Morning Six
Team One
Once again, Taka awoke from his slumber in the Parent's room. He expected to see Fuji there, but he wasn't. That made him somewhat relieved, but then he became a little frightened because that meant that Fuji was up BEFORE him off doing something in the house that he would never know about until it was too late.

He could hear someone in the kitchen.

"Hey, did the power come back on?" Taka said as he entered the kitchen.

Fuji was standing at the stove cooking. "Well yes," he answered, turning back to Taka. "Sometime in the middle of the night."

"Oh." Said Taka with a nod.

"Why don't you sit down?" Fuji suggested. "I made breakfast."

Taka hesitated for only a moment, but he sensed that Fuji was about to go into Scary Mode so he decided to do whatever he could to avoid that by sitting down.

Fuji then opened the door to the Kids room and said very politely and tenderly, "I made breakfast, you two."

Kirihara and Yana responded and entered the kitchen after a minute or so.

They sat at the table and it suddenly became painfully obvious that there was one empty seat.

"Say, where's Mizuki?" said Kirihara, looking like he had battled internally for a while before he had said that.

No one answered, not even Fuji.

"Where did he end up sleeping last night?" Yana asked.

Once again, no one answered as Fuji came over with a pancake for each of them, taking his seat in the empty chair.

No one dared eat anything.

"Fuji, do you know where Mizuki is?" Taka asked.

"Mizuki?" Fuji said with a sigh. "Oh right. Him. I haven't the foggiest."

"So uh…" said Kirihara. "Why don't YOU have a pancake?"

"I'm not hungry." Fuji shrugged.

They continued to sit there in silence as Fuji just stared at them, waiting for them to start eating.

"Seriously though." Said Yana. "Where's Mizuki?"

"How strange that he's missing." Fuji said adamantly.

"Fuji, we KNOW you killed Mizuki." Said Kirihara. "We just want to know where the body is so we can return it to his family. That's fair, isn't it?"

Fuji folded his hands pleasantly.

"Guys," said Taka. "I don't know if we should accuse Fuji of killing Mizuki before we actually have any evidence."

"Thank you, Taka." Said Fuji. "As usual, you are the voice of reason."

"It's just that we go through this conversation at least six or seven times a day whenever Mizuki leaves the room for more than a minute and Fuji hasn't killed him YET…" Taka explained.

"Think about it." Said Kirihara. "Today is his last chance. He couldn't pass."

"I remember where Mizuki is now." Said Fuji with a smile.

Just the, the front door opened. The family paused for a bit and then Mizuki came strolling in with a bag in his hand.

"Mizuki!" said Yana. "We thought Fuji killed you!"

"No." said Mizuki with a shrug. "I just went out to get the bananas."

He pulled some bananas out of his bag.

"Bananas?" the others repeated.

"I wanted to put bananas on the pancakes, and Mizuki was the only one who was up so I requested that he go down to the grocery store and get some." Fuji said.

"So why did you tell us you didn't know where he was?" Kirihara demanded.

"I forgot." Fuji said.

"Well, it's good news that you're not dead, Mizuki." Said Taka.

Mizuki put the bananas on the table. "I seem to get this greeting a lot from you guys." He said with a nod.

Team Two
"Hey!" said Momo as he finished fully searching the house. "Ootori really didn't come home last night!"

"Unbelievable!" said Gakuto. "We went without dinner last night and now he expects us to go without breakfast?"

"Does he realize how selfish he's being?" said Marui.

"He spoiled us by waking up extra early every morning and making us breakfast." Eiji sniffled.

They all slumped at the kitchen table. In the few hours that Choutarou had been missing, the house had become a huge mess, there were dishes piled up in the sink and the rest of the family all had stained, wrinkled shirts and stubble. But not really stubble because they're like thirteen.

"When is he coming back?" whined Momo.

"You know…" said Eiji, rubbing his chin. "It's perfectly reasonable to assume that Ootori likely made it to Team Five's house with no problem and just decided to stay the night there because he didn't want to go back through the rain…"

"Yeah…that's probably what happened." Said Marui.

