Early in the morning, Yukina was getting ready to leave to deliver some orders. She was getting on her scooter before seeing a figure rummaging through one of the piles of scrap metal that roamed the dump.
"Kyoshiro awake yet?" Yukina got off her scooter. "I should bother him a bit, he slept for a while after he came back from his thing."
Yukina silently climbed up the scrap heap where the figure was and quickly caught the figure in her arms, but she was surprised. The figure was the size of a child and made entirely of metal, looking like a small monkey with hands instead of feet and a long tail. Despite being made of metal, the child had spiky brown hair and his eyes were completely blue like tinted glass with two yellow lights as pupils. He wore only loose-fitting gray pants.
"Could you please let go of me?" the child asked.
Yukina was speechless because she could see, but she put the child down before asking. "...Who are you?"
"Shiryu." The child replied instantly.
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Yukina asked.
"Your friend stole my head and he's using my brain as a processor for his experiments." Shiryu replied as quickly as ever.
"What are you doing here if he's using your brain?!" Yukina asked in surprise.
"He's only using part of my brain to make calculations. Kyoshiro created this body so I could help him while the calculations were being made." Shiryu returned to the scrap heap. "I already used to do this when I was in my laboratory, so I'm taking this opportunity to collect more materials for this experiment I have in mind."
"Aren't you going to try and get away?" Yukina asked.
"I have no reason to leave." Shiryu replied.
"But you can join Dan and snitch-"
"I told you, I have no reason to leave. As long as I can do my experiments, I'll even stay in a cave with my heart attached to a car battery if I have to." Shiryu pulled out a blender from the scrap heap. "Perfect, just what I needed. The smartphenix model 12-90 chip, better response speed, never understood why it was put in a blender."
"So what does Kyoshiro do?" Yukina asked.
"He's looking for Yosuke." Said Shiryu.
"Why?" Yukina asked.
"I told him I implanted the Overburst on him and Dan, so he wants to take care of them before the Overburst grafts itself completely onto them." Says Shiryu.
"Wait, you broke through the Overburst?! Was it indeed the lack of energy that caused the death of the previous subjects, so the subject had to undergo a powerful energy shock in order to survive and for the Burst System to evolve and become an Overburst?" Yukina asked, which surprised Shiryu.
"It's... That's exactly it." Shiryu said. "You're much smarter than you give yourself credit for. Could I give you an I.Q. test if you don't mind?"
"Later, first I have to annoy Kyoshiro!" Yukina hurried down the scrap heap before stopping and asking awkwardly. "Where is he, actually?"
"In his room, triangulating Yosuke's whereabouts using the places he's been spotted on the Internets." Shiryu replied.
"We just say internet, no need to say 'the internets'." Yukina said before leaving.
As Yukina slowly opened the door to Kyoshiro's room, she saw the cyborg entering data into an algorithm, while several screens played back photos from social networks in which Yosuke appeared, if only briefly.
Yukina hadn't even stepped into the room when Kyoshiro said. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to see how you were." Yukina took advantage of his answer to sit down on Kyoshiro's bed. "After all, when you came back, you were in a bad shape."
"I'm fine, you can go." Kyoshiro didn't even deign to turn around.
"Are you sure? It really sounds like you want Yosuke back. And not like 'Wow I want to talk to him', more like 'I'm going to rip his heart out with my bare hands as soon as I see him'." Yukina said.
Kyoshiro finally turned around and Yukina was surprised by the dark circles under his eyes. "I can't leave the Overburst in their hands. You've seen how I can take down more advanced Cyborgs with it while my implants are on the fritz. Imagine what they can do if they can control the Overburst as well as I can."
"Yeah, that could be one hell of a disaster..." Yukina chuckled to lighten the mood.
"A huge catastrophe, but I think I've found where he lives." Kyoshiro showed a map with two red dots on one of the screens. "The first place is a downtown apartment and the second place is also a downtown apartment, but the difference between the two is that the first is a small apartment and the second is a really high-end apartment, I even think it's the most expensive apartment in the city."
"Why would he go to two apartments?" Yukina asked.
"I think he has a girlfriend or relative in one of the apartments." Kyoshiro stood up and stretched. "I've only got one plan in mind and that's to go straight to him."
