IX

Realizing

The guy rocked back and forth on his feet as he reeled under the impact of the punch. He had actually struck out first but his attempt had been clumsy to say the least. Without any effort, Kyou had easily ducked underneath his clumsy attempt of a swing and delivered a punch of her own though hers had most certainly found it's mark. His jaw cracked under the impact.

"YOU BASTARDS MADE MY SISTER CRY!" She howled in fury as she lunged out for the next person, she might not use her vectors directly but that did not mean that she wouldn't teach these bugs a few lessons. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM THIS!" The guy was hit with such a force that he was almost flung into the air.

"OI TAKASHI! STOP LOAFING AND GET THAT BITCH!" Others cried out as he was now the nearest to her and in the best position to tackle her. "GO GET HER!" Grabbing the nearest item he could lay his hands on he approached her with a glass bottle, ready to strike.

"GO TEACH THAT BITCH A LESSON!" They cheered him on as they started to approach her from multiple directions as well. This girl needed to be taught a lesson and they were planning to make it a very painful one for her.

"AS IF I AM GOING TO LET YOU HURT KYOU-SAN LIKE THAT!" It was the only warning that Takashi got before he got slammed into one of the tables, knocking him off his feet. Standing there just a few feet away from her was Nana, casting them the same foul look.

"Don't you dare to look down on us! Don't you dare to hurt my sisters! I won't forgive you!"

Kyou looked over her shoulder. "So you decided to help me for a change. Just look after my sister and don't get in my way while I deal with these bugs."

Further behind her, she already noticed that Mayu and Mei were already tending to Ryou. They were doing their best to comfort her. "I see, so that is how it is." She giggled when she turned her head around and had another look at their opponents.

"WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT BITCH?! DON'T MAKE FUN OF US!" Even with their numbers already down by two, it seemed they were not planning to give up just yet. That was fine to Kyou as she wasn't going to walk away from this either. No, she was going to make each and every single one of them understand just how stupid they had been to call her names, to insult and, worst of all, to make her sister cry.

"I WON'T LET ANY OF YOU OFF FOR WHAT YOU DID TO RYOU-CHAN! YOU MADE MY SISTER CRY! YOU RUINED HER DRESS! WHEN I AM DONE YOU WILL BE ON YOUR KNEES BEGGING FOR MERCY!"

The one who appeared to be the leader of the group resented that. "BIG TALK COMING FROM A BRAT LIKE YOU! YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN TAKE ON ALL OF US?! YOU JUST GOT LUCKY BOKE! I WON'T HOLD BACK JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE A GIRL!"

That was fine to her. "Go ahead!" She retorted as she smiled. "I'm holding back because I don't want you bugs to pass out too fast! Now which one of you wants to eat the dirt next?! Care to show that you are more than just big talk and threats! You're all just pathetic!"

Behind her, Ryou was still crying over her dress though it seemed that with Mayu and Mei being with her she knew that they would help her get home. All that remained for her to do was to make sure than none of the assholes would get near her. After that, she would teach them a lesson of her own.

It did pain her not being able to make use of her vectors to the full extent but she had promised her mother. It was itching though. She really wanted to show them what she was truly capable off. Just splattering one of them against the wall would already be enough. For that matter, just crushing a limp or even an extremity would already get the point across.

"I really hate bugs like you! You're all the same disgusting bastards! If it was up to me, I would just smear you against the wall!" The cold glare in her eyes said enough on how she felt.

Gently walking down the stairs, Saeko was feeling a little surprised that the others hadn't returned yet. Surely it was starting to approach the time that they needed to be back home.

Where they having so much fun outside that they had forgotten time or was there something else happening? Perhaps it would be best if she were to step outside and see if she could sense them, then at least she would have an idea on where they were.

"Guess it isn't all so bad that you never got altered like me…" She sighed as although it was proving useful, every part of her body screamed for her sisters to be given the same chance at life.

"Still, with no diclonius left, there is nobody else that could track us. We should be safe…" The hallway was just a deserted as the upper floor. No doubt the others were likely outside in the garden. Briefly she considered in joining them but decide against it, at least not until she had an idea of where her sisters were at.

"I worry about them…" She was beginning to feel lonely.

A part of it was her own fault; she had refused to go with them when Ryou had offered her a chance. Maybe having gone with them would not have been such a bad idea after all. Besides, with no change in Saori's condition, there had been little reason for her to have stayed in hindsight. "I-I too would have liked to go shopping… I want to go out with my sisters and with friends… I don't want to stay so lonely…"

"You're not alone Saeko-chan, you will always have this family." Yuka appeared behind her. "I know that it must be painful for you to stay behind and look after one of your sisters but you made that choice because you care about her, don't you?"

