p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"emstrongspan style="text-decoration: underline;"Twisted Man/span/strong/em/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"strongMe: Hey people! /strongstrongThis may or may not be a Shugo Chara fanfic for Yoru and Miki. Ehehehe.../strong/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"strongMiki: ... *blushes furiously*/strong/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"strongYoru: Ehehehe.../strong/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Click. Click, click, click. The young woman typed furiously into the computer and finally sat back with a sigh of relief. She rolled back her office chair and stretched her long fingers. She glanced at the computer and leaned forward again, looking over her work. Stretching, she got up, when she heard a sound. She froze. Someone was in there with her. Someone who didn't belong./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Yoru Tsuchiyama fell over and crumpled up into a ball. Nails clicked on the wooden floor, and something heavy leapt on top of him. Yoru rolled over./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Not now, Ren. I'm too depressed to play with you," he said to the large mastiff. The big dog whimpered. "I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling well." Yoru spread himself out on his apartment's floor. He thought about his life. 24 years old, and already he felt like he was at his middle age crisis. He groaned and rolled onto his right side, the floorboards creaking beneath him. A wet sloppy tongue licked his face leaving behind a huge dollop of drool. Yoru wiped it away with his sleeve. He made a series of demented gurgling noises and lay limp. After a few minutes he got up and walked into his bedroom. He sat down at his laptop and stared at the blinking lights on the screen. He sighed and got to work. After many hours of complaints, swearing and excessive typing, he finally stretched, and picked himself up. Ren's snores shook the house as he slept on Yoru's bed. Yoru shook his head and pulled himself into the carpeted hallway. He walked towards the printer, and waited. He tugged at his tie as the printer processed the words of his project and spit out a piece of paper with only a couple of sentences on it. Yoru scratched his head./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"What the heck?! This is NOT what I printed. Yoru thought, picking up the paper. On the paper were these words:/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"SOMEBODY HELP ME./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"I HAVE BEEN /I AM CURRENTLY AT 1479 CONOVER LANE, TOKYO JAPAN./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"SOMEBODY SAVE ME./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"PLEASE./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"SIGNED:/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"MIKI TAMAZAKI/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Yoru blinked. He stared at the paper. He blinked some more. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, and opened them again. Oh my God. It's real. I ACTUALLY got asked for help by someone. Wait. How am I going to help this girl? Yoru's head drooped. He considered calling the police, but that might put this 'Miki' girl in even more danger. He thought upon it. Yoru decided to take on the mission himself. His job WAS pretty boring. Slipping on his worn out trench coat, Yoru dumped some of Ren's dog food in his dish and filled the other dish with water. He whistled for Ren as he wrapped his dark blue scarf around his neck. Ren barked and ran to Yoru obediently./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Stay, boy. I'll be back soon. Be good and don't make a mess. You got that?" Yoru asked the dog, patting his round head. Ren sat on his hind legs and straightened his back, as if to say, "Yes, sir!" Yoru grinned and closed the door of his small apartment and walked down the stairs to the door of the building. He stepped out into the frigid air, snowflakes enveloping him in a cold embrace. He shivered and pulled his jacket closer as he joined the bustling crowds of the people of Tokyo. Noise, lights and colors. He made his way through the horde and finally got close to the street. Yoru signaled for a taxi, and waited as the banana yellow car sped towards him. As soon as it stopped, he opened the door and got in./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""1479 Conover Lane, please." The taxi raced off into the crowded streets of Japan. Yoru gazed out the window at the different people. Cosplayers. Nerds. Businessmen. Street vendors. All sorts of people. He wondered what kind of person Miki was. He considered himself a nerd, of some sorts, but a bit more attractive than others. Yoru grinned at the thought. He pulled his black, large-framed glasses out of his pocket and wiped them with a cloth that he procured from inside of his coat. It was a habit of his. When the taxi finally stopped, Yoru didn't notice, he was still wondering among his thoughts./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Hello? Boy? We're at the address. You've got to get out now," a gruff voice said, breaking through the silence in the car. Yoru blinked, and shook