Fear

Disclaimer: I do not own the character Torakaka or anything created by Arc System works and Aksys Games. Only the thing I DO own are the characters created for this story.

Chapter 7: Makoto's scorn

Mr. Nanaya was coming back from his job and decided to check in on his favorite boy.

"Sir…I don't have time for that type of thing right now."

Those concerning words kept playing in his head. "Dammit kid, I wish I could find someone that could take your mind off things, and really think about other things, than pursuing her. A man's gotta have his priorities, but you need to open up to what's really important in this world." He clenched his fists at imagining Takeshi's fate once he got his revenge. "Whether you like it or not boy, I'm not going to let you throw your life away like this!"

Too focused on trying to save the young man from himself, he bumped into a young woman passing by. "Oh! Excuse me ma'am, wasn't looking at where I was goin'!"

"Don't sweat it!" Mr. Nanaya stopped in his tracks when hearing that cheerful voice.

"…Makoto?"

He turned around to see his daughter with a black, hooded NOL cloak on and matching beret. The squirrel beastkin had a wide smile on her face. "Hey Daddy!" Her voice was full of child-like playfulness and joy. The two ran to each other and embraced tightly. "It's great to see you again Daddy!" Makoto roared while some stray tears ran down her face. She didn't want to say it, but her dad was starting to crush the wind out of her. Is this how Noel and Tsubaki felt when she hugged them as hard as this? As a beastkin, she was already stronger than the average human. Her father however, was twice as powerful at his weakest.

Eventually, the elder Nanaya caught what his daughter was too respectful to say and let go of her. "Sorry kiddo! Get a little carried away sometimes!" He let out a hearty laugh and rubbed the top of her head affectionately.

"So, how's the family doin'?"

"Oh they're just fine sweetie; they'll be very excited to see you again." Father and daughter started to stroll towards their house.

"Man, I am so-ho-ho happy to be back home again!" She cheered, throwing her hands toward the sky. "I get to see my family, my friends, visit our favorite place to ea-" Her face lit up even more when she paced back to what she'd just said. "Wait a minute…there's someone missing from this little reunion isn't there dad?" Makoto finished with a sly look.

"You're gonna go on the hunt like the old days?"

"Ooooohhh yeahhh! He didn't meet me when I came back into town, I have to now! Is it okay to go looking around for him?"

Mr. Nanaya smiled at her as they continued their walk. "Hahaha! I don't see why not pumpkin!" He stopped with a sudden frown. "But…first there's something that you need to know." This concerned the beastkin immediately, because her father wasn't too serious that often. When he was, it wasn't something to pass off lightly.

"Makoto…Takeshi hasn't quite been the same since you left for the academy. The boy has been going through some…rough patches, to say the least. Mr. Nanaya still remembered the day when he walked in on his friend to find multiple syringed hoses deeply lodged into his body. The worst part was the look of pure agony plastered to his face.

"Rough patches…? What happened to him?! Was it because I left for the academy?!"

"Whoa, hang on there! What he's dealing with has nothing to do with you leaving!" She gave him an anxious look.

"Then what happened to him?" Makoto repeated with a calmer but stern voice.

He sighed before speaking again. "Look, it's not right for me to say. You need to be patient and wait for your friend to tell you on his own time, you hear? And don't go and start badgering the poor man either, he's dealt with enough already."

She sighed at his denial for information. "Alright…do you think Takeshi will still want to see me though?"

"What are you talking about, of course he will, and if not…" He jokingly winked at his daughter. "You still got those tonfas right?"

Makoto brightened up a little at the return of her father's usual lighthearted attitude. "Yeah, I've always got em'."

Mr. Nanaya rubbed his daughter's head again. "Good, now go look for your friend. First try this address in the upper levels of Shinatsu, he usually leaves a note or something like it on the door when roaming outside."

"The upper levels? Wow, Takeshi must have really traded up since I left!"

"That he did, but the kid still makes time to come down and help the family whenever it's possible."

"Aww! He's such a sweetie to think about us so much!" She stared at the writing for a minute before beginning to turn away. "Great! Thanks a lot daddy! I'm gonna start looking right now!" When her back was fully turned, Makoto's face reflected a soft grimace. The young woman's body tensed up, as an inferno burned while thinking of finding him.

