A/N: Hey all,
Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You is back for another chapter. I know it's a day late (technically several months and a day late), but I needed an extra day (and several months) to do final edits and to get everything sorted. Sorry there has been such a delay in updates over the last few months. I've been fighting with this chapter and rewritten it three times. But I think the delay was worth it because this chapter is far improved over the one that I had last September when it was supposed to be released. I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter of Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You.
Also, to my faithful reviewer Kitty, thank you so much for taking the time to review my story and for your willingness to keep up with this story and wait for my slow publishing. You said you weren't sure if I remembered you, but I absolutely did and was so excited when I saw your review. Thank you for always taking the time to leave me your thoughts and encouragement. It really helps me to motivate to continue writing.
If anyone would like to contact me during the month in between chapter publications, my email address is listed on my profile. I would love to hear from all of you. Please feel free to send me a message or leave me a review.
See you next month with another chapter of Who Knows What Fate May Hold For You.
Your grateful author,
Spiral of Destiny
Hibari stood silently next to the outside wall of Makoto's apartment. The meeting had gone about as poorly as he had anticipated, though he hadn't expected Makoto to lash out at him when he challenged his foolish plan. Grimacing, Hibari added additional pressure to the cloth he still held under his nose to curb the bleeding.
The meeting had been pointless. Hibari had attempted to convince Makoto that they needed to slow down if they wanted to have any chance of finishing their mission to eliminate the Blade Children. He'd explained the risk the media attention was putting on their cause, but Makoto had shut him down and threatened him for being insubordinate. Things had gotten physical when Hibari had tried again to caution Makoto, but was told that one more word against him would lead to Hibari being eliminated as well. He sighed, resting his head back against the brick surface.
"I don't care anymore. If he wants this whole thing to crash and burn then let it." Pushing off the wall, he tentatively removed the cloth from his face to test if the bleeding had stopped. Once certain it had, he threw the cloth in a nearby trash bin and made his way silently down the street.
oOoOoOo
Ikari nodded thoughtfully as Kirie fell silent. The two women had spent the last half hour discussing the current situation surrounding the Blade Children and how Eyes and the others were handling it all. She looked somberly at Kirie when it was clear she wasn't going to speak again.
"I knew about the killings, but I didn't realize how active the "Hunters" had become. I had no idea Miss Takamachi was in the hospital, or that there have been so many non-fatal attacks recently." Her tone was troubled. Kirie nodded.
"I've had my people keeping an eye on things, but everything is getting so muddied. Even Kiyotaka has rejoined the game."
"Kiyotaka?" Ikari's tone showed surprise. Kirie nodded, pinching the bridge of her nose between her eyes in frustration. A grimace formed on Ikari's face.
"If there's one thing we don't need, it's that man sticking his nose in things again."
"I couldn't agree more."
"Did he approach you?" Kirie nodded.
"He showed up at the hospital when I went to check on the Blade Children following a pretty bad attack."
"Did he give any indication of what his intentions are?" Ikari asked hopefully. It was Kirie's turn to grimace.
"Does he ever?" Ikari sighed, looking down defeated at her hands.
"No, I suppose not."
"Things are only going to get worse with him involved." Kirie stated, looking out the window in frustration. Ikari was quiet for a few moments before shrugging lightly.
"Well, I guess we'll deal with him when we have to. For now the "Hunters" seem to be a more pressing issue." Kirie rested her head back against the couch.
"I hope you have a plan for that, because I don't. Sai won't listen to me and I'm not even going to try and approach Makoto, even if I knew where he was." Ikari smiled sadly.
"Those boys never could get along, could they?" Sharing the same smile, Kirie lightly shook her head.
"No, they couldn't." Ikari leaned back thoughtfully in her chair.
"I'll see what I can do with those two. For now, though, there are some people I would like you to meet." Reaching forward, she picked up a little bell that had been sitting on the corner of the small coffee table that separated the furniture in the room. Giving it a soft shake, a light note entered the air, and a moment later the sound of a door opening from deeper in the apartment could be heard. Curiously, Kirie watched as two young men entered into the main living area, coming to stand silently behind Ikari. The man on the left looked to be in his mid to late twenties and had shaggy black hair that hung haphazardly in his face and striking light blue eyes. The man on the right looked slightly younger than his companion and shared certain features that Kirie could immediately connect with both the dark haired man, as well as Ikari. He was tall, though not as tall as his companion, and had dusty pale brown hair that was slightly darker than Ikari's and blue-gray eyes. Ikari smiled as the two men stopped behind her chair.
