Chapter Three: Not-So Quiet Riot

Yajirobe was taken back to the entrance of the prison by Noah. The samurai had a knapsack placed over his head so that he could not ascertain the surrounding area. Large guards in suits led him to a limousine that he was shoved into. The knapsack was removed, but the windows in the limo were tinted.

A half hour later, the limo stopped and he was told to get out. He complied and looked around. The country road that diverted into Mia's driveway, to his relief.

"Don't try anything funny," warned Noah. "We'll know. You get a half hour."

Yajirobe ran up to Mia's door and knocked. She peeked through the eyehole and undid the locks.

"You're ok," said Mia. She looked slightly relieved. "They wouldn't tell us what happened to you. C'mon in."

When Yajirobe entered the house, Edie ran up to him. He picked her up and she threw her tiny arms around his neck.

"What happened?"

"Um…" said Mia. "Edie, please go to your room."

Edie complied, and Yajirobe and Mia sat on the couch.

"They… took DNA samples from us," said Mia, as she looked away from Yajirobe.

"Why?" he asked.

"They wouldn't say."

"Was that all?"

Mia took in a sharp breath. "No…"

"What did they do?"

"They… asked me to sell my eggs to them. For a princely sum."

Yajirobe was taken aback. "Did you?"

Mia reluctantly pulled up her shirt to show him the surgery scar.

"Did you really wanna do it?" asked Yajirobe.

"They didn't want all of my eggs… And it was a lotta money…"

"What if they want more?"

"That is not your problem."

"Ok, ok." He scratched his head. "So they want DNA. Why?"

Mia shook her head. "What about you?" She tilted his head to face her. "What have they been doing to you?"

"...They made me fight. I fought one of the guys that kidnapped us, and won."

"Hmm."

"But I told them that I didn't wanna fight no more. Noah didn't like that. Now, I don't know what they're gonna make me do…"

Mia rubbed Yajirobe's back and asked, "Who's Noah?"

"My boss… But I might have found a way to tender my resignation."

"What's that?" asked Mia excitedly.

"Can I borrow your phone?"

"Sure."

Yajirobe walked over to the phone on the wall, pulled out Mizu's number, and dialed it.

"Hello?"

"Mizu? It's me. I'm at Mia's. Can you pick me up?"

"I can try. I'm in the middle of work, though…"

Yajirobe furrowed his brow. "I'm only allowed to be here until ten!"

"Come up with something, anything, to stall."

"What if I'm not good at stalling?!"

"Just calm down. I'll make up an excuse to get out of here ASAP. Hang tight."

They hung up on each other, and Yajirobe sighed.

"What is going on?" asked Mia.

"I called someone who has an in with these fools," answered Yajirobe. "She better be here soon."

The remaining minutes dragged on until the top of the hour. There was a knock at the door, and Yajirobe opened it.

"Time's up," said Noah. Yajirobe felt himself deflate.

He coughed. "I don't feel good. I think it's the flu."

Noah's brow knit. "All the more reason for you to get outta here, then." He yanked at Yajirobe's wrist with Mia looking on with a clenched jaw.

"Noooo-"

Yajirobe was dragged back into the limousine, where he silently cursed Mizu and the thought of working with her. He wondered if she set him up as he was driven back to the prison, but not returned to his cell immediately, to his anxiety.

"You don't want to fight in the Pit anymore," said Noah, "but your skill set is only physical, so what to do with you?"

Yajirobe clenched his fists.

"Get ready," said Richie. "There are some people you can help us… find."

"I can't," said Yajirobe. "Besides, I'm still recovering from the fight."

"You don't have a choice. If you don't go, we'll have to motivate you."

Yajirobe looked away, lest he glare at Noah, which would not have been productive.

"Are you going to be a good boy?" asked Noah.

Yajirobe began to shake. "...Yes."

Noah was relieved. "Good. You'll be going with someone who's good at finding weird shit. It'll be fun, like a field trip."

Yajirobe followed Noah through the entrance and past the cafeteria.

"I have to go to the bathroom," said Yajirobe suddenly.

