Off To the Races

by Green Kneesocks

Kageyama Hana and her husband, Ichimaro, loved their daughter, they really did, but they could not take care of her. Not when they had a son to worry about. Giving her up was the best thing for everyone. Suzuki Touichirou especially. Fem!Mob Mob raised in Claw AU. Chapter 663 has been rewritten!

377. Greeting the Moon Before the Sun

You had to greet the sun before the moon.

That had been in a book that mom had read, before, when Sho and big sis were really little. Back when they had been little enough that she had read to them. You had to greet the sun before the moon, which meant that….well he wasn't sure what it meant. Don't sleep the day away, probably, or something like that. Mom had said that when she'd had to wake him and big sis up for school….back when they had still gone to school. They didn't go to school now, they did homeschool though so they weren't morons or anything, but they still had to get up early in the morning…or at least Sho had to….

He really did not want to be up right now.

But he had to be. Dad had told Fukuda in the middle of the night that they had to come back from wherever they were as soon as possible and that he expected them back in the morning. He had just said that right out of nowhere….and now Sho was in a car in Tokyo after having gotten on the earliest train out of Seasoning City…..and he just…he could feel dad's aura and big sis's aura and….and he should have….he should have been happy. Well not about being back with dad, obviously, since dad sucked but he should have been happy to have been back with big sis. He hadn't seen her in days and…and he loved her…and he should have been happy to see her….

But he wasn't happy.

He had left baby sis. He hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye this time. He had just…well he had left her a note with pictures because she couldn't read yet….and that wasn't good enough! He should have told her goodbye right to her face and….and he already missed her! There was never enough time! There just…there was never enough time….he never spent enough time with her…every time he saw her…no matter how much time he spent with her…it just….it was never enough. He never spent enough time just….being with her….teaching her things….just….

There was never enough time!

"We're almost there, ok? Then you can go back to sleep." said Fukuda. Sho was pissed off, it was obvious even without being able to see auras, and…and there was nothing that Fukuda could do about this. He had gotten a message at midnight from Suzuki saying that Shigeko wanted Sho back….so of course he had to come running. What was he supposed to do? Tell Suzuki no? Yeah, sure, that would have gone really well. The man had never heard the word 'no' in his life. Even when they had been kids his parents had been too afraid of him to say 'no' to even the most ridiculous requests. Ten thousand yen for spending money? Sure. A sixty centimeter color TV in his room? Alright. A new Atari every month because he kept on getting pissed off and breaking his? Why the hell not. There was no saying 'no' to Suzuki Touichirou….

Even though Fukuda really wished that he could.

For Sho's sake. He had been so happy before visiting his little sister. He was always so happy when he got to see the baby….or was she a toddler now? She could toddle….but he didn't know much about babies. He just knew what Sho told him. She could walk and string three words together and she could bite…Suzuki had always been violent even when they had been kids so maybe someone should have watched that….and she was apparently the smartest and best baby sister in the whole world. Pretend sister, as Sho often corrected himself, and as Fukuda didn't have the heart to correct him about. Sagami Mukai was his little sister by blood and…and that was not something that Sho needed to know about. Not at his age. He didn't need to know that his father had found some woman, probably with extreme emotional problems, to bend over his desk. No. Sho…he did not need to know that his father had cheated on his mother and made a whole other human being…that would not have gone over well. Fukuda would tell him when he was old enough to know about all of that…but not now. Not at ten. There was no way in hell that he would be able to handle it. He was already all torn up about leaving his pretend sister to go back to his real one….

And Fukuda was not going to tell him that he had it all backwards.

"Whatever." Said Sho. He pressed his head against the cool glass of the window. He could see the city, the big part of it, from here. If he really focused he could see and feel Tokyo HQ. He wanted….he didn't know what he wanted. To have taken baby sis with him, she would have liked Tokyo, or to have stayed in Seasoning City with her for the rest of his life….or whatever. He didn't know. All he knew was that he would rather have gone to Tokyo HQ than the Claw neighborhood out in the suburbs…he would have gone anywhere that didn't have dad.

"You know your dad only said that I had to bring you back to Tokyo. If you want we could have a sleepover, well a nap over, and then maybe we could go to an arcade or to a part or we could find an animal shelter-" said Fukuda. Sho was down in the dumps and pissed and he had to fix this. He had to fix this because it hurt him to see Sho like this. All groggy and….well he was groggy because it wasn't even seven in the morning yet….but him being all groggy like that…well Masami had been…that was how she had gotten before she just…stopped getting out of bed and….well Sho was her son…

"I want to sleep in my own bed and then I want to wake up and then I want to hang out with big sis. She's the one who wants me back, right?" asked Sho. He was not going to be a jerk, he was making an effort not to be, but it was hard. Fukuda was the one who dad had texted. Fukuda was the one who knew what dad had said. Dad had said that big sis wanted him to come back…so obviously he was going to hang out with his sister. His older sister, not his younger sister, and that was….it was what it was.

"Yes but that doesn't mean-" said Fukuda. He didn't have to go running to Shigeko just because she had asked for him. Someone needed to tell her that she didn't always get what she wanted….though maybe it was a little late to start enforcing boundaries with people. She had never heard the word 'no' before either. Masami had always been so good to those kids….and then Suzuki, well, he took the easy way out and just gave Shigeko whatever she wanted. He was even letting her drink and smoke even though Fukuda knew for a fact that Suzuki couldn't stand drinking and smoking. Shigeko…the world was not hers, not yet, and she couldn't just…just make people come running when she called.

"My dad made you bring me back because she misses me so I'm going to hang out with her. You can hang out with us too if you promise to be nice to her but if you can't be nice to her then you can just hang out with dad or by yourself or do work or sleep all day or whatever." Said Sho. He wished that Fukuda could have just…stopped being such a grumpy old man for five seconds and just be nice to big sis. Then they could have done all of that fun stuff together…and he did want to have fun. Maybe if he had a bunch of fun, all the fun in the world, he could stop feeling bad about abandoning little sis again.

