Broken Heart Foundation (SYOC)

by LordMammon

Far into the future, for those who have had everything ripped away from them, the Broken Heart Foundation is there to put the pieces of your shattered heart back together again. For one reason, and one reason only, no one is going to fix it for you. (SYOC closed)

11. Chapter 11

End of Days

"…Do you have to bleed everywhere all of the time?" Hearing the voice of Sateriasis was the absolute last thing that was in Kagekatsu's book today, but it had become an inevitability because he fell into the same goddamn trap every single time.

Currently, the white-haired nurse was messing about with a roll of bandages he had managed to salvage from his dumpster of an infirmary. With the way his eyes were narrowed at the fox boy, and the motion with which he snapped the bandages off the roll, it didn't take a genius to see the simmering tension that was brewing behind the other's kaleidoscope-like eyes.

"Blood bleeds, what do you want me to do about it?" Perhaps being sarcastic about the issue wasn't what was needed on Kagekatsu's end, but like many times before, his mouth was moving before his brain had gotten its pants on. The withering glare sent his direction being nothing more than further proof that maybe, just maybe, he should learn to think for once in his goddamn life.

"I want you to not bleed out in the Foundation, Kid." Sateriasis grunted, starting to loop the bandages around the crusty scars, maintaining the pressure to prevent those same scars from opening up again. "Saves both Niijima-sama and I a hell of a lot of paperwork if you were to die outside, just so you know." Oh, how wonderful. Nice to know that little detail that Kagekatsu hadn't read about in the fine print. Honestly, what was he even should he suspect at this point? It was clear no one else here in the faculty was of sane mind!

Keeping his gaze on the floor, and wincing as Sateriasis pulled the bandages taut, Kagekatsu grumbled. Getting patched up by Sateriasis was something no one wanted, not after his hatchet job that made many people question, Kagekatsu very much included, if he had a medical licence at all. If he did, then the foxboy would very much like to know which medical school birthed this horror into the world. He was half convinced the certificate was going to end up being drawn with crayons and felt tip pens, probably by those creepy fucks that always hovered around him.

Still, at the very least, Sateriasis looked like he was semi capable of bandaging someone up. Kagekatsu's head would heal, the bandage now wrapped around his head, thicker than the one prior, was supposedly there for the main purpose of preventing his 'claws' from piercing through again. Not like it was going to be hard, though, considering their ability to break flesh quite easily. It seemed more like the white-haired man was clearing a target off his back more than anything else. Much like how everyone seemed to be out to protect their asses instead of being supportive members of staff.

"Are we done yet? That psycho clown stopped me from being able to eat earlier, and frankly, I'm fucking starving!" Came Kagekatsu's voice after the prolonged interlude, the grumbling of his stomach reverberating to drive his point home further. His yellow eyes followed over and locked onto the hunched-over form of the Foundation's nurse.

On his end, Sateriasis had moved right to the other side of the room, hands in his hair as he scoured the papers in front of him. "Only if you can promise that you won't be back in a full-body cast the next I see you. I've already wasted many bandages on you, and I'm not exactly paid to do my job half the time." Without Hideyoshi or Hiroto, since they seemed to be off during their own thing at the minute, the work had just started to pile up for him. Presumably, because Subaru was deciding to fuck him over, alongside the new information that was being passed to him about Kyte. Bunking off his duties for the night by going to see Shion was also a mistake in hindsight, but it's not like he always has good foresight as well. If that were true, he wouldn't have been here doing this in the first place.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Whatever you want, just let me go before my stomach decides to stop existing!" Feeling the gaze of the long-haired teen across from the other side of the room, which only grew angrier the more he was ignored, the nurse pushed through a few papers on the desk before he finally came across what he was looking for. His eyes lit up whenever he came across it, swiftly and unceremoniously, dumping everything else to the floor in the process of hugging it close to his chest.

Ever since his last meeting with Niijima-sama, and his unfortunate cabal with a certain other person, this file had become ever more important. Not so much for what was written on it, but more what was contained within it. Said picture was poking through the top just enough for Sateriasis to see, but also to hide it from the watching eyes of the world.

What was in the picture? It was a photograph taken of Kagekatsu's back shortly after he had been taken to the dorm, with everything on it being laid bare. Sateriasis smirked to himself, just small enough to hide it from any inquisitive glare from the fox boy. Hideyoshi had outdone himself on this one, hadn't he? For once, being a total creepy bastard was working out for the more dramatic of his assistants.

It was such a lovely pattern that had been painted on there, one that only a skilled hand could craft without a single flaw to dash its perfection. Niijima-sama had already let him and Subaru in on their fox's secret that other night, but he had to see it with his own eyes before he could confirm it as reality.

The deep red, almost scarlet in how it had aged over the years, was so lovely. The whole art painted a perfect picture of a buzzard in full flight, a bird that fed on nothing but death and decay.

Finally turning his attention back to the fox boy, who was now carefully caressing his stomach region whilst maintaining his disdainful glare at the other Sateriasis stood up and acquiesced. "Very well, Nakkkkkamuraaaaa-kunnnnnn. Just follow what I saidddddddd earlierrrrrr, and you'll be fineeeeeee!" Of course, he instantly slipped back into his droning, echo-laden voice at the end. It was too much of a hassle to do constantly, but always amusing whenever he could throw it in at the end. At least, he knew that it drove Subaru up the wall, so testing it on the kids was another matter.

Kagekatsu let out a massive groan right afterwards. Tossing his head back and looking like he was praising the heavens, unaware of the contents of the file that Sateriasis was holding. Regardless of the flash of pain that made him grimace on account of moving too quickly, he was now allowed the actual respite of food. Glorious, sweet food. Without a single other thought entering his head, he raced off to the cafeteria in the hope he could maybe find some kind of leftovers he could gorge on. Once more missing the signs of interest from the white-haired nurse that continued to stare down the corridor after him.

Kagekatsu already assumed his chances were going to be slim to none, because why would he think any different than he had been for years before he entered this place? Much more so when he had to deal with people who ate like literal animals, and probably wouldn't know table manners if they were drowned in cement and forced to learn them.

Entering into the cafeteria, his eyes scanned the room and surveyed every possible threat that could've come his way. The last time he was here, he ended up getting his nose ground into mincemeat. Having that happen again was not something that was high up on his list of priorities. Instead, it was wedged somewhere in between Get a real tattoo and Speak to Dad down at the bottom of said list.

Honestly, as soon as his feet had touched the ground belonging to the cafeteria, he had expected himself to be given some kind of piledriver into the dirt from the ensuing chaos that was going on. No one had given him the vibes that they wouldn't do that at any chance they got, especially if they were food-crazed like he was increasingly becoming. Something that would just become even more possible whenever one stopped to consider the weird dietary supplies this place seemed to have.

However, as he looked around the empty seats that greeted him, the whole place looking about as deserted as a NEET's wallet following a Gacha game, it didn't seem like he was going to need to be concerned about the threat of that. Which, for once, allowed weight to be removed from his shoulders. He would finally be allowed to enjoy himself without worrying about getting the shit kicked out of him. A new feeling for anyone at the Foundation if he was being honest about it.

Still, everything had a flip side to it. Whilst he might have found himself in a peaceful situation, with none of the freaks circling him like buzzards looking to feast on carrion, he also found himself in a situation where pretty much all the food had been eaten.

Empty plates abounded as he stalked through the expansive room, the crumbs and morsels he could see being the only remnants of the meal he had missed. Spying them and imagining what it must have felt like for the others to be satisfied, it was just making his stomach grumble even harder than before. Which was just fan-fucking-tastic and something he was overjoyed about! Couldn't you tell by the strained smile over his face? He was having the time of his life right about now, especially considering his Geneva-level ability to gas out a kitchen now loomed large over him.

He grimaced as he thought back to all those times, times where he had tried to surprise Dad after he got back from a long day at work. Always with the hope that his skills got better, only for every single time to result in his dad having to rush for the toilet. Kind words from Dad could only go so far in the aftermath.

