#4, Trip

Chapter 4

Welcome to the Madness

Meito wiped the remnants of nausea from his mouth as they cruised back on the road, the cool breeze blowing in from the half-opened window. His head still spun slightly, but something else was bothering him—something that had been itching at the back of his mind for a while now.

"Yo, Lan…" Meito leaned forward from the backseat, resting his chin on the front passenger seat. "I've been meaning to ask. What exactly is the name of this organization we're part of?"

Kishimata Lan blinked, his eyes never leaving the road, but the slight twitch in his mouth revealed his amusement. "You don't even know the name of the organization you're working for? You've been with us for, what, a week?"

Meito shrugged, scratching his head. "I mean… yeah. I kinda… wasn't really paying attention when I signed up. Y'know, just saw the detective gig, thought it sounded cool—then BAM, here I am!"

Nodo Sei, who was sitting shotgun, burst into laughter, nearly dropping his Uno cards. "Dude! You didn't even know who you were working for? You're more reckless than I thought!"

Lan chuckled. "And yet, here you are, assigned to one of the most dangerous cases in existence. Fate's got a weird sense of humor."

Meito crossed his arms, huffing. "Alright, alright, I get it, okay? But seriously—what's the name of this place? Some cool codename, right? Like 'Black Ops'? Or maybe 'Shadow Division' or something?"

Lan's grin widened as he glanced at Meito through the rearview mirror. "You wish. Our organization isn't some flashy, top-secret agency with a catchy name, kid."

Meito tilted his head, curiosity piqued. "So… what are we?"

Lan sighed, as if bracing himself to explain something far more complicated than Meito was prepared for. "We're part of an international coalition called The Concord. Officially, we don't exist. Unofficially, we keep the world from tearing itself apart."

Meito blinked. "Concord? Like… an agreement?"

Lan nodded. "Exactly. The idea is that we 'concord'—or rather, bring together—different branches of government, secret agencies, and… people like us. You know, those with extraordinary abilities. We pool resources to deal with the threats that no single nation can handle on their own."

Meito's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected it to sound so… official. "Wait, so we're like some global peacekeepers or something?"

Nodo threw in, "More like global cleanup crew, honestly. When something too big or weird for regular governments to handle comes up, that's when we step in."

Lan nodded in agreement. "That's about right. We operate in the shadows, neutralizing threats that could throw the world off balance—whether it's rogue governments, criminal syndicates, or, in our current case, psychopathic murderers with world-ending ambitions."

Meito scratched his chin, taking it all in. "Huh… I guess that makes sense. But wait, if we're so top-secret and powerful, why do we still have to debate with the higher-ups to go to Italy? We've got proof, right?"

Lan's face darkened slightly as he slowed the car down, pulling off to the side of the road again. He turned to face Meito, his usual grin replaced with a more serious expression.

"That's the thing about The Concord, kid. We're not invincible. We've got our rules, politics, and bureaucracy. We're just one part of a much larger system. Sure, we've got the power, but we don't have the freedom to act however we want. There's always someone watching—someone we have to answer to."

Nodo nodded in agreement, though his grin never faded. "Yeah, we might be in charge of handling the 'big stuff,' but that doesn't mean we're free to do whatever we want. Paperwork and politics still run the world, man."

Meito slumped back in his seat, clearly disappointed. "Man… I thought being a secret agent would be way cooler than this."

Lan smirked again, the seriousness fading. "Welcome to the real world, rookie. It's not all car chases and shootouts. But trust me—when things get serious, you'll be glad we've got the authority backing us."

Meito perked up. "So… what about you, Lan? You're different from the others, aren't you?"

Lan raised an eyebrow, his grin widening once more. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Meito hesitated, trying to find the words. "You don't exactly… act like some serious agent. You're, like, way more laid-back than everyone else."

Nodo laughed out loud. "That's because Lan's the crazy one!"

Lan chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Guilty as charged. Let's just say I'm not cut from the same cloth as the typical Concord operative. I prefer to have fun with what I do—keeps me sharp. But don't worry, when the time comes, I can get serious."

Meito crossed his arms, smirking. "Yeah, yeah, sure. I'll believe it when I see it."

Lan looked ahead, his eyes narrowing as the road stretched out before them. "You'll see it soon enough, rookie. This mission is just getting started."

As the SUV sped back onto the highway, Meito couldn't help but feel a strange mix of excitement and dread. This wasn't exactly what he had signed up for, but it was too late to turn back now.

And besides, maybe Lan wasn't so different from him after all.

The Road Less Traveled… Or Floated?

The SUV glided smoothly across the surface of the water, leaving behind a trail of ripples. Meito sat in the backseat, his jaw practically hitting the floor as he stared out the window in disbelief.

"Bro… we're driving on water," Meito muttered, blinking rapidly to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "Like… on water."

Nodo Sei, seated next to Lan, was grinning ear to ear, looking like a kid on a rollercoaster. "This is awesome! It's like we're in some sci-fi movie, but it's real! Lan, you should've told me earlier we had this in the garage."

