Setsuna spun around. Touji was standing at the edge of a nearby apartment holding the back of Konoka's dress at the neckline ready to throw her off with a gun in his hand. Five cars screeched past Setsuna, sirens blaring. They all stopped in front of the building, headlights on. Officers hurried out, guns at the ready. One of them had a megaphone in his hand. People on the street were stopping, watching and gasping, pointing. A group of teenagers nearby were taking pictures on their I-Phones. One of them noticed Setsuna and snapped a picture. Setsuna swiped the phone from her, ignoring her enraged yell and darted for the stair-way attached to the side of the building half lit by the streetlights. She leapt onto the railing of the stair-way, leaping onto the one after it and the one after that, continuing on that way until she reached the top. Setsuna swung herself over the edge, ducking as Touji fired a shot at her. She could feel the wind pass from the bullet. Setsuna bolted forwards just as Touji unhooked three of his fingers from Konoka making her fall.

"Let go of her!" Setsuna snarled, tackling him down onto the roof-top.

Konoka tottered and fell onto her side nearby. Setsuna unplugged the head-phones from the phone, ramming the phone down Touji's open mouth and looped the wire of the head-phones around his neck, yanking ruthlessly. Touji choked his eyes red.

"Secchan behind you!" Konoka cried out.

Something hit her from behind in the back of the head. Blinding pain exploded in her head. Stumbling off Setsuna smelt something-blood. Kiyoko was standing there, a sword in her hand. The hilt was gleaming with blood-her blood.

"Where did you-?" Setsuna gasped.

Kiyoko grabbed the front of Setsuna's shirt and yanked her forwards, speaking in a low and deadly voice, "I should have killed you when I had the chance. You're a wasted talent to the Yakuza."

She threw Setsuna away where she slammed into the roof-top door with a broken handle that led to the stairs-the door where Kiyoko had probably been hiding behind. Setsuna spat out blood and pushed herself up with her arms. Kiyoko was on her in seconds, dragging her across the roof-top concrete and hoisted her up to her knees. She pressed something against her throat, a steel handle that she'd probably broken off the door. Spots of black danced in Setsuna's vision. She was suffocating. Touji had gotten to his feet, throwing the headphones and I-Phone over the edge of the roof-top and hauled Konoka up by the hair to her feet, pulling out his dagger from underneath his jacket. He shoved Konoka towards the edge, sneering.

"Look at her one last time Setsuna," Kiyoko hissed. "It'll be the only chance you'll get to see her pretty little face before she becomes a splatter mark on the road."

"No!" Setsuna reached out desperately, her vision blurring.

"Ready to watch your girl die Setsuna?" Touji laughed.

Setsuna struggled, scrambling. Kiyoko pressed the handle against her throat tighter.

"I gave you every chance in the world!" Kiyoko hissed in her ear. "I trained you to be the perfect killer, the perfect assassin and you throw that all back in my face by falling in love and running away! With a girl no less! You've disgraced me Setsuna, disgraced me and yourself!"

"You're the one that's a disgrace! You have no honour, you have nothing!" Setsuna gasped.

Kiyoko pushed down tighter, her voice becoming dangerous, "Watch what you say. You abandoned us once. I was kind enough to let you live because it was an act of teenage childishness I could understand but this time you pay the price just like everyone else. Is that honourable enough for you Setsuna?"

Setsuna spat in front of her. Kiyoko removed the handle. Setsuna fell onto her hands, sucking in air and wheezing. Kiyoko kicked her hard in the ribs. Setsuna heaved up blood. Kiyoko kicked her-again and again. Setsuna almost passed out. Then blinding pain brought her back to consciousness. When she opened her eyes she was gazing up at Konoka who was being held up by her hair by Touji. The gun was at her throat.

"What do you think Setsuna?" Touji said conversationally. "Should I shoot? Remember we used to do this all the time, pick out where to shoot on a person. You didn't even say anything."

Setsuna pushed herself up and almost dry-heaved as she felt her stomach gag. She vomited blood.

"Secchan!" Konoka cried out.

Setsuna caught a stiletto-heeled foot coming out at her from the left. She blocked with one arm but the force propelled her across the roof-top onto her side. She pushed herself up again with one hand, ignoring the tearing of her muscles in her shoulder and gasped. She could see the lights below shining brightly, the cars along the street. The street was swaying. She felt dizzy, hazy. Setsuna turned over onto her back. Slowly the world came back into focus. Kiyoko was standing above her, gazing down at her with nothing but hatred.

