Hey all,

I know I missed the deadline, but I swear I have a good reason this time. I had the story ready for the 28th, but I went out of town over the weekend and discovered upon arriving that I had no Internet access. I only just got back and wanted to make sure that I got the chapter out for you. I appreciate your patience. No one heckled me for missing the deadline, which was sweet of you all. There shouldn't be any reason I can't make October's deadline, so this should just be a fluke. Still, I managed to get it published during the month of September, and only 2 days late. Not my worst delay ever. ^^'

I hope you all enjoy this chapter of Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You. Please leave me a review or any constructive criticism you may have. I always appreciate feedback.

See you all next month,

Spiral of Destiny

Chapter 28: How To Know What To Do

It was with difficulty that Hibari opened his eyes the next morning. Pain shot through his skull and he had the dizzying lack of balance that came with what he knew was a concussion. Clenching his teeth in frustration, he placed his hand over his eyes and forced down the nausea that had settled in his stomach.

After leaving the Blade Children the previous night the "Hunters" had fled to their vehicles and made themselves scarce. Hibari had passed out again and only regained consciousness when they reached a hospital several miles away. Already most of their members had been let off; some at various hospitals and others at home. Only Hibari, the driver, and a final injured "Hunter" remained. He had helped to get the injured man into the hospital before returning to the car and being taken home.

Upon arrival he had forgone logic and collapsed on his bed. It was only in the morning that he realized the risk he had taken by not getting medical attention or taking proper precautions for dealing with a concussion. Grimacing, he rubbed his eyes, trying to will the pain from them while knowing the effort was futile. He grit his teeth.

"Worthless Blade Child." His words were hateful as he glared through the fingers that masked his eyes. With difficulty, he sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. Another grimace of pain crossed his features at the action and he grasped his right shoulder tightly. Confused, he turned to examine the limb, only to find dark bruising covering the majority of his shoulder and upper arm. Recollection crossed his features as he recalled being tackled to the ground the night before. His gaze narrowed further.

Rising to his feet, he released his shoulder and made his way to the restroom where he could more effectively take stock of his injuries. What he discovered after a thorough examination was an inch long cut on his forehead surrounded by a sizable amount of bruising, a laceration on the back of his skull and extreme sensitivity that suggested bruising as well, a sensitive wrist and injured shoulder, bruising around his throat, and an almost certain concussion.

Physically there didn't appear to be anything that needed attention from a medical professional in his eyes. While it may have been wise to look further into the head trauma and the ramifications from that, he didn't care to involve anyone else, nor did he wish to waste the time. The "Hunters" hadn't experienced a complete failure the previous night. They had injured two of the Blade Children and possibly killed a third. Currently they were weak and vulnerable, emotionally and physically. He needed to move quickly before they had time to recover.

With this thought in mind, he showered and readied himself for the day before sending a message to Makoto and leaving his apartment.

oOoOoOo

Akito sat silently watching the sky as the snow fell gently down around him. He was seated on the narrow balcony that was attached to the apartment he and Naoki shared. His roommate was inside asleep in preparation for an overnight shift, giving Akito some time to be by himself.

He currently sat on the floor of the balcony, one leg extended before him and the other bent to allow for a more comfortable position. He rested his head back against the concrete of the solid wall that formed the side railings. The day was cold, but the coat Akito wore was sufficient to keep him warm despite conditions.

As he watched the sky he could feel the cold droplets touch his skin as the snow slowly covered him. It wasn't snowing hard enough to amount to anything, but it was a definite sign that time was continuing on, changing the seasons as it went. Akito frowned at the snow.

Since meeting with the "Hunters" and deciding to avoid participation in the attack on the Blade Children, Akito had been feeling conflicted. He didn't necessarily feel as though he had made the wrong choice, yet neither did he feel as though he had made the right one. Naoki didn't speak about it and Akito elected to leave it alone, though it was strange that a bigger fuss hadn't been made. For all of Naoki's prying into Akito's difficulty with the Blade Children previously, it was surprising to see such little interest taken now. He wasn't sure if the older man was simply being respectful of his feelings or if he genuinely didn't care.

