Wolves Reign (Revised Chapter)
CHAPTER TWO: Misery Business
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University of Kyoto
February 16th
9:37 a.m.
Sakura sat in her first class since starting at the University. The timing, she noted in her notebook, was an hour too soon. Yawns escaped at least a handful of students. She struggled to resist the temptation to do so, knowing she would lose interest in listening if she complied with her own exhaustion. Instead she stared at the projector screen as the professor droned on about the capabilities one must need in order to succeed in life. The sixty something college professor couldn't raise her voice any higher than one note, her silver-blue eyes sharp like a hawks as she kept them on the students of her classroom. Although it was the first meeting of the semester, she had a feeling the class was going to be forever silent while she talked on and on. That piercing stare sent chills down everyone's spine. Copying down the notes and adding a few of her own, Sakura's hand began to cramp up slowly. She didn't know how much more she could take down, already they were five pages deep on notes and they still had two more hours left of the course. Letting her pen fall into the crease of her notebook she leaned back, deciding on the latter and listen to the lecture for a little bit.
At least the chairs are comfortable, she thought. Her body went to the side as she adjusted her back against the small confined space. The desk was the size of a notebook and built into the blue chair. Most students carried laptops, which were too large for the narrow desktops. The students using free hand were leaning to the side, awkwardly positioned next to their companions as they wrote down notes at a quick pace. Pens scratched against paper. The professor announced particular words too hard for others to pronounce or even care about. Someone snorted in exhaustion. It wasn't until the professor moved the slide aside and a photographed brain appeared—a very peppered and grotesque photo of a brain—did she finally get a different reaction out of the class.
Sakura couldn't help her awe slip. She was intrigued and grossed out at the picture. Psychology was the study of the mind; mental functions and behavior. She was one of the few who could handle the grotesque images, allowing her to mentally be prepared for the truth of the world instead of lacking it. The strange colored human membrane on the projector, according to the description, was that of someone's mind that had been on drugs for over fifteen years. The discoloration had come from bad picture quality and Sakura was nonetheless intrigued by it. Glancing around the room, only few others had the same thought as her own based off of their of emotions and bright eyes, while others tried to ignore the image and take down the notes spoken by the teacher.
Scribbling down notes again, she found her mind begin to wander yet again. It was tough to write, listen, and understand it all. Not one person in the class had raised their hand to ask questions. Whether it was because they got what she was saying or because they were too scared to interrupt the ancient professor. In her mind, it was too soon to take down so much information, especially on the first day. A soft hum filled the air and she froze. Her pen was poised over her paper as she realized it was her purse vibrating. Her eyes went to the professor, heart beating against her chest as at least three students twitched from the sound. The professor was busy looking over her own notes, speaking nonstop about the pressure of mundane cells. Sakura slowly lowered her head, hitting her purse with her foot to get it to stop. The action only made it louder and she grimaced. Two more students looked her way. If they continued to give her a look the professor was sure to notice.
She felt like she was back in high school again, hiding from the teacher in order to text on her cellphone. The only difference was she was twenty-one and not fifteen. She was an adult. A college student. Did the same implications for being caught result in the same manner? Sakura didn't want to find out. The slide changed on the board and she began to lower her head listening intently to the words being spoken and writing it down verbatim. Her free hand went to her phone, searching nonchalantly in her purse for the noise. Her cell phone went off a second time making her hand jerk. Someone snickered and she flushed crimson, her fingers finally meeting with the vibrating device. PRIVATE was written across the screen, the green light at the top of her pink phone blinking brightly. Just as she pressed decline, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Silent dread ran down her spine thinking she'd been caught.
Bringing her head up, she glanced at her neighbor who pointed lowly towards the front of the class. Panic set in as Sakura glanced down the rows. The professor was still stuck on her notes, flipping the slides from one to the other. Not getting it, she glanced at the girl again. She was taking notes at an angle. In purple pen, a note was at the bottom half of her paper: some guy is trying to get your attention. Sakura blinked before turning her head slowly. A few students were mesmerized by the window at the far left, one or two of them even giggling. Sure enough, a figure in a black hoodie danced at the one window free of blinds. Sakura couldn't help but stare in awe as Jonathan moved from one window to the other, a lop-sided grin plastered to his white face. He made a face each time he reappeared, making some of the students openly laugh. Not sure how to react, she turned her head back to the screen and realized why he was doing it. The professor had her eyes on that half of the class, her lips still moving, but really nonsense was coming out.
After a moment the projector went off to a single clap of an applause. "By law I'm forced to give you lot a break. Fifteen minutes," the Professor spoke, breaking her streak of talking.
Momentarily blinded by the lights flashing on throughout the room, Sakura all but lurched to her feet in a protest of stiff bones. Voices sprouted in an echoed wave, taking the room by storm. Students left their chairs in a squeak of old hinges, making for the exit as if the room was on fire. Sakura felt the same way as she went down the spread out stairs to the door. Once outside she paused, not seeing Jonathan anywhere. Brows knitted together, she turned around searching the bright hall.
"Excuse me," Jonathan coughed out in a harsh breath. Sakura screamed and threw her hand against her chest as she whirled around, eyes large. Laughing, Jonathan shook his head as he leaned against the wall.
"You secretly want me dead don't you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes considerably.
"Well no, but I can get that rearranged." Blue eyes twinkled as he grinned, arms crossed over his jacket. "So I see you got the old wolf first thing in the morning. How's that going for you?"
"It's going—how did you know I was in this class?" crossing her own arms across her chest, she eyed him suspiciously.
