oO-----oOo-----Oo
Episode 12: More Precious than Gold
Three tall camouflage-clad figures hovered over a small monitor that was set up next to an unadorned cinderblock wall. A recording of the press conference from earlier was playing on the screen, and it was almost finished. The tallest of the three - a blond foreigner with a bazooka strapped to his back - kept glancing down at the two-way radio clipped to his belt, as if waiting for a signal of some kind.
The other two, an American look-a-like who spoke flawless Japanese, and a raven-haired mirror-image of him, both stood on either side of bazooka-guy, patiently waiting for their orders.
"So explain to us again just how the hell you managed to track this dude down?" Tatsuha asked.
K adjusted some dials on the monitor. "I told you already. By using the most cutting edge tracing technology."
The younger Uesugi rolled his eyes, That isn't very specific. "And that tracing technology is...?" Tats gestured impatiently.
"Sorry, kid. But if I told you, then I'd have to eliminate you in the worst way."
"I could live with that." Eiri said.
Tatsuha sniffed indignantly.
Like K had "explained", he used very up-to-date (aka highly suspicious) methods of pinpointing 24's location. Although he wouldn't confirm it, everyone suspected K had found some sort of clue in 24's latest demands letter.
Right after orchestrating the "press conference", he swiftly edited the tape to suit his purpose. Once finished, they set up base in an area he claimed was a mere block from 24's hideout. However, he refused to say which building exactly Shuichi was being kept in so as to prevent Eiri from doing anything impulsive. There was no point in putting Shuichi in any unnecessary danger - or worse.
After waiting calmly for the evening news to appear, K pressed a series of buttons and switches on his equipment (which he refused to say where he acquired from) and switched 24's television signal with his own. On the screen, the three saw the video of the mock conference. K had edited it so smoothly, 24 would never be able to tell that he wasn't actually watching the real news. K even added some periodic static to the finished product to make it look more genuine. His entire plan was pure genius – even Tohma had to applaud its brilliance.
"Okay now - time for business. First off, it's likely 24 saw some static on his TV during the transition, but hopefully he won't notice. Second, I want to go over the reasons why I brought you two here with me. You see, if 24 goes back on his promise to release Shuichi after seeing the press conference, or if he suspects the conference is fake - which of course is impossible due to my breathtakingly genius skills - I will need some backup in order to storm the place."
Eiri crossed his fingers inside the pocket of his jeans, fervently hoping that everything would go according to plan, and the bastard release Shuichi unharmed. That way, there would be no need for further action, which could mean possible harm to the little singer.
Before setting up the screen, K had planted a powerful eavesdropping device right outside 24's hideout. He instructed Suguru to remain inside the getaway vehicle and use the receiver to listen in on the goings-on within the building. The vehical itself was parked two blocks away to avoid suspicion. If Shuichi was to be let go, than Suguru was to say "Clear" into his two-way radio. If not, than he was to say "Danger". Whichever word was spoken would determined the course of action K, Eiri, and Tatsuha ended up taking.
o---~OoO~---o
Suguru sat silently in the getaway car with Hiro behind the wheel. For the past hour, the keyboardist had been listening in on the device their manager had given him. From what he could hear, he knew 24 and Shuichi were watching the recorded press conference right now.
Hiro impatiently tapped his foot on the floor, all the while staring idly out the window. The sun strewn through, softly illuminating his handsome features. Suguru sneaked a glance at the guitarist, and hoped for Hiro's sake that Shuichi would indeed be rescued safely. Even though the younger teen wasn't particularly fond of the annoying and immature singer, he did respect his talent.
He slightly raised the volume on his receiver. He could hear some light talking every few moments - presumably from 24. Other than that, all was quiet.
Just then he heard the television being switched off, and suddenly his ears filled with the harsh sound of cruel laughter. He then heard 24 tell Shu to follow him. After a few moments, he heard 24 begin his explanation on how he started his crime spree. So, the bastard really isn't going to let Shindou go. K-san was actually correct this time around. Better give the signal before it's too late...
*o---~OoO~---o*
K's radio crackled to life, "DANGER!"
