"I refuse to work with them! Look at him! Look at him with his fat lips- he even looks untrustworthy!"

"N-Nagachika-san.. p-please calm down already..!" Tooru begged.

"I will not take this sitting down!! I can take being eaten by a ghoul; I can take being on the far end of Mado-san's intuition! BUT I CANNOT HANDLE WORKING WITH THAT FAT-LIPPED B*ST*RD WHO DOESN'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT RESPECT!!!"

'Um.. N-Nagachika-san, I think.. you.. are the one who doesn't know what respect is..' Tooru thought, and Urie scoffed, no doubt thinking along the same lines.

"Do you hear me, circus clown?" Hide looked straight into the man's eyes, "I deal with Mado-san's mistrust every single day! I have been bitten by a ghoul! I HAVE SEEN MANY OF MY FRIENDS FALL AND BE KIDNAPPED!! AND YOU EXPECT ME TO ADD DEALING WITH YOUR STUPID PERSONALITY ON THE LIST OF MY MISFORTUNE?!!! I SINGLE-HANDEDLY DEAL WITH FOUR KIDS EVERY SINGLE DAY!! AND MIND YOU, THEY ARE COMPLETE OPPOSITES!!!"

{I definitely realize now, why Haise is in control of the Q Squad..! X'DDDDD I'm laughing my butt off, dang it!!!}

"Nagachika!!" Akira shouted, finally getting through to the orange-haired fellow since he was finished (for now) with his rant. "That is enough. You are working with them."

"Nooooo!!" Hide whined, "I am NOT working with them!! The Q Squad and I can take care of the Orangehead just fine!!" Hide fumed.

"Nagachika, don't even think about trying to finish this case quickly just to get out of this. The case of the Orangehead is a case for the Q SQUAD. Not Hideyoshi Nagachika. You need to get that into your thick-headed brain."

Hide's demonic glare turned to his coworkers, "WE ARE MURDERING THIS STUPID ORANGEHEAD. UNDERSTOOD? WE WILL NOT BE STOOD UP. WE WILL DESTROY THIS GHOUL WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES. We are leaving!" Hide declared, grabbing his coat, and stomping out. Tooru bowed heavily as the other two Qs followed their quickly-paced superior. Tooru joined them quickly after.

Akira sighed heavily, shaking her head.

Sure, it must be a lot to deal with those kids, but those kids have to deal with Hide just the same.

In other words, all five of them are a handful to each other.

----------------------------------

"Wrong!! Orangehead is obviously this person!!"

"... (Stupid brat..)" Urie fumed.

The two were currently in a heated(?) argument about who the Orangehead was.

"P-Please calm down, you two.." Tooru tried to lessen the tension.

"Just let them argue, Mu-chan," Saiko was eating her chips as she watched no doubt another anime.

"B-But.." Tooru turned back to the two.

Normally they all got along just fine (for the most part), but when Hide was pushed over the edge.. -or in other words, when he wasn't happy about something they were dealing with- Hide didn't really get along with anyone.

He really was a lone wolf..

"I'm going after the CORRECT Orangehead!" Hide declared, grabbing his briefcase, "You all stay here while I take care of the ghoul!"

"B-But M-Mado-san told us to.. work on this together!"

"... (Hmph. Whatever. I'll just go after the REAL Orangehead.)"

The two left, and Shirazu followed Urie. Tooru grabbed Saiko and followed Hide.

"Eh?!! Mu-chan, what are you doing?!! I was in the middle of watching-"

"That doesn't matter, Saiko-chan!!" Tooru cried out.

Pout..

"First this pointless morning, now this.."

------------------------------------------

"N-Nagachika-san, please!! We need to go after Urie-kun and Shirazu-kun!! What if they get hurt?!!"

Hide took his knife out of the ghoul, a dark expression on his face.

"They should've just listened to me," Hide flicked the blood off his knife. Tooru had froze upon seeing Hide's expression.

They'd never seen Hide kill a ghoul alone. Supposedly, it was different from when they killed one together..

Tooru and Saiko hurriedly followed the dark-auraed investigator.

----------------------------------------------

Shirazu was staring death in the face. HE WAS SERIOUSLY STARING DEATH IN ITS FACE!!

And just as he said goodbye to his life, tears streaming his face as he thought about the fact that his sister wouldn't have anyone to look after her, the ghoul was cut in half.

"E-Eh?" Shirazu blinked. The two sides fell to the floor, and Shirazu was met with an even scarier sight.

"Fools. I told you to stay. At. Home," Hide pointed his dagger at Shirazu.

"N-Nagachika-san!!" Tooru fretted.

"When I tell you to do something, you do it. I don't want to have your deaths on my hands. Got it? I. Don't. Want. You. Killed. So listen to what I say, and do it. Do you understand, SHIRAZU?"

