**A.N.: Here we are, the last chapter of the arc. Not of this story, please don't confuse it for that. This reached 100 reviews!? That's amazing, thank you all!

IMPORTANT: Trigger warning for violence, death, and blood mention starting from when Kyouji first gets off the phone with Himitsu until it gets to the next divider. Fair warning. This is what the rating was for. Well, at least part of it. Enjoy!

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Two Hours Earlier

It had taken a bit of searching to find a place willing to cash a check, but eventually Kyouji was successful. Though the small gas station required a fee to do so, it was reasonable enough, and having money on hand for food, so that he wasn't dependent on stealing any meal he needed, made it just that much easier to breathe. While he knew he needed to ration it, a small part of him wondered if he shouldn't just splurge and then go do something crazy. It wasn't like this task was going anywhere soon.

With food in his stomach again, Kyouji set out aimlessly. He didn't have a 'next step,' but he supposed he'd better figure it out soon. The annoying tinny ring of the phone in his pocket interrupted his thoughts. He was frankly surprised it still had battery, as the place he'd been the night before hadn't had electricity to charge it. Himitsu's ID flashed on the screen, and Kyouji flipped the phone in his gloved hand as he walked, debating if he could get away with not answering. Shaking his head, he turned into a side street, walking far enough into it that the noise of the cars and street trains wouldn't overpower his voice before bringing the phone to his ear.

"Hey," Kyouji greeted as he hit the answer button, leaning against the wall of the narrow street. His pack cushioned his back against the uneven bricks, and if he'd had another foot of height, he might have been able to prop his feet against the opposite wall.

"Was startin' ta wonder if you'd been picked up." Himitsu's easy tone belied his words, and Kyouji rolled his eyes.

"I'm a little faster than that…" He glanced towards a man and a woman arguing at the opposite end of the street as they made their way towards the place he was standing. Kyouji decided to ignore them. He wouldn't bother them, and they'd do the same.

Himitsu chuckled. "So, I guess ya got yer bag?"

"Yeah, no problems." Kyouji paused, thinking of what had almost happened. He could be done by now. All of this could already be over, but he'd hesitated. "They didn't even know I was there."

Himitsu hummed and began to say something else, but Kyouji's attention wasn't on him anymore. The couple was looking over at him too many times for mere curiosity, especially if they were supposedly arguing. Maybe he was being paranoid, but as they drew closer, he couldn't ignore the unease that settled in his stomach.

"I'll call you back." Kyouji cut off whatever Himitsu'd been saying, getting a confused "What-" before putting the phone in one of his pockets.

He still had a syringe, but with two people headed towards him, he didn't know which would be the better one to stick, versus the one he'd have to fight or flee. Kyouji turned to head back towards the busier street, thinking it'd dissuade… whatever was going on. Another, larger form stepped into the path in front of him, blocking his way.

Great.

"Oi, Shakuzai."

Kyouji didn't recognize the voice, but if that's how she was going to address him, he already knew what this was about. A flash of annoyance crossed his mind as tension crept into his muscles, preparing him for whatever was about to happen. His heartrate picked up as he tried to figure out a clean way out of this. They were just thugs. Probably.

"Your old man's vanished," the woman continued as Kyouji turned towards her and her partner. She grinned as she held up a small scrap of paper. "But he told us what to look for."

Wonder what else he told them…

The man beside her cracked his knuckles in a way that was probably supposed to be menacing. If that was the route they were going to try, odds were he hadn't told them enough to keep them alive. Unsurprising. And not how Kyouji wanted things to go if he could help it. Besides, he didn't have the time required for his face to heal if he took a blow, and this task was complicated enough without these idiots throwing in another wrench.

"Now, if you know what's good for you—" The voice came from behind him, and Kyouji rapidly remembered why you shouldn't turn your back on anyone, no matter how slow they looked.

A hand covered Kyouji's mouth to stifle him, and he was turned and shoved into the wall, head hitting the brick sharply. Kyouji's vision spun as he gasped, jaw opening as pain lanced across his tongue. Not now… A copper taste flooded his mouth, tongue sliced open by his own fangs, and he grimaced in disgust just as the man pulled his hand back with a startled yelp.

