...

Am I dead?

No... despite your best efforts.

Why do I feel dead...

That's not dead, silly. Dead is nothing. You feel despair.

You feel empty.

You feel sick.

That's good. That means alive.

Open your eyes.

No...

No?

I like it here. It's quiet.

Serene, isn't it? But you've been in this primordial darkness for long enough. That old familiar itch beckons you and the soil is thirsty...

So wake

up.

...

Alright. So we're doing this the hard way.

inmythroatsomethinginmy

throatcantbreatheinmythroatcantbreathe

cantBREATHECANTBREATHEHELP

HELPICANTBREATHEHELPME

Keanu gagged as he felt a long object in his esophagus. Each gag tightened it and squeezed the tube. As his eyes sprang open his retinas burned under the intense white light, making them instantly well up with tears. To his right some machine emitted a horrible loud beeping noise, getting louder and more rapid. He desperately tried moving his hand to his mouth to try and yank out whatever was obstructing his airway... but he couldn't. He swore he grabbed and ripped something out, but his hand just would not obey. All he managed to do was raise it slightly and flop it against his stomach. His unadjusted eyes saw two blurry figures rush inside the room to each of his sides.

-"He's choking on the NG tube, we gotta pull it out." A woman spoke, hurriedly placing a towel on Keanu's chest. Keanu felt the bed he was lying on move up on it's own until he was in an almost sitting position. He felt hands touching him, touching his nose, grabbing at his clothes...

-"Okay, relax, relax. Try and take a deep breath for me." Another woman instructed.

Breathing in, he felt the tube being dragged out of his stomach, through his throat and out of his nose, falling on the towel on his chest. He coughed a few times before finally getting some proper, painful breaths in. Eyes filled with water blurred the faces of his, what he presumed were, personal lifeguards. The bed he was laying on shifted under him yet again, getting him into a semi-laying position. All he could do was breathe and look around for a while, not even having the strength to lift his hand to his face to wipe the tears lubricating his eyes from that annoying fluorescent light.

-"Can you hear me?" One of the women spoke, leaning towards his face.

-"Yes" He just barely managed to whimper out through his scratched throat.

-"Do you know where you are?" The other woman asked, wiping his eyes with a piece of cloth.

His eyes began to adjust to the light in the room, to the point where he could recognize what was in front of him. White walls and a written whiteboard on the wall filled with various scribblings. Wooden furniture that resembled the cheapest faux modern ones you'd find in a furniture store catalogue. His metal bed beset on both sides with railings to prevent him spilling on the floor like a spazzed out carton of milk. It's a hospital...he hoped. Maybe it was an asylum? He wasn't THAT crazy, why'd he get sent to a laughing academy? The events of what exactly led him here were a mystery however as the copious amount of cocaine and the following seizure fried a few braincells. The final tipoff, the smoking gun, however was the fact that both women were clearly wearing nurse's uniforms.

"Cherryton City Hospital"

Delightful...

-"Heaven? Or a beauty contest..." He whispered, still getting used to speaking once again.

The nurses looked at each other and one of them giggled.

-"He's all yours, Ami." The other nurse picked up the tube and towel off Keanu before walking out of the room.

-"Alright, you're speaking and you're coherent enough to flirt. Do you want to know why you're here?" Ami asked with a soft tone, one that you would use to talk to an elderly patient.

-"Please."

-"You overdosed and had multiple seizures. When you got here you were completely unresponsive. We monitored your heart rate and you had a severe arrhythmia, at which point we defibrillated you till you were stable. You fell into a coma..."

-"Coma?"

-"Yes... That was... 12 days ago."

-"Fuck..."

-"The good news is that if you're already this responsive after just waking up there's a low chance of permanent brain damage, although we can't say for sure until we've examined you."

The possibility of permanent brain damage was not all that upsetting to Keanu, seeing how little he used it anyways. Time had his full attention. Almost two weeks had passed. Twelve whole days down the drain. Stuck in dreamland... At least when people fall in a coma and wake up sometimes they're in the future. He wished he could see flying cars outside, and giant hologram billboards shoving their product in your face... now in 3D! None of that was the case however. He was in a boring, current time hospital room. Back to his miserable existence after a short commercial break. Why so miserable, anyways? Let's see.

He heard a consistent high pitch ring the entire time, in the background but ever-present. A feeling of anxiety riding up and down his spine like an elevator, the light being too bright for some reason, irritating him, the machine next to him beeping likewise getting on his nerves and the fact he could barely concentrate on everything the nurse just told him. If only these strange symptoms could be explained somehow...

