Normal Girl

Brandon was at his apartment. He was laying on the couch as he had his eyes closed. His mind was connecting the dots.

"Kibe is the white rabbit, Kat won't testify to it.

What are the connections? The behavioral patterns of Moriyama Kenji, and Nori Kibe is what I have the most faith in, but there is also the fact that Eiji's showing confirms my theory of them all knowing one another. Nakayama said he and the team was capable of placing Kibe at the garbage where Kat showed me.

Kibe's blood is there on the dumpster as well, putting him there with the thugs involved with the HP Hotel incident. Kibe is now once again an official prime suspect. However, he can still be left to walk if something truly damming doesn't come out.

....Damnit, even when I'm right on top of the infection, I still have several other patients to worry about." Brandon thought. He then jumped up from his couch. He stretched his back and then walked towards his kitchen. Thats when he'd get a knock on his door. He looked over suspiciously at his door. He walked over cautiously and then looked through the peephole. He saw there was no one there, he opened the door immediately only to see Kat was crouched in front of his door which spooked him.

"AH- Kat?! What the hell?" Brandon said, Kat then looked up at him. She was wearing a very short long sleeved crop top, with a black webbed collar underneath. She was wearing black shorts, leggings and black flat-bottom boots. Brandon and her held eye contact for a uncanny amount of time. "You...you wanna come inside?" Brandon asked.

"Oh absolutely." Kat said as she stood up and walked past him. She looked around the place. It was messy, but its not like it was unexpected. She took him for that kind of guy. She saw case files on the kitchen counter and the the fruit bowl near them. She walked over and examined it. Brandon watched her walk around as he closed his door.

"Did she stalk me? No, better yet, did she follow me?

We split up after Nakayama got Eiji with Mr.Miyuki. I watched her leave, I did. The school from and to my place is at least a 2 hour walk. 30 minutes by train or a cab depending on traffic.

She followed me all the way here..." Brandon thought, he watched as she looked through the file talking about the "Alien" case. Her eyes going over all the data and theories from various officers and departments. She then began to wear her naturally uncanny smile as she then looked at a picture of one of the victim's home.

She noticed how clean and kept together it was, she looked at the bed room picture, not a single thing out of place.

She then put it back and scratched her neck. "He knows them." She said, Brandon then looked at her face. "Huh?" He asked as he walked over.

"This man, the kidnapper, he knows the victims. There home is way too well kept, if they all were really taken right from their homes, then best assumption is that he knows them." Kat said. Brandon looked at the photo and then to Kat. "You're saying he knows hundreds of people?" Brandon asked.

"People meet strangers on the internet everyday, communication is a natural human thing. We can't help, but wonder what demons each person is keeping inside their own personal hell.

We meet hundreds of people everyday, we may not talk or socialize with them but we meet them anyway." She said. Brandon looked at her puzzled as he then looked back at the case photo. "Mmm, maybe." He said as he put the photo back in the file.

"Just some flesh for the crows is all." She said as she saw his knife block, she reached over and picked up on of them. She felt the edge and the handle. Her smile still as uncanny as ever as she then pointed it at her stomach, seeing if it would draw blood, but it wasn't that sharp. She then could feel Brandon's eyes on her. Her head turned to him, and just as she thought he was looking at her. "Just looking." She said as she put it back.

Brandon then looked to the door and back to her. "You want to go out and get something? I'm feeling a bit parched right now. Could go for a banna smoothie." He said. Kat smiled as she turned to him.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" She said as she leaned aginst the counter, her head tilting as she looked at him. Brandon scratched the back of his head. "No, just asking if you want to get out of here is all." Brandon said.

"I'm always looking to get out, but nothing I do ever works." She said. "...is that a no or?"

"No no, let's go. I'd kill for something in my stomach." She said.

Later on, Brandon and Kat would arrive at a Cafe, where the two would be sitting in a booth. Both drinking something, Brandon with his banana smoothie and Kat with her own drink, which Brandon could only call a concoction of strawberries, kiwis and blueberries. The two sat across from each other, it was quiet between them for several minutes until Kat decided to speak.

"Hey, I have a question." She asked, Brandon stopped drinking and gestured for her to ask.

