"What the bloody hell do you mean you want to take a break from helping me track down Regen?!" Azure nearly shouted while sitting in a coffee shop with her partner and team MACE. "He's about to crack, I know he is!" She narrowed her eyes at the girls while clutching her cup tight.
"Well... something came up." Elise swirled her drink around slightly before taking a small sip. "It's not like we're going to not help you. We just have something personal we need to take care of."
"You're backing out when we're so close." She put extra emphasis on each of her words.
"We're not." Kagami sat back, her arms crossed as she glanced up at the detective. "We are not giving up. Understand that. We're just taking on more than what we originally planned to. We were just supposed to stop in Mantle for a day or two. Now we're trying to juggle taking down a psychopathic extremist, keep ourselves out of trouble while we help you, and now-"
"Now we're dealing with something that isn't your business." Kris quickly interrupted. Next to her, a pot of coffee that was nearly empty.
Exhaling, the blue haired detective pushed her chair back and stood with her cup.
"And where are you going?" Joanna looked back at her as she began to walk off.
"Refill." She responded bluntly.
"Your cup is still half full though!" She called out, leaning back. Not getting anything back, she sighed and leaned forward across the table. Staring at her coffee, she slowly ran her finger across the rim. "Blimey..." She trailed off with a shake of her head.
"Listen, we're really not quitting." Cheyenne attempted to clarify. "We just..." She lowered her head, both her shoulders dropping as she held her cup of coffee with both hands.
"I know, I bloody know." The blonde took a deep breath before taking a long sip of coffee and slouching back. "Azure is just... difficult at times. When she has her mind set on something, she doesn't back down from the challenge. We've been after Regen for over a year and we're both still nowhere closer than we were in the beginning."
"Why even keep chasing after him alone then? I'm sure there's other detectives willing to help." Elise raised an eyebrow. "Does she want revenge or something?"
"Worse..." Joanna sat up, leaning onto the table with her elbows as she stared at her reflection in her drink. "She wants to prove herself to him."
What felt like a long time ago, a young detective from Vale and her partner stalked the darkened streets of Mantle during the night hours. The broken side of the moon facing Remnant and shining very little light down upon it. With soft and near silent footsteps, the two women made their way to part of the city that had no street lights or any lights for that matter on.
"Are you sure this is the meeting place?" Joanna asked with a dark sweater on. Her thick and soft soled shoes a few paces behind Azure's. "I don't question your judgement but..." She trailed off, seeing movement in the shadows.
"Exciting, isn't it?" The bluette responded with a small yawn. Her eyes narrowed as she watched a man with a hood up just barely come into view. Soon after, a man with rainbow hair in a ponytail appeared. "That's him..." She pointed out with a whisper. "Regen The Third."
"The Colourful Thief..." She exhaled softly while shifting around. "No doubt about it."
"Shh." She shushed her with her hand. Her body leaning towards the two men as they began to talk.
After a minute or two, Rey glanced over in their direction with a raised eyebrow. "I thought I told you to come alone?"
"I did." The brute said bluntly with crossed arms.
He let out a quiet sound, giving him a questionable look. "Really? Really now?" Without hesitation and with fluid movements, the rainbow criminal stepped and reached around him with his left hand. Pulling out a pistol with a bayonet attached from behind his back, he took aim down the dark alley. Firing a single shot, there was a scream followed by a male body falling from the shadows.
With wide eyes, Joanna kept quiet. Her partner's arm held out in front of her to hold her still. With a calm look, the blue haired detective eyed the corpse's shoes. The soles of them are hard and thin, nowhere near to the quality of their gumshoes.
"I don't like liars. Or cheats." Rey let out, turning around in a quick motion. His right hand setting his cane down before grabbing the man's tongue as he brought up the blade of the weapon to it. His eyes narrowing at him. "Tell your boss, to fuck off." He spat out before a cry of pain echoed. Letting him fall to his knees, he stepped back and tossed his gun to the side. Snatching his cane back up, he began to walk towards the dead body only to freeze. Blinking, he glanced to the side only to be tackled through a nearby door.
Sighing, Joanna got up from her hiding spot as she watched her partner disappear into the building. "Blimey..." She shook her head, dusting herself off as she calmly stepped over towards the criminal with both of his hands over his bleeding mouth. "Today just isn't your lucky day at all."
