Other Fan Fiction ❯ Mysterious ❯ Chapter 1

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A collection of NeuroxYako short stories.

Mysterious

(Kanae is suspicious about Neuro...)

Case 01: Imagination

"Your assistant is strange," Kanae commented as she and Yako walked down the street.

"Strange, how?" Yako knew of many ways in which Neuro was strange, but she had to ask about the specific thing Kanae had noticed.

"In a lot of ways..." that wasn't very specific. "It's like he's not human, almost as if he's from another planet."

Yako laughed nervously, "Neuro, an alien?" She imagined Neuro taking her away to far off planet where she would discover that he was the run away royal prince, who finally decided to return home. Then she would be the guest of honor in the palace and the royal chefs would cook a delicious banquet for her.

"Yako, you're drooling!"

Yako jumped out of her daydream and wiped away the drool. "Sorry, I was distracted!"

Kanae shook her head, "anyway," she returned to the previous topic. "I still say Neuro is strange and the other day when he smiled, or more like smirked, his teeth looked so pointy, as if he was a vampire or something."

"But he can go out in the sunlight," once again Yako laughed nervously and her imagination took flight. Neuro would reveal that mysteries alone couldn't keep him satisfied, he needed to eat, but he also needed to drink. He would bite her neck and she would struggle to get loose, but he would hold her tight, their bodies pressed against each other and she would stop resisting. He would lick the wound on her neck and drink her blood...

"Watch out!" Kanae pulled Yako back. "You almost walked into a pole. What kind of daydream are you having? Your face is bright red."

Yako hurriedly shook her not, "I'm not; I wasn't! It's nothing..."

Kanae gave her friend a knowing smile, "I get it, that entire thing about Neuro being your assistant is just a cover up."

Yako gasped, "it's the truth!"

"I know it's not, I can tell, it's as clear as day!" Kanae grinned, "Neuro is your boyfriend."

Yako was rendered speechless, her wild imagination once again taking control.

End of Case 01

xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox

(For some "till death do us part" is not an acceptable option.)

Case 02: Reincarnation

My name is Yasako, I'm a detective. When I'm not solving mysteries I'm eating or reading comics. I own the full collection of the Piggish Detective comics; people say I'm a lot like the protagonist, Piggy Topslug.

I heard rumors that the stories in those comics were inspired by the life of a real detective who existed years ago. I did some research out of curiosity; her real name was Yako Katsuragi. History remembers her as a brilliant detective who solved many crimes.

In the comics, she's obsessed with food and solves crimes by sheer luck or coincidence. The story is mostly humorous, but it takes an unexpected turn when it is revealed that the reason she uncovers so many cases with such determination, is because she must solve a hundred mysteries as it was ordered to her by a demon, who threatened to kill her if she didn't accomplish it in a year.

The demon was bored and decided to make Piggy his new toy. The story has a happy ending though, Piggy reaches her goal and her abilities impress the demon so much, he decides to turn into a human, become her assistant and loyally serve her for the rest of her life.

In the history books, there is no record of Yako having a personal assistant who went with her to solve cases, although it is mentioned she had two people helping her manage her detective office, their names were Godai and Akane.

Maybe my obsession with murder mysteries came from my liking for those comics, or maybe my liking for the comics came from my obsession with murder mysteries. The point is that kind of thing has always intrigued me, not in a morbid sense, but in a psychological sense. I've been told I'm good at reading people but there are thoughts the human mind keeps deeply hidden until they can no longer be held back.

I have a secret too; ever since I was sixteen I've been having an odd dream. Maybe that's the real reason I became a detective, I'm twenty now and in the past four years there hasn't been a single night when I didn't have this dream. Perhaps I should call it a nightmare, but it doesn't frighten me, it fascinates me.

In my dream I'm lying in a bed and my body feels weak. Maybe I'm ill, maybe I'm injured, or maybe I'm just old. There is a man leaning close to me, his green eyes glowing eerily, his sharp teeth showing, but he doesn't scare me, he gives me a feeling of security.

His hands are tightly around my neck and somehow I know he's going to kill me, but I'm still not scared. He says something; I can never understand what it is even if I've had the exact same dream so many times. Then he snaps my neck and I die with a smile on my face.

It's strange to be fascinated by such a dream that most would call a terrible nightmare. I have wondered if my sanity is really all there, but I suppose everyone has secrets and everyone is interested in at least one thing that others would consider strange.

I came home after solving a case, had a nice meal, prepared by the house robot, and a warm shower. I'm antiquated like that, preferring actual food instead of nutrition capsules and cleaning myself with water as often as I can, instead of a quick cleansing beam.

In my room I find my previously neatly organized comic books in a messy pile on the floor. They are actual books, collector's items, rather than the more common virtual comic book chips. "Bento, you dropped my comics all over the floor, please be careful when cleaning the house. Come help me pick them up," I call out to my robot.

I expect to see the robot's blue body walk through the door any second, green eyes lighting up as it apologizes for its mistake. I have been told I should have it re-painted in a more fashionable silver style, that the golden triangles I attached to it look odd and the green lights in the eyes are too bright, but I don't care. It's my robot and I like it this way.

