Catching Phantom Thief Starlight (ch4)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY $20+ PATRONS!

Will Claudine be able to get through to Maya and get close to her again...?

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

----------

												Chapter 4. Breaking The Silence

When Claudine wakes the following morning, a veil of confusion weighs her down for a moment until she remembers exactly where she is and what her mission entails. When she finally opens her eyes and sits up in her hotel bed, she finds Maya has already dressed and showered, and is sitting at the desk against the wall, scouring their papers.

Claudine checks the clock to find it's just shy of 7am, but the fact that Maya had gotten ready before her irks Claudine to no end.

As she recalls their conversation from last night, however, she huffs to herself and opts to try and not care for what Maya does. Claudine is still mad at her. She mutters a "good morning" which Maya lifelessly returns as she flips another page.

Claudine gets out of bed, tidies it, then grabs a change of clothes and heads into the bathroom. Once she's finished showering and changing, she calls for room service to bring up a bit of breakfast, then begins looking over her own files about the Phantom Thief.

Their main objective right now is to try and predict where he might strike next based on his previous behavior. One of the most frustrating things about him is that his tendencies are unpredictable, so it's their job to try and estimate his next move.

That entire day, Maya and Claudine work separately in the same room. They barely speak a word to one another as they analyze the Thief's patterns, trying to figure out what and where his next target might be.

When Claudine does finally muster up the courage to inquire about Maya's thoughts on the matter, Maya acts like she didn't hear her.

They each go to bed silently, more frustrated with one another than with their mission.

The following day they head to a different part of France, the last town the Thief struck in, so they can speak to the public and gather as much information as possible.

Claudine wishes she could enjoy the feeling of working with Maya like this, investigating door-to-door and asking questions.

But as usual since their reunion, Maya barely spares her a glance, and has Claudine introduce herself instead of doing it for her like most partners would.

Before long, Maya suggests they split up to cover more ground, but Claudine knows it's really just because she doesn't want to work with her.

So they meet back at their next hotel, which is similar as the first, later that night, with all of their notes and interviews. Again, Claudine tries to discuss, and again Maya ignores her.

And again, they both go to bed with upset stomachs.

It's the following day when Claudine finally decides that their mission is going to suffer if things continue this way. When she calls Chief Daiba for the usual update, she tells of her struggles with Maya. Nana insists she make things work, or else the Phantom will strike again while the two of them have their heads in the sand.

So after another day of gathering information from the museum the Phantom Thief last struck at, they return to their hotel once again without having spoken a single word to one another.

But all that's about to change.

Maya sits at the desk as per usual, while Claudine has all of her papers spread out on her bed. She's been mentally planning out how to do this all day, and sees no better time to speak up than now.

Claudine clears her throat, giving Maya a nonverbal hint that she should at least partially pay attention.

"So," Claudine begins. "What do you think? They showed us the gems he stole. Blue diamonds. Doesn't that fit with the pattern I'd proposed he may be following? Before that it was emeralds, and before that golden amulets. If he really is stealing gems based on the rainbow, he should be going after something like amethyst next."

Maya doesn't even budge or look up from her papers.

"Perhaps," she mutters, and Claudine is honestly shocked she's even speaking to her at all. "Or perhaps it's just a coincidence."

"Nothing is ever a coincidence, you know that. Especially not with such a calculating criminal." Claudine keeps talking, just so Maya can see the sense in her theory. "He's unpredictable and has never struck the same place twice in a row, because he's stealing gems in rainbow order. If a museum doesn't have the next color available, he'll go elsewhere. He's putting in a lot of effort to appear spontaneous, but in reality he has a pattern just like every other criminal.

"And since the museum in this town has a lot of amethyst on display, I think it's safe to say he might strike here next, since he won't have to spend too much time traveling elsewhere. The only matter is how to figure out when he might strike. I've looked the dates and times over, but so far I haven't-"

"Pardon me, Lieutenant," Maya says suddenly. Claudine is almost hopeful that she might have something constructive to say. But of course- "Could you please keep your theorizing to yourself? I'm trying to investigate in my own way."

Claudine closes her mouth with a soft growl. She'd been trying to get Maya to join in on her conversation. In the past, whenever Claudine had gotten into her theories, Maya used to jump in excitedly and try to offer more possibilities.

But clearly that part of her has died, or maybe she just doesn't like working with Claudine specifically.

Either way, Claudine has had it with her. For real this time. She gets up from the bed, storms across the room, grabs Maya's chair, yanks it out, and spins her around so she has to look at her.

"What is your problem?" Claudine snaps. "Enough of this aloof act of yours! After all those years we went through hell together, we're apart for a little while and now suddenly you act like I don't exist? Like all that time we spent together at the Academy meant nothing to you? All those headlines about you being such a great inspector always called you a lone wolf, but that's bullshit! I know you, Tendo Maya! I know you better than anyone else! And I know you hate working alone if you can help it! You used to love working with me, anyway! Didn't you…?"

