I stood off to the side, hand sliding closer to the gun on my hip. My eyes met the other officers stationed at the sides of the mayor, cautious and somber. The wind was cold as it slipped between those huddled around. It whipped between the city's buildings with an eerie howl off in the distance, which rattled my heart in my ribcage. A sigh escaped my lips and I ran a hand over my tear stained face, wiping it dry. Which didn't matter much, more tears joined not but a few seconds later. A small sob escaped my lips and I shook my head. The sun hid its face behind the clouds, rain threatening to fall soon too. Lined along the front of the masses of people, shoved shoulder to shoulder, pouring out the entrances and exits of the venue, were the ninja, clothed from head to toe in black. One was missing among those lined up, found instead in the casket before them.

All was silent in the large outdoor amphitheater where often people had gathered to rejoice. Yet today, it was reduced and made to be a place of darkness and grief. Where people had stood weeks ago, cheering to see a concert or were gathered to hear an important announcement from the mayor now was crowded by those adorned in black and broken by tears.

Tears and clenched fists were common among the group, the family, staining their eyes and faces red and blotchy. My heart ached for them as they ached for the one who had been ripped so suddenly from their lives. It wasn't something expected, as death often is not, yet for someone so young, it came as even more of a shock.

This ache was familiar to me. It was deep and burrowed and only unfurled itself on my worst days and the days which I remember with tissues and broken sobs. It made my hands shake and vicious image flash against the back of my eyelids when I blinked. I took a deep breath in, then out again to settle myself. Somewhat.

The stage was lined with red flowers and beautiful red flower petals, like drops of blood staining a deep black background. Each in turn, the ninja turned to place a single red rose onto the casket, their movements slow and somber.

Two lingered longer than the rest: her lover and her brother.

Her lover placed his rose on the casket, his ginger hair falling into his eyes as his frame shook under the weight of his broken heart. He struggled to stay standing, his knees buckling under him and he fell, a small splash of water kicking up. Another came to help him up and console his broken heart with a hand on his shoulder and soft words whispered to him. I wonder what he could whisper to her lover that could console him. I knew that there was likely nothing now or ever that could fix his shattered heart.

The rain seemed to taunt us, as the Master of Water had been swept away from those who loved her. It was as if she still looked down on those who remained when she herself couldn't raining down a drizzle as a reminder of what she stood for. I welcomed it.

Her brother stood with all eyes on him. My hand found it's way to the gun holstered on my side as his fists clenched and he went stiff. Flames flickered in his hands and smoke rose around his feet as the water sizzled and the flooring burned, yet fell quiet in a puff of smoke as he cried at his sister's casket.

He was brave.

I glanced over to my right, my partner with her bright red hair also staring down at the Master of Fire. A split second later she caught my eye, her own gaze misty and clouded. I reached over and squeezed her arm reassuringly and forced a smile. It wasn't sincere, and she knew it.

I turned back to the service, watched as he put the last rose on her casket as final words were muttered in honor of Nya Smith. Each of the ninja filed away, and my eyes found the brother, who absently reaches towards to casket with a trembling hand. He shook his head and growled at his teammate when a caring and comforting hand was placed on his shoulder. My heart seemed to skip a beat as he snatched himself away, anger and resentment glowing in his eyes, a vicious tangle of emotions which could lead to horrible choices.

I grumbled as I walked into work the next morning, bone tired. My feet seemed to ache almost as much as my heart. My mind raced and I knew that today wasn't going to be one of my good days. That old familiar ache uncurled from its place nestled in my chest, yawning and poking its claws into my heart.

I barely made it to my desk and flopped down in my chair before sitting up.

"Rough night?" My partner Alex asked as she flopped at her spot at her desk which butted up against mine. She dropped an overstuffed paper bag in front of me, which forced my head up from my hands.

"Rough life," I grumbled but riffled through the bag in front of me. Alex sipped at her coffee with an overeager grin. I tore open the bag in my haste to yank the wrapped bagel breakfast sandwich from it. I glanced up at my friend and she shrugged. "You're the best. You know I think you're the best, right?"

Lex laughed, her red curls bouncing a bit at her movement. "I know!" She said with a bright grin. "Make sure to remember that next time I ask you to go on a coffee run." She winked at me and I rolled my eyes as I eagerly unwrapped my sandwich.

