Thank you to anyone who reviewed this story so far. First off, this chapter is a little shorter because it's set up again. Also, I know that this chapter's tone might feel out of place in this story, but I really think Karasuba and Mutsu belong together. Don't worry though, that doesn't mean that their relationship won't have any struggles. I promise that their relationship will have some interesting turns.

Chapter 6

Inside of his personal office, Higa carefully read the intel that Kakizaki had delivered to him. His windows had been covered up with curtains, and a sole lamp illuminated his mahogany desk.

"And you're sure that this is accurate?" He asked his assistant, who nodded.

Higa could see a plan clearly come together in his mind, "Well then, MBI's going to get a big surprise."

"I think that's a great idea!" Yukari said to Shiina, who suggested using the television studio inside of MBI Tower to put out a message for Minato.

"Well it would be, if we could get inside." Shiina replied softly.

"Nonsense! We'll just melt the doors and kick the balls of everyone who gets in our way!" Yukari said, casually strolling up towards the entrance, which was manned by several armed guards.

Shiina sighed, once Yukari set her mind to something, there was no way to make her stop. He quickly ran up to her as she began arguing with one of the guards.

She stomped her foot on the ground, "Let me in already!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, I can't do that." The guard tried to reply calmly.

"Fine, if you don't want to let me in, I'll force my way in." Yukari said before she swiftly kicked the guard in the balls, bringing him to his knees.

Shiina quickly readied himself for the inevitable fight that was going to ensue.

Minato finally had a moment of peace. His office was strewn with papers, all detailing his various assignments. He had a very high end corner office on the ninety ninth floor, just under the floor that served as Minaka's office. He liked having Minato close by so he could give him assignments. It had been a week since the bridge incident and he had been forced to work nonstop to stop any potential riots for the last few days. The news of the brutal killings had spread through Tokyo. He was now more feared than before, if that was even possible. He had to admit, watching the fear in the eyes of his opponents when they realized that he was the Reaper was actually pretty fun. He understood why Karasuba loved it so much. Not that he was becoming sadistic or anything.

He sighed, he was really going crazy. He decided that he would continue with his assignments tomorrow. He really needed a break from fighting. He had managed to keep himself from killing, but the bodies just kept piling up, usually due to Karasuba's katana.

"Minato! Get outside with your team right now!" Minaka yelled from the intercom in his office.

Minato cursed as his break was abruptly ended. Luckily, he had not taken off the uniform yet and all he had to do was to slip on his mask. He ran over to the elevator and it opened to reveal Karasuba, Mutsu, and Benitsubasa.

"What's going on out there?" He asked his Sekirei.

"Apparently, someone out there tried to break into the tower, and now the building's on lockdown." Benitsubasa said.

The elevator dinged, alerting the passengers that they had reached the right floor. They exited to see the lobby in shambles. The curtains were all ripped down, revealing the shattered windows behind. The chandelier lay in pieces on the floor, along with part of the ceiling. The reception desk had been reduced to a pile of kindling, and there was a large group of workers cowering in fear behind it.

"There is only one explanation for this. The Demon and the Death God are here." Mutsu concluded.

Minato could see two figures in the corner interrogating a terrified receptionist.

"Hey! Get away from her!" Minato yelled. The two figures turned to look at him and the receptionist dashed off. As the figure turned her head, Minato's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yukari?" Minato asked as he pulled off his mask.

"Minato?" Yukari asked as her brother revealed his face.

Tsukiumi let the tears fall from her face as she heard the words leave Homura's mouth. Did he really think of her as a piece to manipulate? Or was he lying to defend himself? She had no idea what to think. The Homura she had come to know would never have said something like that. Was it all an act? Did he really care about her? She decided that she should go up to the roof to get some fresh air.

Homura could not believe the words that had left Miya's mouth. But why had he taken such offense to them? After all, he didn't really care about Tsukiumi. She was just a pawn to him. Sure, she was the only person besides Chiho who showed so much affection for him, but that didn't mean anything. He had to go get some fresh air.

"Your sister?" All of the Sekirei cried out in unison.

"And the new Ashikabi of the Discipline Squad! I talked to Natsuo and Minaka and they agreed that it would be for the best." Minato announced happily. All of the Sekirei paled as they realized that the Demon and the Reaper were brother and sister.

Just as Yukari opened her mouth to speak, the elevator dinged and Takami stepped out.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Minato asked.

"Takami is your mom?" Karasuba asked.

"Wait, how do you know her?" Minato asked.

"Minato, the truth is, I'm the head researcher here at MBI."

"But you said you worked for a pharmaceutical company!"

"Well, MBI dabbles in pharmaceutical supplies." Takami said, rubbing the back of her head.

