Chapter 3: Help

...

Desks were knocked aside as lightning, wind, and arrows streaked across the hard to maneuver area. Heizou had an easier time of it, his body smaller and his weapon non-existent.

Sara had to deal with trying to fire off shots which danced across the ground in waves of static.

While it bothered him, leaving the hair on his arms standing on end, his outfit was made for more than just a trendy fashion sense. The electro had a difficult time traveling both through his shoes and targeting him, once he removed his badge. It was the only metal he had on his person.

"Shikanoin, we don't have to fight one another."

Back to his family name. She was calming down. Good, one of them was. Sara had a bad habit of using his given name whenever she was upset.

"We had a deal," he reproached, ducking around and throwing wind her way. He could get closer, but his goal never was to harm her. Even if he did, she'd come back when morning came and that would be too late for him to make a real difference. "This is my case. I haven't made any decision yet, but if I must…"

The sentence remained unfinished.

"I'm not helping you break the law."

A few arrows thudded hard into the desk he had to duck behind. He could have knocked them aside but he was tired, it was dark, and her sight was better than his own it would seem.

"Then stand down." All he would need her to do was remain out of the way. "We don't know if this is necessary, as I said."

"The thought shouldn't be crossing your mind!"

"It should be crossing yours!" This argument was becoming pointless quickly. "I didn't come to you to act as head of the Commission office. I know you can and will if necessary but that's not your job. I came to you as a supervisor and as my friend, due to the fact that my judgment is both lacking as well as the simple honest truth that I need - the - help." Heizou accentuated each word with a breath. "Not another enemy."

"Then don't make me one. This isn't the answer."

Neither of them moved.

The room had been plunged into darkness when the fighting had begun in earnest. Their attacks were wild and the lights hadn't survived. Thank the gods that there weren't many people working the late night to early mornings. Those that were had easily escaped outside before the brawl had gotten too bad.

And, in a way, Madam Kujou was right. This wasn't the answer. And that was the problem. Over the course of having only time on his hands at his place, Heizou had gone over several scenarios in his mind. There were few that sounded feasible to him. This… this was one of them. He'd live with the future that it produced, hopefully.

"... Trust me. Is that so difficult?" Heizou was playing to her more sympathetic side. It wasn't often that he did, either allowing his logic or his handy work with skirting the laws on his own to do the dancing for him. Right now though, he needed her.

Things would be difficult if Sara were against him.

No more arrows were released in his direction and the darkness stayed dark, her electro safely stowed where the energy could (at least for now) do him no harm.

"Shikanoin, what's the meaning of this? What do you really want to accomplish? Angering me couldn't have been your intention and if it was, I don't see why. As you said, we're not on opposing sides."

Heizou let out a breath. Good. He stood, smiling an all too confident smile. "I was admitting to what most of us won't say aloud. It was a conversation I wanted to have, not a battle. It's alright, the subject is… delicate, for a lot of us." Real emotion crept into his words without his say so. "And who they have makes it all the worse, in my mind. It wasn't just to get me, though if it was, they knew where to aim almost too well. Someone has been watching me. Kazuha is a well loved member of this country, even if he won't admit it to himself sometimes. If something happens to him, the blame could easily fall on us, failure to meet their demands or not."

"I still wish to wait for this meeting but, if we're speaking hypothetical here, and you want to talk before this meeting can be arranged, I can only imagine it's because you're planning something prematurely or – because it's you – gathering information to narrow down solutions. Only finding ways to counter me if I turn against you won't help, and I would appreciate you not anticipating a betrayal on my part."

"What about on mine?" Heizou raised an eyebrow as he smirked, a joking tone in his voice as they stood alone in the abandoned Commission office. "What if I am the one that betrays you?"

Sara laughed. "As if you could. Shikanoin, you're many things, but one of the villains in this world? Even if you admit to me you wish to save Kaedehara, I'd never believe it."

Heizou stopped grinning, letting drop to a weary smile. She was right. Even if Kazuha were dying before him, to save him, Heizou wasn't sure he could manage 'villain' in the way the word intended.

He was also so very exhausted. It was a wonder he hadn't been shot with how slow his reflexes were. Adrenaline was a handy thing.

