Thanks for this little gem goes out to Yukia, for introducing me to this movie, and Gackt in general. I wish our friendship had ended on a better note, but I have no regrets. There is a slight warning, that I really suck at romance stuff. Smut, I rock. Romance, not a clue. (ask Yukia if you ever meet her online about the romantic hamburgers. she will confirm the smut/romance problem) So please forgive on that part of this musing. This one is a one-shot, for the simple problem that to divide it into chapters makes said chapters too short for my tastes.
This was the city of Mallepa, filled with sin and vice. Here the super rich shared the streets with the poverty stricken, here brand new Mercedes parked on the crumbling streets next to late model American cars. Filled with Japanese immigrants running from the economic collapse of their country, they fight for the streets and the deals from imported Taiwanese and the native Chinese. Here even the clean businessman had underworld contacts, and the streets were involved in a night war over cash and turf. Money was the means for survival, but life had become all too cheap a commodity.
Most abandoned buildings had squatters, and the police were mostly in someone else's pocket to look the other way. Orphans ran from the police, who would round them up and get a price per head for each kid that was caught and turned over to institutional care. This was a city on the edge, a place of violence and drama.
On these streets, there were plenty of abandoned and orphaned, struggling to survive from night to night. Some joined gangs. Others were sold into slavery. Others still roamed free, picking pockets and running scams for a nightly meal.
This is the story of three of those orphans. Sho, the hotheaded and reckless youth that wanted to be a someone. Shinji, his older brother, trying to provide in a city that has nothing for free. Their friend Toshi, who has been with them since all three had escaped one of the many orphanages in the city. They were nothing but street rats.
There is a fourth, though he was not there from the beginning. He is Kei, the traveler and wanderer. He's much older than these little kids, when he takes them under his wing, Sho especially. But there is more to know about him. Not only is he just old, he is very old. His slight frame and bleached blonde hair hide a secret. He is a vampire, living in the night, drinking the blood of the living to continue his wretched existence. He had given up on continuing his so-called life, and he had decided to end it all in the light of the sun. Sho, wanting a free watch, distracted him. Instead of perishing in the light of the blazing sun, Sho wheeled him off under a blanket, and adopted the odd adult. Little did either know how much chaos that one moment of comfort would cause.
After pulling one of their scams, they finally got caught. When the dust had settled, Shinji had been shot in the leg, Toshi had run off, and Sho, ignoring his older brother, went back to rescue his new friend. Little did he know that Kei did not need rescuing. What Sho found was something no one could have expected. His new friend was drinking the blood of the Chinese gangster that had found the trio. When Kei asked Sho if he was afraid, Sho just smiled.
This was the beginning. This is the early tale of Moon Child.
Sho was asleep, the tattered sheet wound around his legs, as he lay on the mattress. One of his arms was over the edge of the mattress. Shinji was leaning in the corner, whimpering in his light doze. His leg was hurting him, understandably. Sho had managed to fish the bullet out of his brother's leg with two wires, but Shinji would probably walk with a limp the rest of his life. It was not like these street rats could afford an actual hospital, with a real doctor. Toshi lay on a pile of blankets, one thumb wedged in his mouth, sleeping the sleep of the innocent. The floor around them had a few empty pizza boxes, their usual dinner. They would call in an order, then 'forget' to pick it up. When the shift was over, the pizza place would toss out the boxes, and they would grab them. Kei lay next to Sho, not on the mattress, but close enough to hear the boy breathe. It was strangely comforting, sleeping with these outcast kids. Kei murmured in his sleep, dreaming the old dreams of his time with Luka. Tonight, his mind was gentle, and was reliving some of the good times.
The building they were hiding out in used to be a clothing factory, where young girls had been literally chained to their sewing machines. Most of the overhead racks and machines were gone, this building long picked clean by others needing something to sell or pawn for cash. Standing at the corner of a long table that was bolted to the floor stood a sewing dummy. Her hair was long gone, but her fabric smile was still visible through the grime. The warehouse had almost no defensive spots, but it had something better. In almost any direction you ran, there was a way out. These kids had learned through hard lessons against the older gangs, that it was better to be able to run, than to hold up in a corner and get beaten, or worse. Escape was important, more priceless than a roof to keep out rain or doors to protect them. They ran, because they could not fight back.
Shinji heard it first, since he was the lightest sleeper due to the pain in his leg. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Shinji hobbled over to one of the broken windows. He could hear the sound of people walking in the alley, scattering the trash and knocking around beer bottles that had not been snatched up for the deposit. It was not boots, and not kids. It was the sound of adults. Looking out the broken window, he saw something that scared him more than any of the local gangs. It was adults in suits, leading some of the street kids they had rounded up to a brown painted bus. That could only mean one thing to Shinji. It was that time of year again, when the orphanages were paid by the police to round up the kids and take them away. Shinji had sworn to Sho and Toshi, they would never see the inside of those concrete walls ever again. Kids that were caught and no parent or surrogate could be found, were sent to the factories, their wages paid to whichever orphanage supplied the child slave labor. Never again, Shinji had sworn. He was not about to let that happen to his family.
Sliding across the gritty floor over to Toshi, Shinji shook the younger kid by the arm, holding his hand over Toshi's mouth. When Toshi was roused, he removed the hand and whispered to Toshi. "It's the orphanage! Go wake up Sho, we have to get out of here, now! I'll go ahead and find a safe way out, go get my brother." Shinji headed back to the window to see which way the adults were going, so they could bolt in a different direction. They only had a few minutes before their location was no longer safe, but running in the wrong direction could be just as bed as just staying where they were.
Toshi hurried over to Sho, and shook him. Sho did not wake up, merely rolled over, the sheet wrapped around his feet, and one leg joining the arm over the edge of the mattress. Toshi shook him again. Sho curled up into a ball, murmuring, "Go 'way, I'm sleeping." A few more shakes finally got him sort of awake, and he looked at Toshi with half asleep eyes, blurry from the sudden awakening.
"We have to get out, Sho. The orphanage people are here. Shinji is looking for a way out, we're going to follow him."
Sho blinked at the news. "But... Shinji's leg... how will he run?" Turning to look over his shoulder, Sho saw the adult he had adopted from the day before. Shaking Kei's shoulder, Kei mumbles something about "not enough sleep..." Sho continued to try to rouse Kei. "Wake up, we have to get out! The orphanage people are outside, catching kids. We have to escape!"
