AN: Thanks for the reviews from last chapter! Glad it was enjoyed (: However it's a bit saddening to see that so many of you read the last chapter and I only got a few reviews (which are greatly appreciated, seriously, you guys don't know how nice that was) which is quite disheartening! I've got a vacation to the med booked for Thursday so I'll be updating when I come back xx

Chapter 12

She ran her hands through black hair, eyes focused solely on the floor. She was sure that she had made a dint in the bed by now but she didn't care. Her mind had regained some clarity and was reeling. Xiao Lang… How dare he! She was furious with her cousin, she hated Laia and he knew it, but the moment of pure despite had come when she'd witnessed that wounded look across Sakura's face, it was in that moment she knew.

The auburn beauty obviously had feelings for her cousin, and unlike most girls who showed affection for him Meilin didn't begrudge Sakura this. In all honesty, she felt sorry for the girl. He could be a brute of a man, and Sakura was yet to see that side of him. Until now. That one action that he had just done had written Sakura's mind off, like a totalled car, straight into the wall. Those emerald eyes held unshed tears and Meilin felt powerless to prevent it.

"You liked him didn't you?" She whispered, moving finally to look at the girl situated mere steps away. She was resting against the wall, Tomoyo sat cross legged on the floor from when they had entered minutes ago.

Sakura merely nodded, her voice not seeming to work currently. "He changes so fervently, one moment he was nice to me, he comforted me, saved me, he seemed like he cared… Then he's this other person, this cold man… Who obviously only wants for things that I can't give him…" She began to cry, tears rolling down her puffed out cheeks.

It wasn't until the exact moment that she'd noted the skewed hair on Laia's head, the unbuttoned shirt and skirt, that she knew the extent of her feelings for the cold hearted man whose home she resided in. Maybe she was clinging to some ideal, that deep down he was a nice person, and that she could fix him and his temper flares. Alas, she was completely wrong. She was a fool, and Syaoran probably only came to comfort her to stop her from wailing and keeping half the corridor up. He came to save her, she shuddered, from Jai for his own vendetta, she was merely collateral. She wanted to hate him with passion, for him to feel this burning that she felt when she saw him and Laia together. But he never would.

"He's a man, Sakura. A damn stupid man at that, but Xiao Lang is neither worth your tears nor your time. Whatever he wants from Laia he can have, but don't think it's because you're not good enough. She is easy, everyone knows it, and he's blowing off steam in the way he knows how… Even if that's no excuse for what he just did, but sometimes we are powerless to involve ourselves in such things…"

"Sakura, Li is a bad person to be involved in… Sorry Meilin… However, he's not right for you. You're from different worlds. We all are. As much as we may be friends, Li is the leader, he's more calculating than any other person here… He will cause you nothing but trouble."

"I know. I don't even know why I'm upset. It's probably because he confused me, you know? He showed me this other side to him that made me think it might just be some exterior he put up around everyone, and that really he was a nice person underneath. He's not though, and he tricked me. It's done, over with, I have no business with Li and he has none with me, and for that we should all be thankful." She sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes as she looked to the other girls.

They all fell into a solemn silence, considering how their night had suddenly changed from laughter between friends into this melancholy meeting in Sakura's room, a feeling of loss almost falling over them.

Meilin straightened up, off the bed, catching the clock on the mantle reading just before 1am.

"Well Xiao Lang is already pissed off with me… Us… Probably me actually. Why let him ruin our night?"

"What are we going to do? Go back there? He'll be there, we'll get in trouble and sent to bed like the naughty kids he sees us as…" Tomoyo trailed off bitterly, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Why don't we go out?"

Sakura looked at her like her head had suddenly grown a twin, Tomoyo with a furrowed brow.

"As in clubbing? I don't really like it…" She whispered, looking to the amethyst eyed girl beside her.

"That's because you guys got into some shit last time, this time we'll just go out, have fun and dance in one of the wolf clubs and then come back home and no-one will even notice!" Meilin suddenly looked determined, a grin creeping up her features as she spoke.

"Meilin… We'll get in so much trouble… We aren't even meant to leave in the day!" Tomoyo said, looking wide eyed at her companion.

