Highschool of the Dead: Us or Them

by HoTDFan

Three brothers from a military family are transferred to Fujimi Academy one day prior to the Z-Day outbreaks. Just when their lives seem to be getting back on track the world is completely unprepared for the living nightmare that opens up a new chapter in human history. The day humans were put back on the food chain. Rated-M. It is Highschool of the Dead afterall.

18. Chapter 18: Picking Up the Pieces Part 2

Tokonosu City, Japan

Z-Day+23

It had only been an hour since Frasier had left to confront Shido as per his written invitation. Distrustful and uncomfortably curious of his true intentions, the headstrong Brit was more than eager to find out, regardless of the massive amount of danger he knew he was putting himself in by going. He could've simply ignored the message, but it seemed far too specific, and the risk was too great to not attend. The very least he could do was buy his group more time to prep the buses, were these to be his final moments.

The rest of his group, however, far from shared his sentiment. While he'd made his way for the designated meeting point, they could only pace about the mall; hoping that Frasier was alright out there on his own. While he was easily one of their best warriors, he was still only human; a single youth against an unpredictable and hostile world, and that was just considering 'Them'.

"I can't accept this. This is so wrong. Are we really going to just act like this is a good idea?" Rei eventually asked aloud, breaking the uncomfortable silence while setting down the taped-up box full of provisions. The others all paused at her sudden proclamation of what they pretty much were all thinking themselves.

"What other choice do we really have here? Ignore it and hope Shido doesn't actually show up when time runs out?" Takashi asked in return; knowing painfully well that they weren't equipped nor trained for a toe-to-toe fight against the kind of numbers their enemy had.

"Frasier-san made the choice to go. It was his decision to make, not ours," Saeko intervened. While still deeply resenting the fact Frasier made such a dangerous choice to leave alone, she knew it was what he wanted and had to respect it, albeit begrudgingly.

"And what if it was the wrong decision? What if he's in trouble and needs our help right now?" Johann brought up; remembering how difficult it was traveling just a few blocks the last time he was on his own outside.

"He might be hotheaded and irrational at times…well, all of the time actually; but don't forget that he's a great tactician when it comes to conflict. I doubt he'd go in without some kind of ace up his sleeve, right?" Marcus attempted to explain as some form of reassurance; confident that there was a plan they just weren't in on yet.

"I don't know...he's treating this more like a physical threat; but Shido operates on a purely psychological level. He'll try to toy with Frasier until he knows how he ticks inside and out," Noah said with a deep, foreboding certainty; instinctively shuddering at the thought back to his and Shido's first and only encounter with one another. That paralyzing stare of Shido's still sent an icy chill down his back.

"He's right. I can tell you all from experience how easily that monster can manipulate people. I know you don't want to hear this, but Frasier doesn't stand a chance," Miku added grimly.

"What could we possibly do to help though? This situation is far beyond our control. It always has been," Khota grumbled; hating the feeling of being utterly powerless.

"So, what, Frasier's going to get himself killed, and we're just going to let it happen? His choice or not, you can't seriously tell me any of you are okay with that," Rei said in disbelief that nobody was offering any alternatives.

"We'll get by, as will he. Now c'mon, we have work to do," Rika instructed, remaining cold and focused on the task at hand as ever. The others begrudgingly acknowledged this and started getting right back to work as Rei just shook her head.

"Hey, I'm worried about him too, but we can't afford to just stop now. We have to be ready to leave as soon as possible. It's what he would want us to do," Saeko said in a hushed whisper, her voice filled with concern as she put a gentle hand on Rei's shoulder to get her attention.

Unable to form an answer though, Rei just turned away in disbelief and picked up the box she was carrying before, unable to help but feel ashamed at how they were so quick to give up on their leader. Nevertheless, she continued on, silently hoping they wouldn't have to come to regret not going after him.

Elsewhere in the city…

Meanwhile, Frasier could feel the air grow thicker as the clouds turned gray. A soft yet ominous fog began to form from the combination of the moisture in the air meeting the warm rays of the early morning sun. The unnerving silence combined with his now limited vision left the eldest Lawson on edge. He kept his breathing calm and rhythmic as his eyes darted to observe as much of his surroundings as he could see. One hand hovered near the holster at his hip while the other was kept free.

When it felt like he was just going to be moving in circles, there was a sudden abundance of low chatter coming from his left. Standing in the middle of the street, he glanced at the address Noah had written down for him before looking up at a nearby street sign to see he had thankfully managed to arrive at the right place.

Carefully moving towards the voices, Frasier quickly realized he was now in a construction site very similar to the one where he and his siblings first stumbled into Takashi's group. Even one of the nearby vans had the exact same logo Sho and his fellow coworkers had sewn into their uniforms. It didn't take a genius to figure this was yet another site that had to have been an absolute nightmare during the first day of the outbreak; as evident by the dried up blood soaked into the dirt and cement all over the place, and one of the bulldozers rammed straight into one of the vans, with the mangled corpse of a driver trapped in the crumpled up husk of a vehicle.

Several crows perched atop the steel girders looming overhead. Their talons occasionally scraped along the steel beams; creating a nerve-wracking sound, like someone was drawing nearer and nearer with each passing second. Occasionally they'd caw and call out to one another before taking off when Frasier stood directly beneath them.

The further he ventured in, the more Frasier realized he was becoming surrounded by the once distant voices. Suddenly, one by one, the voices stopped until it was replaced by chilling and utter silence. Frasier froze where he stood, certain he'd been detected as he just stood in place and tried to look cooperative.

"Alright, I'm here. Show yourself, Shido," he called out as if actually expecting to get a response.

A light chorus of snickering and mocking laughter suddenly filled the air. What was once empty fog now revealed several silhouettes of indiscernible figures circling Frasier; their footsteps seeming to grow louder as more and more revealed themselves. Frasier could practically feel them drawing near until his ears could discern exactly where they were.

"Him? This is the guy they send?" a male's voice suddenly asked the others as they could now see him in greater detail.

"Is this a joke?" another questioned incredulously, as if insulted that someone so obviously young was sent in place of what they expected: a fully-grown man.

"This is their leader? This'll be easier than we thought," a female's voice then taunted. That last statement aroused too much suspicion for the young Brit to let slide as he instinctively grabbed the grip to his pistol.

"I'll ask one more time: show me Shido Koichi, or I start shooting," the eldest Lawson demanded; drawing his sidearm for them to see before switching off the safety.

"Cocky little thing, isn't he?" one of the men sneered; not expecting such boldness considering how outnumbered this kid was.

"Sure is in a hurry to get himself killed. Maybe we should oblige," the woman suggested, Frasier able to physically feel the venom in her words.

"Everyone hold it! You all know damn well what was asked of you. Return to your posts and keep an eye out for any more trouble," a far more firm and authoritative voice commanded as the almost hidden mob of Shido's cult paused.

"Oh, come on. We were just having a little fun here, right guys?" the instigating woman suggested while putting on a tone of innocence. However, unbeknownst to Frasier, this new figure seemed to show no tolerance for their antics as they were only met with that same foreboding silence.

"Fine, fine, we're going. Enjoy your little chat, you stick in the mud," she then sighed before several of them approached Frasier only to pass him by.

The mouthy woman in question directly walked before Frasier. Her eyes were a sharp emerald green, and her hair was nearly pitch black and barely coming past her ears. There was a clear aggression in her personality and military stature in the way she carried herself that reminded him almost far too much of Rika Minami. She even went as far as intentionally bumping shoulders against him before shooting the young man a grim sneer.

It was almost too tempting for the prideful youth to lash back and get into it with the feisty woman. However, he stayed his hand, almost certain that was exactly what she wanted and was expecting of him. She then appeared somewhat surprised that nothing came of it as Frasier's sidearm was slipped back into its holster.

"You there: start walking forward and keep those hands where I can see them," the one apparently in command of Shido's underlings ordered. Without much choice, Frasier began to walk forward with both hands raised over his head, visibly empty.

"Before you enter, I'll have to ask you for any weapons you might be carrying. I'm sure you understand," one of the survivors suddenly instructed as he stepped in Frasier's path; holding a hand out as if actually expecting Frasier to disarm himself while surrounded by who knew how many of these strangers. However, he knew it was too late to back out now as he regretfully handed over his rifle, pistol and knife. Another stranger suddenly came up behind him; patting him down, knowing how easy it could've been for the Brit to hide something before motioning him to take off his boots.

"Thank you. I know this is a leap of faith for you... But I'm confident we'll be able to get past this easily enough," the man searching him then said with an unusual amount of optimism; seeming somehow genuine with his words as he held open the door for the trailer for Frasier while he put his boots back on; slowly closing it behind him after cautiously entering alone.

The room was barely lit up by a single flashing bulb that must've been running on reserved power from a generator. A small desk and two chairs sat in the center for their meeting. Painfully aware he was now unarmed, Frasier had no choice but to play along as he approached a chair and took his seat; waiting patiently for almost an entire minute before the door opened up again.

Frasier didn't say a word as he watched the doorway; resting one hand on the edge of the table as the other hung loose at his side, ready to flip it over if it was a trap and he needed cover. Two men casually strolled in before the door closed again with a gentle click; indicating it was now locked.

The first man was watching the young Brit like a hawk; waiting for even the slightest subtle movement if the sharpness in his gaze was to be believed. He wore a black vest and red undershirt to match. Just the way this man walked made it clear he wasn't at all like the others that followed Shido. The only question now was why such a mysterious person would be here in the first place.

'So, this must be that yakuza type Tadashi-san warned me about. Doesn't seem so bad, so long as I can strike first if the need arises,' Frasier thought calmly; already forming several strategies to take down this man before shifting his gaze to observe Shido himself.

For all intents and purposes, he was just an average looking man that didn't really warrant any concern at a first glance. Somewhat thin, wearing a gray pinstripe suit and fancy black dress shoes, like he was attending a formal event. Piercing yellow eyes peered down at him through those glasses, which soon reflected off the light bulb swaying about. A confident sneer then formed; leaving Frasier feeling uneasy, trying to scope out the potential danger he was in, save for the obvious threats outside.

"Ah, so the illustrious leader who has caused so much trouble for me in a single night finally reveals himself. I must admit, I was expecting someone...older," was the first thing Shido had to say as he took a seat across from Frasier and adjusted his glasses; acting amazingly casual despite the circumstances. However, Frasier kept silent and waited for him to actually take this seriously.

"Hmm, a man of many words I see. This should be enlightening," Shido then noted, as he seemed somewhat perturbed by the lack of response on the eldest Lawson's part.

"Water?" Shido then offered out of nowhere as Frasier seemed caught off guard by that; staring at the bottled water like it was a weapon more than anything else.

"No," was all he could say as he refused to accept anything from this man. The fact he'd been poisoned the last time a stranger offered him water certainly didn't help neither.

"So tell me something...how are Noah-kun and Marcus-kun doing?" Shido suddenly asked as he watched Frasier's eyes slowly narrow in disgust, making it was quite clear he'd struck a nerve by even mentioning them.

"Doing just fine, no thanks to you and your pack of freaks," Frasier answered in a restrained tone; knowing he couldn't let this cretin of a man get into his head so easily. However, Shido's slight smirk made it quite clear he knew that was a soft spot to exploit.

"I just want to start by saying I'm terribly sorry for all the unpleasantness between them and myself. It was a mistake on my part for thinking they'd understand why I had to keep them against their will. All I wanted was to make sure your group wouldn't attack the moment they left, but alas, my own hubris has done just the opposite," Shido began to express with what couldn't help but sound like genuine regret; albeit a little dramatically, which left Frasier considerably puzzled on how to feel aside from skeptical.

"I just want you to know I don't blame you for the severe retaliation you dealt us. It was more than justified on your end I know, but it was a living hell trying to hold that place together in the aftermath," Shido continued to explain; folding his hands together while locking eye contact with Frasier.

