KISS OR KILL?

As an officer of the JAKDF, there was a quality of unquestionable authority that the uniform gave, the unspoken knowledge that one was qualified to kill kaiju, and that this was what one would do best, with no opposition.

Roadways were cleared, civilians stowed safely away in shelters, the shattered architecture of the cityscape an open battlefield on which to take down the foe.

He was beginning to see the inherent privilege that came with such a job, one that was often ignored in the face of how dangerous each mission was. Here, there was no such wall of assumed anonymity, and the crowd waiting for them was undeterred in the absence of gas masks rendering one faceless, or the most powerful weapons and tech their suppliers had to offer.

He chanced a glance sideways at his companions.

Kafka looked as ill at ease as he did, a little more transparently so. That didn’t stop him from turning to give Reno a wide grin, and a thumbs-up, even as sweat dampened his hairline.

Smiling slightly in return, Reno followed the others into the cool interior of the hall, where a table and podium had been set up, press conference-style, on the raised stage across one wall.  

This was obviously where they were to be situated, and he adjusted the collar of his pale blue button up shirt as the lights cast their team in a bright glow. 

Blinking once, twice, he allowed his eyes to adjust, scanning the hall carefully as the crowd outside filtered in and took their seats, the hum of voices mingling with the occasional raised clarity of a greeting or laugh.

The front rows consisted mostly of the older residents, given first preference in seating out of deference to their age, or affluence perhaps. There were certainly some well-dressed citizens present.

Behind them, the younger cohort of the townsfolk. Here he could see some familiar sentiments, in the brighter gazes, hissed whispers and blatant pointing, unusual for a formal setting, but considering the fact that the majority of the KIU had been in the papers and all over the internet for the past few months, it was hardly surprising.

Reno didn’t doubt that they might receive some questions entirely unrelated to their investigation.

The group that gradually arrested his attention, though, was located close to the entryway, never moving further in beyond the glass doors. A motley crew they were, of seemingly all ages and occupations, but there seemed to be one man who they gravitated around, muttering close-lipped speculation to him, and to each other.

Even though he didn’t have much experience in such settings, Reno could sniff out the brand of ‘troublemaker’ as well as anyone who cared to observe closely.

Turning his head, he caught Hoshina’s eye.

The Vice-Captain had maintained his signature, inscrutably pleasant smile, and this didn’t falter, even as a flash of guileful awareness passed over his gaze, and he gave Reno a small nod.

So, he had seen it too.

The thought gave Reno a small boost of confidence, and he continued to scan the hall, allowing his glance to pass evenly over the crowd, even as he paid closer attention to the group milling about the entrance.

Superintendent Kitagawa stepped forward to the podium, after giving each of them a brief, firm handshake.

“Greetings to all present. If we’d all take our seats, we can begin today’s proceedings.”

Even though there were empty seats available, the group at the back of the hall remained mutinously standing, arms folded, appearing as a solid front.

Kitagawa ignored them with the air of one accustomed to dealing with such, easing into the agenda of the meeting and introducing each member of the KIU.

Eventually he stood aside for Hoshina, and another round of murmurs went around the hall. Some even sat closer to the edge of their seats to get a better view.

Hoshina’s greeting was even, his voice confident and melodious, the distinctive Kansai accent lending a personable tone as always. Reno did note that behind the easy charm, he made no effort to disguise the steely, military inflection, the clipped edge of each sentence that never failed to straighten the spine of any officer who heard it.

By his voice alone, Hoshina was laying the foundation for their future interactions with civilians; polite, helpful and competent, all while maintaining a firm boundary of professionalism that should only be crossed at their own peril.

Wondering if that would be enough to deter the potential rabble-rousers, Reno brought his attention back to the Vice-Captain’s speech.

“… intentions here are purely for public interest. The KIU is a newly formed unit, as I’m sure you’re all aware, but our officers have more than distinguished themselves in our ongoing fight against kaiju. We’re here to ensure that any potential threat is thoroughly analysed and dealt with. We hope that we have your full co-operation throughout our investigation.”

Kitagawa cleared his throat and stepped forward once more.

“Thank you, Vice-Captain Hoshina. I’ll now open up the floor for any community concerns and questions.”

