Case #10-The Rogue Brothers, part 1

"Did you hear, there was an attempted break-in at the Church of Japanese Mythology!" One rumor-loving student says to another.

"Yeah, I heard that they were after the weapons in the Orochi and Susanoo exhibit!" Her friend replies. "They weren't able to break in after they were spotted by the police, but after the thieves fled the scene, they found the corpses of two officers! The pictures of them are going around online, they're totally mangled!"

"Yuck," the rumor-loving student replies. "I heard it was the Rogue brothers.

My ears twitch as I listen in to the two students' conversation from my seat at the lunch table.

"Oh, what's this?" Evelyn asks as she smirks at me. "I know that look, you've spotted a potential case."

"Orochi…Susano'o…what is that?" Circe asks.

"Yamata no Orochi and Susano'o no Mikoto," Koga explains as he appears behind us in a cloud of smoke. None of us react. We're all used to it, by now. "Two legendary figures of Japanese mythology. No…those aren't the correct words. To the rest of the world, the tale of the fallen God of Storms, Susano'o no Mikoto slaying the mighty eight-headed serpent, Yamata no Orochi may seem like a fairy tale, but to Japan, it's history."

"That's right, you're Japanese," I reply. "Being a ninja, and all."

"And who are the Rogue Brothers?" Crimson asks.

"Two high-ranking thieves in the underworld," Koga explains. "Also from Japan. It is said that if they want something, they will always find a way to get their hands on it, no matter what."

"What could they want with the weapons of Yamata no Orochi and Mikoto no Susano'o?" Crimson asks.

"I'm not sure, but it can't be good," Koga answers. "It is said that whoever wields those weapons will gain weapons of mass destruction. In Japanese folklore, at least."

"So we can't let the Rogue Brothers get their hands on those weapons, huh?" Evelyn asks.

"Sounds like the police's job," I sigh.

"They stand no chance against the Rogue Brothers," Koga replies.

"Then we'll leave it to the Supernatural Investigators," I say.

"How do we know that they'll intervene?" Koga asks, causing me to sigh again.

"Fine, I get it, I know when I've lost," I grumble. "Alright, we'll head to the Museum of Japanese Mythology after school, and see what's going on."

"Good," Koga nods.

***

"Alright, here we are," Koga announces as he stops before the Museum of Japanese Mythology, after leading us across town towards the building. The six of us, of course (minus Evelyn) are now dressed in our work outfits and are raring to go.

"It sure doesn't look…open," I reply. Police are surrounding the museum, and thanks to the caution tape barrier, we aren't able to get too close.

"Damn," Koga replies. "Follow me." Koga swiftly, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small white pellet which he tosses to the ground, creating a smoke screen around us.

"What the Hell was that?!" The police cry as they turn to face us, but they can't see us through the smoke.

"What the crap, Koga!" Evelyn cries. "Now all eyes are on us!"

"Let's move," Koga orders as he leads us through the smoke, and by using the smoke screen, we're able to slip past the police as well as their caution-tape barrier as we make it up the stairs of the museum.

"Ohhh…I'm so nervous!" Raiden groans. "If we get found out, we'll be arrested, for sure!"

"Man, this is so cool!" Circe exclaims. "I feel like a ninja!"

"I'm the strongest ninja that the Koga Clan has ever seen," Koga says as he turns and peers over his shoulder at Raiden. "If we get caught…I bring shame to my clan's name. So we won't."

After making it up the front stairs of the museum, Koga pulls out a lock-pick and wiggles it into the keyhole of the doorknob.

"Woah, you sure do carry everything in there, hugh?" I ask.

"Always be prepared, is there number two rule of being a ninja," Koga replies. The first rule is never to reveal your identity, if I recall.

"Koga…hurry up!" Raiden wines as he fidgets nervously from foot to foot. "The smoke is beginning to settle!"

"Quiet, I'm concentrating," Koga replies as he fidgets with the lock for a brief moment, and then we hear a snap as Koga retartcs his lock-pick and stands back up.

"We're in," Koga says as he pushes the doors to the museum open, and then, we make our way inside.

"H-how did you get inside?!" A pudgy man in a brown suit stammers as he hustles over to us, jostling his weight from side to side with each step. "This place is a crime scene, you kids must leave immediately!"

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but we're a group called Reaper's Paranormal- I begin to say, but the man cuts me off.

"Reaper's Paranormal? I've heard of you!" He booms with a grin. "You're the online website where patrons can submit paranormal requests for you to take care of!"

"Err…yeah," I reply as I wipe my nose with a satisfied smirk. "Fufufu, my reputation precedes me!"