"The point is, that since both you and your sister are working here, I decided that you should know the truth about your family. Don't judge for what I'm about to say. Minaka is your father." The Sekirei could have just fainted there, "But that doesn't mean you have to work for him. I never wanted you to be involved with the Sekirei Plan, but since you are my children, I want you to make your own decisions."

Minato suddenly felt light headed. He had always assumed that his dad was a deadbeat, not the chairman of a multibillion dollar company.

"Also, I need to warn you. Although Minaka is your father, he is more committed to the Sekirei Plan than he is to his children, so please try to stay out of trouble." Takami pleaded.

"Takami! Where are you?" The intercom blared.

Takami shot her children an apologetic glance and left the floor.

While the other Sekirei were busy getting to know Yukari, Karasuba was on her way to go train in the dojo when she heard noises coming from inside. She gingerly opened the door a crack and peeked inside.

Karasuba could see Mutsu training with his sword, shirtless no less. The tatami mats that made up the floor were slick with his sweat. She stood speechless as she admired Mutsu's figure. His muscles rippled with every powerful yet controlled movement. His six pack clenched and relaxed with as he gracefully swung his sword through the air. His pale chest heaved as his muscles gasped for oxygen.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare all day?" Mutsu suddenly spoke up, catching Karasuba by surprise.

She quickly decided to walk inside and tried to take a deep breath to calm herself down. She had never seen Mutsu shirtless before and was shell shocked by the experience.

"I'm sorry for staring." Karasuba said with her eyes pointed to the ground, trying to keep herself from staring at Mutsu's half naked body.

"It's not a big deal." He said.

"Why are you training alone?" Karasuba asked.

"I need to get my mind off of some things." He looked at Karasuba, "Don't you ever feel guilty?"

She looked up, confused, "About what?"

"We're killing our brothers and sisters. Don't you ever feel like you're scum for doing that?"

Honestly, Karasuba was always too caught up in the delight of seeing blood spill to think about that.

"Or am I just crazy?" Mutsu asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Karasuba quickly ran to his defense, "Of course not! There's no way I would ever consider you crazy."

"At the least, I'm a hypocrite. I want to keep the others safe but, I don't think I could ever leave this place. This place, from where I go out and kill the other Sekirei."

"Stop putting yourself down." Karasuba said before she hugged him, "Honestly, I wish that I could be more like you."

She knew that he probably thought she was just complimenting him, but it was the truth. She wished that she could doubt her own actions like he did. Then maybe, she could control her urges. But instead, she knew that she would never be able to change who she was. Maybe that was one reason that she loved him. She wanted to control herself, and no one had ever been able to keep her desires at bay like Mutsu could. When she was with him, she didn't want to kill. He was the only one in the Discipline Squad who had accepted her from the beginning. When she was around him, she felt like she didn't have to prove herself to him, or make him feel her pain because she knew that he suffered inside as well.

Mutsu was surprised by the sudden embrace, but placed his arms around Karasuba. It was odd, but when he held her, he felt his guilt melt away, even if for a moment. Something had always drawn him to her beyond the physical attraction, and now he knew what it was. She was pained, just like him. When he held her, he felt like he was helping someone. He saw how fragile Karasuba was behind her tough exterior, and helping her made him feel like he was atoning for his mistakes. It was as if he thought that he would be forgiven if he could at least help her.

More than that, when they were together, he felt a little stronger because they knew that he had someone else who was scared, and that he didn't have to face the world alone. It was strangely comforting for him to know someone else as fragile as him.

"Thank you."

Realizing that she may never get Mutsu alone again in the near future, she decided to follow Minato's advice and reveal the truth about her feelings. As much as she was scared to tell Mutsu, he had to know before she even had a chance of developing a relationship with him.

"I need to confess something to you." Karasuba said as her eyes met the ground again.

"What is it?" Mutsu stopped his embrace to listen to her.

"I…I…" Karasuba was shaking in fear now. What if he rejected her? What if he decided that they couldn't be friends because of what she said? Her mind ran through countless decisions, but she finally made up her mind.

"I love you."

Mutsu smiled, "I love you too. You're one of my best friends."

"That's not what I mean." Karasuba said, standing up, "This is what I mean." Without hesitation, she grabbed his shoulders and smashed her lips onto his. Mutsu's eyes widened in shock. Sure he always sorta had a thing for Karasuba, but he never thought that she actually liked him too. He had only ever thought of them as comrades, and maybe friends, but never as lovers.

The kiss was nothing like he would have expected from Karasuba. It was gentle, tender, and filled with emotion. His suspicions about her had been confirmed. Deep down, she really needed someone who would love her and help her face the struggles of everyday life. She let him go and looked away shyly.

"I had no idea." Mutsu managed. His brain was still fried from what had just happened.

"I've had a crush on you ever since I saw you for the first time."

"I did too." Mutsu admitted.

Karasuba looked at him with joy all over her face, "Really?"

