Capítulo 12: Brainstorming
(A/N: I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! And if you did, make sure to leave a comment and a review! Don't forget to vote for the chapter (Wattpad), or drop some power stones (Webnovel) as those are always appreciated!)
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[3 Days Later]
[Narrator's POV]
Detective Tsukauchi sat alone in a dimly lit room within the police station, the faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead casting shadows along the walls. The room, deliberately isolated from the busy cubicles of the main office, was devoid of any distractions — a silent sanctuary designed for one purpose: solving the unsolvable. It was a place where ideas could take shape, untouched by the mundane noise outside.
The room was sparse in furnishing: a singular, yet sturdy table at the centre, surrounded by a few mismatched chairs that had seen better days. To the side, a battered metal trashcan held the remnants of discarded old theories and half-finished reports, while a large whiteboard and a pinboard hung ominously on opposite walls.
Three case files lay haphazardly across the table, their contents spilling out like secrets desperate to be uncovered. Tsukauchi, his brow furrowed in thought, placed his steaming cup of coffee beside the files, the dark liquid swirling in the dim yellow light. He rose slowly from his swivel chair as he approached the empty whiteboard.
Grabbing a black marker, he began to divide the board into thirds, the squeak of the marker against the smooth surface breaking the silence. And so the detective began writing each key detail of each Jigsaw case. His handwriting was neat and precise as his right hand glided elegantly on the whiteboard like a figure skater on ice.
Tsukauchi memorized every major detail from the three files, the images of every crime scene burned into his memory like a brand. Though the detective would have never admitted it, the Jigsaw case was more than just an investigation.
It consumed him.
It has festered into the back of his mind and has been gnawing at him like how a dog would gnaw at a bone. Each passing day, to Tsukauchi, was a day where he knew a villain was roaming free on the streets. The man couldn't go to bed properly with that in his mind.
Finishing his writing, Tsukauchi tossed the black marker aside as he took a step back to examine the whole thing at once. Despite being a part of the Police Force for ages, and thus, many criminal cases, Tsukauchi always found it helpful to write things out when it came to brainstorming.
Sure, highlighting and using sticky notes on the files were nice, but to him, it never compared to seeing all the information at once on a large screen, where details could come together.
From the outside looking in, it was apparent that the first third of the whiteboard wasn't as cluttered compared to the other divided parts. "Nobody was found, and subsequently no jigsaw flesh cut out — whatever those could mean — found on Manual and Naoki…" he mused under his breath, reaching for the coffee that he put aside before his scribbles.
"Jigsaw leaves his victims for us to find, which meant that Shinohara Yuki left on his own accord. If I'm gonna get anywhere, I need to find this man…" Tsukauchi noted to himself as his eyes gazed toward the description of the first trap.
"The knife-related quirk… the knives being a part of the trap… it's undeniable the traps are related to their quirk, symbolic of what they use their quirks for…" The detective trailed off at the end as he furrowed his brows in thought.
The man seemingly vanished without a trace, but the detective knew that it was only a matter of time before CCTV footage would identify the individual somewhere. Perhaps then he could find more answers to his questions.
Tsucaucki's eyes drifted to the next third of the board, dedicated to the Pro Hero, Manual. It had been roughly 3 weeks since his passing, but the detective still felt remorseful. "Why you, Manual?" he asked himself.
The detective backtracked to the idea that the traps were designed to be symbolic of what the victims used their quirk for. And at least for the first and third victims, it was evident that they were criminals and used their quirks to fulfil evil desires.
But Manual was a hero who used his quirk for good.
It was then that Tsukauchi recalled something from his mind. "The tape," he said to himself as he tapped his foot rhythmically. "Yes, yes," he muttered under his breath as he jogged his memory. "The 'death of a misguided father,' I remember…"
Finding such information was abnormally tough, even to his standards. Very few articles talked about the event as a whole, severely downplaying what transpired, and even fewer articles had any legitimate details.
It was as if the story had never happened, or at the very least was being suppressed by an exterior force beyond Tsukauchi's control.
