Author's Note: This took me forever and it still isn't the way I want it. Argh! Anyhow if you see lots of errors let me know, I'll got back through it. I'm currently look for another beta, hopeful I'll have a new one by next chapter.
Shadows of the Heart
Chapter Twelve
Yuki rolled up in his Mercedes to see a common sight before him:
Sakano was running around in circles like he always does, "Oh no, I just can't figure this out! The Black Shadow is back!" he yelled while yanking out his hair.
The reporter began to walk towards the scene, bringing an extra pack of cigarettes. Black Shadow, the name sounded familiar but he couldn't recall where he had heard of it before. That didn't matter, however if this wasn't the Pink Devil's work, why was he being asked to look over the crime scene? "Hmph," He pulled out a cancer stick and lit it up. He would need it to deal with the morons that were supposedly law enforcers and defenders of the great city.
He maneuvered around Rage's bullets, which were currently flying towards another officer. Lucky, for him she wasn't aiming very well. "You idiot! How dare you laugh at me!" She shrilled.
He began to examine the scene. The glass wasn't perfectly back in its place, which was a signature of the brat. He smirked that was something the little idiot like to do just to piss off Rage. None of the doors had been forced open. His golden eyes caught the glass in the bin. Taking a closer look he noted there were no obvious prints on them, the person wore gloves. He is pretty sure it was in almost condition before the idiots arrived. Except for the jewels, the ones that had been stolen were similar to what the Pink Devil would steal. The most valuable and hardest to get. Yet, it didn't seem there was specific jewels in mind, they were chosen at random besides their value. So, this was probably a professional job, maybe even someone who was a lot like Shuichi, but yet it was not him. "This isn't the Pink Devil's crime scene is it?" He exhaled his smoke.
"No it's the Black Shadow," The police of chief replied now running around Yuki. "I failed to capture him, ah I'm such a failure. I should just jump out this window." As Sakano was heading for the window, the reporter put his foot out causing the man to fall.
"Don't do that, its pointless." He took another puff, "It will only give you a few cuts, nothing that would be worth me wasting precious gas to drive over to the hospital which would only take about a minute in my car." After putting out his cigarette, he lit up another. He was damn glad he had an extra pack in his pocket.
"I can't kill myself properly!"
Meanwhile behind them: "Ahh!" Rage screamed as she threw the other officer to the floor, "Mawahh, that will teach you to mess with me." She stood up, put the gun in the hostler, a smile crossed her face for she had proven why she was the superior officer, "Now go and check the outside parameter."
The other officer quickly scrambled upon his feet, doing exactly what he was order.
Yuki rolled his eyes, "Now that your regularly scheduled program is over, what did you bring me down here for?"
He adjusted his glasses, "Yes, of course," he held himself with dignity, "Yuki, I called you to confirm my suspicions. Well, you have already noted this isn't a crime scene by the Pink Devil. Do some things seem familiar?"
"Well, it is obvious it is a professional. I'm guessing the same method of entering is used by lack of damage that wasn't done by you idiots. This guy went for the hardest jewels to steal, yet it was at random. I think is a possibility."
"So this confirms it then, the Black Shadow is probably the teacher of the Pink Devil."
Yuki smirked, this solved his problem entirely. Though, he had spent years chasing the Pink Devil, he could settle for the teacher, because it would mean Mika off his back. The real bonus would be having the brat in his bed for a few more times.
Maiko slammed down the book shut with glee. Finally, she finished her homework. "Guess I'll call Kyoko now!" She ran to the door and as she began to open it up she heard a blood curdling scream breaking threw out the household, followed by the ringing of shoots in the air. Then her foster father yelling, "You bastard I'll…" Another bullet was heard, but this one was followed by silence.
Maiko froze.
Her heart beat faster and faster. She couldn't move. Her mind began to comprehend the situation and the possible solutions. She could go out there and try to help her family, but it could be too late. From the silence, it was… Now the silence ceased and she could hear footsteps nearing towards her. In that moment she knew what she had to do, glancing at the window, the plan was formed.
Maiko didn't bother to shut the door, not wanting to bring any attention to herself. She rushed towards the window framed by pink silky curtains. She silently pushed it open, then swung her legs over, sitting on the sill for a brief second before jumping out the window. At the exact the moment one of the men was pushing opening up the door. She was already on the ground running, not looking back.
Meanwhile, two well-built, but not pleasantly looking men had begun a path of destruction. One man with brown hair searched under her bed with his browns. Out of spite he tore up the mattress and her lovely covers. "Here little one, come out and play," a man with black hair called as dark eyes caught a glimpse of the open window, "Hey Shino, come here!" They both looked out the window to see the girl running down the street.
Shino pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey! She is in the street, get her before she goes for help." Then he hung up.
