Chapter Text
When did everything go straight to hell? The computer's flashing screensaver nearly strained Kenny's eyes and icons blurred around their edges in the periphery of his distant stare. He ran his fingers across his lids, browbone and finally circled the skin around his temples. The past few days didn't let up. It was only after the girl's death that everything took a turn for the worse, making his mission far more complex than he had expected. Kenny stalled far too long, and answers abandoned their clear trajectory.
What will become of that Kaito kid? There was no doubt about his involvement in Emi Konishi's death. It only solidified his theory that Kaito Dojima was a nascent entity breaking its way into this world. Did he use the girl as a sacrifice? Kumi's face flashed in his mind with her playful eyes and a grin too wide for her face; his heart twinged. He had gotten comfortable in this quaint little town, denying the truth hiding behind masks of ordinary children. It was only question of when—when will they transform?
His phone trembled across his desk in a muted buzz and the screen flashed an all too familiar name. With a swift hand he flipped it open.
"Agent three hundred thirty seven, reporting," he said.
"How far are you into this investigation?" The voice, calm and husky, crackled through the receiver.
"I have some information on the 'lead.' Her father is Adachi Tohru," Kenny said. "As far as I know, he likes to play games and I haven't been able to get much out of him."
"Adachi Tohru? The Inaba Killer? You're telling me he is the one who fathered 'The Light of Dawn'?"
"I can't say for sure if she's truly 'The Light of Dawn.' But I have a strong feeling that Dojima Kumi is Kagutsuchi's vessel." He paused for a brief moment's hesitation, and continued, "And her twin brother is...Kurogami's."
"Agent three thirty seven, do I have your full attention?"
"Yes sir?"
"By the order of 'Kirijo's Red Hand,' I need you to do what you would do if you were to come face-to-face with a newborn Fuhrer. That's how dangerous Kurogami is. So, you better be sure these two are who they are."
"It's complicated… They're… They're just kids."
"I was once a kid too when I sought to destroy this world. As fate would have it, I came to my senses and made it out with my life. This is different… prophetic and powerful. We can't risk the fate of this world over a kid, and his weapon."
"Weapon?" Kenny pressed the phone to his ear, as if to secure the next string of words.
"The 'Light of Dawn' is a weapon that exists between mind and matter, much like the 'Plume of Dusk,' and it's capable of destroying the border that separates our world from other realms, exposing us to dangers beyond our understanding. If Kurogami gets his hands on this sword...he could enslave us if he wanted to."
"Christ…"
"Bring us the girl as soon as possible. We can attempt to extract it from her, but there's no guarantee she'll survive."
"Studying Kumi could give us insight on other realms. She's the key needed to fulfill my mother's research," Kenny said.
"If you don't get her to us soon, away from Kurogami, we'll have no choice but to suspend her research indefinitely."
"No!" Kenny nearly hurled the phone against the wall. "She spent years on it. Minazuki-san. Please..."
"Did her research bear any fruit for our endeavors?"
The rhetorical bite felt like a tear across his chest, stinging and vandalizing his dearest memories of childhood. Mother, had she not been put away on the count of insanity, would know how to handle this. Kenny took a deep breath.
"I'll get you what you need," Kenny said. "I have a plan, but I'll need resources for when I'm in a pinch."
"Consider it done. Break some rules and I'll make some calls."
"Thank you, Minazuki-san." The line cut into a tri-toned chime and went silent.
Outside, a door slammed shut and Jhene stormed across the hallway, making her way towards Dojima's office. Her footsteps fell with weighted clicks and receded into a halt, then her voice echoed from the corridor. "I want my son out of jail. Now!" she demanded. Dojima's softer tone followed. "Honey, let's not do this right now," he consoled.
"No! I'm not leaving until you free him. What you're doing is unfair! He's innocent! Kumi's been sick with nerves throwing up every night worried about her brother! How could you do this to our son? What if he has another episode? He needs his medication!" Episode… What could she be referring to? Does Jhene know something about his unique 'condition?' Kaito had always appeared to be a healthy young man—a young man only on the surface.
Dojima's voice was almost inaudible, "I'm doing everything to make sure he's comfortable." he said. "That I can assure you. I can't get into specifics, but he needs to stay here until he's cleared."