Those words finally sank into Kei's mind, and he sprung into action. No one was taking his kids away from him, not while he was still alive and kicking. Pushing Sho towards his older brother, he said, "Get going! Get out of here. I'll watch your back. Now hurry, don't just stand there!" With one more shove, Kei sent Sho running over to the other two, with only Sho looking back a few more times.
Sho wrapped his older brother's arm over his shoulder. Toshi took the other side, and the three headed for an exit from the decaying building, leaving Kei alone.
Kei smiled to himself. this would be fun. Standing in the beams from the flashlights, three of the men entered into the echoing room. Kei held his hand up, shading his eyes for a moment, taking a head count and deciding just what he wanted to do to these men that threatened his new family. The man in the lead looked around the room, then turned back to Kei.
"Ah, no street rats, but a filthy derelict. I'll make you a deal, Japanese trash. You tell me where those ratty kids ran off to, and we won't run you in to jail tonight for squatting here. Sound like a good deal?" The man offered a greasy smile. Picking up kids paid, but picking up adults, that was just fun in his opinion. "Come on, it's a sweet deal. You don't have to sleep in jail, and I get my money for getting those kids."
Kei grinned in return, but it was nothing resembling friendly. It was the baring of teeth of a predator. It was enough that one of the men took a step back in a moment of uneasiness. "Filthy squatter? Nope, just me and you rats. Why don't you go play a nice game of hide and go f*** yourself?" The lead man hissed at this, but Kei continued. "Now, I recommend that you get the Hell out of here, before I rip your heart out and shove it down your throat. Deal?" With that, Kei slightly bent his knees, then took to the air with an inhuman scream. The first one got his head crushed with a rather audible "Crack!" sound as Kei landed on the man's head, feet first. Before the other two could react, Kei turned on them, bloodlust shining in his eyes. He would drink well tonight, that was sure.
The three boys were almost out of the building, when they heard a sound that could not possibly come from a human throat. Sho turned back to look, and saw someone... flying through the air? No way, he thought, not possible. "I have to go back, guys. He might be in trouble. We'll meet back up at the fifth street park, that's not too far from here. Toshi, help Shinji." Sliding loose of Shinji's grasp, Sho turned to go back into the building. Shinji grabbed Sho's wrist, and hissed at his younger brother.
"He's trouble, I tell you. He's bakamono, a monster! He's nothing but trouble. Quit being selfish, Sho, and let's get out of here. Leave the monster!" Sho slipped out of his other brother's grasp, leaving Shinji scowling. Toshi pulled Shinji the other way, and the two hit the streets outside, not minding the light drizzle that made the streets slick with moisture. The park that Sho had named was only a few blocks away, but with Shinji's leg, it would be one serious hike.
Sho ran back into the building. The sounds of the fight had faded, and the building was filled with Sho's breathing and ominous silence. Skidding around the last corner, Sho figured he would see his new friend splattered all over the floor. Instead, he saw the remains of a very one sided fight. Two of the men were obviously dead, their necks at angles that the body was not supposed to bend. Kei was kneeling by the body of the last man, drinking his fill before the blood ran too cold.
Instead of doing the right thing, the wise and smart thing, which would be running like Hell as far from the gruesome sight as his short legs would carry him, Sho walked closer. Stepping over the other two bodies, he knelt to get a closer look. Kei looked up, blood dripping from his lips. "Still not afraid?" asked Kei. Sho smiled.
"Wow... cool."
Sho and Kei headed out of the building, on the other side of the structure from the waiting bus. Blending into the crowds that were still out even at this late hour was easy, and both had plenty of practice in being invisible. Mallepa was a city that never slept, if your idea of staying awake involved drugs, booze, and women. Heading towards fifth street, the two stayed silent, one deep in thought, the other more interested in getting to the park in a hurry. It was Sho that was walking fast, having to stop every so often to let Kei catch up.
Kei was the one thinking. 'How did I get into this? All I wanted was to burn in peace in the sun, and now I'm watching over three kids.' he thought to himself. 'But... the kid I'm walking with... he didn't look away. He didn't freak out. He accepts me as I am. He... cares. I can't just leave, not yet." Catching back up to Sho, the two continued walking to the park.
Toshi and Shinji were easy to spot. Shinji was sitting on a graffiti covered bench, whole Toshi was bouncing from foot to foot, looking everywhere for Sho and Kei. Sho walked up to them, and smiled at startling Toshi from the darkness. "See? No problem at all!" Taking a look at Shinji's let, he grimaced. "Yuck, you're oozing again. Why didn't you take more care on your way over here?"
Shinji took an only half-playful swing at his little brother. "You bakayaro! If you had left when we first headed out, I wouldn't have had to run so hard. It's all your fault! You are so selfish, Sho, it's all about you!" Propping his injured leg on the bench, Shinji leaned back and took a few deep breaths. He loved his little brother, but sometimes he would have been happy to punch Sho's lights out.
Kei took a look at the sky. It was still dark, but the birds were beginning to chirp, and there was already an early morning jogger on the weather worn track that ran around the perimeter of the park. Kei had managed to lose his watch somewhere in the tussle with the men from earlier. 'I have to know the time, or I might become a crispy critter in a short while.' Trying to remain calm, he asked the boys, "Does anyone know what time it is, by the way?" Kei wondered at that for a moment. Earlier, he wanted to end it all. Now he was trying to survive. Odd.
Toshi was the one that still had a watch. He was rather proud of it, he had palmed it from a street vendor a few weeks ago. It was a simple plastic watch, but Toshi liked it that he could push a button and a little light would let him see the time in the dark. With a flourish, Toshi pulled his sleeve out of the way, and took a look. "It's five thirty in the morning. Another half hour or so, and we can grab some bagels for breakfast."
Internally, Kei winced. Only half an hour, and he would have to find shelter from the rising sun. There was not a cloud in the sky, so he would not even get those extra few minutes of safety. His faced never changed though. Sho, on the other hand, smiled. "Yeah, there's a bagel shop just a few blocks away. Toshi, you have some cash, you get to get the bagels. If I have to eat cold pizza this early in the morning again, I'm going to hurl. Bagels sounds really good." Sho thought for a moment, then continued. "I need to get to a pharmacy, to get Shinji something for his leg. I don't know, I guess we'll need some bandages and some pain pills. I'll get the stuff from the store. Finding a bagel is easy, but this time in the morning, it's going to be easier to find an open bar than an open drug store." Sho turned to Kei. "You want to go with Toshi for food, or with me to the drug store?"
