Taiga was at a scientific presentation held in the music hall really intended more for professionals in the field, seated up in a private box in the VIP section. He'd wanted to be alone today, and what that meant in mafia terms was going out with only one bodyguard, instead of five. Besides, Yoshihiro Hino was a violent, physically imposing gorilla with a thunderous scowl and heavy eyebrows above his eternal shades. He looked like no one you wanted to mess with.<br/><br/>Taiga was watching the talk with greedy eyes, a small notebook in his lap with neatly printed lines of kanji and kana as he sketched down notes about the presentation.<br/><br/>His highest level of schooling was only high school. He'd been kidnapped before he went to university. Things like this, events open to the public, reading academic journals thirstily, were the only way he could sate his curiosity about the world, and desire to know more about the cutting edge advancements of the day.<br/><br/>Taiga sighed, pausing to take a sip from his complimentary bottle of water and replace it when the door behind him to the private box slammed open.<br/><br/>"Down on the ground!" a cop shouted, the ringing voice and cracking door drawing the attention of all the scientists and enthusiasts out in the half-full audience. The speaker turned on the podium, his surprised exclamation echoing over the speakers.<br/><br/>Most of the magic-sealing darts hit Hino, who stared at them with his brooding eyebrows high. In his surprise at the attack, the cops had time to stream in, guns at the ready, pointed directly at Hino and Taiga's vitals.<br/><br/>"Get on your knees, hands behind your head," a cop said. Taiga obediently put his hands behind his head, his notebook sliding out of his lap as he knelt prettily.<br/><br/>Hino followed a moment later, his knees thunking on the ground like they were made of wood. Prison was usually finite; a bullet was permanent.<br/><br/>The anti-magic dart was still embedded in Taiga's shoulder. The wound burned. The loss of his own hidden magic was sickening, made him nauseous. His stomach churned. He refused to show it, because that would be a very grave mistake.<br/><br/>You didn't let it be known that you were an unregistered magic user and get away with it scot-free.<br/><br/>Officers cuffed Hino, reading him his rights, explaining his warrants. Two counts of assault and battery against a woman Taiga recognized as Hino's girlfriend.<br/><br/>Taiga's lips pulled down in a frown. He closed his eyes for a moment, unexpectedly sad. Hino's arrest probably wouldn't stick, and he'd be welcomed back into Kogane's folds as a hero.<br/><br/>The girlfriend had caused the apprehension of a yakuza boss. Reparations would be taken. Granted, Taiga knew he'd be understaffed and had nothing on his person or in his car they could book him with—and there wasn't probable cause for a warrant. He had no idea who this girlfriend was, and they wouldn't get anything on Hino other than that unless they found drugs in his apartment or something similar. None of it had enough to do with Taiga that a warrant for his home would be justified. On top of that, he saw no less than two yakuza informants in the milieu of cops coming and going. If a warrant was begged for and issued, Kogane loyals would have gone through and disposed of anything prosecutable long before the cop cars wailed up the driveway.<br/><br/>A cop came up with his gun out. He ordered Taiga to stand, and turn. He grabbed Taiga's wrists and pulled them down to cuff them.<br/><br/>"Am I under arrest, officer?" Taiga asked lightly.<br/><br/>"You've been found in the presence of a suspected felon. We have probable cause. We'd like to bring you down to the precinct to question you." The cop began a pat-down. "Your name, sir? Do you have your driver's license on you?"<br/><br/>Hino had been relieved of his gun, taser and a knife. He was being led away.<br/><br/>The scientists were all gawping up, many standing. Cops were overseeing an emptying of the cavernous building.<br/><br/>"I'm Taiga Hisoka," he said and watched the ripple go around the cops. The brave ones looked excited at potentially nabbing a yakuza boss. Most suddenly looked queasy, aware of the threat of three generations of revenge.<br/><br/>The hands of the officer patting him down froze on his hips. A startled little oh flew out of his mouth.<br/><br/>Taiga finally smiled. "Don't lose my notebook, please, officer," he told the man bagging up his science geek notes for evidence.<br/><br/>The cop patting him down still had his hands on the dainty swell of Taiga's famous hips.