--In the compound meeting room--

“As you all know, acquiring any sort of information on APEX has been a priority of ours ever since its inception.” Hisayo addressed the family from her position in the center of the rounded table. “We know that someone aspires to create a bio-weapon from the process of artificially bonding deities to vessels. I don’t need to remind you how this would disrupt the natural order of things as we know it, but most importantly if this research succeeds it would be an enormous threat to our family. Unfortunately, ever since our breakthrough several years ago most of our leads have dried up and our any trails we have followed have gone cold. With each day that passes the project nears completion, so to refocus our efforts I am suspending all contract work.” A collective groan filled the room at Hisayo’s declaration.

“So no more jobs at all?” Satoru asked.

Hisayo nodded, “That is correct unless it is relevant to our investigation.”

“I agree with Sayo,” Hanabi said.

“Satoru, you of all people shouldn’t need to be reminded about how horrific these experiments are.” She stated pointedly at her son.

Satoru gaze darkened as he cast his eyes downward, at the back of the room Shelty’s back stiffened as she lightly ran her hand over her tattoo on the back of her neck.

“Now, it isn’t a matter of what the project is, or why we need to put an end to it. It’s how we are going to. As Sayo stated, all of our trails have gone cold. Even the recent job at JenSys proved to be fruitless.” Hanabi continued.

“Now, now Hana,” Hisayo interjected.

“I wouldn’t say it was a complete failure. Jensen Skagg was bankrolling a lot of the project and had a say in the direction and facilities used for the research. With him dead, it surely threw a wrench in the plans. I am sure Satoru and Shelty both could have been able to investigate further given more time and the lack of…. unforeseen circumstances.” Hisayo focused her fiery gaze at Yuko, who had been nervously fidgeting before the panel of assassins.

Chills ran down her spine as the family ceased the discussion between themselves and focused all their attention on her. “Which brings me to our next order of business,” Hisayo’s tone had taken an amused tone. “Ms. Hiragi and I had quite a spirited discussion earlier, and she passionately professed to have the solution to our troubles! Now Yuko, if you would be a dear, please inform us of just what that would be?” Hisayo’s lips curled into a devilish smile as Yuko smacked her cheeks to calm herself down. Her hands were shaking with nerves and her heart was beating a million times per minute. This is what Hisayo wanted, she wanted to make a fool of her, use her fear to bring her to heel. Yuko would not go down so quietly.  After a few deep breaths, she stepped forward meeting Hisayos’ gaze.

“Ever since I was a child, I had been curious” She started. Much to Hisayo’s chagrin, her voice was even and clear, her composure calm and collected. “I learned to read at a very young age to satiate my own thirst for knowledge. That made my curiosity even stronger. It was unfocused and raw. I was always getting into things, discovered things, asking the right questions to the wrong people. It drove my mom crazy.” Yuko smiled softly to herself as she remembered her mother and brother back in her hometown. They must be agonizing in worry over her.

“I was never interested in reality shows, or the latest blockbuster dramas on TV. I used to be giddy over the news, particularly the interview segments. I didn’t want to hoard my knowledge, so much as I wanted to share it. I felt that I could help people by informing them. That somehow this could better their lives, or in turn, make them more informative. That’s what landed me at The Eastern Inquirer, a publication tied to the largest international media conglomerate in the world. As an intern in the journalism department, I can get access to all of their source material that is present or past, and I can also acquire it myself. It would not seem suspicious as it is my job to find things out I-“

“Alright dear, just let me stop you there.” Hisayo interrupted. “Wonderful speech, very touching, but I’m sure we get the idea of what you are trying to say. Your uncanny and inquisitive nature made you a natural for investigative journalism, which got you access to a place that has a wealth of information and knowledge to consume. You could possibly share this information with us. Also, you believe you can find out what you don’t know by knocking on some doors and asking around and no one would be suspicious or guarded because you are a journalist. Is that it?” She asked expectantly.

“Well, when you put it like that...” Yuko said bashfully.

“Yes.” Hisayo turned to the green-eyed girl sitting next to her. “Akane, would you mind taking a look at Ms. Hiragi for me?” She asked.

“Yes, mother.” The girl answered. She had appeared in front of Yuko in an instant. Akane stared at her figure. Circling her once and looking her up and down, “You are twenty-one years old, height one hundred and sixty centimeters, weight one hundred and twenty pounds. Your metabolism is above average, but due to the lack of developed muscle mass, and increased bone density it is not because you are physically active, it is a hereditary trait that your family possesses. Your vision is perfect, yet your pupils are stressed, signifying you spend a lot of time in front of blue light or watching bright screens at night.” Yuko’s confidence that she had displayed earlier began to fade as the young woman, Akane, continued to rattle off facts about her. Hisayo waved her hand and the girl's chatter stopped.

