"I'm sorry." Gat said again, louder.

~*S.R.1*~

"Ish, come on, I gotta go."

"What's that? You're supposed to be on bed rest?" Aisha snapped. "It's bad enough you haven't been. Chill out today. Please?" Aisha felt her throat tighten. She didn't want to forget what went down last night. She needed to think for a minute.

"Look, just get dressed. It's important."

Aisha was half ready. She grabbed her shades, a scarf for her head, car keys and headed out of the door. The Saints who had been keeping watch waved them off. Some followed the pair as they drove from the house to Chinatown.

"Why didn't you just order food instead of coming all the way here?" Aisha looked at Johnny, who looked at her, shaking his head.

"You don't know where we are?" Getting out of the car, the metal brace on his knee made it difficult for him to maneuver, causing him to punch the door in frustration, he was already in a foul mood and what he was doing today was going to put him in a worse mood.

Aisha tried to stop him. He just growled, waving her off. She sighed. Going to the trunk, he tapped it for Aisha to unlock. Hearing the click, he went pulling a large duffle bag from it. He handed it to one of his crew that followed them.

Johnny waited by the driver's side door. "Let's go." He ordered.

Aisha locked the car, following them, knowing where they were. She's been here before; quite a few times. This was what Johnny had planned to do. There were people sending in reports from the time they left the house. The phones had stopped chiming sometime last night. It must have been Johnny's doing.

They came to a building in the center of where the mini fruit markets and stalls lined the walkways. Knocking on the door, they waited. When it opened, a young, tall brown-skinned man greeted them.

"Yo Gat, what up?" holding his fist up.

Gat dapping in return, "Nothing man the fam in?"

"Yeah, yeah, come on in. Hey girl, sup. Ma, we got company. Come in, take a seat." He looked out the door. Forty other purple-clad people stood as armed guards, some with their heads bowed. "Yo Gat, what's with this?" Bobby asked as he pointed out the door.

Aisha came behind, taking a seat on the long couch.

"Bobby, I'm not decent for company." Came from the second floor.

"It's just us, Aunt Mimi." Gat called up as he stood by the couch. He refused the seat that was offered.

"Oh, hey Johnny baby…" Mimi called on her way down, then paused. The front door was wide open and the people outside were on a bent knee. Johnny stood taller, lifting the duffle bag by his feet, handing it to Bobby - Kyouki's younger cousin.

Johnny unfastened the leg brace, Aisha got up and tried to stop him, Gat grunted, shaking her off of his arm. He placed the brace against the couch. Grunting again, he ground his teeth as he took a knee. It had been more than a year since he had been in the brace. The man refused to listen to the doctors as he kept running with the Saints.

"Johnny." Aisha called softly. "Please take it easy."

Taking a deep breath before he could speak, his heart hammered. He could hear Aisha and Bobby telling him to get up. He refused, swallowing hard, as he tested his voice, "Li…. Kyouki… She was in that explosion last night. I take responsibility. I should have been there."

Aisha's head felt heavy tears filling her eyes. She looked out the door. Seeing the respect the crew had, she covered her mouth with a sob.

Mimi shook her head, "Baby, no, she was just here last night." Her mind drew back to the night she saw her, less than twenty-four hours ago.

Bobby's brow drew together, face scrunched. "Nah, don't play like that."

Gat didn't move his head down. Both Mimi and Bobby looked at the door, and the crew were wiping their eyes.

"No." It sunk in for Bobby, "Stop playin!" Anger burned his chest, "What you mean you take responsibility? Fuck that mean Gat!"

"Bobby, not now!" The older woman barked out, "Johnny, where is Ky?"

Gat raised his head. Tears clouded his vision. "She uh… Kyouki died in last night's explosion, with Mayor Hughes. The news didn't say who else it was, though."

Kyouki's aunt looked at the ceiling of their house. Her head hurt. "God no, not my sister's baby. Are you sure?"

Gat nodded, "Yeah, I talked to her."

Aunt Mimi's face held many questions, but one got through."You was on the phone with her?"

"Nah, Troy called me twenty minutes later."