"Wait, you want to go right now?! But you just came back a few days ago from fighting Shiryu, whom you also brought back to life to be your little valet-"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU CARE?!" Kyoshiro shouted. "What do you care if I go back to fighting?! What do you care if I use Shiryu as my little dog?! It's my revenge! My mission! If I want to fight a kid to take his Overburst, I'll do it! I don't care! So why do you give a damn?!" Kyoshiro questioned, but he saw tears streaming down Yukina's cheeks.
"You're an idiot! You never think about other people!" Kyoshiro grabbed Yukina by the cheeks and looked her straight in the eye.
Yukina was surprised by the lack of life Kyoshiro's eyes had, it was as if there was something missing inside him. "I don't care about the others, all I care about is finishing off Jack and Dan, then I'll take Shiryu down with my own hands." Kyoshiro slammed his forehead into Yukina's, who felt a murderous aura coming from the cyborg. "I won't let anything stop me from doing this, even if I have to give up everyone and what's left of my humanity to do it. Understand, kiddo?"
Without even answering, Yukina delivered a powerful uppercut to Kyoshiro's stomach, "I'm sick of you thinking only of revenge! I know you want revenge, but think of the people around you!" Yukina ran outside without waiting for an answer from Kyoshiro.
A few seconds after Yukina had left, Shiryu entered to see Kyoshiro on his knees, vomiting. "What happened?" Shiryu asked in confusion.
Kyoshiro wiped his mouth and said, "I had an argument with Yukina and she hit me."
"Is that what knocked you down? I'm surprised, she's stronger and smarter than she looks." Says Shiryu.
"Not only that, she managed to beat me in speed without an implant." Says Kyoshiro.
"Without implants?!" Shiryu asked in surprise.
"Yeah, during the check-up I gave her, I didn't notice any implants of any kind." Kyoshiro replied.
"Did you give him an IQ test?" Shiryu asked.
"Yes, the results are on the desk, but I'm warning you it's not going to please you." Kyoshiro said.
Shiryu took the sheet in hand and his eyes were filled with surprise. "It's impossible... the results must be wrong."
"I gave her 3 different tests, each with different questions and all with the same results, so no, the results aren't wrong." Kyoshiro said.
"That's impossible! Not even you or I have the same IQ." Said Shiryu, putting down the sheet and pointing to the result Yukina had had. "We both have the highest scores in the country, you 195 and me 200."
"And yet, she has an IQ that greatly surpasses mine and yours, one of 230 so I'm going to have to raise my guard against her, I'm afraid she's hiding more stuff from us." Says Kyoshrio.
Yukina was at Kourin's ramen restaurant, stuffing her face with a bowl to soothe her sadness. She was still thinking about the argument she'd had with Kyoshiro.
"How many more do you want?" Kourin asked, setting down a new bowl.
"Prepare two more with a triple ration of meat and noodles." Yukina replied.
"Is it that bad?" Kourin asked.
"Yeah, I even hit him..." Said Yukina.
"Ouch... it still hurts from when you hit me in the back." Kourin massaged her shoulder.
"I don't hit that hard!" Yukina said embarrassed.
"I saw you break a wooden board by dropping your hand on it." Kourin retorted.
" Mean!" Yukina finished her bowl quickly to calm her sadness.
As she finished her bowl, Yukina's attention was turned to a customer who had just sat down not far from her. She had short blond hair and deep jade-green eyes hidden behind sunglasses, and was wearing a white shirt, a black tie with a beige shirt over it fastened with a black button, beige suit pants and brown shoes.
"Hi boss." Said the customer.
"It's been a while, Hana, would you like your usual bowl?" Kourin asked.
"No, I've just come for a drink and a chat." Said Hana.
"Hana? I've heard that name somewhere before." Yukina thought.
"Today was a pain, I had to deal with a family conflict. Even though they're grown-ups, I feel like I'm playing the mother who calms down her fighting sons." Hana complained as Kourin poured her a mug of beer.
"Tell me about it." Kourin said.
"By the way who's the kid?" Hana asked, which surprised Yukina, who spat out a bit of broth from her noodles.
"It's Yukina, I've already told you about her." Kourin replied.
