Chasing Rumors, Part 3: Acquaintances of a Past Life

[hellcash]

Club Zodiac, 9:00PM. All of the rebellious teenagers sway on the dance floor to the music, creating a writhing mass of bodies. Strobe lights are going behind them, and the bar on the far wall is lit up by coils of flourescant lights

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[hellcash]

Baofu is silent as he inches out of the door and into the scarlet halls. The guards continue chatting, giving descriptions of that lovely lady that works at the Pachinko parlor.

Without much warning, he takes a quick step out of the shadows and then starts walking like he'd been there the entire time. He strolls right up to the guards and gives a nod.

"Panther."

The guards stop their conversation to snigger, and then roll their eyes. "Sorry, man, password got changed after that group of crazy people came in here and took the last Joker."

Baofu's eyebrow twitches. This is getting troublesome.

"Do you know the new password? If not, we're gonna have to kick your ass out."

"Oh, yes. I know the new password." He pauses to push up his sunglasses, and then makes a fist. "It's 'knuckle sandwich.'"

The guards look at him all confused and Baofu flicks a coin into the camera perched in the corner of the little entrance. It sparks and then shuts down.

And, fwoosh! Baofu punches one of them in the face and kicks the other into the wall in two quick, calculated motions. Both guards hit the ground and are unconscious.

"Suou, would you mind grabbing one of these asshats and stowing him somewhere? We can't have anyone finding them."

[sumarus_finest]

Katsuya doesn't have much time to respond while Baofu takes the matter into his own hands. Instead, he stands in the shadows, giving a confused look as he works out exactly how the last thirty seconds had worked as well as they had.

"Ah...y-yeah. I've got this one." Katsuya replies, nodding to one of the guards as he finally approaches, dragging him down the hall before stopping outside a janitorial closet. He looks around before picking the lock and shoving the unconscious guard inside, and when both guards are secured, he shuts the door quickly.

"That was certainly easier than I thought it would be." He says over his shoulder to Baofu.

[hellcash]

Baofu stuffs the other guard into the janitor's closet, then steps back as Katsuya shuts and locks the door. He runs a hand through his hair and smirks.

"It's all skill, grasshopper." The rumormonger says with a smirk and then heads over to the large red doors the guards were standing in front of. He opens them, saunters on in without holding it for Katsuya.

[sumarus_finest]

"Your nicknames ceased to be amusing about the second one you came up with." Katsuya points out quietly when Baofu turns and wanders off to the doors the guards had been watching over.

An empty hall is all that greets his eyes, since the rumormonger had already wandered in.

"Ah...!" Katsuya hurries to follow the other. Baofu had been like this all day. They'd set up the taps in the morning, and after that had gone back to digging through all the information Katsuya had brought before heading out to the club once the sun had started setting. The whole time, Baofu had been like this.

Katsuya doesn't suppose he blames the other, since this man was the last person he'd had a chance to deliver justice to as his old self. To have that taken from him...Katsuya can only imagine how upset he must be.

"Doesn't mean he has to start barging in without thinking.." Katsuya mutters under his breath. Katsuya wouldn't do anything like that again. The cop had common sense, thank you.

Faint voices can be made out through another set of doors, and Katsuya stops suddenly, trying to figure out if they are more guards, or if that could be the man they're looking for.

[hellcash]

Well, the route into the casino is easy enough. Seems that Baofu knows exactly where to go; the taps he'd set up and information he'd gather have led him to know exactly where Nakamura is. Upstairs balcony, one of the back rooms. Undoubtedly indulging in some of his illegal habits. Drugs, women, something like that.

"C'mon, daffodil." Baofu mutters, gesturing for Katsuya to follow. He climbs the stairs, flashing his usual grin to those who pass by.

Soon enough, the two of them are at the door. Baofu doesn't hesitate. He just opens the door.