That's odd, my robot hasn't responded to me. "Bento?" I go look for the robot, maybe its recharging. Then I gasp as I see the pile of scrap metal in the living room, there's an intruder in my house.

I rush back to my room and grab my paralyzing laser gun, then search the house carefully, on the alert. Abruptly without any warning, a clawed hand grabs my head, twisting my neck painfully; then just as suddenly it lets me go.

I turn around quickly and aim my gun at the intruder, but I don't shoot, instead the gun slips out of my hand and falls to the floor as I let my arms go limp at my sides in shock. The man in my dream is standing before me exactly as I saw him so many times in my subconscious; blond hair, black-purple bangs, blue suit, golden triangular clips, sharp pointy teeth and glowing green eyes.

"I found you..." he grins mischievously.

"Neuro..." Though I've seen him many times in my dreams, I have never linked him to a name before, I don't know where it came from, but it feels natural to call him that.

I think about my dream and inexplicably, I can somehow understand his words now, "till we meet again..."

End of Case 02

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(Neuro can't keep his hands to himself...)

Case 03: Touch

"I'm here!" Neuro grabbed Yako's face with his clawed hand as he always did when she arrived, she didn't even know why she bothered announcing it.

"You're late slave, get to work, clean the office, it's almost as filthy as you, then go out and distribute flyers," Neuro ordered, yelling in her ear. His hair tickled her face as he leaned in close, his warm breath on her skin.

As soon as she was free of his grip, Yako wordlessly began to work on her assigned tasks, first cleaning the office.

She was sweeping when a foot connected with her behind, pushing her and causing her to fall, "you're too slow!"

"I'll try to hurry," Yako grumbled as she got up, albeit Neuro thought she was too slow in doing that too, and lifted her by the back of the shirt, tossing her to her feet, except she didn't land on her feet.

After Yako was done sweeping, she started to dust the book shelves, focusing on the task until Neuro interrupted. He placed one clawed hand on her shoulder, and pulled her ear with his other hand, which thankfully still had the glove. "Incompetent slowpoke, you should have finished a long time ago!" He yelled in her ear again, once more leaning close enough so that she could feel his warm breath and his hair tickled her face.

Rubbing her ear, Yako mumbled an apology and went about her work. When she was done, she announced, "I finished."

Neuro put her in a head lock, keeping her close, his arm wrapped tightly around her neck, and gave her some fliers, "go hand these out."

Yako sighed and took the fliers, "okay."

"Make sure you get me some customers," Neuro released Yako from the headlock, only to rub his knuckles against her temples. "Your master is hungry; you need to work harder, filthy dishrag."

Yako had enough; she hasn't done anything to provoke Neuro, so why did he have to be so rough with her? "If I'm so filthy, why don't you stop touching me?"

Neuro released her and for a fleeting moment, Yako thought she was finally able to reason with him... until his knee connected with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her, causing her to drop the fliers, and lifting her up. Neuro stood on the wall, his body bent as if he was sitting in mid air with his legs stretched out.

"Eek!" noticing the added distance between herself and the floor, Yako climbed on to Neuro, sitting on his legs and contemplating how she would get down without getting hurt, she knew Neuro wouldn't make the task as easy as simply jumping down.

"You're my property and even if you're dirty I can touch you as much as I want." To prove his point Neuro poked Yako's cheek, then poked her harder on the shoulder, then on her already pained stomach. She tried to bat his hand away, but he was too fast. "I'm jumping down now."

"Wait!" Afraid to suffer another painful fall, Yako clung to Neuro, her arms and legs wrapped around his body, eyes closed tightly in fear.

Several seconds passed, "aren't you going to let go? If you keep clinging like this your horrible stench will stick to me."

Yako opened her eyes to see that Neuro had already jumped down from the wall and he was standing on the floor where she could safely let go. She stood next to him and let out a breath of relief. "Honestly, why are you always so mean to me?" He wasn't this mean to Godai, though he certainly wasn't nice. As for Akane, that was as nice as Neuro had ever been to anyone.

Neuro pinched Yako's cheeks pulling her face left and right then he leaned so close to her face their noses touched, "because you're my favorite." There was a pause and Neuro watched in amusement as Yako blushed, then he pushed her to the floor, "pick up those fliers and when you get back, you'll have to be my chair."

Yako decided it was best not to argue anymore, she picked up the fliers and walked to the door where she stopped, her hand already on the door knob, the other holding the fliers. She looked at Neuro, their eyes locked on each other for a split second and she thought she could detect a hint of fondness in the green fire of his eyes.

Then she left the office, off to hand out fliers, the entire time thinking about Neuro's behavior. He gave her reasons to complain when she was quiet for a while, he forced her attention to go to him when she became absorbed in any given task and he couldn't go more than a few minutes without touching her. Yako wondered if this was Neuro's strange way to flirt with her.

End of Case 03

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(Even extreme mood swings and crazy food cravings seem normal compared to this.)

