A/N: This chapter is one of my personal favourites. :3 It focuses more on character development, which I love to write. I also have a special announcement at the end of the chapter, so make sure to read that, too.

There are also four new characters in this chapter. Read below to find out who they are!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tecmo and Team Ninja. Please don't sue me.

BREAKING CHAINS

Chapter 6

A few weeks had passed since Hitomi arrived back to DOATEC City. In the meantime, Eliot told Hitomi that he had investigated Lisa on his own free time. The female doctor had told him that she was at her home on the night of Rolande's murder, but Eliot noted that her tone seemed suspicious. On their latest shift at the police station, both Hitomi and Eliot gathered their notes and observed the accounts of their suspects.

Hitomi scanned through Eliot's notes and acknowledged his neat handwriting. So far, Lisa Hamilton seemed to be one of the case's biggest suspects. This was because of her suspicious tone, as well as not having an alibi to clear her name. The other suspicious suspect was Rig. Like Lisa, he also had no alibi to clear his name. It didn't help that he was standing near the murder weapon for most of the night.

"I think we're doing well so far," Hitomi noted. "The only person we need to interview now is Bass."

"We should go, then," Eliot said, getting up from his seat.

The pair both hurried out of Eliot's office and made their way over to the front of the building. They stopped in their tracks when they saw Gen Fu looking through a file cabinet.

"Where are you two running off to?"

"We were planning to interview Bass Armstrong," Eliot told him. "U-Unless… you think that's a bad ide-"

"Don't be silly, Eliot," Gen Fu chuckled. "You two should go and find him."

Eliot and Hitomi responded to the senior officer by smiling and saying their goodbyes before heading off to find their suspect.

By the time Eliot and Hitomi made it over to Bass' mansion, they rang the doorbell with the hopes of an answer. Unfortunately, this did not happen. Both detectives rang the doorbell a few more times. After waiting for a short while, there was still no answer.

"It doesn't look like he's home," Eliot said with a hint of disappointment.

"He might be at the D.W.A Coliseum," Hitomi replied, heading down the stairs of Bass' estate. "We should check there."

The 'D.W.A' of the D.W.A Coliseum was an acronym for 'DOATEC Wrestling Association'. As hinted in the title, this is where all the wrestlers would have their famous matches. These matches were usually viewed by many from the television as well as many other technologic devices.

When Hitomi and Eliot made their way inside the coliseum, they noted how big the arena was. The middle of the now empty room had a large stage. There were thick cables surrounding every corner. Bright, flashing lights also surrounded the room and gave it an energised feel. Unfortunately for Hitomi and Eliot, no one was there as well. Eliot slammed his palm against his forehead since they had driven all around town for nothing. Bass Armstrong was a hard man to find.

The next place they searched was the gym. He was normally there during the day to train for his championship matches. A few people were inside but none of those people were Bass. Hitomi sighed at the failure of their findings. She was starting to give up.

When they made their way out of the gym, Hitomi began to share her thoughts with Eliot about the case. However, she stopped when she realised that he didn't seem to be paying attention to her. He was most likely daydreaming again.

"Eliot? What's on your mind?" Hitomi asked, waving her hand in front of his face.

Eliot moved her hand away from his eyes and looked at her funnily. He then sighed with grief. "It's nothing, really… I was just thinking about Ayane again. I really should apologise when I next see her."

Hitomi looked both ways from the sidewalk before crossing the road with Eliot. "I'm pretty sure she's over it by now since it happened a few weeks ago. But still, I think it's a good idea if you apologise to her," she smiled.

"I still feel really bad," Eliot admitted. "I hope she'll forgive m- HEY!"

Eliot was caught off guard since someone had pushed both him and Hitomi to the ground. The person, a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, ran past them in a hurry.

"Daddy!" she called with a strong Texan accent.

Hitomi gasped as she witnessed the woman entering the diner. She felt triumphant at that very moment, despite being on the ground. After getting up and dusting off her skirt, Hitomi stared at the diner with a wide grin.

"Eliot, I think Bass is inside the diner," she said, helping her partner off the ground.

Eliot seemed to be annoyed as he rummaged his hands through his hair. "For that rude woman's case, I hope so."

The two partners then made their way across the road since they didn't want to be run over by any kind of transport. Hitomi smiled with relief when she saw Bass Armstrong sitting at the front counter. He was a very tall man with a wide, muscular frame. His dirty blond beard covered the lower part of his face, and he wore a bandana with the United States flag imprinted on it. Overall, he looked like an intimidating person, but in reality, he was actually an easy man to befriend.

