Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
Yah! Another chapter! I really like this fic, and I don't know why! Is it because Daisuke is an exotic dancer and Yamato a hit man? I don't know! I just really like it! The plot only thickens in this chapter! Muawahahahahaha!
Anyway, I have a few more page space, so why not take it up to say this:
To darke wulf: Thank you very, very, very, very much.
To Sapphire Goddess: Just in case you are reading this, I wanted to mention something about a review you gave me for another fic (Love Me Always). No, it's not that all I care about is reviews – and Jamalyn you can keep your mouth shut because that's not true! It's just that… well, someone else said this, and I don't remember who it was, but: Writing for yourself and not others is only fun for so long. When nobody reviews, you start to feel pretty crappy as an author. However, those that reviewed for Love Me Always really made me feel a tiny bit better and I'm back to that 'writing for me and not others' stage. Just thought I'd tell you, so you don't think I'm some review-grieving predator. Also, about why the fan killed him… Well, have you ever heard of John Lennon? An overly obsessive fan killed him. Some people are just crazy like that.
To Green: I care about more things than reviews damn it! I was feeling depressed that day and decided to take it out on my Taito! … -_- sorry, you weren't the only to say that. I just kind of went off on you.
To Jama-sama: You're evil. Did you know that? Nah, I'm kidding. I just thought I'd tell you that there isn't much changed in this chapter from when I sent it to you. I added the whole Ken and Yamato scene, and I think you just might be the only one who gets the whole Ken-snooping thing – I didn't even expect you to see it – but maybe someone else will! I certainly hope so!
To Everyone-Else-Who-Reviewed for Love Me Always: Thank you! I'd personally thank you all, but I'm running out of page room, and I kind of like my fics to be cut off just perfectly. Okay, okay, so it's slight OCD, but not much! Honest! Lol ^_^
* * *
Yamato sighed as he unlocked his apartment door. He stumbled in, somewhat buzzed from having a few drinks after meeting up with Daisuke, yet not quite drunk. Letting out another sigh, he fell back against his door and closed his eyes. There was a moment that his mind began to wander back to the happenings of the night, but his thoughts quickly vanished when he realized that he couldn't hear anything but the sound of his own breath. Leaning forward he looked around. Usually by now his cat, would appear and beg for dinner.
"Mercury… here kitty, kitty," Yamato called. He pushed away from the door, pausing to shake out of his jacket and shoes. He sighed yet another time before glancing in the kitchen and moving towards the living room. "There you are…"
The silver gray cat stared at him from the back of the couch, its tail swishing back and forth. As Yamato walked towards him, he hissed and jumped off the couch, dashing away into the shadows.
"Your cat doesn't like me."
Yamato spun around at the sound of Akihiko's voice. Akihiko stood in the living room doorway, leaning against the frame and lighting a cigarette, or so Yamato could tell as all he could see was a dark, outlined shadow and he could hear the click of a lighter, then soon the red glow. Yamato frowned, somewhat annoyed, and started to pick up things that had been dropped by his previous visitors earlier that day.
"You haven't started yet," Akihiko mumbled.
"Started what?" Yamato snapped. He was not in the mood to have to deal with this, but then he remembered the weeks before on the swing set. "Oh yeah. That. No I haven't started. I've been busy."
Akihiko grunted and stepped towards Yamato, blowing smoke in his face. "Busy with what? That little hooker? Yes, I have been watching you and him. He's quite the eye candy, isn't he?"
"He was just an old friend," Yamato growled, pushing Akihiko away from him. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I wanted to make sure you still remembered that you have a job to do, which you evidently didn't. Let me remind you, Yamato, that if you don't do your job by the time limit, which is two weeks in case you've forgotten while tasting such sweets, then I will personally see to your demise. Do I make myself clear?" Akihiko walked to the balcony doors and stared out them, taking another puff on his cigarette. When Yamato didn't reply, he barely glanced over his shoulder, creating a rather threatening look for himself. "I said, do I make myself clear?"
"As clear as a cloudy day," Yamato mumbled, staring at his shoes, trying to keep from meeting with Akihiko's dark eyes whether he'd admit that out loud or not.
