Anzu sat in a daze outside the ice cream parlor, her mint chip ice cream melting down the side of her hand. "Impossible…" she muttered to herself. She was wearing her Blue Eyes glasses, but wasn't connected to the satellite images; not that it mattered to her right now. She was too busy trying to come to terms with the identity of the person she saw in Kaiba's office just moments ago. "That man couldn't have been my reaper…. Right?"
She had seen that man before on many occasions whenever Kaiba was involved in her life. His name was Isono and appeared to be a close employee of the Kaiba's, but she had never seen him without his sunglasses off, even at nighttime or indoors. She suddenly began to feel a little nervous; if that man really was a member of the KCSP with the skill level of a reaper, then he was far above her rank and skill. She gripped her hands so tightly she felt something break in her right hand. She squealed, jumping out of her seat with klutzy grace and snapped to look at her hand. She sighed in relief, feeling like an idiot as she tossed her ruin ice cream cone into the nearby garbage can. What a waste.
She stood and walked back to her bike, a frown set deeply on her lips. Was Isono really her reaper? She mounted her bike, but didn't move otherwise. If he was, then his proximity to Kaiba as a member of the KCSP meant that he was likely the strongest and most reliable member of the entire organization. Which also meant that he was the most dangerous against Insurgents.
Since the fall of Gozaburo, the KCSP had tightened the hatches down on all areas within the organization. Especially on the operatives. New statutes such as termination of deserters arose and new classes such as the Reaper class were created. Reapers were the highest and most powerful of the mercenary division within the organization. All new recruits were put through a nearly murderous training program to prepare them for the risks that awaited them as operatives. This program, however, also served as a behavioral correction course, essentially beating every new recruit into fealty. Well, almost everyone. The few who survived the training and still maintained themselves afterwards were about as rare as diamonds in the desert and were classified as Insurgents. These rare gems posed the greatest risk to the Organization because they prioritized their free will above that of their fealty, but they were also valued greatly for that exact reason. It meant that they could operate outside of the organization freely, without having the need of a handler to instruct them on a regular basis. So, in order to combat the risks, Reapers were also given the responsibility of punishing these Insurgents if they dared to step out of line. Anzu was deemed to be one of these ever so lucky gems.
She crossed her arms in contemplation at this thought. If he was her recent reaper, then she wondered how she had come out so unscathed. It wasn't as if she didn't have several bruises and a potentially cracked rib, but she was quite well off beyond that. She had been under the impression that Reapers were trained to bring Insurgents nearly to the point of death; and from the techniques of reapers she had suffered under during her training period, it was the right impression. So then… why did she get off so easily?
She shook head in confusion, sighing. "This is starting to get a little too crazy for my liking." She leaned forward on her handlebars and pedaled off in the direction of her home. It was useless to think about all of this in the middle of town; she was likely going to find more answers to her increasing number of questions on the KCSP database in her attic. Plus, she had a special request to make to her superiors. She smirked at the idea. She was positive they were tired of hearing her "suggestions", but this one she knew they would have to consider. It was for Mokuba's sake after all.
She rode down the street at a leisurely pace, gaining a little speed with each hill she descended which happily brought her home sooner. As she rounded the street her house faced, she was pleasantly surprised to see her father's car in the carport. I thought he was down at the station today. She thought. A bright smile played on her lips as she dismounted her bike, leaning it against the side of her house and darting into the front door. She discarded her shoes quickly and looked around the house. When she didn't see him in the living room or the kitchen, she figured he was up in the attic. She made her way up the stairs and into the musty, humid space that housed much of their knick-knacks and old memorabilia. Even though it looked quite void of life, she knew he was up here. She moved over to the far corner of the attic, noting a crack of light peering through the shadows. She reached for the crack and gently pulled open the cloaked door that lead to their home KCSP computer. Sure enough, amongst the blinking computer screen lights and the lone table sitting in the middle of room, was Konami focusing intently on the screen in front of him.