his head./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry 'bout that. How much do I need to give you?" Yoru pulled out his wallet and thrust a few yen into the driver's outstretched hand. Tugging on the door, he slid out onto the frosty street. He closed the door, and walked towards the house. It was a big mansion, blending into the white snow. The windows were brightly lit, and Yoru could see a large chandelier through one of them./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Wait. How am I going to do this?" Yoru murmured, rubbing his forehead. "I'm so stupid." He sighed. "Well. I might as well go in and save the day." He pulled his jacket closer around him, and stepped forward. He rang the doorbell and waited. A handsome young man opened the door, and smiled eerily./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Welcome to my humble abode." Yoru nodded and entered the large mansion slowly, He looked around uneasily. Something about this place was wrong. Very wrong. He gulped, and followed the man, "My name is Kurai James. Now, would you like a cup of tea? I'll go fetch it, and you make yourself comfortable." Yoru again nodded slowly, as if barely understanding what just happened. A kidnapper had just invited him into his house, wait no, MANSION, and was now making him a cup of tea. Great. Well, the least he could do was investigate while Kurai was gone and busy. He inspected the doors, and knocked on the walls to see if there were any secret passages. Yoru had quite the imagination. Afterwards, he quickly crept upstairs and looked in each room. He opened the last door, and found a beautiful young woman tied up and gagged in a corner, her raven's wing hair flowing down her back and clinging to her fair face. Intelligent dark eyes stared at Yoru, pleading for help. Yoru heard a noise downstairs. He didn't have much time. Untying the ropes that bound her to the oak chair, he looked at her small face. She was absolutely stunning. When she caught him staring, he quickly averted his eyes and finally removed the ropes. The girl untied the handkerchief used as a gag, and smiled softly, showing pearly white teeth./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Thank you," she whispered. As Yoru opened his mouth, another sound echoed in the large house, coming from the kitchen./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""I have to go, Miki. Take my cell phone, and call the police. I'll stall for time," Yoru told her urgently, handing her his brand new cell phone, and silently crept back downstairs. Miki nodded and dialed the number for the police with shaking hands. Yoru was already sitting on the couch, making himself look like he was there for the past 10 minutes. He removed his hat and scarf, and relaxed into the comfort of the seat. Kurai came around the corner, carrying a platter with three steaming cups of tea on it. Yoru ran his hand through his ink black hair, and picked up a china teacup when the platter was offered to him. Kurai sat, placed the platter on the mahogany table, and carefully took a cup./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""This third cup," Yoru started. "Who is it for?" Kurai grinned. He put down his cup and saucer./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Miki! Oh, MikI!" Yoru's dark brown eyes widened in surprise. Kurai looked at him, one eyebrow up, making him look like he was confused. "I'm sure you've met Miki already." Yoru gulped and stood up, then waited for Miki. She slowly crept down the spiral staircase, and saw that Yoru was there as well./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"At least this man is still here. We can probably defeat this guy together. Miki thought, as she glided towards them. An uneasy silence filled the room, and Kurai smiled./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Have a cup of tea, Miki. I already have it ready for you," Kurai turned to Yoru. "Well young man, are you going to introduce yourself or not?" The cavernous room echoed with his words. Miki rushed to Yoru's side and held onto his arm as if it was the end of the world, and if she let go of him, she would die. Her small body shook with fear that came from the core of her heart. Yoru broke out in a cold sweat./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Yoru Tsuchiyama, 24 years old," Yoru said, his voice heavy with caution. Kurai circled the pair like a hungry shark eyeing its prey./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Yoru, eh? Fine. Come on now, let's finish our tea. It's British, you know. My mother came from London, so I'm half British," Kurai stopped and settled into a red velvet armchair. He picked up a teacup and saucer, and motioned for them to sit as well. Yoru perched on the edge of the sofa, unsettled by the way Kurai was acting so calmly. Miki shivered next to him, as a chill ran down her spine. A silence filled the room, one that crept into their souls and ate away at their very being. Yoru cleared his throat./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""What do you want from us? Why did you kidnap Miki?" Kurai leaned forward and set down his cup./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""That," he started, "is because I was simply bored." Yoru