"Enough of this nonsense, unless you had a point? You haven't explained yourself." The general walked towards him slowly, as if he were a spooked horse. Then she held out her hand. "Give me the Vision back. I saw you take it. I understand the comfort it will give you but you're reckless and, as much as I trust you, it's better off in my care. There has to be a shared trust here."

Heizou winced, understanding her but not wanting to give up the precious gift that was now his. He'd return it, but to Kazuha. That had been his intent since the moment he realized what it was. The glowing beacon that spoke of the light that held the life of its wielder meant a lot but… he didn't truly need it. It was a crutch for him to rely on, to keep going. If it went out he'd know he'd failed and that was all the trinket would reveal. Without it…

Handing it over with grim determination, Heizou solidified a few more choices in his mind. Alright, it didn't matter then. He'd act as if Kazuha were alive. That had been his intention before now anyway.

The sudden weight on his head as Sara placed her hand there, bowing from the angle, had him staring up at her through his bangs.

"Get some rest… you look like… Well, you look like hell. I'd put it more bluntly but even your all nighters I've sent you home for haven't had you walking in the door looking like someone just beat you when I know no one could. Did you get injured?"

"No, I'm fine."

"And you admitting to me you need help is worrying." Sara gave a bitter laugh. "Ironic, coming from me, that I'm telling you that coming to me for help sounds like a negative thing. But you're stubborn and I hate it. Fine. Talk to me. You said you came here wanting a friend, then you have one. Is this because you're upset? I can take you off the case but I know you'll work on it anyway and call the hell down, I wasn't being serious."

Heizou hadn't noticed he suddenly tensed at her words before he allowed himself to relax, her hand falling off his hair, pulling a few strands with it accidentally. The slight jolts of pain tried to wake him, only to fail seconds later.

"Shikanoin, Kazuha was– is, important to you. I know that or I wouldn't have told you about this newest message and shown you it's contents. It's not me that's lacking in trust, it's you. So consider my words and actions more carefully before you go around throwing accusations. What are you planning? I know you've got something cooked up. I don't think I like it."

Perhaps they'd been working together too long for her not to pick up on some of the signs he must be showing. She wasn't wrong, he had a plan, but any help from her aside from what he'd asked would only complicate measures, and knowing more than she already did about his plans would be just as bad.

It shouldn't be so hard to speak, lies came naturally to him on cases when he needed to find facts or circumvent unpleasant endings. It was so rare for someone to offer their help though, and that fact and the further truth that he was denying them the ability to help him, didn't sit well in his stomach.

"I'm tired," Heizou eventually spoke. "I wanted to see what you'd allow me to do, if the other three Commissions refused to give in. There's a high chance they will, if only to stop this extortion from happening again. Kazuha is a citizen, not even one of its members, and the demand was made to me. I can't tell for sure that that's going to be the final say but it's the most logical one. If it comes down to that… that's not my say. I don't want to turn against those I care about and I have a plan, as you said. But to do that I'm going to need your help and access to the prison."

All of that was true. Heizou didn't need to lie and the expressed assistance he would get of having Sara at his side would mean a lot, as opposed to trying to break in on his own.

Heizou continued. "If you don't agree with me, and I'd understand you not wanting to, all I ask is that you don't hinder me any more than you normally would. Please, this is Kazuha, and I can promise you results. I always have before. The criminal won't escape and I'll rescue him."

Sara looked doubtful but Heizou had no similar feelings. He was sure that his plan would succeed, and only because of the talented work of a few, as long as he could sort things out beforehand. Though the criminals weren't rushing them, they also hadn't given them a location. This provided him with nothing but time to think and prepare for an encounter.

"I don't know," the general eventually answered. "That's asking for a lot, even with the blind trust. What you're planning you're keeping from me and, while I'm sure you're going to insist it's for the benefit of everyone, it doesn't sit well with me. For now, I can't give you an answer. Give me time to think on it. After the meeting, when I hear what they've said to have a wider view of the situation, I'll do so."

How inspiringly open minded of her. Heizou bowed lightly. "Of course. I'll speak to you then."

