The next day...
Case number: 2026426-5
Report: Tracking and arrest of Wakamatsu Kaito (alias "Khanate") was a success. Arrested under following charges: 4 cases of sexual assault and 6 cases of kidnapping. All Virtual. Attempted to use hostage for bargaining. Hostage has been recommended therapy. Should recover shortly. Real world arrest suffered no issues. Kaito did not leave apartment before arrest. Currently, no proof of connections to other similar organisations in Gun Gale Online or other virtual reality games. Kaito worked independently with his group. Justification was simply for entertainment, evidence seems to show this as well. No other clear motive.
Trial of Kaito currently pending. See document 3 for evidence of cases. Other members pleaded guilty in helping a criminal cause. Trials also currently pending. Motives were money based. Paid unknown amount of yen.
All members conducted their work without delay nor issues. Funding, however, still remains an issue in achieving faster results. Furthermore, a request to improve communication with other Divisions to allow for increased coordination between Divisions for large scale operations.
Concludes investigation within VRMMORPG Gun Gale Online by the First Virtual Security Division, all files are to be transferred to Cybercrime Division and Criminal Investigation Bureau for further investigation and prevention for similar crimes.
Honda Andrew, Officer of First Virtual Security Division
One by one, the documents were transferred digitally. Others were scanned, a blue light dancing back and forth in a dark corner. Though neatly organised, a pile of paper began to grow beside a wooden desk. They held paragraphs upon paragraphs of detail and descriptions on the case, all in a somewhat neat handwriting. The printer hummed as Honda hummed to himself. "I play the great score. There will be no encore… Oh, hello."
As he reached down, where a pile used to be, not a single sheet remained. He was finished, at last. At last! The dancing blue light finally stopped its performance, to silent cheers. It was all complete. He reached for a computer on the other side of the darkened room, then dragged the files onto the email. Thirty seconds later, it was all attached. Swiftly, after some quick checks, he sent the email.
"All done before lunch too," Honda muttered to himself, opening the curtains to let in the cold morning sunlight, "Just have to log in to tell everyone…"
He turned around. What an organised mess it all was. Paper was everywhere in neat piles. They can be sorted out later, he thought. After all, he was never truly off duty.
Beside the computer, a mattress lay with an Amusphere upon it. Both were underneath a large picture. Honda stared at it. "The creation of Gun Shield… Still, we are missing the conclusion to our first case."
In an instant, he grabbed some files from the bottom of a pile located beside the mattress. In bold black writing, its title was: 'The Death Gun Incident'. A case from a few months ago, to many it seemed complete and ready for the cabinet. Not to Honda however. One member still remained, Kanamoto Atsushi: former participant of Sword Art Online at its time of terrifying debut, member of the infamous guild Laughing Coffin, tripartite of the Death Gun persona in Gun Gale Online, accomplice of murders. "Still on the run, yet no sign ever since December… Suspicious, extremely so. Even with all of our power as a Police force, no one is closer to coming to the truth. Let's just hope nothing serious comes up soon."
Underneath the summarised report, Honda grabbed a warrant. It was Atsushi's old address, before he went on the run. No sign of him was found, the third member had packed it way before the Police broke down his doors. Ever since then, the case remained open for Honda. Yet, nothing new came. Not even a red herring or dead end lead. Maybe even a nebulous sketch of his appearance from eyewitnesses. Another day perhaps something will come through. But, with a depressed sigh, he could only put down the files and focus on the present. Speaking of…
Honda lay upon the white spongy mattress and gently placed the AmuSphere on. "Link Start!"
"Damn, he's even uglier in real life."
Sabretooth wasn't sure if it came out of his mouth or from someone else's, but it nevertheless made him snicker. Every member of Gun Shield had been given a copy of the report via email. Contained within were the results of yesterday's hunt: strings of text detailing the warrant and the bureau's steps, punctuated with inserted images that showed an apartment residence, interior shots of some messy rooms, and close-ups of various suspected items - all from the real world. And last but not least, the image of their latest quarry. Judging by what he had witnessed, Sabretooth had expected for this Khanate to be a dime-a-dozen goon, short-haired, thick-faced, probably other unsavoury attributes all stereotypical in nature. But here he was, with messy black hair with an equally scraggly stubble, both of which seemed to not have met a barber in weeks.
