A/N: I don't own K Project.

Thanks to Kikikitsune18 and YuriCrystalMoonlight for the reviews!

YuriCrystalMoonlight: I don't want to make any promises about a couple, but there might be. There will be some budding romance but it won't be full on lemons, mainly cuz I'm bad at writing romance scenes. Maybe I'll do a spin-off or a side story after I finish this one. This story is not going to heavily focus on romance, but there will be some here and there.

Chpt 11: Blessing and Burden

April 7th. 1AM

Tatara had contacted Eric to meet him in the park at 1AM. Hana had been sleeping most of the day and into the late evening, so she was awake when she heard Tatara speaking on the phone. On his end of the conversation, she heard him say that they should meet up at the nearby park. At this point in the conversation, Hana finally realized what had been bugging her this entire time. Tatara figured things out with Eric and was going to talk to him in an environment that would make him more comfortable, away from the Homra Bar. However, Eric was going to attempt to kill Tatara!

It had been so long since something went according to the plot she knew, that she forgot all about this scene. That medical textbook had held her full attention for the past week or so (what? It was a completely new medical technique that had never before been discovered! It has a 99.9% survival rate!).

Anyways, once her brain recuperated from pulling all-nighters reading the textbook, she just remembered that Eric was being threatened by a gang the boys had crushed a few months back. Hana recalled the news it made when it happened. To her it wasn't any surprise since she knew that HOMRA regulated the underground and often took down gangs, but this one made big news since it had been a well-established gang with lots of connections. Was the name Hikawa or something like that?

"I'm going with you." Hana's tone of voice left no room for an argument. She had walked into the room as soon as Tatara had put his PDA down.

"Hana-chan, I-"

Hana shot him a look.

Tatara sighed, "Alright, let's go then."

At the Park.

"Why did you call me here?" Eric, with his hoodie up and his hands stuffed into his pockets, questioned as he arrived on the scene.

"Well, there's a few things that I'd like to discuss with you."

"Oh, really?" Eric's voice was monotone, "I too, have some business with you."

Eric hesitated for a moment before blurting out, "I'm sorry. Please die!"

At that moment, Eric lunged at Tatara.

At the same time, Hana was prepared and stepped in front of Tatara. She was about to do a roundhouse kick to knock Eric back and then pin him down to the floor.

However, Kosuke stepped in front of Hana and grabbed the knife in his left hand.

With blood gushing out of his wound, Kosuke yelled at Eric, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, HUH!?"

Then Kosuke turned to Tatara and Hana, the knife still clutched tightly in his hand, "TOTSUKA-SAN AND HANA-SAN AS WELL!"

Tatara and Hana looked at each other and did a collective, "eh?"

"PLEASE HAVE A LITTLE MORE WARINESS!"

Tatara protested, "S-sorry. I really didn't expect that Kosuke-san would get involved in this…"

Of all things, Tatara was concerned that he was wasting Kosuke's time by getting him involved in the situation. "NOT THAT! YOU. IF YOU KEEP THIS UP, YOU'LL REALLY END UP DEAD SOMEDAY!"

Hana mumbled under her breath, "But I was here. I would've saved him."

No one heard her.

They turned their attention to Eric, who had on a face of regret. He was even trembling. She felt sorry for the poor guy, he's never been around people who actually care. All his life, he's been ordered around and abused, never treated like a human being.

Tatara asked Eric, "...you're the kind of person that kills others?"

Eric still hesitated to respond.

Kosuke threw the knife onto the ground and grabbed Eric's shirt with his hands. "Since you didn't want to talk at all, I didn't even try to begin listening to you. But now, I regret that I didn't hear you out, even if I had to force you to speak." Kosuke's voice was still full of anger, "You said you're a 'dog' right? What do you mean by that?"

Hana came up beside Kosuke and gently pulled down the sleeve of Eric's jacket. She revealed an arm full of bruises. "You're not really happy, are you?"

