AN: My race to finish this begins now! It's 10:21 now and the New Year is almost here! This is a one shot, as if now, but like usual, in the near future I plan to add on to it. I'm introducing Mary, an OC of my sister, Yamiga and my own OC, Cho. Other than that, there's no one else.
Summary: Between Asami and Takaba, New Years is a special day for them. However, when Sudoh frames the photographer for an act he didn't commit, and Asami begins to believe them, Takaba finds that this New Year's may be his worse_And last. Also, and credit goes to Yamiga for helping me formulate some of this =DN
Disclaimer: I do not own the Finder Series (and Mary belongs to Yamiga).
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He had no idea how he sunk this deep into the Underworld...well actually, he did, but for the sake of his sanity, he pretended he didn't. His fingers dug into his scalp as he paced around his small apartment room, Asami had kicked his ass out weeks ago when Sudoh had come into play. And with a small flicker of hope, Takaba had believed that, perhaps he could start over without the yakuza budding into his life.
He didn't love Takaba anymore, and after the cloud of depression, Takaba decided he could accept that and live.
But obviously, Sudoh Shuu couldn't. As long as he and Takaba occupied to same earth, occupied the same physical plane, than life for Sudoh Shuu would be less than perfect, would be utterly unacceptable, it would be absolutely terrible. A world with Takaba alive meant that Asami Ryuichi could throw away Sudoh at any given moment, thus dragging Takaba off of the streets or pulling him from whatever hole he dug himself into, and proceed to have sex with him like a rabid bear in heat.
No, Sudoh Shuu could not live with that, not at all.
"So you had to frame me…" Takaba whispered as he continued his stride, "You had to end me."
His pacing stopped as his phone buzzed, and he had to stopped himself from screaming. He walked over to his bed dresser and saw the caller ID.
"Missed Call Kou, Yoshida, Takato ...7" He'd never see his friend's again, never. Sudoh had made sure of that. There was no where Takaba could go to escape the wrath of an angry Asami, there was no hole deep enough to bury himself in, no mountain high enough to hide away in for ever...Asami was coming to kill him.
His phone buzzed again, and this time it had been a name other than his usual friends.
"Cho Takaba…" His heart froze as he looked at the name…the age old name...the name of his own brother. It wasn't like Cho to visit Japan out of the blue, not even for holidays like New Year's eve. This was supposed to be special. His brother hadn't seen him in years, and Cho had planned this ahead of time too. Cho was adopted into their family, and so was Takaba. They were both the youngest out of their siblings, and not to mention, Takaba was terrified when he began living with his new family. Cho, a small chinese boy, had been the first to make friends with Takaba, thus the two formed a special bond. With all that had happened in the past, and with the time they'd spent away from each other, no doubt Cho wanted to use this New Year's gathering to reunite with his brother.
Too bad the reunion would never happen, too bad Takaba was being forced into a corner.
He let the phone ring until nothing but his ragged breathing could be heard through his small apartment. He could feel it, could feel his death coming in the form of a crazed lover.
He jumped...his phone ring again.
He quickly made his way to it, and again, he froze at the name.
"Mary…" his whispered. When was the last time he'd seen her? Certainly, around the same time he'd last seen Cho? She was a childhood friend, and like Cho, held an important place in his heart. It was sad that it took his untimely death to realize their importance.
Tears began to sting his eyes as his throat constricted. He collapsed to the ground, not caring that his spine had just collided with the round knobs of his dresser drawers.
Pain was now a mere thought to him, his emotions had began sealing away his physical senses.
"Damn you Sudoh…" he began to sob into his knees as he drew them to his chest, "Damn you…"
And with a sudden jolt, he shot up as his door was forcefully open.
Outside, he could hear the fireworks go off.
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"Why did we even try to take the car? We should've known traffic was gonna be this bad," Mary hugged her purse to her side as she navigated with her feet through the dead leaves on the vacant streets, angling her stride in a way as not to fall into the deep craters on the streets hidden by the dead foliage. Her heels clicked as she did so, and the cold December wind blew through her short cocktail dress, causing her to hug her body in an attempt to shield herself from the coolness, "Definitely should've worn something longer."
