"They got him," Courtney said, her quiet voice cutting through the chaos of the corporate room like a knife.

Homura stopped mid-conversation to turn and stare at Courtney. He was silent for several moments before he snapped his Pokédex shut, hanging up on the hapless airport employee he had been dealing with. Slowly, he sunk down in to his chair and covered his face with his hands, resting his elbows on the table.

"...How do you know?" Kagari asked, trying to keep her voice neutral. It took her a great deal of control to remain seated and not stand up sharply at Courtney's announcement.

A few clicks of the mouse and Courtney took over the big screen, loading up the Team Aqua hashtag. In it, the top posts showed numerous photos and reports of Team Aqua raiding the ferry that Matsubusa had been sighted on that morning. The most insulting pictures to Team Magma were the ones where Team Aqua members indulged some of the passengers by posing for selfies with them.

Homura didn't even bother to look up at the screen, pressing his hands hard against his face.

"I'll get to work tracking down any leads to their headquarters," Courtney said, her eyes never leaving her laptop.

Kagari glanced to Homura, watching the man as he dug his nails in to his skin, his hands trembling slightly. "...Please do."

"...My fault," Homura murmured, his voice like a growl. "It's all my... fault."

Kagari grimaced before she reached over to touch Homura's arm. "There's no way you could have predicted this."

Homura's arms trembled as he moved his fingers up his face to bury them in his hair. "I should have let him come home when he wanted to! If I had, then none of this would have happened!" He grit his teeth as he bowed his head. "Arceus knows what those bastards are doing to him right now...!"

The trip back to Hoenn and was longer than it took Team Aqua to get to Kanto, but they wanted to make sure to lose any pursuit coming after them and avoid leading the authorities or Team Magma back to their headquarters. Aogiri wouldn't have minded the length of the trip, as he had plans for Matsubusa once they were alone together on the ship, but those plans were shelved until Matsubusa recovered.

Aogiri entered his cabin with a bowl of hot soup in his hand and a bottle of water tucked under his arm. A growl greeted him and he flashed the Houndoom with a hangover that glared at him from his bed. "Hey now, that's not taking care of Masky if you don't let me give him something to drink, is it?"

Dante considered the question as his gaze slid to Matsubusa who slept by his side. His ears folded back in an obvious sign of annoyance, but he quieted and allowed Aogiri to deliver the offering.

Aogiri had debated whether or not to let Dante roam free, but eventually he decided it would be fine, as he knew Leviathan would have no trouble taking the Houndoom down if Dante decided to attack anyone. Right now he was more concerned about Matsubusa's recovery, and he knew from experience that having your most loyal Pokémon at your side helped significantly. He set the food and drink on the table beside his bed and peered over at the redhead's sleeping face. "So, how's Masky doing?"

Dante's eyes narrowed, but otherwise he remained rigid.

Aogiri sighed and shook his head. "Not up for talking, huh? Guess I don't blame you after the run around we gave you and Masky, but, believe me, making you two miserable was the opposite of what I had in mind."

Dante let out a snort of flame, his nose wrinkling.

Aogiri looked at Matsubusa to verify that the redhead was still deep in slumber then pulled up a chair beside the bed. "I'm serious. I just have the hots for Masky, and I know he has the hots for me too. I just wanted to corner him so we'd have time to start up something."

Dante let out a growl of displeasure.

Aogiri cocked an eyebrow. "Is that an 'I disapprove of you' growl? Since I don't think it's a 'you're wrong' growl, since Masky himself told me he's getting himself off to thoughts of me. Trashed a lot of underwear in the process too."

Dante's jaw dropped as shock shattered his angry sneer, and he turned to look at Matsubusa in disbelief.

Aogiri hid a chuckle behind his hand. "Oh come off it. You knew all along he had the hots for me, didn't you?"

Dante shot Aogiri a glare and snorted a puff of smoke.

A soft murmur came from Matsubusa, interrupting the conversation. The redhead grimaced as he stretched out his lithe body, his toes curling at the effort. Then, oblivious, the redhead rolled over to drape his arm over Dante, hugging him close. Unfortunately, the action jostled the blanket that was wrapped around him, dislodging it to reveal the simple fact that he wasn't wearing any clothes. Aogiri had stripped him of the wet garments before putting him to bed, and as a result a full moon was on display where the blanket was no longer covering.