"How did you know to come to that side of the school? What brought you to me?" Kat asked. In Brandon's mind he still couldn't believe that he was talking with someone who knew who the white rabbit was, and may infact be a killer herself. He wondered about profiling her and maybe even catching her, but as far as he knew she was just a really creepy girl who took a unceremonious amount of pleasure into killing animals and loved violence.

"I remember reading that three members of the dragon gang were found beaten by a dumpster near the back of the auditorium of Sawa high.

So I decided to check it out, at first it seemed like a bit of a dead angle, as a lot of people hated the gang. However when you popped up from the dumpster, my gut began to tell me to follow you as a lead." Brandon said

"So you guessed?" She smiled

"Eh, educational-guess if you want to be picky about it. Speaking of picky, why so stuck on that? You like reliving the fact you were chilling in a dumpster? Or are you trying to find out what gave you away?

Cause I can answer that for you, your entire person." Brandon said, Kat gave a wry laugh as she tilted her head setting her cup down.

"You noticed me because I don't wear a mask, its easy to see someone who you don't recognize as a part of the flock. Just like how I saw you. Though unlike you, my mask has long since been completely removed whereas you are still partially wearing yours." Kat said. Brandon stared at her, his mind flashing back to his actions in the chess club room. How he manipulated the events there and of Kenji and Eiji. His mind thought on Kenji for a second before returning back to the conversation.

"Mask huh?" Brandon said with a chuckle. "Laugh all you want, it's true. Tell me something, how often do you think about killing?" She asked. Brandon's normal charismatic smirk then began to vanish a bit, his eyes darted around at the others in the cafe. They were all going about their business and normal days.

But thats just what they wanted you to think when looking at them, everyone was crying and screaming on the inside. All of them suffering from something. Brandon's eyes got a glow in them. He then began to see them all as water buckets. Brandon looked at them all dangling from the sky. He saw as rain came from the sky and filled them up, some buckets were already filled up and were now leaking and overflowing. He watched as the water in them dropped and hit the hard ground below, sinking into the cold stones and dirt.

"We are all buckets, filled with what we've been instilled with. Things like social norms, society standards, morals, and even education.

But at some point, those buckets get filled, and they cast out some of what completes them, replacing it with new substances...

Getting rid of what's already there and becoming numb to their absence. Without those, they begin to become less and less human and eventually become the monsters that we all once feared as kids." Brandon thought, he was then taken back to reality. As he looked to Kat.

"I think about it." Brandon said. Kat just smiled widely. "So I guess your no better, just like me you also delight in the suffering of others." Kat said.

"I said I THINK about it, not that I like it." Brandon said. Kat simply chuckled as she then took a sip from her drink. Brandon leaned back, already getting mentally exhausted from the conversation. He looked at her and noticed she never seemed to break eye contact with him. Did she only look at him when he looked at her? Or was she always watching him?

"So I-"

"Have you heard of the Aquarium?" Kat asked as she leaned. Brandon looked at and tilted his head a bit. "No, can't say I have." Brandon said

"Well, in my dreams, sometimes I visit this place. Its a massive aquarium. Inside I see fish galore. They even have giant tanks for whales and sharks." Kat said, in this moment Kat seemed pretty normal. She was just talking her about a pleasant dream.

"It was big..." Kat said, her eyes looking into her drink. "There were tanks of fish as far as I could see. Everywhere I walked, there were rails and even stands with pamphlets. Like as if there use to be people there. But there was no one else there but me. The floor was carpet, looked like it should be in a kid's playground or something.

Soon, as I kept walking through there. Those empty corridors and glass covered walls. I then arrived at a sign. It showed the levels of the place I was in. Just three really, one was the Aquarium which I was at. The other two were the library and the Grand hall." Kat said. She then looked back up to Brandon, his eyes were that of momentary shock, like as if she was retelling something to him that he himself knew. He then shook his head, his face relaxed.

"...what were you wearing in the dream?" He asked. Kat tapped her lip and then shrugged. "I can't remember, I'll let you know when I have it again." Kat said.

"Its a reoccurring dream?" Brandon asked

"Its the only one I have." She said. Brandon and her sat in silence for a few moments. "I like silence, its peaceful. It reminds me of fire." She said. Brandon just stared at her.