"I should never have stolen you," Kiyoko said softly.

Setsuna felt her guts churn. She croaked, "So you're really not my mother?"

Kiyoko knelt down in front of her, her face shadowed and picked up her sword, "I am. Is a mother not the one who raises you and cares for you? Who feeds and clothes you? I am your mother Setsuna, just not the one you wanted. And you are not the daughter I needed."

Setsuna started to get up but Kiyoko put her foot down on Setsuna's chest, holding the sword up high over her head the tip pointed at Setsuna's heart.

"Goodbye Setsuna," Kiyoko said.

She plunged the sword downwards. Setsuna knocked it aside with her elbow where it flew over the edge of the roof disappearing downwards into a dot and tackled Kiyoko. They went down in a tangle of limbs. Setsuna almost let go when Kiyoko pressed her hand to Setsuna's ribs and sent a shockwave of ki-charged electricity into her. Gritting her teeth Setsuna held onto Kiyoko tighter, trying to pin the older woman down. She was stronger than she looked-so much stronger and Setsuna was struggling not to throw up. She was sure one of her ribs was broken.

"Secchan look out!" Konoka screamed.

A gunshot rang through the air. Setsuna hissed in pain as she something sear her back, straight across her tattoo. She smelt blood. Kiyoko elbowed her in the ribs at the same time Touji gave a strangled cry of pain. Setsuna tumbled off Kiyoko, hacking up blood her whole body shuddering. It felt like she was throwing up her insides. Kiyoko dragged her up to her feet by her hair. Something glinted in her hand. Touji's dagger which she drew up to Setsuna's throat. Konoka was standing there with the gun in her hand, pointed directly at Touji in between the eyes.

"Hey, easy," Touji said with his hands up, eying the gun craftily. "This could be a whole lot easier if you just came with me ya know."

"Get away from me," Konoka stammered.

There was a whirring noise in the air and two orange spot-lights washed over them. A helicopter was hovering over them, an armed SWAT member leaning out of the passenger door with his hand on the edge. He had a rifle in his hand which was aimed squarely at Touji. Another member had a megaphone and raised it to his mouth.

"Put the gun down Miss Konoe," He called, "Or we will be forced to shoot."

"You're not really going to pull that trigger are you Konoe?" Touji sneered. "You're not like us. You're good. You wouldn't shoot a guy no matter what he did, a nice girl like you?"

Konoka didn't answer. Her face was pale and Setsuna could see the hand she was holding the gun with shaking so badly she could let her fingers slip on the trigger at any time. There was a loud whirring noise above them. More helicopters had come, two more spotlights trained on them and illuminating the area. Now there were at least five in the air above them.

"You're not going to get out of this. We're surrounded," Setsuna said hoarsely. "There's nowhere to run."

Kiyoko spun her around. Her eyes bored into hers, cruel and callous. A smile edged up the corners of her lips and she said, "So then do you think your little lover will really pull that trigger? She's not one of us. If she kills someone it'll be on her conscience forever. She won't be able to live with herself."

Setsuna whispered, "Touji raped her. He's the worst of the worst I don't think it matters."

"Put the weapons down now. You are surrounded on all sides," A voice ordered from above. A special armed forces team member was leaning out of the side door of one of the helicopters, a megaphone in his hand.

Konoka was starting to back away, her hold loosening.

"She doesn't have the guts to do it," Kiyoko laughed.

"I repeat, put the weapons down or we will shoot!" The member was saying.

"What's it going to be Konoe?" Touji moved closer, leering at Konoka. "You gonna shoot me now?"

Setsuna slammed her palm into Kiyoko's chest feeling rib bones snap. Kiyoko's face twisted in pain but she retaliated fast by lashing out with her hand. Ducking Setsuna shouted, "Konoka aim for the-!"

