Akame ga kill: Ashura's wrath

Voracious flames dug their blazing fangs into feeble wood and brittle stone, dying the night sky in fiery orange. Black smoke stung Tatsumi's watering eyes, toxic fumes attempted to seep into his lungs, the burnt scent suffocated him with each passing second under the unbearable heat 

"Fuck! I need water!" Hasty glances. No colleagues in sight. Seryu just had to chase after a bunch of petty crooks like a rabid hound having caught the scent of its next meal. Of course she just had to. Right before this happened. He'd have to act quickly or the fire was going to spread to the other buildings nearby. 

"Help me! Help!" An elderly female voice shouted through the neighborhood. He could make out her panicked silhouette waving her arms from the window of the second floor. Glanced at the burning building. It switched to his quivering hands. Eyes forced shut under erratic breaths inching ever closer to hyperventilation. Heart rapidly hammered against his chest. Sweat mixed with rain crawled down his face so painstakingly slow. 

Smoldering flames lost their color, no longer raging violently, but burned slowly, climbing towards the sky at a snail's pace. Tatsumi gulped. Clutched the hilt of his katana. Deep breath exhaled. 

"Get it together. The woman needs my help." Tatsumi reminded himself. "Hold tight, ma'am! I'm coming to save you!"

One last glance. He had to do this on his own. 

Tatsumi kicked down the flaming door. Wood creaked loudly. Falling debris nearly crushed him, had he not randomly stepped to the left. His wide stare remained bound on the burning rubble, accelerating his panicked breath. His cough reminded him to shield his mouth from the toxic gas. Just the heat on its own made keeping his eyes open a challenge in itself, glance quickly shifting through corners to find the way up. 

The crackling noise and the raging flames circled him like vultures. More debris rained down on him. 

Staying still was a losing proposition that was sure to get him and the woman killed. So was retreat. He had to push through, march through the fire and do his goddamn job. Such was his duty. Be a man. 

Finally, Tatsumi spotted steps leading upwards in the back to his right. Depending on the choices he made in his life, this could be his staircase to heaven. Or hell. The railing already crumbled partially, torn apart by the searing heat. He dashed past the couch set ablaze, jumping over burning logs in his path, only to stop right in front of the flaming path set before him. 

Eyes closed. Forward! 

Tatsumi rushed up the stairs. 

He really had to try his hardest to not conjure up the image of a deserted bridge missing several planks in between, hovering over a fall to death. Every step shrieked garishly whenever he dared put down his soles, threatening him with crumbling underneath him, entrapping him in this fiery killbox. 

"Where are you?" Tatsumi shouted. The cries of a baby clearly reverberated in his ears. Blood froze in his veins. A burning log came crashing down on him. Stumbled backwards just in time, slid through underneath and moved onward. Muffled wails guided him to the second room on the right at the end of the corridor. 

The elderly woman was barely visible, buried below a pile of rubble and a log similar to the one that nearly knocked Tatsumi out immobilized her bloodied left leg. Dashed towards her, grabbed onto the burning debris. 

"Aaahhh!" Searing agony stung his left hand all the way to his arm, causing him to drop the heavy object. 

"Please, officer… save the baby. Ayumi's in the room on the left." She beckoned

"But what about you?!" 

She forced her eyes shut, her thin lips quivered. "Get her first!" 

"Got it!" Tatsumi jogged off to the bedroom on the other side to find the baby weeping in her small bed. Wood creaked again. Eyes shot wide open. He sprinted, leaned over the girl to shield her from the fiery debris pouring down on them. Most bounced off his cuirass, a bigger piece hit him on the back of the head. Throbbing pain pulsed viciously, his view tilted up and down uncontrollably, a high-pitched ring briefly silenced the baby's panicked cries. 

Out of the three babies, he instinctively reached for the one in the middle. Guessed correctly. "Shhh, it's going to be ok." Tatsumi whispered, as he alternated to his right arm and looked for a way out. The flames had cut off the exit behind them. Smashing the window in front was no option. His glance shot upwards. The timberwork above could come crashing down any moment, denying any chance of a reasonable escape. 

He pressed the infant close to his armored chest, internally counting, eyes shut tight. Deep breath inhaled. 

"We'll make it though, so god help me."

He dashed through the flames, biting down on his teeth, when he could feel the unbearable heat dig its gluttonous fangs into his shins akin to a predator taking the first bite of its meal. 

A violent flare sparked, tearing into Tatsumi's left arm that shielded the baby. Searing agony ripped into his skin, forcing out heavy breaths, causing his arms to tremble. 

Don't look down. Keep running. Don't let go!

Finally made it to the other side. Now, onto rescuing the woman. 

"Thank goodness. You saved Ayumi… " The old woman intoned with a relieved smile. "Now… go." 

"I can't just leave you behind!" 

She merely shook her head. "I've lived long enough on this planet… My granddaughter, she still has her whole life ahead of her." 

"But…" 

Her free arm slowly caught on fire. "Leave me behind… I beg you, officer." 

Tatsumi grit his teeth, Ayumi cried faintly in his arms. Howls of agony filled the room as the fire sunk its searing teeth into the woman's flesh. He shielded the baby from the horrifying sight unfolding in front of him. Ran away. Just ran as far and fast as he possibly could. Just out of this blazing hell. Yet, the woman's shrill cries followed him in his ears.

