Kapitel 8: Creepers and Criminals

Author's Notes! Trigger warning for teacher student relationship, and the sexual abuse of a minor, though not explicit. Someone also creeps on Tsukiyo, but nothing really happens. She's okay, promise. Nothing is graphic, but please be safe while reading! Anywho, I'm back! For a bit. Tbh I'm about to be very busy, so if I'm gone a while just check the Author's notes of my most recently updated fics. I'll keep everyone posted. Thx so much for all the support, it's crazy! As always, check out the rest of the series and tell me how it was! Happy holidays, my friends!

XXXXXXXXXX

I dart about, gathering the last of the food containers and setting them in the go-bags, Mai helping me with the rest of the dishes. Glancing about, I nod, satisfied, before turning to my adopted sister. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I'll grab my bag!" She speeds away, reappearing after a few seconds with her bag and Sora to help me carry the food for our coworkers down to where they were kindly waiting in the car. When Mai had come home from the investigation last night she had brought Naru's marching orders for today, which was a kind request for lunch for the team. Feeling bad about having to leave early yesterday, I threw in breakfast and coffee and tea. Lord knows Lin and Naru probably hadn't eaten yet, they were surprisingly bad at self care for being such competent men. Then again, considering Gene's situation, it was rather understandable. Grinning, Mai chirps at me, "Ready!"

"Me, too," Sora calls happily. He was walking to school with his neighbor friend and his older brother, Aoi-kun and Akase-kun, I think.

I usher everyone out, locking the door behind us. I'm more than a little concerned about this case, and not even because the fucking Death Curse. That can be dealt with easily enough, even if it makes me feel gross because Naru and Lin knew how to stop it. Worst case scenario, and I'll deal with it through magic manipulation and crushing it with my power, which should theoretically work. No, the issue is the sexual predator currently using a vulnerable teenage girl. This world, and other modern worlds that were closest to the periods I feel I most originated from, did not condone the murder of abusers. My morals are probally a bit fucked up from world hopping because I found that fact rather regrettable.

Since I couldn't introduce her to my old friend, Death, I'd have to do something else about Ubusuna, like put her in jail. Ugh, that's gonna be troublesome. Shit's difficult and essentially impossible without the victim's testimony….hmm, I wonder. But is it legal? Wait, what if- Oh ho, there's an idea.

I feel a wicked grin begin to pull at my lips as I whirl to follow my siblings,…and crash directly into the stranger occupying my personal space. I jerk back, startled as all hell. It's rare that I'm ever too distracted to feel an aura, and this aura was setting my instincts off. "Hello?"

"Hello, Tsukiyo-chan!" The stranger chimes eagerly, and I realize he isn't actually a stranger, as I carefully side step the boy. This was Sora's friend's brother, and our neighbor. The slightly creepy one.

"Akashi-kun, right?" I ask politely, looking around for my siblings. Both were standing with Sora's friend, but Mai cautiously turned toward us, and I took note that I wasn't the only one wary of this kid. Okay, that's a bit concerning.

"Yeah!" He squawks, actually elated, and I have to shift a bit farther to the side to keep more of my personal space as he hovers closer. "That's me."

"Thank you again for taking Sora with you. It's very kind of your family to let him tag along," I remark, passively observing his aura, which was…very attracted to me, excessively so.

It's not like this was the first person I'd ever noticed attracted to me. People seemed to like my mixed features well enough, and I was a personal believer that it was human nature to be attracted or lustful a lot of the time, and that it didn't mean anything. But, this wasn't just passing attraction. It was pretty hardcore, especially considering we've barely interacted. I'm just standing here so why is he so horny? I'm a bit bewildered by it, honestly.

"It's no problem. You can come to me if there's…anything else you need," he tells me, reaching for my shoulder. Fluidly, I dodge it by stepping up to my sister, easily pretending not to have noticed. His spike of angry disappointment tells me I'm going to have to keep an eye on this. Maybe he's just socially awkward. He hasn't really done anything, I attempt to convince myself, but find I'm very uneasy.

"That's very kind of you. Your mother has been very generous by having you do this and then watching Sora some days after school. I'd feel bad asking for more," I verbalize cautiously, hoping to dissuade any further interaction, ushering my family down the apartment stairs, Mai nervously clutching my arm. My lips press tightly together in a thin smile. "But I appreciate the offer. Mai and I will be going to work now. Our boss is picking us up. Have a good day."