"Get back to your house and actually get some rest. Don't keep following through with this plan of yours. You've been upset further and I don't need a fool on no sleep running the shots if I allow it."

Heizou nodded. He could try. It was sound advice. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Five at the least, and only if it's your first stop. Allow yourself that much."

Now she was ordering around how much sleep he'd allow himself? Heizou had to smile. She may be his superior, but she couldn't control… no. She was well aware that his personal habits were out of her control. He doubted those orders were as one of the Tenryou Commission heads. It was hard, dealing with people who were getting closer to him. Kazuha was so easy to speak with, agree with. "Five. Understood."

Heizou walked out, waving over his shoulder. He was tired. He didn't need the order. The look on Sara's face as he left made sure there was regret lingering about his heart.

It felt awful to use others for his own means but no harm would come to her. That was the point of all this.

Instead of returning him he looked to the sky, knowing it was far too early to contact most that he would need to speak with. Instead he wrote a letter, dropping it off at Shinobu's place, hoping Itto wouldn't get it first. That man was respectable enough but he was also as curious as most stray animals in the area, pawing into anything new and interesting.

With that set and hopefully a meeting with her in the morning secured, Heizou yawned.

Restless sleep would be better than no sleep at all but he had one other place to stop while it was still dark and no one was about. The journey alone would take him an hour or two, but at least he'd be alone and there wouldn't be eyes to watch his movements.

It was almost comforting, walking at night with his thoughts. They weren't pleasant thoughts but not all of them were terrible. His worry was the worst of it. There was no imagination needed to know that Kazuha wasn't being treated well. The hair and the Vision being sent told him enough about the mentality of these kidnappers that there wasn't any hope Heizou had of getting Kazuha back unharmed, but alive and able to mend was good enough.

Dawn was greeting the world with its all too bright colors if one were to look at it directly as he finally arrived at the shrine he was intending to reach. It was far to the north and away from many prying eyes. A few Fatui members liked to scurry around the place but they'd been few and far between since the Vision Hunt Decree had been abolished and most were interrogated for their role in instigating fights between the two sides. While a few remained, unable to be arrested under any charges, this little sanctuary wasn't one of their favorite locations.

Heizou slipped into the building, shutting the door. Nana liked to come here from time to time, his cousin one of the few who still spoke with him besides his brother, since he had taken up a job at the commission office. This was one of the places they liked to go.

Prying open one of the loose floorboards just enough to slip something inside, Heizou clasped his hands together and bowed his head. "Whatever gods are out there that might be listening, I honestly find little reason to believe in you. You may hate me for saying so but to me I'm speaking to myself in an empty building. To people like my cousin, I'm not. So, if you are out there, listening in on strangers like me in some weary attempt to ease your boredom or some other similar reason… please, keep Kazuha safe."

Feeling even more exhausted than before, knowing he'd have to make the trek back to the city, Heizou looked out at the large stretch of grassing plains and the river he'd have to once more cross. It wasn't large and his feet got nothing more than wet, but he needed rest…

So, sitting up against one of the worshiping stalls, he leaned back and let his weary mind and body take a short reprieve, finally succumbing to the nagging feeling of sleep and dread that was like a weight hanging around his chest for the last few days now.

…

Kazuha cried. It upset those around him but he couldn't help it. The pain was intense to the point where his body felt like he was tearing itself apart. Days of holding his own weight up by his wrists were taking their toll and the only reason his cries ever stopped were because his voice gave out.

As strong and resilient as he believed himself to be, this was torture. Blood dripped down his wrists, dried and reopening the wounds, whenever he fought for any kind of movement.

Help. Someone, please. Help.

The pleas only existed in his mind. Kazuha refused to speak them aloud, even if he now could not help the results of their more ruthless kidnapping methods to escape him. With his Vision gone, he felt as if something were empty inside of him, but he couldn't place what it was or why he was mourning its loss.

Kazuha hadn't heard of memories being taken, or perhaps they were. Yes? No? It was difficult to say. Maybe he wasn't sure because that was a part of himself he couldn't recall. All he knew was he was injured, tired, and he just wanted it all to stop.

There were a few times, more than a few, where he knew he begged his captors to kill him. How disgraceful. Was it? Why had he thought that? Was it a bad thing to think?

