Chapter 13: Information Brings Danger

Disclaimer: I do not own this. Spiral: The Bonds Of Reasoning is the property of Kyo Shirodaira and Eita Mizuno. The only ownership I claim is for this story and the OCs involved.

Darkness had fallen by the time Kisame made it back to his apartment. Hanging his heavier, black outdoor coat in the closet, he went to his bedroom and changed out of his school uniform before settling down at his desktop computer. Pressing the small button at the bottom center of the monitor the screen sparked to life, bathing the otherwise dark room in a pale blue illumination.

"Alright, Akito. Let's unmask the real you." Kisame said with a quiet tone as a light smirk crossed his face. Picking the jump drive up from where he had placed it on the corner of the computer desk before changing, he plugged the drive in and opened the first file at the top of the list available. His smirk widened as he saw the small note from Hiroshume telling him to copy the contents of the drive and return it within a reasonable amount of time.

"Cheap brat." He commented with a chuckle before continuing to scan the document. The beginning information was a basic profile of Akito, detailing his full name, age, date of birth, blood type, star sign, and a slightly outdated photograph.

Name: Akito Soichi

Age: 23

D.O.B: August 19

Sign: Leo

Kisame briefly scanned over the trivial information before moving on. He was surprised to find out that the "Hunter" was so young. It might have been fear or possibly fatigue, but when Kisame had encountered him he had looked older. The killer pushed the thought aside and continued scanning the document.

The next block of information outlined Akito's basic educational background:where he attended each year of school, what types of grades he maintained, and what sort of record he had during his adolescence. Nothing was overly remarkable as far as Kisame could discern. From what he could tell Akito wasn't overly intelligent and, while he had maintained decent grades in school, there was nothing that stood out about him. Even the clubs that he had joined while in middle and high school were dull at best.

Kisame frowned and continued on.

The next block of information was slightly more interesting. It outlined Akito's familial situation, which appeared to be a less than pleasant one.

If the information was to be taken as accurate, Akito had been raised by an uncle after the death of his mother and rejection of his father. Police had been called in on a number of occasions in regards to Akito, as his uncle was a violent drunk. At age thirteen Akito was reported to have run away before being located and placed in the foster care system. He remained there until age eighteen, with various different placements in foster care until age sixteen.

Kisame leaned lazily on his upturned hand, cupping his cheek and cocking his head as he stared with an indifferent gaze at the screen.

At age eighteen his information seemed to disappear from the records, with only a few job placements showing up and some prior residences from various different locations around Japan. Kisame couldn't help but notice that the "Hunter" hadn't even grown up near the area he currently lived, but had moved there when he was around twenty years old.

"Maybe that's when he joined up with the "Hunters"?" Kisame mused aloud, scrolling down on the information page again.

The rest of the information was rather irrelevant. After skimming briefly over it, Kisame closed the document and moved on. The next document was more useful, detailing more information about all the years of his life. While the first document had been merely a basic outline, this second file provided detailed information about not only the "Hunter" in question, but also a brief biography on the people he was associated with.

Kisame read without much interest until a piece of information arose that had been neglected from mention in the previous document.

"At the age of twenty-one, Akito Soichi was confronted by a man two years his senior who claimed to be a half sibling. After further research it has been confirmed that the aforementioned man indeed had a paternal half-brother. Although the family names differ between the two individuals, DNA tests conducted two years prior from the current date proved that both Akito Soichi and this other individual, Naoki Sato, are indeed related by blood. It is with this blood relative that Akito Soichi resides. The two live in an apartment at the following location:"

Kisame leaned back away from the computer screen, resting his arms lightly on the arms of his chair. He rubbed his chin gently with his forefinger and thumb as he stared at the address on the screen. A smirk had made it's way onto his features once more.

"So this is where you're hiding." He commented aloud, speaking to no one. His voice carried loudly through the empty room, breaking the silence that had persisted for the better part of an hour. The addition of a roommate was inconvenient at best. It would have been most convenient for the Blade Children if Akito had lived alone where he could be ambushed at any time without having to worry about a possible casualty if things went south with the 'meeting'. Kisame wasn't overly concerned about the situation, however. Over the years he had become an expert at avoiding those who were not involved, while still cornering and dealing with those who threatened harm to the Blade Children. He didn't imagine that the situation would be any different this time around.