"Cleared of what exactly?" she asked.
"Jhene, this is a waste of time. Go home."
"N-no. Not without my son. Please, Ryotaro."
"I'll give you a ride home," he said. "We'll sort everything out. I promise."
Kenny slumped against his chair and they continued to bicker. The thought of Ryotaro arresting his adopted son wasn't far from logical. In fact, he wasn't just his adopted son; Kaito was his former partner's biological kin. His resemblance was uncanny, down to Adachi's angled jawline. Ryotaro's keen instincts were echoes of wounds, still bleeding from the past, bursting open like hastily sown sutures.
The conversation continued: "Kaito is not his father," Jhene said. "He wouldn't hurt anyone and you know it. I can't believe you'd even entertain the notion!"
"There was a time I thought I only knew cold hard facts. I trust my boy. Believe me, Jhene, I'm betting everything on him. I'd bet my life on him if I could. I trust him, but he needs to pass the judgement of law. None of us are above it."
"You can't fool me," she said. "This was never about the law."
With that, Jhene sealed her point and her footsteps staccatoed slowly into the hallway. This woman didn't deserve to be undermined for the sake of some self-righteous judicial pursuit. Was Dojima aware of the smoke and mirrors? The juvenile deception that 'thing' held over the entire town?
In her dejection, Jhene was not just a worried mother, but a potential source of knowledge on what the existence of her children could mean for this world. Will she be willing to talk despite her desperate state? Perhaps, if he were to gain her trust, the answers would become clearer. Still, she posed a significant threat to his mission. She'd either have to comply, or he'd have to do the unthinkable—hopefully she doesn't get in the way.
Jhene's silhouette appeared from the corridor and she leaned on the doorframe connecting the office, her delicate eyebrow arched.
"You burnin' the midnight oil tonight?" she asked.
"I-I...I guess I was, hehe," he winced at his nervous response. Behind those dark eyes it was hard to tell what she was thinking. She was like a stone, weathered by years of lapping waves, yet still standing. Something about the imagery brought him calm and with a shot of courage, he stood and approached her near the doorway, leaning into her space. He slightly towered over, and her eyes remained fixed on his.
"Sounds like you had a long night?"
"I wouldn't say it was long" she murmured. "My husband's biggest case involves his own family… and he still dismisses it."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he breathed. "As his wife, you would think you'd be the most important case."
"At a time I was." Her eyes glistened under the distant corridor light, glossed over by reluctant tears. "I heard what you did for Kumi. Taking her to see her father… What you did for her, it was brave."
"She reminds me of my little sister, Yumi," Kenny said, exhaling a forlorn chuckle. "You know, when she's chatty, it means she's comfortable around you."
"Well, how was she around her father?" Jhene asked.
"Chatty."
She suppressed a laugh and a sob simultaneously, then wiped the droplets with the back of her hand. "She's just like him, from what I remember, which is not a lot," she said. "Which is why I don't miss him at all." She paused for a moment before continuing, "But I have questions only he could answer and I could use your help with that..."
Kenny reached for her hands, holding them in his. Her pulse was thumping under his fingertips, almost as if she were nervous about what she truly wanted to ask. She didn't need to. Kenny had his own questions she might be able to answer, if any. She knew Adachi, after all. She was his sole surviving victim, alive against supernatural odds. But how?
"Jhene," he said. "You don't owe me anything, I'll take you straight to him if you want."
"You'd do that for me?"
Kenny nodded. "For the Boss's wife, anything she wants."
Her eyes lit up from the shadows, and nothing could have been a lovelier sight than a headland finding reprieve on a low tide day. Too bad those moments are the most fleeting. Jhene leaned into Kenny, her soft frame pressed against his. At any moment his boss could show up beside the corner and find them in this compromising position. The fear melted away as Kenny held her in a protective embrace. He had always wanted a moment like this, with her, and it's finally in his longing grasp. If only Adachi could see him.
He reluctantly pulled away and said, "We can go now. Only if you want to, of course."
"Yes. Let's go," she whispered.
Kenny peered beyond the corridor, checking his surroundings. Empty and still with only pale fluorescence whitening the walls. "Here, take my hand." She held it firm, and they hurried through the doors, towards their clandestine venture. One that makes you question if it'd ever happen again. Only time could tell.