Title: Runner
Summary: When Akihito gets a call from an old friend, Asami starts to dig. What is his kitten hiding? And who is this new kid on the block that refers to himself as 'Wildcat'?
Rating
: T—Due to change
Genre
: Suspense/Romance
Length
: 15 Chapters


Author's Note: I was hoping to get some more internal conflict in but I suppose that can wait until I reach a break in the information. I was hoping to have this chapter out a hell of a lot sooner but between school, personal bullshit that's left over from the last three years and other crap that shouldn't have interfered but did anyways, I didn't have much time to check my email, let alone get on fanfiction. I thank you for your patience.

I should point this out before I continue—the next time previews are what I have planned for the chapter but most of the time, it doesn't always come out as planned. I try and keep it as steady as possible but that's not going to happen… like Mitarai was supposed to be a one-time appearance in the beginning but he somehow ended up being enforced in this story a main supporting character. Oh well. Stories write themselves, right?

Potential trigger warnings? I don't know… I'm not good at gauging that kind of thing.


Chapter 6: Connecting the Dots

Akihito didn't return to the safehouse like Tsukiya had originally planned for him to do. When Suoh told him that she had been sedated, Akihito had bypassed the place completely. Instead, he'd gone straight to the Redlight District and slipped into one of the clubs there. He'd had a few nods given his direction as he stepped through the red-lit club before slipping into a back room that his tags granted him access to. "A new kid on the block, eh?" A female voice said casually. Akihito shifted to look back at the bar-tender who was cleaning a glass. "You can change back there." She jerked her chin to a few stalls lined up. "I'll hold your stuff for you for an two thousand yen charge."

"Thanks." Akihito replied, stepping into the stall which had a small shower in the corner. It was swankier than the place he used to frequent and a bit more expensive but he wasn't going to complain. There was rubbing alcohol for the remnants of the UV lotion and some type of lotion that one was supposed to but on their hands after taking off the nylon under-gloves.

When he was finished, he folded his stuff up in a bag and stepped out. He was dressed casually enough. He put his bag on the counter. "There's ten thousand yen in the front pocket. Withdraw as you see fit."

"Do I get a name?" She asked, leaning forward so that she was bent over the counter. She flashed a teasing little smirk that had nothing to do with seduction or manipulation. It made Akihito smile.

"Takaba…" He leaned forward in the same teasing manner she used. "But you can call me Wildcat."


The bartender's name was Shina, he'd learned after they talked. She'd just recently moved to Japan after a long business trip overseas and took up this job because her boyfriend was a Runner and she was his partner. She'd set up a contact trail for him should anyone come looking down her way for him specifically. It would help him establish some sort of alibi should Asami call him and Akihito at the same time.

The burner phone was set to automatically scramble and forward his calls to his immediate cell phone so they would be untraceable. Any text messages would be forwarded to an email address where she would forward them personally. This way, Akihito could not be tracked.

And the best of all, there was nothing personal about it. Shina was what Runners called a screener. Screeners usually ran a bar where Runners would ditch the working clothes and hit the road to get to their day-job. They were also the ones that took the running request, screened it (meaning they looked into it briefly to make sure it was legit), and then passed it on to the Runner they deemed worthy for the job. They also distributed the pay outs.

"Hey, Shina," Akihito said just before he left. "There's one more thing." He frowned. "What can you tell me about a guy named Takamatsu Rida?"

Shina blinked slowly. "He was a regular client up until about a year and a half ago." She finally said. "Came into some big inheritance after his wife was murdered and it saved his company, I guess. I don't know. Whatever it was, it came with a steaming hot plate of blacklist." Akihito sucked in a breath between his teeth. "Right? That was my reaction." Blacklist was a term used for bad business—stuff that could ruin someone's life like the murders, espionage and blackmail of the .90 caliber pezzonovante as the Sicilians referred to them. Akihito tended to steer away from that as most Runners did. "Apparently he's been feeding information to the blues about various screeners back at the Metropolitan."

"So the cops rely on him?"

"From what I've heard, at least." Shina flicked a strand of dark hair over her shoulder. "He's also real into endorsement."

"Endorsement? What's he endorsing?"

She smiled blandly. "Anti-running laws."

Akihito had left after that as Shina couldn't offer him anymore information. He made a note to talk to Yamazaki or one of his old cop-friends for some more information and made a note on his phone to tell Asami what he figured out the next time he saw him as Wildcat (and also made a silent note to talk to Tsukiya about changing his name).