"We lost several good folks to that raid, and even more afterwards when the dead managed to get in through that hole you left in our fence. I was just barely able to rally them together and keep things from falling apart. You know, at one point I was actually certain that I'd lose everything I had worked towards, but we persevered as one," he continued to express with an almost hopeful sounding optimism in his tone.

"I'm gonna save you from wasting any more of your breath: I don't care about what happened or nearly happened to you or your people. It doesn't change the fact you held my family prisoner. As far as I'm concerned, it was the purest example of 'an eye for an eye' or poetic justice or whatever you want to call it. Now I know you didn't just call me all the way out here just to say there's no hard feelings and have that be the end of it. You're clearly smarter than that from what Noah has told me about you. So say what must be said and be on with it," Frasier said coldly; showing zero concern for those he'd killed or crippled the last time. He continued watching as the former teacher began to play with a pencil between his fingertips.

"No nonsense, short, sweet and straight to the point. I like that! Well, what I want shouldn't mean much to you of course. So let me ask you something very important," Shido exclaimed in excitement as he pointed the pencil straight at him before looking back to the man behind him.

"Does a young man by the name of Komuro Takashi happen to be living amongst your people?" Shido then asked as his eyes began to slowly narrow with intrigue, his face turning stone cold as he anticipated Frasier's next response; forming a delighted smile when he only saw a simple nod.

"And perhaps he's been traveling with these people as well?" he then continued before pulling out a vanilla colored folder; leaving the eldest Lawson speechless as several photos of Takashi's group were spread out onto the table before him.

Frasier's eyes slowly widened in shock as from left to right he saw Khota, Rei, Saeko, Saya, and even Shizuka's pictures clear as day; figuring they must've been gathered from one of the school's filing cabinets along with their personal information and medical records. The fact Shido had these on hand did not help ease Frasier's tension one bit, and the realization he possibly had access to records on both himself and his younger brothers as well only made it worse.

"Perhaps…why?" Frasier hesitated to ask once he'd summoned up the strength, as he knew they must've played a role in Shido wanting to speak exclusively to him.

"Well, let's just say there's a very…complicated history between their group and mine. I just feel like it's high time I resolve this with them, personally; a little bit of quality time to help bury the hatchet once and for all," Shido attempted to express without going into any unnecessary detail; remaining as vague as possible while Tatsuya just kept staring intently at Frasier as if meaning to rattle his focus.

"Forgive me if I may seem a bit too forward, but I am personally of the opinion that you and I are very much alike! We both have a very clear understanding of how things really are out there; how the world has always truly functioned even long before the dead stopped staying that way. Strength rules above all else; nothing in life matters more than power. It determines your place in life, like a spot on the food chain. It's simply nature's unbreakable law," Shido continued further as he seemed much more honest about what he was saying this time around.

"I can greatly respect the power you clearly wield. Even your siblings showed an astonishing amount of resilience in the short time I spent with them. A part of me truly regrets the way things have gone between us. Forgive me for making assumptions, but I personally think we could've been powerful allies. My people would've treated the three of you like kings. I doubt the same can be said of those you've chosen instead to associate yourself with," Shido then lamented, as there seemed to be a deep regret in his voice at the missed opportunity between them.

"You're so quick to dismiss them, what they're truly capable of. You carry on like that, and it'll ultimately be your undoing, Shido. I used to think they were weak too, truth be told. Yet, they've proven me wrong…very wrong. When push came shove, I learned very quickly that they were determined not only to survive, but to actually help EACH OTHER survive," Frasier suddenly admitted; recalling how many times the bonds between them all had kept their groups together; unable to help feeling embarrassed that he himself didn't figure it out sooner.

"Such confidence and resolve in your compatriots. It's clearly your strength and convictions that have gotten you this far. But what about your willpower, I wonder? Will you TRULY do whatever it takes to survive?" Shido said in a rather impressed tone; not doubting for a second that Frasier actually was running everything back at the mall if his confident demeanor was to be believed.

"Of course I will. I always have been since the day I was born," Frasier stated as he recalled all the tough decisions he'd made or at least considered making; trying his best to remain unshaken before Shido and his right hand man.

"That's good to know. It must be very nice for you all to be living in that mall. I'm sure you guys are able to sleep quite soundly and forget what it's like to be out on the streets," Shido said with a quick change of subject; his tone never once shifting an octave.

"Is that what this is about? You just want the mall? By all means take it. We don't plan on staying in town anyhow. We're heading south in just a few weeks. I hear it's safer there," Frasier asked doubtfully; puzzled by Shido's sudden choice of topic while hoping to divert the subject as much as possible from going back to Takashi's group. Though making sure to lie which direction they'd be heading invade Shido were to follow their idea.

"Oh, believe me, we're doing just fine! There's no resources or goods you have that I don't already posses, and in much greater numbers," Shido chuckled as he seemed quite amused by the naive assumption that this was just a mere land dispute.

"Then what do you want from me? Why did you even call for this meeting if there's nothing to be gained from it for either of us?" Frasier demanded as he was now uncertain what Shido could truly desire if it wasn't what little their group had left with them.

"Oh, on the contrary! You have EXACTLY what I want," Shido said with an all too eager smile nearly stretching his face as he suddenly snatched up the photo of Rei and held it to Frasier's face; making it clear it wasn't a matter of WHAT he wanted, but WHO he wanted.

"Her? Why? What could you possibly want with Miyamoto-san?" Frasier continued to question as he couldn't help but feel he was missing some vital context here.

"Does it really matter? If the mystery of my reason is so important to you, just know I've had a grudge with this troublesome brat for…quite some time now," Shido said in a rather bored tone.

His focus swiftly shifted from Frasier to the picture of Rei, as if he was actually speaking to the photo instead. This sent chills down Frasier's back as Shido's once inviting demeanor vanished instantaneously and was instead replaced with an indescribable yet cold one. It made him realize this man was even crazier than he'd originally thought.

"It's quite simple: you bring me the girl, then I'll allow you and your siblings to walk away from here without any further conflict. Honestly, why get involved in a matter that shouldn't have even concerned you in the first place?" Shido finally asked as he tossed the photo back onto the table; his tone now serious and straight to the point.

"Well, t-that's a very generous offer and all...but, I just..." Frasier started to admit, yet there was clearly some hesitation to his words. Shido, suddenly looking completely insulted by the lack of certainty, suddenly swiped the photos aside before slamming his palms on the surface of the table; instantly getting Frasier's attention.

"What?! Don't tell me you actually think this wretched girl is WORTH all the trouble you'd be facing if you took her side in this! Make no mistake, my people are calling for blood after what you did to them, and there's no telling what they'll do to you and your brothers, should we take you as our prisoners…IF we take you as prisoners at all," Shido shouted in a momentary loss of patience; now pacing around the lone Brit like a shark that had smelt blood in the water; wasting no time to remind him that there was still plenty of bad blood between them. The sheer intensity in his voice as he spoke, his barely restrained rage visible even through his glasses, was enough to make Frasier's body involuntarily shudder. Even he could tell Shido wasn't just being overly dramatic anymore.

But even with all that, the fact that Shido's expression never changed even as he tossed all pleasantry aside, the mere fact that this man was still able to remain as physically composed in this state injected a sensation of primal fear deep inside Frasier's gut. Any brute could smash and destroy and scream till their face was every shade of blue in an attempt to intimidate others; but the ones that could still exude a demeanor of professional, even formal, calmness when threatening to slaughter one's entire family and more…THOSE were the ones to truly be afraid of.

'Something...something is very wrong here! How's he still able to come off so calm and inviting despite the outburst and that glare behind those glasses? That's the sign of a man with an ace up his sleeve,' Frasier began to think as an uneasy feeling began to clutch at his throat. Then his gaze briefly shifted over towards Shido's right hand man, who still just stood there like a statue through all of this; neither agreeing nor objecting to anything being said so far.

'Then there's him...aside from what looks like a handgun tucked away in his coat, he's clearly dangerous too. The way he carries himself isn't that of a typical thug. This guy's a true, legitimate professional KILLER,' Frasier continued before suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his skull while also feeling his heart race with the adrenaline rushing through his body in response to all the sudden tension.

'I-I need to focus...I can't lose sight of why I came here,' he then said in reminder to himself as he could see they were both taking notice of the look of distress on his face. He immediately knew the dangers surrounding him were only growing higher the longer this went on.

"Since you're clearly not feeling like talking, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret I'm sure you're just going to love," Shido suddenly whispered into his ear as he stood behind Frasier with both hands lightly grasping at his shoulders.

"I could just roll on up to your little mall and destroy it without even needing to send one of my people inside to clear you out. There's far more of us than there are of you, we still have our weapons, and my followers are getting better each day with them thanks to my associate over there," Shido admitted as he seemed almost sickeningly confident in his group's strength.

"If you allow me to take two more people with me…then I'll do it," Frasier finally answered with a heavy exhalation of air as he finally managed to calm himself down.

"Only two? Oh, I can only wonder who you're referring to now...this should be interesting," Shido stated with a sly smirk of anticipation as he let go of Frasier's shoulders and stood towering over him from behind.

"In addition to my brothers, I want to bring a little girl we have with us, and another survivor from my group," Frasier explained as firmly as he could; daring not to look back over his shoulder at Shido's nearly luminescent eyes as the ex-teacher just grinned to himself.

"You mean Busujima Saeko-san…don't you?" Shido suddenly guessed as Frasier instantly glared up at him with shock.

"What, you thought I didn't know? My boy, I've known from the start. We've been watching you and your group, and you aren't nearly as subtle as you like to think you are-" Shido began to taunt the young Brit before he instinctively pounded his fist against the table to try and shut him up.

"Shut up! Leave her out of this," Frasier demanded; not even having to look to know Tatsuya had just tucked his hand into his vest for his gun, but a momentary glance from Shido was what no doubt saved Frasier from getting a bullet to the back of his head.

"What's wrong, Frasier-san? Does it worry you, knowing that someone like me knows of the woman you love, and that I'm not above using someone's loved ones to get what I want?" he began to ask with the same infuriating condescending tone.

"Or perhaps...it's the fact that she loves another, and that you never had a chance with her to begin with? Well, help me get what I want, and perhaps you'll have a chance once Komuro Takashi is out of the picture," Shido continued; his voice falling to a whisper as he leaned in close so Frasier couldn't hope to avoid eye contact with him.

"I must say you fascinate me. Here you are: unarmed, alone, and completely surrounded. Yet, you try to act like you're in any kind of position to negotiate. What makes you think you have any leverage here?" Shido finally asked as he began to pace around the table again and Frasier leaned back into his seat.

"You're right, I don't have a lot of leverage...just the amount I actually need," Frasier corrected as he suddenly looked and sounded completely calm while their eyes locked again.

"Is that so? I hear you were intending to go into the military upon graduation. I wonder what it's like, how tough and superior you must always feel around people such as myself. Regardless, you're still just a man; a man that has physical limits to what he can handle. Your strength and limited munitions will only be able to stop so many of us before we overwhelm you," Shido's voice began to go low once again as he sat back down himself; but this time, Frasier didn't look nearly as shaken at all.

"Idiot," Frasier muttered to himself.

"I beg your pardon?" Shido asked with barely restrained anger at that hardly concealed insult.

"What, are you deaf now too? I said you're an idiot. It's as simple as that if you truly believe a soldier is only deadly because of his muscles and the guns he carries," Frasier stated with an almost insulting amount of confidence and bravado as he sat himself up straight; as if trying to make himself tower over Shido.

"The most powerful thing that, not just a soldier, but any human being can possess is their brain. Our intelligence is why our kind has been on the top of the food chain for a thousands of years," Frasier continued, nearly rising from his seat while Shido couldn't bring himself to move, and his yakuza counterpart kept his hand tucked in his vest; just waiting for the first sign to shoot.

"How philosophical of you. So tell me then, just how do you plan to get out of this with just your brain?" Shido dared to ask, not letting his intimidation be shown.