"It wasn't like we knew our car would get stuck in traffic," Kou hugged himself tightly as the crisp air assaulted his body, "but at least we're close to his apartment."
"The bastard better not be asleep," Takato chimed in as he fastened his scarf tighter around his neck, "we're freezing our assess of to see him_Cho, has he answered?"
"Take a wild guess," Cho chided as he put his phone back in his pocket, "We got all dressed up to go out, braved the cold to walk to his house and he's not even answering...Figures_And Mary and I even came all the way from Americ *achoo* America to come and see you guys...does he do this often?"
"You betcha, ever since he got this photography job…" Kou trailed off, "It's a little sad you know, we've always been there for him, but he's suddenly gotten real silent and secretive. I hope he's okay."
"Hey, i'll call him...you said we're close?" Mary chimed in, "I've got his number, give me a second."
The fireworks began.
"Damnit!" Cho cursed, "We're late, come on let's run! Has he answered yet Mary?"
"Uh-uh," Mary responded as she stuffed her phone back into her purse, "but i'm all for running, it's freezing. Lead the way Kou."
The fireworks boomed above them, their sparkles glittering into the sky and befalling the city of Tokyo. Kou looked up at the scene, and was particularly taken aback when a red firework shot into the air.
Despite the festivities going on, despite the exciting atmosphere...the blood red anemone in the sky frightened Kou. He couldn't shake off the foreboding feeling of death, never before had a scene captivated him so.
He stopped mid-stride just to absorb the sickening beauty.
Takato slammed into him, hard enough to knock him over. Cho and Mary followed.
"What the hell? Come on! They're gonna be over!" Mary whined as she regained herself, "GO!"
Kou shook out of his trance as the ominous feeling clawed into his gut. He sprung into action, running like never had before. The fireworks above them blasted and an assortment of colors painted the sky.
But to Kou, the sky bled red.
He led them through the vacant ally, cursing whenever they collided with the occasional drunks in the streets. This was taking too long, something wasn't right, Takaba wasn't alright.
They ran into the street as they pushed past a group of loud kids, narrowly missing a black BMW that nearly hit them.
"Watch where the fuck you're gooooing!" Mary shot the middle finger at the car as it disappeared into the dust.
"That car looks a little familiar, huh Kou?" Takato looked at the dark silhouetted as it turned a narrow corner, "Kinda like that car Takaba…"
In the background, Cho and Mary exchanged words regarding cars and reckless drivers, but Kou and Takato exchanged morbid glances. Both knew to associate the image of the black BMW with a series of unfortunate events regarding their friend.
"Guys come on, we've gotta run," Takato instructed as he took off after Kou, "something's not right."
Mary's high heels clicked into action as she tailed the group, Cho followed her closely, "Whaddya mean?"
"We're not sure Mary, but ever since he's been doing this job that car's followed him everywhere. Not to mention, he's different," Kou supplied, "It's a little scary."
"Different how?" Cho hissed, "I don't understand...He hasn't told me anything, I haven't heard anything from him. I mean, he's my brother...he tells me everything and anything. If there's something wrong, i'm sure i'd be the first to know."
"If only that were the case," Takato panted, "We don't know much either."
The finale in the sky began, and the blood red sparks illuminated the darkness. Kou gulped as he brought the group to a near halt.
"We're nearly here," he slowed his pace as he came to the entrance of a staircase, "it's on the top floor."
Slowly, he ascended up the staircase, the other three following behind him. With his hand on the rail, he suddenly felt himself moving without a purpose. His heart came to a sudden stop... It felt like a part of him had been torn out.
He stopped, "Go without me...I feel a little sick, ill catch up."
His voice was silent, void of all emotion. He looked at his cheap dress shoes in order to avoid the gazes of his friends.
"Whatever," Cho shoved past him as he made is way upstairs, "Hey, Takato, what's the room number?!"
