A/N: Hey all,

I am sorry for failing to post last month. The chapter wasn't ready by the 28th, but I intended to publish within a few days of that. However, I ended up getting sick, having two papers, two presentations, and finals to contend with offline, plus orders for a side business that took up the bulk of December. I am going to try and be better about regular publication from now on, though I can't make any promises. To make up for last month, I will be publishing two chapters today, December 28th, for your enjoyment. I will release Chapter 30 first and follow up shortly with Chapter 31, as there is a small scene that still needs altering. I hope that everyone enjoys this and the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who supports this story and a special thanks to Kitty, who was kind enough to review my last chapter. I will see you all soon in the next chapter.

Enjoy,

Spiral of Destiny

Kisame led the Blade Children out of the busiest part of the city and into a more industrial area. All around them warehouses rose high into the sky, making their surroundings feel remarkably closed in. The sound of machinery and large vehicles made it hard to hear and completely eliminated the sounds of their footfalls as they walked.

"This seems like we'll be at a disadvantage here." Kousuke yelled to Kisame. The older teen didn't reply. By this time they could see the "Hunters" following behind them. They made no attempt to hide and the Blade Children made no attempts to lose them. Both sides knew the battle was inevitable. If one party knew of a place to fight where they wouldn't be caught, then all the better.

Kisame led them to a large warehouse that appeared considerably more worn down than the rest. The doors were blocked to prevent curious passersby from entering and the roof looked as though it had seen better days.

"What is this place?" Rio asked, stopping in front of the door and glancing uneasily behind them. The "Hunters" had disappeared, causing her to step closer to Kisame unconsciously.

"Empty." Was all Kisame said. With a strong kick Kisame broke the rotten boards holding the rusted doors shut and they creaked open loudly. At the opposite end it could be seen that another door was pried partly open. Kanone frowned.

"They're inside." Kanone cautioned. Kisame nodded.

"Are we really going to go in there?" Kousuke asked, looking at Kisame like he was crazy.

"We are." Kisame said, looking at Kanone. "The rest of you will follow when you hear shots stop." Without waiting for a response or protest, Kanone widened the opening enough to pass through and the two "Guns" disappeared inside. Immediately the sounds of shots began and Rio covered her ears against it. Eyes placed his arm protectively around her shoulderand turned to watched behind them in case of ambush. Kousuke moved closer to the opening, ready to enter when it was time.

Nearly five minutes passed before the sounds of gunfire halted. Gritting his teeth, Kousuke slipped through the doorway and into the building. Eyes and Rio followed close behind. Almost immediately they spotted Kisame and Kanone standing concealed behind opposing metal support columns. They fired into the far end of the warehouse when Kousuke and the others entered in order to distract the "Hunters" and keep their attention. Eyes broke to the left to take Kanone's place and Rio and Kousuke settled down behind some stacks of discarded materials.

"You ready for this?" Kousuke asked, looking back at Rio. Her eyes were focused and her face was serious. All traces of fear were gone.

"Yeah."

As if on cue, the sound of gunshots sounded again. Once Eyes had come to take his place, Kanone had made his way to the second floor balcony of the warehouse and had opened fire when he located a nest of "Hunters".

"Let's go!" Kousuke stated as he moved from behind the pile to engage the "Hunters". Around him the others did the same.

OOoOoOoOo

Ten minutes later saw the warehouse and its contents littered with bullet holes. So far the Blade Children had managed to avoid any life threatening injuries, but they were a bit worse for wear from dodging into and brushing against the various objects in the warehouse. Throughout the course of the fight Kisame had been growing more irritated by how long things were taking to conclude, so when the "Hunters" ceased their fire for a moment Kisame sounded the charge.

"Flush them out!" On command, Kanone leaned over the railing where he'd been perched and fired down into the pile of debris where the "Hunters" were currently hiding. People scattered. Several went down in the chaos, as the Blade Children took the opportunity to snipe from their positions around the building. Both Yan and Naoki made it safely to cover, concealing themselves behind a pile of discarded pallets.

"Can we stop stalling now and actually fight!?" Naoki had his back pressed to the pile, his gun raised and pointed toward the ceiling. Yan stood looking at her watch. After a moment she nodded. Naoki didn't wait for her to change her mind. Locating Kousuke and Rio, he moved from his hiding place and opened fire on them. The two Blade Children managed to get out of the way, but a hiss of pain told Naoki that he hadn't missed completely. He smirked. He closed as much distance as possible between himself and the retreating Blade Children before being forced behind another barrier to avoid getting shot by Kisame. Kanone was still effectively guarding the upper level, so the bulk of the combat was restricted to the first level. This put the "Hunters" at a disadvantage, but the sound of grinding metal as the doors were forced open caused Naoki to like their odds regardless.

