Homosexual themes. Mild violence. Mostly rated T for language, though. Mr. Bad Guy uses a word I highly disapprove of.

--------------

"Taaaakaaa!" came a voice from across the bar.

"Hai?" said a thin man from behind the bar. He was tall with dark hair that covered one elegantly tilted eye. He had a small silver hoop through his right earlobe and one through his bottom lip. His shirt was pale pink and hung off his bony shoulders effeminately. His pants were right on his slender hips and made of black leather.

He smiled handsomely at the man who had called him, walking towards him from the entrance. Ashitaka's eyes swept over Ryo's attire, which included a long, blonde wig, a corset, a short, flitty little skirt, and platform boots.

"Full out drag tonight, huh, Ry-chan?" he said, grinning at his boyfriend.

"I was feeling a bit glammier than usual, Taka-ai," he said in his 'girl voice'. He reached Ashitaka and kissed him, taking the bottle from his hand as he did so. "You shift's over. I'll be home in a few hours. Get some sleep."

"Haiiiii...." Taka sing-songed and waved over his shoulder, "see you at home, Ai." He walked out of the FireBird karaoke bar, leaving the neon lights behind.

On the way back to his and Ryo's shared apartment, Taka passed through a 'bad' neighbourhood. One of those neighbourhoods little old ladies shouldn't walk through alone.

Flamboyant homosexuals, either.

Usually Ashitaka made it home without trouble, but today a man stepped out of an alley in front of him. Taka looked at the man warily, then walked calmly around him.

"Where you goin', faggot?" he called.

Ashitaka picked up his pace. He knew who the man behind him was. He was Yujiro Kazahaya.

Yujiro had been on the news lately. He had already stabbed three men to death across Tokyo. All three had been on their way home from work. All three had worked at a gay bar. Feat fluttered in Taka's chest and his fight or flight instinct kicked in.

He dashed off, but a hand grabbed his arm and yanked him back. He was knocked to the ground. Flight was out of the question now, so all that was left was to fight.

Taka thrust his leg out at Yujiro's knee. Yujiro danced easily around the attack and kicked Ashitaka's ribs violently.

Taka curled to protect himself and cried out in pain. "A little feisty there, eh, fag?" he said, kicking him again, "I'll teach you!"

Taka squeezed his eyes closed as he was battered with his repeatedly, feeling ribs crack. He was just waiting for the knife when he realized he wasn't being attacked anymore.

He opened his eyes and saw Yujiro on the ground beside him, writhing and clutching at his chest. His pocket knife skittered away.

Taka scrambled backwards, away from his would-be murderer.

Kira.

It must have been Kira! There was no other way this could have happened. He just dropped dead of a heart attack! Kira had saved his life, Ashitaka realized. That thought calmed his racing heart slightly.

He sat there for a moment, caraloguing his injuries. Then he stood to go home.

"Arigato, Kira-san," he whispered to himself.

Ashitaka—Recruited