April 1st, 2013
"Mikoto, you've got a phone call," Izumo pressed the receiver to his usual bartender get up, muffling whatever was said so the person on the other line couldn't hear them.
"Hm?" The Red King stirred, lifting his head out of Tatara's lap as he glanced over at the man on the other side of the barroom, his friend merely shrugged.
"It's important," he ensured as he pressed his weight against the shelves that housed the liquor.
"Mhm," Suoh acknowledged as he slunk off the couch with a grunt, on his way to pick up the phone he ruffled Anna's hair, causing her to halt whatever she was doing with her marbles and shoot him a wary smile. Izumo handed him the phone with a shrug as he got back to his daily cleaning. "Hello?"
"Mikoto-san, it's me," Yata, the King sighed and braced himself against the same shelf Kusanagi had loitered against, "I tried calling your cell but it went straight to voice mail, I know you want us to report to Kusanagi-san for the most part but I thought you might be interested in hearing this yourself."
"What is it?" He mumbled as he surveyed the few patrons that loitered around the bar, all of them seemed too caught up in their own conversations to pay attention to the one he was having, which was good. HOMRA and HOMRA were two completely different entities, the last thing they needed was for the patrons to think otherwise. These people kept the lights on, after all.
"The Silver King, Adolf K. Weismann, or Shiro, or whatever they call him these days has woken up from his coma."
Now this was certainly news worth hearing.
"I overheard a few low rank Blues talking about it while I was on lunch, get this, apparently he wants the Blue King to continue to look after the Dresden Slate for the time being so he can spend time reacquainting himself with his territory and his clansmen."
"You mean the school island?"
"Yeah, that's the one. I swear these new Blues are careless, then again I don't stand out as much as I used too." Mikoto smirked at that, it was true, Yata had seemed to tone it down if only a little during the last few months. They had both officially moved in at HOMRA, Mikoto having sold his apartment once Anna insisted that she liked the bar better, but since then Yatagarasu seemed to have a smidgen more self control than he used too. I have things and people I want to protect now, I can't afford to be too careless. I can't let you carry this burden alone anymore. Is how the younger man had described the sudden change.
And since he favored the leather jacket and skinny khaki pant's Mikoto had given him he wore those almost as often as his usual garb, the more he changed it up the easier it was for him to blend in. He even ditched his beanie on some days and wore his hair down, he never did cut it quite as short once Mikoto commented that he thought it looked good long. He hadn't meant that in a way that meant it looks better but that was apparently how the younger man had taken it.
"So besides this news, how is Shizume looking?" Mikoto inquired as he toyed with the end of the coat he had gotten for Christmas. He kept it pristine, he was even mindful of not burning it with cigarettes or letting blood get on it, Yata had complained way too much when he wound up cleaning his old one before hanging it in the back of their closet. He made a mental note that while Yata was good at house work it was not worth hearing about it. He'd never ask him to clean ever again. Cook was another story. Suoh swore he had gained a few pounds over the last few months from eating so much of the skateboarder's food but the scale said otherwise.
"Looking good, I advised the Blues to leave because this was our turf but I didn't disclose that I was someone in HOMRA of course, they'll find that out the hard way." Misaki laughed lightly, "oh there is one thing that happened today that was kind of strange."
"What's that?"
"I saw Seri Awashima earlier in the day, she's gained so much weight it's not even funny, I didn't even realize what was going on until she turned sideways, and man I never expected it but she's pregnant." Mikoto paled as he turned to glare at his best friend who was still scrubbing the bar without a care in the world.
"What did you just say?"
"Yeah she's huge, like four months along or something, must have happened when we were all close knit with the Blues, I wonder why Kusanagi-san hasn't told us."
"Izumo..." Mikoto growled lowly, eyes glowing a deep red as he worked as hard as he could to contain himself, not wanting to make a huge scene in front of the patrons, "what did you do?"
"Eh?" The bartender asked as he looked over his shoulder, cigarette falling from his mouth as he saw the look he was getting from his King.
"Mikoto-san it's a joke don't kill him!" Yata cackled, a noise so loud Suoh had to move the phone away from his ear, "April Fools!"
"Give me that phone!" Izumo huffed as he snatched the device out of his best friend's hands.
"I don't know what you just told him but you're gonna get me killed, you idiot!"
Mikoto sighed and shrugged his shoulders, finding the situation a bit amusing though he had literally been ready to kill the bartender, poor Izumo. He walked around the bar and had a seat next to Anna, who was still diligently working on whatever she was doing, she paused for a moment as she picked a marble off the table and examined her guardian with it.
"You told him what!?
"Yata get your ass back here! I'm gonna give you something to cry about if you don't walk through that door in the next ten minutes!"
"Oi...he hung up on me! Can you believe the nerve of that boy?" Izumo scowled as he tossed the phone down onto the receiver, not even bothering to apologize to the startled customers who all quietly looked away when his temper tantrum ended. "Control your boyfriend, would ya'?"
Mikoto glared at him before chuckling softly, "it was pretty funny."
"Like hell it was, if Seri-chan was pregnant she'd kill me...well if Munakata didn't cut me to pieces first." Izumo looked sick at the thought, "dating someone as strong as her is a scary thing, let me tell ya'."
