A Phone Number and A Bomb

 " I definitely need a car of my own!" Kath mumbled as she slammed the cab's door and ran off to where she saw the explosion from earlier. " From all people, a Port Mafia's member! One can't get any more misfortune!"

She rounded a corner and came to the sight of the explosion. Before her own eyes, a car was being eaten by lames while people in black tuxedos were running the other way. She presumed them to be the Port Mafia members. Kunikida-sensei… Atsushi-kun… She couldn't shake away her worries for both of them, especially the younger one seeing as how he was yet a target for them.

As she ran to the building before which the burning car stood, Kath's eyes widened at the sight before her. Kunikida and a young man in a black coat were facing each other with a puddle of water between them. She could see a Taser gun in the middle of it. One of Kunikida-sensei's strategies I guess… but…

She looked up at the other man, still neither of them noticed her yet. She wasn't going to let them fight. And she wasn't letting him hurt her teacher out of all people.

With her fingernails glowing bright white, silver threads manifested from thin air and wrung themselves around the man in the black coat. " This ability…" He looked back, allowing her to glimpse his grey eyes clearly. As cold and sharp as they always were, bearing nothing but a ruthless burning desire." You were there…"

" Hanazawa!"

Kath somehow managed a small smile. " Been a while right, Ryuu? Couldn't you pretend to be a little happy to see me again?"

" I see your tendency to stick your nose where it doesn't belong is still there. Maybe it ought to be shortened for you to learn a lesson!" Blades of cloth shot out from the back of his coat, darting at her.

" Woah! Not the welcoming I really wanted!" She cried, flinging her free hand, the blades then stopped midair as they were caught in her strings while Kath smirked proudly. " You're not the only one who has been working out his ability."

The man clicked his tongue. He knew better than anyone that there was no getting off those threads easily. Plus, the fight just turned out to be two-on-one.

" I have no intention of fighting you…" The girl stated calmly, her eyes fixated on his. Just at that moment, the sounds of far-away sirens permeated the area.

" Interference." Akutagawa looked back at her, realizing Kath should have been the one who had called the police out there.

Kath merely held his gaze for a few seconds before undoing her threads. She knew he wouldn't risk staying around now that the police got involved, and she was right, for he decided to pull away, promising to continue their fight some other day. Kunikida didn't seem to like the idea at all.

" I owe you one," the man said as he wiped away the blood trickling from the small wound on his face. " Still, how came-"

" That I'm here? Simple, I dug up some intel and found out that one of the victims is a member of Port Mafia."

" Should have done that long before. It's my mistake for moving out immediately. Thanks again for saving me, Hanazawa."

" Don't mention it, Kunikida-sensei." Kath smiled at him. " More importantly, where are Atsushi-kun and Dazai-san?"

" They should have gone after the cab driver."

" Then you go after them. There are a few rats that I need to take care of."

" Be careful then." Watching her teacher running away, Kath spun around and walked over into a small space between two storage houses. Just as she entered, someone moved at the other end, but unfortunately, they fell immediately to her ability. Their shotgun was knocked off their hand and they were tied up and tangled in those wires of hers.

" I'm sorry, but I don't like people who try to shoot others in the back. I wouldn't want you following my teacher." She tugged on the threads, pulling up the person into the light where they had fallen to the ground. It was a woman around her age or maybe a year older with blond hair held up into a bun and red eyes. From her outfit, there is no doubt she was a Port Mafia member. " You guys are after Atsushi-kun, right? Even though, it's quite reckless for you to stay around when the police surround the place. You idiot or what?"

The woman had a bitter expression upon being easily captured by Kath. She looked down, muttering to herself." … I thought I could make up for my mistake last time by helping Akutagawa-senpai out… but to think I would end up in the hands of the enemy…"

Kath lowered her hand and glanced at the woman. " Senpai?" She crouched down, looking into Higuchi's eyes. " You're Ryuu's subordinate, right?"