Case 04: Future

Yako's eyes warm brown eyes opened to look into Neuro's glowing green eyes, which showed the slightest hint of fondness.

"Falling asleep in the middle of the day, you're such a lazy slave."

"Neuro?" Yako was in a room with Neuro, weren't they office a second ago? She noticed her clothes were different, "what am I wearing?"

"Clothes," Neuro answered simply, face blank.

"Where's my uniform? I wasn't wearing these clothes before. Oh no, don't tell me you knocked me out and dressed me!"

"Of course I didn't dress you, I'm not your slave, it's the other way around, you're my slave. Either way I do not require your assistance in dressing myself."

"We were at the office, you were choking me, I felt faint and then I woke up here. What happened in between?"

"Is this some kind of strange joke or did your tiny brain finally became weak enough to contract the amnesia virus?"

"Amnesia is not a virus," Yako pointed out, while the questions in her mind continued to pile up.

"Good, because I don't want the egg getting any diseases from you."

"What egg?"

"Are you trying to make fun of your master? I warn you not to."

"What egg?" Yako repeated more insistently.

"The egg, our egg, the one you're carrying and will lay, hopefully soon so you stop acting so strange."

It was then Yako noticed that her stomach was indeed bigger. She touched it, tracing the shape of her belly, it really did feel like she had an egg in there, it wasn't too big yet, but she could feel it. "What did you do?"

"About what?"

"This!" Yako pointed to her abdomen. Neuro didn't reply and she started to cry in a panic.

"What's wrong with you?" Yako didn't answer, instead wailing some more until Neuro kissed her and she stopped crying. Kissing always made her shut up. "Is your sudden burst of insanity over?"

Yako blushed, sniffled and dried her tears in shock; maybe this wasn't so bad after all. "Are we going to get married?"

"Again? Absolutely not, once is enough."

Yako noticed the fancy ring on her finger, "is this my wedding ring?"

"Why are you asking such stupid questions? Did you really lose your memory all of a sudden?"

"I guess so..." This was very strange but perhaps Neuro was right, maybe she did have amnesia and that's why she didn't remember the events that led to her current situation.

"Stupid, troublesome dishrag. Will your memory come back if you go back to sleep?"

"I'll try..." Yako attempted to fall asleep, albeit she didn't expect it to work. She had too many questions in her head. Was she really missing a piece of her memories? If she had truly married Neuro, she didn't want to forget that. Lost in thought, she unexpectedly dozed off.

xoxox xox xoxox

Yako's eyes warm brown eyes opened to look into Neuro's glowing green eyes, which showed the slightest hint of relief. "Who gave you permission to faint?"

"Neuro?" Yako noticed she was on the couch at the detective office, wearing her uniform. She sat up, lifted her shirt a little and poked at her flat stomach.

"What are you looking for in there? Did you swallow something important by accident?"

"No, nothing..." Yako got up feeling dazed, that was a very strange dream.

xoxox xox xoxox

Several years into the future... Yako's eyes warm brown eyes opened to look into Neuro's glowing green eyes, which showed the slightest hint of concern.

"Is your amnesia gone?"

"What amnesia?"

"It's getting worse!"

"I don't have amnesia, not that I know of, but I guess I wouldn't know if I did..."

"Who am I?" Neuro inquired.

"Neuro Nogami," Yako replied automatically.

"What am I to you?" Yako blushed and Neuro was quick to clarify, "don't get mushy, just state the facts."

"My husband..."

"Good, you remember half of it at least, but you forgot to say master." He patted her head as one would do to a pet, "don't lose your memory again, your master forbids it."

End of Case 04

xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox xox xoxox

(Yako is appearing in a play.)

Mysterious

Case 05: Acting

"So you see, it's for a good cause and that's why the police department agreed to help," Ishigaki finished his explanation concerning the police's participation on a fund raiser play for a charity.

"That's very nice, I would really like to see the play," Yako knew the play would be anything but professional, but she had a feeling that would make it more amusing.

"It's too bad you're so busy, sensei," Neuro voiced his disapproval of the idea of wasting precious time watching a play.

"Really?" Ishigaki frowned, his eyes resembling those of a sad puppy left out in the cold. "I was hoping you could take part in the play. I volunteered to help organize it and I'm having trouble finding actors, everyone is making up excuses saying they don't have time to learn their lines or don't like standing in front of an audience. I guess it gave them stage fright to think the press might be there..."

Neuro couldn't resist the chance to get some free publicity, "sensei would love to make room in her busy schedule to participate in the play; after all it is for a good cause, right sensei?"

"Me? Acting in a play?" Yako was feeling the stage fright building up already.

"Wonderful!" Ishigaki beamed, "now if I could just get sempai to agree... We haven't decided what the play will be yet, but we're about to have a little meeting to vote on it."

Neuro and Yako followed Ishigaki to a small conference room at the police station, where they joined the officers sitting at a long rectangular table. Ishigaki stood in front of the group and tried to encourage more participation in the play, especially from Sasazuka who firmly refused to appear on stage, though Ishigaki roped him into being the director.