"Oh, she's the one who often comes to see you." Said Hana.
"Yukina, this is Hana Komogawa." Said Kourin
"Komogawa?" Yukina asked before she knew it. "You're Kyoshiro and Dan's big sister!"
"Bingo!" Hana raised her mug. "Hana Komogawa, Seventh Chief of the Ado clan, pleased to meet you."
"I didn't think you were still alive, after all your brothers are super old!" Hana emptied her mug before hitting Yukina over the head with it.
"You don't know tact." Said Hana.
"Sorry... but you can stop the fight between Kyoshiro and Dan... it's more of a war than a fight but it's just details." Yukina says.
Hana thought about this before saying "No."
"Why not?" Yukina asked.
"I don't want to and it's not my problem." Kourin placed a new mug of beer in front of Hana, "Besides, they're adults, it's their problem, it's not my problem to sort it out." Hana took the mug in hand and watched Yukina more closely. "I'm thinking about it, but not many people know Kyoshiro, especially someone your age..." Yukina felt a murderous aura coming from Hana, much stronger than Kyoshiro's. "How do you know him?"
Yukina couldn't find the words to get her out of the situation.
"She works for me, just like your brother." Kourin replied. "They helped us finish off Shiryu and Koto."
Hana's aura calmed before she said, "Oh okay, bravo to you for not losing your temper against him. He's already got more temper than a Chihuahua."
"Wait, you know about the resistance?" Yukina asked in surprise.
"Of course I know, who do you think supplies the weapons and ammunition?" Hana asked.
"You say you don't want to come between Dan and Kyoshiro but yet you're helping the resistance. What are your real intentions?" Yukina asked in confusion.
"Not getting between my brothers' argument and stopping a tyrannical society are two different things, kiddo." Hana finished another mug of beer before saying. "One's more important than the other, and then Kyoshiro would say 'You shouldn't treat a symptom of the disease, but the disease itself'"
"Can you at least tell me the real reason behind their rivalry? I know what Dan did to Kyoshiro, but there's got to be more to it than that, he couldn't have done it just for the money." Yukina said.
"I'll tell you why, but first let me ask you something. What's the reason why men have been fighting since the dawn of time?" Hana asked.
Yukina thought for a moment before saying. "I have no idea."
*SLAM*
Kourin set down another mug and a bowl of ramen before saying. "Women, men have always fought for the love of a woman, like Helen of Troy who launched the battle of the same name."
"Bingo! These idiots fight for a woman, Kyoshiro for love, but Dan is different. I know it has something to do with Sakura, but it's not for love." Said Hana.
"Sakura? Is that the name of Kyoshiro's wife?" Yukina asked.
"Yeah, Sakura Eruko." Answered Hana.
"Sakura Eruko? I've heard that name somewhere before..." Yukina thought before realizing something important.
Hana was surprised to see Yukina running towards the exit. "Where are you going?"
"I have to stop Kyoshiro, he's going to make a huge mistake!" Yukina said.
Kourin and Hana were surprised by Yukina's reaction. "What a funny kid." Said Hana.
"Isn't she? That's why she's so great." Said Kourin.
"She reminds me a lot of Sakura. Says Hana.
"I heard Kyoshiro say that once." Says Kourin.
In front of a luxurious building, a blue van was parked. Inside was Kyoshiro, changing to look like a delivery man while wearing a medical mask, black cap with a red badge and a yellow one hanging from its white front, and sunglasses.
"Can you hear me?" Kyoshiro asked.
"Roger." Answered a voice in Kyoshiro's ear. "I'm surprised you trust me, Kyoshiro."
"Either you do your job, Shiryu, or I press a small button and your brain will undergo a lobotomy. You'll serve only as my processor, just as I planned." Kyoshiro menaced.
"Threatening as always, I'll tell you as soon as Yosuke appears on one of the cameras." Said Shiryu. "Unfortunately, they don't have a camera in the apartment we're interested in."
"I might as well have hacked into their server to learn that there's a delivery to this apartment." Not far from Kyoshiro lay an unconscious, bound man in his boxers. "At least they won't be able to question me."
"In just a few days you've figured out how to hack servers when before you didn't even understand a computer. It's hilarious to me." Says Shiryu.
