M I S T
C h a p t e r T h r e e - Z a i b a t s u s
1:00 pm
Somewhere in the Keihin Metropolitan Area
In the dark recesses of a large room, two torches blazed fiercely. An old man in his seventies or eighties sat cross-legged between the two sources of light, meditating. He had two grey spikes of hair standing up from his otherwise bald head. He had a grey moustache and beard. He had a wrinkled face, which portrayed his age. He wore only traditional karate pants as he sat in the room. Suddenly, he was brought out of his deep state of unawareness when someone entered. "Forgive me Mishima-sama, but I must inform you that the explosion occurring two days ago killed one of Mokusatsu Conglomerate's representatives." said the servant.
Mishima-sama didn't even look up to acknowledge him. "Send a letter of condolence to Mokusatsu, then prepare for phase two of the operation. Those government officials will never discover the true purpose of the bombing." said the old man.
"Yes Mishima-sama." said the servant as he bowed.
Heihachi Mishima, the CEO and owner of the Mishima Zaibatsu, plotted the next phase: to rid himself the annoyance of the Keihin Metropolitan Police Department.
Another Part of the Keihin Metropolitan Area
In a crowded restaurant, many people flowed in and out. Some were ordering a full meal; some were ordering little snacks. One customer in particular sat alone at a table near a window. His back was towards the window. He took a bite out of his Teriyaki Burger. In his mind he knew he couldn't just sit here to savour the taste of the burger. He ate it quickly and took some sips of his ice tea. Someone from the far side of the restaurant made eye contact with him. The man on the far side nodded, then got up to leave. The man who had just finished his burger looked around. Everyone was completely unaware of the lone Japanese. Before he left however, he took a long detour to the washroom.
Outside of the restaurant, a dark, inconspicuous car waited. Heavy amounts of traffic poured through the street. Sunshine beat on the city mercilessly. Low amounts of ultraviolet and other harmful forms of radiation seeped through the depleted ozone layer.
Three people inside the car observed the man who had just exited the McDonald's. One person in the car picked up the radio. "HQ, this is Sakata, we have visual contact of the suspect, request permission to follow, over." he asked
"Negative Sakata, you may not pursue. Return to Headquarters immediately, over and out." came the reply.
Sakata glanced at the driver "Looks like we're heading home. Let's go Yamaguchi."
The one called Yamaguchi nodded and started up the car. The woman in the back chose to buckle-up.
The dark coloured car waited for a safe time to enter the sea of traffic, and then it was carried away into the street.
6:47 pm
Nippon Hoso Kyokai - NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) News Broadcast
"And today in the stock market, the Mishima Zaibatsu flew up eleven points with everyone buying shares, where the Mokusatsu Conglomerate dropped nine. Sony is holding even with no big change, but with the popularity of the PlayStation and the huge sales in its games, things can only get better for Sony. They're scheduled to release their financial report for this fiscal year next month. And for more on financial and stock market news, here's Aizawa Ryoko..." reported the financial analyst.
7:19 pm
Ginza
Thousands of teenagers walked through the always-industrious streets of one of the busiest districts of Tokyo; A place called Ginza. Most of them couldn't wait for the weekend, so they could rush over to Akihabara and buy some new electronics. Either that or just shop right here in Ginza. It was relatively dark, but it was never truly dark with all of the neon lights, rushing traffic, and street signs. The only drawback was that the stars were rarely even visible, not that anyone really noticed or cared.
A familiar figure wearing a black leather jacket over a white T-shirt and blue jeans walked through Ginza as well, but this person was no teenager.
Aya Brea was exploring the sprawling metropolis, as per orders of the director she was working under. This was her second month here and her first time sightseeing. Of course, she'd already seen the Sony Building, the skyscraper that she, Tsushima and Sakura had used as a surveillance point. Aya decided to do some shopping to take her mind off the case for a while. Not noticing where she was going because she had been looking at the grand cityscape, she bumped into someone.
"You should be looking where you're going. Other people might not be so nice about getting bumped into."