"Now we just need to choose a play to perform. Are there any ideas?" The room was filled with possibilities; people didn't mind giving suggestions as long as they didn't need to participate in them.

Some of the titles mentioned included Alice in Wonderland, suggested by Yako perhaps inspired by the craziness of her own life, though it would be a very strange Wonderland if Neuro was in it. The trials of Alice would be much more difficult and the story might end up being renamed Alice in hell.

Someone had mentioned Sherlock Holmes and even if Neuro wasn't familiar with Earth's stories, there was a comic book character in his world by the same name. The stories might be different, but Neuro thought about voting for that one just because it sounded similar. Upon hearing the name Yako imagined Neuro in the full costume, speaking a much more insulting version of the famous, "elementary my dear Watson."

Other suggestions included Little Red Ridding-hood, in which Yako's imagination took her to a thick forest where she skipped about, carrying an empty basket, since she had eaten its contents. Then the wolf, played by Neuro, would appear and the story would derail far from the classic after that.

Cinderella was another possibility and even if it was unlikely, Yako's thoughts concocted an image of Neuro as the prince, delivering a complex explanation about how he found out she was the girl from the ball, presenting the glass slipper as exhibit A. Then he would point at her and say, "culprit is you!" and have her arrested for littering a glass slipper in the palace.

Out of all the suggestions that were mentioned, the one that didn't send Yako's crazy imagination on a rampage was Beauty and the Beast. She pictured herself at the office, instead of in a castle, with a living braid of hair and a yakuza instead of living household items and of course the beast, Neuro. Maybe her life resembled the fairytale enough as it was.

Fate would have it that Beauty and the Beast would win by majority of votes. Neuro didn't really bothered messing with the votes since regardless of what play was chosen, all that mattered was that Yako had to obtain the role of the protagonist. "Sensei says she'll volunteer to play the main character!"

xoxox xox xoxox

Later, during the first and only rehearsal, since they were very short on time, Neuro finally learned about the story of Beauty and the Beast. He would have to tease Yako about not being cut out to be Bell, since she had the looks and appetite of a beast.

The fact that Higuchi played the Beast amused Neuro at first, especially when Ishigaki confessed he accidentally ordered the wrong costume and the beast was now a giant dog. However, something didn't sit well with Neuro when he realized that the story wasn't about a beautiful heroine who splayed a terrible beast, as he had first assumed from the title. It was a romance story and Neuro didn't like it.

"Sensei, we must go meet our client now!" Neuro dragged Yako away, before the final kiss scene, because every play needed a kiss scene. "We have to go; if we're late sensei will blame it on me."

On the way back to the office, since there was no such client to meet, Neuro did tease Yako about how her role didn't fit her. In response she assured him she wasn't really going to kiss Higuchi, all she had to do was kiss the dog mask and Neuro claimed he didn't care either way.

xoxox xox xoxox

Thanks to Ishigaki's mistakes with the costumes, they didn't have costumes shaped like a candle, a clock or a teapot. Ishigaki suspected that someone had sabotaged the order forms to get out of appearing in the play and if that was the case, it worked.

What should have been a play ended up as mostly a monologue, in which Yako spoke to a candle, a clock, a teapot, a tea cup and various other inanimate objects, repeating the things those items were supposed to say to her. "Do you really think so, Lumiere? You say you're sure of it? Beast is in love with me?"

Due to the hasty changes that had to be made to the script, it was more of a gossipy soap opera of a monologue than anything else, with Yako talking to inanimate objects all the way. Deep down she thought 'Insanity and the Crazy' might have been a better title for a girl who spent such a long time talking to inanimate objects about her growing feelings for an unseen beast.

Higuchi was late, he was very late and no one imagined that the reason for his tardiness was that he was asleep, due to the effects of suspicious, rather evil looking, incense. The incense was removed when it had done its job of sending Higuchi to sleep for the next ten or so hours and he would find no proof to accuse the culprit, Neuro made sure the crime scene was completely clean.

The audience was looking bored and Yako was feeling nervous. She tried to look on the bright side of the situation; at least she got to wear a pretty dress, but she feared the dress, along with her dignity, would be stained terribly by the rain of rotten tomatoes that she suspected would assault her if something wasn't done about the improvised monotonous monologue.

When the time to start the play came with Higuchi still not there, Yako was told to improvise and keep talking to the inanimate objects until Higuchi got there. Then they should skip right to the final two scenes, the dance and the kiss.

The monologue had gone on long enough and Yako decided it was time to give the director the hint that his one and only actress on stage was about to have a nervous breakdown. "Beast, oh dear Beast, if you have any love for me, please come tell me!"

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Backstage, Sasazuka noted the desperation in Yako's voice, which on the bright side added to her acting. "She's going to crack, we can't wait for Higushi any more. Ishigaki..."

"Failed costume manager and stage designer Ishigaki at your service, Mr. Director," Ishigaki had been depressed about his blunder with the costumes.