Takato passed Kou, taking in his stiff posture, "Kou, what_"
"Just go, go take him to Aki's room...hurry," Kou sounded nearly out of breath. But he'd been running, so it made sense. Right?
Takato climbed the stairs until his was beside Cho, Mary followed quickly after, and also cast a weary glance towards Kou. "You need some medicine Kou, i've got some ibup_"
He cut her off with a hand wave.
"Oh...okay," she shrugged as she began her walk upstairs, "Just...dunno, shout if you need us? But not too loud, it's a little late."
He shrugged.
She met up with the boys whom awkwardly stood before a door which looked slightly ajar.
Cho held his phone in his hand which remained at his side, limp.
"What's going on?" Mary asked as she peered at the odd couple, "What's up?"
"You see, that's what the fuck we're trying to find out...Cho called him, and his phone rang...the lights are off, no one answered, but we could hear the phone…"Takato sounded tired and weary, "somebody's in there…"
"Okay, well, let's go," Mary, ever the optimistic one, tried to urge them on, "Aki's been waiting to see the two of us for ages, and it'll only be better with you and Kou, let's not be wierd. It's New Year's for goodness sake, he's probably just drunk!"
"He never get's drunk without us…" Takato murmured, "never…"
Mary rolled her eyes and pushed to door open, "Whatever_Akihito! Come on, let's get going!"
She turned the light on and gasped at the mess around her. Glass and furniture lay destroyed everywhere, littering the pale carpet. Not only that, but a trail of dirty shoe prints could be seen throughout the apartment, all leading towards the back.
She gulped as she stepped over the mess and as she went deeper and deeper into the apartment, occasionally calling Takaba's name.
The boys watched her disappear into the mess, doing nothing to prevent her from discovering what beast lay at the tunnel.
Her calling out quieter as she continued her search, all the while, neither boy went after her.
Silence ensued...a gasp...and then a scream, a blood curdling scream.
Cho and Takato jolted back into their senses and darted into the house, jumping over glass and furniture. The piercing scream continued, and it tore the very fabric of their souls.
And then they ran into the room.
Mary was on the ground, a hand covering her mouth while the other stood still in the air, a finger pointing towards the bed. Her mascara was black on her face as it dripped down her cheeks and onto her dark skin. She was shaking.
With reluctance, with fear and dread, Cho looked towards the bed, thus losing whatever small lunch he had eaten before. Takato fell to his knees, unable to comprehend what he'd just seen.
The white sheets were torn and bloody, the body in their midst even more so.
Mary, though a trembling mess, pushed herself up and painfully made her way to the bed, yelping as she turned away… "Call the police…" she croaked, "Hurry!"
"Why don't you fucking do it! You're right there!" Cho screamed, "Why don_"
"Don't YELL at her!" Takato interjected, "She's scared too!"
The sudden surge of emotions brought both back to their senses, and the boys began staggering towards the bed.
Cho wiped his mouth as he took in the image of his brother, his face still green from throwing up. His pale skin was stained with crimson blood, his pale blue eyes were open and devoid of any life, and his lips parted slightly. Upon closer inspection, Cho could see bruises forming all over his body, his perfectly naked body.
"Where's all this blood.."Takato, against his better judgment, lifted the sheets over the area where the most blood gathered, and immediately dropped them when he saw the source, "What the hell...was he raped?"
"L-look a-t this guys," Mary pointed towards the nightstand where Takaba's phone rested. Next to it was a yellow bottle that had once been filled with pills, a prescription drug bottle. Under it rested a simple note.
My dearest Akihito, this is the price you must pay when you betray me.
Sincerly,
R. Asami.
"What the fuck does that mean?" Cho took the note and turned it around, "Who the fuck is this?"
"Call the police…" Mary brought her fingers to her mouth as she began to nervously chew at them, "call the police."
"He's not breathing," Takato stated, "He's not breathing!"
"It was an overdose," Cho added to the anxiety, "they forced him to overdose! Look at the bruises! They're everywhere!"