"I didn't know you could laugh." Kyoshiro opened the back of the van and got out.
Kyoshiro entered the building and headed for the reception desk. Kyoshiro was surprised by the number of guards present in the lobby; he had noticed three different uniforms the guards were wearing.
"Hello Mr. Yosuke, as usual-" the receptionist looked up in surprise. "Oh sorry, sir, I thought you were someone else, but you're the same height and stature as he is." giggled the receptionist.
"It doesn't matter, I've got a package for this apartment." Kyoshiro pointed to the address on the box.
"You just have to take the elevator to the top floor." Said the receptionist.
"Aren't you going to take the package?" Kyoshiro asked.
"No, Madam Sakura likes it when delivery people come to see her, she doesn't have much company as she's locked up at home every day because of her illness." replied the receptionist.
Kyoshiro went to the elevator and as he got on, he took out a pair of gangs and looked in the direction of the camera.
"Be careful, I think from a certain floor the radio waves not too well, I'll send a beep in your ear to warn you just in case." Kyoshiro nodded in response. "So far, no Yosuke on camera."
As soon as Kyoshiro reached the top floor, the elevator opened to reveal a large corridor with several doors. He walked along the corridor, looking at each number on the door, before arriving at the last one, which had the number "1402", and knocking on the door.
Kyoshiro heard noises and a reply from a familiar voice saying, "Hold on, I'm coming!"
"Shit, Yosuke's already here, I was just supposed to do some reconnaissance, tomorrow was the attack." Kyoshiro thought.
When Yosuke opened the door, he was wearing a white undershirt with a black cutaway cape and gray tracksuit. He appeared to be in the process of having his hair cut; it was now short and stopped at his ears. His normally black hair was red with white highlights. Kyoshiro couldn't help laughing at Yosuke's haircut.
"What's so funny?" Yosuke asked.
"Sorry, he looks like a rock'n'roll star or even Elton John." Kyoshiro sneered.
"Yeah well, I've run out of hair dye to hide it, that's what happens when you have parents with weird hair." Yosuke replied.
"Here's your package." Kyoshiro handed Yosuke the package and prepared to leave, but the Phoenix lieutenant laid his hand on the Cyborg's shoulder. "Do you still need anything sir?"
"Yeah..." Yosuke set the parcel on the floor, removed the cutting cape from his shoulders before locking the door behind him. "Cut the act, you bastard. I recognize your voice."
As soon as he heard these words, Kyoshiro raised his arms to block Yosuke's powerful kick that sent him flying backwards.
"What's going on?!" A female voice asked from the apartment.
"Don't worry, Mom, it's just work. Stay inside, I'll take care of this." Yosuke stretched as Kyoshiro rose from the blow and removed his disguise.
"Bring it on you little bastard, I'm going to bash your skull in." Kyoshiro said with a big smile.
Kyoshiro and Yosuke looked each other straight in the eye before running towards each other. As soon as they were close enough to each other, Yosuke delivered a powerful kick, but before the blow could reach him Kyoshiro tackled Yosuke to the ground.
" 100G ! " Kyoshiro shouted.
"What?!" Yosuke suddenly felt his body become so heavy that he could hardly move, he tried to hit Kyoshiro in the liver but his blows were too slow because of the heaviness he felt, but he also felt his ribs begin to crush his lungs. Yosuke began to find it harder and harder to breathe.
*Crack*
The ground began to crack under the gravity he was experiencing when suddenly, the floor fell out from under them.
"Stop it! You're going to kill innocent people!" Yosuke ordered.
"This is the least of my problems! Right now I've got to take care of you! We're increasing the load! 200G ! " The two cyborgs began to bleed from their eyes and ears from the high gravity as the ground dropped beneath them again. "Let's have more fun!"
"You're nuts! You're going to die too!" Yosuke shouted.
"Oh you have no idea! 300G ! " Kyoshiro shouted
*Crack*
He fell two floors this time. Kyoshiro continued to increase the gravity and they continued to fall from floor to floor, in just a few minutes, from the top floor they reached the first floor. Everyone in the lobby fled in fear, but only one person was so frightened he couldn't move. The receptionist was watching our cyborgs struggle to their feet, their eyes completely red and weeping blood, as were their eyes and ears, even their teeth were covered in blood from the strong gravity. Kyoshiro had a much easier time getting up than Yosuke, who was on his knees while Kyoshiro was standing.
