It Began on the Streets

Response to reviewers:

XxMaddy: Thanks! Here's the next one!

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NDebN: I probably didn't update soon enough. Anyways here's the next chapter!

SnowBlizzard: I think Fuji is awesome if he's dangerous. I'm glad you enjoy!

aknut: Sorry! Cliffies are evil even if I write cliffies. Anyways Thanks!

Sandblasted-Kitten: I'm glad you think so! Here's a continuation!

sendoh11: Updated!

Emethyst: Thanks for the correction. I'll get to it...sometime...

kaze: Glad you think so!

: Here's the next chapter!

D'cute: I kind of explained it in the chapters but sorry since I didn't make it clear enough. Ryoma's parents did go looking for him, Tezuka doesn't know their number (I should've mentioned that), and Yuki is sort of adopted since Tezuka found her. I hope it's all cleared up.

Things to know:

Sayang – too bad

Part 6

"So you're still alive," the leader spoke to him. Ryoma stopped to face the group. They all seemed to know him but he didn't know them. The leader, obviously, kept talking. "I thought you died when you didn't return to your residence."

"Do I know you?" Ryoma asked though a bit coldly. The leader looked at him questioningly before amusement shinned in his eyes.

"I forgot. Kori-san's son has a high rate of amnesia. I guess we hit him too hard in the head boys," they laughed, "If you wish to know, my name is Tatsuha to you. I didn't peg you the sports type Ryoma unless… Well we've got to go. We still have business to finish up around here."

Ryoma watched them walk away until Tatsuha was left. Ryoma figured he had something else to say.

"Oh Ryoma," Tatsuha began as he walked up to the fence to face him, "you might want to watch out. Tezuka-san might meet an unfortunate accident." He finished before walking off. Ryoma glared at his back until he was out of sight.

"Oi Ryoma! Ryoma!" he turned to see Momoshiro run up to him. They must've finally stopped bickering about the horrid looking juice. "Come on, we're about to start and you're up first."

Ryoma really dreaded this. He didn't know how to play tennis. But he didn't want to immediately give up and drink that stupid juice. That was being weak and he was not weak. So he decided to play. His first game, which was against Eiji. He could get it down somehow.

"I'll go easy on you Ochibi!" Eiji said from the other side of the court. Ryoma growled softly.

"Don't," Ryoma responded before serving the ball. For some reason his body just responded automatically as if he'd done it before.

"15-Love," Oishi called out, as he was the referee. Eiji just stared in surprise. He didn't even see the ball coming. His eyes were just as good. Everyone else was just as surprised as he was. They stopped their chatter to watch the game. It's not everyday that you see someone disappear living a different life come back and still be just as good or better. Eiji smiled. It wasn't going to be boring after all.

"Game set. Ryoma 6-1."

Ryoma sighed. He didn't know how he managed it, but at least he wasn't going to drink that horrid juice. He walked over to a bench and sat down. He wasn't even tired but he saw that Eiji was tired. He then stared in surprise as he saw Inui holding up the pitcher of bubbling liquid up to Eiji who was trying to resist. He was horrified as Eiji fainted afterwards. No way in the seven hells was he going to drink that. His eyes then turned to Tezuka's match with Momo. (A/N: Momoshiro is soooooo long to type. I'm lazy.)

Tatsuha's gang was still around. He knew that they were being followed so he watched for signs of anything dangerous. So far there were none. He snapped out of his daze as he heard Momo's outcry. His hand gripped the blade in his pocket tightly. There was nothing he was just being paranoid. He sighed in relief. Then he saw it, something glinted at the corner of his eye heading straight for Tezuka. Tezuka was facing the opposite direction so he couldn't see. No one else seemed to also.

"Tezuka-san! Watch out!" Ryoma called out running towards Tezuka and jumped grasping the object in his hand. Tezuka turned around at the call enough time to see Ryoma fly past him. Everyone looked at Ryoma as he had a sharp dart with a note stuck to it. They all looked at him questioningly. Before they could speak and bombard him with questions, he interrupted them.

"Someone tried to kill you." Ryoma merely responded. He examined the tip of the dart and noticed there was poison in it. Luckily he wasn't scratched. He quickly peeled off the note, as everyone was fussing at Tezuka who didn't look fazed at all. No one was questioning him.

