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“You could’ve saved ‘im.”
The quiet words were muttered next to him. Kazuma turned to look - his companion had stopped walking. “Inspector” Gina Lestrade…they’d been on their way to a crime scene, properly assigned together for the first time. The girl had been cooperative, if quiet and distant. They’d yet to have anything to discuss about the case, after all. This was the first time he’d seen her since that trial. She’d had her warrant card revoked by the Lord Chief Justice during then, if he recalled correctly. And yet, here she was, back on the job. Well. That tyrant had also promised Kazuma’s arrest. And yet here he also was, back on the job. They were in a similar boat, weren’t they?
“Pardon?” He asked, though he had more than an idea what this was about. Lestrade’s face had been hidden by the brim of her cap, but when she looked up at him, her eyes were steely.
“Th’ boss. You were wiv ‘im that night, weren’t you? But you…”
“I left him…to the mercy of his target,” he finished the thought for her. His hand hung limply to his side - he’d reached for the katana that was no longer there. Lestrade tensed. She looked as if she wanted to interject, offended by these words, but something held her back. Gregson carried out an assassination mission. This was a cold hard truth that she seemed finally ready to accept. Kazuma couldn’t help but sympathise. Though she still had a correction.
“Yer target,” she huffed, her stare as cold as ever. Her words made Kazuma bristle, this time. I never meant to carry it out. He also held back his words, teeth sinking against his tongue. No excuses. It’s not anything she didn’t know, anyway.
“Right,” he managed to sigh, looking away. An uncomfortable silence settled in. They stood there on the side of the road, gazes averted from each other. A carriage rolled by, the sound of hooves and creaking wheels coming and going. What was he supposed to say to this? An apology? Is that what she wanted to hear? But even if he wanted to, he couldn’t deliver one. Because…
He thought back to that night on the ship. That moment. Karuma gripped tightly in his hand. A bitter hatred burning through his chest. He’d imagined the inspector’s blood painting the walls, dripping from his blade. Just for a split second. But it was a split second too much. And when the inspector turned up dead after all…he couldn’t care less. It was what the man deserved for his sins. That’s what Kazuma thought at the time. That man had done something unforgivable. He was irredeemable. And Kazuma’s drive for revenge had let him ignore all else. And even now, he couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry enough for a genuine apology.
But, even so…the fog had lifted. And while he still couldn’t forgive that dead man, while he remained bitter, perhaps even a bit petty, he couldn’t ignore Lestrade’s fondness anymore. Kazuma had only seen the negatives of that man. But this girl was the opposite. Her life was saved by Gregson. He picked her up off of the street, taught her to be a better person, became a role model she could look up to. And suddenly, he was gone. Just like that. And Kazuma had a hand in making that happen.
“…Th’ boss left me a letter,” Lestrade finally said, pulling her cap down to shield her face. “‘E was worried fer me, an’ ‘e wanted me t’ be safe. I think ‘e knew wot woz comin’.”
“Perhaps he did,” Kazuma murmured. He remembered Gregson’s look, so quick to accept his fate. That man must’ve known, after all these years working as an arm of the Reaper, that the Reaper would in turn come for him one day. Maybe even long before what Holmes had uncovered. Kazuma closed his eyes. “I cannot offer you any favourable words. I can only say that I’d assumed he’d abandon that abhorrent mission himself. But do not take this as an excuse. I fully acknowledge my wrongdoings.”
“…Dunno why ‘e di’n’t jus’ leg it outta there.” The girl gave a quick, angry sniffle. “Stupid grown-up…th’ boss weren’t perfect, I know. But ‘e was my boss. An’…’e was wonderful.”
“Then you got to see a side of him that I could never.” Gina flashed him a watery glare.
“No kiddin’!! Th’ things you said ‘bout ‘im back then…ya don’t know ‘im!! Not like I did!”
“I understand.”
“Ohh, do ya now?! Do ya really?!”
Kazuma stayed silent, trying not to flinch away. Maybe it was better not to say anything to this. Lestrade dragged her sleeve across her face hastily, sniffing and huffing as if she were trying to get it all out of her system in an instant. She looked away, directing her hard stare at the ground. Thinking, deciding. Her fists balled.
“…I should give ya a knock to the face, right ‘ere an’ now.” Kazuma raised an eyebrow.
“Fine by me.”
“Wot-” Lestrade seemed surprised, throwing him a look. “You won't stop me?”
“In your eyes…I’m responsible for taking someone dear away from you. Isn’t that how it is? In that case, I very well deserve it.” He gave a short polite bow before he crossed his arms. “I’ve brought you pain in ways that I failed to notice nor consider. And so, if you’d want to return the favour, I have no objections.” Lestrade knit her brows together in clear frustration, lips twisting into a grimace.
“Ugh…you an’ th’ Reaper both…! You keep makin’ this ‘arder than it is!!” She ignored Kazuma’s confused look and raised her fists up. “Fine!! I’m doin’ it!! Get ready!” Kazuma tensed up, giving a silent nod. He didn’t know if his neck could handle such an impact, really…but he pushed that concern aside. That wasn’t important. He’d deal with the consequences later. Lestrade seemed to be taking a moment to psyche herself up, giving him a shaky glare, squeezing her fists tight. She was about to reel back for the hit, right? Any second now.
But then, suddenly, she lowered her hands, grabbing for something. A…bulky brass gun? One that looked suspiciously like the make of a certain 10-year-old. And as he watched in bewilderment, she meticulously popped it open, grabbed a canister, shoved it into the barrel…this load time certainly could’ve been better. But, it was still short enough that Kazuma couldn’t shake off his daze in time to ask what in the world she was doing. And the next thing he knew, the large barrel was pointed straight at his face.
Boom. There was a stinging explosion of…pink? He finally realised what was going on as he inhaled a lungful of smoke. Taken aback, he stumbled, succumbing to a fit of coughs. Well, besides the burning in his throat, there wasn’t much else to it. His eyes were fine other than his vision being obscured by the bright pink, and it only stung a little to take a point blank shell to the face. Before he could try to get his bearings back, a slender hand grabbed him roughly by the arm, pulling him out of the cloud. He caught sight of a familiar worn pocket watch in Lestrade’s other hand before she snapped it closed and crammed it into her coat.
“Right, that’s that!! Let’s get goin’, we’re runnin’ late! 'igher ups’re gonna ‘ave our necks if we stand ‘round ‘ere any longer.”
“Wh-wha…?” Kazuma’s throat was hoarse as he huffed out the remnants of smoke. He looked down at himself as he stumbled along. Well, the pink didn’t seem to stain. It was relieving that he wasn’t wearing white today.
“I’m sick of it,” Lestrade snapped as they walked, and Kazuma threw her a look. Her face wasn’t visible as she kept her eyes forward. “All this talk o’ revenge. Tit for tat, ‘olding grudges. It ruins lives, turns folks into monsters. I’ve ‘ad it. So I say we’re even now, an’ we’ll leave it at that. Got it?!” Kazuma stared at her. That was…surprisingly wise. This young woman managed to learn a lesson that he himself still struggled to come to terms with.
“Miss Lestrade…”
“That’s Inspector Lestrade t’ you! An’ don’t you forget it…Prosecutor ‘Sogi.” Lestrade finally turned to look at him. And it was another surprise to see her cheery smile. “I look forward t’ workin’ with ya.” Looking at her now, Kazuma felt a faint smile of his own growing on his lips.
“…Likewise, Inspector.”