Kei thought for a moment, then smiled. "I'll go with you. Your friend can handle breakfast." Inwardly, Kei thought he stood a better chance of finding a place to hide from the light if he followed Sho. That was his official reason. Deep down though, he simply wanted to spend more time with a child that accepted him as he was, instead of running from him.
Sho was about to head out, when he realized something. His new friend didn't know their names. Actually, he didn't know his friend's name either. Introductions were in order. "By the way, my name's Sho. That's my older brother Shinji, and our giggling friend is Toshi. What's your name?"
"Kei. No last name, just Kei."
Shinji frowned for a moment at this news. He knew that this adult was a monster, and he could not understand what his little brother saw in the creature. Sho was always the one doing the daredevil stunts, he was the one out on the limb. But the pain in his leg was more urgent than trying to talk some sense into Sho's thick skull. Leaning back on the bench, Shinji said, "I can just stay here. No one will probably bother me for a bit, with everyone going to work... just be careful you two. And stay out of trouble, Sho!"
Sho grinned. "Me? In trouble? Never!" Heading out of the park and down the streets, Sho and Kei headed into the district, looking for an open yakkyoku (pharmacy). Kei was more interested in finding a place to hide from the rising sun, and kept looking down alleys and into empty windows. Sho thought nothing of this, figuring that Kei was just watching out for the two of them. This was a rough district, and one bad day could be Sho's last. The first store Sho remembered was not only still closed, but it would remain that way for a long while. There was an official notice stapled to the door, condemning the building. This was nothing new, considering the maintenance of the immigrant district structures was slim and none. The second place Sho arrived at was just opening, the owner still yawning as he unlocked the door.
Ignoring the dirty stare of the cashier, Sho finally found a kit with gauze and tape, and he grabbed a bottle of pain pills. Sho paid in a hurry, and turned back towards the park. Halfway back, Sho realized that he had lost his friendly shadow. Sho doubled back for a few blocks, but could not find Kei. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'he knows where we are.' Arriving at the park, he found Toshi and Shinji munching on bagels. A few minutes of wrapping, gauze, and some tape, Sho then took a step back to admire his handiwork. "Well, that should do it. Now we just have to find a place for us to relax, and so Shinji can get some rest. Any ideas?"
Shinji was already feeling the relief from the pain medication, but he was still listening. He had an idea. "We could always go to the empty bakery. It's pretty clean, and no one really goes there." Sho and Toshi agreed, and each took a side of Shinji to help him walk to the bakery. They headed down the streets until they arrived. By then the sun had been up for about an hour. After Shinji was settled, Sho headed back to the park to wait for Kei. He had to tell him where they were staying, so he could catch up with them. So he waited. And waited.
Kei never showed up. After a week and one serious sunburn for his troubles, Sho finally quit waiting.
Kei had woken up that first night and immediately had started searching for his three kids. He barely know them, but in his mind they were 'his' kids. Especially Sho. Kei grinned to himself about that one kid. What was it about that little imp that caught at his heart? He could dance around it, but it came to one thing. Sho did not reject him, but accepted him just as he was. In spite of being a monster, a vampire, Sho accepted him. It had been a long time since Kei was liked just as he was, and he didn't want to lose that feeling. But those kids needed a way to protect themselves, to be able to move up in life and not live from pick pocketing and hand to mouth. So when he finally found them two weeks later, he was carrying two cases with him.
Sho and Toshi were counting change on a battered table, and it was Shinji that spotted Kei first. Rising to his feet and glaring at Kei, he limped into the next room, grumbling. "Sho, your monster is back." Once in the next room, Shinji sat by the wall, still mad but listening in to make sure nothing happened to his brother and Toshi. He might be mad, but he was still the eldest of their little group. He was the one in charge, the one that had to make sure they were alright.
Kei ignored Shinji, knowing that it was a lost cause to try to win him over. Instead, he walked over to the battered table, and set the two cases down. Toshi was looking at the cases. Sho was grinning at Kei. "Cool, you found us! I was getting worried there." Sho motioned to a box of fried chicken. "Hungry? We've got food still, if you want a bite to munch."
Kei thought fast. "No, I'm fine. I got something earlier, so I'm alright for now."
Sho looked over his shoulder for his brother, finally realizing that Shinji had made himself scarce. "Could you give me a minute, Kei? I need to talk to mister grumpy." Leaving the main room, Sho walked around the corner and found his brother sitting against the wall, looking a bit abject. Sho sighed, and took a seat next to his big brother. "What's wrong this time, Shinji?"
Shinji sighed, then spoke. "Look. Kei is trouble. I mean, come on, he drinks blood. He's bakamono, and you know it. Instead of listening to me, your big brother, you're hanging all over that monster. I... I just worry, alright? We don't need him, we've been doing fine on our own. I just know it, he's going to get us into something that we can't get out of. Why do you have to be so selfish, Sho? Why can't you listen to me?"
Sho hung his head for a moment, then looked back up, determination in his eyes. "He's my friend, Shinji. He's cool, he's an adult that doesn't treat us like scum. I know what I'm doing. You always call me selfish, but what about you? You're always on my case. You raised me. Why can't you trust me, or give me a chance?" Giving his older brother a hug, Sho smiled. "It'll work out. One day, I'll be able to take care of you for a change. Just you watch." Sho got back to his feet, dusted his backside off, and returned to the main room with Toshi and Kei.
The cases were open. Inside were two pisutoru (pistols), one with a chrome finish, the other matte black. There were a few clips of bullets, and a cleaning set. Kei was smiling at the light in the two kids' eyes. "It's about time you learn how to protect yourselves, and these two items will ensure that." Sho immediately made a line to the chromed one. So shiny. It took both of his hands to pick it up, as it was heavier than he had thought it would be. Sho turned the gun in the light, mesmerized by the reflections shining off the pistol. Kei grinned at this, amused by Sho's reactions. Toshi was oogling the matte black one, and he also needed both hands to lift the gun. "Go ahead, Sho, take a shot."
Sho aimed the pistol at a window that still had glass. He would make Kei proud, being a great shot on the first try. Narrowing his eyes, he pulled the trigger. There was a click. That was it. Slightly embarrassed, Sho turned to Kei. "Alight, what did I do wrong?"
