A Fool's Paradise
Author:
Danaeyl Panthernopaeus.
XxX
I stared at the person in front of me. It was clearly not Kazuki, which I should have figured out a while ago. I stepped back again, staring at the insane eyes of the Prince of Terror. I suppose that was how he got his name. I couldn't stand to see Kazuki's eyes like that. Still, what he said got me curious. Why had he referred to Kazuki in the third person?
Without thinking, I strode forward and grabbed the front of the Prince's shirt, slamming his back against the wall. He just laughed, his eyes mocking and taunting. "Who are you? What have you done with itomaki?"
"You know who I am and you know what I've done with him. If you are not ready to think about then, then I suggest you stop getting your panties in a bunch." The Prince snickered and pushed me back. "It has been so long since I was last out."
I raised an eyebrow. Perhaps we could use this Prince of Terror to our advantage. He was meant to know what the Beltline was like, so maybe he knew where we were headed. I could possibly ask him some questions; get to know him. There had to be a reason why he was opposite of Kazuki in speech and morals. There was still one question I needed to ask, though.
"What did you mean when you said Kazuki made sure I wouldn't be harmed?"
"Foolish paradise is his protection against me. I guess he thought I would take a liking to you." The Prince looked at me with disdain. "You are nothing to write home about. Now, Doctor Jackal on the other hand…"
I fought to keep the coffee I drank down. It was odd hearing Kazuki talking about someone in a suggestive manner. Actually, 'odd' didn't even come close. I rolled my shoulders, deciding that I should probably get moving, especially if I was going to use the Prince of Terror to my advantage. I didn't want him to lose his good mood and turn on me. I hadn't forgotten what he first said to me.
As I started walking, I glanced over my shoulder. The Prince of Terror was following, with a strange smile on his face. I faced forward, tensing my shoulders. I hadn't heard or felt him behind me, but I could sense those eyes. They were staring directly at me, as though they were trying to rile me up. I have to say, it was strange being on the receiving end of that for once. When I say 'for once,' I mean that none of Ginji's old crew actually tries to rile me up. I'm usually the instigator, which I have no problem with.
I stopped walking, looking around. Something was very wrong here. We were being watched, but I couldn't see anyone around. The Prince either didn't notice or didn't care. I figured I was being paranoid and continued to follow Kazuki's string. I honestly had no idea how long the string was, but for the time being, I would never complain about having to get out of them, if he ever strung me up again.
That changed when I noticed that the string was cut, a few hundred meters ahead of us. I sighed and kicked a wall, smiling when it cracked. It was a good idea, until the people caught on. Of course, they could have taken Ginji in any direction, knowing that we would follow. We could have been led straight into a trap ourselves, without knowing it or thinking about it. My mind was almost solely on finding Ginji and getting him back to Lower Town. I might hate Infinity Fortress, but I certainly disliked the Beltline more than Lower Town.
The Prince walked past me without stopping to look at the string. I knew that he wasn't looking for Ginji: he was looking for something to murder. He turned towards a wall and removed a bell. He flicked his wrist and the wall fell apart. I jogged over and watched as the Prince walked in, not bothering to acknowledge me. I wanted to know if he was leading me to Ginji or if he was following his own path, to find something that entertained him.
I sighed and stepped through. We had entered a large, dark room. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting them adjust to the dimness and listened for the Prince's ghostly footsteps. I stopped walking and turned around. I got the feeling that the Prince had left the building. Now, I had to figure out where he went.
In the darkness, I had to rely in everything else. I winced as something hit the bicep of my left arm and I turned to look behind me. I heard the soft jingle of Kazuki's bells and I glared. It would seem that the Prince found something to entertain him, and I happened to be that thing. Not that I wouldn't mind testing the Prince's abilities, but there were better times and places for stuff like that. Being distracted from finding Ginji was not something I wanted at the moment.
"Play with me, Midou-kun," the Prince's voice purred from somewhere to my right. I knew he wouldn't be there.
I jumped back as the strings came for me again. I heard something crack, and figured it was from the impact on the floor. I pressed my back to the wall, straining my ears and watching the darkness for any sign of movement. I rolled to the right, avoiding a series of strings that destroyed the wall I was using as protection. It worked in my favour, though. With the wall gone, light flooded the room and I saw the Prince standing in front of me. He had that cruel smirk on his face, as though he really wanted did want to torture me.
As I stared at him, I guessed that what he meant to say to me was that 'Kazuki made sure I wouldn't die'. I would be tortured, until I was begging for death, but Kazuki's little mark made that impossible for me. Of course, I never thought that the Prince would be torturing me in two different ways. At the moment, I needed to find a way around him so I could leave the room and continue searching.
