The next day...


Trick 10: Hospital Visit

By the time I wake up Katsumi and Pyrone have responded to my message. The first is just Katsumi thanking me for making the right decision then there is Pyrone, probably the longest text of all time. "Thanks for joining, Damian. I know I ended up lettering Kouji get away but my whole team is looking for him. He will be dealt with. But enough about that so glad you joined :). Knightmare will fit in with us just fine and...(blah, blah, blah)... So thanks. And if you guys ever wanna practice call my team, though we'll probably end up sweeping you guys. Haha. But anyway I need you to help with something plz. They're 2 solo rider's in Rev that I need you to look after. A girl named Kayla Greene and her boyfriend James Cross. I thought it'd be good for you guys since they ride in the same place Knightmare had ur 1st PW. And bring Kat too! Rev's all about being able to ride with friends." God, why's she so friendly? I ask myself after skimming through the message. Nevermind, I guess we can handle this. Hopefully I'll get a shot at some member of DC. I look down at my hands still a bit of a sting but better.

I walk to the bathroom and it looks like my sister's already headed out to work. After taking care of my needs I go to get dressed. For once it was taking more that twenty minutes to get dressed. I couldn't convince myself to put on any of my knight gear, like it wasn't me. Instead of my usual uniform I just grab some random clothes. A shirt that I don't even check the design of and a pair of jeans. I can't even decide if I want to take the bag that my ATs are stuffed into. It's not like I can use them but... I end up grabbing the bag but refusing to look at its contents. There's no clue in my mind as to why I feel so attached to these Air Trecks but I can't help but to admire them.

Walking out of the house I try to decide who I should call. All I come up with is definitely not Seth. After figuring Tomoharu would be at work I call Miyako, assuming it'd be easier to have her call Solomon than vice-versa. Though seeing him try to get attention from the most apathetic member of Knightmare might be kinda funny... I wonder to myself as the phone rings. The phone clicks and I start the conversation. "Hey Miyako, are you doing anything right now?"

"Well, I'm actually hiking off some stress." She answers.

"Hiking?" I ask, avoiding the obvious cause of her stress. "Where, we all live in the city?"

"Have you ever thought something might be outside of the city?" Miyako answers in a smug tone. I hear birds chirp in the background so I know she's not anywhere I've been in Japan.

"Nothing for me anyway." There aren't many exciting things going on outside of the city. It starts getting cold if we go north and there's nothing special to the east or west until you hit the coast. There is I only know that because of the plane my sister and I took to get here.

She scoffs lightly before answering with. "You don't know that until you actually explore." She answers. "So what did you need, D?"

"Revelations wants us to look out for some solo riders. I thought we could check it out since it's in Debyu." I answer. I pause for objection but as you'd expect from Miyako, there's no reaction. "Anyway, I'm headed there now and was wondering if you could have everyone meet me there whenever."

"Does everyone include Seth?" She sharply asks. I don't know how to answer that. There's no way he'll have just gotten over it. But if I put Pyrone's orders over the team than he was right. As I intend to tell her to decide I hear her sigh. "I'm not calling him." She states. I guess she wouldn't to be yelled at in my stead. Which is fair enough. "By the way, I heard Undead is going to be stuck in the hospital for a while. Do you think we should talk to him?" I stop dead in my tracks. I already owed them for letting us stay in their territory, now the headquarters is gone because I didn't take care of the fight.

"I'll go now. We can take care or Pyrone's thing whenever." I answer, trying to sound calm. I was already more than halfway to Debyu and standing in front of my old school, but grateful. This way I'll have time to think of what I'm going to say. "Just call me when you finish your hike."

"Wait, Damian, before you go you should know that they l-"

I cut her off, spotting a familiar girl as she leaves the school. "Miyako can you call me later. There's something I've gotta do." Her silver eyes seem to analyze as me as she walk out the front door. The girl who gave me the Death Dealers' pin before I met up with Tomoharu. Once she's close enough to hear me without raising my voice I begin my questions. "Did you have something to do with what happened to the Dealers?"

