Synopsis: With the emergence of highly intelligent and evolved kaiju, Hoshina has his hands full after being tasked with heading a newly formed investigative unit. Complex and twisted as these cases turn out to be, your role as the team’s assigned forensic analyst is a crucial one … along with concealing your growing infatuation with the charming Vice Captain under a polished and professional exterior. Contents: Mystery, investigation, suspense, romance, humour, fluff, canon-typical violence, possible depictions of sex, multi-part. Dividers by: @uzmacchiato
" ... I saw you as another god
I could play with in this
maze of leaves and lovely blood,
performing hieroglyphs for you
with my teeth and agile feet
and dead hens harmless and jolly
as corpses in a detective story ..."
~ Fox/Fire Song by Margaret Atwood
Part 1 (Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6)
All his life, he’d been climbing.
He remembers the smooth rungs of the bright yellow frame in the playground, tongue experimentally searching the gap where one of his front teeth used to be as he found his way to the top.
He remembers climbing the stairs of the stage under bright lights, the squeak of his sneakers as he approached the physical education teacher, bowing before accepting the prize for athletics.
He remembers late nights, coffee’s bitter aftertaste on his tongue, ignoring the pounding behind his brows as he squinted over well-thumbed textbooks in the university library.
Higher and higher, and he’d never stopped to look back, not even when he’d come home from another late night at the office and his wife’s letter lay neatly folded on the table, conspicuous in her absence.
Had he failed, somewhere along the way? He supposed he’d never know now.
He’d always done his best to keep himself in good physical condition, but this particular climb was a strain.
Mud clung to his work boots, turning each stride heavier. His hands fared no better, slick and gritty with damp earth, grazed and sore from the number of times he’d slipped on his journey upward.
This hill must be conquered, that was certain.
He was so close, almost there. A few more feet of clumsy scrambling, a leap across a half-concealed gap between the rocks, another quick stretch of aching limbs as he clambered, hand over hand, and he was –
Here.
Where he was supposed to be.
The wind was cool on his damp, ruddy cheeks, lifting his hair from the nape of his neck in blessed relief.
He wanted to reward himself, to sit down, to take a well-earned break, but something prevented him.
There was another purpose to be fulfilled, one far more pressing.
He gazed down at the domed rooftops of the temporary barracks below, and smiled.
The long climb was finally at an end.
Hoshina Soshiro considered himself a simple man.
Linking cramped fingers across the nape of his neck, he felt the satisfying stretch of stiff shoulders, a soft sigh escaping him.
After a long, dull afternoon sifting through applications, he knew exactly what he needed. The training room had his name written all over it (not that it usually didn’t), and an hour or two spent refining his technique, maybe a little something extra in the department of footwork, and he –
“Hoshina, there you are.”
Oh, well.
The thought was nice while it lasted.
He stood and saluted as Ashiro Mina entered, closing the door softly behind her. She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.
“At ease. And I’m sorry for coming by when you’re swamped with all of … this.”
She had the grace to look slightly guilty. Ashiro was an exemplary Captain, in every other way besides paperwork.
Hoshina cracked his knuckles.
“What’s on the menu, Cap?”
She hesitated and he raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, so it’s somethin’ big.”
“How do you – never mind. Look, you were there for the briefing at Ariake Base last week.”
“Yup.”
Ashiro’s fingers were tapping out a rhythm against her elbow, one he knew signified some serious thought.
“Hoshina, it’s … concerning. These reports about smaller, more intelligent kaiju. I doubt any of them pose the same threat as Number Nine, but … I’m not satisfied with our current operations.”
He leaned forward, elbows on knees, expression growing serious.
“You got a plan?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking about this since the briefing. What we need to tackle this isn’t brute force. We need specialist input. A team that targets these cases and eliminates the threat, but also relays important feedback on the kaiju back to us. Investigative, combat and analytic potential, all rolled into one compact unit.”
Hoshina frowned, unable to control the stiffening of his posture.
