"You were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Remember, you weren't our original target." Seira walked towards the sword behind her desk and removed it from its scabbard. "I expected you to feel this way so," she handed the sword to Tsubasa, "feel free to do what you want with him. After this, put the past behind us and let's work together. Don't lose sight of your goal. The ones you want revenge on are the police. They betrayed you."
The choice was clear. She already knew what she wanted long ago. "Makes sense. I'm all for the big picture," she said with a shrug.
"No, no! Seira-sama, please spare me!" The man lunged forward on his knees. "I won't do it again!"
Tsubasa frowned. "What's he talking about?"
"He tried to run away after I told him he'd be meeting you today. The organization has no place for cowards so I don't care even if you kill him. Actually, yes, I want you to kill him."
How vicious. Tsubasa gripped the handle of the sword. It felt heavier than before.
"Well?" Seira prodded. "If you're going to be soft-hearted, I don't think I need you too." Her words were the cue for Ria and Jiro to point their guns in Tsubasa's direction.
There's no way they'd let me go if I refuse. I know too much already. The location of this place, the organization's history… Kazuno Seira, you planned this from the start.
As much as Tsubasa hated the man for what he had done, it didn't mean she was fine with killing him in cold blood but she doubted the rest would be satisfied with her simply taking one finger. This was a test through and through. Kill or be killed. The guns were still trained on her. One wrong move and everything she had worked for would be over. Raising the sword, she moved towards him slowly. He clambered back with each step she took, his face a total mess. Snot. Tears. Sweat. She sniffed. And was that pee?
"What? Peeing in your pants already?" she mocked loud enough to draw everyone's attention to the growing puddle beneath him in hopes that they would say something, anything, while she racked her brain for a way to get out of this without shedding anyone's blood.
BANG!
She jumped, barely holding onto the sword. The man fell with a thump. Crimson blood flowed from the gaping wound in his head while bits of pink brain splattered onto the white wall behind him. Stiffly, she turned. The person who fired the shot was neither Ria nor Jiro, but Seira.
"Disgusting," uttered Seira, uncharacteristically outraged. "Get someone to clean this place. And make sure to disinfect!" Then she stomped out, leaving a stunned Tsubasa with the other two.
"Count yourself lucky," Ria huffed and exited the room as well.
Lady Luck had smiled on her indeed but what the hell just happened? Looking over at Jiro, she got nothing from his impassive face. Either way, she was glad he had kept his gun. Turning back to the slain man, she said a quick prayer in her heart. She never knew his name but she owed him one, as absurd as that sounded.
The night breeze fluttered her hair, irritating her eyes. She missed having short bangs. Sticking her tongue to her second last molar, she rubbed her throbbing right cheek. After the intense encounter at Seira's office, she had been led to the room with the dental chair and got a cyanide pill fitted into one of her teeth. She guessed that meant she had been accepted as an official member of the organization. However, resting on her laurels was the last thing she should do if she didn't want a bullet in her head.
Fake tooth, prosthetic finger, knee implant… She was slowly turning into the Terminator. Ha ha, not funny. She placed a hand on her chest, feeling the steady rhythm beneath. At least her heart was still beating, and she swore to keep it beating for one person.
Ding dong!
The cheerful chime sounded from the convenience store across the road and out stepped Honoka, holding a sandwich in her hands. Tsubasa fought with every fiber of her being not to run over, pull her into her arms, and tell her everything. Don't go, don't go. She pleaded silently but it wasn't long before Honoka disappeared round the street corner, leaving Tsubasa to stare wistfully at the empty spot. She bit down hard on her trembling lip. As she deliberated on whether she should keep following Honoka, a yellow taxi pulled up in front of her, stopping her before she did anything rash. She peered through the rolled down window and caught a glimpse of the masked female driver. Stalking time was over. Taking one last look at the street corner, she dragged herself into the vehicle. Cool air washed over her sticky skin, a welcome respite from the humidity outside. She couldn't help a sad smile at memories of Honoka begging for rides in her car whenever summer rolled around.
"I passed by Honoka-san just now. Were you tailing her again?" the muffled voice of the driver asked.
"You know the answer," Tsubasa stated, meeting her superior's golden gaze through the rearview mirror. "Anyway, I've officially joined Saint Snow and as suspected, they're the Blue Men. Their leader is a woman called Kazuno Seira. She values me a lot but is still wary because I was with the police so I need to work harder to prove my worth. She wanted me to kill someone today."