"He bit—"

The rest of his sentence was cut off with a ragged scream, the man's arm seizing up, even as his still working hand reached in desperation for his weapon. It wouldn't help. He wouldn't even have time to draw it. Even so, Kyouji managed to stumble a couple steps away from before coughing, spitting out a mix of blood, both his and the dying man's, nearly retching at the thought.

Of course that's what they were for.

The bitten man fell silent, choking in short gasps as his lungs stopped working. He collapsed to his knees, shaking violently, and Kyouji told himself to look away while he still could. A numb feeling settled over Kyouji's mind, as if everything were happening distantly. Right. He'd almost forgotten. He wasn't just strange. He was a monster.

He turned and almost laughed, his mind failing to find a proper response to the twin looks of horror on the faces of the two in front of him as they watched their companion seize on the ground. Kyouji didn't need to see, he already knew how it'd look. In a couple seconds he would stop.

The guy ran first, and Kyouji let him go, still trying to convince his instincts or… whatever to power down. The woman remained frozen in shock. Shaking where he stood, Kyouji glared at her. So long as she was there, there was still a 'threat', but he dearly hoped she wouldn't try to attack him. Whether he bit her or not, the result would be the same.

Kyouji's hands itched as he waited for her next choice. The gloves felt wrong, somehow, and he could feel the bandages pressed tightly against the areas of normal skin. Trying to ignore it, he took a step forward, and that was enough to snap her out of her daze. She took off, not sparing a glance behind herself as she ran.

The second she was out of sight, Kyouji's knees failed and he sat heavily, taking great care not to look at the corpse a short ways away from him. He braced himself against the wall as he tried to even out his breathing, knowing he wasn't going anywhere until he had a semblance of calm. Kyouji's head pounded, pain radiating from the back of his skull as the adrenalin wore off.

After a moment, the fangs finally retreated, but the incessant itch in his hands didn't. Kyouji growled in annoyance, attempting to pull off one of the gloves. He shouldn't be able to feel anything through the scales without significant pressure—

The glove caught, and Kyouji could see small green spikes poking through the dark fabric where the bandage didn't cover. The sensation was unpleasant, like something had been shoved under a fingernail, and he quickly pulled the glove back in the other direction. That was new… but it looked like the gloves were staying on for the foreseeable future.

As if they weren't already.

Kyouji nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone went off again, heartrate rocketing as he swore. He just wanted to be left alone. Remembering that he'd promised to call Himitsu back, he groaned. That meant he'd keep calling, if only to force him into keeping his word.

Hands shaking from the fresh rush of energy, Kyouji dug his phone out of his pocket, trying not to breathe too deeply. The smell and taste of blood were beginning to make him feel sick. He'd barely accepted the call when Himitsu's voice burst through the phone.

"What the hell?"

Kyouji winced, holding the phone a little further from his ear to help with the headache. He opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't find any words that would suffice.

So sorry for hanging up on you, but something came up and it didn't end so well, so if you could just-

"There's this lil' button on yer phone, usually ya press it to end a call. Which is what I think ya meant ta do, since ya sure as hell didn't pick it back up after things went quiet—"

Kyouji's throat closed as he listened to Himitsu's rant. He'd hung up, right? He was sure he…

"—and what th' hell was that screamin'?"

He couldn't reply. Clearly he hadn't ended the call, and for whatever reason, Himitsu hadn't either. But he'd just called again, hadn't he? There was a moment of silence that Kyouji couldn't bring himself to fill.

"…Jadoku? …Are you there?" Himitsu's voice was tight, prompting Kyouji to speak.

"Yeah. I'm- I just…" Kyouji trailed off, not sure what he was trying to say. He heard a sigh through the phone.

"Ya weren't respondin', so I had ta call again, just to make sure... What. Happened?" Himitsu's demand would have been more compelling if his voice wasn't shaking.

"It—He's dead." Kyouji wasn't going to look at it, and he unsteadily rose to his feet, strength having returned enough for that.

"Who?" Himitsu asked, still confused.

Kyouji shook his head, wincing as it throbbed. "I don't know." He reached a hand back to check the place of impact, forgetting he wouldn't be able to feel anything, and had to use his wrist once he realized. Nothing unusual… that anyone would see, anyway.

"You okay?"

The pain must have registered in his voice more than he'd realized, and Kyouji paused to consider it. He didn't end up answering.