"H-Hai." Saeko nodded, but that didn't take away that she had been scared. To think that Yuka had actually heard her say those words, it made her feel embarrassed about herself.

"Don't make such a face, what you did was very kind of you. Choosing the well-being of somebody else over your own happiness speaks well of you. That said, you also deserve to be happy yourself. When they come back you should go and spend some time with them, try and enjoy yourself."

Somehow and much to her own surprise, Saeko was desperately trying to find an excuse to not have to. "B-But I-I can't leave Saori-chan like this. What if she were to wake up and need help?" Why was she trying so hard to not spend time with the others, why was she starting to become so obsessed with caring for Saori? "I-I… I just can't…"

Yuka would have none of it. "That simply will not do young lady. I am not going to let you continue to push yourself away from the others. You were the one that stood up to make sure that the twins should be rescued and have a happy life. You are doing the same for Saori-chan but is that really worth giving up your own life?"

Not certain why but somehow Saeko couldn't move her body anymore. She was feeling paralyzed by those words and deep inside her mind she was already starting to dread for what Yuka might say next.

"You really think that this is how he would have wanted you to live your life. After all he went through to help you. This is how you plan to repay him. Does his memory mean so little to you? Have you forgotten what he wanted the most for you?"

How could she say that? How could she say such horrible things? Saeko had never forgotten about that, she had never once lost her thoughts on the time she had gotten to spend with him. The first person to treat her with kindness. She would never forget him.

"…Y-You're w-wrong…" She whispered through closed teeth, doing her best to make sure that Yuka would not get to hear it. "… You're wrong… about everything… I would… never… forget… my…master…" She didn't want to hear any more of it. "… I love my master… I love him…"

The table cracked as the guy landed on his back, wrecking it in the process. "STAY DOWN ASSHOLE!" Kyou had her vectors slam one of the chairs into him. Her vectors were moving at such a high speed that most hadn't even noticed what had taken him down.

There were still four of them left, not much for a challenge. "Come on! Are all of you bugs just talk or what?!" She was becoming somewhat restless as they just stood there, sulking around trying to come up with a way to take her down.

Her sister was thankfully already gone. Mayu and that other human girl Mei had helped her while Nana remained to offer some help in case these guys got some crazy ideas in their heads. Luckily, they seemed to be getting a little wiser after having seen what happened to the others when they tried to pull out a stunt as she was quick to punish them for it.

"Kyou-san! We should get going as well!" She could hear Nana yell but she wasn't interested in that. What mattered more to her right now was teaching these guys a lesson they were not going to forget.

"I'll teach you all what happens when you insult my sister!" She snarled as one of them made the stupid mistake to take a step closer to her. Leaping forward, she used her own vectors to propel herself. Kicking with such force behind her, the guy was literally catapulted off the terrace. Maybe she imagined it, but she could have sworn that she heard something crack.

Kyou was laughing. "Hah that serves you right, perverted bug! Now stay down or I swear the next kick will be even harder!"

"That is enough!" Nana cried as she had heard the threat. Kyou had gone too far with that last kick of her's. "You are going to hurt somebody for real if you keep this up!"

"Like I care! They are just bugs! Nothing more than filthy, disgusting bugs! Does my sister mean less to you than these dumb bugs?!" The anger and the frustration in her voice could be heard and Nana understood enough of it that she had to be cautious about her next choice of words. If she was to say the wrongs ones then Kyou could just as likely attack her.

"Ryou-san is fine and safe! There is no need for us to waste time on them, let's just go home! Before we get into any more trouble!" That trouble was already brewing. By now, the little one-sided fight was already starting to attract other people and there was no doubt in her mind that somebody had likely already contacted the police. "Please, let's go!"

Despite her words and her attempts to encourage her, Kyou still appeared for whatever reason to be hesitant to leave. Was she still worried about these guys coming after them or was there a much darker motive at work here?

She had always been very clear on what her personal view on humans was, most of them still remained as little as bugs to her. Only those that Kyou really seemed to care for got called by their names. Nana was wondering if she was staying because she was actually enjoying this fight. Was it possible that Kyou actually wanted to hurt some people to vent her frustration of mankind? Surely she wouldn't let herself stoop so low.

"Kyou! Now! I mean it!"

"As do I! I won't leave until they all learn their lesson!"

By now, it was becoming painfully obvious that she wasn't planning to leave at all soon. "Ryou-san will get in trouble as well if we get caught! Think about her!"