He blew out a breath as he walked to Asami's penthouse apartment that took up over half of the top floor. He'd done all he was obligated to do for that half of his life. He'd left a line of communication for Asami's cronies as the Runner but he'd been gone for too long from his life as Takaba Akihito. He needed to reinforce his boundaries otherwise Asami would do that for him and he was, by no means, so stupid to allow his 'lessons' to be brought up again… not that a game of chase wouldn't do both of them some good.

But those thoughts quickly left his mind and he was left with thoughts of his previous predicament. Why did Takamatsu bomb the super-center? It wasn't a Running establishment… unless the super-center wasn't the original target. But then who was? And why endorse laws against the very profession he used to do?

Akihito threw himself onto the bench on the top of Asami's apartment building with a groan. He'd bypassed the apartment because he wasn't ready to go home yet. None of it connected but somehow, Akihito was sure that there was a connection and his instincts had never been wrong before.

"There has to be a connection—there always is." He murmured. Working as the head of a blacklist corporation, endorsing anti-Running laws, informing the cops of potential screeners (who were big catches in the legal industries because they had enough information to take down hundreds of employees that worked in various branches of the underground)… that wasn't even including the kidnapping attempt on Tsukiya this afternoon—and the only reason he knew it was a kidnapping attempt was because he wasn't killed straight out like he would have been otherwise—and the successful kidnapping of her fiancé.

'Could their companies be the connection?' He thought, standing up to lean on the guard rails and look down at the city. It served as a backdrop for his thoughts despite the fact that it wasn't nighttime yet. 'Divine Industries doesn't endorse though… they're a multi-purpose industry that doesn't really have a hand in politics.' Or so went the public opinion. Akihito had a sneaking suspicion that Kaoru had his hand in a few political pies but wasn't going to press the matter. It was probably a favor-line—the you-scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours clause—as opposed to official means.

But that still didn't tell him what the connection was. Divine Industries was completely different from Takamatsu's business. He'd have to look further into Takamatsu Rida's social standing before he drew any more conclusions...

And he knew just the person to call.

[Hello?] A voice drawled lazily.

"Hey, Mitarai. It's Takaba… can we meet up?"


Asami's mood had taken a turn for the worst. He'd dissected the disk himself and had found that everything Wildcat had said was true—Takamatsu was indeed a former Runner. There had been a section with copies of his medical history and an investigation overview that piqued at Asami's interest on top of all that Tsukiya and her Runner contact had found.

It was the connection he needed.

He knew of Takamatsu's endorsement and he knew that he went to the police to inform them about potential screeners (which were dangerous catches for everyone involved because they could lead the police right back to their front door. That's why they were so valuable) and he knew that he pushed the anti-running laws—and while there had been a connection with Kaoru, who supported the Runners tenfold despite the fact that he didn't publically support any political parties, there hadn't been to the bombings (and after finding the chemical make-up of the bomb, he was certain there had to be a connection).

But the investigation overview explained it all.

Takamatsu's wife, Akane, had been his high school sweetheart and later, his wife. Before they got engaged, she had been brought up on charges as an interloper for the Mafia as—the common charges brought up against Screeners—after an unknown informant left some incriminating evidence against her in front of one of the Metro-police stations. She had been taken to court but, due to faulty handling of the evidence, none of the charges could stick so she was released. That following week, she had married Takamatsu and had two kids.

But that was where paradise ended, it seemed. Police answered a call about a domestic disturbance. When the police got there, Akane and her two children—two year old Saruko and one year old Nanami—were dead and she was bleeding out. Takamatsu arrived just in time to see his wife flatline. The doctors couldn't resuscitate her.

According to the psych-evaluation, Takamatsu threw himself into his work. He began drinking, got arrested for a few public intoxication laws, before he reformed and started running his father's business the way it was supposed to be ran. His profits sky-rocketed and his business flourished…

Only Asami knew better.

Takamatsu's business had filed for bankruptcy after he went downhill. Something happened—someone must have made him an offer or he found a less-than-legal means to making money.

The bombings were one of those means of making money.

The super-center was run by a rival business of his but an allied business of Kaoru's. The two companies worked in the same field—multi-purpose industries with a hand in everything—whereas Takamatsu's was more political and stock-broking. This was Takamatsu's means of making ends meet.

But none of that was what bothered him. What bothered him was that all of this was hidden, locked away. His background, his medical records—Asami had one of the only copies of the original profile.