Aogiri felt heat rush through him at the sight of Matsubusa's pale rump and long, slender legs. He barely realized that now was not the time to oogle before Dante shoved the blanket back over Matsubusa with a flash of clawed paws and pierced the pirate with a dirty growl and glare.

Aogiri held his hands up defensively and crossed his legs. "Hey, whoa, easy. That wasn't my fault. I'm totally innocent this time."

Dante growled again, his dangerous red eyes never leaving Aogiri.

Matsubusa murmured softly, drifting in and out of consciousness as the conversation slowly pierced the feverish haze in his brain. After several more moments, he rolled back over so that he was laying on his back, his eyes drifting open. "Hmn...?"

Aogiri felt a rush of relief and smiled at Matsubusa. "Hey, Masky. How you feeling?"

Matsubusa blinked slowly, his eyes focusing on Dante as the Houndoom draped over his waist, keeping the blanket firmly in place. As his eyes lingered on his Pokémon, a smile drifted up across his face. Shakily, he reached up to ruffle the Houndoom's cheeks. "Danteeeeeee..."

As Matsubusa pet Dante, he paused as he noticed Aogiri out of the corner of his eyes. Turning his head slowly, the redhead regarded the pirate in groggy silence before his brow furrowed. Slowly, his mind put the pieces together despite the sluggishness that plagued it. "...Ao... giriii..."

Aogiri couldn't help but savor the sound of his name on Matsubusa's lips. "That's me. Don't worry, you're in good hands."

Matsubusa blinked again, his eyes still rather unclear. It was so hard to really understand what the pirate was saying, the words filtering through his head as if he were underwater. "Where...? Homura..."

Aogiri had to resist the urge to touch Matsubusa, as he felt fairly certain that Dante would bite or burn him if he tried. "You got pretty sick, so I'm going to be taking care of you." He picked up the bottle of water and opened it before holding it out to the redhead. "Here, you need to get rehydrated."

Matsubusa looked at Aogiri, then down at the bottle of water. "...I'm not drunk, Homura..."

Aogiri blinked and fought back a snicker. "Funny, I didn't think I looked anything like that second in command of yours."

Matsubusa tilted his head back against the pillow as he looked up at Aogiri. After several moments of more staring, he furrowed his brow again. Then, his eyes widened slightly as his brain finally registered what was happening. The redhead sat up sharply with a gasp, which quickly turned in to a groan when the sudden action jostled his head and made his senses begin to spin. "Y-you're...!"

Aogiri held up his hands. "Relax, relax. I promise you're going to be just fine. Don't worry that I'll cop a feel or anything. I'd prefer to do my flirting when you're well enough to melt into my arms and moan over it." He flashed Matsubusa a wicked smile, unable to help but tease a little.

Dante let out a warning growl, his ears canting back.

"With your consent obviously," Aogiri said, glancing at Dante.

Matsubusa wobbly laid back down, his hands going up to hold his head. It felt as though it could fall off at any moment. "Why... what...?" The redhead paused, looking at Aogiri through his fingers and then about the room. None of it really made any sense, especially since it strongly conflicted with what he last remembered – boarding the ferry. "...Am I dreaming?"

"Nope," Aogiri said, holding the water bottle out to Matsubusa again. "You're really naked in my bed with the king of the seas as your nursemaid. Now come on and drink up. I've got some soup for you too."

Matsubusa unthinkingly accepted the bottle of water before he paused, his eyes widening. "N-nake-?!" He quickly looked down, the sight of his bare chest and blanket barely covering his lower regions confirming the pirate's words. The redhead's face exploded in a deep blush and he nearly dropped the water, spilling a little bit on his chest before he recovered and held it upright. "-Why-!?"

Dante glared at Aogiri, silently asking the same question.

"Relax," Aogiri said soothingly. "It was because your clothes were soaked and stained in puke. You were throwing up alcohol for hours. I cleaned you up and put you to bed and made sure your Pokémon partner would be right here to take care of you and help you relax without worrying I might try something."

Matsubusa stared at Aogiri before he grimaced, his face still a deep shade of red. Hearing the reason did little to make him feel better. It was a rather humiliating way to be captured, to say the very least. "I-I... w-well, if you hadn't been chasing me, I wouldn't have... have gotten to that point!"

"True enough," Aogiri said. "That was my bad overdoing it. I just wanted to give us a chance to hang out together privately so we can get to know each other a little better. Doesn't make it right, but hey, I promise to make it up to you."

