Chapter 179: Uninvited Guests

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, Cedric would still get his.

Kyoko sighed as she stepped out into the empty hallway. A small part of her had hoped she would just find him sulking out here. Tina had every right to be upset with him for not telling her the truth about Cedric and once again she was reminded of Rick. Emotions were running high tonight.

She wanted to be angry at Cedric, to curse him, to physically hurt him for the torment he caused to Kuon and Tina. When she saw him all bloodied and pitiful with nothing but remorse in his eyes her anger had fizzled out. All she could do now was be there for the love of her life and their friend until they could get past this.

Kyoko removed her phone from the clutch in her hand, glad to have had the hindsight of grabbing it during the commotion. Without hesitation, her finger tapped a few times then made the call. It rang a few times then dropped off. Kyoko pulled the phone back from her ear and stared at the screen thinking she had poor reception in the hallway. It never once occurred to her that he would ignore her call no matter how upset he was. Surely, he had to know how worried she was about him. She tried again and was rewarded with the same outcome.

Frustrated, she trudged toward the elevator with the plan to search their room first. If he wasn't there, Kuon would leave her no choice but turn Los Angeles upside down looking for him, starting with the hotel. She wondered if they had a paging system like the schools and department stores had in Japan for public announcements. She could ask their resourceful concierge, Miguel, for help.

Kyoko dashed through the small gap of the elevator doors as soon as she could fit, not bothering to wait for them to open completely. She rushed down the short hall while digging in her bag for the room card.

"Corn," she shouted as soon as she entered. Her heart dropped at the stillness of the room when there was no resounding answer. She persevered and moved deeper into the suite not bothering to take off her shoes as she headed for their room. He could be in the bathroom or resting. That could be why he's not answering me.

Entering their room, the first thing she noticed was the temperature change. Goosebumps pricked her skin as her body tried to adjust to the cooler air. The gossamer drapes billowing in the wind from the open terrace doors caught her attention next. That wasn't open when we left. She dropped her bag on the table as she crossed the room and headed outside.

A blast of cold wind hit her as soon as she stepped out onto their side of the wrap-around balcony making her shiver. The gusts up here were much stronger and cooler than they had been downstairs. "Corn," she yelled, her voice lost in the night breeze as she tried to gather the hair whipping around her face hindering her vision. Still, there was no answer. Kyoko continued to walk the length of the balcony, hoping that she would find him sitting in one of the other areas. She knew before rounding the final corner that he wouldn't be there. He might have been at one point, but she had somehow missed him.

Kyoko retraced her steps, shutting the doors behind her and scooping up her clutch as she made her way out of the suite in search of Miguel. She was prepared to put her boyfriend on the blast for making her crazy with worry.

On the elevator down, her phone began vibrating in her little purse. She rushed to get it out and answered the phone without looking at the screen.

"Kuon, where are you?" She asked, unable to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Princess?" Tadashi responded.

"Daddy?!" She gushed without thinking after recognizing her father's voice. She heard the sharp inhalation of breath on the other line. "I mean dad, father...umm," she corrected as heat flooded her face.

"Daddy will do," he chuckled for a few seconds. "But what's going on? Where's Kuon?"

"I, uh..." Kyoko didn't know where to begin. It was a long story that she didn't have time to get into with him right now. She had to find Kuon. He wasn't answering his phone and the elevator was taking forever. So far, she was lucky that no one was getting on or off.

"Does this have to do with Cedric Bennett? He's all over the internet…"

"How do you know?" She asked suspiciously. Did he do a background check on Kuon?

"I put two and two together. I used to notice that he acted off whenever Bennett was around. What about Tina? Does she keep up with Celebrity gossip?"

"She was here. She heard it all," Kyoko replied sadly. It was good to know that her father had not betrayed her wishes and pried into Kuon's past.

Tadashi's heavy sigh was enough indication that he understood how devastated Tina must have been after Cedric's speech.

"Yashiro-san is with her while I look for Kuon."

"Do you need me to make a few calls? I can ask Spectre to tap into the security feeds of the hotel to find him."

"He can do that?" She asked incredulously.

"It's time-consuming if he doesn't have a good starting point," Tadashi explained.

"How about fifteen minutes ago room 704? We were in Tina's room together."

"That's perfect, Princess. I'll call you back when he finds something."

"Thanks, Dad, um daddy," she corrected herself, knowing how happy it made him. "I have to go now. I'm going to ask the concierge for help too. I'm worried about him," she said as the elevator slowed down on its approach to the first floor.

