Botan and I threw what little things we had into the back of the convertible and got ready to roll. Before I could make my way to the driver's seat, though, Detective Amelia Watson hopped over the door first and held the wheel.

"Take it easy for now, you two. Kiara and I are your chauffeurs so leave the driving to us." Ame said, facing me with a grin.

"But this is my car…" I tried to argue.

"This was our car too, once upon a time, so we'll take good care of it." Kiara added with a thumbs up, "As much as I'd like to catch up for old times sake - or get to know more about Miss Shishiro here, time isn't exactly on our side here. There's a number of things we have to go over with you."

Kiara rode shotgun beside Ame and then brought out a copy of that morning's newspaper from the glove box, "Have a look at this."

Botan and I sat behind the two detectives and I took the newspaper from Kiara. Ame started the car.

VROOM!

As Ame drove out of the Fort Whiskey driveway, I started to read the morning paper - The National Daily Rattler.

"March 7th, 1954. Pekora Usada to visit The Nation for the grand opening of the Pekoland Embassy next month." I thumbed through the pages and furrowed my brow, "They're finally making it official, then. But what's that got to do with Mumei?"

"Winningson PD's launching an all-out war on crime to prepare for her arrival. Between now and April, they're going to be out in force in the city." Ame answered as she drove, "The thing is, based on what Ina's been hearing at the security conference, they're only targeting crime that isn't related to the Vanguard Syndicate."

"Ugh, figures." I snorted, flipping through the pages some more, "Warden Nerissa did tell me that Mumei was their Public Enemy Number One right now. That means they'll be going after her with everything they've got."

"That's right." Kiara confirmed, turning to me with a smile, "The thing is, they only made that announcement just now. Winningson PD will still be mobilizing, so you have some time - but the Syndicate is already on the move. Your window of opportunity is closing fast."

"Yeah, I know…" I grumbled, "Where exactly are you two taking me, then? What's the plan?"

"Winningson Union Train Station." Ame answered, glancing at me through the rear view mirror, "Word on the street is that Winningson PD's gathering their resources there for a big operation, so they probably think Mumei's heading that way."

"What are we gonna do when we get there?" I asked curiously, "We're not just gonna go there and ask the WCPD what they're planning, are we?"

Kiara then turned to me with a sly smile, "Actually, that's exactly what Ame and I are going to be doing."

"... huh?" I titled my head.

"Ame and I will be 'offering our help' to the Winningson PD's field commander at the train station. We're law enforcement too, after all." Kiara explained further, "So, while we keep the cops busy, you and Miss Shishiro can go and find Mumei and take her somewhere safe."

"You'll have to do that on your own, though. We'll leave the car to you." Ame warned, "Transporting you and Miss Shishiro is one thing. But Kiara and I can't exactly be seen in the same car as Winningson's Public Enemy Number one."

I frowned, "It's not going to be easy, huh?"

"It's not all bad news for you, though." Ame promptly added, "Knowing how Mumei works, she should be scoping out that area while evading the cops."

As much as I would have wanted to call bullshit on Ame's claim, I know for a fact that she's talking from experience. During the bloody crackdown of City PD against the Owl Pals, no other detective in the force got as close to nabbing Mumei as Ame did - even as I did my best to cover Mumei's tracks.

Sure, Ame got sent to the hospital many times during those years-long crackdown campaigns and got demoted to the crummiest detective desk in Central, but I know she learned a lot. It's why she was able to take Kiara under her wing and trip Enma up.

Even then, Mumei's situation isn't the same as back then.

"Mumei doesn't have me putting the wool over Winningson PD's eyes this time around, Watson." I corrected her with a frown, "And she's got the Vanguard Syndicate hot on her trail too. The Shrimps and the Deadbeats, even as the Owl Pals were collapsing, kept their hands clear of the Owl Pals' business. They didn't help Mumei - but they didn't stand in her way either. The Syndicate won't be as courteous."

"Yeah, that's the problem." Ame groaned, her voice simmering with frustration, "And if what Ina heard at the conference is true, then the VS is talking with the WCPD - and it's a whole load of BS that they can SUTA."

SUTA?

Somehow, I sort of don't want to know the meaning of that last acronym.

"And there's one more thing you need to know, Kronii." Kiara piped up with concern, "Near Union Station, the Vanguard Syndicate has a number of rackets that Ame and I scouted out. I'd show them to you on a map if I had one."