Tumbling on the floor, Rey pushed himself against the ground and rolled away as his hair fell free. Steadying himself on one knee, he glanced up with an amused smirk while picking up his cane. "Now that, that I wasn't expecting." He chuckled softly while brushing himself off as he stood. Eying the detective up and down, he then began to smile. "I know you..." He gently waved his finger before moving his arms behind his back. "You're that shamus my boys have been warning me about. Azule? Or something?"
"Azure." She calmly corrected him while rising to her feet. Her gaze sizing him up.
"Same thing to me." He took a few steps, keeping his distance from her. "I've heard quite a lot about you. Brilliant. Cunning. Logical. Level headed. Eccentric. Top tier skills in deduction..." He trailed off, stopping in place with a devilish smile. His cane tapping on the floor. "Almost sounds like I'm describing myself. Aside from one small thing."
"And what would that be?" Her head tilted slightly as her shoulders relaxed. "Passion perhaps? Personality?" She raised her eyebrow. "Or maybe how you lack-"
He cut her off with a scoff, leaning back against a wall as he crossed his arms. "Even if you weren't here in that silly hat, I still would be. It's not the same the other way around, now is it?" He flashed his teeth as her expression shifted.
"That's where you would be wrong." She narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. "Your bravado is nothing compared to my brain."
"Then I believe we have a battle of wits." He pushed himself off the wall with a playful grin. "My favorite kind. But how to begin..." He took a step towards the side, sliding away from her. "I know." He raised his hand and twirled his cane. "You Are Nothing Without Me by Gregg Edelman and James Naughton." He mumbled under his breath as he snapped his fingers.
What happened next, not even the notorious detective could have predicted.
Out of thin air, the sound of a piano took off in a quick rhythm. Rey began to lightly tap his foot and nod his head in time to it before he held out both his arms and shrugged. Flashing a smug grin, he suddenly began to sing.
"You're something, Azure
You don't understand
Get this, Miss Azure
I won't fall underhand," Flipping his cane, he held it like a bat. He quickly bashed it against the wall. It crumbled in a burst of debris, forcing the detective to shield her eyes. Blinded for a moment, she bared her teeth and pushed herself up and vaulted through the hole he made. She rapidly scanned the area, discovering the two were in an office building. Her thoughts being broken by the man she was chasing singing above on a railing.
"You are defeated
All the way down there
You seem so heated
Believe me, my dear," He pushed himself away from the railing, bolting down a dimly lit hallway. With her brow twitching, Azure shot up a flight of stares after him as he continued.
"I'm the lord with wings
You're the resting tree
And here is the thing," He turned to face her, a cocky look in his eyes.
"Your job ain't without me." He chuckled, bracing and slamming his body through a door into a small office space. Though, she was right on his tail.
"What the bloody hell..." Completely bewildered on why and how she was singing, she brushed it off as she kept up with her chase.
"Listen you wanker
Regen, please do tell
I am your strong anchour," She flashed her teeth, watching him leap over a desk and quickly followed after. Landing on the floor with a soft pat, she looked up to see him calmly push himself through a door to the stairs. Taking a deep breath, she shot after him.
"So why must you lie?!
You're crazy and mad!
You will never fly!
Grounded and ever sad!" She shouted as best as she could while singing. Sliding into the stairway, she turned her head to the left and looked up the stairs. Seeing Rey smile down at her and wink, she began to charge up them, taking two steps at a time.
"This here is a pointless chase
You're begging for something
But with me on your damned case
Your criminal schemes are nothing!" Knowing she wouldn't catch up at this pace, Azure gripped the guard rail and hauled herself onto it. Taking a deep breath, she pushed against her feet and jumped up through the middle. Not even hesitating nor glancing down, she grabbed onto the rail a few flights up. Pulling herself up, she jumped onto the rainbow thief as he ran past. The two struggled for a moment before stumbling through the roof access door and out into the night air. Both continuing to resist the other as they both began to sing the same thing.
"You're nothing without me!
A no one who'd go unnoticed!
You wouldn't exist!
You'd never be missed!" They both shoved the other away, skidding back before standing up straight. The wind softly blowing and rustling their hair and clothes as Rey quickly interrupted the two of them with a snarky tone.
"I tell you, you're out of your mind," His voice softly and perfectly echoed throughout the darkened skies before they both began to sing in time again.
