Archive of Our Own

The Wild Cards

Ren Amamiya flew through the casino, mindful of every movement he made. The loud, partying guests below wouldn’t notice him if he made a little noise, but you never could be too careful. So he kept in mind to stay in the shadows from up above—there were a lot of them, moving around like carousels from the flashing, eye-catching light from the slots and tables below him. 

“Oracle. Did you find a route yet?” he muttered into his com, keeping his eyes on his environment. Oracle was the codename for his adoptive little sister Futaba, and the reason he was into this particular business. 5 years ago, she was dumped off in the orphanage where Ren lived after a car crash took her mother and her legs. 

Futaba was and probably will always be broken from the tragedy, but Ren took it upon himself to take care of her at the orphanage where the two of them were all alone. She was scared of him at first, like most of the kids—big scary Ren with his sharp eyes and delinquent looks—but he never let that stop him from reaching out to her. 

Nobody wanted either of them—Futaba for her disability and Ren for his demeanor, but the two weren’t bothered by that at all. As far as they were concerned, they were alone in the world and they had to carve out a place for themselves. So when Ren turned 18, he turned over some funds to the orphanage, adopted Futaba and bought a small apartment in Tokyo, only a few miles away from where they lived. 

How did he get the funds? Well, there was one more thing about Ren—he was the famous phantom thief of Japan, and he was good at it. Nobody knew it was him or even that the phantom thief was a him , he was always out of sight and out of scrutiny as a law-abiding citizen by day. 

He targeted corrupt politicians, plagiarizing artists, and illegal casinos like the one he was in now. Oracle, as it turned out, was a whizz with technology, so with a few contacts and collusions with parts of the yakuza that weren’t already out to kill him, Ren hooked his sister up with some sweet navigation technology to help him in heists. 

That brought Ren to where he was today, thieving this place to get enough cash to afford Futaba’s spinal cord surgery. If all went well, she would be able to walk again. 

“ Sorry, Joker—I’m gonna need you to move around a bit more. That place is packed! Geez, I don’t even know where the banks are yet...sorry. ” She sounded apologetic, and saying sorry twice was always a bad sign. Switching from phantom thief to big brother for a second, Ren’s demeanor softened. 

“Oracle, you’re doing fine. There’s no pressure today, alright? Nobody knows that we’re here anyways—take all the time you need. Where's Morgana?” He coaxed, trying to calm her down. A few deep breaths from the other end, and Ren knew he’d succeeded. 

“He’s around the corner,” she said softly. Morgana was a stray cat who had shown up at the orphanage some time between the two of them meeting, and he snuck into the dinky bus that Ren purchased right before the big move and came with them. A good thing too, because he had a calming effect on Futaba when everything got too much for her. 

“Good. Listen—I like flying around like this! You know me. Just calm down for a second and tell me when you find something, okay?” 

“ But what if I can’t find it before the police show up?” she challenged. “What if—” her voice seized up with sudden panic— “what if you get caught because of —” 

“Futaba.” Ren insisted, dropping codenames. This was an occurrence that happened more commonly than he liked it too—his sister’s panic attacks stemmed from her trauma, and he wished he could do anything to make them stop, but no amount of thievery would ever take that away, he knew. 

“I won’t get caught.” he insisted, allowing no room for argument. “And if this place gets cracked down on in the next few hours, I’ll leave. Iwai has a getaway ready for me, and there'll be other casinos and other heists, okay? Nothing will be lost. Just breathe, alright?”

A minute passed before she responded, and Joker felt the sounds from below become increasingly more quiet as he waited. Finally, another sigh. 

“ Alright. I’m—I’m okay ,” her voice was shaky, but she had calmed down at least somewhat now. It was good enough for Ren.

“Great.” he smirked, slipping back into his phantom thief persona. Launching himself from a light he was standing on, he flew towards the center of the congregation, where a cylindrical pillar pierced through the ground towards the ceiling; the elevator towards the high limit floor and down towards the staff only area. The architecture of the building had contours protruding from the pillar that Ren landed his feet on, bending down to cushion his fall. 

From there he could circle around the pillar, flattening his back against the concrete like a tightrope walker. He was looking for a route to some place in the building he hadn’t been, hopefully in the direction of the vaults where they kept the cash. He’d always had great vision, so he could see from far away—something Futaba had nicknamed as his ‘third eye.’

Ah ha. He found something. At the other end of the wall was a vent, definitely big enough to fit him. “Showtime.” he declared, starting to move to the other end, leaping from galavant light fixture to galavant light fixture, black coat floating behind him in the rush of air. 

“ Show- off,” Futaba corrected, groaning. Joker chuckled, happy that she was out of the funk. 

“You know it.” 

he ended his approach when he landed on the ledge where the vent was at, and he began his work. Normally, if the room wasn’t as crowded as it was, he would kick the vent cover in like a door, but he didn’t trust the obliviousness of the crowd that much. Pulling out a screwdriver from his pocket, he started working on the vent corner by corner. 

It was off in fifteen seconds, and not looking back, he began his crawl. “See anything yet?” he asked, voice echoing around the metal passage. It dove sharply downwards, so he paused his descent and positioned himself for a fall. 

“ Not yet. Keep going. ” she sounded focused, like she was getting closer to something good. That was promising, at least. 

Placing his hands above him on the crawlspace so that the pads of his gloves were flat against the metal, Ren pushed himself downwards into the tube. For a few moments, Joker was in freefall. 

Ren’s boots were met with the rigid blades of another vent opening, and he mentally cheered at the success. Spreading himself so that his back and legs were suspending him above the vent, he reached into his coat with a free hand and pulled out a hook. Lowering it carefully and precisely, he hooked the end between two of the blades, and yanked on it hard. 

The cover popped off easy, and he pocketed it; purposefully not making any noise. Peering below, his eyes were met with drab, grey concrete, so he let himself fall to the floor, tumbling a few feet away from where he landed to break the fall. Nobody was here, which was good. He cursed himself slightly—he was careless. If there were guards around here, they were surely coming. 

But it was fine, he would be long gone before any of that happened. “Alright. I’m in...some place beneath the main floor. What do you think?” 