Kishimata Lan gave a small, satisfied smirk. "Why spoil the surprise? Gotta keep things interesting for you guys. Besides, this SUV is top-tier Concord tech. It's built for every type of terrain—land, sea, and air if needed."

Meito threw his hands up in the air. "You're telling me this thing can fly too?!"

Lan chuckled. "Not quite, but close. It can hover short distances. We've got aircraft for the real flying business. This baby? She's built for stealth missions—keeping low and out of sight, even over water. But yeah, there's still the matter of maritime traffic."

Meito raised an eyebrow. "Wait… maritime traffic? We have to follow sea traffic rules too?"

Nodo let out a boisterous laugh. "Yup! We can't just go zipping across the water like we own the place. There are laws, my man. Can't have secret agents causing traffic jams out here or getting chased by coast guards."

Lan nodded in agreement, eyes focused ahead as he navigated. "Exactly. We've got maritime lanes to respect. Even though we're running off-grid, doesn't mean we get to ignore the law. Stay stealthy, stay out of trouble."

Meito slumped back in his seat, scratching his head. "Man, this secret agent gig is way more rule-heavy than I expected."

"Welcome to reality," Lan quipped.

But just as Meito was getting used to the idea of a floating SUV, a crackling sound erupted from the radio.

"Yo, Lan, is that supposed to happen?" Nodo leaned over, tapping the side of the console.

The static increased, then suddenly shifted into rapid bursts of sound—like some sort of interference. But beneath the noise, they could make out something—almost like… morse code.

Lan frowned, his expression instantly turning serious as the taps and beeps began to form letters.

"Y... O... U..." Lan murmured under his breath, translating each pause. "C… A… N… T..."

Nodo leaned in closer, his jovial mood now replaced with a growing concern. "Wait… What's it saying?"

"S... T... O... P…" Lan continued, his brow furrowed. "M... E…"

The three of them exchanged looks, the air inside the SUV growing tense. Meito, for once, was speechless, while Nodo's grin was completely wiped off his face.

"You can't stop me?" Meito repeated, his voice a whisper.

Lan shut off the radio, his face unreadable. "Looks like someone's watching us."

Nodo, unfazed by most things, now looked visibly disturbed. "Someone who knows exactly what we're doing out here."

Meito's brain kicked into overdrive. "Wait, are you telling me this killer we're after can… hack into our vehicle's systems? Just like that?"

Lan shook his head, still focused on the water ahead. "Not just hack. Whoever this is… they're playing a mind game. This is a warning—a challenge."

"Great," Meito muttered sarcastically. "That's exactly what we need. A psychopath with a god complex who can mess with us remotely."

Nodo leaned back in his seat, clearly not appreciating the shift in tone. "I don't know about you, but I kinda like a challenge. Keeps things spicy."

Meito shot him an incredulous look. "Spicy? Dude, this is not a cooking competition! We're dealing with a murderer who just sent us a freaking code through our own systems."

Lan's eyes narrowed. "Nodo's not wrong. Whoever this is, they're dangerous. But the fact that they're playing this game means they're afraid of us catching them."

Meito tried to process that. "So… what? This whole 'you can't stop me' thing is a bluff?"

"Could be," Lan said, shrugging. "Or it could be a declaration of war. Either way, we're on their radar now. No going back."

Nodo cracked his knuckles, a wide grin returning to his face. "Good. I like it when the enemy knows we're coming."

Meito, still feeling slightly freaked out, forced a weak laugh. "Yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it…"

But his mind was racing again. He wasn't dumb—he knew this was bigger than him. A part of him almost wished he hadn't stumbled into this whole mess. But there was another part—the part that had spent his childhood glued to comics and anime—that couldn't help but be fascinated.

This was real. This was the kind of stuff that happened in his favorite stories, and now he was living it.

Lan, meanwhile, adjusted the steering wheel, his voice steady. "We'll reach land soon. Once we're off the water, we'll regroup and figure out our next move. Keep your heads cool."

Nodo gave a mock salute. "Aye, aye, captain."

Meito slumped back in his seat, letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. As absurd as it all was—driving on water, glitchy radio messages, and murderers leaving cryptic challenges—he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.

This case wasn't going to be simple. Not by a long shot.

"Yo, Lan," Meito finally said, breaking the silence again. "Next time we get a mission like this, how about not driving through the ocean?"

Lan smirked. "Noted. But when you're with us, kid, there's no such thing as 'normal.' Better get used to it."

Meito sighed, glancing out at the endless expanse of water ahead.

"Ten billion percent," Lan muttered under his breath, a rare grin forming on his face, as if quoting some grand truth.

Meito groaned. "Oh great, now we've got anime quotes happening. Just what I needed."

Despite the tension, Nodo chuckled, his previous excitement returning. "Next thing you know, we'll be out here building colonies on deserted islands!"

Lan's grin widened. "That's just Phase 2, Nodo."

Meito shook his head, smiling despite himself. Maybe this crazy life wasn't so bad after all.