Turned back. The house was being utterly engulfed by the fire's scorching wrath, spiting the pouring rain. Deep breaths. In and out. In and out. 

"We made it…" Tatsumi sighed. His need to topple over and scream was eclipsed by the baby resting in his arms. Thank goodness. Not a scratch. 

What should be done now? The fire had to be extinguished to prevent it from spreading, but he couldn't carry the baby all night long either. No manual for policing or even his basic training prepared him for situations like this. Tatsumi had to make a decision. And fast. 

Perhaps he'd manage to gather some colleagues on the way to a hospital or some of the neighbors would alert nearby guards to resolve the situation.. From there, he could figure out who the girl's parents were and return her into their care. He was honestly impressed with how straight he could think, given the circumstances. Perhaps, the constant harassment from his drill instructor during their exercises finally came in handy. 

Tatsumi headed to the nearest hospital and turned Ayumi over into the care of one of the nurses. Currently, he took a moment to sit on some bench in the waiting room. Touched knees to elbows. Shivering hands grabbed onto each side of his skull. 

"Officer? Officer?" The nurse called out to him, giving his shoulder a light shove. 

"Yes?" Tatsumi shot up. He could swear that for a moment, Sayo stood in front of him. Probably due to the nurse's slight resemblance. 

"Thank you for rushing her to the hospital. Had you just been a few minutes later, she'd not have made it." 

Tatsumi's heart stopped. "Wait, what?!" 

"Had you delivered her a bit later, she'd have died due to smoke inhalation. She was barely breathing, so we gave her a heart massage and supplied her with oxygen. She's stable now." 

His chest heaved up. "Thank god." 

"You said you were not related?" 

"Her grandma, she errr… sorry, it's been chaos all day long. Head's all over the place right now." 

The nurse sat down beside him. "That's alright, officer. Take your time."

Tatsumi cupped his jaw, looking through the corridors of nurses and patients passing by as if they had not been stuck in a blazing death trap that could have killed them all. His heart started beating evenly again, ceaselessly ticking away like the clock hanging above them. His stare lingered on sterile vinyl, while the flames' roar still bellowed in his ears. 

Slow gulp. "I'm no relative. Just thought it was best to leave her here for now instead of my desk at the department. I can find her parents later."

"Yeah, that was certainly the right thing to do. Make sure to send them over to us, so we can hand them the medical bill." 

"Will do… I'm sure they'd also want to, you know, grab their kid while they're at it." Had he not been so exhausted, he'd have cracked a smile at his bad joke. Medics weren't samaritans after all. 

"Are you injured, officer?" 

"Yeah, a few light burns. A few bruises here and there."

The nurse had already seized the charred wrist. "Then follow me. We'll get you taken care of." 

Teeth grit against each other at the stabbing pain. "Will I also receive a bill?" Tatsumi inquired with a furrowed brow. 

"Obviously." 

Tatsumi inspected the deformed metal plate guarding the singed underarm. "No, thank you. I'm good." 

"This looks rather serious. You wouldn't wanna risk an infection. You should get this treated and rest at home for a few days." 

"Oh, I'm sure most of my colleagues would gladly pull crap like that." Tatsumi slowly rose to his weary feet again. "But I can't do that. I'll just slap a bit of ice on it after my shift. The city needs me right now." He answered, deliberately attempting to use a deeper more manly tone of voice, which failed miserably. 

He'd love to cite his unbridled altruism and moral duty as the sole reasons for his heroics. If it wasn't for the bragging rights, then certainly for the fact that he could not suffer a last minute cut in his paycheck. If anything, they should compensate him for the sheer quantity of all his troubles and extra hours. At least Ma and Pa in the village would be proud… Just one more shift. 

The officer limped back out onto the rain-slicked streets. Faint, erratic breaths soon replaced by light choking and gurgling grabbed his attention. Tatsumi peeked around as he followed the odd noise until he noticed a blanketed silhouette in the dark below a defect lamp. The rain couldn't cover the rancid smell, its familiarity leaving no room for doubt. 

Another homeless person. His body convulsed violently, trembled unnaturally, not reacting to Tatsumi trying to hoist him onto his feet. Whatever it was that was going on with the man, it was not good. The realization dawned on him when a familiar sight from his first day at the force resurfaced. 

"Crap! He's overdosing." 

A groan of pain escaped his lips when he went to carry the man. A hospital. Quick. He had already moved a fair bit from the one where he had dropped off the baby but it would still be the nearest. 10 minutes. 5, if he hurried. 10, he carried a full-grown man. 15, his legs ached unpleasantly with every step.

Did he have that time though? 

Less thinking, more running. 

Once more, he rushed to the same infirmary, pale skin and purple veins revealed under the lights of the entry. 

"Oh, you again?" It even was that same, young nurse. 

"Quick! He's on something." Tatsumi shouted, approaching her with the meager man in his arms.

Her hand waved dismissively as though it would wave the stench out of her face. "We've got a whole bunch of those. You can put him down by the way." 

"I'll leave him in your care." 

The nurse dumped him into the nearest chair. By now his rattle had ceased. "I know this sounds rude but I hope that I don't see you again tonight." She sighed with a tired smirk.

