"Well, well, long time no see, little brother."
"Shut up. I don't want to hear that from you."
"Heh, just as sour as ever. How are things?"
"Difficult."
"Yes, I've heard things have been going hard for you."
"No thanks to you."
"I've been sitting back and watching. I'm rather excited to see how it all unfolds."
"You won't be for long. Soon as I'm done dealing with this current situation, it's back to business as usual with me coming after your head."
"That sounds fair. Remember the rules, though. We can't directly kill each other or anyone the other man loves until-"
"I know that. I wouldn't be visiting you if I didn't."
"So what is the reason you came to this river bank today?"
"I need her secured somewhere else right now. She's in a vulnerable position and I don't like it. I want you to have her transported to one your secret bases."
"In exchange for what?"
"I've got something for your son. Something he might like."
"Oh?"
"In exchange, you'll help me."
"Hmm… I'm surprised. I never thought you would resort to that."
"I didn't either but my hands are tied and quite frankly, I don't have any other choice."
"Fine. I'll secure our sister but in exchange, you'll have this present sent directly to me."
"Understood."
"Now come on… aren't you going to give your big brother a goodbye hug?"
"Go to hell, you monster."
"Heh… love you too."
"I win." Bruce taunted, sitting back in his chair. Fujino scoffed before taking a sip of her tea.
"Lucky guess." She retorted.
"There is no luck in this. Only deductive skill."
"Just bring out the next one."
"Takashi Hideki, 45 years old. He was suspected of the murder of several women, mostly prostitutes, but was never implicated. The crime scene shows the blood of the victim splattered in several places." He handed her the paper and Akemi looked it over, scanning it quickly. "The police say that the latest victim was a college student and had worked on a private brothel in the East side of Tobioka City. The other two victims were killed near the area as well, both dumped on far ends of the river." Bruce handed her pictures of the corpses along with a picture of the man.
"Hm..." She stared at this picture strongly. "His hair… he's a lazy and bored man, indicated that he doesn't do many things. His obesity doesn't help contradict that idea either. Probably has a desk job. So, he gets bored easily… Maybe goes home and plays some video games when he feels like it. Then, something snaps, bad memory or maybe something about her reminded him of his abusive mother, and he kills a prostitute after hiring one at a brothel. The exhilaration becomes addicting and he does it again and again.
The first time he did it was sloppy," She looked at the picture of the first victim. "Too messy, too many indications of who did what." She turned her attention to the second.
"Here, it's cleaner… an average detective would conclude that isn't the same person, that the M.O. wasn't consistent but they wouldn't take experience into the consideration. Hideki was perfecting his art… Learning to release these emotions while being discreet. But his refined art is going to be his downfall… He's unknowingly leaving a pattern, making his movements predictable. A simple algorithm could predict the general area he'll kill in next. There," Akemi leaned back in her chair and smiled in confidence. "Beat that."
Bruce took the pictures and met her challenging look with a confident smirk of his own. "Very detailed analysis… but the messy blood pattern is deliberate. I've seen the kind before. It's meant to look that way to throw them off and the progression was meant to have cops or detectives believe that either he was getting better or he was a different person entirely, allowing him to switch his methods every now and again to keep them on their toes. There was no sudden snap. Anyone with that kind of forethought planned this years beforehand. He's a psychopath but his psychosis is forcing him to treat this like some sort of sick game. If we follow the pattern and go from his supposedly unpredictable nature… I can suppose that he'll kill someone in the complete opposite of how he did it. Meaning… a man, old, perhaps in a nursing home in downtown. The best guess would be Yagami's Elderly Center. I'll have Hunter stake the place out and if I'm right, I win again."
"Pure luck." Fujino insisted, pouting.
"How long have they been at this?" From afar, Nao and Memma watched the two figure out the location of criminals with scattered and vague police information and a handful of crime scene photos.
"At least an hour," Memma replied. Her eye had been treated and a white eyepatch was put over the area.
"Damn, it seems like they have the same thinking..."
"No, at certain points, it seemed as if Fujino-sama was superior in deduction but Master Komori is quite adept in the ways of abductive reasoning."
"I have to say, I'm impressed of your… hideout. Inside a clock tower? No one would think of such a thing." Fujino commented. The hideout was small but had a large computer monitor, a few cases for suits, an equipment table, medical bench and a punching bag hanging on the side.
