They head down an extensive labyrinth of alleyways and streets; so many that Takao doesn't think he'll ever find his way back home. At least… not before ten. If only he had a pair of glass slippers that he could knock together three times to find his way home –wait, were the slippers glass? Or were they some other color? Topaz? Oh, he can't remember right now.

Mao leads him down another street and ducks under a pile of trash and through a tube. Yes, a tube. Through a pile of trash. A pile of stinking trash that stings Takao's nostrils and burns his eyes. "Oh my God," he mutters and mumbles as he crawls after Mao through the tunnel. "Sorry about this," she says with sympathy, "but it's the best hiding place we've got. Not just anyone can come meet Rei, you know."

Takao shrugs even though she can't see it – she's in front of him in the tunnel. "It's fine. It kind of smells like my room when it's hot out. I've got all these paintings made out of random things and grandpa refuses to put on the air conditioner." Mao laughs a little bit, "Oh I know how that is. Our leader is kind of similar… he's a little eccentric." "Rei?" Takao asks and Mao makes a little grunting noise, "No."

"…I thought Rei was-"

"He is," she cuts him off, "but our leader is the one who guides us and gives us wisdom. He's the reason we're a good gang." Takao frowns as he crushes a spider with his hand. Ew. Spider guts. He awkwardly wipes his hand on his jeans to get rid of the residue. "I don't even get why there are gangs, anyway," he says, "I mean…three years ago things weren't this bad. Everything just crashed and burned for some reason. What the heck happened…?"

Mao stays silent and crawls out of the tunnel without answering his question. Takao figures that it must be a bit of a sensitive subject with her. Hitoshi always said that kids were in gangs because of dead parents or…dead-beat parents. Neither of those things was particularly good. For once, Takao is glad he has his older brother and grandfather. Even if they're both…weird.

Takao pulls himself out of the tunnel and grunts when he steps in a puddle of mud. So much for keeping the hand-me-downs from Hitoshi in decent shape until they could afford new sneakers. Things were tight at the house, despite the fact that Takao's family was one of the more fortunate ones. He was lucky, despite the fact that grandpa didn't much approve of his artistic tendencies, he still bought him supplies to use. And art supplies are expensive.

"We're here!" Mao says with a laugh and a hair toss, "About your question, Rei knows more about it than I do, so you should ask him if you really want to know. Or Lee, for that matter. Lee is second-in-command." Takao rolled his eyes at the gang-lineage, first-in-command …second-in-command…blah blah blah. Stupid gangs and their …gang-ness. Oh God… Takao was about to meet a gang leader.

Mao pushes her back against the large door in front of them and uses all of her might to push it open. Takao would have helped her but he was too busy watching her in awe. "Wow Mao! You're a total beast!" She shoots him a glare, "I'll take that as a compliment because you're kind of stupid, okay?" "I-I meant it as one, honest!" Takao says with a slight flail of the arms, "I'm not great at giving compliments!" She laughs again, "Its fine! Like I said, you're kind of stupid."

"…Oi, Mao."

She rolls her eyes and moves back so he can walk past her. "I've gotta pull the door closed too, so get your tight jeans in here, okay?" Takao grins, "Oho~ another girl who can't resist my sense of style!" Mao rolls her eyes again, "Resist? More like it's impossible to miss! Those jeans are tighter than any pair I own, you know?" He laughs and walks past her, into the darkness. "So… are there any lights in here or are you just trying to creep me out?"

"Depends! Are you creeped out?" She asks without missing a step. "Oh, no way!" he lies though his teeth, "Takao Kinomiya fears no one! Takao Kinomiya is a man among men! Takao Kinomiya-" "Needs to explain why exactly he's here," replies a gruff voice, and Takao lets out a scared squeak. Along with an awkward chocking noise.

"Lee!" Mao says sharply, "Don't do that! You might give him a heart attack!" Lee laughs dangerously and watches Takao as the artist clutches his chest and nods in agreement. "Oh, come on! He was just saying how manly and tough he is." Mao makes a little hissing noise by pressing her tongue against her teeth, "You can tell that's not true by just looking at him. I mean, he's scrawnier than me, you know?"