"I didn't, I just happened to walk by on my way to the courtyard when I saw this strange glow coming out of the psychology class. Of course I needed to investigate it, maybe take out some threat against the other students." Jonathan answered with a straight face his eyes never once leaving hers. Taking a moment to process that, Sakura didn't see him move at all and stifled another surprise scream when his face was suddenly in hers. "Don't think too hard about it."
"I'm sorry…" she flushed, realizing she had been thinking too hard about his statement.
"You're funny," Straightening, Jonathan glanced behind him at her classroom as some of the students began to return to their seats. "I ran into your friend Chiharu, she told me you were here. If it helps I can teach you an easy way to pass this old bats class. I took it last year. It only gets harder as the semester rolls on."
"Yeah, that would be great." Sakura smiled brightly, relief washing over her.
"Well then I will take my leave," taking her hand, he kissed her knuckles and bowed his head. The girl that was sitting next to her stopped at the door, watching with a large grin on her dark face. Jonathan looked up and bowed to her in thanks. "Try not to die just yet. I think I want that as my task." Sakura stared at him, feeling a piece of crumbled paper stay in her hands as he pulled away. "Chow," he laughed as he began walking away with a wave of his hands.
Sakura couldn't help but stare at his retreating back. Straight forward and gutsy, that one…looking down, she glanced at the paper, digits in sloppy handwriting scrawled across it. "And apparently he plans ahead…" she laughed going back inside her classroom with her chair neighbor.
12:13 p.m.
He hurt, but that was to be expected considering he had been shot in the arm a week ago. The bullet hadn't embedded itself but grazed him good, leaving a nasty scar and a bruised ego. His arm was a giant sore mass and it was beginning to drag him down as he began his homework. Finch "Famine or Disease" blared in his ear, getting his blood pumping as he ignored the entire world. Sitting alone against the cement steps to the Great Hall of the University, he waited for his comrades and hopefully a distraction to not attend his next class. It wasn't his idea to be in college, he needed to keep his schedule occupied and keep his mother happy. Yelan Li's dream and goal for her son was to take over the family business by time he turns twenty-five and so far, with the clock ticking by and the years getting closer and closer to that goal, he wasn't nearly close enough to achieving it.
With his arm hurting and his penman ship beginning to irritate the wound, he couldn't help but pause every other minute. His Calculus pages began to flap in the wind, getting him to wince as he jerked it to sit still. It was becoming a losing battle. Letting his anger get the best of him, he slammed his book shut and let it fall to his feet with a snap louder than his music. All day he'd been like this, having a short temper for the smallest of things, and it was irritating him. Pulling his sweater off as the sun beat down on the black material, he winced and swore under his breath as it pulled stitches. The agony of his injury was just the beginning. The first day of the semester was dragging on with a terrible snail pace and the unorganized classes and lost students were driving him mad. Even when he was a freshman, so many years ago, it hadn't been that bad. Now, though…he couldn't fathom why so many students and staff were lost.
Unconsciously he began to rub his wounded shoulder, making sure to avoid its initial spot. Chevelle, took over his music almost instantly and he became lost in thought while staring out at the large courtyard and its many students. It always surprised him how no one knew what was right in front of their faces. Every human-being could easily ignore the truth of the world so they could live on without a care; live on in the lies spread by politics and governments because they were too scared to know. He never could understand why people would rather be naïve. It made him sick just to think about it. The only reason why he was, was because the pain in his arm was proof to humanities stupidity. As he continued to rub the space just below his shoulder, he caught sight of a familiar face across the courtyard. Surprised, more about that she was familiar and not that he noticed her, he squinted to make sure it was truly her; the girl from the restaurant nearly a week ago.
Her light brown hair shined in the sunlight, moving with the bobble of her head as she laughed at something her walking companion had said. Even the three surrounding her began to look familiar and slowly he realized it was all the girls from that night. The phrase "it's a small world" came to mind and he found a chuckle erupting from his throat. He couldn't believe it. Of all the places to see her again, it was the University. Syaoran was transfixed by her, his eyes watching her every movement as she held her notebooks and book bag tight against her stomach. One hand was shielding the sun from her eyes as she listened to someone speak. None of them looked lost like most freshman that he'd run into. As he watched them, he didn't catch the appearance of someone else watching him. The moment the girl across the yard waved farewell to her friends, body turning with the wind towards the parking lot, he was on his feet recklessly. His shoulder protested as his earphones, stuck to his notebook, yanked from his ears and fluttered to the ground.
"What are you doing?" he whirled, fists clenched in defense mode. "Chill Li, I'm unarmed." Hands went up in defense, blond locks waving in the wind as he shook his head with a laugh.
"How long have you been standing there, Tsukino?" Syaoran snapped, fixing his earphones so the string draped over his shoulder.
"Long enough, you planning on stalking her or something?" he laughed louder and moved to the side just as Syaoran swung. "Chill out man. Here, I got those documents you wanted." He let a notebook fall onto the step beside Syaoran, the clap bringing his gaze down curiously.
"Any trouble…?" Syaoran asked, sitting back against the wall. The dull throb in his arm subsided as his mind found something else to think about.
"Nah, but I did find out that the Haruto brothers are living in the dorms now. Mireille too. Meilin's looking to find out which rooms in case there's trouble." There was a pause as he watching Syaoran skim through the notebook. "You think their trying to pull something by living at the University?"
"Probably," Syaoran looked up and gave his friend a strange look. "Is Chris Tangle still in the system?" blue eyes dilated as he stared at Syaoran, head slowly shaking.
"Took care of that, however, we have a tiny problem with Chris's roommate."
"What kind of problem, Haku?" Syaoran snapped, getting to his feet.
"He knows Chris hasn't been around lately. When Kyle and I went to pack up his stuff and leave that fake note…" he shook his head, grim faced. "He thinks the guy is missing, we didn't have the heart to tell him he's dead."
