It was supposed to be a quick trip to the supermarket. Eiji was supposed to go there, pick up more toilet paper, and then head home. The last thing he was expecting was to be cornered in an alleyway by the Chinese mafia and Yut-Lung. He eyed the young Chinese leader suspiciously. Yut-Lung had been very quiet of late. Sing had told them that he had finally gotten tired of hunting Ash and Eiji and had moved on. Now he was trying to eliminate factions that were still loyal to his brothers.

Sadly, he seemed to be back to bothering Eiji again.

"What do you want Yut-Lung." Eiji put down the bag he was carrying and crossed his arms. "I thought you were too busy taking out brothers' allies."

"I am." Yut-Lung seemed to be enjoying Eiji's discomfort. He absentmindedly twisted a hair around his fingers as he surveyed Eiji.

"Then why did you corner me here."

"I've been having" he paused for a second "difficulties with one particular group." Yut-Lung's expression became grim. "I can't find them. They are a small group of mercenaries. They call themselves Triple R. They are a hazard to my safety and the longer they exist, the more I'm in danger." he let go of his hair and took a step towards Eiji "Therefore I've decided to….Set Ash on them. He knows this city better then most and is equal if not stronger than they are."

"Ash isn't going to help you kill a group of people just because you don't like them." Eiji narrowed his eyes. "He's not like you Yut-Lung. He's not going to pick a fight with someone who isn't a threat to him. There's plenty of evil in New York City. Most problems come to him, not the other way around."

"Yes, yes I'm aware of that." Yut-Lung waved a hand dismissively. "That's why I decided to use an incentive." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little bottle. "Do you know what this is?" Eiji shook his head. "This is called Juliet's Slumber. You are familiar with the story of Romeo and Juliet."

"Yes?" Eiji said cautiously.

"This drug mimics death. It's the best out there. One sip of this and your heart rate will decrease until it's barely visible. Your body will become limp and cold. It has fooled trained assassins before-"

"I don't see what this has anything to do with Ash." Eiji snapped. He was tired of Yut-Lung's games. He just wanted him to get to the point. The Chinese leader glared at him and tossed his hair over his shoulder.

"Very well, I'll spell it out for you. I need Ash to get rid of this group for me and, as you pointed out, Ash won't get involved unless he has a reason." A cruel smiled crossed his lips. "And what better reason than to avenge his dead boyfriend." Eiji's blood went cold as he realized what Yut-Lung was planning to do.

"It would be easier to just kill you but" Yut-Lung frowned. "Sing is fond of you. And I need Sing on my side so…this is the next best solution."

"You're going to fake my death and blame it on that group." Eiji took a step back. "That's insane." If he went through with this, Ash would suffer. He did not want to think of how his boyfriend would react if he thought Eiji was dead. He would become more reckless than he already was. Ash could easily get hurt or die if he wasn't careful. He took another step back and suddenly bumped into someone. Looking up he found that two of Yut-Lung's men were blocking the exit.

"Don't bother running," Yut-Lung said casually. "These men are trained professionals."

Eiji grit his teeth and looked for a way to escape. He wished he had Ash's brains, then maybe he wouldn't be this useless.

"Oh, good you're here."

Eiji looked over to see a woman enter their alleyway. She wore long jogging pants and a sweatshirt. She would have looked like a typical middle-aged woman out for a jog if it wasn't for the large silver briefcase she was carrying.

"This is Alice Lucid." Yut-Lung introduced. "She's a makeup artist. She specializes in faking deaths. She has quite a track record of clients who survived assassin attacks. She will help make sure you look convincingly dead.

"I won't do it." Eiji hissed. Yut-Lung rolled his eyes and snapped his figures. The men behind him grabbed his arms and forced them to his side. Eiji tried to kick them but they didn't react.

"Stop struggling." Yut-Lung approached him, uncorking the bottle as he did. "It won't hurt you. You might feel sick over the next few days but there's no long-term effects."

"Do you realize what this is going to do to Ash?" Eiji glared at him.

"Of course. That's why this is the perfect solution." He snapped again and one of the men forced open Eiji's mouth. "Think of it this way. Instead of trying to separate you two, I'm merely working off your love for each other." His eyes gleamed as he tipped the bottle over Eiji's mouth. The Japanese fought to break free but to no avail. The drug when down his throat causing him to choke a little. Instantly he felt a strange sensation vibrate through his body. He slumped forward, no longer able to move. The guards slowly lowered him to the ground and flipped him over so he was facing the sky. Eiji found that, although he couldn't move, he could still feel, smell, hear, and see. Yut-Lung came into view looming over him with a triumphant look.

