Enzan grabbed a fistful of black and white sheets, and pulled them closer over his shuddering shoulders. "Enzan-sama, you are displaying fever symptoms. I will see if Penelope has anything in her appartment to help ease it." "No." Enzan croaked from his bed. He didn't look up, or elaborate. "Yes, sir. I apologize." The navi was perfectly still. There was no extra work to be done, no connections to fiddle with or correct. Everything was closed off from the outside. There was even internal damage to the device where he had torn through some of the trackers. The only one left was what Blues could access to home in on it, and even that presented a threat. Pen knocked lightly on the door and crept in, setting a tray with tea and crackers on the bedside. She didn't say anything, but sat beside him. "Rockman is requesting me." Blues spoke without care for who was in the room. He was all the same tone, inflection, volume. "He has woken up in Scilabs. He is requesting me." "Go," Enzan snapped. He knew he probably shouldn't have allowed it. Rockman might be upset by Blues right now-- god knew Enzan was. But he couldn't fix it. He could hardly tell up from down like this, let alone program. "Enzan..." Pen sat on the edge of his bed. "How are you feeling?" He didn't answer. He didn't make a sound, or move to look at her. His perfectly manicured nails that had somehow in the past two weeks been worn down to nubs curled deeper into the cloth.

She wanted to as how his fingers got like that, where the mark on his neck came from, and why Blues sounded so lifeless. But, he was in such a bad place. She slowly reached out to touch his shoulder. "Enzan. I've never seen you like this." He had never been like this. Reality had never faded at the edges and looked so terrifying. "Enzan, at least eat."

"...do you have anything canned. Or bagged. Airtight." He mumbled the words from behind the blanket, eyes unseeing. "Yes. I can get that for you." She stood up, eyebrows creasing. "Enzan, you're safe here. I don't know what happened, but I promise you're safe now."

Pen walked from the room again, leaving him to shiver alone. He was so quiet, even when he spoke he sounded like a ghost. Pen could feel the dispare coming off of him in waves. Blues had told her where they'd come from, and that Regal was a threat again. But it was all hollow information. A mission, not empathy. To help Enzan, she needed to know. There had to be a reason why he had to come here. She plucked a new box of cereal from the cupboard, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her. There had to be a reason he hadn't gone to Kifune or Manabe or Famous. Was she even safe here with him? The thought hit her like a speed boat. Her hand shook as the box was pulled to her chest. If dark aura was involved, and Blues was acting so strange... were any of them safe? Enzan was sweating like an addict there on the bed. There was probably something still in his systems.

. Pen opened the fridge and relished the cold air while she looked for an unopened bottle of juice or milk. She pulled out two bottles of mango juice, and made sure they were sealed for him. Maybe she had some chips kicking around as well... She gathered it all up in her arms, and reentered her bedroom. The food was placed carefully, one by one, on the bedside table. Enzan watched, his mouth drawn into a thin line. "Where's Blues?" He croaked, and reached out for the juice. "Enzan... Blues is visiting Rockman. You told him to go a few minutes ago." Pen sat on the edge of the bed, hoping food would help him open up a little. She placed a hand to his shoulder, and he flinched before relaxing.

Enzan grunted, and shifted to sit up. He ran his hand through his hair; layers of sweat slicked it back. Pen listened for the click of the bottle uncapping, as her hand slid down his arm. She looked at the floor.

. "Thanks." He took a long sip, and leaned back. His eyes followed shapes made by the light from outside. "Sorry to impose like this." "Shhh," Pen hushed, and her hand came back up. Finally, he was at least speaking. "You're always welcome here. As long as you need." "I shouldn't stay long." He needed to fix this after all. Take down the man that did this, even if his life was ruined. Enzan couldn't let him hurt anyone else. Pen was sure to be a target now that he was here.

. Pen nodded, "I understand. But don't leave before you're ready." His movements were jerky as he pulled the juice down. A different light filled his eyes, and she knew he hadn't listened to what she just said. "Penelope. Everyone at Scilabs is in danger. I can't go back there yet. You need to watch out for everyone. Keep a headcount." He was suddenly energized, frantic. The bottle in his hand splashed a little into his lap as he grabbed her arm. "Y-yeah! Okay, E-enzan I will." She nodded, and tried not to react from the shooting pain from his grip. Her heart raced; it pulsed with danger, danger, danger. (edited)

. Enzan relaxed, pulling away. He downed the rest of the juice, and looked at the drawn blinds while Pen righted herself. "Laika is the only other person that knows you're here." She stated it gently, "are you sure I can't tell Kifune and Manabe?" "They know what happened. Can't tell them I'm here." "Okay. That's fine... that's fine." She placed her hand to his back to rub. He didn't flinch this time, but he was gripping the empty juice bottle too tightly. "We'll get through this, like we have before. I'll take care of you."

The next couple days, Enzan regained his strength in that bedroom. His sense of reality began to expand beyond four walls. Pen knew he was getting better when he started pacing the whole apartment instead of just darting out for something to eat. Blues came back the first night, returned to his compassionate and over-protective self. Enzan felt he had three care-takers on his case at all times. If Blues wasn't there to talk to him, Role or Pen picked up the slack.

A month. For a whole month, Laika had been an absolute wreck. He couldn't reveal why, not to anyone except Iriya. And even that took a bigger reveal than he wanted at the time. It was required, because he would need some sort of tie down for it all. Anxiety had fixed a tight collar around his throat, and it inched smaller every single day. It started suddenly with the new year. A travel ban for all non-vital personnel. He was stuck at home on the perfect occasion to go and spend time off with Enzan for the holidays. But no, there had to be trouble out west, that damn little country had to start to poking the side of giant bear. He couldn't go anywhere, not even to see his Father, for a whole month. It was annoying, to have such happy plans shattered, but it barely scratched the surface of the anxiety he was buried under now. The sinking truly started when his text weren't replied to. Enzan always replied within the day, apologizing for lateness over a few hours. So when nothing came of it, Laika fretted. Carefully worded texts were sent afterwards, expanding on the idea and just hoping to bide Enzan's attention. Nothing from those set the worry deeper. Was he angry? Did Enzan give him the silent treatment because of something out of his control? Such questions started to swirl, and culminate for a few days. After that he was insistent that something more was wrong. No one would give him answers, whoever he asked. Enzan just, wasn't there. Iriya could barely keep Laika's head above the ground, he worked very hard for two weeks. Then a text came, finally. Except, it was Blues, and it spelled out something more dire than a petty lovers quarrel. More along the lines of what he feared.

. Blues sounded robotic in his correspondence, digging Laika deeper into the dirt. He was still stuck, unable to do anything to make this better. Enzan was suffering and there was nothing he could do, not for two more weeks, not if Nation Z were to poke again. He could barely focus on work that he never found himself doing in the first place. Everything circled back to shutting himself in his room with his laptop and trying to make some kind of difference. A robotic Blues was hard to work with, for Searchman and Laika both. They could barely get him to give them updates, much less allow them to talk to Enzan. That finally ebbed when Pen and Role came into the mix, but the dirt just pulled Laika deeper, further down. Updates of Enzan's condition left him barely able to breath. He was so completely unable to do his duties, that the large bank of leave he had was tapped into. Those last weeks of January were spent with eyes glued to a laptop, either in his own room or forceably dragged to Iriya. The day finally came when the travel ban was lifted. Laika didn't even sleep. The day before, he was already at the airport waiting for the first attendenant to show up at the airlines desk. The first flight they had, he was on it. He texted again, and prayed for a response this time. Pen was added for security's sake. [SMS 03:14] "Ban lifted at midnight. I'll be arriving in Japan in a few hours."

The response was almost instantaneous. Pen wasn't sleeping much these days. [SMS 03:17] "We'll be here. You know the way." She didn't feel comfortable even putting in her own address. The way Enzan had been talking all the time was rubbing off on her. It was for the best, even if the paranoia was exhausting. Pen tiptoed to the kitchen and was surprised to see Enzan sitting at the table. "Hey. You saw?" Enzan nodded once, and took another bite of granola. "He's coming here, then." "Yeah. Laika will help us sort this out. He'll make you feel better too." She reached across the table to hold his arm. "I don't want him to see me like this." Enzan shrugged her off, and finished his food. "Then get some rest. He'll still be a few hours. You can shower too." "You know that's not what I mean." He turns away to put his dish away, but she feels like he's just shutting down again. "I know the obstruction at HQ is scaring you. It is me too--" Regal was a good actor. He had gotten through questionings and psychological tests, and they just couldn't get any evidence. "Just stop." Enzan placed the dish down. "Enzan, I'll wake you up if anything happens at all. It'll be okay." She held out her hand with her pinky extended, like they had when they were kids. He eyed it with a frown, but he did go to the living room. Slender limbs curled under the too-big comforter, huddled up until Laika arrived. He drifted between sleep and waking, not intending to sleep, but unable to completely avoid it. The hours drifted by for eternity for Pen, and in a flash for Enzan.

Laika barely knew the way, but thankfully Searchman had a record of when she had given her address to him before. As they flew, he plotted out a more indirect route there. The was an eerie feeling he had, like if he just rushed straight there, there would be trouble. He could barely rest during the flight, and took only a few bites of his offered meal. It was impossible to imagine what sort of state Enzan was in. Despite being thousands of feet up, he still felt caved in. Once landing, Laika made a beeline for the MetroLine. He'd get off a stop further than nessecary, and walk the rest. There was no uniform to immediately stand him out of a crowd, it would be easier to move without it. Maybe it would ease some of their worries too. The stairs were taken up to Pen's floor, and there was a quick succession of knocks at her apartment door. Laika tried to force a breath, but he couldn't. Not until he saw Enzan safe.

"There he is." Role confirmed, and opened it right away. Pen's head shot up from the news she was scrolling through. She stood up to unlatch the manual locks she had set up. Two, just in case. She'd had them before all this, but it definitely increased her awareness of the problem. Pen made sure to spot that green hair behind the eyehole before letting him in. "Hey," she whispered, "he's asleep on the couch. I promised I'd wake him up when you got here. Come in." She stepped away so he could, and glanced down the hall before she shut the door.

Laika step in, gripping Pen's shoulder in the process. A tremble was passed from him to her, before he let go to drop his bag by the entrance. The air around him was tight as he prepared to enter the place. "I can't thank you enough." A whisper was squeezed out. He could barely get the thanks out. Enzan swarmed around in his now that they were finally in the same room together. Laika allowed Pen to lead him, though his body begged to leap to the couch. This had to be painfully slow, to go Enzan's speed now, instead of his own.

Pen reached up for her own form of comfort, holding his arm as she lead him to the kitchen table. "Just... waking up has been rough, but I can get him through it. Don't freak out." Her expression could only be apologetic. She waited a half beat like she had more to say, but she really didn't. So, she shifted around the couch-- it was the only barrier or indication of seperate rooms in the small appartment. She placed a hand on Enzan's shoulder, very warm and gentle. "Enzan... Enzan..." Enzan blinked wide awake, and wheezed out a gasp. Eyes rolled around the room, until they focused straight ahead. He whimpered, and started hyperventilating, even as Pen started whispering. "Slow down, hey... it's okay... you're in my apartment..."

Laika stood at the table, and nodded hesitantly as Pen pulled away. If he was assigned this spot, he should stay here. She spelled this out like a very delicate situation. His eyes followed her to the couch, spotting Enzan there. He thought just seeing Enzan would dig him out of his grave, but he was so wrong. Laika's heart seized at the sight of him waking up. He couldn't hide his face pain and worry, not for the few few seconds. Pen had probably never seen such a face from him, it ugly and uncomposed. His heart guided him over, ignoring anything the brain said about staying put. Laika knelt down beside Pen, and fixed his expression. He couldn't touch yet, but he couldn't stand being a happy surprise, not when he could help. "Enzan--" Laika voice cracked, and he had to stop to fix himself. Pen was best leading this for now.

