Author's note:

Thanks to cHikEn bOnE o-O, janey Luvz you, Flpino Hter Slyer & Ms. Evil, for the reviews…
How lovely… sobs At least I know someone's expecting new chapters!

I do know of many people - those 'silent lurkers' - who read but are too shy to review. And it's okay… I do respect your privacy… I'm cool with that. But if you ever come out of your hiding… you know what to do… Hehehe. (sorry, how shameless of me.)

And let me know if you like long chapters. I personally like to read long pages, but it can get real painful on the eyes and attention span… But if you like it, I'll serve it!

Chapter 2: Esprit de Corps.

Esprit de corps (French): loyalty and devotion uniting the members of a group.

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You can't walk alone, Many have given the illusion but none have really walked alone. Man is not made that way. Each man is bedded in his people, their history, their culture, and their values.

- Peter Abrahams

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They were mad-crazy and he was mad-angry.

"So, you crossed over to the West and deliberately picked a fight with none other than that Hiiragizawa?"

Kinomoto Touya leaned back in his seat and watched the four youths with deadly intent. He had rushed down from University for this impromptu interrogation when he'd heard that some of his boys had caused trouble… Another damn inconvenience squeezed into his hectic schedule.

However, he had no room to complain, no matter how annoying things got. Touya sighed out loud enough for them to hear his displease. It was still his prominent duty to find out everything that transpired under his thumb. The only consolation he could find was that it gave him a good excuse to avoid grocery shopping with his 'shopaholic' girlfriend.

"Hai, Kinomoto-san. We only wanted to get back at him for what his boys did to Junta and Kun. Justice!" Seventeen-year-old teen named Keishi cried out defensively. Clearly, he was the leader of yesterday's troublesome expedition.

Touya bit back a curse.

Keishi's three equally dumb friends nodded solemnly in agreement. "Hai. And to think that he refused to step out of his car, claiming that he was late for school! Then he started insulting us and got us mad, then made us chase him. That bloody coward!"

Touya propped his elbows on his armrests and leaned slightly forward, eyeing his subjects more intently. He deliberately frowned for an added effect.

"So, in other words, you took in his bait, and unknowingly accepted his challenge to race?"

The hard strain in his voice was not lost to them. The four gulped and nodded, their faces turning scarlet in part shame and part frustration.

Touya noticed that they were sweating profusely and keeping their gazes downcast. So, they're scared, eh? Good. He raised his tone by a notch. "You stepped into their territory to stir trouble. Without my knowledge or permission. Now, what excuse do you have for that?"

The boys flustered and quickly tried to redeem themselves in front of their leader. "We-we couldn't let him get away. Not what after he did two weeks ago! It's an insult to our gang. Surely you can see that -- "

Touya let out another disappointed sigh and raised his hand to demand silence. No more explanations were needed. And certainly no more excuses for their misconduct. These undisciplined kids are a menace. "Still, you did break one of the codes."

It was an unwritten law to respect each triad's territories. No one allowed their men to cross the borders, unless it was a matter of life and death and business. And any personal disputes between triads were usually settled on neutral grounds – namely Centra Tomoeda, considered a no-man's land where none of the triads could claim as their own turf.

Of course, there were many mischief-makers who gladly broke all rules of engagement out of spite. Especially his boys and the Reed brats. Their vendetta had started from way back.

Touya tapped his fingers on the tabletop. The small and petty fights, occurring every now and then, didn't really bother him much. In fact, he enjoyed the sparring a lot... especially, when it involved their arch-nemesis. However, with too many rule-breaking, it could seem - to other triad leaders - that he wasn't able to keep a firm hold on his boys. Now that would ruin his reputation. And his family's.

His face darkened at that horrifying thought. Damn. To add further insult to injury, the idiots just had to lose that friggin' race to Hiiragizawa! Young fools!

He quickly dismissed them before his temper got the best of him. "I'll let you off easy this time. Disobey my orders again, and I'll see you whipped. Now, get out." He pointed to the door.

"Hai! Arigatou, Kinomoto-san."

"Arigatou, Kinomoto-san."

"Arigatou, Kinomoto-san. And gomenasai."

"Arigatou, Kinomoto-san. Gomen." The four offenders bowed before leaving.

-----

"Hmm... That was rather… funny."

A young ash-haired man with pale features chuckled lightly. He was standing by the door throughout the session, silently watching the four youths fled out of the office.

Those boys had every intention to trash Hiiragizawa on his very own land, but returned with their tails stuck between their legs instead. "Four 'visitors' lost against one 'home' player. Ironic, ironic."

"Yuki. Don't start." Came the warning reply.

"Loosen up, Touya. We've had our fair share of mischief when we were younger, too, remember? It's not unusual."

"Hai. Demo, we weren't that stupid as to tread on enemy grounds with malicious intent, and with only three persons as backup!"

His best friend merely chuckled in reply. "They're young and will learn soon enough."

"I sure as hell hope so!"

Touya rubbed the back of his neck hard. This underground business was damn tiring at times. And irritating, too. It felt as if his life was part of some mobster movie, minus the Tommy guns and hardcore drugs. Hell!

