Chapter 54 - Twelve Years Ago [Part Two]
[Kumamoto Park - After School]
(The memory then changed from the classroom to a park in Kumamoto)
"This place is?" Asparagus asked
"This is where Gero-sama spends a little bit of his time after school..just sitting alone here in this park.." Kikuyo said
"He's trying to escape from his cruel reality, even if just for a little bit, right?" Takashi said
"Yeah..that's so like him..separating himself from others so only he has to get hurt.." Erika said
"Look! Darling is reading some kind of book!" Kay pointed
"Ohh! That's a book about tanks!" Miho said
"How much can someone love tanks that much?" Kal smiled
"Just look at his face..he looks so happy reading it.." Erika blushed
"Hey someone is approaching!" Anchovy said
(As they looked towards the unknown person approaching the young Gero they seem to realize that it was a male at the age of 20-25 years old and has blonde spiky hair)
"Who is that?" Assam asked
"No idea.." Asparagus said
"Wait..spiky blonde hair?" Maho said
"Maho-san?" Darjeeling called out
"That must be the person Gero told us about..his aniki.." Erika said
"Aniki? His older brother?" Katyusha asked
"Yeah..onii-sama told us that there was someone that befriended him and was like an older brother to him..it must be that person!" Maho smiled
(The guy then stopped in front of Gero and called out to him)
"Hi there!" said the guy
"..."
"Hello?"
(Gero was too focused on reading that's why he couldn't hear that he was being called. The guy then noticed that Gero was reading a book about tanks and decided to try and use that to get his attention)
"Woah is that a book about tanks?!"
(Gero then looked towards the guy and finally he was noticed. The blonde guy had a warm smile on his face and really had pure intentions on befriending Gero)
"You finally looked at me!"
"I'm very sorry! I get too engrossed when reading about tanks.."
"It's alright! Continue reading!"
"Thank you very much!"
"Do you mind if I sit here with you?"
"Please go ahead!"
(The blonde guy then sat next to Gero and continued to have a conversation with him)
"So you like tanks?"
"I love them! What about you?"
"Me too! My favorite tank is the British Cromwell tank!" said the blonde guy
"Really?! That's a cool tank too! It's fast and strong!"
"Right? What's your favorite tank?"
"I love all of them! But if I were to choose only one I'd go with the Tiger 1! It's super strong and it looks very very cool!"
"I know what you mean! It was the most feared tank during the war! And if we're to choose the best Tiger 1 ace in history it would be?"
"Michael Wittman!" both Gero and the blonde guy said at the same time
"Ahaha! Wow! You're an amazing kid!"
"You're just as amazing mister..uhm..we haven't properly introduced each other right? My name is-"
"Hang on! Before you tell me your name..I don't want your parents to get angry at you for telling a stranger your name.."
"Eh? Then what should we call each other?"
"Hmm..how about this? You can call me your aniki then I'll call you otouto-kun!"
[Older brother] and [younger brother]
"Ok! Aniki!" the young Gero smiled
"Yes otouto-kun?"
(Both Gero and his aniki then proceeded to talk about tanks and truly enjoyed their time together. Everyone can see Gero truly smile and express his joy)
"Look at Darling's smile! He's so cute!" Kay said
"Amazing..that blondie over there sure saved Gero-kun's smile.." Nonna said
"Yeah..it makes me happy that Tiger-kun found his first ever friend!" Takashi smiled
"Agreed..this guy is a lot better than his piece of crap classmates.." Kal said
*HONK *HONK
(The black car of the Nishizumi family suddenly arrived in front of the park. Both Junpei and Touma then exited the car and called out to Gero for it's time to go home)
"Is that your ride home?"
"Yeah..sorry aniki..I have to go home now..or my sisters will worry.."
"Come on it's nothing you have to be sorry about..it's very admirable of you to worry about your sisters.."
"Really?"
"Yes really..I'll tell you what..how about everyday we'll meet here at the park at the same time..then we'll talk about tanks until your ride home arrives..would you like that?"
"Yes! I'd love that!"
"Then it's decided! See you tomorrow otouto-kun!"
"Bye bye aniki!"
(After saying goodbye Gero then hurriedly went to their car to meet up with Junpei and Touma)
"Who was that person Gero-sama?" Junpei asked
"A very nice person! He stayed with me here until you guys arrived!"
