[Deadly Ultimates.]

Chapter 1: Vain.

vain
[ veyn ]

adjective, vain·er, vain·est.
excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited:
a vain dandy.
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" Yam.... Yam! " The sleeping girl was awaken by her slumber by a wide grin in her face, and the smell of cheap perfume that was possibly popular among teenage girls in the area. This, was Teshigi high, a middle school in Nagano. In this classroom sat two girls, Sayami Maikomo, a 5'4 girl with dark navy grey hair, and her acquaintance, Yume Haruzumi. The both had known each other for only a month. ' You fell asleep again! ' Yume giggled out, gently slapping her delirious pal on the back. ' Almost missed dismissal, ya silly goose. What will I ever do with ya, Saya...'

Sayami looked up, staring into the eyes of her greatest confidant, before smiling. Whenever she was near her, she always felt a warm feeling in her heart... one her father nor mother showed her. She just wished it could be like this forever....
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"Hey! Maikomo, don't fall asleep at a crime scene for Christ sake!" A yell, then a quick nudge of a foot, and Sayami awoke from her dream. It had been almost a few years since she and Yume were in middle school, and it almost felt like time went too fast.... But her deep thoughts were cut off when one of the lower investigators walked over to her, asking her to examine the scene before them. " Ah, right... Sayami's sorry... " The sleepy girl got up, walking over to the main spectacle they all were here for.

Victim: Hiroki Piaki.
Age: 18.
COD: Multiple stab wounds.

" Hm...... " The girl scribbled down notes on the clipboard she was handed, looking back and forth from the cadaver in front of her, to her clipboard. Only a year younger.... how sad. No time for lamenting... just focus on the case. Soon, the girl got up with a squeak of her loafers, walking over to the chief detective on the scene. " Here.... Sayami got as much info as she could see... down there you can see all of the wound details, and possible weapons. " She yawned. For someone her size, you would be shocked to find her at a scene of a crime so grizzly, but with her skill on the field, most teams always fought to have Maikomo investigate with them first.

" ... Hm... alright. So, any correlations with our 'painter', Detective Maikomo? " The chief spoke, almost in the way a parent spoke to a child. " Yeah.... Sayami can tell the weapon was the same from the last scene of the Painter. "

The painter was known all through the district as a blood-crazed serial killer. Their scenes were terrifying to a normal onlooker, and only somewhat scarring for a run of the mill detective. The nickname came from many different aspects. For one, there always seemed to be a strange painting out of the victims... blood.. by the crime scene. And next, there always seemed to be some correlation with paint. No one knew why, maybe this was an artist gone wrong?

No other words needed, the chief nodded, and sighed, rubbing his temples in disgust. Sayami always despised how his face looked when he did that. " Nothing we can do... fine then, you'll be assigned to this case's investigation team from now on. Since you're the only one with any ounce of brain. " Sayami nodded, saluting with her one arm. She soon picked up the backpack she dropped on the floor during her nap, as she walked off, getting into one of the cars and waiting for her investigation partner to arrive, before drifting off to sleep.....

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" You're quite lucky, Miss Maikomo. That fall wasn't quite fatal, but your arm had to say goodbye.... " The beep of the heart monitor distracted her, before she looked over at who spoke. It was a white haired man she never saw before, but... he radiated a calm aura for all she knew. " Wh-.....where is S...Sayami..? " She tried to speak, but her throat was in agony. Even sitting up proved faulty, as a electric shot of pain shot through her back. " You're at Nagano general hospital. You fell from somewhere, and had to get your arm amputated. " The doctor walked over to her IV stand, seeming to... inject something into the liquid inside. " Don't worry, it's antioxidants. " He smiles, before walking out. Now she was just left alone, in her large room of feat, and terror. What happened...?