16/10/2021

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You are the greatest!

The Emperor's Dragon
Fledgling 11

"Tsukauchi, can you spare some time?" Josei asked.

The Detective sighed. He knew what the question meant. If they could get away with it, his colleagues would have had him sit in on every interrogation. Or have gotten him to conduct them. Knowing when someone was lying was a useful quirk but sometimes it was tiring. "Who is it?" He asked before agreeing.

Josei probably wouldn't want him because she'd brought in some small timer, but you never knew. His colleague gave her own sigh. "We've got a broker," she told him.

"Really?"

Brokers weren't rare but the good ones tended to remain really hidden. Brokers, the good ones anyway, dealt with anything you could imagine. There were specialist brokers who dealt people but others focused on drugs, support items, weapons, and anything else that would make them a profit. There were even information brokers, though Tsukauchi knew that those brokers were currently in a bit of disarray. One of the really big information brokers had been taken out when All Might fought All For One and they hadn't recovered yet.

It was a good thing for the police, since the villains were less informed, even a year or so on but it wouldn't last.

"Yes, really. It's Juhin," Josei told him.

"Juhin?" Naomasa repeated the name. "You're kidding me!" He knew that name. Juhin was pretty big.

Josei shook her head to indicate it wasn't a joke and Tsukauchi felt himself rise. If they had Juhin then it wasn't going to be a waste of his quirk to sort out the lies she'd no doubt tell. "You know about Operation Kensaku?" Josei asked him.

He'd heard of it. The Police ran so many operations that unless you were directly involved it was hard to keep track. And since he dealt with Hero agencies, he didn't have the time to keep track of any Police only activities, not unless it impacted on an agency.

"Operation Kensaku was launched after All Might took out Toxic Chainsaw. It was looking for villains who were profiteering from that battle."

"And it caught Juhin?"

"Apparently," Josei admitted as they walked towards the interrogation rooms. "Tsukauchi," she said seriously. "We've got her dead to rights on a lot of charges. She knows that too. She's not even fighting some of the charges but she wants to cut a deal."

Naomasa stopped. He shouldn't be surprised, brokers made deals all the time, but he was. "What's she offering?" he asked. Juhin couldn't cut a deal unless she knew something.

"We're not sure yet," Josei shrugged. "The Captain sent me to get you first."

The Detective sighed, and nodded. That made sense. "You want me to lead?"

Josei nodded. Tsukauchi shouldn't have been surprised at that. "Alright, bring me her file, and I'll just start general today," he said. "She's been arrested, right?" He checked.

His colleague nodded again. Tsukauchi blew out his breath. He had time before they had to release her on bail, though given that it was Juhin, the Detective imagined the paperwork was already being done to extend the time.

"Let's get this done."

-ted-

Detective Tsukauchi leaned back in his chair. The interrogation rooms were always sparsely furnished and he'd gotten used to the lack of padding for his butt. He did it by ingesting copious amounts of coffee, and a steaming cup was resting on the table. It was out of reach of the broker, Juhin but he could tell she'd like some.

"So you want to cut a deal?" he asked.

She nodded, her eyes fixed on the coffee still. She couldn't reach for it. Her hands were fixed to the table.

"For the record, you are going to have to respond verbally," Tsukauchi said.

"Or for your quirk?" she retorted.

He smiled at her, ignoring the way Lieutenant Notarin jerked at her question. It said a lot about the case that a Lieutenant was with him for this interview. The higher ups really didn't want any irregularities with Operation Kensaku.

"A bit of both," he admitted.

"Yes, I want to cut a deal," Juhin said, almost monotone.

She wasn't lying.

"What would you propose for this deal?"

She looked at him as if she was making some sort of assessment and then Naomasa saw her eyes shift to a point behind him. There was a one way wall there. It looked like a normal wall but it acted like one way glass. There were several higher ups there, watching.

"I want every charge against me dropped," Juhin said, obviously addressing someone who was watching.

Tsukauchi didn't know who but he didn't care. She actually meant that statement.

Lieutenant Notarin slammed one hand onto the table. "Not happening!"

Naomasa was sure he wanted to add some sort of denigration to the statement but refrained because he knew he was being watched. Notarin had that sort of vibe. He waited a moment for someone in the viewing room to interrupt but when they said nothing, he shook his head. "You'd have to be offering something very valuable for that to happen," he said. "And even then I'm not sure it's possible. But I'm sure we could discuss a reduction in sentence," he offered instead.