"Can't help it. And please make sure to take good care of him." 

Her tongue clicked. "Yeah, right. Have a safe and uneventful shift, officer. Please." 

Tatsumi left again, the nurse had already vanished from the corner of his peripheral vision, the man remained slumped in the chair. Probably was calling for help to get him on a bed or something. 

They'd certainly have to make sure that the man wouldn't die of a stroke whenever they would inevitably confront him with his medical expenses. Going off his colleague's hearsay, that just happened last Tuesday apparently. Patient got treated for… what was it called again? Gastro-something. Some belly disease and once he was released, the first thing he'd done was climb the next best house and jump head first. For no gold in the world, they could've wrangled his neck back in place. 

Tatsumi had to be more careful on his shifts for if he didn't, he'd have to pay for it not just in blood, but also with his meager purse. But trouble just kept following him. Or was it him that chased after trouble? The vice-captain was right. Of course he was. He's been in the game far longer than Tatsumi. After this shift, he'd have to take a good, long day or two off this insanity or he'd get sucked into it, absorbed, utterly devoured by it. Just like drugs, alcohol or serial murder, stress and rage could quickly turn into an addiction in the eternal pursuit of justice and good. 

"It better be worth it…" He mumbled to himself. Rain had ebbed away ever so slightly. Next round. Time to cross back into the red-light district. Back to the place of vices and addictions. 

He sauntered as aimlessly through the bustling streets as his mind through days past. 

Eager laughter, jeers and groans sounded through the nearby alley only to be drowned out by a thunder's roar. Probably just some drunk dudes enjoying their inebriation after a tiring day of work. Hell, he wouldn't mind a beer or five after one of his day shifts. Maybe, he'd even bump into Leone on a Friday evening. Or perhaps a night out with Sayo and Ieyasu and live a little for once. Though he'd probably be the third wheel given how they've been looking at each other the past couple weeks. 

Solved his two cases next to a few other homicides alongside the vice-captain. Only thing that could ruin a good night's sleep now, meaning more than 2 or 3 hours here and there, was that knife situation. Ren Adachi was still sitting behind bars for some reason. Fuck, so was Sheele. The man's woman had already been highly distraught, when they had explained the messy situation to her. The fact that a week or so had passed by now probably didn't help. He couldn't even remember the exact day it happened. 

The thing Tatsumi still vividly remembered were all the 'righteous' citizens gathered around the bloody scene, hesitant to get their hands stained but quick to hurl accusations like a bald butt chimpanzee his own shite. He just couldn't help but conjure up the image of a horde of sheep incessantly bleating at him, trying their hardest to pass themselves off as wolves, hiding behind whoever presented himself as the head of the pack, when he was still barely a teen. He just couldn't get that damned scenery out of his head, even if he really wanted to. 

Bastards. 

Apparently, if a perp ceased whatever crime he was attempting, he'd be granted impunity so long as there was an option to keep going, if he understood Agawa's lawyerspeak. Hopefully, the poor girl would make it through not only for her sake but Ren's, his wife's and his unborn child's sake. Because if this turned into full fledged murder, that was out of the legal equation. Not to mention all the other stuff Ogre intended to pin on the young man. The mildest sentence available would be the chopping block. His gut twisted horribly at the thought.

The victim would certainly be an invaluable witness in proving Ren's innocence. 

And Sheele… hopefully that situation would resolve itself on its own, because clearly, she exercised her right to self-defense, albeit quite gruesomely. 

Head started to pulse with increasing pain the more he tried to wrap it around all of this. Stop thinking. The excited jeers from the alley persisted, mixed with low moans and increasing amounts of degrading profanities. 

"Better see what's up before someone gets hurt." He yawned. Disbelieving eyes tore wide open. Breath caught in his throat. Fists trembled furiously at the harrowing sight before him. For the fraction of a second, everything inside him turned numb, leaving behind a gaping void. 

And in its place stepped seething, unrestrained rage.

A group of men, some barely older than him encircled a young brunette, their trousers either unzipped or let down completely, stroking off their hardened members over her while another plowed into the girl like a rabid animal as he forced her legs apart, the two remaining ones forcing their erections into her mouth. 

"I'm next in line, man. I want a part of the bitch." 

"Just let me finish-" 

Tatsumi slammed the first skull he could get his hands on into the brick wall. Knocked the one next to him out cold with a vicious left hook. Kicked another into the opposing wall and slammed his bloodied fist into the man's temple. 

"Holy crap!" 

Jeers were quickly replaced by cries of pain and enraged shouts. 

Only now did the man violating the girl remove himself, while a friend of his swung at Tatsumi. Hurled him on the hard ground and crushed his arm, a shrill cry howling through the alley. Stomped on his face for good measure. Cracked another one's jaw with a flying knee. 

One of the older men grabbed Tatsumi from behind so the one in front of him could start beating on the officer. He returned the favor, hitting Tatsumi square under his left eye socket. White flashes assaulted his view with every punch his face absorbed. The man behind attempted to bring his arm under his chin. 

Tatsumi dug his teeth into the arm below, the sharp ringing in his subsided, drowned out by muffled screams of agony. Hurled his armored shin in between the man's legs and returned the favor, raining down crushing blows to his face until the naked bastard collapsed. A kick to the head landed flush in Tatsumi's face. 

