Prologue

“Yuuto!” An exasperated man yells as he places his finger onto his ear - controlling his intake of the surrounding noise, “Update me, now!” The man sprints across a crowded sidewalk, maneuvering his brawny body through a mass of civilians. His dressy suit - combined with the summer night heat - causes beads of sweat to trail down the lengths of his face and back.

His tense shoulder roughly collides into another passing individual. Fading shouts of protest are heard as the man continues to push forward along the sidewalk. “We’ll be arriving at the airfield grounds shortly, Niko!” A similarly wearied Yuuto assures over the small object in Niko’s ear, “Kagome is driving as fast as she can, and I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing right now!”

“Shut up, asshole!” Kagome’s annoyed voice objects to Yuuto’s complaints, “Just keep pressing those stupid nerd buttons, and keep your opinions to yourself!” Niko rolls his eyes at the immaturity he is forced to listen to, and continues sprinting through the crowd. Squinting his eyes, he keeps his sight trained on another man sprinting up ahead.

Picking up his pace, Niko attempts to close the distance between the two men. With his stampeding footsteps colliding against the cement, the sound of his impending approach causes the man in front to spin his head towards Niko. As their eyes meet, the man paints a smug smirk upon his face, and sharply turns into a tall building on the right.

Niko’s eyes widen a fraction from the sudden change, and quickly glances up at the looming building overhead. It is a largely known, populous hotel that is bursting at the doors with customers and staff alike: a perfect place to get lost in. Bringing his face together in an expression of irritation, Niko pushes through the same doors, and is greeted by a luxurious lobby.

A polished, lustrous chandelier hangs from the high ceiling, and the gleaming light shines down upon the opulent and posh guests that roam the open space beneath. The white marble that cascades across the floor catches glints of the light, and ricochets back into Niko’s brown and alert eyes. Pulling his eyes from left to right, Niko attempts to locate the fleeing man from before.

Taking him by surprise, another voice is heard over the earpiece, “Niko!” The feminine voice shouts, but it does not belong to Kagome, “Head to the roof, now! We’ve got his cronies surrounded, he’ll be heading up here soon!” Niko wastes no time in sprinting towards the elevator on the far side of the lobby - pushing through fancy and dressy civilians along his way.

Niko faces the elevator, and brings his gaze up to the digital number above the closed, metal doors. In bright red, the number ‘fifteen’ is displayed on the black, rectangular screen. Scoffing in annoyance, Niko looks to his right - at a couple also waiting for the lift. “Hey,” He calls to them in a brute manner, “How many floors does this hotel have?”

“Uh, twenty?” The woman answers, sounding unsure of herself. “No, I thought it was twenty-eight…” The man to her left inputs, offering his knowledge. Niko clenches his jaw in irritation, and lifts his gaze back to the red number above the elevator doors. Now, a taunting ‘twelve’ twinkles under the chandelier light.

Throwing his hands to his face, he sighs an agitated breath as he contemplates his situation. The couple to his right continues to debate one another about the amount of floors in the building, which only further annoys the stressed Niko to their left. Bringing his head up and out of his cupped hands, he looks around his surroundings for another option.

As his gaze drags upon a door in the far left corner of the oversized lobby, an idea pops into Niko’s foggy mind. Not wanting to waste any more time than he already has, Niko bolts towards the secluded wooden door. Due to the distance from the entryway, the path to this door is far less crowded than his previous journey to the elevators.

He rips open the interfering door, and files into the room where a toppling, white staircase encapsulates the entirety of the space. “Let’s get this over with…” Niko mumbles to himself, before he sets off in a full sprint up the staircase. Taking three steps at a time, Niko tackles each floor with ease as he glides up the massive structure.

Niko skates upwards floor by floor, and is soon greeted by the end of the seemingly endless staircase. The two individuals were wrong in both of their guesses: there are really sixteen floors to this hotel, and Niko finally reached the top level. Wiping a line of sweat off of his top lip with his sleeve, Niko huffs heavily as he stares at the door leading to the rooftop ahead. Pulling himself together in a rushed fashion, Niko marches towards the dreary, metal door.

Hauling his right leg up, Niko aggressively stomps the door with his foot, and pushes it open with a vicious force. The night breeze whips across his cheeks, and blows the long strands of blonde hair out of his eyes. Having sobered up from the cold wind chill, Niko takes in the scene before him.

Two tall individuals brood in the center of the roof, while a multitude of unconscious bodies scatter the floor beside them. However, a third figure stands upon the ledge of the rooftop in front of them - his back facing the bright city below. The centered duo hoist their pistols towards this thrill seeker, but the threat does nothing except create a sly smirk upon his features.

