3 Days till the IPOW
Brandon and Jun had arrived at the home of Seku Himaka. It was early in the morning. The two were standing outside a pretty rundown apartment building. Next to it were two other apartments just like it, but they were a little more put together.
Brandon looked down the street, his hand in his pockets as he saw fancy and luxurious. Couples walking up and down the street. Jun closed her door and walked next to Brandon. "It says from her sheet that she's had run ins with authority before.
So let's try to go in with some caution." Jun said as Brandon walked with her to the front of the building. She pressed the button on the front gate. It let out a harmonic buzz as Brandon just shuffled his hands in his pockets. "Yea sure, i can be a cautious." Brandon said. Jun looked at him as she put down her phone for a moment. She stared at him as he did her.
"Cautious huh? I read your file." Jun said "Is this the part where we feed each other cream filled cookies and talk about who's more of a slot after a few drinks?" Brandon asked very dramatically and sarcastically. Jun rolled her eyes. "Alright I get it. You don't like to be poked at." Jun said.
"Its just I like to know who I'm working with thats all. And if I don't, how am I supposed to rely on them for anything." Jun said, thats when she looked over to the door and saw it getting ready to open. She and Brandon looked at one another one last time before it did. She noticed his face had gotten a bit more serious after her comment there. Thats when a older woman would answer the door. Jun got her notepad really quick. "Hello there, Ms.Pune?" Jun asked
"Who's asking?" Asked the woman, her body just a little exposed from the doorframe.
"Ma'am we're with the NPSC, this investigation is of international importance. So we're hoping you'll point us in the right direction.
We're looking for Seku Himaka. Its printed here that she lives here." Jun said. Ms.Pune looked at them both. Her face a bit mixed on how to respond. She then looked to Brandon, who wasn't looking to her. She stared for a moment before he met her eyes. Brandon then gave her his warmest smile. "Don't worry, we just have a few questions. We aren't looking to arrest anyone here." He said. The woman's demeanor became a bit more calm and relaxed as she then looked at Jun.
"She lives on floor 3, room 08, be gentle. She's fragile and needs to pay her rent." Said Ms.Pune. Jun and Brandon got ready to walk away before Ms.Pune them tugged on Jun's arm. "You looking for husband? I have a good-looking nephew.
When you finish up there. Come to the back I'll show you a picture." She smiled to which Jun put on a nervous smile back. Brandon chuckled a bit before he then looked up the flight of stairs and started walking them. Jun followed him shortly after. Once they got to her room Brandon knocked on the door.
"JUST A MINUTE!" shouted a tough and rough feminine voice. Brandon and Jun stood outside the door for a few seconds. Thats when Brandon would go ahead and kick the door hard. Making a loud noise which shocked Jun and Brandon a bit.
"Have you lost your mind?" Jun asked
"Mmmm, no, all still here. Besides. People will act far more inclined to help us if we let them known how little time we have for their everyday chores." Brandon groaned. "We're trying to come off as being considerate and understanding." Jun said.
"You don't think I'm understanding? Thats a bit hurtful don't you think?" Brandon asked. Jun then looked at him with a unamused face before the door opened. Seku Himaka, she was very built woman. She wore a black eyepatch on her right eye, she wore a black tanktop and sweat pants. She was very tone. From her stomach to her arms. She had wrist bands on. Looked like she had been working out or working on something.
"Hello, can I help you?" Aske Seku, Jun showed her badge. "Hello there, Seku Himaka?" Asked Jun. Seku looked at her up and down and then to Brandon who seemed to be fiddling with his tongue. Her eyes then looked back at Jun. "Yea, who's asking?" She asked in a snappy tone.
"I'm Nakayama Jun with the NPSC, this is detective Wright. We're here to ask some questions. If you don't mind. They're about-" however before Jun finished Brandon looked at Seku. He could see her entire personality just from this first interaction. She didn't smell like sweat, even though she had clearly been working out. Her eye, whatever happened to it. Seku wasn't all here. A piece of her stuck in the past and the other still living here. Maybe she intends to kill the past to get her eye back. Maybe someday. She was secretly scared.