The sound caught the attention of the Blade Children as well, giving them seconds to run for cover before a second round of "Hunters" entered into the fray from somewhere outside.

"What's going on?" Kousuke demanded as he and Rio came to a halt behind Kisame. The older teen fired several shots into the new group before responding.

"They expected this!" He hissed.

"Stay focused!" Kanone cautioned from above as he moved to snipe at a few "Hunters" before diving for cover as shots were reciprocated.

"What do we do, Kisame?" Rio asked, her eyes calmer than Kisame had expected. She had her hand pressed tightly over her right shoulder as she spoke and blood could be seen soaking into her glove.

"Keep them scattered. If they continually have to change focus it'll give us an opportunity to take them out."

"Are we killing them, then?" Kousuke questioned. Kisame sent a quick glare up toward where Kanone was once again drawing their fire. He grit his teeth.

"Not if you can help it…" The words tasted sour on his tongue, but he allowed Kanone's idea of kindness for the moment. The others nodded before breaking away and rejoining the fight.

Meanwhile the "Hunters" seemed to be rather occupied with dealing with Kanone and Eyes. The performer took every opening that Kanone provided to injure the "Hunters". Even if his shots didn't always find purchase, they were enough to keep the "Hunters" moving and distracted from Rio and Kousuke. He was just changing out his magazine as Kisame joined him.

"Keep their attention. We need to hold the attention of all the "Hunters" now. It's up to Rio and Kousuke to eliminate them." Eyes glanced back at Kisame from the corner of his eye before nodding and moving to a new location.

By this time Naoki had spotted the performer and was making his way toward him. When Eyes moved to relocate he opened fire and received a volley of retaliation from Kanone for his efforts. He smirked. Although he hadn't had the pleasure of fighting against the Blade Children before, he had done several tours in the military and had always loved the thrill of a close quarters battle. The Blade Children certainly weren't disappointing. He dropped low as the whistle of a bullet grazed by his head and he turned to see the very ends of white hair disappear behind another pile of debris. His grin widened.

"Alright then." He noted the positions of the other Blade Children before following in pursuit.

Another fifteen minutes passed before the fight again slowed. The "Hunters" had incurred heavy losses, with two dead and another twelve injured. Still remaining were seven "Hunters" plus Naoki and Yan.

The Blade Children had also taken some damage, with Rio sporting an injured arm and a graze to her lower left leg as well as a host of scrapes and bruises.

Kousuke had taken a clean shot to the side of his upper leg, leaving a shallow, painful wound but nothing that would impair his fighting in the future. His hand was also bleeding and he had managed to get close enough to a "Hunter" to stab him but had received a sharp pistol whip to the head during the scuffle. Kisame had been grazed by a bullet over his collarbone, but he barely seemed to register the injury. Kanone had taken a shot to the leg from a lucky "Hunter". Eyes had manged to avoid any direct injuries, but had gained his fair share of cuts and bruises from having to dodge close encounters with "Hunters". All were feeling the fatigue associated from the long battle. Both parties now stood concealed on opposite sides of the warehouse, assessing the situation and determining the next move.

"Well this didn't go to plan." Naoki commented, looking across the warehouse.

"Not true." He glanced back at Yan skeptically.

"So what now?"

"Fall back. It's enough for now."

"And the injured?"

"Leave first."

"And the dead?"

"We're taking them." Naoki nodded before looking back at the group of able and injured "Hunters" awaiting orders.

"Start the retreat. Help those who can't walk." The others nodded and began ushering the wounded out. Those still strong enough to fight waited until the others had exited before moving toward the doors. Naoki looked back at Yan. "You never intended for this to be a victory for us, did you?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"Preparation."

"What does that mean?" Yan didn't answer him. Instead she turned and she moved out from behind the barrier and ushered Naoki to follow. Two more shots were fired in the direction of the Blade Children before she, Naoki, and the rest of the "Hunters" retreated out of the door.

The Blade Children watched as the "Hunters" left, clearly intending to show them that the conflict was over. Kisame frowned at the obvious action. He turned from the doorway at the sound of Kanone making his way down from the second level. He was limping and Eyes moved quickly to help support him.

"How bad?" Kisame questioned.

"Not bad." Kisame knelt down to assess the damage. The wound was shallow, having only grazed him. It would hurt for a while, but Kisame had no doubt that Kanone could cope.

"So what now?" Kousuke asked, his back turned to the group so that he could keep an eye on the door nearest them. Rio faced the other. "The "Hunters" clearly wanted us to know they were ending this fight." Rio glanced back at the older teens.

"What do you think? Should we stay here or go?" Kisame was silent for a moment before looking at Kanone.