Aya looked up, immediately recognizing the voice. "What are you doing here?" she asked haughtily.
The man raised an eyebrow, then answered. "It's been a while since I visited Tokyo. I was looking for a nice place to eat."
Aya nodded. "I finally managed to get away from the office. Tsushima can get so engrossed in his work sometimes..."
"Well from what i hear, he's a veteran agent. Maybe he just likes to get ahead in his work."
Aya looked around for a while. "I suppose, but I'd rather see the city. I'll see you tomorrow, Hasaki-san."
"Sayonara Brea-san." Saiyumi said as they walked their separate ways.
Aya continued her journey into Ginza, but her thoughts drifted back to the IBI Headquarters. She still wondered if her partner was still sitting at his desk, filling out various documents. A smile came to her face at that thought. Very different from Daniel, who hated paperwork and always wanted to be out in the field. But Tsushima, as far as she knew, wasn't brash or hot-headed. She recalled the fact that he used to work for the Keihin Keishi, the Keihin Metropolitan Police. Just as she thought that, her eyes fell on a building in front of her. A thought crossed her mind.
7:42 pm
Tokyo Keishi (Tokyo Metropolitan Police) Police Box
Sukiyabashi Crossing in Ginza
Tsushima Masaki entered the doors of the police outpost, searching for Aya. An officer approached him. "You're Agent Masaki from the IBI?" she inquired.
Tsushima confirmed his identity "Right this way, Agent Brea is waiting for you." she said, leading him past the desks into a meeting room.
Aya Brea sat in a chair, impatiently awaiting the arrival of her partner. Her pale blonde hair flew about as she took a look around the room one more time. An officer led someone into the room and left. Aya smiled to herself as she trained her gaze on Tsushima, who was approaching her. She stood to welcome him. "Hey Tsushima."
"Can you tell me what this is all about?" he said, ignoring her welcoming.
Aya was taken aback, but she supposed that she understood his situation. She decided not to waste any time. "Well, remember how Tim Horton's was destroyed?" she asked.
Tsushima nodded. "Now, we didn't get a very good look at what happened, as we were relatively far away from it. But, this police box had practically a front row seat. And I bet that they have some surveillance tapes here that could help us in our investigation." she continued.
Tsushima opened his mouth to say something, but then thought for a while. "That's true, but even though we essentially have unlimited authority on this investigation, the Tokyo Keishi is allowed to withhold evidence unless they get direct orders from the Justice Department or the Diet."
"Why?"
"Because technically this should be their case, theirs and the Keihin Keishi. This is their precinct."
"Well... if I remember from your profile, you used to work for the Keihin Keishi didn't you?"
The first question in Tsushima's mind was 'How the hell did you get a hold of my profile?' but he decided to grill her about that at a later date. Instead, he said, "This isn't the Keihin Keishi though Aya, it's the Tokyo Keishi."
As Aya was about to respond, an officer approached the two of them. "Ah, Agent Brea's partner. I've just talked to the Justice Department, and they said that you have clearance to view the tapes." he explained.
Tsushima shot a glance at Aya, who tried shrugging innocently. "By the way, I'm Officer Sakamoto, I'm in charge of this police box." he greeted.
Sakamoto shook Tsushima's hand, and led them to a small room.
8:57 pm
After viewing the tapes, which held some promise to the agents, they requested that copies be made for the rest of their team to see. Sakamoto agreed, with some reluctance, and sent the agents on their way. Outside of the police box, Aya stopped to look at the sky, holding herself to keep warm. She zipped up her leather jacket. Tsushima was standing there, as if waiting for something. After some time, Tsushima spoke. "Are you gonna stand here and freeze while trying to gaze at the stars?"
Aya snapped out of her preoccupied state and looked back at Tsushima. "Well then what do you suggest I do?" she responded heatedly.
"We could go search for a restaurant or something, because you obviously haven't eaten since lunch time."
"Well, I guess I'm a bit hungry... how did you know?"
Tsushima looked at the furious streets, grey smoked flowed out of his nose, then he smiled, "I just know Aya."