"You seem to be very happy young master!" Touma said
"I am! Because today I made my very first friend!"
"I see..I'm happy for you young master!" Touma smiled
[Kumamoto Park - The Next Day]
(After school Gero ran quickly towards the park so that he could spend some time again with his new friend. As he arrived his expectations were met as he saw his aniki already sitting there waiting for him)
"Aniki!"
"Yo otouto-kun!"
"What tank would you want to talk about today?"
"Hmm..let's see..how about the American M18 Hellcat tank destroyer?"
(This warm bonding time between aniki and otouto continued as long as Gero could remember)
[Kumamoto Park - The Next Month]
"Hey aniki.."
"Yes?"
"Uhm..okaa-chan said today is a very special day for me.."
"What's the occasion?"
"She won't tell me even though I asked her so many times.."
"Maybe it's a surprise!"
"Yeah..well she told me to invite my friends from school today..but I don't have any friends there..you're my only friend aniki..so I was wondering if you'd want to come home with me.."
"Of course! I'd love to celebrate this special day of yours otouto-kun!"
"Really?! Yay! Then let's go now! The car is already there waiting for us!"
"Alright! Let's go!"
(Gero and his aniki now were walking towards their car to go home to celebrate the occasion. Erika and the rest saw how happy Gero was and that brought a smile to their faces also)
"What's the occasion Miho?" Kay asked
"Sorry I also don't remember..but I know it was a very special day! Right onee-chan?"
"Yeah..onii-sama kept on asking okaa-sama but got no answer.."
"Well I guess we'll know when they get home right?" Katyusha said
"That would've been the case.." Kikuyo said
"Would have? What do you mean?" Darjeeling asked
"Because at this moment..is the time Gero-sama almost dies.." Kikuyo said with a sad tone
(All of them got chills sent down their bodies as they heard what Kikuyo said. All their hearts were beating hard and fast but nothing could've prepared them for what they were about to witness)
"Ready to go home Young master? And you must be young master's friend, thank you so much for taking care of him!" Junpei said
"Likewise! He's a great kid.." Gero's aniki said
(Just before they got in the car Touma realizes that another car was headed for them and he thought it was acting weird. Erika and the rest also saw the car and were terrified of the events the was about to happen)
"Please no.." Erika began walking to Gero
"Don't tell me that.." Assam was scared
"That's right..those are the killers.." Kikuyo said with an angry expression
"Darling!" Kay shouted
"Damn it! Tiger-kun!" Takashi shouted
(Kal and Takashi started to dash towards Gero's position. They then saw the windows of the car go down and what they saw next frightened them the most. Two MP5k sub-machine guns were pointed towards Gero)
"Gero-sama! Get down!" Touma shouted
"Eh?"
(Junpei immediately shielded Gero using his body and his aniki quickly hugged the ground as told by Touma. Kal and Takashi jumped to push Gero and Touma out of the path of the bullets in an attempt to save them but since this was just a memory their bodies passed through them as if they were ghosts. At that moment both Kal and Takashi knew that they couldn't do anything)
*GUN SHOTS
(A hail of bullets were fired from the mysterious car and the first that got shot was Touma. He was shot twice in the chest, one in the stomach and shoulder before he fell to the ground. Gero saw this and he didn't know what was truly happening)
"Touma-san!"
"No Gero-sama!"
(Gero instinctively ran towards Touma to help him. Then another hail of bullets were fired towards Gero and a stray bullet hit him on the side of the head but it didn't kill him because Junpei was able to pull him out of the way of most of the bullets)
"Otouto-kun!" Gero's aniki shouted
(But the sight of Gero getting shot was too much for Erika and the rest. They just stared at the brutality and the strength on their legs gave way and all of them were sitting on the floor in shock and was crying)
"Gero..?" Erika was in shock
"Onii-sama!" Miho shouted
"What happened?!" Katyusha shouted
(All this time Nonna was covering Katyusha's eyes because she didn't want her to see what happened. There was blood everywhere and she knew that katyusha will not be able to endure that sight)
"Let go of me Nonna!" Katyusha shouted
"I can't!" Nonna shouted
"What do you mean you can't-"
(Katyusha's struggle stopped as she saw the expression on Nonna's face. She was angry and crying at the same time)
"Forgive me Katyusha-sama..but I cannot allow you to see this.." Nonna begged
(All of them saw suddenly Gero's aniki stand up and grabbed Touma's gun and started shooting back at the car. All shots hit car's tires and the car spun out of control)
"Hurry up and get him out of here!" Gero's aniki shouted
(Junpei did what was told and grabbed Gero and got in the car. The driver acted quickly and drove immediately back home. Just before Gero passed out he saw a glimpse of his aniki got shot before the car door closed)
[Kuromorimine Household]
(The memory then changed again this time it was now at the Nishizumi Household where Gero was safely brought home by Junpei but was terribly injured. These parts of Gero's memory were hazy due to him passing out and waking up because of his wound)
"Nishizumi-sama!" Junpei shouted
"Gero! What on earth happened?!" Shiho shouted
(Shiho hugged her son and was on the verge of tears)
"Forgive us Nishizumi-sama..we..we got attacked.." Junpei said
"Where?! By Who?!" Shiho shouted
"Okaa-chan.."