"Miss Tsuchiya, I'd like you to meet my sons; Ira," She gestured to the black haired man. "And Hitoshi." The younger male nodded in acknowledgment. "They are members of the "Savers" and are in a good position to assist with our current problem."
"I didn't realize you had kids." Kirie said, nodding to each man as they were introduced. Ikari's smile warmed.
"They were still in elementary school when the Blade Children project started. So I kept their existence private. But now," She looked over her shoulder at Ira, who was watching his mother calmly. "I need you boys to gather some information on Makoto Niozawa and look into these recent killings." She turned back to Kirie as the brothers nodded before silently dismissing themselves to undertake their new assignment. "Thank you for bringing this information to me, Miss Tsuchiya. We'll see what can be done to help the Blade Children." Sensing the statement to be an unspoken dismissal, Kirie rose to her feet.
"Thank you. I hope to see something positive come from all this." Rising as well, Ikari moved to open the door for Kirie.
"As do I. With any luck fate will smile on both us and those children. Keep in touch, Miss Tsuchiya." Giving a nod, Kirie moved past Ikari and silently exited the apartment.
oOoOoOo
It was late as Sai made his way back in the direction of his apartment. He had spent the majority of the day splitting his time between working his day job at Tsukiomi Academy and working with a new team of "Hunters"; going over protocols, training schedules, and instructions for eventual operation within the field. He had left Tsukiomi around eleven o'clock that morning and had passed the new recruits off to their field trainers around 5 o'clock that evening. The rest of his time had been spent sitting through a mandatory faculty dinner with the administrator of Tsukiomi Academy. Truth be told, Sai found the entire interaction rather dull, but he had smiled and suffered through it just as he was expected to.
He smiled, reminiscent, as he stared idly down the near-empty road, allowing his car to slow as he approached a stop light.
The only upside of the night had been a brief interaction with Kirie Tsuchiya and some of her fellow "Watchers". The open looks of hostility and dismissive behavior he had received from Tsuchiya's subordinates was quite amusing to Sai. Still, he had managed to steal a bit of the female "Watcher's" time and had even succeeded in engaging her in a pointless but not altogether non-enjoyable conversation about work matters and daily life.
He eased the car to a stop as the light shifted from green to red. Exhaling slowly, Sai cast a glance toward his dashboard clock. The hour was approaching 10:00pm. Rubbing his eyes wearily, Sai broke his gaze away from the neon numbers and focused once more on the world outside his windshield.
His mind wandered back to the ever-present thought of the Blade Children and a frown crawled onto his face. Things were getting more complicated every day. If it wasn't problems caused by Makoto, then it was infighting and frustrations within his own group. As much as he tried to dismiss him, Naoki wasn't the only person frustrated with the lack of action seen from Sai's branch of the "Hunters" recently. Sai himself was frustrated with how tied his hands felt. But he also knew that acting now would only create further problems for their cause. Regardless of whether he wanted to act or not, the simple fact was that Makoto had brought so much negative attention to the game that it was impossible for either side to safely make a move. It was only a matter of time before Makoto either figured that out or faced the consequences of his ignorance.
Seeing the light change, Sai continued on. As he drove, he allowed his mind to drift, giving himself a rare moment of respite. He allowed his turbulent thoughts to fade to the back of his mind, focusing instead on the road ahead and the light rain that had started to paint abstract patterns on his windshield. This peace lasted for only a few minutes before a questionable scene drew his mind back to the present.