Still, it looked as if he was going to have to do it anyway. The impending disaster would be placed firmly at Subaru's feet as well, there was no way that Kagekatsu was going to take the fall for a situation that idiot clown had helped cause.

Even as he imagined seeing the gaping mouth of Subaru as he walked into an actual warzone, Kagekatsu was still met with the harsh reality of the situation as he trudged his way over to the kitchen's door. The sooner he got through the pain the better, and whilst he may end up being sick for the rest of the day, it meant not having to succumb to hunger pains. It was just a case of short-term pain for long-term gain, a situation he found himself in far too often for his liking. having to starve the rest of the day. Life was full of little tradeoffs like that.

What he hadn't noticed, however, was that the room was not fully empty. Still sat in the same place he was whenever the place had been packed to the brim with the quiet brooding of nearly everyone, was Yuusui Migoro. Someone who had had a marked change in posture the second the other had waltzed his way into the room.

Before the Fox boy's arrival, Yuusui's glassy eyes had surveyed the room every passing second, his finished plate of food the only indication that he had done anything since all the others left. Truth be told, whilst he did know why he was still sat here, the actual why of the situation was still something of a mystery to him. Right up until he locked a faraway gaze on the black-haired teen.

Yuusui had spent the initial meeting in here with some kind of aloofness, it didn't take a genius to know that it was a conscious choice to sit as far away from the others as humanly possible. Why wouldn't he? Here he was, a stranger to these people no less, thrust into a situation that he knew nothing of the atmosphere or the little quirks of the members. All he had to go off of was a rather cryptic conversation with Subaru and the short spurt of interaction he had during class when first arriving. There was nothing he could take for themselves out of those situations.

Never mind that ominous hanging threat of whatever his test was going to be, just thinking of the possible horrors coming his way was enough to make him think the worst was coming his way.

Even if that was the only thing, in the vain hope that that was the case, looking horrific in the future, he was still wading through shit creek without a paddle let alone the luxury that a boat would've provided for him. Of course, there was little chance that anyone here was going to take too kindly to him. Even as the days passed, he could feel the nuclear heat still bubbling against his skin with every crossed glare that came his way.

But for a few of them, and one in particular, it was… How could he put this correctly? It was… Different. The others had regarded him all with either hated or jealousy, subtly screaming to him that his whole presence was just offensive. Ones like Joseph and the fleeting sight of Ikariko looked at him like he had personally offed a beloved family member, nothing but a burning disdain coming out of both of them. However, ones like Akashi, hell even Shiki or Mei, didn't seem capable of being all that jealous of him. Naturally, he could assume there was some kind of lingering resentment, getting beat up for your induction and then seeing some kid walkthrough without the same trial by fire had to be annoying. Sitting away from everyone else was just a basic precaution at that point.

Still, it didn't explain the one anomaly to the situation. The person he happened to be observing right now, who was trying and failing to open the kitchen door as Yuusui was having this little introspective moment to himself.

Kagekatsu Nakamura was an odd one. Yuusui didn't need to be perceptive to spot the bandages that were now tied around the side of his head, a new addition compared to how the other had been when they had first laid eyes upon each other. As he continued to stare at the new addition, his hands dropping to the table to stop themselves from fiddling about, he spied what the Fox boy had placed on one of the tables before he went to the door.

He didn't know quite what they were, a fact that might have disturbed him if he was in a different environment or had a different body breathing down his neck that needed his perfect memory and glassy eyes… But those trident-like things… He hadn't seen anyone else here walk around with weapons, at least not yet, but with someone as elegantly dressed as Kagekatsu was it didn't seem to fit his aesthetic…

So… So why did he have them? What… What did they mean to him…?

And how could Yuusui benefit from having his own…?

"You piece of shit door, fucking move already!" It was lucky in a sense then that Kagekatsu's ire was able to get Yuusui out of his self-induced, mania-filled tunnel vision. The glassy-eyed teen broke his line of sight with Kagekatsu's Sai and instead focused his attention on the screeching teen, whose tail was thrashing around with a kind of fury that would fit more at home on a bull.

Seeing the whole situation now, it was almost comical the longer it went on. The fox boy having trouble with something as simple as a door, one that wasn't even locked in the first place, and practically bursting at the seams to open, was as close to something funny that Yuusui had seen so far.

The longer it went on, he realised more and more that he couldn't help but keep staring. He had only just gotten out of the mania of staring at the Sai, and here was checking out the fox boy in more detail. In mere moments, it had moved from looking at a funny event to having his doll-like eyes certain on their new obsession.

The outfit might have befitted someone that possessed elegance and grace as their key traits, but Kagekatsu's movements were anything but. Right down to trying to kick the door in and slashing at it with his 'claws', both of which proved to be a futile endeavour. His claws might have been able to break flesh but turns out that solid steel was made of stronger stuff than that belonging to a scrawny Kitsune.

After a few more seconds, about twenty in Yuusui's information, Kagekatsu's shoulders slumped. His ears also seemed to droop, and the fury that his tail held from before turned into a limp swish every once in a while. "…Godamnit… Fuck… Useless luck stat…" The mumblings reached the taller male's awaiting ears, the disappointment in them evident.

It was that moment that Yuusui couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt on his end. He had realised quite quickly, as one with his talent often did, a few people were missing from the group at large. Naturally, he had assumed they must have slept in or something. Maybe they just didn't want to come and eat right now? Whatever made him feel better about starting to eat without everyone here.

However, with the arrival of Kagekatsu, and the faint coppery smell that seemed to be sticking to him, it seemed like he at least fit a different bill. It was something Yuusui couldn't help but start muttering about, wondering what was the direct cause of the blood that cacked the kitsune's forehead. About why he might have done it. Why he might have thought it appropriate… and why it smelled almost familiar, and not in the same way the scent would waft up from your cut knee.

Before he knew it, Yuusui was back into a kind of obsessive fixation. However, this one was not to last as long as the other. All for one fact in particular.

Kagekatsu might not have had the best situational awareness in the world, something one might have considered to be a serious detriment in his prior line of work. However, he was hypersensitive to, as someone that often dropped into the shadows, the presence of eyes on him. Beady little things that they were. Some might have called it paranoia, and the foxboy might have been inclined to believe them, but if you asked him in a public setting, he would've called it his 'intuition.'

Just don't question him missing Yuusui in the first place as he wheeled around to meet the other's glassy eyes. "What are you staring at?!" He screeched on instinct, never once having been the subtle member of any group. Backing up to the door, his back pressed flat against it, his gaze didn't move as he shouted out the next part. "You want to laugh at me, don't you?! You didn't see anything here, you got that? This doesn't leave this room!"

Desperate was perhaps the only way that Yuusui could describe the tone. Said male now dropping his gaze back down to the half-finished plate of food he had before him. He cleared his throat before talking to Kagekatsu, shoulders curved inwards. "I… I'm sorry-y if it appears I was doing that… I didn't mean it…" Stepping on toes, especially ones belonging to a temperamental fox kid wasn't on his list of priorities. Accepting the faux reality in this situation was probably going to be better in the long term anyway…

He should steal that assertiveness.

Kagekatsu replied without missing a beat "Good! You should be very sorry about it!" He snarled out, his tone becoming far more aggressive than even he thought he was capable of. Sure, anger and angst seemed to be his main traits, especially if put on the spot, but even that was a bit shocking to the fox boy. His eyes widened, as a result, the back of his head free from the bandages now being scratched. "…Actually, I di-"

However, he never got the chance to apologise, Yuusui cutting in before he could find the words that seemed to be dying on his tongue. "No, don't worry about it… It's alright, I was being impolite. I sincerely didn't mean to offend you." The brown-haired male dipped his head down further, fiddling about with his fingers in a vain attempt to distract himself more.

Everything bad happened whenever he opened his mouth, no matter what situation he had been thrust into. It had caused the string of events that had led to the implosion of his family, dropped him in this place on the back of someone else's suffering, and, more importantly, had led to him losing the one person that meant more to him than anything else.

