Last opening chapter before we start the real stuff.
Minato knew that wearing the hat wasn't going to necessarily keep him from being spotted, but it really wouldn't hurt.
'I hate how thick my hair is though, makes my head itchy.' Plus his hair was especially untameable once the hat came off.
He'd gotten the quotes on everything needed for the room remodel, now he just needed to give Satori a call and give him the numbers and see where they'd go from there. Chances are the guy would green light the project and he'd start within a month.
With his usual jeans, white T-shirt and a black jacket topped with his simple black baseball cap, he walked passed the building he'd wished would go into foreclosure. Teito Tower, the headquarters for MBI.
The closer he got to it, the more his empathic ability went haywire. There were too many inside still, and it was all a jumbled mess. A couple of times as he waited for the crosswalk signal to change, he'd felt a peak or two of emotion. But again, it was too mixed with all the others to tell what he was feeling.
This followed the inevitable path until he thought of who was likely to still be in that building, and Minato tried to find anything possible to distract himself from those thoughts.
The closer they got to the official start of the game, the more he found his mind drifting towards them.
'I hope both of you are happy and doing well.' And this was all he allowed himself to think on the subject.
He couldn't afford too much time thinking about people he might not ever be able to spend time with again. If Matsu was correct, and she almost always is, the first mass release would happen in a few days.
Things were going to change quickly for him, Miya and Matsu once that happened. He wasn't stupid, he knew that Sekirei were going to be drawn to him. If not because he had winged #'s 1 and 2, then because of his own genetics.
The only reason Takami and Minaka had been allowed entry into the ship was because they were potential ashikabi. With both sets of DNA running through his veins, in addition to being half Sekirei, there was no doubt in his mind what was going to happen.
There was a longer spike coming from somewhere high in the tower, though he didn't recognize who it was, just as the signal changed and he could proceed onward.
The crowd moved with him, leaving Minato as just another drop in the sea of people in what had once been Tokyo. Personal cars and taxis passed by, some honked to try and urge the pedestrians across faster so they could turn, the echo of a plane loomed overhead.
None of that seemed to register to him.
Twice now, in just as many days, Minato felt his heart starting to beat harder, his breathing becoming more difficult, and his mind wanting to look in a single direction to the exclusion of anything else.
'Shit..she's around here.'
And he almost wished he'd stayed home like Miya had wanted.
Minato picked up the pace, hoping that he'd be able to free himself of the feeling. He'd already decided to ignore it for as long as possible, hoping it would go away so he wouldn't have to alter her plan for the future because of him. But that wasn't all. Minato wasn't sure how he'd cope if he let that hope infect him, only to find out later that he couldn't in fact be winged.
It was a core part of a Sekirei's being, something sacred, something to be cherished.
It didn't work, in fact, it seemed as though she were much closer now than when he'd been on the other side of the street.
His eyes searched for her without his consent, an instinct long dormant bursting forth and taking control.
'I should run. Down the street, to the park, anywhere!' But it would make him simultaneously suspicious and crazy, which was counterproductive to staying hidden until the time was right and Minaka had no other choice but to allow him into the game.
Miya and himself were safe from the countermeasures put in place by MBI, but none of the others were. Too many lives were at stake, which left only one option.
Minato continued on his way, hoping that Yukari wouldn't see him.
"Oh, hey Minato!"
Glancing up to the sky, Minato cursed the maker.
'If this is divine providence, i'm not sure i'm a fan.'
An instant later, he laid eyes upon her again. Black hair that fell neatly down passed her chin, deep blue eyes, an innocent smile. She was beautiful, different from Miya in her traditional looks, different from Matsu with her intellect and constantly evolving fetishes. Yukari was more of a modern beauty. New, adventurous, less burdened by the past and more ready for tomorrow.
A smile bloomed on his face before he could stop it, his body not willing to hide what he felt from just looking at her.
"When I said that I hoped to see you around, I wasn't expecting it to be a day later." His comment earned a chuckle and a wider smile, something that made his stomach and heart decide to flip over each other several times.
"Sounds like fate to me." It was hard not to wince at the rebuttal that had almost seemed like her flirting with him. It was the same reaction anytime someone said something about fate.
"Well whatever force brought it about, It's good to see you again." And that was the truth, despite everything else he felt. Minato could try and run away from what his body, his soul, was telling, but those pieces won out over the mind most of the time.
In short, he couldn't fight this. He knew he couldn't fight this.