"Good thinking, sweetie. I'll talk to you soon, love you,"

"Love you too. Bye, daddy." Kyoko smiled feeling a little better. She had no idea how her father always turned up at the right moment. Before shoving her phone back in her bag, she checked her messages just in case a text from Kuon had slipped by her unnoticed while she was talking on the phone. 0 messages.

"Come on." She bounced impatiently while waiting for the doors to open. Not expecting a little crowd gathered in front of the doors, Kyoko had to stop short of slipping through the narrow crack again to politely weave through the people. She headed straight for the front desk to track down Miguel. Luckily, the man in question was there chatting with another employee and noticed her approach.

"Ms. Kyoko, you look gorgeous."

"Thank you, Mr. Hernandez," she replied politely with a small bow.

"You're very welcome. Could I help you with anything? You look lost." The friendly concierge asked, getting straight to the point.

"Yes, I kind of lost my date," she answered cutely with a hint of embarrassment. Hopefully, they would be more receptive to helping her if she used her hopeless pretty girl act.

"Oh, my. What crazy man would leave a stunning young lady like you alone?" Miguel's female colleague asked shamelessly, making the concierge frown.

Miguel offered her a friendly smile and answered, "If your date is still Mr. Tsuruga, then I saw him heading back towards the ballroom about ten minutes ago."

"You did?"

Miguel nodded confirmation.

"Okay, thank you," Kyoko smiled and bowed.

"It was my pleasure. I'll keep an eye out if he comes back this way and let him know you are looking for him."

"Thank you, Mr. Hernandez. I appreciate it." With that, Kyoko lifted her skirt slightly so she could walk faster.

The ambiance inside the ballroom had changed completely since she was last in it. The heavy atmosphere of earlier was gone and people were once again having a good time. Kyoko scanned the room looking for her boyfriend. She couldn't find him, but at least his parents and Eltra were easy to spot as they conversed with a group of people near the dance floor.

She tapped on Kuu's shoulder to gain his attention.

"Hey, there's my girl," he greeted jovially and put his arm around her shoulders bringing her into the circle. Kuu and Julie introduced her to the group while praising her many talents. Kyoko flushed at their never-ending compliments. When they were engrossed with Eltra's story regarding the Grateful Party last year, Kuu saw an opportunity to pull her off to the side.

"How is Tina doing?"

"As well as to be expected. Yashiro-san is watching over her," she assured him.

"Oh, thank god. I feel horrible. She probably hates us now. I didn't know if Ren told her about Cedric and didn't realize Nadia, the event coordinator, had stuck them at the same table. I hope she can eventually forgive us. I know it's eating at him."

"Tina will just need some time."

Kuu nodded grimly.

"Is Ren here?" she asked, sweeping over the crowd. "I've been looking for him."

"He mentioned the bathroom," Kuu nodded toward the double doors at the back. "But I'm sure it was more of an excuse to get away. I tried to go after him, but he insisted I finish what I started. We'll probably be another hour before we can slip away. I feel like it's happening all over again," Kuu admitted helplessly.

"No, it's nothing like that. He's stronger now," Kyoko said, surprised by the conviction in her voice. Once she admitted it, she knew Kuon was going to be just fine. "I'll go check. If I don't find him, I'll come right back."

"If anyone can make things right, it's you, angel. Just be careful, okay." Kuu gave her a side hug and kissed her temple.

"I will," she smiled and quietly slipped away from the group before anyone noticed. Kyoko continued to glance around the room as she walked towards the door just in case her boyfriend had slipped back in without her knowledge.

"Hey," she called out as soon as she noticed the familiar figure leaning against the wall with his phone pressed to his ear. Kyoko felt the familiar vibrations coming from her phone.

"Hey, baby," he drawled as he tapped his phone off, ending the movement in her clutch. He pushed off the wall and closed the distance between them in record time, wrapping his arms at the small of her waist. Kyoko slid her arms around his torso to hug him back and rested her head against his broad chest, forgetting that her face would stain his shirt.

"I've been looking for you."

"Sorry, I missed your call. I was on the other line."

Kyoko hummed into his chest, no longer caring that he didn't answer earlier. Having him back in her arms was more than enough. Speaking of call, she needed to text her father to wave off his man.

"I wasn't expecting to find you down here. I thought I had to go on a wild goose chase and turn LA upside down to find you."

A small smile tugged at his lips. "I figured I'd check on mom and dad...and apologize for ruining the night."

