Wooo... I'm so excited! I just typed and typed and typed until I just had
to go to sleep already. So minna, here's chapter fifteen!!!
To Gokugurl : Confused? I think confusion is my middle name! ^_^ Btw, like that part in your fic the one that with Araiso written all over it! Long live Kubo-chan!!! ^_*
To jashuang : Yessssssssss!!!!!!!!!
To Eventine : Arigatou!
And many thanks to sTrAwbErRyfAnSz, chris, laila, Saiyuki-gal, 'deru, sLL, hoshii, & stresser for your reviews!!!! Arigatou!!!!
Disclaimer: Character's from saiyuki are merely being borrowed by this lowly fanfic author. Kazuya Minekura-sama, thank you for creating Gensomaden Saiyuki (worship)
The Only One
Chapter Fifteen
By Hanei Tamashii
Goku could only stare as the figure slowly stepped into the light. He prayed hard. 'It can't be him....Iie....Not him, anyone but him!' The bright light washed away Goku's every single hopes and doubts. He stared into the face of his ex-bodyguard. His eyes widened in shock as his jaw hung open. Purple eyes pierced through his haze of confusion and made his heart sink low. Very low. Koori.. he certainly lived up to his name. Koori meant ice and the placid chilliness of his facial expression rattled the bottom of Goku's very soul. Goku froze at his spot, no longer feeling the pain of the punches and kicks he had received. Sanzo worked for the hag? Sanzo was an... assassin?
"This is a joke ne? Sanzo? Tell me this is some sick joke, ne?" Goku looked pleadingly at the man. Sanzo gave no response. Not even a blink. No! The man wasn't Sanzo. So what if they looked alike and had the same sun blonde hair, the same eyes, the same coldness...
"Sanzo! Tell me! You're here to save me ne?! Sanzo!!" Goku yelled again. He weakly slammed his fist onto the hard ground not daring to look up, furiously blinking back the tears in his eyes. "Sanzo..." Goku muttered weakly.
Gyokumen Koushu clicked her tongue and gave an exaggerated sigh. "Ooh... look at the poor boy. Koori, you do know who he is ne?" She wound her arms around Sanzo's neck. "Give the poor boy some kind of respond. I think he deserves one after all he has gone through with you. You did have some fun with him ne? At the temple? Wasn't that my best plan yet?" She smirked to herself.
Goku's downcast figure immediately sprang to life. "Iie! That isn't true! Sanzo!! Say something damn you! That night...."
Finally, after total silence from the man, his purple gaze which had been locked on Gyokumen's slowly flickered to Goku's.
"That night..." Goku shut his eyes tight, 'Yes Sanzo..last night' "...went as you planned, Gyokumen-sama. I couldn't have thought of a better one." Goku didn't think it was possible to feel anymore pain but he did. Pain, acute pain punctured his already broken heart at Sanzo's every word.
"URUSAI! Urusai, urusai...URUSAI!"
"And? What do you think of your latest mission?" the hag taunted.
Goku rolled into a ball as the monotonous voice continued, "What mission? I would have finished him off if you had let us complete the task earlier. The gaki is nothing but trouble." A long pause. "I must say he is rather adequate in one department though."
"Hhahahahaha!! Well said Koori! Where would the fun be if we finished him off just like that? He wouldn't feel the pain he is feeling now ne?"
Her laughter echoed throughout the room. Goku didn't hear her....he couldn't focus on anything.. only the stabbing ache in his chest.
Son Tokei saw everything. He had awakened in the midst of it all. He wanted to grab the crazy hag and throw her off his highest skyscraper. Her laughter rang through his ears, fanning the anger in his veins to life. How could she do this to his son?! And that bodyguard! He would think about his son's taste for the same gender later but that bodyguard! He trusted the man! He glared at the man. The nerve of him.. if he got his hands on him, he would, he would..hora? Son Tokei blinked once, then twice. Was he starting to imagine things? He thought he saw Sanzo's jaw clench ever so slightly. Before he realized what he had seen, he felt himself being lifted.
"Gyokumen-sama. What shall we do with him?" Son Tokei turned to look at the hooded man holding him. He knew that voice!
The laughing maniacal women looked distastefully at him. "Your son is ruined Tokei! For good! Maybe I'll let him decide what he should do to himself, that disgraceful child! And you.... you'll be the good little ex- husband and change your will this evening saying that 'Ah! I realize its Koushu I love. I'm leaving everything into her hands' ne? Now lock him up first! I've got a will to prepare!"
"Hai Gyokumen Koushu-sama."
He slammed his fist hard into the wall. "F**k that bitch!" Sanzo was back in his old quarters in the corporation. He didn't care for the pain biting his fist. He knew the pain he felt was nothing in comparison to what he had done to Goku. He knew he shouldn't have slept with the saru. The bloody hag had so many eyes around she would have known. He knew she was testing his loyalty when she brought it up. He could only say what he had said to prevent the hag from being suspicious. That idiotic saru! He hadn't even put up a good fight when the guards dragged his hunched form away. He hated this! He hated it all!
Then he heard it. The light tap on the door followed by a "Sanzo?"
In a few quick strides he was at the door. "Hakkai?" His cool mask was back again. Hell, he would never let anyone know his feelings even if they were two of his most trusted comrades. "What have you got?"
Hakkai smiled grimly. "It's not good. I just tested the device I was working on. I only managed to evoke the explosion of the chip. Tokei-san is with Gojyo. They succeeded to sneak away with the cleaners."