Is this what being sober feels like now?

-"I'm fine, don't worry..." Keanu brushed off, looking around his bed to see if he could find his belongings.

Where are my cigarettes...

-"You're going to have some trouble using your muscles, since you've been bedridden. Nothing impossible though, you just need to take it easy and not run any marathons until you recover." Ami explained, checking the clipboard attached to the foot of his bed.

-"Uh huh." He nodded, not really listening.

-"And unfortunately, I'm going to have to call the Cherryton Police. "

Uh oh.

"You had drugs on your person when you arrived... They were supposed to question you when you stabilized, but you fell into a coma." Ami explained to a suddenly very aware Keanu. The gears in his head started turning, although far slower than usually.

"If you need anything, press this here button and I'll come over, okay?" Ami smiled before turning to leave the room.

-"Ex-excuse me, nurse?"

-"Yes?"

-"Could you... could you maybe bring me my stuff? My clothes, wallet, phone, whatever I had... I'm sure my friends and family are worried sick, and I'd like to call them..."

-"I'll be sure to notify them if you can give me their names-"

-"No, no thank you, I'd really like to hear them myself. And besides, if the police have to question me I'd really like to talk to my lawyer too..."

The nurse paused for a moment, looking off towards the door.

-"Well... Okay. I'll bring you your things."

-"Oh you're an angel, err, could I get an IV drip too? I'm feelin' a little weak."

-"Absolutely. I'll be right back."

Ami walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Okay, you remember how to use your limbs, right? Go on.

He tried lifting his hand up as his nervous system fired off the all too familiar signals of raising it above his head. Unfortunately it only moved about halfway with great effort before flopping down on the side of the bed. He then tried wiggling his toes to more success. He kept doing this for a while, trying to slowly raise his legs up. After a few minutes of exercise he managed to regain most of the control in his arms. To the point where he managed to lift himself to sit in an upright position. As he heard the door start to open he laid back down.

-"Okay. I'll leave your clothes here, along with your wallet, and a pair of keys." Ami walked up to his side and hooked him up with an IV drip.

-"What about my- Oh, right." Keanu stopped himself after realizing why the nurse couldn't give him his cocaine back.

-"Right. Here's your phone." She smiled as she handed it to him. As Keanu moved his hand to grab the phone the nurse's smile grew a little wider.

"Look at you! You're doing so well! I'm sure you'll recover in no time!"

Keanu thanked her and she left the room once again. He tried turning the phone on. Completely dead. Figures, he didn't think to charge it during his coke binge.

Plan B it is...

Keanu sat up in his bed before turning his body to the side. The machine that was keeping track of his vitals was making too much noise for him to concentrate, leading him to push it till it spun around and he could see the outlet where it was plugged in. With one gentle grab of the wire with his toes and one not so gentle tug the machine unplugged and gave one final beep before shutting down. Feeling a bit more clear-headed, he decided the next best course of action was to remove all of the tubes that were still stuck in him. He painfully yanked out the two tubes that were stuck in his arm, prompting blood to slowly start dripping on the tiled floor. Ah, that's why they have janitors, right? He looked down and took a deep breath before attempting to stand up, as he started to move however, he felt something tugging his... disco stick. He threw the bedsheets away to see a tube going from between his legs to a plastic bag attached to the end of the bed.

I uhh... I don't think I should pull that out on my own.

He knew he would be practically carrying around a ball and chain for a while, even if it'd be a hell of a lot easier if it were attached to his ankle instead... He leaned over and grabbed the bag before attaching it to the IV stand. He grabbed the stand and slowly tried standing up. And you know something? He did it! Left foot first, right foot second and our boy was standing all on his own. For a full two seconds before his wobbly knees gave out and he smacked down on the tiled floor like a slice of wet ham. He groaned as he crawled around for a bit, dragging the stand behind him. He made another attempt to stand up, which went a little better this time. He managed to lumber his way over to the chair where his stuff was. He got dressed one slow step at a time, tearing up the sleeve on his shirt so the IV drip could remain attached to his arm and doing some out of the box thinking to be able to put on his pants without disturbing the tube connecting the bag to his pipe.

Now all dolled up and looking shinier and softer than he ever did ( Due to the nurses washing his piss stained clothes) he started thinking of how he would leave without being noticed. In the meantime he practiced walking around the hospital room to get his muscles back to being usable again. During this time he examined the whiteboard attached on the wall. It was full of notes, none of them signed however.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

"Living on the edge

A space between life and death

I hope I saved you"

"Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while a great wind carries me across the sky."