I could see the SPR van in the parking lot just ahead, much to my relief, and I scoop Sora up in a tight hug, whispering in Hindi to him to be watchful of the older brother and not stay alone with him. Sora, having been raised by a paranoid, overprotective lunatic like me, was well educated in how to act in tricky situations depending on my cues, and does exactly as I taught him. He smiles, replies back that he understands, and continues to act like nothing at all sketchy is happening. Atta boy, I think, absurdly proud. I'm not concerned about leaving Sora with the family because I was promised that the mom would always be watching them when Sora came over, and she was sincere, and normal, so my instincts are saying it will be safe for him. But, they are not saying the same for me, or even Mai. I'll have to look into a solution for this. As we head to the van, I, thinking I have managed a clean getaway, am promptly smacked back to reality when a hand clamps down on my bicep, harshly yanking me to stop. Oh, fuck no he didn't.

I twitch violently, feeling my skin start to crawl, and trying valiantly not to go into attack mode. My soul is old, and I've spent a lot of years, lifetimes worth, fighting bad people. I've gotten good at it over time. So good that the fact that this dude wasn't screaming on the floor already was, in itself, a miracle. But my self restraint only went so far, and this boy was getting dangerously close to finding the end of it. I liked to think I am a relatively even tempered person, even easy going to an extent. But I loathe it when strangers think they can just touch you. This fool had just gone and done it, in Japan, where it was supremely rude and odd to be tactile with anyone you didn't know really, really, well. Another good morning ruined. I'm officially annoyed.

Luckily, before I can debate the pros and cons of kicking Akase's ass, I'm saved from having to make the decision for myself. "Tsukiyo, we're getting late." The voice is hard and flat, so much so, that it actually takes me a solid moment to realize who spoke, having not heard that icy furry in a hot minute. "Come here."

"Yes, Boss," Akase, the lucky creep, having been startled by the appearance of my young overlord, loosens his grip and I slip away, leaving me without a reason to bust his ass up. Somewhat regrettably in my opinion. I pretend not to hear the sputtering protests, or feel the sudden bout of rage, a frankly alarming amount vastly unproportional to the situation. Disturbed, I call out hastily. "Bye."

It takes me about three steps for me to notice, and for ice to fill my veins. It's not the creeper behind, no, it's dark magic in front of me. Ah, fuck, so that's what the death curse looks like on someone. Damnit, Boss.

Naru, surprisingly, wraps an arm around my shoulders and guides me into the van, and waves Mai off to take the front seat next to Lin before settling in the back with me. I'd have been amused and touched by that bit of protective posturing on any other day, but all I can feel is the dread setting in as the contact strengthens my perception of the negative energy on my friend. I let my mind drift like a leaf on water, in hopes my magic will gather some new information on the hows and whys of this alarming development. Think, Tsukiyo. What do we know? This morning, Mai told me Kasai acted suspiciously even though neither of us believed her to be the culprit. Then, Mr. Yoshino got into a serious wreck, and he was known to have been at odds with Kasai. Lastly, Naru and Mai had a run in with a scary ceiling ghost, the only one we've actually seen this entire investigation, and Mai swears up and down that it was targeting Naru. I guess this is evidence that now Naru has a doll made of him and is now cursed as well. Fuck.

"Tsukiyo," I startle out of my thoughts when a hand coated in nasty magic brushes my shoulder, recoiling from it. I glance up to see the furrowed brow of my concerned boss, who misinterprets my reaction. "…You're safe, Tsukiyo. It's okay."

I blink, momentarily confused. "What? What are you- OH! Oh, that guy? It's okay, I wasn't really scared. You just saved me from doing something that would have probably have had tedious consequences." I shrug it off. Truthfully, I was concerned, considerably so, but I didn't really see the boy as a genuine threat. My magic and I were now "on guard" for him, so to speak, and even if I hadn't trained much physically in this life, I still had the muscle memory. I could still throw these hands well enough to take on a whole group of dirtbags let alone that scrawny guy. And I didn't even know for sure how he was a threat. "So, thanks for the save, Naru."

My shitty eyes can't see what face he's making despite our close proximity, but it's enough to make Mai pipe up from the front. "It's true. She's kinda like that. Once, so guy groped her on the street, and she flipped him and kicked him in the face, knocking him out and breaking his nose before I even realized what happened."

I scowl at the memory. "Ugh, even with the witnesses, the police questioned us for so long that the blood dried on my boots and took forever to get them clean after that. It was so damn annoying."

