Time: 3:47 AM. Location: A Rooftop Café Overlooking the City.
The café was closed. Had been for hours. But Theo sat comfortably at one of the terrace tables, stirring a lukewarm espresso with a spoon he absolutely didn't pay for.
Across from him sat Detective Alric, a man who had spent the last ten minutes contemplating jumping off the rooftop just to avoid this conversation.
"…So let me get this straight." Alric sighed, rubbing his temples. "You broke into my house. Stole my coat. Woke me up at three in the damn morning. And now you're bribing me with my own coffee?"
Theo took a slow sip of the espresso. "Mmm. Yeah, that about sums it up."
Alric exhaled through his nose, fighting the urge to throttle him. "You're aware I could shoot you, right?"
Theo nodded. "Sure, sure. But you won't."
"…Why?"
"Because," Theo said, pointing at him with the spoon, "the moment you kill me, all the dirt I have on you magically appears in your Chief's inbox."
Alric froze.
Theo grinned. "Oh yeah. I booby-trapped my own death. Very Batman of me, I know."
Alric scowled. "That's ridiculous."
Theo shrugged. "And yet, here we are. You—alive. Me—annoying. And both of us about to have a lovely conversation."
Alric sighed and sat back. "What do you want?"
Theo set his cup down and leaned forward, his usual grin sharpening.
"The train."
Alric blinked. "What?"
Theo's fingers tapped the ceramic cup. "You know exactly what I mean. The train. The cargo. The security. The passenger list."
Alric's jaw clenched. "…Why the hell would I know any of that?"
Theo just smirked.
Alric's fingers twitched.
Of course Theo knew.
The man had a talent—no, a disease—for finding out things he shouldn't.
"Look," Alric muttered. "I don't know much, alright? But whatever was on that train? Someone high up is pulling strings. This isn't just some smuggling case."
Theo tilted his head. "How high up?"
Alric shook his head. "Too high for me to see. But—" He hesitated. Then, lowering his voice, he muttered, "I heard a name."
Theo's eyes glinted.
Alric hesitated, then leaned in.
"…Virenko."
Theo froze.
Alric pulled back slightly. "So you do know something."
Theo didn't answer right away. He just sat there, still as stone, his fingers unmoving against the ceramic.
Then, slowly—
He let out a breathless laugh.
Alric frowned. "What—"
Theo slapped the table, nearly knocking over the espresso. "Oh-ho! Well, that's just lovely."
Alric stared. "What—what the hell does that mean?"
Theo grinned. "It means this just got way more fun."
Alric was not amused. "Theo—"
Theo stood suddenly, stretching his arms. "Alright, Detective. You've been delightful company. I must say, I quite enjoy our late-night talks."
Alric scowled. "Theo—"
"But," Theo continued, brushing dust off his coat, "I must be off. People to see. Plots to unravel. Possibly a manhunt to cause. You know, the usual."
Alric grabbed his wrist. "Theo, you have no idea what you're getting involved in."
Theo stopped smiling.
And for a second, Alric saw it.
That brief flicker of something else beneath Theo's usual ridiculousness. Something sharper. Colder. Calculating.
Theo leaned in, voice lowering.
"Oh, Detective." His grin returned, but his eyes didn't match it. "I always know exactly what I'm getting involved in."
Then, with a swift twist, he freed his wrist, straightened his coat, and walked away.
Alric sat there, staring at his half-empty espresso.
"…Damn it."
Alric watched Theo walk away, rubbing his wrist where Theo had yanked free.
Then, reluctantly, he called out:
"The train wasn't the only one."
Theo froze mid-step.
Slowly, he turned his head, a brow quirked.
Alric sighed and gestured for him to sit back down.
Theo grinned and sat, stealing another sip of the detective's coffee just to be obnoxious.
Alric ignored it and muttered, "There have been six. Six different routes. Different trains. Same cargo."
Theo's smile didn't move, but something shifted in his eyes.
"Where?"
Alric exhaled, rubbing his temples. "All through isolated channels. Private contractors. No official logs. Whoever's behind it is rewriting records as they go."
Theo twirled his spoon. "And you're telling me this because?"
Alric hesitated. Then—
"Because someone tried to erase the reports I found."
Theo stilled.
Alric nodded. "Yeah. Someone high enough to reach into a police archive and delete raw case files."
Theo leaned back, exhaling through his nose. "Well. That's certainly ambitious."
Alric wasn't amused. "It's not funny."
Theo smirked. "Oh, it's hilarious. Because it means the idiot behind this has gotten so paranoid, they're trying to retroactively vanish an already-botched plan."
Alric frowned. "Meaning?"
Theo tapped the side of his head. "Meaning, Detective, that someone's panicking."
Alric's scowl deepened. "Virenko?"
Theo's smirk faltered.
"Virenko doesn't panic." His voice was quieter now. "He just… adjusts."
Alric noticed the shift. The rare moment where Theo wasn't joking.
And that terrified him more than anything else.
Alric tossed a flash drive onto the table.
Theo raised a brow. "Ooh, presents?"
"Shut up and take it," Alric muttered. "That's all I could salvage before my access got wiped."
Theo picked it up, twirling it between his fingers. "And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?"
Alric snorted. "I don't know. Work your freaky Theo magic."
Theo sighed dramatically. "Ugh, fine. But only because you asked so nicely."
Alric leaned forward. "This isn't a joke."
Theo met his eyes.
"No, Detective." His smile curved into something sharper. "It's a game."
Alric swallowed.
Theo pocketed the drive and stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go see someone about a train."
Alric stiffened. "Moreau?"
Theo shot him finger guns. "Ding ding."
Alric hesitated, then muttered, "Theo… be careful."
Theo laughed. "Detective, I am the opposite of careful."
And with that, he vanished into the night.
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