“Thank you, Akane. Now, Ms. Hiragi I just wanted to prove a point. Akane here has never seen you and she was not present when you were brought here as she just arrived from a contract a few hours ago. All she knew was your name and she was able to find out everything she needed to know about you from just a glance. She also was able to get within arm’s length of you without you being able to realize it or react. On the side of you being used for feeding us information, we do not need you for that, as you can see we are more than capable of observation ourselves. We have amassed information that rivals the archives of your inquirer. On the topic of you being able to get to unreachable places, you should be well aware at this point that there is nowhere we cannot go. We have felled kings and presidents, quelled rebellions and incited revolutions. We have ended entire family lines and thought nothing of it, so once again there is nowhere we cannot go and no one we cannot get to provided we have the information. On the topic of you being inconspicuous, well, Akane just proved that we are again superior to you in that aspect. So, I must ask you once again, girl. What exactly do you think you can do for us?” Hisayo inquired, pressuring Yuko, who became increasingly uncomfortable.

Her arguments, which she had spent the better part of the day mulling over, had all been destroyed in a matter of moments, by the monster of logic that was the head of the family. Shelty began to cringe as she watched Yuko be dissected, and she did not know how much more she could bear to watch.

“Yuko, I’m sorry to say this but it doesn’t seem to me that you can truly help us after all. It’s a shame because you’re cute as a button.” Hanabi lamented sadly. Hisayo could barely contain her bloodlust as she began to grow excited, running through the countless ways she could dispose of the girl. Shelty had seen enough.

“Lady Hanabi, Lady Hisayo, if I may,” Shelty addressed her two mistresses, stepping forward from her spot at the back. Hisayo glared daggers at the blonde as she approached Yuko, her gaze threatening to melt them both to their core.

“You have something to add, Shelty?” She spat, voice dripping with venom. Shelty ignored her comment.

“She may not be able to prove useful for what you had in mind, but I believe we are overlooking something,” She said. Insulted at the blonde’s insinuation, Hisayo directed her malice from Yuko to her. Though Shelty was literally feeling the heat, she continued with her point. “Though we may have a vast resource network, concerning APEX specifically, we could say we are behind the 8-ball a bit. Even though we may have delayed development a bit due to eliminating Skagg, our information on any recent developments is limited to speculation at best. We would need a new information source that can feed us intel real time. I suggest using Yuko’s contacts at the newspaper for just such a thing. Perhaps if we…. adjusted the focus of those in charge of gathering the information to report on we might be able to gain new leads.”

Yuko looked to Shelty in stunned silence. Hanabi looked to her sister, who seemed to be boiling with rage, with an amused smirk.

“That’s an interesting point, Shelty. But I am still having doubts about whether or not she can do this on her own,” Hanabi said.

“Oh my god, Haru!” Yuko exclaimed. Everyone focused back on the girl, taken aback by her outburst. “Haru! My friend Haru can help! She works in production and knows all the higher ups and the news anchors! She will help me if I explain it to her.” Yuko said with renewed vigor.

Hisayo opened her mouth to complain, but Satoru stepped in “I can confirm this. They are roommates and they do intern together. We ran into her when Shelty and I were on the JenSys job. She’s a helluva driver to boot, managed to give Shelty here quite the workout,” he added.

“Do you think she would cooperate with us? With the right convincing of course.” Hanabi asked.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“Yes! Wait, you aren’t going to torture her are you?” Yuko queried with trepidation. The older woman waved off the concern.

“Heavens no, we are not savages after all. We could compensate her monetarily or in any other way. So long as she can get the job done,” Hanabi stated.

“We will. Please, just give us a chance,” Yuko pleaded. The room stood still for a few moments. The tension became palpable as Hisayo still quietly seethed. Hanabi clapped her hands together, sensing that her sister could barely contain herself any longer.

“I think Sayo’s silence means she has no objections, and there are none from me as well. So, as the co-head, I say we have a plan! We will put some details together later, but for now, the meeting adjourned!” At Hanabi’s words, Hisayo angrily slammed her fist down on the table shattering it to pieces. Sensing what was about to happen, Shelty pushed Yuko behind her, acting as a buffer for the woman’s fiery rage. Hisayo rushed forward forcefully clutching Shelty’s collar, hoisting her high off the ground, curtains of flames swirling around the enraged woman.