The frown deepened on his face, reaching his eyes as he fixed his troubled gaze on a large gray cloud overhead. He felt so tired. He hadn't been able to sleep much for the past few days. Every time he would close his eyes his mind would wander to the Blade Children and what was planned for them. He knew he was supposed to hate the Blade Children. He knew they needed to disappear. Yet he couldn't bring his heart to accept what his head knew to be a fact.

"It's his fault…" Over the past few weeks Akito had come to admit to himself that it was none other than the "Savage Gun", the Blade Children's blackest member, who had created the irreversible shift in his thinking. The fact that Kisame had spared him, someone who was known to want him dead, and had the audacity to call him out on his weak convictions had left Akito unsure about what to think. Despite the terrifying nature of the encounter, his meeting with Kisame had humanized the boy in his eyes. If he put aside the fact that Kisame was one of the most lethal killers of the current day, all that was left was a normal teenager. If he had been left to mature naturally, rather than being hunted as prey, Akito felt like the boy could have been a great asset to society. He could see something in his nature that made him likable to others and gave him the persuasive power to achieve anything.

He dropped his head into his hands. He didn't want to think of the Blade Children in that way. They were a mistake that should never have existed. They were a flawed project that needed to be returned to the darkness. They were an experiment that went wrong. They weren't supposed to be human…

But they were…

Despite everything in Akito that wanted to argue to the contrary, the simple fact was that they were people. Meeting with Kisame had made them human to him. Under all of the hatred; all of the stigma; they were just kids. They should have been allowed to grow up healthy and free to pursue whatever goals they wanted. They shouldn't have had to live a life like they'd known. As much as he hated to admit it, if the "Hunters" had never tried to kill them then the Blade Children would never have had to kill in order to survive.

A heavy sigh escaped Akito's lips and he stood. He felt restless and abandoned the solitary balcony in favor of a walk. He was quiet as he made his way through the apartment so as not to awaken his roommate and softly let himself out. Once out on the street his pace quickened as he tried to walk off the frustration that clouded his mind. He was so confused about what to do. The Blade Children were kids that should have been allowed to grow up normally. That much he agreed with. But they hadn't grown up normally. Whether wrong or right, they grew up in a fight for their lives, staining their hands with blood and learning to kill when they should have been learning how to be people. At the heart of everything they were killers. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't ignore that fact.

His mindless walking took him far from his apartment and before he realized it he found himself near Sai's apartment. Pausing on the sidewalk, he looked up at the massive building where the "Hunter" leader lived. He hadn't heard from the older man since his decision to abstain from the upcoming fight and the absence of instruction did not go unnoticed. Tentatively he took a step back.

There was no point in going to see the "Hunter" leader until he had an answer to give him. Sai was being patient with him and giving him the time and space he seemed to need, so Akito didn't want to waste the goodwill by bothering him without reason. Looking away from the apartment building his gaze fell on the large wall of Tsukiomi Academy in the distance. Despite its proximity to his leader's place of residence, Akito had never ventured close to the school on his numerous trips to the nearby apartment. There had never been a need to, since the "Hunters" couldn't act when the Blade Children were on the campus. Sonobe and Imazato had been clear examples of how useless such tactics had been.

He stood for a moment watching the campus before slowly crossing the street and walking along the wall's length. The stone barrier was higher than he was tall, obscuring the campus from view at his current vantage point. The campus was quiet and, given the hour of the day, Akito assumed that the students were likely in class at the moment. Taking a slight deep breath, he entered the gate and walked a few feet into the campus. The area seemed larger on the inside than it had looked from a distance and Akito paused, slightly intimidated. He had never attended any prominent schools, so to be faced with an elite private school was a new experience. Akito placed his hands in his coat pockets, looking around the grounds from where he stood on the main path. It was clear that outsiders were not intended to be on the campus grounds, but Akito lingered a moment longer, wanting to see where the Blade Children spent the majority of their time.