"I…well you know where to find me." Said Fukuda. He would have rather spent the day with Suzuki than Shigeko. Suzuki….well at least he understood Suzuki. Suzuki liked him…well as much as he could like someone….and he always knew where he stood with Suzuki. Shigeko….was a mystery. Her mind was an enigma. The things she came up with….like how she had gotten the idea that he LOOKED at her. She was ELEVEN! What was there even to look at?! Also he was not like that and the fact that she could come up with something like that….well he would leave her be. If she needed him, legitimately needed him, then she knew how to find him. Sho did too….and he so wished that he could have spent more time with Sho…but…well he was getting older and he was making more of his own choices in life and…and that was ok…

Even if Fukuda didn't always agree with those choices he would still always love, care for, and be there for Sho.

"I do." Said Sho. He didn't get Fukuda sometimes but…well whatever. He didn't get a lot of things….like why he had to leave baby sis. He knew that she needed to have a mom who loved her and also a mom who was nothing like dad but…but he and big sis had been taking good care of her and…and maybe they could have kept her away from dad…or something. He didn't know. All he knew was that he missed baby sis and he wanted her back and…and he needed to stop thinking about this. He watched the city go by. It was starting to wake up. People were in their cars and trains were going by. The city was waking up but when he got home he was going to sleep. He was tired.

He just wanted to go to sleep.

He'd go to sleep and then big sis would wake him up, he took out one of his markers and wrote on his arm to wake him up for lunch and not breakfast, and the he'd have some poptarts and a can of coke…and also an apple or something so that she didn't get upset at him for not eating fruit, and then they could play hit the birdie over the net or something. Maybe kick the ball back and forth or share a jump rope or some outside thing. He hadn't been outside in a while. He hadn't even seen it, the Seventh Division didn't have a lot of windows, and being outside with big sis…that would have been nice. Yeah. He would hang out with her and…

And not with Shimazaki.

He wanted to hang out with Shimazaki. He wanted to have fun with him. He wanted to steal street signs and jump on beds at the mattress store and try on hats and pretend to be mannequins and visit the baby birds at the park and dig for worms to do worm stuff with and….and he wanted so much and…and he needed to just…he needed to maybe stop hanging out with Shimazaki so much. That was another one of those pragmatic choices that Fukuda had told him about before. He wanted to be best friends with Shimazaki but also he wanted to be his boyfriend…and that could never happen…so he had to fall out of love and…and in order to fall out of love he would have to avoid Shimazaki until he could think about him without waking up the goldfish in his stomach…

Pragmatic choices sucked.

They really did. It had been easier not to think of Shimazaki when he had been far away in Seasoning City. Now he was back home…well Tokyo home. The car stopped, he got out of it, and he made it a point to ignore Shimazaki's aura. He ignored it as he stepped out of the car. He ignored it as he said goodbye to Fukuda. He ignored it as he walked up the steps to his house. He ignored it as he took off his shoes in the genkan. He ignored it as dad's aura passed over his. He ignored it as he walked up the stairs to his room. He ignored it as he opened the door to his room.

He was getting good at this.

There. This wasn't so hard. At this rate he would be totally out of love with Shimazaki in a day or two. Then they could go back to just having fun like a couple of regular friends who were just friends and only could be just friends. Yeah. He was going to be done with this whole love thing soon….he was doing really well. He was doing so well that maybe he would be all the way done with being in love by the time he woke up. He walked over to his bed as quietly as he could. He didn't bother changing clothes. He was too tired. He just pulled his covers back and laid down….

And maybe he had laid down too hard.

The springs in his bed squeaked, that was normal, but in the quiet and stillness of the morning they sounded like a gunshot. They might as well have been a gunshot, really, because big sis woke up so fast he would have thought that he had shot off a gun into the air. First her aura slammed into his…and then she sat straight up…and then she jumped out of bed…and then before he knew it she had slammed into him. She was hugging him so tightly that he was barely able to sit up. She was hugging him and….and also his shoulder was getting wet. She was crying. She had missed him so much that she was crying and….and he had been off having fun with baby sis…and he hadn't even thought about how all of that would affect her and….

And he was the biggest asshole in the world.

"Hey big sis….sorry about…" said Sho. He didn't know how to finish that. He was sorry about being gone for so long. He was sorry about making her cry. He was sorry about lying to her about where he had been going. He was sorry about keeping so many secrets from her. He was sorry that she couldn't see baby sis. He was sorry that she couldn't keep a secret from dad to save her life. He was sorry to have been such a shitty little brother to her not only because of the secrets but because of how many years he had spent hitting her and-

And he was just….sorry.

"Sho! Oh Sho….I thought that I'd never see you again! You….you mean so much to me….and I love you and…and I am so glad that I got a chance to see you again." said Mob as she held Sho as tightly as she could. She was so happy to see him! She was so happy that she was crying….she had never been this happy before in her entire life….and she didn't think that she could ever have been this happy again in her life….what little life she had left. She had woken up and…and for a minute she had thought that she was a spirit…but she was alive. She had lived long enough to see her little brother again and now…and now she could die happy.

"You're crushing my bones and organs." Said Sho. Big sis let him go immediately. He felt bad but…well he needed his bones and organs for stuff! Also….also he just….he didn't deserve a hug right now. Not after how much of an asshole he had been. He didn't deserve her hugs or her love but…but she had tears still in her eyes and…and he was being selfish. He had to make another pragmatic choice. Her hugging him was making him sad but him not wanting to be hugged by her….well then that was making her sad. He made his choice. He decided to be a good little brother for once in his life. He got up from his bed and hugged her.

She hugged him back like she was trying to crush his bones and organs into jelly.

"I'm sorry….I just….I thought that I would never see you again and…and you have no idea how good it is to see you again….little brother…." Said Mob as she hugged Sho as tightly as she could….well almost as tightly as she could. Not so tightly that she hurt him, of course, but tightly enough that she could feel him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm glad that I got to see you again too…but come on. It's not like I was moving out or anything, I just said that I would be gone for a few days, you don't have to…freak….out…." said Sho. He could see them hugging in the closed door of the wardrobe….the one with the mirror on it…and….and he just….his first thought that that he had hugged her back too tightly or something. That he had hugged her so tightly that her organs had turned to jelly and then shot out of her….or something….because….