All it seemingly did was anger the officer as he grabbed onto the leg, hammering down his elbow to break it in half. His panic-stricken screams persisted in Tatsumi's ears, as he marched towards the remaining three, the two on the side looked at him with terror, as they stared down their friend's leg, the lower half of the shin merely hanging off as if it was rubber, only held together by skin. They barely raised their arms for defense. Like some of the previous ones, he banged their heads off the hard brick walls surrounding them. 

The last man took him to the ground, battering wildly against the officer's guard. Though he was a head taller, Tatsumi grabbed onto the man's face, reversing their position, muscling him onto his back and mounted him. Each thunderous fist strike smashed into the rapist's head, bouncing it off the hard concrete below them. 

"What do you think you were doing, you animals?" Tatsumi shouted at him. His knuckles bled, aching terribly from all the punches he's had to ram into their skulls, dulled only by scorching rage pumping through his veins. "I should kill all of you bastards. Every single one of you. No, I should cut your dicks off and let you bleed out on the fucking street. You deserve to die." He growled through his bloodied teeth. Kept bludgeoning him, be it with his fists or his elbows. The man- No, this filthy animal. He forfeited his right to be called 'a man'. 

No response. Looked red and half dead like all of his friends by now. Tatsumi moved towards the trembling girl under heavy breaths. She scooted backwards, desperately trying to create distance between them, eyes looking back at him as if he was a worse monster than the ones he had slain moments prior. He seized her wrist and wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace.

"It's over. Everything's going to be ok. I'm here to save you." Tatsumi whispered into her ear under ceaseless downpour. Adrenaline ebbed away, giving way to a flood of throbbing pain "They can't hurt you anymore." 

She still shivered in his arms, struggling to break free, until she eased up. Probably realized that this was her savior by now. 

"I'll get you somewhere safe, alright? Are you hurt?" Tatsumi inquired in a cautious tone, gently picking her up. Upon feeling no resistance from her, he went to carry the victim to his department. 

*******

The interrogation of the girl had been a delicate dance between trying to stay calm himself, not upsetting the highly distraught victim and getting answers. Her name was Sawa. Apparently, they were all strangers to her. No particular connections. They just wanted to rape some girl after getting hammered and she happened to be the unlucky one. Her defilers had been apprehended, stuffed behind bars where they belonged. You could be a thief, a fraud or even a serial killer, anything was better than the crime these animals committed. They were undoubtedly going to get what they deserved, be it by their fellow inmates or some of the guards. Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. 

He escorted her to the hospital closeby, where they would hopefully take care of all her injuries. Tatsumi was sitting on the wooden bench facing the glass door leading outside of the department. Several of his colleagues passed him by silently, returning to whatever work they had going on. Glancing down at his busted knuckles and the scorched armor plates, his rain-soaked body shivered ever so slightly without permission in these cold walls. 

It dawned on him now. Tatsumi had 'saved' Sawa. How many more Sawas were out there right now? And he was cowering on some bench. It was past midnight by now. Barely half of the way through. If Tatsumi could, he'd have cooped himself up in the department and just ran out the clock, until the sun would rise, forcing the monsters lurking in the dark to retreat into hiding in whatever abyss they spawned from. 

Pathetic!

In the army, they'd have laughed at him, exhorted him to cry them a river before they'd have pressed a sword into his hands before shoving him into whatever battlefield they wanted him on regardless. 

Back outside he marched. Seryu had warned him long before even. And by god, he wished he would have listened. The vast, beautiful capital drowned in unrelenting rain like the hideous streets in crushing waves of criminality and depravity. 

*******

Drops of water and weary steps echoed through the silent halls of the imperial prison. A young man laid on the cold floor of his cell, barely awake but not asleep either. He no longer perceived the eye watering stench permeating this entire cesspool of a building. He barely perceived anything anymore for that matter. 

A mix of adrenaline and the sight of a familiar face awoke him. He shot up from his fetal position, hanging onto the rusted bars as if his life depended on it. 

"Ren Adachi…" The known male voice faintly called out to him. 

"Officer! The girl's alive, right? She made it. Please tell me she made it."

"Last time I checked, she was still in a coma but the nurse I talked to said she has a good chance of getting over the hill. How are you holding up?" Tatsumi informed him. The man somehow looked worse than himself, his body a canvas for black and blue.

"Thank the fucking lord…" Ren heaved out a sigh of relief. "Your guys broke my orbital or whatever the fuck it's called. Probably dislocated my shoulder too. I've seen better days to be honest…" Ren returned with a weary, but contagious smile. What other options did he have at this point…

"Not my guys. Ogre's guys." 

"With all due respect, it makes no fucking difference to my body. They were asking me about dead guards and shit for days on end, while beatin' the crap outta me. I ain't killed no police. What the fuck?!" 

"Yeah… My Captain thinks you're some sort of serial killer. Hell, he probably knows you're not the guy but he wants someone to pin it on." 

"Well, fuck ain't that wholesome…" Ren scoffed, sinking lower alongside the bars onto his knees. "Whoever this son of a bitch is that goes around murdering police in broad daylight, it ain't me. Get that through your fucking skulls!" 

