CHAPTER 12

Author's notes part 1 – chapter 12

Fun fact – The following note was written before chapter 510 of the comic:

I'm so happy M-21 killed that bitch. (Or did he? I don't know, it's so vague, I hope he did, tough.) I used to think Takeo and Tao should have had the honours, but now… No, M-21 was the right choice. For many great reasons, but I'm not gonna bore you with that now. Perhaps I'll write about him one day too. I do have some ideas. What do you think? Would you like to read something about M-21?

I'm kind of glad Yuri and Aris are still alive (I hope this means we'll have some closure with her and DA5), yet I'm so disappointed at the same time because I think M-21 kicking their asses and ultimately killing them was poetic in a way. I think if M-21 met those two he would have done everything in his power to bring them down. He'd do it for himself – to prove he's not a failure (he can't destroy the Union and I don't think he'll be able to kill Crombel so small victories are fine). And I believe he'd do it for his friends – to make sure Aris and Yuri never touched them again. I see M-21 as a protective bro, you know, being a pack animal and all that.

On with the story.

The moment he smelled the air he knew he had failed.

It was such a stark difference compared to the one he was breathing for weeks, the one he was sharing with his comrades. The heavy air tainted by the stink of scorched stale meat became something of a normality to him. Disturbing or not, it was a smell of his senpai, of the people who helped him when he was at his lowest by giving him what he desperately needed in order to move on: the enlightenment. They helped him understand himself and, for the first time in his life, he felt he can also accept himself and be… at peace. He was peaceful because he made a choice he believed in for the people he loved and for himself… (Who Takeo could now say without shame that he didn't despise anymore.)

Rust, fire and oily sweat. That was the breath of his brothers in arms and every time the bio-robotic eyes would stop glowing… Every time he heard the last drawn breath leave their rigid lips, Takeo would taste copper and salt in his dry mouth, a lasting sensation that grew stronger by the day, a proof he was truly becoming one of them. And he felt right. That place was right. Their final place.

The air of the place he woke up to was toxic.

Clean, fresh and warm.

The ventilation buzzing in his ears stirred up his dulled senses. It moved the air around him making him realise that he, too, smelled of disinfectant… Not soap, there was no sweet odour; just an eerie feeling of thorough cleanness on his cracked skin. It was as if somebody made their personal mission to rinse out even the slightest of filth left on him.

He moved his head and let out a weak moan when a wet strand of hair stroked his cold face. He tried swallowing, looking for that distinct taste on his tongue and, when he found it, he began breathing calmly once again, just as he was before he regained consciousness.

Yes, he failed.

He was still alive. Takeo couldn't really remember how they had stopped him from pulling that trigger, but they obviously did. A thought of his tormentors being irreversibly insane popped up into his head and he even nodded in agreement. They must be really touched in the head to still want him after everything he'd done. (Why couldn't they get the bloody message? So stubborn…)

Then again, who was Takeo to speak of stubbornness? At this very moment, while he couldn't yet keep his eyes open long enough to see what's going on, he was contemplating the marvellous idea he got when he swallowed for the second time.

He could bite his tongue off.

He failed, but hope was not lost. He could still make it right.

And then a massive hand slapped him so hard his world started spinning. His enhanced senses spiked up and sound and space found their place in his mind.

"All that's gonna do is make you mute. For a quiet guy like you that may not seem as a loss, but I actually like it when you snap. Therefore, I'm not letting you take away my rare moments of joy."

Takeo heaved and rose his head with great effort. Even if he couldn't recognise the ruff way of speech right away, the towering stand was a crucial give-away. The black shadow of a brawny man in the pale room moved, allowing a blinding ray of light to fall on Takeo. He winced hitting his back on a firm steal chair he was strapped down to. He immediately closed his eyes in order to compose himself, because there was no way he was going to show fear in front of that monster. The way Krantz peered at him gave an impression that the prick thought he was the reason for Takeo's twitching; that couldn't be further from the truth.

It wasn't even about fear. Takeo wasn't really sure what it was about, but it got nothing to do with the arrogant bastard. The light simply resembled the red laser beams and his foggy mind mistook its sudden appearance for an open fire. That's all.

But it wasn't the laser and his shoulders sagged under the pressure of growing tiredness.

"So, Takeo… Was the maze so fun that you never wanted to leave?" He expected it to come out more snobbishly; Krantz's tone trod a fine line between some perverted version of care and merciless scold.