She shift her eyes into a glare before saying, "That was a predictable question. If your asking if I have anything to do with Magaki Kouji or Devil's Crown the answer is no." She says stepping past me. "I just read the signs."

The girl starts walking away from me, head in the direction of my house and the hospital. I follow, seeing a new pin in her hair, with a light blue bird with its wing stretched packed tightly into the head. It's an emblem for sure, one from a team I don't know. "And you didn't warn them? You just left?"

"I'll tell you the same warning I told Grimm. The Akashic Records don't lie and I don't work for losers. How he chose to perceive that was his decision. He was going to lose way the Parts War either way, the rest could've been stopped he had his team give in."

"Are you crazy?" I could tell she wanted to call me predictable but stopped as I went on. "Look, if you were on their team, you know he wouldn't just give in. But if you told him his team would be on the line. He would've at least had a chance."

I see her fist tighten and can't tell whether it is in anger or annoyance. "Why're you even asking about them don't you have a teammate of your own to worry about?" She asks. "Or do you not care about that Flame Road rider?"

"Who Wildcard? He's fine."

The girl stops suddenly turning back towards me. "How?" She ask sounding a bit aggressive.

"What did you hope something would happen?"

"Of course not. I don't like to worry about such small matters." She says. I find the statement strange because it's the kind of thing I'd say if it had been someone else. "The thing is he wasn't supposed to make it out. I read it the first time you brought him to the old school."

I was going to tell her that it was thanks to that Death Dealer pin that I was able to help but I could tell not knowing was annoying her. "You keep talking about reading like you're a psychic. Who are you anyway?"

"I am a Tuning Mercenary." Tuning? Wait, didn't Miyako say she was gonna need a Tuner when she becomes the Gem Queen?

"I kinda meant your name?" She doesn't answer and we keep walking, now in sight of the hospital. "…Well I'm-"

"I know who you are, Knight. And before you ask I'm already working for another team, Tori of Amity. So no, I won't be helping you. Besides, take this as a warning, you probably won't be around much longer." The mercenary answers.

"What're you saying Knightmare's gonna lose?"

"No, your team will be around, though individually. However, you personally, Knight will not."

I pause as we reach the hospital entrance. "Damn, that kinda sucks."

"Is that seriously your answer." She asks, turning back towards me.

"We'll I'm assuming it'll be interesting so the only bad part'll be the end, right?" I answer, expecting a dirty fight courtesy of Kouji or some random DC thug. "And I could mess up your reading again."

The Tuner glares. "Are you seriously planning to bet your life on that?"

"Well you know, survive one near death experience you've survived them all." I answer. I take a certain satisfaction at the mercenaries jaw dropping as she tries to find words to say to me.

After a while she pauses. Takes a deep breath and exhales. "I don't like you." She bluntly answers. I shrug and she sighs again. "Do you really think you can change what's already written in the Akashic Records?"

"First: What? And second: If it'll be fun, sure."

She sighs again at my well fabricated confidence. The two of us walk up to a table in the waiting room. It's nearly empty except for a few people my age or younger, who looked to have a few burns. It was hard to tell if they were from the Death Dealer base but judging by the dirty looks they were sending her way, its safe to say they at least know the Tuner. I check her face for a reaction but she easily ignores them easily as if she's not even trying. She never even looks their way as she sits on a bench behind a small table.

The mercenary lifts her school bag then puts out her hand. "Give me your Air Trecks." She says. I raise a brow in interest and she answers with an aggravated tone. "You must have least some idea what a Ring Road rider does, right? I don't know who stripped them but your ATs are useless in that bag, give them to me and they'll be repaired by the time you finish your business up stairs. Then you'll leave me alone."

She's definitely interesting. I'll have to ask Han about how trustworthy she is. I think about it for a second before passing her the bag. She empties the contents onto the table before pulling a small case of tools from her bag. "Won't fixing my ATs change those records of yours?"