Akihiko smiled faintly and slid open the glass doors to throw his cigarette. "Good. I didn't want to knock off my best hand." He closed the door and turned back around to face Yamato for a short moment before heading for the front of the apartment, stopping momentarily to whisper quietly, "Don't disappoint me."
Yamato nodded and waited until he heard the door shut before letting out a sigh of relief. Nothing like coming home to his worst fear. A bit shakily, Yamato moved to the couch, dropping onto it without care. He stared at the wall in front of him, trying to remember where he'd put the envelope Akihiko had given him. Thinking about it made guilt grip his heart. Out of all the people in Japan, in the world, it had to be one of his former friends, a former digidestined. Out of the billions of people…
* * *
A sharp knock on the front door woke Yamato. He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, trying to straighten it as best he could. He'd fallen asleep the night before on the couch while thinking about how screwed up his life had become. Mumbling, he pushed Mercury off his lap and got up, staggering a bit as the blood rushed to his head. He blinked away the headache that was likely to come by this, and began to amble to the door. Whoever had knocked had quit, either figuring he wasn't home or knew he was the type to be slow when awoken at 6:30 in the morning.
"Taichi…" Yamato muttered when he opened the door. "What are you doing here this early?"
"I wanted to see you before I went to work. We need to talk… about Daisuke," Taichi said, stepping into the apartment without waiting for an invitation. Yamato closed the door behind him, suddenly very awake at the mention of Daisuke, and quickly pulled Taichi to his kitchen where he could talk and make a cup of coffee. Taichi sat down at the table and watched Yamato start on his breakfast, which consisted of only coffee and had been that way for years. "So, you can begin any time now."
"Begin with what?" Yamato asked. "About how I met Daisuke, or what happened last night when I found him?"
Taichi hesitated. "How long ago was it that you met him?"
"About three… four… maybe five weeks ago…"
"Then go ahead and explain what went on last night, because that's too long ago for me to really care at the moment. He seemed pretty pissed at you," Taichi said.
Yamato sighed. "Well, he basically told me it felt great to have a true friend again, but I ruined that all last night when I tried to get the rest of you reacquainted with him. He said he worked ten years to avoid every last one of us. He wouldn't tell me why, but now I'm probably never going to see him again."
"Where did you see him after the two of you ran out?" Taichi asked.
"Uh… well, it's kind of weird if you think about, but he works at Streamer's Blow 'n Glow. Ever heard of it?" Yamato said uneasily.
Taichi smiled, but then it dropped. "Actually I have. He works there? How odd… You're right… That is kind of weird. He never seemed the type to go into stripping before, but then it has been ten years and that's a long time, and he did always have the body for it."
"That's not funny, and it's called exotic dancing," Yamato corrected. "He got kind of miffed when I called him a stripper. Anyway, I don't know what to think. What I want to know is why did he leave ten years ago, what has he really been doing since, and what happened between him and Ken."
"Something happened between him and Ken? When?" Taichi demanded, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown.
"Seven years ago. Apparently I wasn't the first to see Daisuke after he disappeared, and Ken never felt that it was important to tell the rest of us, but Daisuke has a deep hatred for Ken now. Last night, I could practically feel the dangerous vibes coming off his body when I mentioned Ken." Yamato shivered slightly and took a sip of him coffee. Remembering the angry glow in Daisuke's eyes was enough to set his nerves on end. So much had changed about the boy.
"You'd better watch it Yamato. Ken isn't stupid you know. He mentioned last night after you left that he felt uneasy around you, like you were hiding something. If you're not careful, he's going to figure the truth, not this load of horseshit you make up," Taichi warned.
Yamato rolled his eyes. "Thanks for caring, but I'm not worried. Ken doesn't have a clue, and if I play my cards right he never will have one. Besides, it's not like I'm waving a banner in the air screaming, 'Guess who I've killed for money!' okay? Ken is smart, but so am I."
"Just thought I'd give you a heads up," Taichi sighed. He stood up, stretched, and idly moved his foot back and forth as Mercury chased his shoelaces. "I'd love to stay and talk this out some more, but I'm due at work in about ten minutes so I'd better get a move on if I want to be there on time. What do you say we meet up at lunch tomorrow and discuss this more in depth?"