"Nope," Juhin rejected his counter offer.

"We're done here," Lieutenant Notarin said.

Tsukauchi remained sitting. Given that the brass hadn't said anything he knew they wanted him to keep fishing. This was just the opening interview.

"So you want every charge against you dropped," he repeated her terms, ignoring the way the Lieutenant glared at him. "In exchange for what?"

"For the information I'll give you," she replied easily. "I'm glad to see at least one of you knows how the game is played," she added, giving the Lieutenant an unimpressed stare.

"For us to even consider that, your information would have to be-" Tsukauchi paused, trying to think of an appropriate term. He'd never even heard of anyone demanding anything like this. Most of those who wanted to cut a deal acknowledged that a reduction either in the severity of the charges or their sentence was possible. "Fantastic," he settled on the term.

"Oh, it is," she replied with a superior smile. "But I want to make sure I'm talking to the right people. Plebs won't appreciate this information."

"So who do you need?" Naomasa asked. So far, everything Juhin had said was the truth. Or at least the truth that she genuinely believed.

"Someone from All Might's agency would be nice but you'll do, since you are the Police's Hero Liaison. Someone from the Hero Public Safety Commission would also be good," she added jerking her chin towards the window wall.

Naomasa was pretty sure that there was no one meeting that description watching.

"It doesn't matter who, but I'd suggest that whoever it is knows the truth about Toxic Chainsaw," Juhin finished.

Tsukauchi felt his eyes widen even as a wave of nausea passed through him. Notarin just looked confused but he had a bad feeling about this.

"Oh," Juhin exclaimed. "You know the truth! How unexpected!" She actually laughed. "Go find me someone from the HPSC who knows, and then we can talk."

Naomasa swallowed before he nodded. For a distraction he grabbed his coffee and took a large gulp. "I'll see what can be done," he said, rising.

"You do that," she told him as he left. A smug smile graced her features and didn't leave her expression even as he closed the door behind him.

What did she know?

-ted-

Tsukauchi slipped back into the chair. As a sign of good faith, Juhin's hands were free, but her legs were still chained. He slid the extra coffee he'd brought over the table. "I didn't know how you liked it," he apologised in advance.

The broker grabbed it and gulped some down. "It's caffeine," she shrugged, looking at the other person in the room.

"Lieutenant Notarin is not able to make it today. This is-" Naomasa was interrupted.

"I'm from the Hero Public Safety Commission," the man said shortly, and from his tone, that was all he was going to say.

"I don't need to tell you how this will work," Tsukauchi said before Juhin could say anything. "In order for us to consider your proposal, you are going to have to give us something to prove that the information you have is worth it," he explained blandly.

Juhin smiled. It was confident and she took another gulp of coffee. "Right, couple of freebies for you, to prove that the information I have is good, and then you can go and debate," she said, almost laughing.

Naomasa nodded. That worked.

"First off, I know that All Might did not fight Toxic Chainsaw in Mie," she said, her eyes hard. "He fought All For One."

At the use of that name, Tsukauchi couldn't help the way he blanched. The guy from the Hero Public Safety Commission was either more controlled, or didn't know the man's name.

Juhin watched them both, and then she rested one elbow on the table before leaning her cheek on her hand. "You, at least, know what I'm talking about. Right, next freebie."

She grinned.

Tsukauchi felt his stomach clench. This was not going to be good. He could tell. He was suddenly glad he hadn't had any of the coffee in the cup in front of him. He had a feeling he might not be keeping it down.

"All For One survived," she said.

"No!" Naomasa gasped.

Juhin nodded. "Yep. That information is free because you can find it out if you ask the right people, the right questions," she shrugged.

His heart pounded. Yagi had fought so hard against All For One. He'd almost died. He could still die given the surgery and the wounds and somehow All For One survived?

Then a new thought occurred to him. If she was telling him this as a freebie, what the hell did she know that would cost them?

He forced himself to take several deep breaths. All For One had to have been injured in that fight. He had to be, especially if it was enough to convince Sir Nighteye that he was dead. For all his faults, that man wouldn't hide that.

The broker smiled at his reaction. She knew that he knew the gravity of her information. "That's the last of the freebies, so let me tell you about the information I'm prepared to give you in exchange for the charges disappearing." She waved her hands, wriggling her fingers to indicate their disappearance.

Naomasa knew he didn't want to know what it was but he knew he had to find out. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Juhin's smile became vicious. "I know where he is."

