[045] - Won't Stop to Surrender (Jun/Nino)
Title: Won't Stop to Surrender
Fandom(s): Arashi
Pairing/Genre: Jun/Nino; steampunk noir magicverse AU
Rating/Warnings: PG; none
Word Count: 6800
Summary: "You're Ninomiya Kazunari, age 28, level 4 unregistered technopath living in the basement of Ohno Satoshi's bread shop. Your mother lives three blocks over in a rundown tenement with your older sister and her two children," Jun rattles off. Nino's eyes narrow dangerously, but Jun just plows through. "You have an unmatched talent at repairing steamcars, no desire to ever work for the Government, and someone has planted false memories in your mind."
Notes: Steampunk noir magicverse for gimmick_game at je_otherworlds. It was such fun to come up with this world. Inspired by various films/characters/actors/what-have-you I've been obsessed with recently. I apologize for nothing.
•••••
Monday. 8 a.m. - Res Town
Morning fog covers most of Ide's affluent West side as Jun pilots his halcyon away from the bustle of the city toward the quiet, rundown residential areas known as Res Town. He fights back a yawn as his legs continue to pump steadily, rotating the overhead blades. The halcyon was a bit of an extravagant purchase, he supposes, but no more than the steam cars his coworkers have been lusting after lately. The part bike, part helicopter vehicle served as his first gift to himself for getting through the Academy.
Patting his pocket for the hundredth time since he left his matchbook-sized apartment that morning, Jun is reassured that his shiny new badge is present. This is his first big assignment as a member of the Ide Police Force and he has no intention of screwing it up by doing something as ridiculous as forgetting his badge.
Jun's terrified, to be quite honest. Afraid of screwing up, of not being able to complete his mission, of having to use his blaster on someone. He'll do it, of course, if he has to, but even with his Academy training, Jun is still somewhat of a pacifist. He'd prefer to find the bad guys and take them in without a fight. He knows that's probably a pipe dream, but Jun's an optimist.
He passes through the morning mist and into a more toxic kind of fog as he approaches the outlying industrial areas around Ide's residential neighborhoods. The division between rich and poor, Paths and untalented, resonates all too strongly in the residential areas of town. Jun's lucky - born a level 4 mind-reading Path, he was practically assured a spot in the Academy. He worked his way through school with single-minded determination and graduated the top of his class, able to suss out even the deepest of secrets with only a few moments with a person. He'd make a great cop, if he could ever locate his balls.
The bread shop comes into view as he crests the final hill into Res Town and Jun slows his pedaling. Ohno Satoshi's shop is small and quaint, but homey. Jun can just catch a glimpse of crusty, brown bread displayed in the window as he sets the halcyon down outside. His stomach rumbles once and he pats it, mentally berating himself for skipping breakfast. One could say Jun's not much of a morning person, but that would be the understatement of the century, to be sure.
A tinkly chime goes off as he pushes through the front door into the shop. The scent of freshly baked bread is almost overwhelming and Jun can't help but breathe it all in. He lets his eyes slide closed for a moment while he bathes in the feeling of home.
"Can I help you?" a soft voice calls from the back of the shop. Jun's eyes shoot open and he takes a moment to regain his composure. A small, serious man stands behind the counter filled with everything from croissants to donuts, his eyes friendly. He's already got bread flour all down his front, but Jun supposes that's a hazard of the job.
"Yes, I'm looking for Ohno Satoshi? I have a personal matter I'd like to discuss with him."
The man's eyebrows draw together slightly and he nods. "What can I do for you?"
"My name is Matsumoto Jun," he says, stepping forward and holding out his right hand while digging in his pocket for his badge. He finally gets to flash it at someone! Jun can't help but feel official and grown up as he does so. "I'm with the Ide Police Force. We've been investigating some rather unusual instances around the city."
Ohno gazes at the badge for a moment, his deft fingers trailing across the raised city crest before looking back up at Jun, his face marginally more relaxed, but something about him remains guarded.
"And my little bread shop is unusual? We do have pretty amazing peach turnovers, but I can't imagine anything else would be of use to you, Officer Matsumoto." He hands back Jun's badge with a little smile and crosses his arms. Jun can tell he's close to losing him and reigns it back in.
"Not at all," he says, smiling in what he hopes is a diffusion of the situation. Jun's aware of how harsh he can look when he's being serious-face-cop!Jun, but he knows he's got a smile that makes grannies wilt with happiness. And he's not afraid to use it. "It's less the bread, which smells fantastic, by the way, and more the rather competent auto repair that's coming from your back room."
Ohno visibly starts and Jun knows he's got him. He doesn't know exactly what he's got, but this is a start, at least.
"I should clarify, Mr. Ohno, I'm not here to arrest anyone. I'm just gathering information."
Ohno's silent as he sizes Jun up, gazing at him with a penetrating stare that makes Jun's smile falter slightly. Ohno relaxes minutely and sighs.
"If you're nice, you can come meet Nino." He turns and goes through the curtain ostensibly leading to the ovens, leaving Jun in the main area of the shop a bit agog. "Come on," Ohno calls, poking his head back through. "His work area's downstairs."
The basement of the shop is small and dark, not unlike its only resident. Loud, angry music blasts overhead as Jun tries not to trip down the narrow staircase to the workroom. A slight man clad in a motor oil stained tank top stands before a disassembled steamcar engine, his small fingers flying over the parts as he puts it back together. Jun stops at the bottom of the stairs and just gawks for a moment, Ohno chuckling beside him. Within moments, the engine begins to take shape. Jun holds in the little sound of excitement at the sight of the engine - he's always had a bit of a thing for cars. He gets lost for a moment in watching the man put the engine back together like a child's puzzle - easy and familiar.
"Nino?" Ohno calls softly. Jun starts, having forgotten Ohno was standing right next to him. Regaining his composure, he stands straighter and nods as the small man turns to face them, his hands still moving over the engine.
"Just a sec," he says, meeting Jun's gaze. The familiar current of electricity runs through Jun as he dips into Nino's mind for a moment. It's all schematics and engine parts, nothing Jun can use for the moment. He blinks and he's back in the present.
Nino finishes the engine in record time and wipes his dirty hands across his stained shirt before turning and holding one out to Jun, a small smile quirked upon his lips.
"Ninomiya Kazunari."
"Matsumoto Jun, Ide Police Force," Jun says, shaking hands and flashing his badge, but not letting Nino get his greasy fingers on it. If he thinks Nino blanches for a moment, it's quickly covered up by a wider smirk as he turns to grab a rag to toss at Jun.
"What exactly can I do for you, Officer Matsumoto?" Jun doesn't have to read his mind to know Nino's walls have just gone up. This may be more difficult than he'd planned for.
Pocketing his badge, Jun addresses both Ohno and Nino. "I'm investigating reports of some unusual activity in Res Town. Several officers believe it to be the work of unregistered Paths, but I'm not so sure that's the root of it."
The two share a glance as Jun explains himself and he's sure he's come to the right place.
"Let me make this very clear," Jun says, showing his hand. "I'm not looking for unregistered Paths. I'm trying to find out who's hurting them." Nino meets his gaze this time and visibly crumbles.
"Tea?" he asks, turning his back on Jun again. Jun has to recover for a moment. Before nodding, a quiet 'thank you' escaping his lips.
They retreat to the kitchen, Ohno putting a kettle on to warm while Nino gets cleaned up. Jun's not sure what he's looking for exactly, but he's pretty sure he's on the right track.
"Nino's not a bad guy, you know," Ohno says, filling cups with hot water and tea leaves. "He's just…." He shrugs and Jun understands.
All level 3 and above Paths must register by the age of 5 or they're "removed" from society. The powers that be don't like to use the word "killed," choosing instead to settle on something less-horrifying-sounding. Jun's aware of families hiding their children from registration, teaching them to mask their skills to appear less powerful than they are. The technopaths and readers, like Nino and Jun, are the easiest to hide, their skills being almost entirely mental. Young teleporters and telekinetics, though, are the first to be sussed out.
"I know," Jun says, hoping he's being encouraging and not just smarmy. Registration had started as a way to keep track of future leaders - or so they were told. It meant being taken from your family at a young age to train for future employment with the Government. Jun himself hasn't seen his mother since he was 5 years old. Despite having a complete mastery over his mind-reading abilities, Jun prefers to talk to people, something his superiors aren't too fond of. He likes the interpersonal contact, getting to know who someone is beyond what they have in their brain. It's not fair to walk among someone else's memories, Jun thinks. That's not his place.