As Claudine gets up in her face, Maya is shocked for only a moment before she regains her composure. She reaches out and pushes Claudine back.

"I simply work better alone."

"Like hell you do!" Claudine grabs her wrist before she can pull it away, forcing Maya to look into her eyes again. Claudine's tone is level, trying not to waver. "You hated being alone more than anything else. Maybe you didn't like working with most people, but you liked working with me. I know you did. Because, like you'd said back then, 'I was the only one who could keep up with you,' right? So why do you refuse to work with me now, when we can finally see each other again after so long?!"

Claudine squeezes Maya's hand, half to chide her and half because she doesn't want to let go. That same hot sting wells up behind her eyes.

Maya inhales a little shakily and tries to pull away.

"Please. Let's just get back to-"

"To what?" Claudine challenges. "Work? You call this work? Completely ignoring your assigned partner like she doesn't even exist? Acting like we didn't survive hell together and aren't the best in our fields because of each other?" Claudine does everything she can to keep the tears from spilling over. Her voice drops down into a tone cracked with emotion. "You meant so much to me, Tendo Maya. Did I really… mean nothing to you…?"

Maya actually flinches this time.

"Of… Of course you did-"

"Well, you sure as hell don't act like it."

"I can't."

"Bullshit. Why can't you?"

"I just can't-"

"Why not?!" Claudine shouts. "Why the hell can you suddenly not stand me? Why are you acting like none of that ever happened? Why are you acting like you hate me?"

"Because-!" Maya suddenly jumps up from her chair and wrenches her hand free of Claudine's grip, simultaneously pushing her back until she staggers against the bed. Shocked, Claudine looks up at her now. The calm, cool demeanor Maya has been putting on display this past week has finally cracked, and now shatters altogether. Her eyes are clogged with emotions, her lips are quivering, and there are already tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Because-!" she repeats. "I can't work with you because I care about you so much!"

Claudine almost doesn't believe what she's hearing. Slowly, she pushes herself up to her feet and faces her, but Maya's head is down.

"What… What in the world does that mean? You're not making any sense-"

"I'm making perfect sense," Maya says curtly. "I've seen it happen a thousand times in this field of work. Whenever you work together with someone, it ends up getting them hurt. Trusting someone like that puts them in danger, and could even get them killed...

"No… it's better to work alone. I don't want to have that kind of cross to bear if I ever got my partner injured somehow. I tried working all of those cases in London by myself so my department would see I work just fine on my own. And they never partnered me up with anyone, so it was fine.

"But then… Chief Hoshimi called me in and told me I'd be coming to Paris, to work with you of all people… You… the last person I'd ever want to work with again… The last person I'd ever want to see get hurt because of me…"

As Maya tapers off and her tears begin to drip down onto the carpet, Claudine stands across from her completely dumbfounded. Flabbergasted. Disbelieving.

All this time, she's been wondering how Maya was doing out in London, wondering why she never responded to her calls or emails just to check up on her, wondering why she was being so aloof and giving her the cold shoulder now.

Claudine had been expecting some colossal, life-altering explanation.

But this…?

Claudine scoffs.

"You-"

She struts across the distance between them, grabs Maya by the shoulders, and all at once slams her forehead against hers as hard as she can.

"-absolute idiot!"

"Ow-!" Maya yelps as the blow sends her reeling, but Claudine doesn't let go of her shoulders. She keeps her up, if only so she can glare at her in the eyes and give her a piece of her mind.

"Honnêtement! In all my years dealing with drunkards, liars, and all around nut-jobs, that bit you gave me just now was hands down the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

Maya's hands are covering her forehead, but now she sniffles and peeks up at Claudine from between her fingers.

"I… beg your pardon…?"

"Méchante! Don't give me that!" Claudine barks. "As if you don't know how ridiculous you're being! How laughably foolish, how insanely dim-witted-"

"Lieutenant-"

"Shut up!"

Without any more warning than that, Claudine pulls Maya into a fiercely tight hug.

Maya freezes, gasping softly as more and more tears threaten to fall. How long she'd wanted this. How badly she'd wanted this. But she hadn't let herself. She'd wanted to keep her distance from Claudine in order to-

"To keep me safe?" Claudine mumbles. "Was that it? That was your reasoning for refusing to work with me? And you'd always called me the stubborn one…"

Maya swallows, unsure of what to do now with her facade completely seen through and shattered.

"Lieutenant-"

"Enough," Claudine stops her. "Enough of that absolute nonsense. I can't believe you graduated higher than me after that dribble you just spouted." Slowly, Claudine eases back, but doesn't take her hands off of Maya. She leans far back enough so they may see each other's faces.

