Sae sat as calm as she could in the police car as sergeant Shio navigated the busy Tokyo streets with practiced ease. His outwardly gruff appearance matched his inwardly gruff attitude in spades. She would have thought that it was just his years that had made him jaded towards everything, but nope, according to his longtime coworkers and other veterans of the force, he was just born that way. 

 

Despite her calmness, she couldn’t deny the butterflies in her stomach and the bit of bile that had been creeping her way up the back of her throat. Last week, she had been tasked with becoming a liaison with the Amagi Group, and to think she’d be put into action so soon. She was thankful that the sergeant hadn’t quite retired yet and that she’d have his guidance for a few more weeks, or longer if he felt like he was needed. 

 

“Do you really think they did it?” Sae pushed her ashen hair behind her ear and watched their location on the GPS. 

 

Sergeant Shio gave her a slight glance before he made a turn off the highway. 

 

Among the three remaining Yakuza groups, the Amagi were the calmest and least volatile, thanks to the niche they had found for themselves after the Yakuza purge. They were content to run their casino, fight club, and a few drug smuggling operations\ that were largely limited to recreational drugs. They also actively maintained a relationship with the police, in large part thanks to several of the previous police chiefs and other high-ranking public officials being gamblers.

 

It was a notable difference compared to the Shie Hassaikai that was on the verge of collapse due to their unwillingness to adapt to the times, or the Tokyo Clan that was closer to a group of roving gangs of kids. Those two were walking the edge of being labeled as villainous groups which would simply spell their doom. 

 

That wasn’t to say that the Amagi was some kind of perfect Yakuza group, they had their own problems. The war for the underworld had taken a heavy toll on them, with nearly all of their notable young members being wiped out, leaving them with an aging base that was getting close to retirement. Sure, there was some new blood among their ranks, but with no heir apparent to take over once Phoenix was gone, the group might simply dissolve. 

 

“Nah,” Shio let out a low growl and made a sharp turn that nearly threw Sae out of her seat. “Kidnapping isn’t in their M.O., and it’s not like the kid came from money. It’s all risk and no reward. Could be that the kid pissed someone off and ended up in a ditch somewhere.”

 

Sae couldn’t argue that. The only major altercation with the Amagi group within the last few years was when one of their rare younger members took on a whole division from the Tokyo Clan. Along with a few more street brawls. “Do you think that Tanaka found them?”

 

“No idea.” The car came to a stop, and Shio opened the door and stuck his leg out. “But, hopefully, we’ll find some answers.”

 

The Tokyo Clan was too decentralized to have any real compound, and the Shie Hassaikai kept their base of operations a secret. But the Amagi Group? Apparently, two police officers could just drive up to it and ring the doorbell.

 

“No guard this time,” Shio muttered as they approached the traditional style gate to the compound. “Maybe one of the oldtimers fell asleep somewhere.” 

 

It wasn’t like Shio wasn’t just as old as these guys were. 

 

With a sigh, he pressed the button on the intercom and was greeted by a slight crackle then silence. “Hey, it’s me Shio.”

 

What the hell kind of a casual greeting was that?

 

“Tell Granny we need to talk.”

 

With a slight yawn, Shio stepped away from the intercom and rolled his shoulders. 

 

There was no way she was just going to be able to do that in the future! These guys were still Yakuza, right? Or was this just some kind of glorified Yakuza retirement home?

 

After a moment, the gate was opened. An exceptionally tall and slender man with straight black hair and a slightly creepy vibe stood to greet them. The fact that he had two sheathed katanas at his side raised a few flags, but his otherwise calm and open stance made him look like someone’s butler. 

 

Not a butler that she’d ever hire!

 

“Ahh, Officer Shio, it’s been some time,” The gangly man placed a hand over his heart and gave a slight bow. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

 

“Meet’n’greet, and a missing persons case. I know that old Spitfire’s here, she’s never at the casino this early, so take me to her.” Shio walked past him and then stopped. “Oh, and Ita, this is Sae, she’ll be taking over for me once I retire. She’s a good cop, so no funny business.”

 

“Ahh,” Ita extended a slightly elongated hand towards her. His smile was like two straight lines that formed a V. “It’s a pleasure, Officer Sae. Please, follow Shio, I’ll go fetch Granny.”

 

Sae shook the man’s hand for a moment and found that while his hand was rough, his grip was gentle. 

 

The inside of the Amagi compound looked nothing like what she would expect a Yakuza compound to look like. This felt more like some feudal lord’s plot of land, or maybe a historic plot of land. 

 

“Oh my,” an elder woman came walking out from one of the side buildings. She was dressed head to toe in a gardening outfit, and she looked like she was shaking with every step. Could this woman even walk without a cane? “Shio, deary, it’s been—”

 

“Quit the act Hanabi, I know damn well that you can run a marathon.”

 

“Oh come now.” The change was instantaneous. The shaking stopped, Hanabi corrected her posture, and her eyes went from the near-blind squinting of an old person to the blinding stare of someone that wanted to know why the fuck they were there. “What’s the point of being a feeble old-woman if I can’t act the part?”

 

“Pfft, I’ll give you old and that’s about it.” Shio stuck his hands in his pockets and met Hanabi’s glare with one of his own before the two smiled and let out a short laugh. 

 

“Shio, it is good to see you. How’s your wife doing?”

 

“Good, good, she’s made a full recovery. I think I’ll be taking her to the casino once she’s up to snuff again.”

 

“Oh that’s good, I always love taking your money.”

 

“And I love taking yours.”

 

Bribes?

 

What the hell?

 

Were they corrupt?

 

Were they bad cops?

 

Why couldn’t she become a hero like her sister?