Leaning forward again, he continued reading what was displayed on the screen. It took him several paragraphs of less than helpful information about the location from the time that the brothers moved in until the present before another piece of information caught Kisame's attention and caused him to pause once more.

At the bottom of the document was a small section of information that gave a minimal amount of information on Naoki. Within this section Kisame noticed information he had seen previously in reference to Akito's acquaintances. The section was short and non-descriptive, but what it essentially told Kisame was that both Naoki and Akito were in contact with a specific group of people and that these people were responsible for bringing the brothers together. No names were given for the members of the group, which was fronted as a 'hunting group' of all things, but it definitely tied Naoki to the Blade Children in Kisame's mind. His smirk darkened.

"I went hunting for one and I found two. You are definitely interesting me, Naoki Sato. Let's see what we can find on you?" He chuckled as he lifted his cellphone from the desk beside him and typed a quick text to Eyes' increasingly useful acquaintance.

"Naoki Sato."

The text was brief, as Kisame didn't care to elaborate on the obvious meaning behind the message. The response he received was equally brief.

"That was fast. I'll look into him."

Kisame scanned the message quickly before grinning in amusement. With a humored laugh, he returned to reading through the information he had been provided.

oOoOoOo

The next day opened to rain. It dampened the mood of all of the Blade Children, causing each to go about their school day without much interaction with one another. The day dragged on for all involved and everyone was grateful when the final class let out.

"That felt like it took forever!" Kousuke complained as he, Eyes, and Kisame walked to the exit of the school where they would meet up with the rest of the Blade Children. Eyes and Kisame nodded in agreement.

They walked in silence until they reached the others.

"Hi Eyes." Rio greeted once the group had come together. Eyes responded with a short nod before looking at the others in the group. Kousuke was in the process of inquiring about Ryoko's extracurricular activities, given the rain. The celebrity listened quietly for the answer. It turned out that her club activities were canceled due to the weather, allowing her and Kousuke to leave at the same time as the others for once.

"This is quite a rare occurrence. You should make the most of that extra time." Kanone commented cheerfully.

"We should all do something together." Rio suggested excitedly. "It's been a long time since we've all gone out together. We should be safe from the "Hunters" if we are in a group." She added. Kousuke and Ryoko looked at each other and smiled.

"Sure, Rio. That sounds like fun, right Kousuke?" Ryoko said with a smile, looking at the shorter, silver haired girl.

"Yeah. It's been a while." Kousuke agreed.

"Great!" Rio exclaimed happily, turning to look at Kisame, Kanone, and Eyes. "You three are coming too, right?" She inquired eagerly.

"I can't. I have some things I need to take care of today." Kanone replied apologetically. Rio shook her head, giving him her consent to skip the get together and looked at Kisame, who also shook his head.

"Sorry. I have work." He replied.

"Aw." Rio pouted a bit, looking a moment longer at Kisame and Kanone before shifting swiftly to look at Eyes.

"You'll come, won't you, Eyes?" She pleaded. Kisame and Kanone looked over at Eyes, catching his glance before he sighed and looked down at Rio.

"Sure."

"Yay!" Rio celebrated, turning back to Kousuke and Ryoko, who had proceeded with collecting their shoes and returning their school shoes to their lockers during the planning process. "Let's go then!" She said, quickly retrieving her own shoes and changing them. Eyes did the same before walking to stand beside Kousuke and Ryoko next to the exit.

"Bye guys!" Rio called to Kanone and Kisame, who still stood on the low deck of the school in front of the lockers. They waved back to her before she grabbed her umbrella and hurried out into the rain. The others followed in close succession, leaving Kisame and Kanone alone together in the school. The two killers glanced quickly at each other before laughing lightly and exiting the school as well.

oOoOoOo

It didn't take long for the small group to make it to the heart of the city. They spent the evening looking at different shops and enjoying each other's company. Eyes had remained silent throughout most of the gathering, only speaking when a question was specifically posed to him. Now, as the sun began to set, the group sat at a small cafe, enjoying the fact that the rain had lessened and would likely be finished by the time they finished at the establishment.

