the brains behind the operations part 1

The Duwang gang find themselves trapped inside a cave as they discover something that was least expected. Meanwhile, Koichi's dad is given 24 hours to uncover the identity of the serial killer.

Inside the limousine, Josuke is currently trying to figure out the passcode to the killer's phone.

"okay, Kyoko, if you were a serial killer, what would your password be? I've tried everything but it still won't unlock."

"sorry, I can't really answer that question." said Kyoko while texting on her phone

Josuke raised an eyebrow, "why not?" "I can't really talk about it, Jojo." She continues texting.

"Kiwi, do you think you could hack the serial killer's phone?"

Kiwi shrugs, "I would, Josuke but I don't know anything about hacking. But Kyoko can definitely help. she has phone hacking experience from 'The Incident.' "

Kyoko blushes in embarrassment, "Kiwi!" Josuke smirks," 'The Incident', huh? what's that?"

Kyoko chuckles nervously, "oh, it's literally nothing." she looks out the rear view window, "oh, wow. The fog is really coming in."

Josuke crossed his arms, "Uh, if it was literally nothing, then why are you changing the subject?"

(chuckles nervously) "i'm not changing the subject." said Kyoko

"yes you are."

"no I'm not."

"yes you are."

"hey, has anyone seen Hazamada?" Koichi added

Elsewhere, Hazamada wakes up in a lab, "where...where am I?" He gets up and pounds on the metal door. "Hey, let me out!"

"Hazamada? is that you?" said Junko's voice

"Junko? where are you?" Hazamada turns around and sees three brains floating in jars labeled 'Rukia, Junko and Eric'

[Rukia] "it's not just Junko, Hazamada. Eric and I are here too. Typical, even now, Junko has to be the center of attention."

[Junko] "not this shit again, Rukia."

[Eric] "Girls, stop fighting. No boy is worth fighting over."

Hazamada stammers, "you...You're alive? But how?"

[Rukia] "All we know is that whoever took us is planning to put our brains into someone else."

Hazamada glances down at Dr. Kobato's journal, "Oh, my god. Josuke was right. It's not a ghost, it's an actual killer."

At the Suto's residence. Josuke and Kyoko are trying to figure out a way to hack inside the serial killer's phone by figuring out the passcode. Kyoko is holding a black light in her hand.

Josuke raised an eyebrow, "A black light?"

"yep. We can use the light to tell which numbers the serial killer presses most often, by the smudges." said Kyoko

"Ha! so did you hack into someone's phone? Wait. who was it?" Josuke asked

Kyoko sighs, "Back at my old school, I was low-key obsessed with someone. I almost lost my mind and hacked their phone to see if they liked me. They didn't. end of story."

"Who was it though?" said Josuke

"Josuke. focus. opening this phone is the key to find out who's behind all of this." Kyoko clicks on the light. the smudges appear on the numbers: one, two, three, four.

Josuke gasps, "The password is one, two, three, four. Josuke enters the code, "Damn it, he's a smart cookie. No texts, no emails, no pictures. Wait. He took a picture in the woods."

Kyoko gasps,"that's Mount Morioh."

"We're going there tomorrow. And while we're in the car, you gotta tell me about the 'The Incident.' "

The next day at Mount Morioh, the group are at their cabin in the woods. Okuyasu spots a cave down by the ravine on the other side while standing on the edge of the cliff. "hey guys, look! There's a cave down in that ravine."

Koichi stands next to Okuyasu looking down at the hidden cave, "So, that means that the serial killer must be hiding in that cave."

(cracking, rumbling) Josuke and the others notice the ground slowly crumbling underneath their feet.

(Kyoko and Kiwi gasps)

"Okuyasu, Koichi! don't move! The outcropping of the cliff is about to break off. one sudden move and we'll all fall." said Josuke

the ground crumbles as the edge of the cliff breaks off causing all the teenagers to fall. They smashed against the side of the ravine and fell into a black void.

(all thudding and screaming) (thudding, all groaning) dust clears as they land inside a crystal filled cavern.

Josuke sits up and sweeps dust off his jacket, "Is everyone okay?"

Koichi gasps, "Oh, my goodness."

"what's wrong, Koichi? Are you hallucinating again?" said Okuyasu

Koichi looks around the cave, "No, from the look of these crystals, this must be the extension of the Crystal Mines."

"the Crystal Mines?" Kyoko added

Josuke rubs his chin, "Then that would explain how the serial killer moves around unseen. And if he took a picture around here..."

Koichi gasps, "then that means...Dad! Dad!" (echoing)

Josuke covers Koichi's mouth, "Koichi, shh! Our fall caused structural damage. If we're not quiet, this whole place could collapse."

"look Josuke, I know it's dangerous to be in here, but I have to find my dad."