Lin actually chokes out a laugh, and Naru lets out a long, suffering sigh. "You know, as outrageous as it sounds, I don't doubt that having happened in the slightest. But why are you trembling then?" Projecting his movements slowly, he picks my hand up into his own, holding it out to show the shaking.

"Adrenaline. And alarm. But not for me. For you. It seems like you did pick up a death curse yesterday."

Lin slams the breaks sharply, sending Naru and I nearly to the ground. I grab Naru's bicep to tether him to me, the result of too many years of caring for children, but Naru also reacts. His instinct is to throw his arm out in front of me so I don't go flying, and unfortunately, it impacts viciously with my chest.

I groan, cussing softly in every language I know, curling my hands across my poor aching bust. "Ow. Fucking ow, Lin."

"I'm so sorry," Naru states, sounding embarrassed and low key horrified by the unintentional grope.

I laugh a bit breathless, the wind having been solidly knocked out of me. "Quick! Someone film it for posterity."

"Are you alright?" Naru says, strained, and I decide to have mercy on him since he feels too guilty to banter, something I thought was impossible for such a snarky asshole.

I wave it off. "Just an accident. I think I clawed you in return. Anyway, it's not like this is new information considering Naru and Mai's run in with Ceiling Ghost yesterday. Relax, Lin, and don't turn us into ghosts with your driving."

"Oh, I'm sorry for reacting when you tell me Naru has a death curse on him without warning."

"Fair point. My bad, Lin," I admit sheepishly. I am trying to placate them, but I'm just as concerned. The feeling of malavallance under my fingertips was upsetting. I once again let myself sink into my magic as I feel for the foreign magic plaguing my friend. It is like sticky spiderwebs wrapped around his torso and I could sense it trying to wrap farther around him, to thicken into a cocoon, to suffocate him. How insidious, I think grimly. I lean close to the teen researcher, dropping my voice so that only Naru can hear me. "I'll be honest, it's very early stage right now. I could use my magic to attack it, but since it's you, Naru, I'm worried it could destabilize your own abilities. I've never dealt with something like this and I don't want to risk hurting you or exacerbating the situation."

He ponders for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Can you keep an eye on it for now? It's not really dangerous yet. Last night," he huffs a dry laugh, "Ceiling Ghost visited me. I spent the entire night in a staring contest with her, and she didn't do anything." The bastard was actually smug about winning a staring contest with a fucking ghost. Idiot narcissist, only you. I snicker fondly.

"Why didn't you call me, Naru? What would I tell your parents-" Naru interrupts, irritated and, hilariously, petulant.

"I was fine." It's dismissive, and I can sense Lin's building frustration, so I decide to diffuse the situation before it turns into an argument.

"It's okay, we'll be solving the case today, anyway." The attention is abruptly on me, almost making me wince with the intensity.

"You sure?" Mai asks, peaking back over the side of her seat. I smile at her, nodding.

"Yup," I feel warm at the relief that fills the air, touched by the trust my coworkers put in me. "Here, Naru. Let's get some tea in you, you feel tired. I cannot believe you spent all night up just so you wouldn't lose against a ghost. Stubborn idiot. Take this. Mai, give it to poor Lin for having to deal with us."

We spend the rest of the ride in much better moods, having breakfast and talking about lighter things.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I groan loudly, bumping my head into the table. "Troublesome."

"What?" Masako squeeks defensively, reeling back at my reaction.

"Masako's been cursed too," I tell them with a sigh, getting up to hand out more breakfast to our newly arrived team members. "Someone who can defend against ghosts should stay with her and Naru at all times. Even if they can defend themselves, someone should watch their back." The group agrees, ignoring the protests from our cursed friends, much to their ire.

The group sets out, continuing the exorcisms and looking for wooden curse dolls. Ayako is luckily with Masako when the girl is pushed down the stairs, and she is able to brace them both, leaving them with nothing but skinned knees and a few bruises. Meanwhile, I grab a camera and enact my plan, following the tug of magic when it tells me it's time to move, bracing myself for what I might see.

XXXXXXXXXX

I slam the bio lab door open, pretending not to notice the overly close student and teacher spring apart. "Sorry for the intrusion," I lie smoothly, strutting into the room. "I'm just picking up a camera we left in here earlier." I feel their panic sharply spike as I grab it out of its inconspicuous placement in the corner, a perfect setting able to catch nearly the entire classroom. Ms. Ubusuna is fucked. Let's see her try to work near kids anywhere ever again. Hell, let's see how long she lasts in jail. Man, I've been so well behaved. I have met two creepers today alone, and I still haven't resorted to violence. It's a new record. I mentally pat myself on my back, heading out.

