A/N: Hey all,
April 28, 2022: Thank you for stopping by to read this latest chapter of Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You. I hope that you enjoy it. It has been really nice to see how far reaching this fiction has become. I never expected people from all over the world to take the time to read my little story. Thank you all for giving up your time to read this fanfiction.
At this point, I would like to make a request of you all. While I know that I am still new to regular publication on this work, I have every intention of maintaining this monthly chapter release schedule and would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this story. It can be positive or negative feedback. I just really would love to hear what my readers think about this story. I know that most fanfiction authors ask for reviews, but they really do mean a lot to us. I cherish every review and piece of feedback I've received for this story, regardless of how infrequently it comes. If any of you have thoughts or questions or comments relating to this story, please leave me a review. I would love to be able to connect with all of you and make this story the best it can be. I look forward to seeing all of you next month for chapter 39 of Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You. Until next time!
Your forever grateful author,
Spiral of Destiny
Chapter 38: The Consequences of Involvement
Ryoko looked up at the silent faces surrounding her bed. Concern was evident across each face and she felt a mix of comfort and guilt settle in her chest at the feelings from her companions. She looked to Kisame as he spoke.
"What did he say to you?"
A lump formed in her throat at the question, but she shook her head and tried to recall the details of her encounter. The more she tried to recollect the events of the previous evening, the more anxious she felt. Her eyes traveled away from Kisame to land on Hiroshume, who was staring shamefaced at the floor. Swallowing hard, she spoke.
"He said he was here for information about what happened to me when Kousuke, Rio, and I were attacked in the shipping yard. He wanted to know who attacked us."
Kousuke cursed under his breath. "What's this guy trying to pull? There's no way he didn't know it was the "Hunters" who came after us!" His fists balled at his sides and Kanone placed a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him. Ryoko shook her head, clenching her fists around the blanket resting over her lap.
"He said that he knew it was a "Hunter", but that he wanted to know who exactly it was."
"But why would he think you would know that, Ryoko?" Rio asked, worry in her eyes. She took a step closer to the bedside and placed a comforting hand over Ryoko's clenched one. Ryoko shook her head, her grip on the blanket loosening slightly under the smaller girl's touch.
"I don't know. I told him as much, but he insisted that anything I could remember would be helpful to him."
"Who does this guy think he is?" Kousuke asked angrily, taking a step forward and shrugging out of Kanone's grip.
"Quiet, Kousuke." Kisame warned, casting a quick glance over his shoulder that left the red haired teen standing haughtily, but making no move to interrupt further. Kisame returned his attention to Ryoko. "What sort of questions did he ask you?" Ryoko shook her head slightly, running a hand through her hair thoughtfully.
"He asked about how the "Hunters" fought and worked together and if I could remember any faces."
"What did you tell him?" Eyes asked from his place beside the door. Ryoko looked up at him irritably.
"I told him what I remembered. He was a "Hunter"! I wasn't going to get killed over something pointless like that!"
Eyes looked away, trying to diffuse the situation he had created by speaking. Kisame drew Ryoko's attention away from Eyes with a hand placed lightly on her leg.
"How did he respond to what you told him?" He asked. Ryoko looked down thoughtfully.
"He got…really quiet. I didn't really tell him much of anything, but he seemed…I don't know, troubled by it?"
"Why would a "Hunter" be troubled by something that happened to one of us?" Kousuke's tone was one of confusion more than anger. He looked from Ryoko to the others, only to see the look of mild confusion marking their faces as well. Ryoko shook her head again.
"I don't know. After I answered his questions he just left. He said that I shouldn't worry about what happened and that I should get some rest. The next thing I knew he was holding a cloth over my face and when I woke up he and Hadaka were both gone. I tried to get a phone to call any of you, but the nurses said it was too late at night. Then they put something in my IV that knocked me out. I don't think I woke up until you guys got here."
The others exchanged worried looks and Hiroshume glared harder at the floor as if willing a hole to open and swallow him. Kisame kept his eyes trained on Ryoko.
"What did this man look like?"
Ryoko paused and rubbed her face with both hands, trying to force down the anxiety brought on by reliving the previous night's events.
"Um… he was tall. Black hair. Hazel eyes, I think. He was thin, but he was strong. He um… looked like he was in his late thirties, maybe early forties?" She looked to Hiroshume for any input. Hiroshume only sunk further into his shoulders.