No matter the niggling suspicions that would crop up in the back of his head every time he gazed upon Kagekatsu, a form so familiar in his mind dancing about it yet seeming so distant at the same time, the sheer futility of that errant belief would shut them down.

On the other end of the situation, Kagekatsu had been just as silent as Yuusui since their awkward half conversation-half spat. He had never really been ashamed about treading on toes beforehand, but the more he rubbed the back of his neck, the more he started to get cold feet about his behaviour. His lips drooped down into a frown, thinking about that right about now was not what he needed when it felt like his stomach was about to eat itself. Yet, he couldn't exactly get it out of his mind if the reminder was sat not far from him.

"Anyway, do you know if that psycho came in here and locked the door? You know, the clown that looked like he was a cast-off from some killer clown horror film in the 90s?" Well, sans the stereotypical makeup that Subaru never seemed to wear. The thought of seeing him in it, though, was enough to make Kagekatsu shudder, and want to give himself over to the almighty to make sure it never happened.

Yuusui gave a quiet shake of his head. After everyone had left, there had been little activity. He was still unsure why he was even here. They hadn't left too long ago, but he was still by himself for longer than he had been in a while. Honestly, he would've expected more of a staff presence from a place like this. Not like that was at any shortage at his last home, though… Perhaps a freer hand was for the best?

"Ugh, wonderful!" Kagekatsu moaned, running hands through his hair, and tugging at the ends of it. It hadn't even crossed his mind to ask Yuusui for help with the door, but there was little thought in his mind that it was going to be a fruitful endeavour. However, as he took one more sweeping glance around the room, focusing back in on the world around him, he spied something that made his mouth water. "Umm…"

Politeness and etiquette hadn't made Yuusui a quick eater, something that was only amplified by the sheer animalism and barbarism that infected table manners in this place. As a result, half of his omelette was unfinished with no seeming intention to throw the rest of it down his gullet.

The uncharacteristic display of awkward desire caused Yuusui to stop once again staring at Kagekatsu, he hadn't even realised he was doing it that time, was that going to be an issue? Putting two and two together didn't take long from there, and with a quiet nod, he pushed the plate over to the awaiting, hungry beast. "Oh, sure-e-e. I'm full anyway." The truth didn't matter, not when his mind couldn't help but throw up an eerily similar scenario from years prior.

Kagekatsu didn't need to be told twice, nor did he need to care about the food getting cold. It could have been literal cold shit on a plate and Kagekatsu would have wolfed it down, not leaving a single speck behind in his conquest. The heavenly taste, the quality he would expect from a world-class chef, all of it was pure bliss.

Fine dining was overrated compared to things like this, there was nothing better in the world than finding your temporary Eden in different, unexpected places. He even licked his fingers in the aftermath, not wanting a single iota of food to go to waste. Living off nothing but prison food for anything longer than a month tended to do that to a man.

The other teen simply sat in silence and watched, the only thing he knew how to do in this place with any certainty. It set about almost a nostalgic feeling in his half-empty stomach, a warmth that should've long been lost at this point. Something about the sight of a fox… Desperate for any kind of substance… Looking haggard and tired at the same time…

Placing a hand on his forehead, he shook those thoughts clear. He couldn't be thinking about them again, no matter how much they were cropping up now.

Focusing on the rest of the day was more important now… He had to find out what that test was about soon. Lest he found himself subjected to Subaru's maniacal whims too quickly, and without a plan.

---

Days where he didn't have to do any actual work were bliss to Subaru Fujinaga. It was always so tiring to be running around like a headless chicken trying to keep the Foundation running on the day-to-day, never mind that he also had alternative duties as a "parent" that would continuously eat into his time. Never mind that the strict hiring process that Kyte liked to implement had always left them a little light on possible staff members that could lighten the load… He definitely was not bitter about that, though.

So, any day where he was able to just rest his head for any length of time was exquisite. Not having to deal with the insanity he had so readily accepted into his life all those years ago, it was a lifting feeling just to know that that wasn't what he would have to deal with today. It was all someone else's problem, and he could laugh his ass off at them trying to keep everything in check.

Plus, if he got the chance where could drop more shit on the doorstep of Sateriasis, he was never going to complain about that. He deserved it for all the grey hairs that his parasitic leeches caused the pink-haired man, and it was always so glorious to see the reaction the asshole would belt out.

But above all else, it was just nice to know that the blame for the inevitable chaos was going to be laid at someone else's feet for once. Whether it would come from someone deciding to dance in the lion's den by touching Joseph, or someone suffering an ordeal by trying to instigate conservation with Ani or Arius, Subaru could be assured that Kyte wasn't going to have his guts for garters over it.

Last night was the first time he had had any real sleep for ages, benefiting from not needing to spend most of the night with Kyte. Though, of course, those meetings were just moved into the morning, but it was the small victories you had to take in this world. It was what he got for delaying the formulation of convoluted plans or running by what he had planned for little Yuusui's upcoming test. That was going to be so good when he finally got to drop it on the other, but there was a time and a place for that.

Right now, he had more pressing issues to deal with. Like, for example, starting to weed out the less committal ones to the cause of the Foundation. Of course, he had been around the block beforehand, and he very much knew from experience that not everyone took to this place like a fish to water. Hell, despite this being one of the rowdier intakes, they had yet to cause him to rip his hair out like previous ones. So, there was always a silver lining to the shit he had to deal with.

Still, he would be lying if he didn't glare at everyone with narrow eyes if they rubbed their feet at the door and then proceeded to mope in their rooms for the three years they were under contract for. Which was what had brought him to this particular location in the first place, right after he had had to direct that odious, cantankerous fox kid to Shion for a long-overdue prodding. No, he was not going to be held liable for what happened in there, that was on Shion's shoulders for her Quirk.

"Iki-chan! Ikari! I-K-A-R-I-K-O~!" He didn't need the constant reminders from Sateriasis over the years that his voice was the pinnacle of annoyance. Subaru was already well aware of that fact from the moment he stepped out into the world good and proper, and it didn't do much good to endear him to his colleagues in his previous occupation.

Yet here he was, now relying upon it to drag out one of the more anti-social members of the Foundation. The fact he was even anti-social by normal standards in the Foundation was something that was going to have to be sorted out at some point, it was either that or Kyte losing his patience and dumping him back where he had found them regardless of the consequences.

Was it cruel? Yes. Did Subaru particularly care? Not really. It wasn't his job to care about the end goal. It was his job to get them there, whether it was with their shield or on it. If they wanted to be lambs to the slaughter, he wasn't going to stop them, there were always plenty more fish in the sea.

Not hearing a response from the other, not as though he was truly expecting one, Subaru resolved to continue to knock on the door with regularity. A rhythmic beat that would make sure that it couldn't easily be blocked out by someone so much as covering their ears. "Ikari! Oh, Ikari! Ikiarikooooooo, are you going to come out yet? You've got the whole wide world at your fingertips, and you're staying all cooped up inside this dingy old room I didn't even clean out before you all arrived!"

Okay, that last part was a bit of a lie. He had cleaned it, but just didn't really put much thought into where he might have dumped a lot of the excess stuff left behind by the last member of the Foundation that occupied the room. Once you had been through one deep clean in your life, the desire to do it again wasn't exactly top priority. Regardless, there was a slight twinge of hope in Subaru that might get something of a sound of disgust out of the horror villain-like student.

No answer.

Raking his hands through his hair, grabbing onto clumps at the back of it as he tried to work through any other scenario to get the ball rolling, Subaru eventually found himself slumped with his back against the door. "You didn't even turn up when I was introducing the rest of your colleagues to class, y'know how mean that is for someone like me that takes soooooooo much time out of my day to lead all of you around? You just like spitting in the face of all my hard work or something? Honestly, kids these days are so clingy and needy until they suddenly decided they're hot shit!"

At some point, Subaru had completely disregarded why he was even knocking on the floor in the first place. Ignoring him once was fine. Maybe you didn't hear him, and that was an honest mistake that maybe he could tolerate. Ignore him twice? Well, that was accompanied by the sound of the noose tightening around your neck, and maybe, maybe you were given an extra shot to keep him pleased.

