So Kiyoko was caught last chapter. That's a place to begin, right? Just to recap, Urie found her at Mami's apartment after she got off the phone with Yui. That pretty much sums up all of last chapter, doesn't it? And that leads us to the beginning of this chapter. Honestly, I haven't the faintest idea what to talk about right now, so I'm just gonna let you guys get to reading.

Enjoy.

The room is deceiving. Warm sunlight, the rays of a vivid sunset, stream in through the large window. The couch beneath me is flexible leather, and a cup of steaming green tea waits for me on the small table in front of where I sit. It's like a room of a friend who invited me over to chat. What isn't deceiving is the cold glare of the investigator sitting on the couch parallel to the one I'm on. The two of us dwell in silence, his gaze never diverting from me. My eyes, on the other hand, flutter about in an attempt to concentrate on anything but him.

I jump out of my skin when he suddenly says, "There's no way out except the door."

I reign in my eyes and force them to watch the steam rising off the tea. "I wasn't…. I just wondered. Why interrogate someone in a room like this?"

"Because there are no cameras here." He folds his arm over his chest, his feet planted firm on the floor. Somehow I get the impression of a security guard from him. I get the message, though. He's the one with the power. "Although I brought you in for assistance of ghouls, my coworkers are under the impression that you're merely a witness. So you get these luxuries. However, I can change that at any time."

"Go ahead," I provoke, steeling myself. "I won't talk."

"It's to your benefit if you do."

"I don't care."

"Now listen." He jerks to his feet, his eyes daggers. "Surely you understand your situation. You are in no position to be refusing me, Kiyoko. If you cooperate, you'll be released with your mother, and your record will even remain clean. If you don't, I will resort to treating you as a captured ghoul." Somehow, the concept of being treated like a ghoul amuses me. I lower my head to hide the grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. He sees it anyway. "Did I say something funny?"

"Treat me like a ghoul?" I lift my head, smiling. "I already am one."

He slams his fist against the table. "Don't mess with me!"

"Tell me, how did you find me?"

"I have no reason to-"

"He was keeping an eye on your friend, Yui Miyamoto." Both Urie and I pivot to face Haise, who closes the door behind him with a click. "He knew the moment you called her, and was able to track the signal to figure out where you were at. It didn't take long to get there since he was in such a hurry, and all he likely had to do was ask around to find out who you were living with."

"Don't interfere!" Urie's voice, although it had been irritated before, has risen to rage in the face of his superior. "She's a criminal! And as such I have the right to interrogate her!"

"You took her into temporary custody under the guise of a witness," Haise points out. "That's hardly criminal."

"But you know-"

"You are unfit to interrogate a witness like this, Urie. You would be better off being gentle with her, rather than threatening her, and yet you've already let your temper best you. I already talked things over with Shirazu. He agrees that I would be better to talk with her." He smiles innocently. "Would you go against the order of your squad leader?"

Urie doesn't say a word, shaking where he stands. He sits back down, though, indicating his submission. Seeing this, Haise joins Urie on the couch across from me.

"My name is Haise Sasaki," he introduces, extending his hand. Slowly, I reach out and take it. So that's the card we're playing. I guess he really will keep that promise he made that day in the cafe. "I believe you've already met my colleague, Urie."

"I have," I confirm stiffly.

"I apologize for his behavior. I'm afraid he's not used to handling girls," he laughs. Urie flinches beside him. "But," he returns to a serious tone, "he's right about your situation. Kiyoko, you've been witnessed not only amicably together with someone you knew was a ghoul, but from what we've gathered, you've been quite close to her. It's only reasonable to assume you've given this ghoul, code named Black Cat, sanctuary. Even if we've yet to gather solid evidence, your failing to report her species is enough to arrest you on its own. Must I also bring up the sightings of you with a certain SS rated ghoul?"

I keep my mouth shut. At first I plan to keep my mouth closed until he continues, but a curious question raises in my brain like a bubble, just begging to pop forth. "Would you tell me...what rating is Black Cat? I can't exactly deny that I was with her to the two of you, so I won't try to hide it, but I'm actually pretty unfamiliar with the technical stuff about ghouls. I'm just now starting to understand most of this ghoul stuff."

"That information is classified," Urie growls. Haise holds a hand up to calm him, but this serves to further annoy the investigator. He does, however, shut up.

"Black Cat is officially listed as a class A. However, if we were to report the incident where she not only went up against the two of us successfully, but also secured the safety of another, it's possible she could be bumped to an A+ rated."

"Considering what you've said," I ponder, "and how people seem to have great reverence for a ghoul of SS rating, I'm assuming that SS is pretty powerful. I'm going to assume A is fairly close under that. What exactly did she do to earn that?"

"She simply continously evaded capture while eating on a regular, predictable basis. During the few encounters in the past we've had with her, she's reportedly shown to have skillful handling of her bikaku."

"Bikaku?"

"This isn't a class," Urie bites sharply, glaring at the guy beside him. I stiffen when he turns back my way. "And you. How come you don't even know the types of kagune?"

"How could I know if I was never told?"

"Do some research! It's the least you could've done, knowing your friend was a ghoul."

"I did do research," I defend. Although, most of my research consisted of looking over crime scenes. I figured I knew what I needed to, with their eyes, RC cells, and kagune. Types of kagune...then there are kagune that look different? "So...what's Mockingbird rated?"

