(A/N) Special thanks to Andrew Joshua Talon for allowing other writers to expand on the universe created in Mirrors. This is pretty much how I pictured things to happen afterward with my own little twists and characters in it. Pleas read and review.
X
It was the end of another long day in the life of Keitaro Urashima. Another day of getting physically abused by the majority of the girls, attending classes at Tokyo University, and doing maintenance on the Hinata Inn. Somewhere in the mix, Naru had delivered her classic Naru Punch, Shinobu fretted over him, his wounds inexplicably healed, Masaru laughed and gave a pat on the back –
Oh right, Keitaro had six clones of him running out and about, essentially taking over the roles he played in the girls' lives.
He sighed as he sat at the top of the steps leading to the entrance of the apartments. The sun was setting, and the cries of laughter and shouting could be faintly heard. It was Motoko's birthday, and everyone worked hard on preparing a great party for her. The volume increased for a few seconds as the doors were opened. When they closed, Keitaro heard someone walking from behind and then sitting next to him. The figure offered him one of Aunt Haruka's cigarettes. Keitaro took it, and his companion lit it with a lighter.
Evil Keitaro, now going by Masaru, became the new subject of Shinobu's affection. Following the original's return, he tried to skip town to get away from the insanity that he knew would ensue. Thing is that Shinobu begged him to stay. She and everyone else suspected what damage he could do if he was allowed to run free. Eventually, Masaru willingly chose not go thanks to the fifteen year old girl. He remembered how she was the only tenant whose kindness almost never wavered. She never tried to take advantage of him or hurt him. Masaru felt he owed Shinobu and stayed as she asked. He became the secondary cook in the inn.
Brainy Keitaro, Akira, usually kept his distant from the others. However, he often worked in conjunction Kaolla on science projects and experiments, solidifying a rather complicated bond between youthful energy and indifferent intellect. In order to compensate for the extra mouth to feed, Akira worked as in independent contractor, using his skills with technology for various assignments. For whatever reason, he refused to disclose who paid him, but he got along just fine with everyone.
Kaede, otherwise known as Fun Keitaro, was a wild and unpredictable one. More often than not he could be seen hanging out with Kitsune, drinking their troubles away or betting on horse races. Haruka got sick of him sitting down all day and told him to get a job. That night, Kaede came home with a black eye, said that he wasn't as good a gambler as he thought. The next day, he came home in a black suit, a bow tie, a walking cane, and a top hat, going on about how he'll perform his first show at a little club down the street. No one's been able to find the club except for Kitsune, and they still refused to share where it is or what exactly was the act Kaede bragged about but never explained in detail.
Osamu, the shy, Timid Keitaro, tried to avoid people, but his more confident brother decided that he needed to grow a back bone. Since most of their fellow clones were getting jobs to pay for their residence, Osamu ended up being hired as a waiter for the Hinata Café. After two months under the watchful eye of Haruka, he only periodically stuttered and fainted. Luckily, Mutsumi was always there to pick him up and give him a refreshing cup of tea.
Ren, the Kind Keitaro, was pretty much like the original except that Naru did not abuse him. He was kind, and when he became a victim of one of Kaolla's kicks or Motoko's attacks, he got back up and immediately apologized in shame. With time, the attacks gradually ceased to happen. They could no longer keep looking at that kicked dog expression, and he made sure to treat them to a meal afterward. His lectures on how you should treat others could get tiresome for everyone, but Naru supported him every step of the way.
Confident Keitaro, Hibiki, spent a lot of time with Motoko. True, he and Kaede often gave jokes at the most inappropriate times and places, but they added more to the excitement of living in Hinata Inn. Whenever he wanted something done, Hibiki with his can-do attitude turned it into an obsession. When Masaru played a prank on him, he declared an all-out war that lasted a week. When he and Naru got into an argument about whether or not Ren was her boy toy, he designed charts and a power point to present his case. When Motoko's birthday neared, Hibiki outright took over the whole operation to give her the best birthday, ever, of all time.