Bobby had paced, stopped when he heard Troy's name. "Troy… I saw Troy when I was coming from the police station." Bobby wiped his face with his hands, sniffing.

"What?" Gat looked up, forcing himself to stand.

"Rashad got in some shit last night. I went to get him out. I saw Troy talking to some cops, his last name Bradshaw, right?"

"Yeah."

"No shit, Troy's a cop."

~*S.R.1*~

Li scrambled away, crawling out of Gat's reach. "Don't do that. No!" When she faced him, his eyes were red, seeing a tear escaped.

Gat shook his head, wiping his face. His jaw was tight, yelling right back. "Why? I wasn't there!" He wanted to be there. That night he felt off the minute he called her to check on her.

'Johnny is in love with you.'

Li felt a frigid chill that crept up her spine. "No! Don't! You never apologize to me, ever. You couldn't be there!" Li pointed a finger at Gat as she backed away from him. She didn't want to hear it. Why was he suddenly apologizing? Her voice cracked, betraying her anger. She was on the verge of tears. Everything about that day went from weird to worst.

"That don't matter, I could have, and should have, been there!" Gat barked right back. He felt angry, felt like he could have done anything even if it was being there, like the day he watched her beat the hell out of Tanya Winters.

Li wiped her eyes with her arm, if it was a screaming match he wanted it was a screaming match he was going to get, "You took the shotgun round for me, and was still recovering, you ain't fuckin' Superman you can't always be there!"

~*S.R.1*~

"Get out of the city, change your numbers, and go far away."

"What about Ky?"

Gat shook his head. "I gave you the money. If Troy really is a cop, he is coming for us, and I'm gonna kill him."

"Imma help you!" Bobby hit his fist in his hand. Gat shook his head again.

"No!" Came from Li's Aunt. She looked to Gat, "I can't leave." She gestures around the house. Gat pointed to the black bag on the floor. Bobby looked down, opened it. Several stacks of hundreds filled the bag.

"Leave tonight in the bag phones for you too. Where's Tracy?"

"She should be in tonight, how am I going to just leave..." Mimi was holding herself, her mind whirled of what she was processing. Her only niece had gone to meet her parents.

"Gat?" Came from the doorway as one of Li's crew, the girl was bringing in the woman in question.

"Hey. Ma, what's going on? I was told to come right home..." Looking between Gat, Aisha and everyone else who stood in their living room.

Her mother bit her lip, shook her head before she could speak, "Baby…. Kyouki…" she took a ragged breath. "She dead baby last night." New tears trickled out of her eyes.

Tracy looked at her mother. She whipped around looked at Gat, instantly flying into a rage, "You Bastard! You fucking promised, you fucking liar, bitch, you fucking bitch!" She threw punches, slapping Gat. All he could do was just stand there, taking it all.

"Tracy, no!" her mother screamed. Bobby grabbed his older sister, pulling the flailing woman. Their mother wedged between them as well. Aisha stepped between them all, trying to get Tracy to calm down. A few of the Saints from outside came in to assist.

"Let me go, he fucking promised, you fucking promised, you lied to me!" Tracy crumbled. "You promised to keep her safe." She was saying over and over, between her tears, her brother and mother sobbed with her.

Gat stood there, his eyes burning with tears. He promised to keep her family safe. He will take their hate, the hits to honor Li's wishes.

Gat made a gesture and the Saints who stood came in and helped pack the essentials. Helping Mimi and Tracey to their feet. "Trace…. Y'all have to go, now."

"Where Gat?" Tracey bit out angrily.

"Out of Stilwater, call me when you are safe."

~*S.R.1*~

Li trembled. She turned around, frustrated. This was not what she needed right now. Talking about what happened then doesn't help the loneliness she feels. His constant protection played over and over in her mind, more so after what Aisha told her, always using his body to shield her.
She wished they could go back to the days when he wasn't now constantly questioning her, but she missed something between then and now. That explosion was unforeseen, and neither of them could have done anything about it, then, or now.

Shaking her head, she walked around Johnny. Li felt naked even in her bedclothes, grabbing the shirt he had tossed on the large bed, pulling it over her head, felt Johnny's warmth; her hands balled into fists when she felt his arms coil around her, his heat blanketing her, his face buried in her hair. She shivered against it.