As an officer, though, he will use his abilities when necessary to protect his life or the lives of innocents. It's what he's been trained to do since he was a child.
"Alright, Officer Eyebrows," Nino says, plopping in a chair and stealing a cookie from Jun's plate. "What can I do for you?"
Jun resists the urge to roll his eyes and steals his cookie back just before it's lost to Nino's stomach.
"You're Ninomiya Kazunari, age 28, level 4 unregistered technopath living in the basement of Ohno Satoshi's bread shop. Your mother lives three blocks over in a rundown tenement with your older sister and her two children," Jun rattles off. Nino's eyes narrow dangerously, but Jun just plows through. "You have an unmatched talent at repairing steamcars, no desire to ever work for the government, and someone has planted false memories in your mind."
Nino's face pales and Jun knows he's hit the nail on the head. He leans forward in what he hopes is a disarming way, softening the lines of his face as he does so.
"I told you I wasn't here to arrest you and I'm not. I'm here to help find out who's been hurting Paths and bring them to justice."
Ohno settles between them and sips at his tea placidly, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room.
"He just wants to help, Nino," he says, placing a hand upon Nino's arm. "Let him help you."
They stare at each other for a moment, a silent conversation passing between them that Jun is sure has nothing to do with being a mind-reader, and Nino visibly relaxes, as if Ohno would never turn him the wrong way.
"Zyxt," Nino says quietly, looking down to pick at his nails.
"What?" Jun and Ohno chorus.
Nino looks up, directly into Jun's eyes, a sign of trust most people don't offer mind-readers.
"Zyxt. That's all I have. Several months ago, I went to a chemist to have someone help me hide from mind-readers by planting false memories and training me to resist being read. I think they did more, though." Nino stops him ramble and looks back down.
Something clenches in Jun's chest and he simply feels for the man sitting across for him for a moment.
"More? Like what?" he asks, his voice softer this time.
"I can't really explain it." Nino's forehead furrows in concentration and he closes his eyes slowly. "I was told I'd know the difference between the real memories and the fake ones, but everything is just kind of….hazy." He looks at Jun again, pleading with his eyes. "I just know I've been compromised. And I don't know how."
Ohno's hand squeezes Nino's arm momentarily and releases, as he looks at Jun contemplatively. "So?"
"Zyxt?" Jun asks. "Well, it's a place to start. I'll be in contact." Rising, Jun thanks them for his tea and exits the building.
As he straps himself into the halcyon, Jun wonders what exactly he's gotten himself into. He'd known chemists were influencing the thoughts of Paths, but he didn't know it was quite like this.
He'd have to go talk to Nakai.
---
Monday, 2:02 p.m. - Nakai's Office
When he was in the Academy, Jun had been trained to deal with combative people, learned to interrogate, even had one instance that a simulation had started shooting at him. Jun likes to think he's pretty level-headed around these kinds of situations.
And then there's Nakai.
Small and shrewd, Nakai hides his more illicit activities behind a legit front thanks to his right hand man, Kimura. The Government knows they're up to something, they just haven't been able to pin anything on him yet.
Jun's not terribly hopeful about his chances. He's had run-ins with Nakai before - all of them ending with Jun wanting to sock the man in the jaw. But at the moment, he's the only lead Jun has.
Landing the halcyon on the roof of Nakai's building, Jun gives himself a pep talk before heading down the stairs to the office. What the front is, Jun's not sure. He's not sure anyone knows, not really. Shingo and Tsuyoshi are stationed at the door, as usual. Shingo smiles broadly, his friendly face lighting up when he sees Jun walk up.
"Officer Matsumoto! It's been a while since we last saw you," he says amicably. Jun reaches out to shake his hand and smiles back. Shingo's a nice guy. Jun's not quite sure how he got mixed up with the likes of Nakai, but he's not going to ask the guy for a backstory or anything.
Tsuyoshi's face is like marble, all sharp lines and narrowed eyes. Jun offers him his hand and he shakes it, but not without a moment of hesitation.
"What can we do for you, Officer?" Tsuyoshi asks, polite but guarded.
"I'd like to speak with Nakai, if he's in," Jun replies, just as polite. He's found it's easier to deal with these people if he keeps it light. The moment he turns on Cop Mode, he loses them.
"Yeah, absolutely," Shingo replies with a grin, opening the door for him. "Go right in, he's not busy."
"Thanks, gents," Jun nods, patting his blaster on the way in the office. He doesn't think he'll need it, but a good cop is always prepared.
Nakai's office is opulent in a way that it shouldn't be on this side of town. Dark, heavy wood bookcases mirror the giant desk Nakai is settled behind. Kimura's settled on the dark leather couch, legs crossed and looking for all the world like he's bored out of his mind. He barely glances up as Jun walks in, merely giving Jun a raised eyebrow in response to his presence. Nakai rises from his large desk chair and walks around, all smiles, as he holds out a hand to shake Jun's.
"Officer Matsumoto, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he croons, his voice like liquid metal - warm, but lethal.
Jun settles into one of the chairs, unbuttoning his jacket a bit. It's hardly his fault if his blaster shows as he sits. Jun's not really one for displays of power, but with Nakai, he needs all he can get.
"I know you run a chemist, Nakai," he says evenly, ignoring the instantaneous way Nakai's eyes go hard. "I'm just here to make sure it's on the level."
"I don't know what you could be talking about, Officer," Nakai replies smoothly, spreading out paperwork across his desk. "I assure you we run a legitimate business here at SMAP Inc."
Jun nods a few times and folds his hands together in his lap, leaning back in the chair to prop one ankle on the opposite knee, for all the world looking comfortable with the situation as his insides churn with nervousness. He feels a bit like a duck out of water and Nakai knows it. Part of him wishes Kamenashi had stayed on as his partner so he wouldn't have to do this alone.
"I assure you, Mr. Nakai, I'm not here to make waves," Jun says, keeping his tone polite and airy. "Just checking out a few leads on a new case I'm working."
"Stop scaring the boy," Kimura drones from somewhere behind Jun, sounding bored and like he hates his life.
Jun scowls at the insinuation, but Nakai relaxes a hair, obviously trusting his second-in-command.
"If I were to run an operation such that you speak of," he starts, leaning back. "I can confirm it would be nothing short of just barely illegal."
Repressing the chuckle that threatens to burst out, Jun coughs into his hand a few times.
"Does the name Zyxt mean anything to you?" he asks. Jun can practically hear Kimura still behind him, see the gears pause in Nakai's head. Definitely hit a nerve with that one.
"I don't know what you could be talking about," Nakai replies, shifting his weight.
Jun hums contemplatively, still staring Nakai down for a moment. He nods, standing and rebuttoning his suit jacket.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you gentlemen." Nodding at Kimura, Jun exits the office, throwing up a wave to the men at the door and escaping to the rooftop helipad.
There's definitely something up with this Zyxt character, Jun just knows it. But what?
---
Tuesday, 10:16 a.m. - Ide Police Department
Jun may have possibly fallen asleep at his desk while prowling through every available archive for the word "Zyxt." He wakes with a start at 7 a.m., face mashed into his keyboard, and gets up into the spare shirt he keeps in his office and start the coffee pot. By 8 a.m. he feels marginally more human; by 10, he's ready for a nap.
Sakurai Sho steps into his matchbook-sized office at 10:16 with a box of what Jun hopes/prays/pretends are donuts and a smile.
"You are officially my favorite human being," Jun says with a small smile, signing for the box and handing Sho a cup of coffee. A registered level 3 teleporter, Sho makes deliveries for various businesses between assignments with the Government's supply division. They've known each other for a few years now and Jun is rather fond of Sho, thinking him far better than merely a delivery boy. Sho likes to keep Jun on his toes. And in donuts.
"This I know," Sho replies, accepting the coffee with a matching smile and sliding into one of Jun's office chairs. He fiddles with the paper cup for a moment before speaking again. "I heard you visited Satoshi yesterday."
Jun's mouth is full of donut and he's still waiting for his second wind to kick in, so excuse him if he doesn't quite catch up for a moment. "I'm sorry, who?"
"Ohno," Sho says slowly, looking up at Jun and taking a sip of his coffee.
Jun wipes his mouth with a napkin and settles back behind his desk. "The bread shop owner?" he asks, biting into his donut.
Sho smiles fondly. "That's the one."
"How do you know him?" Jun asks, his investigation skills kicking in high gear as he drops his donut on a napkin and picks up his pen.
Sho just chuckles. "Our parents are old friends."