The Red King shook his head at that, turning his attention back to Anna who looked like she had no idea what was going on. Which was probablyfor the best.
"Mikoto can we go shopping today?" Red eyes gleamed up at him, hopeful and excited at the prospect of getting to go out of the bar in favor of something she enjoyed a lot more than sitting around. Anna spent almost all of her time at the bar, Izumo, Mikoto and Tatara all took turns teaching her things she would learn in school, seeing as they couldn't exactly put her in one, and reading had become a huge passion of hers. Or more like having people read to her became her passion. Even though she could read and write well she almost always insisted that someone else do it for her.
"Bookstore?" He suggested as he relaxed back into his seat, the girl vigorously nodded her head. "We just went last week and got you three new books," he commented as he gave her an inquisitive stare.
"Tatara read two of them to me already and Misaki read me the other one," she announced with a small shrug of her shoulders, Mikoto swore the older she got the more she started acting like him. He made a mental note to make sure she stopped doing that, having Anna grow up to be like him would be a nightmare, one he would not let happen.
"Yata knows what books are?" Izumo laughed as he cleaned a glass that was in his hand, a bitter look crossed his face. And clearly he's still upset,the Red King noted with a shake of his head.
"Sure Anna, we can go now if you want." Suoh said as he stood up from his chair, picking the young girl off of hers before he gently placed her feet on the floor, she grabbed his hand immediately afterward. "Tatara do you want to go?"
"No thanks, King. You and Anna should spend some time together today, I'll stay here and help out," the cameraman remarked with a grin, completely oblivious to the way Kusanagi insisted that he never helped out unless he was forced to do so.
"Ah," he grumbled as he clutched onto his daughter's hand, stalking out the front door with her in tow as they walked the short distance to the bookstore just south of HOMRA. It was only four blocks away, not really a long walk and the weather had finally turned from the harshness of winter into the warmth of spring, something the Red King would never complain about. The only thing he'd miss about the winter was the way Yata would curl up next to him for added warmth, because it was a well known fact he was never cold, though he would never admit to any of that aloud.
Anna practically drug him in the bookstore when they arrived. They automatically ascended the staircase so they were in the section labeledFantasy, where she let go of his hand and flew down the isles in complete and total awe of all the books that lined the shelves. He could only sigh, knowing that telling her to take it easy would prove to be completely useless.
"She's adorable," an elderly woman chuckled as she walked by the Red King, her eyes met his for a brief moment before she continued to survey the shelves, "I wish my children had been that excited about reading."
"I'd rather her be obsessed with this than something else, at least reading is good for her," Mikoto answered as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "she's in heaven here."
"Word of advice," the woman smiled as she turned to face him, "buy her one of the books that have a collection of stories in them. They might be a bit more expensive but you will save a ton of money in the long haul, a book with thirty stories in it saves you a good amount of money in comparison to a book that only has one."
"Thanks for the tip," Suoh smirked as he watched Anna come to a screeching halt in the isle, a book in her hand and a blush on her face. "What?"
"Can you read this to me Mikoto?"
The woman spared him a sympathetic glance before walking down the isle, grabbing a rather large book from the shelf before she handed it to Anna who stared at her a bit dumbfounded. "This one has a lot more to it than that one does, perhaps your father and you could read these over time," she suggested as she smiled back at Suoh.
"Thank you, I appreciate it," he commented as he walked over to take the books from Anna, who bowed politely to the woman as she led him to a small couch that was hidden between the Fantasy section and the isle that housed all the small nick-nacs the store carried. "You want both of these?" Anna nodded her head with a small smile.
"If you don't mind," she added quietly as she clutched the smaller of the books to her chest.
"Of course I don't mind," he grinned as he put his hand out, "want me to read that one to you now or later?"
"You'll read it now?" She asked with a sparkle in her eyes, her excitement at the offer was more than apparent.
"Yeah, let me see it."
With the book in his hand he relaxed back into the couch, Anna leaned her head on his shoulder as they launched into the story that was Where the Wild Things Are. About halfway through the story he detected a presence around them but after briefly surveying their surroundings he continued to read, it wasn't until the person that he had felt arrive showed up that he put two and two together.
"Where the Wild Things Are? Seems rather fitting, though I didn't expect to find one of them in a bookstore," and Mikoto would be damned if it wasn't Reisi Munakata standing across from him with a large shopping bag in his hands, a smirk on his usually stoic looking face.
"Munakata you need to watch it," he seethed as he handed the book to Anna who took it without question, the Red King swore he heard her sigh.
"Relax Suoh, it was a joke, even I am capable of making those," the Blue King countered as he pushed his glasses up further on his nose.
"Why are you on my turf?"
"I'm shopping, isn't that obvious?"
"Go to Ikebukuro if you need to shop, you're not welcome in Shizume," Suoh hissed as he stood up from his seat, ignoring Anna's request for him to stop because this was her favorite bookstore.
"Well that's not a kind thing to say to an old friend," Munakata huffed as he adjusted his hold on the shopping bag, he couldn't bring himself to overlook Suoh's comment on how they were never really friends to begin with.
