Chapter 21: Revelations

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.

Eyes walked silently through the quiet streets. He knew Hiroshume was awaiting a response, but he wasn't ready to give one. His mind was full of everything he had been told that day and he struggled to make sense of it all and why it had happened the way it had. His mind went back to Kanone and, subsequently, to Kisame. He felt hurt by Kanone's actions but he was angry at Kisame's for his. The pianist had no doubt that it was Kisame's influence that had led to the further contact and involvement with Hiroshume. That didn't make Kanone's actions any less frustrating, but it at least allowed Eyes a way to try and justify why his best friend had once again betrayed his trust. The performer sighed and closed his eyes, stopping beside one of the many storefronts along the stretch of road he was currently walking. He felt tired and leaned against the building for a bit of extra support. The evening was cold and the sun was nearly set, supplying Eyes' already downcast mood with the dull gray coloring of twilight's end.

"Are you alright, sir?" Eyes slowly turned to look over his shoulder at the source of the voice that had spoken so close to him. A group of three young girls, Eyes guessed to be middle schoolers, stood looking at him. Turning away, Eyes pushed himself off the building and back into a standing position.

"I'm fine." He replied. "Just thinking." He elaborated when he turned and saw the concern persist on their features. Their eyes brightened as he spoke.

"Oh, your accent. Are you a foreigner?" The middle girl asked. Eyes couldn't help but smile at the childish reaction and he nodded. "Yes, I'm from England." The girls exchanged excited looks, not used to meeting foreigners.

"Are you on vacation here, sir?" It was the girl on the left who spoke this time. Eyes nodded again.

"Yes, something like that." The girls returned his smile, albeit much more boldly.

"How fun! Well, have a good night, sir." With a friendly wave the girls continued on down the street. Eyes watched them for a few moments before turning and leaning against the building once more, this time resting his back against the wall so as to look up at the sky.

"This can wait. There are more important things in play right now. I need to stay focused if I don't want to lose everything." He mumbled, closing his eyes briefly before lowering his gaze from the sky. He slipped his phone from his pocket and sent Hiroshume a brief message. Once he received a response he slipped the phone back into his pocket and started walking once more.

oOoOoOo

Hiroshume rested lazily along the length of the couch in his apartment. He slowly turned his cellphone in his hand, resting his head against his opposite arm. A thin smirk marked his face. He had expected Eyes to simply ignore his question like the pianist usually did when he hadn't heard from him the morning after his inquiry. To not only receive an answer to his message, but also an agreement to answer his question, was a rare treat. It had been roughly fifteen minutes since he had replied to the performer's evasive dodge to his question and he had received no further correspondence beyond a brief inquiry into the hacker's current location. To what degree he would have his question answered still was unclear, but he was optimistic that at least some questions would be answered as a result. He sighed and laid his arm down across his chest, letting the cellphone drop from his fingertips to fall next to him on the couch. The hacker had just finished texting Eyes the address of his apartment and now waited for the likely displeased performer to arrive.

As he lay waiting he began to consider what connection Eyes had with the "Blade Children". At this point Hiroshume had very little to go on information-wise and wasn't even completely sure what the term "Blade Children" meant. The fact that the long-time absent Kiyotaka Narumi wanted him involved in whatever was going on only added to his confusion over his current situation. While the events going on around him promised a good deal of distraction from the boredom he was always trying to avoid, when Hiroshume stopped to think about it, the fact that his life could be on the line did weigh a bit on his mind.

"Hopefully Eyes can clear some of this up." He said, resting his arm over his forehead and looking up at the ceiling. His eyes traced the edges of the ceiling for a few moments before he closed his eyes and dropped his arm to hang back over the edge of the couch arm where his head currently rested. "Kiyotaka Narumi, a dangerous game, the Blade Children, Eyes' mysterious acquaintances, and Eyes returning to Japan. Where's the connection? What does Kiyotaka want with me, what are the Blade Children, and how is Eyes involved in all this?" He sighed and sat up, moving his discarded phone to the low table that sat in front of the couch. He cast his gaze lazily to the door before shrugging with a heavy sigh. "Whatever." His interest in the current matter dulled, he reached across the table for his laptop and immersed himself in the myriad of entertainment opportunities available to him.

oOoOoOo

It was almost 8:00 in the evening when a knock broke Hiroshume's focus away from his computer screen. Closing the lid, he placed the laptop on the table and went to open the door and allow the waiting Englishman access to his apartment.