She rapped lightly on the interior of the door. She saw her father jump slightly. This surprised her; as a police officer and seasoned KCSP operative, her father maintained a constant sense of awareness in order to protect those around. For him to be so intently engrossed on the screen that he would let his guard down was out of character and it worried her. "Dad? Is everything all right?"
Konami's shoulders heaved a bit as he let out an audible sigh. He turned towards her slightly and gave her a weary smile. "Hey, Peach. I wasn't expecting you home so soon." He turned all the way around in his chair. "Come to make your report, already?"
Anzu shook her head slightly. "Not yet, I actually have a request to make instead. My report is not due until later today and if I dared submit it even a minute off schedule the higher ups would spazz. You know that." She joked lightly.
Konami chuckled quietly in response. "That is true." He responded with an amused smile on his face, but he kept his gaze on the floor.
Anzu felt her pulse quicken. It wasn't like her father to be this solemn outside of work. Maybe it had to do with something on the screen? "Dad? What's-" She began, but her father interrupted.
"I know what you're going to ask, Peach." He sighed, dropping his face into his hand and running it through his hair in slight exasperation. "Meet me downstairs after you submit your request." He stood from the chair and rested a hand on her shoulder reassuringly as he passed her and disappeared down the attic stairs.
She watched him leave, anxiety lacing itself through her veins. It doesn't have anything to do with Mom, does it? She gulped as her mind began racing with all kinds of negative assumptions. She couldn't focus on her request now, she needed to know what had him so down. She raced out of the KCSP portal, neglecting to lock it down as she raced out of the attic and down to the living room. Konami looked at her with surprise, he had barely taken his seat on the couch. "Peach?"
"What happened, Dad? Does it have to do with Mom?!" She asked, tears welling up in her eyes. The questions began flowing out of her mouth before she process them. "Did she not get to HQ safely? Is she hurt after the crash? Has-" Her father once again cut her off, but with an embrace. Anzu immediately melted into tears. "Has something happened to her, Dad?" She asked, the sob heavy in her voice.
Konami rubbed his daughter's back reassuringly. "Calm down, Peach. Everything is fine with your mother." He sighed and pulled back to look her squarely in her eyes. "We went over this already, Peach," he chastised her gently regarding her self guilt.
Anzu wiped her eyes, hanging her head. "I know… but, even though I believe you when you said she's safe, I still can't get that image out of my head. It still haunts me…." She admitted.
Konami embraced his daughter again. "Peach," he muttered soothingly. "I've seen my share of horrifying situations. I can't tell you that it will get easier anytime soon, but I can tell you that it does get better with time. One day, that memory will be pushed so far back into your mind that you'll have to dig in order to bring it up again. That day is a ways off, but it will come I promise." Konami gently patted the back of his daughter's head as he spoke.
Anzu's sobs subsided, trusting in her father's words. He had been a police officer since before she was born and so he had experienced numerous cases that had ended in fatality. He never spoke of the gruesome details, but she would see it wear heavily on him. That is, until her mother soothed away his nightmares. She was an ever present balm in their home while her father was their strength. Between the two of them, she grew up surrounded by love and security; to be lacking one half of her foundation threw her off kilter. And now, Dad is the one comforting me in his time of need.
Anzu felt so much like an idiot right at that point that she mentally kicked herself. How could she be so selfish, right now?
She pulled out of her dad's embrace and stood up tall, offering him a reassuring smile as she plugged up her tears. "Thank you, Dad." She said in as even a voice as she could at that moment. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."
Konami examined his daughter a bit and cracked a half smile. He patted the top of her head and ruffled her hair a bit. "You're growing up so fast. Would you be at all willing to listen to me if I asked you to stop?" He joked.
Anzu smiled back in amusement. "Not on your life." They both laughed which broke the tension in the atmosphere. Konami motioned towards the couch, "Well since you're down here I might as well tell you what I was reading in the portal."