"I will, but let me say this first. Your people were very quick to check my pockets and the more obvious places I might be able to hide a weapon. However," Frasier began to explain as he leaned back confidently into his chair.

"Not one of them had considered inspecting my boots though," the young Brit pointed out just as he lifted both feet up onto the table to show off the boots on his feet.

"Your boots? Impossible. We searched for any concealed blades or firearms you could've been standing on," Tatsuya argued angrily while Frasier just formed an infuriating cocky smirk.

"Even if you did manage to hide a weapon in there, by the time you draw it, I'll already have filled you up with lead," he then finished as he finally stopped with the subtleties and pulled his .45 out from his vest; already turning off the safety and thumbing the hammer back to emphasize his point.

"You say that, but did you ever wonder why you need to take your shoes off at an airport?" Frasier suddenly asked quizzically as both Shido and Tatsuya looked at each other in concerned confusion before noticing something was very off about one of the laces: a thin black cord replaced what should've been a lace.

"Just one tug of this, and your bodies will be decorating the walls of this room. Even if you do manage to shoot me, what makes you think my arm won't spasm enough for me to pull it and send you both to Kingdom Come?" Frasier explained before making it painfully clear he was in control of the situation now by grabbing the cord with one hand. Tatsuya remained silent with a sullen expression on his face. Shido on the other hand could be seen visibly sweating as he seemed to be legitimately caught off guard. However, that momentary fear soon turned into a burst of laughter.

"Ha, you really had me going for a moment there. I actually was afraid you'd gained the upper hand," Shido began to confess as he calmed down, going as far as to openly admit his surprise while forming a sly grin while rising out of his chair and tucking his hands behind his back.

"However, your plan is quite flawed! Even if my associate doesn't shoot you, if you set that bomb off, you'll die as well," Shido then pointed out; knowing that no sane man would be able to actually go through with it.

"And what makes you think I've got a problem with that?" Frasier questioned with a heavy sigh, as if bored by this now. Tatsuya kept on edge as Shido still looked at him with that confident grin.

"Ah, brave and selfless to the end, I see. But did you ever stop to think what might happen to your group if you died? How long could they really last without a leader? You'd be dooming them along with yourself, and all over two men," Shido commented at first, being quick to then bring up his friends and family; confident that this little reminder would be more than enough to make Frasier think twice about his suicidal ploy.

"I have taken that into great consideration. Hence why I'm confident they'll survive long after my death. But can you say the same about YOUR people though? If I eliminate not only you, but your associate over there, they'll be broken and crumble in a matter of days at the most," the youth began to confess, somewhat mournful that he wasn't nearly as necessary as they thought he was to their chances of survival, before suddenly looking back up to glare at Shido so he could bask in the sight of him realizing his legacy was now in jeopardy.

"Why...you insolent...little..." Shido began to snarl through his teeth. A vain on the side of his head started to throb before finally calming down long enough to think straight again. It was quite obvious to both Frasier and Tatsuya that a vein had been struck here.

"Well played. Though I suppose it's my fault for assuming you were just another stupid brute that had kept them alive through sheer luck alone," Shido then said after taking a moment to calm down; talking as if he couldn't help come but off as if he was actually impressed at how clever and ruthless this young man appeared to be. He then formed a strictly serious look, indicating that he wasn't joking around. And it was then that he suddenly stomped one foot hard against the floor; echoing through the whole trailer.

Before any of them could stop to think, the door to the trailer suddenly burst off its hinges, and Frasier was suddenly being tackled to the floor by nearly a dozen of Shido's people; weighing him down to the floor and wrestling his hand away so he couldn't grab for anything. Once things had quieted down enough, Frasier could feel himself getting forced back onto his feet while Shido stood before him with a victorious grin spread across his lips; his yellow eyes nearly glowing with murderous intent.

"You there, grab his boots. I want to see something," Shido instructed as a young teenager probably no older than Marcus obediently pried off Frasier's boots before holding them up like a prized possession.

"Very good! Now see that lace? Step outside and pull it for me," Shido said in praise only to be dead serous while motioning the boy away from everyone else.

They all watched in anticipation as the teen nodded in response and began jogging over to separate himself from the others while they could still see him through the door frame. Without hesitation he tugged on the lace. Both Shido and his associate turned away with hands over their ears knowing what could come next.

However, nothing happened; aside from the momentary confusion before they realized that Frasier's apparent ace in the hole was fabricated to the last detail. The second in command sighed out of pure relief as Shido couldn't help but burst into laughter before clapping in applause. He then simmered down and adjusted his glasses.

"Yes, I figured as much. All bark and no bite. However, at least you were able to think of it on the spot, so at the very least you're quick-witted. You can all let him go. I doubt our meeting is going to go for much longer," Shido cackled as he folded both arms whilst speaking in a condescending tone. Without hesitation, they all let go of Frasier and forced him back down into his chair before filing out of the trailer; leaving the three men alone once more.

"I should've known sooner it was impossible to gather bomb parts on such short notice, let alone in times like this. You'd best hope you never actually have to fight instead of talking your way out of trouble, kid," Tatsuya seethed to himself aloud before speaking back to Frasier.

All the while, Frasier's former expression of confidence had given away to a complete lack of ideas. He'd been banking on that bluff carrying him the rest of the way out of here. How could he have known Shido would have people on standby like that; and how was he to know they'd actually be so ready to sacrifice themselves for him like that just because he told them to? All at once did Frasier realize just how badly he'd underestimated what Shido was actually capable of. He didn't need to be a ruthless and unstoppable fighting machine to pose by far the biggest threat the young Brit had faced yet.

"It looks like you're all out of ideas now. You know, before you pulled that little stunt, I was actually considering letting you take your two extra guests with you to safe haven, but because you decided to be clever, I'm only going to allow you to take ONE now, so you'd best think long and hard who you really want to save alongside your brothers. Now I'm going to ask you one last time: Do you accept the terms of our deal? Or will you take your chances and try to fight me like your foolish brothers did? I'm going to flip this coin on the count of five, and you're going to get to save only one of them by lady luck's grace. Heads for your mysterious little girl, or tails for Busujima Saeko. If you refuse to answer in a timely manner, or you try to pull something again, I'm going to slaughter you ALL like the dogs you are," Shido demanded to know, making it clear that he was done dancing around the subject and that a final answer was needed right now.

"Five," Shido began to count down, as Frasier remained entirely frozen in place; unable to even hope of hiding his fear as conflict deeply brewed inside of him.

'I can't do this...I may not like Rei-san that much, but she doesn't deserve whatever fate this bugger has in store for her,' he thought to himself as he knew she was doomed should he actually go through with this.

"Four," Shido continued to announce as his voice showed a growing impatience for the delayed response.

'But if you do, then you're free to escape the city with less people to look after. Your mission would be that much easier to accomplish. Do it,' Arthur's voice brought up, getting low as it commanded him to accept the deal without question.

"Three," Shido growled as his eyes never blinked once. An intense glare kept the young man paralyzed with uncertainty and intimidation.

'How can you even believe in doing such a horrid thing? Fight on, lad, and show this fiend how a true man fights! Show him how the Lawson's respond to such terrorism,' Mark's voice then interrupted as there was clear disgust in it for the mere fact Frasier was even considering taking this offer; trying desperately to appeal to his better nature.

"Two," Shido sighed as his bodyguard kept his hand close to the butt of his pistol; ready for things to get ugly as the leader began to narrow his yellow eyes; half expecting Frasier to lunge at him at the last second.

"Which one shall it be I wonder?" Shido said in a taunting manner; leaving Frasier feeling sick to his stomach at the thought that he could only save one. He suddenly slammed his hand down on the table before Shido could peek at the coin.

"I don't care what the outcome was. I'm taking the girl. But just know this Shido: if you harm Busujima-san, I will come back for you, and no amount of your crazy sheep will keep me from reigning utter hellfire upon you," Frasier finally spoke out; bowing his head in shame after making one of the hardest choices of his life.

"How hopelessly romantic. But save your speech for someone who has time. I'm a very busy man with a very tight schedule. If I were you, I'd heavily consider my generous offer," Shido scoffed, standing up and moving for the door whilst motioning his bodyguard and Frasier to follow.

"Just...just let me know the others won't suffer like Miyamoto-san will," Frasier finally requested as sweat began to trickle past his brow; speaking in a softer tone, as it was clear he had a deep concern for everyone else's fate were he to actually go through with this fiendish scheme.

"Please," he then said in a defeated sigh, as he couldn't even look Shido in the eyes anymore; trying to keep calm despite how tense he felt at the thought of someone like Shido getting a hold of the others.

"And ruin the suspense for you? Never," Shido asked in mock surprise before leaning in and whispering with a grin; showing zero sympathy as it was clear between both of them that he was in full control now, and that no matter what Frasier could say at this point, it wouldn't change a thing.

"Hand him the map to where he can drop the girl off and send him on his way," Shido then instructed to his bodyguard before finally stepping outside.

The moment Frasier stepped outside, the fog had cleared up enough for him to see dozens upon dozens of people staring through him and looking directly at Shido like he was some benevolent figure. They had plenty of weapons to spare, and several functioning vehicles to be seen, which explained how they got around so easily. It was hard to remain unmoved by all this, even for Frasier. His group was hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned to take on all these people.

Just when all the odds seemed to be stacked against him enough, a sight that made his blue eyes widen came rolling along. A large, heavily armored vehicle parked up next to where Shido now stood; mounted with a powerful 25mm cannon on the top. While he did all he could to avoid showing fear or shock, his silence simply couldn't hide the clear fact he was afraid of what he saw. Whatever hope he might've had to stand up to such a force had ultimately been crushed for all to bare witness.

"Remember: 24 hours, deliver Miyamoto Rei to me, then you may take your siblings and that little girl as far away from here as possible. Deviate from the plan in the slightest, and I'll ensure that only you will live just long enough to regret it," Shido said with a finger pointing to the sky as he climbed aboard the armored vehicle; ending his menacing speech by pointing a finger gun at Frasier and moving the thumb down to get his point across.

And just like that, the construction site was quickly left completely vacant, save for one teenager who now stood alone with his own thoughts; looking down at his own left hand to see it was now visibly trembling before he tucked it away in his jacket and formed a grim frown. He silently mumbled "bollocks" as he was truly at a loss of how he could possibly break such terrible news to those back at the mall who eagerly awaited his return.

An hour later…

The walk home for the young leader was not an easy one. Each step he took felt ten times heavier for him, like someone weighed his boots down with cement. His breathing had turned rough as his throat burned when the muscles clenched tight from the fear that refused to leave him be. For the last hour, his thoughts always returned to one simple question: Sacrifice Rei, and by extension everyone else to save his siblings and Alice from the rising storm? Or defy Shido and TRY stand against the tide?

Soon enough though he stopped just at the street corner that left him looking out towards the mall. No amount of comfort this place offered him could ease the tension he felt the closer he came to it; knowing that the others would want to know every last detail the moment he returned.

'Just be honest with them. Tell them what they need to know,' Mark's voice said in an attempt to put him on the right path, Frasier contemplating whether or not he should be upfront with the others.

'They'll just panic and fall apart in disarray. Don't forget that they were always expendable to you,' Arthur's voice then intervened, quick to remind Frasier where his allegiances were supposed to lie; causing him to pause for a moment in front of the ladder back up to the roof, frozen in contemplation as he knew he had to make a choice before reaching the top.

'They'd stand by you if you just told them the truth,' 'They'd also sell you out if it meant they could live,' 'Have faith in them,' 'Failure is not an option,' both voices echoed, going back and forth as Frasier pulled himself up the ladder and over the edge.

"You're back," Alice's voice suddenly exclaimed with glee as she immediately sprinted right for him; practically ramming into his leg as she grabbed on tight with a bright smile while looking up at him.