"What do you mean?" She asked, pulling back and studying his face.

"This business with Cedric was my fault. If I hadn't been such a weakling back then…"

"Okay, I'm going to stop you right there." She covered his mouth annoyed by his train of thought. "You can't shoulder the blame for this one. From what I saw inside, tonight was a good night even if a little off-scripted."

"But Tina," he protested, his voice laced with hurt.

"Tina just needs some time." She was using that line a lot tonight and hoped to God it would turn out so simple. "The news about Cedric's involvement with the accident caught her off guard. She'll come around." Kyoko cupped his cheek and rubbed his jaw tenderly with her thumb. He covered her hand with his and twisted his face to place a small kiss on her palm, sending a delightful shiver down her spine. Not the time, nor the place, Kyoko! Remember what happened last time you perv'd on him?

Laughter down the hall caught their attention. Two guys from the catering staff joked while walking toward the exit. It was only then that Kyoko noticed the hall they were in didn't have the usual hotel flare decorating the walls. It was still as elegant as the rest of the hotel corridors; it was just plain. Voices and kitchen sounds floated out from behind various doors dotting the hall opposite to where she came out of the ballroom.

It was but a few seconds as Kyoko gave her attention back to her boyfriend that the door from which those men left burst open again.

"Holy fuck!" One of the guys exclaimed to the other.

"Should we report it?" The other guy asked his friend.

"Fuck no! You heard those guys. They'll kill our families if we say anything. That guy is a rich asshole. After his little speech, he deserves the shitstorm coming his way."

Kyoko exchanged worried glances with her boyfriend. Judging from the conversation, they could only guess that they were talking about Cedric. In other words, the actor was out there for some reason.

"But wasn't that Chuck on the ground? He's one of us, shouldn't we…"

"I'm not getting involved alright. I'm going back to work," the guy said curtly and stalked into a set of double doors. The other guy reluctantly trailed after him.

"What do you suppose..." Kyoko began but was cut off.

"Wait here, I'm going to check it out," he commanded while striding down the hall.

"Corn, there's no way I'm letting you go out there alone," Kyoko argued but the door twenty feet away was already swinging close, leaving her alone in the corridor.

Damn that man for having blessedly long legs and teleportation powers!

She pulled out her phone and fired a single text to her fathers as she headed for the exit, ignoring Kuon's instructions.

Cedric blinked rapidly trying to clear his vision from the blood or was it sweat, maybe it's tears? Yeah, there were definitely tears running down his face like a little bitch. The metallic taste in his mouth told him it was bleeding. The pain in his face was unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. If his nose wasn't already broken by Tina, it was now. These guys made sure of it. He tried to glance at Charles laid out on the ground with Martin kneeling beside him, shaking him. This is all my fault.

"Chuck! Chuck! Wake up man, quit fucking around!" Martin shouted, pushing on his unconscious friend.

Why did Charles intervene? Isn't this what he wanted? Isn't this why he approached me with a peace offering earlier?

He closed his eyes, recalling how he ended up in this predicament.

"Here."

Cedric glanced up from his reclined position on the floor backstage where he remained licking his wounds after Tina landed a solid hit on him. He had never experienced a broken nose before, but right now his face hurt like hell.

Charles stood over him again holding a balled-up linen napkin. "It's to ice your face."

"Thanks," Cedric muttered warily, taking the bundle from the suspicious waiter. He hissed as the cold damp cloth touched his skin.

Charles chuckled at his pain.

"Why are you still here?" Cedric grumbled, hating how nervous he felt around this I've been to hell and back Charles. "And why are you being so nice? Don't you know I ruined your life?"

Charles laughed. "Yeah, I know. I just want to help," he explained.

"Is this some kind of joke? Why are you still posing as a waiter?"

"No joke and I need this job. Sorry, we aren't all trust fund babies," Charles snapped.

Cedric flinched at his reaction. "Right... probation," Cedric muttered. "I just want to enjoy a few more minutes of peace before I have to go outside and face the circus I created."

"I can help get you out of here without being spotted."

"What's the catch?" Cedric asked, narrowing his swelling eyes at Charles.

"It'll cost you a grand."

"I see, extortion," Cedric replied sarcastically. He knew Charles couldn't be this good after spending the past six years in prison. There was no way.

"It's not what you think. I just need to get ahead of a couple of bills until payday."

Cedric's eyes widened with confusion.

"As I said, I need this job."

