"I have noticed a rather pleasing change to your approach, Suwa." Reed said, taking a sip of wine and placing it back on his desk. "I was about to let you go, considering the way you treated those ingrates before. This is the way that you should be looking that them – they are nothing more but freaks, abominations. I only need them for a little while. After they have been used all that they can…I'll dispose of them like the trash they are."
"It sounds like a good plan to me. I don't give a rat's ass about those freaks. They can all go to hell for all I care." Kurogane said indifferently, meeting Reed's gaze. He kept his anger, his guilt down in his stomach so that the other man wouldn't see it. However, it was getting harder and harder to do…every time he thought about the way that Kimihiro had looked at him, the fear in the twins' eyes when he had told them those horrible things.
At least they knew that the raven really hadn't turned over to the other side. As long as they still believed in him…as long as they still liked him enough to want him around…then all this effort wouldn't be for naught. 'Just keep thinking about Reed's head on a platter. When that damn bastard is gone…when I'm in charge…that's when things will look up around here. Fai and Yuui will never have to suffer again.'
"I don't know why you've suddenly begun to think this way, and I can't really say that I care what the circumstances were that caused this pleasing change of attitude. I just want you to keep it." Reed straightened up in his chair and snapped his fingers. A door opened, and Seishirou entered the room…looking dead as ever. 'Did Kamui get to him in time?' Kurogane wondered, keeping his face as passive as possible.
"Now, for the real reason I have called you in today. I have to go see about business in Yokohama for a few days…damn Fuuma and his group has been acting up again. Seishirou will take control here until I get back. I need you to make sure that the psychics don't know about my leaving…nor does anyone else. I'll only be gone a few days. I expect you to keep things under control here…or there will be hell to pay. Do you understand, Kurogane?" Reed asked, smirking over at him.
"Yeah. I got it." Kurogane shoved his hands in his pockets, meeting Reed's gaze without faltering. He wondered if the other man could tell that his greatest rival was standing in front of him – that Kurogane would be the one to challenge him for his throne. Hopefully, he wouldn't recognize the spark of rebellion in the raven's eyes, the tension in the way that he stood before him. If Reed didn't see it until it was too late…then he would never be able to stop Kurogane.
Two nights later, the trap was set.
Fei Wang had left for Yokohama the morning before. True to his word, Kurogane didn't say anything about the fact that he was gone…nor did he let the psychics know that they were going to be rescued by their loved ones. He simply allowed them to believe that he had changed; that he would make them miserable until the day that he was promoted. Kimihiro, Kazahaya, and Yukito all believed that the raven had finally given in to his hunger for power and wouldn't speak to him. Fai and Yuui knew that he wasn't…but knew that they had to hold his cover and refused to utter a word. All was miserable in that lonely little cell, with five men wondering if things would ever change and one desperately counting down the hours.
Kurogane knew that the plan was in motion when the first bomb shook the ground. He instantly slid his chair to under the camera, punched out its lens, and hopped down, ripping the keys out of his belt. He unlatched the door, and slammed it open. "All of you come with me! Hurry up, dammit! We don't have much time!" He yelled. The psychics didn't need to be told twice; as Kurogane led the way out of the building, they instantly followed, asking themselves the entire way where they were going.
The raven didn't stop them until they had come to a place that looked to be some kind of drugstore. "What the hell, Kurogane?" Kimihiro panted. "So you decide to be a total ass one day and then be the hero the next? Where the hell have you taken us?" He demanded, raising his fist and stepping closer to the raven. Instantly, the two blonde twins were holding Watanuki back, pleading for him to listen.
"Kurogane did this to save us! He was only pretending when he was acting all mean…otherwise, Reed never would have trusted them!" They cried in unison. Watanuki's hand fell to his side in shock. He blinked twice and looked at Kurogane in disbelief as he shot him a smirk.
"Though I like the sound of 'hero'…it isn't over yet. The others still have to make it back. Go wait in there, all of you – we don't want you getting caught after we went through all this trouble to get you back." Kurogane said.
It was at that moment that Kazahaya yelled. When everyone turned their heads to him, tears were running down his cheeks. He pointed a shaking hand at the building, smiling through his tears the best he could. "This place…I know it." He whispered, stepping toward it. It was at that moment that Saigo and Kakei stepped out of the shadows, smiling at their old friend.
"Welcome back, Kazahaya."
"Everything's blowing up like it should, at least." Syaoran watched as members of Fuuma's group rushed the remaining Children of Night out of Reed's burning Headquarters, smiling at the way that the building glowed in the dark. He looked to Sakura, who was watching the flames with a smile. 'I want you to smile like that every day, Sakura.' He thought, turning his brown eyes back to the building.
