On the Prowl

It almost was like they’d never stopped.

Hideo rode through the streets of Tokyo, darting past the cars on the back of the Wolf Blazer. Keeping pace with him was a dark green bike with eyes like those in the headlights of Hideo’s bike, and feather-like accents near the back.

And on the back of the Raven Slider was his old comrade, Hanzo, with the biggest dumb smile on his face Hideo had ever seen him have.

But back then, Hanzo had been the only one who’d wore a helmet. Hideo never bothered back then. He’d half-joked to Hanzo that he’d either go down swinging or be spread across the pavement by another car.

Hideo tugged at the strap of the helmet he was wearing. That was another time. Before he’d let himself pretend that he could have a life beyond the fight.

Ironically it was Hanzo that never left. But he’d taken a backseat to others. Hanzo told him that he’d chosen to sit behind a desk and mentor others.

It was a lie and they both knew it. Hanzo couldn’t be sure of the true reason but he could guess. The same people who were happy to see Hideo and Miho walk out the door wanted Hanzo to follow their lead. But he never did. No matter what kind of restrictions they put on his license, no matter how small of an office they stuffed him in. The man refused to be broken.

It was one of the qualities that had made Hideo keep Hanzo in his life.

The two parked in a garage and walked two blocks before reaching their destination. There was an izakaya serving snacks and drinks, not too different from what they did at the Fox Hole. The name of the place didn’t matter.

What did was the izakaya’s front step. The two stepped onto it, taking a deep breath. Their destination lay beyond the edamame and sake bombs. Both men knew it.

And that is why when they took their next step forward, it was like taking a step down the stairs too far. The world, the feeling of gravity, it all swirled around them. Like the step twirled with the world.

When the men finally finished taking their step, the izakaya was gone. In its place was a bar, one older than almost every building in the city. A structure of wood and glass in a jungle of steel. A wooden sign hung from a post sticking out from the building with characters in a language neither man understood. But in the blink of an eye, they changed to one that they did. To name a bar that the men knew.

The Other Side.

The door swung open of its own accord, revealing a mass of carousing and drinking. All sorts were in there – vampires, werewolves, jiangshi, oni, human, everything in between. A familiar looking blonde-woman was cleaning a beer glass with a stained rag, her muscles thicker than Hanzo's glasses.

“How you want to start it,” asked Hanzo. “Loud or quiet?”

Hideo looked at the people inside having a good time. His gut instinct was to announce his presence, to demand an answer. But one of the things Miho had taught him was that sometimes, a soft hand went a long way.

And even if it didn’t, someone would be drunk and foolish enough to think they’d a puncher’s chance at a trillion yen.

-----

Across the city, Miho and the others tried a different place to get information.

You could find kaijin and their ilk if you knew where to look. The most well off could find their niche that anchored their community. Vampires ran certain blood banks. The werewolves and weretigers ran humane pet shelters and veterinary clinics. Dullahan had their niche around hospitals.

Kitsune were harder to track and even harder to know you were dealing with the right kind. That was how they liked it. In one breath, they could be the scion of virtue. And in the next, they could trick you into eating a dumpling filled with the most sickening things. The ambiguity and the chaos they could bring to bear made them unpredictable in their dealings.

But they were nothing if not resourceful.

Miho led Sayuri and Fuku to a pawn shop that was still open at this time of night, one that was surprisingly busy to boot. Used goods were strewn throughout the store, from gently-loved electronics to old luxury watches. Some sections in the back had more esoteric goods that you’d only get to see if you were a member.

While Miho went on ahead to look for a bathroom, Sayuri sniffed the air. “She’s here.”

“I can’t say I’m looking forward to this,” muttered Fuku.

“Oh right,” Sayuri remembered. “She took a real shining to you, didn’t she?”

“Possessed me and made me act like a mad romantic.” Fuku shivered. “Thank goodness Miho blamed her for everything.”

“Ara ara ara~” The two froze in place as a pair of feminine arms worked their way in around each of their necks. A mature woman with black hair and a fox’s ears poking out of them stuck her head between them, leaning forward with a feisty grin. With a small pair of glasses sliding down her nose, she said, “In my defense, I couldn’t make either of you do anything you didn’t want to do already.”

Fuku and Sayuri both shied away from remembering the finer points of that incident.

“Relax,” cooed the kitsune. “I’m happily married now. What about you two?”

“Still single,” Sayuri admitted.

The kitsune tut-tut’ed. “My dear, I’m sure the right gal’s still out there for you.” She took Fuku’s hand in hers, staring at the diamond ring on his finger. “Married, I see. Happily?”

Fuku steamed at the question. “Of course!”

“Ooh-ho-hooooo, me thinks he protests a bit much~ But what can I do for you two tonight?”

“Someone put a trillion yen bounty on Sweet Bear,” said Fuku. “We know you keep your ears open for anything. Mind cluing us in? You know who’s pulling the strings?”

“Mmm?” The kitsune pulled out her phone, tapping away at it. “The bounty’s been the talk of the town. Everyone’s roaming the streets tonight hoping for that lottery ticket. And it did just walk in…”

Sayuri reached for the phone. “What are you planning?”

“I’m not taking on the Bear, dear. I’m greedy, not suicidal. I’m just making sure my insurance policies are up to date.”

Fuku blinked. “Why?”

The bathroom in the back exploded, a Jade Chrysanthemum goon was pushed out with the tidal wave of water pouring out. The Magical Girl Sweet Bear emerged, staff at the ready, in full view of every patron of the kitsune’s shop as more goons started flooding into the place. 

“Because insurance fraud is much easier.”