"I didn't get a good look at him. Everything happened too fast. I'm sorry…"
Kanone gave Hiroshume a sympathetic smile. "It's alright. There's no need to beat yourself up over it."
"Kanone's right." Kisame said, rising from the bed and turning toward the melancholic hacker. "We'll work with what we have and fill in the blanks as we go." He paused to slip his hands into his jacket pockets before turning back to face Ryoko. "You should rest for now, but keep your guard up. The "Hunters" are becoming more active. If something like this happens again, there's no guarantee that it will end favorably for us."
Ryoko bowed her head slowly. "Right."
Nodding, Kisame turned and made his way toward the door. He paused briefly to allow Eyes to move out of the way before exiting the room. Eyes watched him go before quietly following after. Hiroshume looked up in surprise when he caught Eyes' movement in his peripheral and quickly moved to follow as well.
The remaining Blade children watched the three departing members before turning back to Ryoko.
"Are you going to be alright?" Kanone asked gently, moving closer to the bed now that the space had been vacated. Ryoko nodded, swallowing heavily.
"I'll be fine." Kanone smiled warmly.
"Would you like me to stay with you today?" Ryoko looked quickly at Kanone. She still had reservations about Kanone after everything that had happened in the past, but at the moment his offer sounded like the best thing she'd heard in ages. After a moment she nodded.
"Yeah, I really would." She looked back down at her lap, balling the blanket in her fists once more. "Thank you." She said softly. Kanone smiled.
"Hey Kanone," a hand falling on his shoulder drew Kanone's attention to Kousuke standing behind him. "I can stay with her." He said softly. Kanone smiled, shaking his head.
"We don't know what, if anything, the "Hunters" are planning. For now it'll be safest if I'm here with Ryoko and you are in school with the others. If you want, you can come back after classes today and spend the evening here. That would be the most helpful to me, and to Ryoko." Kousuke looked troubled by the idea of leaving at all, but after glancing at Ryoko's tense form, he relented. With a heavy sigh, he bid farewell to Ryoko and left the room together with Rio. As the door slid shut behind them, Kanone returned his attention to Ryoko. She was staring fixated at the door, her shoulders tense and her jaw set in anxiety. Placing a hand gently on her arm, Kanone drew her attention back to him.
"Rest for now. I'll stay here until Kousuke comes back. If anything happens, I'll protect you." Looking gratefully up at Kanone, Ryoko wearily nodded. Reclining the bed to make it more comfortable, Kanone drew the blankets up around her shoulders as she closed her eyes. Kanone's eyes softened as he watched her, a gentle frown coming to rest on his features. Quietly, he stepped back and took a seat beside the bed to begin his vigil.
oOoOoOo
Kisame said nothing as he exited Ryoko's room. He could hear Eyes fall into step behind him, but he didn't slow. It was only when he heard Eyes speak that he allowed his pace to decrease.
"You didn't tell her." Eyes commented, falling into step beside Kisame.
"You saw how shaken she was. There was no point in adding to that right now. Besides, what's happening with the other Blade Children has nothing to do with Ryoko at this point." Eyes nodded, pausing as he heard the door close a short distance behind them. Coming to a halt as well, both Blade children looked back to see Hiroshume hurry out of the room. He paused when he saw both teens watching him and he stood uncertainly in the hall, unsure of what to do. Kisame's eyes softened as he watched the hacker.
"Come here, Hadaka." He called. Both Hiroshume and Eyes looked at Kisame in surprise before Hiroshume quickly made his way over as instructed. He remained silent as he reached them. Smirking, Kisame turned and began walking down the hall once more. Eyes looked briefly at Hiroshume before moving to follow Kisame. Reluctantly, Hiroshume followed silently behind.
"You know we aren't mad at you?" Kisame questioned as he turned to face Hiroshume once they had made it to the street. Hiroshume hung his head.
"I messed up." He mumbled.
"We all mess up. No one expected something like that to happen. You can't be blamed for what occurred."
"She could have been killed. And it would have been my fault. I was supposed to protect her." Kisame placed a hand on Hiroshume's shoulder, turning the hacker to face him and shaking him lightly to force him to make eye contact.