"So what has you down in the center of the city?" His eyes were glued as she brushed a strand of hair behind the left ear slowly.
"Oh the usual. Picking up the kids while the wife heads to work."
Those cerulean eyes widened to the point that it had to be painful, her jaw dropping in shocked horror.
Minato chuckled, not sure why the urge to joke with her came around, but he enjoyed the reaction.
"I'm kidding."
A relieved sigh came out of her, and Minato was pretty sure she hadn't meant to do it.
'She feels it too…' It was the only thing he could think of.
"What about you? Exploring the city or something?" He asked in order to change the conversation. For some reason, Minato was really dreading the thought of saying that he did indeed have a wife. Two in fact. The legal system could go fuck itself.
"Wandering around before I catch my mom with a surprise lunch date." She gave him that smile again, the one that pushed his reaction up to 11. He had to get out of here before he did something stupid.
Like try and kiss a girl he'd just met out in public when there was a small chance that wings could sprout from his back.
"I gotta run and get these quotes back to your building. Make sure to tell fate that our next meeting should give us more time to talk."
Minato could pretty much confirm his theory of her feeling some of his own reaction when she looked a little panicked. Likely trying to find a way to keep him around for some reason she couldn't explain.
He didn't give her the chance. Minato walked by with a smile and his eyes lingering on her for as long as he could without turning his head.
-LineBreak-
Yume, the sekirei of fate, released a deep breath as she wiped the water from her body. After this morning, she'd been in a mood to punch something. Hard.
Luckily for her, there was an always willing opponent in her friend Karasuba. When she'd stomped into the training room with a scowl, #4 merely rose an eyebrow, wondering what had the usually happy woman fuming.
All it took was Yume getting herself into a stance for Karasuba to smirk and dash forward. It was the kind of fight that her friend had been wanting for a while now. No talking, no plans, just a clash between powerhouses.
Yume had the advantage, her light abilities made weaponry a poor matchup. If Karasuba's sword stayed in contact with that pulsing energy for too long, it would start to disintegrate. In any other sparring match, Yume usually just stuck to her fists and feet, feeling bad about leaving her opponent at such a disadvantage.
This time was different. #8 wanted to push everything from her mind except what was going on in front of her. Karasuba had been put on the defensive quickly, keeping minimal contact whenever possible.
Each slash that came her way tore a small piece of the memory of that morning away. Slowly, Yume started to forget about the way her chest had been engulfed in a heat so profound that it was a wonder her heart hadn't stopped.
Throwing the towel down with a huff, Yume stormed out of the locker room. She was thinking about it again, which ticked her off.
'I don't want anyone else. He was supposed to be the one.' But he was dead, and there was no coming back from that.
Walking towards the elevator, Yume had to head up towards Takami's office. She was supposed to have given her decision on whether she'd stay in the disciplinary squad for the remainder of the S-plan.
The director had offered for her to leave the employ of MBI, and was expecting a response by the end of the day. Given the events of this morning, she was almost inclined to stay with the squad.
But then again, she knew that there was a reason he had made the offer in the first place.
The elevator opened, a sleek and modern stainless steel look with each of the 87 buttons glowing a soft blue. In truth there were 88 floors, but the top one was Minaka's personal space, and only accessible from the lowest basement.
Pressing for the 87th floor, Yume considered Minaka's proposal and possible agenda behind it.
'His game wouldn't be as fun if the end result were already decided. Having Karasuba and I playing for him tips the scale too far one way.'
She could see him wanting new blood in the squad to keep things new and exciting. Her eyes narrowed as she thought of what else she'd heard whispers about.
'If I am to accept another as my ashikabi, it most certainly will not be Natsuo.'
At first he had seemed like a nice enough man, but there had always been something about him that she couldn't put her finger on, something that made her weary of him.
It wasn't until him speaking with Karasuba that it made sense. Natsuo Ichinomi hated the world, and he didn't care if it burned to ashes. Both he and Yume had someone taken from them, but the results couldn't have been more different.
She had not lost her compassion because her pain.
The elevator slowed, the call for the 87th floor being made just before the door opened. There was a voice on the other side that she couldn't quite make out until the person came into view.
"-And I said no. She has one more adjustment before she's ready for release. Unless you want one of them losing control and ruining your game…" Takami trailed off as the person on the other end interrupted, giving Yume a halting gesture with her hand before stepping in the elevator herself.
"Glad you can see reason once in a while." She hung up the phone and sighed, pressing the 1st floor button.
"Minaka?" Yume asked, already expecting the answer.