Aya frowned at the cryptic response, and then a thought came to her mind. "I met Saiyumi here before I went into the police box, maybe he's still in a restaurant."
Many pedestrians passed by in frenzy, and Aya was caught off balance by the steady stream of people flowing by her. Two strong arms steadied her, and all Aya could do was blush. Silence reigned for several moments, then Tsushima let her go. "So what restaurant do you want to go to?" he asked, trying to dispel the tension.
Aya attempted to avoid eye contact, her cheeks still flushed. Then as if on cue, a slight drizzle commenced to shower the two agents, and the rest of Tokyo. After a while, Aya forced herself to respond. "How about that restaurant you got the takeout from yesterday?"
"Sure." and with that he walked over to where he had parked his car.
Aya followed quickly, not wanting to let the drizzle turn into a monsoon. Tsushima entered, then unlocked the passenger side for Aya. They then entered the ocean of traffic.
9:17 pm
Blue Dragon Oriental Garden
Ginza Yon-chome Crossing in Ginza
Inside a busy yet relatively quiet oriental restaurant, a man with short jet-black hair, and wearing nothing but black helped himself to some chicken chow mein and tempura. He had been here for quite some time, and he still wasn't ready to leave yet. His appetite was very large for this occasion, so he generously catered to it.
Unbeknownst to him, two people entered into the restaurant. The two waited at the waiting place to be served. "Konbanwa, a table for two?" someone behind the counter asked.
"Hai." Tsushima replied.
The server led them to a vacant table and put some menus down. "Here you go, I'll be with you shortly."
"Doumo arigatou gozai-masu." Tsushima said in thanks.
The woman smiled "You don't have to be so polite in front of your friend Tsushima-san. We all know you well enough."
Tsushima smiled back warmly "Old habits."
The server nodded and left to help others. Aya settled down in a seat, ambivalent about this whole thing. Tsushima must have sensed her discomfort, because he asked, "Is anything wrong Aya?"
Aya hesitated for a while. "Just a bit nervous, I've never been in a Japanese restaurant." she replied truthfully.
Tsushima nodded in understanding "Don't worry, I've been here a lot over the years. Most of the staff knows me." he reassured her, as he took off his midnight coat and sat down.
Aya busied herself by looking at the menu, deciding what to order. Her blue eyes concentrated on the Chow Mein Section. After several minutes, the server returned. "Have you chosen what you'd like to eat tonight?" she asked politely.
Tsushima nodded to Aya as a signal to go first. She bit her lip, then ordered with hesitance. "I'd like some barbecued chow mein, and some friend rice please."
The dark-haired server wrote the items down on her pad. "And you?"
Tsushima looked up "The usual..." and then glanced at Aya for a moment. "And perhaps tempura, a dish of vegetables, some meat in sweet and sour sauce, kung-pao beef and some vegetables, all for two." he listed.
"Excellent choice, and what would you like as an appetizer?"
"Just a mixed appetizer and some hot and spicy wonton soup. With some green tea." Tsushima answered again.
"You must be very hungry today, hmmm?"
Tsushima nodded "Always."
And with that, the server left them to get their meals. Aya just sat there dumfounded. "We're going to eat all of that Tsushima?" she asked meekly.
"We can always save what we can't eat for later. Besides, any moment now, some friends should arrive."
And as if on cue once again, through the crowded restaurant came Hiiro and Quatre.
Quatre addressed Tsushima as they approached him "We've already requested a private dining room Tsushima, let's go."
Tsushima nodded and put on his coat again. Aya followed suit and went with them. Amidst all this, the man in black observed this set down his chopsticks. He rose to leave, but wrote a small note to the server, and left a tip.
Private Dining Room #3
When the group of four entered the room, the rest of the Deadline team was there, already chowing down on their meals. Quatre tapped Tsushima on the shoulder. "I had Naoshi redirect your orders here, so you can dig in with our food till yours arrives. Tsushima nodded, and motioned Aya to follow her to some empty seats. Friendly chatter over ethereal background music was all that filled the room. Aya took a seat beside Noin, who greeted her with a smile.