*o---~OoO~---o*
"Alright boys - it's showtime. Remember, we must be quick and accurate... otherwise Shuichi might be the one who pays the price. Suguru, call in reinforcements."
In the span of only 15 seconds, K handed Eiri the detonator and led Tatsuha towards 24's hideout. The pair positioned several explosives against the wall, then took cover.
On K's signal, Eiri pressed the detonator.
BOOM!!! A HUGE explosion rocked the area - not that anyone had time to complain though...
*o---~OoO~---o*
Terror and panic gripped Shuichi in a choke hold as he felt the cold sharpness of the blade slowly cut into skin, and looked into the impossibly emotionless eyes of his soon-to-be murderer.
He cried out in pain, tears streaming down his face...... then felt a rocking explosion!
*o---~OoO~---o*
Even though Eiri hadn't seen exactly where K had taken Tatsuha, he let the sound of the explosion - and the resulting billows of smoke - guide him to where he needed to be.
Never in his life did he know he could run so fast...
Smoke, dust, and other pollutants heavily clouded the air, but Eiri didn't let that stop him. He continued to run almost blindly, nearly tripping several times over bits of randomly fallen debris.
*o---~OoO~---o*
Through the slowly dissipating smoke, Shuichi could see sunlight streaming through an enormous hole in the wall – the first time he had seen sunlight in days. He cold also make out three figures running closer.
The first to materialize was K.
Relief flooded through the vocalist; he was finally going to be rescued!
The second looked like Tatsuha.
And the third was... Shu squinted... Yuki???! Let's see.... well-toned body, a tad over 6 feet tall, flaxen hair, an acid expression on his face... yeah, it was definitely Yuki.
Eiri rushed to Shuichi to check if he was alright. A little blood from the cut on his neck was the only immediately obvious problem.
Meanwhile, K and Tatsuha went for 24 who seemed to have disappeared.
Even though his mission was to help capture 24, the novelist couldn't help but forget, and ended up giving his complete, undivided attention to his Shu. He quickly checked the singer for any more injuries, but saw none.
Shuichi, still coughing from the smoke, began crying as well - overwhelmed with happiness on seeing his Yuki again.
Since he couldn't find a key for the chains, Eiri hugged Shuichi right where he was. Pulling him so close, and almost crying with him.
"Oh my God, Shuichi – I can't tell you how glad I am you're safe!"
Shuichi continued to let loose his tears. He couldn't believe how laden with emotion Eiri's voice was. He held on tightly, never wanting to let go, knowing that Eiri would keep him safe from 24. He'd never let 24 hurt him again.
But before he could say anything in responds, K and Tatsuha came back into the room. By now most of the smoke had cleared, and Shuichi could see that they were each gripping an arm of a furious, heavily struggling 24.
Shu whimpered when he saw him. Almost in slow motion, Eiri turned around to see what he was looking at. What he saw was the face that had haunted his dreams for countless nights. The once faceless monster who first threatened him several months ago, then did the one thing that Eiri could never forgive – hurt the person he loved most. In just milliseconds, flashes of memory from the video, the countless hours of waiting in worry for news of his beloved, the blood on Shu's neck, all whizzed through his mind - and was enough to send Eiri's rage through the roof.
Payback time.
He jumped up, and rammed his fist so hard into 24's stomach, he flew right out of K and Tatsuha's grasp. Before either of them could stop him, Eiri was on top of him, pounding out his very existence. He slammed his fists into his stomach, chest, face, and just about anywhere else it would hurt.
Behind him, K grabbed a syringe he had prepared, and jammed it into Eiri's arm. The liquid in the needle calmed him down almost instantly, and he stopped his attack. K then slipped in behind 24 and cuffed him. Immediately, several officers swarmed in from outside and went to take 24 into custody, each thanking K for helping them catch him. While K continued to talk with the officers, Tatsuha led Eiri back to where Shuichi was still chained to the chair.
"What... the hell... was in that needle?" He gasped.
Tatsuha chuckled. "K-san figured you'd try and do something like attack the bastard, so he made one of those especially for you. But don't worry bro, it's harmless - at least, he says its harmless. Anyway, all it's supposed to do is keep you calm for a few minutes then wear off, and you'll be back to your normal angry self again."