The Prince laughed manically, spinning around and using the strings as though they were a long whip. I ran from them, growling when one cut my jaw. I wiped the blood away and landed in front of the Prince, wrapping my hand around his throat. It wasn't surprising when it dissipated into a bunch of strings, all of them cutting my hand and arm. I snatched my hand back, flicking the blood away. It should have known that Kazuki would never that easy to catch, and if he was that difficult then the Prince would be more of a pain in the ass. As I looked around the room, I came to realize that I was alone.
I sighed and removed my white shirt, wrapping it around my hand and arm. I wondered how long I had been watching those strings. What was the Prince doing? Where was he? Why did he send a body double to follow me? I shook my head and went to the destroyed wall, which allowed the light in.
The mass of buildings in front of me didn't give me any indication of where Ginji or the Prince was. My eyes were drawn to movement and I saw Kazuki's figure running down the street. I highly doubted that was the real one, but if I got rid of all the duplicates, then I could finally discover the real one. I took a deep breath, went back a few steps and jumped to the adjacent building. I followed the Prince that way.
As we ran I became conscious of the static in the air and my eyes flashed with joy. I wasn't ever going to let that idiot out of my sight again. I was so happy at the thought of getting Ginji back that I didn't even bother to think of why the Prince wanted to find him alone. All that mattered was me getting to Ginji and murdering anyone that had touched him. I guess the Prince and I weren't so different, with the major difference that I wouldn't kill because it felt good.
The Prince came to a sudden stop, outside of a building and I jumped down. I looked up and saw that it was a ramshackle excuse of an apartment building. Somehow, I was a little angry that they would make it so difficult to find Ginji. We didn't have time to search each and every apartment, and could only hope that Ginji left me a trail. My attention was drawn to the Prince. He was looking along the floor and I guessed he was trying to find his string trail.
I kicked in the door and ran up the stairs, as I knew that the lift wouldn't work. The Prince was behind me and I was grateful to know I could sense him. At least, for the next time, I would know that if I can't sense him that means he isn't real. I smirked at the idea of telling the Prince that one day he would be a real boy.
At the top of the stairs, I paused, and looked around the corner. Something told me that there would be guards on every floor, but there would be more on the floor with Ginji. The Prince didn't seem to care if they were ineffectual and just there to distract us, he stepped around me and flicked his wrist. I closed my eyes and looked away, as the two guards were cut into three equal parts.
The Prince turned back to me and grinned. I knew he was waiting for me to snap and attack him, giving him all the reasons in the world to defend him and possibly kill me. I wasn't going to do that, though. I went up the stairs. Once again, the Prince stepped around me and took out the guards. There were more, the further up we went. The Prince wasted no time with dispatching his version of justice.
Eventually, we came to the fifteenth floor and I was starting to feel tired. With a deep breath, I waited around the corner and let the Prince clear the way. I frowned when I heard screams and looked around the corner. My eyes widened, and for a moment, I was paralysed as I watched the Prince filet the skin from one of the guards. He wasn't asking questions, he was doing it just because he could.
Before I could deal with him, though, the screams of the guard had brought others running. They came down the stairs, not caring if they were quiet or not. They stopped in front of me, but I glanced at the Prince and saw that he was still torturing his victim. I swallowed and looked back at the eight others in front of me. I wasn't sure if I could ever look at Kazuki the same way again. I knew it wasn't him, but the fact that he had that…thing in him made me weary of him.
I didn't kill the guards, but I did make sure they were unconscious for the next few hours. It took less than a minute and I turned back to the Prince. He had the guard pinned to the wall and I could see the malicious enjoyment in his eyes. His strings were working quickly and efficiently as they removed the flesh from the guard's arms. For an instant, I thought about what Ginji would say if he saw Kazuki like that. He would probably never speak to Kazuki again, which would crush itomaki.
Suddenly, the Prince tilted his head and flicked his wrists. His strings moved and he stepped back, grinning psychotically as the guard's blood sprayed over him. He turned to me, blood running down his face and staining his clothes. I was grateful that the guard was dead, but I wasn't sure what to do. The Prince of Terror wouldn't be easily defeated, but I knew I could leave him to continue with his vile ways.
I ran at him, punching him across the cheek. He didn't budge an inch. He grabbed my wrist and pinned me to the wall. "Do not tease me, Midou-kun," he stated simply, kneeing me in the ribs. I winced as two cracked.
I pushed him back and held my ribs for a moment. I knew that he wouldn't kill me, but he would take great pleasure in torturing me. I touched the cut on my cheek, which was still morphing into the symbols for oroka rakuen. I guessed there was only one thing I could do to subdue the Prince, but he seemed to know what I was thinking. He refused to meet my eyes and closed my eyes, unable to believe that my mind was linked to his as well.
When I opened my eyes, I thought about the way he had tormented the guard. There wasn't a flicker of recognition on his face, which meant that I wasn't linked to the Prince of Terror, just to itomaki. Still, the Prince would know what I was capable of through Kazuki, which took away my element of surprise.