Urie raises a brow. "So you are the Mockingbird that suddenly popped into existence."

"Mockingbird," Haise ignores the dark haired investigator, "is currently something of an enigma. The only reported encounter she's had with investigators, she fled from the scene before anything could be determined. Her connections, with not only a ghoul who was recently found to be a part of the Aogiri Tree but also with a clown, have warranted her a temporary classification as an A class ghoul."

"Cool." I can't stop my grin. So Hanako and I are the same. When was the last time I felt like Hanako and I were truly equals in all regards? I can't really regret stepping into her world when my reward is a feeling as satisfying as this.

"Haise." Urie taps his foot impatiently. "This isn't helping."

The black and white haired investigator scratches the back of his head. "What? I'm only answering her questions."

"She's supposed to be the one answering our questions!"

"You can't just expect her to talk right away, Urie," he states, leaning back on the couch. Then to me, he says, "We'll have to keep you for a while, until you're willing to answer our questions. You'll be provided with everything you need to be comfortable, since you're believed to only be a witness, but we'll need to confiscate your phone."

My phone? "You can't really expect me to go without it in this day and age," I resist, nerves finally growing agitated. My phone...is kinda my lifeline. I mean, it's how I stay in contact with Uta, and how Haise keeps me updated about my mother and Hanako. Even if I can't reach her, it has Hanako's number in it. It also has Haise's, now that I think about it. Won't he be in trouble if his colleague finds out we've been in touch?

"Unfortunately, it's protocol." He extends his hand for my phone. I don't move, my eyes shifting from him to Urie and back. What...do I do? Seeing my hesitance, Haise gives a slight nod to assure me it'll be fine. As much as I'm lead to doubt him, I can't very well do so after I've decided to trust him so completely up until this point. Gulping, I slip my phone out of my pocket and pass it gently into Haise's hand. His fingers clench around it and he thanks me, his nod much more noticeable this time around.

"I heard you were here, Haise!"

I jump. I hadn't heard the door open, nor had I noticed the newest addition to our group. A young boy...no, man...maybe...with black fluffed black hair and stitches running up his neck, and on his lip. Those are stitches, right? He doesn't look injured…. I'm looking at yet more stitches near his wide, dark eyes when I realize his gaze is locked on me.

"Suzuya!" Haise darts to his feet. "I didn't know you'd be here today!"

Suzuya grins widely. "I got finished with my rounds early! When I got back, Tooru told me you and Urie were grilling a witness." He scrutinizes me, and I shift uncomfortably. Strangely enough, that look in his eyes dredges up memories of ravenous ghouls eying their prey as if they weren't people. "Is this her?"

"Suzuya, this is Kiyoko Himura." Haise presents the person with a small flourish of the hand, and I nod my head politely. "We've reason to believe she had the misfortune of stumbling across a ghoul's meal. It seems she's too shocked to speak openly of it, though, so we plan to keep her until she's comfortable."

"I see." The stranger blinks, his gaze never straying from me. "You must be related to the woman Urie brought in last month. Her last name was Himura, too, wasn't it? Why didn't you come in with her?"

"I was scared," I play along. Something tells me this guy would notice if I hesitated with the story at all. "I thought it would….I was terrified it'd seen me and would try to hunt me down. I ran away and kept myself hidden until this investigator," I have to catch myself from referring to Haise as well, glancing only at Urie, "luckily found me."

"Well it's good you're safe now, then," Suzuya absently concludes, sniffing the air. "I just found it odd. You still have the smell of a ghoul on you."

"W-What?"

"Just kidding! Hey, Haise, do you have any snacks?"

I stand frozen, mouth unable to close as the stitched boy badgers the friendly investigator for treats. There's no way he actually smelled it, right? He's human! And Hanako never once said I had picked up a ghoul's scent, even when I'd been among her kind for extended periods of time. She always fretted that I constantly smelled too human!

My fingers tighten around the material of my ripped jeans as I work my mouth shut. Could it...it couldn't be the smell of blood, could it? I'm not left wondering, though. Urie presses the matter for me.

"Inspector Suzuya!" He sharply demands the attention of the bizarre boy. "What do you mean she smelled like a ghoul?"

Suzuya releases Haise, who'd he'd been shaking down in search of snacks. Haise just grins when the guy comes away with a small bag of pretzels. The one digging into the bag explains, "It's nothing much. Just something about her scent brought back memories, although I can't really say it's specifically ghoulish. Besides, she made it past the detectors on the ground floor, so she's definitely human."

Something inside me squeezes at his words, although I can't say why. Haise and I share a look, but again, I can't quite say the meaning behind it. Suzuya's thrown me off in more ways than one, and I get the feeling Haise was similarly unprepared for the invasion despite the pretzels apparently prepared in his pocket. I'm still in a daze when Urie at last takes me away to the room where I'm to spend the night, only snapping out of it when I hear the lock on the door click behind me.

I had to add Suzuya in there. How could I leave out such a lovable character? Anime and Manga, he's one of my top favorites in the series. I'd love to say I'd throw Uta up there to, so I will, but we still lack much of a backstory to his character. I am eagerly awaiting to hear more about him. Although we know he's basically always been powerful, don't you guys wonder about him now? He's just the type that you can never figure out what they're thinking. I'd love to have a chapter or two dedicated primarily to him. I guess it's still fun if he remains a bit of a phantom, to, though. We'll just have to wait and see.

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!