Though the ability hunters (if they had awoken) had likely lost sight of us by now, Regret was focused on making it to their destination. I still had questions but I didn't think I could ask anything until we made it to the hideout.

Why does Regret want to find Crime? What connection do they have to each other?

My mind was swirling with questions and I couldn't focus on anything else.

Blaze took a sudden stop and let go of my hand. “We're here.”

I gazed at my surroundings and was greeted by what looked like a house in the woods. The interior looked a little run down from the outside but the flowers planted in the garden gave it a certain charm. It didn't strike me as a 'hideout' of a secret organization at all.

“...Is this Regret's hideout?” I asked, still staring at everything.

Blaze puffed her chest out smugly. “Yep. Pretty cool, huh?”

“I don't know if I'd go that far.”

“What, don't like it?”

“I didn't say that…”

Blaze looked offended by my comment.

I wasn't insulting Regret, though…

I didn't really care about clearing up the misunderstanding over something so little, but being on Blaze's bad side wouldn't benefit either of us.

“It just didn't look like what I imagined a 'hideout' to be like, that's all.”

“True, it's a lot more like a home!” Ettie pointed out the garden. “Isn't Cellie's garden pretty?”

“Yes, it's very pretty—”

“O-Oh my, you're much too kind, Miss Ettie!” Celine interrupted bashfully. “But you are far prettier than any garden of mine…”

Ettie laughed heartily, nudging Celine's arm a little. “Aww, you're such a sweet friend!”

“Friend…” Celine mumbled sadly. Judging from Ettie's chipper tone, I doubted she heard her.

…I can't tell if I'm third wheeling these two or if I'm witnessing a friend zone right now.

It was awkward to watch either way. Judging from Blaze and Robin's reactions, they must have felt the same way I did.

Blaze cleared her throat and held the door open for me. “...Anyway, let's just head inside.”

“Um, sure…” I followed her inside.

“Hey, wait for us!!”

Ettie called out and Blaze started walking faster. Once the five of us were inside, Blaze locked the door.

…It was different from what I expected of a 'hideout'. Just stepping inside the place gave off a nostalgic atmosphere that reminded me of my childhood home.

Blaze led me to the living room and gestured to one of the couches. “Take a seat.”

“O-Okay…”

Maybe I was tired because I had been jumping from location to location for so long but sitting on the soft cushion gave me an odd sense of calm. I glanced around the room. The furniture was what you'd typically find in a house but I was surprised to see the amount of electronics considering how far out in the woods this place was. And the TV was bigger than the one at my old home…

…It would actually be good for watching Crime reports.

If I voiced that thought out loud, I was sure they'd get the wrong idea about me again so I kept it to myself.

Blaze took a seat on the couch directly across from me, the only thing separating us being the pretty much empty table. “Now then, let's begin exchanging information.” She held her palm out. “Can I see your Crime data book?”

I pulled out the book from my bag. “...I guess that's fine. But don't withhold any information from me.”

“You have my word. It's an exchange, so we'll be giving you information on Crime in return.”

That made me hopeful. This would be the first time I was ever speaking to anyone who actually had a possible lead on the organization.

Blaze flipped through the book. “....Hrm.” She looked like she was making a strange face.

“I-Is something wrong?” I asked nervously.

“No, I mean, it's… fine. Just… not what I expected?”

“...What do you mean by that?”

She hummed. “Well, I guess looking back on old news reports could potentially be useful for looking at locations Crime might strike but I don't see the point in writing down every single report word by word when there isn't any new information to get out of it.”

“M-Maybe so, but any information about Crime is useful information to me no matter how small!”

“Uh… sure.” Blaze didn't seem convinced. “But these theories aren't very plausible, either…”

“Theories?” Robin asked with a raise of his eyebrows. “You wrote Crime theories?”

Ettie's jaw dropped. “Like headcanons!? Lemme see that!”

“Headcanons?” Celine looked at Ettie quizzically.

