Another chapter! That's right, the long awaited (well, sorta) next chapter! Please R&R!

"Well we can't keep it that's for damn sure," Agon hissed glancing back to Sena who was chewing thoughtfully on a piece of cold pizza across the room, outside of hearing distance. And by "it" he wasn't referring to the pizza.

Hiruma grunted for a reply – but not in agreement, just acknowledging Agon's comment. Sensing he was being inspected, Sena shivered before whipping his head around, seeing them, and waved cheerfully. "We can't leave him here, it's too much of a hazard, we'll be charged with second – maybe even first degree murder when he starves and dies." Hiruma pointed out and as if to prove how pitiful he was, Sena wacked himself in the face, with his own waving hand.

He seemed more surprised than hurt and quickly lowered his hand, eyes wide.

"If we get caught," Agon pointed out and Hiruma shook his head without hesitation. "We would if there was a body," he said leaving no room for doubt. Agon crackled his knuckles and gave Sena a death glare; the boy luckily missed it though because at the same moment he bent down to pick up his napkin.

"So what – you seriously think you're gonna keep him?" Agon sneered getting no reaction out of Hiruma other than a quick twitch in the forehead. "Well, he wouldn't be here if you had done your job properly, now would he?" He hissed before redeeming his earlier calm, "we just need to drop the kid off at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, until then we have to tell the kid something that will keep him from asking questions." Hiruma mused, but while talking his mind sparked and he grinned to himself.

"Do you think he's faking it?" Agon asked. Sena, no longer hungry, was ripping up his napkin and sprinkling the shreds over his remaining pizza while wearing a blank expression.

"Could be, if so he'd doing a pretty fair job, kid was flipping shit earlier. Could be the shock," he said but while pointy looking at Sena's bandaged head. Every once and awhile the kid would reach up as if to brush hair out of his eyes, touch the cut, then wince.

"I don't trust him," Agon growled narrowing his eyes. Sena winced, quickly pulled his hand away from his forehead, and his elbow wacked against the plate and the pizza and paper strips fell to the ground. He bent down to pick it up but somehow managed to slip and landed face down on the ground.

He sat up glancing around to make sure that no one saw his failure. "Yep, just another cold criminal bent on controlling the world," Hiruma said dryly with a snort and Agon glared at him. "Shut up, I still don't like the kid," he muttered and Hiruma shrugged.

"Well that doesn't matter – look we don't want the kid to run off on us and alert the police, right? So we better keep him from realizing anything, along with not asking too many questions." Hiruma grunted and Agon sneered, "Fine, what's your plan?"

Sena sat in the back of the van, every once and awhile thumping his head against something when Hiruma hit a pothole. "Where are we going?" He asked casually. Hiruma was the leader of their strange little trio and looked over his shoulder at Sena who had been bussing himself with cleaning the back of the van, stuffing all the trash into garbage bags.

The ground of the van had been completely disgusting and without proper cleaning supplies all Sena could do was pick up the trash. But even by doing so he had removed a lot of major safety hazards.

"California," he answered and Sena bent over the seat, careful not to touch the relaxing Agon who was causally flipping through a Playboy magazine. "Where's California?" Sena asked looking at the atlas Hiruma had positioned next to him.

"You don't even know-" Agon snorted but Hiruma cut him off, "Hey just because Sena lost his memory doesn't mean he's completely useless." Hiruma said and Sena smiled, it wasn't that he was choosing favorites or anything but Hiruma was nicer than Agon. Maybe right before he lost his memory he said something that offended Agon.

The thought made his stomach sick, Agon wasn't someone he'd want to ever offend he was so scary.

Steering the wheel with his legs Hiruma flipped to the front of the atlas, "this is America," he stated and Sena nodded, even though he already knew that much. "This is where we are," Hiruma said, tapping a funny looking state called Maine then ran his finger to the totally opposite side of the map. "That's California, now stop wasting your time back there and learn all the states and capitals. We'll have a pop quiz later," Hiruma ordered pushing him back over the seat.

Sena sat down on the ground using Hiruma and Agon's dirty clothes as a cushion. He was still wearing the same orange shirt he was woken up in, along with a pair of Hiruma's black boxers, which were fairly long on him.

It had been two days since he had first 'woken up' as he put it and other than feeling like he was covered in a layer of grim and dirt, he was still a little dizzy about everything. Hiruma had explained everything so fast, and then they were in the van headed to California (capital Sacramento). Agon treated him like a footstool and wouldn't explain anything as they loaded the van with a couple of really heavy duffle bags.

Sena didn't actually help load the vans, but later one of the duffle bags had slammed into him so he was able to comprehend how heavy they were.

It was strange, even though Agon and Hiruma seemed completely at ease Sena couldn't help but to feel a level of shyness. He didn't have any memories of the two so it was almost like they were complete strangers. But he'd try to remember, and then maybe the uneasy feeling in his stomach would go away. However that could just have been caused by all the fast food they were eating, surely so much fried chicken was going to be their downfall.