All of a sudden she stopped and turned around. "Ryou-chan would get hurt? So we leave and she will be fine right?" It seemed that mentioning her little sister could get in trouble as well if they stayed here any longer was finally starting to settle in with her. Why hadn't Kyou realized that herself from the start?

Dammit, that was one of their rules; don't start trouble and if caught in trouble then get out of there as quickly as possible. If the police were to get both of them, who knew how long it would be before both or either of them would be exposed.

"Let's go then Nana-san, I want to go home." Already she had gotten whatever remained of their belongings, they were actually her's. "Run!"

Nana didn't need for her to repeat those words as in the distance she could already hear the sirens. If anything, now was a good time to leave and be quick about it as well. Taking a sprint, they both ran as fast as they could, quickly passing through the gathering group of people. Although some tried to stop them, they didn't succeed. Kyou laughed at their futile attempt as she ran, her long hair seeming to dance in the wind.

"Was it really a good idea to leave Nana-chan and Kyou-chan behind? I'm getting a little worried about them." Mei came to a stop as they reached the end of the stairs. Along with Mayu, they had taken Ryou and were currently busy in helping her get back home.

Looking down, she considered it a waste what had happened to the dress and it made it even worse that it had looked so cute on Ryou. That said, she wasn't exactly happy with having left those guys alone. They needed to be taught some manners.

"I wouldn't worry too much about them, they will be fine. Nana-san isn't going to let anybody hurt a member of her family or her friends." Mayu answered as she allowed them a moment to rest. Ryou was seemed to be still crying over what had happened.

"Ehm, Ryou-san, are you feeling any better?" Kneeling down next to her, she noticed her still tear stained eyes. "I am sorry for what happened, we should let Yuka-san and Mako-san have a look to see if your dress can be saved."

Whimpering, she wiped away some of the tears. "Uwah... I really liked this one. Why were they so rude to us? We never did anything wrong to them."

Mayu shook her head. "Some people are just jerks. They were likely just looking for people to pick on. It's a shame, but it's better if we don't go to that place for the time being. Who knows what will happen if somebody recognizes us."

Mei swallowed. "That's a real shame as I liked the place. I guess there is little we can do about it anymore. Do you want to wait here for Nana-chan and Kyou-chan to catch up with us or do you want to go back to your home?"

"We should get Ryou-san home first. I would feel a lot better if she makes it back safely. Then I want to go look for the others. We can't have the barbeque without them. Also, I think they would want an explanation when we get home. I hope they won't get too angry about it."

"But why?" She was asked by Mei as she felt confused at why their parents would get angry. It wasn't like it was their fault they got into trouble. Those guys were just jerks looking to pick on somebody. "We didn't do anything wrong. I can understand them being a little worried but being angry seems a bit off to me."

A large sigh came from Mayu. "It's complicated." That was about all she could say about it. Mei might know of the girls having horns, but she didn't know that those horns had a very specific meaning. With them being diclonius, the girls possessed powers that most people couldn't understand.

"For now, let's keep it at that. Come on Ryou-san, let's go home to your mother."

Mei still felt puzzled about this but she had come to accept that there was something special about Mayu's adopted sisters. That didn't take away the curiosity but she had learned that they did not wanted to talk about their past as well. Almost as if something terrible had happened.

"I hope they will be fine, I wouldn't like to see them getting hurt…" Mei sighed before they started walking again. Somehow the mood was really tense after that.

"Don't worry, I know Nana-san. They will be fine, I promise you."

"YOU DID WHAT?! DO YOU EVEN HAVE THE FAINTEST IDEA HOW STUPID THAT WAS?! YOU GO UPSTAIRS RIGHT NOW YOUNG LADY!" Dai was angry, no, he was furious. To think Kyou had so casually let herself get stuck in a fight had been one thing but to have actually used her vectors even if it was indirect was something he just couldn't overlook. "YOUR MOTHER SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NOT TO USE YOUR VECTORS! DID YOU EVEN LISTEN TO WHAT SHE SAID?!"

The mood had gone pretty sour after Dai and Mako had learned what had happened. The fight itself was already enough for them to be upset but upon having heard that Kyou had actually used her vectors, they had gone mad. "YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT WE FORBADE USING THEM UNLESS IT WAS AN EMERGENCY!"

"B-B-But they started it!" They insulted me, my sister and the rest! They called us freaks! One of those bugs tried to molest Ryou! They ruined her dress! THEY RUINED MY SISTER'S DRESS AND THEY LAUGHED AT HER! THEY LAUGHED!"

"THAT GIVES YOU NO EXCUSE FOR YOU TO USE YOUR VECTORS! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEBODY AND THEN WHAT! EVER THOUGHT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THEN! YOU! YOUR SISTERS! YOUR FAMILY! THE PEOPLE OF THIS HOUSE! FOR GOD'S SAKE JUST THINK BEFORE YOU ACT!"

