A/N: The last chapter of this story. However, I am working on a sequel. I couldn't end Megumi's story like this, even though I never meant to get so attached to her.
I always wanted to give the sinking feeling of a figure working in the background, making the reader feel who is this person? Is it Hei, and how is he still young and alive? If it's not, who is he and how is it that he has Hei's powers?
I got the idea off a movie I really liked, but the writers never kept the newly found hero a secret. You watched him develop from a thief into an expert swordsman. I just wanted to give the readers the same feel I wanted to feel.
Megumi was just someone to fill in the gap. I never meant to give her a relationship with Hizumi, and I never intended to give her a good luck curse. It just all fell into place.
And thanks to Destinies Entwined, A.J. Sawyer, Tityuio, Aerysa, Dear4life and so many others for taking the time to read this (my other stories) and leaving reviews.
Please enjoy.
Chapter Twenty-Six:
A Past Life is Merely the Future
In the city of Yokohama during the warm late hours, Lieutenant Itashi Megumi, wearing her usual white shirt, unbuttoned at the top, kaki black pants and black shoes, chased after a suspect on foot through the streets, pushing citizens out of her way. She was after an Asian male for killing another Asian man in front of her.
She grabbed her phone and, as if it were a walky-talky, said into it, "Following suspect north on Yokohama Kamiasoa road. Wearing a Naruto outfit."
"Copy that, Lieutenant,"came a male voice. "Wait? Did you say he's wearing a Naruto outfit? Which one?"
"Shippuden!"
"Always liked that one. Sending Detective Watanabe Katashi to help right now.
Megumi put away her phone and continued her pursuit, yelling, "PEOPLE, OUT OF THE WAY!"
Megumi followed the Naruto wannabe into an alley. To her prey's luck, it was a dead end.
"Give up!" she ordered, aiming her gun. "There's nowhere for you to run. Put your hands behind your head and drop to your knees."
The man did so. Megumi slowly approached him, as she pulled out her cuffs. Once the newly found Lieutenant reached him, she threw on the cuffs and stood him to his feet. Taking out her phone, she said into it, "Suspect apprehended."
"That was quick!" exclaimed the male voice. "What did you do? Go all Sakura on his butt?"
"I'm more of a Naruto and Hinata fan. I do a real good impersonation of her too."
"So Katashi tells me all the time," the male voice chuckled. "Radioing it in now."
Megumi pushed her captive towards the street, having the cosplayer snort at her.
"Wear something less conspicuous when trying to escape the police," she informed.
"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, woman!"
"Try me! And it is Lieutenant Itashi Megumi to you, scumbag!"
"More like was. And I wear this outfit to fulfill my obeisance."
"What?"
Without warning, and not enough time to react, the cosplayer highlighted in blue and disappeared with Megumi. Once they reappeared, they were on the ledge of a building, naked. With a quick elbow, Megumi was knocked backwards.
"Goodbye, Lieutenant Itashi Megumi," he smirked.
Megumi swung her arms, trying to regain her balance, but it did no good and fell over the ledge. Wanting to get away from Contractor mayhem, it somehow found its way back to her and it was going to be her undoing after all. However, with dumb luck, or her questionable intact curse, a scaffold was a couple of feet below. She reached out her arms and grabbed it, dangling over the street below. Megumi breathed out a sigh and began pulling herself to safety.
To her luck, inside the building was an old male janitor, wearing big glasses, staring at her. Megumi's eyes widened in shock, remembering she was only in her birthday suit, and tried covering her private regions. That did no good since the old man's nose began to bleed while cracking a smile.
"Dirty old man!" she yelled, hoping he heard or read her lips, and hit the ascend button.
A minute later, she was on the rooftop. In the distance, she could see Hell's Gate.
"Oh, snap!"
Xxx
Sakura was hard at work filling out a report that Shoji was too lazy to do himself. She hated having him in charge and wished Megumi was back. Even though she was late, at least she did her job. Perhaps Kouno would be better than him, even if she had to deal with his flirting. Although, Sakura had to admit, he looked attractive for his age.
"Get those reports done?" asked Shoji, leaning over her shoulder.
"No!" she howled. "If a certain someone would help me then maybe I'd be done!"
"Fukazawa is busy with his own work."
"I'm not talking about the newbie!" shouted Sakura, pointing at an Asian man dressed in a tan business suit with matching shoes. He had a plump face and dark hair parted down the side. "I'm talking about you!"