Three times? That was just going to drive him up the proverbial wall.

He hadn't even thought of the possibility that Ikariko might have very well just been sleeping, that wouldn't have even mattered I that was the case in the first place. You didn't ignore Subaru Fujinaga and get away with it. Perhaps he had been a touch too harsh on the dragon girl a few days back if this was what he was going to be getting from the others, it seemed like there was an apology in order in the very near future.

However, just when it seemed like it was the purest form of a futile endeavour, a spark of life was heard from behind the locked down. "Go away. God, you don't know how irritating you're being right now!"

And just like that, the smirk that had been dying down on Subaru's face was fighting back with a vengeance. Just like it was a spider witnessing an innocent bug getting trapped within its sticky, tangled web.

Behind the door, and with his room still caked mostly in the darkness that rivalled even Kyte's, Ikariko sat on his bed with his shoulders slumped inwards and his head titled down towards a small patch in the corner of the room. He had been having a rather peaceful time of it, enjoying the serenity of the peace he had finally earned himself upon getting all those locks in the door. It was nice to just know that people didn't dare to approach his room, just meant that there were fewer things that could irritate him. The last thing he needed was for someone like that little shithead he fought to rock up on his door.

Needless to say, God had heard his prayers and answered them by giving him the biggest middle finger possible. Initially, he had just planned to ignore Subaru through any means possible. Whether that was by covering his ears, using his pillow to suppress all the possible noise, or simply just hoping to God that the clown would get bored, it was pure pain to see none of them work.

It was sad, inevitable even, then, that he had to eventually acknowledge Subaru's presence. Even if it was to tell him to piss off, which he no doubt knew the other had been told countless times his life already, Ikariko knew that it was like pouring water on an electrical fire. No doubt there was going to be some kind of kickback from the now encouraged pink-haired adult.

"Aww, I'm really sorry about that I-K-I-C-H-A-N~!" Came Subaru's sugary voice from the other side of the door, making Ikariko ball up his metallic hands. Why was he even here in the first place?! And why did he come to Ikariko of all people?! It was just like he had gone out of his way to annoy him, and knowing Subaru for the short time he had, he had a very good suspicion that that was indeed the case!

"Don't you have something better to do?" Ikariko snatched at his words, grinding his sharp, exposed teeth back and forth across each other. This guy was supposed to be a coordinator or something right? Surely, he must've had something more important to do than sit at Ikariko's door and piss him off something fierce. Surely, a place this large had more than enough tasks for a "Co-ordinator" like him to do.

Now that he thought about it, what the fuck was "Co-ordinator" even supposed to mean? During the brief period of time that any of them had seen Kyte, he had never taken to explaining what Subaru's role actually was. To give minor credit, it was pretty clear that he must've been some kind of right-hand man, but that didn't excuse the purposeful vagueness. Plus, even if he cared to ask Subaru anything, it wasn't like he was going to get a straight answer. He didn't need to be an expert to tell that someone as annoying that was ever going to explain things nicely.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, about that. Normally I would, but as I told your little foxy intake friend, a certain someone knows what they did to the person I've been tasked to look after." Subaru's voice was laced with a kind of cold venom. Although, noticeably, it was not the kind of venom that would be spat by a protective parent. Instead, it sounded almost like he was irritated he even had to deal with it. Like it had thrown a wrench in his plans or something along those lines.

Ikariko hadn't even noticed it, but through all of the time he had spent ranting in his head, one of his thumbs had wriggled itself loose from the shaking hands that sat on his thighs. Without even the thought of it passing through his haywire brain, the golden-armed teen began to bite down on it, threatening to cleave it off if not careful. "…She deserved it…" Someone like that deserved what was coming to them if they were going to treat fighting as if it were an enjoyable game to play with friends.

People like that… People like that made him sick beyond all reasonable measure… How could the terrible belief even worm its way into their infected minds in the first place? Were they just not aware of the consequences? Or were they just being willfully ignorant of all the suffering it caused? Was it sadism? Masochism? Any other kind of "-ism"?

Whatever the hell it was, it was disgusting that so many people seemed to have this disease…

He could still hear the baying crowd, chanting for the next sacrificial lamb to be wheeled out before them. It wasn't even a contest most of the time, because all that did was leave the brainless deadbeats antsy in waiting for the crimson flow to finally emerge from someone's withered corpse.

"Not that I hold it against you, Yua can be a bit of a handful to deal with if you're not already used to her antics." Came Subaru's vice to snap him out of his reverie, the thumb still lodged firmly in Ikari's mouth. "If anything, it was the fact you didn't really do a whole lot after that got me thinking some things about you. Other intakes have been more, what's the word… Forgiving of each other whenever they left their induction. Meanwhile, you're all sat cooped up in here, must be awfullyyyyyyyy boring just staring at the ground all day~!" A touch of Sateriasis' annoying habit chucked out there to work its magic.

"I'm fine where I am!" Ikariko eventually was able to grit out an answer, his thumb now loose from his mouth but his teeth still being ground into stubs. His whole jaw also remained clenched, and the words were freed with an almost janky, robotic movement from it.

There wasn't a chance in hell he was going to move, not now that he was this heated. If there even was the finite chance he was going to budge before that spiel, it had been killed down dead like two small birds under a big stone. In fact, he wasn't even going to listen to this anymore. He wasn't going to entertain this annoying clown show any longer… He had much better things to do, his eyes once again swaying over to the one area of his room more important than the rest.

On the other side of the door, Subaru held up his hands and tilted his head. His smirk still hadn't dissipated, though, remaining glued to his face. "Hey, hey, no need to get sooooo aggressive about this, Iki-chan! I was only asking for your own benefit, but if you're so willing to just remain there and wallow in your self-pity then I'm not going to press the issue any further."

He was beyond anger at this point, rejection carried with it a much different feeling than being ignored. Subaru could live with the former, and he had lived with it enough times in the past to become the Master of It.

Instead of speaking this time around, the pink-haired adult simply rose back to his feet and sauntered away a couple of steps from the door. Maybe he hadn't been able to crack Ikariko just yet, and perhaps it was foolish thinking to assume he would be able to do it right away, but Subaru still held all the cards as far as he was concerned.

That was why even as he started to move away, he left one more lingering sentence to work over Ikariko's mind. "Just make sure you don't get too vegetative in there, would be a humongous shame if we found out that we would have to use our reserved right to kick out undeserving members." Was that his authority? No, but a few twists of Kyte's arm would make it a reality if anyone wasn't careful. He had tried the carrot, so the stick was up next logically speaking.

Either way, it wasn't his problem now. Once he was rebuked enough times for his liking, the deed was finished, and he could move on to enjoy the rest of his day alone. Perhaps he could spend some time with Hideyoshi and Hiroto in security, giving them someone else to talk to other than each other, although that depended on him wanting to actually be around Sat's parasitic lackies.

There was also the chance that he could catch another one of the members he was planning to put through the wringer, maybe that dragon girl would be a nice target for that? The whole "incident" before he sent her out to fight had left a right sour taste in his mouth, making him glare at her every time she passed him by. He also had the other option of screwing about with Joseph some more, provided he could find the other. Subaru couldn't help but giggle when he thought about all the things he could do to the energy demon, he was already so much to mess with, regardless of how unprofessional he looked doing it.

However, just as he started to think about all the terrible things he could set up in his off time, his mind circled to the kid he had left under Shion's care. Instantly, his face dropped, and his lips curled back into something of a snarl. As far as Subaru Fujinaga was concerned, he was not going to be held liable for what happened in there, that was on Sat for the cleaning job that would inevitably come. Provided Subaru could slip the noose of the duty in time.

Unfortunately for the clown magician, it seemed as if the worst had indeed come to pass the second he turned his attention back down that fateful corridor. "Great… More blood." With a puff of air out of his lips, hands placed firmly on his hips as he stared down the newly re-bloodied hallway, Subaru's shoulders slumped.

