A/N: ... All I can say is that I'm glad that I'm finally done with this chapter. When this broke the word count of my first chapter, I knew something was fundamentally wrong with me D: This was not meant to be a long chapter, initially, this was suppose to be the short chapter while I go crazy in the next one...

Now, I fear for my next chapter (which actually had more scenes than this one) because a longer chapter means that I need more time to write. Maybe, I'll try to trim it down...

Still, thank you so much for reading and hope you enjoy it. Reviews are always welcomed and loved :)

oo0oo

Walk the World

- Chapter III -

What Comes Around Goes Around

oo0oo

"... he's coming around," said a male voice. Relief.

"... about time!" said a female voice. Annoyed.

"... this might help," said the same male voice. Helpful.

"... let me do it," said the same female voice. Eager.

With that, Bak experienced the rudest awakening that he ever had in his life. It was one thing to be roused by smelling salts, not a great experience by far and quite embarrassing to say the least, but to have the entire bottle shoved rudely right up his nostril... that was just... plain hell.

Instantly, Bak's eyes shot wide open and he knocked the bottle out of his face, rolling to the side of the bed gasping for air. The odour was so overwhelming that it could quite literally fell great men or revived the dead alike and the sensation was something akin to being choked, slapped and punched simultaneously in the face. A shade of sickly purplish hue amassed on his face as he gagged, tongue out and coughing the repugnant taste from his abused lungs.

It wasn't a pretty picture.

"A sniff would have sufficed. You weren't supposed to force the bottle up his nose!" reprimanded the male voice.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" said the female voice cockily, not a trace of remorse in her tone.

"It worked all right," Bak croaked, clutching the sheets tightly as he drew a deep breath after releasing the last of the foul air that he had consumed. He groaned, massaging his jaw lightly, feeling a slight twitching pain every time he spoke. Turning around, he glared at the person who had caused him such grief – a petite redhead who happened to be grinning rather smugly at him as she twiddled the small bottle in her hand. Far from being sorry, she certainly looked as though she was expecting him to voice his eternal gratitude to her for bringing him out of coma.

A situation which was unlikely to occur any time soon.

"What are you trying to do? Bloody kill me?" he demanded angrily, shooting his most piercing glare at her, one which could even intimidate the hearts of braver men. Well... most men at least, Komui didn't count. Though, if he was hoping to scare the young girl with his super-scary-glare-of-death, he would be sorely disappointed as not only that she didn't cower in fright like she ought to, she actually looked thinly amused.

"Hmm... if I had wanted to, you'd be dead by now," she drawled, tossing the bottle behind her carelessly. As if on cue, Won released an unmanly shriek and leaped forward, catching the bottle seconds before it touched the ground. "Anyhow, it'll take more than that to kill you, Bakroach."

"Miss Fou, please don't be so harsh on Master Bak," Won said, picking himself off the floor, slightly out of breath. He stuffed the bottle in his pocket and moved next to his young master, mollycoddling the man by propping up the pillow behind him with nanny-like efficiency and tucking the covers around his body – quite unaware of Bak's offended look. "He's probably just a little disoriented and confused right now. After all, you did unhook his jaw and smashed him to the wall like a housefly."

"Silence Won, I don't recall asking for an opinion," scolded Bak, sitting up and brushing away his servant's attempt to assist him. Won might have served as his most loyal servant for more than two decades but it didn't change the fact that Won could be quite tactless at times and would say the darnedest of things that undermine his dignity... or worse, treat him like some sort of helpless invalid. Without feeling even a semblance of pity for the forlorn old man, whose head was drooping dangerously low from disappointment, he switched his hard gaze to the other person in the private ward.

"Who are you?" he asked, staring lengthily at the inappropriately-dressed girl.

"Gatekeeper of the Asia Branch, reporting for duty," she announced airily with a single hand mock salute. She smiled so sweetly that for a brief... a very brief moment, Bak thought she was as harmless she looked. Then, she balled her hand (arm, flappers, or whatever it was) into a fist and struck his head – missing narrowly only to hit his arm – and he yelped, the blow hurt less than what his head had suffered earlier but it was still painful. "I'm Fou, stupid, who else?"

Of course, Bak would be blind if he could not see the resemblance. But just because he could see, it doesn't mean his brain could process the information.

"No, you are not!" he growled back, rubbing his sore limb. How dare this rambunctious lass strike him as she pleases? Doing it once was already unforgivable, twice was total sacrilege. "Don't take me for a fool. It might have been two months since I last saw her – thank heavens for that – but I can recognize my own gatekeeper when I see her. As for you, I don't know who or what you are but you are certainly not Fou."

"Can you believe it?" she turned to Won and shook her head in disbelief. "I'm standing right here and he can still be in denial. Some genius he is."

"Frankly, I don't even care who you are but I believe you should at least show me the respect that my station deserves?" The young stranger just rolled her eyes in response and stuck a tongue childishly at him. How impertinent! "Also, could you promptly cease with the poor impersonation of my gatekeeper, I believe the entire getup is in rather poor taste."

Bad move. With both hands, the Fou-impostor seized his collar and dragged him up, an impossible feat for a normal girl, until their eyes levelled with each other. She shot him a piercing glare and he mirrored hers bravely in return as Won fidgeted and fluttered at the corner, begging for a temporary truce. There was no way, not in a million years, that he would ever cave into her threats, he despised unreasonable violence almost as much as he hated Komui and he wasn't about to falter in his opinion just because some Fou-look-alike demanded him otherwise, no, not even if she was choking him to death with her grasp.

"Won," she said, her eyes still planted firmly on him. "If I hit him on the face again, you think he'll stop being stupid?"

"Personally, I think I've suffered quite enough physical abuse from you upon our first meeting," he said wryly, prying her fingers off his collar. Her fingers were small and slender but it clamped onto his shirt with the grip of a stubborn crab. "I also believe it would be nice if we could cease all future contacts with each other," he snubbed her, maintaining a polite but condescending tone.

"This is seriously worse than talking to a retard. He can't even accept the truth even if it slapped him in the face," she complained, tightening her grip on Bak's shirt and shook him violently, pushing and pulling him back alternately. "Focus, Baka Bak and look at me properly. I am Fou, the one and only. Get it into your thick skull already."

"That is a lie!" he roared back and she released him, somewhat surprised. "I don't know how much Komui paid you to stage this crazy stunt but you are not going to fool anyone, especially me with your unsightly display. For one thing, you look nothing like her! If anything, you are a poor imitation!" he asserted stubbornly, his voice matching hers. "Now, if you please, could you stop with this foolishness and return Fou to us?"

