Author's Note: Toldja Schwarz was coming in soon~


Chapter Ten:

Shayla couldn't believe it. Tokyo was beyond amazing. After Omi had shown her how to get to the high school, he had taken her exploring around the city. And there was so much to see. Shayla honestly couldn't believe it. She rarely let go of Omi's hand the entire time, dragging him towards various things to make him explain. Sure, she could've pulled his arm. But she liked holding onto his hand and it made her laugh when he turned pink. She may not have understood originally why her grandmother's dying wish was for her to move in with Hoshi in Japan, but she blessed her grandmother's memory for the demand. Somewhere she must've known that Shayla would love Tokyo. The only real downside was the lack of open space nearby for her to go on her usual runs. But she could work through that. It was nearing 1:30 as Shayla paused in the middle of the sidewalk. She glanced down at her stomach and grinned sheepishly at Omi. "Something tells me it's about time to eat some lunch."

Omi was nearing on exhaustion as his mouth ran to keep up with their steps. He loved sharing things and very often had a hard time finding a caring audience. Ken was always running off somewhere, Aya never had any input, and Yohji just flat out didn't care and opted with waving him off when he tried to share his newest bit of obsession. All in all, the short blond lead of a life bridging on loneliness and insecurity. However, Aya tended to fill the gap between his familial origins, but in recent times the redhead was too busy tending to his sister to comply to his Omi duties. Besides, Omi already knew that they all cared; they just didn't want to give away their precious time to a computer wiz that spoke in codes. That was what separated them from Shayla. She never seemed to disappear no matter the circumstance. For once in all their lives, it seemed the female gender was breaking down the door of Weiss' lives. Except Ken...he was getting different offers related to...soccer. And with Aya, well, it was his sister. Not that Omi was trying to say that their fearless leader had romantic feelings for his sister, but that the painful era of his life was now over upon his sister waking up. For once... things were looking up. And it made Omi smile—smile and pour his heart out on the pavement for Shayla to do with what she will. For once, Omi was not afraid. Yes, the Irish girl was in danger just breathing the same air as him. Yes, Omi didn't deserve it. Yes, she was holding the hand of a murderer who killed for justice. But at this point in his teenage life, Omi just didn't wantto care anymore. Unpreventable things were unpreventable and to deny this feeling would be more painful than letting it bloom while it could. Regardless of its blood-red color and regardless of how fleeting it might be... He turned to her and smiled. "Why not eat in Harajuku? I know a fabulous crepe place."

Hoshi was ready. Or at least as ready as she'd ever be. She was sitting at the cafe where she and Ken had agreed to meet, typing on her laptop. It was a half hour before the meeting, but she wanted to get there early. For about the 100th time today, she was reviewing her questions. She was also typing out yet another version of her article's introduction. And on top of all that, she was being bombarded with emails about university classes starting. She groaned. Busy was not even the right word to describe her life right now. She glanced down at her watch, wishing for it to be 2 o'clock. Maybe if she was lucky, he would show up early too?

Nami awoke slowly, realizing she had just spent most of the morning and into the afternoon sleeping. Which was definitely unusual. She shifted slightly, propping herself up on her elbows. She looked down at Yohji and smiled. She didn't think anyone could possibly look so peaceful while asleep. It had definitely been an interesting past couple of days. He had somehow managed to wiggle his way into her heart. And that could bode very ill for her, over the course of the near future. She thought about walking him up and "thanking" him again for being so wonderful... until she remembered WHY she wanted to thank him. Michelle. Shit. Talk about being a bad friend. Nami carefully crawled from the bed and darted into the living room, shutting the bedroom door carefully behind her. She plopped down on the couch and hit the speed-dial button, letting it ring.

"Hi I'm Ken." No. That sounded stupid; she already knew who he was. They had met at the soccer game. "Yo Hidaka here!~" Too Yohji. ARGH this was getting frustrating! He was ready to pull his hair out. AND it looked like it was about to rain so to take his motorcycle would be stupid. And there was no way in hell he was going to take the flowershop van. Yohji had taken the pink monstrosity to drive away the weird girl that was Yohji's girlfriend's friend before she lost it or something. So it was low on gas. Ken didn't want to run out of gas. The weather said it wasn't going to rain, but the soccer fanatic was ready to bet that that was bullshit. Weather was a liar. Always was. He sighed and flipped up his hood, putting on his bike helmet and a brown leather coat over his orange hoodie. And if he didn't say so himself, he looked handsome beyond all reason! He started her, listening to Yuriko's sweet hum that reminded him of somber times in hotels and rain. Missions and disease...a hill of flowers and Australia. He sighed and growled off to the cafe, knowing he would arrive early for once. That was how important this was to him. And he was glad he stayed because leaving Weiss was something impossible to him. He just hoped that Kritiker wouldn't give him shit about joining the league again. He would have to talk to Omi about it eventually... He just would give up his early morning shift in the Koneko...that's all. Maybe Yohji could take it for him or something? He shrugged to himself as he hoped off Yuriko and through the doors of his favorite cafe, La Fleur. Looking around, he tried to see if the reporter lady was there before him. This better not be a trap...he was unarmed...for once.

Rani had spent a good chunk of the morning doing laundry and organizing all of her new clothes in her room. That and… stalling. She needed to talk to Aya, but she was terrified to do it. As she had been shopping, several of the sales ladies commented on how school was beginning. When Rani explained her age, they excitedly asked her if she had decided to go to university. And it was all Rani could think about on her walk home. True, she had been in a coma for three years. She had missed a lot. But Sakura had been helpful in filling in details and Omi promised to tutor her. She didn't want to be going back to high school. The idea made her groan. She wanted to stay here and try at university. Surely they could make an exception for her, if she passed entrance exams? She shook her head, clearing the questions from her mind. First things first, she needed to talk to her older brother. And she couldn't put it off any longer. Walking quietly from her room she walked to the practice room, knocking timidly on the door, almost hoping he wouldn't hear.

Aya was sitting in the middle of the floor, eyes closed as he cleaned his sword expertly. Not a tinge of rust, not a drop of blood, sweat, or oil from his hands. It was spotless before he opened his eyes and saw that it was spotless. Narrowed icy blue eyes flickered to the door where a pathetic excuse for a knock echoed throughout the new silence. He stood up in a fluid motion and flung open the door, about to demand that Omi not bother him. That was when he noticed that it wasn't the younger boy, but his sister. He almost felt insulted that his sister be the one to bear the burden of owning such a sad-sounding knock. He made a mental note that he teach her the correct way to announce her presence with vigor. He scoffed and blinked at her, hoping for some sort of explanation before he had to ask.

Michelle had spent a quiet morning and afternoon. After a big breakfast she had cleaned up the house and tended her herb garden. She also attempted to scry for a certain individual but as in the past, she came up with nothing. She knew he was getting closer though. She could sense it. And she feared it. She was returning from practicing her new power in the woods around her house as her cellphone vibrated in her pocket. She looked at the ID and smiled fondly. She picked up. "Hello there, friend."

Nami smiled. "Hey there. I'm sorry I haven't called sooner. How are you feeling?"

"It's alright. I figured you were busy. I'm doing... better. The pain is gone and now I just have the nightmares."

"Same ones?"

"Same ones. But anyway. What did you do last night?"

"Umm.." Nami chuckled nervously. "Well.."

"Let me guess. Yohji?"

Nami laughed. "Yeeeeah.. mad at me?"

Michelle shook her head with a chuckle. "No, why would I be? Have you talked to him about what that Aya-guy said?"

"No..." Nami trailed off. "Things were… We didn't have time. But I'm going to. I promise."

"Well, hop to it. And Nami, I hope it works out for you."

"Thanks Michelle. Talk to you soon?"

"Of course." Michelle said goodbye and hung up the phone, going into her house. She really did hope with all her heart that Yohji understood… that things between Nami and him worked out. She had honestly never seen Nami so devoted to a guy before. There must be something about him, right? But Aya... Michelle sighed. He would be a problem for them. She had no idea what ridiculous accusations he made but she knew they weren't true. And somehow she felt he wasn't that type that offered apologies or forgave easily. And even if he grew to grudgingly like Nami (because who couldn't?)... she doubted she would ever receive a thank you for helping save his life. She doubted... a lot of things. She sighed heavily. "Time for an afternoon glass of wine and movie, I think," she murmured to herself, going into the kitchen.