"You are a bigger fool than I'd thought, Tendo Maya. A complete and utter idiot." She shakes her head, then prepares to unleash a fine discourse on her old friend.

"You think - that after all those years training at the Academy, and in the field - that officers and inspectors and anyone in this line of work, and anyone in the entire world, can survive without the ones they care about getting hurt? Back at the Academy, didn't they tell us to trust our partners with our lives, and in turn we'd honor that trust and protect them with ours? We all knew what we were getting into. We all accepted that pledge and those terms. It doesn't mean we're going to blindly throw our lives away; it means we're going to do everything within our power so that our teammates don't find themselves in such a situation. Don't you remember any of that?"

Maya blinks up at her past her bangs, dipping her head.

"Of course I do. But-"

"'But' nothing!" Claudine snaps. "You don't get to train with me all those years and become the one person I ever trusted, only to come back to me after all this time and ignore me, and then tell me you did it because you 'care' about me! That's the most inane thing I've ever heard!

"Like hell you not associating with me is going to do anything to keep me 'safe.' Like hell I even want or need to be kept 'safe.' After all, we aren't hunting down the mafia here! We're just chasing some weird guy who steals gems, takes them a few blocks, and then leaves them on a park bench!

"So don't act so high-and-mighty! I don't need you to protect me - not like this. Not by pretending that I don't exist just so you don't have to deal with bearing a burden if I ever do get hurt. That's exactly the kind of mindset we should never have in this field. You're trying to take the blame for other people's actions, and that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!

"You say you're trying to protect me by not letting me get involved with you? If that's your manner of thinking, then you're awfully selfish. You just don't want that burden to bear. You're only protecting yourself, Tendo Maya!"

Claudine finishes nearly breathless, angry and flustered and relieved all at the same time that Maya didn't actually hate her, but was just living in this fantasy where she could keep others safe by not letting them get near her.

Maya can hardly keep her head up, can hardly keep her eyes on Claudine as more tears fall. She shakes her head again.

"No… I don't want that… I don't want you getting hurt because of me…"

"Stop that." Claudine cups her palm against Maya's cheek and has her lift her head again. "If I were to ever get hurt, it would be because of my own decisions, not yours. Not everything is about you, you know. God, you are so full of yourself. That hasn't changed." Though the words may sound harsh, Claudine says them with a tender smile. Her tone is gentle now, as is her touch.

"You can rely on me, Maya. That's what partners are for. I'm going to do everything within my power to keep you safe, and you're going to do the same for me. But we can also take care of ourselves, you know. If something happens to either person in a partnership, it isn't automatically the other person's fault. Sometimes people have their own reasons for making the decisions they make. Don't go assuming everything is your fault. It won't get you anywhere. Trust me."

Claudine pulls her into another hug, and this time Maya finally breaks down in her arms.

"I'm… I'm sorry… Claudine…"

"There, there. No need for that, either." Though she has to admit, hearing Maya finally call her by name after all this time sends Claudine's heart into a fluster.

Claudine guides her over to the bed so they can both sit together, and it's only then when she finally lets herself cry as well.

"You really are… such a fool, Tendo Maya…"

"I know…" she sniffles. "I know I am. In truth I… I was so scared something might happen to you because of me-"

"There you go again!" Claudine hushes her. "Enough of this baseless guilt and self-blame! Can't you just admit you were happy to see me again, damn it?"

Maya chuckles a little bit and finally returns Claudine's embrace.

"I was…" she sighs. "I was so… incredibly overjoyed that I would finally be able to see you again, Claudine. I've missed you so much…"

Claudine chuckles around a sob as well.

"Finally… See? Was that so difficult…? You really are an idiot, Tendo Maya…"

At long last, the weighted atmosphere that had been suffocating them both since their reunion finally dissipates, and it's almost like old times again.

Almost.

Only now, things are much warmer between them.

After a while, both of them stop crying. Claudine eases back to brush her fingers over Maya's cheeks, smiling kindly.

"I'm glad to finally have you back, Tendo Maya."

Maya returns the smile.

"As am I, Saijou Claudine."

This time, Maya initiates an embrace. Claudine's heart skips a little bit, then backflips in its mirth.

"Promise me," she says. "No more of that nonsense. You can trust me with your back just as I know I can trust you with mine. You can't expect someone else to look out for you if you can't admit you'll look out for them, right? So promise me you'll rely on me so that I may rely on you, too."

Claudine feels Maya nod against her shoulder.

"I-"

And then, the sound of gunshots.

----------

A/N: Honestly, this is my favorite kind of writing to do: tension and guilt, to softness and understanding, to Massive Cliffhanger, heehee~

So they finally spoke their minds and made up, but what is this? The Phantom Thief was never known to carry any weapons, so could it so conveniently be him...?