"I can't, sorry. I'm going to be really busy for the next two and a half weeks," Yamato grumbled, bitterly recalling Akihiko's visit the night before.
"Oh… New one already, eh?" Taichi asked, giving Yamato a frown. "Well, call me whenever you get a free chance."
"Yeah, whatever," Yamato muttered.
He turned back to pour another cup of coffee as Taichi saw his own way out. Resting back against the counter, he closed his eyes and lightly banged his head on the cabinets, chastising himself. There was a soft meow from the floor and he opened his eyes to look at Mercury sitting on the tabletop now, blinking his big green eyes, curiously wondering why he hadn't received his breakfast yet. Yamato smiled weakly and bent over to pick up the cat's bowl.
"Well, Merc, looks like I'm in too deep now," he said, opening a can of cat food. All he got was a simple meow in return, making him smile again. At least someone needed him to stay alive. He set the bowl back on the floor and watched as his feline friend attacked it, much reminding him of the way Daisuke had devoured a sandwich once on one of their many lunch meetings. Groaning, Yamato let his head drop against the cabinet behind him and stared at the ceiling. "If Daisuke doesn't want to talk to me, then fine, but that doesn't mean I never have to see him again."
Satisfied, Yamato left the kitchen to get dressed. Today he would spend half the day observing his client – taking pictures, marking areas he went often during the day, and such other things – and the other half he'd keep an eye on Daisuke. He did his job, and he did it well. Moreover, he didn't want to upset Akihiko after the long time it'd taken for him to convince the older man he was worthy of him.
Yamato smirked, a bit devilishly. "Today will be fun."
* * *
Ken looked at the patch on his arm and then at the person smoking next to him. He was craving the nicotine, but Miyako would kill him if she found out about it, and she would because she'd smell it on his clothes. He was tempted to tell her to step off, but at the same time he wanted to break his filthy habit also. The last thing he needed was to make his life any shorter than it already was. He could do without having to face lung cancer along with vengeful relatives of criminals he'd caught and exposed.
Speaking of exposure, the back door to Streamer's opened and out stepped Daisuke. As soon as he saw Ken, he sighed, aggravated, and rolled his eyes. He closed the door and walked to where Ken was standing and leaned against the wall beside him.
"You know I owe you a punch to the face for giving Yamato this address don't you?" Daisuke said quietly. Ken turned his head to look at him but said nothing. "I have to get a new job now asshole."
"Like that will be hard for you to do," Ken replied sourly. He got a sharp look for the comment, yet chose to ignore it. "I thought you never wanted to see any of the people from your childhood again, Daisuke. Does Yamato not count? Can't keep your hands off a sexy blonde?"
"You know what Ken? I don't have to take your shit right now," Daisuke growled. He pushed off the wall, intent on leaving, but Ken grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He stared at Daisuke softly, apologizing with his eyes. Daisuke pulled his arm away, although he stayed. "What is it you need?"
"I think Yamato has something to do with Nakatsuru Akemi's death," Ken explained.
"You mean his drummer from his rock band? That was what? Eight, nine years ago? Digging up old murder cases now, Ken?" Daisuke shook his head disbelievingly. "Do explain."
"I got a call from an old friend the other day and he told me that he thinks his life is in danger. Apparently he looked into something he shouldn't have and now he feels like someone is out to get him. I told him I'd look into it." Ken paused, as if thinking. "Last night when I was at Yamato's, I noticed that there was an envelope on his kitchen table. Me being the curious person I am looked at it, and you wouldn't believe what I saw. Inside just so happened to be a picture of my old friend, as well as where he worked, what his home life was like, and some personal things that Yamato shouldn't have known unless he'd been keeping surveillance. So I tried doing a background check on him this morning, except there's a problem: Ishida Yamato does not exist anymore. He disappeared from the written records about the same time Nakatsuru died. Didn't show up for the funeral or anything."
Daisuke stared at him impassively. "You're more screwed up now than you were seven years ago Ken."