Nami hung up her cell phone as well, leaving it on the coffee table. With a frustrated groan, she stood. Michelle was right. She needed to talk to him. And soon. Like... now. Except he was asleep, which made things problematic. She could probably wake him up, she pondered as she moved towards the bedroom. Yet, she had a feeling waking someone up and then going "We need to talk." was a really bad idea. But she didn't have much of a choice. And she felt that Yohji knew it too. Going back into the bedroom, she crawled back into bed, fluffing her pillow and leaning against the headboard. She looked down at Yohji, an arm over him, poised to begin nudging. And she couldn't. He still looked way too peaceful. So instead, she began to gently run her fingers through his hair. Let him wake up on his own… it would give her a little more time in paradise.

Yohji felt the bed move and the presence of warmth leave it beside his half-naked body. He jolted upward, thinking it was a girl leaving him on a one-night-stand instead of the other way around. Instead, he came back to himself and realized that it was Nami getting up again. She was right...they couldn't just stay in bed all day, lying against each other with the soft breeze wafting through the open window. He chuckled to himself at the fact that she had forgotten to shut it when she turned on the air conditioning for him. He rose from the bed and went to the door, but froze upon hearing half of a conversation. "Things were… We didn't have time. But I'm going to. I promise." Going to what? Yohji bit his lip and heard the beep from the phone shutting off. Her footsteps were coming closer. Shit! The closet! He looked around in horror and suddenly realized the best hiding spot of all! He leaped into the bed and shut his eyes, forcing himself to breathe deeply. It would be bad to be caught hearing something he wasn't meant to. He nearly jumped when she began to touch his hair...then he just felt like a tool. He creaked open his eyes and faked a yawn. "Afternoon yet?"

Shayla smiled brightly back at Omi. "Crepes? Sounds absolutely perfect to me, Omi! Lead the way." She let Omi take her towards Harajuku, still asking the occasional question. She was looking forward to the short break on their tour of Tokyo, mostly to rest her feet. As they walked, she kept her hand in Omi's gently swinging them back and forth. "Once I'm settled in with Hoshi, I shall have to have you over to try some good Irish fare, Omi." She laughed. "There's nothing quite like a full Irish breakfast. Great way to start the day!"

The short boy glanced at their swinging hands and then quickly looked away, hiding a boyish blush. What? He never held a girl's hand...there was no problem with being embarrassed about it. They were getting stares. All those primped up Japanese girls and their metal-dangling male entourages. Omi swallowed and looked at the pristine walkway under their feet that led to the Shibuya subway station. They would take the Yamanote line straight to Harajuku... If Omi didn't pass out first. Should he tell her...? He was wondering this all day, but... to voice it made him feel sick. Japanese people didn't outwardly show their affection...often. So th-this was sort of... way too many steps for Omi to handle. He expertly slipped his hand out of hers with a grand smile, using the ticket machine as an excuse. He tapped a few buttons and yanked out her ticket, handing it to her. He turned and grinned his full-sunshine smile. "You cook! I had no idea. That sounds amazing. Where do you live anyway, Shinagawa?" He tossed bangs out of his eyes and boarded the train with her that wasn't as crowded as it should be during this time of day.

Hoshi had registered a motorcycle pulling up to the cafe but chose to ignore it. She had finally written an introduction she was mostly pleased with. She saved the document one last time before shutting down her laptop. She was slipping the computer into her bag when she her the bell chime above the front door of the cafe. In walked... Ken Hidaka? Well, he definitely looked different. Hoshi wasn't sure what she had been expecting but she wasn't expecting... a motorcycle helmet? So that was him? Wow. Hoshi smiled to herself. This would most certainly be an interesting interview. She suddenly looked forward to learning more about Ken. Standing from her seat, she began to wave in Ken's direction, hoping he would recognize her and come over.

The brunette was situating his white dress shirt as he contemplated his past wardrobe. The green soccer jersey and brown pants hadn't fit well... so hopefully this would... He smoothed out his black jeans and buttoned his shirt a little more, draping the orange hoodie over one arm because tying it around his waist was unprofessional. Ken had learned! After all Yohji's bitching. Then...he spotted her! She was zippering her laptop case and looking at him expectantly. He walked over and flopped his leather coat and hoodie over the booth. She finished waving him over and then Ken did it—what he had practiced all morning. "Hi I'm Ken."

Rani seemed surprised when Aya opened the door. He just scoffed and looked at her. Normally he smiled when he saw her... she must've interrupted something. Maybe she should just come back— ...No. It had to happen. "Hi, oniisan. I was wondering... if we could talk about something?" She thought about waiting for him to answer, but decided to just get it out. She ended up talking really fast, some of her words blurring together. "Iwashopingwecouldstayhereand I could tryandgotouniversitysinceI'moldenough and Idon'twanttogobacktohighschool." She looked up at him expectantly, hoping he would just agree without really thinking about what she had said.

Aya opened his mouth to tell her to go on, but she continued away, saving him the trouble of having to prod for an answer. He shut it once more and listened like any older brother would: with his protective instincts at an all-time high. He slammed his sword into its sheath and rose immediately to his feet so they were eye to eye. "Stay here? Do you have any idea what we do every night? Do you understand the danger that puts you in? People were after your life, Aya," he hissed, shoving his katana into the belt of his cotton pants. He moved closer to her, eyes slit into a hateful glare as he imagined her there...in the hands of the enemy. "ESSET," he spat like poison caught in the back of his throat. "Go to college? While we stand in the delicate balance of evil? No. I won't allow it."

Nami smiled as Yohji opened his eyes and yawned. Well, apparently paradise wasn't going to last quite as long as she hoped. She chuckled, continuing to run her fingers through his hair. "Yeah, it's finally afternoon. You feel like you've finally had a decent day's sleep now?" She couldn't bring herself to say it... not yet. She would at least let him wake up more fully. Maybe if she was lucky he would bring it up first.

"Hmmmaybe." Yohji laughed, easing up on his elbows and taking a close look at her. She didn't seem to be up to anything. He sighed and rose from the bed, looking for his clothes. And...fail. "Nami, did you take my clothes and hide them or something? You just want me to prance around like this all day, don't you?"

Shayla had noticed strange glances as they walked in the subway station, but had barely registered them. Even back home, she had always been given the oddest looks. So she was totally used to it. Glancing at Omi as he moved away to get their tickets, she noticed he was still a little pink. Was he... embarrassed to be holding hands with her? She has assumed all of the looks had been directed at her, but now she wasn't so sure. She glanced down momentarily, while Omi was turned away. She had realized that cultures would likely be different but... did he have to seem that embarrassed all the time? She looked up as he was walking back towards her, smiling. She smiled in return, holding out her hand of her ticket. She followed him onto the train and quickly found two seats next to each other. She sat down and immediately began to twiddle her thumbs in her lap. She then responded to his earlier statement with a chuckle. "I cook, but not very well. A few traditional dishes and a well-made bowl of boxed macaroni and cheese." She then tapped her fingers against her leg, rolling her eyes upwards, thinking. "Umm... you know, I'm not entirely sure." She looked at him, smiling sheepishly. "I know that I live about 15 minutes from your flower shop, in a huge apartment building. Hoshi has a penthouse suite there."

Omi stood up almost immediately after sitting down and offered his seat to an older woman that came on. She smiled and nodded slightly at him, hunkering down next to Shayla and gossiping to what appeared to be her grandchild about how boys these days were actually getting more proper. Omi blanched and moved to the other side of the bar, facing the girl whom he had held hands with the whole way here. That wasn't proper. Oh gods don't smite me for having a good time! I'm not like all those other people that don't care I swear! He sighed and leaned against the side of the long, cushioned subway bench. "Hey isn't that an American dish? I've never had that. I would really like to try your cooking, Shayla. I bet it's better than you're making it sound!" He grinned and the stop for Harajuku was called over the speakers. The doors opened and hip people poured out. Omi, this time, grabbed for her hand and pulled her out before the doors crushed them both. And then the train was gone in a gust of wind. Here, it wasn't as weird to hold hands. People didn't really pay it mind. In fact...a couple was making out over there in the corner. Omi twitched inwardly and flitted his warm sky eyes onto Shayla. She was so...pretty. He couldn't believe...that this moment was even happening. She just... came to Japan? Just like that? Unbelievable. He walked them down the famous Takeshita street, passing vendor and vendor and store and store packed full of the best fashion in Japan. They hit a crepe stand a small walk down and joined the line of ravenous young adults. They turn came and soon they had a giant handful of deliciousness that they had to finish before heading back to Shinjuku. Omi was exhausted. It was like he had never talked that much in his life. This was livingand the assassin couldn't believe he had lost touch with the one thing that was normal for every typical human. He tossed out his pink wrapper into the recycling and turned to her. "Ready to go back?"