An officer who had searched 24's pockets tapped Eiri on the shoulder and handed him a key, which Eiri used to immediately free Shuichi from the metal links.
"B-but how?" Shuichi stammered, "You were just on TV a little while ago?!?!"
K smiled, "Oh that was only a recording. After I found out where you were being held, we scouted the place out, and then jammed your TV signal with ours so I could entertain you with my masterpiece. *Sigh* Oh 24, would it not have been so much easier for you if you had just let Shuichi go?"
"But how did you manage to pull that off?" Shuichi asked, still wide-eyed.
"Easy. Hired some wanna-be actors, borrowed camera equipment from real journalists who owed me favores... and so forth. Your precious Yuki not only gets to keep you, but he gets to keep his job as well."
Nearby, three officers were dragging 24 out with them. "YOU MEAN IT WAS ALL A TRICK?! A LIE?! YOU FUCKING SONOFA-"
"Stop." Eiri said, standing up and meeting 24's face eye to eye. "I have chosen. I have made my decision. All this time you've been asking me what my gold was, and I think you deserve to know."
The room fell silent as everyone's eyes went to Eiri.
"My gold..... is my career. I would never give that up - if I could avoid it."
Shuichi's face fell. Of course it is. How could I have thought differently.
"But don't get the wrong idea," Eiri turned to Shuichi, "Because you, you, my darling Shuichi, are my platinum."
He gently kissed Shuichi on his lips before continuing, "I would never, never, give you up for anything. I would rather die than lose you. There isn't anything I own that is more valuable to me than you."
"Yuki," Shu said softly, "You were willing to go through all that... just for me?"
"Oh, you'd better believe it! That and more!" Tatsuha said cheerfully, "He was even willing to give up his nine-to-fiver for real just to get you back. You can bet we all thought he was high or something when we first heard him say it, but I guess he was actually sober and clean at the time. At least, that's how he looked..." He smirked teasingly at his brother.
"...You would really throw away your career for me? For me?!"
"You baka," Eiri said, smiling tenderly. "I remember a time when I would have paid anything to get rid of you, but like a pair of good shoes, you just grew on me. I simply couldn't let you go anymore. I know I've been utterly cold to you these past several months, and even though I can never change what I did to you, I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I took you for granted, thinking that you'd always be there no matter what, no matter how cruelly I treated you. I'm sorry for not appreciating what I had in front of me all this time. I'm sorry I hurt you so badly. Even my career, with everything that comes with it - wealth, fame, comfort - all that pales in comparison when it comes to you. Without you, I'm incomplete. And I'm also sorry that it took this whole disaster to make me realize that. You deserve so much better. I know that this may be too much to ask, possibly too late, and I don't really expect you to since I don't deserve it, but.... will you forgive me?"
He gently caressed Shu's cheek. "And I'm sorry I hit you. I'm so sorry."
Tears - genuine tears - glistened in Eiri's beautiful, golden eyes as he waited for the answer.
Shuichi looked at him, still trying to absorb all his lover had just told him. It was almost too much for him to take, and he felt on the brink of sensory overload.
"Wait, before you answer, there is something else I have to tell you. I know I don't deserve your love anymore; I have never been worthy of it. But, there is something that you must know."
Eiri paused, feeling a lump rise in his throat, "I-"
The lump grew larger, causing his voice to crack with emotion, and his bottom lip to tremble. "I-"
"I LOVE YOU, SHUICHI!"
Eiri broke down, finally unable to control himself any longer. Somewhere off in the distance, he could vaguely feel the presence of people gathering...
Shuichi held a trembling, sobbing Eiri in his arms, and allowed him to cry on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms lovingly around the novelist, and gently kissed the top of his head. Tears ran down from his own face.
"Oh, Yuki! I don't care what happens to me - you are always gonna be the most important person in my life no matter what! You can always count on my love, through thick or thin, rain or shine, for better or for worse! I don't care what you do to me, as long as-"
He sniffed, wiping some tears off his face with his sleeve.
"As long as you love me, Yuki! I'll be with you until the end of time if you want me to. I'd go to the ends of the earth for you, I'd accomplish any feat for you, hell - I'd even slap my own grandma for you!"
