Notes: This is a rewritten version of Recall, actually. I was never one to dove for first person, and right now, I need the third person view. To be honest, to think like Rika is working on one thing, and thinking of the plot is working on another thing. So I'll stick to my favorite third person. . Oh, and this is still AU, folks. To those who reviewed, try checking this out and please give me one more chance!
Disclaimer: Please, ask me if I own the world! I'll say this once. I.DON'T.OWN.DIGIMON.TAMERS.
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RECALL
Chapter One: Records and States
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The streets of Shinjuku five years ago weren't this peaceful when Rika Nonaka set foot on it the first time around being a fresh graduate of Tokyo University course Bachelor of Science in Criminology. At that time, gangs were still up, the police department was still starting the clean up the neighborhood, and there were of course, the unbeatable rumors, gossips and that sort of dirt about the SPD – Shinjuku Police Department – that would circulate around the place. And it was in the few years of Rika Nonaka's service that she was able to make a record out of Shinjuku, by making it as one of the most peaceful and organized of its kind.
But Rika knew better than to stay in SPD. After working for experience in the said department, she moved in to a private sector as a detective. Working under Henry Wong, one of her chums in college, she rose in rank and eventually was recognized as one of the best in her field. Although she would've wished for the greatest recognition, she couldn't, and she wouldn't, as the one taking up that spot is the renowned Detective Ken Ichijouji, a resident genius of Tamachi, the one who spearheaded the Tokyo Detective Agency, and the one who happened to be her senior at Tokyo University. She held great respect for the genius, and she wasn't going to let pride get in the way.
Right now, the young detective was walking around the corner to Henry's detective agency, seriously trying to find the reason why Henry would want to talk to her on a holiday. On Christmas, nonetheless. He wasn't one to let work get into his head, so this must be really important. She almost felt sorry for him, because of unfinished work, he would stay late at night in the office, and would often sacrifice holidays just to finish it. And this Christmas is no exception.
But one would guess that he was just dedicated to his job, she thought, as she entered the agency, quite thankful of the heater that just took off the chill of the December air. She took off her thick leather jacket and hanged it at the stand just beside the door. With a quick scan, she immediately realized that someone had been partying in this area last night.
It wasn't that obvious, since two of her co-workers were sleeping at their respective workstations, dreaming their own dreams, and well, drinking their own bottles. She sighed melodramatically at the stack of tequila bottles arranged in a form of a pyramid – which could only be done by one Takato Matsuki – and decided not to disrupt their beauty rest.
The Wong Detective Agency is currently being supervised by Mr. Henry Wong himself. And under his supervision are several detectives – some of which are still training – who are now working under the strict eyes of Rika Nonaka: Takato Matsuki, Jeri Katou, Suzy Wong, Kenta Kitagawa and Kazu Shioda. Even though each one works separately, the agency binds them together as a group, so just in case one stumbles on a case, the others can help out.
But every group has its diversities. Kitagawa and Shioda are the known clowns that would literally drive Rika to the point where she would point a gun at them – unloaded, of course, she wasn't stupid enough to blow their heads off, even though she'd do the world a favor that way – Matsuki and Katou are well, in a healthy relationship as of late, and Wong – the younger Wong, Suzy – is still in high school.
And Nonaka? Well, there are too many things about her that needed to be mentioned, but the only thing is, she's probably the toughest of the female detectives you could find in Japan, and she could be your worst nightmare, if you are a serial killer or a robber or someone who doesn't want to take part in the laws of man.
The detective in question now walked her way through the workstations and in front of a door that would take her in Henry's office. Remembering her manners, she knocked, and waited for a reply. When she heard a 'come in' from inside, she opened the door, entered, and closed it behind her.
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Henry Wong looked at his visitor, who by the way happened to be his subordinate, and grinned at the frown that marred his friend's features. "Merry Christmas, Rika. I supposed you found out the little secret Kazu had been hiding all this time, huh?"
"I found it out a little too late." Rika confessed, sitting down on one of the recliners Henry has in his office. "And it looks like you're going to sacrifice Christmas for your work, again."
"It's your fault mostly." Henry shrugged, earning himself a confused look from the redhead. "If you could've made sure that your cases are described in full detail in your reports, I wouldn't be here, arranging your files."
The mention of cases caused a flicker of memories that Henry immediately saw through Rika's eyes, but the woman shook it off. She looked at him, and raised an eyebrow. "I think I know what case is that."
The young head of the agency raised a folder enough for Rika to see. In neatly printed form, the case number 0244 stood out like a sore thumb to the two detectives, Rika especially. "I'm guessing this folder brings back memories."
He didn't know if it was fear or guilt that passed through the female detective's lavender eyes, but he knew he got his answer. The folder wasn't the only one that stood out like that.
That particular case also has something to do with the mysterious appearance of that wedding band on her left ring finger.
"I'll let you out of the paperwork job, Rika, on one condition." Henry said, snapping the redhead out of her reminisces. She looked up at him, and raised an eyebrow. "You narrate every detail of this particular case, so that I may know what I should place in this to keep those nosy little investigators off our tails. I swear, what you say will not leave this room."
Rika crossed her arms across her chest. "It's a good thing that I'm not doing much today." She looked up at her superior. "It's a bit long; you might want to sit it down with coffee."
