Sometimes I believe that it's best not to hope in order to avoid being let down. It's better to hide your heart in order to avoid pain. What exactly is the point of forming a relationship if it is only doomed to fall apart? Whether through death, break-up, divorce, time, etc. Relationships of any sort, be they of friendship of love. Is the pain worth it? The flower of a venus fly-trap; sweet smelling, drawing close weak beings like myself towards it and into the sweet smelling trap itself. Much like the power she holds, if the venus fly trap consumes one too many insects, then it dies. If she consumes too much power, then she too will die. So he's there for her; her gardener. His job is to be sure that not too many insects of the world like myself get too close to her, for her safety. If I'm to be squished beneath his boots for her sake, then that's okay. This pain, is worth it.


Decline: Part II

I woke up, preformed my morning routine and drove out to pick up the Director from his home. We were going through the gates to our building and I commented on the crowd protesting our making of weapons that was being louder than usual. He just said to take nothing of it and took some large gulps from the large water bottle he always carried around. He enquired about his schedule. "You're booked solid today. We're still playing a bit of catch-up due to all the time you've spent with Masane recently…" I replied to him. I tried not to sound rude or bitter, but the last of my sentence was tinged with bitter feelings. I looked to the side to see his eyebrows lowered, and his eyes closed. His expression wasn't pleasant. Even he could tell the hint of emotion in my voice. Takayama commented/threatened,

"Sounds like you have a complaint."

"Not at all sir." I said to him with my honest voice. I explained to him that I was just worried about how rapidly Wadou's project was proceeding, fearing that we would appear complacent in comparison. The man smirked and told me again that 'Wadou will fail'. Somewhat frustrated with him and his arrogance I told him that it may be easy for him to say that since he's known Wadou since college (which was a long time ago :P), but people can surprise you. I reminded him of the tale of 'The Tortoise and the Hare'. I quickly said then that calling him a hare would be too cute for his image. I should've thought of something better to say to make up for calling him a rabbit. Takayama, with his eyes closed and eyebrows narrowed still he told me with his arrogant voice that Wadou was the hare, looking for short cuts. I commented that that would be a disturbing image.

I trailed Takayama to the elevator that would take us to our next meeting, and what do you know? Wadou and his assistant Yagi were there just ahead of us, waiting for the elevator. Wadou, in his dark-scarlet suit turned towards us and said with that slimy voice of his, "Takayama, it's been a while."

"I hadn't noticed." Takayama said. Oh, Director, you make me laugh sometimes.

"The meeting should be fun. I have an announcement that I know you're just going to love." the, as Masane once said, douche bag sneered.

"I can hardly wait." Takayama replied in his usual manner. I turned my head slightly to see my employer's and Wadou's faces.

"Well, you won't have to wait long." Wadou stated. I looked away and to the floor. His confidence worried me. What if things went badly for Takayama in the meeting? I stepped back and walked to behind Wadou and patted off his shoulder a speck of 'dust', it would be safer for my future if I got on his good side after all. I explained to him my actions.

"How kind of you." he said in his nasally voice. 'No problem.' I told him, then using my award winning cutie smile, as this girl in college once called it. The elevator beeped and the door opened. The two directors entered and then Yagi and me. They entered through the metal doors and that was the last we saw of them for a while. I waited in the lounge just a short distance from their room with the other assistants of the many directors attending the meeting. Two of the assistants were in charge of setting up the meeting room and apparently they had 'forgotten' to turn off the phone that sat in the middle of the table within the meeting room, so we were able to hear every single word in the room with much hilarity. Wadou presented his Witchblade Project and said that it was able to bind to a man. He asked Takayama's opinion, who said that it was very powerful and such. What a guy, asking for compliments like that. Wadou talked about how powerful it was, even more powerful than the I-weapons. A director commented that Wadou was going into Takayama's territory but Wadou just said that 'it was unavoidable.'. Just as Wadou was going into how many Ultimate blades (his product) would be sold, and how much money would be brought in, Takayama began to boldly state to Wadou that he would sell no more than one or two at the most. Wadou demanded why he would say that. The assistants and I were quiet as we listened in on the phone we turned on and put on speaker. The rustling of a paper was made and Takayama told Wadou how a client actually decided not to buy any Ultimateblades at all. Several of us snickered. Takayama then asked if Wadou had ever been on a battlefield. He waited a beat before continuing to say that modern warfare was about 'precision; strategic design with minimal loss of lift. All the things the Ultimateblade lacks.' Much more laughing ensued in the small lobby. Yagi and I hushed at them to be quiet, eager to hear what our directors were saying.