Chuckles emerged from the distance. A Lot of chuckles.
Puzzled, Shu and Eiri looked up, only to see 59 - count 'em - 59 various reporters (real reporters) representing practically every TV station, magazine, and radio station in all of Tokyo and each of Japan's major cities, all with running cameras, flashing bulbs, and pads and pens.
Shu's face turned red, and Eiri suddenly looked very annoyed. When the fuck did all these people get here?
Right at the front of the crowd, K and Tatsuha acting as their only source of crowd control, did their best to keep all the people at bay. Unfortunately, it wasn't going so well.
"Our barricade isn't gonna hold out much longer, soldier!" K said through clenched teeth. Some of the people were finding every weak point in their human blockade, and were about to break through.
"I think you're right, Major."
"Time to execute maneuver H."
"Couldn't you just shoot 'em all?"
"Can't."
"And why the hell not, mister king of hand-cannons?
"Promised Judy I wouldn't shoot anyone today."
"..."
"I said, 'execute maneuver H'!"
"Roger that."
K and Tatsuha suddenly abandoned their posts, running up to Eiri and Shu. K grabbed Eiri and dragged him out of the building, with Tatsuha following close behind carrying the small strawberry-haired vocalist. The four quickly ran through an alternate exit K had found, and were immediately met with a sleek black car.
A window rolled down. Hiro waved, and grinned when he saw Shuichi. "Maneuver H all ready to roll."
The four jumped in and sped away, leaving in their wake a cloud of dust and a crowd of disappointed journalists.
*o---~OoO~---o*
Once on the road, K immediately checked Shuichi for any possible medical problems. Other than some light bruising and some welts - apparently from the riding crop - and a slight cut on his neck, Shu was healthy and fine. K pulled out the first aid box and started to clean him up.
When he finished, K began to explain everything that had gone on since his disappearance. He spared no detail. He also spent extra time on all of his ingenious methods used to save him. Suguru rolled his eyes at K's exaggerations.
All the while, Eiri had both his arms wrapped protectively around Shuichi, not wanting to let him go. Not again. Shu held on tightly to Eiri's arm, not wanting to let go either.
When K finally finished his narrative, everyone sat in silence.
Finally, Shu asked, "Just out of curiosity, why did you choose Hiro to be the driver of the get away car?"
K shrugged. "It was the most logical choice for two reasons; first one, Eiri was in no condition to drive, and Hiro is a better driver than Tatsuha,"
Tatsuha stuck his tongue out at K and crossed his arms childishly.
"Second," he continued, "Having one person with me who was so closely attached to Shuichi was enough. If I had brought Hiro and left Tatsuha to manage the car, I'd be risking having him go straight to Shuichi with Eiri instead of helping me. I needed at least one guy to help me catch 24. Tatsuha was the man. Suguru wouldn't have been much help either, what with his small stature and all."
This time it was Suguru who got all indignant - except he didn't stick his tongue out. A bit too childish for him.
Shu nodded. It made perfect sense. Suddenly, it dawned on him,
"Yuki! What about your injuries, you know from when those guys attacked you???"
Eiri said nothing. His silence telling him that he still hadn't healed properly.
"Oh Yuki, first thing you need to do when we get home is rest. Otherwise you'll never get better - you don't want to be injured forever now do you?"
"No mother. I don't." Eiri smirked at Shu's sudden maternal attitude.
Everyone chuckled.
"Shuichi is right though," K said and Tatsuha nodded in agreement. "Unless you want to go right back to that hospital, you're gonna have to spend some time in your own bed, resting." His emphasis on the word clearly saying that he knew other things that he might try to do in bed.
"Yuki?" Shu asked,
"Yeah?"
"Did you really mean what you said back there, about me being your platinum and all?"
Eiri closed his eyes and gently kissed Shu's neck, "Shuichi," he said in between kisses, "Have I ever said anything to you that I didn't mean?"
"Well...there was this time when-"
(Cue music for "Amazed" - by Lonestar)
"I meant every single word I said to you back there." Eiri interrupted him, "Every single one. So you can rest assured that every word that came out of my mouth was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
*///Every time our eyes meet, this feelin' inside me,///*
"You know what?" Shu asked,
*///Is almost more than I can take,///*
"What?"
