♫ In the midst of a lie that was like an illusion, I met you and,
As if caught in a magic spell, am feeling you bleed into me. ♫
-- Oresama, オオカミハート(Ookami Heart)

There were around twelve shop owners that specialises in forging. Of course, it wasn't a job that they showed openly, unless one requested their services.

Celeste's phone rang, and he answered it quickly while Peach regarded his phone with contempt. She never understood why anyone preferred phones to lenses, carrying another item around was inconvenient for a runner like her.

"Ashbrand."

"Cel, hey! I went to his house, and mannn, someone really screwed him over! I'm surprised he can even talk without wincing!"

"What did you find out?" Celeste questioned, glancing briefly at Peach before he decided to put Michael on "speaker" mode.

"You were saying he's the one tried to attack Peach, wasn't it? Too bad, his alibi at the hospital checked out, so he isn't our culprit. I don't think he can even hold a gun properly in that condition," Michael's voice resounded throughout the car."It just makes me shudder that someone could do something like that to a crazy good hitman. His face and entire body, jesus christ, mate. You seriously won't believe it."

"Haeres has extreme anger issues, so that explains why Hebi was in the hospital," Peach joined the conversation abruptly. "He did fail his mission to either kill me or take me away."

Celeste swivelled his head to Peach, his eyes growing wide. He used "speaker" mode since he thought it would be appropriate for Peach to know about this, but he certainly didn't expect her to speak!

Does she not care if her real voice is heard by another detective?

Celeste thought, but Peach on the other hand didn't see a point in hiding herself from Celeste's partner.

"..."

"..."

"...hello?" Peach called out, before turning to Celeste. "Did he hang up or something?"

"No."

"...who the the hell is that?"

"Oh, I was the one who was attacked and framed for murder," Peach answered yet again. "At least Hebi got beat up in return, hah!"

"Wh-what? Who--you..."

Peach rolled her eyes. "Really? Do I have to say it out? It's Peach talking here. P. E. A. C. H."

"I know who you are! I'm just--you--Cel! This is the fourth time I was talking about--"

Celeste hung up the call, pressing repeatedly on the end call button, his face expressionless.

"..."

Peach just stared on speechlessly, feeling a little pitiful for the phone being abused by Celeste.

However, his phone rang again after a few seconds of silence and he answered it, albeit hesitantly.

"Ashbrand."

"It's the fourth time, and she's gonna--"

Celeste hung up again.

A second later, it rang again and Celeste decided not to answer it at all, rejecting the call. Peach was silent the entire time, and she blinked at Celeste.

"Is he possibly talking about you and me meeting for the--"

"No."

"Okay."

Peach turned her head away, resisting the urge to laugh as she tried to hide her smile. For once in her life, she actually found a man rather adorable.

Celeste saw her reflection in the window, his expression growing broody.

***

"You have arrived at--"

Peach removed her seatbelt even before the robotic lady finished speaking, preparing to open the door. However, Celeste stopped her by holding her shoulder.

"Wait."

"Let me go, I'm gonna get this bastard."

"It might not be them."

'"It might be them."

Celeste sighed, "just stay here, I'll go first."

"Why can't you stay behind instead?"

He revealed the police badge hanging on his hip, he had put it on earlier in the car. Since he was in the middle of the investigation right now, wearing a physical police badge makes it more convenient for him.

No matter what, a physical police badge tend to have a larger impact than a virtual one.

"If they start running once they see my badge, you'll catch them."

Celeste reached behind for his coat, before pushing the door open, exiting the car. Peach paused, remaining in her seat, rather begrudgingly.

The afternoon sun shone down on Celeste as he stepped out onto the sidewalk, and his sky blue hair was brighter than usual. Shops lined the pavement, and the car was parked next to the pavement, near the shop they were supposed to check.

Peach observe Celeste as he entered the shop, narrowing her eyes as she kept her eyes on the door. The shop had transparent walls, though almost every shop in Neo with transparent walls were actually made up of smart walls. If the owner wanted to, they could simply change it, much like smart windows. It would switch to day or night mode.

She saw Celeste approaching the owner of the shop at the counter, and the owner turns out to be a middle-aged woman.