"You- you can't film here. We did not give you permission! I'm going to need to confiscate-"

"Whoa, yeah, no can do," I say dodging the bitch's hands as they reach for my evidence. "See, my team got permission from the principal to film anywhere we want, so unfortunately, I can't hand it over." I could and would take this predator if she tried me.

"And what's your name so that we can follow up with your Boss and the principal?" Oh my god, she's going Karen on me. Fighting back the cackles, I smile, sickly sweet, hoping it will give her heart disease.

"Noneya Business," I reply quickly in English before skipping out. Names have power, I knew that well enough, and considering that the alarm bells had started blaring the second she started asking, and that two of our team whose names were disclosed have been attacked, I wasn't risking it.

As I leave, I pinpoint the dark magic user as a familiar malice fills the air behind me, confirming my suspicion, and my smile turns grim. Found you. Let's hope this is enough.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Lin," I settle some coffee and treats on the table next to him, pressing myself into his space without touching him, letting his natural aura soothe me. I smile as one of his shiki comes forth to settle across my shoulders.

His shiki were some of the coolest works of magic from this world. Hell, it was ranked high up on the list for coolest shit I'd seen in any world. They were spirits that he subjugated and earned the respect of through the force of his will and magic, and that was seriously bad ass. When he had told me about it after realizing I could sense them floating around him, it had really made me respect him. Each had their own personalities and attributes, and while I couldn't see them, I could feel their magic almost like they were solid. They also had a variety of shapes, but his most used ones took the form of small eastern dragons, long and reptilian, and were battle orientated. The one currently set on my shoulders was cat like, and I got the feeling it was an observer more than anything. The magic was so strong that when I reached up, I could actually feel fur under my fingertips, much to my delight. "What's her name?"

Lin chuckles."Jia." He stops typing, before slowly turning to me, his aura soured by worry and dread. "Are you okay? We haven't gotten a chance to talk about it."

I blink, not sure what he was talking about. There were, unfortunately, many different things he could be referring to. He continues, tone gentling, "That boy from this morning… I know Mai said you were good at dealing with things like that, but… it wouldn't have been a good experience for you." He turns his chair to me, and I meet his single exposed eye, his brow furrowed, and my heart melts.

Lin's a really good person. Giving him ample time to pull away, I grip one of his hands in mine, lips curled wryly. "I'm okay. It's…not fun, but I've long since worked hard to come to terms with the bad memories and learned how to handle things like that. But,….Thanks for checking on me. It means a lot."

He doesn't smile, but his hand squeezes mine, warm and kind.. I'm actually glad Lin decided to be a douche the day we met, since it means I got to join SPR and get to know everyone.

Lin takes me on a stroll through the school to see if I can sense any more curse hitogata laying about. Unfortunately, I can't sense anything in the school. We've already found the ones that were here, so then we head to walk around the grounds. It's not long after that I see a vision of Naru and Mai falling into a sewer drain.

XXXXXXXXXX

I bite my lip, trying not to start mother hening as we pull Naru and Mai out of a literal hole in the ground. Mai had gotten duped by a ghost kid, (and I would definitely be getting on her case for that later), and Naru helped break her fall. She was fine, but I could feel the throbbing in Naru's upper arm and side. Worst was the way his magic was rippling unsteadily beneath his skin, the curse still wrapped around him.

After Lin checks him over and the others are distracted with all the hitogata that they found in the manhole, which, having been slightly off grounds had been out of my range, I pull Naru to the side. Crouching on the floor in front of him, I gather his hands in mine. "Naru, you need to get control of your energy. I can't help you with that curse still on you. Take some deep breaths and go slow."

He does, and I exhale with relief, rubbing my thumbs across the backs of his hands, hoping the motion will help him take control. I beam when the stress of the situation seems to lift off him. "I'm fine now, you worrywart.. God, you're just as bad as Lin," Naru snarks, but his voice is warm and teasing.

I shrug, not denying it. "By the way, Thanks for taking care of Mai. My sister has a heart of gold, and it tends to get her into sticky situations." He waves it off but I grip him a bit tighter, leaning up so that I can make eye contact with him. "I'm serious, Naru. You're a good friend to us." He doesn't say anything, turning away, but I can feel his smugness over the comment, and I get the feeling he isn't used to having friends.

"Did you figure out who the hexer is?" I let him change the subject, pulling away and settling in the chair across from him, knowing how unused he is to the mushy friendship shit and not wanting to overwhelm him.