"Come on, talk to me." Himitsu sighed, and Kyouji heard movement through the phone. "Where are ya, at least? And can ya think o' anythin' to ID this guy with, or whatever group he was in, or somethin'?"

Kyouji looked over finally, wishing he hadn't. He was reminded of the many reasons his blood was never supposed to mix with another's in any significant amount. He tried to keep his eyes on the clothes, looking for anything distinct, but his gaze kept returning to the face, and he had to look away again or risk becoming sick.

"I'm not seeing any…" Kyouji finally answered. There was a pause.

"…you're still there?" The disbelief was evident in Himitsu's tone, and while a part of Kyouji told him he should have left a while ago, he was still working on it. "Okay, okay, fine. There anythin' someone could identify you with? Can deal with it while yer there."

"My blood?" Kyouji's answer was more of a question. "Can they do that?"

"Why is-" Himitsu cut off his own question, saving it for later. "Yes, most likely. Ya have any water or somethin'? Peroxide'd be best, but I doubt you've got that right now."

"No." If he had, he would have washed the taste from his mouth by now.

Himitsu pressed on. "Any loose cloth? Even his'd work in a pinch."

"Can I not?" Kyouji frowned heavily. He didn't want to get any closer to, let alone touch this thing.

Himitsu sighed, hearing the strain in his voice. "Whatever, I'll have someone handle it. Just get outta there, I've already got yer location."

Kyouji went silent. That was a disquieting thought.

"Ya hear me? Get out, wash up, wrap up, whatever, and call me back."

There wasn't really room to argue. "…okay."

"Talk to ya soon. Ja ne."

Himitsu hung up, and Kyouji stared at the phone for a moment, before tucking it in his pocket again. Not sparing another glance at the body, he gave himself over to his instincts, turned tail, and ran.

Cold water had never been more welcome. Kyouji mentally congratulated himself for remembering to stay out of sight until he found a safe house with running water, as opposed to walking the main streets as he was. He would have terrified someone for sure, probably enough to get the cops called on him.

Thankfully, the gloves were able to come off now that he was calm, the odd reaction of his scales having faded. Only the bandages got soaked as he washed the mess off of himself, as he was unwilling to unwrap and rewrap his hands again. He traded out his shirt and jeans for some in his bag, changing quickly, and mindful to pick up any loose scales that fell from his arm. He would have to dispose of them and the ruined clothing later, but at least his jacket had come out unscathed.

Kyouji braced his hands against the sink as another wave of nausea hit him. The man's image refused to leave his mind's eye. His blood hadn't gotten any less potent over the years, and what it caused burned into his brain deeper with every time something like this happened. His head throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and he hoped it was just the stress making the injury feel worse, and not something actually serious.

Washing out his mouth again, careful to mind the unhealed tears in his tongue, Kyouji had nothing to permanently remove the copper aftertaste. He'd just have to wait.

Wanting a distraction, or at least something to do that didn't involve scrubbing out the inside of his mouth until there was nothing left and then some, Kyouji pulled out his phone again. He'd promised to call back, and was frankly surprised Himitsu had waited so long already.

Kyouji sat in front of the locked bathroom door, leaning against it and hoping no one got too desperate anytime soon. He selected the contact, the phone only getting one ring through before it was answered.

"Ya good now?"

Kyouji huffed out a small, broken laugh at that. "Not how I'd put it, but sure."

Himitsu tsk'ed at him, before continuing. "Yeah, well, ya don't need ta go back, it'll sort itself out. Just don't be dumb 'bout it, and you'll be fine."

"Yeah..." Kyouji pushed his hand into his bangs, resting his head in his hand in an attempt to reach actual calmness.

"So what was that, anyhow? Why'd ya kill him?"

Kyouji shifted, doing his best to keep his mind from following that path again and substituting other images for the one he was trying to avoid. "Accident. Didn't mean to. Really."

"Mhmm." He didn't sound convinced, sparking anger in Kyouji.

"I'm serious," He snapped. "I could have died the second I hit the wall and the same damn thing would have happened, whether I wanted it to or not, and just because I can doesn't mean I want to, so—"

"Okay," Himitsu cut in. "Alright, sorry, I believe ya."