So much for being able to relax today. He only hoped Sateriasis was having a worse time of it than him because if this was the one day without chaos, he was probably going to have to choke a bitch out tonight to get to sleep.

---

For the rest of the members of the Foundation, it was a similar day of relaxation. The already rather lax schedule had afforded them the whole day off. Except for what looked to be a rather short talking to by Kyte the next morning, which was slightly odd but nothing too out of line, there wasn't much planned for the next day either.

Thus, it had allowed for some of the more subdued members of the Foundation's newest intake to find their footing. The initial phase of scouring the place was already done as well, and whilst there might have been the odd person still getting lost, it seemed as if everything had settled into a nice pace.

Furthermore, a rather interesting discovery had just been made by a one Mahoro Yoshizumi, who was still in the group that had collected between her, Fukuro, whose size was still proving something of an issue, and the addition of Hisumi, who seemed to be staring at everything with a weird robotic interest.

"This is… Nice…" That was the voice of Fukuro as they collectively stepped into the room open before them. It wasn't exactly breath-taking if they were being honest with themselves, Mahoro had definitely seen better in her life, but for Hisumi and Fukuro it was definitely one of the more well-to-do areas they had seen in the Foundation so far.

Compared to the dreadful metal that seemed to permeate the entire place like a horrible curse, it was only present on the roof as one would expect. Instead, the walls were replaced with what looked to be fine mahogany wood, which couldn't be more out of place with the genera Foundation aesthetic if they tried. Not only that, but a soft graze over the top with her hand told Mahoro that it was likely hand-carved as well. Something that would only do more to the price tag.

That wasn't the end of it as well, in fact, the more they looked around the more it seemed almost like a staff rec room of sorts. Off in the corner, for example, was a card tower that was constructed almost a mile high and with incredible stability at that, given the sheer amount of them, there seemed to be. The empty boxes of playing cards littering the nearby ground definitely totaling somewhere in the mid-50s. Of course, there were no rewards for figuring out who that probably belonged to. The three of them could hear the hyena-like laugh for miles at this point.

In the middle of the room, there were two sofas, both covered in black leather and actually maintained to the point where one may call it liveable. The delicate, velvet throw that was coating added another level of luxury to the general scene. A nice-looking table, marble coated no less was set in the middle, complete with three half-empty glasses and an ashtray in the middle of it.

Now, Mahoro wasn't exactly an envious person by trade. Neither were Hisumi and Fukuro. However, when you were stuck in the dingy, dry, and decrepit dorms, and your "teachers" were living it up in something like this, you could allow yourself to go a little green every once in a while.

Still, the whole place was very impressive, Mahoro and Hisumi both silently agreeing with the soft exclamation that Fukuro had made. They didn't really know the first thing to do about the whole endeavour, but soon there was one thing that caught Mahoro's eyes in particular.

Ever since she had been paired up with the little Ice Dragon girl that she had fought, she had kept that interaction in the back of her mind. Pardon the pun, but it was like there was an actual wall of ice that the younger girl put up in front of her, blocking any communication from coming through.

However, here Isshiki Rei was, sat on one of the sofas with her back to the group and her nose in a book. Where she had gotten it from Mahoro didn't know, they weren't exactly made aware of where everything was in the first place, but that wasn't the tree she was going to bark up here.

Whilst the others with her had separated, Hisumi travelling over to look at the card tower with some weird-looking emotion in her eye, and Fukuro just surveying how expensive everything looked, Mahoro elected to prod the issue further with Shiki.

"Oh! Shiki-san, what a pleasant surprise to see you here, have you been doing well?" Her voice maintained the same cadence it always did, nothing get underneath the smooth, gentle flow that had calmed so many wayward souls in the past.

Much like before, though, there was no movement to talk on Shiki's end as Mahoro placed herself on the sofa right next to her. Instead, the Ice Dragon girl's attention was still firmly laden in the book she was reading, almost like she didn't even know Mahoro had entered. There didn't seem to be a title on it as well, however, before she could even think to ask the title, she was interrupted by Hisumi.

"I smell smoke." The Lycan transformee said all of a sudden, her head switching from paying attention to the cards to the front door. Her tone was just as robotic as her normal movements, although, this time she seemed to have a certain edge about her. Each step held a kind of muted anxiety to it, her gaze switching between person, window, door, floor in a frenzy to figure out where that smell was coming from. For sure, it was not coming from the empty ashtray, or else her sense would long be going off. This was something freshly lit. "Nyet… Not good…"

"…Kinro-san? You okay there?" Hisumi's urgency had alerted the owlbear to her apparent plight, his head swirling around from admiring the scenery to track her movements. Truth be told, he had just kinda followed along on the whole thing with the group. Would've just seemed a bit sudden to leave them so quickly, that's all. He was really not expecting this to happen, though, and it didn't take a genius to see he was at loss with what to do.

Hisumi didn't reply, nor did she even register the strained glance up from Mahoro whose hands were starting to curl and grab at her jeans. Her mind was set on one thing and one thing alone, just like the single-minded hunter she would always become. Finding the source of whatever that smoke was.

Smoke meant fire; fire could mean all sorts of things. Fire was warmth, fire was a symbol of survival during the stone age period, and fire was something that could burn with all the freedom in the world if given the tools. In that sense, it was something that Hisumi couldn't help but envy.

On the other side of the equation, fire meant danger. Fire was warmth, but it could also melt the skin off your bones. Fire was the symbol of survival during the stone age, but who knows how many trials had to be, and how many men had to burn before they perfected it. Fire's freedom was also just as dangerous as it was just as liberating, able to turn massive skyscrapers into ash within the blink of an eye.

"Shiki, you never told me you were so popular." In the end, though, all of that angst and drama was for naught as the voice of Hiroto permeated throughout the room. His appearance in the doorway met with the discovery of a lit cigarette in his right hand, the wisps of smoke no doubt being the reason for Hisumi's heightened tension. "It's not often that we get visitors in our staff room as well, Subaru hid it pretty well in the layout last I remembered." The teal-haired male said, elegant and practiced tone only rivalled by Mahoro, as he took another drag on the cigarette and puffed smoke into the air.

"…Hiroto-san." Much to Mahoro's shock, and slight annoyance if one was being honest, the arrival of one of the twins had lit a spark within Shiki beside her. The book was closed, and her head turned to meet with Hiroto's gaze, only to then shrink back into itself upon seeing the others around her. "I'm sorry…" She murmured in a soft tone, cuddling the book closer to her chest.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Shiki. It's not a grave issue, my fault for not locking the door." Hiroto hummed, stubbing out the cigarette on his gloveless right hand. An action that couldn't help but cause Mahoro and Fukuro to wince, despite the fact it didn't look like the elder was affected by it.

"So, it was you." Hisumi was the one that spoke next, her narrowed eyes betraying another wise blank expression. "I would like to apologise, Hirudinea-sensei. I should not have assumed the wort when you were just enjoying yourself." The werewolf gave a stiff bow, her back fully flat and arms locked by her side.

It was all much to the bemusement of Hiroto, though, who was totally unaware of what the angst was about in the first place. "Well, apologise accepted then, Hisumi. It's something I shouldn't be doing anyway. Not only is it a filthy habit, but the Boss and Niijima-sama both get on my case about it, for very good reason at that." His tone was conciliatory, the cigarette disappearing from his hands as he placed one of them across his chest, much like a stereotypical butler might be seen to do it. "How may I be of service to you, though, now that you've uncovered our private abode?"

Mahoro was the one that spoke up in this case, the horrid smell of smoke still wafted around the room but the issues that would cause were long dead. "Oh, please don't worry about it, Hiroto-sensei, we were simply admiring how pretty the place was. Not looking for anything particular in mind. I do have to say, though, it is rather nice. The person who picked it out must have had exquisite taste." Flattery would go a long way, it always did. Easy to butter people up when you knew what buttons to press.