"Gero! Gero? Can you hear me? How could they do this to you.."
"Don't..shout..at..Junpei-san..he...he..protected...me.."
"Alright...I'm sorry for shouting..let's get you to the hospital.." Shiho whispered
"It will be too dangerous to go to the hospital..please take the young master to the Shimada family doctor..trust nobody else Nishizumi-sama.." Junpei said
"Agreed..come on, you're coming with us-""
(Shiho's words stopped as she saw Junpei's condition. While shielding Gero from the bullets he was shot twice in the chest and he was already losing a lot of blood)
"I can't come with you ma'am..leave me here..save Gero-sama.." Junpei said
"Damn it..understood..thank you for protecting him..and I'm so sorry.." Shiho said
"Don't be sorry ma'am..it was an honor working under you..taking care of Gero-sama and seeing him smile was all worth it.." Junpei smiled
"Junpei-san..are..you..ok?" Gero whispered
"Yes young master..so please live..live and be happy..make a ton of friends and never let anyone decide how to live your life.." Junpei patted Gero's head gently
(After hearing Junpei's dying wish Shiho now rode the car and went straight to the Shimada Family. Junpei just sat on top of his pool of blood as he soon died there sitting by their house)
"Who were those bastards?!" Kal shouted
"We still don't know..Gero-sama has been trying to find out who they are all this time.." Kikuyo said
"But on what basis did they attack darling? Did they know?" Kay asked
"Somebody leaked information is what I'm guessing.." Assam said
"I agree..they didn't even double check their target..they knew that at this time of the day Gero-kun would be at this very park.." Darjeeling said with an angry expression
[Shimada Household]
(Right after they arrived at the Shimada's, Gero was immediately given aid by their personal doctor. They were able to stitch Gero's head wound without a problem and he was given blood to replace the amount he lost)
"Who..who could've done this to a poor boy?" the doctor asked
"I don't know..I sent men to the scene but no clues were found..only the dead body of Gero's guard.." Shiho said
"Is Gero-chan's condition stable now?" Chiyo asked
"For now..but I don't have the tools to examine if there are other damages done by the wound..all we can do now is pray and hope that we have passed the worst part.." said the doctor
"Thank you doctor.." Shiho bowed
"It was a wise decision to get him here Shiporin..he wouldn't have made it if you went to the hospital.." Chiyo said
"It's all thanks to his other guard..it was his suggestion.." Shiho said
"Then we have to thank him..where is he?" Chiyo asked
"Dead.."
"I see..I'm sorry..where's Miho and Maho?"
"Sleeping..Kikuyo is looking after them..how will I tell them about this Chiyokichi?"
(Gero was just sleeping by the bed with a bandage over his head as Shiho and Chiyo converse. Erika and the rest walked towards the bed and surrounded it while looking at Gero)
"Onii-chan..I'm so sorry I wasn't by your side.." Miho was crying
"I wish I could just go back in time and wake myself up so that I could run towards you right now onii-sama.." Maho was crying also
"We are near the end of the therapy..Miho-sama..Maho-sama..these will be Gero-sama's last requests before he loses consciousness..please listen to him.." Kikuyo said
(Gero then opens his little eyes and had just enough strength to speak for a few seconds)
"O-Okaa-chan.."
"Gero! Thank goodness you're awake..how are you feeling?" Shiho asked
"My..head..hurts..and..I can't..see...well.."
"I'm sorry my son..I'm so sorry.." Shiho was crying
"Okaa-chan.."
"Yes my son?"