"Hello, Hitomi! Long time no see!" an overweight man with a chef's hat greeted her. This man was Johnny; otherwise known as the owner of Johnny's Diner.

"Hi, Johnny!" Hitomi greeted the man. She then made her way over to the professional wrestler. He was currently speaking to the woman who had knocked Hitomi and Eliot over before. This woman was Tina Armstrong; otherwise known as Bass' daughter.

"I have great news!" she told him with excitement. "I've just made it to the finals for the women's wrestling championship!"

Bass cheered loudly at the news and faced everyone else in the diner. "All drinks are on me! Today, I am a really proud father - well, I always have been, but you know what I mean!"

Tina smiled with gratitude. "I have other news as well, but it will have to wait until I win the match." She then turned to face Hitomi and Eliot. "I'm sorry for pushing you two over. I was too excited to stop and help you both up."

"That's okay," Eliot said. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks, hon," the wrestler said with a wave of her hand. "When I win, I'm going to throw a huge party! Everyone will be invited!"

"What happens if you lose?" Hitomi asked.

"Don't be silly, Hitomi," Tina laughed. "There's no way I'm going to lose."

Before Hitomi could respond, Bass ended up cutting her to the chase. "The championship is next week," he said to Tina, gripping her shoulders. "You're going to need a lot of protein."

"I know, Daddy," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me!" he demanded. "Wrestling should be taken seriously at all times. When we get home, you're going to have one of those egg protein shakes."

Tina tried her best not to gag. "I'm already looking forward to it," she said with a sarcastic tone. She then made her way out of the diner. "Anyway, I'm going to do some training at the gym. I'll see y'all later. Bye!"

Bass smiled lovingly at his daughter. Hitomi could tell that he was extremely proud of her efforts. At the same time, she wondered what news Tina had wanted to share. Either way, she would have to wait until Tina hosted her congratulatory championship party.

Hitomi and Eliot then decided to approach Bass properly. He was now talking to Johnny, who was preparing a sandwich.

"Uh, Bass?"

Bass stopped speaking and looked over his shoulder. He gave Hitomi and Eliot a gruff smile. "Oh, hey. What can I do for you folks?"

"We would actually like to ask you some questions about Rolande's murder," Hitomi said. "What happened that night, exactly?"

"Other than the murder? Well… I was training with the barbells as usual until that fight between Rig and the angry one happened," Bass told them. "I stopped it before things turned physical. After that, I went to have a shower and then I went straight home."

Eliot wrote all the information down. Then he looked at Bass. "Do you have any alibis?"

"I was alone after I solved the fight," Bass said. The colour then drained from his face. "Wait a minute… I hope that doesn't make me a suspect. I DIDN'T KILL THAT WOMAN!"

"Without a witness, I'm afraid that makes you a suspect," Hitomi frowned. "But don't worry. We hope to solve this crime soon."

Even though Hitomi tried her best to reassure Bass, he still seemed to be worried. After excusing themselves, Hitomi suggested that she and Eliot should sit at one of the booths for a while in order to analyse their new piece of information. As they sat down on opposite sides from each other, the doorbell rang. Hitomi looked over Eliot's shoulder and saw a young girl panting heavily. Hitomi recognised her as the girl she helped back at school.

"You're late, Kokoro," Johnny told her. However, he didn't seem too bothered about it.

"I'm so sorry!" Kokoro apologised, putting on her apron. "My mother wouldn't stop talking to me and then there was so much traffic. I hope you won't fire me."

"Of course I won't," Johnny replied. "I need all the workers I can get. Although you've only been working here for a month, you're doing really well."

Kokoro's rosy lips formed a kind smile. "Thank you so much. That means a lot to me."

"Hey, Kokoro," Bass greeted. "Funny seeing you here during the day."

"I should say the same thing to you," she giggled. "You and your friend are my usual customers during my night shifts."

Bass replied to her as he chewed on his sauteed chicken. "Rig and I must be your best customers, then," he laughed.

At the mention of Rig, Johnny's face suddenly lit up. "Oh, you both have met Rig? He's my nephew. I'm glad he's finally settling down and making new friends."

Hitomi couldn't help but overhear what Johnny had said and turned to him in shock. "Wait… You're the family who Rig is visiting?"

"Yes," Johnny answered. "You've met him, too?"

Hitomi nodded in response. "Yes. We live in the same apartment. Next door, actually."

"What a small world this is!" Johnny laughed. He then began stacking the menus on the table behind him.

Hitomi and Eliot were both surprised when Kokoro approached their booth. She smiled at Hitomi and bowed at her with respect.

