Makima

With chaos came opportunity, or so they say, Makima thought as her colleagues immediately leaped back into their duties after she was officially introduced to the rest of the team. Such focus was something she could approve of.

Reception from the team was mixed. Quite a few seemed delighted to have her here, while others seemed ambivalent. A minority, like Ide, was openly displeased. Perhaps it was because she was a parachute, perhaps it was her age, or perhaps it was because she was a woman in a male-dominated field. But that was fine. It wasn't like they mattered.

Whatever opinions they had of her were brushed out of their minds as they focused on their tasks, mentally stretching the limits of their imagination to make sense of this case.

But no matter how hard they try, they would never come close to the truth simply because that was how she made it to be.

In her old world, the truth could've been deduced even by a civilian. But here? The conception of normality limited them, and they would never breach that bubble. And why would they? Ghosts and monsters were just a children's tale.

Even if they brought in this L, the result would be the same. Brilliance was relative. Dogs were more innovative than most animals but did that make them intelligent? No matter how capable this L was, he was just a mere human. One that she could remove even in her weakened state.

This minor incident would hardly shake the foundations of the NPA, but it would be the first crack in the tempered glass. One that would be too minute to notice but, unbeknownst to them, would grow as it received blow after blow. She wondered how many of these fine men would survive the final strike that would shatter the glass into a myriad of kaleidoscopic shards.

She was instructed to sit and watch to learn as much as possible from how the team worked on her first day. But while they seemed capable, she doubted there would be anything meaningful passed down.

Instead, she went from person to person, assisting them in their duties. They were weary at first but soon warmed up to her as she completed her tasks with both speed and proficiency. When her colleagues and superiors suspiciously checked over her work and found nothing wanting, they became enthusiastic about offloading their duties onto the newcomer. Task after task was completed with little trouble, far faster than should have been possible. With the completion of one came another and oftentimes, more difficult. But that too was fine. What was difficult for them was trivial for her. They were limited by the software of a human while she had something superior.

Compiling the known database of criminally controlled casinos? Done.

Solving the murder of a corporate elite? Done.

Finding evidence of a ponzi scheme? Done.

So great was her proficiency that the team completed their assignments hours ahead of schedule when they had initially been preparing to spend the night in the office.

By the end of the day, even the most hostile of glances became lukewarm while others seemed to be physically restraining themselves from celebrating.

"Good work today Makima-san!"

The cheers and adulations brought her amusement. While controlling others through her abilities as the Control Devil gave her satisfaction, it was minuscule compared to the contentment that came from controlling with nothing but the right words and actions. After all, a challenge was only good as its difficulty.

"Ahem." Yagmai coughed into his loosely closed fist. Almost at once, the room quieted down. Makima raised an eyebrow, impressed by her superior's ability to control the chamber. "Good work today everyone. Thanks to your efforts, we finished far earlier than expected. Since we have time, let's welcome the new addition to our team with a celebratory dinner. Drinks will be on me."

At the announcement, the room exploded in noises of approval. At the mention of free alcohol, the cheers became so loud that Makima could feel the floor vibrate.

Thus a tide of dully colored suits stormed the exits of the NPA as their colleagues from different divisions stared on in both confusion and jealousy.

They headed towards a nearby restaurant serving as a grill and a bar. It was a popular destination for the officers due to its proximity to their workplace.

In the 15 minutes it took to arrive, Makima engaged in small talk after small talk, entertaining her co-workers and laughing at their dry humor. While she could care less about the company, Makima did admit she was looking forward to tasting alcohol for the first time in many months.

Upon arrival, they were guided by the staff to an isolated private room designed for large groups such as theirs. The room was equipped with long desks embedded with grills and there was even a karaoke machine next to the T.V.

The staff guided them to their seats with Makima placed in the center as the guest of honor.

"What would you like sir?" The waitress asked.

After gathering a consensus from the rest of the group, Yagami listed off the order. "Five servings of sliced pork belly and Korean barbeque for now please. As for drinks, twenty bottles of sake would do. Is there anything specific you would like to order Makima-san?"

"Mmmm… A glass of dry beer."