As expected, it took a while for any in the audience to speak up. Most were discussing amongst each other, slowly gaining the momentum to ask what they needed to.

Hoshina’s clear directive and self-assured style had obviously had the intended effect.

Reno kept his eye trained on the suspect group at the back as the first few hands in the audience began to rise.

The questions that came at first spoke to the heart of the issues troubling the community. One bespectacled man, who had arrived with his wife and young daughter, asked what many had evidently been wondering.

“Vice-Captain, just how worried should we be? Since the two incidents six months ago, there hasn’t been anything else. Is it possible that whatever has done this has left the area?”

“It’s entirely possible. The fact remains that the murders occurred in this area, and no clear answer has been reached. We’ll continue our operations here until that time.”

“If you do clear the town, does this mean that the mine might re-open?”

“That can only be established by Hasegawa Inc. It is not within the rights of the JAKDF or the KIU to speak on their behalf. I can say, however, that no further mining operations can occur as long as this investigation is ongoing.”

Glancing around, Reno took a moment to marvel at how easily and innocuously Hoshina had laid his trap.

On the one hand, all citizens should want an end to the investigation to restore peace and to continue living in the ideal of safety. It also would cast any who impeded the investigation in a poor light, even if they claimed to want an end to the mining operation.

It would, more importantly, give Hoshina the grounds to investigate those individuals should he deem them suspicious enough.

Finally, after a round of queries that Hoshina fielded with ease, one echoed over from the back of the hall.

“Isn’t Hasegawa Inc. affiliated with Izumo Tech?”

Heads turned, whispers relayed in hushed anonymity.

Hoshina nodded amiably.

“That’s true.”

The speaker stepped forward from the crowd, obviously unafraid of exposing himself.

Reno made out an elderly man, features wizened by the outdoors, face half-shaded by a flat cap. The greying hair at his temples was neatly trimmed, as was the goatee that adorned his chin. His cheeks were gaunt, eyes red-rimmed and focused on them with a laser-like stare.

“And isn’t Izumo Tech the main supplier of the JAKDF?”

Again, Hoshina tipped his chin in acknowledgement.

“Of course.”

“So, it’d be fair to say that you’re here to further your own interests, no? The faster the mines are cleared, the more materials Izumo Tech gets hold of to make you those fancy suits, right?”

More voices swept the hall, and this time, some were raised in protest.

“For shame!”

“Shut up, Usano! We’ve had enough of you!”

“The suits that keep us safe, you moron!”

Usano sneered in return.

“Brainwashed, the lot of you. You know what kills a town like this faster than a kaiju? Pollution of the water sources. That’s all those mines are good for. And now we’re supposed to sit back and watch while these posers march in, waving their big guns around, intimidating us into silence? Well, I won’t be intimidated.”

Even as Reno felt his hackles raise at the belligerent attitude of the man, Hoshina lifted a hand, quelling the tumult that Usano had started.

He spoke into the silence, still pleasantly measured.

“Those’re all valid concerns. Really, they are. But I’m gonna have to correct you on one point.”

He raised a cheerful finger of admonishment, one all his officers had learned to fear above any other signal.

“There’s not much that can kill faster than a kaiju. Unless we’re talkin’ a matter of seconds here. And as for our fancy suits, they won’t save, or bring back the officers who have died in the line o’ duty.”

The reminder was stark, cutting through the hall like one of Hoshina’s blades, but he didn’t stop there.

“My intention is not to compare one struggle to another. I’m simply emphasizing that the danger to your town, and the people that live here, is very real if kaiju presence is involved. Our team would like to eliminate that possibility, along with the kaiju, and then move on to where the public requires our services next.”

He tilted his head, and to anyone sitting in the audience, the implicit statement was clear. As personable as Hoshina was, he was not the kind of leader to back down from a challenge, nor would he be cowed from performing his duty by public disfavour or bureaucracy.

More murmuring came from the back of the hall, and Reno watched carefully as the man named Usano took a step back into the ranks of his own unofficial ‘resistance’.

Hoshina’s words had, once again, laid out a course of action that was not unreasonable to the ears of anyone listening objectively. As all such meetings were matters of public record, Usano and his ilk might only cast themselves in an unfavourable light if they pursued such a protest further.