"…Thanks, Mao," Takao deadpans as he stares at the girl, "Oh, hey! When did the lights turn on?" Mao shrugs, "They do that when they feel like it. This is Lee, if my yelling his name before didn't give you any indication of that. Lee, this is Takao. He helped me when some thugs were cornering me." Lee turns his look back to Takao and makes a little noise that sounds like a chortle of laughter to Takao if he's ever heard one. "Hey!" Takao instantly protests, "I may not be jacked like everyone else on the planet but I've got skills!"

"I would hope so," Lee says with a cocky drawl, "Or else I'd be questioning Mao's sanity right now." She sticks a tongue out at him while he's not looking and Takao grins a bit, regaining some of his lost confidence. "Yeah well, I'm pretty good at Kendo. Sword-fighting, things like that." Lee actually looks impressed for about three seconds, "So why is he here, anyway? Is he your new boyfriend or something? Rei wouldn't like that too much."

Mao tugs on the end of her ponytail, "No, nothing like that. He really helped me out and you know how Rei gets when he thinks he has to repay a favor. Rather bring him here than have to hunt him down later, right?" Lee gives a curt nod and Takao begins to wonder if he's there because she genuinely wants to thank him or because she's just being lazy. He's really starting to think it's the second one right about now.

"…Well, c'mon, then," Lee grunts, "The sooner this is done the sooner you can get out of here." "Way to make me feel welcome, man," Takao replies back quickly and Lee tilts his chin up. "Outsiders aren't welcome." Takao tosses his hair, "Yeah, no shit." Mao gives Lee a smack on the back of the head, "Hey! We're wasting precious time by standing here arguing!" So in they go. There are hallways beyond hallways, and Takao can't remember half of the turns they take.

Finally, the reach a room where the rest of the gang is hanging out. People are sprawled across furniture and the floor, laughing and some of them are sleeping. There's a picture of a large white tiger on the wall, and Takao manages to examine it briefly before Lee pushes him along. Some of the kids look up at him and watch him, but most of them just ignore him all together. In the back of the room there's a young man with sharp yellow eyes and …pointy cat-like teeth. Takao stares at him for a few moments and he simply stares back, as though he's used to this sort of treatment.

But the expression on his face is priceless when Takao points a finger and calls him, "Kitty!" Lee falls into laps of laughter and Mao presses her hands against her mouth to hide her grin. "R-R-Rei…" Mao puffs, "This is Takao. He s-sa..haha!! Oh, sorry! Um, he saved me from some thugs before. And I know how you like to th-thank people who help members of the White Tigers." Takao rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, "Aha… Sorry! I just kind of say what's on my mind sometimes… no one's ever told you that? Really?"

Rei regains his composure after a few more moments of shock. "A-Ah…no, it's fine. I was just caught off guard, that doesn't happen too often. So, you helped Mao? You have the thanks of the White Tigers. If there is anything we can do for you, do not hesitate to ask. We owe you one!" Takao takes a glance at Mao and then looks back at Rei, "Actually… I have a question. Why did all these gangs just start showing up out of nowhere? Why are things like this? It wasn't like this three years ago."

"Hmm. Okay. I don't know everything but I know what…basically happened-"

But before Rei can finish his sentence, the gang-members are going hectic. "Story time! Guys, its story time! Wake up Kiki, it' story time! Rei is gunna tell a story." In a matter of five minutes everyone is sprawled out on a pillow in front of Rei, even Takao, even though he didn't move to get a pillow. Some huge guy had tossed him down on one.

"Three years ago a man named Boris began to get involved in the politics of Beycity. I don't know exactly what he did … but prices went up on a lot of things and a lot of people lost their jobs. Lots of orphanages lost their income so the kids were pretty much kicked onto the streets. Some parents just…couldn't support their kids anymore or had no time for them because they had to work three different jobs at once. " Rei bows his head as he speaks and some of the kids nod their heads. Takao assumes that they're some of the ones who were kicked out of a home.

