Grief In the Shell: Madokapunk IC Thread

[Kuroimaken]

[Ward 1]

Normal hugs are for normal days, when everything is doing well and all that Chiyo hopes for is to see her little girl smile.

This was very much a heart-wrenching day. Chiyo needed to feel like Rio was still there, that she wasn't dreaming.

Her request elicits a good-natured chuckle. "Of course I can, sweetheart. I can't talk for you - you've taken a big step today. But... I can be there for you, and I can coach you. It's been a very overwhelming day. No one expects you to deliver a huge speech.

I think you'll do just fine." Her hand reaches for Rio's, lightly squeezing it.

[strawberryman]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ)

Kin butts his head into Chiyo's side and licks her hand. ...Don't be sad! Today is a good day!

Rio holds her mothers hand. "Thanks. ...and, um... Kin says not to be sad." With that, she stands back up and looks to Gomes. "...sorry, mister... um... Captain. I'm... I'm ready." It's more like 'as ready as I will be'. But that's just splitting hairs.

[Draken]

[Interrogation Room]

"I have the impression they are related, but due to the young heroine's wish there is no physical evidence to go on, so we must wait for Omoikane's report on the digital evidence before we start drawing correlations. You should just focus on the murder case at any rate."

---

[Office]

*Bzzt* "Brave girl. Off we go then."

The captain rises to his feet and heads out.

[KnightDisciple]

[Ward 4]
[Park]

[Ward 4]
Park

Leysa nods along with Turnbull's explanations of his thoughts on the case, her expression a mixture of empathy and weariness. She perches on the seat of her bike, legs folded up against one of the sides and arms wrapped around her knees. Despite being clearly more composed than she was on landing, she's still rather obviously processing quite a few of her own thoughts on the matter. Whether or not she wants to share is entirely another question; Duncan may or may not already know about Leysa's tendency towards caginess when she's having a hard time with something.

When the message comes through, Leysa flips her phone open and skims it.

"It's another spot to look at, that's what I got out of it. My doctorate is elsewhere."

That's...a joke? Maybe? She's old enough to have gotten one at some point, but...

"Any progress is good progress. Anyway, I call shotgun."

She stands up, brushing herself off, and heads for the car unless Duncan doesn't follow.

"Oh. One more thing."

She doesn't make eye contact with the following statement, although she's not avoiding it, either. Just looking forward.

"Don't think of this person, or these people, as child murderers. You'll get the wrong idea. If this was the same person who took out the Mayor, it's someone very competent. Cold. Calculating. Whatever they're doing, they have a reason and very specific targets: the Mayor, the Wishcraft offices; the kids were collateral damage, terrible though that is. A sacrifice, or even a necessary evil. There is a very detached logic behind the killer's actions, a need to see their version of justice born through. At least, that's the read I'm getting. Up to you if that makes it better or worse. Just don't get too wrapped up in getting angry at whoever did this. Anger and hate twist your head around, make it harder to understand your enemy. They cause mistakes. I'm sure you know that already, of course, just...giving a gentle reminder."

Turnbull....laughs? It's a deep belly laugh but it only lasts a few moments.

"Aw bloody h*** you're not a kid, are you. I keep forgetting that with all you wizards and wizardesses. You look like kids but half o' you are older than me. I shouldn't be surprised you can get my head back on straight.

Because you're right, I'm getting too caught up in this. I've just got a soft spot for kids."

He stands up, dusting off his hands, following her to the car as he pulls another power bar out. He sure does eat a lot of those.

"And I do know a bit about people seeking "justice" who don't care about "collateral damage"."

Considering the part of the world he's from that's...not totally shocking. He begins munching the power bar.

"Bloody metabolism. It keeps my delicate figure intact, but it's a devil on the food bills."

Duncan is likely the only human on the planet who would call him "delicate" in build. At any rate, he whips out his sunglasses and puts them on again, sliding right into his driver's seat. As soon as Leysa was in and secured they were off.

"Now, let's get back on the hunt. I want to make some progress before I go home and futilely try to get drunk for the "night"."

[Dorizzit]

[Ward 4]
Moving

Leysa nods with Duncan's acknowledgement.

"Trust me, I know how you feel. About the kids, at least. I'm pretty used to Mashous at this point, believe it or not."

She chuckles.

"Man, you think I'm bad, one of the Mashous I knew back in the war became a construction forewoman. She looked like a 14-year old and she was bossing around a bunch of...well, construction workers. Do they still have those anymore? I keep dating myself with my references."

She casts a sidewards glance at Duncan.

"Don't get old, Turnbull, it's a bad trip."

She stretches.

"Anyway. The hunt. Do you think this bomber was the same one who killed the Mayor? Seems like a hell of a coincidence, especially given how hard both crimes would be to pull off."

[Selinia]

[Neo-Mitakihara Greater Metropolitan Area]
[Kujoh Manor, Kujoh Cave]

Spoiler

Show

It was actually understandable. She might've noticed a brief stiffness in Makoto as well, bringing unknown people literally into his home, but he managed to eliminate that from his posture quickly enough. The boy certainly had some habits of his own, which were odd for someone that young no matter what kind of background he had going.

The room itself looked comfortable enough. It was wide and spacious, with a number of chairs around a very long table. But perhaps most importantly, Li Nuan could actually FEEL the lack of devices in this room compared to almost everywhere else in the civilized world. Even the walls were a dull, concrete gray. She couldn't feel any pulses of magic energy anywhere from the dampening field. It was easy to see why Makoto had put so much stock in this room - there was essentially no angle from which one could spy it from the outside, even while using mashou abilities.

"I can't turn off the field for more than twenty seconds without someone up there in the house getting suspicious, Nuan-sensei. So on my mark, I want you to bring your friend here. Alright?"

"Easy. On you."