"After everything we've been through I'm shocked Suoh, what ever will you do when I call upon you for the last part of my favor?"
"I told you I was done, I meant that," he commented as he took a deep breath, "I'm not putting my people in danger over a stupid cell phone app and a bunch of loser gamers who are shelled up in a pig stye most of the time."
"That's quite a stereotypical thing to say, Yatagarasu is quite the gamer and he doesn't live like filth, does he?"
Mikoto fought off the urge to say not anymore.
"Besides, these loser gamers you refer to tried to kill you, they are anything but typical."
"What do you want from me, Munakata?" Mikoto exhaled sharply as he spared a glance back at Anna, who was staring at him with wide eyes, almost scrutinizing his every movement.
"Jungle is trying to get us to kill each other," the Blue King replied with a click of his tongue, "Fushimi-kun has managed to log in to Jungle through a secure server, one we've ensured is untraceable, and not hackable, and has found the mission in question. 5,000 Jungle Points to whomever can get you and I to fight one another, 50,000 if one of us dies as a result. The mission launched a week ago."
"So why have things been so quiet if that's the case?" Mikoto questioned as he shifted his weight back and forth impatiently, eventually caving into Anna's pulling on his coat tails he joined her on the couch again, waving for the Blue King to sit on a small recliner adjacent from them- which he did after a moments hesitation.
"Perhaps it's because the Silver King has awakened, which you might not have known," the Red King clicked his tongue, "that they have been reluctant to act. It is now a well known fact that a J-Rank clansmen of Jungle, that is believed to have real life ties with Hisui Nagare, is after a certain Silver Clansman, Kuroh Yatogami. Perhaps they will attack the First King and his clan as well."
"Are they idiotic? Taking on all of us at the same time? Tch, sounds like Nagare is losing his patience," Mikoto smirked as he wrapped his arm loosely around Anna, "can we take them out already? I'm not a very patient person myself and I've changed my mind, I want to roast them alive."
"Actually, that's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Reisi exclaimed as he laced his fingers together. "I just don't feel particularly comfortable doing it here, where people can hear us. Jungle is hard to deal with because any person around you could be a member, and a high ranking one at that. It's a scary thought, how well they can blend in amongst normal civilians. We'd never know the difference."
"The gap in strength between clansmen, high ranking or not, and Kings is massive. The last thing I'm afraid of is Jungle's clansmen," Mikoto growled as he looked over at the slightly younger man. "Fine, let's go to HOMRA and finish this discussion."
"I thought you'd never ask, but first off I think there is something you need to do."
"What?" Mikoto felt the urge to slam his head into the coffee table that sat in front of him.
"Finish reading that story to Anna, she looks incredibly disappointed. Then allow me to buy her those books so this trip isn't wasted on my account," Munakata laughed when he gave him an evil glare, but the Red King ended up doing as he suggested. Ignoring the way the Blue King smirked the entire time he read Anna the rest of her story.
0o0o0o
"Yata I'm gonna kill you!"
"No you're not! Mikoto-san tell him to lighten up, it was just a prank!"
The Red King sipped a glass of water at the bar with a blank look on his face, not even bothering to turn around when he heard the distinct sound of objects crashing and clanging together. Somewhere behind him Tatara tried to keep the peace and Anna observed it all with a confused look etched onto her features. He just couldn't be bothered with the situation at the time, too much weighed down on his mind.
"Tomorrow we are going to fight Scepter4 at a certain hotel on the other side of Shizume," Mikoto announced in a matter of fact tone as he spun around in his chair. Not even surprised to see Yata in a headlock that Izumo was inflicting, though Tatara tried to pull them apart. The three of them froze as the words he said sank in.
"A scheduled fight? You brought the Blue King here so you two could plan a skirmish?" Kusanagi seemed flabbergasted at the idea, shaking his head in disbelief as he relinquished a now very red faced Yata.
"The Blue King was here? What? Why?" Suoh knew the look he was getting too well from his boyfriend, it was pure jealously that teetered on the edge of blind rage. To say Misaki disliked Munakata's attitude towards the Red King would be an understatement.
"This isn't about Scepter4," Anna added in response to their questions as she glanced over to Mikoto, "this is about Jungle."
"Jungle? But King I thought you said we were done dealing with them?" Totsuka recalled as he patted Yata on the back reassuringly. Mikoto smiled sadly at them in response.
"Shit, I know that look, it's gotten bad, hasn't it?" Izumo groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "we're going to war tomorrow, aren't we?"
"Ah," Suoh replied with a small shrug, "we will fight the Blues until the Green Clan makes an appearance, I have no doubt that Hisui Nagare and his top ranking clansmen will be there when that time comes. Munakata is going to ask the Silver King to assist us again so it's gonna be us against them, three clans against one. At least our odds are good."
"This is a bit short notice but hell, it always is," the bartender shook his head slightly, "all right, I'll tell everyone to be ready first thing in the morning."
"Do you plan on killing the Green King?" Tatara asked as he took up a seat on the couch, leaving Yata standing in the in center of the room with a look disbelief on his face.
