Disclaimer: Nobody in the Gravitation universe belongs to me. I claim no kinship whatsoever and sing Maki Murakami's praises. The only thing I'm getting out of writing these is sick sadistic pleasure out of making the character's lives even more difficult.

Ghost Monk

By: Zemia

A/N: Thank you very much for the compliments. Though I tell people it's not necessary to review for me to update stories, they really do make my day.

Xedra

Scary? Well… depends on your definition of 'scary'. Heh. Not this chapter, unfortunately, since I was tired of the bitching from the female of the group. Unless you're scared of Mika and K, which is not an altogether unreasonable thing. They're psychotic. Thank you very much, Eiri's the easiest one for me to write, honestly, since he himself is so brutally honest while retaining a snarky bastard pride. Heh. Kitazawa is much harder, since we don't know too much about him aside from the tidbits we'd been tossed. As for Shu handling it…. Hmm…. Well…. I DO have some of that written, but the story from here out is chopped tidbits I have to weave into a coherent story. So … it has to wait it's turn.

Ashen Phoenix

I'd love to know too! Kitazawa won't tell me. Perhaps some time in Dungeon Keeper 2's torture chamber will do him some good. Mwahahaha. Mmm… well, I cannot deny the fact that some part of him wants an experience with Eiri, however…. We'll see just how that works out. Remember in chapter 17, it was noted that Eiri's deadline is in a week. And I've got a nasty little surprise in store for Kitazawa that will keep him busy as well.

, Good luck on the job hunting!

meandsesshy

And I'd love to write faster than I can! lol However, things haven't worked out for me so well so far in that department. Hopefully soon I'll find some breathing room and re-weave the snippets I've got (which is like four pages worth) into something resembling a story. , While you're waiting, in my hunts in the past, there's plenty of great stories on that I've enjoyed as well!

Mi Querida

Um, no sweety. Kitazawa possessed SHUICHI. Well, like me, IRL tends to run away from writing / reading time. It's ok. Megamix… meg….. that uber-graphic one where I really didn't need to see the inside of a rectum but LOVE Eiri's expressions? Lmao, I've started coloring some of them. Hmm, maybe I should put online all of the Gravi coloring works I've done that colorizes the black and white images. , …. Maybe.

O,O at the idea of Kita whacking Shu's body off. , ….. , ….. 9, 9 … hmm. Interesting concept. I'll have to give it some tho-OW! Dammit Shu, it was just an idea!!

Vindalootoo

Kitazawa really needs to be taught a lesson. Yah. The question is… how. Still pondering!

LOL yeah, it just came out in one shot, that whole Shu's bath experience thing. And it was so typical Shu, that I'm glad it worked out well. I had a lot of fun with that. Eiri was all "OY, you're giving the fucking brat SUGAR!" in my head.

Chapter 18 – …. K, Now What?

Their clothes dancing in the gusts of wind, the trio sedately watched an insane blonde, holding an MK-47, hanging out of the open door to a helicopter which was attempting to land in the Shrine's courtyard without killing said lunatic. Mika's eyes narrowed at the antics and she immediately hissed to her husband, "You can't possibly be serious about me getting into that thing, with HIM!?"

Tohma turned to face his wife, a warmer version of his mask-like smile gracing his features, and tilted his head just enough to show his amusement. "You told me to come up with a solution of getting back to Tokyo that wouldn't involve taking eight hours of the day to accomplish."

Feeling her eye tick, again the genetics showing, the sole female Uesugi growled, "When I said that, I didn't mean THAT!" A perfectly manicured finger pointed to K, who'd by this point hopped out of the helicopter while it was still ten feet off of the ground and heading their way.

"Well, put it this way, what choice do we have?" Tatsuha countered, shouldering his backpack and immediately starting to head for the free ride. He felt himself jerk backwards and nearly choked from the strap before pulling it away from his neck. "Hey, you could've strangled me!"

"Wouldn't you be so lucky. You're not getting off that easy." Mika countered, continuing to hold onto the strap and tightening her grip before Tatsuha could squirm away. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I would think that would be obvious. Let's see." Tatsuha glanced down at himself, patting around his possessions with his free hand, the other still making sure fratricide remained only a fleeting possibility. "I'm dressed, have a backpack full of supplies, and am heading for the helicopter. Tokyo!"

If her mood could get any worse, there would've been either flames or ice engulfing Tatsuha at the moment. Apparently she was still miffed about his entire attitude the previous day, starting with his answering the phone and ending when he took Shuichi's side against her. "Oh no you're not, you're -- "

"HALLO! Good morning!" K shouted in English, while standing right next to them. He planted a heavy hand on Tatsuha's shoulder and beamed at the married pair while his gun was pointed upwards at the ceiling. One never aimed a gun at a Seguchi unless they were sure they wouldn't miss and that said victim would never get up again. "Tokyo Express ready to go. So…. LET'S GO!" Yanking Tatsuha out of Mika's grasp, he turned and frog-marched him back towards the helicopter. "Time's a-wasting, folks!" he called over his shoulder as he not-so-gently 'helped' the kid into the chopper.

Mika stared wide-eyed at the man who had single-handedly stalled her goal of keeping her brother where he wouldn't get into trouble. Then she turned to glare at Tohma over her shoulder as she followed behind K and Tatsuha. "WHY do you keep him employed?!"

Tohma's smile widened as he followed after the three of them, ignoring the weird feeling he was getting at his back from the Shrine. Maybe Uesugi-san was doing weird prayers for him again, it wouldn't surprise him. Climbing into the main compartment, he answered with, "He's good at his job, and he amuses me."

"Come, Seguchi-sama! Seat yourself down here, so that we can get you all safely back to Tokyo in one piece." K shouted to Mika in the usual way he dealt with Bad Luck when they were dragging their asses. Fists planted on his hips, he quipped, "Well, we hope, anyway! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"I'll give you some amusement." Mika grumbled under her breath as she climbed into the helicopter last, her words loaded with the impression that the only one who'd be amused by whatever she devised would be herself. A moment, maybe two, passed before her shout was heard throughout the Shrine's lands, "TATSUHA, GET YOUR FUCKING ASS OUT OF THAT PILOT'S SEAT BEFORE I SHOW YOU WHAT CHUTELESS SKYDIVING IS LIKE!"

When they reached Tokyo just over an hour later, Mika was the first one out of the helicopter, nearly recreating K's earlier scene and hopping out before it had satisfactorily landed safely. Ignoring the calls behind her and placing the dealing of them on her mental back-burner, she bolted for the roof's door and down the stairs, heading for her office so that she could begin the arduous process of tracking down a man who'd made an art form of 'Hide'n Seek'.

"Tell me again why you married her?" Tatsuha asked his brother-in-law as he headed for the door with both Tohma and K beside him. He'd had enough of living with her to last a lifetime, he couldn't imagine having to do it willingly.

Tohma's smile was back, this time with a partial chuckle. "Now if I told you that, I would have to have you killed."

Not liking the look in Tohma's eyes as he'd said it, Tatsuha shivered as he took a peek to his other side at K. The tall American merely laughed his ass off, simultaneously patting the youngster's head and the gun he hadn't yet let go of. Daring close his eyes for a moment, his last thought before entering the world of the inner workings of N-G was, 'Maybe I was better off staying at home with dad and the ghosts I can't see than enter the demons' lair willingly.'

The only thing keeping him going forward, well ok, two things, was his promise to Eiri to show up the next day and K's firm grip which hadn't released him. He hoped he survived until the next day, since he'd never spent an entire day with Tohma and his sister before and didn't know exactly what to expect. Hopefully, K would find something else to occupy his time.

One could hope.

TBC