"I'll see you soon Takeshi, we have some things to…discuss."

In the restaurant, Torakaka and Takeshi seated themselves at a round mahogany table with two chairs. "I have to admit, this place doesn't look too bad on the inside. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it's pretty cozy in here."

"Why thank you, sir." He was taken completely by surprise, not because someone got to their table so fast; no, this was because of who had gotten there so quickly. And unfortunately for him, this one happened to be a…familiar woman. She had golden-blonde hair, tied into a neat bun (with a small strand, hanging freely on her right side.) a flawless jawline and complexion, with beautiful, intelligent green eyes. The outfit she had on consisted of a blue, floral Qipoa shirt with black, silk pants and matching shoes. "Welcome back Torakaka, it's a pleasure to see you again." She bowed with a warm smile.

"The pleasure's all mine, Atsuko." She replied to her bow with a nod.

As soon as the waitress looked over to Takeshi, her face became red, who was looking rather awkward himself. "Oh! H-Hello Takeshi, I didn't recognize you for a moment." She said while turning her gaze to the floor. "Um…let me get you two some menus, huh?" Another quick bow and the waitress zoomed off.

Needless to say, the kaka woman became confused by the sudden change in her behavior. Usually, she was pretty outgoing, never skittish like she was now. Torakaka turned back to her friend, who covered his eyes in embarrassment. "She…was one of the local women Mr. Nanaya tried to fix me up with. I mean, Atsuko's a really nice girl. She's smart, pretty; a really well rounded person. When we went out, I did had a pretty good time with her. But mostly because of me, things didn't really work out between us. Well, after that ended, old man Nanaya sent tried to fix me up with another. After that ended, he just sent another, and another…and another. I swear, the man was truly relentless."

She looked at him with the utmost curiosity. "I'm assuming that means he did this often?"

"Yeah…yeah, he did. He really does means well, but he just doesn't seem to understand that there are more important things going on right now. At least I was able to start making ways and excuses so I could start cutting his little "blind dates" short. Less time for that, meant more time for research and combat training." Once he finished, he noticed Torakaka giving him an annoyed look, causing him to avert her eyes. He hated it when she looked at him with those red eyes of hers, because of the less-than-comforting vibe they gave. Wanting to avoid a possible scolding, he decided to change subjects. "So…can you tell me a little more about your species?"

Surprisingly, her look changed to one of genuine surprise. "Oh! Well, don't think that I don't know that your changing the subject, but I suppose I can tell you a bit. What would you like to know about?"

Off the hook, for now, he shrugged. "I guess we can start with what your days are like. For instance, what do you guys like to do for fun?" Oddly enough, this caused a chuckle from her.

She put her paw to her non-visible lip thoughtfully. "First-off, I'll say that the Kaka clan's definition of "fun" may be a little different from yours, meow. Let's see though…well, as ironic as it sounds, even though it's my job to keep a sharp look-out for potential enemies and disruptors, I usually don't notice what the kittens and others do for fun. However, I'll be more than happy to tell you on how most of my days go. I typically like to start the day with a nice breakfast to get my energy up. As Kakas, we are very in-tune with our instincts and ancestral ways, so a meal would usually be followed with a nap. Unfortunately, being the village guardian, I am much too busy for those, so I make my rounds about the Kaka Village and take one later on. My sister, Taokaka, would usually accompany me, just wanting to play a game of some sort or see what I'm up to. I always tell her that either I'll play with her later or try to teach her about the responsibilities she would inherit as the next Village Guardian…which is always met with little to no success." She sighed and shook her head lightly. "Oh, Tao…there's so much you have to learn, with so little time. At any rate, if my rounds went off without a hitch, I would go and play with my sister and take that evening nap that I mentioned earlier. We usually either played a game of "tag", or we'd spar with each other. For some odd reason, that's another way Tao looked at "playing"; she fights for the fun of it. It doesn't really matter though, because as long as she's keeping fit, then it's alright with me."

Takeshi looked at her with interest. "This sister of yours sounds like quite the character." It was received with another nod and toothy grin.

"Why, thank you. Sometimes, she can be a little more than a handful, and there is that little…quirk of hers. If you should ever meet her, then be very thankful that you're a man. Still, I don't think I would want to have her any other way. She's so dear to me, and I love her so much. I love everybody in the village, actually; they're like family to me. I'm sure that you can understand the feeling, living with the Nanayas for as long as you did. You must love them, as much as they love you, don't you?"