"HEY! Settle down, Sakura. We can work this out." Sakura sighed, believing he would help. "You can finish everything up tomorrow."
Irritated, she began punching his arm, and shouted, "Go! Get out of my sight!"
Frightened, Shoji did so, looking back displeased. She grabbed her tablet and threw it, having him duck with the device bursting against the back wall. Not wanting anything else thrown his way, Shoji left the department.
"Baka! Bakabakabakabaka!" Her phone rang, making her curse and hit the answer button. "Foreign Affairs! What do you want?" Sakura became puzzled due to the fact the phone had been put on speakerphone on the other line. "Hello?"
"It's me, Sakura," whispered a voice.
"Excuse me, but who are you?"
"Megumi! You don't recognize my voice?"
"Eh, no. How would I?"
"Because I could whenever I used the speakerphone."
"I always use the hologram. The only time I don't is when you call. Why do you have me on speakerphone? Not to mention, the caller I.D. didn't recognize your number, and why are you whispering."
"I don't want Shoji to hear me."
"Oh, don't worry about him. I ran him off."
"Okay, good!" Megumi was about to update Sakura about her situation, but stopped. "Err, are you alone?"
"No."
"Put me on speakerphone on your side."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
Sakura rolled her eyes and did what her former chief had asked. She placed the receiver to her ear, feeling awkward for relying on caveman methods.
"Now, why are we talking on speakerphone?" Sakura let Megumi speak for a few seconds. "NAKED?" she shouted while standing up. Fukazawa and everybody else stared at her dumbfounded. "Wh… wh…? Wait… what…? IN TOKYO? HOW?" Sakura focused on every word Megumi spoke, as though straining to hear someone speak over loud noises. "CONTRACTOR?" Her eyes switched side to side, letting her old colleague continue. "All right, all right. I'll head home and get you a change of clothes." Megumi said something else. "Oh yeah, don't worry! Your secret is safe with me!"
Xxx
Two hours after Sakura had left to pick up Megumi, the two women entered the Foreign Affairs. Megumi wore a Steins; Gate shirt with Rintarou Okabe and Kurisu Makise standing back-to-back on it, kakis and brown dress shoes.
"You had nothing else?" questioned Megumi. "No business attire at all?"
"Sorry, but you caught me at a bad time," replied Sakura. "I'm wearing my last outfit. The rest are at the dry cleaners. I'm to pick them up after work."
"Looking good, Megumi," chimed Shoji, walking up to them.
"Not now, Shoji!" moaned Megumi. "There's a Contractor in this city I need to find."
"KB101, yes, I know. The lab called mentioning it." He smirked. "Rumor has it you showed up in town butt naked."
"I knew you were talking too loud!" shouted Megumi, turning to face Sakura. "So much for keeping my secret!"
"Sorry, sorry," cringed Sakura. "You just caught me off guard."
"Like that Contractor," chuckled Shoji.
Megumi glared back at Shoji, her jaw line tightened, and said, "You get anything else off him?"
"Oh, look at that. You've been in town for a couple of hours and you're acting large and in charge."
"Shoji!"
"Fukazawa, what did you find out?"
The short Asian man stood, approached them, and said, "Eh, KB101. Real name Hitachi Hydo. Power is to…"
"I know what his power and obeisance are," jumped in Megumi. "Anything on why he's here, what he was doing in Yokohama or if he works for any organization?"
"Eh, it's rumored he works for a non-contract agency. That's all I have."
"Any leads on his where-a-bouts?"
"Megumi, I'm in charge here," pointed out Shoji. He looked at Fukazawa and asked the same question.
"Eh, no."
"That's because Megumi hasn't been the one hunting him down yet," commented a male voice.
Megumi's eyes widened, knowing who the person was, and turned around to jump into his arms to kiss him.
"Katashi! What are you doing here?" she asked, staring into his handsome brown eyes.
Shoji frowned while averting his eyes from them.
"What? I can't come and help out my partner?" joked Katashi.
"More like make out," babbled Shoji.
Xxx
Hizumi lay in his rugged apartment, wearing his old man's disguise. Just like Hei to run off somewhere and leave him behind to deal with Madam Oreille. The thing that ate at him like a Paraná was that Megumi had left Tokyo. She was the only thing that was keeping him anchored, but now it felt he was floating out to sea.
There was nothing or anybody around to keep him company. Not even the Doll they had stolen months back.