"No, this isn't really my fight unless they make a direct move against us, trying to antagonize us is one thing, actually going through with it is another. Jungle isn't something we need to take lightly, Munakata said he has a plan to deal with as many people as Jungle can afford to throw at us so we will just have to see how things turn out."
"Well if it involves kicking some ass then count me in," Misaki proclaimed as he sent a smile to his King, "I need to redeem myself after the last big battle we had."
You need to be careful and not act like an idiot and get yourself hurt again, Mikoto wanted to say but stopped himself from doing so, he wasn't prepared to deal with the torment he would get as a result of showing how worried he was about something happening to his lover.
"The text has been sent, so what do we do in the morning?" Izumo inquired as he leaned against the bar, eying everyone in the room with an intent expression.
"Munakata said he'd call me in the morning and let me know when and where we could meet up, apparently he wants us to have a talk with the Silver King before we launch into this. Izumo, Yata, I expect you two to come with me for cover when we go, should something go awry." The King sighed as he studied the expressions of his clansmen, "afterward I suppose we will all just go our separate ways then meet up tomorrow evening before we put the plan into action."
"Sounds good enough, I've been itching to do something other than take out Yakuza," Kusanagi laughed as he glanced at the clock on the far wall of the bar, "when we take out the Greens then what?"
"Then we go back to being a pain in the Blue's asses, that's what," Suoh smirked as he stood up from his spot and retrieved a very flustered Yata from the center of the room, he pulled him to the staircase before turning to look back at the rest of his clansmen, "we'll be back later, I need a nap."
"So you need Yata to go with you? Tatara take Anna on a walk, will you?" Izumo chuckled, over looking the middle finger that was shown to him as the Red King ascended the stairs. His mind on the furthest thing from sleep.
0o0o0o
"So, things are about to get serious again, huh?" Yata asked as he traced patterns onto the bare chest of the Red King's skin, the latter let out a shuddered breath, his left hand pulling Yata closer to him until the younger man's head fell on his chest.
"Yeah, they are," he remarked as he ran his fingers down the smaller man's spine, smiling as a shiver ran throughout him.
"Are you nervous?" Misaki questioned as he shifted so he could look up at his King, who shook his head in response. "Good, I'm not either. A straight forward fight is what we excel at, plus we know what we're dealing with this time around. No more surprises."
Ring...ring...
As if on cue, Mikoto's phone rang at 6:03 in the morning, way too early but considering he and Yata had woken up at five just in case the Blue King had decided to call even earlier, he wasn't that irritated. That being the key word. He groaned as he reached over to the bedside table, grabbing his phone before he settled back into bed, Yata still wrapped around him as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"Hello?"
"Morning Suoh, how did everything go?" Munakata sounded way too chipper, as if he had been awake for the last two hours drinking coffee and solving his favorite 1000 piece puzzles, something told Mikoto that assumption was probably not far off from the truth.
"Fine, we're ready whenever," he answered in short as he continued to trail his fingers down Yata's spine, the younger man yelped when he grabbed a handful of his backside, something that nearly made the Red King burst into laughter.
"Is everything all right?" Came the concerned reply, something so hilariously Munakata.
"Ah, so what's the plan?" Mikoto reluctantly let his hand trail back up the smaller man's back, stopping when it rested on the place where the scar from his encounter with the Colorless King resided. Misaki hated that more than anything, claiming it made him feel self conscious though the Red King couldn't see why. Everyone in HOMRA had scars here and there, even he had a few though they were faint, scars from a long time ago when his Aura didn't take care of things for him, back when he didn't have it at all. Suoh found beauty in scars, thinking they were reminders of fights well fought and earned, he wished the younger man would only feel the same way.
"Well the Silver King has agreed to be a part of our plan but says he doesn't think meeting up would be a good idea with so many prying eyes around the city, I'm inclined to agree with him. So we're having a phone conference."
"Now?" Suoh asked with a grunt of agitation, realizing he had woken up early for no reason thanks to the other King's change of heart.
"Hello," came a distinct voice that he placed immediately as the white haired man he had met back at Ashinaka High School, "your name is Suoh Mikoto, yes? Sorry we didn't have a chance to properly talk, things on the day we met were quite erratic."
"Ah, so they were," Mikoto remarked as he put the phone on speaker, laying it on the opposite side of his chest that Yata wasn't using as a pillow. "So what do you suggest, Weismann?" The skateboarder shot the older man a look that basically said what the fuck is going on? A sentiment the Red King couldn't help but shrug at. Truth be told he was lost, too.
"When Reisi contacted me last night my clansmen and I already took our place at this hotel, it's been commandeered for the time being so we don't have to worry about civilians. What I suggest is you, Red King, arrive here early and create a ruckus of some sort, anything to draw attention. From there Reisi can move in freely and you two can engage in mock combat until Jungle decides to do something. I'm aware that the Jungle mission calls for you two to fight and one of you to perish but I have a strong feeling that the Green King will not be so patient."
"When do you want to start the party? And what will we do when Nagare shows?" Suoh yawned as he fought off the strong temptation he felt to hang up the phone and go back to sleep. He liked a good fight just as much as anyone and yes, Jungle technically deserved to feel his wrath but not at six o'clock in the morning.
