Sorry for taking too long to update. Damn schoolwork…. Always givin' me a splitting headache… Anyway…

Enjoy!

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Somehow, the sun found its way through the seemingly impenetrable curtains that was supposed to block out the eye-stinging rays; sunshine filtered through the thick drapes and stung his closed lids. Ban grumpily shifted under the silky sheets. He didn't sleep well last night. Not only was his bruised face keeping him awake all night, but also the memory of Yamato's story puzzled him. She was an outcast. Everyone teased her, called her a freak. She always came home crying. Usually gum or slime was stuck to her hair or clothes; she couldn't run or properly defend herself because… she was a cripple. And whenever I was there to protect her, they incessantly teased her, mocked her that she was a baby, always dependent on her big brother. I had enough, so did she. So we agreed on home school. Of course, I taught her everything. She's a smart girl, so I have no worries.

It was strange. It wasn't a sensible excuse for them to conceal their lives' whereabouts, to hide behind this "creepy" mansion and reenact as ghosts. They could have just lived as normal people. Even if Yamato was currently working for the government, just like his parents before, he could be just like any other human being minding his own business and not giving a shit about anybody. No one would discover his profession if he and Himiko simply kept cool heads. However, erasing their past's story, the issue about the car accident… it wasn't rational at all. They were definitely hiding something. And Ban was going to find out.

Ban touched his swelling eye. Ouch. How am I supposed to go to school looking like this? Everybody would think I ran into thugs and didn't know a damn about using my disastrous fists of death. Okay, exaggerating too much. Ban blushed. Yamato pounded him into pulp and he didn't even defend himself adequately. Right now, his entire body felt like it just went through a two-hour session of dodge ball. He sat up and rubbed his flat, well-built tummy. He lifted up his shirt and examined his flesh. Insides still intact, black marks everywhere. Ban groaned. "If Mom sees me, she will be the first to enroll me into a Martial Arts 101 class. Just terrific."

If he went to school today, Paul would certainly question him and tell his dad. That should never happen. Never. He remembered Yamato bearing a grudge against his parents. Ban sighed. He reached for the cordless phone and dialed Ginji's number.

"Hello? Ginji? Glad I caught you," After a pause, he said, "Gonna skip school. Think I'm catching down on the merciless cold."

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"Over my dead body!" Himiko shrieked as Ban curiously walked along the dank hallway. They were in the underground lair. Ban searched for them everywhere in the upper area. After much thought, he decided to take the elevator and explore downstairs.

The floor was concrete. Rough, gray, bleak—Ban felt cold from within. Walking along the lonely, dark hallway, he was uneasy. He traced his fingers on the wall. Shivers ran down his spine. The cold, rough touch again. He retracted his hand and slid both hands under his armpits, seeking warmth from his body.

He followed his guest's furious whispers and saw a thin trail of light under a door at his far left. Because the hallway didn't radiate any light, not a single lamp was lit, he had to fumble for the threshold. He rapped on the door.

The voices stopped. Ban slightly smiled. Yamato opened the door, his disheveled appearance alarming Ban to take two steps backward. Yamato's bloodshot eyes seemed as if it would drop any minute now, his unusually pale countenance transformed him into the walking dead, dust stained his clear complexion, and his tired voice drew fear out of Ban's system. Ban cocked an eyebrow and asked Yamato, "Don't tell me you've been out partying all night without informing me."

Yamato lightly smiled. "You look like hell yourself. Come in." Yamato stepped aside to let Ban enter. As soon as Ban walked through the doorway, he noticed immediately an electronic wheelchair in the middle of the room. Himiko was standing next to a bed, her hands at her sides, forming into trembling balls. She didn't even acknowledge Ban, but was glaring at Yamato. Ban looked around him. Not as gloomy as the hall but not as cheery as morning sunshine.

The walls were painted lavender; shelves filled with books were set at the left corner, a decrepit working table barely able to hold another volume was placed beside her bed, and a blinking lamp next to the other side of the bed was struggling to overrule the overhead florescent light by attempting to illuminate the room. Though the room was small and windowless, it wasn't as shabby as his place. It was clean and rather organized. Plus, he detected a scent of roses in here.

Himiko's fuming voice brought him back to the present. "How many times do you want me to repeat myself? No. No. No! Got it? I'm never gonna sit or ride on that wretched thing ever again!" Disgusted, she pointed at the electronic wheelchair.

"Don't be pigheaded. Aren't you satisfied that I'm letting you go to school again?" Yamato uncomfortably shifted his eyes from Himiko to Ban. Clearing his throat, he looked at his sister and continued, "Only on one condition. Just one harmless—"

Himiko raised her hand to stop him. "Not a chance." She sat on the edge of her bed and crossed her arms. She didn't look at either of them, but stared at the floor.