"Stay with the others." He motioned to Eyes, who released Kanone to lean against one of the roof supports. Together, the performer and the "Savage Gun" slipped out of the building. Several minutes passed with no sounds other than the clangs and machine noise of the industrial work being conducted outside. No one dared to speak. Rio and Kousuke kept their guns trained on the doors and waited.

Only when Eyes and Kisame had returned to stand beside them did they lower their weapons a bit and shift their focus.

"The area is clear." Kisame confirmed. Eyes nodded in agreement. Rio lowered her gun and Kousuke sunk to the floor.

"Well what was the point of all that?" His tone was exasperated, his body language signaling exhaustion. "Why'd they attack us if they were just going to retreat in the middle of everything?" Kanone looked at Kisame.

"What do you think? This whole affair felt awfully staged to even let us decide on the location of the battle." Kisame nodded.

"So what does that mean?" Kousuke looked back at the two "Guns".

"It means that this attack was just for show." Kisame spit the words bitterly. The others watched them, waiting for clarification. Eyes' gaze narrowed in understanding.

"The "Hunters" weren't trying to kill us tonight." Kanone began. Rio and Kousuke looked confused. "Only to weaken us. They wanted to test our strength and showcase a bit of their own as well." Kisame tsked, turning toward the door.

"Those "Hunters" are fools if they think we'll just stand by and do whatever they want." The others looked at the ground. "Come on! Let's get out of here." Eyes helped Kousuke to his feet before they followed Kisame out into the waning sunlight.

The Blade Children had barely made it away from the industrial area before the renewed quiet of the evening was interrupted by the harsh beeping of a cellphone.

"What is it now?" Kisame grumbled as he pulled the offensive object from his pocket. His gaze hardened as he noted the number. "It's the hacker." He quickly answered and waited for Hiroshume to speak.

"Is this a bad time?"

"That will depend entirely on why you're calling."

"Something's off here."

"Are you at the hospital?"

"Yeah."

"What's happening?"

"It's gotten extremely quiet all of a sudden and I keep seeing people going by the room and looking in. I've never seen any of them before and they just don't feel right. I figured I should at least let you know, even if I'm wrong and it's nothing."

"I'm glad you did. I'll head there now."

"I'll wait for you, then." Kisame nodded and ended the call.

"What's going on? Is something happening with Ryoko?" Kousuke asked, concerned.

"I don't know yet. I'm going to find that out now. The hacker said something's off at the hospital."

"I'll go with you." Kousuke volunteered hurriedly. Kisame shook his head.

"No, you've been through enough tonight. Go with Eyes and Rio. Make sure they get home safe."

"Given what we've faced tonight, you shouldn't go alone." Eyes spoke for the first time. Kisame turned to him. Eyes looked to Kanone. "Go with him. If it's the same "Hunters" we'll want as much strength as we can." Kanone frowned.

"But what about the rest of you?"

"We'll be fine. Until we hear from you I'll keep everyone together at my apartment." Kanone seemed unsure, but reluctantly nodded.

"Alright Eyes. Just be careful." Eyes nodded, locking his gaze with Kanone before the two "Guns" turned and headed quickly in the direction of the hospital. Kousuke began following after them but Eyes grabbed his arm to stop him.

"They can handle it. Right now you're more valuable to us here." Kousuke stared after the two retreating teens a moment longer before reluctantly turning back to Eyes and Rio. The performer smiled sympathetically. "Let's head back."

OOoOoOoOo

"So you never intended for us to actually get anywhere tonight?" Naoki was lazing back in a slender, straight-backed chair, his feet propped on the coffee table. Yan stood in the kitchen making tea.

"No."

"Then what was the point?"

"Already said."

"Sure. It was a crap answer then too." He hung his head over the back of the chair so he was looking upside down at Yan. "So we're just supposed to wait on the others to finish things?"

"Correct."

"And you wouldn't let me go with because…?"

"Unnecessary." Naoki sighed with a smirk, closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're certainly a piece of work, Yan. I'll say that much." Behind him the sound of teacups tinkling together continued.

OOoOoOoOo

Eyes ran behind Rio and Kousuke as the sound of footfalls echoed heavily down the street.

"Come on!" Kousuke exclaimed. "How many times are they going to attack us in one night?"

"More than they already have!" Rio's voice was strong and annoyed as she turned and fired a shot back toward their pursuers. In addition to their real weapons, each Blade Child had armed themselves with modified air guns. While not lethal, they at least slowed the "Hunters" down a bit and could be used in places where real guns would be too loud.

"This is not the time." Eyes cautioned as he directed them off the main street and down a side path. The streets were not well populated at the current hour, but it was enough to cause them difficulty when maneuvering.

"How many are there this time?" Kousuke asked, looking back.

"Three are all I can see." Rio answered.

"Then let's just kill them. We're not even outnumbered. Why are we running?" His leg was throbbing and he was having difficulty maintaining the pace.

