Day 1: 13:30
The Team

Masako had explained everything, but none of it made any sense. For a year, Naru had been lying to them, lying to his team, lying about being Takigawa's long-time idol? This is insane. If they didn't know then how did whoever kidnapped them know? This was getting out of hand.

"That explains the motive, but where do we go from here? I mean we have to find them, but where do we start?" asked John.

"Which one of you is Yasu?" asked the detective.

"I am," Yasu replied, "What can I do to help?"

"Your coworkers said you could help get the surveillance off of Lin's computer. Our officer here can't get into it."

"Uh sure, not a problem," Yasu said a little flustered. He took the place of the officer and began to get to work.

Everyone waited with bated breath as Yasu worked. Typing. Pause. Eyes flickering over numbers and code. Type. Enter. Wait. Read. Type. It was like a technological dance for dominance happening faster than any of them could process in their heads.

"This is going to take me a little bit of time," he said suddenly.

"Can you get it though?" Detective Yojiro asked.

"Oh of course. It's good tech, lots of encryption, but I can get it in about...20 minutes?" he said guestimating the time to completion.

"Way to go Yasu!" Takigawa said, giving him a rough pat on the back.

Yasu paused to fix his glasses, smiled, and kept typing. They left Lin's office and into the main area. Masako stepped into the area and paused. Her calm façade began to fall. Takigawa stepped up next to her.

"Hey Masako are you ok?" he asked.

"There is a presence here..." she whispered to him.

"Like what a ghost or something? It isn't Lin's is it?!" he asked feeling a bit panicked at the thought.

"No it isn't Lin," she replied. By now the group had stopped to look at her. She looked up and towards the direction of the pool of blood, "There is a familiar presence here. It is emitting Lin's energy, but it isn't him."

"Like a spirit?" Ayako asked.

"You aren't seriously trying to do that whole medium crap now are you?" Detective Yojiro asked, "You may be able to fool a bunch of people on T.V. with your special effects and makeup, but this is real life, sweetie."

Masako glared at him, "I am not trying to fool anyone. I am simply telling you that there is a spiritual presence here. Whether or not you want to believe me is up to you."

The detective sighed and put a hand up to his temple in annoyance, "Listen all I want to do is find the two kids alright? It hasn't been long since the abductions, so if we can work fast we might be able to find them in under a day if we are lucky."

"If we are lucky?" Takigawa asked confused.

"Yeah," John spoke up, "I remember watching a news special on abductions before. They said that usually vital clues can be found in the first few hours of a person going missing. Usually, they are found within 72 hours after the report goes out. If we can get clues about who might've taken them, it shouldn't take long for us to find them."

"Exactly," Detective Yojiro affirmed, "Which is why we don't have time for your psychic medium spiel alright?"

"You say that like I'm trying to pitch a sales deal," Masako said angrily this time, "I can assure you that my powers are very real and not just for views and ratings."

"It's true, Masako has helped us quite a bit on our cases with her spirit sense. If she says there is a spiritual presence here, I believe her," John said. Masako blushed.

"At this point, the best source of evidence we have to test your theory is the surveillance footage. We'll see if it catches any ghosts or 'spirits,'" he said with air quotes.

The group was more annoyed now than ever. To have this happen to Mai, Naru, and Lin and then have your credibility challenged like they were kids was more stressful than they had seen in all of their cases combined. They were starting to feel like outsiders in their own work office.

"Masako, do you really think that there is a spirit here?" Takigawa asked her.

She turned to him. "Yes, most definitely." she said a little more defiantly than usual, "Now that I focus on its energy more, I am almost certain it's one of Lin's shiki's."

"That's great! It means it might be able to tell us what happened and you can prove that stupid detective wrong," Ayako said with a grin.

"Not necessarily," Masako replied, "Shiki's aren't the most friendly and public of spirits. More than likely it hasn't shown itself to us because of all of the unknown people in here. We'll have to wait until they've all left."

"Well, I am not just going to sit around and wait for that to happen. Maybe there is something here in the office to help us out while Yasu gets the surveillance footage," Takigawa said.

"Maybe notes? Case files?" John inquired.

"Exactly," he replied. "There is no way Naru could have just stayed in the office with only Mai and Lin to talk to. Maybe he was trying to find us a case. Let's see if there is anyone he's talked to."

"In the meantime, we need to make sure that Naru's face stays out of the press," Masako said.

"Why?" Takigawa asked, "Wouldn't that help us find him and Mai faster?"

"I only told you guys about his true identity because the situation is dire and in need of it. If the world sees his face next to the name Oliver Davis, we could be in even bigger trouble. His face must stay out of the media"

They all thought about this. His behavior towards the media has never been hidden. He tried his hardest to keep himself out of the media, and this situation was probably the one thing he was trying to avoid. This was going to be tough, but as Takigawa looked at the faces of his team and trusted friends in front of him, he realized they were looking to him for guidance. He was going to have to lead them whether he wanted to or not.