"Do you remember 'Hikawa,' the group that HOMRA had crushed? Though it's just a group that has skirmishes with the Yakuzas constantly… this has nothing to do with you guys at all, but that place was my world." Eric wiped his chin, "Ever since my parents (members of the group) died, I was kept as the dog of the group. In return for being fed, I was ordered around and I did anything they wanted me to."

"So, in revenge for pulverizing their group, you've been ordered to kill Totsuka-san?"

"For them, it would be best if I could kill the King of HOMRA. If I don't succeed, I'll be killed. A dog that doesn't follow its Master's command is unnecessary, right?"

"...Have you not thought of asking us for help?" Kosuke spoke up.

"...huh? Why?..." Eric said under his breath.

Tatara couldn't hear what Eric said, "What was that?"

"DO I EVEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE SAVED BY YOU PEOPLE?!" Eric's outburst used up so much emotion, his frail and malnourished body almost gave out. He normally whispered his answers because he barely had the strength to speak in a louder volume.

Tatara lightened the mood, "So if it's me, then even Eric can kill me."

Surprised, Eric looked Tatara in the eyes, "...you knew, but you still called for me?"

Confident in his words, Tatara responded, "But you weren't thinking to kill."

As Tatara worked his magic and revealed to Eric intentions he didn't even realize, Hana was taking care of Kosuke. She had pulled Kosuke aside, knowing the danger to Tatara was gone. With her back to Eric, so he couldn't see what she was doing, Hana activated her aura, but only used enough to stop the bleeding.

It would scar, but she needed the rest of her energy to heal Eric's wounds. It seemed like she could finally reveal her powers if Eric is able to admit he needs help. She knew Mikoto. If Eric has good intentions and is a good person, Mikoto's aura will accept him. As soon as he's in the Red Clan, she can reveal her powers and heal him. The healing rate on those that are part of a clan is better than those who have not yet been exposed to Weismann levels.

Since her power revolves around the seven clans, she can control certain things. She can affect the Weismann levels of Kings, sort of control their powers, and heal. Hana is still figuring out her powers as she's unsure of how they work. Even Dresden doesn't know the full scope of her powers, since there seemed to be another force affecting them.

"We are not a charity organization, and you have no right to be rescued by us. However, if it's an 'advantageous opportunity,' there should be lots of them, since there is such a good-natured person here after all." Tatara pointed at Kosuke, who was the most soft-hearted clan member.

Kosuke walked up to Eric, and placed his hand that was bound in bandages on Eric's head, "Try and say, 'help me.'"

With tears running down his bowed head, Eric said in a clear, but hesitant voice, "...Please help me…"

Back at Homra Bar.

Izumo was on the phone. "Eric's a remnant of the Yakuza group that we had pulverized, huh…"

Mikoto was sitting on one of the barstools at the far end of the bar table, but he could still clearly hear their entire conversation.

Tatara replied on the other side of the line, "A remnant, or rather, he's being used as a 'dog' and is being threatened."

"So, that means Eric has confessed and talked to you about everything?" Izumo sighed. "You were almost killed by Eric, weren't you?"

"Nooooo….." Tatara replied sheepishly.

"DON'T. TRY. TO. HIDE. IT."

"It's fine, it's fine! It can somehow be managed!" Tatara gave a few laughs in his response.

Another sigh. At that sigh, Hana invited herself into the conversation and leaned over Tatara's shoulder, "Kusanagi-san, did you know that every time you sigh, a bit of happiness escapes? No wonder you have so many wrinkles!"

Hana couldn't see it, but on the other side of the phone, Izumo developed an angry tick mark. Ignoring what she said, he sighed (again), and replied, "...Anyways, I understand the situation. Just bring Eric back here for now."

"I said I was almost killed but it was me who persuaded him to meet up with me…. So please?" Tatara asked for leniency on Eric.

"Well, that depends on the King's mood." Izumo ended the call.

Then he addressed Mikoto, who seemed to be in a good mood, "What are you going to do?"