Nuan nods, taking up a stance and partially transforming - just summoning her weapons, really. A pair of scintillating silver chakram with her multicolored gemstone motif, polished to a mirror sheen. The weapons hum with energy, charging over one... two... three... then a flare! She tosses one, snapping her wrist as it flies and redirecting its course in a sharp turn in two entirely different directions. One chakram - the original, Makoto is fairly sure - bounces back to her hand, while the other shatters into mirrored fragments against a wall. The shards and dust flow like water, rushing together into the shape of a full-body mirror hanging in the air. The gems on the returned chakram glow, and it is plain to see that the mirror is reflecting a lightly wooded area, not the fortified present room. Trees, grass, sunlight... and a girl, who hops through moments after the gate opens.

The gate collapses as Li Nuan dismisses her armaments, putting on a smile more obviously fragile than any of her mirrors.

"Hoa..."
"I'm here, Nuan, I don't intend to drag this out. You know I don't like places like this. I'm answering your questions, then I'm leaving. That's it."

Makoto was compact, to put it politely, and Nuan was perhaps above average for a girl her physical age. But the newcomer is genuinely tall. Hoa's features suggest a Vietnamese nationality to match her name, but her dark skin and overall build suggest a substantial degree of African heritage. She's wearing street clothes - jeans and a T-shirt, rather than costume or uniform - but a pair of obviously magical daggers rest on her hips. Some rich red wood for hilts, with copper blades and an organic etching of runes across them. Not a mashou on the current listings, unfortunately, Makoto can only guess what her actual powers are.

"...all right. Let's get to business then. Chu Hoa, this is Kujoh Makoto. Makoto, this is Hoa. She's a friend, and I trust what she has to say." Nuan lets the smile go, recognizing a lost cause for what it was, but not without a small sigh. "...since we went through all the trouble of coming here, are your security systems all in place, or can we begin?"

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
[NMSF Headquarters, Press Room]

The crowd bursts into questions as Rio enters the room, a positive storm of queries bombarding her. Many of them variations on the same few, fielded by different outlets. It's the usual media frenzy over a new mashou, a new heroine, a new star, amplified substantially by the spectacular nature of her contract. The fact that Rio's family name connected her to that exotic world already? All the better. It was a morsel of optimistic news in a very grim news cycle, and everyone wanted to cash in on it.

"Miss Koizumi! How long have you known you had potential? How long did you consider your wish?"
"This attack was on your home turf! Do you intent to volunteer to play a role in tracking down the culprit?"
"One question, Miss Koizumi! Your family name is one of the bigger players in the mashou image scene! Will you be making use of those services yourself?"
"Did any other mashou influence your decision to contract, Miss Koizumi?"
"You've had an eventful first few hours as a magical girl! What do you think of the experience, so far? Is it anything like you expected?"
"One of our sources reports that you hadn't been visited by an incubator prior to this very day! Is that true? Do you have anything to say to other girls who might feel they aren't special enough to have potential?"

[strawberryman]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ)

Nadica enters the press room, hanging near the back, and taking a few sloppy chugs from the bottle. They'll tear that kid apart. A little sad.

"U-uhm..." Rio is just... near-hopelessly overwhelmed by the barrage of questions and repeat questions -- to her an incomprehensible babble of loud inquisitive voices -- staring a bit blankly and looking rightly like she wants to run, but...

HEY! BE POLITE! MASTER WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS! BUT SHE CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU!

Kin barks emphatically, magnified by the nearby amplification units. He sits down at that, giving an intense glare to the reporters. ...naturally, they couldn't actually understand his barks. But it might break up their barrage a bit. Most importantly, it gives Rio a little courage to speak up, her slightly quiet tone taken up to a more audible state by the microphone units. She reads a text playback of some of the questions fielded thus far. A lot easier to parse. "...um... I guess... you know this already, but I'm Koizumi Rio, and..." Kin looks up to her and gives a supportive look. "...I only heard today that I could be a magical girl, but I thought about it a lot before this, and I, um... didn't really... expect it to be like this. I didn't really think I'd... be picked. But... um, I'm not... very impressive. So, if, if it can happen to me, then... there's always hope?" She tries to offer a smile, it's a little shaky and uncomfortable but it's there!

"...I just, um... I've always looked up to the real Heroes, and... I hope I can live up to them. I don't... know what I'll do yet. But, um... sorry, I just don't... have much more to say. My mom can talk about... um... some of that other stuff, if you want to ask?" She's clearly referring to the image side of things, among other things, but just gives a short bow implying that she is currently a bit tapped for question answering.

Nadica shrugs, sipping at the bottle again. Better than I thought.

_______________

"...very well. I will need the usual supplies packet at a minimum before I begin. I have some grief cubes left from last hunt, but... mashou are another thing entirely. Especially if this suspect is as adept as you imply." Zhen reads carefully over the assassination details.

[Kuroimaken]

[Ward 1]

Chiyo takes over in short order.

"Now, now, I know you're all just dying to get to know my daughter, but she's very new to being a public figure. So I'm going to field most of your questions in her stead." It's likely Rio had never seen her mother actively at work - she was the kind to coach and offer moral support to mashou from behind the scenes. Even at home, her posture was markedly different from this. So it may come as a surprise how different she really is in front of the cameras.

"I recognize some of you from celebrity magazines. Embarrassing questions are strictly off the table." Her glare towards them is subtle, but Rio can actually sense some of her mother's hostility towards them. They were, after all, the hardest part of her job. Sleazeballs, the lot of 'em. She'd spent many a sleepless night undoing the damage some of them wrought with fabricated scandals and requests for sexy photoshoots, not to mention the occasional paparazzo.

____________________

[The Kujoh-cave]

Makoto snaps his fingers. "Done. You couldn't get a mouse through an air vent now if that mouse were a Spetsnaz." The boy jests. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. Don't be in too much of a hurry to leave though, Hoa-san. We're looking at something huge here. Could be the beginning of VERY dark times for this town.

What can you tell us about the Mayor's death?"

[Sucrose]

[Office]
Satou's response is a string of disparate letters and symbols followed by.

Fine. Whatever. Also, go check my canopic jars, because my heart apparently is bleeding regardless of everything else.