"Hey, poppet. What are you doing all the way up here by yourself?" Frasier said in a calm sigh as he knelt down to her level, quick to notice she was the only person on the rooftop with no supervision whatsoever.

"Nothing," Alice replied, unable to hide an amused grin as she was clearly hiding something.

"Oh? This wouldn't have anything to do with Rika's binoculars, now would it?" Frasier pried further as he spoke in a more playful manner with her.

"Maybe," Alice said almost giggling now that she knew he was onto her.

"Keeping a look out for trouble?" Frasier asked as he played with her hair only to hear her let out soft chuckle before swatting his hand back; trying to fix it back up.

"Kinda, I was really just waiting for you to come back," Alice answered honestly; causing Frasier to smile without even realizing it.

"I appreciate that, Alice-chan, but you really don't have to worry about me," Frasier said warmly as he was clearly touched by the sweet sentiment.

"So why did you leave again? Was it important?" Alice asked, inadvertently reminding him of the dangerous situation they were currently in. His face formed a sullen frown as he recalled the deal, knowing he only had twenty two more hours left to hand over Rei.

"What's wrong? Did something bad happen?" Alice then asked as she could tell by his silence that he was bothered by something.

"I need to go talk to the others about something very important and I don't want you or Kenji-kun listening in. Okay?" Frasier said in an attempt to avoid answering her before trying to get a promise out of the curious child.

"Okay," Alice acknowledged softly, visibly annoyed that she still didn't get to be involved in what sounded like something really important.

"Don't look so disappointed. It's just boring grownup talk anyways. Nothing fun or exciting for you," Frasier said when he could recognize the blatant disappointment on her face.

"Oh...so can we do something fun after you're done talking to them about 'grownup stuff'?" Alice suddenly mumbled in genuine surprise as if she actually believed that.

"We'll see," Frasier replied, not wanting to make her any promises he might not be able to keep. However, he then noticed there seemed to be something else on her mind now.

"Hey...so did you get a chance to...you know?" Alice suddenly asked, sounding somewhat hesitant before trying to speak up, stopping in her tracks as she remained behind.

"To what, love?" Frasier asked in a more concerned than curious tone, knowing whatever she was trying to ask of him wasn't easy for her to speak up about.

"Remember how you said you were going to look for my mommy? Did you maybe get a chance to look yet?" Alice finally confessed as that sudden reminder left Frasier stone cold. He'd almost entirely forgotten what he'd promised her in light of what had been going on lately. An awkward silence filled the hallway down to the rest of the mall as Frasier then averted his gaze as if unable to even look her in the eyes to tell her he hadn't even started looking yet.

"It's okay if you didn't...I was just curious if you found anything out there. I'm glad you're home though," Alice finally spoke up as she seemed quite understanding, hugging him again.

"Don't worry. We'll find her together," the young Brit finally answered as he knew he had to keep her spirits up; feeling warm inside as she seemed to be filled with renewed hope by the look of her smile.

"Now lets go see the others. They'll want to hear my report as soon as possible," he then suggested as he felt enough time had been wasted prolonging the inevitable; knowing he couldn't really expect them to but barrage him with all sorts of questions about his meeting.

The two close companions walked out into the entrance plaza to see nobody was about. However, the moment Zeke began to let out a bark, it wasn't long before they were spotted by a surprised Marcus, standing on a balcony talking to Hitomi. They both clearly had their hair slightly ruffled up from their most recent moment of intimacy. Hitomi however was the only one to quickly straighten hers up whilst Marcus didn't seem nearly so concerned about his looking so scrappy.

"Holy cripes...he's actually back," Marcus announced the moment he realized it really was Frasier and not his eyes playing tricks on him; his voice echoing for all to hear.

"Hey, everyone get over here. Frasier's returned," Hitomi called out, as she couldn't wait to hear what was hopefully pleasant news. Though a part of her expected there to be some sort of catch the moment she noticed the somber expression on his face. Something was clearly wrong here, but she'd just have to wait until the others arrived.

"So? How did it go? What does Shido want?" Saeko was the first to ask, as she was personally glad to see not a new scratch or scuff on him.

"Shido...he…he knows about the mall. He's far more organized than I imagined he would be," Frasier started off as this bitter news clearly left the others in awe, hoping that he of all people would be the last to know of this place.

"So what do we do?" Hitomi eventually asked, as it was clear standing around would accomplish nothing.

"We came to a conclusion. We made a deal," Frasier then continued, giving the others hope that there might not be any further confrontations, should they be lucky enough.

"Really? What does he want then? Please tell us," Saya practically demanded to know.

"He...he wanted..." Frasier began to answer, hesitating to tell them the horrible truth as his gaze focused directly on Rei, who looked at him with great anticipation in those reddish-brown eyes.

"Yes?" Rei asked, trying to ignore the adrenaline pumping through her veins as the suspense was nigh unbearable.

"He wants the mall," Frasier finally confessed, the other's reactions looking a bit mixed between surprise and relief.

"The mall? That's it?" Takashi questioned, as he seemed relatively surprised that it was all that a power hungry dog like Shido would ask for.

"Yes. We give him the mall and he promises to leave us be, for good," Frasier replied with a nod, lying through his teeth as he knew he couldn't let them know the truth.

"That's it?" Noah asked, his face forming a skeptical frown, as something about this did not add up. Yet, he kept silent and walked away while everyone else seemed to be relieved now that they knew they'd finally caught a break.

"Ha! We won't even need the bloody place in a day or two! Nice work, Frasier," Marcus chuckled aloud as he was already heading off with his head held high in relief.

"Oh my God, finally, some GOOD news! I was really worried he'd want us to surrender ourselves to him or something like that," Rei said out of joy before hugging both of her parents, who also couldn't help but express their joy from the excellent turn of events; Frasier quickly turning his focus away from the family.

"So the plan is to continue on with what we've been doing and when we finally leave for Tokyo, that's when Shido's group will move into the mall?" Noah asked; trying to hide his skepticism, but with little success when he noticed Frasier had managed to catch onto the doubt in his voice.

"Yes, what reason would I have to lie?" Frasier replied, as he remained calm so the others wouldn't catch on, both siblings staring each other down.

"A fair point," Noah said as he backed off. The suspicious feeling however did not fade. No matter what Frasier said, Noah knew there was lot more going on with him than he was telling.

Hours later…

Once night had fallen, Frasier had once again retired to the small sparse room he'd claimed for his own; wasting no time gathering what few scattered supplies were left and stuffing them into his backpack. It was only once he'd finally gathered what little else he considered useful that his ears suddenly picked up the sound of his door creaking open, with a very familiar-shaped shadow filling the doorframe.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I want to know why you just lied to everyone out there," Noah said, speaking more firmly and directly with his eldest sibling like never before.

"What are you going on about?" Frasier asked, feigning ignorance while also feeling on edge after hearing such conviction in Noah's voice.

"Oh don't act dumb with me! The Shido you're talking about can't possibly be the same one I encountered who would offer us a deal like that! So please, as your little brother, as your family, spare me the bullshit you told everyone else and tell me what REALLY happened," Noah snapped, having none of his brother's lies. The stakes were too high for him to back down now; his voice progressively became less angered and more concerned than anything.

"H-he did in fact make a deal with me, though it was not the one I told everyone else. I was able to negotiate with him and ensure that you, Marcus, Alice, and I would be allowed to leave this place as well as cease any hostilities between us," Frasier admitted as he knew lying would get him nowhere with Noah; not to mention the guilt that'd been plaguing him ever since he agreed to Shido's offer.

"In exchange for what?" Noah pressed on, as he damn well knew there had to be some price to pay on their end for such an otherwise solid deal. His heart gripped with fear as he felt that perhaps Miku had been dragged into this, considering her past with that monster and Frasier's continuous distaste for her.

"In exchange for Rei-san. I deliver her to him, and then we're free to walk. We can escape this madman's clutches and avoid any further conflict," Frasier finally admitted, watching Noah visibly tremble, as he couldn't believe it had finally come to this.

"And the others? What becomes of them?" Noah then reluctantly asked as he realized Frasier didn't name anybody else that would be spared.

"He wouldn't say, but I'm certain he has plans for them too," Frasier replied in a low sigh; having to live with the fact he had to not only abandon the rest of them, but the first and only love of his life as well, trying so hard to not dwell on what would happen to Saeko once this was all over.

"I...I-I don't know what's worse...the fact he has the advantage...or the fact you accepted this deal and lied to us about it! Especially Rei; for God's sake, Frasier, you looked right at her and lied to her face," Noah growled in disgust, clenching his teeth as he was simply shocked to see this new low from Frasier; the lack of humanity and honesty leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

"Noah, listen to me: this isn't about right or wrong. It's about survival. You need to understand that," Frasier said in a harsh whisper, clasping his hands on Noah's shoulders, only for his youngest brother to roughly pull away.

"Oh, I understand alright. I understand that you're choosing to let your paranoia make your decisions for you. Goddammit, I should've seen this coming. Please don't tell me you're actually thinking of going through with this, Frasier. There's no point in trying to survive if we lose sight of who we really are. Please, you know what those animals will do to Rei-san if they get their hands on her, I know I told you what I saw when I was their prisoner. Are you seriously telling me you'd actually let her go through that and let all the others die just to save me and Marcus?" the youngest Lawson exclaimed in disgust and disbelief; his voice becoming increasingly emotional as he did not want to lose Frasier, nor anyone else, to Shido's treachery.

Frasier however just turned away, desperately trying to hide a look of genuine regret that painted his face.

"Frasier, I know this is hard for you to accept, but these people are our friends…hell, they're our family now. Please look me in the eye and tell me we aren't going to abandon them like this. I know it seems hard, but if you would just tell them the truth, I'm sure they'd be willing to stand with us and we could all get out of this shit no worse for wear," Noah suddenly pleaded, trying his damnedest to bring Frasier back to seeing reason; appealing to his sense of honor as it was the last thing he could possibly come up with now.

At first Frasier remained silent and contemplated Noah's words. Despite the lack of visible expression, Noah was able to tell there was deep conflict surging within Frasier's eyes. Finally, the silence was broken as Frasier hung his head and let out a defeated sigh.

"Very well. Come, let's go say what needs to be said to the others," Frasier finally accepted as he'd finally come to realize Noah wasn't going to give up on him. No matter what, he'd keep fighting and arguing till Frasier could see things his way.

"Wait, really?" Noah said with genuine surprise, amazed that this wasn't going to end with them exchanging fists for once.

"Yes," was all Frasier said before forming half a smile, as if amused by Noah's newfound look of relief; motioning the young genius to walk with him.

"Oh, thank God! I knew you were better than this. I know things will be tough at first, but together we'll all find a way out of this mess," Noah joyously exclaimed, his confidence soaring high.

"Well, I guess I just needed you to spell it out for me this time to help me think clearly again," Frasier admitted as he knew that it must've been important if Noah went to such lengths to stand up to him so readily.

"Well, I guess I should remember that if we ever, god forbid, end up in a situation like this again. I could be something like a personal adviser, if you don't mind that idea of course," Noah suggested, unable to help but blush with embarrassment at such a childish idea.

"Well, you have always been the smartest between the three of us. Might as well use what talents you were given," Frasier said in acknowledgment, slowing his step just enough to get behind Noah without him noticing. His eyes slowly narrowed as he stared at the back of his brother's head.

"Well, if that's the case I guess we should just let Marcus serve as the whole group's comic re-" Noah said with such eagerness, he didn't even notice Frasier clasping his hands together before slamming into him from behind; knocking his unsuspecting little brother out cold before he even touched the ground. Frasier firmly held him up by the back of his collar so Noah wouldn't hit his head against the concrete floor.

"I'm sorry, Noah...but this is just the way things are now. One day you'll understand why I must do this. Then you'll thank me for it," Frasier sighed with reluctance as even he felt a sense of disgust for not only striking his brother down so coldly, continuing his string of lies.