Yamato looked at Ban for help. Ban could see that Yamato was desperate to gain backup from Ban for the reason that his stubborn sister was drawing the final line. Ban raked through his uncombed hair and calmly inquired, "Had a bad experience with that wretched thing?"

Himiko didn't answer him.

Ban walked closer to the immobilized chair. It was obvious that it hasn't been used for years. Cobwebs were tangled and embroidered on every deep or caved parts of the contraption, dust was collected in the niches, but it looked like it was still in perfect condition. The wheels looked efficient enough to handle any bumps on the road. "You allergic to dust?"

Still no answer. Stupid question.

"Did you use this when you were in elementary?"

Ban sensed Himiko make an uneasy shift of movement. "Ya know, you're not going to the same school as before. This time, if you ever get in, you'll be in high school. Meet new people; some may act like jerks, but I believe that you have enough spunk to chicken them out of their pants. If you ever meet someone from the past, you could hit them or run over their toes. How satisfying that would be, huh?" Ban patted on the steering handle that resembled a bike's.

This time Himiko stared at his eyes. A relaxed smile was etched on her face. "It would certainly be satisfying." Ban smiled back. "No doubt about it, pighead."

Himiko laughed. "Smartass."

Ban leaned on the wheelchair. "So… what could this baby do?"

Yamato neared Ban and pointed at a yellow switch that was adjacent to the keyhole. "If you want to crush their toes into crunchy bits, turbo would do the job."

"Cool. Doesn't look new." Ban looked intently at the switch.

"It's not. But enhanced the model myself."

"Recently?"

"Recently."

Ban whistled. "No wonder you look as dead as a drooling zombie this morning."

Yamato slapped Ban's arm. "Zip it. At least my face doesn't look like the moon."

"I don't have craters."

"No… but your face is hideously swelling in some places. Gotta get you some ice." Yamato shoved Ban out the door. "C'mon pighead, time for breakfast."

"Shut up." Himiko grinned at her brother's back.

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" Let me get this straight," Ban stared at Himiko then squinted his eyes at Yamato. "You discussed what I just said about Himiko's medium of education last night? And now… you two have already agreed to let her go back?" Ban slapped the ice pack on his left cheek.

Himiko slowly nodded. "Is it that strange?"

"Not really. I reckon you've been giving this much thought."

Himiko swallowed a spoonful of cereal and said, "I'm sick of this place. No offense, Aniki, but it's really dull, dark, and scary. I feel so lonely, sometimes I feel like I'm becoming claustrophobic. Whenever I look out the window every morning, seeing students walk to school with friends, chattering away like life's slowing down and their fears are put behind them—I envy them." She looked at Ban. "I envied you when I saw you one day with your friends. You all seemed happy and I missed that." She closed her eyes, afraid that tears would flow down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't—"

"Idiot. Why do you have to apologize? I should be the one who should have seen it." Yamato wrapped his arm around his sister. Himiko comfortably leaned her head on his shoulder. "Guess that makes us even."

Ban's eyes filled. "Jeez. What a warmhearted moment. Wish I could capture it on film."

"Shut up, Drama King. Mind handing the salt to me?" Yamato said as he let go of Himiko.

"Sure. Mind me asking another question?" Ban lightly pushed the saltshaker toward Yamato.

Yamato, feeling suddenly anxious, stared at Ban. "What?"

"I don't buy your story about Himiko's excuse to disappear all of a sudden because she was bullied constantly. Doesn't make sense. I just… I just… wanna know. Did my parents have a role in this?" Yamato looked away from Ban.

"It's not our place to tell you everything. Like I said, ask your oh-so wonderful parents." Yamato shot up and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Ban and Himiko alone.

Ban apologized to Himiko, but Himiko shook her head. "It's understandable for you to doubt our story. It's a senseless excuse, I won't deny that. But I would also not lie to you that your assumptions are not correct." She lifted her cup to drink but Ban asked her, "So my parents did have something to do with the car accident? A simple yes or no would stop me from going any further."

Himiko's eyes remained downcast for a minute or two. Ban waited. After a moment of nervous silence, Himiko rose, wobbled a bit as her braced leg had a difficulty in supporting her weight. "Would you mind if you wash the dishes? I don't feel well."

"No problem." Ban understood. He gathered the plates and briskly walked to the sink. Himiko pushed the swinging door and as her right leg crossed the threshold, she said, "I won't mince words for you. I despise your parents, you can figure out the rest."

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"Ban's definitely hiding something," Shido said. Ginji wasn't looking at him, but was gazing out the window. "I don't understand. He sure didn't sound like he was catching down on something." Ginji turned to Shido and gave him a grim look, signaling that he was immensely worried.