Noah wheeled around on his feet and narrowed his eyes at the samurai. "Make it quick."

Yajirobe scurried into the cafeteria. There was a bathroom nearby, so the heavily armored guards did not suspect him, but that was not what he was after.

He quickly surveyed the dining hall for the biggest man he could find, who sat near the middle of the cafeteria.

Yajirobe sidled up to him and pointed at the guys that attacked him in the yard the week before. "Those guys said somethin' bad about your mama."

The huge, strapping man bolted up and slammed his palms on the table. "WHAT?!"

He lunged at the two other men, the bigger of whom lamented, "Not again!"

The plan was going beautifully as the dining hall erupted into a panoply of violence that distracted the guards, but Yajirobe knew that he only had a limited amount of time to enact the rest of it. He grabbed one of the guards and demanded to know where his belongings were.

"Th-There's a requisitions counter," said the guard. "It's by the metal detector!"

Yajirobe proceeded to smash the guard's face up against the wall, knocking him out.

The requisitions counter being located at the entrance was not ideal, but Yajirobe came up with another idea. He stole the guard's uniform and put it on over his yukata robe, even though it was not the most comfortable fit. It was sufficient for sneaking past a preoccupied Noah.

"Did you hear?" asked the scrawny guy behind the requisitions counter, startling Yajirobe. "There's a riot!"

"Uh," said Yajirobe, "yeah."

"Whoever would try to start a riot at this prison is either stupid or some kind of deranged genius."

"Good for him. Anyway-"

"Oh yeah, I gotta close this down. Can't let the prisoners get any goodies!" He pressed a button, bringing down a metal shutter over the window. Yajirobe gasped and looked around, desperately trying to come up with his next idea. Before he was able to decide anything, he felt someone grab him by the scruff of his collar.

"What the hell are you doin', fat boy?" demanded Richie.

"I-I don't know what you mean," said Yajirobe.

Richie yanked the helmet off of the samurai's head. "Ow."

The realization dawned upon Richie. "Oh."

"Now look, we don't have to hash this out again. Just let me go."

Richie assumed an aggressive stance. "Uh-uh. I stop you here, I get back into the Family's good graces."

"Not my problem."

Richie lunged at Yajirobe, who caught his fists. They grappled like this for a few moments before Richie headbutted Yajirobe, who slammed into the back wall. The samurai proceeded to kick Richie in the gut. The gangster tried to grab Yajirobe's leg, but he slipped away and slammed him into the wall, choking him. He then bit down into Yajirobe's hand – hard.

Richie threw some more punches at the samurai, but he grabbed Richie's hand and slammed Richie's face into the shutter, knocking him out. The samurai then looked over at the entrance of the prison, when a shutter started to come down. He broke off into a run for faster than anyone would assume him capable of, sprinting down the hallway and sliding under the shutter in the nick of time. There was a cliff that Yajirobe scrambled up to run away from the prison and further into the boonies.

It was then that he took in a breath of shock. Sure, he finally escaped the prison and the Family, but without any of his belongings, allies, or any idea of what to do next or where to go.

He grabbed his head. He needed to calm down and concentrate on what to do next. The only path he saw forward was to return to Mia's house and attempt to call Mizu again. But he did not know where Mia's house was relative to the prison. He would just have to trust his gut.

He took off the uniform and ventured into the nearby city of Silvays. Soon, he stole a hovercraft from some guy, to his chagrin.

Sorry, but I need it more than you.

He navigated his way back to Mia's house, but his heart sank with the sight of it being surrounded by three black limos. His posture stiffened before he knocked on the door.

"Ready to come back?" asked Noah. Yajirobe looked past him, and saw a fuming Mia at the kitchen table.

Yajirobe nodded, dispirited.

Noah placed his hand atop the samurai's head and squeezed hard. "You have to do what we say. Otherwise, we won't be responsible for what we might do."

Noah then yanked Yajirobe's hair to push him out of the doorway. He reluctantly shuffled into one of the limos. A large man in a suit shoved him into the backseat, and then Noah sat in the front passenger's seat.