A scratch at his window snapped him out of his boredom. He looked at it to see a black cat with a red collar glaring through the stained glass. Hizumi stood, walked over and slid it open.
"What is it, Ricardo?" he asked.
"Tsk! It's Mao, not Ricardo," he whined.
"That's not what O calls you."
"I wish Hei was still around. At least he was more civilized!"
"I doubt it. Why are you here?"
Mao smiled, "Madam Oreille has a job for the new Black Reaper."
Xxx
Under the night sky and cherry tree, wearing the Black Reaper outfit with a black tank top, Hizumi was digging a hole.
"Tsk! Why do I have to do this!" bellowed Hizumi.
"This brings back memories," reminisced Mao, smirking.
After five more digs, Hizumi hit something. He and Mao looked at it to see a wooden box, picked it up to open it and found a small key inside with numbers on it.
"This is what I had dug for?" questioned Hizumi. "A key? What's so special about it?"
"Dunno, but I know Madam Oreille wants it," said Mao, gesturing to hand it over.
Hizumi took it out, tossed it towards Mao, and before he could catch it, an Asian woman dressed in a black kimono with strands of hair splitting her eyes, snatched it and threw it beyond some tree lines. The woman then highlighted in blue and disappeared, leaving the outfit behind.
"Definitely brings back old memories," reminisced Mao, sitting down with his eyes narrowed. Without any warning, Hizumi picked up Mao and drew back his arm. "WOW, WAIT! WHAT ARE…? OI! I'M NOT A FLYING SQUIRREL…!"
Hizumi threw Mao in the direction of the key, having him meow out his little lungs.
The Contractor reappeared near the key on a sidewalk, reached down to grab it in the grass, but stopped as she heard Mao come soaring and plowing into her.
Mao rolled over a few times before catching his bearings, and said, "That wasn't part of my memory! At least not until I was a squirrel." Mao looked back at the naked woman lying on the ground, and gasped. "You're a guy? What a waste! You had some nice ankles!"
The contractor stood, looked over at Mao, and mumbled, "I was cosplaying as Rukia from Bleach. Who are you?"
"That's my question, but I think it'll be answered."
The Contractor looked over his shoulder, noticing Hizumi soaring towards them, and glowed blue to vanish. Hizumi landed near Mao while gazing around the scene.
"You couldn't keep her occupied a little longer?" reprimanded Hizumi.
"She was a guy. And sorry, but I was a little pissed off at someone who decided to use me as an American football! Have to admit, that was a heck of a throw. You should try out for the San Francisco Forty-Niners."
"Don't like American football. Where's the key?"
Mao walked over to pick up the key with his mouth. In the distance, sirens could be heard, making the comrades look at each other.
"They must be here for the cross dresser Contractor," concluded Mao.
"Go, I'll hold them off," said Hizumi.
Mao hopped into a tree and began heading off with Hizumi running towards the cops. Once there, he flung up to a rooftop and then leaped onto a police car. It stopped, along with the two other cars. He back flipped off the hood and stood in the headlights, hoping to give his prey a haunting feeling.
The cop doors opened with officers exiting it and, to his luck, Itashi Megumi was with them. His heart skipped a beat, making him wonder why she was back in town? Had she changed her mind and returned? And what was she wearing?
"Give it up, Reaper! We have you surrounded!" she shouted, aiming her gun with her colleagues.
Unwilling to take on Megumi, Hizumi flung out his wire and soared off. Doing so, the whole squad, except Megumi, opened fire and had bullets bounce off his coat before he reached a rooftop to run off.
"After him!" shouted Shoji.
Everybody returned to his and her cars. However, Megumi stood still while gazing into the park.
"Megumi…! Get in!" shouted Katashi.
"Go without me. I want to check on something."
Katashi frowned and entered the police car to follow Hizumi. She knew it would be a lost cause. Even so, it seemed he was acting as bait, as though trying to give someone else time.
Carefully, she entered the small park and began scanning the area. Things seemed fine to where she was about to give up, but she noticed a cat roaming around in the trees with something in its mouth. At first she thought nothing of it, believing it was a mouse, but she realized it was a key. Why would that be?
She followed it for a bit, trying to keep out of its view while it hopped from tree to tree, and then hopped to the ground.
"Few. That was close," said the cat.
Megumi's eyes widened, as she remembered her mom talking about a Contractor who worked for Madam Oreille that could inhabit animals.