"So…what does that mean?"
"There are posters on the bulletin board and the Universities website regarding the whereabouts of Chris Tangle." Haku winced, feeling the anger emitting off Syaoran even before he saw it through his dark brown eyes. "Look we're taking care of it, we have a tech on the website hacking through that shit and the girls' are finding all the posters…"
"Do you guys realize that if they think Chris is missing, the police will get involved!?" rubbing the bridge of his nose, Syaoran growled inward. "Take care of it, have Mei convince the roommate that he's not missing. I don't care how. I'll figure something else out about the website." Calculus book in hand, he gave Haku a strange look as he found an expressionless gaze. "Keep an eye on the twins, if Kyle's right then they've been using the abandoned science lab."
"Got it," Haku mock saluted, watching as Li disappeared inside the University. Head shaking, he brought his head up to stare at the blue sky for a brief moment of solitude before heading to his next class as well.
University of Kyoto
Girl's Dormitory Wing B
3:52 p.m.
Her body moved to the music playing faintly in her small portable player. Her hands were occupied, despite the twitch of her fingers, as she began taking everything out of their boxes. She hadn't had the chance to unpack and now, with all of her classes finished, she wanted to get it done. The dormitory room was spacious, fitting two twin beds and two desks. Earlier she bought a plastic drawer on wheels, which fit nicely between her bed and desk. Folding and fixing her clothes in the drawers now, she slowly began singing along to Paramore, hoping no one could hear her as she hit a note too awkward for her vocal cords. Once she was done with her clothes, she sat on the bed and stared at the empty space across from her. According to paperwork she'd filled out for a room, she was supposed to be rooming with someone. Though the girl hadn't been in once, at least not that Sakura knew, random articles of clothing and a blanket told her she did have a roommate—she just hadn't met her yet.
Wondering if it was going to be like that all semester, she bounced to her feet and began tackling her photos. She had almost a dozen photos of her and her friends. All of them taken by Tomoyo and her fascination with digital prints. Glad she had let her dad convince her to buy a corkboard, Sakura moved her desk backwards, climbing on it so she could sit comfortably. If she was going to make her half of the room her own, she was going to make it as lively as possible. Sitting cross-legged on the table, she began smiling as she went through her photos. Some of them were extremely old, back when she had been in elementary school. Not wanting to embarrass herself, she flipped through the stack until she found recent photos. One by one picture's began to find their way onto her cork board, her singing getting worse as she tried her hand at a new song by the same artist.
"Knock, knock," a voice sounded louder than her music player. Sakura paused, craning her neck around as she stared at the slightly opened door. Poking his head in was someone she didn't know, surprised, she spun on the desk and stared. "Uh, I was looking for Meilin…your roommate." A red-haired male stated, opening the door wider.
"So she does exist," Sakura stated with a laugh, giving him a strange look. "I haven't met her and I was starting to wonder if I would have a roommate." She waved at the empty side of the room. He nodded, red hair slipping from the tie at the nape of his neck. "I'm Sakura,"
"Kyle," he answered, looking around the room. "This your first year?" he asked to keep up the conversation instead of letting it go to that awkward stage of silence.
"Yeah, is it that obvious?"
"Not at all," Kyle glanced again at Meilin's empty side of the room with a grimace. "You would think it's Mei's first year, the way she's neglected to make her side more…Meilin. So you haven't seen her…long black hair, unique shade of eyes, a bit of a bitch?" Sakura laughed, shaking her head. "Damn,"
"If you want I can let her know you stopped by…" she trailed off, seeing him give her the strangest look. His blue eyes were slowly dilating as if he could assess any situation, read everything written on her face. "What…is there something on my face?" Sakura brought her hand to her face, feeling her smooth face.
"No, you just…look familiar somehow. Like a déjà vu moment," Kyle answered. Sakura flushed under his stare before turning her head to the door as her own familiar face appeared, glad for the interruption.
"Hi," she answered with a chirpier sound than she wanted.
"Am I interrupting something?' Jonathan asked. His gaze sharpened on Kyle whose body stiffened in turn. The two stared at each other for a long moment, giving Sakura the chills as she hopped down from the desk finally. She never noticed before but the two had a menacing kind of look to their facial expressions, like there was something deep within their auras.
"Not at all," she gave Kyle a look, not sure what to make of his sudden tense form. Though she just met the guy moments before, she felt like she needed to get the awkward and tense situation under control. "You're not here to try and kill me are you?" she joked, emerald eyes twinkling with mischief as she looked at Jonathan.
Jonathan laughed, shaking his head as he turned his gaze away from Kyle. "The opposite, my brother ditched me with his girlfriend, so I was wondering if you wanted to get some dinner." Sakura paused as she crossed her arms, taken by surprise. For a split second Kyle thought she was going to deny him, from the way her face went into a deep concentrated look. He hoped she would say no, all things considered.
"Sure," she smiled sweetly, grabbing her purse from atop her bed. Giving Kyle that smile, she bowed her head slightly. "It was nice meeting you."
"Yeah," Kyle watched her leave, giving Jonathan a stare down as the two left the room. Glancing around, he went to her photos, flipping through them in curiosity. Making sure that the two were gone, he pulled out his cell phone, speed dialing the first number. As it rang, he flipped through the photos wondering about the girl and Jonathan's relationship. He'd never seen her before, not with Jonathan, and not around the school grounds. As the line picked up after a few short rings, he grunted as he found a particular photo. "Hey Li, I just met Mei's roommate."
"Okay…so?" Syaoran's voice filled his ear, echoing slightly.
"She just left with one of the Haruto brothers," he paused, listening to the swearing on the other end. "I don't recognize her, but she's got some photos here…bunch of girls and there's a guy in some of them. None of them look like they're part of the Silver Cobras." Still flipping he stopped, blinking at a family photo.
