Another day at work and Koyuki's mind was everywhere but. Guilt never left her since the abduction with HOMRA and there was no convincing her that it wasn't her fault. She knew something about it therefore she wasn't innocent. It had been just over a week since that little excursion and there have been reports all over the news of Hideki Minawa's disappearance and the abduction was caught on tape but the quality wasn't good enough to make out who was behind it since Shouhei had access to the camera's all around the block and tampered with it just enough. Koyuki wondered what Mikoto did to him and if he was still alive since when she had first asked him. Scepter 4 was already looking into everything. Koyuki heard a few of the members talk about the case when they were in last which didn't help at all with easing the guilt she felt.

Koyuki tugged on the frills of her black skirt. They hadn't come in yet today. It would be nice to go her whole shift without seeing them. Every time they came in she tried to hide in the kitchen as much as possible. She lost a few tips because she wasn't on the floor when her guests needed her but the fear of coming into contact with Scepter 4 started to mentally corrupt her. It gave her the feeling that everyone was watching her. Paranoia grabbed her throat beginning to choke the life out of her making her gradually lose all feeling of her limbs. Blood pumped through her ears a deafening explosion every thump her heart made. The hands over her ears did not muffle but rather accentuated the percussion.

"Koyuki, you've got tables to serve."

"Wha-"

"I said you've got tables to serve." Hiroshi reminded.

"I'm sorry." Koyuki mumbled.

"Are you alright? You've been pretty weird since you got sick."

"Yes, I'm fine thank you." Koyuki said before turning around to visit her tables.

"Hey cool tattoo. When did you get that?" Hiroshi asked. Koyuki was puzzled. Was he talking to her or did someone else walk into the room?

"What tattoo?"

"The one on the back of your neck. If you don't remember getting it, you must have been pretty drunk not to remember that." Hiroshi commented before heading out the doors. Koyuki placed a hand on the back of her neck then dashed to the ladies washroom. She never got a tattoo in her life. This must be some kind of mistake. Koyuki rammed the washroom door open stopping right in front of a mirror, turned around and tried to stare at the back of her neck. No use, the angle wasn't good enough no matter which way she stretched her skin or pulled her hair, she needed a second mirror. With heart aflutter, Koyuki by passed the table she was supposed to serve to get to her purse.

"Can we get some service over here?" The guest called. Koyuki was too panicked to hear anyone else speak to her; she just focused on getting a mirror. Of all the times she went digging for her mirror it was nowhere to be found so she dumped everything out onto a nearby table in the locker room and began frantically searching for it in the pile of junk. Lip gloss, breath mints, body mist, face powder, feminine hygiene products, pens, PDA, candy, old receipts everything but the mirror that she was looking for so instead she improvised and grabbed her PDA before cleaning her stuff up and running back to the washroom. She held up her PDA and looked through it at the mirror seeing the back of her neck.

"What the heck?" Koyuki shouted almost dropping her PDA. Looking closer at it, it was a red swirl with squiggles coming away from it. She didn't know what it meant and knew that she was never drunk enough to not remember getting a tattoo. Maybe the guys at HOMRA drew on her with felt when Mikoto first brought her in. No, it couldn't be. If it were felt, it would have smudged or faded completely by now, it had been weeks since then. There's no way that this is an ordinary tattoo. Maybe it had something to do with her aura. Maybe it really was nothing worth freaking out about. No matter what, she couldn't go back to HOMRA; she said she would never go back there. Everyone there seems nice but after what she witnessed, that kind of life was not desirable. Finally she had calmed down enough to get back to work. Koyuki loosened the hair in her ponytail to cover up the tattoo then went out.

When Koyuki finally came out of the washroom, she noticed a lady dressed in uniform standing by the front doors talking to Utaka. Her eyes narrowed to the lady's gigantic breasts. She wore the same uniform as the others in Scepter 4 except she wore a mini skirt that had coat tails draped over top on either side of her hips falling down to her mid thighs. Her blonde hair was tied up in twin buns with strands of hair coming out over the tops and was secured by a hair ornament in the back connecting the two buns. Utaka and the lady turned to Koyuki when she came out of the washroom.

"Ah, Koyuki, there you are." Utaka began. "You have a visitor." Oh no they've come for me. Koyuki thought.

"Koyuki Tsukasa? I'm Seri Awashima, lieutenant of Scepter 4. I have a few questions for you." Why now? Why does it have to be now while I'm at work? I'm going to get fired for sure! "Is there someplace we can sit down?" She asked Utaka.