Watanabe Satou allows himself a slight chuckle.

Always good to see that. If we go too long before I make the Chief pop a rivet, I might not be doing my job....

As Zhen makes her requests, Satou glances over the ballistics report, before sending a private message back to Moko Yuki.

Spoiler: PM To Moko Yuki

Show

Good work, Yuki. This'll help a lot in nailing the assassin.

...So, over the seawall. Things are lining up....gonna have to be sure to hit there, if Zhen doesn't get a scent. And the information from Nuan just became a lot more mission-critical.

[Draken]

[NMSF Headquarters]
(Interrogation Room)

The robot's eyes refocus.

*Bzzt* "Sure. The quartermaster's receiving the request as we speak. Make a stop at the armory to pick it up. Do confirm the targets for me, before you go. I need to know if Satou and Duncan will need an upgrade themselves."

[Selinia]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
[NMSF Headquarters, Press Room]

There's a general murmur of acceptance from the crowd - they understood the drill. Some magical girls were thrilled to gush answers to every question tossed their way, exulting in the limelight like flowers turning towards the sun. Those were always a treat. But it wasn't uncommon for more introverted magica to simply read off a canned introduction, maybe add a few lines of their own, and scamper off riddled with stage freight. It was enough! Rio's introduction was a charming mix of encouragement and endearing shyness. And the energetic dog was a nice touch. A few artists for a popular merchandising company viewing via livestream were already bouncing ideas for how the canine could be incorporated into a collectible model double-pack as a bonus.

This lady could handle the other questions, anyway. It was a working relationship that went both ways - they knew her limits, as much as the journalism community occasionally liked to push them.

"Ms. Koizumi! Did you ever anticipate that your own daughter might eventually be one of your clients? How do you feel about this development, as a mother?"
"Do you feel like your own role and proximity to the magical girl community might have played a part in Koizumi Rio's choice to contract?"
"You've spoken before on how the parents of magical girls should behave! Facing the situation firsthand, do you plan on reaffirming your prior statements?"
"Neo-Mitakihara Financial here! Ms. Koizumi, this is without a doubt the highest-profile contract your company has been involved in. How would you reply to shareholders that might worry about a conflict of interest between your duties to protect your daughter and take advantage of this opportunity?"
"Is there anything you can tell us about Koizumi Rio as a person? What should Neo-Mitakihara expect from its newest mashou?"

[Neo-Mitakihara Greater Metropolitan Area]
[Kujoh Manor, Kujoh Cave]

"You say 'dark times' like you don't already live in a police state." Hoa's eyes narrow... then she shrugs, letting some tension out. There's a glimpse of someone a lot more nervous than she's letting on, under the veneer of causticity. "...not that it probably matters much to someone in your position. But the mayor was... a decent guy in a pretty twisted system. I'm here for him. And Nuan. I can't give you the whole story, but I can at least try to share what I know. Or... suspect, anyway."

She takes a breath, collecting herself. Nuan waits in silence.

"Have either of you heard of the Knights of the Purple Star?" Nuan shakes her head. Makoto trawls the detritus of his accumulated knowledge, but the name doesn't pop from anywhere. Hoa continues, not looking terribly surprised.

"They're... what's the word. A holy order, I guess you could call them. Militant Goddess cultists. I don't know a ton about them, but I know they have a cell in the old city, and others in Paris and New York. Probably other places too." She pauses, gathering her thoughts. "I know that probably sounds weird. I mean, the cult doesn't really have anything to be militant about, right? I don't totally understand what they're doing, but I know they have more than a few magica, some skilled humans, and they hunt wraiths in places they won't be noticed. Small towns, ruins, refugee camps... a lot of us who don't like living with an army breathing down our necks have run into them at some point. Most of the time you'd probably just think they were unaffiliated or maybe just quiet Wishcraft people. They do good work usually, and if they don't want to be noticed, why stop them?"

"Honestly, I picked up something was off when I met one, but the only reason I have specifics is that they approached me about joining a few months ago. They weren't aggressive about it, just... offered me a cause, basically. Protect the sacrifice the goddess made for us. Fight for the sake of magical girls everywhere. Stand against people who want to pull apart the strings of... who and what we are. I'd probably have gone for it, but I learned my lesson."

Li Nuan chews her lip, looking down in a flicker reminiscent of someone jabbing a raw bruise with their finger.

"But they left me knowing more than most, probably. They don't like Zeal Drives, or Kami, or... anything mechanical that runs off tarnished grief cubes. Anything that puts magic in the hands of humans. The Law of Cycles protects magical girls from their fate, but they seem to believe that something terrible is going to happen if humans try something similar. It isn't proof, I know. But when a mysterious group assassinates one of the people in the world most responsible for sponsoring and advancing this sort of technology, it's hard not to have that gut feeling, right? If this is them, they've stepped over a line."

[Kuroimaken]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]

Chiyo took a deep breath before she started answering each question in order.

"First of all, I would like to dismiss all notions that I will be managing my daughter's career myself. I find it to be a breach of personal and professional ethics both. There comes a time in every manager's career when she must do harsh things for the sake of her clients, and I feel such moments would be particularly damaging to my relationship with Rio. I will, however, be appointing someone I can trust to oversee my daughter's ingress into this world that is being a mashou.

Rio has always expressed her interest in the mashou community, perhaps in part as a result of the environment she grew up in. She's even met a couple of my clients before. But I never encouraged her to take up this life. I've spoken with her on the subject many times, and I always made it clear it was a harsh world to live in, yet the choice was not mine to make when it came to that.

I absolutely stand by my beliefs in how mashou parenting should take place. I have conducted quite a bit of personal studying on the subject, as I was painfully aware that Rio taking up this responsibility was indeed very possible. I have also learned from my past experience counseling the parents of mashou in the past. If nothing else, those experiences have formed the basis of what I believe a parent should do in such a situation.