"Fuck it! Xiao Lang should know what's good for him. Anyway, some of the guys were talking about going down tonight and they'll be around so we have some protection…" She winked at them both, all suddenly back feeling the vodka effects and planning their night.

-x-

"Syaoraaaaan…" She whispered heatedly in his ear, her breath tickling his neck and hair slightly.

They were both stood in the doorway still, Laia latched once again onto him and trying to kiss him. He, however, had not bent down to receive the kiss off her that she kept trying to give.

"What's the matter… They've gone now…" She breathed, tugging his shirt down to kiss where she could reach around the top of his chest..

He had seen it. That look across her face. The torn look between despair and anger that had marred those beautiful features of Sakura's face, the agony in those emerald eyes that shone with unshed tears as she had darted out of the room behind his cousin. Damn it. Why was it affecting him? He contemplated Laia for once, after all the frustration of meetings the past few days she had seemed like the perfect outlet. Willing. He didn't even care for her; he just wanted some way to remove certain things from his mind, to rid him of the impending raid on club Z as well as from the girl who slept in his house who he had been avoiding for days. But here she was, yet again, ruining his plans and invading his mind. He had wanted to forget about her and instead he had wounded her, and he knew he would not remove that look from inside his mind now for longer than last.

"Fuck… Laia…" He groaned, running his hands through his hair and taking a swing at the wall. She jumped back off him immediately, a spring of blonde hair and creamy legs.

"Syaoran?" She whispered, looking at him almost angrily.

"Get out."

"But Syaoran… I need you…" She whispered, daring to move back forth to him, outstretching her arms to reach for him.

Knocking her hands away, he shook his head. "Just go Laia. This is done."

She pouted at him before leaving, a cold look in her eyes as she did. Fuck. What did I just do?

-x-

"Hey Ren!" Meilin grinned as she greeted the doorman, her black hair now curly and bouncing behind her as she approached the red rope.

"Meilin! With female friends? Do my eyes deceive me?" He grinned, his perfect white teeth presenting themselves to the group. He was, quite surprisingly, a beautiful man. He was tall, but muscular, with straight spiked black hair and dark eyes that surely landed him the job as the frontman of the club. He would certainly attract much female custom into the room.

Sakura and Tomoyo giggled, feeling him analyse them with his eyes.

"You know the drill for them, even if it's you Mei, unless Li is here I can't let them in without showing their tats… They've never been here before."

"Well actually Ren… They don't have any…" She looked back at them before whispering conspiratorially to him, "they're freshies."

He seemed slightly surprised, and Sakura had been informed this meant they were new to a gang, or prospective joiners. She and Tomoyo were to act as if they were joining the gang, even though they weren't- but it was too much to say that they were Li's houseguests and under protection… Because they'd arrived at a club in the dead of night without anyone but themselves. However, she was sure this was why Meilin had dressed them the way she had. Sakura felt extremely uncomfortable in the bright red dress that was clinging to her body she was sure if she had a drink the buttons would ping off, and Tomoyo was teetering around in a black skin-tight number and enormous heels. In fairness, Sakura thought that due to their minimal make-up they didn't look that bad, but any other place and she was fairly sure they'd be asked their hourly rate.

"Fair enough, yours for assurance then Mei…" She flipped her top up to just below her chest and flashed a tattoo of a wolf, just on her ribcage above her belly button. This was apparently the insignia for the gang, anyone with the wolf tattoo had performed to the ability required to join; Meilin's was a given anyway as she was family of Li. The location of the tattoo was generally the same place as Meilin's for girls, for men it was on the top of the shoulder blade. Mambas, apparently, had them around their upper arms for men and ankles for women.

They trudged in, immediately the beat of house music blaring into their ears with a deafening drum, almost frightening Sakura and Tomoyo.

"Lets party!" Meilin shouted, looking at her friends who were obviously still unsure as to what they were meant to do. Grabbing their hand, she led them to some stairs where two rather scary bodyguards stood. Smiling at them, obviously knowing them, Meilin pushed past leading the girls to a plush area upstairs where a few people were lounging on black leather sofas, one small bar in the corner.

"What are you doing here?" Eriol stood when he saw the familiar faces, not forgetting to send a wink by the way of a certain girl who blushed deeper than her best friends dress.

