Third installation. : )

Kae: Yeah, Mitsui is HUNKY. Can't argue with you there. : ) I've never watched CSI, though my friends have been poking me to do so. Maybe someday. : )

Joy: Thanks! I like Kiara too!

Fire-phinx: Thanks! Me like Mitsui too!

SLL: Arigato! Kiara is rather likeable! He he!

Ferohcious: Action?? *imagines Mitsui in a MIB suit, holding a flashy gun* Muahahaha! Arigato!

Jo-sen7: Ah, you're a Sendoh fan, I bet??

Kka: *pales as kka goes around chanting 'bloody cow' and sees Kka's concerned parents reaching violently for her* No, nO! Not me! There! Kka's there! *points at kka who's stuck in a strap jacket, still mumbling 'bloody cow'* Ha ha! Thanks for reviewing!

Third chapter

"Anything?" Sergeant Akagi asked from his desk, sipping coffee.

            It was barely seven in the morning and Officer Mitsui, who had been groggily staring at his own cup of coffee, blinked. A frown swept over his handsome features and his lips dented downwards. "Shaddup. (Shut up)". Rubbing his sore eyes, he drooped over his seat like a wilting flower.

            It was a well-known fact that Mitsui Hisashi barely spoke more than five syllables before he's had his coffee. Akagi, of all people, knew it too well, but decided he didn't care. Aiming an empty can of Cola, he threw it and it hit Mitsui squarely in the face. The hothead shot up, mouth rapidly pronouncing curses no one else on earth could come up with. "#^@$#%!&^*!! You should be burned in the deepest Hell, you know that??"

            The Head Officer, an old man reaching his fifties, who happened to pass by paused and levelled a look at his swearing underling. "Good morning to you too, Mitsui." He said coolly. "I'm sure you took a lot of trouble to come up with that undoubtedly cheerful greeting for my benefit."

            Mitsui paled, but quickly regained his roguish, mischievous expression. "Why, sir, I'm glad you like it. But I'm sorry to say my highly original greeting was meant for that ape sitting over there in his desk with his plate of bananas." Akagi turned red and quickly shoved his bananas from view.

            "I do not wish to have disrespect between partners in this office."

            "Absolutely, sir," Mitsui agreed. "Everybody on earth knows I respect Sergeant Akagi. My respect for him is so vast that I cannot even begin to describe it into words. His style and grace astounds me, and his powerful voice positively brings me to wonder about how such a sound could be produced from –"

            The Head Officer sighed. "I don't know what to do with you, Mitsui," he sighed helplessly, almost on the verge of laughing.

            "That's okay, sir. I know very well what to do with myself."

            The Head Officer laughed. "No one can win a banter with you."

            Mitsui pretended to blush, shyly covering his cheeks. "Oh, sir, what took you so long to realize that? I am truly flattered."

            The Head Officer could only manage to shake his head. "Impossible," he chuckled to Akagi before making his way to his own private room.

            Akagi grunted. "He only let you off because you're his favourite." He said grudgingly.

            Mitsui sighed. "Such burden," he agreed.

            Akagi decided to let that pass. "Now, since you're up and fully awake, let's talk about last night's robbery." He took out one banana and started eating. "Now, (chomp) about the suspects, have you gotten (chomp) any?"

            "Ten," Mitsui answered, downing his cold coffee forlornly. "Blurgh! Who made this coffee??"

             "You did."

            Mitsui's eyes grew wide. "I didn't make any since last week."

            Akagi nodded. "I know."

            Mitsui glared at his friend and immediately pushed his expired coffee to one side in disgust. "And I bet your coffee is fresh?"

            "Of course (chomp)."

            "And I suppose it never occurred to you to share your fresh brew with me?"

            "Of course not. You went through such trouble to brew it last week (chomp). I didn't want to waste your hard work."

            Mitsui winced, remembering his two-hour struggle with the blasted coffee machine. "Never mind. Forget it."

            "I knew you'd understand."

            "I said, forget it, Akagi." Irritated, Mitsui slammed the robbery files on his table and took out ten sheets containing the suspects' particulars. "The finger prints that we found were quite peculiar," he commented. "It had two different sets of patterns on one thumb."

            "What, an alien?"

            "Grow up, Akagi," Mitsui muttered, studying the enlarged print intently. "The only alien around here is you." Ignoring Akagi's vicious curse, he continued on. "We think false fingertip prints were used. One of it probably got loose during the robbery and exposed half the culprit's thumb. I don't know which is false, or which is the correct one. So far, we've traced both fingerprints to these ten people."

He tossed five of the sheets to Akagi. "You interview these people. I'll do the other five."

            Akagi nodded. "All right. Let's get started." He studied one of the papers. "Man, this kid should be in rehab. Look at him, he's obviously on drugs." He showed the picture of a skinny guy with bags under his eyes.

