*Author's Notes: Okay, this whole plan Dilandau and the others do... I know in real life they would probably get caught in all, but in my story they're all too good to get caught (besides, if they did, where would be the fun). Most schools probably have security cameras everywhere, but Zaibach doesn't (though they should with the Ryuugekitai walking around). So for entertainment purposes, just go along with everything and try to ignore flaws that would incriminate them. Well, enjoy the chapter and if you have any questions that really bother you, send me an email (I probably won't answer any questions addressed in reviews)--Enjoy! ^_^
It had been a little troublesome lugging two heavy laundry basket four blocks from his house, but Miguel had managed to do it. There had been the option of asking his grandmother for a lift, but by the time he had chosen to eat dinner, it was past eight o'clock when he finished. Labariel Baba liked to be in bed by seven, so she was already asleep by the time he was ready to go. It wasn't as if he was above taking her car, but Labariel Baba wasn't exactly the type to trust him with her precious archaic car nor was Miguel inclined to steal it (which he could easily do). Miguel didn't feel like dealing with the "baba" for such a stupid thing as stealing a to drive a few blocks away. The walking hadn't been that long, and Miguel only felt stupid walking in the near dark with two basket for a little while. A couple of kids riding bikes laughed at him as they passed, but it wasn't anything some casual swearing couldn't fix. There were few people that Miguel couldn't curse out.
"Man, mama wasn't kidding about there being a lot of clothes to wash!" Miguel said as he dragged the two baskets in the seemingly empty laundromat. He was glad no one seemed to be there and it was open practically twenty-four hours a day. Now that he had traveled four blocks from his house, he was in the one of parts of the city where Spanish-speaking people were more common. Luckily, most people there were bilingual so Miguel didn't have to worry about trying to get by with the few words he knew.
Miguel finally placed the baskets in the middle of a row of machines and let out a breath in relief. Those baskets, along with the guitar on his back, were beginning to make his arms and back sore. He disturbed the amount of clothes into five adjacent washers, broke some bills into some coins, started the machines up, and then sat himself down on one of the seats facing the machines. Even if the washing cycle would be relatively quick, drying the clothes would always take a long time. This had been the reason Miguel had brought along his guitar besides the fact that he hadn't touched the instrument in a long time. He couldn't remember the last time he had the leisure to just sit back and play his guitar.
Miguel smiled as he began to play, thinking that if any of his friends knew how he was spending his Friday night, they would laugh at him. Besides Dilandau and Dallet, Miguel was one of the most sociable Ryuus. Viole and Guimel preferred beating up people rather than hanging out somewhere and Shesta and Gatty were the most likely to just sit at home when they had the liberty to do so. In truth, Miguel didn't mind the strict social life that came with the Ryuugekitai; he liked to go out and have fun, and there was hardly a dull moment when one went out as Dilandau's crew. That had been one of the many perks of being a Ryuu that kept Miguel from regretting his decision to join Dilandau. At first, Miguel didn't think he would ever accept having to take orders from someone else, especially someone his own age.
His quiet reflection was interrupted by someone loudly speaking to himself, or so Miguel had thought. Once he had stopped playing and took the time to look over to the side of the room with the dryers, he saw the back of a person speaking into a cell phone. Miguel frowned not only because the person was talking as if no one else was present but also because he was sure that he recognized the voice.
"Hey, listen," the guy said, hurriedly pulling out clothes from the dryer in front of him, "you think you've got the only baby I need to worry about? Those other bitches know damn well that I don't have the time to be with those kids 24-7. …Yeah, well, you do that. Okay. Whatever." He stopped yanking clothes out of the dryer and turned off his phone, cursing afterwards.
"Great, it's him, Miguel muttered as the guy picked up his basket and started to come around the square of other dryers he had apparently been sitting behind. Miguel patiently waited for the guy to walk over to where the guy could see him.
"Well, well, well," the guy said, stopping short of the door he was headed for. He rested his basket on the floor and stood about seven feet away from Miguel. "If it isn't Miguel Labariel, one of those shitty Ryuus everybody's always talking about."
"It's been a while since I've seen you, Marcos," Miguel said, smirking. "I've heard you've gotten yourself a couple of kids and a variety of baby mommas to go with them."
"Heh, it happens when you keep as busy as I do," Marcos said, though not able to take Miguel's smirk impassively. "Something a brat like you wouldn't understand."
"I've had my fair share of girls," Miguel said. He began adjusting the knobs on his guitar, pretending to tune it. "It's really not that hard. One mention of what gang I belong to and girls are all over me. Sometimes I don't even need to mention my status. But, hey, you've got me beat as a father. I haven't got any kids to speak of yet."
"You think you're so great, huh?" Marcos said, pointing at him. "The Ryuugekitai ain't shit! You were better off in the Dragons with the rest of us, thinking you were the leader. Everyone is either scared of you guys, or thinks you're fucking great, but you're not! You're nothing but a bunch of high school punks pretending you're a real gang!"
"At least we're still in high school," Miguel said, unaffected by his Ryuugekitai bashing. "I seem to recall that not soon after I joined the Ryuugekitai that you dropped out of high school. Pity, since you would have already graduated by this time--oh, well."
"Shut the fuck up, Miguel."
Miguel shrugged. "And as far as the Ryuugekitai's concerned," he went on, "we are just as great as everyone thinks and fears. I'm glad Dilandau-san saved me from the set up you and the others planned for me as the 'leader' of the Dragons. The best day of my life was when Dilandau-san offered to let me join his group."
"You're just as stupid as you were back in middle school when we let you join the Dragons," Marcos said, glowering at Miguel. "You were stupid to think high school kids would want to be led by a pathetic middle school kid, and you're stupid now to be under Dilandau's command."
"Aa (Yeah), I was stupid then," Miguel admitted with a snort, "but you're wrong, though, about following Dilandau-san. I wasn't cut out to be a leader, I guess, but Dilandau-san is the kind of guy that was born to be a leader. If he wasn't, the Ryuugekitai wouldn't be as successful as it is today."
"It's not too late for you fools to meet your end," Marcos reminded him.
Miguel smiled as if Marcos had said something very naïve. "I trust Dilandau-san's leadership even if he truly is a crazy bastard," he said. He started playing his guitar again, indicating that he had very little interest speaking to his former "lackey."