"You didn't have to come all this way. We could have just spoken over the phone." Eyes didn't reply, causing Hiroshume to shrug and follow the quiet man into the apartment. Eyes seated himself on the couch and Hiroshume sat opposite him on the low table, having no other sitting areas in the room and not wishing to place himself too close to the pianist until the emotional nature of the meeting was established. Both sat in silence for several minutes before Hiroshume turned his attention to Eyes. "Are you going to say anything?" Eyes didn't look at Hiroshume, instead opting to turn his attention to the large glass doors that led out onto the small balcony attached to the hacker's apartment. Hiroshume sighed. "Eyes…"

"Think carefully over whether you really want an answer. The truth of the Blade Children is not something to be taken lightly. Unless you are prepared to offer up your own life you are better off not knowing." The swiftness of Eyes' response caught Hiroshume off guard and he fell silent. Eyes turned to look at him, his face calm, but serious. "I will tell you if you want, but be aware that once you know you can't go back. You bet your life when you involve yourself with the Blade Children." Hiroshume dropped his eyes to the floor, contemplating what the pianist had just said. In the past he had been told he was betting his life, but hearing the way Eyes said it brought a sense of gravity to the situation and chased away the thrill that the impending game held. After a moment he turned to look back at Eyes.

"How are you involved in all of this?" Although he had a guess at the answer he still had to ask.

"I am one of the Blade Children." His eyes fell slightly.

"Then why are you bothering with this? Aren't I already involved?" His words came out harsher than he had intended and he quickly looked to Eyes to gauge his reaction. The performer didn't move.

"I apologize. It was wrong of me to bring you into contact with us and for Kisame and Kanone to involve you as much as they have." Hiroshume's eyes widened slightly, curious as to how Eyes had come to find out about his involvement with the two dangerous teens. His focus was pulled back to Eyes as the performer continued. "However, you are not involved deeply enough yet that your fate is decided."

"What do you mean?"

"At present you have two options: end all connection and interaction with me and my associates, or throw your hand in with us and have your question answered. But I warn you, it would be safer for you if you simply forget that you were ever involved with us. Doing anything else will not positively effect your life." While Eyes knew it was safest to keep Hiroshume close to the Blade Children for his own protection, he didn't want to make the decision for him. Before he shared anything more with the hacker he wanted to hear for himself that the teen was willing to accept the repercussions and join with the Blade Children.

Hiroshume sat silent for several minutes, seriously weighing the positives and negatives, pros and cons, what he knew, what he didn't know, and what he was willing to compromise in the event it was necessary. After meeting with Kanone and Kisame, he had a good idea about the sort of things that Eyes would need him to concede on if he stayed allied to the performer. The question was whether he wanted to make that sort of concession. Finally, Hiroshume looked back at the Englishman. His eyes were calm.

"Eyes…" The performer looked fully at Hiroshume. "What are the Blade Children?" A look of disappointment crossed Eyes' face as he dropped his head slightly, unwillingly accepting Hiroshume's decision.

"Alright then…"

oOoOoOo

Hiroshume sat quiet as Eyes fell silent for the final time. The two had been talking for the better part of three hours, with Hiroshume asking questions and Eyes either answering or choosing to deny the information. For the last hour Hiroshume had said nothing and had simply listened neutrally as Eyes laid the history of the Blade Children and their current situation out before him. Eyes had chosen to omit some details, but what he had provided gave Hiroshume enough to understand exactly what he had signed on for. It was obvious that Eyes knew this too. As the silence lengthened after Eyes' final statement the hacker could observe the slightest unease creeping over the pianist's features as Hiroshume neglected to respond or look fully at the performer. Still, he took his time, thinking over everything Eyes had said and considering whether he had any further questions to ask while Eyes was in a forthcoming mood. He noticed Eyes shift slightly on the couch and looked fully at the pianist with a calm, relaxed gaze, determining that he had kept the performer waiting long enough.

"Is that everything?" Eyes nodded. Hiroshume leaned back, taking his weight off his arms and sitting up straight. "Okay. So what do you need from me?"

oOoOoOo

Eyes was slow to rise the next morning. He felt fatigued and mentally drained from the stress the past few weeks had been causing. When he finally did open his eyes he was met with the sight of an unfamiliar room. Looking around, his gaze fell upon Hiroshume asleep on the floor a few feet away from the couch where the pianist currently lay. The hacker appeared to be sleeping rather soundly, a blanket covering his lower body. Eyes looked back at the ceiling, details about the previous night coming back to him. He didn't remember it, but he must have fallen asleep in Hiroshume's apartment at some point over the course of their conversation. Eyes sighed, sitting up. He felt a blanket slide down from over his chest as he moved and he looked with mild confusion at it. Hiroshume must have put it over him the night before. Eyes shook his head and looked at the large glass doors leading to the balcony.