His breathing started to slow, guided by her voice and breathing examples. They breathed in together for a count, and out for a long second. His blue eyes locked onto Laika as he breathed, but he didn't dare think it was real. He searched Laika's form for the wavers in reality, where the details would be fuzzy as he struggled to recall them. But, he didn't fade away. Enzan clenched his jaw. Pen pulled away, looking between the two of them and deciding it was alright. In those beats of silence and shuddered breath, Enzan was dizzy. The second he could, his hand jerked forward and gripped Laika's arm. His face was blank, but he fumbled out of the covers and couch to collapse into Laika's arms.

"Hh--" Laika felt so weakened as Enzan came forward. His hands were delayed to come up and clutch what was precious. He couldn't remember Enzan being so thin and light. A hiccup ruptured his held breath. Something was easing, a weight lifting, just a little. A few feet towards the surface. But with it came a stinging in his eyes. Reunions shouldn't hurt like this. "You're okay. It's alright..." Laika glanced up to Pen as he spoke. It was such a human look. "Breathe, keep breathing. L-like Pen showed you." A tear escaped down his cheek. It so bittersweet to have Enzan back in his arms.

"G-god-- ugh." Enzan hated how weak he must look. Fleating worries about their future were set aside so he could just be here. A deep inhale brought him back to before all this, when they were safe and in love and their only concerns were work and hiding the not-so-chaste kisses behind manilla folders in abandoned hallways. Enzan's worn down fingers curled into the cloth of Laika's shirt, and he swallowed hard. Pen locked eyes with Laika, but couldn't stand it. The Laika and Enzan she knew should never look like this. She stood up. They needed a minute alone anyways. Enzan was shaking, but he didn't cry. He breathed like he was told, and that was all he wanted to do forever. He'd like to just drown in mint and pine and Laika, and not care if he had to doubt his senses. "I- I missed you--" he finally croaked. "Thank you for- c-coming."

Laika tried to breath with him, but four weeks of being stuck at home with minimal updates were finally being lifted away. He tried his best to stifle his crying, but that just lead to each breath turning into a gasp. It ended up just happening. Laika didn't give a damn about upset he sounded or looked. "It was- hard." He admitted as he adjusted his hold on Enzan. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry..." A shift or two put Laika into a more comfortable pose. They would probably be here for a while, at least a few minutes. There had to be some sort of make up for the month they were denied each other. A firm hand passed over Enzan's back, hoping to soothe him more.

Pen shifted around the kitchen, getting bottles of unopened water as-per Enzan's request. She paced the area behind them, not eager to interrupt. The apologies finally made the golfball sized emotion in Enzan's throat burst. He didn't want that. A choking sound burst forth as he tried to keep it down. "Don't, don't--" acknowledgement of what happened right now was more than he could handle. Tears started to seep into Laika's shirt. He was soft, Enzan noted. He had changed, but Laika was the same. Even if he was crying, Enzan knew he was strong and really here. He held tight until his arms shook from the exertion. Penelope finally came over with the drinks, and a box of tissues she had dug up.

"Mmn--" Laika tried to calm himself, now that he was able to release some. Enzan was dealing with so much more than he was. In comparison, not being able to do anything for a month because of forces outside of his control was so petty. So small. He was here now, so he could get over it. Laika didn't know what happened to Enzan specifically, but he could tell that it was too much to get over. He bidded Enzan to relax, despite his clutch feeling so great. At this rate, they would be worn before the day even began. "Thanks-" Pen was acknowledge with her gifts. Laika grabbed the tissues first, dabbing his eyes clear for a moment. "Enzan, here. Pen's g... got water."

Enzan lifted his face only to peek out and grab some tissues. He clumsily cleaned his face and blew his nose. Just like that, he righted himself. Red-ringed or not, his eyes were clear and his facade of control was forced into place like a mask that was three sizes too big. He took the water, and downed half of it in an instant. "Thanks." He kept his arm around the small of Laika's back. He relaxed a little, leaning his weight on him. Pen smiled and rubbed Enzan's arm. He looked a little better, more relaxed than he had before. Having someone else on their side was a weight off her shoulders. "Now we have something to work with." (edited)

Laika quietly insisted that Enzan stay close. He wasn't done holding yet, but understood if the other needed some space. The fact that he stopped before him was another discomfort. Laika worried with how fast he got over it all. He knew that was just a cover-up. The phrase confused Laika a little. With another hiccup he looked up in question. Couldn't it wait, just a while longer? He had just gotten here, and it had been a month. Sure, he felt petty, extremely so, but Laika couldn't stand being absent for so long. Not even under normal circumstances, where no one was hurt or scarred. Laika kept hugging his partner loosely, as he tried to stop crying. "I'm not planning on going back any time soon." Laika assured. "I brought my uniform in case I absolutely have to do work but, I'd rather be here. I'm on leave, officially. I-I have a lot saved up."

"You didn't have to use it all on me Laika--" Enzan looked at his hands. "But, if you're staying, thank you..." he turned his head into Laika's shoulder. Pen shifted uncomfortably. She had gotten a little too optimistic and the shudder of Laika's shoulders reminded her to pace herself. This wasn't a mission for any of them, it was life. As much as she wished it were as handlable as punching someone out, it wasn't. "I'm-- we're really glad to hear that." She offered, "things have been kinda rough around here. I'm sure Blues told you about the situation at HeadQuarters."

Laika nodded shortly. "Yes, he has." He didn't want to talk much about it, not with Enzan right here. It didn't feel right. Plus, he had just gotten in as well. He sniffled. Reeling back after starting a cry was always the hardest. "Mr. Ijuuin, do not worry about the Captain's leave." Searchman spoke up, out of the blue. "He has accumulated several months worth, from the start of his service." "P-probably not the best thing to mention." Laika mumbled. He continued to give Enzan contact, rubbing his back or shoulder, wherever he deemed important.

Pen nodded, going quiet again. She had pulled back, clasping her hands in her lap. Her jaw clenched. There was so much to talk about, but both men were a wreck. And judging by how her hands were shaking, so was she. Enzan was still a little stuck on the time being swallowed up, but he thought maybe, just maybe a lot of those months were intended for him anyways. Blues perked up at the sound of Searchman's voice. He had solomnly been listening from the confines of his PET, and the idea of company lifted him up just a small bit. He'd been terribly isolated. Enzan reached around Laika's back to rub as well, and found it made him feel a little more human. "You can both stay the night, of course." She didn't mention anything about further, though Enzan had been here so long. She prayed they didn't notice. There was no way she could make false promises to them, as much as she wanted to be a continuous safe haven.

"Thanks, ah..." Laika lowered his head a little, as Enzan started to rub his back. It was distracting, but so very needed. He was starved for such contact. "I forgot to find a hotel, in my haste. Embassy wasn't ready to take in." And the embassy would be the last place he wanted to go right now. It would be too obvious, he didn't want to make it clear that he was back here. Not yet. He stopped himself from thinking on it further by going back to Enzan's hand. It felt nice. "Oh, Search. You can visit." Laika has almost forgotten. He was glad he spoke out when he did. "Thank you, sir."

"That's alright. Probably better if you're here for now anyways." She reached out and stroked Enzan's hair, once, then stood up. "I'm going to make some tea and try to sleep some before I have to go to work. You guys can have the bed." Enzan had been using it already anyways. On top of that, the couch was thin and long, which would not be ideal for how glued at the hip the two men were. After triple checking her network connection was down so the navis could meet in her homepage, she wandered to the cupboards, and dug out some fruit tea. She made enough for each of them and left mugs on the bedside tables. With that done, she couldn't think much anymore. She settled down on her side of the couch. Her thoughts caught up to her then, as a blanket pulled over her shoulders. Every day she spent at work, keeping Enzan's location a secret, the more endangered she felt they all were. She loved them so much. Both of them. Heat flushed her cheeks, and pain electrified her throat. Pen cried herself to sleep. She didn't sleep long. She was up early, bags as deep under her eyes as Enzan's.

"Alright..." Laika was curious now, of Pen's behavior. Enzan seemed calmer than her, and he was the one who was harmed. Had something happened to her too? Surely Blues would've mentioned it. He couldn't ask now, but made it a point to see her before she left. In the mean time, he helped Enzan up, and off to rest in bed. A few hours of sleep is what they all needed. Laika didn't let go of Enzan for the entire time he was in bed. A quiet alarm woke him up, and reminded him to try and catch Pen before leaving. It was hard to pull away, but had to. As he left the bedroom, Laika made sure there were obvious signs that he was there still, to avoid any added panic. "Hey." Laika's voice was low as he approached the kitchen table, near where Pen was standing. He took a silent seat, and rested his head in hand. "There's something you didn't get a chance to say when I came earlier."

Pen pulled away from her cold cup of tea from the night before. "Hey. Morning." She watched him sit, and slowly nodded. "Yeah. Kinda glad you noticed." She didn't look up. "I... don't want to go back to work. Yesterday...and the day before, Regal swung by the Net Police offices. He... it was normal business, according to all the books." Her eyes finally rolled over the room until they found his eyes. "It's just instinct. I can't figure out what he's planning without blowing my cover, but I think he's zeroing in on us. On all the netsaviors. I think he's honing in on me. It's not hard to find out Enzan and I are friends, even if everything else about me is top-secret." "He's being watched by the good agents, but... we can't do enough. Not legally." Her feet shifted under the table, and her hands gripped the cup all the way around. "Laika... I'm scared he's going to find my apartment." Something within her snapped when she finally reached the point. "I swear to God I haven't slipped up. I swear I've done everything I'm supposed to, covered my tracks and just gone about my business but..." Her voice cracked, and she looked back at the ground.

Laika just sat there and let her go. It was probably best to do that, given that he was still waking up. He put a hand in his hair to press it down while she talked, it probably looked too much like a shonen protagonist. Of course, when she started saying things like 'Regal' and 'honing', he stopped and listened fully. The fear was dropped in front of him like a dead weight, which his fingers curled inward as he processed. He'd have to work after all, it seemed. "Pause." Laika held his hand up. "You said the pertinent information, so now you have to catch yourself before you spiral." It felt weird, guiding her like that, but he was technically her superior. "There are options besides here. If you suspect it, chances are it'll happen sooner or later. We can't risk that."

Pen bit her lip to hold back any more outburst and nodded. Laika was right. He usually was. "Enzan was talking about leaving two days ago, so I didn't tell him. Convinced him to stay." She closed her eyes. "He- He would have run off, but none of us should be alone right now." Her voice cracked again and her lip wobbled. "I know something horrible will happen if we're alone. I've been walking to work with Role in a copyroid. The only thing I've been doing differently." Was that enough to raise suspicion? She had done it before now. But, if there was somewhere else secure that Laika had in mind, maybe that would work. No one from HQ or Scilabs was missing, she was confident of that. She was constantly keeping track during her breaks. Other net police were too-- few people trusted Regal, and if they did they were a short way off from firing, or worse. "If... you have a safer place, I think you should go soon. Better to be several steps ahead. We can set up private PET links and shut off the network connections. Enzan's so paranoid he dug part of his out." It wasn't like it hadn't been used against him before.

Laika looked down to the table, and covered his mouth with the palm he was leaning against. Pen was doing the right thing, and taking several good precautions. Yet he knew Regal was hard to outsmart. That man was dangerously intelligent, and shouldn't be underestimated. Hearing more about Enzan's state made his eyes narrow. There was no avoiding it, he supposed. "Kifune and my Uncle set up a safe house here in Japan should I ever run into trouble and couldn't find safety at the embassy. It's uniquely mine, but I've never had to use it." Laika glanced up to the bedroom door he had shut behind himself. He really hoped that Enzan was still sleeping. As he continued, he lifted his head. "Until telling you that, the only people that knew about it were Kifune, Uncle, and myself. The address has never been written down, I was required to memorize it. I can take Enzan there." (edited)

Pen's eyebrows creased the more he spoke. "I-I don't know. I mean, I do, I just don't want to admit it. You'll have to go." She didn't want to be alone. If they left she had no control over what happened next. Danger could hit and she'd have no way to help. Finding them would be impossible. "Just. We have to keep constant contact. If I stop hearing updates, I'm just going to take Him down. Consequences be damned. Kifune will back me up." She didn't voice how she thought that maybe by then it would be too late. "It's been hard to say what's good protection and what is a hinderance. Your judgement is really valuable here, Laika."