The waitress furiously scribbled down their orders and left to complete them. Upon her exit, a buzz of conversation began all around her as they laughed and joked while some shuddered in anticipation.

"Hey Makima-san, do you have a boyfriend?" Asked the only other female in the room. The conversations hushed to a stop.

"That's private Nozomi!" Yagami scolded. "You shouldn't intrude in her personal life."

Nozomi rolled her eyes. "Oh please Chief. I spent three years in this massive sausage fest and now I finally have another girl at work to talk with. Cut me some slack. Also, I'm sure some of the boys here want to know too," she added at the end with a smirk.

"Cough.. ack- cough…" Matsuda pounded his chest profusely after he spat out what he was drinking. Spittle and tea alike flew into the air as if fired from a hose. Mogi, who sat across this unfortunate soul was the worst off as the airborne fluids directly struck the center of his face and splattered across his clothes.

Kanjo Mogi froze, his face transfixed between disgust and horror as if he could not believe what had just happened.

"Jesus Matsuda, what's wrong with you," Ide exclaimed as he pounded his junior's back.

"Cough… Thanks Ide-san… Sorry, the drink went down the wrong way."

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Mogi!"

Mogi did move an inch or utter a syllable, worried that any ill-timed motion would cause the mess to spread further.

Aizawa who had been seated next to Mogi grabbed a stash of napkins and slowly wiped away the spilled liquids, careful not to come into physical contact with a single drop.

"Come on Mogi, let's get you cleaned up," said Aizawa as he tugged on the frozen statue's arm.

Silently, Mogi stiffly followed.

"Jesus kid, completely different from Makima-san…" Sighed Ide.

Matsuda looked down, ashamed.

"It was just an accident, one that could happen to anyone," defended Makima.

Chief Yagami nodded in support. "Don't be too harsh on him Ide. As Makima-san said, mistakes happen. At the very least, Nozomi seems to be having fun."

"Fun? Are kidding me? That was fucking hilarious!" Nozomi laughed, slapping her thigh. "Did you see Mogi's face? Poor guy was shocked stiff!"

"Have some class Nozomi-san," Ide scolded.

"Yeah yeah, sure, whatever," agreed the woman half-heartedly. "Anyways, about that boyfriend? Answers. Gimme."

"Hmmm… Would it not be too boring if I just told you?" Makima asked.

Nozomi's eyes lit up in anticipation. "Ohhhh. I like the way you think. What do you propose?"

"There's a dart board over there behind Matsuda-san. How about we take turns throwing a dart and answer a question if you miss? But before you throw, you take a shot of the sake."

Nozomi laughed. "Sounds good to me. I'll be getting all your secrets out in no time."

"Free drinks and entertainment? I'm in!" Shouted someone in the crowd.

"Remember ladies, you still have work tomorrow," Yagami warned.

"Mhm sure," agreed Nozomi without bothering to look at her superior. "Makima-san, since you are the guest of honor, why don't you start?"

"Don't mind if I do," said Makima as she stood, grabbing the shot glass and downing its contents in one go.

Selecting a dart, Makima casually flicked the missile without bothering to aim and nailed the center red dot.

Nozomi whistled. "A good drinker and good at games. Oh, we are going to have so much fun."

"I believe it is your turn Nozomi-san," said Makima with a smile.

"One shot coming right up," answered a grinning Nozomi, downing a shot glass of her own. Selecting a green dart, Nozomi stood and carefully aimed at the board, testing the missile's trajectory before releasing her dart into the center red next to Makima's. "Hah! Your move Makima-san!"

-8 bottles of Sake Later-

For the 23rd time, Makima's dart once again landed perfectly within the center red.

"Ugh, how is this possible," complained her opponent who was flushed in the face. "You don't even look tipsy!"

"Hmm? Oh, that's because I have a high alcohol tolerance," Makima answered.

"That's ridiculous… You drank enough to get even an adult male drunk three times over," said Aizawa in confusion. He had returned mid-game with a cleaned-up Mogi in tow. Shaking his head, he continued. "High alcohol tolerance doesn't give you immunity and you definitely shouldn't have been able to repeatedly land the center with that much alcohol in your system... You… You don't even have the slightest sign of being drunk!"