"Yes, why don't you two have this conversation in my office?" Utaka mentioned directing Seri and Koyuki behind the counter. They followed him through the kitchen past the time clock into a room with a single desk with computer on it, books and papers piled everywhere. Seri took the authoritative computer chair leaving Koyuki to sit in a junky plastic chair that was in the corner beside a black filing cabinet. Utaka closed the door behind him as he left.

"I have been given a report from your boss noticing strange behaviors lately." Here it comes. "He tells me that you've been sick a while back and ever since then you've been off. Is it true that you have been melting objects or burning them since your sickness?" Seri asked in a firm tone. Koyuki's toes curled inside her work shoes which the lieutenant made note of. Her eyes fiercely examined her every move, twitch and breathe as if she were under some sort of polygraph. Koyuki knew that this was not going to be an easy conversation.

"Yes." She answered in almost a whisper.

"Have you been experiencing high body heat hotter than a fever, if so, have they been every now and then or a continuous heat?"

"Yes, a constant heat. I sweat almost all the time and wear my summer clothes whenever I'm not at work."

"I see. Have you done anything different or experienced anything out of the ordinary before experiencing these effects?" Koyuki shook her head.

"Have you met anyone new or strange with or without the same abilities as yours?" Koyuki almost jumped out of her chair. Now she was getting serious. It was a matter of time before she gets linked to the abduction. Should she tell the truth?

"I-I have met people but nobody strange." She lied thinking of when she was found and brought into HOMRA. That was the start of everything. They all had the red aura which she shared with them.

"Have you ever been a part of or acted part of a clan of any kind?" This was the big question. She could tell the truth, get fired, imprisoned and possibly be branded for the rest of her life as an outlaw. Though if she lies she could be caught and be given the same fate. Koyuki looked at the clock above the door and watched the second hand tick by. There are cameras everywhere at the abduction site she's sure to be seen walking up to the van and getting in though she never got out until after they drove away. If Hideki is ever found dead, they could point the fingers at her for the torture since there wasn't enough evidence to prove she was part of the abduction. Koyuki's heart pounded in her ears. She had to say something, the longer she left it the more suspicious it would seem. It probably is too long already to be believable but she had to say something.

"No." Koyuki said squeezing her toes.

"I see." Seri said leaning back into the chair. Koyuki was so busy panicking she had not realized how far Seri had leaned into her. "That is all of the questions I have for you today. Thank you for your time." The lieutenant got up and walked out of the office leaving Koyuki still sitting there. What just happened? Am I free? No, she probably caught on to that lie and is calling her superior to watch me. As long as I don't go back to HOMRA I should be okay.

Seri wasted no time after the questioning to go outside and call her superior with her PDA. "Munakata? Lieutenant Awashima. She is not currently with any clan and does not appear to have any tattoos visible on her body. She could be a rouge acting alone from her clan or is a strain either way she poses a high threat." She reported. "Your orders sir? Got it."

Koyuki returned to work almost relieved that the questioning was over with but a new burden was added. They will be watching her. The only problem is that some of the guys from HOMRA knows where she works and if they decide to pay her a visit then there will be question on their relations, and Mikoto knows the apartment she lives in. It's them visiting her at work that she should worry about.

"IN OTHER NEWS, HIDEKI MINAWA, PRESIDENT OF MINAWA INDUSTRIES HAS FINALLY BEEN FOUND." Koyuki's head snapped to the TV. They let him go? The TV showed him being rolled into an ambulance by stretcher all battered up like he had been tortured. There were wrappings around his entire head so his face could not be seen. "LOCALS FOUND MINAWA ALIVE UNDER A BRIDGE WITH MANY WOUNDS COVERING HIS BODY AND THIRD DEGREE BURNS ON HIS HEAD AND FACE." Mikoto… "MINAWA IS TOO IN SHOCK TO SPEAK BUT DOCTORS SAY THAT HE WILL MAKE A RECOVERY. MINAWA IS UNDER THE CARE OF SHIZUME CITY HOSPITAL AND SCEPTER 4 IS LOOKING INTO THE CAUSE. IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE COME FORWARD." Koyuki's eyes widened, surprised that Mikoto listened to her. Hideki was alive. She wondered how he was convinced by Mikoto to keep quiet, unless he knocked him out so hard that he won't remember a thing. Mikoto must have gotten what he wanted if he just dumped him alive. That proves that Seri Awashima was here to question her. Scepter 4 knows something of her involvement and they are pursuing the leads. Koyuki prayed that the boys from HOMRA wouldn't stop by and ask why she wasn't around. With her being watched they will know that she lied about being in the Red Clan then they will bring her in for interrogation. There goes her whole future.