Kiyoko was on her in a second and she was forced to dodge savage, wild strikes to her face. She was being backed up towards the edge of the rooftop. The sound of a gunshot pierced the air. Setsuna whipped her head to Konoka but it wasn't her. She was still holding Touji at gunpoint. Setsuna looked up at the helicopters. The SWAT member had an automatic rifle in his hands, levelled at Kiyoko. Kiyoko who'd stopped, air hissing through her teeth and blood spurting from her shoulder. Someone screamed then another gunshot ruptured the air like a death knell. Toujiwas staring at Konoka in disbelief, his hand lifted in the air as he froze in mid-lunge. Then he toppled his face a mask of rage and agony. He pushed himself up with his hand but fell down, the colour draining from his face. Setsuna knew what that meant she'd seen it too many times. He'd been shot in the spine. He'd be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Setsuna, seeing Konoka fall to her knees the gun clattering onto the rooftop from her trembling hand, lost concentration for a split was when Kiyoko buried the hilt of her sword in Setsuna's rib-cage, causing an explosion of pain to shoot through her. Gasping Setsuna crashed. Her world tilted sideways for a moment, spots of red blinding her. When the world came back into focus Kiyoko was looming over her raising the dagger. Setsuna's fingers brushed against something hard and metallic. It was Touji's gun.

"Goodbye Setsuna," Kiyoko said. "It's a pity things had to turn out this way."

Setsuna twisted around, swiping the gun and spun around, pulling the trigger without aiming. A single gunshot shredded through the air. Kiyoko froze, her sword tumbling to the roof-top with a clatter. Staggering backwards she stared wide-eyed at Setsuna, blood blossoming from the front of her clothes near her heart. The roof door burst open and special armed forces with guns spilled out. They spread out, guns raised.

"Put the gun down now!" One of the members yelled.

"No don't shoot!" Konoka shouted.

Shakily Setsuna tossed the gun aside, breathing heavily. Kiyoko was standing on the edge of the building, wobbling. Blood trickling out of her mouth, admiration in her eyes she slipped off.

"No!" Setsuna screamed, darting to the edge.

Flinging herself down on her stomach on the edge she grabbed her wrist. She began to pull her up, struggling.

"Setsuna,"

Laughing Kiyoko began to pry her fingers off her, "I'm dying…"

"It's not too late. I missed your heart you can still live," Setsuna told her desperately.

"I'll escape the death sentence and be free. Your girl will be the first person on my hit list. Is that what you want?" Kiyoko whispered.

"No but…" Setsuna swallowed. "I can't kill. I can't let you fall. That's murder and…you're…you're my-"

"You're just like Takeda," Kiyoko smiled up at her, reaching up to touch her cheek lovingly. "Both of you were too soft to be in the Yakuza."

Her eyes were glazing over. The muscles in Setsuna's arm were starting to strain from the pressure but as they locked eyes, dark brown looking into brown Setsuna only felt sympathy. Memories flashed through her mind, happier memories. Her winning against another opponent in an organized match and Kiyoko clapping for her, taking her out to a beach on a warm summer's day and building sand-castles, tucking her into bed and kissing her while she was singing a lullaby to her to try to ignore the sounds of her father having a shoot-out in the room next door with one of her uncles, sitting beside her bed in hospital when she was eight years old when she'd broken both her ribs during a fight with Haru and feeding her. Then she was brought back to cold reality when Kiyoko's hand fell from her cheek.

"I'm proud of you Setsuna," Kiyoko whispered. She unhooked Setsuna's last finger making her jerk forwards from the weight.

Setsuna swiped for hand, their fingers brushing each other's but it was too late. Kiyoko Sakurazaki plummeted down towards the streets, getting smaller and smaller until she was just a dot. She crashed onto the top of the police car and stayed still. Setsuna watched blankly, feeling a lump form in her throat. In her mind she could still see the life going in Kiyoko's eyes. Someone was dragging her backwards, a member of the armed forces.

"Got her chief!" He called over his shoulder to someone.

Konoka was moving forwards but one of the members flung an arm out, warning her. Angrily Konoka started to argue with him, pointing at Setsuna. He shook his head. She felt a pair of hand-cuffs being locked around her hands and she was being shoved towards the roof door.


A.N:

Hmm, I guess now would be a good time to say it's nearing the end and I've got an epilogue planned in this fic too? Haha but it'll be a nice one.

Guerilla: Don't worry things will be fine. Trust me ;3. They will get out of this one way or another.

yuuki: Thanks for the congrats man didn't think it'd get that far :D. Sorry I missed your review before.

Dana: Glad you feel that way about him. That's what I intended :D. And as for his fate getting paralyzed and stuck in a wheelchair for life seemed fitting for him. The poetic justice is in Konoka doing it.

PowerofKonoSetsu, Lance: Thanks guys.