"Every disease is cured, my brother, by the heavenly ariah."

Keanu chuckled at that last one. Unable to really think clearly, he groaned in frustration as he realized he would have basically no chance to leave this place without being seen and restrained. He walked over to his window to let some fresh air in. He pulled the curtains open and stopped abruptly.

He was on the first floor. He could see the grass below his window.

Keanu quietly giggled at the absurdity of the situation, before opening the window and leaning out to check that no one was looking. After confirming, he grabbed the IV stand and put it outside before slowly climbing out the window. He tried his best to close it as much as he could from the outside, before remembering he might be on a time limit. And so he made his way across the hospital lawn, walking around the building to the nearby street. He looked around for a bit to get a bearing on his surroundings. Realizing that there's a subway station nearby, he made his way over there as fast as he could.

Keanu limped onto the train, still dragging the IV stand and catheter bag around with him. Being quite an attraction, he garnered several concerned and amused looks from other passengers on the train. He plopped down on the train seat after a concerned young gazelle offered it to him. He grumbled a half-hearted "thank you" and tried his best to focus on just staying alive till he got close to his destination. He decided that the main priority at this moment was getting rid of the catheter bag. You don't look too charming carrying around a plastic bag full of your own piss.

The sound of the train moving droned in Keanu's seemingly empty head. You'd think he was pretty used to this whole being alive thing after almost 17 years, but then again this was his first time waking up from a coma. A hangover from hell, and withdrawals that burned hotter still. No alcohol, cocaine, THC, nothin'. Not even an aspirin in his blood. The joys of sobriety. He hated it. If his higher brain function wasn't completely fried he'd already be planning a route to get cocaine. However in his current predicament he only really had one goal in mind: find Gouhin and get this tube out of his cock.

-"Keanu?" He heard a voice call out, in a confused and sort of pitiful tone. He ignored it hoping it would go away.

"Keanu?" Yet again, a little louder this time. Alright, persistent little annoyance, moving onto phase two. He decided the next best course of action was to turn his head away from the source of the noise. Soon he felt a figure standing right in front of him.

"Keanu." No mistaking it now, he was right in front and knew for certain who he was calling out to. Our boy had one last trick up his sleeve though.

He closed his eyes and started snoring.

Legoshi towered above Keanu and stared in actual disbelief for a moment or two.

Is he... Is he really pretending he's asleep?

He reached his hand out and poked the side of Keanu's head.

Keanu's eyes opened and he turned to face the annoyance.

-"Oh. Legoshi. Didn't see ya there." Keanu greeted with the most deadpan expression he could muster.

-"You clearly did. Are you okay? You look..."

-"I'm fine." Keanu brushed off. Legoshi examined the IV stand Keanu was holding next to him.

-"He says, tube in his arm, pale as death." Legoshi commented. Keanu found his newfound sense of sarcasm amusing.

-"You should see where they put the other one." Keanu gave a very slight half smile.

Legoshi's eyes followed the other tube from the bag to the half opened zipper on Keanu's crotch. He winced slightly.

-"Listen... We should talk."

-"We're talking."

-"I'm still upset with you, you know?"

-"Join the club..." Keanu groaned, leaning back into the train seat.

Legoshi sighed in frustration.

-"Look. We're very different people. I'm more of a loner while you're the life of the party, I'm unsure about a lot of things while you seem to just have everything figured out..."

Keanu managed to push out a slight laugh before it turned into a coughing fit.

-"Sure, cause all of this was premeditated." He replied, holding up the IV stand and hitting it against the train floor.

-"You're violent and impulsive at times, your methods are questionable and your morals even more so... But I like you. No matter how different we are. You have been there for me time and time again. Either listening to me ramble or fighting by my side and... I'm glad you're my friend."

Keanu was silent. He looked to his side because looking at Legoshi suddenly became just a tad bit too difficult for him.

"I used to write off all your quirks as just being eccentric... I realize now that you've got your own demons. But you showed up to help me with mine despite that. I don't want you to feel like you're alone in all this."

Keanu closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose slowly.

-"Legoshi..." He spoke in almost a whisper.

-"I know what it's like to hurt. I don't know why you are the way you are or why you do the things you do...but you've got to help me understand. You've gotta let me in-"

-"Legoshi!" Keanu raised his tone as much as he could. Really what came out was just slightly louder than a normal speaking voice. Enough to interrupt Legoshi's monologue. Keanu took a few short breaths through his open mouth.

"We'll talk. Okay?"

A beat.

-"I hope so."

The conductor announced the next station, prompting Legoshi's ears to perk up.