Alex was happy to munch on her own sandwich, then dug out a few greasy hashbrowns which had made the bottom of the bag soggy. "Okay, so," she mumbled around bites of her breakfast. "We have the paperwork that needs to be finished for the larceny case and ooh! I think the judge finally got back to me on that search warrant..." She flicked crumbs from her hands to login to her computer with a frown.

"I call dibs on not doing paperwork," I said quickly and Alex lifted her head to glare at me.

I straightened at the sudden call of my name and looked up to see the Sargent hovering and waiting for me. I quickly wiped my hands and mouth and composed myself before following after him. Alex shot me an overeager smile and thumbs up as I left.

"L/n, we've got reports and tips about a threat to Borg Tower and the Realm Crystal." Sarge grumbled, not daring to say a good morning or any kind of greeting as he threw down a file on his cluttered desk. I winced before downing the rest of the coffee I had poured before Alex's breakfast delivery, steeling my nerves to deal with this before 9 am.

"Pardon me asking, sir, but doesn't Borg have top of the notch security?" I crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow. It wasn't worth my or Alex's time if Borg could take care of himself. Which I honestly believed he could. I had been to Borg's tower a few times before on some assignments and had seen the security myself. I accidentally set it off once and had to deal with the heavy repercussions of that.

Sergeant growled at me before answering my question. He always had an attitude. If we were lucky, we didn't have to deal with said attitude before 10 am. Just as I suspected, today was not my day.

"Just because you're our best detective, L/n, doesn't mean you get to interrupt me." He stopped and gave a heaving sigh before rubbing his face with a worn hand. I didn't flinch when he slammed down his fist on the desk as he was prone to doing often. Again, attitude. "Yes, he does, but this tip came from one of the ninja. They don't have the willpower to deal with it right now and I'm tasking you to deal with it. Bring Alex." He pointed a harsh finger at me and I dared a smirk before nodding.

"Understood, sir." I agreed and snagged the file from its place on his desk, thumbing through it quickly.

"Great. You better be out of my sight in 20 minutes."

After reading up on everything there was to know about the procedures and in-and-outs of Borg Tower, Alex and I arrived, where Cyrus Borg himself came to greet and thank us personally. The wheelchair confined man shook our hands wildly, eager to thank us for assisting him.

"Oh, thank you so much for coming!" Borg said with a smile that matched Alex's. She was always far too peppy. I liked to think she balanced me out. "The ninja are like family to me, and you know how hard things are for them right now. I'm happy two amazingly capable detectives were chosen for them!"

My heart soared at the praise from the kind man. We shook his hand in return and told him we were happy to be of service. My partner eyes were wide and shining as she took in the sights.

"Wooowweee look at all this!" Alex smiled as she caught my eyes. She ran over to the reception desk and spun a quick circle. I huffed and crossed my arms and leveled her with a look.

"Focus. We're here for a reason, and that's not to get a tour." I snapped to her a little too hard, wanting her to understand the importance of this situation. Plus, my coffee had worn off and I think I was due for another. "The ninja sent in this tip so be ready for anything. Remember, just lay low and radio if you see something. I'll be in the lobby if you need me." I unclipped the radio from my belt and shook it gently in my hand.

Alex nodded, far too kind for my snappiness, and she followed Cyrus since she was his security for today. As her eyes darted around and took in everything I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but smile at her lightheartedness. If I was honest, there were some days I was jealous of her ever present smile. Today... today was one of those days.

I stayed to keep watch in the main foyer, eying the security camera footage on a tablet I was given. I flipped through the different views, head tilted. I may have been a little bit of a snoop and this definitely was feeding into that. The different cameras showed different labs and conference rooms, what looked like a hands on learning room for school tours and even Borg's office. I found Alex and Borg on the cameras heading back to his office and breathed a small sigh of relief. Alex is amazingly capable and I trust her fully, but I can be more at ease knowing she's safe. Bestie things.

Movement outside the giant windows caught my eyes and I set down the tablet on the welcome counter. Is that... Kai?

I frowned and blinked because I must be seeing things. I must, right? Then I rolled my eyes at myself and sighed. He's just coming to see who was placed at the Tower at the ninja's request. I really needed that cup of coffee. He sauntered in with an air of confidence that threw me for a loop. I met him halfway with a polite but not too overeager smile.