Kyou fell silent all of a sudden. She hadn't thought about that. In the thrill of the fight, she had completely lost any and all concepts or what the consequences might be had she wounded or even killed somebody. She had just wanted to teach them a lesson.

"…I-I-I… didn't…" She sighed as now her head was hanging low.

All that had mattered at that moment had been to make them pay, pay for what they had called her. For what they had said to Ryou and for ruining her dress, it was her sister's favorite.

"YOU DIDN'T?! WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED BY HEARING THAT! THAT IS STILL YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEM! YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT YOUR ACTIONS!"

The atmosphere was starting to become a little less tense but Dai did not lower his voice one bit and as painful as it was for the others to bear with it or even admit he was right. Kyou had gone too far this time, she had crossed a very clear line and now she would be punished for it.

The fact that she was also yelling back for the most part wasn't exactly helping either.

"OTO-SAN! BAKA! YOU WEREN'T THERE! YOU DIDN'T SEE HOW THEY WERE LAUGHING!" Tears were clear to see on her face but that didn't take away that her anger was noticeable by the others. "BAKA! BAKA! OTO-SAN! BAKA!"

"KYOU!" Mako shot up straight as she heard the insults coming from her. "Mind your manners young lady! Don't you dare address your father like that!"

"HE'S NOT MY FATHER! YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER! NEITHER OF YOU ARE MY PARENTS! YOU'RE JUST BUGS!"

All of the eyes in the room were fixated on her now. She had just used the word she used for people she didn't like. To have used that word against the two people who had taken her in as their own flesh and blood was just something they could not understand.

For Ryou of all people, it was even worse. She had grown to love both of them and to her it didn't matter if they were their adopted parents. They were the only parents she had ever known and that was all that mattered to her.

Huddling behind what she considered as the safety of Nana's and Yuka's backs, she was terrified of what might be said next. She didn't want to see her family fighting like this and in a moment of weakness she closed her eyes and looked away. She didn't dare to look or even listen as she covered her ears, trembling with fear. She was now cowering behind their backs, not wishing to witness what would inevitably happen next.

Dai's jaw straightened as he heard her say that. To think that she was using that word against him. Balling his own fists, he was doing whatever he could to keep his mouth shut because he fully understood that the next words coming out of his mouth would undoubtedly cause more harm than good for either of them.

But it was so difficult for him, she really had hurt his feelings. To him, she appeared to be so ungrateful at the moment. It was becoming harder for him to maintain his cool. If he were to say anything than there would be nothing left to salvage from the wreck of this weekend.

"KUTABARE BAKA! BUGS! KUSO! JUST SAY SOMETHING! I NEVER WANTED FOR YOU BUGS TO BECOME MY PARENTS! YOU CAN BOTH GO TO HELL!"

"KYOU!" Dai shouted as he slapped her on the cheek. "I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR FROM YOU ANY LONGER! PACK YOUR STUFF, WE ARE GOING HOME! DON'T YOU DARE TO LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! YOU DESERVED THAT YOUNG LADY!"

Kyou was stunned, she couldn't know what was worse. That she had been hit by Dai or that the weekend stay was over for her. "THAT'S NOT FAIR! OTO-SAN, I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she stomped the floor. "BUGS PICK ON US AND THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT! I HATE YOU! I HATE BUGS! YOU'RE JUST A BUG! YOU CAN GO AND DIE FOR ALL I CARE!"

There was another sharp crack this time as Dai slapped her even harder. "DO NOT MAKE ME SLAP YOU AGAIN OR I SWEAR SO HELP ME GOD! NOW GO UPSTAIRS AND PACK YOUR STUFF! YOU ARE GOING HOME TONIGHT!"

"NO! NO! NO! I REFUSE TO GO! THE BUGS CAN GO HOME!" By now she was pointing towards them, both Dai and Mako. "BUGS ARE NOT GOING TO RUIN MY STAY WITH MY SISTERS! YOU HEAR ME?!"

Following that tirade of hers, she stormed out of the room and those left behind could well hear her stomping up the stairs. She was really pissed alright and it had been a miracle that she hadn't used her vectors in anger.

Dai, seeming exhausted from it all, dropped to his knees and leaned back. "I am so sorry for you having to witness that, we have ruined your weekend. Kouta-san, Yuka-san, can you forgive us for having made a mess of what was supposed to have been a family day for us all?"

"No need to apologize, something like this was bound to happen anyway." It was bound to happen but that didn't make it any less pleasant for them all. "Are you planning on driving her home now?"