She raised her gun, fired a shot by its front right paw, scaring it, and shouted, "Freeze, police!" The cat turned around to gaze at her. "Drop the key and, err, put your… paws… up…?"
"You look like her," commented the cat, confusing Megumi more. "Your mother. You both have nice ankles."
Without warning, the cat highlighted in blue, and then it fell unconscious. Megumi slowly approached it, tapped the cat with her feet, and looked on baffled.
"You should have checked your surroundings a little more," the voice said behind her. Megumi turned around and saw a crow flying off. "Later, Detective Itashi!"
Megumi snorted while lowering her gun, and shouted, "It's Lieutenant!"
She picked up the key that had been left behind to gaze at it, noticing three numbers.
201.
Xxx
Dressed in her usual outfit, Megumi sat at her former desk the next day, staring at the key confused. What did the numbers mean? Did it go to a safe deposit box, a locker, or something else? Usually in this day of age, people used his or her fingerprints to unlock things. More to the point, why the numbers 201? Did it belong to BK201? Did it unlock an apartment he might be hiding at?
"Megumi, we need to talk," said Katashi, as he walked up to her.
"About?"
"Why you didn't fire at BK201?"
"Cause I knew it would do no good. And he wasn't the real BK201, but the fake, or should I say, the new Kuro no Shinigami."
"How would you know?"
"He looked too young," she lied.
The truth was that Hizumi didn't attack them because she was there. No doubt it had surprised him, as she was surprised too.
"Looked too young?" questioned Katashi. "It was dark. Plus the lights were on him. There was no way to tell." Megumi's jaw line tightened. This was not the time or place to test her patience. "You find out anything about that key."
"No. Everything I tried comes up blank."
"Losing your touch, Megumi?" spoke up Shoji, as he walked up to them.
"At least I thought something was afoot!"
"Yeah, or you just wanted to find an excuse not to chase the Black Reaper and got lucky."
"What are you getting at, Shoji."
"You know."
Katashi looked between them, and said, "What…? What's going on here?"
"Wait, what? You never told him?"
"Tell me what?"
"The new Black Reaper is her ex-boyfriend, Hizumi!"
Megumi glared at Shoji, knowing he was jealous of Katashi and Hizumi. She wanted to start a new set of strikes on him.
"Is this true?" asked Katashi.
Megumi stood while slamming the key on the desk and entered the elevator to leave.
Xxx
"You lost it!" yelled Hizumi, glaring down at Mao in his apartment while still wearing his Reaper mask and outfit.
"Apparently you didn't give me enough cover," shot back Mao. "Because of it, I had to change animals and circle around for a while before I could return to my cat form. If I didn't, Madam Oreille would put me through hell for losing the mike in this collar. And speaking of your lame cover, it wouldn't have anything to do with your girlfriend, would it?"
"No, and she's not my girlfriend."
"Hei didn't train you well enough. You're a terrible liar."
"So what now?"
"We have to sneak into the Foreign Affairs. That's Madam Oreille's demands."
"We? You mean me. What's so special about that key?"
"Beats me."
"Anything about the Contractor?"
"No. At least Madam Oreille isn't saying anything about it. Err, should you be wearing that outfit and mask?"
"I don't have a change of clothes. I'm doing laundry."
"People in this district think an old man lives here. Not Kuro no Shinigami. You should change into the old man outfit like Madame O asked you while Hei is gone."
"I don't care. I'm tired of wearing that old getup. I can't breath in it, it smells of his stench and I can't pick up chicks! Besides, my face is covered."
"You can't pick up chicks in that outfit, either."
"Not my point. I'm already compared to him; my hair, eyes, and my collarbone. I want something of my own."
"How exactly is wearing that outfit, not him?"
"You're still missing my point. This doesn't smell like him."
"B.O?" smirked Mao, as he waved his paw in front of his nose. "You say you want to be known for you, but you are just like your father. You two never seem to bore me."
Outside Hizumi's apartment, he opened the window and threw Mao out it, having him meow out his lungs again.
Xxx
At the Foreign Affairs, Hizumi entered, wearing a white shirt, blue pants and black shoes, and walked up to the security checkpoint. A tall dark-skinned man dressed in a security outfit stood before a scanner. Next to him was his partner, who was a young Caucasian man, and a Japanese guard behind the counter to their left.
The dark-skinned man waved Hizumi through, not setting off the alarm.