The girl with choppy, black and white hair quickly turns towards Niko’s presence, and smiles tightly at him. “Thanks for finally joining us, Niko,” She pokes, bringing her strong gaze back to the man in front of her. The stoic, brawny friend to her right keeps his sight set upon the opposing man on the ledge.

“You called, I came,” Niko responds, keeping a collected demeanor despite the situation at hand, “You’re my sister, Junko, so I kind of have to listen to what you say… sometimes.” Junko rolls her eyes at the sarcastic reply, and Niko carries his tense body towards the two rigid individuals. Placing himself between them, Niko eyes the man on the ledge closely.

Upon further inspection, Niko assures himself that this is the man he was chasing just minutes before - and now, he is cornered between the three broic people, and the entire city of Tokyo. “Ren,” Niko calls to the man on his right, “Share the wealth, would you?” Ren nods, still training his eyes upon the person beyond him, and reaches his right hand into his waistband.

Pulling out a spare pistol, Ren tosses the weapon to Niko on his left. Niko catches it easily, then cocks the gun, and points it at the smug man on the ledge. “Haruto Beppu,” Niko begins, his voice strong as it floats through the wind towards the man, “You’re very fast, but nothing, no one, can outrun the law.”

“You pathetic losers think you’ve won this whole charade that easily, huh?” Haruto jeers as he paces the ledge, standing over the three friends, “Underestimate me, go ahead. See where that leads you.” The man turns his back on the officers, staring out into the night sky - then rips the suited blazer off his back, and throws it into the wind.

“It isn’t you who is being underestimated, Haruto,” Niko speaks up, as he steps closer to the self-approving man before him, “You are underestimating the strength of the Tokyo Police Department in its entirety! And I, Niko Fukumoto, Captain of this Special Operations Task Force, have an obligation to kill you where you stand!”

Haruto Beppu chuckles patronizingly to himself, and turns his head at his neck to connect his eyes with this confident officer. The corner of his mouth jerks up into a condescending smirk, as he thrusts his arms open wide. Then, in a split second, Haruto Beppu begins tipping forward and falling into the open air before him.

Niko’s gun drops to his hipside as he stares in disbelief. “Beppu!” Ren shouts from behind Niko, his voice frustrated and disbelieving. In a disoriented sprint, Niko takes off for the ledge ahead of him. Placing his hands atop the firm cement, Niko throws his eyes over the ledge, and his heart drops to his stomach at the sight.

Suddenly, he backs away from the edge, and tears his gaze up at the ascending helicopter right in front of him. There, Haruto Beppu holds desperately onto the pipes at the bottom of the helicopter, and stares arrogantly at Niko. As fast as he appeared, Haruto’s pilot drifts away and into the night sky beyond them.

Niko continues to stand rooted in his spot, unable to comprehend what has just transpired. How on Earth did his target plan that far ahead? How did he manage to pull that off? In the midst of his jumbled thoughts, the sound of a helicopter re-enters his ears. However, Haruto’s getaway chopper is far gone by now, so where was this whirring, unavoidable noise coming from?

“Niko!” Junko yells to her brother, causing Niko to turn around, “Look!” Junko’s index finger is thrusted towards the opposite ledge, next to the entrance of the rooftop. There, another helicopter idles in the brisk air, a few meters away from the rooftop before it. Piloting the aircraft sits Yuuto, with an eager Kagome by his side.

Niko’s hopeless expression quickly fades into one of pride and excitement, thankful his officers have come to their Captain’s side at last. “Niko, go!” Ren yells, nodding his head towards the helicopter, “You need to catch up to Beppu!” Niko nods strongly, and begins his sprint towards the awaiting chopper.

The wind pulls his blonde hair out of his sweating, determined face, and tears the bottom of his buttoned blazer open against the air. Pushing his body as hard as he can, Niko finally approaches the far ledge, and the powerful wind emitting from the spinning blades overhead attempts to knock him off his balance.

Hiking his right foot atop the ledge in the swing of his running momentum, Niko hoists himself up, and thrusts himself over the ledge. His body soars suspended in the air, as he aims for the aircraft before him. Kagome’s eyebrows raise in suspense as Yuuto watches his Captain’s actions intently and worriedly.

Niko reaches out and grabs hold of the bar underneath the helicopter, and roots himself to the chopper. Pulling himself up with a grunt, Niko drags himself into the safety of the interior of the helicopter. He situates himself accordingly, then leans forward towards his pilot and corresponding co-pilot.

“What happened, Yuuto?” Kagome asks, confusion and fear running with her words. “You guys weren’t at the rendezvous, so we came up here to check on the situation,” Yuuto adds, informing his Captain of their own state of affairs.

