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.

A/N: Hey all,

Sorry this chapter is a few days late. It required a lot more editing than I initially thought. I know that it's probably one of the slower chapters in this story, but I promise that the action picks up in the next chapter. Thank you all for being patient with me and I hope that everyone was able to see my message on my profile explaining why the chapter was going to be late. I will try to have the next chapter out on time this month. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter of "Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You".

Your grateful author,

Spiral of Destiny

That afternoon Kirie made her way to the hospital. After her confrontation with Kisame she had called Eyes, something she hadn't done in over a year, to gain more information on what had happened. Eyes hadn't shared much, but he trusted Kirie enough to share what he could. It wasn't that he was withholding information. It was just that he didn't know much about what had occurred.

Upon hearing Kirie's desire to check on Ryoko and the others Eyes had offered to accompany her. She had declined his offer, but thanked him for his willingness. As she had expected, the performer made no attempt to change her mind and simply took her refusal as the end of the matter. Now Kirie stood alone before the main desk in the hospital as she waited for the receptionist to locate the information she needed. As a Watcher, she had connections with the ability to allow her access to the Childrens' medical records if needed, but her visit was more one of curiosity than a search for information so she settled for a brief visit with those injured by the "Hunter" attack.

When the receptionist finally gave her the location of each child she headed deeper into the hospital. Her first stop was Ryoko. According to the attending nurse the young girl had yet to awaken following her surgery and her prognosis was still uncertain. Kirie stood beside the bed for a few moments looking at the peaceful face concealing internal and external pain behind a mask of sleep. Watching her sleep, there would be no reason to think that the girl lying in the bed was any different from anyone else. Out of all the Blade Children she was closest to being normal. Kirie shook her head. It was a shame she had to be the one to get injured. Without a word she turned and left the room.

She made her way to see Rio and Kousuke next. The two were set to be released from the hospital within the hour, but Kirie wanted a chance to ascertain what sort of damage they had sustained before that happened. As she walked into the room she found Rio sitting cross-legged in the center of the bed nearest the window and Kousuke sitting on the edge near the bottom of the same bed. They were dressed and looked ready to leave as soon as they were allowed to and turned to look when Kirie entered.

"Who are you?" Kousuke felt that Kirie looked familiar, but couldn't place where he had seen her.

"I'm a representative of the Watchers." Both teens looked surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Rio's eyes silently asked the same question.

"Just observing." They frowned. "How are you two doing? Rutherford said you were being discharged today."

"Rutherford did?" Both looked confused at the statement, though Rio had yet to vocalize any sort of comment during the conversation. Kirie nodded.

"Yes. We spoke before I came."

"How do you know Eyes?" Rio asked, also unable to place who Kirie was.

"Rutherford and I were in contact last year during the Kanone Hilbert incident." Kirie explained, knowing she had spent very little time with the Blade Children during that time and had focused her attention on Eyes and Ayumu Narumi instead. Rio and Kousuke nodded in recognition.

"So what did you want?" It was Kousuke who spoke again.

"I only came to check on the three of you. It is the duty of the Watchers to keep tabs on the activities of the Blade Children." Kousuke's expression soured.

"I'm sure it is." He said sarcastically. "Well, now you've seen us."

"Indeed I have." Kirie replied calmly. "Which means I'll be going. Give my regards to Takamachi when she wakes up." With a dismissive wave she turned and left the room, ignoring the confused looks following her.

Once back in the hall she made her way toward the exit but stopped halfway. She hadn't expected anything different from the interaction, as the Blade Children didn't know her and therefore had no reason to trust her. The main reason she'd come was to determine whether their spirits were broken by the latest setback. She wasn't sure about Takeuchi. She still appeared to be in shock by the whole event, but Asazuki seemed ready for a fight. That was good. He'd need to be ready if what Akito had said was coming was true. She sighed and took a few steps forward before an unexpected voice rooted her feet to the floor.

"They really are quite extraordinary children, aren't they?" Kirie spun around to face the man who had come up behind her. There, standing roughly six feet off and staring down the hallway in the direction she'd just come stood a man with long hair and amused gray eyes.

"Kiyotaka Narumi!?" Kirie couldn't believe that the elusive man was stood before her. She felt her irritation mounting. Kiyotaka smirked and looked knowingly at her.

"Now now, Kirie. You can't possibly be that surprised to see me."

"How could I not be? You disappear for months with no contact all the time." The entire situation felt surreal. Kiyotaka chuckled.

"Well I couldn't very well stay away when the game is moving like this."

"Did something go awry with all your planning?" Kirie crossed her arms.

"Of course not." Kirie grit her teeth at the arrogance behind the words. "Everything is going exactly as it should." He stepped closer to Kirie, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've told you before. No one, not those Children or anyone else, can defy fate. They will all dance the way they were meant to." Kirie shuddered and stepped back away from Kiyotaka's touch. This earned her a smirk from the taller man and she scowled.