"I'm tryin' to sleep! Shut the fuck up!" An inmate from the opposing end shouted. 

"Or what?" Tatsumi roared back in similar volume and hurled his first against the metal. It was deadly silent after its banging echo ceased. 

Ren's disbelieving glare dissipated into a soft stare. "Damn, you sound pissed… Everything alright?" 

"It's been… a week. Don't mind me." Tatsumi sighed as he pinched the sides of his forehead to at least somewhat quench the migraine that slowly announced itself. If he could, he'd bathe in ice. "I wanted to get to you way earlier but I was busy cracking two murders and getting the other scum off the streets because most of my colleagues can't be arsed to do their jobs."

"That's called work. It happens to everyone, bro." 

If Tatsumi wasn't the one bearing the brunt, he might have even laughed at the joke. He gave the inmate a brief sidelong glance. "I believe in your innocence. I've seen what killers are and you're not one of them. Whatever they try to accuse you of, there's no evi-" 

"Appreciate that, man but you'll have to catch that son of a bitch or-" He shivered, stroking both his arms for some desperately craved warmth and hope. His gulp could be heard several cells further. "Let's not talk about that."

"Hang on a second. I know this sounds cynical, but if guards still die with the same MO while you're locked up in here, you can't be the killer." Tatsumi returned. Better not mention that said serial killer had been oddly inactive the past few days, which usually would be a good thing. This week just kept getting worse and worse… 

"Obviously. But look, you said it yourself. Your boss wants a scapegoat and unfortunately, that's my broke ass. They'll make up any shit necessary to have me hang." His hands already gestured his execution. 

Tatsumi fell silent for a lack of possible responses. They both knew that Ren was right. He had to apprehend the daylight killer or there was a good chance that an innocent man would be punished for the sins of another.

Tatsumi's weary eyes sharpened. "Alright, I'll catch the bastard and lock him up myself if I have to. You sit tight in the meantime." 

Ren scoffed. "Not like I have a choice." 

"I told them to stand down, but they're obviously not going to. Don't confess anything you haven't done, no matter how hard they're working you. "

"You know, these past few days I've been thinking a lot about my girl and our baby growing inside her. I thought about breaking it off with Tamaki a bunch of times, but right now… She's the only thing that keeps me going. Fuck, after I'm outta here, first thing I'm gonna do is get on my knees and propose to her." Ren's hand went to hide his quivering lips, glassy eyes still betraying pent-up agony. 

Tatsumi reached his hand past the metal and gently stroked the man's shoulder. If these damned bars weren't between them, he'd have pulled Ren in for comfort. 

"I promise I'll get you out of this hell as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Tatsumi… I know you're hella busy, but please… for everyone involved, don't take too long."

Their hands grabbed onto each other in an almost brotherly half-hug. "You have my word." With a nod, he moved onto his next prisoner. Her stay in this rotten place was equally as unjust and undeserved as the detention of the previous inmate. 

"Sheele?" Tatsumi quietly called. The woman put on her glasses before she rose slowly from the dilapidated wood mattress hanging off the wall. The shrieking movement seemed to have woken her cellmate. 

"Officer! What a pleasure to see you. How are you?" The woman greeted him with a sleepy, yet radiant smile that illuminated the grim penitentiary with its genuine kindness and made him forget everything that preceded it for a brief moment. 

"I should be asking you that. Did the other inmates bother you in any way?" 

"No, they've been very kind to me."

"Good. That's… a relief." 

Sheele's tall cellmate spoke up from his bed. Never thought a voice could be this deep, yet it matched his burly physique. "A bunch of these animals tried to touch her, but we shut that down right away, the moment they looked at her funny. Sheele's the best, really. She's listened to all our stories and was kind to all of us. She doesn't deserve to be here unlike some of us. They murdered her parents and nearly her as well, for crying out loud!"

"I know…" Tatsumi muttered. "Thank you for looking out for her. And sorry I said that thing with chopping it off." 

"Nah, it's alright. These fucking perverts asked for it. You had to make a statement or they were gonna go ape-shit crazy. And it kinda helped even. Most of 'em didn't even dare jerking off the next few hours." The tall, dark-skinned man chuckled. "This place is cruel, but we deserve it. People like me. I'm gonna miss Sheele, but… please get her outta here as soon as possible. This ain't no place for a woman. Especially for a woman like Sheele." 

Multiple voices from every direction seconded that demand like a rousing call on this early morning. 

"Yeah, man! Justice for Sheele!" 

"Free Sheele!" 

"I'd still like to lick her feet!"

"You're fucked up, man." 

"I'm working on it." He turned his gaze back onto her. "You've been stuck in here long enough. Maybe I can push a few buttons and have you released today." 

"That would be lovely, but you don't have to hurry." How she could stay so calm and light-hearted in this messed up situation was beyond him. "Takezo was it, yes?" 

A tired smile spread across his lips. "Close. It's Tatsumi." 

"Ah! Forgive me!" And again, she bowed profusely like she had done the last time. 

"It's alright, just sit tight. I'll get you out of here." His chuckle was interrupted by a drawn out yawn. 