Rio and Kousuke had ordered ice cream and Ryoko had ordered a stuffed bread roll. The three were now happily discussing some trivial topic that held no interest for Eyes. He sat at the end of the table, quietly sipping a cup of tea as he surveyed the other patrons in the establishment. As the day had already moved into later evening the small cafe was largely empty, leaving the four free to talk without interruption.

The only other individuals in the cafe was a young couple at one of the cafe, sitting quietly at a corner table. Eyes assumed from their behavior that they were on a date and paid them no mind. He didn't see them as being a threat. At the other end of the establishment, a group of adult males sat and conversed. Eyes watched them warily, noticing how the men who faced in the Blade Children's direction would continually glance up at them.

Eyes returned his attention to the other Blade Children and quietly finished his tea. Once the others were ready to depart, he rose to his feet. He kept a close eye on the other men, but they did not appear to give the departing teens more than a passing glance as they exited, causing Eyes to gradually dismiss them as a threat as well.

"This was so fun. We should do it again soon." Rio said happily as they returned to the street. The rain had persisted through their visit to the cafe and appeared to be getting harder rather than lessening as they had expected. The sun had nearly set as the small party walked down the sidewalk.

"Yeah, we should." Ryoko said with a smile, looking down at Rio. Kousuke nodded.

The group made it to the gates of a nearby park before the sound of footsteps following them could be detected. Without a word, Eyes placed a hand on Ryoko's and Kousuke's backs and pushed them gently forward into the park.

"What's wrong, Rutherford?" Kousuke questioned at the unexpected action. He glanced back over his shoulder to look at Eyes and started at the cold look that had made its way into the English teen's eyes. "Hunters?" He asked quickly. Eyes nodded, still pushing them farther into the park. Rio and Ryoko looked at Eyes for a moment before nodding, a dark look having come into their eyes as well.

They continued at a steady pace for a few more feet, listening to the footsteps approaching behind them. They were able to make out at least six different stepping patterns, alerting the Blade Children to the fact that they were outnumbered, but not greatly.

Without warning, Eyes pushed Ryoko and Kousuke harder and the small group took off running down the park path.

Due to the late hour and heavy rain the park was deserted, making it a perfect place for the ensuing battle. Eyes heard an exclamation from the people following them as he and the others had started running, but the driving rain had hidden the contents of the exclamation from his ears.

"Whats the plan, Rutherford?" Kousuke asked as they ran.

"We fight." Eyes said coldly. The others glanced back at him in surprise but nodded in understanding.

At the start of the rising "Hunter" threat all of the Blade Children had been instructed to carry a weapon on their person at all times. Kanone and Eyes had agreed that this would be the safest measure to ensure that they could defend themselves if they were somehow cornered alone or forced into a situation where they needed to fight. He was glad for the precaution now.

"Are you sure fighting is the best plan, Eyes?" Rio asked from her position at the head of the fleeing party.

"Rio's right. We should try and get away if we can." Ryoko argued, despising the idea of shedding blood.

"That's not an option." Eyes stated, causing the others to look back at him once more. They could hear the footsteps behind them getting closer and the sound had grown much louder, signifying a greater number of individuals than was originally assumed. Eyes cursed under his breath before grabbing Kousuke by the sleeve and pulling him to the right, cutting off Ryoko and Rio and forcing them in the same direction. He maneuvered the group into a small grove of trees where they each took refuge behind a different one of the wide trunks.

By this time the rain had turned into a torrential downpour. As a result their visibility was next to zero, placing both parties at a distinct disadvantage. Umbrellas had been cast aside at the start of the chase and now each of the Blade Children were thoroughly soaked.

"Where'd they go?" A voice could barely be heard over the roaring of the rain.

"I don't know. You were supposed to be keeping an eye on them!" Another voice replied angrily.

"It doesn't matter! Just find them." A female voice chastised. Eyes could barely make out the silhouettes of the "Hunters" in the clearing roughly ten feet in front of them. Glancing over at Rio and the others, he saw that they had found the "Hunters" as well and had their weapons ready. Their eyes were dark and focused as they readied for the attack. Looking back over his shoulder into the clearing, Eyes moved away from the tree he had been leaning against and moved several feet to his left before firing off a shot at the largest silhouette in the group.