"What could you possibly want from these kids anymore? Wasn't your whole point of using them for the purpose of making that little brother of yours mature? That's not really important now that he's opted to have nothing to do with the Blade Children." Kiyotaka's smirk widened, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"My dear Watcher. I have many ways of using those children. Though that is not really your concern, my impartial observer." He emphasized the last words with a mocking tone. Kirie glared at him, stepping forward in challenge.

"Don't patronize me, Kiyotaka!"

"I've done no such thing." He didn't even attempt to hide his amusement. Kirie glowered at him.

"Just leave those poor kids out of your sick, twisted games. Heaven knows they've gone through enough already." She turned to dismiss Kiyotaka, but stopped when she heard him chuckle.

"Those children will dance for as long as they need to; and those who are meant to die will die." Kirie turned on him again, ready to rebuke his statement, but he cut her off, the knowing look he cast silencing her. "No one can escape fate." Kiyotaka turned his back on her this time. "Not even me." He said softly under his breath. "Good day, miss Watcher." The cockiness was back in his tone and she glared at his retreating form before turning, angry, and making her way out of the hospital.

oOoOoOoOo

A week passed following the attack on the Blade Children. After her meeting with Kiyotaka, Kirie had quickly called Eyes and warned him of the impending attack from Sai's "Hunters". Though she didn't know the time when the attack would occur, she still wanted to give the heads up that an attack was imminent. Hearing Kiyotaka speak about the Blade Children, Kirie didn't care if it went against her position as a Watcher. She at least wanted to give those children a fighting chance. She didn't know if the Blade Children should be destroyed or if their curse would eventually awaken and at this point she didn't care. All that mattered was that Kiyotaka Narumi didn't get his way after meddling with so many different lives.

Since receiving the news the Blade Children had been on edge, ready for an attack at any time. Ryoko was still in the hospital, but Kirie had arranged for her to be moved to one that was controlled largely by members of the Watchers and was keeping Eyes informed. For the time being she was safe. This gave Eyes and the rest the freedom to focus on the upcoming attack without worrying that Ryoko would be ambushed while she was unguarded. Still, just to be safe they had armed Hiroshume with a stun gun and sent him to stay with her while she was in the hospital. Now awake, neither Ryoko nor Hiroshume were pleased with the arrangement, but they acquiesced because of the validity of the concern.

Eyes and Kanone had also seemed to make up during the week following the attack. While their relationship wasn't back to the way it had been in their youth, they were at least able to work with one another and, for the most part, confide in one another again. Kisame had taken it upon himself to keep a close eye on Kousuke and Rio. The two had healed considerably since the first attack, but they were understandably distracted by the loss of one of their own, so Kisame stuck close to make sure no more accidents occurred. Everyone was apprehensive.

It was this apprehension that found the Blade Children gathered in Kanone's apartment on a dreary Friday evening. They had collectively decided to skip the latter half of the school day in order to complete preparations against the "Hunters". Directly after they had received warning from Kirie they had taken precautions and armed themselves fully for battle. But as the week went on and no attacks came, they grew restless and continued to add armaments to their supply in case they would have need of them. Kanone had been watching this occur and it was for this reason that he had summoned all of them together. The paranoia was growing too strong and it needed to be culled or risk making them an easier target for the "Hunters."

Everyone was silent as they gathered into the small living area of the apartment. No one spoke and the air hung heavy around them. Rio and Kousuke appeared to be the most affected. Kanone looked over the faces of each member as they took their seats around the room. He held eye contact with Eyes first and then Kisame before sighing and rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully.

"Thank you all for coming." He began hesitantly. Rio looked up at him dully and Kousuke didn't respond at all. He sighed again, clasping his fingers together loosely between his knees. He could feel Eyes' and Kisame's gaze on him. His grip tightened lightly. "I know we came here to go over the weapons we're carrying, but I think there are some other matters we need to attend to first." This earned Kousuke's attention as well. A reassuring look from Eyes told Kanone he was doing the right thing. He continued. "We've never discussed what happened with Ryoko and it seems to still be weighing on everyone's mind." Kousuke's gaze fell again, redirected to the small window to his left. It was obvious he didn't care for the chosen topic. "However, we can't afford to be distracted at a time like this."

"Easy for you to say. You weren't there!" Kousuke's tone was low and hostile, his glare focused on the window. Kisame moved to say something, but Kanone shook his head, silencing him.

"That's true, I wasn't there. But I have been in situations like this in the past. So I understand…"

"No you don't! You don't get it at all!" He turned his glare on Kanone.

"Kousuke…" Rio's voice was filled with worry, trying to calm the red haired teen before he said something he'd regret later. Kousuke ignored her.

"There's no way you could understand! You're the "Gun with Wings"! The untouchable monster of the "Blade Children"! You've never been forced into a corner where you can only see death. You're not like the rest of us! And you certainly never had to watch someone you care about almost die!" Kousuke was screaming by this point, and it was clear that his words were affecting Kanone. Eyes moved to interrupt but again Kanone silenced him. This was what he wanted. It was important for Kousuke to get whatever he was holding back off his chest. If that came with a personal attack against him, then so be it. He pressed further, careful to keep his own emotions in check.

