Chapter 16 is up! I still have around a month before school starts… (Oh man this sucks. I don't wanna be a senior… Most of them suck…) And thank you SilverKleptoFox, for the idea! And of course, for everyone else who reviewed!
Disclaimer: As a disclaimer, I hereby disclaim any claims that I own this beloved manga. Disclaimed.
"Sakura-kun, can you tell me where exactly did you last see Syaoran-kun?"
"It's… it's not far from here. Just around Ponte Vecchio," Sakura stated, pointing at the area ahead of them.
"Are you sure that Syaoran kid has seen a weird guy with glasses and butt chin and strange black and white hair that stands from his head?" muttered Kurogane, glaring at the crowd.
"Yes, I'm sure of it. I'm mean, he's tall, big, has a cunning look in his eyes, wear glasses, has big hair, wears a robe and has a very significant looking butt chin," she replied, staring at the men innocently with her chipmunk look. "At least, that's what I remembered. Am I right?"
Kurogane and Subaru stared at each other and nodded. Yup, that was definitely Fei Wong Reed. The gym teacher remembered his face clearly, the night in which he offered the job, the way his greedy eyes glistened under the moonlight and that very, very… strange butt chin.
Together on the street, Kurogane, Sakura and Subaru were getting many unwanted glances and dirty, confused looks from pedestrians, and the red-eyed man was very sure they are now officially the weirdest cross-dressers in the whole world. Subaru, dressed as a woman, had his chest padded out with pads and wore a black wig with a ponytail tied on the end. His face was covered in makeup and whatever extras he did secretly in the bathroom, Kurogane was sure he didn't want to know; just looking at Subaru with a pink frilly dress with flowers decorated on it made him sick.
Sakura was dressed as a boy with her breast, on the other hand, covered in weird stripes of cloth to flatten it. She wore plain T-shirt and jeans, with her body stuffed so to decrease the ratio between her chest and hips. Her hair was tied and stuffed into a baseball cap. If that wasn't bad enough, the cross-dressing was making her fidgety and uncomfortable, and from the moment they stepped out into the street, Sakura had been blushing like mad the whole way through.
Kurogane growled as he adjusted his pants lower, wanting it to at least cover up his legs. After much discussion (actually, it was a one-way discussion, Subaru wasn't listening to him the whole way through), Subaru decided the best role for him was as a sailor. He was forced to wear some weird navy shirt (that wasn't actually a navy shirt but looked like it) and a pair of white shorts, showing off his (DENIALDENIALDENIAL) hairy legs. If that wasn't embarrassing enough, Subaru forced a navy hat on top of him, making him a laughing stock in the street and he was sure there were at least 20 people who stared and snickered at his outfit. Kurogane growled, and swore to himself to at least decapitate Subaru later on for injuring his already damaged pride. Oh, he could falling down the drain right now, the poor, poor thing. There had been countless glances and thousands of weird looks and snickers towards their direction in their 15 minute walk from the hotel. He caught a man snickering and threw a glare at him. He caught the message and quickly scurried off.
Kurogane sighed. This was going to be one hell of a day. He couldn't stop his mind wandering to Fai and his smiles: warm smiles, fake smiles, evil grins, his beautiful blonde hair and those deep pools of sapphire, and that mysterious aura emanating from him whenever Kurogane got close. The beautiful and perfect image of Fai popped into his mind, and the memories of the day he broke down burned in him, intensifying the guilt that followed after.
The gym teacher could feel something burning prickling his eyes, and quickly blinked it away.
He missed Fai.
He missed those beautiful, honest, fake, strained smiles. Those teasing glints in his cheeky eyes and gently touches on his skin and caring and worried eyes staring at him, concerned of him, someone who would give a damn on how he felt, worry if he wasn't home on time, stuffing down those HORRIBLE and sweetly disgusting foods down his throat when he was hungry.
He really, really missed Fai.
