Suzuki didn't like to sleep past six.

No matter what country he found himself in, what time zone, what hemisphere he always made sure that he was awake by six in the morning. Barring the one day he needed to reset his internal clock, of course. That day had passed. He had landed in Moscow two days ago, spent one day recuperating, and now he was ready to get to work.

Or at least he would have been.

"Hatori?" Said Suzuki, addressing the one hiccup in his day…the one hiccup in his day so far. He'd gotten up, showered, shaved, gotten dressed, and now he was ready to greet the day and get on with his work. He'd eat at some point, not this morning though. This morning was packed. He probably wouldn't be able to eat until lunch…or even later, if Hatori didn't get a move on.

There was no way he was going out dressed like that.

"Hatori?" asked Suzuki. He wasn't accustomed to repeating himself. He also wasn't accustomed to being ignored. Hatori had better not have been so deep into whatever game that was that he had forgotten that the outside world existed. He was still young enough that it could happen to him…he had better have forgotten that the outside world existed. He had better not have been planning on derailing Suzuki's whole, entire, morning.

It wasn't like he could find another technopath on such short notice.

"Nozomu!" shouted Suzuki. He smacked him over the head with telekinesis. Not hard, no, if he had wanted to then he could have seriously injured Hatori. Just hard enough to knock him forward, to knock his glasses off, and the controller out of his hands.

Really, it had been the least that he could have done.

"Hey!? What the hell!?" asked Hatori as he rubbed his head…and now he'd lost…and one of his ear buds had fallen out. Great. Suzuki was glaring at him, with his aura…though his eyes were narrowed too….why? He was fully dressed…he didn't actually expect to work today, did he? Mob had been pretty clear, they got Culture Day off. All of Claw, not just Tokyo HQ. Hatori had never really gotten Culture Day, all he knew was that he'd had school off that day and Mom and Dad closed the store. He didn't have to get it, though, to know that he had it off.

Mob had been pretty clear about that.

"I could ask you the same question." Said Suzuki

"You? You're the one who hit me." said Hatori

"Yes. I had to, you were ignoring me." said Suzuki

"I wasn't ignoring you, I just didn't hear you…anyway, what is it? You just made me lose and that was a ranked match!" said Hatori

"I don't particularly care." Said Suzuki

"Well I do…I almost beat Serizawa that time. He's weirdly good at Rocket League." Said Hatori

"It'd be more effort to be bad at it, in my opinion." Said Suzuki. Such a simple game, no skill at all. It wasn't about timing, it was just about…driving and pushing a giant ball around. No reflexes to hone, no enemy patterns to memorize, and the game had a definitive end. Sometimes he worried about Hatori, he really did. There were so many other, better, games he could have spent time playing…but this was not the time to play game!

"You think you can beat me?" asked Hatori. This didn't have split screen multiplayer…but he did have a second console and his monitor was technically just a tiny TV. Suzuki kind of hated 3D games…but maybe he just hadn't found the right one yet. This was going to be great. Hatori couldn't even remember the last time they'd hung out…and he didn't think that they'd get another opportunity to. Even Christmas was going to be busy…

A lot of work went in to taking over the world. A lot more than he would have thought.

"I know I can, but later. Right now you need to get ready for the day. So either get up and get dressed or I will drag you away and dress you myself." Said Suzuki

"You'd really do that to me?" asked Hatori. He knew that everyone saw him as a kid, Suzuki included, but that was ridiculous! He could dress himself…and he didn't even have to right now! It was his day off and it wasn't like there was anyone around who cared how Hatori was dressed…anyone other than Suzuki…but he cared about the absolute weirdest stuff!

"Yes. When Sho was very small Masami would, occasionally, as me to forcibly dress him. You couldn't put up half the fight now that he could at two." said Suzuki

"I'm not Sho…and any way why do I have to get dressed?" asked Hatori. He was comfortable like this. He had no plans of getting up from this spot, anyway. He wasn't Suzuki. For some reason that guy actually liked wearing that same suit every single day.

"Because I ordered you to. You are needed today…and I shouldn't have to explain myself. Now go." Said Suzuki. He nudged Hatori with his powers, just hard enough to over balance him, but he didn't move. Sure he tipped over but he made no move to get to his feet and put on actual clothes. Pants and a button down shirt. Preferably with one of his less gaudy sweaters. It wasn't complicated.

