Yakuza: The Chain of Hate
Chapter 2: Faster than the Fuzz
(2:30 AM)
"Move it! We needed this shipment out of the bay half an hour ago!"
A common thug was counting the last of the heads in the cage before he motioned for another to move it onto the ship. One of the younger girls silently cried but was promptly shut up when the yakuza kicked the cage.
"If I hear a single peep out of you, we're changing this entire operation to organ selling! Now shut up!"
The girl continued to weep, albeit at a smaller volume. Satisfied, the yakuza draped a tarp over the cage to prevent peering eyes and walked to inspect the next one in line.
"Hey, bring the next cage over! We need to get a move on!"
Strangely enough, he didn't hear a response from anyone. Grimacing, he made his way over to the cage.
"I swear to god if you're asleep or drunk… "
Turning the corner, he was met with a surprising sight, or rather, the lack of one. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary despite the lack of guards. He started to get a chill down his spine.
"Hey! Where the hell are you guy-?"
Suddenly, an unknown figure had snuck up behind him and caught him in a headlock. His throat felt a crushing sensation as the assailant prevented air from entering into his lungs. Despite his best attempts to break free, his vision darkened and he felt his arms lose their weight. He felt himself being put onto the ground and the last thing he saw was the faint design of a kitsune mask.
Later…
"Reports tell of a thwarted prostitution ring shipment earlier this morning. Officers say that they received an anonymous tip around 2 o'clock telling them to prepare several squad cars for arresting criminals and ambulances to treat any potential victims. Several yakuza involved in the operation have sustained several injuries but none are fatal. A total of 57 young women between the ages of 10 to 22 years of age were rescued from a lifetime of sexual abuse. A few of them claimed that they were rescued by a man wearing a kitsune kabuki mask. This marks the 10th consecutive time such a report has happened. Police are asking anyone who has information on this mysterious vigilante to please call the police department."
Hachiman Iura laid down on the ground as the TV played in the background. Last night's escapade went on for a bit longer than usual, thus he hadn't had enough sleep to properly function. Fortunately, he had plenty of coffee. Getting up and welcoming the day, he slugged over to his coffee machine and poured himself a cup.
"Hmm, looks like the cops got my message."
*beep* *beep* *beep*
Hachiman turned to see his phone alarm ringing. Seeing the time and realizing how long he had slept for, he cursed and ran to get changed. Currently, the time was 4:20 PM while his shift at Dusk-to-Dawn started at 5.
"Shit, gotta hurry to catch the bus!"
As he went to put on his shoes, he turned to a picture on the wall and bowed to it before he left.
Later…
Luck truly was on his side today. Not only did he manage to catch the bus before it left, but he was 10 minutes early. Rolling up his sleeves, he got to work on opening up the bar. The establishment was nothing noteworthy; just your average hole-in-the-wall business with enough regulars to stay afloat and, more importantly, help him pay rent.
"You seem to be quite tired today, Hachi-san. Have you been getting enough sleep?"
Hachiman turned to the owner and scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Oh, no worries. I'm fine, Master. It's just that the couple next door to me… "
"Ah, gotcha. Maybe I should give you a raise. Then you might be able to move to a better complex!"
"Nah, my current pay is already more than enough. Besides, I wouldn't move out for the world; the old place has sentimental value for me as well."
The door opened and the two ceased their conversation, choosing to focus on the new customer coming in.
"Welcome, anything in mind for tonight?"
The hours flew by as customers came and went with the occasional drunk who needed to be called a cab. You surely couldn't have enough of those in Kamurocho.
Once it was time to close up shop, the master handed an envelope to Hachiman filled with the day's pay.
"That should cover it for tonight. Try to get some sleep this time around, alright?"
"I'll try. Thanks again, master."
Opting to go for a night stroll, he was back at his apartment building after half an hour.
"What the hell? Why are my lights on?"
As he looked up, he noticed that the lights in his room were on. A silhouette appeared from behind the curtains and promptly disappeared, most likely someone leaving the room.
"I swear if it's him again… "
He walked up the stairs and tested his doorknob to find that it was unlocked. Sighing and realizing that his suspicions were correct, he opened his door and was greeted with the smell of cigarette smoke.
"Well if it isn't the sly fox himself? What took you so long?"
The man before him was in an officer's uniform and had a pack of cigars in his hand.
"Ever wonder where I get my money? I was at work; I don't have time to be humoring you, Shimura."
"How rude! Is that how you treat your info broker?"
Like it or not, Shimura was the only way he was able to get non-publicized leads from the police. Anything that they couldn't legally take care of, Hachiman would conveniently be there to take the job.
