Author's Note: Hnn...for some reason I have a harder time writing the chapters that don't incluse Shito and Chika? Could this be because I love my creeper/angst? ...Nah...Anyway, please enjoy and bare with me while I continue to push through the harder chapters.
Michiru watched out the window as the scenes of the city blurred into green countryside. She and the others had caught the earliest train out of the city. It was about an hour to the airport where they'd have to fly out of Japan. Yuuta stayed behind to watch the office and other zombie activity. Sotetsu sat beside her, digging the last bits of food from a bowl he'd ordered from the cart. Bekko sat across from them, eyes closed in thought.
"I hope Shito-kun and Chika-kun are alright." Michiru said. Her small voice quivered as she fought back her worried tears.
"They're tough. I'm sure they are fine." Sotetsu said. He set the bowl down and turned toward her. "Hell, they've been through some pretty bad things and survived. This shouldn't be any different."
"I guess." Michiru answered, though she wasn't sure she was convinced. Something about how quickly it all happened just didn't sit right. Yuuta's samples were taking longer to test than he'd hoped, thus leaving several more questions still unanswered.
Both boys' rooms had been emptied, cleared of all of their belongings. It made sense that if the Xu Fu had taken Shito back to Shanghai. What worried Michiru was that…Chika's had been empty too. If he'd been kidnapped why would they bother taking all of his things? It just didn't make any sense at all. It was too meticulous to be just a kidnapping. There had to be something else behind it; some other reason. As Bekko said, they may need to keep Chika around simply so Shito's hand didn't rot away. But…why? Wouldn't it have been easier to just let Shito live in Japan?
Bekko sat up and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He leaned one elbow on the arm rest near the window, his other hand stifling a yawn. He looked towards Michiru and sighed.
"Michiru-san, you shouldn't worry so much. You'll need to keep a clear head." Bekko said.
"I can't stop worrying, Bekko-san." The school girl whimpered. "They are my friends."
"I know. All the more reason to have a clear head. You are still human, therefore you can still be easily killed. If this were to turn violent you'd have to run immediately." Bekko's voice left no room for interpretation. He didn't really want her there. She'd only get in the way and be a bother to have to save. He too was worried though he'd be the last to admit it. Those two boys had found themselves in quite the predicament. It bothered Bekko, that he didn't have much information at all. The events didn't really make sense to him either. He'd gone through several scenarios in his mind, but none really seemed to fit the facts.
"I know." Michiru said. She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. She'd torn the train schedule to bits, leaving pieces across her dress. She nodded silently without looking up again. She knew he was right but she couldn't help herself. Sotetsu gently put his arm around her pulling her over to him. "Sotetsu-kun." She gasped, surprised.
"You looked like you needed it. Go to sleep, Michiru. I'll wake you when we get there." Sotetsu said, he smiled down at her. His gentle side didn't show much, but he knew when it was necessary. Sotetsu himself thought of this as an adventure, something fun to do in his spare time. Saving Shito and Chika was important and he knew that, but the thought of an adventure, made him excited. Something to get his adrenaline going. The mundane task of fighting low-life zombies only served for simple play.
"O-okay." Michiru stammered, embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed pink but she slowly allowed herself to drift into sleep.
Bekko nodded and turned back to the window. The airport was just ahead, perhaps only 5 minutes until the train reached the station. From there, they had a 15 minute window to hop the plane to Shanghai. It'd be tricky, but Bekko knew someone at the airport who would hold the plane if necessary. It was amazing actually, how many people owed Bekko a favor. It was useful in times like this. Though rare, the times did arise where he would need assistance.
The train announced his approach to the station. Some passengers had already started gathering towards the door. Hands gripping the bars and straps above them. Sotetsu moved Michiru to his lap and held her in his arms, careful not to wake her. Bekko picked up their one bag and waited for the train to stop before standing. Passengers filed out onto the concrete all going in different directions. Bekko and the others stepped out last, heading quickly towards the airport doors. Most of the travelers moved out of Sotetsu's way. His size made him easy to see and thus evade. Bekko followed behind him, as if he were a shadow. The three of them made it out to the tarmac with only a minute to spare, the steward gestured them up the stairs quickly. The plane had already begun to warm it's engines.
"This way, Bekko-san." The steward motioned for the three of them to enter the first class section. "No one will bother you here."
"Thank you." Bekko nodded. He took a seat away from the other two and pulled out his phone. Yuuta had sent him a text while on the train but Bekko had decided not to open it until he was apart from them. He flipped open his phone and clicked his message box. Two messages waited him and he opened the first.
"My tests finally came back. The blood all belongs to Chika-kun as we had suspected. But the other things were a little strange. Some belonged to Chika-kun but some belonged to someone else. I can't find who it belongs to."
Bekko looked at the text, his brow raised. "What, Yuuta. You were supposed to tell me what it was." Bekko said aloud. He flipped to the second text and his eyes widened. He hadn't expected to see this at all.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you! The other was…semen." Bekko reread the text silently to himself. He shook his head trying to makes sense of it.
"So…this just became more complicated." Bekko thought to himself. He looked out the window as the plane started rolling forward. He sifted through faces and people who had come in contact with Akatsuki Chika. None really seemed the type to be violent. Those that did, were dead and gone. Bekko's eyes widened again. The Xu Fu had once brought back a dead person, and the shinigami had lost his core. It was indeed possible that someone had brought one of Chika's old enemies back. Though only one made enough of an impact on Bekko's mind to make him suspicious.
"So you're alive, Shiba Reichirou." Bekko said quietly.