"Hn."
"Ara? Nothing else?"
"Hakkai.." came the quiet warning.
"Ahaha! Gomen, Gojyo's been influencing me too much." Hakkai gave a short smile before resuming his grim tone. "Goku has been locked at the highest floor. Security is very tight and it seems he hasn't been responding to anything and the hag had left a gun in the room."
"A gun?"
"Hai."
God knows what Gyokumen had told the boy. But the gun, she was literally telling the boy to take his own life. Sanzo marched to the door. "Shit! Let's go!"
"We can't! Not until the device is ready! Sanzo!"
He gripped the knob tightly. The device, the one that would mess up the chips entire program, the one that would release the corporation's control over them. Damn that Hakkai! Damn him for being sensible! Damn him for being right.
"Sanzo, I know how you feel now. But just let me get the device done before we do anything." Hakkai didn't like the tension rising in the room and continued "You know how I feel towards the corporation too. I'm doing my best. Just give me two more hours."
"One."
"Nani?" Hakkai looked confusely at the man before smiling. "Hai. One hour it is!"
Son Tokei anxiously shuffled in his seat. "Are we there yet Gojyo- san?" He asked the man behind the wheels.
"In just a couple more minutes sir." The red head answered.
Son Tokei finally stopped his shuffling and looked at the man. "Arigatou Gojyo-san. To you and Hakkai-sensei. I don't know what would I do if it weren't for the both of you." He was rather surprised Hakkai-sensei, the man he knew as a doctor and his son's piano tutor was really in fact an assassin and that Gojyo, the temporary chauffeur cum bodyguard was also one. Yet he was also greatly relieved at the same time knowing they were there to help him.
The redhead smiled. "Maa. It's nothing. We're just helping a friend that's all," and in a lower voice he added "and there's something personal the three of us have against the fox so we're just helping ourselves really." Gojyo skillfully overtook two cars on the road.
"No matter. Arigatou."
The car was silent until the redhead broke it. "Aren't you going to ask why we betrayed your family only to help you?"
Son Tokei merely smiled. "Everything happens for a reason." The red head was caught off guard by the elderly man's reply and ended up laughing instead.
"Hahah! Sou ne. Everything happens for a reason." The redhead smiled. "Road block ahead," he warned.
"The police?"
"Hai."
"Good."
Gojyo raised an eyebrow at the old man who was smiling away. "I have the perfect backup."
Goku huddled in a corner. He felt so cold... so cold.. so alone..so betrayed. His mind was in a hazy state, muddled with distorted images. He didn't want to think clearly anymore. It hurt too much.
-----------------------------
"That night went as you planned"
"What mission? I would have finished him off if you had let us complete the task earlier."
"The gaki is nothing but trouble....trouble....trouble..TROUBLE!!!!!!"
------------------------------
"NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" Goku clutched his head in pain. The tears he held back fell one by one onto the floor.
"Get out.... get out...."
Who was Sanzo? Goku didn't know anymore. He didn't know what to believe in now. Was he even really his angel? Or someone disguised as his tenshi? Was he really the young little boy grown up? Grown up into nothing more than an emotionless icicle? Did Sanzo really care for his safety? Did he really care if he was ruined that night at the hotel? Did he even care about him? Too many questions, Goku hated it. But he didn't really know Sanzo did he? All he knew then was his bodyguard was a lonely man hiding behind an icy mask. But was he really hiding behind a mask or was it truly how he was? Another unanswered question. Goku hugged himself tighter. He already knew Sanzo felt nothing for him, that night. It was himself who held so dearly to the idea that Sanzo may return his feelings one day. Baka! What a big idiot he was for trusting so easily! For giving his heart and soul away so willingly to a man who didn't give a damn about him. Baka....
Goku slowly glanced at the black object just a few feet away from him. Yes, it would be so easy, so easy to be free of his troubles. The pain, the loneliness, the confusion.. he could get rid of it so easily. In the haziness of his mind, he saw his battered otou-san. 'Otou-san...' The hag's voice rang in his ears "Kill yourself and I'll let your dear father go right after he signs the new will". Yes.. he could save his tou-san too. Why not... why not? He slowly reached for the innocent looking gun. 'Okaa- chan... Okaa-chan..I'm coming..'
Hakkai made his way to the highest floor. He knew he had to hurry, but being only a moderately ranked assassin, clearance would be a problem. He looked at the black palm-sized box in his hands. He had to rely only on it, if it failed... he didn't want to think about it. The elevator came to a stop at the twenty-fifth floor and the elevator doors slid aside. Hakkai pulled the hood to his robe higher. 'This is it.' He took his first step into overthrowing the entire corporation.
The corridor of the highest floor was empty but at the end of the marble path were the guards. Under the folds of his black robe, he turned one of the dials on the box.
"Code name?" one man barked.
"Midori."
"Clearance number."
"Ahaha... I seemed to have forgot it." The guards were not entertained by his act.
"Then get lost until you remember it. Gyukomen-sama gave strict orders not to let ANYONE through without clearance number pal."
"Matte! I think I may have written it somewhere. Chotto matte," Hakkai pretended to search his pockets.
"Huh, you call yourself a profesional assassin? Pathetic!" another guard laughed.