Anzu gasped, "Oh my gosh! I forgot to lock it down!" She raced back up the steps, but leaned down over the top railing. "Let me submit my request real quick and I'll be right back!" Even though she couldn't hear it, she knew her father was rolling his eyes as she jumped back up into the attic.
She winced as she noticed the entire attic looked vacant. This had happened once before when she left the portal without locking it down properly; when the portal has been left open too long without someone inside it activates an interior cloaking mechanism that mimics the exterior so the entire room is invisible to the naked eye. It was easy to deactivate it, all she had to do was walk into the doorway and the sensors would automatically pick up her vital signs. The problem that she was going to be facing was another reprimand from her superiors.
She sighed in resignation, "Well, it can't be helped." She carefully walked over to the area where the portal was, her arms extended so she wouldn't have to acquaint the door with her nose. Once she felt the metallic surface, she ran her fingers over to the edge and felt the wide gap between the door and its frame; it was more than enough room for her to enter through with comfort. She crossed the threshold and stood still inside, waiting for the room to pick up on her vitals and melt the camouflage away. She waited, but nothing happened. She frowned in confusion. "Okay?" She took a couple of steps further into the room and, in all her klutzy grace, tripped over the low table and landed with a firm thud on the floor. "Oh, for crying out loud!" She groaned, just as the room finally picked up on her vitals and melted the disguise. She scowled at the room. "You did that on purpose," she accused bitterly. The room only responded with silence.
She rolled her eyes as she stood up and made herself comfortable in the chair in front of the mainframe before logging in. What would she say exactly? This request was for Mokuba's sake after all, and she wanted to make it clear in her submission that he needed a companion to rely on. A friend he could trust, but also someone to watch over his safety.
She leaned on her hand in contemplation. What does that boy need? She thought about what he had admitted to her about his brother and the situation at his school. "He needs someone to pick him up from school?" She shook her head at that thought. "No, he has Isono for that." She gasped as she said the man's name out loud. She had been so engrossed in the situation with her father that she had completely thrown her thoughts about Isono about the window. She felt her pulse quicken again in anticipation. She really wanted to know if Isono was her reaper. But she also needed to focus on submitting her request to her superiors so she can talk with her father. She fisted her hands and took a few deep breaths to calm down. She was such an excitable person; sometimes she wished she could have the calm sense of self control that Kaiba had.
She sneered at the idea of that repulsive man and immediately retracted the feeling. "I'll take excitable over stuck up, any day." She sighed, shaking off the ideas of Kaiba and Isono for the moment so she could focus on Mokuba. The poor kid really was overdue for some tender love and care, which is really what he needed. Nothing truly could be done at school until Kaiba learned how to not be a jerk on a daily basis and she was well aware that Hell would freeze over before that happened. "What he needs is the opposite of his brother!" She declared. "Someone who would be able to spend time with him and watch after him on a daily basis, first off. Also, to help him out with his studies, but make his happiness the absolute priority." She leaned back as she continued her train of thought. "Likely, it would have to be someone older, but not too old. Trust needs to be there, no need for an unwanted age gap. Kind of like another sibling. Maybe a female this time, though? After all, he's going to need help with girls now." She giggled as she recalled his reaction to Rebecca earlier today. "Yep, definitely a female!" She sat up, stretching her arms and cracking her knuckles before logging into the KCSP mainframe.
For as advanced as the technology of KaibaCorp was, she was exceedingly grateful that the interface was as simple as using a regular computer. The main difference was that instead of having regular Internet access, the mainframe was connected through the KaibaCorp private network which delved deeper than any deep web browser currently available to the public. She had access to the most sensitive data on everyone who had ever been in contact with KaibaCorp or Kaiba; if she had the clearance for it that is.