"I know… our hacker and computer expert, Oracle, will be here shortly. For now, we'll have you situated at her apartment with the rest of us."
"Sounds like it will be crowded."
"I'll be spending most of my time here, anyway."
The secret elevator that led up to the hideout was seen ascending from the security cameras, stopping behind the door. Bruce pressed a button on the computer and the door opened, allowing Konomi entry. She walked in, wide-eyed, marveling the new spot from which they would operate from. Just before she could see the new faces in the room, did she lay her eyes on the supercomputer.
"AIIII-YIII!" Like a frog, she leaped forward, stopping in front of the computer monitors and basically drooling over the computer hardware. "OhmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod! Look at this! A model 10 monitor found only in top-secret government agencies and it's right at my fingertips! I think I'm gonna faint..."
"Yes, but before that, meet our guests, won't you?" Bruce's tone had a small hint of amusement to it, while everyone stared at Konomi, comical drops of sweat dripping from their brow.
As if the sudden realization that she was around other people hit her, Konomi slowly turned around, facing Akemi, her maid, and Nao.
"Um… hi." Akemi meekly greeted, almost hesitant to hold her hand out.
"Hi! Sorry about that. I'm Konomi, aka Oracle, and I'm sorry about what happened with your father."
"Thank you. I'm sure he's in a better place now."
"Me too." She turned around to face the computer, running her hands over the keyboard. "When you said that you had built another base, I didn't think you had this puppy here. Too bad that our old base was ruined… I had almost finished cracking some of the most important files on there."
"Good," Bruce replied calmly. "I had set up a fail-safe so that when our sensors detected intruders, the computer in the Batcave would automatically send its contents to this computer. Wherever you left off, you can finish right here. But first, we have to locate the girl."
"I already filed a missing person's report but I don't know if they'll be able to find her."
"It's very likely that Black Label took them," Bruce suggested.
"I don't remember anything that happened after the bullet hit my armor..." Konomi put her fingers to her head, struggling in vain to remember any important details.
"You don't have to," Akemi chimed, "if the police captain is a member of said group."
"Agreed," said Bruce. "He should know whether or not Kazuma lies with her."
'Ryu-Kun, Akemi-san, I've located the target. He's where you said, Ryu-kun. Should I engage?'
Bruce smugly smirked while Akemi rolled her eyes in exasperation. "No, have the police notified and then go home."
"Gotcha," Hunter replied, stowing away her binoculars. She stood on a rooftop, overlooking the area Bruce had reasoned the killer would be in. She took out her bow and arrow and shot a grappling line projectile before swinging off.
Unbeknownst to Hunter, a pair of eyes watched her from afar, through a pair of their own binoculars.
"Sensei. The target is on the move. Shall I follow?"
'Yes, Chikage. Remember – stay out of sight, no matter what. Failure will not be tolerated.'
"Understood, sir."
Hunter swung through the city, stopping when she was on a rooftop a few buildings from her house. She looked around, making sure no one could see her before stepping into the shadows and pulling off her hood. From behind cover, Chikage continued to watch closely.
Hunter reached up and pulled her mask down, switching out of her costume and into her civilian day uniform. She stuffed her costume in a bag before descending down to the alleyway on the fire escape. Yuu stepping into the streets, nobody else the wiser.
Chikage kept watching the girl until she entered her apartment complex, closing the door behind her.
"Sensei."
'What have you got, Chikage?'
"I know who the Batman's subordinate is. Her name is Yuu Momokino and she goes to my school."
"I'll be back." Bruce got up slowly, his injuries still bothering him but he refused to let it show. Fujino noticed the subtle limp in his movements but opted out of saying anything.
"I'll be leaving, too." Akemi stood up from her chair, walking over to Bruce. Alerted to her master's statement, Memma voiced her concerns.
"Fujino-sama, is that wise? What about being hunted by the people who destroyed our house?"
"I understand your concerns, Memma, but I have to see to the funeral arrangements of my father. I'm not going to let these people deter me from that."
"But madam-"
"If you are so concerned, you can come with me."
Memma nodded but clearly still disagreed with Akemi's decision. "I understand..."
"She's right, you know," Bruce said. "Those people could attack again. There's no point in bringing you back here only for you to go out and be put at risk."