"Minaka." Takami nodded.
There was silence as the elevator started descending the tower, one that Yume felt she should break by just coming out and saying what it was that she'd intended.
"He's kicking you off the discipline squad." Takami beat her to it, still looking straight ahead.
Yume's eyes widened, honestly surprised by the blunt way the MBI chairman was shifting his game.
"The… incident from this morning, has apparently made him decide that your release is more to his liking." The features of both women darkened.
Yume, because of the implied meaning. She was to be a pawn in his game rather than an enforcer of its rules. This would mean she'd be forced to hurt her brothers and sisters. If it wasn't of her own free will, than she'd have to for self-defense.
"There was another that had a rather overwhelming response to our passerby, and he wants her released as well. Problem is, she hasn't had her final tuning yet."
Now Yume understood. Takami had been sick of the directors antics for a long time, and the closer the game got, the more unpredictable his whims became. It felt like every time they completed a task he'd demanded be done, his motives flipped and they were doing something that went almost completely against the previous request.
What Yume had never understood was why Takami allowed Minaka to continue on however he wished. The woman beside her had gone through a period of self-reflection several years ago, one of the few times she'd left MBI for a much needed vacation.
When she came back, Takami had treated all of the Sekirei better, though her interactions with MBI staff hadn't changed. She was a rather stern woman, but Yume could feel the underlying warmth. She cared for the Sekirei, their physical and mental health. What could Minaka be holding over her head for this long?
It had to be something, because otherwise it made absolutely zero sense.
"Let's go grab some lunch and talk about the timeline for your release."
Takami gave her a look that was well remembered. It was her way of saying 'I need to tell you something that can't be said near cameras and hidden mics.'
Yume was glad that she'd showered immediately after sparring with Karasuba, otherwise she'd be trekking out in the capitol smelling like sweat and blood. Not something she really wanted to do.
She got enough looks because of her appearance(men staring at her chest), another reason wasn't needed.
"I could use a bite to eat." Yume answered with a smile, though internally she wondered just what would transpire in this upcoming conversation.
"First floor, Main Lobby." The same automated voice from before called, and was quickly drowned in the madness that was the ground floor of MBI headquarters.
People milled about, some employees, others looking to hand off a resume, and some there just to complain about one thing or another.
"Good, there's a nice quiet place a few blocks down." Takami stepped out, and Yume followed.
Weaving through the bystanders, Yume might have lost sight of Takami if it weren't for her silver hair. She was well aware that humans aged differently than a Sekirei, but Takami wasn't old enough to have had all of her hair lose its color. The stress of her job had really taken its toll.
When Takami stopped and turned suddenly, Yume nearly collided with a middle aged man of a portly build. He cursed from having to redirect so quickly, shot her a glare and then moved on his way.
"Yukari?" Takami turned towards the receptionist desk.
Yume looked over and saw a young woman with dark hair talking to the employees. She wore a brown coat with a black skirt and brown shoes with white calf-high socks.
Takami took long strides towards the desk, calling out to the young woman again. The girl turned, and Yume was surprised she hadn't come to conclusion earlier of why Takami would change from leaving the building like that.
The facial structure was nearly identical.
If Yume hadn't heard Yukari smile and yell out "There you are mom! I was trying to surprise you!" she still would have determined the relation between the two.
Yukari went over to her mother quickly, hugging Takami before the head researcher could wrap her head around the situation.
"How did you even know where I worked?" Takami asked as Yume got close.
'Uh oh…' Yume thought. That could be bad. If Takami had never mentioned who her employer was, and yet Yukari knew, what else had she managed to find out?
-LineBreak-
Having decided to get lunch anyway, Yukari sat with them at the table.
It wasn't as bad as Takami or Yume suspected. The young woman had only stumbled on some memo's that had nothing important on them, which Minaka had sent to Takami about his desire to be a part of his daughter's life.
So not only did she know where Takami worked, she knew who her father was. And looking at her now, Yume could see the small bit of Minaka in her.
Even though the director wore those glasses that always hid his eyes, Yume had seen him without a few times. Every other part of her though, that came from Takami.
His eyes were an exact copy of the girl in front of her, the same deep blue.
"Once I figured out that you worked for MBI, it explained why you were so busy all the time."
Yukari took a sip of her water as they waited for appetizers. Takami sighed with a smile, feeling a small weight on her shoulders shift. Not leave, merely changing places. Because once the plan became known to the public, Yukari was probably going to reevaluate how she saw her mother.