"Why aren't you in there?" Masaru asked, lighting a cigarette for himself.
Keitaro blew into the cold air. "I helped set everything up, left a special present for Motoko. Left something special for everyone, y'know. They don't need anything else from me." He was surprised at the sound of his voice. It sounded bitter and defeated. He was hoping to sound more dignified.
Masaru chuckled and wobbled a bit. Kaede had slipped him a very good drink. "What about dear Aunty Haruka? Kanako? Shinobu?"
Keitaro felt something in his chest. His numbness had slowly worn off over the past few weeks, and his pent up emotions were resurfacing. "Shinobu has you to spoil." His brother gave a hefty laugh. "Haruka will get over it. Kanako… I plan on visiting her and my parents."
The former Evil Keitaro's relaxed, bright demeanor shifted into a grim, bittersweet smile. "I used to be a bad guy, so I know what you're doing is pretty mean, leaving without saying goodbye to their faces."
"Maybe –"
"No, you are kind of an ass right now." He patted Keitaro's back. "I've trained you well, dear brother." When no response came, he retracted his hand. "Then again, the girls were also kind of asses by ignoring you and letting the boys take over."
"Don't remind me," Keitaro muttered.
The sound of footsteps interrupted their train of thought. They looked down and saw a familiar figure walking up the stairs. Once the two clearly identified who it was, they crushed their cigarettes under their feet.
"Ah, Urashima," Tsuruko greeted and bowed. "It is a pleasure to see you again. I received your call and…" She paused and observed Masaru. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you had a twin brother."
Masaru gave her mock salute and spoke cheerily. "Greetings! I'm Masaru, and I'm not the only brother he has. There are seven identical siblings in all!"
Tsuruko was startled. Before she could voice any more questions, Keitaro stood up. "I apologize, Tsuruko, but it wasn't me that called you. It must have been Hibiki, Motoko's boyfriend. He wanted to make this an unforgettable birthday for her."
Her eyes perked up at the words "Motoko's boyfriend" and thought back to an confrontation she had not too long ago. "I assume this Hibiki is one of your brothers? I believe I've met him before."
"I bet the surprise he planned didn't sound like something Keitaro here would have thought up himself, huh?" Masaru asked quietly.
"It was something unexpected, yes," she admitted. "What are you two doing out here in the cold, anyway? Why aren't you inside?"
She could see the hesitation in Keitaro when he looked down, but Masaru answered instead. "I had to leave before I started drinking too much. No corrupting the minds of the children and all that crap. My dear brother here has an errand to run. We decided to enjoy the scenery before he left."
Tsuruko nodded, but her curiosity was pinched and craved to be satisfied. "What errand requires you to leave so late during my sister's special day, Urashima?"
He only replied with a saddened expression after Masaru gave him a rough nudge. "I have a…" And that was all he said.
Masaru sighed as he shook his head. "Sorry ma'am, but it's a rather complicated errand he has to go on. Long story, tragic tale, we can have a campfire later, but right now," he checked his watch, "Keitaro needs to go or he'll miss his deadline." Masaru got to his feet and lightly pushed his brother. "Off you go, buddy."
Slowly but surely, he walked down the long staircase. "Goodbye Masaru. Goodbye Tsuruko." When he passed her, she gently grabbed his shoulder.
"Urashima, I have a good friend that has said goodbye to me in a similar tone that you just used." Keitaro flinched. He had a feeling who that friend was. "It took a thousand miracles for us to meet again." She walked next to Keitaro and they made eye contact. "Will anyone here at Hinata Inn see you again?"
There was a long silence. The pair was very still while Masaru held back with his arms crossed.
"If I'm lucky, I will. If not, please tell them sorry in advance." Keitaro resumed his descent. "Enjoy the party, Tsuruko."
Keitaro grinned when he made it to the bottom. He told himself that he wouldn't look back and didn't. Then he felt a mix of all the pain and all the pleasure he's had over the past three years ever since he moved here. He was breaking his promise, that promise he made to that girl when he was only a child. Plus, at this rate, he'd probably never end up running an inn with Kanako.