"I must have been more fatigued than I thought." He mumbled, rubbing his neck in an attempt to drive out the dull ache that had taken root after his night on the couch. He heard Hiroshume shift on the floor and he turned his attention in the teen's direction. The hacker still had his eyes closed, but had rotated from a position on his side to lay on his back. Watching him, Eyes couldn't help but be both impressed and concerned about his associate's response to everything that had been said the night before. At least outwardly, the hacker hadn't seemed phased when he found out Eyes was a murderer and that the Blade Children had to kill in order to survive. He had been equally unaffected when informed that they were being hunted and that now it was likely that he would also be hunted in some form or another. Eyes couldn't speak for the hacker's true thoughts on the matter, but at least on the surface there didn't appear to be much concern. It was almost as though Hiroshume had expected something worse than what Eyes had told him and was disappointed that Eyes' story wasn't more exciting to him. Eyes shook his head, rising from the couch. Walking quietly, he crossed the room to where he had discarded his coat and began easing the door open.

"Where are you going?" Eyes looked behind him. Hiroshume still lay on the floor, looking at Eyes upside down from where he rested on his back. He looked groggy from sleep but was still able to maintain focus on the performer.

"Home." Hiroshume hummed out a response and rolled over onto his stomach, resting his head on his arms and paying the pianist no further mind.

"See you at school." Eyes nodded and, without a word, walked out.

oOoOoOo

Kanone was waiting as the Blade Children began arriving at Tsukiomi academy later that morning. He was quick to join Eyes as the performer came into view of the school. The serious look on the performer's face alerting Kanone to the fact that something had happened since they had last spoken.

"What happened?" He ignored the formalities as he reached the pianist.

"He knows."

"And?"

"He is on board." Kanone nodded, looking around for any sign of the other Blade Children as they headed back toward the school.

"Have you told the others yet?"

"No." Kanone looked at Eyes in surprise. His tone was different than Kanone had heard it in a very long time. It was reminiscent of several years ago when Eyes acted more proactively in the fight against the blade children's fate. There was also a coldness that Kanone was unfamiliar with. He had witnessed it in relation to others, but never directed toward himself from the quiet teen. He fell silent.

"Did something else happen?" The entire dynamic of the conversation felt foreign.

"No." Eyes didn't slow as he replied, not bothering to look back at the German teen as Kanone stopped and watched him go.

"Ey…Izo." Kanone called after, transitioning to the performer's alias as he was forced to raise his voice to call out. Eyes paused and glanced back at him. "Is everything okay?" Eyes nodded, moving forward again. Kanone frowned and pursued him, catching his arm and pulling him to stop. He looked over his shoulder. "I mean with you." The pianist watched him for a moment, his face telling nothing but the cold distance persisting in his gaze, before he pulled free of Kanone's grasp and continued toward the school. Kanone watched him go, confusion on his features as the voices of the other Blade Children sounded and he was forced to let the performer leave as he turned back to meet the others.

OOoOoOo

Kisame opted to skip school that day. He didn't really want to deal with the fallout of Eyes' inevitable meeting with Hiroshume and had little doubt that the pianist was still irritated with him for forcing the situation in the direction it had gone. Kisame didn't care. The killer could handle having the stoic performer irritated with him if it meant that the hacker's abilities could now be utilized without reservation. As if marking this fact, the black haired teen had found a flashdrive in his mailbox that morning containing all of the information he had requested on Naoki Sato. Though there hadn't been time to go over all of it, nothing appeared to be any more helpful than what Akito's information had yielded. Kisame sighed. The Savage Gun currently stood outside the gate of Tsukiomi academy, waiting for those who would exit. He had already contacted Kanone to alert the German teen that he would be waiting for him, so now it was simply a matter of time before he arrived. The golden-eyed teen took the quiet moment before classes ended to look at the sky. It was a warm day for the time of year, giving the air a feeling of lightness that hadn't been present in quite some time. Kisame smiled slightly.

"Things are moving…" His voice held humor as the smile darkened with a suppressed laugh. "I can't wait to see where this goes." He turned his gaze away from the sky as he heard footsteps approaching. His smile persisted as he gave a friendly nod to the approaching German. "I didn't mean you had to leave class." He said lightly as he pushed off the wall and turned to face Kanone.

"I know. But I didn't really want to run into Eyes on my way out." Kanone said as he returned the nod of greeting.

