-Kakyuu-
It had been almost two eventless weeks since they had returned to the tower and Kakyuu was starting to feel antsy. It was just too quiet for the seriousness of their situation, or maybe she was overthinking things.
She went to the office level and entered Haruka's office where Taiki and Haruka were standing by the window talking in a hushed tone amongst each other as they looked down onto Tokyo. Taiki had returned a few days ago but the lack of sleep and the jetlag were still deeply edged onto his face even though he had ample time to recover. The demeanour was more serious than usual and Haruka's hard stance, with her right hand gripping her walking stick so tight to the point that her whitened knuckles showed, indicated to Kakyuu that it would be better to take her time to walk up to them. She noticed a big box on Haruka's desk that Taiki kept glancing to while they talked until he noticed her approaching and reaching hearing distance, that is when the window he faced reflected an even further deepening frown.
"I trust you to take the appropriate steps when the time comes." Haruka concluded their hushed conversation, before Kakyuu could catch anything useful, and turned to Kakyuu to welcome her in their midst.
"Time for your Physio." Kakyuu reminded Haruka who just nodded, put a hand on Taiki's shoulder as they exchanged stern looks before the blonde turned away from him, loosened her grip on the walking stick and started moving towards Kakyuu.
Kakyuu looked Taiki up and down before heading out without another comment. Taiki was unusually tight lipped beyond his usual silent and stoic self since he had returned from London and even had actively avoided spending alone time with Kakyuu. She could tell that there was something that was bothering him deeply but she knew that it was pointless to ask him since they had gone through the same training and he would not be standing next to Haruka if he would crack under any circumstance. Kakyuu didn't want to admit that that bothered her but had to admit that the longer that continued the annoyance that she experienced turned more and more into worry.
They left Taiki behind in Haruka's office and headed to the gym for Haruka to do her exercises supervised. Haruka noticed the irritation in Kakyuu's steps but didn't comment on it until they were alone in the elevator.
"You worry too much" Haruka tried to appease her.
"There is no such thing as worrying too little when someone knows you." Kakyuu replied evenly but couldn't suppress an involuntary twitch of her eyebrow which seemed to amuse Haruka, judging from the smirk that the blonde sported in response but she soon returned to her serious face again.
"Whatever you hear and whatever you see, I trust you to trust your head and your gut more than your eyes and your ears." Haruka just countered and limped out of the elevator ahead of Kakyuu.
-Ami-
She was sent by Setsuna to check up on Michiru, which felt more like being unwanted in the office rather than being sent on a small errand beneath her rank as punishment for insubordination, but either way she didn't mind. The past endless days of going through all the various footages with a fine-tooth comb, taking notes but not being allowed to investigate, so not to leave any trace or record of her actions, had taken their toll on her and it seemed she had overstepped by her last request on information on the Tenoh collection. She thought it was a benign enquiry, but considering the 'discussion' Setsuna and Tenoh Sr. had in the conference room her judgement skills had suffered under the hours upon hours spent in isolation with all the work she was doing.
Entering the concert hall, she relished in the wide-open space that presented itself in front of her that was drowning in the music that the violist emitted with an energy that Ami had not witnessed in a long time. Michiru looked so distant and absorbed in her own world that she did not notice a shadow, that seemed to be watching her from one of the balcony seats. She tried to get a closer look at the person but the shadow remained still and obscured by the curtains.
No one seemed to have noticed Ami's presence, not even the shadowy figure in the balcony.
Amy decided to stealthily head up there to find out who else was observing Michiru and so silently made her way up there, though before she could reach it, a familiar voice called for her from behind.
"Oh, Ami, what are you doing here?" Makoto had called out.
"I am supposed to check on Michiru." Ami replied truthfully.
Both stayed silent for a moment. They hadn't seen each other much lately and it felt good to actually talk to the tall brunette without the watchful eyes around them in the office that scrutinized their every move.
"What about you? What are you doing here?" Ami finally asked in return.
"Kakashi needed me to run a few errands in this area and I knew that Michiru would be practicing so I called to ask if she wanted to have lunch together." Makoto replied, holding up a bag that seemed to be filled with a lot food. "Join us." Makoto reached for Ami's hand and pulled her along to the backstage area.
"Are you sure it is ok to just go there?" Ami asked Makoto hesitantly.
"Sure, I have been here a few times already, so the people here know me. Apparently Michiru forgets to eat all the time, so they are glad when I come by and bring food." Makoto explained as they went through the door to the stage on which Michiru was on.
The moment Makoto made one step onto the stage itself, the music stopped and Michiru opened her eyes to greet them with her usual friendly smile.
"Oh, you brought Ami. It is so nice to have lunch with so much lovely company." Michiru said while she put her violin into its case and showed them to a table at the side where they could have their meal.
"I found her outside and I thought you might appreciate smarter company instead of awestruck speechlessness when I come by." Makoto chuckled as she set the table for them.
Ami meanwhile looked into the auditorium and tried to find the shadow she had seen before but from the well lit stage it was hard to see anyone on the balconies or even on the main seats if they sat further in the back.
"It is huge, isn't it?" Makoto chuckled right behind her at the mixture of wonder and questions that Ami displayed on the big stage.
Makoto had become a lot better in sneaking up to people that even Ami didn't notice when the brunette had made her way so close to her, she almost didn't dare to move.
"Yes, it is huge. Must be scary when it is filled with the audience." Ami mumbled, her eyes still scanning the seats in the balconies as she was interested in the ornaments that they were decorated with.
"It is not so bad actually. Not much different from now when no one is here." Michiru mused as she looked over the food that Makoto had brought.
"Let's eat. I am starving." Makoto pulled Ami back to the table. Ami hesitantly followed while she wondered if she was mistaken to have seen a shadow that had been watching Michiru.
-Yaten-
Yaten was standing hesitantly listening in from the outside of the training area and peeked carefully through the window.
"THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Kakyuu was screaming at Haruka who was running with an oxygen mask in the water tank.
"This is not fair, Yuu-chan, you know that I cannot argue with you while I am wearing this darn mask." Haruka was replying muffled through the mask, a clear smirk resting comfortably on the blonde's face none the less.
Yaten could tell Haruka was having fun winding Kakyuu up and stayed well out of the way of the two bickering like an old couple.
"YATEN, you come here and you tell your boss that she is being an idiot!" Kakyuu called out to him as he could not duck fast enough as her eyes met his.
Yaten cautiously entered the room and greeted them both with a nod.
"I … I … got a… well you, you got a package." Yaten tried to explain his presence, holding tighter on the small box that was handed to him by the courier. "You didn't seem to have your phone on you and this seemed urgent for …. " he hesitated but Haruka just gave him a nod of approval to continue and so he did. "Casablanca. They sent a special courier with this message." Yaten held up the small box.
Haruka's eyes started to sparkle as Kakyuu's darkened further.