It took a second for what Kyouji had said to process. "What d'you mean, ya hit a wall? I mean, I know ya got hit by a van or somethin', but ya said it didn't really hit ya, and ya ain't 'xactly the sturdiest thing in the world-"

"I'm fine." Or he would be, just as soon as his head stopped pounding. "I swear."

A moment of silence from Himitsu's end had Kyouji wondering if the call had been dropped, before: "Then ya wouldn't object to meetin' up? Don't like doin' this o'er the phone."

"I…" Kyouji's first reaction was to reject the idea, wanting to just hide away for a month or two. But not only was that probably not allowed, if left alone to think, he knew what his mind would eventually return to. "Sure, whatever."

"Alright, where?"

Kyouji frowned. It wasn't like Himitsu needed to be told, anyway. Apparently it took no time at all to locate him. "I'm going for a walk. Just find me."

"That's—fine…" Himitsu sounded like he was about to argue, but changed his mind midsentence.

With that, Kyouji hung up the phone. He probably should have been nicer, but he couldn't find the energy to. It was draining enough to convince himself to stand and collect his things, the disposables tossed in a separate plastic bag. Once he'd gotten the bag into a dumpster so full of filth no one would want to touch it, he walked aimlessly along the street, no real destination in mind.

A part of him wanted to test how readily Himitsu's… whatever it was, could find him, but mostly he just needed to distract himself. There were plenty of people, living, breathing, unhurt people, on the street this early in the afternoon. It had the opposite of the desired effect, however, his mind morphing each person's face to what he was trying to avoid thinking about, until he learned to just keep his eyes on the ground in front of him. He needed to find somewhere out of the way.

Kyouji found it. He'd come across a bridge he must have passed over a thousand times, but he only just noticed how the end dipped to allow someone small enough to perch there, between the railing along the bridge ledge and a concrete pillar. The place was almost completely out of sight from the street, so he wouldn't likely be bothered for 'loitering'. He dropped his bag beneath it, hoisting himself up until he was settled comfortably. This would do.

The water under the bridge might have come up to his knee if he went down and stood in it, but from up here, he could almost pretend it would be deep enough to dive into. It would be cold, that was for sure… He shook his head to clear his thoughts, before just allowing himself to stare blankly at the moving water below. It was an easy way to lose track of time, and not thinking about anything was easier than it seemed. Or perhaps he was thinking of a bunch of small things and forgetting right away. It made no difference.

Kyouji almost didn't recognize the sound of his phone's messaging alert, and glanced down at it for a moment before checking it.

'Be there soon.' From a blocked number.

There was only one person it could be, but why he felt the need to prevent return texts made no sense to Kyouji. And of course he'd already found him, he was just getting comfortable being alone. Kyouji smirked, not knowing how to feel about how easy it had been, but Himitsu had mentioned ways of finding him before. At least he was still being nice, even after Kyouji had responded like that.

…Hopefully.

Kyouji tucked the phone away, trying to ignore the part of his brain that reminded him that of course Himitsu was going to be nice until he got what he was in this for. Otherwise, he risked losing out on his 'investment' or whatever he'd called it.

A small voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

He was hallucinating. He'd hit his head too hard, and now he was seeing things. There was no way the universe was being this nice after what it'd just pulled. There had to be a catch. The kid was just… standing there. Staring up at him without a care in the world, as earnest as could be.

Kyouji didn't remember deciding to get off of the ledge, but his feet hit the ground solidly, and he was standing in front of him. He looked for a couple seconds longer, but Tadashi didn't blow away in the wind or turn into some fire-breathing dragon, so he supposed he was real enough.

"What are you doing out here?" Kyouji tilted his head, suppressing a wince at the movement.

The café was a good distance away, and there was no one in sight that Tadashi, or was it Teddy right now, seemed to belong to. This couldn't be right.

"Just walking." Tadashi smiled, holding his hands behind his back. "Hiro's been busy with the café since you left, but I can manage."

"Oh. That's—" Kyouji's brow furrowed in confusion. "But what about Ara? Can't she help?" He knew the kid wouldn't get all the details of what had happened, even if Hiro had seen something, but it wasn't like Hiro was working alone.

"She only does mornings, I think." Tadashi shrugged, fiddling with his hands, looking for words. As he did, he stared to the side at Kyouji's bag, as if trying to remember something.