Kei laughed a bit, and pulled out one of the clips. "It tends to work better when it's loaded. Here." He took the pistol from Sho, and slid the clip into place. "Remember, always check if it's loaded, or you might shoot yourself in the foot. Now, try again. Nice and easy, alright?" Sho nodded, and checked the clip. Taking aim once again at the window, Sho narrowed his eyes, bit his bottom lip, and pulled the trigger.
"Ka-Blam!" "Crash!"
Three things happened in rapid succession. One, the gun went off with a resounding bang. Two, the window shattered into slivers. Third, Sho's ass hit the floor from the kick of the pistol. Toshi took one look, and almost fell over from laughing so hard. Kei fought for a moment, then lost it as well. Sho sat there for a moment, half deafened from the blast of the gun. He was also more than embarrassed now. He was humiliated.
Kei caught the look from Sho before the storm arrived. Getting control of himself, he fought off the giggles, and helped Sho back to his feet. "Okay, I forgot that part of the lesson. You're going to have to brace yourself, you're still a small fry. Next time, set your feet. Toshi, you give it a try." Toshi slid a clip home in his pistol, took aim at another window, and pulled the trigger. Another window was blasted to smithereens.
"What in the nine Hells is going on in here!?!" Shinji came limping around the corner from the sounds in the main room. "Are we getting shot at??" Shinji came to a halt when he saw the two pistols in their hands. His first thought was that someone was going to get hurt, but he refused to voice that. Instead, he glowered and muttered to them, "Where in the world did you get those?"
Sho beamed a smile, his humiliation forgotten, and pointed at Kei. "Kei got them for us, and he's going to teach us how to shoot them. With these, we'll be important people. We won't have to run away from the other gangs, we can do bigger jobs instead of picking pockets and running scams." Sho's eyes glimmered from his dreams. "We'll be men about town, we'll have our own turf, and be real important people! Just you wait and see, Shinji."
Shinji let his little brother wander down the pathways in his dreams. It would be nice, Shinji mused, to not have to scrounge for food and sleep somewhere that didn't have rats. Trying to talk Sho out of his dreams would be a lost cause, so Shinji decided to be a bit practical. It was, he thought, the least he could do.
"Alright, you want to shoot. Then we need to find somewhere safe to stay and practice. We shoot around here too much, and one of the local gangs is going to be pissed." Shinji, for a change, was the voice of reason. Kei had to agree. He didn't want his kids in trouble, just yet, with not knowing that there were doing with the pistols. So Kei turned to Shinji and nodded.
"You're right, Shinji. We need a secure place. Can any of you think of a building that would work? Perhaps an old police station or a juvenile detention center?" Kei had not bothered to learn his way around, as he had come to this city to die. There kids though would know their streets very well, as it was a matter of survival.
It was Toshi that remembered the old police station near the edge of the district. It was far enough away from most businesses that the gangs could care less about it, and as an added bonus, it would have a built in firing range. It took a long three hour walk to get to the building, Shinji leading the way with Kei bringing up the rear. Toshi would walk ahead, only to return to the back, bouncing around like a happy puppy. Sho was already practicing his important man strut, daring someone to get in his way and he would get to use his new pistol. Fortunately, they were left alone on their walk.
The old police station was perfect, for many reasons. The structure was in good shape, abandoned to move to a better location, not because the structure was falling apart. The locks still worked, there were still the thin mattresses in the cells, and the windows were mostly in place. The best thing, in Sho's eyes, was that the firing range was in the basement, and a test showed that you could not hear the sound of gunfire even if standing right next to the building. Kei liked the building because there were some interior offices that had no outside windows, so he could rest without too much fear of burning from the sun.
They took about a week to get everything they wanted and could find nearby. Toshi got the prison mattresses into one room, as they knew that sleeping apart could be dangerous if they were found. Toshi located a few local restaurants, and started his usual scams to get the trio dinners. Sho was still a pickpocket, getting the cash they needed for things they could not scrounge for. Shinji could no longer keep up with his faster brother, due to his leg, so he spent the days organizing their new home, even taking a day with some spray paint, painting whimsical pictures on the walls.
Sho and Toshi practiced in every bit of spare time with the pistols. Toshi was just average, he could hit the target, but that was about it. Sho, on the other hand, seemed to be born for this. From the shaky beginning, he progressed fast, going through learning to shoot with both hands, how to hit a moving target, how to keep from getting shot at in return, he picked it up like magic. Sho also learned the not so fun parts of guns, from loading a clip to cleaning the pistol. Kei was determined that Sho would know everything he could about pistols. Toshi and Sho were too small for shotguns, not to mention it was a harder weapon to use in a crowd. Kei didn't want his charges shooting each other by accident, so shotguns were out of the picture.
Kei would vanish some nights, not telling the kids where he was going. After a few weeks, even Sho got used to their benefactor vanishing for hours, to show up just before dawn. Even though Kei was a vampire, and Sho and Shinji knew he drank blood, he could not bring himself to hunt in front of them. Toshi kept getting him food, as he didn't know Kei's secret. Toshi just thought he was an odd duck. Kei planned to keep it that way. Sho, on the other hand, would wait impatiently for his return, and then he would tackle the adult when he finally got back from his hunt.
One night, Sho confronted Kei. Kei was afraid it was about his diet, so he avoided Sho for a few days. Finally, Sho got him cornered. Kei braced for a barrage. Come to find out, it was something much more. "I can use the pistol. Now, I want to make a name for us. We need a job."
Shinji would have nothing to do with the planning of their first armed robbery. He had practiced enough so he would not shoot himself in the foot, but that was about it. So while Toshi and Sho were holed up with Kei, Shinji was walking, or rather limping, to a drug store. The pain from his leg was gone, but he liked the feeling of peace the pain pills offered him. He did the walk on his own, not wanting the others to gripe at him over it. He could handle himself, Shinji thought. He only took a few, and one bottle would last almost a month. It was a cheap price to pay for some relaxation, Shinji figured.
Sho, Toshi and Kei were busy planning. Actually, it was Kei doing the planning, while the two kids just nodded. Soon enough, Kei thought, they would be able to do this on their own, and he would just be backup for their deals. But this was their first time to rob and have a firearm, and Kei was not about to let his charges get shot, especially by each other. That would suck. Kei would have to be their protection, but still give Sho enough room to think that he was accomplishing something in his own at the same time. This would be tricky, but it was workable.
