Chapter 4.

Ran looked down at his sister as she slept her days away.

"Soon," he promised. "I'll get our revenge. Soon."

He knelt down beside the bed, taking a pale hand in his. "Please, please wake up, Aya. I need you to smile for me. I need you to laugh."

She didn't respond, small chest rising and falling steadily. Kissing her fingers, Ran laid the hand gently down.

"He'll pay."

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"Are you ready?" Ran asked the soccer player next to him. Ken looked at the window ahead and nodded. Ran stepped across the roof lightly, running in a low posture, Ken hot on his heels.

Ran dropped into a crouch next to the window, pressing himself against the side of the up-thrust, triangular window. He peeked in quickly, seeing the room was empty. He looked back to Ken behind him, and slid forward, tugging on the window to find it unlocked. He slid it open silently, stepping one leg in first, katana ready to spring into action. Ken slid in after him, bumping his head against the window and whispering a curse.

Ran glared at him, and Ken hunched his shoulders guiltily. Ran quickly stepped to the wall by the door, pressing flat against it, waiting for Ken to join him. He slowly and quietly turned the doorknob, peeking out the tiny crack into the hallway. He heard voices downstairs, and opened the door just enough to slide out into the hallway, pressing into the shadows.

Reaching the stairs, he looked down to see a man pass below and ducked his head back. Waiting for a few breaths, he peeked again and watched, waiting for movement. He felt Ken's leg press against his, signifying his readiness to move, and Ran crept down the stairs.

"Goodnight," he heard a man call from around the corner and pressed himself to the wall. A man he recognized as Hirofumi passed without a glance at the stairs. Ran took calming breaths, waiting for the man to pass out of sight. He heard a gruff cough from the room to the left, and motioned to Ken at the door. Ken nodded, and Ran dashed across the hall to press against the wall. Ken followed in a hurry, nearly crashing himself into the wall, catching himself with his hands.

Ran gave him another glare and Ken motioned at him to stop the glare, looking irritated. Ran motioned for Ken to open one of the double doors, and Ken gulped, reaching for the handle. As soon as the door opened, Ran slipped in, spotting Reiji himself with a glass of scotch, looking out the window.

"Takatori Reiji," Ran said lowly, and Reiji turned, body tensing.

Ran dropped into a ready pose, using one hand to reach onto his jacket pocket. He pulled out the small necklace, holding it up.

"For you." He tossed the necklace at Reiji's feet. "From Mamoru."

Reiji stared at the necklace, then back up at Ran, eyes hardening.

"I am Fujimiya Ran," Ran said lowly. "You struck my sister with your car, placing her in a coma."

He saw no recognition in those cruel eyes, and it angered him further.

"I live in your house, Reiji. Mamoru's house," Ran growled. "And he's not very happy."

"So what is it you want?" Reiji sneered. "Money? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ran clenched his teeth and his muscles bunched before he sprung.

"SHIIII-NEEEEE!!" he shrieked, swinging the katana with both hands. He heard a muffled 'peep' and felt his body jerk from a blow, sending him crashing to the floor. He felt disoriented, trying to figure out what had happened. His side stung, but other than that, there seemed nothing wrong. He looked back at Reiji to see another man step through a door behind Reiji's desk, a glock in hand, complete with silencer.

"Trouble, Mister Takatori?" The gunman smirked.

"Vigilantes." Reiji snorted. Ran tried to get up and pain finally lanced through his gut, making him clench his eyes shut.

"Get rid of him." Reiji shrugged, waving his hand in dismissal. The gunman stalked forward, weapon aimed at Ran's head. Ran glared back at the man in the ice cream white suit.

"Pest," the man spat, and squeezed the trigger.

"SHIIII-NEEE!!!"

Ran blinked to see a large potted plant slam into the gunman before he finished pulling the trigger, knocking him off his feet, the bullet hitting a wall.

"Ran!" Ken yelled from the doorway. "Come on!"