Takeo slowly opened his eyes and stared back at him with a blank expression. Again, he thought he'd spit at Krantz for his patronising attitude, yet… In spite of still hating the man, he had no strength- No desire to react at all.

The bottom line was – Takeo had nothing to say to him.

Krantz must have picked up on that, because he stayed quiet for a moment. He followed Takeo's every movement with his experienced eyes and continued to observe him when the Asian tilted his head to look at the two figures standing in the back of the small square room.

The wet hair obstructed his view and Takeo thought that the visit to the hairdressers was way past overdue. Long hair was such a bother and beyond impractical in battle. He never really liked how it looked on him in the first place. The only reason he let it grow was because of Rin-chan.

There was a period he was so busy at the restaurant that he didn't have time to trim it. Rin-chan happened to eat one night at his work place and see him wear a ponytail. It was the first time she complimented him. It was the first time they exchanged more than a "hello" and a "goodbye" actually, so it was quite a memorable evening for Takeo.

(Dear God, he could be so stupid sometimes. Like… right now. What was he even thinking about?)

He was feeling weird. And very tired.

When he sleepily tried to reach his face, his wrist was squeezed under a leathery belt which pinned his hand to the chair. Only then did he notice that he was tied up.

His hands and legs were trapped underneath a tightly wrapped belts which were cutting off his circulation. That could explain why he felt feverish, but not why he didn't just rip them off with his super strength.

The next few tries of escape had no desired results – which was somewhat scary, but not scary enough to worry him. He could barely move his fingers, feeling like they've gone numb. Maybe that made sense; he was cold after all.

He waved his head in disagreement. After losing track of his thoughts for a couple of times he came to conclusion the only way to control his mind and make it deal effectively with the problem at hand was to physically nudge it in the right direction. It was so hard to think and hear yourself think, otherwise.

His arms waggled restlessly, a backseat operation of his overwrought mind. There was no concrete plan in sight, nor was there energy to follow it. In this moment of reckoning, Takeo was a puppet with a broken mechanism. Single-mindedly, he stared at his useless body not understanding that the current tactic is not working and that he needed to devise another. He didn't even stop to think why it wasn't working.

That was partly because he didn't really care what will happen next. He was done. He knew he was done. They knew he was done with all the bullshit. It didn't matter what they did to him now; he had already made up his mind. And if they actually believed that bringing his friends from Sapporo will change anything, they better think twice.

How many times did they use such a threat? Takeo had more than enough time to accept it and deal with it.

Certainly, choosing to be their pawn would spare his friends. Unfortunately, Takeo had established that he didn't have it in him to actually go through with it. It was disappointing – having to realise that in the end, against his initial beliefs, he wasn't ready to do everything for others. However, after long debates with himself he understood that that was ok.

It was for the best. He shouldn't beat himself up over it.

Of course, Takeo will be sad if they really end up dragging his friends here. (Was seeing them in this hellhole enough to change his mind? Did he think their fates would be better if he yields? No.) It was naive to expect the Union to free his friends after bringing them here. Perhaps the Elders will spare them the torture of the experiments since they considered them a low class meat, but they will surely kill them to keep their unholy existence a secret.

(Did he think the guilt from forsaking his beloveds will sway him? No. If anything, their deaths will give him strength to refuse the Union once again. Out of pure spite.)

So… Why would he ever surrender his soul?

They had nothing.

They had nothing to threaten him with anymore, because they knew his answer to such methods. Sure, maybe suffocating in one's own blood was not going to kill a super soldier, but Takeo was not ready to give up. If they plan to keep him alive against his will, he'll make them regret such a decision by making their lives a living hell until the day he finally dies. (He had a talent for it, he might as well use it deliberately for once.

(Why was he so scared then?)

And Krantz still watching him in silence made him feel even worse. (The prick should have berated him long ago for his annoying squirming. Where were all the insults and jabs?)

Takeo thought he should stop. He ordered himself to stop fidgeting and take a long breath to calm down. He told himself that it didn't matter. It wasn't important to get the blasted belts of. He shouldn't care, because… Because…

There was no way they could hurt him more than they already did.

It was over.

(Right?)

Something was wrong. He was feeling wrong. The belts were bothering him and he couldn't explain why. Was he backing out on the deal he made with himself? After everything he's done and said? He couldn't afford to rethink it. To hesitate. They'll see something is up and use the moment of doubt to manipulate him. He was scared he might fall for it and his sloppy mind did nothing to help him dismiss the dreadful possibility.