"Gomen ne! But I don't like the attention if I'm too good." He smiled. "Bed time minna"
"Nani?" Hakkai jammed the buttons of his box and the guards started to howl in pain. They clutched their earlobe before fainting onto the ground. Great! The wave emitted by the controller actually worked! Hakkai wasted no time in rejoicing over his successful creation.
"Sumimasen!" Hakkai apologized before he grabbed the security card hanging around the neck of one of the fallen guards.
Hakkai barely made it but he did. As soon as the door clicked open at the swipe of the electronic card, he saw Goku reaching for the gun.
"DAME!" Instantly Hakkai ran towards the gun and kicked it aside. "What were you thinking Goku? Dying?!" Hakkai yelled breathlessly but Goku remained hunched on the ground.
"Goku! Answer me!"
Finally, after a fleeting moment of silence, a pair of golden orbs, which lacked the usual sheen of luster, stared through him. "Get lost Hakkai! You're one of them aren't you?"
"I.."
"GO AWAY!"
Hakkai had no choice. He had to get some sense into the broken boy. He muttered a "Gomen nasai" before slapping the boy.
Goku didn't even flinch. "Yes, slap me all you want. Then let me be." Hakkai would have picked up the gun and made the boy's dream come true if it weren't for the tears he saw wetting the ground. He decided for a softer approach. "Goku! Listen to me! We're still very much in danger now unless we leave this place. I may be an assassin but after meeting you.. I remembered my true quest on joining the corporation. I was searching for her! You made me remember that! Why can't you see that Sanzo is hurting too! He had to say those words. You may not like hearing it but so did he! But he had too!"
"Why?"
"It's a long story."
"Tell me!" Hakkai saw a spark of fire in Goku's dull gold orbs and smiled.
"After we get out of here ne?"
".. Hai, but otou-san?"
"Gojyo has him."
"Gojyo? What is Gojyo...oh..."
Hakkai pulled the boy up, he didn't have time for anymore preaching or explanations. Time was running out, Sanzo couldn't possibly delay the hag any longer. "Explanations later. Ikku!"
They had only made their way out of the 'prison' when a dark figure stood in their way. Hakkai and Goku stopped in their tracks
"Where do you think you're going Midori?"
Goku stared at the approaching man and stared incredulously at Hakkai. Hakkai himself was quiet as he stared at the man.
"Homura."
"Ah... Midori. Going somewhere?" He shifted his gaze to Goku. "Hello there Goku. A pleasure seeing you again," he said with a sly smile.
"You.. Damn you!" Goku recognized him. He was the one who had... nearly violated him last night. Goku cringed at the thought. So many things had happened in just a night. Too many and too fast.
"My, my. What a choice of words you have there," Homura jeered.
"Get out of our way Homura," Hakkai reached for his device but paused the moment Homura drew out a gun.
"Stop what ever you're doing. I've seen what that gadget of yours can do." Homura took a step closer to the pair. "You always were very good at tinkering with all that toys of yours. I was looking forward to the completion of that gadget in particular." Homura was only at arm's length, pointing the gun towards Hakkai's forehead. "Hand it over."
Hakkai stared at the man in quiet contempt. "I never imagined a big man like yourself would be degraded to such a standard. Wagging his good little tail for his master."
Homura smirked. "You're wrong Hak-kai," he spat. "I will gain control of the entire corporation now, once you give me that device. I've been waiting too long for this moment. You know all of us here are only listening to her because of the bloody control of hers. When she no longer controls me, I will be the new head! Hahaha..."
Goku looked confusedly at Hakkai. "What control Hakkai?"
"The chip... All the assassins of the corporation are controlled by a microchip embedded here," he answered and slowly touched the back of his right ear.
"Yes," Homura added disdainfully. "A tiny little microchip that explodes or causes the most excruciating pain just by the push of some buttons. If only I knew what I was getting when I got into the corporation, I would most likely tried overpowering the corporation on my own instead!"
"Sou kah.." Goku didn't care for Homura's unfortunate fate. Only the thoughts of that night flooded his mind, the night with Sanzo. He was wondering what was the little bump behind his earlobe. That means that... Sanzo was under the corporation's control..he was only putting a show in front of the obaa-san like Hakkai had said.. that means that, he still had a glimmer of hope.
"Enough chit-chat! Hand it over!" Homura barked..
Hakkai nudged Goku lightly and Goku saw the direction Hakkai's finger pointed at. Goku gave a hint of a nod. Hakkai straightened and took out a black box. "Take it then!" Hakkai shouted and threw the black device into the air. Homura only saw the flying controller and dived for the gadget.
"Yes.." he glowered as he caught the black box in his hands. He didn't care about the escaping duo. He already had what he wanted as he smiled at the device.
Beep.
"Nani?"
A mechanical voice answered him. "Self-destruct mode. On."
BOOOMMMMM
Sanzo quickly hid in a dark corridor. A number of guards were running frantically, shouting over and over about the escaping prisoner. So, Hakkai already had him. Sanzo smiled. 'Good..' It was time he did his part. He came out into the light and nonchalantly headed to the hag's office. Two guards stood guard at her door.
"Stop! What are you doing here?"
"Urusai. Shinei." And the two guards fell dead on the floor, a bullet in their forehead. Sanzo pushed the door open and found his target lounging at her table preoccupied by a load of documents. His sudden entrance did not take her by surprise. Instead, she calmly looked him in the eye and smiled.
"Ara? Koori? What do you want my precious assassin?" She asked teasingly as she placed her glasses aside.