"Daisuke…"
"No, seriously. I mean, come on. Yamato killing someone? What is going on in that head of yours? You're paranoid Ken, simply paranoid. Did it occur to you that maybe Yamato was devastated by the loss of one of his good friends and just couldn't deal? No, it didn't. Another thing: You see Yamato at least once a month don't you? Just because you can't find his files doesn't mean his 'disappeared from written records' as you oddly put it." Daisuke sighed. "I hope whatever you get yourself into this time you don't somehow end up dragging me down with you like you did before. I can't take that again Ken. You ruined my life once, please don't do it again."
Ken watched Daisuke turn around and start to walk off. "For what it's worth Daisuke," he said softly, raising his head to see Daisuke had paused to hear what he had to say, "I'm sorry."
Daisuke nodded once and began to walk again, not replying to him. It wasn't too long that he was far enough down the street that he was no longer in sight. Ken sighed sadly and wondered if Daisuke would ever forgive him for what he did. It had been stupid, perhaps even the stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life. Ken understood why Daisuke hated him, and he always would, but he couldn't help wishing…
Daisuke swallowed uneasily as he walked down the dimly lit street. As much as he hated to admit Ken was right, he was right. There was something… odd about Yamato. Something dangerous, ominous even. Just being in his presence made Daisuke's nerves leap on end. Yet it was that same threatening feeling that attracted Daisuke to Yamato. That feeling that something terrifying and deadly would be happening in his future. Daisuke amazed himself at how he could want to feel that again.
Again…
Scowling, Daisuke pushed his way into a small coffee shop. He wasn't in the mood to drink coffee, but sitting down with a warm cup appealed to him. He chose a spot by the window where he could look at the people who passed by. The times when he sat and observed the different types of people were the times when he straightened his muddles thoughts. A waiter came by after a moment and he ordered a plain cup of coffee.
When the cup was brought to him, it was by another man, and not someone who worked at the shop. He sat in front of Daisuke, setting the cup down on the small table, and smiled brightly. At first Daisuke was going to tell the man he wanted to be alone, but the man's smile froze him in place. It wasn't a friendly smile; more of an intimidating one that was meant to come across as friendly. However, Daisuke spent most of his time studying people's features and he knew a fake smile.
"Motomiya Daisuke, I presume?" the man asked. His voice was low and quiet, and his eyes scanned Daisuke with interest.
"That is me, but may I ask who you are?" Daisuke replied, taking the cup of coffee to warm his cold hands.
The man continued to study him a bit more, his wicked smile growing larger. "I have a proposition for you. I hear you just left your work?"
Daisuke sighed. "I dance, nothing more, nothing less. I don't think I'm the person you want."
"I know," the man chuckled. "I had no… impish thoughts in mind. I want to hire you for something else. I think you'd appreciate the money I can offer you."
"Something else?" Daisuke said doubtfully, frowning. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"I need you to 'stand and look pretty' so to speak. Nothing more, nothing less." The man's eyes bore into his own, making a shudder ripple through his body and he shifted awkwardly under the hard stare.
"I don't even know who you are?" he said quietly. The end of his sentence died a little, making the man across from him grin wider. He swallowed nervously and shifted again. "How much money are you talking? I don't work for a few measly dollars, whether it's to just stand or more than that. If you say you've got the money, you'd better."
"We'll discuss the money issue later," the man smirked. Daisuke's frown deepened and he opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off as the man suddenly leaned forward, running the back of his hand down Daisuke's cheek. He leaned far enough across the small table so that his face was next to Daisuke's, his hot breath tickling the other's neck. When he spoke again, his voice was in a husky murmur. "We'll discuss it later, okay? I promise you'll get what you need, and a sufficient amount it shall be. Now, are you going to take the offer or not?"
Daisuke was shaking. He could tell because when he caught a glimpse of the coffee in his mug, it was rippling across the top from his body's vibrations. Once more, he swallowed nervously, trying to take slower breaths to slow the rate that his heart had suddenly decided to take. "I'll take it, as long as you remember that I'm not a sexual tool."
The man sat back down, sneering with a distinct air. "Like I said, all you will do is dance."
