"Whoa! Whoa! You have to be kidding me! There is no way you going out in the streets looking like...like...a yankee!" Kyo cried in outrage as Serki emerged from the girls lockeroom wearing a black trenchcoat, dark tan long skirt, and a similar sleeveless shirt. Complete with a mask.

"This is the best way for me to get ahold of old clan contacts though, Kyo-Kyo. They know "Lioness" when they see her and don't fear being killed for being in contact with Sadnesan Serki. To them Lioness and Serki are two different people. Besdes, this is basically what I wore on the way here from Yokohama and when I would gather information for my clan. To you its highly noticeable, to normal people, a seeming deliquent snooping around is no biggie in comparsion to a Sadnesan looking around, especially now. Think boyo, you are just gonna have to deal with it." Serki laughed. Tormenting Kyo had become a form of entertainment for her, not that she didn't care about him. but his resemblence to Kazuo and his first reaction to her Lioness ruse had been about the same, though he had keel hauled her to the nearest changing room and tried to make her change into something more 'sensible' as he had termed it.

"She's right you know," a new boy said calmly as he joined them, "Hello I don't think we've met before, but I have defently heard of a Sadnesan Serki. I'm Hatsuharu Sohma, its great to finally meet you."

"Okay well fine, go looking like a punk for all I care, but I will not allow you to go alone. I'm coming with you to make certain some idiot deliquent doesn't hurt you anymore...though don't take that the wrong way! I just don't want you hurt again after all you did for us." Kyo growled

"I think I'll come along as well." Haru added.

"Pleased to meet you Hatsuharu-san," Serki asked with a slight grin, "It seems I don't have much of a choice, do I? With you both insisting like you are. Fine come, I won't stop you."

"Call me Haru-kun, and given what I have been told about you and the whats happening now, no, not a choice." Haru replied.

"Still one thing before we leave, no matter what, do not do anything unless I tell you to do so. If a man punches me in the face, you both have to stand there and let him do it. Do you understand? This is not a game, this is more than deliequents and idiots pretending to be yankees. This is business and if one thing goes wrong, weeks of advance preparation could be the least thing to happen. Most likely we'll be dealing with the men who wan to hunt the Sohma clan down, including myself." Serki sighed as she turned to face them both. She had to be sure they were fully aware of the gravivity of the situation. Any false move and it could all be over. Neither answered her and she had expected as much from them, but the aware look in their eyes was enough for her. It would suffice for the lack of their answers.

"Ah, Lioness-san!" A scrungy looking man wearing the threadbare remains of a suit called out as they entered a alley.

"Its good to see you," Serki replied as she offered him her arm and allowed him to clasp her hand fiercly before they broke apart, "What news have you for me Sayou-san?"

"Always business with you, isn't it, Lioness-kun. But as you know, I always know the news, better than those whats you call 'em? Reporters, thats it! They may know the news on the topside, but they never know whats going on the bottomside and whats between. Ask and I shall answer." Sayou answered.

"Thats good then," Serki laughed, "So, what can you tell me of these Dauesha that keep recruiting people? Whats going on with them? I was interested in contacting them."

"Ah, even for a deliquent, you are a lady, Lioness-san. Its best to avoid those demons. They swoop down the streets, searching for anyone hopeless enough to believe their story. Sad truth is, too many are just hopeless enough to believe their stories and they follow them. They believe their every word and then they...change. You can tell the difference between them and the normal idiots wandering the streets. They are always searching, always accusing anyone who passes them of being a 'abomination'. Which is ridiculous. Yet what they offer these people in return for this, I don't know. None I have spoken of will speak of what they get out of joining with the Daeusha." Sayou answered her, clearly troubled and preturbed the news he bore.

"Hmm, that is interesting, Sayou-san. Can you tell me where they met? I don't think I'll join them, but you know curiosity killed the cat." Serki pressed.

"At the east side docks of the city, there's a old warehouse that one of the leaders of the Dauesha owns and thats where they gather. But don't go. I would like to know your real name one of these days Lioness-kun, you have charmed me all of this time as to who you really are. Don't be hurt by them, they are demons." Sayou replied.

Serki closed the distance between the two of them and pressed her hand against his forehead and whispered as she willed all of his memories of her for the past couple weeks to vanish, "My name was Serki-kun, if you ever remember me."

She turned then and left him. Silently Kyo and Haru followed her out into the daylight outside the alley.

"Why'd you erase his memories, Serki? He cared about you." Haru asked.

"Anyone in close connection to a Sadnesan is in danger, he's told me all he safely can without crossing that line. Its the best way I know to protect him, considering where we are heading. Had I been stronger the night Kyo and Yuki found me, I would have erased their memories of me to keep them safe too. I don't particularly care if anyone knows I can turn into a mountain lion at will, but if knowing I turn into that puts someone in danger, then erasing their memory of me is the best way to keep them safe...When we go to those docks, you must remember everything I told you both earlier. If things go smoothely, we all can learn more...if things develop a glitch, well then, we really have a major problem. To be killed would be the least thing that would happen...the worst would be interogation and then death. They mean business and why just kill us, if they can learn who is connection with us before we die. We do not want the betrayal of our family and friends upon us. Lets do this the easy way."

"Ah damn it all, would you quit worrying about everyone else for a change! We know, we heard you the first time you said it. You keep doing this and I dunno, for some odd reason it keeps pissing me off, but anyway, quit worrying. Worry about yourself for once. We'll take care of you, even if you wont for yourself. I don't know about the damn rat, but I'll do what I have to. Just don't take that the wrong way." Kyo spat as he turned to face Serki.

"I think what Kyo is saying is 'Everything will be fine.' I'll behave I promise, you don't have to worry. We all have someone involved in this that we don't want hurt." Haru added in a calmer tone than Kyo's.

"Good then, lets go," Serki replied, "and thank you both so much for doing this."

Haru winked and Kyo scuffed as they headed off towards the sea and the docks and what awaited them by the harbor line.

A/N: Okie-dokie, I decided it was time to get the plot on a roll, so, here we are. Hope you enjoyed everyone!

Star'