"No it's not," Noriko admitted as she turned her head away in guilt, "I…I..." Tears were beginning to stream down her face. "Ne...ed," she could barely get the words out.
"What's wrong, Noriko?" Ryuichi reached across for her hands; she let him take them. There was a moment between them, something reminding them of the connection they had made in the past. Her mind wondered over those days for a brief second.
They were laying in bed after a job. She found herself staring at him with her bright eyes and asked,"Will you be with me always?" there was a softness in her voice revealing the worry that was underneath. It was no surprise for a girl her age, to be fearful of what might come and what may never be.
"Ryuichi and Kuma-chan are here now!" he wrapped his arms around her bringing her to his naked chest.
"Noriko?" She smiled bittersweetly at the sound of her name on his lips.
"I'm sorry, I was remembering something." Reality set in after a moment after, as she remembered why she was here. She lowered her head, staring at the cracks in the picnic table, "It's Tohma."
"What has he done?" It was rare to see Ryuichi's insight so obviously at work, but his mind was already trying to figure out exactly what Noriko had gotten herself into. He hated the idea of her working for Tohma, even it was just a secretary, she had insisted it would be fine. She needed the money to take of their daughter. Besides she work for he before what harm could it do. He know exactly what harm it could do, but he didn't fight her on it, though he should of. There were a lot of things he should have fought with her about, but he felt he had no say after abandoning her, so he kept his involvement little.
"He killed someone." Her voice quivered. An image flashed in her mind of the man's life vanishing in an instant, blood gushing outward that once sustained life, all due to one bullet.
"And you're a witness?" Ryuchi asked calmly, rubbing her hands in a reassuring gesture.
"Would I know he did it, if I wasn't?" she confessed. "I am afraid because of it…"
"You need to leave the country!" He gripped her hands tightly, almost desperately. Having worked for Tohma as a thief he knew exactly what he was capable of. Noriko never had really saw the dangers, because Ryuchi made sure of to hide the worse parts of the job from her. Though, he had hoped his former boss would have been less ruthless in this new world of music, it seems however, that Ryuichi was dead wrong. It seemed the manipulative and heartless side of Tohma would never disappear.
"Ryuichi, you must understand I will always do whatever takes to get what I want." Tohma smiled at him. "I believe that makes us very similar." Those words would always linger in his mind.
"What?!" She tried to release her hands from his in a panic.
"You need to leave, Noriko-chan," the thief repeated.
"I can't leave…" her mind flashed an image of her innocent little daughter.
"I'll take care of Saki," He replied knowing exactly what was on her mind.
"I…I…," she looked at her child climbing on the jungle gym. She appeared to be so happy. "I have one more thing to do." She said firmly as her mind drifted on that task:to the woman know as Mika Seguchi.
"Okay, but you need to leave today." Ryuichi told her firmly. He didn't want to lose her, she was the mother of his child. Even though she wasn't the love of his life, she was still precious to him.
"I…what do I tell Saki?"
He smiled, "Mommy needs a vacation!" She grinned at him returning back to his childishness, it was almost a relief to see him that way again.
Taki had been on his laptop for hours making sure his latest piece was perfect. He glanced down at the photo he managed to snap. The young man with bright violet eyes and outrageous pink hair looked so happy holding hands with a blond headed man who had a cigarette between his lips. On first glance, you just would see annoyance, yet his eyes showed something else. Something that pissed, Taki off, Yuki was happy. "Damn that bastard, he gets the stories, the beautiful boy, and he his happy. That ungrateful asshole is happy!" He growled, but his expression slipped into a devious one, "but not for long." He hit send to his editor. Just at that moment he heard a strange noise coming from outside.
He shut his laptop so he could go figure out what was going on. Stepping outside he was greeted with knife to his neck. He gasped for breath, "What...do you want?" As asked as he struggle to get free.
"I want you to destroy the story," The man was very calm in his response, as if he did this everyday, which he probably did.
"What...are...you talking about?" How could anyone know about the story he had been working on. It didn't make sense, the only one he had told was his editor. Could it be a different story.
"Hmm, maybe I'm not making myself clear," The man in black pressed the blade closer to his neck, drawing out blood.
"Oh I understand very well." Eyes went wide from seeing his own blood drip down.
"Good," the man let him go and slipped into the darkness.
Taki reached for his neck touching the blood, "What the fuck was that?" he asked himself.
Ryuichi knew whatever Tohma had planned, it had something to do with Shuichi. He made his way towards Club Shadow. It had been a couple years or so, since he last saw his protégé. He wasn't sure how the pink-haired man would react, because when he left he didn't leave a note or anyway to contact him.
Ryuichi turned to feel ice cold metal at his head, he smiled. "K-san, come to say goodbye." He let go of the bag he was packing.
The crazy man with a ponytail smiled back as put his gun back, "I don't think you were planning for such goodbyes." The green haired man just shrugged his shoulders.