'Tonight at 11:00' it simply said.

"Tonight at eleven, I wonder what that means," Fuji said from behind Ryoma. Ryoma quickly crumpled it up and stuffed it in his pocket. "I wonder who is that meant for, Tezuka? Or maybe you?" Fuji thought out loud and began walking back to the group to break up their fuss. Tezuka was getting annoyed.

Ryoma stared after Fuji. He hated the guy even more.

-X-

The group was walking towards Kawamura Sushi. Ryoma was keeping a close eye on his surroundings. He walked while listening around his area. Right now he was getting annoyed with Momo and Eiji's curiosity at where he learned to do that. He just answered them with the same answer for the cooking question. They just stared after in confusion. Ryoma was really starting to get annoyed.

He suddenly stopped as felt people watching them from all open directions. Fuji was the one to notice he stopped and stopped also.

"Ryoma, why did you stop? If you don't catch up you might get lost," Fuji said with a teasing tone.

"We're surrounded," Ryoma, said hands in his jacket pocket ready to strike. Fuji looked behind to see a big group heading there way as well as in front and through the alleyway. Soon the group backed up to them.

"What's going on?" Oishi asked.

"Nothing, we just want to have a little chat."

Ryoma scowled. It wasn't Tatsuha. He was hoping so. He quickly took to the side next to the alleyway. The street was almost deserted with a few people leaving. They were scared to get involved.

"Hand's out of the pocket, shorty," the temporary leader said looking at Ryoma who scowled at the name-calling. Tall people really annoyed him. Ryoma folded his hands behind his head.

"Mada mada dane. If your scared," Ryoma taunted. He didn't know why he did it.

"Is he crazy!" he heard Momo momentarily yell out.

"If I was scared, shorty," Ryoma scowled, "I wouldn't be here." The leader said. Ryoma breathed in to calm his annoyance.

"Is that why you came with two watchers on the roof and three groups of 10-12 surrounding us? Or do you all count as one?" Ryoma smirked as he was getting a rise out of the guy.

"Echizen! What do you think you're doing?" Momo exclaimed along with Eiji. Ryoma glared at them making them take a step back.

"Stay out of this. That isn't my name." He said coldly. Eiji hid behind Oishi as Momo hid behind Kaidou who scowled. Tezuka was about to say something but the leader grabbed the front of Ryoma's shirt shoving him up against the wall.

"Ryoma-san!" Yuki called out about to run to him but Tezuka held her back.

"Looks like that attitude didn't change the last time."

While Ryoma was distracting the leader, Fuji was looking for a way out. He couldn't see one where they wouldn't be blazed with bullets. He calmly sat down on the rail with his feet resting on the road. One of the gang members saw this.

"Don't try anything stupid," he told him. Fuji just smiled with his eyes open.

"I'm just sitting down," Fuji merely said, "I can't say the same for you."

As soon as he said that, the group behind them began to fall unconscious. The leader stopped ranting on Ryoma who took the chance to knock him out. Where the fallen group lay stood a woman with brown hair and brown eyes Fuji recognized.

"Ah, Kaori-san, just in time," he said. The woman smiled.

"We do have perfect timing. Satoshi and I thought we'd be a little late, I guess you haven't started talking?" Kaori spoke.

"Kaori-san!" Yuki said smiling at the woman. Kaori smiled back.

"Hello Yuki-chan."

A man with black hair and green eyes walked out from the alley. He had taken care of the ones blocking their path along with the two watchers on the roof.

"Ah Satoshi, what took you so long? I thought they got you?" Kaori said walking next to him. Ryoma looked at the pair. For some reason they looked very familiar to him.

"I had to take care of the roof. Are you guys okay?" he asked the group. They all nodded.

"Who were they?" Tezuka asked.

"Show offs. They're just the local rising group trying to make a name for them, nothing to worry about," Kaori said smiling, "We should accompany you guys on your way home in case something happens." She examined the group until her eyes fell onto golden ones. She had a shocked look on her face. It was one Ryoma filed for later.

Ryoma grasped a blade and throwing it into the alley as he caught a thin metal pole heading towards them and throwing it like a spear towards the roof. The group heard two thumps of something being dropped, obviously two dead or wounded bodies. Kaori and Satoshi stared at him in surprise.