However, what'd been done had been done, with no chance of turning back now. Frasier gently placed Noah's limp body into the nearest supply closest before propping his jacket underneath his brother's head for comfort. It wasn't easy to betray Noah's trust the way he just did, but at least he felt that he'd be content with this once he'd finally secured their safety. No matter the cost being made here, Frasier was inflexibly determined to obey his primary goal by any means possible.

Later that night…

In the dark of the night, Rei was tussling restlessly in her cot; her thirst eventually forcing her awake as she tiredly made for the water cooler in her makeshift room once her eyes adjusted to the pitch black darkness.

Just as she turned around to return to her cot, she came face to face with Frasier. Before she could even react, she felt something being pressed to her mouth and smelled an odd odor all of a sudden. Her body almost instantly went numb as her legs buckled, her soft eyes forcibly closed before everything spiraled into darkness.

Later still…

Z-Day+24

Once feeling returned to the teenage girl, she instantly felt her entire body shivering. Icy chills caused her eyes to open up wide as what felt like wind breezed against her skin. She looked around in an attempt to catch her bearings, noticing right away how dark it was despite clearly being awake. The dim moonlight from a nearby window was all that could help her see.

When she tried to stand up, she instantly felt resistance around her wrists and ankles. She looked down to see them wrapped in crude yet effective bindings that she couldn't pry herself out of. At first she was tempted to scream out for help before realizing she might not even be in the mall anymore. Her heart began to pound intensely once she caught a glimpse of movement before glancing upwards to see Frasier himself sitting above her on a countertop.

"F-Frasier-san? W-What's going on?" Rei muttered softly, showing more concern and fear than what should've been anger and outrage.

"I'm sorry. Truly, I wish it didn't have to come to this. But…I have not been entirely honest with you," Frasier replied, his voice sounding surprisingly somber and regretful.

"Sorry? Sorry for what? Please, just untie me and tell me what's going on. Talk to me," Rei asked, only more confused as she sat up while he looked back down at her as if actually cautious of the tied up girl.

"That deal I made with him...the only way I could secure peace for my brothers was by giving up something Shido wanted more than anything else. I tried my best, but…you all were right. I underestimated how smart he was. He managed to get under my skin, and then some," Frasier vaguely explained, yet Rei was quickly able to piece things together considering how she was bound up and in the middle of god-knew-where.

"Oh my God...you sold me out, didn't you?" Rei growled in disgust, a look of shock and horror all that could be seen in her eyes. A sickening feeling practically turned her stomach upside down as his silence said it all.

"I know we didn't always get along...but I didn't think you hated me enough to do this," Rei lamented, her words filled with confusion and hurt as a part of her thought they were actually starting to become friends after all this time. Even Frasier seemed to be affected by the realization they had been gradually getting along rather well.

"Why? Why did you go to the trouble to reunite my family if you were just going to end up betraying me the moment it became convenient for you?" Rei continued to ask as Frasier's silence was seriously starting to irritate her.

"I'm not doing this out of contempt for you, whether you believe it or not. As you know all too well, I always do what it takes to win, as well as whatever must be done to survive. Just know that nothing about this was at all personal," Frasier attempted to explain, as he truly didn't seem to take any pleasure nor joy in getting rid of Rei. Yet he didn't seem shaken up about it either.

"So that's it then? You're just going to hand me over to that bastard and his goons then? Do you have any idea what they'll do to me?" Rei scoffed in disbelief, suddenly being quick to remind Frasier the various dangers a woman left at the mercy of twisted men could face.

"I try to not think about it," Frasier muttered, as he was too well aware, considering what he encountered with Joe and Buck on top of what Noah had described from Shido himself.

"Yeah? Well that's easy for someone like you to be saying. Those people are monsters, Frasier-san. Noah-kun TOLD you what Shido has them do, and if you hand me over, everything they do to me is going to be on YOUR hands," Rei expressed as she made it clear he wouldn't be able to forget this ever.

"I know," Frasier said without hesitation, leaving Rei speechless at how heartless and uncaring he could really be.

"I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I actually trusted you...I actually thought you weren't so bad underneath that tough guy exterior, that maybe you just needed a few friends or something…but I was wrong. We were all so wrong about you. You like to go around pretending you're some kind of unshakable, indestructible badass, but the truth is you're just a goddamn coward who's so afraid of dying that you would betray one of the only people who ever cared about your well being at all," Rei then said out of regret, genuinely hurt that he'd be so quick to sell her out to suffer so much unimaginable pain; feeling naive and idiotic for thinking that it was possible he wasn't ever going to hurt her.

"Those bastards are far better armed than I could've possibly anticipated! We would hardly stand a chance were they to attack us head on," Frasier attempted to explain, as he seemed certain this was the only solution.

"So your answer is to sacrifice me and simply HOPE Shido sticks to his word? Let me tell you something, and you listen very closely. He's going to give you a stupid little speech the moment you hand me over, make a few exaggerated gestures, then he'll wait for you to let your guard down before shooting you in the back, mark my words. He's a manipulative piece of shit that will use everyone around him till they're no longer useful…in that regard, I guess you two have something in common," Rei stated incredulously to his downright naive plan that relied too heavily on Shido's honesty. Frasier however seemed very well aware of this as he glanced back to actually look her in the eyes.

"I never planned on dropping my guard around him. Even I can see he's the kind of person whose impossible to trust," Frasier admitted, as he wasn't nearly as hopeless and trusting of Shido as Rei figured.

"Then why are you still going through with this?" the terrified girl demanded to know as she was frustratingly only left with more questions.

"You wouldn't understand, I'm just doing what the situation dictates. I don't expect nor deserve your forgiveness; just your understanding that this is ultimately for the best…for everyone," Frasier sighed as now it was abundantly clear that he too had something to hide from Shido.

"'Best for everyone?' Don't lie to me now, Frasier. You're just doing what's best for YOU and you KNOW it," Rei muttered, glaring at him before breaking down into tears again, softly sobbing to herself as she turned away from the traitor. Frasier bowed his head, unable to bear letting her see the shame on his face as this was easily going to be the worst thing he'd ever done yet.

The night just continued on as usual as they both eventually sat down waiting in anticipation of whoever Shido would send. Rei, having run out of tears to shed, just sat there unable to think straight as memories of her parents and even the others in her group flowed through her mind.

"Did you always see yourself going into the military; following orders till death or retirement?" the teenage girl unexpectedly asked as Frasier perked his head back up after the long silence in the room had finally been broken.

"Of course. It's who I was raised up to be, what I always aspired to be, and what I soon will be when I return home. It's all that has been laid out for my entire life," Frasier answered with no hesitation, never more certain about anything than this goal.

"You don't have to be that person anymore though. After the world ended, you could've been anyone you wanted to be. You still can actually," Rei then said, as she felt deep down this wasn't what he truly wanted, at least not at first; certain he was simply doing as he was told.

"What about family and friends? Surely there was a part of you that wanted something beyond what everyone else expected of you?" she continued further, as she couldn't help but find it hard to believe he had such a narrow view of his own life; almost feeling sorry for him when realizing that he'd been so used to taking orders he lost most of his free will.

"Perhaps, but in the world we live in, my skills as a soldier have proven to be quite invaluable. None of us would've made it this far if it weren't for the people that chose my path for me," Frasier finally replied as he couldn't deny such thoughts had crossed his mind before, but was quick to denounce it as he remained resolute and bound to his goals.

"I won't deny that, but what about what YOU want in life? Have you ever had an independent thought and opinion before without needing someone else to decide for you?" Rei suddenly brought up as he just shook his head and turned away, essentially tuning her out at this point.

"Right, of course not. Look who I'm talking to," Rei grumbled to herself as she was naturally irritated when trying to talk to someone only to be shrugged off.

"What I want is irrelevant now. Nothing in this world ever comes freely to one by merely wishing and pleading for it. It's earned, and sadly I'm not worthy enough," the eldest Lawson suddenly admitted, unable to deny that there was a part of him that wanted something more to life than what had been chosen for him.

"You know it's not too late to go back to the mall," Rei commented as he simply shook his head in response.

"That's just not possible. It isn't gonna happen," Frasier said, somewhat surprised she'd not given up and accepted her fate yet.

"Sure it can! We can go back, both of us, together. I promise you that the others won't hear a word of this and we'll pretend it never happened in the first place. We both know if you go through with this, the others will immediately find out. Are you still willing to risk that?" Rei vowed as she seemed quite genuine and forgiving despite the predicament she was in. If she was lying, Frasier had little to no way of telling.

"Just...take me back. Please," Rei painfully begged as she was back on the verge of crying when it seemed like he was about to silently shut her out again. His face however formed an irritated expression.

"I can't...go back. Don't you understand that, Rei-san? I just can't go back. Not after all this," Frasier attempted to explain, unable to say much though, as it became abundantly clear that he was starting to feel the pressure and burdens of his choices now.

"Why? What are you so afraid of?" Rei insisted on knowing, as her curiosity seemed to help her momentarily forget about the impending danger that would most likely be here any minute.

"I've studied warfare and countless battles throughout recorded human history. Believe me, I know a losing battle when I see it, and this one of them. I must even out the odds the best way I can," the confident Brit said, avoiding her question as he himself seemed utterly convinced that this plan now was their only salvation.

Before any more words could be exchanged, the sound of a running engine could be heard drawing near as soon enough, tires could then be heard rolling up along the pavement before coming to a sudden halt. Rei's face practically turned pale, as she knew Frasier wasn't going to change his mind now. Tears began to well up again as it became harder for her to breathe. Her throat muscles were suddenly clenching up tight as she began to tremble with fear when four men and two women entered the post office they were in. Each one wore a ski mask to hide their faces.

"Well I'll be damned...he actually decided to play ball and give Shido-sama what he wanted. Smart move," what must've been the one calling the shots announced as she approached Frasier whilst staring at Rei.

"Spare me your words and just take what you came for. I have nothing to say to any of you," Frasier grumbled as he seemed to be quite on edge, despite the fact he'd officially secured his brother's and Alice's safety.

"Just remember that only you, your brothers, and the kid are allowed to leave the mall. Everyone else belongs to us now," the woman leading the others said dismissively before shifting her attention back to Rei.

"As for you...I can see why the boss was so eager to get his hands on you. Get her into the van. We're out of here," she then said with an all too sly grin behind her mask before pulling out of the post office with Rei in their possession.

Rei didn't even have a hope of fighting back, let alone the energy to put up any form of resistance. All she could do was stare at Frasier as he remained in the doorway to the postal office looking straight back at her; his face giving that signature stone-cold look to hide whatever emotions he actually might be feeling.

"Please...it's still not too late," Rei pleaded in a last ditch effort to change Frasier's mind as she was loaded into the back of the van.

However, he just stood there and remained frozen like a statue. No expression at all. No sign of remorse. Nothing. A sudden spike of incomparable anger and hatred suddenly ignited in the pit of Rei's stomach.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU GODDAMN COWARD! YOU'RE KILLING ME! YOU'RE KILLING ALL OF US! YOU'RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL FOR THIS, FRASIER! DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL," Rei screamed at the top of her lungs as she couldn't restrain herself and go out like this. Trying to run for her life only to be shoved back effortlessly.

*Slam*

The backdoors to the van were slammed shut before the engine fired up. Frasier closed his eyes shut before vanishing inside the post office, unable to even watch as they took Rei to god-knew-where.

Ten minutes later…

The drive felt like an eternity for Rei as she sat down with her head between her knees, curled up in a trembling ball. All she could think about now were her parents, how they'd react when they'd eventually learn of whatever fate had in store for her. Memories spanning all the way from her early childhood began to flow through her mind now. But without warning, the van suddenly came to a dead halt.

The young teen's heart practically froze up, as she didn't know or even wanted to think of what to expect now. She began listening in after hearing the van's doors slamming followed by footsteps accompanied by chatter all around. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light when the back doors were opened up, and a thick hand grabbed her wrist and dragged Rei out effortlessly. Her body was soon laid flat and restrained to a table as the people sent to retrieve her stood around their newfound prey.