Kei set their target, one of the ubiquitous grocers in the city. They would strike just before they closed for the evening, that way the till would be as full as it was going to be for the day. Toshi entered first, followed by Kei and then Sho. In spite of all his bragging and strutting, Sho was so nervous that he was afraid he would lose his grip on the pistol. But he would be a man, he thought to himself. He could do this. It would be easy. So, just before the owner closed the shop for the evening, Sho pulled his chromed pistol.
"Hand over the cash, old man! Hand it over, or get shot!" Toshi pulled his pistol as well, pointing at the cashier. "Come on, hand over the cash!"
The older man that ran the little shop was in shock. It looked like he was being held up by munchkins with toys. But he had been on the wrong end of a firearm before, and these were no toys. The owner could not believe it, but he really was being robbed by little kids. Holding up his hands, he carefully walked over to the register, moving the cashier out of his way. "Look, we don't want any trouble. I'll get the money for you, just give me a moment." One of his hands went for the cash. The other, out of sight under the counter, was reaching for his own firearm, a sawed off shotgun. He had been held up before, and he had no desire to see his day's profits vanish yet again.
Both sides realized what was about to happen at about the same time. Toshi hit the floor, and Sho fired a shot at the same time the owner pulled out his shotgun and opened up on the two kids. Sho's shot went wild, shattering one of the windows. The owner's shot also went wide, blasting a soda bottle stand to pieces, covering the floor with sticky goo. Kei turned around at the racket from watching the door. What could have gone so wrong so quickly? Toshi took a pop shot at the cashier, but the man had already hit the floor from a well developed survival instinct, screaming bloody murder as the glass stand behind the register exploded from Toshi's shot. The stench of alcohol filled the store.
Sho ducked behind a shelf of canned veggies, peeking around the corner for another shot. The owner had his shotgun well in hand, and was waiting for another shot in his direction. What he didn't expect was Kei pulling his own pistol from his waistband, and aiming at him. "This can go east, or hard. Which would you prefer?" Apparently, the owner wanted to do this the hard way, because he turned to shoot at Kei. But before he could pull the trigger, Sho got off a lucky shot. The man spun in place, as he took a bullet in the shoulder. The shock of the hit was enough that he dropped the shotgun.
Sho stood there, his jaw hitting the floor. He had talked himself into shooting another human being, over the nights on the firing range. This was something completely different. The blood was so bright under the lights, the scream of pain from the man was unbelievable. Toshi was also in slight shock. Sho had actually shot someone! Even Kei took a second to absorb the scene. He had wanted to teach Sho to be a fighter, a warrior. He had warned over and over, a firearm was not a toy. Kei thought that Sho could handle it. But it was Kei in the deepest shock though.
Sho just fired again, catching the owner in the back. The man fell to the floor, bleeding all over the dritty tiles. Toshi was still stunned, but Sho yelled to him. "Get the cash, we have to get out before the police get here! Go now, hurry!" While Toshi ran over to the register and started pocketing the cash, Sho calmly grabbed some items from the shelves. With Kei in the lead, the three took to the streets, getting around the corner before the police could even arrive at the gristly scene. Toshi was bouncing more than usual, his adrenaline pumping through his veins. Sho was quiet, as was Kei, though for different reasons. Kei was regretting not being able to feed, wasting all of that precious blood.
Sho got around a few more corners, then found an empty trash can to dump his dinner from earlier into. Toshi stopped at the sound of retching. Kei held Sho's shoulders until the heaving came to an end. Then he brushed Sho's hair out of the way, and looked him in the eyes. Those eyes were haunted. "Does it get easier? To shoot someone?"
"Unfortunately, yes. It does get easier," was the answer from Kei. Wiping Sho's face with the tail of his shirt, Kei continued. "It gets all too easy, my young friend. Now, let's get you all cleaned up." Kei grinned wryly. "Otherwise, your brother is going to have something else to hate me for, bringing you back in a mess. Can you walk now?"
"Yeah. Let's go home." Sho walked silently for a few more bucks. Then he perked up a bit. "Toshi... how much did we get?"
The three did get better, with a bit of practice. Sho was becoming a great shot, if a bit flamboyant in his moves. Toshi was steady for most of their encounters, though he had a tendency of forgetting to reload his pistol if the firefight lasted too long. Kei was mostly in charge of cleanup, taking the blood before it spread too far over the floor, though out of Toshi's sight. It was a sweet deal. And it was bound to eventually come apart. Their luck could not last forever. It all became more than a game or a snatch, one night.
It started as normal. They arrived just before the store closed, and took up their positions. Only a few shots were needed to get the point across. The cash was in hand, and they were about to leave. Toshi headed for the exit, gun still in hand, and Sho right no his heels, carrying the paper bag with the cash. That's when the door out flew open, and four teens with pistols headed in. Apparently, this store was not having any luck, and was the target of two groups on the same night.
Toshi and Sho came to a halt, as the four teens also came to a stand still as they faced each other. Toshi's jaw hit the floor, and there were a few moments of shock on both sides. Then time returned, and each group took action.
"What the jigoku (hell)?" cried Toshi, as he ducked down behind the shelves. "Sho, we've got trouble!" Sho turned the corner, to find himself facing the four armed teens that had murder in their eyes. Diving for another isle, Sho hoped his feet were not hanging out as he tried to make himself as small as possible behind the display. The incoming teens opened fire, shooting the place to pieces. Toshi lay prone on the floor, covering his head from the flying pieces of metal and glass that showered the floor. "Sho, we're in trouble! How do we get out??"
Sho had another plan. Always the reckless one, he rolled across the floor, came up beside one of the teens, and opened fire. Three gunshots later, the number of teens had dropped to three instead of the original four. "Kei!" he shouted. "Spot me, I'm going for the rest!" Sho had been watching Kei at their last few heists, and wanted to see if his private and personal training would work. No time like the present, Sho figured.
Kei, on the other hand, was about to call for a retreat, when he saw something that boggled even his mind. As he called out to Sho to go left or right, Sho seemed to move with a speed that was beyond mere human. It was not graceful, it had no artistry to it. But Kei recognized those moves. Those were his motions, his way of walking through a firefight.
"Left!"
Sho slid to the left, barely dodging the incoming fire.
"Left!"
Sho moved further over, and took out one of the teens with a well placed shot.
"Right!"
Sho rolled to the right, ducking under the incoming fire, shooting the third teen in the leg.
