Teito was undergoing changes and Minato could only think of one way to describe it. Deception. The bright lights, the towering clubs, the towering buildings, all of the advancements in medicine and the like, it was all just a part of the good and hid the bad.
The higher the tower, the richer and more important the person, and when it got down to street level...The crime rate was the highest in the world, and growing at a steady rate by the days. Yakuza, Triad, and other syndicates were vying for territory and certain locations.
Illegal gambling and worse were going on and there were full scale shoot outs now when things went wrong. When deals were broken or were set ups in the first place. The sounds of gunshots and bullets zipping through the air were not unfamiliar in most parts of Teito.
It was worse now that the Discipline Squad were swaggering and muscling through every street and alley, fully invested in their sanction to kill and giving into their propensity to kill. They were getting right in the middle of these conflicts and disputes, and often times, started them.
So, Minato was not entirely surprised that his simple shopping had never been one in the first place. He found that his simple walk had turned into a fight for survival. Though, he was not fighting. He was doing the most logical thing he could think of. Running. He had long forgotten his task of shopping for Miya. The moment he got out of the north and into the greater wide city, the signs of crime and violence were prevalent.
Clouds of smoke, small, but the remnants of burning fire were spotted throughout the city-scape like decorations. The people were quiet and didn't speak. They kept to themselves, and if they were with more than one person, they didn't deviate from their pack. Minato found it to be like animal packs in the wild-there was a fear, very real.
If I stray from my pack, I will die.
Their thoughts were not entirely wrong, he could admit.
At least in this moment.
He skidded to a halt, sprinting down an alley. His legs burned. His lungs burned. He had been running for nearly twenty minutes straight now. He was sweating despite the cold weather, and the cold air did him no favors. The thunderous patter of footsteps sounded off around him. He dared not move from where he was nor make a sound.
"They went this way!"
"Hayato, that little shit! Get him! Get him!"
Minato shifted, trying to see what was going on. They yell came from somewhere close. Just a few meters down, if he had to guess. He didn't see anyone, but he could hear commotion. Debris and other things came flying through the air after a few minutes along with the whistling screech of a spear tearing into the ground.
The loud clash of blades roared through the air, just like the screams of those battling. Bullets and explosions rattled around like a chain reaction of dominoes collapsing. Glass and other sharp projectiles rained down, even as far as he was, and he had to duck so he didn't get slashed across the face.
He made no visible reaction. Instead, he prepared himself for evasion. His calves still burned, but he pressed his heels into the ground. He readied his quads. His hips braced. His lungs heaved. Even his sight and hearing grew, giving him more clarity. He could hear sounds he couldn't hear before. He could see with a greater clarity than he had before.
"Don't let them any closer, Taki!"
"I'm trying!"
Remaining here would leave him in the middle of what was about to happen.
"Mutsu and Riku! Cut them off! Akitsu, throw up an ice barrier! Don't let Hiro or Syrus advance! Don't let Benitsubasa get past the barrier!"
Gun shots rang and bullets scattered.
"We can't hold them off like this!"
"These people are under my payroll, we have to protect our interests!"
Minato took off the second the entire earth shifted.
Everything inside of him tingled, as if it were shocked over a period of time, rather than all at once. There was a sound of thunder that made him pick up his speed, the irate shout of someone identifying him made him race even faster. He wasn't sure if it was someone from Hayato's group or the Discipline Squad, but he didn't want to find out.
"Kill that son of a bitch! Kill Mutsu! He's helping those shits get away!"
"Koto and Kaiha are coming on our flank, we'll pinch them!"
"Call for back up! Bring in three more squads! Corner the little rat!"
Cries echoed into his ears, even as his heart swelled and pounded into his face. Minato knew for a fact that five squad captains were already present in the conflict. He was more than aware that Benitsubasa was present-he knew she would not pass up the chance to punch someone into nothing. There were two more, not as vicious, but just as cold, and just as ready to kill.
There was also a man, that the other two were connected two. Their Ashikabi without a doubt, and he was the one shouting, if Minato wasn't mistaken. If it wasn't him, it could be a fourth of fifth person he hadn't cared to access in a matter of seconds. He deduced what he had to, and executed it in order to get away with his life.
If he had stuck around and tried to hide, he would have got caught in the middle.
He started, feeling his breath catch as a blue, compact, four door car pulled up in front of him. The tires squealed, leaving smoke in the air as the car jerked to a stop.
"Get in!"
Minato was relieved to see Seo swing open the door. He dove right in. Hikari shut the door, sticking half of her body out of the window. "Hibiki, I'm going to provide cover!"
"I got it!"