" R-Ryuu?! By Ryuu you mean Akutagawa-senpai?" Kath nodded. Higuchi seemed flustered she stammered for a moment, her face turning red before her eyes narrowed to a glare. " You… you…"

Kath tilted her head, trying to discern what was happening with her captive when the woman cried. " You! Just what are you to Akutagawa-senpai?!"

" Huh?" At first, Kath couldn't understand where the question was coming from. But, upon taking a good look at her flashing face and the glare she was putting on, Kath burst into laughter.

" So! I see now! He is quite the looker after all!" Wiping away her tears, Kath smiled and closed onto Higuchi. " You, what's your name?"

" I'm not divulging any information about myself or anyone else!" She said stubbornly.

" Come on, don't act so tough." Kath's hand reached into the woman's pocket despite her apparent disapproval, and pulled out a black flipping phone. " The thing I like about those old models is…" she flipped it open with a broad smile. " There is no security so I can simply open it."

" You won't find anything useful there!"

" It's fine," said Kath as she pulled her white smartphone. " I just want to exchange contact info. Oh, so your name is Higuchi Ichiyo." She noted reading her contact info. " Nice name."

Higuchi blinked twice at the other woman as if she had misheard her. " Huh!"

Kath bore a gentle smile as she looked back at the woman. " Listen, Higuchi, you like Ryuu, right?"

" W-W-What are you talking about!"

" And if Ryuu was in danger, would you do anything to save him?"

" What's with the question?! I would give away my life if it was for Senpai!"

" Then that settles it." The silver wires faded and Higuchi held up her hands in disbelief. Kath was letting her go just like that? She couldn't help but think it was some plot to get to the Port Mafia or her superior.

" There you go." Kath gave back her phone with a smile. " I've left you my number too."

" I wouldn't want the number of an Armed Detective Agency's member!"

" Don't sweat it, Higuchi." Kath wagged her finger. " We might be on different sides but we have one objective in common. We do want to protect Ryuu no matter what. And for that sake, I wouldn't mind having the devil's number if that's what it takes. So if you ever need help, don't hesitate to call me."

Giving the woman a pat on the shoulder then she turned around and walked away, about to leave when she suddenly remembered something. She looked back over her shoulder. " You know, I'm glad that even in the mafia, Ryuu has someone like you who is willing to support him." And then she left the small alleyway.

Higuchi looked at the girl's back and then down at her phone, reading out aloud the name of the newly added contact. " Katherine Hanazaw…"

✦ -─────────- ✦

Just when she thought everything was solved, Kath was proved to be very mistaken. For the very next morning, Kunikida was holding a meeting about a bomb-disarming job.

" Now this is too much of a coincidence." For her, it made sense. The whole mess was some revenge plot, that was the only explanation. And they're challenging us on top of that… She thought to herself as she looked down at the documents Kunikida had distributed.

Just as Haruno informed them that they could not pinpoint a specific location for the bomb, something clicked in Kath's head. Hold on… the message said ' a bomb capable of causing mass destruction '. However, no matter how you look at the scene of their hideout… she quickly flipped through the papers. As I thought…

" Ano!" Her hand shot up to get the rest's attention. " I think we might be able to narrow down the search area for the bomb."

The president and the other members looked at her in anticipation, a sign that she had to continue. " Judging by the pictures provided by Kunikida-sensei from this organization's hideout, there is no way they could have been able to create a bomb with such tremendous strength as they had proclaimed in their message. Therefore, the only explanation is that they plan on detonating it in a place capable of doing that damage."

" Like Gas stations or the like?" Yosano was quick to take it. Kath looked back at her and nodded.

" Not a location to hide a large bomb, but a location that would add fuel to it, huh?" Haruno mumbled. " We'll look into it!" The woman hurried out of the room to tell her other coworkers.

" I will help with that too," said Kath as she stood up, planning on joining Haruno and the search team.