"You two at odds with each other?" Kisame asked curiously. Kanone shrugged. Honestly, he wasn't sure. Kisame dismissed it. "So I assume Eyes told the hacker everything?"

"I'm not sure. Eyes wasn't very forthcoming with information this morning." Kanone replied, coming to stand beside Kisame outside of the main gate. He leaned lightly against the wall and gazed out into the street. Kisame hummed softly.

"That guy really needs to learn to stop holding back information." He mumbled.

"Eyes is a quiet guy. It's just his nature." Kisame huffed.

"Nature or not, it's irritating." Kanone chuckled softly.

"I suppose."

The two fell silent as the sound of voices began filling the air. Moving well out of the way of the gate they watched as students began leaving the campus and heading for home. They knew Kousuke and Ryoko would not be among their numbers, as Ryoko had after-school activities with the track team. This left Rio and Eyes to cross their path. They watched as Rio left first, talking with some classmates and failing to notice the two killers standing next to the fence. Kanone smiled, happy to see Rio interacting with others. Even with the "Hunter" threat, the Blade Children were still doing their best to live a normal life.

Eyes was next to leave the school. It was obvious that he saw the two teens waiting by the wall, but he said nothing as he passed and didn't even send a glance in their direction as he went by. Kisame could tell that the cold response hurt Kanone, but he didn't comment on it as his gaze was drawn by another individual leaving the school.

"Hadaka." Hiroshume paused and turned to look behind him as he heard his name, his eyes falling on Kisame who cast him a leisurely wave. "Come here for a minute." With a visible sigh, the hacker broke away from the crowd and made his way over to the waiting Blade Children.

"What is it?" He questioned, his tone bored although his eyes held a new curiosity.

"Do you have some time? There's some things we'd like to talk to you about." Kisame's tone was friendly, but the way he spoke made Hiroshume tense as memories of their first meeting entered his mind.

"Sure…" Hiroshume said, casting a quick glance around himself. His eyes lingered on a student who had paused at the gate to eavesdrop. Kisame followed his gaze and found Asura standing beside the gate.

"Did you need something, Noragami?" Kisame asked cheerfully, his expression friendly and curious, inviting the teen to join in their conversation. Kanone looked over as well. Asura grit his teeth in irritation at Kisame's acknowledgment and looked away.

"No." He said quickly as he rejoined the crowded and headed away from the school. Kisame watched him go, casting a friendly smile toward the retreating teen. When Asura was sufficiently out of earshot the Blade Child turned his attention back to the hacker who still stood near him. Kisame hooked his arm over Hiroshume's shoulder and directed him to start walking.

"Let's go somewhere else to talk. It'll be nice to catch up."

OOoOoOoOo

The three students wandered down the street, their pace quick, but not rushed. Once they had left Tsukiomi behind them Kisame had released Hiroshume from his grasp and the hacker had visibly relaxed. They had been walking for about ten minutes without anyone speaking before Hiroshume let out a heavy sigh that caught the attention of his companions.

"Honestly, what is it with all of you being so reserved with conversation? Even when you ask someone to talk you never talk." Hiroshume grumbled, comparing the current situation to his previous interactions with a certain stoic pianist. Kanone chucked.

"My apologies. It's just been a while since we've interacted with others outside of the Blade Children." Hiroshume was surprised with how easily the teen was able to transition into speaking freely about their secret now that he was officially on their side. He noticed Kisame cast Kanone a quick glance. "So what did Eyes tell you?" The hacker turned his attention back to Kanone.

"You don't know?"

"I'm afraid Eyes has been rather tight-lipped about the entire matter." Kanone replied.

"Why is that?" Hiroshume asked, confused. He had assumed that the Englishman would have shared what had been said the previous night with his associates over the course of the school day.

"Because he's angry at us." Both teens looked at Kisame, one with irritation, the other with mild confusion.

"Why would he be angry at you?"

"Because we pretty much backed him into a corner so he had to tell you about the Blade Children." Kisame gave a nonchalant shrug, a thin smirk on his face.

"Enough, Kisame." Kanone's tone was hard, matching the look in his eyes. He turned his attention back to Hiroshume. "Now what did Eyes tell you about us?"

"Basically that you guys are being hunted and that a lot of people are trying to kill you at the moment, which explains why you were having me do all those searches for you." Hiroshume replied, changing the topic at the end as he glanced back at Kisame. Kanone turned to the golden-eyed teen as well.

"Searches?" Kisame ignored him.