Scared…

He had a problem. He couldn't allow for a problem to be him.

Takeo let out an incomprehensible sound while his hands were still trashing around. He bent closer to his arm, attentive gaze fixated on the belt that was starting to leave red marks on his wrist. And while he still couldn't understand why he couldn't free himself, the two forgotten figures in the back took a step closer.

"I do not believe they will be getting off any time soon," a familiar voice jarred at his ears and stole the attention from the resilient bindings.

Takeo's head rose up so fast his vision swirled for a second. That didn't stop him from recognising the blonde locks on a flat face that spoke.

The blonde… it was that blonde… That Yuri person… He… he started it all. The foreigner from the alley.

Takeo was angry, which was expected, but he was not as angry as he thought he would be upon seeing that emotionless smile again.

He glanced at the red haired women standing next to Yuri who was analysing him with her big yellow fish eyes that didn't blink. She concealed her thin lips with long fingers that tapped her nose as if she was lost in thought.

But she wasn't lost. She was hundred percent present and her eyes knew exactly what they were observing. They were looking right through Takeo and made shivers run down his spine. As on que his hands started moving again without his consent.

"Oh dear, still resisting. You haven't changed a bit," Yuri was speaking again. "While you're sedated you haven't got the slightest chance of ripping those off, so you better use your energy on something potentially more productive."

Sedated… so he was drugged. It was the drug. Still very much scary, but that meant there was nothing wrong with him. He was still Takeo – the one that made the final choice. He wasn't wavering. This gnawing feeling was not hesitancy. He was not the problem.

Takeo sighed with a strange sense of relief. Relaxed, he managed to eventually close his eyes and still his arms. Surprisingly, even though he was still slightly shaking, he didn't feel that scared anymore. With his head now resting on the chair, he opened his eyes again and opposed their studying looks with his indifferent.

"My… One would think a man would start sobbing from despair, yet here you are, maintaining your cool. Such a fine specimen indeed."

"Hmpf!" Krantz crossed his arms in annoyance and took a stroll across the room.

"Don't mind your leader. He's maybe sulking, but he agrees wholeheartedly with me on this one," Yuri smiled.

Takeo took a steady breath, his breathing now completely normal. Yuri was looking at him as if he was waiting for something. If he was pausing to make Takeo join in for a 'pleasant' conversation, he had another thing coming.

Takeo had absolutely nothing to say to him either, even though he could recall a time when he'd daydream about shouting bloody murder at the blonde.

"Tell us, Takeo, how did your training go? Anything you wish to share with us?" Yuri was so polite it sounded as if he was talking to his superior. "Of course, if you'd prefer to keep it between you and me, my friends will leave the room."

Krantz shook his head while he listened to the dead silence of the metal chamber.

"No?" Yuri fixed his glasses. "Ah… Right, I forgot to introduce myself, how silly of me. My name is Yuri. As you may recall I had brought you here?"

Takeo looked at him for a while with the same vacant expression and then he slowly turned his head to the side, not meeting his eyes anymore.

"And how do you like this place?"

Takeo shifted in his seat – as far as the bindings allowed it – to find a more comfortable position. From the way stupid questions kept on coming Takeo could deduce that the rambling will last for quite a while.

"It can be quite extreme, but when people dream, they often relay on extreme measures to realise those dreams. You understand, don't you?"

(Why was he still talking when it was clear Takeo wished to have no part in it? What was the point of it anyway? Was this some kind of a twisted foreplay to the eminent drubbing?)

"As a fellow dreamer?"

(What was he talking about?) Takeo closed his eyes thinking that it didn't matter in the end. He loathed the blonde, but he couldn't care less about him or about this place anymore. (Wasn't it obvious?) Apparently not. Yuri crouched next to him; the man was now on Takeo's eye level.

"Right now… you look like you're sleeping," said Yuri. "I wonder what you're dreaming about."

Despite of it all, that elegant voice was making him a bit nervous.

"Home?" Yuri continued unaffected by the absence of an answer. "It is a beautiful one, I understand completely. You must miss it a lot."

"Your threats are useless," Takeo thought and stayed absolutely still.