Hibiki surged her power towards her feet, into a generator, and Seo slammed his foot down on the gas. The car sped ahead without any reprieve or pause, pure acceleration.
His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. Hikari peppered everything behind them while Hibiki covered any blind spots she may have missed, he turned sharply, and the tires squealed again.
"Hang on!" Seo yelled.
Minato clung to the side of his door, bracing his body into his seat.
They left a trail of smoke in their wake, the car's rear whipped sharply as it finally straightened out-just as they came to the lane to go onto the interstate.
Minato blinked rapidly, seeing black for a few moments before it burst into color and shapes. He focused on his breathing, trying to slow it down, trying to control it, and even breathed deeply through his nose while expanding his chest.
It hurt so bad.
He stopped, just letting himself recover whenever it happened. He just sat, basking in the tense silence. The steady hum of the engine, the sound of snow pelting into the windows, the wipers smearing across his field of vision-he tried to focus on anything but the pain.
"You okay, Minato?" Hibiki asked, genuinely concerned.
"Have no idea what I got myself into back there." Minato admitted, wiping some sweat away from his slicked forehead.
Hibiki frowned, not quite looking at her feet, but not the floor either.
"Discipline Squad. There were some Yakuza and other gangs, Hayato has them under his control." Hikari supplied.
Minato nodded, shaking his head. He would almost be dumbfounded and in disbelief, if it were not for the warning he got beforehand. Now, he was just anxious and restless. The flight or fight response had been in full effect, and he had chosen flight.
But, there had been something...
Different...
"Hayato has a lot of people under his payroll as well. Maybe more than Higa. Those people under his payroll are being hunted down and killed by the Discipline Squad. He has to protect their mutual interests."
Minato shifted his gaze onto Seo, arching a brow. "Was that who was giving those orders?"
"There's a good chance."
"He sounds nothing like the brat I faced off with before, if he had been like this before when it came to Kusano..."
Minato knew, without a doubt, Kusano would either be Hayato's or deactivated. He just wasn't yelling orders-it was experienced, like he had done it a million times before in the past.
It didn't sit well with Minato.
"He would have been a bigger problem than he was. I've heard rumors about that brat, but I wasn't sure if there was any merit to them." Seo admitted, frowning.
"Rumor?"
Seo looked at Minato for a moment. "You were there, weren't you? At the battle?"
Minato nodded, brows drawing together.
"Haruka-Kuno's Ashikabi, did something strange. I got it on video, thanks to some of my connections. I'm not sure how to play it, but Matsu could figure it out easily enough."
"Your point?"
Seo chuckled softly, smirking at the younger man. "Maybe you are best suited learning through experience."
"I am not sure if Matsu will assist us. She made it clear when she was leaving, that she would only serve Ryu. She left what she did at the inn to maintain protection and give us an edge with regards to information. But, that is all."
Seo leaned his head back, taking the steering wheel in one hand.
"You had a relationship with her...Maybe you could convince her?"
Minato thought about it. "She liked stirring the pot with my Sekirei and Ryu's Sekirei. But, she did appreciate how much of a pushover I was when it came to certain things."
"So?"
"That doesn't mean she will help me. Besides, with Uzume..."
Seo scoffed lightly. "Matsu has never let another person influence her decision about another. It could be the last time she does it, but she may help you out."
Minato didn't like the idea at all. Matsu had made her feelings very clear and he had hoped he could make those feelings very clear to Seo, but the man didn't get it. Who could he? He would ogle Musubi at Jussa at times. Najime was always the center of his attention.
Ridiculous.
If Minato went to Matsu-not going through Ryu first, it would be a disaster. It would be a disaster if he went through Ryu first. There was no way Ryu was going to allow anyone outside of himself around his Sekirei, let alone let his Sekirei out of his sights.
Not after so many betrayals.
But, if Matsu agreed to do it...
"I could ask her, if she really is the only way..."
Seo narrowed his eyes. "Only other people who can see the video without any worry are Higa, Hayato, and of course Minaka."
"So, you are doing that Sanada a favor?"
"Yeah. We both get what we want." Seo looked at Minato, eyes a little hard.
Minato met his gaze, turning away after a few seconds.
Something about this didn't sit right with him, but he knew Matsu was always forward.
"I'll see what I can do..." Minato conceded. "I want to see this video too now."
Higa's tower was always alive with noise. Business and more business happened around the clock. Employees were constantly coming and going. Companies and contractors were always coming and going. Even members of Yakuza and other syndicates came here in suits and ties to conduct the usual shady business, with a few new things every once in a while.
But, she was away from the hustle and bustle.
