Chapter 22: Confessions

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.

all,

Just a quick note for people who are following this series. I have decided to change the name of the character Nishio to Izumo. It has come to my attention that I unintentionally made the character's design too similar to a different character bearing the same name and I do not wish for my character to be seen as a visual copy of another's property. I intend to edit chapter 18 where Nishio originally appeared in order to correct the name inaccuracy. So from now on Nishio will be known as Izumo Tokiyama. Sorry for the confusion and thank you for your understanding.

Hiroshume sat silently on the edge of the couch in his apartment, eyes staring blankly at the ground. A subtle tremor still possessed his body from the earlier events of the day. Unconsciously he wrapped his arms tightly around himself, his eyes still wider than normal as the events played through his mind. The sound of gunshots echoed on repeat in his mind and he cupped his hands tightly over his ears in an attempt to block them out.

"Damn it all." He said, looking up at the ceiling, his hands still over his ears. Eyes had told him more or less what was to be expected if he sided with the Blade Children but he hadn't imagined what actually being in a life and death situation would be like. It was obvious that the "Hunters" had been after Kisame and Kanone and that Hiroshume had simply been caught in the crossfire, but that didn't make the event any less traumatizing for the unaccustomed hacker.

"Just what did I sign on for?" He lowered his head, his hands dropping away from his ears with the movement. The sound of gunshots was drown out as the echoes of Kisame's light-hearted laughter broke into his mind and he shuddered. He had been wary of the black-haired teen before, but his guard was even higher now. The fact that Kisame could laugh as if hearing a joke while bullets rained down around them made Hiroshume question the teen's sanity.

He sighed heavily, shaking his head in an attempt to calm himself down. Kisame and Kanone had offered to stay with him for a while after they saw him home but he had been quick to refuse. He had wanted to be alone for a while after everything but now the silence was making him regret the decision. Resting his head against the top of the couch he sighed heavily once more and closed his eyes, listening calmly to the rapid beating of his heart as he willed the pace to slow. A sudden break in the silence caused Hiroshume to all but lift off the couch and it took him a moment to register that the sound had been the vibration of his cellphone. Taking a minute to catch his breath, the hacker picked up the cellphone carefully and slowly opened it, settling into the couch again.

He had missed the call but still checked to see who the caller was. He smiled softly as his eyes traced over the English letters among the otherwise Japanese characters in his call register.

"Eyes." He mumbled. Shaking his head lightly he settled back comfortably into the cushion at his back and dialed the pianist's number. When he heard the line connect he spoke.

"You rang?"

"Are you alright?" Hiroshume smiled again at the concerned words that didn't seem to fit the usually apathetic teen.

"I will be."

"You weren't injured?"

"Just my pride." He clenched his fist unconsciously where it rested on his knee. "Who called you?"

"Kanone."

"I figured."

"He said you were shaken by what happened." Hiroshume shrugged.

"I certainly didn't expect it, I'll admit that."

"How are you handling it?" The smile fell from Hiroshume's face and his head dropped, his fist tightening further as he pressed his free arm against his side.

"…Worse than I thought I would." The line was silent for a few moments save the light shuffling that could be heard on the other side of the call.

"I'll be there shortly." Hiroshume nodded, slowly lowering the phone from his ear as he heard Eyes end the call.

OOoOoOoO

Kanone returned his phone to his pocket and looked up at the sky. He had just finished talking with Eyes about the "Hunter" attack and Hiroshume's involvement. The pianist had been quick to end the conversation once all relevant details had been relayed and Kanone didn't try to keep him. The night was cool and he sighed heavily, watching the puff of steam travel out into the air.

"Well that was eventful." He muttered wearily, glancing to his left and meeting the amused gaze of his golden-eyed companion.

"Honestly can't think of a better initiation than that." Kisame said lightly with a shrug. Kanone smiled softly.

"I just hope it wasn't too much of a shock for him." Kisame smirked.

"He'll be fine. It may cripple him for a little while, but he'll bounce back. It's not like we need him to fight the "Hunters". We just need him to stay alive if he crosses their path again. We've got time to get him ready." Kanone nodded, looking forward once more. "So how did Rutherford take the news?" The humor could be heard in the black-haired teen's voice.

"As well as can be expected." Kanone replied thoughtfully. Kisame chucked lightly, looking forward as well. Both teens walked silently for a while. Only the sound of their footsteps broke the quiet of early twilight. Several minutes passed before Kanone sighed and stopped. "So many things to deal with all at once." Kisame continued for a few steps before he heard Kanone speak. He turned to look back at the German Blade Child.

