**** Trigger warning for graphic description of violence, and curse words****
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She was screaming so loud, that she swears her parents back in Hawaii might have been able to hear her. Etsuko's never been a loud person. Although she's never experienced a level of agony like this, not even her own accident could compare.
The knife stuck out of Saburo's abdomen as if he'd grown an extra appendage. He crumpled to the ground, hand over the hilt of the knife, and just stared off into space. His mouth moved, but no words came out.
Blood pooled over the skin of his pale hand, and Etsuko could only fathom how sharp the knife must have been to get through the layers of his winter clothes.
Satomi flung herself away from him in a panic, her movement coming out spastic.
'Tomi then began to wail, and pull her hair but all Etsuko could hear was the sound of what seemed to be ocean waves crashing, over and over again— straight into her ear.
Saburo sank onto his back barely supporting himself on his one elbow, he seemed to be in shock— a dazed look was on his face, as if he couldn't quite believe it— his other hand still clutching the hilt of the knife.
If he pulls it out, he'll bleed to death.
The thought made Etsuko jerk into action like never before.
"No," she gasped, throwing herself into the concrete floor of the storage unit, crawling over to Saburo as Satomi continued to have a meltdown, "Don't pull it out, don't pull it out."
Tears were dripping from her face onto 'Buro's jacket as she leaned over him and placed her hands over his on the knife.
"Don't pull it out." Blood loss. Death. Saburo. Funeral.
The words danced around in her head on a morbid loop of utter hysteria. A sensation of nausea crashed into Etsuko with such total force, she felt as if she too had been hit in the stomach— although, with a steel-toed boot, and not a knife.
Her stomach heaved, and twisted, and for a moment she thought for sure she was going to vomit all over her cousin, but there was nothing in her stomach except bile.
"Etsuko."
Her name floated through her ears into her head, bouncing around like two people were playing a game of ping-pong.
"Etsuko," the voice continued, it was rough and strained.
She didn't even register it. Her mind was too busy filled with the sensation of Saburo's warm blood seeping through her fingers, as she pressed both palms over his, right where the knife twitched with every breath he took.
His pulse was probably attempting to beat its way through his skin as his adrenaline worked overtime, all Etsuko could think was that every second his heart would beat, and his pulse would flutter— blood would just gush from him, faster and faster— until it was all gone.
Until he was gone.
Saburo. Gone.
Saburo. Dead.
Blood loss. Death. Saburo. Funeral.
"Etsuko." The voice was more forceful this time— and suddenly her small shaking hands were enveloped by a larger one— one warm and alive, still present.
The abruptness of it forced her mind to still for a moment.
She tore her gaze away from the knife and looked into Saburo's familial blue eyes. He was scared and in pain, but still alive.
Still alive! Still alive!
The last remnants of her sanity screamed at her from the depths of her brain, trying to calm the raging storm.
A crash from behind Etsuko made her flinch violently, "Things weren't supposed to happen like this!" Jesus.
She almost forgot for a moment that Satomi was there.
Still present. Still unhinged. Still screaming like a banshee, but this time Etsuko was able to hear her, "I just wanted to protect you! Why, can't you see it? Why!"
Etsuko felt the rage from before bubbling to the surface, but her fear was much more overwhelming, "Stay away from us!" she screamed when Satomi turned to face them. Satomi jerked back as if Etsuko had done this. As if Etsuko did something wrong.
"I didn't mean to," 'Tomi's face quivered, her words came out an odd twist between a whimper and a snarl, "It was an accident! You're supposed to understand!"
Accident? Accident!?
"You stabbed him!" Etsuko accused, her voice breaking with the effort.
"It was an accident!" Satomi screeched, knocking over the remaining up-right boxes she hadn't destroyed prior, "You are just like Katsuki, I will never be able to understand how ungrateful you are when someone is willing to go to the lengths that I have to show you, love!"
Her large brown eyes looked black in the ominous lighting of the storage unit, Etsuko thought at that moment Satomi was one verbal jab away from lunging at them, "Miu said with time you'd understand! Miu promised!"
The name rang a bell, but Etsuko wasn't focusing. Don't get her wrong— Etsuko was scared terrified even, but that ugly harsh, spiteful part of herself she'd been trying so hard to let go of, was tearing at the seams. The seams that Katsuki, Saburo, Ryouta, Makoto— all people Etsuko loved, all people Satomi hurt— had so carefully threaded into place.
Even with the situation, with the fear, with Saburo's silent breathless pleas to not engage, Etsuko couldn't help her antagonistic nature.
"The only thing I'll ever be grateful for, especially when it's coming from you," Etsuko spoke, tears rolling down her cheeks, as a cruel smile carved its way onto her face. She was channeling the venom deep within her soul from years of neglect, heartbreak, and broken trust, "Is the absence of your presence, once you're finally behind prison bars. Right where you belong, you psychotic fuck."
The cry that ripped from Satomi's throat was animalistic, but right as she moved to lunge a pop went off. Her body seized, her yell cutting off midway and she began to spasm, falling face first onto the concrete and continuing to convulse, spittle, and guttural gasps leaving her mouth.
That's when Etsuko noticed the figure standing by the now open back door to the storage facility, the one that led down the limitless corridors into the office areas.
Her mind couldn't register things at first, there was a stun gun, that much she processed as she watched the metal rods sticking out from Satomi's back continuing to shock her.
However, the person holding the gun—
Miu said with time you'd understand! Miu promised!
— "W-wha-," the words caught in Etsuko's throat.
"You deserve some applause for that insult, 'Suko-chan," the words were spoken in a mocking drawl, it made her feel dirty, "I always knew you were a cold-hearted bitch. It's what I liked most about you before you went all soft."
What else could go wrong? Etsuko always hated those words, especially now.
Because there Momo stood at the door, dressed from head to toe in warm dark clothes, completely unharmed, and with a soft smile etched into her round face.
Yet, Etsuko had this sinking feeling that it wasn't a friendly smile.
"Surprise," the ginger said with a giggle, gesturing out with jazz hands after dropping the gun, and stepping over Satomi's limp form.
"Did you miss me?"