            "Good. Maybe you can recommend him to one, Father Theresa."

            Akagi ignored that. "Where are you going?"

            "Seems to be an abandoned construction site," Mitsui shrugged, hand groping for his coat. "Two of the suspects are there."

            "Abandoned construction site?? People actually live there??"          

            Mitsui's eyes darkened for a moment. Then, nonchalantly, he replied: "You might be surprised, partner."

            The construction site was – not surprisingly – a mess. Leftover wood planks and bricks were scattered everywhere, accompanied by bits of bent and blunt nails. Mitsui couldn't stop the smile. Only God knew the bond he shared with places like this. He found that he almost missed the feeling of trudging alone around secluded areas and making them his own.

            It was empty for the most part. Not a soul around, and not a single sound. He walked around the block a couple of times in search of a living person – or if his luck struck good, two living persons, Pit Osagi and Luna Kimiwa.

            After about quarter an hour, he stopped. Now, he thought. If I were a robber with an IQ more than 120, where would I hide?

            Then, instinct kicked in, and he followed it.

            Kiara was sitting miserably on the worn out couches, staring bleakly at the even bleaker wall. Pit and Luna had disappeared without telling her anything, leaving a small note that said nothing more than: Later!

             She hissed irritably. Later, my foot! It's been exactly ten hours since they were gone. Where are they??? She tapped her feet on the floor, somehow anxious. Groaning, she covered her eyes with her hand in frustration. Why do I suddenly have such a bad feeling about this?

            There was a slight rap at the doorway, and Kiara looked up sharply, ready to scream out a few choice words. "Luna, you –"

            "Kiara."

            Kiara stared at the man leaning easily against the door and left her cursing half-finished. "Nobu." She muttered half-heartedly, disappointed that it wasn't Luna or Pit. "What are you doing here?"

            "Heard you were alone. I thought you'd like some company. Mine, particularly." He only chuckled when Kiara made an unflattering face at him. "Don't bother worrying about your two ninny friends."

            "You know where they are?"

            Nobu shrugged. "Away." He straightened and walked in. "I saw them hurrying out of here with all of their stuff. Seemed anxious to leave, if you ask me."

            Kiara stared open-mouthed. "They left?? Why??"

            "Somebody told them they had been discovered by the police." Nobu smiled. "I'd run too if I were them. I see, however, that they left you behind."

            Kiara scrunched up the miserable note Luna had written and threw it to Nobu's face in anger. She leaped up to feet and started to pace around the room, yanking drawers out. Indeed, all of Luna and Pit's belongings were absent. The money they'd robbed was cleaned out too. "Great," Kiara grumbled, kicking the last empty drawer away. "Just great."

            Nobu laughed. "You're angry now, aren't you? I've always liked it when you get angry." He stepped forward, arms reaching. "Now, why don't we unwind and relax…"

            The wiggling hands, which had been eagerly heading towards Kiara, suddenly stopped dead. "Get out of here, Nobu." Kiara flashed her dagger in his face. "I'm not in the mood to entertain you."

            Nobu replaced the shocked look on his face with an easy smile. "Fine, fine. Tomorrow then."

            "Not tomorrow, not ever. Get out of my way."

            He gingerly stepped out of the way as she bulleted through to the other end of her room where she kept her things. "Playing hard to get, Kiara? That's unusual. I thought you were a frank person."

            "You're right. I am. And frankly, I don't want you." She peeked inside her drawer and checked exactly how much money she had left.

            Nobu breathed heavily, his face reddening, fists clenching and unclenching.

            Kiara spared a brief second to look at him. "Now, are you going to go away, or are you going to keep on standing there looking like an idiot?" She turned back to her money counting.

            Nobu stamped out, eyes flashing. "This is not the end of it, Kiara. I'll be back."

            "Don't bother," Kiara muttered without looking up, not at all bothered by the vicious threat but more occupied with her financial state. She had at least 150 bucks with her, and another thousand stored somewhere else where neither Luna and Pit couldn't find – just in case. Good thing too, she grumbled to herself. They left practically nothing for me to survive on back here. Damn. To Hell with the police. How could they have traced it straight on to Luna and Pit? It never happened before. Either the police are getting better and smarter, or Luna and Pit are stupider and did more mistakes that I noticed. Didn't those two idiots use any fake fingerprints or take any precautions or SOMETHING?                        

There was another scrapping sound at the doorway. Kiara shoved the drawer close, fished out her dagger again and hissed. "Get lost, understand? I'm not going to sleep with you no matter what you say."

            "Ah, that's just too bad then."

            Alarmed at the unrecognisable voice, Kiara whirled around sharply. "You!"

            "No, the name's Mitsui." The officer flashed a smile. "That's some weapon you got there."