"It's never been easy." His tone lacked the humor it had previously carried and now held a serious tone. "Thing's will only get worse from here. You knew that before you came back to Japan." Kanone's eyes turned thoughtfully to the ground.

"I know."

"Do you think we're in over our heads?" Kanone shook his head, hesitating a moment before speaking.

"That's a given. We've never been on top in this game."

"Having second thoughts about playing?" Another shake of the head.

"No. It's far too late to back out now. Doing so would only lead to our deaths."

"It may lead to our deaths whether we play or not." Kisame pointed out.

"True, but we have a better chance of making it through this if we fight. Running away won't do anything in end." Kisame huffed.

"We haven't exactly been doing much fighting." Kanone nodded. Kisame turned to face him fully. "That isn't like you. You're usually one to make a plan and then attack. Waiting like this doesn't suit anyone."

"That's what Eyes wishes to do." Kanone replied calmly.

"And why is he in charge of this? I mean, I get that he's smart, but bottom line Rutherford has been out of combat for a long time. Beyond what you tell him he doesn't even know what's going on with the "Hunters" or the Blade Children. That's why we were able to utilize the hacker so easily." Annoyance was clear in his voice. Kanone's eyes saddened.

"He's in charge this time because I was afraid to be." A look of confusion washed over the face of the older teen.

"You were afraid to be? What are you talking about?" Kanone took a deep breath before answering.

"I was afraid to try and face the Blade Children after everything that happened. I knew that I had lost their trust and that I didn't deserve to ask them to blindly forgive everything I've done. I didn't want to be the one to take charge in this situation." He paused, struggling to say the words that came next. He couldn't look at Kisame as he spoke. "I didn't want to be responsible for getting any of the others killed." Kisame crossed his arms, a look of disgust washing over his features.

"And you thought the way to avoid that was putting Rutherford in charge of everything?"

"I honestly didn't care who took charge as long as someone did. I informed Eyes of what I'd discovered about the "Hunters" and he took charge without my even asking. It may not have been the right choice on my part, but honestly I was just happy that the blame would go to someone else if we end up losing this game." Kisame's eyes narrowed.

"That's a coward's move." Kanone's head hung lower in shame.

"I realize that, …but it was what I was feeling at the time."

"And what about now?"

"I still feel the same to some extent…" He paused."However I can no longer stand idly by and watch the "Hunters" come after us. We have been lucky so far, but our luck will only hold out so long before one of us ends up getting killed. I don't want to lose anybody else. If that means accepting the blame later on, then that is something I'll have to do. It isn't fair of me to place the burden on you and Eyes alone. I have not been taking an active enough role in this fight." Kisame stood silent, listening to Kanone's words with a look of irritation on his features. When the German teen finished he scoffed.

"That's the problem with you." Kanone looked up confused. "You always try to take on everything alone. When you get scared or upset you get emotional and act rashly as a result." He closed the distance between them, pressing the back of his fist against Kanone's shoulder. "You're not in this alone, Kanone. We're all here. Everyone can help deal with this situation. You're pretending like you're the only one who can stop the "Hunters". Quit acting so high and mighty!" His tone was angry and Kanone watched him with surprise, unable to respond.

"Kisame, I…"

"This is exactly the reason for what happened last year. You got scared and tried to handle everything on your own. Did it ever once cross your mind that siding with the Blade Children and trying to live would be better than becoming a "Hunter" and trying to kill everyone? I get that you were trying to spare the Blade Children from any further pain, but that wasn't a decision for you to make. It wasn't even the true reason that you did it. You wanted to take the easy way out and end it all because you were afraid. We may not be able to escape fate, but it's up to each of us when we want to give up the fight." Kanone's eyes dropped. He had always thought that Kisame had been impartial on everything that had happened but now it was clear to see that the Savage Gun held some animosity for what Kanone had tried to do. Kisame sighed heavily, breaking the contact with Kanone and letting his arm fall to his side. "I get that it's hard. I understand that it's terrifying. I even get that it's difficult to believe in hope… But Kanone, ultimately that's all we've got. Everyone else has counted us out. Even little Narumi has turned away from us. If we don't stand together then there's no way that everyone will survive this." Kanone looked back into Kisame's eyes, searching. "So don't be afraid to lean on us. If you were afraid to take charge of this, then you should have just said something. You could have come to me, or Rutherford. Even Rio and the others have their merits. We can't win this game if we go at it as individuals or stand on the sidelines and allow others to fight in our place. All that'll do is get Eyes and others killed." Kisame placed his hand on Kanone's shoulder again, his tone softening. "Get it?"