The Godfather? Or the Sopranos? No, forget those when there's Tomoeda's very own Yakuzas - The Amamiya, Reed, Kagawa and Yosano families. Four influential triads led by members of old, powerful families that once reigned this big town. Each triad had a dominion in four different parts of Tomoeda, except for the central part, which belonged to none.

He sighed out loud. "Tell me, Yuki. Why did I ever sign up for this?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

"No." Touya scowled. It was a sensitive topic, something he'd rather dump at the back of his mind to rot. He'd never openly talked about it, his reasons for walking this road. But deep down, he knew it was always family obligations over his hearts' desires. His grandfather was relying on him.

He looked around his office, located on the second floor of The Hexagon. His very own club, given to him on his 21st birthday by his wonderful grandfather. His very own baby.

It wasn't easy running The Hexegon when it first opened three years ago. Tough days, bad businesses. The club had seen it its fair share of lowest hits… But it had been worth the effort and determination. Now, it was one of the most renowned nightspots in the whole of Tomoeda.

The club also frequently took away whatever was left of his spare time after his family, University, girlfriend and 'other businesses'. His hectic lifestyle could stretch him thin at times but he didn't mind it. Oh, truthfully, he loved it! And with cash flowing in his bank account monthly, he need not have to bother his father for money.

His eyes landed on the picture frames that hung on his wall. The faces of his families and close friends… Always there, reminding him... Sigh. Initially, he hadn't wanted any decoration in his office, but relented when his mad girlfriend kicked up a fuss. Speaking of whom…

Touya glanced at the clock and shot up from his chair. "Damn! I'm supposed to pick Nakuru up from the mall now. She's cooking dinner tonight." He grabbed his trench coat from the stand. "Oh, and you're invited." His hard voice spared no room for argument.

Yukito merely smiled at the veiled command. No polite questions like 'Would you join us?' or 'Would you please come?'. He could feel the imaginary shackles clamping onto his ankles tightly. Both Nakuru and Touya could get real scary when they're persistent.

"God save us from food poisoning."

"Stay strong, my dear friend." Touya smiled evilly. If he was going to suffer dinner, he sure as hell was going to drag his best friend down with him.

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Li Syaoran was humming softly as he stuffed his damp towel and jersey into his duffel bag. He was happy, light-headed and fully sated. With an about turn, he promptly walked out of the boy's shower room with a bounce in his steps, purposely ignoring the amused glances his teammates threw at his back. It was rare to see their captain at such ease, even though they knew that soccer practices always left him feeling somewhat - uncharacteristically - cheery.

He then briskly headed towards the school parking lot, hoping to be missed by a certain sapphire-eyed tyrant.

But he ran out of luck.

"Chotto matte!" Came the familiar voice that permanently wiped the glow from his face. Damn. It seemed that Eriol's rugby practice had ended around the same time his soccer training had. Syaoran paused in his tracks, but then thought the better of it, and simply continued walking. Let the bugger catch up by himself! He smiled wickedly, feeling smug.

"Oi!"

Syaoran continued to ignore his cousin. However, his bliss was short-lived when he reached the parking lot. He frowned hard at the sight of a pretty, ebony-haired girl leaning against his corvette and promptly glanced at his watch. It was almost dusk. Shouldn't she be home hours ago?

He frowned even harder when he realised she was actually sitting on his car's bonnet.

"Meilin! What are you still doing here in school at this hour? Get off my car!"

Li Meilin straightened up from her cousin's precious wheels, deciding to disregard his withering glare. Finally! She was sick of waiting. "I'm bored. Let's go catch that Chinese horror movie!" She smiled enthusiastically.

"No."

She grabbed his arm and pleaded, "Come on, the rest of the girls didn't want to watch it! You're my only hope… Please?"

He made a face. Was she mad? Did she not realise he'd just had soccer training? "Some other time, okay. I've just had practice, remember? I'm tired and hungry."

Meilin sighed loudly, knowing it wouldn't be fair to drag him out in such a state. Besides, when Syaoran got tired and hungry, he was even more grumpy than usual. And that would be very bad… for her. Great, what a waste of time!

She released his arm and pushed it away in dejection. "Fine…Spoilsport," she muttered the last word under her breath. What a bummer.

Syaoran rejoiced inwardly as he unlocked his car, then turned back to face her. Oddly, there seemed to be something different in her appearance lately, though he wasn't sure what it was… And that had somewhat bothered him in class earlier in the day. Another ear piercing? A new watch? He scrutinised her suspiciously from top to bottom.

His left eye started twitching as soon as her school skirt came into view. It was at least two inches – no, three! - above her knees. He prayed for patience. Relax, Syaoran…

It didn't help.

"What the hell did you do to your skirt?" He growled out.

Meilin shrugged, knowing full well that he would notice the small alteration. Yeah, so what? "Isn't it obvious? I only shortened it a little. No big deal."