Inhaling deeply, I tried to use my snake bite, only to have the Prince let me grab his wrist. I didn't realise he had put his bells away and was going to fight me in hand-to-hand combat. That changed when he looked up suddenly and twisted my arm, spraining my elbow. I cursed and stepped back for a moment, using the momentum to spin around and kick the Prince in the gut. He coughed, a small trickle of blood leaving his mouth. He apparently didn't feel the pain, just the impact of the attack. I knew I had broken the bottom rib, which he was poking like a curious child pokes a dead rodent.
I swung at him, again and again. He moved gracefully out of the way of each attack, showing off his poise and flexibility, despite the broken rib. For a moment, though, something happened and he stumbled. I punched and split his lip. He growled and removed a bell. His strings wrapped around my left arm, slicing through the flesh. I snarled and punched him again, which made him spit out blood. His strings cut me along the chest, destroying a strap of the top I was wearing.
He raised his hand to strike again, but stumbled yet again. I stepped back as he glared at the wall, mumbling to himself. For a moment, I thought the Prince had lost whatever sanity he had left. It was only after I listened to the words that I realised he was speaking to someone. I could only assume that it was itomaki.
"You will let me finish him. You are not strong enough."
I figured that itomaki was trying to make a comeback, which wasn't going all that well. The Prince glanced at me, and grinned as his strings came for me. I dodged them and appeared in front of him, taking him by surprise. I took hold of his arm, and with a mental apology to itomaki, I broke the arm. Still, the Prince didn't seem to feel the pain. I had to wonder if the Jagan would work on the Prince, since his mind was so messed up, it might be terrifying to him.
"You need me," the Prince muttered, though it wasn't to me. I figured that out when his shoulders abruptly snapped back, the back of his head hitting the wall with force that even I winced at the cracking of the skull.
All I could do was step back, watching as the Prince jerked around. I heard electricity crackle from the floor above and I took off running. I could worry about the Prince and his fit later. At the moment, he wasn't torturing or murdering, and I could live with that. I went up to the next floor, staring at the two guards that remained.
They stared at me, as though they were surprised to see me. Obviously they thought that the eight people they sent down would be enough to take me, the invincible Midou Ban and the Prince of Terror hostage. I almost wished they had, just so I could be with Ginji to make sure he was all right. However, I knew that they wouldn't have lasted long against the Prince. He would have slaughtered them for interrupting his 'fun'.
I narrowed my eyes and rushed them, knocking them out. I opened the door and saw Ginji standing in the room. I slumped against the doorframe, smirking at him. He returned the gesture with a grin and ran at me. He wrapped his arms around my ribs, forcing me to wince. I ignored the pain and placed a hand on his head. He stepped back after a moment and stared at me. The wounds were already healing, but I knew the blood was staining my clothes.
"What happened?" he asked, concerned entering his eyes.
I shrugged. "I slipped on a bar of soap. Come on, we should probably find Kuroshi and put them down."
Ginji hesitated and asked the question that I was dreading. "Where is Kazu-chan?"
I knew we couldn't find Kuroshi without him, but I didn't want Ginji to see him in his current state. I had to admit I was curious on how Ginji would react and closed my eyes. I jerked my head towards the stairs. Ginji stepped out of the room and looked down the hallway. He glanced back at me and I sighed, pulling out a damp cigarette and placing it between my lips. I hated that I couldn't lie to the electric eel.
"He's downstairs," I muttered.
I followed him as he ran to the stairs and went down. I looked at Kazuki, who had his hands over his face, screaming in what sounded like agony. I had no idea what was happening in his head, but it didn't sound too good. He lowered his hands, his right arm dangling by his side, which wasn't entirely from the broken arm. I think his shoulder was dislocated at some point. He stared directly at Ginji and the psychotic grin settled on his delicate features.
I heard Ginji's breathing become ragged. He had no idea what to make of the person standing in front of him. It was obvious that he wasn't dealing with Kazuki any longer, and he didn't know to handle that. I placed a hand on Ginji's shoulder, keeping him back from the monster. Ginji shrugged me off and took a step towards the Prince.
"K…Kazu-chan?" he whispered, flinching when maniacal laughter sounded. "Who are you?"
I looked at the Prince and noticed that he was covered in cuts, as though he had allowed Doctor Jackal to attack him without putting up any resistance. It seemed that the Prince was angry with itomaki for trying to push him back. Some of the wounds looked as though the Prince dug his fingers into them, and ripped those open more. Nothing bothered the Prince, which made me think that we might not be able to destroy him or knock him, without doing serious harm to itomaki in the process.
"What are you?" Ginji demanded, taking another step forward. Electricity surrounded him as the same laughter greeted his question. "Get out of Kazuki!"