Rio's decision on who she chooses as a manager is ultimately her own. I will do my utmost to appoint her to the best professional I can find on the field. While I wholeheartedly believe Dreammakers is indeed the best agency in the market, if Rio chooses someone from outside my company, I will take full responsibility for the fallout. Not that they can really afford to lose me, thanks to the fact my clients would likely follow.

MY daughter is one of the kindest, bravest young ladies I've ever known. I believe her wish reflects that perfectly. We still do not know the full extent of her capabilities, but I hope she will inspire others working alongside her. And I know she will work to keep those with her safe."

_______________________________

[Kujoh Cave]

Makoto was indeed unaware of these Knights of the Purple Star. His family was at least peripherally aware of many groups existing on the fringe of society, but these were a first.

Something didn't add up though. Sure, they had magica on their side, but their methods and their mission statement were somewhat at odds with each other. If they were truly a pacific bunch, then wouldn't visibility enable them to spread their message...?

"Sounds like a mix of doomsday cult and environmentalists. But either way there's something about this situation that seems... off.

Preliminary information suggests that the Mayor was killed with a shot to the head from a sniper rifle. If the weapon hasn't been recovered yet, that suggests a killer with military experience, or scary marksmanship skills." If it were a conjured weapon, there was a good chance there would be residual magic energy on the wound... and possibly an absence of a bullet. "We can't discard the possibility of a mashou killer entirely, but nothing suggests that one was responsible. If they were trying to make a point, why not assume responsibility for the crime? And then there was the attempt on Kato Tower this afternoon." Makoto snapped his fingers. Josuke had already compiled a report for him on the subject, though the funny thing was, Li Nuan wasn't sure when he was asked to do that. A holographic display appeared before him.

The Kujoh boy skimmed the report until he found witness reports on the damage pre-wish. "According to this, the criminal used several high-yield explosives throughout the structure. Reports written by Kujoh employees of the incident suggest the criminal cut off critical power systems beforehand, and there were secondary explosions. This was no ordinary panic-inducing attack. And the timing is way too close to the mayor's death to ignore the possibility the incidents are linked.

Let's say that the Knights are responsible, though. Either they have former military mashou on their payroll, or they hired professionals for the job. Either way they'd need money or a bargaining chip of some sort to put this together. Does it sound to you like they have that kind of influence, Hoa-san?"

[KnightDisciple]

[Ward 4]
[Moving]

[Ward 4]
Moving

Leysa nods with Duncan's acknowledgement.

"Trust me, I know how you feel. About the kids, at least. I'm pretty used to Mashous at this point, believe it or not."

She chuckles.

"Man, you think I'm bad, one of the Mashous I knew back in the war became a construction forewoman. She looked like a 14-year old and she was bossing around a bunch of...well, construction workers. Do they still have those anymore? I keep dating myself with my references."

She casts a sidewards glance at Duncan.

"Don't get old, Turnbull, it's a bad trip."

She stretches.

"Anyway. The hunt. Do you think this bomber was the same one who killed the Mayor? Seems like a hell of a coincidence, especially given how hard both crimes would be to pull off."

"Why wouldn't I believe it? You don't just work with them, you are one. I don't really notice how much metal the Old Man has in him, and the Chief's Krang act doesn't even phase me, as much as it freaks out half the civilians out there still."

The fact that he thinks of them as "civilians" is probably telling of how "military" the paramilitary protection force of the city really is...

"You ought to know how much they monkeyed around with me, Leysa. I may not be half-blender but it'll be a few years yet before I'm needing Depends."

If she knows even half the military-grade gene mods he's rocking, she knows he's right.

"That's question one, Leysa. Question two is: is this the work of one single disgruntled person? Or is this part of a coordinated plan by a larger group? We got lucky with that lass makin' her wish. If we hadn't, we'd have chaos. First the Mayor's down. Then a major center for multiple critical services is hit. What next?"

He frowns at his own question.

"Modron. Send Satou and the Chief a message. Tell them I've got a nasty itch between the shoulder blades, one that says the precinct should be on high alert. If we're looking at coordinated efforts, the NMSF could be the next target. If not, we might still be a juicy target."

It's certainly a sobering thought.

[Dorizzit]

[Ward 4]
Moving

"Gotta be a group. Or one person with a serious support network. Maybe a rogue agent of something."

Leysa makes a face when Duncan sends the message to the NMSF.

"That's a good point, I didn't even think of that. It'd take a hell of a lot more effort to hit the precinct, though, I hope."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ - Press Room)

Rio, stands by with a nervous fidget before the second round of questions overwhelms her, and she takes a step just outside the door. Kin follows with a head tilt as Rio sits on the floor. Her costume flashes out of existence, just leaving her in her school uniform again. Kin lays down next to her after a moment, putting his head on the girl's lap. She smiles a bit and scratches behind his ear with one hand, looking at her soulgem with the other hand.

Is Master okay?

Rio looks down to Kin again. And just... responds. Maybe he'd understand? "...I'm fine, Kin. Just... a hard day." Kin mutters in response a bit, but... she feels he understood? With that, she goes back to looking at the golden gem.

She jumps a bit when someone breaks the pseudo-quiet outside the press room. "It's a heavy burden, kid." Nadica parks a couple feet away, tucking her vodka into a compartment of her wheelchair, and putting the stub of her cig out on her palm before flicking it away. Rio furrows her brow in annoyance. But... doesn't say anything. "...yeah, I get it. I don't fit your picture of a perfect magical girl. I don't really care." The engineer leans back in her wheelchair, staring at nothing in particular.

"I'm gonna lay it out on you, I'm one of the oldest mashou alive. But there's things you've gotta do to live this long. And a lot of them aren't very heroic. I don't really care what kind of magical girl you want to be. That's your own business. But whatever you think of me, I hope you listen to me for this next part. Because I've seen it time and time again. I've lived it. So whether you like it or not, I know this world better than you."

Nadica sighs, and Rio is silent. "...being a hero will cost you one day. It happens... every time. The people will love you for it, but you might ask yourself, if you even survive... 'was it worth it?'. And that's a hard question to answer. Your mom was right. This is a tough world. But you're in it now. So you've gotta make some very adult choices. If you're a Hero... people will adore it. But you'll die one time. Maybe not the first time, or the five hundredth time... But it'll happen."