Haruka slowed down and removed the oxygen mask before getting out of the tank and reaching for the package. Eagerly opening the included letter, she read the few lines that were written on it in code that Yaten had not seen before and even Kakyuu looked puzzled.
Haruka's face turned sombre by the time she was done reading and she crumpled the letter in her fist, leaving the rest of the box contents unseen in the box.
"Kakyuu, would you mind telling Taiki to go and fetch me Watanabe-sensei?" Haruka asked Kakyuu rhetorically.
"Where do you want her?" Kakyuu asked in return.
"Downstairs, alone." Haruka replied with a frown.
"Taiki is quite busy right now, I can go and fetch her for you." Yaten suggested cautiously.
"No." Kakyuu and Haruka answered in unison.
"I want a full report on your training progress, a report on the entire tower safety measures and current lockdown procedures." Haruka instructed for him to do instead.
"That will take days to compile and is it really so important to get it now?" Yaten argued, feeling that she was brushing him off with unimportant work.
"Yes, and it is so important to me that you do not have days to do them, but hours. You have until breakfast to do it all, but I want your training report by the time I am done changing and before Watanbe-sensei arrives." Haruka replied, leaving no space for further discussions as she gave him the towel that she had used to dry her hair and face. "Don't make me wait and send the Kings a code yellow before you bring the report." Haruka instructed him before she left with Kakyuu following close by.
-Makoto-
She was watching Ami and Michiru having a pleasant conversation over lunch while she was quietly eating her share and covertly scanning the auditorium. She noticed that Ami started to relax as Michiru and her had an animated exchange about classics that Michiru was intending to present in her Christmas Concert. The moment she spotted her father's sign from the top of the balcony, Makoto slowly reached for her green tea bottle and pretended to choke on her third gulp, drawing all attention on her so that he could make his way out of the hall unseen.
"Are you ok Makoto?" Ami asked her concerned as she caressed Makoto's back with her small warm hand.
Makoto caught herself relishing in that sensation too much to be focused and quickly cleared her throat before she nodded.
"I guess I was too greedy." Makoto just chuckled while Michiru just let out an amused giggle before the sound of a new message on her phone interrupted them. For a moment, Makoto froze, not knowing if she should take out her phone to check it or if she should wait for later when she was alone.
"You seem to be absentminded today, Makoto. Is the work under Kakashi that busy that it even occupies you while you are here?" Michiru enquired.
"It is manageable, just a lot to do." Makoto replied with a smile that seemed to reassure the others. "Speaking of work, you are here with the company car, aren't you?" Makoto asked Ami.
"Yes, would you like a lift back to the office later?" Ami asked in return.
"Yes, please. I am guessing that this message is just Minako telling me that she is running late and that she will not pick me up at the agreed time." Makoto sighed and the other two just nodded understandingly.
-Riko-
She drove her car into the underground parking of a residential building in the heart of Berlin. The night was still young and many of its occupants were still out as she pulled into a reserved spot out of sight of the regular surveillance cameras and exited towards a hidden door that revealed a private elevator. She stood in it quietly as it made its way up to the penthouse. Once inside, she entered a special communications room after verifying her identity with a full body scan.
"Is it just me or did the scanner took longer than usual this time." She asked the person who was already sitting inside, looking at wall sized screen with a map of Argentina, on which several spots were blinking.
"It was just thorough... or maybe thanks to all those desserts with Michi-chan the system just had more of you to scan now." The other chuckled, her eyes not wavering from the map.
"Uh huh, thorough…maybe you just need a system update, since it might have gotten a bit slow with age." Riko smirked as she reached the other's side.
"Oh…I always knew you liked them young but are you really thinking about competing with your niece for a younger model of me?" the other continued to tease as she put one of her strong arms around Riko's waist. "THIS system might be slow, but it is VERY thorough when it's taking care of your body." The warm hand in her side caressed her with an unspoken promise of what was to come later.
"I will hold you to it, but that is after we get those two safely out of Argentina." Riko steered their focus back to the task at hand, but not before placing a soft kiss on her lover's cheek.
"How is the mission going there?" Riko asked as she tried to follow the other's gaze.
"Good, actually, very good." The other mumbled concentrated. "Those two have been working really well together, a lot better than expected. Speaking of doomed lovers, how are our two love birds going?" the question that Riko had been dreading came in return.
"As far as I can tell, baby bear is trying very hard to keep her distance and with all the chaos in her hands, she should be well occupied with other matters than Michi-chan." Riko replied.
Her companion buried her nose in her hair and chuckled as she pulled Riko into a tighter hug.
"Oh, baby bear is underestimating the irresistible power that Kaiohs have on us." The blonde just sighed as she held Riko.
"Irresistible, huh?" Riko chuckled. "Good thing that others seem well invested in keeping them apart as well." Riko mused, slightly bitter.
"It is not as if it worked with us, but it would be unwise for Haruka to have an additional weakness to Hotaru." The blonde sighed.
"Michiru is more than capable to pull her weight." Riko replied defensively.
"I know, but would you want her to make the hard decisions that Haruka makes?" Green-blue eyes asked her in return.
"No, of course not. I am not sure if anyone really should, especially on their own." Riko leaned into her partner.
"She is not on her own." The other replied assuringly.
-Taiki-
It was still early in the afternoon but it was already getting dark and the bar, that was hidden in one of the many high-rise buildings surrounding the research laboratories of the children's hospital, was deserted, almost deserted. Not even the bartender was around and the sparsely lit space seemed heavy with resignation.
Only a small lone figure was sitting at one of the tables at the window, with a barely filled glass and a bottle of whiskey.
"Grab a glass if you want to join me for a drink." Yuuko called out to him with a smirk on her lips that reflected off the dark window but without turning around to look at him.
Taiki just sat down opposite to her and looked out the same window as she was and noticed how she was watching Satomi working.
"Do you think it is wise to be here alone?" Taiki asked her detached as he silently made a perimeter check.
"There is nothing wise about this, as you should know too well." Yuuko replied before she sipped from her glass. "If you'd asked me, what you do daily is even more unwise. At least I only do this once in a while and not daily." Yuuko mused.
"I don't understand." Taiki replied unphased.
"Well, if that is the case, I am glad you did not pursue my favourite student more, because she needs someone who can match her wits besides watching out for her." Yuuko just smirked before she emptied her glass completely and sat it back down.
"When in a glass house…." Taiki turned to her and snapped back faster than he could stop himself.
"… You should know your place as observer and not as actor." Yuuko finished for him as she poured another drink. "I know my place in her life, I know there will never be more than what I have while sitting here." Yuuko spoke more to herself than him before she pushed the drink in front of him. "What about you? How can you sit so calm here when you can go where I cannot?" Yuuko asked him, looking deep into his eyes.
Taiki froze. She scrutinised him like data sheet. He was too scared to look back at her to see the reflection of his fears in her eyes and so he averted his gaze back to Satomi.