"Give me a break! I am Fou, how many times do I have to say it?" she slapped a hand over her forehead, slightly desperate. Somehow, her distress made Bak feel extremely satisfied – revenge is, after all, a dish best served cold. "Or maybe I'll prove myself better if I remind you of your dirty little secrets!"

"What little secrets?" he said, eyeing her suspiciously. "I own a clean slate. I have nothing more to hide than the sun," he proclaimed loudly, with the sort of conviction that could fool a lie-detector.

"Pah! If I have my say in this, the first thing you should hide from public is your big fat ego," she said, punctuating the last three words. "And get over yourself, Baka Bak, it was not so long ago that you would run crying to me every single time your cousins bully you."

A twitch in the eyebrow was the only thing that betrayed his otherwise neutral expression. "That was a long time ago! It was 5 to 1. Anyone would have asked for help! Besides, it was just a bad childhood experience, hardly anything of consequence!"

"But it's an embarrassing secret that you won't tell anyone, right?"

"Well, I did mention it to Komui once, by accident, and I would hardly be surprised if he had been the one to spread the bad word about me. That goon has always been after my skin, to smear my reputation, slander my good name. I swear he sees my glorious existence to be a threat to his position."

"For a moment there, I was beginning to miss your humility," she answered sarcastically. "Fine, let's talk about your first crush then. I recall it pretty much ended in tears, with you crying non-stop for three days straight. I've never seen anything more pathetic in my whole life, and I've lived for a very long time. How many people know about your ultimate failure in love?"

"For your information, the only reason I failed in my first love was because some nosy gatekeeper couldn't keep her nose where it is suppose to be. And no, I don't go around spreading stories about my lost-love but secrets can never be well-kept when one is unfortunate enough to be saddled with a snooping superior who is always out for blackmail material."

"Yeah, blame everyone else. That's about all you are ever good at," she said, sweeping her bangs from her face. "Then, what about the time I impersonated you and jokingly flirted with Komui! Remember, my impersonation was so perfect that even the lame excuse of a cheating girlfriend of yours never found out."

Unimpressed, Bak snorted. "Firstly, I can't help it if some women are more attracted by glitter than gold. If they fail to see pass my exterior charm and realise the man beneath, it's their lost. Secondly, do make an attempt with originality. Everything you know about me was fed to you by Komui and without doubt, you are in cahoots with him to conspire against me."

"Conspire? Don't make me laugh, you are not even worth our time," she said derisively, rolling her eyes. Despite her arrogance, he could see that she was running out of ways to convince him and he smirked to himself. "Strange though, I never knew you and Curly were so close that you would share all your secrets with him, especially the embarrassing ones," she mused.

"We are not close. We are not even friends. Trust me, it was an honest mistake which I haven't quite forgiven myself yet," he admitted, a tinge of despair in his voice that faded instantly – he had no time to wallow in self-pity, especially in front of an enemy... or should he say, an accomplice of the enemy. "Now, is that all? Because if that's all there is to it, I'm fairly certain you know nothing that would threaten my position. Hate to break it to you but I am yet to be convinced."

"Fine, I still have one more secret which I'm very sure Curly doesn't know!" she revealed, a wicked expression stretching across her pretty face.

"Do your worst, young lady and begone, your mere presence exhaust me," he said, flicking a dismissive motion. He decided that he had wasted too much time on this impostor who did nothing but cause him more headache.

"I know for a fact," she smiled, moving closer until her lips were just beside his ear and she leaned in and whispered softly. "That you are in love with Lenalee Lee."

Bak literally froze. A flash of Lenalee's gentle, angelic smile flitted through his mind before being replaced by images of brutal death and blood gore through inhuman mutilation in the hands of a homicidal Supervisor. Yes, his romantic affection for the young lady Exorcist was the one secret that her brother didn't know.

And God help him if Komui ever finds out.

Wait, maybe Allen Walker spilled the beans on him! Not that Bak wished to doubt the young man's ability in honouring his own words but everyone and their grandmother was aware that the young white-haired Exorcist could be easily baited by a few sticks of Mitarashi Dango. He would probably even sell his own soul away if someone offered to clear off his master's debts for him.

It must be Allen.

"I also know you keep a picture of her inside your pillow," she revealed slyly, her voice breaking his thoughts. "Creep."

Okay, maybe it was not Allen.

While she might have gotten wind on his affection for Lenalee from Allen Walker or some of the more perceptive folks, no one, not even Won ever discovered the picture inside his pillow. In fact, the only reason one loud, nosy gatekeeper managed to find out was because she decided to ambush him in his sleep one morning by playing the role of a shrilly alarm clock and slug him senseless with his pillow. It was one of the most terrible mornings he ever had to endure (second only to being wakened up by smelling salts) and it had only gotten worse when said gatekeeper fished out his dearly beloved's picture from the midst of shredded cloth and scattered goose feathers.

Bak still had terrible nightmares of the sinister expression that she gave him then, a sadistic smile which was quite similar to the one that this lady was wearing currently.

"Now, I don't know what Curly is going to do to you when he finds out but I'm definitely looking forward to it. If you are lucky, he might just rip you apart and drown you in acid. But, who knows, Curly can be quite creative given the situation!" she cackled evilly, a sadistic laughter which sent chills down his spine.

"W—w—what are you saying?" he stammered, squeaking, all the blood draining from his face and he was as pale as a ghost. "Lies!"

"Is it? Well then, I'll just have to get her brother to reconfirm it," she said gleefully, rubbing her hands as she spun on her heels and headed for the door. "YO, CURLY!"

In a heartbeat, Bak's hands shot from behind her and clamped tightly over her mouth. He knew, if she took but one step out of the room, he was as good as dead. He dragged her away from the door, hauling her back until they were both seated on the bed.

"All right, I get it! It's you," he said, growling into her ear as he released her. There was a victorious smile on her face, the smile that he was so familiar with. Then, the truth struck him. "Oh my god, it is you."

With that, he slumped onto the floor dejectedly and buried his head in his hands, much like a prisoner condemned to his death. Truth to be told, he had been expecting, prepared even, for a full blast disaster to come out of this entire upgrade project, but this... this was a grand scale catastrophe of epic proportions.

He couldn't even bear to think of the penalties that he would have to face when his family discovered what happened to their ancestral spiritual guardian – for sure, the strict grand elders of the Chang clan would throw a hissy fit and clobber him to death for allowing Komui to violate the sanctity of their property, his own peers were going to question his sanity and doubt his leadership and then, the inquisitive little Chang children, oh dear those precocious brats, were bound to raise many awkward, unwanted questions.