Dai appeared hesitant. "I… I don't know. Part of me wants to drag her home right now and yet, I just don't know. She is a dear but she can be such a pain, do you think I did the right thing?" He was looking at them all as if asking for an answer.

Kouta was the first to speak. "I think you did the right thing. She needs to learn that there are rules and that one must accept the consequences of their actions. There was no excuse for using her vectors. That said, I do agree that those kids needed a lesson."

Nana followed up next. "Wouldn't it be better to let her sleep it over for a night. I mean, she was looking forward along with the rest of us to the yakiniku. It shouldn't be ruined for her because of what those kids did."

"I am going to see what else I can do for Ryou-chan's dress." By now, Mako left the room as there was other work she needed to look at it. With the conversation said and done, she also didn't want to think about it for the time being. "It would suffice for us all to have a good night's sleep over this. Besides, I also have to look after Sei-kun."

Yuka looked at the others. "Well, I guess that is that for today. I am going to make a light dinner and perhaps we have some more luck tomorrow. Why don't you girls go and play a little or do some homework in the meantime."

"U-Ueda-san…?" Ryou asked as she still kept somewhat behind Nana. "W-Would it be alright for me to help in the kitchen? I-I would like to have something to do. I-I-I d-didn't want to hear all of the yelling and shouting that o-onee-chan and o-oto-san did."

Yuka nodded. Most likely she just wanted some time away from her family, trying to deal with such an unpleasant situation by herself. If anything, she might just wanted a place where she could cry and not have anybody bother her. "Of course dear, it will just be you and me then." Taking her hand, Yuka led her towards the kitchen.

Outside in the garden, Mei and Mayu were waiting. Yuka had cautioned for them to go outside already once Nana and Kyou had come back as well. It was pretty obvious that she would rather not have Mei find out what was really going on.

"Do you think they will be coming outside soon?" Mei remarked as she took a quick look at her watch. By now, it was already starting to get late but then a barbeque lit by candles also sounded like a lot of fun to her. "They sure are taking their time inside, aren't they? I didn't think that her father and mother would get so worried about it."

Mayu shrugged her shoulders. She didn't have an idea or for that matter if the planned barbeque was going to continue after what was taking place inside. "I don't really know the answer to that. They have been inside pretty long by now. I wonder if Kyou-san is going to be sent home tonight."

"What?! Sent home?! But she didn't do anything wrong. Those guys were just being jerks and you know that." Mei was back on her feet, it wasn't fair that Kyou was the one to get punished by her parents when she had only protected her sister. "She did nothing wrong. Those guys were hitting on her little sister. I would have done exactly the same."

Mayu knew that she wouldn't have, although Mei most certainly would have fought back, there was no way she could have achieved what Kyou had done. Kyou had a rare power that only the few surviving ones of her species possessed and it was the usage of this power that had spurred on what was taking place inside.

"You're right Mei-san but even so… it is a complicated matter with her parents. I wish I could explain it to you but it is rather personal if you know what I mean…"

Mei gave up as she heard that. "Yeah I understand, there are some things people rather want to keep inside the family, right? I can't blame for you not wanting to tell me. I'm okay with that. You know we have our own problems in the family…"

Suddenly, Mayu began to realize the way it must have come over towards Mei. She was one of her best friends and yet she had made it sound like her family didn't trust her enough.

"M-Mei-san," She stuttered, "T-That is not how I meant it, I really want to tell you but I just can't. It is really painful for me to keep this from such a good friend like you but the fewer people that know about this, the better. Please understand, it is very painful not only to me but also for my family and the Hirano's."

She was just being stared at by Mei. Would she show understanding for what she had just been told. "I see, does it really affect all of you? Does it have something to do with your adopted sisters having these horns? Are you all the victims of being discriminated by others?"

"Y-Yes, something like that." Somehow, Mayu was feeling a little better that Mei herself had given that reason. She could work with that and in part it was true to a certain extent. She could tell her part of this without even having to feel bad about it.

"You see, they were treated rather badly by some really bad people and it took a lot of trouble to get them away from them. Even to this day, we are somewhat scared that they might find-"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Mei already had her arms around her as she started to cry. "Oh Mayu-chan, I am so sorry. I had no idea your family went through such a horrible ordeal, I am really sorry for having bothered you."

"Ahh…" Taken aback by this sudden change of behavior, Mayu didn't know what to say. She was feeling better that she had been able to tell at least part of the truth to Mei. Even if it was a small bit, it did help to make her feel less guilty.

"It's okay, you couldn't have known. Besides, you have issues with your own family right?"