Dismissing the report, Sabretooth's attention was brought back to the present. Around him sat the rest of his team, reading or chatting idly amongst themselves as they lounged around the confines of their shared meeting room. Like any other in Gun Gale Online, it was all virtual but with the luxuries of privacy and exclusivity. Rooms such as this would be on a loan, their personality restricted to temporary amenities. But with a round table, stylized walls adorned with precise patterns, personal livery, and a catalogued depository, this was no mere borrowed meeting room - this was headquarters of the First Virtual Security Division. They had been chatting for a little while before the reports were given out, without a topic to cling to. Sabretooth sat at an edge of the table, yawning. "Good job everyone. This is the third similar arrest this month."
"His arrest brings our total up to ten," Oracle replied, sitting directly opposite to him. He remained fixed to the digital copy of the report as he read it in full top to bottom, his grey eyes visibly scanning through it like a typewriter as he processed and chewed on the information ceaselessly.
Sabretooth looked at his fellow sniper - and officer - with a bemused look. 'I bet he's the type to actually read EULAs.' He leaned back on his seat. "Well, give Kikuoka our regards. Thanks to him our little project is actually doing some good after only six months."
Oracle's lips curled in disgust. "Good or not, I still find this whole idea awfully volatile. Even if the genre of VRMMOs has cultivated to hold widespread public attention, his and your idea of policing… video games was rightfully sceptical. And don't get me started on our reputation..."
"Reputation-schmeptuation!" Began Ricochet, who had been dribbling a ball for entertainment since the meeting began. She continued, refusing to look Oracle in the eyes, "So far, I'd say we make a good team. It would be better if some didn't complain all of the time. All you do is complain!"
"Did you really think it was our teamwork I had in mind, Tanizaki? You're more antiquated with this game and its made-up pastiche of a world yet you seemed to forget that ever since our inception, we remain a rather polarizing presence here. Need I remind you the slew of disparaging rumors we get about us, the so-called 'Gun Shield' for the simple fact that we police what occurs here?"
"And I thought I was the problem-child of this madhouse." From a secluded corner of the table with his feet on top sat their "technical specialist" Clover. Wrapped in drab dark colours of his jacket, scarf, and cap, he would have hid himself from within a shroud of reticence had he not butted in. "Guess not being an entitled brainiac paid for itself."
Oracle glared daggers at him. "And don't get me started on you, convict!"
The air in the room began to grow dangerously hot as Oracle zeroed in on Clover. With a heavy sigh, Ricochet caught the ball but did not let go. Tossing it away, she turned towards the two. "Look you two, I-"
Heavy hands gripped her sides from behind as Ricochet suddenly felt her feet running on empty air. She turned with surprise to see Jägerin. "H-hey!"
"To be frank, this calls for a calmer approach," she cautioned, bringing her gaze level with Ricochet's (which meant the latter's feet was well a foot or two above ground). "The last thing we all need is for you to bounce all over the walls like you routinely do."
"What? That's not even what that expression means! C'mon, let go!" But before the situation could deteriorate further, a fist slammed loudly on the table. All heads turned towards Sabretooth, his gaze meeting each and every one of them as he regained the situation. The whole room fell silent.
He began after a pause. "This case has now officially closed. Done a day before intended. Which shows how efficiently we work as a team. What matters is the present, and in the present we are Gun Shield. Let's try to act like we are actually a well organised group next time. You all have the day off. Furthermore, since there are no new cases as of currently, tomorrow is a return to patrol duty. Hope you all can cope on my day off. Everyone is dismissed, see you all in two days. Except you Yomikawa, we need to talk."
A still air draped the room. Jägerin was the first to move as she nudged Clover out, followed swiftly by Ricochet before the automatic door shut behind them with barely a hiss. That left Sabretooth and Oracle staring at either ends of the table. Silence came and went with a cough from Sabretooth.
"You know better than to reference reputation in such a manner, Yomikawa Daichi. You are my advisor, not one with a sole purpose of putting others down."
"And as your advisor, I still stand by my words, Honda Andrew." Oracle sighed, "I continue to see numerous problems prevailing our job, a chief one among them being our choice of members. You know as well as I how informal they are."
"Informal or not, they're skilled and more importantly, motivated… Well maybe not for Clover. But that's a different story. Unless you can find more to join our ranks, I see no somewhat justified reason to replace them."
"And now that you brought him up, there is plenty that should be said about him." Bringing up his hand, Oracle brought up a semi-transparent blue menu, a motion Sabretooth was familiar with ever since the others brought him up to speed with Gun Gale Online. White words withered and were quickly replaced by others. "Kato Isao, or as many refer to him, Clover - male, currently 17 years of age. Discovered his talent with computers and computer systems as a teenager, but apparently felt that breaking into online accounts was a wise allocation of his skills. Was caught and charged for breaking into company accounts after finally lowering his guard enough for him to be apprehended, but the only reason why he's among us is because he was offered a choice: serve as a member of the First Virtual Security Division or face incarceration. Needless to say, he went with what would save his own skin."