"Che (Shit), I don't have anymore time to waste talking to a shit head like you," Marcos said. He hurriedly grabbed his basket and continued the rest of the way out of the laundromat.
And to think I could have been in jail because of that yarou (jerk), Miguel thought, now enjoying the tranquility of his music and the empty room. I'm just lucky that Dilandau figured out those guys in the Dragons were going to set me up for some robberies, claiming I was the leader of those crimes… I guess I'm even luckier that Dilandau wanted me in his group, or else he wouldn't have saved me at all…
Miguel shook his head, attempting to clear his mind of such thoughts. When he thought of the past like that, it really made him realize how much control Dilandau had over his fate. Miguel liked a good gamble as much as any gambler would, but that kind of risky situation wasn't the kind Miguel ever wanted to be put in again. Not that Miguel ever had any kind of concern that Dilandau would try to purposely set him up. Yes, Dilandau often made him and the others do most of the dirty work, but Dilandau hardly ever ordered them to do something incriminating that hadn't been safeguarded. In fact, one of the easiest ways to get slapped by Dilandau was doing sloppy work that could possibly implicate them. Dilandau may have been insane at times, but he was hardly ever stupid.
As before, Miguel was quietly enjoying the sound of his guitar and the movement of his fingers upon the strings, taking little heed of his surroundings. Eventually he was going to check up on the washers he had running, but at the moment his mind was preoccupied. Of course, it quickly became alert again when he heard a familiar voice.
"Miguel?"
Miguel almost stood up and dropped his guitar before he got over his surprise and composed himself. "Rosa…" he said, leaning back into his seat and looking more like his usual smooth self. "I can't even remember the last time I saw you."
"I know," Rosa said. She carried a basket over to the end of washer and then moved her dark back-length braid behind her shoulders. "The word on the street is that you're knee-deep in the Ryuugekitai."
Miguel couldn't help himself from smiling like he did back when he had been pursuing Rosa endless in elementary school. "Yeah, it doesn't leave much time for other stuff," he agreed.
Rosa only smiled and began to put a load of clothes into a machine. Miguel took that moment of brief silence to recall one of the times when he had been concentrating on only one girl. He supposed the reason he now, and had been for a long time, only concerned with whatever girl he was interested at the moment was because he had no time to waste following a single girl around. Then again, Miguel couldn't honestly say that he had met anyone worth his time like Rosa had been, even though most of his efforts to get her attention were in vain.
"I see you can still play," Rosa said, breaking his thoughts. She set the washer for a regular cycle and then inserted the appropriate number of coins into its slot.
"Aa (Yeah)," Miguel said. When Rosa faced him as she leaned against the washer, Miguel began to see the benefit of going to the laundromat. "I still remember that song I wrote for you back then."
Rosa laughed, causing Miguel to recall how much he had enjoyed the sound of her laughter. "Masaka (No way)!" she said. "That was in the fifth grade. You couldn't still remember that song."
"That was the first and only song I wrote for a girl," Miguel said, beginning to play a soft tune on his guitar as he spoke. He was tempted to actually play the song he had wrote, but the lyrics were a bit sappy for his tastes now.
"You're still the same sweet talker," Rosa said, shaking her head as if she didn't believe his words. "I wonder if you're still as tricky."
"If you mean do I still trick people out of their money," Miguel said, "then I guess that's still true. I haven't stopped swindling or gambling."
"Same old Miguel." Rosa hopped up onto an adjacent washer that was unoccupied.
"How about you? Have you changed any?" Miguel grinned. "I remember that you used to be a pretty good kisser."
Rosa shrugged and crossed her legs. "You might know that if you hadn't been so determined to get yourself into the gang life."
"I was born a swindler--it just comes naturally," Miguel said. "I can't help but dupe people into giving me their money."
"Same thing you said back in elementary school," Rosa said.
Miguel was grinning even wider now. "Ne, am I still a cute little fox?" he asked. "I think that's what you used to call me, deshou (right)?"
"Yes, to both questions, even though you work for a snake like Dilandau."
Miguel stopped playing at that moment, placing his guitar in the empty seat next to him. He walked over to Rosa with the same grin and stood in front of her. "Why don't we relive the past for a moment, since this is the first time we've seen each other in a long time?" he suggested.
"People shouldn't live in the past," Rosa said, though matching his grin. "You should only look forward to the future."
Miguel leaned closer to Rosa, placing his hands on the washer so that each hand seemed to prevent Rosa's movement from both her sides. "Well, then," he said, looking directly into Rosa's dark eyes, "maybe we should make some new memories…"
********
"…boring as hell," Dilandau said into the phone as he sat upon his bed. His eyes were fixated upon the flame he continuously flicked on and off from his lighter. Thoughts of burning certain things floated into his head, but luckily the person to whom he spoke was entertaining enough to distract him from those thoughts.
"Well, why don't you sneak out and come to see me?" the female voice on the phone suggested. "I haven't seen you in months, Dilandau."
Dilandau smirked and finally closed his lighter for good, pocketing it. "Hmm, sneaking out to go to a college campus sounds very tempting," he said. "Shikashi (However), I doubt I would come back home for a while."
"That's fine--you can spend the night in my room. My roommate's going to be gone all weekend."
"Sou ka (Is that right)?" Dilandau closed his eyes and let his head drop against his pillow. "Sounds like we could have a lot of fun."
"Come on, Dilandau--please? At least come to the party they're holding tonight on campus. I told some people I might be able to convince you to come, and they're all looking forward to it."
Dilandau sighed, though still smirking, and shook his head as if she could see him. "As much I want to get the hell out of this house and have some fun, I've decided to humor my brother this time," he said. "If I let him believe he has control over me, he'll back off a little. Although, if he ever thinks he'll trap me inside this house again for more than the time I spend sleeping here, he has another thing coming."
The girl on the phone made a dismayed sound. "What did you do to get punished anyway?" she said. "If you've gotten away with all the other 'bad' things you've done, why is this time different?"
"I got a little careless," Dilandau said, frowning a little. "I neglected to solve a problem I wasn't aware was so serious. I'll be taking care of that problem very soon, though."
"Well, I hope you intend to make it up to me later for not being able to see me this weekend."
"We'll see," Dilandau said, opening his eyes again, "or maybe I'll just let you miss me for a couple more months."