"We came to party, shit at the mansion!" Meilin shouted over the noise from the dance floor below.

"Does Xiao Lang know?" Another voice joined and they turned to see Hiru smiling at them, his blonde hair spiked up fashionably for once.

"He's otherwise engaged…" Sakura said, looking to the bar before striding over to get a drink at the reminder of the man who had caused them to leave this night.

With a raised brow, Eriol began to speak to Tomoyo as Meilin went to join Sakura with Hiru, the other boy's present coming to join them for some drinks and a chat.

The night wore on and they could all feel the effects of alcohol, by around 4 they were dancing in the middle of the dance floor, sweat dripping from them as the beat of the drums took over their bodies. Sakura was giggling at some moves that Hiru and Takashi were pulling together, trying to attempt to make other girls in the club attracted to them. Kero had danced with her for a while before finding a girl and she was currently finding herself almost gyrating against Meilin. The alcohol flowed like wildfire through her veins and she threw her head back feeling something that she hadn't for the first time in weeks. Free.

Tomoyo and Eriol had been dancing together for hours as well, as it brought a smile to Sakura's face to see her happy. She giggled at his lines, he smiled at her words, and he graciously escorted her to everywhere she wanted to go as if he was protecting her. It warmed her heart- she felt Eriol was very different to the man that he served, he was almost out of place in a gang. Too smart, too kind, too gentle. She wondered what had driven him to serve the purpose he did.

Ignoring that, she resumed her dancing until she saw someone approach the group who she had barely seen in weeks. Samaya. He held little of his usual swagger but she couldn't stop the tremor that ran down her spine at seeing him after he had captured her in the kitchen. He high fived his friends before he caught sight of her, who put her head down at his presence. He said hello to Meilin who looked at him warily, obviously hearing about the incident from Xiao Lang.

"Sakura!" He shouted over the noise, and finally she looked to him, supressing the urge to move away.

"I wanted to speak to you!" He shouted again, getting her attention.

"I have nothing to say, Samaya… Just enjoy your night and I'll enjoy mine."

"No… You don't understand, I wanted to apologise… The things I said… I did… I acted out of order and I apologise. I was steaming drunk half that day Sakura and I was horrible. Li sorted me out anyway. But I've been trying to find a moment to apologise to you ever since." He said, looking at her with what seemed to be a sincere gaze. But it seemed the only thing she had picked up on was Li sorted me out. He sorted him out, for her? Shaking it off she just nodded and gave a small thumbs up before turning back to Meilin.

The group continued to dance until it must have been daylight hours outside, the club finally beginning to empty of the partygoers, many stumbling out as the lights began to go up. Sakura was beginning to feel tired, from her rather mad dancing and drinking throughout the past few hours. However, unlike before, it had been fun. Exciting and free. Perhaps that's why she enjoyed it so much, relishing in the feeling of freedom.

-x-

"Shuuuush… Don't wake Li!" Giggled Tomoyo, Eriol doing a mock salute next to her as Hiru swore loudly as he dropped the door key.

"He'll be up *hick* now anyway! Crazy bastard!" Sakura added, nodding as if she was extremely knowledgeable whilst pouting at the others. More giggling ensued as Hiru finally managed to put the key in the lock and stumble forth into the hallway.

"Weee are homeeee!" Ren, who had come to join their party after finishing his shift at the club, had enjoyed the copious amounts of alcohol that people had bought him for allowing them into the club. Often when he did such shifts he would stay at one of the spare rooms in the mansion instead of his apartment.

They all filed in, the light having started to illuminate the room as the clock chimed seven times.

"Right kiddies! It's bed time!" Said Eriol, dragging Tomoyo by the hand with a wink upstairs with him. Sakura giggled, following Meilin up the stairs.

-x-

When she finally awoke, it was with a huge groan and an urge for liquid sustenance. Water. Her insides felt like she had swallowed fire, her head felt like a brass band was playing in it and her eyes struggled to focus when she opened them.

"Eugh…"

She stood and wobbled slightly, going to the bathroom before noticing two tablets and some water at her bedside.