Meanwhile in the lab, Hazamada sleeps on the floor and wakes up to a loud rumbling sound (rumbling, groaning) "What was that?!"

In the mines, the group are walking through the crystal tunnel. They heard Hazamada's loud screaming from afar.

"What the hell is that?" said Okuyasu

They head to the front entrance of the lab as Josuke opens the door. (door creaking)

"It's the ghost of Marco Kobato finally coming back to get me! eat brains, ghost!" (grunts) Hazamada throws Eric's container at Okuyasu.

(Eric screaming, clunks) "Josuke? Koichi?"

"Hazamada, what are you doing here?" Josuke asked

Hazamada shrugs, "I don't know. all I remember was that I was in the Funhouse checking myself out in the mirror and next thing I know, someone grabbed me and brought me here."

Kyoko picks up the jar, (gasps) "it's Eric's brain."

"Junko and Rukia are here too. we discovered the serial killer's lair." said Okuyasu

[Junko] "What do you mean, quote 'Discovered it?' we were already here."

[Rukia] "Yeah. such a colonial mindset, Columbus."

"But how is this possible? who would keep their brains alive? not that we're not super excited that you guys are still around." Kyoko said

Josuke picks up the journals, "It's like what I said. Someone is trying to recreate Dr. Kobato's work."

Koichi thinks and snaps his fingers, "which means...(gasps) Brains, Hazamada, where's my dad? Tall Japanese man. wears glasses. Has lots of opinions on politics."

Hazamada shrugs, "sorry, Ko. But, the only person we've seen is that freak in the welder's mask."

Koichi frowns, "What? but that's impossible. my dad has to be here."

(rumbling) the cave starts rumbling and shaking the entire laboratory room.

"Guys, something's causing the cave to collapse!" shouted Okuyasu. Rocks hit the jars (all screaming, electrical buzzing)

Hazamada runs out of the lab shielding his head, "we've gotta get out of here!" The others followed from behind.

Josuke grabs Koichi's arm, "Koichi, we have to get out of here!"

"You go. take the brains. I know my dad is here and I'm not leaving until I find him." The floor parts separating Koichi from the exit. "Oh, god!"

Okuyasu runs back to the door entrance, "What are you guys still doing here?! the cave is collapsing!"

Koichi grabs the brains containers and leaps over the parted ground in slow motion.

"He's not gonna make it!" shouted Okuyasu

Koichi lands on the other side, "Oh my god, I made it!" "oh, no!" He starts to fall backwards.

Suddenly, an arm grabs him, "I've got you Ko!" "What?! Who?" Koichi looks up at the unknown person revealing it to be his dad Kenito, flipping his hair back.

"Oh, my goodness! Dad!" Koichi cries tears of joy.

"That's right, Ko. Dad is here! Everything's gonna be...(grunting) Okay." Kenito slides down the crevices until he's grabbed by Josuke and Okuyasu by his ankles pulling him and Koichi up.

Koichi tossed the brain jars aside running up to his dad hugging him, "Dad, it's you. I've finally found you!"

"I knew you would, Ko. I've thought about you guys everyday." Koichi and Kenito embraced

(rumbling continues) "Hey, not to interrupt the moment, but we really need to get out of here." said Josuke

"Follow me!"

Koichi collects the jars as the group runs out of the lab. In the mines, Kyoko, Kiwi and Hazamada are nearby and see Josuke and the others running towards them.

"there they are!" Hazamada points. They approached a covered van. "Yes! it's still here!" Kenito pulls the cover off the van.

(angelic choir singing) (honking)

"Dad, whose van is this? Why did they take you? And what were they planning to do with Dr. Kobato's research?"

"I'll tell you everything when we get out of here, Ko. Now, get in this van...Jalopy."

Now, the van drives through the collapsing cave. (engine rattling)

"Oh god, there's no exit anywhere!" (crashes) (girls screaming) Rocks smashes through the windshield.

"Oh no! this is it for us! We're gonna die!" Okuyasu yelled

"No, we're not. I got this under control." (engine reviving) (rumbling) the ground crumbles in front of the van.

"Uh, we might actually. Oh boy. Hold on everyone!" Kenito steers the van as it speeds along a wall of the cave.

(tires screeching) (engine reviving) Clearing the whole van continues through the cave (tires screeching)

Okuyasu sees a bright light at the end of the tunnel, "Look, you guys. I can see sunlight! we're gonna be okay!"

(all cheering) Josuke takes a closer look, "Uh, I don't think that's sunlight." A river of lava flows at the end of the tunnel.

"It's lava. Oh crap." (all screaming) Lava rushes towards the van.