“You would DARE undermine me?!” She seethed. “You mere abomination! I have half a mind to kill you, along with the girl!”

Despite the precarious position, Shelty still remained calm and composed. “I am only providing a suggestion in progressing our investigations. I meant no such disrespect,” she stated evenly.

“Shelty is right. You have to know that, Aunt Hisayo,” Satoru pleaded. “Put her down…please.”

The desperation in his voice made Shelty’s heartache. He must be terrified for her, but fear of incurring Hisayo’s wrath kept him frozen in place. Maya and Zed stood stoically at the back of the room, their expressions unreadable. Akane merely watched aloofly at her mother’s tantrum, twirling an ebony lock of hair in boredom. Hanabi silently walked forward, her sisters fire powerless to stave her off.

“That’s enough, Sayo.” She said, placing a calming hand on her sisters’ shoulder. The flames instantly extinguished and Hisayo’s expression, which had been twisted in anger, softened to a calm demeanor. She set Shelty down and loosened her grip on her collar.

“I’m sorry,” she uttered quietly. She hurried out of the room with Zed following shortly after her. Satoru rushed to the front of the room to check on Shelty, while Maya was busy tending to a petrified Yuko.

“Shelty! Are you ok? Are you hurt? Are you burned anywhere?” Satoru frantically questioned the girl spinning her around and checking her for injuries. She smiled warmly at the gesture and cupped her hand over his cheek. “I’m fine, you know you don’t have to worry about me getting hurt,” she said. Satoru’s cheeks flushed red. “Yeah…I know that…It’s just a reflex is all.” He said bashfully. “Also, don’t let what Aunt Hisayo said bother you. You know she didn’t mean that” He added. She caressed his cheek once more before removing her hand from his face.

“I know. The mistress knows where my loyalties lie. I am eternally grateful to you all and I would have gladly given my life to her there had she deemed it necessary.” Shelty professed as she turned to help Maya calm down Yuko.

Hanabi exhaled deeply, Hisayo’s temper tantrums were always a pain to deal with. She looked at Yuko who had quickly regained her wits, in her short time here she was already becoming accustomed to the events that could transpire here. “Satoru, honey, why don’t you and Shelty go get some rest? Maya and I will clean up here.” She said to her son. Yuko caught Shelty’s wrist before she left.

“Thank you…for standing up for me. You’ve saved me once again.” Shelty was speechless to respond as she followed Satoru out of the room who uttered a quick ‘Thank You’ to his mother. Akane, who still remained much, to everyone’s surprise, walked up to Yuko. Maya defensively kept the girl behind her as the green-eyed assassin approached. Akane ran her eyes over the girls’ body before smirking and giving a quick ‘hm’ sound before sauntering out of the room, leaving the three alone.

“Walk with me,” Hanabi said, beckoning Yuko to follow her out of the room.  Yuko followed the black-clad woman outside and strolled with her and Maya through the halls. They came to an observation balcony built into the side of the cliff, the sun rays bathing the steamy jungle expanse below. “So,” She started as they walked out onto the balcony. “It seems Shelty has warmed up to you. She’s saved you twice in the same day, that’s a record around here, you know,” Hanabi pointed out.

Yuko felt at ease around Hanabi. Though she boasted the same commanding presence that Hisayo had, it was much more subdued. Where being near Hisayo was suffocating and stifling, Hanabi’s presence was refreshing and alluring.  Yuko had to fight the urge to divulge all of her troubles and secrets to the woman.

Hanabi pulled a pipe from her sari and began to pack it with herbs Yuko did not recognize. She ignited the bowl of the pipe and began to take a few puffs of the stuff before blowing it out in long streams of smoke. “Thanks to Shelty, it's safe to say you’re our official houseguest now. You don’t have to worry about Hisayo trying to kill you in your sleep, by the way, she’ll back off.” The woman said.

“That’s good to know,” replied Yuko, who watched the wisps of smoke from Hanabi’s pipe dissipate into the air. It reminded her of Simmonds, she wondered if he had fired her by now. Or if he wondered where she was. I hope I can see you all soon, she thought.

“We also need to talk about your compensation. We don’t do this too often but if you can produce results, we will make it worth your while. I think a fair number would be what, ten-thousand or so a week? Maya, can we do ten thousand a week?” She called over to the quiet attendant.

“Of course, Mistress I can arrange it,” Maya answered.