Across the intersection where Sai had currently pulled to a stop, two figures were hurrying across the roadway. It was difficult to tell in the low light, but if Sai were to guess he would say that both individuals were teenagers. While it wasn't all that strange to see teens out on the streets at such an hour, the rain - coupled with the state of agitation both teens seemed to be displaying - led Sai to believe that something more might be going on. Lingering on the scene a moment longer, he watched the teens turn quickly down a side street after making it through the intersection. Sai was about to put the entire affair out of his mind when his eyes caught sight of two more people rushing toward the road. By this point Sai had already made it into the intersection, but again slowed to allow the individuals to cross and then go on his way. To his surprise neither person, both of whom seemed to be male upon closer inspection, made any attempt to slow down whatsoever and instead barreled onto the street. Sai depressed the brake firmly to keep from striking the first man as he darted in front of his car.
"Idiot!" Sai hissed in surprise as he braced on the steering wheel against the sudden change in speed. His eyes widened as he watched the man step back needlessly away from his now stationary vehicle before shouting at him and beating one hand on the hood of the car while raising a large knife and pointing it threateningly at Sai's windshield.
"What on earth?" Sai asked incredulous. He watched, shaking his head, as the other man placed his hand on the first one's shoulder and pushed him forcefully away from the car. He said something Sai couldn't hear to the his companion before the first man lowered his knife and cast a strong glare at Sai. With a final slam of his hand against the hood of Sai's car, both men hurried the rest of the way across the intersection and out of his immediate eye line. Sai remained where he was for a few seconds, trying to process what had just happened as he watched with disbelief as the men made it to the other side of the street. He frowned hard as he watched them hurry down the same ally the teens had disappeared into a few moments before.
In recent weeks, the number of murders in Japan had increased by a prominent number. The string of Blade Child killings had seemed to make other wannabe killers bold, and many were using the panic caused by the "Hunters" to commit their own crimes while there was a scapegoat to blame it on. Many of these crimes had already been falsely connected to the "Hunters" by the media, though it was easy for those who knew what to look for to determine which crimes belonged where.
Exhaling harshly, Sai began driving forward once more, pulling over at a side street and turning the engine off. He sat for another moment before hitting his hand a single time firmly against the steering wheel and turned to pull a hand gun out of his center console. Without a word, he stepped out of the car and made his way back in the direction of the side street the two parties had disappeared down. The night was quiet as he walked. The sound of his footfalls echoed too loudly for his liking, but he continued onward until he reached the side street. As he approached the entrance, a scream broke the quiet of the night. With a curse under his breath, Sai quickened his pace in the direction of the cry. Reaching the end of the road, he heard a commotion.
"Leave us alone! I gave you our money, so just go!" A young man's voice spoke.
"We don't have anything else!" A female voice sobbed. A guttural chuckle made the hair on the back of Sai's neck stand on end and he quickened his pace.
"I'm sorry to say it's not just money we're after, kid." A man with a deep voice spoke, slime oozing off his words.
"Then what do you want?" The boy bit back as Sai made it to the corner and peered around to assess the situation. From his vantage he could only see the backs of the two men. He pulled his eyes away from the scene to see if there was anywhere he could move for a better vantage so as to see each person without risk of injuring the teens if he had to use his gun. His attention was drawn back to the confrontation as the taller man spoke in a high, amused cackle.
"What do you think, Blade Child?" The thinner man drew a knife to match his shorter companion. "We want you to die!"
Sai froze as the words seemed to sink in for all parties present. The two attackers were chuckling, the girl was sobbing, and the boy began backing both of them away from their would-be assailants. As they moved, Sai was able to catch sight of the teen's faces. His heart dropped. Only a dozen feet away stood seventeen year old Mashiro Sota and sixteen year old Tsubaki Ichinose; both second year students at Tsukiomi Academy and confirmed members of the Blade Children. His grip tightened on his gun and he turned his eyes away from the scene. They were Blade Children. He couldn't intervene. He wanted to, but as a "Hunter" doing so would go completely against his cause. He didn't want to watch what was to come next, but he couldn't seem to will his feet to carry him away. His eyes snapped back to the scene as Tsubaki screamed. While he had been distracted, the heavier of the two men - the one who had attacked Sai's car earlier that night - had stepped forward and grabbed Tsubaki by the arm. He pulled her to him as he kept Mashiro frozen at knife point.
"Now if you both cooperate we'll make this quick." Mashiro glowered at the man.