-For when you're feeling rough when you wake up, come find me in the garden

-Meilin xx

She smiled with gratitude at her concern and took the tablets, feeling them as they went down her neck sharply and swigging the water. Catching herself in the mirror, she decided that she looked like she'd been through hell and back and threw herself into busying herself.

After a shower and a change into some comfier clothes, a light blue jumper and some simple black leggings, she found herself padding down to the garden. Sat on the decking with their legs in the water was a chipper looking Meilin and a tired looking Tomoyo.

"Hey guys"

"Ah if it isn't sleeping beauty!" Meilin smiled, moving over to make room for her to sit inbetween them.

"How are we feeling? I feel like hell. Thanks for the tablets", she smiled at her friend, who was looking to Tomoyo.

"Well I'm fine… I would say Tomoyo was even better." Meilin grinned and Tomoyo flushed, Sakura looking at her with a raised brow.

"Me and Eriol… We…" She began to stutter, seeming to not be able to get the words out of her mouth.

Sakura's eyes widened as she looked to her friends, "YOU HAD SEX?!" She shouted, nearly falling into the lake below. Tomoyo suddenly looked panicked.

"NO! No! Oh gosh no…" She giggled, "I mean we are kind of… Together… I think. We were pretty drunk and we spoke and kissed and… Fell asleep then I ran off when I woke up!" Sakura smiled at her, looking cute in the way her eyes kept darting around for any prying ears that may be around. She began to giggle at the fact that her friend was so flustered, and she felt happiness bloom inside her as she knew the way she felt about Eriol.

"Just me and you then now Sakura!" Meilin exclaimed, putting an arm around the younger girl with a smile before looking across the water.

"How are you feeling about… You know…?" Tomoyo enquired, looping her other arm over the top of Meilin's to shroud Sakura.

She smiled sunnily, a habit that she always had despite her internal despair. "You know, I think I'm gonna be alright… Last night was fun… We need more of that before we get cabin fever!" She did feel better after their night out, but she was exhausted. Syaoran kept running through her mind but she kept trying to shake it off. If last night had shown her anything it was that her time at the mansion didn't need to be spent alone.

-x-

The days had turned into a week, and the men were getting ready to leave the manor for their showdown involving Ingashu tower.

Syaoran had been very much absent from Sakura's life once again over the week, and in a way she was grateful as she didn't want to see him in the aftermath of what had occurred. Meilin and her had frequented the clubs more than she had in her entire life over the past few days, losing her mind in the rhythm of the music and the moving bodies of the wolves in the club. Eriol had been the one to inform her and Tomoyo of the impending attack, and to take their minds off it they were once again venturing to the club to ease the tension that surely would befall the house. Meilin was called up to join them on the venture too, leaving them to be escorted to the club by Ren and wait for news from there.

"It will be fine Tomoyo! Eriol has done this stuff plenty of times before we turned up. He wouldn't want you worrying over it. We're going to take your mind off it and it will be fine! If you pace anymore there may be a hole in the carpet." She grimaced as her friend paced up and down in front of her, her long locks swishing around every few paces as she changed direction, a worried frown marring her attractive features.

"I know. I keep trying to believe that. But he told me how important this was… The Mamba's leader will be there, and well, I can't help but have a bad feeling! How did they even find out he was there? What if they've been stitched up?" She exclaimed, throwing herself onto the bed in a mess of ebony curls and jangling jewellery.

"They have their ways you know Tomoyo. It's what they do. It's what they've always done. They will always find things out and we aren't meant to know how, and we shouldn't ask." She rubbed her back, consoling her friend.

"Are you guys ready?" A head poked around the door and a pair of shining white teeth glimmered in the light as Ren's face appeared with a smile.

"Yeah… Come on Tomoyo. It'll be over soon."

-x-

"Eriol are you in position?"

"Yes, Kero. Hiru?"

"Check."

"Li?"

"You know I am, you're stood next to me you idiot."

A laugh sounded over the headset placed in each of their ears that belonged to no other than Meilin. She surveyed the building in front of her, the large neon Z blaring out from the dingy building into the darkness. To her left stood her cousin, to her right stood Eriol.

"We're in and out within 10. We need to be in radius to detonate, so me and Eriol will wing around the left and right building. Meilin, you go in, scout for Mamba, make sure he's there. As soon as you have eyes, leave. When we take it down, Hiru, Tak, Sam and your team, enter and take out anyone in sight. You're going to the fifth floor, that's where the goldmine stuff is. Get what you can and leave."