Sena looked up and squinted, surely there was something, there had to be something he remembered about them…they hit a particularly deep pothole and Sena was thrown up in the air. He hit the ground with an "oof" noise and for a moment his arms hurt a lot. Curious, he sat up and rubbed at his wrist. Irritated red marks coved both of them; he had noticed it earlier but hadn't really given it that much thought.

What had he done to do that?

And, more importantly, why didn't he have any clothes? If what Hiruma said was true – that he fell out of the van and hit his head, that didn't explain why he didn't have any clothes. They both had clothes, why didn't he?

"Hiruma?" Sena asked pressing against the seat again. Hiruma looked up at him mildly surprised, "What you're already done?" He asked disbelieving and Sena shook his head blushing. "Um, no, I was wondering though, why aren't I wearing any clothes?" Was it just him or did Hiruma stiffen slightly? He placed his head in his hands staring intently on Hiruma.

The blonde gave him a judgmental glance before grinning widely closing in the space between the two. "Let's just say that we had a wild night," he said and next to him Agon snorted, studying the centerfold carefully. Sena frowned tipping his head, he had the distinct feeling that he was being made fun of but wasn't sure how.

"Um, okay, so why don't I have any clothes again?" Sena asked clearing his throat, trying to keep them on the current topic. "Because we weren't able to gather them after you threw them off during our wild sex." Hiruma said his tone bored. Sena flushed a dark red and make a couple hoarse croaks before his voice finally returned.

"But I'm a virgin!" He cried the words sounding weird in his ears, how could he even be sure that was true? His stomach felt sick; could he seriously have forgotten such an important aspect to life? "Not since you were 15," Hiruma said causally and Sena blinked.

Suddenly he looked down at his wrist and could feel the color rise to his cheeks. "Then these," he showed Hiruma his wrist, "are caused from some weird…bondage thing?" He asked his voice higher than it ever been since he woke up.

"Hey, it was your idea," Hiruma said causally and Sena blushed. His image of Hiruma had just taken a 180, he had been thinking of Hiruma in almost an elder brother type of way. The type of older brother that would randomly make him learn the 50 states and capitals on a whim. But if they were actually partners who've done 'that' then well…that kinda changed everything. And not only 'that' but apparently often for weird stuff like…bondage.

"Bu-but doesn't that ma-make us, um, you know…gay?" Sena asked and ended up whispering the 'g' word. "That's your heritage talking," Hiruma said causally glancing at the road. "My heritage?" Sena pressed and had to wait for a couple agonizing seconds as they hit another pothole – why were they taking all these back roads anyway?

"You were raised Catholic, your father wasn't just a priest but an extremist. He made you chose to either give up your right as his son and to never return home or live like he told and to never speak to me ever again. So we ran away, in this piece of shit van." Hiruma explained staring ahead as he told the whole story. Sena blinked – he really chose his freedom instead of following his father's wishes? It was strange, he hadn't really thought of himself that brave.

"So do we love each other?" He asked and Hiruma looked up at him, his expression unreadable. Sena bit down on his lip sensing that he had said something wrong, but what? If they were already doing it, and he had left his home to be with Hiruma, then shouldn't it be obvious that they love each other?

And then Sena could feel his thinking shift, what if he had been different – before losing his memories? What if back then he hadn't cared too much for love or any values and instead joined Hiruma just as an escape from his father? It wasn't a pleasant thought, and it made Sena's stomach hurt even more, but there wasn't anything he could say now to bring it back.

Instead he stared with wide eyes at Hiruma, nervously awaiting the other's answer. Finally Hiruma snorted and shook his head. "Yeah Sena, we fucking love each other." Hiruma finally said and ruffled his hair. It wasn't the best of answers and wasn't really that convincing but Sena let himself get pushed away. At the last moment though, he took a sharp glance at Agon.

"Then why is Agon here?" He asked blushing when he thought about how rude that sounded, he was about to apologize when Hiruma crackled in laughter. "Just some homeless fucker we found hitchhiking, he's heading to California too." He explained and Sena glanced nervously at the hitchhiker. He was so scary-looking, Sena couldn't even been to comprehend why Hiruma would stop and pick him up.

But, he realized, swallowing and gathering the atlas, he was going to have to spend the next couple weeks with him so Sena was going to have to try to be nicer to Agon, if only so he could sleep better. At the thought of sleeping, Sena looked up at Hiruma, searching for what he found so appealing about the other.

Wiry with tough muscles, he did have a nice facial structure, and really, really bright green eyes. He squinted shutting his eyes against any more weird thoughts.

0000

Mamori Anezaki's morning was hell.

For the last two days she hadn't slept at all instead stuck up in the police station which was near suffocating because the heater was going crazy and everything was practically scolding hot. Her nerves were running thin and they had no evidence at. None. Not even a morsel of hair or a half smudged fingerprint. Irritated she marched over to the coffee machine and pulled the coffee pot out too fast and losing her grip. It crashed onto the floor, not breaking but slipping boiling hot coffee down her shirt and pant legs.