"Your life, hag!" Sanzo pointed his gun dead center to her heart. Gyokumen Koushu looked at him in amusement.
"So.... as I suspected. Loyalty wavered?"
"I belong to no one," Sanzo growled.
"You must be kidding me? Have you forgotten something very important now? Maybe this?" She asked as she drew out some remote control thingy. "Surely you remember this now? All I need to do is direct this to your pathetic face and puff. In a click of a button, that chip of yours will go kaboom ne?"
Sanzo smirked at the hag. "Try me."
She glared at him hatefully and pressed a button. Nothing happened.
"What the?" She continually pressed the controller but nothing happened. Sanzo ignored her helpless attempt and walked up to her.
"Iya. Something is wrong!" She yelled, her composure shattered and threw the useless controller aside.
"Of course it isn't. It's only that Hakkai already disarmed my chip."
"Hakkai?" Her eyes widened in anger as a smiling face entered her mind. "That blasted megane!"
Sanzo violently grabbed her by the neck. "Blasted?! It's you who's the blasted bitch!"
The hag decided to use a change of tactics. "Why, my precious Koori. I've always been nice to you ne? How could you do this to me?"
"Nice?!" He spat. "In what way? The torturous training? The punishments? The assassination of my shishou?!"
She sneered at him and rolled her eyes. "So you know?"
"I know everything. My shishou knew about your corporation and you decided to get rid of him."
"Oh yes," she started. "He was a kind man ne? He picked me from the streets and led my stepson (not Goku, another son from her previous marriage) to me. Too bad he overheard my little conversation with my son ne?"
Sanzo failed to suppress his anger any longer and strike the woman across her face. He wanted to rip her head off. The hag!
"I suppose your brilliant megane found out about all this. Even the death of his precious lover?" Sanzo pushed her away as the hag rambled on wildly, " and that boy. Red hair and all. It was a pity his family refused to join the corporation ne?"
Sanzo aimed for her heart the second time and pulled the trigger. "Die."
Blood spattered across his face, but he took no notice of it as the hag slid down the floor. Her face was a contortion of fear, shock and pain as she stared soundlessly at the assassin. Her hand clutched her bosom only to be soaked in blood.
"You..." she whispered one last time before giving in to the abyss of death. Her body hit the ground only to be followed by a loud booming sound that shook the ground.
"Nani?!" Sanzo threw a quick look at the body of the dead women before him. "Damn!" The woman had fallen only to land her arm on the remote control, pushing one particularly large button. 'Self-destruct'
"Goku! Hayaku!" Hakkai tugged the boy behind him. He was running out of bullets now. He knew the corporation was filled with guards, but there was so many of them. Goku managed to bring down a few guards with his quick punches and kicks but they kept coming.
"Hakkai look out!" Hakkai turned to see a gun aimed at him from the side. He pulled the trigger but was greeted by an empty click. He had ran out of ammo. The guard saw this and gave a victorious smile. Instinctively, he threw himself over Goku to shield the youth from danger. Three loud shots rang in the air, echoing in the tunnel of his ears.
Hakkai didn't dare look. It was the end. 'Kanan... I'm coming.' He smiled peacefully.
"Hakkai!" Goku sounded so distant now...
"Oi! Hakkai! What are you doing?" asked a familiar voice.
"Ara?" Hakkai opened his eyes. Red and gold orbs stared at him from above. Hakkai touched his chest. "I'm not dead?"
Gojyo rolled his eyes. "Of course not baka!" He showed his machine gun proudly at the bespectacled man. "Gojyo to the rescue!"
"Kappa.." Goku muttered.
"NANI SARU?!" Hakkai could only shake his head. "We're in the middle of escaping you know?"
"The place is already surrounded by police," Gojyo said as he pulled Hakkai up. "Hayaku, let's get out of here."
The duo, now a trio, ran out from the ground floor of the twenty-five story high building. Bullets no longer rained on them as the cops covered for them. Goku ran hard, his legs felt like they were on fire but he saw the door. Just a few more steps..
"GOKU!"
"OTOU-SAN!" His father was waving frantically at him, standing beside a tall towering man. Goku smiled. "Tojun-ji san!!!" He sped up, and was about to reach the automatic sliding doors when....
BOOM!!!!
"Nani?!"
Hakkai whipped his head around. "NO! The self-destruct system! I thought I fixed that already?"
"The fox must have had a manual backup system!" Gojyo yelled.
"Sanzo?" Goku's heart pumped harder. The blonde was still in the upper floor. Goku hadn't seen him anywhere during his escape alongside Hakkai.
"Sanzo! Sanzo is still up there!" Goku babbled frantically.
"We have to get out of here! The entire building is going to collapse!" Hakkai shouted over the commotion.
"Let me go Gojyo! Sanzo is still in there!!!" Goku pulled at Gojyo's sleeve as the man had gripped his elbow. Hakkai and Gojyo looked grimly at each other and grabbed Goku by the arm on each side.
"Ikku!"
"No!!! Lemme go!!!"
BOOM..More debris and chunks of wall fell. They had just leap out of the sliding door when the entire ceiling collapse. Goku didn't feel the pain in his palms and knees, he didn't feel the impact of their landing... all he saw was the top floor exploding and the flames licking the entire building as one by one, each floor spat out a fireball of flames.
"....SANZOOOO!!!!!!!"