It would be so much easier if all his suffering would end. If someone was coming to save him, they'd only be placed in the same situation, wouldn't they? Why would men like those before him do anything different than torture more people? Kazuha could see no remorse in them, no anguish over his pain. So if he were to go, there would be no further…

Untrue… some part of his mind told him. While he couldn't recall everything, and while he wanted nothing more than to vanish from existence, he knew better than to think his death would put an end to this. These men would take more and more people until they were satisfied. Right now, for some reason, he was enough.

But he didn't want to be.

"Help…" It hurt so much to ask the ghosts of whoever he could think had come before him and who would come next if he failed to be a suitable hostage. Asking anyone for help felt like a crime itself but he needed it, saw no other way. "Please… please someone. Help."

…

Heizou woke up feeling stiff and not much more rested than when he'd fallen asleep. With the shrine mostly coated in darkness due to its location on the side of the mountain and the door closed, he had no concept of time until he walked out and judged for himself.

A few hours? Possibly. He'd pass for five or so if he was wrong by the time he made it back to the city, and that was good enough. He couldn't go back to bed now and making it back to his house was the priority. He had someone to meet, after all.

Lifting his feet through the grass shouldn't have felt so difficult and the walk back twice as long. He was certain it didn't require more time but the effort felt like it cost him.

Standing beside his front door, Shinobu was already waiting for him, along with one of the other members of the Arataki gang. Her eyes narrowed. "Late night?"

"You can say that. No new information I take it?"

She shook her head. "I doubt you were expecting any, since you're the one who called upon me and not the other way around. So, doushin Shikanoin, what is it now?"

Heizou looked over the man she had brought with her. He had given her specifics in the letter and, though they didn't match as well as he had hoped, he had little to go on as it was. Average build, short hair, no obvious marks or blemishes. Yes, he'd be fine. "I need a favor. Come inside, we should talk." Heizou spared a moment, getting his key and unlocking his place before letting the two of them inside.

Shinobu was weary. It wasn't often they met at his house and never once had he invited her in. There were reasons, all of them good, that Heizou had never invited anyone to his place. He had very sensitive documents laying around, and with him, sometimes he had no idea where he last placed an official document if something more important came up.

The house itself would be cause alarm if it was ever burglarized, so he had several locks on the door and his windows were non-existent. If he needed light, all he had to do was walk into his backyard. Kazuha hated the place but he didn't mind it himself. It was somewhere he was able to take his work home with him, far better than being in the stuffy office.

"Shikanoin, is it that bad if we're overheard?"

"It could be." Heizou sat at the dining table as he led her over to it, leaning on his arm and relaxing overworked muscles. He was too tense. "I'm going to wait until after this meeting that all the heads of the Commission offices are having. Likely I'll not be invited and, even if I am, I'll make no move to appear. I'm too connected and having them involved will only complicate matters. It's better if this is left in my hands. So, what I'm arranging is a visit to meet this man they're so determined to free. Once I do, I'll have a very good look at his personality, voice, and appearance. I can't replicate one of those three things but the other two should be easy."

Heizou lazily pointed at the man sitting beside Shinobu, who looked far too comfortable, as if he'd done something wrong and was terrified Heizou was about to have him arrested. It was possible that was exactly what happened. Too bad Heizou had no way of reassuring him he didn't give a damn what he'd broken or stolen or helped with right now. Kazuha and this case were more important.

"You want to disguise one of us. I see." Shinobu thought about it. "That's clever. From a distance they'll believe it but up close will be much harder. How do you plan on getting them to release Kaedehara with only this? They'll want proof he's the real thing."

"If they aren't happy with just seeing him, I'm planning on stepping forward and negotiating with them myself. There are reasons to doubt their intentions. They've shown through various means they're cruel and, right now, all they seem to care about is this particular man's release. While I distract them I'll have you and your team go in and rescue Kazuha. It should be easy for someone of your talents, yes? If he's with us, the difficulty rises, but it also makes it easier on my part. I'm sure they fear me enough that any close contact with me will likely be something they want to avoid."