"Yeah. This afternoon I confirmed it, but you were out with Mai, and then in a …hole." I snicker, finding it pretty funny now that I was assured of their well-being.

"Let's end this case, then," he smirks, climbing to his feet and sauntering out, his excitement making me grin despite what I'll have to do next.

Time to dole out some justice.

XXXXXXXXXX

We dispose of the hitogata, burning them and throwIng the ashes into the river, and I'm giddy enough by the nasty Magic's destruction that I pull Monk, Ayako, and Mai into happy dances right then and there, much to everyone else's amusement. After that, Naru sets a meeting up at base and calls in Yuko, Monk's fan that brought him the case in the first place, Ubusuna, and Kasai. The bitch even brought in a potted plant, claiming it was in thanks for solving the case. Guess she didn't expect anyone to be able to sense the dark magic hidden in the leaves.

As Naru begins to peel back the facade of Kei Ubusuna, revealing her as the hexer, much to the team's astonishment, I watch, disgusted by the unnatural calm she displays, even as she tries to throw Kasai, her young lover and victim, under the bus. "Still going to play stupid?" I ask, snatching the hitogata out of the plant, snorting at the Noneya Business transcribed into Japanese on one of them. I honestly would have framed it if it wasn't so dangerous an object, even as it was. "I only gave this name to you, which, by the way, literally means none of your business in English. Nice effort, though."

Naru actually straight up laughs, being one of the few English speakers in the room, but the others just groan at my antics. Naru continues to give the evidence that proves Ubusuna is the curser, listing why she chose her targets and who told her our names. Poor Kasai doesn't know what to do but defend her, declaring herself the hexer and trying to take the blame, but Naru warns her that Ubusuna is using her.

Apparently, when Ubusuna was young, there was a psychic craze going around, and Naru linked her as the same little girl claiming to be able to bend spoons during that time using some old newspapers. A photographer caught her faking it like Kasai had tried, and well, the media does what it always does because there weren't credible research institutes for psychic abilities around then.

When she finally admits her behavior, it's only to defend her own abilities, to paint herself as the victim. Her excuses all fall short, and I sneer, disdainful, as she claims she only did it to defend Kasai and then later because people were questioning her own morals for supporting the young girl. it's what she says last that makes me see red.

"It was just supposed to be a little prank," she smiles, and that special icy rage that has so rarely appeared in this life rears its head, and I feel myself go numb.

My magic flares and I reach out, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her clear of the ground with it. I ignore the cries of shock and alarm as I prowl forth, feeling my body shake under the roiling waves of magic, my hair starting to rise off my shoulders. My voice, quiet as it is, still cuts through the chaos around me, the room going silent beside the struggles of the lunatic in front of me.

"You're a special kind of monster, aren't you?" I murmur, coming to stop as I look up at her spasming weakly at the force holding her off the ground. I let her fall, hard, watching her freeze in fear at my feet and take satisfaction from it. Still got it, I guess. "You don't much care whose lives you ruin so long as it validates you. Not the teenage girls that almost died being dragged by trains. Not Yoshino or the photographer who exposed you that you caused the car crashes of. Not even Kasai, who you manipulated and isolated so that you could have a sexual relationship with her," The shocked exclamations that fill the room don't deter me at all, "and then used as your scapegoat, because, let's be real. This was never about her at all. This was about you. You wanted to feel powerful and respected and feared. You wanted control. But, see, now I'm in a dilemma."

I crouch down in front of her, head tilted as I continue mockingly. "It seems you never understood two very important things. One: how much responsibility those of us with powers have when using them. And two:" I hiss, my voice low and deadly as I smiirk, "There is always someone bigger and badder. So, what to do? It doesn't seem like you have any intention of stopping. Perhaps it's my responsibility to snap your neck right now and keep you from hurting anyone else?" The room is frozen in shock, my team still trying to process that proverbial bomb.

"It-it was consensual!" Kasai cries, and Monk has the foresight to restrain her from approaching us, his aura a thunderstorm on mountain peaks as his own anger and disgust grows. "It's my fault! I wanted it-"

"No," I say sharply. "You wanted comfort and someone to support and believe you. Don't forget, the only reason you needed it was because she engineered everyone turning on you in the first place." Kasai recoils, seemingly starting to etting it, much to my internal relief. "She probably told you things about how she was the only one by your side, or how you could only rely on her. How she knew what was best for you, and that you needed to listen and stay close, right?"

"How-how did you know?" Kasai whispers, voice breaking.