Daisuke nodded. He closed his eyes for a moment, finally managing to calm himself, and reopened them once more. He stared fixedly at the man sitting across from him. "What is your name?"
"Akihiko, but you may call me Aki."
* * *
Ken ripped a cigarette from its package. He felt around on his coat for his lighter, groaning when he remembered that Miyako took it from him since she didn't trust him not to smoke. Well, she had a right to not trust me. He thought with a sigh. He looked at the package of cigarettes in his hand and threw it away, along with the one he'd already pulled out. Still somewhat aggravated, he entered the nearest store and got some gum to chew on. At least it might keep his mind off the nicotine.
With another sigh, he began to walk towards his home; although, he went very slowly, taking his time to look at the scenery around him. He didn't want to go home. It wasn't that his marriage with Miyako was going under, if anything it was getting better – much to his distaste. There were times when he wished Miyako would grow weary of him and kick him out. That'd never happen, and he had to think of his children and how they'd be affected.
The apartment building Ken lived in loomed in front of him. He shivered and walked on, hoping that his life would somehow get out of its seven-year-rut and move on to something happier. That wasn't easy to do with Daisuke still around.
It hadn't been hard for Ken to find Daisuke; after all, he didn't change his name or anything to really disappear. He just… left. All Ken had to do was look up his name, put a few physical traits in the entry box, and viola! Motomiya Daisuke found. Three years after Daisuke 'disappeared' he was found. Was Ken excited to see his lost friend? Of course. Was Daisuke excited? Not at all.
The hardest thing for Ken was getting Daisuke to open up. He promised not to tell anyone that he'd found Daisuke, and in return Daisuke helped him with a very hard case he was on at the time. In fact, if Ken hadn't met up with Daisuke, then he would have never solved his case, and he would have never become the top detective he was. It was embarrassing, really, that an exotic dancer could solve a case faster than he could, but then Daisuke wasn't an exotic dancer then. He was a sales agent for some stupid car company.
Still, it was embarrassing.
"I'm home," Ken called as he stepped inside.
Miyako peeked around the corner and smiled at him. "Hey, have a good day?"
"Not really," Ken mumbled. He received a sympathetic look from Miyako as he sat down at the table. She was currently stirring something in a bowl and humming softly, implying she had something on her mind. The only time she baked was when she wanted to think something over. Ken waited patiently for her to start.
"Can you believe it? Daisuke… after all these years…" Miyako began at last.
Yeah, I saw him about two hours ago. Ken thought. "What about him?"
"He was so rude. You'd think if you hadn't seen someone in ten years you'd be excited, but the way he blew off Kari and screamed at Yamato," Miyako said with a shiver. "How foul. I never want to hear those words come out of your mouth Ken, especially around the children. If you do, I will murder you in your sleep. I'm glad we didn't bring the children with us. Honestly. He's a grown man. I don't care if he was mad at Yamato. He shouldn't have acted like that. And why do you think he yelled at Yamato the way he did? How long do you suppose those two have been in contact with each other?"
Ken listened to Miyako go on and on about Daisuke. He seriously considered asking her to shut up, possibly even telling her what happened seven years before, but decided against it. Quite frankly, if there was anyone he was scared of, it was Miyako.
* * *
The phone was ringing. He could tell that much. It was ringing loud enough to shake him form his sleep. Actually, it wasn't a ring. It was a useless theme from an old TV show that kept repeating over and over, which meant it was his cell phone ringing. It wouldn't stop either. Normally if he ignored it long enough whomever it was trying to get a hold of him eventually gave up. Not this time however.
Groaning, Takeru rolled over and looked at his clock. 5:23 AM. And the blasted phone continued to go off. Mumbling something about persistent assholes that had no concept of time, he slid from the bed to where his jacket was hung carelessly over the back of a chair. He went through all the pockets before discovering that his phone had fallen out and was on the floor. He grabbed the phone and sat in the chair.
"What?" Takeru snapped, rubbing his eyes.
"Hey Takeru!" Yamato's voice rang through the phone, sounding entirely too cheerful and awake for his taste. "Can you meet me at Peach's? We need to talk."