He remained where he was for the duration of ten minutes before determining that it was time he left before he caused any problems. Giving a final glance at the large main building, he turned to head back in the direction of the gate. He made it two steps before the sound of a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"What are you doing here?"

Slowly Akito turned to face the source of the voice that had stopped him. Standing on the top step of the stairs leading into Tsukiomi was a woman in a patterned skirt and red jacket. Her long hair framed her figure as it flowed down to her lower back. She had a cold look in her eyes as she regarded him.

"I was just looking." Akito said calmly, turning to face the woman out of respect. He hadn't done anything wrong and felt that showing himself to be calm was the best option. Her gaze hardened.

"This is a school. You have no business being here."

"I realize that. But I couldn't help myself. My curiosity got the best of me. I was just leaving."

Kirie watched Akito critically, judging the sincerity of his answer. She sighed heavily. All she had wanted was a few moments of peace in the fresh air and now she had this to deal with. She frowned as she looked at him.

"What's your name?"

"Akito Soichi." Again she took a moment to watch him. There didn't seem to be a reason why a young man would have come to the campus and not entered more than twenty feet onto the grounds if he was intending to do something.

"Why did you come here, Soichi?"

"I was just passing by and got curious about the campus. I never attended a big school like this." Akito answered honestly.

"Are you a stranger to this area?"

"Yes and no." Silence fell between them once more. Something about Akito's answer left Kirie disbelieving. She looked him up and down as he waited patiently for her to speak. Then she saw it. As she stood over him, a gust of wind picked up and he moved to brush some stray strands of hair from his forehead. It was then that the slender silver ring on his left hand caught her eye. Her frown deepened in recognition. Akito saw the change and looked at her curiously.

"Is something the matter?"

"You're one of Sai's boys, aren't you?" The look of surprise on Akito's features confirmed her suspicions. Her eyes narrowed further. "Let's try this again, Akito. What are you doing here?"

"I already answered that. I was just looking around. There wasn't anything ill-intentioned about my actions."

"I find that hard to believe." She crossed her arms. "There's always a negative reason when a "Hunter" comes into this campus." Akito looked at the ground.

"How do you know about the "Hunters"? What's your connection?"

"I'm a representative of the "Watchers"." Akito looked up in surprise. Given her hostility he had expected her to say she was a "Saver". To find himself facing a neutral party in the fight between the "Hunters" and the Blade Children left him confused over the nature the meeting was taking.

"Then why do you care?" The question escaped his lips before he could stop it, earning himself a sneer from the older woman.

"Because this is a school. We've already had enough chaos caused here by your kind."

"That's a fair point." Akito couldn't disagree with her reason. A lot had happened at Tsukiomi in regards to the Blade Children and the "Hunters". He couldn't fault her for being cautious. His eyes fell to the ground again. "But I meant what I said earlier. I really didn't have any ill intentions coming here." Kirie didn't look convinced. Akito sighed. "I should go." He turned once more to leave but was stopped a second time when Kirie elected to speak.

"What is Sai expecting from you?" Akito glanced back again, his expression defeated.

"From me? Not a thing I don't think."

"Oh?" The genuine curiosity in her tone kept Akito rooted in place. He waited to see if she would say anything more.

Neither spoke for several minutes, yet something kept Akito from moving away again. Kirie observed this, perplexed by the action.

"Hey, Miss Watcher?" His tone was so soft she almost missed his words when he finally did speak. "Would you be willing to give me a bit more of your time?" The way he spoke gave Kirie pause and she watched him critically. He had turned to face her again, but he wouldn't meet her eye. She could see that something weighed on his mind, so begrudgingly she nodded.

"Sure."

Akito was silent as he walked next to Kirie. The two were currently making their way along one of the many different paths that laced around the Tsukiomi campus. They had elected to remain on campus since the school day had yet to conclude. It would be irresponsible for Kirie to leave so they made due and wandered the campus grounds to keep warm.

The two had been walking for five minutes before Kirie broke the silence.