"I don't understand. My grandfather gave your family a generous amount of money." Pops wouldn't lie to me about that, would he?

"Let's just say my father is a fucking scumbag and left my mom and sister high and dry the past couple of years."

"Whoa! Are you fucking serious?!" Cedric grimaced from his outburst and tried to ignore the searing on his face.

"As a heart attack," Charles deadpanned.

"I'll give you the money!" Cedric nodded. I'll get his family financially set. I can set up a trust for his sister. I can give him money to go back to school. Yeah, that's perfect! I'll call my lawyer to get it all set up once I get home. I probably have a dozen calls from him by now anyway. He'll be glad to hear from me.

It was going to suck when he turned on his phone later. He cringed just thinking about the voicemails waiting for him from his parents.

"Come on. Let's get your ugly mug out of here before someone sees it," Charles said, holding out his hand for him to take.

"I said I'd give you the money, you don't have to do this...it's okay to be a dick and curse me. In fact, you can beat my ass if it'll make you feel better."

"Tempting, but I've come to terms with it. I did a lot of thinking while in the slammer and left that part of me behind." Charles reached down and pulled Cedric up off the floor easily. "You're not the only one that changed. My mom and sister are depending on me now."

"It's a relief that you didn't take me up on my offer to beat my ass. I don't think I would have survived with all that muscle you're packing."

"Pfft! These guns got little Ceddy boy pissing his pants?"

Cedric snorted causing his eyes to well up from the pain, making Charles laugh again. The guy may not want to inflict pain on him, but he sure was enjoying Cedric's injury.

Fuck, I need to get my ass to the hospital before my face gets stuck like this. He followed his old lackey out a hidden side door that led to a deserted hallway. They passed open doors with people working, dishes clanging, people laughing and joking with one another, and someone barking out instructions. This had to be the backbone of the ballroom.

The doors ahead to the right of them opened to a waiter carrying a tray of dirty glasses. He crossed the hall and disappeared into another room without noticing them.

"Everyone is busy with the event so foot traffic should be low here unless they're replenishing items. This exit leads to the back of the hotel. I figured you can make your way around the grounds and catch a cab or something."

They heard more voices as they passed the restrooms but they didn't cross paths with anyone else.

"Don't you need to get back to work?" Cedric asked.

"A friend is covering for me. I told her you needed my help."

"Her?" Cedric smirked, unable to resist teasing him. He had no idea what had gotten into him but he didn't feel threatened by Charles.

"She's kind to everyone," he sighed.

"Sounds to me like you only want her to be kind to you."

"Not gonna happen. She deserves better."

"I know I'm speaking from limited experience, but you are better."

Charles stepped back from him and stared at Cedric like he just grew another head.

"What is it?" Cedric asked, patting his head to make sure there weren't two.

"Who the fuck are you and where did the douchebag that used to order me around go? I feel like I'm in the twilight zone or the body snatchers got you."

"They get you when you sleep!" Cedric warned, jokingly.

Charles rolled his eyes and smiled, "damn actors!" Cedric managed a soft chuckle as he followed him out of the back exit and into the cool night. Freedom never felt so sweet.

"Thanks, man, give me your number. I'll call you tomorrow once I figure my shit out." Cedric took out his phone from his inner breast pocket and stared at the black screen for a moment. He wasn't expecting to turn it back on until the morning. As soon as it powered on, his phone lit up like a Christmas tree with over fifty missed messages and phone calls. He winced with each new notification.

"Damnnn, I don't envy you," Charles stated and cringed every time Cedric's phone chimed.

"Well, look what we have here. A pair of lovers exchanging digits. That's sweet," a voice from the shadows mocked. The figure stepped out of the dark and into the light throwing a beer bottle to the ground, the glass shattering loudly. The man had golden skin, dark wavy hair, and what women would describe as ruggedly good looks. He was taller than Cedric with the build of a defensive lineman and had a tire iron gripped in his hands. Did his car have a flat tire nearby or something?

"Leo?" Charles gasped. "What are you doing here? Where's…?"

Do they know each other?!

"Looking for me?"

Cedric inhaled sharply as Martin came out of the shadows followed by two muscular guys each holding a beer. By the paleness in Charles' complexion, Cedric assumed these guys were bad news. Both were caucasian with matching buzzcuts, tattoos snaking up high on their necks, and again, bodies that looked like they were bred for a football field. At first glance, Cedric thought they were twins with all the glaring similarities except one guy had the eyebrows of a natural redhead.