Koyuki screamed from a sudden grip on her shoulder. Mariko frowned at her then pulled her by her clothes into the back room where the time clock was and threw her into the concrete wall head first. Koyuki stayed sitting on the ground. Not now, please not now. Mariko's hands practically dug into her hips.

"What did I tell you about me having to cover for you?"

"I'm sorry I was-"

"I have my own tables to serve. Your guests needed you and you were never around. You're never going to get anywhere in life by getting others to do your work."

"But I-" Koyuki was cut off by Mariko's palm striking her cheek.

"I'm not done talking." She pressed her own hand on where she had just been struck squeezing her eyes shut head still cocked to the side. Be strong Koyuki, don't show her any tears. Don't give her the satisfaction of seeing you cry. "The other girls think so too. They all are wondering why the hell you're still working here." That's a lie she's just lying. I've been employee of the month for the last three months. I'm nice to everyone and I do more than my share. Stay strong. It will be over soon. "You obviously don't do anything good after work. You're probably just sleeping around."

"Don't say it!" Koyuki shouted with a plea tears starting to squeeze through the corners of her eyes. Mariko's face darkened with a smile and her voice lowered.

"You're probably sleeping around with guys."

"Stop it!" She begged.

"Like mother like daughter."

"I said stop!"

"You're getting paid by guys so you don't have to work hard here."

"Please stop!" Stay strong.

"Just like mommy."

"No!" Don't let her get to you!

"Just like your…"

"No!" Don't break now!

"…prostitute mommy."

"SHUT UP!" Koyuki charged at Mariko. Everything seemed to be still in the moment except for her. She threw her hands against Mariko's collar bone to heave her as far as she could. Fire swirled around her hands just before the impact. Her hands slowly made contact with her bones once they touched…

It was cold and very drafty.

Koyuki was unsure what just happed but she stood in an unfamiliar kitchen that was dirty and grimy. The tiled floors grout had been stained yellow and orange in various places, the white fridge had many dirty fingerprints on the handle; food had been left out on the counter and had been rotting. A knife had been left out on the counter rusting with blood. A woman was weeping with one hand on the counter and one over her eyes.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" A little girl, about five years old, with brown hair and brown eyes asked clutching a panda bear in one hand.

"It's your father…"

Visions morphed into a small bathroom which contained a standalone sink with a toilet next to it and a tub next to the toilet. The walls were covered with stained wallpaper and the floors with a mouldy tile. Everything reeked of rot, rotting wood, rotting tile even rotting corpse. The bathtub had that same woman inside filled with red tinted water. Blood was on the faucet and on the edge of the tub trickling down to the floor. The woman's eyes were empty and her wrists were slit. That same girl only a few years older stood in the room crying with her arm covering across her eyes.

"Why?" The girl murmured.

Suddenly everything went black. All of Koyuki's senses were useless until voices could be heard.

"Hey there, are you free to come over tonight? I've gotten paid so I can pay you back for the last time." A grown male's voice echoed. A female's voice was heard next but it sounded as if it came through a phone.

"I would but I can't find anyone to watch my daughter."

"Bring her along. I'm sure Mariko would love to play with her.

"Okay, any toys I should bring?"

"The usual, you know what I like."

A door opened revealing Mariko standing in front of her father. Mariko was about nine years old at this time. She stared blankly at the people before her.

"Mariko, sweetie, this is Koyuki and her mother. Koyuki is going to play with you today. A young Koyuki smiled sweetly at her new friend.

No way, I forgot about that. That was this Mariko?

"You two go play. The adults will be talking in another room." The male said.

"I'm hungry." Koyuki said lying on her stomach on the living room floor.

"Me too, I'll go ask if we can have a snack." Mariko said getting up. She walked over to the closed door that lead to her father's room.

Upon opening the door, Mariko gasped. Her father was naked under the sheets with Koyuki's mom. The female bent down with her breasts pressed against her father's chest planting a kiss on his neck.

"That was great." He said. "You really are good at what you do." She chuckled.

"Did you know that today marks our seven year anniversary?" She questioned.

"Already?"

"That's right. Today marks the seven years that you have been my client."

Mariko eyes darkened. It was her all along. She was the reason why her mother suffered for so many years. She was the reason why her mother died and now she was playing with her daughter. If that woman was never in her father's life then she wouldn't have to go through seeing her mother go through such turmoil. That girl will grow up to be just like her mother and will ruin another child's life. She deserves to die before that ever happens. "If I ever see Koyuki or her mother again, I'll make sure their lives are a living hell."