"Two hours from now, if you can manage that," Munakata answered with a click of his tongue, his tone of voice was almost teasing. Yata rolled his eyes, mouthing I really don't like that guy to the more than amused Red King.
"When the Green King arrives you and Munakata are to lure him to me, from there we will attempt to reason with him." Weismann said with a bit of reluctance, "should he fail to comply...well...we will try to incapacitate him as much as possible until he is forced to call off all missions in regards to our clans."
"Can Nagare even fight? Last I checked, he was still in a wheelchair with extremely limited mobility, even in his arms, isn't this a bit unfair?" Mikoto pinched his brow with his free hand, he had tried to word that in a way that didn't seem extremely offensive nor overly understanding but it managed to come out as a combination of both.
"Hisui Nagare is more than capable of fighting, Suoh. We are to show him no mercy, he would do the same unto us," Reisi reminded him, the older man could practically see the frown he was likely making when he said that.
"Right," he replied as he glanced down at the brunette that was clinging to him, he instinctively brushed the loose hair away from his eyes. "So the plan is to scare him into thinking we will never stand for such bold actions against the three of us?"
"Into thinking that? I was actually going to propose we form a pact to keep Jungle in check from here on out, one of us he could easily take on, two would be difficult, three would be impossible. I hate the conflict that happens between us, any chance we could have to resolve this peacefully would be great but if the best thing that comes out of this is an agreement between the three of us then that is something I will settle for." Weismann announced, the line was quiet for several moments while the two other Kings mulled it over.
"Fine, but don't expect me to work with you both on everything. I'm pretty sure I'm going to wind up killing Munakata if we continue to be so casual around one another, my Aura has been itching to tear into you. It's hard to control that instinct," Suoh said with a chuckle as he heard Reisi curse on the other line.
"I'm tired of you at this point, too. Don't worry, the feeling is mutual, the Blue Aura would love to slice you into pieces. Weismann, Scepter4 will work with your clan and HOMRA in regards to Jungle, but I cannot promise that the conflict will cease between Suoh and I, that day won't come until one of us is in the ground."
"That's disappointing news but I will take that for what it is, it saddens me that we've lost so many Kings in the span of the last six months but I suppose these things are bound to happen. I'm only thankful that there was no tragedies that ensued afterward, Daikuku finds me foolish but I still think that we, as Kings, have the ability to change this world for the better." The optimistic tone in the First King's voice made both of the other Kings frown.
"Let's just start by taking down Jungle and see where things go from there," Reisi suggested, "perhaps even Nagare can be reasoned with."
"Perhaps, I'd like to think that this assumption would be correct. Well, Suoh Mikoto, you know where to go right?"
"Ah."
"All right, my clansmen and I will be hiding somewhere in the building until Jungle arrives, it is best to keep the element of surprise on our side. Jungle is clueless about Ashinaka High School, knowing only what student/low ranking users of the app had to say about it. They managed to find out I had gotten injured and was in a coma but they do not know the exact details of that day, which will come to work out in our favor. They do not know what I am capable of seeing as I have never had a confrontation with them." Weismann commented with a deep intake of breath, "do be diligent and keep your eyes open for the enemy when you two engage in battle."
"We will, sir."
"Ah."
"Well...good luck, we will see each other shortly then."
Mikoto hung up the phone before anything else could be said, it was then that Yata finally spoke up.
"Well that was sappy for a pre-battle talk," he laughed as he sat up, stretching out his back in the process.
"I'm so tired of people acting so sentimental," he admitted as he too sat up and stretched out his limbs, "we need to get everyone here and get ready to go."
"I'll handle it, you go take a shower and relax a bit before we leave, let me handle this." Misaki looked back at him with a smile, "it's the least I can do."
"You sure?"
"Mhm, just take it easy. Let us worry about this," Mikoto smiled as he climbed out of bed, traipsing over to their shared dressed so he could retrieve clothes for the day. Yata on the other hand began sending out a text message to the rest of HOMRA to inform them to get to the bar as quickly as possible.
"I'll go wake up Anna and Kusanagi-san," the younger man proclaimed as he pulled his usual garb out of one of the dresser drawers, quickly throwing it on before he smoothed his hair back and placed a beanie on his head. Mikoto watched him quietly until he was the only one left in the room, with a heavy sigh he stalked into the bathroom, turning on the warm water before he stepped into the shower, thankful that for once he wasn't the one having to pull the strings.
0o0o0o
If there was ever a calling for Suoh Mikoto he swore it was destruction.
It took a minimal amount of effort to warp the hotel lobby, light fixtures melted on impact and sparks flew in all directions as he and his clansmen made quick work of causing a disturbance. It didn't take long for the Blues to show up, all looking less than worried as they engaged in mock combat. Mikoto watched Yata fly by him in a blur of red as he and Saruhiko began their usual bout, even Seri and Izumo were fighting it out, but the way they put hardly any effort into it showed how serious they were taking this.
He stared into the eyes of Reisi Munakata, his Aura burning inside of him as he held his fists up, the Blue King's Sword of Damocles pierced the sky to meet his own. Large amounts of stored energy caused them to clash in the sky at the very moment Munakata drew his sword and charged. The blade rested dully on the right side of the Red King's arm, the sharp side was pointed away from him.