"I'll be fine. You should worry about your own body, no? I'll have Memma to protect me and precautions will be taken before returning."
"Fine. However, while you're out, I need you to do something for me…" He leaned in and whispered in her ear inaudibly. Konomi watched him with a sense of suspicion.
Fujino nodded. "I understand. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
Fujino and Memma left the room, descending from the base on the elevator. Bruce grabbed his coat and threw it on.
"Konomi, continue working on decrypting those files. I need to know what's on them."
"What about Emi?"
"I'm having Akemi take care of it."
"Right…"
"Is something wrong?"
"No, no. I understand."
Bruce nodded before walking off. Just before he left, Nao addressed him.
"Hey," she said. "I've got something interesting for you."
"What's that?"
"It's about Sayo Hitsugi's father. My people have been continually looking into it but Mochizuki knew what he was doing when he scrambled the information to pretty much everywhere. Anyway, remember when I told that Togo was working with Mochizuki?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah, well, they broke off some time ago. Not sure why but apparently, Togo was experimenting with drugs and serums. Super serums, to be exact. 'High Jetters' is what they were called. These serums were said to give super strength, agility and endurance."
"So he tested this on his own daughter…"
"Yeah. He died soon after, though, it was never revealed how. That's not the most interesting part, though. The most interesting part was that he had also worked for someone else, some woman."
"Who?"
"The intel is dark on that one. A mysterious high player, though. She wanted those serums used on other people. Whoever she is, she's either a government official or a terrorist cell leader. Maybe both. Basically, what I'm saying is, watch your ass. There's more than just Hitsugi lurking around."
"I know. Thanks."
Nao gave him a small, girlish smile as she watched him leave the base, descending down the tower.
"Is all of what you told me true, Emi?"
"Yes…" Emi replied drowsily.
Miki stood up and exited the storage facility, closing the door behind her. Outside of the facility stood Yuko with Mochizuki at her side.
"What did you learn, Miki?" Yuko asked her.
"Well… basically… the girl's a super-genius." Miki stated frankly.
"What?"
"Yeah. Her teacher was the famous Soichiro Kazuma."
"The Nobel Prize winning chemist?"
"Yeah. Famous as all living hell. Apparently, he's an old friend of her grandmother and so lived with him for two years when her parents were briefly separated and in that short amount of time, gained an aptitude for how to make all types of chemical weapons. It's amazing how much she knows – she could honestly teach me some things."
"So, she manipulated the police officers using this knowledge?"
"Yep. Pheromone smoke in the gas – instant suggestive state. They couldn't resist her."
"But how did she know there would even be cops?"
"Her parents were cops and they kept a log of future raids they planned to be on. She hacked into their computers and picked a spot to wait on. It didn't matter who the cops were, just that the cops would be there."
"Hm… Interesting." Mochizuki finally sighed, his finger resting beneath his chin in thought. "This is a troublesome venture…"
"Why do you say that?" Miki asked but Mochizuki couldn't hear her. Before she could ask again, Yuko directed her out of his hearing distance.
"Am I missing something?" Miki asked her friend in a hushed tone.
"No," Yuko quickly said, "Just go back to the base. I need to care of something."
"Yuko, if something is going on, we all should know."
"You will. Soon, I hope."
Bruce walked through the halls of the hospital after finding the door number of where his friend lay. As he neared the door, he saw a police officer stand outside of the door. The officer noticed Bruce and stopped him.
"Excuse me, sir, are you Ryu Komori-san?"
"Yes."
"Please, step inside the room." The police stepped to the side and opened the door, letting Bruce in. Bruce walked inside to see his friend lying in bed with Hijiri sitting by the bedside with a notepad in his hand. A police officer stood behind him.
"Rouga?" Bruce asked.
"Yo, Ryu…"
"You must be Komori-san." Hijiri stood up and put his notepad in his shirt pocket. He held out his hand and shook Bruce's. "My name is Captain Hijiri Hamasaki. We are investigating the attacks that put your friend in the hospital."
"Ah, I see… the man who did this to is nam-"
"Nobody did this to us!" Rouga exclaimed. Bruce turned to Rouga, a confused look on his face.
"Rouga…"
"I've already told you guys… This was the result of a car accident from that gang war, nothing else!"