Kyouji leaned against the side of the bridge, and had to remind himself that it wasn't actually suspicious to put your hands in your pockets. His fingers brushed against the box still nestled there, and he could barely feel the grooves on it through the gloves. Kyouji knew it would be more dangerous to try anything in public, but he was running out of chances. The hardest part would be managing the syringe, even with years of practice, it was easy to slip up, and throw gloves into the equation—.

"He's not mad, you know." Tadashi spoke up again, looking back up at him, and Kyouji glanced away. "I mean it, it'd be okay if you came back."

It wouldn't. Kyouji knew that. Even if he put aside everything that he had to do, ignored the countdown for how long he had to do this in, and erased everything he'd already done, it wouldn't work. It was… good that his hands were already messed up now, so he couldn't try to convince himself that he could keep things hidden forever. He wasn't going to be able to keep this from them, and it would be only a matter of time before something like today would happen. Maybe a glass would shatter, maybe his hand or arm would get caught in something, maybe—

Kyouji flinched when Tadashi reached up to tug on his sleeve, and the kid frowned, but stopped and pulled away a little. "You're coming back, right?"

Breathing out shakily, Kyouji flipped the switch on the box, silently wondering how long it would take them to get there. He didn't know how long the serum would work on a kid, but with a fully grown adult, he had roughly a minute window where they were unaware, and another where they were disoriented. A sick feeling rose at the back of his throat as he hoped it wouldn't be too much for a kid, he really didn't want a repeat of earlier…

"I… don't think that'd be a good idea, Teddy." Kyouji answered hesitantly. He'd need to stall.

"Why not?" Tadashi folded his arms over his chest, looking up at him challengingly.

Kyouji looked down, shrugging. "It's just not." If you didn't answer the question, they'd work harder for the answer.

"But I already told you Hiro wouldn't mind…" Tadashi frowned. "I could tell him not to ask anything if you did…"

Scoffing, Kyouji shook his head with a wry grin, even as his hands trembled in his pockets from the anticipation. "Do you even know what happened?" He was curious how much Hiro might have shared.

"Not really…" The kid didn't look pleased about that.

Kyouji hummed, he might be able to use that, but he didn't want to make the kid want to leave. He didn't have long to think on it, when a familiar face approached. Guess he'd found him.

A calculating look passed over Himitsu's face when he saw the two of them, and he checked something on the phone in his hands as he approached. His shoulders relaxed, a genuine smile softening his features, and he tucked the phone away.

"Hey, Kyou." Himitsu waved. "Told ya I wouldn't be long. Who's this?"

Kyouji felt some of the tension ease out of his shoulders when Himitsu joined them. He knew what he was doing, and at worst, he'd have backup should something go south. "Hey. This is Tedd-Tadash- erm…" He trailed off, looking at Tadashi as a question of what to introduce him as, and also to keep him in the conversation.

The kid sighed in false weariness, drawing a laugh from Himitsu. "Just call me Teddy… everyone else does."

"Alright, nice to meet you." Himitsu tilted his head. "I swear, I've seen you somewhere before…"

Kyouji wasn't sure what it was, but something about the interaction felt too fake. He couldn't place it though, and he was probably overthinking it, expecting everything to seem suspicious when no one else would care. The nerves were beginning to return, and would only get worse the longer they had to wait.

"Kyou?" Himitsu was looking at him, and Kyouji realized he'd probably missed something.

"Hm?"

"Just wonderin' what you guys were talking about… You okay?" Himitsu moved closer, looking at him with a hint of worry behind his eyes. The concern was unfounded. Kyouji'd see this through, and there wasn't any backing out now. It wouldn't be good for anyone's safety.

"I'm fine." So long as he didn't move his head too sharply, this was mostly true. "We were just talking… um, about me having to leave…" Kyouji trailed off, not sure where to take it from there.

A dark look passed over Himitsu's face. "You mean when he burned you?"

What? That's not what I told him. Kyouji frowned, glancing away. What's he playing at?

A pained sound came from the kid, and he took a step towards to Kyouji. "He burned you?" An odd look passed over Tadashi's face before it became concern.

"It doesn't matter, Teddy." Kyouji realized this was probably just to waste more time, and was honestly a pretty good idea. "It's done now."

Tadashi frowned, considering something before he spoke again. "Are you still hurt?"

That was an odd question, but Kyouji supposed that was a child for you. "Kid, there's nothing you can do."