A cry rang out through the rain as the shot connected, dropping the man to the ground. Eyes grit his teeth in frustration as he moved. The fact that the man had been able to cry out meant that he had failed to make contact with a lethal area. As he moved he heard shots fire from in front of him. He knew that the other Blade Children had proceeded to fire at the "Hunters" once the attack had begun.

"They're in the trees!" Eyes heard the woman's voice scream in rage. Shots sounded from within the clearing. Eyes pulled to a stop when he heard the shots, taking a moment to determine where the "Hunters" were in relation to his current position. His eyes widened in surprise as he heard the whistle of a bullet centimeters behind his head. Without hesitation he dropped to the ground, realizing the perilous position he had found himself in. Ahead, he could see the other Blade Children drop as well and he moved quickly over to them. As he reached them, he saw blood on Ryoko's arm, but she brushed him away when he tried to touch the wound.

"It's just a scratch." She hissed in irritation, her voice barely loud enough for the performer to hear. Nodding, he raised up on one knee and took another shot at the rapidly growing human shapes as the "Hunters" closed in on the tree line. One of the forms dropped without a sound, followed shortly by two more as Rio and Kousuke shot and connected. The final form stopped momentarily, shocked that her companions had been killed so swiftly. Eyes took aim again and fired. His shot was too high and it passed over her shoulder. Releasing a string of expletives, she quickly dashed into the tree line and disappeared from sight.

Frowning, Eyes grabbed Ryoko by the arm and helped to pull her to her feet before they moved again. Without being able to see their opponent it was dangerous for them to stay in one spot. They quickly made it to where Rio and Kousuke were hunting and dropped down beside them.

"How many more?" Kousuke questioned as each teen turned to guard a different direction.

"Only one, it seems." Eyes said, his tone hard and determined.

"Where?" Kousuke scanned the clearing in frustration, unable to locate his target.

"She made it to the tree line." Ryoko stated. Rio and Kousuke frowned.

"That's unfortunate." Rio commented, her eyes murderous as she scanned the area in front of her, holding her gun in both hands to improve her accuracy.

"Keep your guard up. We need to see her before she sees us." Eyes warned. The others nodded.

The small group remained still, watching and waiting, for the next twenty minutes. Over the course of this time the rain had begun to lighten, making it easier to hear and assuring them that the "Hunter" had not given up the hunt yet. They could hear her in the forest beyond their line of sight, but the rain still prevented them from finding her and vice versa.

After another five minutes a shot sounded without warning. The bullet grazed off of Eyes side and buried itself in the ground behind Ryoko. Groaning in surprise at the sudden pain, Eyes rose and dashed into the clearing. A moment later another shot sounded, but missed Eyes. Frustrated, the "Hunter" dashed after the musician, trying to decrease the distance and improve her aim within the rain. She didn't notice the other three Blade Children lying in wait as she passed, having only picked out Eyes by the light color of his hair. She managed to reach the edge of the clearing before a bullet buried itself snugly in her heart as Eyes turned and fired. With a look of complete shock on her face, she collapsed backwards to ground, having been killed instantly.

As soon as the body dropped the other Blade Children rushed out into the clearing.

"Eyes, are you okay?" Rio called in concern as they neared the performer. Eyes stood in the center of the clearing with one hand pressed to his left side, the other hand clutching his gun. Blood could be seen spilling over his fingers from the wound, but the speed of the flow didn't indicate an overly severe wound.

"I'm fine." He replied as Rio and the others reached him. The pain didn't register on his face as he stared past his companions in the direction of the fallen "Hunter". His eyes were cold and emotionless as he looked on.

"That was crazy, Rutherford." Kousuke commented, shaking his head.

"What were you thinking using yourself as bait?" Ryoko scolded, looking with anger at the injured musician.

"Did you have a better idea?" He questioned, turning his attention to Ryoko, his voice calm. "She knew where I was. There was a chance she hadn't seen the rest of you." He explained. The others looked surprised and fell silent.