"We cannot find happiness in this life if all we ever are will never exceed the likes of pieces on a chess board. Drink. I can tell by the way you look that by now she has shared the parts of her plans with you that you need to know, but I also know that she is underestimating the consequences of her actions. I can only advise you to make plans that are beyond of what she told you to do, because in my experience, when things go sideways with a Tenoh plan, there is no salvaging things after the fact." Yuuko paused for a moment and played with the almost empty whiskey bottle in her hands before she took a big gulp from it. "I will come home to my little tyrant soon. Let me sober up in peace first." Yuuko continued with a bittersweet chuckle as she turned back to watch the other doctor work.
Taiki knew that she was not to the least drunk, as he had witnessed many times since he had brought her here that she was more than capable of holding her liquor when joining Jade's crew for the occasional drinking game, but he understood that she needed some time for herself and so he lifted the glass to his lips and emptied it to numb the pain that he felt in his chest that they had in common.
-Yaten-
He was controlling the training field on which Haruka and Jade were making their way through the various obstacles that he had put in their way when Kakyuu joined him in the control room.
"Any word from Watanabe-sensei?" she asked him as she watched how Haruka shot a handful of targets.
"Taiki has located her and is with her right now. He said that they would return 'soon'" Yaten reported to her.
"How long was that ago?" Kakyuu continued to ask him.
"About two hours." Yaten replied and Kakyuu frowned.
Watanabe had the unfortunate habit of coming and going as she liked and disappearing on them for hours at a time. Haruka seemed to tolerate it all too easily and therefor no one could say anything about the security concerns that this behaviour threw up, but it was in the back of all of their minds.
Kakyuu dropped herself in one of the chairs that stood empty next to Yaten and he could hear her sigh deeply.
"Something on your mind?" he felt compelled to ask her though he was not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Kakyuu asked in return to his surprise. "You seem troubled since Watanabe-sensei has joined us." Kakyuu got more specific.
He didn't know what to reply because he himself never dared to look into this beyond the surface, even though his gut has been bothering him since he could remember. He always thought he had come to terms with his past that was unknown to him, but seeing her made him question his past choices.
"I am alright." Yaten just replied before resuming his focus on the training field.
"You know we are here for you. If there is something wrong, we will deal with it together." Kakyuu reminded him.
"She is your teacher and she is important to Haruka." Yaten reminded her.
"Yea, but you are family, and you know Haruka, for her family comes first." Kakyuu repeated.
"Yuuko is family, too" Yaten replied turning to Kakyuu and immediately regretting what he had said but to his surprise he spotted no surprise in Kakyuu's eyes. Instead she just reached out for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I know. Well, I know enough so you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but you know you can always talk to me, right?" Kakyuu looked at him kindly.
"I …" Yaten didn't know what to say and where to start until his eye fell on the tablet on which he had shown his training report to Haruka that was less than impressive to the blonde and for which he got her infamous silent frown, but no earful to work harder. He took the tablet and passed it to Kakyuu. "Haruka was less than happy with this." He just stated. He didn't know what he wanted to hear from Kakyuu as she read report, so he turned instead to the training ground and sent out another wave of robots Jade's way. Eventually Kakyuu turned the screen off and put the tablet on the table.
"The numbers look good. You are keeping up with everyone." Kakyuu commented.
"Am I? I don't feel like Haruka thinks so." Yaten admitted.
"Did she say that or is that just the feeling that you are voicing?" Kakyuu asked him neutrally.
"I don't know…Taiki is in the field every day, running every errand you can think of, Seiya is even still overseas doing god knows what…and where am I? Here, babysitting their training, something that we have automated years ago. I know I am the resident computer geek, but you know… It feels like I am more of a burden than any help." Yaten blurted out and felt lighter for it, though foolish as well.
"IF Haruka felt like you were a burden, wouldn't it be you on the training ground right now and not her?" Kakyuu gave him to consider. "Remember when Ami joined us for training and how dismayed Haruka was at her numbers?" Kakyuu recalled with a chuckle. "It is not like her to leave you behind on bad numbers and numbers can only show that much. No one knows that better than you." Kakyuu smiled reassuring. "If she thinks it is best for you to stay in, then it is best for you to stay in. You have trusted her judgement this far and have not been disappointed, so why these doubts?" Kakyuu asked him.
Yaten looked ashamed away from her. "I feel like she is coddling me, or worse, not trusting me to be of more use than to monitor all the systems." He admitted quietly.
"I know Haruka sucks at voicing her appreciation but she is definitely putting you to good use…." Kakyuu reminded him when suddenly a system alarm echoed through the room and the monitor indicated that Haruka was overexerting herself.
"See? Your job is just as important as any other around here." Kakyuu sighed as she got up. "Terminate her program and force her to stay put. I go down and look what is going on." Kakyuu instructed him as she left the control room.
-Setsuna-
She left the meeting room at the crack of dawn. The meeting with Takashi was exhausting and all she wanted was a hot shower and her bed but the old man seemed to work all of the 24 hours in the day and she didn't want to look like as if she could not handle the workload. After all, his office would be hers one day. Tired she walked into her own office only to find Kakashi already sitting on the couch there, sipping coffee.
"I hope that is not mine that you are consuming." Setsuna growled tired.
"On the contrary, I got you the Tenoh pace maker special." Kakashi smirked as he held up a thermos.
"How is she doing?" Setsuna enquired as she took the coffee out of his hands and opened it to smell the promise of relief from her exhaustion.
"She is alive." He just chuckled and pointed to a small package on the table in the front of him. "I thought I would pick you up some breakfast while I was at it."
Setsuna sat down next to him after she had had a few sips of the coffee that was warming her core back to life and curiously unpacked the parcel in front of her.
"The Yamaguchi special with extra fish for you." Kakashi informed her and Setsuna realised that it had been almost a whole day since she had something solid to eat.
She started to eat and they enjoyed the silence with one another as Kakashi seemed to watch the sun rise.
Kakashi seemed deep in thought but Setsuna could not ask him what was on his mind since they agreed to keep the two worlds separate as not to endanger the delicate balance that they tried to sustain.
"It might come up that I might catch some food poisoning in the coming days." Kakashi said quietly. "Everything you need will be taken care of, I just wanted to give you a heads up so you don't worry about me or send someone to check on how I am. If you do want to send someone though, send Aino. She will know what I need."
"What are we talking about? A bad curry take away or more of a full salmonella infection?" Setsuna asked as she took a piece of grilled fish.
"God knows…If I would know, I would get the remedy in advance." Kakashi sighed. "The problem of probable deniability is not to know..."
They continued to sit in silence as Setsuna finished her breakfast and watched the autumn sun rise over Tokyo.
"By the way, my little demon packed you some of her favourite dessert herself." Kakashi said as he stood up and put down a small cloth pouch on the coffee table and looked Setsuna sternly into the eyes. "You don't need to eat it if you don't want to. I will take it with me if you don't"
"Did you have any of it?" Setsuna asked as she eyed to small purple parcel.
"No." Kakashi answered calmly.