Mei fell silent. There were problems in her own family, problems she would rather not talk about even if it was with some of her best friends.

"We do. I guess you are right about not wanting to share some secrets. I shouldn't impose on you when I am not willing to share everything with you. What do you say we drop this and talk about something more cheerful? I would hate it if the weekend were to go to waste like this. It is such a great day."

At that point, Yuka came walking outside. "Oh there you two are, I have been looking for you two. Girls, we need to talk for a moment, there is a change in plans for the barbeque."

"Oh?" Both of them asked in unison as they first looked at each other and then to Yuka, asking what could have led to there being a sudden change in the plans but the answer surfaced just as fast as the question had. Something must have happened inside between the Hirano's.

"We have to wait until tomorrow, I don't think we have it today anymore. Why don't you come inside and get something to eat, I have some onigiri and a few other things left that we can eat today. Otherwise, if you girls want, we can order takeout?"

Well, that certainly was a disappointing thing to hear. They had both been looking forward to it but they also understood that it must have been delayed for a very good reason. As they got up and followed Yuka inside, Mayu made certain there was a little distance between her and Mei. She needed to ask Yuka what had exactly happened without letting Mei find out.

"How did it go inside? Did Kyou-san get into trouble? It wasn't her fault, those guys were bullying us." she whispered to Yuka.

Wrapping one of her arms around Mayu, she was filled in. "I know that dear, but what really upset them was that she used her vectors. Kyou-chan also said some really bad things in return which made things only worse for her. I have managed to convince Dai-san and Mako-san not to be too harsh on her and let them stay the night over. That way, if Kyou-chan apologizes to them in time, things might just work out."

Well, that certainly made it clear to her. She could well imagine what kind of bad words Kyou might have said in return. She never had been the type of girl to keep her mouth quiet nor did she shy away from calling people out if she felt it.

"I understand. I will go and see if I can talk to her and to her sister," Mayu said as they entered the house.

"You do that dear but be careful, I fully expect her to remain angry for a while."

As his car entered the driveway, he was glad to see a few precious cars remaining on the parking lot. The less people that were present, the easier it would be for him. "Good for me. Now, just to see where I can park this wreck." Scanning the area, he quickly located a more secluded spot but one that would still enable him to reach it fast should the need arise. It always paid off to be prepared for when things went to hell.

"Alright, time to go and see what our witness has to say for herself. I sure hope it will be worth it otherwise this trip will have been a waste of time." He had spent a grueling three hours on the drive towards here. Was he glad that there had been no traffic jams otherwise it could have been an even longer drive.

Turning off the engine, he reached out for the compartment on the passenger side. It would pay off to make sure he was well prepared for any kind of situation that were, even now, running through his mind. If she really was a witness and had seen something she was never supposed to, then there was every bit of reason that the people behind it would make certain that she never got to speak again.

Faced with that outcome, he grabbed his trusted gun and started to grab a few extra magazines. He wasn't planning on using it but if somebody gave him a reason, he most certainly would oblige. "I hope you guys are going to be stupid enough." He grinned as he chambered the rounds in one of the magazines.

"It has been a while since I last got to shoot at somebody. By all means, give me a reason. I'm feeling really anxious to fire off a few rounds."

Screwing on the silencer, he did briefly wonder if it was even needed. Even with it, the gun was going to be noisy once he opened fire. Begrudgingly, he removed it after some thought. It just wasn't worth the effort and it would likely mess up his aim.

Besides, if he did find himself in a position where he would use it then that would likely mean that he was already spotted by somebody. He would rather carry some extra ammo or even a second pistol. Then again, a smaller caliber with a suppressor would not be such a bad idea.

"Oh well, time to see what the girl will say." Getting out of the car, he adjusted his jacket. Even if it had been a rather warm day, the night was starting to become rather chilly but then he had gone up further north so it wasn't that much of a surprise to him.

Making his way towards the main entrance, he took note of anything that caught his interest. So far, everything seemed rather normal but given he expected trouble, he was certain to make sure that any hints would be quickly spotted. "Alright then, let get this started." That bastard Dai was going to miss the fun when it started. That was his own loss anyway.

Taking a last draw from the cigarette, he dropped it on the floor before squashing it underneath his foot. Damn hospital staff were going to make a fuss anyway if he was found smoking. "Damn punks, still can't afford the unneeded attention it will draw. I really hate these kind of places. Not to mention how much I hate the fucking staff."

With a soft whine, the doors slid open and he stepped inside. He wondered though, if they had at least some decent coffee here.