Oracle sounded excited when she got back to him. “ Joker! I found the vault! It’s on that floor, somewhere north of you! ” 

“Stellar job, Oracle.” he praised. His sister was amazing like that. Soon enough, she would finally be able to walk, and then maybe he would never need to steal again. He would miss this life, but he knew it was for the best. 

“ Th-thanks, Joker. ” she whispered, and Ren could hear the blush coming through the mic. Smiling slightly, he finally took a look at where he was. 

He was dropped down in the middle of a pretty wide hallway, and there were carts all around probably filled with cash that the house had cheated out of unsuspecting guests. Most yakuza-run casinos were like that, and this one was no different. He ignored the cash for now—all he needed today was a route to start funneling the money out of. His primary contact—Iwai, a former yakuza who had told about this place—was offering him a cut of the earnings that would be enough for Futaba’s surgery, in exchange for grunt men that would haul it out, should Joker and Oracle secure a route. 

So he began the dash through the labyrinthic basement, left hand trailing the wall as he ran. The lights flickered above him, sinsterly coloring the walls with flashes of gray and black. The walls themselves were decorated with graffiti...just what was this building before all of this?

Idle thoughts, idle thoughts...Joker needed to stay alert. Ironically, as he had discovered, crowds were the safest place to do his work. In dimly lit corridors like this one, he was most vulnerable, because the police could do whatever they wanted without ‘civvies’ to get in their way. He was in enemy territory. 

So he kept quiet, making great strides with his legs as he ran down the hall. With his right hand, he pulled out a small pistol and began shooting the cameras as they came up, not slowing down. “How close am I?” he breathed. 

“Right around the corner. Big room, flush with the wall. No fancy silver door like the movies, just a simple rectangle. Might have a lock, though. Be careful, Joker.” Oracle’s nervousness bled into her voice, which was rising with the tenseness of the situation. 

“Alright, I’m opening the door. Ready?” he waited, letting his sister take a breath. 

“ ..Yeah. Go for it, Joker!” Even she was getting excited, which Joker grinned at. Picking the lock, he let the door fall inwards, and he froze with the creak of the door. Once the crack was wide enough for him to step in, he slipped in like water flowing through a leak. 

The lights were dim, but Ren could make out the silhouettes of bags and boxes on lined up shelves, and if all of those were money bags, then he truly had struck it rich. “I’d imagine there’s about a few million or so yen in each of these, Oracle.” he said triumphantly. What a way to end his career as a legendary thief, really!

“Actually, Joker , there’s nothing in here but a thief and a few cops. Hands up, please.” Joker froze at the voice behind him. Eyes widening, he lifted his arms, grasping mentally for something—anything to say. Luckily, he knew the cop who spoke, almost like an old friend.

“Officer Narukami.” he greeted, turning slowly to face the silver-haired man. “We meet again.” his smile was genuine, he really did like the policeman. It was a shame that they never met under any other circumstances. Always a hostile environment with Narukami, it was. 

“ Shit .” Futaba swore, making Joker frown for a second. Since when did she know that word? That small crack in his confidence spurred Narukami on to speak.

“Great to see you again, Joker. Unfortunately, though, this will be the last time we meet in some place that isn’t a jail cell or a courtroom. Now, will you be a good friend and let me take you away for good?” Narukami grinned ruefully, holding up a pair of cuffs with his free hand. 

Joker shook his head, feigning sadness. “You know I can’t do that. Though I’m glad you view me as a friend of yours—perhaps you can be the good friend who doesn’t tattle this time around?” 

“Quit the games, Joker. You’re coming with us.” Ah. A new voice, belonging to one Makoto Yuki. He wasn’t quite as outgoing and friendly as Narukami was, more stoic and apathetic than anything. Not that Joker didn’t appreciate him for that—every police force needed a no-nonsense guy like him. He turned to look at the blue-haired officer and gave him a small wave.

“ Fuck .” was the quiet break of silence from his com. Joker’s brow furrowed, and he stopped focusing on the cops for a moment to admonish his sister. 

“Oracle.” He hissed, in a tone that said how much trouble she was in when he got home. That quieted her, so he looked back at Narukami. 

She was right, though. This was a situation where he was most certainly fucked unless he didn’t do something to get out of it. One cop he could handle, two was a headache and in this enclosed space, he was going to have a hell of a time getting out. He needed to buy time,so he started chatting them up. “You guys got me in quite the ambush, huh? Are the police colluding with the yakuza nowadays?”

Narukami shook his head slightly. “Would you believe me if I told you this facility was abandoned months ago, and we knew you couldn’t resist bait like this?” That every single person down there is on the force, or a family member? Really, Joker, If you’d only been a little more observant. 

Joker laughed, spreading his arms out in an appreciative way. “Really? That’s amazing! All of this, just to capture one petty thief? I have to say, I’m rather flattered, officers.” And he was. It was just a shame that this place wasn’t legit—he’d have to tell Iwai that his ‘client’ was the police and he should be more careful in the future. 

Suddenly, he ripped out a small sphere and tossed it to the ground. White smoke clouded up the room, and Ren dove sideways towards one of the shelves, knocking over a box in the process. True to Narukami’s word, the box clattered to the ground next to him, ringing empty. 

“ Joker! What’s happening?” Futaba was panicked, wondering what the hell just happened. Ren didn’t respond, and instead tried to figure out what happened with Narukami and Yuki. Not seeing any movement, Joker called out to them. 

“As much as I appreciate the gesture, gentlemen, I must take my leave today! It was very nice to see you, officers!” he remembered where the door was and felt his way towards it, it was unlocked. That was his first warning, and it was one he should have noticed. Still, he dashed right through. 

The second warning he missed was that Yuki and Narukami hadn’t moved an inch since he started running. Instead, Makoto brought his walkie-talkie to his mouth. “Kotone? Tell the others to get ready. He’s coming up.”

As Joker ran through the same walls, stealth no longer a concern of his, he mentally went through his options, talking to Futaba on the way. “Alright. I’m not gonna count on Iwai’s getaway...gonna have to find someplace new to escape.” If what Narukami said was true—it normally was, that man had a whole thing about truth —then the place was crawling with police, and it was going to be extremely hard to escape. 

“ Joker? Are you gonna be okay? ” Futaba’s meek question fragmented his train of thought. He slowed down the brisk pace making it hard for him to concentrate on an answer. 