"Are you sure…?"
"There's a family photo and you'll never guess who's in it." Kyle laughed. Syaoran grunted out his disapproval of guessing. "Has Touya Kinomoto ever mentioned he had a sister to us?"
"No, he specifically told us his family is not involved with our organization. That's why he and Nakuru have taken control of Tomoeda."
"Touya's in this photo with Mei's roommate and an older man I'm assuming is the father. Happy little family photo," Kyle told him, ignoring the snide remark. "Haruto mentioned his brother ditched him,"
"Ditched him?" Syaoran paused, the silence on the phone making Kyle wonder if he hung up. "If you don't have classes head to Wolf's, we'll see if Nathan can track them down. The brothers never do anything without one another…did you catch the girl's name by chance?"
"Yeah, she said it was Sakura." Kyle hung up after a short minute, placing the photos back on the desk and leaving the dorm room. Shaking his head, he dialed Meilin getting her voicemail after one too many rings. Wondering if she was still in class, he gave her a short text. So many problems and the semester just started.
Wolf Mansion, Kyoto
4:30 p.m.
Syaoran hung up and gripped his cell phone tightly. After getting the call from Kyle he went in full Wolf mode, calling everyone and texting them all that didn't answer. There had been a reason for Touya Kinomoto, one of oldest standing wolves in his ground, to keep his family hidden and return to Tomoeda. Across the room, his other friend Nathan was busy trying to track down the Silver Cobra's, the opposing gang, with no luck. Syaoran began to pace, trying desperately not to break something. His anger had risen since Haku told him about their other problem with Chris Tangle's roommate and now this. Sakura Kinomoto was Touya's sister and now she was affiliated with a Haruto brother, he thought absently. As he continued to think, the reasoning behind Touya's leave for his hometown was becoming clearer. Had he mentioned a sister before? Syaoran didn't remember. It made sense to keep her a secret if he wanted to protect her from the truth of the world. If he had that choice, Meilin wouldn't be involved in this life either.
Hearing his phone ring, he pulled it out in a swift movement and stared at the text: Found them, Nick and Mireille have been spotted by the docks.
Sending out the instructions to everyone's phone, Syaoran began to grind his teeth as he left the room to change into clothes that suited the mission. The docks were at least an hour or so away from Kyoto by Biwa Lake. Whatever they were planning, they've been at the Lake for the past few months and this time, they were going to figure it out. There comrade and friend Chris Tangle had died because he investigated the docks for the Black Wolves. Their revenge was running thin and they needed to get it taken care of—now—if not for the group then for his wrongful death. One by one his phone buzzed as some agreed to be there and others made excuses not to. Ignoring it all, he made his way to the garage. No one was going to be able to stop him this time. He was going to get his revenge for Chris.
His anger was coming off of him in waves as he grabbed the first set of motorcycle keys. The Black Wolves owned an arrangement of cars and most of them were owned by him. All of the vehicles were registered under a false identity created by his uncle, Wolf Chang Li. Pulling out his cell phone, Syaoran began texting his cousin, placing a helmet over his head in the same movement. His adrenaline spiked hearing footsteps as some of the others came into the garage. Syaoran could feel it in the air as he made eye contact with his comrades through the dark. They were all anticipating the fight and the need for it to be ended now—for Chris.
Pizza Toki's, Kyoto
5:56 p.m.
"Are you still spooked about the ride?" Jonathan asked, taking a bite of his pizza. Sakura shook her head, face flushing in embarrassment despite the truth. They had ridden a motorcycle from the University to dinner. Sakura could still remember the rush of heat she felt when he purposely chosen to take the long way to the pizza joint.
"No," she gave him a smile, playing with the toppings of her own slice. "Next time though, I'm driving." He laughed as her face got even redder. "I just…never had been on a motorcycle before."
"Really…?" she nodded, getting his eyes to grow in size. Taking another bite of his pizza, he glanced at her half-eaten food. "So there will be a next time?" the odd question hung in the air and her face, although already red, flushed even more.
"Sure, why not? You told me you'd help me with that psychology course…" she trailed off, smiling sheepishly. "Only if you promise to stop trying to kill me, at least for a little bit, twice in one day, my heart can't take it."
"Deal," he stuck his hand out across the table, waiting for hers. She eyed it, giving the pause emphasis as she pretended to not want to touch his hand. The moment he was going to pull it away, she snatched it, her slender fingers wrapping around his wrist tightly. Tattoos peeked out of his sleeve and she eyed them quizzically. She didn't think she'd seen him without a sweatshirt on. "Should we make a pack on this as well?" he asked when she took her hand back, gathering her pizza up.
"A pack, what are we dogs?" he laughed, shaking his head. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"A dare sounds better then. To seal the deal." He rolled up his jacket sleeves, revealing the tattoos she didn't want to ask about. Both arms were covered from wrist up, disappearing under his jacket to some she was sure were hidden beneath the black zip-up. Rubbing his hands together, she watched as he carefully picked off one of the toppings on his pizza. "If you eat this then I promise not to scare the life out of you…for a week."
"What is it?" Sakura asked, eyeing the strange grayish food.
"Baked sardine," the face she made as she scooted her chair backwards an inch made him laugh out right. Eyes trained on them, glaring as their loudness echoed off the food joints walls. Still dangling the fish in the middle of the table, he rested his elbow and tried getting closer. "Come on Kinomoto, it's just a fish. It's a healthy, skinny piece of protein that's been baked and pasted…"
"No, no anything but that." She gagged, laughing as he swung it to and fro over the table. His phone rang then making her sigh in relief as he rolled his eyes and let the sardine flopped back onto his plate. Making a disgusted face, she grabbed her food and scooted back a few more inches. Leaning forward again, she made a fort with the napkin dispenser and advertisement paper in order to block his food from view. "Funny," he told her, answering his ringing cell on the fourth ring. "What do you want?"
