Everyone Has A Button

The door hissed open and Chief Goda returned to the cell, disposable cups in his hands.

‘I warned you, Kurama. I told you to leave it alone.’

‘Yeah, well, I’ve got a short memory.’

They’d been at it for hours now. Taking it in turns.

Kurama leaned forward in his chair. The one opposite him, on the other side of the interrogation table was occupied by Hashimoto.

‘How is she?’ He asked. ‘Is she holding up ok?’

‘Oh, you care about her now?’ Said Hashimoto. ‘After you dragged her along with you.’

‘She’s my partner.’ He said quietly, and ran his hand through the hair on the back of his head.

‘She’s fine.’ Said Goda. ‘I’d worry about myself, if I was you.’

He placed one of the cups on the table. ‘We got you on exceeding your light limit, ignoring a direct order, impersonating a superior officer… not to mention the assault on Omori.’

Kurama picked up the cup. ‘Yeah, to be honest, I’m quite insulted I’m only worth one token.’

‘—And the thing at visage,’ he continued, his eyes hardening. ‘What were you thinking, Kurama?! Do you have any idea how much trouble that caused me.’

‘A little.’ He said.

The Chief leant back and let out a breath.

In his head, Kurama was making calculations like a central processor left to run numbers. It’s not like I have any information… why are they holding me? There must be some reason he needs to keep me here.

He had to get out. He looked at the door.

Hashimoto moved his chair forward.

Maybe he could buy some time. Appeal to pride. Wasn’t difficult to find a conceit to appeal to with Hashimoto. No. That wasn’t it. Not pride. A faint light as though from a distant window shone in his mind. He thought of Ichihara.

Everyone has a button.

The old man always told him that.

Listen to your gut. It’s a lot smarter than you are. He smiled.

The door bleeped and hissed again as Goda waved his hand in front of the scanner and left.

‘Oh, you’re enjoying yourself now?’ Spat Hashimoto.

‘Listen. We have to warn—‘

‘Ahh, this again—‘ Hashimoto stood and turned his back on him. ‘What was it… we’re being invaded by Geists, and they’re intelligent… some of them have got degrees.’

He turned to him. ‘But I’m confused Kurama? Now you exceeded your light level, aren’t you a bug too? What are you doing, snitching on your comrades?’

‘Not the Geists. It’s the vanguard.’

‘Of course, of course, how could I forget?’ He span on his heel, holding his arms aloft. ‘The vanguard are the invaders. It all makes sense now.’

‘It’s not—‘ Kurama exhaled. ‘Listen, Hashimoto. I know we haven’t always got on—‘

Hashimoto looked round.

‘I mean, at all… ever. But this is bigger. Think about it. The vanguard were rolled out as a direct response to the Geists. They have access to high security areas in all government facilities. The Geists were just there to provoke the reponse.’

Hashimoto’s eyes remained on him. ‘Drak, Kurama. I thought you were just an asshole… but you’re actually insane aren’t you?’

‘They have no other way to establish a physical presence.’

‘Sounds scary.’ Said Hashimoto. ‘Who are they by the way?’

‘That’s—‘ he stopped. ‘That’s not important.’

‘And I suppose we need to let you go so you can stop this invasion? Go save the world.’

‘Yes!’

‘Drak, Kurama you got some ego you know that?’ Hashimoto’s face had turned red. ‘You always thought you were above us, didn’t you?’

Not pride.

***

‘Maybe you’re just beneath me.’

‘What?’ Hashimoto shot him a confused look.

‘You said I think I’m above you. It’s because you’re beneath me.’

‘What are you talking about—‘ His eyes darted about as though he didn’t know how to react.

‘You must have been dreaming of this moment. After all, washed up old cop like you. Out of shape, overweight…’

Hashimoto’s eyes widened.

‘What are you like 150, 160… you gotta have… five years max, I reckon. And then it’s off to the cherry blossoms, nothing left behind to show for it.’ He shook his head. ‘No wonder you had it in for me.’

‘What the fuck, you piece of—‘

‘Must have stung like hell knowing how much better a cop I was too. No matter what you did, couldn’t match up.’ He laughed. ‘Ahhh man.’

Hashimoto’s eye twitched.

***

His chair fell back, and the room blurred, Hashimoto’s face leaning over him.

His fist came down again and again and again.

Kurama glanced to his left at a section of the wall beside the door. The chief was there behind the two way bricks. He’d been on the other side himself on many occasions. The door was buzzing red repeatedly. Hashimoto had blocked the scanner.

‘Is that it?’ Said Kurama and laughed, coughing up a little blood.

He took a few more punches for that one.

‘Still here.’ He said, though the words came out muffled. The door was still buzzing frantically. He could hear them working on the scanner from the other side.

‘You like that?’ Hashimoto was knelt over him, breathing heavily. He mopped his brow with his sleeve. ‘What’ve you got to say now?’

The knuckles of his hand were badly bruised.

Not good enough.

‘You ok?’ Kurama said. ‘You look in worse shape than me. Hey… I heard.. your wife hit harder when they pulled her in for street walking. But then… lot of weight to put behind it, I guess…’

Hashimoto’s eye twitched again, his face flushing red.

‘Attaboy.

Pain. Left, right, left, right. The fist came down like a hammer swinging. Drawing up, then down. As he raised it again, Kurama saw the skin around the knuckles was now broken, indigo blood leaking from it in spidery streaks. It came down again like a meteor strike.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

‘Get him out of here!’ Shouted the Chief.

Two cops ran over and dragged Hashimoto away.

Goda put a hand to his forehead. ‘That was—listen, he’ll be punished for that.’

‘Great. I feel better already.’ Mumbled Kurama.

Goda looked back once before leaving the room.

He put a hand to his cheek and winced, then held it up before him. It was as blurred as the ceiling behind it but he could make out the patches of indigo.

He’d have smiled if it didn’t hurt so much.

You stupid asshole, Hashimoto.