"How about we come in first, no need to ask anything just yet. Let's just take a breath and eat a kiwi huh? You got any fruit around?" Brandon asked. Seku looked at him like he was clown in roller skates. "Uhh, sure. Come in." She said motioning for them to follow. Jun and Brandon walked inside as Seku walked over to her kitchen which looked as big as a home bathroom. Brandon monitored the living space. It was a very shaggy place, the couch had a basket worth of clothes on it. No TV.
The coffee table infront of the couch looked bad, something she wouldn't buy. But would accept if she had no other choice. A hand down. The very rug and floor looked older then even himself and Jun combined. He noticed the lack of pictures, except for one. On the wall near the kitchen. It was a picture of a very young Seku with supposedly a foster mother by her side. Brandon walked around the place. He went to her couch and looked at her pile of clothes.
"Alright, so what is it you want to talk about?" Seku asked as she gave the two a glass of water. She then walked over and sat down. Brandon sniffed his cup while Jun just took a nice sip of hers. "We wanted to know some information you may have on someone you knew during you're time at Saint Terry's." Said Jun. The name made Seku twitch just a bit, but then she took a breath.
"Yea, I know the place. Was sent there as a child." Seku answered. Brandon looked at her. His mind then flashing back to his "kiss" with Kat. His hand's fingers grazed his tongue. A shiver going down his spin as he kept listening to what was being said. "So then, by that we can assume you were familiar with a girl, goes by the name Kat." Said Jun. Seku looked down at her drink and then out the window behind her couch, she then looked back at Brandon and Jun.
"You've met her huh? You can usually tell when she's left something behind." Seku said. Brandon moved his tongue inside his mouth a bit at the mention. Thats when Seku studied them, she looked at Jun and saw no sign of Kat's presence on her. However she didn't have to stare at Brandon for long to see it on him. Though she didn't say anything, she knew that he knew.
"So, what has she gotten herself into now?" She asked. "Kat has you as her emergency contact, why is that?" Jun asked folding her arms.
"Beats me lady. Why does she do anything?" Seku said as she drank from her glass. Jun was taken aback a bit by the use of the word lady. "Lady? I'm still young you delinquent!" Jun thought.
"She did it to see what you'd do." Brandon said, Jun looked at him. "What? You're saying she just left this girl as her contact just cause?" Jun asked.
"Yea pretty much. Kat's impulsive. She acts entirely on whatever she wants to do in the moment." Brandon said. "Very impressive, almost like you've read a manual on her." Seku said. Brandon didn't comment on it. But Jun picked up on the hint. Though she kept her thoughts about it to herself for now.
"But why you? From what he gathered, you two hardly spent time together." Jun asked. Brandon looked at her and then back to Seku. "Guess I'm just another random scapegoat of hers. Damn rotten bitch." Seku said.
"Shes like that you know? She's a fucking weirdo...no. That would be offensive to weirdos all over the world. Shes just a damn psychopath." Seku added. Brandon's mind then sprung with an idea as he then set his drink down.
"Uhm excuse me, may I borrow your talking brick?" Asked Brandon "Brandon." Jun said.
"You mean my phone? Uh sure." Seku said as she handed it to Brandon and Brandon began to dial a number. "What are you doing?" Asked Jun.
"I'm about to learn where Kat is." Brandon said.
"What?" Jun and Seku said. "There no possible way for you to learn that with just her being the emergency contact." Said Jun. Brandon looked at her and smirked as he then got a answer on the phone.
"Yes this is the NPSC, what can we help you with today?" Asked a woman officer. Jun attempted to take the phone from Brandon, but he simply weaved her and got to the other side of the coffee table. "Uhh yes, this is Heakagi Sui, my girl Seku Himaka. Yea she just had a terrible accident. Is there any way I could see who her emergency contact is? She said she wanted to call them." Brandon said putting on his best acting he could. Jun looked at him completely unamused.
The female officer was a bit suspicious of what was actually going on. She didn't trust this story. So she decided to pry a bit more.
"Not to be rude, but wouldn't she just have this person in her contacts? Just seems very out of the way." Said the female officer. Brandon rolled his eyes a bit, he had only a few seconds to respond before he knew the alert bells would go off in this woman's head.