"Is it any good?" Setsuna continued.
"No idea. Shall I take it with me again?" Kakashi asked as he reached for it but Setsuna stopped him and took the small purple pouch into her own.
"You may leave now Takahashi-san" Setsuna replied stern.
"As you command ma'am" Kakashi bowed before he left.
After he closed the door behind him, she slowly opened the pouch to find a pudding inside with a small note and her stomach dropped.
-Mamoru-
He was sitting slightly annoyed in his father's office, with his father just silently staring at the box between them and not explaining to him why he was escorted by a dozen of his men to the family estate.
"Remember what you promised me before I let you get back into training with the Tenoh twins?" His father asked him as his eyes were glued on the box that had a very simple design, yet was beautifully crafted with an elegance that silently spoke volumes of the care taken in the making while still having an intimidating aura.
"That is now so long ago. Would you mind to just let the past go?" Mamoru sighed.
"What did you tell me that you would do?" Masaru kept insisting.
"I told you that I would hold my own and not bring dishonour to the family." Mamoru recalled annoyed.
"Do you know why I removed you from the training in the first place?" His father continued, his eyes turning to small slits as if he wanted to destroy the box purely by the death stare that he emitted to it.
"You thought I didn't need further training, also I needed to focus on becoming a doctor and not a thug." Mamoru recalled.
"Not just that. I told you that the Tenohs are dangerous." His father reminded him with a sneer.
"You say that about every family that you are not in control of." Mamoru groaned.
"Don't you dare to take my words lightly." Masaru countered angrily. "We Chibas have not come this far by studying books and prescribing kindness! We are where we are through our sweat and our enemies' blood."
Mamoru gritted his teeth to avoid another sigh and concentrated on the details of the box between them.
"Go ahead, open it." His father instructed him with a low growl.
Mamoru went ahead and removed the ribbon of the white box and found a long cut off bundle of pitch-black hair with his sister's favourite hair tie holding it together that was speckled with a liquid that had dried in a very distinct brown and flaky manner.
"Who…" Mamoru started and his father threw a card with the Tenoh seal in front of him. "Sh..she wouldn't …" Mamoru started to stammer.
"If she hadn't, then what is this?" His father barked angrily.
-Yuuko-
They had just returned to the tower and Yuuko left Taiki behind in the carpark as she made her way immediately to the underground laboratories where she was greeted by Tomo's hologram.
"Welcome back Yuuko-sensei" Tomo greeted her with the usual cheerful demeanour.
"Where is Haruka?" Yuuko immediately asked Tomo and Tomo projected a map of the building next to her.
"Haruka is in the gallery." Tomo indicated to a small yellow point that was blinking a few levels further up and Yuuko made her way there.
Upon arriving, she noticed that the door was manually locked shut and Yuuko had to pick it to get in. Inside the walls were covered with rows and rows of cupboards filled with the most exquisite paintings the world had to offer and yet she found Haruka laying on a leather couch that was standing lonely in front of a gigantic painting of a Tsunami hitting a city.
"Is this really where you should be little bear? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Yuuko asked rhetorically as she sat down on the armrest to Haruka's feet.
"I can't sleep." Haruka replied, her voiced laced with exhaustion.
"Still the nightmares?" Yuuko asked and looked down on Haruka as the blonde turned away from the painting and started to rub her eyes.
"Well, you have been staring at this picture in every free moment you have had since it has arrived, obviously you will dream of it." Yuuko tried to reason with Haruka who started to frown.
It looked like Haruka wanted to add something but then decided against it.
"I take it that you got the ball rolling?" Yuuko asked and Haruka just nodded.
"I had to throw the spanner into the works…they need to slow down or we won't be ready when the time comes. They are moving faster than anticipated and Jade won't be ready at this pace." Haruka tried to explain while she sat up and massaged her temples. "The Chibas started to move and it would be unwise to let them think that they can move outside their jurisdiction without impunity. Too many rumours have been spreading and the footmen have been getting cocky with the Yamaguchis. Baa-chan didn't say much but I got word that some of the Chiba men had moved onto my grandfather's place and the Tomoes' where the Yamaguchi have been keeping an eye for me. They are my people and I will not have them disrespected."Haruka grumbled.
"Didn't you say that the Myamoto's are doing that?" Yuuko asked.
There was a moment of poignant silence and Haruka turned back to the painting.
"Can't have them appear partial to me, not now…or ever… they need to remain neutral." Haruka sighed and Yuuko sat down next to her.
"Don't you think it will come across as a bit… disproportional?" Yuuko raised the issue that concerned her the most.
"It was the best way to kill two birds with one stone." Haruka just replied cryptically.
"It is sure a messy stone that you threw there." Yuuko noted. "But now it is what it is"
"Yuuko….how…how do you do it? How does…." Haruka mumbled as she leaned back and looked up the blank ceiling.
That is when Yuuko noticed an envelope in Haruka's vest's pocket out of which a concert ticket was showing.
"When you truly love someone, their happiness and their safety always come first. Sometimes, when you love them beyond the power of words, even the world comes second. I have not spared any efforts and I regret nothing that I have done to achieve that." Yuuko replied while looking at the hands that have shed so much blood to achieve her objectives.
"How do you keep sane though?" Haruka asked.
"Adequate distance." Yuuko replied.
"We should be good at that, shouldn't we?" Haruka continued with a wry chuckle.
"We come from the same school." Yuuko nodded. "We better be, or the consequences will be too dire to bear."
-Michiru-
The doorbell was ringing and Setsuna was at the door when Michiru opened.
"Is the agency so relaxed as that they would let the vice director come and visit me in person?" Michiru teased the older woman as she came in.
"I could be the emperor of China and I would still come and visit my dear friends whenever I want to." Setsuna just smirked.
Michiru noticed that Setsuna was subtly checking out her apartment a bit more thorough than usual as they walked into the living room together.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Michiru asked as she fed the fish that she was looking after for Hotaru.
"I was in the neighbourhood." Setsuna clearly lied.
"I checked the apartment thrice. There are no surveillance devices here." Michiru assured Setsuna who sighed with relief. "Getting paranoid with all that you know?" Michiru smirked and Setsuna just stretched herself where she sat on the couch.
"Speaking of things I know, I know that you have sent Haruka a ticket despite the message I had sent you through Ami." Setsuna looked at Michiru with a look that was hard for her to read.
"You are overestimating my power over Haruka. She is her own person and does whatever she likes. That has always been her and everyone knows that. I have not any more control over her than you do. In regards to the ticket, we bumped into each other at the Tsukino jewellery store and it would have come across as rude if I did not offer her a ticket if I am already there with my violin and on the way to the practice." Michiru tried to justify herself. "And I know how to look after myself." Michiru insisted firmly.
"I know that you know how to look after yourself, but does she?" Setsuna asked her worried.
"We trained together, A LOT. Shouldn't that speak for itself?" Michiru countered and Setsuna just looked tired at her.