“Well, Cellie, a headcanon is—”

“Stoppp!?”

I frantically tried to snatch my Crime data book out of Blaze's hands before I was publicly embarrassed further.

“Woah!? What's wrong?” Blaze asked confusedly.

“What's wrong is that I let you read my data book in the first place! I changed my mind! Give it back!!”

“Wait, I'm not finished looking through these theories!” Blaze held the book tightly, still trying to quickly flip through pages before I could take it away.

“You've looked enough! I don't need you making fun of them!”

“I'm not making fun of them, I'm just saying—”

“I don't need to hear it!”

Ettie squished in close to Blaze to get a closer look at the book. “Boss, lemme see those Crime headcanons!”

“In a minute, Ettie!”

“Boss, show us too!”

“Stop pushing, Robin!”

The three of them crowded around Blaze to read the open pages and I quickly snatched the book out of her hands.

“Hey! I wasn't finished—”

“You don't get to finish!” I held the data book tightly and protectively.

Ettie not-so-sneakily tried to reach for the book, “Can I see it even if Boss can't?”

I smacked her hand away. “No!?”

“Aww!” Ettie pouted disappointedly.

Whether or not these people were right, it still irked me hearing someone talk down on my six years of hard work collecting Crime data! Even if the data wasn't useful to anyone else!

Blaze seemed a little taken aback by how irritated I was. “Uh, look, I didn't mean to make you mad—”

“I'm not mad.” I glared at her.

“...Right. I said I'd give you all the information we have on Crime, so let me make it up to you.”

“I'm listening.”

“...Spoken without missing a beat, I see.”

I could tell the others were staring at me after my quick reaction. Blaze cleared her throat.

“Crime's leader has a shadow ability.”

“A shadow ability…?”

Blaze continued with a nod. “Basically, he can materialize shadows. He can also manipulate them, including his own shadow and the shadows of others. Contrary to what you'd think, his shadows actually strengthen in dark places as opposed to light sources.“

“....Aha!” I exclaimed with a gasp. “So, he hides the bodies in the shadows!”

It finally made sense! That was how there was never a trace of the bodies! I quickly pulled out a pen from my pocket and jotted this new information down in my Crime data book.

A shadow ability…

I had never seen anything like that before… Nor had I ever heard about it. I wondered what it was like.

“You're… seriously excited about this.” Blaze looked at me with an odd look.

“Can you blame me?! This is the first time I'm getting any information on Crime after six years!”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

Blaze still didn't seem to get why I was reacting like this but whatever. I didn't care. I finally knew the ability of Crime's leader! 

Just one more step closer to figuring out his identity…

“His name is Thorn Shadows.” Blaze suddenly spoke and snapped me out of my thoughts.

In my shock, I dropped the pen I was holding onto my lap. “...I'm sorry?”

“Thorn Shadows. That's the name of Crime's leader.” She repeated.

“Thorn Shadows?!”

“That's what I just said, yes.”

I couldn't believe it! Not only did I now know the leader's ability but I knew his name too!? I quickly picked up my pen again to jot this info down in my data book.

“Pfft!” Ettie snickered. “That name is so supervillain-y! Never fails to get a laugh outta me!”

“...Now that you mention it, it is kind of strange.” I thought about it more.

Sounds like it's out of a novel or something…

It only made me more curious about what Crime's leader was like.

“Seriously. What kind of name is Thorn Shadows? That can't actually be his real name, right?” Robin looked at Ettie.

“Pfft! Doubt it!”

“Well, it certainly sounds like a fake name.” Celine chimed in but she seemed disinterested in the topic.

“It's his real name.” Blaze spoke seriously.

…She seems to know a lot about him.

“How do you know all this?” I asked Blaze.

“...I have my sources.”

“And what are your sources?”

“....That's not important.”

Why is she acting so weird…?

She was completely trying to dodge the subject. I get I wasn't a member but she promised she wouldn't withhold any information from me so I couldn't help but be a little miffed. Though, considering she told me more than I expected, I couldn't be too mad.