“Oracle. I am...in a bit of a pickle now, but I’ll get out. Can you link me to Iwai?” The ex-yakuza was usually quickly responsive whenever one of Joker’s heists were in action. This was the exact reason why. 

“ Right away !” Oracle said a little bit too quickly, and Joker remembered that he was supposed to be mad at her. 

Switching to stern big brother, he spoke briskly. “Oracle. What happened back there?”

“ Wh-what do you mean, J-joker? ” From the tone in her voice she knew exactly what he was talking about, the gremlin. 

“You know exactly what I mean, Futaba Amamiya. Those words! What made you think that was okay to say?” Acting like a responsible older sibling made Ren focus better as he made his escape. Plus, Futaba was way out of her mind if she thought she could just...say those words, regardless of stressful situations! 

Cornered, his younger sister lashed out. “Oh come on, Ren! I’m not a little kid anymore! You can’t baby me like that, especially when you basically act like some vigilante from a superhero movie! Who cares if I—”

a smattering of footsteps from an unknown staircase—probably around the corner—put the family matters on pause. “We’ll talk about this later,” Joker simply said, and he could practically hear the rolled eyes from the other side. What a teenager. 

Hiding behind a corner, he peered over to see an open door—one he had seen but not noted—peek out from the other side of the wall. From the way the steps sounded, this was the place. Maybe he could be smart and trace the police’s footsteps back—no, that was a terrible idea. Hundreds of cops up there. This was quite the puzzle, wasn’t it?

Joker lived for this. 

Still, immediate danger was immediate danger. He had know idea where the cops were; how close or far they were away from him—finding that out was his number one priority. He just needed to get into a position where he could learn that information. 

Moving with a silent conviction, he tiptoed around the door and hid his frame behind it, folding himself out of sight. He quickly looked beyond the threshold, risking a second of visibility for the information. Nobody was there, so nothing was lost. He breathed a sigh of relief he didn’t know he was holding—he had to hand it to Narukami for making him feel this tense. 

“Anyone up there, Oracle?” He asked just in case. 

Silence. 

“Oracle.” he repeated. 

“ Ugh, nobody. Get out of there before someone sees you.” and now she was sulking. Joker sighed, and started dashing up the staircase. 

It proved to be a much more complicated task than just that; there were so many bends in the stairs, Joker just had to wonder how far he had fallen from the first infiltration through the vent. Would he even come out in a place that was close to where Iwai was? Wait, where was Iwai anyways? 

“What happened with Iwai?” he asked as he climbed upwards. Without a getaway, this might be a while before he could make it back home. What if that old man was in on this? No—Joker stopped himself. He trusted Iwai, the man wasn’t one to sell out anyone to anyone else. 

“ He’s not coming through! Joker, I’ve been trying to reach him for a while! Are..are you gonna make it?” Futaba, forgetting that she was supposed to be mad, slipped back into her panicked state from earlier. Damn it . Iwai was out, and this whole situation finally went from bad to worse. He hoped the ex-yakuza wasn’t captured or anything, but Joker wasn’t holding his breath any longer. 

“Crap. erm, Oracle, don't panic right now. We gotta appreciate these critical moments, right? It’ll be a while before I get home is all.” Home was where he needed to be, safe with his sister and their cat. Luckily, as he said those words, he had reached a door at the end of the winding staircase. Bracing himself, he opened it and stumbled outside. 

He was surprised when the cold air of a summer night affronted him—his luck was starting to return. Glancing around, he noticed a myriad of bushes splitting up against a silver, chain link fence a few feet away,  next to an inactive highway. Bingo. 

“Alright, looks like I have my way out of here. Oracle, is there anything you want for dinner?” He asked as he started scaling the fence. 

“ Uh-um, some curry to go? Coffee too, please?” Poor kid, it sounded like she was about to cry. If there was anything that Ren hated about this job, it was how he made his sister feel when these things happened.  

“Coffee and curry, gotcha. Sit tight, sis.” He coaxed, letting her know that he’d be home soon. 

“Freeze right where you are, Phantom Thief. Your sister is going to have to wait on that coffee and curry for tonight.” Shit. His luck wasn’t so forgiving, then? The officer sounded female, though. All he needed to do was turn on his Joker charm and make his escape that way. 

“Good evening, officer. I’m terribly sorry that I cannot honor your request tonight—I already have dinner plans with someone else. Although, I’m free any day of the week, I’d be glad to meet with you wherever, dear.” The suaveness was only slightly diminished, as Joker’s face was more or less pressed against the fence. 

“I’m afraid you don’t really have a choice in the matter, Thief.” that voice...it was a little foggy, but Joker remembered it. As the bearded man came into view from the other side of the fence, Joker offered him a greeting. 

“Officer Zenkichi? This is quite the reunion, I’d say. But it won’t last very long.” The man looked embarrassed that Joker recognized him; it meant they’d met before and he hadn’t caught the masterful phantom thief. Joker didn’t hold it against him, though. It wasn’t something you should be expected to do. 

“ Joker! What’s going on? I’ve lost visuals of where you are...how many cops are there?” That made Joker worry—were the cops jamming her signal or something? Geez, they really wanted him caught, didn’t they? 

“Sit tight, Oracle. I’ve only crashed a bit of a party is all.” 

“ What?! Joker, what’s going on?” 

He ignored her cries, as this moment was very crucial. “Phantom Thief, we’ll play nice if you play nice, got it?” another deep voice emerged from the other side of the fence...an officer Dojima. Joker recognized him from  when he and Narukami were together, which was often. Joker smirked at the man. 

“Get off the fence and turn around, Phantom Thief. You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney for a trial. If you can’t afford one, one will be provided for you by the court.” The woman’s voice again, this time reading off a few rights that Joker never respected. 

“What, you don’t want to have a chat with me? Aw…” Joker jested. Slowly climbing downwards and planting his feet on the ground, he decided that there was no way in hell he could handle the police on the other side of the fence, he turned around to face the woman who was speaking. She was about his age, somewhere between 19 and 20. Her brow was furrowed, and her brown locks were pulled back in a ponytail with a strange-looking hair clip on the right side of her hair. He couldn't see what color her eyes were in the dark. 

He never liked getting violent with the police, but he knew there wasn’t really a way out of this. “Sorry, officer.” and with that, he launched himself at her. 