"What's the deal, Mart? I thought we were meeting at one, you're early, and I don't see any babes with you. Are they hiding in the dark too?" Charles quipped. Cedric could tell he was trying to be cool.

"Well, I got your text while I was drinking with the boys. It was Leo's idea to check out the big party...turns out you need an invitation to give to charity. Who knew, right? But this...wow man," Martin began clapping. "It's nice of you to bring him right to us," he smiled bitterly.

Cedric paled. He should have known better than to trust Charles. Instinct told him to make a break for the door, but the twins were already blocking it. He was a pretty fast runner. He could probably make it down the ally to get help before they caught him, but that was a coward's move.

"Cedric, I had nothing to do with this," Charles pleaded. "I swear man. I have too much at stake."

Cedric wanted to believe him, but the truth was he was outnumbered. Even if by some miracle Charles joined his side, they still wouldn't be able to take all four of them. Each one of them had about twenty pounds of muscle over him. He thought Charles had beefed up, but Martin was a beast in comparison. Maybe this was the punishment fate had in store for him all along. Perhaps, it would give these guys closure to move forward with their lives.

"Wah, wah, wah, have some fucking pride, Chuck! This guy ruined your life and now you're begging," Leo scorned.

"I ruined my own life by following assholes like you instead of thinking for myself," Charles spat.

That stung! Cedric thought, but Charles wasn't lying. I am an asshole.

"Did you just call me an asshole, bitch?" Leo raged, coming at Charles until Martin got in his way.

"Get off me, Mart. I'm gonna teach this clown a lesson," Leo argued pushing Martin's hands away from him.

"Be cool, man," Martin cooed pushing his friend back.

"Why are you even here? This doesn't concern you. This is our business so get lost!" Charles taunted.

"Oh yeah, rich boy. Okay, then handle your shit," Leo pointed at Cedric. "Go on. We're all waiting."

Cedric held his breath while he waited for Charles to come at him. If it was Charles or Martin he would have resigned and taken the beating, but these other guys were an unknown factor. The fact that they've been drinking also clouded their judgment. They just might kill him. He still had his phone in his hand and for a brief moment, he considered triggering the emergency call service.

"Hey, he's doing something with his phone!" One of the guys behind him warned. Leo was on him in a flash, knocking the device out of his hand with the tire iron he wielded as a weapon and smashing it under his boot.

"Fuck!" Cedric yelled and gripped his hand as pain shot up his arm.

"That's what you get for trying to call for help, pussy," Martin taunted. Cedric bit the inside of his mouth to keep from retorting.

"Fuck this," Charles muttered. "Cedric let's go. I'm not about to go back to jail for violating my probation. If you guys are smart you'd back off too."

That warning didn't go over so well. They weren't smart. The next thing Cedric knew, Martin had sucker-punched him, making him see stars. Self-preservation instinctively made him raise his arms blocking the next blows coming at his face. He may have had his minions do all his dirty work back in the day, but as an actor, Cedric was still trained in martial arts. That was another problem. He was no match for their dirty street fighting. He made a mental note to get himself inside a cage with an MMA fighter next time.

He blocked another one of Martin's punches which only managed to piss him off more. Martin lunged at Cedric, catching him off guard and landing a solid hit to his right cheek. The blow put Cedric in another daze. With Martin so close, he could now smell the alcohol emitting from him. It was just his rotten luck. Drunks were tough to beat. He went on the offensive, throwing a right hook then a left into Martin's sides. Hitting the guy was like punching into a brick wall. Why in the fuck do they allow prisoners to work out? When Martin brought down his arms to protect his body, he left his face open. Cedric took advantage of the mistake and jabbed at his face. Seeing their friend struggling, the other guys that were once jeering at Cedric joined the fray. Three against one easily overpowered him.

"Get off him, dumbasses," Charles yelled, trying to pry them away. In the scuffle, someone clocked Cedric square in the jaw, sending him to his knees. Beside him, Charles slumped to the ground, unconscious. The fight left him seeing Charles hurt.

This was how Cedric came to be at the mercy of these assholes. He was already exhausted. Martin saw his chance and kicked him in the gut, causing Cedric to double over before turning his attention to Charles.

"For fuck's sake Mart quit bitching! Someone's going to hear you squealing at this rate. Do you want the heat to rain down on us?"

"Well, why the fuck did you hit him, Leo? I told you he was one of us!" Martin complained, trying to get Charles to wake up.