*///Baby when you touch me,///*
"I love you, Yuki!"
*///I can feel how much you love me,///*
"I love you too, Shuichi."
*///And it just blows me away.///*
"Oh, and Yuki?"
*///I've never been this close to anyone or anything,///*
"Yeah?"
*///I can hear your thoughts,///*
"What's 'platinum'?"
*///I can see your dreams.///*
***End Last Episode***
*///I don't know how you do what you do,///*
Ending Credits:
*///I'm so in love with you,///*
Story written by: Arekkusu
*///It just keeps gettin' better.///*
Date I started draft: Late February, 2007
*///I want to spend the rest of my life,///*
Date I finished draft: May 3rd, 2007
*///With you by my side,///*
Ending Theme: "Amazed" by Lonestar
*///Forever and ever.///*
Shuichi's lyrics: "Unrequited Love" by Arekkusu
*///Every little thing that you do,///*
##Snapshot: 24's face glowering from the covers of newspapers with the headlines: Crazy Killer Caught during Kidnapping Case.
*///Baby I'm amazed by you.///*
##Snapshot: Tohma noticing the bullet hole in the floor of studio B7.
*///The smell of your skin,///*
##Snapshot: Shuichi gently stroking Eiri's head while he's sleeping on his keyboard.
*///The taste of your kiss,///*
##Snapshot: Police hauling a jewelry thief to the station.
*///The way you whisper in the dark.///*
##Snapshot: Tohma surveying the damage done in Studio C caused by K's explosion.
*///Your hair all around me,///*
##Snapshot: Eiri curiously analyzing a tiny, almost invisible ball he found stuck on the top of his laptop...
*///Baby you surround me,///*
##Snapshot: A memory of Shuichi blink-Morse-coding to Hiro during history class.
*///You touch every place in my heart.///*
##Snapshot: Tohma examining a bullet hole in the wall of the lounge.
*///You know it feels like the first time, every time,///*
##Snapshot: K overseeing the organization of the fake news crews and cameras. He's holding a couple of very big guns.
*///I want to spend the whole night in your eyes.///*
##Snapshot: Victorious high school students giving the V sign to the cameras. Some are pouring through fashion magazines.
*///I don't know how you do what you do,///*
##Snapshot: Eiri glaring angrily when he sees that the little ball has a lens...
*///I'm so in love with you,///*
##Snapshot: Tohma reading a tabloid featuring the story of how 24 was caught, along with the heartfelt love message Eiri had given Shu. Two photos are on the cover of the tab: one of Eiri kissing Shuichi full in the mouth, the other of 24 glowering angrily at the cameras, and trying to give the finger through his cuffs.
*///It just keeps gettin' better.///*
##Snapshot: Shuichi looking up 'platinum' on the internet.
*///I want to spend the rest of my life,///*
##Snapshot: Eiri crushing the little ball between his fingertips, and wondering just how the hell got attached to his computer.
*///With you by my side, forever and ever,///*
##Snapshot: An angry tourist stomping out of a courtyard, apparently losing his lawsuit. There is a sushi convention going on in the background.
*///Every little thing that you do,///*
##Snapshot: Shuichi pouring through a new cook book he bought. The recipes he's looking at look a bit complicated considering his cooking ability. He's got a determined look on his face.
*///Baby I'm amazed by you.///*
##Snapshot: 6 K-clones inside studio B of N-G. Two clones over-seeing the duties of each band member – and each holding some pretty big guns. Shuichi looks as if he's about to cry, Hiro's glancing nervously at each clone at either side of him while trying to play his guitar, Suguru's simply trying to ignore the clones, Sakano has long since fainted, and K is sitting back in his chair, watching the scene with a goofy grin on his face – he's also holding a very big gun...
*///Every little thing that you do,///*
##Snapshot: Shuichi sweetly tucking an exhausted Eiri into bed after they got home from his rescue and 24's capture.
*///I'm so in love with you,///*
##Snapshot: Svetlana and Tamiko happily playing dolls together.