I squinted at the brightness of the lightning, but the Prince evaded it and appeared in front of Ginji. He placed his hands on the former Emperor's chest and pushed, with enough force to make the broken bone pierce the skin. I winced as the bone tore through the skin, without even a flinch from the Prince.
"He invited me in," the Prince stated as Ginji stumbled back. The Prince tried to advance on him, but I blocked his path. "Get out of the way, Midou."
The Prince took a step back, his hands going to his head again. The scream of agony left his throat as he doubled over. Ginji went to touch him, but I held him back. I had no idea what would happen if Ginji got close to the Prince, and I wasn't looking forward to finding out. If Ginji killed Kazuki, there was no bringing him back from the dark.
The scream sounded again, but was followed by blood splashing on the floor in front of the Prince. He collapsed, rolling onto his side and the evil presence in the hallway disappeared. I released Ginji and he knew beside itomaki, who was breathing heavily and shivering. I had no doubt that all the pain from the broken bones, and the cuts were hitting him all at once. I couldn't begin to imagine what he was going through.
"Kazu-chan?" Ginji asked quietly, placing a hand on Kazuki's head, in a fashion similar to me.
"Ginji-san." Kazuki looked up at him, and smiled that gentle smile that I missed while the Prince was running around. "I'm sorry."
I lit the cigarette as Kazuki's eyes closed. Ginji tried to rouse him, crying. I wasn't sure if Ginji's grief was clouding his abilities, but Kazuki was only unconscious. He was a lot stronger than he looked, but I knew we had to get him somewhere safe and to a doctor. He couldn't leave those wounds untreated. Yet, I didn't want to go through the Beltline, just to get him to Lower Town, so we could run into Doctor Jackal. I sure as hell wasn't sending Ginji to do it alone, either, and I wasn't bringing old man Gen up here.
"Ginji," I said as I stood beside him. He looked up at me with such a piteous look that I felt my own heart breaking. "He isn't dead. We have to let him rest."
I looked at the doors that studded the hallway, and decided they were as good as any place. I was about to test my abilities at setting broken bones. When itomaki woke up, he should be healed enough to continue with the mission. It was the only decent thing about this place. I nodded towards a door, and Ginji tenderly picked up Kazuki, carrying him over the door.
The apartment was dusty as hell, but it still had running water, for some odd reason. I wasn't going to question it. I tore up Kazuki's shirt, at least the parts that were clean, and got Ginji to wet them for me. He set about cleaning Kazuki's angelic face, while I fought back a wave of nausea as I slipped the bone back into the arm. The bleeding was slowly stopping, which I took as a good sign. I checked his shoulder, and saw that I was right. It was dislocated. I forced it back into position, wishing I had medical tape to keep it in place so it wouldn't cause too much pain. Removing the shirt I had tied around my arm, I ripped it into bandages, and patched up the arm as best as I could.
I raised the shirt itomaki wore, and looked at the discolouration surrounding his ribs. I tried not to shudder as I remembered the way the Prince had poked the broken rib, showing that he felt no pain. I glanced up at Kazuki's face when he inhaled sharply as I tried to set the rib. He didn't wake, though.
With his abdomen bandaged, I sat back, looking at the cuts in his neck, arms, legs and chest. The Prince must have been in full rage mood in order to attack Kazuki's body so violently. I ran my eyes down to the jeans, staring at the long legs. I took one of the cloths from Ginji, and rinsed it out, before I started wiping away the blood on legs. How the hell did the Prince of Terror come about? What happened to make him hate itomaki? These were questions that would never be answered.
I looked at Ginji, who was staring at Kazuki, chewing his thumb nail. He felt my gaze and glanced up, confusion, anxiety and concern etched into his features. He had just as many questions, if not more than I did. I had no doubt that Ginji was questioning how much he really knew Kazuki, for him to keep something like that from everyone. He opened his mouth, probably wanting to know what happened while he was away from them. I really didn't want to talk about, and turned away from him. I went to the window and stared outside. The sun was beginning to set.
Against the sun, I squinted into the distance. I could have sworn that I saw a sign that said 'Syl Pharmaceuticals'. I shook my head. What difference did it? We weren't here to take them down. We were after Kuroshi, but I couldn't shake the need to go there, to make sure I was right. If it was them, I would demand answers. I wanted to know why Kazuki seemed addicted to the place. I needed to know what they did. I needed to know why Kazuki went there, and why Juubei wasn't stopping him.
I looked back at Ginji and Kazuki. I knew I couldn't leave either of them alone, especially if Ginji decided to follow me. He could end up in Babylon City, which would not go down well. There was also the chance of him being cornered by Akabane, and being forced into the person he once was. I ran my hands through my hair, gripping at the strands in frustration. What the hell was wrong with this mission?
XxX
I opened my eyes, and looked around the dark apartment. I could hear Ginji snoring softly. I heard a small intake of air, and got to my feet as Kazuki tried to stand up from the bed, without stepping on Ginji. Itomaki was favouring his left ankle, which made me tilt my head. I didn't think to check those joints.