After that, he looked down in guilt. "Maybe I should call for someone else to bring our menus here. Atsuko sure is taking awhile to get here, and I'm getting pretty hungry."

Torakaka hated it when he tried to shut her out like that. She never really took it that personally before, but now it was beginning to really hurt when he did it. "Takeshi…please, just-"

"Sorry that took so long, you two!" Atsuko rushed back to the table, with the menus and a plate of large meat buns. The Kaka woman's smile returned at this, a little relieved that she came to interrupt them. "These are compliments of my manager. She told me to tell you and your girlfriend that you guys look really cute together." The waitress finished with a cheerful grin. Torakaka's smile slowly faded after hearing that compliment. She knew very well what would eventually happen, and she needed to act fast.

"Oh dear, here we go again."

Anger boiled up inside Takeshi's body. "Oh, really? Is that what your manager thinks about us? Well, you can go right back to your manager and tell her that w-!" Acting quickly, she stood up and reached across the table to muffle the rest of her friend's growing voice, but still being careful as to not damage the meat buns.

"We're grateful! Please just tell her that we are very grateful for the dish!" A nervous laugh followed, while he kept yelling in her paw.

There was an uneasy look coming from Atsuko now. "Uh-huh…well I'm going to tend to some more customers while you two search around the selections. It's kind of busy today, you know? Oh, and Torakaka? My boss asked if you can come back later, and help out with some deliveries?" She asked, still giving a confused look at the odd scene.

"Of course. I'd be more than happy to help all of you out!" At that, the yelling had completely subsided, and he was just glaring at her.

Once she left, Takeshi's feline comrade took the cloth-paw away from his mouth. "Thanks…I guess…"

"*Sigh* I don't see why you need to keep acting like this. This has already happened a few times now, and your overzealous reactions to it hasn't gotten any better. If people really think such things, let them think it. You and I both know where the truth lies in the heart of this matter, so why is it so important to you?" He took one of the doughy balls off of the plate and fiddled with it, uncomfortably. Torakaka had followed his action, but went straight to cheerfully eating her own instead.

"…What is it that makes us look so close, Torakaka? I mean, have we done any of the crap that the lovesick bastards that roam around the city do? No, we haven't. We don't walk around the city, hand in…er, paw. When we DO go out, it's just to get supplies and food. We never go out on stupid picnics, or fancy dates. We definitely haven't kissed or anything like that. So, why does this keep happening? And more importantly, how can we change it so it finally stops?"

"Hm…?" She stopped chewing (and listening), right after he mentioned the word "kiss", as he just continued on. The image of her lips touching his cheek formed from inside her memory. He wasn't even awake to let her do it, but the feeling from an act like that was so amazing to her. She had started to begin going back to that night for the umpteenth time, but always imagine herself going further. She would plant another kiss on his cheek, then maybe move to another part of his face. Each time, she got braver and bolder, until, finally, she was lying on top of him, her face just above his. Somehow, Takeshi was still asleep during this, but she didn't really have the mind to care about it; less danger of rejection. Impassioned, but still a little timid, she would slowly lean down to connect their lips-"

"Hey, Torakaka!" His calling seemed to finally get to her, as she nearly jumped out of her seat in surprise, ears and tail shooting up like a rocket.

"NOTHING!" Her face had turned a beet-red in response.

And in response to that, and her odd (but strangely cute) little jump, he eyed her suspiciously. He had to admit though, it was pretty amusing to see her break out of her usual, calmer composure. At least this means that she wouldn't be lecturing him for a bit. "Uh…are you feeling alright? Ya clocked out for, like, a full minute there."

"Y-Yes! I'm just fine, really!"

"Then why is your face so red? Are you getting sick on me, or something? You better not be, 'cause then I'm gonna have to start taking care of you and junk. I need you, Torakaka, and what I don't need is something like that happening to take you out of commission."

The kaka's red eyes widened even further in surprise. "I'm sorry?" It wasn't so much about what he said, but it was the tone that he used, when saying it. For once, it sounded so soft and full of concern and caring. This made her heartbeat skip, then increase all the more.