(rumbling) Outside of the cabin, a car sinks into the ground. Back inside the cave, (all screaming) the car dives in front of the van using the car as a ramp. Kenito drives the van out of the cave and lands in front of the cabin. (tires screeching)

"oh, my goodness! we made it!" "we're alive!" "I am never having a scary adventure in a van again."

Koichi and his dad hug (both sigh in relief) Koichi sobbing with joy as tears well in his eyes.

Kyoko and Kiwi gushes, "Aww."

"Hey guys, I'm not trying to ruin the moment here but the brains are starting to smell." said Okuyasu

The next morning, News trucks and police cars are parked in front of the cabin. A news anchor stands in front of the camera, "It's a special day here in Morioh as one of our worst nightmares comes to an end. That's right. Josuke Higashikata and his friends have been found alive. What's more, They seem to have single handedly located the brains of the murdered students and the father of Koichi Hirose, Kenito Hirose. Though one big question still remains, who's behind all of this?"

At the paramedics van, Koichi hugs his dad who's laid out on the stretcher.

Paramedic woman, "Okay, time to go."

Koichi growls, "Ko, it's okay. I'll see you at the hospital."

"But, Dad, you still haven't told me who did this. Who took you?"

"I didn't tell you yet?" "it's...it's..." Kenito's eyes darted, "I...I can't remember." Koichi gasps

At Morioh Hospital (ambulance siren blaring) Koichi and the others are inside the room.

"Dad, you don't remember who took you and the students because you have amnesia?"

"Oh, is that what the doctor said?" Koichi gasps,"Wait, amnesia's curable, right Doctor?"

The doctor looks at his clipboard, "99% of the time, yes. But according to your father's chart, He's constructed a sort of mental wall to block out the past two years. If his memories do return, it will be within 24 hours. After that, they're gone forever."

(All): "Gone forever?!" "Gone forever?! oh sorry, can we try that again?" said Okuyasu

"But, the good news is that if you can keep him happy, his memory should come back within a lesser time frame."

"so my dad can't get upset for the next 24 hours?" Koichi sets a timer countdown on his phone for 24 hours

"Yes. exactly." (clock ticking) the timer on Koichi's phone ticks down.

Later, at Koichi's house. "Okay. My dad has 24 hours to restore his memory and identify the serial killer. So, we need to make this place a spotless well-loving home when him and my mom comes home ASAP."

As the timer counts down, Koichi and the others starts cleaning and organizing all over the house. Moments later, inside the entire house sparkles and glistens clean.

"Perfect." Koichi looks at the timer on his phone (clock ticking) (car door slams)

Okuyasu looks out the window and notices headlights approaching the driveway, "I see a car!"

"Ooh, everyone get ready!" Mr. and Mrs. Hirose approaches the front door and opens it.

"Welcome home, Dad!" Kenito looks around the house and smiles, "I'm finally home." he then says "Hm?"

"Is everything okay, dad?" "Everything is fine, Ko. I just can't really see anything without my glasses."

"Yeah, I know. they were left inside of your car the night you were taken." Koichi opens the table drawer taking out a pair of glasses.

Kenito squints at his glasses and gasps, "I just remembered something!" In a flashback, Kenito reads an ad for glasses in the newspaper. He sees a story titled 'Morioh homes for Real Estate'.

"it was while I was deciding to buy these frames that I first learned about Dr. Marco Kobato."

"Oh, my god! it's working! your memory is coming back!" Koichi cheered "can you tell us what actually happened the night you went missing?"

"Sure, I was in the basement of Rohan's house before he moved in. But the lab entrance was bricked up. Fortunately, Dr. Kobato's journals showed a secret way in. And..." (gasps)

In a flashback, green flames flare to reveal a memory of Kenito inside the lab approaching the murder in a welder's mask. (screaming)

"Dad, what is it?! What's wrong?!"

(stammering) "I...I don't know, Ko?"

(alarm beeping) Koichi pulls out his phone as the timer shows zero. (gasps)

"Koichi, the 24 hours are up. He doesn't remember who took him and the brains. We have to figure out another way to find the killer ourselves." said Josuke

"No. this can't be right. My dad has to remember something. we're so close to finding out who the serial killer is." said Koichi

Kenito's eyes widened, "But...I do. Oh, my god. I do remember who the serial killer is."

(all gasps) "Who? tell us!"

"Of course. It's..." (all gasp) "It's..." (all gasp) "It's..."

green bolts forms a flashback. In the lab, the killer approaches a brain jar. Reflecting off the glass, the killer lifts up the welder's mask to reveal Kenito.

Kenito gasps, "It's me."

(all gasp in shock) Mrs. Hirose faints on the floor.

Do you believe that Koichi's dad is actually the serial killer? Or did he really have amnesia during that time?

to be continued