"It's fucking 5:30 in the morning, dipshit. I'm going back to sleep," Takeru growled. He pressed the end button and turned off the phone. As he made his way back to his bed, his bedside phone rang. He grabbed it and shouted into the phone as loud as his tired body would allow, "Get the fuck to sleep, Yamato!"
At that, he slammed the phone back down and pulled the cord from the wall. He ran a hand lazily through his hair and fell onto his bed, slipping into dreams before he even hit the pillow. He was on a very thin line of reality when he heard banging on his front door. At first, it was a banging in his dream that he couldn't figure out, but pretty soon he was awake enough to realize that someone had arrived at his apartment and clearly wanted in.
With a vicious growl, he crawled from the bed and grabbed his robe. He slipped into it as he made his way to the front door, not even bother to look through the peephole since he already had a good feeling of who it was. He swung the door open and looked at his brother dangerously. "What the hell are you doing here? You'd better be damn glad that Anii and Nona are out of town, otherwise Anii would have your fucked up head on a platter."
"Do you realize how bad your language is at the moment? Anii wouldn't be to thrilled to hear that," Yamato replied casually, pushing his way into the apartment. Takeru slammed the door behind him. "And I bet the neighbors didn't appreciate that."
"Why the fuck are you here Yamato? And I'm well aware of my language. I don't appreciate being woken this damn early in the morning. Some of us have real jobs and we need sleep," Takeru grumbled. He followed his brother into the kitchen and watched as he started to make some coffee.
"I have a real job. In fact, that's what I want to talk to you about…" Yamato tapped his fingers on the counter, waiting for his coffee to hurry up. That was all it seemed he consumed recently: coffee. He didn't like it much, but needed it to keep him awake.
Takeru sighed, quite annoyed, and sat down at the table, laying his head on it and closing his eyes. "Just get to the fucking point."
"Patience in a virtue Takeru," Yamato said softly. "You're already awake and you know that you wont be able to go back to sleep after I leave, so why not trying to calm it, all right?"
"I don't feel like calming it," Takeru muttered, his voice somewhat muffled as he turned so that his forehead was on the edge of the table. "If you would skip this bullshit it would put me in a better mood, Yamato."
Yamato smiled at Takeru over his shoulder. "See? I have your curiosity."
"Yes, so spill it already!"
"Spill what?"
"Whatever the fuck you have to tell me!"
Yamato paused to pour some coffee into a mug. He turned around and faced Takeru. "Before I ran into Daisuke – minutes before, actually – my advisor brought me a new task. I flipped through the papers, only to find that I have to off someone very close… someone that I don't want to off…"
Takeru felt his mind scream as his brother's eyes pierced through his own.
* * *
Daisuke didn't like the place he was in at the moment. It was a house, a rather large house, but it had absolutely no feeling of comfort and safety. Instead, it was filled with an eerie painful dread, like the walls would start shedding bloody tears at any moment and its suffering would swallow all inhabitants whole. Daisuke could feel his heart twist as a familiar sensation of dread coursed through his veins and mind. This place was not right, no matter how many pictures of family and happiness were on the walls, for all the frozen faces had false joy.
"Make yourself at home."
Daisuke jumped as Akihiko's low voice drifted from behind him like a whisper in the night air. He didn't bother to glance at the creepy man standing behind him and simply headed to one of the couches. He did startle once more, though, when a firm hand gripped his arm. He jerked his arm away and spun around. Akihiko smirked again, knowing that his presence was scaring the wits out of Daisuke.
"Let me have your coat," he said, already beginning to slip it off of Daisuke's shoulders.
There was a brief hesitation before Daisuke nodded and allowed Akihiko to take his coat. He was hit instantly by the chilly, yet dead, air of the empty house. He'd expected it feel that way – the feeling being somewhere near normal to him – but it still made more shivers descend through him. Akihiko had disappeared with his coat into one of the rooms, so he once more started towards the couch. He halted when he saw the substantial cat that had placed itself in the middle of the cushions. It was a longhaired, white cat, but a thick-liquid red matter, to which the beast was cleaning slowly, had matted ones of its white paws.
"Daisuke."