-"This is my stop." He quietly spoke, adjusting his backpack. The train slowly stopped and the doors opened.

"I'll see you around..."

Keanu stared as Legoshi was lost in a sea of people walking off the train.

Dragging his feet through the black market, he noticed it was unusually empty. Not a soul in sight anywhere. Shops were closed for the day, no one was walking around, there was no chatter. It was haunting. The only thing Keanu could hear was the squeaking of wheels attached to his IV stand, likely not being oiled since they were out of the factory. Just like his joints. Every step hurt, as not using your legs for nearly two weeks will do that to ya. Knees and ankles are complex mechanisms but all Keanu knew was how low they allowed a person to go and that they'd be put on his shoulders from time to time. Anywho, Gouhin's clinic was still quite the journey away much to his displeasure. He contemplated just laying down on the street and waiting for death to take him... but that would've been too easy.

Absolutely ridiculous. Bruised, beaten, shot... nothing compared to this. He was practically a walking corpse. What's a good pain tolerance worth if you feel EVERYTHING when you're sober?

Stairs...

He slowly made his way up each flight of stairs. The metal IV stand made a horrible screeching sound as it scratched against the floor and banged on each stair. He stopped about halfway through to rest for a bit. Who knew this walking thing was so difficult? His legs hurt, barely supporting his weight, and the dizziness didn't make things any easier. It felt like climbing up from hell. All things considered, he was right to feel that way. After a lengthy amount of time sitting on his ass and feeling sorry for himself, he got back up and continued making his way to the one man who could possibly help him.

There it was. That familiar metal door. Knocks echo through the empty stairwell. The locking bolt slammed out of position and the door opened. Gouhin's eyes locked with Keanu's and in that moment he could swear that shock broke the doctor's usual scowled expression. As if alarm bells started ringing the moment his mind registered Keanu's presence.

-"Hey." Keanu greeted.

A beat.

-"Hey..."

-"I feel bad. Can you help?"

-"That's... what I'm here for... come in, please." Gouhin gestured for him to come in. As Keanu walked in the room Gouhin gently put his hand on his shoulder and waist, leading him as he limped toward the armchair in his living room, still dragging the IV stand behind him. Gouhin helped him sit down. Keanu slumped in the armchair that felt as the most comfortable place in the world right now. Anything but those fucking train seats again. He slumped his head back and stared off towards the wall, focused on breathing. Not like he could do much more anyways... this entire trip exhausted him. Quite frankly, if Gouhin lived one floor higher he might've just kicked the bucket somewhere on the stairs.

Gouhin was worried to say the least. Keanu had been in a deep coma where he'd been unresponsive the entire time. And now he just popped up like a zit. At his doorstep looking malnourished, pale and with barely any life flickering in his eyes. Gouhin crouched down next to him to face him at eye level.

-"Do you know where you are?" Gouhin asked slowly, with the tone you'd use to talk to a lost toddler. Keanu furrowed his brow, a bit offended by the question. He turned his head slightly towards Gouhin, just enough to give him a side eye.

-"I'm on Fiji, getting my balls licked and catching some rays." Keanu remarked, prompting an ever so slight smile from Gouhin.

-"You can put a sentence together and you haven't lost your sense of sarcasm. Good." Gouhin remarked as he put his hand on Keanu's face, moving it as he examined everything.

"How do you feel?"

-"Horrible. I'm weak, I'm dizzy... I'd puke if there was anything in my stomach..."

-"Anything in particular that's bothering you?"

-"The plastic tube in my dick."

-"Right... hold on a second." Gouhin stood up and grabbed some medical tools from his desk before crouching down in front of Keanu. "I'm gonna need you to relax now, okay?"

-"Please just get it out of me."

Keanu closed his eyes and leaned his head back, trying to focus on anything else but the huge baseball mitt hands currently holding his limp dick. He then felt a sensation unlike anything he ever felt before. It seemed like time froze for that one millisecond. It was more than enough to make him gasp, after which he let out a whimper.

-"All done, it's okay."

Keanu let out a sigh of relief, already feeling a bit less tense and violated.

"Is anything else bothering you? You have any other injuries that I should look at?"

-"No... thanks."

-"No? Alright. Now, this might hurt a bit."

*SMACK*

A backhand that felt like a fucking semi truck colliding with Keanu's jaw. If Gouhin went full force it'd send Keanu right back into another coma. Keanu's eyes widened and he instantly tensed up as his brain fired off panic signals.

"What the hell's the matter with you!? Huh!?" Gouhin yelled, grabbing Keanu by the collar of his shirt and pressing him into the armchair. Keanu tried to push back but his arms felt like twigs bending against a mountain.