Laika nodded. "I had planned to. I wasn't just going to take Enzan and cut you loose." He smirked a little, then moved to stand up. His socked feet carried him closer to where Pen stood, so he could put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll let Search handle the channels. He's probably the best to set them up, seeing as that's part of his specialty." He breathed, then adjusted his hand a little. "Don't act rashly, that'll play right into his plans. If you feel like he's not letting up, go to Manabe or Kifune." "He's preying on those who would take matters into their own hands." Saying that felt like he was calling himself out. It was true though, because Enzan was exactly that sort of person. Regal knew how to play into it and exploit it. He glanced to the clock. " You're gonna be late if we keep on. I'll stay here with Enzan until you get back. We'll catch him up then."

Pen smiled a little. She had been nodding along to each word. Her hand came up to cradle his. "Thank you. I'm so glad you're here. You're such a voice of reason, you know that?" A little squeeze to his hand, and she was on her feet. "I promise I'll keep our cover." Without any ceremony, she pulled him into a hug. "I'll keep doing everything I can. Keep him safe. I love you both." They were going to talk again later, but this still felt so finite. Every time she left the house it felt like another risk. She released, and scooped up her bag. "I'm leaving the copyroid for today. I'm sure Blues will want it." It would be so nice to have another one for times like this, but it was a luxury she only afforded with Enzan's help as it was. (edited)

"Mm-?" The sudden closeness caused Laika to lock up. His hands froze in the air on either side of Pen, and there was a peculiar look on his face. "R-right..." Hearing such words come from her felt strange. Laika wasn't used to them being used as freely as Pen did. It said a lot in a short amount, about how dependable she considered him. He was glad to be released from the hug, not that he didn't want it. Laika watched as Pen moved for the door, adjusting his clothes to how they were before the embrace. "Be safe." Laika reminded. "Don't let them see what's driving you." Once Pen left, he let out a sigh, and wandered back to bed. He was so tired, and could use a few more hours of sleep. Plus, he needed to check and make sure Enzan hadn't stirred while he was gone. Out of all of them, he needed peace the most.

Enzan's hands were clasped over his stomach when Laika came back in. His eyes were open, tracing over imperfections in the ceiling like he would in his office. "You're still here." He said it like he couldn't believe it was true. Awe. No glance was afforded. He was sure if he looked over, his words might ring false and he'd discover himself talking to a phantom. "I'm glad I didn't dream it."

Laika's eyes softened. Enzan was a light sleeper, wasn't he? It wasn't a matter of if he would wake up, but how quick. Laika marked it up as a note to remember, and crawled into bed. "Mm, I made sure to leave obvious signs." He smiled, and brought his hand into view. Enzan needed to see it first before he touched. "I'll figure out something more for next time." His fingers threaded into Enzan's hair, and gently started to stroke his scalp. "Pen left for work." Laika reported. "So it'll be you and me for most of the day. We'll be able to catch up. Though, I wouldn't mind napping some more." (edited)

"I saw yeah. I like your boots." Enzan watched Laika's hand, lips drawn to a line. He exhaled, but didn't visibly relax. "Mm, alright." He could do that. Probably. "You should sleep then." He gave a little nudge into Laika's hand. All physical comfort felt really good right now, but he wasn't sure how to feel about the extra cautious moves. It was like he was an easily startled animal. Which... he was. "You're probably still jetlagged." Enzan wasn't going to sleep. He was positive he couldn't, now that there were a few hours in his system to keep him going.

Laika chuckled, a little forced. "I'm not sure putting my boots on the bed is a good idea." He kept petting, smiling, even though Enzan's distance hurt him. He wanted to know why, exactly, but he knew such knowledge might never come. Laika just wished he could pull it out, without disrupting anyone. Like a report. "Are you going help me?" Laika laid down, keeping one hand in Enzan's hair while his other found where his hands rest. "I'm not too lagged, if you're staying up."

"Mm-? Help? I mean. I am staying up. If you need help back to sleep I can do that." He smiled faintly, thinking about how being well rested would help their diligence, but also about how the dreams spiraled him back down into that dark room and how he couldn't possibly sleep more than he had to. His hands slowly unclasped, and turned to hold Laika's. "I'll be fine awake on my own for a bit you know. Pen is out a lot." Of course it was different with Laika. "I'll just. Lay with you. The couch might be more comfortable by now though." The blinds weren't doing much to keep out the early morning sun, and he looked down at the warm patches that decorated his legs.

"Mm, it's decided then." Laika kept holding Enzan's hand, but sat up a little with the one that was petting his hair. His smile grew more genuine with the other. Though it faltered for a second when his eyes readjusted to the light. There were things he didn't see before, making a ring around Enzan's neck. A bandage, well disguised against his porcelain skin, and other marks in the skin around it. He couldn't focus on it, lest Enzan be brought down with him in his worry. "Let's move to the couch." He quickly picked back up, smile growing. "That way, if I fall asleep, you'll be able to do stuff even if I'm clinging to you."

Enzan caught Laika's eye and looked away. That wasn't an expression he was eager to look at. He sat up as well, slowly shifting slender legs over the sheets and the edge of the bed. "Ahh... that sounds good." He was softer, just for a moment then. Having all of his senses to confirm Laika was with him and staying felt so reassuring. Like he wasn't going to melt away, the second he was left alone. He stood up, and clung to Laika's arm. They made their way to the couch, and Enzan flopped down where he had been the night before. He didn't really have anything in mind he wanted to do other than eventually tell Laika more details about what had happened... but that felt like a distant goal.

"..." Maybe he was coming on too hard. Laika reeled himself back, just a little. The way Enzan clinged back reassured him a bit, but the lack of affect was really tearing Laika's attempts at the seams. He had too little feedback to work with. They plopped down on the couch together. Laika kept his arm tied up in Enzan's grasp while he worked to get settled. It was too early to sit up still, so he leaned them both back as the comforter from before was pulled up. Cozier. "Nice and warm... it's managed to get pretty cold out there. I'm surprised." Laika tried to kindle a conversation.

Enzan curled under Laika's chin again, his hand splayed out on his chest to listen for a heartbeat and the way it distorted his voice. The little details were so important. He had been missing them. "Yeah. Hard for me to keep warm. My toes keep getting cold." His circulation had already been bad before. Dread shook him with icicles and slowed his heart. "I've never been great in winter, eh." The last sound died before it became a half-hearted laugh. They laid in semi-uncomfortable silence, while Enzan soaked up what comfort he could. "Laika..." He whispered, just to hear more of his partner's voice. "I'm sorry I couldn't talk, even when I got here." A little nuzzle, to, show he was honest. "

"You've said before that I run hot, so it'll be no problem now." Laika hummed. Though what Enzan said was true, and worried him. He couldn't remember him ever being this cold. Laika took the silence as it was. Awkward, but it was better to have it than force Enzan to talk more. His free hand started to pass over fine hair again, this time without any hesitation. It kept going, even as Enzan spoke, and brought up more of Laika's worries. His chest felt tight, even with Enzan so close to it. He was quick to assure. "It's alright, ah..." Suddenly the air felt more solemn, with this stacking onto what he and Pen and talked about. "I was really worried, probably panicking, but... I understand. Pen, Role, and Blues kept me in the loop. Just enough to give me some solace." "Iriya helped with the rest." His smile came back, muted. It was quickly hidden away in the hair he so loved to touch. "You don't have to talk, if you don't want to. I don't want you saying anything you aren't ready to say." (edited)

"I'm really glad you had support." The involvement of another person was briefly concerning, but he was so far away. And besides, he trusted Laika not to do anything risky. "I appreciate that." Part of the fear was how much he'd changed, adding to his trepidation. Laika didn't deserve a partner this broken. The lump in his throat seemed to grow everytime he thought he wanted to start teling. "I-- I don't want to sleep. It feels like I'll wake back up in there." A good a place as any, spurred by the comfort Laika's hand was offering. The pressure along his scalp was making his eyelids heavier with each pass. "Bad...dreams." He was surprised how the dozy feeling helped the words escape him without stabbing pain and sobs. But then, he went to speak again, tears started to blur his vision when he blinked. "There was a lot of. Drugs. Hallucinogens. No one trusts my testimony--" He cracked, and gripped Laika's shirt where he could reach it. "A-and I don't. Either." A sob rocked his body while he painfully tried to choke it back.

Laika listened, though as Enzan got further into it, the more pain he felt. Just the mention of 'there' brought back his guilt. How could've he allowed himself to be so unhelpful? His eyes closed as his hand continued to pass. This wasn't about him, he couldn't let it be about him. That would only make the guilt grow. He was helping now, of so he thought. "I'm so sorry..." Useless words fell out first. Laika tightened his hold around Enzan for a second. "You didn't have to say, but thank you... thank you." Knowing just that much would help him better understand Enzan's stanger actions. His hand passed over Enzan's back, to try and ease the tears. "Focus on what's real." Laika bidded. "This moment is real, right now. I've made it here, and you are safe. Nothing is effecting what you see, what you feel." (edited)

The rumble of traintracks bounced in his brain, matching each shuddering gasp. He sniffled, wanting to say more. Now that he'd started, the words were a flood that would never break loose again. "I can't go back into Scilabs. I-- I'm supposed to report back for testing. I can't do that. He-- I was going to my crossfusion examination, and he had switched shifts with Doctor Hikari. I got in-- I didn't want to-- and I couldn't breath. Then I woke up on a- a train." His imagination supplied the phantom whistle. "Unn-- I can't. I can't--" He clung as tightly as he could, repeating his five senses of Laika over and over again. See his blue eyes, feel his hand in his hair, smell the pine, taste, if he wanted a kiss, Laika would surely grant that, and hear his beautiful voice reverberate in warm rumbles that overroad the thunder of the train.

The story was starting to pour out, bit by bit. Laika truly did want to know, but at the same time he was worried now. What if there was something he didn't want to hear at all? He would just have to grin and bear it for Enzan's sake, of course. "Shh... shh... take a second to breath." Laika wanted to sit him up, get him comfortable, but he couldn't muster the energy. He just kept petting Enzan's head, running his hand over his back. Soothing despite the tremors that shook him terribly. "Breath, like me, like Pen showed you." Laika found himself modeling, sucking in a breath and letting it pass out through his nose. "You're okay... you're safe..."

Enzan took a long moment to huff and puff, trying to quickly clear the pain in his throat and the sour bite of tears. His own methods weren't working, but matching Laika's breath started to slow him down. In...and out... The train started to rumble away, even though he needed to finish this part of the story for Laika. "He was there with me." He was only rocked by hiccups by the time he resumed his story. Eyes stared straight, which happened to be at Laika's shoulder. "He had pictures of us. Private pictures. On the balcony at Scilabs. At the skating rink. Others. He said he-- he said you were-- in the next car--" He went quiet for a long moment, sucking in air like he'd been drowning. "I said I'd do what he wanted. I should have known he was lying. You're-- you were far away. Safe. Maybe the travel ban was really a blessing. At least I know that part was a lie." He grew steadily closer to that room, so he shut his eyes and ran through the senses again. Touch, taste, smell, sight, smell, all Laika, all here.

A spike of paranoia ran through Laika's core. Such precious moments, when they were surely all alone, captured and used as bait. That alone was unforgivable. To know that he was used to toy with Enzan had him feeling so violated. From the paranoia sprouted anger. But Laika kept it down, taking his own advice of breathing to stay Enzan's anchor. When he paused again, that felt like Laika's cue to speak up. He was careful with his words. "Maybe. Still, I wish it didn't happen." It was Laika's turn to cling, just for a second. "I could've been here sooner, help you see through the lies sooner..."