"That wasn't too bad was it?" Yut-Lung bent down close to him, smugness oozing from each word. "Don't worry. I'll give you the antidote when Ash completes his job. Alice, it's up to you now." Yut-Lung pulled back as the woman came into view. She knelt next to hive and looked him over.

"Just to warn you to make this look convincing I will need to leave a few real cuts." She pulled out a knife. "They won't be deep so they shouldn't do more than sting." She disappeared from sight and Eiji felt a jab of pain from his legs and side. If he could have moved, he would have hissed.

"There." She appeared again and opened her briefcase, "Now for the fun part." She rummaged in it for a moment before pulling out some ointment. "This stuff is powerful. It'll cause you to break out and look as if someone tried to tear your skin open with a knife. It's great at making areas look like gaping wounds." She began smearing it on different parts of his body. "And this." She pulled out something else and smeared it on his wrists. "makes it look like you're bruising. Don't worry though. All of this is skin deep. It'll go away after you take a long steamy bath."

Eiji wished she would stop talking. The more she described how he looked, the more anxious he felt. Ash was going to have a heart attack if he saw Eiji. He would think that Eiji was tortured to death.

"Ah, I forgot to ask. Should I keep his eyes open or close?"

"Open," Yut-Lung smirked down at him. "The fear and anxiety in his eyes really add to the image." If Eiji could move he would have hit Yut-Lung. As it was, he could do nothing but silently stew in anger.

"True," Alice surveyed him for a moment "It's a good thing he didn't want to take the drug. If he had been calmer it would reflex in his eyes." She disappeared for a moment before returning with contacts. "Here you are. Now you don't need to worry about your eyes drying out."

It took forever for her to finish applying the different ointments. As she put on each one, she explained its effects and how much he resembled a mutilated corpse. When she finished, she pulled out a knife and began tearing up his clothes. Then she moved to his limbs. She tired his hands together and then twisted his legs in different positions. Finally, she pulled out a large packet of blood.

"And now for the final touch." She poured it out, so it pooled around him. The smell of it made him nauseous. "And there you have it." Yut-Lung gave a low whistle.

"I'm impressed. He truly looks like a victim of a horrible tragedy." Yut-Lung smiled. "Well done. You'll be paid well for your service." The woman nodded proudly.

"We should leave so he can be found."

"One moment." Yut-Lung disappeared for a moment and returned with a brush and some black ink. He bent over Eiji's shoulder and drew something. "It's the sign of Triple R. That should get Ash's attention." He straightened up. "Alright let's go." He looked down at Eiji one last time. "Don't worry you won't be here alone for long. Ash will be here soon. I'll make sure they are able to find you." And with that, he left.

Eiji lay there fuming. He had been so stupid. Why did he try to take a short cut? He had thought he was being clever. The short cut allowed him to get to the store and back again in less than 10 minutes. No one would even notice he was gone. Looking back, it was careless of him. He should have been wearier. Why did he forget about Yut-Lung? He had assumed that the Chinese leader wasn't going to bother them anymore. Eiji wanted to yell into the sky. He wanted to hit Yut-Lung for doing this to him and himself for his own stupidity.

The sun was completely overhead. It was probably noon. Eiji had left around 10 in the morning. He hoped Ash didn't return to the apartment early or that one of the gang members informed him he was missing. He hoped that Bones and Kong just assumed he was with Ash, so no one was trying to look for him. He hoped that after a while Yut-Lung would give up and just let him go. He hoped for many things though he knew there was no way that Ash wasn't going to find him. He always did. Usually, that was a good thing but for once Eiji didn't want to be found. He tried to move but still couldn't. Whatever that stuff was it was strong

Eiji didn't know how long he waited there. At some point, he had drifted off to sleep. Despite how worried it was, his body was so calm it was actually easy to fall into a slumber. He was woken suddenly by loud voices.

"I think I see someone over there!" He recognized Bones' voice. "It could be Ei-" The sound of approaching footsteps suddenly halted. There was an awful pause then Alex's voice said.

"Get Ash."

"NO!" Eiji thought desperately. "Don't. Just let me be!"

Alex appeared in his line of sight looking solemnly down at him. He took in Eiji's appearance and swore quietly. Alex crouched down and put a hesitant hand over the Japanese's heart. Eiji knew he couldn't feel anything. Alex swore again louder. He ran a hand through his hair looking miserable.

"Why didn't you take Bones or Kong with you." Alex closed his eyes. "This could have been prevented. Damn it Eiji."

Eiji felt a gilt pool in his stomach. He had acted recklessly, he knew that. It wouldn't have been that hard to wait for Bones and Kong. He had to make excuses that it was only going to be a few minutes. He thought he could do it before anyone noticed he was missing. Now he wished he had just waited those ten extra minutes for someone from Ash's gang to arrive.