"Ok, your training might speak for itself, but do you think numbers matter when you are predisposed? Do you trust her to look after herself?" Setsuna asked her in return and Michiru struggled to reply.
Of course, Haruka knew how to defend herself, but looking after herself was an entirely different story.
Setsuna gave her the 'You see what I mean?' look and Michiru just hung her head in defeat as she sat down next to her friend.
"I know it is hard." Setsuna patted Michiru's shoulder to comfort her.
"Let me back in. I know why I got placed where I got placed, but it is hard for me to stay neutral. You know how hard it is when Kakashi is in the field. I see how you lose appetite and sleep. You can't tell me that it leaves you cold and you know how much worse Haruka is in comparison to Kakashi" Michiru pleaded with Setsuna who, while she returned a look of empathy, only shook her head.
"It was Takashi who put you into the passive field and he is still the one who has the final say on where you go." Setsuna shrugged.
"You are second in charge though." Michiru reminded the other woman.
"True, but I hold no sway in the true upper echelon. If you want this to change it would be best to contact your grandmother, but you already know that." Setsuna sighed again. "I will put in a good word with her, but the rest you have to do yourself."
"Works for me." Michiru replied, her system suddenly flooded with an excitement that she had forgotten she had in herself.
-Yaten-
He went to the carpark to double check on the cars' tracking systems, to find Taiki still sitting in the one that he took to pick up Yuuko.
"Are you alright?" He asked his brother who looked slightly despondent.
Taiki looked at him with worries deep embedded in his eyes before he shook his head. "I am fine, just a bit tired." Taiki managed to say.
"Did you have a meaningful talk with Watanabe-sensei?" Yaten asked him as he watched his brother climbing out of the car.
"Kind of and not really." Taiki replied. "We only talked about Haruka as usual."
"Haruka? What is there that Watanabe doesn't know about her?" Yaten asked surprised.
"What is it that anybody really knows about Haruka?" Taiki replied with a shrug. "I am going to bed and catch some shut eye, you should do the same."
"OK, I just finish checking the cars." Yaten called after Taiki who started heading towards the elevators.
"Don't stay up too late. We will have a lot to do tomorrow." Taiki reminded him before the elevator doors closed.
Now Yaten was alone in the vast space that was filled with beautiful cars and even more beautiful motorbikes but he was not able to appreciate nor enjoy their beauty or the freedom that they stood for. He sat down into the car that Taiki had just left, connected his tablet to the its system and ran the maintenance program. Haruka had always been very specific on how the cars were networked into the system, and besides live tracking, audio and video recording that needed active switching off when privacy was needed, they also held extensive self-defence capacities for emergencies, but that also meant regular and extensive maintenance that the blonde usually did herself, but recently she had been too preoccupied to spend time with her favourite toys and so it was left to him to do it.
As Yaten was mindlessly watching how Taiki and Yuuko entered the car in the recording, he noticed that both were rather deep in thought before Yuuko struck up a conversation while Taiki was concentrating on the dense traffic.
"So, was it you who picked her up when she came back from Siberia?" Yuuko asked casually, but he noticed in her eyes that she was looking for something in specific.
"Siberia…oh, that time…No. Actually no one picked her up. She just turned up, a bit thinner than she the last time we'd seen her and then we moved into the tower fulltime."Taiki recalled distracted as he avoided collision with another car.
"Nothing peculiar about her?" Yuuko dug deeper.
"Well, she was quieter but that is pretty normal, considering what happened before…." Taiki seemed to have noticed that he had said too much. "…but I think that was just the exhaustion from getting the tower back up and running. The Yamaguchi did their best with it, but she had her own plans to upgrade it and made those upgrades as soon as she was given the chance." Taiki finished the conversation.
Yaten could see that Yuuko got even deeper in thought and Taiki hurried to get back home.
The clip finished and the screen displayed the final report on the car's status.
Yaten knew that he still had to do this with every other car here, but he suddenly felt a lot more unease than when he did as he started.
-Haruka-
Yuuko had just left to go to bed but Haruka felt too awake to sleep and yet too tired to do anything else productive.
Pulling herself together she stood up and as her vest straightened up against her body, she could feel the envelope of the letter that she had received earlier in the day pressing against her chest. Inside was a ticket for Michiru's concert and a short note.
'Looking forward to see you there. ' was all that was on the note and yet those few words managed to fluster her. Haruka could not understand why those simple words unnerved her and yet made her so restless.
She let her hands run over her face before she reached for her cane and walked towards the exit and headed to garage level.
Her memories were still all over the place and she just had no time to work through the past when the present and the future needed all her attention. Her sessions with Yuuko in the mornings to make sense of her memory snippets worked quite well but caused her headaches to increase when they worked on them for longer periods of time and that was the last thing she needed right now when she was finally so close to find out what truly happened to her parents and even more importantly, who it would be the one to pay for their crime.
In the elevator she looked at her own reflection in the door and straighten her clothes before leaving it and heading towards the cars.
Yaten was still working on one of the cars and seemed to be finishing up the maintenance check.
"How come you are still up?" Haruka asked the other who looked up in surprise to see her.
"I just wanted to finish this so the cars are ready for you at any time." Yaten replied.
Haruka looked around and realised that he must have been down here for a few hours and nodded with an appreciative nod.
"Go and get some sleep. I just take the Maserati out for a spin." Haruka informed Yaten.
She could see that he didn't think that it was a good idea but his silence told her that he knew better than to argue with her about this.
"Ok, but I will stay up until you are back. Kakyuu will not forgive me if I don't at least do that." Yaten replied.
"Alright. I will not take long." Haruka reassured the younger man and got into her chosen car to drive out.
It was already very late in the night and streets were empty. The November wind was tossing the few dried leaves that were on the road around so that they flew horizontally across her windscreen and Haruka enjoyed pressing down on the accelerator. She didn't remember much about herself, but she did remember that she loved this. She felt lighter when she was rushing past the buildings like nothing could hold her back.
When she glanced at her watch, she noticed that it was already time to head back if she wanted Yaten to get adequate rest and so she turned the car around. Just as she turned a corner, a familiar shade of aquamarine hair caught her eye and before she knew what she was doing she had pulled the car up to the sidewalk and opened the window.
"Hey stranger." Haruka called over to Michiru who seemed amused by their chance encounter.
"Hey stranger." Michiru replied with her melodious voice that caused Haruka's heart to forget its regular rhythm.
"It is late and it is dangerous to walk alone, let me give you a lift." Haruka called out.
"Isn't it also dangerous to get into the car with a stranger?" Michiru chuckled and Haruka had to smirk.
"I can also just follow you like this." Haruka chuckled.
"Oh, so you prefer the label stalker over stranger?" Michiru asked in return, seemingly unaware of the shadow that seemed to have joined their banter.
Haruka, concerned to alarm the other woman stopped, causing for Michiru to turn around. That was when the shadow disappeared in the dark.
