Chapter 7:

How did I get here?

Grabbing my pounding head I sat up on what appeared to be a cell cot. It creaked under my weight as I slid my legs over the edge of the bed. Rubbing the left side of my neck something bubbled up in the back of my mind.

"Saru-kun," I breathed.

Lowering my hands I jumped up and dashed across the small area pressing myself against the bars. I tried to see where I was but all I could make out was a wall of cells across from me.

"Saru-kun!" I called out.

I definitely remembered seeing him. He had to be here. I had to talk to him. Racking my brain for answers I wondered, What happened again?

Totsuka and I had been walking back to the bar after all my job applications. He was humming happily at my side while I had been nursing my burned hand that had started to ache. It was already past noon and I was starving.

We were only a few blocks away from Homra when I was grabbed from behind and pushed down onto my knees. I yelped in surprise, and groaned when my knees hit the solid ground.

"You are under arrest by Scepter four's Fushimi Saruhiko for involvement in illegal clans activity," a man announced.

I knew that voice, it had deepened over the last couple of years, but it was unmistakable. I glanced over my shoulder at who was twisting my arm behind my back, and standing there was the bored looking glasses guy from that gym roof years ago.

"Saru-kun?" I gaped.

"Who-," he stopped. Eyes wide and hands loosening on me. "Nao?"

"Nao-chan?" Totsuka called.

He ran over to where I was held down, shooting daggers with his brown eyes at Fushimi. I didn't think Totsuka could even get mad, but there he stood with a deep crease in his brow.

"What illegal clans activity?" Totsuka demanded. "We haven't done anything like that today."

"What're you doing with Homra?" Fushimi asked. He completely ignored Totsuka's presence as he stared down at me. His tone was still as superior as when we were younger, but I was happy to see he hadn't changed just like Yata.

"I just bumped into them a few days ago. I'm catching up with Totsuka-kun, and Yata. Where have you been?" I said calmly.

Totsuka stared at me like I had gone crazy. "Nao-chan, he's arresting you," he stated.

"Why?" I asked Fushimi. Totsuka had a point, whether I knew Fushimi or not he was still taking me in for something I didn't do.

"I am just following orders," he answered.

His grip tightened on me again and he pulled my arm farther behind my back. The motion yanked on my bullet wound and I hissed at the sting.

"Let her go, you're hurting her," Totsuka said. He knelt down in front of me and asked, "Is it your side? We'll patch it back up once we get back, okay?"

"Saru-kun, I can walk on my own. I'm not going to fight," I bargained.

"You're just going to go along with him? You haven't done anything wrong though," Totsuka said.

Fushimi continued to ignore the brunet's presence as he allowed me to my feet saying, "Let's go."

I wasn't going to fight him, especially not when I had been wondering how he was doing since literally bumping into Yata at the bar. Fushimi and Yata had been inseparable since the day I met them, so why were they apart now? It didn't make any sense.

As I began following Fushimi in the opposite direction of the bar something grabbed my hand. Before I could register what was happening I was running away from Fushimi. Then I recognized Totsuka's back in front of me, and his hand holding firm on mine as he pulled me along.

"Totsuka-kun," I called.

"It's fine, Nao-chan," he said back.

"Wait!" I fought.

I meant to just swot his hand away with my other hand, but something happened. Red flared up from around my bandaged fingers as I swung my hand through the air. I heard a distinct sizzle as I touched his hand. Totsuka and I sprung apart at that moment causing me to stumble backward and colliding with Fushimi who had been chasing after us.

"Nao-chan?" Totsuka gasped.

"I don't have time for this," Fushimi said.

The next thing I knew there was a pain in the side of my neck, and Totsuka's worried expression was disappearing into the darkness.

"What the hell?" I groaned.

Leaning my head against the metal bars I sighed staring down at my left hand. There was fresh gauze wrapped around all of my fingers now, even my thumb. I couldn't explain what had happened on the street, or why it even took place.

"Saru-kun!" I yelled. "Why am I here? What's going on?" I was getting bored just standing around completely alone. "Saru-kun, come on."

"Quiet down."

It wasn't Fushimi. The voice was clearly female, and when she came into view there was no doubt. Her uniform was similar to the blue one Fushimi had been wearing, but much more risque. The skirt was barely there at all, and her extravagant chest was just being held back by a white blouse. She looked smug as she stopped in front of my cell. With her hands on her hips she stared at me like some lowlife who was getting what they deserved.