Once again rolling her eyes at the security overkill the KCSP had an affection for, she navigated over to the communications prompt to begin her submission. "Okay, so it was a reliable female companion to give him advice regarding girls, help him stay on track at school, and be someone he can trust." She rattled off as she plotted her main points on the screen. "Someone older, but not too old so he doesn't feel like he's talking to his grandma. I'll let them figure out the age though. Someone about the same age as his brother would probably be best, but if it was like a teacher then that would work, too." She read over her main points and nodded in approval. Now, to write the darn thing.
"All right, let's do this!" She pumped herself up a bit. She had never felt this passionate when writing a request to the KCSP before. She had plenty of angry, vehement, and dispassionate moments regarding her communications with the higher ups, but never this passionate. She really wanted to make sure that the young Kaiba wasn't going to follow in the footsteps of his self-absorbed, egotistical brother, but would grow up to be kind and mature. Someone Rebecca would fawn over. She smirked to herself; she'd be lying if she said she didn't think the two were cute together. In fact, she was probably perfect for Mokuba the way he was right now and who knows? Maybe for the future, too? But she was getting ahead of herself. Right now, she needed to phrase the perfect correspondence that would actually make her superiors listen to what she had to propose. She took a deep breath to compose herself, then began typing.
It took longer than she had wanted it to, but at the end of it all she felt quite confident in her proposal. She read it over once more just to make sure she was clear.
Most Honorable Members of the Board:
I, Agent 08072, have a request of a highly sensitive nature regarding the Kaiba family that I feel needs urgent attention. Master Mokuba Kaiba is in desperate need of a caretaker beyond the scope of what Master Kaiba can currently provide. As the head of the Kaiba Corporation and leader of the gaming industry in Japan, much of his attention has been diverted to maintaining the operations of KaibaCorp and Master Mokuba has expressed his loneliness regarding the situation. In tandem, the young Master has also reached the age when hormones begin to formulate and affect the mind, bringing about attraction to the opposite sex. My current observations have shown me that the young Master is in need of a guide during this stage of his life.
It is my proposal that Master Mokuba Kaiba is given a female companion to advise him through this time, who will also serve as his confidant, friend, and tutor when necessary. The proposed age for the companion is the equivalent of Master Kaiba's and no older than than that of thirty years.
Once again, I, Agent 08072, request a female caregiver be assigned to aid in Master Mokuba Kaiba's growth and development through his adolescent years, who will serve as his friend and guide when Master Kaiba is unable to do so.
-Agent 08072.
She cringed, utterly despising how stuffy and formal it was, but this wasn't for her sake. It was for Mokuba's. She sighed and submitted her request before she changed her mind and logged out of the mainframe. When the screen went black, she left the room and locked down the portal before heading out of the attic. She would be back later, though. She had to look into Isono, but that was after she spoke with her father.
Speaking of which, he was still seated on the couch when she arrived on the main floor. He had turned on the television, but she could tell he wasn't truly watching whatever was on the screen. Instead, his eyes looked to be on a far off plane.
She felt that sense of unease fill her stomach again, but she pushed it down. It wouldn't do any good for her to start feeling like that again. She needed to be strong for her father's sake and for her's. It's not easy trying to fill Mom's place, she thought; but for her father she would do her best.
She sat on the cushion beside him and he acknowledged her with a slight tilt of his head and a smile in her direction. "Hey, Peach. Finish your submission?"
She nodded. "I did, and it took every ounce of grace I inherited from Mom to be formal."
Konami's eyebrows shot up. "Formal? From you? What kind of proposal did you submit that made you feel you had to be formal?" Anzu looked away in a bit of embarrassment as her cheeks colored. Komani found himself frowning. "You weren't asking to speak with your mother, were you?"
Anzu shook her head. "No, I wasn't. I tried that last week and I can still feel the headache I got from it." She massaged her temples with her fingers as she heard her father chuckle. "Hey, I had to try!"
Konami let laugh ring throughout the house. "Well, you sure are tenacious, I'll give you that." He ruffled her hair again.
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. That's why I'm classified as an Insurgent."
Konami sighed. "Yes, well. One of these days I have faith that you will learn to do as you're told."