To be continued...or not?
-----------------------------------------
Hehehe.. you tell me ne?
To Gokugurl : Confused? I think confusion is my middle name! ^_^ Btw, like that part in your fic the one that with Araiso written all over it! Long live Kubo-chan!!! ^_*
To jashuang : Yessssssssss!!!!!!!!!
To Eventine : Arigatou!
And many thanks to sTrAwbErRyfAnSz, chris, laila, Saiyuki-gal, 'deru, sLL, hoshii, & stresser for your reviews!!!! Arigatou!!!!
Disclaimer: Character's from saiyuki are merely being borrowed by this lowly fanfic author. Kazuya Minekura-sama, thank you for creating Gensomaden Saiyuki (worship)
The Only One
Chapter Fifteen
By Hanei Tamashii
Goku could only stare as the figure slowly stepped into the light. He prayed hard. 'It can't be him....Iie....Not him, anyone but him!' The bright light washed away Goku's every single hopes and doubts. He stared into the face of his ex-bodyguard. His eyes widened in shock as his jaw hung open. Purple eyes pierced through his haze of confusion and made his heart sink low. Very low. Koori.. he certainly lived up to his name. Koori meant ice and the placid chilliness of his facial expression rattled the bottom of Goku's very soul. Goku froze at his spot, no longer feeling the pain of the punches and kicks he had received. Sanzo worked for the hag? Sanzo was an... assassin?
"This is a joke ne? Sanzo? Tell me this is some sick joke, ne?" Goku looked pleadingly at the man. Sanzo gave no response. Not even a blink. No! The man wasn't Sanzo. So what if they looked alike and had the same sun blonde hair, the same eyes, the same coldness...
"Sanzo! Tell me! You're here to save me ne?! Sanzo!!" Goku yelled again. He weakly slammed his fist onto the hard ground not daring to look up, furiously blinking back the tears in his eyes. "Sanzo..." Goku muttered weakly.
Gyokumen Koushu clicked her tongue and gave an exaggerated sigh. "Ooh... look at the poor boy. Koori, you do know who he is ne?" She wound her arms around Sanzo's neck. "Give the poor boy some kind of respond. I think he deserves one after all he has gone through with you. You did have some fun with him ne? At the temple? Wasn't that my best plan yet?" She smirked to herself.
Goku's downcast figure immediately sprang to life. "Iie! That isn't true! Sanzo!! Say something damn you! That night...."
Finally, after total silence from the man, his purple gaze which had been locked on Gyokumen's slowly flickered to Goku's.
"That night..." Goku shut his eyes tight, 'Yes Sanzo..last night' "...went as you planned, Gyokumen-sama. I couldn't have thought of a better one." Goku didn't think it was possible to feel anymore pain but he did. Pain, acute pain punctured his already broken heart at Sanzo's every word.
"URUSAI! Urusai, urusai...URUSAI!"
"And? What do you think of your latest mission?" the hag taunted.
Goku rolled into a ball as the monotonous voice continued, "What mission? I would have finished him off if you had let us complete the task earlier. The gaki is nothing but trouble." A long pause. "I must say he is rather adequate in one department though."
"Hhahahahaha!! Well said Koori! Where would the fun be if we finished him off just like that? He wouldn't feel the pain he is feeling now ne?"
Her laughter echoed throughout the room. Goku didn't hear her....he couldn't focus on anything.. only the stabbing ache in his chest.
Son Tokei saw everything. He had awakened in the midst of it all. He wanted to grab the crazy hag and throw her off his highest skyscraper. Her laughter rang through his ears, fanning the anger in his veins to life. How could she do this to his son?! And that bodyguard! He would think about his son's taste for the same gender later but that bodyguard! He trusted the man! He glared at the man. The nerve of him.. if he got his hands on him, he would, he would..hora? Son Tokei blinked once, then twice. Was he starting to imagine things? He thought he saw Sanzo's jaw clench ever so slightly. Before he realized what he had seen, he felt himself being lifted.
"Gyokumen-sama. What shall we do with him?" Son Tokei turned to look at the hooded man holding him. He knew that voice!
The laughing maniacal women looked distastefully at him. "Your son is ruined Tokei! For good! Maybe I'll let him decide what he should do to himself, that disgraceful child! And you.... you'll be the good little ex- husband and change your will this evening saying that 'Ah! I realize its Koushu I love. I'm leaving everything into her hands' ne? Now lock him up first! I've got a will to prepare!"
"Hai Gyokumen Koushu-sama."
He slammed his fist hard into the wall. "F**k that bitch!" Sanzo was back in his old quarters in the corporation. He didn't care for the pain biting his fist. He knew the pain he felt was nothing in comparison to what he had done to Goku. He knew he shouldn't have slept with the saru. The bloody hag had so many eyes around she would have known. He knew she was testing his loyalty when she brought it up. He could only say what he had said to prevent the hag from being suspicious. That idiotic saru! He hadn't even put up a good fight when the guards dragged his hunched form away. He hated this! He hated it all!
Then he heard it. The light tap on the door followed by a "Sanzo?"
In a few quick strides he was at the door. "Hakkai?" His cool mask was back again. Hell, he would never let anyone know his feelings even if they were two of his most trusted comrades. "What have you got?"
Hakkai smiled grimly. "It's not good. I just tested the device I was working on. I only managed to evoke the explosion of the chip. Tokei-san is with Gojyo. They succeeded to sneak away with the cleaners."
