Reconstruction

By: Aviantei

Chapter Nineteen

Reconsideration

Since he'd started helping out in return for the lodgings provided to him and Neko, Kuroh had gotten used to early mornings. Well, life with Ichigen-sama had also started early, but that was a much more peaceful opening to the day, the slow ease of meditation and tea before warm-up exercises, then a simple but no less delicious for the fact breakfast. Even in his failing health, Ichigen-sama was no less engaged in Kuroh's tutoring, and those days had been near idyllic.

Though Ichigen-sama was gone, Kuroh wondered if a life like that would be possible ever again, even if he and succeeded in finding Shiro again. But daydreaming about such things wasn't going to help. Not unless they had Shiro with them. Hence why Kuroh had chosen to wake up even earlier than his usual routine to get to work.

Mornings in the shop were a marked difference to those spent at Ichigen-sama's side. Here, the early hours were a bustle of activity and prep work, making sure that all possible ingredients were ready, that necessary prep was done in ample supply so business hours could go as smooth as possible, confirming that no mess was left behind from the closing hours. The closest factor that it had to time at Ichigen-sama's was that there was a warm meal waiting at the end of the bustle, one prepared for three.

(Kuroh couldn't deny the similarities to his mornings with Shiro and Neko at Ashinaka Gakuen, either. It seemed that there were patterns in his life, ones that couldn't be ignored. Himself, a King or a "master," and a friend.

Some friends weren't coming back, though.)

Kuroh hadn't wanted to skip out on his promised work to the shop, so his goal in arising early was to take care of his share of the restaurant work for Master. He'd even completed breakfast, with plenty of Neko's favorites. That, hopefully, would keep her from being too upset with him for running off without a warning, as would the note of apology. It wasn't like he wasn't planning on coming back, after all.

There was just a chance of him going and doing something that Neko didn't need to get caught up in.

If we're getting help from Urumana to look for Shiro, we need the money, and we don't have a lot of time to do it in. Which means doing dirty work.

Kuroh considered himself noble. After all, that was part of Ichigen-sama's teachings: that wielding the blade was not to be done selfishly. Kenjutsu was an honorable practice, even if parts of its history were bloody. But the specific form of the art Ichigen-sama had taught had its history in protection and grace. Despite how many people there were who would seek out the sword for violent means, Ichigen-sama's students were not meant to be like them.

Forgive me, though, Ichigen-sama. If it's a choice between the ideal of the blade you taught me or my own ideal to always stand by those I treasure…

It was, by no means, an easy decision, but it was one he was willing to make when faced with no other choice.

He couldn't let Shiro disappear. Not without a fight.

So when Kuroh left the restaurant that morning, he steeled himself for what he'd need to do. The unsavory parts of cities weren't generally well-advertised, even if you knew who you were dealing with. But Kuroh had once considered himself someone who had the responsibility to hunt down such people, so he was confident he could find his way there. Convincing anyone to give him a job that would pay out in enough time might be complicated, but it wasn't the most difficult option, either.

Whether he could convince himself to go through with whatever he needed to do was another matter, but if it was that or never seeing Shiro again…

Kuroh gripped his sword and walked faster, building into a run before he used his Aura to pull himself to a rooftop for faster travel. It was early enough that Shizume City still seemed to be asleep, but he couldn't convince himself to just enjoy it. He'd completed some probing searches on his PDA the night before, and he had at least a rough idea of what area of the town to go to. It would have been in his best interest to talk to a suitable intel broker to get a certain answer, but the best option in that camp was Urumana, and Kuroh couldn't afford to be in debt to the man, not without getting the information that really mattered.

Trying to find Shizume City's underworld in the early morning hours might have seemed counterproductive, but that was part of the point. Who would suspect that illegal deals would be taking place in broad daylight? That and human greed was a force that didn't slow down for anything—a fact that Kuroh was counting on.

It was about twenty minutes of traveling later that Kuroh found an alleyway to descend into. While he had no issues with showing off his sword skill to the more unsavory types (as that would make him an asset), Kuroh had no plans to showcase himself as a Clansman. That was a bit too dangerous, plus Kuroh's pride wouldn't let him use his abilities in such a way. Kenjutsu was something any person could use, but his Colorless Aura was even more precious to him, proof that he'd been entrusted with something special.

Pulling up his PDA to confirm the address he'd found (and, perhaps, stalling a bit), Kuroh took in a breath and walked out of the alleyway, doing his best to act natural. Even without an appointment, he was certain the sword on his hip would be plenty to convince whoever was present that his services were worthwhile—and he would have entered the office building if it weren't for the fact that someone else was present.

"Aw, sheesh," Urumana said, pushing his bangs back, "this isn't what I was expecting to find whenever I came all the way out here. You're sure an early bird, eh, Yatogami-kun?"

Most of the time, Kuroh would at least try to return small talk, but this morning wasn't most of the time. "Why are you here?" he asked, at least keeping his distaste from him voice. "I thought you made it clear that you weren't about to help me out without any sort of payment." No exceptions, he had said, more than clear enough."