A determined look formed upon each of the faces, the light wind whipping Meilin's hair to the side as she straightened the blonde wig upon her head before whistling a low sound at the queue forming in front of Z.

"Are you ready?"

Several times the word check rang out over the intercom.

"Meilin, go."

Swishing her hips, the figure hugging dress she'd lent to Sakura the other night adorning her figure, she made her way up to the front of the queue, ignoring the others stood in line to get in.

"Hey pretty… You gotta wait in line…" A doorman, an oversized chunk of a man with what appeared to be a gold incisor looked over her form before settling his eyes upon her face.

"I'm here to see a man… A very particular man who might be very interested to know you're holding me up…" She whispered seductively, flipping her eyes over him and cocking her head to the left.

"Who would that be then missy?" He grunted, appreciating the look she gave him.

"Well his name is Mamba… But if he ends up being disinterested it could be you…" She felt dirty inside just saying the words, but this was indeed business. Numerous times she'd had to do this, other people as well. In the end she knew it would just make her laugh.

He grinned at her and unhooked the red rope, gesturing to her to go forth. "Enjoy."

Entering the club she heard the beat of the music and fought her way through the throng of people toward the bar- the best place to view the deck above. Much like the clubs the Wolves owned, she could see that the VIP area was above and had a view of the partygoers below but was notoriously difficult to see who was in it from below. Pfft. She grimaced, craning her neck before she got a glimpse of the bodyguards who she knew always stood by him. Bingo.

Pretending to sing to herself, she moved her hand to move her hair over her ear a little more. "Bodyguards are upstairs. He must be here."

"Have you got eyes on him though Mei?" Her cousins voice was sharp and authoritative, she heard everyone else intake a fast breath.

"No… Hold on." She whispered, looking around frantically for something that might help her see upstairs.

"Got it!"

Smiling seductively at a rather handsome, even if he was the enemy, young man, she sidled up toward the dance podium near the edge of the floor. Smiling at him she grabbed his arm, immediately he began to dance with her before lifting her onto the podium. Swinging her hips and pretending to look interested, she glanced upwards and managed to see the area.

Black hair. Beetle black eyes. A large snake tattoo winding itself right from his wrist up to the side of his neck, visible due to the simple black vest he war with his muscles almost ripping out from it. He had another arm held loosely over the shoulder of some thin blonde girl whose appearance she couldn't see. Mamba.

"Eyes on the prize. I repeat, eyes on the prize." She whispered, moving her head away from the man dancing with her as she spoke and gesturing that she was going to get a drink with a wink to him as she sashayed away.

"Good girl, move out."

Moving through the club, she didn't even cast a fleeting look behind her as she wandered toward the bar and slipped out through the smoking area, undetected by the doormen who were guarding the front.

"Xiao!" She breathed, reaching her cousin on the left side of the building. He nodded as he saw her, throwing her a backpack from which she produced a pair of trainers and slipped them onto her feet, simply tossing the heels on the floor and leaving them.

"Eriol, you're up."

Around the other side of the building, finally checking over the devices that were placed there, Eriol wiped the sweat from around his forehead. Whistling to calm his nerves, he produced a small black device from inside his pocket.

05:00

Commence detonation.

"Done!" He exclaimed, hotfooting it from his position in the shadows around to the next side street where his car was parked. Waiting for Meilin and Syaoran, he checked the detonator once more.

04:00

"Xiao, Mei, where are you?" He said, looking out of the windows into the darkness for the two.

"Here!" Came the male voice as he opened the driver door, swiftly jumping into the seat as Meilin positioned herself in the back.

"This best work…" Meilin whispered, looking toward the others as they waited. A silence fell over them as the seconds passed by.

"So let's straighten this out. Straight in, no fuss. Got it guys?"

"Yes boss."

02:46

"Just over two and a half minutes until go time. 10 seconds after, you better enter, alright?" He spoke with calm, not daring to let any emotion show. That's even if his nerves were slightly frayed. Most assumed they weren't.