"That's good. Keep her tied down till the others arrive," the female in charge announced as she pulled the ski mask off to reveal her face. She was young, probably just a few years older than Rei, her emerald green eyes staring down at the restrained teen as she brushed her black, medium length hair back.

"Shido-sama won't be here for some time though, Kim-san. Don't tell me we're going to have to wait it out," one of the men said in a bored groan.

"Oh don't worry about that. We can pass the time while we wait for the others to arrive," Kim said all too eagerly, running a hand down Rei's supple chest before tugging at her nightgown aggressively.

"You sure he'd be fine with that?" the larger man among them asked, all the while never taking his eyes off of Rei's finely toned body; knowing that Shido always did encourage that they indulge in pleasure whenever they so desired it.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind us enjoying ourselves. Besides, he can't get mad over something he doesn't know about, right?" Kim replied, as she didn't seem all too concerned with what Shido actually would have to say despite her willingness to follow him.

"Right," he agreed before forming a wicked smile, grabbing at Rei's legs as his hand began to trace up her inner thighs.

Rei meanwhile was terrified beyond reason, having a horrifying recollection of when that thug at the gas station groped her while using her as a shield against Takashi. Her stomach twisted with disgust as she was deathly certain that nobody would come to save her now. Her tears burned and stung her eyes, wishing it would all just end right now; greatly preferring death to spending even one second being these people's toy.

'Someone…anyone…Mom…Dad…Takashi…Johann…please help me…' was all she could think to herself; her breathing quickly turning into hyperventilating once the woman Kim finally tore the middle of her nightgown open.

But suddenly, one of the garage doors rolled straight up. The six survivors gathered around Rei spun around to see who it was, only to collectively calm down when they saw it was just Frasier slowly approaching them.

"Oh...it's you. Shouldn't you be leaving town right about now?" Kim sighed out of surprise before questioning his surprise visit, while also wondering how he'd even managed to find them in the first place.

"I figured I should thank Shido-san himself for his generous offer. Where is he?" Frasier answered, the lack of emotion in his tone making it hard to tell if he was being serious or not.

"He won't be here until we send the signal," Kim explained as she held up a flare gun, waving it around for him to see before setting it back down.

"And once you do, it'll be some time before he actually shows up then?" Frasier asked, his eyes shifting between each of them as if memorizing their locations, trying to keep his eyes off of Rei as she was practically naked at this point with her nightgown in shreds. He tried to pent up whatever guilt he felt to keep a straight face among them.

"Yeah. Why do you ask? You want to join in on our fun here? Maybe you should prove your loyalty even further by being the first to indulge," Kim answered nonchalantly, suddenly turning her attention to Rei before forming a wicked smile, planting a hand on his back before motioning him to move in closer to Rei.

A momentary silence left both Frasier and Rei's hearts frozen, as they were equally shocked to see the kind of people that had been spared the Armageddon. The young Brit finally looked at Rei whom looked right back at him with tears in her eyes; looking utterly betrayed and devastated to see what must've been actual contemplation, debating if he should be joining in on the sexual assault. At the same time, Frasier could clearly see the murderous hatred burning in her eyes to see his face again. It was the kind of look a cornered and abused animal would give to their torturer when finally unleashed.

"I see...just had to be sure," Frasier heavily sighed as if utterly disappointed in having to hear that answer before clenching his fingers into a tight fist.

*Wham*

With zero warning at all, his elbow quickly slammed into Kim's windpipe; leaving a massive dent in her neck as she gasped for air like it had been sucked right out of her lungs. His arm then coiled around her now caved-in throat, pulling back while his free hand grabbed the pistol holstered to her hip. He quickly fired several shots into two nearby men that had their pants down around their ankles, the bullets tearing through their torsos and faces like wet paper, leaving gaping wide exit wounds and splattering blood and meat chunks all over the floor and walls.

"W-What the fuck!?" the other female screamed in shock, unable to duck in time as a knife was quickly tossed between her eyes, puncturing her brain with deadly pinpoint accuracy before her body crumpled over.

The other two men still standing quickly grabbed whatever they could from a nearby tool bench and charged at Frasier when the pistol stopped firing. The young Brit instantly snapped Kim's neck with a quick jerk, dropping her twitching corpse as he formed a look of anticipation. Rei instinctively turned away from the carnage that unfolded before her, hearing aggressive shouts and grunts from both sides.

The sound of flesh being punctured and cut into, followed by horrid bone cracking echoes only to end with a wet dripping sound filled Rei's ears as she could only imagine what was going on right now. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, all fell silent, save but the faint hint of heavy breathing followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Rei felt her heart skip a beat while holding her breath, both hands clenched tight as she didn't dare look up at whoever towered over her, knowing they now had the choice to do with her as they pleased.

*Slice*

The ropes that bound her wrists suddenly felt loose as Rei opened one eye to see Frasier carefully cutting the bindings at her ankles. As he did that, she just looked over at the people from Shido's group, her jaw dropping as each one was a bloody mess that could hardly be distinguished from the next. It was a gruesome sight she would not soon forget, though her newfound rage quickly helped her shift her attention back towards Frasier when she swiftly managed to deck him across the jaw. The eldest Lawson was visibly surprised to see the force behind it was enough to cause him to noticeably stagger back a few steps. Unlike the last time she'd been driven into punching him, this one had the anger-induced strength behind it to legitimately hurt.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO ME?! I'LL KILL YOU, I SWEAR TO GOD! I-I..."Rei finally exploded as she began to wildly swing her fists into Frasier's chest, trying to pull away when he naturally grabbed both her wrists in an attempt to restrain the understandably furious teen. Her head even began slamming into his chest as she could only sob and bellow out in pain and emotional devastation.

"Rei-san, listen to me," Frasier attempted to say as she was still finding the energy to put up a hell of a fight.

"Fuck you! Just why the hell should I? You son of a bitch, just you wait till I can hit you again," Rei shouted as the scorn in her voice was more than enough reason for Frasier to keep his guard up, holding Rei in place to keep her from getting free.

However, despite the seemingly endless rage and sorrow that was fueling Rei right now, it eventually burned her out and she began to feel weak all over, dropping to her knees as she felt ready to vomit when she looked back at the mutilated corpses across the room. She was eventually unable to hold back as she felt her entire lunch and dinner come right back up her esophagus as all the fear and trauma came rushing back to her all at once. Frasier meanwhile just stared at her and shook his head before looking around to determine what might be of use around here.

Whilst wiping her mouth, Rei then noticed Frasier kneeling at her side, before offering to clean off her lips with a handkerchief. She begrudgingly took it from his hand, glaring with intense hatred and contempt in her eyes, yet finding herself confused at what the hell he was doing now. It didn't take long for her to realize that he did come back for her despite earlier claiming to be running off with his siblings and Alice while leaving everyone else in their group to die.

"I didn't intend for it to play out the way it did," Frasier finally confessed, a hint of conflict hanging in his words.

"I was hoping that Shido himself would've shown up so I could eliminate him. Had that been the case, and if I were successful, then his group would pose no real threat to us. Without his leadership, they would've crumbled and dispersed," the young man continued to explain as Rei sat on her knees, continuing to unstintingly glare at him as she had a plethora of questions to ask him now.

"Then why didn't you just wait? That woman said he was going to be here eventually," Rei struggled to ask, knowing that had he truly meant that, he could've indeed killed Shido when he eventually would've shown up.

"True, but that would've been long after these…animals had their way with you. Despite what I'm willing to do in order to win…deep down, I couldn't allow THAT to happen…especially not to a friend," Frasier admitted, certain that he would've eagerly waited had the people here not been trying to force themselves onto Rei beforehand. His words seemed surprisingly genuine as Rei was stunned to hear him calling her his friend despite the contrary.

"If you think calling me friend is just going to make me forgive you just like that, you're sorely mistaken, but I'm sure even you must realize that. So…you didn't really mean to sell me out to Shido? This was just some big scheme of yours then?" the visibly shaking teen stated grimly before finally bringing herself to ask, staring between her knees, as she didn't know what to believe anymore.

"At first I felt it was the only option I really considered viable. However, after talking to Noah and recalling what Shido said about how his group only managed to stay together due to his leadership, I decided to instead assassinate him when he turned his attention to you. They would've been too broken and unorganized to pose further threat towards us had I done it," Frasier said, confidence and certainty burned into the words that left his lips. However, his voice was now full of regret and somber remorse as he could see now how he'd gone too far, considering what was about to happen to Rei.

"So the plan was to kidnap me, make it seem like you betrayed our group, and then kill him when he got here?" Rei suddenly brought up, as she wanted to be absolutely certain that she understood his plan.

"Precisely," he replied, keeping it short and simple yet earning a look of annoyance from Rei now.

"So how would we get out of that once you did the deed? I doubt his group would let us go without a fight," she asked, certain that even he would be no match for Shido's entire group had they surrounded and overwhelmed him.

"I wasn't planning on going back. This was meant to be a one way trip," Frasier confessed, surprising Rei once more to learn he'd actually had no expectation on surviving this crazy last minute plan of his.

"What?! You're telling me you expected to actually die here tonight?" Rei gasped, as she still couldn't fathom what made him think this was a good idea.

"I told you guys I'm willing to do what I must…even if it means dying in order to do so," the young Brit said with absolute conviction in that stone cold voice, death clearly being the least of his concerns. Rei then just leaned back against the table, trying to comprehend the situation at hand as well as trying to resist the urge to punch him again.

"I admit it's admirable of you to go to such lengths...but did you honestly have to risk my life too? You could've at least asked me if I wanted to be a part of your little suicide mission," Rei then brought up, somewhat amazed he'd be so quick to die for them, yet understandably pissed off that he'd be so willing to sacrifice others as well.

"I needed a distraction, and quite frankly, you did a marvelous job, Miyamoto-san. Had Shido been here, he wouldn't have even seen it coming," he said whilst shrugging his shoulders, actually paying her a compliment yet earning a disgusted shake of the head from Rei as it didn't seem nearly so flattering to her.

"And you couldn't have at least let me in on the plan? I swear, I'm going to have nightmares forever because of you," Rei then grimaced as she threw another, though somewhat playful, punch at him, deflecting off of his shoulder as he was still anticipating hostility from her within reason.

"I needed your emotions and reactions to be nothing short of genuine. Your fear perfectly lowered their guard: the ultimate cover, as you saw for yourself in how unprepared these people were once I showed up. It's a shame we couldn't get the scrawny bastard himself though," Frasier continued to explain as he'd clearly put some thought into every last detail here, despite only coming up with this reckless assassination attempt just a few hours ago.

"I still can't believe you did this...what if you'd failed? What if they killed you and did what they were gonna do with me? Then what would that mean for the others?" Rei sighed, starting to feel the tears coming back to her eyes as she was utterly at a loss for what to feel right now. The thought of being taken away from those she cared about most truly broke her heart.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but it was a calculated risk worth taking. I apologize for the deception and lies, but ask yourself one thing: would you be willing to die if it meant saving everyone else? Your parents, Alice-chan, Johann, even Isao-san and Kenji-kun? Are they not worth your life?" Frasier said with complete and total justification to what he'd done today, leaving Rei with a question that had her at a total loss for words when she paused to genuinely contemplate the lengths she'd truly go to in order to save those most dear to her. She turned her head away as she couldn't look at him anymore, her mind still too fresh with the horrors that almost took place just moments ago.

"Just...just take me home. I just want this goddamn night to be over already," Rei demanded as she crossed both arms, still coming to terms with what had just occurred.

"Of course. First thing's first however..." Frasier acknowledged before grabbing the flare gun from the table and walking outside to presumably fire it.