"That is why it is rather hard for me to believe that you don't care about it anymore. Pulling a gun at yourself, really, Takeo?" Yuri tsked. "Such reckless behaviour isn't bravery, my dear boy. Although, I don't think you were trying to be brave. I don't think that was a moment of weakness, either. Contrary to many, I find suicidal people selfish and strong, not weak. Or… that could be just you. By the way you shot at those poor buggers, I don't think you were truly affected by the deaths you have witnessed, nor do I think you believed that the last man should be saved. No… he was just an excuse. I mean, look at you!"

Yuri gestured at Takeo's seemingly uninterested sleeping face.

"Cold as ice." Yuri grazed Takeo's chin and pulled away a wet strand of hair from his face. Takeo had to give his all to suppress a shiver. He gritted his teeth so hard he was sure they were going to break if the blonde didn't get the hell out of his personal space. "Some need to train for years to have that kind of presence, but you… You're a natural. And you want me to believe a man like that showed mercy from the bottom of his heart to a half-dead, beat-up thug? Sacrificing yourself for someone you know nothing about? No. So, what could have possibly went wrong inside of that clever head of yours? I think… you've gotten a little confused and thought your death would mean safety for your home."

"It's useless." Takeo repeated the thought like a mantra trying to tune him out.

"Now… I don't blame you. People here can be insensitive and say cruel things they don't actually mean. They might have given you a wrong impression that killing yourself would make everything right. Alas, that's not how it works."

"Useless."

"How do you plan on ever seeing them again if you're dead?"

"… What…?"

"You want to see them again, don't you?" Yuri put his hand on the boy's thigh. Takeo's fingernails dug into palms, but he was too distracted by what Megane was saying to notice the fast whitening of his knuckles. "Well, of course you do, and you will. Whoever said you'll never leave this place?"

"What… What's happening?"

"You'll have to do a couple of things for us first, but that doesn't mean you won't be allowed to visit them. They worry about you immensely. I know, I worked with the police on your disappearance case as an international consultant."

Japanese. Yuri spoke in Japanese. And what he said… It was impossible for Takeo to not react to it.

Yuri obviously believed that was a great sign.

"That girl… What's her name, ah, sweet Rin-san. The poor thing was crying her eyes out. Not to mention the rest of the neighbourhood. They wouldn't let the police go in peace. You are quite popular," Yuri spoke with a hidden grin while Takeo stared at him.

Yuri thought the sly smile was hidden; even though Takeo had drugs pumped up into his veins and even though his heart was thrumming in his ears from a myriad of emotions that found their way to his trembling eyes – he could still see the lying fox that was Yuri.

What was happening? As he suspected, they were trying a different method of manipulation. An unexpected one that highlighted the giving, not the taking part. The one that made you feel like equals in the exchange… Important, even. This method might have worked the first time he had awoken at the institute. Not now, though. Never now. Not even for an instant. Takeo knew better.

And even if they meant it, Takeo had no intention of ever doing their dirty work. Those couple of things of theirs would definitely kill Takeo and everything he ever was. He wasn't planning to return to his friends like that.

He wasn't planning to return. Period. Going back meant his friends would have to deal with the Union in one way or the other. He'd rather kill himself then let them ever know about such evil. Not to mention be involved with it.

How many times does he need to explain this until it gets through their thick skulls? He had even demonstrated it!

"How about it? You work for us and you'll have Sapporo… And anything else that will make you feel content. Is there anything else? There must be, and as you were able to witness today, all of us gathered here are ready to listen and talk with you should you ever wish to express yourself or complain about something. Communication is always the best solution to every problem. We know that now." Yuri patted him on the leg. "So? Would you like to talk? About your friends or… about your family? I heard from Rin-san that you weren't originally from Sapporo. I suppose, you might want to visit your home town too. We better make a list of all your relatives as soon as possible, so that we can prepare and be ready."

(What… the hell was this? Was their opinion of him so low? They honestly thought he was a bloody idiot which was not surprising, but still, it was borderline insulting… and in such a condescending way…?)

"Your family must be worried sick. Had I known who they are I could have eased their hearts a bit. An awful oversight on my part. I beg for your forgiveness."

Forgiveness… Forgiveness?

Did he think the reason Takeo hadn't jumped off the chair and bitten through his neck artery upon seeing him again was because Takeo had let bygones be bygones? Did they think he's silence was him agreeing to it and letting it all go?

"You fucking psychos! You're just not worth my time! You're not worth my breath and effort, you're not worth it! You're all worthless shits and I had it with you!"

They thought they knew him just because they observed him through thick glass for few months. They thought they were qualified to asses him and tell him why he did what he did? To tell him what he will do? They didn't know shit!