Oh yeah, Kanako. And Aunt Haruka. And Grandma Hina. And his parents.
The girls don't need him, and his family… they'll miss him, but he's not needed in their lives. Right now, he wants to be selfish. He wants to find his own path. It's a good thing he met just the right guy to help him right before he attempted the Tokyo University entrance exams.
Tears are so distracting, aren't they?
X
It was a great island that Seta recommended. Motoko relaxed under her umbrella as she watched the ocean waves flow back and forth. The soft breeze helped balance out the heat, though it was still fairly hot. She grabbed a handful of sand and let if fall between her fingers.
The best part was that there weren't any turtles anywhere on this island.
An arm wrapped around her as someone plopped down beside her. Hibiki, his short hair slicked back, gave her a peck on the cheek.
Motoko smiled as she locked hands with him. "I told you not to use any hair gel. It's going to get all washed away."
He shrugged. "I need to look good whenever I can. Otherwise, I feel like I won't be able to satisfy a woman of high standards such as yourself." He turned his head with his best sad puppy look.
He got a light slap on the side of his head. "Shut up." He did get her to laugh, though, and a kiss on the lips afterward.
When they pulled back, Motoko raised an eyebrow when she spotted someone standing behind Hibiki. She raised herself and drew her sword. No one else was supposed to be on this beach.
"Who are you?" she asked coldly.
The figure turned around. He held a familiar face, a face she saw every day, but it bore a small grin. It was a small grin full of compassion and sympathy that Hibiki could never recreate.
"Keitaro?" She felt anger, happiness, and guilt, in that order. Before she could act on those feelings, he turned and walked away.
"Become strong," he said. "Become stronger so that if I get back, we'll have the duel of a lifetime."
Motoko wanted to scream, to say that he shouldn't be making demands or requests when he abandoned her and the rest. Then he said, "Think on you sins."
Motoko rose up, breathing heavily. She was back in her room, back at the Hinata Inn, back with Hibi –
He wasn't in the room. Of course he wasn't. He was constantly off on one of the laptops Akira brought home, trying to find Keitaro. He always got up early each morning to work on his investigation. She missed Hibiki being the first thing she saw when she woke, but he treated his mission very seriously. It was obvious after he convinced Akira to teach him how to work around a computer that he was really dedicated on this.
Minutes later, she was in the kitchen. Just as she thought, her lover was sitting on a counter, dressed in his night clothes and fingers tinkering around a keyboard on a black laptop. He took another sip of coffee and handed Motoko a cup of her own. She took it and sat with him, not even bothering to see what crazy program he was working on this time.
"It's been almost a year," she said. "Why are you still going at this?"
"Correction: it's been about ten months since he left. No happy birthday by the way?" He finished his drink and dropped the cup into the sink. "And to answer your question… he probably resents us a bit, or a lot, but if Ren is any clue, I bet Keitaro would have tried to do everything in his power to find one of you if one of the girls up and left with only vague farewells."
Motoko thought on that. "I suppose he would…"
The door opened and walked in Masaru. His hair was also slicked back but longer than Hibiki's. "Stalker, Kendo Girl," he nodded to the pair.
Motoko's eyes and cheeks flared, but she's learned to deal with his antics and calmed herself. The comforting yet restraining hand on her shoulder helped, too.
"Morning, bro." Hibiki gave a little wave but didn't look up.
Masaru opened the refrigerator and leaned in to look through it. "We'll need to go on another grocery run." He closed it noisily. He was tired and irritated. "Why didn't Akira get anything on his way home yesterday?"
Hibiki shrugged. "No idea, no idea where he went actually. Could have been anywhere, could have been too tired or busy to make time to visit a market. Happy b-day by the way."
"Likewise." Masaru closed the laptop and smashed Hibiki's hands. Motoko had him pinned to the wall while Hibiki stared at the cracked screen on the floor. "Like I said, stalker." He ignored the intense stare the girl gave him. His brother then came to her side with a pissed off expression.