"I'm guessing you're here because of another thing you cops can't handle?"
"Geez, you'd think I just come to you for business? I'd like to check in on my little vigilante every now and then. And that's Shimura-san to you, pal."
"Well then, Shimura-san, could you kindly not go into my house unannounced and smoking up the place? My landlords gonna have a fit."
"And I'll just wave my badge at him. Even if I do smoke in your apartment, it still smells loads better than the other rooms."
"Just do what you need to do and get out!"
Shimura narrowed his eyes and stood up.
"Fine, you wanna take that tone with me? Then how about I leak the fact that you're the Kitsune Vigilante to the police, eh?"
Hachiman turned to him with a mixed look of anger and fear in his eyes.
"You wouldn't do that. You've got connections with me. If I go down, you'll get canned."
"You think the boys at the precinct will care? Right now, they all hate you for taking the spotlight on private police investigations. They could care less about what you say, and even if they did listen, I've already covered my tracks. You've got nothing on me, and I've got everything on you. Don't you forget that."
At this point, Shimura was standing face-to-face with Hachiman, his breath stinking of nicotine. Hachiman glared at him for a while longer before breaking eye contact and backing down.
"Good. Now, the reason why I came to you today is a little token of thanks."
He pulled out a folder from his jacket and placed it on the table.
"Thanks to you giving me the anonymous tip, I was able to get a promotion for bringing the goons in."
"What's in it?"
Hachiman eyed the envelope suspiciously. Of course, it didn't contain anything dangerous, but it emanated a strange aura with him.
"The case file of your father's murder. It was a pain in the ass to find since it's an abandoned case. But, I thought I owed it to you for all the good you've done for me, so get cracking junior detective."
Hachiman's eyes did not leave the envelope on his table long after Shimura had closed the front door. In front of him was the object of his focus for years, but now that it was here, he hesitated to open it.
Was it really the truth? Who was to say that this wasn't another lie from Shimura to get him killed? But at the same time, what if it was the missing key he had been looking for?
Cautiously picking it up, Hachiman flipped open the flap to find a few folded pieces of paper. Pulling them out, he recognized that they were autopsy reports of one Hayato Iura, reportedly shot to death.
"Dad… who did this to you?"
Along with the bullet wounds, there were multiple bruises on the body as well as a severe concussion. Definitely signs of foul play before his demise.
The next page was part of an investigation; of the two gunshot wounds, one was found on the body while the second was found in an alleyway, most likely because of it passing clear through the body. The first wound was through the left shoulder, so nothing life-threatening about it. The second, however, had pierced through his lung, causing fatal damage and dying at the scene.
The last page, strangely, was not anything more about the case, but a request for extra ammunition from a police officer. Turning it around for any additional information, Hachiman flipped back to the front and continued reading.
"Request for two extra bullets of ammunition… two bullets?"
Taking the autopsy in his free hand, he checked the number of gunshot wounds. Sure enough, it was two bullets.
"No way… " Hachiman went back to the ammo request sheet.
"38 caliber bullet found on the body… request for two 38 caliber bullets!"
Was Shimura trying to tell him that his father was murdered by another officer? This couldn't be true. He compared the dates that the ammunition was requested and the date that his father died.
"Two days after? That's close enough to be a connection! This could be the guy!"
He checked over the request sheet for the name of the officer, tracing his finger over the lines until it stopped at…
"What? No that can't be right… "
Hachiman continued to read the name over and over again, but it stayed the same. The signature read Takata Rokuro, the name of Hayato's partner when he was still on the force.
"Wh-why, Rokuro-san? Why is the evidence pointing to you?"
Hachiman grabbed his phone and dialed Shimura's phone number. A few rings passed before the gruff man on the other side of the line spoke up.
"What, missing me already?"
"There's gotta be some kind of mistake! Or a coincidence! Someone else on the police force must have ordered a new set of ammunition!"
A sigh came from Shimura through the phone before he spoke up.
"Listen, kid. All the thoughts you're having right now are biased. So what if he was your daddy's best friend on the force? Evidence doesn't lie. I pulled up all the files myself and he was the only one who requested ammunition that entire month. Not to mention he was assigned to watch the library that day. If anything, he's the most suspicious person there is!"
"If it's so obvious, then how did the police not figure it out?!"
"Why d'ya think? Imagine news getting out that a police officer murdered another one in cold blood. Now how would that reflect on the people's trust in the force, eh?"