Matsubusa eyed Aogiri uneasily. The pirate's words made no sense, and he knew there had to be something he was missing. He took a moment to drink the bottle of water, satisfying his parched throat and ease what he imagined was the lingering remnants of the aforementioned 'puking' as he considered his words. He then lowered the bottle, staring hard at the pirate. "...'Hang out'?"

Aogiri snickered at the clear disbelief in Matsubusa's voice. "Hang out, seduce, wherever the mood takes us." He dared to trace a finger along the redhead's cheek until Dante snapped rows of sharp teeth threateningly in his direction.

Matsubusa's eyes widened as a small squeak escaped him, the blush on his cheeks deepening in color. "Y-you... e-even now, you insist...!" He gripped the blanket, holding it tightly to his body with his spare hand as he pointed the half-empty bottle of water at the pirate. "I-if you think I'm going to just... just lie here and take it...!"

"Actually I expect you to lie there and get better," Aogiri chuckled as he picked up the bowl of soup. "Speaking of which, you need to eat too."

Matsubusa blinked before his face twisted in to a scowl. "I-I have no intention of doing that, either! You-"

A spoon full of warm, creamy chicken soup cut off Matsubusa's protest.

"Trust me," Aogiri chuckled. "There's no way you can resist the world's best chicken soup. My man Matt is a genius in the kitchen. He makes the ab-so-lute finest food in all the world."

Matsubusa was startled by the sudden influx of food in to his mouth. Before he could even think of a proper protest, he had swallowed the food in question, the warm and smooth liquid flowing down his throat. It took only a moment for his stomach to come alive, screaming noisily as it demanded more nourishment after being denied for so long. The redhead hesitated as his blush returned, his grip tightening around both the bottle of water and the blanket as he pulled it up closer against his chest. "...Ah."

Aogiri delighted in that shy reaction and offered more soup, lightly pressing the spoon against Matsubusa's lips. "You know it's delicious, admit it."

Matsubusa hesitated before he opened his mouth, allowing Aogiri to slip the spoon in again. He couldn't even think of a response, and instead decided to use the food as an excuse to remain silent. He only hoped that his ever deepening blush wouldn't give him away.

Aogiri relished in Matsubusa's complacency, as well as the rosiness of the redhead's cheeks, as he spoon fed Matsubusa. "Right now, let's just focus on getting you better. After that, then we'll see where the mood takes us."

Matsubusa felt compelled to argue, but it was hard to find the words when his mouth was constantly being filled with soup. And as much as he wanted to verbally bite Aogiri's face for what he seemed to be implying, the food was rapidly becoming a higher priority. The warmth and texture was soothing as it went down his throat, while the taste was just as remarkable as Aogiri had implied. As a result, the best he could muster was a disgruntled grunt as he continued to accept each spoonful of soup as Aogiri offered it.

Dante watched the scene unfold with annoyance in his eyes, but he merely remained vigilant for the moment.

When the bowl was empty save for a few stray drops, Aogiri set it down onto the table and leaned back in his seat. "Now we'll see if that stays down. If you're doing better later, you can go ahead and order something else, and I'm sure Matt won't mind making it as long as it's not something ridiculously fancy like goose liver or bull testicles."

Matsubusa brought the bottle of water up to help wash down the rest of the soup just as Aogiri began to speak. As the words filtered through, the redhead choked, spitting out the water before he could clasp his hand over his mouth to stop it.

Aogiri couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Oh, I'm sorry, I should've called them foie gras and rocky mountain oysters, shouldn't I?"

Matsubusa sniffled as he wiped at his mouth, then glared at Aogiri. "Y-you shouldn't have mentioned them at all! Do I look like someone who'd eat that garbage!?"

Aogiri gave a casual shrug. "Hey man, I don't judge. Rich people eat crap as long as it has a fancy name to impress other rich snobs. You do want you gotta do."

Matsubusa's scowl deepened. "And you think that includes eating the result of animal abuse and... t-t-t-t-oysters."

"Yup," Aogiri said. "Though I guess I should've guessed you'd rather flip the table if you found foie gras on it before eating it."

Matsubusa huffed, crossing his arms. "I would've thought that you'd pay attention all those times you kept sticking your nose in where it didn't belong, but clearly I expected too much from you."

"My bad, my bad," Aogiri chuckled. "I just picked the first two fancy pieces of garbage I could think of off the top of my head without thinking that you're probably like me and would rather eat testicles than foie gras, veal, or any of that other shit."

Matsubusa eyed Aogiri, his sulk still quite prominent. "I wouldn't eat t-o-oysters, either!"

