Yamato studied a paper before him with scrawled drawings all over it. He ran his fingers through the blonde hair that always hung in front of his face, brushing it out of his eyes for a brief moment before it fell right back in place. Finally lifting his gaze from the paper, he ran his eyes about the room before him.
Koushiro was glancing through something on his laptop, not like that was any surprise. He'd been glued to it ever since Yamato showed up. Taichi was glaring at Ken threateningly, his initial rage towards the boy who was partially responsible for the kidnapping of his sister still boiling hot under his skin, flames practically glowing from his eyes.
Daisuke was next to Taichi, being the only one able to keep him from stabbing the indigo haired boy with whatever was in his hand, which had been a pen cap still clutched firmly in his fingers. The dark skinned boy was strangely quiet, elbows on his knees and chin in his hand, goggles pulled down over his dark eyes, protecting them from the dark-red hair that hung lazily down in his gaze. He noticed Yamato watching him and looked up slightly, both exchanging a long contemplative gaze before simultaneously looking away.
Takeru was sitting near Ken, uncomfortable, looking nervous and glum. Ken was watching the younger blonde, trying to avoid Taichi's burning eye, quietly trying to pry something out of him. Yamato couldn't hear the words being exchanged, but Takeru kept shaking his head silently.
Finally the tall blonde rose to his feet, stretching and holding out the paper. "These plans make no sense to me. Koushiro, look at these."
The techie took the paper and glanced over it, then looked up at Ken. "Are you sure about these?"
"Fairly," Ichijouji responded, backing off his discussion with Takeru. He stole the chance to get away, moving to sit on the couch beside Daisuke and Taichi. The purple haired boy gave him a baleful look, then turned back to Koushiro. "I'm ninety-five percent sure they're correct."
"Ninety-five, huh..." Koushiro put a hand to his chin, rubbing thoughtfully for a second before pulling his hand away and studying it, muttering something about needing a good shave.
"That isn't good enough for me," Taichi grumbled.
"Ninety-five is the best we'll get, Taichi," Daisuke responded quietly, studying the floor. "We can't send him back in to scout it out. Would you trust him running back to the enemy?" Taichi shot his death glare in his direction, and the younger boy lifted his eyes from the ground and pulled the goggles off his eyes, settling them on his forehead. "Taichi, I know. But we can't."
Grunting in acknowledgement, Taichi turned away. Daisuke sighed and rose to his feet. "I need a square."
Yamato reached in his back pocket and threw a pack of cigarettes to Daisuke. "You can owe me."
"Thanks," the darker boy answered, sliding one out and then flinging the pack back. "I'm heading out on the balcony to smoke this. Anybody want anything, that's where I'll be."
"I'll come with you," Yamato pulled a cancer stick from the pack and headed out on the balcony with the other. The blonde slid the glassdoor shut behind them and leaned against the railing, Daisuke taking a seat on the ground and dangling his feet over the ledge through the rails. They both lit up and took a drag.
"Jesus Christ I fucked up," Daisuke exhaled.
Yamato grinned slightly, shutting his eyes to the breeze. "Yeah, I know."
"Why am I so stupid?" the darker boy groaned, leaning forward and resting his forehead against a rail.
"Because. Look, Ken has the hots for Takeru."
Daisuke whipped his head around and stared inside at Ken, who'd moved onto the couch and was trying to talk to Takeru again. He snarled. "I don't like that guy."
"Ken?"
"Yeah. I can't stand him. Anybody that perfect should be dragged out into the street and shot. Ugh," he grumbled and turned away as the indigo haired boy leaned closer to the blonde.
"Jealous?"
"So fucking what." Daisuke turned his gaze up to the tall blonde. "I can't do this."
"You have to, Daisuke. We're all counting on you."
"I know, but I still can't," he groaned, taking another drag.
The glass door slid open and Koushiro stepped out onto the balcony, waving his hand at the smell of cigarette smoke. "Disgusting habit." Both nicotine addicts held up their middle fingers nonchalantly and Koushiro grinned slightly. "Listen, Dais. Last night the comparison ran and I've got a list of the kids Ken said he'd talked to. I went ahead and got you addresses and everything," he handed a paper to him. "Do what you can with it; I know you'll figure something you." Pointing over his shoulder, Koushiro stepped back into the apartment. "I have to get back to make sure Taichi doesn't murder Ken. Take as long as you need, you two."