Kanone was silent as he nodded, neither his posture nor his expression telling whether his action mirrored the truth or not. Kisame sighed. Removing his hand, he turned and began walking away. Silently, Kanone followed behind.

OOoOoOo

Blood dripped onto the wooden floor as the office door was pushed forcefully open. Tatsui and Izumo turned to ascertain the source of the noise and aggression with which the door had been opened. The "Hunter" with blond hair and a red streak along each side of his head stood leaning against the doorway. His hand was pressed firmly against the face of his upper right thigh, allowing blood to seep through his fingers and down his injured leg. The blood soaked the fabric and formed a puddle around his foot.

"Well well, look at you." Tatsui's voice matched the condescending smile that marked his face as he turned in his chair to better view the ailing "Hunter". The comment earned him a glare from the clearly suffering man. Izumo rose from his place opposite Tatsui at the table and moved toward the newcomer.

"What happened?"

"Where's Makoto?" The "Hunter" ignored the younger blond's question. Tatsui shrugged.

"Probably at his apartment. He's not usually here unless something's happening." The older man visibly relaxed, prompting a smirk to cross Tatsui's face. "Why? Don't want my brother to see you like this? Whatever did you do, Daiki?" There was laughter in Tatsui's voice and both males cast him a look, one of hate from Daiki and one of disapproval from Izumo. Tatsui huffed and turned back to face the drink he had been nursing before the interruption. The smirk persisted on his face. Izumo turned his back on him.

"What happened?" He asked gently inspected the wound as he spoke, pushing Daiki's hand out of the way and placing his fingertips lightly against the bloody fabric around the hole.

"I got shot!"

"I can see that. How'd you get shot?"

"With a gun, stupid!" Izumo's eyes narrowed as he heard Tatsui make a weak attempt to stifle a laugh.

"Fine. Have fun taking care of it yourself." He turned to walk back to Tatsui, who was watching the exchange with high amusement in his eyes. Daiki's eyes widened.

"You-you're not going to help me?" His tone was incredulous. Izumo cast him a half glance over his shoulder, his eyes narrow and cold.

"No." Daiki stood, mouth agape, as Tatsui rose approvingly to meet Izumo and the two crossed the room.

"W-wait! I was in a fight with the Blade Children, okay? Now help me! It hurts!" His tone was desperate. Izumo paused mid stride.

"How unfortunate for you." Tatsui all but cackled in laughter as Izumo responded and started walking again, opening the door that would lead them out of the other end of the room.

"Make sure you clean up that blood before it stains the floor." Tatsui called as he followed the blond out of the room.

OOoOoOo

It didn't take long for Eyes to arrive at Hiroshume's apartment. Imagining how jumpy Hiroshume was likely to be, Eyes opted to message Hiroshume and then let himself into the apartment without knocking. He found the hacker seated on the couch with his fingers crossed before his lips and his elbows resting on his knees. He gave a slight glance at Eyes and, even in the dim moonlight filling the dark apartment, he could see the signs of stress on the younger male's features.

"Hey Eyes." The pianist didn't respond as he entered into the apartment and took his place seated on the low table where Hiroshume had occupied the night before. "Sorry for making you come deal with this." The hacker didn't look up as he spoke. Eyes watched him, unsure of what to say. After a few moments of silence he tentatively spoke.

"The important thing is that you were not harmed. You were in the safest position possible with Kanone and Kisame to protect you." Hiroshume gave a half-hearted laugh.

"Is that so. Well I guess that's good to know." He tightened his clasped hands, lowering them to rest between his knees. "So does this sort of thing happen often to you guys?"

"More often recently." He dropped his head.

"You all are targeted?" Eyes was silent for a moment.

"Kanone and Kisame have seen the most attacks but I don't doubt that all of the Blade Children will be targeted now that the "Hunters" are making their move." Hiroshume's body tensed. Eyes watched him curiously when the hacker didn't speak. He could see a slight tremor overtake the teen as he sat silent. Several minutes passed.

"Just what are you guys?" His voice barely sounded above a whisper.

"I don't understand your question." Eyes couldn't fathom what Hiroshume could mean. He had already told him about the Blade Children and the curse they bore so he had no doubt that his question was directed toward a different answer. But what that question was required more context before the pianist could answer. Hiroshume took a shaky breath.

"He was laughing…"

"Who was?"

"Hoshagi…" Eyes sighed.