"Where are you?" was the answer instead, making him glare at nothing. Jonathan looked around him, slightly angered.
"Toki's," he answered with a snap, making Sakura raise a brow as she ate her food in silence. Once again eyes were on them and she had a feeling it was the tone of Jonathan's voice that brought it. He had a sudden air of authority as he spoke on the phone. Glancing around at the dozen faces spread out in the restaurant, she barely noticed the male dominance of the place. Only a few females were present, including herself. "What's going on, Nick?" Jonathan asked shortly.
His head seemed to move slightly as he listened to the voice. "Damn Wolves are headed for the docks. Mireille intercepted but…we're headed your way. Who's at Toki's?" the voice spoke through, but barely. Jonathan pulled the phone away from his ear as a loud bang sounded, followed closely by cursing. Sakura could hear it and as her eyes grow wide, Jonathan clenched his fist tight until his knuckles were pure white. They were closer than Nick realized.
"I have a carrier waiting to be shipped back." Jonathan said to Sakura's confusion and curiosity. The noise on the other end grew louder, making him wince as he put it back to his ear for the third time.
"Why the fuck do you have a civilian with you!? You were supposed to keep watch out idiot." Nick swore, making Jonathan roll his eyes as he got to his feet. Sakura frowned, placing her food on the table and standing as well. She didn't know what was going on, but the way his face kept contorting his expressions, she didn't think she would like it. "Go to the University, who's at Toki's!?"
"Aisha," Jonathan hung up at that moment making eye contact with the table across from them before bringing a sorrow-filled gaze to Sakura. She watched silently as a white-haired female got up at the mention of her name, followed by a few others. Meeting Jonathan's gaze again, she realized he was trying hard to control his emotions. "I'm sorry, my brother needs my help with some business." He glanced at the pizza, uneaten except for her slice. "I'll make it up to you another day."
"Is everything okay?" Sakura asked, gathering her purse. He nodded, not looking at her. The aura around him changed drastically that much was for certain, but she couldn't figure out why. Before she could ask him, the girl with the white hair came up to them. She was dressed heavily in leather and for the first time, Sakura was envious of her lithe frame being able to pull it off. She had a purple and black Dragon tattoo visible against her exposed torso, similar looking to the one Jonathan had on his forearm. Curious, she glanced at the rest of his tattoos on his arms as he whispered into the girl's ear. She never noticed it when she first saw his art, but the pattern he had against his right arm, linked the purple and black dragon in every way while his left arm linked the art a snake tattoo almost silver in color.
"Ready…?" Jonathan asked, cutting her off from her thoughts. Sakura nodded, eyeing the girl warily as she walked out with the two men she was eating with. "Again, I'm sorry for this." However, his apology held a different meaning.
Outside, the chill of the night bit at her exposed skin, making her shiver. Sakura stared up at the darkening sky, taking in its blissful night. Wishing she had a jacket, she waited patiently as Jonathan got the helmets unhitched. Wrapping her arms across her stomach, she slowly glanced at the others as they too go set up on the motorcycles. She remained passive while trying to figure out what was going on. Jonathan had changed drastically since his phone call and she was too chicken shit to get him to spill the truth. His blue eyes had changed colors, going icy cold like the air around her now. Coming over to her, his eyes fixed on his cell phone's screen, he handed her the black helmet she wore last time. Taking it, she watched him as his preoccupied mind began texting furiously. Something was indeed wrong; his lips began to go white with his knuckles, his eyes sharper. More restaurant patrons filed out into the cold, making it dubiously obvious that something was happening.
Sakura opened her mouth to ask Jonathan and quickly shut it as a loud crash filled the night. Everyone's attention went to the source, an eerily silence coating them. A glow that was too orange filled the sky as a mushroom cloud rose up in a haze. Sakura's eyes grew wide, staring at the distance as a colorful curse filled her hearing. The group that was gathering their wits started up their motorbikes faster than she could count; squealing tires making chills run up her arms. Jonathan took hold of her arm, surprising the life out of her for the third time that day.
"We need to go," he told her urgently, unzipping his jacket and placing it around her shivering arms. "Again, I'm sorry," his arms were around her, too tight to bear. Confused and frozen to the ground, she stared at him with wide eyes. Something was about to happen, she could feel it in her gut, in the air –something was going to change. A million words formed in her mind but none came out of her mouth as he helped her into his warm jacket, zipping it to her chest and leaving it at that. My friends know where I am…she repeated over and over in her head.
"What's going on?" she finally asked as he ushered her to the bike, getting on first.
"Nothing," he flipped up his helmets visor, giving her a sincere but dreadful look. "Nothing's going to happen." Taking her hand, he tugged her forward forcefully making her give up the purse as he placed it against his stomach. Like last time, she sat on the back with shaking arms wrapped around his middle. However unlike last time, the air smelled heavily of smoke and her heart beat was rapidly spreading through her body as the fear of the night found its way to her conscious.
The speed of his bike gradually accelerated as they went in the opposite direction of the blast. Her heart, though still thudding madly against her chest, eased up a bit knowing they were going back to the University. Fingers resting against his toned chest, she tightened her grip considerably as they weaved around traffic rashly. A few horns blared, taken by surprise as a motorcycle squeezed its way to the front of the line. Sakura whimpered as they took a turn too fast, their bodies leaning with the bike as they cut off a car, its horn blaring as tired squealed to a stop. Trying to find the humor to ease her heart attack, she began a countdown of how many times he was trying to kill her, coming up with a plan of attack in order to get him back for this. It worked for a short while, that is until the feel of the wind against her body as it tried to find its way against her clothes made her slightly nauseated.