Leo cackled. "One of us? The pussy got in the way trying to help this fucker out. I did you a favor. You should be thanking me, right guys?"

The other two guys holding Cedric down by the shoulders laughed in agreement.

"He needs a fucking doctor. His head's bleeding," Martin wailed, pulling out his cellphone.

"Relax," Leo ordered sarcastically, knocking the phone out of Martin's hands with the tire iron. "Quit being a fucking pussy. He's still breathing, ain't he?"

The door suddenly opened and out came two waiters laughing about something they were talking about. They stopped short, laughter dying in their throats as they took in the brutal scene.

"If you bitches say anything about this, we're going to hunt you down and kill you and everyone in your family. Capiche! I know where to find you!" Leo warned, leveling them with a deadly glare.

"Uh, um, yes, sir." "We didn't see anything." The cowardly duo scrambled back into the hotel without a second glance at Cedric. God, I hope they call security!

"Isn't that risky?" Red brow twin asked.

Leo shrugged. "Nah, those wimps will keep their traps shut."

"Now where were we?" Leo smiled with sick delight, hooking the tire iron under Cedric's chin and lifting his head so he could stare into his eyes.

Cedric glared at him defiantly. The memory of that night almost seven years ago suddenly flashed in his mind. He remembered the way he sneered down at Kuon, proudly wielding his retractable baton. Shame spread throughout Cedric's body. Before he could retreat into self-loathing, the door slammed open again revealing a tall figure dressed in a similar penguin suit.

"Tsuruga?" Cedric croaked through his busted lip.

...

He didn't even hesitate with his decision to go outside after overhearing those servers. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

"Tsuruga?" The weak voice of Cedric garnered his attention. The actor's face was a mess. His nose was appeared broken by the angle of it and blood poured from his nostrils mingling with the blood dripping from his battered mouth, he had an open cut above his right eye that was bleeding profusely because of its location most likely. There was no doubt that Cedric was going to be puffy and bruised in the morning. In another lifetime, Ren would have been overjoyed seeing his arch-enemy reduced to this state, instead, he felt anger towards these men for ganging up on him.

He broke his gaze away from Cedric and swept over the area, assessing the situation and his possible opponents. He recognized the guy huddled on the ground next to the unconscious man as Martin from his mug shot. He was a lot stockier than his picture, but he still recognized the face. Seeing him here brought a fresh wave of anxiety. His father's fear of their revenge came to fruition; however, it appeared that they weren't here for the Hizuris. They came for Cedric. He couldn't understand how the idiot managed to get lured out here all alone where he would be an easy target? Scratch that. He knew exactly why he was out here. Cedric was probably trying to avoid the press by slipping out the back and got ambushed instead.

His eyes shifted, noting the position of the two men, he now dubbed as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, flanking him from behind, before settling on the guy holding the tire iron. He was clearly the ringleader of this crew. Muscle-wise, the guy was bigger than him, but Ren still had an inch or two on him. I wonder what beef Cedric has with this guy.

"You know this guy? Do you speak English?" The ringleader ignorantly asked.

Ren remained quiet, but flashed him his most brilliant gentleman smile, knowing it would infuriate the guy.

The guy glared at him. "Well, this is none of your concern, so how about you mosey on back in before you get hurt."

Deciding to speak, Ren answered. "I'll go, but I'm taking him with me and that guy." He pointed to the man on the ground slowly waking up. "You guys can scram and we won't even call the police."

Leo smirked at his proposal but didn't reply.

"Chuck, are you okay?" Martin asked squatting down to help his friend sit up. Ren's eyes widened as he recognized the waiter that Cedric kept staring at in the ballroom. No wonder he looked familiar to him, he was the other guy that got convicted, Charles. This was worse than he thought; the guy had infiltrated the gala.

"Fuck off, Mart," he scowled, gingerly touching the cut on the back of his head. "This is all your fault. I told you these guys were bad news. I guess you didn't learn a damn thing from spending over six years in that fucking hellhole."

"That's not fair, Chuck! This guy ruined our fucking lives!" Martin roared and kicked Cedric in the chest sending him sprawling to the ground. Cedric moaned, clutching at his chest and gasping for air. Ren grimaced. Seeing his old nemesis being treated like that didn't sit well with him.

"Get up, you piece of shit!" Martin shouted down at Cedric. "I'm going to give you a taste of the hell we went through."