A floorboard creaked under my foot, and Kazuki's head shot up, hand reaching for a bell. When he saw my silhouette, he relaxed slightly. I stepped over Ginji, and knelt in front of itomaki, removing his boot. He pursed his lips, but not a sound left his mouth as he looked away from me. I shrugged, and looked at the swollen ankle as best as I could in the moonlight. I sighed, and picked him up, taking him over to the window.
With the slightly better light, I could see that it was dislocated. Without warning, I snapped it back into place, and looked up at Kazuki. His face was twisted in agony, but he didn't make a sound. I guess he wasn't going to give me the satisfaction. He sat on the window sill, where I had been, and looked out over the Beltline. I followed his gaze, and saw that he was staring at the sign that was for Syl Pharmaceuticals. I wondered, briefly, if he had woken up in the hopes of sneaking off there.
I went over to the bed, and picked up the last of my shirt. I ripped it, and tied it around Kazuki's ankle. He seemed more interested in avoiding my gaze. He whispered 'thank you' without looking at me. In the pale light, I saw that the split lip I gave him was nearly fully healed. I wondered if it would scar, but doubted it. Besides, Kazuki's body was flawless, and I wouldn't want to be the one who ruined perfection.
While itomaki stared out the window, I went over to the bed, throwing myself down on it. I closed my eyes, and trying to sleep. Knowing that the diligent itomaki was watching over us was a little unnerving. Well, he was watching over Ginji, but that meant I would also be alerted if something happened. Yet, I couldn't stop thinking about if the Prince of Terror made another appearance.
I opened my eyes, and gazed at Kazuki. With the moonlight brushing over him, he looked even more angelic than usual. He rubbed his right shoulder gently, looking under the shirt, and seeing the crappy bandage I made. He sighed softly, and stood up. He glanced at me, before he hobbled over to the sink. I watched intently as he removed his shirt, turned on the tap, and tried to wash out the blood in his shirt.
I stared at the perfect, ivory skin of itomaki's back, and quickly closed my eyes. I rolled over, listening to the sound of him scrubbing the shirt. The tap was turned off, and Ginji half-woke, sitting up. He called Kazuki's name softly, and Kazuki told him to go back to sleep. I felt Ginji's hesitation, but he eventually lied down again, and was asleep nearly instantly.
In all honestly, I had no idea I had fallen asleep, until I opened my eyes to Ginji frantically shaking my shoulder. I groaned, and closed my eyes again. I wasn't ready to wake up, and deal with this day. However, Ginji's words quickly woke me up.
"Ban-chan," he whined. "Kazu-chan is gone!"
I sat up, and looked around the tattered apartment. Ginji wasn't lying. Itomaki was no where to be seen, which made me jump off the bed, and go to the window. I stared at the sign for Syl Pharmaceuticals, wondering if he snuck away while we were sleeping. My body needed to heal, which was why I fell into a deep sleep. But I was certain that Ginji would have heard itomaki leave.
Ginji joined me. He had no idea what I was staring at, but movement on the street caught his attention. He cried out that Kazuki was on his way back. I blinked, and looked down. Kazuki was entering the building with something in his hand. He entered the apartment moments later, three white bags in his hand. He tossed a bag to Ginji, and then one to me. He took the other over to the sink. He still had a prominent limp, but it didn't seem to be bothering him.
I opened the bag, and saw two sushi rolls in there. I assumed this was going to be breakfast, and quickly devoured them. My stomach screamed for more, but I ignored it, watching itomaki. The final bag contained antiseptic cream, bandages and medical tape. Everything I could have used last night. My eyes dropped to the floor, where Ginji had been sleeping. I noticed that there were two body prints in the dust, and looked back at Kazuki.
"Ne, Kazu-chan?" Ginji inquired, still looking into the bag. "Are you going to eat?"
"I already have, Ginji-san. I got that for you."
Ginji didn't need to be told twice. He didn't eat his as quickly as I did, but I decided to leave him alone. Kazuki had removed his shirt, and the bandages I made, with the exception of the one around his arm. He was attempting to tape up his right shoulder, when I intervened. I took the tape from his hand, and wrapped it around the shoulder. I hoped that he was healed before we saw Kakei.
Once I was done, I didn't receive a thank you from him, but he did step away from me. I glared at his back, and threw a hateful look over his shoulder. I couldn't help but smile. It was good to have Kazuki back. I was going to tease him about it, but his left eye flashed white, and my cheek throbbed with it. I placed my fingers to it, and looked at the blood on them. Clearly the kanji was still forming, and I had to question if my cheek would continue to throb with every flash of that eye.
I became aware that Ginji was watching us from the bed. I scoffed, and turned away. "You're welcome, itomaki," I said testily, placing a cigarette between my lips.