******

Gray clouds hung over the emperor's domain and his many subject's still resting safe and sound in their beds, before yet another day of work in the capital would commence. One of the early birds had settled behind his desk, trusted paper mug filled with steaming, black coffee to his right. Hachirō skimmed through the most recent reports. Sip from his coffee. The refreshingly bitter fluid poured down his throat pushing aside any remaining fatigue. Muggings, fraud, arson, murder and some more murder, though heinous, these crimes weren't in his focus. 

The folded newspaper rested beside him. Hachirō never cared much for the news, but perhaps the sports part might be worthwhile. The economy was on the rise, the emperor recently celebrated his 11th birthday. The rebellion of the western tribes was to be 'resolved' soon. Apparently, Night Raid -or whatever these anarchic terrorists called themselves- killed some rich bankier last night. Kept flipping through the pages. Nothing that warranted his discerning glance, until-. 

"Multiple disappearances! Disappearances slightly on the uptick!"

The article was quick to blame the occurrence on 'Night Raid' like most other grievances in the country. Apparently, they were also to blame for the bad harvest. What was next? Night Raid, the source of economic decline, rising food prices and evil!

Baseless accusations. Abduction wasn't even their MO. They had no need for that. The bags he and his colleagues had collected the past few weeks had made that abundantly clear.

Might be human trafficking. Might be cleanup. Might be something else entirely. What were the odds that the author of the headline would soon be one of them?

His train of thought was derailed by his colleague hobbling past him, subsequently crash landing into his chair. Tatsumi came into view under the desk lamp's light. The left half of his face was bruised, his armor was in horrible condition and his empty gaze said more than a thousand words. A glance at his busted knuckles sufficed to roughly tell what had happened. 

"Rough night, huh?" 

"Don't want to talk about it." 

"Yeah? Alright." Hachirō shrugged and stood up. He returned minutes later with a blanket as well as a mug of hot cocoa, wrapped said blanket around Tatsumi and returned to his seat, skimming through the documents stacked on his desk. 

"Thanks…" He slumped deeper into his chair, helplessly burying his face into his hands. "I solved two cases and now I have two more cases to solve."

"That's how it goes, soldier. Work's never short in this place." 

Comfort seeped into his soaked body as he took a sip from his mug. "I noticed… Can you do me a favor, please?" 

"Shoot." 

"Two actually. First, can you help me get Sheele released? You know, the woman who killed several men in self-defense in the traditional district at the local market." 

Eyes widened. "Purple hair, purple qipao. Same girl?" 

"Yeah, her. Witness accounts clearly point to self-defense. Aggressors were the gang members who sought revenge for their late boss, whom Sheele also killed in defending her girlfriend from his wrath the evening before." 

"Damn, sounds like a straight up crime drama. Well, maybe because it is one… just in real life." He snickered with a sweaty smile. 

"Seryu and I can also confirm this course of events. Sheele drove a kitchen knife into his back, while he strangled his girlfriend. Plus, I had the pleasure with her boyfriend in the afternoon before this all happened. Not like there's evidence hinting' towards anything else." Tatsumi glanced past his colleague. For a second, he hallucinated Seryu over at the entry. Was probably home and resting in bed by now. 

"It checks out then. I'm gonna take it up with Agawa later. Second?" 

"Right. Another inmate. Ren Adachi. He's innocent too. Tell everyone to back off. Ogre's trying to beat a confession out of him for crimes he didn't commit." 

"And you know he's innocent?" Again, the vice-captain's furrowed brow demanded further elaboration, preferably backed by evidence unlike the local gossip. 

"Yeah. The way he acts, there's no way he's a killer. I've seen murderers and he's not one of them. He's got everything to live for and everything to lose. He's going to be a father soon." Tatsumi elaborated, gaze uneasy and heavy as lead at the mention of the latter fact. 

Hachirō momentarily put down his glasses aside and massaged his temples, letting out a light groan. "I hear ya, but I'ma play devil's advocate and say that some psychos are just really good at hidin' their insanity." 

"Nah, not him. He's the only one who's helped the girl that day. You know, the girl that had almost been stabbed to death."

The vice-captain glanced up from the paper in his hands. "Which one exactly?" 

"Doesn't matter. Point is, he was the only one willing to help me prevent the victim's death. And the other civilians… They- Anyway, the daylight killer… that's a different beast altogether. Ren doesn't hate us. Nearly not enough to go on a killing spree like this. This killer probably has some kind of, what's the word again? Patho-" 

"Pathological." 

"Thanks. That serial killer has a pathological hatred towards us in particular. You can't hide that." 

"That makes sense. I wouldn't be surprised if this was tied to some sort of traumatic experience. Abuse by a guard. Perhaps he has a hatred for his father, who happens to be one of us. Something like that. And now he's out for blood." 

"I'm going to have to figure that out. And fast. Or Ogre, this son of a bitch, is going to put Ren on the chopping block." Another surge of indignation widened his eyes and raised his voice. 

"Say it louder and he might add his two cents." 

Tatsumi didn't bother to look over his shoulder. "Bring it on for all I care." He hissed. "You gave the order to leave Ren alone when I told you last week, right?"

"That I did. Captain Ogre must've rescinded that order. There's little I can do about it." Hachirō put particular stress on the title of their colleague.

"Why?" 

"Because he outranks me." 