"You think I'm so stupid to tell you about Tama-san? For a fucking pretty please?" Takeo thought, the rage filling him to the brim.

Takeo was pissed. At the same time he felt so proud, because an obnoxious know-it-all like Yuri couldn't find anyone in Tokyo. Hell, he didn't even know Tokyo was the place where he should search. He had to act like a pussy and beg in order to gain the wanted information. It made that asshole and a whole of the mighty Union look pathetic which in turn made Takeo feel more alive than he felt in a long time.

It made him want to laugh loudly to all of their faces.

"Do we have a deal, my friend?" Yuri asked with an uncharacteristically unsure tone, as if he noticed the sharpening of Takeo's eyes. In that glare, none of the emotions that touched his heart a second ago could be found.

Takeo was glad to hear his mother tongue. On the other hand, Yuri's insufferable voice was blighting all of its beauty. He wanted him to shut up and never speak again. He wanted to make it perfectly clear that his intention of getting Takeo on his good side by speaking in Japanese backfired. In his native language all of the lies and little mind tricks were even more apparent.

"You… What's up with all this talking?" Takeo hissed.

For the first time since the start of a boring one-sided conversation, Krantz turned around to face the Asian brat while Dr Aris blinked in interest.

"You already have my answer, you pathetic scumbags!" He whispered with such power that it echoed in the empty room.

Yuri's reaction was priceless. He developed an actual facial tick Takeo had only seen in anime as a child.

The blond tried his best to hide it and resume with his graceful posture. He put on a usual flat smile that felt so crooked and unnatural now, with his eyes slightly open and his jaw frozen in an awkward position.

It made Takeo's day.

"What did he say?" Dr Aris asked impatiently and that pulled Yuri out of his stupor. He stood up and corrected the button on his sleeve, still trying to control the fury inside him.

Unlike Dr Aris, Krantz didn't need a translator to know what the brat said. As he predicted, things are going to go sour with rapid speed.

"He declined our offer," said Yuri in a crisp manner.

Krantz could have sworn Takeo said more than that. He had spent enough time with him to know what to expect when he grimaces like that, but opted not to comment on Yuri's translation. It was better if Dr Aris didn't know what kind of an insult her darling pet spat to her face.

Krantz had to admit he enjoyed Yuri's inner squirming. If there wasn't Dr Aris to please, the blonde would have wrung the kid's neck. Had he been in the same position, Krantz would have probably done the same thing. He wasn't, however, and that made him snicker quietly to himself.

Dr Aris turned her head to Yuri as if she didn't catch that last bit. She then cast a glance towards Takeo who looked ready to fight till the very end. His aura was strong, even though all the colour was drained from his face. His eyes behind the long strands of hair sank into the dark circles of fatigue. His lips were cracked but not trembling, even though he must have been cold; that thin white suit that was so tight she could see a few of his ribs whenever he'd breathe in.

He lost a couple of pounds. She gave him some first aid and infusion after they pulled him out of the maze. Thanks to his enhanced body he was already looking better. You couldn't say he was starved for eighty plus days. Indeed, he didn't look as handsome as he did when she first saw him, yet there was something exhilarating in a way he just sat there and stared at his tormentors as they were nothing but mare bugs. No, not even bugs.

In that wretched state her dear Takeo was stronger than she ever saw him. She felt a strange mixture of arousal and wrath forming in her stomach. Dealing with him wasn't business anymore. It was personal.

And in that exact moment she knew.

She had to have him.

"Hard way it is, then," she said barely moving her lips.

Both Krantz and Yuri knew what that meant. Krantz placed a medical gun in her elevated hand. He took it out of the suitcase in the corner of the room the moment Yuri opened his posh mouth, knowing that this was the only way today's so-called negotiations were gonna end.

Despite her describing it as troublesome, he knew Dr Aris couldn't wait to try out the method. The familiar childish excitement was evident in her wide open eyes. There was also something else he never saw on her face before. Krantz now understood that playing with Takeo was not just business with occasional pleasure anymore.

Unconsciously, Krantz stepped away from Dr Aris, his fears floating to the surface, and crossed his hands in attempt to protect himself. There was no need for that, since Dr Aris had eyes only for the Asian kid.

"If I may, doctor?" Yuri asked with regained composure.

"You may leave. I'll call you when it's done."

"He wasted our time and she's not even gonna rebuke him for his failure," Krantz thought. "I guess an ass kisser like him can get away with everything."

