Sitting once more in Mitsuru's office space, Marcus was combing through files he had pulled up from the archives department on the warehouse that had been broken into. It was 11 a.m. Sunday July 21st, the day after Marcus had been hired by the Kirijo Group, and he had spent the last 3 hours going over all the catalogs explaining what information had been stored at the warehouse. Comparing these catalogs to the inventory report that had been submitted earlier that day, Marcus was puzzled at what he observed. There wasn't any single section that had been robbed, but rather it appeared that the culprit had stolen the summary sheets for every document within that warehouse.

If there's anything this person was looking for, I don't think they knew where to find it. Perhaps they were trying to gather enough evidence to bring down the Kirijo Group, but then why not take any hard evidence instead of the summary reports? Unless this is only the beginning and they plan to try something else, in which case this was the perfect move to make...

As things were now, Marcus was still unsure what the endgame for this thief was. While news of the break-in had become public knowledge now, there had been no contact from the robber, and no demands or threats made against the Kirijo Group. Mitsuru had checked across all communication channels, and there was not even a hint of the culprit anywhere, as though he had vanished into the night like a ghost.

At that moment, Fuuka entered the office and broke Marcus out of his brooding. "There's an assignment for you from Mitsuru. She is sending you and Akihiko to the warehouse to investigate the site in person."

"Alright, when are we heading out?" Marcus asked, standing up and stretching his legs which had fallen asleep from sitting for so long.

"In 10 minutes; Mitsuru is sending a helicopter to pick you up. Akihiko has already been picked up, so you will be going to the site directly from here," Fuuka replied, looking as though she hadn't slept at all last night.

"Okay, see you when I get back. I'll contact you if something comes up," Marcus said, smiling at Fuuka and patting her shoulder as he passed her on his way out of the office.

Now let's see what we can find out at the scene of the crime, Marcus thought, pushing the elevator button to take him to the roof where the helipad was located.


The flight over was both quiet and tense, and once the helicopter touched down on the landing zone on the outskirts of town, Akihiko and Marcus set out towards the warehouse. As the area was under the ownership of the Kirijo Group, it was set up both for convenience and efficiency; the warehouse was only 5 minutes away on foot, and Akihiko and Marcus wasted no time in making towards the front entrance. As the previous inspection had been conducted electronically, the scene was left undisturbed, which was what Mitsuru wanted before her own inspection team had a chance to comb through the area.

"Alright, let's take a look around. You inspect out here while I look over the inside," Akihiko said confidently, heading over to the door and entering the warehouse.

Shrugging lightly, Marcus pulled up the recording he had uploaded on his phone of the break-in and retraced the steps the thief took that night. Heading around the side of the warehouse, he looked over the area with a keen eye. After a few minutes, Marcus went back to the front and positioned himself near the same angle that the camera from across the street had caught the culprit. After looking over the video again, he slowly walked forward and frowned in frustration.

Can this get any more weird? This might as well be an episode of the Twilight Zone, Marcus thought irritably, as the door to the warehouse opened behind him and Akihiko stepped out.

"So, is there anything to work with out here?" Akihiko asked closing and locking the door behind him.

"If only there was," Marcus replied, turning to face Akihiko. "If it wasn't for this recording and the system malfunction, I seriously doubt if we would have found out about this at all. There is no evidence that anyone was here before we showed up."

"What? That doesn't make any sense," Akihiko said, frowning in puzzlement.

"Tell me about it," Marcus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I followed the trail this person made that night, but there's no footprints, no indication that he walked here at all. The gravel around the warehouse would have been kicked up by somebody passing through, but nothing was out of place at the side of the building that I could see, and I looked over every square inch of that area. Something about this doesn't feel right."

"I agree with you on that point," Akihiko remarked. "I got more than you did, although not by much. It's clear that the files inside the facility were moved around, but there wasn't any evidence left behind. No fingerprints, no hairs... If I hadn't memorized the layout of the inside and checked the storage files myself I would say this was some kind of mistake."

"We don't have enough to figure out who this person was, but maybe we can discover what they want…" Marcus said slowly, thinking hard on what he knew so far. "The thief didn't take any of the case files, but chose the summary reports instead. What information is contained in those reports?"

"Those reports were created after each experiment or research endeavor was concluded," Akihiko responded, walking over to stand next to Marcus. "They contained what the purpose of the study was, whether the result was a success, and who participated in the experiment. They don't go into great detail, but they include where these reports were submitted."

"Wait a second, what do you mean by submitted?" Marcus said sharply, glancing at Akihiko in surprise. "Are you telling me that more than one copy of these reports was created?"

"Yeah, it was standard procedure during that time," Akihiko replied, frowning in concentration. "According to Mitsuru, protocols were set so that summary reports were sent to every active station, and the location of each of these stations was included in the reports in case they needed to be collected."

"So THAT'S what this person was after," Marcus said slowly, realization coming to him as the pieces fit together in his mind. "They weren't after the files at all. At least not any that was stored here. They wanted the locations of all the warehouses, research facilities, every possible sight that contained case reports regarding experiments tied to the Kirijo Group. They were essentially gathering the intel to plan another break-in, to get what they were really looking for."

"If that's true, then this person is way ahead of us on everything," Akihiko muttered, considering this new development. "We have no idea who this person is, what they want, or how to track them down. They could strike at any time, and we won't even know where that will be. This is definitely a worst-case scenario."

"Well, I don't think we will find out anything more from this place," Marcus said firmly, turning down the street towards the landing strip where the helicopter was waiting for him and Akihiko. "Let's head back to headquarters and give Mitsuru our report on this investigation, if you can call it that."


