Chapter Text
The rain washes away the blood that hasn’t already soaked into her clothes. Even over the storm she can hear her pursuers nearing. Maki is tired. She’s had only four hours of sleep spread out over the last week. Her targets were constantly moving, no time for long rests. Because of that, three lightly armed men are an insurmountable challenge.
From what little she can see, vision marred by exhaustion and storm, it looks like she’s in a park. Maki throws herself into the nearest pile of shrubs. Too tired to feel the pain as branches and nettles pierce her skin. The damp ground below feels intoxicating. Considering how the last time she got to lay down was after a two-story fall, this is heaven. She begins to battle for consciousness, her eyelids threatening to shut tight. She knows she’s losing this battle. The last thing she remembers is her revolver fading out as her world dims.
Maki opens her eyes, above her is the vast expanse of the universe…unending…wait no it ends a few feet to the right.
What she thought was space was just a wallpaper clumsily placed on a white stucco ceiling. Sloppy work, crooked, wrinkled, and peeling. She sits up, finding herself in some unfamiliar cluttered apartment bedroom. She isn’t dead…yet.
She finds no bindings holding her to the bed. The window is not locked either, it seems to be rather late. She finds no nearby fire escape she could use, and she’s too high up to survive the drop. Still the fact the window was unbarred and unlocked shows this is the work of an amateur.
Scanning the room, she wonders if it was intentionally done by an idiot. She plucks a pair of scissors from a pencil cup. She separates the two blades to arm herself with two impromptu knives. She tucks one in the back of her waistband…wait these aren’t her clothes.
She’s wearing a pair of baggy grey sweatpants and a faded black shirt that that hangs down to her thighs. Not only that both of them were put on backwards. She flips them around to find her body covered in bandaids. However, her torso has no such treatment, thankfully those wounds already scabbed over.
Something is wrong.
She tests the doorknob; it turns with no resistance and opens just as easily. The modest living room is illuminated by the fridge light. A man is busy inspecting the contents to notice her. With silent steps she traverses the length of the apartment.
“Don’t make a sound.” Maki says holding the blade of the scissor over his jugular. With her free hand she twists his arm behind his back.
The man stifles a small yelp but stays silent.
“Where am I?”
No response.
“Answer me.”
“Does that mean I can talk?” He tries turning his head to look at her.
She’s tempted to kill him on that stupid question alone.
“Keep it down.”
“This is my apartment. I’m Kaito Momota by the way what’s your- owowowowow.”
“I didn’t ask your name.” She says lifting his arm higher up his back. “Are you working with the Kuzuryus?”
“What no I work with Towa City Musuems I’m-owowowowow.” Kaito goes on his tippy toes to offer some relief as his arm is pulled higher.
“Shut up let me think.”
She tries remembering what happened. Or why someone would bring a stranger to their apartment. She spins Kaito around, keeping the blade to his throat, the frightened man has stupid purple goatee and hairdo. Maki pats him down for weapons, not that his outfit has many hiding spaces. He’s wearing a pair of shorts and a plain tank top. She leads him to the kitchen table forcing him into his seat.
“Hands on the table. Always. I won’t be holding the blade to you but don’t think I can’t still kill you.” She backs up to his kitchen counter searching the knife drawer for an actual weapon.
“Listen,” He sighs. “I’m sure you’re very confused right now, but how about I explain how I found you.”
Kaito Momota shivers beneath the pavilion. The weather didn’t forecast a sudden storm, so he only brought his usual thin purple coat. He looks at his neglected telescope, he’d saved up for this night. Tonight, was supposed to be the clearest night of the month, last time he believes that weatherman.
“Hey buddy?” A gruff voice startles him.
Turning to find a tall lanky man in a black suit and pants. Too fancy too be walking around the park.
“I’m looking for a girl.”
“Oh uhhh-”
“No idiot not like that, me and my buddies were driving when some lady T-boned us. No one got hurt but she ran off before we could exchange insurance information.”