Hoshi moved to shift in order to shake his hand, to begin the interview professionally. But then he opened his mouth. And she couldn't help but giggle, although very quickly. Recovering, she reached out her hand and shook his. "And I'm Hoshi. It's very nice to meet you again." She then sat, sliding her arms under her legs as she sat to keep her skirt from shifting. She then gathered her small notepad and pen, placing them in front of her. She motioned that he should sit and after he had, leaned forward slightly. "Now, you don't mind if I take some notes during our chat today, do you?" She also gestured to the two glasses of water on the table, that she had gotten when she arrived. "In case you get thirsty." She then leaned back to wait until he appeared ready to begin.

Ken sat down, unable to help the blush of embarrassment that filled the 18-year-old's features. Curses! He had failed. Better luck next time, right? Maybe...didn't seem like there would be a next time for this situation. "T-thanks," he muttered and took a long swing of the water. Ken had a large gulp due to only small breaks in the action. Hell yeah. He shook brown bangs from his teal eyes and gave a front page smile. "By all means."

Rani blinked her eyes once... twice. She... couldn't believe her ears. Or her eyes. Her brother had never looked so angrily at her before. She hadn't really expected him to get this angry. But she had especially not expected him to be this... cruel. She could feel the hurt welling inside her, that he wouldn't even consider her feelings first. And followed swiftly was the anger, rolling upwards in a boil. She looked at her defiantly, no longer afraid by the dark look within them. "I am well aware what you do every night, Ran. And I already told you that I didn't care about what you did. If you want to stop it, then stop." She tried to contain her anger but she couldn't, feeling her fingers clenching into fists at her side. "You have friends here. I have friends here now. And what do you want to do? Leave? Or would you rather just make me stay in my room to protect me from the 'evil'?" She could feel her voice growing louder, almost shouting. "There's evil everywhere in the world. But I don't care. I've already missed out on three years of life so far, Ran. I don't deserve to miss anymore because you're SCARED." She thought about fleeing then, running for the hills. But no... today she would stand up to her brother. Make him understand what it was she wanted.

... Aya first inclination was to immediately leave the room and escape the confrontation with his selfish, ignorant little sister. He almost found himself wishing that she was still asleep...that way he could play out the fairy tale of their lives together in his head. It sure wouldn't involve this—it wouldn't involve having to explain...this, which shouldn't be explained—which should be kept in the far reaches of the darkness—where blood ran cold into the sewers of nevermore—where redemption's spiny fingers couldn't ever reach. But that was escaping reality...and that was something Aya never did...or Ran. He was the same person. Just...twisted into a cage of non-morality—an inescapable justice that took the lives of people. People with smiles just as real as their maliciousness. He crossed his arms without realizing that he had just done what his father always did in a predicament. Stamping down the deluge of anger, he let it filter into his eyes, glinting violet. "Are you? You understand what it's like to kill someone, Rani? I—we can't stop; it's too late to go back. Leaving would deny all that I am—all that I've become and the sacrifices we've made. Those three years while you slept... do you know what I've been through? Scared? Do you even know who I am anymore?"

Shayla couldn't help smiling as Omi offered his seat to an old woman. So sweet! She laughed, looking up at him. "Yes, it's American. But it's just too delicious. I'd love for you to come over and try my cooking soon." She smiled and then squeaked in surprise as the train stopped. She barely had time to register that they were at their stop before Omi had grabbed HER hand and dragged her out of the train. They stood there for a moment on the platform and Omi was just holding her hand and... looking at her. She turned a little pink and looked down, biting the side of her lip. {Oh, wow. If I had known being around Omi would be this... this... wow.} She followed him out of the station and down a fabulous looking street. She tried to keep her questions to a minimum as they strolled down to a little crepe cart. Before she realized it, she was holding this handful of crepes in her hand. She felt terribly undignified but she couldn't help but scarf it down. She threw out her wrapper in the recycling can and turned to him. "Omi that was delicious! I haven't had a good crepe in ages." She then nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready to go back when you are."

Rani stared up at her brother, the anger rushing out of her. She had thought what he said before was cruel... that didn't even come close to what just came from his mouth. So, he wanted to stay in this Weiss and kill people... but she couldn't try and go to college? He really expected her to just hide away for the rest of her life? Like some kind of a child... she couldn't understand it. She had grown while she had been in that coma. Couldn't he see that? Her eyes filled with tears, her voice dropping to a whisper. "No... I guess not." With a shuddering sob she finally did what she had been wanting to do since she had first knocked on the door of the practice room... she ran. She turned and ran from the house, tears falling blindly down her cheeks. She had no idea where she was going but she soon realized she was at the Shinjuku train station. She bought a ticket, trying to stifle her sobs to quiet murmurs. As she waited impatiently at the station, she worried. She worried Aya would come after her and take her away. She worried she would never be able to go home again. As the train arrived she began to move towards it as the door opened. She stumbled and bumped into someone coming out of the train. Looking up to apologize she saw... Omi? With a new heartfelt sob, she threw her arms around him, her tears starting anew.

They had gone back the same way they came, but this time when the train stopped, someone ran into him. Now this was a common thing in Japanese subways, so Omi barely noticed that it was someone he knew. It wasn't until she called his name and wrapped her arms around his neck that he realized it was Rani. "Wahh!" He stammered and nearly toppled into Shayla, grabbing hold of the railing and pushing both girls out of the way of straight-lining business men. "Wh-why are you crying, Rani? Where's Aya...why are you not with someone?" He glanced at Shayla, giving her a bewildered expression as he helped the long-haired girl onto a nearby bench. "Tell me what happened. No one tried to do anything to you, right?"

Shayla hurried to the bench and as Omi helped Rani to sit, she wrapped around the girl's shoulders. She rubbed her arm comfortingly as Rani sobbed out her story into her shoulder.

Rani allowed herself to be moved to the bench, collapsing down next to Shayla. She didn't know Shayla well at all, but at that moment was extremely grateful for her. Looking at Omi through tear-stained eyes, she slowly brought out her sad tale. "I-I-I-... just wanted to try going to college. So I asked Aya. And... Aya..." She trailed off, her sobbing beginning anew.

Shayla glanced at Omi over Rani, her eyes wide as she responded to Rani in a quiet tone. "And you two had a fight?"

Rani responded with another sob. "I ca-ca-can't go back there. He's probably so ma-ma-mad at me. He was s-s-so... mean!" Rani took a deep breath, attempting to slow her tears. She knew that a public train station wasn't the best place to have a breakdown. But she didn't really have much of a choice.

Shayla was in shock. This poor girl! She wanted something simple and her brother had refused? True, Shayla didn't really know the whole story at all. But Shayla was shocked at how hurt Rani was. She had only met the girl once before but this was ridiculous. "Why doesn't Rani come back to my place, Omi? She can cool down for a little while." She again looked over Rani at Omi, hoping he had been following along.

Oh. Aya had happened. Well, that was to be expected. Omi found that he wasn't all that surprised by Rani's drenched answer. He felt his heart go out to her, but at the same time to her brother. Rani was in danger—a prime target for ESSET. And he knew that not all of ESSET was destroyed when the temple sank into the ocean. There was more...but he kept that suspicion to himself. Did that mean that Aya had the same thoughts as him? This worried the boy more than the episode between brother and sister. He knew they would make up in good time, but... ESSET... still existing. He bit his lip and stared blankly at the wall. If that were the case then... He glanced blue eyes at Shayla, looking empathetic and worried. AH PROBLEMS. He ruffled his own hair and let out a frustrated sigh. "Yes, please. I'll drive. Let's just get back to the Koneko real quick." He looked at Rani. "We don't have to go inside." Normally, he would have said something comforting right about now, but the sick feeling in his stomach was pushing him further and further away from any hope that remained after they pulled themselves battered and bruised from the seawater that stung like hell. Omi was nervous, and he had a feeling that it wouldn't go away any time soon.

No...I guess not. She guessed not...to Aya's question. So his own sister claimed to not know him? Aya clutched his chest as if she had ripped his heart out while she was at it. He had to make sure it was still beating because he really wasn't sure that he was still alive himself. Because it hurt that much. He didn't bother running after her. She could be kidnapped...hit by a car... But all those things had already happened to her. Life went by...she never even asked him anything at all. What had Sakura told her before she died? He slammed his head into his hand, tearing at red hair until his scalp nearly bled. It didn't hurt at all. Not at all when compared to his life. Sometimes he wondered why so much pain could be harbored all in one place. But it wasn't really that surprising. When he fought Crawford...what he had said... he almost didn't believe it anymore. Because...was there still love left in the world at all?

Hoshi smiled brightly at Ken as he blushed. She couldn't really help it. Any other interview and she would be serious, polite and all business. But this Ken Hidaka, she couldn't help herself. He was... awkward. But in the most delightful way. She took a sip of her own water and then picked up her pen. "Well, Ken, let's start at the top. Tell me about your phone call with the league." She leaned back in her seat, gently tapping her foot against the side of the table.