"I wish you'd told me." They were seated outside, the afternoon sun and their clothes keeping them warm enough. Takami had insisted they sit outside because she desperately needed to smoke as they ate.
"Mom, I really doubt you wanted to talk about work when you came home. I wanted that time to be for us, not about your job."
Takami took a drag of her cigarette, exhaling slowly as she eyed her daughter and carefully considered how to word her next question.
"And the reason you never asked about...?"
"My father?" Yukari finished when it seemed Takami didn't know what words to use.
Takami nodded.
"Because I trust you. Granny always said you never did anything without thinking it over, even as a kid. If you think it's a bad idea for him to be a part of the family, then I support you."
Yume was feeling like a third wheel at the moment, but she was smiling from the tenderness of it all.
"I knew you were only doing what you thought was best for me, especially after our talk at the apartment the other day."
Their appetizer came at last, alleviating some of the tension around the table. It was silent for only a few moments as they each took bites of salad or breadsticks. Italian cuisine wasn't what Yume had thought would be on the menu today, but she wasn't complaining. The cucumber based salad dressing was delicious and addictive.
"So who's your friend?" Yukari spoke as she lifted another bite towards her mouth, her eyes drifting down towards Yume's chest and tried to hide the fact she was doing so.
Yume looked between the two, feeling their gazes lock on her, with a mouthful of breadstick.
Takami huffed a single chuckle at her, getting Yume to pout as much as she was able at the moment.
"This is Yume, she's the head of security for MBI." Thinking on it, that was probably the best description of her job without getting into dangerous waters.
Yukari looked at her with clear respect in those blue eyes.
"Wow, you go girl! And here I thought the corporate world was still pretty much male dominated."
Swallowing her food, Yume smiled.
"The director is many things, but he doesn't care who or what you are if you're the best for a job."
Not even Takami could refute that point. It had angered quite a few people when some of the female tuners were given higher positions then the men.
It seemed as though Yukari knew this was a bad line of conversation to continue, though she likely had a plethora of questions about the father she'd never met.
When the talking stalled, Yume thought about what might interest a woman Yukari's age, and changed the subject.
"So Yukari, you have a boyfriend or someone special?" Takami didn't seem to appreciate her way of altering the conversation at all.
She seemed to like it even less when Yukari stalled, like she was picturing a moment with someone.
"No boyfriend but… I met someone interesting."
"What?" Takami hissed, and it looked positively demonic with the cigarette smoke coming out through her nostrils.
"You've been in the city for 2 days!"
Yukari rolled her eyes.
"Relax mom, i'm not going back on our promise alright?" Yume was a little curious as to what this promise might be about.
"I've talked to him for like… 5 minutes total."
Takami only relaxed in the slightest amount.
Chuckling, Yume continued, feeling more at ease talking to Yukari now that the conversation was something she loved to talk about, people finding each other and falling in love. Being present near the start of it all was something she'd wanted to experience.
"Your mother's protectiveness aside, tell us about him! What's he like?" As much as it was for her own curiosity, it would be prudent for Takami to hear this as well for any red flags.
Yukari had seemed a lot like her mother since the time they'd met up at the tower, but Yume watched as her face broke into a hopeful smile, and knew that the young woman was just as driven by romance as most of her sisters.
"We met when I walked around the apartment building mom and I went to yesterday. I walked by this door with a bunch of garbage outside, and he came by me to pick it up, I guess it's a friend of his or something."
Lost in their conversation, neither saw the way Takami's face fell and her eyes widened.
"Nothing really special happened. He introduced himself and asked if I was a new resident, said that everyone there was really nice. I saw him a little bit ago while I was walking around before going to your building."
Yukari sighed in a way that Yume was familiar with. A girl wanting more. She wanted to see this guy again, the sooner the better.
"It's weird. I really don't know anything about him, but it's just so…" Yukari trailed off and looked at Yume, only to notice a particular part of her clothing and brighten up.
"Actually, maybe you know him!"
"Yukari-" Takami tried to interject, knowing exactly where this was going. She'd wanted to bring this possibility up to Yume, but this wasn't how it should be done. What Takami thought she saw shouldn't have been possible given the knowledge they'd had at the time, but knowing those two...
"Oh?" Yume tilted her head, the chances of that were basically zero, but she was curious to hear why Yukari might think so.
"Yea, he's kinda tall, black shaggy hair. Weird thing is, I thought my mom and Grandma were the only people in Japan with grey eyes, but he has them. And he has the same-"
"Yukari stop!" Takami rose her voice only enough to cover her daughters voice.