blinked./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""WHAT?! HOW COULD YOU KIDNAP SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE BORED?!" The idea was ridiculous to Yoru. He stood up angrily, dragging Miki up with him. Her lips, as red as roses, quivered in fear. Yoru sat down. He was now shaking as well. In anger. Prying off Miki's long fingers, he pulled himself back up, throwing a heavy punch at Kurai. The hurt man rubbed his now purple jaw. He smiled. Yoru stepped back, shocked. Kurai got to his feet./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""What you don't know, is that it's even more fun when they fight back," Kurai took a step towards Yoru. "Or get help." He grabbed ahold of Yoru's arm, spun him around, and twisted his arm behind his back. Yoru groaned and his knees buckled as he fell to the carpeted floor. Miki gasped loudly and Kurai looked up at her. He procured a dagger from seemingly nowhere, and came towards her. Yoru tried to pick himself up, but a kick from Kurai stopped him. The air escaped from his lungs as he wheezed, and blood trickled down his mouth. Miki clambered over the sofa just as Kurai was about to get her. Stuffing came out from the seat. She screamed as he leapt towards her. He thrust the dagger into her hip. Blood oozed out and she cried out in horror. Miki fell, and the world spun around her. Her feet slid out from under her. When the spinning stopped, the world tilted. She desperately grabbed at the carpet for some kind of hold. Kurai stood over her, looking gleefully at her. Meanwhile, Yoru had picked himself up and got behind him./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""This is payback." Yoru kicked him in the back sending him flying. He lay limp on the ground. "Never, EVER, hurt a lady in front of me." Yoru grinned. "Or you'll have to answer to my fists and fury." He kneeled down on the ground next to Miki. "Are you alright? Let me see your wound." He pulled out his glasses and put them on. Miki rolled over and moved her arm to show a gaping wound. Yoru carefully rolled her shirt up and stopped when he got to the gash./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Is it bad?" Miki asked, too tired to crane her neck towards it, though she wished she could. Yoru made a strange noise, as if trying NOT to tell her would help. "Please! Is it bad?" she pleaded once more, touching his arm. Yoru pursed his lips./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Yes. Just wait here a second. I'm going to tie up Kurai." He got up and went over to Kurai. Knocking him out, Yoru grabbed him by his collar, and dragged him up the stairs. Yoru wiped the blood off of his chin and heaved him over the last step. Sure, he could have left Kurai downstairs and get the rope from upstairs, but he couldn't risk leaving him with Miki. Slipping into the room where he found Miki, Yoru grabbed the discarded rope. He removed the knife from Kurai, and searched him for more weapons. When he found none, he tied him up tightly, shoved him into the room, and locked it from the outside with a key he had found in Kurai's pocket. He raced down the steps and went into the bathroom. Shuffling through the medicine cabinet, he found gauze pads and some antiseptic cream. Rushing to Miki's side, he dabbed some antiseptic onto some gauze and paused./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""This is going to hurt, isn't it?" Miki asked weakly, her eyes clouded with pain. Yoru nodded, and pressed the gauze to the wound. Miki hissed./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""I'm sorry, Miki. I'm sorry for everything." Yoru looked down at her, his voice heavy with emotion. She smiled./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""It's okay, none of this is your fault." A ringing sound filled the room. Yoru took a second to figure out what it was. He smiled. Slipping his arm through hers, Yoru helped her get to her feet, and together they answered the door, wounded but alive./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Men, search the house. Find anyone else involved, and I'll get the story from these kids," a blue clad police officer ordered, as others marched into the house./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""He's upstairs," Yoru said, pointing up. He gave the officer a summary of the night, while shivering in the cold, Miki beside him. Miki was loaded onto an ambulance, which Yoru followed to the hospital. Kurai was arrested, and Yoru and Miki kept in touch./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Three years later.../p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"strong /strong/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Miki! Miki, come here!" Yoru called to his young wife, staring at the T.V., Ren in his lap, slobbering all over his pants. She emerged from the kitchen, her wavy hair pulled back into a bun, oven mitts on her delicate hands. She looked at the T.V., slipping off her mitts. The newswoman blabbered on about politics and such, but something caught the couple's attention./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Kurai James has escaped prison..."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" /p
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"He was back./p