The statement was a bombshell for him. It had taken Yagi years to track down All For One and this woman was just sitting here saying she knew where he was and would give them the information.

For a price. Tsukauchi reminded himself of that forcefully. For a price.

The broker raised one hand again and gave a gesture as if flicking him off. "You can go and debate how much that's worth now," she indicated.

Naomasa just sat there for a few moments. Even if he rose, he didn't trust his legs. Eventually he nodded and got up. It wouldn't be him debating it but everyone else. "You better tell the Commissioner," he told the other man.

The man gave him a glare, clearly not understanding.

"You should listen to the Detective," Juhin interjected. "Soukan will want to know."

Tuskauchi forced himself to ignore her implied close relationship with the Commissioner. She was just trying to get under his skin. "He will find out," he promised instead as he headed to the door.

"Thank you, Detective," she said. "Oh… one more thing, for you personally."

"For me?" Naomasa asked dubiously.

"For you," the broker confirmed and then she grinned again. He was coming to hate that expression. "His son is still with him."

If the statement earlier was a bombshell, this was nuclear. He actually felt his heart clench with the information and he couldn't help it when his breathing became shallow. He closed his eyes, steeling himself, and then walked out the door, ignoring the laugh that followed him from the prisoner.

This was too much.

-ted-

Tsukauchi was beginning to hate the interrogation room. Every time he was there Juhin seemed to be even more amused.

"You at least bring me coffee," she said, accepting the cup he gave to her.

He just looked at her for a few moments. "You're not afraid of him, are you?"

"I'm terrified," she replied, and to his quirk, it was the truth.

"So why offer him up?" If she was terrified then why do this? Why not just accept the charges and go to prison. Why make him an enemy?

The broker heard all the questions he didn't ask. "It's complicated. And the longer you debate, the more chance you won't get my information."

Naomasa winced at that. He knew what she meant. Even injured, All For One was bound to be a powerful man, and it would come as no surprise to him to learn that members of the police force were compromised. A few orders and… Juhin would be dead, or worse.

"There's a lot of shouting going on right now," he told her. It was even the truth. All Might was ripping the Commission a new one.

Juhin had the grace to chuckle. "Oh, I can imagine," she murmured.

Tsukauchi took a deep breath. "How did you come by this information?" he asked carefully, making sure she knew he wasn't asking for the information, just the circumstances that lead to her having it.

"You know I take on apprentices every now and then," Juhin said, almost as if she was reminiscing.

He nodded. She wasn't talking about a formal apprenticeship but while Heroes had sidekicks, villains had minions. The two groups served the same function, except the villain side had far less paperwork. And bosses that didn't value the minions' lives. It probably worked out in the end.

"When my last one left, he took my biggest client."

"All For One," Naomasa almost spat the name.

"Yep, and frankly, I'm surprised he wasn't suspicious that I never fought to keep that account."

"Let me guess, good account, but lots of headaches?" Tsukauchi surmised.

"Great account," Juhin corrected. "But continental sized headaches."

"So your apprentice took over, and you've kept track of him and the account?"

"Something like that," the broker nodded, not giving away unnecessary details. She picked up her coffee and downed about half.

"I would have thought he was more careful," Naomasa murmured. It was an obvious challenge. The Emperor of the Underworld hadn't maintained his position by being careless.

Juhin didn't rise to the bait. Instead she shook her head. While he couldn't be sure, he surmised that Juhin had kept track via her apprentice. He doubted she'd have been able to track All For One, no matter how good she was.

"Eh," he said before rising. "I'll see what I can do to hurry up a decision," Tsukauchi said by way of leaving.

"You do that."

When the door closed behind him, he took a deep breath. She hadn't lied, which meant that if they could get Giran, they might be able to find All For One but…

That wasn't going to be easy.

-ted-

Japan's current legal system is odd. There is something like a 99% conviction rate and once the Police arrest you, there is a really long time before they have to charge you. Like 20 something days. Now, I will grant that by the time of quirks, it could be different, but if anything I think it would be stronger, with them being able to hold people even longer if they've had a reason to detain them. That's why Tsukauchi asked if she'd been arrested.

For those who don't remember, when Giran appeared in Nestling, he was being escorted by Juhin. I figure he had to learn his trade, at least a little bit, from someone.

My discord is on this code: ZX2R5h2cEm FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out.

-ted-

Loved it? Hated it? Found a spelling mistake? Let me know please!