"Now is your time to redeem yourself, go put on that stupid dog costume and play the part of the Beast," Sasazuka ordered.

"Yes sir!" Ishigaki saluted.

"That won't be necessary," Sasazuka and Ishigaki looked towards the source of the voice.

Ishigaki let out a small frightened yelp, "Neuro, is that you in there? You scared me, that's an amazing costume."

"A bird beast... it's a lot better than the dog costume," Sasazuka voiced his approval.

xoxox xox xoxox

"I'm here, Belle," Yako was shocked to find that Neuro was playing the role of the Beast and he was in his true form. Her jaw hung open in surprise until Neuro pushed it close with his claw wing. Of course, everyone thought Neuro was only wearing a costume.

"Beast..." Yako finally managed to choke out. The audience had woken up, taking interest in the detailed costume of the Beast, which looked to be of much higher quality than anything else they had seen during the entire play.

Music suddenly started playing, "shall we dance?"

"Yes..."

Neuro and Yako danced to the music until the song was over. Her mind was blank, all her final lines forgotten. It didn't particularly matter, since she had improvised so much to buy time, but she had to say something.

Finally, Neuro ended the silence, "is there something you wanted to tell me, Belle?"

"I... ah... um..." Yako mumbled incoherently.

"Yes?"

"I..." Yako took a deep breath and finally blurted out, "I love you!"

"Are you sure? I am a beast after all..."

"Yes, I'm sure, I don't care if you're a beast, I still love you," she paused and blushed, "do you love me too?"

"If you show me that you truly love me, I will love you too."

"How can I show you?"

With a look of mischief in his eyes, Neuro responded, "give me a kiss."

"A kiss?!" Yako gasped, her face burning scarlet.

The audience had become interested in the play since the arrival of the Beast and their interest continued to grow. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" The spectators chanted.

"Yes, a kiss," Neuro confirmed, "unless you don't really love me..."

Yako gulped and nodded, her face had never felt so hot in her life. "I will..." She closed her eyes, feeling Neuro's embrace tighten around her and kissed his large beak.

Without parting from Yako, Neuro changed to his human form, much to the amazement of the audience, who thought it was all an elaborate special effect.

Yako could certainly feel he difference, though she kept her eyes closed, she knew she was now kissing the human Neuro, in front of a lot of people.

The crowd cheered and back at the detective office, Godai nearly choked on his popcorn, he didn't want to be so close to so many officers, but the media had covered the event and he was watching it on TV. Akane bounced around happily, having witnessed it as well. They knew as well as Yako did, that Neuro would say it was all just an act to gain more publicity for the detective office, but that kiss looked too real to be just an act.

End of Case 05

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(Be careful what you wish for...)

Case 06: Possession

Exhausted, Yako collapsed into the couch at the detective office and closed her eyes. "Get up slave!" Neuro refused to give her a moment of peace.

"I'm tired!"

"There's no time to rest, there are mysteries waiting to be discovered."

Yako leaned her head back on the couch allowing a soft whimper to escape her, "I wish you knew what it's like to be me!" Then she fell into a deep slumber.

"Stop complaining and get up!" There was no reply so Neuro picked Yako up by the neck, she was limp, alarmingly so. "Dishrag?" Neuro put her down on the couch, relatively gently. "Wake up!" How strange, her heart was beating and her breaths were even, but she wasn't moving. Neuro focused on Yako, lifted her arm and pointed, but there were no words of accusation to accompany the movement.

Normally, possessing another being should be impossible and even possessing a small part should be difficult. This time Yako didn't even twitch when Neuro used his power to move her arm. Even if she was unconscious, her subconscious defenses should be enough to keep him out, unless she was subconsciously willing to allow him to possess her. Becoming curious, Neuro attempted it, entering Yako's mind as easily as he would enter a virtual world.

"This is not surprising..." Neuro was surrounded by food, he expected Yako's mind would be full of it.

"Neuro!" Yako, or at least the image of her, ran to him and hugged him. "You'll always be with me, right?"

"What has gotten into you, slave?" Neuro attempted to push Yako off, but she wouldn't let go.

"Please stay with me forever, I really like you."

Neuro figured it out, this was Yako's subconscious, she was honest and confident without the worries of a conscious mind. "If you like me so much, wake up and serve me like a good little slave."

"But I'm happy like this," Yako's subconscious continued clinging to Neuro.

"I'm not giving you a choice, wake up or I'll make you wake up!" Neuro attempted to leave Yako's body, but her subconscious wouldn't let him. He couldn't allow her to overpower him, even if it was inside her own mind, so he tried harder, until he was in the outside world, but something felt strange...

Neuro got up from the couch, the office looked different, slightly bigger. He looked at the empty couch, Yako wasn't there. "Slave?" He stopped with an expression of shock. "What is this?" This wasn't his voice, it was Yako's voice.

He looked down at his body, which wasn't his body at all. He held his hands in front of his face and touched his head, which were not his. "I'm still in her," Neuro tried to get out of Yako, but he couldn't. He tried to go back into her subconscious, but he couldn't do that either, he was stuck.