"But Mob said that we could have the day off." Said Hatori. He was not whining, he was just stating a fact, and if Suzuki chose to take it as whining well then that was his problem.

"What? Why?" asked Suzuki. He forced himself to stay calm. He was…he was fine. Shigeko had simply decided to hemorrhage even more money. She didn't even have…she did have that kind of power. She was director of Tokyo HQ which did, technically, give her dominion over all of Claw…but she should have known better. He had no idea what went through her head sometimes. They were already scrambling to play catchup after that outing she planned…and now this?

Sometimes he questioned himself.

He had thought that she could have handled being in charge. She had done it before, she was capable, and she needed an actual position in Claw anyway. She was his child, why wouldn't she have been suited for the job? She was in many ways more of his child than Sho was. Sho was his blood but the boy had no sense of judgement, no belief in what they were doing, and no idea how to take care of himself let alone Suzuki's life work. Shigeko was supposed to have been better than this…smarter than this…she should have had her priorities in order, at least!

Though then again young people, younger people, didn't always have the best judgement.

"Because it's Culture Day. She sent out a memo a while ago that we get Culture Day off." Said Hatori. He picked up his phone and passed it to Suzuki. He took one look at it and then did that thing where he forced his aura to stop moving. Hatori shook for a moment, just a moment, until he was sure that Suzuki wasn't going to break his phone. He didn't need it to use his powers but it sure did help. Replacing a phone in another country, especially one where he didn't speak the language, was murder.

And, anyway, that wasn't how he had planned to spend his day off.

"Nozomu…I don't care if it's Christmas Day. Get up and get dressed. I have to…to speak with Shigeko. Go." Said Suzuki. He held eye contact with Hatori for as long as it took, which was less than a second. He hung his head low and muttered something that sounded like 'humbug'. He could pout like a child as much as he wanted to, that didn't change the fact that Suzuki had given him a direct order and if he knew what was good for him then he was going to listen.

If only all of his children had been this easy to command.

He pulled his phone from his pocket. He had told Shigeko time and time again to be fiscally responsible. He had no idea where she had learned to be so irresponsible from, he certainly hadn't modeled that behavior. He asked one thing of her and one thing only, run Tokyo HQ, and not into the ground. How difficult could that have possibly been?

She was going to explain herself.

"Shigeko. Explain." Said Suzuki the moment she picked up the phone. He heard her coughing…some ambient noise in the background…the television…and Mukai laughing. He hoped that she was doing well. He hadn't spoken to her in so long…had she gotten more articulate? She shouted something…he heard Sho's name. Well of course she would be shouting at him like that, she was old enough to know just how tiresome and annoying he could be.

"Hi Dad…hi. How are you?" said Shigeko. He could hear more coughing, not her this time. Had they gotten sick? Fukuda wasn't around them…he had gone off on his own…he really should have been with them….not that Suzuki was going to speak to him, even indirectly. He could do whatever he wanted. Suzuki could handle this.

"Explain yourself." Said Suzuki

"We're watching Tangled, Mukai won the hat pick." Said Shigeko. The ambient noise was gone now. She must have gone to a different room…he couldn't hear Mukai anymore…he could speak to her later. When he was less busy…he hadn't seen her in so long. He wondered how much taller she'd gotten, if she still remembered him, and if she resented him for leaving her again…he was making a better world for her…

For all of his children. Even the ones that annoyed him.

"Congratulate Mukai on my behalf." Said Suzuki. He pulled the phone away from his ear as Shigeko began to shout.

"Mukai! Dad says congratulations!" shouted Shigeko. He heard, barely, someone telling her to hang up…that had been Sho. Didn't he have anything better to do than involve himself in conversations that did not concern him? Didn't he…Suzuki didn't care what Sho did. He was largely irrelevant at this point.

"Shigeko. I asked you to explain yourself." Said Suzuki

"But I already told you what we were doing." Said Shigeko

"That's not what I meant." Sid Suzuki

"Then…did you mean why we were having a movie day? It's raining and Mukai likes Tangled and Sho doesn't like rain and Minegishi wanted to hang out…um…and Serizawa's here too? And Joseph. Is that enough explaining?" asked Shigeko. Suzuki felt his eyes widen. He hadn't told them to do that. He hadn't told his heart to race, either, or his hands to shake. He did, however, tell his aura to be still. He had to. He could not afford to lose control right now…or ever…

Even though Shigeko had said…just said plainly that she was with a man right now.