"So you're predicting they'll meet you somewhere instead of where Kaedehara is, but that it will be close enough that you can demand proof of his wellness as well. That makes a certain amount of sense. If he ends up being near you and not where we can free him?"

Heizou grinned. "Then I'm the one who gets the opportunity to free him. If they think they can best me with any weapon, they're sorely mistaken. I'm more than a detective when I have to be."

Shinobu shrugged. "It's a good idea. I'm in as long as it doesn't get anyone killed. Genta should be fine in your hands but if I judge the situation too dangerous, we're going to retreat. If Kaedehara was no match for these people, most of the gang have never seen this type of violence, and are no good at handling the situation."

"I just want you to lead. You're talented and I've seen you work. I wouldn't have you go with untrained allies." Heizou blinked longer than he intended, realizing he'd almost fallen asleep having this conversation. He shook it off. "Captain Beidou and another one of her crew should suffice. Three is a decent amount for both a scouting and rescue party. As long as that's alright with you. I will also have to speak with her."

"I have nothing against her or her people. We'll work with her." Shinobu got up, waving off Genta. "Go let the others know that they're still looking for any information they can pick up on this group or Kaedehara. I'll be back with you later. Oh, and don't let the boss know anything just yet."

"Of course." Genta, a man Heizou had run into more than a dozen times and was thankfully as plain and common as they came, ran off and did as he was told.

"As for you, Heizou," Shinobu, now that they were alone, was back to using his given name. She sat beside him instead of across, grabbing him by the shirt until they were nearly sharing the same chair. "What are you hiding?"

"Hiding?" His eyelids felt heavy. Was he hiding something from her? Out of everyone, she knew the most of his plans. He hadn't shared half as much with General Kujou. "Be more specific, my dear?"

Instead of explaining her question to him, she instead held onto him and turned to the side, forcing him to remain in a very uncomfortable position and far too close to her. Eventually, as the silence dragged on, he shifted his weight and body alike, so that he was merely leaning against her side.

It felt normal, natural, as his head tilted towards hers and his eyes shut, remaining caught in her clutches quite literally. It was easy to want to fall asleep, so easy…. Heizou knew he had things to do and had already caught an hour or two of rest this morning…

"Get some sleep, you idiot. I'm not your mother. I have enough people to look after as it is that I don't need to keep adding to it." Shinobu let out a breath. "You've helped me a lot. I can't say you haven't and that I haven't gotten to know you a bit over these months. Your thought process is similar to my own. Even the strong need proper rest sometimes, and someone to rely on. Kaedehara was close to you for that. It's not a question from me, just a fact. I'm not as close but you can rely on me at the moment. I'm not in need and I have time to spare. You're a good friend."

Heizou forced his eyes open at those words. This was the second time in what had to be less than a day someone had said something similar to him. In Kazuha's absence, those that had never reached out to him before were doing so now. A bit too late, he thought to himself, a tad bitterly. It was only when trying times were about that others banded together like this, in need of comfort and comforting in return due to some natural instinct kicking in. It would be nice to hear such sentiment spoken without the need for wounds to already have been made.

"I appreciate your words and what you're doing. I'd be more than grateful if you're able to help rescue Kazuha and assist me if I need anything else on this case but as for the rest, I've managed to handle myself well so far and I'm not as delicate as some assume me to be." Though he would admit to the fatigue. "I'd hate to keep you because I'm sleepy…"

"If you could have slept in your bed, you would have. Apparently I need to force you. As I said, I have some time to kill and, apparently, you're in need of watching and comfort you won't admit to. Company is never a bad thing and I don't need to have had more than a dozen conversations with you alone to know leaving you alone with your mind is a dangerous thing when there's a case and you want to work it instead of taking care of basic necessities. Get some sleep or keep talking, I don't care. You're not moving."

Heizou let out a breath and a short chuckle as his eyes shut once more, feeling a warmth against his back as he leaned into her, her hair up and tickling his face where he rested it on her shoulder, unable to do so comfortably on his own.

It was nice. The companionship was something he missed and, he had to admit, maybe the time alone wasn't doing him any favors. "Thank you."

Shinobu didn't respond back. Or maybe she had and he'd already fallen asleep.