"Where is Saru-kun?" I asked.

"You will be answering to me, not Fushimi," she replied.

Groaning I pulled back from the bars, crossed my arms over my chest, and leaned my hip back against the metal holding me inside the cell. "And you would be be?" I inquired.

"Scepter four's lieutenant Seri Awashima," she replied in an official tone.

I suppressed an eye roll at her words. I had dealt with plenty of egotistical police officers, but none that appeared as righteous as this woman. I could practically see the pole stuck up her butt.

"Congrats, but I want to talk to Saru-kun," I said.

Her blue eyes narrowed at me as she leaned towards the cell. "You will be answering to me," she stated.

"Saru-kun!" I called. I was not going to deal with this woman. I couldn't. "Why am I here? You arrested me, so finish the job!"

"Be silent," Seri ordered. "Are you aware that you have violated several laws set in place by the Leaders?" she inquired.

No, I thought as I continued to yell, "I know you're lazy, but I never thought you were careless, Saru-kun!"

"You are in violation of article 16; for using-," Seri began.

"Fushimi Saruhiko, I've never played the senpai card before, but I'm playing it now, so get your butt out here now, or else," I warned.

The lieutenant leered at me as her cheeks darkened with anger. I smirked at her, knowing I was just making things harder for her.

""Or else," what?"

Pushing off of the bars I turned to see Fushimi making his way down the hall. His iconic smirk on his face, and dark blue eyes gleaming at me as he neared.

"I won't ever bring you that salted caramel candy again," I teased.

Fushimi stopped next to the leering lieutenant, his hands in his pockets, and a mischievous smile on his face. He hadn't changed much in the past three year's except for getting teller and possibly more arrogant- which I didn't think was plausible.

"I never expected you to" he said. Leaning only his torso towards my cell he added, "Not after your little disappearance so long ago."

My joking smile fell. Was he upset over that like Yata? I had thought Fushimi found me the most annoying despite his constant fighting with Yata. "I had a good reason to," I said.

"Go back Fushimi," Seri ordered. "This is my interrogation."

Fushimi glanced a look at her before rolling his eyes and turning them back on me. "You weren't getting anywhere, so the Captain sent me in," he stated.

"I've only started," Seri commented.

"Take it up with him. I'm just following orders," he said flatly.

Seri's face turned bright res as she stalked out of my view. Was their Captain like Mikoto? A sort of king with strange powers? I wondered as I looked back at Fushimi.

"So that means you didn't come because I played the senpai card?" I inquired.

"Of course not," he snickered.

"Poo," I pouted. "And here I thought you were being nice for once."

"You've gained quite the tongue. I don't like it," he muttered.

"It's still nothing compared to that razor blade you've got waving around," I shot back.

His eyes narrowed at me as he stepped closer to the cage like bars. I nested my forearms on the line of metal that laid horizontal holding the vertical bars in place. With my hands outside the cell I locked them together just barely noticing the lack of pain that should have been spreading through my hand.

"Can you explain what happened when I was arresting you?" he asked through clenched teeth.

I pressed my face between two bars so I had a better view of his expression. "Nope," I replied.

"You just met Homra?" he continued to question.

"You got it," I winked.

Fushimi groaned. He probably had been expecting his pushover senpai, but I was hardly that anymore. Taking another step forward he was almost within my reach, if I stretched my arm out I could have grabbed his shirt, and yanked him into the cell's bars. I wanted answers, but Fushimi had a twisted sense when it came to violence.

"Then you are a member," he stated.

"No, I'm not," I corrected.

"Explain that attack then," he challenged.

My hands grip grew tighter. "I can't," I said. "I don't know how that happened. It just did."

"And the shooting?" he asked. "How do you explain the uproar it caused?"

"Complete and total back luck," I replied.

"Nao," Fushimi groaned. He took another step forward bumping his chest into my folded hands, that I released when he made contact. "You are not helping yourself."

I let my hands limply against the front of his coat. "I didn't do anything wrong this time. I shouldn't be locked up in here," I said.

"You're still a dumb senpai," he stated. His smug smile fell returning to the blasé boredom air he usually wore.

I was about to contradict him when the red flared up again. It was bigger than the candle size flame that showed up on the street with Totsuka. The deep swirling crimson engulfed my hand sending Fushimi across the hall colliding with the cell opposite mine. He grunted as I screamed holding my flaming hand as far from me as possible. It took my brain a second to realize the fire didn't hurt as it blazed from my wrist to my fingertips.