Is he really fighting me with the blunt end of his sword?
He pushed him back with ease, both of them sliding a good ten feet backwards before they charged again, Suoh let out a guttural cry as he slung his fist, hissing slightly when the other King blocked it with the side of his sword. "It's been too long," he growled as he quickly pivoted on his heels, letting out a kick that ripped the pavement around them, still the Blue King dodged it with ease.
"It really has," Munakata said as he pointed his sword in the redhead's direction, "ready to have some fun?"
"Do you really need to ask?" Mikoto laughed as he wound his hand up, flames whipping around his limb as he unleashed a ball of energy in the other King's direction, Reisi sliced it in two without any true effort. Rehearsed. This is the same battle dance we've done for years.
"Boss!"
Mikoto looked over his shoulder as he spotted Shouhei running his direction, he came to a screeching halt in the corridor, looking completely out of breath as he placed his hands on his knees to brace himself.
"What's going on?" He asked as he stared at his clansmen, behind him he could feel Munakata mover in closer to them.
"A large amount of Green Clansmen have begun to move into the area, scouts from two blocks out say they're approaching us from all sides. What will be our next move?" Shouhei breathed out as he raised his head to look up at the two quarreling Kings.
"When they arrive continue fighting with the Blues so they let their guard down for a moment, when the time is right and they start to move in give them one helluva surprise and engage them. Should any extremely difficult persons arrive on scene lure them to Izumo, he'll take care of them." Suoh breathed out as he crossed his arms, "what will you do, Munakata?"
"I must say I think your plan is good enough to go through with, hopefully the Green King makes an appearance," Reisi answered as he came to stand side by side with the Red King, "shall we continue?"
"Gladly, Shouhei, go relay the message to everyone," Mikoto commanded as he waved off his clansmen, turning to face his current opponent. "This is gonna be a good fight, isn't it?"
"I'm inclined to agree, we know everything we need to know about Jungle, this is goin-"
"Captain!"
Cursing, the Blue King turned to face his Lieutenant, who had a severely concerned expression on her face. "We have news that the Green King, Hisui Nagare, has arrived...at Mihashira Tower." Both Kings gawked at her.
"Dammit, we've been played like fools," Munakata exclaimed with a look of sheer disgust, "Suoh we need to go, we cannot allow them to harm the Slate."
"We need to find Weismann before we do anything," he added as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "why does everything always have to be this complicated?"
"Matters between Kings are always complicated," Seri deadpanned as she pulled out her cell phone, quickly sending a message out to whomever, "I just asked if anyone has seen the Silver King, I've told everyone to answer their phones no matter what they're doing so we should know shortly."
"Oh, sorry to keep you two waiting, I've just been watching from up here," came a loud voice that sounded from above, both Kings looked up simultaneously. Weismann and his two clansmen floated down from the open space above them, they hit the ground a bit roughly but the First King just laughed it off, "it's been awhile, that's going to take some time to get used too."
"So you heard everything, right?" Munakata asked as he adjusted his glasses, nodding at the Black Dog as if they were old friends. Neko merely hissed when Suoh glanced over at her. Don't worry cat, I feel the same way, he thought as he remembered how hard the Strain had tried to have him killed.
"Yes, I did. We should get a move on, I trust that our clansmen can handle the situation here." Weismann announced as he pried a very reluctant looking Neko off of him," Kuroh, Neko, please assist the others in keeping things in order here. We have some business we need to take care of with the Green King."
"But Shiroooooo," the girl whined with a frown, something that was easily erased when the First King patted her on the head.
"I leave this to you, please stay safe," Shiro announced as the Black Dog dragged the young female away from the Kings, mumbling something under his breath about how he had business to settle with a certain Jungle Clansmen.
"Shall we go?" Reisi suggested as he spared his companions a glance, silence met his ears but the other two nodded their heads nonetheless. "Ms. Awashima please take care of things here, you're in charge while I'm away."
"Sir!" The blond woman answered with a salute before she began to turn and walk away, Mikoto called out after her.
"Make sure Izumo keeps things in check, will ya'?"
She blushed slightly as she nodded her head, "we will handle this, just stop Hisui Nagare."
"I guess we have to put all our faith in them," Weismann announced as the two other Kings called off their auras, the sound of weapons clashing could be heard almost immediately after, "so it's begun."
"Ah, they will be able to handle this," Suoh commented as he approached the railing that they were standing next too, it was only a three story drop, and below him he could see the clans engaging in battle, colors flying in the air like some sort of deadly light show. "Let's go," he commanded as he hopped over the railing, not waiting for the other two to join up with him though he knew they would. Their plan was out the window, whether or not Nagare knew how many Kings he would be dealing with no longer mattered. If something happened to the Dresden Slate nothing would matter anymore.
Clansmen from all sides jumped when his feet hit the floor beneath him, his Aura glowed daringly as he stalked through the crowd, easily repelling anyone who stood in his way. Behind him he heard Munakata walking to his left and Shiro to his right, phone screens were held out in their direction as Jungle members tried to get readings on them.
