"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone." -Rose Kennedy
A few days passed before Kuro got a call she was not expecting.
"Mei- Mei!" Kuro exclaimed, "What's up? Something wrong with Crissie?"
"No. But you won't believe this." Mei- Mei replied, "Guess who just came in the emergency room?"
"Who?" Kuro frowned, praying that it wasn't Kyoya or Platina.
"Jigoku." Mei- Mei said. Kuro blinked.
"Beg pardon? What's he in for?" Kuro asked.
"Um, hold on a second here... Ah! Seven broken ribs, concussion, fractured wrist, broken leg, dislocated shoulder... And several internal injuries too." Mei- Mei paused, "That's not why I called you."
"Okay, what is it then?"
"His injuries were precise, and could've been fatal, but someone avoided it." Mei- Mei sighed, "Kuro, I think who beat Jigoku up has some sort of police training."
Kuro was silent for a moment, before she said, "Thanks for telling me. I need to make a call, okay?"
"Okay." Mei- Mei said, "I'll call you if Christina's condition changes, okay?"
"Thanks." Kuro hung up, before redialing a number. After several rings, the person answered.
"What's up Kuro?" It was Aguma.
"Please tell me you didn't beat your brother to near death when you arrested him at the hospital the other day." Kuro's voice was cold.
"It wasn't me." Aguma said, matter of factly. Kuro paused. He was being honest. Then she remembered his words from several weeks ago.
Who said anybody would be able find out it was me?
"So you took him somewhere, had someone else beat him up." Kuro accused.
Aguma's silence was all she needed as an answer.
"Damn it Aguma!" Kuro snarled, "You're risking your job here!"
"I didn't do it, though!" Aguma protested, "So, what's there to worry about?"
"What's there to- Plenty!" Kuro exclaimed, "You could go to jail! And what if Jigoku talks! You're done for!"
"No one will believe the word of a criminal."
"Will you have an alibi if they do believe him though?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
Kuro paused again.
"Now, I'm kinda in the middle of something." Aguma said, tiredly, "We'll talk when I get back, okay?"
Before Kuro could say anything, the line went dead.
"You know, Kyoya," Said man jumped as Eliot seemed to materialize behind him, "Your girl hasn't had her test yet."
Kyoya stiffened, but said in a calm voice, "So? You trust me, can't you trust her?"
Kyoya frowned as he looked inside a wooden crate- five automatic rifles lay in the box. He was getting more than enough evidence to arrest the gun runners, but he knew that backing out almost as soon as he arrived would mean throwing up red flags.
"Just because I trust you, doesn't mean I trust her. I know you don't get along with your brother, and he's currently a FBI agent-" Kyoya's head snapped up at that, staring at Eliot with wide eyes, "And Platina's brother is a CIA agent. For all I know, she talks to him on a daily basis. She could even be an inside spy!"
"She wouldn't." Kyoya said, though his voice cracked. How the hell had Eliot found out about them?!
Well, it was really Platina, but still. If Eliot decided to dig in deeper, he could find out about Kyoya.
"No? Do you know what case the CIA has called the FBI and NYPD for?"
Kyoya played dumb, "No."
"I'll tell you. A series of murders in the last few months- women, with their hearts ripped out, after having been tortured and raped multiple times."
"Oh. Well, I'd like to have that guy on our side. We could use someone like him as a guard." Kyoya said, conversationally.
Eliot laughed, "You're funny. I can let you in on a secret- I know the gal who's calling the shots on the victims. She's cold and ruthless."
Kyoya looked at Eliot then. The hitman was telling the truth, if his smirk was anything to go by.
"So you're working with her?" Kyoya asked, treading lightly.
"She consults me every now and then on ways of torture." Eliot chuckled, and Kyoya's blood went cold.
"Anyway, back to why I'm here. Platina does need to take her test- if she can handle a little pain, I'll trust her." Eliot smirked, and then turned away from Kyoya, walking out of the room.
Kyoya growled, "A little pain?! What you do as your initiations is torture!"
Kyoya clenched his fists, breathing deeply. After a moment, he unclenched his hands, and walked out of the room he was in.
He had to find Platina before something happened to her.
Platina, currently, was going through a number of offices for anything she and Kyoya could use as evidence in their case. She was going through a few files, in her own little world, so she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her position.
