Part 10

Hidden Wings

The first thing the redhead was conscious of was pain. The awareness came like an invisible weight easing gradually down on him, unnoticed until he was suddenly at the point of breaking. Daisuke carved a shocked breath from his lungs and twisted onto his side, trembling and pale within moments.

The boy winced his eyes open and struggled to understand his surroundings. He saw a pale ceiling, clean counters and bolted cabinets. Focusing on taking deep, shaky breaths, he twisted his gaze to the other side. Cables bound neatly together were feeding into monitors that flickered data in a never-ending frenzy of activity. Daisuke squinted to make out what they were for, but his eyes kept blurring. God, it hurt. He stared anyway, trying to look further up, where his pillow blocked part of the room.

He heard a chair creak, and then footsteps. A fiery-haired woman who appeared to be in her late twenties walked out from his blind spot and came up directly in front of him. Daisuke tried to focus on her clearly as she leaned over him and began fussing with a tube that - he was surprised to notice - was running to his arm. She nudged the needle around, squeezing the tube. Daisuke blearily watched the tube fish around in his skin, feeling no pain and knowing full well that he ought to.

"That's odd," the girl murmured. Her voice sounded like he was hearing it through a tank of water. "You hurting, kid?" she asked, seeming doubtful.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Daisuke asked her, not sounding nearly as intimidating as he wanted to. Big and tough wasn't one of his strong points in the first place.

"I'm Shira, and I suggest ya stay still. With all the drugs we're givin' you, you shouldn't be feeling a thing," she asserted, but cocked her head to the side as Daisuke remained curled over like he was under assault. "For god's sake, what is it, Kid?"

"My back," Daisuke strained to speak calmly, "What did you do to my back?"

Shira rolled her eyes, but stayed patient. "Your back is fine. You took one in the side and one in the leg," she said. The boy just squeezed his eyes closed again and groaned tightly. His captor studied his expression, as if giving consideration to his strange reactions. She reached down to the bandage that covered his fresh leg wound and touched it lightly. After watching him a moment, she set her gaze and squeezed down. No reaction from the boy. As she thought, he couldn't possibly be feeling a thing.

"What do you want with me? Did you hurt Riku?" the boy demanded. He seemed to be successfully gathering his thoughts.

"You mean the little girlfriend you were with? She's being kept in a separate facility here. What happens to her depends entirely on your cooperation."

"Cooperation with what!" Daisuke almost screamed over the buzzing in his head.

Shira's lips rose at his frustrated outburst. She trailed a long, calloused finger slowly from the center of his forehead to the tip of his nose. Daisuke just stared at her, annoyed and intrigued at once. "My master wants something only you can give him. Suck it up and get it over with, and we'll have you home safe and sound with your lady friend. First, though, we need you to give us The Black Wings."

"The Black Wings…you know about that?" Daisuke murmured, too surprised to even think of playing dumb.

"Bingo," Shira smirked, crossing her arms. "According to our information, you're the being that houses the Black Wings' spirit. The "Wing Host", as the theory goes. She watched his reactions closely. It was odd how despite all that was happening to him, the boy didn't even seem enraged. Sure, he was upset, but far from threatening. He was almost…polite.

"If that's what you're after, I can't help you. Regardless of the past, I have no relationship with that stuff now. He's permanently sealed."

Shira raised an eyebrow at him, a false kind of interest. "Permanently. You mean destroyed?"

"As far as I'm concerned," Daisuke confirmed, and felt a little relieved as he added, "I have nothing to do with it anymore." His sat up a bit as the throbbing in his back suddenly began to subside.

"If what you say is true, we're going to have a bit of a problem," Shira smirked.

"Why?" Daisuke asked. The obvious question sounded pathetic and he didn't care.

Shira flicked his forehead - a small, amused gesture. Her voice dropped to a sassy whisper. "Because I don't think that argument will impress my boss." Daisuke just stared at her like she'd told him to go build an ark. Her expression sobered. "Look, kid, it's not rocket science. Just tell him how to summon the artwork or whatever and you're done."

"Artwork…do you even know what you're talking about?"

It was Shira's turn to look confused.

"Forget it. I'm not giving you any more information until I see Riku safe."

His captor shook her head with an odd laugh. "Get your rest, kid. With that attitude, you're gonna need it."