"Hidoi (You're terrible), Dilandau," the girl whined.
Dilandau chuckled as if her comment was a compliment. "You know you love it." The girl's following laughter confirmed his statement.
"Well, I hate to leave you when you're all cooped up in that house of yours, but I have to go to this Saturday seminar in about ten minutes for extra credit," the girl said. "I'm gonna miss you tonight, even though that's exactly what you want me to do."
"Just be glad I'm somebody worth missing," Dilandau said.
The girl giggled. "I'll talk to you later, Dilandau."
"Ja." As soon as Dilandau hung up the phone, a scowl appeared on his first. "Kuso (Shit)..."
Dilandau sat up on his bed and stared ahead at his wall as if his eyes would emit fire at any moment. "I'm going to explode if I stay in this fucking house one more minute!" he snapped. "I just can't sit here waiting for it to be Monday--I hate waiting!" He emphasized this fact by grabbing his nearby lamp and throwing it across the room.
After venting like this and repeatedly saying how much he hated his inactivity, Dilandau gradually calmed down again. He covered his face with his hand and drew in a deep breath. It wasn't as if he hadn't taken some advantage of his "jail sentence" at home; aside from the little stunt he had pulled on Allen on Friday, Dilandau had also given Allen a lot of trouble before he had gone off for the day. Apparently he was supposed to be giving a speech somewhere and hadn't gotten much peace to rehearse it. Dilandau had made that true, intentionally filling the house with music that was impossible to tune out and purposely wasting Allen's time by arguing he had the right to listen to music at that volume. Of course, Dilandau didn't stop there; he had a good idea that Allen summarized his speech onto index cards, so he made sure that Allen had a difficult time finding them as well as his full speech when he woke up. Dilandau had a great deal of fun watching his older brother fret about the speech he was going to make. Eventually Dilandau gave Allen a "suggestion" about where his speech and index cards could be, and Allen found them. Allen knew at that point that it was all Dilandau's doing, but at that moment Allen didn't have time to waste reprimanding him and left for the day.
Dilandau started down his stairs carefully, knowing that his sister was still lurking about. He had hoped she would leave for the day and give him some peace, but he could hear her talking to someone (or perhaps herself) and knew that his wish wasn't going to be granted. Dilandau guessed he could endure her for the little time it took him to get something to drink and go back to his room. He had a feeling she wanted to talk to him, but he wasn't going to engage in a conversation with her. Doing so would most likely make him lose the bit of sanity that he managed to hold onto while being stuck at home.
With this in mind, Dilandau entered the kitchen, giving little evidence of his presence there. He had intended to make himself deaf to the sound of his sister's voice in the other room, but he caught a few words as he pulled a glass from the cupboard. Before he could even get annoyed at the fact that he had to accept she existed, he heard a voice that always seemed like a voice from a dream. Dilandau froze for a second, waiting to hear the voice again. He almost wondered if he was still sleeping and didn't realize it until now.
"It has been a little difficult though," came the voice from the other room.
There's no mistake! Dilandau thought. He dashed out of the kitchen and stood in the doorway of the family room. I heard her…
Celena was the first to look in Dilandau's direction, noticing his bewildered expression. "Di…landau?" she said. She didn't know whether it was stranger for him to suddenly be there or for him to have such a wide-eyed expression. "Is there something wrong?"
"Konnichi wa, Dilandau-kun," Hitomi said as she turned to face him. "Nice to see you again."
Dilandau didn't respond at first, unable to get over the shock that the mysterious girl he had just met four days ago was sitting in his den. His theory that he was dreaming seemed more and more likely, especially since he couldn't reason why she would be there. Then he remembered that Celena was actually sitting beside the girl he wasn't sure existed, giving him hope that he wasn't imagining her. That is, if he hadn't dreamed he was awake for almost half the day.
"Kanzaki, why are you here?" Dilandau finally asked, looking between the two girls.
"I'm spending some time with your sister," Hitomi said, smiling as if that was a silly question.
"You know her?" Dilandau asked. He didn't bother to properly address his sister and thus making it clear to whom he was speaking, but he was steadily looking at Celena.
"Ha…Hai…" Celena said, hoping Dilandau was talking to her. "Hitomi-san and I have a class together and we've started to become friends. She called last night to invite herself over."
Dilandau took a step into the room, frowning as if he expected everything to melt away as he woke up from an elaborate dream. "This is real, isn't it?" he said.
Celena raised a brow. "Huh?"
"That's my fault, Celena-san," Hitomi said, laughing. "Recently when I've been talking to Dilandau-kun I've been doing a disappearing act, so I'm sure he's been wondering if I'm a figment of his imagination."
"Sou ka (I see)…" Celena said, blinking at her new friend. She looked back at her brother who still didn't seem as though he believed what he saw was reality.
"Would you...like to join us, Dilandau-kun?" Hitomi offered, neither of the twins noticing the bit of reserve in her words. Hitomi didn't notice that Celena looked surprised at the suggestion.
"Hmph," Dilandau said. He didn't like the idea of having to sit down with them, but he hated thinking he was crazy even more. If a few minutes with them would assure him that Hitomi actually existed, it was worth the trouble.
Celena couldn't believe it when Dilandau sat down beside Hitomi. Her new friend seemed to treat his acceptance of her invitation casually, but that was understandable since Hitomi probably had no clue how big of deal it was to Celena. Neither Celena nor Allen could even get Dilandau to sit to the table with them, let alone sit down in the family room and simply talk. Dilandau gave the appearance he was beyond words, and the only thing they had to hope for was for Dilandau to just grow out of his desire to separate himself from the family. Celena knew that staring at Dilandau could possibly make him leave the room faster, but she couldn't help herself. Just as Dilandau thought Hitomi's presence was a dream, so did Celena think her brother's presence was an illusion.
"Why is it that every time I look away from you, you disappear?" Dilandau asked. He ignored his sister for the moment, believing her hearing their conversation was of little concern.
"Go...gomen ne, Dilandau-kun," Hitomi said with a chuckle that sounded as if it was made to cover up discomfort. "I tend to do that whenever I get nervous."