"It was by my decision actually." Sabretooth looked to where Clover sat only moments ago with a gentle smile. "I saw promise in him. Granted he can be… extremely pessimistic at times, but Kato is a valuable member to the team. Even if he does still scrape the boundary of the law, he helps in more ways than one. Take this case, he got the address of the main guy Wakamatsu and handed it to the arresting unit. And think about all the other times that he's pitched in. That saved us a lot of time and resources. In this day and age, we need those that are a whizz with technology."
"And I prefer those who we can trust!" Oracle argued. "Kato is an unruly wild-card. His gifts pose a major risk as they are as much of a threat to us as they are to those we condemn. Do you recall all of the incidents I've reported to you? Allow me to illustrate a few: Case number 2026326-2, he was caught attempting to break into Zaskar client servers while performing his duties. Case number 2026407-8, a cache of data collated from various players was discovered, all directly unrelated to the case at hand and with Kato's fingerprints all over it. Case number 2026419-1, Kato 'conveniently' neglected to purge the acquired information after the target was apprehended, and it was then discovered that this was not the first time he had done so. The list goes on, and this is merely just the beginning of all the ire that should have reached your ears."
Sabretooth rubbed the back of his head. "Right… I remember you keep tabs on everything he does. Wouldn't miss out on him even sneezing out of your sight." Commentary over, he cleared his throat. "I admit he's done some stuff behind our backs, the sort of stuff that would get us kicked out of any police or government force. And I am duly aware of the complaints you've sent my way, thank you very much. But as much of a risk factor Clover may be, we don't have much alternatives."
"And this justifies his involvement in our organisation? I like to kindly remind you that he presents a great moral and ethical question of where the First Virtual Security Division stands. I am not the only one in the Bureau who is concerned of the ramifications of actively pursuing… underhanded methods of catching criminals."
Sabretooth looked at him with a serious expression. "I know that. Problem is, there's no real easy way to catch people online, especially with the age of immersive VRMMOs. Sometimes, to fight fire you gotta use a bit yourself. I'm not justifying the idea, I'm just saying we gotta accept the circumstances and work with them. If the SAO incident taught the world anything, it's that tech can shape our world just as much as it can be used to kill us. If the bad guys are going to use that tech to their advantage, then it would be foolish not to use it to our advantage either. Kato might be a snake, but it's better that he be our snake if you catch my drift. And besides, we have you to watch over him to make sure he doesn't mess up."
Oracle sighed as he swiped left on the menu, more words appeared alongside another picture. "How about Miss Vigilante, Tanizaki Valorie? Or as she so insists on being referred to in this charade, Ricochet. Her background is as vague as can be, except for having lived in a troubled area in America with a Japanese father and an American mother before coming over. I know of the fact that her father was a former chief officer in the Japanese police force so I do not need to remind you how incompatible that is with her methods and gung-ho attitude (Americans...). I also know that there was an incident over in States before her father brought her here, but little else. Whatever happened over there, it isn't on her files and she's been keeping her mum about it as well."
"Probably for the best…" Sabretooth rested his head upon his hands, taking a deep breath, "I don't know either. All that matters to her is that she is no longer where she was. Her country may be behind her, but what happened has not. It's who she is now…" Sabretooth paused, as if those words were meant for him. But before he could get lost in his contemplations, he continued. "Regardless of what she may be hiding, that's not a good reason to put her under suspicion. And while it's true she's rather direct with her solutions, I don't mind them; kinda reminds me of myself. And while she's got a quirk, she means well. Plus I don't know any good agility-builds that can parkour like she does, so having her onboard can cover our angles. Better that someone of her skills work with us than not at all."
Oracle rolled his eyes. "If you insist. But I suggest that you also keep in mind our collective reputation and how she is affecting it. It's bad enough that we have a loose cannon under our wing, but it's another when said loose cannon creates spectacle. Recall the 'BillyKidd' arrest last month. Tanizaki defied direct orders to maintain observation and rushed right after him and his crew, throwing our entire carefully-laid plans into disarray. In the middle of a public gathering I should add, where weapons were prohibited and countless innocents in the area. BillyKidd was apprehended by Tanizaki but not without causing unrest in the process. Her methods in general have a tendency to attract unwanted attention; subtlety or methodology does not exist in that woman's vocabulary. But she's a foreigner, so I suspected this would be the case."