“Oh dang that’s rough. What’s she look like?”
“This tall,” He holds his hand just below his shoulder. “Pale, black hair. I think she had a red shirt and a black skirt.”
Kaito shakes his head. “Naw, sorry haven’t seen anyone.”
The man slowly reaches into his jacket. Kaito feels the hair on the back of his head stand up. He clenches a fist.
“Maybe this could help,” The man holds out a few folded bills. Holding them out, easily half of this month’s rent in that stack. “Anything?”
“No believe me I’d-”
The man slips the bills into Kaito’s breast pocket. “Just in case you remember things I put my card in with em.’ Just keep your eyes open.”
With a pat on the shoulder and smirk the man returns into the downpour, leaving Kaito confused. He pushes it out of his mind as the rain doesn’t seem to be letting up. He’ll have to try for another night. He puts away his telescope and a rushes to his car.
Kaito hurries up the steps towards the parking lot. He covers his telescope as best as he can. As he nears the top he can hear several men conversing.
“She’s not here boss,” He hears the man he spoke with not long ago. “Any luck with the hospital crew?”
“No,” Another voice. “We got guys at the hospitals the legit and underground ones.”
“Tetsu says the police have put out an APB. She wont get far.”
Kaito keeps himself low to the ground. He stays there until they drive off.
‘What was that about?’ He thinks to himself as he starts up his car. He looks over his shoulder, only to snap his head back to the front. His headlights caught the glint of something metal in the bushes.
Worrying part of his telescope fell off he quickly approaches the shrubs.
“Oh.” He says looking down at a passed-out woman. She matches the man’s description but is also covered in cuts and bruises. “Lady, you okay?” He kneels down.
She mumbles something.
“Uhhhhh, is it safe to move you?”
No mumble this time.
“Well, I can’t just leave you here.” Without a second thought he picks the girl up and brings her to his car. It’s not until he gets back in his seat that he discovers the metal he found was a gun firmly gripped in her hand. He takes it away and puts it in his coat pocket.
“After that I brought you to my place. I did what I could to treat you. You were shivering so I took you out of you wet clothes and gave you mine.”
A knife embeds itself in the table, between his right thumb and pointer finger.
“Hey, don’t worry I made sure they were clean.” He says oddly nonplussed by the threat.
“If you did anything weird to me the next knife goes-”
“Hey!" He stands up fist raised. He quickly realizes what he's done and places his hands back on the table. For some reason he makes sure the knife is between the same fingers. "I can forgive a lot of things. But someone mistaking me for some kind of sick pervert is unforgivable. What kind of man do you think I am?”
“A stupid one.” She draws another knife.
“Maybe so, but I’d never take advantage of someone in their sleep. Your clothes were damp and you were shivering like crazy. I know how to treat hypothermia, so I got you out of your clothes. I promise I didn’t look when you were…undressed. I even closed my eyes when I dressed you too.”
Maki looks down. He’s likely telling the truth based on her torso had no bandaids, and the backwards clothers.
“I believe you.” Maki says not sounding particularly happy about it.
Maki bites her thumb. This can’t be true. What idiot does that? However, there was no sign of deception in his voice. This man, this Kaito, is just complicating things
“See I’m not a bad guy.” He smiles. “What’s your name by the way?”
“Shouldn’t you know?” Her name is probably on every hitlist in the area.
“No,” He gives Maki and apologetic glance. “I didn’t find an ID on you. Sorry I might have left your wallet and phone at the park. If it’s lost, I’ll pay for your replacement.”
“…It’s whatever.” She never brings personal belongings on missions so there’s no worry. “What’s with the childish bandaids.” She says pointing to one of the cartoony alien designs.
“Hey who are you calling childish?”
The oven dings causing Maki to look away just for a moment. If Kaito was a competent assassin he’d have used this chance to throw her knife back at her. Instead, she finds Kaito has a goofy idiot smile on his face.