"Shigeko…explain yourself this instant." Said Suzuki

"Explain what? It's hard for me when you're not specific about things, it's always been hard for me. Even when I was little…I wish that…when I was little I wished that you would just tell me what you wanted explained…I used to wish for a lot of stuff…like milk. Strawberry milk…we're out of that…and soft socks….these aren't that soft at all…" said Shigeko. She was rambling right now. Either she was intoxicated right now or she just had trouble ordering her thoughts…he was going to choose the latter despite the statistical improbability.

"I want you to explain to me why have someone named…I want you to explain to me why you gave everyone the day off." Said Suzuki. He was going to let the matter of Joseph…he knew of three of them off of the top of his head…he was going to let the matter be for now. In the best case scenario she had just made another friend. In the worst case scenario she was sleeping with him and that…was not something he wanted to know about his daughter. He had no idea what he would have done with that information besides have another heart attack…and with Fukuda so far away he couldn't really afford to have a heart attack right now.

"Because it's Cultural Day, Dad." Said Shigeko. She said it and…and it was true…but it made no sense in the context of this conversation.

"Yes. I am aware of the date." Said Suzuki

"It's a big holiday, a national one. I looked it up." Said Shigeko. Yes, he knew how to read a calendar too…he was going to stay calm. He could not lose control right now.

"I am aware that it is a national holiday. However, you've already given everyone the day off for Halloween and this is not the time to be unproductive." Said Suzuki

"Why?" asked Shigeko

"Because in giving everyone the day off you're hemorrhaging money. Money that we desperately need." Said Suzuki

"Oh….but we can always get more money, we make more every day." Said Shigeko. He had never heard anything so…so…he didn't even have the words for it. He heard his pulse in his ears…it took everything in him to keep his powers calm. His aura. He had to keep calm…he couldn't lose control. He couldn't…he had to much to do as it was, he didn't need to deal with the fallout.

"That is not…that is not the point. I am doing my best to stay calm right now…but you need to know that you can't do things like this. You cannot spend money, waste money, like this. Your actions have consequences." Said Suzuki

"I know, and I don't mind, not when one of the consequences is making people happy." Said Shigeko. That was…not one word of what she had said made any sense. He knew what she was saying, she was speaking plain Japanese, but…but none of those words made any sense together…she needed to explain herself…but she didn't like it when he asked her to explain…

It shouldn't have mattered, what she liked and didn't like, but it did…it did to him.

"Shigeko…I need to know, do you enjoy hemorrhaging money? Because that is the impression that I'm getting…and I am trying to stay calm…" said Suzuki

"I like making people happy, and that's what I'm going to do with my life. I don't care if we lose money, people wanted a day off and now they can have one." Said Shigeko

"Shigeko…never do this again. If you want to give people the day off then you ask me and I will either approve or disapprove your proposal. I am still President…and I am still your father. Goodbye." Said Suzuki. He hung up quickly, before he lost his temper. If he lost his temper then he was going to lose control, he knew it, and he could not afford to lose control right now. He had too much going on right now…he had to go.

Right now.

He had to leave…Hatori wasn't dressed let. He stared down at his phone. Someone was trying to get ahold of him…he would check it later. He just…he needed a moment. He sat down…that had taken a moment…but he needed another one. He needed to collect himself. Shigeko was…many things. She must have meant well…he was going to focus on the fact that she had just told him to his face that she valued…what? Fun? Above Claw. She valued having a good time above the long term wellbeing of Claw…

Young people…they didn't always make good choices.

"Is this better?" asked Hatori. Suzuki was sitting on the couch looking like he saw a ghost…well actually he said that he saw those all the time. Hatori looked down. He didn't think he looked that bad. It wasn't like he was wearing one of his gal game hoodie…that one might have been a mistake….but the pigeon one was cool!

"No. Nothing will ever be better. Ever." Said Suzuki, staring down at the floor…two days they'd be here and Hatori had already managed to spill an entire bag of chips…one more thing to bother him.