Mikoto smirked.

Almost surprised by the reaction, Izumo knew what this meant. "You're going to go alone?"

"Do you think the number of people matters?"

"...How terrifying."

In an undisclosed warehouse in East Shimizu City.

A group of 30-40 scary-looking gang members surrounded the form who had just casually walked into their base of operations. They all had loose fighting stances and some had their guns pulled, aimed at the red-haired man.

Everyone was frozen as they realized that the man's legs were on fire, but it didn't seem to burn him. They had heard rumors before. Rumors of monsters who could control fire. The one they had sent their 'dog' to dispose of.

What's more is this man didn't look like he had a care in the world. He was smirking the entire time he strode into their stronghold.

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Finally, the red-haired man who was on fire broke the tension. "Yo. So it's you guys who have business with me, right?"

No blood, bones, or ashes were left when the red-haired man strode back out of the warehouse.

Homra Bar, 1 Hour Later

When Mikoto returned to the bar, Izumo directed him to where Kosuke, Eric, and Tatara were standing nervously. "They're waiting."

Hana was lounging on the couch, already aware of what was going to happen. She was waiting for when she could finally heal those terrible bruises of Eric's.

Mikoto walked over to the group of three, and Kosuke came forward, "Mikoto-san, I'm sorry. This time's matter is my responsibility." Kosuke bowed his head, "Without knowing it, I had brought this guy along, just because I joined HOMRA."

"CUT IT OUT!" Eric grabbed Kosuke's left shoulder and pulled him up. "I may be a lowlife, but I don't want to fall even further by pushing my responsibility to someone else. I am entirely prepared."

Mikoto stared at Eric and approached him silently, his right hand ablaze with red aura.

Startled, Eric took a step back before standing strong and bowing his head, awaiting his doom.

Kosuke tried to step in as Mikoto grabbed Eric's head with his flaming arm, but Izumo held him back as Eric started screaming.

The flame of providence traveled from Mikoto's hand to Eric's body, but didn't burn him.

As soon as the flames were extinguished, Eric pulled down his left jacket shoulder, where he was feeling the warmest. At that spot on his left shoulder, stood a HOMRA insignia.

Clutching his shoulder in confusion of the acceptance, "...Wh-why?"

"I felt weak from watching that uneasy farce." Mikoto replied as he walked away from the scene. He knew Eric was pretending to be strong, but in reality was a quiet and reserved person.

As Mikoto headed towards the stairs, Tatara stood in his way.

"We can do that even without such a threat you know."

"Shut up." Mikoto bonked him on his head.

"Ite~! It hurts…" Tatara clutched his injured head.

"You're to take care of the newcomer, aren't you?" Mikoto walked up to his room and shut the door.

Tatara smiled, "Got it!"

Hana approached Tatara, Eric, Kosuke, and Izumo, and subtlety placed a hand on Tatara's shoulder as she passed by.

Tatara could feel the slight bruise on his forehead ease and disappear by the time Hana let go. However, she never made eye contact with him, she just looked forward.

Hana crouched down by Eric, "This might freak you out a bit."

Eric flinched as Hana placed hands surrounded in pink mist on his arms. He feared that it would hurt, just like he thought the fire was going to burn him. However, just like the fire from Mikoto, Hana's didn't hurt either.

In fact, it made him feel a lot stronger. He then realized that his bruises were fading away. There was no longer a dull ache as the lacerations and bruises around parts of his body healed, including the ones on his neck and abdomen. He couldn't remember the last time his body didn't have an injury.

"This is my secret power, so gotta keep it on the down low, alright?" Hana winked as she wiggled her fingers in the air.

"Does this mean I also have this power? Like Mikoto's?"

Hana gave a soft smile, "Mine's a little different. It's a blessing and a burden that I can't share."

S/O to MystiqueR45, hamysophie2910, BubblesTheMonster, Lilly2910, Ever-M, and Oomiku for the fav/follow!