"Let me see your wound." Rio said after a moment. Eyes nodded and removed his hand from his side. Lifting the bloody fabric revealed a 1/4 inch deep gash that measured about four inches in length. The rain kept the blood flowing from the wound, but it wasn't a wound that required immediate attention. Satisfied, Rio moved back and looked at the others in the group.

"We should get out of here. There may be more coming." She said sternly. The others nodded and quickly made their way out of the park. As they left the scene of the carnage, the rain finally stopped.

oOoOoOo

Despite strong opposition from the other Blade Children, Eyes refused to allow any of them to accompany him back to his apartment to assist with his wound. He made sure that each of his companions safely reached their homes before he made his way alone back to his own suite.

Upon entering, he quickly stripped off the saturated garments that adorned his upper body and, setting aside the bloodstained articles to soak, seated himself on the edge of the bathtub. Only then did he take the time to look at the wound that sent streams of red down his torso.

He grimaced in discomfort as he gingerly pressed his fingers against the skin surrounding the wound to check for the extent of the damage. The wound was located on his lower torso, farther back on his left side, so seeing it was difficult. Sighing, he pressed his hand firmly against the wound to try and slow the bleeding as he rose from his seat on the tub edge and carefully retrieved a first aid kit from one of the bathroom shelves. Opening it, he balanced the kit on the top of the toilet tank and positioned himself in front of the over-sized vanity mirror that rested above the sink. The mirror allowed the performer to see the exact extent of the damage the bullet had caused. What was seen caused the musician to sigh once again.

The damage that he had taken looked worse than it was. Despite the amount of blood that was flowing from the incision, the wound itself was relatively shallow. While it would have been wise to go to the hospital and have the wound sewn up, Eyes wasn't willing to do that. He didn't need any attention drawn to himself or the Blade Children during what was turning out to be a critical time in their fight for survival.

Retrieving a fresh cloth, Eyes quickly cleaned and disinfected the wound. He grit his teeth at the discomfort, but proceeded regardless. Once he was satisfied with the preparation of the wound he removed the sutures from the first aid kit and went about utilizing them. He was aware of the fact that the sutures would likely not be sufficient for allowing the wound to heal fully, but they should suffice until he could have Kanone assist him with more effective treatment when they met next.

When he had finished with the sutures he tightly wrapped his torso with bandages in order to keep pressure on the wound and stop the bleeding. He then proceeded to take care of his clothing and mend the damaged uniform, as he would be in need of it the next day. It was well past midnight when this task was finally completed. The rain had prevented the blood from staining anything other than the white dress shirt that he wore beneath his uniform jacket and the tear in the fabric was clean and easily repaired. Hanging the now clean clothes off of the shower rack to dry, Eyes finally re-entered his bedroom and changed into a dry set of clothing. Once this was completed, he left the bedroom and went over to the piano. He seated himself slowly, his delayed movement partly for the benefit of his healing injury and partly because of his physical fatigue.

He sat motionless for a while, his fingers laced loosely together, looking at the keys. All was silent, save the gentle, rhythmic ticking of the analog clock that hung on the only solid wall in the main room of the apartment. Slowly, Eyes lowered his head until it was resting against the cool keys of the piano. His eyes were closed as he finally allowed himself to mentally calm down. Although he had believed that returning to battle would be a natural thing, he had never expected the experience to be so jarring. In the past few years the performer had always been the one coordinating attacks and working from the sidelines. He hadn't been in a true life and death battle since his fight with Kanone a year before, and even in that situation there was only a small chance that he would actually die. It had been years since the British teen had been in true battle and even longer since he had taken a life. He had been able to hide his feelings from Kousuke and the others, but he was by no means unaffected by the nights events.

Sighing again, he slowly raised his head from the piano keys and looked at the shiny wood of the ebony instrument as it reflected the moonlight that streamed in through the wall-length windows and bathed the pianist in soft gray light. Closing his eyes once more, he carefully placed his fingers against the ivory keys and gently depressed them, causing a soft, clear sound to emanate from the massive instrument. Gradually, the silence of the room faded as the space was filled with the one piece that kept Eyes grounded in the present and reminded him of the wish that he and the other Blade Children were holding onto; the Benediction de Dieu dans La Solitude.