At the thought, Bak wanted to laugh, he wanted to cry too, but mostly, he just wanted to die.

"You know," said Fou, her voice wary as Bak rocked back and forth on the floor, hands clutching his head, seemingly on the verge of having a severe mental breakdown. "I don't see why this is so hard to believe."

"Not hard to believe?" he asked, tears peeking out from the corners of his eyes. "Fou, have you looked at yourself in the mirror recently?"

"Of course I did. That's the first thing Curly made me do once the upgrade was completed. This new form took me a while to get used to but I thought I look pretty much the same – same hair, same face, same clothes… yup, still the same ol' me," she said, patting herself on the chest proudly.

"Pray tell in what sense are you the same?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose to ward off a coming headache. "Because from what I can see, you look as different as heaven and earth."

"Okay, maybe I look a little older," she said, giving herself a quick once over. She blew her crimson bangs aside and bent down towards him, until her face was all he could see and she looked at him expectedly, a playful smile on her lips. "So, do you like it?"

If Bak had not been so weighed down by the situation or if he had been less livid or if only he had not been so tired, perhaps, he would have not reacted so violently.

"Hell no!" he snapped back. Her grin dropped into a frown, a reaction which puzzled him. What? Was she actually expecting him to congratulate her? In deep frustration, he caught her by the shoulders and began to shake her forcefully. "What has Komui done to you?" he screamed, followed by streams of unintelligible muttering in a language that neither Fou nor Won could understand.

"Stop being such a drama queen, Queen Bak," she said, shrugging off his hands. Where he had held her were harsh red marks, marring her fair skin. "And speak a language I know," she slapped his cheek lightly to bring him out of his hysterics; only then Bak realised he had unconsciously slipped into German. "Curly was only doing his job! And personally, I think he did great, if not, satisfactory. What kind of miracle were you expecting anyway?"

"I was not expecting miracles, at least, not from Komui. I was only expecting changes. Reasonable changes. Maximizing of power, increase of speed, improvement in communication, dash it, he could even make you sprout fire for all I care. I just don't see how this new façade of yours could actually contribute to the efficiency of your service. You are a gatekeeper, not a...!" he paused timely, just before the insult flew out of his mouth.

"Not a what?" she said, daring him to continue. Curse her super hearing, he thought.

"Never mind, it's not important. There are other things I would much rather discuss right now," he replied, changing the subject before Fou could press on. "Now, I want you to tell me, sparing no details, why on earth did you allow Komui to toy with your appearance? Three months ago, you stubbornly insisted on an upgrade, even at the expense of deserting the Asia Branch and for better or worse, I consented to it, letting you both have your way because you wouldn't heed my advice anyhow. To be honest, I was expecting nothing but trouble from the both of you but this… this just doesn't make any sense at all. I mean, how does altering one's appearance could even constitute as an acceptable upgrade?"

"Actually... I don't think I get it either but since Curly said it was necessary, I just went along with it," she explained as Bak's mouth dropped to the floor, wondering what sort of logic, if any, operated in her brain. Frankly, who in their sane mind would ever take Komui's opinion seriously anyway? "Look, I didn't ask to have this new form, okay," she said to his abysmally horrified face. "Curly said it was for the best, so I agreed to it. If you have any complaints, tell it to him."

"You don't have worry about that, I shall pay him a visit soon enough," he said assuredly, almost snarling. Oh yes, his meeting with the Supervisor was as sure as the fall of Pompeii, and most likely, twice as destructive. "To do some damage control."

"I don't even know why are you making a big fuss out of this," she said, stepping away from him. "You of all people should know what's going on around here. You always said you have eyes and ears all over the place – though I think it's just because you want to stalk Lenalee – so why are you acting so surprised now. Anyway, I thought Beaver update you every week?"

"Beaver?"

"Yeah, Section Chief Beaver, head of the Crime Division," she affirmed confidently, placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest. Bak winced visibly, honestly wishing she would stop doing that, it might be a gesture that was easily overlooked when she possessed a child's body but now, it was just indecent.

"It's Section Chief Reever, the leader of the Science Division," he corrected impatiently. It seemed that Komui made no move to fix her short-term memory after all.

"Isn't that what I said?"

"No, you called him Beaver, which is the name of a species of bucktooth rodent found in—," he explained.

"Whatever," she cut him short, waving him away dismissively. "It's not important anyway. The point is that I'm faster and stronger!" she declared, curving one of her hands in the same manner that body builders usually do and patted the muscle on her arm for emphasis. Great, trust Fou's definition of an upgrade to reside on purely on brute strength. She probably wouldn't have cared if Komui turned her into a dragon if it meant that she would be bestowed with the all-mighty power that she so desired.

But Fou wasn't a dragon! No, she had become something far more devastating! Supervisor Crazy Komui had transformed her into the single most confusing, complex creature that could ever exist.

He turned her into a woman.

"Let me repeat this one more time," he said in a controlled voice. "Do you mean to say that, in spite of living here with him for more than two months, you have absolutely no idea, no understanding and not even the slightest comprehension of why Komui gave you a complete makeover?"

"No, well, yeah, sort of," she admitted, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "I fell asleep when he was explaining most of the time, it was so boring."

"You fell asleep? You fell asleep!" he repeated incredulously. "Fou, I can't believe you, how could you ever let your guard down when you are up against someone like Komui? Blast it all, even the Millenium Earl couldn't hold a candle to Komui when it comes to mass destruction!"

"Really?" she asked sceptically. "I thought he was perfectly harmless."

Right, Bak had conveniently forgotten that Fou was created without any sense of fear. Nothing in the world could make her cower, not even the grim prospect of death and torture. Fou was born and bred to be the perfect guardian, a soldier through and through. While that would be convenient for her line of work, it also meant that she lacked some common sense.

For instance – Bak studied her carefully – her skimpy attire!

"Sometimes, I wish I had it in me not to care," he grumbled to himself and turned his sights on to Won, a determined look sparked in his eyes. "Won! Remove your shirt!" he ordered.

His old servant, who had been keeping mum at the corner of the room ever since his master forbade him to speak earlier, gave an audible squeak. As the one-true-loyal butler, Won never questioned his master's orders, no matter how ridiculous they might sound, but this was just preposterous. Century-old guardian or not, there was a lady in the room, so stripping down was a big no-no.

