Prologue

The ceiling fan turns above the room, spinning on and on without a moment to pause. That fan and I aren't so different, come to think of it. It's just another cog in the machine that is City PD - doing what it's told without question.

A bird whose wings have been clipped.

And yet, a new bird comes barging into this cold uncaring department. A spring chicken Phoenix by the name of Kiara Takanashi. She talks, walks and acts like a ray of sunshine in a city of the night. Someone like her isn't gonna last long in this gritty city.

The old me didn't.

Even Ina, the genius darling of Forensics, isn't as happy as she once was either.

Look at us now - taking orders from a snake and a four-eyes with a Jap's sword.

Sitting here now, I wonder just how long that spring chicken's sunshine will last. How long before the cruel realities of…

…

"Hey senpai!" Kiara Takanashi's voice rang in Ame's ears. The Phoenix loomed over the jaded detective and asked, "Are you alright? You were talking to yourself."

Ame winced. She was yanked out of her inner thoughts and found herself in a small briefing room in City PD together with Kiara.

"Am I alright?" Ame shifted around in her chair and distanced herself from the loud mouth of her new 'partner', "What is alright, really?"

All of a sudden, a figure marched through the open door of the briefing room with a stack of case files and documents. Her long dark purple hair trailed behind her and contrasted the white lab coat she wore over her suit.

It was Ina!

"Don't answer that question, Takanashi." Ina cautioned, setting down the case files on the lecturer's podium, "You don't want to get into a philosophical discussion with Ame here."

"How else will she know about the truth of this cold, uncaring wor-" Ame rose up from her seat and tried to interject.

"Ame!" Ina snapped, "Sit down and stay quiet for a sec, will ya? I'm doing overtime for this little project of yours, okay?"

Ame frowned and obliged, "Yes ma'am."

The jaded detective sunk deeper into her seat and the cheerful rookie sat tall beside her, smiling brightly even in that ungodly hour. Ina took a piece of chalk and started writing on the board.

"My name is Ina'nis Ninomae, the head of the Forensics department. I'm gonna be the tactical advisor for this operation." She underlined her name on the board and turned back to the two detectives watching her, "Chief Enma asked me to brief the two of you about the situation and bring you up to speed."

Ina pulled down a map of the city over the chalkboard. It was a map that divided the city into three zones: North, South and Center. The forensics expert pointed to the map with a ruler.

"Detective Takanashi, since you're new to town, I want to show you the lay of the land." Ina explained, pointing to the North of the map "There are two major gangs fighting for dominance in this City. To the North, we have the Shrimps of Ocean Street. More than three thousand strong - bigger than City PD. They've got the docks and the canneries wrapped around their fishy fingers." She then lowered her ruler and continued, "To the South, we have the Deadbeats of Industrial Way. Two thousand folks, but that's nothing to sneeze at. They've got the metal foundries and the train station in their boney hands."

Kiara rubbed her chin and looked at the map with curious eyes. She then pointed to the middle of the map and asked, "What about the Center?"

"Disputed territory." Ame answered this time with a relaxed tone. She crossed her legs and leaned back into her seat, "The Shrimps and the Deadbeats have been trying to get a hold of it for years, but City PD is in the Center. But so was the Nephilim Jazz Club. We all know how that went."

"Long story short, City PD can barely manage their duties as is. If a war breaks out between the Shrimps and the Deadbeats, it's gonna be ugly." Ina explained. She retracted the city map back up and picked up the chalk again, "That's why we've got to deal with the Queenpins of these gangs one way or another."

With that, Ina started drawing the faces and profiles of the two Queenpins on the chalkboard. It only took her a few minutes each, but she drew the Queenpins with more detail than a professional crime scene sketch artist.

She pointed to the cheeky-looking brat on the left and introduced her.

"This is Gawr Gura, the Queenpin of the Shrimps. Out of the two, she's the one City PD knows the least about. She always makes her lieutenants - especially a hulking figure called Mr. Bloop - do her dirty work for her."

"Just like how Chief Enma makes us do all the work the other gumshoes don't want." Ame chimed.

"Not now, Ame." Ina warned. She then tapped on the Queenpin's sketched tail and added, "She descended from the Atlantean immigrants who moved in after the War. Gura's got a shark's tail and sharp teeth that can probably saw a wooden board or something."

Ina briefly looked down at her barely present chest - and then at the bountiful chests of Ame and Kiara. The Forensics expert pursed her lips and mused, "She's also one of my people - in that department."

"One of your people?" Kiara asked.

"I-it's nothing." Ina got flustered and closed up her lab coat, "Moving on!"

Ina pointed to the drawing on the right now and continued her spiel.

"This is Calliope Mori, the Queenpin of the Deadbeats. We know more about her because she likes to get her hands dirty."

"A hands-on kind of gal." Ame hummed.

"Mhm~!" Ina agreed, "She's got quite a long rap sheet with City PD, but the Deadbeats won't let our boys and girls anywhere near her. Her right hand man goes by the name 'Death-sensei' and he's managed to slip past us too." She pointed at Calli's large chest and added with hints of anger, "As you can see, she's got a huge personality, so be careful around her!"

Ina turned around for a quick moment to catch her breath. This was when Kiara craned her neck towards Ame and whispered innocently,

"Personality? Like, she's a good person?"

Ame answered but cupping her own boobs through her suit for Kiara to see, "She's talkin' about hopes and dreams, rookie."

"Oh...!" Kiara nodded, finally understanding Ina's plight.

Ina set down the chalk, dusted off her hands and faced the two detectives again, "Long story short, these are the two Queenpins that you two will have to deal with. Any questions?"

Kiara raised her hand.

"Detective Takanashi?" Ina called upon her.

"Your sketches are really pretty, Doc Ninomae!' Kiara commented, "The Queenpins both look kinda cute too!"

"Seriously?" Ina frowned, "That's not even a question!"

"Ina here wanted to go to art school." Ame faced Kiara and interjected, "You should see the drawings she makes on her sketchpad!"

"Oh really!?" Kiara's eyes seemed to shine.

"AME!" Ina howled furiously at the senior detective.

Ame had to pull her head back and cover her ears, but she still wore a wide grin on her lips. Infuriated, Ina shook her head and glared at her audience. She then turned to the rookie and begged,

"Please don't encourage her bad behavior, Detective Takanashi."

Kiara, however, tilted her head with a dumb smile on her lips. It was almost as if Ina's warnings flew over her head entirely. Ina quietly cursed her luck and continued the briefing.

"Detective Ouro will be interviewing the victim, Miss Irys Hopewell, at the hospital this morning. She and Chief Enma want some results before the day is out." Ina sternly reminded, "If the two of you want to get anything done, then you'd better start looking into those Queenpins, ASAP!"

Ame raised her hand now, but she didn't wait for Ina's permission to speak, "Which one should we check first, Ina?"

"How should I know!?" Ina complained, just about ready to pull out her purple hair, "Use your brain, Ame! Please! We're not in the Police Academy anymore! Just pick one of them!" She pointed to the door and barked sternly, "Not get off your butt and do your job! Your car's waiting for you outside. Hop to it!"

Ame heaved a sigh and peeled herself off of her seat. Kiara, on the other hand, sprung up eagerly from her seat. The jaded veteran detective and the overeager rookie marched out of the small lecture room, leaving the tired Ina alone.

Ina plopped down onto the lecturer's podium and groaned. She then spoke beneath her breath and felt her cheeks flush red.

"I wouldn't be putting in this much effort if it wasn't for you, Ame, you dummy…"

...

Queenpins

Let's Tako 'Bout It

...

To Be Continued