"I am not invincible." He tried. "And I have been backed into a corner where all I could see was death. I just…" Kanone bit back his next words, having said too much already. The look Eyes gave him showed that he knew what Kanone had almost said. The lack of judgment he saw there was appreciated. He sighed, recomposing himself, and tried again. "I just don't want anyone else to get hurt." His gaze met the floor and Kousuke's did the same. Silence encompassed the room until Eyes spoke.

"The past isn't something that we can change." His eyes met Kanone's. "Any of us. But it is something that needs to be dealt with if we hope to have any chance of moving forward." He looked to Kousuke. "It is understandable that you need time to process all of this, but until you make peace with what's happened it will not get any easier. It will continue to haunt you and draw your focus from the present where it is needed now." Kousuke's focus remained on the floor.

"I know…" He mumbled. Rio placed her hand comfortingly on Kousuke's back as Eyes continued.

"You two went through it together. So take some time to process. If Ryoko is up to it, include her as well. You all need time to heal, but time is a luxury we don't have right now." Kousuke's fists tightened. "However, if this next fight is not something that you feel you can take part in, then none of us will force you." All eyes turned to the pianist in confusion. Eyes disregarded the unspoken questions and continued. "We have some manner of control within this game. The "Hunters" do not decide all of the moves. If the two of you need time, then take it. Join Ryoko at the hospital and stay with her whenever you are not with us. The "Hunters are not foolish. It is unlikely that they would attack in such a place." Rio and Kousuke looked at one another. Kisame and Kanone maintained their focus on Eyes. "The situation is dire, but not one that we can't control. But whatever you decide, please let the rest of us know as soon as possible so that we can determine how to move forward." Kousuke's eyes fell to the ground again, his hands wringing together in thought.

"Kousuke?" Rio watched him, unwilling to speak her thoughts until she knew Kousuke's intention. She watched his jaw clench.

"Yeah, I know." He sighed heavily, moving to rest his hands on his knees and leaning back. He turned his gaze to Eyes, a grim determination on his features. "I'm not going to back down now. I'm not going to run from this fight." Rio nodded in agreement. Everyone turned their attention to Kanone, who sighed and looked at his hands, feeling it was safe now to move forward.

"I appreciate your devotion to the rest of the Blade Children. But if anything changes that makes this too difficult for you, please let one of us know. No one is in this fight alone." The others nodded and Kanone took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair before slapping his hands down lightly on his knees. "Alright. Let's go over what armaments everyone is carrying right now."

It took nearly an hour to go through everything. After talking about the current contents of each person's bag and discussing why and where changes should be made, Kousuke ended up cutting his supplies in half, with allowance for two different magazine types and a spare hand-gun. He also kept two small knives and a larger switch-blade for close combat. Kisame's supply required no alteration, containing a semi-automatic weapon, two pistols, and three extended magazines for each weapon, as well as a single grenade and six small knives. Unlike Kisame, Kanone decided not to arm Kousuke with explosives, as the teen was reckless and not very skilled in their use.

For Rio it was decided to arm her with a semi-automatic weapon and a handgun, as well as two extra magazines for the semi-auto and a single extra for the pistol beyond Kisame's preset amount for each bag. She was also armed with two grenades and a single knife for emergencies, since she wasn't skilled in close combat. Eyes had actually needed to be supplied with additional arms, since he had come with only a hand gun and four extra extended magazines. He wasn't a fan of the semi-automatic weapons, but Kanone convinced him to take one, along with three magazines for it. He was also given two knives to use in emergency, though Kanone stressed not being reckless with them. Despite his training Eyes still wasn't very good at hitting a moving target, although his skills with hitting a stationary one were spot on.

The others had asked if Kanone would be using the P 90 that he'd used previously against them, but he denied, saying that it was too difficult to conceal. Instead he had opted for a weapon of smaller size, similar to the ones used by the rest of the Blade Children. In addition to the rest of their weapons, Kanone had also provided each of them with a stun gun for emergencies. They were to keep it on their person at all times. Even Kisame took one to show the importance.

When the meeting finally concluded the group left the apartment and headed onto the street. After what happened with Ryoko, Kisame and Kanone weren't taking any more chances and made sure to walk each member home each night. Even Eyes wasn't exempt from their escort.

But on this night the atmosphere felt tense. Something just felt off. Kanone exchanged a look first with Kisame and then with Eyes. It was obvious they felt it too. Even Rio and Kousuke seemed on edge and Kanone was grateful they had dealt with the matter of the upcoming fight earlier.

"Do you think it's time?" Kanone verbalized softly. The others nodded subtly. "Where should we do it?" Kisame frowed.

"Follow me."

From several feet off, a group of "Hunters" observed the action.

"Are we going to follow them?" Naoki asked with a smirk. Yan's eyes were focused ahead, black as night.

"Of course."