"So what did you want?" Her tone was irritated and Akito focused harder on the ground, feeling guilty for having inconvenienced yet another person with his weakness. After a moment he opened his mouth to speak but seemed unable to find the words and instead continued to stare at the ground. Kirie sighed heavily and withdrew a small sucker from her coat pocket. Slipping the candy between her teeth, she returned the wrapper to her pocket and withdrew a second one. "Here." Clearly surprised, Akito's eyes trained on the small candy before looking with confusion at Kirie and tentatively taking it with his injured hand.

"Thank you." He refocused his gaze on the candy as they walked and bit his lip. After another few minutes he closed his eyes tightly in frustration and stopped. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you. I'm wasting your time when I can't even figure out what I want to say." Kirie paused and looked back at him, her hands in her pockets and her head held high.

"Currently, yes." Her posture was the exact opposite of Akito's; strong, confident, in control. Everything that Akito wasn't. His head dropped lower.

"I'm sorry." He turned quickly back in the direction of the gate where he'd entered, but a firm grasp on his arm stopped him from moving forward. He froze, his eyes widening slightly in memory of the last time he had been physically prevented from leaving somewhere. He swallowed hard. Kirie's voice snapped him back to the present.

"Spill it, kid. It's obvious you're going to self-destruct if you don't talk about what's bothering you. If it's something that's involved with this mess surrounding the Blade Children I don't have a problem listening." Akito looked back at Kirie desperately. She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Talk."

oOoOoOoOo

Kirie couldn't fathom how she had ended up walking around the courtyard of Tsukiomi with the strange "Hunter" for so long. When Akito had asked to speak with her for a few minutes she had expected maybe ten more minutes and then the man would be on his way. She hadn't imagined that they would still be talking almost an hour later. Nor could she have predicted what he had wanted to talk about.

So far he had opened up about Sai and what it was like working for him and what his belief was toward the Blade Children. He had been careful not to give away anything private about what the "Hunters" were planning, but he had been fairly open throughout the conversation. Honestly, Kirie was surprised that Akito portrayed Sai in such a kind light. The man she knew had been far less lenient when it came to differing ideals and beliefs. Still, she supposed time had softened him.

For the duration Kirie had been unsure about the reason for his sharing until he began talking more in detail about not being sure whether the Blade Children deserved to be killed or not, how Sai was giving him time to figure it out, and why for some reason he couldn't seem to.

Now the two of them sat together on one of the many benches that lined the walkways of Tsukiomi's courtyard. Akito had fallen silent some time ago, causing Kirie to watch him carefully. His gaze was fixed on the ground, eyes swimming with emotions Kirie couldn't quite make out.

"You've gotten quiet all of a sudden. What's silenced you?" She asked finally. Akito grit his teeth, his gaze still fixated on the cobbles in front of him.

"Have you ever doubted your convictions as a "Watcher"?"

"No." Kirie lied. Akito's posture sunk in defeat. "But that doesn't mean that you're wrong for doubting your position as a "Hunter"." Akito looked back and up at her, his posture bent to allow him to rest his elbows on his knees. Kirie crossed her arms, falling silent a moment as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Though it does raise the question of why you are determined to stay with the "Hunters"?" Her tone was matter of fact and Akito sat back with a sigh, running his hand over his forehead.

"I don't know. I guess it's because they all seem so certain about it." Akito paused. Kirie followed his gaze to rest on his bandaged right hand held gently in his left. She refrained from questioning for the moment.

"But you're not." Akito shook his head. Kirie turned to look straight over the campus."So how do you plan on determining what's right?" Akito allowed a ragged sigh to escape his lips.

""I don't have a clue." Kirie chewed thoughtfully on the stick of her sucker for a few moments before returning her attention to her companion.

"Is that what you're hoping I'll tell you?" Akito shook his head.

"No, I just thought that as a "Watcher" you may have a more objective opinion on this." Kirie nodded thoughtfully.

"Tell me, Akito, what made you join the "Hunters" in the first place?" Akito seemed to contemplate the answer before speaking.