After being given a plate, she enjoyed the exotic food. But just then several servers, followed by a man in black entered the room. The servers placed some more food on a buffet style table behind the main one. "This is the meals you ordered Tsushima-san." Naoshi informed him, then she left. Aya looked up and found Saiyumi in his usual black attire, looking for a place to sit. "Sorry to crash the party." he announced.
Duo grinned. "No prob there Saiyumi, here, have a seat and dig in." he invited happily.
Saiyumi sat on the other side of Tsushima, as Aya was on Tsushima's left. "Fancy meeting you here." commented Saiyumi.
"We planned this little event Hasaki, enjoy yourself." Tsushima responded.
And for the rest of that night, the team of thirteen ate until it hurt, literally.
Another Part of the Ginza Yon-chome Crossing in Ginza
In the starless night, Tokyo never slept. Three operatives sat in a car silently, concentrating on just one person. "HQ we have him in range again, he is approaching another eatery, over." one of them reported through the radio.
"Yamaguchi, we read you, continue surveillance, do not reveal your presence yet, over and out."
A flurry of vehicles passed by and obscured the agent's views for three crucial seconds. "Where'd he go?"
"Kuso!" exclaimed Sakata.
"HQ, we have lost visual contact of suspect, we're going to move out to reconfirm his whereabouts, over."
"Affirmative Yamaguchi, use caution, over."
"Tohyama will stay in the car, Sakata will come with me, over and out."
Yamaguchi and Sakata burst out of the car and ran towards the last known position of their suspect. They crossed the road hurriedly and looked around. The black night made it difficult to see elusive figures, shadows.
5...
Yamaguchi motioned for Sakata to search the parking lot.
4...
Yamaguchi walked cautiously and looked inside the stores.
3...
2...
Sakata looked fervently in the parking lot, searching between and under cars.
1...
Yamaguchi then neared the suspect's presumed destination, the eatery.
0...
C h a p t e r T h r e e - Z a i b a t s u s
1:00 pm
Somewhere in the Keihin Metropolitan Area
In the dark recesses of a large room, two torches blazed fiercely. An old man in his seventies or eighties sat cross-legged between the two sources of light, meditating. He had two grey spikes of hair standing up from his otherwise bald head. He had a grey moustache and beard. He had a wrinkled face, which portrayed his age. He wore only traditional karate pants as he sat in the room. Suddenly, he was brought out of his deep state of unawareness when someone entered. "Forgive me Mishima-sama, but I must inform you that the explosion occurring two days ago killed one of Mokusatsu Conglomerate's representatives." said the servant.
Mishima-sama didn't even look up to acknowledge him. "Send a letter of condolence to Mokusatsu, then prepare for phase two of the operation. Those government officials will never discover the true purpose of the bombing." said the old man.
"Yes Mishima-sama." said the servant as he bowed.
Heihachi Mishima, the CEO and owner of the Mishima Zaibatsu, plotted the next phase: to rid himself the annoyance of the Keihin Metropolitan Police Department.
Another Part of the Keihin Metropolitan Area
In a crowded restaurant, many people flowed in and out. Some were ordering a full meal; some were ordering little snacks. One customer in particular sat alone at a table near a window. His back was towards the window. He took a bite out of his Teriyaki Burger. In his mind he knew he couldn't just sit here to savour the taste of the burger. He ate it quickly and took some sips of his ice tea. Someone from the far side of the restaurant made eye contact with him. The man on the far side nodded, then got up to leave. The man who had just finished his burger looked around. Everyone was completely unaware of the lone Japanese. Before he left however, he took a long detour to the washroom.
Outside of the restaurant, a dark, inconspicuous car waited. Heavy amounts of traffic poured through the street. Sunshine beat on the city mercilessly. Low amounts of ultraviolet and other harmful forms of radiation seeped through the depleted ozone layer.