"Fire may not be quiet and peaceful to you, but to those who have taken off their mask. They also can hear the things that they never could have.

Like the real sound that fire makes." Kat said. She then looked at her fingers, she then saw as someone walked into the cafe with their child. A women and a young boy. She then got a crooked smile on her face, she then leaned forward at Brandon who then looked at her. "Hey, quick question. What would you do, if I decided to kill everyone in this room?" Kat smiled, Brandon looked at her for a moment. He got ready to chuckle, but thats when reality hit him like a brick to glass. Shattering what he had previously thought Kat was. He stared at her, his face going pale and his heart now racing.

Kat's posture was crooked, turning just a bit to the outside of the booth. Brandon's eyes were hyepr focused on her. His hands a bit shakey. Kat's eyes widened as she looked around for a moment. "The kid just passed a test, his mother brought him here cause this place use to be where her, and her husband use to take him.

He died recently, you can tell from her face. She has a slight scent of lavender too. The other couple sitting at the bar at the counter are here for an anniversary.

Everyone else is here to work and hoping to get promotion in that little job they have because why else would they work somewhere where they will eventually become part of the big machine.

Everyone here is wearing a mask, you can see it. And so can I.

Look at them, the mother loved her husband more than she does the child, she secretly wishes and tells herself in those darkest moments of the night, that she wishes it was her son and not him.

The couple wishes they could just rewire their partner, forget about morals or will. They just want someone who will bend back when they ask and sit when they ask.

Everyone around me and you are nothing but puppets to their dreams. They let their own wishes and wants become the very things to ruin their lives." Kat said, Brandon didn't know how to respond at first.

"...What makes you different?" He asked. "I don't have any dreams. Why must we dream? Why do I have to have a destination? Why, why, why, why and why. Thats always my question to fools like that.

I just want to enjoy the road as it is now." Kat said, she closed her eyes for a moment.

As she did she would wake up on a long stretch of road, she was child again. Wearing a white gown and bare foot. She looked down the road, she then looked to a sign that had nothing written on it.

"In a world of my design, there are no destinations. Just temporary visits. Moments in time, where I stand still and then when I'm done.

I keep moving." Kat said as she reopened her eyes. Brandon kept eye contact with her.

"So tell me, which one of them do you think I'll kill first?" She asked.

"...You don't have to do that." Brandon said.

"What makes my killing different from yours?" Kat asked

"I kill people to stop others from killing each other. When I do it, its to prevent more death." Brandon said.

"Ah, but you see. The number of killers always remains the same. Cause you've killed someone now. Maybe to you its a righteous killing, but to me Brandon. Your just a murderer.

And thats what the rest of the system will and does see you as. Someone killing others for some sense of justice. Tell me, if the mindset you love so much, ends up getting you put in the same hell as me.

What point was there to having it?" Kat asked. Brandon just stared at her. Kat rested her head on her interlocked fingers. Her smile never wavering. Brandon could see it all, she was by the book, by the concept, and by the definition. A pure psychopath. She didn't show no signs of empathy or even sympathy. Unlike Kibe, Brandon could still see something in him. Feel that he still had some humanity.

The woman before him, was nothing but a giant black mass, wearing human skin to blend in. Soaking in the poor lives of others as she...no, it passed by. "Why would you want to harm people who have done nothing to you? Thats what I don't get, why do you want to harm others? Whats the endgame? The pleasure?" Brandon asked.

"Its easy, because I want to and because I like it. I don't do it for fun, or for amusement, or even for some sick sense of revenge.

I'm not traumatized either, sure my father was a drunk, he beat me and my sister. Abused us, used us to satisfy what mother couldn't give him anymore.

But I never was scarred by those events." Kat said. Brandon was dumbfounded by what he was hearing. He couldn't believe, he figured he could disprove it. Tell she was lying, but Kat was unreadable. If she was lying she was damn good at it and if she really didn't care about any of what had happened to her. Then she really was worse than the white rabbit. In Brandon's mind, he needed to put her down.

"I bet you want to turn me into the authorities, bring me to justice." Kat said. Brandon stared at her. "Thats one of them yea." Brandon said.

"Ooooh, well do tell me the rest." Kat said, her eyes looking over as the boy and his mother drank from their drinks. She then looked back to Brandon. "If your as sick as you say, then I want to put you away. I was thinking about...but you helped me get closer to the truth behind the white rabbit.