Hijiri looked toward Bruce for confirmation. Bruce looked down, passing his hand over his face. "Uh, officer? Can you give us a moment, please?"
"Of course." Hijiri motioned to his officer and the two exited the room. "We'll be right outside." They exited the room, closing the door.
"Rouga," Bruce began. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Nothing…" He replied but his gaze was on his sheets.
"You know what happened, Rouga! He tortured you, he tortured me and has more than likely tortured many others. There should be no reason to not put him in prison!"
Rouga's eyes, however, remained away from Bruce's gaze. "Please, just tell them nothing happened… please…" He requested weakly.
Bruce narrowed his eyes, staring at Rouga with scrutiny. "Rouga. Has he threatened you?"
"No…"
"Has he threatened you?!"
"No!"
Bruce sighed, knowing that his friend wouldn't tell him the truth. "Fine… I'll change the statement."
"Thank you…" Rouga replied, his voice coming out with a slight croak. "And… when you do… can you stay for a bit? Lack of visitors tends me to make me feel… you know."
With a low sigh, Bruce nodded before going outside and telling the police that it was simply a car accident which injured them both. Though Hijiri didn't seem to buy it, he accepted it anyway before leaving the two alone in the room.
Closing the door behind him, Bruce walked back in the room and pulled up a chair beside Hijiri, cringing as he sat down in it.
"I'm surprised you can still walk. You got hurt pretty badly too but you seem better off."
"Yeah…" "The fight with Black Label and the torture from Goryu is taking its toll…"
"Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"When we were escaping from the base… you said that the 'Batman' was leading you… but I didn't see a thing."
"No, it… it wasn't the 'Batman'. I was hallucinating… I think. It's what helped me find a way out."
"Huh… I guess you should hallucinate more often."
"I guess so."
"Thanks for coming over, man. I don't have many friends or relatives in this city so… it means a lot."
"Me neither. You saved my life, anyway… I can't believe you took that bullet for me."
"Well, you'd do the same for me, right?"
Bruce smiled at him. "Without a second thought."
Outside of the hospital, Hijiri stood with his policemen. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he fished it out, grimacing when he saw the caller I.D.
"Damn it… the shadow again?"
Before he could answer, he looked up at the sound of someone in high heels approaching him. "Hijiri-kun," Yuko addressed him. "We need to talk."
The policeman behind him let out low whistles and smiles but Hijiri ignored them, following Yuko some little ways off from them.
"Yes?"
"I need to know what is going on with you." She said, her voice strict. "You've been ignoring our calls and ordering strange things. If you're double-crossing us-"
"No! That's not what I'm doing at all!"
"Then what?"
"I… I can't say."
"Listen, either get it together and obey orders or we will be forced to take action against you. Don't make us turn you into our enemy, Hijiri. We all love you." Her voice was gentle but the subtle hint of finality could easily be perceived. With that final warning, Yuko walked away, leaving Hijiri looking shamefully to the ground.
"Damn it…" He cursed, balling his fist and slamming against his thigh.
Back in the clocktower, Konomi sat at the computer, speedily typing. Her tongue was peeking slightly from her mouth but her eyes demonstrated focus as she deciphered the data.
"Nearly there… nearly there… After decrypting so many dummy files, I feel like this is the one! Wait for it… Yes! I got it!"
"Alright," she said, the pride evident in her demeanor. Nao, who sat a few feet from her, just shook her head in amusement. "Let's see what we got."
After only several scrolls, her eyes widened immensely. In her surprise of the new revelation, she sprang up from her chair and leaned in closer to the screen, as if the information would change the closer she became.
"Oh, my God… oh, my God!"
"What is it?" Nao rushed to the screen, stopping short at the text she saw. "Are you kidding me? Is this real? No way…"
"I can't believe this…" Konomi whispered breathlessly. "Masamune Mochizuki and Jotaru Tobishiro… are brothers!"
A.N.: Finally, an update! Yeah, sorry for the long wait but, as I said, updates would be way slower than before but I won't stop updating, though. Also, for all who are wondering, I do receive PMs, but I just generally don't reply because prefer reading things in my review section. Doesn't mean I never will, I just don't. I do read them, though. Anyway, I'm rushing this out because I have other projects to get to but I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know with a review and until next chapter, baby.
Green out.