Good she was smiling. That meant goodness. But she was tapping her foot. Didn't that usually mean that someone was pressed for time? Shit maybe he should talk faster. All he had to say was how the phone call went with the league. Right the phone call...the— "Oh...um...about that...I haven't actually done that...yet." Silence. Internal panic. He felt like a failure. They must have sent him mail with an invitation to join back. But he didn't even have the number to call anymore. What would Case say? "Ken Hidaka, what an idiot! The least you could do would be to officially accept! Get your head in the game." Head. In. Game. Ken took a deep breath and smiled. "I thought that I could call now and you could get everything word for word. You journalists like using direct quotes right?" He wasn't out of the game yet...not yet.

Nami chuckled and then crawled out of her comfortable spot to lay on her stomach, looking down at the floor. She glanced around, and shifted so that she was half hanging off the bed, her head and arms ducked underneath her bed. Shortly she came up with most of his clothes, albeit minus a sock. "Here," she said with a laugh, tossing his clothes towards him. "While I wouldn't mind having you prance around half-naked all day, I guess you can get dressed." She then shifted back to sit in her bed. She still couldn't say it. She felt the words on the tip of her tongue and just sat as she watched him get his clothes together.

"Why thank you, Princess," Yohji chimed with his lady-killer smile. He proceeded to put on his clothes with relative care whilst staring at Nami laying on the bed. Oh why did days have to start? And it was their last day off. Oh why did the shop have to open tomorrow? Life was a bitch—a pretty bitch that gave him Nami. Maybe it wasn't so bad. "Visit me tomorrow? And what's the plan for today...since it's nearly over?"

Nami watched him get dressed, a small smile playing across her lips. She thought about getting dressed herself but considering she was in shorts and a tank top already... full clothes could come later. She chuckled, smiling briefly. "Of course I'll visit you tomorrow." She rolled out of bed and moved to her closet. She opened the doors and stood with her hip cocked, one hand on said hip. With her back to Yohji, her face contorted into a look of absolute dread. As she reached for a pair of jeans, she opened her mouth. Now or never. "What is Weiss? And Neu?" She clenched her eyes shut, pulling the jeans to her chest and holding them as if it were her last lifeline on Earth. Time to find out whether or not she blew it.

Yohji finished zippering his fly and froze mid-zip. He turned slowly with wide, green eyes. Biting his lip fiercely, he cursed Aya and his inclination to ruin Yohji's relationships. Thanks, buddy. For all the help. Go to hell while you're at it. And rot there. He clenched his fists and took a long deep breath. It was over. "It's in the past. She..." Yohji sat down on the bed, looking like someone had run over his face, "was an imposter that looked exactly like Asuka. Asuka is— no one. She's dead." He took another shuddering breath and held his face in his hands. "Weiss is who we are." And who they were Yohji did not want to explain to her. She couldn't know...it was not only against Kritiker policy, but it would also endanger her life. But Aya had almost quit Weiss before...why couldn't he? They were bound as a family...by blood. Their sins held differing people together. Yohji couldn't leave...even if it was for Nami. So he couldn't leave and then tell her. To not tell her... was something he would have normally done without the bat of an eye. However...to not tell her... He would lose her—lose Nami. Nami was...not like the others. To lose her...Yohji almost felt like it would be like losing Asuka again. He couldn't take it. Being a man, he needed a woman. If Weiss stripped him of that requirement, that is Yohji's core, then Weiss could fuck itself. "I can't tell you more...or so they say...so keep it a secret or we both die. Weiss is a team of assassins. We kill those who cannot be brought to justice under the law. That's it." Now to see how she would take it... Yohji braced himself for the worst.

Nami could swear she heard Yohji freeze. She turned around slowly as he sat down on the bed, speaking so quietly about Neu and... Asuka? There was definitely more to Yohji than even she had expected. When he spoke about Weiss, his head hung in his hands and her heart cried out to him. He looked so terrible. As if he was ruining everything and not her. Nami assumed that the "we" he meant was his other roommates. Ken and Aya and... Nami shook her head. The other name escaped her at the moment but she remembered a blonde-haired teenager from the field. Yohji continued to speak so calmly about how he was assassin, how he killed people who someone cheated the system of justice. {How does someone get mixed up in something like that?} Nami couldn't bear to see Yohji looking so... defeated. She knew that their conversation was far from over. Being with an assassin was going to make for a complicated relationship. Nami smiled ruefully to herself as she rested her jeans on the bed and crawled over it towards Yohji. Yes, she wanted to be with him. Come what may, she wasn't going to run away now. She'd gone in too deep already. She sat behind Yohji, so that her legs rested on either side of him. Nami wrapped her arms around him from back to front and rested her head against his back. She let her eyes flutter closed and just held onto him. And just to be sure he got her message, she whispered quietly, "I'm not going anywhere, Yohji..."

Hoshi chuckled nervously. He hadn't called yet? Oh dear... She smiled in relief as he smiled at her, explaining he was going to call there, in order to give her a bird's eye-view of the action. "Do you have the phone number with you?" When he shook his head ruefully, she groaned inwardly. He was genuine but a bit absent-minded. Pulling out her cellphone, she smiled at him. "I believe I have the direct number of the league. Let me get the director on the line." She went through her contacts and and pushed "send" to initiate the call.
Ring Ring Ri- "J-League. How can I direct your call?"
"Yes, my name is Zora Hoshi and I am with the Tokyo Times. I was hoping I could speak to the director in regards to Hidaka Ken rejoining the league. I hap-" Hoshi gasped as the shrill secretary woman cut her off.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but the director is not talking about that at the moment. If you wish to speak to him directly you'll have to dial his private line. Good day." Click.
Hoshi snapped her phone shut with a glare. "Well, THAT was beyond rude." She glanced at Ken, smiling sheepishly. "Apparently, the director is only talking about your situation through his private line. It has to be on that letter you got. Did you ever find it?" She looked at him hopefully. Please, please, please! I need this story!

This was serious. Ken's teal-colored eyes narrowed in deep contemplation. As he listened, the situation only got graver. It wasn't like he cared if this lady got her story or not, but he felt he wanted to help her. Like a normal 18-year-old, he felt important and bathed in the brief moments of normalcy. This was one of those times where drastic times called for drastic measures. He took a deep breath. "TO THE TRASH!" He wasn't really sure if she would laugh and walk out or raise her fist and rally behind him. Either way, he hoped she knew how to sit on a motorcycle.

Hoshi couldn't help it. She laughed. She shook her head and laughed. {Of course. Nothing ever comes easy.} She realized shortly that Ken might think she was crazy or perhaps he was insulted by her laughter. She quickly sobered up, smiling at him brightly. "As it seems to be our only option, we'd best get started." She put away her notepad and pen, placing them into her laptop bag. She then stood up, her bag slung over one shoulder. She looked down at him with a twinkle in her eyes, waiting for Ken to lead the way.

Rani nodded with a sniffle or two. "Thanks Shayla..." She also smiled weakly at Omi, grateful that he wanted to help her out. She was a little nervous about going back to the Koneko right away but if she didn't have to go inside then maybe it could be find. She stood up slowly, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Ok, I'm ready."

Shayla smiled at Omi as well, reaching over and squeezing his hand as she stood. He seemed to look troubled and Shayla couldn't pinpoint why. She assumed part of it was due to the fight, but then again... Omi shouldn't seem as troubled about that as he is. Shayla walked besides Rani out of the train station and together with Omi they headed to the Koneko.

The walk was rather short from the train station to the Koneko, however, Omi almost wished they had already driven...or at least to the station. Usually that was what the short blond did, but, what better way to show Shayla the city? The trains and walking to the stations was the flow of Tokyoite life, and besides, if they hadn't run into Rani, who knew where she would be right now. He sighed, dreading Aya's wrath later. The frozen leader was as protective as he always was... Couldn't really help it when the entire rest of your family was dead. Omi knew how it felt and how he too would act...if there had been anyone left in his own family. It made him wonder a second what Ken's parents would have looked like if they were alive...probably rapid sports fans whose entire place was decked out in the latest of their favorite teams. And by sports, Omi meant soccer because to them, only one sport existed: the one their son played! And what alien mishmash of creatures birthed Yohji? He was probably conceived by mistake by a government official on a one night stand while he was cheating on his wife who thought he was at a bar drinking with coworkers. Nah, that was too cruel. He probably had loving parents that—that... Okay stopping now would be a good idea. He side-glanced Rani and Shayla talking, feeling suddenly standoffish. It was the poison of ESSET that made him veer away from the girls—that almost made him want to walk on the other side of the street for fear of tainting them. A misguided fear, he knew, but it was hard not to feel like the rest of Weiss did when happiness came anywhere near.

