[Zhang's Perspective]
Mum is listening intently to her radio communicator.
"...Hoshiguma." She says.
"Yes, ma'am?" Hoshi snaps to attention.
"There's a situation, uptown, a jewelers." Mum explains. "They need you over there. Urgently."
"Are you sure?" Hoshi asks.
"Yes." Mum affirms. "Here's the address."
She hands Hoshiguma a page from her notebook which was scribbling on.
"Roger." She salutes, then turns to me. "Zhang, enjoy the rest of your birthday."
"Thank you." I reply.
Hoshi smiles, then turns back to Mum. "I'll head there right away."
"Good." Mum says and turns her radio back on. "Hoshiguma has been dispatched. She'll be there soon to assist."
"OH!" Aunty Swire suddenly leaps up.
"What?" Mum glares at her.
"A family emergency." She hurriedly collects her things. "And they need my intuition."
"Oh, I see." Mum sighs quietly. "That's fine, Beatrix. Go ahead."
"Will do." Swire walks over to me quickly. "Have a great rest of your day, Zhang!"
"Thanks." I say. "You too."
She annoyingly ruffles my hair.
"Bye to you as well, Ch'en!" She says before leaving without waiting for a reply.
"Bye..." Mum waves faintly at the empty doorway.
A silence falls over the living room, for a short while.
"...Zhang, you can open some presents now." Mum sounds deflated.
"What's wrong?" I ask, ignoring her statement.
"Nothing..." She mutters in response.
I continue to look at her, unconvinced.
She sighs. "I just...feel bad...for almost missing today."
"Oh..." I shuffle closer. "That's okay, Mum. I understand how busy you are."
"Are you sure?" She turns her gaze to me. "Hoshiguma said you were pretty restless earlier."
"Well, that...it was just frustration in the moment." I sheepishly say. "Not directed at you, though."
Mum laughs bitterly.
"Fine, fine." She wraps one arm around me. "As long as you're happy now, that's all that matters I guess."
"I'll see what presents I got now." I almost jump off the sofa and start to tear into my gifts.
[7:23am Ch'en's Office, 10th November]
A knock emanates from the door to the office.
"Who is it?" Ch'en asks.
"Madam Ch'en, it's Officer Huang." His voice had a slight hint of apprehension. "I have a report on the incident yesterday that Inspector Hoshiguma resolved."
"Come in." Ch'en says.
Huang opens the door and enters quietly.
"The report?" The Chief holds her hand out expectantly.
"R-right here." Huang gives her the sheet and steps back, watching her read over it.
"These...they look familiar..." Ch'en mutters.
"M-may I say something, Madam Ch'en?" Huang stutters out.
"Go on." Ch'en eyes him.
"...This is the seventeenth crime in which the perpetrators have looked near identical." Huang explains.
"So..." Ch'en hints for him to continue.
"So, I was thinking...shouldn't your unit get involved?" Huang finishes.
"You said yourself that Hoshiguma stepped in to end this incident." Ch'en rereads the report. "I dispatched her."
"Well, yes, but-"
"Also, don't walk into my office and try to tell me how to manage my unit." Ch'en glares at Huang. "Understand?"
"Sorry, Madam Ch'en..." Huang bows his head. "It's just...this is looking to be the largest threat to security since Reunion."
"Look, I'll think about it." Ch'en sets the report on her desk. "Is there anything else?"
"N-no, Madam." Huang, getting the message that he's wasting time, turns away. "Have a nice day."
Huang leaves in just as much noise as he entered.
"What do all these co-ordinated attacks mean?" Ch'en whispers to herself.
[Zhang's Perspective]
Bullseye!
I'm starting to really enjoy archery, especially thanks to these new arrows from Mum.
I turn to Hoshiguma who's entirely focused on her book.
"Look, I scored a bullseye!" I call to her.
She suddenly snaps her gaze up to me then the target and smiles.
"Very well done, Zhang." She says before setting her book down face down and standing up. "Say, are you hungry?"
Is she a mind reader?
"Yeah, I am." I confirm her suspicious.
"Then, how about this, let's go to a restaurant and get some proper good breakfast." Hoshi walks up to me. "To be honest, I was planning on taking you, your mother and Beatrix out yesterday, before that whole debacle interrupted me, so it's kind of like another birthday present, if you will."