"No, I should have been there." Johnny kept insisting. He moved her hair from her shoulder, burying his face in the crook of her neck, squeezing her tighter like if he let go she would disappear.

The touch of his skin on hers sent a bolt through her. "No! Let me go, this isn't you!" Li wiggled, pushing him back, pulling his hands off of her, she stumbled on the bed, getting her feet tangled in the covers, ungracefully falling onto the floor hitting the chair in the middle of the room and bounced back to her feet after kicking off the cloth trap.

He knew hugging her like that would send a fist to his face. Doing so either way, he needed it. It wasn't enough for him to see her alive. He heard her cry when Ish had called. When she was scrambling out of his reach, even though there wasn't much room to go, but out of the room itself. His eyes were trained on her as she bumbled and stumbled her way to the kitchenette a few feet away.
Watched as she sighed, hands spread on the cool laminate counter, head down her hair, a temporary barrier from his sight. Yeah, he touched a nerve.
He stood there; watching her back, the way her hair fell sliding off her shoulders, a dark curtain. It still felt like a dream. He lived a nightmare unending for four years when he thought she was dead - and just a year ago the rumors started, "Li was alive." alive and in a coma. Now for the past month since she came to his rescue, he did nothing but watch her, every move, every gesture, the ones he had cemented to memory that kept him angry when she 'died', maybe he was still crushing on her.
Thinking about when she wasn't here, when he couldn't just talk to her about bullshit, now he made up bullshit reasons to call her, just to hear her voice; even if she is right here in front of him.

"Kyouki."

Li was trying to calm her racked nerves, lifted her head slightly at the sound of her name coming out of his mouth, something about it set her on edge, turning to the wall rubbing her hand over her face sighed. "If anything, Troy needs to apologize, well past until he is blue in the face. Julius needs to apologize. He was supposed to be there too."
She stood, pulling her long curled hair back out of her face, tying it back up before she continued, "But I never want you to apologize for that. When you got shot, you told me the same thing. What the fuck were you supposed to do? Take the fucking blast for me?" Trying to look him in the eye but failed, his stare was like fire. Never had she felt so self-conscious about anyone, especially Johnny Gat. Averting her eyes, she shakily fixed a pot of water. What she was doing before Gat came in being pushy.

Coming to lean on the corner of the counter, he crossed his arms. "Yes, if it came to that." Gat answered without hesitation. It surprised even him to say it that quick. He was right. Johnny Gat was ready, all the time he would be ready, and always will be ready from now on.

Li scoffed. His matter-of-fact tone always made her want to hate his smugness. "You're a fucking idiot." Placing the metal pot back on the portable burner harder than she should have.

Gat raised an eyebrow. "I would take another shot to the knee."

"God. Don't do that." She warned.

Gat's turn to scoff with a snort. "What, tell you the truth?"

'Yes, the truth. Johnny has always been straight up with you.'

She was losing this battle she felt. Johnny never lied to her once. In all the years she's known him, a liar he isn't.
"Alright yeah, just don't say that, look…." Battle lost, defeated, she sighed, her shoulders sagged the fight she had drained, and she needed sleep.

Gat came closer, waiting for a reaction. He stood there looking down at the top of her head with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for her to continue. She didn't move from him or went to look at him. Johnny turned her to face him and held her face in his hands. Li tried to squirm away, but he held her in place, just looking at her.

"Kyouki, I would take another for you."

Li's ears twitched, blinking rapidly she looked him in the eyes. She reached up, lightly patting his wrist, sighing, slowly removing his hands from her face. A hint of a smile. "Yeah, I know. I can't have that. I should have waited, but I was already running late." 'Tell him!' she felt her heart getting tight. "I should have listened to that little man that lives in my head and waited, and I never killed him."
'Tell him what you told Aisha!' her mind screamed. Li turned her attention to the cabinets, reaching in the cupboard pulling from it two cups, a canister, and a pill bottle.

Johnny crossed his arms again, knowing what his next move was. He seriously considered if she didn't move him. "Killed who?" knowing she killed quite a few people, but it seems like this one he needed to hear.