"What are you saying?!" we heard Wadou say.

"Because performance-wise, it's far inferior to the I-weapons." A few seconds passed before words. "Our clients want the best product for the job. You've done no more than play games on paper." Takayama finished. Inaudible whispering was heard in the meeting room while many of the men out here began laughing until they cried. Poor Yagi though. He was laughing just like the rest of us, but certainly not as hard. I could see fear in his eyes. What on earth does Wadou do to that poor man? Some people thanked Yagi and me for our bosses being the entertainment of the day.

I walked down the hallway behind Takayama and complimented him on his performance (as all the directors found out that the phone was on after the meeting was through, to their great dismay/amusement/horror (in the case of Wadou)). I commented how it seemed that Wadou had let down his guard, again. I thought over the time I brushed off that dust from him, glad that I hadn't switched to his side due to my wrong assumption that Wadou's plans would go well.


The following morning a detective named Nakata paid us a lovely visit. I stood behind Takayama who was sitting at his desk when the poorly-dressed, slightly insane looking man threw upon his desk a plastic bag containing bullet and a bullet shell. He said to us that the ammunition found at the crime scene was the kind used specifically for the military, and the only military using them was Douji. I tried to hide my disconcertment. Even the Director seemed a tad flustered. Nakata had with him some pictures of the recent murders (committed by ExCons), saying that they'd be impossible to be committed by normal people. He said more or less that all of his suspicions led him to us/Douji. I said to him casually, "I must say I'm impressed. You sound like the detectives I see on TV." Yeah, detectives I've seen on television when I was a child. Nakata grumbled and replied, somewhat sarcastically,

"Yeah, thanks." With the same sour expression on his face he said, "Look, Director Takayama, I'm not trying to accuse any of your employees of murder here," Yes, and I'm quite sure you aren't "We're just saying there may be some kind of connection."

"Meaning what?" Takayama asked, a bit too much emotion in his voice. Nakata swept out an obnoxious large white fan with 'Japan' in kanji on it and started to fan himself, even though we had air conditioning.

"Meaning maybe weapons were stolen, or an ex-employee leaked some top-secret data. There could be some psycho out there building replicas of your weapons right now." stated the unkempt man. This man is far too imaginative.

"That's absurd," I said to him as I adjusted my glasses, "the Douji Group security is flawless. Our corporate secrets would never be leaked to the outside." Takayama added,

"I'll advise our staff to be more strict with their information management. Is that all, detective?" The man scowled at us, bid his goodbye, and left. As I saw him enter his car from the parking lot I commented that it could've gone better, and that he probably didn't buy it for a second. I told Takayama that he'd probably be back, but he just said that Nakata'd get the same answers. He spoke of how Douji Industries would never be accused. "I imagine the detective already knows that." he said. His arrogance is frustrating.

"He must enjoy wasting his time." I commented. He told me to forget him (Nakata) and get back to the investigation of the murder last night. I obliged and left the room.

Damn it all. Someone had released some secretly taped video recordings of our ExCon clean-up crew to the media. Takayama later left for a meeting concerning the recent media outbreak.

It was official. Takayama had resigned from the special division. In fact, he had quit working for Douji entirely. My new boss was…Wadou. As I stared out the window thinking over this matter I spotted a familiar woman in a yellow sweater in the crowds. If they found out she worked for Douji… I walked down the hallway, power-walking when no one was in sight, and took the elevator. My heart beat quicker. Why was the elevator going so slowly? I ran across the skyline that reached to another building, took another elevator, and ran out the back door. I reached the front of the building and spotted her in the crowd. It seemed she was in an argument with some of the people in the angry mob. Some people looked at me strangely, probably because I was wearing a suit, but I weaved through the crowd to get to Masane.