Leaning back against the glass door and ashing his nearly gone cigarette, Daisuke put it up to his mouth for one last drag. Exhaling heavily and squelching out the smoke as it began burning in to the filter, the darker boy eyed the papers in silence. After several long moments had passed, he looked up. "Yamato? I know you won't like this, but I want to take Takeru with me."
The tall blonde was playing with the burning remains of his cigarette. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet, but I want Takeru with me." Daisuke glanced down at the paper. "I think I need to get someone on the inside. Ken isn't what we need. We need... somebody a little more dangerous." Pulling the goggles down and settling them over his eyes, Daisuke started nodding a little. "Yeah... I definitely need to get the hookup on one of these guys."
"What does my brother have to do with this?" Yamato asked, not leaking any emotions into his voice.
"Believe it or not, I kind of like having him around," the darker boy muttered. "He sort of keeps me from snapping and just shooting someone in the head."
Chuckling, the blonde shrugged. "Take care of him and I don't mind. But don't order him along, give him an option."
Glancing over his shoulder to the apartment through the glass, Daisuke blankly eyed Ken. "What'll we do with Ichijouji?"
"Koushiro will take care of him," Yamato slid the door open and headed inside.
Daisuke sat alone for another brief moment, swallowing a breath of cold, fresh air before he pulled to his feet and followed. "Takeru," he said as soon as he had stepped in, pulling himself together and putting on the badass fighter attitude again, "I'm going out. You want to come? It won't be pretty."
The blonde jumped off the couch and nodded. "I'm the one who begged to be in on this, remember? I'm in."
Daisuke shot a questioning glance to Yamato, who nodded his approval. "Koush, do me a favor, eh, keep an eye on our little perfect bitch here," the boy batted the back of Ken's head. "Yamato, hang on to your cell because I'll be hitting the emergency button if anything goes wrong, and emergency is your dandy little Motorola."
"I won't put it down for a second," the blonde nodded, flopping down into a soft armchair.
"Pick one," Daisuke held out the list of names to Takeru. The blonde eyed the sheet briefly, then pointed. "That's the one then. Koush, make a note that we're gonna hit up Miyaoku Kaioh."
Taichi stopped glaring at Ken for a brief moment to tap Daisuke hard on the forehead. "Watch your ass. Be careful. Don't do anything stupid. And for the love of somen noodles, don't get Takeru hurt."
Takeru blinked. "For the love of somen noodles?"
"Inside joke," Daisuke responded. "Come on, Gilligan, let's get going."
Takeru's feet were cramping, but he bit his lip to keep from whining about it. Daisuke was crouched next to him, studying an apartment building across the road. They'd been there, both ducked behind a group of bushes, watching a specific apartment for at least ten minutes. The blonde groaned quietly, shifting his weight a little bit. Next to him, Daisuke shot him a look that read 'shut up' with several explicit words somewhere in there, so he stifled the remains of his groan.
"All right, I think it's clear," the darker boy muttered as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulling out a pair of gloves.
"What's clear?" Takeru mumbled, wincing and wiggling his toes in an attempt to regain feeling in them.
"I was just making sure we aren't being watched, and that the apartment itself isn't being watched," Daisuke replied, reaching into the cargo pocket of his pants and producing a 22. Takeru wasn't surprised, although he wished he was, as the two rose and ran across the street without a word passing between them.
Sliding against the wall and pausing in front of the apartment door, Daisuke tilted his head at Takeru. "Follow me in and watch your ass. If anything happens get the hell out. Oh, and call your brother," he added, passing over a cellphone. "It's the emergency button, the red one. He's on speed dial."
"Why him?" Takeru asked, shoving the phone into his back pocket.
"Because I count on him," came the short reply. Rolling his shoulders and cracking his back, Daisuke pulled the goggles from his neck and snapped them onto his eyes. "Here we go. Hope you aren't afraid of bloodshed."