“Aw yeah perfect timing, I was making dinosaur nuggets would you like some?”
The second knife lands between his left pointer and middle finger. That throw was from irritated reflex rather than a threat. Maki tries to calm down, there’s only one knife left in the drawer. She tries ignoring the tempting smell of meat. Even as processed as the food is, she’s been living off of gas station chips and the occasional fruit.
Maki grabs a towel and uses it to remove the tray from the oven. It smells way better than it deserves to be. Kaito stands up, keeping his hands on the table as instructed. His eyes sparkle like a child, fitting for him.
“My plates are in the cabinet above you, could you get me a plate. Wanna split it halfsies?”
Maki was about to send another knife, stopped by a heavy pounding on the door.
“Excuse me, this is the police would you mind opening up.”
Maki prepares to throw a knife, aimed to kill, but finds Kaito with a more shocked expression than her.
“What do we do?” He whispers. “What do we do?”
“You saying you didn’t call them?”
He shakes his head. Maki snarls, softly placing the tray on the counter.
“Get rid of them. If you sell me out I’ll be sure to-”
“Hey, don’t worry,” He gives her a thumbs up. “You go duck under my bed, leave everything to me.”
She softly closes the bedroom door behind her, as another round of knocks grace the door.
“Time for the old Kaito Momota charm.” He pretends to slick back his spiky hair. “Hey fellas.” He opens the door revealing two wiry officers. “I was pretty deep in sleep. What’s the hubbub?”
The shorter of the two holds up a photo. It looks like it came from a security camera, kinda blurry but it’s definitely the girl Kaito took in.
“Her name is Maki Harukawa.” The officer speaks in a raspy tired tone. “She’s believed to be involved in a homicide. We have reason to believe she’s been in the area.”
“Maki, wait like the sushi?”
The cops exchange curious glances, surprised that’s what the man has taken away.
“I guess.” The cop shrugs. “Did you happen to see her.”
Kaito exaggerates his expressions. Narrowing his eyes, stroking his goatee. He’s making sure those cops think he’s trying his best.
“Nawwwww,” He drags out a sigh. “Sorry, I haven’t really been out because of the storm.”
“Figured.” Scoffs the officer who had until now said nothing.
“Thank you for your time sir.” They both nod and walk off.
Kaito keeps his ear to the closed door listening for when the officers leave the floor. After a quick peek to confirm, he sighs as they’re finally gone.
“Maki-roll you’re all safe.” He goes over to the chicken nuggets. He throws an Iguanadon into his mouth only to gasp and spit it back out. “Careful Maki-roll they’re still hot.” He blows a few times before eating it once more.
He turns to find that Maki hasn’t returned.
“Maki?” He anxiously approaches his bedroom.
He opens the door to find Maki…softly resting beneath his bed. Kaito gives a soft smile, thinking about how sleepy she must be.
Kaito takes her knives from her and places them on the bedside table. He softly picks her up and lays her under the covers. The woman seems to twitch in her sleep. Kaito gently strokes here long black hair, she responds with a pleasant hum. He briefly leaves and places a plate of dinosaur nuggets next to her knives. Kaito made sure to leave only the coolest of dinosaurs for her.
Just as he goes to leave.
“Why are you doing this?”
Kaito turns, Maki is sitting up in the bed.
“Don’t you know I could be dangerous.”
“Don’t be stupid Maki-roll.” He doesn’t notice her eye twitch at the nickname. “You’re not dangerous. Only a real idiot would bring someone dangerous home. I just brought someone who needed help back here to make sure they’d be okay.”
He gives her a parting smile.
“Get some sleep, or eat up. I’ll be on the couch for when you wake up.”
Once the door is closed Maki lies back on the bed.
“Maki-roll.” She mumbles to herself as her eyelids begin to droop. “Idiot.”
She drifts off to sleep with a small smile on her lips.