recolle | (Semi-Closed) To Catch A Killer

(Semi-Closed) To Catch A Killer

WHO: Ichirou, Togusa, Derek, other Recolle Police
WHERE: An abandoned auto-shop in Enprise
WHEN: 3/22, Evening
WHAT: Catching a killer. Maybe some breakdowns.
WARNINGS: Mild violence, potentially more severe violence, and spicy spicy language.

It's funny how quickly things change.

It hadn't been two weeks, but that's almost an eternity looking for someone who doesn't want to be found. Anybody would ghost upon realizing they killed a cop's son.

He'd been worried he was going to lose them. But if he accepted that, he felt like he'd collapse like a puppet with it's strings cut. He didn't have anything holding him up but that. It was the only thing allowing him to get up in the morning. He didn't know how long he'd be nonfunctioning if he had to stop, to finally accept the finality of what had happened.

In his heart, he knew he'd have to accept that even if he did catch them.

But he'd get to put that off a little longer.

A phonecall.

Someone had seen them, and patrol cars had confirmed.

They had him.

It wasn't even an hour later police were there, an empty building in Enprise. An old auto shop. No sirens, no big show. Make them desperate and they'll do anything to get out. Don't spring it until they're too boxed in to have any chance of escape. He had gone over this in his head a hundred times before now.

A couple blocks over, but in view, Ichirou was going over the procedure with the other police assigned to capturing the killer.

He paced in front of his car, putting on the body armor and knifeproof vest. Weariness was obvious in his eyes, but it was hard to bring that up to him, when they were so intense despite that.

"I'll go in with a few others and get him. Once we move in, pull the cars in lock off the building. Get somebody on a nearby roof in case he gets up there. If he manages to get out of the building, don't let him get away, he's dangerous and we can't be sure of what he'll do."

The group broke up as Ichirou went back to his trunk and began to finish putting on his gear.

((OOC: this thread will be two halves! This is the first, and the second, posted Friday or Saturday, will be the actual confrontation and arrest!))

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Togusa is doing something very similar, gearing up and strapping on a set of body armor. It looks similar enough to everyone's gear that he hopes no one will notice that it decidedly isn't. His focus is more on Ichirou, instead.

"Sir." Falling back into formality with everyone else in earshot, and, frankly, this is Ichirou's operation.

"He's going to get caught. No question. But are you absolutely sure it needs to be you in that building?" Not questioning Ichirou's leadership or his resolve, but the amount of sleep and food he's gotten, the steadiness of his gun hand. And because someone needs to say these words out loud.

"I'll be fine." Ichirou said automatically.

"I am weary, but my health and stability are well within acceptable ranges." It was true, he had slept a little yesterday. Not willingly, of course. His body had given out for six or so hours. But it had gotten his tank off 'Empty'. It was easier this way. Working until his body refused to stay awake was the only away he could rest, trying to all on it's own just lead to him wracked with sobs in his bed.

"But that was a valid concern." he added. Best to establish Togusa asked a valid question so there were no gossipy tales being born.

Derek is leaning up against the CSI van, arms folded across his bullet proof vest, and frowning slightly. He cannot believe the captain allowed Ichiro to be here. Isn't that like against the rules? When Ichirou walks by him here speaks up.

"Don't make the scene a violent crime scene OK? I don't need you loosing your shit and making my job harder for me."

Sorry Ichirou, that was Derek's nice way of saying, "Please don't loose your cool. Yukine probably wouldn't want that."

Ichirou took a deep breath.

"I know."

He exhaled all at once.

"I'm not gonna go off and give you a mess to clean-up, or destroy any evidence this guy has laying around. I'm good at controlling myself." he said. In a way he was thankful. Having people from the network here was good for tempering him. God knows he didn't trust himself.

"...Thanks though."

You're not a machine. The objection stays in his mind, unvoiced in front of the other officers, but he stays looking at Ichirou for too long, brow furrowed tightly. It takes an extra effort to get the concern off of his face. It's easier if he really focuses on buckling in his gloves for a second.

"You've got me watching your back." Togusa tries to sound more confident when he says that. "So we're all coming out of this all right."

There are a million questions, but now is not the time to plant any more doubt in anyone's mind. It's difficult because Togusa's mind never stops asking those questions. But it shouldn't matter whose son it was that this man killed, it shouldn't matter what his previous record is. They're bringing him in.

"Thanks. I'm gonna be relying on you."

He says it so simply, but it's obvious there's a double meaning. He doesn't really expect this thug to put up anything resembling a fight. He's more worried what HE'LL do. And having somebody willing to stop him if they need to.

"I trust you to do your job," Togusa matches his tone, says it so simply. "And I know you trust me to do mine." He holds Ichirou's gaze for a beat too long.

Now, doing his job, in this case, might have meant slipping a hand-taser into his kit that apparently was designed to stun cyborgs in the other-Togusa's world. He's seen Ichirou's strength; he doesn't know if it translated into other increased physicality. Either way, he has an option that will only knock the man out, just in case.