-"What!?" Was all that Keanu could cry out in his panicked state.

-"You and your fucking drugs! What'd you think was gonna happen!?"

-"Get the fuck off me!"

-"I help you out time and time again and all you do is break my fucking heart..." Gouhin growled as Keanu squirmed in his grip trying to escape.

-"I'm sorry!"

Gouhin let go of Keanu before half heartedly attempting to fix the collar on his shirt that he messed up with his grip. He took a few steps back and angrily mumbled something as he fumbled around his pockets for his cigarettes. Keanu took a few breaths with a newfound appreciation for not being manhandled by an animal twice- scratch that, three times his size, now that he was this skinny.

-"I prayed for you... you little shit."

-"Should've prayed harder, maybe I would've swallowed my tongue or something."

Gouhin finally managed to locate the elusive pack of cigarettes and he lit up a calm stick before giving an exhale.

-"How do you expect to get better if you keep doing shit like this?"

-"I don't want to get better. I want to get worse."

-"No you don't."

-"Like you know what I want..."

-"You've been coming here for 6 years. You want peace, and you want to be comforted. That's why you dive into your vices, it makes you feel good and it stops you from thinking, brings you comfort. And that's why when you have to deal with being sober and present in the moment you go into your hysteric episodes... like a baby having it's pacifier taken away..."

-"So give me my fucking pacifier."

-"Until when, Keanu? What's the end goal here?"

-"End goal? There is no end goal I ju-"

-"Want to keep doing drugs. You're like a broken record. I've seen this before, you'll OD again and you'll either die or end up in another coma!"

-"Yeah? I've been awake two fucking hours and I already wanna go back!"

Keanu's yell brought dead silence to the room. The floodgates are now open and Gouhin is intently listening.

"It didn't... hurt... there. I had a life." It felt as if the words were physically fighting to escape his throat.

-"You have a life here..."

-"This what you call living?" Keanu tried to chuckle like he always does, all that came out was a strained whine through his painfully clenched smile that was practically carved into his face at this point.

"I'm pathetic. I'm- I- I don't even know if I'm a person anymore Gouhin... If there was any righteous force in the universe I would've died right then and there."

-"But you didn't. Maybe this is the universe giving you a second chance."

-"How many second chances do I get? I might fuck this one up too."

-"You will."

Keanu looked up, not expecting that kind of response.

"And then you'll try again. Maybe you'll fuck up again. But then you try once more. That's what life is Keanu. You're young and confused, life didn't treat you very well and you lost your way. It happens. But what you are right now does not define what you can be. The thing is, nobody is going to make you better but yourself. It's not a movie montage where after 5 minutes you're not a shit person anymore. It's consistent effort, day in and day out. You see yourself in such a horrible way... I can see that you are worth something. But you gotta put in the work to let those aspects of you shine through."

-"I don't know if I can."

Gouhin stood up and walked over, kneeling by his side once again and putting his hand across Keanu's.

-"Just because you gave up on yourself doesn't mean I gave up on you."

That was it. That was the straw that broke the jackal's little back. Tears streamed down his face and he hit his head against the back of the armchair. He cried for a few moments before he could even get any words out.

-"Fuck, panda..." Keanu whimpered.

-"I know..."

-"I don't like feeling like this... Like I'm dying... Please help me."

Gouhin stared into his eyes as he contemplated what to do next. He let out a sigh as he made his choice of doing what he always does, keeping Keanu pacified. He left the room for a moment and came back with a syringe and a few small bottles of medicine. Keanu could barely feel the shots he was getting, he just laid his head back and waited.

And waited.

And...

Oh... Daddy's home...

-"How do you feel?"

-"Born again."

Gouhin smirked.

-"I bet... the cocktail I just shot into you should keep you strong for about 12 hours. Don't drink any alcohol, don't snort anything and you probably shouldn't be driving either..."

-"I got all I needed. A fistful of lead and something for the pain..."

-"You're probably gonna get the strongest erection of your life too. I suggest you don't use it, seeing as you had a pipe jammed in there for the last two weeks."

-"Doc I'm not gonna lie to you, I really feel like doing whatever the fuck I want right now. And so, I will. You got a cigarette?"

-"You want a massage too?"

-"With those hands? I'll pass."

Gouhin gave yet another smirk before sitting down across from Keanu and lighting up a cigarette of his own. The two stared and blew smoke in each other's direction. With order now being restored, Keanu's smile was back to where it always is while Gouhin was well... Gouhin.

