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A mother’s rage was a terrifying thing. Juno had grown up knowing the white-hot whirlwind that was his mom in a fury over the smallest things, and he had learned to judge her mood by how hard she slammed the front door on her way into their cramped little apartment. It hadn’t exactly been easy to scramble out of the way of plates being hurled at the wall next to his head on a routine basis, but at least it had taught him that you could dodge almost anything with enough warning.
A few years ago he’d had to learn a new lesson: that there was never enough warning when it came to the Kanagawas; specifically Min Kanagawa. That woman could slink about the mansion for days like everything was normal before anyone realized that she was the one slipping non-lethal doses of poison into a producer’s afternoon tea. Juno felt safer when she was in his line of sight; at least then she couldn’t sneak up on him or add a shooting into his schedule without bothering to mention it to her adopted son to boost the ratings. Min’s cold rage permeated whatever room she was in and yet she never let her smile falter. It gave Juno the creeps.
That was why it was more than a little unsettling to find her seething in her office. Old instincts told Juno to duck for cover but he settled for bracing himself near the door while Min glowered at him from behind her desk. Eyes like the deepest shadows that revealed her every intention to do harm and muscles tenses to corroborate that story, she reminded Juno a little too much of his mom.
“You called, Mother?” The title hadn’t stopped tasting alike acid even after these years since joining the family.
A cloud passed over her face and a moment later the stormy waters had cleared. She didn’t look composed but she didn’t look murderous either, which was a step up. “Yes. I was hoping you might have heard from that friend of yours – the Dark Matters agent with the sticky fingers?”
“Glass?” Juno sounded more surprised than he would have liked, but the name tumbled from his mouth anyway. The agent had taken off suddenly after the investigation with the mask and Juno hadn’t stopped kicking himself for not seeing it right away. He’d been too wrapped up in the conspiracy, in trying to find Croesus’ killer, in that magnetic cologne to realize that he’d played right into the hands of a thief. One minute he was stealing a kiss during one of Juno’s few camera-free moments and the next he was stealing the Death Mask right out from under them. Only a few days later and it took everything Juno had not to look into Peter Nureyev, knowing full well that he wouldn’t like what he found.
He had thought… Juno wasn’t sure what he’d thought, but it had been something more along the lines of having his life threatened for the less than stellar way he’d wrapped up Croesus death. The upcoming arc about Juno selling out his adopted family looked good for temporary ratings, but that didn’t excuse him for getting one of theirs carted off to Hoosegow, responsible for the patriarch’s death or not. At least with Croesus alive, Juno could have counted on his assured safety. With Min? Well, she’d never liked curious and crass Juno much to begin with.
Min hummed thoughtfully and nodded. “That’s the one. I only thought you would have since you two seemed to get so close.”
“I wouldn’t call us close, unless you’re counting the brief time we were chained together,” Juno sputtered.
“Please, Juno, you know you’d never have to lie to me. Millions tuned into you trailing after him like a lovesick puppy, after all.”
“I didn’t–“ He sighed and dragged a hand down his face. “What is this really about, Mother? You don’t usually ask for me just to talk about a few ratings.”
Min chuckled. It was a low, sharp sound that never failed to make Juno and his siblings feel like they’d said something incredibly stupid. She sat up from behind the desk and sauntered closer to Juno. “You’ve got quite a mouth on you,” she said, almost as though she was only teasing. Juno could feel the warning in his bones. “You’re wrong though, it is about ratings. Specifically the ones that skyrocketed with you and that thief on screen together. He really is quite the compelling character, don’t you think? Of course you do. Charming, clever- a little slippery but I’m sure we can shape that right up in some time.”
“What are you talking about? He’s long gone, probably never coming back.” If there was a little hurt in his voice then Juno would deny it later.
“I’m talking about your new story line. A little romance would do you well, Junebug. You’re too rough around the edges, but that soft centre really caught the audience’s attention. It was more than plain that Mr. Glass found you equally as… interesting.”
Juno didn’t know if he was more confused by her conviction that he could just bring Nureyev back here, or by her insinuation that the thief wouldn’t die the second he touched down on Mars. For a split second he wondered if Min had found the note he’d stuck under the insole of his shoes while he’d slept but that was… that was unlikely, even for Min Kanagawa. “What makes you think he’d come play a part in your- our game anyway?” Juno ventured cautiously.
That laugh again. She smiled at him, equal parts business and menace, which was to say in exactly the expression Juno associated with motherhood. “He’ll be part of it because you’ll find him, of course. In fact, I would venture that you’ll soon be looking for that thief like your life depends on it. After all, you more than anyone should be very aware what we do to someone who crosses us.”
She didn’t need to point out that this was a reminder that she owned him, and that he would do as she said to save his own neck. No one had ever accused Juno of fighting to live, but he suspected that refusing Min would not be an easy death. Swallowing hard, Juno nodded and reached backwards for the door nob.
He conceded, “Yes, Mother,” and was out of the office without a look backwards at those cruel, cold eyes that bore into his back.