"Y-Yes!!" Shirazu squeaked.

"Saiko and Mutsuki are barely able to kill a stupid ghoul currently, and you and Urie get yourself hurt regardless. You also lose your quinque every time. And with your carelessness, I doubt you can kill a stupid ghoul. I don't even want Saiko and Mutsuki trying to kill a stupid ghoul right now. They aren't ready. If something went wrong, they'd be dead. Do you understand me?" Hide flicked the blood off his knife.

"Y-Yes!"

"Good. Keep that in mind. Urie!"

"Nngh.."

"Did you hear what I just said?"

Urie lifted his dirty face off the floor, scowling.

"You're lucky he didn't hear your heartbeat, or you really would be dead, not just knocked out. Do you understand yet? That you and Shirazu cannot beat a stupid ghoul on your own? I mean, for Pete's sake! And you! Stop f*cking eavesdropping on us! I am so sick of having you around the corner every second!!" A giggle was heard, footsteps hurrying away. Hide snorted, "Honestly. That freak.. I swear, I don't know how she came out of those two.."

"You just let a ghoul get away?!!" Urie shouted.

Hide glared at him, "That was Eto, of Aogiri, Urie. Do you honestly think we could beat her right now? I don't really wanna find out. You guys are stupid for having never noticed her. I have seen her three times this past week, and I doubt I'm the only Q she's been stalking. If you want to complain about me letting her go, try and be able to detect when she's near you in the first place.

"Is that understood?! You four will have a test! If you can detect when Eto is near you, I'll accept that you have gained enough experience to fight a stupid ghoul on your own. Until then though, I will not spar with you guys. Talk amongst yourselves, I don't care, but train with your partner from now on. But! There is one very important rule! This is directed towards you, Urie, and Shirazu. DO NOT ENGAGE ETO. If you detect her, tell her to leave, and you'll hear a giggle, and she'll leave. Start recording or something before you tell her to leave so I have proof you really detected her and did not engage. Is that understood?" The other Qs all spoke confirmation, glad that the normal Hide was back. "Dismissed," Hide flicked his knife again, sliding the rest of the blood onto his pant leg. He glanced at a bush but let it be.

-------------------------------------------

"...(Stupid Nagachika.)" Urie growled, doing push-ups on the floor. Tooru glanced at him but said nothing, continuing her own training of throwing knives at the target. Shirazu was on the floor, seeming to be moping and thinking. Saiko was eating chips next to him.

"Nee, is this really what we're supposed to be doing?" Shirazu inquired.

Tooru threw another knife, "I know I should be focusing on becoming attentive and aware.." She threw another knife, "But before that, I want to be able to aim properly. Nagachika-san told us that he would let us fight a stupid ghoul on our own once we detect Eto," Tooru turned towards them, "so I need to be ready physically before I can be ready to try and detect her. Saiko, too.. Or rather, motivation's her issue.."

"I guess I get what you're saying.. and what about me and Urie? Hissan was always telling us to focus on teamwork.."

"I think Nagachika-san expects you two to work on that before you detect Eto.. I actually think working on that would help you work on detecting Eto.. but that's just my opinion. I think you and Urie-kun should train together towards what Nagachika-san wants.. I think 'talk amongst yourselves' was really directed towards you and Urie-kun.. After all, me and Saiko talked before the last spar.. I think Nagachika-san expects us to continue on that and for you guys to start doing that also.. We first need to get along with our partners. Really establish a partnership, a team. Then we can start on actually training. Saiko, you should be focusing on training yourself.."

"Don' wanna."

"Even if that's the case.." Shirazu turned his gaze to Urie, "Urie doesn't seem to want to train together."

Urie finally got up and inserted himself in the conversation, "I'm training on my own. I don't need your help," he grabbed a towel and exited. Tooru and Shirazu sighed.

"What I'm really wondering about.." Tooru mumbled, "is why Eto is stalking us in the first place.. It worries me. What would she have to gain by that? Why? And how long has she been stalking us?"

"Well.. Hissan seemed to be kind of sick of her stalking us.. so it must be a while."

"Yeah.. Nagachika isn't one to really get irritated quickly.. He's the patient type.. I think he might've even refrained from asking her to leave when she was stalking more than just him.. so that we weren't afraid.. What do you think, Saiko?"

"Hm? Well, I think.." Saiko finished her chip and continued, "Pappan might smell them."

"Huh?"

"Pappan is better at us at everything.. Smell, hearing, strength, speed, intelligence, you name it. And.. I sometimes smell this specific smell.. I never smell it in the chateau though. I thought it was just a smell, but now that I think about it.. there are sometimes that I smell it in one area but don't smell it in that same area another time, and sometimes I smell it in some other area. So it must be a person."