The other guys cheered, egging Martin on. Ren had enough and moved to intervene, but for the third time that night, the hotel door swung open, only this time, much harder. Kyoko pushed the door open with so much force that it nailed Tweedledum before banging shut.

"What the fuck!" The guy wailed clutching his bloody face.

"Oops," His sweetheart bowed and apologized profusely to the man.

"You stupid bitch!" The guy yelled, advancing on Kyoko. She yelped and assumed a fighting stance, ready to defend herself.

Ren pushed his girlfriend behind him and grabbed Tweedledum by the throat until he had him pinned to the wall with feet dangling inches off the ground. The guy made a weak attempt at fighting back, but Ren was full of rage and wouldn't let up. He was going to make sure this guy died for even thinking about hurting his beloved.

"If you don't let him go right now, I'm going to cut up your little China doll's face," the mocking voice of the ringleader tore through his red haze. Ren twisted to find the guy gripping Kyoko's arm behind her back. He had ditched the tire iron and was now waving around a switchblade.

"I'm going to fucking kill you if you hurt one single strand on her head!" He exploded, tossing the guy in his hand to the ground like a rag doll. He was emitting a murderous aura that left everyone present shaking in their boots. Inhaling deeply, he tried to control his rage. He didn't want to scare her.

"Chill, bro!" He smirked, releasing Kyoko. "I don't hurt females."

She staggered toward him. He crushed her against him then tucked her safely into his side.

"Keith!" The ring leader addressed Tweedledee, "bar the door with this." He kicked at a strip of aluminum on the ground. "Wrap it around the handles so there'll be no more surprises."

Ren watched the man slip the metal through the handles and grunted with the effort it took to bend it. What the hell? Is he the Hulk or something?

"It's you," Martin exclaimed, staring at Kyoko, mesmerized. "You're the Hizuri girl!"

Ren's gaze snapped to Martin. The guy was staring at his girlfriend intently. When did he see her with them?

"Butterfly girl?" Charles asked, still a little dazed from his head wound. He had to be referring to the dress she wore on the runway.

"Fashion week?" Leo asked, amused.

Martin sighed a breathy "yes," as he gazed at Kyoko, awestruck.

Ren tightened his arm around his girlfriend when she shivered beside him. He needed to get her to safety. Hopefully, she had the hindsight to call someone before coming out here against his orders.

"Excuse, my friend. He has a bit of a crush on the lady there," Leo smirked at Kyoko.

"Like hell, he does," Ren seethed, inching her towards the door. He could probably bend the metal back.

"Don't be like that. How about you let them talk? Who knows, maybe she'll like him too? Anyone has to be better than a scary mofo like you."

Ren flinched at his accusation.

"No, thank you. I'm already happily in love with this man," Kyoko declared, burrowing herself into his side.

Martin glowered at Ren, annoyed by her answer.

"Come on, just one - "

"Leave her alone, asshole," Cedric warned, scraping himself off the ground while gripping his side. "Your problem is with me so let them go."

"How chivalrous of you?" The ringleader cackled then turned his attention away from Cedric. "But I think, oof!" In a blink of an eye, Cedric had tackled the guy to the ground.

"Get her out of here, Tsuruga," he yelled. The element of surprise on Cedric's side as he straddled the ringleader and began pummeling him.

"Kyoko, let's go," Ren shouted, pulling her towards the door. To his relief, she didn't hesitate and made a run for it. Unfortunately, Tweedledum, with the red eyebrows and bloody nose blocked the door while his buddy came up behind them.

Ren pushed Kyoko out of the way and ducked the jab flying at his face, causing Tweedledum to lose his balance. He twisted in his low position and landed a solid hit to the guy's ribs. He could have sworn he heard bones cracking under his fist. The guy's wails of agony confirmed his suspicion, but he still didn't go down. Ren repositioned himself, keeping his guard up as Tweedledum and Tweedledee circled him like a pair of hungry sharks.

In the corner of his eye, Ren saw Charles and Martin grappling with each other on the ground while Cedric lost his edge over the ringleader.

"You're dead, now fucker," the guy twisted bucking Cedric off him. A glint of silver caught Ren's attention as the guy's jacket lifted while getting to his feet.