Kyou was busy with minding her own business. There really wasn't much left for her anyway but it had been with some relief when she had heard that Yuka and Kouta had convinced Dai to stay a little longer. Still, that had meant very little to her by now as the barbeque had been cancelled. She hadn't even come down to grab anything to eat.

"Oto-san is just a big baka..." she grumbled as she kicked at something. Didn't matter if she hit it or not. "What point is there if we can't defend ourselves, those kids started it. Not me…"

Sighing in order to vent some of her frustration she wondered what else she could have done, trying to come up with a way that would have made things better was irritating to her to say the least. The only other way she'd say was if they had left earlier when Ryou had mentioned that she didn't feel good.

"Or if those bugs had never showed up in the first place. That would have been even better as they would not have ruined it for us. Those damn bugs can just die for all I care. All bugs can just go and die, it will be a better world without them anyway."

Her arms wrapped around her knees, she kept staring at the door. She wondered what everybody else was doing right now. Would they be having fun without her or would her stupid father have ruined the mood for them as well? "I hate this bug ridden world, it would be so much better if there were less of them and more of us…"

It was boring being stuck up here all by herself. Nobody to talk to and without a TV, there wasn't really much she could do. If this was to keep on going then she might actually wanted to do some of her homework. Damn. To think she might get that bored was a scary thought.

Some day this was turning out to be. The boots she had been looking forward to hadn't been in the right size and much to her chagrin, it seemed that the store didn't have a larger size available. And then if it couldn't get any worse, some stupid bugs insulted her, her sister and her kin. It was infuriating how they could get away with that. Her current boots were also ruined by the drinks spilled all over them. It had been hard to resist the urge to just throw them away.

"My favorite pair stained by those worthless bugs, I won't forgive them for this. When I see them again I will make them pay for it. Just wait and see bugs… I'll show you… what my kin is capable of." She started to chuckle as she thought of some ways to get revenge on them. Oh, that felt so good to her.

Then a faint whisper caught her attention. Was there somebody else up here with her? Sure, there was Saori but she was unconscious for the time being. Or was she? "Saori-chan? Is that you? It's me, your big sister Kyou. Remember me?"

There came no reply, that was odd and for that matter she couldn't sense any other presence as well, just the ones belonging to Ryou and Nana. Was there maybe something wrong with her? Hearing it again, she got up on her feet and walked towards the door.

"Oto-san told me not to leave my room, as if I am going to listen to that baka." Well, he had literally said not a step outside the door so she reasoned that as long as her feet didn't touch the floor she would not be breaking any rules.

Opening the door, she looked around. There was nobody there which was to be expected and yet she had the odd feeling of somebody being there. "Saeko-san is that you? This isn't funny anymore."

It had to be her, she was the only one of her kind that she couldn't sense at all. It was something that had always intrigued her, along with her seemingly normal aging. How it was it that one of her sister didn't seem to have any of their species drawbacks? That was something she wouldn't mind herself, at least it would enable her to keep wearing her favorite clothes for a bit longer. How many pairs of shoes and boots hadn't she already gone through, how often had she had to change her underwear because her body kept growing so fast.

"She gets to have all of the fun, she gets to go out, she gets to visit school. She has all of the fun. She has no curfew and people don't get mad at her at all. This is so unfair…"

Keeping herself aloft by her vectors, she was already in the middle of the hallways, searching to see where this weird noise was coming from. "Come out of hiding, I am going to find you anyway." She briefly wondered if it was perhaps that human that Mayu called Mei.

They had met before several times and each and every single one of them had been an irritating experience for her. To think that a human could be so cheerful and happy all the time. And yet, there was something that Kyou had to admit was likable about her. She had a great taste for clothes and she was actually pretty nice to them even if she knew about their horns it didn't make her threat them any different.

"… Myuu… myuu…" The noise came from behind and as she spun around, Kyou nearly screamed as she saw who it was.

"Ah Yuka-san, I'm glad to see you back," Nozomi remarked as she saw her coming back into the kitchen. "I saw you were gone so I hope you didn't mind that I took over for you. Me and Ryou-chan have already finished cleaning up."

Yuka was surprised by having a quick glance she could tell that Ryou looked a lot better than she was before. Perhaps it was possible that she and Nozomi had talked amongst each other while she was outside. It would explain her sudden cheeriness as she was smiling and appearing to be in a far better mood than she was before. She was even busy with humming a little song.

Nozomi leaned over towards Yuka. "I promised her that after cleaning we would do some drawing practice. You know how she loves to draw portraits of people. So I offered to model for her, I hope that is alright with you."

So that was the reason. She had to hand it to Nozomi for having managed to make her feel better. "Thank you for that, Ryou-chan really needs a good time now." Yuka then whispered towards Nozomi about the fight between her sisters and Dai.