"You wanna go?!" she yelled at a man. Before she, or the man, could start anything, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back towards me. A surprising warmth almost filled my heart.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked her. It came off meanly as my frustration from earlier rubbed off. She fell back and bumped into my chest. It was as if with every fiber of my being that she touched, she lit up something in my withered heart. She looked back to see just who was grabbing her wrist. She didn't seem that pleased to see me, but nor did she seem displeased, so that was fine to me. I let go of her wrist gently and apologized for grabbing her so suddenly. I entered through another entrance rather than the backdoor ( I didn't want any of the mob to find the backdoor) of the building I had exited, and rode up the elevator with her, all the while explaining to her all that had happened and was happening right now. Except… except the part about Reiji Takayama. I sighed and asked what gave her the idea she could waltz through the front door as we walked across the skyline together.

"Well I wouldn't have had to if I knew where the backdoor was!" she said.

"Then I'll show it to you." I explained to her that all of the employees were now using it. Should I hope again now that the hypotenuse of our love triangle is gone? Is it right of me to do this? After all, she doesn't even know that Wadou's now her employer.

"So is Douji gonna be alright?" she asked me in a nicer tone, "I mean, all this stuff has gotten out—."

"Don't worry." I reassured her. "Large corporations like Douji have their own unique ways of survival." It was really nice. Regardless of all the negative commotion on the streets surrounding Douji and in the media, it was a nice blue day. The sun's rays cast brilliant waves of light onto the glass ceiling and walls of the skyline. A golden glow was set around Masane. This ended of course as soon as we entered the next building. We went up another elevator. Masane was telling me about her time at an amusement park with Rihoko and all the clothes she had bought her. She spoke to me as a friend…

We entered Takayama's— er, Wadou's office asking him to pardon our intrusion. I walked over to behind the sofa opposite of where Wadou sat. Masane seemed surprised to see Wadou there.

"Hey, aren't you that… guy?" she asked. She and I locked eyes for a second, both of us thinking, "He's that douche bag." I'm glad we have now an inside joke.

"And you're the girl from my award party. Oh, dear… I'd never suspect you were the bearer of the Witchblade." he commented to her.

"Where's Takayama?" Masane asked. She really did seem concerned. I should have told her.

"He's no longer with Douji." Wadou said in almost a sneer. Her eyes widened.

"What are you saying?!"

I checked my watch. Actually, Takayama should be in a press conference of sorts right about now, clarifying that he takes full responsibility of the matter and his resignation from Douji. Masane sat down on the couch opposite Wadou. "Takayama quit his job?"

"Correct," Wadou answered. He said to her that all Witchblade affairs handled by the Special Division would now be taken on by himself. Terribly enough, he included my name in the conversation; telling how I would still take care of the business-side of things.

"I'm looking forward to continuing our work together Masane." I said to her, giving a reassuring smile. She seemed disconcerted.

"So, wait a minute. So, basically I've been switched from Takayama to you, just like that?" Wadou replied that we (Douji) need the Witchblade in order to continue our research. He said that we/he/Douji would like to mass-produce the Ultimateblade but there are some technical issues with it.

"What we're saying is that for now we still have plenty of work for you. Isn't that great?" I said to her. My confidence in our relationship building was quickly slipping away.

"Screw a whole bunch of that!" Masane got up. "I'm outta here." I really hated pulling this car, but my job (and possibly safety, concerning Wadou's temperament) was on the line as well.

"What about Rihoko?" I asked. She stopped before the door. "Douji will go on with or without you. If you quit now the only one who stands to suffer is her."

"I understand you were attached to Takayama," Wadou said. Oh, shut up Wadou. "But, business is business and we need you Miss Amaha." He told her that the Bio Division (his section) pays well, benefiting both her and her daughter. She clenched her fists and gave in.


The following day…

I entered the office with freshly printed papers in my hand. "A breath-taking view, isn't it?" I asked Wadou as he stared/glared out the window. "Takayama would often stand there—."

"Segawa," he said, "I'd rather not hear that name first thing in the morning." A bit cranky this morning, huh? I apologized and relayed to him that he was to attend a meeting concerning the Special and Bio Divisions at ten in the morning. He sat down and commended me on how quickly I had switched sides from Takayama to him, especially after all my years of working with Takayama. I told him that my job had always been to serve Douji's directors, nothing more. So there were no sides to switch to. He said how convenient it was since his secretary had resigned. I enquired why Yagi had quite so suddenly, but he knew not. From rumors I've heard, I can't blame Yagi. The sound of the door opening drew my attention.