"Listen to me. What happened is on us, not you. We should never have put you in that position." Hiroshume's eyes fell, but he forced himself to look back at Kisame shortly after. Kisame smiled approvingly. "That being said, since it did happen, we have to adapt. We are going to need you for what comes next."
"What do you mean?" Hiroshume asked, unsure what he could possibly do to repair what had happened. Kisame dropped his hand from Hiroshume's shoulder and returned them to his jacket pockets for warmth.
"If the "Hunters" know we are here, then we need to be on guard. For the time being I'm sure Kanone will take up the responsibility of guarding Ryoko in case any "Hunters" try to make another attempt. What we need you to do is to try and figure out who this "Hunter" is and why he was so interested in the actions of the other "Hunters". If we can figure that out, then we have a starting point to move forward."
Hiroshume sighed shakily before looking back at Kisame. While the "Savage Gun" had not alleviated his guilt, he had at least provided an opportunity for distraction. Hiroshume could work with a distraction.
"Alright." He said, taking a step back from Kisame. "I'll see what I can do."
oOoOoOo
The Blade Children were quiet as they made their way into Tsukiomi Academy. While Kanone had stayed at the hospital with Ryoko, the rest had decided to head to school despite what had recently happened. Even Hiroshume was in attendance.
Not much had been spoken on the walk from the hospital to the campus, nor was anything spoken until they had reached the abandoned computer club room. The first class period was nearly over, so they saw no reason to interrupt the lesson by attending the remainder of the class. Instead they had chosen to remain together and discuss their options until the next period began.
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Kousuke was the first to speak, crossing his arms and staring at the floor in frustration. "How are we supposed to fight back if they are coming at us from all sides?"
"Don't personalize this, Kousuke." Kisame cautioned, earning the redhead's confused gaze.
"How can I not take this personally? They came after us!"
"No they didn't."
"What are you talking about?!"
"Kisame is right."Eyes interrupted the exchange from his position beside the door. Rio and Hiroshume looked at him from their place at the table. Kousuke sighed in frustration.
"Alright, why do you say that, Rutherford?" He asked slowly, attempting to be objective toward the situation. Eyes nodded gratefully before continuing.
"While this was definitely directed toward the Blade Children, the "Hunters" did not seem to be targeting us specifically." Eyes began. Kisame nodded in agreement and the others looked confused. "In reality, Ryoko was confronted by a "Hunter", but at this time we have no reason to doubt his claimed reason for meeting with her and it doesn't seem that he harmed her. It seems improbable that whoever murdered Murakama and Minoru is likely to be involved with the "Hunter" that met with Ryoko. Their methods are far too different. At this point the Blade Children are certainly being targeted, but the "Hunter" that confronted Ryoko seemed more interested in asking about the rest of the "Hunters" rather than anything to do with the Blade Children. From what Ryoko has told us, it sounds as though the "Hunters" are starting to go after one another in addition to hunting us. If anything, our group appears to have fallen from their immediate attention for the time being."
"So then, shouldn't we act while we're off their radar?" Rio questioned.
"That would be fine if we had a move to make." Kisame said from his place beside the wall opposite Kousuke. "At this point we have too little information to make a move. We now know that the "Hunters" are aware of where Ryoko is, so protecting her needs to be our first concern. Until we have more information on who is killing Blade Children or who Ryoko's mystery "Hunter" is, we need to lay low and proceed like normal. We don't want to start behaving strangely and give the "Hunters" a reason to act again."
The bell stopped anyone from responding. Kisame sighed.
"We should go. For now, just stay on your guard and try not to draw attention to yourselves. I'll contact everyone as soon as we have a direction to go in."
The others nodded and, without a word, everyone left the room to return to their classes.
oOoOoOo
The lunch room was buzzing when Shinu entered. Scanning the area, he noted the Blade Children locked in hushed conversation at a corner table. The rest of the student body appeared to be in a similar state of frenzied conversation, though they were far more open about the nature of their discussions. Shinu shook his head, disinterested in the gossip running wild through the student population. His eyes returned to the only people of interest to him. The Blade Children hadn't taken notice of him as he moved quietly through the line to claim his food, giving him license to observe them uninterrupted. Their newest member, Kanone Hilbert, appeared to be absent, he noted. Hiroshume's presence among the group was also an anomaly. This piqued Shinu's interest. He watched them for a few moments before shaking his head with a smirk.