I owe you at least that much." Brandon said. Kat let out a demented small chuckle. "Sick..." she said.

"What do you see when you look at me?" She asked. Brandon then took a deep breath. Thats when he saw Kat's appearance change just a bit, her twisted smile got wider and her eyes became completely black. He saw a disgusting and disturbed black tar like smoke come from her.

"..."

"Mmmm." She said, thats when she noticed the mom get up and got to the bathroom. Kat then got up and Brandon immediately got ready to stand up, but Kat stopped him, putting her hand on his chest.

He looked at her.

"Oh no you don't." She said, Brandon looked down and saw she had put her phone aginst his chest.

"Look at that. I want you to look at my phone. If you want to still arrest me go ahead, but I recommend looking at that before you do what your little brain is thinking." She said before she walked away and followed the mother into the bathroom. Brandon watched her, he thought to himself the possibility that this was just a trick. That Kat was manipulating him to just give herself more time. Who knows, maybe there is a window in the girl's bathroom.

...but he also couldn't rule out the possibility that she was messing with him now for a reason. Brandon gripped her phone, he then turned it on and he saw her wallpaper. It was a photo of a man tied up at the end of a table, the man was heavily beaten. He saw how he had multiple puncture wounds on his arms. He also was missing several fingers. He had a bag over his head, so it made it difficult to tell who it was. Brandon waited about several minutes, as he did he also looked through Kat's messages.

She had been contacted by multiple other people who had no caller ID. They sent her messages through emotes. Brandon took this as a sign of code, which meant once again his previous profile on Kat was thrown out the window. She was far more intelligent than he gave her credit for. Brandon then watched as she left the bathroom. He was a little concerned about the fact that he may have just given her a chance to commit murder with him being an accomplice to it. Though, she could have been testing him.

He watched her sit back down, Kat stared at him, her face still with the same crazier grin. "You know something annoying? When your favorite pair of pants. After just constant use eventually gets that terrible coochie hole. I mean. It could be a window to a new world, but its just too much for me right now." Brandon said. Kat smirked. "Yea, it definitely can be. I got a hole in my panties a while ago, my butt was just hanging put, but I still wore it anyway. Really gave me a lot of good wind up there yaknow?" She said. Brandon nodded as he then looked at the phone.

"I'm guessing that's not just a wallpaper. Even for creepy photos, this is...well you know." Brandon said. Kat nodded. "You're very perceptive. Good job. Thats my boyfriend. Isn't he cute?" Kat said. Brandon then crossed his legs in his seat. He began to ponder and think.

"This has been her game the whole time.

She wanted to test me, wants to see how far I'll go to catch the white rabbit. Even willingly giving her an opportunity to murder a innocent women, all for just a sliver of information.

But this isn't a sliver is it? This is the whole meal, she knows as well as I do. With her testimony, then Kibe even if he is now the prime suspect can't be put down. The evidence we have is almost all behavioral, minus Eiji who we've had for roughly 7 hours. In that time he hasn't spoken to neither me or Mr.Nakayama, but it wouldn't be a leap to go off of the trap I set. That Kibe is infact heavily associated with the white rabbit or is him himself.

Kat is here now, not because she wants to hang out, but because even now she still has some fruit to dangle in front of me. She hopes to use this to goat me into committing atrocities to get to my destination, well game on." Brandon thought.

"Boyfriend huh? I'm guessing that he didn't hit the right spots if you got him like that?" Brandon asked.

"You'd be right, he just didn't do well at twisting me the way I like. So I twisted him instead. Funny how he mentioned his previous affiliation with the police. Wonder what that could mean." Kat smiled. Brandon waited for a moment. He didn't quite know what she was implying, but thats when he remembered what he said. She won't give a testimony, which is fine cause its who she is. However, thats not the way the white rabbit plays. She has been tool for him for a long while.

Why let her off the leash? Why isn't he protecting her? He must know that things are looking grimm for him. Which means he also knows that the evidence we have won't keep him. At maximum we can hold Kibe for 48 hours.