"No Kuma-chan doesn't do goodbyes very well." He grinned childishly.
"I see, but we both know Shuichi won't handle it well."
"Yes, I know. You will take of care him, won't you?" He grabbed his bag and begun to head towards the door.
"That is why you trapped into working for me isn't. So I could keep him out of much trouble as possible."
"Yes,"
"I will, I'll try to keep him away from Tohma."
"Goodbye K-san, Kuma-chan and I will miss you very much." He walked out the door and didn't look back. K just smiled.
"I know I'll see you again, meanwhile I'll have fun with your student, my guns have been itching for a target." He laughed out loud, "Mahawa."
******1******
"What do you mean he is gone?" Hiro asked looking over at Shuichi who wasn't even speaking a word.
"He left last night. Now I'll need you guys to pick up the slack for him." K smiled, "Judy was wanting some new jewels, so I got a job for you boys."
Hiro glared at him, "Can't you wait a couple of days until we figure something out."
A gun was pulled out and held to the guitarist head, "You will do what I say, you work for me now." For once Shuichi best friend was not going to let K scare him.
"I don't give a damn about what you want!" He growled. K cocked the gun.
"No?"
"No, I don't."
"It's okay," Shuichi stood up, "We can do this, Ryuichi taught me everything he knows." He smiled, "I'm sad he is gone, but we do have a job to do." He held out a v for victory, "I the great Pink Devil will take on any challenge. I will not be deter, I will be better than my master."
"Do you even know what deter means?" Suguru asked popping in from the computer room.
"Of course, I do." The thief appeared a little neverous.
"Really, I don't think you do." The computer genius retorted, "I doubt you will be able to accomplish this job at all." He smiled a little, "At least not without me." Usually Shuichi would be annoyed, but he grinned. Hiro do the same.
K took the gun away from Hiro's head and it in the air, causing everyone to dive for protection, "Alright, get to work then." He smirked at all of them, Shuichi was under a table, Hiro was behind a chair, and Suguru was right behind him. "I think I have the best team ever."
K told him, that his student done well, maybe even better then him. So, Ryuichi hadn't want to distrub the young man's life. That is why he was trying to originally take care of things without Shucihi knowing he was there. He had tried to throw the reporter off his trail and along with the police, he wondered how well it work. It didn't matter now, getting the young singer away from the vicious, greedy, studio owner.
He sighed, before putting on a big smile and heading into club Shadow. He was rather sad at how he found the pink haired man. He didn't look very happy at all.
Shuichi was trying his hardest to practice, but not hearing from Yuki since their date was worrying him. He didn't know what to do right now. Should he go over and find him? Try to talk the blond out of running his story or should he just let things play out? Would he really run the story? Of course he would, he was a reporter after all and this would be the story of his career. He felt himself sinking to the floor.
"I want to hear Shuichi's beautiful voice shine, but I hear nothing. This makes Kuma-chan very sad!" Ryuichi exclaimed. The pink-haired singer turned his head to see the man standing in front of him. He jumped and attacked him with a hug.
"Ryuichi!"
"Shuichi!" he exclaimed.
"How are you? What are you doing here?" Hiro had come up from behind and was pulling the pink-headed man off the green-headed one.
"Let him go," the guitarist stated as Shuichi clung tightly to the shadow thief.
"No, I missed Ryuichi!"
"I missed Shuichi too," with that, the Black Shadow pushed the other thief onto his back and was now the one who wouldn't let go.
Hiro and Suguru sighed.
"What are you doing here?" The computer genius asked extremely annoyed with the situation. They had gotten along fine with out the great Black Shadow. They didn't need this other idiot, so what was he doing here.
"Didn't you hear the latest heist?" They turned around to see a blond standing in the doorway with his gun on his shoulder.
"K!" they all exclaimed and began to panic. Wondering, if they forgot something they were supposed to do for him amongst the chaos they had gotten themselves into. He shot a bullet and they all dropped to the floor.
"What do you want?" Hiro looked up. "What are you and Ryuichi both doing here?"
The big grin on K's face faded. "Stay away from Tohma," he said coldly.
"I was planning on doing just that," Shuichi replied, "I'm already working for you." He exclaimed, "I'm a thief of honor you know. I wouldn't work for another guy when I am already working for you...besides," he shivered, "He scares me more than you and you scare me..." There was another bullet and Shuichi ducked down barely missing it.
"He wants to take Shuichi's shine away!" Ryuichi looked up at the pink-headed man with big eyes.
"What does that translate to?" Suguru inquired.
"Tohma has got something planned for you guys."
"I'm afraid it is too late to stop anything." They turned to see Judy standing in the doorway with her cell phone. Her beautiful face was tear-stained. She handed the phone to her husband, "It's Tohma."