"I'm sorry, sir. I do not comprehend," Won said dumbly as he stuck a little finger into his ear, digging the grit. He must have heard wrongly, surely, his own master wouldn't be interested in seeing him, an old man, stark naked. Make no mistake, Won had always considered himself to be quite attractive for a man of his age – with his magnificent height and well-toned muscles – but just because he possessed a body that would make even young men green with envy, it didn't mean he should flaunt it unnecessarily.

"I said: Off with your shirt," Bak repeated, louder as his eyes glanced lower. "And pants too, if you please."

"No, sir," he declined, arms out in surrender. "Surely you won't subject me, an old man who's so near to his grave to endure such humiliation!" he pleaded, hugging himself and his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Master Bak, I beg you. Please don't make me do it."

"What are you blathering about?" the Branch Chief asked, ignoring the old man's pleas as he yanked roughly at one of his long sleeves. "I need your clothes to cover her up until you procure some decent clothes for her. Striding around under-clothed might be improper for you but it's unforgivable for her."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" she demanded, tugging at Bak's sleeve to get his attention. "I've been wearing it for almost a century, no one has ever complained," she reasoned.

And thus, a tug of war between the three took place, with the old man resisting the young man's attempts to force him out of his clothes for the young girl whom stubbornly insist that her current attire was just fine and stylish. Pulling back and forth roughly, their farce met an abrupt end when the Branch Chief accidentally ripped off one of his servant's sleeves.

"Argh! Forget it! Just take my jacket, Fou!" Bak said exasperatedly as poor Won pushed him away and wept over his torn shirt. Reluctantly, the Branch Chief removed his precious jacket and thrust it into her hands. "Wrap it around your waist until Won find something to cover you with. And please, whatever you do, do not soil it, unlike your clothes, mine bears my rank and name."

The mischievous look on Fou's face made Bak regretted his actions immediately. He really shouldn't have told her what his jacket meant to him, for it would only provide her with another good reason to soak it in mud. Still, he breathed a sigh of relief as she did as she was told for once and tied it around herself, creating a little white skirt. It didn't cover much, less than what Bak considered appropriate but it would have to suffice temporarily.

"Try not to parade around in public for the time being," he told her and looked at her disapprovingly.

"Of course, as if I'm going to be caught dead with such an ugly coat," she tightened the knot at her waist and let the sleeves dangle loosely. "Yuck."

"Fou, if I hear but one more disparaging comment about my clothes or anything at all, I'm going to…," he threatened, a dark scowl emerging on his face.

"Going to what? Spank me?" she dared him and gave him a rough shove. "Wrestle me to the ground?" Another shove. "Rip your jacket off my body?" Another shove. "Why don't you just try?" she sneered loudly, forcing him backwards until the back of his knee hit the bedside.

"Don't challenge me, Fou!" he warned, biting down the urge to span—strangle her.

"Talk is cheap, take me down like a man if you can!" she taunted and with one last push, he lost his footing and fell clumsily onto the bed.

"Just watch me!" Bak shouted furiously and lunged up at her, determined to purge her existence once and for all – only to be held back by his servant who latched on tightly to his waist. "Let go of me, Won! It's high time I show this insolent minx who's boss!"

"Hah, you want a piece of me, come get it!" she teased, fleeing for the door as Bak finally freed himself from Won's hold by elbowing the man's head violently and knocking him aside.

"Enough of this!" A thundering voice boomed through.

"Matron!" All three of them chorused, their fight momentarily forgotten as their attention was focused on the scarily livid woman at the door. She might be old and somewhat frail, but her stormy presence filled the room and no one dared to move, for fear of the safety of their lives.

"I'd appreciated it if you take your lover's spat out and far away from the infirmary," she ordered, her eyes zooming in on the Branch Chief in particular. "You are disturbing my other patients."

"What lover's spat?" Bak asked in confusion. Then, it struck upon him, like a lightning bolt, what their conversation might have sounded to the ignorant listeners outside. "Wait, no, you've mistaken, we were just…," Bak explained, gesticulating wildly.

"Branch Chief Bak, I'll have you know that I'm not privy to your activities. What you do with your visitors is your own affair, but I would rather you conduct it privately, discreetly and far away from this house of healing. This is your personal ward, not your bed chamber!" she roared, with a voice so loud that even Fou took an involuntarily step back. "Incidentally, as of this moment, you are officially discharged, now remove yourself from this place at once."

"Impossible!" he retorted bravely. "That creature there—yes, the one standing dangerously close to you just bludgeoned my head upon sight and nearly took my life, how could I have recovered so quickly?"

"You exaggerate, Branch Chief Bak. You only suffered a slight concussion and a swollen jaw but otherwise hardly injured," she scolded, her hand seizing his wrist and she took his pulse.

For the briefest of moments, Bak wondered if her definition and perspective of injuries were slightly skewered from the norm, after all, she patches up super humans like Kanda Yu and Allen Walker on a daily basis, so perhaps she had higher expectations for human health and was no longer aware that the general population were actually more fragile than her high standards.

Being exposed to the Headquarters for extended periods of time was a bad influence on the health of one's state of mind.

"You can't throw me out. I'm a patient, what more, an abused patient, with a harasser nipping at my heels," he argued, drawing back his hand and pointing an accusing finger at Fou. "You should be ringing the Scotland Yard instead of threatening to dispose me."

"You have the energy to shout at me, I see that as a sign of complete recovery," she answered him as she jotted down some notes on her clipboard. "I have a message for you. The Supervisor just rang up a while ago and asked if you are conscious yet and that you are to see him at your earliest convenience. Since you are already up and hopping about, I shall give you one more injection and then you may take your leave. Now, I have no objections to you boys playing it rough, but if you are going to kill him in the process, then I would suggest that you find a way to dispose his body too, for I have no intention of taking another troublesome patient or cadaver."

"You don't have to worry. I shall sterilize the crime scene and dump his remains in the incinerator," he promised.

"Do whatever that pleases you, just as long as you sit still while I give you this injection," she said as she carefully filled a (ridiculously large) syringe with some watery substance. At the sight of the needle, Bak eased an uncomfortable gulp of air down his throat – what was she trying to do, put down a horse, he thought. "Would you kindly step out for a moment, Miss Fou?" she added.

"Do I have to, Madame Matron?" Fou asked sweetly, eyes shimmering with saccharine innocence. "I would really like to watch Baka Bak being tortured."

"Run along now," said the Matron as she urged a reluctant Fou gently out of the area and drew the large curtains. All the way, Fou pouted miserably, like a child denied of her favourite teddy bear, or in her case, punching bag. Whatever it was, Bak prayed she would suck in that protruding lip already – if she was hoping to imitate a spoilt child, she was failing badly – because it actually made her look more... inviting than adorable.