"...THATS IT!!!" Brandon thought, thats when he suddenly nearly fell out his seat with Kat looking at him. She got up and stared at Brandon as he barley was clinging onto the table. "Hey, whats wrong with you?" Kat asked.

Yet everything was, EVERYTHING WAS SO WRONG!

"He doesn't care how close we get, cause the evidence is all just vague, sure we can pin him for being involved with the white rabbit, but we KNOW he is him.

So the only way to truly nail the case is to get someone who can recognize his voice!

THATS IT! THATS WHAT HE FUCKING DID!!!

He purposely took the black fox with him in order to keep a lose end close, no doubt he's already gotten into her head and she is undeniably devoted to him.

But then that leaves one other...Hishagami Juo. The only other person to work personally with the white rabbit and walk away. Mr.Nakayama interviewed him months ago, but after that they lost all connection with him. The theory was that he went underground to avoid detection, he wanted to be away from the white rabbit.

...yet my gut is telling me something else...its telling me that man in the photo. Kat's boyfriend...thats him. Thats why he's not worried, HES LEFT OUR ONLY WITNESS WITH A SERIAL KILLER!" Brandon thought. Kat then put her hand on his chest as she helped Brandon sit back down. Brandon was sweating. The waitress came over and brought some napkins. "Are you alright sir?" She asked. Kat got a worried face and looked at the waitress.

"I'm so sorry, my boyfriend has been under a lot of stress. He really just needs some time. Do you think you could get us some water?" Kat asked in a worried tone. The waitress nodded as Kat then sat next to Brandon. Brandon's eyes were wide, his mind fully aware of just what Kibe has been planning with Kat the whole time. Kat wrapped her arm around Brandon as she put her other hand on his lap.

"Don't worry darling, I'm here for you. I'll do whatever it is you need me to." Kat said. Yet Brandon was still in shock.

"The IPOW, with that coming up all means of collecting everyone will be gone. There won't be enough officers, people in the medic field and more because of it. The IPOW is the deadline. If we don't make an arrest now on Kibe then it will be too cold to act on, if we do now too then we'll have used up our chance.

As already, the evidence can't hold him for anymore than the standard 48 hours.

...He has us dead to rights.

...

.

..

...unless." Brandon thought as he then looked to Kat who was smiling at him. The waitress brought them their water. The droplets from it fell across the glass and onto the table.

"Theres no other way..." Brandon thought.

Thats when Brandon's hand touched and held Kat's which shocked her a bit as Brandon till now, was very evasive and not humoring her in the slightest.

"Yes, thank you. That means a lot. But I have to ask, just what is he doing for you?" Brandon asked. Kat blinked a few times while she stared at Brandon.

"You said you have no destination, there is nowhere you are looking to go. No chains to hold you down, yet you've willingly let yourself be dragged along with someone who to be honest. Doesn't understand the mentality of someone as free as yourself." Brandon said. Kat stared at Brandon unamused. She saw what he was doing, but the thing was. That she couldn't get the one part that he said out of her head.

That she indeed was a prisoner. As they left Brandon looked back to see the mother had returned from the bathroom and sat with her son.

Later on that day while the two are walking, Brandon and Kat walked back to Brandon's apartment. He went for his keys, but thats when Kat would grab his hand. Brandon's head slightly turned to her. Kat's face was flustered and dismissive. "May...may I come in?" Kat asked. Brandon just stared at her before he nodded. The two walked inside, Brandon locked the door with Kat's eyes moving to the kitchen and the knife block.

"Well, I don't have much. Hope your don't min-" however thats when Kat would get a knife and put it aginst Brandon's throat. His hands raised to his head. Kat smiled demonically.

"Bet you think you're pretty clever don't you?" Kat said. Brandon could feel.the cold steel getting ready to cut through his neck. Beats of sweat down his neck.

"Well to be honest, I don't think I'm clever enough to predict you. Your just too...well to be honest. Crazy." Brandon said with a smirk.

"Awww, your sweet." Kat said as she inched her knife closer, it began to draw blood on Brandon's neck. The two stared at one another for what felt like to Brandon, hours.

However thats when Kat would get on her tippy toes and kiss Brandon; who was very aginst it and kept his mouth closed as Kat "kissed" him. Kat's hand grazed his face as she then backed away. Brandon stared at her grossed out.

