Behind the Scenes Part I

[Word Count: 2320]

----------

Hauling his hooded friend over his shoulder, Leo carried him diligently to the old warehouse the Blokes had been using. The three firm knocks he delivered echoed through the dim space, catching the attention of a camera in the corner that turned to meet the visitor.

Leo eyed the blinking red light on the camera, knowing they were being watched. Soon, he heard footsteps approaching from inside. A large lock was undone, and the heavy metal door slid open, revealing Jeremy with a small smirk on his face.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our favorite little, but not so little, matchbox. It's been a while since you last called us. I almost thought you forgot about your old pals," Jeremy quipped, leaning on a large metal frame that marked their personal warehouse. His eyes then settled on the man on Leo's shoulders. "Anyways, who's the poor bastard?"

"Ryosuke. He turned up on my front doorstep, and I'd like to find out why," Leo replied casually, though his eyes betrayed a hint of excitement.

"An interrogation is it?" Jeremy asked, receiving a confirming nod from Leo. "Well, come on in then. We've been putting off teaching the boys about it, so I hope you don't mind a few spectators."

"Not at all," Leo replied, stepping inside with his burden

Jeremy quickly closed and locked the door before catching up to Leo.

"You seem rather... what's the word...? Odd? Joyous? I can't quite tell," Jeremy commented, placing a hand on his chin as he observed Leo's demeanor.

Leo didn't answer immediately, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he reminisced on what had happened before coming to the warehouse.

Jeremy, ever observant, narrowed his eyes, studying Leo's expression with curiosity, determined to figure out the cause of his friend's joyous demeanor. Finally, it clicked, and Jeremy couldn't help but giggle like a schoolgirl, his laughter infectious. He playfully nudged Leo on the side, unable to resist a little teasing. "Is it a girl?" he asked, his chuckles adding to the light-hearted tone.

Leo's playful silence and his widening smile were all the confirmation Jeremy needed.

"Ah, young love," Jeremy mused with a knowing look. "I was there once, back when I was still young and handsome. Now I'm only handsome, unfortunately. Who's the lucky girl?" he asked, nudging Leo on the side again.

Leo finally broke his silence as he chuckled, appreciating Jeremy's good-natured teasing. "She's someone special," he replied, keeping the details intentionally vague. "You'll probably hear about her soon."

Jeremy grinned. "Well, she must be quite something if she's got our mysterious Leo smitten like this."

Leo laughed, appreciating Jeremy's lighthearted response. "For now, let's focus on our guest," he said, shifting the conversation back to the reason they were in the warehouse in the first place.

With that, Leo and Jeremy headed deeper into the dimly lit warehouse.

.

.

.

Standing outside a room with one-way glass, the Blokes and the three brothers observed Leo's preparations as he casually filled a water bucket.

"First things first," Jeremy said, capturing the attention of the three brothers. "When conducting an interrogation, you want to maintain the element of surprise from beginning to end. For starters, when the person you want to interrogate is unconscious, you want to wake them up spontaneously."

As Jeremy finished explaining, Leo turned off the hose and picked up the water bucket, showing a calm demeanor.

"As you can see, our little matchbox is choosing to wake up his subject with cold water—a classic method, really. Although, personally, I prefer to use a car battery," Jeremy commented, receiving odd looks from the three brothers.

Before they could further process Jeremy's remark, the sound of splashing filled the room, followed by Ryosuke's gasp of surprise. The cold water hit him, causing him to gasp as water managed to find its way up his nose. His vision became blurry, and he struggled to regain his bearings as he heard footsteps walk away, accompanied by the sound of water dripping off him.

Outside the interrogation room, Jeremy put on his thinking glasses as he carefully observed, commenting on the situation.

"Now, generally when probing for information, you want to use all the tools at your disposal. Pliers, wrench, waterboard... car battery," Jeremy listed off. "But if you're good enough, mere words can be enough to get the information you want."

After a moment, Ryosuke finally managed to get his bearings, shaking the water off his face and blinking to clear his vision. He glanced around, trying to make sense of his surroundings, his heart still racing from the unexpected awakening.

During this, Leo had returned, now holding a chair, which he placed in front of Ryosuke. He took a seat, keeping a cool and composed expression.

"How's it going?" Leo asked calmly.