Ran staggered to his feet in a hurry, eyes searching for Reiji to see the back door shut. He lurched forward after him.

"Goddammit! Later, Ran!" Ken yelled, dashing forward to grab his arm and yank him out the door.

He heard the muffled 'peep' and the bottom of the doorframe exploded in splinters as he passed through it.

Ken led him for the front door, running in such a hurry, he nearly tripped himself a few times. Angry voices started yelling behind them as Ken jerked open the front door and drug Ran out after him.

"I did it good, ne?" Ken laughed at him as they ran across the grounds. "SHI-NE!"

Ran felt too grim to answer, and the pain in his gut gnawed at him. Ken took a running leap, grabbing onto the wall and pulling himself up. He crouched, reaching back for Ran. Ran took the offered hand, feet scrabbling against the wall as he went up. Plaster in the wall flew free next to his thigh, and Ran turned his head to see the gunman following at a dead run.

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Ken floored the gas pedal, slamming Ran back in his seat. Light played over the windshield and Ran peered around to see headlights coming after them.

"Shit," Ken snarled, and turned the wheel wildly to take a turn.

"Crap! He's in a Camaro!" Ken looked in the side view mirror. "He'll catch us for sure!"

"Just drive." Ran panted, grimacing as his insides burned.

"Hell, hell, hell," Ken chanted through clenched teeth as he took another turn, the car sliding a bit before the tires grabbed the road.

Tires squealed and Ken glanced back to see the Camaro swerve wildly around the turn, then suddenly slide into a spin. The Camaro drove forward onto the grass and around to get back to the road, spitting grass and gravel from the tires. With the speed built up behind it, just as it hit the road, the front of the car suddenly jumped, bringing the front end up as the rear tires shot the car forward.

The rapidly spinning rear tires hit the edge of the asphalt, thrusting the car up and off the road. It seemed to hang motionless for a moment before the perfect balance was disturbed, tilting the car before it came smashing down into the road on its side. As if unsatisfied with that position, the car continued motion to fall over and landed upside down. Ken slammed on the brakes, sending their car sliding as he looked back at the Camaro in astonishment.

Ran looked out the window at the other car, making out the white suit of the man trying to climb out through a window. Flames suddenly started licking up the rear of the car, spreading quickly. Too quickly. Ran closed his eyes at the burst of light and noise as the car exploded.

"Holy..." Ken breathed. The two sat in silence as the car burned like a huge bonfire.

"Where did the flame come from?" Ken asked quietly. It might have been due to the pain or the weakness Ran felt, but for a moment, he thought he saw a small figure standing on the road in front of the flames. A tiny silhouette watching the car burn.

"Drive," he grated to Ken. Ken blinked, coming out of his trance, and pressed the accelerator.

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Reiji put down his glass of scotch, eyes falling on the necklace on the ground. He stooped to pick up the tarnished gold, and looking at the name on the thin plate.

Snarling, he threw it onto his desk. He glanced at the picture of his family sitting on his desk.

"Whore," he snarled at the picture of his dead wife. The picture frame began to tremble as the necklace started to slide due to the sudden tremoring of the desk.

Reiji grabbed the desk, trying to hold it down. He looked up to see if anything else was shaking, to find everything else still. His eyes fell again on the necklace, grabbing it up and squeezing it in his hand as if he could crumble it to ashes.

"Father," he heard an echoing high-pitched voice call. "Father."

"No!" Reiji snarled. "Don't call me that! Damn you! You're dead!"

"Father..."

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Ken helped Ran walk into the house as the redhead splattered blood on the floor in red drops.

"I'm calling 911," Ken said quickly, laying Ran down in a chair.

"Taka...tori..." Ran panted, swinging his hand with an imaginary katana. "Shi...ne..."

"Oh boy." Ken hurried for the phone. As he reached the kitchen, the door slammed shut in his face.

