Sei and her attorney lead Meg, Jo, and Amy into the Special Investigations squad room. She wasted no time in getting in Suzuki's face. "I don't know what you're playing at, Detective Suzuki, but you must be getting desp-" She saw Kyhohei and hustled past Suzuki. "Kyohei? What-"

Kyo's mother got in her way. "Haven't you done enough? Is this how you handle it when he finds a better job somewhere else?"

"I've been proud of Kyohei," Sei said. "If he's been assaulted, I want to know who did it." She looked past Mrs. Tachibana. "Kyohei? What happened?"

Kyo snorted. "None of your damned business."

Everyone around Kyo (aside from the cops) was shocked.

"Excuse me?" Sei asked quietly.

Kyo stood and got right in her face. "You heard me. As long as it doesn't stop me from cooking for you tonight - and it won't - I don't have to tell you a damned thing."

Sei was equal parts angry and puzzled. "What's got into you?"

Kyo smiled. "Nothing's got into me! I feel great. Better than …. Well, better than since before I met you. Maybe I've been working at the wrong place all along. How do you like them apples?"

"I…I'm sorry you feel that way. If you could just tell me what-"

"You'll what? Throw more money at me? That's how you deal with all your problems, isn't it? If you can't buy it, you have Jo shoot it. Unless you like someone's ass. Gee, is that why you've kept me around?" He slapped his own butt. "You want some Kyo bootie?"

Sei's control began to fray. "Now wait a minute…"

Kyohei laughed derisively. "Or maybe you'll forget the dumb stuff and just walk around topless. Hell, if your granddaddy wasn't the godfather, that's how you'd make your money. Or on your back. Slut." He turned away, dismissively, disrespectfully.

"Don't you turn your back on me!" Sei grabbed his shoulder. "Just who do you think you're-"

Kyo's elbow fired backward into her stomach, stunning her and making her losen her grip. He started to follow up with a punch to her face; Sei automatically dropped under it and punched Kyo in the stomach. He staggered back, but stayed upright. Most people would have doubled over from that punch, be he acted like he'd barely noticed it.

Sei adopted a fighting stance as her mind reviewed what had happened: Kyohei had tried to fight her. As far as she knew, he'd never known how to fight, yet now he was good enough to give her a run for her money. That thought made her hesitate.

"Kyo…" she started to say.

Arms grabbed her shoulders from behind, and she heard Suzuki's voice in her ear: "Thank you." Sei's face slammed down onto a desk top - she barely turned her face in time to avoid getting her nose smashed - as Suzuki forcer her arms behind her. "You are under arrest for assault-" he said.

"What-" Sei stammered. "He struck first!"

"All I saw was a victim defending himself against his abuser." Suszuki turned to uniformed cops near the other girls. "I want Meg, Jo and Amy in separate interview rooms."

A cop grabbed Jo's arm. "NO!" Jo spun and punched the man in the face. "MEG!" A half dozen cops piled onto her as Meg struggled against three cops and two more had Amy to one side.

"Meg!" Jo shouted. "You bastards! I'll take you all to-" A taser crackled from under the pile-up and Jo screamed.

"JO!" Meg thrashed against her captors. "Let me go you-"

Captain Kobayshi's voice cut through the cacophony: "DETECTIVE SUZUKI! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"

"Captain-"

Kobayashi and Nishimura were standing at the edge of the mêlée.

Kobayashi's face was red with anger. "Let. Them. Go. Now."

The uniforms disentangled themselves form Jo and Meg, who were promptly in each other's arms, glaring at the cops. Amy stood by, clutching her teddy bear-laptop, looking more like a scared little girl than a super genius.

Kobayshi nodded to Sei. "And remove her cuffs."

"Captain, she punched Kyohei-"

"After he provoked her in a situation you made no effort to control. I will ask you one last time to remove her cuffs."

Suzuki unlocked the hand cuffs.

Kobyashi turned to Kyo and Sei. "There is the matter of the altercation that happened here. Do either of you wish to press charges?"

Kyo snorted. "I want to get out of here. I don't want to deal with her unless I absolutely have to."

"That can be arranged," Sei said as she flipped open her phone and began tabbing through options. "I don't know what's come over you, Kyo, and I don't care. There are things I will not tolerate from anybody." She focused on her phone for a moment, then looked up at him. "Kyohei, I have wired this week's pay into your account. As of this moment, your services are no longer required. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors away from me." She turned to Kobayshi and Nishimura. "Am I done here?"

Nishimura nodded. "You are all free to go," she said.

Sei's attorney said, "You'll be luck if we only sue you for harassment." Then he joined Sei in leading the girls out of the squad room.

Amy hesitated at the door, looking back at Kyohei.

Sei barely glanced at her. "Amy."

"Coming." Amy followed the other girls out.