As Superintendant Kitagawa wrapped up the meeting with clear relief writ on his features, it was evident to Reno that their problems were far from over.

The fact that Usano had allowed for a tactical retreat from a confrontation only meant that his group might interfere with the investigation on other fronts later.

Reno turned to Hoshina, who had stepped back from the podium. Meeting the Vice-Captain’s gaze, he experienced a moment of clarity in terms of the weight that his role as ‘community liaison’ carried.

He’d have to be the one to keep an eye on things here in town, talk to the citizens, walk among them, and keep a finger on the pulse of events. Without that kind of presence, the investigation might meet unnecessary obstacles which might slow everyone down and lose them valuable time.

To a JAKDF officer, whether in the field, or in a new form of unit like this one, time was always of the essence.   

Straightening, you eased the tension from your back, eyeing the cold cup of coffee at your elbow with distaste.

Time to make a fresh one, but not before –

“Anythin’ new come in?”

The door to the lab swung open and Hoshina strolled in, looking as if he’d just attended a picnic, rather than a tense public hearing.

Granted, one did not don military formal wear to relax on a blanket outdoors, and you couldn’t help but admire the way the tailored suit sat on his trim form. Unlike standard uniforms, the gilt badges and epaulettes indicating his position as Vice-Captain looked singularly impressive.

In the hope that you hadn’t been staring too long and hard, you cleared your throat.

“Ichikawa and Furuhashi’s medical reports are in, but … how did everything go over there?”

He shrugged, a small smile in place, as always.

“As good as we could have expected, I think. Most folks ‘round here are just worried about the risk of kaiju activity, but there’s some who might try to put a spanner in the works, if you catch my drift.”

Frowning, you gestured at the door leading to the outer rooms.

“I’m sure they know our base of operations by now. Should we be worried?”

He grinned and stepped forward, one hand dropping with easy familiarity to the top of your head.

“Now don’t you fret about that. One of us’ll always be around to make sure you’re safe.”

“Sir! That’s not what I – “

Embarrassment flooded you as Hoshina doubled over, his laughter clear and ringing.

“Oh man, I gotta stop by the lab more often.”

“Vice-Captain.”

“Fine, fine. What’s in those reports?”

Huffing out a put-upon sigh, you swivelled to face the screen of your laptop, pulling up the two medical summaries that you’d spent the better part of the morning analysing.

“So, from what I see here, Number Nine’s attacks were pretty extreme. It condensed energy in short, high-impact bursts, mimicking the firing of bullets from a rifle. But here is where the issue is.”

You traced out the pathway of the wounds that had laced the torsos of the two young officers, imaged clearly on the attached scans. Hoshina leaned over your shoulder, eyes trained on the screen.

“Hmm. Looks like clean exits on all of ‘em.”

“That’s because Nine’s energy attacks copied a standard firearm in the truest sense. Unlike the effect of some our own special rounds, it didn’t cause explosive force and outward trauma.”

“Like the head wounds on our victims?”

“Exactly. I looked it up further, and most kaiju that are able to emit energy attacks like this rely on high frequency vibration of particles within specialised chambers in their bodies. They create a massive amount of energy all at once. It’s something that Nine honed down to a precise form. Based on that mechanism, though, something like this wouldn’t be able to create the kind of wounds found on the victims. If it is a kaiju, it’s evolved some other way to kill.”

“And the additional knife marks?”

“Look, this is just a hypothesis sir, but I think that whoever took a knife to the victims was trying to conceal something. Possibly, the way they actually died.”

“In other words, covering up the method the kaiju might have used to kill them?”   

“Right. Implying that – “

“A human agent found victims of kaiju attacks, and removed vital evidence from the bodies.”

You glanced up briefly, noting the grim set of his jaw.

For an officer like Hoshina, this must have been a first. The idea that one of the people he’d fought so hard to protect could be actively participating in a case like this, as a perpetrator no less, must have been a hard pill to swallow.

Tentatively, you placed a hand on his sleeve.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this, sir. Don’t worry.”