And just when Yohji least expected it, legs coiled to either side of him, arms tight around his head that beat rapidly with surprise. A head that smelled of sweet perfume and...Nami pressed into his back and sent chills running rampant all over his body. He felt himself smile and wondered how that was possible when talking about his job—about Neu or Asuka. The only reason could be Nami. He let a warm hand fall onto her leg and hold her there, shutting his eyes too and envisioning a world where they both fit together. Since when had he become so serious? Since when could he bypass the pain of seeing the woman he loved shot dead? Since when...

When Yohji's arm fell to her leg, she wanted to cry out with relief. He understood. He told her, she accepted it, and he in turn had taken her acceptance. She couldn't have hoped for anything better. Well, better is that he wouldn't have to leave at the end of the day. But... that was kind of a bit much this early on, right? Sleeping together, revealing magical powers and a group of assassins? Yeah, saying 'live with me so you never have to leave' might be a bit much right now. Nami smiled against Yohji's back. "I know you have to keep it a secret, but... don- don't not tell me, ok? Like if something comes up... just let me know? Lame excuses are unacceptable," Nami said with a chuckle. "And... I'll try to be upfront about the whole 'magical powers' things and I can try to help you with yours? Although Michelle would probably be much better at that." Nami couldn't resist letting out a strangled laugh. "Maybe starting off a relationship with complicated stuff means that the rest of it will go swimmingly?"

"Yeah," Yohji muttered, "if it continues to be this damn hot." He laughed then and leaned back against her, staring at the various nick-nacks displayed on the top of her dusty dresser. He thought for a second, trying to let the fact that he just told a girl about Weiss soak in. He was a dead man... If anyone knew...they would chase him down the street with a butcher knife. He finished zippering his pants. "You're going to have to explain this weird powers thing to me. Are we supposed to be superheroes or some shit? I don't get it. People just don't...develop powers. And electricity, really? It works with my wires, but it would be so much cooler if I could light my cigarettes without a lighter or something. Plus, I can't control it so all it ever does is backfire and nearly kill me and anyone else near me. It's so annoying. I wish it would just go away because it makes me feel like the goddamn enemy—like I'm Schwarz or something." Rambling Yohji was rambling. He hated it and this whole situation. He almost wanted to go back to life when it was easy. Because, you know, killing people and not asking questions was easy. Ever since ESSET waltzed into their damn lives, it was like everything was fucked up. ESSET... the ceremony. THE CEREMONY. Yohji sucked in a sharp breath, heart pounding. What if... No...no that was impossible. One couldn't gain superpowers from being in the middle of a strange longevity ceremony to steal...the...non-aging ability from...Aya's sister. Not...aging...lightning. Oh shit. He threw himself up from the bed and grabbed Nami's shoulders. "Does the name ESSET mean anything to you?"

When she laughed, Ken panicked a moment. He failed...failed...failed! Him! Failing! Shuddering, he went to run out of the cafe in hopes to save the shreds of dignity he still had, hoping the journalist would not take down his worst moment yet. The trash...how idiotic. It just pissed him off. They really needed to stop throwing away their mail. Then...she spoke and Ken's eyes widened. She was seriously going to come and dig through the trash with him? Oh shit. He hadn't cleaned his room or anything... What if the kitchen was a mess? Aya would kill him for bringing a journalist anywhere near the Koneko let alone for what he was doing. Accepting... the league. Again. What if they were just trying to frame him again? What then! He clenched his hand into a fist and took a deep breath, forcing a smile that had no traces of being forced. Ken was an assassin indeed. "Suhweet! My bike—motorbike is outside. I gotta make a call so I'll be a minute. It's the orange one." He grabbed his double coats and put them on, speed-walking to the men's room. Not the best place to get in contact with Kritiker, but when the hell else would he! Ring...ring...

"Ken Hidaka, just the man I was thinking about."
"Don't lie to me, Manx. I have a question."
"Does it happen to do with the J-league you were asked to join?"
"Yeah, it does."
"Hm well then, aren't you going to ask me?"
Ken sighed, leaning against a bathroom stall and staring at the stucco ceiling. "Would it be possible to use that as a cover job instead of being a florist?"
A pause.
"Do you deserve it, Ken, after everything you've done for this country...all the people you've sacrificed? What would K—"
"Kase would want me to."
"Do you understand the concept of time regarding this issue? If you use the J-league as a cover, then you would have to be able to leave it at a moment's notice."
"I know... I've...I let that part of my life go a long time ago, but... I feel like it's come back for me. I already know I can't leave Weiss. At this point, it's not possible for me. The only thing I can do is try to be all that I am."
"I understand, Ken. Good luck."
Beep...beep...beep.

Blank stare... Somehow that conversation left Ken feeling more nervous and more uncomfortable than before he had called. Maybe he thought he would be completely rejected...that he could finally let go of his days at the top, but... he wasn't. It made him believe more that he was meant to continue with his career as a goalie. That maybe one day he could climb his way to the top and show that he wasn't just a killer. But did he deserve to achieve that? Did he deserve anything at this point? All Ken knew was the people needed happiness or they would die. That was why he dropped out of high school and pursued something greater. All it took was a simple phone call to change the course of one's life. Ken didn't like that very much; he was having trouble adapting as it was. He turned from the bathroom and raced out the door, getting a smile from the waitress who came to pick up the check on the table. He hopped on the motorcycle and revved the engine. "I hope you know how to hold on!" Vrrrrrrerrrrrrrrerrrrrrr! Blurs of cityscape, grey, grey, grey, people with umbrellas when it wasn't yet raining, unhappy faces, crying children, and...flowers. He parked on the front sidewalk and nearly ran over Omi who looked to be taking a leisurely stroll save for the obvious fact that he was trailing two women. Jesus the little squirt was turning into Yohji for god's— Oh, that was Rani. "Ousu!" Ken raised a hand with a bright smile and trotted over to the boy. "I have an interview with..." Backward thumb point. "...her! Can you believe it, Omi? The red-haired chick said it was okay!" Better not to use her name...

"Red-haired...chick? Oh. That's so great Ken!" Omi tried to smile, but appeared to be thinking too hard to successfully pull off a sunny day when it really looked like it was about to downpour. "Rani had a fight with Aya, so we're taking her to Shayla's place."

"That's coo—I mean that sucks. We're digging through trash and—"

Shayla walked closely behind Rani, ready to throw an arm around her at a moment's notice. Shayla was careful to keep the subject off of her fight with Aya and focused instead on all of the fun things they would do when they reached her apartment. "We'll just throw in a good movie, Rani. That'll help calm you down. Promise." Sooner than she expected, they arrived outside the flower shop and as Shayla and Rani waited for Omi to move inside for his ride, Shayla heard a rumble of a motorcycle. She saw it pull up and while she only sort of recognized one person, she definitely recognized... Hoshi? She stayed quietly next to Rani, letting the two boys interact.

Rani let Shayla change the conversation, smiling faintly. She still felt really hurt but she also knew that it would only upset Omi if she talked more about the fight. He already seemed distracted enough, though she couldn't understand as to why. The fight hadn't really been about him... well, maybe not? She suspected there was something about Weiss that played into all this. As the three of them stood outside the flower shop, she heard Ken's motorbike roll up. She instantly paled. She wasn't exactly feeling like the most social person at the moment and seeing Ken could make it worse. She watched as Ken and Omi chatted back and forth. Luckily, when Omi mentioned the fight, Ken seemed to blow it off, being far more excited about... trash digging?

Hoshi smiled at Ken as he had disappeared off into the bathroom. Motorcycle in a skirt? OK! She slipped out of the cafe, standing in front of the bike. Oh, wow. Hoshi's eyes were large as Ken came outside. He got onto the bike and Hoshi quickly slung her bag across her body. She thrust it behind her and hiking up her skirt the tiniest bit, she climbed on behind him. She looped her arms around him and screeched the tiniest bit as he took off. She watched in wonder as the city flew past them and before she wanted it to be over they arrived at the flower shop. Ken was off the bike in a flash, going to talk to... people? She got off the bike more gingerly, pulling down her skirt as she did. She then turned and cut off Ken in surprise, "Shayla? What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Hoshi! This is Omi, the friend I was telling you about." Shayla nodded over at Omi with a smile. "This is my new friend Rani. She's going to be coming back to the apartment for a little while, ok? We can talk about it later."