With the smirk of Hiroto, that was seemingly confirmed too. The adult wandered over to where Subaru's card tower was, his finger delicately touching the very bottom card. "Why thank you, Mahoro, seems someone here has a taste for the artistic. Subaru picked out much of the material, but it was yours truly who decided to put all the pieces together. You've seen what passes for art in his mind, so thank your lucky stars that he didn't have this on his portfolio." Honestly, that colour palette that greeted people before the simulation room, was despicable. Hiroto would not be shocked one bit if he found out that it was actually Yua that picked and painted the hideous mesh of colours.

"It was a little… How do I put this…? Avant-garde? Is that the right term?" In that case, it was Fukuro with the next comment as he pressed his talons against each other. It really wasn't his place to comment on someone else's sense of design, and the feeling didn't sit right at all in his stomach, the oddness did add a splash of life into the otherwise dreary design at the end of the day.

Hiroto titled his head, retracting his finger from the edge of the tower, hands retreating to take a position on his hips. "That's one way you can put it I suppose, I would personally call it a sack of crap, but to each their own." With another sweeping look of the room, he locked gazes on each of the members one more time. The arrival of the other three had scuppered the rest of the plans he had with Shiki, and there was little doubt Hideyoshi was going to be happy by the time he got back to the security room. However, he wouldn't be himself if he hadn't learned how to be quite adaptable over the years… "Ah, I just remembered something! Can't believe it slipped my mind up until now! You're all aware Niijima-sama's going to be making an announcement tomorrow, aren't you?"

Four nods gave Hiroto all the confirmation he needed, the smirk on his face growing as he got the greenlight to continue. "Well, I hope you've settled in quite nicely to the Foundation because I have the slightest feeling that your stay's about to be upended. I hope you don't mind the Boss as well because something tells me you're going to be visiting him a little more often now, fufufufu~!"

With that laugh, another distinct one they were going to have to remember, the four members' collective dread skyrocketed. If it was anything like what Hiroto was insinuating, and anything like their entrance test, then this was going to be painful on a brand-new level.

…It was going to hurt a lot, wasn't it?

---

Ad Majora natus sum. It was a rather simple turn of phrase, but one that he could adore with all of his heart. It spoke to him on so many levels, allowing him to fully vocalise just why he would be graced with the honour of standing alone at the top of the mountain. Several men in history were happy to simply climb to the top, but he was an entirely different man. One that would scrape, claw, and ascend the dreaded peak and make his home there, somewhere he could carve out his eternal legacy.

So, what if he had to crush a few bugs on his path to the top? You never got to your destination when you were driving if you stopped to count every ant you ran over, why would it be any different to achieving your lifelong dreams?

Although, it didn't mean that everything was going to be perfect in one single attempt. There always had to be obstacles on his path.

His show was a busted flush, a futile effort to rekindle some kind of spark of interest when the big headliner decided that it just wasn't worthy of his clearly more important personal time. Because, for some reason, that moron had gotten it into his head that he was worth more than the shit he fed his fans. Not surprising at the end of the day, though. The fans were the type of errant mouth breathers that would get confused about which hand was supposed to be which. Black Swan would rather see them dead in the gutter than anywhere close to his perfect body to be quite frank.

It was no wonder that someone as elegant and cultural as Black Swan couldn't draw a dime amongst this rabble, much less when the trash he had to work with was as talented as a washed-up bunch of fucksticks that couldn't dance their way out of a paper bag! Honestly! If the producer wanted to get on his ass about the attendance number they drew, he could start with the rest of the supposed "world-class" performers that Bambi's mother could outperform!

Honestly, he didn't know where he would rather be right now. It certainly wasn't somewhere the idiot producers could give him their version of his obituary; however, it also wasn't where he was currently sitting.

"Sir, would you like any drinks to be brought whilst you wait?" Said the waiter, hovering over his shoulder like one of those annoying mosquitoes that would never quite go away. The kind that you wanted to swat within seconds of realising it, and then grind your heel against until it was such a speck of fine dust that it couldn't even be classified as carrion.

Regardless of if this was a high-brow establishment or if it was one of those trashy kids' places, the feeling of those beady eyes on his back just made him tense up. When he booked places for meetings, it was never usually this shitty. Only goes to show how incompetent the others were, couldn't even handle a simple reservation without screwing it up…

Lazy eyes trawled down the Drinks menu, not really taking in an awful lot of what they were perceiving. He didn't drink often; it was something only the gutter trash of society partook in daily. Contrary to popular action, Black Swan rather liked his life and preferred if it would stay healthy instead of having to be transplanted like it was a shot of cocaine.

"Just give me the most expensive thing on the menu." The Danseur eventually said, nudging the menu back across the table and not giving the waiter so much as another look in the eye. His attention wasn't cheap, and parasites didn't deserve it either!

Letting his head drop, he rubbed at his face. His muscles always ached after a show, not least because, despite what those useless jocks and morons he knew would say, ballet was not something to be taken lightly. There was no such physical exercise that didn't extoll pressure on the human body, and as he rolled his shoulder blades they tensed harshly, being the same parts of his body that had the misfortune of supporting those dumbass wings during his performance. They sounded as if they were crying out for some kind of ice cooler, anything to ease their suffering.

Said wings, the cause of the grimace now contorting his face into an ugly contour, were sat just at the foot of the couch. Their regal feathers, plucked from only the finest resources and crafted together by only the best of the best designers in the world, plumed out in a black void that fit with seamless brilliance into his on-stage character. They just weren't exactly conducive to real-life, and the fact he had to lug them about all over the place wasn't helping matters.

"Your drink, Sir!" Eyes swirled around to see the waiter by his side, dusting off the label of what looked to be a particularly pricey vintage. Grabbing a corkscrew, it wasn't long before the cork was popped off and the bottleneck was agape, the smell wafting over to assault Black Swan's nostrils. "Here we have a vintage we imported all the way from Europe! It has a hand-painted label from one of the finest artists on the planet and is perhaps one of the last remaining vintages of its kind in the world! Perhaps even in Europe itself! Certainly, the case for Japan!"

Jesus… This guy's chipperness was going to give him a headache. Why on Earth was he bigging up a glass of wine like this? It's just wine. What did it matter that some stupid moron decided it was worth something because someone else drank the rest of it? Black Swan could never understand what the whole point of it was, to be honest. Plus, he had had far too many "elegance and eloquence" courses in his life, and the whole wine tasting aspect was something he never got his head around.

"Good Lord, you're ugly." Eventually, Black Swan spoke again. His mouth instantly ran on autopilot as he took another passing glance at the waiter before looking down at his watch, why did everyone else have to be so late all of the time? Not everyone could be as perfect and precise as he, but there was something to be said for standards! Even if those standards were being asked of the gutter trash of society.

"I'm sorry… What did you say, Sir?" Quite rightly from a neutral perspective, the waiter looked bewildered. His eyes were ever so slightly widened, and with how his fingers were now pulling out earwax, it was pretty clear he didn't quite understand what he had just heard. He had had his fair share of demanding customers before, but ad hom attacks out of nowhere were new.

"Ugly and deaf, it would appear. I wish this place would show me a more presentable waiter, but Jesus fuck, that's a large ask for a community full of absolute shitters!" Snatching the bottle from the waiter's hands, with a strength that was deceptive for his body type, he downed a swig of the alcoholic liquid and swirled it around his mouth to let the flavour settle… Right before he spat it back out across the waiter's fine uniform, coating the black and white outfit with a burgundy splatter right in the middle of the getup. "Now, fuck off, throw this trash out, and get me another bottle of this shit. This one tastes like putrid donkey livers!"

"Another bottle?! This is the last of its kind in Japan! This cost a fortune to procure, we can't just throw it away!" The indignant waiter proclaimed, now fully aware but still not believing what was being said to him by the little punk. Nor could he believe how said punk had spat out the vintage like he was drinking toilet water.

And much to his horror, he soon found the bottle plucked from his hands and in said punk's grip. "Is it now?" That was all he heard before the smashing of glass and the flooding of liquid poured over the floor "Oh dear, you broke it. That's going to have to come out of your paycheque, Bozo." He had to resist the urge to cackle like a madman, he had basically done the more expensive sequel to kicking a man while he was down.