"... You do know I'm only half-Japanese myself, right?" Sabretooth asked, raising an amused eyebrow. "Yeah I remember that incident well enough. Plan from the start was simply recce work as we had no weapons. But as an old saying goes, no plan survives first contact. To be perfectly honest, I didn't expect her to not only bring BillyKidd down but his whole posse as well, and bare-handed no less. It was awkward covering up for her but in the end, we bagged him ahead of schedule so I can't complain. And it turned out he was going to do something on that same day. She's fast on her feet in more ways than one so we shouldn't look down on taking initiative. That said, I have been talking to her about slowing down so we can keep pace."
"I will maintain my own judgement of her, but I will accept the fact that you've been aware of the issue. Now then..." Again, Oracle summoned another profile on the menu. "Final member of this division: Narumi Noriko, AKA Jägerin. Currently enrolled at Kyoto University to study criminal law. According to records, she joined the Criminal Investigation Bureau's First Virtual Security Division after learning of its establishment from the campus. Aside from having no familial relations with the Bureau or Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, no substantial point of contention regarding her."
Sabretooth raised an eyebrow. "So what's the problem?"
Oracle opened his mouth to reply, but it was clear that his train of logic had hit a snag. "It… it's simply that there's nothing else I can think of regarding Narumi. She may have nothing of suspect, being one of the more normal ones here, but simultaneously there is nothing of real merit in her background. You may be the chief officer thanks to the Death Gun incident months ago, Tanizaki the deputy officer if only for her supposed ingame skills, and the convict our specialist, but for Narumi she lacks any meaningful talent. She respects the chain of command and follows orders, but we could find practically anyone who can do the same. She is not a leader, but rather a follower. If she were to be removed, there would hardly be any difference."
The analysis was met with a shrug. "Jägerin might not be special, but there's no one as down to earth (and maybe a little blunt) as she is. And by virtue of seeking us out, I'd say she's as committed to justice as we all are. I'd say to just give her time; maybe you'll start to see something in her. In fact, if you ever warm up to the team a little more, I'm sure everyone will be willing to talk more about themselves with you. But, each to their own. Don't forget you came from a much more privileged upbringing than most of the squad. You'd be saying very different opinions if you were in similar shoes to them. Anything else you are willing to add?"
"Actually… there's one more thing." Oracle's eyes shifted away from his interface and directly towards him. "Since I was on the topic of addressing each and every member of this team, I have not yet covered you, Honda."
Already a tight feeling swelled in Sabretooth's gut as he stared back. Something told him he wasn't going to like where this was going. "... And what have you got to say that you weren't able to until now?"
With a doubtless expression, he began. "I'm aware of your vast experience with this game, Gun Gale Online, and I'm also aware of your involvement - and contribution - to this 'Death Gun' incident that you helped solve months ago. This, combined with the fact that your father was once a detective, got the attention of the Criminal Investigation Bureau who found a use for you, hence why you have been offered to work with the First Virtual Security Division as its lead officer. But when I delved deeper into your files, they noted an incident twelve years ago in Osaka."
Sabretooth crossed his arms. But deep down, he was tense. His pulse slowly rose. Against his better judgement, he bit. "... How is this relevant?"
"... Something happened with your sister, didn't it? Honda Erika? The reports mentioned-"
"That is not your place to look into," Sabretooth interjected. "What happened to my sister that day is none of your business."
Oracle paused; a tactical reconsideration. "Very well. But something happened to you, did it not? I was under the impression it was simply post-traumatic stress disorder, but something suggests there is more to it. I'm not acquainted with human psychology or disorders but something changed inside you since that day, something that you are still receiving therapy for."
Sabretooth sighed, but kept his guard up. "And I'll ask again: how is this relevant? Where are you going with this?"
Oracle continued, sensing a breakthrough. Carefully, he advanced. "... With your mental scars, can I trust you to act rationally? Can I- can we trust you to not be a danger to the others, as our leader? This may just be a game, but with how immersive it is the line between what's real and what's not has become increasingly blurry. With us acting out what we would otherwise from the comfort of our seats and with controllers in our hands, can the human mind tell the difference? What we do here is more than just 'shooting the bad guys' - what we do is contend with the darker side of people, people who choose to give in to their selfish instincts, people who are human like us.
"... You've seen it happen twelve years ago. Chances are we'll encounter more of it in our line of work. If there's something we need to know about your condition, I'd like to be properly informed of it beforehand."
The two stood in silence. Words were not spared, but Sabretooth gave a curt nod. "... Noted. In the meantime, keep what I said in mind." He paused as he suddenly looked around. "Guess we took our sweet time. We got the rest of the day off today and I'd like to spend the most of it. What about you?"