Jun scowls for a moment. "But how do you know him? I haven't seen my parents since I was five. I assumed everyone that registered had a similar experience."
"I met my parents again when I turned 18," Sho replies, steepling his fingers in front of his face. "You could, too, you know." Sho looks at him pointedly and Jun avoids his gaze. As much as Jun wants to know his parents, his family, he's afraid of what they might think of him. It's better to stay detached. He only really needs himself.
"Okay, so you met your parents and, presumably, this Ohno character when you were 18," Jun says, making notes as he goes. "What about Nino? Where does he come into play?"
Sho pauses, seems to be collecting his thoughts. He leans forward, then back. Sips his coffee. Jun coughs pointedly. Sighing, Sho settles back, defeated.
"Nino and Ohno were neighbors. As you know, Nino's unregistered, but hides his skill," Sho starts slowly.
Jun nods, perhaps a bit too pleased his case finally has a break of sorts. He should probably be concerned that he's so excited to hear more about this mysterious technopath, but Jun's ignoring that part of his brain for the moment, choosing instead to focus on the thrill of the hunt - discovering new clues that could help him solve a problem.
"When he was 16, someone tried to turn Nino in. Ohno's family hid him, Nino's moved away to protect them all. He's been on his own ever since," Sho concludes with a sigh. "We try to help him - me and Ohno. But he's so…closed off. Nino's definitely his own person in a lot of ways."
Jun's heart aches a bit at the story. He understands being alone, but he's been raised to be alone. Nino had a family, a loving home, and suddenly it was taken from him. At least he still had Ohno and Sho, but Jun knew that couldn't be enough.
They sit in silence for a moment before Sho rises with a small smile and a crease to his brow. "I'll let you get back to it, then," he says, leaving the office with a small wave.
Dammit, Jun thinks. He really didn't need to feel any more sympathy toward this man. He's surprised to find he's more determined than ever to hunt down the people hurting the Paths. And make them pay.
---
Wednesday, 8:23 p.m. - Ide Community Jail
It's been a long day, but Jun's just barely scratching the surface of what he needs to get done. Halfway through the morning, Detective Joshima dropped three new files on his desk and assigned Nagase, of all people, to help him run through them. Jun would have rather done it on his own than listen to constant discussion of penis size and fart jokes. He's fairly certain Nagase's a few years older than he is, but he would swear the man has the mentality of a 14 year old.
Now, finally, after the longest day in existence, Jun finds himself in the local lockup, meeting with someone he'd never thought he'd have to talk to again.
"Akanishi," he says, nodding as he sits at the small metal table.
"Ah, Matsumoto," Akanishi says brightly, throwing fingerguns up at him. "How's things in the ol' police station?"
"Oh, you know," Jun hedges, resisting the urge to grin. "Picking up trash, throwing it away. You know how it goes."
Akanishi laughs bitterly and slaps one hand on the table. "Oh Matsumoto, you do know how to make a man hate his life."
"It's a special talent," Jun replies.
"So why are you really here?" Akanishi asks, face going serious all at once. It unnerves Jun how easily he can do that, slip from one mode to another with little to no provocation.
Jun sighs and leans forward, placing his elbows on the table.
"There's a bad situation going on out there with a dirty chemist. You know anything about that?"
Akanishi's expression turns sour instantly. "Yeah, I know something about that. Bastards are the reason I'm in this joint sleeping on a concrete bed with nothing but my hand for company."
Jun rolls his eyes at the excessive information and narrows in on the point. "What makes you think it was a chemist?"
"Before I got caught," Akanishi starts, leaning in and lowering his voice. "I was running Spice for some guys. The Boss wanted me to see a chemist to get the memories altered. Turns out they did that and more. Got fingered for a bunch of robberies I never did."
Jun frowns. Akanishi's a petty thief and idiot druggie, but he wasn't someone Jun would peg as a big time robbery kingpin. "Someone told me you can tell the difference between false memories and the real ones. Can you?"
Nodding, Akanishi leans even further forward, his chin almost touching the table. "There's this haze around the outside of some of my memories. It's kind of…greenish. A greenish yellow. And, I don't know," he pauses.
"Yeah?"
"Sometimes, I can see a guy, I think. Just on the edge. Brown, floppy hair, maybe curly? And another with some serious fucking cheekbones."
Jun ponders this for a moment. "That's not much to go on, Akanishi," he says, holding in a sigh. "Brown hair and a guy with cheekbones?"
"Serious fucking cheekbones," Akanishi repeats, eyes wide.
Tossing a pack of cloves on the table, Jun rises and nods his thanks. Interesting, he thinks. Not terribly conclusive, but interesting.
---
Thursday, 11:04 a.m. - Ohno's Bakery
The bread shop smells just as glorious on Thursday morning as it did on Monday. Jun's mouth waters at the sight of the French loaves coming out of the oven as he crosses the threshold, door chime happily dinging his arrival.
"Ah, Jun-chan," Ohno says, dropping the hot bread into a lined basket and covering it with a cloth. Jun frowns that the familiar tone in his voice, but doesn't fight it. He has a mission.
"I'm here to talk to Nino," he says, getting right to business.
"He's down in the shop," Ohno replies, turning to knead a large mound of dough. "You know the way, yes?"
"Yeah, thanks." Jun slides behind the curtain and down the steep staircase to the basement. Nino's workbench is bare, the engine presumably being completed and moved into…whatever it goes into.
"Oh hey, it's Jun-chan!" A floppy-haired young man bounces over to Jun and practically wiggles with excitement.
"Uh, what?"
"Hey Jun-pon!" comes Nino's familiar voice from an open doorway. "That's Aiba. He's harmless, practically a puppy. I'll be right out!"
"I've heard all about you, Jun! You're a cop? How cool is that! How did you become a cop? Have you ever shot someone? When was the last time you had to chase somebody? Can I see your badge? When did you pass the exam? Did you like the Academy? Oh my gosh, look what I can do!" Aiba's mouth never stops moving as he darts around the room, asking question after question. Jun's a little overwhelmed by it all until Aiba starts moving small objects with his mind.
"Oh, you're a telekinetic Path," Jun says, understanding a bit how Aiba operates. Every telekinetic he's ever met has been a bit…excitable, you might say.
"Level 2! Unregistered because I'm basically useless to the Government, but I can help Satoshi with the bread and get Nino tools and don't tell anyone, but I'm a pretty decent lockpick if I need to be." Aiba beams at him and Jun rocks back on his heels at the force of it. He can understand why Nino and Ohno are friends with him. Aiba's smile could power the sun, he thinks.
"Well, I wouldn't go around advertising that to a cop," Jun chuckles.
Aiba's eyes go wide as he shakes his head. "Oh no no, I'd never use it to break into someone's house or anything."
"I'm kidding, Aiba," Jun assures him, smiling softly.
"Okay, good." Aiba brightens visibly at the reassurance. "Have you come to see Nino's Percheron?"
Jun frowns. Percheron's were older model motorcars, before the steamcars, even. They'd run on gasoline instead of water and were kind of volatile.
"How did he get his hands on a Percheron?" Jun asks, interest piqued.
"I built it," Nino answers. He emerges from the back room, wiping his hands on a rag. Holding up a set of keys, he smiles wickedly. "Wanna see?"
The car is a thing of beauty and Jun might be a little bit in love. All reds and yellows in the paint job with a hint of sparkle when the sunlight hits it just right. Nino starts it up and it purrs like an overgrown kitten. Steamcars don't make that sound, and to Jun's knowledge, neither did motorcars. He looks at Nino inquisitively, not wanting to ask the question, but dying to know how.
"Fusion," Nino replies. "Of sorts. It's not quite nuclear, but it's close. Safer than gasoline and more efficient than steam."
Jun nods, completely in awe. "This is amazing, Nino," he says, running one hand over the hood carefully.
"Yeah, I know," Nino smirks back at him. "So why are you here, Officer Jun-pon?"
Turning back to Nino, Jun frowns a bit. "Well, first of all, we've got to stop with the Jun-pon nonsense."
"Alright Jun-chan." Jun's frown deepens. Nino just smiles angelically. Jun gives up.
"Fine," he sighs. "Secondly, I talked to Akanishi yesterday. He told me something interesting about his chemist experience, or what he thinks may have been his chemist experience."
Nino's face hardens at the mention of chemists, but he doesn't say anything, merely nods Jun on.
"He said the false memories were hazy, just like yours, but the haze was a greenish yellow, right around the edges."
