Chapter 4 - A Drink or Two

"... 2, not counting Yugi."

"... two..." Saito took another swig of sake, remembering the man who had been Grey Wolf's first love.

"Save... Saito..." He kissed Grey Wolf, then, fell silent.

"... he... that charmer..." Saito took another swig. He drank down the rest of the sake. "More."

"Sir, that's your tenth drink... I think you've had enough." The bartender spoke, eyeing Saito fearfully. Saito drew his sword, holding it to the man's throat.

"I'll tell you... when I've had enough. Now, MORE."

"Yes... sir..." Saito took the next round in one swig. He quickly ordered another, drinking the problems and memories away. After an uncounted number of drinks, Saito finally got up and left.

"Grey Wolf! Wait! Where are you going??" Zac yelled, running to catch up.

"I'm going to say sorry..."

"Sorry?"

"I... I've known for a long time, that I was wrong. But my pride has always held me back... the words, that you said to me... they told me that I must face him... and... reconcile our differences."

"You mean... Vejiita..." He paused and thought.

"It's... the right thing to do, Grey Wolf."

Grey Wolf slowly opened the door to her home. Silence was the only sound. "Zac... stay here."

"Why?"

"I... I have to do this... alone."

He slowly nodded. "I... I understand."

"... Thank you... Zac..." Grey Wolf slowly walked in. There was an eerie feeling in the air as she walked through the hallway, familiar but somehow different. "What's going on here..." Grey Wolf whispered to herself. She walked past her room. Empty. A feeling of urgency overtook her. She began to walk more briskly. She passed Tokio's room, where her stepmother lay sleeping. Grey Wolf continued walking. Past Ghost's room. He was out on a date with his girlfriend. Past the gravity room. Finally, she reached the end of the hall, and Vejiita's room.

She knocked on the door. No answer. "Vejiita?" She whispered repeatedly. Still, no answer. Could it be possible that he'd left, wasn't there? She doubted it. He had no friends other than Zac and herself. So then... why would he not answer? She carefully turned the handle, though slowly. It felt as if it were stuck. Then, the door nearly refused to move, as if she had no right to be in Vejiita's room, as if she were tresspassing on sacred ground. At long last, she forced the door open.

Tears streamed down Vejiita's face as he held a 45 automatic to his head. The timing was unforseen. Had she opened the door even a second later, she would have witnessed the suicide of the one person she had come to not only save, but to beg for forgiveness.

---

"I'll be at Kenshin's. I need to think, and it has to be away from here. I'll be in the grav room(gravity room) if you need me..."

"Alright." Vejiita teleported away. Grey Wolf walked out the door of Vejiita's room. She quickly walked through the hallway, outside, to where Zac was standing.

"So?"

"He'll be at Kenshin's house for a while. How long, I don't know... I remember that he once trained for 5 days straight, not once eating or resting. Saito would check on him each day, and encourage him to leave, but... finally, on the sixth day, Saito found him unconscious on the floor of the grav room. It took him weeks to fully recover..." Grey Wolf whispered.

"And you?"

"I'll... be training in the wilderness."

"Ok... I'll be taking a nap then..."

"It'll be a long nap."

"Don't care." Zac spoke softly. He thought, "I'll wait as long as it takes... just... come back." He made sure not to say his thoughts out loud.

"Fine... use- well, nevermind. My brother'd kill you... Vejiita's room's not going to work... ehh. Crap. Don't mind the sofa until I leave, right? I just have to get my sword, rations, that stuff."

"Sure..." He got comfortable on the couch and drifted off to sleep. He didn't notice a man slowly creep in barely moments later. He walked past Zac, not awakening the boy who had barely drifted to sleep. He walked into Grey Wolf's room. She spun around at the pungent smell of alcohol. As soon as she did this, a powerful fist met her face.

"Saito??" She thought while flying backward. "Oh no..." Grey Wolf knew very well her stepfather's alcohol tolerance level- 0.

"You should've saved him..." Saito spoke. He walked forward. Grey Wolf backed away as far as she could, until she bumped into the wall.

"Wh-who??"

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T REMEMBER!!!" Saito screamed as he barreled at Grey Wolf, landing a left hook into her jaw. Her head slammed against the wall. She slid down the wall, and Saito took this opportunity to kick her in the ribs, knocking her breathless. She slid to the side, clutching her stomach, writhing on the floor. Saito pulled her by the shirt and threw her into the wall opposite them, then walked over and repeatedly kicked her in the stomach. When he stopped, she was barely a mess of blood on the floor. Saito picked her up by the throat and slammed her against the wall. Grey Wolf screamed in pain.

He whispered to Grey Wolf harsh words which, while he was drunk, he believed were true. "You always were my weapon. Nothing more. Striking where I pointed, killing on my words. Always... you were nothing more than that reversed blade the Battosai carries around with him. Nothing more. Perhaps... we shall test how the sakabato faces up against the katana of a true Miburo..." Using his free right hand, he drew his sword. He pointed it at Grey Wolf, holding her against the wall, try as she might to break free.

"SAITO." A boy said behind him in an angry tone. Saito turned to see Zac, holding Grey Wolf's bloodstained katana, poised to strike. Zac was ready enough that Saito, in his drunkenness, didn't have time to react before Zac ripped his right arm open. Saito dodged last second, causing less damage, but it was still a powerful hit. Grey Wolf got to her feet. She conjured what she could of a spirit sword, but it turned to be only a dagger. Zac saw this. "Grey Wolf... stay back."

"Come... Saito."

At Zac's request, Saito ran at him, angrily. Zac knew he had no chance, but if it meant Grey Wolf would survive, he would give his life.

"Fool! You'll die for your insolence!" Saito yelled. Grey Wolf's spirit sword suddenly grew to the size of a Katana. She jumped at Saito and sent the spirit sword through his side, causing it to go through him. His own Katana had been a mere inch from Zac's face.