Meilin's eyes narrowed as she looked down the street to the part of the club they could view. She felt the adrenaline rushing through her veins as she waited. The seconds seemed like hours…

Suddenly, a loud boom shuddered through the streets, the club down the end of the road erupting in a cacophony of noise and fire. Screams could be heard from the trio's location inside the car, despite the windows being up and the engine on. Rolling down the street now in sheets was the dank grey smoke funnelling from the open doorways. She covered her ears the blast was that loud, diverting her eyes as smoke began to rise and funnel down the alleyways.

"NOW!" Syaoran shouted down the intercom before she could register that it was now the main attack would be staged.

-x-

"Go, go, go…" Samaya whispered, pushing open the glass door of Ingashu tower before entering. The lobby was eerily quiet, but he knew they must be being watched from somewhere. Fondling with the balaclava on his face to make sure it was pulled down; he scouted for a camera before taking three out with a swift bullet. Gesturing to the others, they filed in behind him.

"Do we take the stairs or the lift?"

"Are you fucking thick? The stairs obviously."

Nodding in agreement, they filed through to the stairwell, sprinting up the stairs until they reached the fifth floor.

"I don't like this."

"Something feels off… Why not even a guard?"

"They'll all be over with the boss at Z…"

"Not that damn fast they won't…"

Opening the door, they walked in, noting two guards who immediately began to rain fire upon them. In a swift moment they were laid out on the floor, blood seeping onto the floor from two deft bullets from Hiru.

"Nice shot mate."

"I know." He grinned to his friend, looking around the room for the next door.

"Here, to the left…" He whispered, his gun slung under his arm as he motioned for them all to line against the wall.

"One… two… three!"

He flung the doors open, fully expecting a rain of fire. What greeted him was nothing but crates. No more guards at all.

"Li, there's no-one here at all. I'm not sure about this."

"Look, take it or leave it. Lever a crate and have a look."

Motioning to another member, he produced a crowbar and lifted the lid of the crate. Inside were some guns, lined up next to ammunition.

"Bingo."

"I still don't like it."

"Just get what you can and get out, pronto." Li's voice came over the intercom as they began quickly sifting through the box, arming themselves with the munitions before running down the stairs to take it out.

-x-

"Come on Tomoyo! SMILE!" Sakura beamed at her friend, keeping her spirits high as they twirled around in the club.

Ren came toward them, placing a strong drink in each of their hands before returning to a rather beautiful young lady who he had met at the bar.

Smiling at her Tomoyo drained the drink and placed it atop the ledge next to her, Sakura following suit before leading her to the floor. Giggling, they began to move with the rhythm of the beat, the disco lights blaring down on them. Green. Red. Yellow. Blue. The smoke machine lightly hazed the air, the scent of alcohol in the air and their senses as they began to relax and move about.

"Thank you, Sakura. I know you're trying." Tomoyo shouted as her friend merely smiled back, secretly considering herself how the mission might be going. From what she had garnered from Eriol, the mission should be in progress at this moment in time.

-x-

"Last one guys, we've done well, 10 minutes since we entered and we've nearly cleaned up." Samaya grinned at his friends before producing the crowbar to finally lever the wooden palette side from the crate. When he opened it and peered inside, a dumbfound look crossed his features.

"…H… Tak…" He whispered, his voice shaking slightly as he spoke. On the other end of the intercom, three pairs of ears immediately perked up at the tremor.

"What the fuck?" An exclamation of surprise sounded that belonged to Takashi, looking down into the crate in front of him.

"What's going on over there?" Li's voice was urgent as he picked up on the sudden change of pace.

"There's… there's a note…"

Unfurling the piece of paper, he opened it to simply read the words Watch. Furrowing his brow and instantly feeling a pang of dislike in his stomach, he shifted to pick out the laptop that sat underneath the note. Placing it atop the crate he looked around him before opening it, watching the screen spring to life.

"Ah, here I see." Mamba. "You would have noticed your particularly easy entrance tonight. Your little haul. Half of that weaponry is as useless as you are right now…" He chortled as he looked at the screen.

"You see I knew of your plans tonight… One step ahead of you at all times aren't I? I even know that the little wolf and his dear cousins aren't watching this right now… Simply hearing my voice… Hello Li!"

