Nohr 5

"What do you mean?" Ryoma asked.

"Exactly what I said." Xander returned. "You don't seem to care that Takumi's been dragged off somewhere."

"Mother said he had an appointment."

"With who?"

"Probably the psychiatrist again."

Xander shook his head. "He doesn't need the mood medication." he said.

"What do you know?" Ryoma asked. "You're just a Nohrian."

Xander looked at Ryoma. "Where's this psychiatrist?"

"Why should I tell you?"

A knife suddenly found it's way to Ryoma's throat. A synthetic voice said "Tell him. Takumi means a lot to me."

"Kamui, what are you doing?" Xander asked.

The synthetic voice replied "Ryoma's being dumb. I'm making him tell you."

"Fine." Ryoma sighed. "Most likely he's at the mental hospital. It's where his doctor is." He felt to knife back away, and he was slightly ashamed at being scared of a butter knife. "Now tell me why you care about what's going on with . . . Don't ignore me!" He followed Xander out to the beat up station wagon.

"Why are you following me?" Xander asked.

"Why do care about Takumi? Mom said he needs help."

"Ever think your mother might be using you?" Xander asked as he started the car.

Ryoma sat in the passenger seat. "Why would she do that? She my Mom, she cares about us."

Xander flicked something on a sound system in his car as he drove.

" . . . so moody, I'm afraid I'll have to take him back to the hospital for them to fix him."

"Do it, Mikoto. He needs to know he wrong."

"But what about the club?"

"They can function without him for a few days. After all, he's really only a spare for Ryoma."

"That was my Mom's voice." Ryoma said.

"And my mother." Xander added.

"But, how?"

"Kamui's pretty intuitive." Xander replied. "He bugged my mother's phone. This is a recording of something he heard. He shared it with me."

"But why would our mothers be together? Aren't we rival clubs? I mean, we're not even supposed to interact with each other. I'm gonna get in shit for this."

"So am I." Xander said, parking his car. "Especially if they've hurt him."

Ryoma followed. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Xander came up to the counter. "I'm here for Takumi Hoshido."

"He's not receiving visitors right now." said the nurse.

"I'm here to get him."

"He hasn't finished his treatments."

Xander clenched and unclenched his hands several times, causing Ryoma to back up. "Where is Takumi Hoshido?"

The nurse finally looked up, suddenly intimidated. "Up the stairs and to the left. Red wing. You can't miss him."

"Thank you." Xander headed off, Ryoma following.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ryoma asked.

Xander stopped in the doorway of the room. "Takumi." He stepped in quietly, brushing the silvery hair from the other's face. "What did they do to you?"

Burn marks marred Takumi's forehead and hair line, and tears stained his pale face. It was obvious he'd cried himself into exhaustion, but he still woke when Xander gently cupped his cheek.

"Xander?" Takumi whispered. His voice was barely audible.

"I'm here. So's you're older brother."

Takumi blinked a bit and looked towards the door, spotting Ryoma. "Ryoma?" He tried to move, but the straps held him down firmly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'd like to know that myself." Ryoma replied. "What are you doing, Xander?"

"Getting him out of this death-trap."

"He's here for help." Ryoma countered. "Why are you undoing him?"

"Does this look like help?" Xander asked, showing the bruise from when the doctor had shoved the tranquilizer into Takumi's arm. "Or this?" He indicated to the burns across the youth's forehead. "He's not here for help, Ryoma. He's been put here to brainwash him." He picked Takumi up off the bed.

Almost instantly, Takumi clung to him. "Don't let me go." he whispered.

"I won't. If Hoshido wants you back, they'll have to fight for you." With that, Xander pushed past Ryoma and headed down the hall.

Immediately, an alarm went off. "We have an escaped patient. Silver hair, wearing blue pajamas, being carried by a man with blonde hair in a white suit."

Several security guards got in the way as Xander got to the lobby. "Stop where you are!" one shouted.

Xander stopped at the front desk. "Checking out." he said. "And it's alright to tell his bitch mother that Xander Nohr was the one to take him from this place."

Ryoma followed. "Xander, this is madness!"

"It's madness to leave someone who doesn't have to be here in this shitty place!" he returned. He held Takumi tighter. "Now either clear the way, or I'll clear it!"

With no other choice, Ryoma sighed and signed the papers saying Takumi was leaving the facility. Once the papers were signed, the security guards had no choice but to let Xander leave with the patient.

"Now what?" Ryoma asked as they got back into Xander's car. He looked back to see Takumi had fallen asleep again.

"Well, the first thing is to toss you out at Club Hoshido. Then, Takumi comes home with me after I pick up his things."

"You plan on stealing another of my siblings?" Ryoma asked.

"It's not stealing so much as it's ransom." Xander replied. "When your mother and mine come clean about the shit they're trying to pull on both of us, you can have Takumi back. Not before then."

"What makes you think my Mom's up to anything?"

"Do I need to play that recording again?" Xander asked. "And by the way, it's time-stamped for last night. You're mother and mine planned on putting Takumi in there until he was the perfect model robot child."

"Why would she do that to him and not the rest of us, huh?" Ryoma asked.

"You already think the way she wants you to." Xander replied. He stopped at Club Hoshido. "Oh, speak of the devil. You're mother's home."

Ryoma stepped out of the car. "Don't think you can get away with this."

Xander looked at him. "Already did." he said, and drove away.

Takumi looked up as he was taken out of the car.

"Xander, why do you have a Hoshidan with you?" Camilla asked.

"I . . . liberated him." Xander replied. He set Takumi down in one of the kitchen chairs. "Hungry?"

Takumi nodded. "Thank you." he said softly.

"So, what do we do with him?" Camilla asked.

"He stays here." Xander replied. He set a mug of coffee in front of the Hoshidan. "And if mother says to be rid of him, I'll be the one to toss her out this time."

Elise looked back from the window. "You'd better be ready to make good on that."