Three people inside the car observed the man who had just exited the McDonald's. One person in the car picked up the radio. "HQ, this is Sakata, we have visual contact of the suspect, request permission to follow, over." he asked
"Negative Sakata, you may not pursue. Return to Headquarters immediately, over and out." came the reply.
Sakata glanced at the driver "Looks like we're heading home. Let's go Yamaguchi."
The one called Yamaguchi nodded and started up the car. The woman in the back chose to buckle-up.
The dark coloured car waited for a safe time to enter the sea of traffic, and then it was carried away into the street.
6:47 pm
Nippon Hoso Kyokai - NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) News Broadcast
"And today in the stock market, the Mishima Zaibatsu flew up eleven points with everyone buying shares, where the Mokusatsu Conglomerate dropped nine. Sony is holding even with no big change, but with the popularity of the PlayStation and the huge sales in its games, things can only get better for Sony. They're scheduled to release their financial report for this fiscal year next month. And for more on financial and stock market news, here's Aizawa Ryoko..." reported the financial analyst.
7:19 pm
Ginza
Thousands of teenagers walked through the always-industrious streets of one of the busiest districts of Tokyo; A place called Ginza. Most of them couldn't wait for the weekend, so they could rush over to Akihabara and buy some new electronics. Either that or just shop right here in Ginza. It was relatively dark, but it was never truly dark with all of the neon lights, rushing traffic, and street signs. The only drawback was that the stars were rarely even visible, not that anyone really noticed or cared.
A familiar figure wearing a black leather jacket over a white T-shirt and blue jeans walked through Ginza as well, but this person was no teenager.
Aya Brea was exploring the sprawling metropolis, as per orders of the director she was working under. This was her second month here and her first time sightseeing. Of course, she'd already seen the Sony Building, the skyscraper that she, Tsushima and Sakura had used as a surveillance point. Aya decided to do some shopping to take her mind off the case for a while. Not noticing where she was going because she had been looking at the grand cityscape, she bumped into someone.
"You should be looking where you're going. Other people might not be so nice about getting bumped into."
Aya looked up, immediately recognizing the voice. "What are you doing here?" she asked haughtily.
The man raised an eyebrow, then answered. "It's been a while since I visited Tokyo. I was looking for a nice place to eat."
Aya nodded. "I finally managed to get away from the office. Tsushima can get so engrossed in his work sometimes..."
"Well from what i hear, he's a veteran agent. Maybe he just likes to get ahead in his work."
Aya looked around for a while. "I suppose, but I'd rather see the city. I'll see you tomorrow, Hasaki-san."
"Sayonara Brea-san." Saiyumi said as they walked their separate ways.
Aya continued her journey into Ginza, but her thoughts drifted back to the IBI Headquarters. She still wondered if her partner was still sitting at his desk, filling out various documents. A smile came to her face at that thought. Very different from Daniel, who hated paperwork and always wanted to be out in the field. But Tsushima, as far as she knew, wasn't brash or hot-headed. She recalled the fact that he used to work for the Keihin Keishi, the Keihin Metropolitan Police. Just as she thought that, her eyes fell on a building in front of her. A thought crossed her mind.
7:42 pm
Tokyo Keishi (Tokyo Metropolitan Police) Police Box
Sukiyabashi Crossing in Ginza
Tsushima Masaki entered the doors of the police outpost, searching for Aya. An officer approached him. "You're Agent Masaki from the IBI?" she inquired.
Tsushima confirmed his identity "Right this way, Agent Brea is waiting for you." she said, leading him past the desks into a meeting room.
Aya Brea sat in a chair, impatiently awaiting the arrival of her partner. Her pale blonde hair flew about as she took a look around the room one more time. An officer led someone into the room and left. Aya smiled to herself as she trained her gaze on Tsushima, who was approaching her. She stood to welcome him. "Hey Tsushima."
"Can you tell me what this is all about?" he said, ignoring her welcoming.
Aya was taken aback, but she supposed that she understood his situation. She decided not to waste any time. "Well, remember how Tim Horton's was destroyed?" she asked.