Working in unison, the final teen was taken out by both Sho and Toshi, who had finally come from under cover to take a look at what all the shouting was about. After the final teen dropped to the ground, silence filled the air alongside the blue stink of gunpowder. The silence remained until the three of them heard sirens. The original robbery, coupled with the extra shootout, had given the notoriously slow police a chance to catch up for a change. Sho looked around, grabbed the bag of cash from the floor where he had dropped it, grabbed a stunned Toshi, and headed for the exit yet again. This time, there was no further trouble to get out of the store, and they vanished into the night, leaving three wounded and one dead teen on the floor of the grocery.
After returning to their hideout and splitting the night's take, Toshi headed out to buy some stuff, adding to his hat and shoe collection. He also wanted a haircut. Shinji had been sitting up, waiting for the three to arrive home. Shinji took one look at Kei, and realized that tonight, something had changed. Something vital. Feeling more and more like a failure as a big brother, he faded into his pain pills. The dosage was growing, but he still hid it from the others. They simply assumed that the reason he slept so much was that Shinji was usually on day watch, to make sure that no one came after them while the other three were sleeping.
Kei walked Sho down to the firing range, the silence between the two thick enough that it was almost choking. Kei took a seat in one of the chairs, pulled out a pack of smokes, and lit one. After getting through a few puffs, he turned to the silent Sho. "Alright, could you please explain what happened back there?" Kei thought back. He had been with these kids for over two years now, but that did not explain what he had witnessed at the robbery tonight. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that Sho was a fledgling vampire, with those moves. Luka had never said anything about humans being able to pull those kind of tricks.
Sho stared at the floor, mumbling as low as he could get away with. "I've been watching you, when we pull a job. So... I started practicing. It took a long while, a lot of training, but sometimes, when you move like you do, I can almost follow. It's like riding a wave. You move, and I can too. It's hard, like trying to surf on that wave you make with no board, but if I concentrate really hard, I can sometimes follow along." Sho sighed, and continued. "I wanted to be better, I wanted to be able to keep up with you, so you don't feel like I'm just using you. I want to be able to do those things, like you."
Kei took a moment to think. It was true, when Luka was still around, the two of them could move in concert, one seeming to read the mind of the other. Luka had explained that all vampires could do this, if they worked at it. It was a connection that was between them, a trust in each other that was very rare amongst vampires, which were usually solitary creatures out of self preservation instincts. So it was technically possible. But Sho was not a vampire, how could he do that? How could Sho really do what he did, without vampirism fueling that power?
Was it all based on trust? Did Sho trust him that much? That was a sobering thought.
"I think I understand. Sho, you know what I am. And you know my limitations. I never thought that you... well, let's just say I was not expecting this to happen. This is not something I was prepared to deal with." Kei sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. "We're going to need to work on it though. It will certainly surprise anyone who comes against us." Kei offered a grin. "Next time though, give me a little more warning. You almost got your head blown off with that stunt. Deal?"
Sho grinned in return. "Deal."
Years passed. Toshi got a job flipping pizza at the local Happy Pizza, and moved into a nearby apartment. Soon, the pizza was a money maker in more ways than one. A few drugs, and suddenly the takes on Sho's heists got a lot easier to collect. Shinji fell head over heels with a woman whose father owned a prosperous koi business, and moved in with her into the loft above the business. Shinji was also a drug user, having graduated from pain pills to the opium pipe and the occasional line of cocaine. This left a bitter taste in Sho's mouth, and he started avoiding his big brother as much as he could. Sho and Kei got a nice little studio apartment together, simply because Kei would not live alone, and the idea of living with the other two would not work out. Toshi was still in the dark about Kei's vampirism in spite of all the proof in front of him, but that was Toshi, blind to the obvious. There was no way that Shinji would live with Kei. He still hated Kei for stealing away his little brother, ignoring that he had stepped aside for that position in his own way.
Deep down, Where he refused to admit it to himself, Kei stuck with Sho for one reason. He was never treated as a monster by the young man, never treated like an outcast. Kei's 'little brother' had grown up, and was more like his 'big brother' than either man would admit to. They were family, and family stuck together, even when they argued about what flavor of coffee to pick up from the store, or the constant complaints by Kei that Sho needed to get out more during the daylight hours. They put up with each other out of something deeper than friendship. They were family.
Sho was about fifteen, when his world came crashing down. He had finally noticed the most dangerous creature to walk on two legs. He had seen a female, a girl. Kei, when he found out, knew immediately that this could destroy his friend faster than any speeding bullet.
The first sign of danger was when Kei came home one morning from running to the corner store for more cigarettes and a few new lighters, to be attacked by the scent of half a dozen flower arrangements, all sitting in glass vases and dripping dew all over the kitchen. Kei took a look at the sudden floral theme in the kitchen, and checked the store label. They all came from the same flower boutique, that was about a half an hour walk away. There were roses in pink and white, some irises, and more sprigs of baby's breath than he cared to count. Something was up, Kei mused, but said nothing. He wanted Sho to be the one to say something.
Instead of asking questions, Kei just tossed Sho a pack of smokes as the younger man came out of the bathroom. "Here you go, I even got us some more lighters, since we keep losing them." Sho nodded, his mind elsewhere, as he sat down on the small couch and started packing the box. Sho liked boxed smokes, while Kei preferred soft pack. But it really didn't matter since by the time the sun came up, they both would be bumming off the other. It was tradition.
Kei went back to the kitchen, and had to move one of the arrangements to get to the coffee maker. He could drink 'human' drinks, and really liked coffee, though it did little when it came to the caffeine kick. Moving another set of flowers to get to the sink and fill up the coffee pot with water, Kei remained silent but for a bit of humming a catchy tune he had heard blasting from a car stereo. "So you want to be a rock and roll star..."
Sho looked up, then turned his gaze back at the night stand by the couch, poking at one of the roses in yet another arrangement. Kei was fighting back a grin, since he knew too much hilarity would bring on a drama storm from his younger friend. Filling the pot and starting the coffee, he continued his humming. "Just get yourself an electric guitar and learn how to play..."
"I hate flowers." Sho finally spoke, as if seeing all the flowers for the first time. He wrinkled his nose, then sneezed. "They give me a runny nose, and they're too bright." Sho looked around, then sneezed again.
"So... get rid of them. They're just flowers, after all." Kei poured himself a cup of the fresh coffee, adding his favorite creamer to it, filling the room with the scent of vanilla.
"I can't! I got them from... her... store." Sho looked to be near tears at the suggestion of ditching the vases of flowers. Then he sneezed again.