"Suoh Mikoto, 100,000 Points!"
"Reisi Munakata, 100,000 Points!"
"Adolf K. Weismann, 100,000 Points!"
"Kings, welcome to the Jungle!"
They blasted their way through the crowds until they emerged on the outside of the building, shooting down any stray clansmen that had yet to find their way inside, "what's the best way to Mihashira Tower?" Weismann asked as he stared up at the sunny sky above them, holding his hand over his eyes to shield them from the blinding light.
"We could take the car but it would be at least ten minutes," Munakata answered as he waved over to one of the vehicles that was marked with Scepter4's logo.
"Or, we could travel my way," the white haired man chuckled as he extended his hand, his parasol was slung over his shoulder, "you're not afraid of heights, right?"
Suoh smirked as he pondered the idea being offered to him, in the end he caved in, allowing the First King to take his hand momentarily while he focused on holding in his own Aura per the white haired man's request. It wasn't an easy process, his Aura screamed at him to return to the earth, not at all liking the way the First King's power controlled his motion from where they hovered in the air. The look on Munakata's face was practically priceless.
"Afraid of heights?"
"No, but not being in control is frightening in itself."
Mikoto rolled his eyes as he relaxed, taking in the sight of Tokyo from where they were in the sky. They moved quickly, much faster than they would've if they had opted to drive, even with lights and sirens blazing. When their feet hit the ground again they all let out a small sigh of relief as they stood before the building that was Mihashira Tower. The Blues who guarded the place were unharmed for the most part but knocked out cold, having stood no chance at taking on the Green King and whomever else might have arrived with him.
"So, you ready to move in?" Munakata asked as they stood before the front doors of the tower, determination being the only emotion that shone in their eyes.
"Ah," Suoh smirked as he stuck his hands in his pockets, following in after the Blue King as he led them down a long corridor that led to a huge flight of stairs, the spiral staircase glimmered as if it was soaked in gold. Not chancing riding the elevator they jumped from ledge to ledge to climb to the top of the tower, it took too much time for their liking but it was a lot safer than trusting the hijacked electricity in the building.
When they reached the top floor Munakata halted their advance, the only thing separating them from the Dresden Slate was a pair of thick golden colored doors that were decorated with blue accents, behind them could be a large number of things. "How many do you think are in there?" Weismann asked as he tilted his head to the side, a hint of nervousness shifted across his face though Suoh felt it was more out of the fact he was about to see the very slate he had discovered all those years ago.
"Who knows, let's just end this as quickly and efficiently as possible," Reisi announced as he pushed the door open with ease, a bit surprised that the door budged as easily as it did. They entered the room cautiously, in a triangular formation that saw the Blue King front and center with Suoh to his left and Shiro to his right. The Red King expected to be bombarded when they entered but to his surprise there was only one man in the room, a man that wore a smirk as crooked and wicked as he remembered it to be. He stepped forward.
"It's been awhile hasn't it, Nagare?"
0o0o0o
Saruhiko reluctantly turned his attention from Yata in focus of pursuit of a higher ranking Jungle Clansmen. He followed the man down a long corridor on the second floor, hot on his heels before the man sunk into the far wall, the Green Clan's trademark, huh? I've got to keep my guard up,he thought as he halted in his place, one hand held his sword, the other knives that glowed red, a duller crimson than the flames HOMRA used now but still enough to create havoc.
He clicked his tongue as he waited impatiently, hoping said clansmen would emerge from the wall and charge at him but instead the hallway was quiet, too quiet for his liking. He heard the familiar sounds of weapons clashing and shouts that came from the first floor, it sent adrenaline rushing into his veins, he was eager to get back into the fray and seeing as his opponent left him hanging high and dry he abandoned his pursuit. Stalking back down the walkway he was about to descend from a ledge when he saw a blur of green across the other end of the second story, the same clansmen he had been chasing emerged, dashing down the hallway again.
"Dammit, stay still and fight me!" He howled as he took off after him, choosing to jump over the large gap in the floor until he was on the other side, he quickly followed after the man, knives heating up in his hands as he threw them after him in blind fury. Stop running, you coward.
As he turned down a more narrow end of the hallway his opponent came into view, standing on the far end of the corridor with his arms crossed, his face was hidden by the typical mask Jungle members used. "You're mine now!"
As soon as he lifted his sword he felt an overwhelming sense of dread fall over him, freezing in place he watched as the walls around him morphed, fifteen high level clansmen had him cornered, far out of helps way and in a secluded area of the second story. He smirked, knowing his foolishness had gotten him into such a situation but his mind felt duller than it usually did. His sharp wit and quick thinking felt fogged, he hadn't even considered a trap being a possibility.
"I underestimated you," he laughed as he crossed his sword and knives across his chest, a defensive stance being the only thing he could manage in the moment. "Come on, if you're gonna fight me then do it."
Accepting the situation was the first step to attempting to get out of it, he noted as he threw a few knives in his original opponent's direction, he simultaneously sent a shock wave of red and blue flying around him, diminishing the bullets that Jungle members shot at him. Guns? How tedious.