"Why don't you just friggin tell us where he went?"
"I don't know where," was the calm response. They went through this conversation weekly now.
"Why did he leave?"
"You all know why."
"Yes, but he only confided with you that he was leaving. Why?"
Masaru didn't have the energy to smirk. "He had all of those negative feelings bottled up. I was the best guy he could turn to while all of you pretty much ignored him."
Hibiki held up a finger. "If I recall, you played a part in 'stealing' Shinobu's heart." He gave a peck on Motoko's cheek when he noticed her eyelids lower a fraction.
"The original and me, I actually tried having a civilized talk with him. We reached an understanding. So did Shinobu. That's more than I can say for you, Stalker."
The once intense stare down had dwindled over the months into one where one pair of eyes was bored, disinterested and the other was lazily analyzing and cool.
Finally, Hibiki gave a pinch where Motoko wished he would stop pinching, forcing her to leap back. Then he clapped his hands and said, "I'll make myself more presentable and we'll go get those groceries." He picked up the broken laptop and examined it. "This is the third one, y'know."
"And Akira still manages to bring home new ones." Masaru dusted himself off and took the machine. "You have ten minutes before I leave your ass here." He left the room.
Motoko was glaring at his retreating backside when Hibiki swiped her off her feet and twirled around. When they stopped moving, they were leaning down, much like how Motoko often fantasized about Keitaro holding her. She allowed her partner to initiate their daily passionate kiss.
When their lips separated, they gazed into each other's' eyes. He lovingly gave her sweet nothings and she maintained a small blush. Once that was out of the way, however, he immediately straightened themselves and released their embrace. "But seriously, no happy birthday?"
Motoko sighed. She loved him, but he could act so childish sometimes. "We agreed that we'd celebrate it on Keitaro's birthday, remember?"
"Oh yeah, you're right. Well," Hibiki kneeled down and took something out of his pocket. "Off topic, I got something for you."
Oh, I wonder what he – oh god, please don't let it be a wedding ring, please don't let it be a wedding ring, please don't let it be a wedding ring, please don't let it be a wedding –
It was a pair of small, rectangular pieces of paper. "Two tickets to An Exile's Creed 2: A War on Two Fronts! You were in such a good mood after seeing the first one, so –"
She fainted anyway. Hibiki, half expecting this, carried her back to her room before changing and joining his brother. He was waiting right outside the entrance of the inn with Shinobu. They seemed to be deep in discussion on something before Hibiki made himself known.
Shinobu flushed a bit while Masaru was unimpressed. "More tight-fitting clothing?"
Hibiki gave a cocky smile. "Ladies, and a few guys, love it! It shows off my ass." He patted Shinobu's head, but she quickly pushed it away, redness fading. "Besides, you're one to talk. I took these out of your wardrobe."
"I only let you 'cause I grew out of those." Masaru zipped up his leather jacket. He was slightly bigger, taller, and more muscular than Hibiki. "You ungrateful little –"
"Sempai," Shinobu dragged a hand through her hair exasperatedly.
"- little freeloaders never return my stuff. And I'm supposed to be the evil one."
Hibiki tried not to look sheepish as he laughed and put his arms around the two. They all started walking down. "Now, now, we're all family here. Family forgives and forgets. That's why you aren't the evil one anymore. None of us are evil. We all love each other, right?"
Masaru tripped him, and he watched as Stalker tumbled down the steps. Screams and grunts of pain echoed over amused laughter. Shinobu allowed a grin to show itself.
Once she felt Hibiki was a suitable distance away, she turned to her sempai. "Why today? Why now?"
He frowned. "Look at him." She observed Hibiki land and stop moving, probably bruised and broken. Within seconds, he got back up but fell over. On his third try, he successfully recovered enough to stand on his own two feet and limped to a nice light pole to lean on. "Only Akira and I noticed the changes. It's disturbing us."