"What are you doing?" Fushimi demanded.

"I'm not doing this," I said.

If I did have any control then I wouldn't have nearly sent Fushimi up in flames. I didn't want to attack him, I wanted to talk to him. Get back in touch after the sudden break I caused between us.

"Nao!" he yelled.

"I'm not Saru-,"

Crash.

Before I could finish I turned trying to see what had happened. It sounded like a door being taken down, and judging by Fushimi's reaction someone had entered the holding hall. I pulled back from the bars, watching the thick metal glow for a moment when I brought my left hand with me. I could feel the heat coming from the bright red flames, but it didn't burn.

"Nao-senpai!" called a familiar and frantic voice.

"Yata?" I questioned.

As I spoke he zoomed into view on a skateboard with a long silver object in his hands. He barely spared me a glance as he headed straight for Fushimi, raising the object over his head. It was a baseball bat.

"Damn monkey!" Yata hissed.

"Misaki," Fushimi smirked. His hand was at his hip prepared to unsheathed the sword that rested there as he dodged Yata's attacks.

"Oh dear, now Yata's making a mess," Kusanagi said as he casually stepped through the hall.

I wanted to rake my hands through my hair in confusion and irritation, but I was still on fire. Over the edge of Kusanagi's sunglasses I saw his eyes widen as he looked at me. Lowering the cigarette he had in his mouth he approached the cell door.

"Now what's going on here?" he asked.

"I don't know anymore," I sighed.

My heart has been pounding in my chest since the moment my fingers took aflame. Now as I waited for Kusanagi to say something while watching Yata and Fushimi battle in the background. My head was yelling at me to stop those guys, but I had my own problems to deal with at the moment.

"You're not playing wizard are you?" he joked.

"I am not Harry Potter," I stated.

From down the hall, over the clatter of the dueling friends I heard a tiny voice yell, "Suzuki-san!"

"Anna?" I gaped.

She came trotting into view stopping at my cell door with her pale face squeezing between the bars. Her large red eyes staring at me with concern, and what I thought was wonderment.

"Mikoto's red," she said.

I followed her gaze to my left hand. The flames that wrapped around it were indeed as red as the fire he had used to light his cigarettes, but it was on my hand.

"How long have you been like this?" Kusanagi asked me.

"Only a few minutes before Yata broke down the door," I replied.

"I see," he said. Turning he glanced behind him, and smirked. "You seem to be projecting Mikoto."

I saw the glow of red before I laid eyes on Homra's king. His entire body was encased by red flames just like the ones surrounding my left hand. Mikoto continued to walk towards my cell without paying any attention to the door where Anna still stood. Kusanagi pulled her away just before Mikoto's fire practically disintegrated the bars. A hole opened up for him allowing him to enter without any trouble.

"You are going to be nothing but trouble," Mikoto said. He stopped directly in front of me, my breath ceased and my heart leapt.

"Sorry," I choked pout.

"I'm not surprised," he smirked.

Without warning Mikoto grabbed my burning hand plunging the rest of my body in his ruby flames. There was a wave of heat and a brief moment when everything was all red in my eyes as the flames consumed me. His hand held tight onto mine sending a familiar shock through me. It was like that moment back at the hospital all over again.

I forgot what was happening around us as I stared at his smug expression. His amber colored eyes themselves had flickering flames dancing in them. Mikoto stared back at me and my heart rate only increased to the point I thought it was going to burst. Electricity coursed through me as we stood there on fire.

"Mikoto," I breathed.

As I returned air to my lungs my head went light, and my vision blurred. I squeezed his hand that felt like the source of the electricity as I tried to keep myself upright with my shaking legs.

"Hmm," he responded.

"I really like Homra. I'm sorry I'm just trouble," I said.

My balance slipped, and I landed against Mikoto's chest. He still held my left hand in his while his free arm wrapped around my waist. Tears bubbled up to the corners of my eyes out of nowhere along with a muted solo I buried into his shirt.

"I don't want you to hate me," I cried.

I could feel the flames surge around us with the heat increased. As I clung to Mikoto my mind went blank and my body became as heavy as lead. Just before I slipped back into the darkness I could hear Yata and Fushimi still fighting along with Kusanagi talking idly with Anna, yet over that was a voice that stuck with me in the darkness.

"Welcome to Homra," Mikoto said.


Please leave a review :)