The door to the office was opened and Godai entered. "I'm back... Where did Neuro go?"

'I can't let salve number two find out I'm stuck like this," Neuro thought, "He had something to do. You should research more mysteries while he's gone."

Godai studied Yako's face with disapproval, "don't make that blank face, you look like Neuro."

"What's wrong with looking like Neuro?"

"Everything!" Godai finally noticed Akane's frantic movements, "what's up with Akane?"

The braid reached for the keyboard but Neuro, in Yako's body and in her voice replied, "nothing! Right Akane? There is nothing wrong, unless you're trying to tell me you want a haircut."

The braid went limp and still, deciding it was best not to reveal what she had witnessed. Godai shook his head, "you're spending too much time with Neuro, he's rubbing off on you."

"Good, because Neuro is the most genius, handsome, talented, amazing being in the universe and I admire him a lot!" It might not be what Yako would say, but it was what Neuro thought she should say.

"I know you have a silly crush on him, but this is going too far. Maybe he hit your head too hard," Godai looked genuinely worried, which indicated Neuro's Yako act wasn't working.

Neuro was about to say something, but he stopped, feeling a sharp pain in Yako's stomach. "So hungry!" He went over to the desk and dug around Troy's drawers, pulling out a wad of money, payments from their clients that not even Godai was daring enough to steal from Neuro's desk. Yako only got a small allowance out of it, though Neuro didn't particularly need the money.

"Are you insane? Neuro's gonna kill you!" Godai warned.

"It's alright," Yako smiled overly sweet, "master Neuro is merciful and kind, he'll forgive me if I say I needed food to have extra energy to serve him better."

"It's your funeral..."

xoxox xox xoxox

Neuro went to the elevator, to find an out of order sign on it, so instead he took the stairs, losing his footing and sending Yako's fragile human form tumbling down the steps. "Ow!" Bruised and pained, Neuro pushed Yako's body to her feet and kept walking, grumbling about how weak humans are.

The scent of okonomiyaki reached Neuro and he was drawn to the cart he had never seen before. "What will it be, sugar?" A brown haired lady wearing blue was cooking okonomiyaki with spatulas. "Everything!" All the money was spent on food. Neuro ate quickly, so quickly the food didn't properly go down through Yako's throat which led to a few near death experiences. Other than that he bit Yako's fingers several times by accident, but somehow managed to survive the meal.

'Much better, but I'm still kind of hungry and this stupid body is sore,' Neuro thought after finishing the meal, 'Yako really is a weakling bottomless pit.' Unfortunately he didn't have any more money and it wasn't in his best interest to ruin Yako's detective reputation by stealing, since he was sure her body was too slow to get away with it without getting caught.

Resolving to go to Yako's apartment to empty the refrigerator, Neuro walked down the street, until he saw the apartment building across the street and walked towards it. He suddenly became alert of the rapidly approaching danger announced by the loud horn of the speeding truck.

With an indignant yelp, Neuro willed Yako's body to move fast, shocked at how slow she was, even if he could somehow feel the adrenaline in her body. Fortunately, thanks to some maneuvers by the truck driver, Yako's body escaped with nothing but scraped knees in the pavement. "Watch where you're going Mr. No-Breaks!" It was an indignation that the truck didn't even try to stop, instead doing a hasty, though fortunately effective, dodge.

As if that wasn't enough, a small white car sped by seconds later, chasing after the truck. It passed so close that Neuro could see, through Yako's eyes, the urchin haired driver and the blond passenger clearly, despite the speed. Neuro ran for dear life into the apartment building and got in the elevator, listening to the pounding of Yako's heart.

He went up to the apartment, searching Yako's pockets for the keys and went in. After eating everything in the refrigerator, Yako's body seemed to have physically calmed down, though Neuro's mind was still racing, he could have gotten Yako killed.

Neuro looked at the state her body was in, bitten fingers, scrapped knees and bruises all over. He decided it was best to at least wash the wounds. He headed to the bathroom, picked up a towel and got it wet, using it to clean Yako's scratched knees, producing an unpleasant stinging sensation.

This body had been sore ever since Neuro woke up in it, especially around the neck, and now it was even worse. Then a thought occurred to him, maybe if the vessel died, he would be released. He glared at the mirror, seeing Yako's face glare back at him. "If you don't let me out I'll free myself by killing Yako's body!" Neuro waited, but there was no reply and try as he did, he couldn't get out of her body, or return to her mind to figure out a way to persuade her subconscious to stop being such a stubborn annoyance.

Pouting in frustration, Neuro splashed some cold water in Yako's face, at least it felt refreshing, then he grinned mischievously, seeing the expression form on Yako's face in the mirror. "Since my slave is so filthy, I'm going to give her a bath-ouch!" He felt something, he wasn't sure what it was, but it was painful and now he had a headache.