It was too late for poor Takeshi, though. By the time he realized the affect his voice resonated with, there wasn't much he could do. "H-Hey, don't go and get all sentimental on me! I'm just asking, because you're my best asset!" The man started blushing himself, as she just kept staring at him with shock. "Look, I-I didn't mean that I needed you in that type of way, okay?!" That reply didn't help the situation. Her face had returned to its usual darkness at an unusually fast pace, signifying that she had calmed down. Still, the new vibe she gave off made him feel like he'd just made a big mistake by saying that, and frantically tried to fix the situation. "Wait, no! I-I wasn't trying to say that you're an unattractive woman or anything, Tora; in fact, you're very-!"

"Stop." She raised a paw to make him cease his uncharacteristic babbling. At first, the man thought that he had just failed at attempting to escape an inescapable grave, but his friend began to chuckle lightly. Soon that chuckle turned into an amused laugh. "Meow-ha-ha-ha-ha! MY-HA-HA! My goodness, Takeshi!" the cheerful laughter continued. "This is a side of you that I have never seen before!"

The man glared at her in anger at first, but after a while he started snicker. Like her before him, it became a joyful laugh. Both of them continued with this for what felt like an eternity. When the laughter subsided, the two companions felt something a little different around them. A major barrier of Takeshi's tension with her had just been shattered. After non-stop hostility and cold attitudes from him, Torakaka was confident that he had finally become comfortable with her. And, by now…that meant everything to her.

"Amazing…simply amazing."

The man gazed at her in confusion. "What?"

"You don't notice it? Physically, you look more relaxed than I have ever seen. Your eyes even reflect the kindness I've been waiting to see since we met in the woods. It's quite wonderful to finally look at it all. This, my dear friend, radiates who you truly are, not what you're constantly trying to be."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Thanks, but I-" At that moment, a burning question burst itself into his mind. "Hey, Tora? Why does your hood hide your face so perfectly? It seemed like a simple shadow, at first, but sunlight doesn't make it go away or anything, no light does. Also, what makes it work so that your eyes are just red dots, and your smile can grow larger than usual?"

After he finished his question, she instantly looked uncomfortable, making him feel guilty again. "…I'm sorry, but that question would be better answered, after we get back to your house…when there's no one else there to see me."

"I just don't understand why you have to hide yourself like that, though. With your looks, you wouldn't have to have started stealing food in the first place; you could just charm your way to getting what you wanted!" He followed with a small laugh.

She felt her face start to heat up again. "I don't think that the general public would want to see Kakas for who we really are. We've always hidden our appearances from outsiders, which is what I should've done with you, and I think that there's a reason for that. Even if I just showed you my face, there was noreason to go as far as I did. My actions were not only a serious break in protocol, but it was immensely inappropriate for me to do so."

Takeshi's face turned more serious at her response. "So, if it's so against the rules to do what you did, as you've said, then why? It sounds like a Kaka's image is really important to them, but, obviously, you thought that I was even more important than that custom. I guess what you need to figure out then, is, as I've said, why you decided to go along with it." He could see the shadow start to redden even more, once again. She looked down nervously, which was yet another thing that he hadn't have expected out of her.

"Thank you for telling me that I looked…pretty. Coming from a friend like you, that meant a lot, but you don't have to be nice about it. I know what people would really think if they saw me, and they wouldn't like what they'd see."

This surprised him a great deal. Torakaka was always trying to get to the root of HIS issues, but never has she talked about her own. He was about to respond to this, when suddenly, a new sensation altogether spread throughout his body: fury. Someone (or something) was watching him, intently. With a slow turn towards the entrance, he could see a pair of beady, glowing, violet eyes and a large, toothy grin. The kaka's form was oddly unstable. Her body was still as black as a shadow, but it was almost gaseous. Takeshi got up and pulled out the Wakizashi with a fierce scowl. "You…your body…it's degenerating! But that only happens if…are you producing even more?!" The figure kept the smile up and stayed silent.

"Do you really want to face me with all of these…innocents standing around, mew? What if they got in the way of our quality time? Things could get quite messy for them, after all." He wasn't paying attention, but everything going around the restaurant had grinded to a halt; all eyes were fearfully upon him, from his burst of anger. "Follow me outside my love…let's talk out there. Maybe, we can have a bit of fun, before I have to go again." She turned and walked seductively through the curtains.