"So. How'd my flaccid cock feel in your hand? Like holding a brick, right?"

-"Funny. Yet whenever I bring up the average canine penis size you wanna change the subject."

-"One of these days, Gouhin..." Keanu chuckled, waving his fist in front of his smiling face.

-"You're lucky you just got back from the dead. I'd be a lot harder on you right now if I found you seizing in an alleyway."

-"Yeah... from the dead."

-"Why do you want to go back? What's waiting for you there?"

-"I uhh... I had a dream."

-"Common with coma patients... Do you remember what it was like?"

-"Bits and pieces... I don't wanna talk about it."

-"What do you want to talk about? The weather? Sports? Stocks? You've been out of the loop for a while, might as well fill me in on what you experienced."

Keanu rolled his eyes and remained silent for a moment.

-"I was back home. Standing in my front yard, basking in the sun and listening to the birds chirp. Everything was exactly how I remember it. Well, apart from the swing we had on our oak tree, it seemed so much smaller... There was an old song playing on the radio somewhere... I walked towards the front door."

Gouhin stared in anticipation.

"The feeling I got... Gouhin..."

"I did not want to go inside that fucking house. I don't think I've ever been so afraid. My mind was screaming at me to run far away as fast as I could. I heard a voice... and the next thing I know I'm in a hospital bed choking on a tube."

-"So you want to go back so you can go inside the house? Your house?"

-"God, no... I was in school too. I... think it was me? I felt like an observer to everything I did. I spent a lot of time with- oh. Oh right. Ooooh, fuck, that's right." Keanu remarked as he pressed his palms against his temples.

Gouhin raised an eyebrow.

"Right, remember when you got mad at me cause you thought I killed the Shishigumi's boss?"

-"Yeah?"

-"Well I know who did it. He's their new leader now."

-"The deer?"

-"Yeah, Louis. He's a... friend. From school."

-"A classmate?" Gouhin questioned, confused by both Keanu knowing the guy and the sudden realization as to just how young Louis really is.

-"He's a lil' older, I think he's a senior."

-"What's a high school kid doing leading a gang of lions?"

-"That's exactly right! He's got no business being here in the black market. He's Beastar material, top of his class, lead actor in the drama club, you can buy posters of him for crying out loud! And see I tried to talk to him, I walked right into his office in the Shishigumi mansion..."

Keanu abruptly stopped before looking up and squinting while trying to remember what exactly happened in Louis' office. No luck though as the files in his brain for that night in particular seem to be corrupted.

"I gotta try and convince him." Keanu mumbled as he started getting up from the couch, pulling the IV needle from his arm.

-"What? No! Not now!"

-"Why not?"

-"Take it easy for a bit! You can't just rush into it! Give it a few days, nothing's gonna happen. If you want to truly convince your friend to get back on the right path you should at least clean yourself up a little, get back to normal."

Keanu paused for a moment, looking off to the side before smacking his lips.

-"You're right. I mean look at me. I'll just head home."

-"I'd prefer if you stayed a bit longer so I can monitor you but I can tell you've already made up your mind." Gouhin grumbled.

-"Yeah, thanks for caring but I think I've had my fill of clinical environments. Plus I should really clean my apartment, it's a mess..."

-"You do what you gotta do, but make sure to get plenty of rest. Eat soft and easy foods for a while, no meat or anything spicy. If you need anything, call me."

-"Thanks again doc. I really appreciate you helping me."

-"I don't. If you want to make me happy, don't get into situations that require my help."

Walking out of the clinic with renewed vigor and a boner that could carve marble, Keanu decided to finally head in the direction of his apartment to try and erase the week long evidence of debauchery that he left behind. As he roamed around the empty stalls and shops however, he couldn't help but notice some lights in the distance on the east side. As he perked his ears he heard several voices discussing... something. At this distance and in combination with the still present ringing in his ears it was just a murmur. He was now at a crossroads. Should he continue on his way to clean up the mess he made. Oooor should he check out what's going on over there. This was not a difficult decision. As he made his way closer to the source of the noise he could make out a crowd of animals and... torches? My oh my, has it already been that long? It's the Day of Depravity! A once-a-month event dedicated to celebrating meat and carnivore instinct. All of the black market's gangs meet up today with lit torches soaked in their own blood to see which species' scent is the most present. The last few years the Shishigumi dominated every single time. But that was because there were 30 of the fuckers. You can spritz a whole bottle of One Million by Paco Rabanne in a room full of greasy, unwashed neckbeards and you're still only gonna smell sweat. But I digress...