"I met someone who was already part of the "Hunters" and they introduced me to Sai. He explained what the "Hunters" were and why the Blade Children needed to be eliminated. I know I wasn't there, but Sai painted a vivid picture of what happened with their progenitor. If that were to happen with all of the Blade Children there wouldn't be a lot that we could do. It makes sense to eliminate them before something happens."

"So it sounds like you agree with the beliefs of the "Hunters", then." Akito nodded. "But at the same time you don't?" Another nod. Kirie sighed. "So what's making you change your convictions?" Akito wrung his hands together.

"I made a mistake…"

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"I humanized them." Kirie nodded unconsciously,thinking back to her time with Eyes Rutherford and how it had changed her perception of the Blade Children.

"How did you do that?" Akito smiled almost spitefully, his eyes narrowing.

"I met one of them."

"And?"

"And…" Akito paused. "And it didn't go how I expected."

"That's unfortunate for you. The Blade Children are an interesting group of kids. Some of them are still rather innocent. They haven't faced combat to the same extent that others have and are still trying to live a normal life." Akito shook his head with a low laugh, prompting Kirie to look at him again.

"He wasn't an innocent one." His voice was low.

"Oh?" Kirie watched him curiously, wondering who he had encountered if not one of the numerous children at Tsukiomi who were still rather unaware of the full weight their blood carried. Surely any of the Children's main fighters wouldn't break a "Hunter's" convictions. They were far too dangerous at this point for that. Though she had been tested after meeting Eyes, so she supposed it wasn't impossible. Still, she wasn't a threat to them. Akito was.

When he didn't volunteer the information Kirie spoke again. "Then who, pray tell, did you meet?" A strangled laugh escaped Akito's lips at the question.

"Oddly enough, it was the "Savage Gun".

Kirie gaped at him, showing genuine surprise for the first time since their conversation began.

"You're joking?" Akito shook his head, focusing on the small candy still held between his fingers. Kirie sat back in disbelief, shaking her head. "Well I never expected his name to come up." She turned to look at him fully. "What happened?"

OOoOoOo

Kirie sat silently as Akito finished recounting his meeting with Kisame at the shooting range. While she had never had any direct contact with the Savage Gun, she had observed enough to know his feelings toward the "Hunters". Mercy wasn't a concept in his vocabulary unless Kanone Hilbert forced it. She would have never imagined the scenario that Akito had just described.

"I can't believe he let you live." She said thoughtfully, speaking more to herself than Akito. He nodded regardless.

"I guess I was that little of a threat to him."

"Threat or not it's not his style." Akito smiled wearily, prompting Kirie to shake her head and look out over the campus once more. "You must have the world's best luck."

"I doubt it." Kirie sighed, rising to her feet. "Well, I guess my take on all of this is that if the "Savage Gun" can make you doubt your convictions then perhaps they weren't that strong to begin with. But if you don't feel that killing the Blade Children is right, then get out now. Once you've killed one of them you can't go back. If you regret your actions as a "Hunter" later it will haunt you for the rest of your life. If humanizing the Blade Children caused you to doubt your convictions, then look at them as people and make your judgments from there." Without another word, Kirie turned and walked back toward the main building. She had already spent far too much time on this conversation and was sure to receive grief for it later. Akito watched her go before nodding slowly and rising to his feet.

"Alright then." Tucking his hands into his coat pockets, he tightened his grip on the slender candy stick still held in his palm and made his way back toward the exit.

OOoOoOo

A pair of golden eyes watched as Akito made his way quickly away from Tsukiomi, their owner not at all pleased with what he had just witnessed. Kisame currently sat by the window in one of his afternoon classes and had been able to watch the entire exchange between Kirie and Akito from the time they had made their way into the courtyard and seated themselves on the bench. The frown deepened on his features as he saw the meeting conclude and Kirie say something final to the "Hunter" before leaving. He knew from Eyes that the woman was a "Watcher" and his eyes narrowed at her involvement with a "Hunter", as well as her allowance of an outside "Hunter" onto the campus grounds.