"Business why you're here," said the dark-skinned man.
"I'm here to see Detective Itashi Megumi," he said. "Tell her its Hizumi."
The guard looked at him dumbfounded, but shrugged it off and dialed Section Four's number to have a young woman appear on it.
"Hello, Sean," she said. "How can I help you?"
"Hello, Sakura. There's a gentleman by the name of Hizumi here to see Detective Itashi."
"Hi—Hizumi… you say?"
"Ah, yes?"
"Really…?"
"Yes."
"Black hair, blues eyes, smooth collarbone?"
"Err, yes…?"
"Oh my, oh my… eh, what do I do…? Err… err…?
Hizumi presented his wrists, and said, "How about arresting me."
Xxx
Hizumi sat cuffed to the table in the interrogation room, staring at a one-way mirror. It had been over two hours after his arrest. He guessed they wanted to take their time and try to make him sweat.
Finally, the door to his left opened, having an Asian man, who wore a black coat, blue jeans and brown sketchers, enter. His black hair was done up a little messy and his eyes were black, but seemed colder than what they should be.
He sat across from Hizumi and glared at him while leaning back in his chair.
"I'm Section-Chief Kiski Shoji. I have to admit; I'm surprised, a wanted man like you just walked in here and surrendered. Why is that?"
"I want to speak with Detective Itashi Megumi."
Shoji's right eye twitched. "Sorry, that's not going to happen."
"Then I have nothing to say. You want me to talk, bring her in."
"What is it with you two? What do you see in each other?"
"Why would you care? Jealous?"
"Of a criminal?" Shoji laughed. "I think not."
"Liar." Hizumi smirked.
Shoji's top lip trembled in discuss. He was centimeters from slamming Hizumi's head into the table, but that wasn't him.
The door opened to have Megumi enter, and said, "Leave us, Shoji."
He turned around and began saying, "The heck…!"
"Do it!"
Shoji cursed while standing, walked over to her, glaring into her eyes, and muttered, "This is a mistake," before departing the room.
Megumi closed the door and sat before her ex.
"First off, it's Lieutenant. Second, what?" she stated, coldly.
"I need the key you took from Mao," said Hizumi, bluntly.
"Mao? He's the animal who swapped bodies in front of me yesterday, right? Didn't he work with my mom too?"
"Give me the key and let me go. I guarantee no one will get hurt. If you don't, I can't guarantee what will happen."
Megumi chuckled. "Not going to happen. Who is KB101? Does he work for you and Madam O, and where can I find him. Not to mention, where can I find Madam O?"
"I don't know."
"Don't know or can't tell me."
"I don't know. KB101 attacked Mao and me when we were digging up the key."
Megumi laughed. "You? The fearsome new Black Reaper, digging a hole? Come on. How trivial does that sound?"
"If I knew, I would tell you, Megumi. Believe me."
"Sorry, but I can't." She stood to leave. "Get comfy, Kuro no Shinigami, you'll be staying as a resident for a long time."
"Sorry, but no I won't."
He flung off the cuffs, grabbed Megumi around her neck, and took her gun while putting it up against her side. Shoji and another man entered while aiming their guns.
"Let her go," said the sharp face, muscular man.
"Get me the key and I will," ordered Hizumi.
"Can't do that!"
"Then she dies."
Hizumi began gesturing as though he was going to shoot.
"No, wait!" shouted Shoji. "We'll get you the key."
"No you don't, Shoji," ordered Megumi. "Just shoot him!"
"Just wait a minute."
"Shoji, no!"
Shoji departed, heading back to the main office and having Megumi curse at him. Within minutes, he returned with the key in hand.
"Here," said Shoji, as he was about to toss it.
"Stop! Slide it over to me." Shoji did so, having it stop before them. Hizumi directed Megumi downwards. "Pick it up." She did as told, ready to hand it over to him. "Hold onto it."
"Wait! You said you'd let her go!" yelled Shoji.
"I did, but I still need leverage," said Hizumi, as he stood with Megumi. "Move aside!"
The two men stood their grounds.
"Would either of you two just shoot!" shouted Megumi.
"Move, Shoji!" yelled the sharp face man.
"Katashi!"
The two men stepped aside, giving Hizumi room to move. Once cleared, he guided her over to the elevator, entered it, and road it downwards.
"Call the lobby and tell Sean to get ready for them!" yelled Shoji at Sakura.
She nodded and called the lobby.