"What's going on?"

It was the voice Eiji didn't want to hear. It was Ash's voice. Eiji could hear the cool tone he used whenever he was talking to his gang. He sounded cross but not concerned. Eiji guessed that he didn't know yet.

"Kong said there was an emergency. Why happened-" His voice suddenly cut off. Eiji knew it was the moment he dreaded. There was a horrible half-second of silence where Eiji could hear Ash take in a long-ragged breath.

"Eiji?"

Ash's voice was barely over a whisper. It was soft and unbelieving. Eiji heard him take another breath in.

"EIJI!"

He screamed it this time. The sound reverberates in Eiji's ears. It was the worse sound Eiji had ever head. He had never heard Ash sound that panicked before. He yelled as if he was in a great deal of pain.

There were hurried footsteps and Ash appeared hovering above him. If Eiji thought Ash's voice was bad it was nothing compared to seeing him. Ash's whole expression was screwed up in disbelief and pain. His eyes traveled down Eiji's body. Each second that passed they grew heavier with grief

"Eiji…Eiji.," he repeated Eiji's name over and over again as if he was a broken record. Eiji had heard his name used in different ways before. His sister said his name teasing. Yut-Lung sneered his name. But this was new. He had never heard his name cried in terror. Ash repeated it over and over again like a dying man begging for food. He sounded like he was dying himself like all the life was leaving him. Eiji desperately struggled to move even a figure. Anything to let Ash know it was alright.

Ash's eyes moved up to Eiji's bound hands he gulped, eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I'm sorry. Eiji. No please. I'll do anything. I'm sorry. Please wake up."

"I am awake!" Eiji cried in his head. He almost wished Yut-Lung had just killed him. Watching Ash suffer was worse than the most brutal nightmare he had. Did all the dead get to see the living suffer like this? If so, he felt bad for them. There could be no worse punishment then watching the one you love grieve and not being able to help. Eiji would give anything at that moment to ease Ash's suffering. He knew Ash's pained expression was going to haunt him in his dreams.

Ash reached down and scooped up Eiji. The Japanese was surprised by how gentle and firm his boyfriend's grasp was despite his shaking hands. He pulled Eiji close and cuddled him to his chest. Eiji could feel each of Ash's quick heartbeats. He could hear Ash's wails ripping through his throat and vibrating through his body. Eiji could feel each time Ash tensed in pain.

Eiji hated that he was the cause of Ash's pain. He hated that Ash was this hurt; this broken because of him. He wanted to be there for Ash so they could grow together. Instead, he had became Ash's nightmares.

After a while Ash's cries finally died down. He held Eiji close and buried his head in his chest. Eiji could feel all his strength leave him. He was becoming numb, empty, a walking corpse. Ash Lynx was dying. It was worse than his crying. Eiji was afraid. Ash in this state would do reckless things.

"Boss?" a quiet voice said from somewhere near. "We should probably go back to base. Here we'll take Eiji so-" The man took a step forward. Instantly Ash whipped out his gun out pointing at him. For the first time, Eiji truly saw the Lynx in Ash. It started out from Ash's cold and merciless green eyes. It was hungry for blood. It could kill anyone.

"Don't touch him!" he roared. All the men escaped back in fear. Ash looked down at Eiji and the pain returned to his eyes. Eiji felt a tiny bit of comfort. His boyfriend was still there. He wasn't just an empty shell yet. This feeling didn't last. As Ash's expression became pain and self-loathing Eiji again desperately wanted to reach out to him. The gang leader put down his gun and gently closed Eiji's eyes.

Now Eiji was in complete darkness. He could only guess what was happening around him. He felt the ropes around his hands come loose, and then he was rising up. Eiji guessed Ash was carrying him. He was glad that the base was so close. If Ash had to walk through the city he could get caught. It would make everything worse if Ash was arrested for Eiji's murder on top of everything. Ash was silent for the journey. From how he was being held, he knew Ash was purposely not looking down at him. He felt like he was in a funeral match. He could hear Ash's men shuffling behind their leader. No one dared to talk.

The journey felt like it took forever even though they were so close to the base. Eiji had no sense of time anymore. He just knew that they had arrived back at Ash's base when he heard the sound of a door opening and footsteps hitting a wooden floor. Ash finally stopped and Eiji was lowered onto a soft surface. He sunk into it as he felt Ash arrange his limbs, so he was lying comfortably on the surface. Then he felt Ash press his head into his chest.

"I'm sorry."

These words felt different than Ash's earlier cries. While those words were full of emotions and grief, these were self-loathing and tired. Eiji wanted to cry. Ash was so close to him, surely, he would be able to hear Eiji's heart…but the drug was too powerful and after a moment Ash pulled away.