"Is..it..still..a..special...day..for...me..?"
"Yes..yes it is..what would you like? I will get you anything that you want..just name it.."
"Yay..then..I...have..two..requests.."
"What are they, my son?"
"First..is..please..look..for..my..aniki.."
"Aniki? Who..is this person?" Shiho asked
"In..school..I..had..no..friends..they..all..hated..me..but..aniki..was..very..nice..to..me..he..was..my..very..first..friend.."
"Alright my son..I'll do my best to look for him..do you know where he might be?"
"I don't know but..I saw him..get hurt..helping us..get away..a while ago..he has..blonde hair..please..help him.."
"I will..and the second request?"
"Okaa-chan..please..don't..let..them...hurt..my sisters.."
(Shiho was surprised at Gero's request and it just brought her to tears. Miho and Maho also couldn't hold their tears no longer and cried as they heard their brother's request. Darjeeling and the rest were also crying as they listen to Gero)
"Please...do whatever..it...takes...to make sure..that..Miho-chan..and..Maho-chan..will be safe..and..happy.."
"Take me...far away..so that...they won't...find my sisters...and hurt them..I..love them so much..they..were..the reason..that..kept me..going.."
"I love you so much too onii-sama!" Maho shouted while crying
"Maho-chan...has a strong...personality..but she tends to...keep her feelings...to herself most of...the time...she won't...say anything..even when...she is hurting...while Miho-chan is...a shy girl..but she...has a big and kind heart..both of them..will be..amazing..commanders..when they...grow up.."
"Onii-chan..onii-chan.." Miho just kept on crying her heart out
"I promise I won't let anything happen to them..and nothing will ever stop me from looking for you when this mess is over.." Shiho said as tears fell from here eyes
(Shiho then felt a warm touch on her cheek. It was Gero placing his hand on his mother's cheeks to comfort her one last time)
"Don't..cry...okaa-chan..and..thank...you...I...love...you.."
(Gero's hand fell as he once again lost consciousness but Shiho caught the hand of her son and cried more than before. She now will fulfill one of the requests of her son which will be the hardest decision of her life)
[Somewhere in Tokyo - The Next Day]
(The memory now changed again and this was the final memory. Gero was seen sleeping on a bed of some house. Erika and the rest saw a very familiar face sitting next to Gero and was reading the newspapers. It was none other than Chief Matsumoto)
"I see..so this was when Gero was already hidden with Chief.." Erika said
"This person is Gero-kun's foster father?" Kal asked
"Yes..he was okaa-san's tank mechanic and her friend.." Miho said
"Onii-sama also played with the Chief all the time in the tank garage.." Maho smiled
"Look Darling's waking up!" Kay pointed
(The young Gero then opened his eyes slowly and Chief Matsumoto saw this)
"Seems you're awake..good morning young master!" Chief Matsumoto said
"..." no response from Gero
"Can you hear me young master?" Chief called out
"W-Who are you?"
(Everyone was surprised that Gero didn't know who Chief was)
"It's me young master! It's Shin Matsumoto!"
"And..who..am..I?"
(Again everyone was shocked at Gero's question. They now all knew that during this time Gero had lost all of his memories)
"Gero-kun who had a photographic memory loses his memories..what kind of grim irony is this..?" Darjeeling said
"The shock and blood loss of his head wound must've triggered his amnesia.." Assam said
"Such a young boy..lost his family and his memories..all because of the greed of those afraid of what he'll become.." Asparagus said
"I'll never forgive those bastards.." Takashi said
"I swear on my role as a Seven Seats member that I will find those that did this to Gero-kun..and they'll see hell for this.." Katyusha said
"If he lost his memories here..when did he regain them?" Nonna asked
"The night after the Siege Tank Battle..when onii-sama was hospitalized..after he woke up he remembered us.." Maho said
"And he kept his identity hidden all this time to protect all of us.." Darjeeling said
"It would've been the best decision that time..suddenly revealing his identity without any proof or someone to back him up would've just led to unnecessary gossip.." Asparagus said
"So that's why he said it yesterday during the opening ceremonies..it was the perfect opportunity to cleanse the scandal of the uploaded photos while announcing his identity.." Katyusha said
"Shot two birds with one stone..as usual he's a cunning man.." Anchovy said
"Kikuyo-sama..did you ever find onii-chan's aniki?" Miho asked
"No..we checked every hospital record in the country about a blonde male with a gunshot wound but nothing turned up.."