Urumana shrugged, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, well. My business, my rules." Which wasn't anything even close to a real explanation, but Kuroh understood that he wasn't at an advantage in this situation. "Trust me, I don't like giving out charity where it isn't warranted. But as far as I can tell, you were about to do something stupid, and we can't have that happening."

"And you even care because?"

He hadn't meant to, but Kuroh had half-snapped out the question, and, for the first time, Urumana's easy smile fell. "Because Ichigen thought you were a good kid," he said, and Kuroh flinched at the sound of his master's name. "And I'm pretty inclined to agree."

"Then you shouldn't have given me some ridiculous stipulation to help," Kuroh said, all the frustration that had been building up in him since Shiro had disappeared starting to bubble up. "Ichigen-sama may have known you, but I have to wonder why he thought you were reliable when you haven't done anything useful."

"Hey now. Just because I haven't handed you what you want doesn't mean anything. Besides, I'm helping you now, right?" More than deservedly skeptical, Kuroh raised an eyebrow. Urumana didn't miss the expression, but he didn't seem all that bothered by it, either. "Look, I still can't give out my services for free, but if you're looking on getting yourself involved with yakuza or something, I am gonna step in."

Convenient of him to care whenever it suited him. But even when he was upset about the circumstances, Kuroh wasn't about to waste the option that was before him. "Does that mean you're intending to help us out, then?"

"As said, not for free. But I think we can make a compromise." Kuroh didn't protest, and Urumana tapped at his own temple. "Like I said, I won't just drop intel for free. And what you want is some pricey shit, kid. But if you help us out, I'll work to help you out. Sound fair?"

It was vague. It was potentially risky—but Kuroh also couldn't act like what he'd been about to do was any less risky. Even if Kuroh didn't trust Urumana, Ichigen-sama had, and that, while not a guarantee, would have to be good enough.

So Kuroh put his hand on the hilt of his sword, prayed for Ichigen-sama to give him strength, and said, "Tell me more."

'You're looking way pissier than normal. What gives?'

Sugawara Yuuka did not have a lot of patience leftover, and the unimpressed look on Setsuko's face as she signed didn't help matters. It had been a long night, and after the most recent successes in the experiments, there seemed to be more roadblocks than anticipated. And while Yuuka usually liked a bit of the challenge, this was a time pressured situation, so she couldn't just revel in it like usual.

So, yeah, she was pissier than usual, but if Setsuko wanted to get in the way of that, she could fuck right off.

Yuuka dropped into one of the available computers in the lab, not even bothering to respond as she pushed a USB drive into the outlet. There was a whole lot of data she needed to process, and Setsuko's machines were some of the best to handle it. If nothing else, Yuuka contained her mounting rage so as not to take it out on the tech. That would get her kicked out, even if her attitude wouldn't, and she couldn't afford another setback.

None of them could afford another setback.

If we drag this out much longer, we'll lose every chance we have to get them back.

The thought of that was about to make her—of all people's—blood run cold. Pulling a lollipop out of her pocket, Yuuka shoved it into her mouth, ready to chew the stick to bits if necessary. At least the data she'd collected so far seemed to have plenty of good things to work for. The first vessel was almost complete—but she wasn't anywhere near compatible enough, not yet. What were the missing pieces? What little bits of her were getting in the way?

The vessel had already given up her real name, knowing full well there wasn't all that much of her left. And yet, and yet—

[When's the last time you slept?]

Yuuka blinked at the text that had imposed itself over her data, her brain taking a bit too long to register that what she was seeing was a message. Setsuko had propped herself on the desk next to the computer that Yuuka was using. Though her expression looked just as bored as ever, the message she'd sent was concern enough, and that was enough to make Yuuka feel guilty.

"Don't give me that," she said, positioning herself so Setsuko could read her lips with no issue. "You're just as bad as getting rest as I am."

[That's not a real answer, Yuuka.]

And she was right, because of course she was right. In other words, Yuuka had just given herself away by attempting to avoid the question. With a heavy sigh, Yuuka leaned back in her hair, staring at the darkened ceiling in an attempt to rest her eyes a bit before heading back to the screen. "I just…I'm so close, but not close enough, and I'm worried we're not going to make it. They're strong, but…"

They were, all things considered, still a newborn with their ability, and the chance all of them were looking for could slip away.

Setsuko patted Yuuka's shoulder, and the ping from the computer indicated that there was a new message waiting for her. [We have to believe in them,] Setsuko said. [And even beyond that, you know I believe in you. You're our resident genius, after all. But maybe the reason you haven't been able to have a breakthrough is because you aren't giving your mind enough time to recover.]

