The Truth? You Can't Handle the Truth!

‘In the beginning…

The angel Lucifer was cast out of Heaven and condemned to rule Hell for all eternity.

Until he decided to take a vacation…

But…

Little does he know; he also left his daughter.

Who will stop at nothing to bring him back…’

Precap

Aradia: “Detective?”

Detective: “Who are you?”

Aradia: “Detective, I have already told you who I am”

Detective: “What? That you are the Devil? No Aradia-san I need to know who you REALLY are!”

Aradia: “That IS who I am, Detective”

*He places a file on the table with Aradia’s picture on it*

Aradia: “What is this?”

Detective: “Come with me”

*The Detective takes Aradia with him to the Precinct where he shows her Sakura’s reality*

Aradia: “B-but how? She was so innocent.”

Detective: “When she was younger she got mixed with the wrong people. She had a boyfriend who was a part of that gang. At that time the gang wasn’t dangerous, just a bunch of kids involved in the wrong things”

*After a while of going back and forth the Lieutenant comes*

Detective: “Lieutenant”

Lieutenant: “Amano-san and… I’m sorry you are?”

Aradia: “Oh. Morningstar Aradia. Pleasure to meet you”

Lieutenant: “Likewise. Detective Amano, a word”

*The detective and the lieutenant go to the side and Aradia sees something and tells the Detective when they go back to her house*

Aradia: “Detective, I think I know who the ‘Striker’ is”

Detective: “What?! Who?”

Aradia: “The Lieutenant”

Blank Screen

“You remember when we caught Rio and he was telling us about the ‘Striker’ and how he has that scar on his right leg?” I start my explanation.

The detective nods and gestures for me to continue.

“Well I saw the same scar on the Lieutenant’s right leg. Detective, I think he’s the ‘Striker’!” I tell him.

“Impossible! I refuse to believe that! The Lieutenant’s my idol! It was because of him that I wanted to become a detective. He took me under his wing and trained me, and frankly, Aradia-san, I know that I accused your friend but you have no right in accusing someone I know. Besides he’s a police officer we get these sorts of injuries” he lectures me.

Is he fucking serious right now?

“I don’t believe this! Why won’t you believe me?” I ask.

He sighs while running his hand through his hair, he looks here and there before his gaze falls on me again.

“It’s not the matter about me believing you or not. I just don’t think you should judge someone so quickly, despite having failed judging someone before. You thought Sakura was a good person and she turned out to be like this” he tells me.

“She WAS a GOOD person, Detective. Just ended up making the wrong choices. You can’t tell me you’ve never made a mistake ONCE in your life” I retaliate.

He scoffs, “I’m not saying I’m perfect! Of course I’ve made a mistake, but my mistake hadn’t cost anyone’s life”

“Oh really? Well how about, err let’s see, perhaps, YOUR WIFE!” I yell.

There’s a pin drop silence as we’re both looking at each other. The room is thick with the tension between the both of us. He storms towards me and pins me against the walls, both of his hands on either side of my head.

“That was different. I wasn’t involved in some gang which killed my wife. I’m the guy trying to keep the world safe, trying to make it a better place. But there are other people who are obviously influenced by the Devil!” he seethes making me look up at him in anger.

I don’t make them do anything!

“How dare you!” I say between my teeth.

The tips of our noses are touching at the proximity between us. I feel my face heat up from the pure rage I’m feeling and I can see the detective’s eyes turn bloodshot red from the anger.

But despite everything, despite the anger I can feel for him. His mint- coffee mixed breath is lightly fanning my face. His cologne is releasing a citrusy scent kind of like ‘Diesel: Only the Brave’ it’s not too strong, just enough for it to linger in the air between us.

Detective, I hate you. But you’re driving me crazy in a way I can’t explain…

With all the power I could gather I push him with my hand and he takes a couple of steps back.

“Detective” I say slightly out of breath, my chest heaving.

“Leave” I tell him once I’ve clamed myself down a little, I’m two seconds away from launching him to the Russian outskirts.

“Fine!” he grits.

He picks his coat which is lying on the sofa and leaves the house, shutting the door with a bang.

“FUCK!” I yell.

Why, Detective? Why would you say that?

Looking around I’m thinking ‘Fuck everything’ I go upstairs and take out a suitcase putting all my clothes in it. Once I’ve finished with the clothes I grab some empty boxes, or whatever I can find and put everything in them.

Screw everything and everyone! Uncle Amenadiel was right, I’ve been spending too much time with these mortals. I need to just focus on finding Dad. I should’ve never gotten involved with any of them!

I wish I never met any of them!

I wish I never saved Sakura!

I wish I never met the Detective!

I wish I never…

My inner monologue is interrupted by someone’s rapidly knocking on my door with great force.

“Bloody Hell! You trying to break the door… Detective?” I say surprised to see him once I’ve opened the door.

I was about to yell when I saw blood dripping from his forehead, he had a cut on his lip and his hand was on his side.

“What the Hell happened?” I asked pulling him in and shutting the door.

I led him to the sofa making him sit down.

“Hold on” I say and quickly grab a glass of water handing it him.

He drinks quickly, by the time he’s finished I’ve retrieved the first aid kit from the kitchen cabinet, I sit down next to him and start cleaning his wounds.

