Neku woke with a start, a cold sweat dripping down his back. He looked around, getting his bearings.
"Hey Phones." Hanekoma greeted in a soft voice "How ya feeling?"
"Like I bench pressed a bus." The teen grumbled "Everything aches. The hell did I do last night? Did you spike my coffee?"
The barista looked hurt "Of course not, kid! You just tapped into your Music, that's all. Saved J's butt too, from the look of it. He's sleeping finally, and without one nightmare."
"I...am too wiped out to even think about asking you what you mean. All I know is I had one hell of a nightmare last night."
Sanae looked curious "Oh?"
"Yeah...Hey you know that one time I walked in on you guys, and Josh got marionetted by some asshole using a psych?"
Sanae shuddered. He remembered all right. He still had nightmares about that night. "Yes" he said slowly, "Why do you ask?"
"Because that same asshole was in my nightmare."
Hanekoma narrowed his eyes. So that's who They decided to send this time. Terrific. As if we don't have enough trouble on our plate. "Kid...call your friends, call your school."
"Why?"
"Because you aren't stepping foot out of this house until I get rid of a little problem." Hanekoma said firmly. "Tell them you're sick, or you're going on vacation for a few days. I don't care what you tell them, but just make it clear you aren't coming and you can't hang out."
Neku cocked his head "Dumbass is still pissed that I punched his lights out huh?"
"I don't know. But I do know he won't hesitate to use you to get Josh to come out of hiding. I don't want you hurt. So please...stay...put."
"Sanae..." mumbled the couch "Don't starve my Proxy."
"I'll get supplies on my way back from tending to the shop today. The both of you'll be well-stocked."
Joshua muttered something unintelligible before rolling over and falling asleep again. Sanae chuckled and patted Neku on the back
"Good luck Kiddo. I'll be back in a few hours."
As he began to leave, Neku asked softly "Mister H...When that guy attacked Josh...did he have his full powers?"
Sanae ran a hand through his hair
"Yeah kid...yeah he did."
Neku felt sick. Now he's weak, crippled, and at half power...damn!
"I'll call the school."
TWEWYTWEWYTWEWY
The barista kept his head high as he made it back to WildKat. It seemed like he didn't need to be alertive, however, because the subject of his concern was parked on one of his stools, looking like a top brass businessman in a pressed suit, tie, and slicked back blonde hair.
"You can't harbor him forever, Sanae."
Hanekoma glared at him, but prepaired two cups of coffee. As he worked, he answered as if he wasn't completely sickened by the being in front of him.
"I can, and I will, Apollo. Josh already paid his dues and mine in that glorified torture chamber you all call a courtroom, there's no reason his punishment should continue after the fact."
Apollo chuckled darkly "We have cause to believe otherwise. Being punished in the courtroom is one thing. Getting disciplined in the place of one's power is completely different."
Sanae smirked and set the other being's coffee in front of him, sitting down opposite him and sipping from his own cup.
"So what you put him through last time didn't count?"
The other man snickered "Has he learned from that not to be so arrogant? I didn't think so."
Sanae put his coffee down and looked the other man in the eye "Oh, come off it, Apollo. You still haven't forgiven him for what he did to you during his third Game. He totally humiliated you even in your Noise form. On one leg, too, if I remember correctly. You'd very painfully broken his other one. You have to admit, that was pretty impressive."
Apollo laughed "Indeed it was! No Sanae, I don't hate him for that, it was a fair fight abnd he won even with that handicap. Unfortunately, it also did nothing but feed his arrogance. He had everything in life, Sanae. Everything. He threw it away for death, and got even more. Yoshiya Kiryu is spoiled, Hanekoma!"
"And physically torturing him will make him less so?!" Sanae argued "I know the Council is biased, Apollo, but their logic isn't that skewed! Admit it, Sarahara, heir to a vast industrial empire...you have been and always will be resentful of Joshua. You bullied him when he was growing up along side you, you tormented him when he was your partner during his first Game, you gave him more hell than you did his partner when you were a reaper, you broke bones for no reason in his fight against you as Game Master, and you deliberately used a forbidden psych on him in the battle for the Composer's seat! You don't want to discipline him, Apollo. You want to break him!"
Apollo took a long drink, and said nonchalauntly
"Yes. Because only after one is broken, can they truly be humbled."
Hanekoma locked eyes with the man in front of him, a dangerous glint in their hue.
"I see right through you, Apollo. You don't want to humble him, you want to play with him. Do you even realize what 'humbling' him could do to Shibuya? Yoshiya Kiryu is the heart, Soul, and Imagination of this city. So what do you think will happen to her...if you crush his spirit?"
"I honestly don't know." Apollo said thoughtfully, a sick smirk spreading on his lips "I'd like to find out."
Sanae lost it.
The angel spread his wings angrily, and flew into Apollo, sending him backfirst into the opposite wall, where the younger man pinned him with an arm against his throat. Apollo sneered at him in warning
"Careful, Fallen, you wouldn't want another blot on your record...not when there's no one who'll take another one of the punishments meant for you!"
The younger man grit his teeth, but only increased his grip, growling like a protective bear,
"I don't care what happens to me. You listen and listen good, you damn sadist! I'm not just Yoshiya's Producer, I'm his surrogate father, and I'll be damned if I let you play with him like he was your toy! So listen very carefully. You crush my boy, I'll crush your skull."
Hanekoma released his victim and disappeared into the UG to calm himself.
Apollo sniggered low "Ah, Sanae...you poor fool. Yoshiya Kiryu's been mine since before you two met. I'll be damned if I give him up now of all times, while he's weak and helpless. Better keep him hidden well, pappa bear...because the hunter's coming to skin your cub alive!"