Apollo snarled.
He was so close! So very close! He could practically hear Yoshiya's tortured screaming, feel bones snap under his powerful psych!
But the Proxy kept him firmly locked out.
Damn you Hanekoma!
He was getting desperate now. Every day that passed, Yoshiya slipped further away from where he wanted him to be mentally. He couldn't get to the boy to imprint him, he couldn't get Yoshiya out of the blasted house...
Or could he?
There were three things his Kiryu treasured: The Proxy, Hanekoma, and Shibuya.
The Proxy was safely behind the barrier.
Hanekoma was with the Council and too powerful to consider messing with anyway.
That left Shibuya.
But what could he possibly do to the district that would force Yoshiya, weak as he was, out to stop it in person?
TWEWYTWEWYTWEWYTWEWY
"He's set Shibuya on fire."
Neku paused in his untying. He'd wondered why his patient had been so cooperative today. They were up to two arms, a leg, and a foot. Joshua had uncharacteristicly stopped resisting at an hour mark. The Proxy was a bit disappointed that his student was more 'very distracted' than actually 'willingly giving up control', but he decided to let it slide.
Because apparently, Shibuya was burning.
"I know what he's doing." The Composer said darkly, "He's trying to lure me out of the barrier. I can't give him what he wants but I...I just can't..."
Neku put a hand on his friend's shoulder. Though no wet ran down his cheeks, there were tears in Josh's voice..
"I can't stand to just sit by while she suffers!"
He suddenly bolted upright and limped towards the door, all weakness and sickness forgotten in his mad dash to ease the pain of his district.
"Josh, NO!"
Neku was forced to tackle the frantic Composer and wrap him in a full nelson.
"Let me go, Neku! Shibuya NEEDS me!"
"Don't do this, Josh! Shibuya has the best Fire/rescue teams in all of Tokyo. She'll be fine!"
"You don't understand!" Josh struggled hard, forcing the teen to roll both of them over on their sides, and wrap his legs around the thrashing Composer's middle. "She's in pain! I can't just sooth her from my concert hall this time. I need to be out there!"
"JOSHUA!"
The thrashing stopped. Now he just trembled hard and hyperventilated in his panic.
"Release control."
"But Neku—"
"Release...control. Shibuya will be fine. Just...release control."
Taking a deep breath, the Composer calmed his panic, closed his eyes...
And released control of the situation, letting out his breath slowly as he mentally handed the reigns to the people of the district. His body relaxed as the tension left him, and his proxy released him.
Neku's eyes shone, the biggest, proudest grin lighting up his whole young face.
"You pass."