"Stupid subconscious Yako, quit clinging to me! I really will kill this body if you don't let me out!" He glared at Yako's flustered face in the mirror, she certainly blushed easily, albeit he wondered if the reaction in the body he was unwillingly possessing was somehow linked to his own thoughts. Of course, he would never, ever in a million years blush, it was ridiculous and there was no reason to do it, though he was pretty sure that when it came to humans it was an involuntary reaction. Giving up for now, Neuro went back to Yako's room and allowed her tired body to collapse into bed, dozing off soon after.

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Both Yako and Neuro woke up simultaneously, they were cuddled close in their respective separate bodies and despite him being the one with the fastest reflexes, she was first one to jump out of bed and hurriedly start asking questions while making demands and accusations.

"Shut up slave, you should be thanking me. You were so tired you collapsed at the office and I brought you here to rest."

"Why am I so bruised and scratched?" Yako was visibly upset, Neuro had never done this much damage before, not in such a visible way.

"I might have accidentally dropped you a few times and dragged you part of the way, you're just such a heavy piggy!"

Yako sighed and sat on her bed, "I wish you knew what it's like to be me..."

Neuro's eyes widened, "don't you dare," he jumped in front of her and held Yako's shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Never wish your pathetic existence on me."

Yako was taking by surprise; maybe Neuro did have some form of idea how difficult her life was. Maybe after half-carrying and half-dragging her to the apartment, Neuro felt a little guilty and that was why he was hugging her when she woke up. No way, this was Neuro, of course he didn't understand... or did he?

"You can take the day off tomorrow..." Yako opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again, that was as close to an apology as Neuro could ever get, but it was certainly progress.

End of Case 06

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(Sadistic flirting can be contagious?)

Case 07: Flirt

Yako forced herself to smile despite Neuro's treatment and requested in vain, "Neuro, please try to be more gentle with me. That was a request, not an order," she quickly clarified.

"You're not worthy of requesting anything, but I commend your increased endurance," Neuro replied, taking Yako's head in his clawed hand and twisting her neck.

"Ow! I'm trying to be nice so that you'll start being nice, it can be contagious in a way," Yako tried to explain it, though she didn't expect Neuro to understand.

Surprisingly he let her go, "keep your diseases away from me!" Then he pushed her into a wall.

"Being mean can be contagious too you know," Yako pouted, glaring at Neuro after she pried herself off the wall where she had been stamped.

"Really?" Without warning Neuro pulled Yako close, almost crushing her against himself.

Yako blushed and tried to readjust to a more comfortable position, then wrapped her arms around Neuro. "Hugs are nice..." she muttered too surprised to say much else.

"I was hoping you'd catch some of my meanness, you need to grow some backbone, dishrag," Neuro threw Yako into the air.

She was thankful to have landed on the office couch. "Would you like it if I twisted your head backwards?"

"I'd like to see you try," Neuro challenged.

Yako decided that, since she was doomed anyway, she might as well go out in a fit of courage. Thus she walked over to Neuro and reached up, trying to push his head around, but it didn't move.

Neuro once again twisted Yako's head around as he always did. "Stupid slug, challenging your master, what a foolish louse."

"Ouch!" Yako rubbed her pained neck and sighed, "I'm going out to advertise the office," she paused at the door and whispered so softly that a human wouldn't hear it, without looking back and knowing full well Neuro would hear her, "this is enough flirting for one day." Then she glanced back slightly and from the corner of her eyes as she left the office, she thought she saw Neuro look pleased that she finally understood.

End of Case 07

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(His power and her appetite are a dangerous combination.)

Case 08: Son

"I want to go too!" The little boy rushed after his mother, with a big smile on his face.

Yako sighed, "I don't know..."

"I'll be good!" Yako patted her son's blond hair, he didn't have his father's black-purple bangs but he had the same glowing green eyes and they were full of mischief.

"Okay, but you can't eat things from the grocery store until we pay for them, specially not raw meat." Yako reminded. "Let's see if we have everything we need, keys, grocery list, money... where's my debit card?"

"Looking for something?" Neuro held up the missing card, threatening to slice it with his claws. "Really slave, you and the little brat eat too much."

"How mean," Yako grinned and used her secret weapon, "if you get mommy's card back, I'll buy you a yummy treat."

The boy's eyes lit up, literally, growing bright green and with his little claws out, he jumped on his father.

Yako watched them lovingly. To anyone else they would look like two mutant creatures trying to kill each other, but she knew it was just father and son playing.

End of Case 08

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Case 09: Example

"Is it true that humans learn faster by following examples?" Neuro's question came unexpectedly and Yako thought nothing of it, it was just another day at the office, which brought another random curiosity.

"Yes, it's true," Yako did not think about the repercussions of her answer until Neuro looked thoughtful, which activated the belated alarms in Yako's head. "Is there a reason why you asked that?"

"I've been thinking about the future," Neuro responded ambiguously.

"The future?" Yako prompted for more information.

"Yes, the future, the next generation, the future of my descendant."

"Descendant?! What descendant?!"

Neuro was amused by Yako's sudden outburst, "the one I'll give you the honor to bring into the world one day."

"Oh..." First came relief, then extreme embarrassment as Yako's face burned red.