“Cap, surely you don’t mean – “
“I want you to head this subdivision of the third.”
Trust Ashiro to lay it out with such blunt expectation. He regarded her for a moment in silence before leaning back in his chair, uttering a soft whistle.
“Now, in case you’ve forgotten, I’m Vice Captain of – “
“Hoshina, I’d never ask you to give up your position, and you know it.”
Her voice was gentle, and he felt a twinge of annoyance at the fact that he needed that reassurance. She knew exactly what she was asking of him.
He twirled his index fingers, tracing patterns in the air, a conductor of a deadly undercurrent.
“So, when I’m off, gallivanting around, sleuthing and stuff, who’s gonna be running operations over here?”
“Shinomiya.” Her answer came with no trace of hesitation. “She’ll be in line for Captaincy of her own division within a few years, and it’ll be good for her to learn the ropes. She’ll be here on temporary assignment, until your investigations have run their course.”
He didn’t even have a counter to that. If there was anyone who’d be competent enough to take up the reigns of administrative and command duties, it would be Shinomiya. She didn’t exactly have people skills, per se, but she more than made up for it in other ways.
“Ahh. Looks like I’ve already been repla – “
“Stop that.” Ashiro levelled a finger at him. “I’ll give you ten minutes to sulk.”
“That’s it? Only ten?”
“Hoshina, heading a subdivision doesn’t usually carry the kind of responsibility I’m thinking of here. Sure, you’ll still be part of the third division, and report back to me as always, but this unit will function independently. What I mean to say is that … “
Her hand came down flat on the tabletop.
“I’m essentially appointing you Captain of an investigative unit. You’re the only one I can trust with this. No matter how I look at it, you’re the one with the ability, skill and experience handling kaiju who’s a perfect fit for the job.”
He blew out a petulant breath.
“Really know how to sell it, huh?”
Ashiro smiled ruefully.
“I shouldn’t have to say it, but you know that I’ve already been through every other possibility. Why else would I choose not to have you at my side for now? You’ll always be my second in command, Hoshina, and right now, this is what I need from you.”
He cracked one eye open, arms still folded.
“Say, who’s gonna be joinin’ me in my detective era?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Please don’t call it that.”
“We’re going to what?”
Kafka was all but vibrating with excitement, while beside him, Reno did a slightly better job at containing his enthusiasm.
Ashiro shot Kafka a look and he straightened immediately.
“Yes, Captain Ashiro. Understood. Can you … give us more details of our assignment?”
She slid a folder across the desk towards them.
“Vice Captain Hoshina will tell you more about his expectations, since he’s in command. From my side, we’ve created a small, highly specialized unit for tracking down, neutralizing and gathering intel on highly evolved honju. There have been a few cases that the Metropolitan Police have indicated they can no longer handle, because of clear kaiju involvement. I took the liberty of getting hold of those files. They’re all with the Vice Captain.”
Reno frowned.
“The Metropolitan Police? Then … “
She linked her fingers beneath her chin and nodded.
“Those cases were initially flagged as homicide. Perpetrated by a human.”
Ashiro could tell how this news affected Kafka, from the faint line of worry that had appeared between his brows.
“Hold on, Captain, are you saying the police couldn’t tell the difference between a kaiju and human killing at first glance?”
“That’s exactly it. I think you can guess why I’ve chosen you for this team, Kafka. Nobody else can give insight into both the human and kaiju side of things quite like you and Hoshina can.”
Only someone looking very closely would have noticed the determination that had filtered into Reno’s posture. Ashiro knew full well that from the moment she’d assigned him to this squad, he’d appointed himself as Kafka’s unofficial handler.
Time to rectify that.
Reno had more than distinguished himself based on his own merits.
“As for you, Officer Ichikawa … “
She watched his eyes widen slightly as his attention shifted to her.
“Your handle on a Numbers weapon so early in your career has shown your clear sense of focus, dedication, your meticulous effort and level-headed decision-making skills. I’m sure you’ll be an asset to this unit as an investigative field officer.”