Shinobu slowly, very slowly, nodded. Then she put up a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "We better hurry up then. You and I will need to work on an extra special lunch." Her speed increased as she hopped down.
X
When Kanako woke up, she had a feeling that today would be a good day. Sure, today's the one year anniversary of the day those barely tolerable replicates were born, her parents decided to finally cut off all ties with Keitaro and refused to accept the contact information he sent, and Kanako's hired help still have absolutely no idea where he could be, but nonetheless, she had a good feeling.
She felt so good that she actually gave a polite greeting to Osamu when they got together to set up the café. Of course, he was extremely unnerved by this, but when he realized she wouldn't stop smiling, he went along with it. She and Mutsumi even held an actual conversation. Kanako responded with just as much energy instead of grunting or ignoring the girl. After she laughed at a joke Sarah shared, they found Osamu unconscious near the registers.
Since he was too scared of how Kanako would react to him, he sought the advice of Haruka. Then he remembered that she was out of the country with Seta. Before he could try finding one of his brothers, Kanako pulled him to the side.
"Osamu," she said. She wasn't hostile or neutral. She was civil and friendly.
"Y-Yes Manager?"
"I'll be taking a little holiday today. Can I trust you to take care of the café with Aunt Haruka gone?"
Whatever issues Osamu had with his timid personality, he always enjoyed the authority Kanako commanded. She made it clear what she wanted. People listened to her, and he needed a good role model of someone taking charge, getting past their insecurities to get things done. She and her brothers were ever so helpful.
He still flinched and nearly curled up when she said she wouldn't be working today. He grew reliant on that authority, and he wanted it to stay.
What made him stop were her eyes. Those eyes were always either indifference, annoyance, satisfaction, disapproval, hate, anger, or tried its best not to shed a single tear. Today, he could see happiness, the same kind of blissful, hopeful, and yearning happiness that could be broken at any moment. Osamu knows what those eyes were because he remembered seeing the original with them. He remembered watching Keitaro wander with those eyes, always at the clones. He saved the sadder looks for the girls.
And then he left, been gone for almost a year.
A part of Osamu told him to run and hide. Another said that Kanako deserved to use that happiness however she wanted. "Yes Manager. You can count on me." Osamu bowed respectfully.
He must have surprised her somehow because she raised an eyebrow, but she was still smiling. "Thank you, Osamu. I will return before nightfall. Close up at the usual time and have a nice day."
"You t-too, ma'am." He watched her leave. Sarah soon followed, muttering something about Kaolla owing her a banana. Mutsumi beckoned Osamu to help move some chairs, and he went to help.
Keitaro didn't announce his departure, but he left messages saying he would return. Kanako might not be so courteous, but in the end, it was her choice. Osamu had too much respect for her to complain.
X
Later in the day, everyone was at home eating a late lunch. Motoko and Hibiki were once again trying to convince Kitsune and Kaede to reveal the location of their special club. Akira, still wearing his mediocre green suit, ate calmly, unaffected by the antics of Kaolla. Sarah sat as far away as she could from Masaru while Osamu and Shinobu pretty much clung to him like leeches. Mutsumi took her food with happily while Ren and Naru…
They gave horribly dicreet smiles to each other as they ate. The other tenants of the Hinata Inn called them out at first, but they've learned to act ignorant of it, even if they played their little games. For example, Ren would spill some water on himself, and he and Naru would leave to the room. Naru would need to excuse herself to get a condiment or utensil someone requested, and Ren would say he needed to tinkle. They always came back disheveled and clothes messy. No one was amused except for the two lovers, but in time it became only a momentary distraction.
Just when Ren opened his mouth to say something, Akira spoke first. "Masaru and I have an announcement to make."
All conversations and chewing came to a halt. Akira rarely spoke during meals. To hear the man who's almost never at home speak out loud to everyone had quickly caught everyone's attention. And the fact that the resident trouble maker was also apparently involved in this? That only sweetened the deal.