"Hughes."

The look on Johnny's face made it seem like it wasn't news. "No, he was burnt up with you… You know what I mean."

Li nodded. "The papers say it was a murder-suicide. Julius said it was an assassination." The pot whistled, Li poured the hot water into the cups, opening the pill bottle she went to put in two pills for her cup.

Shocked to even hear their former leader's name, "You talked to Julius?" reaching for the pill bottle, he read the label.

"No, it was at the old… remodeled Church on the Row." She explained what she heard as she handed Gat a cup of tea.

"And Dex went to work for Ultor? But I never killed Hughes. I left my Aunt's cause I had called my Uncle overseas, tried calling Troy to see if he was there, you then called me, Julius wasn't there, I spoke with Hughes, he was going to kill me… bomb, I woke up."

Li put her cup back down after taking a sip. "Hottoite now! We are done."

"No."

Li pouted and stomped. "You act like I can't take care of myself. Leave, so I can sleep drugged in peace!" she whined.

"Like walking on that boat?" Gat snorted, putting his cup down, taking her cup pouring out the contents, "I'm having people come guard you too, I'm sleeping here tonight."

"No, the fuck you are not!" Li gasped, stomped over to the door, wrenching it open. "Get the hell out, I am done talking."

"Listen, I'll sleep on the floor. We are going to talk." He was already texting orders with one hand, walking over, closing the door with the other, and then texting Aisha.

"Nooo, I don't want to talk. Go sleep at the hotel, rooms there. I have no room for your big ass here. I want to be alone!" Li's phone chimed. She walked over to the bed and looked at the screen.

Let him stay. I have Lisa here. 3 you!"

Li raised an eyebrow and looked up at Gat from her phone. "I hate you both right now." tossing her phone over her shoulder on the bed, lips pursed.

"Bullshit, why you need sleeping pills to sleep?" Gat went and ordered food.

"Troy said I… None of your business… Did you just answer your own question?" Li rolled her eyes as she went to fix a fresh cup of tea.

Li woke up feeling drained. She turned over and was face to face with Johnny. She gasped. He must have ended up next to her in the middle of the night, still dressed and on top of her covers. Li noticed she was lying on his arm. 'Really? When did this happen?' She took a minute to look at him, smiled softly when she caught herself, then frowned. "Oshiri?" She whispered.
Li moved the covers and covered him up. Slowly and gently, she climbed over him and he exhaled. She went to grab some clothes, then to the small shower to freshen up. Having to dress in there as well. "Hentai ga mewosamasu?" She drawled quietly when she emerged again, "Nisemonodesu ka?"

Gat smirked. "Is that a morning thing with you?"

"Nani?"

"That."

"Naze sore ga jūyōna no ka?" She looks shocked.

"Just about every morning, for the longest, that's why." Johnny stretched out his long body.

"What an odd thing to remember. I just know you don't sleep that heavy unless you are piss drunk, and I don't have anyone to converse with from home." Li sat at her desk, fixing her hair, combing it out, then set to braiding cornrows on the left side of her head.

"I'm not a pervert. I thought you were born here." It was too early for him to think, but she was right. He had woken up when she left the bed.

"No, I grew up here, but home overseas." She combed through her hair, remembering she needed to make a few phone calls soon.

Johnny propped up on his elbow, watching her sit there. "Where you going so early?"

"Workout, breakfast, then meet with your boy, Pierce."

"I'll be here when you get back." Laying back after popping the other pillow behind his head, he continued to watch her as she sat in front of the mirror.

"No, you will go home to Aisha." She finished one side quickly, admiring her work in the mirror, then went to braiding three braids identical to the other side.

Refusing to look anywhere but in her direction, "Remember when you held that birthday party for me?" Gat, admiring what she was doing.

Li put the comb down, making a sound that acknowledged him. "What about it?" More statement than answer as she went to braid another braid.

"Nothing. I think I like it here. You can take the house, and Ish and me can live here. I have Tracy and them's numbers." He rubbed his hand on his chin. He needed to shave.