"Anyway…. Boris started this. He has ties with some of the older guys in gangs, too, though we're not sure who. Kids who had nowhere to go started to get together to survive. But you know what happens when kids run amuck in a neighborhood that's already going downhill. Things began to change… just like Boris wanted. He's out for just himself. He probably wants to take over the city once everyone who can stop him is out of his way."

Takao nods his head and leans back against one of the kids, and they don't seem to mind. "…And it'll probably only get worse," Rei says, "Until Boris gets everything he wants. Not unless someone stops him." The kids murmur among themselves and Takao finally gets why Mao was saying that the White Tigers were a good gang. "You guys are going to try to stop him, aren't you?"

Rei gives Takao a curt nod. "That's right. And I know we'll succeed. It'll take a little time but soon enough everything will be better, and we'll all be able to go home…or find homes." Takao stands and brushes off his jeans, "Well… Rei. I… that's great. If there's anything I can do to help you guys beat him, ask me. Because I want things to be back to normal again too." Rei looks at Takao for a moment, and then grins. "Really? Do you have any skills?"

Takao laughs, "Of course! I'm not the greatest artist, but I'd be more than happy to paint some propaganda posters bashing this Boris guy." Mao rolls her eyes and Rei laughs, much to everyone's surprise, "Draw him with one of those stupid curly mustaches and we have a deal!" Lee coughs and sends Rei a look, but the two boys are too busy chumming it up to notice.

"But seriously," Rei says after a few more bad jokes are shared, "do you have any fighting ability?" Takao shrugs his shoulders, "I know Kendo and basic martial arts. My Kendo is pretty good because I train pretty much every day." Rei nods and taps his fingers against his leg, "Hmm. Alright. From now on, you're welcome here, Takao Kinomiya, for as long as you'd like." Takao isn't sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Both, probably. Now he's friends with a gang so he can probably walk safe at night now! But he's…friends with a gang.

"O-Oh, man, really? Thanks! I'm sure we'll be great friends!" Takao laughs, giving Rei a highfive. "I'll walk you out," Rei says, "You probably won't be able to find your way out by yourself." Takao shakes his head, "Nah, you guys are crazy good with confusing people. That'd be great, Rei! Uh, what time is it…anyway?" Mao perks her head up from a pile of kids, "About one o'clock, why?"

Takao's jaw drops. "One!?! ONE!?!" Lee rolls his eyes, "What, past your curfew?" "YES," Takao gasps, "Holy shit I have to get home oh my GOD my grandpa is going to kill me." Rei leaps up from his seat with cat-like grace. "Alright. Lee, come with us. Everyone else…we'll be back soon. So try not to trash the room while we're gone?"

Again, they're going through the twists and turns of the halls of this place. It feels like forever until they reach the front door. Takao groans to himself a little bit as Rei shoves the front door open. But Rei does it much quicker than Mao, the guy must be really strong. They head out and back into the stinky tunnel that makes Takao want to cry. But once they get out of the tunnel, he instantly wants to go back in.

"Bladesharks," Lee snarls as Carlos eyes him up, "You're on our territory. Back off." "I don't see your name on it," Carlos snarls back, and Lee just points to the fence on his right. In huge white letters reads WHITE TIGERS. "Unless you can't read," Rei says with the lift of his chin. Carlos glares at the fence for a moment, and then looks back at the boys. Takao wishes he could sink back into the shadows, but Kai isn't there, so he doesn't think he's in any immediate danger.

But Carlos notices him. "Hey, you're—Kinomiya!" Takao swallows, "Uh. Yo! Carlos, right? Hah..hahaha!" "I didn't know you were part of the White Tigers – so you ARE part of a rival gang!" Rei snarls a little bit, "Back off and get out of my sight. You don't wanna mess with me, do you? It's three on three, but I think we're more than a match for the likes of you." Carlos grins, "Oh, don't worry. We're not going to mess with you tonight. We were just doing some snooping. You know."