Ryosuke's nerves slowly returned amidst the cold water that cloaked him as his vision registered who was in front of him. His shocked expression slowly turned into a scowl.

"You," he lowly growled.

"Yes, me..." Leo remarked, leaning back on his chair, his confidence unwavering. The stage was set for an intense and intriguing interrogation.

As Ryosuke glared at Leo, the room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the faint dripping of water from Ryosuke's soaked clothes. Leo maintained his composure, his eyes locked on Ryosuke, studying every nuance of his expression.

"You seem surprised to see me," Leo remarked. "But then again, I did find you on my doorstep, uninvited."

Ryosuke's scowl deepened, but he remained silent.

"Well then," Leo continued, "since you're here, we might as well have a little chat, don't you think?"

Ryosuke's scowl deepened as he confronted Leo, the anger in his eyes betraying the sinister purpose behind his visit. "You think you can just steal her away from her fans, from her career?" he spat out bitterly.

"Who's going to stop me? You?" Leo remarked with a smirk.

Ryosuke's grip on the chair's armrests tightened, and he glared at Leo defiantly. "She shouldn't be in a relationship! She's an idol, for crying out loud! She manipulated her fans by saying she loved them while having a family of her own!"

Leo observed Ryosuke's rant with a mix of amusement and concern. However, as the rant continued, the tone turned darker, and Leo's amusement faded.

Ryosuke's voice grew louder, and he started yelling about "Ai this" and "Ai that," leaving the Blokes outside the interrogation room increasingly puzzled.

"Whose Ai?" Jeremy asked, clearly confused.

"Dunno," James replied with a shrug, his eyes remaining focused on Leo.

"She's an actor," Richard answered, earning some odd looks and raised eyebrows. "What?"

"How do you know that?" Jeremy asked, perplexed.

"I watch dramas on occasion," Richard shrugged, eliciting an amused chuckle from Jeremy. "Really? I never would've guessed—"

Before Jeremy could continue with the banter, James whistled to get their attention. Without uttering a word, he gestured for them to focus back on the room with Leo and Ryosuke.

Meanwhile, Ryosuke continued his rant, caught up in his delusions, failing to notice the increasing hostility with every word he spoke.

However, before he could continue further, Leo's tone turned icy, distinct from the earlier playfulness. "You know," he said, "it's all starting to click together. The bouquet, the knife in the bouquet. You weren't expecting me to answer the door, were you...?" The room fell into an anticipatory silence.

Ryosuke's eyes darted around the room, his initial bravado faltering as he faced Leo's piercing gaze. The cold water still clung to his clothes, adding to his discomfort and vulnerability.

"I-I didn't mean... It was just a warning!" Ryosuke stammered, attempting to backtrack.

Leo's expression remained cold and calculating, his eyes piercing through Ryosuke's attempts at justification. "I've done some research on you, Ryosuke. An associate of mine provided me with most of the information I needed to know about you. She would've told me more, but since Germany, she's refused to disclose too much. From what I've learned, you're stupid, incredibly so, to put it mildly. Alone, you would've never found my home."

Ryosuke's face paled, his mind racing for a suitable response, but he was unable to provide a convincing explanation. He knew that he had crossed a dangerous line, and his desperate attempts to save face only dug him into a deeper hole.

The room fell into tense silence once again, with Leo maintaining his intimidating composure. The Blokes outside the room watched with interest, impressed by Leo's ability to keep the upper hand in the situation. The three brothers next to them had nervous flashbacks to their own interrogations.

Finally, Leo stood up from his seat and began to approach Ryosuke, drawing the attention of Jeremy and the others.

"Now, boys, pay attention," Jeremy said with an eerie calmness. "When talking doesn't work, you may need to resort to other means, but even then, you must keep your cool. Losing control can jeopardize getting the answers you seek."

Jeremy couldn't deny that he was somewhat intrigued by Leo's upcoming display. The young man moved with meticulous precision, displaying a level of expertise that was captivating to witness.

"Watch and learn, boys," Jeremy said, trying to maintain his composure.

As Leo stood in front of Ryosuke, the latter tried to speak, but he was met with a firm backhand to his jaw that sent it flying and splattering against the one-sided glass, startling the three brothers.

Jeremy's expression turned deadpan as he witnessed the spectacle.