"At least it doesn't sound like he's been kidnapped or killed. He must be fine," Emishi stopped when Jackal interrupted him, "Have you checked his apartment?"

Ginji shook his head. "Not yet. But after classes are over, let's go check it out."

The bell rang. Every student returned to his or her respective seat. Ginji leaned his chin on the table. Ban-chan… what are you up to?

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The warm water sluiced away the soapy residue of the soap, relaxing his tense nerves that knotted his back and neck. He rinsed his shampooed hair. Smells like roses. Like her room, like her. Ban shook his head and turned off the shower. He stepped out of the stall while a blast of cold air electrified him. Yamato leaned on the doorway, staring coldly at a surprised Ban.

"Jesus! Can't a guy have any privacy around him?" With a towel, Ban covered his extremities. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Chill. I heard that you're going out?"

"How am I supposed to chill when you shouldn't be here while I am bathing? And so what if I want to go out? You don't expect me to be cooped up in here all day?" Ban wrapped a towel around his waist and headed toward Yamato's direction. "Move. Gotta change before I catch pneumonia."

Yamato didn't budge. "You're not getting out of this place thru the front door," After saying that, he added, "Meet you at the stairway." As he walked away, Ban tousled his wet, tangled mane. "He's as weird as Jackal sometimes."

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"See you later pighead." Ban brotherly patted Himiko's head. Himiko slapped his hand away. "Get out of here before I kick your ass."

"Oooh. My legs are trembling with unfathomable fright." The both of them laughed when a ding indicated that the elevator was ready.

"I just have to take care of something. I'll be back soon." Ban didn't dare to be specific what his business was. He was afraid that it might further upset or frustrate them.

Yamato waited for Ban in the elevator. "C'mon, we ain't got all day." Himiko waved Ban goodbye, and felt like she wanted to come with them just to see Ban walk away, but she knew that her leg would give way if she leaned on it every now and then. "See you soon."

Ban smiled at her and entered the enclosed compartment. When the doors closed, Yamato pressed a red button and it started moving down.

"Why can't I walk through the front door?" Ban asked as he leaned on the side.

"Nobody can't see that a guy suddenly came out of here in broad daylight. In case you've forgotten, you're known in this neighborhood and anybody who sees you will notify your parents in a heartbeat."

"My, my. You've done your homework pretty well."

"That's my job." When the elevator stopped moving, the doors slid open and chilling darkness lay before them.

Ban swore under his breath and followed Yamato out of the compartment. Just when his sight was adjusting to the dark passage, Yamato told him in a hushed voice, "Go right from here, keep going straight. Then you'll spot a flight of stairs, climb up, and there'll be a door. It'll be hard to push the door outward, but you've got enough muscle. After climbing out, close this immediately and walk away. Don't even talk to anybody when they see you coming out of the park. You're not seen from the front, but you'll be going through the deep side of the park. Here, borrow my shades for the time being." Yamato handed him the black shades. Ban accepted them but asked, "Why are you whispering?"

Yamato shrugged. "Dunno. It just sounds more mysterious." Yamato flashed a white smile at Ban and said, "Oh, almost forgot. I'll turn on the lamps so you can see where you're going. Now vamoose!"

Before Yamato turned to leave, Ban asked, "So, I'll be emerging from your backyard?"

Yamato nodded. "The neighbors won't see 'cuz you're going out through the thickets. Plus, the weeds would help hide you from a snooping granny next door to take notice of you." Yamato walked to the elevator and called out, "Don't worry, I'll turn on the lights. The control center's in my room…" His voice died away when the doors smoothly slid shut.

Ban gulped a lump down his throat. Here goes. He started walking through the dark, blind as a bat as he went on further. Oh joy. What a civilized way of getting out of a mansion.

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As soon as he swung open the door with a hard push, a roll of dirt and leaves rained on him. How lovely. Just after I took a nice, refreshing bath, I need to take one again. He climbed out and stayed in a crouch, warily looked from side to side, quickly closed the door, and straightened up. He then smoothed away the soil that clung to his shirt and put on the shades Yamato lent him.

Jamming his hands into his pockets, he speedily made his way toward the trees that loomed ahead.

After much struggle with the tugging branches and slapping leaves, he sighed with relief when he was walking along the park's walk. He breathed in the fresh air, smiled, and didn't look twice when an old couple stared at him with suspicion. He scanned his watch and saw that it was 3: 35 in the afternoon.

There was still more time for him to take a nice, hot shower in his apartment, get dressed in a tux, and go to his father's party. He frowned at the thought that he was already betrothed, or was going to be, to an older woman. No matter how beautiful she might be, he didn't want to marry a woman who would most likely toy with him—because of their age difference, and that would mean that she had more manipulation over him—just to get what her beating heart desired. He always wanted to have control, and he didn't want to lose it to an older woman. Why, he usually lost his control when his mother and grandmother were involved in his personal life. This would be the last straw. They won't get away with this.