She swore – something she rarely allowed herself to do and picked up a pile of napkins dropping them onto the floor and let them soak up the still burning coffee. "Alright there Anezaki?" Someone asked their voice oozing with a contempt smirk. It didn't take her long to figure out why, she was the only woman on their small police force and a couple of the guys didn't like the idea of a woman on the force.

Her bent down cleaning the floor would only empower them more. She clenched her teeth holding back a retort of 'stupid sexist pig' and looked up to connect the voice with a face. Her anger dissolved and she jumped up giving him a curt nod. "Hello Lieutenant, sir, everything is fine – I just split the coffee, sir." She said throwing away the wet napkins in her hands.

Marco nodded in understanding sipping on his soda. "I wouldn't yet some of these guys see you on the ground cleaning Annie, you're pretty much setting yourself up there," he said causally and she nodded again, placing the coffee pot back, and started to brew a new pot.

"Yes sir," she said swallowing her anger and outrage.

"Anyway, it's far too hot for coffee, here," he tossed her a Pepsi, still cool. She managed to not fumble with it and instead wondered about the new strange nickname he had just bestowed upon her. Annie? Was that supposed to be an insult or just the American way to pronounce the beginning of her last name Ah-ne? She wasn't sure, just knew that being half-Japanese didn't help her case with the other cops at all.

But why should it? She was born in America and she hadn't even met her mysterious Japanese father, the last she heard he was giving away laptop to poor African kids. "So, get any hits on the ghost?" Marco asked, talking about the case involving Sena. She practically had to chew off her arm to get on the case, which was why she was working at 2 a.m. while everyone else was probably sleeping.

She needed to make up for being a woman.

The thought angered her and she breathed deeply trying to push it away. "Nothing new," she said leaving the small café and back to her desk. Marco followed which set off a couple of warnings in her mind, not that any of the guys had actually done anything really bad yet. But she was already jumpy from the caffeine and the anger of not having found anything yet.

Sena was out there somewhere, she could tell, probably hurt and afraid and it was up to her to find and protect him. It always been that way, Sena would get bullied at school and she'd be the one to protect him, it was one of the main reasons she decided to join the force; to serve and protect.

And now Sena needed to be protected more than ever.

He worked at the jewelry store, which had been robbed and him held as a kidnap. The robbers must have been planning to rob the place for months; they managed to turn the burger alarm off completely without alerting anyone. And at the high school – completely across town five kids had been caught with cocaine on campus so nearly every cop car was there going through lockers and backpacks.

That had been too thought out, too easy for them. She had concluded that they planted the cocaine and to her surprise found herself telling Marco so. Maybe it was just that she was wired on the Pepsis he was handing out like he had a fountain of soft drinks hidden somewhere or maybe because it was good to be heard out for once.

"But I think that those kids – that got the cocaine, if I could find who gave it to them, then maybe we'd have our guys." Mamori said organizing a stack of paper on her desk. She looked up and had to resist the urge to flinch. Marco was staring at her intently as if studying a particularly hard puzzle. She stood straight and met his eyes; let him decide what to say himself.

"And why do you think that they didn't give the cocaine to the kids' themselves?" He asked and she nodded, reminding herself to continue. "Because how careful they been so far, if one of the dealers squeal," she said and he sat on her desk carefully.

"Annie, those boys are in holding – we had several officers try to rag them out, they're not talking." He said looking almost disappointed. "That's not who I'm talking about, this is Sena's high school, I didn't graduate that long ago myself. I know how the cliques work, all I need is one kid with a guilty conscious, and then we'll have our guy."

Marco nodded slowly, "Well, that's a hell lot better than anything else I've heard today. Annie, I'm going to talk to the chief, next time I get, and I promise you that he'll give you the go-way for this little plan of yours," he said and Mamori smiled ready to thank him when she caught the slight twitch of a half-smile.

"What's the catch?" She snapped narrowing her eyes and he shrugged stretching his arms, cracking his neck. "I need you to check up on Shin, and partner up with him." He explained and she relaxed, Shin was one of the best cops in the whole station.

And she had personally been planning to look him up once she got a break in the case. This wasn't as big as a break as she'd hope but it was good enough, and she knew that Shin probably was taking this even more personally than she was. Sena had adored Shin, very time he came to the station after school he would practically shadow Shin with the same awed expression as a tourist in the city.

Shin was mostly a quiet guy, he kept to himself, but Sena – in his own awkward way – brought the best out of Shin, who never had a partner stick. Pretty much a solo guy, it was good to see him give Sena the older brother role Mamori secretly knew he craved.

They personally had never talked though and one-on-one Shin was pretty imitating, not the average small town cop at all. Shaking her head of such thoughts, Mamori nodded to Marco. "Yeah, um, could you look up his address for me?" Mamori asked and he handed over a slip of paper. She realized with a slight shock that he must have already been planning to give her this all along.