"Yeah, mine are too," Nino says with a nod. He squints a bit, as if trying to see his memories clearer. "And sometimes I think I see someone there, just on the edge."
"Floppy brown hair? And another guy with 'serious cheekbones'?" Jun asks.
"Them's the ones," Nino replies, pointing at him. He strokes one hand down his Percheron and frowns. "There's a third person sometimes, but I can't quite see him. I can hear his voice, though. It sounds like….like…."
He screws up his face in concentration, hands on the sides of his head. All at once, Nino's body relaxes. "Like honey. Or molten metal. Smooth and dangerous."
Jun freezes. He knows someone with a voice like that.
"Thanks, Nino," he says, hurrying back inside the shop. "I've got a lead now."
---
Thursday, 10:48 p.m. - Central Ide
Jun had left the bread shop with his hopes high, sure he had a decent idea of where he was going, but to no avail. Detective Joshima wouldn't hear a word about it until he had hard facts, something concrete to tie his case together. Jun spent the whole day poring over archives, witness reports, interviews with suspects, anything to give weight to his tenuous argument.
He's boiling water for pasta in his tiny apartment, barely larger than his office, when there's a soft popping sound from the living room followed by a heaving cough. Jun grabs his blaster from the holster on the table and rounds the corner to see Sho holding a bleeding Ohno around the waist.
"He's been stabbed in the shoulder and punched pretty good in the gut," Sho explains as Jun drops his blaster and hurries to help Ohno into a chair.
"You should have taken him to the hospital," Jun scolds, grabbing an old t-shirt nearby to apply pressure to the wound.
"You need to hear-" Ohno starts, but stops to cough several times, blood dotting the sides of his mouth.
"Nino's been taken," Sho says solemnly. "Satoshi managed to call me as they were breaking in, but I didn't get there until after they'd already gotten him."
Jun's conflicted. Ohno's bleeding out on the chair he picked up at the antique market last year, but Nino's been taken who knows where to do who knows what.
"I'm fine," Ohno rasps, smiling up at Jun.
"You're bleeding through one of my favorite shirts and your teeth make you look like a vampire," Jun deadpans. "You're not fine."
"It's not fatal," Sho says, touching Jun's wrist. He looks up into Sho's eyes and reads what's there.
"Hurts like a bitch, though," Ohno grumbles quietly.
Jun just applies more pressure and directs Sho to get the medical kit from the bathroom. He dresses Ohno's wound carefully and quickly and changes him into a clean shirt, tossing his old one with Jun's into the incinerator. They situate Ohno on the couch with a pillow and he's out almost immediately.
"He'll be fine," Jun murmurs. He turns to Sho, face serious. "Now, tell me what happened to Nino."
"All I know is that he was taken. Some guys, two of them, bigger than both Satoshi and Nino, busted into the shop about half an hour ago. They beat the crap out of Satoshi, whammed Nino on the head and dragged him out. He managed to leave behind a message, though," Sho says, holding out his communicator. He'd snapped a picture - a small pile of bolts rearranged into the letters NAKA.
Jun gasps as he realizes his suspicions were correct.
"I need to get to the station. You stay here and watch Ohno, make sure he doesn't die on my couch."
"I'm not leaving you to do this alone!" Sho insists, his jaw set in a stubborn line.
"Ugh, I don't have time to argue with you about this!" Jun can hear his voice is near shouting. The last thing he wants is for a potential witness (and maybe, friend, if he admits it to himself) may be beyond his help. "Fine," he concedes. "Let's go."
They set Ohno up with fresh bandages and water nearby before the head out the door. Stepping into the street to teleport away, a loud "JUN-CHAN" comes from down the street. Jun turns, ready to blast whoever it could be when he realizes it's just Aiba, bouncing toward them, his face worried.
"I heard about Nino and I want to help," he heaves, normally breathy voice raspy with exertion.
"I can take you both," Sho says, arching an eyebrow at Jun.
"This is the most troublesome case I've ever worked," Jun grumbles, reaching out to put a hand on Sho's arm. "Come on, then."
---
Thursday, 11:25 p.m. - Zyxt Hideout
They end up somewhere in the warehouse district of Ide. Jun's not familiar with the area, but he makes note of the street signs as they hurry to the unassuming building Sho is sure they're in. Stopping outside the closed door, Jun peeks inside to see Nakai walking around a table with Nino strapped to it. Another man with brown, floppy hair is standing at a bench, drawing chemicals into a syringe. Kimura hovers nearby, picking at his nails and looking, as usual, bored with the situation. The muscle, Shingo and Tsuyoshi are nowhere to be found, but Jun is sure they're around somewhere.
"I've got this," Aiba whispers, pushing Jun out of the way and putting one hand on the door handle. He closes his eyes and screws up his face in concentration. It only takes a few seconds before Jun hears the door pop open.
"Aiba, I could kiss you right now," Jun says, clapping him on the shoulder quietly.
"Later, baby," Aiba winks and slinks back into the shadows.
Jun slides away from the door and calls for backup, making up a story about illegal drugs being manufactured in the warehouse district - not a complete lie, but he's careful to leave out his name and details about Nino while he's at it.
As he creeps back to the door, Sho's watching the action within.
"What's the situation?" Jun asks, peering over the edge of the window again.
"I think Nakai's monologuing like a supervillain," Sho replies. He looks like he's trying to hide a smile and Jun can't help but agree. Nakai would make a great supervillain, he's sure.
Jun unholsters his blaster and sneaks in the door, Sho close behind. They duck behind a pile of crates and wait for a moment. Sure enough, Nakai's going on and on about how his perfect plan almost worked.
"The Paths have taken over this city," he's saying, just close enough for Jun to catch his speech. "And I mean to take it back."
"Can you pop me over there to get Nino when he turns around?" Jun asks Sho quietly.
"I think so," Sho replies. "I just- We have to save him, Jun."
Jun nods, but doesn't dare try to offer any words of encouragement. He knows Nino means a lot to not just Sho, but all of them. Even Jun himself at this point.
"Let's do it," he breathes.
Nakai chooses that moment to turn to the chemist and Jun grabs Sho's hand with a nod. Jun's not a huge fan of teleportation, preferring to fly or drive to get places. They land next to Nino with a soft pop and his stomach turns. Nino's face is swollen and bloodied, his eyes nearly closed, but he still manages a small smirk when he sees Jun's face looming over him.
They quickly and quietly unstrap Nino from the bench, helping him stand carefully on the floor.
"Hey Nakai," Jun says loudly, holding up his communicator. "Say cheese."
Nakai and the chemist spin, eyes wide with fury, and Jun catches a photo of them. "Bye," he whispers, and grabs Sho's hand. They're out the door in a moment, stumbling down the road to Aiba's hiding place before the police can arrive.
They almost make it.
---
Six months later - Ide Police Headquarters
The halls of the station are quiet as Jun hurries down the stairs to research and development. A new hire just started today and he's anxious to meet him. Detective Matsumoto doesn't generally go out of his way to meet all the new hires, but this one is special. This one got him promoted.
Pushing through the quiet doors of the R&D department, Jun holds back a small smile at the sight of Nino standing at a bench, hands flying over something overly complicated. It reminds him of the first time he met the technopath, the start of the longest week of his life.
"I heard they hired some kind of criminal down here," Jun starts, leaning against the doorframe. "But I didn't want to believe it was true."
Nino turns and throws up his trademark smirk. "Ah, Detective Matsumoto. What brings you down to R&D? Besides harassing the hardworking help, that is?"
Walking over to the bench, Jun smiles broadly. "Just came to see how you're doing down here."
"Aww, Jun-pon, you shouldn't have," Nino replies, looking down at his work and smiling. Jun can just barely see the rosy flush creep across his cheeks.
Captured as they escaped the warehouse, Nino was arrested for being a level 4 unregistered Path. Luckily, he had a friend in the police department. And a damn good witness statement against Nakai, codename Zyxt. He'd reluctantly registered with the Government, and upon seeing how talented he really was, got himself a job.
Jun was just glad he was safe again. They all were, for now.
"Now, how about buying the newbie some lunch?" Nino asks, turning to smile and putting one hand on Jun's.
Jun looks down at their joined hands and pauses, confused.
"I thought you didn't like me," he says. "I mean, not like…. you know."
"Yeah, I know," Nino replies, rolling his eyes. "You saved my life, in more ways than one. Of course I like you." He squeezes their hands lightly. "Besides, Jun, you're a mind-reader. What good are you if you don't, you know, read minds?"