"The-Then let's rely on your smell, Saiko!!" Shirazu declared, and a knife struck the wall next to him. Shirazu fearfully drifted his eyes towards the door. Hide was standing there, and he looked awfully groggy.

The same word entered the Qs heads at the same time: Nightmare.

Hide scratched the back of his head, "I thought I explained to you guys.." he mumbled, "that you have to detect Eto on your own.. Where's Urie?"

"U-Urie-kun.. w-went out.." Tooru replied shakily.

"Where?" Hide pried. His eyes were dilated, bags hanging heavy below them. His face was slightly less paler though, which meant Hide's bad mood was fading out. Good news.

"We don't know.." Shirazu mumbled, "I think he went to train alone?"

"Give me my knife," Hide held out his hand. Shirazu glanced at the knife warily and pulled it out.

"O-Oh! Let me!" Tooru took the knife, "I've been practicing on the target you gave me!" Tooru gripped the knife. Hide gave a sluggish, creepy-looking-because-he-looks-like-the-dead smile.

"Oh? Show me, Mutsuki."

"H-Hai!" Tooru dragged her hand back, breathed deeply, prayed to God, and chucked it.

Hide caught it at the last second, "Good, good!" Tooru heaved a sigh of relief.

That almost gave her a heart attack..! Hide hadn't been showing any initiative to catch it!

"A-Are you sure you should be out like this though, N-Nagachika-san..?"

"Huh?" Hide's mood clearly soured a little.

"I-I mean, you're clearly tired.."

"..." Hide stared at her dully. He walked away, and the Qs assumed he'd forgotten Tooru's question.

"I didn't hear him screaming," Saiko commented.

"It might've been one of those," Tooru replied.

There were different types of dreams that put Hide in a bad mood. There were the ones that made him scream, clear nightmares. There were others that he was all giddy when he was asleep, but as soon as reality hit him, his smile faded instantly to a frown, and he became irritated. There were also calm 'dreams' that put him in a bad mood. Those bordered on nightmares.

Then there was the final type, which the Qs never talked about. Hide would make noises in his sleep, sometimes intense and loud, other times soft, and he would drag himself to the bathroom after an hour or so of laying in his bed, unhappy. His pants would be wet, and after his shower, he would throw his sheets and growl that they needed to be done. Where he threw his sheets depended on what was closest: one of the Qs or the laundry. More often than not, it was the former, and the unlucky Q was hit hard with wet sheets. To make matters worse, they had to do the sheets immediately, or Hide would.. well.. it wasn't a good thing to refuse him in his sour moods..

More often than not were the unspoken-of dreams and the nightmares. Hide was normally a morning person though.. That was sometimes because he stayed up all night though..

"Probably," Saiko finally responded.

---------------------------------------------------------

"U-ri-e~?" Nagachika called lazily. He followed the smell of his deciple, noting that it was stinky with sweat. Just like the other Qs had claimed, he seemed to be training.

Hide turned one last corner before sharply turning again into a room.

"Your room is your training room~? That's not good, Urie~ You might end up breaking something~.."

"...(Tch.)" Urie got off the floor and stared impassively towards the wall. He was facing Hide and waiting for orders: Hide was clearly irritated.

"...Train with the others," he mumbled and left the room.

"..."

Not wanting to get on his strong mentor's bad side, Urie walked back to the Squad Training Room.

--------------------------------

"So... how should we work on teamwork?" Shirazu inquired.

Tooru chucked a knife, "I think," she chucked another, "we should," and another, "Play a game together or something." She chucked one more and turned around to the three on the floor.

"Hah?"

"I'M ALL UP FOR THAT!!" Saiko shot up, her hand raised, a chip in her mouth.

Shirazu continued his question, "What would that do? Why would we waste time playing a game?"

"Because before we can really work on teamwork, we need to establish a relationship, I think. So perhaps we could play a get-to-know-you kind of game or something."

"Eh~? Why can't we just play video games.."

"Maybe we can work on that later, Saiko."

"Really~?" Saiko's eyes sparkled.

"Yeah. You must have some games where there are two teams of two, right? Here's my plan. First we do get-to-know-you games. Then we play two-player games such as Connect Four. {I don't own it.} The team of two will consult each other on each of their turns and make a move together. Then we can play games such a Bugger. {Don't own it. You know what? I'll just make a wholesome disclaimer: I don't own any games I talk of here.} Then we can start playing Saiko's games where there are two teams of two. How does that sound?"

"PERFECT!" Saiko raised her hand.

"Sounds good," Shirazu nodded.

"... (Whatever.)"

So, the Q Squad's Teamwork Regimen began.