Thats when he got it.
"They broke apart, it was really hard. The whole ordeal was just...I mean...fuck. They went through it and things got really bad. They still care each other though. Never can break that...I'm sorry...that kind of bond." Brandon said as he acted very sorrowful and sad. Seku was so thrown off by what was happening. She was in complete confusion while Jun was more annoyed and frustrated with the display of deception. The female officer was actually getting shook up over Brandon's story.
She gave a small sniff as she nodded to herself. "Um yea. Ok I can see what I can do. And I hope they make up with one another. Friends aren't always permanent." Said the female officer and Brandon agreeded. "Thats so true. And so, so real." Brandon said. He then was put on hold for a moment.
"Why does this feel too easy?" Jun asked as she eyed both Brandon and Seku. Seku thought about it too and said the same thing.
But Brandon already knew.
"No kidding, she commits any sort of crime. We call everyone she knows that is still alive. And find her.
Yea.
All way too simple. She is way to cunning for that. As spontaneous as she may be. She needs to plan somethings out. Which is why I bet the person we're going to get is either a neighbor of hers or maybe even a apartment building owner." Brandon thought. Once the phone call resumed, one of Brandon's theories would be confirmed.
"Hello! This is Misuki from the Crowtell motel. How can I help you?" Asked the woman, to which then everyone was suprised besides Brandon who was ecstatic. "Perfect! I now know where you live." Brandon thought as he then hung up and tossed the phone back to Seku.
"Alright." Jun said as she crossed her arms. Brandon smiled wide as he put his hands in his coat pockets. "Ah don't worry Nakayama, I wouldn't want to damage your ego by making you admit I had it under control." Brandon smiled. "What? Wow you must be more full then a mug of crap.
And like hell I'd admit to you being right. That stunt shouldn't have even happened! Next time you pull that, I'm going to call every psych ward I can find." Jun said
"What? Why?" Brandon asked
"So I know where I have to put you back." Jun said. Seku looked at both of them with an an annoyed expression. She massaged her temples.
"This is why I don't date." Seku groaned. "Huh?" Brandon said
"Excuse me?" Jun asked. Thats when a knock at the door would come. Seku walked over to the door and opened to see it was a package. She looked down at it and it was a small box with a note. "Hey, I didn't-" thats when she looked up and saw no one around. She then picked it up and closed the door. Brandon and Jun walked over to her.
"What is it?" Jun asked "Like he'll if I know, I didn't order shit today." Seku said. Brandon got the note and opened it. He read it.
"Hello detective, call the first number. See you soon." Brandon said, he then saw the smile face attached to it. Jun looked at him as he did to her. Seku then opened the box and saw it was a burner phone. Brandon extended his hand gesturing for it to which Seku gladly handed him the phone. Brandon then turned it on and called the first number.
It rang for a bit. Jun and Seku both waiting with baited breath.
It rang a bit longer.
"Shes just messing with you man. Theres no way. " Seku said. The silence was deadly. "Maybe she's right, theres no way-"
Thats when the other line picked up.
"Hello there Brandon." Said Kat, Brandon walked away a bit and put his hand on the wall. "Kat.." Brandon said.
Far away from Ginza, Kat was sitting on the edge of a rooftop. She was wearing a black shirt with pants and shoes to match. The sun was setting.
"I see you got my gift. How is she? My old friend?" Kat asked "Shes as fine as she can be. I'm guessing you have no plans on turning yourself in then?" Brandon asked.
"I would be bored. Just like a bird I like to fly, eat and shit wherever I please. I can't do that in a cage. You should know that." Kat said
"..."
"I know thanks to those US officers that you only have a little time to catch me. Which is why I'm going to keep them fresh and warm for you until you do. How long they stay like that is up to you." Kat said. "Listen Kat-"
"Oh wait, is this the part where you play the good cop and tell me to turn myself in. That I can get better?" Kat smirked. Brandon chuckled to himself. "No, no no no. I wouldn't want you to stop being who you are a for a second. No, I wanted to let you know that when I catch you, and I will catch you. That I'm going to put you down." Brandon said. Kat smiled as she then looked at the phone and dangled it above the what seemed to be near bottomless fall in front of her.