Niko sighs, and draws his eyebrows together, “Beppu took off on a helicopter after I chased him up to Junko and Ren’s position. He was probably gonna meet up with the rest of his guys, but Junko and Ren already took care of them,” Niko informs, his voice breathy but strong, “You need to chase after that helicopter, now! Go!”

Immediately, Yuuto nods, and twists the handles in front of him - operating the helicopter after Beppu’s own. He soars over Junko and Ren, who wave a hopeful goodbye to their fellow officers. The two passengers and their driver stare intently out of the windshield, training their eyes on the far helicopter before them.

“Hurry it up, Yuuto!” Kagome pokes, her voice on edge as she grips the headset on her ears. Yuuto leans his body forward, and draws his face together, “I’m trying, Kagome! I’ve got a lot of distance to cover, and they’re going pretty fast!” The space between the two aircrafts decreases gradually, and soon Yuuto places them about one hundred feet behind their target.

Quickly turning his gaze to his Captain, and back to his surroundings, Yuuto begs the question, “What now, Niko?!”

Niko stares ahead, clenching his jaw as his eyebrows tense together. Suddenly, his eyes catch Haruto beyond him, sticking his upper body out of his own helicopter. In his clutch holds a handgun, aimed directly at Yuuto’s aircraft. “Duck, now!” Niko yells, pushing his officers’ heads down and out of sight.

A bullet instantly pierces the windshield and flies past the three passengers, penetrating the metal wall behind Niko. Seven other bullets follow, nearly shattering the entire windshield. Once the shots cease firing, Niko peeks back up, and does not catch Beppu or his weapon in sight. Yuuto and Kagome follow his movement, and cautiously return to their former positions.

‘Shit,’ Niko thinks to himself, ‘What the hell are we supposed to do?!'’ The glass before him completely obstructs Yuuto’s vision, and is on the near brink of collapse. Kagome looks back to Niko - a petrified expression painted with worry flashing on her face. Niko gulps down some of his anxiety as he pulls his mind together in thought.

Suddenly, a loud boom sounds from outside of the helicopter, followed by the sound of glass shattering. Almost immediately after, Haruto’s helicopter begins shifting off course, and uncontrollably heads for the ground below. “They’re going down!” Yuuto exclaims, his eyes squinting through the cracks of the windshield, “What’s happened?! Was his pilot hit?” Kagome’s own eyes scan the surroundings, and her face lights up as her sight locks on something in particular.

“It was Jiro, look!” Her index finger taps on the glass before her, protruding outwards in the direction of a figure standing on a nearby roof, “He must have sniped Beppu’s pilot! That’s what that noise was!”

Niko’s sight locks onto his officer standing atop a rooftop below, as the shooter holds his rifle in a prideful, relaxed stance. He waves his hand softly in the air, heeding his attention to the three officers overhead. Niko smiles proudly at his friend, and grips the seats behind Kagome and Yuuto tight in excitement.

He brings his gaze back ahead, where the turbulent aircraft continues shifting in the air and tipping towards the Earth. Suddenly, Beppu returns to the side of the helicopter - now with a full black backpack on his person. “Oh no…” Niko whispers beneath his breath, “He’s gonna-”

Haruto jumps from the unpiloted chopper, and spreads his limbs against the push of the night air. Niko, Kagome, and Yuuto all stare in disbelief at the criminal’s actions. Kagome, snapping her head to her feet, reaches down and yanks a black backpack of her own from the floor. Throwing her eyes to her Captain, her face draws into a serious expression.

“Niko, you have to go after him!” She pushes, handing the parachute into Niko’s body, “You can’t let him get away, go! We’ll land the helicopter and meet you down there soon! Go!”

Niko blinks, then accepts the parachute in his grip. Swallowing another lump of anxiety down his tight throat, Niko tosses the sack onto his back, and crawls to the open door on the side of the aircraft. His hands land on the frame as his head leans out of the gaping exit - his sight immediately closing in on Haruto’s descending body.

A shaky, unbalanced breath skates past Niko’s wet lips. Without giving it a second thought, he bravely launches himself out of the aircraft, and nosedives towards his target below him. With his aerodynamic posture, Niko quickly encroaches on Haruto - without him even realizing. The thick, liquidy wind flying past Niko’s ears tickles his eardrums, and that same air pushes and pulls his blonde locs out of his set face.

Haruto reaches his hand up, and sets his fingers atop of a red rope extending from his parachute. Before he gets the opportunity to pull, Niko reaches his target, and latches his arms onto his neck. Instantly, Haruto’s own hands clasp the Captain’s rough hold as Niko brings the criminal into his chest.