"…The Blade Children have been forced to kill to survive since we were very young. Some of us have found… unique coping methods in order to deal with what we've done and the fate that awaits us." He caught Hiroshume's eyes and stopped. The hacker was watching him intently. The shaking had stopped and his expression was full of emotion, but unreadable. His normal gaze was visible behind the heavier emotions once again. Eyes sighed once more. "Kisame is a special case. He's seen more bloodshed than the other Blade Children and has far fewer qualms about killing. A lot of the Blade Children have developed questionable morals as a result of the life we've lived. Some may be willing to kill, but Kisame comes the closest of all to enjoying it." Hiroshume dropped his head again and ran his hand through his hair. He looked up again when caught movement out of his peripheral vision.

A sleek hand gun rested on Eyes' palm as it was extended toward him. He turned to look at the pianist, confused.

"Have you ever fired a gun before?"

"No, I haven't."

"You'll need to learn." Eyes continued to hold the gun out to Hiroshume. Gingerly the hacker took it, still watching Eyes. "We don't need you on the front lines of this game, but you'll need to be able to defend yourself. Now that you're involved with the Blade Children it is not unreasonable to expect events like today to occur again. There are many players in this game and not all will be willing to spare those that do not share in our cursed fate." Hiroshume looked down at the weapon in his hand, gritting his teeth against the anxiety the settled into his gut. He felt a hand settle on his shoulder and his gaze flew back to the pianist. "Kanone taught all of the Blade Children to fight. You can take some time to recover from this, but then you will need to learn as well." Slowly Hiroshume nodded.

"Alright." His answer was resigned and Eyes frowned. He knew that part of the hacker was wishing for a clarification that he could change his mind and not be involved with the Blade Children, but Eyes wasn't going to offer him that. The decision had been made and the performer was intent on holding him to it. Despite his personal feelings he agreed with Kisame that Hiroshume would be a valuable asset in this game. He couldn't allow attachment to an outsider to jeopardize the safety of the other Blade Children. He had grown too sympathetic during his time away from the fight. In order to survive he needed to harden his heart and become a demon once again. Even if it wasn't in the hacker's best interest, it was what needed to be done.

"I'll give you a few days but then you need to be ready for whatever the Blade Children need from you." Hiroshume nodded again. Without a word the pianist rose to his feet and turned toward the door.

"Eyes…" Hiroshume's voice stopped him. "Can you stay here… just for a little longer?" Eyes didn't respond. The hacker looked at the performer, his eyes calmer. "I don't need a few days. I'll be fine by tomorrow. But give me tonight, okay?" His tone held confidence again, far more characteristic of his normal personality. He cast Eyes a reassuring smile. Slowly Eyes turned, returning to take a seat beside Hiroshume on the couch.

"Of course."

Hey all,

Thanks for waiting patiently for this next chapter of Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You. I apologize for it taking so long to reach publication. For those of you still reading this fiction I want to extend my deepest thanks. I have not been a very good author for all of you, yet you all still stand by me and wait for whenever I have time to provide a chapter. I appreciate that more than words can express.

So for all of you out there who are invested in this story, I would like to present a question to you. I have been considering adding another group into the story but I am not sure if further messing with the power dynamic of the story is wise. I have noticed that things have started to unravel since adding Makoto and his Hunters to the mix. This new group would once again split the power dynamic and alter the plans in the works for dealing with Hunter and Blade Child alike. Since this is difficult to explain without giving away spoiler-esque information about the potential future plot, I am going to give you all a sneak peak while going into as little detail as possible.

What I had planned was to incorporate the Savers actively into the story. Since Shirodaira did not utilize this branch of the Blade Children project in his original work, I felt that it may be interesting to utilize them to assist the Blade Children in making it through the current game. But again, I am not sure how this will change the dynamic between the Hunters and the other players in the game. What do you think? Do you like the side groups that occupy the story or do you feel that it is becoming to cluttered and difficult to follow. The original Spiral manga focused firmly on the Blade Children and Ayumu's direct involvement with them, keeping the story grounded in a single continuous plot. But I have noticed the Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You has taking a far more broad take on the story, encompassing several different viewpoints and observing multiple different groups. Given the current nature of this fiction, would the addition of another group be something you would like to see or do you think there are enough power-players in the game already?

If any of you could help me in making a decision on this matter I would be eternally grateful. Suggestions or ideas can be provided in reviews or by PM. This story is for all of you, so I would love to have your opinions on how it should move forward with this matter.

Thanks everyone,

Spiral of Destiny