Li growled as he heard the voice, his ears pricking as he tried to pick up every sound that was made.

"We had a good bit of fun tonight though didn't we? After all, you assumed that I'd perish in your little stunt. Had to lose a few men there didn't I? But I knew what was coming, knew that you'd send in your cousin to do your little scouting activity… Right down to the moment she left. But see you didn't know that did you? Aren't we feeling a step behind now. Wasn't this meant to be your victory?"

"But alas, there can only be one winner. What a delight it is to be that winner! I seem to remember these fine specimens… I did hear a riveting tale of how one of them in particular looked. Just know that whether they mean something, or nothing, to you, this is still one over you. I'm going to destroy everything you love until you're out of Japan. Enjoy…"

The scene shifted from Mamba's toothy grin onto a flash of neon colours and a waft of smoke. A camera, somewhere in a dark room filled to the brim of young people. They struggled to make out the shapes as the camera suddenly blurred, zooming in.

"Fuck, we have a fucking huge problem."

"Kero?"

On the monitor were two young girls, giggling and dancing carefree as a man with jet hair came to pass them two drinks, both blowing kisses at him. An emerald and a navy dress moved next to each other as they began to knock them down their throats whilst still dancing, waving their limbs into the air and singing to their hearts content, completely unaware of the electronic device following their every move.

"They're at the club the girls are at…"

"TOMOYO?" Eriol exclaimed, nearly deafening the people not only inside the car but down the intercom.

"FUCK!" Li shouted, slamming his hand onto the dashboard as Meilin produced her gun from inside her bag, clicking it backwards.

"Lets go get that bastard. Before he fucking gets them."

-x-

Sakura smiled at her two companions before wandering off to use the bathroom, fighting her way through the throng of people on the floor to just make her way there. The queue of the bathroom was huge, the club obviously at least near maximum capacity. Groaning she looked to the bar and began to make her way over to grab a drink for the wait.

"Hey pretty lady…" A voice spoke suddenly behind her shoulder and she whirled around to look at the guy now stood behind her. His dark hair and light eyes for some reason weren't reached when he smiled, and she felt quite disturbed as she looked at him.

"Sakura, there you are!" Tomoyo suddenly was by her side, eyeing the man with distrust. However, surely they were safe, right? They were on wolf territory after all.

"No offence meant girls! Just wanted to buy you pretty ladies a drink? I hear you're the lady who's got old Eriol in her claws!" He laughed jovially when he finished, raising an eyebrow at Tomoyo. They looked at one another before shrugging. Apparently word spread like wildfire between gangs and most people were firmly aware that Tomoyo and Eriol were currently seeing one another with him being Li's right hand man, so she automatically believed he was just trying to be friendly.

They followed him and stood near the edge of the bar, leaning over to wait for a drink. People were shoving them, trying to get their own drinks and Sakura began to grow bored of her idea of getting a drink for the bathroom queue. Considering excusing herself, the next few moments occurred in a flash.

Suddenly she felt a movement around her neck, and before she could speak the concave area of her neck was given a harsh prod. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her and abrupt pain before she realised she simply couldn't move her limbs. Her eyes focused on Tomoyo crumpling next to her and she felt an arm around her waist just lift her off the floor, as if she could be walking to a bystander and begin to lead her out of the club and into the alley around the back.

Fuck. Again?

Sakura's mind began to reel as she realised the gravity of the situation that she once again found herself in. Oh, how she loathed the fact that this was her life now. Emerald eyes watched the scene play out as she was carried in her paralysis over to a car.

In her mind she was willing her body to begin working again, hoping against all odds that she would get a tingle of something that indicated the movement would be returning. It couldn't be long; the pressure points wouldn't allow paralysis for too long-right? She began to concentrate on her extremities, hoping that something might hold them up so she could reach for the gun holstered on her thigh that the thug had been too preoccupied to look for.

Suddenly, she felt a twinge in her left foot as some movement began to regain in her little toe.

Then, she grinned.

AN: Here is the next chapter of Recoil! Throw in a little dash of plot development, a tad of ExT, a bit of strange Syaoran, a lot of Meilin and some scary situations and that's the recipe! If you're reading please leave a review, I'll appreciate it a million! xx