Li stopped what she was doing, the desk chair squeaking as she was turning to face Gat, "What did you say?" Her glare accusing like he just insulted her.

Johnny took his phone out from his pocket, scrolled through the numbers, turned the phone handing it to Li.
Li's hand trembled as she reached for the phone, but there they were, her two cousins and aunt.

"Johnny, when?" breathless she felt a wave of emotion wash over her. Looking from the cell in her hands to the man who handed her the phone, she gripped the phone a little tighter.

He put his feet on the floor, resting his elbows on his knees. When Kyouki shot his tire out, he heard what she said. He called them when he found out she was still alive while he was locked up. Gat nodded and pointed to the phone, put his shoes on, walking out of the door to give her some privacy.

~*S.R.1*~

They drove Aisha and Gat to the shore. It was a lot quieter than earlier that day. This was their last stop. Aisha felt a burning in her chest. This was the woman who raised Li, who has been the girl's constant worry. Li made sure her Obachan lived comfortably well away from the Row.

Gat limped in minor pain. He needed to get this done, needed to see this through. With a duffle bag in hand, Aisha by his side and some of the crew behind him, he can then let Li rest easy.

Knocking on the door of the seaside hotel room, he quickly removed his glasses, tucking them in his pocket. The lock sounded, and he swallowed the lump in his throat.

An aged white-haired woman with the sweetest round face looked out and smiled.

"Aah, Johnny-chan, Asha-chan, come in, where is Kyo-chan? Is she not with you?" Looking out of the door, but saw a few men dressed in purple. She hustled the pair in, ushering them to a seat. Gat did his best to smile, but looking at the older woman, his eyes closed, he dropped the bag, fell to his knees at her feet.

"Please, please forgive me!" He shouted face down on the floor. He was a coward at this moment, and he did not care who saw. The man let this woman down. He sobbed as he knelt. He could no longer hold it in. From the night before to meet with her aunt and cousins, everything that was pent up was on display at that moment. He was lost.

Shocked and startled, she tried to help Johnny up. She waved over to Aisha. "What is this? Asha-chan help me." She cooed softly in her native tongue as she was pulling on Johnny's arm. Li taught Aisha a few keywords to listen for when her Obachan was speaking to her.

Aisha gritted her teeth, her nostrils flared as she tried to keep it together for Li, taking a hold of Grandma Fuyumi's hands gently pulling her to sit with her. Aisha blinked back tears that refused to stay. She averted her eyes and she could feel herself crumbling.
"Aunt Fu… what I'm about to say will be hard." her voice breaking with every word she spoke.

Confusion on the older woman's face as she looked at Johnny still on the floor kneeling his forehead on the floor, "What is going on, one of Kyo-chan's tricks?" Her thick accent was growing heavy with worry.

Aisha shook her head no, tears clinging to her eyelashes as she bit her lip. Ragged breath, she forced the news of what happened last night."No, no trick… There was an accident last night." Aisha's chin hit her chest. Tears dripped over and over onto her lap, as if it were raining inside. Looking up, she saw the look of horror on the face of Li's grandmother.

"Is she alright, how bad was it?" A tilt of the older woman's head broke the rest of Aisha's resolve.

Aisha sobbed. "I'm so sorry." Her hands covered her face.

When the pair said nothing more, Fuyumi nodded her head, tears trickling from her eyes, "I see, I need to make a call, Sumimasen." She got up hurriedly, wiping her hands on her apron repeatedly, her slippered feet shushing along the carpet.

Aisha composed herself somewhat, going over to Johnny, helping him up from the floor. The two heard her on the phone speaking quietly in Japanese, then the headset on the cradle, followed by her hitting the floor.

~*S.R.1*~

Kyouki called the last number. Her heart raced, then stopped as tears flowed when she heard the woman on the other end.

"Gat, everything ok?"

With a sob, Kyouki sniffled. "It's not Gat, Hey cousin…" her voice croaked.

~*S.R.1*~

They had been at the hospital for a week, people from Japan came visiting now. Gat could make out very little of what he was eavesdropping from outside the door of the hospital room. Aisha sat quietly, reading as they waited to sit with Li's grandmother. A few minutes more passed as they waited.