Needless to say, the waiter was stunned into an apoplectic shock. He couldn't find the words to explain the thoughts that were racing through his head, but the sheer look of absolute rage and murderous intent was enough to get his point across. This punk… It didn't matter if he was the absolute King of the World or if he was just the local Landlord coming to drown his sorrows, you didn't condone behaviour like this.

However, before he could even move a single step further, or lay a hand on the other to yank the scrawny-looking Danseur out of his seat, he was interrupted by the presence of another man behind him. A man with a voice that made him want to bow then and there, begging for forgiveness for his intransigence.

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you." Came the voice of Akira Hiiragi, better known to the world as Painmaker. The domineering, towering presence of Flashfire behind him only served to ram home the helpless feeling the waiter now felt, his attention split between quivering and trying to stop a certain part of his body from prolapsing. "Our friend here might be a bit… Unpleasant… But that's water under the bridge, surely?"

Under the powerful gazes of the Authors of Pain, the waiter wilted. His shoulders slumped in, the previous anger a distant, distant memory, and he looked more akin to a kicked pup than anything close to a real human being. "…Very well, Sirs… Please forgive me for earlier, I'll go and look for another bottle that's more to your standards." Slinking away into the depths of the restaurant, beyond clearing the red from the front of his uniform, there was a growing concern that he might have to clean the yellow from the front of his trousers or the brown from the back of them.

As he departed, and the Authors of Pain sat at the table, Black Swan groaned. "You're always so fucking dramatic, how long were you standing there for? Did you just get some kind of kick over watching me mope?" The lingering bitterness over the lack of enthusiasm for the show was evident in his voice, the ass-whipping he was going to get from the producer playing on his mind as he chucked the snide comments out.

Painmaker was the one that took the time to reply, having finished handing over the menus to his partner sitting across the table from him. "You wound me, Taka. I would never take any pleasure in watching any of our glorious members suffer." Razor-sharp smirk plastered on his face; it didn't take a genius to detect the amount of sarcasm that was present in the Inner Circle member's voice. Flashfire might have remained silent, but the slight twitching of the corner of his lips no doubt betrayed his true feelings of schadenfreude too.

"Fuckin' dickheads, both of you." Black Swan grumbled. The bad taste of the wine still dominated his tastebuds as he took a swing of water to try and flush it out, side eying the Authors of Pain the whole time. However, it still had no effect, which only left an attempt to gag up the aftertaste left. "Jesus… I have no ideas how you can stomach this crap! I feel like I just drank liquid piss!" He eventually came out with, pounding on his chest after that hair-brained scheme also failed. The taste of bile and vomit on his tongue was even worse than the pisswater he had just chugged.

Ignoring the piss laden comment, and the urge to tease the other over the idea of him actually knowing the taste of piss, Painmaker replied after closing the menu. "It's an acquired taste, which is something that goes both ways after all." Backhanded comments seemed to be the flavour of the day with Painmaker, who watched his boyfriend also make his decision before everyone else decided to turn up. "I also have no idea how people stomach the things you write in the local trashy tabloid, but here we are."

"Don't blame me, blame the idiots that believe it." Black Swan snapped back, messing about with his hair in a vain attempt to distract himself from the two new arrivals. Acting more like a petulant child than the twenty-year-old adult he really was. "Blame the asshole publishers as well, they're the ones that have to edit down all of my genius into slop the common mouth breather can understand!"

"Make it less vile you mean." Flashfire murmured from across the table, having moved his sunglasses into his hair so they could fashion something of a makeshift hairband for his free hair. His eyes still hadn't moved from the menu, the ring finger on his left hand conspicuously hovering over the edges at a hair's breadth.

Black Swan sneered, placing his hand against the side of his face, and shutting his eyes to block out the world around him. The tasteful smattering of pink eyeshadow a sign of beauty on an otherwise ugly expression. "The bitch I work with is a pain, is it so wrong for me to take out my frustrations in the tabloid as a result? If anything, being more vulgar would probably raise the profile of the paper, not like anyone is still reading print media." He said, a dismissive handwave coming out of the woods at the end. "By the by, did you at least get my laptop? I swear to fuck if you left it behind!"

Deciding to let the little sniping match end for the moment, Painmaker nodded over at Flashfire who proceeded to produce the offending item. Handled with care out its sleek, sliver case, the laptop was slid across the table with little regard for anything that may have been sat in front of the Danseur. Not like either of the Authors of Pain were going to pay for any of the plates that now lay smashed on the ground, you couldn't catch them dead doing something like that.

Without another word, Black Swan was already absorbed into the world that his laptop afforded him. No longer would he have to deal with an actual conversation with the assholes around him, nor did he have to pay active attention to the world at large until all those horrible people decided to be rude beyond belief. Even if this restaurant was on a massive mark-up on the previous shithole he had to hold his nose through. Seriously, who was the one with a cat maid fetish? Because that's the only logical way someone can think those places are anything other than trash heaps.

"Why we would never let you go two minutes without seeing to your command, would we, Yoshi?" Painmaker smirked, a hint of a sarcastic lilt coming to his otherwise gravitas-laden voice. Glass of wine in hand, the waiter having returned with a cheaper, but still expensive vintage, the Inner Circle's agitator sipped away with care. As he did so, he spied at the two people he had found himself shackled to.

Flashfire, as usual, remained silent. Nothing unnecessary spilling from his lips. The only sign he had even registered the comment was the slight, almost imperceptible twitch of his eyes upwards. The corner of his lips moved out of their perpetual frown serving to show his amusement even further. He was a tough nut to crack, the stoic face never usually giving away anything but dissatisfaction. However, when you were partners for neigh on a decade, you could pick up tells fairly easily.

As he placed his drink down, his eyes fell upon Black Sw-Taka his mind supplied, clicking away on his laptop. Such a unique young mind… Even if it was full of the vilest thoughts the world had ever seen. Also belonging to a personality that even world-famous assholes would think was pushing the envelope. He might have been unpleasant to be around at the best of times, but he was certainly proving himself to be useful in some regard. Especially on one particular topic of interest…

"You two bozos wanted some more of the shit I have on that place, right?" Taka asked, quirking a brow upwards and looking away from the screen for the first time since he had been reunited with his prized possession. "Well, it turns out that that place is a fucking dump, believe it or not. Hell, the fact they were even able to keep it open was a fucking miracle given the state of the "cover" they put over it. I don't think even a retard would buy how shitty that whole orphanage claptrap was."

Painmaker could only hum in agreement, sharing a look with his boyfriend who nodded in response. Shabby didn't begin to describe how the entrance of the place was, the sign that worked as the cover looked as if it could come crashing to earth at any moment. "That's one way you can put it, Taka. Although, given the fact it's still in operation, someone must be doing something right." No matter how many times he would have it in its head that it was doomed to fail, every other week he would return to see it still standing.

"Well, despite the raids, when you have friends in high places it's easy for you to slip the noose," Taka replied, switching over to a new tab and bringing up one of the more infamous events in the history of the place. Soon it was copied and pasted into the one document that would define it all. "When you run a profitable business, it's hard to totally quash the market unless you round up all the possible stragglers. It's simply a case of keeping all the assets in line, so that's where the trouble lies. Shame it's so easy for a member of the press to get their hands on missing person reports."

Flipping around the laptop, the information was bestowed upon the AOP. In front of their eyes, the full document that Taka had been preparing for publication was laid out. Everything from the people who had paid for a ticket, the people who fought, and the people who ran the whole sordid show. A glance above the screen showed just how pleased the ebony-haired male was, a look of smug satisfaction locked in tight on his face.

As the AOP scrolled down, Painmaker took the lead as Flashfire watched every name pass by with careful eyes, they soon noticed the pattern that was developing here. "Oh~? Taka, you never told us this…. How interesting…" In the middle of the list of names that the resident asshole had been able to dredge up, the colour had changed. Instead of the normal black font, it had been swapped for a more muted grey colour. More importantly, though, was how it only affected two names… Two very interesting names at that. "How much are you willing to bet that these are the stragglers that the Exalted One has been looking for?"