"Alright. Masako? I want you to be the one to talk to the media. You are better in front of the camera than any of us. Ayako, I want you to go to the hospital to check on Lin. Wait there until he wakes up and call us if anything changes. John, you and I are going to stay here and go through the office. See if we can't find any clues as to who might've taken them and where they could be. We have less than 72 hours to track them down before things get tough. Let's meet back here when the police and forensics have left. See if we can make Lin's shiki a little less shy," he said taking charge, "Everybody got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"Let's bring our little Mai and Naru home."

-o-

Day 1: 1600
Mai

They ate their MREs in near silence after what had happened between them. They paused now and then to ask what was all in their meals and trade a couple of things if they didn't want it, but mostly they just ate. The atmosphere felt very heavy to Mai. In the last four hours, things between them were laid bare, and emotions and the stakes were high. One wrong move and they would die without hesitation. Mai felt numb. Her body was numb; emotionally and physically drained. She had to be strong though. For both herself and Naru's sake she had to pull herself together.

'At least Naru is here with me,' she thought.

Naru, Oliver Davis, renowned scientist, and investigator. She would have never thought in a million years he was living under an alias. He was acting so out of the ordinary. His calm and collected façade was slipping, she could see that. Being outed as his true identity, being forced to use his PK against his will, for what purpose was still truly unknown.

'Naru...' she thought, 'I can only imagine what he must be feeling. He got really upset and angry with himself when he made a mistake on the first case I met him on. He must feel crushed with the guilt and anger he must be feeling now.'

She had to convince him to let him channel his PK through her. Her life would depend on it regardless of what he wanted. If he refused, she would be killed by these people. If he accepted, the risk of dying is still there, but perhaps the probability of death could be cut down. Certain death or good chance of death? Mai knew her answer, she would just have to convince Naru to accept that answer.

She thought back to the way that he held her when they were being threatened, how he had nearly lost control again. She blushed thinking back to how tight he held her. How defiant and angry he was when challenged with the idea of potentially killing her. The way he cleaned her face, the way he helped her when she was having a breakdown. This was really unlike him. He was becoming more emotional and more upfront with himself.

'Maybe because the lie he built himself on is crumbling down right in front of him?' a voice in her head thought bitterly.

She also tried to think about one of the last things he said to her. His brother? So he survived using his brother? He never mentioned a brother. Not like he would openly mention family, but it was still confusing. She couldn't just ask outright about him. He told her to forget he said anything anyway. Mai wouldn't forget it though; as a matter of fact, the word 'brother' kept encircling her thoughts. Like an itch she just couldn't scratch she kept thinking about it.

'He wouldn't mention a brother before, he is acting less and less like himself. He's starting to become more like dream Naru. Wait! Dream Naru...no...no way...it couldn't be...his brother?' she thought quickly going from one thought to another.

It made sense in her head that if his brother was dead, it would explain why dream Naru acted so differently, but it was too far-fetched, right? This was just an assumption she was having and nothing more. But still, it was starting to make sense. She couldn't ask Naru about it but-

"You're going to give yourself a headache thinking like that," Naru's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh sorry I was trying to have a productive thought," she said sarcastically. She paused looking at him. "Hey, Naru?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking," she started to say.

"I could see that."

Her face fell into one of annoyance, "I'm being serious here!"

He smirked and she started to blush again, "Ok fine. What were you thinking?" he asked.

"I'm going to try and sleep and dream. Maybe I can find us some answers on this place and these people in the astral plane," she said confidently.

Naru blinked. His face went from amusement, to surprise, and then back to amusement before she had time to register the change. "It seems your intelligence is finally growing. I do seem to have that effect on people of lesser intellect," he chided.

Mai stuck her tongue out at him, "Hey it is a good idea and you know it!" she replied.

She put the remaining parts of her MRE on the floor next to the bed. She looked at the bed and frowned. It was a large bed, and the only one in the room. She blushed a deep shade of red when she realized this. 'We're going to have to share this bed. Oh my god...' Shaking her head, she threw herself onto the pillows, got comfortable, and within minutes she was out cold.

-o-

When Mai opened her eyes again, she felt light. Her face no longer hurt so that was a plus to this. Looking around she saw black. The silhouettes of people and the layout of the building she was in were very evident though. Looking directly below her she was able to see her body sleeping on the bed. Naru was looking over her. She smiled at that.

"Mai," a familiar voice sounded out behind her.

"Na-" she started to say happily and then she was reminded why she was here. She decided to test her theory outright. "You're not Naru are you?"

He furrowed his eyebrows in surprise as if he wasn't sure what to say. He then smiled at her, "No I'm not," he said.

"You're his brother aren't you?" she asked feeling proud that she was finally right about something like this.