"...but saving your own skin sometimes... you'll live longer. You'll hate yourself for it. The people might turn on you too. But you'll live to do more good. Or maybe you'll crack under the pressure, who knows." She offers a shrug. "You're a good kid. But... sometimes, that isn't enough. So. Be careful out there." There's a pause as Nadica just zones out, shadows in her eyes and just... almost looking her age. "...or don't. You might not even be listening to me, I'm a bad mashou, right?" She coughs a bit, spits dismissively and starts rolling off. "Seeya, kid."

Rio is quiet for a moment before offering a dry response. "Bye." She just... continues scratching behind Kin's ear, trying not to think too hard on what Nadica said.

Nadica, meanwhile, shoots out a message to Gomes on the way out.

anything you need me to do?

(Interrogation Room)

Zhen stands up as she finishes with the file, channeling power through her soul gem to catalyze her transformation. Gold energy builds around her as she floats a foot off the ground... but the brightness is compromised as shadow forms in the center, constructing gauntlets, boots, breastplate, and the robe to go over it, snapping onto Zhen's form one by one. Finally, the mask materializes in the same manner, with a tinge of bloody red energy. It's... much unlike other transformations, a feeling of many judging eyes glaring on those nearby building in the air. It's... hostile, in a way, and one could even say wrong, if they were to compare it to more pacifistic types of mashou.

As the transformation ends, Zhen looks down upon the photo and concentrates, holding her hand forward, and glowing with a grayish-red aura.

Makimoto Yoshi... If you yet live... I will find you.

The aura then dissipates, but not before spreading out into the room harmlessly, seeping through cracks in the door, ceiling tiles, or any other feasible routes of escape.

[Draken]

While Chiyo makes her speech, Leon gets a message from Duncan and retreats quietly back into the precinct.

And then while he is in the middle of the path back to his office, Nadica sends her own message.

Sure, Turnbull thinks the precinct might be targeted, see if you can scan any anomaly in the area, Omoikane is still a bit busy and I can use all extra sets of eyes.

Just then, he changes course from his office to the armory, scanning the cameras himself for anything unusual.

[strawberryman]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ)

Nadica sighs and slides up to an empty computer in the main office, linking her phone to the system. "Honda, sweep the building. And I mean, sweep it. Point out anything suspicious, and I mean even a little suspicious like a box of uneaten donuts or somes***."

"Very well, Miss Novak." While Honda starts the scan, Nadica sits back in her wheelchair and stews on old memories.

[KnightDisciple]

[Ward 4]
[Moving]

[Ward 4]
Moving

"Gotta be a group. Or one person with a serious support network. Maybe a rogue agent of something."

Leysa makes a face when Duncan sends the message to the NMSF.

"That's a good point, I didn't even think of that. It'd take a hell of a lot more effort to hit the precinct, though, I hope."

"Whoever it is, my money's on them having a "mission". I'm hoping your sources can give us some pointers. Because otherwise it's a really big field of possibilities."

There are more than a few rather irrational groups out there, from all walks of life and philosophies, really. People will grasp at any justification they can for their bad behavior.

"I'd like to think the precinct wouldn't be a soft target. Then again a tower with a major Wishcraft office should have been a hard target, too. I don't want to make any assumptions about how easy or hard this will be for the perps."

He glances at his GPS, noting the route thus far.

"How much further?"

[Selinia]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
[NMSF Headquarters, Press Room]

The reporters continue their onslaught of questions for some time, Chiyo bombared with queries ranging from the innocuous to skirting the line of rudely invasive. In other words, the usual treatment, maybe amplified a bit. She's well equipped to handle it, and eventually, with time, the conference reaches a point where it can be handed off to a NMSF public relations specialist with briefings ready on field questions regarding the bombing itself and what the force is doing about it.

Of course, given this diversion, Chiyo's schedule is probably a long way from 'free'. But this particular event seems to have gone off without a hitch.

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
[NMSF Headquarters, Interrogation Room]

Hunt. Seek.

The path shines clearly in Zhen's mind's eye. A living soul. Old Mitakihara, a neighborhood of high-class homes, now reduced to waterlogged husks. A simple approach. Not alone, armed, a watch is kept - expect resistance. Waiting for a chance to flee the city, likely. An approach by air, expected. By water, less so.

No movement, as yet. Zhen has time, though not enough to be wasting it. Especially with the divination slowly sapping away at her soul gem's purity.

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
[NMSF Headquarters, Cyberspace]

Click. Click. Click. Nothing suspicious on the camera. Nothing suspicious on the sensors, for the moment. Omoikane seems unusually focused at the moment, throwing almost all its processing power at... two locations, oddly. Kato Tower, yes, but also the headquarters itself. Sensing the scrutiny, the artificial investigator opens a high-security link to Leon as the chief makes his way to the armory. For most non-programmers, Omoikane's reports were an incomprehensible mess of statistics, but Leon's unique situation put him in an excellent position to translate the gibberish into useful intelligence.