"Did you?"
"Almost, but she beat me to it."
"Good. Remember, murder is not permitted."
Tsubasa laughed. "Easy for you to say when you aren't the one with a gun pointed at your head."
"You know how complicated things can get if you do it, and you'll be prosecuted as well."
"Or I could just be killed and fed to the dogs."
"Tsubasa-san…"
"Right, right, sorry." Tsubasa leaned her head back, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment to gather herself. "I just needed to let off steam. It's been… crazy. I haven't had a good rest in months."
"I know. It's been hard on you," Supt. Minami said. "I'm sorry you have to go through this but you're our best hope."
Tsubasa waved off her apology. "It's fine. I agreed to it myself. If the great Kira Tsubasa can't pull this off, no one else can, right?" She chuckled dryly at her own joke. "Anyway, I'll get closer to Seira."
"What're you planning?"
Tsubasa thought back to the family portrait and Seira's fixation with cleanliness – as well as her apparent interest in women, or Tsubasa in particular. "I've some ideas."
"Be careful. Don't let your feelings affect your judgement."
Tsubasa looked almost offended. "What do you take me for? A newbie?"
"You nearly gave yourself away to Honoka-san the night you were brought in with Taka. If I hadn't stopped you in time, your cover would've been blown," Supt. Minami reminded, effectively shattering Tsubasa's confidence.
"That was different." The creases across Tsubasa's forehead deepened. "She's Honoka. I miss her. And it kills me every day, knowing I was the one who hurt her. She didn't deserve all that crap!"
"Sorry." Supt. Minami's tone softened. "I promise I'll explain everything to Honoka-san and the rest when the time is right."
"That's if I'm still alive." She was practically a juicy piece of steak dangling over a crocodile-filled river, ready to be devoured the moment she dropped her guard. If she died, the police would simply treat her death as an unfortunate incident and deny any ties they had with her so as not to endanger the other undercover cops out there. What a thankless path she had chosen.
They fell silent for a while and Tsubasa turned to stare blankly at the passing scenery before Supt. Minami spoke up again.
"How's your leg?"
At that, Tsubasa ran her palm over her right knee. "It acts up when I overwork it so painkillers are my best friends now. I might end up with a real limp if I keep doing it," she remarked wryly. "I can feel the pain getting worse."
"I'd tell you to take it easy but it's virtually impossible. I'll talk to the doctor and see if there's anything he can do."
"It's either I get a second knee replacement or an amputation, I know that already." Tsubasa sighed. "I just hope it's all worth it in the end."
"It will be," Supt. Minami assured. "Anyway, now that Saint Snow has accepted you, it's time to roll out Phase B."
Tsubasa sat up, uneasiness written all over her face. "Do we really need to? Honoka's going to hate me even more."
"We've talked about this before. Unless you have a better plan?"
The inspector deflated like a balloon. "No…"
"This is the most crucial part of the operation. If you pull it off, you'll shoot up Saint Snow's ranks in no time."
Burying her face in her hands, Tsubasa kept silent, knowing that anything she said now would be useless – and downright caustic. By the time she was dropped off near her apartment, her mood was practically in the dumps. She gazed up at the midnight sky dotted with milky speckles. One of them flickered weakly, dull and lifeless, before vanishing into the inky canopy, not a trace of its existence left. Among the countless stars, its loss hardly made a difference, and she wondered if anyone would care if one more light went out.
A/N: If you find the last line familiar, yes, it is a tribute to Chester Bennington. Rest in peace, beautiful soul whose voice and music had lifted many out of their darkest times. May you be in a happier place now.
Thank you for reading as always. I'd hoped to get this chapter up on Honoka's birthday but couldn't make it in time and I didn't want to rush and compromise on the quality of my writing. The beginning scene was a joy to write and I felt I was back in my element – writing a fluffy first meeting which was what I started with when I wrote my first TsubaHono fic. How time flies. Though it's been more than a year since then, my love for TsubaHono has only grown. "In the Grey" is nearing its final arc but it'll take a loooong time before I actually get around to the end given how tired I am after work each day. That's not to say I don't have an idea for a new TsubaHono multi-chap because I do, though I've yet to work out the details. But of course, I'll only start work on it after this story is officially over.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to let me know what you think. See you next time! ^_^