When class was out he disregarded his next period and made his way toward the staff offices where he was sure to find his target. He arrived just as she was exiting one of the offices and caught her by surprise as he cut her off and pinned her between himself and the wall.

"What was that?" His tone carried menace and dark undertones as his gaze burned into hers. Kirie had allowed a brief verbalization of surprise when Kisame had first appeared directly in front of her, but now stood calm and glared a challenge back at him.

"That is none of your business." She didn't bother feigning ignorance. A few people peeked out of their offices to witness the strange scene and Kisame took a step back to allow a less dominating image to be shown. His gaze never left Kirie's.

"Why did you have a "Hunter" here?" Kirie sighed and stepped closer to Kisame and away from the wall.

"Get inside." She ordered, opening the office door and gesturing to the room within. "This isn't something to talk about in the hall." Kisame nodded and walked inside as Kirie waved away a few "Watchers" that had started coming forward to aid her if she needed it.

"Why did you have a "Hunter" "here"?" Kisame demanded again once they were both inside.

"That is none of your business. This is a matter concerning the "Watchers", not the Blade Children."

"Like hell it is!" Kisame slammed his hand against the nearby desk, earning a subtle flinch from Kirie. Her eyes hardened defensively.

"Why are you so aggravated? You don't even know the nature of my meeting." Her tone was accusatory and her eyes narrowed, matching the glare Kisame was sending.

"The "Hunters" don't belong here!" Kisame's tone was rising and Kirie gave him a warning glare to keep his voice down.

"Hunters" have always been here. You should know that." She challenged. Kisame grit his teeth. Kirie entertained the possibility that the "Savage Gun" may quite possibly attack her. She stood straighter, challenging him to try anything. "Whatever you're angry about has nothing to do with me or my activities inside or outside this school." Kisame took a menacing step closer to Kirie.

"I've had it with all of you! "Hunters". Watchers. It doesn't make a difference! Why can't you all just leave the Blade Children alone?"

"I've done nothing to the Blade Children."

"You had a "Hunter" here!" Kisame shouted in anger, slamming his hand against the desk top again. He took a threatening step toward her. She took a step back.

"What's wrong with you?" Kirie's tone had turned angry now. The treatment she was receiving from Kisame was so out of character from what she knew of the teen that there must be something very wrong to have aggravating him so greatly. Kisame smirked, the malice visible.

"You mean you don't know? I thought you Watchers were supposed to be on top of everything." Kirie crossed her arms.

"Clearly I don't know, or else I wouldn't be asking you. This behavior isn't like you. What happened?" Kisame turned abruptly and at first Kirie thought he was going to leave, but the heavy breathing and tense muscles in his shoulders soon showed her that he was fighting to keep himself under control. She moved so she was between him and the door. Kisame caught the movement and glared at her from the corner of his eye. She froze at the murderous look in them.

"What. Was. That. "Hunter"! Doing. Here?" He emphasized each word, his voice low and restrained. "Answer me Now!" In one quick motion he turned on her, forcing her to stumble back until she felt the door behind her. Kisame's hand impacted the door a moment later, cutting off her access to the exit.

"It has nothing to do with you! What the Watchers do doesn't concern you!" By this time Kirie's tone had grown louder as well and Kisame knew it was only a matter of time before someone came to make sure she was alright. He didn't move, his gaze burning into her.

"Anything the "Hunters" do concerns me! They almost killed one of us last night!" All anger fell from Kirie's face in an instant and she looked up into Kisame's angry eyes.

"What? What happened? Who got hurt?" It wasn't clear if the change in demeanor was from surprise or concern but Kisame forced his anger down and stepped back.

"It was Ryoko."

"Her? But she's harmless. What happened?"

"According to Eyes a group of "Hunters" ambushed several of the Blade Children and drove them to the docks. Then they shot her in the chest."

"Is she okay?" It was clear now that the questioning was out of concern and not mere curiosity. The Watcher had forgotten herself. Kisame calmed.