Rei crosses his arms, "Well, your snooping stops here. Lee crosses his arms as well, and Takao follows suit, trying to not stand out in any way. The only thing that keeps running through his mind is I Am An Artist Why Am I Here Oh My God Grandpa Is Going To Kill Me.

Carlos shrugs, "Fine, fine. We'll get off your turf. This time. But now that we know where your little tunnel is…well, we'll be back. This'll be our area soon enough." Carlos turns on his heel and walks away without awaiting an answer from Rei. He knows he's safe, Rei has too many morals to attack from behind. Lee huffs and makes to go after them, but Rei holds a hand out. "Don't worry about them. They're of no concern."

"…They know where you guys are, though," Takao says, "Aren't you worried?" "No," Rei replies, "The hallways in the house are like that for a reason. They'll never find their way to our room before we find out they've gotten in. And I'd like to see them try and burn it down." Takao nods his head and doesn't say anything more about it. Rei seems certain, but Lee doesn't seem too sure. Takao can tell.

"…Okay. Uh, I don't really know how to get home from here…" Takao says with a little laugh and a sheepish neck-rub. "Oh, right," Rei says "I'll help you get back."

Takao just hopes that Grandpa hasn't noticed he's been gone for so long. He really hopes so.

-----

Turns out, Grandpa hadn't missed him at all. Grandpa just went to bed at his usual time of ten o'clock and didn't even leave the door unlocked. Which is why Takao was sleeping on the porch. Which is why Hitoshi found him sleeping on the porch in the morning when he came home from being on the road for over a month. Which is why Takao was now sporting a very nice bruise on his face.

"Hitoshiiiii," Takao groans as his older brother leers over him in the kitchen, "I'm telling you, it's not my fault! Grandpa locked the door before I got home! How was I supposed to know!?" "You should have been home before grandpa locked the door, Takao. You know that." "Oh, c'mon!" Takao sighed, "I'm not a baby; you don't have to treat me like one."

"I wouldn't punch a baby in the face," Hitoshi responds, to which Takao has to repress a Yes You Totally Would. That would just get him another punch in the face. "Sorry…" he mutters as he rests his forehead on his arm, "I just lost track of the time. I didn't know you were coming home today either." "I wasn't," Hitoshi says with a sigh as he places his suitcase down on the kitchen counter. "I decided to pop in on my favorite baby brother to see how he was doing."

Takao rolls his eyes, "I'm your only brother, and if I wasn't I doubt I'd be your favorite." Hitoshi laughs a little bit. "Yeah, well. I'm not staying long. I just wanted to give you something." Takao looks up at his brother, "Give me something?" Hitoshi clicks open the suitcase and it falls open, revealing a new set of paints. "They weren't cheap, but I knew you'd like them, so I got them anyway."

That Hitoshi. Always doing something mean like punching him in the face and then doing something nice right after it so the punch was void. Takao takes the package and opens the front flap gingerly, "…Gee. You…didn't have to get me anything, Hitoshi." "I know," Hitoshi responds with an arched eyebrow, "Well? Don't I get a hug?" Takao rolls his eyes, "You know I'm too old for that kind of thing!"

"Tch, whatever."

"…Thanks, bro."

Grandpa takes this moment to grace the boys with his magnificent presence, "Mornin' T-man! Hitoshi, when'd you get back? You weren't supposed to head here till next week, no?" "I'm just here for a little visit," Hitoshi says airily, "Don't need to get all worked up about it. It's not good for your blood pressure." "My blood pressure is off the heezy!" Grandpa complains, and Takao rolls his eyes.

"I'm going to use these paints on my new painting. I even have a fresh new canvas waiting for this. I'm going to paint a beach, but not just any beach! A beach in space." "…A beach in space, Takao? That's stupid," Hitoshi scoffs, "Don't waste the paint on something you're going to quit halfway through." "I'm not going to quit this one!" Takao replies quickly, "This is going to be my best yet!"