"Yo, excuse me, where is Fuyumi Wong's room?"

Gat's head rolled from looking to the door to looking over to the nurses' station. There was Troy; Gat. Saw. Red. He got up, drawing attention to Aisha;

"Johnny, what's wrong?" Aisha looked over and tossed the magazine into the empty chair next to her. "Johnny don't, not here." She whispered.

His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white, veins raised all along his arm. That she could see. Aisha reached for his hand, looking to Troy for him to get the hell out of there. Gat was now stalking, slowly, then running caught Troy in the jaw knocking him down to the cold tiled floor, sending things on the long counter crashing to the floor as Troy tried to catch himself, a cart with medical supplies went clattering with a louder crash spilling its contents as well.

"Stop!" Aisha shrieked.

Johnny threw another punch, catching Troy on the forearms. Gat wanted his face. He was going to rearrange his life to send the traitor bastard to hell.

Troy blocked as he tried to shield himself from the incoming onslaught. "Gat stop, don't, let me explain!" Troy shouted from under the cover of his arms.

Everyone who was a nurse scrambled out of the way, one calling for security who told them to let them 'duke it out.'

"What, I promised you this ass whoopin years ago!" He grunted, "You got her killed, you piece of shit!" Gat roared, punching at Troy's head. Fed up with missing his lying mouth, Gat grabbed a hold of Troy's shirt, pulling him to his feet, then easily tossing the man into the door, shattering the glass that was once a thick glass window.
"You piece of shit, you were supposed to be there with her!" Gat grabbed him up again and tossed him into the nurses' station, picking him up once more slid him across the long tall desk into the racks that carried the food.

Troy was dazed, and he knew he had it coming, just not so soon. There wasn't much he could do to defend himself. Gat was crazed and, by the right of it, absolutely furious.

"GAT I'M SORRY!" Troy screamed as he collected himself. His body was hurting, but Gat continued his assault.

"That won't bring her back, you traitor!" Gat landed another hammer fist into Troy's face, sending him sliding on the floor into the wall. Johnny laughed. He watched the blood trickle from Troy's nose.

"That's enough!" Aisha rushed over, ran up to pull Gat's attention to her, jumping onto his back as she tried to hold on. Her petite frame was no match for the onslaught that was rage incarnate.

Johnny shook off his girlfriend, who then held onto his arm. He swung, sending her sprawling behind him. They caught her, the Guards who came running from the other end of the floor. They were Saints.
A few Saints who were called came running in to hold Gat down.
They didn't know Troy was a cop - it was a couple of boys in Troy's crew, incidentally letting him go. Johnny roared and wrestled his way from being held down by the others and ran barreling rampage after Troy through the hospital corridors.

Aisha looked back and the people who were in with Fuyumi were in the hall with quizzical looks on their faces. Turning her attention to the men, "How is she?"

~*S.R.1*~

Gat came back in an hour later, refreshed. Kyouki looked at him coming through the door with a teary smile on her face. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Kyouki still held his phone in her hands.

Gat chuckled, letting himself in with his bags. Li finished her hair, combing the remaining unbraided locks as a long floppy mohawk. She sniffed hard, grabbing another tissue to blot her eyes. "I thought you was gonna be aight."

Li saw his broad back from her mirror. "Big ass Gat. Don't come back here again." Snorting as she preened a bit more, looked at herself in the medium-sized mirror, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

"But I missed you all this time. I want to make up for it." He stood at the kitchenette, digging through the bags.

"You have got to be kidding me." She snorted again. Getting up, she tapped him on the shoulder and waited for him to turn around. She threw her arms around him, pulling him down, hugging him tight. "Thank you Oshiri!" Reaching around him snatching a bag, she headed to the door.
The bustling sound of the morning commuters filled the small room, two guards greeted her at her door from last night, "Lock up when you leave and take them with you." Nodding to them as she headed to her car.

"Anything you say, Boss." Gat said after her retreating form. Quickly looking in the bag left, he walked to the door with it dangling from his finger. "3, 2…."

Ky burst through the door, chuckled, switched the bags, and left once again.