Slamming a hard kick into the apartment door near the handle, it splintered at the lock and fell inwards. Daisuke followed it quickly and swept the area with his eyes, following with the 22 in hand. The entry room was empty. Glancing over his shoulder briefly at Takeru and shaking his head to get his unruly red hair from his eyes, Daisuke commanded, "Shut the door behind us. Can't leave it open, it's too cold out. SHUT it, Takeru!" he snapped when the blonde didn't move fast enough.
Takeru pushed the door back towards the broken lock and shoved until it stayed remotely in place. "There, happy?"
"Yes. Come on, cover me."
"With what?" the other snapped.
"Your own ass, stupid!" Daisuke strode forwards into the apartment and down a hallway, using his feet to open doors as his hands were on the revolver. He slammed in to a bathroom and an office, both empty. He paused in the office, nudging a bag with his foot. "We got us a rich little asshole here," he mumbled. "That's a fuckload of weed." Nudging past Takeru, he kicked in another door.
The door caved in and a short, muffled shriek came from inside as Daisuke followed it, finger tensing on the trigger. Takeru winced, waiting for the explosive shots.
There was silence.
Daring to squeeze one eye open, the blonde could read every bit of surprise on the goggle-shielded eyes of Daisuke. The dark haired boy slowly lowered the gun and his mouth opened, a word trying to make its way out, but nothing more than a mumble formed. He swallowed and tried again. "Bass."
Takeru blinked and followed into the room. Sitting on the bed was a girl with pink and red streaked hair and a boy with bright green hair. The girl was cringing slightly behind the boy and he was holding a gun in one hand, tilted slightly away from Daisuke as he'd realized who it was, the same shock on his own face. "Bass?" Takeru asked, looking towards his tagmate.
"Yo, Ferret," Bass grinned weakly.
Daisuke was leaning against a table, head in his hands. Takeru sat quietly next to him, circling one finger around the edge of a mug of tea. The girl, introduced as Tachikawa Mimi, was pouring tea for the three guys sitting around the table in an uneasy silence. Bass was studying Daisuke's weapon carefully, playing around a little with the safety. "Nice shit, Ferret," he mumbled. No more of a response came from the red-haired boy outside of a small grunt of acknowledgment.
Mimi set the kettle down on a hotplate and plopped her hands on her hips. She was a pretty girl by Takeru's standards, brown cords sagging off her hips and a baby-tee hugging her curves, which were not lacking. She smiled, either trying to make light of the situation or oblivious to the seriousness. "So you're the famous Ferret I hear so much about, eh? You want anything in that tea?"
Daisuke raised his head, not enough of an asshole to ignore a pretty girl. "Uh, no, I'm good. Thanks."
Her smile widened. "Bass told me all about you. Nice to put a face to a name."
"Yeah, funny he never mentioned you to me," the boy mumbled, shooting a cold glare at the boy across the table.
Bass made a face. "Aw, c'mon Ferret. This isn't my fault."
"I know."
"I'm confused," Takeru interjected, turning every head towards him. "You're Bass and you're supposed to be captured by the... er... Byen-cho? God, I can't keep anything straight anymore."
"Yeah," Daisuke nodded once at the blonde, "you got it right. Fuck, Bass, you got a square? I need one like all hell."
Mimi pulled a pack from her back pocket and handed one to Daisuke, followed by a lighter. "I don't let him carry them. I'm the one in control of his smoking habit."
Flashing a quick grin, Daisuke lit up and handed the lighter back to the girl. "Hey, I know what you mean." He paused to take a long drag, then exhaled on a heavy sigh. "It's like, if I wasn't currently broke I'd be doin' a pack a day." Turning his dark gaze on Bass, he shook his head. "I don't get it. Why? I completely missed something."
Bass shrugged and rose to his feet, heading towards the refrigerator and swiping a can of beer, opting out of having a tea party. "It's fucked, Ferret. You weren't supposed to get mixed up in this."
"Yeah, well I did get in it. Fuck now."
"Come on, you two, watch the language, all right?" Mimi sat down in Bass' seat and took over his cup of tea. She winked at Takeru and took a long drink.