"I remember you. You are the girl who saved me from Ayane back at school a few years ago… I don't mean to be repetitive, but I really am thankful."

"Wait, what?" Eliot asked in a surprised tone. "I'm surprised Ayane could bully anyone…"

"She did, but it's in the past now. We have all done things that we are ashamed of. That's why we leave things in the past and try to better ourselves," Hitomi told him.

Eliot chuckled. "I didn't think of it that way. I guess you're right."

Kokoro smiled at Hitomi. "You are very wise. And not only that, but you have also helped me gain the courage to stick up for myself now."

"In a way, you kind of helped me as well," Hitomi admitted. Kokoro seemed to be confused, so she continued. "Helping you out that day is what convinced me to become a detective."

"Hearing that makes me so happy," the waitress gleamed. She then paid her attention to Eliot who was reading the menu. "Oh, I'm sorry… Would you two like to order anything?"

"I'll have a… strawberry milkshake, please," Eliot ordered with a smile. That smile soon disappeared, though, when he noticed that Kokoro was taking a while to write the order down.

"Okay, chocolate milkshake. Got it!"

"Strawberry," Eliot corrected.

"O-oh!" Kokoro stammered. Her cheeks were now tinted with pink. "I am so sorry! Strawberry it is!"

Eliot tried to calm the flustered girl down but he failed miserably. "No, it's okay! Don't worry about it! I'm sorry!"

"It's not your fault! I'm just a terrible waitress!"

"You're not terrible at all! It's my fault for ordering strawberry!"

"But it's my fault for writing down the chocolate flavour!"

All Hitomi could do at that moment was watch as Kokoro and Eliot continued to panic with each other. Kokoro eventually had to be pulled away from the booth by Johnny.

"Sorry about that," he said with a nervous laugh. "Kokoro is more used to the quieter shifts at night."

Hitomi and Eliot waved the issue aside and continued to talk about their investigation since they were alone again. They later said their goodbyes to Bass who decided to check up on Tina at the gym. As he headed out of the diner, he bumped into a man who was attempting to walk inside. The man hiccuped in response.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Bass growled.

"S-sorry there, buddy," the man replied as he stumbled inside.

The man who had just entered the diner had a slim but muscular frame. He had a stubble growing on the lower part of his oval face, and his long, greying hair was swept back into a braid. He headed over to Hitomi and Eliot's booth in a clumsy fashion.

"Hey there, kid," he greeted as he sat next to Eliot.

Eliot rolled his eyes at the man. He was clearly annoyed with him. "Go away, Brad. Can't you see I'm working?"

"I don't see any work going on around here," Brad said with a sluggish smile. Eliot crossed his arms with irritation planted on his face.

Brad chuckled since his plan to annoy Eliot seemed to have worked. He then turned his gaze to Hitomi and froze. Soon enough, his facial expression changed to a flirty smile.

"Well, hey there," he winked. "What do you say to a few drinks with me? Maybe we can even exchange numbers."

"Back off, Brad," the British man warned. "Your paedophile antics aren't going to work as long as I'm around."

"You're so protective of this one," Brad laughed as he leaned back on his seat. Eliot rolled his eyes at his roommate's childish behaviour. "Hey, waitress! Can I get a drink over here?!"

Kokoro headed over to the booth almost immediately. She held onto her pen and pencil and had a look of determination on her face. She seemed really keen to do her job right this time.

"What can I get for you?" she smiled.

"Just a cup of wine, thanks. Ooh… Is that cotton?" he asked, now touching the bottom of Kokoro's red maid dress. [1]

"Stop that!" she demanded angrily, hitting his hand. He flinched from the rough contact. She then glared at him. "How dare you do that to me without any notice!"

Eliot quickly held Brad away from Kokoro so he wouldn't cause any more trouble. "Sorry about that. He can get a little weird when he's tipsy."

"In that case, I won't be serving any alcohol to him," Kokoro said with a stern expression. A buzzing ringtone then appeared from the pocket of her apron. The young waitress quickly read the text she received and immediately had a large smile planted on her face.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Eliot asked. Hitomi thought that was a very forward question to ask.

"Huh? Oh… uh, nope. I don't have a boyfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Brad pitched in. He had a dirty look on his face.

Kokoro glared at Brad before explaining her situation to Hitomi and Eliot. "I have been talking to Helena Douglas a lot lately. We've been getting along really well and I'm so happy to have made a new friend," she smiled. However, her kind expression became gloomy. "But… my mother doesn't seem to like her for some reason. I can't figure out why..."

"Maybe you should trust your mother's instincts," Hitomi told her. "I'm sure she wouldn't be worried for no reason."