She had blood on her.

"Sho? Are you ok? Did I hug you too hard?" asked Mob. His arms went slack so she let him go. She hadn't been hugging him that hard but…but maybe she had since…since his aura had pulled in close and…and she tried to take a step back but she couldn't. He had put up a barrier around them and…and he was staring at her…no….he was staring behind her….for some reason.

"No….I hugged you too hard….fuck! Stay there and try to keep your organs inside of you! I'm getting Fukuda!" said Sho. He turned to run but hit his head on his own barrier….and he had to put it down and…and there was more blood in big sis's bed! What the hell!? Well he hadn't done that but….but that was a LOT of blood! Why was there so much blood!? Why was she bleeding!? How….he didn't know how this had happened but….he got up off the floor and….and now she was holding his hand and….and he needed to get Fukuda! Before she died from blood loss!

"Sho!? What are you doing!? Where are you going!?" shouted Mob. She knew that she should not have been shouting but…but Sho should not have been trying to leave her! He should not have been trying to run away and….and she didn't want Fukuda and….and what did he even….what?!

"I have to get Fukuda! Let me go! Let me go before you bleed to death!" screamed Sho. He could feel dad waking up. He didn't care. Big sis was bleeding! She was hurt! People didn't just bleed for no reason! She was hurt and…and Fukuda could fix it! She just had to let him go already!

"I'm not bleeding! Don't get Fukuda!" said Mob. No. No….no! Sho….she should have checked before she got up and…and now he knew and….and dad was up and he knew….and now he wanted to tell Fukuda and…and she would have rather died than have all of these people know that she was bleeding! Nobody could know! She didn't even like knowing!

"You are! Now let me go!" screamed Sho. She was holding onto him with her hand and her powers and…and…and she was too strong! He tried to break away from her…but he only broke the mirror….and then his stuffed animal hammock and….and there went his Hot Wheels track….a piece with a guide pin in it hit him in the face….and now he felt blood in his eye…and then most of a doll hit the other side of his head…and he wasn't the only one doing this and…..and none of this would have been happening in she would just have let him GO!

"No! No! No! Stay here! Don't leave me!" said Mob. He was trying to leave and…and she couldn't let him and….and she didn't know what was happening. All she knew was that she had to hold on to him. She had to keep him near her. She was….she could feel herself crying and…and she was never going to let him go! Ever! She didn't need to be alone! She needed him! She didn't want to be alone…..and she wanted him to just….stay with her!

"Let me go! Will you let me go already?! You're bleeding! What the hell is the matter with you?!" said Sho. He tried to get away. He tried to pull away from her but…but she was way too strong and…and it wasn't fair! Why did she have to be like this?! He was trying to help! He was trying to help her so she didn't die and….and she was being like…like this?!

"Sho! Stay! I'm not-" said Mob. She was not bleeding. She was but….but Sho couldn't know about this. nobody could know about this. Nobody in the whole world could know…and Sho…he wanted to leave her. He wanted to leave her and he wanted to go outside and he wanted to TELL people! And not just anyone….Fukuda! No! She would hold onto him with all of her strength if it meant that Fukuda….or anyone…never found out about this! She didn't care that these were her last moments of life, probably, she was NOT GOING to let ANYONE know about this!

"You are! Your whole butt is covered in blood! You need a healer! Let me go already!" shouted Sho as he tried pull away from her. What was WRONG with her?! When you were bleeding then you got Fukuda to fix it! What was she being so…so….why was she being such a weirdo!? When you bled that meant that you were hurt and when you got hurt then that meant that you needed someone to fix it! It wasn't rocket surgery!

"I said no!" screamed Mob. She screamed so hard that she felt her throat rip, it felt like, and…and she just….she was never going to let him go! If he left then…then he would have been gone and she would have been all alone and…and she just….she was not going to let him go! Not for any reason! Not if their whole room got destroyed! Not if he yelled and kicked and bit her hand and screamed! Not even if-

The door opened.

"What is going on in-" said Suzuki as he opened the door. He had woken up to the children screaming. That wasn't alright. Son had obviously done something to Daughter and he was going to teach him a lesson….Daughter's wishes be damned! Or he would have, at least, if Daughter hadn't slammed the door shut in his face.

"Go away! Go away dad!" screamed Mob. She let Sho go and covered her face. Now dad was up and he was there and he would know and….and he was a boy and…and Sho was a boy and…AND BOYS COULD NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS! Nobody could know about this! Minegishi couldn't even know about this and they had been born a girl! Nobody in the whole world could know about this!

"Don't worry! I'll get Fukuda!" shouted Sho as he scrambled away. Big sis must have been going crazy from the blood loss or something…that must have been it! He ran past her and yanked the door opened as hard as he could. He would get Fukuda! He would go and get Fukuda and then he would fix big sis and then everything would be better! It had to be! He just had to get out the door and-

He was yanked back.

He had tried to run past dad but he had grabbed him by the back of his jacket and pulled him close. Sho turned and tried to get out of his jacket but then dad grabbed him by the front of his shirt. His aura was all red and bright….and even his eyes were red…as red as his aura….and he was so strong and…and Sho could not be afraid! Big sis needed him! He had to save her!

"Let me go!" screamed Sho as he tried to get out of his shirt. That just made dad slam him into the wall. He slammed him into the wall so hard that Sho saw spots in his vision….but that didn't matter! Big sis was in there bleeding to death! They didn't have time for this shit!

"What. Did. You. Do." Said Suzuki slowly. Son had done something…..he had hurt Daughter…and he knew what Daughter had said. Daughter had told him in no uncertain terms that he was never to discipline Son again, that she would handle it, and that this was not his place. Well it was. Son had done something to hurt her, he hadn't even been in the house for ten minutes and he had hurt her, and now…well now he would pay. There. Simple. He would pay and then Fukuda would put him back together….if he had any energy left from fixing whatever it was that Son had done to Daughter that is.