"What? You're still going to try and pull this off? It's suicide though," Rei asked in disbelief, standing straight back up before running over and pulling his arm back down before he could fire, earning a puzzled look from him as he didn't understand the concern in her naturally caring voice.

"I can't ask you to stay here and play bait, especially when the people he sent to do this are noticeably missing. All I can do now is lure him over and take a shot from a nearby rooftop. This is the only way to avoid war with their group now," Frasier began to explain, convinced Shido had to be eliminated before learning of his backstabbing attempt.

"But...you truly aren't afraid of dying? What about your brothers? Just...think of what you're doing here," Rei questioned as she couldn't allow him to throw away his life so recklessly even in spite of what he'd done to her.

"I already have. They're in truly good company, Miyamoto-san. You people may not be the strongest and certainly not the most battle hardened…but what you lack in experience, you make up for in courage and determination and loyalty to each other. Please, take good care of them for me," Frasier earnestly expressed as he could no longer deny that a part of him ultimately did greatly respect the group he'd fought so long to distance himself from, certain that if tonight was his final night, his brothers would live on regardless.

"There has to be another way! Let's just tell the others the truth and we'll manage to survive this somehow," Rei suggested.

"You don't even have a plan! What good will it do, telling them of the impending doom? Besides, what I've done is irreversible now! If Shido survives tonight, then he'll come straight for us with nothing held back. It has to be this way," Frasier snapped, losing his patience with Rei while unable to think of a better solution than the one he kept proposing now.

"Would you be so willing to die tonight if you knew how SHE really felt about you?" the brown-haired girl suddenly brought up as Frasier formed a scowl upon hearing those words.

"Don't bring her into this," he growled, as it was clear that a nerve had been struck.

"Why not? You should know what it would do to her if you never came back. Please, don't make me tell her that you didn't care enough to even consider another solution," Rei practically threatened as she was intent on pushing him to his limit.

"Rei...stop it," Frasier suddenly requested, no anger to be detected in his tone, just a merciful plea to be left alone to finish what he'd set out to do.

"Make me," Rei firmly defied as she wasn't going anywhere without him. Both were at their wits end with one another, trying to outlast the other in silence.

"Damn you..." Frasier eventually muttered before handing her the flare gun, knowing she'd gotten to him and plagued his mind with doubt about his plan.

"Don't worry...there's still time to make things right. Let's go back," Rei said with a genuine smile on her face, actually convinced that they'd be able to overcome what was on the horizon.

"Okay. After we loot this outpost, we'll try it your way," Frasier responded before motioning towards the munitions and supplies left up for grabs back inside the small warehouse.

"Promise?" Rei pressed further as she didn't want any more deception from him.

"Yes," Frasier answered, turning his back before she grabbed at his shoulder and motioned him to look back at her.

"Pinky promise?" Rei innocently said as she of course had a single pinky finger held out to him, not letting him go without making an official vow to her.

"I swear you're just like Alice-chan sometimes...yes, pinky promise," Frasier retorted in a somewhat grouchy grumbling before reluctantly giving in and wrapping their pinky fingers together.

Several minutes later, the two survivors had gathered all the weapons and munitions they could carry between them. They both knew what was soon to come and did not want to be any more unprepared than they already were. After a quick observation of the former warehouse, they noticed it had been stocked so well, it left the impression that Shido's group must've been using several outposts like this one, rather than have his entire group settled in one area. Rei then paused as she was in the middle of loading up a rucksack she'd found, a question on her mind that simply couldn't be shaken from her mind.

"Hey...D-do you mind if I ask you something?" Rei softly spoke, her voice calm yet clearly weighed with concern.

"Hmm? Go ahead, Rei-san," Frasier hummed at first, somewhat curious what could possibly be on her mind now.

"What was it like when you first killed someone? Not one of 'Them', but a breathing, living human being," the young teenager bluntly dropped on him as she wasn't sure how else she could ask him about such a thing.

"Didn't you ask me this once before when Johann had disappeared? Why would you ask me the same question?" Frasier pointed out, not understanding the point.

"Could you please just indulge me, I'm really serious about this. What was it like when you first killed a human?" Rei momentarily lost her patience with the third degree as Frasier just let out another heavy sigh.

"Don't tell me you've never done it before," Frasier practically scoffed as he had a hard time believing she'd never actually done it up to this point in time.

"What in the world makes you think I've ever done something like that?!" Rei responded in an irritated tone, somewhat offended that he would actually expect someone like her to have gone through with such a life-changing ordeal.

"It's just something I've expected all of you to have gone through by now since the world's turned over," Frasier clarified, almost as if forgetting that it wasn't exactly a common occurrence prior to the day the dead took over.

"I've never killed any of the living before. What, are you going to judge me for it now?" Rei said in a somewhat confrontational manner as she was clearly irked by his rather mocking tone.

"No, though by looking, it's rather obvious the more I think about it. I can see it in your eyes now, you lack both the resolve and regret that comes with taking another's life," Frasier suddenly brought up while glancing back at her, sounding so certain of this, it caused Rei to momentarily pout before looking away in annoyance.

"You simply cannot afford to hesitate, Rei-san, lest you wish to risk being a potential victim for the rest of your life," he then warned as she loosened up and looked down, more afraid than anything now.

"But how do you do it? Don't you ever think about them? How they once had a family and people that cared about them?" Rei asked as she shuddered at the thought of such a burden she'd be forced to carry.

"Do you really think these people who almost raped you would've remembered you? Do you honestly believe they'd be as quick to regret what they were about to do to you? You'd be dust in the wind, another number to the list of their victims, another lamb to the wolves. Stop being such a naive child and grow up already. This world is a constant battleground, full of all kinds of horrors, and the sooner you can adapt, the sooner you'll be free of that hesitation," Frasier said out of pure scorn, quick to dismiss any sense of regret and concern for those he'd slain in battle.

At first Rei remained silent at his sudden outburst, trying to remain strong despite how easy it would've been to start crying. She then had a memory pop back into her head from not too long ago.

"I had a chance to kill Shido once. Just a few days after the outbreak, our group was taking refuge at Takagi-san's estate. It was raining hard, and their bus had just pulled in. Long story short, I had my rifle pointing right at his face with the bayonet pressed against his cheek. I remember at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to kill him, to drive that bayonet through his throat, to put a bullet in his grinning face, to watch him bleed out and be done with him once and for all," Rei began to explain, remembering it all so vividly as Frasier looked at her with some intrigue.

"But obviously you didn't, because he's still standing. Change of heart I take it?" he deduced as Rei nodded silently, unable to even answer as to why. The regret painted on her face was enough to tell the young Brit what he needed to know.

"I see...well, should he ever be in your sights again, I hope you'll remember this moment. Just know that should mercy cross your mind again, don't expect him, nor anyone else for that matter, to return the favor," Frasier lectured before he passed her by, tossing a now empty jerry can aside as the smooth concrete floor now reeked of gasoline.

"Want to do the honors?" he then asked with a lit match in hand, figuring she'd feel somewhat better being the one to burn this outpost to the ground. He watched as she carefully took the match and gently tossed it over towards the long trail he'd made leading back into the outfitted warehouse.

The moment the match touched the trail; the small twitch of light exponentially grew into raging flames and followed its predetermined path. The heat hit both survivors like a strong gust of wind, the darkness around them expelled by the bright flames. Embers started to float about the scene as they took their leave, well aware that this was going to attract a lot of attention.

On one hand there was now a deep sense of personal victory for them, knowing that this loss was going to be a major thorn in Shido's side. On the other hand however, they were well aware they'd just kicked a major hornet nest with this open display of defiance. War was coming to the mall, and it would be in their best interest to be long gone before it arrived.

On the way back, there wasn't much else left to say after what nearly happened to Rei. Frasier's betrayal was still so fresh in her mind, that even if it was a part of his plan, those people got way too close and personal for her to just let it go. Left in a torn up nightgown with just her frilly bra and panties underneath, the chilled air finally caused her to start shivering and trembling.

She glanced over to the side to see a nearby clothing outlet that seemed to be completely untouched, save for a few cracks in the display windows and knocked over racks of try-out clothes. The front door was propped wide open, as if inviting any who passed by to cone in.

"Why are you stopping? We have to keep moving before they find out what we just did," Frasier said in reminder as he slowed down to glance back at Rei.

"Can I just quickly grab something to put on?" she asked softly, bowing her head while trying to keep from crying, a sickening feeling clenching her stomach as she instinctively brought her hands over her undergarments in a feeble attempt to hide her shame.

"What? Now? We're almost home, can't you just-" he began to lecture, stopping himself when he could see the pain in her eyes; realizing that she had to be feeling degraded and quite vulnerable in the state she was in.

"Never mind. Take your time," the eldest Lawson said, almost apologetically even before checking to make sure the small clothing shop wasn't harboring any surprises for them.

"Looks clear. I'll keep an eye outside while you change," Frasier announced, motioning her to move in as he tried to avoid making eye contact.

Rei didn't bother wasting any time trying to find something that suited her tastes, all she cared about was not looking so exposed anymore. As she moved further into the shadows, all at once did the still silence finally seem to register to her; causing her body to involuntarily freeze as though she felt she was being watched, and not by Frasier. As she slowly began to move forward, her feet suddenly ran into some unseen obstruction.

Certain something caught at her foot; Rei suddenly felt her body tip over as something came down not too far behind her. She braced herself just in time to avoid knocking the wind out of her lungs, but she now came face to face with a dark figure obscured by the lack of light. Certain she was under attack, she let out a terrified yelp with both hands pushing back in a frantic attempt to free herself.

"Stop squirming," Frasier suddenly ordered as he grabbed whatever or whoever was on top of Rei, moving it with relative ease while remaining completely calm despite the surprise attack.

*Clunk*

A low thudding sound like plastic echoed out as what was thought to be another person was now revealed to be simply a mannequin Rei had managed to knock over along with herself. She just hung her head, her heart still racing and her body still trembling all over as she began gently sobbing to herself as she crossed both arms over her chest.

"W-What? Why are you crying now? It was just a display model," Frasier mumbled aloud, genuinely confused as to why she was sobbing despite nothing having come of the brief scare.

"It's not about the goddamn mannequin," Rei snapped sharply as she looked up at him with deep resentment in her red-brown eyes.

"I don't expect you to ever understand how it feels to be like the rest of us, to feel vulnerable and weak most of the time," Rei continued on as she eventually sat up and brushed herself off, ignoring how a part of her was embarrassed to mistake that dummy for another attacker.

"What almost happened back at that warehouse...that was way too close! I know you had your reasons, but who knows how long it will be before I can sleep without my back to the wall? But even aside from all that…I-I'm so tired…I'm so tired of feeling like this all the time, like I can't even protect myself, like I need everyone else to protect me instead! I hate feeling like this so much," Rei then exclaimed as she looked up, still feeling afraid and uncertain if she'd even make it back to the mall while also feeling a simmering anger twisting her stomach in knots.

"Are you angry?" Frasier finally asked bluntly, unmoved by everything she just said. A look of annoyance just took over her face, as she was almost insulted he even felt the need to ask.

"What? Of course I'm mad! What kind of question is that?" Rei answered, scowling at him.

"Good. Take this feeling of helplessness and rage, and harness it. Use it on Shido's group when they come looking for us," the eldest Lawson said with an unexpected smile while offering her a light blue jacket; speaking like she could control these feelings as simply as she would turning on a switch.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Rei grumbled, reluctantly taking the warm jacket he offered and wrapping it around herself before signaling him to look away as she put on a pair of denim blue jeans to cover her legs; also haphazardly grabbing a pair of shoes that weren't even her size.

"Before you pass judgment onto me, simply know this. I'm well aware what it means to be weak and powerless…all too well, really. It's why I did what had to be done tonight, to make sure that we could save the others from what was sure to come…regardless of my actions," he suddenly announced with his back to her still, looking up at the half full moon while sounding like a part of him wished he didn't have to get her involved.