Kafka shot Reno a none-too-subtle look of pride and grinned.
“He sure will, Captain. It’s just going to be the three of us then?”
“Not quite. Officer Izumo is currently on another assignment, but he’ll be joining you for your first official meeting tomorrow.”
Reno’s face brightened even further at this news.
“And in addition, you’ll be provided with an analyst from the Metropolitan Police, who can also serve as an operator. For emergency assistance, if required, Okonogi can always step in.”
Having received their briefing, both officers saluted before Ashiro dismissed them.
Leaning back in her chair, she found that the sight of Kafka’s broad, dependable frame in her office had eased her worries somewhat.
There had been many occasions, over the past week, when she’d wondered if she had made the right decision. It wouldn’t be easy on her in terms of losing Hoshina, even if temporarily, but she was now more certain than ever that her placement of her strongest, most capable soldiers was the correct one.
Gaze returning to the solitary profile sheet on her table, she pursed her lips.
It seemed that the Metropolitan Police had given their own choice of analyst equally careful consideration. She could only hope that the team slid into smooth formation.
Considering some of the cases they’d been tasked with, they’d need to hit the ground running.
As you packed the detritus of a career into cardboard boxes, Igarashi sidled up to your left.
“You should just give me those. For safe keeping.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Oh, come on. What, you think I’ll steal them?”
The look you gave him was answer enough.
“I spent good money on these, and they’re going nowhere other than back to my apartment.”
He poked with sullen defeat at the small figurine of Ashiro Mina.
“What if your new colleagues find out about your collection? Think they’ll fire you for being some kind of fangirl?”
Snatching the remaining figurines away from him, which included a Vice Captain Hoshina with some rather detailed work on his abs and legs, you placed them carefully in a case you’d brought along separately.
“Your jealousy is showing. Now be a good boy and get on cataloguing that evidence.”
“Yes ma’am.”
The truth was, you’d probably miss Igarashi, along with the rest of the motley team that had become regulars at the forensic unit over the years.
The opportunity you’d been handed, however, was nothing short of a dream come true.
Forensic science examined the world through the lens of a microscope, magnifying the mundane, the unseen, the details passed over by others. It was easy, over time, for the lab to turn into your universe, your unshakeable fortress of a million minute traces. Here, everything was known, and everything was safe, all according to protocol.
This laser-pointed focus was what had led your team, headed by your own initiative, to look into the Tokyo Metro Murders a year ago.
The heavy mutilation of the bodies, all belonging to maintenance crew working on the lines, had immediately led to the idea of subterranean kaiju emerging to take care of disturbances. But the analysis of the evidence and DNA collected from the worker’s clothes and bodies suggested purely human involvement, made to look like a kaiju’s work.
Your own analysis had been instrumental in altering the course of the investigation, and the suspect had eventually been apprehended.
While you were far from the most lauded forensic scientist in Tokyo, this particular case had seemingly caught someone’s attention. You’d been recommended, based on the techniques you’d pioneered, for a specialized unit, investigating cases where the involvement of more evolved kaiju was suspected.
It so happened that this unit was a subdivision of the Japanese Anti-Kaiju Defence Force, and you’d be working alongside some of the more well-known names in the force, a prospect that you still couldn’t quite wrap your head around.
All things considered, you were an adult and a professional, a respected scientist in your field.
There was no way the idea of meeting the incredible Vice Captain Hoshina, and potentially Captain Ashiro, along with two of the most promising officers who’d been plastered all over the television, would be intimidating, or cause you to break out into muffled shrieks reminiscent of a pterodactyl in breeding season.
Oh, no.
Never.
You’d just have to make sure that your extensive collection of figurines was stored away safely, just as your true feelings would be tucked neatly behind the dignified form of a woman dedicated to science.
Now was your chance to prove your worth, on a stage larger than any you’d ever found yourself on before.