"This situation must have them scrambling. It'll be interesting to see what they decide to do about it." Shinu chuckled and removed his attention from the Blade Children to scan the cafeteria once more. "I wonder what his take on all this will be?" He mused softly, catching sight of Asura and making his way toward him.
Asura looked up from his lunch as Shinu slid into the seat across from him.
"Hey." Shinu greeted, setting his food on the table and placing an extra desert in front of Asura. Asura looked at him with surprise before mumbling a greeting and accepting the offered dessert. "So did you hear?" Shinu asked, turning to face the dark haired teen.
"Hear what?" Asura asked disinterested as he took a bite of the small cake.
"The murders last night. Its practically all anyone is talking about."
Asura shrugged. "Yeah, I heard about it. They were stabbed right?" He asked indifferently, not bothering to look at Shinu.
"That's right. According to the news the police aren't sure if it was just a crime of opportunity or if they were targeted." Shinu added calmly, taking a bite of his own food. Asura shrugged and Shinu leaned forward to get a better look at Asura's face.
"What do you think?" He asked. Asura shrugged again, taking another bite of cake.
"I don't have an opinion. I didn't know them."
Shinu smirked.
"Oh, come on. You have to have an opinion. Everyone here does. Doesn't it bother you that someone from our school was killed?"
"Why should that matter?"
"Because they were our classmates. It's interesting. Aren't you curious as to why it happened and why they were targeted?"
"Not really." Asura shrugged indifferently, poking at the cake with his fork. Shinu shook his head, amused.
"You're no fun." He said with a teasing smile. Asura rolled his eyes.
"Alright, fine. What is your thought on it? If everyone's supposed to have an opinion, then what is yours?" Asura challenged, looking over at Shinu. This earned a smirk from Shinu and he leaned forward to get closer to Asura.
"My opinion…" He raised his shoulders and lowered his voice as if about to say something extremely important. "Is a secret."
Asura pushed him forcefully away, earning a laugh from Shinu as he settled back into his seat.
"You're an idiot." Asura said with a soft chuckle and a shake of his head as he focused back on his lunch. Shinu just smiled and did the same.
oOoOoOo
The day was just turning over to night when Kanone left the hospital. Kousuke had shown up a few hours before to deliver Kanone's and Ryoko's homework and to sit with her until visiting hours were over. Kanone had stayed to go over the missed assignments and catch up with Kousuke on the days events before heading out into the early evening. A light rain had picked up, making the streets shine beneath the lights. Kanone walked leisurely under the protection of an umbrella and paused to enjoy the fresh smell in the crisp air of early October. A lot of things burdened his mind, but he allowed himself a brief moment to forget as he slowly made his way home. As he neared his apartment, a strange sound caught his attention and he paused. The rain had driven most people from the streets, leaving Kanone alone on the pavement. A heavy feeling settled into his stomach as he turned and headed quickly in the direction of the noise. He made it thirty feet before the sound of running reached his ears and he turned to see a teen in a familiar blue school uniform running across the street ahead of him. Two men followed in close pursuit.
"No!"
Kanone's eyes widened as the silent exclamation reached his lips. Discarding the umbrella, he ran as hard as he could after the men. The sound of footsteps were far off by this point, but he managed to make up some distance before the sound stopped. His blood turned cold as the only sound reaching his ears were his own footfalls as he willed himself to move faster. He grimaced as he heard a scream rise briefly into the air before being quickly muffled into silence. Kanone grit his teeth as he followed the sound toward its source.
He reached the scene just as the man stepped back from the body now slumped against the corner of a dead end alleyway. Both men turned around as Kanone descended on them.