His feet squished against the wet foliage beneath him, and his coat trailed behind him in black streaks. Normally, he immediately disarmed aany cop with such an approach, but she seemed to be different. She matched his initial blow to her side, which she blocked with a twisted shoulder. 

That stunned him, but he wasn’t done yet. Moving his left hand towards her waste, he tried pulling her gun out and throwing it away, but she shifted her weight away from him, making Joker stumble.

“Y-you’re good.” he noted, feeling iron and bile in his breath, evidence of exhaustion. 

To his surprise, she smiled back. “Thanks, Mr. Thief.” But quick as a flash of lightning, her grin was gone, and she was shouting a command. “Makoto! Yu! Cuff him!” and he felt his hands betray him as silver rings locked around his wrists. Damn it. He could pick the locks if he was alone, but it seemed that Narukami and Yuki had finally decided to show up. 

“Hiya, Joker.” Narukami sounded so smug holding his left wrist, and as much as Joker liked the cop, he wanted to punch Narukami in the face really hard that moment. But both of his hands were occupied. 

“Looks like your time’s up, Thief.” Yuki didn’t sound nearly as cocky as his partner, but his deadpan voice somehow made Joker feel worse. Like there really wasn’t any way out of this one. 

“ Joker! Joker, what’s going on? Please…” His headset was chaotic with the sounds of loud desperation from Futaba’s end, and Joker sucked in his breath, eyes still trained on the woman who had bested him. Ren cursed. 

“Oracle, please just….sit tight, alright? I’ll find a way out of this, don’t worry.” Even as he said the words, he knew that they were lies. Narukami and Yuki tightened their grip and yanked him upwards so that they were no longer behind Ren and were facing him. 

“ Ren! Don’t...oh god, was it my fault? I can’t get a visual, I can’t… ” Shit, he didn’t have time for this. He needed to get home to Futaba and fast. But before he could answer, Yuki reached toward Ren’s head and pulled out the com, a small black dot that Futaba had engineered, and crushed it in his hand. 

“Hey! Don’t touch me there, you bastard!” In a bit of a freudian slip, Joker yelled harshly at the officers, who didn’t move a muscle. 

“Can’t have you...corresponding with anyone, can we, Joker?” Narukami spoke into his ear. Joker couldn’t remember why he ever considered the police officer his friend, rival, or anything. The female cop threw Joker a face that was a mix of shock and pity. He glared back. He didn't need any pity, especially not from a police member. 

“I’ll take him in my car, then?” Narukami declared, like it was owed to him. Joker pulled harshly on his left cuff, showing exactly what he thought of that. Yuki opened his mouth to offer, but then the woman officer spoke up. 

“I’ll take him.” she said. Her voice shook, but it rang with conviction. Joker didn’t say or do anything when he heard that, instead just wondering why? You had to have a lot of guts to willingly go in a cop car with Japan’s most dangerous criminal, and as much as Joker hated to admit it, Narukami and Yuki were the best ones for the job. 

Yuki looked horrified at that remark. “Kotone, you shouldn’t! You don’t know what he’ll do to you! He might get inside your head, or something.” That was the most emotion that Joker had ever heard come out of the blue haired Officer’s mouth, but all sorts of things were happening tonight.

Her name was Kotone? Huh. 

Still, the look she gave the other two—she had red eyes, Ren noted with mild awe—left no room for argument, and they relented—an exchange of the key, a rough shove, slammed door, and Joker was alone in the cop car with the mysterious police officer. 

Kotone looked way out of her comfort in the driver's seat—she looked like she was vibrating with nervousness...was she now only realizing what she was getting herself into? Still, Ren felt a little hurt; he wasn’t one to bite or anything like that. Sighing with defeat, he asked a question. “I don’t suppose that I could make a call to somebody?”

Her response was tense and robotic. “We can wait until you get to the station, Thief. Manipulation will get you nowhere.” it was almost like she was a completely different person from when she went blow-to-blow against him earlier. But he could work with this. 

“Ma’am, please? I just want to contact my family—a sister of mine. She’s probably really nervous about why I’m out so late. You can understand, right? She gets anxiety attacks and I’m the only one who can help her right now.” Lying wasn’t something he could do properly right now. His mask was off, and he was honest. 

Kotone seemed to actually think about it before answering. “...that’s a noble story, Phantom Thief. How do I know you’re not lying?” 

Joker shrugged—a useless gesture, she couldn’t see him. “I guess you don’t. I’d be fine if the call was on speaker, though.” Hopefully that would do it. 

It seemed to work, because he saw her fingers tense up on the wheel, like she was split between two hard decisions. Ren saw her chest rise up and deflate, she was trying to calm herself down. “Give me the number, it’ll be on speaker. The call will be recorded, and it must not be any longer than two minutes.” 

Joker smiled genuinely, very grateful for this officer. This was the first time he had actually gotten a cop to break protocol for him, a small victory in his sudden arrest. He listed off a string of numbers, and she typed them on some hidden screen he could barely make out. The phone rang only for one beep. 

When it picked up, Futaba’s voice was the most quiet Joker had ever heard. “ Who—who is this?” she sniffed, and Joker really wanted to give her a hug. Kotone was, thankfully, very silent. 

“Hey, Oracle. How are you doing?” He said, keeping his voice soft. He needed to let her know he was fine, even if he really wasn’t. 

“ Joker! Joker where are you? Oh god, oh god I’m so sorry...Ren, you’re...Ren I messed up, Ren I—” her voice was rising higher and higher by the picosecond. In the corner of his eye, Ren saw Kotone flinch. Aw, damn. They know my name now, damn it. 

“Oracle...I’m okay. I’m just going to have a little chat with the police and I’ll see you soon with that coffee and curry of yours. How’s Morgana doing?” hopefully by making her shift her attention towards the cat, she would calm down. Ren unconsciously leaned forward in his seat, like he was somehow closer to Futaba if he did that. 

“ Morgana...he’s here, he’s in my lap.” Good. Ren loved that cat for being there when he couldn’t. 

“That’s nice. Make sure you give him a head scratch for me, okay? Is there anything he wants for dinner?” 

Futaba giggled despite herself. “ Oh, you know...some expensive tuna or something.” Ren laughed back—that cat was very expressive about the kinds of foods he wanted. It was a small solace in their complicated lives, one that Ren appreciated. 