"Like hell you will! Tsubaki!" With those words, Mashiro withdrew a slender flick blade from his coat pocket as Tsubaki sunk her teeth deep into the hand of the man holding her. Roaring in pain, the "Hunter" loosened his grip in an attempt to turn and stab her, but was met with empty space. As soon as his grip had loosened, Tsubaki had slipped out of his grasp, only taking the time to pry her teeth from his bleeding hand, and rolled clear of the man's range. As soon as she was clear, Mashiro darted in, slashing open the man's other hand and causing him to drop his knife as the tendon's were severed.
"What the hell?" The man screamed, holding both hands to his stomach in an attempt to stop the bleeding and glared at his partner. "Don't just stand there! Do some…" His words were cut off as again he was attacked, this time from Tsubaki. All traces of fear and tears had melted from her features, leaving only the cold calculating expression of one prematurely aged by hardship. She had produced a narrow folding spear knife from her own pocket during the distraction Mashiro provided and made quick and efficient work with it. She left a clean cut from the man's shoulder to his elbow before retreating back to allow Mashiro room to enter again and strike. A deep gash down the man's left cheek was the result, causing the "Hunter" to retreat back as quickly as he was able. Kicking the knife out of reach for either "Hunter", both teens eyed the remaining man before turning and running down the street away from their attackers. The taller "Hunter", who previously had looked intimidated and shocked, now looked with disinterest at his injured partner with a shake of his head.
"You've been nothing but useless this entire night. Honestly," A glint of metal caught the moonlight as a slender throwing knife was released from the man's fingers. "Do I have to do everything?"
Sai watched as Mashiro dropped a few dozen feet farther down the street as the blade entered his back between his shoulder blades. Tsubaki froze as well, dropping to try and assist Mashiro to rise once more. As she struggled to get him back onto his feet, the taller "Hunter" began walking forward, tossing another knife into Mashiro's left shoulder as the teen attempted to push himself up from the concrete. A grin crossed the "Hunter's" face as Mashiro once again dropped as his arm was incapacitated from the attack. Tsubaki glared at the "Hunter", rising to her feet and charging toward him with a shout of anger. The "Hunter" attempted to slow her down with a knife thrown her way, but she managed to evade it and dashed right up to him before he could locate another blade in his pocket and try again.
"Go to hell!" She screamed, plunging her knife toward his right side. Her blade grazed his coat as he sidestepped around her, leaving a tear in the fabric and missing purchase by a few millimeters. Correcting her advance, Tsubaki turned to attack again, but sudden immense pain in the back of her head caused her vision to go white and her body to drop to the concrete as well. Through blurred vision she attempted to focus as the "Hunter" stepped into her sight line once more. The man stood over her for a moment. One hand in his pocket and the other lazily turning a baton-style billy club in his hand that he had drawn from within his now open long coat.
"Good try, little girl. Any closer and our positions would be reversed." He praised sarcastically, holding his coat out dramatically to view the clean cut in the fabric. "But alas," he let the cloth drop once more. "It's my win today." Crouching down before her, he waited for her gaze to focus on his face before gently tapping her cheek with the club. "Be a dear and don't bleed out from that head wound before I get back, okay Kitten?" With that he stood, pausing at her side long enough to zip tie her wrists behind her back before leisurely making his way back over to where Mashiro had now succeeded in making it to his knees. He glared up at the "Hunter" trying hard to mask the fear and pain as he again attempted to rise to his feet.
"Leave her alone!" He hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes narrowed as he finally managed to stand. He still held the knife in his right hand, though he wasn't able to do much with the "Hunter's" blade still embedded between his shoulder blades. The taller man looked haughtily down at him.
"Oh don't worry, pretty boy." Mashiro collapsed to the side as the billy club landed squarely against the right side of his head. "I'm only focused on you right now." With that, the "Hunter" descended on the young teen, filling the air with screams until a gag silenced him.
As the screams broke the night, following each strike of the billy club, Sai moved into action. Leaving his post at the corner of the side street, he made his way confidently toward the attacking "Hunter". He paid little mind to the man's companion as he passed, only meeting the his confused gaze for a moment to cast a glare strong enough to silence any exclamations the man may have been about to make. He continued forward until he stood roughly ten feet behind the thin "Hunter". The man had just completed his task of gagging Mashiro and was raising his billy club to strike once more.
