AN: The song I threw in this chapter is New Divide by Linkin Park, I thought it goes well with Raizo's flashbacks and state of mind at this point, the angst and the conflict and the little revelations. Basically a rock song just suited the whole mood of this chapter . Thanks for the positive feedback, and interest!
I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me
I remembered each flash as time began to blur
Like a startling sign, that fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard, that I get what I deserve
"You have made me proud tonight Raizo, there are some who believed you would fail, but I knew you would not"" Ozunu's authoritative voice carried across the wind and rain that washed across the Dubai hotel rooftop. His white clothes stained with blood, Raizo outstretched his hand and handed Ozunu the gold watch the dead Kingpin had worn.
"Keep it. It will remind you that every minute of your life is a gift I have given you" Ozunu gave him one of his rare smiles.
In the midst of the ninja formation a petite figure was roughly pushed forward, Takeshi yanked the hood off and it revealed a sobbing young girl.
"A daughter that turned her back on her family, she tried to run, Takeshi hunted her down" Ozunu unsheathed his blade and offered the hilt to Raizo
"It is the law of the nine clans, weakness compels strength, betrayal begets blood" he was motioning for Raizo to kill the young girl. Raizo saw Kiriko's face and all the rage he had been harboring towards Ozunu for having her killed came bubbling on the surface. With his chain blade he struck Ozunu on the eye.
"Kill him!" Ozunu screamed with fury. Raizo tried to fight but they overpowered him, and slashed him and wounded him with several shuriken, then he fell off the rooftop.
As the memories flashed in his mind, Raizo's vigorous tempo increased. He was doing pushups on the bare floor of the basement. He had lost count of how many, he never counted anyway, and counting was for weak people. The death of Ulrich strangely didn't give him the release he sought. It didn't ease up the rage or make him feel better in any way. He thought he was supposed to feel better now that the person who almost killed Mika was dead.
So give me reason, to prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect this space between
He had found Ulrich in a dingy strip club accompanied by his drunken friends. Killing him had been easy, almost too easy. Like in every club, the lights were dim, it was easy for Raizo to blend in the shadows; the music was loud and so was the noise. All it had taken was a clean slice of his blade and Ulrich had lost his head without seeing anything. When the screams erupted Raizo was already out of the club. How people were so blind and deaf to everything around them confounded Raizo.
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide.
There was nothing inside, the memories left abandoned.
There was nowhere to hide, the ashes fell like snow
Raizo had always felt a connection with his weapons; they were an unparalleled extension of him. It was an inborn connection; they were a part of him. He had been born to wield a weapon. He had always felt the adrenalin rush and invigorating energy that shot through him every time he held his katana or chain blade or every time he fingered his shuriken. Lately when he held a weapon he felt nothing, the connection had gone, and it was like he was holding just another object, like a kitchen knife or spoon.
And the ground caved in, between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard, that I get what I deserve
So give me reason, to prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross, the distance in your eyes.
At first Raizo had panicked, he had been afraid that he was losing his touch. But his reflexes were still good and his sense of smell and sight was even more sharpened that ever. He had been afraid getting intimate with Mika would weaken him. He understood why Ozunu discouraged any kind of physical intimacy. Because sometimes it came with an unalterable emotional connection like he now had with Mika. Instead of that pull he felt towards his weapons, he felt that pull towards Mika now, instead of the urge to maim and kill Raizo had only felt the need to protect, and his need to protect had nothing to do with a killing frenzy. There were so many ways you could protect your loved ones without leaving a bloodbath, leaving a bloodbath sometimes put you on the same level with the the people who had harmed you. And Raizo felt the revulsion of being compared to people like Viktor or Ulrich.
Across this new divide
In every loss, in every lie, in every truth that you deny
And each regret and each goodbye, was a mistake too great to hide
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect this space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide, across this new divide.
Raizo's brutal workout was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He edged himself up and reached for it.
"Raizo, where the hell are you man? You've just left a shitstorm brewing up here!" Maslow yelled on the other end of the line.
"What do you want Maslow?" Raizo sounded unmoved.