"Hn."
"Ara? Nothing else?"
"Hakkai.." came the quiet warning.
"Ahaha! Gomen, Gojyo's been influencing me too much." Hakkai gave a short smile before resuming his grim tone. "Goku has been locked at the highest floor. Security is very tight and it seems he hasn't been responding to anything and the hag had left a gun in the room."
"A gun?"
"Hai."
God knows what Gyokumen had told the boy. But the gun, she was literally telling the boy to take his own life. Sanzo marched to the door. "Shit! Let's go!"
"We can't! Not until the device is ready! Sanzo!"
He gripped the knob tightly. The device, the one that would mess up the chips entire program, the one that would release the corporation's control over them. Damn that Hakkai! Damn him for being sensible! Damn him for being right.
"Sanzo, I know how you feel now. But just let me get the device done before we do anything." Hakkai didn't like the tension rising in the room and continued "You know how I feel towards the corporation too. I'm doing my best. Just give me two more hours."
"One."
"Nani?" Hakkai looked confusely at the man before smiling. "Hai. One hour it is!"
Son Tokei anxiously shuffled in his seat. "Are we there yet Gojyo- san?" He asked the man behind the wheels.
"In just a couple more minutes sir." The red head answered.
Son Tokei finally stopped his shuffling and looked at the man. "Arigatou Gojyo-san. To you and Hakkai-sensei. I don't know what would I do if it weren't for the both of you." He was rather surprised Hakkai-sensei, the man he knew as a doctor and his son's piano tutor was really in fact an assassin and that Gojyo, the temporary chauffeur cum bodyguard was also one. Yet he was also greatly relieved at the same time knowing they were there to help him.
The redhead smiled. "Maa. It's nothing. We're just helping a friend that's all," and in a lower voice he added "and there's something personal the three of us have against the fox so we're just helping ourselves really." Gojyo skillfully overtook two cars on the road.
"No matter. Arigatou."
The car was silent until the redhead broke it. "Aren't you going to ask why we betrayed your family only to help you?"
Son Tokei merely smiled. "Everything happens for a reason." The red head was caught off guard by the elderly man's reply and ended up laughing instead.
"Hahah! Sou ne. Everything happens for a reason." The redhead smiled. "Road block ahead," he warned.
"The police?"
"Hai."
"Good."
Gojyo raised an eyebrow at the old man who was smiling away. "I have the perfect backup."
Goku huddled in a corner. He felt so cold... so cold.. so alone..so betrayed. His mind was in a hazy state, muddled with distorted images. He didn't want to think clearly anymore. It hurt too much.
-----------------------------
"That night went as you planned"
"What mission? I would have finished him off if you had let us complete the task earlier."
"The gaki is nothing but trouble....trouble....trouble..TROUBLE!!!!!!"
------------------------------
"NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" Goku clutched his head in pain. The tears he held back fell one by one onto the floor.
"Get out.... get out...."
Who was Sanzo? Goku didn't know anymore. He didn't know what to believe in now. Was he even really his angel? Or someone disguised as his tenshi? Was he really the young little boy grown up? Grown up into nothing more than an emotionless icicle? Did Sanzo really care for his safety? Did he really care if he was ruined that night at the hotel? Did he even care about him? Too many questions, Goku hated it. But he didn't really know Sanzo did he? All he knew then was his bodyguard was a lonely man hiding behind an icy mask. But was he really hiding behind a mask or was it truly how he was? Another unanswered question. Goku hugged himself tighter. He already knew Sanzo felt nothing for him, that night. It was himself who held so dearly to the idea that Sanzo may return his feelings one day. Baka! What a big idiot he was for trusting so easily! For giving his heart and soul away so willingly to a man who didn't give a damn about him. Baka....
Goku slowly glanced at the black object just a few feet away from him. Yes, it would be so easy, so easy to be free of his troubles. The pain, the loneliness, the confusion.. he could get rid of it so easily. In the haziness of his mind, he saw his battered otou-san. 'Otou-san...' The hag's voice rang in his ears "Kill yourself and I'll let your dear father go right after he signs the new will". Yes.. he could save his tou-san too. Why not... why not? He slowly reached for the innocent looking gun. 'Okaa- chan... Okaa-chan..I'm coming..'
Hakkai made his way to the highest floor. He knew he had to hurry, but being only a moderately ranked assassin, clearance would be a problem. He looked at the black palm-sized box in his hands. He had to rely only on it, if it failed... he didn't want to think about it. The elevator came to a stop at the twenty-fifth floor and the elevator doors slid aside. Hakkai pulled the hood to his robe higher. 'This is it.' He took his first step into overthrowing the entire corporation.
The corridor of the highest floor was empty but at the end of the marble path were the guards. Under the folds of his black robe, he turned one of the dials on the box.
"Code name?" one man barked.
"Midori."
"Clearance number."
"Ahaha... I seemed to have forgot it." The guards were not entertained by his act.
"Then get lost until you remember it. Gyukomen-sama gave strict orders not to let ANYONE through without clearance number pal."
"Matte! I think I may have written it somewhere. Chotto matte," Hakkai pretended to search his pockets.
"Huh, you call yourself a profesional assassin? Pathetic!" another guard laughed.