"I can also just watch you walk home from a safe distance." Haruka suggested with a laugh lacing her words to disperse the tense look Michiru had directed into the dark.
"Well, since you already came all the way here, I guess I might as well let you drive me the rest of the way home." Michiru accepted the ride with a graceful smile and climbed into the car.
-Michiru-
Michiru couldn't believe her luck, or the lack thereof, as she was sitting next to Haruka in one of the blonde's many cars. It couldn't have been coincidence that Haruka would be on the road and bump into her the moment she noticed imminent danger, but right now she struggled to care about that. She looked out of the window to try to spot the source of her discomfort, however it seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
Haruka had them within moments in front of her building and she regretted not to have requested a longer detour.
Michiru looked over to Haruka who seemed to have gone completely silent as she was intently glancing at her watch.
"I hope I didn't take too much of your valuable time by letting you drive me home, because I am very capable of walking." Michiru teased but didn't get an immediate reply in the usual playful tone that Haruka had.
Slightly startled, the blonde turned to her but caught herself quickly.
"My time is valuable, but never too valuable not to ensure that a beautiful and talented woman such as yourself is getting home safely." Haruka replied smoothly, but Michiru could tell that there was more on the blonde's mind than just making sure that she got home safe.
Michiru half expected Haruka to offer to walk her to the door but decided that she wouldn't give the blonde that chance and reached for the door before the blonde could offer it.
"Thanks for the ride." Michiru bid her goodbye, but before she could exit the car though, Haruka held her back with a firm grip on her wrist, forcing Michiru to face the blonde again.
"Hold on, I checked my calendar and I cannot come to the concert after all." Haruka started, the words sounding hollow and her eyes not focusing on Michiru but looking at something behind Michiru.
"Oh, don't worry, you can just give the ticket to someone else." Michiru replied, trying to suppress her disappointment to the best of her ability and putting on a gentle smile.
"It wouldn't feel right." Haruka replied with a downcast look, slowly loosening the grip she had on Michiru's wrist and then reaching into her vest, producing the all too familiar looking envelope. "It should be up to you, whom you choose to sit in that seat of honour." Haruka explained herself slowly and evenly.
Michiru wanted to say that she was very happy with the choice that she had made but instead only nodded empathetically and putting that envelope into her own bag.
"It is a pity that you won't be able to make it. I hope though that you will not be a stranger the next time we bump into each other." Michiru tried to lighten the mood but the flirtatious smirk that was resting on Haruka's face didn't make it to the blonde's eyes as Haruka nodded in agreement.
"Of course not." Haruka's voice almost cracked and Michiru only wanted to wrap her arms around the blonde, ask her what was bothering her, protecting her from the demons that were giving her that haunted look in those beautiful eyes that captured Michiru's heart and just comfort the blonde but she knew that they were not alone.
"Good night, Tenoh-san." Michiru pulled herself together to leave, giving Haruka an ever so slight nod that the blonde returned without hesitation.
"Good night, Kaioh-san" Haruka replied without leaving her seat.
-Akira-
The Izakaya was finally empty and cleaned when he headed towards the farming floor with the soy beans to prepare the tofu making machine and leaving his mother a note there for the special orders of the coming day. Once he reached the carpark floor with the small train, he heard a car returning. Haruka was pulling in at break neck speed and Akira stayed at the door to stay safe until the blonde had parked. Once he heard the car door slam shut, he proceeded towards the elevators on the other side of the carpark, just to see how Yuuko had been waiting for Haruka's return.
Yuuko looked seriously angered, making Akira retreat into the shadows as not to be caught in the crossfire of what was about to ensue.
"Do you know what time it is?" Yuuko asked Haruka rhetorically and the blonde just nodded half defiant but the look in her eyes was overflowing with guilt.
"I …" Haruka started, but Yuuko didn't let her finish.
"Yaten is still awake in the control room waiting to close up." Yuuko continued and while Haruka was by lengths taller than the small doctor, she had never looked smaller in his recent memory.
"You are a Tenoh, so behave like one. You have been given the responsibility for more than just your own life and people did not give theirs for you so that you could be selfish. I did not give up mine so you could be so ires…" Yuuko's voice broke for the very first time in all the time he had known her. "Do you know how worried I was? Your name alone cannot protect you from a bullet heading your way." Yuuko had caught herself almost immediately as she stood there with her straight back, looking up at the hunched blonde who had winced at the doctor's words and was just nodding weakly.
"It is late Watanabe-sensei. Go ahead to bed. I will make sure that Tenoh-sama will be resting as soon as I have discussed with her some issues that I have on the farm." Akira stepped in to break the tension.
"I expect you to be on time for our morning session." Yuuko addressed Haruka who just nodded to confirm and the doctor left the two behind as she entered an elevator to get to her own quarters.
"Thanks Akira-ji." Haruka said sheepishly as she raised her head to face him and he just put an arm around her shoulders and gave it a small squeeze.
"Let's go and check on the soy beans. You haven't been there in a while." Akira suggested as Haruka was straightening her back.
He walked ahead to one of the remaining elevators and they rode together to the farming level. When they arrived, the robots had already started to harvest a section.
"So, what is the problem?" Haruka asked him, fully back in work mode, back straight and tall, eyes focused on the room.
"We might want to expand capacity, now that we have so many occupants in the tower." Akira suggested as they walked between the different planters to get to the tofu making area.
"I see…I don't think they will stay long…" Haruka was thinking aloud.
"Are you sure?" Akira asked her as they entered the soy bean storage area. "I can also just buy from the outside in for the store." Akira suggested, half knowing the answer already.
"No, no. Your store is famous for the tofu made from these beans." Haruka shook her head as he pulled out two crates for them to sit down on and two boxes of beans for them to spot check.
"How are you?" Akira just asked Haruka as both were sitting overlooking the floor with the robots moving smoothly form side to side.
Haruka opened her mouth for a moment as if to reply 'fine' out of habit but then closed it again and Akira put the beans between them. The blonde reached out to them out of habit and started to examine them one by one out of reflex to inspect them. Both knew that these beans were scanned thoroughly before getting stored but they did the checking anyway.
"Yuuko is pretty disappointed in me, isn't she?" the blonde eventually asked in return, she sounding tired, or more like at the brink to exhaustion as she inspected each bean carefully.
"These are tense times. She is just a bit on the edge as much as you are." Akira reasoned calmly.
"You are right. I am more disappointed in myself than she is in me. "Haruka sighed.
"Why?" Akira asked with the intend to keep Haruka talking while they went through the beans.
"Why does it matter what she is?" Akira asked back in a neutral tone.
"It shouldn't" Haruka replied after thinking about it, but Akira could tell that Yuuko's disappointment in her hurt Haruka more than the scolding for being late.
"What does matter to you then?" Akira asked her calmly.
Haruka stayed quiet and leaned back onto the storage behind her.
Akira could see the inner turmoil play out in the frown on the blonde's forehead.