"No one can rewrite the records." As she begins working, I notice a side note of /I've already tried/ in her expression.

There doesn't seem like there's much more conversation to be had so I head to the counter. "I'll be back." She answers with a hmph and I tap the counter to see a friend of my sister at the desk. "Hey can you tell me where to find a pai-"

"No." The man answers. "Voleur, you're not allowed up." As I lean into the counter to complain he slides around me. "Hello Kaneko, visiting someone."

I turn and see Katsumi walking towards us. She waves and I nod before snapping back towards the desk worker. "Wait! Why can she go visit but I can't?"

"Well one, because your sister Dr. Voleur says she doesn't want you hanging out her. Plus unlike you Kaneko has never had someone forcefully admitted into the hospital." He answers. I groan for not having expected something like this from my sister. Just when I decide to stupidly try wandering each floor for a name card that reads Undead I hear him take Katsumi's request.

"Can you please direct me to Tsuneo Mori." She asks. My sister's co-worker nods before looking up the room on his computer. After getting the number Katsumi walks towards me with a smile. "Coming?"

"Where, was Mori a friend from school or something?"

"You don't even know his real name? That's Undead's real name." She laughs as she presses the call elevator button, again managing to show off the emblem on the back of her jacket. Now that I've seen their leaders Dragon, I'm actually a bit worried about what Katsumi's got hidden. The ding of the elevator takes me away from my thoughts and the two of us step on. I notice her glance into the lobby as the doors close.

"So how do you know Undead?" I ask, as the soft elevator music plays.

"Mori, had actually become friends with Terzei before I joined her team." She answers. "From what I've heard he was worried about how Devil's Crown pushing for their territory and how violently Hansel would react."

I'm taken by surprise at the idea of Han overreacting, even considering his anger last night. Then again Katsumi see's any violence as a harsh overreaction. "Why would he go to you guys, Han's pretty cool. I mean sure he likes to scare people but-"

"It's because he's a Bloody Road user. Like Senbou or even your new friend Mckinnion's Gladius Road, they're Roads based on carving into people to climb above them." Katsumi says, with a grim expression. "The last person to ride the Gladius Road was also known as Killer until he died trying to murder the last Rumble King. Incase you didn't know the current Fang King is the leader of Devil's Crown, he's-

"Katsumi," I call as the elevator doors open. "Why're you telling all this?" There's a brief second of tension between us which told me exactly what she was getting at. She's telling me to quit, again. "Sorry, you're my best friend but even you can't convince me to walk."

She sighs. "I know," Katsumi confesses. "But I had to try. It's going to be dangerous but at least Knightmare is on the right side now." We walk down the strangely empty hall in silence until we reach the room. We both stare at the door, neither of us really knowing what to do next. I never got the chance to figure out what I'm going to say. The two of us just stand there, intensely staring at the name on the door. It's silent.

I feel a burn on the back of my neck and jump forward, accidentally hitting my forehead on the door. I turn in a fighting stance, before noticing the familiar face. Hansel quietly laughs holding a cold drink as Undead asks who's outside. "D, I need to talk to you for a sec." Han asks. Katsumi takes a look at the two of us before going inside the room. I nod to Han and we head into the hall.

The two of us walk to the stairs down the hall and stop. "Look, Han. I'm sorry about the fire."

"Why're you sorry." Hansel says cracking open the soda.

"We both know about my fight with Kouji. I was stupid for thinking he'd just let me get away with it." I answers, staring down the stairwell to the first floor.

He actually sneers at my explanation, taking me by surprise. I turn towards him as he leans against the wall, taking a drink from his soda can like a depress drunk from a beer. "Devil's Crown would've come for us either way. I should've listened to Undead about getting help. That's what we've gotta talk about."

"What do you mean?"