Daisuke shoved back from the table and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "Back up, okay. What's going on here? Who's she, besides your girlfriend?"
Bass shrugged and placed his hand on the back of Mimi's chair. "She's the reason I got caught up." A tilt of the head suggested Daisuke didn't understand, so he continued. "See, she's sort of... the daughter of Mr. Byen-cho."
"Holy fuck," Daisuke raised one eyebrow.
"Yep. And what can I say, I fell for her. Sucks to be Bass, you know?" The boy shook his head and ran a hand through his green hair. "It's real messed up, Ferret. Don't ever get into gangs and shit. You get caught up and then you can never get out."
The eyebrow fell back in line with the other, creased in confusion. "Un. So you fell for her, but you're on opposite sides. Wow, very Romeo and Juliet." Daisuke suddenly smacked his forehead and pointed at Bass with his cigarette. "Miyaoku! Miyaoku Kaioh! Why didn't I realize it before?"
"Eh?" Takeru blinked, feeling incredibly lost on the entire conversation.
"Miyaoku Osaruka is the guy in the lead of Kaze and that's his father! I didn't even realize that when I read off the name! Jesus Christ!" Daisuke shook his head.
"You're dense, Ferret," Bass grinned and leaned on the chair, resting his chin on Mimi's head.
"No kidding! Okay, okay, so let me get this straight. You love her," Daisuke pointed at Mimi, "but you couldn't be with her because you were Osaruka's kid. But I thought Osaruka didn't even want you in with Kaze."
"He didn't. But that doesn't mean everybody else didn't," Mimi answered for him. "He had lots of pressure to step up into Osaruka's place should anything go wrong. It wouldn't have settled well with anybody if he'd gone off with me, not even Osaruka."
"But I thought you were kidnapped or something," Takeru blinked. "And Daisuke said he'd found out where you were."
"Yeah, fuck that, dude, don't tell me I was wrong. Everything pointed to you being shoved into that goddamn wine cellar."
"Damn, Ferret!" Bass grinned brightly. "You're good at this. You followed everything through.
Daisuke shook his head and blinked. "Whaaaaaaat?"
"Okay, okay," Bass pulled out a fourth chair and plonked down into it. "I already told you that I was practically head over heels for Mims here. Well, the only way we could actually be together was if I broke off from the Kaze. So I did that, except I sort of... faked everything."
"You faked it?" the darker boy leaned against the table, eyebrows going up in surprise and admiration. "Well you did a good job."
"Yep. I had everything set out. A kidnapping, evidence of a struggle, and planted some good old electronic hints that would lead anyone cool enough to hack through to believe I was being held in the old wine cellar at Muradae Hill." Bass grinned. "You missed stuff though. I had lots of hints. I planted stuff towards the wine cellar and about five other places. I mean, if you'd busted in to the wine cellar and I wasn't there, you'd have gone looking for more evidence, right? So then you'd follow the hints to wherever the next place I put down was, but I wouldn't be there, so..."
"Clever," Daisuke nodded. "But why all the stalling?"
"I needed time to stall, because tomorrow I'll be dead."
"Eh?" Takeru tilted his head to the side. "God, seems like all I've said this entire time is 'eh.' You're gonna be dead?"
"Tomorrow I'm faking a death. As far as Osaruka is concerned I'll be gone. He'll never know I'm across town making out with the daughter of his enemy," he winked once at the girl, who giggled.
Silence fell in the room as Daisuke stuffed out his cigarette into an ashtray. "Man. You thought this out. You're real set, aren't you," he mumbled.
The pride and happiness dissolved from Bass' expression and he sighed. "I told you, Ferret... you weren't supposed to get involved in this whole thing."
Pulling the goggles from around his neck and passing them back and forth from one hand to the other, the darker boy shook his head. "I am though. Now what."
It wasn't a question, so Bass didn't answer. He sighed once more. "Listen... Daisuke," he used the skater's real name for the first time that day. "I know you want your friend back... I can tell you she's safe."
He looked up. "She's fine?"
"She's fine. We're taking care of her. See, I told you she wasn't worth what your father said," the boy nodded at Mimi.