"Right. Right…" Head nodded incessantly as he bit on his lower lip. "I keep forgetting. Just can't take the bastard seriously, when he's strolling out of some brothel half-drunk into the night, while he forces most of us on double shifts because 'we're low on manpower'. Bunch of bullcrap, if you ask me." 

"Look, I'm not one to gossip over other people's vices, but he ain't wrong. It's brutal out there." The vice-captain laid down whatever report he was going through, and eyed his co-worker with an expectant stare. He furrowed his brow. "That everything?" 

"Should be." 

Tatsumi emptied his mug of hot cocoa. He should take some time to make that more often at home for Sayo, Ieyasu and himself. His hand already slightly took off the table. All he had to do was straighten out his legs and stroll out of the department into a well deserved nap. 

What kept him? Another swiping glance through the department came to linger on his colleague sitting across from him. 

"What about the case with the Komatsus?" Hachirō inquired. 

Tatsumi let out a heavy sigh. "Reina confessed. She's been apprehended." 

"Excellent work, then. You're gettin' better at this whole thing." 

"I just don't understand… She could have had her old life back. But instead she chose to murder these three women just so she could get back at her husband." 

"That's good, ol' fashioned revenge for ya." 

"Figured as much. But why wouldn't she just swallow it and take the gold?" 

The vice-captain leaned back in his chair and laid the paper in his hands aside. "Well, the concept of 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth' is as old as mankind. Possibly, even older than us. I'm not sayin' revenge's a good thing and that should pursue it but when ya been hurt terribly like Ms. Komatsu has been, especially by someone ya thought you loved, someone ya thought ya could trust… Oftentimes, there's many emotions involved, hatred in particular. And that hatred blinded her to the bigger picture."

"At least, she felt genuinely sorry, when I made her realize what she's done. She's endured all of this just to see her husband's shocked stare." 

"Exactly. When you're in that tunnel, this hatred can keep poisoning ya and all ya care about is getting your revenge. No matter the cost. She probably kept tellin' herself that this was something she had to do in order to be happy." 

"Then she should have taken that up with her husband instead of murdering three women." 

"What we should do and what we end up doin', often ain't the same. And look, ya ain't been in her seat." 

"Justice and vengeance aren't the same." Tatsumi retorted. 

"They ain't, but here I go talkin' like devil's advocate again. To those who've been on the wrong end, vengeance will always feel like justice." Hachirō returned with a shrug. 

Tatsumi fell silent, leaning back into his chair as he mulled over the vice-captain's words. Wasn't him beating the ten rapists half dead in retaliation to them violating Sawa not the same?

No. He had acted at the behest of justice, his duty as both a police officer and as a man. And if not either of these two, basic human, moral decency. 

Miss Hinamori however, had meticulously planned the murder of three unrelated women just to ruin the life of her husband, the same way he had ruined hers. 

These two could never be alike.

"That doesn't make what she did right." Tatsumi remarked with a stern gaze. 

"Course not. No man's got the right to take the life of another. We've got laws for that." The two fell silent again. Again, Tatsumi could feel his superior's stare linger on him, as he scanned the hall for a pack of ice, holding the side of his head where the shin of one of these bastards had connected.

"Something on my face?" Tatsumi inquired. 

"Don't act dumb. Ya know what I'm gonna say." 

"Nah, I really don't get it." 

"Take the rest of the week off, goddamnit!" The vice-captain commanded. 

The order inflamed him. Tatsumi shot up from his seat and snarled, turning a few tired heads around the department with his raised voice. "Captain, with all due respect... While I'm out there, I'm the only thing that stands between the innocent and these… these fucking animals. While I'm lying in bed, some drunk bastards go around town and rape whatever girl they can get their dirty hands on or some psycho goes around murdering god knows how many innocent people. So no, I can't take the week off!" 

Hachirō remained impassive, seated in his chair, without any sort of proportional response. "I understand…" He made a deep inhale, eyes shut. "So that's what this is about." He fished a cigarette out of his coat hanging over the chair.

Tatsumi merely gazed at his superior for answers. 

"I was afraid that this was gonna happen." His teeth gently bit onto the frame of his glasses. 

"What?" The younger officer slowly returned to his seat again. "Do you want to go for a smoke?" 

"Yeah, come outside with me." 

Hachirō lit his cigarette under light drizzle still persisting from the raining night. 

"So what's this all about? What did you fear was going to happen?" Tatsumi questioned. 

"When's the last time ya had a proper sleep?" 

He glanced down at this calloused hand, repeatedly fading in and out of his foggy view. "Been a while. I keep sleeping 2 or 3 here and there but I keep waking up and by then, I might as well stop trying and do some work." 

"Ever wondered why that is? It's your head that doesn't wanna quiet down when you go to bed." 

"How? Am I not supposed to be asleep?" 

 "Look, the bottom line is, your body might be asleep, but your subconscious keeps workin', digestin' whatever brain food ya fed it during the day."

Tatsumi averted his eyes, when he connected the dots under Hachirō's scrutinizing gaze. 

Hachirō let out a thick cloud of smoke as it dissipated into the humid morning air. "You feel guilty, don't ya? That's what's been keeping ya up at night, no?" 

"I don't know… The past few days were rough. And what kept me going on these long shifts wasn't the prospect of my paycheck or the love for my job. I'm not Seryu. I was just pissed off most of the time."