“Great. I’ll see you soon, okay?” Ren said, biting back the guilty tone. The call ended with a brief beep, and Ren was thrust back into heavy silence.

Kotone broke it a moment later. “Why did you lie to her, Thief? You know that there’s no way you’re going home any time soon, right?” She seemed genuinely concerned for the girl, and Ren looked at her. 

“I understand entirely what my position is, officer. But you heard her—I wasn’t lying when I said I was the only one who could help her. So forgive me, please, if I only wanted to comfort my little sister. Everything I do is for her.” he slouched in his seat, feeling his hands cramp up behind his back. 

Kotone regarded him with a complicated expression from the rearview mirror, looking like she wanted to say something. “So that’s why you turned to a life of crime? Why you were here tonight?” She finally said, feeling childish as the words left her mouth.

Joker barked out a sharp laugh, making the officer shoot up straight in her seat. “Oh, no, I was already quite the criminal before I met her, stealing food from the orphanage lunch room and everything. She just gave me a purpose for it all.” he made sure not to make eye-contact with her. 

“Oh...I see,” She said, voice full of pity. Joker frowned. 

“Don’t worry about it. She’ll be fine.” 

A few moments went by where no words were spoken. Ren supposed that this was the first time he felt awkward in a police car, and he leaned towards the window, watching the light of the city zoom past him as the car drove onwards. He let out a sigh again. 

“Is that why you targeted the casino we set up? For your sister?” Kotone’s voice was unsure, like she didn’t know if she should keep talking to the national fugitive in the back seat. Ren looked to the ceiling, wondering if it would be rude to use his right to remain silent at that moment. 

He gave in. “Surgery money. Take that how you will, ma’am.”

She didn’t respond. 

Despite the fact that Japan had a ninety-nine percent conviction rate, the Phantom Thief had a pretty good chance of getting away with a very light sentence. There were a few reasons as to why this was true. The first was a lack of evidence: true to his name, The Phantom Thief was never caught on camera, and his famous masquerade mask that obscured his face meant that they couldn’t match the convict with the criminal. That, and the publicity around the case was huge. 

He was something of a national hero as well as a fugitive—everyone he stole from was also someone who had a particular nasty side to them, so he had quite the following and fandom. It would be hard for the prosecution to find him guilty without severe backlash from the public. At best, he would be charged with a year or two for breaking and entering and resisting arrest—he hadn't even stolen anything in the building. 

But god damn if the prosecutor wanted to win. Sae Niijima...a stern lady, ready to take the Phantom Thief head on, offered him a plea deal in a dark interrogation room in the depths of the police station. 

“I have an offer for you, Amamiya-san.” she had said, and it wasn’t like he had anything else to do. The initial interrogators were rough with him, and he was too exhausted to dance around with her. So he looked at her, eyes lazy and tired, and waited for her to elaborate. 

“You’re a tough one to pin down, Phantom Thief. We have nothing... nothing on you.” She spoke quietly, but Ren felt a smirk at the corners of his lips from the rage he felt coming off from the woman. “But from one of our officer’s accounts, you have a sister. Someone who helped you commit every single one of your heists. All we would need to do is prove the link between her and you and she would be next.”

That was alarming. Ren clenched his teeth. He hadn’t been thinking at all when he called Futaba in the police car. That was stupid of him, stupid. 

Nijima’s eyes flashed when she saw his reaction. Triumph. “So here’s my ultimatum, Phantom Thief. Either you accept life imprisonment and take responsibility for every single one of your crimes, or your sister will be the one behind bars. So what will it be?”

Ren rolled his neck back and forwards. “If I accept this deal...I have your word that she won’t be prosecuted at all? She’ll be left out of everything?” 

Nijima nodded, a little bit too eagerly. Ren’s shoulders sagged. I guess I won’t be getting that coffee and curry for Futaba, then. Sorry, sis. 

Still, he looked back at Niijima with a rueful smile. “Well, then. It's not even a question, is it?” And with that, the Phantom Thief was captured and would never steal anything ever again.  Japan was safe forevermore. 

The doorbell rang once, a loud, clear sound through the quiet apartment. Futaba shot up from her slumped over position near the computer. Her face had been pressed up against the keyboard, and now it was checkered with red splotches. Her hair was all over the place, and her eyes were still puffy from crying. But that didn’t matter now! Ren was here, and he had coffee and curry for her! From her lap, Morgana jumped down and started prancing down the hall, meowing the whole way. 

For Futaba, that would be a bit more work.  She pulled herself out from behind her desk: an amalgamation of monitors and communicators that helped her older brother commit acts of grand larceny. Wheeling herself around, she started rolling towards the door. It had been too long. 

Opening the door, however, revealed to Futaba that her brother was not there. It was a policewoman, to her horror. 

Futaba rolled away from the woman, closing her eyes and started hyperventilating. “Who—who are you?” she exclaimed, still not looking at the officer. “Where’s—where's my brother?” From the floor, Morgana hopped up from the ground and onto her lap, purring loudly. Focus on the purring. Focus on the purring. Futaba started running a nervous hand through the cat’s fur. 

“Please look at me, miss? I’m not here to hurt you.” Her voice was very quiet, and it made Futaba feel just a little bit calmer. She peered up, squinting her eyes at the woman. She looked about as old as her brother, with kind, red eyes and a small smile. Futaba wasn’t one to trust, but she felt her breathing slow, finally. 

“Thank you, miss. Your brother asked the police to check up on you. That’s all, okay?” Kotone said, bringing a curl of brown hair behind her ear. 

Futaba’s eyes widened, and she gripped her wheels until her knuckles turned white. “He asked the...police? Where is he right now?” 

“He’s...I’m sorry, miss. He’s about to be transferred to a high-security prison.” Kotone cringed even as she said it. Could she have any less tact?

“What? he’s gonna do what? No, this is my fault, no, no!” and she was back to freaking out. The woman eyed her with concern, wondering if there was something she could do. Then, like a light went on in her head, she knew exactly what to do. 

“Hey, hey, miss, please don’t...you can talk to him tomorrow, alright? I can bring you to the police station with your cat, and you guys can talk again okay?”  Kotone eased, voice small and friendly. 