Daisuke's eyes snapped to Akihiko standing in the doorway. "Yes?"
"Why don't we relocate to a more… professional room," Akihiko stated, eyes cold and in the same low voice that Daisuke was beginning to associate with him.
"Of course," Daisuke replied, staring back coldly. He glimpsed at the cat before following Akihiko out, noticing now that it had tucked its paws underneath its front and was watching him with the same uncanny look that seemed to be plastered on Akihiko's face.
Akihiko was a few feet in front of Daisuke and moved sharply to his left where a dark room was. Daisuke followed, constantly glancing about at his surroundings. He stepped into the room right behind Akihiko and suddenly felt very small. In the room were three other men, all looking like they could easily lift a bus, which was a stark contrast to the frail look of Akihiko's form. Daisuke himself looked nothing but an ant compared to the men.
"I'd like you to meet some of your coworkers," Akihiko purred in his ear, having moved next to him. "They… ah, shall we say correct those out of line for me. You don't wish to cross them. My advice is to stay quiet."
"Okay…" Daisuke replied slowly. He was still eyeing the three men. "And what exactly do you want me to do now?"
"Breakfast," Akihiko replied heartedly, slapping him on the back. "Surely that coffee didn't fill you up, and what better way to meet people than to sit down and eat with them?"
Now Daisuke noticed the dining table on the far side of the room, barely lit by a few lights. Akihiko motioned for him to follow, which he did and so did the three other men. They sat down at the table, Akihiko seated on the end and the other four men sitting on the sides. The man Daisuke was placed by had black hair and a red mustache. He grinned at Daisuke, showing all his teeth, and so Daisuke grinned feebly back, still feeling a bit tense.
"This," Akihiko announced to Daisuke and held out his hand to the man sitting on his left, "is Habacus, and that is his brother Hroc. They are from France, and this," he moved his hand to the man beside Daisuke, "is Vanyusha from Russia. This, men, is Daisuke."
* * *
Yamato left his brother's apartment about noon, leaving him to pack clothes and some wanted items before leaving. Ever since Yamato had become what he was, Takeru had been held on alert just in case his family needed to skip town. It had never been necessary before, but then Yamato didn't have problems getting rid of those who held no importance to him. However, it was going to be a great task for him to complete his assignment this time, and just in case he didn't, he wanted Takeru nowhere near Tokyo. Akihiko wasn't one known for his kindness. He was famous for the line, 'I don't get mad; I get even'.
However, thinking about Akihiko made Yamato's thoughts drift to Ken and what Taichi mentioned earlier about Ken getting uneasy and curious. He also remembered that his envelope had been disturbed, as if opened. This worried him a bit, but there was nothing he could do now if Ken had looked at the profile. Even if Ken did pose as a threat, Yamato could quickly silence him. They had never been much of friends anyway, and Taichi or Takeru would definitely tell him if Ken was asking questions.
No, that was wrong. Yamato wouldn't kill Ken without reason. He would first ask Ken to keep his mouth shut – never tell the secrets that were supposed to be hidden – and if Ken decided that that was too hard for him to do, Yamato could hit him across the head really hard in hopes that he would get amnesia and forget everything from his previous life. Then, if that didn't work, he'd kill Ken.
Of course, upon thinking of Ken, it was almost impossible to keep from thinking of Daisuke. There were so many things unanswered that had been thrown into the world of question. So many things Yamato wanted to know, although some of the things he wanted to know had nothing to do with Daisuke's past seven years or why he did what he did, but those questions weren't simply something you could walk up and ask someone.
"Hello Yamato."
Snapping from his thoughts, Yamato looked up. His eyes caught with dark violet ones, and he scowled inwardly. Outwardly, he smiled politely at the person who'd been the object of his thoughts a minute or two before.
"Well, hello Ken! What brings you to this side of the city?" he asked with fake cheerfulness.
"I was just walking," Ken replied smoothly. "I'm glad we bumped into each other. I have a few questions I wanted to ask you."
Damn. "Oh? Am I under suspicion, Ken?" Yamato laughed.
Ken forced a weak smile. "Something like that. Care to join me?"