Without thinking, the man rushed outside in a blaze of hatred, desperately trying to catch up to it. His way out was paved with some toppled tables, other customers, and staff alike. "Come back here you bitch, you're not getting away again!" When he got out though, Takeshi just crashed into someone who was walking by. "Get out of my-!"

"Takeshi!" He turned, eyes ablaze to see Torakaka standing there with a tearful, angry expression. Ignoring her, he immediately turned back toward the direction that kaka was walking towards and prepared to pursue the path he thought that she went down. However, before Takeshi could get too far, a pair of paws reached out and forcefully turned his face towards hers. "Takeshi, look at me! There was no one in the entrance, no one! You were just chasing nothing!"

"What? that's impossible! She was right there, taunting me with that stupid grin! Why couldn't you see her?!"

Trying to snap him out of it, she brought their faces mere inches away from each other. "There was nothing there…"

His friend let go, and he dropped his swords on the ground immediately. "no…but I…I could have sworn…" The man became lost in confusion when he noticed people around them with scared faces. "I'm sorry, I…I think it'll best to get myself home now. Torakaka, please apologize to Atsuko and the manager for me, then go back in there, order and finish your meal." Takeshi picked the weapons back up, re-sheathed them and handed her some money.

"In case what you have isn't enough. If it's not too much trouble, could you order something for me, too?"

He turned and tried to leave, but felt another paw stop him. "No, I won't accept that. I wanted to go out in order to spend some REAL time with you. For once, we were having a good time together, we were finally starting to see eye-to-eye, and I'm not ready for things to go back to how they were." Torakaka's devotion and persistence for a simple lunch was both astounding, and confusing to him. He honestly just couldn't figure out why she wanted this so bad. "We are going back in there. Then, we are going to apologize to them. And after everyone's finished, then we will go on with our meal as if nothing had happened."

Takeshi just continued to stare at her like she was insane. "Did you not see what-?"

Cutting him off, the kaka woman closed the rest of their distances and embraced him. "That is not what matters right neow. If you are so anxious about re-entering, just focus on me while we're in there, alright?" She gave him a gentle smile before nuzzling him and softly licking his cheek.

"I may not know as much about you as I would like, Takeshi, but at least I know what can calm you. Everything will be just fine, alright?" Torakaka finished with another warm visage. He did appreciate it when she gave him looks like that. After returning it, she wrapped her arms around one of his and slowly guided him back towards the restaurant.

"Takeshi Itou?" A familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. "I found you, at last!" Both human and kaka turned around to see an attractive, female squirrel beastkin standing there.

"Dammit…Makoto's back…"

The sound of his voice was almost at a whisper as she stared intently at him before shifting her gaze to a kaka standing at the side.

"Is that…Taokaka? She looks like her, but her coat's different. What is she doing here in Shinatsu, and with him?"

"Tao, you may want to step back for a few minutes. Takeshi and I have some unfinished business to take care of." Torakaka let go, stepped in front of him, extended her claws and hissed loudly. "Tao…? Tao, what are you doing?"

At that moment, a hand was felt on the kaka woman's shoulder and she looked to see her friend shaking his head. "Don't…it's my fight, so let me handle this." Her ears drooped down at the request.

"…If feel that you must fight, then so be it. But if anything goes wrong, then I'll be taking your place." After that, she quietly stepped aside to let him through. He walked forward and put his hood on. It was bad enough that that monster fooled everyone into thinking he was crazy. Now he has to deal with an emotionally scarred beastkin who's got it out for him. It's actually ironic when Takeshi thought about it all. He ran outside in hopes of catching an old enemy, only to end up right in front of a new one.

"Interesting new wardrobe. Where did you get something like that from?" She taunted before her look intensified. "I think you know why I'm here." Makoto grasped at her cloak and threw it off, along with the beret. Her tonfas were already strapped to her wrists.

"I can see you found a new "wardrobe" as well; and you say my outfit looks weird. At least I'm wearing actual clothes." Takeshi continued his cold stare and unsheathed his Wakizashi. He switched his grip to a reverse position. "To make things even. After all, I already know most of your moves."

"Learned a few new ones in the NOL." The two began to walk in a circle.

