A/N: I apologize for once again taking so long to update. Things have been crazy and depression has been flaring. But I finally wrote another chapter! Woo! I'd have to say it's thanks to the recent review having motivated me to keep writing. We're nearing the end, so thank you to those that have stayed with me.
Sotetsu held one finger to his lips as he tried the door knob to Shito's private room. Just as Shito had told him, it wasn't locked. It puzzled him how Touhou had so much trust in Shito's obedience. Then again, he'd seen it first hand. He'd never really understood why Shito was the way he was, and he didn't want to. He already felt like he'd learned too much about his private life.
"It looks good. Are you ready?" He whispered. "I'll get the guards outside, you head on ahead, Bekko-san will follow." Sotetsu said not waiting for response. He yanked the door open and immediately swung his arm out to the side, knocking the first of two guards against the wall. The man slid to the floor unconscious as Sotetsu quickly stepped forward then swung his body around grabbing the second guard by the collar and lifting him up to knock his head against the wall. Two times and the man was out cold like his partner.
Shito hurried passed the larger zombie and down the hallway. He'd spent enough time in the complex that he knew the layout almost like the back of his hand. He'd spent many nights sneaking around since his awakening. He didn't wait to see if Bekko or Sotetsu had followed him. He didn't have the time. His walk quickly turned into a run. His expression was set into a determination he'd long forgotten. He swallowed hard as he ran faster still. He didn't care if he was seen. Sotetsu was sure to take care of any guards following him. He just wanted to get to Chika. Something told him that he wouldn't like what he saw once he found him. But he didn't care. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he would get Chika out of this place. Take him somewhere safe and somehow convince Touhou to leave him alone. If he could do that...Shito would be satisfied. He didn't care what his own punishments would surely be. He'd survive. He always did. That's what fascinated Touhou so much. No matter what the Exorcist did to him, he always survived. The curse of being born a corpse.
Shito had already disappeared when Sotetsu had time to look up. "Shit." He muttered under his breath and quickly dropped the guard to the floor. Bekko had managed to keep up and Sotetsu soon found them both as they reached the outside access door. Shito shoved hard against the pressure bar and sunlight spilled into the hallway. He pointed towards the tallest building across the courtyard.
"That's the one." He said flatly. He leaned against the door jamb for a moment catching his breath. He watched the small number of men who wandered the courtyard. The sun was warm and he wished he could relish in it's heat. He stared up at the building's top floor. He wanted to see inside. To see if Chika was alright. But at the distance, even if the curtains were open, he would never be able to see inside. He sighed then let the door close quietly.
"It seems we'll have to take another route if we don't want to be seen." Bekko said, his forefinger to his chin. He'd considered using his Ferryman abilities but he decided against it just yet. He didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to their small group. Not unless he absolutely had to. The risk was too great that they'd be stopped, or delayed. He turned to walk back down the hallway, remembering where he and Sotetsu had come from. "Shito-kun. Please?" He said as he gestured for the younger to follow him.
Shito gripped the handle of the door for a few seconds more. The idea of running straight across the courtyard whirled in his mind. Finally, better judgement won over and he released the handle and slowly started to follow Bekko. He took in a deep breath then started to move faster. "Run." He said as he picked up pace.
Bekko nodded and started at a quick jog. Shito followed him closely with Sotetsu behind. The three of them ran through the maze of hallways in silence. Each letting their thoughts sort themselves out. Sotetsu himself watched Shito's body language as he talked and moved. He could see just by the way he squared his shoulders how angry and worried the zombie was. It was a whole new side to Shito. He normally wasn't so confident in his gesturing. He hadn't really realized what kind of relationship Shito and Chika had. Though he suspected that neither of them knew either until this most recent series of events. Though it wasn't the most common, it didn't surprise him. After all the things those two had been through, it seemed to fit. It was always Chika and Shito, everywhere they went. After all they couldn't very well stay seperated due to their hands. But even so. They worked together well and even thought they seemed to fight all the time, they got along better than most would think.
Bekko slowed and held up his hand to signal the other two. Sotetsu shook his head having realized he'd watched Shito the whole time. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back off his forehead and whispered. "What is it?"
Bekko didn't respond but gestured around the corner then held up two fingers. Two men. Sotetsu nodded his head and reached out, grabbing Shito's shoulder. He pulled on the boy to move him behind. Shito resisted a little and Sotetsu took both of his shoulders in his hands and turned him around. He glared at Shito for half a second then forced him behind him. He'd hoped that Shito understood the silent message to let him to the fighting right now. Shito would have to save up his strength for later. Especially if that damned Exorcist showed up before they could all escape. Sotestu didn't doubt that Touhou would kill him. In fact he expected it. But he also knew that Shito couldn't die as easily as he could. It worried him, that Shito would suffer the most after all this, but he didn't show it. Instead he focused his mind on what he was needed to do.
Sotetsu gestured quickly for Bekko to move then walked non-chalantly around the corner, one hand behind his head, the other raised as if he were yawning. It took the two men a moment to realize he was supposed to be locked up in a completely different building. Sotetsu used that time to quickly survey the area. Neither of the men were very large, both were smaller than he, which made things a little easier. One carried a tray with an empty bowl in the middle. The other carried what looked like torn rags with small smudges of pink on it. Sotetsu wasn't sure what that was, but he didn't take the time to care before he immediately launched himself at the man closest to him. He yanked on the tray with one hand while his other reached for the bowl. He plucked it easily off the tray before he threw a hard punch into the man's gut. He then jumped back and swung his leg out to knock the man down and hit him on the back of the head with the ceramic bowl. Sotetsu felt a stinging sensation in his palm but didn't give it a second thought as he lunged towards the second man. The pile of torn cloth now lay on the floor as the man struggled to pull what Sotetsu assumed was a gun from his jacket. The chinese man hadn't had the time however before Sotetsu tackled him, full force to the floor.