"That's enough of that." The club froze in mid-air, the "Hunter" glancing over his shoulder to ascertain who had dared give him an order.
"What was that?" He hissed, a challenge, his side-eyed glare shooting daggers at Sai, recognition crossing his face.
"You heard me. This is over." His words were strong as he spoke, glancing from the angry "Hunter" into the hopeful and pleading eyes of the young Blade Child. He quickly looked away, glancing briefly at the sky before focusing back on the "Hunter", who was still watching him. He couldn't look at the Blade Child; couldn't handle that misplaced hope that he would be saved. His gaze hardened. The "Hunter" snickered.
"What are you talking about? We're just getting into the good part." He tapped the club lightly against the side of Mashiro's head a few times for emphasis. "Now why don't you get back in your little car and leave the adults to do our jobs, hm?" Sai could feel his jaw clench as his hardened gaze turned more into a glare.
"This isn't what your 'job' is." He said calmly. "The job of the "Hunters" is to eliminate the Blade Children. Not torture them for their own amusement." He refused to look as he caught sight of Mashiro start to violently struggle once more in his peripheral. The "Hunter placed a firm knee on his spine to still him.
"So you know about us, hm? Well you're clearly not well informed on the rules. Our job is to 'kill' the Blade Children." He began shifting the knife in Mashiro's shoulder back and forth, drawing pained whimpers from the teen. "That's what I'm doing. Now why don't you and your little savior complex just turn around and walk away?" A primal grin crossed his face. "Or would you like me to 'eliminate' you as well?"
"You misunderstand me." Sai said, keeping his voice even and ignoring the threat posed against him. "I am in no way trying to save them. But this has gone on long enough. You've beaten them; you've subdued them. So end this. Kill them and be done, or I will."
"Oh ho. And who might you be to try and order me around? You some kind of cop?"
"No, I'm a "Hunter."
"Then what's the problem?"
"What you're doing is crossing the line. You've turned this from killing into slaughter. I won't stand for that."
"Well you don't really have the authority to stop me." He scoffed. "I'll kill these brats any way I like. There's nothing you can do." He drew back momentarily as Sai leveled his gun on the man.
"I think I can." His tone was calm, direct. A dry cackle left the "Hunter's" throat as he rose from where he had been crouching over Mashiro's body to stand in full challenge to Sai.
"Brave little "Hunter" wants to fight?" He taunted. "What are you going to do with that 'little toy'? You can't discharge a gun here. Even with that fancy silencer of yours it would draw far more attention than I think you would want." He smirked, turning back to Mashiro and stooping to pick up his abandoned billy club. "Now be a good boy and go…" The loud pop of a silenced shot caused the "Hunter" to flinch, drop the club, and spin around to face him once more. Sai stood where he had been, the gun aimed at the sky. The soft tink of the bullet casing landing slightly behind him echoing as the only sound in the sudden stillness of the night.
"The next one goes in you."
The "Hunter" bared his teeth at Sai, clenching his fists and taking a step over Mashiro to stalk forward.
"How dare you, you little…" The sudden leveling of the gun at his head stopped the "Hunter" in his tracks.
"You have seconds at most to finish this now. Unless you'd like to continue in front of an audience of witnesses?" He lowered the gun from the man's head to aim at his chest. "Now end this or I will put a bullet in you and then do it myself." The "Hunter" was shaking with rage by this point, but didn't dare move. After a moment he sneered at Sai before giving him a seething grin and backing up with a dramatic open-armed bow, eyes still locked on Sai.
"Fine, '"Hunter"'." He crouched back down beside Mashiro once more, keeping his gaze locked with Sai's. Grabbing a fist full of Mashiro's hair, he dragged the whimpering, barely conscious, boy's head up from the ground. He allowed the teen to stare pleadingly at Sai for a moment, who refused to meet his gaze, before producing a knife from his pocket and slicing a deep gash that nearly reached bone into the young teen's neck. With a single, echoing choke, Mashiro's eyes rolled back and the "Hunter" let him drop back to the ground. Still glaring at Sai, he moved over to Tsubaki, kicking her roughly onto her back. There was no resistance as she was moved and Sai was grateful that the girl had either already perished or was at least unconscious. Sai couldn't help flinching as he watched the "Hunter" embed the same knife used on Mashiro deep into her heart before standing once more and stomping firmly against the handle a few times to drive the blade as deep as possible. Once satisfied, the "Hunter" looked back at Sai, throwing his arms out on either side once more and cocking his head to the right.