There's a slight frown when Ichirou isn't looking. When the hell did his life turn into this? Not the time to find out.

[Derek pushes himself from off the van and takes a few steps towards Ichirou.]

You're welcome. I knew your son, he had my back last month while we were exploring a cave. Which is why I wanted to make sure you were going to keep your head in there when you go in.

[Derek lowers his voice.]

Because you're really close to this case and I don't need a reason to use my newly found magic to stop a good man from doing something he might regret.

[Don't worry Ichirou, he's only referring to the full body-bind curse.]

I definitely don't intend to do anything I'll regret.

[He's being non-commital.]

...Don't worry about it, really. I've had long enough to go over how this would go in my head. I don't intend to do anything foolish.

"Exactly."

He pauses. "I guess it wouldn't ease your worries if I put my gun back in the trunk, would it." he admitted. He didn't need it if he decided to enact vengeance rather than justice.

"...Listen." he began again, not turning to face him. "I genuinely don't have any intention of killing him. But that's out here, between us. And I can't promise that'll hold up when I have him in my grasp. So if you think you have to stop me...I'm not going to blame you." he admitted.

"Don't you dare," an immediate response to the question about the gun. "Everybody getting out of here all right means we stick to procedure. And procedure means you go in there armed. Comes to a choice between you and him, you know where I land. So don't make anyone make that choice." It wouldn't stop Ichirou from killing a man if he doesn't have a gun, but being unarmed might put him at risk. They aren't taking so much precaution to go after some harmless guy. The man in there has killed once. Either he'll buckle as soon as he sees he's outnumbered, or he'll decide he's already gone too far and try to take people down with him.

A pause, looking at the back of Ichirou's head. The man isn't proud of this, but he is at least genuine about his own feelings. He knows what the darkest part of his mind wants. "I said I trust you. And if you need help to do your job," special emphasis. "Then I'm here to help you."

[Derek's eyes narrow a bit.]

I would surely hope so, especially with all the crazy stuff happening with Retrospec. I know that this isn't Retrospec related, but we don't need cause people to not trust the police because the can't keep their cool. There is a lot at stake with what is going on tonight. We don't need our highest ranking officer within the Retrospec app to loose his badge.

"...Thanks."

Ichirou's shoulders untensed...not much, but a little. Knowing that he could trust Togusa to keep him from doing something he'd regret was a weight off him. There was a tone in his voice, almost like it was struggling not to crack, but it faded before he had even finished speaking. He had to keep it together. When this was over, he could let everything out.

Securing the building starts calmly enough.

Open the door. No announcement. Simple enough. Ichirou gestures, splitting the team up to sweep the property. Everything is going normally, and calmly.

For a few minutes.

Suddenly, splitting the dark, tense silence, is sound.

First gunshots, then muffled yelling. The sounds of shells clanging to the floor. Struggle.

And when any of the other officers got there to investigate, they'd find Ichirou, holding the perp by the throat, pinned to the wall with their feet well off the ground, his other hand gripping their wrist, which held a knife. That didn't stay there long, however, as Ichirou visible squeezed their wrist, a strangled cry coming out of the perp as they dropped the knife, it clanging to the floor. A keen eye would notice his jacket in tatters, revealing the body armor under it, and the gash in his shoulder from where the knife had found a target.

And it was like time was frozen. Ichirou wasn't tossing them aside, and reading them their rights. He wasn't breaking their neck, either. The stillness resumed, and was almost oppressive, as he just held them there.

Wondering what the hell he wanted to do.

Togusa swore that he wasn't going to let Ichirou out of his sight, he promised it, and yet, one step, then another, and Ichirou was gone in the darkness. No. No. The man is heading off with murderous intent, and Togusa was supposed to be the one thing keeping him in check.

"Ichirou- Ichirou!"

The gunshots ringing out send him into faster action. "No!" Less stealth, Togusa is running now. He said they weren't allowed to go in there unarmed. How did he get so far behind?

Togusa is nearly skidding to a stop, and there it is in front of him: his colleague holding the perpetrator against a wall, weapon in his hand, breathing hard and ready to absolutely kill him. Adrenaline sends a cold flash of fear down his spine, and he reaches out, even though he is too far to touch Ichirou.

"Don't fire!" He isn't quite sure why those are the words that come out of his mouth first.

Derek became very alarmed when he heard Togusa calling for Ichirou... from all the way outside of the building. Which was then followed by gun shots.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Was Derek worried? Yes. So what does he do? Break protocol and go in side the building. He follows the yelling until he his right behind Togusa and can see Ichirou holding, which he assumes is the suspect, by the neck.

"Bloody hell," Derek whispers.

He looks at Togusa and talks to him in a low voice.

"If you can't talk him down I have a spell that can immobilize him."

Togusa doesn't even turn towards the movement behind him, just puts out a hand to the side. "Stay back."

It's what- Derek? Fucking hell. What's he doing in the building? "A what?" He glances at Derek like he was speaking a different language there for a second. He shakes his head. "Dont."