" What's the matter, kid? Can't we get up? Can't walk?!" Kyoshiro chuckled.
Kyoshiro's mad laugh deafened Yosuke. No sooner had he raised his head than he saw Kyoshiro's foot come at full speed and hit him full force. Yosuke felt the full weight of Kyoshiro's foot crush his face. He tried to stand up, but Kyoshiro crushed his torso under his foot.
"Really, kid? I've got years of experience under this kind of gravity." Kyoshiro landed a kick that sent his opponent reeling backwards. " Come on k-" In an instant, Kyoshiro was sent flying backwards by Yosuke, who looked completely different, wearing an orange jumpsuit and covered in black scars. He had a silver breastplate, and wore a brown open helmet and leather jacket with a hood and fur collar. His helmet was orange with black whiskers, the mouthpiece of his helmet was silvered and he had a pair of cat ears protruding from the hood. He also wore black gloves and boots resembling lions' paws. The boots had three exhaust pipes. With a Driver that looked like a Lion's head had on each side a pair of sharp claws.
"What are you going to do now, asshole?" Yosuke asked angrily.
Kyoshiro stood up with a big grin, noticing that Yosuke seemed to be vibrating. "So what's your name again? Dumbass? Kitten?"
"It's Nemea! Like the lion of Nemea!" Yosuke explained, but his attention was caught by something else.
Kyoshiro had grabbed the receptionist by the head. "What do we have here?"
"Let her go!" Nemea ordered.
"What if I don't want to?" Nemea was about to intervene, but-
"Aaaaah! Let me go! It hurts!" Said the receptionist in pain.
"I see you move a microcentimeter, I'll blow her skull off like a watermelon." Kyoshiro tightened his grip on the receptionist, who screamed in pain. "What's our little chivalrous kitten going to do? Is he going to save the damsel in distress or stop the big bad terrorist?"
Nemea was stuck, he didn't know what to do. He was hesitating as to what decision he should make, when suddenly the receptionist was hurled towards him. Almost instinctively, he stopped vibrating to catch her, and just as quickly felt a strong gravity oppressing him again.
"So predictable!" Nemea looked up to see that Kyoshiro had just as quickly transformed into Reverse and in the air doing a double back-kick which he again took full force. He was about to fall, but Reverse caught him by the back of his helmet. "So easy to predict, people are like you are too naive, always think of others. As soon as someone's in danger, you immediately think of them."
Nemea slapped his helmet against Reverse's. "I'd rather think of others than think of myself, you bastard!"
"Oh really?" Nemea suddenly felt much lighter, but just as quickly he took a powerful knee to the stomach. "Let me see that, kid. I'm going to keep hitting you for the next three minutes. If you move or activate just one of your implants, I'll increase the gravity so much that this chick will become the new paint for the walls."
"Wait a-" Nemea couldn't even respond as Reverse had already raised her leg and brought it down at such speed that it cracked Nemea's helmet.
"It starts now!" Reverse laughed.
While Reverse and Nemea were fighting, Yukina was on the stairs, speeding up to reach the top floor. Running as fast as she could, Yukina knew that if she didn't hurry. Kyoshiro would make the worst mistake of his life.
At the top floor, Yukina was completely out of breath, but even tired she ran to the end of the corridor and knocked on apartment "1402". As she heard someone arrive to open the door, Yukina heard footsteps and wheels turning. As soon as the door opened, Yukina saw a slim woman open the door for her. She had pale skin, long snow-white hair, sky-blue eyes, a blue kimono with cherry blossoms and wooden sandals. She wore an oxygen mask over her face, connected to a green oxygen cylinder on a wheel.
"Do you need anything?" the woman asked.
"Give me a second! My legs feel like shit after climbing so many stairs!" Yukina was completely out of breath. "Are you okay... Sakura Eruko?" Yukina asked.
"Yes, I am, would you like an autograph?" Interrogated the woman.
"Super... cool... I need you to come with me, I have an idiot who needs to see you." Said Yukina.