"We can't attack them here." Eyes spoke as they exited the side street and headed toward a small shopping district.

"Then what do you propose we do, Rutherford?" Kousuke's tone had turned irritated.

"Get away if at all possible." Behind them the footfalls were getting closer. The Blade Children were exhausted and worn out from the earlier fight and their stamina was waning.

"I don't think that's going to be an option, Eyes." Rio looked up at the performer. He knew she was right.

"Very well." He once again turned their small group and led them between two buildings in order to reach the alley running behind it. As they rounded the corner he slipped to the left and Rio and Kousuke moved to the right. All three pressed themselves against the walls of the buildings and waited for the "Hunters" to emerge. When they did Kousuke and Rio fired into them with the modified air guns. Kousuke landed a lucky shot and hit the man in the eyes, dropping him to the ground. The other one Rio dropped with a less than sportsman-like shot between his legs. Eyes took a shot at the last remaining "Hunter", but the man avoided the shot and dove at Eyes. With nowhere to go, Eyes was forced to press himself as hard against the wall as he could and wait for the "Hunter's" knife to pierce his skin. A foot before the blade made contact a pop sounded and the "Hunter" convulsed and collapsed to the ground.

Eyes stood stunned for a moment, staring in shock at the man lying before him. From the back of his head bloomed a deep red stream of blood. It was only after a few moments that the sound of footsteps registered over the moans of the other two "Hunters".

Looking in the direction of the noise, the gaze of all three Blade Children fell on the form of a young male with lighter tawny hair and vivid green eyes. He was smiling pleasantly as he approached them and he cast them a light wave before halting in front of the Blade Children and "Hunters". With the same smile holding on his face, he slipped a slender gun brandishing a silencer and shot smoothly into both men. The bodies fell limp on the ground.

Once they'd stopped moving, the teen looked up and turned to face the three shocked Blade Children.

"Are you three alright? You looked like you needed some help." His smile was friendly, but his eyes held something that was unsettling. He stood patiently, waiting for an answer.

"Wh…why did you do that?" It was Rio that found her voice first.

"Because he would have stabbed Izo if I didn't." The others' eyes widened in surprise at the name.

"And the others?" Rio ignored the name usage for the moment.

"Loose ends. It's not like I killed them or anything." All three looked down at the bodies at his feet. They lay limp and appeared by all accounts to be dead. However, to prove his point, the teen gave each a stout kick and a low moan rose from each. "See?" He returned the now cooled gun to his coat pocket and stepped closer to Eyes. The performer was still pressed against the wall, too surprised by the recent events to think of moving. The teen knelt down beside the one fallen "Hunter" and gently slipped the ring from his finger. Kousuke and Rio watched him curiously.

It was only when he had again straightened and turned his back on Eyes that the performer spoke.

"Who are you? If you know my name I assume you're a student at Tsukiomi?"

"That's right." The teen cast a sidelong glance back at Eyes. "I know you're really Eyes Rutherford too." His pleasant smile turned into an amused smirk as the sound of guns clicked, Rio and Kousuke having trained their weapons on him.

"Who are you?" Kousuke demanded, his gaze hostile. The boy turned to face the red haired teen.

"Shinu Hachima. I am a Tsukiomi academy second year and am sixteen years old. Oh, and I'm also a Blade Child." He couldn't stifle a laugh at the look of shock on the faces of the other Blade Children.

"I've never heard of you before." Kousuke growled, regaining composure.

"You haven't heard of a lot of things. Do you honestly think you know who every Blade Child in Japan is?" Kousuke glared at him.

"Why should we believe you? How do we know you're actually a Blade Child?" Rio's voice was as cold as Kousuke's. Shinu turned to her with a mix of kindness and mischief in his eyes. He unbuttoned his coat and held the left side open.

"You're welcome to check my ribs. I promise you I'm missing one." His eyes narrowed in amusement as Rio and Kousuke exchanged a look before Kousuke lowered his gun and approached Shinu.

"Arms up." He ordered as he pushed Shinu back against the opposite side of the alley. Shinu complied with a smirk, watching Kousuke. He shivered slightly at Kousuke's cold touch as the red haired Blade Child placed his hand along the side of his chest and slowly moved it downward. He traced his fingers over each rib until he reached the place where the seventh rib should be. There was only an empty space. Kousuke's eyes narrowed as he checked again before running his hand the length of the ribcage to make absolutely certain. "It's gone." He confirmed, stepping back and regarding Shinu critically, his gun trained on him once more. "But that doesn't mean we can trust him." Shinu's eyes burned with amusement as he lowered his hands to his coat pockets and held the jacket closed.

"Hm, that's true." The Blade Children tensed as he suddenly raised his gun and leveled it at them. "So what are you going to do?"