Togusa is cautious and slower about approaching, a step at a time. "Ichirou." Louder, making absolutely sure the man can hear and pay attention to his approach so he doesn't startle him.

"You've got him. You've done your job. We came in here to do our jobs. Everybody gets out of here okay. Remember?" Togusa glances at the damage to Ichirou's front, didn't make it through the armor, thank whoever's watching. "Cuff him and take him out of here."

A pause. "Doing anything else is not worth what you're going to lose." Another step forwards, and Togusa is just barely outside of touching range, where he finally stops.

He's right.

Ichirou knows he's right. But as his fingers tense in the throat they're currently lodged in, he's not sure if he cares about being right.

Everything is bubbling over in his mind. There's so much emotion he had been suppressing up until this point. Fury and sadness, mixing together into this incomprehensible blur of intensity, where he doesn't want to listen to anything, where he almost feels like abandoning this feeling would somehow be disrespecting his son's memory.

And what's worse, is that he feels no satisfaction at all holding this person by their throat. No peace, no closure. And that only feeds into it. A part of him wants revenge even more, just so he might feel something from all this.

'Just do it' the little voice says. All it'd take is a jerk of his wrist. Nobody would be able to stop him. 'Do it before you can stop yourself. Before you have time to think about it.'

The curl of his lip, the seething, makes it obvious he's listening. But it's so hard to let go. When Yukine died, a piece of him died too, and right now the only thing filling that void was these intense emotions.

[Derek leans in to whisper to Togusa.]

Try telling him this isn't what Yukine would want. He wouldn't want his father to become a murderer. He wouldn't want to see his father this way.

At last, Togusa balks. Can he really manipulate the memory of the man’s son like that? Yukine would want to be alive. Even he can tear down that idea instantly.

“Ichirou! One way or another, you’re letting him go. That’s why you brought me in here.” His voice has this command tone that Togusa so rarely gets. At last, his left hand reaches out and grips Ichirou by the shoulder. His right is primed with a glove that is not the standard issue, a so-low hum, barely auduble, comes off of it.

“Save us both the time. Stop yourself. This wont fix anything. This wont make you feel better. Keep doing your job, and you can start to get your life back. Kill him, and you’re going to find what else you have to lose.”

Togusa is ready to stop Ichirou, if he makes it absolutely necessary. But he believes Ichirou has it in him to stop himself.

Just do it.

Twist your wrist. Togusa has no idea how strong you are. He can't stop you before you snap his neck. Worse cops have gotten away with more. It won't matter what Togusa or Derek say, nobody outside the network would be buy you being able to snap a neck so easily.

Just do it.

He bares his teeth, doing everything he can to old onto that hurricane inside him and push Togusa's words out.

Just do it. And make somebody else feel this. Do it and make any number of people, none of whom did anything to Yukine, feel the same thing you're feeling right now. Let them feel that emptiness. Let them stay awake until they forget where they aren't and their body gives out on them because they can't even try to sleep without just laying there in tears for hours. Let Yukine's memory be stained with his father spilling blood rather than bringing his murderer in.

Ichirou wants to yell. To scream. To let out all this frustration.

But he doesn't.

He drops the perpetrator and puts his knee on the back of their neck. They aren't resisting anyway, but he still does, so he can cuff them behind their back.

Derek saw that balk Togusa and he doesn't appreciate it. Because guess what? What he was suggesting usually works in situations where someone is trying to enact revenge on someone who has hurt someone important to them.

Derek's eyes narrow at what Togusa actually says to Ichirou. Was that actually going to work? Remind the man that oh, by the way, you still have your job and going to be alone. Does he not realize the that criminal is probably running out of air being held up that way? Or that Ichirou could probably instantly break that man's neck? What is is with the cops he works with and their priorities?

So when Inchirou actually lowers the man and starts hand cuffing him, Derek is really surprised. How the hell did that even happen? How did Togusa's strange talk even work? Did Ichirou just block him out and come to a more logical conclusion?

Derek folds his arms and and waits for the room to be cleared so he can call in his team so they can do their job.

Togusa jerks when Ichirou suddenly moves, but he lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding when it's to cuff the man, instead. His whole form is utter relief, muscles nearly collapsing in relaxation. His hand is shaking with adrenaline when he uncurls that fist he was ready with. He yanks off the strange glove and almost looks like he wants to throw it across the room.

But Togusa stays a step back, lets Ichirou go through the process of arresting the man, reading rights, Ichirou needs to go through the procedure. Togusa can signal the outside officers that the perp is in custody, stand down. Because he needs a second to get his own senses back. There is something pushing at the back of his own mind, a familiar feeling that he is trying to push down.

"Thank you," his voice is still shaky, but words come out in a rush. "You needed to do this, you- I would have done it, but I knew you could stop yourself. You're a good man, Ichirou. Thank you for not letting him take that from you." The image of what could have come next, Ichirou lost in self-doubt if Togusa needed to take him down, the thought that he could no longer trust himself? If Togusa could help save a life, and help save Ichirou from further pain, it's the best outcome he could imagine.

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(Semi-Closed) To Catch A Killer

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PART 2

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