"Hello, young man. What can I help you with?"

"I need some forging done."

The middle-aged woman straightened herself, her eyes sparkling with interest. "What kind of forging do you want?"

"Signatures."

The middle-aged woman smiled in an enigmatic manner, "I don't specialize in that department, but there is someone I know who does."

"Who?"

She just offered her hand to Celeste, smiling wider. "Transfer a small fee of $500 to my Löne, information doesn't come easy either."

Celeste frowned, that amount could be used to treat his parents to a good meal at a restaurant, and he'd rather spend it on them. Celeste reached down, removing the police badge, placing it on the countertop.

The woman directed her eyes down, her smile trembling.

"It's an investigation."

"Well then," the woman pulled back her hand. "It's free of charge for you, young man."

Celeste swiped his hand in the air, opening his map and preparing to type in an address.

"District 11, 56th Jekyl. The shop's name is Pixy."

Pixy
Tel: 512 3618476233
Opening hours: 1pm - 2am
Estimated travelling time from your location (car): 10 minutes

Celeste set it as his destination immediately, realising it was one of the location that Maddog marked. He proceeded to walk away, until the woman called out to him.

"Don't tell him it's me that tattled on him," she implored. "He holds really bad grudges."

"I won't."

With that simple answer, Celeste just exited the shop and Peach who had been keeping a close eye on the door, grimaced when Celeste walked out alone.

"It wasn't her?" Peach asked when he entered the car.

"No, she gave me another address." Celeste shook his head, keying in the address provided.

The car drove off, and a few seconds later, a phone chimed noisily. Celeste glanced at the caller, hesitating before he answered the call.

"Speak."

"Don't hang up! I just wanna know if she's still there with you."

"Why?"

"If she's there, put me on speaker! She's the only person who can answer these questions."

Celeste frowned, but he put Michael on "speaker" mode anyway. "Go ahead."

"Hey, Pe-Peach? Ya there, mate?"

Peach looked at Celeste and his phone when she heard her name being called.

"Oh hey, fourth time guy, what do you want?"

"Fou-fourth time guy..."

"This blue-haired hottie here seems to hang up on you whenever you say "fourth time", so...fourth time guy."

"Nevermind that, how much do you know about Haeres?"

Peach's eyes wandered about as she heard Michael's question. She hardly saw the streets of Neo in broad daylight. "Probably more than any of you."

"Do you think it's possible for Haeres to frame you for murder?"

"Highly unlikely, Haeres treasures his host club too much to sully its reputation in the slightest way," Peach explained, shaking her head. "And I don't think Haeres would like to get on my bad side by framing me for murder."

"He treasures the host club full of scary, professional hitmen?"

A small smile lined her lips, "I can't divulge any further than that. Night couriers have strict codes to follow."

"Are you really, really sure he isn't out to frame you for murder?"

"...why are you insisting on this?"

"Hebi came over to the precinct a while ago, and he went into a story of how you threatened him after he found out you were trying to kill Julian Argo. And he witnessed you killing him, so you hired thugs to beat him up to this state, so that he wouldn't rat out on you."

Celeste looked up, staring at Peach.

"...is he fucking high?" Peach muttered out in disbelief. "And please don't tell me you guys believed that bloody retard. With what Crimson really is, you should know better."

"Yeah, sorry mate. His story was pretty darn convincing and consistent, and he acted out the role of a terrified person accurately. So unless you found a way to prove yourself innocent, there'll be a warrant out for your arrest. If we didn't actually know who Haeres and Hebi truly are, the warrant would be issued way faster."

"We'll find something." Celeste spoke, hanging up on the call.

Peach bit on her lip, "Fuck! I'm definitely not getting jailed for a lifetime, for a crime I didn't even commit!"

The car gradually stopped next to another pavement, and this area lacked of any people since it was rather unpopular area.

"You have arrived at your destination."

The two of them unbuckled their seatbelts, and Peach wanted to rush out, until she remembered their plan earlier. She growled in annoyance, throwing herself back onto the seat.

Celeste didn't say a word, only stepping out of the car and making his way swiftly to the shop. He rose his head, seeing the large font of the word "Pixy" on the glass walls of the shop, before entering it.