Rating: R Category: Angst/Dark

Summary: When a strange chain of events lead to one of the worlds greatest gear fighters being abducted, Kouya Marino and the rest of the Tobita Club must find out who it is, before the incident occurs again. However is the criminal lurking amongst their midst?

Warning: Contains coarse dialogue, violence, abuse, sexual situations, and other material not suitable for younger audiences.

Authors Notes: This story takes place during the saga in CGT when everyone is at the World Cup Tournament and after Takeshi gave the computer disk/thing to Gina.

Chapter One: Stolen Heart

23.01.2004 Friday 23.24 Germany, Manganji Group

Takeshi Manganji lay flat on his bed, head in his hands, dressed comfortably in loose, black pants. He had made a mistake, a mistake that had in fact led to a downright uncomfortable and pressing situation. Takeshi did not like to make mistakes. He had been insulted, more bitter remarks from those who had once worshiped him, now he was filth, evil, a traitor... those kinds of insults he threw yet very few ever came back at him.

What had he done? Takeshi wasn't going to bow down to Kouya Marino just to let that fool Kuroudo Murume get his Crush Gear back. Those sorts of actions took place by commoners, those with heart. Takeshi was neither of these. Well in his opinion anyway. Why did girls have to swoon over him? Especially that little one. Kaioru. Little was the understatement of the year. If being insulted by the Tobita Club wasn't pick enough for everyone, getting abused verbally by a girl was. And how she had gone running to Kuroudo.

"Yuhya," Takeshi mumbled turning onto his back, a few strands of jet black hair falling onto his face. If Yuhya wasn't... dead... would he still hate them? Not hate really, just sometimes, like when they got on his nerves. They were so happy it could be called sickening. Why? They didn't have power over anyone, and they certainly didn't have more than five cents worth of money. Takeshi couldn't bear it if he was worse off than anyone. 'Spoiled brat'. Another misjudged calculation of him. At sixteen years of age what more could he want? Already he had people literally begging before him. Influence. A powerful concept yet more dangerous in the hands of people in power, like him. Takeshi could go anywhere he liked, say anything he pleased, do anything he wanted, throw a little money and power around and no one would be the wiser.

It was all so empty. Who really cared anyway? Investors wanted his money, companies wanted his club, his subordinates wanted his power. Takeshi was balancing on a fine thread called time. That thread had almost broken today... the sickening feeling of someone thrusting their fist straight into your stomach with as much power as they could muster, followed by the blinding dizziness of a punch to the head, the trickling feeling of blood down the side of your mouth... He was fighting a losing battle. That one in a million mistake he had made sent him hurtling down a tunnel that threatened to take everything away from him. What would he do then? Takeshi had nowhere to go, no one to turn to, nothing to cause him to leap straight back to life. It was named the cold loneliness of power.

Absolute in his feeling, Takeshi curled up and for a first time in a very long absence, cried. The bittersweet tears rolled miserably down his face. As hard as it was to face, he was broken.

23.01.2004 Friday 23.52 Germany, Tobita Club Residence

The resounding bang in the smaller building made everyone sit up with alarm. Kuroudo dropped the book he was reading halfheartedly and looked at Kouya disapprovingly. Kouya Marino shook the water droplets out of his hair, grinning wildly at everyone. "Sorry..." "Better damn well be Kouya!!" Kaioru rounded on him in a second, grabbing his right arm "You made me spill my drink!" Kouya laughed and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. Kuroudo raised his eyebrows slightly. "Did you find Takeshi?" "Guys why are you bothering to even look for him anyway?" Kyousuke asked, coming to stand by Kuroudo supportively, "We know Takeshi, being him he's probably beating the shit out of some poor, defenseless kid and demanding money for it! Rich, very spoilt, arrogant, traitor, brat... who cares?" "Kyousuke." Kurudo said quietly. Kouya turned, his eyes quite concerned. "You have a point Kyousuke, I don't really mind, but Jirou..." Kouya paused, looking around, "Jirou really took quite a lashing to him this morning, you saw that Jinn." "I know, I know..." Kyousuke mumbled, "But Takeshi wont want us barging in on him, he'll humiliate us like last time Kouya!" "Sounds like he deserved it." The door closed once again, however this time quieter and the grouped members of the Tobita club turned in unison. "Eddie!" Kurudo exclaimed, "I thought you'd gone?" "So did I" Eddie replied amiably, "then I heard the news that someone had given Takeshi Manganji quite a beating so I took it upon myself to find out who. Imagine the surprise when I found it was the Tobita Club!" "How did you find out?!" Kouya demanded, taking a few steps towards Eddie. "Calm down Kouya! It seems Harry knows but I wouldn't concern yourself with him, he wont say anything. Though I must say, it doesn't sound much like Takeshi to do something that drastic. Kouya you do know that Takeshi was the one that stopped Ming Wu from sending the disk to the GFA?" "That was Takeshi!!" Kouya dropped back in surprise.