*///It just keeps gettin' better!///*
##Snapshot: Tatsuha standing in his living room, telling Ryuichi all about his awesome part in rescuing Shuichi from 24. Ryu is in his chibi form, gazing up at Tats with huge glassy eyes, shining with pure awe and admiration.
*///I want to spend the rest of my life,///*
##Snapshot: Eiri can't get out of bed (for the fourth day in a row), so Shuichi is bringing in breakfast on a tray (for the fourth day in a row). Eiri sees it, and a little thought-bubble above his head reads "I can't take much more of his cooking...please gods, heal me already! I'll do anything!!!"
*///With you by my side, forever and ever,///*
##Snapshot: Hiro strumming his guitar, idly daydreaming about K.
*///Every little thing that you do, Oh!///*
##Snapshot: Eiri in the process of cleaning up his house after the breakin, and noticing that even his condoms have been cut into pieces.
*///Every little thing that you do,///*
##Snapshot: Eiri sitting at his table (finally well enough to get up, but not much else), pretending to be enjoying something Shu cooked for him, but is actually trying not to gag.
*///Baby I'm amazed by...you.///*
##Snapshot: K working out the location of 24's hideout. He's inside a room marked "Top Secret", and the screen of the computer he's working on shows maps and such from apparently hacked-into computers from places like the FBI, CIA, NSA, MI5, MI6...
And to all the awesome people on this site who reviewed my story:
MidoriEyes, DarkMetalAngel of Destruction, 1n, Patpat, hpets, suvaki, hokage, ForeverFallen304, intelligent-one, Lunasariel, ^_^, pantherdemonXO8, lolopixie, Rizay, PaladinDragon, sayuri2023, Nikkapillar, coffee-house-girl, lelalemon, Eveliina92, eclecticwitch, dbskxsuju, Kuramas-aqua-queen, SweetDevilzEyez, a desperate fan, SadandLonelyOne, Lucky13roxas77, akaSky, chochowilliams, maria, Gothic Anime Lover, Klei, Artemis44, cain aidan, InfinityOnTheRun, AP, Soldieret of Love, Chibiwu, Chemical-euphoria (and if I've missed your name, please accept my deepest apologies). I can't thank you guys enough for your input, even if it was just a simple comment or a demand for an update - I love getting reviews and it really makes the writing process much more enjoyable! Thank you!!!! =^_^=
*** *** ***
Platinum Facts:
Platinum (Pt): a heavy grayish white metallic chemical element, which is 30 times rarer than gold. In fact, almost 160 tons of platinum are produced annually, compared to about 1500 tons of gold produced annually.
Currently, platinum is worth about $50 per gram.
Gold is currently worth about $35 per gram.
In summary: Platinum is more precious than gold.
*** *** ****
Author's Notes:
I hope you enjoyed my story! Judging by the reviews I received, it appears the story was well liked! SQUEEE that makes me so HAPPY!!!!!!! :D Even though this marks the final chapter of the story itself, I plan to add a couple of "bonus" chapters. They don't really contribute to the story, so you don't have to read them. They're just some funny 1-shots I thought I'd write that are kinda related to the story (but again, not necessary to read) lol.
Also, before I forget, in my original draft I had come up with a really lame explanation as to why 24 was after Yuki. My goal was to seriously rewrite that part (which became chapter 11), but I ended up getting so into the reason behind his illness, that I forgot to tie in that chapter with the rest of the story "-_- So I went back to chapter 11 and added a few lines throughout the chapter to help tie it in a little better... I'm not sure I did a very good job, but hopefully it will work out!
Okay, so I'd like to end by thanking all the super awesome people who took the time out of their busy schedules to read and review - or just read - my story *mega glomps!*, I'd also like to thank my favorite fanfic authors for inspiring me to write one myself, and some thanks is also due to my Four Best Friends: Mr. Thesaurus, Mr. Microsoft Word, Mrs. Laptop, and Ms. Pillow. And of course, my greatest and most respectful thanks goes to Maki Murakami-sama for creating such awesome characters and an equally awesome manga series. Her art is some of the best I've seen, and her stories go much deeper then most others I've read. All hail Maki Murakami!!! Thank you so much for giving the manga-loving world "Gravitation".