He looked down at you, and even as difficult as he was to read at most times, there was an element of surprise in his expression, one that morphed to something softer before he stepped back, gently placing distance between you once more.

“Of course we will. Now, don’t let me keep you from your duties.”

You had to wonder at the mental fortitude it took to occupy a position like his. Hoshina was clearly not accustomed to receiving reassurance from someone else, especially a subordinate.

Nodding, you shot him an encouraging smile.

“On it.”

In the doorway, he paused, fingers tapping out a steady rhythm on the metal frame. You watched him attentively.

“Vice-Captain?”

He turned, brow furrowed.

“Hey, can you check somethin’ for me? It’s just … what that guy in the town hall meeting said. It’s been buggin’ me ever since I heard it. Can you do an analysis of water quality from sources around the town centre? Maybe from the areas surrounding the original mining operation?”

Well, this was an odd request.

Obviously, the earlier meeting had set him on some scent.

“Of course. I’ll identify sites to sample and head out there myself.”

“Take Kafka with you. You’re not goin’ anywhere alone.”

This time, there was no air of amusement surrounding his statement.

If it hadn’t been evident before, it certainly was now. Hoshina took the safety of his team, and by extension, you, with a great deal of gravity.

Haruichi settled into the comfortable chair at his station, taking a sip of the mineral water Reno had brought him earlier. Arms outstretched, he cracked his knuckles, taking some satisfaction from the sound.

His father had always found the habit distasteful. He’d often reminded Haruichi that hard work didn’t have to be announced by pointless gestures.

Since joining the JAKDF, Haruichi had been engaging in such small acts of rebellion more often. Meaningless as they were, they brought him comfort, a reminder of the purpose he’d constructed for himself away from the influence of his family.

Since Kafka had headed out with their new analyst to help collect samples, he’d taken on the task of contacting the former residents of the compound himself.

Accessing one of his saved contacts, he turned the speaker up to maximum volume and placed the phone beside him, using his own high-priority login to access Izumo Tech’s employee database.

“Sir?”

The voice that answered was a familiar one, bringing a smile to his face.

Sakuchi Endo had been one of the most efficient project managers in weapons development at Izumo Tech. Haruichi’s father had seen fit to appoint him as a mentor of sorts for a few years, in order to teach him the rudiments of the sector he’d someday hoped to hand over.  

“No need for the formalities, Endo.”

“Well, I – it’s nice to hear from you. It’s been a while.”

“No need to sound so surprised.”

“You haven’t called in – “

“Seven months. I know.”

The silence on the other end threatened to grow heavy, and Haruichi sighed.

“Look, you know this new unit I’m part of?”

“The KIU?”

Endo’s voice carried an air of pride, in spite of it all.

“Yeah. So, we’re working a case that involves Hasegawa Inc. I’m pulling up the personnel files right now, but I need specific details of the site. Who was allocated housing and which homes they occupied according to the site plan.”

Haruichi could hear the faint sound of Endo’s fingers on the keyboard.

“Hmm. Can do. Is this about that kaiju case from a few months back?”

“Yeah.”

There was a pause.

“Does he know? That you’re working on this case, I mean?”

“Dad? Nope. He might figure it out sooner or later.”

 “Oh, he will.”

Huffing out a short laugh, Haruichi leaned back in his seat.

“Has that ever stopped you from helping a guy out?”

“It hasn’t before, and it won’t now. I’m too valuable, and he knows it. Anyway, I’ll have the files sent over in a few hours.”

“Thanks. Owe you one.”

“And Haruichi?”

“Hmm?”

“How is it over there? They treating you well?”

No doubt, this was the fear that most from his former life had harboured when he’d chosen to join the force. It was dangerous work, and gruelling, a far cry from the privilege and power that had been promised to him if he’d followed his father’s wishes.

Eyeing the half-empty water bottle on the desk which Reno had absently placed there for him earlier, the haphazard stickers that Kafka had adorned the files with, the formal coat draped neatly over the back of a chair while Hoshina hummed a light tune somewhere nearby, Haruichi grinned.

“Better than ever.”

Tagging a few who might be interested in the new chapter! This is just a once-off tag, since it's a while since I updated this one, so please let me know if you would like to be tagged for future updates!