Aogiri arched his eyebrows as his mouth curved at a wicked angle. "Oh come on, I'll bet you'll find a nice big juicy pair of golden brown balls delicious. I've got a pair of nice salty ones you can try."

Matsubusa's eyebrows shot straight up as he stared at Aogiri in stunned silence for several moments, before his face turned a deep shade of red as a startled squeak escaped him. "W-w-w-what!?"

Aogiri leaned in closer, his eyes glinting with promises of pleasure. "I've got a nice long shaft of meat to go with them, and I'm the type of guy who encourages you to play with your food as much as you like."

Matsubusa could only gape at Aogiri before he let out a stream of strangled sounds. He reached his hand about to smack at Aogiri, the hand impacting rather uselessly with the pirate's chest.

Aogiri took the hand that smacked him and brushed his lips against Matsubusa's fingers, never breaking eye contact the entire time. "I've never tried that type of dish either, but you're the first man to ever make me feel starving for it."

Matsubusa's fingers trembled, frozen in Aogiri's grip. He felt as though steam was rising up from his crimson face, his blood boiling as the heat tried desperately to escape. He could only make another incoherent sound in protest, unable to form the words as they melted in his mouth.

Aogiri placed another kiss on the back of Matsubusa's hand before straightening up. "That said, I'll hold myself back on getting a taste until you're feeling better. Last thing I want is for you to get sicker because we had sexy times."

Matsubusa finally managed to find his voice as he trembled, though it was high-pitched and cracked. "S-s-s-s-sex-!?"

Aogiri waggled his eyebrows. "Love to, but like I said, we should wait until you're better first."

Matsubusa let out a strangled noise before he grabbed the pillow off Aogiri's bed, whipping it around to strike at the pirate with a shriek.

Aogiri backed up a bit, laughing as he held his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I'll cool it with the innuendo for now."

Matsubusa gasped for air, out of breath. It was hard to tell if it was because he was still recovering, if he was simply that mortified, or both, but the end result was the redhead quivering as he glared at Aogiri as he panted.

Aogiri's expression softened and he lightly patted Matsubusa's hand. "Sorry, that was too much, wasn't it? Tell you what, I'll leave you alone for a while and let you sleep some more. We can flirt some more when you're doing better."

Matsubusa paused before he made a small noise in the back of his throat, wrapping both of his arms around the pillow so that he could hold it against his chest. He peered up over the edge of the pillow as it obscured his blush, glaring at Aogiri.

Aogiri ignored the dirty look. "So, do you need anything while I'm here? Some more food? Aspirin?"

"...Another pillow," Matsubusa murmured.

The small request broadened Aogiri's smile before he rose to his feet. "Okay, wait right here and I'll bring you one. Anything else?"

Matsubusa paused before he held the pillow tighter. "Two pillows."

Aogiri paused at the door. "Okay, two it is. That it?"

Matsubusa seemed to consider his response, his eyes darting over to Dante before turning back to Aogiri. "How many extra pillows do you have?"

Aogiri stifled a chuckle behind his hand. "Enough to make you two cramped for space if that's what you'd like."

"If you think you can carry it," Matsubusa said, his voice muffled by the pillow. "That meathead of yours can help, but he has to keep his eyes closed."

Aogiri laughed. "You don't want that, Ushio would just trip if you made him walk around with a big load with his eyes shut. I'll just make a lot of trips. Gives me an excuse to see a lot more of you." He flashed Matsubusa a wink and left without giving the redhead time to react with more than just an embarrassed squeak.

Matsubusa stared at the closed door before he let out a sigh, sagging against the pillow. Unthinkingly, his eyes drifted over to where his Houndoom sat and the redhead froze, noting the deadpan stare Dante had fixed on him. "...W-what!? What's that for!?"

Dante continued to stare at Matsubusa, his gaze intense, before he pointedly turned his eyes towards the door where Aogiri had been only a moment before.

Matsubusa felt the wordless judgment, with only served to make him flustered all over again. "W-what!? I-it's not like I... he's being a bastard!"

Dante made a show of rolling his eyes.

It was approaching midnight by the time Aogiri finished making his rounds on the ship. Being the captain with a large crew was a taxing, but rewarding job. He had just one last check to make before he could bunk with Matt for the night, the very reason why he had given up his bed in the first place – Matsubusa.