Hoshi nodded with a smile at Omi and Rani. "I'm not sure when I'll be back, you two. But I'll be happy to hang out when I get back." She then turned to Ken. "So, let's get this started, ok? Is there somewhere I can put my bag?"

"Wait, who's this?" Ken asked quietly after nearly getting his tongue ripped out by girl chatter happening relatively close...too close. He shivered. The goalie pointed at the other girl who he had initially thought to be Rani's friend, indicating that she was the one that Ken didn't know (obviously). Common sense finally peeked its meek eyes into the window of his rather crowded mind. He took a deep breath to prevent himself from exploding. Sometimes he wondered if there was a secret teenage girl magnet hidden under the cement directly below the flowershop... It sure wouldn't surprise him.

Omi stared at Ken for a moment before realizing that he never really introduced Shayla to anyone... God bless the hectic lifestyle and forgetfulness! "This is Shayla," he beamed with a smile, indicating to her, "she's actually been my friend for years online and just moved to Japan. Totally came as a surprise, haha!"

"That's cool," Ken nodded with a smile, shifting his eyes to focus on the girls he had previously been trying to avoid like the plague. "Nice to have some friends around, you know?"

"Un!" Omi nodded and then suddenly caught on, opening his mouth to yell at his teammate while his face commenced a shade of blush that would make any beautician proud.

It was Ken's turn to cut off, and he did it the right way: before any words even left Omi's mouth and after all of Hoshi's left her's. He raised his voice just a few notches in volume—nowhere near his boiling point. "Hey." His stare intensified, gathering the attention of even Rani who looked like she was about to throw herself in front of a train or something. Geez, he really wasn't surprised; Aya did that to people. "I'm Ken. I'm glad you both know each other, but a few people here aren't acquainted and Rani looks like a drowned soccer ball. So...yeah we're going inside now. Nice to meet you." Ken turned, took Hoshi's hand without thinking about the fact that he was touching a girl, and walked right through the front door. "You can put your bag anywhere in here, just don't forget." He nodded and let go of her to hang his coats up (forgetting to tie his orange hoodie around his waist). "The mail should still be in the kitchen trash..." along with...Yohji's bloodied bandages from the other night. SHIT. He had to hide those...without acting suspicious. AHHHHHH! How? How? "Oh uh...um if you want..you—Oh! I left my helmet outside. Would you mind grabbing it for me real quick? I'm going to see if Aya is around." He wasn't a bad liar, was he?

Blush drained successful! "Yeah...that's Ken. Anywho...Shall we?" Omi took a few steps to go around back, looking back to make sure that the two of them were following him. They were and he jogged the rest of the way to the garage where his own motorcycle was waiting. He quickly and efficiently attached the side carrier and yanked out the seat belt, moving his eyes to the two girls who just about reached him. "Rani do you want to ride on the side? It's safer." He grinned and hopped on, starting the engine and getting ready to set out to Shayla's apartment that she apparently shared with Hoshi, Ken's interviewer. Small world... He was quick not to miss that one. He doubted Ken put two and two together...

Rani continued to watch as Ken and Omi interacted, not really paying attention. Rani smiled at Shayla as Omi disappeared into the garage. When he came out with his motorcycle, she couldn't help but chuckle. Omi and a motorcyle... too cute! She clambered into the sidecar, making herself comfortable. She could honestly say she had never been in a sidecar before.

Shayla giggled as Omi came out on his motocycle. She would've offered to run home while he drove Rani, but this worked too! She climbed onto the moped behind Omi, looping her arms lightly around his waist. Shayla smiled down at Rani as Omi took off towards her apartment. She called out the turns as they came up and soon enough, they were at the apartment building. Shayla squeezed Omi tightly before getting off the moped. "Thanks for the ride, Omi! I'll have her back safe and sound this evening." Shayla watched as Rani gave Omi a quick hug as she got out of the sidecar. Grabbing Rani's hand she dragged her into the building and up the elevator. Soon enough, they had reached the penthouse. Shayla opened the door and led Rani in. "Welcome to mine and Hoshi's humble abode!"

Rani couldn't help but gasp at the enormity of the apartment. "This is your place? It's so pretty!"

Shayla laughed, leading Rani into the living room. She nodded towards the couch as she went over to the bookcase next to the TV. "Technically it's Hoshi's. She told me her dad bought her this place because of... oh, I don't remember. Probably buying off guilt." Shayla grinned, successfully grabbing the DVD she had been looking for off the shelf. Popping the DVD into the DVD player, she sat on the couch next to Rani. "Now, it's time to introduce you to Mel Brooks!"

Rani settled into the couch, snuggling up to a pillow as Shayla sat. "Mel Brooks? I've heard of him, but I've never seen any of his movies." Rani smiled as the words YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN blared across the TV screen, the creepy music echoing in the background. She was able to easily fall into the humor of the film, temporarily forgetting her argument with Aya.

Aya had just about had it with himself and left the training room with a sore scalp. His sword was back in his room, religiously cleaned and fastened nicely to its shrinely stand. He trudged down the stairs, embracing gloom and questioning what wrong turn he had taken in his life while dealing with his sister. He collapsed into a kitchen chair just when Ken walked in with some girl, sent her outside, and burst into the room. But the idiot didn't seem to acknowledge Aya's existence and, instead, went right to the trashcan. He watched as the brunette pulled out the bag, set it on the floor, and then began to unceremoniously dig through it with his bare hands. "Whatare you doing, Ken?" He didn't bother softening the blow of his disgusted tones.

Ken looked up in shock—in horror—in he didn't know what else. "I-I...I'm well, just, you know...looking for something." {Just don't tell him that you're getting interviewed and that you brought her here—not if you value your life, Ken Hidaka!} "And...there's a reporter he—" Fail. "—re. She's just helping me find mail we threw out! That's all so don't ...freak...out! ...Aya?" Ken watched as the redhead stood up and walked out of the kitchen silently. There was no glare, no death threat...and then he was gone. Just. Like. That. Had Ken won his first battle with the human ice cube? Hardly.

Hoshi managed to wave quickly in farewell as Ken practically dragged her into the house. She took her bag off and rested it underneath the coat rack. She was starting to follow him further in when he whirled back at her. Apparently he needed his helmet? "Um... ok?" Hoshi smiled at him. Going back outside, she saw Shayla riding off with Omi and Rani. She went over to the motorbike, grabbing the helmet and tucking it under her arm. She came back, placing the helmet next to her bag. She heard sounds of rustling coming from somewhere and merely followed the noise. She noticed a red-haired man disappearing somewhere, but turned into what she discovered was the kitchen. She couldn't help but laugh. Ken was digging frantically through the trash. Apparently he really wanted to find that letter? She moved to stand near him, thinking about fanning his ego just the tiniest bit. Why? Because she could, of course. "Wow, such a gentleman! Digging through the grimy trash so I don't have to." She kept in a laugh, smiling down at him. "If you hand me any paper or envelopes you find, I can start sorting through them."

Nami couldn't help but laugh. Yohji was really good at making light of some things. She squeezed him a little harder. As he spoke about the strangeness of the powers, she couldn't help but be confused. Why hate what you have? Clearly there's a reason? Nami smiled. "I'll do the best I can, Yohji. Like I said, Michelle knows more than I do. I didn't understand my powers in the beginning either, but Michelle helped me to control them. She can teach you too." Nami shook her head then. "I don't know what you mean by Schwarz. Who are they?" He seemed not to respond to her question. He seemed so lost in thought for a moment that she couldn't help but be confused. She barely had time to react when he stood suddenly, grabbing at her shoulders. Her eyes wide she glanced at him in alarm. Esset? What did he mean? "ESSET? ...The 'name' doesn't sound too familiar. The 'word' esset, however..." She wriggled her way out of his grip, jumping up with a smile. "It means double 's' in German!" Slipping away, she wriggled out of her shorts and put her jeans on. "Mein Deutsch is sehr gut. Aber in der Vergangenheit, mein Deutsch war viel besser!" She then stood with her back to Yohji, taking off her tank top. In a flash, she had a bra on and a dark green tshirt. She turned back to Yohji, smiling at him as she ran her fingers through her hair to take out some tangles.

"You mean that gloomy chick?" Yohji got in before the question, massaging his temples and letting go of her shoulders to sit back down on the bed. "But yeah... well, they're just these evil guys we used to fight all the time. They all had strange abilities that they apparently obtained from ESSET. Save for one guy...Berserker, he just didn't feel pain. There was Oracle, Mastermind, Prodigy, and the one I just mentioned... And I mean like the guy with the glasses...he could see the goddamn future! Can you imagine...?" Yohji wanted to go back to sleep now...and wake up later. "We think Schwarz is dead now though." He settled back down in a lazy sprawl, legs hanging off the end of the bed, listening to her talk and then... Well, she started speaking a random language and then stripped. I mean, Yohji wasn't complaining, but... it would be nice if he knew what she was saying. "I didn't know you were bilingual. That's hot. But seriously, what did you just ask me to do to you? I need to know the specifics...so I can pleasure you to perfection."