"Show off, you truly are
You're equal parts; a bore and dull
And no one would argue
Without me you're nothing at all," They both held onto the last note as their cold glares hardened at each other. The wind around them picking up speed and strength. Twirling his cane, Rey took a step back as he brought it close to his chest and held out his left arm. His shoulders squaring in defensiveness as his jaw flexed.
"This is my plot!
You're the side character!
I call the shots!
I am the main character!" The tone in his voice shifted to an angry yet still calm one. Strands of his hairs fluttering across his face as he defended himself. Though Azure wasn't slow to follow in response to it.
"You are so sick, you
Eat, breathe, sleep nonsense
I'm no one's lower
Even in performance!" She took a deep breath, reaching under her jacket and pulling out a revolver. Taking aim, she cautiously began to approach him. Her steps calm and precise. Raising an eyebrow at her, the Rainbow Thief scoffed with a small shake of his head.
"You're a prideful detective
You don't have any shame," He smiled, stepping back a little more before jumping onto the ledge of the roof.
"Listen, I have directive!
All of Mantle won't know your game!" She shot back, keeping herself steady while narrowing her eyes. Now even slower, she kept moving towards him. The two beginning to clash and sing along with each other one last time.
"You're nothing without me
Without me you'd just disappear
Right into the air
And no one would care
Or notice you were ever here
A liar, an insane
A loser who is doomed to fail!" The two fell into a standstill, glaring at each other as the wind began to whistle. At the end, Rey was the one to smile back while sliding his right heel off the edge of the roof and leaned forward onto his cane. He then continued on his own.
"I'm the leader you always wanted to be
Let's deal with the issue:
You will not beat me
Because without me, see
Without me you're nothing
At all!" He held onto the note for several seconds before exhaling. As he did, he bent forward in a bow and gestured outward with his arms. As the music ended, he let out a chuckle while flashing his teeth. Closing his eyes, he stood back up straight while leaning back with arms out.
"Wait-" Azure shouted, seeing him fall backwards. Her blue aura fizzling and breaking as she lunged forward in an attempt to catch him. Her hands touched nothing but air as she leaned over the edge and stared down at the ground below.
Laying on his back, the colorful man remained still on the ground for a moment. A blue aura shattering and dispersing from his body as he began to smile. He began to chuckle before calmly getting back up. "I'd have to say, that one was fun, Miss Azure. Very fun indeed." He nodded while bracing his cane against his chest. "I do hope you continue to make things interesting for me." He twirled his cane before quickly running off into the night.
Breathing softly as she rushed to the roof, Joanna very slightly stumbled as she saw her partner fall to her knees. "Azure!" She called out, rushing over. "Azure!" She went to grab her shoulder, only to freeze. A different look on the detective's face. A look she never saw before.
Sitting down, the bluette slowly raised her hand to her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she stared downward with wide eyes filled with shock and confusion as her mind went over and over what had just happened. She had just been beaten and outsmarted at her own game.
Back in the present, Kagami sat leaned back in her chair. Her hands slowly rubbing her face as she let out a soft exhale. Glancing towards her friends, she let her arms fall to her sides. "She doesn't want our help stopping Rey and Dion, she needs our help."
"She does..." Joanna quietly agreed with a small nod. "She's obsessed with stopping him. She's always been a little different, but..." She trailed off, staring into her coffee at her reflection. "She hasn't been herself. And I hate it when she's not herself."
"So is this supposed to make us magically stop all that we're doing to help you two?" Kris raised an eyebrow with a small scoff.
"No, no." She shook her head. "I'm just trying to explain why she is acting the way she is. I know she's a bit stubborn and trying at times, but she means more good than anyone I have ever met in the Atlas Army."
"You're a soldier?" Cheyenne asked with a tilt of her head.
"I was a combat medic." She corrected. "Now I do my part and assist Azure on her adventures."
"So..." Elise blinked a little before looking at her leader.
"I don't know." The jadette shook her head. Biting her lip, she shook her head more and went back to rubbing her face. "I don't know just yet. I still need time to sort through everything."
"I have faith you'll choose the right thing." Joanna nodded with a small smile. "The four of you are smart girls. You'll know what needs to be done, given time. I don't need to be a genius to know that. Now," She gestured with her hand towards the coffee on the table. "Finish up."