Rain slammed down on the Public Security’s car windshield, reducing your range of vision even further than it was during the night. The wipers worked furiously to keep the screen clean, and every thirty seconds or so you would curse the weather and how it managed to turn from dry and overcast to borderline cloudy in a matter of under an hour. The rest of the time you spent watching the city streets that sliced through New Eridu like a white cat stalking a rat, remaining vigilant for potential accidents or idiotic racers — of which there could be many — whilst listening to the radio broadcast that had obediently began, with the car being filled with a smooth, radio host voice.

Occasionally, you glanced in your rearview mirror — after all, the sensation of hairs standing up on the back of your neck was a great indicator that you might be being followed. You took a right at Janus Quarter's August Street and Sixth Street, neglecting to indicate as you turned into Janus Quarter's August Street, just as the radio broadcast host in the main audio and infotainment device in the middle of your Public Security car spoke with a smooth voice, as it had done so the first three times.

“New Eridu evening news,” the radio broadcast host opened the dialogue with their customary honeyed voice, “an illegal Ether trading case was uncovered in the city this afternoon.”

The radio broadcast host obediently continued discussing the events that happened that afternoon, and once more the Public Security car was filled with the hosts smooth, honey-like voice.

Once more, your stomach churned and twisted with nausea and disgust. You grumbled a noncommittal statement about a criminal behaviour specialist having something to do with it — which was true, since Captain Zhu Yuan herself had ordered it — your eyes still flitting between the soaking asphalt road, and each and every object in the street, from street lights to fire hydrants, from pedestrians scampering from shelter to shelter with umbrellas or newspapers above their heads. There were a few times when your heart jumped into your mouth, thinking you glimpsed at a wet rat wearing a red wig while chewing on a chocolate bar fluttering in the wind, but one blink later would reveal that to be a red herring.

Another voice radiated from the car speakers, one with far more elegance and refinement than the previous radio broadcast host, but with equal enthusiasm dripping from each syllable spoken with an upper-class New Eridu accent. They explained that there was only just nine gang members and their female leader, and you found yourself rapt with attention, forgetting to scan the road as vigilantly as you did before. For a moment, you cynically thought that the broadcast host would mention eight gang members and their female leader.

“Mmh, darling. It was only nine. Were you really not briefed by Officer Heavy Rear and that twitchy little feline? Tch...you’re trailing way behind on all the good gossip. But…I’ll forgive it, just this once. Only because I’m feeling exceptionally generous tonight.”

Your breathing instantly froze at the feminine voice behind the police barrier of the car, informing you of someone’s presence behind you. Except...you were alone, and every second was giving you chills. Sighing, you lifted your hand from your steering wheel, turned your head around and squinted through both the veil of the barrier and through her disguise — and your heart stilled with acute desire.

Only one person you knew wore a disguise and would eat a snack at this time, the only one person you knew who would change in-front of you, and that person was completely drenched in the rain fifty-five centimetres away with both of her arms extended out at a slight angle from her body to stretch and a mischievous expression on her face.

“Eyes on the road, dear officer. Unless you’re volunteering to help me wring these out?” Jane Doe cooed into your ear once she finished her stretching, just behind the Public Security barrier. You tried not to flinch as her tail stroked at your cheek.