"Then does that mean that person is also dead?" Anchovy asked
"Not necessarily..there are three outcomes that could have happened to him.." Kikuyo said
"And those three are?" Maho asked
"First is he could've died already and his body was hidden..second is he could've been taken as hostage by the criminals that shot Gero-sama..and the third is.."
"He's still alive somewhere..am I right?" Darjeeling said
"That's right..and that's what Gero-sama believes.." Kikuyo said
"I'm sure Darling's aniki is alright somewhere! He has to be!" Kay said
"All we can do is hope and pray.." Kikuyo said
(Chief Matsumoto then hugged the young Gero and comforted him. The loss of memory brought Chief Matsumoto to tears and decided to start anew with Gero)
"Your name is Gero..and I'm your father.."
"G-Gero? Father?"
"Yes my son..from now on you are Matsumoto Gero.."
"Virtual Memory Therapy is now finished and will now disconnect the units in 3...2...1..." Dr. Satsuki said
(After the countdown the units that Erika and the rest were using disconnected from Gero's memory. All of them removed the helmets and they all still had tears on their eyes. They saw Gero's crew waiting for them with cups of teas to calm them down)
"Here guys..drink some tea to feel better.." Ono said
"Thank you.." Darjeeling said
"Welcome back everyone..you might experience a little bit of nausea from the disconnection but it should wear off in a couple of minutes.." Dr. Satsuki informed them
"Doctor..where's Gero?" Erika asked
(Dr. Satsuki then pointed towards the window covered with blinds. Erika slowly approached the window and lifted the blinds only to be shocked again as she saw Gero sitting on the same unit with a helmet on his head. Chouno was in the room with Gero to accompany him)
"W-What is darling doing?" Kay asked
"The little boy you saw when you dove into his memories wasn't an image..it was him all this time reliving the same memory as you guys did.." Dr. Satsuki said
(All of them were surprised and felt pain to hear that)
"Why..why the hell would he do that?!" Kal shouted
"I told you..this is therapy..he has to relive the same memory to regain his lost memories.." Dr. Satsuki said
"But ours just ended right? Why is he still sitting there?!" Takashi shouted
"Gero-sama is rewinding the recorded memory..to find any clues or any kind of lead to find whoever did this to him.." Kikuyo said
"Y-You mean..onii-chan has to go through all of that again?!" Miho shouted
"Yes he does..it's what he requested.."
"You call yourself a doctor?! This isn't therapy anymore! Reliving that hell all over again is torture!" Katyusha shouted
"May I ask, doctor..how many times has he done this?" Maho asked
"I don't think you'll like the answer to that question.."
"HOW MANY?!" Erika shouted
"Counting this dive? This would be his 155th time reliving this memory ever since he got here.." Dr. Satsuki said
*GLASS BREAK
(Erika was unable to regain her strength and she dropped her teacup. All of them were so shocked to the amount Gero has relived that very painful memory)
"No way.." Anchovy said
"That many? That's crazy.." Asparagus said
"What the hell is this?! Why would he do that to himself?!" Kal shouted
"It was necessary..please understand him.." Kikuyo said
"Necessary for what?! You should've stopped him!" Assam said
"You think I didn't try?! Do you think I wanted to see Gero-sama see his painful past over and over again?!" Kikuyo shouted
"Calm down everyone..I'll tell you a reason why it was necessary..it was only during his 123rd dive that he was able to remember the names of his bodyguards.." Dr. Satsuki said
"You mean..the 1st up to the 122nd dive he can't remember the names?" Nonna asked
"Yes..both names and faces..after he remembered the names he quickly visited their graves..he's not doing this because he wants to..he does this because he needs to..for the sake of both the living and those that have passed away.." Dr. Satsuki said
"Nakamura-kun..did you know that he was doing this?" Takashi asked
"Yeah.." Ono responded
"Did you go into the memory with him?" Kal asked
"Only once.."