"Nervous?" That was the last thing he expected her to say. Dilandau had always been keen about detecting others' levels of anxiety, especially when they were caused by himself. Hitomi had never sounded anxious or made nervous gestures those two times he had spoken to her; why was she giving him such a response? Besides, Hitomi had told him the first time she had left was because she had to go see Van for whatever reason. Her new explanation suggested that she was either lying now or had been lying the second time he had spoken to him.
"Ee (Yes)," Hitomi said. Her smile didn't really help Dilandau believe her any better. "I'm good at appearing calmer than I really am. In truth, I'm intimidated by your popularity and your reputation as the leader of the Ryuugekitai."
"So you having to leave to see Fanel was a lie then," Dilandau said. He leaned back into the couch, having a feeling he wasn't going to leave as soon as he thought.
"I did leave to see him, but that was just a convenient reason to leave..." Hitomi said. She laughed and shook her head. "You must think I'm purposely trying to make you upset." Celena felt like asking questions at that moment, but she was sure that if she did, Dilandau wouldn't excuse her interruption.
"How do you know Fanel?" Dilandau asked, remembering when he had first inquired about her connection to her enemy that she hadn't answered him.
"He's an old friend," Hitomi explained. "I met him when we were both still living in Mystic Moon, and we both happened to move here to Gaea later on."
Tomodachi desu ka (Friend, is it)? Dilandau thought. I know I don't like Fanel, but Hitomi I don't know... Something tells me I shouldn't like the idea the two of them are friends...
"I foresee you two butting heads this school year," Hitomi said. She glanced at Celena. "Demo, I don't need to be psychic to figure that out, ne?"
"Ee (Yes)," Celena said, wondering if Hitomi's words would encourage Dilandau to shed some light on why he hit Van a couple days ago.
"Hmph!" Dilandau said, unable to shake the frown on his face. "Fanel isn't going to be a problem for me...not for much longer anyway..."
"Hai, someone else is going to be a bigger problem for you," Hitomi said. Once again, she didn't take heed of the stares she was getting.
"What the hell do you mean?" Dilandau said. His frown lifted for a moment as he recalled the last time she had said something cryptic to him. "Omae (You)...last time you said something as if you knew that I was going to end up hitting Fanel..."
"Hitomi-san?" Celena said. Hitomi was only smiling now and Celena didn't care whether or not Dilandau didn't like her intrusion. If Hitomi could predict some of the terrible things Dilandau were going to do, then perhaps Celena could persuade him not to do them before he did.
"My visions can only show me limited scenarios of the future," Hitomi said. "Plus, they don't always happen as I see them. Dilandau-kun still could have chosen to settle his disagreement with Van in a different manner."
Dilandau's brows lowered and he felt himself becoming irritated at her endless smile and mysterious manner. "Oi," he said, suddenly glancing at Celena.
"Ha-Hai?" Celena said, jumping a little because she hadn't expected Dilandau to turn his attention upon her.
"I came down here to get something to drink," Dilandau said. "Doesn't matter what the drink is--get it for me."
"Um, sure…" Celena said. She rose from the couch and slowly exited the room.
Dilandau placed his hand on Hitomi's shoulder. "What kind of game are you playing with me?" he said softly but with an sharp tone. "How the hell could you see my future??"
"Dilandau-kun," Hitomi said with the same softness, but her usual tone, "just because I'm friends with Van doesn't mean you have to mistrust me. I have no intentions of getting in the way of you and the Ryuugekitai...even though I know you guys are always up to no good."
"So, what the hell do you want with me??" Dilandau said, hiding the fact he was taken back by her perception. Indeed he had been wondering if Hitomi and Van were working together to cause him and his gang trouble.
"I...just want to be your friend...Dilandau-kun..." Hitomi said, her blushing visible enough for Dilandau to notice. "I've wanted that since I met you all those years ago."
"Nani?" Dilandau didn't know why, but seeing her express timidity made him feel like it was the first time he had ever seen anyone embarrassed. Such was not the case, and Dilandau had always taken pleasure whenever people were nervous around him, especially since he usually intentionally provoked people to become meek in his presence. He guessed that he had already formed an opinion of Hitomi and thought she was always smiling and never surprised.
"I always hoped I'd have another chance to meet you again," Hitomi continued, "even though I had a vision that you might be a different person when I met you for the second time."
Dilandau frowned. "I don't understand," he said. "How the hell can you have visions of what will happen to me??"
"Ano…" Celena said as she entered the room, "I brought you some orange juice, Dilandau… Hitomi-san?" Hitomi was now standing, to both of the twins' surprise.
"I'm going to have to excuse myself early," Hitomi said with a regretful smile. She was looking at her watch. "It seems it's already time for me to head back home. Time went by much more quickly than I expected."
"Oh…" Celena said. "Well, I'm sorry to see you leave so soon--"
"Matte (Wait)!" Dilandau said, standing up in front of her path. "You're doing it again--running off before I'm through talking with you!"
"Gomen, Dilandau-kun…" Hitomi said. She looked away from him with a sort of timid expression. "This time I'm not conveniently slipping out before I lose my composed facade... I promised I would return before three-thirty, and it's nearly that time now. Besides, if I don't leave now, I won't be able to ride the city bus back home for at least two hours. I'll see you at school, Dilandau-kun."
"Omae..." Dilandau said, unable to think she was telling the truth.
Hitomi casually walked around Dilandau and past Celena. "I'll see myself out. Celena-san--mata ne (later)!"
"U…Uhn (Ye...Yeah)," Celena said, amazed at her quick departure. She turned to Dilandau who seemed quite frustrated. "Is there something going on between you and Hitomi-san?"
"That's none of your business," Dilandau said. As he walked past her, he snatched the glass from her hand.
Celena was halfway offended by the way her brother took off and halfway perplexed by the interaction between Hitomi and Dilandau. Something is going on between those two, she thought. And if I ever want to be close to Dilandau again, I think I should find out exactly what their connection is…
********
"Maji de (You serious)?" Dallet said, practically in Miguel's face.
"Yeah, I'm serious," Miguel said, seated next to him. He folded his arms over his chest, not attempting to mask his boastful smile. "We had that place all to ourselves for like two hours. After that I think the old lady that owns that place came in, so we tried to make ourselves decent."
"Man, at a laundromat," Dallet said. He put a hand to his chin. "I didn't know you could be so creative, Miguel."
"Hmph, well, I bet it hasn't topped anything you've ever done," Miguel said. "You've probably had sex just about everywhere."