"Wait!" Daisuke shouted after her as she walked out of the room. "I really can't do it!" The heavy mechanized door sealed behind her, blocking off any further retort. Certain he'd end up on the ground if he tried to stand up, he gradually lay flat again. Dread began sinking into him like tar while he stared at the bleak white ceiling. What was he thinking? He should have denied everything; now they'd never leave him alone. Once again, Dark was throwing his life into a disaster, but despite his growing anger, a prickle of guilt still found him.

He'd sworn not to forget him, but he'd grown to want to, now more than ever. If Dark was still alive somewhere, Daisuke knew his careless oath would live on in the angel's mind regardless of whether it was honored. What harm was that? Sometimes promises served their purpose simply by comforting the other party; they weren't all meant to be kept forever. He had to grow and live in the present, not the past. Dark must know that. The phantom thief wouldn't expect him to live by something he said when he was just a kid. Daisuke cringed, trying to make the logic work. His back was beginning to throb again.

The distinctness of the pain reminded him of how numb the rest of him was. He fumbled for the IV tube and pulled it out, letting the tube drop onto the floor. The blood-tarnished needle wept slow droplets of fluid onto the waxed floor. Let the linoleum go numb. He was done blocking out reality.

- - O - -

Risa's head jerked up from where it had been drooping almost down to the tabletop. Her sleep-dulled eyes brought Satoshi into focus across the room.

"Sorry to wake you," he said, closing the bedroom door behind him and walking over to the table. "You really should just lie down for a while. I'm afraid you'll fall out of the chair dozing off like that. The last thing we need is two patients," he said, coming up behind her and cupping his hands around her shoulders.

"I'm okay," she said, shaking her head. "How is…"

"Better. Hattori says he's improving. Strong enough to complain, at least. Apparently that's a good sign."

Risa smiled thinly. "Where is the vet, anyway?" she said. The clock on his microwave blazed 8:46 pm.

"He went out for supplies. If Dark's still stable when he gets back, he's going to take him off the IVs. Do you need something to eat?" he asked after she didn't seem to respond to his words.

"Satoshi…why is he here? Did he do something to make them attack Daisuke? And hurt Riku…" She murmured, looking conflicted.

"I know that's how it looks, but I really don't think so. I'm fairly certain they'd have been attacked either regardless. That still doesn't explain how he got here. We'll need to wait for him to explain that." He dropped into the seat across the table from her, leaning forward and raking thin fingers through his hair. Glancing at Risa's tense posture, he sighed. "You haven't gone back in there since that first time," he inquired. "If you want to go in, you should. Just don't ask him too many questions yet. He needs a new IV about now, and I could use a break," Satoshi muttered, pulling off his glasses to press his thumbs against his eyes.

Risa frowned and looked away. "I'm sorry…Sato, could you do it?" she said quietly.

Satoshi reset his glasses above his nose, the forcefield of calm logic rising back up around him. "Sure. I'll go in a minute," he said, wondering why she was so unwilling to go back in there. "It's not the way it was this morning, you know. He's doing much better. Hattori and I took care of the…mess."

"I really don't want to," she protested, meeting his eyes with an apologetic look.

"If you won't even go in, then why stay here? Your sister's ankle is sprained, right? I'm sure she could use your company, and you'd be able to get some sleep."

"Mom's looking after Riku…She made me promise not to worry about her…so when I go back to her, I want to be able to tell her that Daisuke's safe." Her voice was earnest and sure, but one look was enough to tell: Risa didn't know how to watch her big twin fall apart. She apparently couldn't handle Dark's situation either. Satoshi was noticing a trend.

Both teens turned as the door flung open. "I'm back," Hattori blared cheerfully, strolling into the room with his arms full of groceries. "How's the patient?"

"Steady," Satoshi said, walking over to investigate the supplies. He rummaged through the bags, then peered at Hattori incredulously. "You're going to feed a half-dead paranormal being Hot Pockets and Gatorade?" he demanded.

"Can he not have Gatorade?" Hattori asked coolly, rubbing an idle finger in his ear. He raised his eyebrows at the Hiwatari, who seemed uncertain how to argue. "Then we feed him Gatorade. The hot pockets are for us."

"He's not a sea monkey, you know. We're going to have to feed him a little better than that," Risa piped in.

"Says the lady who hasn't even changed a bandage," Hattori smirked, hefting up a bag and marching on toward Dark's room. Satoshi shook his head and followed.

"Hey!" Risa prodded, giving chase but stopping at the doorway. She took a deep breath, hoping her pride would forgive her if she went back to the table. Count back from five. Two, One…yes. Actually…no. Damn. "I can help too, I was just tired," she announced as she stormed in after the two men with arms crossed. Why was she so scared to look at him?