And by that Bak meant an invitation for disaster. Seriously, Fou's outfit was driving him insane – as with every single invention that Komui had a hand in, they were usually returned with adverse effects that messes up one's mind. It would have to go, as soon as get his hands on that curly-haired mad scientist. Hopefully soon.

Satisfied with the temporary privacy, Bak rolled up his sleeve, exposing his skinny upper arm to the matron. The old woman took one brief look at his arm, sighed and shook her head. "Turn around and lie on your chest, and ease your waistband a little lower."

"What?"

"You had an injection on your arm earlier. It's unwise for you to have another jab on the same area so soon, unless of course, you would rather walk around with a paralysed hand," she said, motioning for Bak to lie on the bed. He didn't even budge. "And don't flatter yourself with filthy imaginations, young man. You have nothing that I haven't clinically seen before."

"No, I think I can make do without the needle," he said calmly, or at least as calmly as he could manage as he pulled down his sleeve and rolled to the other side of the bed, out of the matron's reach.

"Do not defy medical authorities, Mr Bak," she warned, the syringe in her hand reflecting the light. "You might be the Asia Branch Chief but you're in no position to speak here." Realising the Branch Chief was edging further away from her, she added, "Mr Won, would you kindly help me hold him down, please."

"With pleasure, Madame," he agreed readily, flashing the Matron a toothy grin as he approached his young master carefully, like a farmer ready to snatch his chicken up for dinner. In more peaceful times, Bak would have laughed at Won's attempts in impressing the Matron but right now, all he could think of was how to escape from the room. "Master Bak, forgive me. This is for your own good."

With that, he tackled the young man and threw him on the bed roughly, pressuring him down with his weight. As unmanly as it sounded, Bak shrieked.

"Do you need my help?" Fou asked above all the hoodlum of resistance beyond the curtains.

"No! Don't come in!" he shrieked back in horror as he felt his pants being tugged down slightly and there was a cold brush of alcohol on his skin. "You stay out of this!"

"Thank you for the offer, Miss Fou," she answered instead and Bak struggled with all his might to hitch up his pants while eyeing the curtains, afraid that Fou might suddenly barge in. He thrashed around and was about to sink his teeth into Won's arm when the Matron continued. "But it's fine, having worked here for many years, I've seen much worse. It pains me to say this but I'm rather used to dealing with troublesome patients like him. Besides, I wouldn't want to subject a young girl like you to some rather obscene views. And Mr Branch Chief, I'd appreciate it if you would stop making a scene, you are not a child."

"He's an idiot, that's what he is," Fou shouted from the other side of the curtain.

"Unfortunately, that is one ailment which I can't cure," she said as she watched the so-called genius crawling away under his sheets from his manservant. "Mr Won, hold him down and tight, please. This will only take a second."

For the first time in his life, Bak cursed himself for retaining a kungfu master in his permanent retinue when Won slammed him flat onto the bed and twisted his arm behind his back, constricting all forms of possible movement. He fought like a helpless butterfly caught in a spider web's deadly grip, struggling to no avail and could do nothing but watch as Monster Matron shadowed over him.

"Tell Lenalee I love her," he confessed as he felt pain shot through him from his rear. "And that I'm sorry but I have to kill her brother."

000

With a scalpel blade in one hand and a surgical saw in the other, the two deadliest items that he could find in the nearest surgical ward, Bak marched down the corridor like a man with a purpose.

Or a deranged psycho on a warpath, give or take.

Earlier he had dealt with Fou, the disaster. Now he turned his sights to Komui, the source of the disaster.

Despite his anxiety, however, he saw no reason to hurry himself and walked with a steady pace towards the Science Division's quarters. Komui's death was inevitable. He just needed to locate the man and do what he should have done ages ago. He didn't even spare an extra glance when he passed by the giant human-shape crack on the wall outside the cafeteria, his mind only focused on his intent.

It didn't take long before he arrived at the Science Division office. Although it was long past midnight, the office was still bustling with activities: scientists running back and forth, loud clanking of machines, explosions of failed experiments and cries of help as another scientist fainted from overwork. No surprise, it was Johnny.

"Get him to the infirmary," ordered a deadpan voice behind him. Turning around, Bak found Reever, haggard as ever, seated on a table with his back to him, his eyes still glued firmly to his work as he scribbled away furiously. In fact, the Section Chief was so deeply immersed in his work he didn't even seem to notice the Branch Chief's fiery presence beside him.

Bak cleared his throat.

Shoulders tensed, Reever slowly raised his head. If it was even possible, the Section Chief looked more haggard than usual, his cheeks and eyes sunken, his beard and hair unkempt, his frame almost skeletal and upon seeing him, looked as though he had one foot in the grave. Reever took one swift look at his face and then his hands. The instant he spotted the two weapons, he pointed to the Supervisor's private office. No words were exchanged.

No words needed to be exchanged.

Obviously, the man had no intention of playing the hero and sandwiching himself between a deadly crossfire again. To him, if the Branch Chief wanted to declare war on the Supervisor, it would be his own private business, one that Reever had no plans on diverting, having decided that he had expelled enough efforts on any matter regarding the two men. His subordinates seemed to share his sentiments as they scuttled away, like scared mice, leaving a clean path for the Branch Chief to tread.

Without a word of thanks, the Branch Chief swerved around the corner – just as Reever shouted for everyone to evacuate the quarters – and he entered the Supervisor's domain.

Only to stop still.

Very still.

Unconsciously, Bak backtracked, almost dropping his weapons, his mind unable to process what his eyes were seeing. At the far end of the room, the infamously lazy Supervisor was seated on his desk in deep concentration... working diligently on a few reports. This was indeed a shocking revelation for Bak since he was half-expecting Komui to be goofing around as usual – subsequently, creating havoc, or just playing dead to avoid work.

Seriously, the only other time he had ever seen Komui so committed to his duty was when Reever literally pinned him onto the table at gunpoint – which left him with no other choice. Bak resisted the urge to pinch his own cheek, to assure himself that he was not imagining things, an after effect of his injuries. It was unnerving and somewhat disturbing for him to discover Komui working as he should. Then, as though sensing the presence of another person in the room, Komui lifted his head from his work.

"Why hello, Bak-chan," greeted Komui pleasantly as he dropped his pen and shuffled the papers aside, waving enthusiastically from behind his desk. Happy and well-fed, he was a stark contrast to his subordinates outside. "Glad to see you up and about so soon. You gave us all a fright back there, you know and stop glaring at me like that, I wasn't the one who honoured you with that memorable greeting."