Spoiler: High-Security Direct Feed: Leonardo Gomes Only

Show

>Task Report: Primary focus, Kato Tower attack, identification of bomber or bombers.
>Notice: All further information reflects an in-progress investigation, and should not be considered absolute fact.
>Progress Report: Investigations are proceeding steadily. The culprit displays extreme technical proficiency, no direct evidence has yet been unearthed. Circumstantial evidence begins to accumulate. Patterns show an extremely high likelihood that culprit had, and possibly still has, access to standard NMSF communication channels. Probability of a formal member of the NMSF being responsible approaches zero. Known or unknown communications tap is likely responsible for information leak.
>Supplemental Information: Known taps with access to the relevant information are held by Interpol, the JSDF, Nadica Novak, and Leonardo Gomes.
>General Analysis: This attack displays a distinct signature. With the tools used by the culprit, it would have been possible to strike a substantially more densely-packed commercial center. Example, the Jinzo Tower Shopping Center, which would have resulted in a 73% increase in estimated casualties. As a maneuver to induce general panic, the targeting is the one element of the plan not displaying a high level of competence. Evidence collected indicates that the culprit was likely making an attempt to target the Wishcraft foundation directly.
>General Analysis: Magic played a heavy role in disabling Kato Tower's defenses, as did a high degree of technical expertise.
>Supplemental Information: Technomantic affinity to such a degree is a rarity among magically empowered beings. Currently, analysis indicates that Nadica Novak is the only known magical girl with the individual capability to execute the required actions. However, a group of less powerful technomancers working in concert with skilled hackers could likely achieve a similar effect. The possibility of an unknown entity bearing responsibility also remains in consideration.
>Suspect Analysis: Nadica Novak's psychological profile contains a long history of disrespect for authority and willingness to resort to low-grade hostility in pursuit of personal grudges. While none of these crimes have placed this individual above the threshold to be seriously considered for elimination, they display a strong trend of animosity towards the Wishcraft foundation. Nadica Novak's intervention in the maintenance level of Kato Tower coincided with the initiation of secondary waves of explosives, with reactivation of power serving as the trigger. Nadica Novak possesses immense personal wealth and resources with which she might reasonably expect to both execute her plan and evade detection.
>General Analysis: Regardless of the perpetrator, the Kato Tower attack demonstrates a style and objective sufficiently different from the Monument Point assassination that the likelihood of the same individual being responsible for both incidents is extremely low despite the timing. Far more likely is the involvement of either a larger organization, or a second entity attempting to capitalize on the chaos of the first attack.

>Omoikane Advisory: While investigation into other possibilities continues, this system currently flags Nadica Novak as a prime suspect in the Kato Tower attacks, as she possesses both the ability and psychological capacity to carry out such an attack. Any access she is granted to NMSF systems or investigations during this investigation should be considered an extreme risk.
>Omoikane Advisory: If responsible for the attacks, it is likely this individual would anticipate the possibility of high level verification techniques being applied to her. Memory modification is well within Nadica Novak's technical means, while access to even the most demanding underworld artisans is within her financial ones.

>Query: Are there any specific threads you would like this system to prioritize in continued analysis?

[Neo-Mitakihara Greater Metropolitan Area]
[Kujoh Manor, Kujoh Cave]

"Well... for resources, you probably know how valuable an untarnished grief cube is to anyone operating off the grid. Any organization of magica is going to have a bit of a buffer, but those cubes spell life and death for us. They're not just fuel, they're life support - and once you use it up, the tarnished cube can be resold to power a drive or something. If the Knights are as widespread as they said, they probably have a pretty tidy cache of those stowed away. That's a pretty heavy purse for any group that uses magical girls. Yakuza, terrorists... heck, even the smaller gangs you find in the old town."

"But you're right, it's strange they wouldn't assume responsibility. The only thing I could think of is if they weren't trying to send a message at all. I mean, as assassinations go, it's one of the cleanest ways you could have pulled this off, right? What if the mayor was actually involved in something behind the scenes and they needed to clear him out? I mean, it's not really a secret that City Hall is basically in bed with Zeal and Wishcraft, at this point. Maybe he was backing some project they expect to stall out without the city's resources? Or maybe the mayor isn't doing anything specific, but they think his replacement is going to have better polices for them."

Hoa shrugs a little.

"...but I'm basically taking shots in the dark with their reasoning. I mean, they seemed pretty fanatical with their codes, I'm just not totally sure what those actually are. They talked about a holy book, but I never saw a copy - that's for initiates, not outsiders. All I know is that if they wanted to hire a gun, they could probably get away with it."

[strawberryman]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ - The Hunt Begins)

Zhen doesn't waste any of the time she shouldn't be wasting, immediately walking out of the interrogation room towards the armory. "Mashou supply package. And a breathing apparatus." She looks back to Satou, who presumably followed her. "If you are not capable of breathing underwater, you will need one as well." She turns and leaves as soon as the items are given, however, swiftly exiting the station and starting at a magica-enhanced run towards the old city.

[Sucrose]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ)

Satou has indeed followed Zhen, and nods.

"Got a bite on the dead girl? This should be interesting."

Spoiler: Subvocal to Captain Gomes

Show

Formally requesting another breathing apparatus, one of our pedal-powered subs, and twelve rounds for Betty. Don't know that this is our perp, so I'd rather not break out the gyro. If we're dealing with a mashou, though, might need to break some magical barriers.

[Draken]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 1]
[NMSF Headquarters, Cyberspace]

Some new information from Omoikane and a fully expectable suspicion call. Gomes keeps on the road to the armory.

Spoiler: High Security Direct Feed: Omoikane

Show

New data: Nadica Novak informed me of her attempt to restore the power and received clearance to do so. Ground zero for subsequent explosions was herself. Likely trap for anyone attempting to do so.

Order: Pursue threads: Direct attack on Wishcraft, possible perpetrating organizations, technomancer and hacker groups.

Warning: Prepare for security level thirteen. Activating Explosive Runes encryption.

And then a warning sounds all over the headquarters, indicating that security measures have just been raised to level 13.

Spoiler: Satou

Show

All requests authorized.

[Dorizzit]

[Ward 4]
[Moving]

"Whoever it is, my money's on them having a "mission". I'm hoping your sources can give us some pointers. Because otherwise it's a really big field of possibilities."

There are more than a few rather irrational groups out there, from all walks of life and philosophies, really. People will grasp at any justification they can for their bad behavior.

"I'd like to think the precinct wouldn't be a soft target. Then again a tower with a major Wishcraft office should have been a hard target, too. I don't want to make any assumptions about how easy or hard this will be for the perps."

He glances at his GPS, noting the route thus far.

"How much further?"

[Ward 4]
Moving

Leysa nods.

"The meeting I found out about earlier should give us some gold. Unfortunately, I can't personally give too many ideas; I can think of way too many off-the-grid, deluded organizations that would go for something like this if they had the power. As far as I knew, though, none of them had it, which is what concerns me."