Before he could say anything about it, Tweedle Dee dove at him, trying to catch him off-guard. The giant lumbering oaf stumbled but managed to reorient himself. Ren was once again dodging punches and tumbling away from their grasps. It was frustrating the idiots, but he knew if he got caught by one of them, the other was going to enjoy punching his lights out while the other squeezed the life out of him. He adopted a kind of hit and run fighting style that was wearing his opponents down. Having kicked Tweedle Dum out of the way for a few moments, he was able to focus all his attention on one guy. Ren was about to throw a finishing uppercut when Tweedle Dee froze in front of him. A bead of dark liquid dripped down from his hairline past his brow and down his nose. Ren gaped as the guy's eyes rolled into his sockets and he tumbled to the ground. Hard. Standing in his place was his shocked girlfriend gripping the neck of a broken beer bottle.

"Oops," she squeaked cutely and ditched the bottle. Ren chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"You crazy bitch," Tweedle Dum snapped. Ren crouched down and executed a perfectly timed sweeping kick tripping the guy. Because of his large size, the man crashed hard and rather ungracefully, hitting his head on the pavement.

Their attention turned to the double doors of the hotel. Loud shouts and banging were coming from the other side of the door. Kyoko ran toward the door and shouted. "We're out here! We need help! The door's blocked!"

"Kyoko!" Ren heard his dad shout.

"Dad, help! Cedric's hurt," she cried, tugging on the metal. Ren rushed to try to remove the piece but it was wedged on there good. The rough edges bit into his hands as he strained to bend it back.

"We're finding another way. Hang on, sweetie!" His dad reassured them.

Now that he wasn't fighting for his life, Ren could make out the sound of sirens in the distance. He prayed they were coming here; however, there wasn't any shortage of crime in L.A. so they could easily be for another emergency.

"Fuck! Leo, we have to get out of here!" A bruised-up Martin shouted. Charles was once again nursing his head. Ren watched warily as Tweedle Dee and his brother sat up rubbing their heads. They seemed too out of it to do any more harm.

A grunt from behind them, made him change focus to the ringleader and Cedric. To his surprise, Cedric was still standing, albeit teetering but standing nonetheless. At least he was until the guy kneed him in the gut. Ren took no more than two steps toward Cedric before he was stopped.

"Not so fast!" The sound of a gun cocking made him stop. He glared at the guy, Leo, as he pointed a gun directly at him. That would explain what he saw tucked in the back of jeans. Ren slowly raised his hands and made sure he was blocking Kyoko.

"Stay behind me, baby," he whispered. Her trembling fingers curled into the back of his jacket assuring him that she was listening for once.

"Holy fuck, Leo. Where did you get a gun?" A panicking Martin exclaimed.

"Shut up, pussy!" Leo scoffed, pointing the gun at his so-called friend.

"Fuck! Don't point that at me," Martin ducked, cowering into a ball on the ground.

Leo laughed maniacally, his bloody features making him look psychotic. "Relax, I'm not going to oof!"

For the second time tonight, Cedric caught the guy off-guard and attacked. Ren watched in horror as Cedric stupidly tried to wrestle the gun away from the psycho in what appeared to be a well-choreographed gun scene. Wherever Cedric went, Leo followed no matter the direction. The emotions on both their faces were perfect for the part- rotating between panic, fear, and anger as each struggled to get the upper hand over the other. Despite being head-butted by Leo, Cedric didn't release his grip. After what felt like hours of struggling, Cedric hooked his foot behind Leo's ankle sending them both crashing to the ground.

A flash of lightning and a clap of thunder echoed off the buildings bringing Ren back to his senses. Kyoko yelped, rushing past him before he could stop her from running headfirst into danger. A dazed Leo scrambled to his feet and limped off into the dark with his lackeys following close behind. Ren stared after them debating if he should chase them, but his attention fell on the remaining group.

"I didn't want this," Martin moaned, wrapping his arms around his knees as he rocked himself. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Cedric, stay with us," Charles told him already by the actor's side and hands pressing down on his torso.

Ren rushed to Cedric's side, finally realizing the severity of what happened. His breathing was ragged, but at least he was alive.

"Corn," Kyoko whimpered, tears gushing from her eyes as Cedric's head rested on her lap. She brushed the bloody locks out of his already swollen eyes as he gazed up at each one of them. When his eyes landed on Ren, Cedric's gaze was so intense that he couldn't bring himself to look away. It was like he was staring past the brown contacts and straight into his soul.

"Kuon," Cedric sighed, just before the tiny slits of his eyes slid closed.

AN: And I just did that *cackling*...but on another note. I'm here! I'm alive, which is more than I can say about Prince Ceddy...please don't hate me! I couldn't just let him off the hook. ;)

Thank you for continuing to read and I appreciate the reviews of the last chapter.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^