"Sorry, I can't really leave my apartment, I'm already surprised you managed to get up here without security stopping you." Said Sakura.
"That's the problem, there are two idiots down there fighting and I need you to stop them!" Said Yukina.
"Excuse me?" Sakura asked confused.
"There's Kyoshiro fighting some guy and I need you to help me stop it." Yukina's words surprised Sakura completely, but after a few seconds she took on a serious expression.
"Come in." Sakura ordered.
Yukina entered the apartment to see that, unlike the building, the interior was very humble, similar to what you'd find in any apartment complex, but Yukina didn't even have time to stay inside when Sakura opened a door to reveal an elevator.
" You have an elevator in your apartment?" Yukina asked. "It would have been useful to know that before going up so many flights of stairs."
"My son had it installed after my body became even more fragile." Sakura replied.
"So... we take it?" Yukina giggled embarrassed.
"You'd rather carry me down the stairs?" Sakura retorted.
"Go for the elevator!" Without hesitation, Yukina climbed into the elevator.
Sakura took the elevator up and pressed a button to bring it down.
*Plic ploc*
Nemea's helmet was completely shattered while his face was covered in bruises and cuts, he was bleeding profusely while still holding the receptionist in his arms. Reverse had removed his own helmet and used it to hit Nemea in the face, Reverse couldn't help laughing as he hit Nemea. Nemea's legs were shaking, he was completely tired after all the blows he'd received. As for the receptionist, she couldn't help crying with fear at what she saw, she was completely frightened by the violence involved.
"Can you still hear me?" Reverse asked, but received no reply. "Yeah, I think he's unconscious." Reverse looked straight at the receptionist, who trembled with fear. "Beat it before I change my mind." At his command, the receptionist fled as fast as she could.
Reverse grabbed Nemea by the head and lifted him up, his body completely limp. "That's what you get for worrying about strangers. Think only of yourself when you fight." Reverse crushed Nemea's skull to the ground at full speed, covering it in blood. "You're lucky I didn't have my combat prostheses, that would have killed you already", surprising Reverse a little, Nemea whispered something.
Reverse brought her ear close to Nemea's lips and she said. " ...shut...up... " Nemea slowly raised his arms and tried to strangle Reverse, but he had no strength.
"Oh you still want to fight? ..." Reverse lifted Nemea as high as he could. "THEN WE'LL FIGHT !" Reverse lowered Nemea at full speed to crush him to the ground but...
"STOP, YOU STUPID MONKEY !"
Reverse came to a complete stop when he heard the voice. He was absolutely confused and surprised, he recognized the voice, but Reverse couldn't believe it. As his eyes trembled, he slowly turned around and was completely speechless.
"Sa... Sakura?" Reverse de-transformed completely and let go of Nemea when he saw Sakura accompanied by Yukina. "I... but... how?"
"I should ask you that, little monkey." Sakura had a big smile and tears in her eyes. "Took you long enough to-" Sakura didn't even have time to finish as Kyoshiro took her in his arms.
"Shut up... just shut up, I need to enjoy this." Kyoshiro said in a calm voice." How I've missed this."
"Tell me about it." Said Sakura.
Kyoshiro and Sakura took advantage of this moment of silence to kiss, after nearly 50 years of separation Kyoshiro couldn't help but have an innocent, pure smile of happiness.
*PFFFFTT*
The couple turned their heads towards Yukina, who was blowing her nose and had tears in her eyes. "IT'S FUCKING BEAUTIFUL !" she cried exaggeratedly.
Sakura could feel the disappointment coming from Kyoshiro who put her down and tugged Yukina's ear. "You idiot..."
"That hurts!" Yukina said, trying to free herself.
"Stop being an idiot and it'll hurt less." Said Kyoshiro.
Sakura couldn't help laughing at Kyoshiro and Yukina, but suddenly a torrent of green flames pushed Yukina & Kyoshiro, and caught Sakura. The torrent of flames had a human silhouette, and the flames went from green to orange, constantly changing from one color to another. The figure held Kyoshiro's right arm in its free hand. The flames faded to reveal that it was Yosuke whose wounds the flames had healed.
"I'm going to break you in half, you fucking old man." Yosuke menaced with a dark look.
