So Be It

Getting to the hospital, Haruki and Ryoji made their way to the patient's room.

The guards at the door were different from the people Haruki had seen last time.

"Strange," he mumbled under his breath as he slowed his pace.

"What?" Ryoji asked, leaning closer to him.

"Those guys weren't the ones here last time I came by," Haruki nodded discreetly at the men.

"Huh? Maybe they're working shifts?" Ryoji asked, looking at them curiously.

"Only one way to find out," Haruki said, squaring his shoulders.

He walked right up to them and saluted. "Officer Sakurai from the 5th Division with Officer Kazama, also from the 5th," he pulled out his badge.

Both men stared at Haruki for a moment before one of them cleared his throat nervously. "Ah, I see. We're just here to ensure security," he replied vaguely.

Haruki raised an eyebrow but decided not to press further for now. "Understood. May I ask what division you are from?" he inquired politely.

The guards exchanged uneasy glances before the other one spoke up. "We're... uh... from the security division," he stammered, avoiding eye contact.

Haruki's suspicions deepened, but he maintained a composed demeanour. He didn't have time for them, he just wanted to get into the room. "Thank you for your service," he said with a nod before turning to Ryoji. "Let's go in."

But as they approached the door, the guards shifted uncomfortably, blocking their path. "I'm sorry, officers, but we can't allow you to enter," one of them said firmly, placing a hand on the door handle.

Ryoji frowned. "Why not? We have jurisdiction over this case," he insisted.

The guards remained unmoved, their stance firm. "Orders are orders. We can't let anyone through without clearance," the second guard said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Haruki's patience wore thin. "We have clearance from Chief Kenji himself. Step aside," he ordered, his tone left no room for argument.

"No can't do," the guard said, shaking his head. Haruki's instincts were screaming at him to move so he did just that. Barreling past the guard, he burst into the room. Ignoring the shouts of the guards behind him.

He paused by the door, eyes wide as he stared at the figure by the bedside.

The assassin/ Ninja? whatever the fuck they had going on, dressed in all black with a hood pulled low over their face, spun around in surprise, their knife in their gloved hands glinting in the sharp fluorescent light.

Seeing that they were caught, the figure ran for the window, looking to escape.

"Stop!" Haruki yelled, lunging forward to stop them.

The assassin dodged Haruki's grasp with surprising agility, sidestepping his advance and darting towards the window.

The guards by the door also tried to run, but Ryoji held them back and they began to struggle.

"No way are you escaping me again!" Haruki thought as he rushed over to the person, tackling them from behind.

The knife in their hand fell and skittered across the tiled floor as they grappled with one another. The person was surprisingly flexible and springy, twisting and evading his blows.

"Ryoji, call for backup!" Haruki shouted as he struggled with the person. Why the fuck were they even wearing a cape in this fucking heat? Too many movies? Haruki thought as he got tangled up in the cape.

"Fucking busy here," Ryoji grunted from somewhere behind him.

Glancing over his shoulder, Haruki saw the two guards from earlier wrestling with Ryoji as he tried to reach for his radio mid-fight.

He was pushed back into his fight as the assassin twisted beneath him again, aiming a blow at his face. Haruki dodged just in time, feeling the rush of air as the fist whizzed past him. He countered with a punch of his own, but the assassin was already moving, They bucked up, throwing Haruki off balance before slipping past him and darting towards the window again.

This time they were able to open it before Haruki got to them and jumped out.

"Damn it!" Haruki cursed under his breath, frustration coursing through him as he watched the intruder flee down the fire escape.

People peered out of their rooms with curiosity, others stood aside, unsure of who to help or what was even going on.

Despite Ryoji's best efforts, they managed to overpower him and run away, pushing people and upturning carts in their way. Ryoji swore loudly, pulling himself to his feet as he called into the radio.

"We've had a breach! The suspect and two unknown individuals are on the run. All units, be on high alert!"

As backup arrived to secure the area and search for the fleeing suspects, Haruki remained in the room with the unconscious patient,

Later that day, Haruki, Kenji, Misato, and Ryoji gathered in the hospital room, joined by the doctor in charge of the patient's care.

"What happened here?" Chief Kenji demanded, turning to Haruki and Ryoji for answers.

Haruki took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "It appears that the guards outside the room were impostors," he began, then continued to recount the whole incident.

Chief Kenji's jaw clenched as he listened, his expression darkening with each passing moment.

"Fortunately, Officer Sakurai and Officer Kazama intervened when they did," the doctor remarked, addressing the group.

"Yes, indeed," Kenji nodded solemnly, his expression grave.

The frown on his face deepened. "This is still unacceptable," he muttered, turning to Officer Misato. "I want a full investigation into how these impostors managed to infiltrate our security."

Misato frowned, jotting down notes on his notepad as he made mental notes of the situation. "I think you've forgotten that I'm in charge here, Chief," he said, glaring at Kenji.

Haruki's eyes narrowed, and took a step forward. 'How dare he speak to the chief that way,' Ryoji grabbed his hand, stopping him from punching the idiot's lights out.

Misato glanced at Haruki and Ryoji, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "I want a full report on what happened here today," he said.

Kenji nodded, "Very well then, since you are in charge, I hope you have a reasonable explanation for where your men are and why they were easily replaced." he said calmly.

Misato's face flushed with rage. Kenji had turned his words against him and put him on the spot. "Of course, they will be investigated too! Are you suggesting I had anything to do with this?" he sputtered, spit flying everywhere.

Kenji simply took a step back and stared him down. The look on his face said he wasn't impressed with Misato's behaviour. "I am simply stating the facts clear to us, I hope you and your men have good reasons for this."

Seeing that he couldn't scream or muscle his way out of a situation, Misato decided to retreat.

"I...I will get back to you on that," then he turned to Haruki and Ryoji with a sneer. "Send in that report!" and hastily made a retreat.

Kenji watched him leave and shook his head. "It's clear that this was no random attack," he hummed as he stared at the sleeping suspect. "Someone went to great lengths to silence this witness."

his brow furrowed with concern.

"Keep us updated on any developments," he instructed, Ryoji and Haruki saluted as he left.

***********

Back in a dimly lit luxurious room, the hooded assassin sighed as they threw the cape aside and sat on a plush leader couch.

"Back so soon?" the other person in the room asked.

"The police just happened to show up when I got there," the assassin groaned, rubbing the back of their neck. "There was one alpha in particular..." they trailed off.

"Oh? An alpha caught your attention? Should I be curious?" the other person asked, leaning forward.

"No, I don't think so. It was the same alpha in the club too," the assassin sighed, the alpha was starting to get on their nerves. Why didn't he just take the Aramaki bait and focus on them?

"Patience," the other person in the room said, as though reading the assassin's mind. "We will have them where we want them soon enough," They said, smiling brightly.

The assassin sighed, "Well it better be soon, I don't know how much longer I can keep to myself," they grumbled under their breath.

"It's ok, I'll pull some strings and let the dogs enjoy another juicy bone," the other person said, lacing their fingers together.

"We continue operations tomorrow, a new set of subjects have come in," they continued, looking at some files spread on the table in front of them.

"They had better take the bait," the assassin huffed.

"Of course, and if they dont take this offer... so be it."