"Sotetsu, wait." Shito said as he caught the larger man's wrist. "He may be able to help us." He looked down at the man as he struggled beneath Sotetsu's weight. Shito released Sotetsu's wrist then walked closer and bent down, one arm draped over his knee. He turned the man's head to face him and spoke in harsh chinese. At first the man seemed in shock to see Shito then his expression changed to one of fear.
"Please." He stammered in rough japanese. "You must return." The man's eyes flicked back and forth between Sotetsu and Shito. "Touhou will be angry."
"I don't care about Touhou." Shito responded gripping the man's face harder. "I'm already angry. Now tell me what those rags are." He pointed to the pile on the floor. He'd seen them as they fell and his stomach churned. The pink stains reminded him of the last time he saw Chika. His wounds had been freshly bandaged and Yuta had picked up white rags, stained pink as he'd left the room. The memory flashed bright as day in his mind of Chika laying quietly asleep on the bed. His injured chest rising and falling with each breath. That's when Shito had finally kissed him. When he knew he wouldn't wake and yell at him for doing something like that. That seemed like years ago now and Shito's patience had worn very thin. "Tell me!" He hissed in Chinese.
The man swallowed and looked towards the rags, his eyes widening. He shook his head and started rambling in Chinese. Sotetsu didn't understand much of what he said but he got the gist of it. This man was terrified of Touhou. The zombie didn't blame him. Someone like Touhou was a harsh and powerful leader. He ran a tight crew and had little forgiveness at all. Sotetsu thought he heard the words "white-haired boy" and he jerked his head towards the man, pulling him closer to his face and shook him.
"What about him?" He asked gripping the man's collar more tightly. "What about the 'white-haired boy'?" He had to strain his voice in order to keep from yelling.
Shito stepped back and picked up the rags. "Leave him, Sotetsu. " He held the cloth up and found that it used to be some sort of clothing. A yukata was his best guess but he wasn't certain. It didn't matter. Chika had worn this. That fact was what was stuck in his mind. Had his wounds not healed? Had he gained new ones? What has Shiba done to him? Had Touhou done anything to him? All these questions and more circulated through Shito's mind. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the clothing to his chest. "Bekko-san, Sotetsu." He turned quickly on his heel and ran down the hallway. He didn't give a second notice to if Sotetsu knocked the man out or not. He heard a voice call his name from behind him but his body didn't respond. He just ran down one hallway and up the next. Staircase after staircase. His chest burned from the exertion but he still ran. At one point he caught sight of Sotetsu and Bekko following him and he half laughed in relief. He didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know how he was going to fight Shiba. He didn't even know what Shiba was. He was a zombie who was supposed to be dead. He wasn't.
As Shito continued to run he stopped caring if he was seen. It didn't matter to his one-track mind. At this point someone would soon find out that he wasn't in his room and Touhou would be alerted. He had to find Chika before that happened. The map in his head had been right so far as he moved through the compound. Shito had to slow himself as he reached the door to the last building he would need to enter. His hand rested on the door handle as his breathlessness caught up with him. He panted harshly, bent over at the waist, leaning against the wall. He sucked in painful breath after painful breath needing to fill his body with oxygen. Even though he was by all intents and purposes, "dead" he still needed oxygen to function. It was an odd thing but Shito held onto it as one of the only 'human' things about him. Each breath hurt and eventually lead into a coughing fit, which Shito struggled to keep quiet.
Sotetsu reached out and pulled Shito to him, hugging him tightly to his chest to help muffle the coughs. He looked to Bekko and nodded towards the door. "I think this is it." He said struggling to keep a tight hold on Shito, who seemed very displeased at the position he was in.
"I believe you are correct." Bekko agreed as he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He watched Shito a moment then turned to open the door. "Keep him here a moment." He said then slipped out closing the door behind him.
"What? No-" Shito tried to protest but coughed again. He hadn't exerted himself like that in a long time and his body was still recooperating from his latest "maintenance" with Touhou. He struggled but was no physical match against the larger man. "Sotetsu, let me go!"
Sotetsu held firmly onto him. "Just wait, Shito." He said looking down at him, a serious expression on his face. "Bekko-san will be back in a moment. Now be quiet so we don't get caught. You can't help Chika behind locked doors." He pushed Shito to arm's length but held his shoulders tightly. "You aren't thinking straight. You're furious, I understand that, but you have to clear your mind. If you just burst in there and get caught, then what? You might never get a chance again. Do you want to do that? Do you want to do that to Chika-kun?"
Shito stopped moving and stared at Sotetsu for a long moment. What was he saying exactly? Did he understand what Shito felt or thought? Suddenly Shito felt ashamed for having lost control of himself. He'd been so good at controlling his behaviour over the years, that having lost it all completely was almost a shock to him. What was it about Chika that made him do such stupid things? He shook his head and lifted one hand to press against his forehead. His vision swam for a moment and he closed his eyes. He felt Sotetsu's grip on his shoulders loosen then the hands dropped away completely. "No..." He said quietly. "I won't let that happen to Chika." Slowly, Shito looked back up to meet Sotetsu's gaze.
"Good." The larger zombie grinned, his one visible eye twinkling. The door opened and Bekko beckoned towards the two of them.
"We're clear for now. Hurry."
Shito nodded once again in control of himself and started towards the door. He felt his shoulder caught and Sotetsu's face moved next to his ear. Shito slid his eyes to the side to see him, confused as to what he was doing. "Sotetsu what are you-"
"Let's the man you love." Sotetsu grinned at the blush that spread across Shito's face as he nodded. "He's waiting."