Inside the elevator, Hizumi released Megumi and gestured for her to give him the key. She decided to throw it at his face, which he caught inches from it.
"I was never going to hurt you, Megumi."
"Bite me, Shinigami!"
"Hizumi."
"No, I won't ever call you that. As far as I know, Hizumi died in my arms."
Hizumi averted his eyes from hers.
In the lobby, the security guards stood at the ready. After what felt like an hour, the elevator reached the lobby and opened to reveal Megumi walking out alone with her gun in its holster.
"He escaped through the hatch above and headed to the roof with his wire," she said.
"How? He had nothing on him?" asked Sean.
"He must have snuck in early and set up his escape or had someone help him."
"I assure you, none of my guys helped."
"No. Someone like an ignorant cat who can squirm through vents helped him."
Up somewhere in the elevator shaft, Mao was making his escape as he sneezed.
"That came out of nowhere?" questioned Mao. "Must be dusty up here."
In the lobby, Sean looked at her baffled. Moments later, the other elevator reached the floor. Shoji and Katashi exited with their guns in hand, looking dumbfounded.
Megumi glared at them devilishly. "Shoot next time."
"And hit you?" questioned Katashi. "I don't think so."
"Let me worry about that," she said, believing her curse was still intact. If it weren't, at least she would die with dignity.
"Where is he?" Katashi sighed.
Megumi repeated what she had told Sean.
"Then let's head to the roof," said Shoji.
"No time. To the garage," replied Megumi.
"Do you know which way he went?"
"No, but I'm not about to let a criminal go scot free." They headed down to the ground floor, but to their luck, all the tires had been slashed. "Damn Reaper!"
Suddenly, she noticed a blue car to her right. Her eyes widened as she recognized it as her mother's Porsche, but it couldn't have been. The last time she had seen it, it had over dozens of bullet holes and was being towed towards a junkyard.
Megumi ran over, opened the driver side door and peered in it to see the key was in the ignition. Looking back at her partners, she yelled, "Get in!"
"You serious?" the two men asked.
"You even know how to drive a fossil-fueled car?" questioned Shoji. "Not to mention, it doesn't look like it has one of those auto shifters in it."
"Automatic. And no, it's a manual," replied Megumi, as she sat in the driver seat. The men began to enter, but began fighting on who got the front. "You guys are wasting time! Shoji, take the back!"
"But I'm…"
"Do it!"
Sighing, Shoji did so with Katashi taking shotgun. Remembering how her mother started the car, Megumi began to turn the key, but nothing happened.
"Now who's wasting time," babbled Shoji.
"Back seat driver," she said, like her father had to her mother.
"What does that mean?"
Ignoring his comment, she rethought on her memory, trying to recall what her mother had also done. Then it came to her. Her mother always pressed down on the third pedal and then started the car.
Megumi copied the action, and with luck, the engine roared to life, intimidating her. She was astounded at the feeling of the car rumbling underneath her, even though she had experienced it before, but never behind the wheel, and the engine idling was loud.
Without thinking, she released the third pedal, and tried to place the shifter into gear one, but ended up grinding it.
"Oh, stupid!" she said to herself.
She re-pressed the third pedal and repeated her action, sliding it into gear. Once she thought it was good, Megumi released the pedal, only to have it stall.
"That went well," muttered Shoji.
"Oh, shut up!" said Megumi, restarting the car.
This time, she slowly let up on the pedal while pressing the gas, and began taking off with a little jolt. The power was something else under her feet. She directed the car to the ramp and stopped the car, stalling it again.
"Damn it! Third pedal, third pedal!"
Firing up the Porsche again, they took off, feeling as though she was on a rocket from the g-force, Megumi merged into traffic, trying to put the shifter into the second slot, but grinding the gears again before slamming down on the third pedal.
"Look around the rooftop," said Megumi, shifting gears while trying to handle traffic.
The men did so, as they tried bracing from the jolting motion. After a minute looking, Katashi said, "I got nothing."
Megumi's phone rang, which had Katashi grab and answer it. Sakura's face appeared.
"We got reports of a man swinging from rooftop to rooftop near the JR Line," she informed.
"Thanks, Sakura," said Megumi, as she took a hard right while grinding more gears.
"Which service car are you driving? It's kind of making me nauseous from here?"
"We're not. I'm driving my mom's car."
Megumi made a left, not forgetting the third pedal this time.
"Wait, what? Oh never mind. I'm going to be sick!"