Too shocked for words, Bak momentarily forgotten what he was planning to say.

"Oh yes. Right, if it's about Miss Fou, you don't have to thank me," Komui said as he placed a hand over his heart dramatically, as though he was attempting to stop his heart from bursting out, literally, with pride. He didn't sound the least bit pretentious – there was only sincerity in his voice and perhaps, a little pride over his achievement. "Truly, Bak-chan, there's no need of gratitude. I was just doing my duty after all."

Unfortunately, his cheerful disposition did nothing except to blow Bak's anger out of proportion.

"Thank you? I ought to kill you!" he snarled viciously, eyes seeing red as he approached his target.

"Kill me? Why would you want to do so?" Komui said, genuinely shocked at the hostility directed at him. He watched Bak suspiciously and then his face slowly morphed into a look of compassion as he rose from his chair. "Are you sure you are all right, Bak-chan? Or maybe that blow to the head was more severe than I thought. Oh dear, I've repeatedly reminded Miss Fou to be more cautious with her newfound strength since she's still unable to control them properly yet. I think you should return to the infirmary, you don't seem too well."

Apparently, that was enough to make Bak stop in his tracks.

"I'm perfectly fine! The mons... matron personally discharged me. And stop beating about the bush, you know why I'm here!" Bak said, slamming a hard fist onto the desk. The items on the table bounced at the impact and a mug of coffee spilled all over a thick folder – instantly, Komui's hand shot out to save it as he fished a handkerchief out of his pocket, trying desperately to dry the papers. Alas, the folder was damaged beyond repair.

At that, he turned his head and stared crossly at the Branch Chief, lecturing him mutely with his eyes. He opened his mouth, as though he wanted to say something, then slowly he snapped it shut and his lips eased into a pleasant smile, so overly pleasant that it gave Bak goose bumps.

"Of course, of course, I'd expected this questioning session to come about sooner or later," Komui continued and without an extra glance, tossed the drenched folder into the paper shredder. From the way he said it, one would have thought he was expecting some kind of high profile interview and a celebrity photo shoot. "Put down those dangerous toys and have a seat, Bak-chan," he offered, slipping into his own chair on the other side of the table.

"I much rather stand," he declined sulkily, the itch on his rear still pulsing. Besides, standing—towering over Komui gave him a stronger sense of authority, some control over the seemingly hopeless situation, so he stood straight, chin high and shot a basilisk glare at the frivolous man who slumped comfortably in his chair.

"Suit yourself," Komui said cheerily as he poured himself another cup of hot steaming coffee. "Would you like some? Reever bought them for me when he went to town the other day, such a thoughtful man."

"No," he declined curtly, knowing better than to consume anything in the Supervisor's office. You would never know what's inside a seemingly harmless cup of coffee.

"Pity, it's freshly brewed Jamaican Blue Mountain. Only the best of the best," he sipped and sighed contently. His eyes swept over the unfinished paperwork, stacked up at daunting angles that defied gravity, and he scratched his chin. "I know you have a lot of questions, millions by the looks of it, but could you spare me just a few moments and let me sort out these reports before I attend to them?"

On impulse, Bak would have preferred to ignore Komui's request and proceed with the interrogation followed by murder. Instead, he was faced with an inner struggle of professionalism and self-interest, a conflict between his own desires and fulfilling his duties. In the end, he felt that work should take precedence (not to mention, Komui was bound to die in his hands anyway) and he permitted Komui to do as he pleased with a curt nod of approval. With a word of thanks, Komui returned to his work.

Looking around, he chose a spot by the shelves, safely distanced from the dormant Komurin but close enough for him to monitor the Supervisor's actions from the corner of his eye. If that man so much as stop working or attempt anything foolish – for instance, escape through a manhole – he would not hesitate to fire the scalpel in his hand. Duty or no, a Komui who didn't work, didn't deserve to live either. So, there he stood, stone-like and forbidding as a grim reaper, hawking over his prey as the man scribbled away leisurely on his desk.

After an indefinite amount of time, his feet started to ache and the comfort of the chair was almost too tempting to resist. Across the room, Komui was still hunched over some papers, showing no signs of stopping any time soon. The quiet atmosphere was almost peaceful enough lure him to sleep, something which he lacked for the last couple of months. Raising a hand up to his face, he pressed the bridge of his nose, biting down the urge to yawn.

"There we go," cheered Komui suddenly, shocking Bak out of his reverie. Like a prisoner released from jail, the Supervisor punched his fist into the air and slapped his book shut. He lifted his head and gestured enthusiastically for the shorter man to approach. Carefully, Bak made his way across the room and slid into the chair, somewhat relieved but still murder-alert with his weapons ready at hand. "Now, what is it that you want?" the Supervisor asked as soon as they were both comfortably seated.

"What I…! I want an explanation, that's what I want!" Bak exclaimed as he gripped the scalpel tightly, the sharp tip glinting in the light. "Fou, or whatever that overbearing creature is now, failed to provide me appropriate answers about her upgrade when I asked her. In fact, being the irresponsible person she is, she failed to provide me with any answers at all and told me to seek you out instead. So here I am, against my better judgment."

"And she's absolutely right about sending you my way. The matter involves too many technicalities – boring mechanics that would confound even the most indulgent of scientists." For a moment there, Bak was dumbfounded. How did Komui manage to see virtue in what was most obviously a fault on Fou's part? "But, let us skip all those mundane details – you can save that for your bedtime readings later – and address the matter at hand."

Now they were talking…

"All in all, I consider her my greatest success!"

… garbage.

"What do you mean your greatest success?" he said, his voice dropping dangerously low. "She belongs to the Chang clan, you dare lay claims on her?"

"Oh no, dear boy, I didn't mean it that way. I own no claim as to creating her of course, that privilege belongs solely to your great grandfather. You see, I'm not boastful by nature, but you will have to excuse me for feeling this teensy bit of pride over her upgrade, which had been most successful. The results were astounding and her capabilities exceed all expectations."

Oh, she exceeded expectations all right, Bak thought. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever considered the possibility of Fou growing up physically, an idea so absurd that he would have laughed over it for days (except now that it actually happened, he didn't think it was so funny any more). Call him old fashioned, but he had always settled with the idea that his gatekeeper would remain a short, spunky, silly brat who was out to destroy his life.

"Having her sprout a few inches is hardly a great achievement! It's not even necessary!" Bak argued, scowling for all it was worth.

"On the contrary, Bak-chan. A new body is exactly what she needed," Komui insisted.