"Yes. My name is Eugene Davis. Or, Gene for short. I'm assuming Noll didn't tell you this part did he?" he replied.

"No, he didn't. He let slip that he had a brother and with everything else that was happening, I was able to put two and two together. I thought it was just a theory, a far-fetched theory, but...I guess I was right," she said sadly realizing the implication of this. This means Naru had a twin brother and his twin was dead.

"Mai, you and Noll are in grave danger," Gene said walking closer to her.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," she said sarcastically with a hint of fear and bitterness to it.

In all honesty, she was afraid. She was calm and strong around the people that she knew but underneath it all she was shaking. She dealt with ghosts, wandering spirits, and demons rarely. Not human freakin' trafficking!

"They want Naru to channel his PK through me. He doesn't want to; he said I'd die. He also said that he channeled it through you?"

"That's true, he did," Gene answered

"Tell me how you did it!" she exclaimed, "I don't care about the risks, I want to do it. Naru is being stubborn and won't agree to it, but if he doesn't I'll die anyway!" She felt like she was on the verge of tears again. She was willing to throw her life away for Naru. She really did love him with all of her heart.

Gene smiled sadly and then spoke, "Mai, your psychic powers are still too young for that level of power. It would kill you before you had the chance to think that anything was wrong."

She looked down through the astral plane and looked at Naru who was beginning to tuck her into the bed with the covers. She saw that when he did he used his hand to brush her hair out of her face and behind her ear. He sat there stroking her head and hair. He looked so dejected. He whispered something to her in her ear. She faintly heard bits and pieces of it in the astral plane, "I...you...ai...hopefu...you...appy...you...are..." She got goosebumps.

"Please, Gene. If not for my sake, then for your brother's. For Oliver's. Once they kill me, what do you think they'll do to him? I don't want to know, and neither do you," she pleaded seriously.

It struck a nerve with Gene. He cringed and looked away; pausing for a couple of moments as if considering her idea. Then with a heavy sigh he looked back up at Mai, smiled, and said, "Ok, I'll tell you."

"Thank you, Gene," she replied.

"You can thank me when you two get out of this place alive," he said, "PK was originally thought to be nothing more than an idea. A little fantasy that someone created thinking it would be a cool concept. It is like every molecule inside your body is no longer doing what it does by instinct. The user is taking direct command over them and uses them to their bend and will. It also taps into the user's spirit and gives it the energy needed to move objects. Using PK takes tremendous power and that's why someone can't ever do it alone. They would be expelling nearly all of the energy in their body; essentially becoming a shell once finished."

Mai let all of this sink in. The guilt she felt about the incident with the demon in the cave now made her feel more at fault for pushing him into doing it. "Ok, so where does being a medium fall into place here? Naru said that a medium with heightened abilities has the power to channel his energy," she asked.

Gene went on, "Essentially when Naru uses his PK he is expending the power in his body and spirit to do what he needs it to do. He runs the risk every time he uses it of dying and losing his spirit. A medium's job is not only a buffer for the physical energy expended but as a guide in the astral plane the make sure his spirit and his body connection doesn't become severed. That's why it needs to be a very skilled medium. Someone who can ensure a spirit remains intact with the person you are touching. That person is a human lightning rod with all of the power of a bolt coming down from the sky."

"Oh...Ok..." Mai whispered, "Simple right?"

Gene started chuckling. "Exactly!" he said throwing his arms out to the side. He looked serious again, "Mai, I need you to tell Noll about me. Tell him I'm your spirit guide. Tell him to trust your powers. Tell him I trust your powers."

"How will he believe me?"

"Tell him..." he thought for a moment, "Tell him about the time when we were kids. When I was helping him with his PK. We were outside playing with the rocks in the garden. I tried to drag his spirit back down to his body, but being so new at it, I spiritually and physically tackled him to the ground. He asked me what I was doing, and I told him, 'Madoka said to keep you grounded!'" Mai busted out laughing at the pun. This went on for a few minutes.

Gene looked around and down. Mai did the same and noticed that a group of men in two rooms beyond them were moving quickly. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but it looked as though they were shouting at each other. Things getting packed into boxes, a door was being opened, and a dozen men moving in and out.

"What are they doing?" she asked.

"It looks like they are packing up to move out. They want to keep moving you two from place to place to avoid leaving a trail. That's how these people work," he explained, "It's time for you to leave,"

"Wait, is there anything you can tell me about them? I can't go back to Naru empty-handed about them."

"I don't know much about the followers except for the fact that they hurt you; that woman though, Alaina? She's an arms dealer. If she gets her way and you two can control his PK, then she essentially has a human bomb that could get past anyone and any detection. You two have to find a way to escape."

"We will try to. And Gene?" she started to feel light and fluttery again, "Thank you."

He smiled at her and then faded to white.