"BUT." Said Eiji, raising his finger in the air. "What if Ootori never made it to the house and ended up getting jumped in the middle of the night by a crazy rapist?"

"We would NEVER KNOW." Said Gakuto, looking devastated.

"Yeah right, guys." Said Momo. "We're talking about Ootori here. He may only be thirteen, but he's big enough that everyone would know to stay away from him."

"Momo, I hate to remind you of The Dark Times, but I seem to remember that you had no trouble at all taking him down." Eiji said.

"Yeah well that was ME." Said Momo. "I had chloroform. And I know he's a pushover. A random guy walking on the street who HAPPENED to be a rapist wouldn't know that he's a pushover and probably wouldn't have chloroform."

"Well, if this guy was a rapist and had intent to find a young boy to rape then he probably would be carrying chloroform." Marui said.

"And Ootori was probably skipping, so the guy could tell he was a pushover." Gakuto added.

"Wait, I doubt he was skipping." Said Eiji. "Because he was sad about Shishido being sick and doing poorly in the tennis match. And not even Ootori would skip after something like that."

"Okay what about this then?" said Marui. "What if said rapist came up to him and asked him to help find his puppy?"

"Oh yeah." Said Momo with a nod. "That's probably how it happened."

"A lost puppy in the middle of a rainstorm?" said Eiji. "I don't know."

"Is he the type to get in the car for candy?" Gakuto questioned. "Would he fall for THAT one?"

"Seriously guys, it wouldn't take a trick to kidnap Ootori." Said Eiji. "They'd just have to tell him that they had Shishido off somewhere and he'd jump in the car."

"Hold on," said Momo. "Said rapist wouldn't know about Shishido."

"Ootori would probably tell said rapist about Shishido." Said Gakuto.

"Before or after he gets kidnapped?" said Eiji.

"Well, maybe said rapist is someone Ootori knows." Said Marui. "Someone we ALL know."

"But who…?" everyone pondered.

That's when Momo and Eiji both jumped up into the air at the same time and gasped.

"FUJI!" they all yelled.

"We have to help!" said Gakuto.

"No point." Said Eiji, sitting back down. "If it's Fuji, would you really want to be the one to go up against him?"

"Oh yeah…" said Gakuto.

Team Three
"All right, since this is our last day together, we're all going to work out our aggressions so we don't walk away hating each other." Tachibana announced. "Because the last thing we want is to subconsciously go on hating each other until we crack."

"Great idea, Tachibana!" said Aoi.

"Well, I know I'm first." Said Tachibana as he put the blue Sock 'Em Boppers on his fists. "Who will face me?"

"I will!" said David as he put on the red Sock 'Em Boppers.

"The rules are as follows." Said Tezuka. "You can only use the Sock 'Em Boppers to attack each other. If you use anything else then the session will be stopped immediately. You also must resolve tensions between you during the session so be sure to keep the communication line open."

"Ready?" said Aoi. "GO!"

Tachibana and David then proceeded to flail wildly at each other as the theme music to Sock 'Em Boppers played in the background. It was so picturesque, it could have been a commercial.

"Wow!" said Aoi. "That looks like more fun than a pillow fight!"

"Don't forget to communicate." Tezuka reminded them.

"I NEVER LIKED YOUR PUNS!" Tachibana yelled.

"I NEVER LIKED YOUR IDEAS TO SABOTAGE TEZUKA!" David yelled back.

"WELL I STILL DIDN'T LIKE YOUR PUNS!"

"I DON'T LIKE THE DOT ON YOUR FOREHEAD!"

"YOUR PUNS SUCK!"

"I CAN SEE YOUR ROOTS!"

They continued to sock each other like crazed fools until they just didn't have anymore energy to continue.

Both were huffing and puffing, and occasionally raising a bopper to hit each other. Eventually, they collapsed on the floor while Tezuka, Aoi and Kabaji applauded.

"Did it work?" Tezuka inquired.

"I think it did." Tachibana breathed as he sat up. "But I have to admit, Tezuka. I was hoping to battle you."

"Mm, I figured so much." Said Tezuka. "You need to rest first, though. Aoi, why don't you face off against Kabaji while we wait?"