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He took out his key from his pocket and went inside. He switched on the light and observed his room. Still the same as I left it. Dirty or unwashed clothes were strewn on the floor, molded pizza spotted the coffee table, empty bags of chips littered the floor and couch, and the answering machine blinked menacingly at Ban.

He was about to walk into his bedroom when a knock sounded on the door. Annoyed, he opened the door without hesitation. "What?"

His eyes widened when he saw that his friends were as startled as he was. Uh oh. This is so not the time for any talk. Gotta think of something fast.

"Ban-chan? What? What happened to you?" Ginji quickly noticed the bruised marks on Ban's face.

"Nothing." Ban lightly touched his face, but changed the subject by asking, "Aren't you guys invited to my dad's party?"

"Sure, by you. But… you look terrible. Are you sure you're capable of looking sharp for your dad's special day?" Makubex asked, a look of concern flickered his face.

Ban warmly smiled. "Yeah. Look, I'll meet you guys later. Right now, gotta fix myself." Without another word, he shut the door. He wearily leaned on the door, waited until their voices and footsteps gradually died.

When silence ruled, he quickly went to his bathroom and inspected his face. His face wasn't hideously swelling anymore, but his face still looked like an ape just landed on his face. He searched for a soothing cream in his medicine cabinet that might help in mildly vanishing the bruises. Extra toothpaste. Aspirin. Expired foot cream. Putrid lotion. Was he really this deprived? He threw the foot cream into the trashcan and ran to the phone, paying no heed to the blinking, red light.

After awhile, he said, "Kazuki? This is Ban. I know you're getting ready for the party, but I need a huge favor."

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"Jeez, it's a battlefield in here," Kazuki nearly tripped over a shoe. "Not to mention that it smells like it." Even when she was crossed, she looked beautiful. Ban had to be careful not to drool. He was staring at her outfit, which looked fitting on her.

Her brown hair was loosely tied in a ponytail, leaving two locks framing her exquisite face. Her short, black dress bared her smooth, pale back and long legs. Golden earrings sparkled on her ears, a matching necklace duly settled on her exposed skin, and bracelets gave a touch of elegance to her look. Ban was almost envious of the guy who she was to meet in the party. Since last week, she's been talking nonstop about Kakei Jubei, and just by the mention of the name, Ban knew who he was.

Me and my big, fat mouth. He stared down at his polished shoes, adjusted his tie, and elbowed Kazuki toward the couch.

"What on earth have you been doing? By the look and smell of your room, I don't doubt that thugs lived here for a couple of days while keeping you captive and making you into their punching bag. Mind telling me?" Kazuki zipped her purse open and took out a tube of cream and foundation.

"It's complicated. Can't talk about it."

"Fine. Okay, look at me. Euw. You look horrible."

"Thanks, I'm flattered," he sarcastically replied.

With a swift move, she unscrewed the top of the tube and applied generously on Ban's face. At first feel, it stung his face. But after a moment, it felt really good, "That feels better."

Kazuki didn't say anything but concentrated on applying cream on Ban's face. Ban didn't look at her, but was thinking of something else. He was most concerned about Himiko. His sudden sad expression startled Kazuki. This isn't like him. If we were this close, he would flirt with me. But now…

"You all right?"

Ban immediately stared at her brown eyes and smiled. "Yeah. You almost done?"

Surprised by his cool demeanor toward her, which was odd, she simply nodded. After applying the cream on his face, she grabbed her makeup and focused on Ban's black spots.

"Um… are you sure that's a good idea? People might get the wrong idea."

"Don't worry. You asked for my expertise, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. But Hevn was my first option though she left already. So, lucky you."

"Yipee. I've landed in a lair that could be similar to a sewer. Now be quiet. I need my concentration."

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Emishi whistled. "Looking good. Nice work, Kazuki."

Confident, Ban thanked her and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go."

Ginji offered an arm to Natsumi, and when Natsumi shyly wrapped hers around Ginji's, their faces instantly turned red. Jackal, Shido, Makubex, Kazuki, and Ban held back a laugh and started walking along the sidewalk.

In a few minutes, they were approaching the Kudo mansion. All except for Ban and Jackal felt their skin tingling from within. Ban stopped and looked at the manor's seemingly dilapidated front door. He sighed. Himiko. Yamato. He was about to move on when he noticed someone looking out from a window at the second floor. He couldn't see who it was, but he reckoned it was Himiko. He wanted to reach out for her, he wanted to run to her and coax her into coming along. He touched the bump on his head. Himiko, I'm sorry.

He turned and resumed walking, paying no heed to his friends' questioning faces.

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