"Must be good genetics."

"Right… Good genetics… Makes total sense…" Aizawa drawled.

"But what does that say about Nozomi-san? She drank the same amount," Makima asked.

Aizawa shook his head. "That's because her drinks have been watered down. Why do you think she was so confident in winning?"

Makima raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't warn me?"

"We thought you were doing the same," Ide admitted. "But I checked your bottles, and it looks like Nozomi specifically ordered drinks with the highest alcohol content possible for you. So technically, you have drunk enough for five men to fall over."

"I'm not going down yet! You hear me Makima?" Nozomi declared. "I am going to get my answer-oomf-"

Reeling, Nozomi bent down, her hands covering her mouth.

"Shit!" Shouted Aizawa, immediately recognizing the warning signs as he shot up to help his colleague. But despite his speed, he was too late.

"Blargh!" Unable to hold down the contents of her stomach, Nozomi puked…

On top of Mogi's head.

For some reason, Makima was getting a sense of Deja Vu.

Mogi's eyes widened in horror for the second time that night, his body stiffening like a deer in front of headlights as a mix of fluids and solids flowed down his face and dripped down his hair.

"Man Mogi, it really isn't your day today," said Aizawa with annoyance.

Even without moving a muscle, Mogi's eyes excellently conveyed his plea for help.

Once again, Aizawa tugged Mogi's arm beckoning the large man to follow. Like an oversized duckling, Mogi trailed behind his colleague, his torso and head refusing to make so much as a twitch.

"All right, I think that is enough for tonight. Let's pack up and go home before any more of us ends up like Nozomi," said Yagami.

"Ughh..." Groaned the aforementioned woman as she lay across the floor, unable or unwilling to move.

"Ide, please make sure that Nozomi gets home safely. I will go help Aizawa and Mogi. Matsuda, I assume you will be taking Makima-san home?"

"Yessir."

"Good. Then I will see all of you tomorrow. Get a good rest," said the Chief of the NPA.

With the dinner concluded, Makima and Matsuda separated from their colleagues as each went their own ways.

"Poor Mogi-san," said Matsuda. "Now I feel even worse..."

"Don't be. It's not like you meant for it to happen. It was an accident. Plus, there was nothing you could have done the second time," reasoned Makima.

Matsuda sighed, unwilling to respond.

"Is something wrong Matsuda-san?"

"I…" Begin Matsuda, but his words cut off as he trailed back into silence…

"Hmm… This isn't just about what happened in the restaurant, is it?"

Matsuda did not reply, but his silence was enough of an answer. He looked down at his feet, resembling a sad dog rather than a proud officer of Japan. It was clear to Makima that the problem stemmed much deeper than what happened at the grill.

Suddenly, Makima gripped Matsuda's arms, dragging him along with her.

"It's too early to call it a night, don't you think?" Said Makima. "Come on, let's go to the arcade over there."

"Makima-san?"

Half-dragging, half-willing, Matsuda followed.

"Tickets for two," requested Makima to the ticketer.

"Two tickets coming right up!"

"What do you want to play first? Asked Makima.

"I… Uh…"

"Oh, is that Dance, Dance, Revolution? I've always wanted to try that." Said Makima. "Come on Matsuda-san, I need someone to hold my jacket."

"Makima-san I… Oof-" Matsuda started before a sudden pull cut him off.

Makima had never been one for games. Her days were filled with responsibilities and time to herself was rare. But after her defeat and being alone for months in this new world, she wanted to try something new.

After inserting a coin, the screen changed to a menu listing a series of unfamiliar songs. She would not have recognized the songs even if they were from her original world; music was not something she often listened to.

After choosing a random piece, an option for selecting the difficulty appeared. Without a thought, Makima chose 'insanity'.

Music rang from the machine as a countdown began. As soon as the timer hit zero, an immense flood of directional keys dropped and the dance began.

Something of this difficulty was enough to overwhelm all but the most dedicated of players, but even they could not have cleared this dance with ease.

But Makima was anything but ordinary. Even weakened as she was, her Devil body gave her superhuman speed and agility. This dance proved little difficulty for her.