He sniffled, calming gradually. "That's the part that I know happened," a long, silent pause and, "I don't want to talk anymore. " Before the drugging had started. Other "events" that had happened he had no grip on. His father being involved, Blues coming days too early and serving the enemy only to be deleted, dark aura, Rockman's screams every other night, the same empty room every day, faceless henchmen... and the list dragged on. He was so tired from the tears and from talking. He only had slept three or four hours. "Laika... if I sleep. Keep me here. I don't want to go back." He hardly articulated, it was all murging together into colors and smells. "Tell me... about something else. Please." Maybe if his last thoughts weren't what happened, his dreams wouldn't be riddled.

"... Okay." That's all Laika needed to know too. He breathed deep for them both. Something else, he had to find a different subject. It was so hard when everything was being spent fighting back, figuring out how to get that devil behind bars. He couldn't sleep now, how could he? But he needed to. They needed to. "Mm... what about a story?" Laika suggested. "Or, ah... there was something my mom use to do when I was scared of having bad dreams. Maybe both?" It felt nostalgic to bring it up, but he remembered it working so well. Though, it was so childish. Laika continued his soothing while waiting for a reply.

"Anything..." Enzan finally breathed, after a bout of hiccups. "Both." His face was dangerously relaxed, and his heart raced in bursts despite how close to sleep he was. Swimming deeper into calm was desired, but greatly feared. "Just something else. Story somewhere...safe."

Laika kissed Enzan's head as a reward. "I'll put the two together." He sighed, and stopped soothing as he started. "When I was little, I was scared of having bad dreams, especially when we moved to Syacclea. I was aware the area was dangerous, but thought of like it had a curse than actual unlawfulness. Mom would, uh, play into that, to help me sleep." "We had a family of pigeons that made a nest under the eaves of our roof, near the front door. She made up a story that pigeons would chase away the curse, and their cooing helped people sleep. At night, they would transform into a Domovihka, a powerful spirit of the house who is especially protective of the youngest in the house. The spirit was very good at chasing away curses, and she would work hard in the night while we slept, keeping peace." "The Domovihka would send messages, and apparently ours really enjoyed a certain song. Mom said that she would request it from her, to sing it to me." Laika paused, and looked down to Enzan to see his state. He was still awake, thankfully, hopefully taking it all in. A small smile came up. "You wanna hear it? I can't do it as well as she can but... I was sure I saw a dove or two outside before I came in."

Enzan's eyelids had started dropping more halfway through. The drifting between wake and sleep was eased thanks to Laika's voice and images of a small home adorned with grey birds. He pictured city pidgeons and a house a bit too big and brightly colored. It was a nice house. "I'd like to visit your parents..." he sighed into Laika's shoulder before answering. Something outside of all this, in the future where they weren't so scared. "...someday." "Please," it was a tempting illusion, the promise of outside protection. "Your voice...good." His eyes closed for real this time, and his shuddering from forcing himself awake stopped.

"Mm, that'll be good." Laika worried at the thought, but pressed it down. It was so easy to at this point. Laika breathed in, and looked up for a second. "Alright, just... sorry if it wakes you up instead." He paused to remember the words, and let the image of his mom sitting at bedside come to mind. In that bedroom, just bigger than a bathroom, a place his young self could find comfort in. Where he was protected from the cold and evil of the outside. The weight of several blankets keeping him down, and picture blurring to the sound of her breathing deep... and... "Lyuli, lyuli, lyulen'ki Gde vy, gde vy, gulen'ki... Priletayte na krovat', Nachinayte vorkovat'... "Lyuli, lyuli, lyulen'ki, Prileteli gulen'ki... Seli v izgolov'itse... Spi - ka na zdorov'itse... "Lyu... li, lyu... li, lyu... li, Prileteli guli... Stali guli vorkovat', Tikho detku usyplyat'... Spi, malyutka, pochivay, Glaz svoikh ne otkryvay..."

Laika's voice was rough and a little tinny, and Enzan had never heard a more beautiful sound. It was sort of haunting, but had a mystical quality that distracted him from their real woes. Enzan understood only bits and pieces of the lyrics. His heavy head slowly worked out a translation, "cooing at the little one," and before he got any farther, he was slipping into sleep.

With the end of the lullaby reached, Laika tilted his head to see how Enzan faired. He was out, which was good. Laika wasn't sure if he could fit in another round. All the deep breaths pulled a large yawn from him, and his eyes fluttered to stay open. The effects were still as real as when he was little, it seemed. Even using his own voice... "Spokoynoy nochi..." he mumbled as his head went back, stuck in his native tongue. They would be fine like this, he figured. If his ward didn't work, and Enzan did have a bad dream, he would be woken up immediately. It didn't matter if he'd be sore or stiff, he'd be right where Enzan needed him. With that assurance, Laika hummed a few more lines of the lullaby to himself. His thoughts were warm with a home that barely was, a safety paper thin. They brought such great comfort in their age. (edited)

Back at Scilabs, Pen's day was off to a rough start. Everyone was all a tizzy with the extra work a standing investigation caused. Every extra minute at HQ was dedicated to finding something that could pin Regal down. "He can't just keep going on his way like nothing's happened! It's not right!" Pen's partner for today leaned back in her chair, ruffling her hair with both hands. Pen bit her tongue. She kept her nervous silence, working diligently for the first hour. Then it was time for Regal to get to work at Scilabs. Pen gathered up her work that needed delivery, and gathered up anything else her coworkers needed taken over. She was normally the runner, she loved visiting everyone over there. Nothing odd about it. She timed it just right, so she could look the bastard in the eye when he walked in. When he walked in, she held the door.

Pen kept her head down, hoping he couldn't feel the hate eminating from her. It probably didn't matter. Everyone here hated him, and no matter how he feigned amnesia, that would never change. She watched him walk to his office, but hurried on her way to pass off the paperwork she was holding. (edited)

"Ah, Pen-kun!" Manabe held her hand up, and bid the girl over. She held a smile, though it looked rather tired. If her state of dress had anything to say about, she had been in the office all night. Her hair wasn't in it's usual neat style, but rather a quick bun. She was missing her signature mauve business suit too. Had she just come back from the gym. She continued, pointing to her desk. It was imperative that she tried to keep things moving when that man was around. "Those can come sit right here, thank you so much for bringing them."

Pen hurried in and set the flashdrives and files on the desk. "Thank you Manabe-san." She bowed her head, and didn't pick it back up. "I hope these are helpful. They contain the train camera footage from the time possible, and testimony from all personnel interrogated." She finally looked up, "I don't suppose you've had progress?" (edited)

Manabe's smile faded, "Thanks for all your hard work." With that, she sat down, and opened the file directly in front of her. She didn't answer Pen's question immediately, to allow her a spot of rest. Instead, she gestured for the girl to sit down. "Mm, I wish I did. What you've brought up will help narrow down exactly when to look." Manabe pushed the file forward, so that Pen could see. In it was a list of security cameras, some crossed out, some not. There were even a few circled with little notes next to them. 'Facing hall described.' or 'Outside Rm. XX.' But the one note she was sure to let Pen see was the one she had her thumb near. 'Cached cleared by unknown source, attempted to find backup. Failed.'

Pen pulled out the chair and sat down. She felt comfortable with Manabe, but not enough to relax completely. She kept her back straight, ready for her to talk. She pushed up her glasses and scanned the paper. "Mm. You're right. This could pin it down... we need to get people working on taking down his alibi for these hours. And any other that could be suspect." She had been going through data so much, she didn't dare to think these tidbits could be the answer, but moving to the next step brought hope to the table. "According to Blues and Enzan it had to be this date too. It's the best place to start."

Manabe nodded. "My thoughts exactly." She thumbed through the file some more, and leaned back in her chair. "This could be our best lead, so I don't want too many people helping, at the same time, there is a lot of footage to look over." "I'll put a team together. You'll probably be on it. We have to act quick, because it's possible that our perp will try to clean up after themselves." Manabe snapped the folder shut, and let out a long sigh. She watched how Pen moved, noting how exhausted she looked. So many roles, this girl had taken on. "You're dismissed. But! I don't want you going back to work." Manabe leaned forward, and smiled. "Pen-kun, you're next assignment is to get a good night's rest. After you get one, I think we can all work better. Understood?"

Pen blinked up at her. Her tired brain needed a minute to process. "Are-- are you sure? We need to keep moving on this. I don't want to miss anything. It's hard to leave it to someone else when I know I'll be thorough." She gripped her pants and scanned Manabe's eyes. The idea of a break was tantalizing, even if she would be anxious to leave. At least that way she could be home with the boys and keep an eye out there for a time. Making sure they were situated was just as important.

Manabe tapped the folder's edge on her desk. "Perfectly sure." "It's already past the time you usually leave, so you've put in a good day's work. Putting this team together will take the night, and as it stands the bulk of us will fall asleep the second we start to review footage." She smiled. "I need to make sure I have someone who won't. I'm counting on you to be my ace in the hole, like always!" "Now head out! I'll let you know as soon as we're ready to start." (edited)

Pen flushed a deep pink and stood up suddenly. "Thank you so much!" She bowed deeper than before. The compliments really hit her where she needed them. "I'll be back the minute you call, Manabe-san. I will do everything in my power to make sure we get to the bottom of this!" "Please--" she said before turning away, "have a peaceful night. You are doing a wonderful job, and you need rest too."

"Thank you, Pen-kun. Good night." Manabe smiled bright, and watched Pen walk out. After the door closed, she sighed and let her face fall. This would be a long night, and she wouldn't be able to grant Pen's wish. A bottle of energy drink was pulled out and cracked open. As Manabe downed it, she thought back to how Pen looked today. Something had changed at home. There was a shift that was neglected to be stated. Hopefully Enzan was okay. "Well, better make some calls..." Manabe nodded and spun in her chair. Back to work.

. Pen arrived back at her apartment about a half hour later. She was not carrying any extra files home, as much as she had wanted to steal some to keep working. She warned the boys plenty in advance of when she would get there, and continued to message until she was at the door. [SMS] "I am back. One of you has to open the door for me plz." (edited)

The soft alert didn't alert anyone at all. Laika was fast asleep, trapped under a sleeping Enzan. Searchman perked up at the message, and looked to Blues. He waved a little, signifying that he'd take care of it. After all, Blues deserved a break as well. Luckily there wasn't a need to change permissions. Searchman entered the copyroid with ease and stepped out into the living room. He felt giant in the space, being super aware of his head to avoid knocking into anything that hanged from the ceiling. A glance through the peephole confirmed that it was Role outside the door. The physical locks were undone first, followed shortly by the electrical one. Searchman pulled the door open, and towered over as Pen walked in. "Welcome back." He stated softly. He then put a finger to his lips. "They are resting, still. On the couch." (edited)

Pen listened to the soft clicks and sighed. She was glad they'd gotten the message-- she would have hated to knock on the door. She and Enzan had run into trouble a couple of times when she had the copyroid with her to have Role's company, but Enzan was too paranoid to open the door for her. "Thank you Search." Seeing his towering figured was mildly surprising due to the situation, but she was able to recognize him fast. "I'm glad Laika got Enzan to rest."

"I am as well." Searchman waited for Pen to enter, and closed the door behind her. The locks were done back up in the exact way that he recalled seeing them. "Mr. Ijuuin was able to explain the situation a bit more." A deep breath from the couch had Search turn away. He immediately recognized it as his operator stirring. He was still as light of a sleeper, even after all the mental exhaustion. Searchman turned back to Pen. "I believe we are all in similar understandings of what happened, now."

"Mm..." Pen nodded. She'd followed Searchman's gaze, realizing what it meant as well, even if she hadn't heard. She lowered her voice as best she could. "That's good. I'm glad he was... coherent." More often than not, he wasn't. Enzan had miraculously slept through the day without incident, but Laika stirring meant his equilibrium was disturbed. He curled inward, still mostly asleep, with the only sense he had being the touch of Laika's warmth.