At this threat, Kyoshiro activated his overburst and his right arm was replaced by an electric skeleton arm. "Bring it on, kid, I'm gonna take you down."
But before the two men could throw the first punch, Sakura grabbed them by the ears and pulled. "This is no time to fight!"
"But Mom! He started it!" Said Yosuke
"What do you mean I started it?! You're the one who kicked me in the teeth first!" Kyoshiro retorted.
"You're not children, so don't fight!" Sakura ordered.
The two men looked each other straight in the eye before saying "All right..."
"Good..." Sakura let go of Yosuke and Kyoshiro.
"Am I the only one who's surprised by the fact that he called Sakura, 'Mom'?" Yukina asked.
"Well yeah she's my mom." Yosuke replied.
"Fuck you talking about? She's my wife." Kyoshiro retorted coldly.
"Cut the crap, you old man." Menaça Yosuke.
The two cyborgs glared at each other as they continued to threaten each other.
"How long will it take them to figure it out?" Yukina asked.
"Kyoshiro's always been slow on the uptake, same goes for Yosuke, it doesn't help with their temperament." Sakura replied.
"Like father, like son, eh?" Yukina said.
"THIS GUY IS NOT MY SON/FATHER!" Kyoshiro and Yosuke shouted.
"My son won't be beaten so easily, three fights against me and three times you lose like a bitch." Kyoshiro said.
"My father wouldn't be such a big asshole who takes hostages!" Yosuke retorted
"You took hostages?!" Sakura questioned angrily
"He attacked me for nothing!" Kyoshiro denounced.
"You started it!" Yosuke retorted.
"Liar!" Said Kyoshiro.
"This really isn't the time for this kind of thing." Sakura said in exasperation.
In the distance, the group heard sirens arrive. "I think we're going to have to leave..." Yukina said.
"I can't let him go." Yosuke said coldly, but Sakura put her hand on his shoulder, which surprised him. "Not you, he's killed lots of people!"
"It's more complicated, but really more complicated than you think, I'll try to explain it all later." Sakura said.
Yosuke gritted his teeth before sighing to keep his composure." I can't let him go like that, they'll think I let him go and I can be interrogated."
Kyoshiro earned a big smile at these words. " I can help with that, can I have my arm?"
Yosuke was confused but returned his father's arm. "What are you going to do?"
"You'll see..." Kyoshiro replied.
At the building's exit, a dozen police cars were present, each officer with their weapon in hand, ready to shoot the first thing that came out of the building.
They were all under tension, knowing the violence of their target.
*Crash*
All their attention focused on the source of the noise, and without even checking, they fired everything they had, hundreds of shells falling to the ground as their bullets whizzed by. After a minute or two, they were out of ammunition, and the dust their shots had kicked up fell away. As the officers saw that their target was nothing more than a metal arm, a small group of officers approached the prosthesis.
"CLEAR!" Said one of the officers when suddenly...
*BANG*
The prosthesis exploded, killing the group and sealing the entrance to the building. All the officers were confused by what had just happened, but some called for reinforcements.
While the police were busy, a small blue van was driving away. Kyoshiro was at the wheel, while Yukina was in the back.
"Why didn't we take Sakura with us?" Yukina asked.
"Because if she disappears, Dan will put all his resources into finding her..." Kyoshiro replied, "He knows he can use her against me, and he wouldn't want to lose such a great asset."
"OK, but are we sure Yosuke won't rat on us?" Yukina asked.
"I don't know, but I think so." Said Kyoshiro. "I can only hope Sakura makes him understand..."
"I've got one last question." Yukina said.
"Who is it?" Kyoshiro asked.
"How do you explain the gaping hole in your story?" Yukina asked.
"From what?" Kyoshiro asked confused.
"You told me you saw Sakura and Yosuke dead when Dan and the others took your arms and legs. How are they still alive?" Yukina asked, but Kyoshiro remained silent for a few seconds before pulling into a small alley.
He rested his head against the steering wheel of the car pensively before saying, "I don't know, I know what I saw, that scene plays in my head every night, but now I know they're alive. I'm questioning it all."
Yukina could feel the mix of emotion coming from Kyoshiro. "Let's go home and rest, it'll probably help you to be able to make sense of it all."