He didn't know whether to strangle her or beat her senseless. "There's a valid reason why they made our schoolgirls wear knee-length skirts, Meilin. Do you want to end up a rape victim or in teenage pregnancy?" He asked her in his usual direct, crude manner.

She narrowed her eyes, her mouth tightening into a stubborn line. "Ooooh... Don't worry, that would never happen. Besides, who would even want to date me, knowing I'm related to you?"

"That didn't stop you from dating that bastard from Central Tomoeda!"

Meilin scowled. Did he have to bring that ugly topic up? It had happened ages ago, for godsake! "Well, so? I obviously didn't have anyone else since no one in the East dares to ask me out - "

"Meilin, he tried to take advantage of you! And he cheated on you, too!"

"Hey, look! That was a long time ago! And I've learnt my lesson already. So get over it, okay! I can take care of myself." She puffed up in indignation.

He swore out loud. Stubborn girls and their broken pride are a menace to over-protective male cousins. What's with them and dating, anyway? And, damn, Eriol had chosen to finally arrive at that very moment.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Eriol. Someone's making a big fuss out of nothing." Meilin huffed out, giving Syaoran another seething look.

"Nothing? You call –"

"Oh, shut up!"

"That's right, Syaoran. Give her a break, will you." Eriol added in amusement while eyeing Meilin, his other temperamental relative. Noticing her skirt, he quickly concluded the cause of Syaoran's irritation.

He decided to comment on it, anyway.

"Her skirt's not that short… Have you ever seen the girls from the Miyazaki Girls Academy? Now, those are offensive!"

"Don't encourage her!"

"I'm not. Don't worry about her skirt, man. No one would dare mess with our fiery cousin, so drop it. You wouldn't want to embarrass Meilin, now would you?"

Meilin smiled at her currently favourite relative. Eriol Hiiragizawa was such sweet, sensitive and perceptive guy when he chose to be one. Too bad they were related. "You're the best, Eriol… Now why can't Syaoran be more like you?"

"Hey! Why you-!"

"Now, Meilin. I wouldn't goad him further if I were you. Not good for your health," Eriol teased as he walked towards his car.

"Hiiragizawa! Don't think I didn't know you just insulted me! I'll let it go for now." Syaoran barked out before turning his attention to three approaching figures. "Oi! It's about time you three stepped of the shower! Been busy having too much fun?" He growled out to them sarcastically.

Eriol snickered at that. His cousin sure had a twisted sense of wit when provoked.

"Well, someone's back to his grumpy self." Yamazaki ignored the veiled insult and unlocked his black Audi.

Hitsuko Akira laughed out loud. "You mean, he wasn't grumpy before this?" He leaned against his light blue Nissan Coupe with his arms folded across his chest, grinning from ear to ear. "Hi, Meilin." He winked at her, ever the resident charmer.

"Don't mind him. I agree, he's never not grumpy," Meilin smiled in return at the charming blonde guy with light blue eyes. She ignored the grumbling brute beside them.

Vice captain to Eriol's rugby team, Shino Hugosi, widely known as Hugo to everyone, joined in the teasing. "Come on, the guy can't help being what he is… A PMS boy! Hahaha!" He cackled over his own childish jest, ignoring the darkening expression on Syaoran's face.

"Urusai, baka, before my fist ends up in your face."

That shut them up effectively. Everyone knew when Syaoran threatened bodily harm, he usually meant it. He inwardly cheered at his small victory. Being the most feared person around has its advantages.

"Grump!"

Upon giving Syaoan a slight shove - which failed since he barely moved - Hugosi sauntered towards Eriol's Viper. He adored the hot blue car, but despite that, he wouldn't trade his own silver Jaguar coupe for anything else. His grey eyes twinkled with awe as he ran his hands on its bonnet. "Hey, Hiiragizawa. Did you really race with this baby yesterday? There's not even a scratch on her! I'm impressed!"

Eriol smiled smugly. His baby, together with its driver, was simply the best! "Of course, you should be. There's no other cars that can beat this sweetie."

"Yeah, right! We'll see about that!" Syaoran snorted in response as he quickly entered his corvette. He turned on the ignition, motioning to Meilin to fasten her seatbelt as he stepped on both accelerator and brake pedals.

Verrrrrooooommm….Vroooooommmmmm…..Vrooooooooommmmmmmm!

The others, having already anticipated his invitation, immediately acknowledged by powering up their respective cars. Time for a fun race.

"Alright, the last to reach the top of Reed Hill is a sore loser and pays a forfeit!" Syaoran screamed out through his window.

"Oh, Kamisama... Here we go again." Meilin rolled her eyes in exasperation. The egotistical male species and their flashy cars…

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Next chappie … Eriol reflects upon a certain dark stranger he met months ago… and also, Dinner with the Kinomotos!

P.S. Since this is an AU fic, there are changes in character profiles and relations… Such as Eriol & Syaoran being first cousins, Takashi being their very distant relative - too distant that they'd just call him close family friend… Masaki Amamiya as S,T&T's grandfather and not great-grandpa, Nakuru not associated with the Reed family (yet), etc… You'll find out as we go along ok…