Tsushima nodded. "Now, we didn't get a very good look at what happened, as we were relatively far away from it. But, this police box had practically a front row seat. And I bet that they have some surveillance tapes here that could help us in our investigation." she continued.
Tsushima opened his mouth to say something, but then thought for a while. "That's true, but even though we essentially have unlimited authority on this investigation, the Tokyo Keishi is allowed to withhold evidence unless they get direct orders from the Justice Department or the Diet."
"Why?"
"Because technically this should be their case, theirs and the Keihin Keishi. This is their precinct."
"Well... if I remember from your profile, you used to work for the Keihin Keishi didn't you?"
The first question in Tsushima's mind was 'How the hell did you get a hold of my profile?' but he decided to grill her about that at a later date. Instead, he said, "This isn't the Keihin Keishi though Aya, it's the Tokyo Keishi."
As Aya was about to respond, an officer approached the two of them. "Ah, Agent Brea's partner. I've just talked to the Justice Department, and they said that you have clearance to view the tapes." he explained.
Tsushima shot a glance at Aya, who tried shrugging innocently. "By the way, I'm Officer Sakamoto, I'm in charge of this police box." he greeted.
Sakamoto shook Tsushima's hand, and led them to a small room.
8:57 pm
After viewing the tapes, which held some promise to the agents, they requested that copies be made for the rest of their team to see. Sakamoto agreed, with some reluctance, and sent the agents on their way. Outside of the police box, Aya stopped to look at the sky, holding herself to keep warm. She zipped up her leather jacket. Tsushima was standing there, as if waiting for something. After some time, Tsushima spoke. "Are you gonna stand here and freeze while trying to gaze at the stars?"
Aya snapped out of her preoccupied state and looked back at Tsushima. "Well then what do you suggest I do?" she responded heatedly.
"We could go search for a restaurant or something, because you obviously haven't eaten since lunch time."
"Well, I guess I'm a bit hungry... how did you know?"
Tsushima looked at the furious streets, grey smoked flowed out of his nose, then he smiled, "I just know Aya."
Aya frowned at the cryptic response, and then a thought came to her mind. "I met Saiyumi here before I went into the police box, maybe he's still in a restaurant."
Many pedestrians passed by in frenzy, and Aya was caught off balance by the steady stream of people flowing by her. Two strong arms steadied her, and all Aya could do was blush. Silence reigned for several moments, then Tsushima let her go. "So what restaurant do you want to go to?" he asked, trying to dispel the tension.
Aya attempted to avoid eye contact, her cheeks still flushed. Then as if on cue, a slight drizzle commenced to shower the two agents, and the rest of Tokyo. After a while, Aya forced herself to respond. "How about that restaurant you got the takeout from yesterday?"
"Sure." and with that he walked over to where he had parked his car.
Aya followed quickly, not wanting to let the drizzle turn into a monsoon. Tsushima entered, then unlocked the passenger side for Aya. They then entered the ocean of traffic.
9:17 pm
Blue Dragon Oriental Garden
Ginza Yon-chome Crossing in Ginza
Inside a busy yet relatively quiet oriental restaurant, a man with short jet-black hair, and wearing nothing but black helped himself to some chicken chow mein and tempura. He had been here for quite some time, and he still wasn't ready to leave yet. His appetite was very large for this occasion, so he generously catered to it.
Unbeknownst to him, two people entered into the restaurant. The two waited at the waiting place to be served. "Konbanwa, a table for two?" someone behind the counter asked.
"Hai." Tsushima replied.
The server led them to a vacant table and put some menus down. "Here you go, I'll be with you shortly."
"Doumo arigatou gozai-masu." Tsushima said in thanks.
The woman smiled "You don't have to be so polite in front of your friend Tsushima-san. We all know you well enough."
Tsushima smiled back warmly "Old habits."
The server nodded and left to help others. Aya settled down in a seat, ambivalent about this whole thing. Tsushima must have sensed her discomfort, because he asked, "Is anything wrong Aya?"