The image in Yume's mind built piece by piece. A young man about 6 feet tall, black shaggy hair that never complied when she tried to style it. Grey eyes… like stainless steel.
"Mom, what the hell?" Takami would normally say something about her daughter swearing, but this just wasn't the time.
Takami said nothing.
Yume said nothing.
Both were still coming to terms with what they'd heard. Takami had thought she'd just been seeing things, her mind playing a trick on her hopeful wishes that Minato was still around. She had wanted to talk to Yume about someone having one of the discipline squad jackets, had been thinking about telling her to seek out Miya first to see if her eyes had actually seen him.
Yume was much the same. She missed her best friend, the one she would talk to for hours and never got bored. Those years together had been the best of her life. Nothing felt the same after he was gone. Karasuba become more and more vicious and bloodthirsty, Miya left, Matsu left, Takehito died. It all started to spiral downward after that day she found out.
But Yukari could only connect the dots of information she'd been given, which was basically none.
"Wait… He was joking right? Minato doesn't actually have a wife and kids."
Yume's eyes watered, her lips trembled, breath hard to hold or take in. Every ounce of her was screaming in both relief and pain.
'He's alive?! Why hasn't he tried to see me?'
Takami took the longest drag of her cigarette of her life, hoping that Yume didn't start losing control of her power. She'd be answering to a very angry and powerful Sekirei soon.
Yukari paled, hands coming to cover her mouth as she gasped, drawing conclusions that were nothing but the dreams of one of the women at the table.
"Oh my god… you're his wife aren't you? I'm so sorry, I really thought he was joking when we spoke by the tower. I never meant to…"
Yume pushed her chair back and made to stand, when Takami pulled her back down.
"You saw him by the tower?"
Yukari nodded to her mother's harsh question.
"What time?" She'd only ever seen her mother like this a few times, and one of those was the day before she found out about her father. Takami had rushed out and back to the capitol for some work emergency right in the middle of dinner.
"Uh… 10:30ish." Yukari felt horrible, thinking that maybe she'd totally taken his smiles the wrong way, and started wanting something to happen between herself and married man.
But… when Yume went wide eyed and looked over at Takami who nodded, then started smiling wider and brighter than she'd ever seen anyone do, she wasn't sure what to think.
Takami leaned over and whispered something to Yume that Yukari hadn't been able to pick up.
Whatever it was, Yume wiped her eyes and stood from the table.
"It was very nice meeting you Yukari, but I have something to take care of. I hope we meet again soon."
And then she was off, coat flapping in the wind as she ran.
"Mom… what just happened?" Yukari was so lost about the last few minutes' events.
With one last drag, Takami pulled the cigarette from her lips and smothered it in the ashtray before smiling.
"A few years ago, Minato had an incident with MBI. No one knew where he went or has heard from him since then. He and Yume were good friends, to my knowledge that's as far as it went."
Yukari heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that she hadn't just been borderline gushing about a guy to his wife. That quickly turned when she saw her mother steeple her hands on the table.
"So, this thing you have for Minato. How bad is it?" It sounded like Takami was asking her something from a medical chart, combined with her mother asking if this was a guy she wanted to marry.
It was weird.
Yukari figured that her mother was gauging how much she liked Minato from the little she'd seen of him, and not being one to lie, Yukari told the truth.
"It was… magnetic. Like neither of us wanted to look away."
She wasn't sure what the tightening of her mother's hands meant, but it couldn't be that bad. Takami never left her displeasures unknown.
If one were to hear the thoughts of Takami Sahashi, it would be the opposite of her expression.
'Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK! Goddammit motherfucking Shit! Takehito you prick! You knew this was going to happen and didn't even fucking tell me!'
She'd only just found his notes on the ashikabi/sekirei genetic compatibility study a month ago. And what should she find along with those notes? His theory on what the Jinki were capable of. Oh how much different things would have been if those notes hadn't been hidden because of Minaka's degrading mental state.
If Takami had even the slightest hunch that Minato was alive, she would have kept Yukari away at any cost. Even if it made her daughter hate her for a time. At least then she'd be safe and further away from Minaka and his schemes.
But she hadn't. Which meant she was unprepared.
Hopefully Miya didn't mind #8 swinging by soon.
If all went well, she could finally fight back. Her daughter was already unknowingly knee deep, but at least she could count on her being safe. Minaka's only viable threat might soon be empty.
And then she could start to make things up to Minato.