"Wait?" said Aoi. "No way. Look at Kabaji and then look at me. I SO do not want to face off against Kabaji. Besides, I don't have anything against him."

"I'm ready to go right now!" said Tachibana, standing up as if he wasn't tired at all. "I was conserving my energy the entire time and that was all just an act to make you feel smug!"

"I see." Said Tezuka, taking the red Sock 'Em Boppers from David and putting them on his fists.

"Let's do this." Said Tachibana as he punched the two boppers together.

"I've been waiting for the day when you and I could face each other head to head with no interruptions." Said Tezuka, pointing dramatically at Tachibana, but of course the pointing was compromised because of the big red plastic ball of air on his fist.

"I hope you don't expect any mercy when I beat you!" Tachibana said, looking EVER so pumped.

The two of them commenced in THEIR flailing and grunted and socking and bopping.

The other three just watched for a few seconds.

Then Aoi leaned over to David and quietly whispered, "Go get the video camera."

David didn't have to be told twice because he got up in a matter of seconds and darted off to retrieve the camera.

Team Four
"Guys, we got another letter." Said Sakurai as he entered the living room where the others were attempting to shove as much random stuff from the house inside bags to take home.

"Another letter?" Saeki said, taking it as if the letter was HIS responsibility. "This better not be the coaches saying that we have to have another competition."

"I certainly hope not." Said Hiyoshi, looking miserable.

"You open it, Ryoma." Said Saeki.

"Why me?" said Ryoma, standing up.

"Because it's addressed to the Dad." Sakurai answered.

"Oh yes." Said Ryoma with a nod as he took the letter and opened it. He read it as everyone waited for an explanation. "Oh."

He just stood there as if he didn't owe them anything.

"Well?" Yukimura said.

"Right." Said Ryoma. "Mainly it says that we all have to go to the tennis courts at noon."

"WHAT?" demanded Saeki. "Tennis courts at noon? The letter they gave us last night said that we got to go home at noon!"

Saeki picked up the letter from last night and showed everyone.

"Look!" he said. "It says it right here!"

"We know what it says." Said Sakurai. "We were all there last night."

"I think I passed out or something then because I don't remember getting a letter last night." Said Yukimura, looking confused.

"Oh no, no." said Hiyoshi. "I'm pretty sure you were conscious then."

"Oh was I?" said Yukimura. "How strange. Well, I wouldn't be surprised if my memory started to go as well."

He sighed and looked woeful and everyone felt bad for him.

But then they remembered the injustice that was being done to them by their coaches.

"It's not fair." Ryoma said, shaking his head. "They SAID we could go home at noon. Why do we have to go to the tennis courts?"

"No amount of repetitive complaining is going to change the fact that our coaches went back on their words because they're still bored." Sakurai said. "I just know that if Tachibana were apart of their group then…"

Sakurai looked off in the distance and put his hand over his heart.

Then he abruptly stopped and turned around.

"Actually," he said. "If Tachibana was part of the group then it's likely all this business never would have happened."

"So…" said Saeki slowly. "This whole thing is…TACHIBANA'S fault!"

Everyone gasped.

"No!" said Sakurai. "That's not what I meant!"

"It's what you said." Said Ryoma. "And we need someone to blame."

"Blame your coach!" commanded Sakurai.

"No way." Said Ryoma. "She'd punish me. It's easier to blame someone who doesn't have any authority over me."

"I'll have to agree with Ryoma on that one." Said Hiyoshi.

"I don't know." Said Yukimura. "I don't think it's right for us to blame Tachibana for not sticking around during a coach's meeting and making sure they didn't do anything strange like this. If it's anyone's fault, it's MINE."

"Why would it be your fault?" Saeki asked.

"Because I was dumb enough to call my team and tell them all to come on that day when all this started." Said Yukimura.

"Don't feel bad." Said Hiyoshi. "It's all your team's fault for coming."

"But you know what team is the dumbest of all?" said Saeki. "St. Rudolph."

"Why St. Rudolph?" asked Yukimura.

Saeki shrugged. "I don't know." He said. "I just don't like them. Don't ask me why. I just don't."

"Oh." Said everyone else.