As Keanu approached he heard an all too familiar voice as well. He stopped dead in his tracks, for the first time in a while actually thinking about what he should do. He remembered Gouhin's words "You can't just rush into it."

Now, I can't...

He clicked his tongue.

Can't...

I can do anything, I don't give a fuck.

With his mind made up he marched forward.

"Can you feel it? In the air? The black market's shifted, Araki, soon enough you'll be the one asking me to cut a deal." Louis commented as his loyal gangsters stood behind him in a small crowd. Game faces were on, and everyone remained as stoic as possible to not show any signs of weakness. Even Agata, although not as well as the other, more hardened gangsters.

All of the gangs stood in small crowds forming a circle around the courtyard, leaving the center empty. Each one of the gangs had a lit torch held up high

-"I've been in the game while you were still being mixed in your daddy's balls. You want meat shops? I'll give you the ones that were shot to shit. And the debt they still owe, you can get that too." Araki stood across the courtyard from Louis, ashing his cigar. The Okamigumi being ten toes down, right behind him.

-"I'll pass."

"The Shishigumi has risen to the top again. Turns out all they needed was a little cleanse and a firm hand. And with a herbivore boss, we've gained the trust of the common man walking the black market. It's never been safer..."

-"That's because every carnivore now thinks twice before jumping their prey, lest they get sent to oblivion. What, you think people respect each other now? Peace means an even playing field, one that I helped make. You can take the credit if you want, my money's still coming in. Just don't let yourself believe you accomplished anything... You know who got people to finally show some manners? The Inarigumi." Araki puffed as he motioned towards Ten who stood at his, get this, TEN 'o clock.

-"Thank you, Araki. A woman's touch does wonders. Especially if she uses her claws..." Ten smiled maliciously. She was surrounded by plenty of foxes all wearing red dresses and black high heels, sporting various weapons ranging from knives to snub nosed revolvers.

"Give the kid a break though, he's done a lot in a short while. And the black market could use some fresh blood... Otherwise in a few years we'll be doing this in a nursing home. Young always replaces the old, that's the circle of life. You understand, don't you?" Ten purred with a voice as smooth as butter. She was an absolute joy to listen to.

"You're doing a great job of taming these kitties." She spoke, perhaps in an attempt of throwing Louis off his act. Was gonna take more than that unfortunately.

-"I appreciate your encouragement. It's not necessary." Louis smiled cheekily.

-"I'm well familiar with the circle of life, Ten. But my time ain't over yet. I stand here to remind everyone of what the black market is. And this young buck's too self-confident and too insolent to be leading a gang like the Shishigumi..."

Araki continued for a while, some pretty powerful stuff too, but unfortunately someone in the far back of the crowd wasn't listening as he realized he needed another hit of nicotine to focus. Cigarette was already in his mouth, but he forgot to nick the lighter off of Gouhin. Great, now you gotta bum one off of someone. Would be a bit rude to go and ask one of his mates for one, he'd ruin Araki's speech. And he's so fired up too! What a shame that would be. Oh, but who's that standing in front of him? Simba the line king, dead last in the Shishigumi circle. Jackpot.

-"Psst. Ya got a lighter?" Keanu whispered. Dolph turned around to face him and the moment Keanu entered his line of vision he turned pale. Keanu looked at him with a dumb goofy grin on his face. Dolph patted around his pockets, not breaking eye contact, his brain and body seemingly being two different mechanisms. He struck gold at his right pant pocket when he pulled out a zippo lighter, giving it to Keanu.

He nodded as he lit up the cigarette. The lighter closed with a satisfying click before Keanu shoved it in his pocket like the greedy bastard he is.

"This fuckin' guy eh? Sure has a way with words." Keanu whispered, gazing at Louis' performance. Didn't matter what crowd it was, he would always take control.

-"Wh- why- where did you come from?" Dolph asked, looking around as if there was a camera crew hidden somewhere nearby recording them.

-"I was in the neighbourhood, thought I'd stop by, y'know, say hello, root for my third favorite gang in the black market."

The incessant whispering prompted Jinma, another Shishigumi lion to turn around. He looked at Keanu, then at Dolph, then back at Keanu, then back at Dolph, giving a confused hand gesture and a very quiet "what the fuck?" Keanu took the opportunity to firmly grasp Jinma's confused hand which lingered in the air, giving it a shake.

-"How you doin? Keanu.." He introduced before pointing towards Louis. "Pay attention, it's getting good." He whispered, before giving Jinma a pat on the back and strolling off to the side into a nearby shop.