"What's she worth?" The blonde blinked. "I don't like the sound of that. She's a human being, not something you can put a price on."
"Not to my father," Mimi grimaced. "My dad thought she was pretty close to Osaruka, that she meant something. That of course is through assuming Ferret means something to Osaruka."
"Which he doesn't mean anything more than another check to write out," Bass snorted in contempt.
Takeru blinked and snapped his head towards Daisuke. "Check? What check?"
Daisuke grimaced. "Takeru... there's stuff you don't know. Stuff I lied to you about."
"You lied to me?" the blonde shoved back from the table and stared in disbelief. "I was helping you because I thought you were trying to save your friends ass, but really you're only in it for money, aren't you? My God, you're a goddamn mercenary, Daisuke!"
Bass blinked and stood up, grabbing Mimi's hand. "Um, okay, I think we'll duck back into the bedroom until you two work this out."
"No, don't go anywhere," Daisuke held up a hand. "Whatever I have to say to him, I can say it in front of you. Listen, Takeru... for one thing, you were the one begging me to let you in on this whole thing, so don't shift blame. You begged me, just two weeks, just two weeks! That's all you wanted, two weeks. And I gave you those two weeks before you even knew what was going on. Am I right? Sit your ass down, Takeru. I asked you if I was right."
Takeru sat down heavily into his chair. "Yeah, okay, you're right," he replied tersely.
"All right then," the other nodded once, no anger in his voice, only something that resembled exhaustion. "For another, I couldn't tell you everything. I was trying to protect you and to keep you from knowing too much. And also... I needed to know you'd be on my side. I know, I'm a fucking mercenary, okay? But that's not all that I am." Daisuke sighed and slumped backwards in his chair. "Osaruka came to me because he knew Bass was my friend. And I wanted my friend back, dammit. In case you haven't noticed, I don't have many of those here, okay? I'd have done anything to get him back." He chewed his lip slightly. "It was his own fault he offered me money. I'd have done it for nothing but he threw an offer at me. So I took it. Somebody waves a practically blank check in your face, you think you're gonna turn it down? Hell no.
"So I told him I'd do it. And I made up this whole long story to get Koushiro on my side. Koush was some little techy I just happened to run into some day and I don't even remember how he wound up in it. And then he introduced me to Yamato and to Taichi and it was a little overwhelming, so I spilled the truth. And then you somehow got in there..." Blowing out a breath, Daisuke pulled a hand through his hair. "I lied to you just the same as I lied to Koush. I... I don't know what else to tell you," he shrugged.
"I don't know what to think, either," Takeru tilted his head to the side.
The darker boy sighed heavily. "Listen, Takeru. You said two weeks, but if you want out now... I won't blame you. You can get up and walk out and go home, forget any of this ever happened, and it'll all be over, no big deal."
Leaning back in his chair, the other tilted one eyebrow down in thought. "I don't know, Daisuke."
"Ferret?" Both turned to Bass, who looked a little uncomfortable in the midst of an argument he had nothing to do with. "I hate to change subject on you, but I think this is important. I know how you can fix this whole bullshit mess with your friend and the Byen-cho and Osaruka and everything."
Daisuke straightened up and leaned towards Bass. "What? How?"
Mimi pointed to Takeru, who was just as interested as the darker boy. "Look. I think we already figured out Blondie here isn't pulling out of this deal just yet."
Takeru and Daisuke locked gazes for a long moment before Takeru shrugged and smiled slightly. "I'm the one who begged to be in on this, remember? I'm in," he repeated the line he'd uttered earlier that afternoon.
Daisuke grinned back one of his rare, genuine smiles. They both turned back to Bass, back in kick some ass mode. "All right, Bass, hook it up. Let's fix this shit."
Bass cracked his knuckles. "Okay, check it. Mimi's father is not the favorite guy among Byen-cho right now... if he died, no one would really miss him."
One dark eyebrow lifted. "Are you telling me to kill her father?" he shifted his gaze to Mimi.
The girl pushed her hair behind her shoulders and put her hands on her hips. "He's telling you no one would miss him if he was gone," she replied evenly.
"Not even you?" Takeru challenged easily.