*GRAB *TACKLE
(Takashi suddenly grabbed Ono by his shirt and pushed him against the wall. He was so angry because he thought that how could they let Gero dive alone all those times)
"Why?! Why the hell didn't you go with him the next 154 times?!" Takashi shouted
"Calm down Takashi! Let go of him!" Kay shouted
"You're his best friend right?! Then why the hell are you not in there with him right now?!" Takashi shouted once more
"HE'S MY BEST FRIEND THAT'S WHY! DO YOU THINK I WANT TO SEE MY BEST FRIEND ALMOST GET KILLED A HUNDRED TIMES?!" Ono shouted as tears fell down his cheeks
(After seeing Ono tear up Takashi suddenly understood his feelings. He loosened his grip and just stared at the ground)
"All of us dove with him the first time..the sight of him nearly getting killed almost broke us.." Hajime said
"But after the memory..we couldn't take it..we agreed to never watch Matsu-kun's past again..but we will still support him as we do now.." Ken said
"Look..it appears Gero-kun is done.." Darjeeling said
(The lights on Gero's helmet disappeared but for some reason he wasn't taking them off)
"What's wrong doctor? Did something happen?!" Kay asked
"Nothing..his vitals are alright..brain activity is fine..no problem at all..." r. Satsuki said
(Erika then suddenly opened the door to the next room and approached Gero. He still wasn't removing his helmet so Erika was the one that took initiative and slowly lifted the helmet. What everyone saw next surprised them for Gero was crying)
"Gero..?" Erika called out to him
"Erika..?"
"What's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?"
"It's finally over..."
(More tears fell on Gero's cheeks and Erika quickly hugged him to comfort him)
"Why..is darling crying?" Kay asked
"I see..so that's what happened.." Dr. Satsuki said
"Come on, tell us why Gero-kun is crying!" Katyusha said
"The day he came here for his first VMT session..he said that no matter how much pain he feels during the therapy he will endure..and when it's the final session..he's going to cry his heart out.." Dr. Satsuki explained
"So all 154 sessions he has not once cried?" Nonna asked
"That's right..he's crying now because he will never need to do VMT again.." Dr. Satsuki said
"I see..I'm relieved.." Asparagus smiled
"Me too..I don't ever want darling to go through that again.." Kay smiled
(Both Miho and Maho then went inside the other room as well and hugged their brother and cried with him)
[10 Minutes Later..]
(Gero now was alright and went out with Erika and his sisters where the others were waiting for him)
"Hey guys.."
"You sure had us on a feels trip there buddy.." Takashi said
"I know..and I apologize..I thought that this was the best way for you guys to understand who I am and what I am.."
"By making us cry our eyes out? You know I haven't cried like that in a long long time.." Kay said
"Sorry about that Kay..did you cry too Katyusha-san?"
"Hmph! As if I will cry! But I will admit that I didn't like what happened to you..and I want you to know that you gained my utmost respect.." Katyusha said
"Thank you Katyusha-san.."
"But Katyusha-sama did cry.." Nonna teased
"Nonna!" Katyusha shouted with a blush
"So it's finally over huh?" Dr. Satsuki said
"Yes..thank you very much for all this time doctor.." Gero bowed
"You're very welcome.."
"Please send my regards to your husband as well..I do owe him my life more than once already.."
"Doctor's husband?" Miho asked
"Yes Miho-chan..Dr. Satsuki's husband is the doctor that saved me when I was in the Shimada household and he is the same doctor that saved me when i was injured during the Siege Tank Battle"
(Miho and Maho then recalled the doctor that they spoke to before)
"I remember him! So he was your husband.." Maho said
"Yes he is.." Dr. Satsuki smiled
"So Gero-kun..would you like to show everyone your discovery?" Ami Chouno said
"Yeah..please display the image I sent you doctor.."
(Dr. Satsuki then displayed the image sent by Gero from his memories and it showed the part of the memory where an MP5K sub machine gun was pointed out of the window of the car that was used by the attackers)
"Magnify the image.."
(The image then was zoomed in towards the hand of the one holding the gun)
"Alright now clean it up.."
(The image then was cleaned and the image was made clearer and it showed something that Gero was looking for all this time)
"What can you see?"
"A tattoo?" Asparagus asked
"Correct..this is the final clue that I have been looking for all this time..this tattoo is the closest thing that we had found all these years..does anyone recognize it?"
(The tattoo was a black heptagon shape with a skull in the middle with other patterns)
"No..it's the first time I've seen it.." Erika said
"No clue either.." Darjeeling said
"If we are able to find this tattoo or even it's origin..we can pinpoint the bastards that are responsible for what happened to me.."