"I didn't do shit! Now let me go!" said Sho as he tried to kick dad away. That just got him slammed into the wall again. He didn't care. He didn't care if dad put him through this wall, the one behind it, and the one behind that. He didn't care if dad spent the next hundred years building walls to put him through. He didn't care about anything other than getting his big sister the help that she needed! He didn't have time for this!

"Don't speak to me like….and you must have done something. Your sister is hurt. I can see her aura. You must have done something and you are going to tell me what it is. Then you are going to pay for what you've done. Then you are going to get down on your hands and knees and beg your sister for forgiveness. You do not get to treat her like this. She does everything for you, more than you will ever deserve, and you do not get to harm her. Is that in any way unclear to you?" asked Suzuki as he held his Son down. This….he didn't even have words for this. Out of the hundreds of millions of potential people that he could have made….this was what he got. This person right here. He had no idea what he had done to deserve a Son like this….but he knew that Daughter had done nothing in this life to deserve to be treated how her brother treated her. Nothing at all.

"I told you already! I didn't do anything! Big sis hugged me and then I saw that her whole butt was covered in blood! And her bed too! Now let me go!" screamed Sho. Dad stared at him. His aura, which had been bright red, went dark like a birthday candle. He was staring, still staring, but his powers let go of him and his whole arm went slack.

"Sho….are you telling the truth right now?" asked Suzuki. This was…people did not just bleed…well they did. When they were having massive internal hemorrhaging...and how could….why would….he just….Daughter!

He had to stay calm.

He had to stay calm and he had to control himself because if he didn't, if he slipped even a little, then he would kill Son. He knew that he would kill Son. Regardless of whether or not Son was the one responsible for this he would kill him. He would lose control and his Son would be dead….and then his Daughter would be dead…and then he would have no children at all….and he needed Son and…and he had no idea what he would do without his Daughter.

So he remained very calm.

"Y-yeah….I didn't do anything….she's just bleeding…." Said Sho. Dad was….he didn't know what dad was. His aura was calm but….but not normal and…and his eyes were….not normal and he was just…not normal and….and he didn't have time for this! Big sis was bleeding out all of her blood and he needed to get Fukuda!

"Then why don't you do something useless for once in your life and fetch Fukuda?" said Suzuki slowly. He needed to be there for Daughter. She was….he did not like blood…..not his own anyway and not…well she wasn't his blood but….but people did not bleed! People bled when they died and….and he smelled blood…and he tasted blood…and he had to remain calm. He had to remain very calm and not….not lose control because then Son would die and Daughter loved him…and Suzuki needed him….and also if he lost control he would lose his Daughter and….and….

He had already found himself alone in the world once before. He won't let that happen again.

"Yeah! That's what I was going to do!" shouted Sho. He shouted and stomped his foot and…and he was being just like baby sis and….and he should have been here! Baby sis had a mom to take care of her but Sho….Sho was supposed to be there for big sis! She didn't have anyone! Dad was useless! Dad had the nerve to call him useless when he had legs and he could have run and brought Fukuda!

"Then go you moron!" said Suzuki. This time he did lose control…just a bit. He may have picked Son up and thrown him through the house and down the stairs….but he was fine. He was going to see Fukuda anyway and it wasn't like he had completely lost control. Son was fine. Daughter….he knocked on the door…softly….and then loudly…..and then….well Son was saying something but it didn't matter what. Daughter needed him. She needed him and he would be there for her. He was her father and he loved her.

He loved her more than anything.

"Fuck you! I hate you more than anything else in the world!" screamed Sho as he held his arm close. It felt…it hurt to move it. He had landed on his arm. Dad….fuck dad. Fuck dad and….and just fuck him. He wasn't even listening. If he had been listening then…then Sho would have been able to stand up and flip him off with his good hand…and he should have done more than flip dad off. He should have ran back up there and kicked his ass so hard he never even thought out-

What was he DOING?!

Big sis was bleeding to death and here he was getting pissed off at dad?! What in the ever loving….what?! No. No way. He was not going to be that kind of person. That kind of selfish person. Dad was dad and he knew what his own dad was. Selfish. The most selfish person in the world. He was selfish and he hurt people and….and Sho was not him. Sho may have come from him but…but he had come from mom too and mom was not selfish. Mom was….mom would have gotten Fukuda. She would have gotten Fukuda or…or taken the blood from her veins and put it in big sis like in that movie he saw about the guys who were stranded and…and this was not a movie! This was real life and…and mom would have gotten Fukuda and….and Sho didn't need mom to tell him to get Fukuda!

And his arm didn't hurt!

He ran through the house. He didn't even pause to put his shoes on. He just put them on as he ran down the street. He didn't trip once….and he didn't care if his bare feet had touched the sidewalk…or that he had stepped in something sharp…or that he was probably waking people up. Big sis needed him! Big sis needed him and he….he needed her. He needed her to tell him when he smelled bad and to make him take baths. He needed her to tell him that he had at least had to eat the green leaves from his salads and also that he could only have one glass ranch. He needed her to fold his shirts up just right so the words and pictures on the front showed. He needed her to brush his hair when it got all knotty. He needed her to….to read to him as he fell asleep at night. He needed her to…to tell him that he was the best little brother in the world even if it wasn't at all true. He needed her to….to be there when he went to sleep and…and to wake him up in the morning and….and to order the poptarts he liked and…and to put his drawings up on the walls and….and to make sure that there was no citrus at all in the food that they ate and….

And he could not lose his big sister. He could not lose Shigeko.

He wasn't going to lose her. He was at Fukuda house and…and there was no time to use the front door! He kicked it opened. Doorknobs took too long. So did closing the door behind him. So did taking off his shoes. Sho did not have a lot of time. He may not have been a doctor, or ever even met one, but he did watch a lot of movies. People only had so much blood in them and they could only lose so much of their blood before they died. That was called not having enough blood so you died. He had no idea how much blood people had inside of their bodies exactly but big sis's whole butt had been covered in blood and so had her bed….and there had been so much of it…and he didn't know if one of the springs in her bed had popped out and stabbed her in her sleep or what…but he did know that she needed help…

And there was only one man in all of law who could help him.