"I want to keep everyone happy and safe. That is what matters to me." Haruka eventually replied.
"We cannot make everyone happy in our lives Haru-chan. It is like making tofu, sometimes you succeed, sometimes you don't." Akira shrugged.
"But your tofu is always great." Haruka commented.
"But it wasn't always and sometimes it still isn't" Akira explained.
"I cannot afford for this not to be good." Haruka sighed.
"Then it will be good." Akira stated confidently.
"How do you know?" Haruka asked him surprised.
"Because I know you will give it your all." Akira replied without hesitation and Haruka stayed silent. "Keeping everyone safe is the most anyone can ask for. Happiness is everyone else's own responsibility." Akira stated calmly.
"Yea." Haruka finally gave in and nodded. "I am tired." Haruka eventually replied. "Not the answer you want to hear to the question 'how are you?' huh" the blonde mused.
"But an answer that I cherish, because it is honest." Akira replied sincerely. "Are you taking care of your own happiness?"
"My happiness? That is unattainable." Haruka looked like she was biting back tears and so Akira continued to focus on the beans. He knew that the little Tenoh, was still a Tenoh, with pride that measured up to her lineage.
The last time he had seen the blonde this drained, was when a certain Tea master was pressured into getting married, but then at least she had her brother to lean on, now she had no one that came even remotely as close to Haruka to pour her heart out to. Everyone around her depended onto her one way or another and she understood her responsibilities to everyone around her more than most gave her credit.
"Are you sure about that? You do look happy when you are playing with Hotaru." Akira reminded her.
"That is a different kind of happiness." Haruka replied. "But you are right, it is happiness."
Haruka managed a weak sincere smile in return before she got up and he put away both crates and the beans that they had been checking.
"Now, off you go to bed. You have an early appointment with Yuuko-sensei. Be lenient with her, she is just as tired as you are, she is just as stubborn as you are and hides it all just as well." Akira patted her fatherly on the shoulder.
"Ok." Haruka replied resigned.
"After this is done, we will eat together with my mum in the Izakaya as we used to when you were little and this time, you will be even allowed to drink the famous Yamaguchi Umeshu." Akira promised with a wink and he could see how the trademark twinkle of mischief returned to Haruka's eyes.
"Uh huh. I'll hold you to it, Akira-ji" Haruka just smirked before she left.
-Mamoru-
He went to the hospital before the sun rose and went straight to the laboratories where he looked up the results for the hair and blood sample that he had given for analysis the day before. Printing out the results and then deleting all entries for this analysis before also retrieving the samples, he did not dare to read the file until he had reached his office.
He took a deep breath and opened up the folder in which he was carrying all the print outs.
There was no doubt about it now. He had it black on white. The hair and the blood were from his sister. The skin flakes found on the hair tie were Haruka's.
He leaned back in his chair with his hand still clasp over his mouth.
He had to think of what to do next.
To confront Haruka about this or to follow his father's plan to revenge.
Half of him could not believe his eyes, the other half was struggling to keep calm and not the let the anger, that was bubbling up in his chest, to take over.
Eventually grief gripped him as he realised that he had lost his sister for good. They had not been as close as Haruka and Haruto, but they had been as close as siblings could be and now, he had lost his only ally in the family to his best friend. Or to someone he thought had been his best friend.
Suddenly there was a knock at his door and he quickly put away the file before answering.
"Come in." Mamoru tried to sound as neutral as he could.
Satomi Mizuno from paediatrics opened the door and entered.
"I saw the light of your office was on and thought I check if the cleaners forgot to turn it off." Mizuno-sensei explained her early visit.
"Oh, no. I just came early in today since I wanted to double check a few files before seeing my patients. What about you Mizuno-sensei? I didn't know you still did night shifts." Mamoru asked to deflect from himself.
"Matsumoto-sensei's little one got unexpectedly sick and so I covered for her tonight. You, look like in need of a coffee, want to join me in the research lounge for some? We just got a brilliant new coffee machine." The other doctor offered.
"Yea, coffee sounds great." Mamoru replied as he got up and followed Satomi, but not before locking his office behind him.
"What would you like to have? This machine can really make anything you can wish for in the coffee department." Satomi asked casually as they entered the lounge and headed straight to the big elegant machine that stood in the middle of the room.
"What would you recommend?" Mamoru replied unsure of what she meant.
"Currently I always get Geisha syphon style with milk at the side. It is just heavenly." Satomi swooned, which was a first for Mamoru to witness from this usually very professional, yet empathetic, senior of his.
"Well then, I will have the same." Mamoru decided as he had a closer look of the big machine.
"How are you settling in Chiba-san?" Satomi asked as she was ordering their drinks on the elegant full panel screen and the machine jumped into life.
"I think I am doing alright, but my panel review is not for another month and so I cannot be sure what the heads of the various departments think." Mamoru replied as he watched how robotic arms started to set up the syphons and freshly ground meticulously measured coffee beans.
"Impressive isn't it?" Satomi noted as they stood there and watched the machines do their magic.
"How come I never knew that we had this?" Mamoru asked as his eyes followed the elegant movements of the arms that were preparing their milk.
"It is a recent donation that we received thanks to a minor hassle a few months ago." Satomi explained while the hot water was climbing and was being mixed with the freshly ground coffee.
"Oh? I do not remember hearing anything about any hassle." Mamoru noted.
"That is why we got given this beautiful work of art." Satomi chuckled as the coffee dripped into the small glass pots.
"Was it something….secret?" Mamoru asked bluntly for the lack of a better word so early in the morning.
"Oh no. Nothing secret. We are a public facility with full transparency after all. This was more a sign of appreciation for our discretion." Satomi explained as the coffee was finally being placed on a small tray that went onto a beltway that moved it to the opening from where they could retrieve it.
Mamoru stepped up to carry the tray and the smell that greeted Mamoru was heavenly and he took a deep breath.
"Let's sit over there." Satomi went ahead of him and he followed her to a small table with two comfortable leather seats at a big window looking out into the city.
Mamoru was a little lost on how to drink this well smelling coffee as he sat in front of the various vessels, but Satomi confidently took the glass with the fresh brewed coffee and poured half of it into her cup.
"You have to have the first cup as soon as possible and black, that is how you get the most out of it." Satomi explained and gleefully started to sip on hers.
Mamoru copied her and as the first sip hit his tongue and filled his nose, he forgot the world around him for a moment. The warmth and the aromas were positively overwhelming and he enjoyed his little break from this world as long as he could. The coffee was smooth and well rounded with a comforting aftertaste.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Satomi grinned behind her cup and Mamoru just nodded.
They enjoyed their first cup in silence and to the second Satomi finally added her frothed milk.
"As the coffee cools down, the favour changes a lot, so the second one can be enjoyed guilt free with some milk." Satomi commented her actions as she poured every last bit of the milk into her cup with the leftover coffee.
"You seem to be a real coffee enthusiast." Mamoru remarked as he tried a sip without the milk first to see what she meant and then proceeded to do the same.