"But what if there was?" Tadashi looked down at his hands, and if trying to decide something. "Would you come back then?"

Kyouji didn't know how to answer that. Teddy didn't know what he was talking about, but he didn't know how to answer the kid without giving something away, or making him suspect something. Himitsu spoke before he could reply.

"What, so it could just happen again?"

There was thinly veiled anger in his voice that Kyouji didn't understand, and the kid looked down solemnly… almost guiltily. Kyouji's confusion didn't abate; it was like these two were talking in a code he couldn't decipher. But this was just a kid, right? Maybe that's all it was, that Himitsu knew how a kid would think, and so could talk to them.

Himitsu's phone gave a small chirp, breaking the tension, and he checked it, turning to Kyouji. "Oh, Bella wants to know if you're coming to the party later."

Himitsu chuckled easily at Kyouji's confused look, covering for him. "Told her you'd forget, but she might actually kill ya this time if you skip out again."

What—Oh!

"Yeah, yeah." Kyouji let one of his hands fall to his side, syringe still hidden. "I already said I would."

"Good, 'cause she wants help setting up." Himitsu sent out a quick text. He turned to Tadashi, grinning easily, previous anger gone. "I'd invite you, too, but no minors. Sorry, kid."

"Aww." Tadashi crossed his arms, pretending to be upset.

"Life's just so unfair," Himitsu teased.

"Rude." Tadashi looked away, huffing.

Shoki's van pulled up in front of them, stopping at the shoulder of the road, and concealing them fully from the view of the street.

"Hey, you guys coming?" Bella leaned out the passenger side window, or at least Kyouji was fairly sure it was Bella. She looked like a normal person without the Fujita makeup, but she was no less exuberant… or terrifying. But maybe that was just Kyouji.

"Chill, Bella, you're going to fall out like that." Himitsu remained unaffected as he dragged the door open.

"Am not!"

An odd calmness settled over Jadoku, as if he were only playing a part, following a script that he'd practiced well. The kid was turned away from him, watching Himitsu and Bella's antics, having no reason to watch his back. The syringe was prepped, and even with the gloves, it'd be fine. This wasn't a time for thinking, because stopping to think would cost you the mark. And that's all this was. Another mark.

Not giving himself time to consider it, Jadoku moved forward, sticking the needle in the back of the kid's unguarded neck. Please don't kill him. In the second it took to put the syringe away, Tadashi had collapsed silently, and Jadoku caught him, easily picking him up.

This kid's light.

"He okay?" Himitsu gestured towards the child in his arms.

The couple seconds it took to gather up his backpack and carry the kid over to the open door would have been all the time it would take for a bad reaction. He was still breathing, simply frozen in place.

Jadoku nodded, the ache in the back of his head reawakening, though he tried to act as if it hadn't. He passed the kid over and pulled himself into the van, still feeling like he was simply going through motions.

The door closed behind him and Shoki pulled out, driving away from the downtown area. Bella hopped the seat to the back, dragging out a small bag from the back of the cargo area.

"Well, that went smoothly," Bella commented brightly as she dug around for the items she was looking for.

"Wasn't it supposed to?" Jadoku watched warily, subconsciously placing himself between her and where the kid had been laid out, still dazed from the shot.

"He talks!" Bella laughed, before considering his question. "Mm, maybe. Kinda boring, though." She unwrapped a set of straps, going to move past Jadoku, frowning when he remained in her way.

"What are you doing?" Jadoku didn't trust her, but so long as the kid was left alone, he could deal with the part of his mind that was trying to catch up with him, the one reminding him of all the reasons he shouldn't have done this.

"Listen, I get he's your catch or whatever, and if you want him ripping open the door and screaming, be my guest." Bella smirked, raising an eyebrow. "But unless you've got another one of them little sleeper shots, I'd suggest moving."

Jadoku opened his mouth to protest that they didn't need to when Himitsu tugged on his jacket sleeve, pulling him to sit with him to keep him from digging his own grave. He caved, joining him on the seat since logically, yes, they probably did need to keep him quiet and still, even after the effects of the serum wore off. He was already stirring. But Jadoku hadn't thought this far, and everything was beginning to grate against him.

Bella hummed, grinning wickedly as she knelt to begin securing the kid. "Ten bucks J snaps before we get there."