"We won't know for a while. I heard about it from Kanone and he was told by Eyes who didn't have much information to share. Apparently Ryoko was still in surgery at the time and Kousuke and Rio weren't very reliable for information at that point." By this point Kisame's demeanor had returned to normal and Kirie's had turned to one of a concerned third party. Kisame made eye contact again.

"So I need to know. Why was that "Hunter" here?" Kirie sighed.

"He needed to talk."

"About what?"

"You, actually." Kisame's eyes widened in confusion. Kirie crossed her arms. "Apparently you made quite an impression on him during whatever meeting you two had. I don't know exactly what's going on with that "Hunter", but I can guarantee that he wasn't involved in the attack that hurt Takamachi." Her tone was calm again. She was back in control. Her lapse was over. She effectively was playing Watcher once more. Kisame sighed, pushing past Kirie to gain access to the door.

"Fine. But if I find out you're lying to me, I won't hesitate to come back for you." Without waiting for a response he exited the office, slamming the door behind him.

OOoOoOoOo

School was weird for Asura. After having to deal with the Blade Children the previous day, he now had Shinu tagging along with him. The friendly teen had tracked him down before his first class and had spent the majority of the day at his side despite Asura's best efforts to shrug him off.

To add to the abnormality of the day, the Blade Children seemed surprisingly distracted. Izo and Kanone seemed to be on better terms for the time being and Kisame seemed to be flying solo. The other members of their little group seemed to be absent that day as well and there was a general tension around the remaining members. Asura had mentioned it to Shinu, having nothing better to talk to the teen about, and the green eyed teen had agreed to the abnormality.

The two now sat together during the lunch hour, eating their food and discussing their one point of conversation: their classmates.

"Did you notice that half their group isn't here today?"

"Yeah." Shinu gave a quick nod. "I don't know about the others, but I heard that Asazuki is out sick. Apparently Izo brought a slip in for him excusing his absence."

"Kinda weird that their whole group would be out at the same time, though." Asura commented. Shinu shrugged, stealing a bit of food from Asura and gaining a glare for his efforts.

"Not necessarily. I mean, those three hang out all the time. It's possible they all came down with the same thing." Asura nodded slowly, not really convinced. "It's also possible that the other two are ditching for some reason. It's not unheard of."

"That doesn't explain the weird behavior of the others, though. They all seem agitated.

"You could always ask them."

"No thanks." Shinu chuckled.

"In other news, apparently the famous pianist Eyes Rutherford is taking some time off. He released a statement about two months ago saying that he was taking some time away from the music world and would be back at some point in the future." Asura shrugged disinterestedly.

"Did he? No real loss there." Shinu laughed.

"That's harsh."

"I'm not a fan of his performance. I'd rather listen to piano as part of a symphonic performance."

"My man!" Shinu grinned widely and threw his arm over Asura's shoulder, catching him off guard and nearly knocking him over.

"What the heck?" Asura glared at him with a mixture of confusion and irritation, pushing him off and looking at him like he was crazy. Shinu shrugged, going back to his lunch innocently as if nothing had just happened.

"Oh nothing. You just have good taste in music." He said dismissively, the smirk breaking the act. Asura shook his head.

"You're insane."

"And proud of it."

OOoOoOoOo

"So when are we going to act?" Naoki stood leaning against the wall near the window, looking at Yan and several other "Hunters". "You said you were moving the date because of Akito. So when's it going to be?" The other "Hunters" in the room turned to Yan as well. They had all gathered together to discuss the details surrounding the upcoming attack on the Blade Children and all had been settled except for the date. The others had been content to wait until Yan contacted them, but now that Naoki had posed the question aloud they were all curious to find out the answer.

Yan looked up from the pile of documents she had spread out on the table in front of her. Her gaze locked on to Naoki's and he held it. They stood glaring at one another, daring the other to back down. After several minutes Naoki spoke, never breaking his gaze away from hers.

"Well?" Yan's frown deepened, though her eyes showed no emotion to suggest her irritation. She held Naoki's gaze as she answered.

"One week."