"The child will need slaves, as I have my own, but it seems slaves number two and three are not making much progress," Neuro mused aloud.

Yako analyzed his words; ever since Akane was turned back into a human she had received the title of slave number two, which demoted Godai to number three. The pair seemed to have a liking for each other. "Are you trying to say that..." Yako mulled over it, her theory had to be wrong, it was just too unexpected, but she asked anyway, "you want to play matchmaker for Godai and Akane?"

"If that is what you humans call it when one encourages a couple to mate, then yes," Neuro answered nonchalantly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"I think they're cute together, but I'm not sure if it will be really helpful if we meddle," Yako admitted.

"Meddling is what is done when you get involved in something that is none of your business and this is our business. Our future child needs quality slaves," that was as close to complimenting Godai and Akane as Neuro would ever get, though it was still a lot coming from him.

Yako sighed, she feared to think of the situation any child Godai and Akane may have would be born in, but if she was to be the mother of Neuro's child, then it wasn't so bad. She would raise her child to be nice, or at least as nice as possible. "What are you planning to do?"

"Set the example."

Yako's eyes went wide and her face turned an even deeper scarlet, if that was possible, "you want a child, now?"

"Not yet, you still need to evolve more to be ready, but we can do the pre-mating ritual instead. From what I've seen on TV, humans do that a lot."

It took a moment for Yako to register what Neuro meant, "kissing?"

"I believe that is what it's called," he paused and grinned, "I hear footsteps..."

Yako was going to reply, but she forgot what she was going to say when Neuro pulled her on to his lap and kissed her, holding her tightly. She was shocked, but opposed no resistance, soon forgetting that Godai and Akane were about to walk in on them, instead she wrapped her arms around Neuro and happily responded to the kiss.

Godai and Akane arrived, standing at the door and Godai was quick to exclaim, "get a room!" unable to resist the urge to say something. Neuro ignored the remark, making sure to firmly hold Yako in place and keep her busy.

"Maybe we should leave," Akane suggested and Godai was quick to agree.

After Godai and Akane were gone, Neuro finally released Yako and she tried to catch her breath, somehow she didn't even notice she was so lacking in oxygen. Suffocating had never been so pleasurable.

"Do you think they went off to find a private place to mate?" Neuro was further amused by the state Yako was left in.

Red faced and breathing heavily, Yako replied, "I don't think it works that fast."

"Of course, slave number three is a very slow learner, but I thought slave number two would catch on, she seemed to be decently smart as a braid of hair so shouldn't she be more perceptive now?"

"These things are complicated..." Yako wasn't even sure how to begin to explain it.

"Humans complicate things more than necessary," Neuro concluded. "I suppose this means we'll have to continue setting the example."

End of Case 09

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(Yako tries to give Neuro a compliment.)

Case 10: Compliments

It all began with a random crazy thought on Yako's part. She had theorized some time ago that the way Neuro treated her was his own special way of flirting, he wasn't from the human world after all, so some cultural differences were to be expected.

Now she wondered if insulting her translated to complementing her somehow. If that was so, then by some insane otherworldly definition, Neuro would be the living example of the most loving boyfriend. If that was the case, she might as well correspond.

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Neuro wasn't sure what in the world was going through Yako's head. Sure she was a human, but she was a strange one and studying the human race by watching various soap operas on TV, wasn't helping Neuro understand her any better.

He had given her plenty of constructive criticism to help her evolve, but her replies were most unusual. He wondered if her brain was malfunctioning. "Slave, your master is starting to worry that you might be evolving backwards."

"How come?" Yako innocently inquired.

"Your replies to me are odd. Usually you take your insults quietly but lately you've instead taken to expressing your desire to eat me. I should warn you, if this is some sort of crazy plan for revenge, it won't work, I would easily win in a fight; you cannot consume me."

Yako blinked and stared for a moment before finally asking, "what makes you say that?"

"Nothing makes me do anything," Neuro emphasized.

Yako rephrased her question, "why do you think I want to eat you?"

"You called me delicious spicy chicken," Neuro reminded.

"Oh... well..." Yako blushed as she tried to explain. "I just thought that in your world insults might mean nice things, so I wanted to compliment you too..."

"Threatening to eat me, rebelling against your master in such a way, is a compliment?"

"Yes... I mean no! I wasn't threatening to eat you; I just wanted to say something nice."

"And that was the best you could come up with to describe me? Honestly, you think about food far too often. Either way, get that stupid notion out of your head that insults are compliments, insults are insults, that's all there is to it."

Never the less, if Neuro didn't have faith in Yako, firmly believing that she could shine brighter than anyone else, other than himself of course, he wouldn't bother taking the time to give her constructive criticism.

End of Case 10

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Disclaimer, I don't own Majin Tantei Nogami Neuro. In Case 06 the okonomiyaki chef was Ukyo from Ranma 1/2 and the truck that nearly ran over Yako was driven by Magaruma, being chased by Ban and Ginji from Get Backers. Case 9 is for Chio-san, who wanted some GodaixAkane.