Futaba looked at her in the eyes for the first time. “You’re not lying, are you?” Kotone shook her head, and Futaba started breathing more calmly. She didn’t seem less upset, just sad in a different way.  Looking down at her lap, she started speaking. “I...I would like that, yeah.” 

On her way out, Kotone wondered if she had done the right thing by saying what she said to Futaba. “So that’s what surgery money was about…” she pondered, feeling slightly melancholic. 

Suddenly, though, Kotone’s lips curled upwards with pleasant surprise. Wait a minute. There was one thing she could do to help out this pair of siblings. Something that might even help all of Japan. Eyes shining with surprised mirth, she fished out her phone and dialed the number to her brother’s cell. 

Ren woke up, feeling a very angry crick in his neck. He was unsurprised to feel sore everywhere—jail cell beds did that to you. Still, he took small comforts in other parts of the cell—the sun peaking out from the window, the quietness of it all. This was going to be his last day somewhere even close to Futaba—which, he supposed it was a blessing that he was going to get the chance to see her at all today. 

The rest of his cell was relatively boring...concrete floor and walls with a leak in the corner of the ceiling. His only lamp was flickering, so he moved to turn it off. He hated feeling bored, but he supposed he was going to have to get used to it. 

Footsteps. Feeling slight deja vu from two nights ago, Ren felt his body go rigid, and he prepared to greet the incoming officers. He figured that  he might as well be friendly to them—they were just doing their jobs. 

Ren was surprised to find the stares of three police officers that he was rather familiar with: Narukami’s was cocky, Yuki’s was apathetic, and Kotone’s was...why did he get hopeful vibes from it? That was something to think about. Maybe later, though. 

“Hello, Joker.” Narukami greeted first. Ren gave him a crooked smile. 

“My thieving days are over, Officer. I’m afraid I won’t be able to answer to that name anymore.” He remarked, letting all the bite show itself. 

Yuki looked at the former fugitive with his one visible eye and seemed to look into his soul with contempt. “Giving up, are you?” Ren felt indignant at that—he did not give up , thank you very much. He made the most reasonable choice with what he was faced against. Still, he didn’t respond. 

Kotone revealed from somewhere a bunch of papers, and slid it across the food tray area into Ren’s cell. He picked them up, waving them around. What is this? He communicated with them. 

Kotone bit her lip, which Ren felt just a little cute. “Um. Basically, it’s a deal that we want to offer you.” she seemed nervous the longer she spoke, as opposed with how curious Ren was getting, for his part. 

A deal, hm? Remembering Nijima, he got a sour taste in his mouth. Deals offered to Ren were not usually good things for him nowadays. Life had never really given him a good deal, so it was apt to say that he was more than a little apprehensive. 

Narukami nodded beside her. “Listen, we’re offering a lightened sentence. As in, 2 years of probation  instead of a life sentence. It’s a good one, a steal if nothing else.” he grinned at his own joke, and Ren stared. 

“What’s the catch?” he said, short and quick to the point. Something was really fishy here, and he needed to air it out. 

Yuki spoke up, voice not breaking from his usual deadpan. “You join the force.” 

A beat passed by, and Ren wondered if these guys were crazy. How the hell did they think that Japan’s most famous criminal would want anything to do with law enforcement? “You’re kidding, right?” 

Yuki glared at Ren, giving the former thief his answer. “Wait...seriously?” Just a few days ago, the three officers in front of him had been chasing him down with the intent of putting him behind bars, and now they wanted him out? What in the world was going on? They knew who he was, right?

Narukami nodded sagely. “Look, Joker. There’s one more thing we’ll put in to sweeten the deal, alright?” He nodded to Kotone, who smiled at Ren. 

“Joker...Ren, right? If you accept this deal, not only will your sentence be lightened considerably, but we can pay for your sister’s spinal cord surgery.” she said, and suddenly Ren knew where that hopeful tone was coming from. His eyes widened. That would be everything he’d hoped for, really. 

Which is exactly why he was extremely suspicious of the three of them. “How...no, why? Why would you offer such a thing? What’s going on here?” his voice rose, making Kotone step back. 

Narukami’s eyes flashed. “Even though we are a faction of the police, we’re almost separate from them entirely. The government grants us monthly funds, so it would be really nothing for us to help you in this way. Money is and will never be an issue, Joker.”

Yuki grimaced. “To put it simply, the government is desperate. The Yasoinaba murders, Apathy Syndrome, the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns in Tokyo. Our group is the people that investigate shit like that. Until recently, you were our number one priority. But now? Well, all of your previous ventures have done things that at least in some way, helped Japan as a nation. Not only that, but you operate with a finesse that we really could use.”

Kotone grinned. “We’re formally known as the Wild Cards. We’re…well, we’re good at what we do.”

Ren couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “There’s only three of you, and you’re tackling the nation’s greatest issues?”

Narukami shook his head. “Nah, we’re...we’re closer to the leaders of a group of specialists. Most of our work is done with teams, but sometimes we operate solo or work with the police. Like a few nights ago.”

“The two years of probation  is just essentially code for training. After that period, you would either be granted a team of your own, or dissolve into one of ours. We’d keep a close eye on you to make sure you don’t devolve into your old thief-y ways, of course.” Kotone said. 

Ren opened his mouth and leaned back, pressing the palms of his hands against his face. He started laughing, a light, happy sound. “So either I get life imprisonment or my sister gets her legs back...with the caveat that I become a government dog.” He said bitterly. 

The three all stiffened up at that; it was harsh, but he named their group accurately. After a moment, he eyed them, eyes blazing with a decision. 

“Damn you, Narukami. You drive a hard bargain. If it wasn’t for Futaba I’d pick life imprisonment any day. But when do I start?” 

As it turned out, training meant essentially an early morning workout with Kotone. She was formally his mentor, which was the best turnout in Ren’s opinion—Narukami would be hard to focus on training with, and Yuki was definitely too cold towards him still. Eventually, the two of them were gonna have to fix that, as teammates. 

“This is what you do every day?” he muttered to his partner,who was jogging right beside him. They were running on a path in Inokashira park, going up a steep path towards a peak. Kotone was in a light pink tank top and Ren was dressed in a simple tracksuit—apparently, The Wild Cards didn’t need any uniforms at all, and the police thing two weeks ago from now was another part of the ruse.