" Wait, Hanazawa." The president spoke up, holding her back. " Listen all! This case is a cowardly act using information to attack the Armed Detective Agency. We have two objectives: uncover the Azure Messenger, the instigator, and disarm the bomb. The bomb takes priority due to its time-sensitive nature. If we cannot find the bomb and lives are lost, we no longer have the right to call ourselves a detective agency."

Kath's hands balled inside her pockets. Even if you don't say that… not only everyone from the agency… the picture of certain black-haired siblings loomed before her eyes. I have more than enough reason to stop that bomb from detonating!

" Think of this mission as a fight for the Agency's existence and pride." The other members stood up when the president finished his speech, they must all have felt the weight they were bearing on their shoulders, but nevertheless were willing to proceed.

" Yes sir!" All of them chorused.

✦ -─────────- ✦

" How on earth does he do that?" Kath threw all the papers she had been studying that day up in the air when finally Rampo called. The place she had been pinpointing since that morning's meeting, he had figured it all out in mere seconds. " Are we sure he really doesn't have any special ability!" She complained to Yosano who shrugged with a smile.

" It's your own mistake for not realizing it sooner, Kath. Yokahama's trademark is the port after all. I thought they would go for it." Rampo's answer came through her smartphone, his tone as proud as she had ever known him. " And I do have an ability! That's what the president told me!"

" Yes yes. Now go tell the rest to Atsushi-kun and his team. They better disarm the bomb quickly." And she hung up. Heaving a sigh, she looked at the piles of paper she had just accumulated while working. " Was there any meaning to what I've done?"

" Even if you knew Rampo-san would be able to solve it on a whim, would you have laid back, crossed your arms, and said ' I'm not doing it'?" Yosano asked, a teasing smile plastered to her face as she looked at the younger woman.

Kath gave a small pout. " Of course, I wouldn't even if Rampo-san said he would be able to make it in time."

" Then it doesn't matter if it meant something or not, right? All that matters is that you gave it your best shot. Your face when you were bent down on all those papers, determined to find the bomb, I would never forget it," Yosano gave her a soft smile. " After all, it's so rare to see you yearning for something that badly."

Kath pocketed her phone and looked away. " I don't get what you're implying. For the sake of this agency, I will move heaven and earth if that's what it takes."

" It might have been the case but you also had your own reason for that too, right." Yosano gave her a pat on her shoulder. " You should give yourself a break sometimes. Admitting that you want something so badly for yourself isn't a mistake."

" I…" she didn't have a retort. She didn't know anymore whether it was all for the agency or for herself. Because she wanted to save those two, out of all people.

" I will report to the president," Yosano told her as she made for the president's office. " You clean that mess."

Kath looked tiredly at the papers she had scattered everywhere. Now she had to rearrange them. " More work to do…" She sighed as her silver threads began piling up the papers.

✦ -─────────- ✦

The incident of the blue messenger ended in a rather curious way, for though the case was deemed closed, not much about it was divulged among them. There was more to it, Kath knew, but neither her teacher nor Dazai, who seemed to know something about it, wanted to speak and share what they knew.

However, Kunikida's prolonged silence and tame attitude in the days that followed were weighing on her. He didn't even bother to retaliate to Dazai's teasings and jabs.

" Kunikida-sensei…"

" I'm alright." The man didn't look up from his diary at all as he kept jotting down something. Kath's eyes dropped as she looked back to her own papers.

" You know you're far from convincing me with that tone, but if you need time, I understand. However…" Her eyes found his. " If you ever find it unbearable, you can talk to me."

Closing his diary, Kunikida sprung up on his feet like some robot. " Thanks for your concern, Hanazawa…" and he left.

Kath knew he was going to get over it, no matter how hard was what he had been through, for her teacher had a strong conviction and wouldn't yield down easily. But what pained her was that he was unable to let others support him.

Heaving a sigh, she embarked on her work again. If there is one thing I can help with, it's lessening his workload… And silver threads slipped some of Kunikida's documents over to her table…