"I have been dreading this for a while now. Every day that passed, and it had to be today that you came back. Either you've been waiting to see that little incident there or I'm just an unlucky bastard."

She snickered at his remark. "Had to come home again someday...do you know that I never told anyone what you said to me the day I left? Did you even care about how much your words hurt me?"

"Makoto…it was for your own protection."

The beastkin laughed sarcastically. "My "protection" huh? In case you didn't notice by my black cloak and beret, I'm not some little girl. I am a member of the NOL Intelligence division and don't need or want your little "protection" anymore!" After that, Makoto dashed at him with blinding speed.

"Damn, she got really fast!"

Twisting his body, Takeshi was barely able to dodge by a millimeter. She turned around with a look of disgust. "What, you don't want to hit me? I'll say that I really don't mind returning the favor!"

The man was getting frustrated now. "Yes, I don't want to hit you!"

"Ya got your swords there, just use those! C'mon take a shot!" Both of them launched at each other this time and ended up in a lock between blades and tonfas.

"Don't make me do it, these blades were only meant to hurt one person and only one person! That individual is not you, so why don't we stop this nonsense now?!" Makoto replied with an attempted strike to the groin, but Takeshi kicked her leg aside to stop it. This of course caused her to fall to the ground. "Please, why can't we just talk about it?!"

"Shut up you asshole!" She leaped back up and re-engaged their lock before he could dodge again. Tears started to flow from her eyes, as she used even more strength and pushed further. The man could feel his feet sliding on the dirt. "Checkmate friend!"

"Man, I forgot how strong you are compared to me! I didn't want to do this but…" He concentrated and felt an intense burning sensation spread through his entire being. "You-urgh! You forced my hand! Don't think that you've beaten me so easily!" Suddenly, Makoto was feeling her own bodybeing pushed back. After one blink of his eyes, they turned from the usual silver to a glowing blue. Takeshi kept most of it back so as to keep the risk towards her as low as possible.

"What-what happened to his eyes?! It's just like that one time...!"

Taking the opening for attack, he broke off the lock and scored a few hits on her sides. It was followed with hard punches to his face. "How could you just leave me standing there like that?! I thought we were friends!" The infuriated questioning was broken off by acrobatic, fast and constant strikes and blocks.

"Something happened that made things too dangerous, and what you wanted for both of us...I couldn't allow that! You would have ended up being either a target, maybe in a gutter somewhere…!" Takeshi jumped back for some distance. "Or worse; a slave like me!"

"A slave? What the hell is he talking about?"

"NO, I'm not going to listen to this! You abandoned me! You're just like-no, you're worse than everyone else that caused me pain!" She came at him again with tonfas ready to strike. The duo engaged in another bout, but this time it was mostly their weapons being used. Clangs and sparks from the metal were abundant in their dual. More blocks followed attacks and attacks followed blocks. Bruises started to accumulate on each of their bodies, but no cuts because his blades were endowed with some AXIR already. This went on for about a couple of minutes, when they stopped. Neither had expected the other to be matched so easily in combat.

"AAAAAAAGHH!"

Crying and being tired of this ongoing fight, Makoto tackled Takeshi which resulted in them wrestling and punching on the ground. Their skirmish began to create a cloud of dust around the area. Torakaka couldn't take this meaningless brawling anymore and re-extended her claws. "THAT'S ENOUGH MEO-!"

A booming voice exploded from the other side.

"What in the HELL is going on here?!" A pair of large hands reached into the cloud and pulled both bodies out. One was by the hood, and the other by the tail. Takeshi and Makoto groaned before looking up at who was casting a shadow above them. Mr. Nanaya stood over with an enraged expression. "Look at this; I oughta knock both of your heads together! You two should be ashamed of yourselves, fighting like little kids!"

The former comrades got to their feet and dusted themselves off. "Makoto, why were you and your friend fighting each other?! When I asked if you're going "on the hunt", I didn't think you were actually going to try and kill 'im!"

"I wasn't going to try and kill him, just beat this two-faced bastard to a pulp!" She took a glance at him and turned away with crossed arms. "As it turns out, we were never friends in the first place. Dad, it's time that I told you something; it's about how Takeshi really feels about us."

"Are you talking about what happened that day ya left for the NOL Academy?"