"What's wrong with my hoodie?" asked Hatori. It looked fine to him. It was clean and everything. Get dressed, get dressed better, give up your whole day off just because of…of whatever the mission was…God, he was so tired….

"A seater would have been nicer but you're not the problem right now." said Suzuki. He hated that hooded sweatshirt…but Hatori owned worse articles of clothing. At least Hatori had tried to listen…which was more than he could have said for his other children.

"Wait, did you and Mob have another fight? Please tell me that you guys didn't have another fight." Said Hatori. Poor Mob…she didn't need that right now. Not after what had happened with Shimazaki. Hatori was amazing that Suzuki had let him live…a lot of people were, actually. He had no idea how that story had gotten out but it had and now everyone was saying that Suzuki was starting to get weak…a lot of people had woken up to find that their search histories had been sent to everyone they knew…but it wasn't nearly enough.

It was only six in the morning and this day already sucked.

"No, we didn't fight…for once we did not fight. She simply passed on some information that I have no idea…I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with this…probably nothing. It doesn't matter. It's time we got to work." Said Suzuki

"Are you sure it can't wait? You look kind of…down…also it is kind of a day off…so if you wanted to play Rocket League…." Said Hatori. He looked over at his console. Suzuki just shook his head.

"No." said Suzuki

"Are you sure? Videogames normally cheer you up and you did just say that you were going to kick my ass." Said Hatori

"I have no interest in playing that game with you at this time or any other." Said Suzuki. If they were going to play a game together then it would have been a real game, one of actual skill. Of course he wouldn't be indulging himself right now…or ever. They had work to do. Shigeko had declared a day off…but she was not President, he was…and she would never be President. Even if she had been male, even if she had been his blood son, he would not have tolerated this.

Why did neither of his children, his older children, see how important any of this was? The legacy he was leaving them…the legacy he was building right now.

"We could play something else. We could try two player Space Invaders." Said Hatori. If Space Invaders couldn't get Suzuki out of this…whatever it was…and closer to understanding the joy of a day off then Hatori didn't know what would. He had been looking forward to this since Mob had announced that they were getting a day off. They had been working and working and working nonstop. He needed a break…a real one. He'd been up all night, too, thinking that he'd be getting a break today…but Suzuki, of course, had other ideas.

"I'm fine, Nozomu, now come on, it's not a day off. Not for us. We don't get days off. I need at least one of my children to understand that." Said Suzuki. He sighed. He allowed himself that, at least. This was…not how he had seen this day going…and it was only six…closer to seven now…or maybe past. It was so early…and he felt like going right back to sleep. He didn't have time to deal with this, his own emotions, and whatever Shigeko had planned next…at least Hatori was being quiet now.

Good. Fate could be kind.

"I-I get it, we have a lot to do today." Said Hatori after a moment. A long moment. Hatori got it. He…well Suzuki was the one who should have gotten it. How important it was to take a break. How all of this moving was hard when you actually had things to do once you landed. How they had been working nonstop since they'd left…he wanted to explain it to Suzuki…but he knew Suzuki had a point. They had a lot to do.

A lot of very important stuff to do.

"Yes. We do. Now come along, it's time we got to work." Said Suzuki. At least one of them got it. Good. just two more to go…maybe three. He had no idea if Mukai was cognizant of what was going on around her yet. She had been a creature of pure id last time he'd seen her…it felt like years…for all he knew he could have had another Shigeko.

He didn't need another Shigeko.

He could barely handle the one he had right now. He didn't understand her. She had wanted to live like an adult, so he treated her like one, but then she just turned around and acted like…like this. She didn't think. She just acted…and said the most…he didn't have words for what she had said. He wanted to ask her, again, to explain herself…but he knew she didn't like that…what she liked still mattered to him. Even after all that she had done…

He didn't need to take her into account anymore…but he did.

He didn't understand himself sometimes. Why was it so hard to just…to let her be an adult? He never would have let another adult, anyone, command him like that. Shiori was the exception, of course. She was his wife and he knew better, now, than to get into conflicts with his wife. His daughter…he should have been able to get into conflicts with her…but he just…he couldn't. Shiori had told him that he had a soft spot for his daughters…she was right. He did…and he didn't have time for all of this. He would let everyone else have their day off, as Shigeko had decided, but he wouldn't take one.

He just did not have the time. It was already after six, seven even. He had too much to do.