"Sounds good!" I say.
[7:30am Ch'en's Office]
Ch'en leans back and stares at the ceiling, distracted from her papers.
"Mmmm...forget this, I'm heading out." She mutters.
She grabs her jacket and swiftly exits the office, locking the door behind her.
"Ah, Madam Ch'en, perfect timeing, unless your heading out because your busy with something." Another officer approaches her.
"No, I just needed a break." Ch'en turns to him. "What is it?"
"There was a minor situation downtown." The officer explains. "It was resolved easily, but the perpetrator keeps demanding to speak with you and resisting being put into a vehicle. Should they just subdue him completely and bring him here?"
"You know what, I'll head over myself." Ch'en replies. "That seems interesting."
"Are you sure?" He protests. "It could be a ruse to lure you out."
"Do you really think I'd let myself get killed that easily?" She retorts."Do you doubt my abilities?"
"No, of course not..." The officer stumbles on his words a bit. "It's just...It though you would know better than anyone that overconfidence makes you careless."
"If he is trying anything, I'll see right through it." Ch'en begins to walk off. "Don't stall me anymore."
"Right..."
[7:55am Downtown Lungmen]
Ch'en steps out of her car and walks purposefully towards the group of L.G.D personnel around a small convenience store.
"Where's the suspect?" She asks.
"He's bein-"
"I'm right here, Madam Ch'en!" A voice shouts.
The crowd of officers parts allowing Ch'en to see the detained perp.
"I know you..." Ch'en says as she approaches him.
"Of course you do, Madam Ch'en." The man says. "After all, we only met yesterday."
"You're that...guy that was in the shop." Ch'en realizes.
"Bingo!" The man exclaims.
"Hmph, what did you want with me?" Ch'en asks, impatiently. "Are you trying to get me killed?"
"Oh god, no." The man replies. "I never wanted to put you in danger..."
He pauses as a smile appears on his face.
"Only your son."
"Don't you fucking dare threaten his safety!" Ch'en yells furiously.
"Oh, but it's not just a threat..." Tha man bursts into maniacal laughter. "It's a statement of fact!"
"You twisted fuck!" Ch'en immediately grabs her phone while the man continues to laugh.
[Zhang's Perspective]
An explosion roars from outside, sending people into a hysterical frenzy of screaming.
Hoshiguma almost chokes on her food in response.
"Zhang!" She grabs my wrist. "We need to go!"
I'm suddenly dragged by her towards the back exit.
"Of all the times to not have my equipment..." She mumbles.
We reach the exit and Hoshiguma bashes it open in case of anyone hiding behind it.
"Looks to be sa-aghhh!"
"Hoshiguma!" Someone SHOT her in the leg.
The back alley is quickly overrun by a load of masked people with an assortment of ranged weaponry who surround Hoshiguma and me.
"Positive on the precious cargo." One of them says before walking up to me. "Isn't that right?"
I stay silent.
They swiftly grab me and start to pull me away.
"Hey!" I shout. "What do you-"
"Shut up!" They say before hitting me with the butt of the crossbow.
"Leave him alone!" Hoshiguma shouts. "You got me, so take me instead of him. I'm a bigger threat."
Another person walks up to her.
"Unfortunately, Ho-shi-gu-ma, you were never our target, so your threat level does not mean a thing to us."
"Oh wow, aren't you very tough?" Hoshiguma suddenly stands up. "Putting a mark on a fourteen year old..."
"You don't have to die here, Hoshiguma." One of the crowd says.
I feel the point of a crossbow bolt press agaisnt my head.
"While little Zhang here, well, the boss would prefer him alive, but he doesn't have to be."
[8:06am Downtown Lungmen]
"Pick up!" Ch'en shouts with the phone still pressed to her ear. "Hoshiguma! Please let me know Zhang's okay. Please."
She hangs up then turns and begins walking quickly back to her car.
"Madam Ch'en, what should we do with this outlaw?" A G.D officer calls after her.
"I don't care!" She shouta back. "Kill him if you feel compelled!"
Her reply leaves everyone in the crowd speechless and motionless as they watch her drive off.