"You still plan on fighting DC right?" He asks. "Plus I heard you and Wildcard saved a few friendly Storm Riders from the fire. Let me join Knightmare so I can make that stupid Sader regret ever even looking at the Death Dealers. "

I can sense the hatred in his voice. I pause trying to figure out what he was asking. "What about your team? You have a better shot at them with the others, right?"

Hansel clenches his fist, causing the skin under his Sensenmann tattoo to tighten. "Damian, we lost last night. As in the emblem, territory and everything. They almost swept the entire Parts War from us. I was the only one who won a match and Gado Group's leader wasn't even there."

"Hold up, did you say Gado Group?" I ask, instantly remembering the list of teams Pyrone had named.

He nods and the door that leads out into the hall opens. "I was looking for you two. Mori said he'd be getting out soon." Katsumi says. "So what'd you two talk about?"

Neither of us answer for so long that it must've become suspicious. Before she can ask anything else I give her a quick answer. "HG just joined my team." I answer, nodding in his direction. "Now come on, your boss wants us to check something out in Debyu." Katsumi nods and turns to open the door. She takes a step then hesitates, staring down at the floor. "Hey, are you alright?" I ask as I walk to see what had caught her eye.

My eyes widen as I spot my ATs in front of the doorway. My bag was left folded beside them but I had no interest in that. I could ride again. The red trim appears so intense and the metal trucks had definitely been cleaned. They probably look even better than when I first got them from Tamotsu. I should really thank her for this. Mercenary or not. Katsumi steps aside and I pick the AT and bag up, feeling Hansel's hand on my shoulder with a silent congratulations. The second I touch the smooth black wheels again I feel confident. "Looks like it's gonna be a short walk to Debyu."

"For you maybe," She says with a weak smile. "Sticking with you, I'll feel like I'm in slow motion."

"Yeah righ-" My phone vibrates in my pocket and we both stop as Hansel walks into the hall. Incoming Call: Terzei Pyrone. I show the alert to Katsumi and she shrugs having no idea what it's about. I answer, put the phone to my ear and instantly pull it away as she begins yelling. "Hold on, what're you talking about?"

"I'm telling you to be careful!" She yells through the speaker. "For everyone's sake I want you to listen to me. Everyone knows this region of Japan isn't very safe. Devil's Crown is already spread out and we're taking them down in our territories but there's also this… girl. She's taking out any Storm Riders going through whatever she says is her territory. Which includes Debyu."

"You called to warn me about one girl?" I ask, again looking to Katsumi, who again shrugs.

"Damian, I'm serious. People get hurt around there, even people from Devil's Crown." Pyrone responds. The honest concern in her voice shows, and I realize she's trying to protect a lot more than just me and some riders. She breathes out heavily trying to call down. "Make sure you take Katsumi with you."

"I know, we're together right now. And my team'll be there too. Why're are you so worried?"

"Because Cale says she almost killed him last night. He never made it to me, even after Kouji got away." I suck my teeth becoming even more agitated by the results of Kouji's disaster. "Look, I'm sending you her picture now. If you see her run and call me. I'll… deal with her." She hangs up and almost immediately after the picture comes in. Vriska Stewart it says.

I open the message and all the seriousness drains from my body and quickly gets replaced with confusion. The picture is of Terzei and another woman with their faces pressed together at the cheek, with the arm of a man whose face was pushed out the shot by Terzei, who's taking the picture and grinning ear to ear. The other woman, who I assume is supposed to be the big threat is looking a bit annoyed but she doesn't exactly seem unhappy. The blonde Vriska stood a bit shorter than Terzei as she held the two close. I look to Katsumi and show her the picture. "Am I really supposed to take this seriously?"

She looks at the picture with almost as much confusion as me. "I… I really don't know. But we should probably listen to her."

I nod and follow Katsumi as she heads down the stairs I look at the picture again. "How dangerous could she be?"


Happy Holidays to you! And you! And you! What? I don't give a f;)k if you celebrate or not! Happy Holidays!