Kokoro nodded in understanding. "You're right. In fact, my mother was the one who pushed me to get this job. I'm so grateful because it enables me to pay for my college fees."

"What are you going to college for?" Eliot asked.

"To be a music teacher..." Kokoro said. Hitomi noticed how she seemed sad at the mention of it. "Anyway, I'll leave the three of you to talk now. Please don't be afraid to call if you need me."

The next hour consisted of Hitomi and Eliot trying their best to talk about the case once more. Unfortunately, that proved to be difficult for them since Brad was there. No matter how many times they hinted for him to leave, he never seemed to get the message. On their way out of the diner, Brad attempted to follow them back to the police station.

"Hey guys, we should go to the bar afterwards," he said with a hiccup.

Eliot stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the middle aged man. "You're not coming with us. Hitomi and I have to work on an important case. Go home."

"Alright, boss," he said with a salute. "You're cooking tonight, though… I feel like chicken but I might change my mind later."

Eliot tried to keep his anger under control. "Just go already!"

When they made it back to the police station, Hitomi and Eliot were surprised to see Bayman inside. They hadn't seen him at all these past few weeks. They figured that he was really busy with his investigation.

"How is your investigation going, Bayman?" Hitomi asked him.

"I've been finding my victims and getting absolutely jack shit out of them!" Bayman said in anger. The way he spoke reminded Hitomi about his past as an assassin. "And not just that, but they all seem suspicious."

"Who are the suspects, again? Maybe I can help you," Hitomi offered with a smile.

Bayman mocked a laugh. "Pay attention to your own investigation, little girl. Having one case to solve doesn't make you a professional."

And with that, Bayman left the building. Hitomi could feel her fists trembling as she heard the older officer starting his car. She was offended that Bayman had called her a little girl. What made her feel even worse is that he had the impression to believe that she was self obsessed. The thought made her angry. Eliot, who noticed Hitomi's sudden frustration, hurried over to the miniature kitchen down the hall and brought her some peppermint tea.

"Here, let's drink this together," he said, giving her a cup. "Take a seat. We can talk about this."

Hitomi felt bad about making her partner worried. Nevertheless, she followed his orders and reluctantly sat on the chair across from him. Normally, she wouldn't be bothered to talk about her negative feelings with other people, but this was Eliot. He was her partner and she knew he wouldn't judge her. With a heavy sigh, she prepared to have a pep talk with him.

A/N: And that's it for now. Hopefully you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I have a poll up on my profile now. Feel free to vote who you think the murderer is. Since there are so many options to choose from, you can choose two people at most.

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INVESTIGATION PROCESS #1

Time of murder: Around 11pm

Place of murder: Behind Maxwell's Gymnasium

Murder Weapon: Dumbbell

Who found the body: Zack

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INVESTIGATION #1 SUSPECTS (UPDATED)

Hayate: [Suspect because of a drug theory] Claims he was at home arguing with Ayane during the incident (cleared by Ayane)

Lisa Hamilton: [Suspect because of a drug theory] Claims she was at home. Eliot thought she sounded suspicious. No alibi.

Rig: [Suspect because he was at the gym that night] Claims he went home after his fight with Jann Lee. No alibi.

Jann Lee: [Suspect because he was at the gym that night] Claims he went home after his fight with Rig. No alibi.

Bass Armstrong: [Suspect because he was at the gym that night] Claims he had a shower and went home. No alibi.

Mila: [Suspect because she was at the gym that night] She was training in the spare boxing room with Zack until 1:30am (cleared by Zack)

Zack: [Suspect because he was at the gym that night] He was training in the spare boxing room with Mila until 1:30am (cleared by Mila)

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INVESTIGATION #1 CLUES

~ Rolande was murdered around 11pm - earlier confirmed by Leifang.

~ A few daisies were found near Rolande's hands - is there a motive? Was she going to sell them as her own?

~ There were a few fallen trash cans near her body - did she fall over them while she was being attacked? Were they already like that? Did someone else kick them over?

~ Rolande's face, head and ribs were hit so much that she was unrecognisable - the murderer must be strong.

~ A dumbbell was found at the scene of the crime - there is blood all over it. Confirmed to be the murder weapon.

~ A dumbbell went missing from the gym that night - Jann Lee states he saw Rig near the dumbbells the entire night.

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[1] - Kokoro is basically wearing Hitomi's red waitress dress in this story. (Fun fact: Hitomi was originally going to work at Johnny's Diner, but I made her the main character instead).

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Okay, that's it for now. I can't wait to see who you vote for!