However, Rei remained silent and walked out without even dignifying him with a response. Even if a part of her could truly see the validity in his point of view, it certainly didn't make this night any less of a nightmare for her.

The walk back luckily didn't take so long, despite the increased undead activity during the night. The two survivors' knowledge of the local area helped them avoid running into any significantly sized packs or hordes, just the occasional straggler that didn't even notice them until they were too far away to pursue. The night was still young; they had hours until the sun would rise again. The group was probably still sound asleep if luck were to be on their side.

"So what do we tell them?" Rei suddenly brought up as they entered the vacant parking lot to the mall.

"What?" Frasier mumbled as if he'd been in his own little world this whole time only to be pulled back.

"Surely they'll want to know where we've been, right?" Rei explained as she folded her arms, the look on her face showing that she had been thinking about this for quite a bit now.

"The truth. That's what you wanted me to tell from now on," the young man reminded her, certain that that was what she expected of him from this point on.

"Well of course I do, but..." Rei agreed before showing hesitation to finish what she was going to say.

"But?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow to this as he had a feeling he knew where she was going with this.

"If we tell them what you just did...my parents, especially my dad, won't see any of your logic or reason behind it. You'll just be the guy who almost got their daughter killed, and no joke, they will be out for your head," she expressed with great woe, knowing such an outcome would be unavoidable.

"I know. That's why YOU will tell them while I take my leave," Frasier said in anticipation before he set down the ammo canisters, turning his back on her with a rifle slung over his shoulder.

"What? I thought you gave up on that plan," Rei replied, naturally confused at what he was thinking now.

"That's what you were meant to believe. I only came back to ensure you made it back in one piece. If I go back and tell them the truth, either they'll kill me, or I'll kill them in self-defense; but if I go back to kill Shido alone and with no bait, I most likely won't survive. At least there's some redemption in the latter scenario. Goodbye, Miyamoto-san. Please try to understand that none of this was ever personal," Frasier announced in a grim tone, sounding rather accepting of what was no doubt certain death. A sense of deep respect could be felt at the end before he started to take his leave.

Despite what he tried to do just an hour ago, and not to mention how bitter and rude he was most of the time, something about this moment made it impossible for Rei to accept this once again. He was by no stretch of the word a close friend or companion, but there was some good deep inside him she'd never noticed up until now.

"Stop," she suddenly demanded in a sharp tone that normally wouldn't have caught his attention otherwise. One eye peered back over his shoulder as she glared at him.

"Once…and just this once, we'll lie to them. After that, everything else will be nothing but the hard, honest truth; no matter how bad it might be. Deal?" Rei offered; trying to swallow her pride, as she hated the fact she was about to lie to her parents about this night.

"Deal," Frasier sighed, somewhat unsure of this plan. Though it certainly beat recklessly throwing himself into the unknown without a real plan at hand.

Without a moment to spare, they could tell the undead in the area would converge on them if they stood around any longer. Taking the looted supplies through the side maintenance entrance Frasier had access to; they were able to get inside without much noise at all. It felt all too good to be inside where it was warm, but more importantly, secure.

A quick observation showed that thankfully nobody was up yet. No lights or candles could be seen, just the glow of the moon itself that peered through the skylights. After adding their score of munitions and weapons to the group's stockpile, they headed for the broom closet Frasier had dumped Noah's unconscious body in. Upon entering, Rei let out a shocked gasp at the sight of Noah just laying they, completely frozen yet still breathing.

"Why was he in here? How did you know he was here? What did you do to him?" Rei began to ask in a flurry of questions as Frasier knelt beside his youngest sibling.

"He was always the smartest one in our family, but he was too clever for his own good this time. He saw right through my charade earlier. Before I came for you, he confronted me and pleaded I told everyone the truth. Knowing I couldn't lie to him and get away with it, I pretended to listen long enough for him to drop his guard," Frasier explained, speaking rather admirably of Noah before watching his unconscious form.

"Unbelievable. Is there anything you wouldn't do to complete a mission?" Rei said in disgust, feeling somewhat sad that Noah had to get caught up in all this.

"After tonight, are you sure you really want the answer to that question?" Frasier asked, and the look of nervousness in Rei's eyes instantly answered him.

"Look…I know this was a hard decision for you to make tonight, but you've made the right choice by not giving in and coming back to tell the others…well, some version the truth," Rei said in an attempt to help him reconcile with everything that had happened tonight; hoping he'd at the very least learn from this mistake.

"Perhaps. All we can do now is hope the destruction of that outpost has set Shido back long enough to buy us some time to skip town," Frasier replied in a hopeful manner; pleading deep down that they weren't nearly as organized as they appeared to be when he last saw them.

"So just how hard did you hit Noah-kun? He's still out cold after all this time?" Rei suddenly asked as she guessed they had to have been gone a good couple hours, and Noah obviously would've had to have been out cold before they even left.

"I may have used an excessive amount of force than what was needed. I really couldn't risk him getting back up in the middle of it all," Frasier answered, looking down at his youngest brother before running the back of his hand along Noah's forehead.

"Just how much is excessive with you? Was it even necessary, considering this is Noah-kun we're talking about here?" Rei pressed on, uncertain as to why he'd strike down his fourteen-year-old sibling with so much power.

"He's a lot stronger than most people give him credit for. At first glance, he's just some kid that's way too eager to make a difference in the world. People underestimating him is one of his greatest advantages, always handing him an opportunity to give them far more than they bargained for," Frasier explained, well aware of how the youngest of the Lawson trio operated, and just how dangerous and capable he could be if underestimated.

"Although, that doesn't change what I've done. I'll wait here until he wakes up. Perhaps it's best you return to your quarters before anyone catches wind of what happened," Frasier then said with woe, truly sorry it had to come to this.

Without anything left needing to be said, the teenage girl nodded and took her leave.

However, just as Rei closed the door behind her, she didn't even reach the end of the hallway before she could hear what sounded like a scuffle erupting behind her. Suddenly, the door burst wide open. Spinning around, she looked just in time to see Noah up and about, running right in her direction before stopping dead in his tracks.

"Wait, you're still here?! Does that mean...I'm not too late?" Noah said in a huff, breathing heavily as he seemed absolutely relieved to see Rei.

"What just happened? Is that blood?" Rei said in confusion, quick to notice that one of his knuckles had a streak of fresh blood trickling down it.

"Possibly," Noah said in a rather flustered voice before hiding it behind his back.

Without any further exchange of words, Rei headed back to the janitors' closet, only to reel back a bit when Frasier practically bolted forward in an attempt to catch up to Noah, blood trickling down from his nose and across his lips. His pursuit was cut short the moment he could see Noah walking back with a baffled look on his face.

"W-Wait…you didn't actually go through with it after all?" Noah tried to confirm, feeling absolutely horrible that he'd just struck his older brother off of a hunch.

"It's...complicated," Frasier answered, trying to clean the blood off of himself with the handkerchief from earlier.

"I see…well, regardless of what happened after I 'mysteriously' fell unconscious and ended up in a broom closest, at least you're both still here and not out there," Noah said in a less guilty manner as it was quite obvious something had occurred in the time he was unconscious.

"Noah-kun, just how much do you know about the situation with Shido's group?" Rei suddenly asked, drawing their attention back towards her.

"I know that there's not really a peace agreement, and that you're to be traded to ensure only a few of us are spared," Noah answered without even trying to sugar coat how bad it was.

"We need to tell everyone the truth, but we can't let them know anything else, alright?" Rei explained, hoping that he'd be able to play along so this whole incident of what actually occurred never could be brought up to everyone else.

"I think I get what you're saying. Should we wake them up now? The sun will be up soon anyway," Noah acknowledged, only slightly hesitant at first before realizing it was for the best they keep things calm.

"Yes. We have to move out as soon as possible. Time is not on our side anymore," Frasier agreed before they headed off to gather the group and let them in on the situation at hand.

It was roughly fifteen minutes later that everyone had been woken up and given time to adjust to the abrupt interruption in their sleep. A chorus of grunts and groans could be heard amongst the survivors as they sat in the rather extensive lounge of the would-be Starbucks. The coffee machine was already bubbling as Rei prepared a brew to help pull them all away from the urge to go back to sleep.

"Alright, you three have effectively ruined a good dream I was having, so this had better be damn good. What's all this about?" Rika finally announced in order to break the momentary silence as she began to tap her nails impatiently against the countertop.

"It's about that deal I made with Shido," Frasier began to explain, trying to find the right words to explain this to them without inciting a panic.

"Why? Did something go wrong?" Saya asked out of sheer skepticism; forming an irked frown, as she didn't like how vague and mysterious he was being about all this.

"You can tell us anything, Frasier-kun," Saeko suddenly said in reinforcement, hoping she could get him to come forth with the news he clearly was having trouble announcing.

"Don't hold back if it's important," Marcus added, the others beginning to look concerned as Frasier kept quite before eventually taking a deep breath.

"Last night I had a strong hunch over the deal I secured. It didn't feel right and my instincts began to take over my judgment. So while I was on watch, I couldn't help but temporarily abandon my post to investigate what they were up to. Not even a mile out, I found an outpost armed to the teeth. I got close enough to listen in, and I overheard them saying that they plan to attack the mall at dawn," the eldest Lawson fabricated, trying to make it somewhat believable without too much warrant for suspicion.

"My God..." Kiriko muttered, looking over at Tadashi as he glanced back to her worriedly before they both looked back to Frasier.

"Goddammit, I KNEW this was too good to be true," Saya grumbled in angry disbelief; trying to hide the fact she was terrified of Shido's cult.

"So what did you do next?" Noah then urged on, trying to keep things going as Frasier was really just reciting a story he'd actually come up with just before they gathered the others.

"I neutralized the outpost, took as many resources as I could possibly carry, then burnt it to the ground. With any luck, it was their forward position, and it'll stall them for a bit while we escape and leave this damn city behind forever," Frasier finished, motioning towards the weapons and extra munitions propped on one of the tables to back up his claims.

"You attacked them? You're absolutely certain they were going to attack?" Takashi said, wanting to confirm that this wasn't all done on just a hunch.

"How can you even question Frasier-san? We know Shido is a snake in the grass. We're just lucky our friend here did what had to be done," Hitomi suddenly said in his defense. A momentarily visible look of shock could be seen on his face.

"Friend?" Frasier muttered out of genuine surprise, not quite sure how to interpret that sentimentality coming from the one person he'd butted heads with the most.

"That's right. I know we didn't always see eye to eye at first, but after this, I think it's quite clear whose side you're on," Hitomi confirmed with an almost glowing smile of compassion.

"She's right. You are a truly honorable person, and my family is in your debt once more. When this is all over, I insist we pay you back somehow," Tadashi said in agreement with Hitomi before vowing that they'd never forget his deeds.

"I knew you had it in you, Frasier," Marcus said with a proud nod of acceptance.

"Yes...well, we're not out of the woods just yet. All I've done is merely delay the inevitable. We need to head out as soon as possible," Frasier reaffirmed, knowing that now wasn't the time to celebrate.

"You've got it, kid. Just give us a bit more time and we'll be out within the next few hours," Sho said with reassurance, almost as if momentarily forgetting about that personal grudge of his in regard to Frasier.

"Alright! Its officially time to get a move on, you maggots! Grab your crap and let's get ready to head out," Rika ordered, as they were all quick to respond to her command.

Without a moment to spare, everyone was off to gather what they needed with a renewed zeal. While it did hamper their spirits that the sense of peace was now gone, it did help to know they still had a fighting chance now. Frasier watched them go one by one as his group, his friends, his family, left the room to gather what they could; watching how they looked at him, how he could see something on their faces he didn't see up until now: a look of absolute trust in him which made his heart sink, knowing it was all based on a lie to cover up his deception. Guilt began to grasp his neck until he firmly cleared his throat, looking out at the sunrise as he could see the smoke from the outpost fire ominously trail up into the morning sky.