"Wouldn't matter. He's done, you're not." Himitsu frowned, glaring at her.

Jadoku didn't appreciate them talking about him like that, as if he weren't there, but anything to keep his attention from the form on the floor was welcome. He firmly fixed his gaze on the door to the outside.

"You just want to spoil my fun." She made quick work of the restraints, undeterred by Himitsu's glaring. If anything she took it as encouragement, and continued in a false low voice. "'Don't touch Jadoku, don't go after the kid without him, don't pick fights, blah, blah.'" She snickered. "You know, I'd say that-"

"Bella." Himitsu cut her off, and Jadoku didn't think he'd ever seen someone manage to be both amused and annoyed at the same time.

"Fine, fine, suit yourself." She passed by on the way to the front seat, patting his cheek. "Anyway, that should hold him. Sure you want to take him in live like this?"

Jadoku's gaze snapped to her, but she was still speaking solely to Himitsu.

"Knockin' him out'd cause damage we don't need." Himitsu shook his head.

Oh. 'Live' as in awake, not as in… well, not dead.

"Besides," Himitsu leaned back, relaxing. "Jadoku's solution worked best for this. Not every mission needs to end with blood." His tone took on a teasing note, making Jadoku wonder just how often it did.

"Says you." Bella pouted, resting her head on the back of the seat, and looking back at Jadoku. "Still bummed I didn't get to fight you."

"Excuse me?" Jadoku looked at her in confusion.

She grinned widely. "We wouldn't be here if all you needed was a getaway driver."

Shoki spoke up from the driver's seat, speech short and matter-of-fact. "Himitsu's word will only get you so far. We were, and are, insurance."

The unspoken threat jarred Jadoku's already shaken sense of security. It's not like they could know about the chances he'd given up that would have finished this job earlier. Unless they did, and they just wanted him to finish the job first, and then deal with him. Which was becoming entirely likely, and—

"'Ey, so long as he doesn't drop-kick the kid out before we get there, we have no need for that." Himitsu answered lightly, but there was hidden steel in his words.

"So you claim." Shoki remained skeptical, but Bella simply laughed.

"Wonder how far he'd get him. Oh! If he kicked him out the back, he'd go further, wouldn't he?"

Jadoku tuned them out, wishing the van had more windows than just those at the front so he could see where they were going, or at least have something to distract him while they drove. They'd travelled a while, and he hadn't the slightest idea where they were headed, only that it was to…

His mind screeched to a halt and he tensed. Right. They were headed straight towards the man that would easily hand him over to have who knows what done to him. The only thing stopping him was his supposed word, which really, Himitsu had conveyed, so his future freedom depended on Himitsu's word that Taishou's word was valid. Great. Perfect.

But he supposed there was nothing to do about it now but worry about it. It wasn't like he deserved anything better. And maybe- Jadoku recalled the events of earlier that day with a grimace- maybe it would even be for the best…

Jadoku felt pressure build up behind his ears, and he relaxed his jaw to some relief, hearing them 'pop' as it released.

"I'll never get used to taking this route." Bella pouted, rubbing at her own ears. "There's no way these walls are that sturdy, the whole bay's gonna fall down on top of us."

"It's lasted fer this long, it'll last one more trip." Himitsu pointed out. "Ya don't have a problem when it's hundreds of pounds o' earth above us."

"That's solid, it'll hold itself. You can make bridges out of earth, you can't out of water."

Jadoku looked through the front window, seeing nothing but lights dotting the two-lane tunnel. Wait. They were under the bay? When could they have possibly… But then Jadoku remembered that he'd sort of zoned out, and couldn't even say with any certainty how long they'd been in the van.

"Either way, we're almost out." Shoki pointed at the red lights at the end that grew closer and closer.

She rolled down the window on approach, and the cool air that drifted in was as damp as the foggiest day in San Fransokyo. The atmosphere helped to settle Jadoku's nerves, but not by much. There was still too much uncertainty ahead. They were waved through without even having to stop, and the silence that followed until they parked was stifling.

There was a small group waiting for their arrival, and once the van doors were open, Jadoku wished one of his abilities included invisibility so he could just hide out in the van until someone took it outside again. That wasn't an option, however, and with a gesture from Himitsu, Jadoku bent and picked up the kid. He was breathing, but he didn't thrash as he'd almost expected, nor did the child make noise. Maybe the serum had had a worse effect than he'd thought. The kid was incredibly warm, or perhaps he was just cold.