Laika's eyes blinked open, and another deep breath came as he turned his head. Voices... he listened close to make sure they were good ones. Searchman was identified immediately, and Pen shortly after. An orange light snuck out from behind the curtains covering the windows. How long had he been out? Enzan's shifting brought him back to focus on the most important matter. He was still asleep too, that was good. If they had both slept for so long, it meant that some decent rest had been achieved. The first in a month. "Mmn... hey." Laika raised his hand, to appear from beyond the back of the couch. "Good afternoon, sir."

"Nhh..." Enzan gripped Laika's shirt and slowly blinked his eyes open. His heart raced as he got his bearings. "Hey Laika." Pen whispered, unaware of Enzan. "Sleep okay?" The voices drew a second sense into awareness for Enzan. Familiar, safe voice. Gentle, warm touch. His body slowed, fear replaced by a tearful ache. These people were protecting him, putting themselves at risk to do so.

"Yeah... Mm?" Laika looked down at the feeling of his shirt tightening. It seemed the quiet conversation got Enzan awake too. Probably for the best, if they were to ever discuss what was planned that morning. Still, seeing Enzan wake up was a good sign. It wasn't as rocky as before, when he had first arrived. "Search, go ahead and step out of the copyroid." Laika ordered. Then his focus went straight to Enzan. His hand rested heavy on his upper back. "You good...? It's much later, we both slept for a while."

"Mph--" He blinked and glanced around, picking his head off of Laika's chest. "B-blues-? Ah-- oh..." He relaxed back down, finally piecing together where they were. "I am...okay..." he was sticky with the heat that had gathered between them, but he didn't mind it. He tilted his head to inhale Laika. He was already anticipating how he would linger with them, if he broke apart. Concentrating on that kept the rest at bay. Pen was quiet, waiting for them to come to her. She didn't want to overwhelm. Blues had heard his name, and waited for Searchman to return to the homepage so he could swap out.

Searchman followed the order immediately, and was back in the network shortly after walking away. He gave Blues a nod, and went back to a meger task. Laika rubbed Enzan's back a few times, giving him a moment to settle before shifting. His legs were sore from being in one place, and his back was starting to ache. Surely the both needed to stretch out, and get on with a day. "We'll be nocturnal at this rate." Laika jested, lightly. He rolled himself over, making sure not to rush Enzan as he got out from underneath him. Once he was kneeling on the floor by the couch, Laika's arms stretched up over his head. A few soft pops could be heard. "Mmnh... Take your time, no rush."

"That's alright." Since when had normal hours ever mattered to him? Time was only more of an illusion than it had been before, he couldn't care less. He probably wouldn't sleep in the next forty-eight hours anyways. Enzan peeled himself from Laika and rolled off the couch. He was sluggish, making his way to the bathroom. He didn't look at the other two, even though Pen stepped forward as if to help. "Enzan-sama?" Blues appeared in the copyroid's place. But Enzan was already gone. "Ah. I thought-- I apologize." He bowed to Laika and Pen.

Laika stifled a chuckle, thankful that Blues' late appearance livened up the room. "You're good." Not too soon after getting up, Laika was back down again. Everyone standing up had him on edge, and there needed to be a little variety to break that up. He could only imagine what it would feel like for Enzan to come out of the bathroom and be greeted to that. "Mm... I'm hungry." He looked back, over to Pen. "But that can wait, yeah? Should probably get business out of the way."

Pen blinked from her daze of watching Enzan go, and nodded. "Let me grab some food anyways. We can talk and eat." She started fussing in the cabinets, pulling out whatever she had left. Varieties of cereal, granola bars, a few fresh fruit... it was all nice, but really only one meals worth per person. "I haven't really been shopping the past couple days, haha... there are plenty of drinks in the fridge though. And I could make...pasta." she looked around the cupboard, but everything was mismatched. "I'm afriad I'm not a great host ah... and it's dinner time, isn't it?" "I can order some food to be delivered to the complex, Ms. Novella." Blues offered, "or, I am sure Role could." "Yeah... maybe. Let's get things settled first, like you said, Laika." She was still worried her appartment was compromised, and inviting a stranger near was inviting trouble. Enzan came back out of the bathroom wearing a baggy sweatshirt. He slogged to the couch again, sitting beside Laika and curling up at his side. He ignored Blues, who was standing guard for him like a dog might, and who looked significantly dejected afterwards. (edited)

Laika caught the interaction (or lack thereof), and stored it away in his mental notes. It didn't make sense for Blues to be ignored like that, especially after something traumatic. He would ask Blues about it first, or perhaps have Search do that. Later, though. It didn't help to think of everything at once. "I'm an easy stomach to please." Laika assured. Everyone was up in knots still, including himself. It wasn't a good air for any of them. Especially not the one who came back to sit at his side. "We were talking about dinner." He clued in, so Enzan wasn't left out. "But, mm... Role and I were talking earlier this morning. About... plans. Now that I'm here."

"M not hungry, but... Plans?" Enzan looked between them, and curled his arms around Laika's arm. A hug, to brace him against the rest of this. Blues was standing there. Just standing. Enzan had no real evidence he was really there, and not just a figment of his messed up head. Enzan kept referring back to the red silhouette, watching him shift and lean forward. Blues wanted to approach, but his blank face made him stay back. What if he scared him? What if Enzan didn't want him here?

Laika nodded, and brought a hand to rest on the arms that made contact. He felt so small, and it didn't feel right. Usually it was a struggle to figure out who was really taller of the two, given Enzan's public figure. "Yes, ah..." His eyes looked up to Pen. "We were thinking that you would feel better in a place safer than this. Not to say that this apartment isn't safe." His hand started to move, assurance. "There's a place that my Uncle and Kifune set up for me, should I ever need it. It's secret, and only I know the address. We could go there, if you wanted. Pen agrees."

Enzan lowered his head to watch Laika's hand. Back and forth, back and forth... "Okay. We'll need to prepare for leaving soon. We should go while people still have eyes on him at Scilabs." Pen exhaled, and covered up the sigh of relief by sitting down in front of the food. She wanted to keep them in her sight and protect them, but it was too dangerous to keep their cover like this while still working. Not only that, but being so close to them while investigating what happened... it made things harder. What if they found out something they didn't like? Blues jerkily sat down beside her, adjusting his hair to fall down the chair back. Pen glanced at him, and then at her hands. She was embarrassed as if he could have heard her straying thoughts. Regal had fudged enough evidence to make it hard for any of them to know the truth. What if Blues had hurt Enzan? If he had a dark aura relapse, they could be in a world of trouble. She didn't want to imagine it. "Come and eat." She gestured them over. "I'm not letting you two leave without being well cared for."

Laika blinked. That was too easy. Was the paranoia that bad? His heart ached over how dull Enzan sounded. It just made the arm rubbing more needed. "Sure, I'll help you gather things up." He pulled in Enzan tighter, a semi-hug of reassurance. Pen's voice loosened his hold. "Ah, after food." It seemed going to get something was out of the question now. Laika pulled away, slowly, and took a stand. He offered his hand to Enzan, silently assuring him that his clinging wasn't a bother in the slightest. It was to the table, where Pen and Blues sat. Thankfully he didn't feel that hungry and could do fine with something small.

"If you need an escort, Searchman or Role may be the better option." Blues finally put in his two cents. "He is taller, but might be disguised better than I might." his hair was unmanageable and a dead giveaway. Enzan sat down beside Laika, keeping his hand around his forearm. He picked up an apple and inspected it thoroughly before biting. "Thanks..." he muttered to Pen, completely disjointed from Blues. Pen nodded to him, but frowned when she glanced at Laika.

"I think an escort would be too much, but thank you." Laika made sure to give both Pen and Blues a look of assurance. He seemed uncomfortable, and it was weird. Blues never tried to force his two cents in. "It's cold out, so it's not uncommon to wear hats and hoodies." "I don't want to take Pen's copyroid, she'll need it more than us. It wouldn't be right to leave her completely alone." He added on before glancing down at Enzan. He was eating, good. Scanning over the food, Laika figured it was his turn. A granola bar was chosen, and carefully opened so that the wrapper stayed in one piece. After a few bites, he glanced to Enzan again before looking up to Pen. "Pen, you're going to eat too, right?"

"Yes sir." Blues bowed his head. Enzan gave a start and squeezed Laika's arm. Now his gaze was focused on Blues. Pen nodded absently to Laika and reached for a granola bar as well. She seemed enthralled by the boys interaction, but too nervous to disturb it. "I apologize sir, if I startled you. I will... Jack out." Blues stood up and bowed his head. "No- no. I just. Didn't know. I wasn't sure if... ehm. Stay." He took a bite from his apple, trying to remain composed. The whole time Blues had stood there, he was teetering between thinking he really was and not.

Laika blinked, both at the start and the small conversation. The reasonings were beyond what he could figure. Something further happened to Enzan to make him so cautious. Even of Blues, especially of Blues. He wished he could ask why. "Ah..." Laika tried to drift into another conversation. He stretched a little. "Your couch is surprisingly comfy, Pen. The bed in the barracks never really uh... helped to rest my back. Shoveling snow was one of my jobs to stay busy. Glad to be without it, for now."

Enzan set down the apple. His stomach was twisting and his body wanted to cry. He appreciated the brush away from the topic, but now he felt sick. It felt like he had to spill his guts to clear up the haze in the room, but that just meant more mess and more time spent with all eyes on him. "That's good~" Pen clapped her hands together, "I sleep on it like, every other night. I fall asleep playing games a lot." It was too awkward. Enzan stood up from the table. "I'm going to organize my things. To be ready to go."

"Alright..." Laika's eyes followed him getting up, but tried to turn away once he was heading off. It felt wrong, he had to watch. Protection dictated it. However, as he did, he tried to keep up the conversation. "That's a dangerous habit. Then again I'm no better." "I have had to wake Laika from his desk chair several times." Searchman added. The conversation continued from there, until Laika felt full enough. He thanked Pen again, and got up to make sure his things were also together. It was simply a matter of packing toiletries, nothing major. From that he moved to check on Enzan. "Need help with anything?" he asked. He stayed by the wall, leaning against it. "I'm ready when you are."

"No. I'm fine. I think I have everything." He hadn't brought much. It all fit into his pockets. He had been wearing Pen's extra clothes most days. It was all much too big on him, but it wasn't like he was going anywhere. He tucked in the sheets on Pen's bed, trying to fix up some of the mess he'd made the past two weeks. "Well-- can you get the other side of this?" The comforter was rather big for a one person job. Pen watched both of them gather things, while she cleaned up the table. Extra food was packed in a brown paper bag, and she wadded up one of her sweatshirts with the oversizes pockets and placed it on top.

Laika smiled. "Sure." He came around to the other side of the bed, and grabbed the corners that were messy. With Enzan at the other side, it was easy to square them up, and tuck in where necessary. He was mildly shocked that Enzan even knew how to do this, but the comment was left alone in his head. An addition to his arsenal for another day. "There." Laika patted down a lump, then circled back around to stand near Enzan. It might not be appropriate to smile, but he could at least look calm. "Everything looks good."

Enzan reached up to hug Laika as soon as he was close enough. Something to release the beartrap of cold in his chest. "Thank you..." The small mundane task was calming somehow. If they could take the time to tidy up, maybe things would be okay. He released the hug, but clung to his arm as they walked out. "All set?" Pen asked, gently. She had a sympathetic smile, holding back tears. Enzan nodded.

Laika set a hand where Enzan clung in assurance, then looked up to Pen. He nodded along side Enzan, but spoke up after. "We'll send updates." He promised. "You and Role will find out how once we get settled in. There'll be something by tonight." His free arm came out and patted Pen's shoulder, a little on the hard side. "Thank you again." With that, he lead Enzan to the door, and gathered up his duffle. His jacket was shrugged on, it's hood pulled up, and another hat was pulled from the hooks and set on Enzan's head. Their security was the cold justifying all this bundling, despite Laika feeling like it wasn't needed at all.