"Oh dear. That sounds awful. I see what you mean." Nozomi was kind shocked by it. The Hirano's normally appeared to be so close together. "I will do my best for her sake then. Would it also be alright if I took the girls upstairs for some singing later today?"

"That sounds wonderful. They could all do with something to take their minds off of this. Let me help you with getting everything cleaned up and after dinner you two can get to work on that portrait."

Ryou giggled as she looked up and stared at them. "We are going to sing with Sawa-san? Is that true?" And then all of the troubles she had disappeared as both Yuka and Nozomi nodded their heads in agreement. "Will my sisters get to join as well? What about onee-chan, would it be alright for her…?" She was a little more cautious with that question.

"After dinner, you can all go and practice with her. Also, I am looking forward to seeing how your portrait of Nozomi-chan is going to look. As for your sister, I don't know. That really will depend on your parents." The last part came out with a sigh. It was nice that she wanted her sister to be there but that decision wasn't up to either Yuka or Nozomi.

The door opened and Bando stepped out of the elevator. So far it had been pretty easy as it was still visiting hours so nobody bothered to ask who he was here to visit. Taking advantage when the nurse at the desk was called away, he got to take a look to see where the girl's room was. Damn idiots had signed her up under her real name.

"Bunch of fucking amateurs." He growled as made his way through the corridor. Somewhere near the end of it was the room that had been reserved for her. The amount of people still present in this wing was annoying; constantly he needed to take a step aside to let some patient get past. It was sickening to just look at them. God, he promised himself that when it come to that, he would put a bullet through his head himself.

'They had better leave soon. They will cause too much trouble when it goes down. This is just another reason why I hate the fucking hospital. Going to grab a coffee first and it better be good or I will shoot somebody.'

Rounding the corner, he halted. There it was alright. 'Far too obvious if you ask me. A guard or two on the inside would have attracted less attention unless that's a fake room.'

He smiled at the prospect of that, definitely was a move that he would use if he was expecting trouble. That meant he just needed to have a little peek inside to see if she was there or not. If she was then the guys keeping her here were complete and utter morons. If not, then he would search for her until he would find her.

'Guard boy doesn't look so impressive. Damn kid is likely just a rookie. Pfft... How disgusting.' His face contorted into a snarl as he got a better look at the man that was on guard duty. Sighing, he asked himself if he should just go for it and check it out for himself. The guy was likely going to get a broken jaw if he was stupid enough. Cracking his knuckles, he kept to his place for the time being. There was no need for him to rush anyway. Once people started to leave, it would be easier and somebody could distract the guard for him.

A sudden vibration caught his attention. Looked like somebody was trying to call him. What kind of fool could try such a thing now? Reluctantly and already pissed by it he picked it up, whoever was calling had better have something worthwhile to say.

"This is me, who am I talking to?" He sneered at the phone. "Better make it worth my time."

He waited as the person on the other end of the line introduced themselves. It seemed that he somehow had the caught the attention of a certain somebody up high.

"Is that so? Can't say I am impressed by such a title. What would somebody like you want from a man like me?" He listened carefully though it was all just a big load of nonsense. Even with this supposed offer he couldn't refuse, he felt the strong urge to just hung up.

"Hate to say it but doesn't mean much to me anymore. I have better things to do with my life than to shackle myself again to idiots like you and your fucking department."

Still, he had to admit that he was getting pretty anxious to see this person for real. To see if what they had to offer would be genuine. He knew that department but he was also fully aware that there was no way for them to be legally able to exercise the offer he just heard. No, somebody else with a lot more resources and political power was behind this.

An announcement made it clear that the visiting hours were about to end. Soon, the hallway was going to be crowded with both patients, guests and staff.

"Well, I will get in touch with you then. I will give some consideration to your offer." With that he ended the call, didn't matter much anyway as he needed to find a better spot to keep an eye on the room. If he kept standing where he was now, he would get swamped when the people started to leave. Sure enough, people were coming out of the rooms by the dozens.

"That is just fucking great." He growled as he moved to the side while looking for a new spot. Up ahead, it seemed that the security guard was also taking this opportunity to leave the door.

Well that was certainly a pleasant opening for him, now he just needed to get there in time.

'Damn this staff.' He thought to himself as somewhere behind him a nurse was calling him out. Shit, he didn't have time for that now. Making his way through the ever increasing crowd, he ignored any and all pleas as his eyes narrowed down on the real goal. The door to the girl's room.

Author's note: Next chapter for you people, enjoy it. Revies, favs and follows as always are very much appreciated. Looking forward to your thoughts and if you have any suggestions feel free to contact me.