"Sho, if you sneeze all day, and keep me awake, I'm going to keep you up next time you try to sleep in revenge. Now... who is this 'her' you speak of?" Kei came out of the kitchen, and took a seat on the couch next to Sho, who was wiping his nose with a tissue.
"She's wonderful! She has long black hair, and these really beautiful brown eyes, and such pretty hands... she works down at the flower boutique, the afternoon shift." Sho motioned to all of the flowers. "I didn't want her to think I'm some sort of stalker, so every time I went in to see her..." Sho shrugged.
"You bought flowers every time you went in." Kei finished the thought. Oh Hell, Kei mused. Sho has a crush. This might be bad. "Does this 'she' have a name? Or is she just the flower girl?"
Sho sighed, and leaned back on the couch. "Her name is Mika. She's so pretty. I'm just some punk kid, I don't stand a chance. She has nice looking boys follow her around. Kei, look at me, I'm just some punk in fancy clothes. She's never going to want to see me!" Sho leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his knees, and commenced to bawling. "I'm ugly! She's never going to look at me!"
Kei rested a hand on Sho's back, and waited for the storm to pass. Then he took a new look at his young friend. Sho's thin frame was draped in the latest styles he could steal, his bright blue contacts making his gaze more than somewhat dangerous to young girls. He had a face that some would cheerfully kill for. And he considers himself ugly, Kei mused. When Kei was not looking, his little friend had grown up. Kei had seen some of the ladies on the street watching Sho, but had paid it no mind. 'I wonder how many broken hearts are out there,' he thought, 'that would kill for one look from my friend.' Taking courage in grip, Kei shook Sho from his crying fit.
"Alright, I'm only going to say this once, so you better listen. You are a fine looking man, and she's going to love to talk to you. You just need some guts, that's all. Now, I hear from you one more time that you are ugly, and I'm going to stuff you into the fridge, with the pizza from two weeks ago. Got it?"
"Yeah... I get it." Sho looked up to Kei, eyes still slightly watery from the crying fit. "What should I do to get her attention? To get her to go on a date with me?"
Kei stopped there. When did he last go on a date? How many decades ago was that? He had to think fast though, or Sho would start crying again. He hated to see him cry, it made him feel like a failure himself, for not protecting his family. Well, his family needed his advice. Too bad Kei didn't have any.
"Umm. Err. Hmm. Well, I'm sure she's not going to fall for you just because you buy flowers from her store. Not to mention, she's not going to be turned on if you are sneezing all over her. We just have to look at this from another angle." Kei sighed, then leaned forward on the couch to flick some ash into the ceramic ashtray on the table. "I'm sure we can think of something." Kei smiled. "Something better than drugged pizza. We just have to think."
Sho grinned. "Thanks." Then he frowned for a moment. "If you tell Toshi, I'm going to make sure you never get any more rest. You help me out, and I'll be a good roomie. Deal?"
"Deal."
Kei and Sho sat for days, kicking around ideas. Kei even scouted out the flower shop, to see if there were any decent dining places nearby. All that fit the bill was a steak house, called the Final Cut. It was far from being a happening place, but it was better than a noodle shack or pizza. Sho was determined to avoid pizza, so it was narrowed down to the steak diner. Sho went through his wardrobe, trying to find the perfect outfit to talk to Mika in. Everything from all white to all black, and every color in-between went on, off, then on the bed. Kei tried writing poetry for Sho, but that did not work out so well.
The night was set for the operation. Toshi was at work, and they didn't bother telling Shinji what was going on. Kei entered about five minutes before Sho, to be moral support if this didn't work out. Sho was more nervous than the proverbial singer on his first stage performance. In his hands was a small felted box. It contained a bracelet, an opening gift to help smooth the waters for his big entrance.
As Sho walked into the flower boutique, Kei took the opportunity to take a bit of cover behind a display of tulips. Pretending to show interest in the price stickers, Kei waited for what was to come next.
"Hi there, Sho! Nice to see you back here!" Mika offered the tongue-tied youth a smile, as she brushed her hair from her face. "Just give me a moment, I have to put today's delivery in the cooler." Sho nodded silently in return.
Kei watched in abject fear. Sho was fiddling with the zipper on his jacket, looking everywhere but at Mika. 'This is not going to work,' Kei thought to himself.
Mika returned from the cooler, drying her hands on her apron. "Sho, what can I help you with tonight?" She giggled. "You've been in here quite a bit lately. So many flowers. Is she a nice girl?"
"Huh?" Sho turned bright red, glanced up at Mika, then turned back to memorizing the patterns in the tiles again. "What do you mean?"
Mika grinned. "The girl you're getting all the flowers for, you ninny. Is she a nice girl, someone you can bring home to meet your parents?"
"Umm, there isn't a girl, another girl." Sho was practically whispering, and Kei noticed that his younger friend was also turning an unhealthy shade of green.
"Oh. A boy, then? A nice guy that likes flowers?"
"No! I... I mean, I'm not seeing anyone, at the moment." Sho took a grip on his courage, and kept talking. "I mean that... there is someone I'd like to see, but... I'm not sure she'd be interested in me."
"Unrequited love. That's so sweet." Mika took another look at Sho, and noticed the little box in a death grip in his hand. "What's the box for? For your hopeful beloved, perhaps? What's her name?"
"Umm... you."
"A girl named You?"
"No! Mika is... I mean..." Sho took a deep breath, and held out the box. "I would be... honored, if you would join me for dinner." Sho gave Mika the box, then shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets. "There's a steak house just around the corner, and I was thinking, after you get out of here for the night, we could get a bite to eat."
Mika stood still for a moment, then opened the little box. Inside was an elegant silver bracelet, with the kanji for each horoscope year dangling from it. She looked at it for a few moments, then turned to go back behind the counter.
"Sho..."
"Yeah?"
She turned, and returned to sorting orders. "I get off work at nine. Don't be late, I hate eating alone."
"I'll be on time, you can count on me, Mika! See you at nine!" With that, Sho took off out of the boutique, with Kei trying to look casual as he headed out as well. When Kei got outside, he saw his younger friend dancing on the sidewalk.
"She likes me, we're going to have dinner!" Kei smiled. Not quite the plan, but it had worked. Now he had to get Sho dressed for dinner, and back here on time. Kei had decided to not follow them to dinner. Sitting there, smelling the great food but not being able to sample any of it would be torture. Not to mention, this was to be Sho's night, not his. His little brother, growing up so fast on him.