24.01.2004 Saturday 00.14 Germany, Manganji Group

It was dark. Takeshi was used to the dark, the sun had set a while ago and he couldn't be bothered moving to turn on the light. Not that it mattered, he would probably stay up until sunrise just pondering the day thinking the common line of what if... what if he had just ignored her and turned a blind eye, only once, it wouldn't have done too much harm. What if he hadn't hurt her, no, that wouldn't do at all.

This was getting to him, it was going to eat at his soul making him relive it over and over again. His moment of weakness. "I am not weak." Takeshi whispered softly, leaning against the wall right knee propped up, left arm draped lightly across it. Could he even bring the strength to himself to face them tomorrow? They would be laughing now, celebrating. If this mornings incident somehow leaked out, Takeshi would certainly be finished and it would be their fault. He wouldn't be allowed to run the Manganji company, someone would take over, his power, money, freedom... He would end up a pawn, controlled by a superior and Takeshi would feel so very weak and confined. Everything he had built, destroyed by the people he detested the most. Yes, detested, the very sight of them. Yet for Yuhya's sake, he put up with them.

Except... There was something that would finish the Tobita Club for good. The disk he had given Gina, mainly for the purpose of drawing information out about Sean, she must still have it. If that was drawn into the light, then all of them would be finished.

All Takeshi had to do was get it back, that would be no problem.

24.01.2004 Saturday 00.46 Germany, GFA Headquarters

Gina smiled, brushing her short blond hair out of her eyes and closed the screen of her laptop. The memory chip given to her by Takeshi sat beside her on the desk. Gina paused, Takeshi Manganji. He had sparked something in her, captured her interest, it was affection really. This wasn't the first time she'd thought about him, but before he had never actually spoken to her, just glanced past her with the same disinterest he usually gave people.

Strange, Gina thought, that sort of attitude would dissuade people causing them to pass Takeshi off as arrogant. But not her. That same attitude he had tried to throw around with her in San Francisco had led Gina to a... not obsessed feeling but more of a fixation on him.

Startled, Gina looked at the clock reading quarter to one in the morning. It was that late? With a small smile she clicked off the main light and locked the door to the office. In the dark the keys she was holding slid and she fumbled, dropping them to the floor. Reaching down to find them a rustle by the window distracted her. Gina frowned as she heard the window slide almost silently open. Who would be breaking into the GFA Headquarters at one in the morning? Her suspicions were answered when she saw a familiar form she had been just thinking about jump from the windowsill, Gina's confusion increased, why would Takeshi be here now? More in particular, he had waited until he thought the room was empty. The disk... she thought, he had come back to take it. So Takeshi had lied after all, he told her in person he didn't want it, but why did he want it now? He could have kept it in the first place...

Still standing quietly by the door, Gina watched Takeshi. In the dark he hadn't seen the disk beside the laptop and was searching through the draws. In one quick movement Gina flicked on the main light.

Takeshi shot up in surprise, right arm flying up as well, his eyes locking on Gina standing in the doorway. "What are you doing Takeshi?" Gina asked, knowing the answer before she asked. Takeshi glanced for the briefest second towards the window before relaxing slightly. "Gina, you should know what I'm doing, there are very little matters of interest that lay here for me." "Breaking and entering is a criminal offence, you should really be more careful Takeshi. There are only two reasons why you would be in my office, the disk, or you're looking for information on my brother, Sean, seeing how you couldn't find anything in San Francisco." Gina left the doorway and walked over to stand beside Takeshi. "The disk is there, and there's nothing here about Sean." "Really." Takeshi looked at her sideways and Gina abruptly noticed something. Takeshi had a large bruise forming on the right side of his face, just above his eye, it was discolored and a small cut was visible on the bone. A small smile forming on her lips Gina looked down at him. "Why don't you stay here tonight... Takeshi?" He narrowed his eyes at her slightly, trying to figure out why she wanted him to. It wasn't customary after all. Deciding against any of her motives being untoward Takeshi nodded slightly and turned around to lean against the desk. Gina shrugged her shoulders and walked over to the small cabinet. "Care for a drink?" He made a small noise of indifference and went back to gazing around the room, she sighed and poured both of them a drink.



Authors notes: HAH! Angsting Takeshi! Ah.. soon things will get interesting *evil laugh* Anyone want to guess what's gonna happen to Takeshi???