"I hope you see you soon." Said Kat before she dropped the phone off the roof. She watched as it went crashing against the ground. Brandon cursed under his breath. Kat smiled as she got ready to walk towards the opening to the roof before her phone rang.
She looked at it and picked it up. She noticed the caller ID was unknown. "Hello?" She answered.
"Its been a while. Kat." Said a familiar voice. Kat's heart actually began to race. As this man was the only one who she genuinely felt...alive with him.
"Kibe. I'm guessing you got my message?" Kat smiled. Kibe was in his room sitting at his desk. He had three screens. A laptop and two desktops from his basement he had moved over. They all were cycling through information, all going over psychology, the Lucifer effect and the patterns of the human subconscious. All of the screens flashing images, going through videos at 5x the normal and speed and scrolling though entire articles at 2x the normal reading speed.
His eyes followed them perfectly though. All the information was being processed just like he when he would listen to Mrs.Mihara's commands and ask to behave better and more effectively.
"Message found and received. My only question is now. What do you think you're doing?" Kibe asked his tone somehow more apathetic and colder then ever before. Kat caught this, her heart racing just a bit more. Smile wider.
"I'm curious what you'll do. Now that you're cute little pet is almost about to be found. Dead or alive." Kat said "I don't appreciate being provoked. Not one bit." Kibe said.
"Oh really? But you don't seem to mind doing it to others." Kat said.
"If you're just going to strawman this entire discussion, then I have no reason to speak to you anymore. I should just kill you." Kibe said. "Why? And spoil all the fun!? Are you delusional?" Kat asked.
"Far from it actually. How long do you think it'll be till I find you? A day? A few hours or minutes maybe?" Kibe asked "I want you to find me! I want to see how you behave. When any animal is cornered it will choose. Either to die or to fight. I'm curious what you will do. Now that your little proud fox is mine.
I want to see how the thing within you acts now. I want to see your shadow!" Kat said. As the night began to reign in. "I hate to disappoint you Kat, but I won't be giving you what you want. But you are giving me what I want." Kibe said. Kat's smile then went away. She grabbed the phone fiercely with both hands.
"NO NO NO NO! Don't do this Kibe! Don't go into your mind and back to all that thinking! Don't think! Just do! Do it! Stop pretending to be something you're not! You're like me." Kat said "Thats your problem Kat, so caught up in your own fantasy that you can't even see the reality of the situation." Kibe said. Kat was speechless.
"You want me? Here I am. From the moment we met. Nothing has changed. My speech pattern, my eyes. Even my heart rate now still beats the standard human average.
There is nothing about me that remotely resembles what you perceive yourself to be. I'm no man, I'm no monster either. Just a guy. Who knows what he's doing and how to handle the situations he's put into.
Now, when I get off this phone you'll have two options. One of them is that you can go ahead and throw yourself off that roof and before that free Himmy and kill Juo.
Or
You can keep going down the rabbit hole. See how deep I've dug it and if you really think you can crawl out of it once you're in it.
You have the next several hours to come to a decision. Our partnership from here one is now officially and irrevocably terminated.
Goodbye Kat." Kibe said as he then hung up the phone. He then grabbed his phone and put it back in his pocket.
"The mind is a wonderful place. Its like building, one where different rooms go to different places. This won't be any different. What I've done to others. I now must do to myself." Kibe thought as he then closed his eyes.
He then would be taken back to the night where he and Himmy first made love. Kibe was sitting in a chair infront of Himmy's bed. On there was a laptop. Flashing lights reflecting off his face from it.
Thats when a voice clip on it began to speak.
"You are sleeping, calmly, relaxing and drifting away. You are resting, napping and serine.
When this message is over you will be a new man. A new you, Nori Kibe." Said Kibe's voice on the laptop.
"Kat was right, I can't be me anymore. So now. I will be someone else. Blocking out all of my knowledge and strategic thinking.
Tomorrow for the first time. Everyone is going to meet Nori Kibe." Kibe thought as the audio from the laptop continued to play.