"Shut up," Jun says with a smile. He didn't need to read Nino's mind to know he was happy.
Fandom(s): Arashi
Pairing/Genre: Jun/Nino; steampunk noir magicverse AU
Rating/Warnings: PG; none
Word Count: 6800
Summary: "You're Ninomiya Kazunari, age 28, level 4 unregistered technopath living in the basement of Ohno Satoshi's bread shop. Your mother lives three blocks over in a rundown tenement with your older sister and her two children," Jun rattles off. Nino's eyes narrow dangerously, but Jun just plows through. "You have an unmatched talent at repairing steamcars, no desire to ever work for the Government, and someone has planted false memories in your mind."
Notes: Steampunk noir magicverse for gimmick_game at je_otherworlds. It was such fun to come up with this world. Inspired by various films/characters/actors/what-have-you I've been obsessed with recently. I apologize for nothing.
•••••
Monday. 8 a.m. - Res Town
Morning fog covers most of Ide's affluent West side as Jun pilots his halcyon away from the bustle of the city toward the quiet, rundown residential areas known as Res Town. He fights back a yawn as his legs continue to pump steadily, rotating the overhead blades. The halcyon was a bit of an extravagant purchase, he supposes, but no more than the steam cars his coworkers have been lusting after lately. The part bike, part helicopter vehicle served as his first gift to himself for getting through the Academy.
Patting his pocket for the hundredth time since he left his matchbook-sized apartment that morning, Jun is reassured that his shiny new badge is present. This is his first big assignment as a member of the Ide Police Force and he has no intention of screwing it up by doing something as ridiculous as forgetting his badge.
Jun's terrified, to be quite honest. Afraid of screwing up, of not being able to complete his mission, of having to use his blaster on someone. He'll do it, of course, if he has to, but even with his Academy training, Jun is still somewhat of a pacifist. He'd prefer to find the bad guys and take them in without a fight. He knows that's probably a pipe dream, but Jun's an optimist.
He passes through the morning mist and into a more toxic kind of fog as he approaches the outlying industrial areas around Ide's residential neighborhoods. The division between rich and poor, Paths and untalented, resonates all too strongly in the residential areas of town. Jun's lucky - born a level 4 mind-reading Path, he was practically assured a spot in the Academy. He worked his way through school with single-minded determination and graduated the top of his class, able to suss out even the deepest of secrets with only a few moments with a person. He'd make a great cop, if he could ever locate his balls.
The bread shop comes into view as he crests the final hill into Res Town and Jun slows his pedaling. Ohno Satoshi's shop is small and quaint, but homey. Jun can just catch a glimpse of crusty, brown bread displayed in the window as he sets the halcyon down outside. His stomach rumbles once and he pats it, mentally berating himself for skipping breakfast. One could say Jun's not much of a morning person, but that would be the understatement of the century, to be sure.
A tinkly chime goes off as he pushes through the front door into the shop. The scent of freshly baked bread is almost overwhelming and Jun can't help but breathe it all in. He lets his eyes slide closed for a moment while he bathes in the feeling of home.
"Can I help you?" a soft voice calls from the back of the shop. Jun's eyes shoot open and he takes a moment to regain his composure. A small, serious man stands behind the counter filled with everything from croissants to donuts, his eyes friendly. He's already got bread flour all down his front, but Jun supposes that's a hazard of the job.
"Yes, I'm looking for Ohno Satoshi? I have a personal matter I'd like to discuss with him."
The man's eyebrows draw together slightly and he nods. "What can I do for you?"
"My name is Matsumoto Jun," he says, stepping forward and holding out his right hand while digging in his pocket for his badge. He finally gets to flash it at someone! Jun can't help but feel official and grown up as he does so. "I'm with the Ide Police Force. We've been investigating some rather unusual instances around the city."
Ohno gazes at the badge for a moment, his deft fingers trailing across the raised city crest before looking back up at Jun, his face marginally more relaxed, but something about him remains guarded.
"And my little bread shop is unusual? We do have pretty amazing peach turnovers, but I can't imagine anything else would be of use to you, Officer Matsumoto." He hands back Jun's badge with a little smile and crosses his arms. Jun can tell he's close to losing him and reigns it back in.
"Not at all," he says, smiling in what he hopes is a diffusion of the situation. Jun's aware of how harsh he can look when he's being serious-face-cop!Jun, but he knows he's got a smile that makes grannies wilt with happiness. And he's not afraid to use it. "It's less the bread, which smells fantastic, by the way, and more the rather competent auto repair that's coming from your back room."
Ohno visibly starts and Jun knows he's got him. He doesn't know exactly what he's got, but this is a start, at least.
"I should clarify, Mr. Ohno, I'm not here to arrest anyone. I'm just gathering information."
Ohno's silent as he sizes Jun up, gazing at him with a penetrating stare that makes Jun's smile falter slightly. Ohno relaxes minutely and sighs.
"If you're nice, you can come meet Nino." He turns and goes through the curtain ostensibly leading to the ovens, leaving Jun in the main area of the shop a bit agog. "Come on," Ohno calls, poking his head back through. "His work area's downstairs."
The basement of the shop is small and dark, not unlike its only resident. Loud, angry music blasts overhead as Jun tries not to trip down the narrow staircase to the workroom. A slight man clad in a motor oil stained tank top stands before a disassembled steamcar engine, his small fingers flying over the parts as he puts it back together. Jun stops at the bottom of the stairs and just gawks for a moment, Ohno chuckling beside him. Within moments, the engine begins to take shape. Jun holds in the little sound of excitement at the sight of the engine - he's always had a bit of a thing for cars. He gets lost for a moment in watching the man put the engine back together like a child's puzzle - easy and familiar.
"Nino?" Ohno calls softly. Jun starts, having forgotten Ohno was standing right next to him. Regaining his composure, he stands straighter and nods as the small man turns to face them, his hands still moving over the engine.
"Just a sec," he says, meeting Jun's gaze. The familiar current of electricity runs through Jun as he dips into Nino's mind for a moment. It's all schematics and engine parts, nothing Jun can use for the moment. He blinks and he's back in the present.
Nino finishes the engine in record time and wipes his dirty hands across his stained shirt before turning and holding one out to Jun, a small smile quirked upon his lips.
"Ninomiya Kazunari."
"Matsumoto Jun, Ide Police Force," Jun says, shaking hands and flashing his badge, but not letting Nino get his greasy fingers on it. If he thinks Nino blanches for a moment, it's quickly covered up by a wider smirk as he turns to grab a rag to toss at Jun.
"What exactly can I do for you, Officer Matsumoto?" Jun doesn't have to read his mind to know Nino's walls have just gone up. This may be more difficult than he'd planned for.
Pocketing his badge, Jun addresses both Ohno and Nino. "I'm investigating reports of some unusual activity in Res Town. Several officers believe it to be the work of unregistered Paths, but I'm not so sure that's the root of it."
The two share a glance as Jun explains himself and he's sure he's come to the right place.
"Let me make this very clear," Jun says, showing his hand. "I'm not looking for unregistered Paths. I'm trying to find out who's hurting them." Nino meets his gaze this time and visibly crumbles.
"Tea?" he asks, turning his back on Jun again. Jun has to recover for a moment. Before nodding, a quiet 'thank you' escaping his lips.
They retreat to the kitchen, Ohno putting a kettle on to warm while Nino gets cleaned up. Jun's not sure what he's looking for exactly, but he's pretty sure he's on the right track.
"Nino's not a bad guy, you know," Ohno says, filling cups with hot water and tea leaves. "He's just…." He shrugs and Jun understands.
All level 3 and above Paths must register by the age of 5 or they're "removed" from society. The powers that be don't like to use the word "killed," choosing instead to settle on something less-horrifying-sounding. Jun's aware of families hiding their children from registration, teaching them to mask their skills to appear less powerful than they are. The technopaths and readers, like Nino and Jun, are the easiest to hide, their skills being almost entirely mental. Young teleporters and telekinetics, though, are the first to be sussed out.
"I know," Jun says, hoping he's being encouraging and not just smarmy. Registration had started as a way to keep track of future leaders - or so they were told. It meant being taken from your family at a young age to train for future employment with the Government. Jun himself hasn't seen his mother since he was 5 years old. Despite having a complete mastery over his mind-reading abilities, Jun prefers to talk to people, something his superiors aren't too fond of. He likes the interpersonal contact, getting to know who someone is beyond what they have in their brain. It's not fair to walk among someone else's memories, Jun thinks. That's not his place.