Thankfully, Tsukauchi did find something only a few days prior. He held off on reading the dodgy article online partly because of the discovery of the third Jigsaw case.
Taking out his phone, the detective took a couple of minutes to quickly skim the article, with the header reading as follows:
'Hero's Misstep in Hostage Crisis Leads to Tragedy: Flames Claim Father's Life After Rescue Attempt Goes Awry'
Tsukauchi internally cursed himself at the prospect of not downloading an ad-blocker to remove all the popups on his screen before putting his phone away. The pieces were slowly clicking together as he looked at Manual's case with new eyes.
"So that was why you mentioned in your video why Manual's control over his quirk was insufficient." Tsukauchi mused as he took another sip of his coffee. "You don't just go after criminals, but you seek to test heroes — to confront them with their past mistakes if you will." the man spoke as if Jigsaw was in the room. He could imagine the mechanical puppet in the videos replying with a 'yes' at his deduction.
"It makes sense why you didn't kill Manual in that dash ca-" Tsukauchi stopped himself from speaking as another thought crossed his mind. "The sword…" he murmured under his breath as his eyes slightly widened.
The information at this point had been taunting him, coaxing him like he was some pig and Jigsaw was egging him on with a carrot. "The movement… the sword… why didn't I think of this sooner? That must have been Stendhal…"
The name hung in the air like an ominous cloud. Tsukauchi quickly reasoned that Stendhal wasn't the Jigsaw. His methods weren't like Jigsaw's, the vigilante killed his victims, but Jigsaw at least gave them a chance to escape.
"Perhaps Stendhal goes after the tougher targets? What is the connection between the two?" Despite the brainstorming, Tsukauchi could only sigh as the uncovered information pressed down on him like a vice, taking his final sip of coffee before chucking it in the trash.
"At least now I have some stuff to provide in a report to the commission," Tsukauchi said with a snicker. The Public Safety Commission had been hounding him for answers, their impatience growing with each unsolved case. They wanted results, and they wanted them yesterday. Now, at least, there were some leads that he could follow to satisfy them.
Tsukauchi took a deep breath, the tension in his chest easing ever so slightly. He needed a break — some fresh air to clear his head. Leaving the files on the table, he grabbed his tan trenchcoat from the back of the swivel chair and made his way out of the building.
The cool evening air greeted him like an old friend, the city lights twinkling in the distance. Musutafu was filled with life, the streets bustling with people going about their business.
Tsukauchi walked aimlessly, a small habit of his that was taught by a senior when Tsukauchi joined the Police Force. It served as a way to free the mind, important for police work.
Before he knew it, he found himself in a quieter part of town, the noise of the city fading into the background. His feet had carried him to a small, unassuming shop nestled between two larger buildings.
The sign above the door read 'Okazaki Convenience Store' with the letters slightly faded and showing its age. Something about the place drew him in, a sense of familiarity that he couldn't quite place.
Pushing the door open, Tsukauchi stepped inside. The shop was brightly lit, the small isles filled to the brim with bags of chips and other miscellaneous treats a typical convenience store sold.
At the counter stood a man in his twenties, his expression calm and composed as he polished a small brass figurine. "Evening," Tsukauchi greeted, his voice breaking the silence. The man looked up, a faint smile on his lips. "Good evening. Can I help you with something?"
Tsukauchi took a moment to study the man. From the looks of it, he seemed quite ordinary. The only thing peculiar was the name badge he wore. "Just browsing," Tsukauchi replied, his eyes wandering over the various treats on display. "It's been a long day. I just needed to clear my head and take a walk."
The man nodded, his hands continuing to work on the figurine. "I find that taking a step back often helps with that. Sometimes the answers we're looking for stand right before us…"
The words hung in the air, their meaning resonating with Tsukauchi in a way that he couldn't quite explain. He felt an odd connection to this stranger as if they were both searching for something elusive, something just out of reach.
"Perhaps you're right, Mr. Yuudai."
(A/N: This chapter was originally going to cover a lot more information, but I just found myself writing about Tsukauchi brainstorming with all the information. I hope you guys didn't mind. Anyways, if you liked the chapter leave a review!)
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