She forced her eyes to the bed and saw Dark lying on his side, an IV tube running from his arm to a stand next to the bed. His color was better now; she could see warmth under his skin. If not for the IV, he would look just like he was sleeping.

Except that he wasn't sleeping. In fact, he was looking straight at her. Risa bristled, restraining a yelp. "What?" she demanded, trying to read his expression.

"Lose the long face, milady. I'll be fine," he winked at her, though his voice strained to rise above a whisper.

Risa bit her lip, color rising through her face. He was comforting her? One second she was too nervous to come in, and now she was fighting back tears.

"I'm taking out the IV cause we're out of bags, so don't croak on me," Hattori hummed bluntly as he removed the taping and needle from Dark's arm.

Risa's eyes looked ready to spill at the word 'croak'. "Seriously, would it kill you to be a little more tactful?" she half sobbed.

"I thought of some other ways to kill him, but that's a good one," Dark applauded, wincing as Hattori ripped a strip of medical tape off his inner arm.

"I'm sorry, you're mistaking me for a professional. But oh, that's right, professionals wouldn't ditch their practice for an entire workday to play doctor with some unconscious bird-man."

"Oh, the veterinarian's making me blush," Dark sneered.

"Shut it before I make you wear a funnel," scolded Hattori, moving to the other side of the bed to check on Dark's bandages. Dark twisted his neck around just enough to keep an eye on the man, keeping the weight off his back.

Risa shook with effort before giving in to laughter. Satoshi bit his tongue, but even he looked amused.

"What?" hissed Hattori and Dark in unison, which only made Risa's condition worse.

Dark looked back at her in the corner of his eye and took a private breath of relief. 'Doesn't seem to hate me,' he observed. Her reaction in the park had stung as strongly as his wounds. Crap, his eyes were going blurry again.

"Dark? Are you alright?"

"Dark?"

The angel shook his head dizzily, sinking to the pillow again and fighting to stay conscious. 'No,' he begged his body, but it was slipping away from him anyway. "I have to…"

A warm, moist towel pressed to his forehead. "Sleep. Don't fight it," Hattori's voice instructed.

The angel gritted his teeth, not having a whole lot of choice in the matter. With an uneasy breath, his head sank deeper against the pillow, completely out.

Risa's laughter had died. "What's happening? I thought he was doing better…"

"Better is a relative term," Satoshi noted practically, but he was staring as well.

Hattori shook his head, monitoring the pulse in Dark's wrist. "He's anemic and dehydrated. He's got plenty of spunk, but it's going to take some time for his body to catch up. Unfortunately, without the IV, you can't let him sleep like that until he gets some fluid into him. I'm going to head out for now and catch some Z's. Give me a buzz if anything changes, otherwise I'll drop in tomorrow."

"Thanks. I'll walk you out," Satoshi said, moving with Hattori toward the door.

"You – I mean it, don't let him sleep. Get him up and make him drink the Gatorade," he ordered, pointing at Risa as he left the room with Satoshi.

Risa gawked at them as they abandoned her to be alone in the room with the phantom thief. She walked slowly across the hardwood floor and knelt on a rug next to the bed, studying Dark's sleeping form. Sweat was gathering on his forehead. Waking him up was nearly the last thing she could think of wanting to do right now. She reached down into the grocery bag and took out the bottle of Gatorade. There were several straws in the bag as well – the vet had thought this out.

Clutching the orange liquid rigidly, she sat up very straight and called out, "Dark?" No reaction. "Dark," she repeated louder. "Geez," she muttered, reaching out and almost touching his shoulder. She paused there, lips pursed with concentration. She was so uncomfortable around him now. Had there really been a time when she'd casually followed this man like a puppy? 'Well, people change over time. Things change.' The thought gave her resolve. She took his shoulder firmly and shook him. "Dark! No sleeping, Hattori says you need Gatorade," she announced right above his ear.

Dark's breath hitched. His eyelids rose to reveal still pools of lavender that turned toward her expectantly.

"Y…you're awake now?" Risa said the obvious, looking back over her shoulder instead of into those eyes.

"Where is it?"

The girl blinked, hesitating over the question.

"The Gatorade," Dark clarified wearily. He gathered his arms under his chest and managed to push up and twist into a sitting position. His wings dragged behind him, barely moving enough to rearrange behind his back.