Grandpa sets the kettle on the stove and flicks on the gas as Hitoshi closes his suitcase again, "Sure, Takao. I believe you. Well, I'd better get going. My next plane leaves within the hour. See you next week, hm?" Takao follows Hitoshi out of the room and leans against the wall as his older brother slips on his shoes, "Did you really come here to just give me those paints?"

"What? I can do something nice without an ulterior motive, can't I?" Hitoshi says with a smile and Takao just shakes his head no. "Don't worry about it, Takao," Hitoshi says as he stands up and reaches for the door. Takao quickly hugs his brother from behind before darting back into the kitchen. Hitoshi stands there for a few seconds, surprised, and then smiles a little bit.

"Too old for hugs, huh?"

Takao spends the next few days cramped up in his room painting his newest inspiration with the new paints. He doesn't paint recklessly like he normally does; rather, he starts out with very basic colors for a general gist. Grandpa pokes his head in every so often to watch his grandson and to pry him out for his daily kendo lessons.

Once a week passes grandpa decides to toss Takao out on his rump again. "Geez, grandpa! Fine, I'll go somewhere." He moans as he slips into his mud-caked shoes, "And can't I get new shoes soon?" Grandpa just waves him off with the kendo stick, which Takao takes as a no. He pounds the pavement and picks at the paint stains on his hands.

As he walks the smell of hotdogs drifts past his nose and his mouth waters. He turns down the street and heads over to the stand and buys three hotdogs and two sodas. The man behind the stand watches in awe as Takao devours two of the hotdogs with ease, and carries the rest of his foodstuffs away. He reaches the art museum again and sits on the steps outside with his final hotdog and sips on one of the sodas. Once he's done with the hotdog he slips inside the building to do some more exploring.

Okay, that's not exactly true. He's going to go back to that gallery – Kai's gallery –and have a good look around. He heads into the new artist gallery and looks around. Everything is the same, which is…understandable, considering it hasn't been that long since he's last been there. When he gets to the gallery he wants to see, he peeks inside, half expecting Kai to be in there again. But it's empty. He gives a sigh of relief and steps in.

The paintings are all beautiful as he remembers. Bright colors, beautiful precision, craft strokes… but there's something missing. Something Takao just…can't put his finger on for the life of him. They're stunning paintings but they're…cold. Like ice.

Which makes sense to Takao. Kai is like, the king of ice. With eyeballs that do weird things and…very buff arms. Yes. No more thinking about Kai and his buff arms. That might be bad luck—

"What are you doing here?"

Takao tenses up and his heart starts racing. He turns his head slowly and sees none other than the infamous Kai. "Um…nothing?"

He can barely speak, but his mind is screaming. Oh my god look what happened I knew this was a bad idea why is he here he's going to kill me why does this always happen people always sneak up on me oh my God grandpa I'm sorry I didn't live a very good life and was a terrible grandson.

Kai does not look amused in the least. Takao stares at the older boy and then holds out the soda he hasn't touched. "Want..some…soda…?" Kai stares at the cup, Takao, the cup, Takao, the cup, and then Takao again. All without the expression on his face changing. "I don't like soda."

"What do you like, then?" Takao asks nervously, trying to keep Kai's mind off of the subject of death and how to make someone experience it. Kai takes a step forward and Takao kind of wants to cry, but Kai just brushes past him to look at the painting of the mansion on the wall. Takao takes a few steps back and slips to the floor, sitting Indian style and looking up at Kai's imposing back.

"What do you li—" Before Takao can finish asking the question a second time, Kai stalks out of the room without a second glance back. Takao sits on the floor, flabbergasted with a fluttering heart. Oh God, he was going to get grey hairs, and he knew it. But…something pings in the back of his mind. There's something about this Kai that he just…needs to unravel. Why won't he beat the shit out of him in this room? Or this museum, for that matter?