"All the more reason for ya to rest up. Then you'd be less angry." 

Tatsumi glanced up at the gray sky with grit teeth. "I don't even know why I'm like this. It's just that sometimes, it feels like no matter how hard I work… nothing changes. And I can't just stand by, while innocent people suffer." 

"You said as much already. And that's admirable. But…" Another smoky breath exhaled. "I also said this after ya dealt with what's his name again… Horimiya? Yeah. After ya dealt with that situation, I told ya that ya need to be able to let go or…"

"Or what?" 

"Or you're gonna destroy yourself eventually. Or worse." The vice-captain responded, firmly tapping Tatsumi's chest with his two fingers. 

"I can handle it!" He shot back.

"I see what you're tryin' to do. Look, the people need ya. But wouldn't it be better to rest a day or two and be back with full force rather than continuing and then when it matters you're out for a week or longer?" 

The logic was sound. The man's compassionate gaze left no room for argument.

"I was planning to take today off and maybe tomorrow."

"Not maybe. You will take tomorrow off. I'd rather have ya take the whole week off but by the sound of it, ya got your hands full." 

"Yeah. Lives are at stake." 

"Have faith in us. No one's gonna die because ya slept 8 hours." The vice-captain offered with that little, goofy grin of his. 

"Alright." He yawned with a weary smile of his own. "You know, I wouldn't mind lying in my bed right now." 

"I'm not gonna carry ya! Believe it or not, I've got work too, ya know!" 

"Don't worry, I'll make it home." 

"Speaking of which, why don't ya come over for dinner again? Hiroe's been asking for ya the last couple days." His smirk only widened. 

"Yeah? How's she doing? Didn't she have a cold recently?" 

"She's back in full swing. No way, a little cold could keep my girl down for the count for long. She's even started playing ball in the house a few days ago… Nearly kicked that vase to bits that Ayano got from her parents for her last birthday. Thank god, she missed. I wouldn't have heard the end of it." Hachirō sighed as he pressed his cigarette into the nearby ashtray. 

"That's good. And your wife?"

"All good. She's gonna make pizza on Friday. Ya gotta eat her pizza once in your life. It's the best. You'll see." 

"Friday, yeah? Is it alright if I bring Sayo and Ieyasu? They're my childhood friends." 

"Sure, the more, the merrier. I just need to let Ayano know in advance, so she makes enough." 

"I have no doubt about that…" Tatsumi mumbled. "Anyway, I'll get going before I pass out on my legs." 

"Alright. And point some ice on." 

"Will do. See you." 

"See ya." 

*******

Tatsumi slowly and silently stepped into his apartment as if he was inching closer towards a crime scene. The implicating scent of feminine perfume permeated the living room, a winter coat was draped over the chair to his left and boots stood next to said chair, waiting to be put on. A bowl with milk, oatmeal, slices of banana and a spoon rested on the table. Case closed. 

Sayo was getting ready for work. And going off the hectic clattering sound from the bathroom, she was late. Or at the very least, she thought so.

She came to a screeching halt before him. "You startled me, Tatsumi. Good morning." 

"Morning. You need to go?" 

"Yeah. Wait… I still have 5 minutes." Sayo sat down and poked around in her breakfast. 

"Ieyasu still napping?" 

"No, he's gone to the barracks. His evaluation for Captain rank is today." 

"Oh!" Tatsumi exclaimed. "He's going to get it though, so god will. I'm not worried." 

"Honestly, me neither. He's taken this whole thing very seriously." Sayo concurred before she shoveled another spoon down her throat. 

"It's almost scary. Ieyasu hardly takes anything serious." He chuckled. 

"We're adults now, I guess." Another glance at the ticking clock, then at Tatsumi's face. Sayo frowned briefly. "You're having the rest of the day off?" 

"Yeah and tomorrow as well. I'm going to make dinner later. Any wishes?" 

"No, anything you make is good." 

"Alright." He hummed. 

Sayo shot off her seat, empty bowl in hand. "Sorry to dump this on you, but… you see." 

"It's okay. First thing I'm going to do is take a hot bath and then a good nap." Tatsumi announced with a smile. 

"That's nice. God knows you earned it." She returned as she slipped into her boots. "See you later." 

"See you." 

A/N: Next chapter: Kill the arsonist

May I have your attention, please. We've been lied to by the press and mainstream media! Another chapter has appeared from the sky like the planes on their way to the twin towers. I barely spent a week on this chapter, thing pretty much wrote itself like Jeffrey Esptein's suicide note. This one was a nice change of pace and might offer some introspection into how Tatsumi currently feels and hints for things to come as far as his character is concerned. Also, it's kind of fitting, since it's Tatsumi's birthday today. (January 6th) Happy birthday, Tatsumi^^

It's obvious what's next, but there will also be other stuff going on. Night Raid will appear around chapter… don't hold me to that if my ad hoc plan doesn't add up. Around 20, early 20s. The same goes as per usual. Let me know what you think about the current arc, how long/short you want it to be, suggestions that aren't utterly far-fetched or depraved (well, it's AgK, who am I exactly fooling?) Discord tag is ashura3359 (I still despise the name change) and JFK was an inside job by the CIA. Thank you and goodbye. Stay comfy 🙂