Ash's footsteps retreated then returned a few minutes later. Eiji felt a wet cloth press against his neck. It traveled down his body cleaning up the fake blood. Then Eiji felt something being wound around his arm.

"I heard what happened." It was Cain's voice. He must have just arrived at the base. Ash ignored him; the wet cloth was back again, pressed against his leg.

"Ash it won't do any good. You don't need to clean and bandage those wounds. He's dead He ain't getting better."

"I know." Ash's voice cracked the air like a whip. "But I can't just leave him like this. He deserves better. He always did…" Ash's hand which was now bandaging his arm trembled a little. Any last bit of Eiji's heart that was intact crumbled. Ash's tenderness was so heartbreaking. Even though he thought Eiji was dead, he took care of him. He always took care of Eiji. No matter how much he was suffering wanted to make sure Eiji was alright first.

"He's going to need a new change of clothes. Go get some" The last part was barked out. The sounds of "yes boss!" and scurrying footsteps told Eiji that he was talking to his men.

"Look at you." Ash's voice sounded broken. "What did they do to you? I'm sorry. If I wasn't here, you would be safe. I knew that." His voice cracked. "I knew this, but I chose to turn a blind eye. You deserved better than this." he gave a hectically laugh. "All I'm good at it seems is killing and burying the people that I care for."

Eiji hated everything. He wanted nothing better than to cuddle Ash and tell him that wasn't the case. It wasn't his fault the world was like this. It wasn't his fault he was part of such a world. He wanted to tell Ash that he was the best thing that happened to him and that every moment they had together made him happy. Eiji wanted to tell Ash that if he ever did really die to live on and learn to laugh and love again.

"You shouldn't do this to yourself" Cain sounded worried. "You knew that dating him meant there was a chance he would die. He and you both took the risk….let's just bring his body to the hospital so it can be sent to his family."

"Back of" Ash hissed.

"You can't keep him here forever."

"I won't. I just want to find whoever did this and kill them then..." his voice faltered. "I will be able to say a proper goodbye." Eiji's heart sank. Yut-Lung knew what he was doing. Ash's grief was turning into anger. Soon it would consume him and he would become an empty shell of himself, dead bent on killing.

"You don't even know who it was!"

"There's a mark on Eiji's shoulder. I'm going to find out who's mark that is and destroy them." He leaned down close to Eiji. "I promise I'll avenge you. It's all I can do now…If there was a way for me to ask God to switch places with you I would. You have so much life within you. You had so much to live for. Why did you waste it all for someone like me?"

Ash's lips touched his forehead, then he pulled away.

"I'll be back later."

His voice had become emotionless again. The numbness was returning. He knew Ash was going to fight, not carrying if he got killed.

"ASH please come back! Don't do it! ASH!" Eiji screamed in his head as he started to struggle again. Ash wasn't in a good place. He wouldn't feel it if someone stabbed him. He could easily die. And what if he survived but then lost the will to live before returning and just found somewhere to bleed out. Ash wasn't suicidal but if he was already dying, he might just give up. Each step Ash took away from Eiji caused the Japanese to panic more. Ash was going to get hurt or die and it would be because of him. This was his fault. He was the worst boyfriend ever. Why didn't he wait? How could he be so stupid? Eiji never wanted Ash to kill because of him. He wanted Ash to smile and laugh. Eiji wants to scream. Anything to be heard, to escape his own mind and stupidity; to help the one he loved.

Eiji didn't know how long he struggled after the sound of Ash's footsteps disappeared. All he knew was that he had to get free. He had to go to Ash. He had to stop him.

"What are you doing?" Eiji paused in his fruitless struggles. The door slammed open and someone came in.

"I'm taking Eiji." It was Sing.

"Boss told us to keep him here." Bones sounded angry. "So, don't try anything."

"Sing's right." Cain cut in. "Ash ain't thinking straight. We can't just leave Eiji's body here. It'll start to rot."

"Ash said it wouldn't take him that long," Alex said. "We should wait."

"I'm taking him with me" Sing was standing right next to him "because he's not actually dead." This comment was met by a stunned silence. Eiji felt his hope rising. Did Sing know? Did Yut-Lung tell him? Maybe he could help.

"Sing." Cain's voice was gentle "You're in denial."

"No, I'm not." Sing snapped. "Yut-Lung did this. He wanted Ash to take out a mercenary group called Triple R." His voice softened. "I'm just glad he decided against straight out kill Eiji." If Eiji could, he would sigh with relief. Sing knew the truth. Sing could fix this. He felt himself being lifted up and carried from the room.

"I'll return him once he's back."

And with that, he carried Eiji out the door and into a car that was waiting outside.