"Don't use that detached ninja voice with me Raizo. You know, as much as you try to convince everybody including yourself, that you're still the dead creep's scholar; you know it's no longer true." Any reference to Ozunu made Raizo flinch but it was also the truth in Maslow's words that side tracked him. It was the first time Maslow had ever shouted at him, Maslow's respect for him had always bordered on fear and reluctance.
"So let's talk about the headless man at the strip club, I've just been alerted by the polizei that a certain criminal on my wanted list is dead"
"He got what he deserved, he tried to kill Mika" Raizo said indignantly.
"Hell yes, I would have killed the bastard myself, but listen Raizo, you can't go on delivering death at people's doorsteps like an angel of death" Maslow sounded agitated.
"So what do you suggest, Maslow? That you and your people track him down?" Raizo replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Yes Raizo, unfortunately you can't play sir justice balancing out the scales by yourself"
"I'm going for Lundgren now, he gave the order, I'm a step ahead of you" Raizo spoke in a matter of fact tone.
"Which is why I'm calling you, Raizo, let me help you put this guy away forever" Maslow reasoned.
"How long until you find 'enough evidence', like you all say, to arrest him?" Raizo questioned.
"We have evidence, more than enough to put him away for a very long time"
"How, if I may ask?"
"The bastard with the broken arms and leg squealed, the prosecutor cut a deal with him and before you protest, it's not the one where he gets to walk free" Maslow explained.
"So Raizo we need your help to track Lundgren down, then we nail him"
"He has high security, you men will be killed"
"We have kevlars for that, but weren't you planning to go there alone? I want you to cause diversion. That part where you black everyone else in the darkness" Raizo almost smiled at Maslow's dramatic description.
"And to make sure he does not get away" Raizo finished.
"Uh—ok, I'll like to believe that's all you'll do"
"I'll meet you at your office Maslow" Raizo finally said then hung up.
So this was what love did to people, it made you surrender a lot, thought Raizo. It made you lose a part of yourself that you thought you still had a right to. And if you were lucky, sometimes it even completely changed the person you were into a much better person.
For the past three months while he was away from Mika; Raizo had been tethering between two worlds, the new one with Marlene and Henri and the old one which he had come from. Mika had been the missing puzzle piece, the piece that completed everything and took the place of his old world. Love like a fire, while it burnt and consumed everything in its sight, what followed was rebuilding, growth and moving on.
"It's been almost two weeks Raizo; I'm not dealing well with this detention now" Mika complained over the phone to him. He had called her on his way to the Europol headquarters as part of their new ritual which saw them calling each other frequently.
"It's not detention Mika, its safety" Raizo said in an exasperated tone, his girlfriend's feistiness sometimes amused him
"And how come neither of you are fully briefing me on what's really going on down there?"Mika asked suspiciously.
"Because your only focus should be getting better; which Marlene tells me you are" Raizo sounded almost pleased.
"I'm not a child Raizo, I need to know what's really going on or I'll drive there" Mika demanded.
"No, you're not" Raizo growled, the feeling of elation Raizo had a minute before faded. There was pointed silence on Mika's end.
"Mika you're the one who wants us to start worrying about being a normal couple. Does it matter?" Raizo ran a hand through his hair; dealing with Mika when she became cranky was not one of his strengths.
"Meaning you don't?"
"I didn't say that" Raizo sighed sensing her want to pick up a fight.
"So what are you saying Raizo? The usual order? You and your groundbreaking bromance with Ryan, taking care of things and me being left in the dark as usual" she said sarcastically.
"Mika, I'm not fighting with you" Raizo stated in a flat tone. The idea of fighting with Mika was something he didn't like entertaining.
"Yes, you're out there breathing fresh air, roaming around the streets freely, and us, trapped here in a country house with corn fields, the view is lovely by the way"
"What brought this on Mika?" he asked quietly.
"I don't know Raizo, maybe it's because I miss you so much, and how you and I never seem to have a peaceful moment to ourselves without getting sidetracked. In case you didn't notice; I didn't exactly sign up for this" Mika said coldly and hung up on him before he could say more. Raizo hit the steering wheel with frustration and sped down the highway to meet Ryan and get this over and done with.