The overhead light suddenly came on, and Platina gasped, shooting to her feet. Her pink eyes locked with blue ones.
"Well, well, well... Seems Kuro isn't as stupid as I thought..." The woman in the doorway murmured, "She figured out that Eliot's gun running project is tied to her case."
"Who are you?" Platina asked, harshly.
The blonde woman smirked, "Nothing you need to worry about, Agent Platina."
"How do you know who I am?" Platina gasped.
"I keep tabs on Kuro. You're not alone here, though, are you?" The woman entered the room, shutting the door behind her, "You're with your partner- Kyoya Tategami, aren't you?"
"Who. Are. You?" Platina gritted her teeth.
"Once again, no one you need to know about." The woman smirked, "After all, in about twenty four hours, you'll be dead."
Platina swallowed, before hissing, "I doubt it."
"You really are an idiot aren't you?" The woman laughed, "Half of Eliot's men here, himself included, work for me! And you're the first woman here in this gun running business in a long time! I'm sure they're all waiting for a chance to jump a pretty thing like you!" The woman had reached the desk in between Platina and the blonde. Platina watched as the woman pressed a button on her desk phone. A moment later, a voice came over the line.
"Yeah boss?" Platina swallowed at Eliot's voice.
"I need you and a few of your friends to come to my office. I have a... problem, you can take care of."
There was grunt, and the line went dead.
The woman chuckled to herself, and looked up-
Only to screech when Platina somehow shoved her desk into her, knocking her to the floor.
Platina bolted around the desk, running for the door. She yanked it open, and yelped as she literally crashed into none other than-
"Kyoya!" Platina gasped, breathless, "We need to get out of here! Now!"
"I know." Kyoya said, grimly, "Let's go."
Grabbing her arm, Kyoya lead Platina down the hallway.
"Um, we're going the wrong way!" Platina said.
"No we're not." Kyoya said, "We're avoiding any backup Alyssa may have called for."
"Who's Alyssa?" Platina frowned.
"The woman you just clocked with a desk. How did you do that anyways?"
"I'm stronger than I look, Kyoya." Platina deadpanned, "And speaking of backup, she called Eliot and a few of his goons right before you came in."
Kyoya cursed under his breath, and shoved Platina ahead of him, "Move it. We need to get out, now."
Platina glanced over her shoudler, watching as Kyoya shifted his jacket sleeve to reveal his watch. He pressed the time dial in, before moving his jacket back and looking up at Platina.
"Come on." He said, "While we have a head start."
"Kuro!" The woman jumped when Nile rushed into her office, "We've got a code red."
"Meaning?" Kuro blinked.
"Kyoya's emergency beakon just went off. He's either thinking trouble is about to happen, or he's in trouble."
"Track him down." Kuro grabbed her gun, and whipped her jacket on, "Call Bao and Chris at the hospital. Tell them to meet me at the location you find Kyoya and Platina. I want Chris, if he can, at a sniper position. Call Mei- Mei, have her on standby at the hosptial. I'm gathering a few of the others, we'll go on ahead of the SWAT team."
Nile nodded, "Be careful, alright?"
"No promises." Kuro said, "But you can cross your fingers."
"Kyoya's car." Kakeru murmured, as Kuro parked her SUV down the block from the warehouse that Kyoya's signal was coming from.
"They haven't gotten out yet." Bao said, from the backseat. He was working on strapping on his bulletproof vest.
"Big time trouble." Kuro said, putting her compiece into her ear, "Chris, where are you?"
"I got the entire back and east side of the building in my sights." Chris said, "I'm seeing a little movement on the back doors."
Kuro nodded, "Alright. Tell us if they try to make a break for it. Take the shots you need to, but not unless it's absolutely necessary."
Chris grunted in affirmation.
"Kuro, how are we doing this?" Ryuga asked.
"We go in quiet." Kuro decided, "Try not to fire a shot unless we need to. We don't need to let them know we're here."
"So combat?" Wales asked.
Kuro nodded, "Combat."
"And remember, we need to make sure Kyoya and Platina get out unharmed." Kakeru said.
"We know." Kuro said, "Hopefully, everyone gets out without a scratch."
Silence met her, as they were all thinking the same thing.
It probably wasn't possible.