"CALL THE FUCKING POLICE!" Mary screamed, "I...I just can't do it on my own...I can't call the people who will take my friend away...no, I...could never."
Mary fell into a heap of sobs, "Damnit Aki...Why didn't you ask for help!?"
"We need help...our friend he's hurt, he's not breathing-No we can't find a pulse anywhere-his pupil's aren't reacting to the light...okay, yeah, we'll stay here…"
"Damit! Damnit! DAMNIT!" Cho shouted as he kicked the dresser, "WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU ASK FOR HELP?!"
"Shut up!" Takato screeched, "The ambulance is on it's way! I'm on the phone with the police."
They looked at him...his own shock was becoming his savior. He was choosing to be blind to the situation at hand.
"He's dead!" Cho screeched, "What the hell is the ambulance going to do? We're too late!"
Takato laughed...he actually laughed! "Aki always jumps back from things like this, don't you Aki! This is nothing, right Aki?"
Whether he intended to get a response back from the cadaver laying on the bed, neither Cho nor Mary knew.
Cho looked at him like he was insane, looked at him as if were an alien...and then he looked away as he tried to conceal his own laughter.
The situation was screwed up...really, it was. It had taken him years to arrange this, years to hear his brother's voice on the phone again….and when he'd finally made it to his destination, Takaba was dead?
This was all too real...all too real. So he laughed, he laughed hard. And God, would he thank himself for it later, because he knew that this would be the last time he laughed like this in ages.
Mary cried as she looked at the two. They succombed to their insanity, and before her, tragedy and comedy played out their eternal roles. How pathetic.
This wasn't supposed to happen, Takaba was like a brother to her...she hadn't seen him in years.
Yet here he was, exposed, bruised and dead before her very eyes…What a perfect way to start the New Year….
From where Kou stood outside, it sounded like a circus above him. Crying and laughter, shouting and crying...it was all too much for him. If only...If only Akihito had told them_But then again, perhaps he was telling them all along. Had he been asking for help? Had he been pleading for help as he lied to them, as his eyes betrayed his words. Had he expected his friends to solve the mysterious puzzle by themselves?
Kou clenched his fist hard enough to dig his nails into his palms. Had he abandoned Akihito this entire time?
Had the truth been right before his very eyes? Could he have saved his friend?
Bringing his bloodied palm to his mouth, Kou took a small lick of the crimson substances, treasuring the sensation as the liquid trickled down his lips. The iron tasting substance woke his senses, pulled him out of his self denial. There was no puzzle to solve, no clues to be found.
Takaba Akihito had been dead the moment he'd become a photographer. Nothing changed that...only now, he was free. Kou sighed...He was disappointed that it took him till New Year's Day to find that out.
He pulled his palm away from his mouth, spitting out the blood as he did so.
"Happy New Year Aki…" he lifted his wounded hand to the sky, "Here's to you."
The fireworks continued to pop in the sky, and only then did Kou see the amazing rainbow of colors they created. If only he had a camera to snap such a wonderful shot.
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For reference, i've put a link to Cho and Mary on my page. Sorry if this seems a little sloppy, it's 1:48 a.m and i'm so tired...Happy New Year! They've finally stopped shooting the guns =D I'm planning a little more to this, so don't be like, "What! No she didn't" because I didn't, as of now, this isn't over. Okay, as far as Kou's "sixth sense" goes, i'm sure you've all been very close to a friend or a sibling, and you're so close that you know if they're unwell, sick, etc.? Kou, in my opinion, is like Takaba's homeboy, they're tight. Towards the end, all are losing their sanity, i'm sure any normal person would too. Same goes for Kou's Vlad Tepish move...he's just going crazy, he doesn't know what to make out of it. Goes with the phrase, "I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all" (3 Days Grace). Also, I feel that Aki really neglects his friends, and I know he does it for their safety, but I feel he needs to tell someone. His relationship w/ Asami isn't healthy, he should get help. Anyway...that's all i've got for the New Year! So, have a nice day, be safe and may God bless you and keep you :)