"A playboy's gotta play," Dallet said, smirking. Miguel only snorted.
"Oi!" Viole said, slamming his fist on the table. "What the hell's up with this?? Damn Shesta and Gatty said be at the Vione at four o'clock, and now it's past that time and neither of those bastards are here yet!"
"Heh, what a fucking power trip," Guimel said, beside his impatient friend. "If Dilandau-san wasn't coming back on Monday, I'd already stopped listening to them."
"Who cares what they do," Dallet said, glaring as if he could already see them. "We all know that Dilandau-san remains the head of this gang."
"Yeah, Dilandau-san isn't going to let them get away with abusing the power he gave them," Miguel added. "They may think they have it good now, but they'll be sorry when Dilandau-san comes back."
"Demo what's with this stupid meeting??" Viole demanded. "We don't have meetings unless Dilandau-san makes them!"
"Yeah," Guimel agreed. Dallet and Miguel nodded in unison.
"You guys bitch more than girls," Gatty said as he appeared next to the table. Behind him with a folder in hand was Shesta.
"Sorry we're late," Shesta said, sitting down at the table. "Dilandau-san called and made some modifications to his plans for Monday, so I had to go back and reprint our instructions."
"Instructions?" Miguel repeated.
"Nan da (What is it)?" Gatty said as he sat across from Shesta and next to Dallet. "Did you guys think we'd waste this great free time by making our own meeting?" He and Shesta laughed.
"Well…you two have been pretty arrogant since Dilandau-san left you in charge," Viole said.
"We're only doing as Dilandau-san has told us, nothing more," Shesta said. He began handing out sheets to his friends. "You think we're stupid enough to take advantage of Dilandau's temporary absence?"
"Yeah, the only ones stupid enough to do that are you," Gatty said, pointing at Viole and Guimel. "Dilandau-san's not too happy that the sales of ART cards dropped during the three days he was gone."
Viole and Guimel looked nervous, causing the others to laugh. However, Miguel and Dallet, recalling that they had each done a little slacking off since Dilandau had been gone, were secretly wondering if Dilandau were displeased with them as well. Miguel knew that Gatty hadn't been doing a full week's worth job himself, but he didn't bother to bring it up in the fears that Gatty would note something Dilandau was unsatisfied with Miguel. When Dilandau's wrath was concerned, knowing it was coming was not better than being blissfully unaware.
"This plan is going to involve everyone, although each of our involvement in it isn't equal," Gatty said, looking over his own instructions.
"You're telling me!" Miguel said, looking at the sheets of paper. "Gatty, you barely have anything to do with this plan!"
"Oi," Gatty said, narrowing his eyes, "do you know who I have to contact to get crack in such short notice?? Someone I'd like to avoid dealing with as little as possible."
"Heh, it's no sweat for us," Viole said, nudging Guimel. "We're mostly doing backup."
Guimel let out a breath. "For something like this, I'm glad we don't have a big part in it," he said.
"Che (Shit), I guess it's the only thing you guys are qualified to do," Dallet said, laying his instructions on the table in front of him. "It looks like Dilandau-san's not letting Adelphos off easy… I wonder how I'll get into the girls' locker room…"
"Even as much as I don't like my part in this plan," Shesta said, smiling nervously, "I'll have to admit that it's one of the most elaborate plans Dilandau-san has put together for us. If one of us doesn't come through with their part, the whole thing's messed up."
"Which means," Gatty added, looking at the two who thought they had it the easiest, "that even you two have to careful not to mess up. Your part may be mostly acting like guards, but Dilandau-san stressed that we are to have no witnesses and no proof of what we've done."
"Wakatta yo (I get it)!" Viole said. He smirked at Gatty. "You just be careful dealing with that guy. We wouldn't want anything happening to you."
"Anyway," Shesta said, keeping Gatty quiet except for some grumbling from him, "we don't need to be arguing at a time like this. If we mess something this big up, Dilandau-san would probably kill all of us."
"Probably?" Guimel repeated. He shook his head. "I don't even want to think about what he'd do."
"Na (Say), Shesta," Miguel said, deciding not to ask Gatty who was still muttering about Viole's previous comment, "how's Dilandau-san doing? I mean, I bet he's going crazy being stuck at home."
"Crazy's not the word…" Shesta muttered.
"He seems worse today," Gatty noted, finally letting his resentment pass. "He was even more testy than usual--like someone had pissed him off recently."
"It was probably Allen," Dallet said. Then he smiled lightly. "Couldn't image his sister annoying him so much."
"Damn, I still can't believe she's Dilandau-san's sister!" Viole said. "That girl is hot!"
"Yeah, Dilandau-san should have shown us her a long time ago," Miguel said. "Not that she doesn't stand out on her own…"
"A girl like that you could have a lot of fun with…" Guimel said, chuckling. The others agreed, except Shesta who was red-faced.
"Oi, we're supposed to be having a meeting here!" Shesta said, interrupting the comments about Celena. "If you could all get your minds out of the gutter long enough you might remember that Dilandau-san doesn't want us concerning ourselves with his sister."
"What's the problem, Shesta?" Gatty said, grinning at his flustered friend. "Dilandau-san didn't say we couldn't talk about her. What's the harm in discussing a pretty girl we've seen at school?"
"We…Well…" Shesta said.
"Aw, we're being rude guys," Dallet said. "I forgot that Shesta isn't into girls like the rest of us." Miguel, Guimel, and Viole laughed with him.
"Dallet…" Shesta said, gripping the edge of the table.
"Okay, let's get back to business so we can end this thing already," Gatty said, waving his hand to indicate Shesta should just let it slide. The others gradually stopped laughing and agreed with his suggestion, but Shesta's face retained its color. The blonde Ryuu continued to be flustered throughout the remainder of their meeting.
********
Dilandau had handled his return to school (as well as the end of his punishment) with more calm than he should have. Saturday had been particularly annoying for him, almost causing him to forget his intention of placating Allen so that he'd have the impression he was in charge, but Sunday had been better. Allen was gone for nearly the whole day again, and Celena had been dragged out of the house by her friends shortly after she returned from church with Allen. That whole day had practically been quiet, allowing Dilandau time to cool off and think of what he had in store for Monday. In fact, his thoughts of how much fun he was going to have on Monday put him in a pretty good mood as he returned to the halls of Zaibach High School. His friends heeded his good mood with caution; they were all on their toes, in regard to the fact their plan had to be carried out flawlessly. That also contributed to Dilandau's light attitude as he strolled on his way to his history class. It was nice to see that his group knew that any mistakes they would make would be disastrous for them all.