Suddenly, she starts and then squints out the window.

"Is that...does that look like Satou and Zhen to you?"

[strawberryman]

[Ward 1]
(NMSF HQ)

"...Miss Nov-" Nadica's phone explodes, as does the com in her ear, eliciting a painful screech as she takes to the ground.

"OH WHAT THE S***, GOMIE!?" She heals up the damage, but there's still a painful ring in her ear. She pulls out her secondary tap to Honda.

[Communication with Omoikane was disconnected before damage was done to my main server. Were you worried?] As ever, that last bit was laced with no small amount of sass. Nadica doesn't even grace that with a response, pulling herself from her tipped wheelchair and sitting up on the floor awkwardly.

___________

Rio looks up, putting her hands over her ears at the alarms, huddling up a little. What was wrong, now? Kin nudges her and barks.

...Master, let's go outside!

Rio nods a bit and stands up, quickly running out. Well, if no one stops her anyway. She stops just outside the station with a bit of a pant, rubbing her temple as she regains her composure. Kin sits nearby for support.

...Get better, master! But... you're Hero now! Be strong!

...Rio frowns... but, slows her breathing to slow her heart rate down. No, she couldn't run from this. Right? She had to go see if they needed her for something.

...still, it takes a bit for her to work up the nerve.

[Sucrose]

Spoiler

Show

[Ward 4]
Moving

Leysa nods.

"The meeting I found out about earlier should give us some gold. Unfortunately, I can't personally give too many ideas; I can think of way too many off-the-grid, deluded organizations that would go for something like this if they had the power. As far as I knew, though, none of them had it, which is what concerns me."

Suddenly, she starts and then squints out the window.

"Is that...does that look like Satou and Zhen to you?"

[Ward 4]
(Running)

At the very least, it's Satou; his trademark trenchcoat flaps dramatically behind him, as he rushes at mashou speeds to keep up with Zhen's approach. He has a SCUBA tank and mask over one shoulder. Those in the car might know that he does have filters on the way to his lungs, that could probably serve as gills, but they do consume power.

At about this point, Turnbull might notice a low-priority message on his phone. Satou has a habit of sending these when it's not life or death, but still probably more important than he lets on.

Spoiler: Message to Duncan

Show

Zhen's got a lead. Heading for the NMSF docks; gonna try to approach the old city from the sea. Would appreciate your help. If this is the perp, hoping we can talk her down.

[strawberryman]

[Ward 1]
(Running)

Zhen continues the run without halt, continuing all the way to the harbor closest to old Mitakihara. She nearly jumps right in before remembering she had somebody following her. She turns around, expression impassive.

"...are you prepared? We will enter the target building from the water and then ascend to the quarry's floor. The element of surprise is our friend, as she is armed and accompanied."

She gives a moment for Satou. And perhaps Duncan and Leysa as well, if they're following.

[Selinia]

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 4]
[Seawall Checkpoint]

Built within sight of the tomb of more souls than anyone cares to count, within sight of a rotting carcass of a city overwhelmed by vermin, Neo-Mitakihara took the security of its seawall quite seriously. For each of the wards adjacent to it, the seawall boasts a fully stocked miniature armory, a dock, a small contingent of NMSF troops, and a variety of automated defensive systems. Acting both as observation points for activity in the old city and staging areas for forays into it, these checkpoints are a critical barrier between Old Mitakihara and the new one. Any ordinary expedition into the sunken city would begin at one of these points, passing through a series of fortified rooms, gearing up from lockers, and possibly unmooring one of the small, heavily armed manned submersibles or ships that served as waterborne tanks in a place where firepower was an ultimate arbiter of law.

The likes of Watanabe Satou and his compatriots did not embark on ordinary expeditions.

So it is all the guards can do to watch in some bemusement as the legendary cyborg, along with the infamous Duncan, ominous Zhen, and near-mythic Leysa launch themselves over the barrier and into the old city. There's a message sent to Satou's miko asking if he needs any assistance from the seawall guard, but it's mostly a formality. With a group like that, mere mortals would only get in the way.

[Kuroimaken]

[Neo-Mitakihara Greater Metropolitan Area]
[Kujoh Manor, Kujoh Cave]

"Well... for resources, you probably know how valuable an untarnished grief cube is to anyone operating off the grid. Any organization of magica is going to have a bit of a buffer, but those cubes spell life and death for us. They're not just fuel, they're life support - and once you use it up, the tarnished cube can be resold to power a drive or something. If the Knights are as widespread as they said, they probably have a pretty tidy cache of those stowed away. That's a pretty heavy purse for any group that uses magical girls. Yakuza, terrorists... heck, even the smaller gangs you find in the old town."

"But you're right, it's strange they wouldn't assume responsibility. The only thing I could think of is if they weren't trying to send a message at all. I mean, as assassinations go, it's one of the cleanest ways you could have pulled this off, right? What if the mayor was actually involved in something behind the scenes and they needed to clear him out? I mean, it's not really a secret that City Hall is basically in bed with Zeal and Wishcraft, at this point. Maybe he was backing some project they expect to stall out without the city's resources? Or maybe the mayor isn't doing anything specific, but they think his replacement is going to have better polices for them."

Hoa shrugs a little.

"...but I'm basically taking shots in the dark with their reasoning. I mean, they seemed pretty fanatical with their codes, I'm just not totally sure what those actually are. They talked about a holy book, but I never saw a copy - that's for initiates, not outsiders. All I know is that if they wanted to hire a gun, they could probably get away with it."

"Can't say I completely agree with that logic." Makoto offers with a frown. "But that might be because we're not working with the same premise. The reasoning for a religious fanatic can actually be surprisingly simple."

The kid was in full "processor mode" now.