"Good morning I'm here!" yelled a familiar voice. Masane came running in and stood by my side. She wore a blue suit and carried a brown purse. I really liked her usual attire much better. The suit made her look a bit fat, not to mention how uncomfortable she seemed in it. Wadou looked at his watch and complained that she was three minutes late. Give her a break, you douche bag. "I'm sorry sir!" she said, giving a slight bow.

"Listen, Miss Amaha, unlike your previous employer I'm not paying you anything if you don't follow my rules." Wadou said to her. She apologized again. He looked her over. "Your attire is passable for today, however that will not work for the party tomorrow."

Masane asked him, "What party?" He explained to her that he had to go to a party tomorrow, and that she was to escort him.

"With you? Are you serious?" She had a dumbfounded look on her face.

"What's the matter? Having trouble following orders?" he said, slightly annoyed that she said that in such a way. She replied a 'no sir' and said that she would be there. Masane left the room looking a tad down. I asked Wadou if I should take care of her attire, his answer being a yes. I had just barely left the room when I heard Wadou cackle and yell something like 'I did it! The Witchblade, the woman, and the secretary; All of them belong to me now!' I sighed and closed the door quietly behind me. He truly was a madman. I tried to catch up with Masane as she was walking down the hallway.

Evening came by and I was just finished with a load of paperwork. I commented to Wadou that since the Special and Bio Divisions had merged, and him as its Director, he would have much more work to do. He said he wasn't worried about being overwhelmed by the workload, saying he had handled twice as much before this. "Sounds as if you've worked hard for where you are, how inspiring." I said, my job also being in raising the self-esteem of Douji's directors.

"I simply do the work that no one else wants to touch. You can have an office with this yourself if you work hard enough."

"I never acquired a taste for hard work." I said to him, "Besides, if I ever made it this far up, I'd always be worried about who might push me off." I stared out the window. The city lights was its own blanket of stars and clouds blacked out any moon there was that night. Wadou leaned back in his chair. He asked if I was implying that he would fall in Takayama's footsteps. "I meant in general. People in power always have other people behind them. And those who have fallen often come crawling back up…. So much responsibility, and always having to watch your back-- I could never do it." Just like my courage in facing relationships. I turned to Wadou and commended him for his ability to grasp power so fearlessly. He laughed in a slightly creepy way and said that any who attempted to gain power should always have a great level of resolve. He reached for his tea cup; his hand was trembling for whatever reasons. I didn't ask why.


It was around 7:45 AM when I gave a call to Masane. I stood in Wadou's office, Wadou being out for the time being at one of his many meetings. The phone rang for a few seconds before I heard a young voice answer,

"Hello?" I could only guess who it was and so I said,

"Miss Rihoko? This is Mr. Segawa, I was the assistant of Mr. Takayama?" She didn't hesitate a second before exclaiming,

"Oh! I could never forget you Mr. Segawa! Uh, my mom's getting ready for work, do you need her?"

"Yes, I do. Could you please have her call me before she leaves?"

"Uh huh! Anything else?"

"Nothing at all. Have a nice day Rihoko—." I ceased speaking when I heard Masane ask in the background why on earth Rihoko was on her phone. She said to her mother that Mr. Segawa was on the phone and wanted to talk to her. She asked for the phone but Rihoko chirped 'Bye Mr. Segawa!' before handing it to Masane.

"Hey, Segawa, what's up? I need to leave soon so could you make this quick?" she asked him. I don't think I've ever spoken on the phone before with her.

"Actually, it's concerning that party you're to attend with Mr. Wadou tonight." I said to her. A second passed before she mumbled,

"Oh, yeah… that."

"Well I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to the same boutique as last time so that you may try on some things. I've been charged with attending to your clothing selection." I wasn't too happy either about her being Wadou's date that night.

"Yeah, sure. …Hey, can I bring Rihoko along?" she asked.

"Forgive me, Masane, but Rihoko can't come with us to the party tonight. Mr. Wadou isn't as kindly towards children as Mr. Takayama."

"Yeah," she chortled, "I kinda figured that. But I want to buy some stuff for her!"

I laughed and gave in, "Yes, of course she may come. I'll pick you two up at 1:00 PM then. Good bye."

"Bye."

I flipped my phone shut and put it in my pocket. I didn't really mind that it wouldn't be just the two of us. Having Rihoko there might make it less awkward anyway.


This was the other half the of the original chapter I split into two. Does it follow too closely to the anime, even with the lines (most are extracted directly from the dubbed anime)? I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thank you for reading this far.