"Thank you." His whisper was barely audible, but I knew it was because Ginji was looking at him expectantly.
I smirked. "See? It wasn't that difficult, was it? It's amazing how far you can in life, when you use manners."
I heard the sounds of itomaki suppressing a growl, and chuckled. I walked out of the apartment, and lit the cigarette. I closed my eyes as I inhaled. I wondered how itomaki's arm was healing, but decided that I had invaded his personal space enough for one day. I looked down at my hands, the ones that had so easily broken that bone. It was amazing how the monsters we knew always made me hurt them.
The door opened. Ginji and Kazuki walked out, talking about the mission. Both ignored me, but stopped when they smelled the smoke. I smirked, and waved at them. I followed. According to itomaki, Kuroshi wasn't that far from where they were. I thought that was a little convenient. I also noticed how hard Kazuki was gripping the banister of the stairs.
Once we were outside, Ginji stretched his arms above his head, and then grinned at Kazuki. "Lean on me, Kazu-chan."
"I'm fine, Ginji-san." Kazuki lowered his head, attempting to hide the blush.
"No, you aren't," Ginji stated, standing beside Kazuki, and wrapping an arm around the string-master's slim waist.
I dropped back a few steps, listening to Ginji go on about the past. He mentioned the times that Kazuki had to carry him back. I watched them, tilting my head to the side. I never thought the day would come where I wouldn't be angry, or jealous of Ginji talking about his past. Kazuki seemed to be the rock that Ginji leaned on, during the days of the Volts. It only seemed fair that he be that rock for Kazuki.
After a while, we had to rest. My cracked ribs and Kazuki's broken rib made it difficult for us to breathe as freely and easily as before. We ducked into a shadowed alley, gratefully enjoying the shade. Ginji picked up a few pebbles, skipping them along the floor. I watched him for a few moments, until I felt someone watching me. I looked at Kazuki, but he was staring out of the alley. When I turned my head towards Ginji, I caught Kazuki turning to look at me.
I smirked, and he stared at me blankly. Before I could open my mouth to ask if he liked what he saw, he said, "Are you ready to head on?"
Ginji looked up from where he was crouching. I pushed off the wall I was leaning on, and walked up to itomaki. "I was waiting for you," I answered, and left the alley.
"What was that about, Kazu-chan?"
I stopped, curious on the reply. They walked out of the alley. "I have no idea, Ginji-san. I guess he is annoyed that I am slowing you down."
I spun around, glaring at the innocent looking itomaki. He was not going to make me out to be the bad guy here. He was the one to challenge me first. "Hey, I have two cracked ribs. You aren't the only one in pain, itomaki," I snapped.
"You never said you were injured, Ban-chan."
I didn't look at Ginji. I knew that once I saw his pitying, and guilty eyes, I would calm down. Besides, my problem was with the yarn ball. He was the one that was pushing my buttons. I never thought he would be the one to do so, but whatever I did to anger him, was enough for him to be an ass to me. Even if he was in front of Ginji.
"It's nothing to worry about, Ginji. They don't feel as bad as they did yesterday, when it happened." I stared pointedly at itomaki. For a brief second, guild flashed through his eyes. It was quickly replaced with anger.
Ginji's eyes flickered to Kazuki. "Why's he staring at you, Kazu-chan?"
"He was the one that slipped on a bar of soap. He probably blames me for that, as well." Kazuki shrugged his left shoulder. "Besides, your ribs might be cracked, but mine is broken."''
I smirked, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Yeah, that bar of soap was a real bitch."
"If I had the energy, I would throw that soap at you."
I raised an eyebrow, and Ginji moved to stand in front of him. "You didn't have breakfast, did you?"
I heard the disappointment in Ginji's voice, and I had to ask why Kazuki didn't have any food. His body desperately needed the energy. Still, it was his choice, and it wasn't my place to tell him to eat.
"The medical supplies were more important." Kazuki sounded very subdued, almost whispering out his excuse. "I didn't bring that much money with me, especially for the prices that the Beltline charge."
I turned my back on them. "Well, then," I said, slipping my hands into the pockets of my jeans, and looking up at the sky. "We should probably continue, so we aren't stuck here for another night."
We walked in silence, surrounded by more silence. Our attention was drawn to someone coughing. Ginji looked ready to run towards it, but remembered that he was supporting Kazuki. I looked at the string-master, who waved us on, while hobbling over to a building, and resting under the awing.
The coughing was getting worse, so Ginji ran towards it. I followed quickly. Kazuki still had one good arm to defend himself with. As we weaved between the streets, Ginji and I came to a sudden stop. I raised an eyebrow as it was the same old man from Lower Town. I could ask what he was doing up here, but I got the feeling I already knew. He was to be a distraction for us. But why?
"Itomaki," I said.