"So you know about us, right?" Kisame asked, earning a bored glance from the hacker once more.

"That you guys are killers? Yeah. Eyes also said that you two were the strongest and that I should stay on your good side if at all possible. Nice of him to point out, but I figured that one out already." He replied, unconsciously rubbing his shoulder and collarbone as he spoke, his eyes staring straight ahead. Kisame smirked.

"So it doesn't bother you?" Kanone asked. Hiroshume glanced quickly back at him.

"What?"

"That we've killed people." The three had made it to a river and now stood on the sloped embankment looking out over the water. Hiroshume looked thoughtfully at the sky, contemplating his answer before he spoke.

"No, not really. I mean, Eyes told me why you did it. I don't think I would have done any different if I had been in your position. If I can't say that I would have chosen to die instead of fight then what right would I have to hold you to that same expectation?" Kanone looked thoughtfully at the ground.

"So what do you know about us?" He asked for a third time. Hiroshume turned so he was facing both Blade Children.

"I know that none of you want to die. That's all I need to know. If I can play a part in keeping Eyes or any of the other Blade Children alive, then I will. It'll be a great way to kill some time."

"Well isn't that sweet?" Kanone and Kisame spun around to face the roadway at the sound of malice dripping from the words. Five men stood above them, guns drawn. The front man had spiky blond hair with a red streak going down each side of his head and devilish green eyes. "Too bad you won't live to…" Before Hiroshume knew what was happening Kanone had forced him forward so he was positioned behind Kisame as the Savage gun drew a small handgun from his coat pocket and fired a shot into the midst of the group. The members scattered as the bullet buried into the road, the shot having been fired as a warning.

"How did you know we were here?" Kisame questioned as Kanone came to stand beside him, further shielding the confused hacker.

"We got a tip you two were coming this way. Little brother is so so useful for these sorts of things." The man leveled his gun at Kisame. "Not that it'll matter for long. Because soon you'll be dead." Kisame smirked.

"Right." Without warning Kisame turned, forcing Hiroshume forward as a shot rang out and the man on the road dropped to his knee. While everyone had been focused on Kisame and their leader, Kanone had taken the opportunity to bury a bullet in the upper thigh of the man's right leg. Shots sounded behind them as the "Hunter's returned fire and Kanone covered their retreat as Kisame drove the panicked hacker forward.

"What's going on?" Hiroshume's voice was filled with confusion and panic, reason leaving him as the bullets started flying.

"Hunters!" Kisame said with a laugh, forcing Hiroshume to the ground as he dropped to one knee and began shooting at the pursuing "Hunters".

"Then why are you laughing?" The hacker's eyes were wide as he looked back at Kisame hovering over him. By this time Kanone had caught up to them.

"I need to reload." He informed as he grabbed Hiroshume and pulled him up. The hacker made it halfway to his feet before Kanone lurched back suddenly, planting his foot against Hiroshume's backside and forcing him into the dirt again. The hacker felt a tug along the side of his backpack as a bullet ripped through the fabric, missing him by about two inches. Before he could register what had happened Kanone had reloaded, returned fire, and dragged the hacker back to his feet once again. He staggered as he was moved forward again, but the stabilizing grip Kanone had on his arm kept him on his feet. The sounds of gunshots and shouts filled his ears and his eyes darted around wildly, trying to make sense of the current situation. He collapsed to the ground as Kanone shoved him forward underneath a bridge overpass that crossed the river.

"Is this normal?!" Hiroshume shouted in a panic as he covered his head protectively with his arms. Kanone fired two more times before slipping against the wall on the inner side of the overpass. A moment later Kisame slipped next to Hiroshume on the outside closest to the open area, boxing the hacker in and answered in Kanone's place, the laugh still clear in his voice. Outside shots still sounded.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it!"

A/N: Hey all,

At long last I have finished the next chapter of Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You. I am sorry that it has taken so long to get this chapter out, but I hope that you were able to enjoy it. I will not be updating this fiction often, as I have very little time for writing lately and this is not set to change for the foreseeable future. But please know that I am working on it whenever time permits and I will get a new chapter posted as soon as I am able. I am sorry that I have not been able to keep my promise of monthly publication. At the time that I made the promise I had far more time to devote to writing. This will be the last chapter for a while, but know that more chapters are on their way and I will continue to work on this story until it has reached it's natural conclusion. Please wait for me and support me with reviews or PM's of what you think of the story or thoughts you have in regards to me or anything to do with my work. I always love hearing what you all think.

Thanks for being the best readers ever,

Your tardy author,

Spiral of Destiny