"Gomen ne! But I don't like the attention if I'm too good." He smiled. "Bed time minna"
"Nani?" Hakkai jammed the buttons of his box and the guards started to howl in pain. They clutched their earlobe before fainting onto the ground. Great! The wave emitted by the controller actually worked! Hakkai wasted no time in rejoicing over his successful creation.
"Sumimasen!" Hakkai apologized before he grabbed the security card hanging around the neck of one of the fallen guards.
Hakkai barely made it but he did. As soon as the door clicked open at the swipe of the electronic card, he saw Goku reaching for the gun.
"DAME!" Instantly Hakkai ran towards the gun and kicked it aside. "What were you thinking Goku? Dying?!" Hakkai yelled breathlessly but Goku remained hunched on the ground.
"Goku! Answer me!"
Finally, after a fleeting moment of silence, a pair of golden orbs, which lacked the usual sheen of luster, stared through him. "Get lost Hakkai! You're one of them aren't you?"
"I.."
"GO AWAY!"
Hakkai had no choice. He had to get some sense into the broken boy. He muttered a "Gomen nasai" before slapping the boy.
Goku didn't even flinch. "Yes, slap me all you want. Then let me be." Hakkai would have picked up the gun and made the boy's dream come true if it weren't for the tears he saw wetting the ground. He decided for a softer approach. "Goku! Listen to me! We're still very much in danger now unless we leave this place. I may be an assassin but after meeting you.. I remembered my true quest on joining the corporation. I was searching for her! You made me remember that! Why can't you see that Sanzo is hurting too! He had to say those words. You may not like hearing it but so did he! But he had too!"
"Why?"
"It's a long story."
"Tell me!" Hakkai saw a spark of fire in Goku's dull gold orbs and smiled.
"After we get out of here ne?"
".. Hai, but otou-san?"
"Gojyo has him."
"Gojyo? What is Gojyo...oh..."
Hakkai pulled the boy up, he didn't have time for anymore preaching or explanations. Time was running out, Sanzo couldn't possibly delay the hag any longer. "Explanations later. Ikku!"
They had only made their way out of the 'prison' when a dark figure stood in their way. Hakkai and Goku stopped in their tracks
"Where do you think you're going Midori?"
Goku stared at the approaching man and stared incredulously at Hakkai. Hakkai himself was quiet as he stared at the man.
"Homura."
"Ah... Midori. Going somewhere?" He shifted his gaze to Goku. "Hello there Goku. A pleasure seeing you again," he said with a sly smile.
"You.. Damn you!" Goku recognized him. He was the one who had... nearly violated him last night. Goku cringed at the thought. So many things had happened in just a night. Too many and too fast.
"My, my. What a choice of words you have there," Homura jeered.
"Get out of our way Homura," Hakkai reached for his device but paused the moment Homura drew out a gun.
"Stop what ever you're doing. I've seen what that gadget of yours can do." Homura took a step closer to the pair. "You always were very good at tinkering with all that toys of yours. I was looking forward to the completion of that gadget in particular." Homura was only at arm's length, pointing the gun towards Hakkai's forehead. "Hand it over."
Hakkai stared at the man in quiet contempt. "I never imagined a big man like yourself would be degraded to such a standard. Wagging his good little tail for his master."
Homura smirked. "You're wrong Hak-kai," he spat. "I will gain control of the entire corporation now, once you give me that device. I've been waiting too long for this moment. You know all of us here are only listening to her because of the bloody control of hers. When she no longer controls me, I will be the new head! Hahaha..."
Goku looked confusedly at Hakkai. "What control Hakkai?"
"The chip... All the assassins of the corporation are controlled by a microchip embedded here," he answered and slowly touched the back of his right ear.
"Yes," Homura added disdainfully. "A tiny little microchip that explodes or causes the most excruciating pain just by the push of some buttons. If only I knew what I was getting when I got into the corporation, I would most likely tried overpowering the corporation on my own instead!"
"Sou kah.." Goku didn't care for Homura's unfortunate fate. Only the thoughts of that night flooded his mind, the night with Sanzo. He was wondering what was the little bump behind his earlobe. That means that... Sanzo was under the corporation's control..he was only putting a show in front of the obaa-san like Hakkai had said.. that means that, he still had a glimmer of hope.
"Enough chit-chat! Hand it over!" Homura barked..
Hakkai nudged Goku lightly and Goku saw the direction Hakkai's finger pointed at. Goku gave a hint of a nod. Hakkai straightened and took out a black box. "Take it then!" Hakkai shouted and threw the black device into the air. Homura only saw the flying controller and dived for the gadget.
"Yes.." he glowered as he caught the black box in his hands. He didn't care about the escaping duo. He already had what he wanted as he smiled at the device.
Beep.
"Nani?"
A mechanical voice answered him. "Self-destruct mode. On."
BOOOMMMMM
Sanzo quickly hid in a dark corridor. A number of guards were running frantically, shouting over and over about the escaping prisoner. So, Hakkai already had him. Sanzo smiled. 'Good..' It was time he did his part. He came out into the light and nonchalantly headed to the hag's office. Two guards stood guard at her door.
"Stop! What are you doing here?"
"Urusai. Shinei." And the two guards fell dead on the floor, a bullet in their forehead. Sanzo pushed the door open and found his target lounging at her table preoccupied by a load of documents. His sudden entrance did not take her by surprise. Instead, she calmly looked him in the eye and smiled.
"Ara? Koori? What do you want my precious assassin?" She asked teasingly as she placed her glasses aside.