Asami rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb. He was too tired to deal with this. He needed to go home tonight and hope that Akihito was there and then approach this with a fresh start. Drinking with his kitten and then getting into some rather elicit activities that would more than likely take up all of the night would take the edge off some.

And from the way Kirishima scurried away like a frightened mouse, Asami knew that his coworkers would greatly appreciate the effort.


Akihito's eyebrows shot up. "You're shitting me, right?" He asked. "The police suspect the informant and the murderer are one and the same?"

"Pretty much." Mitarai said. "It was a huge case. The court records were sealed but I got the testimonies and the investigation overview from an old friend. She was… more than helpful." He inclined his head with a frown. "Do yourself a favor, Takaba. Burn these files when you're done with them. These are copies that weren't supposed to leave the precinct. If anyone finds out about them…" He paused and then shuddered. "Let's just say that Takamatsu Rida is one scary sonuvabitch when he wants to be."

"Let me guess," Akihito said wryly. "You were the covering journalist." Mitarai sighed and Akihito stiffened. "Mitarai," He said slowly, warningly.

"I was more than that, okay?" He asked defensively. "Takamatsu sought me out when I was still a rookie—before I started here after you pulled one of your disappearing stunts and the chief picked me up. He asked me to write a bunch of pre-established stories."

Akihito felt his expression fall into his impassive mask of protection. "Mitarai," He said again. "What did you get yourself into?"

Mitarai sighed. "I screwed up, Takaba. I screwed up big time… and now, I have no way out of it."


Akihito and Asami got back at exactly the same time. Kirishima and Suoh were nowhere in sight—but then he hadn't really expected them to be. The two of them looked at one another and, through some sort of silent agreement, walked into the apartment building together.

Asami was in a mood but that didn't stop him from lavishing Akihito with an extravagant dinner and a few drinks of the finest beer money could buy. It put him on edge and made him feel the slightest bit guilty for manipulating him but then Asami always has been unpredictable—then again, Akihito could be unpredictable too. Something in the back of his mind stirred at that one thought and it quickly assured his downfall.

He didn't care though. Not anymore. He wanted Asami. He wanted to fall.

He felt his metaphorical claws flex in retribution but he ignored the stirring beast for the sake of stalking his prey. If he were anyone else, he would have struck by now… but he wasn't and he knew patience was a virtue well relished in this line of work regardless of the fact that he was feral as his namesake—untamed and uninhibited—and Asami was quickly catching onto that. His eyes became a darker shade of hazel-blue as he thought about his next approach and he knew Asami sensed the change.

Akihito arched his back slightly, leaning back so he could look up at Asami without turning. Asami raised an eyebrow down at him. "Not enjoying the movie?"

"I have better things to look at then a motion picture," Akihito said, his eyes glazing with lust. He twisted around and moved onto the couch, as he had been sitting by his legs, so that he was closer to Asami. He saw shock flitter through his golden eyes before he was taking the role of the predator.

"You're playing a dangerous game," Asami said warningly. Akihito knew the threat was true. Asami was in a mood and Akihito was saying he wanted it rough tonight.

"Let me." Akihito said, straddling his lap. He gave Asami a hot, open-mouthed kiss that was eagerly returned. His hands drifted down his clothed chest, pushing his jacket off of his shoulders and then working on the buttons of his shirt. He felt Asami shudder under his touch and he nipped the tongue that was exploring his own mouth. The muscles under Akihito's hands jumped—he'd startled him.

Asami growled, a hand jerking his head back in a savagely affectionate gesture. "Last warning," He said breathlessly. Akihito was pleased with himself. He was the one to make him breathless.

"I… should be warning you." Akihito said. Asami flipped their positions so quickly that Akihito's head was left spinning. His hand caught Asami's bicep and for a blaring moment, he felt the same sense of adrenalin that he felt at the dead-point, just before freefall. He felt the hand that pulled his hair drift down the curve of his back to squeeze the firm roundness of his ass. Akihito's hands went under his shirt, pushing it off of him so he could see his firm abdomen.

'Whoa…' He thought as the adrenalin clouded his vision but that was all he had time for before Asami jerked his arms above his head and him pinned against the couch. He gave a rather rough jerk of his hips since his hands were being held above his head and heard Asami hiss in return. He smirked before Asami's eyes narrowed dangerously. A thrill ran through his veins and his felt his pulse pick up speed.

"You're a glutton for punishment."

Akihito wrapped his legs around Asami's waist. "Then punish me."

Tsuzukeru.


Next time: Takamatsu rears again. Akihito gets a call and Asami sees what Kirishima warned him about.