"But it can't be right! Rokuro-san was dad's-"
"Look, I've got no idea why your old man's best bud shot him to hell, but right now opinions don't matter. All that matters is cold hard evidence to point you in the right direction, and you can bet your ass this is pointing in his. Quit wasting my time."
Before Hachiman could let out another protest, the line went dead. Glaring at his phone, he flipped it closed and put it down on the table. In front of him, he held the crucial piece of evidence pointing to any potential lead. Why would Rokuro do such a thing? How had he not found this earlier? The questions began to pile up in his head making him feel queasy.
Standing up, he walked into his bedroom and flopped himself down on his futon. When he couldn't breathe anymore, he turned his head to the side while slowly opening his eyes. Focusing on the bag in his closet, he got up and placed his fingers inside to feel the smooth mask he had worn hours earlier.
"Why did Rokuro kill dad? Weren't they best friends at the police academy?"
All this time and to find that the one suspect was someone that he trusted? Could he really go on like this?
After several moments, Hachiman's grip suddenly strengthened with renewed resolve.
"No, it can't end here!"
Of course, all this time he had been chasing the truth would not go to waste. So what if Rokuro was a suspect? As of now, he doesn't know anything about the situation. Just rushing to the conclusion wasn't going to do him any good; the only answers he was going to get was from the horse's mouth.
Steeling his resolve, Hachiman placed the mask on his face, pulled on a jacket, and made his way to the door. The picture of his father was hanging on the wall as always, watching him whenever he left the house. With a melancholy smile, Hachiman bowed to the picture.
"Watch over me, father."
And with that, the kitsune disappeared into the night.
Later…
Takata Rokuro sighed as he made his way up the stairs and in front of his apartment door. It was a long day on patrol and he hadn't had a proper meal since the night before. Perhaps he deserved a break for all his hard work; nobody would mind if a low-ranking officer took the day off.
Smiling, he fished in his pocket for his keys before noticing that the door was strangely unlocked.
"What? Did I forget to close it?"
Opening the door, he surveyed his surroundings.
Nothing out of place, no extra shoes or peculiar smell. Perhaps he did just make a mistake this morning. Even more reason for a break.
"Or maybe I should take 2 days. Hell, maybe I'll take the rest of the week off", he said as he sat down to take off his shoes.
"I wouldn't get ahead of myself, officer", a voice said from behind him.
"Wha-!"
Rokuro whirled around and found himself face-to-face with a masked individual standing above him, a white and red mask in the visage of a fox.
"K-kitsune! Kitsune Mask!" he shouted as he fumbled for his gun.
As soon as the firearm was drawn, the vigilante grabbed his wrist and pushed his arm to the side while spinning to place his back in front of the officer. Rokuro felt his body being lifted up and hoisted over his attacker, his back hitting the ground moments later.
In his hand, he suddenly felt immense pain as his index finger, which was still in the revolver's trigger guard, was bent at an awkward angle as the firearm was wrestled away from him. He was momentarily stunned but could hear a clicking sound while his eyes adjusted to see the silhouette holding his gun. Was this how he would die? Killed by a bullet from his own firearm? Shot by the man he was expected to arrest? The thoughts raced through his head as fear for his life began to settle in.
"NO!"
He quickly pushed himself onto his feet before tackling the kitsune to the ground, causing the gun to fly out of his grasp and over the side of the building. Taking this advantage, he ran towards the door and down the stairs into the city.
All he needed to do was find someone to help. A fellow officer would suffice; a squad would be even better. Anything to get rid of the assailant was worth a try. After running for several minutes, he turned around but could not find the masked individual anywhere.
"Did I outrun him?" he thought.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed his uniform and dragged him into the nearby alleyway. His back hit the wall as a second hand grabbed the other side of his collar.
"You've got some nerve for running away. It was a pain in the ass to find another place to talk."
"You wanted to talk to me? Bullshit, you were going to shoot me!"
The kitsune sighed and let go of the man's collar to show several bullets in his hands.
"If you thought I was cocking the pistol, think again. That was just my insurance that you wouldn't try to take back your gun and shoot at me."
Tossing the bullets to the side, the fox motioned further into the alleyway.
"Go on, it's better that we talk further away from the street."
The officer looked down the alley skeptically.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then I can show you how I would have killed you back in your apartment."
Gulping, Rokuro complied and walked further down the alley. After making a few turns, the vigilante motioned for him to stop.
"Now then. How about you start talking about your knowledge of Hayato Iura?"
He almost choked upon hearing the name. Images of his former partner flashed before his eyes. He looked up at the vigilante who was holding his arms crossed.
"Well? I'm waiting."
"Wh-what do you want to know about him?"