"Happy?"
"Hardly." Disgust and threat dripped from Sai's words as he motioned down the alley with his gun. "Now both of you get out of here." Scoffing, the "Hunter" bent over to pull his knife out of Tsubaki's chest, returning to Mashiro and doing the same before wiping both the blades and the body of his billy club on Mashiro's jacket and then rising to his feet once more. With a glare at Sai, he turned and made his way back toward his companion, stopping only to retrieve the knife he had thrown at Tsubaki and missed with. Once this was done, he returned to where the heavier "Hunter" was crouched, still trying to slow the bleeding from his wounds.
"Get up." The taller man ordered, giving his partner a kick to the hip. He picked up the other "Hunter's" discarded knife as the man struggled to his feet. He staggered next to the taller man, who pushed him away with disgust. "Don't touch me." He brushed his hand off as if having touched something vile. "You'll bleed on me." Turning his glare back on Sai, he smiled humorlessly. "Let's hope our paths don't cross again '"Hunter"'. For your sake." With those final words, the taller "Hunter" made his way leisurely down the street, heading around the corner and out of sight. With a final glance at Sai, his partner followed quickly and silently behind him. The entire attack had lasted six minutes.
Sai remained at the scene for a few moments more, his mind trying to rationalize what had just occurred. The gun shook slightly in his hand as the adrenaline began to wear off. He felt disgusted by the entire affair and felt sick after interacting with the thin "Hunter". His grip tightened on his gun. Never had he been so disgusted by another human. It was concerning what the consequences of having someone like that roaming the streets would be. With a trembling sigh and a shake of his head to clear it, he looked back at the two teens lying motionless on the ground with disgust and pity. He didn't bother to check for signs of life. Placing the safety on his gun, he slipped in into his coat pocket and, taking a moment to locate the discarded bullet casing from the shot he had fired, turned and hurried back the way he had come. As he reached his car, he could hear sirens in the distance. It didn't surprise him. The scene of the attack was hidden on both sides by shops and operated more as an alleyway than a street, but it wasn't so late that no one would have heard the commotion, especially with the addition of his gunshot, and alerted authorities. Sai hoped they were quick enough to catch the "Hunters" that had killed the children. That would be the only justice in this whole situation. Swallowing thickly, Sai unlocked his car and quickly left the area.
He drove blindly until he reached an abandoned parking lot, still too agitated to entertain the thought of returning home. He slowed to a stop at the edge of the lot before proceeding to sit for some time. He felt drained as he stared blankly out the windshield. Nausea twisted his insides and he fought the urge to vomit for a few moments before letting out a shaky breath. He turned his attention from the windshield to the gun resting on his passenger seat. He had tossed it there in his rush to leave the area, but now it held his full attention.
"That was awful." He said softly, closing his eyes and reclining his head back against the head rest of his seat. The evening's events kept playing on repeat in his head and he shuddered at the memory of the screams and the look of hope Mashiro had given him. He had involved himself in the first place in order to help those kids, but once he realized they were Blade Children his hands had been tied. He couldn't save the children because of his position as a "Hunter", but that knowledge did little to help in the face of that hopeful look that was burned into his memory. He regretted letting things go on as long as they had. He had ended things better than if he had done nothing, but it still hurt that the situation had to occur at all. He felt angry as well. Angry at the "Hunter" who had taken such pleasure in torturing the teens, and angry at Makoto for allowing such a man to be involved with this game.
Sai shook his head, resting his forehead against the steering wheel and closing his eyes. He had done his best. He had given both teens as merciful a death as was possible given the circumstances. He couldn't save them and he couldn't control Makoto. He had to accept that.
Exhaling again, Sai lifted his head from the steering wheel to stare a moment at the roof of the car.