"Mealtimes." Pen suggested, and handed the packed bag off to Enzan. "Update me at mealtimes. Three times a day will help me keep moving on this instead of being a worry-wart all day. If you can, of course. If I don't hear anything for a full day, I'm ordering a search party. I'm serious." As much as her worries hinted at what Enzan feared, he was grateful for the planning. He'd already thought about the worst case scenario, and this set some worries aside. Enzan pulled the hat down to cover his ears. His other hand clung to the bag. It was big enough to cover some of his face while they walked. Pen leaned in and fussed with his shirt, making sure he was snug. She hugged him from the side and placed a kiss to the top of his head. "Love you guys. Stay warm, eat well. I'll take care of things on the frontlines. Try not to fuss too much. This'll all be taken care of in the coming days. I'll make sure of it." Tall promises, maybe, but she felt good about the lead she and Manabe had.

"Mealtimes." Laika confirmed. He could do that much. They would be boring messages at that rate, but perhaps that was what eased Pen's mind. He waited for goodbyes to be over before opening the door. The sun was just about to set now, giving them a good window to go walk around. So many other humans did the same, they'd blend right in with the crowd. They couldn't cling to each other like they did in the apartment though. That had Laika worried, and he was sure it would cause Enzan some panic too. Once the door was closed, and Pen left behind, Laika turned. "I'll feel best if you stay just ahead of me." he explained. "We'll be safe, I promise."

"But I don't--" Enzan blinked up at him, already worried. "I don't know the way. I want to be able to see you." He slipped his hand into his sleeve to fish out his PET and clutch it tight. He reached for Laika's hand as they moved towards the elevator. "But. I trust you. Sorry." He hardened the shaky desperation with frustration. "I can do that."

"It's alright." Laika modeled as they walked in a relatively safe place. He was right behind Enzan, and he could reach out and point left or right. The signals would be seen easily. "See?" Still, he couldn't deny the touch. Laika gave Enzan's hand a squeeze as they waited for the elevator to come. He plotted out the path in his head, using a mental map to figure out which roads to take. Being sworn to never write the location down made asking Searchman for directions impossible. He sighed in relief as the doors slid open. "It's not too far from here. No real busy streets to go down. We can stay close."

"Okay... okay." Enzan nodded, breathing deep to calm himself. "Just don't make this a Euridice situation." He tried to laugh, but it wouldn't come. He fidgeted with his hat, and once they were out of the elevator and onto the sidewalk he took a long breath. Fresh air. He hadn't been outside in two weeks, and only a day or two between what had happened. It was overwhelming, and he squeezed hard on Laika's hand before moving forward. "Which ah-- which way?"

"We'll hang a right at this intersection, and then..." Laika wasn't exactly wrong in stating that their destination was close. However the street layout didn't work out in their favor. There were many parts of the route that went past the most direct way, simply because of how things were built. Laika also tried to avoid any sidewalk he deemed too busy. A walk that should've taken 10 minutes, took 20. They came up to a small house, wedge in between two bigger middle class family homes. Laika looked left and right, before closing the gap between him and Enzan. This was the place. "It'll be a minute more." He assured. His bare hand reached into the mail slot, and his fingerpads hit a cool glass. A light flashed inside for a moment, scanning his prints. A click was heard, and a brick underneath popped out. Laika sighed in relief as he pulled it out, and plucked up the key. He showed it off to Enzan with a smile. Safety and security, right between his fingers.

Enzan frowned as they reached the house. It was a good spot, in a nice neighborhood where not much happend. He just remembered he forgot to say goodbye to Role. He blinked and shook away the shudders and pounding heart from walking about in public. The key was good, and so were the other security measures. He breathed, and stayed close to Laika. "This is a good spot." He squeezed the bag he'd been carrying and hurried to the door. It was different too, he'd never quiet been to a place like this. It was nerve wracking, but comforting too. It was so random, there was no way enemies would find them. He couldn't smile back, but he hoped his couple of words could help Laika know he was okay here. Just walking had exhausted him.

"I think so too." Laika agreed. "I've never been inside, but I'm sure it's good." He keyed into the manual lock, and passed his PET over the electronic one. Both released without issue, and the door was opened with ease. Laika stepped in first, but ushered Enzan in to stand near the door soon after. He felt confident that his sweep would be clear, but he couldn't assume. The door was locked behind them, and he stepped away. "Don't turn on any lights yet." he hushed, then disappeared into the bedroom. He'd work by the fading sunlight. Laika came back only a minute later, opening doors and closing them along the way. Even the cabinets were part of his thorough inspection. Once reaching the last one, he peeked up from behind the half wall, and smiled. "Just us. And some shelf stable foods." Laika reported. "Still smells like new paint, makes my nose itch."

Enzan stood awkwardly in the foyer, watching Laika when he was in sight, and growing more and more anxious every moment he wasn't. He was just lifting his leg to push down his sock and itch with his opposite foot when Laika reappeared. He nodded when Laika appeared again, and steadied himself. "That's good." the idea of someone already being here, friend or foe was dizzying. Laika was doing a really, really good job combating Enzan's paranoia. The realization made him swallow back a pinch in his throat. "Thank you." he croaked, and kept his eyes on various features of the building.

It wasn't much to write home about. The NetPolice really outdid themselves with finding the blandest house layout and decor for the place. The furniture was a last decade fashion, and the pictures on the wall were obviously stock photos of naturescapes some newbie cop was tasked with printing out on fancy paper. The poor soul probably never got to see his task in action. Laika came from the kitchen, and gestured for Enzan to sit on the couch. He took the liberty of sitting first, to help break the tension down a little more. "It's what I was taught to do." He assured. "And they make sure to teach us these things well!" He settled in, and looked over to the TV in the corner. It was probably the only tech here besides the lock on the door and network components. It was back to Enzan, with a rather curious look. "You think they have those pay-per-view channels? Maybe it's free~"

"Probably." Enzan murmured, as his head came to rest on Laika's arm. "You know I don't watch much TV. You'll have to pick something." His PET was moved down to the old spot he used to keep it by his thigh, and just held. "Something easy. Cooking shows or, I don't know what else would be similar..." Speaking still felt stiff, but it was easier than he'd feared. On this topic at least.

"Mmm, same." Laika's hand immediately found Enzan's, whichever one was free. "I can't think of the last time I sat in front of a TV like this." He found the remote easily enough, but had to inspect it for a moment before pressing the power. Local news was quickly scrolled away from, it being nothing either of them wanted to heard at the moment. Laika kept surfing until he did find a cooking show like Enzan suggested. It seemed to be more for background noise than actual watching. "That'll do us." He sighed and put the remote down. The free hand came up to hold his head. "Maybe we'll see something we like."

"Yeah." They were making some kind of cake, or Kinglish pastry. It was too early in the process for Enzan to tell. "IPC runs ads on this channel." That was simply a fact, and one that only emotionally bumped him with the idea that his face was probably in the newest run of them. They were making a buhnt cake. "They added too much baking soda... maybe we should stop running ads with this show." He wanted to stop talking, because this was boring and the only thing really on his mind was that if he talked enough, more details from the torture would spill from him.

Laika stifled a laugh. "A cake is cake, something small like that won't make it any less sweet." "So cute." he mumbled to himself under his breath, happily allowing himself to forget just why they were here. Just for a second, it did a world of good. He squeezed Enzan's hand a little, then brought it up for a kiss on the knuckles. "What if I made one? While we're here." Laika suggested. "I'm not as good at baking but... it will give us something to do. You can help me."

"Yeah... we can do that." Enzan nuzzled close, and peeked at his hand while the feather of kisses landed. He felt a little bit of heat in his cheeks, but his chest remained cold. A sigh was his only answer after that. Silence lulled between them, only broken by the buzz of whisking and soft instructions about tempuratures. Enzan's eyes stared straight ahead, as his mind repeated the different ways he could breach the subject of what happened again. After a while, his head started to bob. "Lai-ka..." He jerked himself to stay awake, and started to blurt, "there's more that happened. I have to tell you. I remembered more."

Laika tensed up at the sound. The TV show was forgotten completely. Enzan had said something hurried and dire. For a moment, he had though Enzan drifted off into a nightmare. "You sure?" Laika turned a little, "Please, don't force yourself..." He kept a touch to Enzan's skin, he had to keep contact. "I'm listening. Either way."

"I have to. Have to..." He blinked sleep from his eyes. "When I was in there. One room. He kept sticking stuff in my neck... made me see so many things. I-- I didn't know what was real, Laika." He shivered and continued to babble, "I have to tell you. I saw different people when he did it. M-my--" he didn't want to list them all. "Blues was there most of all. So many things happened. I don't remember which really happened and which were the drugs. I don't know. It's so hard to trust, Laika. Anyone." He closed his eyes and pressed close to Laika's arm. "I do feel safer inside like this. Thank you for bringing me here."

It was painful just to listen to. Laika could feel the phantom prick of needles littering his neck. It took a lot to keep himself from reaching up and touching, he had to keep strong, be sturdy for Enzan's sake. But that was hard with such strong emotions coursed through him. The anger from before only doubled with revelations like these. Laika moved his arm to pull Enzan closer, deeming embrace more appropriate than clinging. What could he say? "I'm glad... I'm glad you already feel safe here." Laika started. "Have you told this to anyone else?"

Enzan nodded. "When I was first back. I told everything I could manage as evidence. It was too s-oon--" his face screwed up as pain in his throat came to a climax. "That was confidential, but I think Pen figured it out. Scilabs couldn't-- they couldn't figure out what was in my system, but it was enough to make my testimony mean nothing. I was probably speaking nonsense anyways." He took a long breath. With it, he tried to reach deep within himself and draw out the steel and fire he normally found there. He kept coming up empty. "Blues... and Rock. I think they know. Everyone's probably talked to everyone else about it to try and spare me." His voice was a little bit more steady, but it hurt to perform.

Laika waited for Enzan to look away before he made his faces. They were far angrier than anything else, though he shared some of the pain involved. Pen had hinted at it, but it was different to be heard from Enzan first hand. The mention of these specifics were damning, and further stoked the flames he tried to suppress. "Mmm..." Laika couldn't count on keeping his voice steady. He put effort into soothing motions. Circles were rubbed into Enzan's back. "This is the first I've heard of it. In this- detail."

"Yeah. Yeah. It's so hard... not trusting senses. I'm trying to figure it out." His voice trailed off. "...Sorry. Thank you for listening." Blues dropped what he was doing to listen. Enzan hadn't talked so much the whole time he had been living with Pen. He ran over the memory of what he'd heard, analyzing for any hint on how to better help him. Enzan cleared his throat and sat up. "We should have something more to eat. You're probably hungry. I'll help you make something."

"You're doing well..." Laika offered. "Don't force it, I'll help you figure it out." He certainly had the leave for the claim. Years of it stockpiled for a purpose he couldn't explain. Laika was glad he had it now. He allowed for Enzan to pull away, but still kept a hand nearby. It rested on Enzan's leg as he listened. Laika was so wanting to comfort more, smother Enzan in hugs and assurances, but he was conflicted. Perhaps that would only make it worse. That it wasn't how Enzan normally healed. "You're not going to like the options." Laika tried to jest. "But I appreciate the help. I'd love for you to help me."

"Heh-- yeah. I bet it's all garbage food. I can't believe some of the stuff you'll eat." He nudged Laika a little. His voice was shaky, but teasing felt so tantilizingly normal. "I'm sure with your skills, we can manage to make something half-edible." He smiled. Just a small one, but a half-smirk was better than he'd managed in a while. With that, he shifted his legs out, and wobbled to his feet. "Here..." he took Laika's hands up with him.

"Hey, I'm probably not going to like the taste either." Laika quickly followed up. Whatever was in stock here was for survival purposes only, at least until it was safe to go out and replenish. Still, he was happy to hear the critique. Enzan seemed too hollow without his usual attitude. It hurt more when the jabs to his lively hood weren't there. The smile was echoed as Laika accepted the hands. Once standing, he took over the role of guiding and ushered Enzan into the kitchen. They'd make dinner and eat, then try to sleep. A uneventful evening, but it would be exactly what they both needed.