Not having a complete bio on a future subject was not a mistake – it was unforgivable unprofessionalism. Because of Yuri's carelessness they now had to apply measures that had never moved from the experimental phase.

"You go with him, Krantz. I want some alone time with our little friend here."

"As you wish." He followed the blonde in hope that this experiment won't waste even more time. He wanted it to work, because, damn, if it doesn't, Takeo's a goner and Krantz really wanted to eat that dish.

The doors were locked once again and Takeo was left alone with the red haired woman who held a suspicious looking gun in her small hand. The more she analysed him with her yellow glowing eyes the faster he was losing interest in her.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot, Takeo," she said in a sweet voice. "My name is Aris. I'm your doctor."

Dr Aris… The bitch who made it all possible. How nice. She looked exactly how he had imagined her: clinically insane and ugly on both sides. And… that was it. That was all he had to say about that.

It didn't matter who she was.

She was going to hurt him.

And he was not going to give in.

Takeo could be a very patient person when he sets his mind to something. He might be wrong, but he had a feeling she was not. He wondered how long it will take until she realises her life was living hell.

(Let the game begin.)

"We'll be spending some quality time together." She inspected a short needle in her gun. "I'm already looking forward to it. You?"

She was now really close. Still, it would take more than a menacing posture and some flimsy torture weapon to make him move a muscle and comply. On one hand, the reason for it was because he didn't give a damn and he was determined to show her that; on the other, it was a survival instinct he had learnt long ago. Usually, when you take away the pleasure of violence that is fear, misery and forced submissiveness out of the victim, the bully loses its interest in further abusing. Unfortunately, this woman was nothing like your typical bully.

"I'm so excited!" She smiled.

Suddenly, she caught a fistful of his hair and yanked him to the side. Takeo tried to release himself from her grip, but the sedative was still very effectively circling through his system. It rendered his body useless, his physical ability being even worse than when he was just a regular human. It must have been a special kind of drug used on beings like him for a shove from a small woman to be enough to make him immobile.

"There, there, it'll take a second." She pressed the barrel on his tensed neck and pulled a trigger.

He could feel the needle prick his skin releasing the unknown fluid into the bloodstream. When the small barrel was empty, she let him go. Without a word she walked to the corner and left the gun, than turned around and took a chair which Takeo didn't notice before. She pulled it in front of him and sat down, crossing her bare legs that looked like chopsticks covered by a short dress that revealed far too much. Never did a smile vanish from her face.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't unsettled by the turn of events. Being beaten and yelled at was different from being drugged. Drugs were still uncharted territory for Takeo, leaving a lot of space for surprises he was never a fan of.

Takeo tried to calm himself by taking long and deep breaths. He almost succeeded, but then she opened her wide mouth coloured in crimson red.

"Now… I'm gonna tell you what's going to happen."

Author's notes part 2 – chapter 12

Well… this is what I call the bad guys' intervention.

I enjoyed writing this because I got the chance to reference one of my favourite scenes from the comic and ease into the whole brainwashing thingy.

In the episode 255 Yuri finds Tao and Takeo and with the help of another ass (I can't remember his name) beats the crap out of them. I loved the conversation between Takeo, Tao (mostly Tao) and Yuri, it gave such a wonderful insight in their relationship and told us more about Yuri's personality. My cherry on top was when Yuri started interrogating a beat down Takeo and Takeo was like, "Yuri. What's up with all this talking? Shut up and just kill me." With the M-21's trademarked smirk on his face none the less!

You could say that was a classic good-guy-gives-a-middle-finger-to-the-bad-guy-to-show-the-readers-how-honourable-and-cool-he-is and you'd be correct, but for me that scene was so much more because of Yuri. What he said, the way he said it and the way he looked at Takeo. My god, he was such a good villain.

By the way, I know M-21 is our cute cheeky bastard, but I believe he was heavily influenced by Franky and then encouraged by Regis to evolve his cockiness. I think his behaviour could be a defence mechanism, a way to conceal his low self-confidence and self-esteem. On the other hand I think Takeo could be a natural sass (the one who isn't even aware of being sassy nor is he doing it on purpose). And I believe that's partly why he's the right person to level with both M-21 and Tao simultaneously.

I mean, if you remember, for those two and M-21 it was love at first sass (when M-21 played with Shark's nerves)…

And… I've got no clue where I was going with this. I like to ramble I guess… Oh, well, leave a comment and see you next time!