"Fukuda! Fukuda! Fukuda!" screamed Sho as he ran through Fukuda's house, not tripping once even on the stairs, and went to kick in Fukuda's bedroom door. He would have made it, too, if he hadn't been opening his door at the exact same time…and he would feel bad about kicking Fukuda in the stomach later! Right now big sis needed him and he…he had to save her!

"Sho! What's happening?!" said Fukuda as he doubled over in pain. He could feel himself healing and….and…and it had been twenty minutes! Not even! What in the hell had happened in less than twenty minutes?! He just….needed to calm down and…and Sho was hurt. He could see it and he could sense it. There was the cut above his eye and…and he was cradling his arm and….and he should have just insisted that Sho come home with him. That way he could have kept him safe. God. Masami….she would have hated him right now….

"You've got to come quick! It's an emergency! Baby sis…I mean big sis….big sis! She's…she got blood all over her! There's blood everywhere!" said Sho. He grabbed Fukuda with his good arm and tried to drag him….but Fukuda wouldn't move! What was WRONG with him?! Did he dislike big sis that much that he would just….not help her when he heard that she was covered in blood!? Who…who DID that?!

And why the hell was he covering his mouth for!?

"Sho…listen. I am going to uncover your mouth when I am finished healing you…and then when I do you are going to tell me EXACTLY what happened between the time when I dropped you off at home and right now. You are going to do it calmly because right now I have nothing to go off of." Said Fukuda as he knitted the bones in Sho's arm back together and fixed the cut above his eye…and his teeth, too, for good measure it felt like he had another one of his to the root cavities….and also….well he was a boy of many ailments…and not all of those were his fault. Well none of them were his fault, actually, because he was ten and didn't know any better than to have double fudge poptarts and cola for every meal. He was…well he was always going to be Fukuda's top priority…even though he could see from here…he could see Shigeko's aura and….and Suzuki's was….he was controlling himself…in that way where he was about to explode and kill everyone and….

What in the hell had happened in less than twenty minutes?!

"Why the fuck do I need to tell you when I just told you?! Why do you need to hear it again?! Big sis is covered in blood!" screamed Sho. He felt….well his back tooth didn't hurt anymore and neither did his arm and…and he should not have been wasting his energy on Sho! He could live without that arm, it was his off hand anyway, and he could live without that tooth! What he could not live without, who he could not live without, was his big sister!

"Sho….calm down and tell me….tell me what happened. How did your sister get blood on her? Is it her blood? Did you two have a fight? Did your dad lose control? He's the one who hurt your arm, right?" asked Fukuda trying to stay as calm as he could while Sho tried to rip his arm off. He needed to know what he was walking into. He needed to know if he should get closer or take Sho far away. Suzuki….he had lived through his explosions before….and Sho….well he had barely lived through Shigeko's explosion all those years ago….and even then just barely…

"Fukuda! What the hell!? Yeah, it's her blood…and I didn't do that to her! I didn't make her bleed and….and you know that I don't hit her! I have no idea why she's bleeding! I was just hugging her, and she was the one hugging me way too hard not the other way around, and then I saw that her whole butt was covered in blood and then there was a lot on her bed and we need to move! Now! I don't know how much blood she has left in her body! Come on! If you won't move then I'll use my powers to carry you!" screamed Sho as he tugged on Fukuda…and then he just held onto the doorway like baby sis did when she didn't want to take her bath! What the fuck was the matter with him?! Big sis was DYING!

"Sho, listen to me-" said Fukuda. Well then…this was….well then. He…well he knew about this….vaguely. He'd had girlfriends before and….and he knew that this was a thing that happened to women but…well wasn't Shigeko a little young? And also…also didn't she know what to do? Masami….hadn't she taught her about this? Fukuda….well he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He knew that they made things for this, there was a whole aisle devoted to feminine hygiene products at every single convenience store he had ever been to…and Shigeko….she went to stores. She existed in the wider world, not like Suzuki, and she must have seen that aisle and….

And he wished that they hadn't separated the boys and the girls for health class back when he had been a kid.

"No! Tadashi, you listen! My sister is bleeding out all of her blood and you're standing there holding onto the doorway like….like you're the kid! You're being a kid and I…I'm the one being the adult here! I don't know what you have against my sister but you need to get over it right now because she needs you! She's covered in mystery blood and she needs you to fix it or….or I'll….if you don't fix my sister then there's going to be two people covered in blood!" screamed Sho. He bit Fukuda's arm when he was done screaming. Hard enough to leave him with a watch. He was going to get worse if he didn't get his ass over to big sis and help put the blood back in her veins where it belonged!

And he needed to get his hand off of Sho's mouth, too, before he started biting off fingers.

"Sho, listen to me. Your sister is…this is a…a private girl thing that you don't need to know about. Ok? Sometimes girls bleed and…and usually they know what to do but I guess your sister didn't get the memo…or whatever. Just…I will go and deal with that and you….you need to stay away from her and…and I guess your dad is pretty freaked out. How about you….you can…you need breakfast. Just…Shibata. Out of the four of them he's the only decent one. Just…tell him that you need breakfast. Tell him that he needs to make you breakfast right now." Said Fukuda. He ignored the use of his given name and he ignored how Sho was licking his hand. He just…Masami…she must have taught Shigeko….how to deal with this…right? Suzuki….he had been in the same health class as Suzuki had been, and had sat right next to him too, and they hadn't said a peep about girls besides don't get them pregnant. He had no idea what he was even supposed to…to do. She needed….to absorb the blood…until it was done….he did not want to deal with this.

He really didn't.

This wasn't a healer situation. This was a mother situation. Fukuda…he'd had three girlfriends in his life and only one had hung around him enough for him to have to deal with…all of that and…and he couldn't remember what she had done…because that had been back in 1993….fourteen years ago….and he just…he had no idea what he had to do but…but he had to do something….Sho needed him to do something and….and he had made a promise to Masami and….and how did Shigeko not have any idea of what to do? She knew how to drink and smoke, and apparently roll a good joint if Shimazaki was to be believed, but she had no idea what to do about this basic biological function…and this just….

Well obviously he didn't know what to do besides….he didn't know!