"I wish this wasn't necessary." He mumbled, speaking about far more than just the night's events. Lowering his head, he started the car once more and slowly left the parking lot.
It didn't take long for Sai to reach his apartment. Retrieving his gun, he quickly parked and made his way indoors. Once inside with the door securely locked, Sai turned and walked to the kitchen, setting the gun down and bracing his hands on either side of the sink. His posture bled exhaustion; his head hanging low and sunk into his shoulders as his eyes stared blankly into the sink. He maintained this posture for several minutes, just quietly thinking, before forcing himself upright once more. He poured himself a quick drink before returning to the dark living area and settling himself down in his chair before the window.
Though an hour had passed by this point, the events of the night still hung heavy and fresh on his mind. Thoughtfully he turned the drink in his hand, admiring the distorted color in the moonlight before taking a sip and lowering it to the arm of the chair once more.
"What was the point?" He mused to himself, turning his eyes toward the ceiling with a weary sigh. "So unnecessary…"
His mind wandered from the evening's events to an eerily similar tale he had heard during his visit with Ryoko Takamachi. At that time she had explained the sort of tactics and methods she had witnessed the "Hunters" use during their chase. It sounded all too similar. His brow furrowed. Why did there seem to be a pattern of behavior with Makoto's "Hunters"? Was he just seeking out these sorts of sadistic people to follow his call? Or was the younger generation just that much more prone to sadistic pleasure and violence.
Wearily he rubbed his forehead. Naoki was much the same. Although he held himself in check in order to obey Sai's instructions, there was no denying that with enough anger Naoki could be prompted to act in the same way as the men that evening.
"So what can I do about it?" His finger lightly traced the rim of his glass before lifting the drink to his lips once more. His mind calmed for a moment as he felt the burning liquid on his tongue, enjoying the brief distraction. Reality all too soon returned. He lowered the glass once more.
Turning his attention to the window, he watched the rain drops softly landing against the glass. His clothes were still damp from standing outside, and he only now realized he had never even discarded his outer jacket upon returning home. With a heavy exhale he set his drink aside and rose to his feet. His entire body protested the action, leaving him surprised by how physically tired he felt in the wake of the adrenaline rush that had carried him earlier in the evening. Placing a hand on his forehead for a moment, he shook off the fatigue and went to place his coat in its proper place. He stood briefly with his hand on the closet door once his task was concluded, thoughtfully staring at the handle, before sighing once more and returning to the window.
With little thought, Sai removed his phone from his pants pocket and dialed an all too familiar number.
"…Hello?" A groggy voice answered. It was clear she had been sleeping. Glancing to his right to see the clock hanging over the kitchen divider, Sai's eyes widened slightly. Though it had been around eleven thirty when he arrived home, the clock now displayed two o'clock in the morning.
"I apologize for calling at such a late hour, my dear. I didn't think to check the time."
"It's fine." There was an unspoken question that Sai heard all too clearly in her statement. He was acting strangely. In just his few words Yan had already worked that out. Sai chose to ignore it.
"In light of some recent events, I believe we need to discuss our current efforts against the Blade Children in light of Makoto's involvement."
"Now?" Sai smiled. Even at this late hour, Yan was ready to come to him so they could have a proper meeting face to face. His voice softened.
"No, my dear. This matter can wait until tomorrow. Had I realized the time I wouldn't have even called tonight." He heard Yan nod on the other end of the call.
"When?" She asked.
"Tomorrow afternoon. Once Naoki is finished with work. I think it is pertinent for him to be there as well."
"Understood." After a few moment's pause Sai heard her speak again; softer this time. "Are you okay?" Sai's smile warmed.
"I'm fine, my dear. We'll talk tomorrow. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Sai waited for Yan to end the call as she usually did, but when a few moments had passed and the line was still connected his smile saddened and he ended it himself. Resting his head back, he directed his gaze to the ceiling. He had made her worry needlessly. Another regret for the night. He knew he should try to put everything out of his mind and get some sleep, but his anger and turbulent thoughts made that idea seem impossible. With a final exhale, he downed the rest of his drink before returning to the kitchen for another. It was going to be a long night.