From the smirk that permeated that smug mask, the answer on Taka's end was known long before it spilled his lips. "I wouldn't say that they're exactly the ones he might have been looking for, you can never tell these things nowadays. But it is disturbing how easy people trust a pretty face nowadays. Although, I think these two being the only ones to escape is quite interesting. Few places could hold them and realistically expect to keep them."

A hand under his chin as he leaned in closer, his eyes almost dancing full of mirth, Painmaker couldn't help but let out a dark chuckle. Looks like there was going to be more flesh on the menu, and so soon after his last feast. If they were indeed at that place, there was a sure chance that they were going to return to their old stomping grounds. When that happened… That was when it was a feast in the time of plague. "Say, Taka. When would you happen to be available next? I think the Exalted One might like to meet with you again, just to go over the finer details of the plan. Of course, everything is subject to change, but I've got the feeling that he can make a concession to allow a fox into the henhouse."

A similar dark chuckle emerged from Taka, otherwise known to the Inner Circle as Osprey. The laptop screen was slammed shut as a glass was raised in his other hand. "That so? Well, I'm sure I can plead my case. I think he's been waiting for the moment regardless, so who am I to prevent his will?"

Within the next few moments, Painmaker and Flashfire raised their glasses in conjunction. Meeting in the middle in a toast with Taka's. The restaurant and the waiter had faded into the background by this point, irrelevant to the meeting of the three Inner Circle lynchpins. Whether some sorry soul heard their machinations was of no business to them, they could be erased from the face of the earth without breaking a sweat.

"To our eternity!" Out of the three of them, it was Flashfire that made the declaration, with it sounding more like a declaration of blind devotion than anything else. The three of them, Painmaker, Osprey, and himself would not forget the vow of eternity they had made to each other on first contact.

It was that power… The power of the bonds forged in the United Empire that would gift them their eternity, and the Inner Circle whose name would live forever in infamy.

They would bring it all down until only ash filled the sky, and it wouldn't be enough until the flames took back the night.

---

By the time that night had fallen, the Foundation was on the down low, every member softly sleeping in their beds except for the staff that Kyte had assigned to set up for his announcement in the morning.

Said Vampire Lord was also wide awake and busy. Normally, he would be getting stuck into the work that had piled up over the course of the day. Chugging through those long reports that one of Sat's parasites would normally dump at his doorstep, even those two knowing better than to disturb Kyte when he was sleeping.

However, this was not one of those days. No, Kyte had something more important on his mind, and it needed a "second opinion" for there to be clarity on the issue. Which was why his phone was out, connecting his call to someone he knew for sure would have an answer on this topic. Whether or not he liked Kyte to give it was another issue entirely.

"What is it, Kyte? I don't appreciate you cutting into my time like this. I don't call you whenever you're sleeping." The voice on the other end huffed out, a strain evident in his deep voice. Kyte could practically hear the reticence seeping off his person, even across the ocean.

"Whatever happened to 'A grip of iron never tires?' You're not slowing down in your years, are you?" Playing fast and loose with people was never quite Kyte's style, however, he could make an exception for this individual. It was awfully cathartic to hear someone else being stressed out for once and knowing he wouldn't have to deal with it. Much more fun than all those shitty calls from terrible people wanting to offload their kids to him.

The other male clicked their tongue, displeasure increasingly evident no matter how even and dull the tone of voice might have been. "Oh~? When did you get so snarky, that clown of yours giving you tips? Either way, just tell me what I want so I can get back into the swing of things." Kyte could feel the corners of his lips curl, the feeling of being on the other side for once just warming up his cold, dead heart.

"It's nothing much, I suppose. Just wanted to ask a simple question about what I sent you earlier. You didn't have anything to do with it, would you?" However, as much as he might have liked running the other around the block, especially after all these years, there was a more pressing issue at hand. Kyte's lips immediately dropped back into their rest frown as his voice returned to its usual, morose nature.

"Oh, that tripe. Please, Kyte, I thought you were better than this. I'm not even in the country at the moment, and you're blaming me. It's hurtful, y'know?" If the frustration wasn't evident before, it was like a sledgehammer right about now. No matter how much the other male on the call would deny it.

"As if where you are changes anything." Barriers were there to be broken, after all, Kyte knew this and the person on the other end of the line also knew it like the back of his hand. The memory of events like the one that had rocked Japan to its core was long gone, committed to the dustbin of history. However, the legacy of international involvement would last forever. Villains and Heroes both weren't restricted by nation anymore, for better or for worse.

Bemusement greeted him from the other end of the phone, a dry chuckle ushering in the next point. "Eh? Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I'm telling the truth, though, I didn't have a hand in whatever sap got their body torn to shreds. Not like they were doing anything to me or a client that would require them to be silenced. Also, in case you were wondering since I know you're going to ask again, I cut ties with them when I left my protégé into their clutches."

Ah, there it was. That word 'Protégé'. The other rather liked to throw that word out, and it was a rather interesting one that Kyte hadn't discovered the meaning of for quite a while. Well… At least until he met a certain somebody only a few weeks ago, but that was a talking point for another call. He had to stay on focus.

"Heh, is that so?" Reclining back in his chair, hair dangling in front of his red eyes, and looking perhaps as relaxed as he possibly could be, Kyte grinned. There was no chance he was going to be taking the other's words at face value. Only foolish men with foolish ambitions believed everything they said and everything they heard. Kyte Niijima was no longer going to be a victim of that.

"You think I would waltz back to them already? God, I have my own affairs to sort out! Worrying about some Japanese idiots is the last thing I need to think about!" Again, the tone was more one of bemusement than anything else. The volume might have been raised, but there was little indication that any other emotion besides frustration was entering the fray.

Turning in his chair, his position now such that he could look out the window to the expansive city, Kyte replied. "Hmm, I'll take your word for it on this one, I suppose. However, I do think it's funny that you immediately brought them up before I even asked… Not that I'm going to press the issue on that, though."

Talking with Haru, as much as it was like pulling teeth, had gifted him with the information needed. Although, he rather enjoyed the fact the other had assumed guilt without Kyte even needing to send the full details.

"Good." The succinct reply was like nothing before it, no frustration, no weary amusement. Just dead seriousness of the utmost severity. Almost like the bell had just rung for round two of a boxing match. Kyte wanted to reply with a further point, however, he was beaten to the punch by a much more jovial voice coming from the other. "Anyway, can't stay long. Walls to build. Riots to quell. The usual business! Ciao for now!"

With that the connection was dead and a very Subaru-Esque smirk was plastered on the Vampire Lord's face. Walking up to the window, he placed his gloveless hand against the cool glass. His birthmark almost shining under the faint flickers of light the candles bestowed upon his dark cave.

All these years he had waited, nearly twenty-one to be exact, they were finally going to start paying off. If he wanted to move first, and with such explosivity, then who was Kyte to stop him? A life so full of sound and fury could always be snuffed out like a candle flickering in the wind. All of it came from nothing, meant nothing, and would remain as nothing.

Time to usher in a new era? Everyone would 'Breathe' with him? Everyone would 'Follow the Buzzards'?

What a farce.

His lips curled backwards once more, his fangs starting to poke out more and more as the growing smile got wider. Doubtless, that first body was just the first volley. He had already seen the reports of the dismantling of local, disparate villain groups by an outside, non-hero party. One also does not simply ignore a huge building vanishing from the skyline and returning to it as nothing more than flickering embers.

However, just like any chess game, this was just the opening gambit. Kyte still had all the time in the world to decide how to respond. As he walked over to a glass that was set on the corner of his desk filled to the brim with the alluring elixir that sustained him, he knew he would have to kick the training program into high gear soon enough.

After all, what was the point of living forever, if you couldn't do it at your own pace?

He would never forget their vow of eternity.

---

A/N: And that's another chapter down and another chapter late, but it's all said and done now. Finally, we can now make a move onto the next chapter, and I think that's going to be really fun. Once again, thanks for reading this chapter despite the wait, and I promise (hopefully) to get the next chapter out on time.