Was he alright? Was he safe? Would he be thinking of him now? Was he hurt? Was he crying? … Kurogane didn't want to see Fai cry. He didn't want him hurt; he wanted him to smile for real, to be happy. He wanted to make Fai happy.
Kurogane closed his eyes. He wasn't one to believe in Gods, but if there really is one out there, he prayed to him or her to keep Fai safe for the time being.
"Here," a fake deep tone sounded through the busting crowd.
Sakura has stopped suddenly, causing them to bump into her. The bridge lay just ahead of them, covered with visitors and natives exploring the country itself. Subaru poked his head out of the crowd, scanning at the part below the bridge hidden in darkness. However, Sakura was pointing at the houses on the other side.
"There," she turned to Kurogane. "I saw him somewhere there, with Syaoran-kun. He spoke to him for a while, but I couldn't hear a thing because he told me to step away."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure!" huffed Sakura indignantly as her cheeks went pink as she glared at Kurogane. He couldn't deny it; she does look cute with that face.
"… Ah." Something came to Subaru almost instantly.
"What?" Kurogane asked, slightly irritated.
"That's what they usually do; now I remember." He turned to the both of them. "They probably build some underground passage connected to the main Mafia headquarters. In fact, it's one of their most favorite tactics. The house owned would probably be a Mafia member's of a friend of someone from the mafia. There'll probably be a trapdoor in house and a passage leading to… somewhere." He turned to Sakura with a smile on his face. "Can you take me to the place you saw Mr ButtChin?" That drew a giggle from the girl.
"Here." She started sprinting through the crowd. "Follow me!"
Kurogane sighed. If it was going to be a long day, then let it be. He knew the Gods were always out to get him, anyway.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Here, huh?"
"Yes, Subaru-san. I'm quite sure of it." She stared at the two men.
"The location must be in the houses in this area. Fei doesn't like travelling too much, that's why he's so fat." Subaru continued after muttering something like 'bad for health' and 'heart attack'. "C'mon, we better search the area. All we have to do give a code and password then we'll get through. I hope they haven't changed the password though…" He signaled for them to go, but Sakura remained glue to her spot.
"Sakura-kun?"
"I… I was just wondering…" She glanced up at Subaru, eyes narrowing. "I know you said you were looking for someone who was kidnapped and captured by the man you mentioned, that's why you're also helping me find Syaoran-kun, but if I may ask, how do you know so much about that man? Who exactly are you? I told you the reason I ran was because those people were after me, that's why Syaoran-kun told me to hide, but what if you're those people trying to lure me out? Are you really telling the truth?" Kurogane had to admire her. She may look slightly thin and gaunt and appeared to be weak, but she's sharp.
Subaru sighed and knelt down, drawing a few dirty glances. "We were… involved with those people a long time ago, in fact, we helped them do some of their work. I know it was wrong, but by the time, under certain… conditions, we had to, but we escaped. We're not with them anymore, and right now, one of Kurogane-san's friends is captured by them, and that's why we're here and looking for them. If we were those people, do you think I would have asked you the directions? I could have just kidnapped you and called my boss when we were still in the hotel, or when you passed out." He took Sakura's hand. "That counter guy in the hotel, he let you in without hesitation, didn't he? I bet he was the one who rushed you in a room and locked you in there, and fed you and took care of you." Sakura's eyes brightened, and hesitantly, she nodded. She never thought of why the counter guy was so willing to help her in the first place. "Syaoran-kun gave me that address before…"
"Yes," Subaru continued. "A very good friend we knew also helped me escape from those bad people and it is the only reason why I'm here. Without her help, we wouldn't be here right now. We would have been captured a long time ago. I'm sure that Syaoran-kun of yours had help from her too. That hotel is run by a friend of hers, and perhaps they put us in the same room as coincidence, because the three of us has a similar goal." He drew a breath. "Now do you trust us?"
Sakura stared at Subaru, and then glanced up at Kurogane. The gruff man did his best to show that he was sincere. Slowly, her head turned back to Subaru, and after a long moment, she nodded. A fire ignited in her eyes and she looked at Subaru with a determined look.