Sho danced a few more steps, then Kei had to reach out and catch him, as Sho nearly fainted.
Kei sat on the couch, cigarette in one hand and a novel in the other. There was some western style classical music playing on their stolen boom box. Flipping to the next page, he resisted the desire to check the clock one more time. He looked at the book, and realized that he remembered absolutely nothing about the last three chapters. Kei glanced at the clock. It was ten fifteen at night.
One side of Kei was thrilled. Sho had not shown up in tears, crying that the night had been a disaster. Another side of Kei was pissed. How could he go out and have a fun time, without him? Then he would get depressed. What if Sho decided to leave him, and live with Mika? Then again, this was just a first date, and Mika seemed like a proper lady, nothing would happen beyond a small kiss, right?
Slamming the book shut and tossing it on the coffee table, Kei took a long drag off the coffin nail and stared at the ceiling. Quit being selfish, he griped at himself. Sho is growing up, he would eventually need to go his own way. That thought froze Kei in mid-breath.
Sho was growing up, and that meant that eventually, Sho would grow old. His 'little brother' would be an old man, and the time would come that he would have to move on once more. He would wander again, no one there for comfort or friendship. He would lose the one person that had never offered fear or revulsion for his condition. That was a scary thought.
Instead of sitting there and driving himself up the walls, Kei decided to go for a walk. Locking the door behind him, he headed down the stairs and hit the streets. Not really looking where he was going, Kei looked up when his name was called out.
"Hiya Kei. Where's Sho tonight? I figured you two were attached at the hip." Kei looked up, to find himself standing in front of Happy Pizza, and Toshi had spotted him. "Come, pull up a chair, I'm on break for a few minutes. What's next on the plate for us?"
Kei took a seat, flopping into the metal framed chair. Toshi took a long look at Kei's face, and realized that something was bothering his friend. "You look like someone ran over your cat, though I happen to know you don't have a cat. What's bothering you?"
"Sho is.. Sho is growing up on me," Kei answered.
"Well, we don't live forever. Life goes on, man. We get born, we grow up, we get old, we pass away. That's just the way it works." Toshi took a seat by Kei, then continued. "We have our fun, and we live in the moment, or we sit around and moan that we don't live forever. Well, I don't want to live forever, and watch the world pass me by. I live for today, that's all I can do, and stay sane. If you worry about tomorrow too much, today tends to lose it's shine."
Kei looked up at this. "You know, you're not as dense as you pretend to be. Thanks for the pick-me-up, I guess I need to chill out about life, and just try to not worry too much."
Toshi smiled. "Want something to eat? I get a free pizza when I'm on break."
"Umm, I'll pass. But thanks for the offer. I need to get some clean air, I'm going for a walk."
Toshi smiled, putting his cap back on and standing up. "No problem. Just keep Sho out of trouble, or Shinji will gripe at you some more. I'm going to get my food, it should be out of the oven by now. Take care."
Kei walked for another hour, then headed home. The apartment was still empty, and he thought for a moment that a fish would be nice to keep him company. After all, fish didn't care what kind of hours you lived or what you drank or ate to survive. Just feed them, he mused, and they love you in their fishy way. Settling into the couch, Kei found himself dozing when the door finally opened. Taking a glance at the clock, it was about three in the morning.
Sho walked in as silently as he could, trying to not disturb Kei. It didn't work. Kei sat up, took one look at Sho, and grinned.
"So, how did it go, lover boy?"
Sho stumbled to the couch, and flopped down, missing the cushion and thumping on the floor. He turned and grinned at Kei. "Oh, my legs are sore..."
Kei almost freaked. Had it gone that far on a first date? "Are you... alright?"
Sho straightened his legs under the coffee table, not bothering to actually get on the couch. "I didn't know... she likes to dance..."
"Dance??"
"Yeah. She goes to this club, and dances every night. Dinner went great, and she invited me to go dancing with her. Then I walked her home. I never knew you could get that much of a work out, just dancing." Sho tried to get off the floor, and failed miserably. Instead, he slid his upper body to the floor, ending up flat on the floor and looking at the ceiling.
"Got any suggestions on how I can make it to bed without falling over?"
Kei could not fight it anymore. It started with a snicker, then grew to a full laugh. "You... danced... all night?!?" Kei nearly laughed himself right off the couch, kicking one foot against the floor in hilarity.
Finally, under Sho's glare, Kei managed to get ahold of himself. "Come on, let's get you to bed. Give me your arm, we'll walk together." Kei finally got Sho into his room, and pulled off Sho's shoes. Tossing a sheet over the sore Sho, Kei headed to the kitchen, still snickering. He murmured to himself, "Just wait until tomorrow..."
They were sitting outside of Toshi's Happy Pizza, discussing their next job, and Kei was getting a bit upset. "Look, we can't hit everyone, or they'll eventually figure out that we're the ones robbing everyone blind. You know we've already got people looking for us, Sho. Maybe it's time to take a break, take a vacation and chill out."
"Nope. I want to be someone, a big someone. I need the money to do that, to be a man about town. That's been my dream since the day you showed up with the pistols in that abandoned bakery. I will be a someone, not a street punk that happens to have a large cash roll to buy stuff he can't steal." Sho leaned back, and took a drag on his cigarette. He needed a moment to put the words together.
"We've had a good run, no one's been hurt in a long time. But we're still small change hoods. No one knows my name, no one listens to me when I speak. I want my name to be known, to be a someone, an important person in this city. But I don't want to climb through up the ladder in someone else's group. I want my own place in the world."
"And that takes money we don't have, and more people we can't trust," answered Kei. "That takes more than drugged pizza and a happy trigger finger. We would have to build something like that over time. Yeah, the money's good as we are going, but what you want is going to take a lot more money, time and people. It's just too risky at this point."
Sho squared his shoulders. "Then we need more jobs, not less. We need the cash, to build what I want. And I want it all."
Before Kei could continue berating Sho, Toshi arrived at their table. "Hey guys, I found us a sweet deal. There's a gang that's running American goods through a warehouse near here. Do you think they'd care for some free pizza?"
Sho smiled. "Sounds like a good idea. Tomorrow night, we'll hit them hard, and no one will be the wiser."
Kei was a bit reluctant. "It's one thing to 'borrow' from other punks, but we're really going to hit a major gang?"
"What's the problem, Kei? With my special pizza, no one will know we were even there. Relax, we'll be fine." Toshi smiled. "What could possibly go wrong?"
~Finis~