"Hello," Eiji said.
Shorter walked forward and slapped Eiji.
Eiji took a startled step back and rubbed his cheek in surprise.
"That's for knocking me out," Shorter snapped.
His lip quivered and he rushed forward and wrapped Eiji in a fierce hug. "And that's for making me worry. You stupid, no-good-" Shorter wiped away his tears and stuck out his tongue.
"I'm sorry," Eiji said. "I couldn't risk any of you getting hurt because of me."
He looked up at Ash but couldn't hold his gaze.
Ash stepped forward.
"Are you going to slap me too?" Eiji asked, trying to smile.
Ash looked away and he walked past Eiji and left the room without a word. Eiji's heart sank in his chest.
He looked up as Shorter put a hand on his shoulder gently.
"You'd better go after him," Shorter said, giving him a small smile.
Eiji swallowed and nodded.
Eiji opened the door to the roof and found Ash leaning against the wall, looking out over the city.
"Ash, I'm sorry."
Ash shrugged. "You did it though. You destroyed Banana Fish."
Eiji nodded quietly.
"I'm proud of you." Ash glanced back at him and smiled, though he still looked hurt. "How's your arm?"
Eiji rolled his shoulder gently and shrugged. "Hurts a little, but Lao's a good shot. He barely nicked me."
He walked to the edge and stood near Ash. "Ash, I'm really sorry. It's just- If you had gotten hurt, I would never be able to forgive myself."
"How do you think I feel?"
Eiji looked up as Ash turned his gaze to him. "Please don't do that to me again, Eiji. I promised forever. You can't take that away from me."
Tears ran down Eiji's face. Ash reached out and took his hand gently.
"You're still going to go after Golzine, aren't you?" Ash said quietly.
"Ash… I have to. He needs to be stopped."
Ash nodded and looked up at Eiji with a smile. "We'll do it together."
"I can't- Ash, I can't let you do that. What if we have to die to bring him down?"
"Then we'll do that together too."
Eiji closed his eyes against the tears. He tried to fight it, tried to turn Ash away, but he could feel his resolve melting within Ash's warm and steady hand. Ash smiled at him.
"For better or worse, for as long as we have. I promise forever, Eiji Okumura."
Ash moved something onto his finger and Eiji stared down at his hand, dumbstruck.
He looked up at Ash and grabbed him, hugging him tightly. His breath was sweet and warm as he breathed, "I love you."
Ash smiled and kissed him. "I love you t-"
Ash jolted back as the bullet struck him and he fell to the ground. Eiji dove to the ground, shielding Ash with his body as bullets whizzed over them.
The door opened and Shorter and Sing started to run out.
"No!" Eiji cried. "Get back!"
Shorter cried out as a bullet pierced his side. Sing grabbed him and pulled him back behind cover.
Ash groaned beneath him and Eiji looked down, his eyes frantic.
"Ash, how badly are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Ash groaned. He pulled back his shirt, revealing the bulletproof vest. "I get into enough firefights with you, I came prepared this time. Hurts like a bitch though."
Eiji pulled him back behind the cover of the wall and glanced around. "What do we do?"
Ash looked back at the doorway where Sing and Shorter were crouched as another hail of bullets rained down. That exit was cut off. On the other side of the rooftop was a small room, but Ash didn't know where it led. Ash flashed a glance at the grimy glass of the abandoned building next to them. They would have to jump, but they could make it.
"Sing," Ash shouted. "Get Shorter out of here. We'll meet you at the 'rat's hall'."
Ash took Eiji by the hand and nodded at the window across the gap. "On three."
Eiji nodded and gripped his hand tightly.
They counted and then took off at a dead sprint across the rooftop. Bullets peppered the ground behind them. They were about to leap off the edge when Ash saw a shadow move on the other side of the glass.
"No wait!" he cried and pulled Eiji back.
Eiji's footing slipped out from under him and he gasped as he slid off the edge of the roof. Ash's gun fell to the street below as he grabbed both of Eiji's arms to keep him from falling.
"Ash!" Eiji cried desperately.
In the building across from the roof, a gray-haired man appeared in the window and smiled as he took aim.
"No, don't!" Ash cried. He hauled Eiji towards him as the rifle fired.
Ash pulled Eiji through the door to the small room as bullets flew behind them. He barred the exit and looked around desperately. He had pulled them into a storage room. There was no exit and no cover. They were trapped.
"That man…" Eiji panted. "It's Fox. He took over after Blanca left. He's unstoppable, Ash. He's-"
Eiji's head started to swim and he grabbed Ash's arm as he sank to the ground.
Ash went white. "Eiji, you're hurt!"
Eiji could feel the numbness spreading.
"They're not-" Eiji gasped, panic beginning to take hold.
Ash pulled back his shirt to look at the wound only to find a tranquilizer in place of a bullet. Ash pulled it out, confused.
"They're not trying to kill me, Ash. They want to take me back. I can't- I don't want to go back. I don't want to go-" Eiji cried, terrified as the poison began to take effect, a creeping numbness spreading over his body.
The door shook as men rammed against it and Eiji jumped and grabbed Ash fearfully.
Ash looked at Eiji. "I will find you. No matter where they take you-"
Eiji's vision was swimming dizzyingly and he tried to focus on Ash's green eyes. He looked at the door as it shook again.
Ash grabbed Eiji's face and held him close. "Eiji, I will find you. I promise."
Eiji cried as Ash kissed him. The poison spread up through his body and he clung to Ash desperately until his fingers relaxed and his hand dropped limply to the ground.
The door rammed in, hanging splintered and broken off its hinges. Ash held Eiji in his arms protectively, glaring at their assailants.
Ash cursed and struggled as they pinned him down, forcing him to the ground.
Somebody knelt down beside Eiji and turned his face gently, checking his pulse.
"Don't touch him!" Ash snarled.
The person stood and Ash's eyes widened in surprise. Yut-Lung looked at him sadly.
"Yut-Lung! You bastard!" Ash cursed. "He trusted you!"
Colonel Fox stepped forward with a smile and walked over to Eiji who was lying on the ground, helpless in a drugged sleep. Yut-Lung looked away with a glare as Fox knelt down and picked Eiji up.
Ash's anger turned to fear. "Yut-Lung, please! You don't know what they'll do to him!"
Fox indicated to his men, nodding at Ash. Eiji hung limply in his arms as Fox followed Yut-Lung out, leaving Ash behind.
"Yut-Lung! Please!" Ash cried. "Don't let them take him! Please!"