“What the-”

Reaching one hand into the inside of his blazer, Niko plucks out a sharp, serrated knife. Thrusting the weapon out, he stabs the blade into Haruto’s stomach - twisting the knife into his gut. Throaty, disgruntled groans swim at the back of Beppu’s mouth, and Niko’s jaw clenches in concentration.

Niko rips the knife from Haruto’s torn stomach, and lets the man go from his wretched hold. Instead of pulling the chord to unleash his parachute, Beppu limply falls through the air - his blood pouring from his open wound. Keeping his eyes trained on the lifeless form below him, Niko pulls his own wire, and activates his parachute.

“Can’t outrun me, asshole.”

Flying through the air, Niko pulls at his ropes to lead him safely towards the ground - without obstructing any building or passing person. Soon, his feet cautiously step upon the cobblestone beneath him, as a grand, elegant water fountain performs behind him. The large, enveloping parachute drifts its cloth onto the ground beside him as he takes the backpack off his shoulders.

He sighs, dragging his sight around the small town park around him. No sign of the fallen corpse anywhere near his current position, nor any of his subordinate officers. However, what does catch his eye are the strangely out-of-place objects scattering the ground beneath him. Niko draws his face together, and basks in the oddity of the items around him.

A multitude of wooden spoons scatter the grass - all of them the same shape, placed and thrown sporadically around his immediate area. He reaches down, and picks one up, holding it cautiously in his grasp. Suddenly, he hears Junko calling his name, and his head snaps up towards the root of the noise.

Despite the seemingly close nature of the sound, Junko is nowhere in sight. Niko spins around, searching for his sister. “Niko!” She calls again, her voice sounding so close, but her person is nowhere close to Niko’s position, “Niko! Niko!”

“Junko?!” The brother asks confusedly, “Where are you? I hear you, but I can’t see you!” Niko’s face pulls together in a tense, disoriented expression as he shifts his eyes over the surrounding park. “Niko!” Junko’s voice repeatedly calls, but with no immediate source of this noise. Snapping his head around again, Niko’s sight finally lands upon his sister, who stands before him underneath the overhead lamp post.

Niko smiles at the sight, and his rigid body visibly relaxes. “There you are, Junko!” He comments, his voice content and loose, “I couldn’t see you for a minute there. Where’s Ren? Did you meet up with Jiro?”

“Niko!” Junko shouts again, though he has already given his attention to her. “Junko? Why are you-”

“Niko!” She shouts again, this time reaching into the back of her waistband. Junko jerks out a wooden spoon, and clutches it in her fist. Her gaze stays unwavering from her brother before her, and her pale blue eyes squint in concentration. “What are you doing?! You’re really creeping me out,” Niko comments, his voice uncertain and uneasy.

Junko winds up her arm, and throws the spoon directly at Niko’s standing figure. Suddenly, he feels incapable of moving, and his own feet glue to the ground beneath him. His lips part in confusion and shock, while his eyes shut tightly - bracing for impact. The hard thwack of the utensil strikes his forehead, and an instantaneous burning sensation ripples throughout his head.

Upon opening his eyes, Niko is now in his bedroom, and the annoying morning sunlight pours through his open window in front of him. Beyond confused, Niko thrusts his eyes open further, and takes in his surroundings.

A pile of wooden spoons clutter his bed, and a pounding, throbbing sensation stems from his forehead. Reaching a hand to console the wound, he hears a noise from his doorway. “Oh, finally, you’re awake,” Junko states exasperatedly, her voice breathy and relieved. Niko throws his gaze to the entryway, and his sight lands upon his sister.

She stands below the door frame, with an apron tied around her front, and her arms filled with a bunch of wooden spoons. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for so long,” She says, readjusting her hold on the utensils in her arms, “Come on, get up. I made breakfast. I have to head to work soon, and I figured you would want to tag along again.”

“Were you… throwing wooden spoons at me… to wake me up?!” Niko questions, his sleepy voice angered and on edge. Junko blinks at the question, and - after a moment - walks away from the bedroom, spoons in hand. “Junko! You bitch! You could have just shaken me awake, like a normal person!”

Everything from Haruto Beppu, the couple debating about the amount of floors of the hotel, to Niko’s jump into the helicopter, and stabbing his target mid-air… was all just a dream.

In reality, Niko is just a seventeen year-old, near high-school dropout living with his older sister. The Special Operations Task Force is not headed by this boy, but instead by his father - Mamoru Fukumoto - who, in turn, appointed Junko as his immediate Lieutenant. Being too young, Niko was not even an officer in this department, let alone the ringleader of it all.

This story is not about Niko, and all of his wishful, hopeful glory. It’s about his sister, Junko: her everlasting legacy, her crippling selflessness, and her effort to control the uncontrollable.