"My sister is bleeding to death and you're biggest concern is who's going to make me breakfast…..? Are you…are you getting so old that your brain doesn't work anymore? Because that's what it seems like. You….go and fix my sister…..or I swear to God, Tadashi, I'll put you in a traitor hole myself…the kind in the county where it's all ice and snow….do you understand me?" asked Sho. He made himself look like dad and sound like dad…..and he didn't want to be dad but…but dad got results. Dad got even the stupidest of the Awakened to listen to him and…and Sho….well he would have to do…what dad did…because apparently Fukuda was a moron. Tadashi was a moron. Adults got called by their family names but he wasn't being an adult, he was being a kid, so now he got to be called Tadashi. When he did the smart thing, when he acted like an adult, then he could be called Fukuda again.

"Sho just….paper towels….gotta soak up the blood….band aids? Did I buy….I might have….just….Sho. Sho…your sister is not dying. This is normal and….and I need you to just…get out of the way, ok? You….you don't need to know about this. This is a girl thing and…well it's not something that you need to know about. Now you go and see Shibata and have him make you some breakfast while I…deal with this." said Fukuda. He walked past Sho. He needed to get paper towels and….and band aids might help since…since they were good for keeping blood contained and….and he might have had some. Sho used to like to wear Zootopia band aids just because and….and why did they have to live so far out of the city center? Well cheaper land but….well he wouldn't even know what to get if he went to a store and….and he wished that Masami had been there. She would have known what to do and…and she must have told Shigeko…something. That was what mothers did….right? His dad had taught him all the stuff that he needed to know to be a man….the stuff that he would have to teach Sho since Suzuki was useless…and Shigeko….she must have known something. Fukuda…he knew Masami. He knew that she loved those kids more than anything. He knew that she would not have just left Shigeko high and dry. She was a good mother. She was….she was Masami and….and he just….

He had no clue what to do.

"You suck. Have fun playing with paper towels. I'm going to get real help." Said Sho. He said it calmly because he did not feel like getting his mouth covered again. He said it calmly and then he ran from the house, down the road, and to Shibata's house….but he wasn't going to get Shibata. No. He was good at breakfast and knitting and throwing you in the air. He wasn't good in a crisis….and this was a crisis. This was…well Fukuda had said that it was no big deal…but also that it was a private girl thing…and the only person that Sho knew who was even close to a girl was Minegishi. He knew that they had boobs, he had seen them, so then they must have had girl privates too…and if this was a private girl thing then they would know what to do!

And Sho didn't care if they were trying to take Shimazaki from him….this was an emergency!

"Minegishi! Minegishi! Minegishi Toshiki!" screamed Sho as he kicked the front door in. He tried to run and this time he tripped. He tripped over the genkan step and wound up stumbling into the living room….and it hurt….but that didn't matter now! He needed to save big sis and…and if this was some private girl thing then….then Minegishi would know what to do!

"Get away from the waffle-oh! Sho! Hang on, little guy. I'll help you up and-" said Shibata as he sprang up from the couch clutching the waffle maker with both hands. Sho had joined them for breakfast and….well he seemed freaked out…but that was normal for him. It was so nice to have him around….even if he had forgotten to take off his shoes.

"There's no time! My sister needs help! Minegishi!" screamed Sho as he got back up and ran through the house. He ran up the stairs and shoved Hatori out of his way as he made his way to Minegishi's room. He could feel Shimazaki in there and…and he didn't care what he saw! Big sis needed him and he needed to kick down this door and get Minegishi! He would drag them out by their leg if he had to!

Big sis needed them!

Sho kicked down the door in one try, his powers helped, and he knew that they would be pissed but….well he didn't care. He didn't care if he walked in on them naked doing adult bed stuff with Shimazaki….or even if he saw Shimazaki naked….shut up goldfish! Nobody wants you! He didn't care about anything other than helping big sis. So he kicked down the door and ran into the room and-

And then the plants got him.

"Put me down!" screamed Sho as he tried to get free. Minegishi was sitting up clutching a pillow to their chest, probably to hide how naked they were, and Shimazaki was picking up a pair of Minegishi pajamas pants up and he was putting them on under the blanket and….and this was not the time to be putting on pants or playing with plants! This was the biggest emergency in the entire history of the world! Worse than when Hatori drank too much and did all of that gross stuff! Worse than when the house caught fire because he and Shimazaki were playing with the waffle iron! Even worse than the time Hatori had a nightmare and broke the TV! This was….there wasn't TIME for this nonsense!

"Ryou. Get your pseudo son OUT of my room. Now." Said Minegishi. Hell no. This was beyond the pale. The little monster woke them up, kicked down their door, wore SHOES in their room, and…and now he was in some jealous rage and….and Ryou had promised that he'd HANDLED it! This was not handling it! This was….they didn't even know what this was!

"What's happening?" asked Hatori as he stuck his head into Minegishi's room….which may have been a mistake because the next thing he knew he was launched down the hallway and into Shibata's arms.

"I think Sho finally cracked….poor little guy." Said Shibata. Well it was bound to happen. Sho'd had a crush on Shimazaki for….well a very long time…and of course Shimazaki didn't return his feelings….otherwise Shibata would have killed him….but he had been too open about his relationship with Minegishi. The polite thing to do would have been to spare Sho's feelings and either hide the relationship or not start one until Sho was either over him or all grown up and out of the group…because then he would have his own job and…God, now Shibata was tearing up. He would grow up some day…he needed a tissue.

"I heard that! And I did not crack! Big sis is-" said Sho. He would have said more but the next thing he knew he was in the hallway. He had cuts on his arms and legs from where the vines had dug into him…and that sucked but…but the blood he was losing now was nothing compared to the amount of blood big sis was losing! They were wasting time! They didn't even have time for Minegishi to put on clothes! So they had boobs and girl privates, big deal, lots of people did! They weren't anything to write home about like Fukuda'd said! Some friend they were leaving big sis to die from the private girl thing which was also…also deadly!

"Kid, you need to calm the fuck down and you need to get down into the kowtow of your life because Toshi….well I think Toshi might want to kill. Just a hunch." Said Shimazaki. Well this was…he had thought that he'd handled it but…well apparently he hadn't handled it well enough. Another heart to heart? But they'd had so many of those already…but something obviously needed to be done about him….and he had no idea what! God…parenting was hard….and this wasn't even his kid!