"Dilandau-sama, okaeri nasai (welcome back)!" a girl said as Dilandau passed her.
Dilandau smirked. "Domo (Thanks)," he said. That had been one of many happy returns he had been given by his admirers. Of course, Dilandau had gotten many expressions of displease in his direction because he had returned to school, but he enjoyed those equally as much as the sounds of people welcoming him back.
"D!"
This time Dilandau actually stopped and looked back at the person who had called him. "Omae (You)," he said.
"Good to have ya back, man, D," Maurice said, shaking Dilandau's hand. "Zaibach just ain't right without 'cha."
"Ah, naru hodo (I see)," Dilandau said, putting his hand to his chin. "There's something you want from me, deshou (am I right)?"
"Shit, man, you too damn smart!" Maurice said, grinning. "I've been tryin' to hook up with yo boy, G, but I ain't been able to holla at him so we can do some business."
"You won't be able to get anything from him today," Dilandau said. "Shesta got a heads-up there's going to be a 'surprise' drug inspection at noon, so Gatty's made sure his supply is unavailable today."
"Aw, fo real?" Maurice took out cellular messenger and quickly began typing in that information. "I better let my boys know about that."
"Tomorrow, though, you can catch Gatty on the courtyard before school starts to get whatever you need," Dilandau said, grinning.
"True, true," Maurice said. He finished sending messages to his friends and pocketed the device again. "All right, D, take it easy. Word 'round the school is, Old Man Adelphos has it in fo you, man."
"Oh?" Dilandau said, snickering long enough to make Maurice wonder what was so funny. "What a coincidence."
Maurice raised a brow, but decided he didn't want to know what was going on in Dilandau's head. "You fool for real [1], D--catch you later, man!"
"Ja (Later)," Dilandau said, watching Maurice leave. Soon he and everyone else in this school is going to know exactly what my little joke is…
Dilandau glanced at his watch, noticing that the time left for him to get to class was almost less than a minute. He hadn't wanted to be early for the loathsome class, but he didn't want to be tardy either. Dilandau wanted to give the impression that he intended to be a better student at the school, at least in the teacher's eyes. History class was going to be the best place to "prove" that, considering his new enemy was in that class. However, at the moment, Van was of little concern. Adelphos was first, then Van was next.
"Ah, Dilandau-sama!" a girl said, the first to notice his entry into the classroom. "Okaeri nasai!" Several other girls joined her greeting as Dilandau took his seat with a steady smile.
Every student in the class was looking at Dilandau, including Van whose gaze was the most intense of them all. The dark-haired teenager couldn't stand how nonchalant Dilandau seemed after attacking him and being suspended. If he didn't know any better, Van would say that Dilandau hadn't been punished at all. If it weren't for the bell ringing and marking the beginning of class, Van would have said a few words to the Ryuugekitai leader.
"Well…Schezar-san," Dilandau's aged teacher said as she stood in front of the class. "I trust you learned your lesson from your irrational assault upon a certain student and that you won't commit such an unnecessary violent act again."
Dilandau couldn't help but smile as if his teacher had said a wonderful joke. "I learned something," he said.
"Kisama (Bastard)…" Van muttered from the other side of the classroom.
"Good," the teacher said. "You've missed some important lectures, so you have no time to waste by being a delinquent."
"Hmph," Dilandau said. He leaned back into his seat and then took a glance at Van. Van's dark eyes burned into Dilandau's, but Dilandau was anything but annoyed. Though he hadn't completely settled the score with Van, Dilandau was pleased to see the prominent bruise on his cheek. Besides that, Van seemed to be furious with Dilandau and seeking some kind of vengeance that Dilandau had no intention of giving him a chance for. Dilandau averted his attention to the ceiling, enjoying the thought that Van would be even more pissed at his indifferent manner toward him.
Van wasn't aware of it, but his rising anger at Dilandau's dismissive attitude toward him was exactly what Dilandau wanted. Dilandau's plans for both Adelphos and Van Fanel were going exactly as planned.
********
"Is he coming yet?" Guimel asked Viole on his cell phone.
"He outta be," Viole's reply came from the phone. "I buzzed the office that he was needed, so he should be coming your way."
"Ah! Here he comes!" Guimel said, ducking behind a corner as Adelphos came his way. "I just hope he does what he's supposed to do…"
"According to Dilandau-san, one of his pet peeves is littering," Viole assured him.
Indeed as Adelphos came walking down the hall, his eyes caught sight of a clear plastic bag laying on the floor about five feet from a near empty trash can. "Damn kids and their littering!" Adelphos said as he bent down and grabbed the bag. He examined the bag, turning it over with both his hands. "This doesn't even look like it's been used… Rotten kids…"
Guimel smiled as Adelphos tossed the bag into the trash can and went on his way, muttering about littering. As soon as he was gone Guimel went over to the trash can and carefully pulled out the bag with the hand he had protected by a glove. He grinned and put his cell phone back to his ear with his free ungloved hand.
"No problems here," Guimel said. "I'm gonna deliver this to Gatty."
"Yoshi (All right), I'll see you in the parking lot later."
"Aa." Guimel turned off his phone and headed for Gatty's current location.
********
"Hai (Here)," Dallet said, handing Shesta the large brown business envelope.
Shesta took the envelope, his hands gloved just as Dallet's were. "How'd you get into the locker room?"
"I snuck in during a class period right after all the girls were finished getting their gym clothes," Dallet said, his tone suggesting it was no easy task. "I planted the spy camera on the wall above the showers and then got the hell out way before anyone would have noticed."
"Sou ka (I see)," Shesta said, staring at the envelope.
"It was harder sneaking into the photography club's room," Dallet said, frowning. "One of those freaks was in there while I was trying to print out the pictures, but I managed to get him to leave the room so I could use their computer and photo printer."
"Did you use their photo paper?"
"No, I brought my own and I didn't leave any fingerprints in the process."
"Good, because we only want one person's fingerprints on these photos."