As an officer, though, he will use his abilities when necessary to protect his life or the lives of innocents. It's what he's been trained to do since he was a child.
"Alright, Officer Eyebrows," Nino says, plopping in a chair and stealing a cookie from Jun's plate. "What can I do for you?"
Jun resists the urge to roll his eyes and steals his cookie back just before it's lost to Nino's stomach.
"You're Ninomiya Kazunari, age 28, level 4 unregistered technopath living in the basement of Ohno Satoshi's bread shop. Your mother lives three blocks over in a rundown tenement with your older sister and her two children," Jun rattles off. Nino's eyes narrow dangerously, but Jun just plows through. "You have an unmatched talent at repairing steamcars, no desire to ever work for the government, and someone has planted false memories in your mind."
Nino's face pales and Jun knows he's hit the nail on the head. He leans forward in what he hopes is a disarming way, softening the lines of his face as he does so.
"I told you I wasn't here to arrest you and I'm not. I'm here to help find out who's been hurting Paths and bring them to justice."
Ohno settles between them and sips at his tea placidly, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room.
"He just wants to help, Nino," he says, placing a hand upon Nino's arm. "Let him help you."
They stare at each other for a moment, a silent conversation passing between them that Jun is sure has nothing to do with being a mind-reader, and Nino visibly relaxes, as if Ohno would never turn him the wrong way.
"Zyxt," Nino says quietly, looking down to pick at his nails.
"What?" Jun and Ohno chorus.
Nino looks up, directly into Jun's eyes, a sign of trust most people don't offer mind-readers.
"Zyxt. That's all I have. Several months ago, I went to a chemist to have someone help me hide from mind-readers by planting false memories and training me to resist being read. I think they did more, though." Nino stops him ramble and looks back down.
Something clenches in Jun's chest and he simply feels for the man sitting across for him for a moment.
"More? Like what?" he asks, his voice softer this time.
"I can't really explain it." Nino's forehead furrows in concentration and he closes his eyes slowly. "I was told I'd know the difference between the real memories and the fake ones, but everything is just kind of….hazy." He looks at Jun again, pleading with his eyes. "I just know I've been compromised. And I don't know how."
Ohno's hand squeezes Nino's arm momentarily and releases, as he looks at Jun contemplatively. "So?"
"Zyxt?" Jun asks. "Well, it's a place to start. I'll be in contact." Rising, Jun thanks them for his tea and exits the building.
As he straps himself into the halcyon, Jun wonders what exactly he's gotten himself into. He'd known chemists were influencing the thoughts of Paths, but he didn't know it was quite like this.
He'd have to go talk to Nakai.
---
Monday, 2:02 p.m. - Nakai's Office
When he was in the Academy, Jun had been trained to deal with combative people, learned to interrogate, even had one instance that a simulation had started shooting at him. Jun likes to think he's pretty level-headed around these kinds of situations.
And then there's Nakai.
Small and shrewd, Nakai hides his more illicit activities behind a legit front thanks to his right hand man, Kimura. The Government knows they're up to something, they just haven't been able to pin anything on him yet.
Jun's not terribly hopeful about his chances. He's had run-ins with Nakai before - all of them ending with Jun wanting to sock the man in the jaw. But at the moment, he's the only lead Jun has.
Landing the halcyon on the roof of Nakai's building, Jun gives himself a pep talk before heading down the stairs to the office. What the front is, Jun's not sure. He's not sure anyone knows, not really. Shingo and Tsuyoshi are stationed at the door, as usual. Shingo smiles broadly, his friendly face lighting up when he sees Jun walk up.
"Officer Matsumoto! It's been a while since we last saw you," he says amicably. Jun reaches out to shake his hand and smiles back. Shingo's a nice guy. Jun's not quite sure how he got mixed up with the likes of Nakai, but he's not going to ask the guy for a backstory or anything.
Tsuyoshi's face is like marble, all sharp lines and narrowed eyes. Jun offers him his hand and he shakes it, but not without a moment of hesitation.
"What can we do for you, Officer?" Tsuyoshi asks, polite but guarded.
"I'd like to speak with Nakai, if he's in," Jun replies, just as polite. He's found it's easier to deal with these people if he keeps it light. The moment he turns on Cop Mode, he loses them.
"Yeah, absolutely," Shingo replies with a grin, opening the door for him. "Go right in, he's not busy."
"Thanks, gents," Jun nods, patting his blaster on the way in the office. He doesn't think he'll need it, but a good cop is always prepared.
Nakai's office is opulent in a way that it shouldn't be on this side of town. Dark, heavy wood bookcases mirror the giant desk Nakai is settled behind. Kimura's settled on the dark leather couch, legs crossed and looking for all the world like he's bored out of his mind. He barely glances up as Jun walks in, merely giving Jun a raised eyebrow in response to his presence. Nakai rises from his large desk chair and walks around, all smiles, as he holds out a hand to shake Jun's.
"Officer Matsumoto, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he croons, his voice like liquid metal - warm, but lethal.
Jun settles into one of the chairs, unbuttoning his jacket a bit. It's hardly his fault if his blaster shows as he sits. Jun's not really one for displays of power, but with Nakai, he needs all he can get.
"I know you run a chemist, Nakai," he says evenly, ignoring the instantaneous way Nakai's eyes go hard. "I'm just here to make sure it's on the level."
"I don't know what you could be talking about, Officer," Nakai replies smoothly, spreading out paperwork across his desk. "I assure you we run a legitimate business here at SMAP Inc."
Jun nods a few times and folds his hands together in his lap, leaning back in the chair to prop one ankle on the opposite knee, for all the world looking comfortable with the situation as his insides churn with nervousness. He feels a bit like a duck out of water and Nakai knows it. Part of him wishes Kamenashi had stayed on as his partner so he wouldn't have to do this alone.
"I assure you, Mr. Nakai, I'm not here to make waves," Jun says, keeping his tone polite and airy. "Just checking out a few leads on a new case I'm working."
"Stop scaring the boy," Kimura drones from somewhere behind Jun, sounding bored and like he hates his life.
Jun scowls at the insinuation, but Nakai relaxes a hair, obviously trusting his second-in-command.
"If I were to run an operation such that you speak of," he starts, leaning back. "I can confirm it would be nothing short of just barely illegal."
Repressing the chuckle that threatens to burst out, Jun coughs into his hand a few times.
"Does the name Zyxt mean anything to you?" he asks. Jun can practically hear Kimura still behind him, see the gears pause in Nakai's head. Definitely hit a nerve with that one.
"I don't know what you could be talking about," Nakai replies, shifting his weight.
Jun hums contemplatively, still staring Nakai down for a moment. He nods, standing and rebuttoning his suit jacket.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you gentlemen." Nodding at Kimura, Jun exits the office, throwing up a wave to the men at the door and escaping to the rooftop helipad.
There's definitely something up with this Zyxt character, Jun just knows it. But what?
---
Tuesday, 10:16 a.m. - Ide Police Department
Jun may have possibly fallen asleep at his desk while prowling through every available archive for the word "Zyxt." He wakes with a start at 7 a.m., face mashed into his keyboard, and gets up into the spare shirt he keeps in his office and start the coffee pot. By 8 a.m. he feels marginally more human; by 10, he's ready for a nap.
Sakurai Sho steps into his matchbook-sized office at 10:16 with a box of what Jun hopes/prays/pretends are donuts and a smile.
"You are officially my favorite human being," Jun says with a small smile, signing for the box and handing Sho a cup of coffee. A registered level 3 teleporter, Sho makes deliveries for various businesses between assignments with the Government's supply division. They've known each other for a few years now and Jun is rather fond of Sho, thinking him far better than merely a delivery boy. Sho likes to keep Jun on his toes. And in donuts.
"This I know," Sho replies, accepting the coffee with a matching smile and sliding into one of Jun's office chairs. He fiddles with the paper cup for a moment before speaking again. "I heard you visited Satoshi yesterday."
Jun's mouth is full of donut and he's still waiting for his second wind to kick in, so excuse him if he doesn't quite catch up for a moment. "I'm sorry, who?"
"Ohno," Sho says slowly, looking up at Jun and taking a sip of his coffee.
Jun wipes his mouth with a napkin and settles back behind his desk. "The bread shop owner?" he asks, biting into his donut.
Sho smiles fondly. "That's the one."
"How do you know him?" Jun asks, his investigation skills kicking in high gear as he drops his donut on a napkin and picks up his pen.
Sho just chuckles. "Our parents are old friends."