The next morning, Penelope woke up to see her hours for work had changed. She was to come in around noon, instead of at the ungodly hour she was used to. Her dozing was fitful after that, and she found herself wandering the entrance to Scilabs an hour before she had to be there.

Manabe turned as the doors to the lobby opened. She looked tired, like she had been there all night. However she was still dressed professionally, ready for work. "Ah, you're early." She looked a little surprised. "I thought the later shift would help you sleep more." She made sure to smile as the walked closet to Pen. A hand came to her shoulder and patted it gently. "We have an interesting day ahead of us. I can explain more in the office SciLabs lended us."

" I did sleep more, thank you Manabe-san. But I'm restless. You know how it is." she smiled while they walked. It didn't reach her eyes. All their smiles seemed to have a "but" attached these days. Pen followed Manabe and they ended up close to Enzan's recently abandoned office. "I'm glad we're here." she didn't have to make the walk back and forth today for her own sanity.

"Mm, yes." Manabe didn't say much as they walked, but simply replied to whatever Pen did. Just past Enzan's office was another door, which she reached out to open. Inside was several stacks of folders and paper. They consumed the furniture available, except for small holes where she and a guest could sit. The door closed behind them after making sure no one else was in the hall. "We have another suspect in custody." Manabe was blunt. "He was the man on the tapes who set up the train."

Pen placed her hands in her lap while Manabe gave her the details. She plucked up the mugshot of the man. "The alleged train," Pen muttered bitterly while she memorized his face. "Unless he has evidence Enzan was there?" She peered up hopefully and set the picture down. "Did he confess anything yet?"

"No." Manabe had a seat herself. 'Alleged' annoyed her, but she knew it was the proper term to use. Until they had evidence of it, that's all the train could be. "He's been waiting in the interrogation room rather patiently. Seems to enjoy being inside for once." She explained. "I haven't gone in yet. I was hoping to stir up his nerves before asking questions." Manabe looked down at the open file between her elbows. "I'd also like for you to be in there. You can choose whether to stay behind the glass or be in the interrogation proper."

"Of course I'll come!" Pen's energy was immediately rekindled, an anger clenched in her hands. "I'll sure stir up his nerves. There's no way I'll be able to just sit and watch." "O-of course I'll let you do the talking Manabe-san..." she bowed her head.

"We can't force answers." Manabe said immediately. "It will be brought up in the trials several times if the NetPolice forced anything." She put her hands down, and let out a sigh. "It'll be best if we agree to keep each other in check. We know he did what we know, this interrogation is meant to confirm that, and be solid evidence." Manabe stood up with a sigh. Then she smile. "Two angry women is not what he'll be expecting."

Pen nodded, feeling queasy she had even brought it up. Manabe was infinitely composed; Pen wanted to be like that. "I can do that. Whatever you need Manabe-san." She made solid eye contact, trying to convey her sincerity. "Just... I've only ever observed before." It was an honor Manabe trusted her. The last thing she wanted was to make a mistake when this was so important. She smiled back a little though. Powerful. "Well, that's what he's going to get." she'd never felt angry like this. It was even harsher than Role's fiery passion. She stood up, startled by how quickly things were moving. A copy of his file was plucked up so she could keep up to speed while they walked. (edited)

"Go with my lead. You'll be fine." Though it was a tough case to be thrown into right away. Personal connections had to be clamped the moment they stepped foot into that room. Manabe had the skill, and was even honing it now. She was curious to see just how Pen would do. They started out down the hallways of SciLabs once more. Several various spots of question and scene where passed on the way. NetPolice were common sight, despite the current case. No on batted an eye at their powerful strides. Manabe stopped in front of a door with a guard. She nodded at them to unlock it. "Wait until I start questioning, okay?" She threw back to Pen quickly before they could be heard in the room. "There are a few things to verify first."

"Yes ma'am." Pen nodded sharply, and tucked her taken file under her arm. "I'll follow your lead." She whispered the end, just in case. When she opened the door, Pen strode in with purpose. She ignored the chair, and stood a couple of feet back from where she assumed Manabe would be positioned. All the while, her eyes were trained on the man. Blood rushed to her ears as the anger she had been breathing to calm came to a new height. She could feel herself flush, but didn't show it any other way. The man sat up straighter in his chair at seeing a young woman, and went from interested to confused.

Manabe walked in without a word. She barely looked at the man while she set down her materials and adjusted to the room. It took at least a minute, purposefully. Hopefully the pause didn't fray Pen's nerves like it was designed to do with the other. "By law I am required to remind you that this interview will be recorded by both visual and audio means." Manabe stated. Only after speaking did she look up to lock eyes on the man. "Recite your name." (edited)

Pen watched Manabe until she spoke. The prisoner shifted under their combined gazes, and leaned back to hide it. "...Jesse Timmonson." He folded his arms across his chest and set his gaze on Pen. They maintained eye-contact. Pen refused to look away, and Marcus was set on intimidating what he deemed to be the weaker of the pair. (edited)

"Jesse Timmnson." Manabe repeated. She didn't seem to care about what he was trying to do. Nothing would unnerve her, not for this case. Not for any case. Anyone who wanted to work against their interrogators usually had good reason to do so. "Are you a Japanese citizen?" Manabe moved onto the next question. Such beauacracy was draining.

His eyes finally snapped back to Manabe and he straightened up. A more snappy answer relayed this time. "No. I am not." Pen tried not to react. She just stretched her hand out a little before trying to relax her shoulders.

"Alright then." Manabe stood up. Her small questions seemed to be over. In the silence she passed her finger along the table. It stopped at the folder and it's many pages. "Do you know why you're here, Jesse?" Manabe looked at him. "Must be a bit of a shock, to suddenly be found in prison in a foreign country."

"I was told it was because a'my job." He tilted his head up. "I know my rights. I'm here legally." Pen assumed all his fussing was to assert his manhood or something. She picked up his folder to jot something down in the back. Hopefully her observations might help somehow.

"Yes, you are. We were able to confirm that with customs." Manabe nodded. "But you know just as well I do that this isn't because of that." Manabe flipped to a page with a picture. She turned it for Jesse to see. Security footage of him on a train making adjustments. "Do you have experience with public transportation, Jesse?"

"I do." He glanced at the photo, "that's me. I worked at the train station. For a week or so. I got fired for stupid shit." he shrugged, "it was the holidays too. Things are tough on us working class people. You know that." Pen scribbled more in her notes. "Before that I worked for a bus company. I drove and maintained my bus."

Manabe nodded along again. She had a hook already, but there was more she could feel that should tried to be squeezed out. "Let's focus on these past holidays." She stated. "We have record of your termination. If you could just remind us why that was nessecary...?"

"They said I was doing too much extra accommodating for the passengers. How's that? Fired for being too good at my job. Maybe now that I'm here I aughta sue." He looked between them, a little nervous he'd tried to joke here. Pen made sure to note all of his body language, trying to be unbiased. She didn't want to miss a thing.

Manabe didn't emote. No laughter or sympathy came after Jesse's comment. Instead she simply spoke up again. "Mr. Timmnson, if you are going to lie, at least make it good." She picked up her folder and paced behind the table. A glance was thrown at Pen. Hopefully all those notes were important. "You were terminated due to receiving additional compensation from a third party, a practice our public sector does not allow." Manabe stated. "That termination is what we're here to ask you about, so I would appreciate your cooperation."

Pen snapped her folder down to her side and watched much more intently. "But I-" He snapped his mouth shut and sat back. "...Of course ma'am." The pressure from them looming over him made him feel even more out of place. Pen took a step forward to be even with Manabe. She felt fired up enough that all the waiting she'd been doing for Manabe seemed pointless. "Mr. Timmnson. You call it "extra accomidation". Fine. What was the reason for that work on this particular trip?" Jesse squeezed the cloth on his pantlegs. "I was not given a reason." (edited)

"Explain to us exactly what you did." Manabe spoke up with her next request. It was immediately after Jesse's answer to the last. He needed to know that they would be able to tell his lies from the truths. "From the moment you stepped on the train to the moment you stepped off, explain what you were asked to do."

"I went into the passenger train, cleared out the seats for more room. I set up a table and chairs-- they were heavy, from the dining section." He paused, squeezed his pantleg again. Anxiety now, he knew there was something going wrong. "Hauled a personal chest in there too. Didn't look in it. Figured it all of this was so the chest didn't have to be paid extra to store in back. Heavy fuckin' thing too." He looked between them. "That's all I did. Went back to my normal station and swept out the other passenger sections." Pen's stomach dropped as she listened. She tasted metal, at the idea of the table and chair. Exactly what Enzan had described.

"I see." Manabe wrote down a few of the things that didn't seem to be part of what was in the file. She didn't show to Jesse if he had answered well or not. Though, she wrote for an uncomfortable amount of time. The dead silence was finally broken when her pen hit the table. "You mentioned accommodation, compensation." She spoke up. "You might not know what it was for, but we do. It was not good." Manabe stood up straight. "As it stands, you're fit to be charged as an accomplice of a crime that took place in that car you set up."

"A crime?" he couldn't judge the severity. Manabe was too unweilding. The silence between talking was growing to be too much. "What sort of crime?! Who would say no to some extra zenny for moving some luggage?" he grew more agitated when he met Pen's eyes. Her flush and frown were more of an indication of how bad this was. "Anyone who knows anything about transportation laws!" Pen snapped at the man, taking a step forward.

Manabe brought her hand up, dividing the air between Jeese and Pen. Emotions were high, obviously, but a cold glance from one woman to another was a reminder that they had to use it to their advantage. It couldn't be their weakness. "The crime is grave." Manabe spoke low. "Kidnap and torture. I can think of several who would pay extra to keep such plots unfoiled." "But, we can forgo the charge if you tell us who paid you." Manabe continued. "It would save you several months in jail awaiting hearing. I would hate for you to loose your job." (edited)

Pen's chest heaved, and she returned to her stoic station. Jesse's face paled, while Pen's flushed with shame. "Kidnapping?" His voice was taken away, replaced by a fearful rasp. He had been positive this was about drugs or a net-related theft. This was Scilabs after all. He'd been tested for drugs just before this. "I-I don't know anything about a kidnapping. No one said anything about that."

"I don't care if you knew or not." Manabe's voice finally grew in strength. She pushed forward, letting her hand fall as she leaned in. Her stoic lips turned downward. It was time to push a little. "Did you miss my offer? Tell us who paid you, and we'll forgo the accomplice charges." She stated. "You don't tell us? That offer goes away, because we'll assume you're protecting someone." (edited)

Jesse's lip quivvered. "We made contact over email. All I know was that it was a man. I don't have a name! I don't-- oh my god-- jesus christ." Pen clenched on her pen until it bent. She wanted to explode on him. It was hard to believe even the sob story from a man this involved. "It was a man. Official sort of guy. A doctor? Rich, I figured. I figured this was just about drugs! I would never protect a-- oh my god..."

"Calm down." Manabe immediately switched gears. This guy had a tough exterior, but it obviously didn't match his insides. He was weak in character, and so far had been putty in their hands. She took a seat, and picked up her pen. A breath was forced. Excitement was growing as they grew closer to fitting the puzzle together. "That's the information I'm looking for. Try to give me more. Names are optional." She instructed. "Male, higher economic status... we have that. Describe features."

--- Enzan looked listlessly at the card game Blues had suggested. The rules were too simple to stimulate him, and he was too distracted to learn a new one. "Laika. What are you thinking?" Enzan placed down an Ace, taking the hand.

Laika had settled his cheek into his hand as he stared at the cards in the other. In this game, he had no challenge. It had been like that for most of the morning. The question made his head pop up. "Hm?" "I was thinking about food." Laika mumbled. "Not really looking forward to more canned meals." He sighed, bored, as he put a card down. "Gotta get groceries."