"What the…?!" One man cursed as Kanone closed the distance on him and buried his knife deep into the man's side. The man groaned in pain, but impressively kept from screaming. Kanone turned the knife and was forced to withdraw the blade to avoid an attack from the second "Hunter". The man had gotten behind him and barely missed catching his shoulder with a knife as he slashed at the German teen. Kanone sidestepped to reset his position and attack again before having to drop to the ground to avoid a sudden shot from a silenced gun. Kanone watched as the injured "Hunter" attempted to level the gun on him for a second shot. Kanone's eyes narrowed as he moved to disrupt the "Hunter's" aim. He made it half way to the "Hunter" before having to sidestep suddenly. The second "Hunter" had made an unexpected move and decided to shoulder charge Kanone to break his stance. Evading the attack, Kanone repositioned to intercept the charging "Hunter" before his eyes registered the glint of a silencer and he was forced to dodge out of the way again. He frowned as his back impacted the side wall of the alley. The rain had picked up and was making everything slippery and difficult to see. Kanone tightened his grip around the wet knife before moving toward the "Hunters" again. A second shot forced Kanone to pause in his advance as he watched the "Hunters" trying to strategically make their way back down and out of the alleyway.
"Not this time." Kanone hissed under his breath, moving to follow the "Hunters". A sudden cry brought him to a dead stop.
"Please…" the voice sounded so weak it was barely louder than the rain hitting the pavement. "Help me!" Kanone turned to look wide-eyed back at the boy slumped against the wall. He was clutching at a sucking chest wound, taking heavy, desperate breaths as he tried to draw air into his body. Kanone cast one more glance at the "Hunters" retreating down the alley before moving over to the injured boy.
"Let me see." Kanone demanded, dropping to his knees beside the boy and forcing his hand out of the way.
"It hurts!…I can't breathe!" The boy gasped, grasping onto the back of Kanone's hand as the German teen applied pressure to the wound.
"I know." Kanone said absently, focusing on the wound as he all but pulled the boy away from the wall and forced him onto his back on the ground so he could offer better pressure to the wound. The boy choked as blood gathered in his throat.
"Please… help me." He gasped through coughs.
"I am helping you." He repositioned so he was behind the boy and the teen's head was resting against Kanone's abdomen as he pulled him up in order to allow the boy to cough and clear the blood from his airways.
"I don't…want to…die!" The boy was sobbing as Kanone added additional pressure.
"I know." He hushed, fishing through the boy's pocket with his free hand in search of the teen's phone and dialing 119 once the sought after item was found. He swallowed hard as he waited for dispatch to pick up. He could feel the boy shaking against his body and he cursed the rain for making the situation worse. His eyes shifted from the dark wound beneath his hand to the phone as he heard the call connect.
"119, what is your emergency?"
"I have a stabbing victim with me. Male, age range 16-18. He has a roughly 40mm puncture to the chest on his left side between the fifth and sixth rib." He relayed quickly, providing what information he could gather from his brief but practiced inspection of the injury.
"Okay, sir. What is your location?" Kanone quickly gave the location. "Alright, we have an ambulance on the way. Can you tell me what happened?" Kanone nodded into the phone, shifting the teen against him to apply additional pressure to the wound.
"I arrived right after they stabbed him. There were two men, and he was fighting back. He stabbed one of them with a knife before they threw him down and ran away. I don't even think they saw me."
"Thank you, sir. Can you describe the attackers?" He gave a quick description of the men before falling silent, diverting his attention from the call as the boy choked. "Sir? Are you still there?" The operator called. "The ambulance is on its way. Stay on the line with me until they arrive. What is your name, sir?" Kanone hesitated to answer, and was saved from having to as the boy started choking harder.
"He's choking. I have to go." He said quickly, tossing the phone to the side as he lifted the boy a bit higher to help him get what little air he could with his heavily compromised lungs. He knew he needed to get the air out of the chest cavity if the teen had any chance of surviving, but he had no way of removing the air. He cursed as the boy continued to choke for a few more moments before falling silent and collapsing limp against Kanone. Swallowing hard, Kanone slowly placed his fingers around the boy's wrist, but no soft beat pressed back against his touch. He could feel that the blood against his fingers had turned cold as no more of the warm liquid leaked from the wound to mix with the rain. In the background, Kanone could still hear the operator calling out to him. Sighing, he leaned back and removed his hand from the boy's wound in order to pick up the phone.
"He's gone." He said softly into the phone.
"Sir, who is gone?"
"The kid. He's dead." His tone was flat as he spoke, looking with frustration down at the body still resting against his own.
"Sir, the paramedics will be there soon. Do not leave the scene."
"Yes, I know. I'll wait for the police." He sighed heavily, frustrated with the outcome. "Thank you for your help."