"Now... this would be an example of what not to do..." he muttered, slightly disappointed. "While some level of violence may be necessary in certain situations, we must draw a line. Mutilation and maiming may be acceptable to some extent, but the mouth is where we draw the line, that's where answers come from."

Jeremy's attempt to impart a lesson fell flat as the three brothers were too focused on the unsettling sight of Ryosuke's detached jaw slowly descending past the view of the glass.

"Who helped you?" Leo asked calmly, but Ryosuke could only gargle out blood, unable to provide a coherent response.

With a stern expression, Leo placed his hand on Ryosuke's head, forcing him to look up. Despite the pain and fear in Ryosuke's teary eyes, Leo's gaze remained cold and unwavering.

With an almost magical prowess, the Healthcare Devil within Leo sprang into action. Medical tools materialized seemingly out of thin air, catching the Blokes and the three brothers off-guard.

"Never mind," Jeremy said with a sudden wide smile, clearly impressed. "This is a perfect example of what to do when Leo is around."

To Jeremy, it felt like witnessing something revolutionary, and he openly gawked at the sight of the surgical tools expertly reattaching Ryosuke's jaw, leaving behind stitches as it was connected to his face again. So amazed was he by the demonstration that he even forgot to call Leo, "matchbox," as he usually did.

The room remained silent, a mix of awe and discomfort lingering in the air. Leo's abilities were both impressive and unsettling to witness. For the three brothers, it was a stark reminder of the world they had entered, where powers beyond imagination were wielded casually.

Once the procedure was complete, Leo stepped back, observing his handiwork with a detached demeanor. Ryosuke winced, the pain from the reattachment evident, yet he was unable to voice his torment.

"This... this is the future," Jeremy muttered, and the rest of the Blokes nodded in agreement.

Back in the interrogation room, the final stitch was applied to Ryosuke's jaw successfully, his gaze still meeting Leo's uncaring one.

"Who helped you?" Leo asked coldly.

"I-I don't know t-them," Ryosuke's voice trembled from pain as he slowly moved his jaw. "W-We've o-only talked t-through forums."

Leo harshly let go of Ryosuke's head, stepping back with a frustrated expression as he rubbed his temples. This was proving to be more challenging than he anticipated.

The door to the interrogation room suddenly opened as Jeremy eagerly stepped in, seizing the opportunity to assist.

"Do you remember the URL?" he asked Ryosuke, getting into his personal space.

Ryosuke shook his head weakly. "I-I got the l-link through my email, so I-I never paid attention."

Jeremy snapped his fingers in disappointment. "Damn," he muttered, then turned to Leo. "If we can get the URL, I know a guy who knows a guy who has a guy who can get us an IP we can track."

Leo nodded, knowing time was of the essence. He took out his phone and began going through his contacts. "I can get it, but we have at most an hour. Whoever sent this guy most likely saw him fail and is going to make a run for it."

"I'll get in contact with my guy," Jeremy replied, promptly taking out his own phone to make the call.

.

"Cosmo, I need a favor," Leo said urgently through the phone.

"Halloween..." Cosmo muttered, a sense of weariness evident in her voice.

"I know, I know, but I just need you to take another look at his book," Leo replied, sounding determined.

"Halloween," Cosmo repeated, still hesitant.

"Listen," Leo said seriously, "if you help me out with this, I promise I won't bother you again until things start looking up for you, deal?"

"...Halloween...?" Cosmo asked, seeking reassurance.

"...No, I won't burn down another country," Leo reassured her.

"Halloween?" Cosmo asked again, trying to understand the extent of Leo's request.

"I just need you to get the IP of a forum he was using, and I'll take care of the rest... well, maybe," Leo muttered the last part to himself, but Cosmo overheard it.

Cosmo let out a sigh. "Halloween..."

"Thank you," Leo breathed out, a sense of relief washing over him.

As Cosmo eventually provided Leo with the information he needed, James and Richard walked up to him, eager to offer their assistance.

"Anything you need?" James asked his hands casually in his pockets.

"Uhh," Leo wondered aloud for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so."

"You sure?" Richard asked with a raised eyebrow, gesturing to Leo's clothes.

Looking down, Leo noticed his clothes were covered in blood from his earlier debacle with Ryosuke.

"A suit..." Leo muttered. "A suit would be great right about now."

James and Richard chuckled at his request. They gestured for him to follow them, indicating that they would take care of it.