Kyoshiro sighed before turning the van's engine back on. "Yeah, that's the best solution for now." He drove off in silence as Yukina pondered how she could help Kyoshiro.
Shortly after the explosion, Yosuke was in Dan's office, pouring himself a glass of whisky. The Phoenix lieutenant couldn't help but be confused by his leader's calm demeanor.
"How was your fight?" Dan asked, still with Herculean calm.
"I didn't manage to catch Kyoshiro, but I did manage to wound him badly." Yosuke replied quickly.
"That's good to know, he seems to have induced an EMI so we have no record of the fight." Said Dan.
"Did he plan this?" Yosuke thought.
"How's your mother? Did she get caught in the fight?" Dan asked, showing emotion, which surprised Yosuke.
"No, luckily she was on the top floor, so she didn't even hear the fight." Yosuke replied.
"Well, that's good news at least." Dan said relieved. "You can go now."
Yosuke turned around ready to leave, but stopped and thought for a moment before looking Dan straight in the eye before asking. "Chief! Who's Kyoshiro really?!"
A complete silence filled the office as Dan slowly rose from his chair, his presence alone was Dantesque. Yosuke could hardly breathe as Dan went over to him.
"Why do you ask?" Dan asked.
Yosuke tried to swallow his fear before saying. "I need to know who I'm fighting, all the records say it's your brother and that he betrayed Phoenix, nothing more. I was lucky to have Koto who told me a little more about him, but nothing really important."
Dan's cold eyes pierced Yosuke. "You deserve to know. Kyoshiro is your father, which makes me your uncle." Yosuke was surprised not by the news but by Dan's honesty. "Your mother and I preferred to keep this fact hidden so that it wouldn't trouble you either socially or mentally growing up. We've even changed your last name."
"So you've had me fighting my own father all this time?" Yosuke asked.
"Yes, I can understand your confusion on the subject, especially after such a fight. I'd advise you to take a few personal days." Said Dan.
You could see the confusion in Yosuke's eyes as he left the office without saying a word. He went straight to the parking lot where he got on his motorcycle, but remained pensive. Yosuke didn't know what to think now, and looked at his helmet, still as pensive as ever.
After a short while, he put on his helmet and said. "I'm going to question everything I believe, but I need to know the truth."
Kyoshiro was in the shed that served as his bedroom, lying pensively on his bed while Shiryu was upgrading his computer with more materials he'd salvaged from the dump.
"You knew, didn't you?" Kyoshiro asked.
"Knew what?" Shiryu retorted.
"'Bout Sakura and Yosuke who were still alive, you knew that?" Asked the cyborg again.
"Yes, I was the doctor assigned to Sakura, she's still alive after 50 years because of my treatments." Shiryu replied.
"I don't know whether to thank you or not." Kyoshiro said.
"Do what you want, I didn't do it for you, but only to continue my experiments." Says Shiryu.
*knock knock*
" That must be Yukina." Kyoshiro got up from his bed and went to the door.
When he opened it, Kyoshiro was surprised to see that it was Yosuke. The two men looked at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to say.
" ... hey... " Said Yosuke.
" ... hey... " Kyoshiro scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Do you want to come in?"
"Yeah..." Yosuke entered and sat down on the bed.
"What did you come for?" Kyoshiro asked straight to the point.
Yosuke pulled a USB key from his pocket. "I found the recording of the day you 'betrayed' Phoenix, I haven't seen it yet and thought we should watch it together. Mom told me that it was on that day that everything changed, and I need to know more." Yosuke replied, before noticing Shiryu. "Who's the kid?"
"Shiryu, I made him a body so he could help me with stuff." Kyoshiro replied coldly.
"Hi." Said Shiryu.
" ...more weird you die... " Said Yosuke. "That aside, do you want to watch it?"
Kyoshiro was still pensive, could he still trust these memories of that tragedy? "Let's have a look at it. I need to be sure if my memory isn't playing tricks!" Kyoshiro said.
Shiryu stepped back from the computer. "I've finished improving it, so take a look at it, while I'll go and help old Yujiro." He said before leaving.
Kyoshiro sat down on the desk chair and took Yosuke's USB key, putting it into the computer to start recording the fateful day.