Aya hesitated for a while. "Just a bit nervous, I've never been in a Japanese restaurant." she replied truthfully.
Tsushima nodded in understanding "Don't worry, I've been here a lot over the years. Most of the staff knows me." he reassured her, as he took off his midnight coat and sat down.
Aya busied herself by looking at the menu, deciding what to order. Her blue eyes concentrated on the Chow Mein Section. After several minutes, the server returned. "Have you chosen what you'd like to eat tonight?" she asked politely.
Tsushima nodded to Aya as a signal to go first. She bit her lip, then ordered with hesitance. "I'd like some barbecued chow mein, and some friend rice please."
The dark-haired server wrote the items down on her pad. "And you?"
Tsushima looked up "The usual..." and then glanced at Aya for a moment. "And perhaps tempura, a dish of vegetables, some meat in sweet and sour sauce, kung-pao beef and some vegetables, all for two." he listed.
"Excellent choice, and what would you like as an appetizer?"
"Just a mixed appetizer and some hot and spicy wonton soup. With some green tea." Tsushima answered again.
"You must be very hungry today, hmmm?"
Tsushima nodded "Always."
And with that, the server left them to get their meals. Aya just sat there dumfounded. "We're going to eat all of that Tsushima?" she asked meekly.
"We can always save what we can't eat for later. Besides, any moment now, some friends should arrive."
And as if on cue once again, through the crowded restaurant came Hiiro and Quatre.
Quatre addressed Tsushima as they approached him "We've already requested a private dining room Tsushima, let's go."
Tsushima nodded and put on his coat again. Aya followed suit and went with them. Amidst all this, the man in black observed this set down his chopsticks. He rose to leave, but wrote a small note to the server, and left a tip.
Private Dining Room #3
When the group of four entered the room, the rest of the Deadline team was there, already chowing down on their meals. Quatre tapped Tsushima on the shoulder. "I had Naoshi redirect your orders here, so you can dig in with our food till yours arrives. Tsushima nodded, and motioned Aya to follow her to some empty seats. Friendly chatter over ethereal background music was all that filled the room. Aya took a seat beside Noin, who greeted her with a smile.
After being given a plate, she enjoyed the exotic food. But just then several servers, followed by a man in black entered the room. The servers placed some more food on a buffet style table behind the main one. "This is the meals you ordered Tsushima-san." Naoshi informed him, then she left. Aya looked up and found Saiyumi in his usual black attire, looking for a place to sit. "Sorry to crash the party." he announced.
Duo grinned. "No prob there Saiyumi, here, have a seat and dig in." he invited happily.
Saiyumi sat on the other side of Tsushima, as Aya was on Tsushima's left. "Fancy meeting you here." commented Saiyumi.
"We planned this little event Hasaki, enjoy yourself." Tsushima responded.
And for the rest of that night, the team of thirteen ate until it hurt, literally.
Another Part of the Ginza Yon-chome Crossing in Ginza
In the starless night, Tokyo never slept. Three operatives sat in a car silently, concentrating on just one person. "HQ we have him in range again, he is approaching another eatery, over." one of them reported through the radio.
"Yamaguchi, we read you, continue surveillance, do not reveal your presence yet, over and out."
A flurry of vehicles passed by and obscured the agent's views for three crucial seconds. "Where'd he go?"
"Kuso!" exclaimed Sakata.
"HQ, we have lost visual contact of suspect, we're going to move out to reconfirm his whereabouts, over."
"Affirmative Yamaguchi, use caution, over."
"Tohyama will stay in the car, Sakata will come with me, over and out."
Yamaguchi and Sakata burst out of the car and ran towards the last known position of their suspect. They crossed the road hurriedly and looked around. The black night made it difficult to see elusive figures, shadows.
5...
Yamaguchi motioned for Sakata to search the parking lot.
4...
Yamaguchi walked cautiously and looked inside the stores.
3...
2...
Sakata looked fervently in the parking lot, searching between and under cars.
1...
Yamaguchi then neared the suspect's presumed destination, the eatery.
0...