Chapter 9:
Mitsuko watched in disbelief. She and the others, excluding Uriko, watched from behind the one way mirror. Konai was sitting, in a loose white top and pants, bound to a chair. Being interrogated by Uriko. In the past hour none of the officers had been able to pull a straight answer from her. Uriko let out a small growl of frustration.
"C'mon Uriko.." Konai taunted, an obvious trait she picked up from her Mirelle persona. "I know you're tougher than that.."
Jane jumped a bit when Uriko went to backhand Konai but stopped inches from her face, withdrawing her hand.
"You arrogant little bitch..." Uriko muttered, pacing, composing a new set of questions. Uriko opened her mouth to speak but Konai cut her off.
"No I will not answer. If you want me to be a fraction more cooperative food and being unbound would be nice. As the saying goes what goes around comes around."
"Explain why Busuzima was visiting you."
"I'd like at least a cheeseburger, choclate shake and well done fries." Konai answered grinning. Uriko was fed up with the grin. Losing herself Uriko's hand flew out and toppled Konai and her chair to the floor. Konai was left coughing up a few bits of blood. "Can I get a medium coke with that?"
"Just answer dammit.."
"And I get what out of this... Why should I give you the satisfaction of giving into your demands?" Konai returned. Then it hit Uriko, something she could hit hard with, she remembered Konai's soft spot for broken promises and how many times she had failed to keep her promises to Uriko.
"Because you broke every single promise you made me.." Uriko answered, her confidence seeping back. Konai lost her grin and arrogance. Uriko sat her back up and undid the bindings. Konai didn't bother getting up, her arms limp and by her sides.
"I can understand Tylon... But that's low.." She mumbled.
"Ferez, pull up a full file on Veronica Ross.. V. E. R. O. N. I. C. A. R. O. S. S. Got that?" Uriko ordered. The intercom came to life.
"You'll have it in ten Nonomura." The voice answered.
"What do you want?" Konai blurted.
"Signed confession of everthing Tylon has been doing."
"Won't work... I left over a year ago. They will have updated their practices by now, semi-annual revisions. Costly but effective." Konai answered.
"Then help us pin hate crimes on them."
"Can't use me in court. I'm not even capable of being considered a zoanthrope anymore.." Konai answered, all the life out of her voice, her head hanging down. Uriko was slightly taken aback inwards. As was everyone behind the mirror but more openly. Mitsuko let out a small gasp. Konai perked up and stood, walking over to the mirror and staring right at Mitsuko.
"Amazing how I always fail... Even you Mitsuko. I failed even to remain a part of the family you gave me.. I don't even know if I have the pendant anymore."
"And you'd be talking to who now?" Uriko asked, an edge of fear in her voice.
"Mitsuko, right here." Konai answered, pointing straight at Mitsuko. "Tylon uses these mirrors a lot... To her left is Shin, Yugo, Alice and Kenji. Her right, Jane, Long, Jenny and Alan..." Konai added, completely right.
"How'd you know?"
"I just can.. Natural ability that I adapted from the experiments. God you people don't know what I'd give to go back.."
"To what?" Uriko asked a sympathetic edge sliding into her voice.
"You.. Shin.. Everyone.. I finally found my old family. They didn't even recognize me. Or refused to."
"It can be arranged. But you're services are needed." A new man intervened. Uriko recognized, Chief of the Precinct Iyugasha. "You are a battle hardened zoanthrope. Reliable sources are reporting a growing war betwee two gangs. Both employ zoanthrope and human mercs. Your fighting style is non-lethal and effective. If you can help our riot officers stop any blood loss, I will allow you to go free, free of your past and back into friendly arms."
"Bullshit." Konai growled.
"So you think. Kid we have much in common, kicked out, lost, found by Tylon, used abused and we tossed ourselves out. You need support. I've read your report. Feel free to grab your stuff from storage and head back. Just be expecting a call from me in the near future." Iyugasha answered.
"He keeps to his word Konai. If you don't want to rot here take it." Uriko insisted. Everyone hoped she would take the offer, they all had many questions to ask. Konai shook her head, baring her fangs.
"AND WHAT THE HELL WOULD I GO BACK TO??" She screamed, charging across the room, sliding over the table and tackling Iyugasha against the wall. Uriko instinctively brought her stun baton to bear and onto Konai's back. Konai reeled in pain and slumped to the ground crying. "I have nothing anymore.. No family and I ruined the rep I had with my new one."
Uriko pocketed her stun baton back into it's pouch, watching her with eyes, not knowing what to think.