"Wakatta (I get you)," Dallet said, taking off his gloves. "Glad my part's over with. Hope you don't screw up your part."
"Hmph," Shesta said, "I'll get the job done."
"Hope you can handle glancing at those sexy pictures," Dallet said. "It'll be your first time seeing a naked girl."
"I can do my job without having to look at these depraved pictures, thank you!" Shesta said. He started walking away, leaving his smirking friend behind.
"Yeah, right," Dallet said.
********
"Kuso (Shit), I can't believe I'm gonna have to trust those fools to be lookout…" Miguel said, glad the car he broke into was easy to break into because of its age. He carefully placed a plastic bag with filled with the white substance behind the driver's seat of the car. He then opened the bag and pulled out a pinch of its contents out, sprinkling a light trail from the bag to the driver's seat. Finally he dusted off his gloved hands over the seat, carefully exited the car from the passenger side, and locked back both doors to give the car the appearance of never being broken in. This was one of Miguel's specialty, though when car breakage was concerned, he often didn't do as good of a job not leaving evidence.
"Good thing his car's so old…" Miguel remarked as he made sure no one was around. Finding no one, he quickly exited the parking lot, meeting up with Guimel and Viole who were standing at the end of the path hat led into the fenced area. "Oi, any trouble?"
"There was some guy coming to get something out of his car, but it didn't take much persuasion to make him leave," Guimel said, glancing at his friend.
"You got that right," Viole said, putting his hands behind his head. He snorted. "I guess having two Ryuus in your way is more than enough to make a person run off."
"Whatever…" Miguel said. "Can I have the bag?"
Viole held up an open a small trash bag and Miguel removed his glove and placed them into the bag. "So, you didn't run into any problems?" Viole asked.
"Hell no--that damn car can barely lock," Miguel said. He smiled and glanced at his clothes. "Well, I'm off to get rid of these clothes. It's almost noon, so the drug bust should be starting soon."
"Aa (Yeah)," Viole said, tying up the bag. "I'll get rid of this and you can call Gatty to let him know everything is fine."
"Right," Guimel said, taking out his cell. The three Ryuus then went their separate ways, each having a final task to complete before they would be allowed to return to class.
********
"Yes, Dilandau-san, I have them in the envelope," Shesta said, quietly into his cell. He glanced around in the hall to make sure that no teachers were around. "I'm just waiting for Adelphos to leave his office… They're already here? What if they find it before I'm finished?? …I…Iie, Dilandau-san. I'm not doubting the success of your plan. I'm sure everything will go as you plan." He flicked a bead of sweat from his forehead with a gloved finger.
Adelphos came out his office and closed the door behind him, heading to the faculty mail room as he did every did at about 12:35. Shesta, standing in the hall in the opposite direction Adelphos had left, took that opportunity to enter Adelphos's now empty office and closed the door back. He let out a breath, not caring that Dilandau would hear that.
"Yes, I'm in now, so I'll call you back when I'm through with everything," Shesta said. He took out a small container of liquid from his pocket with his free hand, pouring the contents of the small tube into the tall half-drunken mug of coffee on Adelphos desk. Next, he went over to the window behind Adelphos's desk and unlatched its lock. "Hai. I won't forget. Ja."
Shesta turned off his phone, pocketed it, and then opened the window. He stepped out of it, making sure that didn't close it tight enough to prevent himself from opening from the outside. From his viewpoint, he had the most dangerous job of all the Ryuus put together. True, Miguel came in at a close two and Gatty had to worry about making sure his locker didn't tip off any of the drug dogs, but Shesta felt that sneaking into the principal's office to do what he had to do was one of the most riskiest things he had been ordered to do. Usually Dilandau didn't order him to do such things, but Shesta supposed he was the best for the job. He was in the part of the school were all the administrators and the guidance counselor's offices were located, which meant that few students were likely to be hanging around the halls. Since Shesta was the least threatening of the six, a few passing teachers would overlook him (even though most teachers were aware of his status at school).
Shesta stood so that his face was barely seen looking into the window. He had to wait a good fifteen minutes before the principal returned, which not only made Shesta wonder if he was running out of time but also annoyed at the fact Adelphos had taken so long. He guessed he had been around Dilandau so long that he had picked up his tendency to be impatient. Shesta ducked down and waited for a minute as Adelphos faced the window while he was placing some papers and envelopes on his desk. When Shesta felt that it was safe again, he lifted his head enough so that he could peek into Adelphos's office.
Adelphos was sitting in his chair now, obviously reading whatever was in front of him. Shesta frowned and silently urged Adelphos to drink his coffee. If he didn't drink it before the other part of the plan went under way, Shesta's (as well as Dallet's) efforts would be in vain. And of course, Shesta had a good feeling that Dilandau would blame Shesta as the cause of the failure. The blonde shuddered to think of what Dilandau would do, especially since he was still secretly in a bad mood for having to spend five straight days at home.
It was hard for Shesta to estimate, especially since Adelphos's drinking lasted for different intervals, but he guessed that in about ten minutes the principal would have drunken the rest of his coffee. His estimate wasn't too off; Adelphos was reading whatever he had laid on his desk, so he was absently drinking from his mug. Shesta let out a sigh of relief as it seemed Adelphos had finished the contents of his mug. Dilandau had told him it would take just about a minute for the effects to kick in after Adelphos consumed the entire dosage of the drug. Shesta had been wary of drugging someone (especially when he had no clue where Dilandau had obtained it from), but Dilandau assured him that not only would it not harm Adelphos (though Dilandau didn't completely assure Shesta) but it would also become untraceable once it entered his body. Its only purpose was to put Adelphos to sleep for approximately ten minutes, which Shesta was supposed to use to his full advantage. In other words, Shesta had no time to waste once Adelphos was out.
Shesta carefully watched Adelphos, noting that his head was beginning to bob around the back of his chair. He hand rose to his head briefly before his hand dropped and his head fell back limply. Shesta forced away his conscience for the moment and allowed Dilandau to be his motivator. He was fortunate that there was a concrete walkway outside Adelphos's office so that when he reentered the principal's office, he let in no grass debris from his shoes. This was almost as crucial as his next step--placing the photos on Adelphos's desk. It wasn't a difficult task physically, especially since he was wearing the gloves, but Shesta was having a hard time not getting distracted by just glancing at the photos. He even recognized some of the girls captured in the shots from his classes and knew that he'd never be able to get the image out of his head upon seeing them in class again.