He did his best to repel the relentless assault, even managed to cut the numbers down by five but eventually it became a great task just to shield himself from the gunfire that rained down on him. He stood defensively as he was backed into a corner, throwing up a barrier on all sides as he fought to keep his Auras concentrated, a few bullets managed to break past him, one grazing his leg, the other burying itself in his forearm. He hissed when it broke out of the back of his skin, red and blue enveloped him, two conflicting colors that begun to run together, turning purple as his shield faltered. Am I really going to die such an undignified death?
"Get out of my way!"
Saruhiko's eyes widened when a flash of burning red pierced his vision, flames shot down the hallway in record timing as the person he least expected to save his life made his way down the isle, baseball bat left behind in favor of a metal pole that glowed as hot as lava. Well I'll be damned.
Yata's flames smoldered the metal guns that Jungle members relied on, causing them to be dropped on the ground while some screamed out of agony as melted metal seeped onto the fingers, those who still had bullets in the chambers dealt with explosions searing away their skin and digits. Some fled at that time, others stayed, facing Yata by ducking in and out of the walls, he watched the skateboarder predict where they would emerge with inquisitive eyes, awestruck at how much stronger his Aura looked. How much hotter it burned than the one that pulsed throughout his own body.
"If you can't even look me in the eyes," Misaki hissed as he stuck the metal rod he had in his hand through a wall, it ripped into the side of one of his opponents, dragging him out of the structure, "then you're not even worth my time!"
Saruhiko bit his lip when the last of the Jungle clansmen fled the scene, it was only then that the purple light that surrounded him disintegrated, he felt blood pour down his arm as he let it fall to his side. Yata flipped his skateboard up into his hand, the metal rod he used as a weapon was slung over his shoulder though it still glowed red hot in the now dimly lit hallway, the lights having given out long ago.
"You okay, Monkey?"
He could only nod his head and sheathe his sword, his hang stinging in agony as he strained the fresh wound he had received. "When did you Aura start to look like that?" He questioned as his well trained eyes watched the blood red color pulsate around it's wielder, Yata looked at him out of confusion.
"What do you mean? Doesn't it look the same?"
Saruhiko laughed as he walked forward, hand resting on the hilt of his sword while he cradled his injured arm to his chest, he flipped his sword hand over, exposing a set of burn scars to the slightly younger man. "Your King gave me these when you left the room on that day," he announced as he watched shock settle in on Yata's face. "Your clan's fire has burned hotter than it ever has, how do you not notice that you've changed a lot since then?"
"I never paid attention to it," Misaki mumbled as he scratched at his HOMRA marking, Fushimi felt his begin to burn lightly as well, in his head he could feel the power of the Blue Aura his King wielded being exerted. "Guess the real battle has begun, we should get going."
"Yeah," Saruhiko answered as he followed the shorter man down the hallway, scowling when the pain in his arm intensified.
"Let me cauterize that for you," Yata said as he stopped in his tracks, "I might not be as good at it as Mikoto-san is but I'll try."
"I can do it myself," Saruhiko commented but when he tried to call forth the Red Aura it came out as a weak spark of light, damn, we've drawn too much power from the Slate. His Blue Aura wasn't much better. He gave into Yata's prying and offered up his injured limb, wincing when a bright fire smoldered at the younger man's fingertips. "How the hell can you still drawl that out? Mine feel dull after all this exertion, we've been fighting for over two hours."
"I don't know, I've been in the midst of things just as much as anyone, everyone seems wore out but I still feel ready to go," Misaki answered as he channeled the flames down, gently pressing two fingers to the wound as he sent smoldering waves of heat into the place the bullet pierced. Saruhiko hissed as his skin seared, though the blood flow did halt in it's place. "Sorry, I did my best to make it as clean as possible."
He studied the brunette's face, the look of concentration that fell over it as he repeated the notion on the exit wound on the opposite side of his arm, the bullet had not entered at a straight angle but crooked, meaning the exit wound was at an angle that needed to be tended to all on it's own. Fushimi cursed under his breath as the red hot Aura seeped in under his skin. "Jungle has been subdued downstairs," the skateboarder announced as he leaned up, it was then that Saruhiko saw the notification on his watches projector.
"Took them long enough," he hissed as he and the younger man started down a staircase that led to the first floor. Members of Scepter4 worked to tend to their own injuries while members of HOMRA took care of their own, no one bothered with the injured members of Jungle, other than to put them in cuffs. He couldn't blame them for that, he didn't want them to receive any help either. For a moment he pondered whether or not he should tell Misaki about Aya but he decided against it, deeming it wasn't the time nor the place for such a conversation, he didn't really want to talk about it either. It was still a lot to come to terms with.
Instead he stopped walking and choose to watch everyone around him, the wounded and the exhausted people in the area paid him no mind as he stared fixedly ahead of him.
Yata walked away from him then, while everyone else in the room seemed completely exhausted and drained of energy fire still licked the soles of the skateboarder's feet, something that seemed all too familiar to his trained eyes. The Blue Aura inside him became restless, longing to reach out and smother those glistering flames. He bit his lip, eyes widening as he gripped onto his sword, just a bit tighter than usual.
Could that...be our destiny...Misaki? But how...