"Nah, I already downed several cups already, so don't worry about me." The blue-haired detective assured her. He was now getting the story of one of the biggest cases ever to hit the agency, and all it takes was for Rika to start talking.
"Okay, if you say so." With a sigh, Rika looked out the window. "June 24th. You asked your little sister Suzy to fetch me from the lion's den."
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"So tell me why Henry made you go to my place." Rika said darkly to the seventeen-year-old girl beside her. What was that best friend of hers thinking, sending his beloved younger sister to her apartment, which was crawling with all the bad elements of the suburbs? To think that her apartment space is the only one that seems to fear God.
"Brother told me it's important." Suzy said, quite thankful that she made it out there. If Rika weren't there, who knows what could've happened to her. "Either it's part of the training, or he just doesn't want to talk to you through the phone."
An exasperated sigh escaped the older detective. What was going on inside Henry's head? Training? Sending an amateur to a lion's den is suicidal. She chose to say nothing more as she walked alongside the teen towards the agency. Whatever Henry's dishing out for her this time must be that important if he would risk even Suzy's neck on it.
The redhead stormed in the room, her beige trench coat in tow. It was protocol for detectives to wear trench coats, and obviously, Rika wasn't in the right mood to follow protocol. Upon entering, she threw the coat over the rack and fixed her lavender turtleneck before knocking on Henry's door. After the call from the other side was heard was then she entered.
Henry Wong's office looks the most organized of its kind. The blue-headed chair of the agency has a knack for tidiness, and it reflects on the neatly stacked documents and the coffee spill-free table, and not to mention the abnormal absence of dust in the room. The computer itself was so clean you could wipe a handkerchief with it. The young detective had to admit, her superior has his ways of making himself stand out from the group, and then again, everyone has their own way of making himself or herself stand out.
But obviously, it was not the time to be admiring the secretary-less room, as she found herself facing her superior, who was now residing on his recliner, with a placid smile plastered on his face. Henry was sporting a blue v-neck sweater with a light green shirt under, and whether he likes to hear it or not, that particular sweater does seem to match his hair color at most one shade.
Rika chose not to divulge her latest discovery of her superior's choice of color. "So, you called." With an eyebrow raised, she added, "and sent your sister to my apartment, which you know, is a den literally filled with raving wolves."
"And you're supposed to be one of them?" Henry supplemented, rather oblivious to the glare coming from his subordinate. "Okay, yeah, pretty stupid of me to do such a thing, but you see, I've been calling your phone for some time now, and since I can't reach you through a simple communicating device, might as well send out someone who I really trust could do the job of calling you personally."
Oh yeah. Rika's phone suddenly met its untimely demise when the hotheaded detective threw the device at a little vulgar down the street because of some little mishap. Good thing she missed though, that could've cost her a lot. "Okay, fine, you win." The woman admitted. "So, what's up? It must be as important as you send your beloved little sister to my apartment without considering the pros and cons."
"Okay, I admit, I was a bit scared, but I know you'd be there and you won't let Suzy to any harm, so I'm confident." Henry remarked. After a sigh, he continued. "Now, we're talking about a serious case here, Rika." Looking through his folders, he freed one beige folder wedged among the others and presented it to his subordinate. "This is the latest case opened by the National Defense, and it had been passed to several agencies already."
Rika looked at him with mixed confusion and curiosity. "If it had been passed through several agencies already as you've said, why wasn't it solved? Did they just reject the case itself?" The detective knew that there were lots of detective agencies all around Japan, and in a list from 1 to 40, they're probably at the far end because of the name of the agency and location, so that made her wonder what was going on.
"They didn't." Henry replied. "They accepted the case, as all others before them. But, in order not to close the case they failed, they have to pass it to other agencies, to somehow ensure that what happened in that particular case will not go without justice."
"They failed this case? Everyone of them?" Rika was surprised at this bit of information. This type of case could mean one of two: Either they were facing someone who's intelligence and strength could bring down national security, or they're up to a supernatural case. The latter was rarer than the first, but since it's one of the two possible events of this case, she knew she had to put some probability in it.
"Yes, and we're the running 10th for this case." Her boss supplied. "The details are supplied in this document, but I'm going to have to brief you for this. The case deals with the death of five people ten years ago. The agencies that were called on this case sent their agents, who became victims themselves. There were notices in the high court to close this case, but of course, we can't let the deaths of more than ten people go to waste."
"Why don't they send Detective Ichijouji then?" Rika asked. "If this case was as hard as the lot of the agencies can't handle, why not deploy the best?"
"Ken's in another case, not as brutal as this, but as fatal." Henry replied. "If he can't stop the serial killer, a lot will also be killed." With a sigh, he continued, "and if we can't put a stop to this murderer, a lot of lives will be in jeopardy."
Rika knew she had no choice as of the moment. Since she had placed her whole life into this work, she might as well try finishing this task that many others have failed. After all, she is, on her own standards, a veteran detective.
"Okay, then. I accept this case." The redhead concluded. Snatching the folder, she scanned it, and with astounding speed, she nodded goodbye to her superior and dashed out.
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Notes: This version has its own tweaks, and I'm not particular on the grammar, so…uh… do you know anyone who can beta read? Please mail me. Thanks.