"Having resources and having contacts is actually not the same thing. It is entirely possible, however difficult, to have a network of people without having leverage, and vice-versa. But we're talking about a very serious line being crossed here. Near as you can tell, these aren't people that would take killing lightly, right? I wouldn't be surprised if many in their cult were former on-grid mashou themselves. You can get as cynical as you like, but even the most jaded of us eventually does good by dint of needing to eliminate wraiths to survive.

But back to the premise. I'm working off the premise that the Mayor's death and the recent attack on Kato Towers are somehow connected. We've already established that in order to pull off either you need someone with serious military capacity, and access to military-grade equipment. In addition, Kato Towers is a major Wishcraft center of business - blasting that would be equivalent to taking out Wall Street on the best of days.

That means the mayor's death alone wouldn't be enough to stop whatever the Knights have a problem with. They had to hit both him and Wishcraft. In order to get into Kato Towers, they would need major hacking ability - in other words, they'd need someone who is anathema to their wish for a non-magic-based way of life. I can think of a number of organizations that'd sell their founders' mothers for whatever secrets Wishcraft's got. But the Knights couldn't really care less, they just want Wishcraft and its way of life gone. This could be their overture... or the work of a single fanatic who's too far gone.

They're worth monitoring. Not for responsibility, but for whomever they might be after. My theory at this point is that while the resources for both crimes may have come from the Knights, the methods suggest the group as a whole isn't at fault. We're talking too much blood on Wishcraft's nose for them to skip the visibility just like that. That goes double if we're talking about a rogue cell in their midst."

The Kujoh boy took a seat. "Nuan-sensei. You've been working with Wishcraft and the NMSF in addition to being personally close to the mayor. This whole thing sounds like something you'd have an idea about after you had enough space to connect the dots... what do you think?"

[KnightDisciple]

[Ward 4]
[Moving]

[Ward 4]
Moving

Leysa nods.

"The meeting I found out about earlier should give us some gold. Unfortunately, I can't personally give too many ideas; I can think of way too many off-the-grid, deluded organizations that would go for something like this if they had the power. As far as I knew, though, none of them had it, which is what concerns me."

Suddenly, she starts and then squints out the window.

"Is that...does that look like Satou and Zhen to you?"

"No, that's fair, you can't know everything. Let's hope the meeting gives you what you think it will..."

He squinted....then turned the car sharply, asking Modron to query the other Mikos to find out what is going-

[Ward 4]
(Running)

At the very least, it's Satou; his trademark trenchcoat flaps dramatically behind him, as he rushes at mashou speeds to keep up with Zhen's approach. He has a SCUBA tank and mask over one shoulder. Those in the car might know that he does have filters on the way to his lungs, that could probably serve as gills, but they do consume power.

At about this point, Turnbull might notice a low-priority message on his phone. Satou has a habit of sending these when it's not life or death, but still probably more important than he lets on.

Spoiler: Message to Duncan

Show

Zhen's got a lead. Heading for the NMSF docks; gonna try to approach the old city from the sea. Would appreciate your help. If this is the perp, hoping we can talk her down.

-And then Satou messages him. Duncan dictates a response to Modron to forward, before sending a request to the NMSF HQ to forward him his Heavy Gear.

Which is to say, his powered armor. Presumably by way of airdrop.

Meanwhile, Satou will get his response.

Spoiler: Message to Satou

Show

Aye we're comin'. I'm havin' them send me the Good Stuff. Doesn't look like we're going for super-stealthy, and I don't feel like gettin' wet just yet.

This really will be a party.

[Neo-Mitakihara, Ward 4]
[Seawall Checkpoint]

Built within sight of the tomb of more souls than anyone cares to count, within sight of a rotting carcass of a city overwhelmed by vermin, Neo-Mitakihara took the security of its seawall quite seriously. For each of the wards adjacent to it, the seawall boasts a fully stocked miniature armory, a dock, a small contingent of NMSF troops, and a variety of automated defensive systems. Acting both as observation points for activity in the old city and staging areas for forays into it, these checkpoints are a critical barrier between Old Mitakihara and the new one. Any ordinary expedition into the sunken city would begin at one of these points, passing through a series of fortified rooms, gearing up from lockers, and possibly unmooring one of the small, heavily armed manned submersibles or ships that served as waterborne tanks in a place where firepower was an ultimate arbiter of law.

The likes of Watanabe Satou and his compatriots did not embark on ordinary expeditions.

So it is all the guards can do to watch in some bemusement as the legendary cyborg, along with the infamous Duncan, ominous Zhen, and near-mythic Leysa launch themselves over the barrier and into the old city. There's a message sent to Satou's miko asking if he needs any assistance from the seawall guard, but it's mostly a formality. With a group like that, mere mortals would only get in the way.

Duncan's car is parked and locked down in a cloud of dirt and gravel kicked up. The tall Scotsman is up and running almost immediately.

"Leysa, if you please lass, go on with the others, I'll be catchin' up in just a moment. I'll need to dress up for the event."

It should hopefully be only a minute before the air-drop pod delivers his Armor and he can dash after the others.

[Dorizzit]

Neo-Mitakihara
Ward 4 Checkpoint

As they catch up to the others, Leysa hops out of the car and immediately starts walking after Zhen and Satou. When Duncan speaks up, Leysa nods and smiles, a little cheekily.

"Hope you clean up nicely. See you on the other side."

She spins on her heel and heads over to the checkpoint staff.

"Need to borrow a breathing mask. Thanks!"

Now properly outfitted, Leysa quickly heads out to the edge of the water near Satou and Zhen. She waves to Zhen, casually acknowledging the other Mashou.

"I'm good to go."

Spoiler: For strawberryman

Show

I don't know how much Zhen and Leysa would have interacted before this, but Zhen's sin vision either has already allowed her or sooner or later will allow her to see that Leysa is practically dripping with sin. Although nearly devoid of minor misdeeds, Leysa is a mass murderer dozens of times over and has occasionally tortured, stolen from, and otherwise inflicted severe harm on many, many people.

That said, if extenuating circumstances allow justification to Zhen's abilities, the level of sin drops dramatically, but in terms of raw action Leysa has lead a life that could be politely described as colorful.