She turned her eyes on Bass, then back to Takeru. "I'd get over it."
"Heh, I take it your father doesn't approve of his background?" Daisuke grinned slightly.
"You would be right on that," the green-haired boy grumbled.
"Thing is, everyone else pretty well likes Bass. He didn't have much to do with Kaze beyond being Osaruka's son. Besides, if my father is gone, I take his place. Or rather, Bass would since mainly a male figure is looked at to lead." Mimi raised one shoulder in a shrug. "Sexist, but I don't care. He's got the background to handle it. Everyone knows that."
"Tell you the truth, there's been talk of a mutiny anyway," Bass added.
Daisuke plopped his chin in one hand. "So... if her dad gets killed... nobody would care. Osaruka would be happy that I'd avenge the supposed death of you, which will occur tomorrow, correct?"
"Correct. Early Sunday morning. So you should make your move that night."
Takeru leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table. "So assuming we did kill Mimi's father, there'd be a little bit of unorganized chaos that would follow... and in that chaos we could take Hikari and run."
"And if Bass steps in as leader, he wouldn't follow up on regaining her, or the people who went after her. Meaning me," Daisuke grinned.
Mimi dusted her hands on her cords. "Listen, you two. Sunday night. 8:30."
"We'll find a way to keep everyone out of your way," Bass nodded.
The blonde shot a nervous glance at Daisuke. "We should run this by Koushiro first. And the rest of the guys. And Ken."
Daisuke growled at the name. "Fuck Ken, we don't need him."
"Who's Ken?" the girl sat down on Bass' lap, tilting her head to the side.
"Ichijouji Ken. You might know him, Mims. He did a lot of the programming for the Byen-cho systems."
"Oh! That kid! Yeah, I remember him... what's he got to do with this?"
"We uh. Kidnapped him," Takeru grinned slightly.
For a moment Mimi stared blankly, then laughed. "You kidnapped Ichijouji Ken? You could have poked him with a watergun and got anything out of that kid! He doesn't know much of anything beyond the work he did on his own, don't bother with him."
In a grunt of disgust, Daisuke leaned forwards. "Mimi, will you draw me a map of the Byen-cho hangout? Ken gave us one, but I don't trust his knowledge. Especially not anymore."
"Sure, Ferret," she hopped up and headed into the other room to get some paper.
Takeru took the pause in conversation to eye Daisuke. "So why do they call you Ferret?"
Bass laughed. "You ever see this guy skate? He skates the way a ferret runs. That is, somewhat like greased lightening. He rocks ass. He's fast and he can get around anything he wants to."
"No... I've never seen him skate."
"You're missing out," the older boy nodded. "He's good."
"Geh, not really" Daisuke shrugged off the praise.
"Pfft, don't be modest."
"Here, Ferret!" Mimi bounced back in to the kitchen and presented a folded paper to Daisuke. "A map. I marked two places. One of them is where Hikari is and the other is where we'll have my father be. 8:30 at night, don't forget."
"You should go," Bass stood up. "Ferret... Daisuke. We can't communicate much after this. I'll disappear for a long time."
Daisuke glanced over the map briefly and then handed it to Takeru. "Bass, dude. We'll hook up sometime. Maybe five years from now, who knows. Who cares. Just watch it, okay? Don't get caught up in shit anymore."
"You neither, punkass. Be careful. And back off everything, all right?"
"Yeah yeah." Daisuke shoved his hands down in his pockets. "I've stopped. Not messing with that shit anymore. You shouldn't either."
"If things go as planned, we won't be once my dad is gone," Mimi dipped her head to the side, then bounced forward and hugged Daisuke. "Be careful. Do good, all right?"
"Yeah," the darker boy squeezed her back in a quick hug.
"You too, Takeru, be careful with this guy," Bass grinned. "He'll get you fucked up faster than you know."
"Oh, believe me, I've realized that," the blonde rolled his eyes and groaned slightly.
Daisuke laughed slightly. "Come on, Takeru, we have to get out of here. Um, hey... Bass..."
"I know, Ferret."
"Yeah." The boy tilted his head to the side, then snapped his goggles on over his eyes. "We're out."