"Are you sure you should be moving around like that?" Risa cautioned, half-reaching for him as if to catch him if he blacked out again.

"It's alright," he assured, fighting off dizziness. He gestured toward the bottle she was holding. Risa handed him the container and he brought the straw to his lips, drinking the strange beverage like he was downing cough syrup. He frowned at nothing across the room as he focused on staying up this time. The level of the drink dropped steadily to about half in a matter of seconds.

"Hey, don't try to drink it all at once!" chided Risa as Dark looked about ready to choke.

As if on cue, the angel jerked his head back and burst out coughing. Risa folded her arms, saying nothing as she waited for him to calm down. He sat still again after a few moments, though his throat went on having spasms. He seemed to be out of energy for actual coughing. He looked at the half-finished drink and moved to put the straw back in his mouth.

"For heaven's sake, don't rush it," Risa said, touching his wrist and pushing the bottle down again.

"There's no time," Dark snapped, his eyes locking onto hers. "I need to find Daisuke." He twitched, dizzy again.

Risa bit back a scolding, curiosity and sympathy overwhelming her impatience. So that was what he was worried about. "Dark, I can understand, but what help can you be to him in that condition?" she asked gently.

Something sparked in the angel's eyes, and Risa knew he didn't like her words. At least he brought the bottle down to his side. He pressed his free hand to his forehead, obscuring her view of his face. "Sorry, guess I'm a little tense."

Risa sighed, her throat feeling dry. "Just lie down, okay?"

When his hand came down again, Dark's expression was under control. He took a breath and smiled half-heartedly. Sleeping again was the last thing he wanted to do. He kept seeing bizarre, violent things in his dreams. About Daisuke, and Krad. And this new body. All things considered, it was nearly impossible to just lie still. His eyes scanned the room and found the television on Satoshi's dresser. "Can you turn that thing on? I'll lie down," he bargained.

Risa really didn't think he should be staying up watching TV, but at least he was cooperating. She grabbed a remote off the nightstand and turned the machine on, flicking through the channels while Dark lay back down. The angel tucked his arm over his head and rested his face on it to make out the screen. Risa's channel hopping finally ended on the news.

"I didn't think you were the type to watch the news."

"Things change," Risa said. Something in her voice put a chill up the angel's back. Dark's first and second fingers fiddled absently with the bandage on his upper back as he watched a dark-haired reporter deliver stock information on the screen.

"And now, another update on a tragedy today at Tokyo's Shrine World theme park. Mikoto, tell us what's happening."

"Well, as you know, disaster struck Shrine World this morning when one of the park's thrill rides dislodged from its track before breaking in half completely and collapsing. The ride, known as the Sacred Dream, is a popular coaster that takes parkgoers through a series of tight loops and turns on a low-speed, indoor track.

"We now have confirmed police reports that a total of twenty-seven passengers were found dead at the scene, with another three miraculously alive but in critical condition. The park's reports indicate that based on the total capacity of the ride, two passengers are still unaccounted for in the rubble. Rescue teams have been on the job all day, but say that so far, there is no sign of the two remaining passengers. With us at Tokyo Memorial Hospital is Makamoto Mizuki, who is here seeking news of her ten-year-old son, Makamoto Jirou. Jirou was supposedly visiting the park today, and has yet to be found. Makamoto-san, any words?"

"I just want to find my boy," whimpered the woman standing beside the reporter, her swollen eyes looking straight at the camera.

The reporter put a comforting arm around the worried mother. "Anyone with information or sightings of the Makamoto boy can report them to the number below," she continued while a school photo of a healthy boy with red-black hair and large round glasses appeared on the screen.

"Looks kind of like the Hiwatari boy," Dark smirked, sipping at his Gatorade.

"The poor thing…I hope they find her son!" Risa said, close to tears.

Dark rolled his eyes. "He's ten years old, and it's only 9:00. He's probably out with friends, and she's just paranoid because it was in the news."

Risa just humphed. "Of course, you couldn't possibly understand a mother's fear."

"I'm sorry, did you say something? I must have been unconscious again," Dark rubbed his pinky in his ear.

Risa groaned under her breath and flipped the station to some banal late-night children's cartoons – something about pre-adolescent girls in leotards fighting crime. "I'm getting tired, so I'll just leave this on for you," she smirked impishly, springing to her feet and curtsying to the wounded angel before leaving the room.

Dark looked at the screen and grimaced, noting that the remote was on the ground halfway across the room. Tonight would be a battle for justice.

