Hanayama's Princess

chapter 12 - This was my mess, now I have to clean it up.

(Sophia's POV)

I glance at the screen, placing a hand on Doyle's shoulder. The pictures quickly flickered past, trying and failing to find the face we were looking for. I removed my bloody work gloves, already cleaning the wet leather.

"Any luck?"

I shake my head, eyeing my shirt and the blood splatter "another dead end." We had been searching for Nicholas for the last two months with no luck.

"We'll find him soon enough; he can't hide forever."

"Hey baby. You lost?"

The voice came from behind me, arrogant and male. I paused, seeing a few more punks circle before me.

"Yeah baby."

I roll my eyes, considering everything I'd been through these guys were about a 1.3 on the terror scale. My hand tingles, this was the first day I'd taken my arm out of the sling and my fingers were itching for blood.

"We're doing a survey on Japan's youth. So could you take out your wallet and let us take a look inside?" I watch him pull a hunting blade, eyes flickering down my frame "Unless you want to satisfy us in others ways..."

His friends took another step towards me. I slam my leg into his crotch, grabbing the blade as he folds over and turn to his buddy, cutting off the hand moving to my ass. The severed hand falls to the ground as I slam the blade into his throat. We take two steps back before I yank the metal to the left, slicing through the carotid artery. He hits the ground, body twitching as he tries to stop the bleeding with one hand. I turn back to his friends with a twisted smile.

"Hey boys, I'm doing a survey on people's will to live. If you want to, you should take out your wallets."

The blood rolled down the blade and onto the floor, the three of them backing up in fear.

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(Katsumi's POV)

I'd heard it this morning, the bodies of four people were found in the river by local fisherman. Given the gruesome nature of the bodies I had no doubt this was somehow connected to Sophia. I didn't miss the irony in that one. Shin Shin Kai had over ten thousand participants all over the world, every one of them at my reach except the one I needed. So, I couldn't help but slam on the breaks when I turned the corner, seeing none other Iowa walking out of the super market.

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..

"Iowa, wait!"

I grab her arm, the bag tumbling to the ground around us. She looks at me, eyes hardening. I sigh, lifting my hands.

"I'm sorry. That was rude..." I kneel down with her, grabbing items "I just don't know where you guys are staying."

"Good." She snaps, shoving more items into the bag "And it's going to stay that way."

I sigh, watching her walk down the block and notice the white bottle of pills.

"Hey Iowa! You forgot your-" I freeze, reading the label "Pills..."

What the hell was going on...

..

..

I found Sophia soon after, for a woman 'in Hiding' the brunette was outside a lot. I watch her sucker punch another fool, the male hitting the floor with a thud. She ruffles through his jacket, taking out some papers with a shake of her head.

"Sophia."

Her eyes flicker to me, a darkness lingering in there depths "What?"

"Are you crazy?"