"Sir, please stay on the…" Without letting her finish, Kanone snapped the phone closed, rubbing it free of fingerprints before returning it to the dead boy's pocket. Sighing again, he looked up at the sky as he heard sirens in the distance.
"This has to stop." He mumbled as he wiped the fingerprints from his knife and placed it into the boy's hand. "I'm sorry." He said softly as he leaned the boy against the back wall and straightened fully. As the sound of the sirens grew louder, quickly cleared the scene of any evidence that showed he had been there before silently slipping out of the alley and down the street in the direction of his apartment.
oOoOoOo
Kisame was pulled from sleep in the early hours of the morning by the buzzing of his cellphone. Pulling his head out from under the blankets, he lifted the phone to eye level to look at the text.
There was another killing. I got involved. It didn't end well.
Groaning at the new complication, Kisame pushed himself into a sitting position and raised the phone to his ear.
"Are you okay?" He asked when the call connected.
"I'm fine. I wasn't injured." Kanone's voice was resigned.
"What happened?"
"I can't talk right now."
Kisame sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Where are you?" He frowned when Kanone relayed his location. Throwing the blankets off his legs, he stood. "Alright. That's closer to your apartment. I'll meet you there." Receiving confirmation from Kanone, he ended the call, dressed quickly, and left the room.
Kisame was waiting by the door by the time Kanone made it home. Due to the amount of blood coating his coat and uniform, Kanone had been forced to take an alternate path home in order to avoid any unwanted eyes. The whole endeavor had taken longer than he would have liked.
"You didn't walk here like that, did you?" Kisame asked when he noted the German teen approaching him. Blood coated his sleeve, part of his abdomen, and halfway down his left upper leg. Kanone nodded.
"I didn't have any other choice." He mumbled. Kisame shook his head in disbelief before stepping aside to allow Kanone to unlock the door.
"So what happened? How on earth did you end up involved?" Kisame asked, getting straight to the point once the door was closed. Kanone sighed heavily, slumping to the floor against the door and running a bloody hand through his hair.
"I don't know." He mumbled softly. Frowning, Kisame stepped closer in order to kneel down in front of the German teen. He said nothing as he watched the frustration swirling in the older man's eyes. The frown deepened on his features. It was extremely rare to see Kanone like this. In the many years they had been friends, Kisame had only witnessed such a response once before. It was more than a little concerning.
Reaching forward slowly, he gently lay his hand on Kanone's arm and pulled lightly to encourage him to stand. Kanone stood without resistance, shrugging off Kisame's hand and looking at the ceiling with a slow sigh to ground himself. Kisame watched him silently, giving him time to sort out his thoughts in peace. After a moment, Kanone looked at Kisame and he eyes appeared clearer, more normal. Kisame relaxed.
"Now tell me what happened?"
oOoOoOo
"Thank you for your report." Slowly Hibari lowered the phone from his ear. His eyes stared thoughtfully at the floor as he sat in the darkness of the quiet room. The recent call had been frustrating to say the least. To find out that not only was one of the "Hunters" under his command injured and in the hospital, but also that it was uncertain whether the Blade Child they had been targeting was even dead, was extremely irritating. His eyes narrowed as he rose from the padded chair and walked to the sliding glass door that connected with the small combination kitchen and dining area.
"This could cause problems." He said softly, watching the tendrils of rain weave their way down the glass surface. Tapping his phone lightly with his finger, Hibari tightened his grip on the small object and considered how to best remedy the current situation.
The appearance of the "Winged Gun" had been completely unforeseen, and Hibari was struggling to understand how the event had occurred at all.
"Why was he there?" He asked the darkness, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "And what do we do about it now that he was?" He sighed and turned away from the window to rest his back against the cool glass. His eyes stared blankly at the floor, but his mind was far away.
"I should report this." He mumbled, groaning internally at the prospect. While the mission wasn't certain to have failed, it had still had some complications that could cause a lot of problems moving forward. Adding to the fact that the "Hunters" had already killed off several kids from Tsukiomi within a few short weeks, the involvement of the media now that there was a search for his men was sure to make things more difficult. Hibari knew that the smartest thing to do would be to pull back and hold off on further killings, but he also knew that Makoto would be angry if such a suggestion was put forward. Looking over his shoulder at the cloud covered sky, he sighed.
"What is the best course of action to take?"