A tired scoff. "Making reports. What else? Part of my job, save for performing our duties and keeping the convict on a tight leash, is to keep the higher-ups informed of our performance. You haven't forgotten that they expect meaningful progress from us, have you? And I'm not just talking about Kikuoka Seijirou - the Criminal Investigation Bureau, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, even the National Public Safety Commission may hear of our deeds. They may be impressed so far, but give them a reason to doubt..."
Sabretooth nodded. "No need to remind me how fickle bureaucrats can be. You're not alone in thinking Kikuoka's idea was farfetched… Well, keep up the good work. See you tomorrow."
He watched as Oracle disappeared into blue dust. No comment, no farewells, all characteristic of him. Sabretooth didn't hold it against him, he was used to it. Just as he got used to his new job.
He just hope they could get used to each other.
Stepping out, Sabretooth was immediately beset upon by questions. The other three members of Gun Shield had waited for him to exit the room, loitering around the concealed entrance where nothing but illusions and unassuming appearances (and of course, a locked door) stood between the public world and their own. Hiding in plain sight, as it were. First to greet him (which he didn't find surprising), was Ricochet who he glimpsed her prancing aimlessly when he emerged. "'Bout time you got out. I was wondering if we were gonna have to stay here forever. So watcha tell him?"
Sabretooth shrugged his shoulders. "What happened in there is just between me and Yomikawa. But don't worry, it's been all sorted out."
"He's right," Jägerin said as she approached from behind the deputy officer. "If it was serious enough to warrant us to be outside, then chances are it was of confidential manner. If the commander wishes to speak to us about it, then he will tell us about it."
"Or we can simply assume that he had nothing but complaints about us, like he always does," interjected Clover who stood apart from the rest, leaning against a wall made of iron sheets. "'Oh Clover? He's got a criminal record just because dumbasses made 123456 their personal password which means he should be locked up like a scum of society he is. Ricochet, she can't sit still for two seconds, that filthy outsider. Jägerin, she's duller than my sex life'!"
Sabretooth and Ricochet sputtered with laughter much to Jägerin's confusion. "Um… Regardless, does this mean we are formally dismissed?"
"For now, yes. You all have the rest of the day off as well. Make the most of it. I will as well. Although, if I may ask, what will you three be doing? Hopefully curiosity doesn't kill the cat."
Ricochet cracked her knuckles. "I'm gonna stick around here for a while longer. Day's still young and so am I! I think I'll hit the monster arenas and do some grinding. Maybe catch some scrubs to practice on; gotta keep myself fit!"
"I doubt that as this is purely a simulation," Jägerin admonished her in a neutral tone. "Your natural body won't be getting any benefits so it's important that you find time to log out and unwind. Then do said exercises in the real world, of course without violence."
"Okay, mom, but it's just that there isn't much to do outside GGO. Hmm… Probably either help out my dad or read something..."
"Not a bad idea," Jägerin nodded. "I have my own studies to catch up on. Do you read anything on your free time? My studies had me read some Christie, Doyle, and I've recently found interest in Dostoevsky. Especially with the book 'The Brothers Karamazov'."
Ricochet shook her head. "Nah, I got a slew of comic books I got from the States. I ain't reading thousand page stuff from the 19th century or whenever it was made. Started with The Punisher series and now I'm almost done reading through all the Batman stuff. So far it's been kickass."
"...What's a Batman?"
"Well, adios. If we're done then I guess there's no point in me being here," Clover suddenly added, turning his back to the team. "I'm sure no one's gonna miss me if I leave. And I doubt anyone would care if I did, so yeah. Bye." Before anyone could react, he had stepped into nothingness, leaving only blue pixels in his wake where he once was. Eyes turned towards where the avatar once stood.
Ricochet looked at the emptiness where Clover once stood with a sigh. "Clover doesn't make it easy on himself, does he? First thing he's gonna see when he wakes up is Oracle's face." She paused to turn to the others. "Well, I'm off. Catch ya'll later." And with that, Ricochet ran off with a dash, running jumping along the wall like her namesake before vanishing out of sight. Only the occasional whistle of a rope extending and tightened echoed quietly but even this faded quickly.
Then it was just down to just her and Sabretooth, Jägerin turned to look at him. "Well she's gone. I suppose there is no point in sticking around any longer now. A question if I may, sir?"
"No need for the formalities, Jägerin. Now, what's on your mind?"
"May I ask what your plans are, for your time off? Will you be taking a break from your work?"
Taking a breath, Sabretooth considered her question. "Not exactly… Got some important errands to run right after this. A bit of community service, you see.
"Just gotta help out some people with their pasts."