Gripping his stomach tighter, their speed finding a whole new acceleration, she felt something strapped to his side. She hadn't noticed it before because of the fear coursing through her veins. Bravely pulling her head back, arms loosening ever so slightly, she stared at his back in confusion. The strapped object against his left side was obvious, unlike last time. Feeling the bulge against his shirt, she made out a hilt sticking out, the end of it a large rounded object. Jonathan felt her movements, saying nothing as he sped up, passing a minivan before coming to a stop at a red light. He didn't know what to say to her, not with her heart beat against his back and her arms shaking from the adrenaline of fear. He just hoped she wouldn't ask questions and he wouldn't have to use what was under his shirt.
The light, taking its sweet time to change colors, brought about a new form of anxiety in Sakura and Jonathan both. Turning his head, he stared at the miniature side mirror assessing the situation before swearing. The pop-pop-pop sound made her turn as well, the sound louder than the motorbikes engine. Pulling up the visor she blinked, trying to see through the headlights of waiting cars and the dark night. The engines of other motorcycles could be heard racing forward, followed by the popping noises. Pushing her visor back down, she felt Jonathan's body tense up as he ignored the law and went through the red light, horns blaring from the opposite traffic. "Nothing's going to happen," his words had a whole new meaning in her mind as they raced for time across the valley. She felt slightly safe knowing he was trying to get her to the college grounds, but from what? She wished she knew.
Time seemed to crawl, the university never getting closer despite the fast pace he drove in. Fixing her position as she rested against his back, Sakura made eye contact with a biker in surprise. She hadn't heard it come up next to them. Jonathan did though. She felt his body tense as the motorcycle came up closer to them, trying to keep pace. Two gloved fingers went up getting Jonathan's attention. Sakura tried to figure out if the rider was male or female as he paid attention to both the road and them. In seconds the rider lifted a whole hand and pointed behind them, their head moving as they glanced at Sakura. She felt it before she understood it, the aura emitting off of Jonathan had changed drastically even as he swore under his breath, his torso moving with every voiced word she couldn't hear or understand. Whatever five meant, it was coming up behind them. Sakura tried to rack her brain for an answer, coming up with nothing. She had a feeling whatever it meant had to do with the gun hidden under his shirt and the sudden race to the University grounds.
The second motorcycle, dark purple from the shine of the cars behind them, remained at their side. It was almost like a dance, synchronizing with one another as they weaved through cars until the came up on a street unfamiliar to Sakura. The popping noises continued closer now and fear bubbled up to find its way through her chest. Chest tight, she dared to look behind her as they turned a corner to avoid the red light. It was then she realized they were taking a detour to reach the University. Avoiding all red lights and stop signs, they were going around everything and taking on new roads. Was it to shake off the anger that was rising from his heart? The holster she felt hurt her arms as she squeaked, their bodies leaning to the side too sharp. The ground was too close for comfort, his chest vibrating as he swore another round of words. The heavy bike wobbled as the engine roared, making her scared for her life a tenth time that night. No more counting in her head, she told herself, he was going to repay her for this indefinitely.
His arms jerked as something flew by, making him swear as he turned his head. The rider next to them changed positions, bringing out a gun that made Sakura scream in surprise. It was as if that that one object made her bring everything together, all the puzzle pieces of the adrenaline rush coursing through her. The feel of the hilt under his shirt, the racing for time, the people back at the pizza joint, and the tattoos. "My brother needs help with some business," Jonathan's words again, fitting the puzzle pieces. Business…
"Sakura hold on!" Jonathan roared over the engine. Clenching her eyes shut, she tensed up as the motorcycle shifted in one direction before going in the opposite. Not sure what to make of anything, she peeked through her visor as gun fire began to fill the night, louder than the roar of cars and motorcycles alike.
All she knew was fear and it rose high through her, higher than it was before the whole situation began. His fingers, which were clammy with cold sweat, brushed over her tightly clenched fingers gripping his stomach. He held her hand for a moment, forcing her to let go of its hold before releasing her fingers and sliding under shirt to pull out the very weapon that was making her scream inside and out. Heart thudding, she held in the scream that was bubbling up inside and watched as she felt him shift to get a better handle on his steering. Through the dark visor she noted the black gun in his hand, now resting awkwardly against the handlebars. She also noted the rider next to them, firing at will behind them. Daring herself to look behind them, Sakura stared at a couple dark figures riding motorcycles and closing the gap quickly. She counted five in total, with two more coming up from behind the stopping vehicles that more or less feared for their lives. Nodding, Sakura took a deep breath and screamed. Jonathan tensed at her sudden voiced fear, narrowly missing a truck as it came to a halt out of the blue. The move separated the rider next to them, leaving them alone for more than a minute with seven motorcycles in pursuit.
Sakura's screams continued as gunshots whizzed past her. Jonathan swerved out of the way and veered left just as a car came barreling towards them. Another couple bullets rang out, this time piercing a lamp post that burst over their head. Sakura's screams seemed to continue without a breath of air and Jonathan, wishing she'd stop, didn't blame her in the least. He couldn't blame her if she stopped speaking to him after this, also. She didn't stop scream until he began moving his body, his arm went backwards to awkwardly position the gun he held between them. Almost hysterical she yelled at him and fell silent almost as quickly. He fired the moment he felt her body move away from it and knew it wouldn't pierce her skin. Blinking back shock, Sakura whirled her head to face what was coming and watched as two motorcycles split up as he Jonathan took fire on them. His bullets missed. Swearing, Jonathan brought his arm back and turned a corner, circling the one block that was closest to the University. Tears brimming her eyes, Sakura loosened her hold around his torso and tugged on his gun arm.