"Not any time soon," she promised.
Konami chuckled again, "I'm sure I can count on that. Teasing aside, what was your request for?"
Once again, Anzu felt the gentle heat rising into her cheeks as she answered. "Well, it's regarding Mokuba, actually." Konami was silent as he listened to his daughter. Anzu sighed and continued. "I met with Mokuba today in the park."
This surprised him a little bit. "The park?"
"Yeah. I believe he snuck out of the manor without Kaiba knowing," she smirked as she continued. "He was looking upset so I went over to see him since it had been awhile since I last spoke with him and, well…" she trailed off, unsure of what to really say.
"And?" Konami encouraged.
She sighed again, "He's being bullied at school."
Konami frowned, "Bullied? Why?"
"According to Mokuba, it's because Kaiba has been on a firing spree as of late and the kids of the parents who were laid off have been taking it out on him." A sudden fire lit in her stomach and was on the rise. "I mean, I know Kaiba has his own stresses and concerns, but his obsession with his stupid company is now starting to harm Mokuba not only emotionally but physically! When is that jerk going to learn that he can't put business before family?!"
"Anzu," Konami placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're starting to shout." She believed him as she felt her face was slightly flushed and her pulse had quickened again. "Calm down, honey. So, your submission was because of Mokuba's bullying?"
Anzu shook her head. "Not entirely. Mokuba isn't going to tell Kaiba about the bullying and I can't tell him because Mokuba doesn't want him to know. Still, I can't accept that he is going through this isolation. So I requested that a female caregiver be assigned to him to help him through his loneliness while also helping him through school and with," she smirked a little at this, "girls."
Konami's interest was piqued. "Girls?"
"Yep; Mokuba has a crush, Dad." She giggled a little as Konami found himself smiling.
"Really now? Anyone we know?"
"Actually, yes. Her name is Rebecca Hopkins."
"Rebecca Hopkins? The granddaughter of professor Arthur Hopkins?"
"That's right! You should have seen them, Dad! When Rebecca arrived to meet him in the park today he only had eyes for her!"
Konami smiled, "I see. But doesn't Rebecca have a crush on your friend, Yuugi?"
Anzu shrugged a little at that. "Yes; at least, that's what I thought the last time I saw her, but now," another smile tugged at her lips, "I think she may have a thing or two for Mokuba as well."
"Well then! A prospect, eh?"
"You betcha!" She placed her hands on her hips, feeling pride brimming from her chest. "My little Mokuba sure is growing up! He's going to be a ladykiller one of these days!"
Konami cocked an eyebrow as he looked at his daughter. "'My little Mokuba'?" He repeated. Anzu felt herself blush a bit. "Where did that come from?"
"Um… misplaced pride?" she offered, shrinking back into the cushions and cradling her knees against her chest.
He laughed a bit, "I guess you are closer to Mokuba than you are to Kaiba, huh?"
Anzu scoffed. "Gee, I wonder whatever gave you that idea." Konami merely chuckled at her instant change in demeanor. "Anyway, that's what my request was about. I also requested that she not be too much older than him. Ideally, I'd want her to be old enough to be a mature older sister for him."
"So, you?"
Anzu gasped. "No, not me!" She denied. Konami crossed his arms and just stared at her in silence. She felt nervous and agitated under his gaze and looked away. "Not me, Dad. You know that I can't. As much as I do care for Mokuba, I refuse to let myself entertain an impossibility."
"You really think it so?"
"After everything this organization has put me through, I know it is."
He didn't say anything in response.
As the seconds ticked on in silence Anzu began to feel fidgety again and decided it was time for a detour. "Anyway, we're way off topic right now." She looked him squarely in the eyes. "What were you reading earlier?"
Konami maintained his silence, hesitant to follow up on this topic. He sighed, took a moment to compose his thoughts, then began with, "Well, there's no easy way to say this so I'll just say it. Your mother made it to headquarters safely."