“Yup!” she replied cheerfully. Kotone was a very cheerful person, he had found out. She was also the kindest to him, and Ren had to wonder if she was just normally like that or if she was naive. Yuki had initially been adamant that she stay away from the Phantom Thief no matter what—imagine Ren’s surprise at the releavation that the two were siblings—but she insisted back that she could “handle herself,” or something. 

Eventually the ground beneath their feet plateaued, and they both stopped to catch their breath. They had made it to a small clearing surrounded by trees, and before Ren could say anything, Kotone started walking towards one end of the clearing, and, pushing her hair back into a messy ponytail, she turned to face him, moving into a fighting stance. 

“Wait, really?” Ren was a little befuddled. Still, raising her hand so it was level with her chest, she pointed her forefinger and middle finger upwards and bent them back; the taunt gesture. 

“Yeah, really,” Kotone challenged. Ren shrugged, and after a moment, he charged at her. 

They met almost the exact same way that they did the first time—she met his first blow with a blow of her own, but this time he shifted his weight down towards his front leg, moving his back to sweep under her. She saw this, hopping out of the way and attacking his side, and he was knocked down to the ground. 

“Not very dextrous today, are we, Mr. Thief?” she towered over him, the hem of her top blowing in the wind. She pointed a finger-gun down at him grinning in triumph. Ren smirked back at his assailant, holding his hands above his head. 

“You got me,” he said. “Only because I was surprised, though,” Ren wasn’t the type to spar, so this contest wasn’t a fair one to begin with. She reached down towards him, and he grabbed her hand. “Let’s go again.” he declared, moving his fists back up. 

And they did, for about an hour or so. It was a bit like a dance—a ballet, almost, but more elegant in ways that a dance wasn’t. And it would feel cooler too, if Ren wasn’t defeated every single time. 

As he lay down there, sore all over the place, he felt just a little bit pathetic. Kotone pulled him up, smiling prettily at him. “Who knew that the mysterious Phantom Thief was this bad in a fight?” she mocked, although there was no malice behind her words. 

Joker rolled his eyes. “It’s a completely different skill set. In a heist, I’m more focused on getting out of there rather than knocking down the obstacle.” Nevertheless, he shook his arms and raised his fists, but Kotone shook her head. 

“You’re probably getting hungry, right? Let’s go out somewhere to eat.” she walked ahead of him, back towards the steep part that led to the bottom of the park. Ren felt a little salty that today would be ending in  loss, but he still followed her down. 

“Know any good places?” she called a few paces ahead of him.

Opening the door to Leblanc, Ren and Kotone were greeted to the smell of wafting coffee beans and warm curry. Sojiro, an old man who had all but fathered Ren and Futaba when they got out of the orphanage, regarded the two of them with that smug smile of his.

“Finally getting around, Ren?” He asked, voice dripping with merriment. Ren didn’t know why, but he felt his cheeks grow a little hot; beside him, Kotone wasn’t doing any better. 

“Nah, we’re just popping in for some breakfast. Two of the house blend and house curry, Soijiro?” Ren asked, gathering his cool back together like a shattered ceramic. 

“You better be paying, Ren,” the old man remarked, moving to prepare the two meals. Kotone looked at the man behind the counter and back at Ren, unsure as to what to think. Ren shrugged, eyes obscured behind his glasses. He gestured towards the bar, and they made their way and sat down. 

“Do you often take your understudies out for breakfast, Kotone?” Ren teased, trying to break the silence. His partner stiffened at his question, suddenly feeling awkward. 

“Erm? No, actually. You’re my first.” Kotone felt her cheeks getting warmer by the second. 

Ren chuckled, and he let a little bit of Joker come out. “Why, I’m flattered! There must be something particularly special about me for a beautiful lady like yourself to take the extra step!” He winked, and Kotone broke eye-contact with him, looking away, face bright.  

“You’re so weird,” she remarked, and Joker’s grin only widened— cute, definitely. Maybe this whole government dog thing wouldn’t be so bad.

Two clinks against the countertop, and the coffee-curry combos were served. “The bill, please?” Sojiro asked, expectant. It was then that Ren remembered something crucial. 

“Crap. erm, Sojiro? I may be...uh. Flat broke.” being thrown in jail did that to you. Joker was gone, and a nervous Ren turned to look at a very pissed off Sojiro. Was that a vein popping? Oh shit, he was in deep this time for sure. Beside him, though, Kotone laughed, which was a small blessing for the impending hell Ren was about to get. 

“I’ll pay, sir, if that’s alright,” Kotone offered, and really, she was too sweet. Sojiro sighed, bringing a hand to his head like he had a headache. He sighed.   

“Damn it, Ren. Listen, this one’s on the house. I’ve never made a lady pay for a meal, and I sure as hell won’t start now. Just—you’re working extra shifts next week, capiche?” Sojiro was still pissed, but Ren could not believe his luck. 

“Capiche.” Joker parroted, feeling the weight of the world fall off his shoulders. Kotone giggled again, and Ren sipped his coffee quietly, only slightly embarrassed. 

About halfway through their meal, which was partnered up with banter and small talk that Ren would hopefully consider flirting, Sojiro threw out a question that caught the former thief off guard. “So, I heard about Futaba. Is she doing okay?” his voice was in that weird spot between awkward and fatherly, like he didn’t know how to get close enough to Ren. 

Ren paused, thinking while a bit of curry balanced on his fork. Futaba had gone into surgery almost immediately after Ren had become a Wild Card—the group did good on their promises, which Ren was relieved to find out. She was in rehab for the last week at the hospital, doing simple exercises with the doctors like moving her legs up and down on the bed. He wondered when—  

“Oh yeah, that’s right!” Kotone said, interrupting his thoughts. “There’s another reason why I asked you about breakfast today. Um…” her voice grew shy, and Ren turned to face her. “I got word from the doctors that Futaba might be able to walk today...sometime before lunch, actually!”

The fork clattered against the plate. “Fuck, Kotone, what?” Ren’s eyes widened. His sister could walk today? That was—that was today! Now! He stood up, wiping bits of curry off himself. Was he breathing heavily?  He was breathing heavily. The world seemed to go in and out of focus around him. He needed to calm down. “I need to go,” he said, leaving  no room for argument. 