*SLAM*
The vigilante's hand hit the AC unit that was next to his head, causing a booming sound to echo through his ears.
"I want to know about his murder, Officer Incompetent. I already know about how he died by 2 gunshots and how you ordered 2 extra bullets just days after. Something's fishy about that and I want to know why. Why did you need 2 extra bullets coincidentally? Why?"
"I-I was on patrol that day! There was a suspicious individual and I shot at hi-!"
"BULLSHIT! That's bullshit and you know it!" the man yelled as he kicked the trashcan nearby. Rokuro was now crouching while holding his head.
"Alright, if you're playing hard to get, then let's start by breaking some more of your fingers. Should have known that one wasn't enough to start questioning with."
*CRACK*
"AAAAAHH!"
Rokuro held his hand, feeling seething pain from his right middle finger. Upon closer inspection, he could see that his index finger on the same hand was broken as well, no doubt from having the revolver twisted from his grip.
"Well? Feel like telling the truth now?"
The officer wept as he held his hand, refusing to look up. Hearing a sigh, he saw the vigilante step away.
"Listen, Rokuro-san" he began to say.
"I know that you were partners. You were practically attached by the hip ever since you graduated from the police academy."
The voice now sounded familiar after it had calmed down. Where had he heard that voice?
"Not only that, but I know that you're one of the good cops too. You're passionate about your job and you'll never stop defending the people. So please, tell me the truth."
The vigilante took off his mask to reveal a familiar face.
"Hachi-kun?"
"Please, Rokuro-san. Look me in the eye and tell me that you didn't kill my father."
Rokuro's face was a mixture of sadness and disbelief. The thought that the son of his friend was a wanted criminal on the police force was enough to make him faint. Why would he go this far?
"I have a contact on the force and he gave me some evidence he dug up about the case. Ever since I looked at it, I could only think that you were the murderer, and I hate myself for it. So please, prove me wrong. Tell me that you didn't shoot Hayato Iura."
Rokuro looked up at Hachiman, but drooped his head.
"For years, I've been hiding the truth under orders, but I think I can finally be honest if I'm talking to you."
He looked up once more with tears filled in his eyes.
"I have never regretted anything more in my life than when I fired the bullet that ended your father."
Hachiman looked back at Rokuro, shaking his head.
"No… No! You couldn't have!"
"Yeah, under normal circumstances I wouldn't, but the case he was taking on was drawing the wrong kind of attention. I never wanted to kill my partner, but when he refused to back down from a lead that would have brought down the Tojo-"
*BANG*
Rokuro fell to his side as he was speaking mid-sentence, a bullet wound fresh on the left side of his skull. Hachiman's eyes went wide as he went to catch him, but he already knew that the officer was no longer of the living.
*CLATTER*
Turning to his side, he saw Rokuro's discarded revolver clatter on the ground, thrown by a completely new person.
"Nowhere to run now, Kitsune-san", a person with an oni mask said to him. The voice was low and baritone, but at the same time sounded fake as if distorted.
"Hey! Get back here!"
Oni ran off around the corner as Hachiman grabbed his mask and put it on. As he turned the corner, he was met with a large bustling crowd passing through. Searching the sea of people for the masked assailant, he suddenly heard shouting.
"Hey! He's over there!"
Police officers were running toward him, quickly drawing their firearms from their holsters. With no choice, Hachiman ducked back into the alley, narrowly dodging the fired bullets. He passed by the body of the recently departed Rokuro, hesitated to close his eyes, but ultimately ran off. As he fled the scene, he could hear the officers' shouts into their radios.
"I swear to you, Rokuro-san, I'll get to the bottom of this. I'll bring both father and your deaths to the light. And for the person behind this, God help them."
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we are back! Hello everyone and sorry for the delay. I was originally planning to release another chapter on one of my other stories, but I felt on a roll with this story. So Hachiman Iura is the second focal character in this story and will be playing the role of the vigilante, a fine line between a police officer and a criminal. I was initially having trouble writing him since the entire story is based on the idea of hate, but to be honest, Hachiman doesn't radiate a lot of it. My final cut was that he is more or less a very level-headed person who, no doubt, has much hatred, but has a lack of a target to vent it out on, unlike Tora who hates police officers in general as well as his father. Also, like his late father, he has a desire to seek the truth, which takes top priority, although I will begin to expand on how his hate will grow in the coming chapters. The third and final character will be introduced in the next chapter, so look forward to that. Please give me any kind of feedback since I mainly wanted to write this for the action sequences (I need a lot of practice); they will be most appreciated. In the meantime, see ya!