"Keep your eyes off my sister." Toya snapped, opening up his cellphone when it vibrated in his hand. "Everyone's out, Kamui?" He asked, looking at the building. "Where are Fuuma and Subaru?" He asked. They had been sent in first – Kamui had let down the wards, and Fuuma had found Subaru. Once he had been told that they were going to be free, Seishirou had begun knocking out guards left and right. They had all been together…but had been separated during the fray. Seishirou was beginning to get agitated…and no one wanted to be alone with an agitated Seishirou.
"Our path has been blocked by some debris…but we'll be fine. Just wait for us on the other side." Kamui replied. Instantly, he hung up on Toya. Sakura's brother glared at the phone in annoyance and slammed it shut, shoving it into his pocket. His eyes found Seishirou's in the dark, his gaze penetrating the glasses that the other man wore.
"They're going to be fine, Seishirou. Kamui and Fuuma will make sure that nothing happens to Subaru." Toya told him, looking back at the burning building. "I trusted them enough to leave your rescue to them. I would trust them enough now to make it out."
"Kamui…is everything okay on the outside?" Subaru asked, yelling over the volume of the burning building. They were desperately searching for a way to get out…but so far, weren't finding any sort of door beside the one that had been blocked. None of them were worried; they were all Night Children, after all…but still, passing out from smoke inhalation would not be fun. It would also make Seishirou worried…and Subaru hated when he did that to his poor lover. They had been through too much now for him to make the taller raven sad again.
"Yeah. Toya has secured the perimeter. Now we just gotta find a way out of here…Fuuma. Can you break through a wall or something?" Kamui asked, his gaze finding his childhood friend instantly.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Fuuma asked, winking over at his childhood crush. Kamui blushed furiously, shaking his head and pointing to the only wall in their path – one with a window. Luckily, it seemed to let out right onto the street that Toya, Syaoran, Sakura, and Seishirou were standing on. "Subaru…can you levitate all of us at once?" Fuuma asked, gathering all of his energy into his right arm.
"No problem, Fuuma. Just get us out of here."
Fuuma smiled, waiting until two seconds before he hit the wall. Then, he slammed his fist into it….and the wall exploded outward, leaving him free-falling in midair. Suddenly, it was as if he hit an invisible force field – he was simply floating in the air. He looked up to see that Subaru and Kamui were doing the same, with Subaru's eyes glowing yellow. Slowly, the teen lowered Fuuma to the ground, smiling when his eyes met Seishirou's.
However, the second that Fuuma's feet touched the ground, a piece of debris fell from the burning building and struck Subaru on the back. Instantly, he was knocked unconscious – leaving Kamui and he free falling down to a horrible meeting with the pavement.
"SUBARU!" Seishirou yelled, running and jumping so that he caught Subaru in midair. Fuuma positioned himself under Kamui, managing to catch the extremely light teen with no difficulty.
"Are they okay?" Syaoran asked, prepared to run over to the two men. However, Toya stopped him before he could move away too fast, shaking his head.
"Guys, we have to go! Follow me!" The raven instantly began to run. He pulled a cellphone out of his pocket and dialed Rikuo's number. He was supposed to be escorting his group of Night Children to the nearest safe house on the train. He answered on the third ring, and after a small conversation, Toya hung up. Rikuo was heading back to the Drugstore now…as Doumeki should have been after holding off Reed's extra forces with a group of Fuuma's friends.
When Toya arrived at the Drugstore, he didn't see Yukito…or any of the Night Children that Kurogane had told him were under his protection. He saw Saigo standing there, and instantly demanded answers. "Where is everyone?" He asked, his heart beginning to beat wildly. Had Kurogane tricked them?
"They are all upstairs with Kakei getting cleaned and fed. Kurogane's talking to Doumeki right now. I need all of you to wait down here until Rikuo and he get back. We're going to let you see your lovers as soon as everyone is here." Saigo promised, giving Toya an encouraging smile.
Syaoran and Toya sighed, looking at one another with hope in their eyes. Finally, after all this waiting…they were going to see the ones that they loved again. After years of pain and heartache, they would be able to see the people that they had missed the most.
Everyone was directed into a makeshift living room in the back of the Drugstore. As soon as Doumeki and Rikuo came back, they were directed to the rooms and told to sit down on a place in a row of seven chairs (which Syaoran, Kurogane, Toya, Seishirou, and Fuuma already occupied) that faced another row of eight chairs where Kamui and an unconscious Subaru were sitting.
Kakei appeared before them after ten minutes, and deemed that their loved ones were ready to see. The men turned their eyes to the door to the main part of the drugstore, where they could see the shillouetes of the ones that they were so desperate to see. The males could feel their loved ones there, which made their hearts beat faster with anticipation. Finally…the ones that they loved were close enough for them to touch and see. Truly, now they were safe.