Kochou was picture perfect in Higa's office. She tried to maintain her composure and calm. It had been a while since Higa...Showed her where she was along the totem pole, and she had accepted that. Kochou, however, would not accept getting her fingers bent like that again.
There were other ways. There were more efficient ways. Higa chose to hurt her. He could have used words, strong words, in order to get his point across and she would have just grimaced. But, Higa overstepped a line. It was a personal line.
That had been the second time Higa did something like that.
She massaged her knuckles, taking a deep breath.
Thankful that her fingers weren't mangled.
Working for Higa was difficult. But, it was becoming increasingly difficult. The other Brain Sekirei under his charge had put in a new security system for the university. State of the art. Twenty times more advanced. It was something to clap about and smile in pride over.
Kochou disagreed. There were too many faulty points in the security system. She fixed those. She went through the entire thing and fixed the wrongs. She bridged together everything so it worked seamlessly. The security system would more than suffice for Teito University.
The problem was Higa wanted control of the security system through his tower. He wanted access to everything. He was giving her time and spending lots of money, but she could only stretch so far. She had limits. Technology had its limits. It was in steps, and if one thing was out of sync, the whole system would fail.
Completing this task was essential. She had no choice. Even if it kept her up day and night. Even if her eyes burned and strained. Even if they hurt. Even if she had bags and couldn't move. She would complete this, because if she didn't, Higa would toss her away.
Or, he would dispose of her.
And, to add to her stress she had to come up with some means to undo all of the adjusting her sisters went through. That was a task even harder. Even with all of her tests and examinations, everything was so vague. The chemical compounds were complex, and the more she broke down, the more popped up to break down.
It was one thing she could not fail in delivering. She was almost certain that Higa would kill her himself if she couldn't come through with this antidote. Kochou couldn't begin to imagine where to start in developing it, and as far as she knew, Higa had no scientists of MBI under his payroll.
If only we had one of them, just one.
Kochou busied herself, stroking her fingers across the keyboard with a measured grace. She focused her worry and thoughts into her work-to getting her work done. She didn't want to be punished, and more so, she didn't want the other Brain types to be punished because of her.
They were not as talented as her or experienced, but they had great ideas and were inventive. Kochou needed them. She needed their innovation and ideas. She needed their out of the box thinking. Fixing the kinks and pitfalls was annoying, but she had more experience, so smoothing everything over would fall onto her.
And, if they managed to get an MBI scientist...Together, with their assistance, and Higa's other scientists-she would be able to devise an antidote. But, taking out the trackers was another issue and it is one that she truthfully wasn't focusing on for obvious reasons.
To even touch the crest of a Sekirei at this point was...
She shook her head, taking a deep breath. Her heart raced, thumping in her ample chest. She took another deep breath, hoping it would calm her frantic heart, but it did not.
A commotion behind her garnered her attention. The door was opened. A person stepped in. Kochou squinted, not quite able to see who it was. Judging from their relative silence, it had to be someone higher along the power hierarchy. She hoped so at least.
She didn't need that blood hungry maniac Akane storming in here.
She could offer nothing.
"How are you feeling, Kochou-san?"
Hari.
Kochou firmed her jaw a little, keeping her head up. "Tired, but alive."
"Coffee." Hari offered a steaming cup. "Expensive kind."
Kochou brightened a little despite the seriousness of the situation. "I appreciate it."
Hari laid out the assortment of bakery she had gotten along with coffee, taking some cake. She moved around Kochou's desk, looking at the computer screen every few seconds. She finally made herself at home, sat down, and crossed one leg over the other.
"We need to talk."
Kochou fixed Hari with a steady gaze. "Allow me to finish this first."
Hari's lips widened into a smile, her eyes twinkled. She set her hand on the desk, moving it towards Kochou until it was just a few inches away.
"Always so devoted to your work, or is there more to it?"
Kochou blinked. "I do not know what you mean."
"I wonder if it is devotion that drives you, or fear."
Kochou's expression said nothing and she hoped nothing was given away. It was no secret she was fearful for her life. She hadn't said it to anyone or made it clear, but she was scared. She had always been scared. Hari, it seemed, had always known.
"I-"
"Do not try to stumble out a response. I know you've always been afraid."
Kochou was still.
Hari moved off of the desk, pacing around the room again. "Higa is anxious. The Discipline Squad wiped out three Yakuza and Triad bases and they are moving into the business and party districts where the casinos are. The gangs Higa is flying in from overseas arrive today."
That was bad. Higa had a share going on in those casinos and he was getting a handsome percentage. He was also getting protection money, and paying for additional protection. For that opening to be smashed now and pierced without any hesitation by those killers would be a disaster. If those funneling funds were suddenly cut off...