"I won't lie to you, I hate being chained up. Never been my thing. I do like fun though, so long as anything worth while can keep my attention. It'll do.

Seems like you have that over Kibe." Kat said as she kept the knife pointed at Brandon. "Well, I live to please." Brandon said. Kat smiled at him as she licked her lips. "Go and get your gun. I know you have one, oh and hand over your phone too." Kat said. Brandon got out his phone and threw it to her. She caught it and immediately threw it to the floor and smashed it.

"Coooommme onnnn, I haven't had a phone since 2008. Cut me a break." Brandon groaned. Kat then gestured for him to go and get it. She followed him as they went and got the gun from his room. Brandon looked at it as he checked the barrel, he thought for a moment.

"...Empty? Or..." Brandon thought.

He then clicked it and handed it to Kat who grabbed it. She didn't check it. Seemed maybe she had some sort of trust in him, or as Brandon thought. She was just very pumped up from what she was doing. Though seeing how often she goes about hurting others, he figured this must be from trust.

At least he thought so. Kat walked over to him, pointing the gun at his stomach. "Hold me Mr.Wright." Kat smirked. Brandon then grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. "The white rabbit for as long as I've know him, as been a man of precision and accuracy.

Always planning ahead, well, I say its time he meet someone who doesn't care for any of those things.

Time for me to show him that there's a reason why he runs, and the Cheshire cat HUNTS! HAHAHAH!" Kat laughed. Brandon looked at her with almost fear in his eyes.

"Now, sign the contract my Jabberwocky! Kiss me like how you used to kiss me. Only this time, let you hold me until death do us part!" She shouted.

"Dead to rights....but with this, it won't be the case." Brandon thought as he then smashed his lips against Kat's who wrapped one of her arms aginst his neck. Her tongue flowed with his as she deepened, thats when she suddenly bit his tongue and bit off a piece of it causing Brandon to fall backwards and land aginst the wall. Kat laughed hysterically as she then chewed and ate the piece of Brandon's tongue.

"Oh Brandon, you're so much fun. I love the date we had. Now I have something to remember you by." She said as she kept eating. Brandon groaned as blood dripped from his mouth, he then ripped a part of shirt.

"Dont bleed out on me. I want you to be ready for our next intimate adventure, for when you go looking for dear old Juo.

Your very clever, but let's see how clever you are under a time limit. Cauae I won't be waiting for you. If you screw up then I'll just have to-" thats when she fired the gun, BANG; the bullet went flying right by Brandon's head.

"Put you down dear boy hehehehe, so don't keep me. Cause once the bodies finish dropping, I won't be around to give you another sweet taste." She said as she licked her lips and walked away. "So long detective." Kat said as she then left the place. Brandon groaned, drool and blood pouring from his lips as he collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion.

Across town two hours later, in Ushin. Himmy was by herself in her apartment. She was humming to herself as she kept reading through the notes Kibe had left for her. Thats when she'd get a knock at the door. She walked over to it and set the notebook down. She walked over to the door and saw it was man, shadows hung over his eyes from his baseball cap. "What is it?! Don't you know how fucking late it is!?" Himmy growled.

"Sorry, but they wanted me to send you this noise complaint. Just need you to sign here is all and I'll be on my way." Said the man. Himmy cursed under her breath as she opened violently.

"YOU TELL THAT BITCH-"

BANG

Thats when a gun shot would go off.

"...its....its cold." Himmy said, thats when she looked at the guy and saw he was shot through the stomach. Himmy looked down and saw she had been shot too. She then collapsed onto the floor clenching her stomach. She held it tight and tried to control her breathing, however nothing would prepare her for what she saw next. The man then collapsed next to her to reveal he was already dead, a bullet hole in the head. Himmy backed away as she steadily tried to get up and see who it was. When she did, she couldn't believe it.

"Hey there roommate." Kat said as she walked in and kicked Himmy over onto her side. Himmy winced in pain, Kat then kicked her hard right where she had been shot Himmy spitting out blood. Kat then grabbed her by the hair and lifted her head a bit.

"I think its time you and me had a chat, get to see how we've both been over the years.

I'm sure your boytoy won't mind, hehehahahaAHAHAHAHAH!" Kat laughed as Himmy's vision began to fade.