Hey all! Sorry that I haven't updated in a week and a half, but I was helping out with VBS at our church and all those kids REALLY drain your energy. If you had to watch 360 kids, you'd be too tired to hit a few measly keyboard keys too. Plus, I got a job! Teaching tennis lessons of course hehe. Okay enough of my personal life, here's the story.

Disclaimer: Forgot to add this, had to go back and do so...anyways....don't own Prince of Tennis

(Normal POV)

Tezuka was standing on the sidewalk right outside the baggage claim of the International German airport under an awning that offered a little reprieve from the pouring rain. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to be trying to find a reprieve as well. He had taken a red eye flight, one of the most popular times for international flights, and the little space underneath the awning was beginning to get crowded. A woman carrying a baby while also trying to haul three or four rather large suitcases was coming towards him, most likely trying to seek refuge from the torrent of water. Being the gentleman he was, he walked out from under the awning over to the struggling woman. He wordlessly lifted her suitcases with ease, being careful not to use his left arm, and moved to bring them to his previous spot under the awning. The lady, distraught at first believing that Tezuka was a suitcase snatcher, found herself instead, no longer being rained on and still in possession of all her suitcases.

"Thank you...um..." she started.

"Kunimitsu Tezuka" He replied, careful to switch the order that he was so used to in Japan.

"Kunimitsu" she smiled gratefully at him.

He gave his signature, curt nod in reply.

Tezuka then took a look around only to realize that there was no more room under the awning. So he stood in the rain, waiting for the Alchim Rehabilitation Center to pick him up as the water continued to pour down.

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(Azumi POV)

I paced the hall nervously, waiting for my first and only patient to arrive.

You see, therapists normally care for 10 or so patients when the care needed is long-term therapeutic type care. So, being assigned only one patient, I could only think of three reasons for such an occurrence, either this guy was: in need of enough care to revive someone form the dead (something I very much hoped not to have to do), was incredibly important and if I screwed up it would be like killing the prime minister of Japan, or the staff at the center thought me to be completely incompetent and could only handle one person at a time. None of those reasons sounded all that appealing to me.

And that was why I was practically wearing a hole in the ground all the way to America in my fervent pacing. Not only this, but he was also the same age as me which, practically speaking, might have made my interaction with him a bit awkward. I mean I knew that I would have problems respecting an authority figure that was my same age.

As I said before, I was so screwed.

Maybe I could have employed one of my various escape routes. From this point in the building I could either grab the loose floor tile in front of room A450 and throw it ninja-star-boomerang-style into the side of the building from the window which would give me a sturdy enough foothold to leap out the window land in parkour roll and run like heck, or...take the stairs. I know a toughie right? Well, I never got to try either because the second I was about to bolt, the elevator door opened, and I first laid eyes on Tezuka Kunimitsu.

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(Regular POV)

The processor was smoking...still. Nishimura, was also letting out some steam as he sat stewing, a similar substance to what the computer was exuding, streaming out his ears. Asai had been the only one to be working on the computer and was scurrying around, trying to salvage it while a heated argument had been raging between Koga, Tokaji, and Mochizuki about everything from the broken processor to who's turn it was to get food. The normal feeling of order and strict obedience had left with Azumi. And Nishimura, as angry as he was could not find it in himself to blame anyone but himself for the current lack of order...and Azumi.

It had already been two days since the computer crash and with Asai working by himself, things did not seem to be improving all that quickly.

Nishimura let out yet another frustrated groan.

She could be all the way to America by now!

He then looked up to see that no one but Asai was in the room. His eyebrows knit together in a look of confused frustration.

Fine time to take a bathroom break. Well, at least now I can enjoy some peace and quiet away from the arguing trio.

(meanwhile in another room of the castle)

"So, how do you think it's going? Think they suspect?"

"Are you kidding? Have you heard the groans coming from Nishimura? He seriously, probably thinks we're all incompetent idiots by now. We can stall for probably, at least another day."

"Okay, but do you think that's enough time...for her to get far enough away I mean."

"Come on, it's Azumi. She's probably disappeared for good by now. We won't come close to finding her."

He regretted it almost as soon as he said it. They both looked down at the ground between their feet, not quite sure if it was good or not that they would never find her. Whether they would never be able to see her again. And ultimately, never able know what they were doing was right.

"Come on, let's go." he said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. "Tokaji should be done with his bathroom break by now and we've got to catch him before he starts to help Asai fix the processor."

"Okay, but let's try to argue about something other than food. I'm getting hungry."