Kochou didn't want to think about it.
"That is disconcerting."
"Quite. The Discipline Squad killed most of them." Hari leaned forward, almost seductively.
"Seriously?"
"I know Benitsubasa, Koto, and someone by the name of Syrus was leading their own units. A man named Iven and later, Hiro, joined up with them...But, I delay. You didn't explain what you have to finish."
Kochou looked at the woman with a cautious gaze. Hari would put on a sweet act and talk seductive, but the woman was lethal and venomous. She was malicious and she took joy out of making her foes suffer.
"The security system from Teito University being linked up with the security feed her at this tower. Higa is planning on building a new base for operations somewhere in this sector. The security there will have to be linked up."
"Sounds difficult."
"Has its rough patches, thankfully I have help. Doing it the first time will simplify things the second time. We may be able to even upgrade the system."
Kochou pointed her attention back onto her computer, moving her fingers faster. She would not allow herself to slip that Hari could sense the fear building deep inside of her gut.
She was barely keeping it under control.
She knew she had to deliver. She knew she had to get this done. But, the menacing threat of Hari sucking her dry looming literally right over her head, didn't do her favors. The woman would clench a hand over her mouth, just so she coudn't scream.
Hari hummed softly, moving forward a few centimeters.
"Those Brains really are great at what they do. They may lack experience, but they make up for it with their energy and creativity."
"Not everyone is a genius like Number 02."
Hari nodded in agreement, though her eyes narrowed to slits. "Geniuses like her always overlook stuff. Too sure. Too certain. Too arrogant. Look at me, I was right under her nose. I doubt her records go far back enough to show I met Higa. Minaka makes sure certain things are swept under the rug for levity. "
Kochou made no response.
How could she?
"Have you come up with an antidote yet?"
That made Kochou pause.
Hari grinned in delight.
"Kochou-san?"
Kochou was careful to be stoic when she answered. "That requires time. A lot of time."
"Oh, is it that?"
Kochou blinked, keeping her expression stoic.
"You are buying time for yourself, I think."
Kochou would not admit that aloud.
She was working on a hypothesis, and hopefully, it worked. Hopefully it was the good conclusion that would come about and not the bad one. The bad one would result in her death or something worse. But, the good conclusion...She may be able to live a life that doesn't involve having fear in the center of her heart.
But, for her own sake, and the Sekirei with her in this mess, she did her duties. She ran herself ragged. Even if the Sekirei would never appreciate it, and mock her, and everything else-she had no problem with that. But, she could not continue to suffer and be tormented. Ever since Higa put her up to this task she felt like a weight was crushing down on her chest.
Like her survival was on the line.
I don't want to die...
Her heart skipped a beat as the thought came, and it swelled with fear.
She knew she would be killed.
It would be a termination.
She would not be deactivated, which was bad enough. She would be terminated or killed. There would be no way for her to ever come back. She would be finished from that point on-even the Jinki could do nothing to help her if that happened.
For all of their power, they couldn't reverse a termination or death.
"I grow restless and hunger for a worthy foe. Higa is keeping me here in the tower to ensure that no one here is disturbing you. I already put in my fifty cents concerning the schematics and construction. I seen through things on my end where I am not needed at the University. I am better suited making sure those under him-outside of Sekirei, and the Sekirei and Ashikabi loyal to him-stay in line."
Kochou had to remind herself that Hari was brutal.
The woman enjoyed raiding those Yakuza strongholds, or even bashing through those police cars and taking away all of the life force from them with her bare hands. She put her foot on those men's and women's throats and pressed down until they would stop breathing. Other times she would smash her foot down. Blood would be covering her legs when she came back.
Because she got done tearing her sharp high heel through someone's or multiple people's windpipes.
"You know that what we were given when we were young to adjust us, up until the point we were released was complex. Don't try to dispute that Hari. Breaking it down requires time, and creating something to counteract that will not be an easy thing."
"I will not make light of it, forgive me if it seemed that I was. I just grow tired of the hindrance."
Kochou took the second to pin her eyes back on her computer.
Her heart eased a little.
"We do not share the same blood."
"Go on." Hari said.
"We are fellow Sekirei, but we are not twins of sisters. It could be a matter of scanning and getting necessary DNA from all of the Sekirei who are with us, and then creating antidotes specifically made for them. We were not all given the same thing to adjust us, even if we all started with the same thing, as time went on, we all got something different."
Hari hummed a little loudly, swinging herself around so her back was facing Kochou.
She eased back, setting herself onto the chair, crossing her leg over her chest and putting both hands on her knee.
"Minaka was so thorough."
"Unfortunately. It goes to show how much he fears our unrestrained and untamed power."