Yuko’s knees began to grow weak. With that kind of money, there was nothing she could not do. She wouldn’t need to worry about rent, or loans, or anything! All of her problems would be solved. All of her hard work would be…for nothing. All of the hours she put in combing over texts and articles. The days she spent honing her public speaking skills and etiquette. Her dreams of informing the public through her stories would never be fulfilled. Her life would maybe be financially secure, but she did not want to live an empty existence.

Yuko lightly shook her head to the woman. “Thank you for your offer, but I can’t accept that amount of money. Just enough to cover my living expenses maybe?”

Hanabi took another puff from her pipe before putting it out and stashing it away yet again. She was a bit surprised the girl had refused, most people would kill to make that amount. “I see, so what is it that you want from us? That amount you’re ok with is trivial at best,” She asked.

Yuko’s brow furrowed in thought before she walked over to stand before Hanabi, her eyes steely with resolve. “If anything I’d really like a chance to learn about… all of this…all of you.” She said, waving her hands around the room for effect.

Hanabi suppressed a chuckle. “You were telling the truth; you are a curious one. You haven’t had the greatest time here so why would you want to know more about us?” Hanabi asked genuinely interested.

“Honestly. You all terrify me. You all have powers and abilities that…I could never dream of. I feel like I’m a lamb trapped in a den of wolves when I’m around you all, never knowing when your fangs will find my throat. You’re rich, you’re powerful, you’re scary and it interests me. It’s always clouded my judgment, but if you’re going to keep me here I also need something to show for it. So instead of money, please allow me to interview you all. Let me live amongst you and learn from you.” Yuko bowed her head deeply in front of both Hanabi and Maya.

“Please let me learn and tell the story of the Hattori family!”

-----meanwhile back in Oshan—

Haru sat in her hospital bed as the nurse examined her. “It seems you’re going to be okay, Ms. Shimomura,” The nurse said as she wrote down some notes on her clipboard.

“Thank you, but is there any word on the police investigation? Have they found Yuko? Or the people that kidnapped her?” She asked.

“I’m sorry Ms. Shimomura,” the nurse started. “But the authorities have decided to cease the investigations on the matter.” Haru let out a swear.

When the authorities came after her crash she immediately filed a missing person’s report and to report the two assailants that caused the crash in the first place. She tried to tell everyone she knew in hopes of finding her friend but every time she did, either people thought she was crazy or refused to look into the matter any further.

My friend is missing and nobody gives a damn! She thought to herself, tears starting to well up. There was a light chime in her room signifying a visitor request.

“It seems you have a visitor. Would you like to let them in?” the nurse asked. Haru nodded, hoping that it would finally be someone who managed to have some information. The nurse clicked a button on her pad, and the door slid open revealing a middle-aged man dressed in an expensive crisp white suit on the other side. Glasses covered his grey eyes, and his hair had taken on a salt and pepper hue.

“You’re not the cops,” Haru stated. “Who are you and what the hell do you want?” Haru needed to get out of this hospital as quick as possible. If no one was going to help her then she would find Yuko herself, she did not have time to waste on other matters.

“Straight to the point, I see. You are indeed a firecracker,” The man chuckled. “My name is Professor William Duncan. I am head of the Imperial Ministry of Science. I came to offer my assistance to your problem,” He said, stepping into the room.

“Can you give us some privacy, please?” Haru said to the nurse, who hesitantly agreed to leave the room.

“Do you know something? I swear if you do and are not telling anyone, I’ll pull your rectum out through your throat!” She threatened.

“Now, now no need for threats. I believe we can be of use to each other.”

Haru raised an eyebrow at the man. “Oh yeah? What could I possibly provide for an imperial bigwig like you? If you’re like Skagg, I’ll report you to the police.”

The professor pulled up a chair next to the girl lying in bed.

“I was acquainted with the man. Though his interests may have been a bit unethical, his loss is still regrettable. However, I assure you I am nothing of his sort. To prove I mean no harm, I have already covered all of your medical expenses and your car has been replaced with a newer model, also fully paid off of course.” Haru’s jaw dropped to the floor at the man’s generosity.

“I... I don’t know what to say,” She started.

“You don’t have to say anything, Ms. Shimomura. As I said, I am only here to help.”

He removed his glasses to wipe off specs of dust on them before returning them to his face. “The authorities will not search for your friend. No one will, even if you broadcast her disappearance to every network on the planet. She is gone for all intents and purposes; taken into the clutches by an organization far more powerful and influential than you could possibly imagine. They are monsters who do not care to hide their fangs to the world.” He stopped his diatribe to let his words sink in before continuing.

“I need your help Ms. Shimomura in helping me rid the Hattori family from the world.”