"So that's the result of your search? Is there anything else you could find?" Mitsuru inquired, frowning at Marcus from across her desk.

"Unfortunately, there was nothing to find at the warehouse," Akihiko said, standing next to Marcus in Mitsuru's office. "It's as though this robber was a phantom; no physical trace, apart from the theft itself, was left behind."

"As things are right now, we have no way of tracking this person down," Marcus added, feeling uncomfortable under Mitsuru's scrutinizing gaze. "They could be after any piece of information from the Kirijo Group, and we have no idea what or where it is. The possibilities are too many to narrow down at this time."

Mitsuru sighed, frowning at this state of affairs. "I was hoping to make some progress, but this leaves more mysteries than solutions. This person was skilled enough to steal from us without leaving any trace behind, and I'm certain they will attempt to do so again."

"What's the best course of action to take, in your opinion?" Marcus asked, feeling as though he had let Mitsuru down.

"All we can do at this point is tighten security," Mitsuru replied, leaning forward in her chair. "We were caught unaware by this person once, and I don't intend to let that happen a second time. Send out teams to update security details on every building tied to the Kirijo Group, and have cameras set up on the inside of those buildings as well. I want to see where this person goes, and what they set out to obtain when they strike again."

"That's going to take time, Mitsuru, and a considerable amount of manpower," Marcus remarked, considering her decision. "With the number of facilities your family has set up over the years, it will take weeks to properly address every single one of them."

"I know that, but this is the only thing we can do," Mitsuru responded, giving Akihiko a significant look. "This thief can control the Dark Hour; that must mean they were subjected to an experiment or event connected to the Kirijo Group. They are probably seeking revenge, and I must stop them before it's too late. Too many innocent lives are at stake, and I will not lose anyone else to my family's mistakes."

"Don't worry, that won't happen this time," Akihiko said reassuringly. "We will find this culprit, and we will find out what they want."

"No one will die on my watch, I promise," Marcus vowed, wanting to prove himself worthy of Mitsuru's trust.

"Thank you, I'm glad to have both of you with me during this trial," Mitsuru answered, standing up from her seat. "I think that's enough investigation for now. You may have the rest of the day off Marcus. Your training with Labrys will begin tomorrow in the same training facility you met her previously. She will be arriving at 8 a.m. so don't waste any of her time by showing up late. Akihiko, stay here for a moment. I need to go over some assignments I want you to take care of."

"Sure thing, I look forward to it. See you around Akihiko," Marcus said, smiling at Mitsuru and Akihiko as he turned and headed out of the office.

Well, off to a slow start and left with nothing to do but shoot in the dark. I hope this day ends on a good note, Marcus thought sadly, heading down the elevator towards the main lobby.


"Marcus, is that you?"

Surprised, Marcus turned to the voice that had called out his name. Upon entering the main lobby, he had seated himself in one of the reception chairs, thinking over the events of the last couple of days and what it all meant. Now he was pulled out of his pondering by a young boy who was accompanied by a small dog. The boy was in his mid-teens, dressed smartly in black pants, a white shirt underneath a black vest and a yellow armband on his left sleeve. He had light brown hair curling around his head, similar in style to Marcus' wavy locks, and brown eyes that were both earnest and serious. The dog had short white fur, and was dressed in an orange jacket with wings on the shoulders.

"Ken it's been a while. Good to see you again as well, Koromaru," Marcus said, smiling and holding out his hand.

Responding to his name, Koromaru trotted over and sniffed Marcus' hand, licking his fingers then giving a small yip, looking at him with his red eyes that were far more intelligent than an ordinary animal.

"Yeah, things have been pretty busy lately," Ken remarked, walking over to stand next to Marcus. "I was only able to make it over now, despite Mitsuru calling everyone in over this incident."

"That's putting it mildly," Marcus said sadly, his smile fading as he scratched Koromaru behind his ears. "I hope this isn't getting in the way of your academics."

"No, I was able to make arrangements so I wouldn't fall behind when my classes get started, although I'll have to miss some soccer practice for a few weeks," Ken replied, looking a little dejected.

"That's right, you joined up with the school team," Marcus said, his smile returning as he looked up at the boy next to him. "I was on a soccer team for a number of years myself. It's a great sport, and I hope you have as much fun as I did."

"Yeah, I really enjoy being in a team sport," Ken said excitedly, grinning for the first time upon meeting Marcus. "Between being a member of the soccer team and the Student Council, things have been really going well for me. Congratulations on the new job, by the way. I'm sure you will do great things."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Marcus murmured, standing up and marveling at how close Ken was to his own height. "I wish I had been as sure of myself as you at your age. Things might have turned out…differently."

"…I know how it feels to be powerless," Ken finally replied, sympathy crossing his face. "I doubted myself for a long time, and was only able to move past the guilt when I accepted what had happened and opened up to other people. Keeping those emotions buried only makes them worse."

"I understand what you mean," Marcus said slowly, looking at Ken with pain and desperation in his eyes, "But you had an outlet for your grief. The only person I have to blame for my pain is…me."

"I can only tell you that the best way to help yourself is to be honest, and I say you just made the first step," Ken reassured, patting Marcus on the shoulder. "I have to meet up with Mitsuru now, but stay in touch. If you need someone to talk to, let me know. Come on, Koromaru."

"Thanks, I'll see you around Ken," Marcus said, watching Ken and Koromaru head over to the elevators.

He's a good kid, but it's a shame he had to grow up so fast. As long as he keeps that hope of his alive, he'll be just fine. Perhaps I should do so as well, Marcus thought, turning and heading out the front doors.