"Your life, hag!" Sanzo pointed his gun dead center to her heart. Gyokumen Koushu looked at him in amusement.
"So.... as I suspected. Loyalty wavered?"
"I belong to no one," Sanzo growled.
"You must be kidding me? Have you forgotten something very important now? Maybe this?" She asked as she drew out some remote control thingy. "Surely you remember this now? All I need to do is direct this to your pathetic face and puff. In a click of a button, that chip of yours will go kaboom ne?"
Sanzo smirked at the hag. "Try me."
She glared at him hatefully and pressed a button. Nothing happened.
"What the?" She continually pressed the controller but nothing happened. Sanzo ignored her helpless attempt and walked up to her.
"Iya. Something is wrong!" She yelled, her composure shattered and threw the useless controller aside.
"Of course it isn't. It's only that Hakkai already disarmed my chip."
"Hakkai?" Her eyes widened in anger as a smiling face entered her mind. "That blasted megane!"
Sanzo violently grabbed her by the neck. "Blasted?! It's you who's the blasted bitch!"
The hag decided to use a change of tactics. "Why, my precious Koori. I've always been nice to you ne? How could you do this to me?"
"Nice?!" He spat. "In what way? The torturous training? The punishments? The assassination of my shishou?!"
She sneered at him and rolled her eyes. "So you know?"
"I know everything. My shishou knew about your corporation and you decided to get rid of him."
"Oh yes," she started. "He was a kind man ne? He picked me from the streets and led my stepson (not Goku, another son from her previous marriage) to me. Too bad he overheard my little conversation with my son ne?"
Sanzo failed to suppress his anger any longer and strike the woman across her face. He wanted to rip her head off. The hag!
"I suppose your brilliant megane found out about all this. Even the death of his precious lover?" Sanzo pushed her away as the hag rambled on wildly, " and that boy. Red hair and all. It was a pity his family refused to join the corporation ne?"
Sanzo aimed for her heart the second time and pulled the trigger. "Die."
Blood spattered across his face, but he took no notice of it as the hag slid down the floor. Her face was a contortion of fear, shock and pain as she stared soundlessly at the assassin. Her hand clutched her bosom only to be soaked in blood.
"You..." she whispered one last time before giving in to the abyss of death. Her body hit the ground only to be followed by a loud booming sound that shook the ground.
"Nani?!" Sanzo threw a quick look at the body of the dead women before him. "Damn!" The woman had fallen only to land her arm on the remote control, pushing one particularly large button. 'Self-destruct'
"Goku! Hayaku!" Hakkai tugged the boy behind him. He was running out of bullets now. He knew the corporation was filled with guards, but there was so many of them. Goku managed to bring down a few guards with his quick punches and kicks but they kept coming.
"Hakkai look out!" Hakkai turned to see a gun aimed at him from the side. He pulled the trigger but was greeted by an empty click. He had ran out of ammo. The guard saw this and gave a victorious smile. Instinctively, he threw himself over Goku to shield the youth from danger. Three loud shots rang in the air, echoing in the tunnel of his ears.
Hakkai didn't dare look. It was the end. 'Kanan... I'm coming.' He smiled peacefully.
"Hakkai!" Goku sounded so distant now...
"Oi! Hakkai! What are you doing?" asked a familiar voice.
"Ara?" Hakkai opened his eyes. Red and gold orbs stared at him from above. Hakkai touched his chest. "I'm not dead?"
Gojyo rolled his eyes. "Of course not baka!" He showed his machine gun proudly at the bespectacled man. "Gojyo to the rescue!"
"Kappa.." Goku muttered.
"NANI SARU?!" Hakkai could only shake his head. "We're in the middle of escaping you know?"
"The place is already surrounded by police," Gojyo said as he pulled Hakkai up. "Hayaku, let's get out of here."
The duo, now a trio, ran out from the ground floor of the twenty-five story high building. Bullets no longer rained on them as the cops covered for them. Goku ran hard, his legs felt like they were on fire but he saw the door. Just a few more steps..
"GOKU!"
"OTOU-SAN!" His father was waving frantically at him, standing beside a tall towering man. Goku smiled. "Tojun-ji san!!!" He sped up, and was about to reach the automatic sliding doors when....
BOOM!!!!
"Nani?!"
Hakkai whipped his head around. "NO! The self-destruct system! I thought I fixed that already?"
"The fox must have had a manual backup system!" Gojyo yelled.
"Sanzo?" Goku's heart pumped harder. The blonde was still in the upper floor. Goku hadn't seen him anywhere during his escape alongside Hakkai.
"Sanzo! Sanzo is still up there!" Goku babbled frantically.
"We have to get out of here! The entire building is going to collapse!" Hakkai shouted over the commotion.
"Let me go Gojyo! Sanzo is still in there!!!" Goku pulled at Gojyo's sleeve as the man had gripped his elbow. Hakkai and Gojyo looked grimly at each other and grabbed Goku by the arm on each side.
"Ikku!"
"No!!! Lemme go!!!"
BOOM..More debris and chunks of wall fell. They had just leap out of the sliding door when the entire ceiling collapse. Goku didn't feel the pain in his palms and knees, he didn't feel the impact of their landing... all he saw was the top floor exploding and the flames licking the entire building as one by one, each floor spat out a fireball of flames.
"....SANZOOOO!!!!!!!"
To be continued...or not?
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Hehehe.. you tell me ne?