“They got Anya” he finally managed to speak after 30 seconds.

I drop everything and stand up looking at him shocked.

Repeat that! 

“Whose gotten Anya?” I ask, I can already feel my blood bubbling.

“Some guys wearing masks… t-they broke in. I t-tried to stop them… I tried to fight back… but they…” he was out of breath, tired and in pain.

“It was probably the gang. I’m telling you, Detective. Stop trusting that Lieutenant!”

He looks at me, opens his mouth to speak but then closes it.

“For once, just listen to me. Just think about it carefully. Okay, I admit you guys are officers and you go through these things. But what are the odds that someone has the exact same scar that the leader of the most dangerous gang has, hmm?” I question him.

I can see the gears in his brain turning as he thinks about my question.

“Don’t you think it’s possible that maybe, just maybe, the ‘Striker’ could be posing as a Lieutenant for the Tokyo Police Department, just so he stays ahead with the law and no one suspects anything?” I hit him with another one.

I can see that what I’m doing is working because the detective is slowly backing up to the sofa and slowly sits down.

“Why do you think it’s taken so long for you guys to catch these guys? Not because they’re too good or you guys don’t have enough force or whatever. But because they have an insider working alongside you guys” I say and go to sit down next to him.

His head was down and he was running his fingers through his hair, but when he felt my presence near him, he lifted his head.

“If what you’re saying is true, Aradia-san. Then that would be the day I quit being a detective. I will retire from the force there and then” he tells me getting up.

I grab his hand, stopping him from leaving.

“No you won’t” I tell him also standing up.

He turns to face me.

“What?” he asks.

“No, because this world needs more honest, and capable officers like you. Detective, you became a police officer to make a world a better place. You did it to ensure your wife and daughter are safe. You did it in order to protect them. Heck, you worked extra hard just to provide for your family at a young age when you found out you had gotten your girlfriend pregnant! How may guys can say that?” I ask him.

I saw a small smile appear on his lips making me smile too.

“Please, Detective. Promise me that no matter what happens you won’t ever think about quitting the force. Pinkie swear!” I tell him while sticking my pinkie out.

He looks down at my hand and chuckles before curling his finger around mine.

“Cross my heart. Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye” I say before pulling away.

“That’s it! The deal is sealed you can’t break it!” I warned.

He laughs at my ridiculous oath.

At least I made him smile and laugh. It’s true, detective. You look even more handsome this way.

“Okay, Aradia-san. I promise to stay in the force no matter what happens”

“Good” I smile.

“Okay what’s the plan?” I ask.

“I don’t know! I don’t fucking know!” he yells before punching the wall, he leaves a crack in the wall making me jump a little.

Oh geez!

“We will find her! No matter what, we will” I say and begin to think.

“In fact I know just the person to ask” I say and take out my phone.

I quickly dial it to the one person who will definitely help me with this.

“Hello, Aunt Maze?”

“Hi, Honey. Long time. Did you find, Lucifer?” she asks.

“No, not yet. Long story. But Aunt Maze I need your help and I know you used to be a Bounty Hunter; can you please help me find the location of the ‘Scorpion’ Gang?” I ask.

“Sure, I can do that. But it’s going to take some time. Give me an hour” she says.

“Okay, thank you, Aunt Maze. Love you” I say.

“Love you too” she replies before cutting the call.

“Your Aunt’s a Bounty Hunter?” the detective asks.

I nod smiling a little.

“Yeah, back in LA. She runs my Dad’s pub and she hunts Bounties but other than that if you ask her to find someone she does it really quick. She told me to give her an hour” I say and he nods.

We both sit down but this time there’s no tension in the air. There’s no sound of arguing. Just pure silence, and not the awkward kind, but the comfortable one.

“Umm, Aradia-san” the Detective speaks up making me look up at him.

“Yes?” I ask.

“I just wanted to apologise. Despite everything you’re still willing to help me find my daughter” he says sincerely.

I chuckle, “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for my little raindrop. I won’t let anything happen to her. I swear to, Grandad, I will drag those bastards to Hell, personally if they even lay a finger on her”

“Nothing will happen to her, right? Because I swear if something happens then I’ll…”

“No” I say quickly not wanting him to finish that sentence.

“I swear nothing will happen to her”

I look down at my hands as I’m standing, before looking back up at him.

“I should also apologise for what I said, about your wife. It wasn’t your fault” I smile a little.

He nods but I can see the pool of tears in those moon-coloured eyes of his, and I hate it! I hate the fact that he’s crying and that I’M partly the reason why he is. I’M partly the reason for his sadness.

I pace the room, playing with my necklace when my phone pings, I take it out of my back pocket and a smirk settles on my lips.

“Found them. Let’s go!” I say.

The detective gets up before I remember something.

“Wait!” I say making him look at me confused.

“We need these” I say and grab two daggers out from the drawer, these daggers belonged to Aunt Maze before she handed them to me.

I spin them on my forefingers before placing them in the waistband of my jeans.

I tell the Detective that I’ll drive while he navigates, since I have a habit of going ‘Fast and Furious,’ and yes this is Tokyo so damn right I’m gonna drift.