Makoto whipped back around to him. "What?"

"Yeah, I already knew about that. I was mad too at first, but Takeshi explained, or rather showed me-"

"Without my consent I might add." Mr. Nanaya laughed sheepishly.

"Right…anyway, he showed me why he had to cut you out; tried to cut me out too…"

"But I still don't understand what was so bad that-"

"Me-o-o-o-o-o-ow…"

The three of them brought their attention over to Torakaka. She had her giant paws clutched at the head and was stumbling around. "Wh-a-at's happening to me?…my head feels like its going crazy…" Takeshi easily recognized her behavior.

"Oh no…!" He ran over and caught her mid-fall.

The woman's breathing suddenly became ragged and uneven. "Takeshi, I feel…sick. Am I catching a cold or…?" After that weary question, she passed out.

"We don't have much time! Mr. Nanaya?" The elder man nodded.

"I'll keep anyone from getting nearby." He noticed Makoto staring at him from through his peripheral vision. "Take her with you, if Torakaka gets too heavy, she can switch off."

"No way, I'll be faster on my ow-"

"I REALLY think that Makoto should go with you son." The younger man was well aware of his tells for "That wasn't a request", and repeated phrases are one of them.

Takeshi sighed and looked back to his other companion. "Help me, and I'll explain why I did what I did." She stared angrily at him for a while, initially unyielding. "I'm begging you, she doesn't deserve the fate that awaits her…"

The young beastkin sighed too before speaking. "Well, I can't just stand here and let Tao suffer."

With a final nod, the trio went their ways. Usually it would have taken quite a while to get from the Market district to his house. But Takeshi decided that Torakaka was too important to travel normally, and utilized far more of his internal AXIR production. Mr. Nanaya helped of course by keeping civilians out of the path. Makoto was dashing alongside him and was shocked at seeing glowing blood veins faintly visible from under his clothes.

"What the heck is going on with you?!"

"Makoto!" She shook herself out of the trance. "What's wrong? You're beginning to slow down!"

A small gasp escaped her. His eyes looked quite damaged now. The irises glow was even brighter along the veins outside of them. His Sclera was now black, unlike the nearly blue-glazed pupils. "N-Nothing, how's she doing?" His friend called back to him. He pulled the woman's hood far enough to see violet-colored veins and paler skin. Her condition was getting worse by the minute.

"Not good! We need to kick it into high gear; ya think you can run faster?"

"Just watch me, try to catch up with those clunky boots of yours!" With that last remark, she sped off with a higher speed.

A small smile formed on his lips. "That actually sounded a bit playful…" It faded as soon as he gazed back down on his kaka comrade.

"Come on Tora, just hang in there!"

Takeshi used even more AXIR this time. "AAAGH!" He seethed hard at the searing pain. "I forgot how much it hurts to use this amount!" There was groaning coming from his weakened friend.

"Takeshi…please, stop. Do not use any more of it…"

"Shut up! I'm trying to save your life here!"

"But you know…what…happens…"

"Let me worry about how much AXIR I'm using!" His heart started to beat like a mouse's when he bolted further up the path, quickly catching back up to Makoto. "Computer, I need you to get lab 3-21 available for extraction stat!" It wasn't too long after seeing a Morse confirmation that they finally arrived at his house. He punched the panel so hard that it broke, but the front door still opened regardless.

"Please go to containment room 9-16, there you will find specialized hazmat suits. Look for the one with your name on it, put it on and come to room 3-21 alright? When you get to the door state your family name and it will open." Without saying another word, he walked towards an elevator and went inside. "DO NOT even step on here until you have the suit on! We will be on the third floor."

She wanted to retort, but instead followed his orders.

Takeshi made it to an extraction room and gently seated Torakaka on the table. "Hey…can you hear me?" he asked softly while pulling the hood back.

"Y-yes…there's so much pain…it's like someone set my insides on fire meow…" Tears containing streaks of blue light began to fall. Her voice was shaking and getting even weaker; this was a sign that the poison was trying to take his friend.

"I know. Torakaka, the AXIR is trying to bond with your genetic structure. We need to get it out now."

She opened her eyes to look towards him; they were now a sick, dark-purple. The violet colored veins were now a light blue. The woman's usual fiery hair had also been turned to shades of purple and blue, with a little white mixed in. "Dammit, why is it spreading so quickly?!"