"This isn't going to be easy Gero-kun..there's got to be a million tattoos like this.." Ami Chouno said
"I know..but we have to try..that's why I invited Assam-san here also..I know you are an amazing information gatherer and I could use the help.."
"I'll do my best Gero-san..I'll inform you right away if I get something.." Assam said
"All of you try and do your own research but do not stand out..I don't want you guys to get hurt.."
"Understood!" everyone responded
"Another topic I want everyone to know is this.."
(Gero then displayed the message he received from the Takeda clan)
"The moment that four souls have been chosen to fight, those lurking in the darkness will enter the light"
(All of them read the message and were trying their best to understand it)
"I already know what it means but I want you all to read it and try to guess it's meaning.."
"I'm not good with word games so I'll pass!" Takashi said
"Same here.." Kal said
"Geez both of you are worthless!" Katyusha said
"Then do you understand what it means Katyusha-sama?" Nonna asked
"Of course I do! The four souls chosen to fight means the Semi-finals of the tournament right? The last four schools that will compete!"
"As expected of Katyusha-san! Correct!"
"Praise me more!" Katyusha blushed
"What about the second part?" Kay asked
"Those that attacked Gero-kun will show themselves?" Darjeeling said
"Bingo..well said Darjeeling-san.."
"Who do you think I am?" Darjeeling blushed
"Wait..so the people that attacked you will attack again during the semi finals?!" Ono asked
"There's a possibility..but we still don't know in what way.."
"So you're telling us to boost our security during the tournament?" Asparagus asked
"Yes..and teach everyone in your schools basic self defense..but do not tell them about the attack..it might cause a panic and that's the last thing we need.."
"Do you think they'll make big moves onii-sama?" Maho asked
"You mean like bomb the entire place?!" Ken reacted
"I doubt it..the tournament will be filled with cameras and security personnel..if they are going to make a move they'll do it stealthily and unnoticed..they've waited 12 years to kill me..they'll make sure to do it right this time.."
"I'll hire bomb-detecting squads just to be sure.." Ami Chouno said
"Thank you Ami nee-chan.."
"Is it safe to say that they'll be targeting you only?" Anchovy asked
"I hope so..because I don't want to drag anyone else into this mess.."
"I'll have everyone in high alert the whole time..we got your back Tiger-kun!" Takashi smiled
"Us too..leave it to us darling!" Kay said
"Alright! I guess it's time to get to work!" Asparagus said
"Thank you everyone...well I guess that's all I have for you today..you can now all go back to your schools and help them prepare for the tournament.."
"Geez..some people are trying to kill you and you still think about the tournament.." Miho pouted
"Sorry..the time I spend with all of you during Senshado is just as important as my life.."
"We know.." Maho smiled
"I'd like to thank you all..for helping Gero-sama.." Kikuyo bowed
"It's nothing Kikuyo-sama..we're glad to be of help.." Darjeeling said
"Kal-kun and Ray..please stay for a bit..I need to tell you about something..the rest of you can go.."
"Sure!" Takashi said
"What is it now?" Kal said
"Erika..can you go with them? Wait for me downstairs.."
"Alright..don't be long ok?"
"Yes my Kommandant.."
"You guys wait for me by the van! I'll give you all a ride back!" Chouno said
(All that remained was Gero and his crew, Kal, Takashi, Kiuyo, Ami Chouno, and Dr. Satsuki. Erika and the rest of the Seven Seats now went out of the room and were now in the elevator headed down)
"Your brother really is something.." Assam said
"What he just did..I could never do it.." Asparagus said
"Seeing the same painful memory..155 times.." Nonna said
"Any normal person would have been broken under those conditions.." Nonna said
"But Whitey didn't..he's stronger than anyone else that I know.." Anchovy said
"I know I would've..you usually see me hyper and jumpy all the time but..I can't handle what darling did.." Kay said
"The important part is it's now over and he won't need to do it again..right?" Erika said
"Yeah..Erika is right..we all have our jobs that we need to do so let's focus on that now.." Maho said
"Agreed..let's make sure that Gero-kun's hard work will not be in vain!" Darjeeling said
(The elevator then stopped at the ground floor. They all went out the entrance of the hospital and they saw a familiar face step out of a black car. It was Shiho Nishizumi that went to visit his son and to take him home)
"Okaa-sama!" Maho called out
"Maho..Miho..and the Seven Seats as well.." Shiho said
"Good day to you ma'am.." all of them bowed
"Headmistress!" Erika saluted
"At ease Itsumi-kun..what are you all doing here?" Shiho asked
"Gero brought us here..showed us everything.." Erika said
"I see..so he's chosen you all to be his allies..I hope you all know the risks involved in this.." Shiho said
"Yes ma'am..we're prepared.." Darjeeling said
"Good..where is he?" Shiho asked again
"Still upstairs with Kikuyo-sama and Chouno-sama.." Miho said
"Thank you Miho..wait for me here by the car and let's all go back home together.." Shiho smiled
"Yes okaa-san!" Miho smiled
"You too Itsumi-kun.."