Sakura ended the link. Megumi zigzagged around cars, believing she was getting the hang of a manual, but then grinded another gear.
"I see him!" shouted Katashi. "Look to your left."
Megumi did, but then ended almost hitting a car, and swerved around it. Hizumi noticed them and swung to his right. Cursing, Megumi had to wait a few meters before she could follow. Once she was allowed to, she was almost t-boned by an oncoming car.
"This is getting crazy!" yelled Shoji.
Megumi located Hizumi, as did he and headed left, having her copy him. They continued their cat and mouse chase until Hizumi came up to the JR line and landed to run inside.
Stopping the Porsche while double parking, and stalling it from forgetting to press down on the third pedal, the officers exited the car and headed into the train station. The place was packed with commuters.
"Split up, we'll cover more ground," ordered Megumi.
The two agreed and headed off. Megumi made her way towards the platform, showing her badge to a guard standing at a gate, and entered it. It too was cluttered with people, making it feel like finding a needle in a ton of haystacks.
She continued looking, as a train pulled into the station and began letting passengers off. It made it worse, but to her luck, she spotted a man with black hair wearing a white shirt and blue pants. She removed her gun, pointed it at her suspect, and yelled, "Police, freeze!" Commuters looked around confused, and then began running on the train or somewhere where he or she thought they were safe.
The man in white and blue turned to show it wasn't Hizumi, but KB101. His eyes widened in shock, as did Megumi's, and as he was about to highlight blue, somebody hit him from behind. KB101 fell forward, revealing Hizumi. Megumi aimed her gun at him, but as the train's doors closed, he slipped through it.
She ran over to the door, but it was too late. They stared at each other, Hizumi smiling as Megumi glared at him before the train departed. She thought about chasing it but didn't want KB101 to escape.
Xxx
Later that day, Megumi was getting ready to head back to Yokohama. A helicopter was waiting for her and Katashi on the roof. Katashi entered and walked up to her.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Megumi.
"You sure you don't want to stay another night with me?" Sakura asked. "I had it all planned out. A movie, karaoke, and then Animes at my place."
"No, it's all right. I have to get back anyways."
"Alright, err, where's Shoji? I know he'll want to say goodbye. Wait right here."
"It's all right, Sakura. We must be going."
"But, Megumi?"
"I'll talk to you later, Sakura. Bye," Megumi waved.
Sakura nodded and watched the couple step into the elevator with the doors closing. Two seconds later, Shoji entered.
"Well, the cosplayer is all locked up in his cell," he said. "Cosplaying as L from Death Note. Woo! Ore?" He looked around baffled. "They already leave?"
Sakura looked at him startled, and then glared displeased. She knew he was hiding around the corner, waiting for them to leave. Irritated, she walked over and kicked him in the shins.
"Ouch!" he yelled. "What was that for?"
"You know! And that's strike one!"
Fukazawa had been peeking over his desk watching, but returned to his work, as Sakura approached hers.
"That was scary, scary!" he mumbled.
Xxx
Holding a briefcase, Madam Oreille stood on a rooftop looking at the Foreign Affairs Head Quarters, watching Megumi's ride head for Yokohama, as the sun began to set. Mao walked up to her with the key in his mouth. Bending down, she took it from him.
"Are you going to tell me what that's for?" Mao asked.
Smiling, she placed the key in a slot on the briefcase, and turned it. Madam Oreille opened the case and showed vacation pictures of her and Richardo.
"Wait? That's what Hizumi and I risked our lives for? Some pictures?"
"But these are our memories, Richardo!"
"Tsk! What was the point of hiding the key and having us retrieve it?"
"To have a little fun with Hizumi and Megumi."
Mao looked up at her baffled, and said, "You planned all this? From KB101 up to the key? You do know he almost killed her, right?"
"Oh, I knew she wouldn't die."
"How? Her curse? I thought it was over with." Madam Oreille smiled in response, indicating she knew something about it, but wouldn't reveal what it was."
"And the number 201? I take it has nothing to with anything?"
"It's the month and date we went out the first time. February, first."
"Tsk! Who was the guy KB101 killed?"
"An old colleague of mine I had no longer needed service from. Or rather, he didn't want my service anymore."
Mao cringed, and said, "I think, if I want to retire from your service, I need to have you sign a written document."
"What's to say he didn't?"
Madam Oreille walked past Mao, giving him chills down his spine.