"Give it to me!"
"What…!?" he moved his head back once, not seeing her before turning his head to the other side to watch the road.
"Give me your gun, you can't ride and shoot at the same time!" she yelled, her voice chocking as she heard her own statement. As scared as she was, she didn't want to die. If she wasn't going to die from a gunshot, then she was going to die in a vehicle accident. The pain that erupted in her stomach reminded her of the car crash she was in nearly five years ago, her head pounding furiously. Shaking from the remembrance, she tugged on his arm again. "Now Jonathan!"
"Do you even know how to shoot!?" he yelled, wincing as a bullet flew by. Glancing at their friend on the side he nodded his head once, a silent conversation passing between them. Guns raised, the two shot together making Sakura close her eyes and swear under her breath. As the popping noise ended and they turned the corner weaving around unaware cars, he added, "I can't give you the gun, Sakura."
"Do it! If I die right now I'm going to haunt you forever!" she screamed, her voice echoing over the roar of the motorcycles. The pause made her more and more frightened, eyes teary as she waited for the death that waited for her in the night. It was amazing she hadn't gotten shot yet—knock on wood—she thought absently. Finally making his decision, he did as she asked. The weapon was heavier then she imagined, the feel of it making her palm sweaty as she gripped the hilt tightly. "Just pull the trigger right?" she asked.
"Hold it tight, don't lock your elbow and aim it straight at them!" he yelled, keeping their ride straight. Sakura nodded, baffled by his words. She was the one that agreed to take control of the shooting, her sudden decision hadn't yet found its way to her realization, but the fear of it all was coursing through her blood.
Fixing her position, she did as she was told. Squinting through the dark visor, she easily found one of the riders behind them, gun aimed as they steadied their own position. Screaming, she fired and felt the backlash as the wind whipped around her painfully. Two more shots and she whirled around back around, wrapping her arms around Jonathan in the fear of dying. She did it. She couldn't believe it. Her fingers pulled the trigger on a weapon she didn't think she would ever use in her life. The clammy feeling of her palms made her shake as the weapon felt ten times heavier then it needed to be. The weight of the shock was even worse. She just shot at someone she didn't even know, possibly wounding them fatally. Not wanting to know if she actually landed a blow on them, she turned her head as the rider beside them began shooting their own weapon.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" she breathed under her breath. Jonathan turned, making her scream. A sudden stinging feeling made her gasp in mid scream, arms twitching against Jonathan's stomach.
"Are you okay!?" he asked, turning his head to the side as the bikers found their way around the obstacles.
A fire burned against her leg, increasing as the wind whipped around them and the jostling of the motorcycle vibrated against her body. "My…my t-thigh hurts!" she cried suddenly realizing what was wrong. I knew it, I'm going to die. She thought a moment later, pressing her free hand against it and feeling wetness.
"Sakura aim and shoot!" he yelled back.
"I can't!"
"You need to!" she shook her head, biting the inside of her lip as her thigh throbbed with a pain she never felt before. As if sensing their distress, the second biker slowed down and came up behind them, keeping the gap at a close interval. Sakura craned her neck, watching as gun shots fired through the night. Wondering who the rider was, she watched in shock before gathering her own strength to fight. She needed to do this; the pain in her leg was proof of that. If someone she didn't know died for her because she was too chicken to follow through with her own words, then she wouldn't forgive herself. Adrenaline pumping, the pain in her leg numbing on its own accord, Sakura did the unthinkable and began standing up on the motorcycle. "What are you doing!?" Jonathan roared, steadying the bike as she got up on one knee, her entire body shaking.
"I don't want to die," she whispered but he heard it. Back against his, she let her body find a new position against the motorcycle, legs tight against the backend as she held on tight. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, he threw his other arm back to hold her, finding cloth before he found her arm. The view was far different then if she was facing forwards. Car headlights blinded her, forcing her to blink rapidly even with the visor blocking the worse of it. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she held the weapon out and aimed it squarely. The biker protecting them nodded a head and quickly moved out of the way, speeding up. Forgive me…Sakura thought to the unsuspecting fool and fired.
…
….
…
He stared surprised at the girl turning around on the bike. Never in his lifetime had he seen someone stand up on a moving motorcycle and switch positions like that. It took guts and courage and a lot of bravery to do that. Weaving around cars and listening to the voices yelling in his ear, he watched her carefully. She was the only one he didn't recognize, the only one wearing something other than biker leather. Before, when she shot, her aim was off but now as she sat down and steadied herself he had a feeling something changed. The black jacket she wore was loose against her frame, revealing an even slender body underneath it. A dark stain was marking her jeans, the shot that he made and missed. Seeing the blood, his own injury he'd sustained earlier throbbed against the vibration of the bike. Swerving made the pain escalate and he winced as cars slammed on their breaks to avoid a collision.
The fear rising in the air was like a glove as cars began to slow down, pulling off the road in an obvious attempt to stay alive. Human nature when one saw a gun was to run and hide. One by one the road was clearing for them as people began to fear for their lives. With seven motorcycles on the road, all shooting freely and weaving around like ghosts, why wouldn't you be scared? Watching the girl before him carefully, he noticed something strange about the way she was holding her weapon, the advantage and weak point was obvious. Li, we found the second Haruto brother with a passenger on the back of his bike! A voice yelled through his ear, catching his attention unlike the other voices.