"Hey!" He grabbed the doorknob. "I need the phone!"

Other doors slammed shut in turn down the hall.

"Oh crap, he's pissed," Ken breathed, jerking on the doorknob. "Open the damn door, Mamoru!"

"Taka...tori..." Ran staggered against the doorframe to lean heavily against it. He clutched at his side, eyes squinting to see.

"Ran! Go lay back down!" Ken snarled and ran over to him, gasping as flames abruptly came to life on the stairway railing, shooting their way down from above as if following a trail of gasoline

"Oh shit." Ken ducked down and shoved his shoulder into Ran's stomach, ignoring the man's cry of pain as he heaved him up off the floor.

"We're outta here, Ran!" Ken grunted as he stepped toward the front door. Flames shot up around the door, licking the doorframe.

Ken grabbed the doorknob, finding it locked and jerked on it in denial. "Nooo!"

"Ken." Ran choked, pointing at the stairs.

"Yes! The house is on fire, Ran!" Ken reached through the broken window, trying to unlock the door from the outside. Ran was staring at a small child standing at the top of the stairs, surrounded by flame. The fire bronzed his blonde hair as the child looked back at him.

"Ran, I'm going to let you out the window, okay?"

Ran reached out toward the child, who lifted a hand toward him in response. A small smile played the child's lips.

Then Ran blinked to see another figure walking toward the stairs from out of nowhere. Reiji was walking to the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the boy.

"Father," Mamoru called mournfully.

Ken turned to hear the voice, blanching at the scene.

"Ta...Takatori," Ran choked, still trying to reach out to them. Reiji stepped up the stairs, looking up at the boy, and flame rushed across the steps as he passed them.

Ken and Ran watched in stupefied awe as Reiji got to the top of the stairs, looking down at the child as the stairs collapsed behind him. Flame rushed along the walls eagerly, creeping like a living thing, shooting up around the two figures at the top of the stairs. Mamoru looked up at his murderer as the flames rose up like a curtain to hide them from view.

The front door creaked open, and Ken yanked on it, wrenching it open and running out of the house.

"Takatoriii!" Ran yelled back at the house as flames filled the doorway.

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"We now lay this child, Mamoru, to rest." The priest sprinkled water in the sign of the cross across the small coffin before him.

Ken watched the coffin lower itself, shaking the gentle white flowers on the top of it. A hand fell on his shoulder, and he looked back to see Youji smile at him. Asuka dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, sniffing.

To the right, Ran looked on passively, dressed in a black suit, eyes watching the coffin lower. Ran's hand tightened on the hand of a girl at his side, dark braids hanging down her shoulders.

"So," Youji said quietly. "I guess I'll see you around."

Ken nodded to him. "I guess you will."

Asuka hugged him, sniffing still, ruffling his hair. "Take care of yourself."

"I will." He smiled at her. He watched the couple walk away, Asuka leaning into Youji's arms. He looked back to Ran, who was intent on watching the coffin all the way down. Aya leaned forward past her brother to look at him, and smile.

Ken smiled back at her, ducking his head in embarrassment.

The coffin finally out of sight, Ran looked over at Ken. Ken bit his lip, not sure what to say to the redhead.

"Katana practice, tomorrow, three o'clock." Ran gave him a small smile, and Ken grinned, nodding. Aya waved at him as she followed her brother away from the scene. Ken waved back, smiling like a fool, then turned back to the grave.

"That was smooth, kid." He tucked his hands in his pockets. "I don't know how you did it. I know Reiji was there, but they found him dead of a heart attack in his study. Smooth."

Birds singing was his only answer.

"And thanks for Aya, if that was your doing." He looked down at his shoes. "You did kinda owe Ran something."

He thought again of Aya's bright eyes and sweet smile. "Oh, and I guess you owed me something too."

Ken turned on his heel and stepped away across the grass. The breeze ruffled his hair, and the sun bright on his face as he thought forward to tomorrow.