"Good morning, Master of Fire. May I help you in any way?" I said tentatively but in my most respectful tone, dipping my head slightly.

"Ah, no actually, detective. Just here to see a old friend." He winked at me and I was taken aback from how we was at the funeral yesterday to now.

I frowned because really, who would he be here to see? I thought he would just be here to check on us. Make sure Alex and I were up to the task of handling the threat. He grinned at me in a way that made my stomach flutter. I straightened and tried my best to ignore it. Kai glanced at something over my shoulder and I turned to look. He took the opportunity to slide past me.

I followed, quick on his heels, hands absentmindedly tapping against my thigh. "I am very sorry for your loss, Master Kai." I mumbled to his back because, truly, I was.

At my words, he stopped suddenly, hands curling into fists at his sides. I stiffened and took a small step back. Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to offend him, it is simply the truth. The feeling in my chest dug its claws deeper into my heart. I had to stifle a gasp by biting my lip. My hand flitted over the gun strapped to my side before pulling away quick as he lifted his chin and pushed his shoulders back in a mock confidence. His fists unfurled as he spun on his heal to face me with a charming smile, his face tight and forced.

"Thank you. Remind me to get your number later." He winked, and was off again. What on earth? I blinked, turning to my radio. "Hey, Lex, just wanted to let you know but Kai Smith is headed your way it seems."

From halfway across the room, Kai stopped again and quickly met my gaze. There was a harshness to it that made me flinch. He overheard my radio, but why did that mean anything to him? "Who else is here?"

"My partner is currently with Mr. Borg." My hands on my hips, one close to my gun holstered on my hip. My pointer finger traced the edge of the weapon, fidgety and unsure. Something was amiss and it wasn't sitting well with me. Alex would be able to handle Borg if something went awry, I knew I could count on that at least.

"Gotcha. Well. I'll have to do something with you so she doesn't get any ideas."

"I'm sorry, wha-" I was cut off as Kai's hands erupted in flames and threw a flaming ball at me, hitting my face. A yelp escaped my lips and I doubled over, unable to get my arms up in time to block his sudden attack. "What the hell!" I coughed and sputtered, unholstering my weapon, aiming where he was. I could feel the ash on my face and couldn't tell if my hair had caught fire. The smell of burning hair made my nose crinkle so maybe it had.

"Get on the ground!" I commanded and marched forward as he cracked a smile at me. How could he smile like that at me in a time like this?

"No hard feelings! I just have to get something back."

His hands lit aflame again, and he threw the flames down to the floor which spread rapidly as if fueled by gasoline, sending up a thick cloud of smoke. It made my eyes water and my breaths turned into harsh hacking. "Kai!" I shot blindly in the smoke at where he was as the ninja ran off.

I coughed and hacked as the smoke filled my lungs and the tongues of the fire licked higher on the walls. The sudden blare of the fire alarm made me nearly jump out of my skin. Good grief, get a grip! Bracing myself, I ran into the flames following Kai.

"Why are you doing this?!" I yelled, chasing him down a hallway and then down a dark stairwell. The lights were off and the only way I could see was by the flashing of the fire alarm which still blared loudly. My feet seemed to be against me, making me trip and stumble down to the bottom basement level. I shoved the door open to an equally dark hallway. This time, the only reason I could see was the sparks and flames that flew from Kai's hands and the glowing metal of a door as it melted into a hot mess on the floor. He crawled through the melted remains of the metal door guarding the Realm Crystal with no hesitation despite the fact it was still hot.

Not my day!
Okay. I've got this. You've got this, Y/n. Silent pep talk over, I wormed my way over the molten metal and through the gaping doorframe. Hot metal hissed as it seared away the heal of my shoe and I pulled away quickly, but not quick enough to come away unscathed.

My jaw fell open as I watched as Kai took the Crystal from its pedestal with ease, evading all of the security measures like a trained thief. If he weren't actively stealing and putting my life in danger, I would be impressed.

"Funny thing, we put all these security features up ourselves. Handy! In all seriousness, it's nothing personal, you are cute."

I held my gun up to his chest, panting and legs shaking under me. "Put. It. Down."

"I'm sorry."

I shot, and he crumbled to the ground.