Anzu's heart surged with great relief, "That's great!" That's a load off my mind, now. "Will they-"
Konami cut her off. "And they've also called me in."
The relief she felt disappeared faster than she could blink; her mind went blank. "...What?"
Konami sighed again. "I've been summone
d to HQ, Peach."
Anzu tried to process his words, but her brain wouldn't work. She couldn't understand, didn't want to understand. They already took her mother, why would they take her father too?
"I'm a training specialist, Anzu. Apparently there has been an influx of recruits suitable for special operations training and they need my assistance." He explained, sensing where his daughter's feelings were headed.
She heard his words; she also saw his face. She saw the regret on his features and heard the frustration in his voice, but no matter what she saw or heard she simply could not accept it. Not her father. Not him, too. Anzu's cheeks flushed in anger and her eyes sparked with rage. She fisted her hands against the seat and cried, "No!"
Konami was taken slightly aback by her outburst, but he wasn't entirely surprised. "I have no choice, Peach."
"NO!" She shook her head violently. "You can't go! I won't let you!"
"We don't have a choice." He said, already resigned to the fact.
"They can't have you, too!" She yelled as she jumped off the couch and turned towards the stairs.
Konmai stood as well, "Where are you going?"
"To tell them to go to Hell!"
"Anzu!" Konami called to her as she reached the first flight of steps. When she ignored him he strode over to her and caught her by the shoulder on the landing. "Anzu, calm down."
Did he agree with them, then? She wanted to throw his hand off her in rage, but didn't. "So, you're going to go along with this, then? You want to go to HQ and abandon me here?"
Agitation was quickly rising in his features, but he kept it in check for the most part. "Of course, not!"
Anzu was losing her sense of control even more as she yelled at him. "THEN WHY NOT TELL THEM NO?!"
Konami felt his control snap, "BECAUSE IF I COULD YOUR MOTHER WOULD STILL BE HERE!"
Anzu fell silent at that, stunned that her father would yell at her like that and shamed that she pushed him to that limit. His nerves were already on edge before they even discussed the topic and here she was making it even worse on him. So much for trying to be strong, she thought as she realized that she had failed in her earlier convictions. She cast her eyes down to the hardwood floor on the landing; she felt tears welling up and didn't want to show them. "I'm sorry," she mumbled in a meek voice.
Her voice tugged at his heart and he pulled her into a tight hug. "Me too, Peach. Believe me, if I didn't have to, I wouldn't."
She returned the hug weakly. "Does Mom know?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. I don't think it's impossible, but she and I do not share expertise in the same field so it wouldn't be necessary for them to inform her."
"But you're her husband!" She protested.
She could feel the wry smile play on his lips. "So?" His voice was pained.
Her heart clenched in response. This was getting to be too much. This godforsaken organization was pulling her family apart. Will this ever end? She clung to him a little harder. "So then…" she began, reluctantly resigning herself to the inevitable, "When do they need you?"
She felt him gulp, "Immediately."
She shot away from him, "What does that mean?"
"It means they will be coming to retrieve me as quickly as they can." He explained solemnly.
"So, when exactly is that?"
He shook his head, "I'm not sure. But I expect that it will be some time this week-"
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Anzu and Konami both jumped at the clamorous knock at their door. "What in the world!" cried Anzu, feeling her heart quicken so bad she thought she would have a heart attack on the spot.
"I'm not sure." He made his way down the steps towards the door and opened it. He was surprised to see who their visitors were. "Yamashita?"
"Mazaki." Yamashita greeted in a cold deadpan tone. "May we come in?" He asked, referring to the three police officers flanking him.
Anzu immediately felt the tension in the air darken as Konami let them in quietly. He offered them a seat in the living room, but they refused. "I'll make this quick, Konami. We need you to come to the station."
Konami cocked an eyebrow. "Is that all? You could have just called my cell phone."
Yamashita shook his head. "No. We need you to come in for questioning."
Anzu's heart was racing. What?