Mutsu nodded.

Karasuba jumped for joy and glomped him. He was completely caught off guard and fell to the floor with Karasuba on top of him. He found himself laughing at the loving gesture and gave Karasuba a quick kiss on her forehead. She got up first and helped her new boyfriend to his feet.

Mutsu leaned in, "I now know why I could never leave this place."

Karasuba shuddered at his close proximity, "Why?"

"You." He whispered before he closed the gap between them.

"Did you mean it?"

"What?"

"Did you mean what you said?" Tsukiumi asked impatiently. The two had run into each other on the roof and Tsukiumi wanted answers.

"Well…" Before he could answer, his face was met by a slap that knocked him off of his feet.

"I guess I deserved that." Homura groaned as he made sure his neck wasn't broken.

"I need some time alone." Tsukiumi said, walking past the dazed Sekirei.

All eyes were on the two as they walked to the dining table holding hands. Minato merely looked at the two and gave her a thumbs up while Kazehana was fuming at Karasuba's smile.

Mutsu had never had a girlfriend, so holding hands was a foreign concept to him. Luckily, Karasuba had seen enough romances to know that humans often held their hands when they were dating. The two shyly held hands and Mutsu gently led Karasuba. They almost looked like a high school couple on their first date.

As soon as dinner ended, Yume went with Karasuba to her room. She knew that she was always welcome, as the two were best friends. At first sight, it seemed like an odd relationship, but when it came down to it, Yume had Krasuba's back and vice versa. Yume had been seen as a bit of a heretic for her aversion to fighting, and Karasuba always felt a bit excluded from the rest of the Discipline Squad, so the two naturally bonded together.

"So tell me, what happened?" Yume asked Karasuba, who was currently changing.

Karasuba turned to face her friend with an excited face, "We're going out now. Apparently he's always liked me, but was always too scared to tell me."

Yume grinned at the good news, "So he's okay with your sadisticness?"

Karasuba nervously twiddled her thumbs, "I haven't exactly told him yet."

"Well you'll have to tell him eventually."

"But what if he's scared off? I finally asked him out. I can't ruin it by scaring him away. Right now, I'm just going to enjoy what I can get right now." She said as she looked for something that Mutsu would like.

Yume watched her friend in concern. She wasn't sure that Mutsu would appreciate dishonesty in their relationship, but she trusted Karasuba enough to make her own decisions. For now, all she could do was help her friend.

"Wait one second." Yume said as she dashed out of Karasuba's room. She returned moments later. She quickly forced Karasuba into the red satin chemise she had brought back for her.

"You're lucky that we're about the same size." Yume said, "Now go out there and get your man."

Karasuba quickly hugged her friend and walked outside of her room, where Mutsu was waiting, wearing only boxers and an orange shirt. Mutsu felt all of his blood rush below the belt as Karasuba appeared in the doorway of her room.

"So, let's hang out." He managed to stutter out. In response, Karasuba wrapped herself around his right arm.

He led her to the couch and began searching through the movies that they had in stock. He wasn't exactly sure what she would want to watch. He knew that for a first "date," if it could even be considered that, it was rather pedestrian, but the most important thing was that the two of them would spending time together.

Karasuba could tell that Mutsu was struggling, so she decided to help him out. She crawled over to his hunched form, which was scanning the bookcase of movies.

"How about this one?" She asked, pointing to a silver case. Mutsu pulled it out and was a little shocked at her choice, but went along with it.

They were watching The Expendibles 2 and it wasn't any different from the first one. It was just a lot of action, some cheesy catchphrases, and a lot of blood, but Karasuba seemed to be enjoying herself. Deciding that he should too, Mutsu sat back in his seat and kicked his feet up on the table in front of him. He let his arms relax and deciding to take a chance, carefully put his arm around a surprised Karasuba. She was a little surprised that he would actually do that, but wasn't going to complain anytime soon.

Mutsu was actually starting to get into the movie when he felt a body rubbing up against him. He looked over to see Karasuba pressed up against him. He definitely wasn't going to be able to watch the movie now. He relaxed and let her lean her head on his shoulder. She was contentedly snuggling him, not realizing the effect that she was having on him. She didn't want to admit it to Mutsu, but watching guys get riddled with bullets onscreen was really turning her on. How was she ever going to explain that? She knew that there was a good chance that it would all come crashing down on her if she told him the truth, so she decided that all she could do until then was to enjoy every moment with him. With a contented sigh, she moved her head to his chest and tried to forget about the future.

I haven't see Expendibles 2 yet, so don't take my description of it as accurate. I mostly used it because it seems like the kind of movie Karasuba would enjoy. As usual, I would really appreciate any reviews I can get for this story. Again, I have a poll up on my profile, so if you're interested in a Sekirei crossover, it would help me to write one if you voted on it.