He gestured towards the tavern on their left. Tempted to fabricate some lie to avoid this little charade, Yamato decided against it, figuring he'd have to deal with this sooner or later, and sooner was a lot better than later since it would be over and done with. He repaid Ken with a similar fake smile. "Sure, but not for long. I need to get home and work on some important business."
"I understand," Ken nodded and the two stepped inside the tavern. "There's not much I want to ask."
A thick alcohol smell immediately hit the two. Both of them had had their share of alcohol and neither was bothered at all by this. They sat down in two chairs at the bar. Ken ordered something – having not had any type of alcohol in a while because of Miyako – but Yamato passed the alcohol and just got a glass of water. He knew well enough that if he had one drink, he'd end up having a whole lot more, and being a drunk spilling deep, dark secrets was not something he needed in his life at the moment.
"So… feel free to start asking questions at any time," Yamato said casually.
"Do you know anyone by the name Keshena Akihiko?" Ken asked, not looking at Yamato. He ran his finger around the top of his glass, making a soft whirring noise, although the TV nearby playing a soccer game mostly drowned it out.
"No. Never heard of him." Years of experience had trained Yamato for such questions. There had been a time when he was skittish and always looking over his shoulder, but it had been so long since those days. He was an expert in his field, although, if one were not, one would die.
"I see. I guess then that you don't know who Dante-Shi is," Ken stated. He took a sip of his beverage and looked at Yamato over the top of the glass.
He's trying to trip me up. "Oh, I've heard of him. He was accused of being behind the Anson murders a couple years ago, wasn't he?" Yamato toned his voice of that to be an everyday person's. The truth was, he had been the one to carry out the Anson murders and knew well enough that Dante-Shi had nothing to do with that subject.
Ken frowned. He'd been so ready to catch Yamato's mistakes, and yet the older man was showing no weaknesses. Maybe Daisuke is right. Maybe I am screwed up. "I was just thinking, Yamato, how did things go over with Daisuke the other night."
"Ah," Yamato sighed. "Not too good. I barely managed to catch him, and even then he wasn't too thrilled to see me. He mentioned something killing you for giving me the address."
The way Yamato said his last sentence made Ken's skin crawl. He stiffened at the glint that caught in the blue eyes staring at him. "Oh… I see… I was just curious. I only a few more questions and then we'll be finished."
Yamato nodded. "All right."
"Do you remember Nakatsuru Akemi?" Ken caught the falter that went through Yamato's features and felt a wave of encouragement. Perhaps he was on the right trail.
"Yeah," Yamato murmured softly. "I remember Akemi. I remember exactly where I was standing when I found out that he was murdered; the time of day, what Istu was doing, and Toshiki, and how we all were horrified and didn't want to believe it. How could I forget? Have you found anything about his attacker? Is there a break through?"
Ken repressed the urge to scowl. He'd honestly thought he'd hit something. "I think there might be a connection between his death and a more recent one."
"Do those two people – Dante-Shi and that other guy – have anything to do with it?" Yamato asked.
"I think so… I'm not sure yet," Ken sighed. He lied about the recent death. He was beginning to think that there was going to be one, but nothing had happened yet. In fact, the person who'd come to him before with the fear for their life was now saying they felt safe. I hate wild goose chases.
"Well, Ken," Yamato said standing up, "I hope you find what you're looking for, and I wish I could help, but I need to go. Hate having a working life, you know? I miss when we were just wild teenagers."
"Yeah," Ken grumbled as Yamato walked away. "Wild teenagers."
Yamato let out a huge sigh of relief as soon as he exited the tavern. Ken hadn't been as probing as he'd expected, but those confrontations were better left not happening. He wondered how Ken had found out about Akihiko, seeing as the man was not listed anywhere on any files. He. Did. Not. Exist. He made his money the same way Yamato did. Keshena Akihiko… What are you getting me into?
* * *
I know this is barely even longer than my other chapter, but I figured that was a good place to cut it off at. I'm still busy with some other fics, so it will be a while before the next chapter comes out. The only reason this one is finished right now is because I had an idea sprint these past few days. The next chapter is going to be a little more… risqué. I really want to know what you people think, so review!!