"Questioning? What do you-"
"Mr. Mazaki, we have a warrant for your arrest." Came the deep voice of the officer to Yamashita's right.
"What?!" cried Anzu and her father. "Under what charges?!" Demanded Konami.
"For the murder of your wife, Ani Mazaki."
"Are you mad?" Konami accused, anger and offense. "On what grounds could you possibly have to accuse me of such a crime?!"
Yamashita glanced over to Anzu's position before responding, "We'll go over all that down at the station. Please come quietly, Mazaki. We don't want to make a scene."
Konami growled, he looked to have no intention of cooperating. Anzu had never seen her father so furious before. "Are you an idiot, Yamashita!" Cried Anzu from the stairwell. "How dare you accuse my father of such a disgusting thing! I thought he was your friend!"
Yamashita acted as if he didn't hear her. "Let's go, Mazaki. I don't want to do this in front of your daughter."
"I'm not going anywhere willingly until you tell me exactly what charges I'm being accused of." Konami growled out, ready to pounce if the other officers even so much as moved in his general direction.
Yamashita sighed in frustration. "If you really want me to say this in front of Anzu, fine. You're being charged with tampering with her vehicle, resulting in her losing control of her car as well as the destruction of public property."
Anzu paled. No…. The guilt that she had finally let go of clung to her heart mercilessly. They're blaming him for my mistake! "No…." She murmured out.
Yamashita heard her. "I'm sorry, Anzu. But we have CCTV evidence of your father tampering with her vehicle at her job site. It was caught on the security cameras while everyone was in the building."
Anzu's heart shattered. "No… Dad…."
Konami's face darkened with outrage, but then contorted into a devious smirk. This caught everyone in the room off guard. "Looks like you'll need a place to stay for awhile, Anzu."
"What?" Anzu gasped out, unsure of what he just said.
Suddenly, Konami raced passed Yamashita and the officers towards the door. "Call your Aunt!" He yelled behind him as he took off out the door and down the street.
"After him!" Ordered Yamashita and the other officers raced after him.
"Dad!" Anzu ran after them, but Yamashita caught her by the arm. "Let go of me!"
"I'm sorry, Anzu. But I can't let you get involved in this. Your father isn't who you think he is."
Anzu felt a surge of fury. "He isn't who you think he is!" She bit back nastily.
For this first time in her life since she had known this man, she watched in shock as his normally stoic features became crestfallen. "I know…."
Anzu felt the struggle in her heart that ached for her father's false conviction and for the agony of all the people who were being affected by her decisions. No, not my decisions. She felt all the anger and guilt in her heart melt into rage. This damn organization. Not only have they taken my mother, but now they want my father, and his friends are now doubting his integrity.
"-zu? Anzu!" called Yamashita.
"Huh?" she asked, pulling herself out of her mind.
"I said, who is your Aunt?"
"Oh. She's my mother's twin sister, Rei Yamano. But I'm afraid we're not exactly on good terms."
Yamashita shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You're a minor and we can't have you living alone without the consent of your legal guardian and considering the circumstances…." Yamashita trailed off, unwilling to be so cold.
Anzu sighed, "I understand. I'll contact her this evening."
"Please have your necessities packed by then. We'll need to move you over to her immediately." He explained. "I must also pursue your father, but I will radio a replacement to supervise you instead."
"Supervise?!" Anzu cried incredulously. "I'm not a child!"
"And we don't want this to get anymore complicated! If you chase after him now, you'll be labeled as an accomplice!" Yamashita was stern and very agitated with the situation, so Anzu decided it would be best to just lay low. She relaxed in his grip and nodded. Yamashita sighed and released. "I'm sorry, Anzu." He said before radioing for a replacement.
Meanwhile, Anzu seethed angrily at the KCSP. She could do nothing while she watched the lives of her family disintegrate right before her eyes. Now, she was the only one left.
She fisted her hands by her sides, quaking with vengeful rage. They will pay.