"Oh, by no means. I just happen to have known the designer of this machine and he was a real coffee lover; he could talk about coffee for hours if you let him." Satomi reminisced.
"This coffee is really good. If it is affordable, I will get myself the home version of it." Mamoru chuckled. "Who is it made by?"
"Sora Inc." Satomi replied.
"I will definitely look into this." Mamoru was keen to have this coffee every morning from now on.
"Glad you are perking up. You seemed down the last few days." Satomi noted and Mamoru felt a bit embarrassed about it having been so obvious that he had been preoccupied.
"Yea…It is just a family matter that has been on my mind." Mamoru admitted.
"Well, our profession is not really family friendly, at least when it comes to our own families. Don't be shy to ask for time off if needed, family comes first after all." Satomi advised him and Mamoru just nodded. "You have a little one, right?" She asked him between sips and he nodded. "You should enjoy them while they are still small and dependant. They grow up so fast and before you know it, they are out of the house and you need to worry about them in the big wide world." Satomi winked.
A sudden realisation hit him. He might have lost his sister, but he still had his family. His father lost his only daughter. He could not imagine what he would do if anything would happen to Chibiusa, so his father's outrage was more than justified. Mamoru had no choice but to appease his father now, after all, he was the only child that his parents had left to uphold the family.
-Haruka-
She stepped out of the morning session with Yuuko and took the elevator right to the rooftop. The winds were rough and the sun provided no warmth, yet Haruka stood there alone, took a deep breath and felt better for it.
She closed her eyes and relished the wind in her hair. How she longed just to be free, to leave all her responsibilities behind and just to be.
It felt like not even a moment had passed when she could hear the elevator open again and small footsteps rushing towards her.
"Haruka-papa!" Hotaru called out as she launched towards Haruka and Haruka turned around just in time to catch her and lift the little girl up.
"Hey there, Hime-chan." Haruka replied as Hotaru hugged her tight. The warmth that spread over her neck to her heart was deeply comforting and Haruka knew that no freedom could give her this.
"Why are you not wearing a jacket?" Hotaru asked and Haruka didn't know what to reply.
"I forgot." Haruka admitted and Hotaru just sighed.
"Don't feel bad. Takumi-kun said that this happens to his grandpa a lot, too." Hotaru sighed. "I guess I just have to look after you more then." Hotaru continued and looked over to Kakyuu who had accompanied the little girl to the roof. "Kakyuu-nee, you will help me, right? I still have to go to school in the mornings." Hotaru looked at Kakyuu imploringly.
"Of course." Kakyuu just chuckled. "Well then, since this is settled, why don't we go inside and grab some food. Wouldn't want you two to freeze and be hungry." Kakyuu suggested and Hotaru slipped out of Haruka's embrace before taking her by the hand and dragging her to the elevator.
"By the way Haruka-papa, Chibiusa said her dad told her that she is not allowed to play with me anymore." Hotaru informed her in a very even tone, but the very fact that Hotaru didn't turn around to face her as she uttered those words indicated to Haruka that the other little girl said more than just that.
Kakyuu gave Haruka a concerned look but Haruka only shook her head.
They descended to common floor and Haruka watched the measured face that Hotaru sported as she held her hand tightly.
Not a trace of sadness, not a trace of anger or resentment, just a purposeful stare at the door in anticipation to get out of this floating steel cage.
As the door opened and Kakyuu went ahead of them, Haruka picked Hotaru up and held her tight.
"I am so sorry about that Hime-chan" Haruka whispered soothingly into Hotaru's ear and Hotaru silently broke out in tears as she buried her small face in Haruka's shoulder.
Kakyuu turned around but didn't say anything, instead she got busy in the kitchen as Haruka comforted Hotaru in silence.
-Michiru-
She was practicing in the empty concert hall and again she felt how she was being acutely watched by someone. According to the concert hall management, no one but her would be this early here and she made sure that she had locked the entrance after entering. Through her half opened eyes she scanned the vast open space in front of her and tried to find out where her watcher was watching her. It was unusual that someone would be physically present for surveillance with all the current technological options, leading her to conclude that physical threat was highly likely. She had known for weeks that she was being watched, but she never caught who it was. Whoever it was, was very good at evasion, but today felt different. Today it felt a lot more careless, almost clumsy and Michiru knew that this was her chance to catch whomever had been stalking her. She let her bow go through the usual motions and fill the hall with sound, to weigh her surveyor in a safety that he or she didn't actually enjoy, as Michiru made plans to corner them. Michiru stopped abruptly as her phone alarm went off as planned to see if there was any reaction to this and in the corner of her eye, she noticed a tiny movement. Pretending to be replying to text, she turned on a pre-recorded track, put the microphone close to it and back to the small table near her, before pretending to resume her practice as the music started. Her eyes stayed trained on the spot where she had noticed a little movement before as she slowly retreated into the shadows of the barely lit stage and put her violin carefully down. This time, she would catch this person and find out why they had been watching her. As she snuck off the stage and up to one of the balconies where she suspected her watcher was sitting, she noticed a long platinum blonde hair on the ground and approached with caution. The other person didn't seem to have noticed that she had disappeared from the stage and was still sitting cowered low on the balcony. She looked rather slim and fragile in Michiru's opinion, but then again, Minako was slim and still a force to be reckoned with. As soon as Michiru saw that the other was unarmed, she steadied herself before went into the offensive and surprised the other with a choke hold.
"Who are you?" Michiru asked steadily as the other woman was struggling to defend herself.
"I …I …." The other tried to reply when Michiru noticed an ear piece in the other's ear and footsteps that were fast approaching.
A tall tanned woman with red hair appeared out of nowhere and asked Michiru while out of breath. "Please … please let her go... It is all just a big misunderstanding."
"How can I be sure that I can trust you?" Michiru asked suspiciously as the other person pulled something out of her pocket and Michiru instinctively tightened the choke hold.
"Let me call your aunt and you can ask her all you want." The other woman explained with a pacifying hand gesture as she dialled and held her phone to her own ear. "Captain..Riko…we have a small problem…Yes…she noticed us….she has Allison in a choke hold…..ok" the other woman spoke between breaths.
Michiru didn't loosen her grip, but the other was not struggling and therefore safe from any real harm.
"ok…I will just hold my phone to your ear." The other woman explained as she came closer.
"Michi-chan…please let Allison go." Came her aunt's voice from the other side.
"What is going on?" Michiru asked irritated back.
"I will explain everything when I get to you tonight, but first, let Allison go. Linda and her are with me." Riko replied calmly.
"I am sick and tired of being kept in the dark" Michiru voiced her frustration, which may or may not have resulted from a restless night she had after Haruka had dropped her off, which had lowered her tolerance for secrets to an absolute minimum.
"I understand Michi-chan and I will explain to you all that I can at this moment over dinner, but let's just be civil for now. We all just want to help out Haruka, right?" Riko replied reassuringly.