"Don't you mean our reputation," Evelyn sighs.

"Just let him have his moment," Raiden replies with an awkward chuckle as he pats Evelyn's back.

"But I'm surprised that you know us, old man, are you into the supernatural?" Circe asks.

"Into the supernatural? I am the supernatural!" The man answers as he begins leading us through the museum, which is filled with thousands of beautiful, impressive, and sometimes horrifying artifacts. "You can call me Mr Linclon, and I'm the owner of this museum! I've been studying Japanese Mythology and the paranormal activity surrounding it ever since I was a boy! I especially know about you, Hanzo Koga," Mr Linclon continues as he makes his way over to Koga and grabs his hands. "As a man infatuated with Japanese culture, I'm a huge fan of the Koga Clan!"

Koga recoils, and I can swear that I can see a blush from behind his mask. "Th- the number three rule of being a ninja, is to never have a reputation…" Koga stammers.

"So…you know about the two powerful weapons that you have stockpiled, right?" I ask.

"Of course!" Mr Lincoln answers. "The scarf made up of the scales of Yamata no Orochi and the katana once wielded by the fallen God of Storms, Susano'o no Mikoto."

"And you know how dangerous they are, right?" I ask again.

"Yes, I do," Mr Lincoln answers. "And I know that the Rogue Brothers are after them."

"Then why do you still hang on to those old things if it puts your museum in danger?" Circe asks. "Why not just…toss 'em?"

"Oh, Good Heavens, NO!" Mr Lincoln cries, causing Circe to recoil. "I run the Museum of Japanese Mythology! What kind of museum would I be in if I didn't have artifacts from the most famous Japanese legend?!"

"Okay...point taken," Circe mutters to herself as she holds her hands up.

"Well this makes things simple," I continue as I take a step towards Mr Lincoln. "Basically, I want to stay here overnight and serve as bodyguards for the scarf and the katana," I explain. "To make sure that the Rogue Brothers don't steal them."

"Oh, be my guest!" Mr Lincoln happily replies. "I had planned to contact the Supernatural Investigators to do the same, but if you are volunteering your services for free, then how could I say no? Besides, with Hanzo Koga of the Koga Clan here, I trust you six with my artifacts more than I trust those Supernatural Investigators!"

"See, I told you that we could leave it to them!" I snap as I turn to face Koga. "And who said anything about free labor?!" I then snap again as I turn back to face Mr Linclon.

"Anyways, where are the bodies of the two officers that the Rogue Brothers killed?" I ask.

"Hm?" Evelyn replies as she cocks her head. "Why does that matter?"

"You'll see," I reply.

"Come, this way," Mr Linclon says as he ushers us into the middle of the museum, where the scarf and katana are displayed. In front of them are cardboard cut- outs depicting the battle of Susanoo and Orochi.

"Cheesy…" I say under my breath.

"Up there," Mr Lincoln says as he points to the slanted glass roof, and I look to where he's pointing. "There's a fire escape outside that leads up to the roof," Mr Linclon explains. "The Rogue Brothers had made their way up these stairs when they were found by the police, which the Rogue Brothers then killed at the bottom of the stairs."

"I see…" I reply as I brandish my notebook and pen and begin scribbling down notes. "So that's where the Rogue Brothers were planning to break in from.

 "And that's where they're gonna break in for real this time tonight, right?" Circe excitedly asks.

"Oh, Circe, my friend, you have a lot to learn about being a detective," I smirk, causing Circe to frown and cock her head at me. "The police spotted the Rogue Brothers up there, which means that they won't break in from the right side of the roof," I explain. "There and there," I say as I point to two different sections of the museum, the back door and the fire escape on the left side. That's where they'll break in from."

"You mean each brother will come in from a different side?" Raiden asks.

"Maybe," I answer. "Or maybe both of them will come in from either entrance."

"So all we have to do is guard those two points, right?" Circe excitedly asks.

"Now you're getting it," I answer. "We'll have three teams. "Raiden and Circe will guard the back entrance, Evelyn and I will take the left, and Crimson and Koga will guard the artifacts in the center."

"How did you make these terms?" Crimson asks.

"Don't complain!" Circe sans as she latches onto Raiden, causing the wizard to pass out. "I get to be with Raiden!"

"I divided the teams based on combat strength," I explain. "Trying to make things equal just in case the Rogue Brothers have some funky tricks up their sleeves."

"Do you seriously think that you alone equal the Devil and I?" Koga asks.

"I'm here!" Evelyn snaps.

"I know," Koga replies.

"Oh…you do?" Evelyn asks as her eyes widen. "For once."