Makima frowned, dissatisfied with the game. It was far too easy.

So, to bring up the difficulty, she decided that she would use her hands for every 4th step and always alternate between her legs.

Thus, spins, backflips, handstands, and twists were added to the game

Great!

Awesome!

62 Combo!

98 Combo, Incredible!

Perfect Score!

Landing on her knees at the end of this dance, she paused. The game had proven to be a mild entertainment. The joy she felt wasn't much, but it was something she would not mind doing again.

"Woohoo!"

"That was amazing!"

All at once, shouts of commendation and applauses of approval filled the air.

A crowd had gathered to watch.

Makima was stunned. She had not noticed the gathering, something that was worrying.

Did I really enjoy this game that much? Thought Makima. To the point that I failed to notice something so obvious? Or have my instincts waned?

Her stay in this new world was stressful but also safe. There was not a single threat within her premises, so it was possible that the senses and instincts that she had carefully honed in the past had dulled from the lack of use.

Yes, that must be it…

"Jesus Makima-san, what in the world was that?!" Exclaimed Matsuda with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Quickly shoving aside her worries, Makima smiled. "I was into sports a little when I was younger."

"A little? You looked like an Olympic gymnast who has trained all her life!"

"Well… I guess I had a bit more talent than the rest," chuckled Makima. "Come on, let's play the next game."

POW!

1452!

New high score!

1. CTRL DVL

2. KOBUNNY#1GURL

3. POWA4PREZ

4. MOVIE2HEAVEN

Bang! Bang! Bang!

87 Consecutive hits!

You are the Master Sniper!

Congratulations!

Player CTRL DVL is now the Racing Champion!

Within an hour, Makima was now the record holder of every game within the Arcade, unknowingly sparking the genesis of a legend.

Satisfied, Makima left with Matsuda who looked like he had the time of his life.

"Did you see their faces Makima-san?! The look on that guy's face when you beat his score on that punching machine! Hahaha! He was all like, 'Did that just happen?'" Laughed Matsuda, mimicking the muscled man resembling an enforcer from a yakuza who had mocked them when she had wanted to give the machine ago.

"Matsuda-san, would you like to talk now?"

Matsuda froze mid-laughter. His earlier smile sank into something more bitter.

"Sigh… Makima-san, you really are amazing… You're good at everything you do whether it's work or games. You're really pretty too, not to mention super smart. Even Ide and Aizawa, the two strictest people I know approve of you. It's like God couldn't have made anyone more perfect. And I'm…. Just me…" Said Matsuda. "I never succeeded in anything in life. Even my job here was given to me by my family. But it's not like I never tried. I did! Really!… But no matter how hard I try, I'm always nothing but mediocre…

Makima listened silently as she watched Matsuda confess his fears and insecurities. "Matsuda-san, you overvalue what you do not have and undervalue what you have. Do you think just anyone could do as well as you if they were in your shoes? Have you ever once allowed the words of others to get you down for long? Chief Yagami praised your dedication and honesty, and I am inclined to agree with him. So what if you make mistakes? All people do, some less, some more but in the end they learn and so will you."

"When?!" Exclaimed Matsuda. "When will I learn? I've been here for over a year yet I still make the same mistakes… I'm so ignorant that it drives me insane sometimes!"

"And what's so wrong with that? Being ignorant just means that you will have more things to experience. It means that you will have more things to see, to taste, and learn to love. Isn't that the joy of life? Ignorance doesn't last forever Mastuda-san, cherish it while you can."

"But Makima-sa-,"

"Nuh-uh," said Makima, putting a finger over his lips to silence his protests. "No more of that. Tonight, we are having fun."

Matsuda blushed.

They were good people. They all were, despite what they thought of her. Matsuda was naïve but honest, Ide and Aizawa had the commitment seen in only a few, and Soichiro Yagami was kind and caring despite his position.

Makima hoped they would also have the strength to survive the coming storm.

If they didn't, she would mourn their deaths.

This is the last chapter of the prologue arc. I will be putting aside this fic until I finish the first arc of my other fic as well.

As always, review and comments please.