He stood with a straight back and unnecessarily adjusted his glasses. "As you all may or may not know, one year ago from today, my brothers and I were born from the different aspects of Keitaro's personality."
Kaede's eyes widened. "Really, it's been a year? I think this calls for some champagne! Let's go and –"
"Shut up." He obeyed. "The each of us received his memories but only a fraction of his emotions, motives, and opinions. Any scars, disabilities, and medical conditions he had were transferred as well, including his rapid healing capabilities."
"His immortality," Masaru added, still seated. "Whatever made him survive so high in space and the crash landings, not to mention the regular bruises and cuts, we had it, too, but to a lesser extent."
"At first, we didn't heal as fast," Akira continued. "However, as time went on, it became as fast as Keitaro's." He turned to Kaede. "I started noticing this when you got that black eye last year. Remember that brawl with Bishop?"
The girls did not recognize the name, but apparently the boys did because every single one shivered a second after it was mentioned.
"That time, the eye healed in an hour. Yours took three, four days."
Masaru said, "Thing is that the Doc here thinks that our powers are developing too fast. For example –" He brought out a handgun from the innards of his jacket. Motoko had him disarmed and pinned on the floor before he could turn off the safety.
There was screaming, swearing, threats, and a lot of noise as a majority of the room's occupants backed themselves toward the exit but didn't leave. Akira didn't move from his spot and merely sighed. "Brother, I thought I told you to not draw a firearm in here."
"I got impatient, give me a break!"
Motoko shot a surprised look at Akira. "What is it that he planned to use the gun for?"
Akira clutched his forehead, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "He wanted to use it as a demonstration, but I told him not to use it during lunch."
"A demonstration for wha –"
"Ladies and gentleman," Akira turned to the panicked little group and spoke as if he was an exhausted school teacher talking to elementary students. "Could one of you escort Sarah outside and keep an eye on her? Seta would not like it if she witnessed this."
"Witness what?" the child hesitantly asked, still mesmerized that Psycho brought a gun. Then she looked back at Akira and saw a look that frightened her. The closest thing that could come close to it would be the sadistic, sick smile that chased her last year.
Shinobu, completely silent since the beginning, tugged her out while Naru started getting angry. "What the hell are you playing at, Akira?"
"Wanna know, sister?" Masaru said, still on the floor, "nine months ago, the original got hit by a shotgun shell straight to the chest."
A multitude of gasps, questioning "Huh?"s and the sound of Osamu fainting and hitting the floor.
Masaru just scoffed. "Oh, that's right, you were all too busy ignoring him to even bother with giving Keitaro the courtesy of saying hello when he came back that night."
"You're lying," Ren accused, but his voice was wobbly. "He would have told us."
"Were you listening back then? I don't think so."
Motoko raised his head and dropped it back down with a push. "Explain." She was trying to remember how Keitaro was acting before he left and… she couldn't recall. He was always in the corner of her vision or nowhere to be found. She never tried seeking his company, too busy occupied with Hibiki.
Akira folded his hands behind his back. "There was an unforeseen side effect when I fired the flux gun. The potential of Keitaro's immortality was fully unlocked."
"Unlocked?" Kitsune whispered, still confused and wary over the current situation.
"Any wounds, any illness, it was always healed or cured almost immediately for him." He turned to Kaede. "Men came looking for you the day after you came home with the black eye. They demanded an exorbitant amount of money from me, assuming I was you." Kaede winced and refused to look up, shame building inside. "Keitaro, Shinobu, Masaru, and I fled the Hinata Inn. As my brother said, Keitaro was shot in the chest. He got back up a few seconds later with no visible sign of him ever getting hit except for the torn and bloodied shirt."
"That's a load of bull!" Kaede cried. "You can't possibly be serious about this." He wanted to sound skeptical, but there was an edge in his voice that screamed desperation.
"Then allow me to demonstrate." Before anyone could protest, Akira picked up the discarded pistol and shot himself in the forehead.