The next day Takao waits in Kai's gallery again but Kai never shows. The next day, the next day, and the next day, but Kai is a no show. Finally, Kai comes back. Takao is sitting on the floor of the gallery, sipping a soda casually. He's gotten so used to expecting Kai to walk in that when he finally does he isn't phased. He just looks up at Kai and points at the water bottle to his left. "You never told me what you like, so I just brought water."

Kai stares at him like he's absolutely insane, but doesn't ignore him this time around. "Do you sleep in here or something?" he asks with an agitated twinge laced in his voice. Takao shakes his head, "No! I just… I like the museum, and this room has the best heating. It's all the way in the back. It's getting cold outside." Kai rolls his eyes, "So you decide to sit in here? The next room over is warmer."

"I'm a delicate boy. I can't take too much heat." Kai sits across from Takao, on the floor as well, and shoots daggers into the other boy's face. "Go away." Takao swallows a little bit and then shrugs, "It's a free world! I can sit wherever I want until museum security drags me away." "Or I do." Kai responds promptly and Takao laughs nervously, "A-aw, come on. I'm not hurting you!"

"You spat in my face."

"You destroyed a bunch of famous paintings! I think you deserved it."

Kai just stares at him now and Takao slides the water bottle over to him. Kai looks at it and then back at Takao. "You look thirsty!" Takao says, neglecting to mention that Kai looks thirsty for blood and not water. Kai shrugs and looks at the wall, very intent on not looking at Takao Kinomiya.

"…Gee, Kai. Do you always turn down the things you want?" Takao asks with an eyeroll. Kai looks at Takao like he wants to say something, but changes his mind. Instead, he grabs the water bottle and flings it at Takao. Because Takao doesn't have the reflexes of a cat like Rei or even one of an athlete like Max, it hits him hard in the chest. He groans in pain, "Jesus Christ."

"That's for spitting in my face." With that, Kai gets up and walks swiftly out of the room.

The next day Takao is there again, sporting paint stains on his face and hands, with a new soda for himself and a new water bottle for Kai. Only this time he's changed the brand of water. Kai sits across from him again with the same face. Takao talks about random things and Kai just…sits there and glares at him.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Takao says finally and Kai looks at the wall, "No shit." Takao slides the water bottle to Kai who ignores it as usual, and pulls his knees up to his chest. "….So….why do you come here if you don't like paintings?"

"…Why do you come here if you know I'm going to be here?" Kai replies while still looking at the wall. "I'm curious," Takao says, "I don't know. My grandpa likes it when I get out of the house too. I usually spend most of the day in my room painting."

"So you spend the rest of the day stalking me?" Kai asks without humor. Takao laughs and rubs the back of his neck, "Well it's not like…well… no, really!" Kai sighs and gets up without another word and leaves. This happens for a good amount of time. Takao waits for Kai to show up for a few days, they talk for about ten minutes, and then Kai leaves and Takao sprints out of the museum before Kai can decide to come back and finally beat him up.

The leaves on the trees begin to fall and school starts up again, a little later this year due to Governor Boris's decree. Takao's painting still isn't finished, but he's in no rush to complete it. He's continued his random dealings with Kai, much to the older boy's displeasure.

"Gee, Takao," Max says one day, "You sure have been spending a lot of time at the museum. "Not really," Takao replies without missing a beat, "I just like to go there for inspiration. An artist needs inspiration." Max laughs and shakes his head, "Sure, buddy." Takao stands and slips his book-bag onto his back, "I'm actually headed there now. My inspiration tanks are a little low; I need to pump them up!"

Max rolls his eyes, "Sure things Takao. Just make sure you come back within Curfew." Takao grabs a water bottle from his desk, "Don't I always?"

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed or faved the last chapter! I really appreciate your interest in this silly little story. I wonder, can any pinpoint the random thing that symbolizes Takao in this chapter? It's pretty obvious butttt I want to know how obvious~! Uhmmm… Yes. I have a feeling this will end soon because it's just a mini-story, butttt. Thank you, readers! Feel free to review or crit or w/e, I appreciate it all.