"No, I do, but I won't. Now if all of you value your lives you'll get away from my room…and if you value his you'll get him as far away from me as humanly possible." Said Minegishi as they pulled their blanket around themselves. Well that had been…violating…and enraging….and they had hurt him but….well he had earned it! He had earned a few cuts and scrapes for what he did! That little monster had kicked down their door, woken them up, worn SHOES in their room, and he had exposed their naked self to the ENTIRE house! He was lucky he was only ten years old or he would have been plant food by now!

"Come on Sho, let's get some breakfast in you and then we can have a talk about privacy….and wearing shoes indoors…but I guess if you want to wear shoes indoors then I can just carry you everywhere." Said Shibata as he picked Sho up. This was….well he knew better but…well he wasn't about to tell Sho off. He was a little guy and, yes, he knew better…but he was so little that it was impossible to stay mad at him or get mad at him in the first place.

"I don't want to wear shoes inside! I just didn't take them off because big sis is bleeding and she needs help and Fukuda said that…that it was a private girl thing that I can't know about…and Minegishi knows about it and they can help because they had girl privates too! Not just boobs!" shouted Sho. He felt Shibata almost drop him…and he was red….and Hatori was hiding his head in his sweater…and it was weird that he slept in a sweater and no pants…and Shimazaki….he was just shaking his head….and that was…what was he shaking his head for!? This was an emergency.

"Kid. No. I love you like a son and, like a son, I will bestow the wisdom of my old age onto you. First of all you never talk about a girl's ketchup packet times, ever, for any reason whatsoever….and second of all you don't talk about a girl's pu-parts. Ever. Because that's a surefire way to make sure that you never get near a girl's…well I have no idea if you're into that but, yeah, don't talk about people's privates. They're called private parts for a reason, kid, because they're private." Said Shimazaki. God. This kid. Sho would have driven him to drink a long time ago…if he'd ever needed any help with that….God. Just…parenting was hard….or maybe Suzuki was the one who messed him up. Just…this was a lot of work for this early in the morning but….well he loved Sho and when you loved someone you dealt with….all of their nonsense….

And he knew that he had been responsible for more than his fair share of nonsense so he was going to stop pissing and moaning about Sho's nonsense now.

"It's not ketchup, it's blood, and her whole butt was covered in it! Do you really think that I can't tell the difference between blood and ketchup?! You're the blind one, not me!" shouted Sho. He kicked and squirmed. He needed Shibata to put him down. Since Minegishi wasn't going to come out of their room, they had made a door of vines and leaves even, he was going to have to go in there and drag them out. He didn't care if he saw both of their boobs and whatever else they had. He needed to save his sister!

"Hey, only I get to make blind jokes." Said Shimazaki. Did this kid…well of course he didn't know about the ketchup packet times. He was only ten and his girlfriend, who he never saw, was ten too. This was Mob's first ketchup packet time, he hadn't smelled blood on her before yesterday, and judging by the screaming contest her and Suzuki's aura were in the middle of she was just as freaked out as her brother. Maybe he should have warned her…or Toshi…or maybe her actual parent. Yeah, wasn't this Suzuki's job? Shimazaki…he didn't know. Well he did know that he and Sho were going to have to have a long talk, though, about privacy and sex and…..was he wearing SHOES!?

"So….about breakfast. I was thinking…frittatas? Yeah, those….I haven't made frittatas in a while…or crepes? You guys…you like crepes….right?" asked Shibata. He had almost dropped Sho…that hadn't been good….also Mob had gotten her…special times. That was….well he didn't know much about that but he did know that she would need….well that was why her aura was freaking out. Well he would help out in any way he could. He remembered that mom had kept things for that under the bathroom sink….and he had no idea what Mob would need exactly but…ads! He'd seen ads! He'd just…get her what the ads said so get or…or he could ask a woman! Well he didn't know any women…and also they were afraid of him….but he could just send someone nonthreatening like…well not Sho he was freaked out enough….Hatori? No…he was being a sweater turtle right now. Google! He would Google what he needed to get her and then…well she probably didn't want the talk from him…Minegishi! They were…a person who this happened to! Well they were also pissed off but…but they would teach Mob about the birds and the bees….they grew up so fast….ok. They would teach her about the birds and the bees and then he would…..a party! Sometimes people threw those for girls when they had their….special times. Yeah, Mob LOVED parties! She loved cake and presents and balloons and streamers and…and he could do this! He'd throw her a red special times party and then she would be all better….and Sho could help! Yeah! The poor little guy must have felt so helpless….and Shibata didn't blame him…but a party would take his mind off of all of this…

Yeah. He had this. Hiroshi for the win.

"Shibata….do you have brain worms or something?! How can you think about breakfast at a time like this?! My sister is in our room bleeding out all of her blood and you're worried about breakfast!?" shouted Sho. Had everyone lost their minds?! Breakfast! Ketchup! Putting on pants! The world had gone insane! He was the last sane person! Brain worms! That was the only explanation!

"I….I think that she's going to be fine. Um…girls…there's a thing that happens to them and…have your dad explain it to you! I have to…to go to the bathroom! And I'm fine with anything for breakfast!" said Hatori before he ran to the bathroom. He ran with his eyes closed, he didn't want to catch so much as a glimpse of Minegishi even though they had made a new door out of vines, because he wanted to live to see tomorrow. This was…above his paygrade. He…he knew that he had nothing to contribute to this. He had snickered through the same health class every other middle schooler in Japan had sat and snickered through, he knew what a period was, and he also knew that he had nothing to contribute to this…well not crisis but…situation. This was not his area of expertise…or even experience. He'd never had a girlfriend, mom hadn't talked with him about this, and he'd been born a guy. He had no idea what a period was beyond the brief explanation given in health class and some period stuff ads he'd seen on TV over the years. This was not his area of expertise. The next time Mob's computer crashed or she got stuck in a game or she forgot one of her passwords he would be ALL OVER that but now…now he would just get in the way…

So the best thing to do was to be out of the way…in the bathroom…where it was small…and safe….