Though Aogiri tried to be quiet as he opened the door to his room, Dante's head shot up immediately, stance rigid. Glowing red eyes pierced him in the dark, but despite how unsettling the Houndoom might have been, he found himself pleased by such a dutiful reaction and didn't hesitate to creep inside. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'm just here to make sure Masky is doing okay."

A tiny plume of flame from Dante's nose temporarily illuminated the bed and the countless pillows piled up around Matsubusa. He was seated on a number of them himself, resting comfortably even as he sat ready in the direction of the door, clearly on the watch for anyone creeping in. Despite how seriously he was taking his guard duty, he allowed Aogiri to get close enough to touch Matsubusa's forehead.

Aogiri was quiet as he held the back of his hand to Matsubusa's head, getting a good feel for the redhead's temperature. "Good," he whispered. "Doing better."

Matsubusa was blissfully unaware of Aogiri, sleeping peacefully. His head was propped up on several pillows while he held one not only in his arms but between his legs as well. Never before had Aogiri seen someone sleep with so many pillows, and making sure each and every one was in use. And even if the demand had seemed unreasonable, the man's comfortable slumber was proof enough that he had been genuine in his request.

Aogiri couldn't help a small snicker from escaping him before he brushed a few stray hairs out of Matsubusa's eyes. "Gonna have to stock up on pillows."

Matsubusa made a soft noise at the gesture, but otherwise didn't rouse. His expression was at ease, much better than it had been that morning. The tension was gone, and the illness mostly subsiding as the redhead slumbered peacefully with soft, even breaths.

Aogiri knew he needed to leave, but he had a hard time drawing himself away. The expression Matsubusa wore enchanted the pirate unlike anything he had ever seen. It gave him a sense of peace and hope that things might work out between them as he hoped.

As Matsubusa continued to sleep, his head tilted slightly as Aogiri's fingers trailed across his skin lightly. At the very least, the touch didn't seem to be disturbing him. If anything, he seemed to enjoy it as a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

As much as Aogiri was enjoying himself, he knew he needed to stop before he became too tempted. He bent down to place a feather soft kiss on the crown of Matsubusa's head. "Goodnight, Masky," he murmured into the other man's hair.

A soft sigh escaped Matsubusa as he suddenly reached up to grab Aogiri's arm, though it was more placing his hand on Aogiri's arm than anything with any real strength. Matsubusa shifted, rolling on to his back as he held the pirate's hand in a feather-light grip.

Aogiri stilled at the motion. In the dim light peeking in through the edges of the door and the curtains on the window, the hand holding him looked so pale and fragile, not like the angry fist that sometimes held a wicked whip or tri-pronged claw. He placed his hand on top of Matsubusa's, stroking the other man's silky smooth skin.

Matsubusa's fingers twitched slightly before they fanned out, stretching a moment before going limp against the pirate's skin. The redhead murmured something quietly, the words not quite leaving his lips. Whatever the redhead was dreaming, it wasn't enough to make him take notice of the pirate, even as he touched Aogiri directly.

Aogiri bit back the urge to whine as he found himself unable to draw away. "You're making this really hard."

Matsubusa let out a soft sigh as he pressed his cheek up against the pillow, his hand comfortably resting on Aogiri's arm. His grip wasn't tight, more just lying there than anything, but it still made Aogiri feel like it would be cruel to displace it.

Aogiri could feel his resolve crumble, and he slipped under the sheets. The tiny warning growl of Dante made him pause halfway in and he gave the Houndoom an almost but not quite apologetic smile. "Don't worry, I'm not taking advantage. I'm just giving him a big warm pillow to cuddle with."

Dante rolled his eyes, but did nothing further as he watched Aogiri slip under the sheets beside his trainer.

Matsubusa didn't wake, even as Aogiri suddenly climbed in to bed. Instead, much to Aogiri's surprise and glee, the redhead drew closer to the new body heat, hooking his arm and leg over the pirate as if he were just another pillow.

Aogiri savored the feeling of Matsubusa's body fitting snuggly against his. Though a more primal part of him felt tempted to do more, he brushed it aside and reveled in the knowledge that he was holding his Masky close. That alone had been something he had been aching to do for far too long now.

Matsubusa pressed his forehead against Aogiri's chest, holding the pirate closely. It really did seem like the redhead thought he was just a larger pillow, and some part of the leader of Team Aqua felt rather guilty, as if he were intruding. At least, he did until Matsubusa murmured something softly. "Aogiri..."