When we got back to Kazuki, we saw him resting against the wall. He raised his head, staring at us with inquisitive eyes. "Did something happen?"
"Ban-chan was wo ––"
I hit Ginji on the head. He rubbed it, pouting at me. "It was a false alarm. Turns out that some old guy is following us. I think it we gave Kuroshi enough time to either more or destroy LI."
Kazuki gazed at his feet. He wasn't glaring at me, despite me being the one that last spoke. Instead, he seemed adamant about avoiding Ginji's curious eyes. I had to know what he was hiding.
"What did you do, itomaki?" I asked, placing a cigarette between my lips. I looked up at the sky.
"I have the data file," he murmured, pulling a case from his back pocket. "I got it last night, while you two were sleeping."
Ginji danced around, happy that they could get off the Beltline. I would have been just as excited, except something still wasn't right. "You retrieved the disc? You aren't a retrieval agent! Don't even think about taking our cut of the money!"
Kazuki finally raised his head, and shot daggers at me. "I don't care about the money, you moron," he snapped, the venom of his voice strong enough to rival mine.
Ginji stopped dancing. "Then why did you take it without us, Kazu-chan?"
"How did you take it without us?" I asked, gazing at his damaged ankle.
Kazuki shoved the disc into Ginji's chest. "Take it, and go. Midou knows the way back to Lower Town." Without another word, he pushed off the wall, and walked up the street, hiding the limp.
Ginji looked at the disc, and then back to Kazuki's retreating figure. He ran up to his friend. "What about you, Kazu-chan?"
"There's something I need to do while I'm here, Ginji-san." Kazuki smiled, lightly touching Ginji's cheek. "I will see you later tonight. I promise."
Ginji grinned, and returned to me. I watched Kazuki for a moment, before turning and leading Ginji out of this god forsaken hellhole. I honestly couldn't wait to be away from the Beltline. It wasn't that dangerous, unless one was around Kazuki. Of course, since Kazuki's last visit, his presence could scare off whatever used to lurk up here.
While Ginji spoke about what we could when we got paid, I idly touched my left cheek. I was tempted to follow Kazuki. I knew where he was heading, and I still wanted to know about them. I also had questions about how he was able to retrieve the disc without any problem. I could understand why he would lie to me, but why was he lying to Ginji?
When we got to the doors leading to Lower Town, I paused. Ginji gazed at me. I sighed, and lit my cigarette, heading through the doors. I wasn't going to get myself killed for him, I decided. Whatever he was doing here was his business, and it had absolutely nothing to do with me. Besides, Ginji wasn't that worried about Kazuki.
"Ginji…" I started, wondering if I should bring up yesterday, and what he saw in Kazuki. "Are you okay?"
"I'm great, Ban-chan! We got back what the client wanted, and that means that we can get paid!" He basically skipped down the street. I grinned, shaking my head. I keep forgetting how resilient Ginji is.
XxX
I sat on the hood of Miss Ladybug, staring at the dark trees. We had received our money, and eaten like kings for the first time in days. I easily explained away my lack of shirt to everyone in Infinity Fortress, and to Hevn. She had asked when Kazuki was, and I left it to Ginji to say that he stayed behind. Hevn naturally assumed that Ginji meant that he stayed behind in Lower Town, and neither of us was going to correct that.
And so it was. The middle of the night, and I couldn't sleep. I kept touching my left cheek, interested in why it hadn't throbbed in hours. I watched the way the leaves swayed in the light breeze that swept through the park. I kept thinking about the damn itomaki.
I closed my eyes, and tilted my head back. Suddenly, I asked myself the question: Why are you curious? It was a damn fine question, but I couldn't think of an answer to save my life. Oddly enough, Kazuki hadn't kept his promise, and Ginji tried to stay awake for as long as possible. The huge meal had put him to sleep, though. I glanced over my shoulder, smiling at his sleeping face. He always looked so peaceful.
It was as I turned back to stare at the trees that I saw the figure. I knew right away that it was Kazuki. He had the graceful walk and a package under his arm. If it was anyone else, I would question how they found us. But I knew about Kazuki's limitless informants. I was certain that he had employed the homeless people of the city, just to make sure he knew everything from every point.
Without looking at me, he pushed the package into my gut, making me wince. My ribs still hadn't healed. I glared at him, but he wasn't paying attention to me. He was standing beside the passenger door, staring in at Ginji. He had the same mixed expression on his face as he did when I returned his wallet.
"You're a little late," I muttered, twirling the package between my hands.
"I never said he would be awake when I saw him."
I watched as he placed a hand on the window, his eyes softening more. The wind swept through, gently moving Kazuki's hair, and making his bells jingle softly. I swallowed, and quickly looked away. He looked tortured.
"What's this?" I inquired, shaking the package. I could hear something soft moving around inside the box.
