Chapter 9

Hitomi was a wreck all day, she refused to go to school, but she also refused to go home. She simply wandered until she thought it would be best to sit down.

She found a small park and settled herself down under a tree. Looking up she whished she could be a tree, having strong branches reaching up to the sky, wearing beautiful leaves to catch the sun, and sleeping for the entire winter. While she was deep in thought she didn't notice when someone sat next to her.

"Haven't see you in a while." Hitomi jumped out of her thoughts to see a boy sitting next to her wearing a small grin. His faced changed instantly when he saw the puffs under her eyes and he took in her red runny nose. "What happened. Who did this, kids at your school?"

"Oh Dilandau." She threw her arms around his neck and cried shamefully into his shirt.

It took awhile but Dilandau was finally able to get the story out of her. It seemed Van came back earlier than expected and surprised Allen and Hitomi. Then to make matters worse the idiot had to go and make another scene this morning. But to give the guy credit, Dilandau knew he wouldn't have had enough control to only land one punch.

Dilandau's anger rose as he held the crying girl. How could these two not even think about Hitomi's feelings?

"C'mon," He said gently, "It's getting cold."

"No," Her sudden terror and outburst scared Dilandau. "No I can't go back, not now, not tonight." She looked up at him and grabbed his jacket. Dilandau didn't know why she was so terrified but he knew of a place where he could take her.

"C'mon," He said again, and started to pull her up. She was so distraught she didn't even notice that the way back was starting towards Gaea. When they were a block away Dilandau turned into a broken down warehouse.

Even in the growing dusk the place was almost pitch black. Just like the small hut Dilandau knew exactly where the torch (flashlight) was. He led the girl up some broken down stairs and they went to the second story. Everything that had been crammed into the small one room had been transferred to the nearest corner.

For half a second Dilandau didn't want to lay Hitomi down. He wanted to hold her, and let her know everything was fine. Hitomi had different ideas, however, the second she saw the bed she fell on it and within seconds she was asleep.

Dilandau knelt down and was relieved when peace fell across her face as she fell farther into her dreams. He brushed back a strand of her hair and placed the torch by her hand.

With great reluctance Dilandau raised himself up and turned to go. At the steps he looked back in the hazy light. I'll come back. Squaring his shoulders, as a man on the edge of a mission Dilandau went down and into the twilight.

Hitomi's mother had been sitting at the window ever since she got the call from her daughter's school saying she hadn't shown up at any of her classes. She had eaisly lied, saying Hitomi had been sick and she had completely forgotten to call. Ever since then she sat at the couch waiting and hoping.

When a silver haired youth came walking up to her hose, Hitomi's mother feared the worst,

"Mrs. Kanzaki." Dilandau knew his appearance hadn't helped to soothe the woman standing before him but he couldn't help it. Not wanting to bee seen by the wrong people he walked in and closed the door. Standing in the hall Dilandau stayed unmoving.

"My daughter?" Mrs. Kanzaki whispered her face papery white. She knew of Dilandau Albatou, a dangerous boy, Dornkirk unwilling to make him a match. It was said he loved to cause riots and the only reason he was in an 'inside' school was because he started to many fights 'outside.'

Dilandau seemed to read her thoughts but went on speaking instead. "Your daughter is safe, but she couldn't come back tonight, I think she'll be strong enough in a day or so. If you don't see her tomorrow you should probably have and excuse for her school. I can't stay." He turned to go but Mrs. Kanzaki stopped him.

"Will Van, or Allen by with her? Someone… safe?" She backed away at the look Dilandau gave her.

His eyes were full of terrifying red fire. "Someone safe?" He paused trying to keep his anger in check. "They were the ones who hurt her." He said quietly, and then left without another word.

Dilandau looked around as he felt the warmth from the door behind him close. He knew the warehouse would be cold that night so he needed to finish his business quickly and go to her. That idea caused a small smile to escape Dilandau's features. He'd never had someone to hurry home for.

After he passed three houses he turned and went into the shady forest knowing they would follow. When he finally got far enough, Dilandau silently climbed a tree. The two figures tracing him soon made their way underneath his branch.

"He had to have gone somewhere." Allen whispered to his companion. "I'm positive Dilandau has her hidden somewhere, why else would he go to her house?"

"You know," Dilandau's rage heightened, he didn't expect Van. For them to be together seemed to fill him with anger, how dare they walk around buddy buddy while the only peace Hitomi had received all day was when she fell asleep. "For someone so keen on ditching her, you seem awfully concerned."

"I didn't say I was keen on the idea." Allen snapped, "but I have to keep my family safe. Leaving is the only option we have." Finally Dilandau could no longer keep silent.

"So you're just going to abandon her?" he said as he jumped out of his tree. The tree protested, of course, but soon righted itself once the thing was gone. "You're just going to leave in the dead of night without even a farewell?"

For the first time Allen didn't seemed ashamed, "It's for my family," he stated with finality.

"I don't give a damn about your family!" Dilandau roared. "If your truly loved her you would take her with and forget the consequences!" he could tell the thought had never even crossed Allen's mind. Dilandau looked at him with a feeling of utter disgust. "You don't deserve her." He said landing a punch on Allen's head.

It was so forceful Allen went down almost instantly. Dilandau didn't even wait to see him fall but immediately after hitting him turned on Van.

"And you," He spat "you are no better than him!" He threw a punch that Van easily dodged. "You act like you protect her, but did you even think how it might make her feel after all these idiotic games?" He swung another hit, and this time his aim was true.

Blood spattered from both Allen and Van's mouths, but it was the latter who started to speak.

"If your planning to just be able to talk and hit then you just hit the wrong person. I fight back." Faster than the other two could see Van punched Dilandau in the stomach.

Dilandau didn't even go down, he simply clutched his stomach and glared at Van. Allen watched between the two in utter astonishment. He couldn't understand how both of them could take body-crushing hits and never even go down.

"You've gotten stronger, since I last saw you." Van stated.

"And you've gotten slower." Dilandau countered.

Before Allen even realized it, the two were at each other's throats. They were hitting, kicking, and doing everything in their power to hurt the other as much as they could. The fight seemed to last hours but in reality it only lasted a few minutes. When the two broke away Dilandau had a bruise on his cheek and a bloody lip, while Van seemed to have no facial injuries.

"Tell me where she is." Van commanded.

"No," when Van started to raise his fist Dilandau continued, "you can beat me all you want I'll never tell you where she is." This seemed to stop Van in his tracks.

"Van…" Allen have heartedly tried to tell the boy off.

"Why?" Van said, looking down at his shoes, "Why are you so keen on protecting her, when it's..." he paused seeming not to have the right words, "when it's my job."

Dilandau spit some of the blood out of his mouth. "If it is yours to do then your doing a pretty shitty job at it." He said staring at the down cast man, "you were so intent on making him," Dilandau jabbed his thumb at Allen, "angry that you completely ignored Hitomi. If you're so keen on protecting her, then for once actually think about her!" His voice raised in frustration of trying to get it through both boy's thick skulls. "All you are thinking about is yourself, do either of you know what Hitomi went through today?" When neither of them spoke Dilandau snorted. "Of course you don't your thinking about your family," he turned to Allen, "and you're" he turned on Van "trying to find ways of making Allen angry. I don't have anything more to say." With that Dilandau walked off but glanced back at Allen.

"If you are going to leave handsome, you better damn well make sure it doesn't hurt her." He then casually made his way in towards the one person who he wanted to help the most.