"Rubbish! If there's something she need, it's a new brain," Bak replied, earning a strange affronted look from Komui. Fine, he might have been slightly callous in his wording but he still didn't believe he was wrong or his comment overly harsh. Considering the fact that Fou still possessed the mentality and behaviour of a spoiled brat even after living for a century, it was quite obvious that her brain, or the lack of it, still left much to be desired.

Realising he was digressing again and the fact that Komui was still alive – much to his chagrin – Bak continued impatiently. "You are wasting my time. I didn't come all the way here for idle chatter. You gave Fou a new body and I want to know why?"

"You mean you don't know?" said Komui, sounding quite surprised. "Strange, I would have thought you were smart enough to work out the math."

"No, in your case, I've always failed to grasp your perverse sense of logic. I don't even understand why did you do half the things you did and I sure as hell don't know why you did what you did to her. I trust you enough to leave her in your care for three months and she comes back to me looking like she's aged an extra ten years or more! So, either you provide me with a reasonable answer for that or I shan't be able to guarantee your safety!"

To his dismay, the Supervisor just grinned, showing a set of sparkling white teeth and Bak decided that this man either had a death wish or he was just unbelievably stupid.

"You know, I'm pretty sure you already have the answers in your heart," Komui said simply. "But since you insist on asking, I shall do my best to answer you and provide you with justifications for all my actions."

"I'm all ears," Bak answered defiantly. "Speak."

"First, her current physical state. Yes, I admit I derived a great deal of pleasure from studying your ancestor's work-of-art and it was certainly one of the most challenging experiences that I've ever faced in my entire career, but I didn't spend one too many sleepless nights cracking into her system just because I wanted to whet my scientific appetite or turn her into a beauty queen. No, my intentions were more selfless, more pure. Miss Fou has to undergo an arduous physical transformation because that was the first step in this upgrade. Without a new body, this project just can't proceed-."

"And why is that so?" Bak cut in suddenly, unable to contain himself. "Is this your idea of a joke or is it because of your incompetence?"

"It was neither, Bak-chan," he replied politely with mild irritation. "I'm getting to it. Oh, and in case you are wondering, her new physical form is not case of random. In fact, I have selected what my readings had suggested to be her most excellent form, one which would allow her to unleash her powers to its maximum potential."

"But who is she modelled after…," Bak asked as the thought came to his mind. Then, the realisation hit him like brick to the nose and he panicked. "Komui, she better not be modelled after one of your ex-girlfriends or grandmother!"

"Hey, my grandmother happens to be a beautiful woman—pretty girls run in my family," he said proudly and Bak certainly didn't feel like contesting him on that point. Oh, sweet Lenalee, a ghost of a smile crept onto his face as his mind began to drift away into one of his private fantasies when it was rudely interrupted by a man's voice. "But no, Miss Fou is modelled after no one but herself."

"How could that be even possible?" he said, mildly miffed at being brought back to reality so soon. "Fou wasn't meant to gr—."

"Look, could you stop interrupting for a moment, we're getting no where if you keep on slating your opinions before I can finish," Komui snapped, losing his patience. Gray met purple and both men locked glares in silence, the air cracking between them. After a few moments, Bak back down, realising that if the staring contest were to continue, he would never be able to force any information out of Komui. "Good, I appreciate the silence. Now, as I've mentioned months ago, I did say that the Headquarters have the manpower for this upgrading project, and one of the people I was specifically referring to was General Froi Tiedoll—."

"What does the General has to do with—," he said, clamping his mouth shut when Komui shot him a reproachful look.

"As I was saying, one of the General's many artistic talents is his rare ability to carry out morphology in his paintings or sculptures. Which means, just by observing Miss Fou's original form, he's able to predict her physical growth in a couple of years – assuming that she were to develop like an average healthy person – and map out the basic body structure for us. Combined with my expertise, I was able to create the perfect vessel for Miss Fou," he concluded with satisfaction.

"I understand the concept and its entire process," Bak replied, trying to divert his mind away from the idea of Fou hanging out with the French Exorcist-cum-artist. In his head, bossy gatekeepers and motherly generals just didn't mix and the idea disturbed his refined sensibility. "What I don't understand is how does that relate to Fou's upgrade? I thought you were only planning to increase her strength, attack skills, guarding abilities, communication transmission, generic functions: useful assets that would actually serve a purpose. A new makeover, coupled with a growth spurt is entirely uncalled for!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I would expect you to know better and to think that you and I were usually placed on the same page," Komui said, shaking his head tiredly. "Why a new body is required is simply a matter of elementary physics. Like most objects: the size of the host affects the capacity for storage. In Miss Fou's case, her child body suffers certain limitations whereby she would be unable to withstand a massive upgrade. In a scenario where I were to forcefully inject more power into her small body, there can only be two outcomes, one will be that she expand in size in accordance to her existing structure. You do understand what that means, don't you Bak?"

"She… she'll be fat," answered Bak quietly, a shade of green taking over his face.

"Precisely, and we certainly do not wish to see that happen, don't we?" Bak shook his head frantically with passionate rigour, ridding the repulsive image from his head. "I thought so. At any rate, a bloated figure will be detrimental to any form of combat or extreme motion."

"And the other?" he asked with dreadful trepidation.

"Try stuffing an elephant into a balloon and see what happens."

A horrifying image occupied his mind and Bak had to stamp down the urge to expel his last meal. Suddenly, he felt a dire need of smelling salts as cold sweat ran over his back. It was around then that Bak began to have an appreciation towards Fou's new form. Hands down, it was without doubt the lesser of the two devils.

"Terrifying, don't you think?" Bak gave an involuntary shiver that Komui didn't miss. "Given the tricky situation, I did what I believed to be the best for her."

"You overstepped your boundaries, Komui Lee," Bak said quietly. Boundaries he didn't know existed until today.

"And maybe I did," he agreed readily. "But if I did, it is for the better," he added cheekily.

"I'm not quite sure if I'm fine with it," he said, resting his head on his palm. "I don't believe this," he added, a silent acceptance in contrary to his words.

"Well, you better start believing now, Bak-chan," he said, taking a long sip out of his coffee, letting the words sink in. "You know I find this rather peculiar. In fact, your reaction… your contempt completely baffles me – I don't even understand why are you complaining, especially now, after everything has been said and done. If there was anything not to your satisfaction, you should have stated them earlier, upon the delivery of the weekly reports all those months ago. You could have left some remarks here or suggestions there, and we will certainly see to your demands and make any necessary changes."

Bak couldn't keep eye-contact with Komui. So, all of this happened because of him.