"A replacement shirt, for the one you used as bandages on me." Kazuki closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, before he stepped back and started to leave.
"You let the monster out again, didn't you?" I called softly, knowing he would hear me. "It's the only way you could have retrieved that disc."
Kazuki kept walking, and I glowered at his back. I placed the package on the hood, and ran after him. I grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at me.
"Why did you do that? He could have killed Ginji!"
"What I do and why I do it is none of your business, Midou."
I cocked an eyebrow. "It is when you endanger someone I care about," I snapped, tightening my grip on his arm. "What is Syl Pharmaceuticals?"
"Why don't you visit them, and find out for yourself?"
I frowned. This wasn't like the Kazuki of recent. He didn't have any of his usual fire. He wasn't glaring at me, and he wasn't snapping out his responses like a dragon. He was gazing at me blankly, as though he didn't know where he was or who he was with. My eyes dropped to the split on his lip, which was healed and hadn't left a scar. I assumed he saw Kakei before leaving Infinity Fortress.
I released Kazuki's arm, and took a step back. "You scared him yesterday, y'know."
"I'm aware."
And like that, he was gone. He didn't say anything more, nor did he look back. He just walked away, as though I didn't have more questions for him. Mainly, I wanted to know where the hell that Prince of Terror came from, and how I could send him away. But I knew he wouldn't answer my questions, and Ginji wasn't going to pry into his beloved Kazuki no Ito's past.
I sighed, placing a cigarette between my lips as I wandered back to the car. I glared at the package, tempted to throw it in the bin. However, if I did that and Kazuki asked about it, Ginji would want to know what package he was talking about. I picked it up, opened the door and threw it into the backseat. Ginji half-woke, asking if it was time for breakfast.
"Go back to sleep, Ginji," I told him. He obeyed, asleep instantly.
I returned to the hood of the car, lying back and staring at the stars. I closed my eyes, and immediately regretted it. I saw the vision that always flashed. It was the memory of the Prince torturing that guard. I opened my eyes, and sat up. I ran my hands through my hair, unable to believe that Kazuki could produce something like that.
As I lit my smoke, something dripped on my hand. I looked at the dark drop, and touched my cheek. Yep, it was bleeding again. I moved to the door, and looked at my reflection in the mirror. Half of the kanji characters had appeared. I really needed to ask him about it, since everyone in Lower Town seemed to know what it was.
There in was the problem. Did I drive to his apartment or did I chase him down on foot? I really didn't like the clouds that were covering the stars. I also knew he would be pissed off if I randomly showed up. Unfortunately, I didn't have his number, so I jumped into Miss Ladybug and drove over to his apartment.
I parked outside, suddenly feeling apprehensive. He had marked me once, already. What would he do if I burst in there, demanding answers? He would likely cut me up into pieces, as he threatened to do the last time I was there.
Ginji muttered something about egg rolls and turned over. Well, buddy. Time to see if he'll send you to me in pieces or not. I turned off the car and got out, locking the doors. I glanced up at the building, seeing only one light on. With a deep breath, I entered and went up the stairs. I raised my hand, but paused. Why did it feel so wrong to be at his place, in the middle of the night? Did I feel like I was intruding or something? It really isn't anything you haven't seen before. I smirked and knocked.
"Who is it?" Kazuki called, coming closer to the door.
"You know who it is, itomaki." I will never understand why he asked that question.
I heard a plaintive sigh, before the door was opened a crack. "What do you want, Midou?" I gazed at him. He opened the door a little more. "Is there something wrong with Ginji-san?" The door was pulled completely open. "What is it?"
I smirked and invited myself in. "It sucks when you have so many questions, and you're not getting any answers."
"Midou, get out."
I stepped further into the living space of the apartment. There was a small hallway, which I assumed led to the bathroom and the bedroom. "I will… When I get the answers I want."
Kazuki sighed exasperatedly, rubbing his temples. I took the chance to look at him in his sleepwear. He was in loose cotton pants, and a shirt that looked as if it fit once. I cocked my head to the side, staring at the shirt. It had a picture of a litter of kittens on it, but that wasn't what held my attention. I never noticed that Kazuki looked slimmer than usual.
"I'm not in the mood to deal with your crap, Midou. Get out." The fire was starting to return to him. I could guess that he was actually tired, and just wanted to sleep in his bed.
"Fine," I said as I moved towards the door. I paused. "Only when you tell me what this is?" I pointed to my left cheek.
"It's a cut, Midou. Now get out."
It was then that I heard a faint noise in the bedroom. A draw being closed. I glanced at Kazuki, curious on what kind of bed partners he kept. Somehow, I felt completely speechless when Shido walked out, without a shirt on.
End CHapter V.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Chapter six should be complete in a couple of days, as soon as I figure out exactly where I'm going with this story. It has been so long since I thought it, that I completely forgot all the plot points...sorry about that.
Please review!