Damn Dallet was right… Shesta thought, placing enough pictures on the desk. He took out a couple more before laying the envelope (which matched the large envelopes already on the principal's desk) in between the photos and other items on his desk. Shesta, realizing he had been a little slow because of his distraction, was even quicker to unhook the ring of keys at Adelphos's belt. Though he had no knowledge of which key unlocked the drawers in his desk, he assumed the smallest key was the one. Shesta tried it out on the first drawer, unlocked it, and then unlocked the subsequent drawers. Finally, he grabbed one of Adelphos's hands and made sure that each photo had his fingerprints plainly on them before placing a few of the photos into each drawer.
Shesta cursed, aware that his ten minutes were nearly over by the time he relocked the drawers and replaced Adelphos's ring of keys. He had yet to make sure the photos on the principal's desk had his fingerprints on them, something that was vital to the whole incriminating plan. Shesta took both of Adelphos's hands and slide them over both the back in front of the photos in a manner that appeared as though he had been holding them. He did the same for the envelope before laying it back on his desk. Just as Shesta placed the principal's hands back in their previous position, he heard Adelphos murmuring as he started to stir. Shesta also heard some commotion in the hall as if someone were approaching, so he had to really move it to step out of the window once again. He barely made it out as someone began banging on Adelphos's door and Adelphos truly began to wake up.
Shesta crouched next to the window once again, so that he could peek into the office. He couldn't hear the knocking now, but he guessed that it was still continuing when Adelphos unsteadily rose from his chair (still too groggy to notice the new items on his desk) to answer his door. Adelphos was obviously surprised at the unfriendly officer at his door, but Shesta was not. He wiped his wet forehead, knowing that if his timing had been off, he would have totally screwed up the plan. Ending up in jail wasn't so scary compared to the thought of Dilandau killing him before the police could arrest him.
Adelphos and the officer were talking for only two minutes before the officer got sight of what was on his desk. He took a step past Adelphos and seemed to be questioning the yawning Adelphos about the photos. Shesta placed a hand over his mouth to repress his laughter as Adelphos became fully awake with a shocked expression on his face; Shesta knew it was wrong, but it was funny to see the old man so flustered and trying to figure out where the photos had came from. Adelphos didn't get much time to explain himself because the officer seem to demand the other man to leave his office (and accompany him to his car, Shesta guessed). Before the anxious Adelphos and the officer left, the officer pulled out his walkie-talkie and spoke into it. Shesta guessed the officer's action was concerning the photos, and Shesta let out a breath as Adelphos's office became empty again.
His final task was also trickiest, especially since Shesta clearly heard Adelphos's protests of outrage throughout the hall as he entered the office for the third time. He relocked the window, and then slowly poked his head out of the open doorway. Shesta ducked back into the office, seeing a couple of teachers heading in the direction Adelphos had been led, and waited a good five minutes before he looked out again. The second time the hall was clear and Shesta traveled in the opposite direction the principal and teachers had gone. Shesta was completely relieved when he was out of that hall and in a safer hall.
God, that was nerve-wrecking… Shesta thought, taking out his cell. He pressed a button that had Dilandau's number preset to dial. "Dilandau-san? Hai. Everything went smoothly…"
********
"Who knew Old Man Adelphos was a crackhead??" one girl said among the huge crowd of students watching their principal being taken into custody near one of the courtyards.
"I always thought he was a dirty old man, but…" another girl commented. She balled up his fists. "I hope they lock him up forever! I'll never feel safe taking a shower in the school with him around!"
"I don't believe this," Van said, as he managed to squeeze into the crowd so he could see. "Why would Adelphos issue a drug inspection and leave cocaine in his car?"
"Apparently Adelphos was unaware of the day the actual inspection would take place," Hitomi said, though she knew Van was hardly over their little issue. "The guidance department handled the whole thing, so only they were informed when the bust would occur."
"Still, that's pretty stupid," Van said, seeing Adelphos pushed into a police car. "He'd still would have to have approved it and known it was coming some time."
"Maybe he didn't know they were going to use drug dogs to inspect the parking lot," Hitomi offered. Though she honestly meant her words, she had the distinct feeling that something was amiss as well. She had had the feeling since school began, but her vision wouldn't allow her to see what the exact mishap would be. Hitomi guessed it had something to do with Dilandau, but she wasn't sure this time. She foresaw that Dilandau was going to have another obstacle soon, but Adelphos's arrest didn't seem as though it had a connection with her vision.
Of course, Hitomi was inclined to figure Dilandau had involvement when she heard Dilandau's laughter clearly over the murmurings of the student body. The Ryuugekitai was near the front of the crowd, with a clear sight of Adelphos's arrest. Van noticed them as well, aware of their location after hearing Dilandau laughing. He glared in their direction, also getting the impression that the Ryuugekitai had something to do with the principal's arrest.
Dilandau may have had the most vibrant grin among the Ryuugekitai, but the others still seemed to be pleased (or relieved). "Sayonara, Adelphos-kouchou," Dilandau said, not at all as if he didn't want others to hear. His following laughter seemed to quiet down the crowd and direct more attention upon himself and his gang.
"He's history," Viole commented, chuckling. "We'll never see that geezer again!"
"Another of Dilandau-san's plans succeeds," Miguel muttered so that only his friends would be able to hear. He was almost tempted to laugh along with Dilandau, but simply decided to smirk. These are the times I'm really glad I'm following Dilandau, he thought.
--Some Footnotes:
[1]- "Fool fo real" is like saying someone is really crazy. Just more slang I've heard before.
--Next Chapter: Dilandau the Kindred Spirit (once again, title may change): Dallet's entrance into the Ryuugekitai is explained and Zaibach High goes through one of the greatest changes with their principal now gone. Dilandau starts to concentrate on getting rid of Van, but realizes that he has someone else to worry about. Celena attempts to talk to some of Dilandau's friends, and Hitomi interacts with Dilandau some more. What other stuff's in store for this chapter? I have no idea. Anyway, I expect to have a chapter out by December... Yeah, I know that's a while, but it always takes me a while to update my other two fics (though I'll be ending one of them very soon). Well, hope you'll want to read on! Bai!