Jadoku approached the group, lowering the kid onto the stretcher they had laid out, and then backed away. He didn't look at him. He couldn't.

I'm sorry.

A man in a doctor's coat moved forwards, supposedly to do checks on the kid. Jadoku distantly heard him make note of small initial observations.

"He's aware, he's just staying quiet. Smart kid. Alright, let's move."

As they left, Jadoku half expected to be dragged along with them, and flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw it was only Himitsu, searching his expression for… something. Jadoku wasn't sure what. The Fujitas had vanished, along with the van, their job done for now.

Himitsu dropped his arm after a moment, slinging Jadoku's backpack off his shoulder and holding it out to him. He'd almost forgotten. Jadoku accepted it, drawing comfort from having something on hand that was his. He fixed his gaze on the floor.

"No chance of me just walking outside and leaving it at that, is there?" Jadoku was only half joking, but Himitsu laughed anyway.

"Nah, not quite. Take ya a bit, too." Himitsu grinned, glancing around. "Picture the tallest buildin' in San Fransokyo. Now flip it upside down. That's where we're standin'. And we ain't even on the bottom floor."

Jadoku tried to process that mental image, but there was just too much. They were underground. Got it. He couldn't leave. Understood. Anything further could be dealt with later. There was too much vying for his attention, and this had been a long, long day.

"Home sweet home and all." Himitsu shrugged when he got no response, beckoning Jadoku to follow. "C'mon, don't think he's got a meetin' today, and he'll want to meet ya, whether he admits ta it or not."

"Wait, who?" Jadoku thought he knew, but he had to be sure… there'd been enough surprises for one day.

Himitsu turned to face him again. "Taishou. Taishou-sama, Dr. Yamada, whatever he's supposed ta be called."

Jadoku could almost physically feel the blood drain from his face and had to focus on not letting the dizziness overcome him. He'd known, so why was the confirmation still causing this? "I- I'll pass…"

"Whoa, hey." Himitsu reached out to steady him, gripping his upper arms. "What's wrong?"

"He'll—" Jadoku couldn't stop shaking. He'd accepted this, why couldn't he just…

When Jadoku didn't continue, Himitsu desperately tried to figure out why he was suddenly so terrified. Then it came to him.

"No, no, Jadoku." He shook his head, trying to figure out what would help. "Just relax, you're in the clear. Ya did as ya were told. It's over. Now there's nothin' to worry about, it's outta your hands, understand?"

He tried to, he really did. But the only way Jadoku was going to go to Taishou is if Himitsu physically dragged him. Himitsu seemed to get the gist from Jadoku's facial expression, sighing and letting go.

"Not today, then. Can't promise he won't call for ya, but let's getcha settled first."

Jadoku slowly nodded at that, following after Himitsu as he muttered something about needing to get him a map.

Hiro's heart was in his throat. "Honey Lemon, Tadashi left forty minutes ago when I texted you."

"Yes, I know that, Hiro, but he's not here." Her franticness was tangible through the phone. "Are you sure you told him the right place?"

"I'm sure. Bookstore off 8th. That's where you are, right?" Hiro's hands started to shake as his unfortunately expansive imagination began to do its work.

"Yes, that's it! Could he have gotten lost?"

Hiro shook his head, forgetting she couldn't see it. "He's not actually five, and he probably knows the city better than I do."

Struck by a sudden idea, Hiro turned and sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When he finally got to the red crate tucked in the corner of the room, he kicked the side of it.

"Baymax! Ow!"

Baymax inflated, blinking at Hiro. "Hello, Hiro. Are you here for another-"

"No. Scan the city for Tadashi." Hiro cut him off, glad he'd decided to make the upgrade a part of Baymax's standard abilities.

"A moment. Scanning."

Come on…

"Scan complete. Tadashi's location is: Unknown."

Hiro froze. "…what? That's- what do you mean, unknown!?"

**A.N.: ...oh, would you look at that, looks like the end of the chapter. This one was so much fun to write, I hope you enjoyed it. Happy New Year! Reviews are loved and responded to, but if you want to skip the middle man and just PM me, that's cool too.**