"I want to find Syaoran-kun. And I will find him and get him back." Then she bowed. "Thank you for helping me. I hope you guys find the one you're looking for too."
Kurogane couldn't hold back the waves of emotions that washed over him at the girl's words. That kind of determination was something he had never seen except in his parents a long time ago. That determination to set things right, and the hope that it could be done.
"Yeah…" he grunted. "I hope so too."
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
20 houses. 20 houses had they searched and still nothing. Kurogane unleashed a string of foul curses that earned a disapproving look from Subaru.
"Patience," he tutted and knocked the door in front of him. A kind, old man answered the door. He smiled at their appearances, though Kurogane saw a hint of amuse in his eyes at the strangers before his door.
"Good morning, what can I help you... kind people today?" There was a snicker. Kurogane glared.
"Loompie woompie." Subaru answered. Yes, that was what he had been muttering for the last few houses. Many of them stared at them either in confusion or disgust or with a kind of fear thinking they were insane. Some just slammed the door right in front of their noses (probably angry or scared) and there was an old lady who actually took out her walking stick and beat them with it through a row of houses screaming "Bad! Bad children!"
Many visions of what was going to happen flitted across his mind, and none were good. However, the reaction from the old man was far from what he imagined.
He smiled.
"… Password, please?"
A clear note of 'Got you' flashed across Subaru's eyes before being suppressed by his usual demeanor.
"Erm… Fei rocks my jocks?"
This time, a pleasant grin flashed through the old man's face. With a whisper, he answered.
"Wrong."
In an instant, a yelp rose to Sakura's throat as she felt she was pulled into the house. Kurogane and Subaru followed suit, but the instant they were in, the door slammed shut, curtains were pulled shut and the room plunged into darkness.
The old man drew a knife and placed it in front of Sakura's throat as he held her.
"The three of you… you're the ones wanted by Fei, aren't you?" the old man panted, his eyes gleaming with madness. "Imagine what Fei would give me for handing him the three people currently wanted by the Mafia… all I have to do is hand you-"
Whatever he was going to say, they never found out, as quick-witted Sakura lifted her foot and slammed in hard on the old man's when he wasn't paying attention. He yelled in pain and Sakura darted away, giving Kurogane a good clearing as he rushed forward and hit the man's head with the hilt of his sword. Everything stopped for a long moment, as the old man's eyes were wide and all of them stared in anticipation of fear of what was going to happen next. Suddenly, in a fluid movement, he collapsed.
Silence befell them, interrupted by the loud noise outside the house as the adrenalin slowly calmed. Finally, Subaru broke the silence.
"I'll tie him up. You two search for the trapdoor. It'll probably be hidden under a carpet or something."
Holding the girl close to him, Kurogane led them into the house. It was small and dirty as this was an area with poor people living in it in low-cost houses. They crammed through the narrow doorway and into the living room. The room was dark and bare with only a rocking chair and a small table with a pipe on it. A broken fireplace was attached to the wall and after an investigation, they confirmed nothing was there.
Next, they crammed into another room. This was clearly a bedroom with a small bed with blankets with patches on it. A table stood in the corner of the room. As Sakura entered, something creaked underneath of her.
A feeling of fear and hope filled their chests.
"K-Kurogane-san…"
"Get off the carpet."
Sakura did what she was told. Quickly, Kurogane drew the unseen carpet away from the floor and a wooden trapdoor appeared in front of their eyes.
Kurogane drew out his sword and rammed the tip on the lock. It broke and the gruff man kicked it away. Sakura opened the door. It opened with a loud, eerie creak and showered them with dust. Faintly, they could see stairs leading to the darkness far below.
A sadistic grin slid across his face and warm hope fluttered in his heart.
"Yay."
How childish of Kuro-tan! Well, sorry for the lack of Fai-ness in this chapter, but no fears, the next chappie will be dedicated to him. To kuroxfaxlovers question: They'll be KuroFai the moment they meet each other again, and that would be around after the next chapter, if you want to know.