Nami listened as Yohji talked about this 'Schwarz,' though she wondered more about ESSET. She couldn't help but laugh as he naturally assumed that she was speaking about naughty things. She went over to her dresser, grabbing a tie for her hair. Putting it up in a messy ponytail, she threw herself onto the bed near him. Crawling forward, she pecked a kiss on his lips before rolling and grabbing a pillow. She tucked it underneath her, lying on her stomach. Her legs kicked up in the air as she replied. "I did not ask you to do anything to me, you lecherous fool. I said that my German is very good but in the past it was much better. And I'm not bilingual. I'm..." She began to count on her fingers, pondering for a moment. "I'm fluent in three languages, and I dabble in four others. When you live all over the world, you pick up a lot. I'll tell you about it one day." She looked over at him, brushing some stray hair out of her eyes. "And don't call Michelle gloomy." She frowned, "She's wonderful but you can't expect her to be happy when her new power developing could kill her. Now that it's here, she should be back to normal. And while I can help you practice, she would do a much better job. But I can be there too." Nami smiled again, reaching over to play with Yohji's hair. "Can you tell me more about ESSET? Since you can't tell me about Weiss?"

"Hey, hey now don't call me a lecherous fool if you expect me to give you answers, you multilingual gypsy." He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling, still wondering if this was really happening or just some fucked up dream. "Yeah, well, maybe I don't want that Michelle person to teach me," Yohji muttered, not bothering to hide the rejection in his gravely voice. "You see, I don't trust people and I don't trust them for a reason. She certainly hasn't given me a reason to trust her. But yeah... ESSET is an organization of evil doers that must be eradicated for reasons that we don't question. We're just the eradicators. According to our providers ESSET was destroyed in our last-last mission, but we aren't convinced because for some reason...they always come back. I think there's bigger things at work here s'why I asked if you knew it. Don't tell the guys I'm saying this, but... we—well, in that same mission, there was a ceremony being performed. I don't know anything about it and I don't think anyone does, but we walked right into it. I think maybe that is why I suddenly developed this...whatever this electric power is." Yohji flopped an arm over his eyes and lay there a moment before continuing. "It's all so complicated to explain. You should just forget about it. I'll try to letcha know if anything happens."

Ugh. Would this hell never end? Stuck in this abysmal place, cooped up with a man who may or may not ever wake up. And what was this for? For fear of losing a comrade. Pathetic. When did he get so utterly pathetic? That's what premonition will do to a person. Never again. This was the repayment of a favor... nothing more. They would be even again, if he ever woke up. A life for a life. The tall man groaned, leaning back in the comfortable office chair, his fingers moving his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. His eyes closed, he remembered that horrible day.

It was collapsing. The temple... was going down! Suddenly killing a redhead wasn't important. Surviving was. Surviving to kill another day. He had bigger goals in life. And so he ran. He saw his pale-faced comrade go down, killed by another of those terrible assassins. But it didn't matter. None of it mattered. He had learned that everyone was indispensable. Except him, apparently. And so he went. He felt the ground begin to collapse beneath his feet, heard panting breath behind him. He glanced back to see his orange-haired comrade fleeing with him. They shared a single nod, working together to race out. He heard rumbling and realized the floor was going to crack any second. Before he had time to warn his associate, down it went. Falling into the sea was something the tall man didn't mind. Except of course, it would ruin his suit. He hit the water, gasping as he automatically came up for air. He had to swim away, and fast. He noticed Mastermind in the water beside him. Good. Nodding to each other again, they began their swim away from the rest of the collapse. But then the spectacled man heard something he did not like. The rest of the temple was falling forwards into the sea... right over them! Muttering a curse or two, he picked up the pace of his strokes. He heard a shout and glanced up to see a piece of the temple coming right for his head. Before he could react, he felt himself being shoved underwater and to the side. Struggling, he came up to see the fragment had come down. And there was no sign of his fellow anymore. Until... orange! He floated up, face down in the water. Dead? The dark-haired man swam to his friend, flipping him over. No, not dead. With a heavy groan he began the long swim to soar, this time with Mastermind on his back. When they reached the beach, it was sunset. The man called Oracle shook the unconscious man, but he did not wake. Then, it hit him. He paused, his eyes fluttering closed. A tall man, with hair as dark of night. He stood with scorn over an orange-haired form. He reached out and calmly stabbed the man in the heart before walking away.

Returning from the vision, Oracle groaned. The Hunter would take down Mastermind if discovered in this weakened state. But... he couldn't let that happen. Mastermind had saved him, now he must return the favor. He got Mastermind to the car they had stolen and brought and began to drive. He drove until he reached Kyoto. He found the apartment complex he could and demanded to rent an apartment temporarily. He had his friend moved into one of the bedrooms. The next morning, a slew of private practice doctors came in to check on his 'brother.' They all said the same thing. It would be a matter of time to see if he would wake up from his stupor. They would just have to wait and see. And so he waited, hiding from The Hunter that soon, both of them could return to complete their project.

Fibers of consciousness brimmed in the darkness between flight and eternity. Fingers dug into the mattress, nails biting into sheets worn from too much laying. Shuddering breaths came in short gasps, echoing in ears that hadn't heard in so long. It hurt—the everything. Words...forming...thoughts...cresting. Too...much. It was like being born again and he hadn't even realized he was screaming. That was his voice? That obnoxious blast of voice that just barely blocked out all the other voices. So many voices rising together like tides dragging him under beneath a tumbling temple. Failed...it failed. They failed and fought on until the end—until... Royal blue eyes snapped open to focus on reality that clasped tighter and tighter to himself. Himself...? Who was he? Mastermind... He let out a hoarse laugh, landing a hand on his aching forehead. The laughter erupted into hysterics. So he was alive.

Brad Crawford was snapped from his thoughts by... laughter? He opened his eyes, running a hang through his messy, dark hair he rose from the chair. He left the sparsely furnished master bedroom and moved into the smaller second bedroom. His 'brother' was lying on his bed, a hand on his forehead... and he was laughing like a madman. Of course, this is how he would wake up. Crawford leaned back against the wall, arms crossed in front of his chest with a small smirk. "Schuldig, you fool. You've been sleeping way too long. We've got shit to do." His eyes glimmered with amusement as well as a small bit of relief. His friend was awake. Soon enough, they would both return to Tokyo to meet up with Hunter. And to start the end of the world.

The drive back from Shayla's place was lonely to say the least. It was quick, but it was lonely: the silence of the wheels smacking pavement—his own sighs and the silence in between. He began to wonder... since when did he need to rely on other people to keep a smile on his face? It was a painful thought and it made the rain hurt as it began to fall. Seeping into his stripped shirt in speckled dark spots, it dripped down his arms and onto the handle bars gripped tightly. "Since when did this happen?" He murmured into the sky, listening to the pitter-patter of it hitting against his helmet. He pulled into the Koneko's garage and parked in the middle of Aya's Porche and Yohji's Seven. He stared at his bike for a moment and sucked in a deep breath before going inside to study in preparation for the start of school.

Ken heard a wow behind him and nearly jumped, his hand half-dropping the bloodied bandages and half-shoving them into a random drawer. He didn't know if she saw it, but there was no way in hell he was about to ask. "Y-yeah ahahah...can't let you dirty your hands. Here's a bunch of papers." He reached in and grabbed a clump, moving it towards her to take. "Some of it might be wet from the leaves... We run a flowershop so...that's kind of why there are petals and stems in like every trashcan we own everywhere...you just can't escape." He laughed nervously again and began to piece through his share of the papers. Bill...bill...bank statement...bill...a—a check? He shoved it onto the counter. Since when did Yohji get checks in the mail? That was suspicious. And why was it in the trash? He was probably growing weed or something in an underground lair where the girl magnet was. Ken would not be surprised. His eyes caught the word soccer from a mile away (well it was actually only a few feet). "AH!" He shouted in victory, pulling it out of the refuse. "I found it!~~" He slid a hand into the same drawer where he hid the bandages and pulled out a knife to use as an envelope opener. "Dear Ken Hidaka, we have carefully analyzed the facts and results behind Kase's mysterious death and have concluded that your past statement was the truth. We are sincerely apologetic and will accept you back into the J-League if you so desire. You can contact us through his number: +81-80-4448-0666. Signed: The director." Ken finished speaking with a scary look on his face. He put the letter back down on the counter and turned his eyes onto Hoshi. Should he really do this? After killing his best friend... after—after everything? Was his dream really worth it?