"Which brother…? Remember Jonathan Haruto has someone that doesn't need to be involved!" Syaoran barked through his own Bluetooth headphone, squinting through the dark of his visor. The girl sitting on the back of the bike was waiting for something, the fear written across her stance weaving around him. "Not sure, black bike?" the answer came back and he frowned. They all had black bikes except for the shooter in front of him. "Fuck," he swore as he realized his mistake of concentrating on the talk in his ear and not on the girl before him. Double-teamed, both shooters aimed at him. Weaving to avoid getting hit by a bullet, he swore as one hit his shoulder in the same arm as his old wound. The girl on the back of the bike aimed again, hand shaking as she steadied the weapon. The man driving the bike had his grip on her, forced to drive straight with much difficulty. The weakness in having a backwards rider was obvious. Aiming his own gun and ignoring the question in his ear, he fired just as she did.
Kill or be killed. That was the motto of the night.
Pain erupted in his side as another bullet pierced his body. Sirens began to fill the air and he knew, even as the fire burned his skin, it was time to go. Weaving, he forced his bike to steady as she fired again. Flipping the visor up, he stared wide-eyed at the girl he just shot at. Her own visor came up as she steadied the gun for another round. How many bullets did she think she had? He wondered. The moment they passed underneath a streetlamp bright enough to illuminate her features, he felt his blood run cold. The shade of her eyes made him pull of the road and stop. The intense green irises were dilated so darkly he knew he had to be mistaken. As the sirens sounded louder and the voices telling him to get out of there rang through his concentration, he swore. From the pain in the rider's side he knew he hit her with his own bullet, but not fatally, at least—deep down—he hoped not. If his mind was right, then that was the one person he was aimed to not shoot.
There was no way to tell which Haruto brother he had and which brother his comrades had. Huffing, he winced at the pull of his wounded arm. "Head back to Wolfs, anyone injured?" Syaoran asked cautiously, turning his back around and heading in the opposite direction of the sirens. By now the streets were empty of other cars, making him an easy target to find. Hearing the roar of other motorcycles a moment later he turned, seeing his friends come up behind him. A count down sounded as voices told him just who was injured and who was not. Shaking his head, his vision filled with the sight of those dark green eyes and the blood marking her jeans.
Kyoto, Japan
7:30 p.m.
Jonathan pulled up to an abandoned lot with weeds growing out of the pavement. The warehouse was dark against the night with no street lamps illuminating the vicinity. Chunks of road made it bumpy and painful till the very end. The moment his bike was turned off and light off, Sakura was off the bike in a leap. Body numb, she walked a few steps forward and stopped, letting her knees make contact with the ground. Staring at her, Jonathan felt sympathy and dread for her state of mind. He hadn't wanted her to be involved in this. Bringing her to Toki's was part of keeping her safe, but apparently that wasn't what happened. Her breathing hitched as she held still to the ground, gun still tight in her fingers. It was almost glued to her and no way was he going to take it from her, not now. The second motorcycle came to a rolling stop next to him, turning off an instant later. Turning to face the dark purple bike, Jonathan winced, hand going to his right side. He'd been shot, the blood pooling around his shirt was quickly darkening as he breathed roughly. Ignoring the pain and pulling his shirt off awkwardly, he began ripping it to shreds to make a tourniquet. Sakura's sobs could soon be heard as she broke down on the pavement, body hunched over and shaking.
"She going to be alright?" Jonathan looked up as the girl from the pizza joint pulled her helmet off, accent thick.
Shrugging his shoulders, he began knotting his shirt together around his bare torso. "Thanks Aisha, you saved our lives back there."
"No problem," light eyes turned back to Sakura. "The others are on their way here, maybe you should…" her voice trailed as the sound of motorcycles echoed in the night air. Sakura looked up then, frozen to the ground. "Never mind,"
"Sakura…" Jonathan walked slowly forward and stopped. Sakura aimed the gun in her hand, body racking with sobs and loss of adrenaline.
"Don't come any closer to me." she seethed, aiming the weapon at both him and Aisha. "What the fuck was that!? A war…a death sentence…?" tears caked her face and she waved the gun to the side as the lights bounced off in the darkness, the motorcycles pulling up into the parking lot. "W-who are you?"
"Drop the gun and I can explain." He cooed, arms up in defense as he held his stance. Sakura shook her head, glancing at the arrivals. "Sakura…"
"You're an idiot Jonathan!" a dark voice yelled as one of the bikes engines shut off. Taken off guard, Sakura whirled around. Taking his chance, Jonathan leaped forward for the gun and swore as pain shot down his leg, yet still managing to pull the weapon from her grasp. "You were supposed to keep watch, but of course not! What the fuck did you think you were doing with her!?"
"Eating…!" Jonathan snapped, handing Aisha his weapon as he shielded Sakura from view. Blinking, she turned as the silver haired biker came up behind her, the glow of her hair taking on a whole new shade as the motorcycle's headlights hit them. "I told you I was with her, why'd you bring those damned wolves our way!?"
"Why…Toki is our territory!" pulling his helmet off Sakura stared wide eyed at the splitting image of Jonathan, his blue eyes just as sharp and daring as he glared at his brother. "If it wasn't for Mireille and Crystal they would have infiltrated our operation idiot." Sakura's head spun as she listened to them argue, eyes blurry from the bright lights aimed at her face. Feeling cold, she wrapped her arms around her stomach, suddenly feeling nauseas. The two brothers continued to argue about something she didn't understand…couldn't understand. Feeling her vision go dark she twitched, the pain in her leg giving out as her world turned black.
"Umm…Haruto…" Aisha started, voice filled with concern.
"What!?" both snapped before Jonathan swore, catching Sakura as she collapsed.
To be continued…
Thank you all for the awesome support. This is a revised chapter. If the timeline seems off in the future chapters you are reading, it's because I haven't quite made it that far. Again, enjoy and thank you all.