The lecture in itself was wholly unnecessary. Yuuka might have been of the underground variety, but she was still a doctor. She knew well enough how a lack of sleep would hurt her ability to perform her best. But it was still maddening, to be right there, and yet unable to put the missing pieces together. If she was having this much trouble with a willing target, what good would it serve—

[I can tell you're spiraling just by looking at you,] Setsuko's message said, and Yuuka pushed herself away from the desktop with a groan. 'Want some company for that nap, then?' Setsuko signed, and Yuuka nodded.

Surely her King wouldn't mind waiting a little bit longer to pull things together.

Eri woke up without feeling even the slightest bit rested. Oh, the brightness of the sun outside the windows was proof enough that she'd slept for some time, but part of her was still exhausted. Yesterday…had been an incredibly long day, there was no way to deny that. And yet were they any closer at all to finding Ruyaki? With everything that had happened with the Black Clan interfering, none of them even knew if Urumana-san had succeeded in finding their lead or not.

And on top of that, Urumana-san also knew…

The rest of the memories of yesterday evening caught up to her, and Eri gasped, looking around for Hitomi. Eri hadn't woken up in her room at home, that was for sure. The bed smelled a bit dusty, as if it hadn't been used in a while, and the room had scattered belongings in it: a skateboard repair kit with a few busted wheels still lying around, a guitar that still looked clean, a couple of handheld gaming consoles surrounded by scattered game cartridges. It was one of the rooms upstairs of the HOMRA bar, doubtless used by the assembled members as a place to crash and a storage area all wrapped into one.

But regardless of her being somewhere safe, Eri needed to get up and check with Hitomi as soon as she good. Swiping up Mie-chan from the bedstand, Eri attempted to hop out of bed, only to hear a groan beside her. It seemed that in the night Hitomi had curled up by Eri's side, and it didn't look like she was going to wake up anytime soon. Eri brushed a bit of hair out of her sister's face, smiling, though the expression soon faded, though it was through no fault of Hitomi's.

Answers. Eri needed answers.

Sending a message to Hitomi's PDA so she'd know where her sister was when she woke up, Eri rolled out of bed, tugged her vest back on, and did her best to tame her hair back into less of a mess (without any chance to stop by home the night before, she was down a hairbrush) before leaving the room. Despite the fact that the time was inching closer to noon, the bar was quiet, and Eri wondered if even Kusanagi would be resting. He had shown up at the battle outside of Ashinaka Gakuen yesterday; maybe he was worn out, too…

While Eri wasn't about to barge into his room or anything (she didn't even know where it was for starters), she had to admit to being rather impatient. For the sake of giving herself something to do, she headed down to the bar. There was no Kusanagi, nor was there Urumana. There was however, the small girl that had been out and about before, her hair a dazzling white that complimented her pale skin and stuck out thanks to the frilly red and black dress she wore. The girl raised her head, then froze as soon as she saw Eri, not so much as budging from her spot on the couch.

Oh, no, did I scare her? No, wait, what's a kid her age doing in a bar in the first place. Could it be, she's…

The thought of someone so young caught up in Clan politics didn't make Eri feel any better, and she doubted it would do any good for Hitomi, either.

"You're," the girl said, her voice so quiet that Eri almost didn't hear her, "the woman that I couldn't see anything for."

Eri blinked. Considering her field of study, she was rather used to dealing with young children, but the girl's words didn't make all that much sense. Deciding that there wasn't much point to hiding her voice when on HOMRA turf, Eri tucked Mie-chan into her arms and asked, "What do you mean?"

The girl picked up a marble from the set on the table before her, raising the orb up to her eye. "I can…only see colors this way. Mikoto was red, and so is Izumo and Yata and the others." She clutched the marble in her small hand. "SCEPTER4 is Blue, and most people are at least shades of gray. But you…don't have any color at all."

"Oh," Eri said, unable to come up with anything else. It seemed this girl was able to see Clan Auras, which was a good thing for HOMRA; there wasn't any chance of being infiltrated by an enemy, at the very least. "Hopefully that's not too bad of a thing, is it?"

"It's strange. But I can tell…that you're a good person. So it doesn't matter." The compliment make Eri blush a little, and the girl dipped her head as if embarrassed. "Sorry, I should have introduced myself. I'm…Anna."

"Anna-chan, hm? That's a pretty name. I'm Hayatama Eri. It's nice to meet you." And then Eri noticed the way Anna's eyes were fixated on the cat toy in her hands. Eri lifted the plush up, waving a paw. "And this is Mie-chan. Would you like to play with him?"

Anna's enthusiastic nod was more than worth it.

[Author's Notes]

Another year of this fic being active has passed, and we've at last made it to a new day in the timeline. Expect more paths crossing soon. I have plans, but if there are any particular character interactions you want to see, then lemme know and I'll work in what I can. I like keeping this fic flexible.

I've fallen into the fanfic writer's sin of being too distracted by a shiny new idea to make significant progress on my already existing stories, so I can't say when the next update to this story will be. I did recently finish my TWEWY fic Muse, tho, so go check that out if it's your thing!

Next chapter will 100% involve Strain Squad shenanigans, so please look forward to it!

-Avi

[03.17.2022]