Aogiri felt his heart jump and pirouette at the sound of his name spoken so blissfully. A single word and he was undone as all doubt disappeared from his mind. Not even Dante's piercing stare could ruin the wonderful mood washing over him as he settled in for the night.

Sharing sleeping space with Matsubusa beat sharing it with Matt any day.

The morning sun brought with it more drama and stress for the unfortunate souls in charge of Kazan Industries. The phones had been ringing constantly, to the point that no one was even making an effort to answer them anymore as they instead focused on their primary goal – Matsubusa's immediate rescue.

Courtney had bags under her eyes that qualified as carryon luggage as she worked tirelessly at her computer. She had gone over two days now without sleep and the empty cups of coffee surrounding her promised that she would refuse to rest for longer still.

Kagari similarly looked frazzled, her expression fierce as she poured over maps that she had spread across the table. The maps were of the shoreline of Kanto and Hoenn, completely scribbled up with markers as she tried to plot all of the courses Team Aqua could have gone with their prize. And judging by the multitude of marks, there were many of them.

Tabitha sat with his head in his hands, a disheveled mess. He had finally gotten the helicopter working again, but it was useless without a place for him to take it. Searching the ocean from above was futile, as there were so many places Team Aqua could have gone.

Homura paced the room like a Persian in a cage, his expression fierce. He tapped away at his Pokédex, deleting the multitude of messages on both his email and Pokébook as he searched for any that might have been from Matsubusa – or Team Aqua. Instead, he only found requests for comment or vicious jeers from the ignorant masses who were bored enough to stick their noses in to the situation without any concern for the fact that a man had been kidnapped. Finally, he let out a snarl before he hurled the Pokédex at the far wall, feeling some manner of satisfaction as it bounced against it, the drywall cracking against the Pokédex's structurally superior build.

Fatigue wore away at Courtney's temper and her typical deadpan expression. She stabbed at her keys while muttering under her breath. "Eat Trojan and die, troll."

Kagari, who would normally discourage such behavior, simply let out a low chuckle. "I wonder if they'll ever make a connection."

"If they do I'll send them another volley," Courtney said as she vented her frustrations online.

Homura rubbed his face with his hands. "What do those assholes want? No ransom demands at all?"

"No activity whatsoever," Courtney grumbled.

"Perhaps they'll send one once they feel confident that they've made their escape," Kagari said as she glared down at the maps in front of her. "There's so many islands, and any one of them could house a base..."

"If only I could've finished repairs sooner...," Tabitha moaned, his voice muffled against his hands.

"You wouldn't have had to do any repairs if I had let him come home when he wanted to." Homura replied, not looking at the other admins.

Kagari wearily glanced over to the two boys, her expression sympathetic. "It's not your fault – either of you. There was no way to predict-"

Courtney's hands slamming into the tabletop, rattling the cups and computers, cut off Kagari's attempts at comfort. "Stop acting like martyrs and focus!"

The other three admins were left stunned as Courtney's composure broke down far beyond anything she had shown before, even with copious amounts of alcohol. Her face skewed with uncharacteristic rage as her fingers curled like claws against the tabletop. "If you have time to sit here and whine, then you have time to actually do something! You can beg Matsubusa to lash your backsides raw with his whip as many times as you want after we get him back!"

Tabitha outright gawked at Courtney, his hands dropping limply to the table before Courtney thrust a finger in his direction.

"Start renting more helicopters and speed boats!" Courtney snapped. "And start breathing down the coast guard's neck! Pull everyone we can spare to use them!"

Homura's mouth hung open, but no words were forthcoming. He didn't even have a chance to think of any before Courtney pointed at him next.

"Get the damn police to stop sitting on their ass!" Courtney snarled. "Chew it off if you have to! And break your foot off in the rangers' asses while you're at it!"

Courtney collapsed back into her seat and turned her murderous gaze to the computer screen. "Kagari, you should start interrogating everyone who was on the ferry. Aqua might have let something slip that the idiot police and people didn't realize was an important clue."

Kagari stared at Courtney before her expression became resolved. She stood up as she nodded, leaving the maps behind. "I'll see what I can get – more than just gossip."

Tabitha stumbled to his feet, a little shaken up by the angry display. "R-right."

Homura was silent as he stared at Courtney for a moment, before his expression grew hard. "Got it." He went to pick up his Pokédex from up off the floor, then pocketed it before he hurried over to the door.

When the room was finally empty, only then did Courtney bury her face in her hands. There was nothing she could do but watch her search programs run, check websites, and try her best not to break down.