Kuroha the Duck

What kind of password would druggies use?

"Look, if you don't know it-"

"Shut up, I'm thinking." I closed my eyes, picturing that ratty duck plush from before. Something about it nagged at me, tugging at an old memory...

"Is it because you got expelled?" Inorin sprawled across my bed. "Or maybe you don't wanna go to a new school?"

I hugged my knees tight, glaring at the wall. "No."

"Then what's eating you, Kuro-chan?"

"I lost another friend. First Mio from the orphanage, now her. Everyone just... leaves."

"Aww, come on!" Inorin rolled over, poking my cheek. "There's tons of friends out there waiting for you! They just haven't shown their faces yet."

I swatted her hand away. "Yeah, 'cus who wants to show their face to the demon hag?"

"Pfft." Inorin had me in a headlock, grinding her knuckles into my scalp despite my protests. "More like who wouldn't want to be friends with my awesome niece?"

I glared at my feet, kicking empty bottles across Inorin's bedroom floor. "Whatever. Not like I need friends anyway."

"Oh no you don't." Inorin sprang up, her messy bun flopping to one side. "We're not doing the whole brooding teenage thing today. Come on, I'm taking you somewhere special."

"You mean your favorite bar?"

"What do you take me for?" Inorin crossed her arms, then paused. "Well, sometimes. But not today!"

Before I could protest, she grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward the door. I stumbled after her, barely managing to grab my shoes. "Hey! At least let me-"

"Nope! We're going now before you change your mind."

Twenty minutes later, we stood at the entrance of a park. The setting sun painted the trees in soft orange light.

"A park?" I raised an eyebrow at Inorin. "Didn't take you for the nature-loving type."

"Trust me, I didn't either." Inorin started down the path, hands stuffed in her hoodie pockets. "But works been super rough lately. Sometimes I just need somewhere to escape the crushing reality of corporate slavery, you know?"

"You're being dramatic again."

"Am I?" She grinned, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

I then noticed the plastic bag dangling from her wrist. "What's that?"

"You'll see! Consider it part of  Inorin's patented stress relief technique."

I followed Inorin down the winding path until we reached a small pond nestled between trees. Without warning, she crouched at the water's edge and started making the most ridiculous sounds I'd ever heard.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, taking a step back. "People are gonna think you're insane!"

"Relax." She kept making those stupid noises, completely shameless. "I'm calling our new friends over."

Before I could speak, tiny ripples appeared in the water. A group of ducks emerged from behind the reeds, paddling toward us.

Inorin ripped open the bag to reveal a bag of peas, tossing a handful into the pond. The ducks dove for them, creating little whirlpools as they fought over the frozen vegetables.

I hate to admit it, but watching these stupid birds chase after peas... it helped. My shoulders relaxed for the first time that day.

"See? Better than therapy. And way cheaper too."

That's when I spotted it: a scruffed-up duck hanging back from the group. Its feathers stuck out at odd angles like it had lost a fight.

"Oh hey, Kuroha showed up!" Inorin tossed more peas, but the other ducks had already claimed them. The scruffy one just quacked angrily, causing the others to scooch away.

I watched as the duck ate the leftover peas by itself. 

"...That's not me at all."

"Sure it's not. Anyway, want to throw some peas?"

***

I stared at the kid, that memory of Inorin and her stupid ducks swimming through my head. Come on, it couldn't be that simple... could it? But Inorin had worked on Daikon before she vanished. She'd always been terrible at passwords, using her own name for everything from her phone to her email.

"Kuroha." I said, cringing internally.

The kid's suspicious squint morphed into a grin. "Yup, I've got the goods!"

I'm going to murder you, Inorin.

The kid reached into his drenched clothes and pulled out a vial. Black liquid swirled inside, identical to the one that thief had been carrying. It seemed to absorb the dim light in the sewers, creating weird shadows that made my skin crawl.

I reached for it, but the kid yanked it back. "Payment first. What form you using?"

My stomach dropped as I patted my empty pockets.

The kid's eyes narrowed. "No payment, no goods."

"Look, I just saved your ass from drowning in sewage. How about we call it even?"

"That's not how this works, lady."

The kid's eyes swept over me, lingering on the black robe. "Wait... is that a Shing Fei?"

"A what?"

"Those robes. That's a Shing Fei limited edition, right? The one with the jade thread embroidery?"

Oh right. Mr. Pei's "designer" clothes. And this kid can't spot a fake for shit.

"Tell you what. Trade you this for the vial."

His eyes lit up. "For real? Bossman's gonna flip! He's always going on about wanting one of these."

Sucker.

Then it hit me. To complete this trade, I'd have to...

"Turn around, kid."

"Huh? Oh!" His face went crimson as he spun to face the sewer wall. "S-sorry!"

To think I'd end up stripping in a sewer while looking for you, Inorin.

"Here." I balled up the robe and chucked it at the kid's head.

The kid snatched the robe, cradling it against his chest. His eyes sparkled as he handed over the vial.

"So… you wanna kill him too?"

My fingers went rigid around the vial. Those words - the exact same ones that thief had spat at me.

Play it cool, play it cool.

"Obviously."

The kid bounced on his heels. "Ha! I knew it. Everyone's after Lung these days. Black Leg blood's selling like crazy 'cus of the rumors."

Lung? My throat went dry, but I continued. "Rumors?"

"Yeah! They say it's his weakness. One hit with this stuff and BOOM! Dead general. Though I dunno why everyone's so eager to off him. He keeps the city safe and-" The kid's face drained of color. "Oh shit. Oh shit. Bossman's gonna kill me for running my mouth again. Forget I said anything!"

He bolted down the tunnel, leaving a sewage trail in his wake. I didn't bother chasing him. My mind was racing too fast.

First Jiko wanting Ten dead, now these underground dealers targeting Lung?

Two Heavenly Generals. Two assassination plots.

What the hell kind of game were you making, Inorin?