He smiled "Okay. Lady's first, albeit fat ones." His smile turned into a smirk, as he held the door open, motioning with his hand.

She responded by trying to punch him in the stomach and a harsh scowl as she walked past. He just ducked behind the door and chuckled.

Then Koga and Mochizuki walked back to the D-room.

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(Azumi POV)

Tezuka stood in the elevator, soaked with an impartial look of stoicism on his face.

I stood outside the elevator, assessing him. It was made rather easy by the transparency of his clothes due to their wetness. Not that I was a pervert or anything, just stating the facts. I was used to buff guys anyways. You couldn't go to Imei high and survive without a substantial amount of muscle mass.

He was about...4 inches taller than me at around 5'11" I'd have to say. Everything about him was angular from his jaw, to the muscles on his arms. Speaking of which, he was quite muscular, I assumed that that was from tennis and hopefully not from the fact that he was an expert in judo or something out to kill me. He could be trouble if he ever decided to turn on me. But I couldn't jump to conclusions, so for the time being I was going to go for kind, professional, not-a-spy-on-the-run-who-is-tad-overly-paranoid, therapist, so I quickly collected myself and proceeded to introduced myself, plastering a genial smile on my face.

"Hello Tezuka. I am Jukodo Ryuu. I will be your therapist during your stay here at Alchim."

He nodded curtly in acknowledgement.

Nice to meet you too. I thought wryly to myself.

He picked up his bags and walked out of the elevator as I began to show him to his room. As we walked, I made an attempt to be friendly and tried to strike up some small talk. For those of you who have any idea who Tezuka is out there you know that this was a bad plan, to put it mildly. But hey I had no idea just yet.

"So did you enjoy your trip?"

"Hn..." No change in expression.

Drat, I would just have to try harder.

"So, where are you from?"

"Japan."

Oh, now that was interesting. We were both native Japanese! Maybe we would get along after all. It would also explain why he was not talking much. He probably didn't know too much German. Maybe he wasn't a stiff, poker-faced, stick in the mud! I switched to Japanese.

"Oh, so do you prefer for me to speak in Japanese Tezuka-san?"

I expected him to be slightly surprised at my knowledge of the Japanese language, suffixes, and flawless accent; it was my heart language after all.

He blinked.

Not exactly the response I was gunning for.

"Hai."

Now he was starting to bug me. I wasn't exactly an over-talkative person myself (unless you cared to count the conversations in my head in which case I was a motor mouth) and I was way out of my comfort zone trying to get him out of his. Something was wrong with this picture.

There was something about his expression too. Something off. I don't think his expression had wavered once since he had stepped out of the elevator. It was too...inhuman.

Meanwhile, we had reached his room and I was obliged to get rid of him.

"Feel free to rest and tour the facilities. You'll begin the treatment tomorrow." The smile on my face had never faltered, and if I thought he had any emotions, I'd think that he would be a bit freaked out by now.

He opened the door, walked in, turned to face me, and offered an "Arigatou Jukodo-san."

I froze.

I knew that face.

My smile broke.

I couldn't shake the resemblance, the similarities, even the feeling of revulsion rising in the pit of my stomach. It's not that he looked anything like the headmaster, it was the emotionless mask he was wearing.

When I looked at the face of my new patient, all I could see was his face. The face that killed my friend, the face that never showed anything but grim precision, and unfeeling vindictive power, the face that I hated above all else. Tezuka's stoic face evoked all the anger that had been transformed for the past two days into fear. Now, instead of coming up with escape routes, all my thought processes were being used to come up with as many ways as possible to wipe that abominable expression off his face that I hated so much...and I didn't even know him.

I realized that my face had quickly changed first from shock, to confusion, to anger, and then finally to my own stoic expression that I used as my poker face when my emotions became the most tumultuous. However, I was pretty sure that my eyes were blazing with the loathing I truly felt for this man's face. For the face that it reminded me of was the headmaster of Imei high school.

I searched Tezuka again, waiting for a change of emotion, a reaction to my shock, confusion, and disgust. I expected him to at least show a slight tip of the head in puzzlement or a crease between the eyebrows.

He hadn't even noticed.

My anger rose, carefully concealed beneath my impassive face.

Poker faces were dangerous by nature. The only reason one needed to have a poker face was to hide something. Obviously it originated from hiding one's hand in a card game, but in my world it was used to hide the intentions of dishonest and quite dangerous individuals. The harder they were to read, the harder they were to guard against. I was definitely going to have to keep my guard against this Tezuka.

He walked into his room, the door closing soundly behind him.

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