"That would be useful." I agreed.

"Ame and I had been doing a bit of scouting in the city when we got there a few days ago." Kiara promptly added, "We actually have some clothes we got to infiltrate one of the Syndicate's gangs: Flayon's United Wheelers."

"Ah, the denim stuff?" Ame chuckled. She glanced at me and Botan in the rear view mirror, "We ended up not going on that infiltration because of a certain someone."

Oh, right… that was probably when they arrived like badasses in Fort Whiskey. If Ina thought that I was worth canceling an infiltration mission for, then she might actually have some hope for me pulling this whole thing off.

"We can hit up a gas station along the highway." Ame proposed, "You can get changed, Kronii. Miss Shishiro's leather jacket blends in with the civvies well enough. That pinstripe suit of yours, though, is a neon sign for Winningson PD and the Vanguard boys."

"That was even the suit you wore in your mugshot, right?" Kiara asked.

"I-it was." I recalled. I scratched the back of my head, "Did it turn out alright? Did I look good on the papers?"

Both Ame and Kiara turned their heads towards me and chastised me with silent stares. Neither of them were going to give me the satisfaction of a compliment. Cheapskates.

Still, dressing up as one of the fairy boy's gangsters, huh? Talk about a downgrade. Well, there's gonna be a first time for everything, I guess.

I clicked my tongue and scratched the back of my head.

"Fine. I'll do it… I'll do it for Mumei."

…

Ame drove us to one of the gas stations along the way for our pit stop. We got off and Kiara handed me a knapsack with the denim work clothes: denim overalls, a denim jacket and a worker's cap of a ScuffBuffers service station - one of the many under the wing of Flayon's United Wheelers. There were work boots too - just like the ones I wore for Mine-Craft duty in Fort Whiskey.

Hah…

With a grumble, I took the clothes and the boots from Kiara and went to the women's bathroom to get changed. I picked a stall and traded my immaculate, albeit dirty suit for the denim derby. I shed my snakeskin leather shoes for the rugged work boots too.

There was never a time I wished I wasn't snake-like more than now… but I had to do what I had to do.

Just then, I heard the stall next to mine click open.

I didn't have to guess who it was. I already saw the lion's ears and head of silver hair of the remarkably tall lioness poking out from the stall dividers.

"Privet, Ouro." Botan greeted, waving her hand over the divider.

"Hey there." I answered as I dragged my feet getting into my new 'clothes', "Did you have to use the bathroom too?"

"Yeah, sorta." Botan answered. She hummed and then quickly added, "The three of you are pretty close, huh? You and Detectives Watson and Takanashi."

"You think so?" I asked, raising my brow.

"Mhm. The three of you are on the same… how do I say this in your language? On the same wavelength, yeah." Botan explained cheerfully, "I know you were talking about serious things, but I found it hard to butt in. I was more than happy to listen, though - and I could tell that they are trustworthy people."

"Trustworthiness is one of the few things they have going for them." I snickered with sass, but my tone quickly mellowed, "But I do appreciate them for it. They're good people."

"And we need more good people in this world." Botan hummed.

As she said this, I saw her start taking off her leather jacket. I caught a glimpse of denim in her other hand too.

"Hold on a second." I stood on my tiptoes and looked over the stall. Just as I thought, Botan was also changing into a denim overall, "Ame said that your outfit's fine. You don't have to change into denim too."

"You seemed like you were suffering in silence, friend." Botan grinned, slipping into her own denim jacket, "I figured I might as well change into the denims too so you don't have to suffer alone. We might even be able to pass off as a small crew, you know."

"Botan…" my heart throbbed. I thought I was going to cry, "You're an angel."

This time, Botan looked over the dividers and peered into my stall.

"No, I'm a lion." Botan protested seriously, "Do you need glasses with your outfit, friend?"

Did she… not understand what I meant by that? I snorted.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it." I reassured her. Then, I looked at her borrowed denim jacket and her ScuffBuffers work cap and mused, "You look great in denim by the way."

Botan quickly smiled again, "You too. The blue color suits you. Not as much as the suit, but you carry it very well."

Is that so? Hmm… maybe this isn't as unfashionable as I thought it was. Blue collar chic, maybe? Gosh. Flattery will get you everywhere with me.