As Keanu passed through the shop he pushed through a small crowd of animals which had gathered to watch and root for their favorite gang. The Okamigumi seemingly had the majority of fans, with a few Inarigumi simps scattered here and there, but the new and improved Shishigumi's fans were nothing to scoff at either. Keanu eventually found another door to pass through and as he did he found himself back out in the open, this time slightly closer to the group of fine upstanding gentlemen he associated himself with. All of them were facing forward and doing their best to look tough in front of the other gangs. So focused in fact, that none of them heard Keanu strolling up behind them. He got behind Wayne and Johnny, the two fuckwits who were kept in the back so Araki, Kubo and Sera could look more presentable. The relatively normal Hager, Raph and Yaki were kept as middlemen...literally.

-"Are you intimidated?" Louis provoked.

-"I'd be intimidated if I wasn't so disappointed. Once the most powerful organization in the black market, now reduced to a glorified crew. With your arrogance serving as the final nail in it's coffin." Araki puffed some smoke from his cigar.

-"What we lack in numbers we make up for in heart. Cutting off the excess did us good, as only the strongest remained. You should understand, there's not all that many of you either."

-"He's got you there..." Ten shrugged her shoulders, prompting her chest to bounce slightly.

-"I just know her back hurts..." Keanu commented, fixated on Ten's... y'know what, I'm not a poet or even a good writer. He was fixated on her fat fucking milkers, honk honk awooga.

The moment Keanu spoke an electric shiver ran through both Wayne and Johnny, their blood turning ice cold. Wayne swiftly turned around and gave an audible shocked gasp, prompting Johnny to whisper a quiet, but loud enough "Fuck..."

-"You lack experience and it shows. When cracks start to form you're not gonna know what to do and you're gonna break the whole thing in half." Araki continued undeterred.

"Savon, you've been around long enough to know, you got any words?"

-"We're not interested in this petty argument. The Dokugumi holds their own and if anyone wants to take it they're welcome to try." Savon stoically declared, keeping a firm grip on the lit torch.

-"Wow, the Dokugumi remains neutral yet again... What a surprise." A voice chimed from the side.

"I'm taking Araki's side here, that torch is looking awfully dim this month isn't it? So much for kings of the jungle... If these are the strongest that remain I have no idea how the gang's been around for so long." The Madaragumi leader laughed.

"I mean seriously, you parade around like you own the place but you've only been here a few months. You need an ego check, kid. The people are only cheering you on cause they hope they can leech off the appearance you try so hard to maintain. Suddenly everyone "knows the Shishigumi". You know how many of those threats I've heard recently? It's pathetic. We're the ones actually putting in the work to make sure everything runs as it is supposed to."

-"This is coming from someone who cuts off hands as a punishment for stealing? The people cheer us on cause we treat them as business partners whom we respect. We don't violently beat them when a slight issue occurs." Louis scoffed.

-"It's a matter of honor. Something you wouldn't understand."

The noise behind him prompted Yaki to turn his head slightly to peek. Said peek then forced him to whip his head around completely to see Johnny and Wayne frozen in shock, staring at a skinny, freshly resurrected Keanu looking off into Araki's general direction. He didn't say anything, he just kept staring, convinced that if he took his eyes off him he'd be gone. And just as Yaki noticed the noise behind him, Hager and Raph noticed him looking back prompting both of them to turn around as well.

-"You know what? You've got some nerve, all of you." Louis declared.

"You're mobbing up on me because you know for a fact that I'm making a change and you don't like it. Treating our partners well makes them talk well, which makes others want to come under the Shishigumi's arm for protection. You can see the ways you've known for years failing you and you despise me for it. Well we're right here! The Shishigumi stands strong led by an herbivore against all of your experience. You're not going to scare me off, because the black market is mine! And I'm not going anywhere!" He yelled.

With almost the entirety of the Okamigumi now focused on something else entirely, Kubo sensed the unease in the air. Assuming this was due to Louis' declaration of ownership of the black market, he turned to give them a nod of encouragement to keep the morale high. Just as he turned to give the nod, Keanu entered his line of vision and all he could produce was a quiet groan, similar to a hiccup. His tail shot straight up, betraying his stoic stance and expression.

-"The black market belongs to the people in it! And you need to keep your-" Araki stopped abruptly as he noticed Kubo's tail standing up like a flagpole. He rolled his eyes and turned around to see what the fuss was about.

"Oh for fuck's sake what is-"

Silence. You could hear a pin drop. Araki stood frozen as it dawned on him that Keanu was both alive, conscious and present exactly where he wasn't supposed to be present.

-"No, no, please. Finish what you were saying."