Jun scowls for a moment. "But how do you know him? I haven't seen my parents since I was five. I assumed everyone that registered had a similar experience."
"I met my parents again when I turned 18," Sho replies, steepling his fingers in front of his face. "You could, too, you know." Sho looks at him pointedly and Jun avoids his gaze. As much as Jun wants to know his parents, his family, he's afraid of what they might think of him. It's better to stay detached. He only really needs himself.
"Okay, so you met your parents and, presumably, this Ohno character when you were 18," Jun says, making notes as he goes. "What about Nino? Where does he come into play?"
Sho pauses, seems to be collecting his thoughts. He leans forward, then back. Sips his coffee. Jun coughs pointedly. Sighing, Sho settles back, defeated.
"Nino and Ohno were neighbors. As you know, Nino's unregistered, but hides his skill," Sho starts slowly.
Jun nods, perhaps a bit too pleased his case finally has a break of sorts. He should probably be concerned that he's so excited to hear more about this mysterious technopath, but Jun's ignoring that part of his brain for the moment, choosing instead to focus on the thrill of the hunt - discovering new clues that could help him solve a problem.
"When he was 16, someone tried to turn Nino in. Ohno's family hid him, Nino's moved away to protect them all. He's been on his own ever since," Sho concludes with a sigh. "We try to help him - me and Ohno. But he's so…closed off. Nino's definitely his own person in a lot of ways."
Jun's heart aches a bit at the story. He understands being alone, but he's been raised to be alone. Nino had a family, a loving home, and suddenly it was taken from him. At least he still had Ohno and Sho, but Jun knew that couldn't be enough.
They sit in silence for a moment before Sho rises with a small smile and a crease to his brow. "I'll let you get back to it, then," he says, leaving the office with a small wave.
Dammit, Jun thinks. He really didn't need to feel any more sympathy toward this man. He's surprised to find he's more determined than ever to hunt down the people hurting the Paths. And make them pay.
---
Wednesday, 8:23 p.m. - Ide Community Jail
It's been a long day, but Jun's just barely scratching the surface of what he needs to get done. Halfway through the morning, Detective Joshima dropped three new files on his desk and assigned Nagase, of all people, to help him run through them. Jun would have rather done it on his own than listen to constant discussion of penis size and fart jokes. He's fairly certain Nagase's a few years older than he is, but he would swear the man has the mentality of a 14 year old.
Now, finally, after the longest day in existence, Jun finds himself in the local lockup, meeting with someone he'd never thought he'd have to talk to again.
"Akanishi," he says, nodding as he sits at the small metal table.
"Ah, Matsumoto," Akanishi says brightly, throwing fingerguns up at him. "How's things in the ol' police station?"
"Oh, you know," Jun hedges, resisting the urge to grin. "Picking up trash, throwing it away. You know how it goes."
Akanishi laughs bitterly and slaps one hand on the table. "Oh Matsumoto, you do know how to make a man hate his life."
"It's a special talent," Jun replies.
"So why are you really here?" Akanishi asks, face going serious all at once. It unnerves Jun how easily he can do that, slip from one mode to another with little to no provocation.
Jun sighs and leans forward, placing his elbows on the table.
"There's a bad situation going on out there with a dirty chemist. You know anything about that?"
Akanishi's expression turns sour instantly. "Yeah, I know something about that. Bastards are the reason I'm in this joint sleeping on a concrete bed with nothing but my hand for company."
Jun rolls his eyes at the excessive information and narrows in on the point. "What makes you think it was a chemist?"
"Before I got caught," Akanishi starts, leaning in and lowering his voice. "I was running Spice for some guys. The Boss wanted me to see a chemist to get the memories altered. Turns out they did that and more. Got fingered for a bunch of robberies I never did."
Jun frowns. Akanishi's a petty thief and idiot druggie, but he wasn't someone Jun would peg as a big time robbery kingpin. "Someone told me you can tell the difference between false memories and the real ones. Can you?"
Nodding, Akanishi leans even further forward, his chin almost touching the table. "There's this haze around the outside of some of my memories. It's kind of…greenish. A greenish yellow. And, I don't know," he pauses.
"Yeah?"
"Sometimes, I can see a guy, I think. Just on the edge. Brown, floppy hair, maybe curly? And another with some serious fucking cheekbones."
Jun ponders this for a moment. "That's not much to go on, Akanishi," he says, holding in a sigh. "Brown hair and a guy with cheekbones?"
"Serious fucking cheekbones," Akanishi repeats, eyes wide.
Tossing a pack of cloves on the table, Jun rises and nods his thanks. Interesting, he thinks. Not terribly conclusive, but interesting.
---
Thursday, 11:04 a.m. - Ohno's Bakery
The bread shop smells just as glorious on Thursday morning as it did on Monday. Jun's mouth waters at the sight of the French loaves coming out of the oven as he crosses the threshold, door chime happily dinging his arrival.
"Ah, Jun-chan," Ohno says, dropping the hot bread into a lined basket and covering it with a cloth. Jun frowns that the familiar tone in his voice, but doesn't fight it. He has a mission.
"I'm here to talk to Nino," he says, getting right to business.
"He's down in the shop," Ohno replies, turning to knead a large mound of dough. "You know the way, yes?"
"Yeah, thanks." Jun slides behind the curtain and down the steep staircase to the basement. Nino's workbench is bare, the engine presumably being completed and moved into…whatever it goes into.
"Oh hey, it's Jun-chan!" A floppy-haired young man bounces over to Jun and practically wiggles with excitement.
"Uh, what?"
"Hey Jun-pon!" comes Nino's familiar voice from an open doorway. "That's Aiba. He's harmless, practically a puppy. I'll be right out!"
"I've heard all about you, Jun! You're a cop? How cool is that! How did you become a cop? Have you ever shot someone? When was the last time you had to chase somebody? Can I see your badge? When did you pass the exam? Did you like the Academy? Oh my gosh, look what I can do!" Aiba's mouth never stops moving as he darts around the room, asking question after question. Jun's a little overwhelmed by it all until Aiba starts moving small objects with his mind.
"Oh, you're a telekinetic Path," Jun says, understanding a bit how Aiba operates. Every telekinetic he's ever met has been a bit…excitable, you might say.
"Level 2! Unregistered because I'm basically useless to the Government, but I can help Satoshi with the bread and get Nino tools and don't tell anyone, but I'm a pretty decent lockpick if I need to be." Aiba beams at him and Jun rocks back on his heels at the force of it. He can understand why Nino and Ohno are friends with him. Aiba's smile could power the sun, he thinks.
"Well, I wouldn't go around advertising that to a cop," Jun chuckles.
Aiba's eyes go wide as he shakes his head. "Oh no no, I'd never use it to break into someone's house or anything."
"I'm kidding, Aiba," Jun assures him, smiling softly.
"Okay, good." Aiba brightens visibly at the reassurance. "Have you come to see Nino's Percheron?"
Jun frowns. Percheron's were older model motorcars, before the steamcars, even. They'd run on gasoline instead of water and were kind of volatile.
"How did he get his hands on a Percheron?" Jun asks, interest piqued.
"I built it," Nino answers. He emerges from the back room, wiping his hands on a rag. Holding up a set of keys, he smiles wickedly. "Wanna see?"
The car is a thing of beauty and Jun might be a little bit in love. All reds and yellows in the paint job with a hint of sparkle when the sunlight hits it just right. Nino starts it up and it purrs like an overgrown kitten. Steamcars don't make that sound, and to Jun's knowledge, neither did motorcars. He looks at Nino inquisitively, not wanting to ask the question, but dying to know how.
"Fusion," Nino replies. "Of sorts. It's not quite nuclear, but it's close. Safer than gasoline and more efficient than steam."
Jun nods, completely in awe. "This is amazing, Nino," he says, running one hand over the hood carefully.
"Yeah, I know," Nino smirks back at him. "So why are you here, Officer Jun-pon?"
Turning back to Nino, Jun frowns a bit. "Well, first of all, we've got to stop with the Jun-pon nonsense."
"Alright Jun-chan." Jun's frown deepens. Nino just smiles angelically. Jun gives up.
"Fine," he sighs. "Secondly, I talked to Akanishi yesterday. He told me something interesting about his chemist experience, or what he thinks may have been his chemist experience."
Nino's face hardens at the mention of chemists, but he doesn't say anything, merely nods Jun on.
"He said the false memories were hazy, just like yours, but the haze was a greenish yellow, right around the edges."
"Yeah, mine are too," Nino says with a nod. He squints a bit, as if trying to see his memories clearer. "And sometimes I think I see someone there, just on the edge."