"Kid... Just give it a whirl. If it screws up talk to me." Iyugasha answered, leaving the interrogation room.
"C'mon get up.. I'll take you to storage.. Mom'll give you a ride home." Uriko said offering her a hand up. Konai smacked the hand aside and stood up on her own, heading to the door. "Hey wait for me." Uriko muttered knowing it was useless. Konai found her way down to storage and got everything back, minus her pistols. Uriko just watched while everyone else waited in the parking lot, all by their respective cars. Mitsuko paced back and forth in front of her car, a blue ford.
"God... What do I say?" She muttered. Long was nearby hugging Jane, waiting in anticipation.
"Whatever comes to the heart." He answered. Everyone tensed up and they saw Konai rolling her bike up the ramp from the underground impound lot. She stopped in front of Mitsuko's car, resting her helmet on the bike seat.
"Well.. Looks like the winds of fate have brought me back here." She mumbled. Everyone gathered close to her, but none dared touch her. Mitsuko got the closest, taking a few moments to fully embrace her. She was still the one she trusted.
"You're finally back." She mumbled. Konai shoved her off.
"You're dealing with Mirelle as well... So keep an open mind." She barked. "Same house?"
"Pretty much.. We can talk there." Mitsuko answered.
"Yeah whatever." Konai muttered. Yugo stepped forward.
"Konai.. This morning?" He started.
"That was me... Just back off for now... I don't know what even I'm thinking right now." She barked starting her bike. Mitsuko placed a caring hand on Konai's wrist.
"Just leave the bike here. We have to catch up on some things." Mitsuko announced. Konai took on a half assed grin, feeling once again welcome, turning her bike off and hugging Mitsuko fully.
"God.. I wish I had never left." Konai muttered.
"We all wished you hadn't left." Uriko interrupted. Konai took a step forward. "But why go back to Tylon?" She asked, tears welling up in her eyes.
"To find out who I truly was. Riko.. I only did it to find answers and answers have their costs."
"Just stay away from my daughter." Uriko barked, walking past everyone to her own car. Konai did a quick double take of everyone, Shin was showing the same kind of contempt for her that Uriko had.
"She's pissed Konai." Kenji explained.
"I've gotta talk to Mitsuko.. See you all at her place." Konai announced. Everyone nodded silently and climbed into cars. Konai climbing into Mitsuko's on the passenger side.
Mitsuko watched in disbelief. She and the others, excluding Uriko, watched from behind the one way mirror. Konai was sitting, in a loose white top and pants, bound to a chair. Being interrogated by Uriko. In the past hour none of the officers had been able to pull a straight answer from her. Uriko let out a small growl of frustration.
"C'mon Uriko.." Konai taunted, an obvious trait she picked up from her Mirelle persona. "I know you're tougher than that.."
Jane jumped a bit when Uriko went to backhand Konai but stopped inches from her face, withdrawing her hand.
"You arrogant little bitch..." Uriko muttered, pacing, composing a new set of questions. Uriko opened her mouth to speak but Konai cut her off.
"No I will not answer. If you want me to be a fraction more cooperative food and being unbound would be nice. As the saying goes what goes around comes around."
"Explain why Busuzima was visiting you."
"I'd like at least a cheeseburger, choclate shake and well done fries." Konai answered grinning. Uriko was fed up with the grin. Losing herself Uriko's hand flew out and toppled Konai and her chair to the floor. Konai was left coughing up a few bits of blood. "Can I get a medium coke with that?"
"Just answer dammit.."
"And I get what out of this... Why should I give you the satisfaction of giving into your demands?" Konai returned. Then it hit Uriko, something she could hit hard with, she remembered Konai's soft spot for broken promises and how many times she had failed to keep her promises to Uriko.
"Because you broke every single promise you made me.." Uriko answered, her confidence seeping back. Konai lost her grin and arrogance. Uriko sat her back up and undid the bindings. Konai didn't bother getting up, her arms limp and by her sides.
"I can understand Tylon... But that's low.." She mumbled.
"Ferez, pull up a full file on Veronica Ross.. V. E. R. O. N. I. C. A. R. O. S. S. Got that?" Uriko ordered. The intercom came to life.
"You'll have it in ten Nonomura." The voice answered.
"What do you want?" Konai blurted.
"Signed confession of everthing Tylon has been doing."
"Won't work... I left over a year ago. They will have updated their practices by now, semi-annual revisions. Costly but effective." Konai answered.
"Then help us pin hate crimes on them."