"Yes," Koga answers. "But you are so useless in combat, that the Reaper may as well be alone."

Oh, so now you remember me…" Evelyn growls.

"No," I answer. "That's why you guys are guarding the center."

Crimson and Koga exchange smug glances. Maybe I shouldn't have given them that satisfaction.

"S-so you'll do it?" Mr Lincoln asks.

"Of course!" I answer as I turn around to face Mr Lincoln. "The fate of Nestant TOwn depends on it, apparently!"

"Th-thank you!" Mr Lincoln replies as a beaming smile spreads across his face.

"Well then, team?" I begin to say as I spin around to face my friends and punch a hand into my palm. "Shall we go on a stakeout?"

"Yeah!" Everyone answers.

***

Yaaawnnnn.

Evelyn lets out a long, drawn out yawn.

"Here," I say, as I thrust a Red Bull into her hands.

"You drank from this?" Evelyn groggily asks.

"Yeah," I answer, as I frantically look around, wide-eyed, on the lookout for the Rogue Brothers.

"Whatever," Evelyn replies as she chugs the remaining contents in the can. I had Evelyn run to a deli beforehand to get us all sorts of energy drinks n' what not.

It's almost two in the morning now, and the Rogue Brothers have yet to show, so as you'd imagine, everyone's gotten a bit tired now. Everyone except for me and Koga, at least. I'm used to stakeouts and Koga claims that he can stay up for three weeks without sleep, which I don't think is possible, but whatever. Evelyn's constantly been bitching about having to skip school tomorrow since she'll be too tired to go, right after getting in trouble for missing a week due to the Landow VIllage case.

CRASH!

All of a sudden, the two of us hear the sound of glass being shattered from the glass roof above us, us to flinch as Evelyn drops the Red Bull can, which spills all over the floor. Swiftly, Evelyn and I duck behind the two large statues on either side of us for cover.

"Did you hear that?!" Evelyn whisper-shouts to me.

"Hear wha-of course I did!" I snap. "I have better hearing than you!"

"Is it…the Rogue Brothers?" Evelyn asks.

"That's a safe guess," I reply.

Evelyn and I look up as we see a sinister looking man in an orange and green jacket leap through the shattered hole in the roof then land on the floor of the museum. Slowly, the man then peers up and smirks.

"One of the Rogue Brothers…"

***

Yawn

"I'm so tired…" Raiden sighs as he rubs his eyes.

"Here you go!" Circe exclaims as she pulls out a can of coffee and cracls th lid open. "I'll mouth-feed it to you!"

"HUH?!" Raiden recoils.

But the conversation between the witch and the wizard is interrupted when they hear the door behind them begin to rattle, and Raiden and Circe softly duck behind a statue for cover. Next, they hear a loud crash as the door blasts off its hinges then falls to the ground in a cloud of dust. When the dust settles, they see a man in a white gi and red belt use the blunt back of his katana to break the glass. Swiftly, Raiden and Circe duck behind a statue for cover.

"Is that-" Circe begins to say.

"One of the Rogue Brothers…?" Raiden asks.

***

Crimson and Koga stand a few feet away from one another with their arms crossed, not saying a word.

"This is…awkward…" Crimson finally says, breaking the silence after hours for the first time that night.

"It is?" Koga asks. "Rule number four of being a ninja is to not spend time uselessly conversing during missions, it can lead to distraction."

"Yes, but if we're working together, then we should at least get to know each other," Crimson explains.

"Nonsense,'' Koga replies. "We are working together just this one time. I'm only here because I fear the worst of the Rogue Brothers will get their thieving hands on those artifacts. Once this case is over, we are enemies once more. Rule number five of being a ninja, is to not get too close to your comrades, anyway. They could die…"

 "Then what about the ork case?" Crimson asks. "Or the battle against me, or-" Crimson begins to say, but Koga cuts her off.

"Th-those were all for the sake of keeping the peace," Koga replies. "Plus, if the Reaper dies, then I lose the chance to claim his bounty, that is all."

The awkward conversation between Crimson And Kogs is interrupted when they hear a loud crash, resembling the shattering of glass, followed by a bang, like a door being blasted off its hinges, causing the Devil and the Ninja to perk up.

"It sounds like one of the Rogue Brothers came in through the glass roof!" Crimson exclaims.

"And one of them must've come through the back door," Koga adds.

"Do we…go help them?" Crimson asks.

"It is our assignment to stay here and guard the artifacts," Koga replies. "If the Reaper and the others fail, then we're the last line of defense."

"The Reaper and the wizard aren't so weak that they'd lose to the Rogue Brothers, anyway."