"You really need to learn how to behave. You no longer have free will. You are just an extension of the Family, and free radicals get cut out and disposed of. You need to prove that you understand."

Yajirobe said nothing.

"...Maybe some time in solitary will pierce the void, huh?" continued Noah. "I know I'm using a lot of big words, but try to keep up, retard."

Fury rose up in Yajirobe like a volcano, but he knew he could not retaliate. That only made the fury worse.

Noah's phone rang. "Oh god, what now? Mizu, what is it?"

Yajirobe perked up.

Mizu clicked her tongue. "Yajirobe? You're not going to take him back to the prison. You're taking him to me."

"On whose authority?" asked Noah.

"The boss."

"Like hell! He hasn't told me anything."

Mizu sighed. "Guess the boss knew you wouldn't let him go willingly. So he worked around you. Surely I don't have to report any… insubordination." Her smirk was somehow audible.

Noah's eyes bugged out as he looked from side to side. "...No." He ended the call and groaned. "It's your lucky day after all."

The limo took the route back to Silways off of the country road.

"Where are we going?" asked Yajirobe impatiently.

"The docks," stated Noah.

When they arrived, the same large man from before opened the door for Yajirobe. When he stepped out, he saw Mizu sat upon a slick motorcycle. Noah left without a word.

"Hello," said Mizu.

"What now?" asked Yajirobe.

"I'm going to take you to my apartment. There, we can discuss the next step. You must be exhausted, anyway."

"Hmph. I'll need my stuff back, too."

"I'll do that after I drop you off. Hop on."

Yajirobe looked at her askance.

"What?" she asked.

"Don't you think that's a little embarrassing?"

"Then… we'll walk."

They did just that in silence, which Mizu was not all that comfortable with. Yajirobe did not care.

Only fifteen minutes later, they reached South Silvays Heights, an average apartment building. Yajirobe followed Mizu to her room, 302. After she let him inside, she explained that she was going to return to the prison to wrangle his belongings from Noah.

"Make yourself at home," said Mizu, before she left.

Yajirobe shuffled towards the couch and plopped down as the events of the day crashed over him. Soon, he took stock of his new environment.

The apartment was tidy and orderly. The first aspect that caught his eye was the treadmill and weights in the corner of the living room. Next, he found himself looking at her shelves, which were festooned with books on criminal psychology and varied puzzle books. Finally, there was a photo affixed to the fridge – it showed a smiling family. Mizu in her early teens at a track meet with her parents. She had a medal around her neck. Yajirobe frowned. Why did Mizu get to have a happy family when she broke up the families of others?

Yajirobe curled up on the couch for a nap until Mizu returned. Not only had she retrieved his possessions, but she also brought some food. He breathed a sigh of relief upon getting his items back.

Mizu sat down next to him on the couch.

"So what's with the photo?" he asked.

She looked at it over her shoulder. "My parents." Her gaze lowered to the floor.

"I don't get it."

She blinked at him.

"If you have your own family, why work for theirs?"

"I lost my parents," said Mizu, "but I still have an uncle, Ryō. He took me in after my parents were murdered."

"...Murdered?"

Mizu took in a deep breath. "How much are you prepared to hear?"

"I-I-"

"It was a break-in, but nothing was taken." She suddenly appeared very weary. "A week after that, another break-in and murder with the same MO. Then another the next week, and another. Unlike my parents, the victims? All cryptids. All in the same general area."

"So that's why you joined SCIN."

"It's the only lead I have."

"Do you have a suspect?"

Mizu's mouth tightened. "Yes."

"But why would he kill your parents if they weren't cryptids?"

Mizu scratched her forehead. "That's what I've been trying to figure out."

"Ok, but why kidnap people?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I have trust issues."

Mizu sighed. "That's fair, but that means you're not ready to hear the whole story. I have reasons. For all of this."

"If you give me your reasons, maybe I'll trust you more. You don't have any reason to think I'm workin' for the Family behind your back, right?"

"...Solving my parents' murder isn't the only reason why I work for SCIN. Ryō sent me to discover the link between SCIN and the Family."

"Why would he think there is one?"