"You missed a couple." Ryoma said. He felt their shocked looks on him. He glanced at them. Those were the same looks everyone had been giving him when they first saw him. "What?"

"Nothing," Satoshi responded covering Kaori's mouth, as she was about to respond. "We better take you guys home before more of them come back." They all began their journey home while Fuji called Kawamura to tell that they won't be able to come.

-X-

Tezuka was having another late night. Ryoma had been in his thoughts for the past three hours since they got home. Though he was lucky that Ryoma saved his life he somehow wasn't comfortable with it. Ryoma may have saved his life but it seemed that he was in danger also. Ryoma seemed to be well known among the shady groups. Tezuka noticed that they all looked at Ryoma as if they knew him.

Tezuka had been trying to keep Yuki away from Ryoma's antics when danger came. Earlier he had shielded Yuki's eyes when all the violence began. He hoped Yuki didn't learn anything during this whole ordeal. He glanced at the clock. It was 11:08. He had to sleep. He had work tomorrow.

He walked upstairs and past Ryoma's room. He paused. He had a feeling to check. So he opened Ryoma's door slowly and looked inside. The room was dark but the light from the hallway lit up a small path for him. He walked over to the bed to find it empty. He then glanced at the window, which was left open. He glanced out to find no trace of Ryoma. So he waited.

-X-

Ryoma snuck out at exactly 11. He found Tatsuha and some other guy waiting for him leaning against the fence. He walked past them and stopped.

"I see you got the message," Tatsuha said and began walking ahead along with his companion. Ryoma blindly followed. He was sure that he might be walking into a trap but went on carefully.

"What do you want?" Ryoma asked.

"All in due time Ryoma."

Tatsuha led him to a deserted place where people usually wouldn't travel. This place was familiar. Tatsuha turned to face him.

"Recognize this place Ryoma? If you don't well I just have to say it's going to be your resting place. That is if you don't survive. Reiji," Tatsuha said to his companion, "Kill him."

Ryoma narrowly dodged a surprise attack. He quickly took out his weapon defending himself against Reiji. Tatsuha watched in amusement.

"What are you going to do Ryoma? Are you going to let him live or are you going to kill him in cold blood like what you did to his brother?" Tatsuha said.

Ryoma did his best to tune him out. He had to knock this guy out to avoid getting killed. His actions came out naturally. He didn't realize he was doing it. In a matter of minutes he had a knife against Reiji's neck as he was on the ground. Reiji was defenseless but Ryoma couldn't bring himself to kill him as he remembered Tezuka. Tezuka wouldn't be happy with him and probably Yuki-chan too. He got off Reiji and walked away stopping ten feet.

"Go, I already won," Ryoma said with his back to them.

"Reiji, are you just going to let your brother's killer go away like that?" Tatsuha voiced out. Ryoma gasped as he felt a blade slice him on his side. He had no choice. He quickly fought back trying to knock his opponent out. A few minutes later Reiji was down. He wasn't dead. Ryoma couldn't kill him. Tatsuha walked up to them throwing his cigarette to the ground, stepping on it.

"Sayang," Tatsuha stated before shooting Reiji in the head. Ryoma gasped though he didn't show it. He glared up at Tatsuha. Tatsuha grabbed two cigarettes from his pack he placed the between his lips and lit them both. He handed on to Ryoma, who took the offer knowing it was a familiar feeling. Ryoma was hit with a dizzy spell as he took in the smoke. It was as if he hadn't had it in a while. They stayed like that as if they were friends enjoying company together.

Soon Tatsuha finished. He looked right into golden eyes. "I'll see you again, Ryoma." And he left.

Ryoma glanced at his hands while walking back. Tatsuha wouldn't leave him alone. He couldn't think. He couldn't have smoked before but the urge was there. Besides he didn't remember it. He brushed it off and climbed to his room window. He got inside and closed the window. He froze as the main light turned on.

"Where were you?"

TBC-------------

BLK Angel of Destruction: Sorry for the long wait. I was stuck with school and had to study for my History AP test, which I know I probably won't get a three at all! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! And thanks for your reviews! I really appreciate them!

Review PLZ! No Flames! C+C accepted.