"It's classic predatory behavior," I tell her gently, watching her break down sadly, before turning back to the women on the ground, voice going hard as steel. "Here's what's gonna happen. We might not be able to pin you for attempted murder, but we sure as hell can show everyone the proof of you sleeping with your student. Let's see you get another job in education after that."

"The age of consent is 13 in Japan!" Ubusuna yells, and I hear both Naru and Lin curse, and I'm sure, them being from the UK, that fact pisses them off royally. Even John was vocally dismayed.

"Yes, but also no. Japan's age of consent is 13, but Tokyo? Nah, each ward and township has different laws, you moron. It's closer to 17 in actuality here, and even if you manage to wiggle your way out of jail, your career is over. You'll never teach again, not with what I caught on that video camera. Next, you're never going to put a curse on anyone ever again. Trust me when I say, I'll know, and you won't survive the consequences. Understood?" She agrees frantically as I start to psychically put pressure on her trachea again, and I let my magic sink into her, marking her with it. I hadn't been lying, I'd know if she ever tried again, and I wasn't above engineering a situation to get rid of someone who is a danger to innocents and had such a callous disregard for life. "Great. Yuko, I'll give you the tape to take to your principal. I'm sure he'll notify the authorities."

I turn to glance at the sky outside of the window, feeling my anger start to settle. It's gonna be difficult for Kasai. She might not understand how fucked up all this is now, how serious it is. She might resent me, but in the end, I had to do it. It was abuse, even if she didn't know.

"Wha- TSUKIYO!"

"WATCH OUT!"

Magic ringing out it's own warning, I dodge to the side just as Ubusuna, (Is that a knife?!), lunges past me with so much force, she crashes through the window, down two stories, and into the ground with a sticking thud. I stare, heedless to the chaos around me, or even the hands frantically dusting glass off my hair and clothes. I snap back to myself, rather unaffected by the whole thing. Except, perhaps a bit disappointed that I hadn't actually engineered her falling out the window. It's fucked up, but I couldn't really find pity for her.

I perk up, suddenly realizing something, beaming up at Ayako who was carefully checking my scalp for damage. "Hey! We can get her for attempted murder now!"

The team was not as pleased as I was.

XXXXXXXXXX

I'd expected some backlash for my aggressive behavior from the team, but surprisingly, I didn't really get anything negative, not even from our resident sunshine priest. They understood my motives, and I don't really think anyone but Mai, Lin, and Naru suspected how dead serious I had been. I decided that what they didn't need to know wouldn't hurt them. In fact, the whole stunt actually seemed to garner me some respect.

"Tsukiyo, can you come in here please?" Lin calls me from his office where he and Naru have been holed up for the last hour. I bring them the tray of tea and cookies I'd just finished.

"Hey," I set the food down and perch myself on Lin's desk. "What's up?"

"We wanted to let you know Ubusuna was arrested and will go to trial after her injuries heal more." I nod, not surprised. "Kasai wanted to ask if you would testify." I nod again.

"Why does it seem that you pull a new psychic ability out of your pocket every time we think we have you figured out?" Naru asks, exasperated.

I smirk, "I live to defy expectations. Don't pretend you don't crave the challenge, you nerd." Naru scoffs.

"You- you were really angry, weren't you?" Lin inquires softly. "Everyone was mad, but you… you took it almost personally."

I grimace, shrugging. "There is probably nothing I hate more in existence than child abusers and sexual predators. Ubusuna had the misfortune of being both and ending up in my sight."

"That day when you said you were used to dealing with stuff like that. You meant it."

I shrug. When you can't forget your past lives you rack up trauma like nothing else. Living life hurts sometimes. It's a fact, unfortunately. I've learned to work through all sorts of trauma, and I've never seen the mental scars as anything shameful. It just was what it was. I wouldn't shout it out, but I wouldn't hide it either.

Both men tense, and while they try not to show their upset, it's a useless endeavor trying to hide from an empath. "It's alright guys. I'm okay, I swear. I've long since come to terms with my past." My words don't seem to really help so I change the subject. "So, I got a premonition yesterday. Seems like we'll be getting a lead on Gene very soon."

"Seriously?" Naru perks up immediately, to my relief, and the turmoil in his magic seems to ease.

"Yeah. We'll find him soon, Naru. I promise." It's later that night that Mai gets a visit from Gene in her sleep.

We were right. He isn't dead. Just being held captive. Somehow, the situation has gotten worse, much to my despair. And now I have to figure out how to tell Naru without him blowing up. Literally. Yay me.

XXXXXXXXXX