After all, I have his name and his ability now…!

I nodded to myself with a newfound determination. I still didn't know his appearance but these hints were plenty to go off of. Still, I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.

“Do you know what he looks like? Or if he has any defining characteristics?”

“...He has ginger hair and white eyes. He's around the same age as us.”

Ginger hair and white eyes?

I had never seen anyone like that before… If I did, I would definitely have remembered them. That sounded too distinct to go unnoticed. Not to mention, he was around our age? He would've stood out even more then.

“As for defining characteristics…” Blaze paused. “He has a shadow over his face.”

“A shadow…?”

“...Yeah.”

Blaze nodded without saying anything else.

At least elaborate a little!?

Blaze definitely knew more about Crime's leader than she let on but she didn't seem willing to cough up the details.

Maybe she's getting her info from some shady source…

I had to wonder just what that source was if she didn't want anyone knowing about it.

“That's all the information I have for now. Satisfied?” Blaze asked.

I thought of asking about her source of info again but she'd likely just blow me off, so I decided to drop that subject for now. But there was something else I was curious about…

“Very.” I decided to just go ahead and ask her. “So, why is Regret searching for Crime?”

“We want to stop them.” Blaze clenched her arm with her hand. “No, we must stop them…”

I couldn't gauge her expression but I felt like there was a sense of sadness in her eyes.

“W-Why…?” I asked.

 “Are you seriously asking why?” Robin glared at me. “They've murdered hundreds and the number will only keep growing if we don't do something.“

“I don't agree with Crime's methods either but what do you plan to do? Do you actually plan to fight them?”

There was a long pause before Blaze spoke. “....If we must.”

“But what would that even accomplish? No matter how much I disagree with their extreme methods, they're protecting ability users.”

“I do not mean to diminish your rose-tinted view of this organization, Miss Luna, but they're truly protecting no one but themselves.” Celine's words were ice cold as she looked at me.

I shrinked a little at her gaze. “I-I don't have a 'rose-tinted' view of Crime, I just don't believe they're as horrible as the media paints them!”

Robin narrowed his eyes. “And why are you defending Crime so much? You said you weren't a Crime fangirl, but I find that hard to believe.”

“I-I'm not defending anyone, and I'm not a Crime fangirl! I'm just saying that Crime's victims weren't innocent!”

“And that man is?” Celine asked coldly.

I could only assume she was referring to Thorn Shadows.

“I… don't know anything about him, so I can't say for sure, but…” I lowered my gaze to avoid Celine's cold stare.

…Is he really as 'evil' as the rumors say?

I didn't agree with Crime's methods obviously but I didn't want to believe they were some evil organization, either.

“If you don't understand what you're arguing about, then kindly keep your mouth shut.”

 …Okay, Celine was starting to irk me now.

“Look, you—!”

“Okay, that's enough.” Blaze interrupted before I could fire back. “That isn't the point of what Luna asked. She asked why we're searching for Crime.”

“And what a preposterous thing to ask! She should know—”

“Celine.” Blaze spoke harshly and Celine immediately shut her mouth. Even Ettie and Robin were staring at the both of them nervously.

“I understand you're upset, but keep your emotions in check.”

“...Y-Yes. My apologies, Boss.” Celine lowered her head in shame and looked at me. “My apologies to you as well, Miss Luna.”

“Huh?” I was taken aback by how quickly she apologized to me.

“Please allow me to make it up to you. I could make you some tea if you'd like?” She smiled kindly. “Oh, and I should still have some cookies I bought to go along with them.”

“N-No, it's alright, you really don't have to go to all this trouble…!”

“It's no trouble at all. I let my emotions get the best of me, so this really is the least I could do to make it up to you.”

I wondered why Celine hated Crime so much but I didn't want to pry. Either way, it seemed to be a sore spot for her.

Did something happen with her and Crime…?

But still, I couldn't help but ask myself questions.