Hoshi smiled and took half of the stack of papers. She had barely rifled through a few of them before Ken shouted out triumphantly that he had found it. She set aside the papers and looked at him as he opened it and read the words aloud. The expression on his face got more and more scared until he reached the end of the letter. As he raised his eyes to look at her, she couldn't but see how panicked he looked. Suddenly, the rush of writing her story just disappeared. He wasn't ready. For all she knew, he was going to change his mind. He needed to think. Smiling weakly, she went towards him and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "Why don't you call me tomorrow and we can set up another interview? That way you have some time to doubly think things through. See you later." She left the stunned brunette in the kitchen and headed for the door. She scooped up her bag and continued walking. She glanced at her cellphone, noticing it was still early in the afternoon. She didn't want to go back to the office, but nor was she ready to go home. She decided to just go for a long walk... maybe some shopping? Oh. Yes. Shopping. Hoshi chuckled to herself. It was about time to get some hair dye to get her hair color back.

It took Ken a moment to notice that Hoshi was leaving. Just like that? Did he screw up or something? His eyes dragged to the silverware drawer and he let out a sigh. Maybe she saw them...? What a drag. Silently, he watched her retreating form and ruffled his hair. "You really did it this time, Ken." {Note to self: never ask a girl to dig through a trashcan.}

Nami groaned, her face falling forward into the bed. SERIOUSLY? Taking a deep breath, she raised her head back up. "FINE. I will try and teach you. But you could at least try and trust Michelle a little. She was the one who sewed up your wrist at the field. You would've bled to death otherwise." She sighed, looking up at the ceiling as he talked about ESSET. She couldn't say that any of it sounded familiar. Yet his assumptions about a strange ceremony giving him his powers? It was possible. Definitely something she would have to ask Michelle about. "I know you don't have all the answers, but thanks for trying to tell me anyway." She looked over at Yohji and smiled. She was willing to just lay there in that content silence for as long as it lasted. She looked away after a minute, continuing to sway her legs back and forth. She could feel her heart fluttering and as excited as she was... it terrified her. Was it really all happening too fast? Or was it just too right?

"Really, she was the one?" Yohji perked up, staring at her with surprise evident in his eyes. He thought on that a moment, raising a hand to touch his day-old, unshaven chin. Okay. He could accept that. "Well, I did...punch Aya in the face..." He winced. Oh he was so tonight's dinner when he got back. "And, I mean...it's not like I did that without a reason. ...I've...made mistakes in the past. But I'm really sure on this one...even though I said that last time." He sighed, clearly frustrated with himself. Whatever. Yohji was a man that didn't learn from the past. "When will I ever learn?" He whispered to himself, voice barely audible as he recited the words on his tattoo. Sin. He'd never learn...that's why that was there; to tell the world to watch out because Yohji Kudou was walkin' in. He sighed and sat up again, ready to get the day started already. "I'll give it a shot."

Schuldig—he felt his body twitch, eyes prying themselves away from the ceiling and focusing dully on the figure standing over him with a wry smirk. Only one person could wear that rumpled suit and look good. "Good morning, Crawford." He massaged his temples and sat up, ignoring the dizzy spin of his head since it was the normal occurrence of a telepath when waking up. "How long was I out," he asked monotonously, testing out his feet on the floor. They seemed stable until he tried to stand up and nearly took out the leader of Schwarz. "Long time, huh?" He laughed again, this time sanely. Mental shields were building up, blocking out the lowering buzz of everyone's thoughts: the postman outside, the occupants next door, the policemen with lunch in the koban three blocks away... They were still in Japan. Although thoughts had no language; they had sound. If one could call it sound. The voices were in Osaka ben-the kansai dialect of a country Schuldig was not born in. He always found it hard to understand, but with thoughts...he automatically knew. Russian, Spanish, English, Portuguese; it didn't matter; he could understand it all and even know what language it was. Ah, the wonders of the mind. After so much time, prying into people's lives was like removing a pestilent beehive. It was times like these when he felt the pangs of Germany clawing at the back of his mind. Shooing it away, he refocused on Crawford, shoving all the slurs of thoughts under the rug. "What shit am I doing?" He held onto the armchair for balance and gave a crooked grin.

Crawford, eh? He smirked to himself. At least his memory was intact. And after a bit of a stumble, Schuldig even managed to get himself standing upright. He was a quick healer, this one. Crawford adjusted his glasses with a smirk. "Well, first you should probably shower. Lying in bed for weeks on end has made you stink." Crawford waved a hand back and forth in front of his face a few times with a curt laugh. He then stopped, his face turning serious. "And then we need to get back to Tokyo. I think it's about time we made it clear to a certain individual that we are, in fact, not dead." Crawford knew he should give Schuldig some more time to rest up, but he also knew that Hunter was waiting. There was always that chance that Hunter knew they weren't dead. In fact, Crawford was quite sure Hunter knew they were alive. But he felt safe thinking that Hunter did not know where they were... otherwise his vision would've come true. Yet work waited for them back at ESSET. With the old ones gone, Hunter could finally start causing real trouble. And Crawford enjoyed a little bit of trouble.

Schuldig was already halfway to the nearby bathroom before Crawford finished his sentence. It was weeks. He was dirty. Schuldig hated being dirty. He stank! Coming from Crawford the master of cologne, that was hardly an insult, but the waving of the hand made the German turn on his heel and shed a nasty glare. "You're making me wish I hadn't saved your ass you ungrateful—" He was silenced by the serious look that gloomed into the eyes behind glasses reeking of intellect. The bond between their minds was reconnecting...images flooding his senses. Overwhelming...overwhelming. He was under water, the sounds coming in slow motion, clawing at the surface where the light was. But he didn't seek the light. Looking down into pools of darkness, he saw a man—no, a shadow of a man, and not a silhouette in light; this was... a man whose very existence was black. This was...Hunter. He felt his lips forming the words in reality, but he was still there...watching him and— He stabbed him with a dagger and Schuldig was dying...bleeding...gone...nothingness. It was Crawford's premonition. He snapped out of it and realized that he was in a heap on the floor, cradling himself. When...? He sat up, stood up, and stepped through the doorway of the bathroom, peeking his head out. "Eye for an eye." He shut the door, but his stringy hair got caught in the hinge. Cursing, he opened it again and freed himself. "Be out in five." To Tokyo they would go.

Crawford watched Schuldig's reaction as he experienced the premonition that had shook his own senses a few weeks ago. He shuddered internally. Death was nothing new to him, especially the deaths of those around him. But for whatever reason, seeing Schuldig's death was something that rocked him. He knew that it wasn't time for Schuldig to go yet. They had too much left to do. He couldn't resist a dark laugh as Schuldig's long, orange hair got stuck in the door to the bathroom. As he heard the water start to run, he went back into his bedroom, going into the dresser. He had taken the liberty of getting Schuldig some clean clothes for when he woke up. He grabbed them from his closet, going and tossing them onto Schuldig's bed. Five minutes to shower, sure. Five minutes to get his hair "perfect"... not so much. Crawford had his own things together in a matter of moments. Considering he had the suit on his back and his wallet, it was rather simple.

"I'll be back shortly." He called out in the direction of the bathroom as he heard the shower turn off. Crawford left the simple apartment, going to find the landlord. He explained in a few short words that his brother was up and they would departing soon. He paid the final half of the amount he had promised, in cash, of course. Returning to the apartment, he called as he walked in the front door, "Ready yet, Schuldig? We can grab some food on our way to the train." Crawford stood in the entryway, arms across his chest. He knew appeared slightly impatient. But that was typical for him. He knew they still had a three and a half hour train ride. And Crawford definitely wanted to change into one his nicer (and cleaner) suits before they went off to find their boss.

The front door opened, and Schuldig half turned around while entangled in the complicated shirt that Crawford had left him. How that man managed to put on one of these contraptions everyday was beyond the German. He stared listlessly at him as he managed to find the other sleeve and then button one of the tiny little plastic things into the hole he swore was made too small just to mess with him. Growling, he turned to face his leader completely. "You did this on purpose, you bastard." Schuldig sighed and managed to complete the process of putting on a simple dress shirt before folding his arms in defiance as if saying: see, and you thought I wouldn't be able to do it."Are you sure you haven't acquired the ability to read minds as well?" His demeanor changed completely as he stepped closer to the man he wouldn't exactly call his friend. Blue eyes narrowed into slits that spoke multitudes and variances of otherwise hidden knowledge. His expression shifted again into a cat-grin. "Because I'm starving."

To be continued...