- - O - -

The air was cooling as it settled like a still blanket over the city. The white angel sat on the rooftop of a lighthouse on the shore, leaning back against the base of the light tower. The last bit of breeze from the sea still drifted through his blonde hair. Beyond the lighthouse, the ocean was glowing with the young moonlight, every softly rippling surface alive with ivory.

The night sea's beauty went by wholly unappreciated by the angel, who was instead staring at a still form laid out in front of him on the roof. He regarded the body with a cold frown that hadn't left his face for most of the day. He'd thought about throwing the human to his death about a thousand times that day, but it was still lying there right where he'd put him that morning. He told himself he was waiting for the kid to wake up before he killed him, to increase the satisfaction. That was the reasoning in his mind when he'd taken the boy from the tunnel. But the kid still hadn't woken or even moved.

A soft groan conveniently answered that thought. Jirou rolled stiffly onto his back and stretched his arms up over his head with a careless yawn. The rough texture of the shingles on his hands made his eyes flicker open. He looked up at the night sky and then over at Krad, staring as he recollected everything that happened. "Hi," he said quietly. He was staring at Krad like he was some sort of God. Krad's glare just chilled through him in response. "Are you going to kill me?"

Krad's expression faltered. The kid's voice was so passive, as if he'd calmly accept it if he said yes. It was irritating. He thought for a long moment. "I am. After I have no further use for you."

"My head hurts, I can't think," Jirou said, curling up and clutching his temples. "Are you real?"

"Of course, fool."

"I think I have a concussion," he said frankly.

"Then you're of no use to me," Krad hissed impatiently, pushing to his feet and towering over the child. He picked Jirou up by the collar and held him at eye level with one arm. A low growl rose from his stomach, which he ignored as he tried to decide what to do with the kid.

Jirou was looking him straight in the eye. He knew he should be scared, but he really didn't feel like he was in danger. He was just being collared by the most interesting person he'd ever met. What did he have to do for this being to let him stay? He tried to think through his headache, his adrenaline lending him courage. "Shrine World is closed at this time of night. If you want to eat in the city, you'll need to hide your wings," he grunted.

Krad scowled. "I will not hide what is mine."

Jirou barely nodded his understanding against Krad's grip. "It's not that simple," he said as if he'd spent half his life thinking about it. "They have a saying in this country, 'The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.' It's easier to keep it to yourself than have it hammered away." He thought of the stacks of fantasy novels stored under his bed, safe from the eyes of his peers. He looked Krad solemnly in the eye. "Show them your wings, and they'll take them away," he murmured, then cringed. A tight whine escaped his throat.

Krad thought he was crying for a second before it occurred to him that he was strangling the kid. He released his grip as if the thought surprised him, and Jirou landed on his rump with a clatter of shingles. The boy groaned and lay back on the hard surface with arms spread at his sides, surrendering to the renewed pounding in his head.

"We will need some ice," Krad sighed, crouching next to the boy.

"We wha-?" Jirou mumbled incoherently as strong fingers closed on his arm and tugged him upward. The angel locked his arms around the boy's chest and those great white wings beat against the still night air. Jirou stared at the rooftop as it dropped into the distance below them. He had to be dreaming. This could never be real, but an impossible joy spread through him like an ache. Even if this was a dream, he'd never let go of this memory, no matter what.

- - O - -

To Be Continued!!

This story has passed 2,000 hits! Now I know hit statistics have their issues, but this still means a LOT to me! I am so touched that people are reading and enjoying this, and I hope I can continue to write it well for you guys. I'm super excited about where the story is going over the next several chapters, which should come out fairly quickly as long as I can stay motivated.

I actually drew one of the Dark-Hattori scenes from part 9 and colored it in photoshop, if anyone's interested. It's up at maiysokat-deviantart-com.

Am I being too mean to Dark? –cackles-

Please don't be shy! Leave a review!

Shout-outs---

PoisonedBlackRose: Sorry I didn't get to the shopping yet! This seemed like a good stopping point, but it's definitely up next. Thank you for reviewing!

Stormshadow13: Haha, I'm having a lot of fun with Dark vs. Vet too. As for Krad finding out…hmm, I like the way you think –cackles under breath-. Thanks as always for the motivation!

Determinedtowin: Thanks for the recommendations, hopefully there was a good dose of Dark and Daisuke in here.

NightRaven13: Wow, thank you so much! I'm thrilled you're liking it, and I'll try to write fast (hopefully without my hands falling off!)