Noir AU

Based on the idea that because Akira was never at Emiko's party and never saw the Blue Emperor's goons breaking into a house, the party never got involved with anything yakuza related and thus never met Akira during high school.

Instead, Emiko suffered an accident that caused them to be unable to go into hero work and instead was encouraged to go into detective work by Inspector Chiho alongside Nobu. The two get called in to investigate a murder, where they a full grown yakuza member Akira.

Oh, also, Shiori is part of the mob. A different mob that the yakuza. That's pretty cool, I guess.

## Characters

* Nobu - Slightly grizzled and disillusioned detective
* Emiko - Bright-eyed, brand new detective fresh out of school, Nobu's partner
* Akira - Yakuza informant and criminal
* Shisa - Mafia princess masquerading as a waitress
* Jokushi - Forensics guy
* John - Retired hero and family man

## Premise

Emiko and Nobu get assigned what *should* be a fairly cut and dry murder case. However, as they investigate further, they stumble across a massive organized crime conspiracy. The two turn to Akira, a 'random bystander' and the one who reported the body (who Nobu does not trust but Emiko latches onto quickly). What the detectives *don't* know, however, is that Akira wasn't just the person who reported the body, but the one who put it there. Akira is the culprit and is cooperating with the investigation in an effort to throw Emiko and Nobu off the scent of her Yakuza group.

When Emiko and Nobu finally discover the truth about Akira, Emiko is betrayed and hurt while Nobu, who was right, awkwardly comforts them. Emiko and Nobu go to confront Akira and arrest her:

> "Emiko standing over Akira, sword drawn (they hadn't used it in years, but somehow the blade still felt *right* in their hands). They stare at each other, Akira doesn't move, ready to accept her fate. A quiet, 'I trusted you.' Akira doesn't even blink. This is a death she's seen coming for years. It's tailed her through dark alleys, peeked out from behind corners and every darting shadow. It's a companion, not a stranger. 'I know you did.'"
>
>

However, before we can find out if Emiko will kill Akira or spare her, someone else puts an end to the confrontation, and Emiko.

> "Emiko would stand over Akira, sword in hand, unable to meet her eyes, before raising their sword to plunge it into her chest. But then Emiko would glance down for a fracture of a second at Akira's expression, slightly scared, mostly accepting, before remembering all the time they'd spent together...Emiko lowers their sword, tears in their eyes, and holds out a hand to help Akira up. They watch Akira hesitate before reaching out to grab Emiko's hand, just as a gunshot rings through the alley. Akira's eyes widen, and Emiko's hand goes limp."
>
>

In a last ditch attempt to shut down the investigation and get the detectives off their tail, Shisa kills Emiko before they can arrest Akira and pulls her away from the scene as Nobu kneels over the body of his fallen partner and friend. Nobu, alone and left with no one else to trust, turns to an old friend he hasn't seen in years.

> Nobu knocked on the door. He wasn't even sure if he had the right address. He hadn't spoken to him in *years*, but he was the only friend he had that wasn't connected to the case. This was Nobu's only chance.
>
>

> There was no answer. Why was there no answer? Nobu knocked again, harder, faster, desperate, through the pain building in his hand. He *had* to be home.
>
>

> The door clicked open. A short Canderan man poked out, frowning. "Nobu. What are you doing here?"
>
>

> "John. I—I need your help."
>
>

> "I'm in the middle of family dinner."
>
>

> "You—You have a family?"
>
>

> "Yeah. Funny how time flies." John scanned the tiefling. "You look awful. Are you okay?"
>
>

> "Emi... Emiko—" Nobu struggled to get the words out. "Emiko is... dead."
>
>

> John's eyes widened. "Tell me more. You should come in."
>
>

And while Nobu is breaking down in the aftermath of Emiko's death, Akira is trying to come to terms with what's happened from the other side.

> It was a long car ride back to the headquarters. At some point, someone had draped a jacket over Akira. She'd struggled half-heartedly to shake it off, then Tora had just draped it back over her and shoved her into back into her seat, so she'd given up.
>
>

> Shisa was sitting next to the window, staring outside as their surroundings flew past them. Occasionally, she tapped her nails against the window—a bored, idle sort of motion.
>
>

> "Almost there," said Kenichi from the passenger's seat. He turned around to glance back at Akira. His eyes wore an appraising sort of look. There might have been a hint of concern.
>
>

> Shisa hummed. Still wearing her usual work attire—dress and heels—she looked deceptively delicate, beautifully harmless. If Akira was a drawn sword, sharp-edged and dangerous, then Shisa was a hidden knife. An elegant, precise death that came when it was least expected.
>
>

> They got out of the car. Shisa looked at Akira for a brief moment. Her eyes were unreadable. Then she smiled and absurdly, patted Akira on the shoulder.
>
>

> Takumi was waiting for her. He sprang out of his seat when Akira approached. "Akira," he said, wild-eyed. "I heard what was happening—did you do it?" His hands hovered uselessly over her shoulders. She reached up and grabbed his shirt, yanking him towards her. "Did you know?" she hissed into his ear.
>
>

> "Did you know that she was—one of us? Was I the only one left out of this?"
>
>

> "Huh?" Takumi looked bewildered. Not the practiced innocence she's seen him put on, but genuine confusion. "Who are you talking about?"
>
>

> "Shisa," Akira said, and the word felt like falling ashes, like the tolling of a bell, like the end of an era.
>
>

Though Akira was the one to pull the trigger on the gun, creating the murder that starts the investigation and sets the dominoes toppling, she was just doing her job. Akira doesn't know the specifics of the job, who it was, why she did it. Shisa had to kill Emiko because it looked like they were going to take Akira in, but more than that she had to do it to cover her own tracks. If Emiko and Nobu knew that Akira didn't actually know anything about the killing, and was just the person who pulled the trigger, they'd have to dig deeper. They'd uncover more. Enough to blow Shisa's mafia operation out of the water. If Akira had died, the case probably would have ended there, so as soon as Emiko decided not to kill Akira, they had to die.

## Quotes

* Nobu, awkwardly patting Emiko on the back: 'Listen, I told you—' Emiko: 'Don't say "I told you so!"' Nobu: 'Actually, I was going to say "I told you to stop after your third drink", but yeah, that too.'
* Emiko: “My life is over, if I can’t be a Hero I’m nothing” Chiho: “Alright kid. But, if you still want to help people, I’ve got contacts at the Academy. Being a Hero isn’t the only way to do good out there. Anyway, contact me if you’re interested”
* "PSA: Noir AU is also cancelled"
* **"I SAID IT IS CANCELLED STOP THIS RIGHT NOW"**
* "Oh, you think Yakira AU Nobu is obsessed with destroying the yakuza? Wait until you see post-noir AU Nobu's unhealthy obsession"
* "I CAME BACK AND WE'D DECIDED THAT SHISA KILLED EMIKO?"
* "OHOHOHOHOHO HOLY SHIT CUZ NOBU HAS NO HEALING ABILITIESSSS i'm gonna LOSE IT"