"Can't use me in court. I'm not even capable of being considered a zoanthrope anymore.." Konai answered, all the life out of her voice, her head hanging down. Uriko was slightly taken aback inwards. As was everyone behind the mirror but more openly. Mitsuko let out a small gasp. Konai perked up and stood, walking over to the mirror and staring right at Mitsuko.
"Amazing how I always fail... Even you Mitsuko. I failed even to remain a part of the family you gave me.. I don't even know if I have the pendant anymore."
"And you'd be talking to who now?" Uriko asked, an edge of fear in her voice.
"Mitsuko, right here." Konai answered, pointing straight at Mitsuko. "Tylon uses these mirrors a lot... To her left is Shin, Yugo, Alice and Kenji. Her right, Jane, Long, Jenny and Alan..." Konai added, completely right.
"How'd you know?"
"I just can.. Natural ability that I adapted from the experiments. God you people don't know what I'd give to go back.."
"To what?" Uriko asked a sympathetic edge sliding into her voice.
"You.. Shin.. Everyone.. I finally found my old family. They didn't even recognize me. Or refused to."
"It can be arranged. But you're services are needed." A new man intervened. Uriko recognized, Chief of the Precinct Iyugasha. "You are a battle hardened zoanthrope. Reliable sources are reporting a growing war betwee two gangs. Both employ zoanthrope and human mercs. Your fighting style is non-lethal and effective. If you can help our riot officers stop any blood loss, I will allow you to go free, free of your past and back into friendly arms."
"Bullshit." Konai growled.
"So you think. Kid we have much in common, kicked out, lost, found by Tylon, used abused and we tossed ourselves out. You need support. I've read your report. Feel free to grab your stuff from storage and head back. Just be expecting a call from me in the near future." Iyugasha answered.
"He keeps to his word Konai. If you don't want to rot here take it." Uriko insisted. Everyone hoped she would take the offer, they all had many questions to ask. Konai shook her head, baring her fangs.
"AND WHAT THE HELL WOULD I GO BACK TO??" She screamed, charging across the room, sliding over the table and tackling Iyugasha against the wall. Uriko instinctively brought her stun baton to bear and onto Konai's back. Konai reeled in pain and slumped to the ground crying. "I have nothing anymore.. No family and I ruined the rep I had with my new one."
Uriko pocketed her stun baton back into it's pouch, watching her with eyes, not knowing what to think.
"Kid... Just give it a whirl. If it screws up talk to me." Iyugasha answered, leaving the interrogation room.
"C'mon get up.. I'll take you to storage.. Mom'll give you a ride home." Uriko said offering her a hand up. Konai smacked the hand aside and stood up on her own, heading to the door. "Hey wait for me." Uriko muttered knowing it was useless. Konai found her way down to storage and got everything back, minus her pistols. Uriko just watched while everyone else waited in the parking lot, all by their respective cars. Mitsuko paced back and forth in front of her car, a blue ford.
"God... What do I say?" She muttered. Long was nearby hugging Jane, waiting in anticipation.
"Whatever comes to the heart." He answered. Everyone tensed up and they saw Konai rolling her bike up the ramp from the underground impound lot. She stopped in front of Mitsuko's car, resting her helmet on the bike seat.
"Well.. Looks like the winds of fate have brought me back here." She mumbled. Everyone gathered close to her, but none dared touch her. Mitsuko got the closest, taking a few moments to fully embrace her. She was still the one she trusted.
"You're finally back." She mumbled. Konai shoved her off.
"You're dealing with Mirelle as well... So keep an open mind." She barked. "Same house?"
"Pretty much.. We can talk there." Mitsuko answered.
"Yeah whatever." Konai muttered. Yugo stepped forward.
"Konai.. This morning?" He started.
"That was me... Just back off for now... I don't know what even I'm thinking right now." She barked starting her bike. Mitsuko placed a caring hand on Konai's wrist.
"Just leave the bike here. We have to catch up on some things." Mitsuko announced. Konai took on a half assed grin, feeling once again welcome, turning her bike off and hugging Mitsuko fully.
"God.. I wish I had never left." Konai muttered.
"We all wished you hadn't left." Uriko interrupted. Konai took a step forward. "But why go back to Tylon?" She asked, tears welling up in her eyes.
"To find out who I truly was. Riko.. I only did it to find answers and answers have their costs."
"Just stay away from my daughter." Uriko barked, walking past everyone to her own car. Konai did a quick double take of everyone, Shin was showing the same kind of contempt for her that Uriko had.
"She's pissed Konai." Kenji explained.
"I've gotta talk to Mitsuko.. See you all at her place." Konai announced. Everyone nodded silently and climbed into cars. Konai climbing into Mitsuko's on the passenger side.