And the raw power of our Ashikabi. Hari silently added.
"Is that all?" Kochou asked, remaining polite.
"What about our trackers?"
Kochou firmed her jaw, struggling to stay calm.
This was one thing that was driving her crazy, and one thing she didn't want to do. The trackers were right by their crests, and to remove them, there had to be an incision. Putting a finger on the crest of a Sekirei and reciting a few words was enough to cause a deactivation-cutting it open, even a little bit, or slashing...It made her want to scream.
She didn't wish that dreadful end on any of her sisters and brothers.
To be terminated.
To be killed.
To never come back.
To have their crest slashed apart or to pieces...
"Hari, please-"
Hari giggled. "Kochou-san. It sounds like you are about to plead."
"I-I..." Kochou firmed her resolve. "I am not comfortable with that. We can make something to block the trackers."
"We've been trying and failing."
"Then we make something to jam the whole sector-wipe it all down from eyes and ears."
Hari appreciated and approved of the idea, but not as an alternative.
They needed to remove the trackers.
"I can appreciate that idea, but it is not an alternative at the moment."
Kochou's heart fell and she could feel emotion behind her eyes. She didn't want to run the risk. She didn't want to risk a Sekirei's life, or multiple, just for this. It was wrong. It was horrible. It was a waste. Sekirei dead or worse from a failed, stupid, ridiculous experiment couldn't serve.
They couldn't do their duty.
"I am not willing to sacrifice any Sekirei. It is too dangerous."
Hari noted the tension in Kochou's tone. Subtle, yes, but still there. Underlying. Palpable. She was maintaining her calm and cool exterior, but Hari could feel that slipping. If she wanted to, she could just nudge Kochou. It would be enough to push her emotions to the surface.
But, she knew the woman was serious and her voice was filled with a passionate conviction. She truly believed this was not worth the effort. It was not worth the risk. It was not worth the time. And, more importantly, it was nowhere near worth the life of a Sekirei.
Hari could concede with that.
"We have to remove these trackers, Kochou. It is a problem."
"I know, but it is too dangerous. I do not even think Higa's best scientists could perform the operation with one hundred percent chances of success."
Hari's eyes widened, and she swung around to face Kochou.
"A scientist of MBI?"
Kochou thought about it. "More than one, preferably."
Hari nodded, remembered she had cake, and ate it one bite.
She took three more sweets, carefully holding onto them. It was with steady fixation that Hari eyed Kochou, even as she ate the first sweet in her hand. There was just...Something she was sensing from the woman. She couldn't quite place it, but it was getting her attention.
"I will speak to Higa about it."
Kochou nodded slightly.
"Why does he want to know about the trackers?"
"Honestly?"
"It would help." Kochou admitted.
Hari grinned, much like a predator.
"There are some complications with getting the gangs here that Higa wants to use. There is a charismatic man in the states that can bring them together, but they continue to fight. Higa wanted one of us to handle it, and kill anyone fighting to speed this along."
Kochou was wide eyed.
She couldn't say anything.
"If they were to come here and continue their fights instead of serving Higa, that would be a problem. A problem that would have to be exterminated."
Kochou only nodded.
"I will also let him know of your progress and insights towards the antidote. He will definitely want to know that. We don't need Kakizaki thinking that all Sekirei have the same exact blood, now do we?"
Kochou breathed out a sigh of relief.
Hari pressed outward with an invisible hand. grinning sharply. She gripped Kochou in an invisible, crushing grip.
There was a terrified cry from Kochou as the crushing grip tightened around her and lifted her up from the chair, slowly turning her around clockwise until she was upside down.
"I-I don't understand." Kochou gasped, barely able to speak as the breath was punched from her lungs.
"That has always been the problem. That is your problem. You are too small minded and cannot see the bigger picture. Higa is growing tired of this."
Dawning terror spread across Kochou's straining features.
"Please...Hari...Please..."
Hari tilted her head to the side. "You should know begging me for mercy is useless! I can crush you right now, squeeze all the air out of your lungs!"
"I...Know." Kochou began to choke, her body trembling as the pressure within mounted.
Each word she spoke took tremendous effort.
A final push loosened the invisible vise. Hair loosened her grip, turning Kochou right side up. She let out a final scream, but with air rushing back into her lungs it came out only as a choking gasp.
"You..." Takami looked at Hari, eyes wide and with shock.
"Higa wanted me to give you a little motivation. I will still report your findings to him, that way you stay in a good and useful light."
Kochou swore she pissed herself and mortification began to swell inside of her.
"Are...Are you done?"
Hari left the room, leaving behind a slithering smile.