In a panicked rush, he proceeded to unzip her coat when a large paw stopped his hand. "Wait…there's someone else here…I-I can't…"

"I'll do what I can, but your customs aren't as important to me as your life. I won't let them take you Tora."

She smiled wearily, but refused to take her paw off. "Maybe I can control it. Let m-let me share your burden with you. Perhaps, it will finally form a connection for us…a connection that I've been wanting for some time now."

Takeshi shook his head in denial. "No, that's not you talking, it's the AXIR. Trust me about this, it won't work." They engaged in another little staring contest before she finally removed the paw.

"You really do care for me…don't you?" He ignored it and took off her garment. "It's okay to admit it. I feel the same, you know…"

The man lied her down on the table and brought down a few syringed hoses. "This is going to hurt-a lot. Luckily your levels aren't nearly as high as mine are, so it should only take a minute or two."

She nodded before closing her eyes again. "I trust you to keep me safe, my friend."

A soft expression flowed across his face as he softly brushed her hair back. "Don't expect me to always be this soft and weak Torakaka. Remember that I've still got an eye on you."

"Lean down please…" He did so before she raised her head up to the side of her friend's. "If you ask me…this has been your strongest moment right now…" After that whisper was uttered, he set her head back down. She took a deep breath. "Alright…I'm ready…"

It took a while, but Makoto found the door that Takeshi mentioned. "Nanaya." Once she said that, a light came from the top and scanned her body.

"Computing…Squirrel Beastkin identified. Makoto Nanaya of the Nanaya family, please enter the room."

A little hesitant, she went inside to see a row of suits plated with an odd substance. Each one was of varying size and widths. "These suits…are for me and my family. Why would he make these? Is that man preparing for something?" Following sizes, she eventually found one that had her name on the chest of it. It looked awkward to put on, but was surprisingly easy. Makoto exited the room and the door sealed itself once more.

"Third floor…room 3…3…" She started hitting the top of her cranium. "Oh c'mon Makoto, you can do this! Room 3-" The young woman was cut off by a deafening scream. "Room 3-21!" She sprinted toward the elevator while the screaming continued. "OPEN UP YOU STUPID ELEVATOR!"

For what seemed like ages, the doors stayed closed until a ding was heard. "Levvveelll…3!" The ride up felt like it took even longer. When it opened up, she was greeted with a very long hallway. "Oh jeez! Alright, calm down Makoto, just look for 3-21." While walking down the corridor, she began to realize that the anguished screams had stopped.

"Why did it all just stop…?" Fearing the worst had happened, Makoto started running and looking over door numbers before spotting one that said "3-21".

"Let me in Takeshi! What did you do to Taokaka?!"

"Is your suit properly sealed?!"

"Yes, now let me in!" The door hissed open and a hand quickly pulled her inside. Visibility was practically down to zero, as there was an incredibly thick, dark-blue mist.

"Initiate safety vacuum measures."

A loud whirring came on, and it dispelled the mist almost instantly. There was a pair of glowing blue eyes was the first she saw, followed by the form of a hooded man. "Actually, her name is Tora-kaka, and she's perfectly fine now; just resting."

Makoto breathed a sigh of relief. "Good...wait, where is she exactly?"

Takeshi pointed to another door behind him. "I had to hide her because she doesn't have this on." He picked up a large hoodie that matched the one Taokaka always wore. Everything was the same, except for the dark coloration and a blue zipper.

"Ok, now that that's taken care of, it's time that I start getting some answers."

"Alright, but not here. Follow me to my balcony; there is no AXIR up there." He motioned for her to exit. "Computer, please have Tora's hoodie sterilized of any remaining toxicity and make sure it's ready for her when she wakes up."

I realize that this chapter is rather lengthy compared to the others, but think of it as a sort of gift to The People for my comeback. You may have complaints or concerns about how Makoto is acting, perhaps thinking that this is out of character. After researching the personality however, this is how I imagined that she would act towards someone that would have betrayed her. As I'll mention next, Makoto and Takeshi were as close as friends could get. But she will be back to her normal self soon. A final note: For those waiting for the next "Agent 30A" chapter, I am currently working on it. It is also planned to be lengthy like this one. Later days:)