Kotone stood up, smiling brightly. “Not so fast, Mr. Thief. I have to come with you, you know. Probation and everything.”

Sojiro cocked his head. “Probation...geez, what have you done now?” For a brief moment, Ren felt bad that the kind old man was left in the dark about everything even today. But he immediately remembered that Futaba was going to walk today. 

“Listen, Sojiro—thanks for the curry and coffee, but we have to—” Ren said, energy rushing all around him like a lightning storm. It had nothing to do with the coffee, he knew. 

Sojiro waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah. Go get your sister, kid.” Ren and Kotone shot him pairs of grateful smiles, and with that, they shot out of the small cafe and ran towards yongen-jaya station. The door clanged against the bell wildly as the left, and Sojiro sighed. 

The door opened a second time, and Ren ran back into the shop, shooting Sojiro a “I’ll tell you why later” look. Grabbing the leftover curry, coffee, and a cardboard to-go box from behind the counter, the young man stuffed the food into the container and ran out again. 

When he was out for good, the old man started cleaning up the plates, and he huffed indignantly. “That Phantom Thief really does do whatever the hell he wants, doesn't he?” Still, he couldn’t help the fond grin sneaking up his mouth. 

Kotone almost had to restrain Ren from busting down the doors to the hospital. “Ren, calm down, please?” she asked against his pull. That managed to make him pause, which was all Kotone needed—she caught up to him, and the two of them walked to the front desk. 

Ren didn’t know what to do or say, so Kotone stepped in front of him. “Where’s the rehab room where Futaba Amamiya is at?” she asked quickly, flipping up her badge to reveal the Tokyo Police badge. It wasn’t usually used for this, but it was helpful in skipping small talk—something Ren looked like he had no patience for. 

“Futaba...Amamiya? Let me see really quick,” the lady said sweetly, and Kotone saw her badge, reading Sayoko Uehara in bold black letters. Hadn’t Yu said something about a Uehara before?

“Um...room 307, two floors up,” she said, turning away from the computer to face the duo. When he heard that information, Ren took off, and Kotone gave chase, forgetting all about whatever Uehara was. 

The young man was practically slamming his hand on the up button, tapping his foot impatiently. Kotone reached to grab his free hand, and that made him look back at her, eyes wide and panicked. This was the most vulnerable she had ever seen the charismatic thief; she tightened her grip on his hand. 

The ride up was a very tense 30 seconds, and Ren felt like they were more 30 minutes, 30 hours, 30 years. Why was the hospital so white? It was hard to see! He couldn’t find 307 in this lighting, damn it. He felt his head burn with a headache from the tense feelings he had. What if she was walking before he even got there? What if he missed the moment they had been working towards their entire life?

“Ren, please! Wait for me!” that was...Kotone’s voice, right? He couldn’t focus! He needed to get to Futaba. The marble floor was loud and jarring against his feet; he was still sore from the morning, but he pushed through. 

There. At the end of the hall, double doors waited for him, numbers three zero and seven high above the frame. This was it. Kotone caught up to him, breathing heavily. “You...you really are a master thief, aren’t you?” She said between gasps. 

 Again, he ignored her, but he didn’t protest when she grabbed his right hand. Together, they pushed open the doors. 

Inside, his little sister, sitting on the edge of a bed on the other side of the room. Between the two siblings were parallel steel, silver bars—a pair of railings towards the rest of life. Ren waited with baited breath. Soon enough, she’d hopefully be able to walk towards him, and she would stand on her own. 

“Oh! Ren! You made it!” she laughed—when was the last time that she had looked so happy? Ren couldn’t remember. 

Her remark made the other two presences in the room turn to face him and Kotone. The first was obviously the doctor: a man with dark hair and thick glasses. 

“Oh, you must be the brother I’ve heard so much about!” the doctor said with an easy smile. “My name is Dr. Maruki—I’m helping your sister with her rehab, Amamiya-san. Aren’t you excited?” 

When he didn’t answer, as he was laser focused on Futaba, Kotone stepped in. “Don’t worry, he is. Apparently the two of them have been working towards this every sense they became family,” she supplied, and Maruki laughed. 

“Don’t I know it.” putting on a pair of gloves, he walked behind the small girl ready to help her up and support her if she needed it or fell over. “All Futaba-chan’s been saying is how much her big brother will be excited to see her walk.”

The second presence besides Futaba wasn’t human—Ren registered the purring, furry figure of Morgana as the cant rubbed up against his leg; Ren didn't move, though. Futaba was going to walk.

As she stood up from her bed— holy shit, she was standing up! — her legs were shaky, and Ren felt as if the world was going to end if she fell. But Maruki was there to protect her, and with great trepidation, she took the first step forward. 

Her right knee buckled, and Ren felt his hair turning grey from the worry he felt—but she reached for one of the rails and pulled herself up. Her face was twisted in pain, but she smiled through it, and why were Ren’s eyes tearing up? This was...Ren bit his lip. 

Another step, and she stumbled again, but less so this time. She grimaced more, but she pulled herself up, and Maruki was letting go. Maruki was letting go! Ren’s knuckles were white with nerves, and he felt sweat dripping down from his forehead. The rest of the world—Maruki, Kotone, Morgana, the rehab center—all seemed to melt away, and only Ren and his sister were left. 

Another shaky step, another pulling up that looked like it took all of her strength and then some, and she was halfway done. 

And then she fell. 

Ren seemed to let a breath out that he didn’t know he was holding. She wasn’t strong enough yet, but that was okay. This was amazing. 

But before Maruki could go and pick her up, telling her that she was tired out, Futaba held her hand up. The man froze, and to Ren’s utter disbelief, she pulled herself up, placing her feet back on the ground and lifting herself up from a squatting position.

Ren was sure that he let out a gasp, but he couldn’t know—he could only see Futaba at that moment. 

More shaky steps, more pained faces, more struggling, but then—

His sister was in his arms. “You smell like coffee, Renren,” she laughed through tears, and her glasses were starting to fall off. Ren felt his own face grow wet. 

“Yeah,” he said. “You said you wanted that for dinner, right?”  Why was he choking up? 

Through the reunion, he turned to look at Kotone. Thank you, he mouthed, and she smiled back, bright as a diamond.