I'll have to trust Botan's judgment here - and it's just a means to an end.

And so, Botan and I finished changing and made our way back to the car.

…

When we returned, Ame and Kiara were waiting for us.

"Oooh, you two look like Flayon's crew!" Ame remarked, giving us a thumbs up, "If only you guys had the gear pins to finish off the look - but that'll have to do for now."

"They're the perfect fit for you both too!" Kiara added, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, well, we're only wearing this for the mission." I reminded her. Botan and I handed Kiara our other clothes and took our seats, "Take good care of those now, you hear. Mine's a fifty dollar suit and Botan's is a…"

I turned to Botan to ask her how much her leather jacket cost. Then, Botan beamed proudly and folded her arms.

"My babushka made my leather jacket when we were still in our Motherland. She is very skilled."

If her babushka can make something that sleek and sturdy, she must be pretty damn skilled! Even Ame and Kiara admired the handiwork of it.

Once Kiara quickly studied Botan's curious leather jacket, Ame started the car and Kiara rode shotgun once more. Then, she passed a rolled sheet of paper to me.

"It's a map of Winningson City and the surrounding areas! Just bought it from the store." Kiara explained.

"Kiara and I filled in some points of interest for ya - stuff we found out during our first investigations here." Ame added with a grin, "It's not a lot, but it should be enough to get you started."

A map of Winningson, huh? Though Mumei and I have been poking around the outskirts of the state, we haven't really been to the city itself all that much. Heh, I guess I underestimated just how much 'home court' advantage the Vanguard Syndicate had.

Then again, I thought I was playing a friendly exhibition match - not a do-or-die playoffs game.

I shook my head and unfurled the map on the seat between me and Botan. The two of us then pored over it. On that map, we found rough pencil marks scattered about.

Kiara turned towards us and pointed to some of those circles as she spoke.

"That there's the Yukihana Grand Hotel by the Poltatomac River. It's where Ame, Ina, Subaru and I are staying for the Security Conference." Kiara explained gamely, "If ever you need assistance of any kind, you can call us here. We're in Room 301, under Ina's name. I wrote the hotel's number underneath it."

"Room 301 at the Yukihana Hotel, got it." I noted, glancing at the rest of the marks, "What about these ones packed close together here?"

"Ah, that's Winningson Union Station, Winningson PD's South-West District station and the three rackets of the Vanguard Syndicate nearby." Kiara answered, pointing to each of the circles, "This one is one of the service stations of Flayon's United Wheelers - ScuffBuffers!"

"That's where our caps came from." I hummed, looking at my work cap's logo.

""The other two points are a metal foundry of Shinri Josuiji's ComfyKois - the Xenokuni Ironworks. And then this here's a slaughterhouse run by Bettel's Cirque du Fantome. It's the Winningson City Slaughterhouse, but his gangsters call it the 'Tomato Gallery'"

"The theater boy runs a slaughterhouse?" I raised my brow.

"Hey, I'm just as confused as you. And I doubt they slaughter tomatoes in there." Kiara snorted.

"I can take a few guesses." Ame sighed, "But if I told you, you probably wouldn't be able to eat steak for a week."

My face went pale and I grimaced. Then, I croaked, "Yeah. Here's hoping Mumei steers clear of there."

"But that's the lay of the land that Kiara and I found out for you." Ame concluded, "Winningson's not The City, but it's still a big place. I expect you to be quite familiar with that map in the coming days. How you rescue Mumei - and then how you take down the Vanguard Syndicate? Well, that's up to you. And quite frankly, I want to see how you pull it off. You were the star detective of City PD after all, right?"

"I've told many lies in my time with City PD, Watson." I admitted with a grumble, "But I earned that reputation fair and square. I'll find Mumei, take down the Vanguard Syndicate and take over this city. Just you wait."

Ame glanced at me again in the rear view mirror and smiled.

"Then in that case, one thing hasn't changed for Mumei between now and back then." Ame noted.

"And what would that be?" I asked.

"She's still got you looking out for her." Ame answered, "I'd say her chances got a helluva lot better."

I looked Ame in the eye and smiled back, "You're goddamn right."

…

Queenpins 2: The Big Brass Ballad of Kronii Ouro

The Snake Sheds Her Skin

…

To Be Continued