Enzan sucked in his bottom lip and chewed. He picked up the cards he won and played another. "Groceries? Can't we just..." he screwed up his face. There really wasn't another safe option. "Nevermind. You're right. But I don't like it." He folded his legs up tighter on the shag carpet, and leaned against the coffee table. "You just.. Don't mean right now right?" (edited)

Laika looked up from the pile of cards that were being taken away. His gaze was wider than usual, reading into Enzan's moves. What was so important about right now? "No, ah..." Laika sat up a bit. "It's too early still. But I'll need to go before dinner. We deserve something good."

"Mm..." Enzan pouted a bit to hide how seriously he felt about it. "I don't want you to have to go." How was this better than showing how serious he was? He felt self conscious. The emotions in his head didn't fit; he felt like his head was going to burst. "Sorry. It's fine. Just. Yeah." He shrugged like, you know what I mean. "The quicker the better." Enzan ran a hand through his matted hair, and looked back to the cards so he didn't have to look at Laika's eyes.

Laika looked back down to process the response. Enzan wouldn't agree that easily, obviously. He already knew the underlying feelings, or could at least guess them. He felt guilt, even though he shouldn't. "Hey." Laika put his cards down and scooted around the table. Soon he was closer to Enzan's side. Not to look at his hand, of course. "You're right. I should be quick. I was planning to be anyways." He smiled a little. "I'll be quick and I'll get enough for a week. No more cans."

Enzan set his cards down and looked up at Laika. The warmth of the gesture cut through his guards. He leaned his head. "No more cans'd be nice..." Enzan slid his arm around Laika's back. "I'm fine with whatever, really. Pen doesn't exactly cook. At all." He meant it as a tease, but talk like that made him feel even colder. Oh well. That had never stopped him before.

The affection was returned quickly. Laika's hand wrapped around Enzan's front, making their embrace full. He rocked just a little as his cheek rested on Enzan's head. "See, that's what we're missing. Hot meals that aren't instant." Laika proclaimed. "We need good food. Filling food." He loosened the hug just a little, to peek at Enzan's face. "Any requests? Think simple, things that do not require a whole kitchen of chefs."

Enzan's hand drew gentle circles into Laika's knee while he let his hugging arm drape. "You'd know better than me... I guess I like soup, and fish... light things." All those cooking shows, and he still didn't have any good ideas. He circled through his muddled memories of them for something worth saying. "Maybe you can get... baking ingredients and we can make cookies. Or ah-- that thing we made together, remember? The cabbage dish?" His first real spark of emotion lit up, as the memory took hold of him. "Mm... I like cooking with you."

"Ah, yeah. I haven't had that in a while." Laika rewarded the ideas with a kiss to Enzan's head. It took him back for a moment as well, where he was on the verge of getting flustered with every move. He wished times could be like that again. "That is a good list." Laika hummed. "I will get things for that."

Enzan closed his eyes to enjoy the affection and try to stay there. That tiny kitchen seemed so far away. "'m glad. Still don't want you to have to go though. Hah." Enzan shifted how he was sitting so he could curl into Laika's lap. "We should have borrowed a copyroid. Maybe you could swing by my office and... mn... no. No. Too obvious you're with me then." His own words fueled his anxiety, so he pressed his face into Laika's shirt.

The move was welcomed. Enzan seeking out comfort when he needed it was a good thing, especially now. Laika helped even, pulling his sweater out of the way of his lap. The thinking aloud was met with a light tap on Enzan's shoulder. A fuss. "Ssh." Laika hushed. "Just us is fine."

"Mgh." Enzan was hard pressed to agree. He wanted some way to defend himself... though, Laika could still officially call in a dimensional area, so maybe Enzan had less to worry about this trip. "Okay. I-- trust you."

"Thank you. That means a lot." Laika stayed with Enzan for a while longer. Trust meant understanding his worries, and working with them. Honestly though, he really didn't want to go himself. If they could only deliver... But that would be too much of a security risk. Laika knew that. He embraced Enzan once more, kissing the top of his head, then slowly let go. He leaned back, and smiled a little. "It shouldn't take more than 45 minutes." He assured. His hand passed over Enzan's hair. "I'll send a text when I'm on the way back."

"Fourty-five." Enzan repeated, and nodded gently into the touch. He didn't have a good sense of how long shopping took, so that sounded more than reasonable. "Okay. Just... I'd like a hard number. Just in case." He looked up, determination guiding the plan. "And if Searchman could message when you get there, too-? I'd like to know." He didn't know what could happen to hurt Laika, but that didn't stop his worrying. "Thank you..." he knew he was asking a lot to keep track of, on top of Laika's already meticulous protections.

Laika nodded. "Sure. I'll make sure he sends it." The request was reasonable, moreso than copybots or whatever else Enzan was thinking. He could spare to right a few vague text. Enzan would know exactly what they meant. Laika started to shift, fading away from Enzan's touches to stand up. If he wanted to catch a clear window with the crowds, he'd have to leave soon. "You can play solitaire until I get back, or something." Laika offered. "Or maybe a house of cards...?" (edited)

Enzan's throat made a whine of displeasure before he could swallow it back. He was sure he looked pathetic. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'll figure out something. Don't worry." He meant it, but knew he wasn't very convincing. Leaving Laika's arms felt so cold. Enzan slowly unfolded his legs and moved to kneel, then stand. He could feel the feeling of distress start pounding harder when it became clear that later had become now and this theoretical trip was now real.

Laika waited until Enzan got up, and gave him another hug. He didn't want to go, really, but real food was important. It solved more than just a bland palate, it helped to combat against mental worries. "Mmm..." Laika squeezed tight, then let go. "Okay." He stepped towards the door, grabbing his jacket and PET along the way. He put his beanie on, and grabbed the door knob as he smiled. "I love you." Laika reminded. "I'll be back soon." (edited)

---- Pen closed the file she had assembled on everything Jesse had said. "These photographs and emails have to be enough. Added with the accounts of a phone call, there is no way it isn't Regal. We need to take him in again. Now." Pen wanted to do it herself. She wanted to get her hands on him and see his face when he realized he was finished. "He is scheduled to come into work in ten minutes, and stay all evening. I know exactly where he'll be."

Jesse was gone now, escorted back to holding by the other NetPolice on duty. He had been surprisingly helpful, his descriptions of the benefactor matching up to their suspect well enough to convince the court. Manabe had a strange energy stirring inside her, something unlike any hard case had brought to her before. Pen's voice broke her free of dwelling. Brown eyes looked up from handwritten notes to the young woman beside her. She had a good point. "Right. We have reasonable cause to keep him in holding until courts now. I'll order the others to back us up."

"Thank god." Pen leaned back in her chair and tossed the file onto Manabe's desk. "Let's get this over with. I'll get stationed, and walk in as I always do a minute behind him. Then we'll take him down once he reaches his office. I'll bar the front doors. Just give me a man or two." Over preparation was key. As she remembered from when she was only a kid in all this, Regal was always a step ahead. Pen's hand ran over her PET, but she refrained from emailing Enzan. The risk of transmission could wait until after the devil was brought down.

Manabe stood up and closed her file. She didn't give a confirmation just yet. Instead she looked onward, towards the wall as her thoughts ran deep. Pen had the right idea, but her wording felt too charged. "I would rather him come in expecting an usual day." Manabe revised. "You come in at your usual time, like planned. I will ensure the guards for the SciLabs front are qualified to handle arrests. They'll be your men." "I'll have a small group with me to meet you at his office. " (edited)

"Okay. Yes ma'am." Her stomach twisted because she knew she'd said wrong. Her own youth was still biting her in the ass. Pen stood abruptly and bowed her head. "But... shouldn't we send a man to his home as well?" "With the intensity of the crimes, I do not think anything should be put to chance." She was overstepping herself more-- that was Manabe's job. "He... in the past, he has had ears everywhere."

"Yes." Manabe brought out her PET, and a few menus later a urgent request was sent to the commissioner. With a nod, she put her PET away and stepped to the door. As much as Pen was younger, her different point of view was still a valuable asset. "We only have a few minutes now. Go get yourself into position. Send my navi a message when you get visual."

"Yes, ma'am. Role, you get all that?" Pen tapped her PET. "I did." Role appeared in her hologram form to bow to Manabe. "We are ready." Pen nodded, and backed out of the room. She needed to be fast to avoid being noticed too much. She left out the back, and circled all the way down the block to come from the direction of HeadQuarters. She watched for Regal, a little early. He should have been right in front of her or right behind. She waited a minute, standing outside as if casually checking her emails. He wasn't there on time. Role sent an email to see if he was early and already in his office. Regal had never been late, in all his time working at Scilabs. Her head spun with worry.

Manabe moved to position, welcomed outside of Regal's office by a small group of NetPolice officers. They all waited, on edge. Each and every one of them was well aware of what Regal has done in the past, and what he could be capable of now. They continued to wait, and wait. Manabe replied to Pen's emails with what she saw. Regal was nowhere to be found. Their eyes sent to his dwelling said the same. He was nowhere. Manabe frowned, and turned to two of her men. "Follow the route I am sending to you. It's his commute. Report anything findings." They nodded, and headed out. (edited)

Pen recieved Manabe's reports, growing more nauseous by the second. She waited over twenty minutes, but there was nothing. "Laika." Pen rubbed her temple. "Role, text Laika first. Let him know... to be on the look out. Just, be cryptic, so it's not obvious. Not Enzan yet." Pen raced up to where Manabe was stationed. "Manabe-san. We should have someone in Scilabs call him, to see why he's late. On the off chance it's not... because he's running." She swallowed, knowing how unlikely it was at this point. Twenty five minutes had passed. "Role... email Enzan. Tell him to stay in." Her voice grew quiet for that. Not even Manabe's hand chosen could know.

"I have already done so." Manabe didn't flinch at the sudden rush of new actions suggested to her. All she saw was a girl running on her emotions. It was hard to blame her for it, given what was at stake, but at the same time it probably played into the perpetrator's plans. "Do not let the panic control you." She commanded. "This will be broadened to a manhunt." With that, Manabe turned and faced the officers around her. "Go and join the search, now! Regal must be detained at all costs!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Pen stood back. Officers raced away, but she couldn't follow. Not yet. "I'll i-inform the local force?" She sought Manabe's approval in this moment of chaos. She was her sensei, the one that had been through more, who knew what to do--

Manabe nodded quickly, just as she was about to take off herself. Only one junior officer remained outside of Regal's door. "Yes, do so quickly! The warrant is being fed through as we speak." With that, she was off to go back to command. They would find him. They had to, before anyone else came across his path!

---- Enzan was curled up on the couch in the sweatshirt Pen had leant him. Blues had tried to encourage some more games to keep his mind occupied, but after their last text at a half hour after Laika's departure, it was impossible. The promised fourty-five minutes turned into an hour, which turned into an hour and a half. At which point, Blues sent a calm message to Pen about what was happening so far. Enzan kept his PET clutched to his chest, waiting for the notification that Laika had just gotten caught up talking, and was right outside the door. He knew though. He knew as soon as the texts stopped coming from Searchman, something was very wrong. Blues recieved a not-so-calm response from Role and Pen. [MSG] you need to come back to work [MSG] I can pick you guys up. Text back ASAP! worried about you Blues answered promptly, adhering to her vagueness. [MSG] staying in tonight [MSG] L is still out [MSG] Enzan is feeling sick When Laika's fourty-five minutes turned into two hours, Enzan cried. His shaking hands scrolled through the messages, as every minute that passed added another vice to his chest. Watery vision compromised how well he could read, so it devolved into tumbling, spiraling fears of what could have happened. Maybe Laika didn't really believe him, and was reporting back to Kifune everything that had happened. He pictured Laika captured or beaten in an alley. Enzan tore out his hair with worry that he was never coming back. And then, he was calm. "Blues. We can't stay here. Don't call Pen. It's just us now." (edited)