"Yes Headmistress.." Erika smiled
(Shiho then walked past the group and was waiting for the elevator when she was followed by Kay and Darjeeling)
"Excuse me ma'am.." Darjeeling said
"What is it?" Shiho asked
"We just wanted to know if you also dove into Gero-kun's memories.." Darjeeling asked
"I did.."
"How many times?" Kay asked
"All of them except for this one..that's why I went here..then I ran into you guys.."
"I see..that explains everything.." Darjeeling smiled
"Yeah.." Kay smiled
"What are you trying to say?" Shiho asked
"No offence to you ma'am but..your son is one tough son of a bitch.." Kay said
"He's my son..you're damn right he's tough..but as his mother..seeing him suffer like that..brings me a lot more pain than you could ever imagine.." Shiho said
"We understand ma'am..we're here for your son..you can count on us.." Darjeeling said
(The elevator arrived and Shiho entered it then before the doors closed Shiho gave Kay and Darjeeling a smile and said)
"Thank you.."
(Both Kay and Darjeeling now returned to the rest of the group and they noticed they were discussing something)
"Hey hey! What are you all talking about?" Kay asked
"Oh we were just thinking about the fact that Gero-san and Kaede-san were classmates before.." Asparagus said
"I was totally not expecting that!" Anchovy said
"Same here.." Assam said
"But if you think about it..if they were classmates before..and Kaede-san is already in college..then does that mean Darling is supposed to be in college right now?" Kay asked
"Regarding that..Gero told me that Chief Matsumoto had him go through another year of middle school..so that he could experience a normal school life..that's why he's a year late.." Erika said
"Onii-chan told me about that too! He said that's where he met Tsugumoto-kun!" Miho said
"I see..so Gero-kun did have a normal school life after all.." Nonna smiled
"I guess we owe your Maintenance Chief for giving us the opportunity to meet Gero-kun.." Katyusha said
"So if that memory was twelve years ago..and he was seven years old..then darling is already 19 years old?!" Kay reacted
"Wow..that makes him the oldest in our generation huh?" Asparagus said
"Well age doesn't matter in love anyways.." Erika bragged
"You really had to brag about it right now?" Kay asked
"I'm just saying.." Erika smiled
(They all saw then Gero arrive back together with his crew, Shiho, Kikuyo, and Ami Chouno)
"Hey guys! What are you all talking about?"
"Oh nothing! Ready to go back?" Erika asked
"Yeah..see you guys soon!"
"Bye bye darling!" Kay said
"Dasvidaniya!" Nonna and Katyusha said
"Farewell Gero-kun!" Darjeeling waved
"Kikuyo nee-chan! Ami nee-chan! Thanks for today! Please get home safely!"
"Bye Gero-kun!" Ami Chouno smiled
"You too Gero-sama!" Kikuyo smiled
(As they went their separate ways to go home a very emotional and heartfelt day has now ended)
Coming Up Next : Chapter 55 - We are Shirokumo
Author's Note:
Hey all! There you have it! The part two of this feels trip down memory lane! I admit I teared up reading this chapter again. Next chapter will be the first round of the tournament so action is coming!
Let me know in the reviews of how you felt during this chapter! And also what do you think happened to Gero's aniki? Alive? Captured? or Dead?
Shout out to : "Ainh" thank you so much for the follow! Or was it a re-follow? I'm still happy either way!
Thank you for the wonderful support you all are amazing! As for the replies to your comments check the reviews section as always!
And again check out the Facebook page! I uploaded two photos! One would be a picture of 7 year old Gero while the other one would be the mysterious tattoo that Gero saw in his memories!
As always if you like what you see leave a Favorite, if you want to see a notification as I post a new chapter please Follow! If you have comments and suggestions leave a review for me to read! Thank you again and have a nice day!