 

“Uhh, Sergeant Shio? The case?” Sae tapped on her badge as though to remind him that they were still cops! Even if they weren’t dressed like them. Being investigators had its perks. 

 

“Oh right, Hanabi, this is Sae Tatsuma, she’ll be taking over for me once I retire.”

 

That wasn’t the case!

 

“Please, we both know that you’re too stubborn to retire. You’ll get bored, lose all your money, and then be back on the force before the new year.” Hanabi waved her hand then glanced towards Sae for a moment. “But what’s this she said about a case?”

 

“Right,” Shio kicked a stone in the ornate path and planted both hands in his pockets. “The thing is, we got a mother that seems to think you kidnapped a kid of hers. So, do you know who Izuku Midoriya is?”

 

Hanabi let out a sigh that seemed to age her twenty years before she shook her head and tossed off her mud-caked gloves. “Honestly that troublesome daughter-in-law of mine. She called you?”

 

“Wait, you actually know something about this?” Shio asked with genuine shock written all over his face.”

 

“Of course I do!” Hanabi threw her hands up into the air and began to stomp down a side path. “Come with me you two! Hurry, my patience just got shorter than my husband's dick! And he’s a corpse!” 

 

Nearly jumping at the vulgarity of the crass woman, Sae found herself following her through the compound. They broke away from the main building and she found herself crossing a bridge over a koi pond that led to a standalone home. She glanced towards Shio, who could only shrug in response, but the look on his face told her that this was not normal. 

 

“Oi! Ori! Bring Izuku out here! Now!”

 

“We’re busy!” a younger, but no less crass, voice echoed from inside the building, followed by a muffled scream of pain. “Oh come on Izuku! Be a man! Canvases aren’t supposed to—”

 

“Ori! Right now!” Hanabi tapped her foot on the ground. 

 

Shuffling came from inside the house and Sae found herself palming the edge of her pistol for just a moment. Her heart was pounding. What was that scream? Were they torturing him in there? 

 

A tall woman with snow-white hair and two horns that ended in red tips jumped out of the house, The loose clothes she was wearing were stained with various inks and clung to parts of her body. A glowing red eye glanced towards them before she stopped in front of Hanabi. 

 

“Who are they, is Tanaka in trouble,” Ori asked, glancing between everyone at least once, “and is it really so bad you couldn’t let me finish? You know how—”

 

“I know you want to get back to work, but let these people see Izuku before you two get back at it.” Hanabi waved her hand.

 

Oh. Was this a relationship thing?

 

A fit boy came stumbling out from the house, his shirtless form partially covered in sweat and his face a deep red. Ahh. It was a relationship thing. On the boy’s left shoulder, partially crawling down his arm, was a blackened lizard highlighted in red and wreathed in flames. It moved like it was real, but it had no depth and it appeared to be stuck. 

 

Sae pulled out the photo she had been given and sighed a breath of relief. This kid was an exact match to Izuku. 

 

She watched as Izuku pulled on a T-shirt, and she caught a further glimpse of the creature on his shoulder. It was a tattoo, that is, an unfinished tattoo. That could explain the scream of pain, right.

 

And that Ori girl, was she a tattoo artist?

 

“What’s going on Grandma?” Izuku asked, looking more than a little bewildered, Ori hovered around him, flapping her arms in anticipation. “And who are these guys?”

 

Grandma? Wait, Hanabi did call Inko her daughter-in-law a moment ago, right? How’d she miss that? Oh right, still a bit wobbly about just walking into a Yakuza base like it was a park.

 

“This is Sergeant Shio, he’s a drunkard gambler, a cop, and an old friend.” Hanabi gestured towards both of them with the flick of her wrist. “The girl is Sae something, she’s his replacement. And they’re here because your mother reported that you were kidnapped.”

 

The look that crossed Izuku’s face made it very clear that he wasn’t with his mother right now by choice, which muddied the lines between right and wrong. Technically, a seventeen-year-old was able to live on their own, and many did so long as they had financial backing from their family. Which Izuku was receiving from his grandmother. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Izuku let out a sigh and went to move his arm but winced in pain and rubbed his left shoulder slightly. “My mom kicked me out a couple of days ago, and I haven’t talked to her since.”

 

“Ahh, so that’s what’s going on.” Shio clapped his hands. “Alright, case closed.”

 

What the hell was with this shitty cop?

 

Sae let out a sigh and stepped towards Izuku. “So, just so we’re clear, you’re not being forced to stay here?” 

 

“No?” Izuku looked between Ori—who nodded yes—and Hanabi—who nodded no. “Umm, no. I can leave whenever I want. And Grandma took over. Uhh, sorry for the trouble.”

 

“It’s no problem.” Sae held up her hand and watched as Ori began to tug on Izuku’s arm like some incredibly needy lover. “But, why would your mother kick you out?”

 

Izuku let out another sigh. “Because I got a tattoo.”

Ahh. That. Felt petty. 

 

“Sae, come on, we’re done here. The kid is safe and with family. There’s nothing we can do here, though Hanabi, you might end up getting a call from Child Services if Inko continues to raise hell over this.” Shio let out a grunt and looked back towards Izuku. “Make it easy on us and give your mom a call.”

 

Izuku nodded.

 

XXXX

Sae reclined into the seat of their unmarked car as Shio drove them back to the station. Her heart was still pounding. Sure, everyone she met today had been nice, but these guys were still Yakuza, right? And she was supposed to be the one to deal with them in the future. She glanced towards Shio and let out a sigh. “Do you think that Izuku kid will be alright?”

 

“Absolutely.” Shio gave a slow nod. “And you would do well to form a good relationship with him.”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“Because he’s her grandson, and if I know Hanabi like I think I do, she’s already grooming him to be the next leader of the Amagi.”