"I even went through the trouble to call you personally through the phone, just to make sure you are satisfied with the progress, but you know, it is just so hard to reach you. Your staffs always tell me you are too busy to take the call. Not to mention, for some reason, the line usually went dead the moment I mention Miss Fou's name. If I didn't know better, I would have thought her name was a taboo or curse or something."

He flinched and fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, like a thousand needles were pricking his backside. Suddenly, he didn't want to be there and sorely wished he was somewhere else, faraway back in China would have been nice. Heck, he was even starting to regret ever having board that train.

"Still, you made no comment after everything I've done, and I certainly couldn't delay the project any longer if I wanted to meet the two months deadline that you set for us. Therefore, we chose to proceed as planned," he continued. "Now, I'm sorry if you are upset about it but as they say 'silence means consent' and as of recent, you have been playing the part of a tomb quite persistently. I hate to say this, but you have no one but yourself to blame."

Being a genius, it was not within Bak's nature to ever question his own actions and he generally wasn't accustomed to the idea of making the wrong decisions. What more, Bak had always fancied himself as God's gift to mankind – the beacon of light in the hour of darkness, the voice of profound wisdom among the cacophony, the champion of all humans alike – but this once, he felt like the biggest loser to ever exist.

A feeling which he could neither relish nor cope with.

"Look, I know we have our clashes and disagreements on countless occasions, and that you would probably never consider nominating me for the annual 'Best Superior' award. But you must believe me that it was never my intention to upset you and I truly mean no harm. We both have so much to deal with right now with the on-going war and I'm not about to make it any more difficult for you. I might enjoy fooling around but I would have never upgraded Miss Fou into her current form without a valid reason," Komui explained kindly when he noticed his old friend's ashen face.

"Fine, I might have overreacted," he concurred reluctantly, the words rolling off his tongue like bitter medicine. "With good reason," he added when a wide grin spread over Komui's face.

"She grew up to be an attractive young lady, don't you think?" Komui said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"She's not ugly, if that's what you are trying to imply," he replied stiffly. Sure Fou was not a celestial maiden like Lenalee Lee, whose innocent beauty could melt even the hearts of cold-blooded murderers, or even a drop dead gorgeous courtesan like Anita, whose mere presence alone would make staunch, burly men swoon, but she was no ogre. Well, not in the aesthetic sense at least and she did possess a natural charm of her own – with her lively eyes, her confident smirk, her proud spirit – an unconventional beauty who would do the Chang clan proud…

At that, Bak mentally slapped himself – what was he thinking, lord forbid, it was Fou they were talking about. It didn't matter if she looked twelve or twenty, as a general rule, it would be wrong, weird even, for him to ever consider Fou as physically attractive.

"No, she's not, and I bid you good luck in beating off eager young lads that will come barraging at your door," Komui smiled knowingly. "I'm speaking out of experience, everyone knows I have one hell of a time fighting dirty, perverted scoundrels off my doorsteps, I have to protect my pure angel, my little dove from those slimy wolves roaming about."

"Fou can fend for herself if the situation ever arises," he stated confidently. While physically petite, Fou was neither angel nor dove – far from it, she was a gorilla in disguise! "I'm more worried about the safety of those stupid boys, though I highly doubt anyone would be crazy enough to be interested in her in the first place."

"Oh, you have no idea," Komui said sagely. "No idea at all."

"If there are, those pathetic fools ought to have their head shrunk. At any rate, the likelihood for such a situation to arise is probably as much as Allen Walker committing to a life of strict diet or Kanda Yu giving up soba for eternity. And I, for one, am not interested in discussing such impossibility."

"Impossibility, you say?" Komui said with a raised brow as he chortled. "Spare me a moment and let me marvel at your naivety. Right before your eyes is the living example of a man who is blessed with a beautiful young sister and has to live with the consequences. Mark my words, Bak-chan, it's only a matter of time before you come begging me for advice."

"I rather beg in the streets," Bak muttered under his breath and he was not even joking. "No, it is impossible, end of story." To that, Komui smiled – a maddening perspective smile, as though he knew him better than he knew himself.

Then, something occurred to Bak.

"So, let me get this straight. For the sake of upgrade, you've disposed Fou's original vessel in favour for a new one that allows her to accept the increase of abilities and power better," he said, in an eerily calm voice that Komui didn't seem to notice. "In the interim, you also employed the artistic service of General Tiedoll in this endeavour and both of you created a brand new body for her, a teenage body from the looks of it."

"Eighteen years old to be exact. That's how Miss Fou will look when she's eighteen, well, in terms of human age of course," Komui corrected. "Took you long enough to realise but I believe you're finally on the right track," he smiled as he stood up to pat his friend's shoulder on the back.

"But did it ever occur to you that she needed a wardrobe change as much as she needed the new body?" Bak asked, toneless. Komui paused, and then slowly pulled his hand back. "Never crossed your mind, did it?"

"No and well... I also didn't think it was such a good idea," he admitted, sounding sheepish for the first time.

"And you thought it was a good idea to let her gallivant around less than appropriately clothed in a male-dominated building?" he asked through a clenched jaw.

"Shhh, not so loud! Some of the men might be offended," Komui hushed, squirming nervously with a finger on his lips. "Well, not really. I just thought it'd be nice if she kept some of the original features of your great grandfather's design. You know, like some kind of honourable homage to his memory."

"You call letting her run wild in a state of semi-undress to be homage to my great grandfather?" he growled, his body trembling like a volcano on the brink of explosion.

"Well, I couldn't think of anything else and the clothes were pretty much the only thing we could afford to keep. Not to mention, she's been wearing them for so long that it has practically become synonymous with her identity—just like you and your silly cap!"

If Bak's anger were to materialize in visible form at that very moment, he would be billowing wafts of black smoke through his nostrils and streams of fire between his teeth.

"Besides, there's no harm in showing a little skin, especially when one happens to be an eighteen years old sexbomb!" Komui winked playfully.

And that was, shall we say, the final nail to the coffin. Inevitably, the last of Bak's restraint dispersed into the air – forget the scalpel, forget the saw – he did something he knew he should have done years ago.

With all his might, he punched Komui in the face.

000

Two unconscious men and pieces of a broken Komurin were brought to the infirmary much later on stretchers, led by a rather weary-looking Reever.

With hidden rage, the Matron slammed a hard fist to the table, shattering the furniture. "Why I never!"

000

A/N: I am never writing anything of this ungodly length again. Never. (but it was so fun) NEVER.

Look at the draft of your next chapter.

... D: (meep!)