Ren fainted and fell into Naru's arms. She was only absently holding him as her eyes were transfixed on the still body and blood stained glasses. Kitsune and Kaede were clutching each other, too scared move. Mutsumi had her eyes and mouth wide open. Kaolla and Hibiki were dead silent. Even Motoko was paralyzed, loosening her grip on Masaru and allowing him to get up.
He stopped counting when Akira sat up.
"What the hell?" everyone's favorite avid drinkers muttered.
Akira tossed his spectacles away and rubbed his forehead, wiping away the crimson as best as he could.
"Last time we tried this, it took us one minute to recover." Everyone looked toward Masaru. "This time, it only took ten seconds."
"Did you really have to do something so graphic?" Hibiki murmured just loud enough to be heard.
"It was the best way to convince you," Akira said. "You can't deny evidence right in front of you."
"And why did you feel the need to inform us of this one year after we were created?" Hibiki had a hostile tone, not unlike the one Masaru liked to use to intimidate others.
"At this rate, we'll stop aging."
"Stay young forever? Sounds like a hell of a deal." He was mad, and when Hibiki was mad, he spoke sarcastically and condescendingly.
"To stay young forever and to watch Motoko wither and die? Yeah, a hell of a deal."
Hibiki didn't talk back this time.
"We can't die; not of all age, starvation, drowning, poison, incineration, Masaru and I have tried everything. We always heal. Energy, I don't know from where, but energy was transferred into us and it is keeping us alive for all of eternity." His voice grew louder with each passing second. "You just saw me shrug off a bullet in my brain. Do you get it now? We are really, truly immortal and can never die. Everyone else in the world is going to rot away while all we do is survive!" Akira was shouting by the end of his explanation, and he panted as he looked away from the scared, confused eyes.
Naru stared at her boyfriend in her arms. The realization was making its way in. She could spend the rest of her life with Ren, but he couldn't spend the rest of his with her. They wouldn't grow old together, and their children would ask why daddy looked so young. Ren would stay how he looked right now forever.
Motoko went to hug Hibiki, but he didn't hug back. Instead, he said, "Alright, you don't want to live forever. Neither do I, so what have you been planning for this?"
Akira was still trying to catch his breath, so Masaru answered. "Keitaro had plenty of reasons to leave this place. One of them was to find out how he could help us."
"Why would he want to help us, his copies that took his place?" Motoko clutched him harder.
"No matter what's happened, he still loves the girls. It'd be a shame if their boy toys didn't get to age at the same rate as their future wives." Masaru smirked at the very small blushes, but Hibiki wasn't done yet.
"How exactly did Keitaro plan to help us?"
"He called up Bishop, took him up on his offer."
Hibiki paused. "Don't lie to me."
Masaru chuckled. "I'm not."
"You knew where he was then, all this time."
"Never a location, we just knew that wherever Keitaro was, he couldn't be far behind."
Hibiki gently removed Motoko from him and walked up to Masaru. Their stare down resumed with a lot more intensity. "So Keitaro's fully immortal, eternally young, and when he found out his brothers would become the same, he tried to find something to stop it?"
"In a nutshell, yeah."
"Is that what he's been doing ever since he left?"
"Yes."
"Who else knew?"
"Just me, Akira, and Shinobu. We stayed in touch, but he didn't want to be followed. Satisfied yet?"
"No." Hibiki leaned closer and gave a patronizing smile. "What has he found then?"
Masaru's firm stand slightly weakened. "Keitaro and Bishop were due to arrive ten minutes ago with their findings. They're late, and Bishop is a very punctual person." He didn't move back when Hibiki became close enough to feel each other's breaths.
Sarah ran into the room. "Guys, the dork is back! He's here and –"
She saw the blood, the frightened expressions, and did not know what to do. She wasn't even sure if they heard her since everyone was frozen.
Still unsure what was happening, she said, "Ugh… he has a friend with him that's bleeding…"
"Well then," Masaru licked his lips and showed off his fangs. "Time to say hello to brother Keitaro, isn't it?"