Li finished at the gym and she felt great, she then went to pick up her usual order from a local diner near Aisha's, gleefully heading to her second home. Bags of food in hand, she went to put the key in the door and was greeted by Lisa, Aisha's younger sister she saved from prostitution from the Vice King's.

"Hey girl, you look good. How's everyone?" Li greeted, handing her a bag while grabbing a quick hug.

"They good, thanks. You were back, I heard. I had to see it for myself. I'm so glad, shits crazy."

Li nodded, "I'll fix it, I always do, but I won't be taking any more naps, promise." They both chuckled as Aisha came down smiling.

Li walked over handing her a bag too. "Morning, give this to Oshiri. I can't stay but I will be back later tonight. I think, if not, I want you to head to HQ with Johnathan."

"Johnathan?" Aisha raised an eyebrow.

"You made him stay with me. He is Johnathan."

"Girl, you are crazy, I'll see you later then. Thanks!" Aisha called from the doorway as Li practically skipped to her car, driving off tooted the horn.

The edge of Downtown was the nicer apartment complexes. Pulling up to the address the GPS had no one was outside, Li looked around and a group of guys walked up in front of one of the apartment buildings. Getting out, they met her with wolf whistles and catcalls.

"Save it, boys, I'm not interested. Any of you know, Pierce?"

"Oh, you can't give us the time, but you want to ask questions?" One of the group rebuked.

Li smirked, "Please, which one of you is Pierce? I'd like to apologize." She pouted, sucking on her lower lip coyly.

A man taller than her stood up and smirked. "That's better. Show a little gratitude." He put his arm around her shoulders, leading her to the apartment door next to the one they stood about.

A guy in a baseball cap and jersey trotted up from the opposite direction. "Li, right? Sorry I'm late. I couldn't decide which shoes to wear." He was out of breath.

Li looked up at the guy whose arm was still on her. She stepped back and anger filled her eyes. "And just where were you planning on leading me, hmm?" She asked the man before her.

The guy's color drained from his face. He chuckled, "You know, it was a joke." he looked to his boys for help, who looked away as if they had nothing to do with it.

"You… lure women as a joke?" Li tilted her head, she looked at Pierce, "You are Pierce, yes?" Pierce nodded, but couldn't say anything.

With a nod, she roundhouse kicked the guy in the ribs. She spun in the opposite direction so fast she kneed the man in his face as he was falling to the pavement.

She exhaled and squatted down next to the man's head. "If that's what you consider a joke, find a new hobby." She stood up, stepped over him, and walked to her car. Pierce trotted after her, getting into the passenger's side.

"That was bad ass, if you can do that I want to see what you can do to the Ronin." Pierce commented looking back, seeing the guy still laying on the ground surrounded by the others.

Li nodded, "What the Ronin? He takes your lunch money?"

The look on Pierce's face said it all. "That's not cool. 'They' not 'he' are a gang from Japan. They have been shaking down the shops in Chinatown and all over this area." Pierce gestured out of the window on her left.

"Oh, nice ride. You said Japan?" 'Oh, shit. Need to make my calls' Li pulled out her phone to make a note to make her calls. "Tell me, how much do you know about these… Ronin?"

They sat in the car for a while as Pierce filled her in on the gang, who were just a fraction of a larger body from Japan some time in the past two years they made Stilwater their stop.

"They been all over. And my grandmama see, she love to play bingo, but these bitches be crawling all over and it ain't safe for old folks tight. I need to make sure she aight." Pierce was set on seeing the streets safe.

Li nodded, understanding wholeheartedly what this man next to her was feeling. "Meiyo no nai samurai wa rōnindesu." Quoting something her uncle told her a long time ago.

Pierce was shocked. "You speak Japanese?"

"A lil." She smirked as they exited the car. Walking up, only three of the yellow-clad Ronin members were in the park. They strapped their Katana to their backs. Kyouki shook her head. That was not how they were supposed to carry them. Who was the leader of this clan? Had they no honor?

Li linked arms with Pierce leaning in to have him play along. "I want to see if we could find out who they work for, but… you want a Katana?"

Pierce reared back. "No..."

Kyouki tugged his arm, urging him on.