"Well he's not coming back. Anyway, give me the kid. He and I have a lot to discuss." Said Shimazaki. Ok, he knew what he would have to do. He'd have to tell the kid that his sister was not dying. He'd just tell Sho the truth of what was happening. Girls, and people who had ketchup packet times, had too much blood inside of them. That blood was supposed to turn into a baby if a guy came in them. When no swimmers made it to the place with all the blood the blood built up too much and then it all came out over the course of five to seven days. After that new blood started to accumulate. That was his understanding of it anyway from what he'd been able to piece together over the years. It seemed legit, nobody had ever corrected him before so he must have been mostly on target. Yeah, he would tell the kid all of that…and also the difference between boys and girls if he didn't already know that…and also…condoms? Yeah, he'd explain those too…and he'd do better than dad did. All dad had done was toss him a box and tell him that he had no business reproducing. He'd tell Sho…well he was ten…but better he know what to do at ten then end up getting sick with God knows what….or a father…in two or three years. Yeah….condoms were…well they were terrible and they made sex terrible…but that might not have been the thing to tell a kid on the cusp of becoming a man…

He had this. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Discuss? We don't have time for discussions! Big sis is covered in blood, not ketchup, and we need to do something before she bleeds to death! Now put me down! I am going to into that room and drag Minegishi out and I don't care what I see!" screamed Sho. He tried to get free, he even used his powers, but nothing helped. Why did Shibata have to be so STRONG?! He had to save big sis! He had to go into that room and get Minegishi because they were the only person who could help now! He didn't like them, they didn't like him, but the enemy of his enemy was his friend and he and Minegishi were both enemies of death and they were going to fight death with both hands and save big sis before she died! All he had to do was kick down those leaves and-

Or Minegishi could come out on their own. That worked too.

"Will someone please tell him what a period is? Because right now I have enough shit to deal with. God…I have to do everything around here…..too much to ask Suzuki to get off his ass and parent…kids waking me up….breaking down my door….seeing me naked…making me mutter to myself…not even seven in the morning yet…." Muttered Minegishi as they walked through the crowd. They clutched their messenger bag to their chest and walked as quickly as they could. Everyone had seen….they did not get to feel vulnerable and violated right now. Mob needed them. Mob needed them and they were going to help her. They were the only person amongst them qualified and….and the bracelet came with certain responsibilities….

Even though they had been shirking those responsibilities.

They knew that Mob had started puberty and they knew that they should have given her this talk…but they hadn't. There was no excuse for what they had done. There was no rationalizing this. They had dropped the ball when it came to Mob. She was not their Daughter, she was their friend, and being friends with her carried a level of responsibility because of her age and….and because he father was useless. Her father….Suzuki had been married. Presumably to a woman. Presumably to a woman with a complete set of female reproductive organs. Presumably he had gotten very familiar with those reproductive organs since he had FATHERED TWO CHILDREN with his wife. Presumably he had noticed that those female reproductive organs he had so enjoyed bled every so often. Presumably….well Minegishi knew that presuming was pointless. For all they knew Mob and Sho had been created via turkey baster or in a petri dish in a lab somewhere. They didn't know about Suzuki's sex life, they didn't want to think about Suzuki's sex life, and they knew it was none of their business what he and his late wife had gotten up to in their marriage in the first place….

They knew that they didn't know a damn thing.

But they also knew, had known for years, that Suzuki was the world's worst father…and that a lot of raising Mob fell onto their shoulders…so that was what they would do. Apologize and…and help Mob out as best as they could….since her father was useless and her mother was dead the responsibility fell to them…and they wouldn't let Mob down.

Not again. Never again.

"Good! Go and save my sister and…and if you don't I'll fuck you up really bad! Yeah! You won't know what hit you! You'll be asleep in your bed and then I'll be there and…and then you'll pay! So…hurry up! Walk faster!" shouted Sho as Minegishi walked past him. Good, someone without brain worms. He didn't like them at all but…but they weren't going to let big sis die. Right now they had a common enemy, death, and once they had beaten death then they could go back to being mortal enemies. Right now…right now they had to save big sis and Sho….he needed Shibata to PUT HIM DOWN ALREADY!

"Shibata, give him here and then get started on breakfast. He and I have to have a talk." Said Shimazaki as he held his arms out. He could sense Sho kicked and squirming….and he didn't blame him. This was a lot for a kid to deal with. He thought that his sister was dying. Shimazaki had thought the same thing the first time he had smelled blood on his mom. Someone needed to tell Sho was what going on and that someone was him. He was the only one qualified. Toshi was off helping Mob, Hatori was a virgin, and Shibata liked to pretend that the kids were still babies. He was liable to tell Sho some nonsense about storks leaving babies under cabbage leaves or something. Nope. Shimazaki was the only man for qualified for this job.

"Here….but keep it age appropriate. Remember, he's only ten." Said Shibata. He had no idea what, exactly, a ten year old even needed to know. He hadn't had his first health class until his first year of middle school. Sho…well he needed to know that his sister wasn't going to die, obviously, and also that he maybe shouldn't have gone around telling people about her special times….and Shibata knew that he was not the man for this job….well he could fill in if Shimazaki messed this up…which he very well might have….since he was Shimazaki and….

And he mostly knew about breakfast so he was going to make that and then…well and then he would fix whatever mess Shimazaki made…and then he and Sho could plan Mob's special times party! Yeah! She'd love that!

"Put me down! I don't need to discuss anything! I need to be there for my sister!" shouted Sho. He didn't know what was so hard to understand about that…but he didn't know what was even going on here. Everyone was being all….weird. Crazy. Completely wrong in the head! This was a crisis, an emergency even! But Shibata…was making breakfast and Hatori was having a bathroom freak out….and this was the only time where it had ever been ok for him to have one of those so he got a pass….but Shimazaki was just holding him under his armpits like he was baby sis and…and he wanted to discuss stuff? This was just….backwards. Crazy. All upside down and….wrong.

Maybe this was what happened when you greeted the moon before the sun.