"Floppy brown hair? And another guy with 'serious cheekbones'?" Jun asks.
"Them's the ones," Nino replies, pointing at him. He strokes one hand down his Percheron and frowns. "There's a third person sometimes, but I can't quite see him. I can hear his voice, though. It sounds like….like…."
He screws up his face in concentration, hands on the sides of his head. All at once, Nino's body relaxes. "Like honey. Or molten metal. Smooth and dangerous."
Jun freezes. He knows someone with a voice like that.
"Thanks, Nino," he says, hurrying back inside the shop. "I've got a lead now."
---
Thursday, 10:48 p.m. - Central Ide
Jun had left the bread shop with his hopes high, sure he had a decent idea of where he was going, but to no avail. Detective Joshima wouldn't hear a word about it until he had hard facts, something concrete to tie his case together. Jun spent the whole day poring over archives, witness reports, interviews with suspects, anything to give weight to his tenuous argument.
He's boiling water for pasta in his tiny apartment, barely larger than his office, when there's a soft popping sound from the living room followed by a heaving cough. Jun grabs his blaster from the holster on the table and rounds the corner to see Sho holding a bleeding Ohno around the waist.
"He's been stabbed in the shoulder and punched pretty good in the gut," Sho explains as Jun drops his blaster and hurries to help Ohno into a chair.
"You should have taken him to the hospital," Jun scolds, grabbing an old t-shirt nearby to apply pressure to the wound.
"You need to hear-" Ohno starts, but stops to cough several times, blood dotting the sides of his mouth.
"Nino's been taken," Sho says solemnly. "Satoshi managed to call me as they were breaking in, but I didn't get there until after they'd already gotten him."
Jun's conflicted. Ohno's bleeding out on the chair he picked up at the antique market last year, but Nino's been taken who knows where to do who knows what.
"I'm fine," Ohno rasps, smiling up at Jun.
"You're bleeding through one of my favorite shirts and your teeth make you look like a vampire," Jun deadpans. "You're not fine."
"It's not fatal," Sho says, touching Jun's wrist. He looks up into Sho's eyes and reads what's there.
"Hurts like a bitch, though," Ohno grumbles quietly.
Jun just applies more pressure and directs Sho to get the medical kit from the bathroom. He dresses Ohno's wound carefully and quickly and changes him into a clean shirt, tossing his old one with Jun's into the incinerator. They situate Ohno on the couch with a pillow and he's out almost immediately.
"He'll be fine," Jun murmurs. He turns to Sho, face serious. "Now, tell me what happened to Nino."
"All I know is that he was taken. Some guys, two of them, bigger than both Satoshi and Nino, busted into the shop about half an hour ago. They beat the crap out of Satoshi, whammed Nino on the head and dragged him out. He managed to leave behind a message, though," Sho says, holding out his communicator. He'd snapped a picture - a small pile of bolts rearranged into the letters NAKA.
Jun gasps as he realizes his suspicions were correct.
"I need to get to the station. You stay here and watch Ohno, make sure he doesn't die on my couch."
"I'm not leaving you to do this alone!" Sho insists, his jaw set in a stubborn line.
"Ugh, I don't have time to argue with you about this!" Jun can hear his voice is near shouting. The last thing he wants is for a potential witness (and maybe, friend, if he admits it to himself) may be beyond his help. "Fine," he concedes. "Let's go."
They set Ohno up with fresh bandages and water nearby before the head out the door. Stepping into the street to teleport away, a loud "JUN-CHAN" comes from down the street. Jun turns, ready to blast whoever it could be when he realizes it's just Aiba, bouncing toward them, his face worried.
"I heard about Nino and I want to help," he heaves, normally breathy voice raspy with exertion.
"I can take you both," Sho says, arching an eyebrow at Jun.
"This is the most troublesome case I've ever worked," Jun grumbles, reaching out to put a hand on Sho's arm. "Come on, then."
---
Thursday, 11:25 p.m. - Zyxt Hideout
They end up somewhere in the warehouse district of Ide. Jun's not familiar with the area, but he makes note of the street signs as they hurry to the unassuming building Sho is sure they're in. Stopping outside the closed door, Jun peeks inside to see Nakai walking around a table with Nino strapped to it. Another man with brown, floppy hair is standing at a bench, drawing chemicals into a syringe. Kimura hovers nearby, picking at his nails and looking, as usual, bored with the situation. The muscle, Shingo and Tsuyoshi are nowhere to be found, but Jun is sure they're around somewhere.
"I've got this," Aiba whispers, pushing Jun out of the way and putting one hand on the door handle. He closes his eyes and screws up his face in concentration. It only takes a few seconds before Jun hears the door pop open.
"Aiba, I could kiss you right now," Jun says, clapping him on the shoulder quietly.
"Later, baby," Aiba winks and slinks back into the shadows.
Jun slides away from the door and calls for backup, making up a story about illegal drugs being manufactured in the warehouse district - not a complete lie, but he's careful to leave out his name and details about Nino while he's at it.
As he creeps back to the door, Sho's watching the action within.
"What's the situation?" Jun asks, peering over the edge of the window again.
"I think Nakai's monologuing like a supervillain," Sho replies. He looks like he's trying to hide a smile and Jun can't help but agree. Nakai would make a great supervillain, he's sure.
Jun unholsters his blaster and sneaks in the door, Sho close behind. They duck behind a pile of crates and wait for a moment. Sure enough, Nakai's going on and on about how his perfect plan almost worked.
"The Paths have taken over this city," he's saying, just close enough for Jun to catch his speech. "And I mean to take it back."
"Can you pop me over there to get Nino when he turns around?" Jun asks Sho quietly.
"I think so," Sho replies. "I just- We have to save him, Jun."
Jun nods, but doesn't dare try to offer any words of encouragement. He knows Nino means a lot to not just Sho, but all of them. Even Jun himself at this point.
"Let's do it," he breathes.
Nakai chooses that moment to turn to the chemist and Jun grabs Sho's hand with a nod. Jun's not a huge fan of teleportation, preferring to fly or drive to get places. They land next to Nino with a soft pop and his stomach turns. Nino's face is swollen and bloodied, his eyes nearly closed, but he still manages a small smirk when he sees Jun's face looming over him.
They quickly and quietly unstrap Nino from the bench, helping him stand carefully on the floor.
"Hey Nakai," Jun says loudly, holding up his communicator. "Say cheese."
Nakai and the chemist spin, eyes wide with fury, and Jun catches a photo of them. "Bye," he whispers, and grabs Sho's hand. They're out the door in a moment, stumbling down the road to Aiba's hiding place before the police can arrive.
They almost make it.
---
Six months later - Ide Police Headquarters
The halls of the station are quiet as Jun hurries down the stairs to research and development. A new hire just started today and he's anxious to meet him. Detective Matsumoto doesn't generally go out of his way to meet all the new hires, but this one is special. This one got him promoted.
Pushing through the quiet doors of the R&D department, Jun holds back a small smile at the sight of Nino standing at a bench, hands flying over something overly complicated. It reminds him of the first time he met the technopath, the start of the longest week of his life.
"I heard they hired some kind of criminal down here," Jun starts, leaning against the doorframe. "But I didn't want to believe it was true."
Nino turns and throws up his trademark smirk. "Ah, Detective Matsumoto. What brings you down to R&D? Besides harassing the hardworking help, that is?"
Walking over to the bench, Jun smiles broadly. "Just came to see how you're doing down here."
"Aww, Jun-pon, you shouldn't have," Nino replies, looking down at his work and smiling. Jun can just barely see the rosy flush creep across his cheeks.
Captured as they escaped the warehouse, Nino was arrested for being a level 4 unregistered Path. Luckily, he had a friend in the police department. And a damn good witness statement against Nakai, codename Zyxt. He'd reluctantly registered with the Government, and upon seeing how talented he really was, got himself a job.
Jun was just glad he was safe again. They all were, for now.
"Now, how about buying the newbie some lunch?" Nino asks, turning to smile and putting one hand on Jun's.
Jun looks down at their joined hands and pauses, confused.
"I thought you didn't like me," he says. "I mean, not like…. you know."
"Yeah, I know," Nino replies, rolling his eyes. "You saved my life, in more ways than one. Of course I like you." He squeezes their hands lightly. "Besides, Jun, you're a mind-reader. What good are you if you don't, you know, read minds?"
"Shut up," Jun says with a smile. He didn't need to read Nino's mind to know he was happy.