Mizu fists clenched. "Because he's a biologist forced to work for them. There are things he's keeping from me, too, but he says he'll tell me everything when it's all over."

"Will havin' me around really make a difference? I don't know as much about the Family as you do."

"...Every time I've kidnapped an able-bodied adult, I've left them my number, but you're the only one who ever called." She looked… needy. Vulnerable.

"...Where would we even start?"

Mizu did something that Yajirobe had not thought possible; she smirked. "There's someone who has a close link to the don of the Family."

Yajirobe and Mizu staked the prison out to watch Noah leave via limousine. The tracked him back to his house, where Yajirobe knocked out Noah's bodyguard and Noah himself. Yajirobe and Mizu proceeded to tie Noah to a chair. Yajirobe then woke Noah up by throwing a glass of water at his face. He awakened to see Yajirobe and Mizu looming over him.

"We know you know things," said Mizu.

"Yeah," said Yajirobe.

Noah emitted panic with a dash of fury. "You have no idea how screwed we all are."

"I'm a woman," said Mizu. "Someone is always trying to screw me. But sometimes, I bite back. Now spill."

"Yeah," said Yajirobe.

"It doesn't matter," sputtered Noah. "We're all dead now!"

"Why?" asked Mizu.

Noah was suddenly very tight-lipped.

"Is it the don?" asked Mizu. She leaned over the chair. "If you cooperate, you'll have immunity. We can burn the don alive."

Noah shook his head. "...I have a name: Sinclair. But I don't know what he looks like, or if he has any family…"

"Nothing else?"

Noah shrugged. "We've only ever talked on the phone."

"What does he sound like?"

"Like someone who's been smoking for a really long time."

"We need more info. Do you know Ryō?"

Noah looked confused. "The researcher at Lighthouse Island?"

Mizu immediately looked relieved. "That's better."

"What are you gonna do with him now?" asked Yajirobe.

"So be it. We'll drop him off at the authorities, and then I'm going to SCIN. It's time to raid Lighthouse Island."

Mizu stood Noah up, cuffed his wrists, and walked towards the door.

"What about me?" asked Yajirobe.

"This doesn't really involve you anymore," said Mizu.

"Do you want me around, or not?"

"We don't know what kind of dangers the island hides."

Yajirobe scowled. "Don't I deserve to know the truth behind all this, too?"

Mizu winced, and shook her head. "You do. But, if you're going to put yourself into this danger, you'll have to be willing to take responsibility for whatever happens. Whatever happens next, whatever is on that island, the situation will deteriorate rapidly. There's no reason why the Family won't retaliate with all of its resources."

Yajirobe's shoulders tightened. "Will Mia and Edie be ok?"

Noah rolled his eyes. "I can stay the Family's hand."

In all honesty, Yajirobe did not trust Noah, but the samurai figured that fear would be an excellent leverage against Noah.

"You better," said Yajirobe.

"Let's haul ass," said Mizu, who then took Yajirobe and Noah to the Silvays SCIN Department, Precinct 13.

"Are you ok?" asked Mizu. "You seem… sweaty."

Yajirobe wiped his brow. "It's hot."

"Well, maybe if you didn't have that mop of hair…"

Yajirobe gasped, offended.

"Come on," said Mizu. "We have to to talk to the chief, Ark." She seemed a bit anxious herself.

They entered the station, where the other officers were surprised to see a suspect they did not recognize in handcuffs.

"The prodigal daughter returns," quipped a man.

They brought Noah to the Ark's office. He appeared to be in his early forties, and quite fit, if a bit lanky and not a fighter.

"What's this about, Mizu? And who is this young man?"

"He's with me," said Mizu. "He's a witness in our case against the Family."

Noah was transferred to the holding cell while Ark took Mizu and Yajirobe to his office.

"I get a phone call," said Noah, who was duly served, albeit in a snarky fashion by a police officer.

Noah made small talk with the raspy-voiced person on the other line.

"We have to send in the exterminator to deal with the infestation."

Noah's eyes widened. "Um, well… The infestation isn't that bad…"

"No excuses."

He hung up, and Noah felt a wave of nausea wash over him. "Screw this."